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Though Austria is a member of the European Union, its far-right party leading the polls has strong links with Russian President Vladimir Putin — the bloc’s arch nemesis. The chairman and top candidate of the Freedom Party of Austria Herbert Kickl waves to supporters after kicking off his party's electoral campaign on September 7, 2024 in Graz, Austria. Kickl’s vision is to build “Fortress Austria” and “Fortress Europe,” as he put it during a debate on Austrian public television Thursday night. In 2016, party leader Heinz-Christian Strache signed a formal “cooperation pact” with Putin’s United Russia party. The FPÖ’s return is far from certain, currently polling at 27%, narrowly ahead of the ruling Austrian People’s Party on 25% and the Social Democratic Party of Austria on 21%, according to European polling aggregator PolitPro.

Persons: that’s, Adolf Hitler —, it’s, Vladimir Putin —, Peter Filzmaier, Kerms, Herbert Kickl, ”, Hitler, Kickl, Freedom Party of Austria Herbert Kickl, Alex Halada, Nazi ”, “, Karl Nehammer, Andreas Babler, Joe Klamar, Gabriela Bacher, Donald Trump, Heinz, Christian Strache, Karin Kneissl, Putin, Strache, Victor Orban, Bacher Organizations: Freedom Party, NATO, Ukraine, Moscow, European Union, Gratz, Freedom Party of Austria, Getty, Immigrants, “, Austrian, Nazi, Austrian People’s Party, Social Democratic Party, NBC, Trump, NBC News, Putin’s United, Social Democratic Party of Austria Locations: Austria, Russia, Europe, Graz, AFP, East, North Africa, Jerusalem, Austrian, Vienna, American, Austrian Republic, Ukraine, Putin’s United Russia, Russian, Moscow, Slovakia, Hungary, Republic

☆ Zhiying Zeng: 38 years after ending Olympic dream in China, this ‘table tennis grandma’ will represent Chile at Paris 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Zhiying Zeng’s eyes begin to sparkle and her gestures become more animated as she recounts the day her lifelong Olympic dream came true. Even in China, by far the world’s most dominant table tennis nation, Zeng’s talents were evident from an early age. When she was 16, she was called up to the Chinese table tennis team for the first time. Finally, 38 years after she gave up on her Olympic dream, Zeng qualified for Paris 2024 at a pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Lima, Peru, in May this year. “Calm, calm,” Zeng, who says mental fortitude is her biggest asset in table tennis, repeated to herself.

Persons: Zeng, ’, Tania ’ –, –, empanadas, “, Chile Zeng, ”, Rodrigo Arangua, Daniela Ortega, Paulina Vega, Luisa Gonzalez, Reuters “, ’ ”, ” Zeng, Tia Tania ’ –, Tania –, Zeng isn’t, Gabriel Boric, Mariana Sahakian, Zeng’s, “ You’ve Organizations: CNN, Paris, Chile –, CNN Sport, Getty, Games, Pan American, Reuters, Tennis Federation, AP, Pan Am, Olympic Locations: China, Asia, Chile, Chilean, Guangzhou, AFP, Seoul, Arica, –, Iquique, Santiago, Lima , Peru, Lima

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Texas has ordered a 55-year-old U.S. agency that caters to minority-owned businesses to serve people regardless of race, siding with white business owners who claimed the program discriminated against them. The agency, which helps minority-owned businesses obtain financing and government contracts, now operates in 33 states and Puerto Rico. Justice Department lawyers representing Minority Business Development Agency declined to comment on the ruling, which can be appealed to the conservative-leaning 5th U.S. John F. Robinson, president of the National Minority Business Council, said the ruling is “a blow against minority owned businesses," and does nothing to help majority-owned businesses because they already enjoy access to federal resources through the Small Business Administration. "It has the potential of damaging the whole minority business sector because there will be less service available to minority-owned businesses,” Robinson said.

Persons: Mark T, Pittman, Donald Trump, Nixon, Biden, ” Pittman, Dan Lennington, ” Lennington, John F, Robinson, ” Robinson, Arian Simone, Alphonso David, David, Stanley Goldfarb, ”, “, —, David Glasgow, Graham Lee Brewer, Haleluya Hadero Organizations: —, U.S, Northern, Northern District of, U.S . Commerce Department, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Black, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, Justice Department, Business, Agency, Circuit, National Minority Business Council, Small Business Administration, Economic, Pfizer, The, Appeals, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Meltzer Center for Diversity, New York University’s School of Law, Supreme, AP Locations: Texas, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Tennessee, Atlanta, The New York, Florida, New

☆ Trump is already flexing strongman power in the GOP
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The ex-president is trying to intimidate Nikki Haley into abandoning the GOP presidential race. Trump’s brisk assertion of his growing power as the likely nominee is a characteristic dismantling of constraints that echoes his behavior in office. But she provoked him by refusing to quickly fold her campaign and endorse him like other GOP candidates, including Florida Gov. But the disdain toward Haley from Trump world is remarkable. It would have essentially joined the party’s forces with Trump while an election involving a rival was still taking place.

Persons: Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, they’ll, Trump’s, anoint, Joe Biden, Trump, Haley, ”, Viktor Orbán, ” Orbán, he’s, ” Trump, Katon Dawson, Kasie Hunt, CNN Max, Dawson, polarize, Nikki, “ Donald Trump, ” Haley, Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, “, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, MAGA, Elise Stefanik, —, Collins, Biden doesn’t, Biden, Republican Sen, Todd Young, Utah Sen, Mitt Romney, who’s, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, doesn’t, ” Murphy, CNN’s Manu Raju, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, Republican Party, GOP, South, Republican National Committee, Trump, Biden, South Carolina GOP, CNN International, Palmetto State, Florida Gov, RNC, Republican, Democratic, Capitol Locations: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, genuflect, Manchester , New Hampshire, Hungarian, “ State, Palmetto, Cuba, United States, Charleston, Hampshire, Trump, New York, Indiana, Utah, Ukraine

☆ July 4: Was the last battle of the American Revolution fought in India?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The answer is: The last battle of America’s war of independence was fought on this continent. DuVal and others say two key protagonists of the Revolutionary War – Britain and France – actually fought the final battle of the conflict in Cuddalore, India, in June of 1783. Britain and, to a lesser extent, France were well established with colonies in India when the American Revolution began and had already brought their hostilities from Europe to the subcontinent, according to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. “They brought news that six months before in Paris, the British, French and the Americans – the Dutch were a little later – signed the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolution,” he says. “Cuddalore, India, was indeed the last battle of the American Revolution.”

Persons: you’ve, Kathleen DuVal, ”, ” DuVal, DuVal, France –, “, Don Glickstein, Frederick the Great, Prussia, Maximilian Ulysses Count Browne, Prince Charles of Lorraine, it’s, Glickstein, ” Glickstein, David Allison, ” Allison, Generals Rochambeau, Marquis de Lafayette, – Organizations: CNN, University of North, British, US, Department, State Department’s Office, Austrian, Hulton, National Park Service, National Museum of, Smithsonian, Yorktown, Washington, Getty, Brits, American Revolution, Museum, American, British East India Company, Britain Locations: North America, Asia, University of North Carolina, United States, Massachusetts, Virginia, Britain, France, Cuddalore, India, British, Spain, Netherlands, American, Seattle, Yorktown, Quebec, Abraham, North Carolina, Pacific, Portugal, Canada, Prague, Yorktown , Virginia, “, Dutch Republic, Washington, Paris, Jamaica, Gibraltar, Europe, Philadelphia, Bengal

“Why would Biden say what a good deal it is before the vote?” he asked reporters at one point, referring to himself in the third person. From the start of the clash with Mr. McCarthy’s Republicans, Mr. Biden has followed the instincts he has developed through long, hard and sometimes painful experience. The agreement crafted by Mr. Biden and Mr. McCarthy in the end was a whittled-down version of the original proposals on the table. Image The agreement crafted by Mr. Biden and Mr. McCarthy in the end was a whittled-down version of the original proposals on the table. Even as his allies and even his own White House issued incendiary statements, Mr. Biden acted like the person who has been there before.

Persons: Biden, ”, reticence, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, McCarthy’s, Mr, Jamaal Bowman, Kenny Holston, Biden’s, Ro Khanna, shrugged, —, “, Doug Mills, “ I’ve Organizations: Capitol, White, Democratic, McCarthy’s Republicans, Republicans, Republican Party, ”, New York Times, Congressional, Internal, Service, Twitter Locations: Washington, New York, reining, California

☆ Bakhmut: Wagner forces claim to have taken the eastern Ukrainian city. But Kyiv's forces could still exact a heavy toll
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Sam Kiley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Kyiv rebuffed claims that Russian forces have captured the city in the eastern Donetsk region. LIBKOS/APYevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner private military group, pictured in a screengrab from May 20, 2023, insisted that his men captured Bakhmut after months of fighting. A Ukrainian serviceman checks Russian positions in Bakhmut on May 11, 2023. He said regular Russian troops were incompetent cowards. And they’re being flanked to the north and south by Ukrainian troops.

☆ Morocco’s historic World Cup achievement hailed worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Moroccan flag was displayed in cities all around the world on Saturday, as fans celebrated the Atlas Lions’ historic 1-0 victory over Portugal. The qualification of the Atlas Lions for the semi-final of the 2022 world is that of all Africa. Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah tweeted: “Congratulations to the Moroccan national team for their historic qualification to the World Cup semi-finals,” alongside an emoji of the Moroccan flag. “CONTINENTAL HISTORY!… What an achievement by the Atlas Lions,” the Confederation of African Football tweeted. !” in reference to her song used as during the 2010 World Cup, with a clapping emoji and a Moroccan flag.

☆ How the Brazil side of the 1982 World Cup became one of the most beloved in history
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

He was also captain of the Brazil team at the 1982 World Cup, long before cable television and streaming made every football match and player compilation readily available. Socrates in action vs. Argentina during 1982 World Cup. Despite losing to host Uruguay in the Gold Cup final, Brazil beat West Germany – one of the favorites for the 1982 World Cup and eventual losing finalist – 4-1 in the group stages. So, it all came down to Brazil vs. Italy on July 5 for a place in the 1982 World Cup semifinal. Melchert/picture alliance/Getty ImagesMacpherson described the result as “a huge anti-climax” for the neutrals watching at the World Cup.

Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry, Darling” is — on its immaculately, obsessively polished surface — a film about the danger of dreams. Even if you have somehow avoided all publicity for the film, the pop culture reference points should already be clear. Pugh conveys blissful serenity and anguished confusion with equal conviction; her deftness justifies Wilde’s poetic anti-narrative, and vice versa. The real world feels like ghostly and desaturated reflection. “Don’t Worry, Darling” is a movie that airily warns you to watch out for illusions even as it revels in a film’s power to create a world deliberately untethered from reality.

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