The war in Iran — and President Trump’s shifting tactics in fighting it — are roiling relations with China, just weeks before the president is to make a high-stakes trip there. The complicated dynamics have a straightforward core. China has numerous ties with Iran, economically and strategically. At the same time, Beijing has zero interest… Source link
The war in Iran has hammered global oil markets, with gas prices in the U.S. spiking significantly. Amid the rise in transportation costs, Amazon has instituted a new 3.5% fuel surcharge for sellers that use its distribution network. The policy has the potential to inflict significant new costs on the untold merchants that rely on the e-commerce giant to sell their products. Amazon told TechCrunch that the surcharge would be in place for the foreseeable future, although the company said it will continue to evaluate a potential policy shift as market conditions evolve. The news was originally reported by Bloomberg. “Elevated costs in fuel and logistics have increased the cost of operating across the industry,” a spokesperson said. “We have absorbed these increases so far, but similar to other major carriers, when costs remain elevated we implement temporary surcharges to partially recover these costs.” The spokesperson added that the surcharge was “meaningfully lower than surcharges applied by other major carriers.” The new policy will take effect on April 17 and will impact sellers who use …
The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate is closing with a fierce debate that has animated it from the start: Who would Republicans rather face in November? The leading candidates, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin, have each pitched voters on the idea that they are a better bet for November. Crockett has vowed to turn out new voters to finally flip the state, while Talarico has advocated a broader strategy that includes reaching out to Republicans. Some Republicans have signaled they would rather face Crockett — and Talarico’s side wants voters to know it. A pro-Talarico super PAC is running ads online in the final days of Tuesday’s primary warning that Republicans are “boosting” Crockett and “spending thousands of dollars to make sure that Jasmine Crockett gets elected.” The ads link to a report about how a conservative group has sent out texts highlighting Crockett’s hard line against ICE and how Gov. Greg Abbott has featured her prominently in ads. Crockett has scoffed at the GOP meddling narrative, …
At Sunday night’s BAFTA Awards, John Davidson—the real-life inspiration for the celebrated British film I Swear—shouted the N-word at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo while the Sinners stars were presenting the award for best visual effects. The outburst followed an opening monologue from host Alan Cumming during which Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, was involuntarily ticking. The audience had been informed of Davidson’s condition before the show began—but it was only after he said the racial slur that Cumming openly addressed the issue. “You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience,” Cumming explained from the stage. “Thanks for your understanding and for helping create a respectful space for everyone.” After the incident, Davidson appeared to remove himself from the theater, according to Variety. At the Warner Bros. after-party following the ceremony, Lindo told Vanity Fair that he and Jordan “did what we had to do” while presenting—but that he also wished “someone from …
