Taking questions from the general public throughout a BBC Radio 5 Stay phone-in, the Lib Dem chief was requested if his assist for the smoking ban impacted his stance on the legalisation of hashish.

“Some folks have mentioned it’s inconsistent and it’s constant,” he mentioned.

He mentioned the occasion’s coverage was to usher in a regulated marketplace for hashish, so stronger and harmful varieties like skunk weren’t out there.

“I’m banning skunk as a result of that’s very, very dangerous to folks’s well being. And cigarette smoking, everybody sees, it’s actually clear it’s very, very dangerous,” he mentioned.

He added: “It was an actual problem for me, I’ll be trustworthy with you, as a liberal.

“I don’t like banning issues however the well being arguments on issues like skunk, on issues like cigarette smoking are so overwhelming, that in the event you’re critical concerning the NHS and also you’re critical about what occurs to households after they lose their mother and father, you simply must act.”

Sir Ed defined his place partly associated to his expertise of dropping each his mother and father to most cancers.

Requested if he had ever smoked hashish himself, he mentioned he did “on just a few events” at college however this was “very seldom”.

Pressed over whether or not the Lib Dems would think about legalising different medicine, corresponding to magic mushrooms, he mentioned the occasion wished “evidence-based well being insurance policies”.

The Lib Dem manifesto, which units out what the occasion would do if it was elected, pledges to take “‘skunk’ off the streets by introducing a authorized, regulated marketplace for hashish”.

It says gross sales can be restricted to over-18s, from licensed retailers, with strict limits on efficiency.

The manifesto additionally guarantees to unencumber police time, scale back court docket backlogs and deal with prisons overcrowding by diverting folks arrested for the possession of medication for private use into therapy the place acceptable.

The European Union and Ukraine are anticipated to signal a long-term safety settlement when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits Brussels on Thursday (27 June), pledging to keep up navy help and different assist to Kyiv because it fights off Russia’s invasion.

The safety pact is a part of a wider Western effort to assist the nation fight Russia’s aggression and is supposed to enhance a sequence of comparable bilateral agreements Ukraine has to date sealed with its Western allies.

Ukrainian officers instructed Euractiv that Kyiv had sealed 17 such agreements to date, and several other extra will probably be signed within the coming months.

The EU-Ukraine safety settlement is predicted to put out and ‘lock in’ the present vary of the EU’s dedication to help Ukraine, as first reported by Euractiv in April.

It doesn’t specify the monetary worth or amount of the EU’s future navy help.

Nevertheless, the doc references the EU’s current choice to inject €5 billion right into a particular fund for Ukraine navy assist this yr.

“Additional comparable annual will increase might be envisaged till 2027,” the doc states.

Within the occasion of “future aggression”, the doc states that the EU and Ukraine intend to seek the advice of inside 24 hours on Kyiv’s wants and “swiftly decide” the subsequent steps in keeping with the agreed commitments.

It spells out 9 defence coverage areas, together with arms deliveries, navy coaching, defence business cooperation and demining, the place the EU can help Kyiv, in accordance with a draft seen by Euractiv.

The draft doc states commitments will stay legitimate “as Ukraine pursues its European path” and will probably be reviewed in 10 years on the newest.

Western navy officers have insisted that Ukraine’s safety offers signed with allies are usually not the identical as NATO’s mutual defence pact.

Nevertheless, the pledges to supply Ukraine with weapons and different assist to bolster its personal safety and deter any future invasion are extensively seen as an extra authorized assure for Kyiv that help will keep on the right track.

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

Learn extra with Euractiv

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The extremely acclaimed profession of Lauren Day rounded out with the current announcement of her spot on the 2024 CRCA  All-American Second Crew. Coming off a 2023 marketing campaign that noticed her named as a CRCA Honorable Point out All-American, the Seattle, Washington native continued her ascent up the nationwide ranks as she completed her collegiate profession with sturdy outcomes as soon as once more rowing with Navy’s first varsity eight crew. Moreover, the coaches’ affiliation introduced its listing of 2024 CRCA Scholar-Athletes and eight members of the Navy ladies’s rowing program have been acknowledged.

A four-year starter with Navy’s first varsity eight crew, Day was as soon as once more a key cog within the success of the Mids’ high boat. Powering the primary varsity from both the fifth or sixth seats all through your complete spring season, Day helped Navy’s V8 come residence with a silver medal on the 2024 Patriot League Championship. On the league regatta on Could 17, the Mids’ first varsity cruised in its qualifying race with a time of seven:06.293 that gained the warmth and seeded them second general within the grand ultimate. Confronted with problem of overcoming the top-seeded Boston College Terriers within the grand ultimate, Navy made a transfer on BU in the course of the third quarter of the two,000-meter race, however a powerful rebuttal by the Terriers down the stretch allowed them to carry off the Mids by a 6:42.028 to six:45.474 margin. 

Day is a four-time All-Patriot League honoree as she was acknowledged on the All-PL Second Crew in 2021 as a freshman and 2022 as a sophomore earlier than breaking via and incomes a spot on the convention’s 2023 First Crew and once more on the highest crew this previous spring. A gold medalist on the 2023 World Below-23 Rowing Championship with Crew USA’s ladies’s eight crew, that is Day’s second profession All-American award. The factors for this nationwide recognition requires people to have rowed a minimum of 75% of her season’s races with the primary varsity eight and be named to her respective convention’s first crew, whereas being judged on general boat efficiency, coach’s feedback, particular person achievements and 2k erg rating. She is the one Patriot League rower acknowledged on any of the primary, second or honorable point out groups.

As a program, Navy has now earned CRCA All-American honors in every of the previous six seasons that had competitors (COVID cancelled 2020) …
   2018: Alexandria Vallancey-Martinson (2nd Crew)
   2019: Alexandria Vallancey-Martinson (2nd Crew); Ashlyn Dawson (Honorable Point out)
   2021: Alexandria Vallancey-Martinson (1st Crew)
   2022: Millie Oldham (Honorable Point out)
   2023: Lauren Day (Honorable Point out)
   2024: Lauren Day (2nd Crew)

Moreover, the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Affiliation just lately introduced its recipients of the 2024 CRCA Scholar-Athlete award. The Mids had eight student-athletes honored for his or her success on the water and within the classroom. For the 2024 season, all honorees wanted to be of their second, third or fourth season of eligibility, rowed in her establishment’s NCAA eligible boats (V8, 2V8, V4) for no less than 75% of the present spring races or raced at their respective convention championship and have a 3.50 cumulative GPA or greater via the tip of the autumn semester. 

5 Mids at the moment are two-time honorees as current grad Maeve Swick (Quantitative Economics). rising seniors Noelle de Vente (Arithmetic), Lizzie Jendrysik (Aerospace Engineering), Jillian Oncay (Chemistry) and Tenlea Radack (Honors Mathemathics) are repeat recipients from 2023. First-time honorees embody, rising juniors Mary Catherine Harvey (English), Grace Rimmer (Cyber Operations) and Eleanor Snyder (Physics).

The movie has been within the making since earlier than the pandemic as Prabhas’ attachment with the mission was first introduced in February 2020. Later, it was introduced that Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan would even be part of the mission. Kamal Haasan shared that it took him one 12 months to say sure to the movie. In a chat together with his forged mates, shared on the social media of Vyjayanthi Films, he stated, “It’s not a query of torture. Self-doubt comes . He has performed this. (Pointing in the direction of Amitabh and Prabhas) What am I going to do? That was the rationale. And it’s not that I’ve performed unhealthy guys earlier than. At the same time as a lead unhealthy man, psychopaths and all that. However that is one thing else.”

The movie additionally stars Disha Patani and Saswata Chatterjee.

We don’t have to look past Indian epics for riveting, advanced tales of excellent versus evil, superheroes and demons, darkness and daybreak. In Kalki 2898 AD, director Nag Ashwin makes an attempt an uncommon assembly level of the previous and the long run by mixing tales from the Mahabharata with a futuristic, dystopian science fiction world. He underlines that heroes will not be born, however rise. The masterstroke lies in casting the indefatigable Amitabh Bachchan as Ashwatthama, the oldest human alive from the Kurukshetra struggle, and making him the spine of the narrative. He’s pitted in opposition to Bhairava (Prabhas), to set the stage for the arrival of Kalki, the ultimate avatar of Vishnu. The movie takes large leaps of religion and has awe-inducing segments. Is Kalki 2898 AD a game-changer? By way of ambition, sure. By way of writing and storytelling, there are niggles.

The narrative goes forwards and backwards from the Kurukshetra struggle to Kasi and Shambala, 6000 years after the struggle. Kasi is depicted because the final surviving metropolis however every part is in shambles. The mighty Ganges has dried up and meals is scarce. All the pieces required to help life — water, meals and air — is inside a Advanced, a towering inverted pyramid construction that’s out of bounds for widespread people, and ruled by Supreme Yaskin or Kali (Kamal Haasan). Shambala is a hidden refuge for individuals from completely different faiths and cultures who’re prepared to danger their lives for a greater tomorrow. 

Loads has gone into constructing these worlds — the Kurukshetra battlefield, Kasi, Shambala and the Advanced. Kalki makes an attempt to immerse the viewers within the battles and unlikely partnerships between these worlds on an enormous scale. It isn’t solely narrating a good-over-evil story that includes superheroes and demons. It additionally tries to pay homage to Telugu classics, up to date mainstream ‘mass’ cinema, and the penchant for comedies. A few of this works, whereas others appear misfit. For example, two fashionable administrators seem in cameos; these parts might need been higher suited to Instagram reels and memes, however appear misplaced on this story.

Within the runtime of 181 minutes, the primary half goes into organising the story and establishing Bhairava as a laidback bounty hunter who’s but to seek out his true calling. He desires to earn a million models (a measure of forex) and enter the Advanced to guide life. However his ethical compass stays ambiguous. Bhairava’s introduction and his taking up a dozen males, on the floor, looks as if a staple of any Telugu movie with an A-list star. The payoff for this occurs later when he locks horns with Ashwatthama in a protracted however pleasant sequence. That’s when one actually appreciates the Bujji and Bhairava connection. 

Bujji (Bu-jz-1, with a voiceover by Keerthy Suresh) is Bhairava’s AI (synthetic intelligence)-powered custom-made automobile. Bhairava and Bujji share an uncanny partnership however we get solely a passing assertion in regards to the origin story of Bujji. The animation prequel collection Bujji and Bhairava (streaming on Amazon Prime Video) is filled with extra enjoyable. The identical goes for the bond between Bhairava and his landlord (Brahmanandam). The dialogues (by Nag Ashwin and Sai Madhav Burra) don’t all the time hit the mark.

The romance observe between Bhairava and Roxie (Disha Patani) is a deterrent and I waited for the story to maneuver on. Roxie is introduced in for a cause — to introduce Bhairava and the viewers to the Advanced, however there might have been higher methods to do that. Another cameos within the preliminary parts additionally miss the mark, save the one performed by Mrunal Thakur. The actor proven as Bhairava’s father and two different cameos that get a blink-and-miss look within the music that includes Bhairava and Roxie serve extra as nods to those that featured in Vyjayanthi Movies’ earlier ventures reasonably than add depth to the world of Kalki.  Oh, there are different cameos as properly within the Mahabharata parts that function a shock.

Additionally Learn | ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ trailer breakdown: From ‘Dune’ to ‘Blade Runner’, listed below are the sci-fi inspirations

The standout moments within the first half embrace the introduction of evil because the supreme Yaskin, with Kamal Haasan relishing the ominous flip, SUM-80 or Sumati (Deepika Padukone) as a lab rat craving for a greater life and motherhood, and Ashwatthama realising that the time has come for his closing battle.

Kalki 2898 AD finds its groove within the later parts, offering the much-needed emotional gravitas by means of Sumati. Mariam (Shobhana), Veeran (Pasupathy) and Kyra (Anna Ben) are among the many a number of different characters. There are the masked raiders (costume design by Archana Rao) of the Advanced, lots of of them in darkish apparel, locking horns with the Shambala military in hues of white. After we get a better take a look at the inhabitants of Shambala, chopping throughout cultures and faiths, and why they search for hope, it makes an impression. Between the motion episodes involving futuristic machines, some moments underline how life as we all know it has modified past recognition. Sumati making an attempt to grasp the thought of marriage and life thereafter, for example.

Nevertheless, the writing isn’t freed from predictable arcs. When a personality reiterates that her identify stands for good luck, we all know what comes subsequent. 

For all of the gradual constructing of the world and the characters within the first hour, the payoffs come within the type of battles involving Ashwatthama (referred to at one level as ‘indignant large man’), Bhairava, Bujji who transforms into a large machine and commander Manas (Saswata Chatterjee) with futuristic weapons, laser-powered detonators, flying machines and extra. As a visible spectacle, it’s magnificent on the massive display and Kalki units a brand new benchmark.

Additionally learn: Fascinating details about Prabhas-Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Kalki 2898 AD’

‘It’s all the time darkest simply earlier than the day’, goes a press release by seventeenth century scholar Thomas Fuller. The essence of his phrases echoes throughout cultures and faiths. When the world is torn aside with strife and individuals are distraught to some extent of breaking down, hope and light-weight can’t be distant. Cinematographer Djordje Stojiljkovic and the manufacturing crew led by Nitin Zihani Choudhary paint a brooding darkish world, bathed in muddy browns and ominous blacks, and hope comes within the type of daylight that struggles to stream in, a touch of glow and heat from the fireplace, and so forth.

Making his character seem each bit bigger than life is Amitabh Bachchan because the mighty Ashwatthama, supposedly standing tall at practically eight toes. He towers over everybody else and his manner reveals who’s the boss. He seems to be completely plausible when he tosses males and machines into the air. Kalki additionally performs to the strengths of the stardom of Prabhas, with the actor gamely making an attempt to be a modern-day superhero with an angle as well. A reveal in the direction of the ultimate parts is a giant, nice shock and builds anticipation for the Kalki Cinematic Universe (sure, there might be half two). Regardless of this, the tip additionally felt abrupt reasonably than a cliffhanger. 

The music too is a bit hit-and-miss. Santhosh Narayanan pays wealthy homage to the Bhagavad Gita and previous Telugu classics, after which stunningly transitions right into a futuristic gaming zone realm. Nevertheless, the songs take some getting used to.

Kalki’s narrative has a number of subtexts to decode, lengthy after the movie is over. The parallels drawn between Yaskin and Kamsa, the design of the Advanced, the environment of Yaskin and the flying machine utilized by Manas. There’s a lot to root for. If solely it had sidestepped the lacklustre romance and the underwhelming dialogues to make for a extra cohesive narrative. Regardless of these shortcomings, Kalki is a courageous new try that deserves huge cheers.

(Kalki 2898 AD is at present working in theatres; this reviewer watched the movie in 2D)

Please, Please, Please, Ticketmaster don’t carry us to tears. On June 21, Sabrina Carpenter introduced her Quick n’ Candy’ Tour, and followers are confused. Presale for this extremely sought-after tour started at 10 am June 25, and Ticketmaster was crashing for some individuals earlier than the presale even began (however what else is new). As soon as 10 am hit, followers had been both kicked off the location or discovered their approach to the queue with hundreds of individuals in entrance of them. The entire thing was a multitude and followers have been taking to X, previously generally known as Twitter, to voice their frustration. 

Although we Sabrina stans can’t relate to desperation, many are discovering themselves feeling this throughout the course of for securing tickets. Ticketmaster appeared to crash about an hour and a half earlier than the presale, which was anticipated to draw excessive site visitors. Whereas many had been holding out hope that getting tickets can be a straightforward course of, Ticketmaster determined to play video games like at all times by giving followers a tough time, but once more.

With each live performance comes tweets concerning the web site crashing and presale codes that may’t appear to be correctly despatched (or work). Many had been disenchanted that Ticketmaster crashed earlier than the sale even started, however we will’t say we’re shocked.

As soon as within the queue, many followers had been met with much more disappointment. As quickly as they had been in line, many realized that hundreds of different Sabrina stans had been forward of them. Some additionally discovered themselves caught in line and by no means transferring ahead. 

It’s secure to say that followers are within the Ticketmaster trenches. After all, many are venting their frustrations on X to see if anybody else is regarding their present struggles (the reply being a powerful sure).

Might the chances be ever in your favor for those who’re trying to safe Sabrina Carpenter presale tickets at this time since you’re going to want it. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Bronny James’ draft evening has possible arrived.

The son of profession scoring chief LeBron James was not chosen within the first spherical Wednesday within the NBA draft, and now will wait to see if he’s picked within the second spherical when picks resume Thursday afternoon.

The choose that may be most reasonable for Bronny James: fifty fifth total, a range that simply occurs to be held by the Los Angeles Lakers, the group that LeBron James — who’s broadly anticipated to turn into a free agent subsequent week — has performed for since 2018.

The James household has been in New York this week, although it isn’t identified if Bronny James will seem on the second spherical of the draft.

Bronny James performed one 12 months of school basketball at Southern California and averaged 4.8 factors, 2.8 rebounds and a couple of.1 assists per sport final season. He performed in 25 video games, lacking the beginning of the season after needing a process final 12 months to repair what was recognized as a congenital coronary heart defect, which was discovered after he went into cardiac arrest throughout a summer season exercise.

A panel of docs cleared Bronny James for NBA play final month.

Bronny James — who was listed at 6-foot-4 on USC’s roster however measured at 6 ft, 1 1/2 inches on the mix — stands out as the most talked-about second-round prospect in draft historical past, due to the household title. His father, a four-time NBA champion, can be getting into his twenty second NBA season this fall.

If Bronny James performs within the NBA subsequent season, he and LeBron James could be the primary father-son duo within the league concurrently as gamers. There have been about 100 situations in NBA historical past of gamers becoming a member of the league after their fathers performed, however none on the similar time.

Pop princess Sabrina Carpenter is bringing her “Espresso” to 3 Texas cities in fall 2024 as a part of the music artist’s “Quick n’ Candy Tour.”

Together with a handful of North American tour dates, the “Please Please Please” singer revealed who will probably be becoming a member of her as opening acts for various parts of the tour: Amaarae, Declan McKenna and Griff. For the three Texas reveals, Griff — who lately opened up for Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” present in London, England, on Saturday, June 22 — will function Carpenter’s opening act.

The North American leg of the “Quick n’ Candy Tour” will kick off in Columbus, Ohio, on Monday, Sept. 23, and can wrap in Los Angeles on Friday, Nov. 15. As for the three Texas dates, Carpenter will first go to the Toyota Middle positioned at 1510 Polk St. in Houston on Sunday, Oct. 27. Subsequent, the singer will head to the Moody Middle, 2001 Robert Dedman Drive in Austin, Texas, on Monday, Oct. 28, earlier than enjoying a present in Dallas, Texas, on the American Airways Middle, 2500 Victory Ave., on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

Followers of Carpenter, generally known as Carpenters, within the Lone Star State have been doubtless curious as to why the “Dangerous for Enterprise” singer wasn’t on the 2024 lineup for ACL Music Fest. However with the announcement of her tour in help of her upcoming sixth album, “Quick n’ Candy,” which is ready to be launched on Friday, Aug. 23, it appears to now make sense why she wasn’t within the combine.

Should you’re hoping to see Carpenter at considered one of her three Texas stops, right here’s when and easy methods to get tickets.

see Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Quick n’ Candy’ reveals in Houston, Austin, Dallas

The overall sale for tickets to Carpenter’s Texas reveals in Houston, Austin and Dallas begins at 10 a.m. native time on Friday, June 28. Nevertheless, there are numerous presales going down main as much as the overall sale.

One of many presales that’s presently occurring is one for Money App cardholders. To entry this presale, you need to have a Money App card. If that’s you, then you could find the present you’d prefer to attend on Carpenter’s tour web site and enter the primary 9 digits of your Money App card into the passcode field. Money App cardholders are restricted to at least one order per Money App card with a most restrict of 4 tickets per order.

There additionally will probably be venue presales. These out there for tickets to Carpenter’s present on the Moody Middle in Austin on Monday, Oct. 28, are in luck. There will probably be a venue presale on Thursday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. native time. The code for this presale is: WORKINGLATE.

Followers who signed as much as obtain an artist presale code by way of Crew Sabrina ought to obtain the code earlier than the artist presale begins on Tuesday, June 25, at 10 a.m. native time. Should you didn’t obtain a code, then you might have to attend till the overall sale on Friday, June 28, to buy your ticket.

You possibly can entry the ticket queue for all Texas reveals by way of Ticketmaster or AXS. Discover tickets for the Houston present on Sunday, Oct. 27, right here. Get tickets for the Austin present on Monday, Oct. 28, right here. Discover tickets for the Dallas present on Wednesday, Oct. 30, right here.

Turkey is a nation that likes to inform tales – over lengthy conversations in tea homes, in songs and epics, and sure, in print too. As Turkey passes its centenary, listed below are 5 of the very best books to grasp the nation’s first 100 years.

Reflecting on his childhood, Orga remembers consuming melon, on ice, on a silver plate when he first heard the drums of warfare – people who introduced, throughout Istanbul, that the primary world warfare had begun. For him and others in Turkey, practically a decade of violence would observe. This memoir captures the founding years of the Turkish republic and the ache of those that lived by means of it, as Orga describes his rich Ottoman household’s descent into poverty and humiliation. It’s intimately and superbly written, although ensure to learn the epilogue for the twist about who the creator actually was …

Set in early republican Istanbul, Tanpinar’s novel was a groundbreaking satire of the politics of early Turkey – specifically, the venture to modernise the nation, with reforms without delay liberating and overbearing. The ebook follows the eponymous fictional institute because it makes an attempt to verify all its residents and their watches are stored to appropriate time. At occasions playful and absurd, beneath Tanpinar’s prose is a deep love for town. “The night unfurled like a ribbon,” he writes, describing Istanbul’s sunsets, “whose colors ran from wine darkish to golden.”

The Poems of Nazim Hikmet, translated by Randy Blasing and Mutlu Konuk

Turkey’s greatest cherished and coolest poet, Hikmet was a communist imprisoned in Turkey and exiled to Moscow, whose work was formally banned within the nation of his start for years. His poetry is understood for its human scale, for the tales of on a regular basis folks instructed in on a regular basis Turkish (and translated brilliantly right here). And although he was a political determine, he was a romantic above all.

Expensive Shameless Demise by Latife Tekin

Maybe the defining change in Turkey over its second half-century might be summed up by one reality: in 1950, Istanbul’s inhabitants was round a million; right now it stands at 16 million. Centred on a younger woman known as Dirmit and her household, Tekin’s novel was one of many first to present voice to these thousands and thousands who got here from village to metropolis. Magical realist in model, the ebook pays respect to these they introduced with them too – a world of angels and djinn, characters Tekin treats as simply as actual as Dirmit, her household and the remainder.

In 2016, author Altan was arrested and despatched to jail, alongside together with his brother and tens of hundreds extra – the victims of Turkey’s purges after its failed tried coup. But nonetheless Altan wished to put in writing. And so, over a interval of seven months, he smuggled out handwritten notes to his legal professionals, slowly placing collectively a memoir of his time in Silivri, Turkey’s greatest and most infamous jail. Written with a novelist’s precision, it’s a testomony to Turks’ enduring perception within the energy of tales. “Like all writers, I’ve magic,” Altan writes. “I can cross by means of your partitions with ease”.

• The Countless Nation: A Private Journey By way of Turkey’s First Hundred Years by Sami Kent is revealed by Picador (£20). To help the Guardian and the Observer order your copy from guardianbookshop.com. Supply fees might apply.