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Portugal’s government loses confidence vote, setting stage for new election

Portugal’s government loses confidence vote, setting stage for new election

Portugal’s centre-right government has lost a confidence vote in parliament, potentially pushing the European Union (EU) country towards its third general election in three years. The government “tried everything right up to the last minute to avoid snap elections”, Portugal’s centre-right prime minister, Luis Montenegro, told reporters after the vote on Tuesday evening. Lawmakers voted 142-88, with zero abstentions, against the motion of confidence that Montenegro presented after the opposition questioned the integrity of his dealings related to a consultancy firm he founded. Portuguese media reported allegations that the firm, which is now run by Montenegro’s sons, had contracts with several private companies that rely on government contracts. Montenegro, who had already survived two censure votes, denies any wrongdoing. “The insinuation that I mixed my business and political activity is completely abusive, and even insulting. A repeated falsehood does not become the truth, but it contaminates the political environment… this is what populism feeds on,” he told parliament before the vote. Advertisement Pedro Nuno Santos, the leader of the Socialist Party, the country’s largest opposition party, described the government’s conduct as “shameful”, saying it resorted to “manoeuvres, games, tricks” to survive. Montenegro became prime minister after socialist Antonio Costa resigned in November 2023 under the shadow of a corruption probe. Costa, who denies accusations of influence peddling levelled against him, was elected head of the EU’s European Council in June 2024. Montenegro’s administration will now assume a caretaker role. Following the vote, it is now up to Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, whether to call a parliamentary election after he consults the main political parties on Wednesday and his advisory Council of State on Thursday. De Sousa has said a new ballot could be held in mid-May. Minority governments and rising far-right Montenegro’s centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition won elections in March 2024, but held just 80 seats in the country’s 230-seat legislature. The Socialist Party, who had previously held government, won 78 seats. By contrast, Portugal’s hard-right Chega party gained 50 seats, more than four times the 12 seats it held previously. At the time, Montenegro ruled out working with Chega, saying “no means no” to forming a government with the party, which has gained votes campaigning on an anti-immigration platform. Political scientist Adelino Maltez of Lisbon University said opinion polls showed very little change in voter preferences from the March 2024 election. The AD and the Socialists are neck-and-neck in most surveys. Advertisement “The problem is that the new election will not be conclusive… The AD and the Socialists are tied. It is a situation that will be difficult for them to navigate,” Maltez said. A centrist pact between Montenegro’s Social Democrats and the Socialists was the only solution, despite the differences in their policy proposals, he said. The two main rivals only had such an accord in parliament once, between 1983 and 1985. “If they don’t do it, it will be more of the same instability,” Maltez said. Tuesday’s no-confidence vote points to the worst spell of political instability since Portugal adopted a democratic system more than 50 years ago in the wake of the 1974 Carnation Revolution, which ended a four-decade dictatorship. An early election is all but inevitable now but voters are already showing election fatigue and disillusionment with politicians. “This seems like a joke, no one understands why there’s a new election so soon. Politicians blame each other, but all of them are being irresponsible,” said Joao Brito, a 70-year-old retired civil servant in downtown Lisbon. Adblock test (Why?)

US Education Department to halve staff as Trump pushes for elimination

US Education Department to halve staff as Trump pushes for elimination

US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon says administration will work with the US Congress to abolish department. The United States Department of Education has announced it will lay off almost half of its employees as President Donald Trump moves to fulfil his campaign promise to dismantle the agency. The department said on Tuesday that it would reduce the size of its workforce to roughly 2,183 employees by placing staff on administrative leave from March 21. It said it would continue to provide “all statutory programs” falling under its purview, including student loans and funding for special needs students. The cuts follow similar rounds of firings undertaken as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s drive to radically streamline the federal bureaucracy. “Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.” Advertisement In an interview with Fox News later on Tuesday, McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, confirmed that the layoffs were a step towards abolishing the department. “Actually, it is because that was the president’s mandate,” she said. “His directive to me clearly is to shut down the Department of Education, which we know we will have to work with Congress to get that accomplished.” McMahon said that the cuts took aim at “bureaucratic bloat” and that the department’s “outward facing programs”, such as grants, would be preserved. Trump campaigned on abolishing the Department of Education, which he claimed had been infiltrated by “radicals, zealots and Marxists”, and passing responsibility for education to individual states and local school districts. In an exchange with reporters last month, the US president said that he had told McMahon that he wanted her to “put herself out of a job”. Education in the US is already mostly provided by states and local communities, with the federal government only providing about 8 percent of the total funding for elementary and secondary schooling. ‘Wrecking ball’ Established in 1979 by the US Congress and former President Jimmy Carter, the department’s primary functions include providing financial aid to schools, overseeing student loan programmes, and enforcing civil rights protections. Republicans have railed against the department since its inception, arguing that education policy should be handled at the state and local level. Advertisement Former US President Ronald Reagan repeatedly called for the dismantling of the department but ultimately failed to win the backing of Congress before leaving office in 1989. The National Education Association, the largest teachers union in the US, condemned the Trump administration’s move, accusing it of taking a “wrecking ball” to the futures of some 50 million students. “The real victims will be our most vulnerable students,” National Education Association President Becky Pringle said in a statement. “Gutting the Department of Education will send class sizes soaring, cut job training programs, make higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle-class families, take away special education services for students with disabilities, and gut student civil rights protections.” Adblock test (Why?)

Police say surfer ‘taken by shark’ in Western Australia

Police say surfer ‘taken by shark’ in Western Australia

Search for missing surfer now a recovery operation after evidence of bite marks found on surf board. Australian police have confirmed that a surfer who went missing was “taken by a shark” after search and rescue teams recovered a surfboard scarred with “bite marks” from the area of the attack. The victim – identified by Australian media as 37-year-old Steven Payne – was mauled by a shark while surfing at Wharton beach in a remote area of Western Australia, police said late on Tuesday. It marks Australia’s fourth reported fatal shark attack in recent months. “I can confirm that our search is a recovery, not a rescue,” Western Australia Police Force Senior Sergeant Christopher Taylor said, noting that the surfer’s body has not been recovered. “A surfboard with evidence of bite marks was recovered from the water,” Western Australia Police said in a separate statement on Tuesday. According to media reports, a shark was spotted just moments before the attack in the water off Wharton beach and screams were heard coming from the area where the man was surfing at about midday. Australia’s 7News network said the victim was in chest-deep water about 50 metres (164 feet) from the shore with two other surfers when he was attacked. Police said the other surfers were unable to do anything to help. Advertisement In February, a shark killed a 17-year-old girl swimming off an eastern Australian island, while a 28-year-old surfer was fatally bitten in South Australia a month earlier. On December 28, a shark fatally bit a 40-year-old man in the neck as he was spearfishing off Queensland. Surfers walk along a beach in Sydney, Australia, in April 2020 [Rick Rycroft/AP Photo] Adblock test (Why?)

Sean Duffy proposes big plans to upgrade air traffic control systems, use AI to find ‘hot spots’

Sean Duffy proposes big plans to upgrade air traffic control systems, use AI to find ‘hot spots’

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans to bolster airport air traffic control systems with the latest technology over the next four years, while also using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify “hot spots” where close encounters between aircraft occur frequently. The announcement came after an update on an investigation into a crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, when a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines-operated passenger jet collided over the Potomac River Jan. 29. “We’re here because 67 souls lost their lives on Jan. 29,” Duffy told reporters Tuesday, noting that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) unveiled its preliminary findings into the crash earlier in the day. The findings noted that, over the last 2½ years, there have been 85 near misses or close calls at Reagan National. Close calls were identified as incidents when there are less than 200 feet of vertical separation and 1,500 feet of lateral separation between aircraft. VP VANCE CALLS ON US ‘TO DO A BETTER JOB’ WITH AVIATION SAFETY AFTER ‘INCREDIBLY HEARTBREAKING’ DC PLANE CRASH Appearing shocked at the findings, Duffy questioned how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not know about the “hot spot,” where near misses happen frequently. “We’re having near misses, and if we don’t change our way, we’re going to lose lives,” he said. “That wasn’t done. Maybe there was a focus on something other than safety, but in this administration, we are focusing on safety.” The FAA has deployed AI tools to sift through data and find additional hot spots in U.S. airspace near airports to find similar situations to what has been happening at Reagan National. REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT CRASH: MILITARY BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER COLLIDES MIDAIR WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES JET Once the hot spots are identified, Duffy’s team will implement changes to reduce the close encounters between aircraft. Duffy also said he has learned that air traffic control systems across the country are 25 to 30 years old, and some of them even use floppy disks as if they were stuck in the 1980s. While the system is antiquated, the secretary stressed it was safe. Despite the system being safe, Duffy said it needs to be upgraded. “This should have happened four years ago, 10 years ago, 15 years ago,” he said. “But, right now, we’re at a point where we can actually do it. And we can do it really fast.” NTSB CALLS FOR BAN ON SOME HELICOPTER ROUTES NEAR REAGAN AIRPORT AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION THAT KILLED 67 PEOPLE Duffy said the task could take up to four years to complete. The job entails bringing in a brand-new air traffic control system, switching from copper wires to a combination of fiber, wireless and satellite systems. The current radar system from the 1970s or early 1980s works, but Duffy wants to put state-of-the-art radar in place and terminals with the right screens and the best technology. ‘GATE LICE’ RUN-INS HAVE FLYERS DEMANDING MORE AIRLINES ‘CRACK DOWN’ ON PESKY TRAVEL TREND “We’re going to deploy resources for runway safety — new technology that will allow our air traffic controllers not to use binoculars in the tower to see where aircraft are at, but to actually have ground radar sensors at our airports that will allow air traffic controllers to see where airplanes are at,” he said.  “We’ve heard a lot of new stories of just near misses on the tarmac. And how do you alleviate that? Take away the binoculars and give them technology so they can see on their screens where every aircraft is located. “By doing this, we are going to greatly improve our safety in the system.”  Technology, on the other hand, is not cheap, which the secretary acknowledged. In an environment in which the Department of Government Efficiency is looking for ways to cut costs and save money, Duffy explained making upgrades in the name of safety is worth the investment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Over the next couple of weeks, Duffy said, he plans to introduce his plan to Congress and take in their feedback. Once he goes through the feedback, Duffy said he plans to return to Congress and ask for the money up front to expedite the process of upgrading the air traffic control systems. “It’s not that the FAA didn’t want to do the upgrades,” he said. “It just takes too long. So, they have to give us the money. We’re going to later lay out our plan to actually do it really quickly.”

Trump picks Michael George DeSombre to represent US in East Asia and Pacific

Trump picks Michael George DeSombre to represent US in East Asia and Pacific

President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Michael George DeSombre to serve as the next U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific. Trump made the announcement on Tuesday, posting on Truth Social that DeSombre served during the president’s first term as the ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand. DeSombre is a partner at Sullivan Cromwell, where he leads mergers and acquisitions in Asia. He also graduated from Harvard Law School. Additionally, DeSombre attended Stanford University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics, and master’s degree in East Asian Studies. NORTH KOREA FIRES MISSILES AS US, SOUTH KOREA BEGIN THEIR 1ST JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE OF TRUMP’S 2ND TERM “I know Michael will work incredibly hard for our country,” Trump wrote. The president also announced that he has tapped Paolo Zampolli to serve as special envoy for global partnerships. Trump said Zampolli’s extensive experience working with the United Nations, Kennedy Center, and various international initiatives will help the Trump administration advance America’s interests on the global stage. TRUMP ANNOUNCES US AMBASSADOR NOMINATIONS THAT INCLUDE MAYOR OF MICHIGAN CITY Trump announced that he has chosen Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Mayor Bill Bazzi to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia, as well. Bazzi, Trump wrote, is a decorated U.S. Marine who served the country for 21 years. He also worked as a quality manager at Boeing and a product development engineer at Ford Motor Company. NEW BOOK DETAILS SECURITY LAPSES AHEAD OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: ‘CLEAR THERE WAS A PROBLEM’ After working at Ford for 22 years, Bazzi took an early retirement to serve as the mayor of Dearborn Heights. “Bazzi worked hard during the 2024 Presidential Election to help us secure our Historic Victory, and I look forward to seeing the great things he will accomplish for our Nation,” Trump wrote on Truth. “Congratulations Bill!” In one more post, Trump announced that Dr. Anji Sinha is his pick to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Singapore, calling her “a highly respected entrepreneur with an incredible family.” “The United States’ relationship with Singapore is vital, and I have no doubt that Anji will strongly represent our Nation’s Interests, and put America First,” the president wrote on Truth. “Congratulations Anji!”