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m nn777 com (Bloomberg) — Simon Harris’s Fine Gael party and coalition partner Fianna Fail look set to return to government after the Irish election, but the prime minister could face a battle to keep his post after his popular support appeared to drop. With counting still ongoing, early tallies and the official exit poll showed little to separate the two main incumbent parties and the opposition Sinn Fein. With no party having enough support to govern alone, the status quo will likely remain after both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail ruled out a deal with Sinn Fein. Though the overall outcome looks increasingly clear, it’s far from certain Harris will emerge with the upper hand in what could be difficult negotiations with Fianna Fail. Micheal Martin’s party trailed in the official exit poll, but early results suggest it could emerge with the most first-preference votes — the simplest guage of popular support — putting him in a better position in talks. “It’s far too hard to call at this stage as to who will come out as the largest party,” Harris told RTE on Saturday. “What is clear is that Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein will be tightly bunched when it comes to final seats.” Martin predicted his Fianna Fail would outperform the exit poll, telling reporters there’s a “route to a very strong finish” for his party. But he cautioned that electoral fragmentation meant forming a government would be “challenging.” To be sure, the picture could change as counting takes in second-choice and subsequent preferences to determine final makeup of the Dail or parliament. A tight race is far from what Harris envisaged when he called the vote early — it wasn’t due to be held until March — to try to capitalize on Fine Gael’s surge in support since he became Taoiseach in April. The media dubbed it the “Harris hop” and the 38-year-old made his campaign slogan “new energy” — despite being a former health minister and established government figure. A giveaway budget and what appeared to be a slump in support for Sinn Fein made it seem the optimal time to seek a new mandate. But Harris’s campaign was beset with slip-ups, starting with Ryanair Holdings Plc Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary using a Fine Gael event to make a jibe about teachers serving in government. The worst, though, was a viral video of Harris walking away from a disability care worker and dismissing her view that the government wasn’t doing enough. He later apologized. “Fine Gael may be a little bit disappointed that they didn’t make more gains,” said Lisa Keenan, political science assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin, though she added that given the campaign gaffes, Harris is also likely to be somewhat relieved. “We’ve seen a stabilization there.” From a commanding poll lead as late as September, Fine Gael appears to have slipped back into a three-party scramble to win the popular vote. It’s a key moment. Whoever forms the next government will enjoy a budget surplus and soaring tax receipts from US firms including Apple Inc. operating there. What to do with Ireland’s billions has been a key focus of the election, with parties competing on spending ideas — even as the re-election of Donald Trump in the US and his threat of trade tariffs injected a sense of caution. Worryingly for Harris, the exit poll also showed the premier trailing his two main rivals on the question of who should be next Taoiseach. Only 27% said they want the Fine Gael leader leading the country, while 35% said they would like Fianna Fail’s Martin, and 34% preferred Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. McDonald’s strength comes from her support among young people, and that gels with the exit poll showing housing and homelessness were the biggest issues for voters, followed by the cost of living. Data published on election day showed homelessness in Ireland reached a record figure of almost 15,000. Sinn Fein’s steady rise has shaken up Irish politics since McDonald took over from Gerry Adams as president in 2018, becoming its first leader unconnected to the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles. Its left-leaning agenda appealed to voters struggling with a housing shortage and rising inflation. While its support is well below the start of the year, when Sinn Fein appeared on course to form a government, the exit poll and early counting shows McDonald has established Sinn Fein as an electoral force. That has major implications for Irish politics. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael led every government since the state was formed 100 years ago, and while that looks set to continue, Sinn Fein’s emergence changes the dynamic. Still, without the option of a coalition with Fine Gael or Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein has no clear route to power. That means the focus in the coming days and likely weeks will be on Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and the arrangement they come to. Early tallies suggest Fianna Fail will improve on its performance in 2020, when the party that was in power during the 2008 financial crash re-entered government for the first time in almost a decade. It’s possible that it wins several more seats than Fine Gael, which would give it considerable bargaining power in coalition talks and potentially restoring Martin, who served as prime minister for almost two years as part of the job share agreement between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael last time, as Taoiseach. Any deal between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail would not be the end of the story. Even combining their support, the two parties are likely to fall short of the 88 seats needed for a majority in the 174-seat parliament. The third coalition partner last time, the Green Party, face losses — not unusual for minor parties and also reflecting trends for green parties across Europe. Tallies suggest it could lose the majority of its 12 seats. But other smaller parties are expected to make gains. The Social Democrats, whose leader Holly Cairns gave birth on election day, could pick up seats. Labour are also optimistic. Though vote counting began at 9 a.m. on Saturday, a fuller picture is not expected until Sunday. Then the negotiations will begin. (Updates with Harris comment in fourth paragraph.)‘Relentlessly lying’: Elon Musk’s brutal response to Sydney Morning Herald prediction

It is not surprising that after decades of Coalition and Labor neoliberal governments robbing the poor to give to the rich that voters have been steadily deserting the major parties for smaller parties and independents. A by The Australia Institute (TAI), released in October, found that the share of the non-major party vote in federal elections rose from just 6.9% in 1982 to 31.5% in 2022. A similar pattern can be observed in all states over this same time. The Coalition and Labor parties have been the sole government parties in this country for more than a century and they are determined not to relinquish their political duopoly. As the last term of federal parliament draws to an end, the major parties are set to rush through the to give themselves even more of an election funding advantage over smaller parties and independents. The ruling elite has enjoyed the benefits of this two-party system because whichever side wins an election, they are guaranteed to have a pro-capitalist government! Most big corporations make donations to both major parties. The major parties already receive the lion’s share of public electoral funding, and the new bill will ensure that that share grows even bigger. As TAI : “In Australia, parties and candidates receive about $3 per vote they receive. Everyone casts two votes — one for the House of Representatives and one for the Senate — so every election you decide how about $6 of taxpayer money is distributed. “Because parties and candidates get this money after the votes are counted, it only benefits those who are contesting the next election. A new party or candidate doesn’t get any money for their first campaign. “This bill would increase per-vote public funding to $5 per vote. This will cost another $41 million per three-year election cycle, with about three-quarters (75%, or $32 million) going to major parties.” The bill also provides for $17 million in new administrative funding — $90,000 for each election cycle for an MP, and $45,000 per cycle for a senator, the TAI added. “If this funding were already in place, it would have been worth $8.1 million for Labor, $4.7 million for the Liberals, $1.6 million for the Nationals and $0.9 million for the Greens. “New parties and candidates — who also have administrative costs — get nothing.” The bill also introduces a $20,000 cap on election campaign donations, which will advantage the major parties because they register multiple parties for various states and territories. TAI reported that “there are actually nine registered Labor parties: one for every state and territory and one federal”. This means that there are “nine opportunities to give to Labor in a given calendar year ($180,000 per year or $720,000 in an election cycle)”. It said the Liberal Party has eight parties and the National Party five — “so someone can still donate over a million dollars to the Coalition every election cycle”. Furthermore, the bill creates “nominated entities,” which will give the major parties another way around these donation caps. The bill also creates election spending caps, but once again provides loopholes for the major parties. This system of unfairly distributed electoral funding and corporate donations to the major parties is used to pay for deceptive and manipulative advertising campaigns to misinform the public and stir up racism, misogyny and bigotry against minorities. It acts as a political scapegoating exercise to deflect from the pain the major parties’ neoliberal policies inflict on the majority. This new bill is the latest of several election law changes, at federal and state levels, which aim to advantage the major parties and made it harder for smaller and newer parties to contest. In Victoria, proportional voting through multi-member seats was replaced by a with the express intention of reducing the number of Greens and socialist local councillors. Changes to federal election laws over decades have made it harder to register new parties and to keep that registration. Candidate deposits for the House of Representatives and the Senate have also increased — a move that makes it harder for smaller and newer parties, as well as for independents. Unfortunately, some of these changes were . Even without the rigged funding, the major parties are already entrenched by the single-member electorates for the House of Representatives and in the lower houses in every state parliament except Tasmania. Proportional representation for all houses of parliament would be part of a more democratic and representative system. The current and replaced by a new system under which the electoral commissions have the duty to distribute and publicise the policies and profiles of all candidates.

Wall Street top regulator to leave SEC when Trump takes officeQatar's prime minister said on Saturday that momentum had returned to talks aimed at securing a truce and hostage exchange deal in Gaza following Donald Trump's election as US president. The Gulf emirate, along with the United States and Egypt, had been involved in months of unsuccessful negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release. But in November, Doha announced it had put its mediation on hold, saying it would resume when Hamas and Israel showed "willingness and seriousness". "We have sensed, after the election, that the momentum is coming back," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani told the Doha Forum for political dialogue. He spoke as a source close to the Hamas delegation in the talks told AFP that a new round of negotiations will "most likely" begin in the coming week. Sheikh Mohammed said that while there were "some differences" in the approach to an agreement by the outgoing and incoming US administrations, "we didn't see or recognise any disagreement on the goal itself to end the war". He said there had been "a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration in order to achieve a deal, even before the president comes to the office", adding this had affected Qatar's decision to get talks "back on track". "We hope to get things done as soon as possible. We hope that the willingness of the parties to engage in a good faith continues," he said. The source close to the Hamas delegation, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP: "Based on contacts with the mediators, we expect a new round of negotiations to begin in Cairo, most likely this week, to discuss ideas and proposals regarding a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange." The source added that Turkey, as well as Egypt and Qatar, had been "making commendable efforts to stop the war". In a statement later on Saturday, the group said Turkish spy chief Ibrahim Kalin met with a Hamas delegation in Doha to discuss the war in Gaza. The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. During the attack, militants kidnapped 251 people, 96 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the Israeli military. Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 44,664 people, a majority civilians, according to figures from the territory's Hamas-run health ministry which the UN considers reliable. The US president-elect this week warned on social media of unspecified massive repercussions if the hostages were not released by the time he takes office next month. Trump has vowed staunch support for Israel and to dispense with outgoing President Joe Biden's occasional criticism, but has also spoken of his desire to secure deals on the world stage. On Saturday, Qatar's premier dismissed the prospect of his country facing greater pressure over the status of the Hamas political bureau, which the Gulf state has hosted since 2012 with Washington's blessing. Sheikh Mohammed called the Hamas office a "platform to convene between the different parties". Qatar was not "expected to enforce solutions" on the Palestinian militants, he added. csp/srm/dcp/it

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The stakes were higher for Iowa State, and the outcome was the same as the first for the Cyclones in their second trip to the Big 12 championship game. And the 112-year wait for a conference title will go on. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week

Charleston Southern 83, Miami 79Reaction to the death of former President Jimmy Carter paid tribute to his service to the country and his contributions around the world after his time in the White House. President Joe Biden called Carter "a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism." "With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us," Biden said in a statement. "He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe." MORE: Jimmy Carter's improbable journey from defeated one-term president to our best ex-president: Analysis Former President Bill Clinton said he and his wife Hillary Clinton "mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others—until the very end." President-elect Donald Trump said of Carter, "The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude." Former President Barack Obama paid tribute to the former president's honesty, especially in the wake of Watergate saying in a statement that Carter "promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did – advocating for the public good, consequences be damned. He believed some things were more important than reelection – things like integrity, respect, and compassion. Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image." House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi also recognized the times in which Carter was elected to the White House: "As President, his work to restore integrity to the political arena during a difficult chapter in our history was a testament to his firm faith in the sanctity of the public good, which he always placed above his own," she said in a statement. "After leaving the White House, he carried on his service — leading perhaps the most impactful post-presidency in history." Former President George W. Bush called Carter "a man of deeply held convictions. He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “President Carter lived a truly American dream. A devoutly religious peanut farmer from small-town Georgia volunteered to serve his country in uniform. He found himself manning cutting-edge submarines hundreds of feet beneath the ocean. He returned home and saved the family farm before feeling drawn to a different sort of public service. And less than 15 years after his first campaign for the state Senate, his fellow Americans elected him leader of the free world." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Carter "one of our most humble and devoted public servants." “President Carter personified the true meaning of leadership through service, through compassion, and through integrity," Schumer said in a statement. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he was "Thankful for the incredible life, legacy and leadership of President Jimmy Carter," in a post on X. "He was a great man, a great role model and a great humanitarian." MORE: Jimmy Carter's life in pictures House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Carter "set the standard for post-presidential service through his work with Habitat for Humanity." Clinton's statement summarized Carter's impact: "From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as President to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-Presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity--he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world."It’s almost time for Spotify Wrapped. When can you expect your 2024 recap?

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