awaiting

Turkiye is waiting for a price proposal for the possible acquisition of Eurofighter jets after submitting a list outlining its technical needs to Britain’s Defence Ministry, a Turkish Defence Ministry source said today according to Reuters.

The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by companies Airbus AIR.PA, BAE Systems BAES.L and Leonardo LDOF.MI.

Ankara has been in talks with Britain and Spain to purchase 40 Typhoons and Germany took a step toward clearing the deal after initially being opposed to it.

“The […] document, prepared within the scope of the procurement of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon Aircraft, was sent to the British Ministry of Defence and the relevant company,” the source told a briefing in Ankara.

“We expect the price offer to reach us in the coming days.”

READ: Germany reconsiders Turkiye’s request to purchase Eurofighter

July 11 (UPI) — T-Mobile announced it will scrap its diversity, equity and inclusion policy on Friday, while it awaits Federal Communications Commission approval to buy U.S. Cellular for $4.4 million.

The company, owned by German company Deutsche Telekom, is the second-largest wireless operator in the United States. It’s trying to buy most of U.S. Cellular and Internet service provider Metronet.

“T-Mobile will no longer have any individual roles or teams focused on DEI,” the company said. “T-Mobile is also removing any references to DEI on its websites and will ensure that company websites and future communications do not have any references to DEI.”

The FCC follows an informal timeline of 180 days to review mergers. The T-Mobile/U.S. Cellular deal is on day 253.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr said on X that the move was “another good step forward for equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and the public interest.”

In a letter to Carr, Mark W. Nelson, executive vice president and general counsel for T-Mobile U.S., said, “Our belief then and now is that skills, aptitude, and a growth mindset are what contribute to exceptional performance — and that merit is how you advance at our company, regardless of who you are or where you’re from. Equality of opportunity, performance-based rewards, and ensuring we’re a place where everyone can win as ‘One Team, Together’ — that’s what we intended through some of our practices that were labeled as ‘DEI.'”

The letter said the company reviewed its policies and is “ending its DEI-related policies as described below, not just in name, but in substance.”

The letter goes on to list the different areas T-Mobile is making changes, including:

• Leadership and public messaging
• Hiring and recruitment
• Career development, mentorship and training
• Supplier and vendor diversity, corporate sponsorships and memberships
• Employee resource groups

Carr has told Bloomberg News that “any businesses that are looking for FCC approval, I would encourage them to get busy ending any sort of their invidious forms of DEI discrimination.”

Anna M. Gomez, a member of the FCC, disparaged T-Mobile’s decision on X: “In yet another cynical bid to win FCC regulatory approval, T-Mobile is making a mockery of its professed commitment to eliminating discrimination, promoting fairness, and amplifying underrepresented voices,” Gomez said. “History will not be kind to this cowardly corporate capitulation.”

Many companies and organizations have backed off their DEI programs to curry favor with the administration of President Donald Trump. Thursday, the Department of Education launched an investigation against George Mason University and its hiring practices. If the agency determines that the university violated the staff’s civil rights, GMU could lose federal funding.

July 2 (UPI) — Sean “Diddy” Combs will remain behind bars while awaiting sentencing after a federal jury on Wednesday found him guilty of two prostitution-related charges.

The jury found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and innocent on one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking at the U.S. District Court of Southern New York in Manhattan.

Combs’ attorneys sought bail to obtain his immediate release, but Judge Arun Subramanian denied the request, CNN reported.

“The defense conceded defendant’s violence in personal relationships, saying ‘it happened,'” Subramanian told the court.

“This highlights a disregard for the rule of law and a propensity of violence,” the judge said, adding that violence and illegal acts continued after investigators searched Combs’ homes and he was aware of the investigation.

Subramanian proposed a sentencing hearing for Combs at 10 a.m. EDT on Oct. 3 but said he would be willing to move up the date if Combs’ attorneys request it.

Throughout the nearly two-month-long trial, prosecutors alleged Combs used his business empire to push two people into taking part in drug-fueled, sexual activities called “freak offs.”

The defense argued the sexual activities were consensual, and Combs had pleaded not guilty to the five criminal counts against him.

Each of the two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution carries a 10-year maximum sentence.

Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the government will request that Combs serve each sentence concurrently, which would give him a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Comey also said a pre-sentencing investigation is necessary to ensure a fair sentence is imposed, which would be done as soon as possible, CNN reported.

Lead defense attorney Marc Agnifilo wants to waive the pre-sentencing investigation to end the matter sooner.

He said the defense will argue for a sentence that is less than the maximum of 10 years per count.

July 2 (UPI) — Sean “Diddy” Combs will remain behind bars while awaiting sentencing after a federal jury on Wednesday found him guilty of two prostitution-related charges.

The jury found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and innocent on one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking at the U.S. District Court of Southern New York in Manhattan.

Combs’ attorneys sought bail to obtain his immediate release, but Judge Arun Subramanian denied the request, CNN reported.

“The defense conceded defendant’s violence in personal relationships, saying ‘it happened,'” Subramanian told the court.

“This highlights a disregard for the rule of law and a propensity of violence,” the judge said, adding that violence and illegal acts continued after investigators searched Combs’ homes and he was aware of the investigation.

Subramanian proposed a sentencing hearing for Combs at 10 a.m. EDT on Oct. 3 but said he would be willing to move up the date if Combs’ attorneys request it.

Throughout the nearly two-month-long trial, prosecutors alleged Combs used his business empire to push two people into taking part in drug-fueled, sexual activities called “freak offs.”

The defense argued the sexual activities were consensual, and Combs had pleaded not guilty to the five criminal counts against him.

Each of the two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution carries a 10-year maximum sentence.

Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the government will request that Combs serve each sentence concurrently, which would give him a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Comey also said a pre-sentencing investigation is necessary to ensure a fair sentence is imposed, which would be done as soon as possible, CNN reported.

Lead defense attorney Marc Agnifilo wants to waive the pre-sentencing investigation to end the matter sooner.

He said the defense will argue for a sentence that is less than the maximum of 10 years per count.