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France 24
30-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Tour de France contenders and dark horses
AFP Sport takes a look at the key competitors this year: Tadej Pogacar (SLO/Team UAE Emirates) The ever-improving 2024 triple crown winner is once again the man to beat at the Tour de France. The passionate competitor who always races to win is gifted with an unanswerable uphill kick, world-class handling skills and a deep reserve of mental and physical stamina. He has won the Tour de France three times (2020, 2021 and 2024), the Giro d'Italia, the world title and nine of the one-day monument races. A self-described "good boy from a good family taking no short cuts in life", he has both swagger and modesty to go with his new deal worth 50 million euros ($58.6 million) over the next six years. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN/Visma) The softly-spoken and slightly-built Vingegaard is the man with the plan and has beaten Pogacar hands down twice to prove it. After a near-death crash at the Tour of the Basque Country in 2024, he rode beyond expectations at the Tour to come second, due as much to tactical acumen as to force. He grew up in a remote corner of Denmark racing into bleak coastal winds, but is most at home in intense heat in the high mountains. Of the favourites he is the most adept climber and descender and has made a virtue of meticulous tactical planning and patience. Small wonder that "the little guy" emerged from a big squad packed with climbers as the expansive-thinking Visma's lead man. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/Soudal Quick-Step) Who could forget Evenepoel's iconic moments at the Paris Olympic Games, posing at the finish line with the Eiffel tower behind him as he added the road race gold to the time-trial title. He had been tipped to win both at Tokyo, before falling into a ravine and taking two years to get back on form. Evenepoel can now target a Tour de France title, but may need to change teams to a Grand Tour-minded outfit to do so. Long-range stamina and mind-bending acceleration are the skills that mark him out from his rivals. He can certainly expect to defend the best young rider's white jersey and third-place finish he achieved in 2024. Primoz Roglic (SLO/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) Possibly the strongest athlete in the field, time is running out for the 35-year-old Roglic to bury his 2020 sorrows by winning a Tour de France. His last-day meltdown on the Planche des Belles Filles time trial as Pogacar snatched the title was an excruciating spectacle. Roglic discovered cycling while doing physio for a harrowing ski-jump accident, and perhaps lacks the handling reflexes Pogacar learned as a child. His new team Red Bull have given him carte blanche at the Grande Boucle, assuming he can avoid the rotten luck that has blighted his Tour de France campaigns. He would make a popular winner to crown a career that features four Vuelta a Espana wins and one Giro title. Dark horses Egan Bernal in 2019, Pogacar in 2020 and Vingegaard in 2022 all upset the odds to win unforgettable titles. So who are the riders to watch out for in 2025 with ambitions to upset the established order? Should something happen to either Pogacar or Vingegaard, the pair are backed up by Adam and Simon Yates respectively. The British twins are both noted climbers and descenders, and Simon has already won the Giro and the Vuelta. Beyond the big four teams there is also sleeping giant Ineos with Spanish climber Carlos Rodriguez, Lidl-Trek's Danish all-rounder Mattias Skjelmose and Lenny Martinez of Bahrain Victorious, who would be a first French winner in four decades. © 2025 AFP
The South African
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Tour de France: UAE name powerful line-up to support Tadej Pogacar
Tadej Pogacar will set off in defence of his Tour de France title on Saturday, 5 July backed by a powerful squad which his UAE team unveiled on Friday. The 26-year-old Slovenian has ridden the three-week Tour five times, winning three and finishing second to Jonas Vingegaard in 2022 and 2023. 'It's hard to believe it's already my sixth Tour de France, time flies,' he said in the team press release. He started the season by taking the UAE Tour, then won four one-day races, including Liege-Bastogne-Liege, finishing on the podium in three others. He ended his Tour preparation by winning the penultimate warm-up event, the eight-day Criterium du Dauphine. 'I'm lucky to have had close to the perfect preparation this year – everything has gone really smoothly,' said Pogacar. He will be backed by five of the team-mates who helped him to victory in the Dauphine – Marc Soler, Nils Politt, Pavel Sivakov, Tim Wellens and Jhonatan Narvaez. Reflecting the depth of the UAE squad, they will be joined by Adam Yates and Joao Almeida, who both finished in the top six in last year's Tour de France. In Pogacar's absence, Almeida won the final Tour warm-up, the Tour of Switzerland, for his third stage-race victory this season. 'The vibes in the team are amazing right now, and that gives me a lot of confidence,' said Pogacar. Joao Almeida (POR), Jhonatan Narvaez (ECU), Tadej Pogacar (SLO), Nils Politt (GER), Pavel Sivakov (FRA), Marc Soler (ESP), Tim Wellens (BEL), Adam Yates (GBR) Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
France 24
27-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
UAE name powerful team to support Pogacar in Tour de France
The 26-year-old Slovenian has ridden the three-week Tour five times, winning three and finishing second to Jonas Vingegaard in 2022 and 2023. "It's hard to believe it's already my sixth Tour de France, time flies," he said in the team press release. He started the season by taking the UAE Tour, then won four one-day races, including Liege-Bastogne-Liege, finishing on the podium in three others. He ended his Tour preparation by winning the penultimate warm-up event, the eight-day Criterium du Dauphine. "I'm lucky to have had close to the perfect preparation this year — everything has gone really smoothly," said Pogacar. He will be backed by five of the team-mates who helped him to victory in the Dauphine -- Marc Soler, Nils Politt, Pavel Sivakov, Tim Wellens and Jhonatan Narvaez. Reflecting the depth of the UAE squad, they will be joined by Adam Yates and Joao Almeida, who both finished in the top six in last year's Tour de France. In Pogacar's absence, Almeida won the final Tour warm-up, the Tour of Switzerland, for his third stage-race victory this season. "The vibes in the team are amazing right now, and that gives me a lot of confidence," said Pogacar. Team UAE Tour de France squad: Joao Almeida (POR), Jhonatan Narvaez (ECU), Tadej Pogacar (SLO), Nils Politt (GER), Pavel Sivakov (FRA), Marc Soler (ESP), Tim Wellens (BEL), Adam Yates (GBR).
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arroyo Grande mayor candidate charged with election fraud — including 8 felonies
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office has filed nine election fraud charges against an Arroyo Grande mayoral candidate. According to a news release, on Wednesday the district attorney filed charges of voter registration fraud, filing a false declaration of candidacy, fraudulent voting, failure to file campaign finance reports, and perjury by declaration against Gaea Powell, a Republican candidate who ran for mayor of Arroyo Grande in 2022 and 2024. 'The integrity of our electoral system depends on all participants following the law, and my office will not tolerate attempts to undermine that integrity through fraudulent conduct,' District Attorney Dan Dow said in the release. 'Ms. Powell's alleged actions over multiple election cycles represent a serious breach of the public trust, and these charges demonstrate our commitment to holding accountable anyone who attempts to manipulate our elections processes.' 'We will always dutifully follow the evidence wherever it leads to ensure that the community can trust that there will be accountability without any political bias or motivation,' Dow continued. According to the release, the complaint alleges that Powell committed the crime of voter registration fraud on July 12, 2022, when she registered to vote at an address in Arroyo Grande where she did not live. Powell lived in a rural part of the county near Arroyo Grande outside of city limits that is not part of the jurisdiction of the city, the DA's Office said. The offenses of falsely declaring the location of her residence under penalty of perjury, submitting false nomination papers, failing to file campaign finance reports as required by law and voting in the Nov. 8, 2022, election where she was not legally entitled to vote all also occurred during the 2022 election cycle, according to the release. In 2024, Powell voted in the March 5 election where she was not legally entitled to cast a ballot, falsely declared under penalty of perjury the location of her residence, submitted false nomination papers and voted in the Nov. 5, 2024, election where she was not legally entitled to vote, according to the release. She was also charged with knowingly failing to notify state and local election officers of campaign finance transactions of over $2,000, according to the charge sheet. Powell faces eight felonies and one misdemeanor as a result of her alleged actions, according to the release. 'Election security and integrity are of the utmost importance,' SLO County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano said in a statement on Thursday. 'My office will always support law enforcement efforts to ensure that any allegation of fraudulent activity is investigated and handled promptly and appropriately.' During the nomination period for the November 2024 General Election, Cano confirmed that the residence addresses provided by Powell and Paso Robles school board candidate Hunter M. Breese when filing for candidacy — both submitted under penalty of perjury — matched the addresses listed in their current voter registration records. At a Sept. 19 Arroyo Grande election forum, Powell said she rents at a pair of residences: a house on Heritage Lane outside of city limits and a condominium on James Way. 'I moved into the city limits because I wanted to run for mayor, but I've lived — I have another property that's outside of it in an unincorporated area, so I have two properties,' Powell said at the forum. 'So it's a little bit misleading,' she said in reference to the claims about her residency status. Arroyo Grande's municipal elections code specifies that for the election of council members, 'any candidate for City Council must reside in, and be a registered voter in, the district in which he or she seeks election at the time nomination papers are issued,' but does not state the same rule for mayoral elections. At the time, Powell told The Tribune that she does not split her time between the residences and due to the health challenges of her elderly dogs and landlord on Heritage Lane, had 'been anchored to that property' and lived there full time. 'Once both of those situations resolve, most likely, within months to a year, I will be free to stay where I wish,' she wrote in a text message to The Tribune. 'If timing works out, we will then most likely rent the entire condo on James Way, or maybe purchase it.' Powell said she spent time at the condo during her first campaign for mayor in 2022 but did not live there full time. According to voter registration data obtained by The Tribune, Powell is registered to vote at the condo on James Way — but so is her boss at Pathways To Health, David Marquis. Marquis is the registered owner of the home, and the property's taxes are billed to him at a mailing address in San Clemente, according to county public records, the Regrid Property App and the property's deed obtained by the Tribune, but he said he rented to Powell. Even though she didn't live there, Powell shared with The Tribune an email exchange between her and the city that she said 'proves I have done nothing illegal to the best of my knowledge.' Powell said she sought and received confirmation from the city on multiple occasions that there are no rules in the City's Municipal Code requiring candidates with multiple residences to reside at their address inside the city limits for a certain amount of time in order to file candidacy papers and run for office. 'There are currently no residency restrictions related to time spent at one residence within the city limits versus at another outside city limits,' Arroyo Grande legislative and information services director and city clerk Jessica Matson told Powell in the July 2023 email exchange, specifically on the question about where someone can live as they launch their candidacy. 'A candidate does need to be a registered voter within the city limits,' Matson also wrote to Powell, pursuant to section 201 of the California Elections Code. Powell rose to political prominence and local notoriety for her activism opposing access for transgender students, along with her allegations that local school libraries contained pornographic material. She also infamously displayed sexually explicit photographs and videos in objection to the county Board of Supervisors' 2024 Pride Month declaration. In a text message to The Tribune on Thursday morning, Powell said she believed the person leading the investigation into her residency during the election was biased against her. Powell said she has cooperated with the investigation and complied with all search warrants, including access to data from her T-Mobile, Google, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and NextDoor accounts. She said that she was concerned with the investigation's look at her private data, including data from anyone who has corresponded with her over the time span in question. She said the investigation 'should alarm folks.' Powell defended her actions, adding that she was looking forward to reviewing the charges and data to defend herself. She plans to represent herself in the court proceedings, she said. 'As I have stated from the beginning, from my understanding, I have not broken any laws,' Powell said in the text. 'I followed the guidance of the (Arroyo Grande) city clerk as I am not a politician and am new at this.' 'I will always speak against what I believe are unjust laws and policies no matter what the consequences and let our constitutional laws guide me,' Powell concluded. Powell's case will be prosecuted by the Public Integrity Unit of the District Attorney's Office, according to the release. Arraignment will be scheduled after Powell surrenders to Court, files a bond, or is booked on the criminal complaint, according to the release. Sentences for a conviction of the alleged crimes may include a period of probation or County Jail confinement, or both, according to the release.
The Sun
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Sarawak implements new foreign worker management system
KUCHING: The Sarawak government is intensifying efforts to reform its immigration and labour management systems to create a more dynamic economic environment and attract quality investments. Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department, Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai said the government is embracing digitalisation and progressive regulatory frameworks to strengthen industrial relations and support sustainable economic development. 'One of the key measures is the implementation of the Foreign Workers Transformation Approach (FWTA) System, which came into effect on Jan 15,' he said during the winding-up session for his ministry at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) here today. He said the system represents a significant leap in digitalising immigration and labour-related processes, thus streamlining recruitment, monitoring and regulation of foreign workers. 'It will increase efficiency, transparency and compliance with international labour standards, thereby enhancing Sarawak's attractiveness as a competitive and business-friendly destination,' he said. John Sikie said the government is committed to offering non-tax incentives that improve the overall business ecosystem, thus ensuring Sarawak remains investor-friendly while safeguarding the interests of local workers. In line with this commitment, he said the amendments to the Sarawak Labour Ordinance (SLO) had come into force as of May 1. 'These amendments are designed to enhance protection for workers, promote industrial harmony and align our labour regulations with global best practices,' he said. He added that a harmonious and progressive industrial relations framework is vital to sustaining long-term economic growth and labour market resilience in Sarawak. 'The government will continue to engage with stakeholders to refine these frameworks, ensuring Sarawak remains a preferred destination for investment with a skilled, productive and harmonious workforce,' he said.
