Republican Matt Gaetz moves to formally oust Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker

A far-right Republican congressman launched a bid on Monday to oust US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, reigniting an intraparty battle between traditional conservatives and firebrand supporters of former president Donald Trump.

Matt Gaetz, from Florida, entered his resolution from the House floor “declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant”.

Mr Gaetz is a leading figure in the small group of far-right Republican legislators who brought the government to the brink of shutdown with their refusal to adopt new federal funding without deep spending cuts.

The group also opposes sending more support to Ukraine, saying the money would be better spent in the US battling illegal immigration.

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The hardliners hold a de facto veto over legislation in the House, given the Republicans' narrow victory in the midterm elections last November.

After the chamber passed a last-minute measure on Saturday to extend funding – at current levels and without new Ukraine aid – Mr Gaetz said he would move to oust Mr McCarthy.

To gain the speaker's gavel in January, Mr McCarthy was forced to make concessions to the far-right bloc.

The timeline for next steps on Mr Gaetz's resolution is variable, and it is not yet clear if Democrats would come to Mr McCarthy's aid.

The resolution requires a majority to pass. Mr McCarthy must call a vote within two legislative days, Bloomberg reported.

The move, officially called a motion to vacate the chair, is a parliamentary process that has not resulted in a speaker removal vote since 1910. In that case, then-speaker Joseph Cannon survived the test.

Mr Gaetz said on Sunday he believed he had enough Republican support to oust Mr McCarthy.

“The only way Kevin McCarthy is speaker of the House at the end of this coming week is if Democrats bail him out,” he told CNN.

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

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How Apple's credit card works

The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.

What does it cost?

Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.

What will the interest rate be?

The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts

What about security?

The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.

Is it easy to use?

Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.

* Associated Press

Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68

Company profile

Name: Fruitful Day

Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2015

Number of employees: 30

Sector: F&B

Funding so far: Dh3 million

Future funding plans: None at present

Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries