Latest news with #Ally
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Famous ex-footballer in bike smash during charity cycle in Ireland
Former Rangers ace Ally McCoist was involved in a four-person bike smash during a charity cycle. The collision took place on the second day of the MND challenge cycle in aid of My Name's Doddie Foundation. The group, which will arrive in Dublin after cycling from Belfast, will cover all four provinces of Ireland. In an Instagram video with Doddie Weir's son, Hamish, Ally said: "We're here in beautiful southern Ireland, after leaving Westport this morning at about half past eight. It was meant to be eight o'clock! "We're on our way to Galway, and we're about a quarter of the way through and so we've stopped for a coffee and a bit of carrot cake. "But the difference today, mate, it's been unbelievably windy. It's been a struggle today. Yesterday was great fun, no wind, but the boys have felt a little bit of pain from the wind today. We've had one missing in action, Duncan gave himself a sore one so hopefully he's okay." Hamish then let slip McCoist fell during the challenge. He said: "You've had a little bit of an accident, talk us through it." Ally replied: "Yes, I just came off myself actually. I was hoping to let that one go, Hamish, but thanks very much! I had three people in front of me who were down, I shan't name names, but I just went into the back of them, but hey, we're all fine. It was a comfy landing, I landed on one of the bigger boys." McCoist added: "We're here for your dad, we're here for MND and we're trying to raise as much money as humanly possible and we're having a bit of fun doing it as well. "We've been meeting some great people, the people of Ballymena looked after us, and Monaghan looked after us. The people here have been wonderful."
The Hill
12 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
Spain asks for break on NATO contribution: Report
Leaders in Madrid urged NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to exempt them from a proposed defense spending goal set at 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) ahead of next week's summit at The Hague. 'Committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain further away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem,' Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote in a letter to Rutte, according to a copy reviewed by Reuters. 'It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices. As a sovereign Ally, we choose not to,' he added. Spain currently has the lowest military spending among member nations, devoting 1.3 percent of its GDP to defense spending last year, according to reports from Politico EU. Member nations agreed to commit 2 percent of their GDP to defense spending in 2014, with the hope of ensuring NATO can sustain continued military readiness. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has sparked concerns about the possibility of a wider war involving Europe amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's push to obtain more land. However, Spain said the Kremlin poses no current threat to its borders but did not oppose heightened security for other NATO member nations. 'Of course, it is not our intention to limit the spending ambitions of other allies or to obstruct the outcome of the upcoming summit,' Sanchez wrote in the letter. Rutte has suggested that an increase in defense spending levels should ensure that 3.5 percent of GDP is allocated to military expenditures, while 1.5 percent is allocated for defense-related items, such as military mobility and cybersecurity, Politico EU reported. However, Sanchez said the policy would force Spain to purchase off-the-shelf equipment instead of cultivating its own industrial base as recorded in his letter. President Trump has encouraged Rutte's push for growth, citing a mounting concern for the United States' dominant support of the war in Ukraine, a non-member nation designated as a NATO partner country. Although his administration signed a minerals agreement with the country to recoup the financial commitment seeped in weapons packages and the purchase of military equipment, the president has urged other nations to help back the Eastern European ally. 'I didn't see Spain's comments, I'll make sure the president sees them and I can assure you he wants to see all European countries pay their fair share and meet that 5 percent threshold,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during Thursday's press briefing. 'It's only fair considering the American taxpayers have given a significant chunk of money to the tune of billions of dollars to support our mutual interests and our assured defense.' The NATO summit is set to take place from June 24-25 and would require all 32 member nations to approve the increase in defense spending to solidify the objective. 'The NATO Summit is coming at a very precarious moment for the transatlantic relationship, marked by uncertainty about the US commitment to Europe, a relative stalemate in peace negotiations between Russia, and Ukraine and ongoing tensions over transatlantic trade,' Lauren Speranza, a fellow at the Center for European Progress said in a statement. 'As the first NATO summit of President Trump's second term, I do think The meeting will offer us some insight into how the administration will approach the Alliance going forward, following some of the previous criticisms we've heard of NATO and calls for Europe to do more to take greater responsibility for its own defense.'
The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Spain may derail NATO summit by resisting defence spend
Spain has asked to opt out of NATO's plan to increase members' defence spending to five per cent of their gross domestic product, a move that could derail a summit at which the military alliance plans to ask them to commit to the target. In a letter sent to NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday and seen by Reuters, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez requested a "more flexible formula" that either makes the spending target optional or excludes Spain from its application. He said it was not Spain's intention to obstruct the outcome of next week's NATO summit. But any agreement to raise defence spending - a response to a request by US President Donald Trump - would require unanimous approval by the 32 member states. "Committing to a five per cent target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain further away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem," Sanchez wrote in the letter. "It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices. As a sovereign Ally, we choose not to," he added. At an estimated 1.28 per cent of GDP, Spain had the lowest proportion of expenditure on defence in the alliance last year, according to NATO estimates. Sanchez agreed in April to accelerate efforts to meet NATO's current target of two per cent. Rutte has proposed that member states agree to boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP and commit a further 1.5 per cent to broader security-related spending. Leaders across NATO say its current spending goal is no longer sufficient, with Russia posing a greater threat since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Asked for comment on Spain's request, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization official said: "Discussions among Allies on a new defence investment plan are ongoing." The US, which has been Kyiv's primary military backer since Russia's invasion, spent an estimated 3.38 per cent of GDP on defence in 2024, the third-most among NATO nations, according to the alliance. Trump has said NATO members are not spending their fair share on defence and has threatened not to come to the aid of those falling short. Sanchez, however, said that rushing to a five per cent target would harm European Union efforts to become self-reliant in defence production, pushing governments to procure equipment outside the bloc and that it was "incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision". Some other NATO members have also questioned the timeline, saying it is too rapid, but are generally willing to sign up, diplomatic sources say. Italy, for example, wants the deadline moved to 2035 from 2032 and the removal of a requirement to increase spending by 0.2 per cent per year, a source with knowledge of the matter said. Spain has asked to opt out of NATO's plan to increase members' defence spending to five per cent of their gross domestic product, a move that could derail a summit at which the military alliance plans to ask them to commit to the target. In a letter sent to NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday and seen by Reuters, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez requested a "more flexible formula" that either makes the spending target optional or excludes Spain from its application. He said it was not Spain's intention to obstruct the outcome of next week's NATO summit. But any agreement to raise defence spending - a response to a request by US President Donald Trump - would require unanimous approval by the 32 member states. "Committing to a five per cent target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain further away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem," Sanchez wrote in the letter. "It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices. As a sovereign Ally, we choose not to," he added. At an estimated 1.28 per cent of GDP, Spain had the lowest proportion of expenditure on defence in the alliance last year, according to NATO estimates. Sanchez agreed in April to accelerate efforts to meet NATO's current target of two per cent. Rutte has proposed that member states agree to boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP and commit a further 1.5 per cent to broader security-related spending. Leaders across NATO say its current spending goal is no longer sufficient, with Russia posing a greater threat since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Asked for comment on Spain's request, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization official said: "Discussions among Allies on a new defence investment plan are ongoing." The US, which has been Kyiv's primary military backer since Russia's invasion, spent an estimated 3.38 per cent of GDP on defence in 2024, the third-most among NATO nations, according to the alliance. Trump has said NATO members are not spending their fair share on defence and has threatened not to come to the aid of those falling short. Sanchez, however, said that rushing to a five per cent target would harm European Union efforts to become self-reliant in defence production, pushing governments to procure equipment outside the bloc and that it was "incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision". Some other NATO members have also questioned the timeline, saying it is too rapid, but are generally willing to sign up, diplomatic sources say. Italy, for example, wants the deadline moved to 2035 from 2032 and the removal of a requirement to increase spending by 0.2 per cent per year, a source with knowledge of the matter said. Spain has asked to opt out of NATO's plan to increase members' defence spending to five per cent of their gross domestic product, a move that could derail a summit at which the military alliance plans to ask them to commit to the target. In a letter sent to NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday and seen by Reuters, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez requested a "more flexible formula" that either makes the spending target optional or excludes Spain from its application. He said it was not Spain's intention to obstruct the outcome of next week's NATO summit. But any agreement to raise defence spending - a response to a request by US President Donald Trump - would require unanimous approval by the 32 member states. "Committing to a five per cent target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain further away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem," Sanchez wrote in the letter. "It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices. As a sovereign Ally, we choose not to," he added. At an estimated 1.28 per cent of GDP, Spain had the lowest proportion of expenditure on defence in the alliance last year, according to NATO estimates. Sanchez agreed in April to accelerate efforts to meet NATO's current target of two per cent. Rutte has proposed that member states agree to boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP and commit a further 1.5 per cent to broader security-related spending. Leaders across NATO say its current spending goal is no longer sufficient, with Russia posing a greater threat since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Asked for comment on Spain's request, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization official said: "Discussions among Allies on a new defence investment plan are ongoing." The US, which has been Kyiv's primary military backer since Russia's invasion, spent an estimated 3.38 per cent of GDP on defence in 2024, the third-most among NATO nations, according to the alliance. Trump has said NATO members are not spending their fair share on defence and has threatened not to come to the aid of those falling short. Sanchez, however, said that rushing to a five per cent target would harm European Union efforts to become self-reliant in defence production, pushing governments to procure equipment outside the bloc and that it was "incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision". Some other NATO members have also questioned the timeline, saying it is too rapid, but are generally willing to sign up, diplomatic sources say. Italy, for example, wants the deadline moved to 2035 from 2032 and the removal of a requirement to increase spending by 0.2 per cent per year, a source with knowledge of the matter said. Spain has asked to opt out of NATO's plan to increase members' defence spending to five per cent of their gross domestic product, a move that could derail a summit at which the military alliance plans to ask them to commit to the target. In a letter sent to NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday and seen by Reuters, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez requested a "more flexible formula" that either makes the spending target optional or excludes Spain from its application. He said it was not Spain's intention to obstruct the outcome of next week's NATO summit. But any agreement to raise defence spending - a response to a request by US President Donald Trump - would require unanimous approval by the 32 member states. "Committing to a five per cent target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain further away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem," Sanchez wrote in the letter. "It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices. As a sovereign Ally, we choose not to," he added. At an estimated 1.28 per cent of GDP, Spain had the lowest proportion of expenditure on defence in the alliance last year, according to NATO estimates. Sanchez agreed in April to accelerate efforts to meet NATO's current target of two per cent. Rutte has proposed that member states agree to boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP and commit a further 1.5 per cent to broader security-related spending. Leaders across NATO say its current spending goal is no longer sufficient, with Russia posing a greater threat since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Asked for comment on Spain's request, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization official said: "Discussions among Allies on a new defence investment plan are ongoing." The US, which has been Kyiv's primary military backer since Russia's invasion, spent an estimated 3.38 per cent of GDP on defence in 2024, the third-most among NATO nations, according to the alliance. Trump has said NATO members are not spending their fair share on defence and has threatened not to come to the aid of those falling short. Sanchez, however, said that rushing to a five per cent target would harm European Union efforts to become self-reliant in defence production, pushing governments to procure equipment outside the bloc and that it was "incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision". Some other NATO members have also questioned the timeline, saying it is too rapid, but are generally willing to sign up, diplomatic sources say. Italy, for example, wants the deadline moved to 2035 from 2032 and the removal of a requirement to increase spending by 0.2 per cent per year, a source with knowledge of the matter said.
Perth Now
14 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Spain may derail NATO summit by resisting defence spend
Spain has asked to opt out of NATO's plan to increase members' defence spending to five per cent of their gross domestic product, a move that could derail a summit at which the military alliance plans to ask them to commit to the target. In a letter sent to NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday and seen by Reuters, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez requested a "more flexible formula" that either makes the spending target optional or excludes Spain from its application. He said it was not Spain's intention to obstruct the outcome of next week's NATO summit. But any agreement to raise defence spending - a response to a request by US President Donald Trump - would require unanimous approval by the 32 member states. "Committing to a five per cent target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain further away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem," Sanchez wrote in the letter. "It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices. As a sovereign Ally, we choose not to," he added. At an estimated 1.28 per cent of GDP, Spain had the lowest proportion of expenditure on defence in the alliance last year, according to NATO estimates. Sanchez agreed in April to accelerate efforts to meet NATO's current target of two per cent. Rutte has proposed that member states agree to boost defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP and commit a further 1.5 per cent to broader security-related spending. Leaders across NATO say its current spending goal is no longer sufficient, with Russia posing a greater threat since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Asked for comment on Spain's request, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization official said: "Discussions among Allies on a new defence investment plan are ongoing." The US, which has been Kyiv's primary military backer since Russia's invasion, spent an estimated 3.38 per cent of GDP on defence in 2024, the third-most among NATO nations, according to the alliance. Trump has said NATO members are not spending their fair share on defence and has threatened not to come to the aid of those falling short. Sanchez, however, said that rushing to a five per cent target would harm European Union efforts to become self-reliant in defence production, pushing governments to procure equipment outside the bloc and that it was "incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision". Some other NATO members have also questioned the timeline, saying it is too rapid, but are generally willing to sign up, diplomatic sources say. Italy, for example, wants the deadline moved to 2035 from 2032 and the removal of a requirement to increase spending by 0.2 per cent per year, a source with knowledge of the matter said.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dear Abby: How do I protect my gay dad from my homophobic husband?
DEAR ABBY: In the four years my husband and I have been married, his distaste for the LGBTQ community has grown into a passion. He calls it immoral and unnatural. I've never tried to change his opinion, but because I don't enthusiastically agree with him, he is convinced I'm going to hell. He uses nearly every conversation as an opportunity to share his feelings on this issue. Any response I volunteer goes unheard. Shortly after our wedding, my father revealed he is gay. Thankfully, my husband can be kind to him while disapproving of his sexuality. I'm not sure Dad knows the extent of my husband's negative feelings. (They live in different states, so they rarely see each other.) My problem is, my father recently became engaged to his partner, and I'm not sure how to tell my husband. I'm not asking him to agree with my dad's life, but I don't want him to steal my joy over this event or make me feel guilty for going to their wedding. I will certainly be going alone. Advice, Abby? — ALLY IN MICHIGAN DEAR ALLY: Yes, I do have some. However, it is more far-reaching than you may expect. That your husband discounts or 'doesn't hear' what you need to communicate to him does not bode well for the future of your marriage. Your father's sexual orientation may be abhorrent to your husband, but it is not 'unnatural.' If you wish to attend your father's wedding, do it, and do not feel guilty for supporting him at this important time. You are not going to hell for loving and accepting your father — quite the opposite, in fact. DEAR ABBY: We have been friends with a couple for many, many years. Unfortunately, someone took some items out of their house. Our long friendship is now over because they think we stole from them. Although they have gotten over it, we cannot. They say it's 'in the past' and it's time to move on. They can't understand that we feel so insulted that we no longer want to remain friends with them. They never offered an apology, which makes us feel they still doubt us. Are we oversensitive? — INNOCENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE DEAR INNOCENT: No, you are not. In light of the fact that you never received an apology for the wrongful accusation, it makes sense that you not put yourselves in the position of being accused again. DEAR ABBY: My stepdaughter-in-law and I had words several months ago. Within a few days, I received an apology, and I apologized to her for my response. Since then, she has blocked me and told a mutual friend she won't be coming to family gatherings, which she rarely attended anyway. We recently attended the funeral of a close family friend. She came, but I noticed she seemed unusually quiet and uncomfortable. She barely spoke unless spoken to but did hug me goodbye. Should I ask her why she blocked me or let it go? — CONFOUNDED IN TEXAS DEAR CONFOUNDED: Your stepdaughter-in-law is starting to thaw. If I were you, I would let sleeping dogs lie. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
