Turkish court delays hearing that could oust main opposition leader
An initial hearing had been set for Monday. The next hearing will be on September 8.
Stripping Ozel of his chairmanship would mark the latest judicial blow to opponents of President Tayyip Erdogan. He is a potential challenger in future elections after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu - the party's elected presidential candidate - was jailed in March.
The lawsuit, filed by a CHP member, seeks to overturn results of the party's 38th Ordinary Congress in November 2023 over procedural irregularities. At that congress, Ozel had replaced Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who lost to Erdogan in presidential elections earlier that year.
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Spain ruling party bars members from hiring sex workers
Hit by a corruption scandal involving alleged kickbacks and sex workers, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's party shook up its top leadership Saturday and banned members from paying for sex. Sanchez, 53, is facing the biggest crisis of his seven years in power. That was heightened on Monday by the detention of a former top official in his Socialist party, Santos Cerdan, in an investigation involving allegations of corruption and hiring sex workers. In a bid to right the ship, the Socialist party announced that "soliciting, accepting or obtaining sexual acts in exchange for money" was now banned for party members, punishable by "the maximum sanction, expulsion from the party". "If we believe a woman's body is not for sale, our party cannot allow behaviour contrary to that," Sanchez said. "These are difficult times for everyone, without a doubt," he told party leaders at a meeting in Madrid, once again apologising for trusting those caught up in the growing scandal. But he also reiterated his refusal to step down. "The captain doesn't look the other way when seas get rough. He stays to steer the ship through the storm," he said. The party also announced a leadership shake-up, replacing Cerdan as its number three official with 44-year-old lawyer Rebeca Torro. The meeting started behind schedule after another close Sanchez ally, Francisco Salazar, who had been due to take a top leadership post, resigned. Online news site said Salazar had been accused of "inappropriate behaviour" by several women who had formerly reported to him in the party. Former transport minister Jose Luis Abalos has also been implicated in the investigation into kickbacks for public contracts. The conservative opposition People's Party (PP) held a meeting of its own, looking to capitalise on the Socialists' stumbles. "We're the only alternative to this state of decline," said PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, calling his party the answer to Spain's divisions and "political fatigue". "Spaniards deserve a government that doesn't lie to them, that doesn't rob them but serves them," he said. al/jhb/jj
Gizmodo
an hour ago
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Elon Musk Leaves Trump and MAGA with a Bang And a Smile
The suspense is officially over. On Saturday, July 5, 2025, Elon Musk declared the formation of a new political party, the 'America Party,' with the stated aim of dismantling the perceived 'uniparty' system of both Republicans and Democrats. He dropped his political bombshell around 3:46 PM ET. 'Today, the America party is formed to give you back freedom.' By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it! When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025And then, he apparently sat back and enjoyed the show. Within minutes, his announcement tweet had garnered millions of views and an explosion of comments, particularly from users clearly aligned with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement that propelled President Donald Trump to power in 2016 and again in 2024. Musk appeared utterly amused by the torrent of reactions, much of which expressed outright anger and disbelief at his decision. 'Elon is going to get AOC elected President,' one visibly pro-MAGA user shouted in disbelief. 'Unbelievable.' Elon is going to get AOC elected President. Unbelievable. — Pro America Politics (@Pro__Trading) July 5, 2025'Yes, let's split the Republican Party and let the Dems win. Great strategy,' another disgusted user commented, highlighting fears of a fractured conservative vote. Yes, let's split the Republican Party and let the Dems win. Great strategy 🙄 — Pray The Rosary (@PrayTheRosary12) July 5, 2025'I can't wait for all the partisan legislation,' another commenter sarcastically remarked, anticipating gridlock. I can't wait for all the tripartisan legislation. 😂 — MAZE (@mazemoore) July 5, 2025Musk seemed to revel in the spectacle, clearly entertained by the unfolding drama. He shared his delight openly. 'The replies to this announcement are comedy gold,' he exclaimed, punctuating his message with two rolling-on-the-floor laughing emojis. His reaction suggested he found the situation truly funny, ridiculous, absurd, or perhaps all three. The replies to this announcement are comedy gold 🤣🤣 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025As is typical for the self-proclaimed 'Techno King,' Musk once again commanded the spotlight during this long July 4th weekend. He orchestrated a political drama that even a seasoned Hollywood screenwriter would struggle to match in its unpredictable twists. President Trump, a master of attention himself, found himself reduced to a mere spectator of a show he would undoubtedly have loved to direct and star in. That starring role, for once, belonged squarely to Musk. Beyond the emojis, Musk, a virtuoso in wielding social media for maximum impact, then began to reveal more details about his new political venture. Initially dubbed 'The America Party,' he quickly shortened the name to simply 'America,' accompanying his message with three American flags on either side of the word. The timing was impeccable for a weekend celebrating the country's independence, subtly reclaiming a patriotic spirit that Trump has placed at the center of his 'Make America Great Again' and 'America First' movements, yet doing so in his own unconventional style. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 AMERICA 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025The spectacle continued with the viral spread of a 'snake meme,' enthusiastically shared by one of his millions of followers who routinely flatter and amplify his every move. 'End the Uniparty,' the user wrote, illustrating their point with an image of a two headed snake, one head representing the Democrats and the other the Republicans. The term 'uniparty' is Musk's consistent moniker for what he views as the indistinguishable two party political system. 'Yes,' Musk immediately replied, endorsing the meme's message. Yes — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025And then, there was the rocket emoji. In Musk's characteristic digital language, this symbol signifies a 'political flex'—a powerful declaration of intent. It suggests that 'America,' or 'The America Party,' is far from symbolic. It is, he implies, a real force, designed to exert influence and fundamentally disrupt the American political system. This move embodies his rebellious, tech driven ethos. It is his way of proclaiming that he has regained his freedom, asserting himself as unconventional and iconoclastic. For those who might have speculated that he compromised his principles by spending nearly $290 million to help Trump's return to the White House, this is his defiant declaration: nobody owns him. It is bravado. It is quintessential Elon Musk, who embraces the 'Techno King' moniker and consistently positions himself as someone operating above conventional norms, and political parties, it seems, are no exception. In the aftermath of this dramatic launch, many critical questions remain unanswered: What constitutes America's detailed policy platform? Which candidates will this nascent party endorse? What specific ideals does 'America' truly stand for beyond its name? What does Musk ultimately seek to achieve? By taking on the two entrenched traditional parties, Musk appears to be seeking an exciting, seemingly impossible challenge, a motivation that has driven his ventures like Tesla and SpaceX. The lingering question, however, is whether he might be overestimating his own political influence.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Elon Musk Says He Will Start a New Political Party
Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest person and the country's biggest political donor, said on Saturday that he would create a new political party, an enormous and challenging undertaking that would test the billionaire's newfound influence on American politics. 'When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,' Mr. Musk wrote on X, his social media website, on Saturday. 'Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.' Mr. Musk, once a close ally of President Trump's who in recent weeks has repeatedly bickered with him, had not filed paperwork as of Saturday evening for the new party, though he added in a separate post that the America Party would be active in elections 'next year.' Any new party would be required to be disclosed to the Federal Election Commission. Even as Mr. Musk has proved that he is willing to use his resources to move quickly and dramatically, he also has a long history of not following through on promises. Mr. Musk, who helped slash government programs and funding by leading the Department of Government Efficiency before publicly feuding with Mr. Trump, had grown incensed by the president's sweeping domestic policy bill. Last month, on social media, he called it a 'disgusting abomination,' adding that it would 'massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit' and that 'Congress is making America bankrupt.' For weeks, Mr. Musk teased that he would start a new political party if the legislation passed, but he had not explicitly stated his intention to do so until Saturday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The two-party system has been a defining feature of modern American politics, and plenty of moderate billionaires have dreamed of a successful third-party effort for decades. But the barriers to creating a new, influential political party are plentiful, including heavily gerrymandered districts, deep political polarization and onerous state laws, some of which require expensive and complicated ballot-qualification procedures that would most likely challenge even Mr. Musk. Mr. Musk donated nearly $300 million to Republican candidates in the 2024 election, and his super PAC led Mr. Trump's get-out-the-vote operation in battleground states. But the tech billionaire failed to deliver the G.O.P. a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat this year, even after putting over $20 million into that race. On Friday, Mr. Musk wrote on X that an initial approach could be to back America Party candidates in just two or three Senate races and between eight and 10 congressional races in next year's midterm elections. 'Given the razor-thin legislative margins,' he wrote, 'that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people.' Tyler Pager contributed reporting.
