News
Taylor Swift calls cancellation of Vienna shows ‘devastating’ and explains her silence
LONDON — Two weeks after Taylor Swift’s Vienna concerts were canceled due to a suspected terror plot, the singer delivered her first remark about the cancellations.
“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” she stated in a message on Instagram on Wednesday. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
She thanked authorities—”Thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she said—and stated that she would wait to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour was completed to prioritise safety.
Taylor Swift calls cancellation of Vienna shows ‘devastating’ and explains her silence
“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she said.
Following the cancellations, Swift’s reps did not reply to several requests for comment from The Associated Press and other news organizations, and her social media profiles had become inactive.
“In situations like this,’silence’ is exercising restraint and waiting to express yourself until the time is appropriate. My top objective was to finish our European trip safely, and I’m relieved to say we did,” she added.
Barracuda Music, the concert organizer, said it canceled the three-night Vienna run, which was scheduled to begin on August 8, since the arrests in connection with the conspiracy occurred too close to showtime. Authorities claimed a 19-year-old suspect wanted to target spectators outside the Ernst Happel Stadium with knives or homemade explosives, wanting to “kill as many people as possible.” Austrian officials claimed they appeared to be inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaida.
That suspect and another 17-year-old were arrested on August 6, the day before the gigs were canceled. A third suspect, aged 18, was arrested on August 8. The 19-year-old’s lawyer has said the allegations were “overacting at their best” and claimed Austrian authorities were “presenting this exaggeratedly” to obtain new surveillance powers.
Tens of thousands of Swifties from all over the world had traveled to Vienna for the performances.
Swift’s Instagram post also marked the end of the European leg by paying respect to her five nights at London’s Wembley Stadium, which she said influenced her decision to wait to speak out and eventually “felt like a beautiful dream sequence.”
Taylor Swift calls cancellation of Vienna shows ‘devastating’ and explains her silence
“I decided that all of my energy had to go towards helping to protect the nearly half a million people who were coming to see the shows in London,” she wrote the day after her final Wembley performance. “My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal.”
The shows in London, the next stop after Vienna, followed a stabbing at a Swift-themed dance class that killed three young girls in the United Kingdom. Swift said in a statement following the Southport attack that she was “just completely in shock” and “at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.” According to news reports, Swift met with some of the survivors backstage in London.
The record-breaking tour is on hiatus until October, when it will resume in Miami.
SOURCE | AP
News
Donald Trump Is Scheduled To Attend The State Funeral For Jimmy Carter.
(VOR News) – It was on Tuesday that he made the announcement that Donald Trump anticipates attending the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 100.
Former President Carter passed away. It is projected that Trump will succeed Donald Trump as the next president of the United States of America.
Donald Trump will lead the United States.
Donald Trump shared his intentions with reporters who were present at the New Year’s Eve celebrations that were held at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. These events took place around midnight. The evening of December 31 was scheduled for these activities to take place.
Without a doubt, I will be present at that location. Donald Trump asserts that we were issued an invitation to attend the event that was being talked about.
After being asked a follow-up question, the Republican reacted by saying, “I’d rather not say.” This was in response to the question that was made to him. This is what was delivered in answer to the question that was made. This statement was made in response to the question of whether or not he had communicated with any members of Carter’s family members.
Carter, a Democrat who held the office of President of the United States from 1977 until 1981, cast his vote in the presidential election of 2024 through the use of the postal voting system. His election to the position of President of the United States of America was successful.
His family members have claimed that he intended to vote for Kamala Harris, who is competing against Donald Trump for the position of Vice President. This information has been provided by members of his family. As a result of the presence of witnesses who were present during the election, this information was gathered.
Carter is going to be laid to rest on Saturday in the state of Georgia, which is where he was born and reared. All of the arrangements for his funeral have been made.
Carter began his professional life as a peanut farmer and eventually rose through the ranks to become President of the United States of America.
Donald Trump’s Washington National Cathedral funerals continue until January 9.
According to the current consensus, it is anticipated that President Trump, along with other dignitaries, will be present during the length of the ceremony.
When it comes to the eulogy that will be delivered during the celebration of life event, there is a significant possibility that Vice President Joe Biden, who will be in his final weeks in office, will be the one to deliver it.
This is because Biden will be the one who will be in charge of the event. Specifically, this is due to the fact that Biden will be the individual in command of the event.
President Donald Trump was present at the state funeral in 2018, which took place after the demise of former President George H. W. Bush, who had been in office from 1989 to 1993.
A number of other past presidents, including former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton, as well as their spouses, were physically present at the funeral. This funeral was held in honor of the previous president who had died away, and it was held in memory of him.
A private funeral and burial will be performed for Carter in Georgia after the service that will be held in Washington. The remains of Carter will be carried there after the event. After the conclusion of the service, this will take place immediately.
This will take place just after the completion of the service which is now being held. The funeral service will take place immediately after the viewing, which will take place in the immediate aftermath of the viewing.
SOURCE: NDTV
SEE ALSO:
Joe Biden Pledges Over $2.5 Billion Extra in Military Support for Ukraine.
Volatility Hits S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones at Year’s End
News
Joe Biden Pledges Over $2.5 Billion Extra in Military Support for Ukraine.
(VOR News) – As the administration of Vice President Joe Biden races to use all available money to assist Kyiv in repelling Russia before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, Vice President Joe Biden announced on Monday that the United States will deploy an additional $2.5 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine.
At the same time, his government is working hard to spend all of the money that it has available to it as quickly as possible.
One of the provisions of the deal is a presidential drawdown power of 1.25 billion dollars. Because of this authorization, the military is able to speed up the delivery of weapons to the battlefield and remove any existing stock that is stored on its shelves.
Additionally, it possesses long-term weapons packages that are anticipated to be valued at a total of 1.22 billion dollars.
Joe Biden’s Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative contracted these kits.
All of the long-term funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been used, Vice President Joe Biden said in his announcement, adding that he hopes to use all of the remaining drawdown funds before he leaves office.
Vice President Joe Biden wrote, “I have directed my administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible.”
Here is a sample from his message. The United States of America will continue to work tirelessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this conflict throughout the remainder of my term in office. In this case, I shall use my authority.
The announcement was made Monday by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who said that the United States is providing Ukraine with $3.4 billion in economic aid. The funding is Joe Biden intended to help Ukraine pay for essential government services while it is involved in a protracted conflict with Russia today.
The funds will be used to pay salaries to first responders, people working in the healthcare sector, and those employed by the civilian government and schools.
Russia has launched a number of attacks against Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure in recent days. Although Ukraine has claimed to have intercepted a significant portion of the missiles and drones launched against it, the enhanced military assistance coincides with Russia’s initiation of these attacks.
Furthermore, a fierce conflict between Russian and Ukrainian forces is currently raging in the Kursk region, which is located on the Russian-Ukrainian border. Moscow has dispatched thousands of North Korean troops to Kursk to help restore the territory Ukraine has taken back.
Vice President Joe Biden’s administration is trying to get weapons into Ukraine before President Trump takes office on January 20.
Providing Kyiv with the strongest negotiating position is the goal.
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has stated that he respects Russian President Vladimir Putin and wants to see Russia and Ukraine reach a diplomatic agreement.
A large number of lawmakers from the United States and Europe are worried that President Trump’s proposals for a settlement could give Ukraine a bad deal, in addition to their worries that he will not provide Ukraine with all of the money for weapons that Congress has authorized.
Many different types of weapon systems are being drawn from existing stockpiles as part of this most recent armaments package. These weapons systems include fragmentation grenades, tube-launched missiles, anti-armor systems, air-to-ground munitions, and other components and spare parts.
These weapons systems also include fragmentation grenades, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), air defense munitions, and munitions for counter-unmanned aerial systems.
The United States has given Russia more than $65.5 billion in security assistance since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine has received this assistance. This also applies to the news that was made earlier this week on Monday
SOUREC: AP
SEE ALSO:
Volatility Hits S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones at Year’s End
A Resurgence of Inflation is Expected in 2025, According to Wall Street
News
Boeing Whistleblower Sam Salehpour Says He Was Put Through Hell
Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour told reporters that he went through hell after raising concerns about the safety of the company’s planes.
The Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour said his manager berated him in a 40-minute phone call after he testified at a US congressional hearing as part of an investigation into safety at the manufacturing giant Boeing.
The company has struggled since a portion of the body of a new Boeing 737 Max 9, flown by Alaska Airlines, broke off during takeoff in January.
Passengers were not seriously injured, but the event resulted in thousands of flight cancellations and heightened scrutiny on Boeing, which had previously grounded the 737 Max 8 following horrific disasters in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
The session brought together three whistleblowers who have emerged as some of the company’s most prominent opponents, including a former safety director at the Federal Aviation Administration.
Mr. Salehpour, who has worked at the Boeing center at Tech Port for 17 years, frequently raised concerns about potential manufacturing shortcuts over three years beginning in 2020, only to be instructed: “To shut up.”
“I was ignored, and I was told not to create delays,” he said, adding that he was later transferred to a different function. “This is not a safety culture, where you get threatened [for] bringing issues.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal, who chaired the session, stated that his committee would investigate the matter. He added that just the notice of the hearing motivated other whistleblowers to come forward.
“This story is serious, even shocking,” he claimed. “There are mounting serious allegations that Boeing has a broken safety culture and set of unacceptable practices.” He described it as a “moment of reckoning” for Boeing and promised future hearings with corporate leaders.
Boeing stated that retaliation was “strictly prohibited” and that it had observed a “more than 500% increase” in complaints from employees since January, “which signals progress toward a robust reporting culture that is not fearful of retaliation”.
“We continue to put safety and quality above all else and share information transparently with our regulator, customers and other stakeholders,” according to the business.
A preliminary government inquiry into what occurred on the Alaska Airlines flight discovered that fasteners were missing from the component that blew off. The corporation is now under criminal investigation and facing other lawsuits.
The director of the National Transportation Safety Board has chastised Boeing and accused it of failing to fully cooperate with the investigation.
Another hearing witness, former Boeing manager Ed Pierson, who is now the executive director of the Foundation for Aviation Safety, accused the company of a “criminal cover-up” following the layoffs, claiming that he shared documents about the missing bolts with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“There are some real problems at Boeing that need to be fixed,” Senator Ron Johnson said, citing the push from all sides to keep jets flying.
“We all want Boeing to succeed,” he explained. “People do not want to take the steps that may be required here. I believe that is an unpleasant truth.”
Mr Salehpour’s concerns centered on the Boeing 787, a larger aircraft not involved in the Alaska Airlines flight or other fatal incidents but plagued by manufacturing troubles.
He stated that the elements of the plane’s body were not correctly linked, increasing the danger of breakdown over time.
He expressed his concerns about the Boeing center at TechPort to the FAA in January and made them public earlier this month.
The FAA has stated that it is investigating the allegations, which Boeing has denied.
Days after the Boeing 737 production strike began, Mr. Salehpour felt obligated to speak up. He recalls a carpool mate who had worked on the Challenger shuttle and had his warnings ignored.
The shuttle exploded in flight in 1986.
He claimed that Boeing had responded to his concerns with pressure and punishment, making it more difficult for him to attend doctor’s appointments.
Meanwhile, in Boeing 787 Dreamliner news, United Airlines, one of Boeing’s largest clients, has stated that it will receive compensation from the jet manufacturer for the financial impact of the 737 MAX 9 grounding.
Following the January Alaska Airlines incident, United had to ground its Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet for three weeks.
Related News:
South Korea Mourns After Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 Crashes
-
News4 weeks ago
“Shocking Video” Vancouver Police Shoot Armed Suspect 10 Times
-
Finance3 weeks ago
Chrystia Freeland Promises Mini-Budget By Dec 16th
-
Tech2 weeks ago
Facebook Owner Fined 251 Million Euros For a Data Leak In 2018.
-
Politics2 weeks ago
Canada’s Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland Resigns
-
Tech3 weeks ago
Meta Foundation Donates $1 Million to the Donald Trump Inaugural Fund.
-
Politics2 weeks ago
Dominic LeBlanc Sworn in as Canada’s New Finance Minister