
McCarthy, Schumer Eye Debt-Limit Votes Ahead of June 1 Deadline
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are making plans for votes in the coming
1970-01-01 08:00

Alleged Bosnian war criminal busted living secretly in Boston after 25 years
A man accused of being a Bosnian war criminal who faked his way into the US was arrested in Boston, according to court records. Kemal Mrndzic, who authorities took into custody on Wednesday, allegedly oversaw a prison camp in Bosnia & Herzegovina where prisoners were murdered, raped, and tortured in the 1990s. Federal prosecutors allege that Mr Mrndzic, 50, lied about being a refugee and claimed he had US citizenship, according to Boston.com. They claim he worked as a supervisor at the ÄŒelebići prison camp in the country during the Bosnian War. Survivors accused him of being involved in the war crimes committed against prisoners at the camp. He has been charged with falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact from the US government by trick, scheme, or device, for using a fraudulently obtained US passport, and for possessing and using a fraudulently obtained naturalisation certificate and fraudulently obtained Social Security card. Three former guards who allegedly worked with Mr Mrndzic have already been convicted by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Prosecutors said he was interviewed by the UN's tribunal after the Bosnian War and was then accused of participating in the war crimes carried out in the camp. Mr Mrndzic allegedly fled the region to Croatia, where prosecutors say he took on a fake identity and presented himself as a refugee to gain entry to the US. He gained access in 1999 and was later granted citizenship, according to Radio Free Europe. Prosecutors said Mr Mrndzic claimed he had been taken prisoner by Serb fighters and was afraid they would seek revenge on him if he was not granted refugee status. “It is alleged that in his refugee application and interview, he falsely claimed that he fled his home after he was captured, interrogated and abused by Serb forces, and could not return home for fear of future persecution,” the Department of Justice said in a statement. “He was admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in 1999, and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009.” Mr Mrndzic made his first court appearance on Wednesday morning and was released on a $30,000 bond. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the fraudulent passport and naturalisation charges — 10 years each — and up to five years in prison for the remaining charges, with three years of supervised release afterwards as well as a $250,000 fine. Approximately 240 ethnic Serbs were imprisoned at ÄŒelebići as part of the systemic ethnic cleansing of Serbian civilians by Bosnian Muslim and Croat forces. Read More Death row inmate challenges new Tennessee post-conviction law Remains of Georgia woman killed 46 years ago identified, confirmed serial killer victim Man accused in baseball bat attack of Connolly congressional staffers now facing federal charges
1970-01-01 08:00

Trump campaign knocks DeSantis over Disney’s cancelled Florida expansion
Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign wasted no time in knocking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the news that Disney is cancelling a $1bn plan to expand its business in Florida. The campaign for the former president to return to the White House sent out a fundraising email on 18 May after the news broke about the shelving of the planned relocation of some thousands of staff to the Orlando area. Headlined: “President Trump is always right”, the email included a Truth Social post from Mr Trump dated 18 April. The post reads: “DeSanctus is being absolutely destroyed by Disney. His original P.R. plan fizzled, so now he’s going back with a new one in order to save face. Disney’s next move will be the announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the Governor.” He continues: “In fact, they could even announce a slow withdrawal or sale of certain properties, or the whole thing. Watch! That would be a killer. In the meantime, this is all so unnecessary, a political STUNT! Ron should work on the squatter MESS!” Walt Disney has pulled the plug on a $1bn office complex in central Florida, following a warning from Disney leadership that billions of dollars in projects were on the line after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis escalated his feud with the company. The development scheduled for construction in the Orlando area was set to bring 2,000 jobs to the region, with 1,000 employees expected to be relocated from southern California. In an email to employees on 18 May, Disney’s theme park and consumer products chair Josh D’Amaro pointed to “changing business conditions” for the cancellation of the 60-acre Lake Nona Town Center project, according to The New York Times, which first reported the move. “I remain optimistic about the direction of our Walt Disney World business,” he added, noting that the company has still planned $17bn in projects over the next decade at its Disney World campus. “I hope we’re able to,” he said. For years, Florida legislators and the governor’s office enjoyed a close relationship with the state’s largest taxpayers, among the state’s largest employers, which has wielded enormous political influence while bringing in billions of dollars to the state each year. Now, the company and DeSantis allies are suing one another, following a year-long feud over opposition to what opponents have called Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law that boiled over into political and legal battles that could shape the company’s business in the state. Moments after a board appointed by Mr DeSantis voted to strip the company’s control of its Florida park, Disney filed a federal lawsuit against the governor and state officials alleging a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” for “expressing a political viewpoint.” The lawsuit follows the governor’s state takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, now the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, made up of conservative activists and DeSantis loyalists, a move that followed Florida Republicans’ punitive measures against the company after its public opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” law. Days later, the board voted to sue Disney in state court. In March, Disney slammed the governor’s “anti-business” approach to the company, which Mr DeSantis has accused of advancing a “woke agenda” while his administration targets LGBT+ people and their families with sweeping laws to control public school education, healthcare access and speech. The governor dissolved a decades-old municipal district that allowed Disney to control its own land use, zoning rules and public services, without putting a tax burden on Florida residents. In effect, Disney taxed itself to foot the district’s bill for its municipal needs. “Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people, and pay more taxes, or not?” Disney CEO Bob Iger said on a conference call with analysts last week. A statement from Disney said the company has decided to pull out of the new campus construction “given the considerable changes that have occurred since the announcement of this project, including new leadership and changing business conditions.” Governor DeSantis’s office said in a statement: “Disney announced the possibility of a Lake Nona campus nearly two years ago. Nothing ever came of the project, and the state was unsure whether it would come to fruition. “Given the company’s financial straits, falling market cap and declining stock price, it is unsurprising that they would restructure their business operations and cancel unsuccessful ventures.” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings released his own statement reading: “It is unfortunate that Disney will not be moving forward with construction of the Lake Nona campus. However, these are the consequences when there isn’t an inclusive and collaborative work environment between the state of Florida and the business community.” He concluded by saying: “We will continue to work closely with our valued partners at Disney.” Read More Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis Ron DeSantis mocked over bizarre video of roaring laughter: ‘A faulty robot’ Pete Buttigieg says GOP falling in ‘delicious’ trap: ‘Coca-Cola, Disney and Bud Light are on the other side’ Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement
1970-01-01 08:00

Online Luxury Retailer Farfetch Surges as Consumers Keep Splurging
Farfetch Ltd shares jumped as much as 23% in after-hours trading following financial results that beat Wall Street’s
1970-01-01 08:00

Teva Plans to Cut Back Generic Drug Production Even As Shortages Intensify
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. plans to cut back manufacturing of generic drugs, citing low profitability, at a time
1970-01-01 08:00

Global Carbon Market in Turmoil After Zimbabwe Grabs Offset Money
The global market for carbon offsets is worth about $2 billion today and projected to grow to as
1970-01-01 08:00

US and Taiwan Agree on Trade Initiative in Bid for Closer Ties
The US and Taiwan agreed to boost trade ties, the first tangible results under an initiative announced last
1970-01-01 08:00

New Pentagon Missile Defense Radar Is Delayed and Over Budget, GAO Says
Delivery of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s new ground radar for the US system in Alaska intended to track and
1970-01-01 08:00

Applied Materials Sees Sales Drop as Chipmakers Pull Back Spending
Applied Materials Inc., the biggest maker of semiconductor-making machinery, expects sales to decline in the current quarter, though
1970-01-01 08:00

The Supreme Court Just Handed Google and Twitter a New Line of Defense
The US Supreme Court handed social media companies a new line of defense as they face an increasing
1970-01-01 08:00

GOP Rep Clay Higgins filmed shoving activist who questioned Lauren Boebert’s divorce
Republican Congressman Clay Higgins yanked and shoved an activist who he claimed was mentally disturbed during a press conference outside the US Capitol. Jake Burdett, an activist with leftist political views, was filming and asking questions of the GOP lawmakers present when a man in a suit approached him. The moment, which is captured in Mr Burdett's footage, shows the man in the suit — Mr Higgins — walking up, introducing himself, and telling the activist to back off and that he will answer his questions after the conference. “All I’m asking you to do is just peacefully stand by with your camera and I promise you—look at me—I’ll come talk to you straight up and answer all your questions. Fair enough?” Mr Higgins asks. Mr Burdett stood back, but zeroed in on the lawmakers again when Congresswoman Laura Boebert began to speak. The activist began to ask questions about her recently announced divorce but was intercepted by Mr Higgins. Footage capturing the moment shows Mr Higgins grabbing the activist and shoving him several feet away from the press conference. “Uh-uh. Uh-uh. No. You’re out. You’re out," Mr Higgins can be heard saying in the footage. Mr Burdett can be heard protesting Mr Higgins’s interference, asking: “Aren't you a congressperson, touching me?” He then demanded that he “get off” and said that the lawmaker was hurting him. Mr Higgins continued to grapple Mr Burdett until DC Metropolitan police intervened and split the men up. Mr Burdett was questioned by DC police and was later allowed to leave. He spoke about the experience with The Daily Beast, saying he felt “scared, intimidated, powerless, [and] defenceless”. Mr Burdett said he felt as though he could do nothing to defend himself since Mr Higgins is a member of Congress. “Like, who do I think the cops are going to crack down on, me, or the congressperson?” he said. He believes the incident was an example of a lawmaker thinking of themselves as “untouchable” because of their position. “It’s one thing for anybody to do that,” he said of Higgins’ behaviour. “But for a sitting US congressperson to think that that’s OK—it just shows an extra level of entitlement, that they feel they’re untouchable and the law doesn’t apply to them.” The footage was shared widely on social media, sparking a Change.org petition for the arrest of Mr Higgins. The Independent has reached out to Mr Higgins and Mr Burdett for comment. Mr Higgins responded to the incident in a video response posted to Twitter. Mr Higgins offered a comment to KATC, and said Mr Burdett "was a 103M," which is a police code referring to mentally disturbed individuals. The statement goes on to accuse Mr Burdett of being “threatening”. Mr Burdett told The Daily Beast he was in Washington to attend a Medicare for All rally featuring Senator Bernie Sanders. After that rally, he spotted the Republican press conference setting up in the same spot. He decided to stay and "ask them some tough questions." He said that after the incident he is weighing his options and strongly considering making assault charges against the congressman. “I’m absolutely evaluating my options here, and if it looks like there is a strong case for assault and [there is] an attorney willing to take on the case, I am absolutely prepared to press charges,” he said. Read More The school librarian in the middle of Louisiana’s war on libraries Lauren Boebert denies claim husband flew into rage after being served divorce papers Marjorie Taylor Greene launches racially-loaded attack on Black Democrat after Capitol steps shouting match Lauren Boebert denies claim husband flew into rage after being served divorce papers Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis FACT FOCUS: Who’s to blame for the national debt? It’s more complicated than one culprit
1970-01-01 08:00

3 teams that could upgrade from hiring Mike Budenholzer
Mike Budenholzer was fired by the Milwaukee Bucks but he's a championship-winning coach with a great track record. These three teams should snap him up.Mike Budenholzer has been one of the best coaches in the NBA for the last decade. He has spent all 10 of his years coaching in the Eastern ...
1970-01-01 08:00