At first I was Yaaaaaaay…

Spain’s Navantia Rescues Historic Shipyard Harland & Wolff from the Brink

Reuters December 19, 2024

LONDON, Dec 19 (Reuters) – Spanish state-held shipbuilder Navantia will acquire the shipyards of Britain’s Harland & Wolff, the Belfast-based company best known for building the Titanic, the British government said on Thursday.

The government said in a statement the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, would secure all four of Harland & Wolff’s shipyards – in Belfast, Arnish and Methil in Scotland, and Appledore in southwest England – and protect around 1,000 jobs.

“This investment is great news for Belfast, for the Northern Ireland economy and, above all, for Harland and Wolff’s hugely skilled shipbuilding workforce,” said Northern Ireland minister Hilary Benn.

In a separate statement, Navantia confirmed the deal and said it expects to complete it by the end of January.

Neither Navantia nor the British government disclosed the price the Spanish company will pay for the shipyards.

In September, Harland & Wolff called in administrators after failing to secure funding to run the business, as energy price rises and wage increases ate into profits and pushed up debt.

Trading in its shares on the London Stock Exchange was stopped in October and in July the British government declined the company’s request for a credit facility of 200 million pounds ($253 million).

Harland & Wolff, founded in 1861, signed a manufacturing subcontract with Navantia last year relating to the 1.6 billion pound-project to build support ships for Britain’s Royal Navy.

The government said the deal would ensure three ships to transport munitions, spares and supplies to UK aircraft carriers would be built and delivered.

($1 = 0.7902 pounds)

https://gcaptain.com/spains-navantia-rescues-historic-shipyard-harland-wolff-from-the-brink/

>>22193622 (me)

but then I remembered

UK #51

Titanic Shipyard Owner Harland & Wolff Set to Enter Administration This Week

Bloomberg September 16, 2024

The owner of the shipping yard that built the Titanic is entering administration, a type of insolvency procedure in the UK, for the second time in five years.

Harland & Wolff Group Holdings Plc, which has been on the brink after Britain’s new Labour government rejected the struggling business’s appeal for state support, confirmed the move on Monday.

The process will likely start this week, according to the company’s statement, with Teneo lined up as administrators. Harland & Wolff will cut some jobs and wind down non-core operations, including a ferry service on the Isles of Scilly — which lie to the south west of England — and a small business in the US. More job cuts could follow in core areas.

The company’s assets have attracted the attention of defense companies including Babcock International Group Plc, according to reports published last week, with advisers from Rothschild & Co. leading a sale process. Monday’s statement said a “number of parties” have expressed interest in buying some or all of its subsidiaries.

The company sought emergency funding earlier in the summer to avoid falling into administration for a second time, having previously collapsed in 2019. However, Labour ministers rejected a £200 million ($264 million) loan facility that had been provisionally agreed by the Conservative administration that they defeated in the July 4 election. That prompted the Harland & Wolff Chief Executive Officer John Wood to leave his role.

UK-based InfraStrata bought Harland & Wolff out of administration in 2019 as part of a wider bet on the industry. But a very high level of overdue sums owed to creditors and material losses across its business activities make the outlook for the group challenging, according to Monday’s statement.

As part of the attempts to grow the business, the firm joined a consortium led by Spain’s Navantia SA that won a contract to build three ships for the Royal Navy. The company has been in contact with the Spanish firm on the terms of a plan to be able to resume work on that project in the Belfast yard.

Unite, a trade union representing workers at Harland & Wolff’s Belfast and Appledore dockyards, issued a statement demanding urgent action to preserve the future of the company’s workforce. The union expressed a preference for a single buyer for all the company’s yards and called on the UK government to intervene if the right buyer isn’t found.

Jobs in the shipyards won’t be affected by the administration process, a government spokesperson said in an emailed statement. They added that the private sector was in the best position to resolve the situation, rather than leaning on taxpayers.

https://gcaptain.com/titanic-shipyard-owner-harland-wolff-set-to-enter-administration-this-week/

>>22193644

Scroll up dude

>>22193708

That would make Elon the first African-American Immigrant Speaker right?

>>22193742

PSA:

When your dumbass is latched onto by a pepper like that forget the water. The water only spreads the stuff out in your mouth. Eat bread to absorb the pepper juice

>>22193767

>>22193761

And as posted during last night's bread the Indictment still stands

Thusly:

The new ruling means that Georgia's Prosecuting Attorneys' Council will need to find another prosecutor to take over the case and decide whether to continue pursuing it - though if Willis decides to appeal to the state Supreme Court, that could be delayed.

>>22193783

Is he leaving by his own accord or did he get pink slipped because the network is desperate to get some credibility back?

>>22193814

True, but as liberals go with emotion first there's going to be some gnashing of teeth, wails, and maybe property damage until the freakazoid becomes approachable enough for somebody to mention that.

Considering vaccination status "heart attacks can be deadly" comes to mind

>>22193905

That's only 1.5833 per hour

Props to the construction crew of the building

>>22193934

Turley eh?

Canada #68

==Bluesky 'Trust And Safety' Head Embraces Canadian-Style Speech Limits For Liberal Site

Authored by Jonathan Turley Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024

After the election, liberal pundits and media have attempted to rally the public in a shift from X to Bluesky, a smaller site that is viewed as a safe space for the left. I have been critical of the move as a retreat deeper into the liberal echo chamber after an election that showed how out-of-touch many of these writers were with the majority of voters. They would be better served engaging with a broader swath of public opinion. Today, one of the top Bluesky officials embraced Canadian-style speech controls and rejected more robust views of free speech as the model for the site.Bluesky has long been criticized as a site built on the concept of “safe spaces” in higher education for those triggered by opposing views. Many of those leaving Twitter long for the “good ole days” of when all social media platforms engaged in extensive censorship to exclude or marginalize opposing voices.

This week, Aaron Rodericks, the head of trust and safety at Bluesky, confirmed the worst fears of the site. Bluesky has been hammered with complaints from conservatives and libertarians that they have been subject to not only death threats on the site but also blocked from posting.

Some have demanded even more aggressive measures to block or suppress conservative or libertarian views deemed threatening or demeaning. Liberal pundits have heralded the site as allowing them to “breathe again” without hearing the type of opposing views allowed on X.

Rodericks espoused the type of anti-free speech rationalizations that are addressed in my recent book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.” He insisted that there are alternative views of free speech than the type of “absolutism” supported by figures like myself.

Rodericks juxtaposed what he called “free speech absolutism” against the more enlightened Canadian model, adding, “I think it just comes down to philosophies of free speech.”

He explained:

“Being Canadian shapes a lot of my perspective. There’s enough of the American perspective in the world on a day-to-day basis. For example, in the Canadian constitution… you have rights and freedoms, but they’re not unequivocal.”

It was a chilling reference for many in the free speech community since free speech is in a free fall in Canada. As we have previously discussed, there has been a steady criminalization of speech, including even jokes and religious speech, in Canada. The country has eviscerated the right to free speech and association.

Yet, that is apparently the model for Bluesky. Rodericks repeats the doublespeak of the anti-free speech movement in claiming that he just wants to create a space where all are welcomed but excluding those who are not welcomed:

“I’m glad that [critics] consider it a safe space and ideally it can be a safe space for them as well. The whole point of Bluesky is for it to be safe and welcoming to all users. I think the issue is some people are defining their identity by opposition to others and how well they can harass others and deny their existence. Bluesky may not be the right place for them.”

Not surprisingly, Rodericks used to work at trust and safety for Twitter before he was fired by Elon Musk. He has also sued Musk over a tweet. At issue is Musk’s response to the criticism of his firing Rodericks’s team by noting, “Oh you mean the ‘Election Integrity’ Team that was undermining election integrity? Yeah, they’re gone.”

That would seem clearly protected opinion under the First Amendment, but, of course, for the former censors of Twitter, it should not be allowed.

We have previously discussed the censorship standards at Twitter. For example, former Twitter executive Anika Collier Navaroli testified on what she repeatedly called the “nuanced” standard used by her and her staff on censorship. Toward the end of the hearing, she was asked about that standard by Rep. Melanie Ann Stansbury (D., NM). Her answer captured precisely why Twitter’s censorship system proved a nightmare for free expression.

Navaroli then testified how she felt that there should have been much more censorship and how she fought with the company to remove more material that she and her staff considered “dog whistles” and “coded” messaging. She said that they balanced free speech against safety and explained that they sought a different approach:

“Instead of asking just free speech versus safety to say free speech for whom and public safety for whom. So whose free expression are we protecting at the expense of whose safety and whose safety are we willing to allow to go the winds so that people can speak freely.”

Rep. Stansbury responded by saying “Exactly.”

The statement was reminiscent of that of former CEO Parag Agrawal. After taking over as CEO, Agrawal pledged to regulate content as “reflective of things that we believe lead to a healthier public conversation.”

Agrawal said the company would “focus less on thinking about free speech” because “speech is easy on the internet. Most people can speak. Where our role is particularly emphasized is who can be heard.”

The same standard seems to be at play at Bluesky as controversial figures like Rodericks decide which views are deemed harassing or amount to a denial of the existence of others. They will be shown, Canadian style, why “Bluesky may not be the right place for them.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bluesky-trust-and-safety-head-embraces-canadian-style-speech-limits-liberal-site

Any Marketfags around?

Russia’s Gazprom Makes First LNG Delivery to Italy Amid Shifting European Energy Landscape

Mike Schuler December 19, 2024

In a significant development for European energy markets, Russian energy giant Gazprom has completed its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) delivery to Italy from its Baltic Sea-based LNG Portovaya facility.

The shipment, carried by vessel Cool Rover, arrived at Italy’s FSRU Toscana terminal in Livorno, Reuters reported citing LSEG data. This milestone comes at a time when Russia’s traditional pipeline gas exports to Europe have seen a dramatic decline since 2022, following the Ukraine conflict, while seaborne LNG deliveries continue to expand.

The LNG Portovaya plant, which commenced operations in September 2022 with an annual capacity of 1.5 million tonnes, has already established its presence in multiple markets, including Turkey, Greece, and China.

The expansion of Russia’s LNG footprint extends beyond Italy, with Spain receiving its first Gazprom LNG cargo earlier this year.

Russia’s LNG exports grew 4.7% to 29.1 million tonnes from January to November, with Europe receiving over half the volume.

“Russia’s Yamal LNG plant has already supplied several cargoes to Italy over the past few years,” Reuters reported.

https://gcaptain.com/gazprom-makes-first-lng-delivery-to-italy-amid-shifting-european-energy-landscape/

>>22194073

Reality according to whom?

Israel Strikes Back: Houthi Ports in Yemen Targeted in Retaliatory Airstrikes

By Ahmed Tolba, Clauda Tanios and Jana Choukeir Reuters December 19, 2024

CAIRO/JERUSALEM, Dec 19 (Reuters) – Israel launched strikes against ports and energy infrastructure in Houthi-held parts of Yemen on Thursday and threatened more attacks against the Iran-aligned militant group, which has launched hundreds of missiles at Israel over the past year.

As Israeli jets were in the air, the Israeli military said it intercepted a missile headed towards central Israel which destroyed a school building in Ramat Efal in the western part of Tel Aviv with what a military spokesperson described as falling shrapnel.

The Houthis – who have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November 2023, in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s war with Hamas – said they had attacked Tel Aviv overnight, launching two ballistic missiles and hitting “precise military targets.”

Yemen ?

Video from #Hodeidah port this morning shows the damage from Israeli airstrikes against the port’s tugboat fleet which caused at least 4 casualties. These strikes were in retaliation for recent #Houthi #missile and #drone attacks on #Israel. pic.twitter.com/hZr6tQ5BKh

— Martin Kelly (@MartinKelly) December 19, 2024

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “After Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis are nearly the last remaining arm of Iran’s axis of evil. They are learning and they will learn the hard way, that whoever harms Israel – pays a very heavy price for it.”

Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah are also allies of Iran.

The Israeli attack, involving 14 fighter jets and other aircraft, came in two waves, with a first series of strikes on the ports of Salif and Ras Issa and a second series hitting the capital Sanaa, military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters.

“We made extensive preparations for these operations with efforts to refine our intelligence and to optimize the strikes,” he said.

Al Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by the Houthis, said the airstrikes killed nine people, seven in Salif and two in the Ras Issa oil facility, both in the western province of Hodeidah.

Two sources at the port of Hodeidah told Reuters that an Israeli strike destroyed a tugboat, but the port has several others capable of towing ships to the dock.

In Sanaa, the strikes also targeted two central power stations south and north of the capital, Sanaa, which Al Masirah said had cut electricity to thousands of families.

An official from the Electricity Department in Sanaa told Reuters that airstrikes hit fuel depots at two power stations—one in Dhahban, north of the capital, and the other in Haiz, south of Sanaa. He said fires had been contained and electricity was expected to be restored within hours.

The Israeli attacks followed a strike on Monday by U.S. aircraft against a command and control facility operated by the Houthis, which control much of Yemen.

THREATS, WARNINGS

The Houthis vowed to respond to the Israeli attacks.

“The Israeli attack will not deter Yemen from responding to this heinous aggression and supporting Gaza,” the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised speech.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would continue to respond to Houthi attacks.

“I warn the leaders of the Houthi terrorist organization: Israel’s long hand will reach you as well,” Katz said in a post on X. “Whoever raises a hand against the state of Israel, his hand will be cut off; whoever harms, will be harmed sevenfold.”

The Israeli military said specialists were examining the site of the strike in Ramat Efal and it was trying to confirm whether one or two missiles had been fired.

Some Israeli media reported that the missile had hit the school, but Shoshani said the initial indications suggested it was hit by missile debris.

One possibility was that the fuel tank “which is an enormous piece of metal, kept going” after the missile was intercepted, he said.

“But again, we will be smarter when we see the results at the scene,” he said.

https://gcaptain.com/israel-strikes-back-houthi-ports-in-yemen-targeted-in-retaliatory-airstrikes/

>>22194228

Since The View is ABC network just like George Stephanopoulos I'd have to imagine that somewhere in the ABC Legal Offices there's at least one Legal Beagle eating Tums like Skittles now

>>22194207

Sounds like made up bullshit

>>22194259

Excuse me, but how does a South Korean spy blend in with Russians?

>>22194281

Think of "Thy" as "Your"

They Will = Your Will

and now learn to use a dictionary

>>22194374

Ah, so it is made up bullshit then

>>22194400

> installing federal regulations that cannot be undone

Oh yes they can