Rivals Labour and Reform UK Open Door to Raising Retirement Age
Launching a new pension commission, Work and Pensions secretary Liz Kendall on Monday announced the start of the next statutory review into the age at which Britons can collect government pension benefits, which is now set at 66. While the government is required to review the state pension every six years, the last one was in 2023, making this announcement three years early.
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New York Post
23 minutes ago
- New York Post
Europe won't pay its NATO share, COVID tied to bioweapons work and other commentary
Defense beat: Europe Won't Pay Its NATO Share President Trump's call for Europe to pay 5% of GDP for its defense has been much 'ballyhooed,' notes Gerard Baker at The Wall Street Journal, but the 'math agreed to by all members except Spain is on closer inspection a little fuzzy.' While some Euro nations such as Poland and Finland are 'serious about their defense,' Germany, France and Britain 'face economic, demographic, political and cultural challenges' that will make real change unlikely because the 'fiscal positions of most European countries' are simply too ugly for them to pay more. 'Budget restraint' in Labour-run Britain is impossible to impose, and European 'climate policies are blowing even larger holes in budgets.' Only 'economic growth' can get these countries on the right footing to afford to pay more for their own defense. Foreign desk: COVID Tied to Bioweapons Work 'A bioweapons expert likely to head the Trump administration's top Pentagon post for countering weapons of mass destruction has charged in a new report that the Covid-19 pandemic was probably the result of a military-research-related accident in a Chinese laboratory, and that work at that lab may have been part of research China was conducting in possible violation of a treaty banning biological weapons,' reports City Journal's Judith Miller. The report, by Robert Kadlec, 'adds to the growing consensus' that COVID 'was the result of a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and not a naturally occurring outbreak of a deadly virus originating in animals.' But the report is strong grounds for Team Trump to start 'prioritizing U.S. intelligence efforts aimed at Chinese bioweapons research.' Mideast journal: Iran's Long Road Back to Nukes The '19 senior Iranian nuclear scientists' Israel assassinated during the 12-Day War had 'nuclear knowledge spanning decades' — much 'centered on explosives, nuclear coding, and ballistic missiles,' cheers Adam Kredo at The Washington Free Beacon, citing a new intelligence assessment by a leading nonproliferation organization. The scientists' 'average age was 60,' suggesting 'Israel targeted the most experienced crop of engineers.' Plus, the Jewish state 'successfully destroyed' Iran's nuclear 'technological blueprints.' Indeed, the attacks 'evaporated decades of nuclear know-how, striking at the heart of Tehran's weapons program in a way kinetic attacks could not.' The result: 'Recovering may be far more difficult and take far longer.' From the right: Poll Flags Border Ignorance A new CBS poll suggests 'significant numbers of Americans, even now, are not fully informed' about immigration under President Trump, marvels the Washington Examiner's Byron York. The poll found 56% of respondents disapprove of Trump's immigration approach, but it also asked a factual question: whether Trump's policies are making the number of migrants crossing the border 'go up, go down, or not change.' Only 64% 'gave the obviously correct response — Trump has made the number of migrants crossing' go down. 'And 8% said crossings have actually gone up, which was crazy wrong.' This reveals a 'lack of knowledge' of basic facts and 'could tell us something about the answers to all the other immigration questions in the CBS poll, and perhaps in other polls as well.' Education beat: Don't Use AI To 'Teach' The Computer Lab 'was that magical room' where students could experience 'the wonders of the Oregon Trail, Number Munchers, and Mavis Beacon,' reminisces Understanding America's Oren Cass. Back then, computers 'did not teach, they were a subject to be taught.' Yet 'the irresistible logic of technophilia determined that every child needed a computer' to 'compete in the global economy of tomorrow.' Today, the same is being said of AI: 'All students need to know how to use AI,' and 'AI should be integrated throughout the educational experience.' Trouble is, AI 'will offer counterproductive shortcuts for not only unengaged students, but also their teachers.' Kids need to understand that 'learning is not a technological function' but 'a habit of mind.' — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's Epstein problem grows: Even his voters want more files released
Loretta Duchesne doesn't have much faith in the government, and that's part of the reason she cast a ballot last November for Donald Trump. The 35-year-old makeup artist from northern Louisiana said she felt Trump would be 'transparent' and 'expose corruption.' She's disappointed that the Trump administration isn't releasing all the records in the Jeffrey Epstein case. 'It feels now more like he's protecting someone or something if he won't reveal it,' said Duchesne, an independent who once voted for President Barack Obama. Duchesne likes Trump policies such as his stance on the border and doesn't regret voting for him. But when it comes to Epstein, she said she doesn't accept the official narrative about the wealthy financier who died in prison awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges and also believes the administration is making a mistake and undermining its credibility by holding material back on the years-old criminal case involving alleged underage victims. Most Trump voters interviewed by USA TODAY share Duchesne's desire to see more Epstein records released, illustrating why the case has become so problematic for a second-term president who has a long, documented history of associating with Epstein and recently has publicly questioned why there remains such a deep interest in a man who died six years ago. Epstein is one of the rare issues where Trump appears to be out of step with his base. USA TODAY spoke with seven Trump supporters, and most believe there is more to be revealed about Epstein and want to see the government be more forthcoming with its documentation of his case. Their suspicions persist despite the Department of Justice releasing a memo July 7 that tried to close the book on the Epstein saga. New York's chief medical examiner ruled Epstein's death a suicide, but some – including many Trump loyalists – have questioned that finding and whether the government is shielding Epstein's potential clients from public view. The DOJ memo reaffirmed the finding that Epstein died by suicide, said there is no 'incriminating client list' and no evidence he blackmailed prominent people. But instead of dispelling speculation about the case, the memo only inflamed things further, putting the administration in the hot seat. Utah resident Shar Kynaston, 75, said she doesn't think Epstein killed himself and believes "he probably had a preferred, high-paying list' of clients. 'I think that there is a cover-up, but I don't know the extent of it,' said Kynaston, a retired federal worker who voted for Trump in all three of his presidential races in 2016, 2020 and 2024. Kynaston wants the Epstein files released, but she still likes Trump. The same goes for Victoria Rivas, 20, a Miami University student and vice president of the Ohio college's Republican club. 'I do think we deserve transparency,' Rivas said. Trump recently pushed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of Epstein grand jury testimony, which the DOJ is doing. But that's just a portion of the records that haven't been released and it's not enough for Rivas, a Trump voter who attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last year when he officially became the party's nominee, just days after he was shot in an assassination attempt. 'That's very picky and choosy,' Rivas said of just releasing grand jury testimony, adding that all the Epstein records should be released. Rivas views the first six months of Trump's second term as 'a lot of promises made and a lot of promises kept,' but on Epstein she said he's falling short. Part of the problem for Trump is that those around him, including high-profile figures in his administration, spent years hyping up the potential for bombshell revelations in the Epstein files. "Show us all the Epstein client list now!!!' Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., posted on X in 2023. 'Why would anyone protect those scum bags? Ask yourselves this question daily and the answer becomes very apparent!!' The president was more circumscribed in his Epstein comments. Responding in June 2024 to a Fox News interviewer who asked whether he would declassify the files, Trump said: 'Yeah, yeah, I would. I guess I would.' But he added: 'I think that less so, because you don't know − You don't want to affect people's lives if there's phony stuff in there, because there's a lot of phony stuff in that whole world. But I think I would.' Some Trump supporters who spoke to USA TODAY said there was an expectation that more would be revealed. 'It all has to come out,' Rivas said. The backlash Trump is receiving on Epstein has raised questions about whether it will dent his image among his base and could potentially be a drag for Republicans in the 2026 midterm election. Rivas doesn't see the issue as "a top concern for our country," and other Trump supporters said the same. Pennsylvania home builder Mark Bass, 65, said he doesn't think Epstein killed himself, doesn't accept that there isn't a client list and believes the administration should release more information. Still, Bass is 'ecstatic' about Trump's presidency. 'I think he's done a fantastic job, he's done more than he's said he's going to do, and I don't think this will make any difference whatsoever,' said Bass, a Republican who voted for Trump in each of the last three elections. Trump has struggled to shake off the Epstein issue, though, and after initially lashing out at supporters who questioned his administration's handling of the case, the president and his team have been seeking ways to placate critics. DOJ officials announced July 22 that they will seek to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate found guilty of aiding his abuse. Duchesne, the Louisiana makeup artist, said she's moderately disappointed in Trump's handling of the Epstein case. If the truth is so 'vanilla' then why not just release the records, she wondered. 'It makes me look at you sideways,' she said. 'You're deflecting. Why aren't you just releasing?' Contributing: Aysha Bagchi This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump's voters want more Jeffrey Epstein files released
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The start of the post-war game: Iran has five weeks to create new nuclear deal
Could Europe's August deadline be the most important date in the decades-long nuclear standoff, or will Iran face more sanctions? Israel's and the US's historic attack on Iran between June 13 and June 24 set back the Islamic Republic's nuclear program by around two years, but the long-term direction of the nuclear standoff will be decided by diplomacy, with the next big meeting between Tehran and the E3 (UK, France, and Germany) set for Friday. After this summit, the Islamic Republic will have approximately five weeks until the E3 deadline – the end of August – before these countries start the process of 'snapping back' the global sanctions against Iran. While the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal had many holes, one of its positives was the ability it gave any of the E3 countries to activate the global sanctions snapback mechanism with no possibility for Russia or China to veto it. That ability to snapback sanctions expires on October 18. Hence, the E3 wants to start the UN's bureaucratic process several weeks before. America is out of this round of talks as Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, does not trust it after US President Donald Trump paraded around his accomplishments of 'obliterating' Iran's nuclear program. Also, Khamenei does not want to agree to zero nuclear enrichment, something which his Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy spokespeople continue to declare as loudly as they can. What does Iran want with new deal? So what is Khamenei's game? Having been bludgeoned the worst in his 36-year history as Iran's ayatollah, is he really aching for more Israeli and US airstrikes? That is a possibility, as Khamenei misjudged how much leverage he had over Israel and the US last month, and as Iranian pride could blind it to what would be its most rational course at this moment. But there is another alternative; in this latest nuclear dance, there is far more than meets the eye. The truth is that after Israel's and the US's airstrikes on Iran's nuclear program, the snapback conflict is much less decisive than it once was. Let's say that Iran sticks to refusing to make concessions on nuclear enrichment, the E3 then invokes the global sanctions snapback, and in response, Tehran pulls out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The main question would still be: Is Iran, in fact, moving again toward a nuclear program or not? And if it is, is it moving at a pace that could reduce the countdown to a nuclear weapon to under a year or shorter? Or, rather, is its rebuilding happening much more gradually, in a way that puts the danger far off into the future? So far, a month after the attacks, it appears that Iran is still digging through the substantial rubble left over from the Israeli and American attacks and still does not know where its nuclear program stands, other than embarrassingly admitting serious damage. If it takes even several months to dig through all the debris, then the nuclear threat remains around two years away. If, after those several months, Iran starts to rebuild some centrifuges and to enrich some uranium, but does not start rebuilding any of the weapons group activities, then it will still remain at least a year away, according to most estimates. That estimate will not shrink until it begins restoring weapons group activities. The West may be worried that it is blind regarding Iran's nuclear program in terms of IAEA inspector coverage, but it has been blind at various levels since 2021, and this did not stop the Mossad and IDF intelligence from accurately targeting dozens of nuclear sites and over a dozen nuclear scientists. If Israel could carry out that kind of surveillance before, it can do it again. Khamenei might be just fine with such a situation. The Islamic Republic would take a hit economically, but its economy is already in very bad shape. And Russia, China, and some others would still find ways to circumvent sanctions to keep Iran afloat. Back in the 2010-2015 era, when Russia and China supported sanctions in a more real way, they were both angry at Iran for various bilateral insults, and they were also weaker and more dependent on the US and the West than they are today. So it is possible that diplomacy will fail, both sides will exercise their worst diplomatic threats, and yet Israel and the US may refrain from attacking because Iran could quietly stay away from a nuclear red line, which might force the hands of Jerusalem and Washington again. Alternatively, right before the August 29 deadline, or right before the real deadline of October 18, Iran may agree to a new historic deal with real restrictions on nuclear enrichment and some kind of face-saving gestures toward it. In that case, all of the current Iranian statements will be subsequently exposed as posturing to try to get the best deal it can before settling for a deal that avoids global sanctions. So August 29 could turn out to be the most important turning point of the decades-long nuclear standoff, or it could be an overblown deadline with much less impact than it might have had if Israel's and the US's June strikes had not altered the reality that all of the sides are looking at.
