Latest news with #Sovereignty
South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Cook Islands defends China deals after US$11 million New Zealand aid pause
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown on Friday defended a string of contentious deals with China, saying they did not 'compromise' the Pacific island nation's sovereignty. The agreements prompted major donor New Zealand to halt aid funding to close partner the Cook Islands, citing a 'lack of consultation'. The Cook Islands has a 'free association' relationship with its former colonial ruler New Zealand, which provides budgetary assistance as well as help on foreign affairs and defence. Brown defended the Cook Islands' right to engage with international partners such as China. The deals, signed in February, did not 'compromise Cook Islands' sovereignty,' he said. The Cook Islands caught New Zealand off guard when it signed a slew of agreements with China covering deep-sea mining, regional cooperation and economic issues.
Forbes
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Horse Of The Year 2025: Sovereignty, Journalism, Or Fierceness?
With the first half of the 2025 racing season in the books, the race for Horse of the Year is heating up — and three standout contenders are emerging from the pack: Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the Belmont Stakes (G1) winner; Journalism, the Preakness (G1) hero and Derby and Belmont runner-up; and Fierceness, the 2-year-old Eclipse champion and winner of last year's Jim Dandy (G2) and Travers Stakes (G1). Each colt has built a strong résumé, and how they perform in the upcoming summer and fall races will ultimately determine who takes home the sport's most prestigious year-end honor. After winning the Kentucky Derby (G1) and skipping the Preakness Stakes (G1), Sovereignty silenced all doubters with a dominant performance in the Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. His powerful late kick and ability to handle the 1 1/4-mile distance in that race left a lasting impression. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Sovereignty has the pedigree and the progression to keep climbing, and he'll likely target major summer and fall races like the Travers Stakes (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). A win in either — or both — could cement his status at the top. The key to Sovereignty's campaign will be consistency. He already has two classic wins and holds the edge over Journalism having beaten him twice, and if he adds another Grade 1 against older horses, the Horse of the Year trophy could be his to lose. His running style makes him dangerous in big fields with a hot pace — and with improving speed figures, he's trending upward at just the right time. If you're looking for a fighter, look no further than Journalism. The son of Curlin has danced every dance, finishing a gritty second in the Kentucky Derby before outdueling the field in the Preakness Stakes. Perhaps his most impressive race of the year was a loss to the aforementioned Sovereignty in the Belmont. Trained by Mike McCarthy, Journalism has shown tactical speed, resilience, and perhaps most importantly, durability — a trait that's often lacking in top 3-year-olds. Journalism's versatility means he could show up anywhere this summer: the Haskell Stakes (G1), Jim Dandy (G2), or even try older horses early in a race like the Whitney (G1) or Pacific Classic (G1). If he can stack another Grade 1 win on top of the Preakness and remain in the headlines through the fall, voters may reward his toughness and resume over raw brilliance. His case improves significantly if Sovereignty and Fierceness split their efforts or falter down the stretch. It might feel like Fierceness has faded from the conversation after his loss last out in the Met Mile (G1), but don't count him out yet. The 2023 2-Year-Old Champion stormed into 2024 with a huge Florida Derby (G1) win before flopping badly in the Kentucky Derby. Todd Pletcher gave him some time off after that disappointment, he came back a beast, rattling off wins in the Jim Dandy and Travers before a very good second in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). he could still be a major Horse of the Year threat. The Saratoga-based colt could be pointed towards races like the Whitney Stakes (G1) and the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), and it's not impossible to imagine him winning both of those races. As it stands now, Sovereignty probably holds the narrow lead due to his impressive Derby and Belmont wins. Journalism has consistency on his side but lacks the head-t0-head matchup record. Fierceness, meanwhile, represents the wildcard — the kind of horse who, with just one or two blowout wins, could rewrite the narrative late. Ultimately, the Horse of the Year title will come down to the second half of the season. The Travers, Pennsylvania Derby, and Breeders' Cup Classic loom large. All three contenders have the talent to win it all — now it's just a matter of who can rise above the rest when it counts the most.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Spain rejects Nato plan for member states to spend 5% of GDP on defence
Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has rejected Nato's proposal for member states to increase their defence spending to 5% of their GDP, saying the idea would 'not only be unreasonable but also counterproductive'. Sánchez said that he was not seeking to complicate next week's Nato summit in The Hague, but he wanted there to be a 'more flexible formula' that would either make the target optional or allow Spain to opt out. The proposal – advanced by the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, in response to Donald Trump's demands for a 5% target – suggests member states agree to raise defence spending to 3.5% of their GDP and commit a further 1.5% to wider security spending. In a letter to Rutte that emerged on Thursday, Sánchez questioned the possible consequences of such a rise, saying it would be incompatible with Spain's welfare state and its vision of the world. 'Committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable but also counterproductive because it would move Spain further away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem,' he said. '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.' Spain currently lags well behind other western nations by dedicating only about 1.3% of its GDP to defence spending, well short of the current Nato target of 2%. It has suggested a target of 2.1%. Two months ago, Sánchez announced a €10.5bn (£9bn) 'industrial and technological plan for security and defence' to help Spain hit the 2% target by the end of the year, saying it had become obvious 'only Europe will know how to protect Europe' from now on. Asked for comment about Spain's request, a Nato official told Reuters: 'Discussions among allies on a new defence investment plan are ongoing.' Trump increased pressure on the alliance in January, saying the US had shouldered the global defence burden for too long and that he would ask all members to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Rutte has urged member states to use the threats from Washington as an incentive to take unilateral action on raising defence contributions. He said last month that the pressure was already paying off in countries such as Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Italy. 'I tell them that, well, now I am calling you to ask you to deliver the 2% by the summer, so that collectively we can move considerably north of the 2% because we have to spend much, much more,' he said in March.
USA Today
a day ago
- Politics
- USA Today
ICE raid on track workers sends shockwaves around racing, 'puts horses at risk'
ICE raid on track workers sends shockwaves around racing, 'puts horses at risk' Show Caption Hide Caption Sovereignty Captures 2025 Kentucky Derby Sovereignty triumphed in a rain-soaked 2025 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, overcoming tough conditions and a competitive field. Like so many farms, meat-packing plants and other industries that rely heavily on immigrant labor, horse racing is full of people who supported President Trump's campaign in 2024 but did not believe he would target their businesses with the mass deportations he promised. 'They were convinced that he was only going after the bad guys,' said Will Velie, an immigration attorney who specializes in the horse racing industry. 'But the definition of bad guys to a lot of people in the administration is anyone here without status.' And now, perhaps predictably, there's reason for horse racing to be nervous that it's about to have a major problem on its hands. An ICE raid Tuesday morning at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana, where more than 80 backstretch workers were reportedly detained, should be a wake-up call for an industry that would simply not be able to function without a workforce of grooms and hotwalkers and stall cleaners who are, by some credible estimates, roughly 75% immigrants. They come from places like Venezuela, Panama, Colombia and Mexico, working low-wage jobs but filling indispensable roles, caring round-the-clock for animals worth hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars. Most of these workers at the glamorous tracks like Churchill Downs and Saratoga are here on H-2B visas that the prominent and well-resourced barns manage to secure for them, allowing them to travel from one race meet to the next. Even in the best of times, though, it can be a tricky system to navigate with just 66,000 issued each year by the U.S. government, long processing times and an intricate renewal mechanism. And, of course, these are not the best of times. In a climate where immigrant construction workers are getting systematically arrested in Home Depot parking lots, the only thing that would prevent racetracks from being a big, fat target for ICE are the whims of a president. 'We're out in the middle of the open,' Velie said. 'There's no hiding. You're in the middle of a town and they can surround you and come round up a lot of people at once.' 'Everybody's nervous' Ever since it became clear during the first weeks of the current Trump Administration that its posture toward deportations would be more aggressive than in his first term, it has been horse racing's barely spoken but impossible-to-ignore fear, lingering in the background every day on the backside. 'Everybody's nervous about it,' prominent trainer Dale Romans told reporters during a Kentucky Derby-week news conference set up to specifically address the threat posed by a potential ICE raid at a racetrack. 'If we couldn't have an immigrant workforce on the backside, I don't know how horse racing exists. We need a common sense path to long-term legalization. We're not talking citizenship, just some kind of work permit. "The perfect scenario is we get an amnesty program that leads to a work permit. If you're vetted, if you're proven not to be a criminal, you pay your taxes, you are sponsored by an employer, you have a right to work in the United States. That's all we're asking for.' It is, of course, a difficult topic to get most people to address. Not just because trainers or owners are reticent to draw undue attention to themselves but because of the clear political implications: The racetrack is, by and large, an unabashedly Republican-leaning ecosystem. Many prominent owners and racetrack executives have direct lines to Trump himself. And that's why it seemed like there was relief last week when the Department of Homeland Security issued guidance exempting the agricultural industry, hotels and restaurants from these raids due to the harm being inflicted on those businesses. Though horse racing wasn't specifically mentioned, it clearly falls into the same category. Then, a couple days later, the White House reversed course and decided to resume those raids. It didn't take long for a racetrack to be on the hit list. 'The head of the New York Racing Association, Marc Holliday, is business partners with (Trump's son-in-law) Jared Kushner, so he had pretty strong assurances there would be some type of executive action protecting the horsemen and agriculture workers,' Velie said. 'But I think there's a lot of competing factions inside the administration battling over this.' Sweeping up 'folks that are constantly caring for the horses' Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, the issue of whether horse racing should be relying on cheap immigrant labor is fair game for critique. Steve Asmussen, the all-time winningest trainer in North America, earlier this month finally settled a 10-year-old court case with the Department of Labor over hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime and back pay. Over the years, whenever wages and living conditions of backstretch workers have been subject to media scrutiny, it's rarely made the industry look good. It's a tough way to make a living. But in the end, for thousands of people who desperately need it, it is a living. And their symbiotic relationship with horses who need to be fed and taken care of isn't just a human story. One of the biggest concerns coming out of any potential racetrack raid is what happens to the horses while their grooms are being arrested. "The problem is that the kind of work the people on the backside, the grooms and hotwalkers, those folks that are constantly caring for the horses and making sure they're maintained and healthy, that job is 24-7 just a real difficult job," said Peter Ecabert, the general counsel for the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. "It's hard to get anyone to do that job, and we depend a lot on immigrants and they're hard-working and good people. Obviously there are a couple that may have run afoul of the legal system, and in those cases, especially if there's a violent situation we don't want them around either. We'd work with ICE in any way possible to make sure those people are taken into custody and transported back after their due process hearing. But as far as an unannounced raid on the backside of racetracks, that just puts all of us in a real difficult situation and puts the horses at risk." Chelsea Perez, the senior program manger of equine protection at Humane World for Animals, told USA TODAY Sports that it was critical for any law enforcement action to include a process where the safety and well-being of the horses is secured. 'Horses are large, easily frightened animals who can suffer serious injury or injure others when not properly handled," she said. "The development of appropriate protocols is key to effective emergency response for both law enforcement agencies and equine facility managers.' Meanwhile, there is a school of thought among those USA TODAY Sports has spoken with that a racetrack in Louisiana was particularly vulnerable to an ICE raid for a few reasons, including the fact that racing in the state is operating under a court injunction preventing the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) rules from being enforced. A HISA spokesperson declined comment, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association did not answer a request for comment. Delta Downs is also currently running its quarter horse meet, where there would be stronger suspicion about workers without visas being present than at higher-profile Thoroughbred tracks. Still, there's a potential chilling effect for the whole industry now that an ICE raid has taken place at a racetrack, particularly given the lack of consistent message from the Trump Administration. "There is a lot of tension on the backside," Ecabert said. "People are concerned, obviously, that there's going to be (another) raid and a lot of apprehensive people for sure." Of course, this is what many of those owners and trainers voted for – even if they didn't realize it. 'I got calls from tracks all over the country (the next day), and every one of them was saying the same thing: 'If it happens there, it can happen here. What's our plan?' Velie said. 'The long-term plan is to get your workforce on to stable visas, but in the short term, we're stuck.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch the 2025 Belmont Stakes today: Start time, channel, Journalism and Sovereignty post positions and more
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. It's almost time for the 157th Belmont Stakes, the final jewel in the Triple Crown. There will be no Triple Crown winner this year, after Sovereignty sat out of the Preakness Stakes, giving way for the previous favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, Journalism, to win Preakness. Both Sovereignty and Journalism will be racing in the 2025 Belmont Stakes this Saturday, June 7, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Race-day coverage will begin as early as 10:30 a.m. ET on FS1, and as early as 2:30 p.m. ET on Fox. Are you ready to switch over from drinking Black-Eyed Susans to Belmont Jewels? Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Belmont 157 this weekend, including how to tune in without cable, Belmont Stakes odds and more. Journalism, winner of the Preakness Stakes, is running at Belmont. () (Al Bello via Getty Images) How to watch the 2025 Belmont Stakes: Date: Saturday, June 7 Advertisement Coverage start time: 10:30 a.m. Post time: 7:04 p.m. ET Location: Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, New York TV channel: Fox, FS1 Streaming: DirecTV Stream, Fubo, more When is the Belmont Stakes 2025? The third jewel of the Triple Crown will be held this Saturday, June 7. What time is the Belmont Stakes on? Coverage of the 157th Belmont Stakes will begin on race day as early as 10:30 a.m. ET on FS1. Then, at 2:30 p.m. ET, coverage will also start on Fox. The race post time is set for 7:04 p.m. 2025 Belmont Stakes channel: The Belmont Stakes will air on Fox with additional coverage and special pre-race coverage airing on FS1. How to watch the Belmont Stakes without cable: 2025 Belmont Stakes TV schedule: Friday, June 6 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.: America's Day at the Races (FS2) Advertisement 5-6 p.m.: Belmont Stakes Festival Friday (Fox) 6-7 p.m.: America's Day at the Races (FS1) 7:30-8 p.m.: America's Day at the Races (FS2) Saturday, June 7 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.: America's Day at the Races (FS1) 2:30-4 p.m.: Belmont Stakes Festival Saturday (Fox) 4-6:30 p.m.: Belmont Day on Fox (Fox) 4-6:30 p.m.: America's Day at the Belmont (FS1) 6:30-7:30 p.m.: The Belmont Stakes (Fox) 6:30-7:30 p.m.: America's Day at the Belmont Stakes (FS1) 7:30-8:15 p.m.: America's Day at the Races (FS1) How long is the Belmont Stakes? The Belmont Stakes race distance measures 1.5 miles. As far as time goes, every horse and rider is likely looking to beat the course record of 2:24 (held by Secretariat). 2025 Belmont Purse: How much is the Belmont Stakes prize money? This year, the winner of the Belmont Stakes will receive a portion of $2 million. 2025 Belmont horse post positions and morning line odds: 1. Hill Road (10-1) Advertisement 2. Sovereignty (2-1) 3. Rodriguez (6-1) 4. Uncaged (30-1) 5. Crudo (15-1) 6. Baeza (4-1) 7. Journalism (8-5) 8. Heart of Honor (30-1) 2025 Kentucky Derby winner: Sovereignty won the 2025 Kentucky Derby, beating out Journalism, the horse pegged as the favorite to win. 2025 Preakness Stakes winner: Journalism won the 2025 Preakness. The win, paired with Sovereignty not running in the Preakness, squashed any hopes of a Triple Crown in 2025. What is the Triple Crown? The Triple Crown is made up of the big three 3-year-old thoroughbred horse races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Only 13 horses have ever won a Triple Crown. The last was Justify in 2018. More ways to watch the Belmont Stakes live without cable:
