Latest news with #politicalgridlock
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Global Citizen takes its fight against poverty to the world's growing cities
Global Citizen is turning to cities as it looks to break through what it sees as widespread political gridlock hindering large-scale action on its goal of ending extreme poverty worldwide. The nonprofit advocacy group has rallied the private sector and foreign dignitaries to solve humanitarian challenges together, driving millions of dollars toward replenishing international aid and eradicating polio since 2008. But Global Citizen co-founder Simon Moss said Thursday it is local officials who are increasingly joining traditional international players in shaping whether communities are equipped to tackle urgent crises. 'We can get beyond partisan politics a lot of the time when you're dealing with a group of people in a city who all literally live there," Moss said. 'That's easier a lot of the time to get real progress compared to waiting on elected officials in capitals, who will often talk a good game and who'll be responsive, but where, in America and many other countries, they're finding it really hard to actually make big-picture policy decisions," he added. The emphasis arose when leaders heard shared concerns from partners across major African and North American cities. In Detroit, which Thursday hosted Global Citizen's first American conference outside New York City, organizers saw an opportunity to highlight a place experiencing population growth after decades-long losses alongside the auto industry's decline. The urban focus also reflects U.N. projections that more than two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities by 2050 — a trend that Global Citizen fears will worsen concentrated poverty if local governments don't start creating inclusive economic opportunities. Making AI available to small businesses To prevent under-resourced communities from missing the latest technological changes, Global Citizen unveiled a new partnership making artificial intelligence more accessible. Goodera, a company that helps implement corporate volunteer programs, aims to mobilize engineers with the goal of making 10 million people 'AI literate' by 2030. Half of those people will be underserved women and youth, according to Moss. Their first focus will be bridging the digital divide in cities, according to Moss, and Goodera is helping identify those most at risk of getting left behind. They also plan to work with entrepreneurs in low-income countries. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban noted the transformative potential for small business owners during a panel Thursday at Global Citizen NOW: Detroit. ChatGPT can 'write a business plan that's better' than anything he could write, Cuban admitted, and offers access to every piece of business advice out there. George Opare Addo, Ghana's minister of youth development and empowerment, pointed out that farmers are already using the technology's limited availability to better predict weather and improve their yields. But he said that youth must be engaged in its rollout. 'For young people to be able to appreciate AI, then they must be not just users of it, but makers of it,' he said. Art, food and sports as cornerstones of changing communities Other panelists emphasized the need for cities to build shared cultures by fostering creative scenes and sports fandoms. Global Citizen has recently relied on high-powered sports leagues such as FIFA to raise money for education initiatives. And Cuban — who previously owned the Dallas Mavericks — said no industry unites people around a common cause like sports. 'As things change in a city, the first place you look is the sports team for support, always. Every tragedy, you look to the sports team first, always,' Cuban said. 'And that is so unique. You just don't get that with any other business.' For celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, the food industry provides 'spaces that you can have dialogues' and 'opportunities to break bread.' Samuelsson's cuisine, for example, blends his Ethiopian heritage with his Swedish upbringing. Jessica Nabongo, a Ugandan-American travel blogger, recalled growing up eating Lebanese, Polish and Japanese foods in Detroit's diverse culinary scene. That experience, she said, instilled 'a respect for other people's culture out the gate.' 'There has to be a reverence — truly a reverence — for the people who are here and have been here and made the city what it is, no matter what the ebbs and flows are,' she said. As cities change, though, it is local artists who Detroit Poet Laureate jessica Care moore finds are tasked with making sure their histories remain told and their longtime residents remain seen. Good artists, she said, 'paint the pictures that people can't see' and 'ask the questions that nobody's asking.' 'Artists are the pulse of the people,' she said. 'If you turn cities into just places for corporations, then you lose the soul of the city. And Detroit, the soul of our city, are the people that live here.' ___ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit
LBCI
11-06-2025
- Business
- LBCI
Lebanon faces political paralysis: Key appointments remain on hold
Report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi The term of Lebanon's four deputy governors at the Banque du Liban (BDL) officially ended on June 9, yet no successors have been appointed, nor have the current officials had their mandates renewed. While the publicly cited reason for the delay is the packed travel schedules of the President and the Prime Minister, the real cause lies in deep political divisions—primarily between the President and the Parliament Speaker and, to a lesser extent, between the President and the Prime Minister, along with other stakeholders involved in the appointments. This institutional deadlock is not limited to BDL. Similar paralysis has affected judicial and diplomatic appointments. Political infighting, conflicting conditions, and a quota-based power-sharing system have complicated even the distribution of ambassadorial posts to key global capitals. In the judiciary, tensions have escalated into a standoff between Justice Minister Adel Nassar and Speaker Nabih Berri over appointments in the financial judiciary sector. Lebanon is teetering on the brink of total paralysis. Every major decision appears suspended, dependent on unpredictable external developments, while political gridlock deepens with each passing day. Security concerns add to the instability, with mounting obstacles to implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for the withdrawal of Hezbollah's weapons north of the Litani River, as well as the disarmament of Palestinian groups. On the financial front, the international community is awaiting the adoption of a comprehensive package of reform laws and a credible plan to close the financial gap, prerequisites for finalizing an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Ultimately, Lebanon remains mired in political obstruction. A profound trust crisis persists among the country's leaders as they await foreign initiatives that have yet to materialize. Meanwhile, the goal of rebuilding the state, reforming its institutions, and putting Lebanon on a path to recovery remains suspended in uncertainty, with no resolution in sight.
CBC
02-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Poland elects nationalist Karol Nawrocki as president
Nationalist opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki narrowly won Poland's presidential election, results showed Monday, delivering a major blow to the centrist government's efforts to cement Warsaw's pro-European orientation. Nawrocki secured 50.89 per cent of the vote, election commission data showed — an outcome that presages more political gridlock as he is likely to use his presidential veto to thwart Prime Minister Donald Tusk's liberal policy agenda. Tusk's government has been seeking to reverse judicial reforms made by the previous nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government, but current President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, has blocked its efforts. Nawrocki's rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal Warsaw mayor who was standing for Tusk's ruling Civic Coalition (KO), got 49.11 per cent, the data showed. Turnout was 71.31 per cent, the electoral commission said, a record for the second round of a presidential election. "I'm sorry that I didn't manage to convince the majority of citizens of my vision of Poland," Trzaskowski said on X. "I congratulate Karol Nawrocki on winning the presidential election." While Poland's parliament holds most power, the president can veto legislation and influence foreign policy, and the vote was being watched closely in Ukraine, as well as Russia, the United States and the European Union. Nawrocki, like his predecessor Duda, is expected to block any attempts by the Tusk government to liberalize abortion or reform the judiciary. "Everything was on a knife edge," said 32-year-old IT specialist Patryk Marek. "Feelings are for sure mixed for this moment. But how small this margin was, it tells us how divided we are, almost in half, as voters." Zelenskyy congratulates winner Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the leaders offering their congratulations to Nawrocki on Monday morning, an acknowledgement of Poland's key role as a neighbour, ally and hub for Western weapons sent to Kyiv in its war against Russia. "I look forward to continued fruitful co-operation with Poland and with President Nawrocki," Zelenskyy said. Nawrocki was backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, with about 10,000 American troops stationed in Poland. Nawrocki, 42, a newcomer to politics who previously ran a national remembrance institute, has echoed some of Trump's language on Ukraine. He promises to continue Poland's support for Ukraine but has been critical of Zelenskyy, accusing him of taking advantage of allies, and he opposes Ukraine membership in Western alliances. The candidate also has accused Ukrainian refugees of taking advantage of Polish generosity, vowing to prioritize Poles for social services such as health care and schooling. Nawrocki vowed to protect Poland's sovereignty and railed against what he said was excessive interference in the country's affairs from the European Union in Brussels. The EU took the previous PiS government to court over its judicial reforms, saying they undermined the rule of law and democratic standards. In a meeting with Slawomir Mentzen, the far-right candidate who was in third place in the first round of the election, Nawrocki signed a declaration that he will not agree to any European treaties that would "weaken the position of Poland." Nawrocki shakes off allegations Nawrocki won despite his past dominating the last days of the presidential campaign, including allegations of past connections to criminal figures and his participation in a violent street brawl. He denies the criminal links but was unapologetic about the street fight, saying he had taken part in "noble" fights in his life. Congratulations poured in from other nationalist and eurosceptic politicians. The defeated hard-right candidate in Romania's election, George Simion, wrote on X "Poland WON," while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed a "fantastic victory." The run-off vote in Poland came just two weeks after Romania's centrist Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, had dealt a blow to hard-right and nationalist forces in central Europe by winning that country's presidential contest. The result could lend momentum to the Czech Republic's eurosceptic opposition leader and former Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who leads opinion polls ahead of an October election. Babis offered "warm congratulations" on X.
Asharq Al-Awsat
02-06-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Polish Nationalist Nawrocki Wins Presidency in Setback for Pro-EU Government
Nationalist opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki narrowly won Poland's presidential election, results showed on Monday, delivering a major blow to the centrist government's efforts to cement Warsaw's pro-European orientation. In a victory for European conservatives inspired by US President Donald Trump, Nawrocki secured 50.89% of the vote, election commission data showed, an outcome that presages more political gridlock as he is likely to use his presidential veto to thwart Prime Minister Donald Tusk's liberal policy agenda. Tusk's government has been seeking to reverse judicial reforms made by the previous nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government, but current President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, has blocked its efforts - a pattern Nawrocki is likely to continue. Nawrocki's rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal Warsaw mayor who was standing for Tusk's ruling Civic Coalition (KO), got 49.11%, the data showed. Both candidates had declared victory immediately after the publication of an exit poll late on Sunday that showed the result would be very close. Nawrocki, a conservative historian and amateur boxer who was backed by PiS, had presented the vote as a referendum on Tusk's 18-month-old government. "The referendum on the dismissal of the Tusk government has been won," PiS lawmaker Jacek Sasin wrote on X. Poland's blue-chip stock index shed more than 2% in early trade on Monday as investors anticipated more political paralysis. The zloty currency also fell versus the euro. Nawrocki, like his predecessor Duda, is expected to block any attempts by the Tusk government to liberalize abortion or reform the judiciary. The EU took the previous PiS government to court over its judicial reforms, saying they undermined the rule of law and democratic standards. EUROSKEPTIC Sunday's run-off vote in Poland came just two weeks after Romania's centrist Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, had dealt a blow to hard-right and nationalist forces in central Europe by winning that country's presidential contest. Congratulations poured in from other nationalist and euroskeptic politicians in the region. The defeated hard-right candidate in Romania's election, George Simion, wrote on X "Poland WON", while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed a "fantastic victory". European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was convinced the EU could continue its "very good cooperation" with Poland. Nawrocki, 42, a newcomer to politics who previously ran a national remembrance institute, campaigned on a promise to ensure economic and social policies favor Poles over other nationalities, including refugees from neighboring Ukraine. He vowed to protect Poland's sovereignty and railed against what he said was excessive interference in the country's affairs from Brussels. While Poland's parliament holds most power, the president can veto legislation, and the vote was being watched closely in Ukraine as well as Russia, the United States and the EU. Borys Budka, a KO Member of the European Parliament, said he believed PiS now sought to "overthrow the legal government". "This may be a big challenge for the government, which will be blocked when it comes to good initiatives," he told state news channel TVP Info. Nawrocki won despite his past dominating the last days of the presidential campaign - from questions over his acquisition of a flat from a pensioner to an admission that he took part in orchestrated brawls. Turnout was 71.31%, the electoral commission said, a record for the second round of a presidential election.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hialeah's city council, deadlocked over vacant seat, reopens qualification period
The Hialeah City Council is in deadlock. What was supposed to be a routine appointment turned into political gridlock as the council failed to agree on who should fill a vacant council seat, leaving the city without a clear path forward. At her first meeting as interim mayor, Jacqueline Garcia-Roves presided over a contentious, hour-and-a-half-long debate that ended in a stalemate. The council remains split 3-3 over who should replace her on the dais during her temporary mayoral tenure. On one side: Council Members Luis Rodriguez, Carl Zogby and Juan Junco, who backed only one candidate — William Marrero, 21, a former aide to Rodriguez. Marrero is pursuing a public administration degree at FIU after earning an associate's degree in Public Policy and Services. On the other side: Melinda De La Vega, Jesus Tundidor and Monica Perez, who supported any of the other five applicants — just not Marrero. De La Vega and Perez argued that Marrero lacks the life experience needed to serve as interim council member, particularly for a role that faces public scrutiny and pressure. However, Perez added that she would support him if he chooses to run in an election. Every vote ended in a 3-3 tie. No progress. No appointment. Even when a motion was made to table the matter, the council instead revisited nominations for the other six candidates: ▪ Gelien Perez, 35, is a former Hialeah Human Resources Director who was investigated for allegedly using her city position to benefit her personal real estate business between 2018 and 2020. She resigned in January 2022. Her real estate license remains active through September 2026. Originally from Cuba, Perez holds a master's degree in legal studies and another in human resources management. ▪ Luis Antonio Morales, 34, is a mortgage broker and president of Major League Mortgage. He holds an Associate of Arts degree in marketing from Miami Dade College. ▪ Juan Santana, 42, is a community activist and a three-time mayoral candidate who has also filed for interim council seats multiple times. He advocates for government transparency, more affordable housing for workers, and lower trash collection and water bills. Santana has a high school diploma and is vice president of Positive Hits Community Service Group South, a nonprofit serving low-income residents in Hialeah. ▪ Kassandra Montandon, 30, leads several education initiatives, including a financial literacy program for low- to moderate-income students in Miami-Dade Public Schools and at Miami Dade College, including its Hialeah campus. She holds an Associate of Arts degree in Psychology from Miami Dade College and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Florida International University. ▪ Javier Morejon, 34, works as a city surveyor for Miami Gardens. He is a member of the Miami-Dade County Historic Preservation Board and previously served on Hialeah's Beautification Committee Board. ▪ Abdel Jimenez, 45, is an attorney who earned his law degree from the University of Miami and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. He owns and operates his own law firm and is a former police officer with the Miami Springs Police Department. Jimenez currently serves on the city's Planning and Zoning Board. Under the city charter, the council has just 30 days to fill Garcia-Roves' vacancy, either by appointment or by calling a special election. Garcia-Roves was sworn in as interim mayor on April 28, following the resignation of Mayor Esteban 'Steve' Bovo the day before. That clock is now ticking. Garcia-Roves did not speak during the vote. While walking out of the chamber, she told the Miami Herald that 'they'—referring to those opposed to Marrero's appointment—had turned the vote into a 'political thing.' When asked whether she supported Marrero, Garcia-Roves said she had nothing against any candidate. Although she hasn't decided whether to run for the mayor's seat after her interim period runs out, she added, 'If they keep putting on a show, they might help me make up my mind.' Former Mayor Raul Martinez told the Herald that a deadlock forcing the council to reopen the qualification process is unprecedented in the city's history. Candidate qualifications have been reopened until May 23. At the next council meeting on May 27, the council must break the deadlock or face the cost of a special election. The last special election in 2022 cost $44,000, according to the office of the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections. The final amount could vary depending on the timing and whether the city shares the ballot with a Miami-Dade County, state or national election. In 2023, a general election that included several municipalities within the county, including Hialeah, cost the city more than $415,000.
