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NoneForeign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is not escalating a war of words with Mexico, after the Mexican president criticized Canada’s culture and its framing of border issues. “I fundamentally believe that many conversations, when it comes to diplomacy, are always better when they remain private,” Joly said Monday during a teleconference from Brussels. The rift between the two trading partners started with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s declaration that he plans to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all goods from both countries unless they stop the flow of migrants and illegal drugs into the U.S. Several federal and provincial officials in Canada responded by saying the issues at the Canadian border are vastly different from the Mexican border. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for example, has voiced concerns that the level of Chinese investment in Mexico goes against the economic-security goals of Ottawa and Washington. Some premiers have called on Canada to negotiate a trade deal with Washington independent from Mexico, ahead of the 2026 review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, which replaced NAFTA during Trump’s last tenure in the White House. In a Monday press conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico “must be respected, especially by its trading partners.” She also noted that Canada has “a very serious problem with fentanyl consumption,” more than Mexico, and possibly as a result of some drug-decriminalization measures. “We are not going to fall for a provocation of which country is better,” she said, chalking some criticism from Canada up to political pandering. “Mexico should not be used as part of (Canadian) electoral campaigns,” she said. Yet Sheinbaum also said Canada “could only wish they had the cultural riches Mexico has,” saying her country has civilizations dating back thousands of years. Asked to respond, Joly said she is reaching out to Mexican officials after speaking with the U.S., including about the “very important trade agreement” that includes all three countries. “I know there has been many conversations in Canada about how we can work together and how we can, at the same time, protect our interests,” she said. “We have a positive relationship with Mexico, and we need to work with the country; that’s definitely my goal.” Christopher Sands, director of the Canada Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, said tensions between both countries played out in the NAFTA renegotiation, when there was limited communication between Ottawa and Mexico City. “The Canada-Mexico relationship has always been the weakest part of the triangle of North America,” he said. “There was a lot of feeling during the (CUSMA) negotiations that Mexico was willing to go it alone, and that Canada particularly toward the end was on the outside looking in, and had to fight its way back to the table.” He said Washington would rather have a trade pact with all three countries so it can limit the time and attention it needs on continental issues. “The U.S. is probably the most trilateral of all three countries,” he said, with a caveat. “I think Donald Trump looks at this going into 2026 and says, ‘Great, divide and conquer.’” Sands added that Sheinbaum and her predecessor have implemented nationalist policies that have been at odds with Washington. “The Mexican government has been moving in a direction which is antithetical to the North American project (through) nationalizing parts of the economy, by reversing energy reforms, by doing deals with the cartels. (They are) sometimes working co-operatively with the Americans in the borders, and sometimes not.” Sheinbaum indicated a week ago that she would be writing a letter to Trudeau. That has not been made public, although she did release a letter she had sent to Trump.

Intel CEO Gelsinger retires; Zinsner and Johnston Holthaus named interim co-CEOsYou never know what athletic talent is walking the halls of Mohawk College . David Hopton, head coach of Mohawk’s cross-country team, found that out when west Niagara residents Annie Sterenberg, Zoe Thibault and Tori Hendriks helped the women’s squad achieve its first provincial championship in 36 years and their first-ever medal at the nationals. None of the women were recruited by Mohawk for their running ability. “All three were already here for education reasons, but are all really good runners,” said Hopton, who credited the athletes’ “hard work and talent” for coming home with a bronze medal at the Canadian College Athletic Association cross-country championship in Windsor last month. They won the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championship in King City in October. Hopton said Sterenberg, the team captain, played a key role in its success as “there’s definitely a different vibe on the team this year. “I try to motivate them to get excited, especially when we were close to winning provincials,” said the 22-year-old Sterenberg, a Great Lakes Christian High School (Beamsville) graduate and second-year office administration executive student from Vineland, who has been running since she was a youth. “I think when you have a good team and good people, it kind of motivates you to try and be good for them.” Sterenberg was named to the provincial women’s first team in cross country. West Niagara residents Tori Hendriks, from left, Annie Sterenberg and Zoe Thibault helped the Mohawk College women’s cross-country team to the college’s first ever medal at the national cross-country championships last month. Thibault started running in Grade 9 at Great Lakes Christian High School. “Our team was so small that you always made the team if you wanted to try out,” said the Grimsby resident and second-year massage therapy student. Thibault said she was deciding between Mohawk and Niagara College when her friend Thibault told her there was a good cross-country team at the Hamilton community college. “That was kind of the deciding factor,” she said. An OCAA first team member, Thibault said it was a group effort to win the provincials and medal at the nationals. “I knew I was (running) to help our team instead of individually,” said Thibault, who added she began running during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce stress. “It’s my favourite thing to do if I’m angry or something, I’ll just go for a run.” Hendriks joined the Mohawk squad after Hampton asked her to try out. She said he knew from her backpack that she was a triathlon participant. “I got really excited because he talked about the team we had,” said the 24-year-old Beamsville resident. Hendriks, who was named OCAA’s rookie of the year and an all-Ontario second team member, began running in Grade 8 and all through high school at Blessed Trinity in Grimsby, but was too busy with her social justice and peace studies at Western University to run there. After university, she jumped at the opportunity to get back into cross-country running at Mohawk. “I thought it seemed like a really fun thing to do and nostalgic because I hadn’t done it in so long,” said Hendriks, who had been used to running solo. “I really loved competing as a team and having such a great group of girls to compete with and lift each other up and motive each other.” Hendriks credited Hopton for the team’s success. “His enthusiasm and passion for the sport I think really motivated us to push ourselves,” she said. Raina Hartnell from Waterford, Lauren Snider from Brantford and Paris resident Addison Cann are the other women’s team members.

Volkswagen is in the process of finally introducing a connected services platform to its Australian vehicles, with its commercial vehicle division getting the technology first. The first vehicles to receive the third-party Connected Cars-operated Goconnect system are the electric ID. Buzz people mover and ID. Buzz Cargo van. This is despite Volkswagen’s initial plans to bring connected services to Australia through the related ID.4 and ID.5 electric SUVs. Both of these SUVs have been delayed multiple times, most recently to this month, and are now due around March 2025. 100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . ID. Buzz owners will receive a complimentary five-year Goconnect subscription with their vehicle, with pricing after this point yet to be finalised. Via the Goconnect phone app, owners can view their parking position, visualise the vehicle’s most recent trips, interact and book appointments with their dealer, view important errors and warnings, see the high-voltage battery status, and see the driving speed. Volkswagen has confirmed the Goconnect system will be rolled out across the wider commercial vehicle range, including the Amarok ute, from July 2025 onwards. It’s worth noting this connected services system isn’t a proprietary system, but it is Volkswagen Group-approved globally. “So there are some markets that are classified as offline markets,” said Volkswagen Group Australia director of commercial vehicles, Ryan Davies. “Australia is currently one of those, and we don’t have a true picture of when the connectivity that’s available in Europe will make its way into Australia.” One feature the third-party Goconnect connected services system will lack in local Volkswagen commercial vehicles is an emergency call function. Mr Davies said Volkswagen is liaising with Connected Cars to see if it can offer emergency calling down the line, especially given the cars already have a SIM card as part of the package. As previously reported , this exact third-party connected services system is also being introduced to the ID.4 and ID.5 electric SUVs when they launch locally next year. MORE: Volkswagen electric cars debuting delayed Tesla-style phone app in AustraliaSouth Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stunned voters, lawmakers and investors by declaring martial law on Tuesday in a high-stakes move he claimed would prevent the opposition from trying to paralyze his administration amid a political rift that is set to deepen markedly. In an emergency national address televised live, Yoon said he made the decision to protect freedom and constitutional order, and that it will not have an impact on South Korea’s foreign policy. He added that it would also help eradicate the influence of North Korean supporters. “Through the declaration of martial law, I will rebuild and protect a free South Korea,” Yoon said in a six-minute speech. A proclamation released after the address banned all political activities and strikes and said media would be subject to control of the Martial Law Command, according to Yonhap News. The move was initially viewed by analysts as a risky political play that was likely to backfire rather than an attempt to return to military-led regimes of the past. South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik called on lawmakers to go the national assembly immediately. In the 300-seat parliament, 190 lawmakers unanimously voted to demand the lifting of the martial law. “I urge the public to trust the parliament and monitor the situation with calm,” Woo said in a statement. It was not immediately clear whether the vote would be binding. The won suffered its sharpest drop since the global financial crisis to hit 1444.65 its lowest in over two years. Samsung Electronics’ London-listed shares fell as much as 7.2 percent. The finance minister and central bank chief met and promised to provide unlimited liquidity to markets if needed. The shock announcement to impose martial law for the first time since the democratization of South Korea in 1987 left even Yoon’s own party blindsided with its leader vowing to stop the move. Yoon’s abrupt decision comes after months of wrangling and deadlock in parliament between the president’s minority government and the main opposition Democratic Party, but with little expectation that the president would take such a drastic step. The DP is currently trying to force through its own budget proposal through parliament and has submitted an impeachment motion against the chief prosecutor after months of also trying to get Yoon’s wife prosecuted. Meanwhile, the DP’s leader has faced multiple court cases and was convicted last month of election-law violations, barring him from running for president if it is finalized. Yoon has dealt with the political deadlock in a largely standoffish manner, vetoing a string of bills passed by parliament and at times angering his own party. His latest act ramps up tensions considerably domestically, while also creating high uncertainty abroad for the outlook of one of the world’s key suppliers of semiconductors and tech-related gear. “Yoon’s declaration of emergency martial law is highly concerning. It marks a stark shift in the administration’s policy,” said Kayla Orta, senior associate at the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy in Washington DC. “Instead of solidifying his political position, this could further damage his domestic standing.” South Korea’s defense minister ordered a meeting with the military’s top commanders. Broadcaster YTN said martial law would be maintained until the president lifts it, citing a defense official it did not identify. While Clause 77 of the Constitution says the president must withdraw a martial law declaration after a parliamentary majority demands it, Clause 89 says such an annulment should undergo a review by the cabinet as well. Earlier YTN showed police restricting entry to the parliament compound as people gathered neared the gate. Aides of lawmakers used fire extinguisher to block soldiers from entering the building. Even if the martial law order lasts only a day, the political instability it will generate is set to last two or three years, according to Lee Won-Jae, a sociology professor at Kaist Graduate School of Culture Technology in Daejeon. The leader of Yoon’s People Power Party condemned the move, in comments that indicated the lack of consultation on the move. He expressed the view that the vote had put an end to Yoon’s order. “The president’s declaration of martial law is wrong,” Han Dong-hoon, said in a Facebook post. “Martial law has lost its effect, so from this moment on, all state institutions exercising physical force, including the military and police of the Republic of Korea, are obligated not to follow unlawful or unfair instructions,” Han said in a separate post. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung urged the military and the police to go back to their posts, saying the declaration was nullified with the parliament’s vote. “All presidential orders based on the declaration of the martial law are unconstitutional, invalid and illegal,” Lee said, flanked by dozens of lawmakers. The move comes at a time of high uncertainty for the nation as its trade-dependent economy faces potential tariffs from President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration. Bloomberg Economics estimates that full imposition of tariffs on China, South Korea and other U.S. trading partners could reduce Seoul’s exports to the U.S. by as much as 55 percent. Meanwhile, North Korea continues to present a security concern as it deepens its ties with Russia, having sent thousands of troops there to help in Moscow’s war against Ukraine. Russia’s defense minister visited Pyongyang last week in the latest sign of talks between the two countries. Russia may help provide North Korea key technology for its weapons programs including its intercontinental ballistic missiles. “We shouldn’t be fooled — this has nothing at all to do with North Korea and all to do with domestic politics,” said Defense Priorities Fellow Daniel DePetris. “I expect U.S. and U.K. officials will be getting on the phone to try to convince President Yoon to abide by what the parliament just did.” U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg said the U.S. embassy in Seoul and the State Department are closely tracking Yoon’s martial law declaration. “The situation is fluid,” Goldberg said in an X post, urging citizens to monitor local news sources for updates. China suggested its citizens residing in South Korea keep calm and try to avoid going outdoors for anything non-essential, the country’s embassy said in a post on social media Tuesday night. The embassy also asked Chinese citizens to comply with official orders from the Korean government and “use caution” over sharing political opinions. “The domestic uncertainty adds to the external pressures in recent weeks as the market is starting to price in the rise of higher U.S. tariffs under the new Trump administration,” said Aroop Chatterjee, a strategist at Wells Fargo. “Korea is an open economy sensitive to shifts in global export demand and spillovers from a weaker China.” It is unclear what impact the martial law will have on South Korea’s biggest chipmakers. Nvidia depends mostly on SK Hynix for so-called high-bandwidth memory chips required for its most cutting-edge semiconductors, and whether the South Korean chip firm can continue to supply those high-end memory chips may affect the global AI development. While it remains to be seen if the move will have a lasting impact on markets and the economy, Yoon’s high-stakes move is certain to knock confidence in his leadership and his reliability as a bulwark of democracy in a nation with many authoritarian neighbors. “U.S. officials look to South Korea now as a beacon of democracy so for a president to pull a fast one like this is certainly shocking and unprecedented.” said DePetris.Jadestone Energy (LON:JSE) Trading Up 0.8% – What’s Next?

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FBI Shakeup: Wray's Resignation Sparks Political TurmoilWestern Forest Products Inc. ( OTCMKTS:WFSTF – Get Free Report ) shot up 4.7% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $0.28 and last traded at $0.28. 17,100 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 38% from the average session volume of 27,587 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.27. Western Forest Products Stock Up 4.7 % The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $0.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $0.33. About Western Forest Products ( Get Free Report ) Western Forest Products Inc operates as an integrated softwoods forest products company in Canada, the United States, Japan, China, Europe, and internationally. It is involved in timber harvesting, sawmilling logs into specialty lumber, value-added lumber and glulam remanufacturing, and wholesaling purchased lumber. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Western Forest Products Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Western Forest Products and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Enzo Maresca ‘thankful’ for connection at Leicester ahead of return with Chelsea

Three long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.JERUSALEM — Hezbollah fired into a disputed border zone held by Israel on Monday after multiple Israeli strikes inside Lebanon since a ceasefire took hold last week. The militant group said the volley, its first during the truce, was a warning shot in response to what it called repeated Israeli violations. Israeli leaders threatened to retaliate and within hours, Israel’s military carried out a string of strikes in southern Lebanon, including five hits in the al-Tuffah region, Lebanese state media reported. There was no immediate word on casualties or what was struck. Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, accused Israel of violating the truce more than 50 times in recent days, with strikes, demolition of homes near the border and overflight of drones. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump demanded the immediate release of Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, saying on social media that if they are not freed before he is sworn into office for a second term there will be “HELL TO PAY.” It was not immediately clear whether Trump was threatening to directly involve the U.S. military in Israel’s campaign in Gaza. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — Jestin Porter had 26 points in Middle Tennessee's 95-88 win over South Florida on Friday. Porter shot 9 for 12 (4 for 6 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Blue Raiders (5-1). Essam Mostafa scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds. Kamari Lands shot 6 for 12, including 4 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points. The Bulls (3-3) were led in scoring by Jayden Reid, who finished with 18 points, four assists and three steals. Jamille Reynolds added 17 points and nine rebounds for South Florida. Kasen Jennings finished with 13 points. Middle Tennessee led 51-33 at halftime, with Porter racking up 14 points. Mostafa led the way with a team-high 14 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s elections board dismissed formal protests Wednesday by several Republican candidates who trailed narrowly in their races last month and had questioned well over 60,000 ballots cast this fall. The State Board of Elections’ decisions sided with the Democratic candidates, including those for a state Supreme Court seat and a key General Assembly seat. These matters are now expected to be resolved in the courts. The board voted in favor of denying the protests of GOP Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin, who after a recent statewide machine recount trailed Associate Justice Allison Riggs by 734 votes from over 5.5 million ballots cast. No additional recounts had been ordered after a partial hand recount completed Tuesday failed to suggest that Griffin could catch up to Riggs. Riggs is one of only two Democrats on the seven-member court, which has been a partisan flash point in the state over the past two years in court battles involving redistricting, photo voter identification and other voting rights. The board on Wednesday considered protests filed by Griffin, a current Court of Appeals judge, and three candidates for the General Assembly covering three categories of voting. More election coverage Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling Trump’s picks for key positions in his second administration DA suggests unusual idea for halting Trump’s hush money case while upholding his conviction Those categories included votes cast by people with voter registration records lacking driver’s licenses or containing partial Social Security numbers; overseas voters who have never lived in the U.S. but whose parents were deemed North Carolina residents; and military or overseas voters who did not provide copies of photo identification with their ballots. The board is composed of three Democrats and two Republicans. In three of four dismissal motions Wednesday, the votes were 3-2 along party lines. The vote on the other motion was unanimous. Riggs’ campaign has said that she is the winner and that Griffin should concede immediately. Speaking after the hearing, Riggs mentioned that her parents were among the 60,000 voters whose votes were being challenged, and “I can personally attest they are in fact lawful votes.” Griffin didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the decisions. State Republican Party Chairman Jason Simmons said in a news release that the “board’s continued efforts to engineer political outcomes for Democrats is shameful” and suggested appeals could be ahead. Another candidate protester is GOP Rep. Frank Sossamon, who trailed Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn. A Cohn victory would mean Republicans fall one seat short of retaining their current veto-proof majority for the next two-year General Assembly starting next month. The board could have ultimately ordered corrected ballot tallies, more recounts or new elections if it determined the evidence showed election law violations or irregularities called into question the results of the protested elections. Scores of protests filed by Griffin and the legislative candidates are still being considered by county boards. During Wednesday’s hearing, Riggs’ attorneys urged the state board to throw out the protests. They called that an illegal attempt to change the election rules after votes have been cast and counted and out of line with protest rules. “The voters that protesters are challenging here today unquestionably are eligible voters,” said Will Robertson, an attorney representing the three Democratic legislative candidates and the state Democratic Party. “These protests are not only facially invalid but they’re an affront to democracy and to the rule of law in North Carolina.” Citing the state constitution, attorneys for Griffin argued that elections boards cannot count the ballots of people who have never lived in North Carolina. And they said the state board erred by generating voter registration forms that did not make clear that state law requires an applicant to provide one of the identifying numbers. “We filed these protests because we believe the winners of these elections should be determined by eligible voters and only be eligible voters,” Craig Schauer, an attorney for Griffin and GOP legislative candidates, told the board. In addition to the substance of the protests, Democratic board members also threw out the protests because they determined that voters did not receive appropriate legal notice that their votes were being challenged. Griffin sent postcards to a voter or the “current resident” stating that “your vote may be affected” by a protest, according to legal briefs and evidence. It included a QR code that mobile phone users could visit to obtain information. Democrats said people may have thrown the postcard away or considered it a scam. The state board’s decisions came days after the state Democratic Party sued in federal court to block the State Board of Elections from ruling in any way to throw out the disputed ballots. Griffin led Riggs by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals.LA Galaxy strike early, hold off New York Red Bulls 2-1 to win their record 6th MLS Cup championship

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Fianna Fail and Fine Gael eye independent TDs as option to secure Dail majority