Author: Press Room

Italy’s fascist takeover: 100 years on, is the ideology still alive?

Europe

Today marks 100 years since the start of the March on Rome, Benito Mussolini’s coup d’état that led to the creation of a 21-year-long fascist regime.Widely acknowledged as one of the darkest moments in the country’s history, it is upheld by historians and commentators as a prime example of how democracy can be eroded.As Italy remembers the uprising’s centennial, many wonder: does fascism still remain a threat to the country’s democracy?What was the March on Rome?Italy entered the 1920s without having managed to free itself from the shackles of World War One. The country — unhappy with the results of…

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Finland PM Sanna Marin ‘doesn’t care about human rights for Sámi people’ as reforms likely to fail

Europe

Tuomas Aslak Juuso is frustrated. As president of the 21-member Sámi Parliament in Finland, the single most important piece of legislation on his desk right now — one which impacts all Sámi, the EU’s only recognised indigenous people — looks likely to fail for a third time. “It’s frustrating that Sámi human rights don’t seem to have any kind of meaning to the Finnish government,” he told Euronews.Other Sámi people are uncharacteristically blunt in their criticism of Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin in particular, over her perceived failure to act to safeguard their rights: accusing her of broken promises, and caring more about the rights of…

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Credit Suisse shares plunge 18% as bank announces huge third-quarter loss and strategic overhaul

Finance

Credit Suisse shares plunged 18% on Thursday after the Swiss bank posted a quarterly loss that was significantly worse than analyst estimates, and announced a massive strategic overhaul.The embattled lender posted a third-quarter net loss of 4.034 billion Swiss francs ($4.09 billion), compared to analyst expectations for a loss of 567.93 million Swiss francs. The figure was also well below the 434 million Swiss franc profit posted for the same quarter last year.The bank noted that the loss reflected a 3.655 billion Swiss franc impairment relating to the “reassessment of deferred tax assets as a result of the comprehensive strategic…

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Thai tycoon and transgender rights advocate buys Miss Universe for $20 million

Investing

A Thai media tycoon and transgender rights advocate has bought the Miss Universe Organization for $20 million, according to her company, which will now host the international beauty pageant. Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip is the CEO of JKN Global Group PCL, a Thailand-based media distribution company, though she’s perhaps better known for her role in Thai versions of reality shows including “Project Runway.” She has also been outspoken about her experiences as a transgender woman, and has worked in advocacy for transgender rights in Thailand. JKN Global Group announced the takeover on Wednesday, saying in a news release it planned to…

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