Hong Kong: Bringing science to the community

The Science Promotion Unit (SPU) uses creative means to reach out to the community to promote scientific thinking, from an outreach vehicle introducing nanoscience to online platforms explaining the science of everyday life.

Travelling exhibition

At the end of last year, the SPU set up the Gear Up Outreach Vehicle which visits schools and communities under the theme of "Nanoworld".

The interior of the travelling exhibition van is decorated as a medieval home and filled with different nanotechnology products for children to explore, such as nano silver socks that can kill germs and remove odours, and featherlight yet sturdy badminton rackets crafted from carbon nanotubes.

To appeal to youngsters, SPU staff introduce a magical backpack with the ability to self-repair. The young visitors try piercing the backpack made out of a special nano fabric and discover it can be repaired simply by rubbing the puncture away.

Four sets of interactive exhibits are also available for visitors to experience the amazing properties of nanomaterials developed in Hong Kong, such as elastomer filaments which can be curled when they are stretched and easily straightened by applying heat and a smart protective material that will instantly harden and become impact resistant after being hit.

The travelling exhibition features comic panels with stories created by local comics artists to introduce nanoscience in a simple yet fascinating way.

Gear Up has made 36 stops across the city, including 29 schools, to promote the fun of science.

We in fact, received quite positive feedback from the audience, and some students told us that the comics are very attractive and they liked them very much, Science Museum Curator (Science Promotion Unit) Samuel Chui revealed.

Hands-on learning

Established in 2020, the SPU of the Leisure & Cultural Services Department promotes popular science culture through the use of the departments network and facilities such as the Science Museum.

The units diversified activities are characterised by four elements: curiosity, creativity, playfulness and collaboration.

In addition to the outreach vehicle, the SPU recently launched the Gear Up Science Courier workshop, in which students make handicrafts while learning about science at the same time.

It provides material packs and an online instruction video to schools and youth organisations to enable students to create their own glow-in-the-dark drinks coasters. During the workshop, students discover the difference between fluorescence and phosphorescence, the science behind it and their application in daily life.

Everyday science

To reach a wider audience, the SPU introduced its social media platform QK Post, with QK standing for Quest for Knowledge.

The QK Post social media page provides regular content about the science related to daily life and engages the audience by posting questions for them to try and answer.

We asked the question: How would you separate your fingers if your fingers were stuck together by superglue? We wanted to introduce the science principles behind superglue and how you can use something that is available in your home to separate your fingers, explained Science Museum Assistant Curator I (Science Promotion Unit) Ann Fung.

Catering to those who do not frequently use social media, the SPU selects interesting QK Posts, converts them into exhibition panels and presents them at the QK Post Roadshow which is travelling to different venues across the city until February next year.

Another creative approach the SPU has employed is QK Microfilm , which presents science in everyday life through storytelling and invites scientists to act alongside artists in the films.

The latest microfilm Dream Frequency tells the heartwarming story of a tone-deaf young girl who dreams of becoming a musician, which also introduces the science behind music.

Mr Chui added that the SPU plans to produce more microfilms and diversified activities to foster science curiosity in the community.

This story has been published on: 2023-11-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID), a trade group for 623 airports, announced the appointment of two new members to its Board.

The two new elected members are Carrie Hurihanganui, Chief Executive Officer of Auckland International Airport Limited, New Zealand, and Dr Kijmanawat Kerati, President of Airports of Thailand.

The terms of the two new directors will commence from January 1, 2024, and will end on December 31, 2026.

Hurihanganui's appointment marks a significant milestone for ACI APAC & MID, contributing to a more inclusive and balanced representation of genders within the board. ACI APAC & MID now has three women on the board. The other two are Lorie Argus, CEO of Australia Pacific Airports and Sarah Samuel, Senior VP-ICM Technologies (An Amadeus company).

Commenting on their appointment, Emmanuel Menanteau, President, ACI APAC & MID, said: "We are delighted to welcome Ms Hurihanganui and Dr Kerati to the ACI APAC & MID board. They are already established leaders, and their extensive experience and expertise in the aviation industry will contribute towards the achievement of our organisation's objectives. Its gratifying to see a diverse representation of women on our board."

Stefano Baronci, the Director General, ACI APAC & MID said: The election of Hurihanganui and Dr Kerati brings a great balance of representation of members on the board from across the region. The selection of these highly-respected industry leaders demonstrates the ACI APAC & MID's commitment to effectively representing the needs and interests of airports across Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions.  TradeArabia News Servi
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers next week to highlight the alliance's commitment to Ukraine in its war against Russia, the State Department said on Saturday.

NATO is actively supporting Ukraine and Kyiv hopes one day to join the military bloc. NATO itself is not at war with Russia, a situation which Western leaders say they want to avoid given Moscow's vast nuclear arsenal.

In a statement, the State Department also said Blinken would emphasize U.S. support for democracy and regional stability in the western Balkans. NATO is examining a more permanent ramp up of troop numbers in the region to keep tensions under control.

The meeting will take place from Nov 27-29 in Brussels. (Reuters)
By Adam Estes

Its a scene that stands out as one of the classic scenes in aviation movie history, where two fishermen are having a slow day in their boat on a lake when a soft rumble builds up as a PBY Catalina lands on the surface of the lake, racing towards them. The man at the stern hurriedly wakes his friend as he attempts to start the boats motor. But before the engine can start, the men fall out of their boat as the Catalina rises from the water just in time and roars overhead. As it so happens, the very same aircraft, which has been sitting at a regional airport in Ephrata, Washington for decades now will be heading to the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.

The aircraft was originally constructed as PBY-5A construction number 1581 and flown by the US Navy as Bureau Number 34027, the aircraft led an average life for a Navy PBY up to 1956, when it was stricken from the Navy inventory

. Shortly afterward, the aircraft was registered as N9505C, converted into a fire tanker, and modified to the Stewart-Davis Super-Cat standard, where the Pratt & Whitney R-1830s were replaced in favor of Wright R-2600s, the rudder was enlarged and squared off, and as was typical of many other civilian Catalinas, a Clipper nose was installed in place of the bow turret. N9505C flew as tanker #9, then #53 for several owners, but the longest serving and most prominent among them was Robert P. Schlaefli, who ran SLAFCO, Inc., and operated fire fighting services for the Pacific Northwest. It was also Schlaefi who flew N9505C during the flying sequences of Always that involved the Catalina.

By 1993, however, Schlaefi was retired and his planes either found new homes or sat on airport ramps awaiting new owners. Such was the case with N9505C, which occasionally attracted a buyer every now and then, but it never left Ephrata Airport after its departure from nearby Moses Lake. In recent years, public officials from the Port of Ephrata urged that the aircraft be placed for auction to sell off the aircraft and gain proceeds for the Department of Revenue. Fortunately, Port Director David Lenham has seen fit to find someone willing to preserve the aircraft, just as he stopped the demolition of two WWII hangars on the airport to renovate them for new tenants. It was Lenham who also spoke to the Columbia Basin Herald about the acquisition of the old fire bomber turned movie star to the Yanks Air Museum. No details about the shipment or arrival have been announced by the museum yet, as this is still a developing story, but the Herald article confirms through Lenham that the Catalina is indeed Chino-bound.

Yanks Air Museum also has another Catalina in its collection already in Chino. The aircraft is registered N2763A, it is another Super Cat conversion, but it was used for passenger flights as opposed to being a tanker. Yanks Air Museum [also] acquired this aircraft from Washington state, with N2763A being retrieved from Moses Lake, and is currently being kept in storage by the museum at Chino. For more details about the sale of N9505C, the link for the Columbia Basin Herald article will be provided here (Port of Ephrata sells PBY aircraft from Always | Columbia Basin Herald), and for details on the Yanks Air Museum and its vast array of American-manufactured aircraft from across the history of aviation, visit https://yanksair.org/.
PRESS RELEASE

Education, business, computer science, and engineering students walking through Sacred Heart Universitys West Campus can find inspiration in a new glass showcase that highlights the achievements of an inventor and innovatorIgor I. Sikorsky. West Campus is now home to the Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives, which manages and protects the material associated with Sikorskys ideas and inventions and makes it accessible for educational and historical purposes. Among his many achievements, Igor I. Sikorsky formed the Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation in 1923 and developed the first practical helicopter in 1939.

A display case outside the newly dedicated offices near SHUs IDEA Lab on the West Buildings first floor contains blueprints, aircraft photographs, and models that represent Sikorskys accomplishments. Students, faculty, and staff can view the models of many of Sikorskys fixed and rotary-winged aircraft as well as historical information of Igor Sikorskys life. They also can step into the offices and talk with archive volunteers. These retirees spent decades working in Sikorskys engineering, management, manufacturing, administration, after-market support, information technology, and communications departments.

We are so happy to be here, said Ed Sullivan, an archive volunteer who worked at Sikorsky for 41 years. Its just wonderful, he added, indicating that the new accommodations, including an office for the volunteers, a conference room, and a separate space for storage of valuable research material. He enjoys aviation history and the spirit of being part of the nonprofit Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives group. Dan Libertino, the groups president, recently joined the Sacred Heart community, volunteers, and Sikorsky officials at SHUs West Campus to celebrate the grand opening of the new archive space. Libertino, after whom the new conference room is named, told the others he is thrilled the collection has found a permanent home.

Libertinos connection to helicopters started before he worked for Sikorsky. He joined the Air Force and went to aviation school. He was one of two in his class of 200 to be chosen to attend specialized helicopter maintenance school. He recalled having to ask someone, Whats a helicopter? Later he worked for Sikorsky as a field service representative and then as a helicopter manufacturing manager representing American and international accounts. Today marks the first day of a beautiful friendship, Libertino said. We have a new home, a powerful teaching home.

SHU President John J. Petillo said the University is an ideal location for the collection. We are delighted to celebrate the final home for the archives. This is a great inspiration for our students, and we can only hope theyre inspired and motivated by Igor Sikorskys innovative mind, he said. Petillo said Sikorskys name is synonymous with creativity, and he believes students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math will reflect on the mans many achievements when they pass the new archive offices. Were happy to welcome a true pioneerSikorsky, Petillo said. Were honored to be entrusted with the archives.

Paul Lemmo, Sikorskys president, said the collection is a national treasure that deserves preservation. Sergei Sikorsky, Igor Sikorskys son, agreed, telling those gathered for the dedication that the collection represents history. These are archives in all honesty. They record the birth and growth of aviation dating back to 1909, he said.
Kenneth Fox

There is a heavy garda presence in Dublin city on Saturday as the clean-up continues following Thursday's riots.

Government ministers held a briefing on Friday night on the knife attack outside a school in Parnell Square that led to the unrest and violence that followed.

Thirty-two people have already appeared before the courts and further arrests are expected to follow as gardai examine tips and trawl through 6,000 hours of CCTV footage.

A five-year-old girl remains in critical condition and her carer is also seriously injured in hospital after Thursday's knife attack in the city.

A six-year-old girl is also being treated in hospital, while a five-year-old boy has been discharged.

The suspect in the attack is in hospital - under guard, after a series of threats against him.

Overnight, the city was calm, apart from a number of arrests for sporadic public order offences.

There were a small number of arrests as gardai mounted a significant security operation around the OConnell Street thoroughfare to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes from the night before.

Amid criticism of the Garda response to the riots, Government ministers met and heard that legislation to facilitate the use of body-worn cameras by police officers will be fast-tracked.

She also insisted that the police force has all the resources necessary to keep people in Dublin safe over the weekend, including securing the use of two water cannons from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Ms McEntee also rejected a call from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald for her and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to resign.
Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (25 November 2023)

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

During active actions in Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled two attacks of AFU assault groups.

AFU 14th mechanised and 57th mechanised infantry brigades units have been hit east of Sinkovka (Kharkov region). The enemys losses amounted to 110 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, as well as one D-20 and one D-30 howitzers.

In Krasny Liman direction, coordinated actions of the Tsentr Group of Forces, helicopters, and artillery repelled one attack launched by assault groups of the 5th National Guard Brigade of Ukrainian Armed Forces near Grigorovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

In addition, strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of the AFU 47th Mechanised Brigade close to Petrovskoye (Lugansk Peoples Republic).

The enemy lost up to 55 Ukrainian troops and two pickup trucks.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted losses on clusters of manpower of AFU 22nd, 28th mechanised brigades to Kleshcheyevka, Kurdyumovka, Razdolovka, Bogdanovka, Krasnoye, and Vasyukovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The enemy in this direction lost up to 290 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, three motor vehicles, D-20 and D-30 howitzers, as well as one Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station.

In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces utilising results of aviation and artillery strikes repelled one enemy attack near Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region), as well as inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 128th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Nikolskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

Up to 150 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one D-20 howitzer, as well as one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system have been eliminated.

In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled two attacks of the AFU 117th Mechanised Brigade north of Novoprokopovka (Zaporozhye region), and inflicted fire damage on AFU 33rd, 65th mechanised brigades manpower and hardware close to Rabotino(Zaporozhye region).

More than 40 Ukrainian personnel, two tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one M-46 gun were neutralised.

In Kherson direction, up to 35 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded and two motor vehicles have been neutralised by fire.

In the course of the counterbattery warfare, one Msta-B howitzer, and one Giatsint-B gun were destroyed.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 115 areas during the day.

In addition, two air-delivered ordnance depots were destroyed at military airfields Dolgintsevo and near Dnepropetrovsk.

Two P-18 radars for detecting and tracking air targets were destroyed near Volnyansk (Zaporozhye region) and Pavlovka (Dnepropetrovsk region).

Two command and observation posts of the AFU 67th Mechanised Brigade and 100th Territorial Defence Brigade were destroyed near Serebryanka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

Russian air defence means have shot down two MiG-29 aircraft of Ukrainian Air Force near Pershotravensk and Braginovka (Dnepropetrovsk region).

In addition, one HIMARS MLRS projectile was intercepted, and 18 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed near Nyrkovo, Zolotaryovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Novomikhailovka, Novobakhmutovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Novaya Zburyevka, Radenks (Kherson region).

In total, 539 airplanes and 255 helicopters, 9,183 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 13,611 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,185 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,175 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 15,602 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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Art by Nancy XiaoRong Valentine will be featured from Dec. 3 through Jan. 14 at the Winona Arts Center, according to a press release.

The opening reception for the exhibit, titled Audacity, will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 3.

Valentine is a Chinese American artist who lives in rural Otter Tail County. She was conceived as the second child to a family in Lanzhou, Gansu, during China's "one child policy," but her mother immigrated to Minnesota in 1992.

Valentine, who officially launched her creative career in 2016, views her artistry as a channel to deepen her cultural connections to and between her Chinese heritage and Midwestern roots, the release says. Her brushwork is inspired by Chinese calligraphy.

For more information about the exhibit, visit winonaarts.org.
A group of Israelis celebrate as a helicopter carrying hostages released from the Gaza Strip lands at the helipad of the Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, Sunday Nov. 26, 2023. The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners in a third set of releases under a four-day truce. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
FILE - Harvard Professor Cornel West speaks at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at the Whittemore Center Arena at the University of New Hampshire, Feb. 10, 2020, in Durham, N.H. The 2024 presidential election is drawing a robust field of independent, third party and long shot candidates. Scholar and progressive activist Cornel West is now running as an independent. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
FILE - Cantaloupes are displayed for sale in Virginia on Saturday, July 28, 2017. U.S. health officials recalled three more brands of whole and pre-cut cantaloupes Friday, Nov. 24, 2023 as the number of people sickened by salmonella more than doubled this week.
The tense cease-fire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be back on track early Sunday after the release of a second group of militant-held hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons, but the swap followed an hourslong delay that underscored the truce's fragility.

The exchange was delayed Saturday evening after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, which has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades, vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip, and a hostage crisis that has shaken Israel.

The deal seemed at risk of unraveling until Qatar and Egypt, which mediate with Hamas, announced late Saturday that the obstacles to the exchange had been overcome. The militants released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv late Saturday to call for the release of all the estimated 240 people captured by Hamas in its Oct. 7 rampage across southern Israel , which ignited the war. They accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not doing enough to bring them back.

Pressure from the hostages' families and lingering anger over Israel's failure to prevent the attack have sharpened the dilemma facing the country's leaders as they seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while bringing all the captives back safely.

The war has already claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza .

The four-day cease-fire, which began Friday, was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States . Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends. Israel said early Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day, in the third of four scheduled swaps.

The pause has given Gaza's 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas , a few days of calm. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, returned to the streets to survey the damage Entire city blocks in and around Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes that hollowed out buildings and left drifts of rubble in the street.

The United Nations said the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (about 35,000 gallons) of fuel, just over 10% of daily pre-war volume, as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

Aid also reached northern Gaza, for the first time in a month. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to another one in the south.

In holding up the hostage release on Saturday, Hamas alleged that aid deliveries fell short of what was expected and that not enough was reaching the north. It also said Israel was not releasing enough long-serving prisoners. Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in deadly attacks, as heroes resisting occupation.

Shortly before midnight, Hamas released the second group of hostages, 13 Israelis and four Thais. They were turned over to Egypt and then transferred to Israel, where they were taken to hospitals.

Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants. One girl was on crutches and wore a cast on her left foot.

The Israeli hostages freed on Saturday included seven children and six women, Netanyahus office announced. Most were from Kibbutz Beeri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 cross-border attack . The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.

It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Beeri, who have been living in a Dead Sea hotel since their community was overrun. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or a loved one still in captivity in Gaza.

Some of the Palestinian prisoners were released in east Jerusalem, while the bulk returned home to a heros welcome in the occupied West Bank.

Among those released was Nurhan Awad, who was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors.

In Jerusalem, Israeli troops drove away journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out a bombing attack that wounded an Israeli police officer and left Jaabis with severe burns on her face and hands.

Jaabis later told reporters that she was ashamed to be happy at a time when Palestine is injured.

In the West Bank town of Al-Bireh, newly released teenage boys were paraded through the main square where they waved Palestinian flags as well as green banners of Hamas and yellow banners of the Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war. (AP)
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Instagram Celebrity

The entrepreneur wife of rapper Gucci Mane initially announced on her Instagram page that she would give a reward to anyone who could help her find her pink Lamborghini Urus.

Nov 26, 2023

AceShowbiz - Keyshia Ka'oir couldn't be happier to reunite with her car after it was stolen earlier this week. The wife of rapper Gucci Mane informed her online devotees that she's gotten her pink Lamborghini Urus back.

Making use of Instagram on Thursday, November 23, the 38-year-old shared a picture of her car being unloaded off a truck. "Got my baby back!" she exclaimed in the caption. "Thanks to everyone that assisted."

Keyshia initially announced that she would give a reward to anyone who could help her find the vehicle. "My pink Lambo was stolen in Miami!!! If U see her DM me! I got some $$$$," she said at the time, before adding on Instagram Story that the Lambo could be anywhere in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or Palm Beach.

Keyshia didn't offer more details about the theft, prompting her fans to assume that she might have left the car unattended with the key fob. Others, meanwhile, jumped to the entrepreneur's defense by calling out the culprit.

"People work hard for things and then people with no moral compass think they have the right to take that from them. Sad asf Just call the insurance company cause baby they got that with a tow truck and probably shipped overseas by now," one person argued, while another penned, "It's in New Jersey on its way to Africa by now sis." A third person then commented, "The audacity of y'all to say just go buy another people like y'all should've been swallowed."

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Just one day prior to Sexyy's condemnation, fellow rapper Cardi B also threatened to sue the company USA Wellness Wave for using AI to impersonate her in its advertisement.

Nov 26, 2023

AceShowbiz - Sexyy Red is another artist to fall victim to the misuse of AI. Upon learning that a company used artificial intelligence to mimic her voice for an ad, the "Pound Town" raptress threatened to sue the people behind it.

On Thursday, November 23, the 25-year-old reacted to a video promoting a free stimulus program with a "health spending card." The clip featured footage of the femcee along with her AI-generated voice.

Making it clear that she didn't approve of the promotional video, Sexyy suggested that she's launching legal action against the company. "My lawyer bout to have a field day," she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Just one day prior to that, fellow rapper Cardi B also threatened to sue the company USA Wellness Wave for using AI to impersonate her in its advertisement. The said clip offered a "stimulus-style" payment program featuring an AI-generated video of her and a voiceover pretending to be the "WAP" hitmaker.

"Yo it's ya girl Cardi and I'ma show you how to put $16,000 in your pocket right now for free," said the voice. Catching wind of the ad, Cardi argued, "AI is crazy smh...another lawsuit that fell right on my lap...I love easy money."

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The 'Stars Are Blind' hitmaker is over the moon after welcoming a baby girl named London, a new addition to her growing family with husband Carter Reum.

Nov 26, 2023

AceShowbiz - Paris Hilton "always" longed for a daughter. The 42-year-old heiress already shares 10-month-old Phoenix with husband Carter Reum but the pair announced earlier this week that they had welcomed daughter London and now an insider has explained that they are "thrilled" to have become parents once again.

"Paris and Carter are thrilled to welcome London into their family. They have always wanted a little girl," a source told UsWeekly.

The former "Simple Life" star initially sparked speculation that she had become a mother for the second time earlier this week when posted a picture of a pink outfit emblazoned with the word 'London' - which she has repeatedly said she would choose as a name if she had a little girl - alongside a pair of tiny red sunglasses and a teddy bear. She captioned the post, "Thankful for my baby girl (sic)."

And amongst the photos from her Thanksgiving celebrations shared to her Instagram Story, Paris also posted a picture of Phoenix which was captioned, "The big brother."

The socialite previously revealed she had always wanted a daughter named after the English capital. Speaking on a "This is Paris" podcast titled "This is I'm Pregnant??" before she had her son, she said, "One day I want to have a little girl, and I want to name her London. That's always been my dream ever since I was a little girl, because I just love London and Paris together."

"For a boy, I want to name him after a city or a country or a state as well. I have a name, but I'm not going to say it yet - I want to keep it a surprise, and I don't want anyone stealing my baby name for that one. I've said London for a long time so I can't really hide that one now."

And when she confirmed Phoenix's name, she admitted she had chosen a moniker that would complement London. Speaking on her podcast, the "Stars Are Blind" hitmaker revealed an excerpt from her upcoming memoir "Paris".

"If all goes well, by the time you read this, Carter and I will have a baby boy. We plan to name him Phoenix, a name that I decided on years ago when I was searching cities, countries and states on a map looking for something to go with Paris and London."

"Phoenix has a few good pop culture reference points, but more importantly it's the bird that flames out and then rises from the ashes to fly again. I want my son to grow up knowing that disaster and triumph go around and come around throughout our lives. And that this should give us great hope for the future."

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Educator and art historian Jade Powers is nearly two months into her tenure as the new Hugh Kaul Curator of Contemporary Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

Powers, who holds a bachelors degree in art history and religious studies from DePauw University and a masters degree in religious studies from Indiana University, arrived at the BMA from the Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Fla. where she served as curator of contemporary art since 2022.

During her time at the museum, Powers managed the activities of the contemporary art department, including installations, acquisitions, and exhibitions. She also helped acquire 20 gifts and purchases for the Harns contemporary art collection, many of which represented work by female artists and artists of color.

Prior to her position at the Harn Museum of Art, Powers served as assistant curator of contemporary art at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Mo., where she developed nine permanent collection exhibitions. Projects developed under her supervision included Deconstructing Marcus Jansen, a show that investigated the stylistic techniques of painter Marcus Jansen.

Powers was the 2017 to 2018 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow at the Saint Louis Art Museum in Missouri where conducted research for an exhibition, The Shape of Abstraction: The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Art Collection. The show honored a large gift of abstract art by African-American artists acquired by the Saint Louis Art Museum.

Powers succeeds Hallie Ringle, who joined the BMA as the Hugh Kaul Curator of Contemporary Art in 2018. Last year, Ringle departed the position to serve as the new Daniel and Brett Sundheim Chief Curator at the University of Pennsylvanias Institute of Contemporary Art.

In an announcement, Dr. Graham C. Boettcher, the R. Hugh Daniel Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art, said he was thrilled to welcome Powers to the museum curatorial staff.

Her rich knowledge of global contemporary art combined with her proven track record of meaningful and engaging exhibitions will be an invaluable asset to the museum as we continue to build our flourishing contemporary collection around the community we serve, Boettcher said.

On Dec. 7, Powers will moderate a panel examining the effects of artificial intelligence in the art world. The conversation will feature University of Montevallo professor of new media Collin Williams, artist Travis Rice, and John Fields, the senior director of UABs Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts. The museum will also use the AI-powered language model, ChatGPT, as a panelist, offering insights from the perspective of artificial intelligence. Registration for the panel is free and available on the Birmingham Museum of Art website.

Earlier this year, the Birmingham Museum of Art announced the appointment of a new addition to its leadership team. In January, the institution announced Chantal Drake as the James Milton and Sallie R. Johnson deputy director. In addition to managing daily operations, Drakes responsibilities include oversight of various museum departments and relationship cultivation with government and community partners.
A 23-year-old man was shot to death early Sunday in a Sylacauga apartment.

Police identified the victim as Darrell TShunn Maple. He lived in Talladega.

Sylacauga police were dispatched at 2 a.m. to a report of gunfire in the Drew Court housing community.

Police Chief Kelley Johnson said officers arrived to find the wounded Maple in an apartment on Fluker Street.

Officers tried to control Maples bleeding until Sylacauga Ambulance Service arrived. Maple was taken to Coosa Valley Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 3:22 a.m.

Johnson said the investigation is ongoing.

The deadly shooting is Sylacaugas eighth homicide this year.

Over the past few years, we, along with many other cities, have seen an increase in murders, Johnson said. I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the victims family.

The chief said investigators will do everything they can to deliver justice for the victim and his family.

We need the help of the people in the community to come forward with any information pertaining to this and any other crime, Johnson said. We ask that everyone gets involved and help us get this murder, and the others in our city, solved.

We want peace within our city, especially during the Christmas season, he said. Help us help these victims families get justice for their loved ones murder.

Anyone with information is asked to call the departments tip line at 256-249-4716 or investigators at 256-267-0090. Tipsters can also call Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867).
Watch for three new restaurant and retail operations coming soon in southern Baldwin County:

Baumhowers Victory Grill is to open next month in the Tanger Outlets off Alabama 59 in Foley.

Parlor Doughnuts is set to open at 600 Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores early next year.

A 10,500-square-foot Family Dollar store is set to be built at 3863 Alabama 59 in Gulf Shores.

There were also several real estate transaction of note in recent days in Mobile and Baldwin counties:
Pope Francis on Sunday revealed that he has a lung inflammation but will go later this week to Dubai to address the climate change conference.

Francis skipped his weekly Sunday appearance at a window overlooking St. Peters Square, a day after the Vatican said he was suffering from a mild flu. Instead, Francis gave the traditional noon blessing in an appearance televised live from the chapel in the Vatican hotel where he lives.

Brothers and sisters, happy Sunday. Today I cannot appear at the window because I have this problem of inflammation of the lungs, Francis said. The pontiff, whose turns 87 on Dec. 17, added that a priest, sitting beside him, would read out his days reflections for him.

In those comments, Francis said that he was going to the United Arab Emirates for the COP28 gathering on climate change and that he would deliver his speech, as scheduled, on Saturday to the participants.

Besides war, our world is threatened by another great peril, that of climate change, which puts at risk life on Earth, especially for future generations, the pontiff said in the words read by the priest.

I thank all who will accompany this voyage with prayer and with the commitment to take to heart the safeguarding of the common house, the pontiff said, using his term for Earth.

In the footage, it could be seen that the pope had a bandage on his right hand and what appeared to be a cannula. The Vatican didnt immediately respond to a query from The Associated Press about whether he was receiving intravenous or some other treatment.

Not immediately explained was the discrepancy between the pope saying he has lung inflammation and the Vatican saying a day earlier that Francis had a CT scan at a Rome hospital to exclude the risk of pulmonary complications and that the exam was negative.

Earlier this year, Francis was hospitalized for three days for what he later said was pneumonia and what the Vatican described as a case of bronchitis necessitating treatment with intravenous antibiotics.

This weekend has been very windy and unusually chilly for late autumn in Rome.

The pontiffs voice dipped low, and at times he seemed almost breathless in his brief introductory remarks explaining why he didnt make the window appearance, and at the end when he added his usual request to dont forget to pray for me.
Russian authorities on Sunday claimed that Ukraine tried to attack Moscow overnight with dozens of drones, just a day after Russia launched its most intense drone attack on Kyiv since the beginning of its full-scale war in 2022, according to Ukrainian officials.

Russian air defenses brought down at least 24 drones over the Moscow region  which surrounds but does not include the capital  and four other provinces to the south and west, the Russian Defense Ministry and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported in a series of Telegram updates. Neither referenced any casualties.

Andrei Vorobyev, governor of the Moscow region, wrote on Telegram that the drone strikes damaged three unspecified buildings there, adding that no one was hurt.

Russian Telegram channels reported that one drone crashed into a 12-story apartment block in the western Russian city of Tula, about 180 kilometers south of Moscow, injuring one resident and frightening others.

Moscows Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports also briefly shut down because of the drone attack, according to Russias state-run news agency Tass. Both appeared to have resumed normal operation by 6 a.m. local time, according to data from international flight tracking portals.

Russian Telegram channels speculated that Ukrainian forces had deployed a previously unseen type of drone in the purported strike, pointing out some similarities to the Iranian-made weapons Moscow routinely employs in its attacks on Ukraine.

The Russian capital has come under attack from drones regularly since May, with Russian officials blaming Ukraine. Military analysts commented at the time that the early attacks deployed Ukrainian locally-made drones which could not carry as heavy a payload as the Iranian-made Shaheds.

As of late morning Sunday, Ukrainian officials did not acknowledge or comment on the strikes, which came a day after Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital with over 60 Iranian-made Shahed drones. At least five civilians were wounded in the hourslong assault, which saw several buildings damaged by falling debris from downed drones, including a kindergarten. The wounded included an 11-year-old child, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

The attack was the most massive air attack by drones on Kyiv" in the war so far, Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv city administration, said on Saturday. Ukrainian air force spokesman, Yurii Ihnat, confirmed later that same day that air defenses shot down 66 air targets over the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region throughout the morning.

The attack on Kyiv was carried out on the morning of Holodomor Memorial Day, which commemorates the manmade famine in Soviet Ukraine that killed millions of Ukrainians from 1932 to 1933. It is marked on the fourth Saturday in November.

The Ukrainian air force early on Sunday said it had brought down eight of nine Iranian-made Shahed drones fired overnight by Russian forces.

Also on Sunday morning, the Russian defense ministry reported that two Soviet-made S-200 rockets fired by Kyiv were shot down over the sea of Azov, which stretches between Crimea and Ukraines Russian-occupied southeastern coast.

According to local news sources, air raid sirens sounded shortly earlier in Russian-annexed Crimea, which on Friday came under what Russian officials called one of the biggest drone attacks since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. There were no reports of casualties, and no comment from officials in Kyiv.

Elsewhere, parts of Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine were left without power following a nighttime Ukrainian strike on a thermal power plant in the Donetsk region, a Moscow-installed local official reported on Telegram Sunday. According to Denis Pushilin, who heads the province Russia illegally annexed last year, the attack on the Starobesheve plant took out the electricity in parts of the occupied cities of Donetsk and Mariupol, along with other nearby areas.

On the outskirts of Donetsk, Russian troops have continued their attempts to advance near Avdiivka, the eastern town that has been a Ukrainian stronghold and fighting hotspot since the early days of the war, according to reports by the Ukrainian General Staff and analysis by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

The Ukrainian General Staff on Sunday morning said Kyivs forces over the previous 24 hours beat back Russian assaults to the northeast, west and southwest of Avdiivka, as Moscow's troops strain to encircle the city.

Several Russian bloggers also made unconfirmed claims that Ukrainian forces had begun withdrawing from the industrial zone on Avdiivkas southern flank, although others said that Russian troops lacked complete control of the area. These claims could not be independently verified. (AP)










English News Synergy needed to develop China's sci-fi industry

Alwihda Info | Par pd - 24 Novembre 2023



While attending the World Science Fiction Convention, I found that most foreign sci-fi fans and authors are seniors, but in China, we have a vibrant community of young sci-fi enthusiasts and creators. We are seeing an increasing number of teenagers and even younger individuals who are passionate about science fiction. This signifies a promising future for Chinese science fiction.

By Hai Ya Recently, my novelette "The Space-Time Painter" won the Hugo Award for Best Novelette, which was announced at the 2023 World Science Fiction Convention in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province. It was a great encouragement to me to receive the trophy from my predecessor Liu Cixin.



My steps along the path of science fiction creation are fueled by a deep passion inside. When I was a child, I liked to visit the Xinhua Bookstore near my home, where I stumbled upon reading sci-fi works including Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, The Mysterious Island, and Chinese work Dense Fog over the Old Gorge.



During my middle school years, I consciously looked for sci-fi novels to read, and sci-fi magazines were always shared by my classmates then. This reading environment further fueled my love for science fiction.



The allure of science fiction lies in its ability to create worlds different from reality through scientific imagination, allowing people to experience the wonders of fantasy.



For sci-fi enthusiasts, writing their own stories seems a natural next step. As you repeatedly soar through the wonders crafted in novels, there comes a day when you want to create your own literary universe with your pen.



A common challenge in sci-fi creation is that authors often use lengthy and esoteric terms to explain the sci-fi settings. This not only raises the barrier to reading acceptance but also disrupts the narrative flow, making it difficult to gain widespread readership and popularity.



On the contrary, Liu Cixin's works such as The Three-Body Problem and The Devourer stand out with prominent sci-fi elements while telling intricate and captivating stories that provoke deep thoughts. These works have inspired me to believe that storytelling is paramount in science fiction, whether it is hard or soft sci-fi.



In my creative work, I always adhere to the principle of putting the story first and pay particular attention to whether the sci-fi elements can be easily comprehended by readers. Gradually, I have learned to naturally introduce sci-fi settings through plot evolution, revealing the sci-fi world to the readers step by step.



The opening of my work The Space-Time Painter doesn't have many sci-fi elements but rather resembles a mystery story. As the story unfolds, the sci-fi settings start to emerge. Judging from the results, this creative approach has made my works beloved by more readers.



After I won the Hugo Award, many people asked me where the inspiration for the innovative setting in The Space-Time Painter came from, which combines science fiction and traditional culture.

The direct inspiration came from the ancient painting A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains by Wang Ximeng of China's Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The renowned artist left behind this masterpiece, but only sparse biographical details about him exist in historical records, leaving ample space for literary imagination.



As a child, I repeatedly read an accessible edition of Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance), whose gripping contents have stuck with me over the years, leaving me yearning for more of the unfinished story threads. Just one historical detail, when unfolded, can be turned into an outstanding work of literature. My series of historical science fiction exactly originated from such unfinished story threads in history.



Every writer's creation has historical and cultural imprints, and the science fiction sector is no exception. Chinese civilization has a long and continuous history, and the fine traditional Chinese culture serves as a vast "database" for literature creation. By drawing from and innovatively transforming this cultural heritage, new literary works, films, television programs, tourism projects, and cultural and creative products can be continuously produced.



In China today, more and more creators are actively engaging in the creative transformation and innovative development of China's fine traditional culture. Seeking inspiration and materials from our ancient civilization has become a consensus among creators.



For me, the combination of science fiction and traditional culture is not a deliberate choice but a natural progression. I believe that even without The Space-Time Painter, other writers would make the same choice.



Science fiction can only bloom in the spring of science and technology. No matter what kind of science fiction, it originates from science. With the continuous advancement of science and technology and the constant breakthroughs being made, people are filled with longing and curiosity for science. This attracts them to read sci-fi works and thus brings vitality to the industry. It can be said that the prosperity of science and technology in China today is the biggest engine driving sci-fi creation.



As a financial practitioner, I often think about the future of China's science fiction from an industrial perspective, hoping that the industry can truly thrive.



I believe that to achieve this vision, a more complete industrial chain is needed to address the shortcomings in the development of the industry. At the same time, key aspects such as film and television adaptations need to be well managed to play a leading role.



For example, the successes of excellent film and television works such as The Wandering Earth, Moon Man and The Three-Body Problem have had a significant impact on the overall improvement of the sci-fi industry.



On one hand, they have made sci-fi works widely spread and stimulated market demand. On the other hand, they have refined the division of labor in the industry, allowing professionals to do their specialized work, thereby solidifying the cultural industrial system and foundation of the industry.



Developing the sci-fi industry is not a short-term task; it requires the joint and synergetic efforts of various aspects such as literary creation, copyright trading, and film and television adaptations.



While attending the World Science Fiction Convention, I found that most foreign sci-fi fans and authors are seniors, but in China, we have a vibrant community of young sci-fi enthusiasts and creators. We are seeing an increasing number of teenagers and even younger individuals who are passionate about science fiction. This signifies a promising future for Chinese science fiction.

As long as we put in sincere efforts and dedication, we can create rich and impactful Chinese science fiction that moves the world.



(Hai Ya is a Chinese science fiction writer. The article is compiled by People's Daily journalist Zhang Mingse based on an interview with Hai Ya.)



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China voices to lead global AI governance A glimpse into express packaging box's carbon reduction journey in China Strengthening partnership the right choice for future of China-U.S. relations Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
As has been the case since the barbarous attack on Israel by Hamas aided by Palestinian civilians, international organizations have chosen by their silence to ally themselves with the butchers instead of condemning the 10/7 attack. Canary Mission, which tracks anti-Semitism (and these days, its not untoward to equate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism because it comes from the same fetid font: hatred of Jews and the globalists anti-nationalism) notes the silence of those entities from whom we were led to expect more:

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking as head of the WHO (World Health Organization); Amnesty International, the International Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur, Human Rights Watch, the EU Commission, Malala Yousafzai, chief of UN Women.

Canary Mission is not alone in this observation.

Dr. Einat Walif:

In a better world, on October 8, the UN Secretary General, the head of the International Red Cross and other luminaries would have stationed themselves on the Egyptian border with Gaza demanding the full, immediate, and unconditional release of all the kidnapped hostages, insisting that Israel owes absolutely nothing to Hamas for the release of children, mothers, the elderly, and civilians because there is no world in which such acts are OK. Israel is forced to negotiate with the twisted leaders of Hamas for our children only because so many people in official and non-official positions of power failed to do their job and normalized the idea that kidnapping children from their beds and keeping them as bargaining chips is somehow a legitimate act that leads to negotiations rather than to stringent condemnation and global ostracism.

The "free press" can fairly be characterized as outright liars and enablers of Hamas. Hamas, as the world has long known, has used hospitals, mosques, schools, and ambulances in clear contravention of international law to store military weaponry and hide and transport fighters. Israel claimed at the start something that everyone in Gaza -- including the UN personnel stationed there -- knew: Underneath the hospital was the Hamas operational headquarters and a series of tunnels leading to and from the hospital. Major news outlets suggested strongly that Israels claim was a lie. Even after Israel took over the hospital and secured the underground, it definitively proved that Hamas had used the hospital, including how it drained electricity and water from it to maintain its operations, how its terrorists took refuge there, and even transported hostages there, the lie had spread around the world. Why did the press disparage Israel?

Omri Ceren offers up as good an explanation as any:

Here's the thing about all those outlets that ran stories suggesting Israel lied about Hamas using Shifa Hospital as a military HQ: 1st, it was all of them. 2nd, it shows the incentives and disincentives that used to make journalism reliable have been nuked. They've been replaced by attaboys for whatever helps the home team win a couple of news cycles. The home team for them right now, weirdly but undeniably, is Hamas. Incentives: Journalism wasn't designed so reporters could guide you towards truth. Mostly because they're bad at it, as the bulk of them don't know very much and the very best are still generalists. But also, because it becomes subtly corrosive in the way we saw during Trump, where they all convinced each other to print the same partisan line by telling each other it's the truth (which they'd be the last to know, because see above). Instead, journalism is supposed to be about facts and, more specifically, it's supposed to be a competitive industry where the incentives are about printing facts out before anyone else. "Scoops." Which means that when you see them all printing the same thing, you can tell the incentive structure has broken down. [snip] Disincentives: There was a time when having to print a correction was the most professionally mortifying thing imaginable. [snip] As journalism declined, and especially during Trump, they used all sorts of tricks with each other to take out the sting. Things that should have been "corrections" got downgraded to "editor's notes," and things that should have been "editor's notes" got downgraded to stealth edits. They had to, because they were simply making things up as they went along, and it wouldn't have worked otherwise. [snip] For this Shifa Hospital news cycle, they ALL KNEW the Israelis would eventually publish evidence they were wrong. Everyone has known for a decade the hospital is a Hamas operation center. They did it anyway, because the stigma for being wrong is gone, as long as you're wrong for the right side.

Ceren is right, too, that journalists dont know very much. Hussain-Abdul-Hussain, a Lebanese-Iraqi at the Foundation for the Defense of Freedom, examines the ignorance of the Washington Post writers:

The @washingtonpost gauges Arab public opinion using voodoo reporting. As the Post imagines them, the Arabs have no debate or division between different views (like here in the US, older folks with Israel, younger people with Hamas). The imagined "Arab Street" is one monolithic bloc that is in consensus over the "Palestine cause." Did the Post ask itself what would happen to Arab dissenting voices who think that the "Palestine cause" is a lie behind which all corruption and terrorism hides? Did the Post ever seek out dissenting voices to try to see why they can't say their opinions out loud? Garbage samples: "The prevailing view throughout the Middle East is that while Israel is doing the fighting, this is an American war." And this: "In Arab nations, where solidarity with the Palestinian cause has endured for decades."

You rarely in the press see dissenting views, even from Arabs outside the control of the authoritarian thugs who rule so many of these countries. Nor is much play given to the words and actions of Palestines neighbors, none of whom are willing to take refugees from there. Did you know that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi made this proposal this week:

@EhabH91 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi proposed, "We are prepared to support the demilitarization of the Palestinian state, ensuring safeguards through NATO, UN, Arab, or American forces -- whichever is preferred. This question should be directed to Hamas regarding whether they accept to stop the shedding of the blood of our people in Gaza.

Winner of the most stupid journalist of the week is Sky News presenter Kay Burley, who asked Eylon Levy, Israeli government spokesman, whether the fact that Israel had agreed to release 150 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for just 50 hostages showed that Israel does not think that Palestinian lives are valued as highly as Israeli lives. Levy explained that the absurd question failed to acknowledge that this was the deal Hamas insisted upon, at which point the idiot presenter said the suggestion that she had advanced was given to her by an unnamed hostage negotiator.

As for the status of the exchange, Hamas released none of the American hostages -- 13 Israeli women and children, the women mostly aged and frail (indeed, Hamas had earlier reported one had died in captivity) and a number of Thais and a Filipino whose exchange had been negotiated separately with Iran by the government of Thailand. Not one American was released. Not one young woman. Not a nine-month-old baby. Other breaches by Hamas have occurred and more are likely. The deal required ICRC access to all the hostages to assess their health -- and whether they are even alive -- and this never happened. The IDF has surrounded the fighters in Northern Gaza and that was the line set by agreement. Hamas is trying to break this by encouraging young men in the south to come to the north (and probably by reprovisioning with stolen relief supplies).

Friday night, in front of a loud, cheering crowd on the West Bank, a Palestinian mob bound two men by hands and feet upside down and blindfolded, claiming that they had communicated with Israel. The men were hung, one was dismembered, and their remains were ceremoniously thrown onto a garbage heap. It was all videotaped, certainly to intimidate every watcher. One of the men executed was Hamza Ahmed Hamza Mubarak, a 31-year-old Afro-Palestinian, a descendant of slaves brought there by Arabs whose descendants still suffer humiliation and discrimination.

As we go to press, Hamas is playing a delaying game by refusing to release the second batch of hostages -- remember these hostages include children and a nine-month-old baby. Israel has given them until 12 midnight on Saturday night to release them or the pause will be over and the attack resumed.

As Hamas delays, it and its allies are drumming up street mobs around the world, and posting ridiculously phony videos on social media, appealing to the credulous and partisan -- things like Hamas fighters wearing Israeli uniforms and bragging about stealing a necklace and demolishing a building, and more of the same Pallywood pictures of kids smeared with paint which they claim are the victims of genocide.

Its time to wipe Hamas out, and follow the suggestion of Egypts president. These people can neither govern nor comply with the basic requirements of decency and international law, and they never will be able to.
Rather than be filled with joy that some of the hostages in Israel are released, Im sick to my stomach at the monstrous nature and sheer audacity of the deal. Biden is squarely on the backs of the Israelis, who know better than to become handmaidens of Hamas. Dozens more, perhaps hundreds more of Israels soldiers and thousands more civilians in Gaza will be killed as a result of this kindness.

Seven-plus weeks into what history may eventually consider one of the most sadistic, cruel, and calculated terrorist events in world history, the Free Worlds common sense will continue to be in question. Hamas could not win a straight-up fight with Israel. It would have been relatively easy to bring down holy hell on Gaza as an example to Iran and its proxies. But with the added dimension of hostages taken from Israel, Hamas should be credited (if that word can even be used) with one of the most audacious acts of asymmetric warfare weve ever witnessed. Examine for a moment the crazy reversal of priorities and strength we are witnessing:

Israel values life; Hamas does not.

Israel is a pluralistic, democratic country, and Hamas is a Hitler-like autocracy. Copies of Mein Kampf have been found in the tunnels under Gaza.

Israel grants the same rights and responsibilities to its Arab citizens, while Hamas kills Arab collaborators, whether Arab citizens in Israel, Gaza, or the West Bank.

Israel provides free advanced medical care for Arabs, from the West Bank, Gaza, and from within Israel. Hamas kills any Jews it gets its hands on and will often prevent its people from accessing hospitals and medical care in Israel.

Israel teaches its children (including Arabs) about the world at large and without hate. Hamas teaches the destruction of Israel and the Jews from birth. Watch this video here.

Israel is Western-facing and life-affirming. Hamas is a death cult.

Perhaps the most problematic reality for many in the West to come to grips with is our tragic lack of knowledge and understanding of history and the stark differences in priorities between Westerners and many Muslim followers. The ladder of priorities is so vastly different between us. We heard for ourselves the elation of not just the murders of children and innocents on October 7, but an actual phone call of one of those monsters calling his parents, seeking praise for his acts. And you heard the words of those parents praising Allah even as the blood was still dripping from his hands.

This is outside the experience of most Americans. We place our children first; most Muslims put sharia law above the usual priorities of Western nations. This demonstrates the proximate break in our ability to reconcile the monstrous acts committed by Palestinians versus our value system. We dont think the same way.

The question that must be asked is, to what extent is the apparent delight expressed by the October 7 slaughter widely and joyfully accepted by the majority of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and across Islam in general? If widespread happiness at the butchery of Jews is the norm, then there may be few real innocents in Gaza.

I listened to an Arab pundit who was criticizing Israel using the specious logic that Israel must value Jewish life over Arab life because Israel was willing to exchange three Arabs for each hostage. Amazing logic! However, it is widely accepted and repeated on social media.

The hostage releases, coupled with allowing Hamas to be at least partially resupplied, will have only four inevitable outcomes:

It will prolong the war. More people on both sides will die. The likelihood of all or most hostages being released will be diminished. The chances of Israel being able to stay the course against an ever-rising tide of anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian outrage will diminish Israels chances of success over time as world attention continues to look at Israel through a different and false lens that sees Gazans as victims and Israel as an oppressor nation.

All this could change if the President and other political leaders would stand unequivocally with Israel and against Hamas/Gaza. There is a false equivalency pushed by many that makes granting humanitarian aid to Gaza equal and equivalent to the freeing of the hostages without conditions while meddling in the military tactics Israel must employ to ensure a quick, decisive victory. The ambivalence of our leaders, the messaging on social media, and the scripted demonstrations on our streets fulfill our enemys wildest dreams and expectations.

Israels enemies exploit the medias bias and the political reality of Bidens failed policies with an upcoming election he cant win if hes truthful. Biden does all of this with the knowledge that there will be thousands more dead and with the potential of Hamas escaping justice. The worst proclivities and greed of American politics are on display. Biden is demonstrating self over country and, even worse, evil over good, all for positive press, clicks, and control of a false narrative he needs. God forgive you, Mr. President  millions of us wont.

As I write this, I want to make a prediction that depresses me and runs counter to my typical positive beliefs and faith in the certainty of good over evil. Friends, the cynical mullahs in Iran and the evil enchanted monkeys they control are anti-human. No amount of suffering, death, destruction, or grief will ever be enough for them unless they kill all Jews anywhere in the world. Their hatred is on display, as revealed through the cameras strapped to the October 7 attackers and in their writing, videos, and statements. Believe your eyes and ears, people!

Israel bent to the will of Joseph Biden and the understandable wails of pain and agony of the hostages friends and relatives. It is threading a needle to satisfy those two pressure blocs. Many, if not most, of the hostages will not come home. Many are likely dead already, and some who survive will never be the same. The price we are paying is too high, as we see, once again, politicians making political decisions that make Iran and Hamas believe they will survive the horror they put in motion.

Two different victories are likely to play out. The first victory, the military one, Israel will undoubtedly win, albeit with overwhelming world condemnation. The second and more significant victory, that of what happens to Hamas, Israel has already lost. Hamas will survive unless Israel is willing to trap and kill every Hamas terrorist in Gaza and wherever they live.

With the leadership of Hamas already safely ensconced in Qatar, their continuation seems ensured. The worlds overwhelming political bias will guarantee that the Islamic narrative will be widely disseminated and believed. Inevitably, this means there will be a next time and a next time until they either destroy us or we develop the backbone required to destroy this evil before it blankets the world.

Allan J. Feifer  Patriot, Author, Businessman, Thinker, and Strategist. Read more about Allan, his background, and his ideas to create a better tomorrow at www.1plus1equals2.com.

Image via Picryl.
What is the single greatest threat to globalist tyranny? A moral and self-sufficient population capable of critical thinking and dedicated to the defense of individual liberty.

People who can distinguish between right and wrong do not require governments to safeguard their conscience. People who can provide for themselves and trade with others in free markets do not become addicted to government welfare. People who question authority and value objective truth are less inclined to be manipulated by government propaganda. People who recognize personal freedom as an inviolable right tend to possess the character and moral fortitude to resist coercion.

For the Marxist globalists advancing a technocratic new world order designed to elevate a privileged few over everyone else, the ideal human is spiritually confused, helpless, ignorant, and uncurious. Preying on those who are in desperate need of saving is how governments turn citizens into slaves.

In order to hasten the arrival of its planned dystopia, the one-world-government crowd depends on artificial constructs meant to nudge the masses into compliance. The climate change bugaboo is the mechanism used to replace free markets and private property with corporate oligarchs and central bankers who act as global economic managers tasked with saving the planet. The prospect of unending waves of new viral pandemics is the mechanism used to justify government coercion, lockdowns, mandates, and mass surveillance. Fraudulent allegations of racism, colonialism, imperialism, cultural supremacy, and privilege together form the mechanism that Marxist globalists (actual imperialists) use to mobilize mass migration, unleash cultural conflict, and keep otherwise peaceful populations in a vulnerable state of division, hostility, and social decay. Finally, governments open war on disinformation and all its variants (including the erroneous classifications of scientific debate as misinformation and public debate as hate speech) is the mechanism used to silence all criticism and dissent.

If unregulated disinformation were really the dangerous threat that governments pretend it to be, a reasonable person would expect to see dedicated public schools now teaching the kind of critical thinking skills necessary to arm every citizen with the requisite tools to combat the supposed monstrous surge in unsanctioned propaganda. From the beginning of an elementary school pupils education, rational argument would be distinguished from logical fallacy. Reason and rigorous investigation would be valued over emotional and subjective appeals to feelings. Not only would young students be taught to examine their presuppositions, but also they would be exhorted to question all appeals to authority. After all, authoritarians such as Stalin, Mao, Mussolini, and Hitler all ruled with an iron fist precisely because questioning their authority was forbidden. If governments were truly motivated by a fear of a future Hitler, they would counsel their youngest citizens from the earliest age: question everything!

Instead, we see no such intellectual preparation. Facts have been abandoned and replaced with personal truths. Historical events have been rewritten for nefarious political calculations (Remember Obamas insistence that Muslims were instrumental to Americas founding?). Biological sex and other inconvenient scientific precepts have been jettisoned, so that mental delusions and State-enforced Lysenkoism can manipulate reality. Government educators demand that ideas be politically correct. Rhetorical combat has been forbidden out of a pusillanimous devotion to avoiding hurt feelings.

Freethinking and creative expression are now burdened with so many intrusive guardrails that more time is wasted divining what cannot be said out loud than is spent nurturing true genius and imagination. Math classes have replaced calculus with social grievance curricula and obsessions over systemic racism. Literary classics have been swapped with new age rubbish that demonizes Western civilization, while proselytizing a new woke religion devoted to multiculturalism, global warming, abortion, and gender fluidity.

In other words, childhood education has banished intellectual discernment from the classroom and is now hopelessly awash in fairytales, feelings, psychobabble, and other mind-numbingly stupid and spurious inanities.

How can any student prepare to combat a world supposedly rife with disinformation when government indoctrination is disguised as schoolwork and critical thinking is sacrificed on the altar of politically correct groupthink?

Asking the question suggests an obvious answer: governments are not worried about disinformation at all. What concerns them is competing points of view that challenge their monopoly over constructed truths. As the worlds foremost purveyors of propaganda, they fear the rise of any speakers not under their control. Governments fabricated war on disinformation is actually a war for the preservation of a filthy public sewer system that pumps out toxic disinformation daily.

Freethinkers armed with critical thinking skills are like intellectual plumbers capable of parsing governments sordid lies. Marxist globalisms fetid sludge grows underground only if society lacks the good sense to understand what causes the foul-smelling putridness drifting beneath its own nose.

Government propaganda is nothing new. Concentrated power depends on institutional control over what is considered true. An open war on disinformation, though, suggests that the ground beneath our feet is shifting. What has changed? An unchartered and unregulated guild of intellectual plumbers has begun to make solid progress in unclogging governments propaganda-filled sewers, so that fresh truths can finally flow.

What do the political successes of Donald Trump in the United States, Javier Milei in Argentina, and Geert Wilders in the Netherlands represent if not a pivot away from the ruling globalists chokehold over institutional power and toward a fledgling cross-border movement for human liberty?

Perhaps the era has finally arrived to turn Marx on his head and implore: Freedom-lovers of the world, unite!

There is a clever political meme rumbling around online that breaks society into four groups of people:

(1) Those who believe the narrative and comply;

(2) Those who know its BS and comply anyway;

(3) Those who are waking up to the lie and are starting to refuse to comply; and

(4) Those who knew it was BS right from the start and refused to partake in the lie.

Those in category (4) represent a stubbornly consistent 20% of the population whose capacity for smelling BS and rejecting official truths runs high. Jim Quinn wrote an essay over at The Burning Platform highlighting Stanley Milgrams consequential study that concluded, 80% of the population do not have the psychological or moral resources to defy an authoritys order, no matter how illegitimate the order is.

Quinn surveys how Deep State propaganda, rampant fearmongering, and social media influence campaigns have only further dulled critical thinking skills in the sixty years since Milgrams experiment and paints a depressing picture:

The entire Covid scamdemic was a modern day Milgram Experiment and the vast majority of the world population were duped into believing the annual flu was such a horrific threat that they agreed to be locked down, lose their jobs, treat others like lepers, mask & distance, give their government unlimited authoritarian power, agree to censor and cancel critical thinking dissenters, and ultimately be injected with an untested, toxic, gene therapy that failed to combat covid, but certainly has caused millions of sudden deaths, turbo cancers, and myocarditis in young people.

From Quinns perspective, the clearly stolen 2020 presidential election and the J6 fake insurrection further suggest, the sheep obediently believe what the authorities spout.

Given that only 14% of U.S. adults have grabbed the most recent COVID shot and strong majorities of the American people believe both that fraud tainted the 2020 election and that J6 prosecutions have amounted to targeted political persecution, I will suggest a more optimistic conclusion: the number of Americans who have moved from group (1) to group (3) is rapidly expanding. People are, indeed, waking up and refusing to comply.

Our goal, then, is straightforward: continue shaking group (1) awake from its interminable slumber until an overwhelming majority can isolate and eliminate group (2) from ever again exercising authority.

The governments execrable war on disinformation proves how much it fears that we might be winning.

Image: Pashi via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Conservatives are used to being called extreme.

Speaker Mike Johnson is ripped by liberal media for his extreme Christian nationalist views and for his belief in covenant marriage. That is to say, Johnson believes that it is necessary to pare back progressive spending in face of ruinous government debt before the country is bankrupted, and in his personal life, he believes that marriage really is a matter of til death do us part. So thats extreme?

Some intrepid reporter should ask Joe Biden to name one federal program that could be eliminated, not that he would receive an answer. Not only does Biden refuse to eliminate a single program, but he refuses to reduce his ever-larger budget requests for nearly every program.

Job Corps is a good example of what should be eliminated in entirety. Established in 1964, Job Corps has received a grade of F from the GAO every year of its existence. And yet every year, its budget grows: in 2022, $1.755 billion compared to $1.701 billion in 2010. The average cost per graduate (2017 figures) was well over $50,000  and this for very basic job skills that could be acquired for free by working at McDonalds or any number of businesses. And yet Biden continues to request more money for Job Corps every year.

Altogether, Biden requested $6 trillion in regular spending in FY2022 (and another $5 trillion in emergency spending over two years), and do liberal media consider this extreme? Even the Washington Post, one of Americas most liberal newspapers, has concluded that immense fraud took place with Bidens emergency spending, including billions claimed by Nigerians and other foreigners. And all that government watchdog agencies can say is that they need more money while admitting that it is nearly impossible to recoup losses.

The federal debt has risen in less than three years under Biden from $21.6 trillion in January 2021 to nearly $34 trillion today, and yet this is not extreme? The national debt is exploding, and theres not one word from any Democrat leader as to how to cut spending. Republicans have passed legislation to cut the rate of spending, but it will not go anywhere in the Senate.

Every homemaker knows how to budget spending, or should know. You cannot spend what you dont have. The same discipline must be brought to government. End deficit spending permanently, and begin paying off the national debt.

Its not just fiscal control that is lacking. According to the left, prohibiting abortion, even in the last trimester, is said to be extreme. But it is not conservatives who are extreme on abortion; it is the left. Not only do liberals allow millions of nearly complete and perfect human beings to die (nearly one million legal abortions in the U.S. in 2022 alone), but they encourage it through organizations that guide young women in their abortion decisions. Aborting a child at any point in the pregnancy is extreme. Attempting to preserve life, as conservatives do, is not. This much should be obvious.

On its website, Planned Parenthood announces: If youre pregnant and thinking about abortion, you may have lots of questions. Were here to help. Abortion rights groups pretend they are supporting women and defending womens rights. The reality is that helping with abortion means ending a human life.

Support for abortion is an extreme position, and it has been deemed so for thousands of years. It is not difficult to find numerous Bible verses defending the right to life and condemning murder in any form. Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV) tells us: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. Christians celebrate the Annunciation on March 25, the day when the angel Gabriel informed Mary that she would carry the baby Jesus, God incarnate from the moment of conception. What if Mary had decided to seek an abortion? Its a chilling thought, and it illustrates just how extreme the casual acceptance of abortion has become.

Plenty of extreme behavior surrounds the lefts response to Israels war against Hamas. This month, 30 students walked out on Hillary Clintons lecture at Columbia, protesting Israels extremist government. Faculty and administration at Columbia and Cornell, UPenn, and hundreds of other universities have refused to condemn pro-Hamas demonstrations. In fact, a majority of college faculty agree with the present wave of anti-Israel demonstrations and may be promoting antisemitism on campus. Are conservatives who support Israel extreme, or are liberals who support Hamas the real extremists?

On Oct. 11, Newsweek published a list of universities hosting pro-Palestinian demonstrations. This listing barely scratches the surface of antisemitism on campus or in the U.S. media, government, and corporations. These are not, for the most part, peaceful protests. They are actions that threaten Jews and that loudly proclaim from the river to the sea, shorthand for the elimination of Israel as a nation. Nor is the mood of these protests very peaceful. On Nov. 15, hundreds of violent anti-Israel protesters clashed with police outside the DNC headquarters in Washington, D.C. Six Capitol Police officers were treated for injuries incurred at the hands of an estimated 150 protesters.

The DNC protest is just one of thousands of violent left-wing protests over the past few years, most of them directed at conservatives or conservative policies  though radicals have increasingly turned their sights on their own, whom they consider not radical enough. The rise of progressive brown-shirts follows a familiar pattern of political extremism. For decades, progressives have operated under the slogan by any means necessary, and the means have become more and more violent. And yet the national media refuse to condemn this violence as extreme.

As we enter the election year of 2024, the left will attempt to portray Donald Trump as extreme. During his first term, Trump did much to revive our sluggish economy, close the southern border, and defend our nation against its enemies. Nothing that Trump did was extreme, but that wont stop the left from portraying him as such.

Its important to remember that progressives are extreme to the point of endangering our security, undermining our economy, and promoting social policies that kill and destroy. As their name suggests, conservatives wish to conserve life, conserve law and order, conserve our economy, and conserve our democracy. These are commonsense goals that most Americans support. They are in no way extreme.

Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).

Image: Chris Dodds via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
The slavish devotion of American Jews to progressive politics is facing the greatest challenge since FDR swung Jewish public opinion to the Democrats 9 decades ago. Via John Hinderaker of Powerline:

Teacher Stands With Israel, Students Riot

Hundreds of students rioted at Hillcrest High School in Queens on Monday, trying to assault a teacher who posted a photo on Facebook of herself with an I Stand With Israel sign:

Hundreds of radicalized kids rampaged through the halls of a Queens high school this week for nearly two hours after they discovered a teacher had attended a pro-Israel rally  forcing the terrified educator to hide in a locked office as the teen mob tried to push its way into her classroom, The Post has learned.

The mayhem at Hillcrest High School in Jamaica unfolded shortly after 11 a.m. Monday in what students called a pre-planned protest over the teachers Facebook profile photo showing her at a pro-Israel rally on Queens Oct. 9 holding a poster saying, I stand with Israel.

***

Hundreds of kids flooded into hallways and ran amok, chanting, jumping, shouting, and waving Palestinian flags or banners.

Many tried to barge into the teachers classroom despite school staffers blocking their entry.

Everyone was yelling Free Palestine! a senior said.

Everyone was screaming (The teacher) needs to go! a ninth-grader said.

***

School administrators and the NYPD, which responded to the school at about 11:20 am, got wind of their plans just in time to rush the teacher into an office and lock the door, another educator said.

***

Cops escorted the teacher safely out of the building.
During the last Hamas-Israel war, in the summer of 2014, I was staying at the Catholic research center at Tantur, next door to Bethlehem.

Once a week, the center leaders would say a rosary to Our Lady of the Wallthe Wall being the massive concrete border wall, 30 feet high, that Israel built along the entire Green Line of the West Bank, from north of Jenin all the way south of Hebron.

The idea was that Catholic leaders were praying for all those suffering because of the wallthe tens of thousands of Palestinian workers cut off from their former livelihoods in central Israel.

Yet there were two sides to the story of the Wall. One day, soon after I arrived, I visited the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, which I hadnt seen in more than 20 years. I stood in the plaza outside the Frank Sinatra International Student Centre and saw this odd tree growing sideways from a planter. Intrigued, I walked over to read the plaque nearby.

In July 2002, the Palestinian organization Hamasthe same Hamas that attacked innocent Israelis on October 7planted a bomb in the Hebrew University cafeteria. The bomb killed nine students, including five Americans, and wounded 100 more. The sideways tree is a memorial to those who died. The Hamas terrorists who carried out the bombing, now languishing in Israeli prisons, just had their stipends from the Palestinian Authority increased to $2,572 per month.

Image: The wreckage of the Dizengoff Street bus bombing. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Bombings were rife in the years before my visit. During the Second Intifada that began in 2000, Palestinian terrorists from the West Bank regularly blew up civilian buses and school buses. By 2003, there had been 73 suicide bomber attacks from the West Bank in central Israel, killing 293 Israelis and wounding 1,900 more, many of them children.

After the wall was finished, the bus bombings declined to virtually zero. Apparently, border walls work.

Naturally, everyone at Tantur, the European academics and the Palestinian staff, supported the Palestinian cause. Yet we European and American researchers were regularly advised to take only Arab buses to Jerusalem. The theory was that Arab buses would be safer because, presumably, Palestinian terrorists would only strike Israeli buses.

I took both Arab and Israeli buses, whichever went where I wanted to go. I got along fine with the Arabs, regularly squeezing myself into the hot and sweaty 231 bus from the Bethlehem checkpoint up to Jerusalems Jaffa Gate.

Of the four or five dozen researchers then working at Tantur, I was one of the few who spoke some Hebrew and supported Israel. The only other one who did was a Portuguese fellow working on his masters degree at Oxford on Vatican diplomacy.

The truth is, its difficult not to sympathize with ordinary Palestinians. Hardworking and friendly, they are among the best educated and generous of Arab peoples. Now, they must endure regular humiliations at the hands of 18-year-old Israeli soldiers, forced to walk through innumerable checkpoints, produce papers, and keep their eyes down.

Israelis, who have been in the Army all their lives, can be abrasive, even to tourists. Hebrew is a me Tarzan, you Jane language at the best of times, and when combined with typical Israeli brusqueness can sound mostly like barked commands.

In addition, Palestinians have been betrayed by their leaders for more than 70 years.

From the first U.N. proposal for a two-state solution in 1947, the Palestinian leadership has consistently chosen war over peace. Their all or nothing intransigencefrom the river to the sea, all of Palestine will be free, as U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib chantshas cost ordinary Palestinian families dearly.

Plus, those who call Israel an apartheid state dont know what its like to live among people who want to kill you. While I was staying at Tantur, three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped on the West Bank and, it was discovered later, summarily executed.

At the same time, Hamas began firing mortar shells and rockets into central Israelliterally hundreds of thousands of them. I got the app on my iPhone that lets Israelis know when a rocket attack has started in their area, and it went off constantlyone of the most startling and grating alarms youve ever heard.

At the time, I kept wondering what would happen if Mexican drug cartels began regularly blowing up school buses in downtown San Diego and lobbing mortar rounds into Newport Beach. How would the U.S. population react? Probably not very peacefully, I imagine.

So, yes, everyone should pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for ordinary Palestinians to be finally free of the brutal killers who speak for them and who make peace impossible. Pray for Israelis as well, who are regularly victimized by brutal terrorist attacks and the murder of innocent women and children.

Our Lady of the Wall, pray for us.

Robert J. Hutchinson is the author of Searching for Jesus: New Discoveries in the Quest for Jesus of Nazareth.
Reps. Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez must be feeling pretty flattered this morning.

Here's what the former Republican standard-bearer of 2012, Sen. Mitt Romney has to say about them yesterday, according to The Hill:

Romney says any Democrat would be an upgrade over Trump in 2024

The story specifies Democrat candidates, but it's pretty clear he would take any Democrat:

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) signaled that nearly any candidate in the 2024 field, of either party, would be an upgrade over another term for former President Trump. Id be happy to support virtually any one of the Republicans  maybe not Vivek [Ramaswamy]  but the others that are running would be acceptable to me, and Id be happy to vote for them, the retiring senator said Friday in an interview with CBSs Norah ODonnell. Id be happy to vote for a number of the Democrats too, he continued. It would be an upgrade, in my opinion, from Donald Trump and perhaps also from Joe Biden.

His dislike of Ramaswamy is linked to his support for Trump, not Ramaswamy's ideas.

It's all about Trump.

Which tells us a lot about Romney: It doesn't matter to him that Trump, for all his personality issues, gave the U.S. a growing economy and a bright future, which was cut short by COVID lockdowns and then the rigged election of senile Joe Biden from his basement.

Biden has made a hash of the economy, destroying Americans' incomes, jobs, credit, savings, retirements, and Romney doesn't care. He's not only harmed millions of Americans economically, he's made the U.S. a figure of fun abroad. For all Romney's neo-con instincts, you'd think he would be against America as a global laughingstock, famous for its Afghanistan pullout, its failure to stop Russia in Ukraine, its begging Venezuela to pump oil for us, and its inability to get its hostages held by Hamas home in a growing crisis starting to resemble the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.

That doesn't bother Romney at all. The only thing that bothers him is that Trump was mean to him and that wounded his big fat ego so he'd gladly elect another Democrat to Get Trump.

What a selfish, petty, vindictive little man, a man of no principles, no ideas, a truly unfit person for higher office who spent most of his time in the Senate obstructing President Trump and voting for his impeachment. He hates Trump and he obviously hates those voters who support him, which was obvious enough in one of his earlier campaign statements about people he "can't help."

This is one bitter wretch, still upset he never won the trust of the people the way Trump did and willing to collaborate with Democrats and their agenda to feel the revenge he wants to feel. Never mind about the country. It's all about him.

What a disgusting person. He can't leave public life soon enough. Given how unpopular he is now, the Trump team might even use his venal selfishness as a campaign ad.

Don't let the doorknob hit you in the butt on the way out, Mitt.

Image: Mark Taylor, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0
This is nothing but a witch hunt, and yet again, Ken Paxton, Texass attorney general, finds himself at the epicenter of a protracted legal saga. But Paxton stands resilient.

At the heart of the controversy lies the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, a foundational principle of our justice system. Legal challenges, rather than evidence of wrongdoing, are seen as an integral part of a fair process, underscoring the importance of due process in pursuing justice.

The absurd claim is that Paxton defrauded investors by encouraging them to fund a tech startup. The twist lies in the assertion that, unbeknownst to the investors, Paxton was receiving financial compensation for promoting the venture.

Paxton pleaded not guilty. He unequivocally asserts that the charges against him, which have lingered since 2011, are entirely fabricated. Despite the passage of time, he contends that the statutes of limitations on certain issues have been exceeded while simultaneously arguing that the laws in question were never applicable to him in the first place.

Politically motivated attacks form a pervasive theme. Paxton, targeted for his political stance, finds himself entangled in a web of calculated assaults that go beyond genuine legal concerns. The sheer number of these instances paints a vivid picture of a political battleground, where Paxton is a key player.

Beyond the legal intricacies, Paxtons tenure as Texas Attorney General is marked by positive contributions that extend far beyond the courtroom drama. His impact resonates in policy initiatives, legal actions, and positive outcomes attributed to his leadership, offering a nuanced perspective that transcends the legal battles.

Amid the legal maelstrom, concerns loom large regarding fair treatment in both the media and the legal system. The bias witnessed in public discourse becomes a rallying point, fostering a sense of solidarity among those who perceive Paxtons treatment as unjust and influenced by a narrative that borders on a subversion of facts.

Beyond the courtroom battles, Paxtons legal disputes are viewed as instruments in a larger political game, part of a broader effort to undermine him politically. This perspective unveils a strategic dimension to the legal challenges, shaping the strategy on a political chessboard where Paxton is a major player, ensnared in an unjustified imbroglio of deceptive moves.

Paxtons resilience and determination, far from mere persistence, are hailed as defining traits. His ability to continue serving despite legal challenges is seen as a testament to his capacity to overcome adversity and emerge stronger. In the context of heightened scrutiny, these traits take on added significance.

Amidst the legal intricacies and the specter of a witch hunt, our trust in the legal process remains a steadfast guiding principle. We fervently hope for a fair resolution, where truth prevails, shaping our overall perspective and influencing how we interpret the unfolding legal proceedings against Paxton.

Moreover, in an email circulated to his supporters shortly after the charges were made public, Paxton expressed confidence in his eventual vindication. Anticipating a thorough examination of the case, he articulated his expectation to be fully exonerated once the complete facts come to light.

As the legal odyssey unfolds, Ken Paxton has introduced a layer of defiance against the accusations. From his vantage point, these charges are baseless and part of a broader narrative that he expects will ultimately reveal his innocence.

Paxtons tireless campaign and forthright exposition of his vision assure the electorate and voters that the best qualified public servant is at the helm in the office of the attorney general. We cant allow him to stand alone at this crucial moment.

And as the Court of Criminal Appeals takes center stage, the narrative of defending Ken Paxton is not just a legal battle; its a resolute belief in the innocence, resilience, and positive contributions of a public figure navigating a storm of unjust controversies and, of course, a political witch hunt.

Image via Picryl.
Not quite 73% of the federal governments annual budget goes to mandatory programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. That leaves a little over 27% of the annual budget for everything else, and of that everything else, almost 47% of the money ($752 billion) goes to the military. However, as the Pentagons sixth failed audit reveals, it cannot account for half of its assetsor, should I say, your assets because the government is (or should be) every taxpayers fiduciary.

Ideally, our military is a focused fighting machine. On the ground are well-trained troops with all the weapons they need and an infrastructure that supports them no matter what enemy they face. Meanwhile, at command headquartersthe Pentagonyou find people well-schooled in the art of war who dedicate themselves to keeping our troops in peak fighting condition and zealously guard the militarys resources for the awful (and probably inevitable) day when America comes under direct attack.

In fact, while almost all of Americas troops are dedicated men and women who want to be well-trained and benefit from the weapons and infrastructure they need to support them should they face an enemy on the battlefield, the Pentagon has turned into a corrupt, wasteful bureaucracy that would make the late-stage Roman and Byzantine empires proud.

Image: The Pentagon. Public domain.

Nothing more perfectly demonstrates what our military has become than its obsessive focus on race and every variation to heterosexuality. Who can forget former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, explaining that one of his key roles was understanding Critical Race Theory? The fact that the military was the best-integrated institution in America, with its members bleeding red, white, and blue regardless of skin color, was irrelevant to him. Milleys replacement, Charles Q. Brown, is no better, vociferously supporting the militarys highly woke DEI programs.

Weve also witnessed the militarys almost overwhelming obsession with the whole LGBTQ+ panoply. Once Obama tossed Dont Ask, Dont Tell and opened the door to so-called transgender troops (an initiative only stalled briefly during the Trump years), things went from bad to worse. Aside from my contention that these people suffer from mental disorders that are either pathetic or grotesquely fetishistic, theyre also expensive. As of June 2021, the year with the most recent information I could find, the military was spending millions on their small numbers:

The Pentagon has spent $15 million in the past five years to treat 1,892 transgender troops, including $11.5 million for psychotherapy and $3.1 million for surgeries, according to Defense Department data provided to Military.com Of the 243 gender reassignment surgeries performed on military personnel since 2016, 50 took place between Jan. 1, 2016 and Dec. 31, 2017, and 193 occurred from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2019 -- the two years after President Donald Trump announced via Twitter that he would bar transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military. According to the Defense Health Agency, the surgeries were performed in military health facilities and included removal of breasts or testicles, hysterectomies and labiaplasty -- creation of or reshaping the flesh around a vagina.

A country that views its military as its frontline against enemies would politely boot these damaged people rather than spend tens of millions on them.

When the Pentagon is obsessed with peoples skin colors and the contents of their underpants, its not doing its job. Thats why its appalling to know that, in addition to its misplaced focus, the Pentagon cant even manage the money and materiels in its care:

The Pentagon has failed its annual audit for the sixth year in a row, according to the Defense Departments chief financial officer. Out of 29 individual sub-audits of the department, only seven passed this year, the same as the year prior, Comptroller Mike McCord told reporters Wednesday. [snip] This time around, 1,600 auditors combed through DODs $3.8 trillion in assets and $4 trillion in liabilities, conducting some 700 site visits. They found that half of DODs assets cant be accounted for. (Emphasis mine.)

That audit probably doesnt include the assets left behind in Afghanistan.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who has presided for three years over the farcical obsessions of a woke military, stated that he feels we need to be doing better at this and moving faster, but that getting an actual audit is years away. Well, I understand that the military is a big, complex institution, but I bet that if it directed more energy to managing its core functions instead of race and sex, that time could be shortened to months. In any event, its obvious that no heads will roll.

Vivek Ramaswamy says that, if he is elected, he will fire half the federal workforce, a plan I think is great, although Id massage it a little. For example, Id fire everyone in the Department of Education. When it comes to the military, Id leave the number of troops untouched (were already low) but fire at least half of our Pentagon officials. As Elon Musk discovered at X, in bloated institutions, most employees are deadweight.
(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 26 - Italian magistrates union ANM reacted angrily on Sunday after Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview that he considered opposition from elements within the judiciary to be the main threat Premier Giorgia Meloni's government faces.

"The only major danger is from those who have always felt they are an antagonistic faction and have always undermined centre-right governments - judicial opposition," Crosetto told Il Corriere della Sera.

"I've heard about meetings of a faction within the judiciary in which they talk about how to 'stop the anti-democratic drift Meloni is leading us to'.

"Since we have seen all sorts of things in the past, if I know this country, I expect this season to open soon, before the European Elections".

Late ex-premier and former centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi often said that the many court cases he faced, only one of which led to a definitive conviction, were staged by politically-motivated elements within the judiciary.

ANM President Giuseppe Santalucia accused Crosetto of spreading "fake news which has no foundation and hurts the institutions.

"It is misleading to portray the judiciary as a political-party-like opposition," he said.

The opposition, centre-left Democratic Party (PD) was critical too.

"We are astonished by the statements made today by Minister Crosetto," said Debora Serracchiani, the PD's justice chief.

"If the minister knows something that endangers national security, he should say so.

"Otherwise, this government should stop making veiled threats and complaining of unfounded conspiracies in a bid to hide the difficulties of the (2024) budget (bill)".

Later on Sunday Crosetto said he was "astonished" by the reaction to the interview.

"First of all, because I have done everything but threaten or delegitimise anyone," he said, while at the same time giving examples of past cases of miscarriages of justice and saying it was not possible to "hide how a part, certainly not all, of the judiciary has behaved in Italian history.

"'I only intend to defend the institutions by seeking the truth," he concluded. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 26 - The pope's Sunday Angelus address was given from the chapel of Casa Santa Marta residence where he lives inside the Vatican on Sunday instead of from a window of the Apostolic Palace looking onto Saint Peter's Square because the Argentine pontiff is suffering from flu.

Furthermore, the address, which was broadcast to the faithful in the square via big screens, was read out for Francis by Monsignor Paolo Braida, one of his closest aides.

"Today I can't look out of the window because I have this lung-inflammation problem, and reading the reflection will be Msgr Braida, who knows them (the reflections) well because it is he who writes them and he always does them so well.

"Thank you so much for your presence".

The Holy See said Saturday that Pope Francis had a CT scan at the Gemelli hospital on the Tiber Island in Rome after showing flu-like symptoms.

In a statement, it said the test yielded negative results, ruling out the risk of "pulmonary complications" after his scheduled audiences for the day were cancelled. (ANSA).


The author of an upcoming book about the royal family has said he did not interview the Duchess of Sussex for it but shares mutual friends with her which helped with sourcing information.

Omid Scobies book, Endgame, is set to be released on Tuesday and will look inside the royal family and the monarchys fight for survival.

The 42-year-old, who previously co-authored a biography of the Sussexes, insisted in an interview with The Times that he was not her (Meghans) friend.

I have mutual friends with (Meghan), and that definitely helps with getting information and breaking details, he told the newspaper.

Harry and Meghan are said in the book to be in a good place.

The book makes a series of claims about the royals and asserts that the future of the royal family is in a crisis, as revealed in The Times article.

That crisis being a lack of interest from young people, an apathy, a growing republican movement, questions over whether the family still uphold the morals and values of the crown that the Queen did such a great job of, Scobie said.

Among the claims made in the book are that there is a rift between the King and the Prince of Wales, that the Queen has quietly thanked Piers Morgan for defending the Firm and that a timid Princess of Wales has to be encouraged to perform engagements.

The Times also reported Scobies book making a series of claims involving the Sussexes  including that William was involved in things that have gone out about his own brother, that the elder brother ignored texts from Harry when the family were making their way to Balmoral before the late Queen died last year and that Charles and Meghan exchanged letters in the wake of her interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Scobies book made claims the Prince of Wales ignored texts from his brother when they were heading to Balmoral before the late Queen died (Chris Jackson/PA)

The alleged letters are said to reveal the identity of two people the Duchess claimed, in the TV interview, aired concerns about the colour of then-unborn Prince Archies skin, The Times reported.

According to the newspaper, the book also claims Meghan sends the King photos of Archie and Princess Lilibet and that she and Harry recorded a video of them singing Happy Birthday for their grandfather this month.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the extracts from Scobies book.

The author also spoke to The Times on more personal matters, telling the newspaper of the abuse he receives from anti-Meghan social media trolls.

Ive really struggled with it, to be honest, he said. I definitely felt at times like I wanted to just disappear.
A major march against antisemitism has begun in London, after English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson was escorted away by police.

Tens of thousands of people were expected to march in London in the demonstration, a day after pro-Palestinian crowds also gathered in the capital to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.

A temporary truce between Hamas and Israel is still holding, with the release of a second group of hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons coming late on Saturday.

There had been fears in that Mr Robinson, the former leader of the far-right grouping, could disrupt the protest organised by charity Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Tommy Robinson is led away by police officers as people take part in a march against antisemitism (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

The Metropolitan Police had made clear in advance that he was not welcome at the march, with the force warning that any offences whether from within the protest or from any groups trying to challenge or interfere with the march would be dealt with.

Mr Robinson had previously been seen among the crowds of counter-protesters who clashed with police during ceasefire protests held on Armistice Day.

On Sunday, he was seen arguing with officers for about 10 minutes outside Soho coffee shop opposite the Royal Courts of Justice.

He was was then led away from the scene.
A young Irish-Israeli girl has been released after being held captive by Hamas.

Emily Hand, nine, is understood to be have been held hostage by militants in Gaza after being captured in the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Beeri on October 7.

Her father Thomas, originally from Dun Laoghaire in Dublin, has spoken about how he is looking forward to giving her a huge hug.

He told the Daily Mirror that Emily would also be greeted by her beloved dog Johnsie and cuddly toys, and they are planning to give the young girl  who spent her ninth birthday in captivity  the best birthday party she never had.

Family members of Israeli hostages who are being held in Gaza, including Thomas Hand (second right) (Victoria Jones/PA)

Emilys family in Ireland held a birthday party for her at St Stephens Green in the Irish capital as they campaigned for her release.

Mr Hand met Irish president Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin to press politicians to do all they can to press for his daughters release.

We have been waiting for far too long for this moment. Every day has been a long and painful living nightmare my Emily is coming home at last, broken but in one piece, he said.

She turned nine on November 17, more than a month after she was taken from me.

I am sure she had no idea it was her birthday  she would have lost track of time and dates there. I still have the party balloons  this one is floating in my hotel room, but its lost a lot of air, its going flat. Well get hundreds and hundreds now and make a great party.

Shell have the best Christmas and Hanukkah shes ever had. Im a lapsed Catholic and her mum and almost all her friends are Jewish, so we celebrate both.

I may take her out of Israel altogether so she can recover in a country thats fully at peace. Like England.

Mr Higgins welcomed Emilys release, saying it brought an end to a horrific time for all of her family.

In a statement he said: It is my great hope that Emily can now, despite all that she has endured, enjoy a happy and fulfilling life after what has been an unimaginable situation for such a young child.

While we particularly recognise this important moment as an Irish-Israeli child is released, we must also retain a focus on what is now needed  a durable ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, and a commitment from all sides to engaging in the task of building what can be an enduring peace.

Mr Varadkar described a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family.

An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and our country breathes a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered, he said.

A little girl was snatched from her home and held captive for almost seven weeks. She spent her ninth birthday as a hostage. We hope she will soon heal and recover from the traumatic experience in the loving embrace of her family.

He paid tribute to her familys tireless campaigning for Emilys release.

They travelled across Europe to keep her plight in the public eye. When I met Tom and Natali in Dublin, their pain was etched on their faces, but so was their courage and determination to ensure that Emily would be freed. I shared their grief and was inspired by their example, he said.

Irish people everywhere share in the relief of Emilys family. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the hostages in Gaza, but we followed particularly closely the fate of Emily, a dual Irish-Israeli citizen.

Since our country first heard that she may still be alive, we have hoped beyond hope that her name would be on one of the lists of hostages to be released.

Mr Varadkar said while Emily is now returning to her family, it cannot be forgotten that many more hostages remain in captivity in Gaza.

Their fate is unknown, but we hope that like Emily, they will also be allowed to return to their homes and their families. We think of all the families suffering in this troubled region, and we redouble our efforts to work for a permanent ceasefire, and for a just and lasting peace, he said.

My statement on the release on Emily Hand. pic.twitter.com/hU1ENiJJrh  Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) November 25, 2023

Mr Martin said he is delighted that Emily, a bright and beautiful young girl, has been released and will be reunited with her family.

After weeks of trauma, this is a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family, he said.

The people of Ireland have been touched by Emilys story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father Tom.

He went on: I had the opportunity to meet Tom before travelling to the region, and I was struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughters release.

This is a message that I and my colleagues in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally, through political, diplomatic and security channels, in a bid to secure Emilys safe return.

I want to acknowledge the role played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved in securing the release of the hostages.

I am conscious today that many more hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. I reiterate my call that all hostages in Gaza should be released immediately and unconditionally.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald welcomed confirmation that Emily Hand is returning to her family.

The trauma and heartbreak that little Emily and her family have been subjected to over the last number of weeks is unimaginable, she said.

I commend the mediators efforts, including the government of Qatar and all other neighbouring states, for the constructive role that they have played in securing the release of Emily and the other hostages, as well as Palestinian women and children who were imprisoned under administrative detention, who are finally reuniting with their loved ones today.

I reiterate my call that all hostages be released urgently and for an immediate full ceasefire to be in place. Ireland must continue to be a voice for peaceful dialogue on the international stage.
The Greek prime minister has compared the British Museums possession of the Elgin Marbles to the Mona Lisa painting being cut in half.

Athens has long demanded the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, which were removed from Greece by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said he will raise the issue during meetings with Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer in London this week.

Asked where the Parthenon Sculptures should be, Mr Mitsotakis told BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: I think the answer is very clear.

They do look better in the Acropolis Museum, a state-of-the-art museum that was built for that purpose.

Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

He went on: This is not in my mind an ownership question, this is a reunification argument, where can you best appreciate what is essentially one monument?

I mean, its as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half, and you will have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum, do you think your viewers would appreciate the beauty of the painting in such a way?

Well, this is exactly what happened with the Parthenon sculptures and that is why we keep lobbying for a deal that would essentially be a partnership between Greece and the British Museum but would allow us to return the sculptures to Greece and have people appreciate them in their original setting.

Sections of the Parthenon Marbles in Londons British Museum (Matthew Fearn/PA)

British Museum chairman George Osborne, the former chancellor, has previously said he is exploring ways for the Elgin Marbles to be displayed in Greece.

There has been speculation this could involve some form of loan arrangement.

Sir Keir, who represents the Holborn & St Pancras constituency, home to the British Museum, will tell Mr Mitsotakis that Labour will not change the law regarding the marbles, The Financial Times reported.

One person close to Sir Keir told the paper: Were sticking with the existing law, but if a loan deal that is mutually acceptable to the British Museum and the Greek government can be agreed, we wont stand in the way.

The 1963 British Museum Act prevents the institution giving away objects from its collection except in very limited circumstances.

The Prime Minister, speaking in March, said that there were no plans to change a law over the sculptures.

Sir Keir Starmer (Jane Barlow/PA)

Mr Mitsotakis said: We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations, but again, Im a patient man and weve waited for hundreds of years and I will persist in these discussions.

Asked if it can be done within his time as prime minister, he added: I would hope so, yes, I was just elected.

A British Museum spokesperson said: Discussions with Greece about a Parthenon Partnership are on-going and constructive.

We believe that this kind of long term partnership would strike the right balance between sharing our greatest objects with audiences around the world, and maintaining the integrity of the incredible collection we hold at the museum.
A multibillion-pound funding package for key manufacturing sectors will drive growth and boost investment in the UK, ministers have said.

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the UK would not be drawn into a distortive subsidy battle as the Government set out its plan to boost key sectors and nurture a globally competitive battery supply chain over the next decade.

Car makers, aerospace companies and clean energy firms are set to benefit from a 4.5 billion Government fund earmarked for strategic manufacturing sectors, under the Governments Advanced Manufacturing Plan.

The plan has been published alongside a 50 million battery strategy, which will see the UK aim to become a world leader in design and production of key technology.

Recent geopolitical tensions have played havoc with electric vehicle battery supply chains in particular, creating challenges amid the race to net zero.

The major funding plan for manufacturing was announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the autumn statement last week. It comes as the UK seeks to attract investors and firms in a push to capitalise on the growing green economy.

More than 2 billion of the fund has been earmarked for the automotive industry, with 975 million for aerospace.

The money is intended to support the development of zero-emission vehicles, as well as more energy efficient aircraft equipment.

Ms Badenoch, in a foreword to the plan, appeared to distance the UK from the subsidy-heavy approach taken by the US in the Inflation Reduction Act which has been praised the Labour Party.

Other countries have embarked on large tax and spending sprees to claim a share of the global manufacturing market. I have been clear throughout that the UK will not be drawn into a distortive subsidy battle, she said.

For those of us who believe in the power of the market, the key to unlocking continued growth in our manufacturing industry is capital investment from the private sector, which sustains jobs and growth for the UK.

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch (Aaron Chown/PA)

No business secretary can pick winners, but Government can help companies succeed by removing obstacles in their way and focus on improving the business environment to ensure the sector is competitive.

The Government has nonetheless in recent months handed subsidies to Tatas battery plant, BMWs Mini factory and this week to Nissan after the Japanese car giant announced it will build new electric Qashqai and Juke models in the UK.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the new plans would see the Government going full throttle to back British businesses and make the UK a world leader in manufacturing.

Todays plan will not only give the industry the long-term certainty they need to grow and invest further in the UK, but it will also lay the foundations to create more jobs and opportunities for people across the country, he said.

Firms and investors are set to gather on Monday at a global investment summit at Hampton Court Palace.

The Chancellor used last weeks autumn statement to confirm that a tax break allowing firms to cut their bills if they invest in new equipment will be made permanent, in what he claimed was the biggest business tax cut in modern history.

The move was welcomed by firms as the Government hopes moves to boost business can help revive the UKs sluggish growth record.

Labour accused the Conservatives of handing out public money with no plan or transparency.

Shadow business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: The Conservatives have conceded Labour was right to say our world-class industries need a government on their side, investing in the future.

The difference is Labour would back British business and workers with a proper industrial strategy, a clear public plan that attracts private investment, and sees government work in partnership with industry, to ensure jobs and opportunities remain in Britain.

The Conservatives seem only to be able to write cheques and press releases with no proper plan.
Monique Olivier is currently serving a life sentence for her role in the murder of four other murders and a rape committed by Michel Fourniret - Getty Images/Francois Nascimbeni

The ex-wife of a notorious French serial killer dubbed the Ogre of the Ardennes will stand trial this week over the murder of a British woman more than 30 years ago.

Monique Olivier, 75, will be questioned about her role in the killing of Joanna Parrish, whose naked body was discovered in a river in central France in 1990.

The hearing, which is set to begin on Tuesday, will run for three weeks and also interrogate Oliviers alleged role in two other murders.

The crimes date back to 1988 in the case of Marie-Angele Domece, who disappeared aged 18 from Auxerre, and 2003, when nine-year-old Estelle Mouzin was abducted  despite intensive searches both bodies have never been found.

Michel Fourniret  who was charged with abduction, rape and murder in the cases  died in 2021, aged 79, before he could be brought to trial. He was dubbed the Ogre of the Ardennes by media after the hilly region on the French-Belgium border where he lived and preyed on his victims.

Olivier, who was married to Fourniret, is charged with aiding and abetting the kidnapping and murder of Ms Parrish and Ms Domece. Her third charge is for complicity in the disappearance of Ms Mouzin.

Tuesdays trial will mark the first time Ms Parrishs killing is interrogated in court. For 30 years, her case had gone cold until Fourniret admitted in 2018 to brutally killing her while he was already serving a life sentence for seven other murders.

In 2018 Michel Fourniret admitted to killing Joanna Parrish in 1990 - AP/Bruno Arnold

At the time of Fourinets death two years ago, Joannas father Roger Parrish told the Telegraph that French authorities should have done more to expedite his trial for Joannas killing. Their failure to do so stripped Ms Parrishs family of the chance to see her killer face justice, he said.

[A trial] would have offered us some closure, Mr Parrish said.

Ms Parrish, 20, who studied French and Spanish at Leeds University, was teaching English at a high school in the Burgundy town of Auxerre at the time of her abduction. She was snatched by Fourniret after placing an advertisement in a local newspaper offering English lessons.

An autopsy showed that she had been drugged, raped and strangled before being dumped in the river Yonne.

Olivier is currently serving a life sentence for her role in four other murders and a rape committed by Fourniret.

In 2018, 10 years after her initial sentencing, Olivier was given a further 20 years jail for her part in the killing of Farida Hammiche, the wife of one of Fournirets former cellmates.

In 2019, she overturned her husbands alibi for the day Ms Mouzin disappeared, prompting him to admit responsibility months later. Fourniret had earlier admitted killing Ms Parrish and Ms Domece.

I am the only one responsible for their fates... If those people had never crossed my path, they would still be alive, he told investigators.

Estelle Mouzin was just nine when she was abducted in 2003 - AFP/Jean-Pierre Muller

Olivier said in 2020 that her husband kidnapped, raped and killed Ms Mouzin, a fragment of whose DNA was found on a mattress seized from the couples home in 2003. And in 2021 she admitted her own role in the case for the first time, saying she was with her husband when he buried the girls body near a forest in the Ardennes.

Criminal experts have been divided on whether Olivier may have driven Fourniret to kill. Some have characterised her as the puppeteer who pulled the strings, possessed of a penchant for perverse behaviour.

In the early 1980s she fled from her violent first husband, with whom she had two children, before becoming a pen pal of Fourniret while he was serving a jail sentence for rape.

The two sealed a pact that she would find him virgins to rape if he would kill her then-husband  which he never did. They lived together after he was released in 1987, buying a chateau with stolen gold dug up from a graveyard, and had a son together.

The pair are the deadliest couple in French legal history and criminal experts believe there could be dozens more victims yet to be accounted for.
The ninth celebrity has said they are really gutted to depart Strictly Come Dancing.

Irish TV presenter Angela Scanlon has missed out on dancing in the quarter-finals for the BBC One shows musicals special as she went home during Sundays results show episode.

The 39-year-old faced Bad Education star Layton Williams, 29, in the dance-off after they both landed in the bottom following the judges scores and a public vote.

Judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke chose to save Williams and professional Nikita Kuzmin after they re-performed an American Smooth routine to Its Oh So Quiet by Bjork.

Carlos Gu and Angela Scanlon during their appearance on the live show on Saturday for BBC1s Strictly Come Dancing (Guy Levy/BBC/PA)

Du Beke said: I dont think either couple danced as well as they can. It was the closest dance off weve had in the series so far.

This is the only thing, I saw an error from one of the couples, so Im going to vote to keep in to the quarter-finals, Layton and Nikita.

However, head judge Shirley Ballas opted for Scanlon and professional Carlos Gus cha cha routine to I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.

Ballas, known as the Queen of Latin, said: Well important for me always when it comes to Ballroom and Latin is the character of the dance, that its true to the dance, timing and quality and I would have voted for Angela and Carlos.

However, she did not have to put down her casting vote and Scanlon, who previously presented the rebooted Robot Wars with Irish comedian Dara OBriain and hosts Your Home Made Perfect, was eliminated.

Scanlon said: Its been honestly incredible, Im gutted, really gutted that its finished now, but it has been the most wonderful experience.

I have made the best friend in this man (Carlos).

We have had so much fun, he is such an incredible guy.

He has supported me and picked me up and made me laugh so much.

I dont know what to say, its been magical honestly  all of those people up there.

My husband at home, my two little girls and all my friends.

Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin during their appearance on the live show on Saturday for BBC1s Strictly Come Dancing (Guy Levy/BBC/PA)

Gu said she has worked so hard before adding: Look at her now  I am so proud, her sense of humour and we had so much fun everyday  she cracks me up laughing.

The results show also featured Scottish rock band Texas singing Inner Smile, a dance from professionals Vito Coppola and Luba Mushtuk and what the show described as whodunnit-inspired routine from Strictlys dancers.

Strictly Come Dancing returns for a musicals special on Saturday December 2 at 7.25pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Oscar-winner Olivia Colman has spoken about the difficulty of getting domestic violence awareness classes into private schools.

The actress, 49, is a patron for the charity Tender, which uses drama and the arts to promote healthy relationships and prevent domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Colman told Global Players The News Agents podcast: I still find it fascinating that its harder to get these (Tender classes) into private schools.

I think private schools think we dont have issues like that, and statistically they do.

Olivia Colman received an Academy Award for her performance in The Favourite (Doug Peters/PA)

Alcoholism, if it is from a posh wine bottle, is still alcoholism and just because the front door is nice, there can still be coercive, controlling, unpleasant behaviour behind that posh front door.

You are not avoiding it by being of a higher socioeconomic background and I would love all schools to want their children to have happy lives. I dont understand why theres a discussion about it.

The actress, who attended private school Norwich High School for Girls, said young people being influenced by misogynistic and hateful content that they can see online is endemic and Tender can address these issues.

Colman said: You need people coming into your schools to say, Its actually not cool and its not funny, and to be a man who is gentle and protective is a much more impressive thing.

Teachers have previously raised concerns that misogynistic views are spreading into schools as a result of social media influencers such as Andrew Tate.

The actress said: I dont want to get gloomy about the fact that we have the Andrew Tates of the world. We do have so much good thats happened

Colman said she thinks that there have been changes in how people view the LGBTQ + community, women speaking up and attitudes towards masculinity.

She added: A masculine role model of gentleness is so much cooler, so much hotter  those people do exist. Harry Styles, hes a very attractive man, to the women who fancy him, and he is not remotely an aggressive man.

Olivia Colman praised Harry Styles (Ian West/PA)

Colman also told podcast hosts Jon Sopel and Emily Maitlis that she had not watched the most recent series of Netflixs The Crown, which covers more recent royal events.

The actress, who played the late Queen during the third and fourth seasons, said: I feel uncomfortable answering questions about whether or not The Crown should have stopped before now because I loved the job.

It was a great job. Im not a spokesperson for the royal family, (I) dont know them.

I can understand, I can feel that maybe its too close to home now.

Harry Potter film series star Imelda Staunton took over the character of the late Queen for the last two seasons.

The fifth series was criticised by Dame Judi Dench and former prime minister Sir John Major.

Netflix has defended the portrayals, saying it is a fictional dramatisation.

The sixth season deals with the response of the Queen to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and has come under fire from former royal butler Paul Burrell and former press secretary to the monarch Dickie Arbiter.

Colman received an Academy Award in 2018 for her performance in The Favourite, where she also played a royal, Queen Anne.
The release of 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals, among them a nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl, has prompted relief as the temporary truce in Gaza continues to hold.

It came as tens of thousands of people gathered once again in central London to demand a permanent ceasefire.

Later on Sunday, there will be a 90-minute march in the capital organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism, with around 40,000-50,000 people expected to attend.

The gatherings come at a key stage in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as the two sides exchange hostages and prisoners.

The hostages were transferred to Israel late on Saturday night, after Hamas delayed the release by several hours, accusing Israel of violating the terms of a truce deal.

Israel was to free 39 Palestinians later on Saturday as part of the arrangement, with a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners to be freed during the four-day truce.

Nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand was one of those released after being held captive by Hamas in Gaza since the conflict started several weeks ago.

People take part in the National March for Palestine, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, in central London on Saturday (Lucy North/PA)

Irish premier Leo Varadkar described it as a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily and her family.

The march in London was the first major demonstration since the Armistice Day event, which saw scenes of violent disorder after counter-protesters clashed with officers.

Hundreds also gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy in Mayfair for a demonstration by Hizb-ut-Tahrir, in the first protest by the group since October 21 after a video emerged showing a man chanting jihad.

There was a heavy police presence in the capital, with 18 arrests made over the course of the day for a range of alleged offences  including suspicion of inciting racial hatred and suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: I would like to acknowledge the overwhelming majority who came into London today and exercised their right to protest lawfully.

Regrettably, there was still a small minority who believed the law did not apply to them. Thanks to the efforts of our CCTV teams and other officers, a number of those are already in custody.

Investigations into other offences are already under way and will continue in the coming days.

Orlando Fraser, the chairman of the Charity Commission, also warned on Sunday that the watchdog will not allow premises, events or online content to become forums for hate speech.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he said: The Charity Commission is aware of a significant number of serious concerns about activities linked to the conflict in Israel and Gaza.

These include charities representing communities across the religious divide, although these, to date, largely concern allegations of anti-Semitic or hate speech.

Charities must not allow their premises, events or online content to become forums for hate speech against any community or unlawful extremism.

He said that the body would not stand by and permit charities to be abused in this way.
The father of a young Irish-Israeli girl released by Hamas has said she is doing better than expected, and has thanked the public for their support.

Emily Hand was among a number of people to be freed by militants at the weekend in a deal which also saw Palestinians held in Israel released.

Video footage issued by the Israel Defence Forces has shown her running into her father Thomass arms at a location in Israel after 50 days in captivity in Gaza.

She had been abducted while at a sleepover in Kibbutz Beeri during the Hamas attack on October 7, along with her friend, who has also been released.

Thomas Hand, originally from Dun Laoghaire in Dublin, released a video later to thank all those who have supported his family.

Yesterday we finally got Emily back from the hands of the Gazan terrorists, he said.

She (Emily) has lost a lot of weight, from her face and body, but generally doing better than we expected.

Were in the hospital Safra, Tel Hashomer, taking care of Emily.

Wed like to thank everyone that has helped and supported us throughout this whole 50 days. Its been great, we cant do it without you.

In a statement on Saturday Mr Hand expressed his delight at her release.

Emily has come back to us, he said. We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again.

We appreciate the unwavering support. We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped and supported us during the last 50 days until Emilys return.

Mr Hand had previously spoken about how he was looking forward to giving her a huge hug.

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper that Emily would also be greeted by her beloved dog, Johnsie, and cuddly toys, and they are planning to give the girl, who spent her ninth birthday in captivity, the best birthday party she never had.

My statement on the release on Emily Hand. pic.twitter.com/hU1ENiJJrh  Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) November 25, 2023

Irelands leaders, including Irish President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin, who met Mr Hand as he campaigned for his daughters release, welcomed the news.

Mr Higgins described the ordeal as a horrific time for all of her family.

In a statement he said: It is my great hope that Emily can now, despite all that she has endured, enjoy a happy and fulfilling life after what has been an unimaginable situation for such a young child.

While we particularly recognise this important moment as an Irish-Israeli child is released, we must also retain a focus on what is now needed, a durable ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and a commitment from all sides to engaging in the task of building what can be an enduring peace.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the country had breathed !a massive sigh of relief.

Statement by President Higgins on the release of Emily Hand https://t.co/c1RvJXqMsd  President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) November 26, 2023

Our prayers have been answered, he said.

Irish people everywhere share in the relief of Emilys family. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the hostages in Gaza, but we followed particularly closely the fate of Emily, a dual Irish-Israeli citizen.

Mr Varadkar said that while Emily has been returned to her family, it must not be forgotten that many more hostages remain in captivity in Gaza.

Their fate is unknown but we hope that, like Emily, they will also be allowed to return to their homes and their families.

We think of all the families suffering in this troubled region, and we redouble our efforts to work for a permanent ceasefire, and for a just and lasting peace, he said.

Tanaiste and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, said he is delighted that Emily, a bright and beautiful young girl, has been released.

The people of Ireland have been touched by Emilys story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father Tom, he said.

He went on: I had the opportunity to meet Tom before travelling to the region, and I was struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughters release.

This is a message that I and my colleagues in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally, through political, diplomatic and security channels, in a bid to secure Emilys safe return.

I want to acknowledge the role played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved in securing the release of the hostages.

I am conscious today that many more hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. I reiterate my call that all hostages in Gaza should be released immediately and unconditionally.
Tens of thousands have attended a march against antisemitism in London, as the crowd heard that the Jewish community will not be intimidated.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson was among the high-profile figures joining the demonstration, a day after crowds also gathered in the capital to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.

Those who addressed the marchers included Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and immigration minister Robert Jenrick, as organisers claimed the pro-Palestinian rallies in recent weeks had made the capital a no-go zone for Jews.

The start of Sundays march saw English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, arrested by police after he tried to join marchers.

Organisers called the rally the largest gathering against antisemitism London had seen since the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, when hundreds of thousands of people blocked a planned march by Sir Oswald Mosleys British Union of Fascists through an area populated by many Jewish families.

It was organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism amid fears about rising antisemitic incidents sparked by the crisis in the Middle East.

Sir Ephraim told the crowd: Since October 7 we have witnessed here in the UK an alarming rise of antisemitism, but we will not be intimidated.

Former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman, left, and Countdowns Rachel Riley took part in the march (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

We call for a strengthening of community cohesion and we will forever be proud to champion the finest of British values.

So with regard to the poisonous spread of antisemitism, what should the response of the British people be?

Number one, call it out when you see it. Number two, call it by what it really is  Jew hatred.

Number three, be vigilant and report every incident. Number four, we must arrest every single perpetrator and bring every single one of them to justice.

Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, told marchers that since the deadly incursion by Hamas into southern Israel, antisemitic crime has surged in this country by over 1,000%.

Demonstrations marched through our cities, marched through our capital, where people glorify terrorism, where people incite racism against Jews.

And indeed, as we saw yesterday, yet again, carrying placards showing a Star of David thrown in the bin with a caption that says please keep the world clean, messaging that would not have been out of place in 1930s Germany, it is appalling.

Tens of thousands of people gathered on Saturday for the latest demonstration, demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, with some demonstrators accusing Israel of committing genocide and others chanting from the river to the sea.

The march was organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

There were 18 arrests over the course of the day for a range of alleged offences, including suspicion of inciting racial hatred and suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Organisers Stop the War coalition said those at the now-regular marches have clear anti-racist foundations and oppose both antisemitism and Islamophobia.

It had asked anyone attending Saturdays rally to respect these clear anti-racist principles, including in any signs or placards they choose to bring to the march.

Mr Johnson compared antisemitism with an old spore of a virus.

Minister for Immigration Robert Jenrick said antisemitism was a stain on our country (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Whatever the rights and wrongs of what Israel has done, or is doing, I think that the antisemitism that weve seen in some of these marches around western Europe and further afield has really confirmed for me the absolute necessity, the human necessity, for Israel to exist, he told GB News.

Mr Jenrick, who said he was at the march to represent the Government, spoke from the stage to warn that enough is enough.

He said antisemitism was a stain on our country, it is moral decay.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat was among celebrities including Tracy-Ann Oberman, Rachel Riley, Eddie Marsan and Robert Rinder at the march.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat was among those marching (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

People waved Israeli and Union flags and placards reading Never Again Is Now and Zero Tolerance for Antisemites.

Former EastEnders actress Ms Oberman called antisemitism an incitement to hatred, it is an incitement to divide, while Countdowns Ms Riley urged people to get serious about tackling it.

Actor Mr Marsan questioned why there were many who were hesitant to acknowledge or condemn the actions of Hamas.

There had been fears that Mr Robinson, former leader of the English Defence League, could disrupt the protest, with organisers making clear that he would not be welcome.

The March Against Antisemitism has reached its destination in Parliament Square where speeches are taking place. pic.twitter.com/xnJoSTiY9u  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) November 26, 2023

Police said a 40-year-old man had been arrested close to the Royal Courts of Justice, from where the demonstration began on Sunday.

Mr Robinson had previously been seen among the crowds of counter-protesters who clashed with police during ceasefire protests held on Armistice Day.

In a statement, the Met said the organisers had been clear about their concerns that the mans attendance, and that of those who were likely to accompany him, would cause fear for other participants.

The same view has been voiced by others.

People at the rally waved Israeli and Union flags (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

As a result he was spoken to and warned on more than one occasion that his continued presence in the area was likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others.

He was directed to leave the area but refused to do so.

The Met said that another man was also arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated offence as crowds left Whitehall.

It comes as the Israeli military said that 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals have been released from captivity in Gaza, on the third day of a four-day truce.

Former leader of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson was led away by police (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Among those reunited with their family on Saturday was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, who was among those abducted by the Palestinian militant group during the deadly Hamas attack on October 7.

Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners.

All are women and minors.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to march in London later in a demonstration against antisemitism.

Both ministers and the Metropolitan Police have stressed the need for the UKs Jewish community to feel safe on the streets, amid concern about rising tensions sparked by the conflict in Gaza.

A temporary truce between Hamas and Israel is still holding, with the release of a second group of hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons coming late on Saturday.

People took part in the National March for Palestine, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, in central London on Saturday (Lucy North/PA)

Among those reunited with their family was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, who was among those abducted by the Palestinian militant group during the deadly Hamas attack on October 7.

The rally in the capital comes after tens of thousands of people gathered once again on Saturday to demand a permanent ceasefire. Some pro-Palestinian demonstrators accused Israel of committing genocide, while others chanted from the river to the sea.

There were 18 arrests made over the course of the day for a range of alleged offences  including suspicion of inciting racial hatred and suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Around 40,000 to 50,000 people are expected to attend the march later in a rally organised by charity Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Emily Hand was among a number of people to be freed by militants late on Saturday (Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters via AP)

But there have been fears that Tommy Robinson, founder and former leader of the far-right English Defence League, could attend the protest.

Mr Robinson was last seen among the crowds of counter-protesters who clashed with police during protests held on Armistice Day.

The Met said he was not welcome at the march, with the force warning that any offences whether from within the protest or from any groups trying to challenge or interfere with the march would be dealt with.

Appearing on Skys Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: Im very concerned about people, particularly Jewish people, feeling safe on the streets.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said she was concerned about Jewish people feeling safe on the streets (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

I think it is right that the police take all necessary action to make sure that people are able to walk about their home city without fear.

Israel said early on Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day, in the third of four scheduled swaps.

Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

The deal seemed at risk of unravelling on Saturday after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, delaying the exchange.

But the militants eventually released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.
Tens of thousands have attended a march against antisemitism in London, with English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson escorted away by police.

Police later confirmed a 40-year-old man had been arrested close to the Royal Courts of Justice, from where the demonstration began on Sunday afternoon.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson joined the gathering, a day after pro-Palestinian crowds also gathered in the capital to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.

A truce between Hamas and Israel is still holding, with the release of a second group of hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons coming late on Saturday.

Tommy Robinson is led away by police officers as people take part in a march against antisemitism (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

There had been fears in that Mr Robinson, the former leader of the far-right grouping, could disrupt the protest organised by charity Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Mr Robinson, 40, had previously been seen among the crowds of counter-protesters who clashed with police during ceasefire protests held on Armistice Day.

On Sunday, he was seen arguing with officers for about 10 minutes outside Soho coffee shop opposite the Royal Courts of Justice.

He was was then led away from the scene.

In a statement, the Met said: We have been in frequent contact with the organisers of the march in recent days.

They have been clear about their concerns that the mans attendance, and that of those who were likely to accompany him, would cause fear for other participants.

The same view has been voiced by others.

As a result, he was spoken to and warned on more than one occasion that his continued presence in the area was likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others.

He was directed to leave the area but refused to do so.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick and security minister Tom Tugendhat joined celebrities including Tracy-Ann Oberman, Rachel Riley and Robert Rinder at the march, which saw marchers join in singing as they proceeded through the city.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis was among those at the front the crowd, as marchers waved Israeli and Union flags as well as placards reading Never Again Is Now and Zero Tolerance for Antisemites.

Organisers called the rally the largest gathering against antisemitism London had seen since the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, when hundreds of thousands of people blocked a planned march by Sir Oswald Mosleys British Union of Fascists through an area populated by many Jewish families.

It was organised amid concern about rising tensions sparked by the conflict in Gaza.

Gideon Falter, the chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said that the rally came after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests that had made the capital a no-go zone for Jews.

Tens of thousands of people gathered on Saturday for the latest demonstration demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaze, with some demonstrators accusing Israel of committing genocide and others chanting from the river to the sea.

There were 18 arrests made over the course of the day for a range of alleged offences  including suspicion of inciting racial hatred and suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Organisers Stop the War coalition said that attendees at the now-regular marches have clear anti-racist foundations and oppose both antisemitism and Islamophobia.

It had asked anyone attending Saturdays rally to respect these clear anti-racist principles, including in any signs or placards they choose to bring to the march.

Appearing on Skys Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: Im very concerned about people, particularly Jewish people, feeling safe on the streets.

I think it is right that the police take all necessary action to make sure that people are able to walk about their home city without fear.

Israel said early on Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day, in the third of four scheduled swaps.

Among those reunited with their family was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, who was among those abducted by the Palestinian militant group during the deadly Hamas attack on October 7.

Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners.

All are women and minors.

The deal seemed at risk of unravelling on Saturday after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, delaying the exchange.

But the militants eventually released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.
Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA

A protest outside the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) presidents Los Angeles home is reportedly being investigated as a possible hate crime after social media videos showed demonstrators igniting smoke devices and spattering fake blood.

According to reports by the Los Angeles Times and other news outlets, the home of the Aipac president, Michael Tuchin, in the Brentwood section was vandalized on Thursday on Thanksgiving by protesters who also pounded pots in the driveway and held up a sign that read: Fuck your holiday, baby killer.

The Los Angeles police department (LAPD) confirmed it had responded to the block where Tuchins house is. The department posted on X  formerly known as Twitter  that protesters caused a disturbance weeks after the Israel-Hamas war that erupted in October.

West LA officers responded [and] took crime reports for vandalism/hate crime [and] assault [with a] deadly weapon, the department added. Investigations are ongoing. No arrests have been made at this time.

The Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, added in a separate post that she had spoken with Tuchin  an attorney by profession  about the disturbing case.

Bass wrote: Hate and violence will not be tolerated in our city. LAPD will continue to work with city and business leaders to keep Angelenos safe.

Bass later removed Tuchins name from the post, saying it was for the safety of those involved. Police said they do not identify the victims of possible crimes and declined to formally identify Tuchin as the target of the demonstrators.

Video posted by Sam Yebri, a former Los Angeles city council candidate, showed smoke billowing in the street as people yelled.

Yebri said that pro-Hamas activists committed a terroristic hate crime in Brentwood, throwing smoke bombs at [and] vandalizing the home of the national president of one of Americas leading Jewish organizations.

This is what happened in Nazi Germany before the ovens and [crematoriums], Yebri said, clearly referring to the murder of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust during the second world war.

A neighbor of Tuchins told NBC that when he realized the private property was being attacked by demonstrators he  as a Jew  felt compelled to intervene.

They put red paint on the car, on the driveway, on the windows, the neighbor said. They were terrorizing our neighbor.

The neighbor, who declined to be identified, said that during the confrontation he was hit from behind with a steel pole. Police officers called to the scene made the demonstrators march back down the street.

On Friday, the police department declared a citywide tactical alert to ensure sufficient resources to address any incident. There were more pro-Palestinian protests planned that day.

Groups protesting against the war Israel launched in Gaza in response to Hamass deadly 7 October attack against Israel have criticized how authorities and media have addressed the protest at the home of Tuchin, who led a successful bankruptcy-related restructuring of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Media is in lockstep with LA elected officials & the LAPD to spin this protest as an antisemitic hate crime, J-Town Action  Solidarity  which describes itself as a local grassroots collective  wrote on X. J-Town accused news organizations and officials of downplaying Tuchins role with Aipac.

Los Angeles, home to large populations of Jews and Palestinians, has seen increasing tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.

Earlier this month, the parking lot of the iconic Canters Deli was defaced with Free Gaza and Israels only religion is capitalism. Similar messages were also scrawled close to a nearby synagogue and condemned by Bass as an unacceptable rash of hate.
A focus of season six, episode two of The Crown is Princess Diana's August 1997 visit to Bosnia, where she goes to meet with survivors of landminesa part of the princess's work advocating against landmines. In these scenes, the Netflix royal drama recreates Diana's famous walk through an active minfield.

However, this walk did not take place in Bosnia. In fact, it took place in Angola, in January 1997. The show likely combined her trip to Angola into the Bosnia trip for ease of storytelling, and to highlight the bravery of Diana's walkwhich was very real.

Tim Graham/Getty Images; Netflix

On January 5, 1997, Princess Dianawearing protective body armor and a clear visorwalked through a landmine field in Huambo, Angola being cleared by the HALO Trust, a nonprofit that focuses on clearing landmines.

"Dianas visit is something that people in Huambo still talk about today," Ralph Legg, a manager at HALO Trust, told Time Magazine. "For the people that were here at that time, which was obviously still a time of conflict, it led to a feeling of acknowledgement, and that their plight was recognized around the world. The people I've spoken to who met Diana on that trip have all said how kind, considerate and how genuinely interested she seemed in them."

HALO's executive director, Chris Whatley, recalled to People, "As soon as Princess Diana made her walk, it became a front of mind issue. It took the convening power of Princess Diana to do that, to put it on the world stage to create that public momentum that, that allows for the political support, the rallying that continues to this day."

Years later, in 2019, Prince Harry would recreate this famous walk. "The attention my mother brought to this issue wasnt universally popular; some believed she had stepped over the line into the arena of political campaigningbut for her this wasn't about politics; it was about people," Prince Harry said.

Pool/Samir Hussein - Getty Images

So while The Crown didn't capture exactly correctly where Princess Diana's walk through a landmine field today, they absolutely captured the spirit of her advocacy.

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Leon Neal/Getty Images

Elon Musk is set to travel to Israel to see damage caused by the Hamas attacks.

Musk had previously angered Israeli officials by saying he would offer Starlink in Gaza.

Musk is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Elon Musk plans to visit Israel on Monday, the office of Israeli President Isaac Herzog confirmed to Business Insider.

Israeli news outlet N12 previously reported that Musk, the richest man in the world, will tour the Gaza envelope  an area about 4 miles from the Gaza Strip border. Musk is also scheduled to meet with Herzog and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Gaza envelope saw the brunt of Hamas' attacks on October 7. About 1,200 people were killed and about 240 taken hostage during those attacks, which sparked a scorched-earth response from Israel that has killed more than 14,000 people in Gaza, the vast majority of them women and children.

Musk previously met with Netanyahu in California in September, during which the pair discussed antisemitism on X, Musk's social media platform that was formerly known as Twitter, the Associated Press reported.

A post by Musk on X earlier this month, in which he referred to an antisemitic post as "the actual truth," drew widespread backlash. The White House denounced it as an "abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate."

Musk angered Israeli officials in October when he said he planned to offer Starlink internet access for Palestinians in Gaza after Israel cut off all communications in the Strip in the wake of its retaliatory invasion.

Gaza is a small sliver of land about the size of Philadelphia and home to about 2 million Palestinians. Access in and out of the Gaza Strip has long been controlled by the militaries of Israel and Egypt, both of which are hostile to Palestinians. Israel and Egypt have also maintained a blockade on Gaza for years, controlling any goods entering and exiting.

Musk has repeatedly made forays into international conflicts with his Starlink satellite network.

A biographer of Musk said the chief executive blocked Starlink access in Crimea to prevent Ukraine from targeting occupying Russian forces with drones. The move came after Musk spoke to Russian officials, who raised fears such an attack could lead to a nuclear response.

The biographer, journalist Walter Isaacson, said the militarization of Starlink made Musk uncomfortable.



"How am I in this war?" Musk asked Isaacson during an interview, according to an excerpt from the book. "Starlink was not meant to be involved in wars. It was so people can watch Netflix and chill and get online for school and do good peaceful things, not drone strikes."

Read the original article on Business Insider
TOKYO, Nov 26 ( NHK ) - A group of Japanese researchers says a survey it carried out suggests the number of children feeling suicidal in the country may have increased after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Researchers at the National Center for Child Health and Development and others conducted a survey at 31 medical institutions across Japan that specialize in mental health care for children. The aim of the survey was to determine whether any changes had occurred in the mental health of children before and after the onset of the pandemic.

The survey found that, during fiscal 2022, which ended in March 2023, 214 first-time patients under the age of 20 were diagnosed as suicidal by doctors. In fiscal 2019, before the pandemic began, the figure was 135. That represents an increase of about 60 percent.

By gender, 166, or more than 70 percent of those patients, were women.

In fiscal 2022, 110 young people attempted suicide before they visited one of the institutions. In comparison, the number in fiscal 2019 was 63. That represents an increase of about 70 percent.

Dr. Koeda Tatsuya, the deputy head of the National Center for Child Health and Development, says restrictions imposed to curb infections may have negatively affected the ability of children to communicate.

He said the number of children who have suicidal thoughts may be increasing. The doctor stressed that society needs to create an environment in which children can feel at ease.

Related article: Record 300,000 students in Japan do not attend school
Trafalgar Square's Christmas tree has been felled in Norway ahead of its arrival in London.

The gift will arrive in the capital city before a lights switch-on ceremony on 7 December.

Standing at 62ft (19 metres) tall, the spruce grew in Nordmarka just outside of Oslo.

A Norwegian spruce is sent to London each year as a festive gift thanking Britain for its support during the Second World War.

Lord Mayor of Westminster Patricia McAllister, British Ambassador Jan Thompson, and Mayor of Oslo Anne Lindboe took part in the official tree felling ceremony in Norway.
An employee of a Santa Fe-based environmental group that is a frequent critic of the New Mexico oil and gas industry pleaded guilty to federal money laundering and wire fraud charges, stemming from an alleged scheme in which he was accused of writing fraudulent checks to himself from WildEarth Guardians.

James Matison, 46, of Pueblo, Colorado stole $242,210 in the plot and via a plea agreement faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for his alleged crimes.

The scheme continued from February 2015 to February 2019 as Matison, then the organization's restoration program director, struggled with personal financial difficulties, read the news release.

More: Artesia man charged with murder in October officer-involved shooting at police station

WildEarth Guardians, headquartered in Santa Fe, is known for its advocacy work in New Mexico and neighboring Colorado, lobbying on environmental issues and often an opponent of fossil fuel interests.

The nonprofit relies on funding from the State of New Mexico and federal agencies, read a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office District of New Mexico. The group also engages in environmental restoration work.

More: Artesia man runs from police, tracked to Albuquerque and arrested a week later

Court records show Matison was responsible for approving all restoration project invoices submitted by contractors for payment from WildEarth Guardians.

Timberline Environmental was one of the contractors, owned by Mattisons co-defendant Jeffery Ham who investigators said allowed Matison to submit fraudulent invoices to WildEarth Guardians from Timberline.

Matison would approve the invoices for payment to Timberline, collect the checks and deposit them into Timberlines bank account, records show, then Ham would provide Matison pre-signed Timberline bank checks.

More: Child abuse trial of Brent Sullivan's grandmother Kelli Smith moving to a different county

Matison would use those checks to move the money to another company he controlled, Phoenix-based Euro-American Development.

Ham pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on July 17 and faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines for his role.

The case was investigated by offices of inspectors general at both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Interior, with the U.S. Attorneys Office prosecuting the case.

Upon the arrests of Matison and Ham in February, WildEarth Guardians Executive Director John Horning said the group first learned of the scheme in April 2019 through the lawyers of an anonymous informant.

The defendants were terminated from the organization that month, and in May 2019 WildEarth Guardians submitted a forensic auditor report to the U.S. Attorney's Office showing how the scheme took place and naming Matison and Ham as the perpetrators.

"Since learning of the embezzlement we have been committed to ensuring that those who misled our organization are held accountable for their actions," Horning said in a statement. "Our organization is not only a Guardian of the wild, but we also believe in standing for whats right and enforcement of our nations laws."

More: How 'green' is New Mexico really? Do recent oil and gas reforms go far enough?

WildEarth Guardians a lead oil and gas opponent in New Mexico

Through several public rulemakings at the New Mexico state level dealing with issues like air pollution, or federal land leasing by the oil and gas industry, WildEarth Guardians often advocated for stronger restrictions on industry.

Most recently in October, WildEarth Guardians was vocal in opposing the federal government's efforts to increase hydrogen power production upon the announcement of $7 billion in funds for hydrogen hubs around the country.

The group applauded the denial of funds to the Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub, led by New Mexico and three other states, objecting to the sector as one still reliant on extracted natural gas to produce its product.

More: SCOTUS decision could strip New Mexico rivers of federal pollution protections

WildEarth Guardians was also at the center of calls to allow a Mexican gray wolf found in northern New Mexico to roam free, as federal regulators sought to capture the wolf and return it to an area in southwest New Mexico where the endangered species is being bred by the government.

The group was also present at a demonstration in September in New York City, representing New Mexico in its call to end the extraction and use of fossil fuels amid the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit.

Throughout air pollutions rulemakings by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMRND), in the last two years, WildEarth Guardians frequently testified and submitted comments calling for tighter restrictions on emissions from oil and gas companies.

These proceedings resulted in a ban on routine flaring, the burning off of natural gas, and required oil companies to capture 98 percent of produced gas by 2026 while also toughening requirements for leak detection and repair at facilities throughout New Mexico.

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Official at environmental group pleads guilty to $250K fraud scheme
Drew Tiene

Having grown up on Long Island with many Jewish friends, one of whom lost his grandparents in the Holocaust, I have had a lifetime fascination with the Jewish experience.

I was fortunate enough to visit Israel around the time of the millennium, when peace seemed genuinely possible, given the Oslo and Wye River accords that both sides had agreed to. My wife and I very much enjoyed our experiences in both Israel and Palestine during a 10-day visit.

I am a fan of the Netflix-sponsored Israeli series Fauda, which depicts the exploits of an Israeli special forces team fighting the terrorists of Hamas. The creator and star of the series is a former agent himself, and the events portrayed seem realistically depicted.

While fictional, the series provides an inside view of how an effective special operation unit might function. I also have read Ronen Bergmans excellent book Rise and Kill First, which describes the history of Israels anti-terrorist efforts. The title refers to a biblical phrase that has become the motto of Israels proactive defense establishment, a reaction against what happened during the Holocaust, when defenseless Jews were rounded up and killed en masse by the Nazis.

As disturbing as it sounds, the point is to use small-scale, targeted operations to eliminate enemies so that a full-scale war is prevented. Israels Mossad has an impressive record of accomplishment in this regard, for decades being viewed as one of the most effective intelligence gathering and special ops agencies in the world.

Given this reputation, the world was shocked when Hamas operatives were so easily able to launch a surprise attack across the Israeli border, committing the atrocities that have prompted Israels invasion of Gaza.

The objective of destroying or at least significantly weakening Hamas, is entirely justifiable and might help bring peace to the region. I had initially hoped that Israel would use its legendary, vaunted special forces, along with troops on the ground, to accomplish this goal.

Instead it has opted to aerial bomb Gaza relentlessly and excessively. It has killed an estimated 12,000 Gazan civilians to date, a number over eight times the estimated 1,400 Israelis killed in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. It has destroyed a high percentage (perhaps almost half) of the buildings in Gaza City, including hospitals, schools and refugee camps. I am reminded of an infamous comment by an American military commander in Vietnam about needing to destroy a village in order to save it.

This approach is horrific, not heroic. Two wrongs do not make a right. Being just as barbaric as your enemy is not the way to defeat terrorism.

Not only is Israels bombing of Gazas citizenry inherently inhumane, it is surely a way to perpetuate the existence of a movement like Hamas. This brutality will prompt countless young Palestinians to join Hamas (or its successor) in the future. The cycle of violence will be perpetuated for decades to come.

Oct. 7 has widely been described as Israels equivalent of Americas Sept. 11 experience. In both cases, Islamic terrorists wantonly killed citizens on a nations home soil. Both incidents were designed to provoke an overreaction. The United States responded to the attack by becoming embroiled in a series of wars, costing many lives, with widespread destruction, and the expenditure of enormous financial resources. In the end, while al-Qaida and Isis were ultimately weakened, Iraq is now closer to Iran, and Afghanistan is back under Taliban control.

Israel has similarly overreacted to the attack on its soil by attacking the people of Gaza, rather than specifically targeting Hamas operatives. This approach might ultimately even result in a wider war, but even if it does not, the damage done already is sure to be to Israels detriment in the long run.

Furthermore, the United States is weakening its international reputation by continuing to support Israels bombing campaign. Israel needs to stop its aerial attacks on the citizens of Gaza and focus on a ground invasion, led by special forces, to weaken Hamas.

When the war ends, it needs to work out a two-state solution that provides Palestinians with a homeland and opportunities to live in dignity, rather than under oppression. Only then might Jews and Palestinians be able to someday coexist in peace.

Dr. Drew Tiene is professor emeritus at Kent State University.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Israel-Hamas war: Response to Oct. 7 needs to be heroic, not horrific
The Duchess of Sussex claimed that two members of the royal household expressed concerns about Prince Archies skin colour while she was pregnant, a new book claims.

Royal commentator Omid Scobies new book, Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival, takes a deep dive into the institution and its future.

According to The Sun, the book states that two people had discussions about the princes skin colour, rather than just one.

Meghan claimed in a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey that someone in the royal family had openly speculated about the complexion of her first child, Archie, before his birth in 2019.

In those months when I was pregnant... we have in tandem the conversation of He wont be given security. Hes not going to be given a title, and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when hes born, she told Winfrey.

The revelation sparked widespread debate, with many curious about which royal made the alleged insensitive comment.

Scobie claims to be aware of who made the comments, but does not reveal their names due to laws in the United Kingdom prevent me from reporting who they were.

Harry, Meghan and Archie in 2019 (Getty Images)

It is not known if the second person accused is a member of the royal family but they are a member of the household.

The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.

Two days after the Oprah interview in March 2021, Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of the Queen.

It said the issues raised particularly that of race were concerning, adding: While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.

Scobie has denied reports of the book being a vessel for the duchess and former Suits star, as well as claims of him having a close relationship with the couple.

Omid Scobie, royal biographer (BBC Newsnight)

Lets get this nonsense out the way  #ENDGAME is about the current state of the British Royal Family, Scobie wrote on X/Twitter.

Its not Harry and Meghans book, Im not Megs pal, the Sussexes have nothing to do with it, their story is a small part of a much bigger one you can read in 12 days.

The book also reportedly claims that Princess Anne was instrumental in the Sussexes moving out of Frogmore Cottage in Windsor by convincing the King to take a firm approach with the couple.

The Princess Royal is claimed to have persuaded Charles to withdraw the use of Frogmore Cottage from the couple, the use of which was a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II.
Sean Hannity and Gavin Newsom are an unlikely cable news bromance.

The conservative Fox News host and the Democratic California governor are ideologically polar opposites. But their recent joint appearances  an hourlong sitdown in June and a lengthy interview after the second Republican presidential candidates' debate on Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Library  offered a robust but cordial discussion of issues, a rarity these days in a media landscape where politicians and advocates are more comfortable preaching to their own tribes.

Hannity, who typically cites Californias problems with crime and housing as a symbol of all thats wrong with the Democrats, was even singing praises for In-N-Out Burger at his second interview with the governor.

From the first time we met we just hit it off and there was a certain relationship that developed that was like, 'Oh, come on, you don't believe all that,' Hannity said of Newsom in a recent interview at Fox News headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. It was always friendly and never contentious. You can say anything to him. You can have fun with him.

The success of their recent meetings prompted Hannity to turn it up a notch. He invited Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, to debate on his program.

Hannity negotiated the terms and details directly with the political rivals, who will meet Thursday in a 90-minute showdown at 6 p.m. Pacific on Fox News.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis greets donors before speaking at the Ronald Reagan Library in March. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The matchup is unusual from a TV news perspective because it is rare for two politicians not running against each other to be given such a high-profile forum. (Fox News is calling it "The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate.")

The last memorable example was on May 15, 1967, when a previous California governor, Ronald Reagan, appeared with Robert F. Kennedy, then representing New York in the U.S. Senate, to take questions from students studying overseas for a full hour on CBS.

"Neither of them were running at that time," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. "They both were ambitious and everybody suspected they would."

Both men did pursue the presidential nominations of their respective parties the following year, with Kennedys surging campaign ending when he was assassinated just after winning the California Democratic primary.

But it was Reagan who burnished his national reputation on the 1967 program, as the polished former actor displayed a firm grasp of global affairs. The moment helped set him on his path to the White House in 1980.

On Thursday, Hannity will question the dueling governors himself  without an audience  in Alpharetta, Ga.

Hannity, 61, is the longest tenured host in cable news history with 27 years on Fox News. He has survived the major scandals that have hit the organization over time, such as Fox's $787.5-million payout to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation case over the networks reporting on former President Trumps inaccurate claims of 2020 voting fraud. Hannity was not among the hosts named as defendants in the case, but his show was cited by Judge Eric Davis for airing false statements.

Loyal Fox News viewers, who tend to shrug off negative stories about the network, have stuck with Hannity. In October, his program was the most watched cable news show among viewers ages 25 to 54, the demographic most desired by advertisers.

This week's debate offers the opportunity for Fox News to host an attention-generating TV event that doesnt involve past controversies and could draw increased sampling from viewers who dont share the worldview of its provocative hosts.

To be sure, while Hannity likes Newsom personally and respects his political skills (I warn conservatives and Republicans, you'd better pay attention to this guy"), he would not be comfortable having him in the Oval Office due to their policy differences.

On most nights, Hannitys program is a one-sided affair, with the host often pounding away at what he calls the radical left and President Bidens cognitive capacity. At a recent broadcast, the host warmed up his audience with an impersonation of the president, lowering his head and shuffling across the studio floor.

Read more:How the JFK assassination changed TV news and the journalists who covered it 60 years ago

It raises the question why Newsom would want to engage in a potential two-on-one situation where hell be the lone liberal.

Nathan Click, an advisor to Newsom, said the governor is fully aware of the challenge.

"We are under no illusions," Click said. "This is a two-on-one match with the refs in the tank for the home team. But Gov. Newsom has long believed that Democrats have to go on offense in enemy territory, and that's exactly what he intends to do."

Hannity has given assurances he wont be the wrestling referee who looks the other way while one of the brawlers brings a steel chair into the ring. He noted that Newsom was pleased with their first interview.

I kept my pledge to give him a fair shot and let him answer, Hannity said. "If I have one goal going in, its that people walk away and say, Wow that was a good, spirited, healthy informative debate.

Mike Murphy, a screenwriter and longtime Republican political consultant, said there is value in Newsom's willingness to appear in a potentially hostile environment as he builds a national reputation.

There's a feeling sometimes among Democrats that nobody goes into the Fox lions den with a big stick and fights back, so I think he thinks he might help the wider cause while helping himself, Murphy said. "I'm always in favor of grab a microphone and go on offense as long as it's live TV and nobody can edit it."

Newsom has said in the past that he watches conservative media. He may be better acquainted than most Democrats, as his ex-wife is Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former co-host of the Fox News panel show The Five who is now engaged to Donald Trump Jr.

Hannity recalls Newsom visiting Guilfoyle at the networks offices and studios.

While Murphy thinks Newsoms upcoming appearance can help pave the road to a future White House run, he believes there is short-term risk for Democrats. The governors smoothness and on-camera vigor could invite more discussion about Bidens age  the president turned 81 on Nov. 20  which has become a significant issue among pollsters and pundits.

DeSantis is using the event to promote the idea that Republicans should be prepared for a scenario where Biden is not the nominee in 2024.

"He [Newsom] is running a shadow campaign," DeSantis told "Fox & Friends" last week. "Even people in his own party are saying that a lot of Democrats want to move Biden out .... You could have Newsom. You could have a lot of different people. But I think it's important that Republican voters get the sense that we may not be running against Biden."

While Newsom has been steadfast in his support of a second Biden term, his political action committee has been running its own ads criticizing the Florida law DeSantis signed that bans abortion for pregnancies longer than six weeks. Newsom's active role as a Biden White House surrogate has led to criticism that he is being distracted from dealing with state business.

But DeSantis is no longer the Republican juggernaut of six months ago, when he entered the race as the best chance for the party to move on from former President Trump. DeSantis has fallen behind former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in some polls and failed to get any bounce from the three GOP primary debates held so far.

Click said Newsom's office was "shocked" when DeSantis accepted the debate challenge, which Newsom issued months ago.

"The fact that he finally accepted as his campaign was circling the drain shows just how bad DeSantis needs to distract from his disaster of a candidacy," Click said.

James Uthmeier, campaign manager for DeSantis, said the candidate is approaching the debate with the possibility that Newsom could be at the top of a Democratic ticket.

"A Newsom presidency would accelerate America's decline and Nov. 30 will be the first chance to expose a national audience to just how dangerous his radical ideology would be for the country," Uthmeier said. "Ron DeSantis will take this responsibility seriously and looks forward to sharing the stark contrast between his vision to revive our nation and Newsom's blueprint for failure."

Hannity believes DeSantis has the same qualities of Newsom  smart and likable  although that assessment does not appear to be backed up in polls. Based on chats with his audience, Hannity has his own theory.

They like both Trump and DeSantis, but they wish they weren't butting heads a little bit in this primary, Hannity said. Maybe the poll numbers are more reflective of no, this really should be Donald Trump's chance, after having a contentious 2020 election with COVID in play.

Read more:Q&A: What would Sean Hannitys Fox News show look like under a Biden presidency?

Hannity appears energized by the exchanges with Newsom and the upcoming debate. He said he would do more programs with Democratic politicians if he could get them to say yes.

"You would be surprised how many don't want to come on," he said.

But Hannity also acknowledges that audiences have moved toward outlets that align with their own opinions.

"If you want [a Democrat's] view, they have their places to go," he said.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to raise the issue of the Parthenon sculptures with the UK next week.

He is reportedly due to hold talks with Labour leader Keir Starmer on Monday and prime minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday and will raise the subject with both.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Starmer was open to a potential loan deal that would see parts of the ancient sculptures returned. Labour declined to comment.

The 2,500-year-old sculptures, also known as the Eglin Marbles, were taken from Athens to Britain by agents of Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Eglin, in the early 19th century and never returned. Greece says they were stolen, sparking a bitter and long-running dispute with the UK.

Housed in their own dedicated room, the sculptures of Olympian gods and goddesses, centaurs and warriors are among the greatest at the British Museum.

Visitors view the Parthenon Marbles, also known as the Elgin Marbles, at the British Museum (AFP via Getty Images)

A 1963 Act of Parliament stops the British Museum from permanently handing them back.

George Osborne, the museums chair and the former Conservative Party MP and chancellor, has backed a loan deal.

I hope well find a way to partner with Greece so that a portion of the Marbles spend part of their time in Athens . . . and we see more of their treasures in return, he wrote in The Spectator last week. Mr Osborne conceded that we may well not succeed but that it was surely worth the effort.

The proposed deal, which Mr Osborne and Mr Mitsotakis have held secret talks over, would allow the sculptures to return to Athens in exchange for Greek treasures being displayed in London.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to meet with UK leaders next week (AP)

Many of the artworks in question are in storage in museum vaults and have never before been seen.

Mr Mitsotakis, who has said it is his passion to get the sculptures back, is scheduled to meet both party leaders next week. He intends to raise the issue in both meetings, a person close to him told the FT.

Mr Sunak is said to be not opposed to the idea of a loan deal but sceptical that the sculptures would ever be returned if they were loaned to Greece, according to the paper.

No 10 has been contacted for comment.

A UK government spokesperson told the FT: The UK has cared for the Elgin Marbles for generations.

Our galleries and museums are funded by taxpayers because they are a huge asset to this country. 

We share their treasures with the world, and the world comes to the UK to see them. The collection of the British Museum is protected by law, and we have no plans to change it.
John Strauss, a USC economics professor, has been at the center of a brewing firestorm on campus over his comments about the militant group Hamas. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Until recently, USC professor John Strauss was known mostly for his research on the economics of developing countries, with decades of fieldwork in Indonesia and China.

That changed Nov. 9, when Strauss stopped before students staging a walkout and protest calling for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and holding a memorial to thousands of Palestinian civilians killed in the Israel-Hamas war.

The economics professors interactions with students that day ended with the 72-year-old Strauss, who is Jewish, declaring: Hamas are murderers. Thats all they are. Every one should be killed, and I hope they all are killed.

Students captured those remarks on their cellphones, almost instantly seeming to recognize a viral moment. Can you say that for the camera? one pressed.

John Strauss, a USC economics professor, was captured on camera telling students he wanted Hamas killed. (Handout)

Within hours, Strauss comments were posted online, shared and reshared on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

As his remarks raced across the internet, his condemnation of Hamas was often excised, leaving only his hope for all to be killed. Captions and comments online framed his demand for every one to be killed in myriad, at times deceptive, ways. One Instagram post shared to millions of users claimed falsely that Strauss told the students, [I] hope you get killed....

Within a day, an associate dean told Strauss that he was on paid administrative leave, barred from campus, and that he would no longer teach his undergraduates this semester.

Within the week, a petition demanding that USC fire Strauss for his racist, xenophobic behavior and comments that promote and incite violence had collected more than 6,500 signatures.

Meanwhile, more than 9,000 signed a counter-petition decrying USCs treatment of Strauss as unjust, saying he was the victim of online misinformation, and demanding that the university reinstate him.

Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Los Angeles, called for USC to launch an investigation into Strauss and to take actions to protect Muslim, Palestinian and Arab students as well as any others who are targeted by hate and bigotry.

Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression at PEN America, criticized USC for a shocking overreaction, adding in a statement, What USC has done runs counter to the universitys obligation to foster dialogue and debate.

By now, millions have viewed portions of Strauss remarks, and his statements  and USCs response  have become a Rorschach test for a war raging 7,500 miles away.

With its political, ethnic, generational and religious fault lines, the incident has reignited intractable debates over campus censorship, academic freedom and student safety. Nearly every student who spoke to The Times for this article would do so only on condition of anonymity, citing a fear of online harassment.

But at a fundamental level, the episode is also a debate over what exactly transpired.

::

On that Thursday in early November, Strauss walked across USCs brick-paved campus to teach an undergraduate course on the economics of sub-Saharan Africa.

He saw a large crowd by the universitys landmark statue, Tommy Trojan. At first he thought it was a demonstration for grad students who are negotiating their first union contract and threatening a strike.

He got closer and said he saw that it was a big Palestinian demonstration. He told The Times that he heard slogans such as Destroy Israel and calls for the U.S. to revoke funding for Israel. (Students dispute that "destroy Israel" was ever uttered at the demonstration.)

Thats what I heard and I got angry, said Strauss, who has worked at USC since 2004 and has tenure. I am Jewish and very pro-Israel, so I shouted, Israel forever. Hamas are murderers.

The demonstration was part of a national Shut It Down for Palestine action and included a student walkout from class, a march through campus and a rally where some students chanted, From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, a phrase that is viewed as either a call for Palestinians to have equality or a call for the destruction of Israel, depending on the listener.

Near a busy campus corridor, the event also included a memorial to Palestinians killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, a death toll that was then about 10,000 and that has since grown to more than 13,000, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Partly enclosed by a fence, the memorial featured four long rolls of paper, at least 18 inches wide, unfurled several feet across the ground. On the paper were printed thousands of names.

Students said that when Strauss came to the demonstration, he stepped on the paper. One student said he was desecrating the names.

All I did was walk through the crowd, Strauss said, insisting he never saw the list of names but spotted the memorial later in the day after the crowd had dissipated. He acknowledged that he might well have accidentally walked on the list but said it was completely unintentional.

No one appears to have recorded the first interaction, but students say his presence caused a stir.

When Daphne, a USC student who asked to be identified only by her first name, came to help at the memorial and stand by a table for the event, she said she was told about an older man who seemed to be a professor and had shouted something like, Long live Israel.

At that point, we didnt know who he was, she recalled.

::

Strauss undergraduate class ended around 3 p.m. and he planned to return to his office, on the western edge of campus, by passing by the Tommy Trojan statue and pro-Palestinian demonstration.

By that point, a cluster of Jewish students had begun to stand about 50 feet from the demonstration.

One of the students, who described herself as Jewish and a Zionist and also spoke on condition of anonymity, said she had seen the rally and memorial for Palestinians after her class let out. She said that although she felt horrible for the innocent lives lost on both sides, she was also upset that the event made no mention of Hamas, a terrorist organization.

She recalled seeing a fellow Jewish student nearby. We just decided to stand and hold our flag. We werent saying anything, she said.

In the center of campus, the two Jewish students held their mini Israeli flags aloft and were eventually joined by a rabbi and other Jewish peers wearing kippahs. Fifty feet away, Daphne and her peers watched over the memorial for slain Palestinians. A metal fence separated the two groups.

Each accused the other side of taunts and harassment.

Just after 3 p.m., Strauss walked by after leaving his class.

Among the Jewish students, he was greeted warmly.

Strauss continued, rounding the corner toward USCs bookstore when witnesses say at least one student yelled out, Professor Strauss, shame on you.

Clad in cargo pants and a plaid-green dress shirt, he said he bellowed, No, shame on you.

Then the cameras started rolling again.

Within a day of his Nov. 9 remarks to students holding a pro-Palestinian demonstration, Strauss learned that he was on paid administrative leave, barred from campus and no longer allowed to teach his undergraduates this semester. (Handout)

You people are ignorant, really ignorant, Strauss said, holding a file of papers in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

A student in a gray Lululemon waffle-knit hoodie and black pants is heard telling Strauss that the event was to pay respects to those killed. A classmate wearing a red kaffiyeh wrapped around his head rushed over and inserted himself between the professor and the students.

That was the moment when Strauss uttered the words that precipitated the uproar: Hamas are murderers. Thats all they are. Every one should be killed, and I hope they all are killed.

I got that on video. Thank you! a student says.

::

Strauss drove home and when he checked his email later that evening, he saw messages from Jewish students expressing support and realized that an Instagram page, Trojans for Palestine, had posted some of the video.

Strauss said that video was heavily doctored.

Daphne, who made one of the two videos circulating online, denied the recording was edited. I do not possess the ability to doctor a video like that. And also we have a second video that matches so, like, theres no way on Gods green Earth that I would have been able to doctor that video.

To Strauss and his supporters, doctored means edited or clipped in a deceptive way. The Times could find no evidence that his voice had been altered or his words substantively changed in the video.

But as the clip circulated online, it was at times trimmed to a few seconds of Strauss uttering, Every one should be killed.

The captions and superimposed text in social media posts could be minimal, misleading or wrong.

This zionist econ professor purposefully stepped on the list of martyrs before our march and came by again after & said everyone should be killed, a student group posted on Instagram.

Another post on Instagram, shared by @CravingPalestine and activist Shaun King, among others, said Strauss threatened these students hope you get killed and I hope they all are (*Gaza) during a campus rally for Gaza. That post has been viewed more than 3.2 million times.

At one point, the group Trojans for Palestine clarified on Instagram that Strauss did not say he wanted Palestinians to be killed, but Hamas, according to screenshots of the post.

Then, the group appeared to walk it back: With his hateful rhetoric, you can draw your own conclusion about whether or not he wished death upon just Hamas or civilians as well.

Within hours of Strauss recorded comments, USCs Muslim Student Union issued a statement saying that Strauss was repeatedly calling for the murder of the entirety of Palestine and expressing a desire for the death of those supporting Palestine.

Such remarks are not only beyond the boundaries of academic discourse, but also dangerously incite violence and contribute to a hostile campus atmosphere, the Muslim Student Union declared in its statement, which called for USC administrators to ensure a safe space for students to express themselves. It listed the email addresses of USCs president, provost and other officials.

Strauss said his rhetorical target was Hamas.

The allegation was that I said, Kill all Palestinians. I never said that and I never would say that. I said, Kill all Hamas. Thats quite different, Strauss asserted.

::

Strauss learned about 24 hours later, on Nov. 10, that USCs provost was placing him on paid administrative leave. He said he was told by a university dean that he could continue to teach graduate students via Zoom, but he would not teach undergraduates for the rest of the semester.

The provost told Strauss four days later that he was the subject of multiple complaints to USCs equity, diversity and Title IX office and that he would continue to be barred from campus while complaints were investigated, according to a letter from the provost obtained by The Times.

In the meantime, Strauss was deluged with hateful emails, prompting USC to have a team review the messages for security threats.

The Academic Freedom Alliance provided legal counsel to Strauss and sent a letter to USCs leaders on his behalf dismissing the notion that it was he who posed a threat to anyone on campus.

The university becomes the instrument of a hecklers veto when it punishes a member of the faculty when other members of the campus community or of the general public react vociferously enough to a professors lawful speech, the alliance wrote.

About that time, USC lifted some of its measures against Strauss and allowed him to resume teaching undergraduates via Zoom. Still, the university kept in place his ban from campus.

A USC spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of Strauss case. Asked about USC dropping its prohibition of Strauss teaching undergraduates, a spokesperson said in a statement, The university is always willing to change its approach as it receives and considers more information; our north star is protecting the safety of our community.

Strauss is being helped by fellow Jewish faculty and a network of students and alumni. Among them is Daisy Kahn, an alumna based in New York who said she became alarmed by posts online, including a slew of negative reviews on the Rate My Professors site.

The relentless misinformation campaign has unfairly tarnished professor Strauss reputation but has also fueled division, Kahn said.

Strauss wants USC to allow him back on campus and to issue a factual statement of what I did not say.

Asked whether he had any regrets, Strauss told a reporter, No. I dont. I did nothing wrong, and Id probably do it the same way.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Seventeen hostages have been released by Hamas from Gaza following a delay that required a last-minute intervention from Qatar and Egypt.

Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, who turned nine while in captivity, was among those freed on Saturday night after last-minute delays. Earlier this week, Emilys father Thomas, wrote for The Independent that he could only hope that his daughter would be among those freed so that her family could give her the birthday celebration she has been denied.

He said Emily, whose mother died of breast cancer when she was a baby, was attending a sleepover when she was kidnapped with her friends family. He wrote about his fears that even after she is freed well be dealing with the damage that has been done for the rest of our lives, but on Saturday night they were finally reunited.

Emily Hand, aged nine, is among the captives freed on Saturday night (Supplied)

Thirteen Israelis  six women and seven children  were released as part of a four-day truce and hostage release deal. Four Thai nationals were also released at the same time, but were not part of the core Israel-Hamas deal in which 39 Palestinians will also be released from prisons in Israel.

Meanwhile early on Sunday a bus carrying nearly three dozen Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived in the West Bank. Hundreds of people greeted the International Committee of the Red Cross vehicle as it arrived in Al Bireh. Crowds chanted God is Great and several young men stood on the roof of the vehicle. Many in the crowd held Hamas flags and chanted pro-Hamas slogans. The release was the second batch of prisoners to be freed as part of a four-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners, including six women and 33 children, from two prisons were set free.

After her release, Emilys family released a statement saying they were overjoyed to be able to embrace her again and thanked the world for unwavering support in trying to secure her return. We cant find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days.

A Palestinian man is welcomed home in the West Bank in the early hours of Sunday (AFP)

Israeli hostages are handed over to the Red Cross on Saturday (Reuters)

Emily had been having a sleep over with her friend Hila Rotem who was also freed  although Raya, Hilas mother, remains in Gaza. At the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return. We will persist in doing everything in our power to bring them back home, the statement added.

The families of the other released hostages spoke of the need to keep fighting for those who had been left behind.

Inbal Tzach, the cousin of Adi Shoham, 38, who was freed together with her mother Shoshan, 67, and her two children Nave, 8, and Yahel, 3, who was the youngest in Saturdays group. Inbal said she felt the saddest joy and the happiest sadness. Like Emily, the family had been kidnapped from Kibbutz Beeri.

We still have a long way to go, she said after she was freed. We will continue the struggle until everyone comes home. Keep fighting with us, she said.

Adi Shoham and three-year-old Yahel (AP)

Zohar Avigdori is the uncle of Noam Avigdori, 12, and brother-in-law of Sharon Avigdori, 52, both released on Saturday. He said his legs were shaking as he and the rest of the family waited.

We dont forget for a moment that these are the same legs that will continue the journey to sustain us in the long journey that is still ahead of us  until the safe return of all the hostages, he added.

Among those released on Saturday was Maya Regev, 21,  she was shot when she was abducted from Reim festival and so was taken to hospital in Israel for treatment.

The other Israelis released were: the Or family: Noam, 16, and Alma, 13; the Weiss family: Shiri, 53, and Noga, 18; Hila Rotem Shoshani, 12. The names of the four Thai hostages were still to be released.

The release had been put back by several hours as Hamas armed wing said it wanted a delay until Israel commits to allowing aid trucks to enter northern Gaza.

It showed the fragile nature of the hostage deal and a connected temporary four-day ceasefire which took weeks of fraught negotiations. Qatari officials, who flew to Israel for a very rare meeting, furiously shuttled between all sides in the eleventh hour before announcing the second daily release of hostages would go ahead shortly before those freed were transferred to Rafah.

Hundreds of Palestinians greeted the arrival of released detainees on Sunday morning (AFP)

In a statement, Hamas said it upholds their appreciation towards Egypt and Qatar for ensuring the continuation of their temporary truce with Israel. Reports had earlier circulated on Hamas-affiliated social media channels accusing Israel of tampering with the terms of the truce, including curtailing free movement of aid north and the use of aircraft, which is barred by the details of the agreement. Israeli sources said they did not violate the agreement.

A Hamas spokesperson had said a total of 340 aid trucks entered Gaza but only 65 reached north Gaza which was less than half of what Israel agreed on.

The Palestine Red Crescent had posted just an hour before the Hamas statement that it was able to deliver aid to Gaza City and the north Gaza governorate in one of the largest convoys since the start of the war. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees added that 196 trucks of aid entered on Friday, and Israel said four fuel trucks and four tanks of gas entered Saturday.

Two of the Palestinian women freed , Maysoun Jabali and Israa Jaabis, were imprisoned in 2015 after being convicted of carrying out attacks on Israelis  which they deny.

Sharon Avigdori, 52, and Noam Avigdori, 12, have been returned to Israel (Supplied)

Ms Jaabis suffered severe burns during the incident. Also on the list, according to Palestinian rights group Addameer, are five minors who are in administrative detention  meaning they are held without charge or trial, something rights group say is a violation of international law. Israel denies accusations of arbitrary detention.

The hostage release and temporary ceasefire deal was agreed after weeks of tense negotiations, a breakthrough which saw Israeli families finally reunited and granted Palestinians civilians a rare moment of respite under ferocious Israeli bombing.

Israel has unleashed its heaviest bombardment yet of Gaza in retaliation for 7 October attack by Hamas on southern Israel, where militants killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostage.

The health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza says Israels bombing of the besieged strip has killed more than 14,000 people, including thousands of children. It has also levelled swathes of the besieged strip and an unknown number of people remain trapped under the rubble.

On Friday the agreement appeared to continue comparatively smoothly with 13 Israelis released via Egypt, and 39 Palestinians detainees sent home from Israeli jails  alongside at least 200 trucks of aid entering the besieged strip. That initial release had also included an additional 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino.

Among the Israelis freed on Friday after almost 50 days in captivity in Gaza was nine-year-old Ohad Munder, who ran down a hospital corridor in Israel into his father's open arms, footage released by Schneider childrens medical centre showed.

He and three other children released at the same time were in relatively good condition, Gilat Livni, the centre's director of paediatrics told reporters.

Alma Or and her older brother Noam have both been freed after they were kidnapped with their father Dror (Supplied)

I dreamt we came home, another hostage, four-year-old Raz Asher said sitting in her fathers arms on a hospital bed after she and her mother and younger sister were freed. Now the dream came true, her father, Yoni, replied.

Under the Israeli-Hamas agreement, a total of 50 hostages are to be exchanged for 150 Palestinians, all women and teenagers imprisoned in Israel.

Before the delay from Hamas in the latest hostage release, a Qatari delegation made an extremely rare trip to Israel on Saturday to ensure the deal continues to move smoothy and to discuss further details of the ongoing deal, one source told The Independent. Qatar and Israel formally do not have diplomatic relations highlighting the importance  and perhaps the stakes  of the visit. A Qatari jet was photographed landing in Tel Aviv.

Palestinian civilians in Gaza told of finally being able to breathe as the bombing stopped. Families walked for miles to try to get news of their relatives they were separated from in the fighting. Others sought to find and bury their dead as thousands of bodies are trapped under the rubble. Many shared videos of severe levels of destruction. But there were also videos shared of families going to the beach. Men are going to hair salon, women are going out to get supplies, I cant describe the calmness, said Sara, 21.

There were even discussions of an extension to the ceasefire just a few hours before the temporary setback.

Palestinians walk through destruction in Gaza City (AP)

Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypts State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement that Cairo was holding extensive talks with all parties to reach an agreement which would mean the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Israel has said the ceasefire could be extended if Hamas continues to release hostages at a rate of at least 10 per day. A Palestinian source has said up to 100 hostages could go free.

The families of the hostages said on Saturday that they were counting on deal being extended to allow the release of different categories of captives including men. So far only children, their mothers and the most vulnerable elderly women have been included on the lists.

Getting everybody back alive and soon is the aim, alive and soon are connected to each other said Noam Peri: daughter of Haim Peri, 79, who was kidnapped from his home in kibbutz Nir Oz and as a man is not eligible for release right now. She said he had recently survived a heart attack and depended on medication to survive.

Ms Peris said she had proof of life for her father from Fridays release of hostages who had been held with him, in hard conditions underground.

We dont even know if he can stand where he is kept, it has been 50 days.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in central London to march against antisemitism in what activists have called the largest gathering of its kind since 1936.

The demonstration organised by Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) drew a number of well-known figures, including former prime minister Boris Johnson.

The former PM said that he was attending in solidarity with Jewish people as he said recent pro-Palestinian protests in the capital had confirmed his belief of the absolutely human necessity for Israel to exist.

English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson was arrested at the march after he was escorted away by a large number of police officers. The force said organisers had raised concerns about his attendance in the run-up to the event, adding that when asked to leave he refused to do so.

Thousands marched from the Royal Courts of Justice to Parliament Square (AP)

There was one other arrest during the event  a man was heard making antisemitic comments and was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.

The otherwise peaceful event came as another group of Israeli hostages were released from Hamas on Sunday, weeks after the 7 October attacks saw hundreds of people held captive. Posters of missing hostages and flags of the state of Israel could be seen among the crowds as many chanted Bring them home.

Britons showed solidarity with Irsael at the march (AP)

Organisers called the rally the largest gathering against antisemitism London had seen since the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, when hundreds of thousands of people blocked a planned march by Sir Oswald Mosleys British Union of Fascists through an area populated by many Jewish families.

Mr Johnson compared antisemitism with an old spore of a virus.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of what Israel has done, or is doing, I think that the antisemitism that weve seen in some of these marches around western Europe and further afield has really confirmed for me the absolute necessity, the human necessity for Israel to exist, he told GB News.

Boris Johnson said he was very sad the march had to happen (GB News)

The protest finished at Parliament Square where a number of speeches were given, with immigration minister Robert Jenrick among the speakers addressing the crowd.

Gideon Falter, chief executive of CAA, condemned appalling signs he had seen at recent pro-Palestinian marches in London.

Since October 7, antisemitic crime has surged in this country by over 1,000 per cent, he said. And indeed, as we saw yesterday, yet again, carrying placards showing a Star of David thrown in the bin with a caption that says please keep the world clean, messaging that would not have been out of place in 1930s Germany, it is appalling.

EDL founder Tommy Robinson was prevented from attending the march by several officers (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said British Jews would not be intimidated by antisemitism. He said: We call for a strengthening of community cohesion and we will forever be proud to champion the finest of British values.

Speaking on behalf of the government, Mr Jenrick said the defeat of Hamas would be a blessing for the world as many chanted bring them home in a plea for hostages to be freed.

Chief rabbi Mirvis taking part in the event organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Know your government will not rest until each and every one of them is back in the loving embrace of their families, he added. We stand with Israel.

British celebrities in attendance included TV judge Robert Rinder, former Eastenders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman and Countdowns Rachel Riley. They walked behind banners reading United Kingdom united against antisemitism.

However, at least one Jewish group said it refused to attend the demonstration due to concerns about the reason behind the march.

Rachel Riley, Vanessa Feltz, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Robert Rinder also took part (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Naamod, a group that opposes the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, said in a statement: We know that many people marching will be doing so from a place of genuine concern. We would love to march alongside them, but we cant in good faith, because we know this march is not just about antisemitism. Its clear from the event description that CAA has organised this march in response to huge weekly ceasefire demonstrations in London.

They claim these demonstrations have turned London into a no go zone for Jews, promoting glorification of terrorism and incitement to racial or religious hatred of Jews. This could not be further from the truth. Pitting Jewish safety against Palestinian freedom doesnt make Jews safer; it makes fighting antisemitism harder.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick addressing the crowd in Parliament Square (PA)

The march came the day after tens of thousands of people gathered on Saturday for the latest pro-Palestinian demonstration in the capital, demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. There were 18 arrests over the course of the day for a range of alleged offences, including suspicion of inciting racial hatred and suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Following Robinsons arrest on Sunday, a Met office spokesperson said: Officers working as part of the policing and security operation for the march against antisemitism have arrested a 40-year-old man on the Strand.

We have been in frequent contact with the organisers of the march in recent days. They have been clear about their concerns that the mans attendance, and that of those who were likely to accompany him, would cause fear for other participants. The same view has been voiced by others.

As a result, he was spoken to and warned on more than one occasion that his continued presence in the area was likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others. He was directed to leave the area but refused to do so. We are aware that the man had suggested he was in the area as a journalist. This was not a relevant factor in his arrest.
President Joe Biden called on Israel and leaders of Hamas to work towards a deal that would extend a negotiated truce in the bloody conflict that erupted last month on Sunday after several hostages including a young American girl were released by the militant group.

The US leader spoke from Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Sunday shortly after officials confirmed that four-year-old Abigail Idan had been among the latest hostages turned over to the Red Cross by Hamas on Sunday. While her current status wasnt immediately clear, the president said that he, the first lady, and millions of Americans were praying for the fact that she is going to be all right.

Mr Biden said in his remarks that he hoped the temporary peace that began on Friday would be extended to allow for the safe return of more hostages and the transfer of further aid to innocent Palestinians caught in the brutal siege of Gaza. Some 14,800 are thought to have been killed since the conflict began.

Under this deal, fighting in Gaza has now been paused for three days. Over that time, 58 hostages have been released, including Thai, Filipino, and Russian nationals. Dozens of families have been reunited, said the president.

The presidents goal, he said, was to keep this pause going beyond tomorrow.

[T]his deal is structured so that it can be extended to keep building on these results. Thats my goal, said Mr Biden.

He also lauded the USs work, along with other countries including Egypt, to ensure the transfer of aid via trucks into the Gaza Strip as the truce continues.

Weve moved approximately 200 aid trucks into Gaza per day, said Mr Biden. This deal is delivering life-saving results. Critically-needed aid is going in, and hostages are coming out.

Biden: For week Ive been advocating for a pause in the fighting for two purposes. To increase the assistance getting into the Gaza civilians who need help, and to facilitate release of hostages. We know that innocent children in Gaza are suffering greatly as well pic.twitter.com/W3P4AMsP8t  Acyn (@Acyn) November 26, 2023

The US leaders comment about having spent weeks calling for a pause in the fighting is notable. It comes as he is facing intense public pressure from the left wing of his own party to call for an end to the hostilities in the region and the establishment of a permanent state for the Palestinian people. Mr Biden has rejected calls for an end to the Israeli military campaign, which he has asserted is within Israels rights as the country responds to a deadly terrorist attack in October that killed roughly 1,200 people.

Massive rallies have been held in Washington DC, New York and other cities as a growing segment of Americans give the president low marks for his handling of the USs role in the war. The president has also dismissed the possibility, again supported by progressives, of conditioning military aid to Israel on an end or curtailment of the bombing campaign in northern Gaza.

Israels leaders maintain that they will continue their siege of the Gaza Strip once the four-day truce expires on Monday.
Drachinifel - Nov 30

Today we take a look at why the IJN's submarine force was doing in comparison to its USN opposite number, and also why they were conducting their war in this manner.
Jane Barlow  Pool/Getty Images

Prince Williams struggles with Prince Harry are nothing new, but royal expert Omid Scobie claims the Prince of Wales also isnt on the same page as King Charles III.

In excerpts from his new book, Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival, and an interview with Londons The Times published on Saturday, November 25, Scobie declared that William, 41, is in heir mode, which furthers the divide between himself and his father. William knows his fathers reign is only transitional  and is acting accordingly, Scobie wrote.

Charles, 75, took the throne after Queen Elizabeth IIs death at age 96 in September 2022. He celebrated his coronation in May with both William and Harry, 39, present for the ceremony. (The Duke of Sussex left London as soon as the ceremony concluded, heading back to California to celebrate son Archies birthday with wife Meghan Markle.)

Throughout the first year of Charles reign, Scobie claims the two have grown further apart.

Prince William King Charles Gallery

A royal family! Prince William is his father King Charles IIIs direct heir  and he couldnt be more proud of his dads accomplishments. My fathers first words on entering Westminster Abbey yesterday were a pledge of service. It was a pledge to continue to serve, William gushed during his speech at the celebratory Coronation []

It would have been nice to see them come together on certain projects perhaps in the early years, to put on that united front, but theyre all working in silos, Scobie told The Times.

Other experts, like Christopher Andersen, have claimed the opposite. Theyve had to put up this united front against Harry and Meghan, Andersen exclusively told Us Weekly of Charles and William in July. Theyve been insulted by members of their own family. Its been quite the ordeal for them, and I think that they kind of circled the wagon, so to speak. And theyve come out of that with a stronger bond.

However, according to Scobie, the men generally dont see eye to eye. Among their differences is how they deal with Harry.

In their bombshell CBS interview in March 2021, Meghan and Harry alleged that a member of the royal family raised concerns about the color of Archies skin before he was born. Charles spoke to the couple and they came to an understanding that the incident wouldnt be mentioned in Harrys book, Spare, or the Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.

Where Do Harry and Meghan Stand With the Rest of the Royal Family

Following their shocking step away from their senior royal duties in March 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have distanced themselves from their relatives across the pond. Nearly one year after their initial step away, Buckingham Palace confirmed in February 2021 that Harry and the Suits alum were not going to return as working royals. []

The fact that [Charles] engaged in a conversation about it shows a lot more of a willingness to take some of these issues on than Prince William, for example, who has completely avoided talking to his brother whatsoever, Scobie added.

The author further alleged that hot-headed William is increasingly comfortable with the Palaces dirty tricks and the courtiers who dream them up and has used his aides and allies in the U.K. press paint a negative picture of Harry over the years.

The side of it that a lot of people dont know, or within our industry have known but chosen not to report, is just how involved William has been in many of the things that have gone out about his own brother, Scobie claimed.

Previous excerpts from Endgame revealed a source told Scobie that William is allegedly convinced that Harry has been brainwashed by an army of therapists and therefore William says he no longer even recognizes his brother.

Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival will be released on Tuesday, November 28.
From L to R: Hila Rotem Shoshani, Yafa Adar, Emily Hand, Doron Katz-Asher, Avigail Idan, Channah Peri

One-hundred-and-five hostages held in Gaza have been released, seven weeks after being taken captive during the 7 October attacks on Israel.

Seventy-eight of them are Israeli women and children - freed as part of a deal between Israel and Hamas.

Three Russian-Israelis, two women and one man, not included in the deal have also been handed over by Hamas.

Twenty-three Thai hostages and one Filipino have been released as part of a separate deal between Hamas and the Egyptian government.

In addition, prior to the deals struck with Hamas, a further four Israeli hostages were released, and another was freed by Israeli forces.

Under the deal, 180 Palestinians have also been released from Israeli jails - plus hundreds of lorries of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and fuel have been allowed into Gaza.

Who are the released Israeli hostages?

Mia Schem, 21, who holds dual French and Israeli nationality, was released on 30 November. She appeared in the first hostage video released by Hamas saying that she had been abducted from the Supernova festival.

Amit Soussana, 40, a lawyer, was at home with a fever when Hamas attacked Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Her family told the Times of Israel she had messaged to say she could hear shooting and was going to hide in her safe room. She was released at the same time as Mia Schem.

Later on Thursday 30 November, six more hostages were released.

Aisha Zyadna, 16, and her brother Bilal, 18. Their old brother Hamza and their father remain in captivity.

Aisha and Bilal Zyadna were among about 240 people taken hostage by Hamas gunmen in the 7 October attack

Nili Margalit, 41, a nurse, was kidnapped from her home in Nir Oz, friends and family say. She was released on Thursday.

Shani Goren, 29, was also taken from Nir Oz and later seen by family members in a video posted by Hamas. The granddaughter of Uruguayan nationals, she was granted citizenship after her abduction and Uruguay told local media it had been working for her release.

Ilana Gritzewsky 30, was taken hostage from Nir Oz along with her partner, Matan Zanguaker, according to Ilana's father. Ilana, who arrived in Israel from Mexico 14 years ago, was released on Thursday, but her Israeli partner remains in Gaza.

Ilana Gritzewsky and Matan Zanguaker were captured near the Gaza border, family say

Sapir Cohen, 29, was kidnapped along with her partner Alexander (Sasha) Trupanov who is still held captive by Hamas. She was released a day after his mother and grandmother, who are Russian-Israeli citizens, were released.

On Wednesday 29 November, 10 Israeli, four Thai and two Russian-Israeli hostages were freed.

Raya Rotem, 54, was released on Wednesday 29 November, several days after her daughter Hila Rotem Shoshani, 13, who was released on 25 November. They were taken from from Kibbutz Be'eri.

Itay Regev, 18, who was released on 30 November, was seized from the Supernova festival with his sister Maya Regev, 21, who was released on Saturday. When the attack took place, Maya's father got a call from his daughter who screamed: "Dad they're shooting at me, I'm dead." The family had spotted spotted Itay in handcuffs in the back of a vehicle in a video released by Hamas.

Amit Shani, 16, was also released on Wednesday. He was the only member of his family taken when he was ordered into a car by Hamas gunmen after they broke into the family's safe room in Kibbutz Be'eri, his mother told the New York Times.

Also taken from Be'eri and released on Wednesday was Ofir Engel, 18, an Israeli-Dutch national, who was visiting his girlfriend, Yuval, at Be'eri when Hamas arrived, his family told reporters. He was abducted along with Yuval's father, Yosi Sharabi, 51, and her uncle, Eli Sharabi, 55. Eli's wife and two daughters were murdered in the attack.

Gali Tarshansky, 13, was released on Wednesday, having also been kidnapped from Be'eri. Her brother, Lior, was killed in the attack.

Liam Or, 18, was released on Wednesday. His brother and sister, Noam and Alma, were released on 25 November.

Yarden Roman-Gat, a 36-year-old German-Israeli citizen, was kidnapped with her husband and young child by Hamas from Kibbutz Be'eri. She, her husband Alon, and three-year-old Gefen escaped when the car briefly stopped, but Yarden became separated from the others, relatives told CNN, adding they feared she may have been recaptured. She was released on Wednesday.

Raz Ben Ami (57) and Moran Stella Yanai, 40, were also confirmed as having been released on Wednesday 29 November.

Liat Atzili, 49, a dual US-Israeli citizen was also released.

Lena Trupanov, 50, and Irena Tati, 73 - both Russian-Israelis - were released on Wednesday but not as part of the Israel-Hamas deal. Hamas said the women had been freed as a "tribute" to Russian President Vladimir Putin - who refused to condemn the group following the 7 October attacks. Hamas also released Roni Krivoi, 25, another dual Russian-Israeli national, on 26 November.

Four Thai nationals were also released on Wednesday.

Three members of one family group of Argentinian-Israelis were released on Tuesday 28 November. Mia Leimberg, 17, her mother Gabriela, 59, and Mia's aunt Clara Marman, 63, were believed to have been taken on 7 October from Nir Yitzhak. They had been hiding in their safe room. Gabriela and Clara's brother Fernando Simon Marman, and Clara's partner Louis Har, have not been released.

Sharon Aloni Cunio, 34, and her three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly, were released on 27 November. David Cunio, Sharon's husband and father of the two girls, remains in Gaza.

The four were kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz along with Sharon's sister, Daniele Aloni, and her six-year-old daughter Emilia, who were both released on 24 November.

Or Yaakov, 16, and younger brother Yagil, who turned 13 during captivity, were also freed on 27 November. Their father Yair Yaakov, 59, remains a hostage. Yair's partner Meirav Tal, 53, was released on 28 November.

Rimon Buchshtab Kirsht, 36, lived in Kibbutz Nirim with her husband Yagev - who remains a hostage. Rimon was freed on 28 November.

Rimon Buchshtab Kirsht was freed on 28 November

Siblings Sahar Kalderon, 16, and Erez, 12, were released after being taken by Hamas from Nir Oz.

Karina Engel-Bart, 52, and her two daughters Mika Engel, 18, and Yuval Engel, 11, have now been released.

Eitan Yahalomi, 12, was also freed after he was taken to Gaza. His father, Ohad, who was shot and injured as he tried to defend their family home, is believed to be a hostage.

The fathers of all nine children released on 27 November - David Cunio, 33, Yair Yaakov, 59, Ofer Kalderon, 53, Ronen Engel, 55, and Ohad Yahalomi - are still in captivity.

More on Israel-Gaza war

Emily Hand, 9, was released on 25 November after being held in Gaza without any of her family. The Irish-Israeli girl, who went missing from kibbutz Be'eri, turned nine while she was a hostage. Her father, Tom Hand, who was originally told Emily had been killed, gave a statement to the BBC following her release.

"We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days," he said, adding that while the family was "happy to hug Emily again", they have not forgotten the other people still being held captive.

Doron Katz Asher, 34, and her two daughters Raz, four, and Aviv, two, were taken captive while staying with relatives near the Gaza border. Doron's husband, Yoni, saw a video of his wife and daughters being loaded on to a truck with other hostages. He also traced Doron's mobile phone to Gaza.

Yoni Asher embraces his wife Doron and their daughter Raz, four, and Aviv, two, after their release

"I am determined to bring about the resurrection of my family from the trauma and the terrible bereavement we went through," Mr Asher told the BBC following their release.

"I don't celebrate, I won't celebrate until the last of the kidnapped returns," he said.

"The families of the kidnapped are not posters, they are not slogans, they are real people, and the families of the kidnapped are from today my new family, and I will make sure and do everything that the last of the kidnapped comes home."

Avigail Idan turned four while she was a hostage

Israeli-American Avigail Idan was just three at the time she was taken hostage from her home, where her parents were attacked and killed by Hamas gunmen. She survived and walked to the home of her neighbours, the Brodutch family, but was later abducted along with the family. Avigail turned four while she was held hostage.

Hagar Brodutch, 40, was released alongside her children Oria, 4, Yuval, 8, and Offri, 10. They were at Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas struck, according to Avichai Brodutch, Hagar's husband. Her father-in-law, Shmuel Brodutch, told Israel's Channel 13 News: "The moment I heard they were in the hands of the Red Cross, I was relieved."

Hagar (centre) was being held along with her children Yuval, Offri and Oria

Ohad Munder-Zichri, nine, his mother, Keren Munder, 54, and his grandmother Ruthi Munder, 78, were kidnapped from Nir Oz. Ohad's ninth birthday took place while he was in Gaza. Another family member, Avraham Munder, is still being held hostage.

Ruthi Munder was released on 24 November

Itay Ravi, Avraham's nephew, told BBC Newsnight the release of some of his family members was "one step towards being happy" but that "it's still a very, very horrific reality that we're in".

Noam Or, 17, and his sister Alma, 13, were released on 25 November. In the 7 October attacks, they were seen by a neighbour being dragged out of their home in Be'eri, along with their father Dror Or, 48, according to their nephew Emmanuel Besorai. The body of Yonat, 50 - Dror's wife and the children's mother - was identified among the 120 people killed at the kibbutz. Noam and Alma's uncle, Ahal Besorai, told the BBC that the siblings did not know their mother had been killed. "We had to bring the sad news to them," he said.

Sisters Dafna, 15, and Ela Elyakim, 8, were taken from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the day of the attack, and were part of a family group whose capture was live-streamed by the attackers. The girls' mother, Maayan Zin, said in a statement that she was happy her daughters had returned, adding that since they were kidnapped, she had been living "between despair and hope, between pain and optimism".

Chen Almog-Goldstein, 48, and her children Tal, 8, Gal, 11, and Agam, 17, were abducted from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on the day of the attack. Chen's husband, Nadav, and their 20-year-old daughter, Yam, were killed by Hamas.

Tamar Metzger, 78, was freed on 28 November. Her husband Yoram - who has diabetes and broke his hip six months ago - remains in captivity.

Ditza Heiman, 84, one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz and a former social worker, was freed on 28 November. She is the widow of Zvi Shdaimah, who came to the UK on the Kindertransport, the organised rescue of children from Nazi-controlled areas during World War Two.

Ditza Heiman is one of of Kibbutz Nir Oz's founders

Ofelia Adit Roitman, 77, a former head teacher, was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz by Hamas. She was released on 28 November.

Ada Sagi, who turned 75 while in captivity, was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. The grandmother, who teaches Hebrew and Arabic, was freed on 28 November.

Noralin "Nataly" Babadila - or Noralin Agojo in some reports - is 60, and had been visiting Kibbutz Nirim to celebrate the community's 70th anniversary when she was kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October. Her partner, Gideon, was murdered that day.

Hanna Katzir, 77, was abducted from Nir Oz, along with her son, Elad Katzir, 47. On 9 November she appeared in a hostage video released by Hamas.

Channah Peri, 79, was taken hostage along with her son Nadav Popplewell, 51. Channah emigrated to Israel in the 1960s from South Africa and has three children.

Dr Shoshan Haran, 67, was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Be'eri, on 7 October. She is the founder of a not-for-profit organisation to help feed those in poverty and has a PhD in agronomy. She was released from captivity on 25 November along with her daughter Adi Shoham, 38, and her children, Nave, eight, and Yahel, three. Dr Haran's husband, Avshalom - an economist and dual German-Israeli citizen - was killed in the Hamas attack, while Adi's husband, Tal, 38, remains in captivity.

Also released were Sharon Avigdori, 52, a drama therapist, and her daughter Noam, 12, who are relatives of Dr Haran and were kidnapped from Be'eri at the same time. Family members Eviatar Kipnis, 65 and his wife Lilach Kipnis, 60, were killed in the attack, the family has said.

Yafa Adar, 85, was kidnapped from Nir Oz. She has three children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, the group speaking for families said. Yafa's grandson Tamir, 38, who defended the kibbutz as part of the Nir Oz emergency squad, was also taken to Gaza, the Times of Israel reported.

Shiri Weiss, 53 and her daughter Noga, 18, were taken from Be'eri, along with Shiri's husband Ilan Weiss, 58, who is Noga's father. Shiri is an accountant for the kibbutz's agricultural association. A video message from the family said Shiri was captured while Noga hid under the bed, until fires set by Hamas forced her out and she too was kidnapped.

Adrienne Aviva Seigel, 62, was taken from her home in Kfar Aza along with her 64-year-old husband Keith, his brother told the BBC. Keith is thought to be among the remaining hostages.

Margalit Mozes, 78, was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. A cancer survivor, her family say she has other health problems that require almost constant medical care.

Margalit Mozes was released on 24 November

Adina Moshe, 72, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz on 7 October. Her husband Said Moshe was killed in the attack, according to a group that has been speaking on behalf of many hostages and their families. Afterwards, she was identified by her family in a video clip showing her wedged between two Hamas fighters on a motorbike.

The Israeli military confirmed on 26 November that Elma Avraham, 84, was airlifted to Soroka hospital in Beersheba in a serious condition. She had lived at Kibbutz Nahal Oz for nearly 50 years before she was kidnapped, a spokesman for the community said.

Roni Krivoi, 25, is a dual Israeli-Russian national who lives in Karmiel, northern Israel, and had been working as a sound engineer at the Supernova music festival when he was kidnapped.

Hamas said Mr Krivoi had been let go as a show of appreciation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who refused to condemn the group following the 7 October attacks.

What we know about Israel-Hamas hostage deal

Hostages previously freed

3 panel image showing Yocheved Lifshitz, Judith Tai Raanan with Natalie Shoshana Raanan, Nurit Cooper

Prior to the deal struck between Israel and Hamas, four hostages were released, and another was freed by Israeli forces:

Foreign nationals

Twenty foreign workers have been released as part of a separate deal. Nineteen of these are from Thailand.

Boonthom Pankhong, 39, and his girlfriend, Natthawaree Mulakan, were released by Hamas on Friday. Boonthom's sister Urai Chantachart told BBC Thai that the family was "overjoyed". "Our family has been suffering for over a month, but we never thought he was dead. We strongly believed that he [was] still alive," she said. She added he had been working in Israel for five years when he was kidnapped, and was the family's main breadwinner.

It was feared Wichai Kalapat was among the Thai nationals killed in the Hamas raid but his girlfriend received word last week that he was being held hostage in Gaza. She told the BBC she was "so happy" because she did not think he would be among those who were released.

Seven other hostages were also released at the same time. Their names are Uthai Thunsri, Buddee Saengboon, Bancha Kongmanee, Withoon Phumee, Mongkhol Phajuabboon, Santi Boonphrom, and Uthai Sangnuan.

Gelienor "Jimmy" Leano Pacheco, 33, from the Philippines, was also released on Friday as part of the same deal. The father of three had been working in Israel as a caregiver to 80-year-old Amita Ben Zvi, who was killed in the attack on Nir Oz.

Natthaphon Onkaew, Khomkrit Chombua were among the four Thai nationals released on 25 November, according to the country's prime minister, Srettha Thavisin.

Anucha Angkaew was also freed. His wife, Wanida Maarsa, told BBC Thai that her husband, who had been working on an avocado farm for almost two years, was one of those taken captive by Hamas militants.

The fourth person released was Manee Jirachat, who travelled to Israel for work four years ago. He was seized by Hamas along with five other workers who had taken cover together, according to a Thai TV interview with his father, who had spoken to survivors.

It was announced on 26 November that Wichian Temthong, Surin Kesungnoen and Phonsawan Pinakalo had been freed.

Two more hostages were released on Tuesday 28 November - O-wat Suriyasri and Pattanayuth Tonsokri.
Laxman Narasimhan has been CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company for just over a year. In that time, he told Fortune last month, hes been able to try many Starbucks drinksand even learn to prepare the full menu as a barista. Despite his stature as the number-one at Starbucks, he doesnt have fancy taste. His go-to drink costs just $3.35on the lower end for the ubiquitous coffee chain, whose prices can cost as much as $5.95 for a seasonal pumpkin spice frappuccino.

My favorite go-to drink at Starbucks is the Doppio Espresso Macchiato with some hot milk on the side, Narasimhan said. He added that he prefers skim milk, because its the closest way of replicating the taste of South Indian coffee when in the U.S. Narasimhan is from Pune, a large city in southwest India.

Once in a while, the CEOwhose lengthy resume includes a long C-level career at PepsiCowill indulge in more ritzy Starbucks offerings. He said hes tasted and been very amazingly surprised by the whiskey barrel-aged Guatemalan coffee, which is available at Starbucks Roastery stores. It has no alcohol. It has a cube of ice, and it's a wonderful drink that I've enjoyed deeply.

Narasimhan honed his varied taste through the 40 hours he spent trainingand six months he spent workingas a barista alongside Starbucks partners while gearing up for the CEO gig. The idea was to really immerse myself in the business, understand the culture, understand it from a partners lens, and also get really good at coffee, which I love drinking, he told Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram on an episode of the Leadership Next podcast. Working in stores across the continents gave Narasimhan a real lens into what it meant to be a Starbucks employee.

Since taking the reins from erstwhile CEO and company founder Howard Schultz, Narasimhan has made clear his intentions to prioritize Starbucks corporates relationship with its in-store workers. Recent successful financial results, he said, proved that his efforts were paying off. Earlier this month, the chain reported an 11.4% bump in quarterly sales, equaling $9.37 billion. It also shared plans to add nearly 15,000 new locations, mostly outside the U.S. Thats alongside its existing more than 20,000 non-U.S. stores.

Narasimhan is avowedly militant about work-life balance; he meditates daily, exercises 150 to 250 minutes a week, and largely avoids answering work calls after 6 p.m. And even the CEO of a Fortune 100 company doesnt drink too much Kool Aid; he avoids any coffee after 2:00 p.m. At that point, he told Murray and Lev-Ram, he switches over to one of Starbuckss wonderful range of teas.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
The longtime freedom fighter takes no days off as he continues to rally for the civil rights of marginalized communities.

For decades, the Rev. Al Sharptons advocacy has placed him at the forefront of seeking equality and peace for Black families who have fallen victim to racial violence and an unfair justice system.

Sharpton is well known for garnering national attention and bringing public awareness to racial adversities such as police brutality, Americas housing crisis, hateful acts against Black individuals, and other actions that target the civil rights of Black Americans.

The most recent case the activist is placing a spotlight on is the death in Mississippi of Dexter Wade, a Black man who was run over by a police officer in March. Wade was buried though no one informed his mother of the fatal encounter or the burial. After reporting her son missing in March and searching for him, she found out nearly six months later that he was dead and buried. Sharpton issued a call to action for the Department of Justice to investigate Wades case and the Jackson, Mississippi, police departments procedures, tactics and culture.

What happened to Dexter Wade is one of the most disturbing things I have ever heard, Sharpton wrote in a statement. This is truly as bad as it gets. You have an off-duty officer who fatally strikes a Black man with an official vehicle, then a department that says they cannot locate a next of kin while his mother begs and pleads with anyone who will listen to find her son. The details clearly show this is a cover-up  plain and simple.

In proper Sharpton form, he sheds light on incidents and places them high on the publics radar to evoke pressure on political leaders and government officials to respond. Sharptons influence has made him instrumental in the development of several high-profile cases: George Floyd, Tyre Nichols, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Rayshard Brooks and others.

Rev. Al Sharpton was honored at theGrio Awards 2023. (Photo by James Anthony)

Sharpton stands on the shoulders of past changemakers in the civil rights arena. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rep. John Lewis, his mentor, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and others played a role in Sharptons unwavering commitment to civil rights and advancing Black communities through nonviolent resistance.

At 69 years old, Sharpton still stands strong as the go-to advocate who continues to publicly protest, and there are no signs he is slowing down.

In February, the documentary Loudmouth premiered on BET, exploring his lifes work of fighting for social justice. He hosts a weekend news talk show, PoliticsNation, on MSNBC. He also has his daily national radio show, Keepin It Real, where he keeps listeners abreast of major political events and updates. He is the author of several books including, Rise Up: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads, The Rejected Stone: Al Sharpton and the Path to American Leadership, Righteous Troublemakers: Untold Stories of the Social Justice Movement in America and many others. He was a guest lecturer at Tennessee State University. He also has been honored with multiple honorary doctorate degrees from Bethune-Cookman University, Fisk University and Medgar Evers College, to name a few.

He is the founder of the National Action Network (NAN), a not-for-profit civil rights organization. NAN, which Sharpton created in 1991, promotes an agenda focusing on criminal justice reform, police accountability, crisis intake and victim assistance, voting rights, corporate responsibility and pension diversity, youth leadership and technology accessibility.

NAN has nearly 100 chapters nationwide where members meet and organize about issues impacting their local communities. The work of NAN has been recognized and praised by other changemakers, including former President Barack Obama, who in 2007 deemed Sharpton the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden at one of the organizations conventions.

Sharpton is relentless in his efforts to empower and be a voice for marginalized communities  an initiative instilled in him when he was a child.

The New York native was born in 1954 in Queens. The future crusaders introduction to preaching started early. Sharpton began preaching at 4 years old, and his first sermon was at the Washington Temple Church of God in Christ. Before reaching his teens, Sharpton found himself preaching throughout the country with the guidance of Bishop F.D. Washington and the Rev. Dr. Bill Jones, two pastors Sharptons mother connected him with. From there, he was introduced to Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1967. When Sharpton reached 13, he was appointed by Jackson and the Rev. William Augustus Jones as the youth director for the New York chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conferences Operation Breadbasket. His experience in that role laid the foundation for his training in civil disobedience and direct action, which he would later adopt into his current practices.

Sharptons desire to fight for civil rights grew as he was surrounded by powerful leaders. He learned from the Rev. William A. Jones, Hosea Williams, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker and other influential activists. Sharpton founded his first civil rights organization, the National Youth Movement, at 16. He eventually met James Brown and grew closer to the musician. In 1973, Brown adopted Sharpton as his godson. Sharptons frequent association with the Godfather of Soul taught him how to captivate the public.

I would watch what moves and what songs excited people, and I would take notes, Sharpton told The New York Times. Because youve got to keep peoples attention.

Sharpton put the knowledge he absorbed from his influential mentors to the test with his first major case in 1986. Three Black men who were looking for help after their car broke down stopped at a New York pizza shop in Howard Beach, an all-white neighborhood in Queens, New York. The men were approached by white teenagers, and an argument started. The teenagers left and returned with a mob to attack the Black men. Michael Griffith, 23, one of the men chased by the white mob, was killed after getting struck by a car. Sharpton made it his duty to organize several protests rallying for justice for the men. He and over a thousand protesters marched through Howard Beach. In the end, three of the attackers were convicted of second-degree manslaughter.

Sharptons success at mobilizing demonstrators and contributing to the mobbers conviction set him on track to fight for other cases.

The Rev. Al Sharpton (center) speaks to members of the press as organizers of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington listen after a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House on Aug. 28, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

In 1989, Sharpton conducted several protests after a 16-year-old teenager, Yusuf Hawkins, was attacked by a white mob, shot and then killed in Brooklyn. His public display of marching for justice garnered him more public attention. Even after being stabbed in the chest during one of the demonstrations, he did not let that incident deter him from pushing forward. He campaigned for the Senate in 1992 and 1994 and lost both times. He ran for New York City mayor in 1997 and ran for president in 2004, which he did not win either.

Although he was never elected to office, those setbacks never dissuaded him from continuing his social justice advocacy. He continued to march. He continued to protest. He continued to be the spokesperson behind a podium or in the streets for Black families longing for justice and accountability.

His push to evoke change raised awareness about injustices for families, including those of Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Michael Brown and many more. As part of his annual commemoration of Dr. Kings March on Washington, over 200,000 people attended in 2020 to demand police reform, and the event was led by families of Black individuals who lost their lives to police brutality.

Sharptons influence runs deep and is highly praised. In 2014, Vanity Fair called him arguably the countrys most influential civil-rights leader. Sharpton lives up to that proclamation as he continues his long strides forward despite the violence, multiple imprisonments for civil disobedience and other obstacles he has endured.

Sharptons legacy lives in his persistent mission of achieving justice where it is due and, in return, brings society closer to systemic equality.

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Even though Americans support immigration, they have been willing to accept tougher prescriptions for enforcement  and their willingness could test how far hard-liners can go in 2024 with anti-immigrant proposals.

Democrats, like Republicans, have been joining the drumbeat that there is a "crisis" at the border as the numbers of people the Border Patrol says it encounters hit record levels.

Amid all this, former President Donald Trump promises to expand on the hard-line immigration policies of his first term, setting off alarm bells among immigration advocates and even some Republican conservatives.

Trump has escalated his language with declarations that immigrants were poisoning the blood of our country, echoing Nazi rhetoric; proposing such drastic measures as a massive deportation sweep modeled after the Eisenhower-era Operation Wetback; and calling for detention camps that some see as similar to Japanese internment camps.

Trumps plans include ending the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, invoking a World War II law that allows the president to unilaterally detain and deport people who are not U.S. citizens and cutting off funding for transportation and shelter for people who lack legal status in the country, The Associated Press reported.

All of it seems to be happening as there are signs of cracks in Americans' historic support for immigration.

A June Gallup poll found Americans still think immigration is good for the country, at 68%, but that is the lowest percentage since 2014, when it was 63%, and down from 77% in 2020.

A recent NBC News poll found that 3 in 4 registered voters favored Congress spending more money on border security to address immigration.

Meanwhile, leaders in blue cities that have long welcomed immigrants complain of stretched resources with the influx of newcomers shuttled from Texas and other states. Dividing lines are emerging as immigrants who have worked for years without legal status see newly arrived asylum-seekers from countries like Venezuela get work permits.

This month a number of immigration advocacy and progressive groups warned that Americans should take a breather and be careful what they wish for as they demand that something be done about the border crisis.

Trumps immigration plan is not just about immigrants. Citizens are at risk, too, said Tom Jawetz, the senior fellow for immigration policy at the Center for American Progress.

With immigration a top issue for voters in the 2024 elections, hard-liners already have been testing whether they can slip into those cracks in voters support for immigration, while progressives worry that Americans do not understand the wider impact of some of the policies.

What Trump is describing is not just about immigration policy. Hes not just firing up his voters for a primary season. Hes openly talking about changing who we are as a nation, who is considered American, who belongs to this country, said Vanessa Cardenas, the executive director of Americas Voice, an immigrant advocacy group. This is not normal, and we collectively cannot become desensitized to his rhetoric, because we already know the dangerous consequences of words and his actions.

Swept up in an immigration dragnet

Todd Schulte, the president and executive director of FWD.us, an immigration advocacy group, said that when you are talking about going after 1 million, 2 million, 3 million people a year based on their immigration status, you are talking about violating the civil liberties and basic rights of Americans who were born in this country and tens of millions of immigrants who come to this country every year."

That happened in Arizona.

Arizonas SB 1070 law, signed in 2010, allows officers enforcing other laws to investigate the citizenship or immigration statuses of suspects and people they have stopped. The law initially went further, requiring officers to investigate the citizenship and immigration statuses of everyone they stopped, arrested or detained, leading to lawsuits as mostly Latino residents said they were unfairly targeted. Eventually, the courts struck down parts of SB 1070.

But some states may test whether the conservative Supreme Court would be more open to revisiting the Arizona law to allow states to enforce immigration laws, a jurisdiction reserved for the federal government.

In Texas, where Hispanics outnumber whites, and in Florida, where Hispanics are about a third of the population, Republican governors have enacted hard-line immigration policies, and communities are already seeing the impact.

A law Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in May invalidates out-of-state driver's licenses for undocumented people, makes hospitals ask for patients immigration statuses, sets a 15-year punishment for anyone found transporting undocumented people from outside the state into Florida and requires businesses to use an electronic system to verify employees are eligible to work in the U.S.

The law has led workers and families to flee, including some citizens with family members who are not citizens. It has interfered with some of the work of religious people whose faith requires them to assist people regardless of their immigration status.

In Texas, the state is trying to create its own immigration arrest force. A bill awaiting Gov. Greg Abbotts signature would allow all peace officers in the state to arrest people they say entered the country illegally.

Also awaiting Abbotts signature are bills that would provide $1.54 billion for border security, including for border wall construction, and one that would assess 10-year penalties for smuggling or transporting people without legal status.

The latter bill worries faith leaders who minister to congregations regardless of their immigration status, as is the case in Florida.

"This language of an immigrant crisis is really the result of inaction. Congress refuses to act and then says we have a crisis. You can't have it both ways. You can't say we aren't going to do anything and then say we have a crisis," said Gabriel Salguero, the pastor of The Gathering Place, an Assemblies of God congregation in Orlando, Florida, and founder of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition.

The Gallup poll found Americans' desire for less immigration has ticked up to 41%, the highest since 2014.

Policy vs. politics

Amid Republican criticism of Biden's handling of border and immigration issues, the Biden administration has touted its efforts to stem illegal immigration through enforcement and an expansion of legal pathways for those who are eligible.

A commentary by the conservative Cato Institute based on its analysis of immigration actions under Trump and Biden found "Mr. Trumps policies resulted in far fewer removals in absolute terms and a slightly higher percentage of released border crossers than Mr. Bidens," and it posited that no administration can really eradicate migration.

But Mike Madrid, a Latino political consultant who is a registered Republican, said immigration is being framed as a security issue and a security threat and that when it is coupled with constant images from the border, these factors "are clearly having an impact when Americans are already feeling crime is an issue already and they view the border as something that can and should be controlled."

Madrid said that with voters, including Latino voters, demanding more border security, the door opens for some of Trumps rhetoric and positions, along with those of the Republican governors.

"If Joe Biden doesn't start articulating a clear, precise border security policy," he said, "they will continue to lose Latino voters and all voters at a time when they can't afford to lose any."

Jose Parra, a political consultant who was an aide to the late Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada, said that while there has been a slight shift in Americans' support for immigration, "I think it is a perception that the border is a bit out of control," adding, "I think Americans still support handling immigration in an orderly and humane way.

Parra said Trump is overreaching, as he did when he approved intentionally taking and separating migrant children from their mothers and fathers.

Any "show me your papers" policies or Operation Wetback-like roundups could easily ensnare Latino Americans. They could also galvanize Americans against him and Republicans, which happened in Arizona and, long before that, in California, when the anti-immigrant Proposition 187 was implemented, he said.
In this rapidly evolving world, this sentiment stands validated. Todays education isnt merely about foundational literacy

Renowned futurist Alvin Toffler, rightly noted, The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.  By Arrangement

The 21st-century education landscape has undeniably changed due to the impact of digital innovation and technology. Where once students were mere spectators in the learning process, receiving information passively, technology now empowers them to be active participants in their educational journey.

In this context, one question arises: how has this tech-driven metamorphosis sculpted todays academic strategies? Read on to find out the answers in this comprehensive guide on the role of technology in education. Happy reading!

Navigating Ed-Tech Progressions

In recent times, theres been a significant surge in tools designed for education. Education technology or EdTech, offers an expansive scope in shaping modern education - from interactive classrooms to platforms for holistic learning.

Interactive Spaces and Tech-Infused Learning: A trip to modern institutions like the One World International School in Nanyang, Singapore will showcase classrooms alive with digital interactions. The age-old chalkboards have made way for interactive displays, fostering a collaborative and vibrant learning atmosphere.

Unified Learning Platforms: Today, schools rely on comprehensive platforms for disseminating education. Customised to the unique needs of institutions, these platforms bring together lessons, tasks, evaluations, and feedback, offering a cohesive learning ecosystem.

Gains from Merging Tech with Education

We need technology in every classroom and in every student and teachers hand, because it is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world.  David Warlick, early promoter of educational technology in classrooms.

These words are true to the letter. In a society predominantly governed by tech, classrooms and education in general needs to adapt quickly. In this section, we will understand some of the important benefits of merging tech and education.

Custom-Tailored Education: Leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence, educators are now equipped to curate a learning path aligned with each students aptitude. This analytical approach ensures maximised educational yield.

Heightened Engagement Levels: Multimedia tools, like animated renditions or immersive VR explorations, serve to ignite students curiosity, reinforcing knowledge absorption.

Revamped Evaluation Mechanisms: Moving past the age of mere mugging up, tech-driven evaluations now gauge genuine understanding. Instant feedback mechanisms further bolster the learning process.

Points of Deliberation

While techs role in education is transformative, its pivotal to adopt it judiciously.

Ensuring Equitable Access: The challenge lies in ensuring that tech-driven education isnt limited to urban hubs. Bridging this digital divide is vital.

The challenge lies in ensuring that tech-driven education isnt limited to urban hubs. Bridging this digital divide is vital. Tech as an Enabler, Not a Crutch: Its imperative to remember that technology complements, not substitutes. Over-dependence might impede nurturing core competencies like interpersonal skills.

Its imperative to remember that technology complements, not substitutes. Over-dependence might impede nurturing core competencies like interpersonal skills. Guarding Digital Treasures: As institutions transition online, safeguarding student data becomes paramount. This necessitates robust digital security frameworks.

Anticipating Techs Evolving Role in Learning

When we plot the trajectory of educational technology, its clear that its not merely a transient phase but rather the backbone of futuristic education. The impending innovations promise to further amplify the academic outcomes.

AR and VR tools are on the brink of becoming classroom staples. Envision geography lessons where students can traverse global terrains virtually or history lessons where iconic moments are re-lived. Likewise, AIs growth promises a more nuanced learning approach, optimising content delivery based on real-time student engagement.

Furthermore, as competition around primary school fees intensifies, the quest for delivering unparalleled value becomes more acute. Technology, thus, might transition from being an auxiliary support to the epicentre of the curriculum, ensuring students receive an unparalleled, holistic educational experience.

Adapting to a Tech-Driven Learning Era

Renowned futurist Alvin Toffler, rightly noted, The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

In this rapidly evolving world, this sentiment stands validated. Todays education isnt merely about foundational literacy. It underscores the significance of agility and the capability to perpetually evolve.

Take the evolving pedagogical ethos at institutions like OWIS Nanyang, an international school in Singapore. The focus isnt on discarding traditional methodologies but harmoniously blending them with new-age tech, cultivating enriching learning experiences. The dynamism of modern information necessitates this adaptability. Its vital for learners to not just assimilate but also critically engage with knowledge.

The competitive nature of primary school fees further drives institutions to ensure theyre offering optimal value. This translates into an academic atmosphere that champions inquisitiveness, resilience, and flexibility, preparing students for a future filled with unforeseen opportunities and challenges.

Educators Navigating the Technological Evolution in Classrooms

In todays technologically advanced educational environment, the transformation is evident not just in how students learn but also in the evolving role of educators. Positioned at the intersection of time-honoured teaching practices and cutting-edge innovations, instructors are adapting to a more dynamic educational role.

No longer are they merely the sole dispensers of knowledge in an era where students, being digital natives, have information at their fingertips. Their role is evolving into that of mentors, helping students navigate, interpret, and critically assess the ocean of information before them. This demands a shift from just relaying content to cultivating core competencies like critical thinking, adaptability, and digital discernment.

Embracing Modern Teaching Tools: A notable adaptation for teachers has been acquainting themselves with the wave of educational tech tools. Be it the adoption of interactive whiteboards, student feedback mechanisms, or sophisticated educational applications, continuous upskilling becomes imperative. Institutions like Nanyang School in Singapore conduct pedagogy programs, ensuring educators are up-to-date with current technological trends, thus facilitating fluid tech integration into their teaching methods.

Fostering Collaborative Digital Spaces: Further, the use of tech era has enhanced collaboration within educational settings. There are now platforms that not only support group tasks and peer assessments but also promote international teamwork with peers from diverse cultures and geographies. For educators, this expands their role from managing just the tangible classroom to supervising these digital collaborative spaces, ensuring productive and courteous exchanges.

Harnessing Insights from Data: An undeniable advantage of tech infusion in classrooms is the real-time analytics it offers. Modern platforms can monitor student trajectories, pinpoint challenges, and proffer personalised solutions. This empowers educators with insights, allowing them to move beyond generalised teaching methods to more tailored instructional strategies, enhancing overall educational efficacy.

The Need for Ongoing Professional Growth: Teaching in todays age requires an unwavering commitment to professional enhancement. Given the swift technological shifts, educators are compelled to upskill and reskill themselves. Initiatives such as seminars, workshops, and e-learning modules can provide them with the scope for such pedagogical progression.

Summing Up

In essence, while technologys influence on modern education is profound, its responsible adoption is key. A judicious blend of innovation with traditional wisdom promises a future thats as enlightening as it is engaging. Choosing the right school that brings together all of these into one umbrella is a step ahead in that direction.

Disclaimer: No Asian Age journalist was involved in the creation of this content. The group also takes no responsibility for this content.
by Mgr Antuan Ilgit *

In an exclusive account, AsiaNews is publishing the thoughts of the Turkish prelate who was ordained bishop yesterday. He is committed to dialogue, rebuilding, and working to consolidate the local Church. In his homily, the vicar of Istanbul noted the new bishop can be an instrument of consolation and a messenger of hope to a community marked by the earthquake. Today he had lunch with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and led his first Mass with young people.

Istanbul (AsiaNews)  The appointment of Antuan Ilgit as the new auxiliary bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia represents a "new page" in the history of the Turkish Church, which will inspire "new vocations" to "consolidate a Turkish clergy", this according to the new prelate himself who was ordained yesterday in Istanbul since our cathedral collapsed in the earthquake" of 6 February. The new bishop is equally committed to young people, in post-earthquake reconstruction starting with the cathedral, and in ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.

The ordination took place in the Basilica of St Anthony of Padua in Istanbul, in the presence of Bishop Paolo Bizzeti, Vicar Apostolic of Anatolia (who led the ceremony), Apostolic Nuncio Marek Solczynski and Bishop Massimiliano Palinuro, Vicar Apostolic of Istanbul. Those who attended the service included Turkish Christians, refugees, African students, catechumens, and beginners. The celebration involved Turkeys Christian community, plus friends and Catholics from the Middle East, the United States, and Italy.

In his homily, Bishop Massimiliano Palinuro noted that today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, stressing that the ordination is a "pledge of rebirth for the Church of Anatolia" and a people "tried" by the terrible "disaster" of the earthquake.

"In communion with Bishop Paul, as his auxiliary bishop, you are called to serve desperate people who are waiting for support from the Lord and his Church to rebuild what the earthquake has destroyed, said the Vicar Apostolic of Istanbul addressing the new prelate.

Amid a people devastated by the tragedy of the earthquake, may you be an instrument of consolation and a messenger of hope. With a father's love, encourage those who have lost everything and support those who have the task of rebuilding the material structures and human relationships that the earthquake has destroyed."

Today, Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I invited Bishop Ilgit for lunch at the patriarchate, followed at 5:30 pm by the celebration of his first Mass as bishop in Istanbuls Holy Spirit Cathedral in the presence of a group of young people to mark the 38th Turkish World Youth Day centred on the theme: "Rejoice in hope" (Rom 12:12).

Here is the reflection of the newly appointed bishop:

The episcopal ordination is a beautiful novelty and a new page in the history of the Catholic Church in Turkey, which give great hope. I am very grateful to Pope Francis for the trust he has placed in me and, through me, in the young people of the Church in Turkey. I hope that this will be the beginning of a new era in which new vocations will arise to consolidate a Turkish clergy.

At the same time, we must be realistic. While we pray to the Lord to give labourers for his harvest, we must commit ourselves to accompanying young people and promoting vocations by getting involved with them. If there is no witness of life, if one does not leave the fences and go towards them, vocations are not born in dreams. It is also necessary to value the laity, the young couples who wish to serve the Church and the People of God in various ways and with great generosity; the Church is "also" made up of the laity, let us not forget that.

A Turkish Church

When the pope, at the audience granted to the group I was accompanying in Lisbon for World Youth Day, asked me "not to abandon young people" and not to lose "the humanity that distinguishes me," he had first and foremost the young people of Turkey in his heart, especially those from the earthquake-hit zones. He is the model I have in front of me; how he listened attentively to young people, their pains; let them express themselves as they wanted, respected their tears, and encouraged their dreams. Thus, I will continue my work with them, focusing on accompaniment, closeness, Christian and human training, and the promotion of their talents, also because they are the future of the Church and society.

Our communities are also made up of Christian refugees and African students who need to be welcomed, accompanied, and helped in various ways during their stay in Turkey. I will always try to be inclusive towards them, as Bishop Paolo Bizzeti has done serving the Church of Anatolia. In this respect I feel very lucky, because I am the auxiliary of a bishop with whom I share the same values and the same priorities.

The same thing is true for the other bishops of the Bishops' Conference. They welcomed me with great hope and I am preparing to work with them based on dialogue and respect. Whether we are foreign-born or native, we are all called to serve the one Church in Turkey. And we must do so with synodality, as the Holy Spirit is now saying to its Church through Franciss magisterium. It is true that the bishops, the clergy of the Latin Church in this land, have always come from outside, but we must also acknowledge that they have loved the country, this "holy land", and it is thanks to them that our communities have moved forward and people like me have met the Lord.

Rebirth after the earthquake

Our vicariate has been very involved with earthquake victims. Through Caritas Anatolia we will continue to be close to the affected population. Do not think that the first emergency is already behind us; many families, especially refugees, are still living in tents and winter is just around the corner. At the same time, those who had to leave the cities try to return and resume their lives. They need to be helped, and we are there as much as we can. Once through the red tape, we must start rebuilding the cathedral soon. Just as there can be no cathedral without a community, so a community cannot be without its cathedral. Thus, as we rebuild the Christian community, we shall also rebuild the cathedral with living stones.

These lands, which are very dear to Christianity, cannot and must not be depopulated. We are close to other countries affected by wars, terrorism, and catastrophes, which have experienced for years a persistent loss of Christians. Our communities are worried about what is happening in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, Syria as well as Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Every day, at every Mass, we pray for peace and dialogue. War is like a tumour that leads to metastasis, and while it causes unspeakable suffering, it tends to spread like wildfire. For this reason, we must continue to promote peace education and commit ourselves to encourage it in families and communities to spread a mindset of peace and dialogue.

Ecumenism and interfaith dialogue

On the topic of dialogue, the participation of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople Sahak II, and the Syriac Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Metropolitans at my consecration gives me much hope for the ecumenical journey. It is the fruit of the great commitment made by the bishops of this land. Presently, I am just a humble beneficiary and now it is up to me to nurture these relationships, maintain them and improve them. Here, in this land, for centuries we have experienced dialogue and walked together in life, in everyday life, sharing the same fate, joys and sorrows. The same is true in a perspective of interfaith dialogue with Islam.

The chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Turkey, Archbishop Martin Kmetec, announced a few days ago that 2024 will be the Year of the Eucharist for the Turkish Church. The Eucharist is a precious gift from the Lord to his Church; with it we always become one body, we nourish ourselves and work generously with faith, hope and charity. I hope that the Eucharistic Year for Turkey, as Archbishop Kmetec stressed, will remind us that "after eating the Bread of Heaven we are called to share the earthly bread with all those who are in poverty and need." These words echo those the pope pronounced a few days ago: Poverty is a scandal. When the Lord returns, he will settle accounts with us.

In the bull with which he appointed me auxiliary bishop, the pope writes: "In receiving this office of bishop, be assured of the assistance of Christ the Supreme Shepherd, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of her most chaste Spouse Saint Joseph, as well as the favours of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, beloved son, remembering daily that of all things, charity is the greatest and will never end (cf. 1 Cor 13:8).

Indeed, charity is born and nurtured by the Eucharist. May the heavenly Mother, under whose protection we take refuge and to whom I entrust my episcopal ministry, keep us safe, and accompany us towards her Son and our Lord. I continue to follow his Providence, which has never disappointed me and will never disappoint me.

* Titular bishop of Tubernuca and auxiliary bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia

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ICE

PHEV

EV

As you already know, the Swedish company already killed its sedans and estates in the United Kingdom earlier this year. The five-door was also dropped from the United States after the 2021 model year, though the S90 lives on in theand(Recharge) flavors.Moreover, the $59,150 (MSRP) V90 Cross Country is also alive, with its jacked-up stance, all-wheel drive, 295 horsepower, and the ability to sprint to sixty miles an hour (97 kph) in 6.1 seconds. This model mixes the traditional executive station wagon body with the ride height of a crossover, and even though it's far from being an off-roader, it can venture farther off the lit path than the regular models. It can also attack some steep driveways and climb curbs with ease.However, with the customer demand shifting heavily to crossovers, SUVs, and trucks, and the entire industry preparing to go all-electric, we cannot help but wonder what the future holds for the Volvo V90 Cross Country. A logical move would be to keep it around for a couple more years and ready its successor in the meantime, which would have to feature battery-electric power to stay interesting.But is this really what the automaker has in store for it? We are tempted to say yes, especially since the XC90's successor, which is known as the EX90, has followed this recipe. Moreover, Volvo has additional EVs in its portfolio, and it is certainly not afraid to experiment with various models that the competition is not interested in, like the EM90 . The latter is a minivan with an electron-sipping powertrain, though there's a catch here, as it will only be available in China  hey, you didn't think they were going to risk it all the way to the bank, did you?As a result, launching an all-electric successor to the V90 Cross Country, as well as the regular V90 and the S90 sedan, seems like the next logical step for Volvo. And while the next S90 will certainly sell withpower, as it would take on the likes of the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE, the V90 and V90 Cross Country could build on its success. We're not the only ones who think the jacked-up model deserves an electric future , as so does Digimods Design on YouTube, who set to work and came up with a couple of renderings that imagine it in this guise. Is it something you'd consider buying?
Only some countries can pride themselves in having such a rich automotive history as the US can. But passion aside, car companies are for-profit businesses. When things don't go right and positive cash flow is nonexistent, these complicated endeavors can't be kept afloat for long. As a result, they become history, and people who saw them roaming the streets or resting in their driveways start experiencing nostalgia. So, here's which car manufacturers North America misses the most.

The fantastic thing about internal combustion engine-powered vehicles is that they can kickstart the formation of brand-new communities. Just surf the web for a few minutes, and you'll quickly find numerous forums focused on particular models. For those willing to take on the risks associated with these iconic cars, these platforms are literal goldmines because they contain specific pieces of information that might come in handy exactly when enthusiasts need them the most.That's just one proof showcasing how vehicles like the '71 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda, the many Ford Mustang generations, or the space-age inspired Cadillacs can lead to the creation of new ventures. These cars also help families find new opportunities to bond, and friends can spend quality time together working on something integral to the American fabric.Will today's all-electric vehicles be able to fascinate the next generations of Americans as these oldies do now? That's certainly up for debate. But considering there's not much you can fix or upkeep by yourself Zero-emission vehicles might not escape their fate of being mere commuting appliances. Time will certainly tell.But the data we have available now certainly does not lie. Google searches, for example, can reveal a lot about trends or what people desire or think about nowadays. Hippo crunched the available details and discovered that Canadians and Americans miss Pontiac , Saab, and Oldsmobile.Nearly 110,000 unique searches were recorded over a month for Saab alone. That's impressive for the Swedish manufacturer founded in 1945, just as the Second World War ended. The brand came to America in 1956 and made its debut at that year's New York Auto Show. GM bought it in 2000. Its story officially ended in 2012 after the 2008 financial crisis. But the Saab name continues to live on as one of Sweden's most important companies. It employs around 16,000 people and creates air, land, naval, security, and civil aerospace products.Pontiac comes in a close second with 98,900 searches for the verified month. Loved for its innovative style and affordable sporty vehicles (GTO and Trans Am ring a bell for almost anybody), the GM-owned company had a final shining moment in 2010. Its story stopped because it was the unfortunate victim of restructuring.For Oldsmobile, only 46,480 searches were recorded. General Motors decided to end its existence in 2004 when the last-ever Alero GLS left the Lansing Car Assembly plant.The study also analyzed what gearheads from Japan, Germany, the UK, India, France, Italy, South Korea, and Brazil are nostalgic about. That verification revealed Trabant, Holden, Studebaker , DeSoto, Saturn, Talbot, and Edsel are in the top ten of the most missed carmakers.Will today's youth discuss the Teslas, Rivians, and Lucids of today with the same passion gearheads talk about Saab, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile? Maybe we'll be lucky enough to see what the world of cars will come to. Let's just hope the roads won't be filled with robotaxis until then.
We sometimes wonder if the guys over at Tamarit Motorcycles ever sleep, because the pace theyve been operating at in the past eight years is rather startling. During this time, Tamarit went from a small workshop known locally in Elche, Spain to the leading Triumph customization outfit on the globe, and theyre showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Photo: Tamarit Motorcycles

Photo: Tamarit Motorcycles

Never missing the opportunity to feature their masterpieces here on autoevolution, we regularly keep an eye out to see what theyre getting up to. A little while back, Tamarits 131st build broke cover on their official website, going by the name of Thunderbird. The projects donor was a carbureted Thruxton 900 from Triumph s range  the perfect basis for building an elegant cafe racer with vintage vibes.Coincidentally, the number 131 just so happened to hold great significance for Mike, whod contacted Tamarit from the other side of the big pond to commission this build. Back in 1978, he enlisted in the British Royal Air Force as part of the 131st apprentice class, so it seemed like a matter of fate for him to own the Tamarit-built marvel bearing that same number.With the Thruxton on their workbench, the Spanish bike-modding doctors wasted no time taking it apart and figuring out a concept. Mike wanted something inspired by three of Tamarits previous builds, those being Gullwing, Jade , and Helios. Borrowing design elements from all these machines, the guys came up with a mouth-watering cafe racer that looks like a million bucks. Lets go ahead and analyze how they got there, shall we?Aside from the gas tank, all the original bodywork components have been eliminated as the motorcycle was coming apart. Items like the subframe, exhaust system, and rear shocks followed suit, as did the stock lighting hardware on both ends. Starting at the rear, Tamarit had the Thruxton s swingarm extended ever so slightly, then modified to accommodate a monoshock suspension arrangement.Up top, the new shock absorber is linked to a custom seat support built in-house. Atop this module lies a pointy tail section with dual-function LEDs embedded at the back, and it is in turn topped with a stylish, tailor-made saddle. The seat was put together using black leather and red stitching for contrast, but the upholstery continues to make its way forward in the form of a classy tank strap. In addition, theres an aluminum plate with circular cut-outs sitting right above it.The fuel tank is adorned with Tamarit badges and a plain filler cap, as well, and the way its been merged with the tail unit is absolutely seamless. At the front, the Thunderbird comes equipped with a gorgeous cafe-style fairing similar to those worn by Jade and Helios. Held in place via bespoke brackets, it surrounds a sizeable LED headlight and a Motogadget Chronoclassic dial mounted right above.Rounding out the creatures attire is a small but effective front fender, and its factory forks are now paired with fresh CNC-machined triple clamps. The cockpit features aftermarket clip-ons embellished with Kustom Tech control levers and a collection of Motogadget goodies. These include bar-end mirrors and turn signals, as well as compact switches that keep things looking as tidy as possible. Billet rearsets finish off the bikes ergonomics.Tamarits overhaul got pretty spicy in the footwear department, too, involving the addition of premium brake rotors and calipers from Beringer. The retro-looking tires installed fore and aft are Shinkos stylish E270 compound  an excellent choice for a motorcycle like the Thunderbird. Besides all the snazzy cockpit equipment, Motogadget also supplied a Bluetooth-enabled mo.Unit controller for the electronics.As a very neat little trick, Tamarit revised the frames twin down tubes to house an integrated oil cooling system, just like they had done on Helios and some of their other builds. The exhaust system was clearly inspired by Helios, as well, running up high and giving the impression of straight pipes. Custom perforated heat shields have also been added, so as to prevent things from getting too toasty near the riders legs.On the intake side of the equation, you will spot high-grade pod filters from K&N allowing the parallel-twin mill to breathe a bit more freely. Its power is channeled to the rear wheel by means of a fresh gold drive chain, but the engine internals were left untouched. In terms of paintwork, the Thunderbird flaunts a delightful mixture of red and silver, along with gold pinstripes separating the two main hues.Most components aside from the bodywork were either chromed or brass-plated, right down to the various bolts and fasteners. To commemorate Mikes time with the RAF, Tamarit designed a small emblem based on his apprentice badge, fitting it on the left-hand side of the belly pan. With this installed, the Thunderbird was complete and ready to meet its lucky owner over in the States.
At times, folks will commission a custom project to a certain workshop, only to regret this decision further down the line. Such builds can end up stagnating for what feels like an eternity, and the client is usually left with no choice but to pull the plug and try their luck elsewhere. These situations arent all that common, yet Francisco found himself in the midst of one back in 2016.

Photo: Balaklava

Photo: Balaklava

Hes the owner of the ravishing Honda CB750 Seven-Fifty shown above (aka Laurus), but bringing his vision to life proved way more challenging than it should have. Initially, Francisco entrusted an unnamed garage with the customization process, hoping they would deliver the promised result. The project only got as far as the preparatory teardown, though, and the CB750 eventually made its way back to the owner in pieces.Braving himself to give customization another go in 2020, he reached out to Tiago Goncalves and Luis Costa of Unik Motorcycles. Francisco really struck gold this time around, because Unik is among the finest bike-modding outfits over in Portugal! Joined by a team of talented employees, the shops founders have thus far indulged in countless projects of the highest tier, so they were more than capable of turning this Seven-Fifty's fortune around.Whats more, they did so in just a few months  basically at the speed of light compared to the previous builder. The 1996-model Honda was handed over to them as a box of separate parts, and the modifications got underway as soon as Unik grasped what the client wanted. To get the ball rolling, they sourced a Suzuki GSX-R 's inverted forks and Tokico front brake calipers.The forks were mated to the CB750s framework via billet aluminum triple clamps, while the Tokico calipers received a pair of Beringer rotors to bite on. At the rear end, suspension-related affairs are assigned to high-grade Ohlins shock absorbers with piggyback reservoirs and adjustable preload. A third Beringer brake disc is present in that area, too, and the stock wheels were deleted to make way for lighter 17-inch units from Kineo.Wrapped around their rims are grippy Shinko tires, with the rear one measuring a beefy 180/55. Unik had the motorcycles subframe shortened, looped, and fitted with a small yet sufficiently bright LED taillight. In addition, theyve attached a bespoke license plate bracket to the rearmost portion of the subframe tubing, so as to keep things nice and tidy but also street-legal.Youll spot a custom saddle perched on the rear frame tubing, upholstered in standard black leather on the sides and suede up top. In terms of bodywork, Laurus still features the factory Seven-Fifty fuel tank, but all the other parts are handmade modules built from scratch. A sizeable electronics box fills up the subframe triangle, hidden well out of sight by shapely side covers with rounded corners.Unik crafted a new fender for each end, as well, mounting them close to the tires for a sporty aesthetic. Lighting up the way ahead is a Thunderbolt LED headlamp supplied by Koso, and a Motogadget Chronoclassic dial can be seen a bit further back on the upper triple clamp. Motogadget also provided a keyless RFID ignition system, bar-end turn signals, and stylish grips.The latter goodies are worn by aftermarket clip-ons, along with plain switches, adjustable control levers, and snazzy rear-view mirrors. Moving on to the shops powertrain-related work, Luis and Tiago didnt let the inline-four's reliable nature deter them from performing a complete overhaul. They had the engine rebuilt inside out, fitting fresh cylinder heads and rejuvenating its carburetors while they were at it. Ultimately, the carbs got topped with K&N air filtration hardware.On the other end of the combustion cycle, we find a TIG-welded custom exhaust fashioned out of stainless-steel. It runs a four-two-four pipe configuration, and were guessing that internal baffles are also present to keep noise levels in check. With the whole build coming together rather nicely, it was time for the Portuguese artisans to take care of its paintwork before wrapping things up.They went for a striking mixture of black and yellow, with the former color acting as the base while the latter makes up the highlights. Several years after it had first been taken apart, Franciscos dream bike was finally complete and looking better than he couldve ever anticipated. It mightve been a pretty bumpy ride, but the Unik Motorcycles crew made sure it was all worth it in the end. Laurus does a wonderful job at showcasing what this firm is able to pull off, and it demanded a close analysis despite not being one of their latest endeavors. Heck, we reckon this startling one-off be worth looking at for a long time to come, because everything about it is downright irresistible! If you ask me, some Ohlins forks with their distinctive orange tint wouldve made it perfect.
I recently asked a friend whether buying that dream-level Japanese car is too late. He answered that it's never too late, but you'd better act now. Prices for the '90s icons are rising, and there is no sign of them ever slowing down. Even newer cars like the RX-8 follow the same trend, so do something about it and live out your dream.

I recently saw a glimpse of the upcoming Hot Wheels Mainline Case D and spotted the Honda Civic EG6 inside. I drove one for several hundred miles, and describing how it feels like using simple words is hard. It's exhilarating once that VTEC kicks in, even without any supporting mods. Modern hot hatchbacks might be much faster, but the driving experience is different from what it used to be.But I'll stop ranting and get to the topic at hand. Following Mattel's release of a variation for the EG, the people working in El Segundo had something even better in mind for Honda fans. That's right, I'm talking about a Red Line Club exclusive model. It's the last one set to appear in November, but not the last one for 2023.It's also the second RLC Honda this year, after Ryu's 1994 NSX that came out in July. It's the fifth Japanese model in the series, proving how popular these cars are with modern collectors. I used to dream about owning an Integra Type R one day, but I haven't even driven one. They're less common than Civic Type Rs, and I haven't seen many of them upfront.One can only imagine how spectacular they must have been in 1995, with just under 200 hp under the hood. Even by today's standards, an 8,600 rpm red line is something to brag about. Mattel had already created several Integra replicas before. The 2001 Acura Integra casting was unpopular and only available in 2004. Ryu Asada designed the Custom '01 Acura Integra GSR for its 2016 Night Burnerz release, and there are over a dozen variations to look for.And there's also Mia's four-door Integra from The Fast and The Furious . But the 1995 Type R model is bound to stir up a lot of attention. I've even seen people joking that it's already sold out, even before its official debut. But that's not true. You can try your luck on November 28 at 9 AM PT. All you need is a Red Line Club membership and $25.That does not guarantee you'll be able to buy one, as the competition is pretty stiff. But it's worth trying for that perfect, white-on-white look with red seats and a red engine cover. Some people try selling them for $125 on eBay despite still waiting for delivery. But once again, I urge you not to fall into that trap. If you can't buy it directly from Mattel , skip it. Don't let scalpers ruin it for those passionate about collecting Hot Wheels.
People sometimes have the weirdest hobby, and a 27-year-old man from Stafford County, Virginia, apparently started collecting truck mirrors.

The only problem is that he started collecting truck mirrors he didn't own. The man started stealing mirrors years ago, with the police claiming they investigated the case but never managed to identify and arrest the suspect. Not even when they conducted surveillance, as the thief knew precisely what he was doing. After all, he was stealing truck mirrors.The Stafford County Sheriff's Office took to the WWW earlier this month to proudly announce that they arrested the thief. 27-year-old Carlos Flores Hernandez was caught after he stole the wrong truck mirror.The man was out doing what he typically did when he noticed a Volvo tractor parked on Eskimo Hill Road. He looked closely, and the mirrors were still in place  a sign this was the first time he came across the Volvo It didn't take long before he ran away with the side mirrors without even thinking that the tractor's owner was already a step ahead. The owner installed an AirTag into the side mirror, so when Hernandez walked away with it, he disclosed critical information that helped the police hunt him down.Hours later, the police rushed to the location indicated by the AirTag and conducted surveillance, and on November 20, approximately seven days after the man stole the tracked mirror, they received the search warrant. The officer executed the warrant and found the suspect and no more, no less than 206 truck mirrors.It doesn't look like the man stole the mirrors for a living. All the mirrors previously reported as stolen were in his home, along with stickers that included details related to the date and location of the theft. The information helped the police return the mirrors to the owners, though meanwhile, most of them had already purchased replacement mirrors to be able to use the tractors.The 27-year-old man was charged with two counts of grand larceny and two counts of tampering with a vehicle and is now in custody in the Rappahannock Regional Jail.AirTags are pill-shaped devices that use CR2032 batteries to communicate with the master device. They don't sport built-in Internet connection but connect to nearby iPhones to broadcast their location. The coordinates appear in the Find My application on the owner's iPhone, with the information updated as long as the AirTag remains connected to an iPhone in proximity.The device has become a must-have gadget for car owners, helping them keep track of their vehicles if they get stolen. The long battery life and the small form factor allow the device to be installed almost anywhere, especially as the thief would have a hard time locating and disabling the device.
In my search for premium commuter e-bikes, I stumbled upon the Stromer ST3. Today, I'm forgetting all about the budget-friendly options I typically cover to bring you a high-end option that might impress you both with its price and capabilities.

Photo: Stromer

Photo: Stromer

Photo: Stromer

Photo: Stromer

ABS

Stromer is a Swiss brand that's been producing e-bikes since 2009, long before electric two-wheelers became as popular as they are nowadays. Swiss brands are generally associated with exceptional quality and, of course, an appropriately high price tag. When it comes to this brand's products, they tick both boxes.The company's first e-bike was the Stromer V1  a sporty design, massive batteries, and enormous amounts of power characterize this two-wheeler. Fast-forward to today, and these traits are still visible in all of Stromer's products.The manufacturer prides itself on being a Swiss company. It goes even further and claims it developed the first Speed Pedelec with an integrated battery, full connectivity, and a fully integrated design. The company follows a simple mission: "introduce a new, different riding experience onto the road."The ST3 is designed to offer an enjoyable commuting experience. At first glance, this e-bike definitely stands out with a minimalistic yet practicality-focused design. In fact, the ST3 was the Red Dot winner of 2022.Before we go any further, let's talk costs. Are you sitting down? Because the ST3's price might blow you away. The base version of the e-bike is available for a hefty 7,290 ($7,777), which is definitely on the higher side when compared to the countless e-bikes on the market.One of the first things to consider when purchasing any bike is its construction. The ST3 features an aluminum frame  that's a bit surprising considering there are carbon fiber e-bikes that cost less than this. But bear with me, as the ST3 stands out with other features.It's available in two styles: Sport and Comfort. Sport is offered in three sizes: M for those with a height of under 178 centimeters (5'10"), L for 175 to 188 centimeters (5'9"), and XL for those above 188 centimeters (6'2"). Moreover, the Comfort version only comes in an M size for those under 178 centimeters.There isn't a significant difference between the two. Comfort features a lower top tube, making it slightly easier to get on it. What's more, it has a lower seating position.The easiest way for me to present this electric bike is to go through its configurator. So, first off, we'll have to choose between two colors: Cool White and Deep Black  these are perfectly in theme with the bike's minimalistic design.Next up, we'll have to choose the frame styling, size, and riding position. The latter can be selected in either Comfort or Sport, with the former offering a more stretched-out riding position, while Comfort allows for a more upright riding position. If you plan on using it as often as possible for minutes, I will go with the second option.Up to here, it's more about personal preference and comfort. But here's where the options you choose can significantly impact your riding experience.The ST3 is offered as standard without a suspension, as Stromer says its S-Pedlecs are optimized for hard surfaces because of their large-volume tires. If you require additional comfort, you can opt for a specially developed upside-down suspension fork  you'll have to empty an extra 1,000 ($1,073) for it.Although there's no rear suspension available, there's one component you can go for that will increase your comfort even further: a Kinekt suspension seatpost for 245 ($263).Compared to other types of e-bikes, commuter ones must prioritize range, and this is precisely what the ST3 does. It features a 48 V, 814 Wh battery that offers up to 150 km (93 miles) of range, more than enough for the average commute. Still, if that's not enough, you could spend an extra 340 ($365) and get a 983 Wh battery providing up to 180 km (112 miles).Stromer claims it'll take a maximum of 4 hours and 45 minutes to juice up the battery . Furthermore, it can be removed from the downtube and charged wherever you like.The battery powers a Syno Drive II rear hub motor with a maximum output of 820 W (720 W in the United States). What's more, it delivers up to 44 Nm (32 lb-ft.) of torque and enables the ST3 to reach a top speed of 45 kph (18 mph), so it's categorized as a Class 3 e-bike in the United States and Canada.You get an 11-speed Shimano chain drive as standard on the ST3. However, two upgrades are available that might arguably make the most significant difference. You can get a Pinion C1.9 XR 9-speed gearbox with a Gates carbon belt drive, a much more durable, clean, and low-maintenance option. Moreover, you can even integrate a Blubrake ABS system for additional safety. The pinion gearbox will cost you an extra 828 ($888), while theis offered for 850 ($912).The ST3 rides on 27.5-inch rims with Pirelli Cycl-e ST tires. Moreover, plenty of stopping power is provided by Stromer HD942 brakes with 203-mm discs front and back. Other notable components that make commuting a breeze on the ST3 are a fender, a carrier that can support up to 22.5 kg (50 lbs.), and front and rear LED lights And lastly, just as expected on any high-end e-bike, you get a display and other connectivity options. The display showcases essential riding info, and you can connect your phone via Bluetooth  there's even an app you can download on your phone. Moreover, you can electronically lock and unlock your e-bike. In the unfortunate case of your e-bike going missing, rest assured, as it's integrated with a GPS system.All in all, the ST3 is an excellent commuter option, although it definitely surpasses most people's budget. If you add all the best upgrades, the total price will reach 10,543 ($11,309). There are also other accessories you can add. You can find out more information about this e-bike on Stromer's official website
The emergence of things like 3D printers and CAD software was truly groundbreaking for custom bike builders. Workshops who embrace these tools and experiment with their capabilities will rarely look back, as the sea of new possibilities offered by digitalization is simply too enticing. Some do choose to stick with traditional fabrication techniques, but the balance is tipping in favor of modern technology.

Photo: Rich Odlum

Photo: Rich Odlum

Sean Pelletier knows his way around multiple design tools in the virtual space, and he made good use of them on the project well be looking at today. Operating as The Motoworks in Rochester, New York, Sean is the type of guy who loves a challenge, so he wanted to see how quickly he could build an intricate one-off thatd put all his skills to the test.With this goal in mind, he got his hands on a Suzuki GT380 from the mid-seventies and proceeded to turn it into the startling custom gem you see above. The transformation process took six months from start to finish, which is quite impressive given the sheer extent of Seans work. After taking delivery of the vintage two-stroke Suzuki, he enrolled the help of industrial designer Jeremy Lacy to aid with the initial blueprint.Seeking to emulate Sir Pelletiers vision as best he could, Jeremy sketched out a sharp concept merging cafe racer and retro sport bike vibes. The technical drawings were then translated into CAD renderings back at Motoworks shop, and the fabrication was ready to begin. Not only did Sean build a complete fiberglass attire to replace the GT380s stock garments, but he went as far as crafting an all-new frame from scratch.The main skeleton was shaped out of drawn over mandrel (DOM) steel tubing, while the boxy rear subframe is a CNC-machined aluminum part. Up top, the fresh bodywork comprises a sharp cafe-style tail unit and a plain gas tank cover, with an inner aluminum fuel cell sitting underneath. In between the tank and tail, we find a handsome solo seat upholstered in brown leather, and theres a billet license plate bracket attached to the subframes rearmost tip.It carries aftermarket LED turn signals, but the most interesting characteristic in this area is actually hidden out of sight. Namely, the alloy fuel cell and subframe are in fact a single, unibody-type structure, shaped with the utmost precision after Jeremy Lacys digitalized concept. At the motorcycles front end, were now greeted by stunning half-fairing complete with a slender, tinted windshield.An oval headlight housing is embedded right beneath the latter, in turn surrounding an LED projector thats small but sufficiently bright. Lower down, theres a bespoke front fender dripping with sport bike character  the final piece of the puzzle as regards the GT380 s custom outfit. All the bodywork components were cloaked in a glossy layer of white paint, whose impeccably plain appearance is a perfect fit for this machine.Our protagonist went to town in the suspension department, too, employing tailor-made triple clamps to install the inverted forks of a GSX-R600 at the front. These are complemented by a premium Ohlins shock absorber and a custom-built swingarm on the opposite end. Along with the forks, the aforementioned Gixxer also donated its Tokico front brake calipers and twin floating discs.Theres a drilled rotor pinched by a Brembo caliper at the back, but the wheel hubs are bespoke CNC-milled items fore and aft. Buchanans stainless-steel spokes connect them to a pair of fresh alloy rims, sporting grippy Pilot Power tires from Michelin. Items like the hubs, rear shock linkage, and triple clamps have all been designed with the help of digital software, ensuring perfect dimensions without much hassle.More fabrication work went toward developing some billet aluminum rearsets and clip-on handlebars. Sean couldve gone down the usual route with aftermarket solutions, of course, but wheres the fun in that? The master cylinders and control levers are all top-shelf Brembo goodies, accompanied by discreet switchgear, Motogadget bar-end blinkers, and Driven Racing grips. Instrumentation comes in the form of an analog tachometer placed center-stage.Finishing off the cockpit equipment is a keyless RFID ignition setup, which further contributes to the minimalistic look in that area. As you would expect, the projects author hasnt overlooked the powertrain sector. He gave the two-stroke triple a complete overhaul inside out, subsequently installing a new air intake and a custom three-one-three exhaust system. The stainless-steel headers were ceramic-coated for durability and improved heat insulation.When Sean reassembled the engine, he did so with a set of CNC-machined cases that look as plain and handsome as the bodywork. A hydraulic clutch was also thrown into the mix, complete with a vaguely translucent cover offering a glimpse of its internal workings. All things considered, this GT380-based marvel is just about as custom as it gets, and we honestly cant get enough of it!
Technology is making our lives easier every single day. People's dedication to improving things we use or might need at some point in our lives makes useful progress possible. Your life could one day be saved by a modern breakthrough. Sadly, others dedicate parts of their lives to figuring out how to exploit or bypass these technologies. This Rolls-Royce owner can confirm it. Fortunately, there's a solution to what they have gone through.

Photo: Levente Csikor via Youtube

Car theft is nothing new. Nefarious actors have been targeting automobiles since companies started adding pricey parts to their offerings. However, the phenomenon is now more common because stealing cars is almost a well-established business in some parts of the world.The video below shows how a crew of two can easily get inside, start, and drive away in a very expensive Rolls-Royce Cullinan. That has not happened because the iconic BMW-owned British brand skimped on security measures. They could have thought of a better way to protect customers from losing their posh vehicles so easily, but it would have been incredibly complicated to figure out a solution that just worked. Thieves are very motivated to find something that works in their favor. There's little that can stop them.Another video shows the same thing happening with a BMW X6 (F16). There's no known vulnerability with the Bavarian company's security systems. The thieves simply use something known as a "relay attack." The pair use two devices that can communicate with the vehicle's key fob and amplify its signal to trick the car into thinking it's the rightful owner getting access.Tesla implemented a simple feature that deters thieves from trying to steal its EVs: PIN to drive. You don't just have to confirm with a key fob or a phone app that it's your car when entering the vehicle; you must also know the code that pops up on the infotainment screen. Teslas also display the number pad in different locations on the screen, so the thief can't guess the code based on your fingerprints.Since cars encompass many computers nowadays and virtually no implementation is safe from hackers, almost any vehicle can be stolen with the right tool.But there's an easy way to protect your vehicle from a "relay attack." It's simple and cost-effective: just make sure the key fob is stored in a Faraday pouch or a metal box.If you think thieves might really want your car, you can temporarily ditch the advantages of keyless access altogether. These devices can also intercept the unlock signal sequence, store it, and use it when the vehicle is in the driveway and you're sound asleep.All this is a huge issue in the UK , where major insurers currently refuse to provide coverage for models manufactured by brands like Land Rover. The phenomenon is also spreading to the US, and social media plays a key role. Talk to a Hyundai or Kia owner about how a TikTok trend made them think twice about parking on the street.But there's a silver lining. Automakers aren't giving up easily. Kia and Hyundai, for example, updated their vehicles' security systems. Admittedly, it happened after the issue got a bit out of control.Ford has also taken notice and came up with a patended solution against this problem. However, it's unclear when it will be actually put to good use.Still, we expect brands like BMW or Rolls-Royce to develop new ways to enhance their cars' lock and unlock features. But until they do, keep your key fob stored properly or park somewhere safe.
26 November 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

Armenian lobbyists see their dominance over US congressmen as a "victory" over Azerbaijan at the international level. They believe that the opinion of a group of politicians sitting in the Congress against Azerbaijan means that they are right and they can declare the Azerbaijani side guilty in every issue they wish.

For example, Armenian TV columnist Harut Sassounian says Azerbaijan spent millions but could not convince senators to pass an anti-Armenian resolution.

In this statement, one can also get acquainted with the identity of the Armenian diaspora and lobby organizations. When Harut Sassounian said millions, he meant Armenia in his words. There is a meaningful proverb that goes that if elephants were told to describe their god, they would draw a large picture of an elephant. When Armenia, or rather Armenia's lobby organizations abroad, pour millions or perhaps billions into the pockets of congressmen, of course, baseless and biased opinions against Azerbaijan will be voiced from the West. Azerbaijan is not only interested in participating in this auction of finding partnerships that Armenia is lavishly doing now. Because the West is already eager to cooperate with Azerbaijan within today's realities and is interested in benefiting from Azerbaijan's energy resources. In such a case, there is no need for Azerbaijan to look for mercenary allies or to convey the voice of truth to the world while obviously it is right.

A look at the international events, summit meetings, and economic forum held in Azerbaijan in the last month is enough to show the level of the country's rating.

Another example can be given to Armenia, which is trying to scare Azerbaijan with the so-called vehemence of a fist of politicians in the US Congress. The Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto: "European leaders, who criticized the Hungarian prime minister for visiting Azerbaijan 13 years ago, are now eager to be photographed with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and hope for gas cooperation with the country."

Although these words are a proud recognition for Azerbaijan, they are a shame for the pro-Armenian politicians of both the European Union and the United States. Sometimes they forget that personal interests will one day melt like ice in front of global interests. Don't they know that every winter is followed by a spring?

Azerbaijan did not restore its territorial integrity 10 years ago. The fact that 20 percent of its territories were under occupation caused serious obstacles to the growth of the country's economic power. At that time, along with politicians in the West, some organizations tried to make Azerbaijan accept the situation in the region as a reality by giving only empty consolation and promises.

The criminal and terrorist incidents, genocide, and mass deportations committed in Garabagh in the 1990s, as well as the devastation in Grabagh for thirty years, were not noticed by any organization. It is really a big fake that Armenians who voluntarily left Garabagh today are described as refugees and they are presented as a mass of people who were subjected to genocide while they were still alive.

Today, the fact that the West is pulling Armenia towards a position contrary to reality and defending it for meaningless purposes is a threat to the future of Yerevan. Sacrificing economic interests in the region to revanchist ideology can bring the end of the country.

At a time when Azerbaijan is becoming an energy hub for Europe and Asia, the fact that Armenia is suffering from an energy crisis is an embarrassment to its Western allies.

However, Armenia could get rid of many unnecessary problems by participating in the energy projects implemented in the South Caucasus. Nevertheless, this is still not the case, and the most important peace agreement in the region has not been inked. No further comment is needed. Because everything is already clear and the step to be taken can predict events in advance.

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Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews Deputy Editor-in-Chief, follow him on @ElnurMammadli1

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A symposium of Turkic word architects has ended in Shusha.

The two-day symposium was organized to mark the 100th anniversary of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, Azernews reports.

Some 60 architects from Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Hungary held discussions on restoration, conservation of historical architectural monuments and made presentations. The forum participants also touched upon thn improvement of the historical environment.

On the first day, the memory of Azerbaijani martyrs was honored with a minute of silence.

A video highlighting Shusha's history and architecture was shown to the symposium participants.

Special Representative of President in Shusha Aydin Kerimov, Chairman of the Board of the Office of the Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve Shahin Seyidzade, Head of the State Service for the Protection, Development and Restoration of Cultural Heritage Sabina Hajiyeva, Project Manager of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Nuri Aksu, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture Ilgar Isbatov, Executive Director of the Office of the Shusha State Reserve Tural Novruzov and other officials attended the event.

Next, the architects from Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Hungary made presentations on historical architectural monuments that are being restored and conserved in Shusha.

The symposium participants also visited historical monuments and mosques being restored in the city. They were provided with detailed information about the restoration of historical monuments.

On the first day of the symposium, discussions were held on the topic "The influence of tourists and residents on monuments and the regulation of these processes."

The second day of the symposium in Shusha began with panel discussions on the topic "Policies for the preservation and regeneration of the historical urban landscape."

The panel discussions, moderated by Muslim Imranli, an employee of the Shusha State Reserve, included Mustafa Yigit (Turkiye), Aidar Yerasyl (Kazakhstan), Ayten Abdullayeva (Azerbaijan), Zulduz Talantbekova (Kyrgyzstan) and others. They spoke about the role of the municipalities of their countries in the protection of cultural heritage, the study of historical sites, the history of legislative protection, and shared their opinions and experiences.

Then discussions took place on the topic "Protection, restoration and conservation of monuments."

In discussions moderated by Parviz Polukhzade, Elchin Aliyev, Gunay Agayeva (Azerbaijan), Rumeisa Ragsana Hasanzade, Mavlyuda Yusupova (Uzbekistan), Rahime Busra Uras (Turkiye) and Saduakas Agitaev (Kazakhstan) made presentations on restoration, documentation, and the activities of schools for the restoration of architectural monuments. Speakers made proposals for preserving architectural gems.

Uzbek architects Bakhtiyar Babamuradov and Shahboz spoke about examples of restoration of medieval architectural monuments and drew attention to prospects in this direction.

The Azerbaijani representative of Azerbaijan Ilham Shikhseidov discussed the restoration of Shusha Castle, an architect from Hungary discussed the building at the northern point of the Ottoman Empire.

Then reports were heard on modern methods of conservation of historical monuments. Nigar Ramazanova (Azerbaijan) spoke on the topic Evolution of the architecture of Garabagh, the well-known architect who made a great contribution to the restoration of the city of Shusha Pietro Laureano (Italy) highlighted the restoration options in relation to international practice: reconstruction, traditional methods, innovative solutions, Unal Mehmet, Ceylan Oguz and Mehmet Emin Yilmaz spoke about Turkiye's experience in preserving historical monuments and shared their experiences.

In conclusion, the Executive Director of the Office of the Shusha State Reserve Tural Novruzov, expressed gratitude to the architects of the Turkic-speaking countries who took part in the symposium, and expressed confidence that this event will contribute to the restoration and preservation of historical monuments, as well as to the development of Turkic architecture.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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Uzbekistan has hosted the 4th meeting of the Heads of Religious Institutions of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

The document Islam against extremism was discussed at the meeting, Azernews reports. The Heads of OTS Religious Institutions of the Organization exchanged views on issues of further strengthening solidarity between Turkic states and peoples who have a common history, language, culture, customs and traditions,

The speakers especially emphasized the importance of the OTS Religious Institutions in strengthening Turkic-Islamic solidarity, establishing peace and prosperity on the planet, encouraging and promoting Turkic-Islamic culture, as well as using its rich potential.

Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh conveyed the greetings of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the event organizers and meeting participants and expressed deep gratitude on behalf of the Azerbaijani believers to the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev for supporting the event.

He noted that thanks to the friendly and fraternal relations between the two wise political leaders Ilham Aliyev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, comprehensive ties between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are being strengthened and developed.

Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh regarded as truly brotherly the visit of Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the city of Shusha after the liberation of Azerbaijani territories from the Armenian occupation, his participation together with President Ilham Aliyev in the opening of a school named after Mirza Ulugbek, built in the city of Fuzuli as a gift from the Uzbek people.

At the end of the meeting, Council members unanimously adopted and signed the document Islam against extremism.

It was decided to hold the next meeting in Kazakhstan.

As part of the event, bilateral meetings between Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh and the Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan Muzaffar Kamilov, Chairman of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan Nuriddin Kholiknazar, Chairman of the Office of Religious Affairs of Turkiye Ali Erbas and OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev.

At the meeting with Muzaffar Kamilov, congratulations were conveyed to the entire Azerbaijani people on Victory Day.

Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh expressed gratitude to the state and people of Uzbekistan for supporting the fair position of Azerbaijan.

At the meeting, the sides discussed the cultural and spiritual ties between the two countries.

Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadehwas awarded the title and awarded an honorary doctorate from the International Islamic University of Uzbekistan.

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26 November 2023 10:30 (UTC+04:00)

According to the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan On the establishment of city days in the liberated territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated July 31, 2023, November 25 is Kalbajar City Day, Azernews reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

In accordance with the action plan approved by the Minister of Defense, an event was held on this occasion in one of the Azerbaijan Army Units stationed in the territory of the Kalbajar region.

The memory of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, and Shehids, who sacrificed their lives for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, was honored with observing a minute of silence. The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was performed.

The speakers noted that due to the determination and far-sighted policy of the Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Azerbaijani historical lands were liberated from occupation and territorial integrity was fully ensured. It was emphasized that Kalbajar City Day is celebrated with great pride in the whole country, including in the liberated territories.

The importance of holding such events in order to perpetuate the historical victory achieved in the Patriotic War was highlighted.

At the event, the servicemen expressed pride for serving in the Azerbaijan Army, especially in the units stationed in the liberated territories.

---

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26 November 2023 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

Negotiations between Russia and Turkiye within the framework of the 18th session of the Russian-Turkish commission on trade and economic cooperation are being held in Ankara, Azernews reports, citing TASS.

The Russian delegation is led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, while the Turkish side is represented by Trade Minister Omer Bolat.

It is expected that, following the talks, the two officials will speak at a joint press conference.

---

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26 November 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

Turkiye and the EU discussed improving cooperation in migration and security sectors, a joint statement by parties revealed on Friday, Azernews reports, citing Yeni Safak.

On the second round of Turkiye-EU High-Level Dialogue on Migration and Security, which took place in Brussels between the delegation led by EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Turkiye Ali Yerlikaya, a joint statement stressed, Turkiye is an EU candidate country and an important EU partner for migration and security.

According to the statement, parties discussed respective policies and actions on the prevention of irregular migration and exchanged views on the common approaches on various issues, including border security and the fight against migrant smuggling, during the meeting.

As to the security sector, they agreed to improve cooperation and mutual efforts on counterterrorism, fight against organized crime, and strengthen cooperation in law enforcement.

Parties also reiterated their common desire to come to a successful conclusion in fulfilling the benchmarks under the Visa Liberalization Dialogue and to intensify cooperation.

To that end, they will, in the meantime, explore ways of travel facilitation for Turkish citizens through acceleration of visa issuance, the statement added.

---

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26 November 2023 22:00 (UTC+04:00)

The death toll from heavy rains and floods in Somalia has risen to 96, Azernews reports citing Anadolu Agency.

Briefing Cabinet ministers in the capital Mogadishu, SoDMA Commissioner Mohamud Moalim said 2 million people have also been affected.

Following the meeting, the government called on the Somali community and aid agencies to scale up their support in helping people affected by the El Nino-induced floods.

The south-central state of Hirshabelle and Southwest and Jubaland states are the most affected areas of the country, said Moalim.

According to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management of Jubaland, 954,255 people have been affected in the state alone.

These figures are worrying and are expected to rise as the rains continue and river levels rise, Ahmed Hassan Omar, Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy for Jubaland state, said in a statement.

He said urgent support is needed in the areas heavily affected as all roads and most airstrips in the state are cut off due to the floods.

Urgent intervention is needed in the affected districts. Much needed items include food, shelter, medicine and boats for evacuation in isolated areas, he added.

The heavy rainfall in Somalia is expected to impact up to 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres) of farmland.

As the country is experiencing a humanitarian crisis, aid agencies said the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for Somalia, unveiled in February by the UN, its humanitarian partners and the Somali government, which seeks over $2.6 billion to assist 7.6 million people, remains significantly underfunded at 39%, demanding immediate action to bridge the financial gap.

Somalia has declared a national humanitarian emergency due to the floods.

The Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) handed over humanitarian aid to SoDMA in Mogadishu earlier Thursday to help flood victims.

The humanitarian assistance from IHH included food packages, mosquito nets and tents to shelter families displaced by the ongoing floods.

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26 November 2023 23:15 (UTC+04:00)

France offers its Rafale fighters to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Azernews reports, citing French sources.

According to the publication, the French Dassault Aviation company has been working in this direction for "several months", while Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have begun to show interest in Rafale fighters.

It was noted in the sources that Uzbekistan can buy up to 24 combat aircraft. At the same time, it is possible that Tashkent will also look at aircraft manufactured in other countries.

Kazakhstan also intends to renew its fleet of fighter jets, but the prospects for the supply of Rafale fighters to this country "seem more distant".

---

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OSU and NASA to Send Microbes Into Space | Oregon Coast Beach Connection

Published 11/24/23 a 8:05 p.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Corvallis, Oregon)  With minor shades of the Andromeda Strain novel and flick, NASA and Oregon State University will soon be partnering to send microbes into space.

According to OSU (which also runs the Hatfield Marine Science Center on the Oregon coast), two faculty members will be heading up an unusual experiment to be sent to the International Space Station, testing microbial growth and how it fares in space.

Dorthe Wildenschild and Tala Navab-Daneshmand are OSU College of Engineering faculty members looking into how the lack of gravity affects the growth of microbes, funded by a $525,000 National Science Foundation grant. They will be utilizing what are called biofilms, essentially large clusters of microorganisms that stick to each other and other surfaces.

Tubes of the samples should be ready to go into space in about two years, and the work being done on them will get live-streamed from the ISS.

The environmental engineering researchers are hoping the OSU samples can be launched to the space station via space shuttle in late summer 2025  and are planning for some of the work performed on them by astronauts to be live-communicated as part of STEM outreach events on the Oregon State campus, OSU said.

Photo of ISS over Oregon - Oregon Coast Beach Connection.

Wildenschild said that learning about how microorganisms live and grow in a non-gravity environment can tell us a lot about real world applications here on Earth. Removing pollutants from groundwater is one aspect that researchers are hoping to gain more insight into, along with how microbes manage to disrupt mechanical devices on Earth and above. They are also known to wreck medical implants in humans.



Photo OSU: microbes grown at OSU

How microbes move and feed in a low gravity environment will be much of the focus, as the porous surfaces that they live in on Earth  such as dirt  make a lot of difference in whether nutrients or water are available. A zero gravity environment will change that.

Scientists are also looking to make 3D scans of the experiments, which give viewers the feel of flying through the object.

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Photos above: Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Photos below: NASA





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Random Night Shot Proof You Should Look Up: What's Next Oregon / Washington Coast Astronomy

Published 11/22/23 a 6:35 p.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Pacific City, Oregon)  So many of us keep hoping for the ultimate proof of what's out there. There's just gotta be other life in the universe, right? (Photo courtesy Pilar French)

Sometimes, however, there's simply proof we've got to continue looking up. That can come in the form of a random visitor photograph from the beach: one that's definite reason to utilize this aspect of the Washington coast and Oregon coast that's rather neglected. Make sure you check out those night skies when you're on the beach.

Case in point: Pilar French caught this rather esoteric moment above Cape Kiwanda. It wasn't recent: the photo is 2019. A satellite stretches its streak across a dense layer of stars just above the famed attraction (which is now falling apart at an increasing rate, by the way). It's blurry and oddly-tinted with the yellow cast of city streetlights. [See Cape Kiwanda Complete Guide]

Yet it's a random, glorious moment. French told Oregon Coast Beach Connection she thinks it was about a ten-second exposure. In fact, she doesn't recall actually even seeing the satellite. She just knows it was there after she took this random night shot. But it nails the point: look up.

It's certainly true satellites don't always show up to the naked eye.

Indeed, this one looks more like an iridium flare  a sight that is almost completely gone now. This is the glint of a satellite's reflective surface as it catches sunlight on its way round the Earth.



Oregon Coast Beach Connection: iridium flares usually have a kind of cylindrical look

Some 66 satellites made of iridium were put into orbit in the late '90s, and they're being phased out. They're almost gone. These made the famed iridium flares caught on camera at times, which some avid astrophotographers collected like some collect butterflies.

Even so, bundles of other satellites made of other non-glinting materials are being launched now, which is filling the sky with rather unwanted satellite streaks, but they're not nearly as bright as iridium flares.

What else can you find in the DEEP SPACE above the Washington coast and Oregon coast?

Here's a brief list:

International Space Station



From July 2023: Oregon Coast Beach Connection

These sightings happen year-round, but there's a whole lot of them in spring and early summer. Oregon Coast Beach Connection kept spotting the ISS this past summer in the wildest of places. It was a knockout.

On rare occasions the ISS can leave a freaky trail like a comet. That comes from them dumping waste  which Oregon Coast Beach Connection actually got to witness this year. It's rather astounding. See International Space Station Sightings Abundant

Coming Meteor Showers



Cannon Beach - Oregon Coast Beach Connection

The Geminids are beginning to be active right now but they don't peak until December 13 and 14. These are slow velocity, according to EarthSky.com, and they can be bright and in intense colors. It is known as among the strongest meteor showers of the year, so get ready for quite a show, should you find yourself on a cloudless night in areas like Bandon, Westport, Newport or Oceanside.

The Quadrantids start in late December and go through January 16, which can sometimes even beat out the Geminids in terms of strength. However, their peak on January 6 and narrow window of activity often puts them under cloudy skies and cuts off the light show.

Fireballs

No, we're not talking about the nasty, cinnamon-flavored whiskey. Fireballs are a monster of a sight in the skies: like a shooting star but super intense in colors, brightness and it continues for several seconds. It almost looks like a plane or spaceship crashing.

According to NASA: A fireball is an unusually bright meteor that reaches a visual magnitude of -3 or brighter when seen at the observer's zenith. Objects causing fireball events can exceed one meter in size.

It's super rare for humans to see them, but it happens. See Spectacular Green Fireball Lights Up Oregon Valley Through Washington Coast

Zodiacal Light - or False Dusk / False Dawn



Above: Zodiacal Light at Bend, courtesy David Lane

The Zodiacal Light is a weird, cone shape or wedge of light that sticks upward just after dusk (or sometimes just before dawn). Not many wind up seeing this, but if you know it's coming and have pro equipment, you're chances are better.

If it shows up, itll be about a half hour after sunset, and then it may get easily confused with blue hour  the period of colorful, post-sunset display that is really quite intense. See Mysterious Zodiacal Light / False Dusk on Washington / Oregon Coast

Belt of Venus



Belt of Venus in Manzanita / Oregon Coast Beach Connection

Like the famed and coveted Green Flash at Sunset, this is one people are just starting to learn about. However, unlike the green flash, it's around a lot.

The Belt of Venus is the shadow of the Earth hitting the atmosphere from the opposite side of a sunset or sunrise. You need a clear sky  which happens more often in summer or fall on the coastlines. When there's a good sunset, take a look to the east. You'll see a band of dark blue and pinks on the horizon.

Chances are you've seen it a lot, but never noticed. See Belt of Venus: the Other Side of Oregon / Washington Coast Sunset

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Heightened Sneaker Wave Threat Along With King Tides on Oregon Coast / Washington Coast

Published 11/23/23 a 8:25 p.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Manzanita, Oregon)  The entire Oregon coast and much of the Washington coast are under an increased threat for deadly sneaker waves this weekend, with the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing one kind of beach hazard or another. High waves with a very high timing period between waves that are combined with king tides are going to create many safety issues. (Above: king tides at Devil's Punchbowl near Depoe Bay - waves here don't usually get this high. Courtesy King Tides / Carley Dangona)

All that coupled with great weekend weather means more of a vulnerable beach-going public as well.

The NWS has issued a beach hazards statement for moderate sneaker wave dangers on Friday and Saturday on the southern Oregon coast, while the northern half of the Oregon coast and bottom half of the Washington coast gets a more severe warning of sneaker waves from Friday through Sunday.

The NWS said it's the timing between waves that will be the real issue, with 16 to 19 seconds on Friday into Sunday. Wave height won't be all that bad at some 9 to 11 feet. However, king tides plus the period timing are going to greatly exaggerate the tidal conditions.

It is important not to fixate on the highest wave heights as a representation of the peak sneaker wave threat - the period is almost more important as it represents the energy being carried by the swell from the Alaskan low, the NWS said. It is this energy that likely supports the 'sneaky' nature of sneaker waves, driving the runup further up the beach than usual for waves of its height, potentially catching beachgoers off guard.

Many high tide predictions for king tides are up around 8 feet to 9 feet, going from Saturday through Monday. That is enough to fill up most small, narrow beaches. However, larger beaches may wind up even more dangerous as they present a false sense of safety with not all the sandy area covered. Adding sneaker waves with a time period like that creates sneaker waves with much more energy than usual.

The period between waves is what causes the sneaky aspect. A long period like 17 seconds causes waves to pile up into one gigantic, larger wave at random.

Even outside of a King Tide, waves can run up significantly farther on a beach than normal, including over rocks and jetties, the NWS said. These sneaker waves can suddenly knock people off of their feet and quickly pull them into the cold ocean waters.

So far, these extra wave pushes don't look like they will be causing any major flooding as they often do. However, some road issues could occur and the NWS has kept open flooding as a possibility.

The combination of significant incoming swell energy and published tides just a few inches below tidal overflow criteria may result in ocean water spilling over onto some low-lying coastal roads and possibly even some minor beach erosion during the high tides Friday and Saturday, the NWS said.

Sneaker wave issues are in store for all of the Oregon coast through to Westport on the Washington coast. This includes Gold Beach, Bandon, Florence, Newport, Pacific City, Seaside and Long Beach.

Meanwhile, it will be sunny and relatively warm out on the beaches, which  coupled with king tides photographers  will result in more people out there. This is a time to stay off beaches. The timing period predicted is unusually large.

As usual, both King Tide Projects need the public's help to snap photos of what will be the highest tidal events of the year . They need shots of high tide events at any beach along the coastlines, and hopefully a shot of that same area without the tidal event for comparison.

On the Washington coast, submit them to https://mycoast.org/wa. On the Oregon coast, submit them to www.oregonkingtides.net or the projects Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/orkingtide/albums.

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Considering the deep morass of complete incompetence at the Federal level, in the executive branch of our self-governed People, unarguably the worst in modern times; if certain changes could be made by Impeachment of those most qualified: Who would be your best choice because of abject Corruption, incompetence, or both?

40.82% Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas12.24% Attorney General Merrick Garland20.41% President Joseph R. Biden2.04% Are you a MAGA Extremist, and do not know any better? These are our best of days, not our worst.24.49% FBI Director Christopher Wray
As nurse practitioners surge to 385,000 strong in the U.S., the growing profession is establishing itself as an even more prominent role in healthcare hierarchies. Simultaneously, the American Medical Association anticipates a looming shortage of 100,000 physicians in the next decade. So how will the growth of one and the shrinking of the other influence hospital dynamics?

Harvard Medical School researchers found that 25% of U.S. health visits are conducted by a non-physician. During those visits, physicians and nurse practitioners agree that patients should be aware of who they are receiving care from and what their credentials are.

In tandem, nurse practitioners and physicians do receive similar training, but NP's do not go to medical school and typically complete a practicum rather than residency. But NPs can also end up with doctoral-level education  and that accolade is where the heart of the debate lies.

Inside hospital hierarchies

The hotly contested issue of whether advanced practice nurses with doctoral-level education should get to use the title "Dr." when practicing has drawn advocacy on both sides of the issue and even lawsuits.

But inside hospital walls, the shifting landscape of the profession is seen by some as beneficial to reshaping workplace dynamics, and the topic of debated titles falls by the wayside.

"When we think about the traditional hierarchy of healthcare where the physician is at the top and everyone else is underneath a physician, I think when the nurse practitioner role is a member of the healthcare leadership team, it has helped create more comfort with the bedside nurses," Ceonne Houston-Raasikh, DNP, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer at the Keck Hospital of USC told Becker's. "But I think the greatest impact on changing that hierarchy has been the way we train our physicians. Today, our physicians are trained to work as a member of a healthcare team. They're coming out of medical school with the understanding that it's not all about the physician, that you need every member of the healthcare team fully participating to improve outcomes for our patients."

In other instances, the title discussion does come up during work, but more often due to patient education. Katie Anderson, APRN, FNP, MSN, RN, a provider with Elite Healthcare in Cross Road, Texas, that helped establish the family care clinic with Zivian Health, said she often corrects patients about her title.

"The public's general understanding doesn't always keep up with these rapid changes, and I feel that it is crucial always to clarify that we are not medical doctors. In fact, I often find myself correcting my patients when they call me 'doctor,'" she said. "Clarity in healthcare roles is essential for delivering the best patient care In the same way we empower our patients with knowledge about their health, we should always strive to consistently provide education regarding our distinct backgrounds, education and roles within the healthcare community."

Filling widening gaps in care

Others say that in many ways, while existing hospital hierarchies are dying, in the meantime they can still be stifling and limit NPs from practicing at the top of their license.

"The impact of more NPs in the workforce, in leadership and in C-suite positions, and the broader inclusion of NPs and other providers from multiple healthcare disciplines as voting members on hospital and health system boards has moved us closer to our goals," Stephen Ferrara, DNP, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners told Becker's. "However, more work needs to be done, as outdated hierarchical models that fail patients and artificially constrain the full participation of all healthcare providers still dominate too many facets of healthcare. Healthcare improves when we're all at the table while working at the top of our education and clinical preparation."

But regardless of titles or hierarchies, research on patient outcomes has found that those who receive care from nurse practitioners experience fewer unnecessary hospital readmissions and improved satisfaction, according to the AANP.

These healthcare providers are also more likely to practice in rural and smaller community settings than physicians, which when given autonomy to practice can fill gaps in care access, research has shown.

And ultimately, filling those gaps is what nurse practitioners and physicians aim to do.
COVID-19 hospitalizations are ticking back up in the U.S. after more than two months of mostly trending downward or remaining flat, according to the latest available data from the CDC.

There were 16,239 new admissions for the week ending Nov. 11, up 8.6% from the previous week. While COVID-19 metrics are on the rise again, they remain far below levels seen in previous surges. Still, hospital and public health officials are concerned about how the rest of the respiratory virus season will play out, with the potential for capacity strain in the coming weeks and months as flu and respiratory syncytial virus cases are also on the rise.

Ten states with the highest rate of new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents for the week ending Nov. 11:

Hawaii: 12.1

Number of new admissions: 171

West Virginia: 10.4

Number of new admissions: 187

New Mexico: 8.6

Number of new admissions: 180

Montana: 8.5

Number of new admissions: 91

South Dakota: 8.3

Number of new admissions: 73

Kentucky: 8.2

Number of new admissions: 365

Colorado: 7.8

Number of new admissions: 450

Nebraska: 7.2

Number of new admissions: 140

Vermont: 6.9

Number of new admissions: 43

Wisconsin: 6.9

Number of new admissions: 400

Ten states where COVID-19 admissions increased most for the week ending Nov. 11:

Vermont: New admissions up 72%

Number of new admissions: 43

Iowa: 60%

New admissions: 176

Alaska: 60%

New admissions: 32

Hawaii: 44.9%

New admissions: 171

Montana: 44.4%

New admissions: 91

Minnesota: 35.6%

New admissions: 293

West Virginia: 29.9%

New admissions: 187

New Mexico: 29.5%

New admissions: 180

Arizona: 26.8%

New admissions: 478

Tennessee: 26.7%

New admissions: 327
The show was Patrick Kieltys first since taking over as Late, Late Show host.

Patrick Kielty with (from left to right) Danny Sheehan (8), from Wexford, Poppy Madden (6), from Carlow, Layla Ibegu (10), from Carlow, Kyle Deane (8, from Carlow, and Darcy Ramsbottom (6), from Carlow, at the unveiling of the theme for Friday's show. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Patrick Kieltys debut on the annual Late, Late Shows Christmas special was a heart-warming reminder of whats important, former BBC presenter Donna Traynor has said.

Fridays Late, Late Toy Show was the Co Down presenters first since taking over the mantle from former frontman Ryan Tubridy at the beginning of the current series.

The RTE staple has been running since 1974 when senior researcher Pan Collins pitched the idea of a segment on childrens toys to then-host Gay Byrne.

Airing close to the end of November, the show is scheduled to coincide with the start of the holiday shopping season in the run-up to Christmas.

Kieltys first attempt at presenting the show  which has ingrained itself into Irish Christmas tradition  was well-received as viewers praised his down-to-earth approach.

Former BBC presenter Donna Traynor took to X to hail the performance of the Dundrum man.

"Patrick Kielty, you delivered a wonderful Late, Late Toy Show just when we needed it, she said.

"Amidst the trauma and turmoil of whats going on at home and abroad, it was a heart-warming reminder of whats important for children, young and old.

The Co Down presenter also drew praise when he opened the programme with a reference to events in Dublin, where a stabbing incident involving three children sparked a night of serious rioting.

Kielty said: "Given the events of the last 24 hours, it is important to remember what this time of year is all about, and that is holding your kids tight this Christmas. We are thinking of every family who needs an extra hug tonight."

Donna Traynor

Kielty had arrived on stage dressed as an elf, in keeping with this year's elf theme.

The show saw over 170 young performers and toy testers taking part, featuring children from across the island of Ireland.

Fridays show had its fair share of Northern Ireland influence, with ten-year-old Matilda superfan Tessa Evans from Maghera among a group who were surprised on stage by the films lead actor Alisha Weir after performing one of her songs.

Tessa (10) was born without a nose due to a rare condition called Bosma Arhinia Microphthalmia (BAM) syndrome.

Revealing her love of the movie, Tessa said: Ive seen it once in the cinema and then about 18 times at home.

The group performed A Little Bit Naughty from the show, and were then joined on stage by Alisha, who made her first TV appearance on The Late Late Toy Show.

She the girls were amazing and had "smashed it.

At the end, Kielty closed the show by saying it had been a special night.

"I have survived my first Toy Show. Thank you to everyone here tonight who helped a small boy from Dundrum, he said.

Thanks to all the kids who created the magic in our studio. Thanks for going easy on me.

"And to you at home, who are no doubt holding each other that little bit tighter tonight, thank you for letting me be your buddy this evening."
A number of former prisoners returned to Magilligan Prison as part of an initiative to give advice to current inmates (Niall Carson/PA)

Former prisoners are returning to custody to help prepare current inmates prepare for release as part of a new justice programme.

The initiative, a first for Northern Ireland, sees offenders supervised by probation officers passing on guidance and information based on their own experience of leaving prison and returning to the community.

It is hope the scheme will help to tackle reoffending rates which see a large number of prisoners recalled to prison in the first weeks after being released.

A number of former prisoners, who are members of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) service user forum returned last week to Magilligan Prison in Co Londonderry.

Gillian Montgomery from PBNI accompanied former prisoners returning to Magilligan (PBNI/PA)

They were accompanied by PBNI director of operations Gillian Montgomery.

She said: We know that the weeks after being released from prison is a critical time in ensuring people do not go on to re-offend.

Research shows that a significant proportion of prisoners released from custody are recalled to prison in the first few weeks of release due to their behaviours, which increase the risk of re-offending.

They may have a range of practical problems including, for example, accessing health services and suitable accommodation. Some may fail to comply with supervision or re-offend in the community.

This initiative therefore aims to provide some practical support for men who are preparing for release.

The best way of being prepared for life outside prion is to hear directly from people who have experienced release and successfully reintegrated back into the community.

Billy, who has been on probation supervision for a number of years, is one of the former prisoners taking part in the initiative.

He said: Its really important that people think about the practical aspects of leaving prison and for example make sure that you get registered with a GP and have a back account set up.

It can take time to build up trust again with family and friends because they will remember what you did that caused you to end up inside, and you need to show them by your actions that you have changed.

We told the men we met in Magilligan about some of the things that helped us including keeping busy with a job and volunteering and working to build up a good relationship with your probation officer.

Gary Milling, governor of Magilligan Prison, said: Rehabilitation and resettlement is at the very heart of the work of the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

Some prisoners will be with us for a short period, others for much longer, but all of those in our care our supported on a journey that will eventually take them back into their community.

Resettlement through rehabilitation, helping prisoners become healthier, fitter, better educated and having addressed addictions, benefits everyone in society

This isnt something we do alone.

It requires a partnership approach, but ultimately, we are all working with the aim of reducing re-offending and making our community safer.
The man has been extradited to Lithuania.

A man has been extradited to Lithuania to face charges of human trafficking.

Officers from the PSNIs International Policing Unit extradited the 47-year-old man on Sunday.

He is due to stand trial in Lithuania for the trafficking offences, as well as drugs distribution and money laundering.

The man was arrested in west Belfast in August 2020 by officers from the PSNIs Organised Crime Branch. He was arrested on foot after an extradition warrant was issued by Lithuanian authorities.

Since this time, he has been in prison in Northern Ireland until his successful extradition today.

Sergeant Davey from the International Policing Unit said: The Police Service of Northern Ireland will continue to work with our international partners to help keep people safe and tackle organised crime in our communities.

"We are grateful for the assistance of colleagues from the Lithuanian Police and from the National Crime Agency for their cooperation in this case.

Our message is clear that there is nowhere to hide in Northern Ireland and that we will actively pursue all wanted persons believed to be in this jurisdiction.
The incident took place on Sunday morning.

Police have confirmed a man, aged in his 20s, has died following a crash in south Belfast on Sunday morning.

Sergeant Green from the Police Services Collision Investigation Unit said: Police received a report shortly before 4am on Sunday November 26 of a collision involving a blue VW Lupo in the Annadale Embankment area.

Officers attended, alongside colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

Medical treatment was provided at the scene and the man was subsequently taken to hospital. He sadly died from his injuries.

The road which was closed for a time to allow for police enquiries, has since reopened to all traffic.

Our investigation is continuing and we are appealing to anyone who was travelling in the Annadale Embankment area before 4am and who has dash-cam footage, to contact the Collision Investigation Unit on 101, and quote reference number 349 26/11/23.

Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw said her thoughts were with the mans family.

"Im so sorry to read this. Such sad news for this young mans family and friends, she said.
The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) has announced that the Brazilian exports to the Arab region for the first 10 months of 2023, surged by 9.35% to $15.76 billion over last year's figure of $14.42 billion, while its imports from the Arab region for the same period reached $8.937 billion, reported Wam.

The volume of Brazilian exports to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) amounted to $2.654 billion, while those to the UAE totalled $2.543 billion.

Exports to Egypt increased to $1.889 billion, marking a significant rise from the same period last year. Similarly, exports to Qatar stood at $266 million while those to Kuwait reached $220 million.

Furthermore, Saudi Arabia leads the Brazilian imports from the Arab countries, totalled $2.937 billion while the UAE follows closely behind with $998 million.

Qatars exports to Brazil stood at $605 million, while the imports from Egypt reached $439 million. Imports from Kuwait also witnessed a significant surge, amounting to $323 million.

Osmar Chohfi, President of ABCC, said: Compared to the first 10 months of 2022, the Brazilian exports and imports have surged significantly during the same period this year, which demonstrates the strong and expanding trade relations between Brazil and the Arab world.

At ABCC, we relentlessly strive to amplify Brazilian exports to the Arab region by implementing several strategic initiatives and making dedicated efforts. These positive trade figures demonstrate our dedication to developing solid bilateral relations with Arab nations.

The ABCC report further stated that the export of beef and chicken meat from Brazil to Arab countries demonstrated robust performance from January to October 2023. The beef exports from Brazil to the Arab world stood at $866.68 million with UAE leading the list at $243.69 million. In addition, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Lebanon showcased a stronger demand for Brazilian beef, contributing $216.25 million, $174.74 million, $59.52 million and $46.41 million, respectively.

Furthermore, exports of poultry also witnessed a major increase, totalling an impressive $2.755 billion. With $742.93 million, the UAE emerged as the top importer, followed by the KSA, which amounted to $699.78 million. Kuwait Qatar, and Egypt also recorded a significant increase in the exports of poultry from Brazil, which was valued at $180.49 million, $133.84 million, and $112.48 million, respectively.

The notable increase in the exports and imports between Brazil and the Arab world indicates the growing economic alliance and emphasises the remarkable resilience and adaptability of both sides in the face of numerous global challenges.
State-to-state migration from California contributed to a slight dip in the states population from 2021 to 2022, from about 39,143,000 to 39,029,000. Deborah Svoboda/The Chronicle

California lost a net of 340,000 people to other states from 2021 to 2022, with a growing number of residents leaving for Florida and Arizona.

The outflow from California to other states was lower than it was from 2020 to 2021, when about 410,000 more people left California than arrived, according to new migration data from the U.S. Census Bureau. But it was still far higher than in the years before the pandemic, when the annual net loss was fewer than 200,000.

The Census Bureaus estimates for the calendar years, which dont include international migration, are based on responses to its American Community Survey. The 2022 survey asked respondents whether they lived at a different place than they did a year ago, and if so, where they lived previously.

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The emigration from California contributed to a slight dip in the states population from 2021 to 2022, from about 39,143,000 to 39,029,000.

Texas remained the most common destination for former Californians, with a net of roughly 60,000 people moving there from California from 2021 to 2022, census data shows. But that group was about 19% smaller than the net of 74,000 Californians who moved to Texas from 2020 to 2021.

The decline was due, in part, to a higher count of Texans moving to California from 2021 to 2022 than during the previous period  42,000, compared with 34,000.

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Texas wasnt the only state that, while still a popular destination for people leaving California, saw a smaller overall inflow. Nevada, which from 2020 to 2021 had the second-highest total of people coming from California at 48,000, had a net of just 27,000 arrive from 2021 to 2022.

That meant Arizona, where a net of 47,000 California residents arrived from 2021 to 2022, became the second-most-popular destination for former Californians. That total reflected a slight uptick from 2021, when a net of about 42,000 people moved from California to Arizona.

One of the biggest surges in migration from California was among residents who went to Florida. About 22,000 more people reported leaving California for Florida in 2022 than vice versa, a 73% increase from the net of 13,000 the previous year.

In only a handful of states did more people move to California than arrive. New Jersey had the largest overall loss to California, with a net of 7,000 residents moving across the country.

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Mr Farry has been MP for the area since 2019.

Stephen Farry is currently the sitting MP in North Down

Stephen Farry has been selected to run for re-election in the upcoming UK General Election, the Alliance Party have confirmed.

The party announced on Sunday that they had chosen Mr Farry as their prospective Parliamentary candidate for the North Down constituency.

The partys deputy leader has been the areas MP since his election to Parliament in 2019 and previously served the area both as a local councillor (1993-2011) and MLA (2007-2019).

The experienced politician also held the office of Mayor in 2007-08 and previously served as the NI Assemblys Minister for Employment and Learning.

Mr Farry took over the seat from independent unionist and former UUP representative Sylvia Hermon, who stepped aside in 2019 having held the seat since 2001.

He said his first term in office had been an absolute honour.

"This Parliamentary term has been a rollercoaster with Brexit, Covid, the cost-of-living crisis, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, Plus, we have seen three different Prime Ministers, said Mr Farry.

"I have been a consistent opponent of many Government policies. In my role as representative, I have given voice to my constituents on numerous issues before Parliament.

I have advocated for constituents on many matters, including around Covid support and cost of living schemes, and on behalf of refugees.

"Bringing new investment and extra resources into North Down in particular and across Northern Ireland more generally is a key challenge for an MP.

"My current priorities include advocating for a financial package to address Northern Ireland's budget crisis, and seeking improvements in the UK's relationship with the European Union.

I hope to have the opportunity to continue this work, especially improving North Down and building a shared and prosperous Northern Ireland.

"North Down is an increasing diverse constituency. It has always been a moderate and tolerant place in the overall context of Northern Ireland. Today, it is clearly a progressive constituency.

Alliance has grown significantly in North Down over recent years, with a strong local team. We are now the largest party in terms of vote share and representation.

I believe that Alliance, as a cross community party, and in particular the stances I have taken, offer an electoral choice that is very much in tune with the values of North Down."

Mr Farry topped the poll in 2019 with 18.358 votes, pipping then-DUP candidate Alex Easton  now an independent unionist  by just under 3,000 votes.

The UUPs Alan Chambers came third with 4,936, while NI Conservatives candidate Matthew Robinson finished bottom of the pile on 1,959 votes.

The North Down poll had a turnout of 60.6%.
DUP MP Ian Paisley has called US President Joe Biden a "blathering idiot" for White House remarks on the Governments controversial migration policy.

Earlier this month the Supreme Court ruled that plans to send anyone arriving in the UK illegally to Rwanda were unlawful and not compliant with human rights standards.

Supreme Court President Lord Rees said the justices unanimously concluded those sent to the country would be at "real risk" of being returned home, whether their grounds to claim asylum were justified or not.

The court ruling said the plans were not just a breach of the European Human Rights Convention but a number of other international treaties.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he will introduce emergency legislation to ensure the plan was not blocked again, insisting "flights will be heading off in the spring as planned".

While the Government has indicated they do not currently intend to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, there is a growing push from some within the Conservatives to leave the convention.

The White House has now said the UK should not withdraw from the ECHR, claiming it could threaten the peace in Northern Ireland.

A senior White House official told the New York Times they are "definitely all keeping an eye on Northern Ireland".

This intervention resulted in Mr Paisley, the North Antrim MP, calling Mr Biden a "blathering idiot, adding he hasn't explained how the policy would threaten peace.

"He hasnt explained how any UK domestic policy would threaten peace, he told GB News.

"Could he tell us the security intelligence he has that says whom is going to kill and bomb over this?

"Even Sinn Fein would be embarrassed by these presidential pronouncements.

"After all the inference is that Sinn Feins old bedfellows are about to break the peace process.

"What a silly old fool.

Conservative MP David Jones also piled in on the US Government's remarks, accusing Biden of "anti-British sentiments".
Taoiseach had tweeted an innocent child who was lost has now returnedIsrael Foreign Minister Eli Cohen responded Emily Hand was not lost...Emily Hand was kidnapped by a terrorist organisation worse than IsisVaradkars formal statement last night stated the young girl was snatched, held captive and a hostage

Watch: Emily Hand runs into the arms of her father, after she is released from captivity

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has defended a tweet about the release of Emily Hand that is at the centre of a diplomatic storm between Israel and Ireland.

Mr Varadkar was slammed by Israels Foreign Minister Eli Cohen over his post on X, formerly Twitter, where he referred to Emily (9) as an innocent child who was lost has now returned after she was released by Hamas.

Emily was abducted by Hamas from her home in Israel on October 7 and held hostage for 50 days.

A video released on Sunday morning shows Emily embracing her father Thomas Hand in an emotional reunion.

Thomas and Emily Hand reunited tonight.

But Mr Cohen hit the roof in response to Mr Varadkars post and summoned the Irish Ambassador to Israel to Jerusalem for a rebuke tomorrow.

Emily Hand was not lost. Emily Hand was kidnapped by a terrorist organisation worse than Isis after her stepmother was murdered, he said.

Emily and over 30 other Israeli children were kidnapped by Hamas and you are trying to legitimise it. Shame on you.

However, in response, the Taoiseach said: I think the vast majority of people understand what I was saying, recalling the amazing joy and awe that occurs when a child comes home.

Ive always been consistent in my unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and hostage taking. I call for all hostages to be released without any conditions and I have always done so.

He said the Irish Government has worked very hard over the last few weeks with Egypt, with Qatar, with the Red Cross and also with Israel to secure Emilys release.

Mr Varadkar said: The most important thing today is that shes at home with her family and thats all that really matters.

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The row is the latest in an ever-growing list of diplomatic tensions between Ireland and Israel since the Hamas attack on October 7, that led to Israels war in Gaza.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin also expressed surprise at the strength of reaction by Israels foreign minister.

Mr Varadkars comments had been a reflection of the happiness that Emily has been released, Mr Martin said.

I don't think more should be read into it.

He added: Im genuinely surprised at this reaction because really the only issue that matters is that Emily Hand is free and back with her family. That's all that matters.

The Fianna Fail leader said it was now a step-by-step recovery and healing process for the family, and hopefully Emily can come through this trauma.

Irish Ambassador Sonya McGuinness, who is based in Tel Aviv, will now have to travel to Jerusalem to be formally rebuked.

A government spokesperson said: The Taoiseach has been unambiguous in his repeated condemnation of the hostage-taking by Hamas and had consistently called for their unconditional release.

The Irish government was in close contact with the Egyptian, Qatari and Red Cross to help secure her release.

It was pointed out that family posters of the hostages are headlined with the word Missing.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen, right, visit Kibbutz Beeri to see the damage that the community sustained after the October 7 attack by Hamas. Photo: Reuters

The Israeli Ambassador to Ireland stepped into the row, with Dana Erlich  who has faced political calls in Ireland for her expulsion  told the Irish Independent: Words matter.

She did not refer directly to the Taoiseach.

Words matter, especially in war when lives are at stake, and when there is an increase of extreme discourse, she said.

It is important to remember Emily was kidnapped by terrorists  who knew very well where she was all this time.

This was because she was in their hands, she said.

So too is still the fate for many Israeli men women and children who were kidnapped and are still held in Gaza. We continue to work and call for their immediate release.

For the past weeks we have been working tirelessly with Irish counterparts, and we are all happy to see the return of Emily Hand to her loving family..

Israels Ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich at the Israeli Embassy in Dublin. Picture date: Tuesday November 7, 2023.

Mr Cohens attack on the Taoiseach broke all normal codes of diplomacy as he began his response tweet: Emily Hand is not lost. Maybe you have lost your moral compass and your connection to reality.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry itself issued no statement as the bitter reaction threatened to undermine relations between the two countries. Israel has long seen Ireland as the most pro-Palestinian country in Europe.

In a formal statement welcoming Emilys release on Saturday night Mr Varadkar also used the word "lost, along with phrases snatched from her home, held captive and hostage.

An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned A little girl was snatched from her home and held captive for almost seven weeks. She spent her ninth birthday as a hostage, he said.

We hope she will soon heal and recover from the traumatic experience in the loving embrace of her family.

For her family, these seven weeks have been a slow and cruel torture. We all recall the initial response from her father Tom Hand  the painful grief mixed with relief with the mistaken belief that his daughter had not been taken hostage, which turned into an ember of hope when it was discovered she was still alive. Throughout all these different emotions his love has been constant.

Tom and Emilys half-sister Natali turned that ember of hope into a flame by channelling their sorrow and campaigning tirelessly for Emilys release. They travelled across Europe to keep her plight in the public eye.

Mr Varadkar said that when he met Tom and Natali in Dublin, their pain was etched on their faces, but so was their courage and determination to ensure that Emily would be freed.

I shared their grief and was inspired by their example. Irish people everywhere share in the relief of Emilys family, he said.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the hostages in Gaza, but we followed particularly closely the fate of Emily, a dual Irish-Israeli citizen. Since our country first heard that she may still be alive, we have hoped beyond hope that her name would be on one of the lists of hostages to be released.

Emily now returns to her family, but we cannot forget that many more hostages remain in captivity in Gaza. Their fate is unknown, but we hope that like Emily, they will also be allowed to return to their homes and their families.

He said more generally: We think of all the families suffering in this troubled region, and we redouble our efforts to work for a permanent ceasefire, and for a just and lasting peace.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin with Isreal's Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen

Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney said on RTEs This Week programme: "I would ask people to read the full text that the Taoiseach sent out.

Being 'lost and found' is a Biblical term. Leo Varadkar has been very clear both publicly and privately about how he sees Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

I think it is unfortunate that the Israeli Foreign Minister has responded the way he has.

There will be an opportunity for the Irish Ambassador to put context on what the Taoiseach tweeted when she meets the Israeli Foreign Minister in the next 48 hours, he said.

Mr Coveney said Mr Varadkar was one of the most balanced voices in terms of condemning Hamas, but also speaking out in terms of the protection of Palestinian woman and children and innocent civilians who have suffered so much in recent days.

He said there were some parties in Dail Eireann who would not even describe Hamas as a terror organisation, and the question should be asked of them why not.

In an unusual event, Mr Varadkar was staunchly defended on RTEs The Week in Politics by political opponent Pearse Doherty of Sinn Fein.

He said the Taoiseach had repeatedly referred to Emily as being held hostage by Hamas.

It has been condemned across the board, across the political divide, and by the Taoiseach over and over again, Mr Doherty said.

This is absolute deflection from from Israel, who are preparing, I'm sure, to begin their bombardment of Gaza again after the ceasefire. What we need now is a focus to make sure that Israel doesn't do that, that this ceasefire is a lasting, and that there is space and opportunity for dialogue and a peace process.

Fianna Fail junior minister Jack Chambers said the Israeli reaction completely misrepresents the Taoiseach, who had been very clear on the hostage-taking.

Everyone knows his integrity on this matter, he said.

Jennifer Whitmore TD of the Social Democrats said her party had called for the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich and would now reiterate that.
An SDLP councillor who was in Dublin as rioting flared says there are parts of the city she does not feel safe walking in.

Lillian Seenoi Barr also warned that more needs to be done on both sides of the border to protect minority ethnic groups.

Ms Seenoi Barr sits on Derry and Strabane District Council and said that the smell of burning tyres welcomed her to Dublin city on Thursday evening.

The chaotic scenes - which involved far-right elements - saw Garda cars, buses and trams set alight, and shops looted and damaged after a knife attack on three children and their care assistant outside a school in the north inner city.

We were on our way from a meeting in Belfast and on our way, we were being sent videos and voice notes of people saying to stay at home and not to go to the city centre, she said.

As soon as we arrived the smell of burning tyres is what welcomed us to the city on the way to our hotel.

Ms Seenoi Barr said that gardai should have been more prepared and is surprised that they did not see this coming.

Speaking on Sunday Politics she pointed out that this kind of behaviour has been visible on the streets for some time.

It is important to note that many of us saw this coming, there has been an organised group of people instigating fear and violence within our streets against immigrants living in Ireland for some time now and it is very unsettling, she said.

It has been very live on social media and visible on our streets where people seeking asylum are being harassed and intimidated by far-right movements.

In the north we have seen them go to businesses owned by these people as well, it is no surprise for us.

But we are surprised that the gardai said they were not prepared for it.

When asked if she would feel safe walking the streets of Dublin tonight, for example, Ms Seenoi Barr said that many people are fearful not just in Dublin, but right across Ireland.

People are aware there is a voice note circulating on social media calling for people to harm them and kill all the immigrants in this country, she said.

It is very unsettling, everyone is living in fear on edge right now.

Ms Seenoi-Barr added that something needs done to tackle hate crimes across Ireland.

We have to do something about this, we cant keep ignoring it and pretending that this is some small minority. It is an organised terrorist group of people wanting to harm immigrants in this country, radicalising young people and encouraging them to harm others and those wanting to live a peaceful life in this country, she said.

We have to take action now.

"As politicians we dont have a hate crime legislation to tackle this, in the north or south of Ireland, we do not have a strategy to protect minority ethnic people and now we need to step up now.
The former aide to Tony Blair was speaking on Ireland deputy premier Micheal Martins In Conservation With podcast (Liam McBurney/PA)

The UK Governments attitude to the Irish returned a little to repellent during Brexit, one of Tony Blairs former top aides has said.

Alastair Campbell slammed an almost arrogance on the part of the current Conservative government towards Northern Ireland.

He was speaking on Ireland deputy premier Micheal Martins In Conservation With podcast.

The Tanaiste said that from an Irish perspective, the relationship with the UK government went up a level when Tony Blairs Labour swept into power in 1997, and to a certain extent hasnt been repeated.

It just went up a level in terms of trust, in terms of working together genuinely and learning and sharing experiences, it was a very, very warm relationship that did impact positively, he said.

Mr Campbell said it saddens him the extent to which in the Brexit debate, Northern Ireland was not even considered.

Theres an arrogance about the current government in its attitudes to Ireland that there used to be when I was a journalist, he said.

Alastair Campbell worked with former prime minister Tony Blair (Ben Curtis/PA)

Mr Campbell, who worked in journalism in the 1980s and 90s, said he felt there was an arrogance during former prime minister Margaret Thatchers term.

There was an arrogance, there was an attitude towards the Irish that was really quite repellent, and that went and I think a little of it has come back again, he said.

The extent to which, particularly during the Brexit negotiations, stuff was happening that had a direct impact upon you guys, and I dont think it even figured in the thinking a lot of the time.

The Tanaiste responded: Which gave rise to all the issues around the (Northern Ireland) Protocol and where we are today, and also the bit Ive always been taken aback by was the absence of any due diligence over the impact on SMEs, small businesses, supply chains.

Its a huge imposition on a lot of ordinary small to medium-size businesses that I dont think was factored in.

He added: To be fair, I think (Prime Minister) Rishi Sunak has brought a degree of professionalism to Britain.

The pair also discussed rioting seen in Dublin last Thursday night following a stabbing attack which saw a woman and three children taken to hospital.

Mr Martin described the incident as an appalling, horrific attack on three young children and their carer, followed by rioting and attacks on gardai, co-ordinated on social media.

He expressed concern about the hate and bile in social-media messaging, directed against foreigners and the government.

Alastair Campbell was speaking on Tanaiste Micheal Martins In Conservation With podcast (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Campbell said he was genuinely shocked by the scenes in Dublin.

He commended Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for absolutely calling them out in reference to his assertion of the involvement of far-right elements.

Mr Campbell has published a new book called What Can I Do, about the growth of populism, polarisation and the nature of public discourse.

We are now in this world where if you combine the disenchantment that a lot of people have with their own lives, the desire to find people to blame for that, be that politicians, be that immigrants, be that anybody that they can say is not one of us, allied to the speed at which rumour can fly, conspiracies can fly and its very, very hard to contain when it kicks off, he said.

Referring to the rise of right-wing politicians in countries including the Netherlands and Argentina, Mr Campbell added: What all of these things signal is we havent got on top of this populist, polarising virus, and weve got to find ways of addressing the issues, but at the same time weve got to find ways of restoring peoples sense or at least a modicum of trust in institutions of trust in politicians.
(Left to right) Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary James Cleverly together during the last week (Victoria Jones/PA)

A Cabinet minister has played down any suggestions of a split between Rishi Sunak and James Cleverly over the Rwanda asylum plan, after the Home Secretary said it was not the be all and end all.

The remarks, which came amid a separate row within the Tory party about record levels of net migration to the UK, raised eyebrows among some in the party.

But Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott, a recently promoted ally of Mr Sunak, insisted the pair were on the same page.

Mr Cleverly insisted, in an interview with The Times, that the initiative is not the be all and end all to stopping Channel crossings.

My frustration is that we have allowed the narrative to be created that this was the be all and end all, he said.

The Hope Hostel accommodation in Kigali, Rwanda where migrants were due to stay after arriving from the UK (Victoria Jones/PA)

Mr Sunak, in contrast, used an interview with The Mail On Sunday to stress the importance of the scheme, after the Supreme Court ruled it unlawful earlier this month.

Speaking to the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News, Ms Trott said: Theyre both actually saying the same thing, which is that Rwanda is part of our plan.

Both saying it is part of the plan, it is not all of the plan.

Mr Sunak has pledged not to let a foreign court stop flights to Rwanda, with plans for a new treaty and emergency legislation to ensure the plan is legally watertight.

It was the UK Supreme Court, rather than a foreign court, that dealt the latest blow to the Governments hopes of sending asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on a one-way trip to Rwanda.

But Tories are keen to ensure that the ECHR and the Strasbourg court that rules on it will not prevent the policy, first announced in 2020, from being implemented.

Ms Trott said: We have successfully in the last year bought the numbers of people coming over here illegally down by a third.

That is at a time when the numbers coming into Europe are up by 80%.

This was not a foregone conclusion.

The Cabinet minister declined to spell out any new steps the Government might take to reduce overall net migration, another preoccupation of Tory MPs.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA)

The figure peaked at 745,000 in the year to December 2022, according to revised estimates published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

The data places migration levels at three times higher than before Brexit.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick is understood to have worked up a plan designed to appease calls from right-wing Tories for the Government to take action.

He is pushing for a ban on foreign social care workers from bringing in any dependants and a cap on the total number of NHS and social care visas.

His plan would also scrap the shortage occupation list, a programme that allows foreign workers to be paid 20% below the going rate in roles that suffer from a lack of skilled staff.

But Ms Trott, who said immigration levels are too high, declined to shed any light on what potential measures could be introduced.

This year we brought forward a 600 million plan to train more people to do social care in this country.

So we are taking concrete steps, Im not just saying here I want it to come down, Im saying that we are taking concrete steps to bring it down, she told the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

Labour has sought to win over voters dissatisfied with the Tory record.

On Sunday, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the Sunday Times her party would increase salary requirements for workers coming from overseas.

The Labour MP said that her party would change current rules that allow employers to pay migrant workers 20% less than the annual salary threshold of 26,200 for roles on the shortage occupation list.

Appearing on the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones signalled that Labour sees a normal level of migration at a couple of hundred thousand a year.

But it depends on the needs in the economy, he added.

Asked if Labour could bring numbers down within the first term of a government, he said: I think we probably would hope to do that, yes, but weve talked about a decade of national renewal.

Not because were being presumptuous about this election, or indeed the next one, but because we think the deep structural problems that weve been left from the Conservatives after the last 13 years, its going to take time to fix and its going to take time to turn around.
(left to right) Chief Rabbi Mirvis, Eddie Marsan, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Rachel Riley, Maureen Lipman (second from right) and Vanessa Feltz (right) (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Tens of thousands have attended a march against antisemitism in London, as the crowd heard that the Jewish community will not be intimidated.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson was among the high-profile figures joining the demonstration, a day after crowds also gathered in the capital to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.

Those who addressed the marchers included Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and immigration minister Robert Jenrick, as organisers claimed the pro-Palestinian rallies in recent weeks had made the capital a no-go zone for Jews.

Former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman, left, and Countdowns Rachel Riley took part in the march (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

The start of Sundays march saw English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, arrested by police after he tried to join marchers.

Organisers called the rally the largest gathering against antisemitism London had seen since the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, when hundreds of thousands of people blocked a planned march by Sir Oswald Mosleys British Union of Fascists through an area populated by many Jewish families.

It was organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism amid fears about rising antisemitic incidents sparked by the crisis in the Middle East.

Sir Ephraim told the crowd: Since October 7 we have witnessed here in the UK an alarming rise of antisemitism, but we will not be intimidated.

We call for a strengthening of community cohesion and we will forever be proud to champion the finest of British values.

So with regard to the poisonous spread of antisemitism, what should the response of the British people be?

Number one, call it out when you see it. Number two, call it by what it really is  Jew hatred.

The march was organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Number three, be vigilant and report every incident. Number four, we must arrest every single perpetrator and bring every single one of them to justice.

Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, told marchers that since the deadly incursion by Hamas into southern Israel, antisemitic crime has surged in this country by over 1,000%.

Demonstrations marched through our cities, marched through our capital, where people glorify terrorism, where people incite racism against Jews.

And indeed, as we saw yesterday, yet again, carrying placards showing a Star of David thrown in the bin with a caption that says please keep the world clean, messaging that would not have been out of place in 1930s Germany, it is appalling.

Minister for Immigration Robert Jenrick said antisemitism was a stain on our country (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Tens of thousands of people gathered on Saturday for the latest demonstration, demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, with some demonstrators accusing Israel of committing genocide and others chanting from the river to the sea.

There were 18 arrests over the course of the day for a range of alleged offences, including suspicion of inciting racial hatred and suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Organisers Stop the War coalition said those at the now-regular marches have clear anti-racist foundations and oppose both antisemitism and Islamophobia.

It had asked anyone attending Saturdays rally to respect these clear anti-racist principles, including in any signs or placards they choose to bring to the march.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat was among those marching (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Mr Johnson compared antisemitism with an old spore of a virus.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of what Israel has done, or is doing, I think that the antisemitism that weve seen in some of these marches around western Europe and further afield has really confirmed for me the absolute necessity, the human necessity, for Israel to exist, he told GB News.

Mr Jenrick, who said he was at the march to represent the Government, spoke from the stage to warn that enough is enough.

He said antisemitism was a stain on our country, it is moral decay.

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Security minister Tom Tugendhat was among celebrities including Tracy-Ann Oberman, Rachel Riley, Eddie Marsan and Robert Rinder at the march.

People waved Israeli and Union flags and placards reading Never Again Is Now and Zero Tolerance for Antisemites.

Former EastEnders actress Ms Oberman called antisemitism an incitement to hatred, it is an incitement to divide, while Countdowns Ms Riley urged people to get serious about tackling it.

Actor Mr Marsan questioned why there were many who were hesitant to acknowledge or condemn the actions of Hamas.

There had been fears that Mr Robinson, former leader of the English Defence League, could disrupt the protest, with organisers making clear that he would not be welcome.

People at the rally waved Israeli and Union flags (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Police said a 40-year-old man had been arrested close to the Royal Courts of Justice, from where the demonstration began on Sunday.

Mr Robinson had previously been seen among the crowds of counter-protesters who clashed with police during ceasefire protests held on Armistice Day.

In a statement, the Met said the organisers had been clear about their concerns that the mans attendance, and that of those who were likely to accompany him, would cause fear for other participants.

The same view has been voiced by others.

As a result he was spoken to and warned on more than one occasion that his continued presence in the area was likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others.

Former leader of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson was led away by police (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

He was directed to leave the area but refused to do so.

It comes as the Israeli military said that 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals have been released from captivity in Gaza, on the third day of a four-day truce.

Among those reunited with their family on Saturday was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, who was among those abducted by the Palestinian militant group during the deadly Hamas attack on October 7.

Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners.

All are women and minors.
Hamas militants have freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals, in a third set of releases under a ceasefire deal.

Red Cross representatives transferred the hostages out of Gaza late on Sunday. Some were handed over directly to Israel while others left through Egypt.

The army said one of the hostages was airlifted directly to an Israeli hospital, and the director of Soroka Medical Centre said Elma Avraham, 84, was in a life-threatening condition as a result of an extended period of time when an elderly woman was not taken care of as needed.

Avigail Edan was among those released (Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters via AP)It was the third consecutive day in which Hamas released Israeli hostages being held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The youngest hostage released was Abigail Edan, a four-year-old girl and dual Israeli-American citizen whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on October 7.

What she endured was unthinkable, President Joe Biden said of the first American freed, adding he did not know Abigails condition but could confirm she was safely in Israel.

He did not have updates on other American hostages and said it was his goal to extend the ceasefire deal as long as possible.

In all, nine children aged 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office.

Dafna Elyakim, 15, has been released (Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters via AP)

Separately, Hamas said it had released one of the Russian hostages it was holding in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and as a show of appreciation for Moscows position on the war. Israeli army radio had reported that it was an Israeli-Russian dual national.

Later, more than three dozen Palestinian prisoners returned to a heroes welcome in the West Bank after being released by Israel.

The 39 young men, wearing grey prison uniforms, were welcomed by several hundred well-wishers in central Ramallah. The crowd hoisted the men on their shoulders while many waved victory signs and held green Hamas flags.

A fourth exchange is expected on Monday  the last day of the ceasefire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed.

International mediators led by the US and Qatar are trying to extend the ceasefire.

Ahead of the latest release, Mr Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke to troops.

We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return every one, he said, adding: We are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us.

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip (Avi Ohayon/GPO/Handout via AP)

In a separate development, Hamas announced that one of its top commanders had been killed, without saying when or how.

The ceasefire agreement has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades and vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip.

Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the rampage across southern Israel that ignited the war.

Pressure from hostages families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israels leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while returning all the captives.

The war has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

The ceasefire, which began on Friday, was brokered by Qatar and Egypt and the United States. Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends.

Palestinians visit their homes destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip (Adel Hana/AP)

Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting.

Mr Al-Ghandour, believed to have been around 56 years old, had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

Hamas said that he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas rocket-firing unit.

The Israeli military mentioned both men in a November 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence, including several mid-ranking commanders it has identified by name.
D-Day is fast approaching as Sir Jeffrey faces up to his biggest call as leader

Donaldsons political skills will be tested to the limit over possible Stormont return

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

Suzanne Breen Sun 26 Nov 2023 at 09:00

Twenty years ago today, the DUP became the top dog in unionism. It won 30 seats to the UUPs 27 in the Assembly election, making it Northern Irelands largest party.
Rescue workers respond to a report of two missing people off Martins Beach in Half Moon Bay on Saturday. A 5-year-old girl was rescued, but the search was called off for a 54-year-old man Sunday. Loren Elliott/Special to the Chronicle A rescue crew works at Martins Beach in Half Moon Bay after a 5-year-old girl and 54-year-old man were swept into the ocean Saturday. The girl was rescued, but the search for the man was called off Sunday. Loren Elliott/Special to the Chronicle

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a 54-year-old man who went missing off the coast of Half Moon Bay and reported that his 5-year-old granddaughter, who had been rescued, has died.

Crews searched 100 square miles of the sea for about 22 hours since the man was swept off Martins Beach near Half Moon Bay on Saturday afternoon, the Coast Guard said Sunday on X, formerly called Twitter.

The decision to suspend search efforts is one of the hardest decisions to make, but our crews searched for nearly 24 hours without any sightings of the missing person, said Capt. Jordan Baldueza, deputy commander, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this very tragic event.

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The 5-year-old girl was also swept off by a wave. She was rescued by a San Mateo County fire crew and taken to a nearby hospital but ultimately pronounced deceased.

Coast Guard Chief Petit Officer Levi Read confirmed that the two were grandfather and granddaughter.

The National Weather Service had issued a warning about the increased risk of dangerous rip currents and sneaker waves on some Bay Area shorelines through 8 a.m. Sunday.

Stay out of the water today, NWS Bay Area posted Saturday on X, formerly known as Twitter. Long period swell and big tidal swings means a lot of water will be moving at the coast and in the Bay. Enjoy from a safe distance and keep our rescue swimmers safe.

Also Saturday, a crew from the San Francisco Fire Department rescued a surfer and a commercial vessel from San Francisco Bay in separate incidents.

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A San Francisco Fire Department crew also rescued a sailboat that had become stranded in the bay amid heavy waves Saturday evening. Three people were on board, and no one was injured.

The National Weather Service warned of astronomical high tides and freezing weather in the Bay Area on Sunday.
Talent manager Shelley helping raft of young actors break into big time on TV, stage and screen

From feature films to TV dramas and treading the boards in theatres, our child stars are taking the acting world by storm.

Juggling school work with long days on set is becoming the norm for the young performers, some of whom are just eight years old.

Shelley Lowry, who runs Shelley Lowry Talent Management, has become the go-to woman for production companies shooting major projects on our shores.

She helped Co Down actor Jude Hill secure his big break as Buddy in Sir Kenneth Branaghs Belfast, and also represents adult stars, including An Irish Goodbyes James Martin and Seamus OHara.

Shelley was over the moon to see many of her youngest clients land parts in recognisable productions.

There are lots of opportunities for young people to work in film and television here in Northern Ireland, she said.

We love helping our young actors prepare for working with professionals.

Our classes have been specifically designed to tailor to the training needs of new and emerging actors.

I get so much satisfaction from nurturing homegrown talent, and I love to see young people get the opportunities they deserve.

Shelley Lowry

Shea McDonnell (12), from west Belfast, only started classes with Shelley a year ago but has already secured two roles.

He is starring the feature film Housejacker, due to be released in the new year, and is busy rehearsing for his professional stage debut in The Headless Soldier at Belfasts Lyric Theatre.

Mum Jolene McDonnell said her son had been interested in acting since the age of four.

She added: Doing drama lessons is something he has always talked about, and he started last October at Shelley Lowrys acting school.

Just a few months later, in March of this year, he got the part of one of two little boys in the movie Housejacker.

It was filmed in north Belfast in an old house that was turned into a wee shop.

He had two full days filming. He loved it and didnt want it to end.

To be such a young age and so dedicated to it, we are so proud of him and cant believe he has got two great roles under his belt in just six months.

Shea McDonnell

Sheas school All Saints College has supported him in taking time away from classes for rehearsals. He has also come in for some well-intentioned slagging from his classmates.

School has been really great. Shea is their first pupil to ask for time off for filming. They send his work home and he keeps up with it, said Jolene.

Sheas dad Martin, brother Daniel (29) and sister Annalisa (32) fully support his burgeoning career.

When his friends were relaxing during the Halloween break, Shea was at the Lyric every day for rehearsals.

Im sure Ill have butterflies in my stomach on opening night, he admitted.

Im playing a boy called Zachary, who meets the headless solider, and I am on stage a lot. Its so exciting.

My friends have been looking me up on Google and slagging me, but they are really supportive.

Ive loved it, and when I am older I would love to get out of Ireland and go to America  thats the dream.

Shea McDonnell with mum Jolene

Lennox Loughran (8), from Craigavon, starred in his first show at the tender age of three.

He has since landed a major part in a Disney FX production and roles in locally produced shows.

An only child of Andrea and Gerard, who both work as ambulance attendants, he is at his happiest in front of a camera.

Lennox Loughran

His mum explained: Lennox was chosen out of 4,000 kids to do a show for Cbeebies when he was just three, and he took to it like a duck to water.

It was called My First, and he was filmed having his first picnic on Rathlin Island. He loved the experience and it has been shown on TV a few times.

He recently got a part in a big Disney FX production and had to go back and forward to England for two weeks for filming. He even had his own trailer.

Its a huge production and there are some big stars in it, but we arent allowed to say more it at the minute.

Lennox will be in four episodes of the series, which is coming out next year. It was hard for him to come back to real life after being away at something so special, but he loved every minute of it.

Lennox Loughran with dad Gerard and mum Andrea

Lennox is a pupil at St Brendans Primary, which supports his career. Disney also provides tutors for young actors.

After the excitement of filming in England in April, last month Lennox landed another role in a local TV production for kids.

His mum said: We dont even know how it has all happened, and we are just bursting with pride for him.

We have been keeping him very grounded, but acting has given him so much confidence and happiness. You can see it in him.

Lennox hopes to continue with his acting career but also wants to train as a vet when he is older and combine both jobs.

He said: I just love acting, especially hair and make-up.

My dream is to be a vet and an actor and travel all around the world with it.

Lennox on set

Enya Doran, from Lurgan, is one of three siblings in a talented family of young actors and musicians.

The eight-year-old has appeared in short films including Vanishing Grace and Young Ones. She also played a girl called Kiera in the second series of the BBC police drama Hope Street.

Her brother Emmet (14) also has a host of TV and film credits under his belt, including Sir Kenneth Branaghs Belfast and Speak of the Devil.

Twelve-year-old sister Blathnaid acted alongside her brother in Belfast and played main character Bernie in the film Fishing Poles, as well as appearing in musicals and plays, including Above All Else at Belfasts Mac.

Mum Kerrie, who is head of music at Fort Hill Integrated College, and dad Gavin, who works as a manager in a builders yard, are naturally proud of their talented offspring.

Kerrie said it all began after she became concerned about oldest child Emmets confidence levels.

He was painfully shy as a child, so we decided to enrol him in Shelley Lowrys speech and drama classes to help bring him out of himself a bit, she recalled.

All three started Shelleys classes and then were signed up by her agency when they were old enough.

Emmet had his first part in the film Speak of the Devil, which was directed by Campbell Miller.

He was only 10 at the time, (but) they were so good to him on set. It was an unreal experience for him.

All the children love it and have done so well. Shelley is great at offering direction and help with accents when they are doing self-tapes for parts.

Enya was in London last year for a wee short film that is due out next year, and she loved doing Hope Street.

Even though it can be long days on set for them, they dont see it going in.

We do try and keep the children grounded because acting is the sort of industry where you never know what could happen.

Weve never pushed them into it  it is something they wanted to do. They all love it and do so well.

They also know the importance of their education. Thankfully, their schools have been very supportive.

Daughter Enya dreams of one day walking the red carpet in Hollywood.

She said: It (acting) feels really good and exciting because you get to meet new people and make loads of friends. My dream is to go on the red carpet.

Emmet added: My dream is to be in an action movie with Tom Cruise. I love all the Mission Impossible movies.

See shelleylowrytalent.com for more details
Give My Head Peaces Paddy Jenkins: I dont get recognised and that suits me just fine

Irish Goodbye star keeping feet on ground despite raft of awards

Paddy Jenkins

Ivan Little Sun 26 Nov 2023 at 09:45

Hes probably the busiest actor in Belfast, a versatile man of so many parts that it can be difficult to keep up with all the different faces of Paddy Jenkins.
Animals may have found tomb linked to six missing women

Meet the cadaver dogs who may have unearthed a grisly tomb linked to the disappearance of six women in under five years in the vanishing triangle case.

Springer spaniel Nelly (7) and border collie Bee (3) have sniffed out a lead in the decades-old murder mystery.

The women went missing in the Republic in the mid-1990s, with many blaming a serial killer.

Kidnapper and rapist Larry Murphy was identified as a suspect in a number of the disappearances but never charged.

Five of the women were last seen within an 80-mile radius of an area known as the vanishing triangle.

No one has been convicted for their disappearances or deaths.

Dr Neil Powell with Nelly

Nelly and Bee appear in a new documentary on the case, identifying a potential burial site in the Wicklow Mountains.

Nellys handler is the renowned Holywood dog trainer Dr Neil Powell, from the Search and Rescue Dogs Association (Sarda)  Ireland North.

It was excellent from the point of view that we might be able to do something to help bring these girls home to their folks, he told Sunday Life.

Thats our aim  to bring closure in one way or another. This is particularly poignant in that its gone on for over 30 years and the girls met such a horrible end.

Its very important to us to help, even if its in a small way, and to help in the recovery.

Dr Powell features alongside Bees handler and fellow Sarda volunteer Raph OConnor, also from Holywood, in Six Silent Killings: Irelands Vanishing Circle, currently airing on Sky TV.

The two-part documentary sees investigators home in on a long-forgotten underground storage chamber near Larry Murphys home which has lain sealed for years.

Neil said: There were five of us in total, including Raph and I, all great guys.

Our part with the dogs was to first determine if there was any detectable odour of human decay.

We did it first with Nelly in 2021. It was December, but despite the weather she indicated on a bearing of due south from the entrance.

We noted that, came back in the spring and let her search the whole place. She went to the exact same place, as did Raphs dog.

Now, its important to realise that doesnt mean there is a body there. What it means is the dogs have detected the odour they have been trained to find. Its a strong indicator.

If there was a chamber under there, we worked on the assumption of it being a linear construction and so took the initial indication sites and probed holes every two metres back towards the entrance.

We also probed decoy holes, and still the dogs strongly indicated at the holes which were plotted along the route we suspected.

That was a big sign to us that they may have found this underground chamber.

Its a very sensitive site, so they may need to use non-penetrative radar and so on to focus in on the area of interest, as opposed to going in and JCB-ing it.

Clockwise from top left, Annie McCarrick, Josephine Dullard, Fiona Pender, Deirdre Jacob, Fiona Sinnott and Ciara Breen

The disappearance of the women, all aged between 17 and 25, remains a mystery 30 years on, with the families of Josephine JoJo Dullard, Fiona Pender, Ciara Breen, Fiona Sinnott, Deirdre Jacob and American national Annie McCarrick still searching for justice.

Despite the dogs indications, there is no guarantee the patch of land holds the answers so many seek.

Neil said: The chamber was apparently open at both ends at some point in the past and a pig had fallen into it. The story goes that they got the pig out and sealed it up to prevent this happening again.

The question is, did they get all of the pig out? Decaying swine would give a similar scent picture to that of a human being in decay, so that would need to be cleared up. When we started on this project it was a missing person enquiry, but there was so much evidence being presented to the guards that there was some talk of it being upgraded to a murder investigation.

That would assist for access to certain areas, but Im not sure whats happening at the moment. Its all up in the air and were not sure what else will come from this.

Everything is with the guards, as I understand it, so its in their court now, but those indications would normally require further investigation.

Its purely an area of interest. I stupidly said on the show, If theres a body there, the dogs will find it, which is probably true, but if theres not a body there it is possible for the dogs to indicate at something similar.

Rapist and kidnapper Larry Murphy

Six Silent Killings: Irelands Vanishing Circle is available on Sky Showcase and Now TV
Woman abused by Davy Tweed among the speakers at Reclaim The Night march in Belfast

Hundreds gathered in Belfast tonight for the 10th Reclaim the Night rally, calling for an end to gender-based violence.

The event began in Writers Square, in the shadow of St Annes Cathedral, where speeches were made before a march to the Albert Clock.

Speaking at the event was Amanda Brown, who was abused by her notorious paedophile stepfather, the late Ireland rugby player Davy Tweed.

Ms Brown told Sunday Life she accepted an invitation to speak at the event in part to encourage other women to speak about their experiences.

Ive never done any public speaking. I think over the last couple of years Ive mustered some confidence, she said.

Its important for me to share my story because I have recognised over the past couple of years (that) it encourages people to share theirs.

I believe when we share our stories, we start to lose the shame around sexual abuse and sexual violence. Also, it means we are no longer afraid and we are shining a light on the abusers and the abuse that we suffered.

Yes, there is an element of healing for me for what I have gone through, but primarily my main drive is to inspire others to speak about their own experiences, to inspire others to stand outside of the shame that has kept them silent for so long, to inspire them to speak their own truth.

I would love to live to see a day where abusers are more afraid than victims are to speak out, and I believe by sharing our stories we will get to that day sooner.

Amanda Brown

Amanda emphasised that speaking out about experiencing sexual abuse or violence did not necessarily mean taking the legal route.

She said: Everybody has to assess whats best for them in any given moment.

Some people might feel strongly about going down the legal route and speaking to police. That is absolutely fine.

But in terms of speaking out, even just talking to a counsellor about it, or talking to a trusted friend, in the first instance its acknowledging it yourself and accepting this is what has happened and then speaking with someone who you trust, or, if it does happen, the police.

Amanda also said there needed to be a change in how boys were taught to behave towards women, starting at school age.

She continued: What I would say to men if they have daughters (is) Dont be telling them boys in school are mocking them just because they fancy them, and dont be mocking your sons for being kind to a girl because thats where it all starts.

The Reclaim The Night rally

It starts when we are children and with the ideas that we are given. Even some of the jokes that are made, theyre not jokes. If it talks about violence against women, its not a joke and its not funny.

Danielle Roberts, of Reclaim the Night, said: The number of domestic abuse incidents reported in the past 10 years has increased by over 20 per cent, while the number of domestic abuse femicides has also increased, from five in 2013 to nine in 2022.

Even with positive developments including the introduction of new offences such as coercive control, stalking and non-fatal strangulation on the statute books, the struggle for justice is not over.

Also on the march was Sue Pentel, from Jewish Voice for a Just Peace and the Belfast Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Joud Assaf, a law student and human rights activist from Palestine who highlighted the plight of victims in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
A member of the South East Antrim UDA has been forced from his home

A South East Antrim UDA thug who was behind a drug dealing racket at a school has been forced from his home by the terror gang.

But not because he was getting kids to sell cocaine and cannabis in the playground, but because he failed to hand over the profits to his paramilitary bosses.
UVF bosses shop stood down drug dealers to the cops

After Remembrance Day purge, police launch probe into eight men accused of flooding streets with cannabis and cocaine

A UVF mural on the Newtownards Road

Ciaran Barnes Sun 26 Nov 2023 at 08:45

Several senior East Belfast UVF figures stood down by the terror gang for drug dealing are the focus of a major new investigation by the PSNIs Organised Crime Branch.
In this photo provided by Thailand's Foreign Ministry, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen (right) talks to one of 10 Thai hostages after they were freed, at the Shamir Medical Center in Israel, Nov. 25, 2023.

Four Thais were among a group released by Hamas in a second hostages-for-prisoners exchange with Israel, Thai officials said Sunday.

The group, including 13 Israelis, was freed as part of a four-day truce that also involves the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, where Israeli bombardments have caused severe shortages of essential supplies like food, medicine and fuel.

Thailands foreign ministry said the four Thais were released Sunday and taken to a designated medical center in Israel for a check up.

It added that Israeli authorities had revised up the number of Thai nationals held by Hamas by two.

This means that after the release of the second group today, it is estimated that there are still 18 Thai nationals abducted, the ministry said in a statement. The Thai government will continue to make every effort towards the safe release and return of those remaining Thai nationals.

Ten Thai hostages kidnapped during Hamas Oct. 7 attacks on Israel were among 24 hostages freed on Friday.

Israel released 39 Palestinians  six women and 33 minors  from two prisons, Reuters reported Sunday, citing the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

On social media platform X, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the Thais released Sunday were in good health overall and everyone talks and walks normally.

The Thais were abducted from agricultural areas in southern Israel after Hamas broke through a fence sealing off Gaza from the Jewish state, before killing 1,200 people  mostly civilians  and taking more than 230 hostages.

Following the Oct. 7 attack, Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara visited Qatar and Egypt and met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to press for the release of the Thai nationals, who were the single largest group of foreigners abducted by Palestinian militant groups.

About 30,000 Thais worked in Israel before the war began, predominantly as farmhands. About a third have returned home since fighting began but the rest have chosen to remain in Israel, according to the foreign ministry. At least 32 Thai nationals have died and 19 have been injured.

Rung-arun Wicha-ngern said she was overjoyed to receive a pre-dawn call on Friday telling her that her brother, Witoon Pumee, was one of the 10 Thai hostages released in the first exchange.

I burst into tears, she said in an interview with broadcaster Thai PBS. You escaped death, my dear brother  and are coming home.
Danielle Echeverria is a reporter for The Chronicles Engagement and Breaking News team. She recently completed her Master's degree in journalism at Stanford University, where she won the Nicholas Roosevelt Environmental Journalism Award for her reporting and covered agriculture, climate change and worker safety. She previously interned The Chronicle on the Business desk, as well as at Big Local News, focusing on data journalism. She is originally from Bakersfield, California.

She can be reached at danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Partly cloudy early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain this afternoon. High 49F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 36F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
A Berkshire Superior Court judge declared a mistrial in June after a three-week trial ended with a hung jury. The retrial had been slated for January, but this week was rescheduled to May 6 at the request of the Berkshire District Attorney's Office.
SANDISFIELD  Ralph Morrison, the towns former fire chief, may face additional scrutiny after the Select Board on Nov. 13 voted to forward ethical or possible criminal violations to the appropriate authorities.

It is unclear what steps the town will take to pursue charges that town counsel Brian Maser noted may be moot upon Ralphs resignation, which also took effect on Nov. 13, according to executive session minutes from that date.

Morrison's resignation came after increasing scrutiny following the Sept. 26 rollover of a 1988 Mack tanker that totaled the truck. His brother Michael Morrison, who is also assistant fire chief and the towns police chief, was driving when the tanker crashed. He was not seriously injured.

The minutes show the tanker truck in limbo as of Nov. 13. It hasnt been auctioned because the title hasnt been signed over. And the minutes show an attempt by Ralph Morrison to collect a nearly $6,700 towing and storage fee from the towns insurer before dropping the request without explanation.

Reached Monday, Select Board Chair Steve Seddon had no comment on what, if any, action, the Select Board had taken.

A spokesperson for the Berkshire District Attorney on Monday said they had "no information at this time."

Ralph Morrison attended the executive session with lawyer Kathleen McCormick, who has said she represents the nonprofit Sandisfield Fire Department Inc., a separate entity from the town.

The executive session minutes also show that the former fire chief, his brother and volunteer firefighters waited outside an Oct. 24 Select Board meeting and attempted to intimidate and harass Select Board member John Field.

By unanimous vote, the Select Board enumerated the list of nine potential charges listed from a to i:

 Failure to properly inspect and maintain department apparatus resulting in loss of property;

 Negligence;

 Making false statements to the Select Board;

 Conduct unbecoming a public employee;

 Abuse of office;

 Self-dealing;

 Possible ethics and criminal violations;

 Suppression of evidence;

 Insubordination.

Michael Morrison said the brakes failed on the tanker as it hurtled down Webster Road, then crossed Tyringhams Main Road, went through a guardrail and took out a utility pole, wiping out power for several hours in part of that town.

The Select Board also unanimously approved a summary of facts, which are listed in the executive session minutes. Highlights from that summary include the following:

 Both Morrison brothers said they were headed the wrong way to the scene of a fire in Otis because they had been given the wrong directions by another firefighter.

 The tanker was towed to R.W.'s Towing of Lee following the crash, and Ralph Morrison towed the vehicle to a private garage he owns in Tolland.

 On Oct. 2, Ralph Morrison guessed the brakes/slackers had not been touched since the vehicle was purchased in 2019, and confirmed it had not been serviced at all since this time.

 After the towns insurer, Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association, inspected the tanker at an off-site facility, Ralph Morrison submitted a bill in the amount of $5,400 to MIIA from his shop, A & M Auto Repair of Sandisfield.

 A & M Auto Repair had been doing all inspections and maintenance of the towns emergency fleet. On Oct. 12, the Select Board voted to use a third-party company to conduct inspections going forward.

 On Oct. 13, Ralph Morrison submitted a revised bill of $6,715 for towing and storage of the tanker to MIIA. According to an Oct. 16 an email from MIIA, Ralph Morrison said he towed the truck to keep it out of the way from lookyloos. Then on Oct. 19, Ralph Morrison emailed MIIA to disregard the bill from A & M, we are waiving all fees, according to the executive session minutes.

 On Oct. 16, Select Board member John Field said Massachusetts State Police would not inspect the tanker because the chain of custody had broken.

 On Oct. 24, the Estimate of Record placed repair costs of the tanker at $113,441.73. The tanker had been insured for $25,000 with a $1,000 deductible.

 On Oct. 30, the tanker was towed to MIIAs salvage yard by Copart. The charge was $2,485.64.

As of today, the Nov. 13 executive session minutes read, the original tanker truck Title has not been signed over and received by MIIA. This prevents the tanker from being auctioned.
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IILs Human Biologicals Institute celebrates 25 years

Hyderabad-based Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) has launched Mabella (Measles and Rubella) vaccine for children, developed in partnership with Polyvac Institute, Vietnam. Through rigorous human clinical trials, Mabella has demonstrated both safety and effectiveness.

This launch took place along with Human Biologicals Institute (HBI), a branch of IIL, marking its 25th anniversary since its establishment in 1998. Founded in an era emphasising the need for indigenous vaccines, HBI has significantly contributed to India's self-reliance, aligning with the vision of "Atmanirbhar Bharat."

HBI's legacy of innovation began in 1998 with the indigenous development of India's first safe Vero-cell rabies vaccine  Abhayrab, replacing the painful nerve tissue vaccine. Abhayrab is now the world's largest-selling Anti-Rabies vaccine, saving millions of lives globally. HBI subsequently introduced various childhood vaccines, including DPT, Pentavalent Vaccine, TT, Hepatitis-B, MR, and Td vaccines.

Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director of Indian Immunologicals, highlighted IIL's substantial contributions to disease control and vaccine accessibility over its 25-year journey. Emphasising IIL's role in disease elimination, he discussed the launch of Mabella, addressing the global threat of Measles and Rubella, which claims around 1,00,000 children's lives annually.
Jessica Flores is a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. Before joining The Chronicle in 2021, she worked for USA Today, NPR affiliate KPCC and Curbed LA. Originally from L.A., she received her masters degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a bachelors degree from Mount Saint Marys University in Los Angeles.

She can be reached at Jessica.Flores@sfchronicle.com.
Pre-tax profits at the Irish business of toy retail giant Smyths last year increased by 22.5 per cent to 5.33 million.

New accounts for Smyths Toys Ltd show revenues for its Irish operation increased by 49 million (22.5 per cent) from 217.56 million to 266.66 million.

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The Smyth family opened their first toy store in Galway more than three decades ago.

The firm operates 21 stores in the Republic, with revenues last year working out at an average of 12.7 million per store. Sales of Lego, Hotwheels, Biggies, Nerf Guns and Paw Patrol drove revenues.

The revenues of 266.66 million represent 19 per cent of the groups 1.38 billion business across Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic last year.

The Irish unit of Smyths paid out dividends of 12 million last December. The directors said the increase in revenues was primarily driven by an increase in footfall to stores as customers returned to shopping post-Covid.

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The directors said they were pleased with the results particularly given the current economic climate and the competitive marketplace.

The business is currently heading into its busiest time of the year in the run-up to Christmas as children choose toys from the retailers 340-page catalogue.

The Republic of Ireland business of Smyths represents a small proportion of the groups business that today extends across the UK, France, Holland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

In a record sales year for Smyths Toys UK Ltd, revenues surged by 16 per cent to 910.78 million (1.05 billion).

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The business operates Smyths stores across England, Scotland and Wales and pre-tax profits increased by 8 per cent to 19.49 million.

The number of stores in England, Scotland and Wales today totals 113 and its separate Northern Ireland arm operates seven stores.

The size of the overall business across the UK, Ireland and Europe has increased sharply since last year with the expansion into France following the acquisition of PicWic Toys in France in July 2022.

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Smyths now has 283 stores across Ireland, the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Holland and Switzerland. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Smyths Toys now operates 41 stores in France and has also expanded to Holland with the opening of three stores there.

The firms German business has also expanded with the opening of three new stores there since last year bringing the total to 70.

The number of stores in Austria and Switzerland has remained at the same level at 17 and 11.

The increase in business last year has resulted in Smyths Toys having 283 stores today across Ireland, the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Holland and Switzerland.

The business is operated by the Smyth family from Co Mayo. Family member and one of the directors of the business, Liam Smyth, died aged 60 in July.

Along with his brothers, the Claremorris native helped grow Smyths Toys to the thriving multi-national retail chain it is today.
Cosplaying Sailor Scouts Vanessa, Sana, Christa, Mia and Johanna prepare to enter Fan Expo at San Franciscos Moscone Center on Sunday, Nov. 26, the final day of the weekend celebration of pop culture superheroes. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Jedi cosplayers Toch and Joel Rainier and Tara Ching smile Sunday at Zelda Castro, 4, during her first Fan Expo. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Artist Seven of Triple 7 SP displays his pixel art at Fan Expo on Sunday. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Aspen, in a Hela outfit, and Nick, dressed as Lady Loki, attend the final day of Fan Expo. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Aubrey Yu, 8, looks inside a 2005 Scion XB decorated to depict Marin Kitagawa of the anime series My Dress-Up Darling at Fan Expo on Sunday. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Actor Sean Astin, who appeared in the Lord of the Rings franchise, answers fans questions during the final day of the expo. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Jason Red of H Mart displays his cereal art at Fan Expo on Sunday. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle Lord of the Rings stars Elijah Wood, left, and Sean Astin participate in Fan Expo at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Saturday, Nov. 25. Bill Watters/Fan Expo Actor Mark Hamill of Star Wars participates in the opening night of Fan Expo at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Friday, Nov. 24. Bill Watters/Fan Expo Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood participates in a panel discussion with moderator Claire Lim at Fan Expo at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Saturday, Nov. 25. Bill Watters/Fan Expo

Fantasy became reality over the weekend as thousands of followers of science fiction, horror, anime and all things pop culture mingled with stars from some of biggest film, television and comic book franchises at Fan Expo San Francisco.

The event, which ran Friday through Sunday, Nov. 24 to 26, at the Moscone Center, featured onscreen talent, voice actors, illustrators and designers giving presentations, participating in panel discussions, signing autographs and taking photos with fans.

Fan Expo kicked off with Oakland native Mark Hamill, who starred as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, discussing his career. Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, was slated for Saturday and Sunday.

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The second day of Fan Expo saw a mini-reunion of the cast of the Lord of the Rings franchise, including Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd.

William Shatner, Captain Kirk on the original Star Trek TV series, appeared Sunday.

William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk from the original Star Trek TV series, speaks Sunday at Fan Expo. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to the Chronicle

Other stars slated to appear throughout the weekend included Henry Winkler of Happy Days and Barry; Carl Weathers of The Mandalorian and Rocky; Adrienne Barbeau of Escape From New York and Creepshow; Jason Lee of My Name Is Earl and The Incredibles; Tony Todd of Candyman; Rose McGowan of Charmed and Scream; and rock drummer Gina Schock of the Go-Gos.

More Information Fan Expo San Francisco: 6-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. $25-$349. Moscone Center West, 800 Howard St., S.F. https://fanexpohq.com/fanexposanfrancisco

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Admission to the festival ranges from $12 per day for children to $40 for adults, with special weekend and fan passes providing priority access to events. Premium passes are also available for autographs, souvenirs and photos with celebrity headliners.
Linda Evangelista has said she didnt do anything wrong after having a cosmetic procedure called CoolSculpting.

The 58-year-old Canadian fashion model previously said the treatment left her permanently deformed and brutally disfigured.

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Reflecting on the rare side effect of cryolipolysis, she told the Sunday Times: I dont blame myself any more. Im not hard on myself any longer.

And how people feel about me still bothers me a little bit, but it used to bother me a lot. I know now that I didnt do anything wrong.

For the longest time I thought I did. Im not completely rid of it, but I work hard at getting rid of the guilt and the shame and Im not letting it ruin my life. I wouldnt have stayed locked up if Id known how many people cared.

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Linda Evangelista during a photocall in 2006 (Yui Mok/PA)

A lawsuit in New York against Zeltiq Aesthetics, CoolSculptings parent company, was previously settled by Evangelista.

She says she developed paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, where the fatty tissue on her body increased in size rather than shrank, because of the procedure.

Cryolipolysis, a popular fat-freezing treatment, cools the fat so that frozen, dead fat cells can be excreted out of the body through the liver.

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Evangelista, one of the most famous faces of the 1990s fashion industry, also said she no longer looks at mirrors or dates.

She added: My son will say to me sometimes, You might want to know that you have a pimple on your chin. And Im like, what? But life is better without mirrors.

Evangelista previously disclosed that the father of her son Augustin James is French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, the chief executive of Kering, which owns luxury goods such as Gucci and Balenciaga.

Mr Pinault is married to Mexican-born actress Salma Hayek.
The ball is in the Taoiseachs court to remove Minister for Justice Helen McEntee from post if she does not resign after gardai lost control of Dublin last week.

Sinn Fein TD Louise OReilly argued that the worst rioting seen in the state for decades had been building and there had been a failure to keep people safe on Thursday night in the capital.

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However, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney hit back, accusing Sinn Fein of seeking to make political mileage from the situation.

Garda cars, a bus and a tram were set alight, shops damaged and looted and officers attacked during violent scenes, which involved far-right elements, in Dublin on Thursday evening.

It came shortly after three children and a women were injured in a stabbing attack outside a school in the north city centre.

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A five-year-old girl injured in the knife attack outside a school remained in a critical condition in hospital on Saturday while the female care assistant, in her 30s, was in a serious condition.

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The other children have since been released.

The scene at Parnell Square East on Thursday after five people were injured, including three young children. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA

Gardai said a man who sustained serious injuries at the scene is a person of interest in their investigation.

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Some 48 arrests had been made in the city since the rioting on Thursday and a high-visibility policing plan is in place throughout the weekend, including the deployment of four public order units.

Friday and Saturday passed without major incident amid a heavy garda presence in Dublin.

Two water cannon have been loaned to An Garda Siochana by the PSNI as an available tactic if further violence flares.

Sinn Fein and the Social Democrats have said they do not have confidence in Ms McEntee or Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

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Ms OReilly said her party is considering tabling a no confidence motion in Ms McEntee in the Dail.

I think at this stage we need to focus on what happened on Thursday. There was a failure to keep people safe in Dublin city, she told RTE radios This Week.

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It left gardai exposed, it left our emergency services exposed. There was a period in which control of the city was lost. That is a very grave and a very, very serious matter.

The minister was slow to react. She doesnt seem to understand or appreciate the scale of the issue. This didnt just happen on Thursday. This has been building for months.

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She said retailers, workers and shoppers have told her party they dont feel safe in Dublin city centre.

This is an issue that has been building for months and the minister doesnt recognise the scale of it, and if she doesnt recognise or understand the scale of the issue, then how could anyone have confidence in her capacity to address it, she added.

The minister should resign. If she is not going to do that, then the Taoiseach should remove her from her position.

Were going to hear from the minister early next week, and we will keep all options under review, but the ball is very firmly in the court of the Taoiseach at the moment.

It is his job to ensure that his team are up to the job.

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Mr Coveney said 400 gardai were on the streets of Dublin at very short notice on Thursday when the situation escalated.

Were going to get a very detailed response in terms of a garda report on exactly what happens and lessons to be learned, he said.

No ones saying that there arent lessons to be learned here, of course there are, but our focus in government needs to be to support the gardai and its leadership, to support the minister and her leadership, to support the migrant community and to give them the reassurance that they need and support businesses as well in terms of many businesses that have been damaged.

Asked did he feel Dublin is safe, Mr Coveney said: For the most part, yes.

I walk to Dublin city centre every week but clearly there are tensions in some parts of Dublin that we need to respond to, and I think the the vicious attack on three young children and a creche worker sparked something that was taken advantage of by a number of cynical people who brought people onto the streets to cause carnage.

We need to learn lessons to make sure it doesnt happen again, and I believe that can happen under the current leadership.

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Earlier, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said he fully supported Ms McEntee and Mr Harris in their roles and cautioned that now was not the time for division.

Sinn Fein never miss an opportunity to express a lack of confidence in anybody or anything, he told the BBC.

This is exactly the time in which we need to come together, its exactly the time in which we need to show a united force I believe to some forces that are trying to fragment and pull our country apart.

Of course there will be a time to consider what happened and learn lessons from it honestly, but now is not a time for division.
Long Covid has been ruled out by the Department of Social Protection as an illness for which sufferers could claim occupational injury benefit.

A new report published by the department said it did not hold the view that Long Covid should be added to the existing list of occupational diseases.

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Following a recommendation by the European Commission, Ireland and Greece are the only two EU member states to date who have not recognised Covid-19 as an occupational disease in sectors where the risk of infection has been proven.

However, the non-binding recommendation does not apply to Long Covid.

The report said it would not be possible to establish with reasonable certainty that a worker had contracted the disease exclusively through their occupation.

It also observed that Covid-19 did not meet the criteria for recognition as an occupational disease under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005.

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Specifically, the presumptions about workplace transmission would not be sustainable on a general basis in the current environment when infection rates are low, the report noted.

It also pointed out that there was no international consensus on supports that should be provided to people with Covid-19 as there had been a wide variety of responses adopted by other EU member states.

Under legislation, the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, has the power to prescribe diseases for which workers who have the required number of PRSI contributions can claim Occupational Injuries Benefit.

The benefit can be claimed by those who are unfit to work due to some form of occupational disease or those who have an accident at work or travelling to or from work.

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The two main payments under the scheme are Injury Benefit which is payable for six months at a rate of 220 per week and Disablement Benefit which has varying rates depending on level of incapacity.

The report said the Government had acted early and without hesitation to support all workers who contracted Covid-19 during the pandemic with workers outside the public service able to avail of an Enhanced Illness Benefit payment of 350 per week until it was withdrawn at the end of September last year.

It observed that eligibility criteria for such payments were set to include the largest cohort of workers possible.

In addition, it said the Temporary Scheme of Paid leave for Public Health Service Employees was introduced to cater for the specific needs of HSE staff.

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The department said it believed that the scheme was the appropriate channel through which such targeted sectoral support should be provided.

The Temporary Scheme of Paid Leave has been extended to March 31st, 2024.

The department pointed out that people who cannot work due to a long-term illness or disability may avail of long-term disability income supports such as the Invalidity Pension or Disability Allowance.

It also claimed that Occupational Injuries Benefit would be of limited or no value to people who already contracted Covid-19 in the past as only Class A contributors would get full access to the scheme and claims could not be applied retrospectively.
The Israeli foreign minister has said he has summoned the Irish ambassador in Tel Aviv "for a reprimand" following Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's statement on the release of Emily Hand.

Following the news that the Irish-Israeli girl had been freed by Hamas, Mr Varadkar last night tweeted: This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.

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Mr Varadkars tweet has gained significant attention, particularly for his use of the words lost and found".

This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered. Advertisement  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) November 25, 2023

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In response to Mr Varadkar, the Israeli foreign minister, Eli Cohen said: "It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

"Emily Hand was not "lost", she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother," he said.

He said: "Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you Leo Varadkar are trying to legitimize and normalize terror. Shame on you!"

In a follow-up tweet, Eli Cohen said: "Following the outrageous words of the Prime Minister of Ireland about the release of Amelie Hand, who was kidnapped to Gaza by the terrorist organization Hamas, I summoned the Irish ambassador to Israel for a reprimand."

Mr. Prime Minister,

It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother.

Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, https://t.co/CD5wIZJN4i    | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) November 26, 2023

He did not give any further detail on when the ambassador, Sonya McGuinness, would be summoned or what the "reprimand" would be.
The British governments attitude to the Irish returned a little to repellent during Brexit, one of Tony Blairs former top aides has said.

Alastair Campbell slammed an almost arrogance on the part of the current Conservative government towards Northern Ireland.

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He was speaking on Tanaiste Micheal Martins In Conservation With podcast.

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The Tanaiste said that from an Irish perspective, the relationship with the British government went up a level when Tony Blairs Labour swept into power in 1997, and to a certain extent hasnt been repeated.

It just went up a level in terms of trust, in terms of working together genuinely and learning and sharing experiences, it was a very, very warm relationship that did impact positively, he said.

Mr Campbell said it saddens him the extent to which in the Brexit debate, Northern Ireland was not even considered.

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Theres an arrogance about the current government in its attitudes to Ireland that there used to be when I was a journalist, he said.

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Alastair Campbell worked with former prime minister Tony Blair (Ben Curtis/PA)

Mr Campbell, who worked in journalism in the 1980s and 1990s, said he felt there was an arrogance during former prime minister Margaret Thatchers term.

There was an arrogance, there was an attitude towards the Irish that was really quite repellent, and that went and I think a little of it has come back again, he said.

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The extent to which, particularly during the Brexit negotiations, stuff was happening that had a direct impact upon you guys, and I dont think it even figured in the thinking a lot of the time.

The Tanaiste responded: Which gave rise to all the issues around the [Northern Ireland] Protocol and where we are today, and also the bit Ive always been taken aback by was the absence of any due diligence over the impact on SMEs, small businesses, supply chains.

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Its a huge imposition on a lot of ordinary small to medium-size businesses that I dont think was factored in.

He added: To be fair, I think [prime minister] Rishi Sunak has brought a degree of professionalism to Britain.

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The pair also discussed rioting seen in Dublin last Thursday night following a stabbing attack which saw a woman and three children taken to hospital.

Mr Martin described the incident as an appalling, horrific attack on three young children and their carer, followed by rioting and attacks on gardai, co-ordinated on social media.

He expressed concern about the hate and bile in social-media messaging, directed against foreigners and the Government.

Alastair Campbell was speaking on Micheal Martins In Conservation With podcast. Photo: Niall Carson/PA

Mr Campbell said he was genuinely shocked by the scenes in Dublin.

He commended Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for absolutely calling them out in reference to his assertion of the involvement of far-right elements.

Mr Campbell has published a new book called What Can I Do, about the growth of populism, polarisation and the nature of public discourse.

We are now in this world where if you combine the disenchantment that a lot of people have with their own lives, the desire to find people to blame for that, be that politicians, be that immigrants, be that anybody that they can say is not one of us, allied to the speed at which rumour can fly, conspiracies can fly and its very, very hard to contain when it kicks off, he said.

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Referring to the rise of right-wing politicians in countries including the Netherlands and Argentina, Mr Campbell added: What all of these things signal is we havent got on top of this populist, polarising virus, and weve got to find ways of addressing the issues, but at the same time weve got to find ways of restoring peoples sense or at least a modicum of trust in institutions of trust in politicians.
A tweet by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar referring to former Hamas hostage Emily Hand as having been "lost" has sparked outrage in Israel.

The Taoiseach welcomed the release of the nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl on Saturday as a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family.

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An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief.

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Our prayers have been answered, he posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Israels foreign minister Eli Cohen accused Mr Varadkar of needing a reality check, saying Emily was not lost but kidnapped.

He said he had summoned the Irish ambassador in Tel Aviv for a reprimand following Mr Varadkars statement.

When questioned on Sunday about the Israeli reaction, Mr Varadkar said: I think the vast majority of people understand what I was saying, recalling the amazing joy and awe that occurs when a child comes home.

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I've always been consistent in my unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and hostage taking.

I call for all hostages to be released without any conditions and always have done so. And the Irish Government has worked very hard over the last few weeks, with Egypt, with Qatar, with the Red Cross and also with Israel.

He told RTE that the most important thing was that Emily was at home with her family, adding thats all that really matters.

Mr Varadkar said that Israel had also called in the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium, with the Irish ambassador, and that all three will be happy to explain their positions to Israel on the conflict.

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Mr Cohen had earlier on Sunday posted on X at Mr Varadkar: Mr Prime Minister, It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organisation worse than Isis that murdered her stepmother.

Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you @LeoVaradkar are trying to legitimise and normalise terror. Shame on you!.

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Mr. Prime Minister,

It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother.

Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, https://t.co/CD5wIZJN4i Advertisement    | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) November 26, 2023

Earlier the Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, said Mr Varadkar had been unambiguous in condemning the violence of Hamas.

The Taoiseach has been unambiguous in condemning the violence of Hamas and also calling for restraint from Israeli military forces, and what we have now seen in the release of Emily is a tribute to the work her father did, his dignity, his restraint, his leadership in awful circumstances, but it also shows what diplomacy by the Irish government by the Taoiseach, by the Tanaiste, and also by allies and partners in Egypt, in America and Qatar can achieve, he told the BBC.

I think even today we still need to reflect on what a quiet word and what a well-made argument and the value of countries working together and what that can achieve.

In a statement on Sunday, the Israeli embassy in Dublin said: For the past weeks we have been working tirelessly with Irish counterparts, and we are all happy to see the return of Emily Hand to her loving family.

Words matter, especially in war when lives are at stake, and when there is an increase of extreme discourse.

It is important to remember Emily was kidnapped by terrorists who knew very well where she was all this time  in their hands.

So too is still the fate for many Israeli men women and children who were kidnapped and are still held in Gaza.

We continue to work and call for their immediate release.
Hamas militants have freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals, in a third set of releases under a ceasefire deal.

Red Cross representatives transferred the hostages out of Gaza late on Sunday. Some were handed over directly to Israel while others left through Egypt.

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The army said one of the hostages was airlifted directly to an Israeli hospital, and the director of Soroka Medical Centre said Elma Avraham, 84, was in a life-threatening condition as a result of an extended period of time when an elderly woman was not taken care of as needed.

Avigail Edan was among those released (Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters via AP)



It was the third consecutive day in which Hamas released Israeli hostages being held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The youngest hostage released was Abigail Edan, a four-year-old girl and dual Israeli-American citizen whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on October 7.

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What she endured was unthinkable, President Joe Biden said of the first American freed, adding he did not know Abigails condition but could confirm she was safely in Israel.

He did not have updates on other American hostages and said it was his goal to extend the ceasefire deal as long as possible.

In all, nine children aged 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office.

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Dafna Elyakim, 15, has been released (Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters via AP)

Separately, Hamas said it had released one of the Russian hostages it was holding in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and as a show of appreciation for Moscows position on the war. Israeli army radio had reported that it was an Israeli-Russian dual national.

Later, more than three dozen Palestinian prisoners returned to a heroes welcome in the West Bank after being released by Israel.

The 39 young men, wearing grey prison uniforms, were welcomed by several hundred well-wishers in central Ramallah. The crowd hoisted the men on their shoulders while many waved victory signs and held green Hamas flags.

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A fourth exchange is expected on Monday  the last day of the ceasefire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed.

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International mediators led by the US and Qatar are trying to extend the ceasefire.

Ahead of the latest release, Mr Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke to troops.

We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return every one, he said, adding: We are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us.

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Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip (Avi Ohayon/GPO/Handout via AP)

In a separate development, Hamas announced that one of its top commanders had been killed, without saying when or how.

The ceasefire agreement has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades and vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip.

Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the rampage across southern Israel that ignited the war.

Pressure from hostages families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israels leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while returning all the captives.

The war has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

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The ceasefire, which began on Friday, was brokered by Qatar and Egypt and the United States. Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends.

Palestinians visit their homes destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip (Adel Hana/AP)

Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting.

Mr Al-Ghandour, believed to have been around 56 years old, had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

Hamas said that he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas rocket-firing unit.

The Israeli military mentioned both men in a November 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence, including several mid-ranking commanders it has identified by name.
The tense ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be back on track early on Sunday after the release of a second group of militant-held hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons, but the swap followed an hours-long delay that underscored the truces fragility.

In a separate development, Hamas announced on Sunday that one of its top commanders  Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza  had been killed, without saying when or how.

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Diaa Rashwan, chair of the Egyptian state information services, said Egypt had received a list of 13 hostages Hamas will release on Sunday, and another list of 39 Palestinians that Israel is expected to free.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told NBCs Meet the Press that the US had reason to believe that an American hostage would be released on Sunday and said there were hopes it would be Abigail Edan, the four-year-old who lost her parents in the October 7 Hamas attack.

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Mr Sullivan also said President Joe Biden would speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later on Sunday.

The earlier exchange was delayed Saturday evening after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, which has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades, vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip, and a hostage crisis that has shaken Israel.

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The deal seemed at risk of unravelling until Qatar and Egypt, which mediate with Hamas, announced late on Saturday that the obstacles to the exchange had been overcome.

The militants released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Israa Jaabis, centre, a Palestinian prisoner released by Israel, is hugged by relatives as he arrives home in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Jabel Mukaber (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

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Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv late on Saturday to call for the release of all the estimated 240 people captured by Hamas in its October 7 rampage across southern Israel, which ignited the war. They accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not doing enough to bring them back.

Pressure from the hostages families and lingering anger over Israels failure to prevent the attack have sharpened the dilemma facing the countrys leaders who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while bringing all the captives back safely.

The war has already claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack.

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More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

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The four-day ceasefire, which began on Friday, was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends.

Israel said early on Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day, in the third of four scheduled swaps.
A lawyer for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, said on Saturday that Chauvins family has been kept in the dark by federal prison officials after he was stabbed in prison.

The lawyer, Gregory M Erickson, slammed the lack of transparency by the Federal Bureau of Prisons a day after his client was stabbed by another inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona, a prison that has been plagued by security lapses and staffing shortages.

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A person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press on Friday that Chauvin was seriously injured in the stabbing.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss the attack.



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On Saturday, Brian Evans, a spokesperson for the Minnesota attorney generals office, said: We have heard that he is expected to survive.

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Mr Erickson said Chauvins family and his attorneys have hit a wall trying to obtain information about the attack from Bureau of Prisons officials.

He said Chauvins family has been forced to assume he is in stable condition, based only on news accounts, and has been contacting the prison repeatedly seeking updates but have been provided with no information.

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As an outsider, I view this lack of communication with his attorneys and family members as completely outrageous, Erickson said in a statement to the AP. It appears to be indicative of a poorly run facility and indicates how Dereks assault was allowed to happen.

Chauvin, 47, was sent to FCI Tucson from a maximum-security Minnesota state prison in August 2022 to simultaneously serve a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyds civil rights and a 22-and-a-half-year state sentence for second-degree murder.
Hamas militants on Saturday released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, from captivity in the Gaza Strip while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners in the latest stage of a four-day ceasefire.

The late-night exchange was held up for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement.

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The delay underscored the fragility of the ceasefire, which has halted a war that has shaken Israel, caused widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip and threatened to unleash wider fighting across the region.

The army said Red Cross representatives transferred the freed hostages to Egypt late on Saturday. They later said they have been transferred to Israel where they were being taken to hospitals for observation and to be reunited with families.



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Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin said nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand was one of those released after being held captive by Hamas in Gaza.

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The ceasefire, brokered by Qatar and the United States, is the first extended break in fighting since the war began on October 7. Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive and complete its goals of returning all hostages and destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities.

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Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv on Saturday in solidarity with the hostages and their families.



People participate in a show of solidarity with hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, near the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv (Leo Correa, AP)

Many accuse Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not doing enough to bring the hostages home.

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The office of Mr Netanyahu announced early on Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day in the third of four scheduled swaps.

In the West Bank, hundreds of people burst into wild celebrations for a second night as a busload of Palestinian prisoners arrived early on Sunday.

Teenage boys released in the deal were carried on the shoulders of well-wishers in the main square of the town of Al Bireh. But the mood of celebration was dampened by scenes of destruction and suffering in Gaza.

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The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, who are reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

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A Palestinian prisoner, centre, released by Israel is welcomed to the West Bank town of Al Bireh on Sunday (Nasser Nasser, AP)

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has been focused, returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands.

At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate.

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

We want to find them and bury them in dignity, he said.



Palestinians walk by buildings destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip (Adel Hana, AP)

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The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on October 21.

It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (about 35,000 gallons) of fuel  just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume  as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

I wish it could be extended until peoples conditions improved, he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet.

The UN said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.
Hundreds of people, mostly students, gather to call for a cease fire in Gaza and read the names of Palestinians killed during a protest on the UC Berkeley on Nov. 16. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

1 Demonstrators calling for a cease-fire in Gaza managed to shut down:

A: The closing formal session of APEC

B: California Democratic Party convention

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C: Cal-Stanford Big Game

2 What did San Francisco do with virus testing company Gentech:

A: Enlisted it to test all city employees

B: Formally approved its street test sites

C: Shut it down

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3 In an Emerson/NexStar poll of candidates for U.S. Senate, the current leader is:

A: Rep. Barbara Lee

B: Rep. Adam Schiff

C: Rep. Katie Porter

4 Low-income adults ages 26-49 become eligible next year for:

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A: Medi-Cal

B: Medicaid

C: Medicare

5 The commercial Dungeness crab season is:

A: Finally open

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B: Postponed again

C: Canceled

6 The state Supreme Court ruled that PG&E Co.s liability for the 2009 Kincade Fire is:

A: To pay thousands to customers harmed by power shut-offs

B: Waive one monthly payment by affected customers

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C: It does not have to pay damages

7 Red Rock Island on S.F. Bay is:

A: Last private island on the bay to go on the market

B: Proposed as fill-in home for Oakland As until their Vegas ballpark is built

C: The bays largest nudist colony

8 Actor/director Bradley Cooper wows again with Maestro, a biopic about:

A: Michael Tilson Thomas

B: Leonard Bernstein

C: Sir Neville Marriner

9 At press time, Sam Altman was CEO of:

A: Microsoft AI

B: OpenAI

C: Aye Yai Yai

10 Some 400 flooded-out residents of 33 Tehama have been told:

A: They really didnt need to move out at all

B: They can move back in immediately

C: They should be able to move back in next year

 Pete Wevurski; pwevurski@sfchronicle.com
Sierra Leones president has declared a nationwide curfew after gunmen attacked the militarys main and largest barracks in the West African nations capital and then overran detention centres, including a major prison.

The attack raised fears of a breakdown of order amid a surge of coups in the region.

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The detention centres, including the Pademba Road Prisons  holding more than 2,000 inmates  were attacked just as security forces fought to restore calm during sustained shootouts at the Wilberforce military barracks, according to Information Minister Chernor Bah.

The prisons were overrun (and) some prisoners were abducted by the assailants while many others were released, Mr Bah said. Security forces managed to push back the assailants to the outskirts of the city where fighting continues, he added.

Sierra Leones President Julius Maada Bio earlier declared a nationwide curfew in response to the attacks.

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An Associated Press journalist in the capital said that gunshots were still heard in the city hours after the government assured residents of calm, although it was not clear who was behind the exchange of fire nor if any arrests were made.

The security forces are making progress in the operation to defeat and apprehend those responsible for todays attacks, Mr Bah said. The government remains in control and on top of the situation.

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The president and the countrys Ministry of Information and Education also both said that the government and security forces are in control of the situation, trying to dismiss fears of a possible escalation of violence in the country whose population of 8 million people is among the poorest in the world, having some of the lowest scores on the UN Human Development Index.

No details were immediately given about the gunmen or the reason for the attack, which comes months after Mr Bio was re-elected for a second term in a disputed vote in which the main opposition party accused the electoral commission of rigging the results.

Videos posted online showed soldiers patrolling Freetowns empty streets and captured the loud blasts of gunshots at dawn.

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West Africas regional economic bloc Ecowas  of which Sierra Leone is a member  described the incident as a plot to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order in the country.

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The bloc has in recent months tried to reverse the surge in coups in West and Central Africa, which has recorded eight military takeovers since 2020, the latest in Niger and Gabon this year.

Ecowas reiterates its zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government, the bloc said in a statement.

Mr Bio was re-elected in Sierra Leones fifth presidential election since the end of a brutal 11-year civil war  more than two decades ago  which left tens of thousands of people dead and destroyed the countrys economy.

He continues to face criticism because of debilitating economic conditions. Nearly 60% of Sierra Leones population is facing poverty, with the youth unemployment rate being one of the highest in West Africa.

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Two months after Mr Bio won the disputed vote, police said they arrested several people, including senior military officers planning to use protests to undermine peace in the country.

A protest against the government in August last year resulted in the deaths of more than 30 people, including six police officers.
V1 Worship - "Sing Glory (Angels We Have Heard On High)" | DREAM Label Group

Los Angeles, CA (November 24th, 2023)  Today, New York worship team V1 Worship releases their new Christmas song Sing Glory (Angels We Have Heard On High) (DREAM Worship) available on all digital retail and streaming providers. Produced by Christopher Wrigley and written by Stephanie Haas, this beautiful worship inspired cover song, is both hopeful and festive. It was recorded live at V1 Church in New York.

This new twist on a timeless hymn poured out so easily as our first original Christmas worship song. It blessed our house last year and we're so excited to share it with everyone. His glory is worthy of our full attention through this holiday season! - Stephanie Haas, V1 Church

Listen Sing Glory (Angels We Have Heard On High) here
The Sydney Morning Herald is once again the countrys most-read masthead, with 7.42 million readers across digital and print over the past 12 months.

New total news readership figures released by Roy Morgan on Monday show more than one in three Australian readers choose the Herald, which almost doubles the readership of News Corps The Daily Telegraph.

The Sydney Morning Herald is Australias number one masthead. Credit: Wolter Peeters

The Heralds Monday to Friday print issues averaged 407,000 readers, a growth of 5 per cent year-on-year, while Saturdays print edition grew by 6 per cent.

The Sun-Herald print edition was read by an average of 439,000 people each Sunday.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The movie biz is one of the few industries that still employ children. We might reel at the notion of minors working in factories or fields, but chuck them on a big screen and its pass the popcorn, please. Given the emotional demands of the job, plus the long hours and outsized personalities, and its no wonder so many child actors face struggles in later life. Its a welcome surprise to discover that Julian Dennison has his head on straight. At 12 years old he was one of two leads in the highest grossing New Zealand film of all time. Hunt for the Wilderpeople saw him give an unforgettable turn as Ricky Baker, a pint-sized wannabe-gangsta who goes on the run with a grizzly, misanthropic backwoodsman (Sam Neill). Directed by Taika Waititi, the film is one of the most critically and commercially successful offerings from the country Dennison calls home. My world did change, says the now 21-year-old. I started to get noticed more, people wanted photos, and to this day if I walk down the street its always hey Ricky Baker! Dennison, aged 12, with Sam Neill in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Wilderpeople opened doors and made him a celebrity, but it also altered him on a more internal level. He pulled off such a high-profile role partly because even at that young age, he was already a seasoned screen star. His first film role was at nine, in a small film called Shopping (a very sad movie, very classic NZ drama). That led to a role in Australian director Robert Connollys feature Paper Planes, and soon afterwards Waititi cast Dennison in a hilarious anti-drug driving ad that went viral. It wasnt until Wilderpeople that he really began to take acting seriously. It was very much playing the lead, being on set every day, seeing how it works. Going, oh, I do enjoy this. I do see this as a future for myself. And what a future. A film like Wilderpeople could have been a career highpoint, after which everything else seemed to pale. But Dennison has since appeared in a superhero film (Deadpool 2), a monster movie (Godzilla vs. Kong), and starred opposite Hollywood royalty the likes of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn (The Christmas Chronicles 2).

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Working on Hollywood blockbusters must be a long way from the intimate indies he began with? The foods a little better, the cars that pick you up are a bit nicer. At the end of the day, its all just telling stories, and Im very blessed to be able to do those projects. But theres something special about independent film. Just you and the crew and youre getting it done because you love the craft. Dennison stars in the new coming-of-age film Uproar. Dennisons latest film is one of those independents. Set in 1981, Uproar follows Josh Waaka (Dennison), a teenager whose mental horizons are limited by the small-town mindset of Dunedin, but whose world opens up as political, ethnic and familial faultlines begin to grow unstable beneath him. One of Uproars inspirations is the protests that swept New Zealand when South Africas rugby team toured, with police responding violently in some cases. Dennison wasnt born at the time, but has family who were part of those marches. I appreciated when my aunties and uncles who are older were like oh yeah, (Uproar) captured the sense of what it was like really well. The film is a coming-of-age drama first, however, and its political implications are second to the emotional workings of the story. Josh has grown up almost entirely disconnected with his Maori heritage, and some of the films most affecting moments emerge as he begins to grow curious about this own side of himself. Thats not an experience Dennison personally shares. His mother is Maori, father Pakeha, and Mum always made sure we knew who we were. We went back home to the marae (meeting grounds) or to our whenua, our Indigenous land, a lot growing up.

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But like Josh, he attended an all-boys school that was predominantly white, a call each other by last names, socks to your knees kind of place. You come out of those schools and you almost feel institutionalised. While its quietly heartbreaking to see the bullying Josh endures at the hands of several schoolmates, its that much more devastating to realise how it echoes the same inequalities underpinning the school in general  if not wider society itself. TAKE 7: THE ANSWERS ACCORDING TO JULIAN DENNISON Worst habit? Biting my fingernails. Greatest fear? The open ocean. The line that stayed with you? If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. (African proverb) Biggest regret? Answering these questions! Favourite room? The bathroom. The artwork/song you wish was yours? The Mona Lisa. If you could solve one thing World hunger. Dennison plays Josh with admirable restraint, but there are a number of key scenes in which he really lets his acting chops show. You have to remind yourself that hes only just out of his teens  not to mention that he never studied acting. When he was just starting out, he says, he didnt think too hard about his job. I remember being young, knowing that I didnt have to go to school, I got free food, but I didnt really know what acting was. Even when success came, its hard to develop an oversized ego in a country where you might spot the Prime Minister going out for coffee. As Kiwis its hard to be big and famous without being humbled. I was doing these films and then coming back home and doing the dishes and going to school with my friends. After Wilderpeople I was still walking to school and catching the train. I was just living my life. His family kept him firmly grounded, too. It wasnt a thing of oh now youre big and famous, now youre Hollywood. It was: just remember who you are. Youre good enough without that. That was really positive for me. Even without those films, youre still this great person. Thats what my parents really solidified into all of us. It doesnt matter what you do, just be a good person. Dennison is very close with his family, immediate and extended. He even lives with his twin brother, Christian, in Auckland. Its a contrast to his screen life  many of the characters hes played have complicated personal lives, and their travails involve building new families around themselves, or rekindling relationships that have faltered.

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JAMES DAVERN OAM February 21, 1933-November 13, 2023

Film and television producer, sailor and vigneron James Davern lived a life full to the brim with humour and adventure. He was a man of creativity, generosity, and zest for life and love.

Jim, as he was known to all, was an influential figure in Australian television, and his death leaves a huge hole in the lives of his colleagues, friends, family, and the many thousands of fans of his popular television shows. He was not just a successful writer, director and producer, but also a mentor to countless aspiring newcomers, this writer among them. He is credited with developing the process of team scriptwriting for long-running Australian drama and his influence on Australian television culture is ongoing.

Born in Belgrave, Victoria, the eldest son of Eva and Edmund Davern, Jims early life was marked by the war and economic depression. His father died of an illness contracted during his time as a soldier in Papua New Guinea, leaving Eva widowed at an early age with four children to raise.

A bright boy, Jim won a scholarship to De La Salle College but never achieved academic glory. He had, shall we say, a clash of personalities with the nuns, and he would often escape the classroom to go fishing. He did not finish his education until many years later when he returned to night school.
This iconic salad celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024. The versions we enjoy today are quite different from the original. Bacon, anchovies, and often boiled eggs are welcome additions, in my opinion, but the croutons, a generous helping of parmesan, and whole cos lettuce leaves of the original are well worth retaining.

Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce leaves, cutting leaves lengthways if they are too large. Toss the lettuce with the dressing and  of the parmesan,  of the croutons and  of the speck. Halve the boiled eggs. Transfer to a serving plate/bowl and add the remaining parmesan, croutons and speck, halved eggs and extra anchovies if you like. Grind over black pepper and serve.

Combine the egg yolk, mustard and anchovies in a large mortar, crushing them together to form a paste. Then add the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, followed by the vegetable oil, drizzling in a little oil at a time and continuing to mix with the pestle so the dressing emulsifies. When you have added all the vegetable oil, repeat with the olive oil. The ingredients should emulsify to a creamy dressing rather than splitting. If you prefer, you can whisk the ingredients together in a bowl rather than using a mortar and pestle.

Heat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Heat a medium ovenproof frying pan over medium heat, add the oil and the bruised garlic cloves and fry the speck until browned but still soft. Remove the speck from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan. Toss the bread cubes in the oil in the pan, season with salt and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the croutons are golden brown and crisp all over. Remove from the oven and cool.

Prick a small hole in the base of your eggs (if using) and boil them for 7 minutes (see note). Transfer immediately to iced water to cool completely, then peel.

Notes

The original caesar salad

According to legend, the original caesar salad was created by American restaurateur Caesar Cardini on July 4, 1924, at Caesars restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, which catered almost exclusively to an American military clientele, but was located in Mexico to avoid Americas prohibition laws at the time.

As the story goes, it was a busy night at the restaurant and supplies were short, so rather than disappointing his customers, Caesar himself jumped into the kitchen and threw together a salad using cos lettuce and coddled eggs, and the rest is history. As with most origin stories, I will eat my hat if thats actually true (the credit should probably go to an employee of Cardinis, Livio Santini), but the real story of the caesar salads rise to global fame is far more compelling.

Interest in the salad became tied to the global fascination with the Golden Age of Hollywood. During the 1930s, the salad became a favourite of the stars and starlets who visited Tijuana to party, and it soon reached the East Coast to satisfy those chasing a bit of Hollywood glamour. European interest followed through the scandal of Edward VIIIs abdication from the British throne to marry the American socialite Wallis Simpson, who was apparently a fan of the salad.

In 1956, when the International Society of Epicures in Paris proclaimed Caesars salad the greatest recipe to originate from the Americas in 50 years, its legacy was assured.

The caesar salad received another boost from none other than Julia Child. Having dined at the original Caesars restaurant as a child, the American food writer and TV pioneer wrote about the salad in her 1975 biography, bringing it to the attention of a new generation, such that were still writing about it and eating it 100 years after its invention.

Boiling eggs

Let me apologise in advance because I am about to over-explain the process of boiling an egg and sound a little intense in the process, but I really do think its important.

The original caesar salad was made with coddled eggs boiled for about 60 seconds and then stirred into an emulsified dressing. This modern version has boiled eggs added as a separate ingredient, and to get the right texture of white (firm but tender) and yolk (jammy and rich, not grainy) every time, you need to follow a few simple steps.

The process of boiling eggs should be precise, and that means you need to remove as many variables as possible. I buy eggs the same size (large eggs about 60g) and keep them in the fridge so theyre the same temperature every time.

I poke a hole in the base of the egg. I have a little device for doing this but you can use a thick sewing needle instead. Poking a hole is important because every egg has a little air pocket in it, and if you have ever had an egg crack when you put it into hot water its because that air pocket is expanding. Poking a hole in the egg allows that air to escape so your eggs will never crack and also avoids the air pocket leaving a concave dent in your boiled egg.

Putting the egg into simmering water holds it at a constant temperature (it wont crack even if you place it in directly from the fridge because the expanding air will escape through the hole), so then you just need to time it. I think 7 minutes is the perfect time for a caesar salad, but you could go longer or shorter according to your preference. Placing the egg into iced water stops the cooking process, and peeling the egg either under running water or with repeated dipping into the iced water allows water to get under the membrane of the egg so that it doesnt attach to the shell and tear the white. Follow these steps and youll get perfectly shaped, perfectly cooked boiled eggs every time.

Bacon? Anchovies?

The glamour of the original salad owes much to the fact that it was prepared tableside by theatrically stirring coddled eggs and parmesan through whole cos lettuce leaves and seasoning them with lime juice, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. It was intended to be eaten with the hands.

It might surprise you that the original salad contained no bacon or anchovies. But this column isnt about how to create archaic versions of 100-year-old dishes. Its about how to make the best versions of those dishes today. Most contemporary versions contain at least bacon, and anchovies are another happy addition.

Cut speck into lardons rather than using thin bacon rashers. iStock

Rather than using thin rashers of bacon, which I find too dry for just about every purpose, I prefer speck cut from a block into thick lardons. Anchovies emulsified with egg yolk form the backbone of a delicious dressing similar to the coddled eggs of the original, and I like to add soft-boiled eggs as well. For the dressing, I use a mixture of vegetable oil and olive oil to keep the flavour light. Grapeseed is my favourite oil for dressings, but any vegetable oil will be fine.

Croutons

A great caesar salad owes much to its croutons. The original version used slices of baguette toasted with garlic, but if youve added speck or bacon to your salad, it makes sense to toast the bread in a mixture of the rendered fat and olive oil. I think the resulting croutons are the star of the dish.

Whole leaves

One area where I think its best not to depart from the original recipe is in using whole cos leaves. Leaving the leaves whole gives the salad structure, and even though were not likely to be eating our modern version with our hands, thats still an option. Any large leaves can be split lengthwise to retain the structure of the salad.
Taylor Swift has played her final Eras tour concert for 2023, with a massive event in Sao Paulo on Sunday night Brazil time.

Rio de Janeiros police have opened an investigation into the organisers of the Brazilian leg of Swifts The Eras Tour for the death of a 23-year-old fan who fell ill at the show in Rio De Janeiro last week.

The police will investigate whether entertainment firm Time for Fun (T4F) committed the crime of endangering human life or health.

Taylor Swift Credit: Invision

Fans and concert-goers said they had been banned from entering the venue with bottles of water despite the extreme heat in the city which hit 59.3 degrees Celsius on the day of the event.

Ana Clara Benevides fell ill last Friday, on the first night of Swifts Rio tour in Rio, and later died in hospital. The extreme weather led the US pop star to postpone her concert the following day, just two hours before she was to go on stage.

The organisers of the event will be called to give evidence and further investigations are under way to ascertain the facts, Rios civil police said in a statement.

Police have also launched a separate investigation into the cause of Benevides death, which has not yet been concluded.

T4F said the company and its representatives were cooperating with the authorities and available for any clarifications.

The firms CEO Serafim Abreu acknowledged on Thursday that the concert organisers could have taken alternative actions to help fans cope with the extreme heat.

Swift is due to tour Australia in February. Frontier Touring and Ticketek declined to reveal how many tickets were resold by fans on Ticketek Marketplace since that facility opened on Friday.

With Reuters
Historically, babies have never been a hard-sell: they are cute, funny and have very squishable cheeks. Their positive attributes more than make up for the fact they are, to be blunt, resource-intensive productivity-killers.

This week The Australian newspaper published a column advocating in favour of babies, in the context of a debate about immigration and declining fertility rates. The column argued that apart from bringing economic benefits, increasing the fertility rate improves the national character  it is a sign of societal optimism and confidence.

Illustration: Reg Lynch Credit:

It made the case that babies are an unalloyed good, and who could disagree with that? Anyone who has known a baby will agree that babies are the best. But the piece then went on to blame the baby-making slump on particular culprits, namely coercive feminism and green ideology that depicts children as enemies of self-fulfilment and destroyers of the planet.

I do sometimes wonder how many consecutive days such commentators have spent looking after children, alone, while also running a household and working a job; not to mention their powers of empathy when it comes to the blasted uteruses and sundry gynaecological issues which frequently arise from childbirth.
A man has been charged following the death of another man in Kendall, on the states Mid North Coast, earlier this week.

On Wednesday evening, police responded to reports of a man being shot on Batar Creek Road in Kendall.

The man was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder, concealing a serious indictable offence and driving a motor vehicle while disqualified. Credit: Cole Bennetts

A woman had found the 43-year-old unconscious in front of a house. Members of the public and paramedics attempted to revive him, but he died at the scene.

On Saturday afternoon, NSW Police arrested a 39-year-old in relation to the death after stopping his car on the Pacific Highway.
The authors did not obtain approval from a research ethics committee before conducting this interventional randomised control trial, a retraction note on the study now said. Concerns about the data reported in the article are under investigation by the University of Mansoura. The authors did not agree with the decision to retract the paper, the note adds. When the retracted Egyptian paper was removed from the American meta-analysis, the results suddenly swung to suggest that progesterone had no discernible effect on preventing preterm births in pregnancies such as Gurwinders. The winding saga is evidence of a dangerous new problem emerging in science, said Professor Ben Mol, head of the Evidence-based Womens Health Care Research Group at Monash University. Mol first raised concerns about the paper in 2017. The health sector relies on meta-analyses, which combine smaller underlying studies, to generate high-quality evidence that informs the way doctors treat disease.

But this can also obscure the provenance and quality of those underlying studies. The risk is similar to the way junk mortgages were pooled together into safe assets, precipitating the Global Financial Crisis. Nobody actually thinks about where a study comes from, how the authors did it, said Mol. And patients pay the price. Professor Ben Mol is head of the Evidence-based Womens Health Care Research Group at Monash University, and first raised concerns about the paper in 2017. Credit: Wayne Taylor A college spokeswoman said the institution is confident that its guidance is correct and informed by robust data, pointing to a different meta-analysis, but said it would be updating the guidelines and was looking at reforms to its review process to help it pick up similar issues. Roberto Romero, chief of the Pregnancy Research Branch at the National Institutes of Health, told The Age an updated meta-analysis excluding the Egyptian study still favoured progesterone. To the best of our knowledge, Mansoura University, which oversaw [the Egyptian study], has not concluded there is evidence of falsification or fabrication, he said.

Loading The Cochrane Collaboration is working to wean out the influence of bias or industry funding from science, and its 7500-plus Cochrane reviews are considered gold-standard evidence. When Professor Zarko Alfirevic, a womens health researcher based at the University of Liverpool, applied a test for trustworthiness to 18 reviews, 25 per cent of underlying studies were removed. In a third of cases, the reviews conclusions needed to be rewritten. Our results are just another wake-up call to the whole medical academic and scientific community, not just Cochrane, he said. There is no system for alerting authors of meta-reviews when concerns are raised about an underlying study, meaning they can be unaware of emerging problems.

Another study on progesterone by researchers based in Egypt was included in a systematic review published in May. Journal editors in February slapped an expression of concern on the study over worries about the data. One author of the systematic review told The Age he only became aware of the concerns in the past few days. All authors of the paper agree that fraudulent research is not acceptable, and we are working with the editors of the journal of our paper to address this issue, he said. Mol is concerned a significant proportion of womens health research may be based on untrustworthy studies. Common red flags include studies that rapidly recruit hundreds of people, discover very large effects and have tables filled with round numbers or multiples of 10.

Loading This is driven by several countries, including Iran and Egypt, dramatically increasing the amount of research produced  much of it fake, Mol said. In general, wealthier countries tend to produce more scientific papers. But Egypt and Iran buck the trend, producing more womens health studies per dollar of GDP than any other nation. Over the past 20 years, the number of womens health studies published by Iran has jumped 2160 per cent, overtaking Switzerland, Denmark and South Korea. Iranian and Egyptian researchers have the same incentives as their international peers: their careers are advanced by publishing as many papers as possible.

But Iran is under economic sanctions and Egypt is sliding towards dictatorship. Large, well-conducted trials are very difficult to do there, Mol said, leaving fraud as the best viable strategy. Iran and Egypt hold the top two places in the proportion of scientific papers retracted; Stanford researchers in 2019 accused Iran of systemic academic corruption. The interests of the patient are not at the table, Mol said. No one involved has an incentive to discover these things. There has always been fraud in science, he said, but not at the scale we see now. The authors of the retracted Egyptian study, and the meta-analysis that incorporated it, did not respond to requests for comment. The University of Mansoura also did not reply. *Gurwinder did not want her surname published.
Tidal House is the first high-rise on Treasure Island. Housing advocates say the state should not decertify San Franciscos development plan. Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

Regarding S.F. to miss state housing deadline, jeopardizing local planning control (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, Nov. 20): The California Department of Housing and Community Development threatened to decertify San Franciscos housing element, its plan for development, in an Oct. 25 mandate. While cities that have historically shirked their fair share of developing affordable and market-rate housing should be held accountable, San Francisco is not one of these bad actors.

The city overproduced its market-rate housing goals by 150%, having built more than 19,000 units in the states last Regional Housing Needs Allocation cycle. And while all jurisdictions are woefully behind on building affordable housing, San Francisco has done better than others. The Council of Community Housing Organizations nonprofit developers have built a significant share of the more than 7,900 units of low-income and moderate-income housing during these past eight years.

It makes no sense to punish the city by decertifying its housing element and denying the resources for affordable housing that our developers will need to reach the goals mandated by the state.

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Building of market-rate housing will rebound one day  but these units wont meet the housing needs of our BIPOC, working class and vulnerable communities who are shut out of the housing market.

John Avalos, executive director; Li Lovett, communications director; Charlie Sciammas, policy director; Council of Community Housing Organizations, San Francisco

EVs not so green

California is mandating that all new cars sold in the state be zero-emission by 2035. However, what most people dont talk about is the hidden harms that electric vehicles bring to the environment and people.

The transportation and production of the batteries used in electric vehicles, more carbon emissions are created than when manufacturing traditional internal combustion engines, studies show.

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On top of the environmental risks, the mining of cobalt, lithium and other materials used in electric vehicle batteries destroys the environment and creates unsafe conditions for the workers, who are often children, according to Amnesty International.

I encourage California policymakers to reconsider if we are willing to destroy the health of others and the environments of other countries to save our own.

Mackenzie Harris, San Diego

Oswald had help

Regarding Six decades after JFKs assassination, Dealey Plaza is as haunting as ever (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, Nov. 22): Millions of pages have been written about the flaws in the Warren Commissions report on John F. Kennedys assassination, so I was shocked to read the casual way in which the author dismissed any speculation about a conspiracy or multiple shooters.

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Instead of the credible photographic or physical evidence he demands from others, he claims that the sixth floor of the former Texas School Book Depository is where, no doubt in my mind, Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shots that killed the president and wounded Governor Connally. No doubt in his mind?

I am not an expert, and I wont try to refute his so-called facts, but on the 60th anniversary of the event, to state so casually that Oswald did the deed alone is staggeringly ingenuous.

I point the author to the meticulously investigated, Last Second in Dallas, by Josiah Thompson, as just one of the many well-researched books on the topic that may put a small doubt in his mind.
Greg Mirabella has failed in his preselection bid to return to the Senate after lingering resentments from his time as Victorian Liberal Party president splintered the conservative vote.

Mirabella was beaten by Kyle Hoppitt, a 41-year-old small business owner and former Baptist preacher, during a ballot of grassroots members and party officials in Melbournes northern suburbs on Sunday.

Liberal Victorian Senate candidate Kyle Hoppitt. Credit: Facebook

The vote, which was held at the Moonee Valley Racecourse and ran for more than three hours, had shaped up as a de facto contest between state Opposition Leader John Pesutto and federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. But ultimately, neither of the leaders candidates emerged successful.

Mirabella was Duttons pick to replace David Van as No.3 on the Liberal Partys Victorian Senate ticket at the next election, due by 2025, while Pesutto had endorsed the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industrys first female president, Karyn Sobels. The businesswoman did not make the final round, which led to Hoppitt receiving about 187 votes to Mirabellas 173, according to two Liberal sources with knowledge of the vote.
Thousands gathered for a Free Palestine rally in Melbourne on Sunday. Credit: Luis Ascui/The Age Di Vietri also called Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gutless for failing to call for a permanent ceasefire. Another speaker, anti-Zionist Jewish author Nevo Zisin, said they were a white Jewish settler coloniser on violently stolen Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung land. Many protesters wore traditional keffiyeh scarves, which have become a symbol of the Palestinian movement. Many also held signs calling for a ceasefire, labelling the bombardment of Gaza a genocide. Some held signs of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a Hitler moustache and captioned child killer.

A small number of protesters, including speakers, wore army camouflage and covered their faces. Police were seen guarding Starbucks outlets in the CBD on Sunday after coffee stores and McDonalds outlets were vandalised with fake blood and pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stickers at last weeks rally. Nasser Mashni, the head of the largest Palestinian organisation in Australia, the Australian Palestinian Advocacy Network, criticised the brevity of the ceasefire and encouraged boycotting international brands complicit in crimes against Palestinians but told protesters not to target businesses in Jewish neighbourhoods. Theres no room for any hate, no room for any hate in our movement. There is no room for antisemitism, he said. If you went to Caulfield and you put boycott stickers on a Jewish-owned store, you did not help us. You did not help us, you hurt us.

Our battle is against Zionism, its against oppression, its against colonialism, it is not against Judaism. Mashni said Israel might be winning the death toll, but we are winning the humanitarian struggle. At various times during the protest, the crowd chanted: Resistance is justified when Palestine is occupied, intifada, intifada, Alahu akbar, ceasefire now, out, out Israel now, 1, 2, 3, 4, occupation no more, 5, 6, 7, 8, Israel is a terrorist state. Pro-Palestine supporters march during a rally in Melbourne on Sunday. Credit: Luis Ascui/The Age They also chanted the popular Free Palestine slogan, from the river to sea, Palestine will be free, which some Jewish people say is antisemitic as they believe it calls for the annihilation of Israel. But Palestine advocates say the term calls for freedom and human rights for Palestinians.

Under the four-day truce, 50 women and children held by Hamas will be released in stages in return for the release of 150 Palestinians, including women and children, being detained by Israel. Humanitarian aid, medical supplies and fuel will also be allowed into Gaza as part of the truce. On Friday, Hamas released a group of 24 hostages, including 13 Israelis, 10 Thai farm workers and a Filipino national. Another 13 hostages were released on Saturday, all of whom were Israeli women and children. They included six members of an extended family from the ravaged Israeli border village of Beeri, who were kidnapped during Hamas cross-border attack on Israel on October 7. Meanwhile, 39 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons have been released, including 24 women and 15 teenagers. Among them was 17-year-old Iyas Khatib, the son of a UN aid worker who was put in administrative detention last year without being publicly charged of a crime or put on trial. Hamas killed 1200 Israelis and took more than 200 hostages during an attack on southern Israel on October 7. Since then, nearly 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israels intense bombing campaign. One speaker, a woman identified only as Mona, said she had recently been evacuated from Gaza with the assistance of the Australian Embassy.

There is no food, no shelter, no clean water, she said. I was there and I suffered. So we need to help the people in Gaza. Another Palestinian man who also spoke to the crowd, Ihab Hohammad Al Azhari, said the movement, demanded nothing less than liberation to every single inch of the traditional Palestinian land, nothing less. We are talking about a stolen land. This is not a war, this is an honourable resistance. Victoria Police estimated 5000 people attended the rally, however, based on the appearance of recent rally sizes, observers noted the crowd appeared to be at least double the size. Police estimates of attendance at the Sunday rallies held each week since October 10 have waxed and waned  between 10,000 on the first Sunday and as high as 45,000 a fortnight ago. Also on Sunday, Zionism Victoria held a To Israel With Love festival at the Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre in Caulfied, where many Jewish Melburnians live.

Organiser Hallely Kimchi estimated between 1500 and 2000 people will have attended the event  which is held annually as a cultural celebration  by the time it was over. Many attendees wore t-shirts that said Bring Them Home, referencing the remaining Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, and a wall outside the cultural centre featured posters of some of the hostages. This morning it was very special for us to actually go and actually mark off the ones that came home in the last two days with the word home, said Kimchi. Some of the Israeli hostages returned this weekend were known to people in the Melbourne Jewish community, she said. The word festival is very hard for us at the moment but its actually made it right today as they [some hostages] were released and its really special.
WAs most expensive restaurant has opened its doors at Elizabeth Quay with oysters selling for $86 a dozen and a 1.5-kilogram Mayura Station wagyu tomahawk from South Australia for $555.

Its big money, but the executive chef behind Perths priciest steakhouse says its all about the ultimate customer experience and sourcing the best meat they can find.

The posh new restaurant has a luxury fitout. Credit: Shot by Thom

6HEAD is a passion project for executive chef Sean Hall who, with the opening this week of the Perth restaurant, has two of the prestige 6HEAD steakhouses in his portfolio, as well as 62 other venues around Australia as head of culinary for Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, based in Sydney.

Growing up in South Africa, my parents had a cattle farm, so I was always surrounded by meat and beef and cooking and smoking meats. Its in my blood, Hall said.
Former Wentworth MP Dave Sharma has secured a shock preselection victory to enter the Senate after coming out on top of a hotly contested Liberal Party preselection race.

A firm outsider after his own moderate faction threw its support behind the former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance, Sharma emerged from Sundays preselection ballot victorious after an hours-long process which included a delay after the technology used to run the vote crashed as pre-selectors tried to cast their ballots.

Dave Sharma after securing preselection victory for the Liberal Senate spot left vacant by the retirement of Marise Payne. Credit: Anna Kucera

In the end, Sharma will enter the Senate focused on using his background as a diplomat and foreign ambassador to fight for our nations national security interests in a time of greater global turmoil after he defeated Constance by 295 to 206 in the final round of voting

About 500 delegates turned up to Sydneys Fullerton Hotel on Sunday for the vote to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of former foreign affairs minister and moderate powerbroker Marise Payne.
Australian companies are shrinking or stagnating when they try to join the ranks of the nations biggest employers, spurring the federal government to spend $392 million over the next four years to help them commercialise ideas and generate more revenue.

A new report warns the government that the structure of Australian industry is blocking innovation by making it hard for companies to make the leap into big business, thinning the ranks of middle-sized businesses that would otherwise inject more competition into the economy.

Companies can apply for federal grants to commercialise products in priority fields such as medical science.

Industry Minister Ed Husic will release the findings on Monday when he opens the spending program to applications from companies that want advice or federal grants to commercialise products in priority fields such as agriculture, medical science, energy and defence.

The report also shapes the agenda for the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, which was set up in September with a mission to expand Australian manufacturing, subject to an investment mandate that is expected to be revealed this week.
Australian Border Force and Home Affairs Department staff numbers will be increased as part of a $255 million federal government funding injection designed to limit the risks to community safety from the release of people previously held indefinitely in immigration detention.

The funding boost, to be announced on Monday, is the latest step in the governments efforts to stem the fallout from the High Courts landmark decision earlier this month that indefinite immigration detention is unconstitutional, even if the detainees have serious criminal records.

Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil said the government was determined to keep Australians safe. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

People smugglers, a person convicted of murder and a sexual offence, and a man who punched his eight-year-old daughter are among those who could be released into the community as a result of the ruling.

The funding package covers the period until mid-2025 and includes $150 million for the Department of Home Affairs and Australian Border Force to significantly increase the number of compliance and investigations officers as well as a boost to removal and surveillance staff.
A young Irish-Israeli girl has been released after being kidnapped on October 7 and held captive by Hamas.

Nine-year-old Emily Hand was one of eight Israeli children released by the terror group on Saturday in a deal that for a while looked set to collapse.

Emily Hand, 9, from Kibbutz Beeri, was one of the 13 Israeli and four Thai hostages Hamas released late on Saturday (local time) in the second round of swaps under a ceasefire deal, the Israeli military said. Credit: AP

Hamas and Israel have agreed to a truce, the first since war broke out 50 days ago, on the condition that Israel frees Palestinian prisoners in return for hostages.

After the first smooth exchange on Friday, Hamas accused Israel of reneging on aspects of the deal and refused to comply with the exchange until a last-minute intervention by Egypt and Qatar.
An extended ceasefire could also create more opportunities for other countries  particularly the United States  to pressure Israel to scale back its military goals. The Israeli response to the October 7 attack has killed more than 12,000 in Gaza, according to health officials there, leading to rising alarm among Israels allies about the conduct of its campaign. President Joe Biden, speaking on Friday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, said, the chances are real that the pause could open the door to a longer ceasefire. President Joe Biden walks with his granddaughter Maisy Biden as he visits local shops with family in Nantucket on Saturday. Credit: AP But even if the United States pushes Israel to end or moderate its military campaign, Israeli leaders could simply ignore the criticism and plough ahead with the invasion. To end the war now would leave Hamas still in charge of most of Gaza.

And for Israels leadership, the war is all about eradicating and destroying Hamas, Pinkas said. So anything less than that is not a win. If Hamas maintains and retains residual political power, then Hamas can claim they won. Loading Debate over the future of the war was unfolding as Hamas and Israel indicated they had forged ahead with a second exchange of hostages after an hours-long delay earlier on Saturday raised fears that the fragile deal could collapse. Early Sunday, Israel confirmed that 17 hostages had arrived in Israel from Gaza and that it had released 39 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. Earlier in the day, Hamas accused Israel of violating the terms of the truce, saying it had not allowed enough aid to reach northern Gaza and had not released Palestinian prisoners according to agreed-upon terms.

Israel denied it had broken the terms of the deal and hinted that the four-day ceasefire would end early if Hamas did not release the second group of hostages. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, said, We are standing by our part of the framework. Hours later, Qatar, which helped broker the deal alongside Egypt, said the two mediators had managed to overcome unspecified obstacles that had delayed the exchange. Qatar said Hamas would release the hostages, and Israel would release the Palestinian prisoners. Shuruq Dwayat (left), a Palestinian prisoner released by Israel, is hugged by relatives as she arrives home in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Bahar early on Sunday. Credit: AP Hamas announced that it would move forward with the release of more hostages after Qatar and Egypt passed along Israels commitment to all the conditions detailed in the agreement. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met senior security officials late on Saturday evening in an effort to ensure that the exchange would go forward as planned, the prime ministers office said. On Friday, Hamas released 13 Israeli hostages in return for 39 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Hamas also freed 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino under a separate negotiation Friday.

No Americans were among the hostages released on Friday or Saturday. Biden said on Friday that his hope and expectation was that they would be freed soon. A Biden administration official, who was not authorised to discuss national security issues and asked not to be named, said on Saturday that the White House remained hopeful that American hostages would be freed in the coming days. The volume of aid was the largest since the conflict began October 7 but still far shy of the 500 daily truckloads that had been entering Gaza before the war. And residents said it was nowhere near what is needed. Before dawn on Saturday, hundreds of people had lined up at a fuel station in the city of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza to fill up canisters of cooking gas, but the supply quickly ran out.

What aid? We havent seen any aid, said Mohamed Yousef, a 42-year-old employee of a nonprofit, who had waited for gas at 4am only to find that it was gone. As prisoners and hostages have been released, Israelis and Palestinians have been watching the reunions with a mix of hope and trepidation. For many families, joy was tempered by anguish over the fate of the captives still in Gaza. Were happy, but were not celebrating, Roy Zichri said in a video statement after his brother, Ohad Munder Zichri, 9, was freed on Friday. We need to keep up the struggle until all the hostages are freed, every last one, he added. In the West Bank, Palestinians celebrated the release on Friday of women and children who had been jailed by Israeli authorities. Some praised Hamas, saying the group was responsible for freeing their relatives and neighbours. Others said the death toll in Gaza had cast a pall over the reunions.

We are unable to celebrate the way we usually do, unfortunately, because of the bloodshed taking place in Gaza, said Najah Hassan, 50, the head of the nongovernmental organisation the Palestinian Prisoners Club in Ramallah. After the truce went into effect, some displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza tried to walk to the northern part of the territory on Friday to check on their homes or relatives, despite warnings from Israeli officials not to go there. Israeli forces on the ground opened fire on them, according to witnesses, an Egyptian official and some of those injured. The Israeli military declined to answer questions about the shootings. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. More coverage of the Hamas-Israel conflict Hamas had bigger plans on October 7: Intelligence about Hamas motivations reveals an intention to strike a blow of historic proportions and provoke an overwhelming Israeli response.

Intelligence about Hamas motivations reveals an intention to strike a blow of historic proportions and provoke an overwhelming Israeli response. Escape from chaos: An Australian father faced a heartbreaking dilemma  whether to flee Gaza to his children, or stay with his wife.

An Australian father faced a heartbreaking dilemma  whether to flee Gaza to his children, or stay with his wife. Open letters: Mass resignations, boardroom turmoil and angry donors are some of the ways the Israel-Hamas war is filtering down into Australias high-powered arts world.

Mass resignations, boardroom turmoil and angry donors are some of the ways the Israel-Hamas war is filtering down into Australias high-powered arts world. Gazas youth: One of the cruellest ironies of war is that they are never started by children, yet it is children who suffer the most.
This is what we know so far about the second group of hostages released by Hamas in a prisoner swap deal with Israel.

Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals were freed on Saturday night, local time, despite an eleventh-hour dispute and Hamas claims that Israel had breached the terms of a ceasefire agreement.

Among those released are several survivors of the massacre at Kibbutz Beeri, one of the hardest-hit communities in southern Israel on October 7, where more than 130 people were killed.

Israeli officials are optimistic that more hostages will be released by the terror group in the coming days.
Hummingbird community gives thanks to Almost Home Kids, donating toys, books, diapers, stroller and more ahead of Thanksgiving

Woodridge, IL  Ahead of Thanksgiving, the Hummingbird Pediatric Therapies community today delivered brand new toys, diapers, a stroller and other supplies to Almost Home Kids (AHK) in Naperville.

Unloading donations at Almost Home Kids

Families and team members of Hummingbird donated to the drive, which ran for about two weeks with the goal of showing gratitude to the staff of AHK as well as bringing some joy to the children and families AHK serves.

"Almost Home Kids is a truly special organization right here in DuPage County," said Hummingbird Pediatric Therapies owner Christina Scalise-Morrissey. "We are fortunate to have such an incredible team close by to our community to care for children and families during their transition from the hospital to home. Hummingbird Pediatric Therapies and our families wanted to take time this holiday season to show Almost Home Kids how grateful we are for all that they do."
A pedestrian walks through a plaza at Gateway at Millbrae Station in May. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Earlier this year, San Jose-based developer Republic Urban Properties placed 400 new homes on the doorstep of the Millbrae Station, which is considered the largest multimodal transit hub west of the Mississippi. Now, its adding a Chick-fil-A.

The popular Atlanta-based restaurant chain has been growing its presence in the Bay Area, and has struck a deal to open a flagship restaurant at Gateway at Millbrae Station, a recently completed transit-oriented development, or TOD, that spans 9 acres abutting the Millbrae transit hub, where BART and Caltrain connect.

The restaurant, known for its spicy chicken sandwich and waffle fries, is set to occupy 5,000 square feet of a total 44,000 square feet of new retail space that has been constructed as part of the larger Gateway development over the course of the pandemic.

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The project includes a 164-room Residence Inn by Marriott hotel and more than 150,000 square feet of office space, constructed over the course of the pandemic. Of the 400 homes that are part of the project, 80 are set aside for military veterans.

The Chick-fil-A location is expected to open its doors by mid-2024, and unlike an overwhelming majority of the chains other locations, it wont feature a signature drive-through  a change thats meant to align with the car-free spirit of the larger project, according to Brian Yi, Republic Urbans director of investments.

Understanding that this is next to a BART station, a Caltrain station, next to SamTrans and the airport, it becomes a different strategy for Chick-fil-A, said Yi. Im glad that they were able to coordinate with us on this development and see it as a true TOD.

Gateway at Millbrae Station is seen from the corner of Millbrae Avenue and Rollins Road in Millbrae in May. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

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There are upward of 20 Chick-fil-A locations in the Bay Area, with new restaurants recently added in Emeryville and at another new Urban Republic project in Livermore, called Republic Square at Livermore. The fast-food chain has faced backlash for more than a decade for its donations to anti-LGBTQ+ groups and statements made by its CEO Dan Cathy regarding same-sex marriage.

Yi said that the restaurant signed its lease for the space in Millbrae in late October  and its not the only new tenant that the developer has scored in recent months.

More than half a dozen other businesses will open their doors on the perimeters of the Gateway development next year. They include Panda Express, Basecamp Fitness, Crumbl Cookie, Sourdough & Co., iCode, Liberty Bank and Zero&, a new concept beverage brand specializing in handcrafted fruit tea, specialty milk tea and boba that was launched out of Silicon Valley last year.

Weve been thrilled to see the increasingly positive momentum and velocity of new businesses investing their time and resources into the Bay Area again, especially in the last year, said Yi.

Over at the companys Republic Square at Livermore project, a 63,735-square-foot strip shopping center that is adjacent to two hotels owned by the company as well as the San Francisco Premium Outlets in Livermore, leasing has also ticked up significantly.

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That project is about 70% leased, according to Yi. A 5,750-square-foot Taj Mahal opened its doors in October, and a 2,624-square-foot Pho Ao Sen opened for business in September.

Additionally, Republic Urban has signed leases with a dozen other tenants, including Starbucks and Meet Fresh.

Yi said that it is no secret that the economic environment has been challenging in the wake of the pandemic, particularly for lenders and capital markets.

In September, the developer closed on a $24 million bridge loan with the Banc of California for its Livermore retail center. The financing aims to support the developer in building out the property as a business hub and attracting tenants.

We opened up during the pandemic, and so we took a pretty big hit on leasing and things slowed down significantly, said Yi. Obviously, we  and many other developers out there  were impacted by that. And so leasing was a bit slow.

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Republic Urban broke ground on Republic Square at Livermore in 2018, and launched construction on Gateway at Millbrae Station in 2019. Both projects were delivered at a time of increased economic uncertainty.

As hybrid work has become the norm for many Bay Area companies in the wake of the pandemic, the Gateway project has yet to secure an office tenant. However, the projects zoning allows for research and development, meaning that Gateway could tap into the regions demand from life sciences tenants.

The total cost for the Gateway projects residential component was $375 million, while the hotel component cost $98 million to build and the veterans housing cost $46 million. The development cost for the Livermore shopping center was about $40 million.

Michael Van Every, president and managing partner of Republic Urban Properties, has remained optimistic about the projects potential to attract tenants and create commerce hubs in each of their respective communities.

These leases will further solidify its position as a cornerstone for vibrant urban living and unparalleled commercial enterprise, he said about the Gateway project.
A high-level delegation led by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reached Tokyo in Japan on Sunday morning to promote the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024.

The 10th edition of the summit will be held between January 10 and 12, 2024. The biennial summit serves as a platform for businesses and governments to explore investment opportunities and establish partnerships.

Ambassador of India to Japan Sibi George received CM Patel upon his arrival there, the Gujarat government said in a statement.

The delegation held a meeting with Yamanashi Prefecture Governor Kotaro Nagasaki.

Chief Minister Patel and other members of the delegation also visited Yamanashi Hydrogen Company, stated the release.

They discussed with the Yamanashi governor about investment potential in Gujarat in the green hydrogen sector.

Governor Nagasaki warmly welcomed Patel and the delegation and expressed hope that the visit would further strengthen the bilateral relations, the release said.

He gave an elaborate presentation to the delegation on the new approaches that Japan is adopting in the green hydrogen sector.

Patel also gave details of the initiatives taken by India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, such as National Green Hydrogen Mission, National Electric Mobility Mission Plan, and net zero carbon emission target by 2070.

Gujarat is also moving ahead in the direction of achieving goals of green clean energy, he added.

Patel also invited Nagasaki to join the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 202 and create new opportunities in the renewable energy and green hydrogen sectors.

Under Patel's leadership, the delegation will hold one-on-one meetings with leading industrialists and governors of different provinces in Japan for the promotion of the summit. The state will organise road shows for the purpose, the release said.

Ahead of the summit, the high-level delegation from Gujarat is visiting Japan and Singapore between November 26 and December 2.

While Japan has been a partner country in the Vibrant Summit since 2009, the chief minister's visit will be useful in strengthening Japan's cooperation in the next 10th edition as well, officials said.

As per the schedule shared by government officials, Patel will on Sunday interact with the Gujarati community living in Tokyo and get information about their contribution in the development of Japan.

On November 27, the CM will pay a brief visit to the Indian Embassy office in Tokyo.

Later on Monday, the delegation will hold discussions with the Japanese government, industries and institutions to make Japan a partner in Gujarat's economic development and explore areas of mutual cooperation.

The next day, the CM and his delegation will meet the president of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the governor of Tokyo and the governor of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

Patel is also scheduled to hold one-on-one meetings with leading industrialists in Tokyo.

On the fourth day of their visit, a road show is planned at Tokyo's Imperial Hotel.

CM Patel will also participate in various one-on-one meetings during the road show, a government official said.

After completion of the road show, the chief minister and his delegation will leave for Kobe by a bullet train on November 29 evening.
Claiming that elements across the border in Pakistan, who are inimical to the interest of civilian well-being and general prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir, were trying to disrupt peace and drag the Union Territory back to the dark days of militancy and violence, Director General of Police RR Swain on Saturday warned locals to remain awake and alert to the threat from the 'adversary'.

His remarks come close on the heels of the Rajouri encounter during which the forces gunned down two Pakistani terrorists, holed up inside a cave in a thickly forested terrain in the district.

Five soldiers, including two senior ranking officers, lost their lives in the encounter between terrorists and a joint team of the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Bajimaal area of Rajouri district on Wednesday.

Among the two terrorists that the forces neutralised was feared Lashkar-e-Taiba sniper Qari, who was allegedly involved in several recent terrorist incidents in the UT.

The soldiers, who made the supreme sacrifice in the Rajouri firefight, were identified as Captain M V Pranjal, Captain Shubham Gupta, Lance Naik Sanjay Bisht, Paratrooper Sachin Laur and Havildar Abdul Majid.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of a Janta darbar in Poonch on Saturday, DGP Swain said, "I don't there's any reason to be overly alarmed by the recent events. But I feel that a common citizen, especially one residing in the Jammu province, should remain mentally alert because the intent of the adversary continues to be inimical. However, their capability to inflict harm is not as they intend to project it."

On the prevailing political crisis in Pakistan and challenges when it comes to securing India's borders, the DGP said, "It is a long, porous, and difficult border, and the whole country's system is subverted, or convoluted as I would call it. So we have a challenge in our hands."

Acknowledging that cross-border terrorism continues to pose a major challenge for the security forces in the UT, the DGP added, "No one is shying away from the reality that there is a challenge. But the Indian state and its government have the wherewithal, the will, and the resoluteness to defeat it."

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Allaying fears of terrorism emanating from across the LoC impacting social life in the Valley, the DGP said, "The State will not allow it (terrorism) to become a cause for concern, where normal life, business, activities, peace and security would be derailed.
Farmers from different parts of Punjab Sunday gathered at the Mohali-Chandigarh border under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, beginning their three-day nationwide protest for a legal guarantee of minimum support price.

Heavy security arrangements were made ahead of the protest and traffic diverted to alternative routes on some roads, officials said.

Farmers have been demanding the withdrawal of cases filed against them during the 2020-21 stir against the now-repealed farm laws, compensation and jobs for any one of the family members of farmers who died during the stir, debt waiver, and pension.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha is an umbrella body of various farmer unions.

Farmers have announced they will march to Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh to give a memorandum of their demands to the Punjab governor.

Farmers from many parts of Punjab including Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Sangrur on Sunday began gathering on the Mohali-Chandigarh border along the Phase-11 in Mohali and the IISER chowk road.

They were seen coming on tractor trolleys with a cargo of essential items such ration, bedding, utensils, cooking gas, and cylinders for the three-day protest.

Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said hundreds of farmers have already reached the protest site and many still on their way on tractors.

A farmer said he had left his village in Ferozepur around noon on Saturday and reached Mohali-Chandigarh border around 2 am.

The Punjab and Chandigarh Police have beefed up security near the Mohali-Chandigarh border erecting barricades and stationing water cannons.

The Chandigarh Police in a traffic advisory said the roads from Faidan barrier on Purv Marg leading towards the Shaheed Bhagat Singh international airport in Mohali will be closed temporarily in view of the stir till November 28.

Police advised commuters going towards the airport, Aerocity, and Bestech Mall to take a right from the Faidan barrier and then a left from the Sector 46/47/48/49/ chowk straight towards Airport Road in Mohali.

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The Mohali Police in its traffic advisory said that the traffic on Jagatpura sector 48-49 traffic lights to Bawa White House stretch has been suspended till November 28.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday accused the BJP of doing politics over the Ram Temple, which is currently in the last stages of construction at Ayodhya in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

Flanked by fellow Congress leader Mahant Ram Sundar Das and others, CM Baghel took a holy dip in the waters of the Kharun River at Mahadevghat here and offered prayers on the occasion of Kartik Purnima, on Sunday morning.

Speaking to ANI, Chief Minister Baghel said, "Taking a bath before sunrise during the entire Kartik month is a ritual commonly practised in Chhattisgarh. Children, especially in villages, follow this ritual. As is customary on this day, we also offered prayers at Mahadevghat and took a dip into the Kharun River. Taking a bath before sunrise is good for health."

Weighing in on the Ram Temple, which is scheduled to be consecrated on January 22 and has emerged as a major political talking point going into the Lok Sabha elections next year, the Chhattisgarh CM said, "The Ram Temple is being built on the direction of the Supreme Court. But the BJP is playing politics over it. Across many places in Chhattisgarh, we built many temples dedicated to Lord Ram. But we are not seeking votes in his name."

Baghel informed further that he would be travelling to Telangana for two days later on Sunday to take part in campaign-related events.

Telangana would go to polls in a single phase on November 30.

On the polling in Rajasthan on Saturday, the Chhattisgarh CM said the achievements of the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government were behind the robust voter turnout in the state.

Chhattisgarh, which polled for the Assembly in two phases on November 7 and 17, recorded 70.60 per cent voter turnout in round two.

The first phase of polling was held for 20 Assembly seats.
The Indian passenger vehicle market is expected to carry forward the momentum of this year to the next purely driven by economic fundamentals, having already moved beyond pent-up demand-induced growth, according to Toyota Kirloskar Motor Executive Vice President & Country Head Vikram Gulati.

While the SUVs are expected to witness fast growth in general in 2024, the mid to higher end of the segment will also see faster acceleration, although the small cars category will remain a concern.

"I think the market is growing. It will continue to grow in a very healthy way. We are well beyond the part when people were saying this is pent-up demand. We have built much beyond that, and the festive season has seen very good pickup," Gulati told PTI when asked about the outlook for 2024.

He further said, "Going forward, I think the fundamentals are good. In terms of the economic forecast, our economy continues to be stable and growing amidst a very turbulent environment."



Despite the shocks of the happenings in Ukraine and in the Middle East, Gulati said, "We've been largely insulated. So that augurs well, plus this also brings positive sentiment. Therefore, it means that going forward, spending is going to be good in terms of people wanting personal mobility."



As per industry estimates, total sales of Passenger Vehicles (PVs) in India are expected to cross the 4 million unit-mark in 2023. In 2022, PV sales were at 3.793 million units, against 3.082 million in 2021.

Gulati said the current shift towards SUVs will continue to happen next year with more consumers willing to pay an additional amount for better features and safety.

"In terms of performance and convenience, I think there is a very clear sign that customers will not compromise on that."



"What that basically means is going forward, we'll see much of the current trend magnifying itself. Even within the SUVs, we see the mid to higher and SUVs growing...," he said.

However, Gulati said, "The challenge as we see today is more towards the smaller car segment. That will be interesting to see how that plays out."



Asked about the growth prospects of Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), Gulati said, "For the rest of the market where we operate, we think it is going to continue to be good and positive."



TKM is set for a record year in terms of sales in 2023. It has already clocked 192,000 units in the January-October period of 2023, beating the previous highest yearly sales of 172,000 lakh units sold in 2012.

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Asked about Toyota's plans to introduce electric vehicles in India, he said, "We are evaluating the Indian market situation continuously. Our stated goal is to look at the real purpose why we bring electrification, which is to move away from fossil fuels and rapid decarbonisation."



Towards that, the company will continue to explore all technology options, which are best suited to the current Indian condition in terms of the energy mix, the infrastructure readiness, as also consumer adoption, and take a call accordingly in terms of any of the technologies, he added.

"We have all these technologies, we can introduce, and therefore, we have the ability to introduce any one of these and we will take a call as we go along, based on our assessments from time to time," Gulati asserted.
Chinas health ministry on Sunday urged local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics as the country grapples with a surge in respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since easing Covid-19 restrictions.



The spike become a global issue last week when the World Health Organization asked China for more information, citing a report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases.



China and the WHO have faced questions about the transparency of reporting early in the pandemic, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. The WHO said on Friday no new or unusual pathogens had been found in the recent illnesses.



National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said on Sunday the surge in acute respiratory illnesses was linked to the simultaneous circulation of several kinds of pathogens, most prominently influenza.



Efforts should be made to increase the number of relevant clinics and treatment areas, appropriately extend service hours and strengthen guarantees of drug supplies, Mi told a news conference.



It is necessary to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control in key crowded places such as schools, childcare institutions and nursing homes, and to reduce the flow of people and visits, he added.



Both SARS and Covid-19 were first reported as unusual types of pneumonia.
The American Chamber of Commerce Ireland (AmCham) hosted its 2023 Thanksgiving Lunch in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road on Thursday.

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar attended the event as Guest of Honour, addressing over 800 members and guests.

'Must Be Vigilant'

"We remain open to investment from overseas, and are spending more every year on infrastructure," said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

"Nevertheless, we must be vigilant, and must stick to the economic model that has served us so well in the years ahead."

Optimistic For Future

An AmCham survey of US multinational members this month, found that the US multinational community here remain optimistic for the future of their businesses in Ireland, despite the current economic pressures.

Sixty percent said they expect the number of employees in the Irish operations of their organisation to increase over the next 12 months, with 33% expecting to maintain current employee number.

Growth Location

Ninety one percent claimed their corporate headquarters continue to have a positive view of Ireland as an investment or growth location.

However, a larger majority, 96%, said that reaching 100% capacity Irelands airports and ports is a concern for continued growth and investment.

Housing Is Top Concern

The report noted that 98% said that an increase in personal taxes, on high earners, would be damaging to FDI growth and investment in Ireland - with 60% saying it would be either very or extremely damaging, 100% of the multinationals surveyed said high income earners are important to building teams, and supporting further job creation, within MNCs in Ireland with 84% saying this was either very or extremely important.

AmChams survey shows that housing continues to be the top concern for multinational employers, with 38% of members saying it is important to enabling their business to expand in Ireland.

A further 18% of members said that cost competitiveness is the most important challenge for Ireland to overcome for their company to expand in Ireland while 13% said skills shortage.

'Deeply Commited'

Our survey shows that our members remain deeply committed to their Irish operations, and while some in the tech and pharma sectors have experienced a period of adjustment globally in 2023 following stellar growth during the pandemic, overall the outlook for the year ahead is positive, reflecting the strength and depth of their Irish operations," said Mark Redmond, Chief Executive, AmCham.

"It is important that Ireland addresses infrastructure issues including housing and transport capacity in our airports and ports, to ensure the country maintains its status as a great location for FDI.

Source: www.businessworld.ie
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Megan Fan Munce is a reporter who joined the San Francisco Chronicle as part of the two-year Hearst Journalism Fellowship, spending her first year of the program at the Houston Chronicle.

Munce grew up in San Jose before attending Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, graduating with a B.S. and M.S. in journalism and a second major in political science.

She previously worked as an audience engagement fellow and a reporting fellow at the Texas Tribune, as well as an audience intelligence intern for KQED.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: media@cartercenter.org

ATLANTA (Nov. 26, 2023)  The motorcade for First Lady Rosalynn Carter will begin in Plains, Georgia, at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 27. The motorcade will depart from downtown Plains via U.S. 280 to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus. After a brief departure ceremony at the hospital, the motorcade will continue on U.S. 280, turning north on U.S. 19, and then turn right at West Lamar Street, traveling through downtown Americus. Turning right on Tripp Street, the motorcade will enter Georgia Southwestern State University via GSW State University Drive to arrive at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex.

Following the wreath ceremony, the motorcade will exit the university campus via GSW State University Drive, turning left on Tripp Street, followed by a left turn on East Forsyth Street through downtown Americus. At the intersection of U.S. 19, the motorcade will turn right toward the town of Butler, traveling 35 miles before turning right on state Route 540/96 East and continuing 34 miles to Interstate 75 at Byron. Traveling I-75 north for 7 miles, the motorcade will then proceed on I-475 north to rejoin I-75 north toward Atlanta.

At Atlanta, the motorcade will enter John Lewis Freedom Parkway at Exit 248C and will proceed to The Carter Presidential Center, arriving at about 2:30 p.m.

Please note that parking is likely to be extremely limited in some places and there are likely to be temporary road closures. Please be respectful of private property at all times.

For more details about the funeral ceremonies, please visit: RosalynnCarterTribute.org.

###

The Carter Center

Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
Earlier in 2023 EU (European Union) leaders assured Ukraine that EU nations could supply with adequate supplies of 155mm artillery shells to deal with the Russian invaders. Ukraine pointed out that they needed about 350,000 shells a month for this and the EU efforts to deliver a promised million shells by early 2024 were faltering and likely to fail. The main problem was that no single EU nation could supply that many shells, or even a significant portion of them. There was not much coordination between EU nations when it came to defense production and the only alternative was the United States. While not an EU member, the Americans were the largest economic component of NATO, which all EU nations belonged to.

The United States has already sent Ukraine over two million 155mm shells and was spending over $3 billion to update and expand production capabilities of the firms that supply the components needed to manufacture 155mm shells. Without a major wartime demand for these munitions, investing in production capabilities is not a priority.

NATO members depend on the United States, which has the largest defense budget and military production capabilities. Collectively, NATO nations spend $1.1 trillion a year on defense, with the Americans accounting for two-thirds of that. While the United States is a single entity, the European NATO and EU countries have a difficult time coordinating their efforts. The Americans have a national government which can make decisions, often after a lot of discussions and debate, and then move forward at the national level. Thats why the many NATO and EU members depend on the Americans for decisive and effective efforts in an emergency.

NATO is a mutual defense organization to protect members from Russian attack. One reason Russia attacked Ukraine was because Ukraine wanted to join NATO. After two years of fighting, NATO has told Ukraine that they could join even while the war with Russian invaders continued. So far, Ukrainians have been doing all the fighting against the Russians, but NATO nations have supplied them with the weapons and economic assistance to keep going. Russian losses have been so heavy that Russia is having problems raising and equipping more troops. The original Russian explanation for their invasion of Ukraine was to protect Russia from NATO aggression. Eventually most Russians realized that NATO was and always has been a defensive organization and in Ukraine, Russians are the invaders.

In 2022 the Russian defense budget was $75 billion. When their initial invasion failed, the defense budget for 2023 rose by a third and will keep increasing until Russia can get itself out of the mess it created in Ukraine. Russian aggression against Ukraine began in 2014 when Russia seized the Ukrainian province of Crimea and portions of two other provinces in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine wants the Russians out of all of Ukraine that it seized in 2014-2015 and 2022-2023. Currently Russia occupies 18 percent of Ukraine, down from 27 percent in 2022. Ukraines NATO allies agree that as long as Russia occupies Ukrainian territory, the war will continue.

Russia is a large and wealthy country, with an annual economic (GDP) of $2 trillion. Yet that is half the size of the German economy, and the American GDP is twenty times larger than Russias and the U.S. is the supporter of Ukraine when it comes to weapons, munitions and economic assistance. While Ukraine has powerful allies, all Russia has is Iran and North Korea. The Russian government also has a major problem. If the war in Ukraine fails, the Russian government will fall. Russian leader Vladimir Putin is running out of political allies inside Russia and eventually that means a new government. A new government would probably be more practical, because Putins risky actions have cost Russia a lot of casualties and the loss of most modern Russian weapons and munitions, particularly the expensive high-tech ones.
Sustainability Forum Middle East (SFME) has announced Bahrain Ship Repairing and Engineering Company (Basrec) as a Forum Partner for its upcoming second edition on January 9, 2024 in Bahrain.

Next years Forum again focuses on regional decarbonation and is themed around Achieving Net Zero  Pathways to Accelerating Implementation.

Basrecs partnership with the Forum reflects the companys strong sustainability agenda and strategy prioritising the adoption of practices, processes and technologies to mitigate the environment impact of its operations. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in February 2024, sustainability is at the heart of its agenda and its focus on ensuring the business will continue to thrive and contribute to a low carbon future.

Basrec green credentials

Basrec is one of the most prominent and experienced companies of its kind in the region, with its core business comprising ship repair and allied engineering services alongside the provision of additional mechanical products and services such as small boat repairs, inspection, repair of containers and, repair and service of marine and industrial pumps.

Recently, Basrec has undertaken a number of key pro-climate initiatives including the digitalisation of its processes, which will see the company eliminate 94% of its paper consumption by the end of 2023. This comes in addition to significant investments in the sourcing and use of new lower carbon materials and technologies that can significantly decrease its energy consumption and environmental footprint as well as enabling its customers to operate assets that are cleaner and energy efficient.

John James Robson, CEO of Basrec, said: Were delighted to join SFME as partners, demonstrating our commitment to a sustainable future for our company and the local and regional economies. Our strategy is focused on ensuring that we are operating our business in the most climate-centric way and collaborating with peers, partners and customers to accelerate the use of materials, technologies and processes that are less carbon intensive. We are proud of our success over the past 60 years and the ability to plan for and achieve sustainable growth is guiding our course for the future. We look forward to the Forum and engaging with other participants to discuss the critical pathways to net-zero.

Working together

Zahraa Taher, Managing Director of FinMark Communications, the Forums founder and organiser, said: Were delighted to announce Basrec as a partner for the next edition of SFME dedicated to supporting the net-zero transition of businesses across the region. The commitment of our partners to collaboration underscores the importance of working together to find solutions to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by Menas transition to a low-carbon future.

Senior representatives from Basrec will take part in the Forum sharing the companys experience and insights. More than 500 senior decision makers from across sectors and specialists in sustainability and climate action are again expected to take part, with the programme featuring a number of keynote addresses and panel sessions looking at issues critical to achieving net-zero targets. The Forum will also include a series of workshops focused on helping companies develop strategies for lowering their carbon footprints and launching their own net-zero journeys.

SFME is supported by a range of partners committed to regional climate action. These include Lead Partners - Bank ABC and Infracorp, Forum Partners APM Terminals Bahrain, Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (Asry), Tamkeen, Zubi & Partners, and American Chamber of Commerce, Bahrain, as well as Media Partners BFT and OGN.--TradeArabia News Service
In the early 1980s, South Korea began developing and building its own FFX series of frigates. The first ones were nine 2,200-ton Ulsan-Class ships. These entered service between 1981 and 1992. Each ship served about three decades before being retired. These ships had a crew of 186 and were armed with two 76mm cannon, as well as three or four 30-40mm autocannon. Each ship carried eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles. There were six torpedo tubes for lightweight ASW (anti-submarine warfare) torpedoes along with twelve depth charges,

In 2013 the first of six 3,200-ton Incheon-Class ships entered service. The others entered service between 2014 and 2016. Each ship is expected to serve about three decades before being retired. All are still in service. These ships each have a crew of 140 and are armed with a 127 mm cannon, as well as missile defense systems consisting of a 20mm Phalanx autocannon and a longer-range RAM missile system. There are six ASW torpedo tubes and eight South Korean anti-ship missiles as well as six South Korean land attack versions of these missiles. Both have a range of about 200 kilometers. In the rear of the ship is a flight deck for a helicopter as well as a hangar.

The Inchon-class ships were joined in 2016 by eight 3,900-ton Daegu -class frigates. All of these entered service by the end of 2023. After that a new class of six 4,300-ton Chungnam-class frigates are being built. The first of these is to enter service in 2024. These two classes of frigates have the same armament as the Inchon-class but have better electronics and sensors that are operated from a novel integrated mast.

All these frigates are highly automated, requiring a crew of only 140. Top speed is 55 kilometers an hour while range is 8,300 kilometers if cruising at 33 kilometers an hour. Most of the equipment (including electronics) and weapons are locally built. South Korea plans to build as many as 24 FFX series frigates at a cost of $200-300 million each. South Korea plans to export the FFX to many navies who want high quality, low cost, warships. Meanwhile, South Korea has also developed a slightly larger FFX II frigate and subsequent FFXs will be this version. But for export customers South Korea will make smaller versions as it has already done for the Philippines. This approach was pioneered by European shipyards and later adopted by Russia. One size does not fit all, and the customer is always right because they are paying for it.
photo by HCOEM Operations Chief, CJ Davis photo by HCOEM Operations Chief, CJ Davis photo by HCOEM Operations Chief, CJ Davis photo by HCOEM Operations Chief, CJ Davis Previous Next

An 18-wheeler carrying gallons on milk caught fire on Saturday afternoon.

A motorist called 911 at 2 p.m. reporting a tractor trailer was on fire at I-75 at Scenic Overlook. The Tri-Community VFD responded and arrived on the scene reporting a trailer fire along with a large spill containing milk on the interstate as well as milk containers on fire and scattered on the interstate.

Tri-Community VFD requested mutual aid response for additional manpower. Bradley County Fire Rescue and the Hamilton County Hazmat team responded to the scene.

Fire officials reported approximately 5,000 gallons of milk spilled on interstate mixed with diesel from saddle tanks.

No injuries were reported.

The hazmat team used pads and boom to contain the milk from run off into the storm drains.
In many states, including here in Tennessee, an obstacle often stands in the way of equality and justice: cash bail. Cash bail is a practice that requires individuals charged with, but not yet convicted of, a crime to pay a predetermined amount of money to secure their release from jail while their case is pending.

Instead of being a tool to ensure court appearances, it has become a de facto punishment for those who have not been convicted of any crime but do not have the financial resources to post bail. Our current cash bail system undermines the rights to due process and equal justice guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment and the prohibition against excessive bail guaranteed by the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.

Cash bail creates a two-tiered system of justice, favoring the privileged and punishing the impoverished. In Tennessee, countless individuals find themselves detained not because they are a threat to society but simply because they lack the financial means to secure their release.

For example, two individuals could be otherwise similarly situated. Yet, if one has money and the other doesnt, the one with the money to post bail will be released, while the other will have to remain in jail  often for months or even years. Studies have shown that individuals who remain in custody while their cases are pending are more likely to plead guilty, usually to get a reduced charge, shorter sentence, or even immediate release.

Last year in Hamilton County, nearly 85 percent of people incarcerated in the local jail were there pretrial, meaning they had not yet been convicted of a crime. Of this 85 percent, nearly half were there for misdemeanor charges. Fundamentally, the cash bail system punishes poverty, not guilt, perpetuating an unjust system that undermines the fundamental principles of our legal system.

Cash bail reform is not just a matter of justice but also of public safety. Individuals who cannot post bond are more likely to plead guilty to a crime. In addition to legal consequences, criminal convictions carry collateral consequences, which limit or prohibit people with criminal records from accessing employment, education, housing, business and occupational licensing, voting, and other opportunities.

Gainful employment is one of the most effective ways of reducing recidivism. One of the primary reasons individuals turn to criminal activities is the lack of stable income and financial security. Gainful employment provides a legitimate source of income, offering individuals the means to meet their basic needs, support their families, and lead a more stable life. Gainful employment also helps integrate formerly incarcerated individuals into the community, allowing them to become contributing members of society. Community support reduces the likelihood of re-offending by providing a network of individuals who encourage responsible behavior. However, obtaining gainful employment often poses a challenge for those with criminal records. Many employers conduct background checks as a standard part of their hiring process.

A criminal record may become a red flag during these checks, leading employers to reconsider hiring an individual with a criminal history. Some employers may harbor preconceived notions or stereotypes about people with criminal histories, making it more difficult for individuals to secure job opportunities, regardless of their qualifications or rehabilitation efforts. Even if hired, individuals with criminal records may face challenges in career advancement.

Promotions or opportunities for professional growth may be limited due to the stigma associated with their criminal history. By reforming our cash bail system, fewer individuals will be coerced into pleading guilty, limiting the effects of collateral consequences and thus improving public safety by reducing recidivism.

Cash bail reform is not a radical idea but a rational response to an inherently flawed system. Numerous jurisdictions nationwide have recognized the need for change and have implemented successful reforms prioritizing justice over wealth. Alternatives such as risk assessments, community supervision, and non-financial conditions of release have proven effective in ensuring court appearances without perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Opponents of cash bail reform argue that our current cash bail system is necessary to ensure public safety and reduce the risk of defendants not attending court. However, these contentions are not supported by the facts, as numerous studies have shown that cash bail reform does not jeopardize public safety or increase flight risk.

It is time for Tennessee to embrace cash bail reform. By doing so, the state will promote a more equitable and just criminal legal system while improving public safety by reducing recidivism. The time has come to unlock the doors of opportunity and fairness for every Tennessean, regardless of their financial status, and to build a criminal legal system that truly reflects our values.

Tyler Foster

Tyler Foster is a formerly incarcerated individual who is passionate about creating a more equal and just criminal legal system. He serves on the Board of Directors for Chattanoogans in Action for Love, Equality, and Benevolence, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on several issues, including criminal legal reform. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Memphis in May 2023 and will be attending law school next fall.

* * *

Having just seen the letter from Tyler Foster, I immediately became ill. I do not know Tyler Foster or his background or seemingly far-left wing radical group.

We have all seen the large increase in crime that occurs wherever his so-called cash bail reform has been made. Rob a store. Out without bail to rob again the same day. That is what Foster wants. Assault a police officer, out before the officer is out of the hospital. That has occurred many times in cities with no cash bail.

But this is just a small part of what use to be a justice system, but is now a legal (or lawyers profit) system. Lets talk some real reforms that will actually reduce crime instead of this let them all go free pushed by the extreme far-left woke crowd.

A few specific ideas:

 Cars used in high speed (over 20 over speed limit?) should be confiscated if owed by the driver, or someone that has given the driver permission to use the vehicle. If stolen of course, it should be returned to the owner and No plea bargain should be allowed to dismiss the car thief charges without the agreement of the owner and if there are ANY assets owned by the criminal, those are to be confiscated and sold up to the amount to pay for any vehicle damages and related expense of the owner. If the criminal was the owner or had permission to use, then all money from sale of the vehicle should go into a crime victims fund.

 Repeat DUI offenders should also lose ownership of any vehicle they drove under the influence, after having been previously convicted of DUI twice before. The vehicle should be auctioned and funds should go into a crime victims fund.

 If convicted of a new crime (some limits on types of crime would be appropriate) while out on bail for another crime they are convicted of, then the criminal should not be ineligible for any bail for a period of time, such as 20 years. Even before no cash bail many judges gave bail time after time to repeat offenders, who continued to commit crimes while on bail.

 If a criminal is convicted of a new crime while on parole or a previous conviction, the criminal should lose possibility of parole for at least 20 years. How many times should parole be granted to allow more crime?

 Parole boards should have to report statistics for each member on crimes committed while on parole by the criminals that members voted to give parole. The same should be required for judges giving bail. The public should be allowed to know what they are doing, especially for any that are elected.

 Any kind of intentional murder (whatever the various state and federal laws call it) should have a minimum sentence of 20 years.

 Acting in an organized mob/gang/riot store robbery, whether organized in person or through any online social media, should be charged and treated as RICO actions, instead of simple robberies, if even caught and prosecuted.

 The death penalty should be reformed. It should not be given based on single crimes. We all have to admit that innocent people have been convicted and later released from death row. That fact alone is giving anti-death penalties the biggest argument against the death penalty. BUT, repeat violent offenders with multiple crimes separated by sentences should be executed on the third occurrence. That should include crimes using a gun or knife or intention use of any other weapon (ball bat, etc.), whether or not someone is killed or injured by the weapon. That should also include if a vehicle is used to injure or kill someone.

 Career non-violent criminals, after 3 convictions separated by sentences, should have escalating sentences with each increased regardless of the specific crime, shoplifting, burglary, etc. After a number of convictions (maybe 5-10?) the specific crime sentence guidelines should be replaced by a minimum 10 years. If the crimes continue after release, each crime must have a minimum 10-20 years.

 Juvenile records should be given and used for sentencing consideration if convicted as an adult. And if juvenile offenses are of the same type or nature as adult charges, they should be made available during the trial of the adult crimes. Does an armed carjacker magically commit their first carjack after 18? I doubt it.

 Stop spending tax dollars on voluntary cosmetic surgeries and medications. Going to prison should not be a way to get sex change medications and surgery or free. I have known and worked with many gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and non-sexual persons and they have every right and respect as anyone else. I have also known and worked with a few who would now be called trans-gender, but were then called cross dressers more commonly. At least one had surgery to go male-female presentation (None of my business but she was a work friend who was open and told others.) They all were good people who had their own reasons and desires and should have the same rights and respect as anyone else. This was in early 1980s. This is not new. But they do not claim that changes their biological sex. But the new political policies claim that by a mental decision, someones biological sex can be changed magically, against ALL actual science. Biological men should not be allowed access to assault biological women, just because they CLAIM to have magically changed sex and be moved to womens prisons or jails.

Of course many people will say I am an a-hole or MAGA right wing and cruel. I am now at the age where I dont need to be quiet to keep a job or anything else. And say it like I see it. You may disagree with me and I respect that. Too bad the left-wing radicals dont respect others opinions and try to force theirs on all others. By the way I did not vote for Trump in 2016, but did in 2020 for the policies. After seeing the corruption that the federal administrative state used to rig the 2020 election, not by the count of the votes, but because of the lies, cover-ups and government/media conspiracy, and remembering the corruption before the 2016 election (the Russian collusion lie based on the Hillary Clinton and Democratic Nation Committee brought Steele Dossier) that anyone that cared enough to learn anything about, knew it was false, and now has had FBI and CIA internal documents exposed showing they knew it was false, but covered it up, and promoted it After all Washington, D.C. is over 92 percent Democrat and actually fed employees are higher.

That does bring one other suggestion: Do away with the Federal D.C. court having control of cases about the federal government. Why does a highly partisan area get all control where a jury is always tilled against any conservative or other non-Democrat. Those cases should be distributed to all parts of the country or at least have the jury pool pulled from all circuits, instead of just DC.

Jim Hill

Harrison

* * *

Here's a novel idea...Don't break the law and this won't be an issue. The old adage, "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime" comes to mind.

Public safety has been and will continue to be "endangered" by individuals who are repeat offenders as a result of the cash bail system. I say "individuals" to prevent this from being a race issue. I mean all individuals, not just black, white, Hispanic or purple. All.

Wayne Baker

* * *

First, Jim most of the crimes you mentioned are not the crimes this gentleman is referring to anyway. Wayne, what about the 19 percent of people arrested but not convicted? Also, an estimated 10 percent are innocent.

The following states have either eliminated cash bail or removed it for nonviolent misdemeanors with no increase in crime: New Jersey, Alaska, New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska and Indiana.

I understand your position that the cash bail system serves as a deterrent against crime and promotes public safety by keeping potentially dangerous individuals off the streets while awaiting trial. However, I believe there are several counterarguments to consider.



First, the presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of our justice system. Cash bail effectively punishes individuals before they have been convicted of any crime, disproportionately impacting those who cannot afford to pay the bail amount. This can lead to job loss, housing instability, and even family separation, further exacerbating existing social and economic disparities.

Second, research has shown that cash bail does not effectively reduce recidivism rates. In fact, studies have found that pretrial detention can actually increase the likelihood of rearrest. This is because jail time can disrupt employment, education, and treatment programs, making it more difficult for individuals to reintegrate into society upon release.

Moreover, the cash bail system creates a two-tiered system of justice, where those with financial means can afford their freedom while those without remain incarcerated. This undermines the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and perpetuates cycles of poverty and incarceration.

In light of these concerns, I believe there are more effective and equitable ways to ensure public safety while upholding the presumption of innocence. These include:

Risk assessment tools: These tools can help judges make more informed decisions about bail by evaluating factors such as an individual's criminal history, ties to the community, and likelihood of appearing in court.

Pretrial supervision programs: These programs provide support and monitoring for individuals awaiting trial, reducing the need for cash bail. They may include services such as regular check-ins, employment assistance, and mental health counseling.

Reforms to the bail schedule: Bail schedules often set bail amounts that are too high for many defendants to afford. Reforms could include lowering bail amounts for low-risk offenses and providing flexible payment options.

By implementing these reforms, we can create a more just and effective bail system that protects public safety without unfairly punishing those who are presumed innocent.

Christopher Cooper

* * *

Anyone considering reforming the cash bail system should first consider it is impossible to tell who can afford to pay bail and who can't.

As everyone knows, it's impossible for a court to determine how much money an individual can access or raise. People who appear poor that live on a cash basis may have tens of thousands of dollars in cash. How would anyone know?



People who appear well off may have a negative net worth. Again, how would anyone know for sure? If they have a negative net worth do they qualify for consideration for a break on their bail even though they're wearing a Rolex watch, driving a nice car and dressed to the nines?



There's no set way to actually determine with accuracy anyone's net worth. You could at most only determine their documented income or lack of but that would by no means be conclusive. What are you going to do, go by how rich or poor they appear? You going to look at their tax records? Are you going to go look under their mattress and in their closets?



Anyone imagining they can accurately determine a person's ability or inability to pay is fooling themselves.

David Saluk








I dont remember the exact date, my wife is much better with dates, but I do remember that it was raining as our limousine pulled under the portico of the East Wing of the White House.

Because of my wifes job as a feature writer at the Chattanooga Free Press and the relationship fostered with President Carter through a series of articles about the Carter family, she received an invitation to a Christmas party for the press at the White House.

Regardless of your political affiliation, no matter who was or is currently residing at that most impressive address, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a coveted invitation to attend an event there was both exciting and an honor. Or as I said to my bride, Count me in!

First things first, as I remembered, I needed a tuxedo. (My talented wife will remind me if I did or didnt). Borrow or buy was the question and the answer was rent. Simple enough. Like a Christmas turkey I needed all the fixins, tux shirt, bow tie, cummerbund and shoes. Properly outfitted that night we headed inside for a memorable evening. And we were not disappointed.

While security was tight, Im sure it doesnt compare with what now takes place in order to get inside the White House. We were on a check list and we did have to show a picture I.D.

That was it and just like that we were escorted by a Marine in full dress to the main ballroom where a large crowd of journalists was mixing and mingling. There was no alcohol in sight. The Carters were very strict about that.

My wife seemed to know several of the writers there and, while she was speaking with them, I tried to look as inconspicuous as any husband might under the circumstances. First off I checked the buffet.

Being in food service I wanted to see and taste what was being offered. It was typical Southern country fare. You could call it finger food and I did. Nothing wrong with that but since it was a large crowd and there was limited seating, if any at all, handling a small plate of food and a cup of punch was pretty much a balancing act and gave me a greater understanding of how to handle my next catered event.

At one point in the evening I did wander out into the White House itself and was accompanied by one of the Marines who were on duty that evening. He showed me around several of the public rooms normally open for tours. Having my own personal guide was another highlight of my evening.

However, the real highlight of that evening came when I was tapped on the shoulder and told that I would be dancing with Mrs. Carter shortly and basically Stand By. And moments later I was dancing with Rosalynn Carter. She called me by name as I remember and, while I dont know what I responded, Im sure it was something insipid. I remember she was light on her feet but then again this was no Dancing with the Stars. However, Mrs. Carter was the star and those few minutes we danced together were and remain very special and quite memorable.

What stuck in my mind was how she called me by my name. While I know she had been told by one of her staff in advance, I thought it was pretty cool to have the wife of the President of the United States speak to me as though we were old friends. Those few short minutes we spent on the dance floor seemed very natural. That was Rosalynn Carters style.

Thats how I will remember her as a gracious Southern lady from Plains, Georgia who was thrust into a very harsh limelight and who handled her fame with charm and grace. Always a lady as well as a pretty good dancer.
'This Is Us' Actor Sterling K. Brown recently met Prince William for the first time, and the American actor had nothing but good things to say about the British royal family member.

Prince William has been doing his best to prepare for his role as the future king. The Prince and Princess of Wales have made an effort to balance royal life while also putting their family first, and Prince William recently took a solo trip to Singapore to celebrate the Earthshot Prize ceremony.

While there, William met actor Sterling K. Brown, and Brown later shared his thoughts on the prince during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Spoiler alert: He had great things to say.

Prince William greets Sterling K. Brown and Hannah Waddingham | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Sterling K. Brown said Prince William is awesome

William recently jetted off to Singapore for his Earthshot Prize ceremony, which was hosted by This Is Us actor Sterling K. Brown and Ted Lassos Hannah Waddingham. As a result, Brown spent some time with the prince, and when he recapped the experience to Jimmy Fallon in late November, Brown had nothing but good things to say.

The prince was there, and he was cool, Brown first said of Prince William. But he was so cool, man, Brown said again. I really like him. Brown also described him as awesome.

Brown then said what it was like to actually meet a member of the British royal family  and such an important one, at that. When you meet him, they tell you straight up, theyre like, All right, you call him His Royal Highness, Your Royal Highness, or Your Highness, Brown said, adding that you wait for him to extend his hand for a handshake rather than extending your hand first.

Brown also joked that there were a few false alarms as to when the prince would actually arrive, so hed braced himself for the meeting a couple of times before he actually had the chance to meet him.

Prince William is trying to leave a greater mark in the United States

Browns description of his interaction with William likely only helps Williams overall reputation. The prince has been working hard to create a strong connection with the United States; he visited the country two times between 2022 and 2023 after not having been here in nearly a decade. Rumor has it that William wants to take his climate change initiative to new heights and needs a greater footprint in the US in order to do so.

Brown likely isnt the last of the Americans to develop a connection with the prince. If William is trying to get his name out over here, hell likely connect with a number of A-list celebrities in the coming years, as will his wife, Kate Middleton. Of course, things might be easier if William and his younger brother, Prince Harry (who lives in California with his wife, Meghan Markle) had a better relationship, but for now, William is embarking on a solo mission to make something of himself among the American people.

Its unclear when William will return to the United States, but if hes serious about taking his charitable work to a greater audience, it wouldnt surprise anyone if he makes his way over here in 2024, too.
Meghan Markle and her father-in-law, King Charles, have not always been on the best terms. While Meghan likely won't return to the UK soon, she does allow Charles to keep up a close enough relationship with his grandchildren.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle havent spent time in the United Kingdom as a family since the two left back in 2020. They have settled down in California, and while Harry has returned on a couple of occasions, Meghan has yet to come back since Queen Elizabeths funeral back in 2022.

Meghan reportedly wants nothing to do with her former home in the UK, and although she doesnt necessarily want to go back, she supposedly makes sure to keep her father-in-law, King Charles, up to date with the Sussexes lives  including pictures of their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry with Prince Archie | Samir Hussein/Pool/WireImage

Meghan Markle doesnt plan to return to the UK but does keep King Charles in the loop

When Harry and Meghan left the royal family back in 2020, the two were not on good terms with Harrys father or brother, Prince William. As the years have passed, though, Harry and his father have slowly reconnected. Back in May 2023, Harry did fly halfway across the world to support his father at Charles coronation ceremony, but Meghan did not attend.

Although Meghan has not returned to the UK in more than a year and likely doesnt plan to ever relocate to England, she has been keeping Charles in the loop with the Sussex family  a sign that things are slowly healing between them.

Express reports that, according to Omid Scobies new book Endgame, the duchess didnt enjoy her time in the UK. She never really felt at home and never wants to go back to England. However, Meghan and Harry are alright with Charles maintaining a relationship with his grandchildren. The book also revealed that Harry and Meghan keep Charles up to date with their family life by sending him photos of the children.

King Charles and Prince Harry | Samir Hussein/WireImage

King Charles appears to have a decent relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markles children

Although Charles has not seen his grandchildren in person in quite some time (and has actually never met Princess Lilibet), he does seem to still have a relationship with them. While nothing is known yet, its assumed that as the kids get older, they will eventually want to meet their grandfather in person and spend time with him.

Archie and Lili could be the ticket for Harry and Meghan returning to the UK at some point. Harry also has a difficult relationship with his brother, Prince William, but William and Kate Middleton share three young children. Its possible that the kids relationships could be a reason for Harry and William to reconcile down the road as well.

Harry and Meghan reportedly had Archie and Lili send a video to their grandfather for his 75th birthday back in early November 2023. The video, if true, marks a relationship stepping stone between Harry and his father. Rumor has it that Harry also called his father on his birthday to wish him well, which definitely suggests the two men are working to repair the cracks in their relationship, even if it takes a while.
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Home World Uganda: 2 Christians beaten for calling Muhammad false prophet 'Though we were beaten, we know all things work together for good to those who love Jesus'

NAIROBI, Kenya  Two Christians in eastern Uganda were hospitalized after hardline Muslims beat them for their presentation at a religious dialogue, one of the victims said.

Musa Kirongosa, 32, and Swidiki Buyinza, 27, of an undisclosed church in Nawaikoke, Kaliro District, were the first to speak at the Christian-Muslim dialogue organized by Muslims on Nov. 13 in Bulumba town. Using both the Bible and the Quran, they argued that Muhammad was a false prophet, with Kirongosa asserting, Truth is only found in Christ Jesus as the one and the only Savior for mankind.

Angry Muslims in attendance grew rowdy before the two Christians had finished, forcing them to flee and go into hiding at the nearby home of a Christian, Buyinza said. Some of the Muslims rushed ahead to block the road leading out of the area, and about two hours later, at about 7 p.m. when the area was vacated and quiet, the two Christians thought it was safe to leave.

When we left around 7:30 on our motorcycle, just a few kilometers along the Nawaikoke-Bulumba road, we were stopped by Buruhan Musobya, a well-known Muslim extremist, and six other Muslims, Buyinza told Morning Star News. They began shouting, Allah Akbar [Allah is greater], these are the enemies of our prophet, Muhammad, as well as our religion. Kafir [Infidels]! Kafir!

The assailants broke their motorcycle to pieces and tore up their Bibles and other Christian literature, he said.

Thereafter they started beating us badly with blunt objects that led to the fracturing of Musas right leg, Buyinza told Morning Star News. Two of the attackers held me tightly and beat me with sticks as four others were beating Musa and stepping on him while he was lying down in the middle of the road.

A taxi arrived and flashed its headlights, and the attackers fled, he said. The taxi stopped and passengers got out, including a pastor from Kaliro town who recognized Kirongosa and took the two Christians to a hospital there.

Buyinza said he was discharged after spending one night in the hospital, but that Kirongosa received treatment there for five days.

One of the sheikhs secretly visited us in the hospital and said that he has been a seeker of Christianity and plans to join the Christian faith after listening to the dialogue where things went wild, Buyinza said. Please pray for the sheikhs salvation and these radical Muslims, and as well the provision of the medical bill. Though we were beaten, we know all things work together for good to those who love Jesus.

Their church was preparing to a file a case against Musobya and the other assailants, he said.

The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12% of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.
Invading Ukraine has been costly for Russia. Not just in economic terms but also heavy losses of military personnel, weapons and equipment. As of mid-November, Russia has lost 312,000 dead and at least twice as many badly wounded. Major equipment losses include 15,000 armored vehicles, a third of them tanks. The artillery losses of more than 8,400 howitzers, multiple rocket launchers and mortars have been heavy because artillery systems deliver most of the firepower. Anti-Aircraft Missiles are the most effective defense against rockets and guided missiles. These systems have become targets themselves and so far, nearly 600 have been lost. So far about 650 manned fixed wing and helicopter aircraft have been lost. Most of the aircraft used are unmanned and over 5,600 UAVs have been lost. Most of these were unarmed but a growing number are equipped with explosives and used as improvised cruise missiles. The most effective tactic with armed UAVs is to send in swarms, each swarm with several dozen UAVs, against a target. For an important, and well defended target, sending several swarms to attacks from different directions often succeeded. Another important target is ground vehicles such as trucks, tractor trailers and SUVs. So far about 10,000 of these have been destroyed. These vehicle losses are critical when long range missiles were used to destroy Russian supply storage sites and railroads. At that point essential supplies have to be brought in from further away using trucks. This has become more common as the Ukrainians discover the Russians have failed or been unable to stockpile supplies.

Another uniquely Russian problem is their failure to establish sufficient medical facilities to deal with all the wounded troops. When Russian forces retreat, they often leave wounded troops behind. The Ukrainians take better care of their wounded and often treat the abandoned Russian wounded. That means the grateful Russian wounded are now prisoners of war and not upset about that because as Ukrainian prisoners they will receive better medical care than they would with the Russian forces. These wounded prisoners are grateful for the medical treatment and often comment on the lack of such care in their own army. The wounded Russians realize that the superior medical care Ukrainian troops receive is one of the reasons the Ukrainians are winning. In the Russian army the poor treatment of the wounded is just another reason for declining morale. Newly arrived Russian reinforcements got to see the poor treatment of Russian wounded, something they had heard about and now knew was true and what could happen to them. Russian civilians are accustomed to a higher level of medical care and not expecting worse care in the military. Military medical care in peacetime is not much different than what civilians experience. During wartime, military medical care goes old school and is generally much worse than in peacetime. There is also a problem with the Russian military not doing any serious planning for large scale wartime casualties. The government and senior military leaders saw such planning as unnecessary because Russia would never let itself get into such a situation.
Home U.S. 4-year-old American girl among 17 hostages released by Hamas on day 3 of ceasefire

A 4-year-old American-Israeli girl, Abigail Edan, was among 17 hostages released on the third day of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

During an eight-minute news conference in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Sunday, President Joe Biden responded to Abigail's release, signifying the first successful liberation of an American hostage since the ceasefire began, according to the White House.

Abigail, who was abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, was handed over to Red Cross officials. She was orphaned during the conflict that led to her capture, with her parents killed by Hamas terrorists on the day of her abduction. The young girl celebrated her fourth birthday while in captivity.

Her siblings, a 6-year-old sister and a 10-year-old brother, witnessed the murder of their parents and hid for 14 hours to escape the same fate, as recounted by Liz Hirsh Naftali, Abigails great-aunt, according to CNN.

In addition to Abigail, 16 other hostages were released: 13 Israelis and three foreign nationals. An elderly woman in poor condition was airlifted to a hospital for treatment in Israel, while the others were escorted through the border fence from Gaza to Israel.

At Sundays news conference, Biden emphasized the aim to extend the four-day military pause to facilitate the release of more hostages and increase humanitarian aid into Gaza. He acknowledged the uncertainty of the situation, noting its a day-by-day, hour-by-hour process with no guarantees. The president added that the agreement was that "for every 10 hostages released, we extend [the pause] another day."

He highlighted the emotional impact of the ceasefire, referencing the joy and relief of families reuniting, including the release of Abigail and over 20 other children thus far.

Biden also mentioned his collaboration with the Emir of Qatar, President Sisi of Egypt and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, expressing gratitude for their partnership in the deal and efforts to extend it.

Regarding the status of other American hostages, Biden expressed hope but lacked definitive updates. He added he was unsure about the exact number of militant groups holding American hostages.

Biden said regional players, even those not directly involved, are seeking an end to the conflict, with the ultimate goal of releasing all hostages and removing Hamas control in Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahus office revealed that the Israeli hostages ranged in age from 4 to 84, including nine children aged 17 and younger.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel is set to release 39 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday.

A fourth exchange is anticipated on Monday, marking the last day of the ceasefire. This four-day exchange is expected to involve a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners, all of whom are women and minors.

Hamas' release of 17 hostages on Sunday came a day after 13 Israelis were released Saturday in return for another 39 prisoners. On Friday, 24 hostages  13 Israelis, 10 Thais, and one Filipino  were returned to Israel, again in return for 39 Palestinian prisoners.

It brings the total number of hostages released during the window to 54 and the number of prisoners freed to 117.

Efforts led by the U.S., Qatar, and other international mediators are underway to extend the ceasefire. Ahead of the latest release, Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip, emphasizing Israels commitment to retrieving all hostages and achieving victory.

The ceasefire, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, has brought a pause to seven weeks of intense conflict sparked by Hamas' terrorist attacks in Israel and the slaughter of 1,200 people, including 31 Americans, and thousands more wounded. Israeli airstrikes have resulted in some 10,000 fatalities in Gaza, according to Hamas, which has stopped many Palestinians from fleeing areas the Israeli Defense Forces are targeting to drive up the number of casualties. The death toll in Gaza has not been confirmed.

In a related development, Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, a top commander in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its military council. Al-Ghandour, around 56 years old, had been involved in numerous militant activities, including a 2006 cross-border attack.

The Israeli military confirmed his death along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, head of Hamas' rocket-firing unit. These deaths occurred during an Israeli operation targeting an underground complex used by Hamas leaders.
Home World Christian watchdog group pushes back against Pew report suggesting decline of Christians in China

The leader of a Christian nonprofit watchdog group is pushing back against a recent Pew Research report suggesting that the number of Christians in China could have declined in recent years amid a crackdown by the Chinese Communist Party.

"A recent Pew Research Report measuring religion in China suggests that Christianity in the country has stagnated and is perhaps even in decline," Global Christian Relief President and CEO David Curry wrote in a Nov. 19 op-ed for Fox News Digital about the Chinese Christian population.

"But to borrow from Mark Twain, such suggestions seem greatly exaggerated. In fact, many of us who are advocating for persecuted Christians globally believe the Christian community in China might even be growing," he continued.

Curry, who also serves as a commissioner on the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), went on to explain that internal research by Global Christian Relief suggests Pew's estimates "could be off by as much as 100 million, but no one truly knows the size" of the Chinese Christian population.

The Pew study cited a survey by the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), which claimed about 23.2 million adults in China self-identified as Christian in 2010, whereas 19.9 million identified as Christians in the 2018. Both Curry and Pew Research noted such figures might be unreliable, however.

"Unfortunately, we cannot be certain how survey patterns are affected by political circumstances," the study noted. "There could be a real increase in the share of Chinese adults who identify with Christianity that is hidden from [the] survey measurement. For example, it is possible there has been growth in Christian affiliation that is offset in surveys by growing reluctance among respondents to identify as Christian due to the governments intensifying scrutiny of Christian religious activity. While that is a hypothetical possibility, there is no way to know from the available survey data whether it is actually the case."

Curry wrote that "according to the analysts within Global Christian Relief, and our many contacts on the ground in China, only about one in five people are self-reporting."

In a recent phone interview with The Christian Post, Curry said the Church in China is "definitely under attack," and they have faced increased pressure since "President Xi has solidified his control."

"Part of that scenario is to try to minimize faith in general, but Christianity specifically, in large part because there are so many Christians, and this is why the number of Christians is significant," Curry explained. He speculated that the number of Christians in China is somewhere between 100 million to 120 million people, which is more than the approximately 98 million members of the CCP.

Curry said the Chinese government is trying to split churches apart, noting that he recently spoke to the leaders of a 500-person church in China that was forced by authorities to divide into separate groups of 100.

"This is a very common practice, where they're trying to take large churches and break them into pieces," he said, adding that such efforts of the Chinese government are effectively forcing many of them underground again.

"They're attacking churches and Christianity by trying to divide it and strike at the leadership of the church," Curry said. "But I think the Church is strong, and I believe it's still growing."

Curry also noted that he was "disturbed" by the warm reception President Xi received during his recent visit to the U.S., and that "business leaders are in for a rude awakening if they think that they can have a long-term success reaching the Chinese market without an understanding of the moral structure on which that government is predicated."

He further discerned Chinese-style pressure could be fast approaching for Western Christians.

"I think you're going to see it first in censorship, and then deplatforming," he said of the potential persecution. "I think you're going to see it in restrictions to banking systems for Christian ministries. I think you'll see it in using the tax system to punish Christian ministries or restrict them."

"It's going to put a lot of pressure on the Church, but I think in the long run, the American Church will have a chance to grow healthier if they respond properly, as I think the Church thus far in China is getting healthier, even as it's under pressure," Curry added.
Home Opinion An urgent plea to churches

I admit it: Im pleading with church leaders with this post. Im pleading on behalf of 19 million people in the United States.

This past weekend, I led a collegiate conference at a local church. Every time I speak to college students, Im reminded of two things: 1.) they bring enthusiasm and potential to a local church, and 2.) many, if not most churches  unlike the church where I did the conference  do a poor job of reaching these students. In fact, many churches lose their high school graduates when they go to college and dont regain them (if they do) until they get married and have children.

So, heres my heartfelt plea: reach, equip, and send out college students. In this post, my goals are to motivate you to reach collegians and to offer some ways to move in that direction. Every church, regardless of size, can do something.

Why we need to reach collegians

Why do I want you to accept this plea?

1. College students are at a significant juncture in life  stepping into their own lives and forming their own conclusions and beliefs. That context generally makes them more open to talking about options, including Christianity. They are questioning, inquisitive, and listening.

2. They make real commitments when they genuinely choose to follow Christ. Their passion and faith sometimes put mine to shame. Theyre unafraid to stand alone. They take notes when listening to the Word. They want their friends to know Jesus. They accept the challenge to go to the nations.

3. God has often begun awakenings with college students. In the Second Great Awakening, God moved at places like Hampden-Sydney College and Williams College (where the Haystack Meeting occurred). The 1970 revival that began at Asbury College in Kentucky spread to multiple campuses in the U.S.  and we recently saw glimpses again of that movement. God could do the same today.

4. They represent a global mission field. More than 1 million international students are attending US colleges and universities. Theyve come here to study  but perhaps God brought them here to hear the gospel. Ive met many students over the years who first learned of Jesus and chose to follow Him because of a collegiate ministry, and Ive known some who took the Gospel back to their home country.

5. They rightly challenge us to explain our faith. Theyre not interested in superficial, routine Christianity. Rather, they want authenticity, depth, and relevance  and theyre unafraid to ask questions we should be ready to answer.

First steps to reach collegians

So, where might we start?

1. Enlist a point person to oversee renewed efforts to reach collegians through your church. That person may be a lay leader or a staff member, but someone needs primary responsibility to keep these efforts in the forefront of the church. Ask God to direct you to that right person. And, if youre the lead pastor, please hear me: if this burden is not your burden, neither will it become the burden of your church. It begins with you.

2. Start where you can: reach out to your churchs high school graduates who are now in college. Set up a regular electronic meeting to check on them. Let them know youre praying for them. Send them care packages. Encourage them to find a strong local church where they attend school. If your churchs college students havent heard from you in a long time, your church needs to shepherd them better.

3. Connect with Christian ministries on campuses near where your church meets. Somebody who oversees student life on the campus can help you make that connection. Ask those ministry leaders how you and your church might assist them in reaching their campus. Meet with their students and ask the same question. You need these ministries, and they need you as an interested, committed local church.

4. Enlist at least one small group in your church to adopt a college student. Im convinced that many college students want older, faithful adults to invest in their lives, and they welcome the opportunity to get to know others. Even if only one small group adopts one college student, your church will have already strengthened your collegiate ministry.

5. Dont just ignore this post. Im sure, especially because its Thanksgiving weekend, it would be easy to lay this post aside and do nothing. Again, I plead with you: do something to reach college students!

Ive said a prayer for all our readers today. God bless your efforts!

Originally published at Church Answers.
UN raises concerns Ukraine is failing to protect rights of churches with Russian ties

(CP) The United Nations has raised concerns over Ukraine's handling of religious rights, particularly for churches linked to Russia, detailing restrictions and threats to the safety of religious communities in the country, not only in Ukraine but also in Russia-occupied territories.

Tensions between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine are growing, noted Ilze Brands Kehris, assistant secretary-general for human rights at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, at a U.N. Security Council meeting last week, according to a U.N. statement.

Since last February, OHCHR documented 10 cases of physical violence and six of threatened violence between different Orthodox communities, Kehris said, criticizing Ukrainian law enforcement for inadequate responses and failure to protect the Ukrainian Orthodox Church members.

Kehris also pointed to Ukraine Parliament's draft amendments that could dissolve religious organizations with ties to countries in armed conflict with Ukraine. She urged lawmakers to ensure these measures are necessary, proportionate and in line with international human rights law.

In occupied territories, the Russian Federation is reportedly applying its own laws, leading to restrictions on religious minorities and alleged torture of clergy. Kehris called for all parties to respect international human rights law and ensure freedom of religion.

Vakhtang Kipshidze, vice-chairman of the Synodal Department for Church's Relations with Society and Mass Media, Moscow Patriarchate, accused Ukrainian authorities of aiming to annihilate the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He claimed that believers refusing to convert to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine face rights violations.

During a Security Council debate, the Russian representative alleged that Ukraine's draft legislation would ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He accused Western Council members of ignoring violence and threats against Orthodox Christians in Ukraine.

The United States' delegate countered, accusing the Russian Federation of using the Council to spread disinformation and justifying its invasion as a holy war. He emphasized the need to focus on religious oppression in territories under Russian occupation.

Malta's representative also criticized Russia for diverting attention from its aggression against Ukraine. France's delegate agreed, urging Moscow to comply with international law, including Council resolution 2347 (2017), which states that attacking a religious site is a war crime.

Ukraine's representative accused the Russian Orthodox Church of supporting Moscow's aggression and participating in the occupation and annexation of Ukrainian territories. She defended Ukraine's draft law as a measure to counter the use of religious organizations for aggression.

The U.N. also noted there have been nearly 10,000 civilian deaths and over 18,000 injuries in Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022, warning that the humanitarian crisis is expected to worsen with the approaching winter.

In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, Bob Amsterdam, representing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, criticized the Ukrainian government's treatment of the denomination, suggesting a widespread suppression of truth. Amsterdam described the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as a historic Christian branch in Ukraine, existing for over a millennium. He said five years ago, the Ukrainian government established an independent church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), intending to replace the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as the spiritual home for Ukrainians.

Amsterdam condemned the OCU's actions, accusing it of property theft, intimidation and unjust imprisonment of clerics and forcing conscription on believers. He dismissed claims of the church's ties to Russian intelligence, suggesting a lack of evidence and indicating greater Russian infiltration in other Ukrainian institutions.

Amsterdam also suggested political motives behind these actions, implicating Ukrainian politicians, possibly including President Volodymyr Zelensky, in leveraging the OCU for populist support. He expressed dismay at the severe impact on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's leadership, including lengthy prison sentences for elderly clerics.

In March, Ukrainian officials told the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to vacate the 980-year-old Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex in the embattled nation's capital, according to Reuters.

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Economic sanctions have been increasingly popular during the last century, even though they rarely work as intended. A current example of this is what happened to Russia after they invaded Ukraine. Russia continues to suffer high economic costs caused by the economic sanctions imposed by most Western nations. Russian leaders realize even now that, if the cost of continuing the war against Ukraine reaches the point where more and more Russians experience declining living standards, they might lose. A growing number of Russians see the Ukraine War as something they cant afford and can justify getting out of. This is not a case of defending Mother Russia, which is what happened during World War 2 when Russians were proud of their successful effort to halt the German invaders and then defeat Germany with some help from Western nations. Ukraine is different as Russia is the invader. Many Russians are not comfortable with that and dont understand why their government would invade a neighbor.

The invasion failed and the Russian people are paying for it in terms of Russian lives lost and growing hardship from sanctions and the wars cost. The government wishes it were otherwise, but the biggest priority right now is improving the economy and that means doing something about the harsh economic sanctions imposed by Western nations. That left Russia with only two trading partners: Iran and North Korea. These two are also outcast nations suffering from sanctions that have lasted for decades and are examples of the devastating long-term impact of sanctions.

To make matters worse for Russia, Ukraine continues to receive billions in economic and military aid from NATO nations. This leads more Russians to wonder what they are being impoverished for. A growing number of Russian leaders have noticed that, but Vladimir Putin is still in charge, and he wants peace and prosperity for Russia a lot less than he wants to punish Ukraine and the West. That is not working, and Putin is running out of excuses to justify the cost for Russia to so many Russians who are suffering from the sanctions.

Russia has managed to adjust to many of the sanctions and convinced, he hopes, enough of the Russian population that the war effort is for the defense of Russia against NATO aggression. Russia has developed ways to produce more long-range missiles despite the severe economic sanctions imposed after they invaded Ukraine. Russia has found new sources for components, some of them obtained by smuggling or purchases of components that can be adapted for use in missile production. Most of the smuggling is done via Armenia and Turkey, two countries that are hospitable to smuggling if it has some economic benefits for locals. Although Turkey is a NATO member, smuggling is tolerated if the smugglers will pay the right people for access. Such corrupt behavior has long prevented Turkey from joining the European Union.

Russia has expended most of its missile stockpiles and the sanctions had, for a while, prevented Russia from replacing those missiles. Restoring Russian missile production is going to hurt Ukraine because the missiles are difficult to intercept and cause a lot of damage to Ukrainian infrastructure and armed forces. NATO is seeking to disrupt the smuggling while it provides Ukraine with more air defense systems that can deal with incoming missiles. The problem is that NATO cannot supply Ukraine with enough defensive systems to protect all the economic targets Russia wants to attack. NATO considers sanctions the best way to prevent increased Russian missile production, but it appears that current efforts will not be sufficient. This is why Ukraine is developing some very long-range UAVs so they can hit the Russian missile factories.

The Wests solution is more effective sanctions, and that effort is underway. For sanctions to work they must constantly evolve as the sanctioned nations seek ways to evade the sanctions. This is an economic conflict. Russia can afford it, so far, because they have an annual GDP of over two trillion dollars and the ability to increase annual defense spending to over $100 billion. Thats up from $86 billion in 2022 and $66 billion in 2021. A decade ago, annual defense spending was $20 billion. This is tolerated by Russian taxpayers because, before 2022, the military threat was hypothetical. That changed in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine as part of an effort to protect Russia from purported inevitable NATO aggression. All that makes no sense to most Westerners, but Ukrainians understood as did NATOs East European members, especially Poland and the Baltic States.

Russia does not have a blank check for defense spending. The Western sanctions did not stop Russian aggression but did impose limits to what Russia could do even with a larger defense budget. A wartime defense budget has very different priorities than it does in peacetime. For Russia, this is a major problem in Ukraine, where their faltering invasion effort turned out to be a lot more expensive than expected. For example, while the salaries of the troops and operating costs of the military came to $85 billion, the additional wartime expenses include $34 billion for lost weapons and equipment as well as $21 billion for medical care of those wounded and $26 billion for compensating the families of those killed in combat. The survivor compensation data is a good way for foreign intelligence agencies to estimate Russian casualties. Those families, especially if they consist of a wife and children, need continued support. Without this compensation you cannot obtain volunteers willing to join and remain in the military long enough to become career officers and NCOs. For these men the military is a job that they will normally hold for about twenty years before they are eligible to retire with lifetime monthly pay.

Another of Russias problems is simple inability to produce many high-tech weapons, or even repair existing ones, because of sanctions. Smuggling is only a partial solution because complex weapons can still be produced, even if they take longer and is more expensive. Sometimes smuggling prevents obtaining all the desired components and substitutions have to be used. The result is variants of the original weapon design. If these variants are equally effective, or something close to that, the variant is acceptable. The variants also provide more work for Ukrainian and NATO weapons intelligence specialists who examine the debris from weapons that have detonated or, in some cases, failed to do so. Variants are more likely to fail and become duds that are still dangerous if handled incorrectly.

Even without the sanctions, Russian missiles and shells normally have higher dud rates because of persistent problems with manufacturing quality control as well as errors made when storing munitions. Quality control is not helped by production of many variants of the same high-tech weapon type due to substitutions of components caused by sanctions.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the invaders also expected to reinforce and expand their control of the Black Sea. This included blocking Ukrainian grain exports, which would drive up prices for Russian grain exports. That financial goal was never met because Ukraine fought back and not only contested efforts to expand Russian control of the Black Sea but also disrupted Russian naval operations in the Black Sea and use of the Crimean Peninsula base for naval, air force and army operations. When the war began Russia had several warships in the Black Sea and these came under heavy attack by Ukrainian forces. This led to the destruction of the flagship of the Black Sea fleet and systematic attacks on the remaining Russian warships. Ukraine didnt have any ships of their own for these attacks and had to improvise. Ukraine used armed UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and USVs (Unmanned seagoing vessels) for these attacks, as well as land-based guided missiles. This eventually forced Russia to abandon Crimean naval and air force bases. This included the major Crimean port and naval base of Sevastopol. The growing number of Ukrainian attacks on Crimea forced most of the Russian Black Sea Fleet to move. The UAVs and USVs carry explosive warheads to destroy military targets, including bases, ports, headquarters and airfields. While civilian targets are spared, the military facilities are a major source of employment. When these facilities are damaged, destroyed and shut down, the civilians begin to leave. Now Ukrainian forces are getting close to the narrow isthmus that connects Crimean to the mainland and the other access point, the Kerch Strait bridge in southeastern Crimea was also under constant attack. As the situation in Crimea deteriorates, corruption by local officials makes matters worse for the remaining civilians and persuades a growing number of them to leave.

In late 2023, advancing Ukrainian forces were close enough to the narrow isthmus connecting Crimean to the mainland that the only Russian rail line carrying supplies to occupied Crimea was within range of GMLRS missile attacks. These NATO supplied missiles were carried and launched from HIMARS vehicles. They had a range of 80 kilometers and were a constant threat to Russian supply lines, including ports and ships in the Black Sea.

Ukraine had already disabled the other rail supply route to Crimea, which used the Kerch Strait bridge. Ukraine used various types of UAVs, USVs and novel UUVs (unmanned underwater vessels) to do this, as well as destroy Russian air defenses in Crimea and drive the remaining ships of the Black Sea fleet to port on the east coast of the Black Sea. The largest of these eastern Black Sea ports is Novorossiysk, which had a small naval base facility added in 2012. Now it is being used to host the surviving remnants of the Black Sea Fleet. While Novorossiysk is mainly a commercial port, exporting oil and other goods produced in the area and handling most of the imports, most of that has been halted because of the Ukrainian unmanned weapons that now make the Black Sea a dangerous place for Russian ships of any type. Ukraine did this without a fleet of its own. The Russians were still able to launch missile attacks on Ukrainian ports using submarine launched cruise missiles as well as land-based missiles. These Russian attacks became less frequent as the Ukrainians advanced closer to the roads and railroads that supplied Crimea.
CLEVELAND, OhioWinter weather is on the way. A cold front from the north is expected to bring heavy lake effect snow to the area along the eastern shore and inland areas of Lake Erie.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather warning for Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, and Lake counties in Ohio and Erie and Crawford Counties in Pennsylvania beginning Monday at 10 p.m. until Wednesday morning.

Update: Up to 16 inches is forecasted during lake effect snow warning

Northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania can expect periods of rain tonight transitioning into lake effect snow as temperatures plummet beginning Monday morning and continuing through Tuesday with snow accumulation up to a foot or more.

Initial periods of light to moderate lake effect snow are predicted in Ashtabula, Geauga and lake Counties beginning Monday morning, and may impact the morning and evening commutes.

Accumulations through the day on Monday are expected to be minimal and will primarily impact far northeastern Ohio- Ashtabula County and eastern Lake counties, as well as Erie and Crawford counties of Pennsylvania, but will gradually move further west, said Raelene Campbell, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Cleveland.

Thats going to be the name of the game for much of Monday, but the best chance of lake effect development is going to be Monday night into Tuesday morning, explained Campbell. Because thats when winds will shift to have more of a northerly component,

With those northern winds come much colder temperatures. On Monday night, temperatures are expected to drop into the upper teens and low 20s, however the strong winds are predicted to bring wind chills into the single digits. This will shift rain to snowfall, and the heaviest snow and most significant impacts are expected Monday night through Tuesday, where snowfall is expected at rates of 1-2 inches per hour with accumulation of 5-12 inches in the eastern Ohio counties.

Cuyahoga County residents should expect wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour along with 6 inches of snow or more. The city of Cleveland is expected to see 4-6 inches of snow.

It really just depends on that wind, said Campbell.

Erie and Crawford Counties in Pennsylvania could see snow accumulations from 10-18 inches. Travel through these areas could be difficult.

By Tuesday afternoon, a southerly wind should begin to push the storm back to Buffalo, NY and the snowfall should begin to gradually taper off. Snow should stop in the Cleveland area by late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, and far east counties will follow.

Boaters should also take precautions during the storm. There is a small craft advisory from 1 a.m. Monday to 1 a.m. Wednesday for the nearshore waters of Lake Erie from Vermilion in Ohio to Ripley, New York. West winds of 20 to 25 knots and waves 6 to 9 feet are expected.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- On Nov. 17, a Colorado court ruled that Trump was not disqualified by his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, from again running for president. Importantly, however, it ruled as a factual matter that Trump had engaged in insurrection within the disqualifying terms laid out in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and that it had the authority under Colorado law to enforce the 14th Amendments terms. It thus became the first court to reach the merits of the disqualification charges that have been leveled against Trump in several states, including Michigan and Minnesota. Courts and officials in most states, including Michigan and Minnesota, have so far avoided reaching the merits on procedural grounds.

Notwithstanding its conclusion that Trump engaged in insurrection, the Colorado court also ruled that, because Trump had never sworn to support the Constitution (as spelled out in Article VI), but had only sworn to preserve, protect and defend it as president (under Article II), his oath was not covered by the 14th Amendment.

Section 3s terms, the court observed, only disqualify those who previously had taken an oath  to support the Constitution. The implicit reference was to Article VI, as opposed to Article II, it reasoned. Thus, Trumps oath was not covered.

While I disagree with this reading of the 14th Amendment  I believe that presidents are officers of the United States and that their oaths under Article II fall under the 14th Amendments terms -- the Colorado courts decision to reach the merits is sound. I have written elsewhere that Americas legal community, and the framers of the 14th Amendment, understood in 1868, when the 14th Amendment was adopted, that the Constitution is self-executing. Its terms and limitations, including those in the 14th Amendment, did not then and do not now need to await congressional action. Any state that provides a mechanism for assessing candidates qualifications  and as Professor Derrick Muller of the Notre Dame law school has reported, many do -- is free to explore the electoral consequences of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Ohio should be one of those states. Ohios Supreme Court has recognized that the Ohio Revised Code authorizes the Ohio Secretary of State to reject primary candidates who have not complied with the requirements of th[e] [Ohio Election Code],  or any other requirements established by law. Because Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is one of the requirements established by law, Ohios Secretary of State has the authority to exclude Donald Trump from the GOP primary ballot.

I am not naive enough to believe the current Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, will live up to this obligation. I have written elsewhere about his offices electoral lawlessness and will not dwell on it here. Suffice it to say that Trump supporters like LaRose, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, and Ohios GOP machinery will do whatever they can to protect Trumps candidacy, law be damned.

Mark R. Brown is the Newton D. Baker/Baker & Hostetler Chair at Capital University Law School

Can anything be done? Under Ohio law, a Republican protestor is free to challenge Trumps credentials. LaRose would then be required to conduct what should be an impartial hearing. Unfortunately, LaRose would still be the umpire, and he would not likely provide that protester with a fair hearing. It would thus be left up to the Ohio Supreme Court, which has in the past reviewed the Secretary of States disqualifications of presidential candidates. Depending on LaRoses reasons for rejecting the protest, the Ohio Supreme Court could either defer to LaRoses decision (which it usually does with factual matters and sometimes does with questions of Ohio law) or engage in de novo review (which it should do with constitutional questions).

My hope would be, given the stakes involved, that Ohios Supreme Court could rise above the partisan bickering that emerged in the 2020 gerrymandering cases and address Trumps candidacy objectively. Sadly, however, I must confess this is unlikely. Its solid four-justice GOP majority would almost certainly say and do whatever was needed to keep Trump on Ohios ballot. The argument that Trump should be disqualified  and I think there is a strong argument he should  is not likely to find an unbiased audience in Ohio.

Mark R. Brown holds the Newton D. Baker/Baker & Hostetler Chair at Capital University Law School.

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CLEVELAND -- I am admittedly neither a scholar nor historian on international affairs. As a layman, though, I am very concerned about what I see happening now in the world and in this country.

My rudimentary orientation to foreign ethnic and religious conflicts came from my Croatian maternal grandfather, who emigrated here as an 18-year-old in 1912 from a country later known as Yugoslavia.

I often heard him express a nonfanatical dislike for Serbs, but I was too young and uninterested to ask why. I had a better understanding after Yugoslavias socialist dictator -- Josip Broz Tito, an iron-fisted leader who led the multiethnic Partisan forces in World War II, and who was born in Croatia to a Croatian father and Slovenian mother -- died in 1980.

A period of political and economic unrest in the countrys six republics followed. In 1991, after the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, Yugoslavia dissolved and descended into a series of interethnic wars after ethnic tensions escalated. It was the first time many heard the term ethnic cleansing.

Hamas recent barbaric attack on Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip triggered my recall about my grandfathers comments on territorial issues in his homeland.

After World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain gained control of what was then known as Palestine and began allowing European Jews to relocate there as part of the Balfour Declaration of 1917 that had promised them their own state.

Palestinians resented the seizure of a portion of their land and being forced from their homes, but Jews also saw it as their homeland, dating to King Davids establishment of Jewish control over Jerusalem a thousand years before Christs birth. After World War II and the Holocaust, more Jews immigrated to the region while attempting to regroup and reunite with surviving family members victimized by Adolf Hitlers Nazi Germany.

The new country of Israel was created in 1948, thus ending the British rule of Palestine. It also sparked the first Arab-Israeli War that Israel won a year later. Around 750,000 Palestinians were displaced by the war and its aftermath, and the territory was divided into four parts -- the state of Israel, and three areas controlled by Arab states -- the West Bank, Gaza Strip and a so-called Himmah area in the northeast.

Five more wars of varying length were fought in the region prior to Hamas surprise Oct. 7 attack. This Islamist militant group had taken over the Gaza Strip after Israels withdrawal, defeating its rival political party, Fatah, in 2006. Hamas contends it launched this assault because of its anger over Israeli policy, living conditions and treatment of Palestinians and the expansion of Israeli settlements. Yet, theyve use Palestinians as human shields for their terrorist and tunnel operations.

I can understand why Palestinians remain so angry even 70 years after Israel became a country. What is so alarming, though, is the anti-Jewish savagery done by Hamas to men, women and children, including American citizens. Their leaders continue to state they want Israel annihilated and all Jews dead. How did Hamas expect Israel to act after committing these atrocities?

Now Israel is being asked to comply with international humanitarian law. Does Israel have any other strategy other than to continue to shell and attack Gaza?

I also wonder if so many of the participation-trophy-era kids demonstrating in our cities and on college campuses understand what they are even protesting about. Many were not born or were children on 9/11.

Do those protesting in support of terrorists realize many of their leftist beliefs and lifestyle choices could result in imprisonment or death if they lived in many Middle Eastern countries? Terrorist groups who hate our country would not think twice about killing Americans as they did on 9/11.

Those professors and students, some of whom are here on visas, are not only defending Hamas but also expressing a hatred thats not just anti-Zionist but also antisemitic.

Some big donors to these schools are showing their disgust with their checkbooks. Billionaire Columbia graduate Leon Cooperman ended his funding to the Ivy League school. He said students at these colleges have st for brains, and then doubled down, Fox Business reported, criticizing administrators and professors who refuse to condemn terrorist acts.

Some of the nations top law firms recently sent a letter to law schools at some of Americas elite universities, warning them to crack down on discrimination and harassment on their campuses, or there would be consequences in recruitment policies, The New York Times reported.

On Oct. 25, ten members of the US House voted nay on the resolution to condemn the Hamas attacks, while six others voted present. Fifteen of the 16 were Democrats, including all four of the progressive squad members -- U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.

Wall Street Journal columnist and Editor at Large Gerard Baker opined Oct. 23 that the free world needs to get past its century-old belief that right eventually overcomes might. The current axis of evil opportunism, he wrote -- Russia, China, Iran and even North Korea -- dont see the historical triumph of the West and its values.

Instead, he stated, They see a weakened and declining West, an America at odds with itself over its identity and its leadership in the world, a nation enfeebled by deepening self-doubt, widening division, widespread mistrust, timid leadership, institutional paralysis and soaring debt. They see, as we have seen this last week, a culture  in the media, educational institutions, public discourse  that increasingly does their work for them, willfully propagating falsehoods that advance their cause, always eager to attribute evil to us and not to our enemies.

On Oct. 30, a Wall Street Journal editorial argued that too many of the protest incidents put paid to the notion that one can distinguish anti-Zionism from anti-Semitism since Oct. 7. If protesters wanted to burn Israeli flags in a fit of wrong-headed pique about a two-state solution, that is one thing. Only anti-Jewish hate can explain how synagogues, children and airports are targets of this outrage.

The editorial concluded: Todays threats to democracy are different, but one lesson is the same and is crystal-clear: A Western society that cant or wont muster the will to defend its Jewish neighbors and fellow citizens wont be able to defend itself.

Robert Paulson, the former Republican mayor of Solon, writes an occasional Plain Dealer/cleveland.com column from the political middle. (Photo by David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com)

Most Americans rallied around our country after Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Now, just a generation after we were attacked by al-Qaida terrorists, it makes me wonder if we can ever come together again as a nation. When so many people, including some in Congress, exhibit such hatred toward just 0.2% of the worlds population and turn their backs on some basic American values, dont think that our enemies dont love every minute of what they are watching.

Bob Paulson, the former Republican mayor of Solon who recently announced he was switching his party affiliation to independent, writes an occasional column on politics from the middle.

To share ideas and feedback with Bob Paulson: bobpaulsonPD@gmail.com

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The new Piggs Peak Hotel operator has introduced Rainold Petersen, who managed the Royal Swazi Spa Convention Centre from 1982 to 1986 as the new General Manager of the hotel.

Petersen, a veteran in the hospitality industry, is the owner of Chaplins Grill in Sandton, South Africa. He has been the sales ambassador of Nemchem and director of Cellar dOr. He was the restaurant manager for Hotel Zum Schloss Freiburg in Germany in 1982 and also worked for the Vineyard Hotel & Spa in 1983. He was a buyer at Holiday Inn/Crown Plaza Frankfurt, Germany from 1979 to 1981. He was also a night manager at Holiday Inn Hotel Paris PdV. Hes the right man for the job. He has vast experience in the hotel industry, OLeary said of Petersen. Petersen, in an interview, said he was very excited to return to Eswatini, recalling how he served guests for His Majesty King Mswati III during his coronation in 1986. After leaving the country in 1986, he said he went to Cornell University in New York for postgraduate studies.

ensure

Back to OLeary, the CEO, he said there was a need to set aside money to ensure the hotel acquired the four-star status. He said they would invest in energy system and reduce consumption by 50 per cent. He added that they had shared the vision of Piggs Peak Hotel with business executives, CEOs, police, officials and other people. He said they assured them of responsible tourism. TFPD has a foundation. It is a not-for-profit entity. It was established to provide an accountable, legal vehicle for acquiring and dispensing funds to the communities, whose lodges TFPD manages and markets. The purpose of the foundation is to source financial and volunteer support for specific projects to uplift and empower TFPDs community partners with a specific focus on its four pillars of involvement in rural economic activity and community life. The four pillars are as follows:

* Adult training and skills development in areas such as hospitality, English language tuition, computer literacy, and various forms of guiding.

* Job creation projects and set-up of micro-businesses to grow tourism in and around the lodges.

* Community projects with social, educational and/or health impact.

* Refurbishment of community-owned tourism properties/assets.

In March 2023, Moses Vilakati, the former Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, told a Senate meeting that TFPD is an award-winning organisation. He said he was confident that they would do a great job. He mentioned that the new managements operations would begin on April 1, 2023. The former minister said TFPD had been given 60 months to operate the hotel. In the recent past, the hotel was marred by several issues including protests by employees who were demanding a salary increase.

compared

According to the hotels quarterly report from January 2023 to March 2023, the Public Enterprise Unit (PEU) reported that there was a 15 per cent decline in revenue when compared to last quarter. This report was compiled before the takeover by TFPD. It is said that operational expenses for the quarter were E4.59 million compared to E4.45 million in the last quarter. It is stated in the report that the hotel did not achieve the projected revenues and there was a 25 per cent variance between the projected and actual revenue. During the quarter under review, the hotel recorded a loss of E0.005 million and it was attributed to the decline in income. Total revenue was E4.60 million compared to E5.89 million in the last quarter. Busangani Mkhaliphi, the PEU Director, commented that the hotel and casino recorded a loss of E0.005 million against a profit of E0.39 million derived in the last quarter.

She attributed the loss to a 15 per cent decline in income, while operational expenses increased by three per cent. Mkhaliphi encouraged the hotel to cut down on its expenditure so that it could realise profits and improve its financial position. Since the casino operational issues have been resolved, it is anticipated that the entity will now perform better, as these issues impacted negatively on performance. It must be said that the casino is not yet operational. However, it was learnt that negotiations with an operator were ongoing.
PIGGS PEAK  Has the messiah arrived?

After a long history of losses and uncertainties over the business future of Piggs Peak Hotel, the staff is currently celebrating strides that have been taken since TFPD began operations in April 2023. The government owned hotel has been without an operator for 11 years. In its financial performance for October, Piggs Peak Hotel, under TFPDs management, made a E3 million turnover. If it were to continue with this trend, it is said that the business has shown the potential to make E36 million per annum or more. The challenge, according to business analysts, is to minimise expenditure to maximise profits. The last operator to be in charge of the government facility was Orion Hotels and Resort (Pty) Ltd. It was ordered by the High Court of Eswatini to pay rent accrued from March 2011 to January 2012. Rent has escalated to E2 400 819.46 by the time Judge Nkululeko Hlophe issued the judgment on the matter on March 1, 2012.

Piggs Peak Hotel had leased out the hotel facility to Orion Hotels for 17 years. It had occupied the facility for nine years paying rentals. Piggs Peak Hotel told the High Court that it entered into a written lease agreement with Orion Hotels on December 1, 2005, for the occupation of the facility for monthly rentals of E100 000. Another hotel company that managed Piggs Peak Hotel is Protea. When the two former operators began the management of the government facility, they used their brands to market the business  Protea Hotel Piggs Peak and Casino and Orion Hotel. Despite its location, nestled in the pine trees and manicured lawns, providing attractions and dining options, Piggs Peak Hotel has been operating at a loss for quite a long time.Built in 1986, the government-owned facility was described in some quarters, mainly in Parliament, as a white elephant or a financial drain to the taxpayer. As a result, there were some suggestions that government should dispose of the facility, because it was not making money for emaSwati.

The ball is now in the court of TFPD to turn around the fortunes of the hotel. It must be said that the company has not yet used its brand to market the facility. It has been established that TFPD manages some prominent accommodation outlets in South Africa, which include the Xaus Lodge, Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge, Awelani Lodge and Nahakwe Lodge. Glynn OLeary, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Piggs Peak Hotel, said TFPDs main task was to make the business profitable. OLeary said the hotel has a huge potential to derive a substantial income and to create more jobs for emaSwati. He said they discovered that tourists treated the hotel as a one-night stay, adding that they were working on logistics of creating activities that would keep them in the facility for two or more nights.

He said they would launch outdoor events such as building and maintaining hiking trails. He said there was also an opportunity for Piggs Peak Hotel to be an ideal place for weddings and other functions. OLeary mentioned that the hotel was built in such a way that it was sound proof, as guests in the rooms could not be disturbed by external noise or music. The hotel sits on 90 hectares of land. The CEO said they would not reduce the number of employees. The hotel currently employs 74 workers  66 direct and eight security officers who were posted to the place to ensure safety of the property and people. He said the target was to increase revenue, something that hasnt been happening for a long time and also support local business by buying vegetables from them.

We have started buying vegetables from neighbouring communities. Thats what we do as a company. We empower neighbouring communities, he said. OLeary told the Times SUNDAY that the business nature of the Piggs Peak Hotel was largely centred on conference market. This has resulted in the revamping of the conference rooms and installation of screens to enable virtual conferences. To make the government hotel appealing to the tourism market, the CEO said they ensured that all visitors to the facility were connected to Wi-Fi.
On Thursday evening, Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini unveiled his administrations strategic plan for the next five years.

He committed himself to responding swiftly to the various issues raised during the week-long Peoples Parliament (Sibaya) a few weeks ago. This is a remarkable commitment that will bring an end to the belief that Sibaya is merely a talk show for people to blow off steam (kutihhamula) without any tangible results. Among the issues Cabinet has prioritised are poverty, unemployment, health services, gender-based violence (GBV), provision of quality health services and corruption. I am here to talk about corruption. This is a scourge that every administration that comes along always vows to tackle head-on.

It is a critical issue because it has a direct bearing on all aspects of our social and political lives. Corruption affects all spheres of the government machinery, as we have seen in recent months how it practically collapsed the countrys health system. It has been alleged that there was collusion among top government officials in paying for non-existent medication, giving tenders to preferred companies without merit and paying some people money they did not deserve, while emaSwati struggled to get even basic medical drugs and simple medical supplies like gloves. That corruption has been top of the list for every government administration underlines the fact that it is a cancer that needs to be eradicated. With the exception of those benefitting from it, most emaSwati have always hoped that it would eventually be reduced or eradicated.

corrupt

Only the identification and decisive punishment of perpetrators would see corruption eradicated. People would start thinking twice before they engage in any corrupt activity if they see others being jailed and expelled from work, instead of merely being transferred. That is why, where corruption is concerned, it should be all hands on deck, with all citizens coming together to fight it. For its part, government needs to have all three arms involved in this fight. These are the judiciary, executive and the legislative arm. Members of Parliament (MPs) are expected to play a major role in this process, as they are the ones who make the laws. They should come up with legislation that does not give criminals any breathing space. MPs are also critical to this endeavour because they play an oversight role on the executive arm of government.

They are the ones who should ask questions and demand action if the executive fails to play its role. It is disappointing, therefore, when the legislature is also accused of playing a role in perpetrating corruption, as we have seen in recent weeks, with allegations that some of the senators in office today got their seats by paying other MPs to vote for them. The allegations are that the monies involved were huge amounts of up to E1 million. It is alleged that some MPs were paid amounts of up to E60 000 each by candidates who aspired to become senators. This is scandalous because senators are also lawmakers.

law-respecting

If they are involved in corruption, how will they assist the country in fighting it? That is the question every law-respecting liSwati is asking himself or herself these days. It is a pity that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seems to be hindered in one way or another and cannot properly investigate this issue. Among other reasons, the Commission is currently without a substantive commissioner, after the contract of Daniel Dlamini elapsed on October 16, 2023. Apparently, only the commissioner has the power to authorise ACC officers to institute investigations or inquiries into any issue under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006. There is also that obiter dictum by Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala, which rendered the Commission toothless. These are issues the legislature is expected to raise as urgent matters.

It is worrying then, if a MP stands up to say money and elections cannot be divorced. While this statement by Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo is true, the context in which it was said makes it inappropriate. Khumalo was speaking in the House of Assembly on Friday, November 17, 2023, when he made a submission during the nomination of candidates who aspire to fill the four vacant positions of regional MPs. He was not happy that some of the candidates had mentioned to reporters that they had not bribed anyone to win seats in the House of Assembly. The long-serving MP first questioned the candidates, wondering who had asked them for money, resulting in them saying they had not paid anyone. He then said where elections were concerned, the issue of money was covered in law.

He was right once again. This is covered in the Elections Act of 2013. However, Section 75 of the same law makes it a crime to use money to encourage people to vote for you. When he decided to address this issue, MP Khumalo should not have made a blanket statement, but should have demonstrated that he understood the difference between using money for ones campaign and vote-buying, which is a crime in both the Elections Act of 2013 and the Prevention of Corruption Act of 2006.

offences

Section 30 of the latter Act deals with offences relating to corrupt activities by politicians. It makes it a crime for a politician to demand, accept or offer to accept any advantage from another person, whether for the benefit of that politician or any other person. A person convicted of an offence referred to in this section is liable to a fine of up to E200 000 or imprisonment for up to 20 years or to both. Khumalo was MP when both these laws were enacted and should know them like the back of his hand. As the longest serving politician in the current Parliament, he let go of an opportunity to warn and educate his peers on bribery and other corrupt activities. He failed to make them understand that paying for votes robbed the country of having qualified and befitting legislators who may lose out because they do not have money, while incompetent ones gain seats through corrupt means.
Hostages released by Hamas are seen through the window of a bus transporting them to an army base in Ofakim in southern Israel after they were released by the Palestinian militant group from the Gaza Strip on November 26, 2023. Menahem Kahana | AFP | Getty Images

The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third exchange under a four-day truce that the U.S. said it hoped would be extended. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners. Most hostages were handed over directly to Israel, waving to a cheering crowd as they arrived at an air force base. Others left through Egypt. Israel's army said one was airlifted to a hospital, and the director of Soroka Medical Center said Elma Avraham, 84, was in life-threatening condition as "a result of an extended period of time when an elderly woman was not taken care of as needed." The youngest hostage released was Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl and dual Israeli-American citizen whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7. "What she endured was unthinkable," Biden said of the first American freed under the truce. He did not know her condition and did not provide updates on other American hostages. Biden said his goal was to extend the cease-fire deal as long as possible. In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. Three more Thai nationals were released. Separately, Hamas said it released a Russian hostage "in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin." The Russian-Israeli citizen was the first male hostage to be freed.

An International Red Cross vehicle carrying Israeli Russian hostage Ron Krivoy released by Hamas drives toward the Rafah border point with Egypt ahead of a transfer to Israel on Nov. 26, 2023. Mohammed Abed | AFP | Getty Images

Released Palestinian prisoners react in a vehicle as they leave the Israeli military prison, Ofer, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 26, 2023. Ammar Awad | Reuters

Hamas for the first time said it would seek to extend the deal by looking to release a larger number of hostages. Netanyahu issued a statement saying he had spoken to Biden and reiterated his offer to extend the cease-fire by an additional day for every 10 hostages Hamas releases. But he said Israel would resume its offensive "with all of our might" once the truce expires. Ahead of the latest release, Netanyahu in body armor visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke with troops. "At the end of the day we will return every one," he said of the hostages, adding that "we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us." It was not clear where he went inside Gaza. This is the first significant pause in seven weeks of war, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. The war has claimed more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed in the initial attack.

Life in captivity

Hamas' military wing released a video showing militants handing over the hostages to Red Cross workers and paramedics, with some of the balaclava-wearing fighters and hostages waving goodbye to each other. Families from the southern Israeli town of Kfar Aza embraced, cried, and applauded Sunday at the news that hostages from their town had arrived in Israel. More than 70 members of the kibbutz of around 700 people were killed and 18 were kidnapped. The freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye. Hospitals said their physical condition has largely been good. Little is publicly known about the conditions of their captivity. Merav Raviv, whose three relatives were released on Friday, said they had been fed irregularly and lost weight. One reported eating mainly bread and rice and sleeping on a makeshift bed of chairs pushed together. Hostages sometimes had to wait for hours to use the bathroom, she said. Pressure from families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israel's leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power. Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the incursion into southern Israel that ignited the war. Fifty-eight have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.

Aid to northern Gaza

The pause has given some respite to Gaza's 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

Palestinians gather to fill liquid gas cylinders, during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip November 25, 2023. Ibraheem Abu Mustafa | Reuters

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, returned to the streets. Entire city blocks in and around Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes. But those among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled the north have been turned back by Israeli troops while trying to return to check their homes. "They open fire on anyone approaching from the south," said Rami Hazarein, who fled Gaza City. The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (around a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said Israeli forces opened fire Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the other. An Israeli military spokesperson said they weren't aware of the episode. The United Nations says the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war, but it calls the amount of 160 to 200 trucks a day "hardly enough."

Aid trucks arrive at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip November 24, 2023. Ibraheem Abu Mustafa | Reuters

It was able to deliver fuel for the first time since the war began, and to reach areas in the north for the first time in a month. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said 50 Egyptian aid trucks crossed through Israeli checkpoints to reach Gaza City and northern areas Sunday.

Hamas commander killed
The Fearless Girl statue facing the Charging Bull sculpture in the Financial District of New York, U.S., on Wednesday, March 8, 2017.

Representatives for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Michael Dell and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, other companies Gerstner cited in a recent CNBC interview as being receptive to his pitch, did not respond to email requests for comment.

Rich Barton, co-founder and chief executive of Zillow , said it's a "no-brainer" for his company to fully support and match the type of program Gerstner is proposing. "A 401(k)-style investment account from birth seems like a great way to tackle the growing divide around financial literacy and wealth," he said in an email. "It is a small investment to help parents achieve more peace of mind."

About 96% of companies that offered a 401(k) plan in 2022 made planned matching contributions to workers' retirement savings, according to a survey by the Plan Sponsor Council of America, a trade group. "We expect that corporate matching to Invest America accounts would be very widespread," Gerstner said.

Historically, companies generally haven't done much to ensure the financial well-being of employees' children. But that could be changing, amid souped-up efforts by companies to attract and retain talent with benefits that support employees across multiple facets of their lives.

"The vision is simple that corporations would include an Invest America match of $1,000 into the Invest America account of children of their employees," Gerstner, founder and chief executive of Altimeter Capital, said in an email. "We have talked with companies ranging from Zillow to Dell to Uber and, subject to details, the response has been overwhelmingly positive," he said.

Gerstner been working with lawmakers to promote a legislative program known as Invest America that would create an investing account seeded with $1,000 for each child that's born in the U.S., but it's still too early in the process to publicly name supporters. He's aiming, however, to have legislation passed before the next presidential election. At the same time, he's working with corporate America to encourage businesses to offer matching funds to help employees further their savings.

Government-funded investment accounts for children could be on the horizon, and if tech investor Brad Gerstner has his way, corporate America will match the funds. The effort, which is still in the early stages, could prove highly beneficial for companies and their employees.

Getting any federal legislation passed in Washington, D.C., is challenging, including the effort to find larger legislative vehicles with momentum to attach individual ideas to, but here's a primer on what a matching program could look like and how companies could benefit if Invest America proves to have legs on Capitol Hill.

Why companies would fund another employer match

Especially among fast-growing companies, there's a growing need to offer competitive benefits that touch on areas that haven't traditionally been addressed, and some of which extend the age range of what is typically covered, said Trish Costello, chief executive at Portfolia, a venture investing platform designed for women.

She offers the example of the recent move by companies to offer menopause assistance. This and other new benefits are being established  and expected by employees  and this extends to benefits that can positively impact their children, she said. "Once you get a couple of companies providing these benefits, you can get a very quick expansion into this," Costello added.

Not only are parents worried about their own financial health, but they are also worried about the next generation being able to afford things like school, housing and their own retirement, said Lynne Vincent, associate professor of Management at Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management. Matching an investment account for employees' children could be another option for companies to show they care about and support employees and their families, she said.

"If companies are a part of that solution, that makes us feel a lot better about where we are working and about the future," Costello said.

How corporations could benefit from a tax perspective

Certainty, there can be tangible  and intangible  benefits to companies that participated in a matching program. For instance, the government would have to provide tax incentives to companies that would presumably function similarly to how deductions are handled for 401(k) contributions, said Jeffrey Sharp, executive vice president at HUB International, a global insurance broker that provides employee benefits, and other products and services.

Someone with $1,000 in her account at birth could expect a balance of about $107,000 by age 67, provided the portfolio grew at an annualized rate of 7%, according to CNBC Make It's compounding interest calculator. With a company match, a $2,000 investment could grow to around $215,000, under the same conditions. The outcome could be even more beneficial if parents contribute additional funds.

Aside from the tax benefit, a matching program could create a brand bump, especially for early adopters, Sharp said. And there are other potential benefits. Employees may be less likely to leave a company they feel cares about them and their family.

"They will feel that sense of loyalty, obligation and commitment to your organization because you have shown that loyalty to them," Vincent said.

What's more, happier and more financially stable employees are known to be better employees, said Joseph Doerrer, vice president of wealth planning at Mezzasalma Advisors, which provides tax, accounting and wealth management services.

Criticism of the Invest America plan

To be sure, Gerstner's plan is not without critics. Some note there are already ways for parents to invest on behalf of their children, including custodial brokerage accounts and 529 accounts, though these are not taken out of payroll as a 401(k) is. And while a match on an investment account could be a good selling point as a way to attract talent, it's not necessarily a slam dunk for companies, said Robert Kelley, distinguished service professor of management at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business.

Companies would have to consider the advisability of paying for this type of benefit that not all employees could take advantage of. They might decide, for instance, they'd be better off upping their 401(k) match so more employees could benefit.

It's one thing to offer something like pet insurance that not all employees can use, but it's another thing to pay for it, Kelley said. Of course, companies already pay for benefits such as free back-up day care, scholarship programs, and student loan repayment, that not employees can take advantage of, but it would certainly be a consideration, should the program come to fruition, Kelley said.

Costello said she thinks it may be more of a challenge to get the government to sign on to the idea than it would be to get companies to agree to a match. And, of course, there are still many particulars to work through, such as will these accounts be portable? How will parents be discouraged or prevented from tapping their children's funds? And might there be rules on what the funds could be used for and when?

It's possible some of the framework could be similar to what's been proposed by Massachusetts Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, also a Democrat, in the February reintroduction of the American Opportunity Accounts Act legislation that would create a federally-funded savings account for every American child.

It could be years before the investment account system envisioned by Gerstner could be implemented, Sharp said, but he added, "that doesn't mean we shouldn't work on it now. You've got to start somewhere."
Visoot Uthairam | Moment | Getty Images

There is more pain to come in the office real estate market across the U.S., with maturing debt needing to be refinanced and a wave of expiring leases, but there is also what may seem at first brush to be a counter-intuitive message being sent to top tier companies by real estate intelligence company CoStar Group : prepare for an office space shortage. You read that right: amid a commercial real estate market across U.S. downtowns being described in apocalyptic terms, CoStar sees a shortage on the horizon, with one key caveat for top companies to bear in mind. The more office real estate that disappears  an estimate recently given to CNBC by the CEO of major bondholder TCW Group forecasts up to one-third of office real estate still to be wiped out  the more the major players in the market will be vying for the top tier of Class A commercial space. Add to that the fact that more companies are headed back to an in-office reality closer to pre-pandemic expectations, and competition may be hotter than the weaker end of the market suggests. CoStar's call of an upcoming office space shortage is predicated on a look at the current data on leasing and construction activity compared to recent market history. As office occupiers scrutinize their footprints more carefully, and in the months ahead leases that were executed before the pandemic continue to approach expiration, newly constructed buildings aged 0-3 years are proving to be the winners. They have attracted over 175 million square feet of net new occupancy since the beginning of 2020, an average of 12.7 million square feet per quarter. By comparison, the quarterly average from 2011-2019 for similar properties was 11.7 million square feet. From 2008-2010, during the Great Recession, the quarterly average was 13.6 million square feet. "Modern, premium office space remains in demand, just as it has historically, even during difficult economic times," said Phil Mobley, national director of office analytics at CoStar Group.

Google's mixed-use campus on New York's Hudson River that opened in 2022 includes a two-acre rooftop and public gathering spaces. Photos courtesy of Google

And the supply will increasingly not be there to support the demand. Currently, buildings aged 0-3 years comprise 2.4% of office inventory in the U.S. While that is in line with the average from 2015-2019, Mobley says construction has slowed dramatically. Less than 30 million square feet has broken ground in 2023, making this year the lowest for construction starts since 2011. Today, there is about 200 million square feet of office space in buildings aged 0-3 years, but that figure will be under 150 million by early 2026 and under 100 million by the middle of 2027. At that point, it will represent only about 1% of inventory. Even in the aftermath of the Great Recession in 2013-2014, buildings aged 0-3 years never represented less than 1.3% of inventory. "The very type of space that tenants have historically demanded most  even during recessions  will be in short supply," Mobley said.

watch now

This isn't to say there won't be more headlines about trophy buildings being sold at discounted values. But those transactions also mean that now is a time when tenants are getting good deals. The number of new lease transactions is higher this year on a quarterly basis than the 2015-2019 period. Deals are smaller in square footage  which explains why overall market vacancy is up  and expiring leases are part of the reason for the uptick, too. Still, the deals are "highly concentrated" in the premium space, Mobley said. Meanwhile, landlords of iconic, trophy buildings are offering sweeteners, from bigger contributions to custom buildouts to the number of months offered rent-free. It's not clear how long that will last, though. As more top buildings are sold at depressed values, investors mark down the value of property holdings, and bonds go bad, new owners can make their finances work with attractive terms to tenants. But for building owners who will need to refinance in the near-term, that game is ending. Case in point: a recent deal for the City of Los Angeles to occupy multiple floors in the iconic Gas Co. Tower, a deal which would have comprised 11% of new quarterly leasing activity in the market, was rejected by bondholders. Billionaire real estate investor Jeff Greene explained his bet on new towers in West Palm Beach, amid the correction he sees coming for much commercial real estate in the next two years, in the following way during a recent CNBC interview: "There will just be office buildings with no tenants whatsoever in markets where brand new building will get the tenants.  Some of the older buildings just won't have any tenants at all, and if there's no tenant at all for a prolonged period of time, that paper [the bonds] will be worth next to nothing." The U.S. housing market never recovered from the financial crash as measured by the inventory levels today, one factor responsible for pushing up home values across the country. But Mobley says there is a better parallel for the office space crash: the retail washout, which was overbuilt, and has not been built much since e-commerce disrupted the sector. While Class B malls are still sitting vacant, high-end "experiential" retail is not. "That's the parallel for office," Mobley said. CoStar estimates there is still over half of leases executed before 2020 set to expire. "As companies face these renewal decisions, they are now laser-focused on utilization," he said. That implies a world in which tenants may need less space, but as they continue to make the case for the world of work to return to pre-pandemic in-person collaboration, competition for the best square footage in the market is heading higher. For companies facing lease expirations that believe in the notion of the office as a tool to help maximize workforce effectiveness and, as a result, want to be in premium locations -- and not the 10-20 year-old iconic buildings but the newest properties  some of the best opportunities are now, Mobley said.
Jason Eaton, 48, was arrested for the shooting of three Palestinian students near the University of Vermont. (edited) New 9:48

The 48-year-old Vermont man charged with the shocking shooting of three Palestinian students was fired from his job as an investment adviser weeks before the attack, his former employer said Monday.

The suspect, Jason Eaton of Burlington is charged with attempted murder in connection with the shooting and wounding of the students as they walked near the University of Vermont on their way to a Thanksgiving dinner at one of their relative's homes.

"I've been waiting for you," Eaton told a federal agent as he answered the door at his Burlington, Vermont, on Sunday, according to court documents.

Eaton refused to identify himself to the agent, but did volunteer that there was a shotgun in the apartment, a court filing said.

Authorities had gone to Eaton's apartment as part of a general canvass by police of the neighborhood, not because he was already a suspect in the shooting of the three men, who are all aged 20, an official said at a press conference Monday.

Two of the men wearing keffiyeh scarves typically worn by Palestinians, and the trio was speaking a mix of English and Arabic as they walked, police said.

Eaton lives in an apartment building near the shooting scene.

A search by police of Eaton's apartment later found a Ruger .380-caliber pistol and ammunition that matched the brand of shell casings found at the shooting scene on Saturday night in Burlington. That gun was purchased by him earlier this year, cops said.

Eaton was ordered held without bail at his arraignment Monday in Chittenden County Court.

Eaton's lawyer said he was pleading not guilty to three counts of attempted murder in the second degree in the attack, which is being investigated as a possible hate crime.

A prosecutor said she wanted Eaton detained without bail pending trial. A hearing on that request will be held soon, a judge said.

Eaton, who has worked as both an investment adviser and a broker during his career, most recently worked in Vermont for CUSO Financial Services from January to November this year, according to records maintained by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

"Jason Eaton worked less than a year at CUSO Financial and his employment had been terminated on Nov. 8," a spokesperson for the company told CNBC.

"We are horrified by the shooting, and are cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate," the spokesperson said.

The company declined to say why Eaton was fired from his job.

Before CUSO, Eaton worked for Ameritrade in Fayetteville, New York from May 2019 through March 2021, and before that for about a year at Edward Jones in East Syracuse, New York, FINRA records show.
Mbabane  Following the tragedy which saw an unfinished wall collapse leading to loss of life and damage to cars, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is conducting an investigation.

This was said by the Principal Secretary (PS) in the ministry, Dr Simon Zwane. The incident occurred at Mhobodleni, a few kilometres from Manzini and the unfinished structure operates as a garage, which trades under the VW Specialists. The structure is a stones throw from the Mhlaleni-Nhlambeni road and is significantly visible as one drives on the said road.

loud banging sound

Eyewitnesses have said that they heard a loud banging sound and were shocked when they found that the concrete slab had curved inwards and fell on top of people and cars. The PS was engaged by this publication after questions were raised on the ownership of the land on which the collapsed structure is mounted. This publication gathered that the Municipal Council of Manzini had no control over the area where the structure collapsed. It was then gathered that the land is at Mhobodleni, a small area that the ministry announced was being developed into a township. The ministry did state some time ago that some homesteads were being rezoned to make way for the township. Besides Mhobodleni, the development is meant to cover other nearby areas, such as KaKhoza, Ndofaya and New Village. More than 100 homesteads have been demolished within the four areas, while some have been earmarked for demolition.

low-income earners

When the announcement was made, there was outcry due to the majority of the homesteads belonging to low-income earners, who claimed to have resided in their homesteads for over three decades. The affected homesteads were marked and surveyors, assigned by the Eswatini National Housing Board, assessed the value of the land.

collapsed structure

Worth noting, is that the collapsed structure is situated just a few metres away from where some plush houses that form part of the township have been constructed. This publication wanted to ascertain from the ministry, as to who exactly gave the green light for the structure to be constructed. Also, this publication wanted to ascertain if proper monitoring of the construction exercise was at any point done. This is because, for such structures, periodic inspections have to be conducted to ensure that the builders are following the plan accordingly.

Interviewed by the Times SUNDAY yesterday, Zwane said, The building that unfortunately collapsed is at Mhobodleni, which is under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. A full report on the circumstances that led to or contributed to this gross incident will be availed after a full investigation. He also clarified that the ministry was also verifying if the land is within the boundary of Mhobodleni or not. Also, he said the ministry would further ascertain if the structure itself met all the building requirements. Meanwhile, the family of the man who owns the garage was visited by this publication yesterday at Mhlaleni.

sitting under a tree

During the visit, some relatives were found sitting under a tree while the man, identified as Phinda Shongwe, was moving around next to the gate. Earlier on, he had agreed to meet this reporter to share information on the deceased. At the Shongwe homestead, about four relatives engaged this reporter and requested that Phinda be given a break, as he was not in the right state of mind. They pleaded that they be allowed to at least make a statement on the incident tomorrow, after they had met the relatives of the deceased. When this reporter tried to speak to Phinda, all that he said was, Kuyabhedza, which means, It is bad. This publication wanted to ascertain if they owned the structure and whether they had followed all the procedures in constructing it. A question was posed to one relative, who claimed to be an elder sister, on whether Phinda ran or rented the structure. In response, the family members told this reporter that they owned the structure. After that, they requested this reporter to give them a few minutes so they could ponder on what to say as a family regarding the loss of lives.

talk to the media

After they had met, they requested that an elder brother be the one to talk to the media, but he had left to look for the relatives of the deceased persons. A phone call was then made by the sister who, after a few minutes handed it over to this reporter to speak to the elder brother. Identifying himself as Trevor, the brother said as a family, they were in the dark about the two deceased persons but had taken the initiative to try and find their families. As we are talking right now I am all over the place trying to find the families of the deceased. This is a difficult moment for us to say anything, he said. Meanwhile, during a visit to the collapsed structure just before 1pm, this publication found no one, except for more than five cars that were parked both inside and outside. The parked cars included a white VW Polo, two Audi A4s and others.
It's no secret that most consumers in China haven't been in a mood to spend big. But what would get them to open their wallets is so far from reality that Jefferies analysts said Wednesday it's up to companies to find ways to grow on their own. The analysts' "random check" of consumers in mainland China found people said they'd spend more  if property prices or salaries rose by 20% to 30%. Very unlikely, given that home prices fell in October and the word on the street is more likely to be about layoffs than promotions. Alibaba confirmed Friday it is replacing the December version of its Singles Day shopping event with a promotion that simply translates as "year-end good price festival." Analysts generally say that for consumers in China today, daily essentials, rather than discretionary goods, are in. So are products perceived to be of high quality. That favors traditional Chinese brands Kweichow Moutai  the famed alcohol company  and Mengniu  a dairy products giant. Top picks Both are on Jefferies' top picks list for the China consumer in 2024. The analysts forecast 22% upside for Shanghai-traded Moutai from its close on Friday, and 60% in gains ahead for Hong Kong-listed Mengniu. The two companies are so large they're among the six Chinese businesses that made it into a list of the world's 50 largest consumer goods suppliers for 2022, according to an annual report from OC & C Strategy Consultants released Wednesday. Nestle, PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble held the top three spots, in descending order. "Chinese spirits player Moutai drove gains in revenue and profits by focusing on direct to consumer," OC & C said in a release. "They launched a new dedicated app to expand its reach, resulting in direct sales more than doubling in size and accounting for 40% of total revenues." In addition to being a staple at business dinners in China, Moutai has tried to branch out with co-branding in chocolate, ice cream and coffee. Jefferies' other top picks to play the China consumer next year include: Miniso , a U.S.-listed retailer of low-cost home goods and toy s, with projected upside of more than 30% from Wednesday's close. China Pet Foods, a Shenzhen-listed pet food exporter that's poised to capture a growing domestic market, with forecast upside of more than 20% from Friday's close. Gongniu, a Shanghai-listed hardware store operator  with "no exposure to property and exports"  and predicted upside of about 30% from Friday's close. It's generally been a tough year for domestic and international brands alike in China, despite some market share gains by homegrown brands, which are often lower-cost. P & G management said in an earnings call in October the total market volume for China  it's largest market outside North America  has been "down over the past few quarters between 7% and 9%," according to a FactSet transcript. But the company said it expected the Chinese market to "to return to mid single-digit growth" in coming periods. P & G and many analysts are quick to point out the longer-term growth potential of China's hundreds of millions of new middle class households. "China's consumer sector is staged for a steady uptrend trend with compelling demographics from the middle-income earners. People have more money and want to spend on things that bring them joy," said Andy Mantel, a longtime investor in China and CEO of Hong Kong-based Pacific Sun Advisors. However, he expects Chinese consumer brands' global expansion will be limited by trade restrictions, while the domestic market is big enough for the companies to grow. On top of slowing growth, it's increasingly a tough market to crack. The gap between winners and losers is widening, McKinsey's Daniel Zipser said in a report Friday. The firm analyzed 80 publicly-listed consumer companies with a majority of revenue from mainland China. About 20 of the companies saw double-digit growth in revenue  while about 10 saw double-digit declines, the study found. "Success appears to be linked to innovation in brand launches and business models, and quick, agile responses to changing market and consumer dynamics," said Zipser, senior partner in Shenzhen for McKinsey and leader of its Asia consumer and retail practice. "Factors such as high-quality products, premium branding, and rapid, insights-driven responses to market changes will continue to be key success indicators," he said.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
A Red Cross vehicle, as part of a convoy believed to be carrying hostages abducted by Hamas militants during the October 7 attack on Israel, arrives at the Rafah border, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, as seen from southern Gaza Strip November 24, 2023.

The Israeli Prime Minister's office confirmed that 17 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were released on Sunday, including four-year-old Israeli-American Abigail Mor Edan.

The Prime Minister's office said that 14 of the individuals were Israeli citizens, while the other three were foreign nationals. The office published the following list of names of the 14 Israeli citizens:

Abigail Edan, 4 years old

Alma Avraham, 84 years old

Aviva Adrian Siegel, 62 years old

Ron Cariboy, 25 years old

Hagar Brodetz, 40 years old

Ofri Brodetz, 10 years old

Yuval Brodetz, 8 years old

Uriah Brodetz, 4 years old

Chen Goldstein Almog, 48 years old

Agam Goldstein Almog, 17 years old

Gal Goldstein Almog, 11 years old

Tal Goldstein Almog, 8 years old

Dafna Elikim, 15 years old

Ella Elikim, 8 years old

The release on Sunday, the third day of the four-day military pause, brings the total number of freed hostages to 41. Fifty Hamas hostages are due to be freed over the four days under the terms of an agreement between Israel and Hamas. In the first two days of the temporary cease-fire, 24 hostages were released from Gaza in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Edan is among three Americans that the U.S. believes will be released during this four-day cease-fire.

Edan, the youngest of the American hostages, turned four years old while in captivity this past week. She was orphaned on Oct. 7, the day of Hamas' brutal terror attack when the group kidnapped roughly 240 hostages from Israel and killed an estimated 1,200 people, including both of Edan's parents. The Oct. 7 attack triggered a counteroffensive from Israel that has killed an estimated tens of thousands in Gaza.

"She's free and she's in Israel now," President Joe Biden said at a Sunday press conference following the announcement of the third release. "Those who are wrapping Abigail in love and care and the supportive services she needs, she's been through a terrible trauma."

"There are no words to express our relief and gratitude that Abigail is safe and coming home," said Liz Hirsh Naftali and Noa Naftali, Edan's great aunt and cousin. "We have to keep pushing. We will continue to stand with the families of all the hostages still held captive."
The American Red Cross has long been recognized as the universal symbol of humanitarian services and it's an expensive operation.



In 2022, the American Red Cross generated more than $3.2 billion in operating revenue and spent just over $3 billion in expenses the same year, according to its financial statements.

Contributions only make up about a third of the organization's revenue.

"It's really sort of the charity of choice," according to Jake Johnston, a senior research associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. "When the White House starts raising money, when the big corporations, the NFL, Hollywood A-listers are raising money for the aftermath of a disaster, it's most likely targeted toward the American Red Cross."

But the majority of its revenue, just over $1.8 billion, comes from what its financial statements refer to as "Biomedical services."

"The American Red Cross essentially collects blood from donors and then as part of the way it raises revenue to recover costs, then sells that blood to about 2,500 hospitals and medical facilities across the country," said Laurie Styron, CEO and executive director of CharityWatch.

When CNBC inquired about the pricing of these products, the American Red Cross responded that "prices for a unit of red blood cells is proprietary information. The pricing is determined by purchase volumes by blood type, service levels, and delivery requirements as well as other agreed upon terms with a hospital."

The American Red Cross further clarified that it "does not charge for the blood itself" but is "reimbursed by hospitals and transfusion centers for the costs associated with providing blood products."

A majority of the American Red Cross' operating expenses, just over $2 billion, is also spent on collecting blood, according to its financial statements. That's about $139 million more than the revenue it collects from selling the blood.

Michael Thatcher, CEO of Charity Navigator said, "drawing blood is actually a medical intervention that requires certain levels of certification by the people doing that work, the preservation of that blood, making sure that it stays clean and getting them to all these places. All of that costs money."

Watch the video above to see how the American Red Cross makes and spends its billions.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 26)  The government's defense and security cluster on Sunday expressed its support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s grant of amnesty to rebel groups.

In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the National Security Council (NSC) and the Department of National Defense (DND) welcomed the move and its contribution to efforts for maintaining lasting peace in the country.

We recognize these proclamations as significant steps towards national healing and peacebuilding. By providing a path for former rebels to return to the fold of the law, the national amnesty program contributes to the overall stability and unity of our nation, the PCO quoted the NSC as saying, adding that they look forward to the "positive impact" of the decision.

The granting of amnesty offers an invaluable opportunity for our brothers and sisters to transform their lives, avail of government services, and rejoin their families and communities, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro was quoted as saying.

On Friday, Marcos issued several proclamations that gave amnesty to members of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

The amnesty covers crimes committed "in pursuit of their political beliefs, but does not include several acts such as kidnap for ransom, massacre, rape, and terrorism, among others.

For Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner, the amnesty would bring an end to hostilities and open the door for more lasting peace, the PCO said.

The AFP is confident that the administrations grant of amnesty will promote an atmosphere conducive to the attainment of a just, comprehensive and enduring equanimity as we collectively address other pressing challenges to our country, he added.

Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez and the Bangsamoro government also issued statements of support.

Meanwhile, National Amnesty Commission chairperson Leah Tanodra-Armamento said the NAC would speed up the processing of the applications of the elderly and those already in detention.

The MILF also welcomed the amnesty grant, saying it would allow former MILF combatants to get a new lease on life.

MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim added their priority "is to ensure that the agreements in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) are mutually honored, substantially implemented, and timely completed.

The MILF said, as stated in the CAB, the government should use amnesty and pardon among other processes to resolve the cases of those "charged with or convicted of crimes and offenses connected to the armed conflict in Mindanao."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 26)  Gelienor Jimmy Pacheco, the Filipino hostage released by militant group Hamas, may return to the Philippines before Christmas, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said Sunday.

Pacheco, 33, was among the first batch of 24 hostages released by Hamas after it initiated a truce with Israel. The Filipino caregiver went missing on Oct. 7, the day the militants launched a surprise attack on the Middle Eastern nation.

READ: Filipino among hostages freed by Hamas

"We expect that he will be flying home shortly before Christmas at the latest. He is still recovering, of course, he has a lot of emotional trauma," de Vega said.

"Chine-check siya sa ospital. Kung ma-clear na siya [He's being checked at the hospital. If he is cleared] medically and say he wants to go home next week, he can go home," he added.

Pacheco and his family were promised lifetime social security benefits and regular stipends from the Israeli government.

The Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration also said it would provide Pacheco with financial, medical, transportation, and accommodation support; and even school assistance for his three children.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 26)  The Kalayaan Grounds of Malacanang Palace were turned into a playground on Sunday as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led a national gift-giving program that aims to benefit over 17,000 children.

Now on its second year, the Balik Sigla, Bigay Saya program is an initiative of the Office of the President through the Office of the Social Welfare Secretary. It is supported by private partners, including Jollibee Foods Corporation and San Miguel Corporation, the Palace said.

During the event, Marcos again remembered his childhood and the Christmas gatherings that his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, organized.

"Noong kasing tanda ko lang kayo, maliit din ako noon, yung tatay ko isang presidente dito. Kaya bawat Pasko, ganito ang aming ginagawa dito," he said.

[Translation: When I was your age, when I was also small, my father was president here. We would do this every Christmas.]

Ngayon lamang, siyempre high tech na tayo, hindi lang dito sa Palasyo nagkakaroon ng maligayang Pasko at gift giving na ating gagawin ngayon, kundi sa iba't-ibang lugar sa Pilipinas para naman lahat ng ating kabataan ay makaramdam ng Pasko, he added.

[Translation: This time, because we have advanced technology, the Palace is not the only place where we can experience a merry Christmas and gift giving. We can now do it in many places, so that all the children can feel Christmas.]

Food booths and play areas were placed on the Kalayaan Grounds. A band and choir performed Christmas songs, and the event was streamed to the satellite centers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

"Christmas is really about the children, and we always have a merry Christmas when the children have a good Christmas... We are just so happy. Ito ang ibig sabihin ng Christmas spirit [This is what the Christmas spirit means], Marcos said.

The president also said the gift-giving event was a good break from his routine as he can make children happy.

"Ito ay malaking kaibahan sa ginagawa namin araw-araw na seryosong trabaho. Ito, puro katuwaan, puro saya, he said.

[Translation: This is a big difference compared to the serious work that we do every day. This is pure fun.]

Marcos also commended all workers who take care of children.

Maraming salamat dun sa mga tumulong sa mga bata, those who are taking care of these children. We have to say kami, we take care of the children only kapag Pasko, kayo nandiyan kayo all year round, every year, he said.

[Translation: To those who help and take care of children, thank you very much. We have to say that we take care of children only during Christmas, but you are always there for them all year round, every year.]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 26)  Poll technology provider Smartmatic hit back at its critics and asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) anew to dismiss the petition for its disqualification from the bidding for the new automated election system.

"The petitioners' clear objective is both political, attempting to delegitimize the government, and commercial, supporting Smartmatic competitors," Smartmatic said in a statement on Saturday.

"These claims are unfounded, presented as facts but lacking any evidence. The petitioners have not demonstrated a single vote discrepancy," it added.

In June, former Information and Communications Technology Secretary Eliseo Rio, former Comelec Commissioner Augusto Lagman, Franklin Ysaac, and Leonardo Odono filed a petition calling for a review of the qualifications of Smartmatic.

The petition cited alleged irregularities between the transmission logs and reception logs from the precinct level to Comelec's transparency server during the 2022 elections.

The seven-man Comelec en banc has yet to rule on the petition.

Despite the pending case, Smartmatic took part in the pre-bid conference for the new automated election system for the 2025 midterm elections.

During the Senate deliberations on Comelec's proposed 2024 budget, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said the owner of Smartmatic Philippines' mother company visited the country and met with "a camp of a candidate, an interested party."

The United Kingdom-based firm said that it is "hopeful" of Comelec's dismissal of its disqualification case as proof of "Smartmatic's adherence to the contract's provisions."

Smartmatic has been the Philippine's poll technology provider since 2010.

Comelec announced that at least five companies are expected to submit their bids for the P18-billion contract for the new automated election system.
MBABANE  The recent completion of the composition of Parliament and the announcement of Cabinet ministers has led to some of the members of the two arms of government experiencing downgrades in salaries.

Some of the members held high positions in government parastatals, while others were employed in the private sector. From the parastatals, the most notable one is Prince Lonkhokhelo, who previously held the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) and is now the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy following his appointment recently. Even though his contract was set to lapse in January next year, the prince earned around E150 000 as the CEO of the ENPF. The CEOs earn a maximum of E150 000 a month, while the less paid earn around E75 000 per month excluding other perks. In terms of the PEU (Public Enterprise Unit) Circular headlined Controls on pay packages of Category A Public Enterprises, a CEO of the ENPF is entitled to around E150 000 monthly salary.

The circular reflects that the highest-paid CEO in Category A public enterprises Group Five takes home E150 082.58 per month, while the entry point for CEOs in the Group Five category is E110 930.58 per month. Now that he is a Cabinet minister, the prince is entitled to about E72 398.58 and this is by Finance Circular No.2 of 2023, which details the terms and conditions of service of parliamentarians, designated office bearers of the 12th Parliament and the Attorney General (AG).

implementation

The circular states that the driver in the implementation of the salary structure is the civil service; hence the need to ensure that the terms and conditions of service for parliamentarians and designated office bearers are adequate to ensure the recruitment of suitably qualified people into Parliament; they remain fair in comparison to the civil servants; and in line with what the prevailing economic situation and will be sustainable going forward. The circular highlights that the terms and conditions of service for the politicians have been developed at a time when the country was faced with a combination of domestic, regional and global challenges. However, the circular states, that due care has been taken to ensure that the remuneration framework, as developed, recognises that it is important to appoint into political office competent nationals so that the country could benefit from their expertise in pursuit of its development and growth agenda.

It is mentioned that the framework also recognises that a career in politics is a calling and a privilege, therefore, while it is important to pay competitive salaries in recognition of their skills and competencies, it is equally important to balance this against what the country can afford. It should be noted that while in other instances a consideration is made that appointed individuals, who worked in government, are not made worse off by their new responsibility; it does not apply when they were employed in parastatals. The circular stipulates that the salaries of all parliamentarians, designated office bearers and the AG will be linked to those of the Civil Service through the Secretary to Cabinet for the duration of the 12th Parliament.

It is stated that the salary of the Secretary to Cabinet and Head of the Public Service will be used as a base, placing the basic salary of the prime minister (PM) at 50 per cent above that of the Secretary to Cabinet. All other parliamentarians, designated office bearers and the AG, salaries will be determined as a ratio of the PMs salary.

salary

Another member of the 12th Parliament, who is expected to receive a lesser salary than before is Senator Linda Nxumalo, who held the position of CEO at the Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) before being elected by Members of Parliament (MPs) into Senate. With the ETA being a Category A public enterprise Group II, Nxumalo earned about E144 000. Now that he is a senator, she is entitled to around E51 000. It should be noted, however, that her contract was also expected to lapse in the coming months. Appointed MP Prince Lindani is also believed to now earn less than what he received before his appointment by King Mswati III. He previously held the position of Economic Affairs Director at the Kings Office following his appointment by the King in 2020.

Worth mentioning is that the prince, who is a graduate of the military school in the United States of America and Sandhurst Royal Academy and holds a high rank in the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), is also expected to relinquish his position as a member of the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS). In his position as the Economic Affairs Director at the Kings Office, the prince is believed to have been earning more or less E100 000, but now that he is an MP, he is entitled to around E51 000. This publication tried to ascertain from the Kings Office if the princes appointment as an MP meant that he would no longer serve in the Kings Office. A response was provided by Kings Office Director of Communications Percy Simelane who said: Normal procedure is that when a person is appointed to another position from another responsibility, they are paid against the new post. Their replacements inherit their initial salaries. We are not aware of any amendments to this policy.

confirmed

Meanwhile, Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Bongani Nzima confirmed last week that the salary he will be paid will be less than what his previous employer paid him. Even though he did not state the amount, he mentioned that he was paid handsomely while based in Amernia before he returned to the country to join politics. He will now earn about E72 398.58, which the Cabinet ministers are entitled to as per the provisions of the circular. It should be noted, however, that besides the salaries, both the ministers and legislators are also entitled to allowances and other perks. The circular provides that the allowances are designed to ensure that the politicians are paid and reimbursed for costs properly incurred in the performance of their duties. For example, the circular stipulates that Cabinet ministers, presiding officers and the AG are eligible for a housing allowance of 25 per cent of their basic salary. The MPs, on the other hand, are eligible for a housing allowance of 10 per cent of their basic salary.

Furthermore, the circular provides that ministers may also be provided with government housing. These political office bearers may occupy, for official purposes, one government-owned residence. In such instances, they will not be eligible to claim housing allowance, the circular stipulates. Also, the politicians are entitled to a communication allowance, which is designed to assist them in communicating proactively about their work in furtherance of their parliamentary duties. In operationalising this provision, the government is expected to approach telecommunication service providers for negotiated cellular phone packages on behalf of all political office bearers and the AG. The contract packages come with a handheld device for all political office bearers and they are to be replaced every two and a half years by the service provider.

stipulates

Also included in the remuneration for the politicians is an entertainment allowance, whose purpose is to enable them to pay for refreshments and take clients or potential clients out for refreshments or meals. The circular stipulates that a non-accountable entertainment allowance is payable to parliamentarians, designated office bearers and AG. Where the parliamentarian or designated office bearer or AG are on official duty out of the country, they will use the corporate card issued by the government and such expenditure will be fully accounted for in terms of the guidelines approved by the government, the circular stipulates. It will not be the first time that politicians earn less than what they were paid in their previous positions. Former Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku once revealed that he took a pay reduction of about E130 000, when he left the United Nations (UN) to come back into the political arena of the country.
Hamas didnt answer your prayers; it answered Israels military pressure: Spokesperson scorns Irish PM

Ripping up the claim of Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar that nine-year-old hostage Emily Hand, kidnapped by Hamas, was merely a child who was lost has now been found and returned and that our prayers have been answered, Israeli spokesperson Eylon Levy clarified the reality: Hamas didnt answer your prayers. It answered Israels military pressure.

Leo Varadkar, the Indian-origin Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, has been slammed by Israel for his post on X that tried to gloss over the hostage crisis caused by Hamas. Photo courtesy: X/@LeoVaradkar

Varadkar, the Indian-origin Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, wrote a post on the social network X early this morning: This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered. Emily is of Irish-Israeli ethnicity.

Seeing how this post tried to gloss over the hostage crisis caused by the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, readers on X decided to provide some context. Responses on X to Varadkars post included the following: The terms lost and found are misleading. 8-year-old Emily was lost when she was kidnapped from a kibbutz by Hamas terrorists. She was found 50 days later when she was exchanged by Hamas for 3 Palestinian prisoners.

Less than an hour after Varadkar published his lost and found post, Levy responded: Emily Hand wasnt lost. She was brutally abducted by the death squads that massacred her neighbors. She wasnt found. Hamas knew where she was all along and cynically held her as a hostage. And Hamas didnt answer your prayers. It answered Israels military pressure.

Heaping scorn on Varadkar and his prayers, the Israeli spokesperson said in another X post: Without Israels military pressure on Hamas, which Ireland shamefully called something approaching revenge, little Emily Hand would still be a hostage of Hamas.

Get your filthy hands off our children.pic.twitter.com/U4KCHftC6V  Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) November 25, 2023

Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen also wrote a scathing post on X today, addressing Leo Varadkar: Mr Prime Minister, it seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check! Emily Hand was not lost; she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother. Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you @LeoVaradkar are trying to legitimize and normalize terror. Shame on you!
Singapore President Tharman accepts four offices in private capacity

Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratman, a noted economist with a degree from the London School of Economics, among others, has accepted four offices in private capacity, including the position of Member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum.

A file photo of Tharman speaking at a public event. A noted economist and former Senior Minister in the Singapore government, the Indian-origin leader won a landslide victory this year to become the President of Singapore. Screenshot courtesy: X/@Tharman_S

Universally known as Tharman, the Indian-origin Singapore president, who won a landslide election victory this year, accepted these positions following the Singapore national Cabinets advice.

According to a notification, which was first published in the Singapore Government Gazette (electronic edition) on November 24, 2023, at 6pm: It is notified for general information that, pursuant to Article 22Q of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore  (a) the Cabinet has advised the President that it is in the national interest for the President to accept and hold the offices mentioned in paragraph 2 in his private capacity for the periods specified opposite those offices; and (b) the President has concurred with the advice of the Cabinet and has accepted those offices in his private capacity for those periods.

The gazette listed the offices accepted by Tharman in his private capacity as:

1. Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Group of Thirty  24 November 2023 to 31 December 2027 (both dates inclusive)

2. Member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum  24 November 2023 to 23 August 2025 (both dates inclusive)

3. Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water  24 November 2023 to 30 June 2025 (both dates inclusive)

4. Co-Chair of the Advisory Board to the United Nations Human Development Report  24 November 2023 to 30 June 2024 (both dates inclusive)

Singapore President Tharman with World Bank President Ajay Banga at the recent Singapore Fintech Festival. Photo courtesy: Instagram/tharman.sg

During his wide-ranging career before winning the 2023 presidential elections, Tharman was the Deputy Prime Minister (and later Senior Minister) of Singapore, and held several Cabinet positions, including Minister of Finance.

He was also Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for 12 years and Deputy Chairman of GIC, Singapores sovereign wealth fund, among other eminent roles.
To: Accounting

From: David J. Lesar, CEO, Halliburton Energy Services

Subject: Profits



It has come to my attention that profits are not as high as they used to be. A few years ago, we were making more money. Now, not as much. I resent this.



At MBA school, I learned that it is good when more money comes in than goes out, and bad when the opposite happens. We want the first and not the second (please see chart).





Therefore, I am instituting a new corporate policy. From now on, add a zero to the end of all revenue figures, and remove the first digit from all expenditures. This should work long enough to allow us to make the last payments on our palace in that little country with the 11-year-old hookers and no extradition treaty with the U.S.





To: Donald Trump, CEO, The Trump Organization

From: Human Resources

Subject: The Glass Ceiling



Mr. Trump, for the last time, "The Glass Ceiling" is a metaphor for our company's systematic discrimination against the upward progress of women. We do not have, nor plan to build, an actual ceiling made of glass. In addition to posing a slew of architectural problems, it would require relocating all women to a separate floor.

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To: Board of Directors

From: Jeffrey R. Immelt, CEO, General Electric

Subject: The "Environment"



Gentlemen: Despite the fact that we save millions each year by storing improperly mixed lead paint in the Ohio River as opposed to disposal through expensive containers, those tree-hugging milksops at the EPA have decided to sue us, claiming that "rivers are not supposed to be flammable" and a bunch of other pseudo-scientific hogwash.



In technical terms, the "toxins" we "dump" in the river have been causing "cancer" in the inhabitants of the narrow patch of land stretching from Pennsylvania to Alabama . I called my friends on the state supreme court, and, legally speaking, tap water is not "drink at your own risk." Apparently, it's our fault if you're so lazy and stupid that you can't afford Perrier.



Luckily, we can afford some really top-notch lawyers, thanks in part to the two percent Corporate Benevolence Legal Defense Tax we levied on all wage-earning employees. The lawyers tell me not to worry. We didn't dump any poison in any rivers, it was those blue-collars in the factories. They should pay to have it cleaned up. Sounds fair to me.

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To: Human Resources

From: Rupert Murdoch, Chairman, News Corporation

Subject: Layoffs



The figures are in. If we let go of 30,000 employees, our stock price should rise four cents. That probably won't do much for the unsavory peons losing their jobs, but I'm sure they understand that the top executives, whose portfolios are heavily concentrated in company stock, must act in the best interest of the shareholders.



Nonetheless, this might come across as the "rich" getting "richer" at the expense of the "working class." I know, I know. This whole "class conflict in America " business is just a fabrication of the liberal media. Nevertheless, we still need to tell our news stations to make up a reason why half of Cincinnati is now unemployed. Maybe they all got cancer.

Immelt
MBABANE  Government has written off a tax debt for the Eswatini Television Authority (ESTVA) amounting to E113 million.

The decision was reportedly sanctioned by the Ministry of Finance. ESTVA owed the Eswatini Revenue Services (ERS) in Pay As You Earn (PAYE). It could not be ascertained whether management has been deducting money from salaries from staff to honour the PAYE tax obligations but ended up not remitting it. However, records indicated that employees were not honouring the statutory taxation obligation as the employer was not remitting money to the ERS. It must be said that it is the responsibility of the employer to remit the taxes to ERS in terms of the tax laws. ERS is under the Ministry of Finance. Nation Debtline says if a creditor writes off a debt, it means that no further payments are due. In addition, the balance should be set to zero on credit reference agency reports; the debt will be registered as a default on credit reference agency reports.

spillovers

Sources said ESTVA appeared to have benefitted from spillovers arising from the positive outcome of the negotiations on the University of Eswatini (UNESWA)s request for debt relief.

Arguably, the university is the first institution or entity to receive a huge PAYE debt relief. A total of E1.36 billion in respect of PAYE arrears was written off in March 2023. This write-off has seen a decline in current liabilities from E1.36 billion to E494.67 million by March 31, 2023. On the other hand, it has been learnt that ESTVA, a taxpayer-funded public enterprise, had debts amounting to E160.7 million by December 2022. The debts included outstanding statutory remittances and sundry creditors for the revenue services operations. It is said that the reduction in creditors to E66.3 million was due to the ministrys adjustment of the P.A.Y.E debt. Financials for ESTVA reveal that it received a subvention of E12.77 million for the quarter beginning from January to March 31, 2023, but the revenue service ended up getting E6.97 million. The Ministry of Finance deducted E5.8 million from ESTVAs subvention and remitted it to ERS for PAYE for the period of January 2023 to March 31, 2023.

questionnaire

Notably, the public enterprises internal income generating streams are TV licences and advertising sales. The company was able to raise E22.3 million in TV licences and other related incomes, while advertising sales and programme sponsorships contributed a sum of E1.4 million. Nomcebo Malinga, the Senior Communications and Branding Officer for ESTVA, acknowledged and welcomed the questionnaire as forwarded by this publication. She said they were unable to respond to the questionnaire at that moment, owing to the short time frame.

We will, however, forward a comprehensive response once all the relevant offices have been contacted, Malinga said. The public enterprise had been asked two questions  how has this clemency helped ESTVA as a public enterprise and what led ESTVA to have such a huge debt?

Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg was also asked some questions on the debt relief: Honourable minister, does this not affect government revenue since UNESWA also had its debt cancelled? Rijkenberg responded: ERS is still on target to collect the budgeted E13 billion for the year. Vusi Norman Dlamini, Director Marketing Communications, said ERS could only comment on such matters when it has been mandated to do so by the Ministry of Finance. An economist, who preferred to remain anonymously, said such debt reliefs were discriminatory because the private sector was not given such clemencies. He said it was wrong of government to cancel its companies debts. He said it was an unfair practice that should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

interest-bearing

South African Government amended its debt-relief terms for struggling state power utility Eskom so that loans to the company would be interest-bearing rather than interest-free, the National Treasury said at a mid-term budget review. In February, the treasury said the SA Government would take on E254 billion of Eskoms debt over the medium-term, with strict conditions. These included that the advance funding would take the form of an interest-free subordinated loan from the National Revenue Fund to be settled in Eskom shares rather than cash. ESTVA is a broadcaster established in 1983 through an Act of Parliament. It owns the Eswatini TV. Before it was established by the Act of Parliament, it was known as the Swaziland Television Broadcasting Corporation (STBC). It is not only ESTVA and UNESWA that received joy, it has been learnt that the Eswatini Nazarene Health Institutions (ENHI) also had its PAYE debts written off in March 2023. It is not clear how much money was owed by ENHI in PAYE. It has to be said though that the Public Enterprise Unit (PEU) observed a robust statement of financial position after the debt cancellation.

write-off

PAYE arrears recorded prior to April 1, 2022 were cancelled and the write-off was reportedly a huge relief to the ENHI as it cancelled out the accumulated deficit that was incurred since March 31, 2013. Though the amount of the debt has not been ascertained, the Times SUNDAY can reveal that the deficit for ENHI stood at E327 818 289 (E327.818 million) by December 31, 2022. Observably, the deficit sharply decreased to E119 363 417.00 by March 31, 2023. It decreased by E208.5 million. This is not to say ENHI owed ERS a sum of E208.5 million in PAYE.

auditors

PricewaterCoopers (PwC), acclaimed international auditors with a presence in Eswatini, says income tax is levied on all income derived from a source within or deemed to be within the country, irrespective of whether its recipient is actually a resident in Eswatini.
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Ever since the EU referendum in 2016, people have talked a lot about 'Brexit Britain'. But where exactly is this fabulous-sounding country? I don't feel like I live in it. Yes, thanks to the votes of 17.4 million Britons, this country is no longer a member of the European Union. Yet the brutal truth is that we are not the free, unshackled, ocean-going nation those voters dreamt we would become.

More than seven years after the largest voting bloc in Britain's history said adios to Brussels, we haven't Got Brexit Done.

Two stories last week were concrete proof. First, the shocking figures from the Office for National Statistics which showed that net migration over the past two years was 1.3 million.

Second, Britain will have handed nearly 24 billion in post-Brexit payments to Brussels by April next year, according to Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts.

Also, Northern Ireland remains shackled to the EU, while all of the UK continues to be wrapped up in that Brussels-created red tape which we have repeatedly been told would be thrown on to a bonfire.

More than seven years after the largest voting bloc in Britain's history said adios to Brussels, we haven't Got Brexit Done, writes BRENDAN O'NEILL

Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement, in which he cut the headline National Insurance rate by 2p and delivered the biggest tax cuts since the 1980s, was a good start

The PM could do well to heed the advice of Brexit champion Boris Johnson

The former prime minister wrote in yesterday's Daily Mail that those who claim the rocketing migration figures show that Brexit is a 'dud' are 'talking out of the backs of their necks'

Suffice to say, combined with the colossal scale of current taxation, this does not feel like the Britain that we were promised by the Conservatives.

Yet, with an Election looming, as far as economic policy is concerned, it seems the Government is finally knuckling down.

Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement, in which he cut the headline National Insurance rate by 2p and delivered the biggest tax cuts since the 1980s, was a good start.

This was a clear sign that Tory Ministers have started to recognise traditional economic values.

So isn't it time, too, for them to start addressing a proper Brexit?

Rishi Sunak, who campaigned for Leave in 2016, should start mending broken Brexit with the same aplomb.

Beginning with immigration.

The PM could do well to heed the advice of Brexit champion Boris Johnson, who wrote in yesterday's Daily Mail that those who claim the rocketing migration figures show that Brexit is a 'dud' are 'talking out of the backs of their necks'.

The fact is that following the Brexit vote, which was in part a call for a saner, more slimline immigration policy, migrant numbers exploded to 745,000 last year. That compares with the period from the late-1990s and throughout the 2000s when Britain's net annual migration figure was generally less than 250,000.

The Tories' 2019 General Election manifesto promised a 'firmer and fairer Australian-style points-based immigration system' which prioritised people with a good grasp of English, who had been law-abiding in their own country and with a good education and qualifications.

Yet since the Tories were voted back into power, the requirements have been watered down. All that is needed to come to the UK is an offer of employment at a minimum salary of 26,200 (that's 20 per cent below the country's average salary) and a basic English-speaking ability.

The British people voted for Brexit to take back control of our borders  and, technically, we now are. The unelected eurocrats in Brussels can no longer dictate our immigration policy. We're free of their rules on freedom of movement.

And yet control of our own territory still eludes us.

The small-boats crisis sums this up. It is thought that 104,000 illegal immigrants have landed on our shores in the five years since 2018. Immigration is clearly 'far too high', wailed Downing Street officials in response to the rising figures  as if the Tories haven't been running the country for 13 years.

It is thought that 104,000 illegal immigrants have landed on our shores in the five years since 2018

It is patently clear now that the lack of control over our borders was not only down to the interfering policy-making of the EU, but, crucially, also due to the ineptness and lack of willpower among our rulers.

The Whitehall Blob and the judiciary seem set on thwarting attempts to deal with the problem such as the policy to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda.

We don't have control of our own money, either.

The 'Brexit divorce deal' means we are still pumping far too much of families' hard-earned money into the Brussels machine.

As part of the Leave deal, the Government agreed to pay the bloc an astonishing 40 billion by 2057.

The 24 billion paid by next April is the same amount of money that could have been used to cut income tax by at least 3p or spent on improving our national infrastructure and public services. If that's 'control', I would hate to know what submission feels like.

Regretfully, these are only a couple of the ways in which Brexit feels unfulfilled.

Can we even describe 'Brexit Britain' as a truly sovereign nation when a huge swathe of the kingdom  Northern Ireland  is still in the EU's single market for goods? This has created an effective goods border in the Irish Sea. It means certain EU laws still pertain to Northern Ireland.

And where is the promised 'bonfire of the red tape'?

Ministers said that by the end of this year, the 4,000 EU laws still on Britain's statute book would automatically expire.

But in May they backtracked. The Government 'watered down' the timetable for liberating Britain from Brussels-made law. This includes the widely hated EU directive from 2000 which mandated the use of the metric system in most areas - with the notable exceptions of pints in pubs and miles on road signs.

Only 800 of those 4,000 laws are expected to have been scrapped by the end of this year. Which means that seven years after the Brexit revolt, we still live under legislation drawn up by eurocrats we never voted for, in an institution we voted to leave.

Last year the Government trumpeted its Brexit 'successes' in a report called The Benefits of Brexit. The sad reality, however, is that many of those things haven't been achieved.

We will 'no longer pay EU budget contributions', it declared.

But we are.

We have 'taken back control of our borders', it said.

But we haven't.

We will 'capitalise on our regulatory freedoms' by rethinking 'retained EU laws', it insisted.

But now we are retaining those EU laws. Thousands of them.

We were told we would become a high-seas free-trading nation, in the mould of New Zealand, Australia, Singapore. Have we?

And what about taking advantage of having escaped the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy by introducing policies to bolster the security of our country's farmers and fishermen?

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch embodies the spirit of a proper Brexit better than many of her colleagues by striking up trade deals from Florida to South Korea

Admittedly, there have been some positive signs of a proper Brexit being addressed. Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch embodies that spirit better than many colleagues by striking up trade deals from Florida to South Korea.

That's a potential blueprint for a true Brexit Britain. A Britain that relishes the liberty of leaving the EU. Which embraces the new freedom we have to make our own laws, determine our immigration policy, and trade with the world as we see fit.

Let me be clear: none of this means the Remoaners were right and that Brexit was always 'impossible'. No, what it shows is that, sadly, for too long many in the political establishment have lacked the nerve to make good on the democratic promise of Brexit.

Brexit remains a brilliant idea. Now the rest of the Tories must show the same mettle that Mr Hunt did in his Budget, and deliver.
According to the late biographer and journalist, Anthony Holden, Ruth, Lady Fermoy was not without her flaws.

Or, to put is more frankly, she was, as he put it, 'the ghastliest woman I've come across in my researches'.

Whatever else she was, Diana's grandmother was a notably influential figure at court, a friend and confidante of the last Queen Mother, whose outlook had a profound influence on the future Princess of Wales.

It has been suggested that Lady Fermoy was among those conniving to bring about a dynastically beneficial but inappropriate marriage between her granddaughter and the future King - although this is something she denied.

Lady Ruth Fermoy was a talented pianist who studied with the greats, but is known today as the grandmother of Princess Diana and confidante to the Queen Mother. Biographer Anthony Holden described her as 'ghastly'

Diana, Princess of Wales, listens to her grandmother while future husband Prince Charles seems happy to check the odds at the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival in 1982

Edmund Maurice Burke Roche, Baron Fermoy and his much younger wife, Lady Fermoy, after a society wedding in May 1933

She certainly took an uncompromising view when her daughter, Frances, left Johnny Spencer and the family home, siding with Spencer, not Frances - and appearing in court to ram the point home.

Lady Fermoy was born Ruth Sylvia Gill in October 1908 to wealthy Scottish landowners Colonel William Smith Gill and his wife, Ruth.

It is believed that Lady Fermoy had Armenian and Indian heritage. During her youth, Ruth showed early promise as a pianist and studied under renowned French virtuoso and scholar Alfred Cortot at the Paris Conservatoire in the 1920s.

But her musical career came to a halt when she married the wealthy, and much older, Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy, on September 17, 1931 at St. Devenick's Church in Bieldside, near Aberdeen.

Together, Lord and Lady Fermoy had three children, including Frances - later to become Frances Shand Kydd - the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Lady Fermoy was known for her fastidious adherence to social rules and was a paraticularly firm believer in the sanctity of marriage.

This was so much so that when Johnny Spencer, then Viscount Althorp, sued for custody of Diana and her siblings in 1969, their grandmother supported him.

Lady Fermoy had left her husband for another man - and Spencer won.

Her royal connections began in 1956 when she was appointed 'Extra Woman of the Bedchamber' by the Queen Mother, who had lost her husband just four years before.

Lady Fermoy was introduced to the role through her own husband, who regularly went on shoots with King George VI but had passed away in 1955 .

The Queen Mother, as she was now known, was said to prefer for appointing widows like her to the household.

Promoted to 'Woman of the Bedchamber' in 1960, she held the post for the next 33 years.

Diana, her father-in-law Prince Philip and Princess Margaret are greeted by Lady Ruth, far left, in Scrabster, Scotland, in 1985

Lady Fermoy, far left, began her royal career in 1956 when she was appointed 'Extra Woman of the Bedchamber' by the Queen Mother, centre

Lady Fermoy would spend much time with the Queen Mother at Royal Lodge, as well as Clarence House.

Because of this it was widely speculated that the two women had 'set up' their respective grandchildren, the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.

When asked about it, however, Lady Fermoy remarked: 'You can say that if you like  but it simply wouldn't be true'.

She had reportedly advised her granddaughter against the union, in fact, saying, 'Darling, you must understand that their sense of humour and their lifestyle are different, and I don't think it will suit you.'

Diana's biographer Andrew Morton wrote that Diana had later realised that Lady Fermoy's advice had not been for her sake, but rather for that of Charles as she 'did not consider her an appropriate match for the future King'.

After her husband passed away, Lady Fermoy resumed her interest in the piano the piano, most notably with Josef Krips in 1950, and with Sir John Barbirolli in 1966.

She founded the King's Lynn Festival in 1951 and remained closely involved with the Festival for 25 years, persuading the Queen Mother to become its patron.

British conductor and cellist Sir John Barbirolli with Ruth, Lady Fermoy at King's Lynn in 1962

After her husband passed away, Lady Fermoy resumed her piano playing and founded the King's Lynn Festival. She is pictured here in 1963

She was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in June 1966 and a Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in June 1979.

Lady Fermoy died at her home at 36 Eaton Square, London, on July 6, 1993, aged 84.

It was reported that she was not on speaking terms with Diana following the 'War of the Waleses' as Lady Fermoy reportedly believed the couple should have remained together to avoid scandal.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, told The Times in 1996: 'Ruth was very distressed about Diana's behaviour.

'She was totally and wholly a Charles person, because she's seen him grow up, loved him like all the women at court do, and regarded Diana as an actress, a schemer.'

However, Morton claimed they made peace with one another shortly before the 84-year-old passed away.

Lady Fermoy was reintroduced to a global audience in Netflix's series: The Crown, with viewers meeting the teenage Diana along with her formidable grandmother who trains the future Princess in the run-up to her wedding.

Scottish actress Georgie Glen, best known for her roles in Waterloo Road and Call the Midwife, portrayed Lady Fermoy in The Crown's fourth season.

While it is unknown whether Lady Fermoy did give Diana any royal lessons, many assumed this considering her closeness to the Royal Family.

Anthony Holden once described Lady Fermoy as 'the ghastliest woman I've come across'

Royal relatives and godparents are amused at the antics of young Prince William, on Prince Harry's Christening day at Windsor Castle in December 1984. Lady Fermoy is sitting by the side of the Queen Mother, far left

Lady Fermoy died at her home at 36 Eaton Square, London, on July 6, 1993, aged 84

Her role in the life of Charles and Diana has come to the fore once again with the recent death of Anthony Holden, whose second biography of the future king, Charles in 1988 was the first to exposed the emptiness of his marriage to Diana.

In the book, he wrote, Diana 'has a husband who no longer understands her ? nor even, it seems, much likes her' - and insight that came some considerable time before Andrew Morton's Diana: Her True Story, blew the lid on the couple's miserable life.)

It provoked a storm, with friends of Charles denouncing Holden for peddling fantasies and one of his senior aides going public to describe the book, published on the Prince's 40th birthday, as 'fiction from beginning to end'.

Subsequent events, of course, would prove Holden entirely correct.
Generative AIs (GenAI) impact on businesses was discussed by experts in the second Tech Talk hosted by stc Bahrain, a world-class digital enabler.

The panel discussion shared insights on demystifying AI, sharing with business leaders giving practical advice as to how they can integrate AI into their company, as well as deal with potential risks for businesses seeking to embark on the AI journey.

As a digital enabler, stc Bahrain is leading the market with implementing the latest cutting-edge technologies to empower digital transformation in the kingdom. The company is an innovator in various fields including ICT, IoT, cloud, cybersecurity, fintech, insurtech and more  in an effort to spearhead advanced tech services and contribute to the digital economy.

After an introduction from stc Bahrain CEO Eng Nezar Banabeela, Rich Minford, Head of the Oil & Gas Sector at Palantir Technologies, moderated a Q&A panel that brought together the following experts such as Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa AlKhalifa, Chairman of BNET Bahrain; Abdulwahed AlJanahi, CEO of the Benefit Company; and Christelle Salame, Partner at Artefact Mena.

Various sectors

Among the various sectors represented in the audience and discussed in the panel, the finance, telecom, healthcare, energy, utilities, oil and gas, public sector, education and pharmaceutical industries were represented.

Banabeela said: We are honoured to be bringing together industry experts, business leaders, and influential speakers to share insights on GenAI and its impact on businesses in the years to come. We are confident that as we adapt these advanced technologies, we can prepare for a future that is filled with growth and prosperity, placing the Kingdom as a digital hub in the region.

The panelists shared insights on how to fit AI into a business vision, from analyzing the state of play in their respective sectors to identifying which departments in a company would be the best candidates for a first AI project.

Effective AI strategy

The speakers also discussed how to formulate an effective AI strategy - which types of companies should integrate it incrementally or test it on an ambitious project. Finally, the panel discussed the ethics of AI, its legal framework, and how to ensure a fair use of data.

The discussion closed on the limits of the technology and how a human element would still be needed in the future - such as translating of data into effective communication, with storytelling as an essential part of a robust AI strategy to make sure that the data can be used to achieve growth and results.--TradeArabia News Service
Sierra Leone's government said it was in full control on Sunday evening after reporting an attack at a military armoury in the capital Freetown that sparked armed clashes, which the president called an attempt to destabilise the state.

Authorities in the English-speaking West African country -- which has been going through a political crisis following elections in June this year -- have declared a national curfew until further notice.

President Julius Maada Bio said late Sunday that calm had been restored after what he described as an attempt to undermine peace and stability in the country.

"Most of the leaders have been arrested. Security operations and investigations are ongoing," Bio said on national television, adding that the government would "ensure that those responsible are held accountable".

An AFP journalist said calm was slowly returning to the capital by Sunday evening, but checkpoints heavily guarded by security forces remained in place.

The "government is in firm control of the security situation in Freetown, the attackers are retreating," information minister Chernor Bah earlier told AFP.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show men in uniform under arrest in the back or beside a military pick-up truck.

Earlier in the day, witnesses told AFP they heard gunshots and explosions in the city's Wilberforce district, where the armoury and some embassies are located.

Other witnesses reported exchanges of fire near a barracks in Murray Town district, home to the navy, and outside another military site in Freetown.

The information ministry reported attacks on prisons earlier in the day that obliged the security forces to retreat.

"The prisons were thus overrun" with some detainees released and others "abducted", it said.

Video posted on social networks suggested numerous prisoners had escaped from the central jail.

One man who was in a group filmed on the street by an AFP correspondent said they had escaped from the prison.

The information ministry said security forces had pushed the attackers to the outskirts of Freetown, with drone video taken by AFP showing empty streets in the capital.

The situation remained unclear with the authorities making no comments on the motives or identity of the attackers.

- 'Like a war' -

President Bio wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the government would "continue to protect the peace and security of Sierra Leone against the forces that wish to truncate our much-cherished stability".

"We remain resolute in our determination to protect democracy in Sierra Leone."

Regional bloc the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has contended with a series of coups among its members since 2020, issued a statement underlining "its zero-tolerance for unconstitutional change of government".

Echoing language used to condemn past coup attempts, ECOWAS spoke of its "utter disgust" over a "plot by certain individuals to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order".

The US embassy condemned on social media the bid to break into the armoury and offered continued support for those "working for a peaceful, democratic, healthy and prosperous Sierra Leone".

The European Union's local representation expressed concern and called for the respect of constitutional order.

Witness Susan Kargbo told AFP by telephone she was woken "by a loud sound of heavy machine gun (fire) and bombs coming from the Wilberforce barracks around 4:30 am.

"I was shocked and... the gunshots continued until this morning, it was like a war," she said.

- Attackers 'repelled' -

The government said those attempting to break into the armoury had been repelled but asked the public to stay at home while security operations continued.

The local representations of the UK and the European Union echoed the authorities' advice to stay at home.

The civil aviation authority said Sierra Leone's airspace remained open but asked airlines to reschedule their flights after the lifting of the curfew.

President Bio, who was first elected in 2018, was re-elected in June with 56.17 percent of the vote -- just over the 55 percent needed to avoid a run-off.

International observers condemned inconsistencies and a lack of transparency in the count, as well as acts of violence and intimidation.

The main opposition All People's Congress (APC) party disputed the results of the presidential, legislative and local elections on June 24 and boycotted all levels of government.

The APC and the government signed an agreement in October following talks mediated by the Commonwealth, the African Union and ECOWAS.

The APC agreed to end its boycott and begin participating in government in exchange for an end to detentions and court cases it said were politically motivated.

sb-lal/imm/acc/pvh
A pet owner has issued an urgent warning after being slapped with a 547 vet bill when her pups tries to eat a very popular festive treat.

Amanda Whyte, 48 from High Wycombe was horrified when she saw her black Labrador Lola, 11, and Jack Russell/Beagle-mix Spotty, seven  sniffing around crumbs on a plate of mince pies, which are toxic to dogs.

Her children had brought the sweet treats from school to kick off the Christmas season, and didn't realise the pooches could reach them.

'Christmas is expensive enough as it is,' she revealed.

'So getting a vet bill over 500 was not the gift I asked for. Thank goodness I had insurance.'

Amanda Whyte (pictured), 48 from High Wycombe was horrified when she saw her black Labrador Lola, 11, (also pictured) and Jack Russell/Beagle-mix Spotty, seven  sniffing around crumbs on a plate of mince pies, which are toxic to dogs

'What makes our story so calamitous is that we took both dogs to the vets when it was only the lab who ate them,' she admitted.

'Which cost us double whammy on an already stressful day.'

Amanda's insurance covered 397.

She paid 150 out of her own pocket to cover the emergency appointment which wasn't covered in the basic insurance plan, plus 50 in excess.

'I'm very responsible but these things happen, especially with a greedy Lab who is always eating random stuff,' she added.

Animal health influencer Cat Henstridge - known as Cat the Vet - has warned that owners must be made aware of the risks faced by their pets during Christmas.

Her children had brought the sweet treats from school to kick off the Christmas season, and didn't realise the pooches could reach them. Amanda pictured with Lola

Amanda described the incident as 'every dog owner's worst nightmare'. Pictured: Lola and Spotty

Why can't dogs have mince pies? According to Vets Now, mince pies are toxic to dogs because of the raisins often included in the filling. Along with grapes, sultanas and currants, these could lead to acute liver failure or even death for the pup. Some may even include chocolate or sugar substitute xylitol - both very toxic to dogs. Even the foil casing poses a choking hazard. If they eat a mince pie, symptoms to look out for are: vomiting and diarrhoea, wobbling, lethargy, lack of appetite, blood in the urine and increased drooling. Source: Vets Now Advertisement

'Households are full of festive food, plants and decorations that all pose dangers to dogs if eaten,' she explained.

'Having a handy guide on your fridge like the one MoneySuperMarket has provided is so useful, especially for guests who may not know the risks as they can sometimes be the culprits.

'No one wants their pet to be injured because of something avoidable  especially at such a busy and already expensive time of year, when the whole family should be having fun, not rushing to the vets.'

The price comparison site has also today revealed that UK dog owners are set to spend an estimated 91million, or more, this Christmas on emergency vet trips due to avoidable festive dangers.

A third of those surveyed by the company (33 per cent) have needed urgent medical care during the festive season, with chocolate (30 per cent), cheese (16 per cent) and turkey bones (14 per cent) being the biggest culprits

Despite these risks, 21 per cent of dog owners do not have pet insurance, with a third saying it's too expensive.

'Our research shows that some dog owners are opting out of insurance because of the cost,' Saarrah Mussa, pet insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said.

'But as we have seen from our survey, accidents happen, especially at Christmas when a mince pie, or box of chocolates could prove too tempting for your pet.

'Vet bills can quickly add up so if the worst happens, it's better to be covered.

The bill racked up to 547 in total, which covered the cost to treat both dogs. Pictured: Amanda and Spotty

'Nearly all insurance policies have a two-week cooling off period and in that time insurers will not honour any claims. That means if you're thinking about getting cover for Christmas, you're better off sorting it now before the house fills up with festive treats.'

According to the price comparison site, the average premium for a dog insurance policy can cost as little as 9.675 per month for a healthy dog with no pre-existing medical conditions.

Taking breeds, ages, conditions and policies into consideration - the average annual dog insurance premium is 293.916.

Top festive household dangers to look out for CHOCOLATE 'Chocolate, whether under the tree or left out for guests, is incredibly toxic to dogs and by far the most common reason dog owners had to rush to the vet (30 per cent), costing an estimated 2504 to treat. In severe cases, chocolate consumption can cause seizures and heart failure.' PORT AND STILTON 'Port and Stilton should be off the menu for our four legged friends. Dogs consuming alcohol (12 per cent), which they cannot metabolise, and eating cheese (16 per cent), which can cause serious vomiting and diarrhoea, were among the most common vet visits, costing between 200 and 250 to treat.' TURKEY BONES 'Among the most expensive treatments dogs frequently need at Christmas is foreign body surgery after swallowing hidden turkey bones, which can cost upwards of 1,000 and was the cause of 14 per cent of vet bills.' TINSEL 'Tinsel presents a choking hazard that could cost you 3,000  something 13 per cent of dog owners have learnt after an emergency trip to the vet.' CHRISTMAS TREES 'A fractured leg from the Christmas tree falling on your dog is the most expensive festive injury  a huge 3,500 and the cause of 9 per cent of vet bills. 'The estimated average price of taking your dog to the vet due to festive dangers is 1,263. This rises to an average of 1,513 when the emergency appointment fee of around 250 is included for treatment during out-of-hours Christmas holidays.' Source: MoneySuperMarket Advertisement

Animal experts issue warning about Christmas decorations that pose risk to your pets

A pet care group has warned owners about all the different ways festive decorations could pose a risk to our furry friends this winter.

The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) has listed how tinsel, Christmas trees and hanging ornaments could put your animal in danger on its website.

A pet care group has warned owners about all the different ways festive decorations could pose a risk to our furry friends this winter. Stock image used

HAZARDOUS:

ARTIFICIAL SNOW

The charity explained that while UK manufacturers will likely use ingredients which have 'low risks of toxicity in pets', products imported from abroad may not, due to different safety regulations.

A small amount of artificial snow could give your animal a 'mild stomach upset' but shouldn't lead to any serious or lasting problems.

However, if they consume a lot, a blockage could form from a build-up in the stomach - a vet should be contacted immediately for advice if this happens.

TINSEL

The PDSA says that tinsel is likely to attract curious animals who think the decoration is a shiny new toy - and while it's not strictly poisonous, pets make choke on it, leading to possible serious injury or even death.

If your pet has eaten tinsel, you should contact the vet immediately, as it's likely to have caused a blockage while trying to pass through the intestines.

ORNAMENTS, BAUBLES AND LIGHTS

Tree decorations pose a myriad of risks to your pets.

Some may try to eat baubles, which could cause a breathing obstruction if they get stuck in the throat, and may lead to stomach and intestine issues.

Glass ornaments may shatter if they fall to the ground, leaving your pet at risk of stepping on small broken fragments.

And any fairy lights pose a risk of electric shocks - especially higher-voltage variants.

TOXIC:

EDIBLE TREE DECORATIONS

According to the charity, edible tree decorations - if your pet can reach them - pose a very high risk depending on the ingredients used.

A lot will be made from chocolate - which is highly toxic to cats and dogs - thanks to an ingredient called theobromine, which causes nervous system damage in the animals.

And likewise, things like candy canes could contain low-sugar substitutes such a xylitol - also very toxic to pooches.

REAL CHRISTMAS TREES

A traditional Christmas tree often signals the beginning of the festive season for many - but in general, an artificial version is much safer for any animals in the house.

The oils from the needles of real trees are also toxic to pets, and may lead to illness, liver damage or even death.

PDSA's website said: 'When a pet ingests small amounts of a trees sap by chewing on branches and needles, it can cause unpleasant side effects such as unusual breathing, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

'Swallowing a large amount can seriously affect their kidney or liver functions, which can be fatal.

'Contact your vet immediately if you think your pet may have eaten any liquid or oils from the branches.'

The water for the tree is also dangerous. This is because stagnant water is often a breeding ground for bacteria, leaving pets with an upset stomach if they drink it. Make sure not to add chemicals, fertilisers or preservatives in.

And regardless of whether a tree is real or artificial, your pet could still injure themselves if they knock it over or try to climb it, so ensure that it is secured.
Two traumatic 'near-death experiences' inspired father-of-two Rashid Khan to develop a game-changing evacuation safety app designed to save lives.

As a nine-year-old boy living in Pakistan he lead 18 children to safety during the Ojhri Camp disaster on April 10, 1988, when a weapons depot exploded leaving 192 dead and thousands injured.

Then in 2017 while working at National Australia Bank in Melbourne he witnessed the Bourke Street Mall tragedy that shook the country when a car deliberately drove into pedestrians, killing six.

He was just 20m away from the carnage and could hear people screaming followed by shots being fired.

Now he's the proud CEO and Founder of Evacovation and won CEO Magazine's Start-Up Executive of the Year award.

'We live in a modern world where our phones are always within arm's reach - why aren't we using technology to better protect people? We should be,' Mr Khan told FEMAIL.

Father-of-two Rashid Khan survived two tragedies which lead to the development on the safety app Evacovation (pictured with wife Kanwa and twins Hania Khan and Rayyan)

At just nine years old he lead 18 children to safety during the the Ojhri Camp disaster in 1988 when a weapons depot exploded. Then in 2017 he witnessed the Bourke Street Mall tragedy when a car deliberately drove into pedestrians

Pictured age nine in Pakistan

On that dreadful day in 1988, he was home from school because he wasn't feeling well. He was home alone at the time.

All was peaceful and relaxing until he heard a loud bang at around 10am.

'I remember it like it was yesterday. It was an awful day. Everything was happening so suddenly and I did what I had to do,' he recalled.

There was an accidental explosion at the World War II storage of arms and ammunition located between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, sparking fear and panic among thousands.

A fire caused a low-density explosion followed by a massive one which caused missiles, rockets and projectiles to shoot into the air. Some of which smashed into buildings.

'The whole city was terrified because there were bombs coming form everywhere,' Mr Khan said.

In 1988 in Pakistan a fire caused a low-density explosion followed by a massive one which caused missiles, rockets and projectiles to shoot into the air. Some of which smashed into building

Across the road from his home was a small primary school where he heard the screams of young children.

Despite being a young boy himself, he ran to the school and lead 18 kids in Year 1 to the safety of their homes.

It was an hour of hell darting through backstreets, keeping an eye out for explosives and making sure no child was left behind in the process.

Looking back Mr Khan said he 'did what he had to do' - and thankfully he did because a missile hit the school building afterwards.

Deciding to leave the house left his parents worried sick but were thrilled to see him return.

His heroic act was also acknowledge by his teacher and this recognition paved the way for what was to come later in life.

'There was a real appreciation for what I did within the community which stuck with me and I realised I wanted to keep helping people,' he said.

Flash forward to January 2017 when Mr Khan was working for NAB, he and work colleagues were returning to the office after a team lunch when tragedy struck.

Innocent bystanders were mowed down and killed in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. James Gargasoulas was on a rampage in a stolen car when he run down and killed six people, including a baby boy and young girl in Bourke Street.

In 2017 Innocent bystanders were mowed down and killed in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. James Gargasoulas was on a rampage in a stolen car when he run down and killed six people, including a baby boy and young girl in Bourke Street

Pictured: People hugging on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth street after a rogue car ploughed through pedestrians on January 20, 2017

'As we entered the building we heard sounds from outside and saw it all unfolding.. it was traumatic,' Mr Khan said.

'The building exterior was made of glass - you could see what was happening from inside and on higher levels. So we told people on the ground floor to stay inside. A lot of people needed counselling after.'

The devastating incident served as a catalyst for Mr Khan's vision and desire to create an innovative emergency management solution.

'What triggered me most was why we don't have a system in place to communicate with others and save lives,' Mr Khan said.

'In a situation like that, for instance, people outside could've alerted others not to come out or to be aware of the danger that's forthcoming.

'We don't have a system and we need one.'

This is where Evacovation steps in.

The devastating situations served as a catalyst for Mr Khan's vision and desire to create an innovative emergency management solution

The app also won CEO Magazine's Start-Up Executive of the Year award

The app connects all responsible people with a specific chain of command to ensure employees are safe during an emergency.

The service encompasses six core emergencies from fire evacuations to floods and external factors like shootings. There's also education modules.

Mr Khan wants to ensure all evacuation procedures are flawless to ensure no lives are lost.

But while the app is free, an employer must create an account in order for individuals to sign in and use the service.

Mr Khan also thanked his wife of 14 years Kanwal for her ongoing support during his business venture.

The CEO Magazine Founder, Chris Dutton, said: 'Rashid's journey exemplifies the transformative power of innovation and dedication in the pursuit of creating safer, more resilient communities.

'His vision and leadership have earned him the title of Startup Executive of the Year, a testament to his profound impact on the field of emergency management technology.'
She took to TikTok to share what being a mom in Spain is like versus in the US

The HR professional, from Oregon, is now raising two children in Madrid

An American woman living abroad has taken to TikTok to reveal what it's like to be a working mom in the United States versus in her current home of Spain.

Emily San Jose, a native of Oregon who lives in Madrid with her Spanish husband, stepson and two young children, broke down four major differences in motherhood in the two countries in a 90-second-long video that she shared earlier this month.

The recruiter and HR professional, who moved to Spain for the first time in 2013 to work as an au pair, admitted, 'I get this question all the time,' referring to how the experience of being a working mom in Spain differs from that in the United States.

First of all, she explained, Spanish companies are legally required to give everyone a minimum of 22 vacation days annually.

Emily San Jose, a native of Oregon who lives in Madrid with her Spanish husband, stepson and two kids, broke down four major differences between motherhood in the US versus Spain

'On top of this, Spain is a culture that very much encourages you to use every single one of those days,' Emily added.

As her second point, Emily elaborated that 'there's a lot more government provided support for family.'

For instance, she continued, Spain offers a generous 16 weeks of maternity and paternity leave to both new parents.

'Plus, there's an additional 15 days for breastfeeding that you can use in the first year of your child's life,' she said.

'On top of this, if your child ever needs to go to the hospital, or have a surgery procedure, or is really sick, you don't have to use vacation or sick days to be able to stay home and take care of your kid.'

Thirdly, Emily highlighted that hiring household help 'is so much more affordable here. To have people come to your house to help you cook, clean, take care of kids. It's amazing.'

Lastly, women in Spain - or, in her observation, 'maybe specifically in Madrid, because that's where I've had most of my experience... tend to have their children later in life,' she said.

'Which, for me, was super interesting because being a mom-of-two plus a bonus son by the age of 30 blew people's minds,' Emily reflected of her two biological children with her husband and her stepson.

Emily met her now-husband while working in Spain as an au pair beginning in 2013

Emily tied the knot with her husband in 2016, and went on to have son Henry and daughter Carlota

As for Emily, after tying the knot with her husband in 2016, she welcomed son Henry, and her daughter, Carlota.

Emily isn't the first American expat to share observations about how their new home abroad contrasts with the one they left behind in the States.

A young man named Konner, from Hawaii, previously shared his amazement at how everyone in New Zealand has an electric water heater in their kitchen.

'It's always on your counter and I absolutely love it because in America we literally have to use a stovetop kettle - we don't have electric ones - which is always a hassle,' he gushed of the appliance.

In another instance, a young woman named Tate Duane voiced her confusion at the common use of the word 'keen' in Australia.

'I think it is so funny. Like when people text "KEEEEEN" when hey are so excited for something,' she observed.
A British mother has hit back at those who are trolling parents over the amount of presents they buy their kids for Christmas.

The video by Jay, who goes by @socialwithjay_ on TikTok, has been seen by over 70,000 people in a week.

She told viewers 'I can't believe the amount of trolling I have seen on this app the last few weeks about Christmas presents.

'It is absolutely insane that people think they have the right to go onto people's posts when they're talking about presents that they're buying for people and tell them that it's not enough.

'Someone that I follow has recently made it to national news because her video went viral because she spends 100 on her stepdaughter. She showed what she got - there was absolutely loads.'

A British mother has hit back at those who are trolling parents over the amount of presents they buy their kids for Christmas

What is the five gift rule? The five gift rule tradition means children get: Something they want

Something they need

Something to wear

Something to read

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The mother added 'Comments on that post were absolutely vile and to all the people that gave her hate for buying probably about 30 presents worth 100, guess what? We do the five gift rule in my house.'

She explained that the five gift rule means each of her children get five presents each: something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read and something to share.

They write their answers to the questions and end up with 'everything they want'.

Jay asked 'What do you think about that? Five gifts each, something we decided to do because of years and years of just buying crap that never got played with.

'We sat the kids down and we said look, we'd rather spend our money on experiences and memories around Christmas.

'This year in fact, we're going away for Christmas. We've booked a cottage, they've got an indoor pool to swim in on Christmas day.

'We're going out for Christmas dinner, that's what we're spending our money on.

She admitted 'I do chuck in a couple of little surprises but it's usually just like some pyjamas, some chocolate coins, something like that.

The video by Jay , who goes by @socialwithjay_ on TikTok , has been seen by over 70,000 people in a week

'They get everything they want and they're happy and they get all the memories. They get to go and see Father Christmas, they get to go and do the Christmas market, they're going to stay in a flipping cottage for a few days.

'Yes, they're gonna get less presents just from us, they've got loads of family that's gonna buy them gifts, but Christmas is not about buying crap that kids don't want or need.

'If you wanna be one of these parents that puts a huge pile of presents in front of the tree and posts on their Facebook 'he's been' to make yourself look good, you crack on.

But there's families out there that one cannot afford that, so don't make them feel bad about not being able to do it and two, don't want to do it because their kids don't expect it.

The TikToker concluded 'I'm sorry but the comments on that video, and that's not the only one I've seen quite a few now, just make me feel sick that this is the kind of people that we've got - parents shaming other parents for what they're buying their kids for Christmas.

'It's disgusting. If you've got nothing nice to say to people, maybe just shut the hell up.'

Commenters were quick to agree with Jay, writing 'My mum used to spend 20 each on us because thats all we could afford.

'We never felt like we missed out, never felt upset because she gave us one thing money cant buy and that was the feeling of Christmas magic. Some people need to get a grip!'

Another added 'Completely agree with you. As well as those commenting about getting socks etc. I spent 2000 last year because I always feel like it's not enough'.

Others chimed in with 'I'd rather have one meaningful gift then loads of stuff that's unwanted and unused...and that's a great idea (5 gift rule)' and 'I love the 5 gifts idea! Its too late this year, but I may actually use it going forward. Thank you!!'

However, another mother penned 'I buy my kids loads because I don't do it in the year, only if they need essentials. It's not all toys. I buy shoes, clothes, bedding and a few toys.

I was told I buy to much. My attitude is I work my a*** off, my money, my kids, so trolling works both ways'.

Another reasoned 'I think if parents want to get THEIR children 5 presents fine and if they want to get 50 presents that's fine too everyone is in different situations'.
And they were inundated with stories about some very ill-mannered customers

They asked flight attendants the 'rudest thing' passengers have said or done

Dozens of flight attendants have revealed the rudest things they have ever experienced at the hands of plane passengers.

US-based travel experts Rich Henderson and Andrew Kothlow often pose questions to cabin crew members on their blog, titled Two Guys on a Plane, where they also regularly give recommendations.

Most recently, the duo offered workers the chance to share their industry anecdotes by asking flight attendants: 'What's the rudest thing a passenger has ever said/done to you!?'

And they were quickly inundated with disturbing stories from in-flight staff who detailed incidents ranging from passengers throwing sandwiches at them to pulling on their ponytail to get attention.

US-based travel experts Rich Henderson and Andrew Kothlow often pose questions to cabin crew members on their blog, titled Two Guys on a Plane, where they also regularly give recommendations

Most recently, the duo offered workers the chance to share their industry anecdotes by asking flight attendants: 'What's the rudest thing a passenger has ever said/done to you!?'

And they were quickly inundated with disturbing stories from in-flight staff who detailed incidents

On their blog, Rich and Andrew wrote: 'Passengers have been caught doing some pretty rowdy things: punching flight attendants in the face, opening emergency exits, and even storming the cockpit.

'But you're probably thinking, "ok, but how often does that sort of stuff REALLY happen?"

'The answer is, they happen a LOT.'

The travel pros then shared a series of screenshots that detailed 'some of the rudest things that passengers have said and done' as told by members of cabin crew themselves.

One revealed that she 'had a grown man pull my ponytail to get my attention for snacks.'

Another explained one passenger 'threw a sandwich' at their face before telling her to 'f*** off.'

Similarly, despite one staff member offering to check a customer's bag for free, the disgruntled passenger proceeded to throw his luggage at the worker after growing frustrated that there was 'no overhead bin space.'

Among the insults hurled included customers branding attendants as 'overpaid vending machines,' 'f***ing incompetent,' and 'traveling tramps.'

The travel pros then shared a series of screenshots that detailed 'some of the rudest things that passengers have said and done' as told by members of cabin crew themselves

One passenger tipped popcorn over the floor in protest over not being served any more alcohol as another hurled insults at members of the cabin crew

It seems that many passengers had a tough time battling their bladders which led to some very grim incidents

Another passenger relieved himself 'in the middle of the aisle' when the toilets were locked during refueling

In other shocking anecdotes, it was revealed that one angry customer even 'spat on' an airline employee and eventually got arrested.

Bizarrely, another revealed someone 'hissed' at them while 'pinching their love handle at the same time.'

And the shocking stories did not stop there.

One passenger is said to have 'peed in the back galley because the lavatories were occupied' as another urinated 'in the middle of the aisle' when the toilets were locked during refueling.

Others brazenly handed flight attendants their used gum and a 'water bottle full of urine' as another tipped popcorn over the floor in protest over not being served any more alcohol.

One member of cabin crew was told that the airline was 'scraping the bottom of the barrel' by hiring them with a separate employee, from Vietnam, being urged to 'improve' their accent.

Another employee heard 'you're a beautiful woman, but you won't be in ten more years' as one worker, from Vietnam, was urged to 'improve' their accent

One worker was told to 'get a real job,' while another was cursed at because the crew had to 'deplane for a mechanical day'

A traveler 'told their kid if she didn't behave she's end up like [a flight attendant],' and another passenger got very aggressive in saying, 'I hope your next plane crashes'

Another employee revealed that they were told, 'you're a beautiful woman, but you won't be in ten more years,' adding that the comment was 'completely unprovoked.'

One worker was told to 'get a real job,' while another was cursed at because the crew had to 'deplane for a mechanical day.'

In one particularly shocking encounter, one passenger got very aggressive and said, 'I hope your next plane crashes.'

But it isn't all doom and gloom for cabin crew.

Elsewhere, other flight attendants have light-heartedly shared the worst pick-up lines they've gotten which on board such as, 'wanna join the mile high club?'
King Charles appeared in high spirits this afternoon, despite bombshell claims in a new book claiming he is a 'pampered' monarch.

The monarch, who recently celebrated his 75th birthday, was spotted attending Sunday service at church in Sandringham, Norfolk, in a business-as-usual attitude following incendiary claims - and he beamed as he strolled through the grounds.

It follows claims from royal biographer Omid Scobie, whose new book Endgame is published on Tuesday, that the King has his shoelaces ironed for him.

Mr Scobie, who is considered close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle but has denied being their 'friend', also claimed the King likes to have one inch of toothpaste squeezed onto his toothbrush and travels around with fresh steamed bed linen.

Despite the claims, the impeccably-dressed King walked with purpose to St Mary Magdalene church this morning, where he shook the vicar's hand ahead of the service.

King Charles has broken cover in Sandringham after bombshell claims emerged in Omid Scobie's book that he is a 'pampered' royal

An extract from the 42-year-old Scobie's new book Endgame published in The Sun reads: 'When laces get even the smallest bit threadbare, a staff member must quickly switch them out with a fresh, ironed pair.

'There is even a rumour (one that, surprisingly, sources have confirmed) that Charles likes to have someone squeeze exactly one inch of toothpaste on to his toothbrush for him ahead of his bedtime routine.'

Other claims in the book, leaked to The Sun on Sunday, say the monarch branded Prince Harry 'that fool' when the Duke of Sussex revealed details of the family's feuds in a Netflix documentary.

The King appeared in high spirits as he smiled and waved while meeting the vicar outside St Mary Magdalene Church

It follows bombshell claims made in Omid Scobie's book Endgame, which have been shared with The Sun on Sunday

Scobie writes one aide said the show 'took the wind out of everyone's sails' while there were 'heads in hands' at the Palace with 'migraines brewing'.

Buckingham Palace said it did not wish to comment when contacted by MailOnline.

The latest plug comes after Scobie launched a snide attack on the Princess of Wales  portraying her as a woman terrified to do anything but grinning photo opportunities.

In an interview published today to plug his latest book, author Omid Scobie says: 'The small achievements that we've seen from the Princess of Wales wouldn't perhaps be noticed if it was from another member of the Royal Family, but with Kate it's like 'wow!' '

His cruel swipe  described by a friend of the Princess as 'horribly unjust'  will infuriate the Royal Family.

Insiders said that in the past few years the Princess  intelligent, hard-working and passionate about the causes she promotes  has proved popular with the public.

But in a telling indication of the scornful tone of the new book, Scobie says that 'we infantilise [Kate] massively so the bar is always lower'.

Today's Sunday Times says that in the book the Princess is 'portrayed as a woman terrified to do anything more than grinning photo ops'.

In the past, Scobie, 42, has been dubbed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's 'mouthpiece' for his sympathetic portrayal of the couple.

His new book Endgame, a full-frontal assault on their perceived enemies, is expected to further widen the rift between Harry and his family.

Leaked extracts seen by The Mail on Sunday paint an unflattering picture of King Charles, with Scobie judging him 'a flawed father' and a backstabber  and accusing him of effectively sanctioning leaks about his sons to the press.

Predictably, William also comes under fire. The author says he is increasingly in cahoots with Palace courtiers who dream up dirty tricks.

By Scobie's account the Prince of Wales uses his aides and their press contacts to paint his younger brother as emotionally fragile.

Endgame also suggests William and Kate found the merciless lampooning of the Sussexes on the American animated satire South Park earlier this year 'very funny'. William, it adds, disliked Meghan from the start.

And the book says the King thought his son was a 'fool' for making a soul-baring Netflix documentary which claimed his father told 'lies' and his brother 'screamed and shouted' at the Sandringham Summit that resulted in the Sussexes leaving for the US.

Writing of what he sees as a power struggle between the favoured Prince and the 'unpopular' King, Scobie claims Charles is jealous of William's position and knows that while his reign will be merely transitional, his eldest son will have time to breathe new life into the monarchy.
Doctors are only human. We get things wrong and behave badly at times. But there appears to be something truly rotten at the core of some parts of medicine  a toxic culture of sexism and sexual violence in our healthcare system that persists and goes unchallenged.

Now, a campaign group of concerned doctors called Surviving In Scrubs have produced a report, published last week, detailing what has been termed an 'embedded and normalised culture of misogyny' experienced by female doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff.

A shocking 91 per cent of women doctors have experienced sexism, with 31 per cent having been victims of unwanted physical conduct, while 60 per cent of nurses have experienced sexual harassment at work.

What's striking, however, is how much of the problem revealed by the report lies in surgery. Nearly half of all the perpetrators of the sexist incidents reported to Surviving In Scrubs are surgeons.

I'm afraid I wasn't surprised.

A campaign group of concerned doctors called Surviving In Scrubs have produced a report, published last week, detailing what has been termed an 'embedded and normalised culture of misogyny' experienced by female doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff (stock image)

When I worked in surgery as a junior, I witnessed this first-hand. Surgeons, for example, would joke about doing a 'tube'  a totally unnecessary breast examination  when young women came in.

Frequently, women in theatre, merely trying to do their jobs, were groped or touched in full view of everyone. Sexist jokes and sexualised comments were de rigueur.

Those of us who challenged this were side-lined and ostracised; we weren't 'one of the lads' and were mocked, ignored or even denied training opportunities. After six months in this environment, I decided surgery wasn't for me.

But one of my closest friends, who I went to medical school with, decided to stick it out in surgery. Her experience was chilling. She witnessed  and was a victim of  staggering displays of misogyny and sexual violence. One evening, after operating, the surgical team went to the pub for a drink. As she walked back to the group from the bar, her boss reached over and grabbed her breast.

As she tried to pull away, he twisted his grip and wouldn't let go. She cried at him to let go, but he twisted it further. She was holding a glass of wine and tried to knock his hand away, but his grip was too strong

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She instinctively used her other hand to push him away and, as she did, she threw the wine at him. It went on his shirt. He froze for a second, then pushed her face down onto the table, got on top of her and banged her head repeatedly on the table. Her colleagues had to pull him off her.

She was off work for two weeks. The head of the department spoke to her and said, of course, he would support her if she wanted to make a complaint. But, he added in quieter tones, she should think about her future career.

She was due to be a consultant herself soon, he reminded her, and surgery is a small world. Inexplicably, given his behaviour that night, the surgeon who had assaulted her was a popular man. Everyone would know she had ended his career. People wouldn't want to work with her knowing she was the kind of person to make complaints.

Instead, she was told to attend a meeting with her assailant, where he mumbled an apology and looked contrite. He continued to work until his retirement a few years ago.

DR MAX PEMBERTON: Doctors are only human. We get things wrong and behave badly at times. But there appears to be something truly rotten at the core of some parts of medicine  a toxic culture of sexism and sexual violence in our healthcare system that persists and goes unchallenged

But it's not just overt, outrageous (and criminal) things like this that she had to endure. During her annual appraisal just before she became a consultant, the three men on the panel in front of her discussed how they thought it was irresponsible for her to be a surgeon when she had four children. 'You should be at home being a mother,' one of them said.

My friend is tough. Despite all this, she did complete her training. She is now very successful and loves her career.

Yet why should she be forced to endure such appalling behaviour from colleagues?

Who would have blamed her for walking away from her career? But what a tragedy that would have been for the countless patients this extraordinary surgeon will help over the years.

The interesting question is why this culture exists.

I think part of the problem lies in the very nature of being a surgeon. What they have to do often requires an ability to compartmentalise things.

They often appear callous and aloof, and these are attributes that might be useful when faced with an unconscious body on an operating table that needs to be cut open, but not so good when you have to interact with other people.

But this feels like searching for an excuse, when nothing can excuse the kind of behaviour my friend was subjected to.

A bigger part of the problem is that surgeons are held in high regard and often treated like gods in hospitals.

This means bad behaviour can go unchallenged. It's often the consequence of a public-school lad culture being allowed to go unchecked. It exists because it's allowed to exist.

Senior surgeons and managers simply can't allow this kind of culture to fester any longer.

For the sake of future doctors and their patients, misogyny should have absolutely no place in medicine.

I'm horrified it even needs to be said.

Bobby's brave dance for mum

Bobby Brazier's dance tribute this weekend to his mum Jade Goody had the Strictly judges in tears.

You can only imagine how her death, when he was just five, must have affected him.

When I worked in child psychiatry, part of my job involved supporting families who had been bereaved. Of course, it is hugely traumatic. Small children can sense the devastation of those around them, and this is often what affects them the most, even if death remains a strange, abstract concept. Children do tend to adapt, though. While for adults the process of grief is often about how to deal with the sense of loss, I have found younger people often look for ways to hold on to the person. For many, there is a fear around forgetting them.

It's often a good idea to encourage bereaved children to make a memory box containing things that remind them of the person who has died.

Keeping their memory alive is crucial for children.

Bobby Brazier's dance tribute this weekend to his mum Jade Goody had the Strictly judges in tears

Yesterday, we learned of the thwarted deportation of a foreign criminal, when a handful of passengers on a plane at Gatwick protested against it. It comes after the case of rapist Yaqub Ahmed, whose deportation was similarly halted in 2018, but who was finally kicked out of the country in recent months.

Ahmed's victim spoke about the years of torment she suffered as a result. 'You thought you were being such heroes. But you just kept an evil predator here to haunt me for years,' she said, addressing the passengers who refused to let the plane take off.

I work a lot with victims of sexual violence, and I'm repeatedly horrified by the lenient sentences perpetrators get and how those from overseas use human rights to avoid deportation. The average person wants us to protect the victim, not the criminal.

Dr Max Prescribes: A trial walking app

For just 2.99 a month, the AllTrails app delivers thousands of hiking and walking routes direct to your phone - perfect for finding family walks over the festive period and for exploring the outdoors when the weather gets warmer.

alltrails.com/plus
Trans author Rowan Jette Knox has posted yet another update about his journey to becoming a man - this time by airing his delight over being called 'sir' in public.

Knox, formerly Amanda Jette Knox, made the statements Sunday to his 14,700 Instagram followers.

During the 'weed store' excursion - as Knox put it - a staffer used the formal term of address reserved for men to speak to the bestselling writer, he recalled.

'I've been getting called Sir out in public more often,' says Knox, 46, in the new clip, filmed from his recently bought polyamory abode in Toronto.

'It's very cool - I like it.'

Knox recently 're-introduced' himself as a man ahead of the release of his new book. It was also revealed that Knox's husband, previously his wife, is also trans. The couple, parents to a trans daughter, enjoy a four-way open polyamorous relationship with another transgender couple, who they also live with.

Scroll down for video:

Trans author and polyamorist Rowan Jette Knox posted yet another update about his journey to becoming a man Sunday - by publicly airing his delight over being called 'sir' in public

The gesture went on to move the self-professed polyamorist, months after he announced to his followers that he was 're-introducing' himself as a man. Knox lives with his partners Dani, Zoe and Dame (from left) in Toronto - an arrangement he regularly speaks about on social media

Only lasting a few seconds, the snippet update from Knox has been viewed 4,000 times within just two hours, and sees Knox recall a recent trip to a Toronto dispensary.

He continued by attempting to inject some comedy into the admission - simply stating to the camera: 'Last time was at the weed store though.

'Frankly, I don't know if that counts.'

The post, like many before it, provided some insight into the mindset of the newly made man, who for the past seven years had lived with a spouse who identifies as a woman.

A few years before that, Knox's daughter, Alexis, became the first in the family to come out as trans - doing so publicly in the form of a Microsoft funded video series featured her then-mother, and new mom Zoe, in supportive roles.

That journey saw the child - who was born a boy and is now an adult woman - undergo treatments that prevented her from going through puberty, effectively putting it on permanent pause.

In contrast, Knox - who came out as trans in August - earlier this month bragged about how similar treatments have triggered a bout of what he called 'second puberty.'

Penned on Threads along with a pensive selfie, the post was published less than two weeks after Knox - at age 46 - revealed he was undergoing testosterone treatment.

He wrote at the time: 'Ive been trying to sum up the way it feels to be on HRT.

'I've been getting called Sir out in public more often,' says Knox, 46, in the new clip, filmed from his recently bought abode in Toronto. 'It's very cool - I like it'

The writer - whose new book One Sunny Afternoon: A Memoir of Trauma and Healing came out a month after he came out as trans - continued by attempting to inject some comedy into the public post, revealing it was a 'weed store' staffer used the formal term of address

The post, like many before it, provided some insight into the mindset of the newly made man, who for the past seven years has lived with a spouse who identifies as a woman. His wife, Zoe, transitioned in 2016, and is seen here

A few years before that, Knox's daughter, Alexis (seen here at age 11), became the first in the family to come out as trans - doing so publicly in the form of a Microsoft funded video series featured her then-mother (right) and new mom Zoe (not pictured) in supportive roles

That journey saw the child - who was born a boy and is now an adult woman - undergo treatments that prevented him from going through puberty. In contrast, Knox (seen here) has bragged about how similar treatments have triggered within him a bout of 'second puberty'

Knox (second from left) and wife Zoe (third from left) are now in a polyamorous relationship with another trans couple, Dani (far left) and Dame, and live together at a newly purchased home in Toronto

'The only way I can describe it is: the hormones in my body feel right for the first time in my life and it changes absolutely everything. The noise in my head has quieted. I am at peace.'

While somewhat melodramatic, the update - like Sunday's - was decidedly brief, but demonstrated Knox's ongoing devotion to his sudden transition.

Like several others since, it was also accompanied with hashtags like #hrt and #protecttranskids - showing his continued belief that children as young as 11 should be allowed to be given hormone blockers.

One such post, published on Friday, saw the author attempt to shill his two only titles - one released in 2019 and the other published this past September.

The first covered his unconventional family, and was billed as 'an inspirational story of accepting and embracing two trans people in a family - a family who shows what's possible when you "lead with love."'

The second, 'a deeply personal memoir about facing life-long trauma head-on', hit shelves weeks after his revelations, while detailing traumatic incidents throughout his life that still affect him today.

It comes two days he author attempt to shill his two only titles - one released in 2019 and the other published this past September. The first covered his unconventional family, while the second was billed as 'a deeply personal memoir about facing life-long trauma head-on'

The first book hit shelves years before his revelation when he was still Amanda, while the second offered insight into traumatic incidents he's suffered throughout his life that still affect him today

Both have since sold thousands of copies, but Knox after Thanksgiving took the time to promote them once again personally.

'Hello! Its just me, that trans guy with the hair, reminding you that Ive written two national bestselling memoirs,' she wrote .

'And if you want to support the work I do as someone who has dedicated his life to teaching others about hope, love, inclusion, and resilience, you can pick up a copy of one of both of them.

'Forever an awkward salesman and your pal, Rowan.'

Meanwhile, since the publishing of his first book - Love Lives Here: A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family - the family's living arrangement has changed somewhat, with Knox and wife Zoe now in a polyamorous relationship with another trans couple.

Identified - and celebrated - as Dani and Dame in the nearly constant stream of social activity from the new patriarch since, the pair also live at Knox's newly purchased residence in Canada, while his daughter, now in her 20s, has moved out.

Posts to social media further revealed how the reaction to his first book - which was penned under his previous name, Amanda - to suffer a mental-health crisis he claims cleared with the realization he is now a man.

Then, in an article published late last month just after his second book's release, Knox revealed he and Zoe had started a polyamorous relationship with Dani and Dame, whom with he 'bonded immediately in a way I rarely do these days,' he said.

Knox wrote about first meeting Dani last year after reaching out to her for advice about his own experiences during that troubled time - and the two, according to Knox, 'bonded immediately in a way I rarely do these days.'

Previously praising Alexis for showing Zoe how 'to be brave like her by example,' Knox, in the meantime, has continued to post about the family's unique experiences, ramping up his presence in recent months as he too revealed he was transgender.

Provided in a post to his Instagram account over the summer, the writer's revelation read: 'It is with joy, relief, and a fair amount of anxiety that I am re-introducing myself to you as Rowan Jette Knox.

'I am a trans man, am medically transitioning, and will be exclusively using he/him pronouns going forward.'

Now more than a month on testosterone, he posts about mundane things such as using the men's restroom and his hair, while continuing the comment on the renewed backlash she's faced over the past few months.

He recently wrote: 'I have a happy personal story to wrap up the week: My wife and I just signed the papers to sell our home.

'Im trans and havent legally changed my name yet. Our lawyer, whos known us for a decade, put a declaration into the contract where he certified I am the same person as the one on the title.'

He went on to reveal how 'he just did it... because... that allowed me to sign everything as Rowan.'

Several crying emojis followed. His books continue to sell.
S. Mitra Kalita in Time Magazine:

On Monday of last week, I joined women from around the world at the Reykjavik Global Forum in Iceland, to talk democracy, technology, and artificial intelligence, among other topics. Four days later, Sam Altman was suddenly fired from his role as CEO of OpenAI, and I religiously followed the twists and turns, bravado, and infighting that unfolded over the weekend. The bookends of the week form a bit of a metanarrative around how to save or support innovation that creates massive societal upheaval. After Altmans dismissal from the nonprofit behind ChatGPT, we are left pondering who should be in charge of these new technologies that spare no industry or institution.

OpenAIs six-member board fired Altman, vaguely alluding to lies in his communications with them. The organization operates as a partnership between its nonprofit and for-profit arms, whereby the latter raised money from investors and promised that profits above a certain level would be donated to the former. As The Atlantic explained: The companys charter bluntly states that OpenAIs primary fiduciary duty is to humanity, not to investors or even employees.

More here.
Mental health specialists have warned that weed gummy candies, chocolate and cookies are just as damaging as smoked marijuana - if not more.

Marijuana you can eat - known as edibles - is often marketed as a less potent, 'healthier' alternative to inhaling the drug.

Many popular products are presented in brightly-colored packaging and shaped to look like teddy bears or jelly snakes.

Yet speaking to DailyMail.com, top experts have accused the firms who make the candies of 'decieiving' consumers into 'believing they are safe'.

Although not smoking cannabis spares you lung and heart damage, psychiatrists say eating it is more harmful for mental health.

While weed gummies may seem less potent than smoke, it is easy to eat more quickly, and the psychoactive ingredient takes longer to enter the bloodstream - which means you may consume more to chase a greater effect

Risks include severe mental illness such as sudden psychosis, schizophrenia and depression, according to a wealth of studies.

One major 2019 analysis found regular use of cannabis was linked to a five-fold increased risk of severe psychosis.

'Edibles are more dangerous than marijuana in some ways,' Dr Libby Stuyt, a board-certified addiction psychiatrist working in Colorada told DailyMail.com.

'With edibles, it takes a while for THC [the psychoactive compontent in cannabis] to end up in the bloodstream, compared to the quick peak you get with inhaling.

'The delayed reaction - maybe two to four hours after eating - means that people often end up eating a lot more because they think nothing is happening.

'Then they get a great big whack of THC - and the high lasts a lot longer.'

What's more, she says consuming marijuana alongside fatty foods - including chocolate and cookies which are popular edibles - can increase the potency of THC four-fold.

Weed edibles come in all sorts of forms - gummies, brownies, cakes and chocolate

'Fat helps the body digest the chemical, so you absorb more of it,' she explains.

Edibles are more 'deceptive', too. ' They are packaged looking more like normal things so people underestimate their potency.

'But there have been numerous cases of violent psychosis involving edibles.'

Online, retailers selling weed gummies claim that eating the drug-infused sweets can in fact ease some mental health conditions, including anxiety an depression.

However in May, a study of 68,000 US teenagers found that those who used cannabis recreationally were between two and four times more likely to develop suicidal depression, compared to never-smokers.

Although the research does not prove a direct causal link (another factor may be behind the psychiatric illness) the scientists say the strength of the association suggests a cause and effect.

They add that other research demonstrates that recreational cannabis use in adolescents can decrease volume in areas of the brain involved in motivation and emotion.

The mental health risks are thought to be due to the tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, in the marijuana plant, which affects brain chemicals and is responsible for the 'high'.

The substance stimulates areas of the brain involved with mood, attention and memory - and triggers the release of the 'pleasure' hormone dopamine.

In small, irregular doses, THC has little little harm. But in larger hits and when taken over long periods of time, it can disturb the signalling in key brain areas.

A major review published in June 2023, looking at the results of 101 studies into the health impact of cannabis, found use of any frequency was associated with an increased risk of psychological problems and worsening of psychotic symptoms.

The analysis, published in the British Medical Journal, included studies where the drug was both smoked and ingested.

A 2019 review of nearly 10,000 hospital visits by doctors in Colorado, where the drug has been legal since 2012, found that edible marijuana - in the form of gummies, brownies and chocolate, were associated with a greater number of psychiatric emergencies, compared to inhaled cannabis.

Another 2016 study noted that many of the recent reports of cannabis-induced psychosis have, 'followed the ingestion of an edible'.

It has also been suggested that the blood concentration of THC may be higher from edibles, compared to smoking.

'It is estimated that 1 mg of D9-THC [the most common form of THC] in a CE [cannabis edible] may produce similar behavioral effects as 5.71 mg in inhaled cannabis,' read a recent paper published in US Pharmacist.

Experts have also raised concerns about the increase in potency of marijuana available in the US over the past two decades - in both edibles and inhaled forms.

In 2018 experts in Colorado found that between 1995 and 2015, the THC content in the marijuana flower increased by 212 per cent in the state.

By 2017, the most popular strains found in Colorado dispensaries in Colorado had a range of THC content from 1728 per cent, according to the report by doctors at the University of Colorado Health Science Program.

In comparison, the average THC strength in the early 90s in the state was roughly four per cent.

The experts' warnings come a week after rumours surfaced online that notorious cannabis-smoker and rapper Snoop Dogg planned to switch from smoking the drug, to eating it.

Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr, claimed to have quit smoking marijuana, despite the habit being a large part of his personal brand. Fans speculated he could be switching to edible marijuana, such as gummies. In fact, his statement (below) was a PR stunt for cooking brand, Solo Stove

In what turned out to be a PR stunt for the fire pit brand Solo Stove, the 52 year-old announced he was 'giving up smoke' on his Instagram page.

It triggered a wave of rumours among fans, who took to Twitter to speculate as to whether the rapper was genuine in his pledge to kick the puff.

'This is going to end up being an ad campaign for gummy edibles or something isn't it,' tweeted the journalist and podcast host Matt Binder, in response to Snoop's announcement.

'This is probably just gonna be some viral campaign where he launches his own line of vapes or edibles or something,' read another Tweet that received 19,000 likes.

It wouldn't be the first time the star put his name to a cannabis treat.

In October 2022 he partnered with edibles company Tsumo Snacks and put his name (and face) to two new lines of onion rings infused with THC, called 'Snazzle Os'.

The 128g packets contain 100mg of THC per bag - at least five times the amount found in one spliff.

Earlier this month, a pediatrician based in Portland, Oregon warned parents to keep cannabis edibles out of reach of children - following recent data showing 7,000 children under six had eaten them between 2017 and 2021.

Dr Beth Ebel of the University of Washington told Yahoo News: 'We are seeing this all day long.

In October 2022, rapper Snoop Dogg partnered with Snazzle Os on a range of onion ring snacks that contain 100mg of THC per packet - the same as around five joints

'My emergency department friends see kids coming in and they are trying to decide, does this child have bleeding in her brain or a brain tumor? Or is this a child who really has a low level of consciousness because they have ingested something.

He added that the risks to childrens' health could be 'irreversible.

'One of the very concerning things is that these high potency products have a strong association with schizophrenia and a psychotic break.

'Ive seen kids in the hospital whove been using some of these higher potency products: young kids doing great in school, and they come to [Harborview Medical Center] after a psychotic break.

'Sometimes this is a lifelong onset of schizophrenia, and it can be precipitated by these potent products.'

Recreational use of cannabis is legal in 24 US states, with Ohio the latest to green-light the drug in November 2023.
Debilitating hip fractures are causing more than 1,500 deaths a year in England because the NHS is failing to detect osteoporosis in patients, a charity has claimed.

Many sufferers with the bone-thinning disease are also left to deal with acute pain and mobility issues.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) claims the deaths  usually caused by heart problems triggered by the hip injury  are preventable and the result of a postcode lottery in screening services run by NHS hospital trusts.

Fracture Liaison Services offer routine scans to anyone over the age of 50 who suffers a bone injury caused by a minor accident  such as tripping over and breaking a wrist  which could allude to low bone density and a danger of further breaks. If spotted, they can be offered drugs to strengthen their bones, reducing the risk of future fractures.

But only half of Englands 123 hospital trusts run a fully functioning screening service, the charity claims. Patients lucky enough to live in Oxford or Bath, for example, are routinely provided bone checks if they are over 50 and suffer a fracture from a slip or fall.

Injuries such as hip fractures (pictured) can trigger complications such as heart problems. The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) claims the deaths are the result of a postcode lottery in bone screening services run by NHS hospital trusts

Many sufferers with osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease, are also left to deal with acute pain and mobility issues

But the latest figures from 2021 show no screening services on offer in parts of north London, Manchester, Preston or Plymouth.

Linda Beirne, 62, from Lichfield, Staffordshire, fell foul of the system in 2019 when she fractured her wrist in three places after slipping on a wet grass verge. She was never offered a follow-up scan by Sandwell Hospital in Birmingham  where she lived at the time  due to the lack of a proper screening programme.

Yet relatives living elsewhere were checked when they suffered similar injuries via a DEXA scan  a type of X-ray used to diagnose osteoporosis.

Every time I asked to be referred for a DEXA scan I was refused and told it wasnt necessary, says Linda.

But seven months after her tumble and thanks to the repeated demands, Linda was finally sent for a scan  which showed she had moderate to severe osteoporosis.

I felt utterly let down, adds Linda. I would have been in real danger of breaking a hip if I hadnt kept insisting on a scan.

About half of those who suffer a hip fracture have already suffered a recent bone break.

Deborah Latter, 58, from East Sussex, was one of the lucky ones.

She was contacted by her local fracture screening service within days of breaking her wrist playing with her daughter. Scans showed she had early stage osteoporosis in her spine and hips.

I had no idea I had it, says Deborah, who now takes alendronic acid to halt bone loss.

I thought it was something that only affected frail old ladies. Everybody over 50 should have access to this service.

Osteoporosis affects some 3.5 million people in the UK, and women are most at risk because levels of the hormone oestrogen  which helps keep bones strong  plummet after the menopause.

Patients do not die directly from the disease; it instead increases the chances of other deadly conditions, such as pneumonia or heart failure.

Craig Jones, chief executive of the ROS, estimates 1,600 people in England die each year as their condition goes undetected.

A third of hip-fracture sufferers die within a year, often because they become bed-ridden and fall into terminal decline, he says.

The ROS is lobbying the Government to ring-fence 27 million a year to help NHS trusts set up and run fracture screening services.

It says Health Minister Maria Caulfield in August promised to say more later in the year on how the Tories would expand the service. But Ministers this week admitted there are no plans, says Mr Jones.

Dr Nicola Peel, a consultant in metabolic bone medicine based in Sheffield, says the lack of funding was deeply frustrating, adding: Theres no doubt people are suffering life-threatening hip fractures that could easily be prevented.
A jab to protect against one of the most common winter bugs will be offered to children and older adults within a year, a top vaccine chief has revealed.

The Governments inoculation advisory group recommended in June that an immunisation programme be rolled out against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)  best known for causing the lung infection bronchiolitis in children.

Three highly effective RSV vaccines have been given the green light for use in the UK, including one developed by drug firm Pfizer that was approved last week by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for use in adults over 60 and pregnant individuals to help protect their infants.

But according to Professor Adam Finn, a child vaccine expert and member of the Governments Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the roll-out wont begin until next year, due to delays by health officials in working out a deal with the vaccine manufacturers.

Professor Finn says: Weve gone from having no RSV vaccine to having several highly effective options in the space of a few years.

Children and vulnerable adults could soon receive a breakthrough vaccine to protect them from one of the most common winter bugs (stock photo)

RSV - respiratory syncytial virus - is a major cause of lung infections in children and can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis

Officials now have to decide which jabs to use and then negotiate a price.

After that, the drug companies need to manufacturer the vaccines and ship them to the UK.

Unfortunately this process wont be done in time for winter. But given the clear need for this vaccine, Im hopeful that, by next year, patients will be offered a jab.

The charity Asthma + Lung UK last week called on the Government to deliver the jabs as soon as possible after the number of children hospitalised with the bug quadrupled within just a month.

RSV hospitalises about 30,000 children and 18,000 adults each year  but until recently, no valid vaccine had been developed.

Emma Rubach, head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK says that while many children do not become seriously unwell with RSV, it can be dangerous for others.

Like most other colds and viruses, RSV starts with a blocked or runny nose and can progress to a cough, fever and sometimes breathing difficulties, she says.

For most children, it will clear in a few days, and they can be looked after at home.

However, some youngsters do develop more severe symptoms and, eventually, bronchiolitis.
Doctors have developed a technique to treat severe burns using a paste made from tiny fragments of a patients skin.

The procedure involves taking a small, healthy patch of skin from the thigh, chopping it into tiny pieces and mixing it with a gel. The resulting paste is then applied to the wound.

Results have shown that each tiny fragment can grow to 500 times its original size, allowing for a much smaller amount of healthy skin to be grafted than is currently removed to cover burns.

Experts say using the skin paste will allow patients to avoid the permanent scars characteristic of the traditional methods  as well as the agonising experience of undergoing large skin grafts.

Harvesting skin can be extremely painful for the patient  its like the worst carpet burn you have ever had, says Dr Riyam Mistry, a plastic surgery expert at the University of Oxford.

Results have shown that each tiny fragment can grow to 500 times its original size, allowing for a much smaller amount of healthy skin to be grafted than is currently removed to cover burns

About 1,000 Britons with severe burns undergo a skin graft every year  a quarter of whom are children. It involves removing a patch of healthy skin and stretching it over the burned area before being stitched or glued into place.

For large burns, the patches taken can be very big and usually require general anaesthetic when being removed. This is often shaved off the back of the thigh and may leave a permanent scar.

But some experts believe the skin paste technique could mark the end of this practice. Alongside scientists at the US Army Institute of Surgical Research in Texas, Dr Mistry compared the skin paste with normal grafting in pigs.

A slither of skin was minced into pieces measuring just a third of a millimetre in diameter.

A water-based gel was then added to keep the cells hydrated before they were injected into the burn.

Within 28 days, the area applied with the paste had healed just as quickly as with normal grafts.

Dr Mistry says he is thrilled with the results and that a trial on humans is in the pipeline, adding: It maximises the use of a small amount of healthy skin while minimising harm to the donor site.

The research he and his colleagues have conducted is due to be presented at this weeks annual British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons meeting in Newcastle upon Tyne.
A grieving Aussie dad is on a mission to let other men mourning the loss of a baby know that it's okay to speak up and admit they need help.

Eighteen months ago, Matt McConnell had no idea how to navigate his grief after the death of his newborn daughter Wren at eight days old following a complicated birth.

While his wife Madeline was able to connect with other mums grieving the loss of a baby or miscarriage, he struggled to find similar support networks.

It inspired the Warrnambool dad-of-three to bravely share his story in the hope of helping other dads while honouring his baby girl.

'I want dads to know that they can speak out and don't need to suffer in silence,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Matt McConnell and wife Madeline got to spend eight precious days with baby daughter Wren

Matt and Madeline painted Wren's nails pink as a connection to her big sister Edie

'They need to know that they're not alone and not to be afraid of opening up.'

Wren was airlifted to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital after she suffered a lack of oxygen to the brain during her complicated birth in April 2022.

Her parents painted Wren's tiny nails pink in the hospital as a symbolic gesture, connecting her to her two-year-old sister, Edie, who was being cared for by relatives 270km away back home. Edie also had her nails painted pink.

Tragically, the damage to Wren's brain was too catastrophic and she passed away in her parents' arms eight days later.

'The impact of Wren's death was massive,' Mr McConnell recalled.

'You expect to say goodbye to your parents and grandparents in your lifetime.

'But you're not meant to say goodbye to your kids, especially those you've waited for the last nine months to meet.

'Not only was I dealing with my own loss but also juggling the emotions of my wife and a two-and-a-half-old while trying to get back to work and finding a way to get on with life.

'We took things day by day. My father-in-law's advice was to achieve something every day, even if it was to leave the house and go for a walk.'

Matt McConnell (pictured) travelled to Canberra last week to share Wren's story in the hope that he can inspire other grieving dads to speak out

On what would have been Wren's first birthday in April, Mr McConnell bought the lovefromdad.com.au website domain.

The website aims to provide grieving dads and non-birthing partners an online space they can seek help and support as they find the courage to open up about their own losses.

'What I know now I wished I knew 18 months ago,' Mr McConnell said.

'I spent months looking for books, support groups and podcasts.

'There are a lot of services out there but in the depths of grief, I initially didn't know where to look.

'I knew people in my family who have lost a baby and for them, the pain is still there.

'But until you've experienced it, you don't know how to talk about it.

'I hope that telling Wren's story gives hopes to other dads that it's okay to speak up.'

Mr McConnell, along with friends and family, including Edie, almost four still regularly don bright pink nails.

'We do something every day in our lives that includes Wren,' he said.

'The pink nails are a good conversation starter and gives me the opportunity to tall about Wren.'

Wren is in the hearts and minds of her parents and sister Edie (right) every day. Also pictured is Wren's baby brother Noah born earlier this year

Edie got to meet baby Wren before her newborn sister died

It has taken Matt McConnell (pictured at his daughter's funeral) 18 months to navigate his grief following the heartbreaking loss of baby Wren at eight-days-old

Family photos always feature a shadow (right) in memory of baby Wren

Mr McConnell and his wife, who have since welcomed baby son Noah have been advocating to improve support services in their regional town.

A bereavement room dedicated to helping new parents is expected to open at their local hospital in 2024.

'These facilities should be everywhere,' he said.

The McConnells joined other parents and specialists for the launch of National Perinatal Mental Health Week last week in Canberra, where they opened up about their loss.

This year's theme was 'We're Here, Uncover Your Village'.

'It was an incredible experience and honour to be able to share our story,' Mr McConnell said.

'I hope that by me sharing our story that others may realise that they aren't alone- and that there is a village out there waiting for them to be part of it.'

More than 100,000 Australian parents  one in five mums and one in 10 dads  experience perinatal anxiety and/or depression.

Peer support has been shown to help reduce perinatal mental health difficulties and feelings of isolation in new mothers

New data revealed that more than two thirds (70 per cent) of expectant and new Australian parents do not have a support network of other parents.

Almost two in five (18 per cent) say they rely on other parents for support while almost a third struggle to connect with other parents, further emphasising the importance of uncovering their village.

If you or anyone you know needs support following the loss of a baby, contact SANDS on 1300 308 307, bears of Hope on 1300 114 673 or Red Nose Day on 1300 308 307
The woman, who lives in Singapore, had already tried Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder

A woman unlucky in love has ditched dating apps and turned to LinkedIn in a bid to find her perfect match.

The content creator, who goes by Candilicious and lives in Singapore, decided to bin apps like Hinge and Bumble after weeks of scrolling.

Instead, she turned her sights to the corporate networking platform to find her soulmate.

'Yes -that's right. This week I am going to be crawling LinkedIn in Singapore to find my next date,' she said in the video with over 80,000 views.

The content creator, who goes by Candilicious (pictured), binned Hinge, Bumble and Tinder after three weeks of dating apps - opting for more unconventional route

Candilicious justified her approach on the employment-orientated app stating the filters are what sets it a part from Tinder, Bumble or Hinge

While some branded her decision as 'Queen behaviour,' and called her 'a legend' in the comments, others were not as confident.

'Yikes. You probably have more tact, but I really don't like when I'm approached on LinkedIn in that way,' wrote one.

'I wouldn't suggest LinkedIn for dating,' a second commented.

Another chimed in: 'LinkedIn?? Not practical. How do you approach them?'

A fourth person added: 'Does it list relationship status because that could be a world of pain if they're not single, plus it would be creepy if a man did it...'

Seemingly unfazed by the criticism, the content creator replied in a follow-up video, justifying why LinkedIn was the perfect place to find a love interest.

Candilicious stressed the apps unique filters makes it superior than your run-of-the-mill dating app, stating: 'Number one I can filter for education - MBA baby!'

She also noted how the app allowed her to find potential suitors through filtering via industry, as she hoped to couple up with a doctor, lawyer or someone in finance.'

LinkedIn also allows its users to filter their searches based on country, something the content creator says is 'very important'.

Whilst some initially criticised the content creator, many shared their own success stories in the comments

'I'm unable to filter by height but at least there are very good looking photos that I can do some height analysis on,' she joked.

After her clarification, many flocked to the comments labelling the TikToker as ' smart' and 'a genius'.

Some even shared their own promising LinkedIn love stories, with one commenting: 'I checked my then boyfriends LinkedIn page after we met through Tinder. We are married now, LOL'

While a user wrote: 'I met my boyfriend from LinkedIn hahahaha.'

One individual raved that they had seen 'so many success stories [relationships]', from LinkedIn.

'I met my partner on LinkedIn...no joke,' chimed another.
A few months before her 18th birthday, Katie Wallace hatched a plan to overdose on heroin.

She and a male friend who had her hooked on the drug would do it together, ending years of misery to which the 17-year-old saw no way out.

It was not the path the Mormon church, in which Katie had been raised, had ordained for her.

But it was one that she holds the religion responsible for, after church leaders allegedly covered up years of rampant sexual abuse and incest within her family.

For Katie, now 39, it began when she was four. Unbeknown to her, her abuser, a close relative, had assaulted her older sister, Becky, years before.

Katie Wallace, aged 1, sits on the shoulders of her older sister Becky Welch, aged 10. Becky, now 48, claims a church bishop told her not to inform police or her parents of the abuse she was suffering at the hands of a close relative, who went on to also abuse Katie

Becky, now 48, (pictured left) says she blamed herself for decades for her sister's abuse because she agreed to keep her own abuse a secret. She says it was only later that she realized the church had failed her. Two years before Becky reported her abuse to the church, the same perpetrator had also started abusing Katie, now 39, (pictured right), when she was just four years old. Katie was later abused by another family member, who had also been abused by the sisters' attacker

The church knew but did nothing, allowing a 'vicious circle' of abuse to break out within the family, the sisters claim.

They have bravely shared their story with DailyMail.com to expose what they believe is an 'epidemic' of sexual abuse in Mormon homes, which they and countless other victims claim is buried by ecclesiastical leaders in a bid to protect the church's reputation.

It comes after our investigation revealed last week that the church is facing legal action over allegations it has 'maintained a pattern and practice' of hiding abuse from authorities.

More than a dozen current and former members of the church have come forward with shocking claims of a culture of 'cover ups' - defying leaders who are alleged to have 'silenced' and 'threatened' those who speak out.

A model Mormon family

Becky, now 48, was the second eldest and Katie the second youngest of five siblings raised in an authoritarian Mormon family in Colorado.

They were taught to obey their parents, who dictated strict rules on clothing and routines.

Their mother was picky about the company they kept; childhood friends who didn't dress in the appropriate manner would be discarded.

On Sundays, the only activity allowed was attending church, while Monday evenings were reserved for religious lessons.

As the children grew older, they were expected to go to seminary classes before school, meaning 5am starts became the norm.

The Dawsons, as they were then, appeared to be model Mormons. Part of a tight-knit community who dedicated their lives to their faith and followed church rules to a tee.

But behind closed doors incestual abuse was spreading through the family like wildfire.

Becky (left) and Katie (right) were raised in an authoritarian Mormon family in Colorado in which their parents dictated strict rules on clothing and the company they kept

The sisters believe this created an atmosphere of fear in the family, which prevented them from telling anyone about the abuse that was spreading through it like wildfire. Pictured: Becky (left), 9, and Katie (right), aged 1

Becky says she was abused between the ages of four and 11. It was not until she was 15 that she felt able to speak about the abuse during a session with a church therapist. Pictured above aged 9 with one-month-old sister Katie

A family in ruins: Timeline of 'rampant' incestual abuse 1979: Becky is first abused by a close family member aged four

1986: Abuse continues until she is 11

1988: When Becky is 13, the same family member begins abusing her sister Katie, who is four at the time

1989: Katie's abuse continues for around a year until her abuser goes on a missionary program to spread Mormonism across the world

1990: When Becky is 15, she seeks counsel from her bishop after struggling with depression. Becky claims the bishop decides no one else is to know about the abuse because the alleged perpetrator is out on a mission and it would be too embarrassing to bring him home

1991: The alleged abuser returns from his two-year missionary program

1992: He gets married in a Mormon temple with the blessing of church leaders

1993: Katie, now aged nine, is abused by another family member, who was also previously abused by the returned missionary

1995: Just before Katie turns 11, she tells her parents about the first family member who abused her and it becomes apparent that Becky had already reported this to the church, but they had kept it under wraps

1997: Katie's abuse at the hands of the second family member continues until she is 13, when the abuser confessed in therapy Advertisement

Becky was the first victim aged four, assaulted by a close relative. It continued for seven years.

She remembers vividly the final time it happened.

'I remembered him coming into my room, rubbing himself against me on top of the bedding and then he ejaculated on the covers,' she says.

'I told him I knew what he was doing. I told him to leave my room.'

For years, Becky was too afraid to tell anyone. But after struggling with depression, she sought out her bishop when she was 15, who set her up with a church-approved unlicensed therapist at $10 a session.

It was during therapy that Becky first mentioned her abuse, prompting the counselor to convene a three-way meeting with the bishop to discuss possible action.

But in the eyes of the church, there was one major problem - and apparently, it was not the abuse.

The alleged perpetrator was away on a mission, a rite of passage for young Mormon men to spread the gospel in far-flung parts of the world.

The bishop decided it would be too embarrassing for the young man and the church to bring him home early, so the abuse was to be kept under wraps, Becky claims.

'I remember the bishop saying something about arresting a returned missionary the moment he stepped off the plane and that he didn't feel like that would be a good thing for anyone,' she says.

'Vicious circle' of abuse

This has been a recurring theme in DailyMail.com's interviews with victims.

Church leaders are alleged to have repeatedly brushed abuse under the carpet to allow young men to complete missionary programs.

The inaction leads to reoffending, in the sisters' case and in others.

Had the church decided to intervene when Becky first reported her abuse, they may have discovered that her assailant had also started abusing Katie around two years prior.

Katie's abuse continued for around a year until the relative left for his mission.

But aged nine, Katie began being abused by another family member, who themselves had been abused by Katie and Becky's previous abuser.

Katie admits that she later started repeating some of the behaviors on younger relatives. The abuse had become a 'vicious circle', she says.

It was only when she was about to turn 11 - seven years after she was first abused and five years after the church was made aware of Becky's abuse - that Katie felt able to tell her parents.

Then, the whole can of worms came spilling out.

'It transpired that all of us had been dealing with sexual abuse and that my sister had gone for help from the bishop years prior and everyone had kept it a secret,' Katie says.

By this time, the family member who had abused Becky and Katie had returned from his mission and had been allowed to marry in a Mormon temple - an aspirational privilege for members that is subject to a 'worthiness' interview by officials.

Those who conducted this particular interview were fully aware of the allegations against the groom, Katie claims.

She believes there was a warped belief at the time that allowing the young man to marry would redirect his sexual urges towards his wife instead of his family.

Christmas suicide watch

Katie, now an artist and ceramicist, says she spiraled into drug addiction following the trauma of her abuse, leading to a failed attempt to overdose on heroin when she was 17

READ MORE: Mormon leaders accused of 'covering up' an 'epidemic' of sexual abuse that rivals scandals in Catholic church Katie Medley, 35, has blasted the Mormon church for failing to take action against a doctor and ecclesiastical leader who allegedly sexually abused her and around 200 other women Advertisement

The end of Katie's abuse also marked the start of her 'spiral' into drugs and destitution.

She started smoking pot and drinking after school aged 13. At 15, she was taken into foster care, before moving back home a year later.

But it wasn't long before she ran away, becoming homeless and addicted to drugs.

Katie admits to using 'massive amounts' of ecstasy and 'getting hooked' on heroin and crack.

She remembers it 'being around this time of year' - 22 years ago - that she planned to end her life.

'I was just so exhausted,' she says. 'My life was a nightmare. It felt like the easiest out was for me to overdose.'

She never did. Her friend stole all her money and abandoned her, leaving Katie without the cash she needed to buy the drugs.

It wasn't the first time she had been betrayed. But it marked a turning point in her life.

'Sitting there crying, I came to the realization that it wasn't that I wanted to die, I just couldn't live in my life anymore', she says.

'I knew that if I continued down the path that I was on, there was only one end and I was going to end up dead.'

Katie went home for the first time in months and asked her mom to take her to the hospital. She spent Christmas on suicide watch, recovering from withdrawals.

Decades of hurt

When the Dawson family abuse bombshell blew up, they took the matter up with the church.

Katie says it initially accepted responsibility for failing to report the abuse and began paying for mental health care for the family.

But after a while, the powers that be decided the bills were getting too high and pulled the plug.

The Dawsons threatened to sue for breach of fiduciary responsibility and the matter was settled privately - Katie claims the church paid out $150,000.

At no point, however, did the church report the abuse to the authorities, the sisters claim.

Becky, pictured age 12, believes the strong patriarchal structures within the Mormon church make it hard for victims to speak out against their abusers

Katie pictured aged 14 on the Mormon trail in Wyoming, a trek undertaken by many young church members to replicate the journey undertaken by the pioneers

Katie fell into a gopher hole while pushing a handcart on the first day of the trek. It was her last real engagement with the church before she began distancing herself from the community

Katie, pictured above aged four, says she formally left the church last year after a case in Arizona revealed the church's failure to report a member who was sexually abusing his daughter allowed the attacks to continue for a further seven years

Katie, pictured above aged nine, says the case showed to her that little had changed in the decades since she was abused

A journal entry written by Katie on December 22, 1996, when she was ten years old, details the family fallout after a close relative was taken to court over allegations he 'mulisted' (molested) Katie and Becky

Another journal entry written by Katie in November 1998, aged 12, details the emotional trauma she experienced following the abuse. She writes that her 'life has been ruined ever since I was 4', that she is always 'depressed' and that 'no one knows all that I've been through'. She later mentions that Lee, the man who she later married aged 19, is the 'only one who understands me'

Katie believes their case was a major contributing factor to the establishment of an abuse hotline by the church in 1995.

An idiosyncrasy of Mormonism is that its bishops are supposedly divinely called by God, yet they are lay people without ecclesiastical or pastoral training selected to serve a term of five years.

The hotline provides them a number to call for advice when abuse is reported.

A recent case in Arizona, however, has revealed the hotline does little to encourage church leaders to involve the authorities.

In fact, church lawyers on the end of the line told a bishop he could not report a member of his congregation who had confessed to sexually abusing his daughter due to 'clergy-penitent privilege'.

It allowed Paul Douglas Adams to continue his abuse for another seven years until he was arrested by Homeland Security agents in 2017.

He killed himself in custody before he could stand trial.

Katie says the case proved to her that little had changed following the establishment of the hotline, despite church protestations to the contrary.

'It was so similar to mine,' she says. 'It really triggered everything for me. I was really upset with how the church handled it.'

After having gradually removed herself from the Mormon community over time, she formally rescinded her membership last year.

Becky remains a member, but hasn't attended church since she graduated from Brigham Young University in 1993.

She says she spent 'decades' blaming herself for Katie's abuse.

'I felt like if the church was responsible, then I was guilty as well. I agreed to sweep it under the rug.

'It took me 20 years to finally come to peace. These people failed me. I was a child and I trusted them to do the right thing.

'I had absolutely no thought in the world that this was also happening to my siblings.'

She has since forged a successful career as a nurse practitioner in Orlando, Florida.

'Church washes its hands of abuse'

Family life, understandably, remains fractured.

Katie says her relationship with her parents improved after she left the family home. They accepted her no longer going to church and ignored, rather than punished, small acts of rebellion, such as her getting tattoos.

But things broke down again over the Arizona case after Katie's parents defended the church, claiming it was 'following the law of the state'.

Legally, this is correct. Arizona and more than 20 other states require clergy to report child sex abuse and neglect, but have an exemption for information gleaned during spiritual confessions.

Earlier this month, a judge dismissed a complaint by Adams' three children, in which they accused the Mormon church of negligence and conspiring to cover up child sex abuse.

The judge ruled officials had no duty to report the abuse.

During the trial, the church's lawyers even suggested that moral arguments over whether the church should or should not report abuse were irrelevant.

Katie believes this is telling of its attitude towards victims. She accuses leaders of 'hiding behind the law', which allows it 'cover up' abuse.

'The church just washes their hands of the situation, which is so problematic,' she says.

The case destroyed her relationship with her parents. They are now estranged.

The gift of discernment

Becky, who has forged a career as a nurse practitioner in Orlando, Florida, technically remains a member of the church but has not attended any events since graduating from Brigham Young University in 1993

Katie says her life was transformed after her plan to overdose on heroin went awry and she married her husband Lee (pictured, 40), when she was 19

Katie, now a mother-of-two, says she strives to raise her children Hunter (left), 16, and Grayson (right), 19, in a completely different way to her own upbringing

Katie, now a mother-of-two in Harford County, Maryland, says her life has been transformed since marrying her husband, Lee, when she was 19.

Unsurprisingly, she strives to raise her children, Grayson, 19, and Hunter, 16, in a very different way to her own upbringing.

Looking back, she believes the authoritarian culture within Mormon families is a breeding ground for abuse.

For years, she was too terrified to tell her parents about what a close relative had done to her.

Becky agrees. 'Any system where there's a really strong patriarchy makes it more likely that kids keep secrets,' she says.

'If you over-punish your children to the point that they're scared of you, they'll do anything to protect each other. That's where the secrecy came from.'

The Mormon church has not responded to a request for comment on the sisters' allegations.

But its 2010 handbook for church leaders says 'the first responsibility of the church in abuse cases is to help those who have been abused and protect those who may be vulnerable to future abuse'.

It adds: 'Abuse cannot be tolerated in any form.'

But Mormon leaders have also given a number of talks stressing the need to forgive abusers.

A page on the church's website titled 'Is it possible to forgive?' cites a passage from Book of Mormon intended to help abuse victims 'forgive those who have harmed you'.

Ultimately, Mormons are taught that all their leaders, right down to their lay bishops, are led by divine revelation. Their authority cannot be questioned.

Katie sees the obvious flaw.

'The church teaches how priesthood holders have the gift of discernment from God,' she says. 'That they decide what is right.

'Clearly, the gift of discernment doesn't work so well if they're sending a child predator out on missions.'
A woman and her 12-year-old daughter face being turfed out onto the street for allowing her homeless mother to crash on her couch, among other reasons.

Kim Noetzel, 35, has been served with an 14-day eviction notice ordering her to leave the three-bedroom house in the south-east Melbourne suburb of Frankston because her mother, who has cancer, has been there since late July.

Ms Noetzel said she was stunned to receive the eviction notice from Ray White Frankston, which is the real estate agent managing the property for the landlord.

'I spent the weekend pretty much crying and thinking s**t, my life is crap,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Noetzel's 67-year-old mother, who receives an age pension, moved into the house after she was kicked out of her previous place for falling behind in rent.

A woman and her 12-year-old daughter face being turfed out onto the street for allowing her homeless mother to crash on her couch, among other reasons

'I am not receiving any form of income from her, which is what they are claiming,' Ms Noetzel said.

'She has no discernible income and is undergoing cancer treatment.'

READ MORE: Sydney landlord demands $1,000 from renter for a single scratch in floorboard at their house Advertisement

Shortly after taking in her mother Ms Noetzel said she informed Ray White.

'I notified them my mother had a cat and some birds and they would all be temporarily staying with us,' Ms Noetzel said.

'They said it was fine as long as it was temporary.'

Ms Noetzel, who has been in the Wangarra Road property since May and has a one-year lease, insists her mother has been trying to find a place she can afford but because of the 'crazy' housing shortage has been unsuccessful.

She said her mother was sleeping on a couch while she and her daughter were using mattresses on the floor because they didn't have enough money to get all their furniture from a previous rental property.

Ray White told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that Ms Noetzel is being evicted because she is two months' behind in her rent and will not add her mother to the rental agreement.

'The renter's mother has moved into the property with animals, rabbits, a dog and a cat is my understanding,' a spokesperson said.

'The renter has also been in arrears for a period of time and the owner is not happy he does not know who is living in his property and they have pets in the property without formal consent.'

Ms Noetzel has been at the three-bedroom Frankston property since May and has a one-year lease

'The rental provider was told the renter's mother would only be in the property in between properties and that was well over six months ago now and he is concerned about pet damage and above normal wear to the property given another adult is now residing in the property.'

Because the house has carpet the agency said the landlord feared it will become damaged by the pets

Ray White said they defined subletting 'as any person(s) not considered a dependent, living in the property on a permanent basis who have not received the formal consent of the rental provider to live in the property'.

The agency said it will always 'avail all our rental providers of the options available to them under the Residential Tenancies Act'.

'At the end of the day, we will always act on our owner's instructions,' the spokesperson said.

Ms Noetzel insists she is paid up in rent, although she admits there was a period earlier in the year when she was out of work when she couldn't pay.

'There were a couple of months when I had no proper income coming in and I had to inform them "it's going to be tight and I am going to pay you what I can, when I can" and they were like "that is fine".'

She says there is no dog and the other animals were agreed to by the agent.

'The rabbits had pet applications which I submitted for each rabbit as they are for my daughter's anxiety attacks,' she said.

'The landlord had 14 days to reject or compromise and they never said anything. The cat is my mother's and the agent agreed to it.'

Ms Noetzel also said the property has been inspected since her mother moved in.

'He (the property manager) looked around the place and said to me "it looks great, looking fabulously clean, I cant fault you on anything",' Ms Noetzel said.

'That leads me to think what is the problem, I dont understand?'

Ms Noetzel says the looming eviction is creating a lot of stress for her, her mother and 12-year-old daughter (pictured)

Ms Noetzel is speaking to a lawyer about her situation but says she is at her wit's end.

The stress is also being felt by family members with her mum 'not really coping' with the looming eviction.

'She suffers from depression. We all have some form of depression,' Ms Noetzel said.

'She's got a bit of post-traumatic stress from her experience. I am trying to keep her upbeat and positive and contacting Housing Victoria telling them the situation

'It is high anxiety with my daughter as well. She is about to start high school next year and now she is now saying I cant go to that high school.'

Even accessing free help has proved difficult.

'When I went to ring the Victorian Tenants Union support line and there was a message that the phoneline was only open from 9.30am to 1.30pm,' Ms Noetzel said.

'I was like: "theres a housing crisis, people need help!".'
Nicholas held his nose and voted for Joe Biden in 2020 just to dump Donald Trump out of power.

'I normally don't vote for Democratic candidates,' he said. 'I knew he would not be the greatest president. But I felt that that was the only way to remove Donald Trump ... to get Donald Trump out.'

The graduate student says he will do the same next year if the choice on the ballot is between one candidate who has, in his words, done 'stupid' things at home and abroad, and another candidate who is simply 'dangerous.'

He is one of the 'double disapprovers:' Voters who don't want a rerun of the 2020 election and would rather face a fresh choice.

They will likely decide who wins in 2024. Polls suggest that almost one in six voters want neither Biden or Trump to win a second term. That's about 23 million people.

Pollster James Johnson took a trip around Georgia's 'swing country' interviewing voters

Graduate student Nicholas voted for Biden in 2020 just to keep Trump out. And he'll likely do the same thing again next time around. Not that he cares much for Biden anyway

Armed with that data, pollster James Johnson set off on a road trip across Georgia, one of the key swing states that will decide the outcome.

He interviewed seven voters in two counties that voted for Biden in 2020 but which also backed the re-election of the state's Republican governor, Brian Kemp, last year.

'2024 is shaping up to be the election no one wants  but that voters suspect they will probably end up with anyway,' said Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners.

'The voters I spoke to in Georgia were utterly despondent at the idea of a Trump-Biden rematch which they felt summed up the worst aspects of America and its politics.

'They yearn for "more love, less anger" and a "Christmas truce" for America, but they know deep-down they will be getting the divisions that both candidates bring along with them.

He used standard focus group techniques to find them, trawling voting records to find registered voters and then contacting 5000 people before screening them down to seven.

Nicholas, who lives in Milledgeville, the county seat of Baldwin County is typical. He split his 2020 vote, choosing Biden for president but a Republican senator over his Democratic challenger.

A second Trump term would be one of turmoil, impeachments, and revenge, he said.

'I don't want Donald Trump back in office. Trump is a disgrace to this country,' he added. 'Joe Biden may also be a disgrace to this country by the time he's finished, but you know that the jury is still out on that.'

The polls show a similar pattern. An average maintained by statistics site FiveThirtyEight has Biden's approval well underwater: Only 39 percent of respondents said he was doing a good job, compared with 56 who said he was performing poorly.

The same goes for Trump. Some 53 percent said they had an unfavorable opinion of the former president, while 43 percent said they had a favorable impression.

Gabriel: Trump is 'the a**hole'

Gabriel, 23, lives in Tenille, Georgia. He voted Trump in 2020 but likes Vivek Ramaswamy now

A recent New York Times/Siena College poll of swing states showed Trump with a six-point lead over Biden in Georgia. But the big winner is apathy, says pollster James Johnson

Gabriel, 23, identifies as biracial, and grew up with his African-American grandmother. His black father is in prison and his mother is a drug addict.

He voted for Trump in 2020 because he liked the idea that his business mindset would shake up vested interests in Washington, D.C. But he is no longer so sure.

'Trump is the a**hole,' said the Tenille resident. 'He would say the messed up stuff. I wasn't 100 percent for him.'

Although he thinks the former president has learned since losing office, he prefers biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy this time around.

African-Americans have tired of Biden, he added. Most will stay with the Democratic candidate, he said, but enough will switch to perhaps influence the election.

But people are now seeing that Democrat ways don't help,' he said. 'And that Donald Trump actually did more to help them out than what the Democrats claim to do.

'They're waking up.'

Johnson said that African-Americans make up a third of Georgia's population and their turnout would likely predict who carries the Peach State.

'Their enthusiasm for Biden is very low, and some black and biracial voters told me that the left-wing extremes of the Democrat Party are turning them away and towards Trump,' he said.

'There's little doubt that Biden would win big again with African Americans overall but just a small decline in how much they turn out to vote  or even the most minor shift to Trump  would put the race firmly in Republican territory. For now apathy rules the day in Georgia, and that helps Trump in this most unsavory of match-ups.'

His research was first reported by the Washington Examiner.

Christy - Biden is a 'placeholder'

Christy voted for Biden in 2020 and will likely do the same again in 2024, but without huge enthusiasm. She would prefer the chance to vote for Stacey Abrams, who was the first African-American female major-party gubernatorial nominee in the nation when she ran in Georgia

Today's Republican and Democratic parties are not so far apart, said Christy, a middle-aged state employee, who sees vested interested at work.

Things won't change until ordinary people are voted into positions of power.

'I'm not sure, if we don't do something about it, how well this country is going to do in the next 100 years,' she said. 'Or if we'll be this country in 100 years.'

She said she would vote for Biden this time around just as she did in 2020, but without great enthusiasm.

'He's a placeholder,' she said, the sort of leader who operates in the background.

'He came in after Trump. And I don't think he was the person to do it. You needed a stronger candidate than him and we didn't get one.

'In part because he is older. And part because he seems like more of a background player all the time.'

Frank - Trump was the best and the worst

Frank voted for Trump in 2020. Now he thinks he will vote for a third-party candidate

'I thought it was, on one hand, one of the best presidencies of my life, because Trump somehow basically was able to do the economic turnaround,' said Frank, a teacher in Milledgeville.

'But on the other hand, one of the worst presidencies of my life, because at that point, everything seemed like there was this huge split because of the intense hatred against him.

Everything is on the one hand or the other, for an archetypal independent voter.

Neither of the likely choices excites him this time around. Both Biden and Trump, he said, divide the nation making it hard to get things done.

He is crossing his fingers that Trump does not get the nomination.

'I wish there was somebody else with a little bit less ego, and a little bit smaller mouth, or a little bit more control over his mouth, that held to the same type of policies, but was a little bit more dignified,' he said.

Sen. Tim Scott, who announced he was withdrawing from the Republican primary race after a poor third debate showing, would have been his pick.

Eric - Biden has been a 'disaster as president'

Biden has been a 'disaster as a president,' said local college professor Eric

Eric, a professor at the local college, voted for Trump last time but really does not want him to have to vote for him 2024. That's not because of any great love for Biden.

'I don't buy into conspiracy theories, or at least certainly try not to, but it's kind of hard not to believe some things when he seems to not know what he's saying half the time,' he explained.

'So I think he's been a disaster as a president.'

If it is a choice between Trump and Biden then he would have to go with Trump. But he hopes that is not the final choice on the ballot.

He would be happier if Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could turn his campaign around and win the nomination.

'He seems to have a lot of the same policies and courage the Trump did without the Trump personality and juvenile behavior,' he said. 'He's someone who actually seems to know how to comport himself.'

Joseph: Biden is 'not a Bill Clinton'

Even traditional Democrats like Joseph, a military veteran, can't be counted on for 2024

Joseph, a 53-year-old veteran, counts himself as a Democrat. But he said Biden compared poorly with the last two Democratic presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

'He's definitely not a Bill Clinton. You know, everybody loved Bill Clinton,' he said at the veterans home where he works in Milledgville.

'I'm so glad we have a Democrat in the White House. But you know, I didn't throw Biden bumper stickers on my cars.'

Maybe it's age but he added that he has gradually withdrawn from politics. He's not much of a fan of Biden and his enthusiasm for Kamala Harris has died.

'But even the last few years, you know, I have stopped going to meetings,' he said.

'And the only reason I can come up with is just, you know, I'm just getting older and I guess I'm wanting to spend my time sitting on my sofa with my dog.'
The Amish are media shy and tend to shun publicity, extolling instead the virtues of modesty and humility. At their request, DailyMail.com has agreed to use only last names and obscure their faces from any photos

One savvy Amish businessman is trying to pool their resources for medicinal purposes, but he admits not all within the community are being responsible

Farmers are seeking to capitalize on the newly-legalized market of hemp cultivation, which feeds a CBD industry expected to be worth $16bn by 2025

DailyMail.com gained exclusive behind-the-scenes access to a network of Amish cannabis farms in Lancaster County, where a green revolution is underway

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Two Amish men dive into a deep sack of cannabis, scooping out handfuls of emerald buds before smelling them intensely.

It's not a scene you ever thought you'd see.

But in the beating heart of Amish country - Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - a green revolution is underway.

This week, DailyMail.com was granted exclusive behind-the-scenes access to a network of farms where Amish growers expect to sell $3million of their produce to big buyers across the US by 2025.

It is part of a nationwide trend in which the Amish, who once relied heavily on tobacco crops, are pivoting to more profitable cannabis cultivation, feeding a newly-legalized CBD market forecast to be worth $16billion in two years' time.

An Amish man feeds a cannabis strain called 'Hawaiian Haze' through a 'trimming machine' inside a small warehouse at Lancaster County Cannabis in Pennsylvania

Lancaster County Cannabis founder Riehl (foreground) inspects a bag of cannabis at Amish farmer Stoltzfus' store room. Riehl founded the business in 2020 as a central depot for Amish-grown hemp

Lancaster County Cannabis sells a range of hemp-derivative products

Nowhere is this unlikely marriage more pronounced than Lancaster County, home to the oldest and largest Amish community in the US, numbering around 30,000.

But those who gave rare interviews to DailyMail.com say cannabis cultivation is a 'natural fit' for the Amish tradition of organic farming that bans the use of chemicals or industrial machinery.

They are convinced by its medicinal qualities, but draw the line at recreational use.

Yet the community has already been embroiled in controversy after one operation was forced to shut down following an internal backlash against the marketing of its products to get high.

Welcome to the improbable world of the Amish cannabis kingpins.

Big ambitions

Father-of-three Riehl, 29, is the brains behind the operation. Born in neighboring Chester County, he is a craftsman by trade, having started out making sheds before working six years in a hardware store.

He started Lancaster County Cannabis in 2020 from his basement, putting the odd pound of cannabis into a jar and taking it to small CBD and smoke shops.

Four years on, he is looking at lucrative contracts with processors in California and the Midwest.

Riehl, dressed in traditional Amish attire, sits behind a wooden desk at the back of his store, which sells a range of home-made CBD products including lollipops, vapes and bath bombs.

Jars of pre-rolled 'Hawaiian Haze' CBD cigarettes sell for $100 a pop, but customers can also choose from a range of strains, including 'Critical G', 'Suver Haze' and 'Merlot'.

One item displayed prominently at the checkout counter is emblazoned with that well-known Amish phrase: 'Roll me a blunt & tell me I'm pretty.'

The shop front at Lancaster County Cannabis, which shares its premises with a non-Amish boutique and antiques retailer

The Lancaster County Cannabis lab, where Riehl and his young female assistants extract CBD oil from raw hemp harvested by nearby Amish cannabis farms

One CBD product displayed prominently in Riehl's storefront is emblazoned with the words: 'Roll me a blunt & tell me I'm pretty'

Riehl recommended CBD lollipops to improve sleep quality, but warned that single lick would be enough to 'put you out'. Its packaging tells first-time users not to consume more than a quarter of the product at once

Riehl markets his products for medicinal purposes, such as helping with sleep and alleviating stress

Pre-rolled CBD cigarettes come in a variety of flavors and retail for up to $100 a jar

The store room at Lancaster County Cannabis is stuffed with products Riehl sells to individual customers and smoke shops around the North East

Bags of hemp are stacked into a cupboard at Lancaster County Cannabis HQ. Riehl says he sold 50,000 lbs of the plant this year

The shop front of Lancaster County Cannabis. It has access to electricity, the internet and a telephone line after the Amish relaxed rules over modern amenities in the workplace

Riehl shares the premises with a non-Amish antiques shop and has access to a landline, electricity and the internet, while Lancaster County Cannabis itself boasts a polished website displaying its wares.

He explains that over the past decade or so, the Amish have relaxed rules so that certain modern amenities are allowed in workplaces so that livings can still be made in the 21st century.

At home, though, they are still strictly off grid.

Riehl has an entrepreneurial mind and speaks enthusiastically about sales figures and future growth.

He claims to have shifted up to 50,000lbs of cannabis this year, generating around $500,000 in sales.

Next year, he hopes to hit the $1million mark, with that trebling to $3million in 2025.

'This year, we moved more product than we ever did,' he says. 'We started very small but every year we're making connections.

'If these contracts go through [in California and the Midwest], we could do a tremendous amount.'

A 'gateway' to Lancaster County

It has all been made possible by the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized the cultivation of hemp and derived products including CBD.

Hemp is defined as a cannabis plant that contains 0.3 percent or less THC, the psychoactive compound responsible for the mind-altering effects of marijuana, which is defined as a cannabis plant that contains more than 0.3 percent THC.

Lancaster County Cannabis deals exclusively with the former.

Farmers across the country have sought to capitalize on this new source of revenue and the Amish, steeped in agricultural tradition, have been no different.

Initially, however, their efforts were disjointed. Farmers would harvest their crops but without a ready stream of buyers.

Riehl spotted an opportunity to position Lancaster County Cannabis as a central depot for their produce, describing his business as a 'gateway' to locally grown Amish hemp.

He now works with a group of around 20 cultivators to purchase their crops and provide a one-stop for outside buyers.

A young Amish man drives a horse drawn cart at Stoltzfus' property, a dairy and cannabis farm

Stoltzfus, whose farm supplied Lancaster County Cannabis with around 7,000 lbs of hemp this year, says cannabis farming is family friendly and his young children often help out

Riehl surveys the harvested cannabis crops of Amish farmer Fisher, who gave over around six acres of his land to the product this year

Lancaster County Cannabis sells the raw hemp in bulk to major processors, as well as its homemade, Amish-grown CBD products to individual customers and smoke shops around the North East.

Riehl's lab is a modest affair, consisting largely of a few scales and mixing jars.

He says he usually has a couple of Amish girls - aged between 14 to 20 - helping him out.

But, of his most recent helpers, one has recently married while the other 'quit' because she found the smell 'too strong', leaving him bereft of lab assistants for the time being.

An older Amish man does, however, wander through the store room, which is laden with bags upon bags of hemp.

He helps Riehl use an electric trimming machine to refine the cannabis plants.

It may all appear a bit rough-and-ready, but this is serious business.

The day after DailyMail.com's visit, Riehl is leading a mini-lobby group of Amish cannabis farmers to consult state politicians on future regulations of the industry.

From cows to cannabis

Riehl, who doesn't cultivate himself, has agreed to give us a tour of some of his suppliers.

But given some are up to 30 miles away, he rides in the back of our car - it would take him several hours by horse and cart, otherwise.

We meet Amish farmers Stoltzfus, 31, and Fisher, 30, who have both jumped on the cannabis bandwagon in recent years.

They see it as a natural progression for their labors.

'I felt like it was a good fit given that hemp has to be grown mostly organically,' says Stoltzfus. 'My neighbors grow tobacco to diversify and supplement their cash flow, but being an organic farm, I can't do that because of the pesticides that are needed.'

Harvesting cannabis is labor intensive. Everything is done with draft horses, before Stoltzfus puts the crops through a hydraulic 'plucker shucker' which shaves off the debris.

It is then stacked on racks in a barn to dry.

Stoltzfus says the hands-on methods also tally with the Amish tradition of encouraging children to help out on family farms from an early age.

His children, aged nine and seven, are already pitching in.

'They're all about hemp,' he says. 'It's the greatest thing to them because they get to work alongside dad and see how everything is done. It teaches them good work ethic.'

Stoltzfus' farm is 70 acres, three of which were given over to hemp production this year.

He made around $86,000 in sales from around 7,000 lbs of top flower and biomass combined.

In just his second year as a cannabis farmer, it already constitutes around 20 percent of his overall revenue.

Hemp also provides a better return on investment than dairy farming, which Stoltzfus and other Amish have traditionally relied upon.

Stoltzfus believes this could be key in heralding a long-term shift from cows to cannabis in the community.

Next year, he plans to double his hemp production.

Stopping short of getting high

Amish farmer Stoltzfus wanders underneath a forest of harvested cannabis plants that have been hung out to dry

A cooler set to -5 degrees Fahrenheit freeze dries cannabis at Fisher's farm

Riehl inspects the quality of Fisher's cannabis stuffed into bags in the freezer

Rows of cannabis plant is laid out in drying racks at Stoltzfus' farm in Lancaster County

While the ties to Amish farming traditions are clear, the new-fangled world of CBD production is perhaps a less obvious fit for a culture that takes pride in eschewing modern society.

Lancaster County Cannabis says it markets its products for strictly medicinal purposes only. It works only with hemp, not marijuana.

But Riehl admits they are treading a 'fine line'.

Already, one Amish cannabis operation has been forced to shut down by the community after it was deemed to be flogging CBD for recreational use.

'Some youth got high from it,' he says. 'That's not good at all. It was a big, big mess.

'It was very bad even for us. Because now people are looking at it, like, this is something the Amish should not do.

'We try to present it as a medicinal [product], so we haven't had any kickback yet.

'Those are two different pictures of the cannabis industry. If we could get more people to realize what the benefits are of the product in the Amish community and the wider community, then that's good.

'But if those other businesses get more publicity, everybody's going to be, like, "shut it down".'

Riehl sincerely believes in the medicinal benefits of cannabis. He eulogizes about the benefits of CBD vapes for relieving stress and says he uses a CBD lollipop to help him get to sleep.

'I used to take a [CBD] tincture, but it kicked too hard and it was hard to wake up in the morning,' he says.

'I've had a sample of three of these lollipops for more than a year and I still haven't finished them. Lick this lollipop for 30 seconds and it puts you out.'

He recommends one to DailyMail.com's reporter. The packaging warns first time users not to consume more than a quarter of the lollipop at once.

Has Riehl ever got high? Only by accident, he says, adding: 'It doesn't take much.'

Fisher, who cultivated around six acres of hemp this year, has also got in on the act.

He says he uses CBD products to relieve stress and help him sleep, adding: 'I didn't know until recently that I could take four of those gummies and get high. I'm glad I didn't know that. It's nothing I want to try.'

This speaks to an insoluble problem. Lancaster County Cannabis can market its products as medicinal, but Riehl admits there is nothing it can do to stop customers using them to get high.

He says this has been discussed within the community, but it was concluded that it was no different to Amish tobacco being used to wrap marijuana with.

'It doesn't bother me,' says Fisher. 'People use tobacco to wrap their weed. But who cares? We grow it to keep our children out of mischief, to pay for the farm.

'What people choose to do with it is not really our concern.'

Stoltzfus also has a dairy farm, but says the returns he makes on hemp cultivation is more profitable and could lead to a shift from cows to cannabis across the Amish community

Regardless of what people use it for, it appears growing numbers are turning to Amish cannabis.

CBD retailers are at pains to market their products as 'Amish grown', seen as a mark of quality.

Heather Kreider, of Hempfield Botanicals, a medicinal CBD retailer in Lancaster County, says she buys much of her produce from Amish farmers.

She says she favors their 'natural approach to farming'.

'People associate Amish with natural living and holistic growing practices,' she adds.

'They understand plant-based medicines and can see the benefits.

'Of course, they want to make money, but they also see the benefits of how it is helping people.'

Riehl agrees: 'We, the Amish, like to be a light to the world.'

So long as he doesn't eat all those lollipops, lest his lights go out.
After three were sent back to China this month, billionaire John Catsimatidis t old DailyMail.com he may broker a deal to bring more to New York City

China has a decades-long history of leasing pandas to cooperative nations in a political move known as 'panda diplomacy'

For generations, pandas have served as a little-known diplomatic tool for China to wield soft power on the world stage.

Since the 1940s, the beloved animals have been deployed by the CCP to test its good faith with America, with the deteriorating relationship between the rival nations in recent years resulting in the loss of all but four pandas across the US.

Because the pandas are owned by China, the nation is able to lease and retract the fuzzy creatures at will - leading Washington DC's beloved Tian Tian and Mei Xiang to be sent back to Asia on November 8 after two decades in the US.

However, there are signs 'panda diplomacy' could take center stage again after President Biden welcomed his Chinese counterpart President Xi to a landmark meeting in San Francisco last week.

According to New York billionaire John Catsimatidis, the meeting saw Xi react 'positively' to the idea of returning pandas to America. The founder of the Gristedes supermarket chain told DailyMail.com he is hoping to bring them to the Big Apple in a multi-million-dollar tourism drive.

Giant pandas Mei Xiang enjoy the snow at Washington DC's Smithsonian National Zoo. The pair were gifted to the United States in 2000 but returned to China on November 8

Although 'panda diplomacy' in the modern age began in 1941, the first panda on US soil came five years before when socialite and fashion designer Ruth Harkness brought cub Sui-Lin to the US in her arms in 1936

The history of 'panda diplomacy' in the modern age dates back to 1941, when China sent a pair of the animals to America as a 'thank you' gift for its support against an invasion from Japan.

The Bronx Zoo received the pandas on the eve of America's decision to enter World War Two, in a sign of the international significance the animals would go on to take in the subsequent decades.

Chinese dictator Chairman Mao was known to be a keen supporter of 'panda diplomacy' during the fifties, and would often send the bears as gifts to his communist allies in North Korea and the Soviet Union.

The fractured relationship between America and China was marked by zero panda exchanges for over two decades until, in 1972, President Richard Nixon made a historic trip to Asia to mend the divide.

At a state banquet during the trip, First Lady Pat Nixon noticed a picture of pandas on a container of cigarettes, and remarked to Chinese Premier Zhou En-Lai, 'Aren't they cute? I love them.'

'I'll give you some,' he responded, gifting the United States with Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling, a pair of 18-month-old black and whites. Their arrival sparked a media frenzy in the United States - often satirically remembered as America's 'panda-monium.'

Upwards of 75,000 people flooded to Washington DC National Zoo to welcome the pandas the first Sunday after they arrived on April 16, 1972.

It marked a dramatic shift from the 'reds under the bed' paranoia of 1958 when fierce opposition prevented Chicago's Brookfield Zoo from accepting the arrival of pandas because they were deemed 'a product of Communist China.'

First Lady Pat Nixon at a welcome ceremony in Washington DC's National Zoo in April 1972, pictured with Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing

The first lady laughs as one of the two pandas gifted from China wows the crowd on the first day the beloved animals were revealed to the Smithsonian National Zoo in 1972

The arrival of the pandas on April 16, 1972, where First Lady Pat Nixon is seen at the welcome ceremony, sparked a media frenzy and an economic boon often satirically remembered as America's 'panda-monium'

While America went mad for their newest attraction, Nixon's counter-gift of two musk oxen - Milton and Mathilda, from the San Francisco Zoo - did not have the same reaction in China.

Both animals suffered health problems as soon as they arrived, and a New York Times editorial declared at the time: 'One can only hope that a century from now "musk ox" will not be Chinese slang for a useless object that can't be disposed of.'

'We got a bad deal,' added vice chairman of the Chinese government Madame Sun Yat-sen a few months later. 'That's Nixon for you.'

British Prime Minister Edward Heath was also so enamored by the economic boon of the pandas that he leased two bears for the London Zoo two years later.

While 1941 marked the first time China used the pandas for diplomacy, the first pandas to set foot on US soil came five years before, when socialite and fashion designer Ruth Harkness flew nine-week-old panda cub Sui Lin in her arms on the jet back instead of in a crate.

Ruth Harkness carries baby panda cub Sui-Lin on a flight to the US, where it became the first panda brought to the United States

In 1984, China changed its panda protocols to only send the animals out on 10-year leases, and the US would have to pay an annual fee of $1 million to keep the beloved bears.

The US responded in 1998 by mandating 50 percent of the fee must go to conservation of the species - 10 years before a devastating earthquake destroyed 67 percent of all of China's wild panda habitats.

At the time in 2008, China had 60 pandas suddenly in need of safe habitats - leading to a fierce lobbying effort to obtain the animals that many linked to China's trade deals.

One such instance saw the UK receive its first pandas in 17 years in 2011 at the Edinburgh Zoo, shortly before an agreement was signed between the two nations for renewable energy tech, salmon, and Land Rovers.

At the same time, Norway lost its salmon deal with China after it awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Lui Xiaobo.

The mystifying airline disaster of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, when 227 passengers and 12 crew disappeared, in 2014 also saw a return of panda diplomacy.

The disaster caused a rift between Malaysia and China, however it occurred just two months before the long-scheduled arrival of Feng Yi and Fu Wa - a move that was said to have brought a moment of relief in tensions between the two nations.

President Bill Clinton at the Smithsonian National Zoo in 2001, shortly after the zoo received its second set of pandas from China

Panda cub Xiao Qi Ji in the Smithsonian national Zoo three months after his birth in November 2020

Xiao Qi Ji eats an ice cake for his third birthday at the Smithsonian National Zoo on August 21, 2023 in Washington, DC

'Panda diplomacy' was the topic of a scathing Saturday Night Live sketch this month, where a character dressed as a panda mockingly answered questions on behalf of President Biden

In 2000, Washington received its second pair of giant pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, in a 10-year deal reportedly costing $10 million.

In 2013, China's ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post where he declared: 'Many people don't realize it, but there are actually two Chinese ambassadors in Washington: me and the panda cub at the National Zoo.'

Saturday Night Live even used pandas to criticize Biden's handling of foreign policy in a scathing Saturday Night Live sketch this month, where a character dressed as a panda to answer questions on behalf of the president.

The move has not been without controversy, however, as some have claimed pandas suffer health effects in captivity and from long travel.

Chinese panda lovers accused the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC of 'abusing' Mei Xiang in 2020, with the elderly 22-year-old bear allegedly underfed and depressed.

Twenty years after her arrival, Chinese social media platform Weibo became flooded by hundreds of millions of hashtags calling to 'Save Mei Xiang'.

The bear was shipped back to China alongside Tian Tian and their sub Xiao Qi Ji on November 8, 2023.

However, Washington's pandas were not always hit by controversy - as Xiao Qi Ji went viral in 2022 after it was filmed playing in the snow for the very first time.

Giant Panda Mei Xiang licks up water while resting in her enclosure at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington before her transport to China on November 7, 2023

Meghan Linden consoles her six-year-old daughter Harper as they read a sign about the panda's relocation to China at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. on November 9, 2023

The pandas were shipped in specialized crates from Dulles International Airport on November 7, 2023

The panda crates were filled with 220lbs of bamboo and plenty of apples for their long voyage

When Washington surrendered its last pandas earlier this month, many saw it as a symbolic moment to show how US-China relations have deteriorated.

However, Biden's historic welcome of Xi in San Francisco last week led to the possibility that pandas could soon arrive in New York City.

At the summit, Xi branded pandas 'envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.'

And billionaire John Catsimatidis told DailyMail.com in response that he is attempting to broker a deal to loan pandas to the Big Apple in a tourism drive because 'the city really needs it.'

Looking back at the 'panda-monium' brought on by the animals' arrival in decades past, Catsimatidis claimed that they could 'rival the Statue of Liberty' as a New York City landmark and bring tens of millions of dollars in tourism money.

The Gristedes founder and radio host, 75, told DailyMail.com that the move also shows a 'desire to have peace in the world' between the United States and China, in a deal that he dubbed 'peace through pandas'.

Although he didn't commit to a timeline for when the pandas may be on American soil, Catsimatidis said he would 'love for it to be a part' of the nation's celebration of its 250th anniversary - which lands on July 4th, 2026.
More than a year of drilling and hammering through the walls of a neighbour's home is making an elderly couple's life unbearable.

Daniel Kalman, 76, and his wife of 50 years Margaret, 73, hoped to spend their retirement bedded down in the haven of their picturesque 1930s family home where they have lived for the last 37 years but are now considering selling up.

But the grandparents say they are forced to spend whole days out of their own house to escape the hellish noise.

Their once peaceful lives in the tranquil neighbourhood where they raised their children has become miserable since new owners bought the next door property in Limefield Road, Salford, Greater Manchester, for 650,000 in May 2022.

They have not been able to invite friends and family to their house for the last 17 months and often spend whole days away because of the pounding noise which vibrates through their home from 8am.

But builders say they have done nothing wrong and have kept within the law.

Daniel Kalman, 76, and his wife of 50 years Margaret, 73, have had to live with the hellish noise of hammering and drilling pounding through their walls in Limefield Road, Salford, for 17 months

The grandparents' once peaceful lives in the tranquil neighbourhood where they raised their children has become unbearable since new owners bought the neighbouring property

Mrs Kalman at times physically shakes and 'feels like jelly' because of the grating pummelling sounds as she suffers with misophonia - an incurable condition, brought to the public eye by This Morning host Ruth Langsford, where noises trigger a strong emotional reaction, usually anger, anxiety or disgust.

She paid for a letter from her GP to confirm her condition in the hopes it would put some weight behind their objections to the council, while her concerned husband even bought her industrial ear plugs but they made no difference.

Land registry documents show the title deeds in the name of Deborah Benoliel who runs fashion website Accessory World, with stores in Manchester, Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, and Golders Green and Stamford Hill in London.

It is understood she is yet to move into the property, with her husband Moishe Kaye who is often seen at the building site, and his brother Yankel - also known as Jack - said to be overseeing the works through project management company May.

Steel fences surround the property while a monkey puzzle tree and hedges which adorned the edge of the home have been chopped down.

Nine planning applications have so far been submitted for renovation works of which seven have been decided on by Salford City Council.

The green light was given to extend the bottom and first floors and side of the home, as well as a loft conversion which included tearing down the garage.

They have not been able to invite friends and family to their house and often spend whole days away to escape the noise

The home was bought for 650,000 in May 2022 and renovation works began that July, with nine planning applications being submitted to the council

The green light was given to extend the bottom and first floors and side of the home, as well as a loft conversion which included tearing down the garage

The brickwork completed on the home shows some gaps. Two more blueprints are yet to be decided on which detail plans to extend the rear of the property and erect an outbuilding

The latest planning applications have been met with fierce opposition with a total of more than 800 objections

Two more blueprints are yet to be decided on which detail plans to extend the rear of the property and build an outbuilding. They have been met with fierce opposition with more than 800 objections across both applications.

The Kalmans concede no illegal activity has taken place but their pleas through WhatsApp messages to start the works later have fallen on death ears with ugly rows erupting between the warring neighbours.

The couple say they have now had their number blocked by Jack Kaye after Mrs Kalman sent a number of messages complaining about the noise.

Semi-retired osteopath Mr Kalman told MailOnline: 'I don't object to whatever they are doing, that's their business. But they've intruded on our lives for seventeen months now with incessant noise. Between pile driving and drilling, which goes on and on, we've had to leave the house just to get away.'

The winter months mean they are now 'trapped in their home' with the couple not wishing to venture outside into the cold, and Mrs Kalman says the 'intolerable' noise is 'driving me mad'.

Speaking from her home with the drilling noises heard in the background, she said: 'Now we are sitting in a room far away from where the noise is coming and it's very very disturbing in here. It's very distressing for me.'

They have now been 'driven' to call in estate agents with the view of putting their home on the market - a heartbreaking decision they are finding hard to comprehend.

'We've got a beautiful home here and we are very comfortable here but we are being driven bonkers by this,' Mr Kalman said.

Mrs Kalman suffers with misophonia at times physically shakes and 'feels like jelly' because of the grating pummelling sounds

Steel fences surround the property while a monkey puzzle tree and hedges which adorned the edge of the home have been chopped down

The Kalmans are now considering putting their home of 37 years on the market saying they are being 'driven' to it because of the building works

Project manager Jack Kaye has hit back claiming the site closes at 4.30pm, although he does have some sympathy for the couple

'I think it would be quite heart-breaking to leave this house. We've got our personal stamp on it in every way.'

The semi-detached homes were built by the Home Office to house the Strangeways' prison doctor and chaplain.

Project manager Jack Kaye has hit back claiming the site closes at 4.30pm, although he does have some sympathy for the couple.

'She (the neighbour) is an older lady and has medical problems, so noise bothers her,' he said.

'Salford Council has inspected a couple of times and said we are doing everything right.

'She requested that we don't start drilling until 10am but I had twelve tradesmen on site at that point and that would have cost me a full day's work.

'I feel bad for her but she began leaving non-stop harassing messages. I asked her to stop but she didn't, so it got to the point where I had to block her number.

'We work within the law. We don't work late into the evening or at weekends. These are totally unfounded allegations.

'We have tried our best but at this point her requests are unreasonable and we have to agree to disagree. I will continue to get the job done.'

One neighbour said: 'They have been working on the property for a long time, but it does look like a full renovation.

'I can hear a bit of noise but that is to be expected because it is a building site.

'Their house is attached to the one being renovated so any noise will probably vibrate through the walls. The drilling there is probably quite noisy.

'I don't find it too bad, but I don't live next door.'

Another added: 'She is probably angry because the builders have not backed down.

'What would they rather have? A house that is derelict and failing into disrepair or a nice house that doesn't lower the value of his property?

'I bet they'd be the first to complain is it was abandoned, and their house started to get damp.'

While a third said: 'What if it was their house being renovated? Would they agree to start mid-morning which meant it would take longer to finish? I not sure they would.'

Salford City Council has been contacted for comment.
Some have questioned whether Zelensky should consider peace treaty

With Ukraine's much-anticipated counteroffensive stalling ahead of another winter and the world's focus now on the Israel-Hamas war, some have questioned whether it's time for Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a peace treaty with Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian soldiers have been unable to make significant gains against Russian troops who are entrenched in captured territory during their counteroffensive and casualties on both sides - already in the hundreds of thousands - continue to mount.

And with the prospect of a decisive military victory for Ukrainian troops quickly falling out of reach amid the grinding counteroffensive, the likelihood of another bloody summer next year remains dauntingly high.

This stalling counteroffensive - coupled with the fact that the world's attention is now on the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East - has meant some have questioned whether Zelensky should consider signing a peace treaty with Putin.

But military experts have told MailOnline that despite there being a stalemate on the ground, Zelensky cannot sign a peace deal - in the short-term at least.

Charlie Herbert, a former British Army major general who served in Afghanistan, said doing so would just freeze the 'murderous aspirations' of Putin rather than stopping them altogether.

A Ukrainian soldier is seen in a trench on the front line in the direction of Kupyansk, where clashes with the Russian army continue in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on 21 November

Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery at their fighting position in the direction of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on 18 November

Military experts have told MailOnline that despite there being a stalemate on the ground, Zelensky cannot sign a peace deal with Putin (pictured on November 23) - in the short-term at least

Signing a peace deal now would mean the end of Ukraine as we know it - Aliona Hlivco, Henry Jackson Society director

'Will President Zelensky sue for peace now? Absolutely not,' Herbert tells MailOnline. He says while there is a 'certain inevitability' that the war will be brought to a close through some form of political agreement, it will not happen in the short term.

'As President Zelensky rightly fears, signing an agreement now only risks freezing the murderous aspirations of Putin, rather than curtailing them altogether,' Herbert says.

Indeed, Aliona Hlivco, the managing director of the think tank Henry Jackson Society, tells MailOnline that if Ukraine makes a deal now amid a grinding counteroffensive with few significant territorial gains, Putin will just come back in ten years and destroy Ukraine.

Hlivco, a former Ukrainian politician whose brother is fighting on the frontlines, says: 'This is an existential war for Ukraine. If we make a deal now, like we did in 2015, Putin will only come back ten years later to eliminate the Ukrainian nation as an entity.'

Ben Hodges, former Commander of US forces in Europe, agrees that there can be no peace deal now, explaining that Zelensky knows Putin 'cannot be trusted in any negotiation' and how Russia is 'playing a long game.'

Hodges tells MailOnline: 'Zelensky has no desire to settle for anything with Putin.

'He knows that Russia can't be trusted in any negotiation and that the Kremlin is playing the long game - hoping that the US and other Western nations will pressure Ukraine to consider a peace treaty.'

The West has not fully awakened to the reality that we are at war with Russia - Retired US Army Brigadier General Kevin Ryan

Kevin Ryan, a retired US Army Brigadier General, agrees and says that the security of Ukraine and Western nations - especially Estonia, Lithuania and Poland on NATO's eastern flank - would be in peril if Zelensky signed a peace deal now.

'Ukraine is the first battlefield of Putin's war with the West,' Ryan tells MailOnline, adding that Western nations such as the US and UK have not yet grasped that this is not just a war between Russia and Ukraine.

'The West has not fully awakened to the reality that we are at war with Russia. Countries like Poland and the Baltics - they believe Putin's words and actions and think we are in a war.

'But the US and UK and much of NATO? I think they believe this is only a war between Russia and Ukraine - one where we can be on the side-lines helping.'

Ryan insists no peace deal should be signed before Ukrainian troops regain the territory they lost in Russia's 2022 invasion as well as Crimea - and that Western nations should do more to help Ukraine achieve that.

Hodges agrees and says Zelensky knows he could never enter negotiations with Putin unless Ukrainian troops had regained control over Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in a sham referendum in 2014.

Hodges said: 'Zelensky knows he has to have Crimea. They'll never be safe or secure so long as Russia occupies Crimea. Zelensky will never be able to rebuild Ukraine if Russia is in Crimea and is able to block or disrupt all of Ukraine's ports.'

Indeed, Herbert says Zelensky will not sign any peace deal now. 'But inevitably he will be looking for a range of options to bring this war to an end in a way that is tolerable to the Ukrainian people,' Herbert says.

'They have sacrificed an enormous amount - more than I suspect we will will ever know or could possibly comprehend - but war without end is neither possible for Ukraine or her Western supporters.'

Prospect of a decisive military victory - on either side - remains illusionary amid grinding counteroffensive - Charlie Herbert, Former British Major General

All of the experts admit that Ukraine's much-anticipated counteroffensive, which began in summer, has not as successful as Ukraine and its Western allies had hoped.

The counteroffensive has progressed at a much slower pace than anticipated when Western nations sent tanks and missiles to Ukraine, with Ukrainian troops struggling to dislodge Russian soldiers who are entrenched in captured. And this has meant Russia still controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldiers still fight on, determined to protect their land. But the situation is dire, with both suffering heavy losses with an estimated 100,000 casualties on each side.

And since the counteroffensive began, Ukraine has advanced a mere ten miles. It lost 20 per cent of its battlefield weapons in the first two weeks of the operation.

'The war is at a stalemate,' retired US Army Colonel Gian Gentile says.

Herbert says: 'After months of relentless and grinding fighting, with enormous casualties on both sides and little change in the position of the front lines, it has become increasingly apparent that neither side had a decisive military advantage yet.'

Herbert says this means that the prospect of a decisive military victory - on either side - remains 'illusionary'. 'We shouldn't be surprised,' Herbert says.

'The callous, sacrificial nature of the Russian 'meat grinder' tactics has proved beyond the capability of Ukraine to defeat quickly, irrespective of the relentless courage and determination of the Ukrainian armed forces.'

Ukrainian soldiers take aim on the front line in the direction of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on November 21

Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery at their fighting position as Russia-Ukraine war continues in the direction of Kharkiv, Ukraine on November 20

Ukrainian soldiers are seen on the front line in the direction of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, on November 21

And Zelensky admitted this week that Ukrainian troops face 'difficult' defensive operations on parts of the eastern front with bitter war cold setting in.

Russian troops launched offensives on different sections of the front line in Ukraine's east this autumn, trying to advance on the devastated town of Avdiivka and in the northeast between the towns of Lyman and Kupiansk.

Snow and freezing temperatures that stood at about minus 5 degrees Celsius during the day on Wednesday and were expected to drop lower may further complicate operations on the battleground, where fighting is moving to an attritional phase.

But there have been some gains in recent weeks.

Ukrainian troops are now working to push back Russian forces positioned on the east bank of the Dnipro River, the military said last Saturday, a day after Ukraine claimed it had secured multiple bridgeheads on that side of the river that divides the country's partially occupied Kherson region.

And Gentile, the associate director of think tank RAND's Arroyo Centre in the US, says the morale among Russian soldiers is still low. He says that the West must take advantage of this and supply Ukraine with more weapons so they can win decisively.

'Even though the Russians have constructed formidable defensive lines with mines, obstacles and trenches, Russian morale across the board is still quite low and they lack a true operational reserve to respond to a Ukrainian breakthrough,' Gentile says.

Gentile, who served two tours in Iraq, added: 'In other words, the Russian defences are susceptible to a Ukrainian offensive which could cause a systematic breakdown in the overall defences of Putin's men.'

Hodges also has hope. 'The counteroffensive on the ground is not going as well as we'd all hoped but it is still moving forward,' Hodges says. 'Witness the Ukrainian landings and expanding beachhead on the left bank of the Dnipro river.'

Hodges says that these gains, however small, means Zelensky has 'no need or desire to settle for anything with Putin'.

Herbert says that while the prospect of a significant change in the deadlock over the winter months is 'slim', it is 'too early to consider with seriousness that either side is ready for some form of negotiated political settlement to bring this war to a close'.

And without any peace deal or settlement, Herbert says another 'bloody summer of attrition next year remains the most likely scenario with bodies sides desperately trying to find technological, tactical and logistical advantage'.

'This will be a deadly competition to break the deadlock, not dissimilar to that faced by the Allied forces on the Western Front in the First World War,' Herbert says.

The West can end the war, if only it provides Ukraine with enough weaponry to win - Ben Hodges, former Commander of US forces in Europe

The time it will take for the war to end will depend on how much support the West continues to give Ukraine - and whether they will do more, the military experts say.

Additional US funding for Ukraine is being jeopardised by political fights in Washington, where the new war consumes attention at the highest levels.

Divisions over Ukraine have also emerged in the European Union, which says it cannot provide all the munitions it promised. EU summits and other high-level global meetings now tend to focus on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Philip Ingram MBE, a retired British Army Colonel and military intelligence specialist, said: 'If support slips off before Ukraine has managed to defeat the Russians then that's billions of dollars worth of aid that's been given to Ukraine so far that has been wasted.

'Any Western government, including the US government, that decides to waste all that money and not give any more will be committing political suicide.'

Hlivco says: 'Ukraine needs more weapons, more munitions, more long-range systems and more fourth generation fighter jets like the F16s. The whole counteroffensive failed because we have a lack of weapon supplies.'

When asked how long she thinks the war could go on for, Hlivco says: 'My brother, who is a soldier on the frontline in Ukraine, said that they're ready to fight this war for at least a decade.

'With the current level of weapon supplies, there is no indication the war will end sooner. The West can realistically end this war next year. If only it decides to.'

A Ukrainian soldier takes aim on the front line in the direction of Kupiansk on November 21

Ukrainian soldiers of the 67th Brigade prepare the artillery at their fighting position in the direction of Kremmina on November 22

Ukrainian soldiers walk in a trench on the front line in the direction of Kupyansk on November 21

For Hodges, the most important move that the West can make would be to 'declare publicly that it is in our strategic interest for Ukraine to win, to defeat Russia, and to eject Russia back to the 1991 border' and send in more weapons.

'Such a strategic objective would generate much more effective policies regarding support to Ukraine,' Hodges says, explaining how the policies should focus on sending more weapons to Ukraine.

He says the provision of long-range precision strike capabilities - such as the 300km-range MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System and ground-launched small diameter bombs - would 'enable Ukraine to make Crimea untenable for Russian forces'.

'The Ukrainians have already proven the concept with just three UK-provided Storm Shadow cruise missiles with their strikes on Sevastopol. Imagine if Ukraine had just 100 ATACMS long-range missiles,' Hodges says.

But so far, the US and its allies have not provided Ukraine with aid that would mean the war would come to a 'decisive' end, Hodges adds.

'The US administration will ultimately decide how this war ends,' Hodges says. 'The current policy of 'with you for as long as it takes' is another way of saying that we are not committed to Ukraine winning but instead will provide incremental aid that keeps Ukraine in the fight but which won't be decisive.

'This is bad policy and is a huge missed opportunity to help Ukraine inflict a defeat on Russia and change the security situation in Europe for generations.'

Putin is more than happy to put his young men in the meat grinder for a good while longer - Retired US Army Colonel Gian Gentile

Gentile says it hard to say how long the war will go on for if the West don't send more weapons.

'It appears that Putin is more than happy to put his young men into the mud and meat grinder with minimal training for a good while,' Gentile says. 'How the war will end is ultimately a political decision for both sides.'

For Herbert, he says that there is a 'certain inevitability' that the conflict will be brought to a close through some form of political agreement - but insists such a deal should not be made in the short term.

'In the absence of a fundamental change in the trench deadlock, there is a certain inevitability that this conflict will be brought to a close not through the barrel of a tank, but through quiet diplomacy and some form of political agreement, but not in the short term,' Herbert says.

'As President Zelensky rightly fears, this risks only freezing the murderous aspirations of Putin, rather than curtailing them altogether.'

In a dire assessment, Ryan says that the problem for Ukraine is its lack of manpower. And over time, he says that without the protection that being in NATO would provide, Russia's poorly trained and equipped troops 'will wear down the capabilities' of Ukrainian forces.

'A time will come when Ukraine will be forced to accept at least a ceasefire if there is no change to the situation on the battlefield,' Ryan says.

Ryan says Ukraine must be made a member of NATO for the nation - and the West - to achieve their goals of a Ukraine that is 'sovereign and free'.

'We need a Ukraine that is inside NATO and the EU, as a bulwark against the malicious actions of a Russia under the control of Putin and his acolytes,' Ryan says.

'The goals [of Ukraine being sovereign and free] will not be won at the negotiating table,' he adds. 'They must be asserted by Ukraine and the West and protected with military power.'

'We should not delay Ukraine's admission to both NATO and the EU,' Ryan insisted. 'If we fail to achieve our goals against the Russia we face today, we will be harder pressed to achieve them against the Russia that Putin is building.'
A coal miner who has made 'above average wages' working in the industry for decades is among hundreds of activists protesting against fossil fuels.

Grant Howard, 60, was among several demonstrators who attempted to stop ships carrying coal from leaving the Port of Newcastle, in NSW, on Saturday.

The 30-hour long protest outside the world's largest coal port saw activists row onto the water on kayaks, surfboards and pontoons.

Mr Howard has been in the industry for 43 years starting his career when he was 17 with his first job in the Illawarra district, south of Sydney.

The 60-year-old is pushing for renewables but admitted to Daily Mail Australia that coal mining had been good for him personally, paying above average wages.

Coal miners can make up to $200,000 a year and more - which is more than twice the average salary of $95,000 in Australia.

'Coal mining and resources industry has treated the Australian community well so we are all equally responsible for the emissions,' he said.

However, he believed the industry's days were numbered.

A coal miner (pictured, Grant Howard) who has made a killing working in the industry for decades is among hundreds of activists protesting against the industry

The 30-hour long protest outside the world's largest coal port saw activists row onto the water on kayaks, surfboards and pontoons

'As a coal miner I am not divorced from caring about the environment. I cant be reckless with my opinions and be reckless with other peoples future,' he said.

'I understand we need to have a transition, particularly thermal coal, its 30 per cent of the problem of CO2 emissions.'

'The transition has already started, it is happening and I want coal miners to be part of that conversation.'

Mr Howard doubted that someone starting as a coal miner now could have the same career as him because he did not think the industry is 'going to be around in another 40 years'.

'If you cant sell the coal, you cant mine it either and the world is changing,' he said.

'Europes putting in place a carbon market, which means we can mine as much we like, we can put ourselves on as much of you like but at the end of the day if we cant sell that stuff they wont mine it.

Coal use worldwide increased to record levels in 2022, surpassing 8billion tonnes for the first time, according to the International Energy Agency.

Although coal use in Europe and the US showed marginal decline that was more than replaced by growing demand in China, India and Southeast Asian countries.

Together they are expected to account for three out of every four tonnes of coal consumed worldwide in 2023.

Grant Howard, 60, was among several protesters who attempted to stop ships carrying coal from leaving the Port of Newcastle, in NSW, on Saturday

Mr Russell (pictured left) attends a protest against NAB funding new thermal coal mines earlier this year

However, according to some agencies, renewables are also expanding at a rapid rate and were expected to jump by a third this year.

Renewables, including hydro and biomass burning, provided about a third of the world's energy in 2020.

Mr Howard now works as a supervisor at Queensland's central east Bowen Basin coal reserves which employs about 40,000 people.

When asked about what might replace those livelihoods Mr Howard said there would still be jobs in the resources sector.

'There will still be plenty of jobs in mineral extraction, whether that be copper, lead or gold,' he said.

'Automation generally is much a threat to coal miners jobs as the changing market place.'

'With the coal fields the employment is shifting to offices and rooms in Brisbane where they are operating the equipment.

'We are better off preparing new industries which includes battery manufacture and hydrogen manufacturing and leaning into and embracing those industries of the future.'

Mr Howard said one of the reasons he wanted to get involved in the 'conversation' about the transition is that politicians exploit miners for their own interests.

'They have exploited mine workers not to look after coal mining but to look after their own jobs,' he said.

While he did not normally talk about his views at work, because he was concentrating on his job, Mr Howard said he was open with his colleagues when the subject came up.

'Its a bit tough,' he said.

When asked about what might replace those livelihoods Mr Howard said there would still be jobs in the resources sector (pictured, protestors at Newcastle on Saturday)

Mr Howard speaks at community campaign to understand climate change and it impacts on local fire risk

'They sometimes disagree. I am at odds with them, but at other times I meet coal miners who understand and are happy about my ideas and my opinions.'

At protests, where he has spoken on stage, he also does not advertise he is a coal miner but says the fact is generally known and he is open about it.

'Every now and then I have had some adverse effect, it's very minor,' he said

'At the end of the day coal miners aren't responsible, we are equally responsible.'

Mr Howard said that despite the export income Australia would forsake by giving up coal, the 'the simple fact is we have to transition to a zero carbon economy'.

'Weve already touched on a 2C rise in global average temperature, we have demonstrated impacts of climate change with increasing severity of floods and drought we are already witnessing that,' he said.

'In Australia bushfires have increased in severity and frequency and that is undisputed, droughts are increasing in severity.'

Asked about whether he and other Australians were willing to make sacrifices to reduce emissions, such as limiting travel or even rationing electricity, Mr Howard said he couldn't speak for other people but said he was willing to do so.

'There is a responsibility on everybody including corporations and small and medium businesses to seek and determine their own energy independence,' he said.

He argued that switching the power grid supply to almost wholly renewables was possible, citing Iceland as a country that has done so although admitting they had access to volcanic thermal and hydro power.'

'The net benefit is for the country,' he said.
Sir Keir Starmer's Labour was accused of being 'in total disarray' last night after being forced to deny reports that it was virtually abandoning its flagship 28 billion 'green prosperity' plan.

The party leader faced fresh 'Sir Flip Flop' allegations after claims that he had ordered a new review into the plan to borrow 28 billion each year to spend on green industries and environmental initiatives.

The borrowing scheme  branded a 'debt bombshell' by the Tories  has already been watered down once this year after Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said it would only fully come into operation after 2027.

But yesterday, Labour was forced to deny BBC reports that 'there are major doubts at the top of the party' that an incoming Labour government would ever reach that level of investment because of the state of the public finances left by the Tories. The reports cited a source close to Sir Keir as saying Labour 'probably won't be able to meet' that pledge.

Leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer leaves his home for Parliament to attend Prime Minister's Questions on 22nd November 2023 in London, UK

Rachel Reeves appears on the BBC1 current affairs programme, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

Last night, Labour denied both claims as 'categorically untrue'. However, the Tories have seized on the confusion.

Tory MP Paul Bristow told The Mail on Sunday yesterday: 'No wonder Sir Keir is known as Sir Flip Flop.

'First, he had a crazy plan to borrow 28 billion a year, then it was watered down, then there was a plan to back off even further, only for Labour to say it's all OK.

'They're in total disarray.' Even Labour MPs voiced concern, with one saying: 'It just gives the impression that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.'

He also suggested Shadow Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband would have 'gone ballistic' at the latest report ahead of this week's COP 28 UN climate change conference.

A Labour spokeswoman said last night that 'all policies are subject to our fiscal rules' and the position on the green prosperity plan was 'unchanged'.

She added: 'Labour will ramp up investment in jobs and energy independence through our green prosperity plan to a total of 28 billion a year as planned in the second half of the Parliament.'
For three years she lived in gloomy isolation, marooned on the seashore beneath a wall of fearsome cliffs.

But now Britain's loneliest sheep has moved to a new home and is finally enjoying the company of friends.

As revealed in The Scottish Mail on Sunday this month, Fiona was rescued from her solitary existence on a beach in the north-east of Scotland by a daredevil band of animal lovers who abseiled down 800ft and then winched her up to safety.

The sheep  whose plight had captured the hearts of the nation  was weighed down by her overgrown fleece.

After a much-needed trim, she was transported to a farm park near Dumfries, where she has gradually been reintroduced to the companionship of other animals.

As our exclusive picture shows, Fiona is now spending her days contentedly grazing with sheep pals Amy and Dozi.

Freshly shorn Fiona (left) at Dalscone Farm with companions Amy and Dozi

Fiona was rescued from a Highland beach by a group of animal lovers earlier this month

Farmer Ben Best, from Dalscone Farm, said: 'She was on her own for so long and that's why we didn't rush it.

'I put Dozi and Amy in to the pen with her last Friday. I thought I was going to have to take them back out  but by Monday she seemed to settle a lot. Since then she has taken to them. She's more content than a lot of the other sheep we have.

'She just chews her cud and has her wee bed of straw she likes to lie in. She's loving life.'

Mr Best also disclosed that Jill Turner, the kayaker who first spotted Fiona and alerted the world to her sad situation, is planning to visit next month.

He said: 'It will be a nice little reunion because if it wasn't for Jill finding her, Fiona would still be stranded at the bottom of that cliff.'

Fiona was first discovered in 2021 by kayaker Jillian Turner, who returned to the spot near Balinore this year to find the animal still there, with her fleece overgrown

Ms Turner was kayaking by cliffs south of Balintore in Easter Ross in 2021 when she spotted a lone sheep.

She repeated the trip last month and was upset to see the animal in the same place.

Her footage was viewed countless times  and prompted a nail-biting rescue mission.

Three weeks ago a team led by Ayrshire farmer Cammy Wilson abseiled down to the beach.

After finding Fiona in a cave, the rescuers were able to winch her up the steep slope.

The rescuers decided to name her after a character from the animated film Shrek  a princess called Fiona.
A US probe into a 2.3 billion deal involving an Abu Dhabi wealth fund last night sparked calls for the UK to hold a similar investigation into a bid to seize control of the Telegraph.

Mubadala Investment Company, whose chairman is Sheikh Mansour, the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and owner of Manchester City FC, is trying to buy a majority stake in Fortress Investment Group, a huge New York hedge fund.

The deal is, however, reportedly being put under the microscope by the powerful Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which vets whether deals can harm national security.

Now pressure is mounting on UK Government Ministers to adopt a similarly 'robust' stance and order an investigation into a bid by RedBird IMI, an Abu Dhabi-backed fund, to take over the Telegraph newspapers and Spectator magazine.

Former Tory Government Minister Neil O'Brien said: 'The Telegraph and Spectator are important UK institutions and they shouldn't be allowed to come under the control of a foreign government without scrutiny and discussion.

Former Tory minister Neil O'Brien has said that the Telegraph should not be allowed to come under the control of a foreign government without scrutiny

The US committee's scrutiny of the planned takeover comes amid concerns that important US assets acquired by the UAE, which includes Abu Dhabi, could end up under Chinese influence

'The fact the US is investigating a similar issue just shows why we should too. The US is taking a robust view of their national interest and it's essential that we do too.'

The US committee's scrutiny comes amid concerns that important US assets acquired by the UAE, which includes Abu Dhabi, could end up under Chinese influence.

Mubadala, Abu Dhabi's second biggest wealth fund, is increasing its investments in China and opened an office in Beijing earlier this year. The Gulf region has ploughed 1.8 billion into China so far this year, up from just 79 million last year. Mubadala is attempting to acquire a majority stake in Fortress from SoftBank Group of Japan.

It comes amid deepening concern in the UK about the Emiratis taking a controlling interest in the Telegraph. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer says she is 'minded' to issue a 'Public Interest Intervention Notice', which could lead to an investigation by regulators.

But Downing Street has not denied reports that the Foreign Office stepped in to 'soften' her language to avoid offending RedBird IMI.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer says she is 'minded' to issue a 'Public Interest Intervention Notice', which could lead to an investigation by regulators

Fortress was linked to more than 160 UK regional newspapers through a tie-up with their owner, the American publisher Gannett.

Following a merger in 2019, an affiliate of Fortress managed Gannett, which, via its UK subsidiary Newsquest, owns newspapers including the Glasgow Herald, the Northern Echo and Brighton Argus. The arrangement ended in late 2020.

Redbird IMI has said that if it gains ownership of the Telegraph and Spectator it is committed to maintaining their existing editorial teams, and 'editorial independence for the titles is essential to protecting their reputation and credibility'.
After a seven-week nightmare in which they feared they may never see their loved ones again, 13 Israeli hostages were finally reunited with their families yesterday.

There were emotional scenes at hospitals in Tel Aviv as young children sprinted towards their parents and grandparents  49 days after they were snatched by Hamas terrorists in the October 7 attacks.

'I dreamed that we went home,' said little Raz Asher, four, sitting on the lap of her relieved father Yoni.

His voice quivering, he softly replied: 'Did you dream that you went home? Here the dream has come true. We are home, we are going to our house soon. We are coming home soon.'

Hamas terrorists took Raz along with her two-year-old sister Aviv and their mother Doron from their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel last month, in a terror attack that saw 1,200 Israelis murdered and 240 taken hostage.

Aviv Asher, 2,5-year-old, her sister Raz Asher, 4,5-year-old, and mother Doron, react as they meet with Yoni, Raz and Aviv's father and Doron's husband, after they returned to Israel to the designated complex at the Schneider Children's Medical Center, during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Petah Tikva, Israel, in this handout picture released on November 25, 2023

Ohad Munder, 9-year-old, reacts as he meets with his family members after he returned to Israel to the designated complex at the Schneider Children's Medical Center, during a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Petah Tikva, Israel

Ohad being abducted by Hamas gunmen during the October 7 attack

Yesterday the Asher family cuddled each other on a hospital bed at Schneider Children's Hospital after they were released in the first group of hostages as part of a four-day ceasefire. Doctors said the hostages appeared in good physical health but would need a long period of psychological therapy.

Yoni, 37, said: 'I am determined to help my family recover from the terrible trauma and loss we went through, for the future of the girls and Doron. Complex days are still ahead of me. I am happy that I got my family back but I don't celebrate.

'I won't celebrate until the last of the hostages returns.'

Last night Hamas cruelly delayed a second hostage release for hours. But after Israel threatened to restart military strikes, the terror group eventually handed over a further 13 Israelis to the Red Cross in Gaza.

Earlier, tear-jerking footage showed the moment nine-year-old Ohad Munder broke into a sprint and ran into the grateful arms of his father, who scooped him up in a big hug.

Ohad had previously been seen in the clutches of a Hamas terrorist late on Friday in footage of the hostage handover. The boy had spent his ninth birthday in captivity with his mother Keren Munder, 54, and grandmother Ruthi, 78. A cousin, Itay Raviv, 27, told The Mail on Sunday: 'We are just so delighted they are all back with us. But we still have one more family member and 200 hostages out in Gaza. All the families need to be as happy as we are at the moment.'

Itay, who was due to meet up with his relatives at the hospital last night, said: 'I spoke to them briefly on the phone. They sound OK but they have been through an immense trauma. That trauma will take some time to recover. The reality is their lives have been destroyed. They were disconnected from everything for nearly 50 days. They just need time to get their lives back together, I've seen a picture of Ohad playing with a Rubik's cube and he loves playing with that.

'He just needs some normality now. It will be a long period of recovery for them  how does a nine-year-old come back from this hell?'

Emilia Aloni, five, freed with her mother Danielle, 44, pictured hugging her grandmother

Daniele Aloni embracing members of her family upon her release by Hamas and arrival in Israel

Danielle was seen in a Hamas propaganda video screaming at Israeli authorities to arrange their release

Emilia Aloni, five, freed with her mother Danielle, 44, was pictured hugging her grandmother. Danielle was seen in a Hamas propaganda video screaming at Israeli authorities to arrange their release.

Her cousin Alana Zeitchik said: 'I feel there is some light; my heart is screaming. We are crying and crying. To see them returning is indescribable. It's also bittersweet, partly because we are still waiting for four more family members to return and also because we know how much trauma they are carrying.'

Last night, Professor Silvana Fennig, director of the department of psychological medicine at Schneider Hospital, said: 'Teams of psychologists and psychiatrists are ready for them and we are also ready to help the families. The children and the adults are in a good and stable physical condition, but it is too early to say more about the emotional state of the children.'

The Israeli captives were released, along with ten Thai nationals and one Filipino, in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners. They were women and teenage boys held for rioting and other crimes in the West Bank. Last night, it emerged one of the freed women prisoners had stabbed an Israeli border guard in 2015.

Additional reporting: Sabrina Miller
Police chiefs have been accused of a cover-up after deliberately concealing the number of officers in Scotland accused of sexual misconduct.

Earlier this year The Scottish Mail on Sunday revealed record numbers of police staff were facing sex complaints. Alarming figures presented to the countrys policing watchdog showed accusations had doubled on the previous 12 months and suspensions had soared by 80 per cent.

However, Police Scotland has now changed the way sex allegations against officers are recorded  making it far harder for the public to find out whether complaints have increased further.

The revelation, which last night sparked a wave of condemnation from politicians, follows a spate of recent high-profile cases where officers across the UK have committed appalling violent crimes.

Sarah Everard, 33, was kidnapped, raped and murdered in London in March 2021 by firearms officer Wayne Couzens. Fellow Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick admitted four counts of rape, false imprisonment and indecent assault against one woman earlier this year, plus 43 charges against 11 other victims.

Even though such shocking cases mean the behaviour of officers has been placed under intense scrutiny, Police Scotland has chosen to conceal the number of its officers accused of sexual misconduct.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell has been in charge of Police Scotland since October

Sarah Everard, 33, was kidnapped, raped and murdered in London in March 2021 by firearms officer Wayne Couzens

Until now, allegations of misconduct by police officers and civilian staff have been reported by the force on a quarterly basis to the watchdog body, the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), through its Complaints and Conduct Committee.

But at this months committee meeting, the sexual misconduct category had disappeared from the update on complaints.

Instead, sexual misconduct allegations have been dumped within the other category, which contains 433 general complaints carrying no details of what they are about.

Police Scotland did not provide an explanation for the change but insisted it remained open and transparent. Scottish Tory justice spokesman Russell Findlay said: Secrecy and spin in relation to serious allegations of sexual misconduct against police officers is counterproductive as it risks fuelling public suspicion that theres something to hide.

The SNP created Scotlands broken police complaints system, which fails both the public and good officers.

This aversion to transparency is one area in need of urgent reform.

Scottish Labour justice spokesman Pauline McNeill said: This decision will reduce transparency in Police Scotland at a time we should be strengthening it.

Police Scotland must reverse this decision and commit to collecting the data needed to monitor whether sexual misconduct cases are increasing or not.

Previous figures have shown a spike in the number of sexual misconduct cases against Police Scotland officers and staff.

In the first nine months of the financial year 2022/23, 67 such complaints were received  almost two a week. In the same period during the previous year, 34 sex complaints were received.

Police Scotland is now run by Jo Farrell, who took over as Chief Constable last month.

Last week she was forced to apologise for an error of judgment after she commandeered a police car, driven by an on-duty officer, to taxi her from Edinburgh to her home in England when trains were cancelled because of Storm Babet.

Last night a Police Scotland spokesman said: We have changed how the categories are labelled in reports and therefore some referrals are listed together, including sexual misconduct allegations.

We continue to be open and transparent in this area.

When pressed to provide the hidden statistics, Police Scotland said a Freedom of Information request should be submitted.

The change raises questions of oversight by the SPA, which no longer receives the sexual misconduct allegations information in the way it used to.

The watchdog yesterday said it continued to hold, monitor and address complaints of sexual misconduct within Police Scotland.

A spokesman said: The authority recognises the significant public interest in this issue and we are working with Police Scotland to publish relevant information by the end of the financial year.

The authority receives a range of reports which are providing greater insight into the prevalence and nature of all types of complaints raised about the police workforce.
A man convicted of a politically motivated hit on a Mongolian model whose body was blown up is fighting to stay in Australia after being freed on a High Court order.

Sirul Azhar Umar, 52, a former elite police bodyguard, fled to Australia from Malaysia but was convicted in absentia and sentenced to death in late 2014 for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006.

Umar was freed from Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney in early November after a High Court ruled indefinite detention was unlawful.

He is one of at least 111 detainees who have been allowed back on the streets as a result of the decision - with murderers and a paedophile among the freed men.

Umar cannot be deported to face the death penalty and says he will not seek a pardon because he is innocent.

Sirul Azhar Umar has been freed from immigration detention as part of a High Court ruling but cannot be returned to Malaysia where he faces the death penalty

'I am not a murderer,' he told The Australian on Friday.

'I have a family I love. The people of Australia have nothing to fear from me.'

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Despite reports that released detainees will be under strict visa restrictions and may have to wear electronic tracking ankle bracelets, Umar described himself as a free man' not subject to any curfew.

He claimed Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil had been assured by Malaysian authorities he posed no risk to the community and he wanted to make a new life in Australia, where he has fathered a child.

Shaariibuu told her killers she was pregnant and begged for her life to be spared before she was shot twice in the head and then blown up with military-grade explosives, a court heard in the trial of Umar and police colleague Azilah Hadri.

Umar claims he was framed for Shaariibuu's murder and evidence found in his car and his house, including the dead woman's jewellery was 'planted'.

He said his only part in the plot was to take Shaariibuu from outside the Kuala Lumpur house of her ex-lover Abdul Razak Baginda and hand her over to his police superior, Azilah Hadri, who is on death row in Malaysia for her murder.

Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu was shot twice in the head and her remains blown up in 2006 in a sensational case involving high-level corruption in Malaysia

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak was handed a 12-year prison sentence for corruption but has denied ordering the murder of Shaariibuu

'I knew she was going to be killed but I did not do it. Azilah had already told me it was some mission but I didn't want to be involved,' he said adding he had been told Shaariibuu was a spy.

Abdul Razak Baginda was the man in charge of purchasing $1.1 billion 2002 purchase of French Scorpene submarines for then defence minister Najib Razak, who later became Malaysia's prime minister.

It was revealed that massive kickbacks had been paid to Malaysian officials to secure the deal.

Shaariibuu, who sometimes acted as a translator, was believed to have been murdered to cover up the corruption.

Najib was jailed for 12 years in 2022 over the scandal but has denied any involvement in the killing of Shaariibuu.
Rising numbers of Scots are falling prey to sophisticated cryptocurrency scams, according to Police Scotlands cyber-crime unit.

Lured by the prospect of a quick profit and stellar returns, many people are tempted to invest in digital currencies such as bitcoin.

However, police have warned that the growth in legitimate investments has spawned a parallel crime boom  including fraudulent schemes and also a sophisticated form of theft called crypto-jacking.

This week a 28-year-old man is due to be sentenced for the theft of bitcoin worth around 160,000  the first crypto-jacking case to be brought to court in Scotland.

Now one of the leading officers in the polices rapidly expanding cyber-crime team has told how, in some cases, victims of scams lost more than 1million.

Detective Inspector Craig Potter from Police Scotlands Cyber Investigations Unit said: The most significant type of cybercrime we are seeing at the moment is cryptocurrency investment frauds.

Digital currency such as Bitcoin are a big gamble

John-Ross Rennie was technical brains behind first crypto-jacking racket in Scotland

It has been reported in the media that people have become millionaires through early investment in cryptocurrency.

There is a lot of social media advertising which is instigating frauds linked to cryptocurrency investment schemes.

People are getting tricked into thinking that these are legitimate investments when effectively all they are doing is sending their funds to criminals.

Often they are given portfolios that make it look like they are making loads of money but this is not real. Victims are losing everything from a couple of hundred pounds to well over a million.

Scotlands first crypto-jacking case involved John-Ross Rennie, whose digital wallet was used to transfer stolen cryptocurrency following a robbery at a house in Lanarkshire in March 2020.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was forced to transfer the funds by an intruder with a machete.

Rennies conviction at the High Court in Glasgow on October 31 was the first that involved tracing the movements of cryptocurrency and police have said they are now able to clamp down on cybercrime like never before.

Despite not being present at the heist, Rennie was described by prosecutors as the technical brains behind the crime. He is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after being found guilty of reset  the handling of stolen goods.

Mr Potter said: This was the first case of what we call crypto-jacking where someone is held up specifically to steal their cryptocurrency.

It was also the first time that Police Scotland officers were used to produce an expert witness report that was used in court.

The case was heard in the High Court so our evidence was challenged by both the prosecution and defence and the court was willing to accept our experts evidence in the same way that we have experts in forensics and things like that.

Mr Potter warned that a rise in crypto-jacking is likely.

He said: I think it will happen again and probably already has, we just havent been told about it.

Any traditional crime that involves a financial element will happen in the cryptocurrency sphere. We have investigated people trying to buy hitmen on the dark web and even someone trying to buy a puppy in cryptocurrency but not everything ends up in open court.

The cyber-crime unit has expanded in recent years, despite wider cuts to the force. Three years ago there were five detectives covering the whole of Scotland. Now there are 14 officers, split between three regional teams.

Mr Potter gave advice on how the public can avoid being scammed.

He said: Do your research. The Financial Conduct Authority regulates a lot of the peripheral cryptocurrency services within the UK.

So if you are working with an exchange or sending money to a specific investment platform, the FCA should have some regulation around them.

He added: Cryptocurrency is still quite a gamble in terms of investment so dont put in money you are afraid to lose.

Make sure you arent putting all your eggs in one basket and potentially losing your life savings.
The rector of Scotlands oldest university was last night at the centre of a political storm after she sent an email to students accusing Israel of genocide.

Hundreds of people have called on Stella Maris either to apologise or resign from her role at St Andrews University.

In the email sent on Tuesday, Ms Maris said a vigil had been held at the university following weeks of genocidal attacks by the Israeli government against Gaza.

She added: We must continue to recognise and condemn acts that are internationally regarded as humanitarian and war crimes.

These include practices such as apartheid, siege, illegal occupation and collective punishment, which have been observed in the treatment of Palestinians. It is also crucial to acknowledge and denounce the actions by Hamas that qualify as war crimes, notably the taking of hostages and deliberately targeting civilians, which I have and continue to do.

The email included a link to the Electronic Intifada  a pro-Palestinian website which ran an article on Thursday entitled The evidence Israel killed its own citizens on October 7.

Ms Maris sent email to students condemning weeks of genocidal attacks by the Israeli government

An armed Palestinian militant walking around the Supernova music festival

Following the email circulated by Ms Maris, more than 1,400 students, alumni and their families signed an open letter calling on her either to retract her remarks or resign. The letter accuses her of spreading a certain narrative of antisemitism and said her comments would likely embolden hatred towards Jewish students.

It reads: Sadly, your words were not unifying, but divisive; not clarifying, but misleading; not hopeful, but damaging  and unfortunately will only bring division and hatred, whilst reinforcing a certain narrative that drives violent antisemitism across the world.

We are concerned that your letter does not demonstrate equal care for Palestinian and Israeli lives.

What is truly unacceptable is that you do not care to mention, let alone demonstrate regard for, the two St Andrews students who were recently attacked because of their religion.

Two Jewish students at the university have reported having eggs thrown at them in the wake of the Israel-Gaza conflict breaking out.

The open letter claimed that by sending the email from her university address, Ms Mariss comments were an abuse of her position and reflected on the institution.

Ms Maris took over as rector on October 13. A rector is voted for by the student community to represent them at the universitys governing body and to oversee pastoral support. Having an elected rector is a legal requirement in Scotland under the 1858 Universities Act.

Previous rectors at St Andrews University include comedian John Cleese and The Jungle Book author Rudyard Kipling.

Ms Maris is an English and philosophy graduate of St Andrews and has since filled a series of roles there as a student representative. She joined the university as an undergraduate in 2017 and for the past three years has been assistant to the previous rector, Dr Leyla Hussein.

Ms Maris told the Daily Telegraph that her comments were supported by human rights organisations and that the Electronic Intifada provide evidence for their claims in their articles.

She said she would not resign and added that her message was not antisemitic. She concluded: I maintain my stance and will not apologise for speaking up about these issues.

The conflation of my statement with antisemitism is unfounded and I will continue to advocate for peace and human rights for all.

The St Andrews University leadership team led by principal Professor Dame Sally Mapstone said they were dismayed by the rectors comments. They said Ms Maris was free to express her personal views but felt she had put her right to freedom of expression ahead of her duty to represent all students, and to be concerned for their welfare.

Their statement continued: We know that while some may have welcomed the message, others have been deeply offended and concerned by it.

While every one of us shares a desire for peace and an end to hostilities in Israel and Gaza, we regret that her message, the language it used, and some of the sources it cited have caused alarm, division and harm in our community, and more widely. We do not believe the rector intended to cause harm to students with her message.

While she is accountable only to the student body whose interests she was elected to serve, we have, as individuals and as a group of senior leaders, asked her to reflect seriously on the evidence of the upset and fear she has caused, and to take such action as is necessary to restore confidence in her leadership amongst all students, and the wider community.
An Australia Post customer has shared a frustrating exchange with an online chatbot, revealing a major flaw in its system.

The customer revealed an online text message conversation they had with the company in which they were attempting to update their mailing address.

The customer shared the strange chat via a post to social media site Reddit last week.

'Hello, I am moving into a newly constructed house and I would like to redirect my mail,' the customer wrote.

An Australia Post customer revealed an infuriating message exchange they had with a chat bot for the company

Australia Post's website says 'wherever possible, the chatbot will try to answer your question' (stock image pictured)

There then appears to be a simple misunderstanding, with the chatbot asking for a tracking number.

'Sorry, in order to check the redirect eligibility we need a valid tracking number,' the chatbot says, before asking the customer if there was anything else they needed.

The customer explains there is no tracking number and a frustrating exchange loop then follows.

The customer asks to speak with a human representative but the chatbot appears stuck in a repetitive cycle.

'Please let me know what your inquiry is about so I can transfer you to the right team for help,' it says.

In one response to the fed-up customer, the chat bot writes the bizarre word 'doinks'.

Social media users shared in the frustrations experienced by the poster.

'Hard to find good employees these days,' one comment read.

'Sometimes you need to program a response that's an exclamation ... so customers feel like the agent is listening to, relating to, or empathising with them,' another said.

While a third added: 'We just use 'Oh dear!' or 'I see!'  'Doinks' is an odd choice.'

Another advised to poster to 'always use that ol skool thing called a phone,' when dealing with such matters.

The text exchange included a bizarre response to the customer revealing that their email details were private

In the message exchange, the customer attempts to speak with a human representative

Others related to the post, revealing their own similar experiences with online chatbots.

'The point isn't to help, it is to get you to give up in frustration,' someone said, calling the chatbot 'hilariously bad'.

On Australia Post's website, it reads: 'Wherever possible, the chatbot will try to answer your question'.

'If the chatbot doesn't know the answer, it will connect you to one of our support agents who are available during business hours to solve more complex questions. And, you can ask to speak to a person if you prefer,' it states.

'Our chatbot is built using machine learning, which means it will keep improving and getting smarter over time. If it doesn't know the answer to a question you ask today, it will learn how to provide an answer in the future.'

In a statement, Australia Post told 7NEWS the postal giant is 'constantly working to improve the digital experience for customers'.

'Australia Post apologises to the customer for this poor experience and encourages them to call us,' a spokesperson said..

'While the majority of our chatbot interactions are working well, we continue to work to improve and enhance the service.'
His new book, Endgame, is expected to further widen rifts in the Royal Family

Harry and Meghan's biographer has launched a snide attack on the Princess of Wales  portraying her as a woman terrified to do anything but grinning photo opportunities.

In an interview published today to plug his latest book, author Omid Scobie says: 'The small achievements that we've seen from the Princess of Wales wouldn't perhaps be noticed if it was from another member of the Royal Family, but with Kate it's like 'wow!' '

His cruel swipe  described by a friend of the Princess as 'horribly unjust'  will infuriate the Royal Family.

Insiders said that in the past few years the Princess  intelligent, hard-working and passionate about the causes she promotes  has proved popular with the public.

But in a telling indication of the scornful tone of the new book, Scobie says that 'we infantilise [Kate] massively so the bar is always lower'.

Harry and Meghan's biographer Omid Scobie has launched a snide attack on the Princess of Wales  portraying her as a woman terrified to do anything but grinning photo opportunities

Scobie's cruel swipe  described by a friend of the Princess as 'horribly unjust'  will infuriate the Royal Family. Picutred: Kate Middleton at a visit to a charity in north London this week

The book also claims Charles resented Harry's popularity with the media. Accusing Charles of scheming and backstabbing, he says the King turned a blind eye while aides leaked details about his sons to the media

Today's Sunday Times says that in the book the Princess is 'portrayed as a woman terrified to do anything more than grinning photo ops'.

In the past, Scobie, 42, has been dubbed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's 'mouthpiece' for his sympathetic portrayal of the couple.

His new book Endgame, a full-frontal assault on their perceived enemies, is expected to further widen the rift between Harry and his family.

Leaked extracts seen by The Mail on Sunday paint an unflattering picture of King Charles, with Scobie judging him 'a flawed father' and a backstabber  and accusing him of effectively sanctioning leaks about his sons to the press.

Predictably, William also comes under fire. The author says he is increasingly in cahoots with Palace courtiers who dream up dirty tricks.

By Scobie's account the Prince of Wales uses his aides and their press contacts to paint his younger brother as emotionally fragile.

Endgame also suggests William and Kate found the merciless lampooning of the Sussexes on the American animated satire South Park earlier this year 'very funny'. William, it adds, disliked Meghan from the start.

And the book says the King thought his son was a 'fool' for making a soul-baring Netflix documentary which claimed his father told 'lies' and his brother 'screamed and shouted' at the Sandringham Summit that resulted in the Sussexes leaving for the US.

Writing of what he sees as a power struggle between the favoured Prince and the 'unpopular' King, Scobie claims Charles is jealous of William's position and knows that while his reign will be merely transitional, his eldest son will have time to breathe new life into the monarchy.

Leaked extracts of Endgame seen by The Mail on Sunday paint an unflattering picture of King Charles, with Omid Scobie judging him 'a flawed father' and a backstabber

Endgame also makes controversial claims about William's relationship with his brother. Scobie writes that the Prince of Wales did not like Meghan Markle from the beginning and stepped back from his brother after their wedding

He also claims Charles resented Harry's popularity with the media.

Accusing Charles of scheming and backstabbing, he says the King turned a blind eye while aides leaked details about his sons to the media.

In one section that will cause the King particular dismay, the book alleges he once used Harry's troubles to improve his own public image.

At the time, 2002, Harry's drug-taking had been exposed in the now defunct News Of The World. The book says Charles 'piggybacked' on the story, allowing aides to leak personal details about Harry to create a 'great dad' narrative.

This is a reference to reports implying Charles had arranged for Harry to make a low-key educational visit to a rehabilitation centre in Peckham, South East London, where he spoke to addicts, providing him with a 'short, sharp shock'.

Another extract from the controversial book suggest Palace aides expressed doubts about whether Charles would be a suitable King

The Sussexes repeatedly denied co-operating with Scobie in Finding Freedom, the 2020 bestseller he wrote with Carolyn Durand about them.

But Meghan later admitted in the High Court she authorised an aide to brief the pair secretly.

Scobie insists he is not friends with the Sussexes, nor was he in direct contact with them over the book.

Sources close to the Sussexes deny they are 'affiliated' with it. Scobie describes it as a failure of the King that he did not open a dialogue with his son after his bombshell Oprah interview and Netflix documentary, adding that his poor relationship with Harry shows he is incapable of handling constitutional crises.

Endgame also makes controversial claims about William's relationship with his brother. Scobie writes that the Prince of Wales did not like Meghan Markle from the beginning and stepped back from his brother after their wedding.

He adds this was because William no longer needed to use Harry as a useful distraction.

But the claims do not just go over old ground.

Scobie alleges that Palace corruption and toxic media spin has continued into the present and reflects on what he portrays as the selfish agendas of the King and his eldest son.

This is part of Endgame's thesis that the Royal Family are 'desperate' and floundering after the death of the late Queen.

Other extracts suggest Palace aides expressed doubts about whether Charles would be a suitable King.

To survive, Scobie alleges that the Palace now uses 'jingoism' in the style of Donald Trump.
Four people, including a young boy, have been injured after a car crashed through the front window of a pizza shop in Adelaide's east during one of its busiest trading hours.

The car ploughed through the large glass front window of Euro Pizza and Restaurant on Kensington Rd in Rosslyn Park just before 8pm Saturday.

Wild footage captured by Channel 9 cameras show paramedics swarming the scene.

The impact of the crash was so great it smashed the storefront of the store and snapped part of the door off.

A car has crashed through the front of a pizza shop in Adelaide. Picture: 9 NEWS

Four people were inside the restaurant at the time of the crash.

A 54-year-old man taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

A 44-year-old man, 44-year-old woman and a seven-year-old boy were also treated at hospital for minor injuries.

The driver of the car, a 42-year-old Rosslyn Park local, is assisting police with their inquiries and walked away from the incident unscathed.
Relatives and supporters of Alex Murdaugh's housekeeper, who died in 2018 under mysterious circumstances, will confront him in court on Tuesday as he is sentenced for financial fraud.

Gloria Satterfield, 57, had worked for the wealthy South Carolina dynasty for 20 years when she 'fell and hit her head' at their home.

Murdaugh, a high profile South Carolina lawyer, told her sons Brian and Tony that they should file a claim on his insurance policy, which they did, winning a $4.3 million settlement.

But Murdaugh told them the claim was unsuccessful and kept the money for himself.

Alex Murdaugh is seen on November 17 in court in South Carolina. He will be back in court on Tuesday for sentencing, having pled guilty to fraud

Gloria Satterfield, his housekeeper, died at their family home in February 2018, aged 57. He said she tripped over their dogs and fell

He admitted the deception in June 2022, as his life was unravelling - his wife Maggie and son Paul had been shot dead in June 2021.

In September 2021 he claimed he had been shot in the head in a roadside assassination attempt.

Shortly after, he confessed to arranging for an associate to kill him, so his surviving son Buster could claim his life insurance policy.

Murdaugh was convicted of murdering Maggie and Paul in March this year, and sentenced to life in prison.

He has also admitted to making up the story about Satterfield tripping over the dogs, although he did not say how she died.

On Tuesday, Murdaugh will be sentenced for defrauding the Satterfields and others.

Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman said he will allow Murdaugh's fraud victims to speak at the hearing, and the Satterfield's lawyer, Eric Bland, said he intends to address the court.

'I'm going to say that 'I heard you say that you wrongfully took. No, you didn't wrongfully take, you stole,'' Bland said.

Gloria Satterfield's sons Brian and Tony (front) are seen with other members of the Satterfield family

Tony Satterfield is seen on February 9 being questioned during Murdaugh's trial for killing his wife and son

'I heard you say you misrepresented. No, you didn't misrepresent, you lied.

'Yeah, let's not sugarcoat what you did. You're a thief and a liar.'

Bland told NBC News that Satterfield's family has already forgiven Murdaugh, and have drawn strength from their Christian faith.

But, he added, 'they won't forget.'

He said the chance to finally address Murdaugh is needed.

'It's not over yet, but to be able to face this monster  and he's going to have to listen,' Bland said.

'He can smile and he can smirk, but he can hear, and the words are going to go in his ears and he's going to listen.'

Murdaugh pled guilty to 22 counts of fraud in October.

When asked by the judge if he understood the seriousness of his guilty plea, Murdaugh responded there was 'no question in my mind.'

He added: 'I've had a long time to think about it.

Judge Newman. replied: 'I'm sure you have.'

Murdaugh was convicted on March 2 of the murders of his son Paul and wife Maggie at their South Carolina hunting lodge in June 2021. He is now serving life without parole, and is appealing his sentence

Buster, Paul, Maggie and Alex Murdaugh are pictured in a photo presented to jurors during the trial at Colleton County court on Tuesday, February 14

His plea deal requires him to repay $9 million he admitted to stealing from clients at his law firm, and ensures that any jail time will be served simultaneously with any he receives from state courts.

Murdaugh is seeking to overturn his murder conviction.

Jim Griffin, one of Murdaugh's lawyers, said he 'feels very comfortable doing prison time for crimes he committed.'

He added: 'He does not feel comfortable doing prison time for the murders of his wife and son, which he did not do.'
David Blunkett last night called for the parole appeal by James Bulger killer Jon Venables to be thrown out.

The former Labour Home Secretary made clear Venables should stay behind bars after reports that he failed to appear at his own behind-closed-doors parole case earlier this month.

Venables, 41, who with accomplice Robert Thompson tortured and killed two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, is now awaiting the outcome of a Parole Board panel hearing held on November 14 and 15.

Then 10-year-old Jon Venables prison mugshot after murder of James Bulger in 1993.

Former Labour Home Secretary, Lord Blunkett (Pictured) made clear Venables should stay behind bars after reports that he failed to appear at his own behind-closed-doors parole case earlier this month.

The board has declined to confirm that Venables did not attend his own appeal hearing, but informed sources say he was not there.

He was accused of 'taking the easy option' by avoiding having to listen to impact statements from James's parents, as well as comments from the Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, all of whom believe the appeal should be rejected.

Lord Blunkett said: 'Where there has been a serious doubt about successful rehabilitation, it is a prerequisite of consideration for release that the individual appears in person.'

Tory ex-Justice Secretaries Sir Robert Buckland, Brandon Lewis and Chris Grayling also made clear that Venables  who like Thompson was aged ten at the time of the murder  should stay in custody.

Fewer criminals being deported

The number of foreign criminals being deported has plummeted since 2010, official figures have revealed.

In the year to September, 3,577 offenders were deported, according to Home Office data.

This is down from 6,292 in 2017  a 43 per cent drop  but up 19 per cent on 2022. In 2010, the figure was 5,383.

Last year, more criminals were returned to Albania than anywhere else, followed by Romania. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: The Tory record on removing foreign criminals is a shambles.

The Home Office said returns have been rising since Covid.
The coming months will concentrate the minds of voters as never before. In the long years between major, decisive elections, we may all ponder on wider and deeper aspects of life and politics.

Indeed, there is often not much more we can do because the opinion polls tell us there is little chance of change, and nowadays they are mostly right.

But every so often, most recently in 1964, 1979, 1997 and 2010, the country begins to think seriously about deep change. The existing Government struggles, whatever it does. The Opposition prospers, whatever it says. Much later, voters may regret having taken part in these sometimes illogical swings of opinion.

Conservative patriots concerned about maintaining a healthy economy and a free society must have regretted the advent of the Harold Wilson Labour government in 1964, which plunged the country into economic turmoil, failed to challenge union power and did grave damage to the education system and to policing, from which we still suffer.

Many may also wonder if they were mis-sold a moderate and responsible government in 1997, when what they got was a high-spending, highly radical Cabinet bent on constitutional revolution at home and war abroad.

MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: Those who might be tempted to think of deserting the Tories, by the populist charm of Nigel Farage, should bear in mind that Mr Farage and his friends in the Reform party have no chance of office, and can achieve nothing except a Labour victory

How sensible it is, then, for Rishi Sunak to warn that those letting off some anti-government steam at the coming election may end up presenting Downing Street to Sir Keir Starmer

Yet on both occasions Labours return to power was portrayed as inevitable. Interestingly, when the October 1964 election actually came round, Wilson only just managed to scrape a majority of four. Which goes to show that dedicated and well-aimed campaigning can affect what seems to be the inevitable.

How sensible it is, then, for Rishi Sunak to warn  in his exclusive interview with Glen Owen in todays Mail on Sunday  that those who just want to let off some anti-government steam at the coming poll may end up presenting Downing Street to Sir Keir Starmer.

Sir Keirs political DNA (and that of his party) inclines them to more and higher taxes, weakness on immigration, politically correct bossiness in all aspects of life and, if they feel strong enough, a desire to manoeuvre us back into the orbit of Brussels.

So in the months remaining to Mr Sunak before the election, he and his colleagues have an opportunity to work, inch by inch, against the widespread but in fact baseless belief that a Starmer government is inevitable.

Last weeks small but significant cut in National Insurance gave the Tories an instant bounce in the polls after a long period of flatlining or worse. Now his readiness to talk of further relaxation of the tax burden  particularly the punitive higher rate which was originally aimed at the super-rich and now targets the middle classes  is an encouraging sign of an awakening will to win.

Mr Farage, as he forces down the private parts of various creatures in Im A Celebrity, can comfort himself as he does so by remembering the enormous fee he will pocket when it is all over

His pledge that, This is the start of a journey. We will do more when we can because I want to cut taxes, reward hard work, grow the economy and do so in a way that is responsible is immensely valuable.

Those who might be tempted to think of deserting the Tories, by the populist charm of Nigel Farage, should bear in mind that Mr Farage and his friends in the Reform party have no chance of office, and can achieve nothing except a Labour victory.

Mr Farage, as he forces down the private parts of various creatures in Im A Celebrity, can comfort himself as he does so by remembering the enormous fee he will pocket when it is all over.

There will be no such comfort for the people of this country while they undergo the ordeal of a Starmer government, which  if voters are fool enough to agree to such a thing  will last a great deal longer than the former Ukip leaders culinary ordeal.
This is the emotional moment nine-year-old Irish girl Emily Hand was finally reunited with her devoted father after 50 days as a hostage of Hamas.

The youngster, who was initially feared to have been murdered by Hamas gunmen during their invasion of Israel, was filmed running into her father's arms.

Emily was snatched in her pyjamas on October 7, in which some 240 captives were taken back into Gaza. She had her ninth birthday while in captivity.

On Saturday night, she joined 20 other hostages who were released by Hamas during a four-day pause in the conflict. Her release came after a delay of several hours when Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet the terms of the agreement.

Emily's capture made headlines around the world after her emotional father, Thomas Hand, 63, initially said he hoped she had died in the October 7 invasion, rather than being in the hands of Hamas.

Since it was revealed she was in fact alive, Mr Hand has been campaigning tirelessly for her freedom.

Mr Hand later revealed she was 'broken' after her ordeal, but still in one piece. He also said he had been too scared to hug her tightly - but vowed to throw her the 'biggest birthday party ever'.

Nine-year-old Irish girl Emily Hand has been reunited with her devoted father, who has vowed to mark her latest birthday with the 'biggest party ever

Emily was snatched in her pyjamas during Hamas' invasion of Israel on October 7, in which some 240 captives were taken back into Gaza. She had her ninth birthday while in captivity

Emily is led to safety by gun-toting Hamas militants after 50 days in captivity

Palestinians celebrate as 39 civilians were released from the Israeli Ofer prison

Speaking to the Mirror ahead of his daughter's long-awaited release, a relieved Mr Hand said: 'We have been waiting for far too long for this moment. Every day has been a long and painful living nightmare. my Emily is coming home at last, broken but in one piece.'

After her release, her family added in a statement: 'Emily has come back to us. We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days.

'We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return.

'We will persist in doing everything in our power to bring them back home.

'We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped and supported us during the last 50 days until Emily's return.

'We appreciate the unwavering support as we continue our efforts for the safe return of all.'

Mr Hand earlier told The Mirror of his nerve-shredding wait to hug Emily again and said he would tell her: 'I love you, I love you, I love you.'

He said: 'Emily is so wonderfully sweet and innocent  and I hope and pray that this awful experience will not have taken that away from her.

'I expect she'll be very angry with me to start with because you've been thinking, 'Where is Daddy? Why has Daddy not come to save me?'

'But the great thing is she cannot blame the dog at all  and I'm absolutely sure the dog will get the cuddle first before me.

'She really is a special girl who loves everything in this world  even the big snails that crawl around our kibbutz. Emily used to put them on her arms and hands and stroke them gently.

'I'm sure we'll be able eventually to cure all the physical problems that may be inflicted on her but the things in the mind are gonna take much more time and effort.'

Earlier, at a press conference in London, Mr Hand said he believed she was facing 'sheer terror and panic every hour of every day.'

'She must be saying every day: ''Where's my daddy? Where's my daddy, why isn't be coming to save me?'''

He added: 'I don't know what condition she's gonna be in, but she's gonna be broken, very broken, mentally and physically, and we'll have to fix that.'

Emily was one of 13 Israeli citizens to be freed tonight from terror group Hamas and had her ninth birthday while in captivity

Onlookers cheers as 39 Palestinians are reunited with loved ones after stepping off a Red Cross bus

Two relatives embrace after 39 Palestinians are released as part of a prisoner swap

Supporters waved flags as they celebrated the return of 39 Palestinians in a prisoner swap

Relatives eagerly anticipated the arrival of the civilians in a Red Cross vehicle

Israeli authorities released 39 Palestinians, including 6 females, 33 minors as part of second batch of prisoner swap

The little girl's father explained her dog is going to be an important part of her recovery and even told the military that Johnsie was a requirement.

He said: 'The dog is so loving and so calm usually he's just the calming influence Emily will need for the next few weeks.'

'I absolutely insisted that the dog must come with me and, to my surprise, the Israeli army has agreed,' he added.

Thomas has been Emily's sole parent after her mother died from cancer when she was just two years old.

Dubliner Thomas travelled to Israel three decades ago to volunteer on a kibbutz near the Gaza border.

He faced an unbearable wait for news about his daughter after Hamas terrorists stormed the kibbutz where she was staying for a sleepover at her friend's home on October 7.

When he was incorrectly told her body had been found, he welcomed the news because he said it was better than her being taken hostage during the barbaric attack on the Be'eri Kibbutz.

At the time he told CNN: 'She was either dead, or in Gaza. And if you know anything about what they do to people in Gaza, that is worse than death.

'They'd have no food. They'd have no water. She'd be in a dark room filled with Christ knows how many people. And terrified every minute, hour, day, and possible years to come. So death was a blessing. An absolute blessing.'

Around three weeks later Emily's family was told she might not be dead.

Her older sister, Natalie, told Israeli media: 'We were told that she had been murdered. We were in mourning.

'On October 31, they told us that it was highly likely that she had been abducted.'

When Natalie was asked whether she had anything she wanted to say to Emily, on the off-chance she could be listening, she said: 'I want to tell you that we are doing everything to get you home. We know you are being held hostage.

'We love you so much and miss you.'

An International Red Cross vehicle carrying hostages released by Hamas driving towards the Rafah Crossing this evening

A Red Cross vehicle, carrying hostages abducted by Hamas militants during the October 7 attack on Israel, arrives at the Rafah border, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel

Emily was among at least 30 children believed to be still held in Gaza.

Irish Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: 'I am delighted that Emily Hind - a bright and beautiful young girl - has been released and will be reunited with her family.

'After weeks of trauma, this is a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family.

'The people of Ireland have been touched by Emily's story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father, Tom.

'I had the opportunity to meet Tom before travelling to the region, and I was struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughter's release.

'This is a message that I and my colleagues in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally, in a bid to secure Emily's safe return.

'I want to acknowledge the role played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved in securing the release of the hostages.

'I am conscious today that many more hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. I reiterate my call that all hostages in Gaza should be released immediately and unconditionally.'

On Saturday night hostages were handed to the Red Cross in exchange for 39 Palestinians. Among the hostages released from both sides were 41 children and 11 women.

On Saturday, Qatari and Egyptian mediators said Hamas agreed to release 13 Israelis and seven 'foreigners' on Saturday in exchange for 39 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

The hostages - six women and seven children - were handed over to the Red Cross and crossed over at the Rafah Crossing on the border between Gaza and Egypt at around 9.30pm. By 10.05pm, the hostages were back on Israeli soil.

Noga and Shiri Weiss pictured as they were released from the Hamas terrorist group

Sharon Avigdori, and her daughter Noam, 12, were also pictured safely returning to their home territory

Hamas finally freed 13 Israeli hostages and seven of other nationalities on Saturday after initially refusing to let them go

Relatives of the hostages set free tonight have celebrated their release.

Adi Shoham's cousin Inbal Tzach, told The Guardian:'Like everyone else we watched our loved ones on their way home. The struggle has not ended. This is the saddest joy and the happiest sadness, but our family is home.

Who are the hostages that have been released? Hila Rotem Shoshani, 13 Emily Hand, 9 Maya Regev, 21 Noam Or, 17 Alma Or, 13 Noga Weiss, 53 Shiri Weiss, 18 Sharon Avigdori, 52 Noam Avigdori, 12 Shoshan Haran, 67 Adi Shoham, 38 Yahel Shoham, 3 Naveh Shoham, 8 Advertisement

'This is an emotional evening for the families who received their loved ones tonight. We will continue the struggle until everyone comes home.'

Zohar Avigdori, who is the uncle of Noam Avigdori and sister-in-law of Sharon Avigdori, who were also released today, told the paper: 'We are very excited, our legs are shaking and we are impatiently waiting to hug our loved ones, Noam and Sharon.'

The terror group claimed earlier on Saturday that Israel had not complied with the deal's terms and not delivered enough aid to Gaza.

This evening, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said: 'After a delay, obstacles to release of prisoners were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides, and 39 Palestinian civilians will be released tonight, while 13 Israeli hostages will leave Gaza in addition to seven foreigners.'

In a second post, Ansari said the Israelis to be released from Gaza consisted of eight children and five women.

'Those to be released from Israeli prisons comprised 33 children and six women', the spokesman said.

A number of Palestinians were also reportedly injured as a result of gunfire from Israeli forces as they waited for the release of their relatives as part of the exchange agreement near Ofer Prison in Ramallah, West Bank, this evening.

On the first day of the four-day ceasefire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison.

Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.

People participate in a show of solidarity with hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, near the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv

A total of 50 hostages currently held by Hamas are to be released during a four-day truce with Israel, the first such pause in fighting since October 7

Relatives of the Israeli prisoners that have been captive in Gaza Strip by Hamas stage a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel

Irish Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: 'I am delighted that Emily Hind - a bright and beautiful young girl - has been released and will be reunited with her family'

Ruth Munder, a released Israeli hostage, walks with an Israeli soldier shortly after her arrival in Israel on Friday

Hamas has said it was delaying the release of a second group of hostages, claiming that Israel had not complied with the deal's terms and not delivered enough aid to the besieged enclave

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said 196 trucks of aid entered on Friday, and Israel said four fuel trucks and four tanks of gas entered Saturday

The hostages have been handed over to the Red Cross and are on their way to the Rafah Crossing in the Gaza Strip

Tens of thousands of Israelis have amassed in Tel Aviv as the country waits for the return of a second group of hostages

People attend a rally organized by the Bring Them Home Now association to support families of kidnapped people and to call for release of hostages, in Tel Aviv

A total of 50 Israeli hostages are to be freed by Hamas in staggered releases over the four-day truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed - something US President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.

Separately, a Qatari delegation arrived in Israel on Saturday to coordinate with parties on the ground and 'ensure the deal continues to move smoothly', according to a diplomat briefed on the visit.

The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss details with the media.

The start of the pause brought the first quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and levelled residential areas.

This is the emotional moment a father reunited with his wife and two young daughters after they spent 49 days being held captive by Hamas terrorists in Gaza

Aviv Asher, two, her sister Raz, four and mother Doron, step off an Israeli military helicopter

The two girls were holding toys as they held tightly in their parent's arms on the hospital bed, after being checked over by doctors

A pair of female IDF soldiers comfort Raz, four, and Aviv, two, following their release

An Israeli soldier sits with Raz as she sits down to eat shortly after the youngster was freed

Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel went silent.

For the first time in more than a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet.

Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement that Cairo was holding extensive talks with all parties to reach an agreement which would mean 'the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.'

Israel has said the ceasefire could be extended if Hamas continues to release hostages at a rate of at least 10 per day. A Palestinian source has said up to 100 hostages could go free.

Israel and Hamas have said hostilities would resume as soon as the truce ends, although US President Joe Biden said on Friday there was a real chance of extending the truce.
An NHS family doctor exposed as the leader of an extremist Islamic group by The Mail on Sunday yesterday called on 'Muslim armies' to invade Gaza and 'liberate Palestine from the Zionists' at a rally in central London.

In an inflammatory speech to supporters  in front of dozens of police officers  Abdul Wahid appealed for Gaza's Arab neighbours to attack Israel, saying: 'A state-level military massacre on a civilian population demands a state-level military intervention to rescue the people of Gaza and liberate Palestine.'

Two women attending the rally by the Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HT) group were later arrested by Met Police for carrying offensive placards in Arabic. A police spokesman said they were being held for racially aggravated public order offences. One of the signs is understood to have read: 'How beautiful it is to be a soldier of God.'

The rally of around 300 supporters outside the Egyptian embassy was held just four weeks after the MoS revealed that Abdul Wahid  as he calls himself in his role as HT leader  is really Dr Wahid Shaida, a senior GP in Harrow, west London, with responsibility for mentoring newly-qualified doctors.

Abdul Wahid speaks as a group of Islamic extremist protesters, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, gather on the street outside the Egyptian embassy waving placards, flags, and chanting slogans

Police close off Whitehall near Trafalgar Square as Pro-Palestine protestors gather after a march ended, November 25

Following the Hamas terror attack on October 7, Dr Shaida celebrated the atrocity by saying Israel had received a 'very welcome punch on the nose'. His group also caused outrage last month after supporters chanted 'jihad' during another pro-Palestine rally outside the Egyptian embassy.

The Met was criticised at the time for not acting, and officers claimed there were different meanings of the word other than calling for a Holy War.

Yesterday, there were no shouts of 'jihad' heard from the crowd, who repeatedly shouted 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Great).

Police made further arrests in London at a much larger demonstration organised by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, attended by tens of thousands of activists from across Britain.

Before the march, officers handed out leaflets to the protesters warning of arrest for offensive chants and placards.

Two were arrested for 'inviting support for a proscribed organisation', after they were spotted wearing green headbands with Arabic writing on them in the style of Hamas terrorists.

Four more were taken away by police for distributing anti-Semitic leaflets that featured the image of a swastika inside the Jewish Star of David.

Other protesters carried placards that likened Hamas terrorists to 'freedom fighters' such as Nelson Mandela.

One held a sign that called Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu a 'terrorist,' and pictured him alongside Hitler.

Elsewhere, a demonstrator carried a crudely made cross with a crucified Palestinian attached to it, in an apparent reference to the anti-Semitic trope about the Jews killing Jesus. Another sign bore the message 'Free Palestine. Stop doing what Hitler did to you'.

Protestors wave flags near trafalgar square as hundreds of thousand of people attend the national protest in solidarity with Palestine on November 25, 2023 in London, England

Protesters chanted the controversial lines 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free', which Jewish groups have said is a call for Israel's destruction.

Among those seen chanting the slogan were young children brought to the march by their parents.

Last night, the Met said that in all 18 people were arrested in the two pro-Palestinian protests in Central London  including one man in Trafalgar Square for the possession of a knife.
A luxury car upholsterer has been ordered to pay $90,000 plus costs after he didn't show up to defend himself for defaming a former staffer turned competitor.

A County Court awarded the $90,000 in damages to Michael Iskander after he sued the owner of Melbourne-based automotive upholstering business BNB Products, David Barcos, for defaming him in a Facebook post.

Barcos used his company's 20,000 follower Facebook page to upload a post titled 'This is an official Scam Alert From BNB Products PTY LTD'.

He went on to falsely claim that Iskander had scammed a customer out of their deposit and lied about previously having worked full-time at BNB Products.

Judge Julie Clayton ruled in favour of Mr Iskander's evidence opposing the post after Barcos failed to show up to court or file a defence.

The owner of a luxury car upholstering business, David Barcos (pictured), has been ordered to pay $90,000 in damages after not showing up to court while being sued for defamation

Judge Clayton ruled that the post had to have been seen by 'at least a few hundred people' after it received 93 reactions, 53 comments and 64 shares in the days after ist was uploaded.

Mr Iskander claimed that a screenshot of a bank transfer attached to the post as 'proof' of him scamming Trev was fraudulent as the payee's name was 'M Isklander' not 'M Iskander'.

He told the court that the post had damaged his standing in the upholstery community as his business, Luxe Automotive Interiors, relies on internet marketing to advertise to customers.

'I accept that some people within the custom upholstery community likely believed the allegations made by Mr Barcos were true, and that this has likely had an impact on Mr Iskander's personal and business reputation,' Judge Clayton said, according to The Age.

Ms Clayton took into account the fraudulent and fabricated evidence into the $90,000 cost of damages with an extra $30,000 in legal costs for Mr Iskander's lawyer, Matt Awad.

'If you tell lies about someone else, you may be liable for defamation,' Mr Awad said.

'In this case, the financial consequences for the publisher are severe.'

Former employee of Barcos turned rival upholsterer, Michael Iskander (pictured), sued Barcos for a Facebook post that falsely claimed he had scammed a customer and was a liar

In a post to Facebook on Sunday, Mr Iskander updated his followers that he had won the defamation case and thanked those who 'remained by my side... and didn't believe the lies'.

'So for anyone that saw BNB's post last December, where David Barcos falsely claimed that I was scamming customers, stealing money and more. I just recently won the court case suing for defamation of character,' Mr Iskander wrote.

'In no way am I trying to have a go at David Barcos, but rather stating the facts to clear my name.

'I truly believe that if you remain a good person at heart and do good to others, good things will happen to you.

'But if you aren't a good person and genuinely want to do harm to other people, these are the consequences.'
This is the moment a woman confronted a pro-Palestinian protester who likened the Prime Minister of Israel to a Nazi.

Bella Wallersteiner, 28, approached the man who was marching in London yesterday with a sign saying: 'Nuremberg trials for Netanyahu, Biden and Sunak.'

The Nuremberg trials were the first ever war crimes tribunals and held some of the most prominent Nazis to account for World War Two atrocities including the Holocaust.

Although yesterday's march in London was marred by anti-Semitism, the Met Police made just 18 arrests.

Ms Wallersteiner - 30 of whose relatives were murdered in the Holocaust - told the masked man: 'That's pretty poor taste, that sign. That's really awful.

This pro-Palestinian protester likened the Prime Minister of Israel to a Nazi during a march in London yesterday

Me confronting a pro-Palestine protestor. More Holocaust trivialisation on the streets of London. I despair. pic.twitter.com/0WZQZsr209  Bella Wallersteiner  (@BellaWallerstei) November 25, 2023

A sign held yesterday accusing the UK government of backing genocide, which includes photos of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman, PM Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer photoshopped to make it look as if they have blood on their hands

Flares are let off by protesters as others hold flags and placards during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Trafalgar Square

'You should remove that sign, it's anti-Semitic.

'The Nuremberg trials were putting on trial the Nazis accused of mass murder.

'And you think Netanyahu, Biden and Sunak are equivalent to Nazis?'

The man replied: 'Exactly, yes.'

As she was confronting him, another man approached and said: 'That's a great sign mate.'

He added: 'I think it's completely appropriate.'

Sharing footage of the encounter on Twitter/X, Ms Wallersteiner said: 'More Holocaust trivialisation on the streets of London. I despair.

'Yet again, no one else standing up to this cr**.'

Replying to the tweet, Conservative peer Baroness Foster said: 'Not remotely surprised... these protests are just an excuse for an antisemitic get together.'

MailOnline has contacted the Met Police for comment.

Sharing footage of the encounter on Twitter /X, Ms Wallersteiner said: 'More Holocaust trivialisation on the streets of London. I despair'

Responding to footage of the confrontation, Conservative peer Baroness Foster said: 'Not remotely surprised... these protests are just an excuse for an antisemitic get together'

More than 150,000 activists are expected to carry out three separate demonstrations as London prepares for another weekend of mass protests

Ms Wallersteiner's experience came as thousands of pro-Palestine protesters flooded the streets of Central London today, with a variety of anti-Semitic banners and placards on display.

Many were heard chanting 'from the river to the sea' chant with children as young as five joining in.

'From the river to the sea' is considered to be highly inflammatory and some claim it's a call for Israel to not exist with signs at the protest displaying the same phrase.

The Met Police officers made just 18 arrests after issuing a hate speech warning that saw Arabic-speaking officers deployed to watch for offensive chants and images in the crowd.

More than 1,500 officers, including hundreds from other UK police forces, were deployed to ensure the safety of protesters and the wider public.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who led the policing operation, said: 'I would like to acknowledge the overwhelming majority who came into London today and exercised their right to protest lawfully.

'Regrettably, there was still a small minority who believed the law did not apply to them.

Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters have flooded the streets of Central London shouting the controversial 'from the river to the sea' chant' with children as young as five joining in (protesters in central London on Saturday)

Pro-Palestine demonstrators unfurl a giant Palestinian flag as they pass The Cenotaph decorated with poppies in Whitehall yesterday

Tens of thousands of protesters attended the march from Park Lane to Whitehall in support of Palestine

The national march, organised by the PSC, alongside Stop the War, the Muslim Association of Britain, Friends of Al-Aqsa and others, resumed yesterday, with organisers saying they would continue until there is a complete ceasefire

Police closed off Whitehall near Trafalgar Square as Pro-Palestine protesters gathered after an earlier march ended

'Thanks to the efforts of our CCTV teams and other officers, a number of those are already in custody.

'Investigations into other offences are already under way and will continue in the coming days.

'I would also like to thank the Met officers, as well as all those from other forces who travelled long distances to help us keep London safe, for their efforts.

'We said we would intervene decisively where offences took place and that is what they did.'

People arrested included a man wearing a green headband with Arabic writing, a woman with a sign comparing Israel's strikes to the Holocaust and four people who were distributing literature featuring a swastika inside a Star of David.

Police distributed leaflets at the protest to warn attendees about what language and behaviour will not be tolerated.

One protester said: 'The leaflet from the police is a waste of time. I don't know anybody who has read it or took the slightest bit of notice'.
Donald Trump on Saturday warned that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement 'is not going to end well' - accusing negotiators of making a bad deal and pointing out no Americans have been released.

The ceasefire went into effect at 7am local time on Friday, and since then 41 of the 240 hostages have been released: 24 on Friday, and 17 on Saturday.

On Friday, 13 Israeli women and children, 10 Thai citizens and one Filipino were freed, said Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar.

On Saturday, 13 Israelis - including Israeli-Irish nine-year-old Emily Hand - and four Thais were released.

Saturday's release was not as smooth as Fridays, and at one point on Saturday afternoon it appeared it may not happen at all.

Donald Trump, seen on Saturday in South Carolina, said he is concerned about the hostage release deal

An International Red Cross vehicle carrying hostages released by Hamas drives towards the Rafah border point with Egypt on Saturday

Hamas is believed to have delayed the release owing to unhappiness about the quantity of aid arriving in Gaza - a key part of the deal.

But the release did happen - although for the second day running there were no U.S. citizens among those freed.

Abigail Mor Edan lost both of her parents in Hamas' bloody October 7 attack on Israel and is believed to be the youngest U.S. citizen in the terror group's hands. She turned four-years-old on Friday

'Has anybody noticed that Hamas has returned people from other Countries but, so far, has not returned one American Hostage?' wrote Trump on his Truth Social platform.

'There is only one reason for that, NO RESPECT FOR OUR COUNTRY OR OUR LEADERSHIP. This is a very sad and dark period of America!'

Trump added: 'Hamas now wants a better deal for hostages. This is not going to end well!'

The deal, negotiated by Qatar with U.S. and Egyptian support, will see 50 hostages - mainly women and children - released in groups by Hamas on four consecutive days, during a temporary halt in fighting.

Israel in return is freeing 150 Palestinians currently in their jails.

Qatar has said they are hopeful that the agreement could be extended, so that more hostages can be freed.

Joe Biden, who is currently on the island of Nantucket for the Thanksgiving break, said on Saturday he hopes Americans will be among the next group to be freed.

President Joe Biden sips a smoothie while out shopping in Nantucket on Saturday, during his Thanksgiving break

Biden walks with his granddaughter Natalie Biden on Saturday in Nantucket

Emily Hand, aged nine, is led to safety by gun-toting Hamas militants on Saturday evening, after 50 days in captivity

Nine-year-old Irish girl Emily Hand has been reunited with her father, who has vowed to mark her latest birthday with the 'biggest party ever'

Emily was one of 13 Israeli citizens to be freed on Saturday from terror group Hamas and had her ninth birthday while in captivity

A Red Cross vehicle, carrying hostages abducted by Hamas militants during the October 7 attack on Israel, arrives at the Rafah border, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel

An International Red Cross vehicle carrying hostages released by Hamas driving towards the Rafah crossing on Saturday evening

Ruth Munder, a released Israeli hostage, walks with an Israeli soldier shortly after her arrival in Israel on Friday

Tens of thousands of Israelis have amassed in Tel Aviv as the country waits for the return of a second group of hostages

People attend a rally organized by the Bring Them Home Now association to support families of kidnapped people and to call for release of hostages, in Tel Aviv

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said 196 trucks of aid entered on Friday, and Israel said four fuel trucks and four tanks of gas entered Saturday

Aviv Asher, 2; her sister Raz Asher, 4; and mother Doron, react as they meet with Yoni - Raz and Aviv's father and Doron's husband

Ohad Munder, 9-year-old, reacts as he meets with his family members after he returned to Israel to the designated complex at the Schneider Children's Medical Center on Saturday

Ohad is seen being released by Hamas gunmen on Friday, in a video filmed and released by Hamas

Asked on Saturday whether there would be Americans, he replied: 'Hopefully we'll see something soon.'

Hopes remain that the two American women and one child - Abigail Edan, who was orphaned in the October 7 attack and turned four on Friday - could be released on Sunday or Monday.

On Saturday night, the office of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said they had received a list of hostages due to be released on Sunday.

'Security officials are checking the list' and the information has been conveyed to the hostages' families, the office said in a statement.

Al-Ansari, the Qatari spokesman, told CNN on Saturday that he hoped the truce and the hostage hand-over would be continued.

Since the October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis, an estimated 15,000 Gazans have been killed.

'What we are hoping for is that the momentum that has carried from the releases of these two days and from this agreement of four days will allow us to extend the truce beyond these four days and therefore get into more serious discussions about the rest of the hostages,' Al-Ansari said.

'Within this kind of mediation, you're always going to find both sides saying that the other side did not abide by the agreement.'

He said he could not say whether any Americans would be among those released on Sunday and Monday.

'The lists are delivered on a daily basis,' he said.

'Sadly, we can't know who is going to be on that list beforehand.'

In the West Bank, hundreds of people burst into wild celebrations for a second night as a busload of Palestinian prisoners arrived early Sunday.

Teenage boys released in the deal were carried on the shoulders of well-wishers in the main square of the town of Al Bireh.

Shuruq Dwayat, left, a Palestinian prisoner released by Israel, is hugged by relatives as she arrives home in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Bahar on Sunday morning

Israa Jaabis, center, a Palestinian prisoner released by Israel, is hugged by relatives as she arrives home in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber on Sunday

Palestinians walk by buildings destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on Saturday

Some of the Palestinian prisoners were released in east Jerusalem, while the bulk returned home to a hero's welcome in the occupied West Bank.

But the mood of celebration was dampened by scenes of destruction and suffering in Gaza.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, who are reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has been focused, returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands.

At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate.

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

'We want to find them and bury them in dignity,' he said.

Palestinians visit an open-air market in Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on Saturday

Palestinians line up for cooking gas during the second day of the temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Rafah

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on October 21.

It was also able to deliver about 35,000 gallons of fuel - just over 10 percent of the daily pre-war volume - as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station.

Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

'I wish it could be extended until peoples conditions improved,' he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet.

The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.
Chris Whitty, the Government's Chief Medical Officer, was a worried man. There had been discussions between himself and his colleagues about a possible inquiry into their Covid response. 'Was lockdown too late?' he confided, on February 7, 2021, to Sir Patrick Vallance, the Chief Scientific Adviser. Had they made mistakes with their analysis and presentation of lockdown fatigue, herd immunity, an estimated 20,000 deaths and their reliance on graphs?

Sir Patrick conceded: 'We have learnt a lot.'

We know about this conversation because Sir Patrick diligently kept a diary he says he used to decompress during his long days battling the virus. Yet his February 7 entry hasn't received much public attention.

Instead, most of the focus has been placed on a scribbled note in which he claimed to have overheard Boris Johnson's senior adviser Dom Cummings say he thought Rishi Sunak just wanted to 'let people die'. And his observation Johnson appeared 'bamboozled' when discussing details of the pandemic.

But it should have received attention, because what it reveals is the most important truth to emerge from the Covid Public Inquiry to date. Which is the problem wasn't that Johnson and his fellow Ministers couldn't understand the science. It's that the scientists couldn't understand the science.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance arrive at Downing Street ahead of the Cabinet Meeting on September 15, 2020

Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers Questions on February 2, 2022 in London

Take, for example, the main issue Whitty identified  the first lockdown.

The advice to Ministers was clear. They needed to wait before introducing a full shutdown of the nation. We all remember Sir Patrick Vallance standing in front of a giant image of a sombrero-shaped curve, as Johnson explained how the strategy was 'to squash it'.

Then that advice changed dramatically. The experts' modelling suddenly showed the virus was spreading at a much faster rate than they had thought. And their estimate of 20,000 deaths leapt to a figure of 500,000.

It was the same with 'lockdown fatigue'. Ministers were told this phenomenon  which they were briefed had been modelled by epidemiological experts  meant that a lengthy lockdown was unsustainable.

But a few weeks later the advice was reversed, and they were advised they had to introduce not just a first lockdown, but ultimately a second lockdown, and a series of 'circuit-breakers'.

Then there was 'herd immunity'. Sir Patrick appeared on TV to advocate the concept in a very detailed way. 'Sixty per cent is the sort of figure you need to get herd immunity,' he told Sky News. If you simply locked people down for a few months, then opened up again, Covid would return.

But again, the advice to Ministers suddenly changed.

Former Number 10 special advisor Dominic Cummings reacts as he leaves after giving evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, in west London, on October 31, 2023

If they pursued a herd-immunity strategy, there would be a health apocalypse, they were warned. The country needed to lockdown for months, and it needed to do so immediately.

When pressed about this at the inquiry, Sir Patrick said: 'I was not suggesting or advocating that the country should go for herd immunity, in the sense of loosening non-pharmaceutical interventions to increase the spread of the virus.'

But that's exactly what he was saying. It's there on the video, crystal-clear. He was asked why Britain wasn't introducing significant anti-Covid measures, and one of the reasons he gave was that a build-up of herd immunity was necessary to fight the disease.

This pattern of advocacy, reversal and denial was repeated throughout the course of the pandemic.

With masks, the scientists first said they were not effective. Then they decreed they should be mandatory. On mass gatherings, the scientists initially decided banning them 'wouldn't have a big effect on transmission'. Then they frantically backtracked, and insisted they should be legally prohibited.

And, of course, there were the graphs. Sir Patrick really does like a graph. He also appears to have been massively put out that our then Prime Minister did not share his appreciation of them. 'He [Boris] asks questions like, 'which line is the dark red line?'  is he colourblind?' records one of his more petulant diary entries.

Whether Johnson could or couldn't read the graphs or understand the modelling has dominated the inquiry and its coverage. But again, that misses the point. Even if Boris had understood them with Newtonian perspicacity, it wouldn't have made any difference. Because what they contained was invariably rubbish.

Remember the great Omicron scare? The country was almost plunged into a lockdown at the end of 2021 because of modelling of this new variant that was analysed by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, which gives advice to the Government. A series of graphs were produced predicting the likely impact. One showed a worst-case scenario of 6,000 deaths a day, and a best case of 600. In the end, deaths reached a high of 262.

Another estimated likely hospitalisations. The highest line peaked at 10,000, the lowest 3,000. The true number ended up at 1,700.

In his inquiry evidence, Sir Patrick came up with an interesting rationale for this repeated failure of the numerous experts to get the science right. 'There is no such thing as 'the science',' he claimed. 'Science by its definition is a moving body of knowledge that tries to overturn things by testing the whole time.'

And to an extent he's right. But what he and his colleagues were tasked with during the pandemic was not the scientific equivalent of a search for the origins of the universe. They were simply being asked to provide clear, accurate information on the behaviour of a lethal virus so that Ministers could make informed decisions on how best to protect the public.

And time and time and time again they failed in that task.

How many people had the virus was a matter of scientific fact. How fast it was spreading was a matter of scientific fact. Whether masks could help prevent the virus's spread was a matter of scientific fact. The number of people who might die if a strategy of herd-immunity was pursued was a matter of scientific fact.

Yet, crucially, Sir Patrick Vallance and the other experts did not have a sufficient grasp of them.

It's very nice for the country's most senior scientist to describe the mysterious swirling currents and eddies of his calling. But a moving body of knowledge that is forever 'being overturned' is of no practical utility to politicians charged with formulating and implementing life-or-death policy decisions in real time.

When Sir Patrick was pressed about the fateful decision to finally lock the nation down, he said this: 'We got information on March 13 which unambiguously showed that the pandemic was far more widespread and far bigger and moving faster than we had anticipated.'

There was another  more honest  way he could have phrased that. He could simply have admitted: 'We got it completely wrong. We were telling Ministers we knew what was happening, but we didn't. We hadn't got a clue. We were basically making it up as we went along.'

In the wake of Sir Patrick's inquiry appearance, people swooped on his evidence and began firing it at his then political masters. Johnson was deemed a blundering idiot. Sunak a heartless Machiavelli who'd happily sacrifice millions of fellow citizens on the altar of GDP.

DAN HODGES: In times of crisis we need our leaders to follow the science. But it would be nice if our scientists could manage to do that, too

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a virtual press conference to update the nation on the status of the Covid-19 pandemic, January 4, 2022

But Boris has gone. And if the polls are to be believed, Sunak will soon be following him.

Sir Patrick Vallance and his colleagues remain. When the next major national public health emergency arrives  and it will  they will be the people Ministers and the public will turn to provide protection.

Will we see the same again? The same erroneous graphs. The same flawed modelling. The same assured statements that are hurriedly reversed, then parsed, then denied.

Ministers are currently precluded from speaking publicly about their Covid experiences until they have given formal evidence to the inquiry. But one told me: 'The problem I had was everything kept changing. One second I was being told with absolute authority, 'This is what the science says. But of course, the decision is up to you'. Then I'd be told, 'Actually, the science has changed. But it's still your decision, Minister.'

In times of crisis we need our leaders to follow the science. But it would be nice if our scientists could manage to do that, too.
A 15-year-old Pennsylvania boy has been charged with the murder of an itinerant accused of raping his girlfriend, 16, leaving is father who works as a homeless advocate 'devastated.'

Thomas James Niarhos, of Stowe, was charged with first degree murder following the death of Jeremiah Waylon Hawkins, 39, on Wednesday.

Police arrived on the scene just after midday in Pottstown to find Hawkins, a homelessness man, with a gunshot wound to the head.

According to Montgomery County District Kevin R. Steele, Niarhos was being held by witnesses and immediately taken into custody by police following the incident.

Officers recovered a .40 calibre Smith & Wesson semi-automatic firearm from the scene, which detectives later determined to be the firearm of his father, who shares the same name, Tom Niarhos.

Thomas James Niarhos, of Stowe, was charged with first degree murder following the death of homeless man Jeremiah Waylon Hawkins, 39, on Wednesday

Niarhos is the son of Tom Niarhos who is the executive director of homeless advocacy group Beacon of Hope

According to investigators, the motive in the shooting may be related to an alleged sexual assault of Niarhos' girlfriend four months earlier

The incident happened in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and police arrived to find Hawkins with a gunshot wound to the head

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com the elder Niarhos expressed extreme dismay over the incident.

'The only comment I have is that it was tragedy and my prayers go out to [Hawkins'] family,' he said.

Niarhos also confirmed that Hawkins was not immediately known to the organization he works for, Pottstown Beacon of Hope.

Beacon of Hope provide emergency shelter to those experiencing homelessness in the areas, as well as a warming center for this living on the streets.

Niarhos has been the executive director of the charity for the last three years, having previously experienced homelessness himself.

According to investigators, the motive in the shooting may be related to an alleged sexual assault of Niarhos' girlfriend four months earlier.

Earlier police records indicate that Niarhos had told officers in July that Hawkins had allegedly raped his 16-year-old girlfriend. The girl has not been identified.

Pottstown Police investigated the accusations at the time but received no cooperation from the girl's family, and her mother told police they did not wish to press charges.

According to witness interviews and a review of surveillance footage by police, Niarhos had sought out Hawkins, with the two seen standing close together arguing.

The younger Niarhos is said to have extended his arm towards Hawkins, before he had a tire swung at him, police said.

Despite the attempt by Hawkins, Niarhos is alleged to have fired a single shot at Hawkins' face, causing him to fall to the ground.

Niarhos had told officers in July that Hawkins had allegedly raped his 16-year-old girlfriend

Niarhos allegedly yelled 'he's a rapist, don't be sorry for him' as he was was escorted from the crime scene

The younger Niarhos, seen here, frequently shared videos on his YouTube channel which included diss tracks

The younger Niarhos is then alleged to have fired another shot at Hawkins before dropping the firearm and walking away where he was then detained by bystanders.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, as Niarhos was being escorted to the police station, an officer's body camera recorded him shouting at first responders trying to save Hawkins.

'He's a rapist, don't be sorry for him... he raped a 15-year-old girl, don't help him,' the younger Niarhos is said to have yelled at emergency services.

Anthony Colavecci, who is also homeless, told MediaNews Group on Wednesday after the shooting that Hawkins, whom he called 'Jay,' was his former roommate.

Colavecci said Hawkins, who had become addicted to drugs recently, had 'saved my life.

'I slipped in the bathroom and I kept saying I was fine, but he insisted that the ambulance take me to the hospital,' he said.

'I keep trying to tell myself I don't care, but there are people who will miss him and I'm one of them.'

On Wednesday, Niarhos' father told detectives he received a phone call from a friend who was crying and telling him to report to the police department.

Detectives then showed him a picture of the recovered firearm which he identified as one belonging to him, and that it was missing from his home.

The elder Niarhos told officers that he'd recently been keeping that gun in his master bedroom in a locked nightstand.

Tom Niarhos (pictured with wife Samantha) told DailyMail.com the shooting 'was tragedy and my prayers go out to [Hawkins'] family'

Niarhos is said to have fired a single shot at his face causing him to fall immediately before firing another

He also told police that on Wednesday he had found a note in his son's bedroom indicating a plan to run away, as well as a packed bag of clothes.

An autopsy was conducted on Hawkins by Dr. Khalil Wardak, a forensic pathologist with the Montgomery County Coroner's Office, which found that Hawkins had been shot once in the side of his face at close range.

Dr. Wardak opined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was homicide.

Niarhos was formally charged as an adult with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, possessing a firearm as a minor, among other charges.

He was formally arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Margaret Hunsicker on Nov. 22, 2023 and was remanded to the Montgomery County Youth Center.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30, 2023, before Magisterial District Judge Scott T. Palladino.
Plans to make detainees wear GPS tracking ankle bracelets after they were released into the community following the High Court ruling has hit a snag.

In the latest debacle the federal agency tasked with attaching the bracelets on former detainees may not have the legal right to do so.

The High Court ruled on November 8 it was unlawful to indefinitely detain someone leading to the release of 116 people - with murderers and rapists among the group.

The Albanese Government rushed through emergency laws imposing tough visa restrictions for those released including monitoring bracelets.

Australian Border Force (ABF), which is the agency given the job of attaching the bracelets, may have no legal authority to do so and its officers may be barred from fitting the devices.

The agency is also struggling to get hold of enough monitors.

Chaos continues to reign over whether freed detainees who pose a risk to the community will be fitted with GPS tracking ankle bracelets

A Border Force spokeswoman said State and Territory authorities had agreed to provide ankle bracelets to support the immediate response.

'This arrangement will assist the Commonwealth in prioritising community safety at this time and will be in place until a more permanent operating model has been established alongside our partner agencies,' she told the West Australian.

However, Western Australian police said no request has been made to use the State's 160 spare GPS bracelets.

The Australian Federal Police also said there had been no request to them for ankle bracelets, which they source from Corrective Services NSW.

WA Premier Roger Cook has expressed his 'frustration' over the situation.

'The new community safety measures must be enforced as soon as possible and I urge the Commonwealth to ensure this happens,' he said.

'Where appropriate, WA Police are proactively monitoring detainees and strict conditions have been imposed on the four reportable offenders who remain in the state. Our officers also remain ready to respond to any breach of conditions.'

WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam accused the Albanese and Cook governments of flailing hopelessly.

'Labor governments, State and Federal, have bungled this issue from the beginning,' she said.

'The chaos could have been avoided if they had actually made this a priority.

On Wednesday Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil was forced to admit on breakfast television she didn't know whether four asylum seeker sex offenders had ankle bracelets attached

'The lack of any information or detail about if, how and where these offenders are being monitored raises very real concerns about whether community safety is being properly prioritised.'

On Wednesday Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil was forced to admit on breakfast television she didn't know whether four asylum seeker sex offenders released onto the streets by the High Court were wearing tracking bracelets.

Ms O'Neil struggled to answer whether sex offenders released from immigration detention were wearing ankle bracelets more than 18 hours after the WA Police Commissioner confirmed four offenders in his state weren't fitted with the devices.

'I certainly know that many people have had those curfews and ankle monitoring bracelets rolled out. If I could just explain to your viewers, Minister Giles is required under law to consider each of these cases on an individual basis,' she said.

Ms O'Neil's blunder came after WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch spoke on Perth radio about the lack of tracking.

Five asylum seekers were released from Yongah Hill Immigration Detention - taking the total in WA to 39. Eight of those were convicted of child sex offences.

Australian Border Force agents may be legally unable to fit the braclets despite being the agency tasked with overseeing their use

Four have since left WA, with police revealing they are unable to track the four remaining sex offenders and keep up with their whereabouts.

'The four in WA are not under GPS tracking so we don't have the authority to (put them on),' Commissioner Blanch said.

'But we will do home visits (and ask) what phone do you have, what computers are you using? We want you to check in with us all the time.

'They are under the most stringent conditions. If they fail any of those, we arrest them and we charge them with breaching their reportable conditions.

'We can go and knock on their door any day or night and make sure they are abiding by those conditions. I can guarantee we are monitoring these people with the highest level under our current regime of reportable offenders.'

The new laws are also being challenged by a Chinese refugee, known as S151, who arrived on a student visa in September 2001.

He is seeking a court declaration that a curfew and electronic tracking bracelet that now accompany his bridging visa conditions amount to 'punishment'.
A woman who was caught using a vibrator on a Georgia beach can be seen breaking down in new bodycam footage as police handcuff her and march her off the sand.

Christina Revels-Glick, who was 34 at the time, was approached by cops after families reported her salacious behavior on Tybee Island beach on July 1, 2021.

The beachgoer can be seen in the newly released arrest footage denying the intimate moment, claiming she was merely lying down on her towel.

When police ask to search her bag, she admits to using a vibrator to relax because she was 'stressed', adding that it only took her 20 seconds to finish.

The swimmer then breaks down as cops slap handcuffs on her before escorting her from the beach.

Footage of the encounter has had more than 2.5 million views on social media since it emerged on Friday.

Christina Revels-Glick, who was 34 at the time, was approached by cops after families reported her salacious behavior on Tybee Island beach on July 1, 2021

Revels-Glick can be seen in the newly released arrest footage denying the intimate moment, claiming she was merely lying down on her towel

Revels-Glick is dressed in a slinky green one-piece swimsuit and holding a water bottle and appears distressed when she is approached by a male and female officer.

The woman appears baffled by the accusations, claiming she was just sitting on her towel before asking the male officer: 'What did I do? What did I do?'

'Apparently you were masturbating on the beach?' the officer responds.

Looking surprised and a little embarrassed, Revels-Glick paused and replied: 'Who saw that?'

The cop, who does not appear on camera to begin, is then heard telling her, 'a couple of people.'

Insisting the allegations were untrue, Revels-Glick muses: 'Is this one of my buddies?'

'It wasn't one of your buddies. It is a family,' the officer replies.

'Look...' she quipped.

'Let me show you what I did,' she said, moving over to some beach seating nearby while holding her backpack.

As she begins to explain her perspective of the incident, the officer can be heard asking to look in her bag.

'This is really highly offensive to me,' Revel-Glick says before finally coming clean and saying, 'It is my vibrator, I was sitting on the beach and I,' she paused before asking, 'okay do I get a ticket?'

The cop is heard letting out a chuckle before clarifying: 'So you had a vibrator?'

'Listen, I was sitting on the water like this,' she said while lying down to reenact the incident.

'I just put it in there. I was covered up and I just had an orgasm,' she said. 'I am sorry. I was just stressed out.'

The officer said: 'I got you... hang tight for me.'

The swimmer then breaks down as cops slap handcuffs on her before escorting her from the beach

Revels-Glick apologized while being booked for indecent exposure and disorderly conduct, telling officers that she didn't think anyone had seen her

The woman continued: 'I am sorry. I am sorry. I was in the water.'

'If no one saw it they wouldn't have called...right?' the cop responded.

In the next clip, Ravels-Glick starts to plead: 'Please don't do this to me. Are you serious?'

'A family saw it, they had kids...what? There was nobody around me,' she said as the female officer handcuffed her and escorted her of the beach.

In the next clip, the male officer is seen sifting through the woman's backpack which they'd placed on their police vehicle only to retrieve the vibrator.

'It's a bullet style, that is what they call it,' he said.

'At least she admitted it. She said she had an orgasm on the beach.

'I mean if you are going to do something like that, ya' know don't get caught that is all I have to say.'

Sarah Moss told the Smoking Gun that beachgoers 'could hear her moaning' when they called police at about 5:30pm.

She saw her covered in a towel in front of her family's tent.

Moss told police the entire incident only lasted about five minutes before Revels-Glick packed her things and left for the nearby Deck Restaurant.

She provided police with video she took of the incident, which showed Revels-Glick as she did the deed before looking off to her right, as if she spotted someone .

Revels-Glick quickly stopped what she was doing, according to the police report.

Tybee Island Georgia Police Vehicle seen on the beach

Sarah Moss told the Smoking Gun that beachgoers 'could hear her moaning' when they called police at about 5:30pm

Police said Revels-Glick apologized while being booked for indecent exposure and disorderly conduct, telling officers that she didn't think anyone had seen her.

She was released shortly after her arrest on subpoena, the police report stated.

According to Atlanta-based attorneys Conaway and Strickler, Glick could face a 12-month jail sentence for 20 seconds of self-gratification. It remains unclear whether Revel-Glick appeared before the courts.

'The state of Georgia aggressively prosecutes people charged with indecent exposure,' the attorneys' website reads.

'Indecent exposure occurs when a person intentionally reveals his or her body's private parts in a setting considered indecent. This type of offense is usually a misdemeanor, but can result in up to a 12-month jail sentence if convicted.'
One of two Idaho students who survived the massacre at their shared house is emerging from her self-imposed isolation, new photos show, a year after the attack.

Dylan Mortensen, 21, has been wracked with 'survivor's guilt', according to her stepmother and turned into a recluse, staying at home and playing video games, according to her father.

But newly-emerged photos show her at a sorority initiation on September 15 with her University of Idaho friends, and at an October 31 Halloween party, dressed in a gold sparkly outfit.

Patricia Munroe, Mortensen's stepmother, said earlier this month that she had dropped out of University of Idaho and switched schools, so it was not clear whether she was back to visit or if she is still in the same college.

Dylan Mortensen, 21, has been seen celebrating with friends after turning into a recluse due to 'survivor's guilt' from the Idaho murders

Mortensen, far left, is seen at a sorority initiation - known as the Big Little Reveal - with her University of Idaho friends Jessa Patnode (center) and Makenah Jackson, in an Instagram photo posted September 15

Mortensen and her friends all shared photos celebrating the September 15 initiation ceremony

Mortensen has found her life turned upside down since the murder of her four roommates in November 2022 - Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20.

The four were stabbed to death in their beds in the early hours of a Sunday morning.

Mortensen said she saw a man leaving the house in Moscow, Idaho, in the early hours, but did not realize until hours later that four of her roommates had been murdered.

Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old criminology student, has been charged with four counts of murder, and pleaded not guilty. He remains in jail, with no trial date set.

Mortensen left Moscow earlier this year, said Munroe, Mortensen's stepmother.

Munroe was married to Mortensen's father Brent, and helped raise Dylan from the age of seven until almost her graduation for high school.

She told The New York Post she remained close to the family, and Mortensen was 'okay'.

Munroe, 53, said: 'There's a lot of guilt because, you know, if someone says, 'Oh, well, Dylan was so lucky,' you know, you don't want to take on that luck  because all of the children deserved luck.

'They all deserved to be spared from that.'

Mortensen, far left, is seen with her roommates: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee's shoulders) Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke

Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, is pictured on September 13 at Latah County District Court

Mortensen told police she stood in a 'frozen shock phase' as 'a figure clad in black clothing and a mask walked towards her,' then 'towards the back sliding glass door' and left the house.

She then locked herself in her room, and did not emerge until the next morning.

Mortensen and Bethany Funke, the other roommate who survived the attacks, did not call police until noon the next day, which has given rise to online trolls attacking Mortensen and Funke and claiming they were involved in the murders.

'You never really think about online backlash and trolls until you deal with it, and it's just a really hurtful thing,' Munroe said.

'I challenge anyone to be in a position where they wake up to four of their roommates gone and, you know, not even realizing it.

'People have to understand that these children are very young . . . You know, they're just young kids, and it's just a really traumatizing thing. I just think that people need to have compassion.

Dylan Mortensen (left) parties with a friend on Halloween 2023

Mortensen, second from left, is pictured with her friends celebrating Halloween

Mortensen (right) is seen in a photo with her sorority sisters taken a month before the murders, on October 13, 2022

'There needs to be space and time for all the details to come out in trial.'

Mortensen's father Brent told author and private investigator J. Reuben Appelman that she was isolating herself, and playing video games to deal with the stress.

Appelman told NewsNation: 'In the beginning weeks after those homicides, she was basically dogpiled on, on social media.

'This was part of the trauma that she experienced.

'Dylan herself has retreated from the public eye, very few people see her.'

Mortensen's father told Appelman that his daughter is in the process of healing, despite being hounded by bullies.

'She is in trauma therapy of sorts, she's getting help from the spiritual community,' he said.

'Isolating herself but she is stepping out a little at a time, she is gaming online with peers in group gaming session.

'She's doing what she can without going into public.'
A tourist visiting San Francisco's Tenderloin district was aghast after seeing 'drug addicts' gathered outside his rental.

Jeremy Bernier, a software engineer, who just arrived in the neighborhood on Saturday, posted a picture on X, formerly Twitter, of a group he claimed to be drug addicts gathered outside his Airbnb.

Bernier described the city as the 'most depressing place I've ever seen' and went on to ask 'wtf is this and who the hell is in charge of this city?'

'So many drugged out people standing up while fully bent over with their head to the ground, taking what appears to be fentanyl,' he added.

'Tents everywhere, people passed out on sidewalks. This is worse than 3rd world countries. Such an embarrassment.'

The progressive Tenderloin downtown district, once known for its rich cultural history, trendy restaurants, galleries, museums, and nightlife, has deteriorated as homelessness and drug use ramp up in the Democratic-led city.

Though it wasn't clear what brought Benier to the gritty city, he tried to see the silver lining after his first day travelling: 'Happy to be here though, and looking forward to experiencing the tech capital!'

A tourist visiting San Francisco's Tenderloin district was aghast after seeing 'drug addicts' gathered outside his rental

Jeremy Bernier, a software engineer, who arrived in the neighborhood on Saturday, posted a picture on X, formerly Twitter

The progressive Tenderloin downtown district, once known for its rich cultural history has deteriorated as homelessness and drug use ramp up in the Democratic-led city

The Tenderloin district is in the heart of San Francisco and near the Asian Art museum.

It's just a few blocks from City Hall and the area includes part of the Compton Transgender Cultural District.

Robberies are up 14 percent so far this year in the Golden Gate City where mayor London Breed last month demanded cuts of 18 percent from next year's police budget.

Reported deaths from drug overdoses reached 620 in the first nine months of the year, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, up from 540 for the same period in 2020.

And the city stands to lose $200 million a year in revenue through its business exodus - which has seen major hotels and retailers flee the city center.

Retail stalwart Old Navy announced it would be shuttering its flagship store in the area last month, becoming the latest chain to exit the city.

Nordstrom also announced it would be closing all of its locations in the city.

In April, Whole Foods announced it was closing all their locations, with Anthropologie and Office Depot having also made the same decisions leading some analysts to predict that the city has entered a 'doom-loop' of permanent decline.

Dozens of homeless people gathered on the city streets as civilians walk by

A bare-chested partially clothed man is seen sleeping on the street

A homeless woman is seen bent over on the concrete appearing strung out on the streets of the downtown Tenderloin district

As crippling drug issues and widespread homeless problems continue to cause problems for the city, names like 'garbage city,' 'ruined city,' and 'fallen city' have surfaced.

Earlier this month, Britain's Home Secretary Suella Braverman held up the city as an example of what could happen in the UK as she outlined plans to prevent charities handing tents to homeless people.

'Unless we step in now to stop this, British cities will go the way of places in the US like San Francisco and Los Angeles, where weak policies have led to an explosion of crime, drug taking, and squalor,' she wrote.

The city's US attorney Ismail Ramsey announced a multi-agency 'All Hand on Deck' project on Thursday to tackle drug dealing in Tenderloin, admitting it had become 'ground zero for drug tourism'.

He revealed that 50 kilograms of fentanyl have been seized from the district's streets in the last four months, nearly double the amount in the same period last year and enough to create 20 million lethal overdoses.

'Our drug crisis has been fueled in part because selling fentanyl has become a lucrative vocation for people who have found our neighborhoods, and principally the Tenderloin District, to be a convenient and risk-free marketplace,' he said.

It is a reality all too apparent to residents who have to live and work in the city.

Crime statistics provided by the San Francisco Police Department show the increase in homicides and robberies during the month of November in San Francisco

A homeless encampment is lined up along the streets of the Tenderloin district in June

Tents and homeless encampments line the streets of downtown Tenderloin. One TikToker wrote: 'The tenderloin was rough but it was never like this, never, and I was born and raised here so this is not the same scene pre-pandemic'

Earlier this year a homeless woman was pictured giving birth on a sidewalk in Tenderloin as pedestrians wandered past.

The baby lay on the sidewalk, crying, covered in the mess of its birth until its mother reached out to scoop it up with a piece of fabric.

'This is overwhelming and mentally draining,' wrote the TikToker.

'Not to mention the dangers of the unpredictable nature of this environment.

'The tenderloin was rough but it was never like this, never, and I was born and raised here so this is not the same scene pre-pandemic.

'Imagine the children and senior population having to navigate this, it's definitely terrifying.'

TikToker 'Freqmeek,' a life-long resident, filmed her walk to work through last month through the drug-ravaged streets that have made the city an international symbol for squalor and despair.

'The anxiety we experience just traveling to work daily in the Tenderloin is unbelievable,' she wrote.

'There are so many concerns and protections in place for drug users and homeless people but what about the working class that have to pray that they make it to and from work in this environment.

'These are real dangers faced every single day just to be able to provide for your family.'
New York congressman George Santos spent three hours on Friday raging against the House Ethics Committee in a livestream on X where he called the chair of the committee a 'p***' and the members 'hypocrites'.

Santos, 35, was excoriated in a 56-page report from the committee, published on November 16 after nearly nine months of inquiry.

The investigators found that Santos spent campaign funds on Botox treatments, designer goods, porn site OnlyFans and lavish trips with his husband - and detailed how he allegedly attempted to hide the transactions.

The Republican chair of the committee, Michael Guest, on Thursday introduced a resolution to expel Santos from the House, with a vote expected next week.

Santos on Friday night held a livestream where he said he thought he would be expelled, and mocked those on the committee. He accused his House colleagues of casting votes hungover, cheating on their spouses, and being 'hypocrites.'

George Santos on Friday night held a livestream on X where he said he expected to be expelled from Congress - and attacked his fellow members

Michael Guest, a Republican from Mississippi, is the chair of the House Ethics Committee

'I know I'm going to get expelled when this expulsion resolution goes to the floor,' he said Friday night during a conversation on X Spaces.

'I've done the math over and over, and it doesn't look really good.'

He attacked Guest in the livestream, saying the chairman should 'be a man and stop being a p***y and call the damn motion.'

But he did not spare any of his colleagues, accusing them all of 'act[ing] like they're in ivory towers with white pointy hats and they're untouchable.'

He added: 'Within the ranks of United States Congress there's felons galore, there's people with all sorts of shystie backgrounds.'

Some, he said, are 'more worried about getting drunk every night with the next lobbyists they're going to screw' than doing their jobs.

'I'm not running for reelection because I don't want to work with a bunch of hypocrites,' he said.

'It's gross.'

Santos is pictured inside the Capitol on October 13

While Santos has survived two expulsion votes, many of his colleagues who formerly opposed the effort now say they support it, citing the findings of the committee's monthslong investigation into a wide range of alleged misconduct by Santos.

'Representative Santos sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit,' investigators wrote. They noted that he did not cooperate with the report and repeatedly 'evaded' straightforward requests for information.

On Friday, Santos said he did not want to address the specifics of the report, which he claimed were 'slanderous' and 'designed to force me out of my seat.'

Any defense of his conduct, he said, could be used against him in the ongoing criminal case brought by federal prosecutors.

Instead, Santos struck a contemplative tone during the three-hour livestream, tracing his trajectory from Republican 'it girl' to 'the Mary Magdalene of the United States Congress.'

His decision not to seek reelection, he said, was not because of external pressure, but due to his frustration with the 'sheer arrogance' of his colleagues.

'These people need to understand it's done when I say it's done, when I want it to be done, not when they want it to be done,' he added.

'That's kind of where we are there.'
Former federal MP Dave Sharma will return to parliament after securing Marise Payne's NSW Senate seat.

In a vote of Liberal Party members, Mr Sharma defeated Andrew Constance in the final ballot on Sunday.

Mr Constance, the former state treasurer and member for Bega, had been the firm favourite after being endorsed by the Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

But party moderates backed Mr Sharma, the former federal member for Wentworth, who lost his seat to independent Allegra Spender in the 2022 election.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Mr Sharma was a 'fitting replacement' for Ms Payne.

Former federal MP Dave Sharma (pictured with his wife Rachel Lord) will return to parliament after securing Marise Payne's NSW Senate seat

'Dave Sharma will bring a unique perspective to the Australian Senate,' she said in a statement.

'Dave's keen foreign policy intellect will be particularly welcome given we are in the most dangerous set of geopolitical circumstances since the second world war.

'Over the past 20 years, Dave has sat in the Oval Office with American presidents, helped to broker international peace agreements and has first-hand experience on-the-ground in Israel as a former ambassador.'

Also passed over in Sunday's vote was former ACT senator Zed Seselja, a staunch conservative who hails from the right faction.

Mr Seselja lost his Senate spot to independent David Pocock at the last election, leaving the ACT without Liberal representation for the first time since the territory started with two senators in 1975.

Monica Tudehope had also been touted as a strong contender and had the backing of Business Council chief executive Bran Black.

Ms Ley said the Mr Sharma would be a great addition to the Liberal team as it worked to win back federal seats lost to independents.

'Dave is someone who very much appeals to that cohort of voters which we need to win in 2025,' she said.
Extract from Endgame claims Charles doesn't like it when laces are threadbare

King Charles is a 'pampered' royal who has his shoelaces ironed for him, Harry and Meghan's biographer has claimed.

Author Omid Scobie makes the claims in his new book which also alleges His Majesty insists on travelling with luxurious perfectly steamed 1,000-thread-count bed linen.

In another snide attack Scobie says Charles likes to have someone squeeze one inch of toothpaste onto his toothbrush for him as part as his bedtime routine.

An extract from the 42-year-old's new book Endgame published in The Sun reads: 'When laces get even the smallest bit threadbare, a staff member must quickly switch them out with a fresh, ironed pair.

'There is even a rumour (one that, surprisingly, sources have confirmed) that Charles likes to have someone squeeze exactly one inch of toothpaste on to his toothbrush for him ahead of his bedtime routine.'

King Charles attends the Sunday service at St. Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham today

Charles' shoelaces remained neat and tidy as he attended church today amid claims in Omid Scobie's explosive new book that he likes to get them ironed

(Pictured: His Majesty is greeted by Reverend Canon Paul Williams) Author Omid Scobie makes the claims in his new book which also alleges His Majesty insists on travelling with luxurious perfectly steamed 1,000-thread-count bed linen

King Charles has been accused of being a 'pampered' royal who has his shoelaces ironed and likes to have someone squeeze out one inch of toothpaste onto his toothbrush

Author Omid Scobie has been the claims in his new book Endgame which takes several swipes at members of the Royal Family

Other claims in the book, leaked to The Sun on Sunday, say the monarch branded Prince Harry 'that fool' when the Duke of Sussex revealed details of the family's feuds in a Netflix documentary.

Scobie writes one aide said the show 'took the wind out of everyone's sails' while there were 'heads in hands' at the Palace with 'migraines brewing'.

Buckingham Palace said it did not wish to comment when contacted by MailOnline.

The latest plug comes after Scobie launched a snide attack on the Princess of Wales  portraying her as a woman terrified to do anything but grinning photo opportunities.

In an interview published today to plug his latest book, author Omid Scobie says: 'The small achievements that we've seen from the Princess of Wales wouldn't perhaps be noticed if it was from another member of the Royal Family, but with Kate it's like 'wow!' '

His cruel swipe  described by a friend of the Princess as 'horribly unjust'  will infuriate the Royal Family.

Insiders said that in the past few years the Princess  intelligent, hard-working and passionate about the causes she promotes  has proved popular with the public.

But in a telling indication of the scornful tone of the new book, Scobie says that 'we infantilise [Kate] massively so the bar is always lower'.

Today's Sunday Times says that in the book the Princess is 'portrayed as a woman terrified to do anything more than grinning photo ops'.

In the past, Scobie, 42, has been dubbed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's 'mouthpiece' for his sympathetic portrayal of the couple.

Charles with the Rev Canon Williams waves at photographers as he is snapped while walking in the grounds of the St. Mary Magdalene Church

(Pictured: Charles strolls towards St. Mary Magdalene Church) In another snide attack Scobie says Charles likes to have someone squeeze one inch of toothpaste onto his toothbrush for him as part as his bedtime routine

Harry and Meghan's biographer Omid Scobie has launched a snide attack on the Princess of Wales  portraying her as a woman terrified to do anything but grinning photo opportunities

Scobie's cruel swipe  described by a friend of the Princess as 'horribly unjust'  will infuriate the Royal Family. Picutred: Kate Middleton at a visit to a charity in north London this week

The book also claims Charles resented Harry's popularity with the media. Accusing Charles of scheming and backstabbing, he says the King turned a blind eye while aides leaked details about his sons to the media

His new book Endgame, a full-frontal assault on their perceived enemies, is expected to further widen the rift between Harry and his family.

Leaked extracts seen by The Mail on Sunday paint an unflattering picture of King Charles, with Scobie judging him 'a flawed father' and a backstabber  and accusing him of effectively sanctioning leaks about his sons to the press.

Predictably, William also comes under fire. The author says he is increasingly in cahoots with Palace courtiers who dream up dirty tricks.

By Scobie's account the Prince of Wales uses his aides and their press contacts to paint his younger brother as emotionally fragile.

Endgame also suggests William and Kate found the merciless lampooning of the Sussexes on the American animated satire South Park earlier this year 'very funny'. William, it adds, disliked Meghan from the start.

And the book says the King thought his son was a 'fool' for making a soul-baring Netflix documentary which claimed his father told 'lies' and his brother 'screamed and shouted' at the Sandringham Summit that resulted in the Sussexes leaving for the US.

Writing of what he sees as a power struggle between the favoured Prince and the 'unpopular' King, Scobie claims Charles is jealous of William's position and knows that while his reign will be merely transitional, his eldest son will have time to breathe new life into the monarchy.

Leaked extracts of Endgame seen by The Mail on Sunday paint an unflattering picture of King Charles, with Omid Scobie judging him 'a flawed father' and a backstabber

Endgame also makes controversial claims about William's relationship with his brother. Scobie writes that the Prince of Wales did not like Meghan Markle from the beginning and stepped back from his brother after their wedding

He also claims Charles resented Harry's popularity with the media.

Accusing Charles of scheming and backstabbing, he says the King turned a blind eye while aides leaked details about his sons to the media.

In one section that will cause the King particular dismay, the book alleges he once used Harry's troubles to improve his own public image.

At the time, 2002, Harry's drug-taking had been exposed in the now defunct News Of The World. The book says Charles 'piggybacked' on the story, allowing aides to leak personal details about Harry to create a 'great dad' narrative.

This is a reference to reports implying Charles had arranged for Harry to make a low-key educational visit to a rehabilitation centre in Peckham, South East London, where he spoke to addicts, providing him with a 'short, sharp shock'.

Another extract from the controversial book suggest Palace aides expressed doubts about whether Charles would be a suitable King

The Sussexes repeatedly denied co-operating with Scobie in Finding Freedom, the 2020 bestseller he wrote with Carolyn Durand about them.

But Meghan later admitted in the High Court she authorised an aide to brief the pair secretly.

Scobie insists he is not friends with the Sussexes, nor was he in direct contact with them over the book.

Sources close to the Sussexes deny they are 'affiliated' with it. Scobie describes it as a failure of the King that he did not open a dialogue with his son after his bombshell Oprah interview and Netflix documentary, adding that his poor relationship with Harry shows he is incapable of handling constitutional crises.

Endgame also makes controversial claims about William's relationship with his brother. Scobie writes that the Prince of Wales did not like Meghan Markle from the beginning and stepped back from his brother after their wedding.

He adds this was because William no longer needed to use Harry as a useful distraction.

But the claims do not just go over old ground.

Scobie alleges that Palace corruption and toxic media spin has continued into the present and reflects on what he portrays as the selfish agendas of the King and his eldest son.

This is part of Endgame's thesis that the Royal Family are 'desperate' and floundering after the death of the late Queen.

Other extracts suggest Palace aides expressed doubts about whether Charles would be a suitable King.

To survive, Scobie alleges that the Palace now uses 'jingoism' in the style of Donald Trump.
Ukraine has launched a major kamikaze drone attack on Russia in their heaviest onslaught for months.

Three of Moscow's international airports - Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky - were closed with flights suspended or cancelled due to the attack.

The city's mayor Sergei Sobyanin complained of a 'mass attack' on the Russian capital.

The attacks come one day after the heaviest strikes on Kyiv by Putin kamikaze drones since the start of the war 22 months ago - when 71 out of 75 Iranian-made Shahed UAVs were downed by Ukrainian air defences.

Russia was forced to shoot down 11 drones overnight and another nine early this morning.

In Tula, one hit a residential building as it crashed to the ground - with dramatic footage showing the moment of the explosion.

Wires caught fire close to the centre of Moscow during the attack today

Ukraine has launched a major kamikaze drone attack on Russia in their heaviest onslaught for months

A drone was seen in the sky in Tula, Russia, 115 miles south of Moscow

A building was left partially destroyed after the drone attacks on Russia

Three people, a man and two women, required medical help and people were evacuated from the building.

Later in the morning a new drone swarm was reported in Tula, a region where Putin crony and former bodyguard Alexei Dyumin is governor, and once saved the dictator from being savaged by a brown bear.

'Loud explosions' were reported over the city. 'It flew right over us,' said one local amid unconfirmed reports of two kamikaze drones being shot down.

And a mysterious fire ignited an elite Mosfilmovskaya Street in Moscow, blocking all traffic according to state media reports.

'The circumstances of the incident and information about the victims are being clarified,' reported Astra media outlet which suggested an 'electrical' inferno.

In the Moscow region, surrounding the capital, five drones were reportedly shot down in Naro-Fominsk, Odintsovo, Ramensky and Podolsk urban districts.

Three people, a man and two women, required medical help and people were evacuated from a building

Russia was forced to shoot down 11 drones overnight and another nine early this morning

A window is left severely smashed after today's drone attack on Russia

In three cases there was damage to buildings on the ground. It was not immediately clear if any of the drones had hit strategic targets.

More drones were downed in Kaluga, Bryansk and Smolensk regions as Ukraine responded to the onslaught on Kyiv a day earlier.

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the main target was Moscow. 'A mass drone attack was attempted overnight,' he said.

Elsewhere power was cut in the Russian-occupied Donetsk People's Republic after an apparent Ukrainian strike on the region's power grid.

Putin-appointed occupation leader Denis Pushilin said: 'At night, the enemy tried to damage the region's energy system.

'Unfortunately, due to the massiveness of the attacks, not everything was shot down.'

Parts of Donetsk city and Makeevka plus almost all of Mariupol were without power.

The Russian attack in Kyiv on Saturday was the most intense of the war.

Serhiy Popko, head of the capital city's administration, called it 'the most massive air attack by drones on Kyiv'.

'Our soldiers shot down most of the drones. Unfortunately, not all,' said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

'But we continue to work to strengthen our air defence and shoot down more.'

Overnight another nine Iranian drones were launched by Russia on Ukraine.

Eight were reportedly shot down.
James Cleverly is at the center of a growing Tory row over Rwanda deportation flights today after he downplayed the importance of the immigration plan.

Downing Street said it was 'committed' to resurrecting the plan to send Channel boat arrivals to east Africa after the new Home Secretary urged people not to 'fixate' on it.

He also drew the ire of the Tory right by telling the Times that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights - as many backbenchers and some Cabinet minister want - would undermine attempts to stop the boats.

Twenty Tory MPs have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging him to 'leave all options on the table'.

The letter, sent by the New Conservatives group of MPs elected in 2017 and 2019, piles pressure on the Home Secretary following a rocky start in the job.

One MP who signed the letter told The Mail on Sunday they were 'angry' at Mr Cleverly for saying the Rwanda scheme  ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court this month  was not the 'be all and end all'.

The Home Secretary is already under pressure less than two weeks after replacing Suella Braverman. He has been forced to deny claims he branded the Rwanda scheme 'bats**t' when he was Foreign Secretary.

The 54-year-old Braintree MP is also embroiled in a row over claims he described Stockton as a 's***hole'. He has also been accused of downplaying record migration numbers.

A No10 source told the Telegraph Mr Sunak was 'completely committed' to getting Rwanda flights off the ground and 'crystal clear' that 'he wouldn't let a foreign court' stop them.

Home Secretary, James Cleverly (Pictured) after he urged people not to 'fixate' on Rwanda and said that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights would undermine attempts to stop the boats.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dungeness, Kent, by RNLI lifeboat on Wednesday

Treasury minister Laura Trott today said Rwanda flights remained 'central' to government immigration plans

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott tried to play down any suggestion of a split today.

Ms Trott told the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: 'They're both actually saying the same thing, which is that Rwanda is part of our plan.

'Both saying it is part of the plan, it is not all of the plan.

'We have successfully in the last year bought the numbers of people coming over here illegally down by a third. That is at a time when the numbers coming into Europe are up by 80 per cent.

'This was not a foregone conclusion. It is because of actions that we have taken on illegal immigration that the numbers have come down and they will continue to do so because we are going to take steps like Rwanda to make sure that they come down further.'

The MP who signed the New Conservatives' letter said: 'The Home Secretary and I were elected on a manifesto to cut migration. We made a promise to the British people to stop the boats. He would be wise to remember this and he should leave all options on the table.'

The Home Secretary was 'taking things off the table at the time the Prime Minister said we'll do everything and anything to make the Rwanda scheme work,' the MP added.

'It sends a signal to the Right that the Government isn't actually doing what it can do.'

Mr Sunak has pledged to bring in emergency legislation and sign a treaty with Rwanda to ensure the plan is legally watertight.

Multiple sources have said Home Office Minister Robert Jenrick is on 'resignation watch' over the legislation.

Mr Jenrick pushed for plans supported by Ms Braverman while she was Home Secretary to curb migration and one MP on the Tory Right said Mr Jenrick had 'earned their respect'.

Last Wednesday, Tory MPs from the Common Sense and New Conservatives groups met Mr Jenrick and pushed for a 'belt and braces' bill that would get Rwanda flights off the ground and disapply human rights laws to illegal migration.

Mr Jenrick is understood to be concerned the emergency bill will not go far enough.

A source said Mr Jenrick, who will be the Minister in charge of steering the bill through Parliament, is 'not willing to take something through that he doesn't agree with. He is definitely on resignation watch.'

Insiders said Mr Jenrick will face Cabinet opposition from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Pensions Secretary Mel Stride and Attorney General Victoria Prentis.

Commenting on last week's record legal migration figures, a senior Tory MP said: 'The people in government don't get it  they don't care about the pressures on local state schools because they send their kids to private schools.'

But a Tory MP from the moderate One Nation group pointed to job vacancy figures, saying: 'We should be glad they are coming to us.'

While there has been talk of a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister being sent, several MPs on the Right said they were waiting to see the detail of the Government's emergency legislation first.

A No 10 source said: 'The PM has been crystal clear that he'll do what it takes to get flights off to Rwanda as a key part of his ten-point plan to stop the boats.

The Government is bringing forward a new treaty with Rwanda and emergency legislation to address the concerns of the Supreme Court. He's determined to make the Rwanda plan work.'
Thousands are set to march through central London today in a protest against antisemitism across the UK.

It comes after 18 demonstrators were arrested in the capital yesterday during a rally calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza - with anti-Semitic banners and placards on display throughout the march.

Today's event, organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism, will see protesters carry out a 90-minute march starting at the Royal Courts of Justice.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'Week after week, central London has become a no-go zone for Jews.

'We have witnessed mass criminality, including glorification of terrorism, support for banned terrorist organisations such as Hamas, and incitement to racial or religious hatred against Jews.'

They added: 'The sad truth is that Jews do not feel safe in our capital city.

Yesterday thousands of pro-Palestine protesters flooded the streets of Central London shouting a 'from the river to the sea' chant, with some holding anti-Semitic banners

Today, London once again saw scenes of racism against Jews and calls for intifada on our streets.



Tomorrow, London will be a different city. One of tolerance and decency.



Join us as we #MarchAgainstAntisemitism.



We will march from 13:30 outside the Royal Courts of Justice. pic.twitter.com/FmbB7ZGXMv  Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) November 25, 2023

Protesters held placards and Palestinian flags while taking part in a 'National March For Palestine' in central London yesterday

'Britain is known for its tolerance and decency, and we know that the people of this country stand with the Jewish community in this difficult time.'

Yesterday thousands of pro-Palestine protesters flooded the streets of Central London shouting a 'from the river to the sea' chant - with children as young as five joining in.

Anti-Semitic banners and placards were on display as Met Police officers made arrests - after issuing a hate speech warning which saw Arabic-speaking officers deployed to watch for offensive chants and images in the crowd.

'From the river to the sea' is considered to be highly inflammatory and some claim it's a call for Israel to not exist with signs at the protest displaying the same phrase.

Police distributed leaflets at the protest to warn attendees about what language and behaviour will not be tolerated - but one protester said 'the leaflet from the police is a waste of time. I don't know anybody who has read it or took the slightest bit of notice'.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators unfurled a giant Palestinian flag as they passed The Cenotaph decorated with poppies, in Whitehall yesterday

Eighteen demonstrators were arrested in the capital yesterday during the rally calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza

Police closed off Whitehall near Trafalgar Square as Pro-Palestine protesters gathered after an earlier march ended

A young woman was reportedly holding a hand-drawn placard which read 'stop doing what Hitler did to you' - making a comparison between Israel's strikes on Gaza and the Holocaust perpetuated by the Nazis.

The police also arrested a man on suspicion of inciting racial hatred by carrying a placard with Nazi symbols on it.

Another man was arrested on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation after he was filmed wearing a green headband with Arabic writing, imitating the ones that Hamas wear.

Police posted on X, formerely known as Twitter, to say that when he was stopped by officers, 'multiple headbands' were found on him and he was arrested.

Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote on X yesterday: 'Today, London once again saw scenes of racism against Jews and calls for intifada on our streets.

'Tomorrow, London will be a different city. One of tolerance and decency.'
Palestinian militants in the West Bank said they had killed two men accused of collaborating with Israeli authorities.

Two men were reportedly dragged through the Tulkarem refugee camp at around 9pm on Friday, accompanied by masked gunmen who shouted 'Collaborators, collaborators'.

The gunmen then beat both men and shot them about a dozen times before other people spat and stomped on their bodies, residents said.

The bodies of the two men were reportedly hung up as a warning, underlining growing fears of increased radicalisation as the war in Gaza continues.

Footage shared online, which could not be verified by Reuters press agency, showed two dead bodies hung from a wall and an electricity pylon in front of angry crowds.

Footage shared on social media showed the bodies of two men who were killed two men after being accused of collaborating with Israeli authorities and were reportedly hung up as a warning

Armed Palestinians join mourners during the funeral of seven men killed the previous day in clashes with Israeli forces in Tulkarem on November 15

A Palestinian militant holds a gun during the funeral of six Palestinians killed following an Israeli army operation at the Tulkarem refugee camp on November 22

A Palestinian security officer said a local militant group in the camp, in the northern town of Tulkarem, accused two Palestinians of helping Israeli security forces target the group in a major army raid that killed three key militants on November 6.

The two alleged informers were in their late 20s and early 30s, respectively, and one was from the camp, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

A second Palestinian official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Palestinian security forces were aware of the incident. The public prosecutor's office said it would have details in the coming days about a police investigation into the killings.

The local militant group - affiliated with the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed offshoot of the secular nationalist Fatah party - posted a cryptic statement just after the two men were reported killed. 'We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves,' it said.

The family of one of the accused informers sought to distance itself in a statement Saturday, calling its disgraced relative a 'malicious finger that we have cut off without regret'.

'We affirm our complete innocence,' the family added, 'and we won't allow anyone to blame us for his guilt.'

A Palestinian journalist in the camp, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said residents of the camp beat the corpses after the two were shot and killed by militants in the street.

Videos show hundreds of Palestinians flocking to the entrance of the camp, filming with their phones as men try to hang the mutilated corpses from an electrical tower.

It apparently proved too difficult and residents ended up tossing the bodies over the walls of a UN school in the camp, tying their feet to a chain link fence, the journalist said. They were not taken to the hospital, she said.

Israeli military vehicles are seen in the town of Tulkarem, West Bank, on November 22

Purported confession videos surfaced online from the Tulkarm Brigades Telegram channel supposedly showed the two men describing their recent interactions with Israeli intelligence officials who they said paid them thousands of dollars for information.

Israel's Shin Bet security service did not respond to the Associated Press's request for comment on the killings.

A statement from the Tulkarm Brigades, a group based in the West Bank city of Tulkarm that is associated with the Fatah faction, said there was 'no immunity for any informant or traitor'.

'We are on the lookout for him and we will hold him accountable,' it said, referring to any such person.

The Tulkarm Brigades statement said anyone who had been working with Israeli security services had until December 5 to come forward and repent.

The Independent Commission for Human Rights, a Palestinian rights group, issued a statement criticising extrajudicial killings but said Israeli authorities were responsible for recruiting Palestinian agents.

There was no comment from the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited governance in the West Bank, and no immediate comment from the Israeli security services.

This latest incident provided further signs of the growing tension in the occupied West Bank, which has seen a surge in violence since the start of the Gaza war as Israeli military raids have intensified.

Public execution-style killings of Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel have been rare in recent years but they were more common during the years of the Second Intifada uprising two decades ago.

The West Bank had already been experiencing the highest levels of unrest in decades during the 18 months preceding the attack, but the assault on Israel by Hamas gunmen on October 7 and the subsequent bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces has lifted the pressure to new levels.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers and settlers over the past six weeks and security forces have carried out thousands of arrests, with repeated confrontations between troops and Palestinian protesters.

On Saturday, Israeli forces raided the northern Palestinian town of Qabatiya seeking to arrest militants, sparking a firefight and killing a locally prominent doctor, Shamekh Abu al-Rub, 25, Palestinian health officials said.

Mr Abu al-Rub was the son of Kamal Abu al-Rub, governor of the Palestinian city of Jenin.
Toiry deputy chairman Lee Anderson has claimed he was offered 'a lot of money' to defect to Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

Mr Anderson - dubbed '30p Lee' for his comments on the ability of poor people to economise and cook- reportedly made the claim to Conservative Party members last month.

According to the Sunday Times, which has obtained a recording, Mr Anderson told activists at a 'Lagers with Lee' event in Cambridgeshire: 'Now there is a political party that begins with an R that offered me a lot of money to join them.

'I say a lot of money, I mean a lot of money.'

Reform was formed from Mr Farage's former Brexit Party, and he remains its honorary president - though he has been linked with a return to the Conservatives if it is defeated at the next election.

But current Reform leader Richard Tice denied offering anyone money to defect.

He said he had held talks with Tory 'MPs, ex-ministers and ministers' about defecting, but 'no cash or money has in any way been offered, what has been offered is the chance to change the shape of the debate'.

He suggested Mr Anderson had used the claim as leverage to land his party role earlier this year.

Mr Anderson - dubbed '30p Lee' for his comments on the ability of poor people to economise - reportedly made the claim to Conservative Party members last month.

Reform leader Richard Tice denied offering anyone money to defect. He said he had held talks with Tory 'MPs, ex-ministers and ministers' about defecting, but suggested Mr Anderson had used the claim as leverage to be given his party role earlier this year.

Mr Tice told BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'I'm very happy to confirm that I've had numerous discussions with a number of Tory MPs, ministers, former ministers, who are absolutely furious with the complete betrayal of the Government's promises, furious with the failure to stop the boats, furious with opening the borders to mass immigration.

'Obviously I will keep those discussions completely confidential but let me make it absolutely clear, no cash or money has in any way been offered, what has been offered is the chance to change the shape of the debate.

'What's really happened here is that Lee Anderson has used the threat of defecting to Reform to negotiate himself the deputy chairmanship of the Tory party because this story first appeared almost exactly the same in the time back in February when coincidentally, he was made deputy chairman of the Tory party.'

Mr Anderson has attracted criticism for a range of remarks on everything from food banks to illegal migration.

Earlier this month, after the Supreme Court struck down the Government's landmark Rwanda asylum plan, he suggested ministers should 'ignore the law' and start sending asylum seekers to the east African nation.

But he is a favourite of activists and MPs on the right of the party.

Rishi Sunak earlier used an interview with the Mail on Sunday to warn dissatisfied voters against abandoning the party, amid fears among some Tory MPs about the electoral threat of Reform UK.

'A vote for everyone who is not a Conservative is a vote to put Keir Starmer into office,' Mr Sunak said.

New Treasury minister Laura Trott said that she was not worried about the Reform UK party outflanking the Conservatives from the right.

The Cabinet minister told the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News: 'I'd be very clear that a vote for Reform or any other party which is not Conservative is a vote for Keir Starmer as prime minister.

'But what I would say is one of the reasons it's so important for me to come on shows like yours is for us to communicate as a government what we are doing to stop the boats.'
An Israeli woman who was one of the hostages freed by Hamas thought they were being taken to be executed before they were released.

Adina Moshe, 72, told her family she thought she was being led to her death before she and 12 other hostages were released on Friday after the warring sides signed a Qatari-negotiated, four-day ceasefire.

Her niece Mayan Moshe, 43, told The Times: 'She knew something was happening when the explosions all stopped on Friday and suddenly there was silence.

'Our aunt said when they were moved from the tunnel they were scared  they thought they were being taken to be executed. Only when they saw the Red Cross buses did they realise they were being freed.'

Adina had been kept underground by Hamas terrorists for 50 days before being released and her eyes were still adjusting to sunlight when she spoke to her family. Her nephew Ayat Nouri said: 'They kept up the terror to the end.'

Adina Moshe, 72, told her family she thought she was being led to her death before she and 12 other hostages were released on Friday after the warring sides signed a Qatari-negotiated, four-day ceasefire

Adina Moshe was released by her Hamas captors from Gaza back to Israel on Friday after 50 days spent underground

Pictured: 13 hostages released by Hamas on Friday: (from left to right, top to bottom) Adina Moshe, Margalit Mozes, , Danielle Aloni and her daughter Emilia, Doron Asher and her daughters Raz and Aviv, Chana Katzir, Keren Munder and her son Ohad, Ruth Munder, Yaffa Adar, Chana Perry

On Saturday night, 20 other hostages were released by Hamas during a four-day pause in the conflict. Their release came after a delay of several hours when Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet the terms of the agreement.

One of those whe was released was nince-year-old Emily Hand who was snatched in her pyjamas on October 7, in which some 240 captives were taken back into Gaza. She had her ninth birthday while in captivity.

Emily's capture made headlines around the world after her emotional father, Thomas Hand, 63, initially said he hoped she had died in the October 7 invasion, rather than being in the hands of Hamas.

Since it was revealed she was in fact alive, Mr Hand has been campaigning tirelessly for her freedom.

Mr Hand later revealed she was 'broken' after her ordeal, but still in one piece. He also said he had been too scared to hug her tightly - but vowed to throw her the 'biggest birthday party ever'.

Speaking to the Mirror ahead of his daughter's long-awaited release, a relieved Mr Hand said: 'We have been waiting for far too long for this moment. Every day has been a long and painful living nightmare. my Emily is coming home at last, broken but in one piece.'

After her release, her family added in a statement: 'Emily has come back to us. We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days.

'We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return.

'We will persist in doing everything in our power to bring them back home.

'We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped and supported us during the last 50 days until Emily's return.

'We appreciate the unwavering support as we continue our efforts for the safe return of all.'

Nine-year-old Irish girl Emily Hand has been reunited with her devoted father, who has vowed to mark her latest birthday with the 'biggest party ever

Emily was snatched in her pyjamas during Hamas' invasion of Israel on October 7, in which some 240 captives were taken back into Gaza. She had her ninth birthday while in captivity

Emily is led to safety by gun-toting Hamas militants after 50 days in captivity

Mr Hand earlier told The Mirror of his nerve-shredding wait to hug Emily again and said he would tell her: 'I love you, I love you, I love you.'

He said: 'Emily is so wonderfully sweet and innocent  and I hope and pray that this awful experience will not have taken that away from her.

'I expect she'll be very angry with me to start with because you've been thinking, 'Where is Daddy? Why has Daddy not come to save me?'

'But the great thing is she cannot blame the dog at all  and I'm absolutely sure the dog will get the cuddle first before me.

'She really is a special girl who loves everything in this world  even the big snails that crawl around our kibbutz. Emily used to put them on her arms and hands and stroke them gently.

'I'm sure we'll be able eventually to cure all the physical problems that may be inflicted on her but the things in the mind are gonna take much more time and effort.'

Earlier, at a press conference in London, Mr Hand said he believed she was facing 'sheer terror and panic every hour of every day.'

'She must be saying every day: ''Where's my daddy? Where's my daddy, why isn't be coming to save me?'''

He added: 'I don't know what condition she's gonna be in, but she's gonna be broken, very broken, mentally and physically, and we'll have to fix that.'

Emily was one of 13 Israeli citizens to be freed tonight from terror group Hamas and had her ninth birthday while in captivity

The little girl's father explained her dog is going to be an important part of her recovery and even told the military that Johnsie was a requirement.

He said: 'The dog is so loving and so calm usually he's just the calming influence Emily will need for the next few weeks.'

'I absolutely insisted that the dog must come with me and, to my surprise, the Israeli army has agreed,' he added.

Thomas has been Emily's sole parent after her mother died from cancer when she was just two years old.

Dubliner Thomas travelled to Israel three decades ago to volunteer on a kibbutz near the Gaza border.

He faced an unbearable wait for news about his daughter after Hamas terrorists stormed the kibbutz where she was staying for a sleepover at her friend's home on October 7.

When he was incorrectly told her body had been found, he welcomed the news because he said it was better than her being taken hostage during the barbaric attack on the Be'eri Kibbutz.

At the time he told CNN: 'She was either dead, or in Gaza. And if you know anything about what they do to people in Gaza, that is worse than death.

'They'd have no food. They'd have no water. She'd be in a dark room filled with Christ knows how many people. And terrified every minute, hour, day, and possible years to come. So death was a blessing. An absolute blessing.'

Around three weeks later Emily's family was told she might not be dead.

Her older sister, Natalie, told Israeli media: 'We were told that she had been murdered. We were in mourning.

'On October 31, they told us that it was highly likely that she had been abducted.'

When Natalie was asked whether she had anything she wanted to say to Emily, on the off-chance she could be listening, she said: 'I want to tell you that we are doing everything to get you home. We know you are being held hostage.

'We love you so much and miss you.'

An International Red Cross vehicle carrying hostages released by Hamas driving towards the Rafah Crossing this evening

A Red Cross vehicle, carrying hostages abducted by Hamas militants during the October 7 attack on Israel, arrives at the Rafah border, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel

Emily was among at least 30 children believed to be still held in Gaza.

Irish Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: 'I am delighted that Emily Hind - a bright and beautiful young girl - has been released and will be reunited with her family.

'After weeks of trauma, this is a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family.

'The people of Ireland have been touched by Emily's story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father, Tom.

'I had the opportunity to meet Tom before travelling to the region, and I was struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughter's release.

'This is a message that I and my colleagues in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally, in a bid to secure Emily's safe return.

'I want to acknowledge the role played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved in securing the release of the hostages.

'I am conscious today that many more hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. I reiterate my call that all hostages in Gaza should be released immediately and unconditionally.'

On Saturday night hostages were handed to the Red Cross in exchange for 39 Palestinians. Among the hostages released from both sides were 41 children and 11 women.

On Saturday, Qatari and Egyptian mediators said Hamas agreed to release 13 Israelis and seven 'foreigners' on Saturday in exchange for 39 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

The hostages - six women and seven children - were handed over to the Red Cross and crossed over at the Rafah Crossing on the border between Gaza and Egypt at around 9.30pm. By 10.05pm, the hostages were back on Israeli soil.

Noga and Shiri Weiss pictured as they were released from the Hamas terrorist group

Sharon Avigdori, and her daughter Noam, 12, were also pictured safely returning to their home territory

Hamas finally freed 13 Israeli hostages and seven of other nationalities on Saturday after initially refusing to let them go

Relatives of the hostages set free tonight have celebrated their release.

Adi Shoham's cousin Inbal Tzach, told The Guardian:'Like everyone else we watched our loved ones on their way home. The struggle has not ended. This is the saddest joy and the happiest sadness, but our family is home.

'This is an emotional evening for the families who received their loved ones tonight. We will continue the struggle until everyone comes home.'

Zohar Avigdori, who is the uncle of Noam Avigdori and sister-in-law of Sharon Avigdori, who were also released today, told the paper: 'We are very excited, our legs are shaking and we are impatiently waiting to hug our loved ones, Noam and Sharon.'

The terror group claimed earlier on Saturday that Israel had not complied with the deal's terms and not delivered enough aid to Gaza.

This evening, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said: 'After a delay, obstacles to release of prisoners were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides, and 39 Palestinian civilians will be released tonight, while 13 Israeli hostages will leave Gaza in addition to seven foreigners.'

In a second post, Ansari said the Israelis to be released from Gaza consisted of eight children and five women.

'Those to be released from Israeli prisons comprised 33 children and six women', the spokesman said.

A number of Palestinians were also reportedly injured as a result of gunfire from Israeli forces as they waited for the release of their relatives as part of the exchange agreement near Ofer Prison in Ramallah, West Bank, this evening.

On the first day of the four-day ceasefire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison.

Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.

People participate in a show of solidarity with hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, near the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv

A total of 50 hostages currently held by Hamas are to be released during a four-day truce with Israel, the first such pause in fighting since October 7

Relatives of the Israeli prisoners that have been captive in Gaza Strip by Hamas stage a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel

Irish Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: 'I am delighted that Emily Hind - a bright and beautiful young girl - has been released and will be reunited with her family'

Ruth Munder, a released Israeli hostage, walks with an Israeli soldier shortly after her arrival in Israel on Friday

Hamas has said it was delaying the release of a second group of hostages, claiming that Israel had not complied with the deal's terms and not delivered enough aid to the besieged enclave

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said 196 trucks of aid entered on Friday, and Israel said four fuel trucks and four tanks of gas entered Saturday

The hostages have been handed over to the Red Cross and are on their way to the Rafah Crossing in the Gaza Strip

Tens of thousands of Israelis have amassed in Tel Aviv as the country waits for the return of a second group of hostages

People attend a rally organized by the Bring Them Home Now association to support families of kidnapped people and to call for release of hostages, in Tel Aviv

A total of 50 Israeli hostages are to be freed by Hamas in staggered releases over the four-day truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed - something US President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.

Separately, a Qatari delegation arrived in Israel on Saturday to coordinate with parties on the ground and 'ensure the deal continues to move smoothly', according to a diplomat briefed on the visit.

The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss details with the media.

The start of the pause brought the first quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and levelled residential areas.

This is the emotional moment a father reunited with his wife and two young daughters after they spent 49 days being held captive by Hamas terrorists in Gaza

Aviv Asher, two, her sister Raz, four and mother Doron, step off an Israeli military helicopter

The two girls were holding toys as they held tightly in their parent's arms on the hospital bed, after being checked over by doctors

A pair of female IDF soldiers comfort Raz, four, and Aviv, two, following their release

An Israeli soldier sits with Raz as she sits down to eat shortly after the youngster was freed

Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel went silent.

For the first time in more than a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet.

Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement that Cairo was holding extensive talks with all parties to reach an agreement which would mean 'the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.'

Israel has said the ceasefire could be extended if Hamas continues to release hostages at a rate of at least 10 per day. A Palestinian source has said up to 100 hostages could go free.

Israel and Hamas have said hostilities would resume as soon as the truce ends, although US President Joe Biden said on Friday there was a real chance of extending the truce.
Keeping the Elgin Marbles at the British Museum is artistic vandalism akin to cutting the Mona Lisa in half, the Greek prime minister said today as he appeals for them to be returned to Athens.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis stepped into the row over whether the 2,500-year-old friezes, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures, should be removed from the British Museum.

Greece has long demanded the return of the ancient art, which was removed from the Parthenon 200 years ago when Athens was under Ottoman control.

Last week it was reported that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer would be open to repatriating them if he becomes prime minister at the next election.

Asked where the Parthenon Sculptures would look better, Mr Mitsotakis told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'I think the answer is very clear. They do look better in the Acropolis Museum, a state-of-the-art museum that was built for that purpose.'

He went on to say he would be meeting both Sir Keir and Rishi Sunak in London this week, adding: 'This is not in my mind an ownership question, this is a reunification argument, where can you best appreciate what is essentially one monument?

'I mean, it's as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half, and you will have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum, do you think your viewers would appreciate the beauty of the painting in such a way?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis stepped into the row over whether the 2,500-year-old friezes, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures, should be removed from the British Museum.

Last week it was reported that labour leader Sir Keir Starmer would be open to repatriating them if he becomes prime minister at the next election.

Mr Mitsotakis told the BBC 's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'It's as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half, and you will have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum, do you think your viewers would appreciate the beauty of the painting in such a way?'

Greece has long demanded the return of the ancient art, which was removed from the Parthenon 200 years ago when Greece was under Ottoman control.

'Well, this is exactly what happened with the Parthenon sculptures and that is why we keep lobbying for a deal that would essentially be a partnership between Greece and the British Museum but would allow us to return the sculptures to Greece and have people appreciate them in their original setting.'

The Elgin Marbles were made between 447BC and 432BC and decorated the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens.

Lord Elgin removed about half of the remaining sculptures from the ruins of the Parthenon between 1801 and 1805, before they entered the British Museum.

These have since been the subject of a 200-year-old dispute over ownership between Athens and London.

Greek newspaper Ta Nea has quoted Labour officials as saying Sir Keir is open to 'finding a legal formula that will allow for the eventual return of the Marbles' to Athens.

As reported by The Times, the same sources said Sir Keir will not raise the issue publicly before the general election for fear of dissuading Conservative voters.

But Labour pushed back against the Greek media report and said it had no plans to change legislation which prevents the removal of objects from the British Museum apart from in certain circumstances.

George Osborne , the ex-Tory chancellor who is now chairman of the British Museum's board of trustees, is currently pursuing a deal to temporarily return the Elgin Marbles to Greece.

Since taking on his role at the British Museum, Mr Osborne has clashed with the Government over his exploration of plans for the artefacts to potentially return to Greece as part of a loan or exchange deal.
Meghan Markle phoned Omid Scobie after learning he had been sent threats on social media, the author's new book reveals.

But the Sussexes' 'cheerleader-in-chief' insists he is 'not their friend, and never have been' ahead of the release of his explosive new book Endgame.

Meghan called Scobie in 2018 on her mobile phone to check on his welfare when she was told by a member of her team he had been harassed on social media, reports The Telegraph.

The royal writer insisted in recent weeks ahead of the November 28 release of Endgame he is not 'Meg's pal'. He wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: 'And lets get this nonsense out the way - #ENDGAME is about the current state of the British Royal Family.

'Its not "Harry and Meghans book", Im not "Megs pal", the Sussexes have nothing to do with it, their story is a small part of a much bigger one you can read in 12 days.'

Meghan Markle is said to have called royal biographer Omid Scobie in 2018 to check on his welfare after he received threats on social media

Omid Scobie insists he is not 'Meg's pal' while in a recent interview with Paris Match he said he's not the Sussexes friend and 'never have been'

While in an interview with Paris Match he added: 'I am not their friend and never have been.'

Meghan and Harry's favoured reporter has been friendly with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and co-wrote their 2020 biography Finding Freedom.

Sussex insiders have recently indicated to MailOnline Harry and Meghan had nothing to do with Scobie's latest release amid a series of extracts being released from the book which casts cruel jibes at almost every member of the Royals.

Omid Scobie's claims from his new book, Endgame William ignored Harry when he asked how he was planning to get to Scotland;

Eventually, he booked a 30,000 charter flight to Aberdeenshire from Luton;

Charles told him to come without Meghan. Source claims she 'wasn't wanted';

Harry had 'no idea' about what was going on in Balmoral when his plane took off;

But 'sources' briefed newspapers that Charles had personally informed son;

William believes Harry has been 'brainwashed by an army of therapists'. Advertisement

Scobie admits in Endgame it 'will burn my bridges for good' as he vows to 'tell the full story' having 'in the past I, like others, have held back on revealing some of the darker truths at the heart of the institution of the British monarchy'.

Today, King Charles was branded a 'pampered' royal by Scobie in an extract leaked to The Sun.

He alleges His Majesty has his shoelaces ironed for him and insists on travelling with luxurious perfectly steamed 1,000-thread-count bed linen.

In another snide attack Scobie says Charles likes to have someone squeeze one inch of toothpaste onto his toothbrush for him as part as his bedtime routine.

An extract from the 42-year-old's new book Endgame published in The Sun reads: 'When laces get even the smallest bit threadbare, a staff member must quickly switch them out with a fresh, ironed pair.

'There is even a rumour (one that, surprisingly, sources have confirmed) that Charles likes to have someone squeeze exactly one inch of toothpaste on to his toothbrush for him ahead of his bedtime routine.'

Excerpts of Scobie's book have been shared with People in the US, including claims that Harry 'remained in the dark' about the Queen's health in her final moments.

It also alleges that it was Meghan who urged Harry to answer his phone when Charles called him on an 'unknown number' to reveal that the Queen was close to death, before also asking that Meghan should stay away from Balmoral.

Sussex insiders have been clear that the couple have not helped Omid Scobie write Endgame

King Charles attends the Sunday service at St. Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham today

In an excerpt of his latest book, Endgame, he also alleges that that Prince Harry was 'kept in the dark' about the Queen's health in the hours before she died

Mr Scobie claims that Prince William feels that he has 'lost Harry and doesn't want to know this version of him'

Royal courtiers are said to be furious over the claims made by Harry and Meghan's biographer Scobie, who alleges that the Prince of Wales ignored the Duke of Sussex 's calls as he raced to be at the bedside of the Queen (pictured) in Scotland in September last year

Scobie writes: 'Charles had cited 'protocol,' but the reality was that Kate chose to stay back to pick up the children from their first day at a new school. 'They just didn't want Meghan there,' said a former Palace aide. Meghan, a friend added, 'could sense she wasn't wanted'.'

The book also claims Prince William ignored Harry's texts, forcing him to charter his own plane. 'William clearly didn't want to see his brother', Endgame says.

Scobie's decision to piggyback the release of his new book on the King's 75th birthday and the sixth and final series of The Crown was branded 'deplorable' today.

Royal journalist and author Phil Dampier previously told MailOnline: 'We all know that Scobie is their mouthpiece and he gets his information directly or indirectly from the Sussexes, so anything which is hurtful to Charles, Camilla or William and Kate, will just make things much worse.

'Let's put it this way - I can't see Harry and Meghan coming over for a family Christmas.'

He added: 'The King has always left the door open for his son and will continue to do so. But in reality if there are more serious allegations in Scobie's book it will set back any chance of a reconciliation'.

Royal courtiers are said to be furious over the claims made by Harry and Meghan's biographer Scobie, who alleges that the Prince William ignored the Duke of Sussex's calls as he raced to be at the Queen's bedside in Scotland in September last year.
Freed hostage Emily Hand was at the centre of a diplomatic bust up between Israel and Ireland just hours after being reunited with her father.

The row started after Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, on Emily's release along with 12 other hostages on day two of the ceasefire.

She was pictured running excitedly into the hands of her delighted father Tom Hand, after the two were reunited at a hospital near Tel Aviv in the early hours of Sunday morning.

As the two met, Mr Varadkar wrote: 'This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily hand and her family.

'An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.'

Freed hostage Emily Hand was at the centre of a diplomatic bust up between Israel and Ireland just hours after being reunited with her father (pictured together)

The row started after Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (pictured) posted a message on X, formerly Twitter , on Emily's release along with 12 other hostages on day two of the ceasefire

Mr Varadkar wrote:' This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.'

The message prompted furious response from Eli Cohen, Israel's Foreign Minister, who said:' Mr Prime Minister. Emily Hand is not lost, maybe you have lost your moral compass and connection to reality.

'Emily Hand was kidnapped by a terrorist organisation worse than ISIS after her stepmother was murdered.

'Emily and over 30 other Israeli children were kidnapped by Hamas, and you are trying to legitimatise it. Shame on you !'

As the row escalated Ireland's ambassador to Israel Sonya McGuinness was summoned to the Foreign Ministry for an explanation.

Mr Cohen said:'Following the outrageous words of the Prime Minister of Ireland about the release of Emily Hand, who was kidnapped to Gaza by the terrorist organisation Hamas, I summoned the Irish ambassador to Israel for a reprimand.'

While the Ireland Israel Alliance labelled the post as 'very embarrassing' and urged Mr Varadkar tissue a follow up message.

Meanwhile Emily was said to be recovering well from her nightmare ordeal with her father Tom, and step siblings Natali and Aiden.

She was snatched from a kibbutz at Be'eri  visited by Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron last week  along with at least 40 other people on October 7.

The message prompted furious response from Eli Cohen (pictured), Israel's Foreign Minister, who said:' Mr Prime Minister. Emily Hand is not lost, maybe you have lost your moral compass and connection to reality.

Emily was one of 13 Israeli citizens to be freed yesterday from terror group Hamas and had her ninth birthday while in captivity

She was snatched in her pyjamas during Hamas' invasion of Israel on October 7, in which some 240 captives were taken back into Gaza

Emily is led to safety by gun-toting Hamas militants after 50 days in captivity

Dozens were killed there by Hamas terrorists who invaded southern Israel and left more than 1,200 people dead in their wake,

Emily celebrated her ninth birthday while being held in Gaza and was at a sleepover with her friend Hila when she was snatched .

Hila and her mother Rava Rotem were also taken and although Hila was released Hamas reneged on letting her mother go and she is still being held.

In a statement the Hand family said:' We remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return.

'We will persist in doing everything in our power to bring them back home,'

As well as 13 Israeli hostages, four other foreign nationals were released and the aim is for 50 to be released before the end of the 96 hour ceasefire on Monday.

Two Britons are still being held according to Israeli officials and the hostages will be swapped for 300 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.
Family members of Israeli hostages have described how their relatives ate rice and pita and slept on plastic seats after being abducted by Hamas.

Hostages who were returned to Israel and reunited with their families on Friday night told their loved ones of how they were treated.

Keren Munder, her son and her grandmother were among those released after they were abducted from their relatives' home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Ms Munder told her cousin that the hostages mostly ate rice and pita and slept on rows of plastic seats - like the ones used in waiting rooms.

She also said they would knock on the door when they needed the bathroom, but sometimes had to wait an hour and a half before they could go.

Merav Raviv, cousin of Keren, said her aunt Ruthie and Keren's son Ohad were also taken, but their elderly uncle Avraham was taken separately.

Keren Munder, her son and her grandmother were among those released after they were abducted from their relatives' home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Pictured: Keren and her son Ohad

Avi Zichri with his partner, Keren Munder, and their son, Ohad Munder-Zichri, on Sept. 1, 2023

The kidnapped family believed their frail uncle was murdered until Ms Raviv told them he had been taken hostage - but Keren's brother Roi had been killed, she said.

Mr Munder is not in good health, walks with a cane and has bad eyesight.

He was left behind by Hamas in the house as his wife, daughter and grandson were abducted.

Along with the Munder family, 85-year-old Taffa Adar was also returned.

Her granddaughter Adva told The Times of Israel she is an 'amazing and tough woman'.

She added: 'She knows what happened to her home, that it was destroyed. Usually when you're in your 80s you have your house, your memories, your photo albums, and she has nothing. In her old age, she needs to start over and that's tough.

'I'm so proud to be her granddaughter. I'm looking at her and the way she survived this and the strength she's showing ,and the way she was able to still hold hope to be returned.'

Emily was one of 13 Israeli citizens to be freed tonight from terror group Hamas and had her ninth birthday while in captivity. Pictured: Emily Hand near Kibbutz Be'eri, Israel

Emily ws led to safety and reunited with her father after 50 days in captivity

Nine-year-old Emily Hand was finally reunited with her father on Saturday after 50 days as a hostage of Hamas.

The girl, who was initially feared to have been murdered by Hamas gunmen during their invasion of Israel, was filmed running into her father's arms.

Emily was snatched in her pyjamas on October 7, in which some 240 captives were taken back into Gaza. She had her ninth birthday while in captivity.

On Saturday night, she joined 20 other hostages who were released by Hamas during a four-day pause in the conflict. Her release came after a delay of several hours when Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet the terms of the agreement.

Emily's capture made headlines around the world after her emotional father, Thomas Hand, 63, initially said he hoped she had died in the October 7 invasion, rather than being in the hands of Hamas.

Since it was revealed she was in fact alive, Mr Hand has been campaigning tirelessly for her freedom.

Mr Hand later revealed she was 'broken' after her ordeal, but still in one piece. He also said he had been too scared to hug her tightly - but vowed to throw her the 'biggest birthday party ever'.

Speaking to the Mirror ahead of his daughter's long-awaited release, a relieved Mr Hand said: 'We have been waiting for far too long for this moment. Every day has been a long and painful living nightmare. my Emily is coming home at last, broken but in one piece.'

After her release, her family added in a statement: 'Emily has come back to us. We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days.

'We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return.

'We will persist in doing everything in our power to bring them back home.

'We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped and supported us during the last 50 days until Emily's return.

'We appreciate the unwavering support as we continue our efforts for the safe return of all.'

This is the emotional moment a father reunited with his wife and two young daughters after they were released following being held captive by Hamas terrorists in Gaza

A pair of female IDF soldiers comfort Raz, four, and Aviv, two, following their release

Aviv Asher, two, her sister Raz, four and mother Doron, step off an Israeli helicopter

Sharon Avigdori, and her daughter Noam, 12, were pictured safely returning

Two relatives embrace after 39 Palestinians are released as part of the prisoner swap

People participate in a show of solidarity with hostages being held in the Gaza Strip

Noam, 17, and Alma Or, 13, the siblings who were cruelly taken hostage after the group of terrorists killed their mother, Yonat, were also returned.

Sadly, their father, who was also captured on October 7 by Hamas, has not been freed along with them.

Adina Moshe, 72, told her family she thought she was being led to her death before she and 12 other hostages were released on Friday after the warring sides signed a Qatari-negotiated, four-day ceasefire.

Her niece Mayan Moshe, 43, told The Times: 'She knew something was happening when the explosions all stopped on Friday and suddenly there was silence.

'Our aunt said when they were moved from the tunnel they were scared  they thought they were being taken to be executed. Only when they saw the Red Cross buses did they realise they were being freed.'

Adina Moshe, 72, told her family she thought she was being led to her death before she and 12 other hostages were released on Friday after the warring sides signed a four-day ceasefire

Adina Moshe was released by her Hamas captors from Gaza back to Israel on Friday

Adina had been kept underground by Hamas terrorists for 50 days before being released and her eyes were still adjusting to sunlight when she spoke to her family.

Her nephew Ayat Nouri said: 'They kept up the terror to the end.'

Sharon Avigdori, 52, a drama therapist who works with people on the autism spectrum, and her daughter Noam Avigdori, 12, who was about to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah Both were captured from Kibbutz Be'eri.

Hila Rotem, 13, who managed to escape from her home in Be'eri but was later found in the bushes and taken to Gaza, has also been freed - but her mother is still in captivity.

The release of hostages came as part of a temporary ceasefire deal put in place by Qatar and the United States between Hamas and Israel.
Four men were arrested last night over the deaths of two migrants who died in an attempted Channel crossing on a small boat.

French police swooped in and arrested two Iraqis and two Sudanese men on suspicion of involuntary murder, endangering lives, assistance in illegal entry and being involved in an organised crime gang.

Detectives grabbed them at a location where they are believed to have been staying since the tragedy on Wednesday, November 22, in which two people died.

Fifty-seven people were rescued by boat and taken to safety in the French town of Boulogne-sur-Mer while another was airlifted to safety.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dungeness, Kent, by RNLI lifeboat following a small boat incident in the Channel, on November 22, 2023

Up to 60 people were believed to be travelling on the craft when it sank on the way to Britain

An emergency worker guides a person thought to be a migrant to safety after being brought to shore in Kent

People believed to be migrants stand clutching life jackets after being brought ashore to the UK

The identity of the two dead has not yet been established and an autopsy is yet to take place.

Patrick Leleu, deputy prosecutor of the Boulogne public prosecutors office said: 'A judicial investigation is open for assistance in illegal entry and stay in an organised gang, involuntary homicide, involuntary injuries and endangering the lives of others.

'These people are clearly blamed for these two deaths.'

Sources say detectives analysed mobile phone call data after the tragedy to establish links with the organised crime gang and find those responsible.

One said: 'A painstaking investigation will now continue to see if more people are responsible and how the boat was transported.

'No stone will be left unturned. There are likely to be more people involved.

'Work is also ongoing to establish the identities of the victims in the case.'

The two people who died were aged somewhere around 30, but it was not known where they came from.

Officers watched the craft, carrying 60 people, leave from a beach on the coast of northern France on Wednesday morning.

But within two hours the massively overcrowded craft capsized.

Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor Guirec Le Bras said the boat was among several to leave a beach near the French port on Wednesday morning, despite the presence of paramilitary gendarmes.

A person on a stretcher is brought to safety by emergency workers following the capsizing of the boat

A group of migrants brought in by RNLI Dungeness Lifeboat on November 22, 2023

More than 27,060 people have entered Britain on small boats since the start of 2023, despite regular claims of government action (file photo)

A French investigating source said: 'Several boats left beaches around the town of Neufchatel-Hardelot on Wednesday.

'Police were watching them, but were reluctant to intervene when they were in the water. Soon afterwards, one of the boats capsized, flinging everyone into the sea.'

Many of those rescued were suffering from hypothermia, having spent time in the water.

Olivier Ternisien, head of the Osmose 62 group that helps would-be migrants in the Boulogne region, told the AFP news agency that people trying to get to Britain were taking bigger risks with the deteriorating weather.

The deaths last Wednesday came almost two years to the day since Britain's deadliest migrant boat incident which saw at least 27 people die, including a pregnant woman and three children.
Four senior Hamas chiefs including a high-ranking military leader in charge of northern Gaza have been killed in the war with Israel, it was claimed today.

The terror group announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, without providing further details.

He was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of Hamas' top military council, and is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting.

Al-Ghandour, believed to have been around 56 years old, had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life, and helped plan a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

Hamas said he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas' rocket-firing unit.

The terror group announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, without providing further details

The Israeli military had mentioned both men in a statement on November 16, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding and accusing the group of concealing their deaths.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence, including several mid-ranking commanders it has identified by name.

It comes as the tense cease-fire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be back on track early this morning after the release of a second group of militant-held hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons, but the swap followed an hours-long delay that underscored the truce's fragility.

The exchange was delayed Saturday evening after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, which has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades, vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip, and a hostage crisis that has shaken Israel.

Qatar and Egypt, which mediate with Hamas, announced late Saturday that the obstacles to the exchange had been overcome. The militants released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv late Saturday to call for the release of all the estimated 240 people captured by Hamas in its Oct. 7 rampage across southern Israel, which ignited the war.

They accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not doing enough to bring them back.

Pictured: 13 hostages released by Hamas on Friday: (from left to right, top to bottom) Adina Moshe, Margalit Mozes, , Danielle Aloni and her daughter Emilia, Doron Asher and her daughters Raz and Aviv, Chana Katzir, Keren Munder and her son Ohad, Ruth Munder, Yaffa Adar, Chana Perry

Nine-year-old Irish girl Emily Hand has been reunited with her devoted father, who has vowed to mark her latest birthday with the 'biggest party ever

Pressure from the hostages' families has sharpened the dilemma facing the country's leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while returning all the captives.

The war has already claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack.

More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

The four-day cease-fire, which began Friday, was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends.

Israel said early Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day, in the third of four scheduled swaps.
She was kidnapped when militants stormed her kibbutz and gunned down her parents

The little girl celebrated her fourth birthday in captivity

Abigail Mor Edan was released today , marking the first American to be set free since the Hamas-Israel truce began

Abigail Mor Edan, a 4-year-old American-Israeli citizen, has been released by Hamas, marking the first time U.S. citizens have been set free since the truce with Israel began.

Edan is one of 17 hostages released Sunday, 49 days after the war broke out and militants stormed her kibbutz in southern Israel.

Fighters gunned down her parents, Roy Edan, 43 and Smadar Edan, 40, in the attack.

The girl's siblings, aged 10 and six, survived after hiding out for hours in the family home.

Edan, who celebrated her fourth birthday in captivity, is now in the hands of Red Cross officials. President Joe Biden said, after her release, that what the youngster has endured is 'unthinkable' and that she has suffered a 'terrible trauma'

Biden added: 'I wish I were there to hold her.

'Today she's free, and Jilly and I, together with so many Americans, are praying for the fact that she is going to be alright.'

Edan celebrated her fourth birthday in captivity on November 24

The little girl's parents, 43-year-old Roy Edan and 40-year-old Smadar Edan, were gunned down when Hamas militants stormed their kibbutz in southern Israel

The four-year-old was taken and her two young siblings survived after hiding out for hours in the family home

President Biden made a statement about Abigail's release from Nantucket Sunday afternoon, saying the youngster had endured a terrible 'trauma' and 'unspeakable' heartbreak

The terror group has been keeping captives since its October 7 surprise attack on Israel that left more than 1,200 Israelis dead. Over 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli counteroffensive.

State Department officials have yet to release the names of the other American hostages. A total of 10 Americans are currently unaccounted for.

Of the 17 hostages released Sunday, 14 were Israeli, while three were foreign citizens.

Appearing on ABCs 'This Week,' National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said two women, one child and seven men were confirmed to have been taken by Hamas.

'All of these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal, and this is the beginning of a long journey of healing for them,' Biden said in an address from Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he was celebrating Thanksgiving.

Earlier that day, the president was briefed multiple times by his national security team on the latest developments regarding the hostage release from Gaza.

'This morning I've been engaged with my team as we begin the first difficult days of implementing this deal,' Biden said. 'It's only a start but so far it's gone well.'

He noted how the first group of hostages included 'an elderly woman, a grandmother and mothers with their young children, some under the age of six years old.'

Four-year-old Abigail Mor Edan was released Sunday after 49 days in captivity

Hostages were set free over Friday and Saturday, but Sunday marked the first time an o Americans was released

A four-day truce began after 48 days of fighting that claimed thousands of lives. The most recent group to be released included 13 Israelis

Judith and Natalie Raanan, who have dual American-Israeli citizenship, were let go last month

'All of these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal, and this is the beginning of a long journey of healing for them,' President Joe Biden said Friday

On Saturday, a disagreement over the delivery of aid to Gaza delayed the release of captives by several hours.

The Al-Qassam Brigades militant wing accused Israel of violating the agreed terms and demanded Israel commit to allowing aid trucks to enter northern Gaza for the first time in over a month.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of the 2.3 million people living in Gaza have been displaced by the war.

So far, 58 captives have been freed in the first three days of the truce, including several children.

Thirteen Israeli civilians were let go along with 11 foreign nationals on Friday, followed by another 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals on Saturday.

This number does not include those released before the truce began. Two Americans, an Illinois mother and daughter, were freed last month.

Judith and Natalie Raanan, who have dual American-Israeli citizenship, were kidnapped from Nahal Oz together.

They were handed over to the Red Cross on October 20 before the organization passed them off to Israel.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked his government to accept a deal for Hamas to free hostages in exchange for a multi-day truce.

A U.S. official said the deal would include 50 hostages taken from Israel, mostly women and children, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

It took effect Friday, a day later than planned, and saw the adversaries agree to a four-day halt in the fighting. The deal was brokered by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt.
Over three hundred migrants have been crashing at the San Diego International Airport as the border city has been hit with a surge of crossers.

Overnight stays by migrants have become common at the airport, but in recent weeks the number has drastically risen.

On Thursday, a bus dropped off dozens of immigrants at Terminal two, Fox 5 reported.

Some of them reportedly arrived several hours or days before their scheduled flights, as local organizations have said that they believe that the people were transported there after being processed by Border Patrol.

Volunteer Roni Elias from a mutual-aid group called We all We Got SD said: 'Our biggest concern is all the children that are there and the vulnerable populations that are sleeping there.'

Over 300 migrants have been camping out at the San Diego International Airport in recent weeks

A volunteer is seen giving out provisions to migrants at the US-Mexico border in San Diego, California

Elias frequently checks out the airport to hand-deliver meals, hygiene products and water to the migrants.

She said that her organization typically brings 50 sandwiches and meal packs for people, but she knew that wasn't even close to enough when she counted 308 people sleeping over last week.

Many of the migrants can be seen sitting on the airport floors as they eat and go on to continue their journeys to visit friends and family members across the country.

In a statement to San Diego Union-Tribune, the San Diego Airport said: 'Since late last year, San Diego International Airport has experienced a significant increase in the number of migrants using the airport to proceed to their next destination.'

'We have and will continue to coordinate with migrant-serving volunteer groups and nonprofit organizations as they help their clients navigate the airport.'

US Customs and Border Encounters recorded a 67.3 percent increase in migrants from last year, as the number rose from 17,875 to 29,904 this year.

'It's really heartbreaking to walk away and know that they're going to be sleeping on the floor,' Elias told Fox 5.

In October, an unprecedented number of Indian immigrants entered the US through its southern border and new federal statistics have revealed that 42,000 were intercepted in the past year alone.

An additional 1,600 other migrants crossed over the northern border as the rising phenomenon has hit four times the amount of the past three years combined.

Migrants from Texas are seen charging their phones after they were dropped off a train station in San Diego on October 10

The Biden administration has designated $1.6billion of its approximate $14billion border proposal to go toward hiring 1,600 new asylum officers

Nearly all of the Indian migrants went on to turn to themselves into Border Patrol, who then processed them as asylum-seekers due to recent unrest surrounding India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

In recent times, the US border with Canada has seen a 550 percent increase in migrant apprehensions, and 6,000 crossers from 79 countries were nabbed.

Chief Border Patrol Agent, Robert Garcia said most of the migrants come from Mexico, India, Venezuela, Haiti and Romania.

The northern border spans over 5,000 miles long and has just 115 ports of entry, meaning massive areas of it are understaffed, officials say.

Nearly two-thirds of the southbound migrants arrested by U.S. border agents in the Swanton Sector are from Mexico, according to CBP numbers.

The surge in migrants, meanwhile, underscores the scale of the humanitarian crisis at the border, and the political challenge it presents for President Joe Biden as he seeks re-election in 2024.

In October, an unprecedented number of Indian immigrants entered the US through its southern border

President Joe Biden has insisted that any long-term solution for the US migrant crisis will require help from Congress

His administration has also gone on to propose approximately $14billion for the border in a $106 billion spending package that was announced last month.

Biden has insisted that any long-term solution for the US migrant crisis will require help from Congress.

The proposal also included $1.6billion to go toward the hiring of 1,600 new asylum officers and processing personnel, which is expected to double the number of people working on asylum cases.

Organizations like Elias's are composing plans to make the travel process more efficient so the influx of people don't have to stay overnight at the airport to wait for their upcoming flights.
?? Compartimos el Comunicado Conjunto adoptado en la Reunion de Cancilleres del Peru y del Ecuador

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Maureen Lipman has praised the 'amazing turnout' at Sunday's March Against Antisemitism which saw more than 100,000 people gather in central London to condemn hatred against the Jewish people.

The Educating Rita star said there has been a 'terrible reckoning' against Jews since the horrific Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7 and the outbreak of violence in the region which has in turn seen anti-Semitic hate crimes rise in Britain.

She was joined by other famous faces, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Countdown's Rachel Riley, actor Eddie Marsan and broadcaster Vanessa Feltz at the march, with demonstrators keen to prove 'love is stronger than hate'.

The gargantuan turnout meant it was the largest protest against anti-Semitism since the rise of the famous Battle of Cable Street in 1936, when Nazism and Fascism was on the rise across Europe.

On that occasion hundreds of thousands of people rallied against a march by Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists after it planned to march through an area of the capital which was home to many Jewish families.

Today demonstrators, who gathered at the Royal Courts of Justice before marching through central London, to demonstrate their support for Jewish people amid a shocking rise in reports of anti-Semitic hate crimes in the last month. Police said one person was arrested at Sunday's march about being heard 'making antisemitic comments'.

It also came after 18 demonstrators were arrested in the capital yesterday during a rally calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza - with anti-Semitic banners and placards on display throughout the march.

Meanwhile Rishi Sunak condemned anti-Semitism 'in all its forms', saying it is 'not acceptable in our society'. It came after Elon Musk, who had a site-down chat with the Prime Minister at his AI summit, sparked an outcry this week with his own tweets responding to a user who accused Jews of hating white people and professing indifference to antisemitism.

Maureen Lipman (right) said the turnout for the march was 'amazing'. She is pictured here next to Coundown's Rachel Riley (centre) and actor Eddie Marsan (left)

Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and baby Frank joined the thousands of demonstrators gathered in central London today to rally against anti-Semitism

Mr Johnson, 59, appeared bundled up against the biting temperatures in a woolly hat, while 35-year-old Carrie held their child together in a baby carrier

Baby Frank Alfred Odysseus is the youngest at four months old, while Wilfred is three, and Romy is one

The former Prime Minister was also joined by his sister Rachel in the march organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which began by the Royal Courts of Justice

After the march Mr Johnson met up with Nadine Dorries. It was unclear if she was at the march

A large group gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice for the rally

Ms Lipman, who is Jewish, told MailOnline today that it was an 'amazing turnout'.

She said: 'It's great to come and show support. We don't want to be here for why we are here, but we have to be here.

'As the Jewish community, we're in shock. There has been a terrible reckoning, it has frightened all of us.

'We're in total shock still. David Baddiel is right, Jews don't count. That's why we have to march.'

Mr Johnson, 59, appeared bundled up against the biting temperatures in a woolly hat, while 35-year-old Carrie held their youngest child together in a baby carrier.

Baby Frank Alfred Odysseus is the youngest at four months old, while Wilfred is three, and Romy is one.

Speaking to GB News at the rally, Mr Johnson said: 'It's very sad that this march has to take place at all. What we're all doing here is showing solidarity with Jewish people, and that is necessary.

'Since October 7, there has been a very peculiar response from many parts of the world including, I'm sad to say, in London. What we've seen is the re-emergence of anti-Semitism and the failure to focus on the appalling terroristic events of Hamas.

'Whatever the rights and wrongs of what Israel has done, or is doing, I think that the antisemitism we have seen in some of the marches around Europe has really confirmed for me the absolutely human necessity for Israel to exist.

'It's kind of like an old spore of a virus that lurks beneath the floorboards of Western civilisation, our collective memory, and it comes out from time to time.

'It's perennial, it won't go away, and it flares up again. We're seeing a flare up, and we need to call it out.'

Those at the rally are holding Israeli and Union Jack flags and holding placards calling for 'Zero tolerance for AntiSemites'.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'Week after week, central London has become a no-go zone for Jews.

'We have witnessed mass criminality, including glorification of terrorism, support for banned terrorist organisations such as Hamas, and incitement to racial or religious hatred against Jews.'

They added: 'The sad truth is that Jews do not feel safe in our capital city.

Hundreds gathered in Whitehall for the National March Against Anti-Semitism on Sunday

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'Week after week, central London has become a no-go zone for Jews

Along with Mr Johnson, other famous names joined in to show their support - with Countdown's Rachel Riley, Eastenders star Tracy-Ann Oberman spotted

Robert Rinder and Tracey-Ann Oberman take part in a march against antisemitism

Vanessa Feltz interviewing a person taking part in the march

Gideon Falter, the chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, has condemned 'appalling' signs seen at pro-Palestinian marches.

Addressing Sunday's march at Parliament Square, he said: 'Since October 7, antisemitic crime has surged in this country by over 1,000 per cent.

'Demonstrations marched through our cities, marched through our capital where people glorify terrorism, where people incite racism against Jews.

'And indeed, as we saw yesterday, yet again, carrying placards showing a Star of David thrown in the bin with a caption that says 'please keep the world clean', messaging that would not have been out of place in 1930s Germany, it is appalling.

READ MORE HERE - Thousands will march through central London today in protest organised by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism - after 18 demonstrators were arrested during rally calling for Gaza ceasefire Advertisement

'And according to data the Campaign Against Antisemitism is releasing today 69 per cent of British Jews now feel that they need to consider hiding their identity in public, 60 per cent of British Jews have either personally witnessed an antisemitic incident or have friends who have, and a staggering and chilling 90 per cent say that they avoid the centre of town when the anti-Israel demonstrations are going on.'

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: 'Antisemitism is a stain on our country, it is moral decay. Enough is enough.'

Jewish office manager Ryan Coleman, 55, has attended to support Israel.

He said: 'The right against anti-Semitism is real. I have friends who have been abused in the street purely for being Jewish.

'This is against hate. This is about being part of society in a peaceful way. I think it's going to send out a very strong message.'

There were two arrests during Sunday's march against antisemitism, the Metropolitan Police said.

The force said in a statement: 'The March Against Antisemitism has concluded.

'As the crowds left along Whitehall a man was heard to make antisemitic comments. He was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.

'In total there were two arrests during today's operation.'

Yesterday thousands of pro-Palestine protesters flooded the streets of Central London shouting a 'from the river to the sea' chant - with children as young as five joining in.

Anti-Semitic banners and placards were on display as Met Police officers made arrests - after issuing a hate speech warning which saw Arabic-speaking officers deployed to watch for offensive chants and images in the crowd.

'From the river to the sea' is considered to be highly inflammatory and some claim it's a call for Israel to not exist with signs at the protest displaying the same phrase.

Police distributed leaflets at the protest to warn attendees about what language and behaviour will not be tolerated - but one protester said 'the leaflet from the police is a waste of time. I don't know anybody who has read it or took the slightest bit of notice'.

Tens of thousands of people join the National March Against Anti-Semitism in central London

A protester holds a placard that says 'Spread Hummus Not Hate' at the march against anti-Semitism in Westminster

A demonstrator speaks into a microphone while waving an Israeli flag at Sunday's march

A boy drapes an Israeli flag around his shoulders as he attends the march against anti-Semitism

Demonstrators hold a banner which says 'Bring Them Home Now!', a reference to the hostages taken by Hamas during the terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7

A young woman was reportedly holding a hand-drawn placard which read 'stop doing what Hitler did to you' - making a comparison between Israel's strikes on Gaza and the Holocaust perpetuated by the Nazis.

The police also arrested a man on suspicion of inciting racial hatred by carrying a placard with Nazi symbols on it.

READ MORE HERE - Tommy Robinson is arrested and escorted by more than a dozen police from Campaign Against Antisemitism march after he was told to stay away by organisers - as thousands gather in central London waving Israeli flags and holding 'Hamas made me Jewish' Advertisement

Another man was arrested on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation after he was filmed wearing a green headband with Arabic writing, imitating the ones that Hamas wear.

Police posted on X to say that when he was stopped by officers, 'multiple headbands' were found on him and he was arrested.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has said British Jews 'will not be intimidated' by antisemitism.

Speaking at Sunday's march in Parliament Square he said: 'Since October 7 we have witnessed here in the UK an alarming rise of antisemitism, but we will not be intimidated.

'We call for a strengthening of community cohesion and we will forever be proud to champion the finest of British values.

'So with regard to the poisonous spread of antisemitism, what should the response of the British people be?

'Number one, call it out when you see it. Number two, call it by what it really is - Jew hatred.

'Number three, be vigilant and report every incident. Number four, we must arrest every single perpetrator and bring every single one of them to justice.

'Number five, we must teach our children that the superheroes of our society are those who pursue peace and loving kindness, and not those who glorify violence and murder, and we must teach people that they must draw their conclusions from historical facts and not from what they see and hear on social media.'

Countdown star Rachel Riley called on people to 'get serious' about tackling antisemitism.

Speaking in Parliament Square she said: 'We've learned from history the sharp price to be paid when good people stay silent and I'm grateful to each and every one of you here today for refusing to be bystanders.

'We're going to have to get serious about fighting this now if we want to turn things around.

'We're going to start having to have tough conversations. We're going to have to stand up to the mob and we're going to need strong stomachs.

'But together I believe we can and we will.'

Marchers at the rally against anti-Semitism were seen walking through central London on the cold Sunday

An elderly lady with an Israeli flag draped over her shoulders stands outside the Houses of Parliament

Rallygoers hold a sign that says 'United Against AntiSemitism' at the demonstration today

Marchers hold placards calling for an end to anti-Semitism and wave Israeli flags at the demonstration

Actor Eddie Marsan questioned why some people did not condemn Hamas after its attack on Israel.

Rishi Sunak condemns anti-Semitism Rishi Sunak has condemned antisemitism 'in all its forms', but stopped short of specifically criticising Elon Musk. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, the Prime Minister was asked if he wanted to follow the White House and criticise Mr Musk. Mr Musk sparked an outcry this week with his own tweets responding to a user who accused Jews of hating white people and professing indifference to antisemitism. The billionaire, had a sit-down chat with Mr Sunak at his AI summit, has faced accusations of tolerating antisemitic messages on Twitter since buying it last year. Mr Sunak told the channel: 'I don't tend to get in the business of scrutinising what every single person says who I've interacted with, of course I abhor antisemitism. And as you said, we've been unequivocal from the start of this situation that that is not acceptable in our society. 'And we've been very firm about that. I've personally been very firm about that. It's very sad what is happening. But pressed again, he said: 'I condemn all antisemitism, right. It's not about any one particular personality. 'I condemn antisemitism in all its forms. It doesn't matter whether you're Elon Musk or you're someone on the street who's shouting abuse at someone who happens to be walking past, that's wrong in all its forms. Antisemitism in all its forms is completely and utterly wrong.' Advertisement

Mr Marsan, who is not religious, said: 'Following the events of October 7 there were those who rushed to condemn the destruction of Gaza and the loss of innocent life, which is completely right.

'But there were many who were hesitant to acknowledge or condemn the actions of Hamas against Israel and to call for the hostages to be released.

'And when I saw this I asked a Jewish friend of mine in the film business 'why can't they do both?'

'And they said 'it's because they're afraid, because they're afraid of the backlash'.'

He also called for moderate people to 'face down extremism and bigotry'.

'Fundamentalists always scream loud to drown out the voice of reasonable people, moderate people,' he said.

'Well in my experience people aren't moderate because they're turning a blind eye to injustice, people are moderate because they can see both sides of the debate, both sides of an argument, and they can sense the greater truth.

'But I think now it's time for moderate people in this country to stand up and face down extremism and bigotry and antisemitism and Islamophobia and all forms of racism.

'So I'm here today to defend my culture, my culture is diversity and I'm proud of my culture.

'And I'm also here to stand in solidarity with my Jewish friends, the people I grew up with, the people I went to school with, the people I work with, and I tell you all you are not alone.'

Former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman told marchers: 'We're seeing a frightening and swift rise in antisemitism, Jewish attacks on our children not being able to go to school wearing their blazers with a Jewish insignia or skullcaps, our children and ourselves advised to take off any sign of being Jewish.

'I have so many friends and neighbours and people who contact me on social media saying they will take their mezuzahs off their doors, that they feel frightened, they feel isolated and alone.

'But we are not alone. We are a successful and flourishing multi-ethnic and multi-faith capital city of a multi-ethnic and multi-faith country.

'A tolerant democracy where all racism, including racism against Jews, is not tolerated.

'We have to call out antisemitism for what it is, it is an incitement to hatred, it is an incitement to divide.'

Thousands of people move on the streets of central London for Sunday's demonstration

A man holds a leaflet with the name and picture of 13-year-old Gali Tarshansky, who was kidnapped by Hamas

A woman holds a sign that says 'Never Again Is Now!' at Sunday's rally in central London

Tommy Robinson was seen being escorted away from the march by police after arguing with officers for around 10 minutes outside Soho coffee shop

Mr Robinson claimed to be there 'as a journalist' and alleged police were trying to stop him 'from reporting'. The Met Police said this did not play a factor

The Met Police has been in frequent contact this week with the march's organisers who had raised concerns that Mr Robinson attending would 'cause fear for other participants'

There had been fears that Tommy Robinson, former leader of the English Defence League, could disrupt the protest, with organisers making clear that he would not be welcome.

Police said a 40-year-old man had been arrested close to the Royal Courts of Justice, from where the demonstration began on Sunday.

Mr Robinson had previously been seen among the crowds of counter-protesters who clashed with police during ceasefire protests held on Armistice Day.

In a statement, the Met said the organisers had 'been clear about their concerns that the man's attendance, and that of those who were likely to accompany him, would cause fear for other participants.

'The same view has been voiced by others.

'As a result he was spoken to and warned on more than one occasion that his continued presence in the area was likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others.

'He was directed to leave the area but refused to do so.'

It comes as the Israeli military said that 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals have been released from captivity in Gaza, on the third day of a four-day truce.

Among those reunited with their family on Saturday was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, who was among those abducted by the Palestinian militant group during the deadly Hamas attack on October 7.

Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.
This is the moment two women at an Islamic group's protest during a pro-Palestine rally were arrested for holding Arabic signs that read 'How beautiful is it to be a soldier of Allah'.

One woman told police officers to 'understand the context' of their signs as they attended the demonstration calling for 'jihad' against Israel yesterday.

Many have held signs and banners covered with phrases considered antisemitic or inviting support for terrorism since protests began on October 7 - a day which saw about 1,200 people in Israel killed by Hamas.

Footage posted on social media shows the two women trying to justify their signs with a group of police officers monitoring the protest.

One of the women can be heard saying: 'You understand the context of this whole thing. This is not about, obviously, this is about moving armies to liberate Palestine.'

Two women at an Islamic group's protest during a pro-Palestine rally were arrested for holding Arabic signs that read 'How beautiful is it to be a soldier of Allah'

Footage shows a group of police officers questioning the women on their signs

Metropolitan Police wrote on X: 'Two women have been arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence'

Another said: 'This is not about individuals.'

In response to the video, one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: 'Praising soldiers of Allah and calling for Jihad is not peaceful protesting.'

Another said: 'And how exactly are the police supposed to take it if not seriously?'

Metropolitan Police wrote on X: 'Two women have been arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence.

'They were seen on CCTV to be holding offensive placards. Officers then intervened to make arrests.'

It comes as a large group has gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice in central London today for a rally organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism.

It comes as a large group has gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice in central London today for a rally organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism

The organisers said it is the largest demonstration against anti-Semitism since 1936, with 104,000 estimated to be there

The organisers said it is the largest demonstration against anti-Semitism since 1936, with 104,000 estimated to be there.

The group of a few thousand has been seen waving Israeli and Union flags and holding placards reading 'Never Again Is Now' and 'Zero Tolerance for Antisemites', while other posters read 'Rape is not resistance' and 'Hamas made me Jewish'.

Today's march comes after 18 demonstrators were arrested in the capital yesterday during a rally calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza - with anti-Semitic banners and placards on display throughout the march.

Today's event, organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism, will see protesters carry out a 90-minute march starting at the Royal Courts of Justice.

MailOnline has contacted the Met Police for comment.
Labour is facing criticism today after launching an anti-Semitism probe into a prominent gender critical MP.

Rosie Duffield, 52, could be blocked from defending her Canterbury seat after the party began an investigation into her support for a trans activist's tweet about Eddie Izzard, the comedian and Labour would-be politician.

Ms Duffield 'liked' a sardonic post by Father Ted and The IT Crowd creator Graham Linehan, which he made in response to Izzard's comments that as a trans woman he probably would have been 'murdered by the Nazis'.

The Irish comic had replied: 'Ah yes, the Nazis, famously bigoted against straight white men with blonde (sic) hair.'

But supporters of Duffield suggested the probe was politically motivated because she was a rare transgender sceptic in the Labour Party. She is also a deputy chairwoman of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on anti-Semitism.

While she is being investigated she cannot be added to the list of possible candidates in Canterbury at the next election.

Mr Linehan said: 'In today's Labour, if you're a straight white man hitching your fetish to the Holocaust, you're golden. If you're a woman who stands up to it, you're investigated.'

Rosie Duffield, 52, could be blocked from defending her Canterbury seat after the party began an investigation into her support for a trans activist's tweet about Eddie Izzard, the comedian and Labour would-be politician.

Ms Duffield 'liked' a sardonic post by Father Ted and The IT Crowd creator, which he made in response to Izzard's comments that as a trans woman he probably would have been 'murdered by the Nazis'.

Mr Linehan said: 'In today's Labour, if you're a straight white man hitching your fetish to the Holocaust, you're golden. If you're a woman who stands up to it, you're investigated.'

And journalist Stephen Pollard said: 'As editor of the Jewish Chronicle I spent the years after Corbyn became Labour leader fighting the party's anti-Semitism.

'Most Labour MPs were either complicit in it or said nothing to upset party members. Rosie Duffield was one of the very few who refused to be cowed by the party's Jew haters.

'The idea that trans ideologues are using anti-Semitism as a stick with which to attack an MP who makes them look like the moral pygmies they are is grotesque. But typically so.'

A source told the Sunday Times, which revealed the investigation, that LGBT labour was behind the complaint, due to Ms Duffield's trans views.

Izzard is a Labour activist who wants to run to become an MP in Brighton, after a previous failed attempt to be elected in Sheffield and as London mayor.

In January this year it was revealed a senior aide to Sir Keir said 'it would be nice' if she 'spent a bit more time' in her constituency, rather than 'hanging out with JK Rowling'.

They said: 'They have made a cynical calculation that complaints of anti-Semitism are more likely to result in action being taken against her than complaints about her gender-critical views, especially now they are party policy.'

Ms Duffield is Labour's sole MP in Kent, taking a seat in 2017 that had been Tory for 100 years.

She has since repeatedly clashed with Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the party leadership over gender ideology.

In January this year it was revealed a senior aide to Sir Keir said 'it would be nice' if she 'spent a bit more time' in her constituency, rather than 'hanging out with JK Rowling'.

The Harry Potter author has been an outspoken advocate for women's rights, including the need to protect single-sex spaces.
The terror group still holds more than 200 hostages in the tunnels under Gaza

Hamas has handed over 17 more hostages to the Red Cross

A young American orphan who turned four while she was a hostage of Hamas is one of nine child and teenage hostages terror group Hamas handed over to the Red Cross this evening.

A total of thirteen Israelis, two Thai nationals and a person from Russia have now been freed by the militant group, including four-year-old Israeli-American Abigail Idan, whose parents were killed during Hamas' deadly October 7 incursion.

The other children, held by Hamas for the last seven weeks in Gaza's underground tunnels, have been named as: Ella Elyakim, eight, Dafna Elyakim, 15, Ofri Brodutch, 10, Yuval Brodutch, eight, Oriya Brodutch, four, Agam Goldstein, 17, Tal Goldstein, nine, and Gal Goldstein, 11.

Other hostages released today, as part of the Hamas-Israel deal that will see around 50 women and children held by the terror group released in exchange for a brief ceasefire, include: Hagar Brodutch, 39, Chen Goldstein, 48, Alma Avraham, 84, and Adrian Aviva Siegel, 63.

All but one of the 13 Israeli hostages have been taken to Israel, while one elderly Israeli woman was taken to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, along with Thai and Russian nationals who were seen being driven in a Red Cross van.

It comes as Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was committed to returning the roughly 200 hostages held by Hamas.

Four-year-old Israeli-American Abigail Idan (pictured) is now an orphan, after her parents were killed during Hamas' deadly October 7 incursion

Dafna Elyakim (pictured, right) and Ela Elyakim (pictured, left) were reunited with their mother Maayan Zin (pictured, centre)

Tal Goldstein (pictured) was seen waving at Israeli citizens as he and the other hostages returned home

Adrian Aviva Siegel, 63, (pictured) wept as she returned home to Israel after spending seven weeks as a hostage

Yahel Shoham, three, (pictured) was seen holding a teddy bear at the medical facility she and the other hostages were taken to

Pictured, left to right: Hagar Brodutch and children Ofri, Yuval and Oriya, Roni Krivoi; middle: Chen Almog Goldstein and her children Agam, Gal and Tal; bottom: Abigail Idan, Elma Avraham, Aviva Siegel, and siblings Ela and Dafna Elyakim

The Israeli hostages were taken to Schneider Hospital in Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv, which was surrounded by Israeli citizens desperately waiting to see the hostages as they came back from captivity.

Qatar's foreign ministry said 39 Palestinian hostages, made up of women and children, will be released in exchange for the release of the 13 Israeli civilians and the four other foreign nationals, though did not release any further details on how or when this would take place.

The world's attention fell on four-year-old Israeli-American Abigail Idan, a young hostage who US president Joe Biden confirmed was safely in Israel.

'Today [Abigail] is free, and Jilly and I, together with so many Americans, are praying for the fact that she is going to be alright,' Biden said today at a press conference held in Nantucket, Massachusetts, referring to his wife Jill Biden.

He said he believed the staggered hostage release deal was working, though was cautious to be more effusive with his praise.

'Nothing is guaranteed and nothing is being taken for granted but the proof that this is workingis in every smile, and every great tear we see on the faces of those families who are finally getting back together again.

Israeli citizens were seen weeping in joy upon seeing the return of the 13 hostages

Gal Goldstein (pictured) was seen waving, after being released with his mother, brother and sister

'The proof is little Abigail. More than 20 other children, 18 years and younger, have been release.

'They've endured a terrible ordeal. They can now begin a long journey,' he added.

Abigail, who turned four on Friday, was one of around a dozen Americans unaccounted for following Hamas' incursion.

Appearing on ABC's 'This Week,' National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said two women, one child and seven men were confirmed to have been taken by Hamas.

She was reportedly forced to crawl out from underneath her father's body, after he was shot by a Hamas terrorist in their home at the Kfar Aza kibbutz during the October 7 incursion.

Her aunt, Liz Naftali, told NBC that both of Abigail's parents, Roee and Smadar, were killed in their home, though it is not known if Abigail is aware of her parents' fate.

Naftali and Abigail's cousin Noa told MailOnline in a statement today: 'We hoped and prayed today would come. There are no words to express our relief and gratitude that Abigail is safe and coming home.

Sharon Hertzman Avigdori (pictured, right) was seen embracing her son for the first time in seven weeks

The first exchange began on Friday, with a second round of exchanges taking place on Saturday night

'Thank you to President Biden and his dedicated team; thank you to the Qatari government and other informal actors who are involved in securing Abigail's release and reuniting other hostages with their loved ones.

'Today's release proves that it's possible. We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing.

'We will continue to stand with the families of all the hostages still held captive, and we remain committed as ever to securing their safe and swift return.'

Abigail's older brothers survived the massacre by hiding in a wardrobe for 14 hours and managed to survive but she was found wandering around covered in her father's blood by neighbour Avihai Brodutch who took her to his house.

He later left the house to fight the terrorists and when he returned found her, his wife Hagar, 39, and their three children Ofri, 10, Yuval, eight and Uriah, four, had disappeared.

Yahel was one of the 13 hostages held by Hamas who were freed today under the temporary ceasefire deal

She was seen speaking to an IDF soldier while holding a teddy bear

The Brodutch family were also among those released on Sunday.

The family are expected to be reunited with their father Avihai Brodutch in the coming hours, as the bus carrying the hostages makes it way back to Israel.

Sisters Ella and Dafna Elyakim, eight and 15 respectively, were taken from their father's home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, and had their identities revealed by Hamas terrorists after they live-streamed the attack on the 400-strong settlement.

The girls' father, Noam Elyakim, and his partner, Dikla Arava, along with Dikla's son, Tomer, were taken outside by the terrorists and tragically found dead near the Gaza border.

Their mother, Maayan, Zin, previously revealed she was worried about the psychological impact of the hostage situation on the young girls.

The four members of the Goldstein family, Chen, Agam, Gal and Tal, watched their father and husband Nadav, and the eldest daughter Yam get killed by Hamas terrorists who attacked their home in Kfar Aza.

The 13 Israeli hostages were taken to Schneider Hospital in Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv, which was surrounded by Israeli citizens desperately waiting to see the hostages as they came back from captivity

The 13 Israeli hostages have been taken to Israel to be looked at by medical examiners

Thai nationals were seen being driven in a Red Cross van across the Rafah border crossing with Egypt

The family previously lost five members in a suicide bombing in Halfa in 2003.

84-year-old Alma Avraham was taken from her home in Nir Oz after she couldn't lock the heavy door to the safe room in her home.

She managed to say a few words to her adult son, Uri, as Hamas attacked the settlement.

South African-Israeli Adrian Aviva Siegel, 63, were forcibly taken from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where she and her husband lived for 40 years.

Her son, Elan, previously revealed that she worked closely with doctors to held sick children from both Israel and Palestine.

Also named and pictured was Russian-Israeli hostage Ron Krivoi, 25. He was kidnapped by Hamas at the Nova trance festival, where he was working as a sound engineer.

39 Palestinian hostages, made up of women and children, will be released in exchange for the release of the 13 Israeli civilians and the four other foreign nationals

The identities of the three Thai nationals freed today are not currently known.

READ MORE: Israeli dogs of war from notorious IDF canine unit awarded honours in recognition for their work uncovering Hamas booby traps Advertisement

The total number of hostages released so far was brought to 54 while the number of Palestinian prisoners freed went up to 117, following today's exchange.

Hamas this week agreed to free at least 50 hostages, all women and children, in exchange for Israeli freeing 150 Palestinian women and children held in prison.

The first exchange began on Friday, with a second round of exchanges taking place on Saturday night.

The initial exchange on Friday was delayed by several hours after Hamas claimed Israel had gone back on its word, causing many to fear that the deal, brokered by Qatar, would end up falling apart.

The Al-Qassam Brigades militant wing accused Israel of violating the agreed terms and demanded Israel commit to allowing aid trucks to enter northern Gaza for the first time in over a month.

Despite the accusations, Hamas revealed today that it is looking to extend the truce, which is set to expire on Monday, in a move that could see even more hostages be released.

Keren Munder, her son and her grandmother were among those released this week after they were abducted from their relatives' home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Pictured: Keren and her son Ohad

In a statement, the terror group said it is 'seeking to extend the truce after the end of the four days through seriously trying to increase the number of hostages released as stipulated in the humanitarian truce deal.'

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said today in a call with Joe Biden that he was open to this offer, but said the IDF would still seek to resume its offensive campaign in Gaza.

Speaking to Israeli security forces in the Gaza Strip before his call with Biden, he said: 'We are making every effort to return our hostages, and eventually we will return them all.

'We have three goals for this war: eliminating Hamas, returning all our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza does not become a threat to the State of Israel again.

'We will continue until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the power, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all the war's goals, and we will.'

Earlier today family members of Israeli hostages described how their relatives ate rice and pita and slept on plastic seats after being abducted by Hamas.

Hostages who were returned to Israel and reunited with their families on Friday night told their loved ones of how they were treated.

Keren Munder, her son and her grandmother were among those released after they were abducted from their relatives' home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Ms Munder told her cousin that the hostages mostly ate rice and pita and slept on rows of plastic seats - like the ones used in waiting rooms.

Crowds of Palestinians in the West Bank were seen celebrating upon hearing the news of the prisoners' release

She also said they would knock on the door when they needed the bathroom, but sometimes had to wait an hour and a half before they could go.

Merav Raviv, cousin of Keren, said her aunt Ruthie and Keren's son Ohad were also taken, but their elderly uncle Avraham was taken separately.

Little Ohad was filmed running into his father's arms when he was released after being held as a hostage for 49 days.

The brave nine-year-old - a 'bright kid who loves soccer, tennis, and solving the Rubik's cube' - was reunited with his father who tightly hugged him at a children's hospital, marking the end of his horrific ordeal.

Ohad was seen enjoying his first meal, schnitzel and mash, as a freed hostage shortly before an Israeli football team met him.

He was also allowed to see his friends and eat ice cream with them for the first time in more than seven weeks.

Keren Munder, her son and her grandmother were among those released after they were abducted from their relatives' home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Ohad reunited with his friends

In the evening, he was joined by a group of his friends to celebrate, where they were treated to ice cream in honour of his ninth birthday which he spent as a hostage

Little Ohad eagerly tucked into his first meal after being freed. Credit: X/Aviva Klompas

Avi Zichri with his partner, Keren Munder, and their son, Ohad Munder-Zichri, on Sept. 1, 2023

The kidnapped family believed their frail uncle was murdered until Ms Raviv told them he had been taken hostage - but Keren's brother Roi had been killed, she said.

READ MORE: Palestinians share footage of people swimming on the beach, shopping at markets and playing football in a rare glimpse of what life was like in the city before October 7 Advertisement

Mr Munder is not in good health, walks with a cane and has bad eyesight.

He was left behind by Hamas in the house as his wife, daughter and grandson were abducted.

Nine-year-old Irish girl Emily Hand was finally reunited with her devoted father after 50 days as a hostage of Hamas.

The youngster, who was initially feared to have been murdered by Hamas gunmen during their invasion of Israel, was filmed running into her father's arms.

Last night, in a video statement Emily's father Tom said: 'Yesterday we got Emily back from the hands of the Gazan terrorists.

'She's lost a bit of weight from her face and body but generally doing better than we expected. '

He added that they were 'still fighting' to get Hila Rotem's mother back Raya after she was split from her daughter.

Mr Hand said the terrorists had pledged to release families 'together but they didn't'.

He added: 'We are in hospital and they are taking care of us and we would like to thank everyone that has helped and supported us through the last 50 days you have been great we couldn't do it without you.

Nine-year-old Emily hand was freed this week after being held hostage by Hamas and was reunited with her father Thomas

Emily was one of 13 Israeli citizens to be freed from terror group Hamas this week and had her ninth birthday while in captivity. Pictured: Emily Hand near Kibbutz Be'eri, Israel

Emily was snatched in her pyjamas on October 7, in which some 240 captives were taken back into Gaza. She had her ninth birthday while in captivity.

On Saturday night, she joined 20 other hostages who were released by Hamas during a four-day pause in the conflict. Her release came after a delay of several hours when Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet the terms of the agreement.

Emily's capture made headlines around the world after her emotional father, Thomas Hand, 63, initially said he hoped she had died in the October 7 invasion, rather than being in the hands of Hamas.

Since it was revealed she was in fact alive, Mr Hand has been campaigning tirelessly for her freedom.

Mr Hand later revealed she was 'broken' after her ordeal, but still in one piece. He also said he had been too scared to hug her tightly - but vowed to throw her the 'biggest birthday party ever'.

More to follow.
This is the heartwarming moment nine-year-old Irish girl Emily Hand was reunited with her big sister and two pet dogs after 50 days as a hostage of Hamas.

The youngster, who was initially feared to have been murdered by Hamas gunmen during their invasion of Israel, was filmed seeing her sister or the first time since she was snatched by terrorists on October 7.

Emily can be seen walking towards her older sister, Natali Hand, before the siblings embrace each other, finally being reunited following the traumatic ordeal.

The family's two dogs are also unable to contain their excitement, as they approach the two sisters as they share a long-awaited hug. Natali then gives her little sister a heartfelt kiss on the cheek before the video ends.

On Saturday night, Emily joined 20 other hostages who were released by Hamas during a four-day pause in the conflict. Her release came after a delay of several hours when Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet the terms of the agreement.

Emily can be seen walking towards her older sister, Natali Hand, before the siblings embrace each other, finally being reunited following the traumatic ordeal

The family's two dogs are also unable to contain their excitement, as they approach the two sisters as they share a long-awaited hug

Emily is led to safety by gun-toting Hamas militants after 50 days in captivity

Emily's capture made headlines around the world after her emotional father, Thomas Hand, 63, initially said he hoped she had died in the October 7 invasion, rather than being in the hands of Hamas.

Since it was revealed she was in fact alive, Mr Hand has been campaigning tirelessly for her freedom.

Mr Hand later revealed she was 'broken' after her ordeal, but still in one piece. He also said he had been too scared to hug her tightly - but vowed to throw her the 'biggest birthday party ever'.

Speaking to the Mirror ahead of his daughter's long-awaited release, a relieved Mr Hand said: 'We have been waiting for far too long for this moment. Every day has been a long and painful living nightmare. my Emily is coming home at last, broken but in one piece.'

After her release, her family added in a statement: 'Emily has come back to us. We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days.

'We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return.

'We will persist in doing everything in our power to bring them back home.

'We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped and supported us during the last 50 days until Emily's return.

'We appreciate the unwavering support as we continue our efforts for the safe return of all.'

Mr Hand earlier told The Mirror of his nerve-shredding wait to hug Emily again and said he would tell her: 'I love you, I love you, I love you.'

He said: 'Emily is so wonderfully sweet and innocent  and I hope and pray that this awful experience will not have taken that away from her.

'I expect she'll be very angry with me to start with because you've been thinking, 'Where is Daddy? Why has Daddy not come to save me?'

'But the great thing is she cannot blame the dog at all  and I'm absolutely sure the dog will get the cuddle first before me.

'She really is a special girl who loves everything in this world  even the big snails that crawl around our kibbutz. Emily used to put them on her arms and hands and stroke them gently.

'I'm sure we'll be able eventually to cure all the physical problems that may be inflicted on her but the things in the mind are gonna take much more time and effort.'

Emily was on a sleepover at a friend's house on the night of the October 7 attack and was taken as a hostage while still in her pyjamas along with around 240 others.

That night she phoned her older sister, Natali, who was in Australia at the time, telling her that the house was one fire.

Natali said: 'She was asking me why I didn't take her to Australia. Our bodies hurt from crying, we have no tears left.'

Nine-year-old Irish girl Emily Hand has been reunited with her devoted father, who has vowed to mark her latest birthday with the 'biggest party ever

Emily was snatched in her pyjamas during Hamas' invasion of Israel on October 7, in which some 240 captives were taken back into Gaza. She had her ninth birthday while in captivity

Emily was one of 13 Israeli citizens to be freed tonight from terror group Hamas and had her ninth birthday while in captivity

Palestinians celebrate as 39 civilians were released from the Israeli Ofer prison

Onlookers cheers as 39 Palestinians are reunited with loved ones after stepping off a Red Cross bus

Two relatives embrace after 39 Palestinians are released as part of a prisoner swap

Supporters waved flags as they celebrated the return of 39 Palestinians in a prisoner swap

Relatives eagerly anticipated the arrival of the civilians in a Red Cross vehicle

Israeli authorities released 39 Palestinians, including 6 females, 33 minors as part of second batch of prisoner swap

Earlier, at a press conference in London, Mr Hand said he believed she was facing 'sheer terror and panic every hour of every day.'

'She must be saying every day: ''Where's my daddy? Where's my daddy, why isn't be coming to save me?'''

He added: 'I don't know what condition she's gonna be in, but she's gonna be broken, very broken, mentally and physically, and we'll have to fix that.'

The little girl's father explained her dog is going to be an important part of her recovery and even told the military that Johnsie was a requirement.

He said: 'The dog is so loving and so calm usually he's just the calming influence Emily will need for the next few weeks.'

'I absolutely insisted that the dog must come with me and, to my surprise, the Israeli army has agreed,' he added.

Thomas has been Emily's sole parent after her mother died from cancer when she was just two years old.

Dubliner Thomas travelled to Israel three decades ago to volunteer on a kibbutz near the Gaza border.

He faced an unbearable wait for news about his daughter after Hamas terrorists stormed the kibbutz where she was staying for a sleepover at her friend's home on October 7.

When he was incorrectly told her body had been found, he welcomed the news because he said it was better than her being taken hostage during the barbaric attack on the Be'eri Kibbutz.

At the time he told CNN: 'She was either dead, or in Gaza. And if you know anything about what they do to people in Gaza, that is worse than death.

'They'd have no food. They'd have no water. She'd be in a dark room filled with Christ knows how many people. And terrified every minute, hour, day, and possible years to come. So death was a blessing. An absolute blessing.'

Around three weeks later Emily's family was told she might not be dead.

Her older sister, Natalie, told Israeli media: 'We were told that she had been murdered. We were in mourning.

'On October 31, they told us that it was highly likely that she had been abducted.'

When Natalie was asked whether she had anything she wanted to say to Emily, on the off-chance she could be listening, she said: 'I want to tell you that we are doing everything to get you home. We know you are being held hostage.

'We love you so much and miss you.'

An International Red Cross vehicle carrying hostages released by Hamas driving towards the Rafah Crossing this evening

A Red Cross vehicle, carrying hostages abducted by Hamas militants during the October 7 attack on Israel, arrives at the Rafah border, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel

Emily was among at least 30 children believed to be still held in Gaza.

Irish Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: 'I am delighted that Emily Hind - a bright and beautiful young girl - has been released and will be reunited with her family.

'After weeks of trauma, this is a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family.

'The people of Ireland have been touched by Emily's story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father, Tom.

'I had the opportunity to meet Tom before travelling to the region, and I was struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughter's release.

'This is a message that I and my colleagues in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally, in a bid to secure Emily's safe return.

'I want to acknowledge the role played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved in securing the release of the hostages.

'I am conscious today that many more hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. I reiterate my call that all hostages in Gaza should be released immediately and unconditionally.'

Noga and Shiri Weiss pictured as they were released from the Hamas terrorist group

Sharon Avigdori, and her daughter Noam, 12, were also pictured safely returning to their home territory

Hamas finally freed 13 Israeli hostages and seven of other nationalities on Saturday after initially refusing to let them go

On Saturday night hostages were handed to the Red Cross in exchange for 39 Palestinians. Among the hostages released from both sides were 41 children and 11 women.

On Saturday, Qatari and Egyptian mediators said Hamas agreed to release 13 Israelis and seven 'foreigners' on Saturday in exchange for 39 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Who are the hostages that have been released? Hila Rotem Shoshani, 13 Emily Hand, 9 Maya Regev, 21 Noam Or, 17 Alma Or, 13 Noga Weiss, 53 Shiri Weiss, 18 Sharon Avigdori, 52 Noam Avigdori, 12 Shoshan Haran, 67 Adi Shoham, 38 Yahel Shoham, 3 Naveh Shoham, 8 Advertisement

The hostages - six women and seven children - were handed over to the Red Cross and crossed over at the Rafah Crossing on the border between Gaza and Egypt at around 9.30pm. By 10.05pm, the hostages were back on Israeli soil.

Relatives of the hostages set free have celebrated their release.

Adi Shoham's cousin Inbal Tzach, told The Guardian:'Like everyone else we watched our loved ones on their way home. The struggle has not ended. This is the saddest joy and the happiest sadness, but our family is home.

'This is an emotional evening for the families who received their loved ones tonight. We will continue the struggle until everyone comes home.'

Zohar Avigdori, who is the uncle of Noam Avigdori and sister-in-law of Sharon Avigdori, who were also released on Saturday, told the paper: 'We are very excited, our legs are shaking and we are impatiently waiting to hug our loved ones, Noam and Sharon.'

The terror group claimed earlier on Saturday that Israel had not complied with the deal's terms and not delivered enough aid to Gaza.

This evening, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said: 'After a delay, obstacles to release of prisoners were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides, and 39 Palestinian civilians will be released tonight, while 13 Israeli hostages will leave Gaza in addition to seven foreigners.'

In a second post, Ansari said the Israelis to be released from Gaza consisted of eight children and five women.

'Those to be released from Israeli prisons comprised 33 children and six women', the spokesman said.

A number of Palestinians were also reportedly injured as a result of gunfire from Israeli forces as they waited for the release of their relatives as part of the exchange agreement near Ofer Prison in Ramallah, West Bank, this evening.

On the first day of the four-day ceasefire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison.

Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.

People participate in a show of solidarity with hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, near the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv

A total of 50 hostages currently held by Hamas are to be released during a four-day truce with Israel, the first such pause in fighting since October 7

Relatives of the Israeli prisoners that have been captive in Gaza Strip by Hamas stage a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel

Irish Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: 'I am delighted that Emily Hind - a bright and beautiful young girl - has been released and will be reunited with her family'

Ruth Munder, a released Israeli hostage, walks with an Israeli soldier shortly after her arrival in Israel on Friday

Hamas has said it was delaying the release of a second group of hostages, claiming that Israel had not complied with the deal's terms and not delivered enough aid to the besieged enclave

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said 196 trucks of aid entered on Friday, and Israel said four fuel trucks and four tanks of gas entered Saturday

The hostages have been handed over to the Red Cross and are on their way to the Rafah Crossing in the Gaza Strip

Tens of thousands of Israelis have amassed in Tel Aviv as the country waits for the return of a second group of hostages

People attend a rally organized by the Bring Them Home Now association to support families of kidnapped people and to call for release of hostages, in Tel Aviv

A total of 50 Israeli hostages are to be freed by Hamas in staggered releases over the four-day truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed - something US President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.

Separately, a Qatari delegation arrived in Israel on Saturday to coordinate with parties on the ground and 'ensure the deal continues to move smoothly', according to a diplomat briefed on the visit.

The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss details with the media.

The start of the pause brought the first quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and levelled residential areas.

This is the emotional moment a father reunited with his wife and two young daughters after they spent 49 days being held captive by Hamas terrorists in Gaza

Aviv Asher, two, her sister Raz, four and mother Doron, step off an Israeli military helicopter

The two girls were holding toys as they held tightly in their parent's arms on the hospital bed, after being checked over by doctors

A pair of female IDF soldiers comfort Raz, four, and Aviv, two, following their release

An Israeli soldier sits with Raz as she sits down to eat shortly after the youngster was freed

Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel went silent.

For the first time in more than a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet.

Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement that Cairo was holding extensive talks with all parties to reach an agreement which would mean 'the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.'

Israel has said the ceasefire could be extended if Hamas continues to release hostages at a rate of at least 10 per day. A Palestinian source has said up to 100 hostages could go free.

Israel and Hamas have said hostilities would resume as soon as the truce ends, although US President Joe Biden said on Friday there was a real chance of extending the truce.
A 'large proportion' of Jewish staff at the BBC intended to defy the corporation's 'ban' on attending today's March Against Anti-Semitism, an insider claims.

Jewish workers at the corporation claimed they would be at the rally in central London alongside tens of thousands of others calling for an end to hatred against their race, as they vented their frustration at the BBC's news coverage of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Some working inside the corporation have even described its portrayal of events as 'romanticising Hamas and its supporters' and blasted it for having the 'audacity' to tell Jewish staff not to protest against rising anti-Semitism, a source told MailOnline.

Last week it was reported managers at the BBC had effectively 'banned' staff working in news, current affairs and factual journalism, and other senior figures, from taking part in the march.

One insider claimed that Jewish staff thought the decision was 'deplorable' and 'none of them were willing to comply with it', although it is not possible to put a final figure on how many decided to defy guidance suggesting they should not go.

A protester at the March Against Anti-Semitism holds a placard that says 'BBC Muzzles Journalists' at Sunday's demonstration

A rally-goer holds a sign that says 'Not My BBC' at Sunday's march in central London

Thousands of people gather in central London outside the Royal Court of Justice for the start of the march

Those who did so joined tens of thousands of people who marched through central London on Sunday, with famous faces including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie, among the massive crowd.

Other celebrities taking part included Countdown's Rachel Riley, Eastenders star Tracy-Ann Oberman, broadcaster Vanessa Feltz and award-winning actor Eddie Marsan.

It is not clear what punishment staff who did defy the guidance to march today will receive, if at all, but those who do say they feel they have not choice but to stand up and show their support.

An insider at the corporation told MailOnline a 'large proportion of Jewish staff' intended to go to the march anyway.

They said: 'Every Jewish member of staff I know thinks it's a deplorable decision and none of them were willing to comply with it.

'Jewish staff are aghast that the BBC is perfectly happy for its highest paid star Gary Lineker to endorse a tweet accusing Israel of genocide, but warn that attending a march against antisemitism might be a breach of discipline. Everyone thinks it's shameful.'

They added that another member of staff, who was nervous about going, said: 'If I don't go I'm letting my family and friends down. And for what? To uphold guidelines that have left Jewish colleagues feeling insecure.'

The insider claimed another member of staff had told them: 'BBC News romanticises Hamas and its supporters and sanitises their deeds and objectives, a consequence of which is a rise in antisemitism and has the audacity to tell its Jewish staff not to protest about it.'

A spokesperson for the BBC told MailOnline: 'The BBC is clear that antisemitism is abhorrent.

'We have established guidance around marches, which explains that different considerations apply depending on what you do for the BBC.

'Corporately, we have not issued any staff communication on any specific march this weekend, but this does not mean discussions which consider the guidance have not taken place between colleagues.'

Marchers hold placards calling for an end to anti-Semitism and wave Israeli flags at the demonstration

Demonstrators hold a banner which says 'Bring Them Home Now!', a reference to the hostages taken by Hamas during the terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'Week after week, central London has become a no-go zone for Jews

Last week insiders said staff at the corporation were told that the march would not fall under the description of allowed events that are 'commemorative or celebratory'. They added that BBC bosses made it clear that the attendance of staff on the march would be considered 'controversial'.

Jewish journalists are understood to have written to bosses to clarify what the corporation's stance was on the event. David Jordan, the broadcaster's director of editorial policy, is said to have replied with an explanation of the corporation's position.

Critics of the decision claim that many BBC staff have attended pro-Palestinian marches in recent weeks. One of the corporation's biggest stars, Gary Lineker, backed pro-Palestinian protesters marching through London on Armistice Day.

Those concerned about the corporation's stance also point out that its own guidelines say that 'Opposition to racism is a fundamental democratic principle'.

They accused the BBC of a double standard, assuming 'Jews don't count' when it comes to standing up to racism.

One source told Mail Online: 'On the one hand they are saying that they're not impartial on racism and staff don't need to be but for some reason that we do need to be impartial on anti-Semitism. We can only assume that where this racism is concerned, Jews don't count.

'I moved from feeling like its not a safe place for Jews to work to feeling like I owe it to my community to stay and do whatever little I can to insert some humanity into the organisation.

'Many people here have been to the pro-Palestine marches and are happy to talk about it at work. People here seem to think Zionists are evil. One colleague said I was OK because I wasn't 'a proper Zionist'. They don't have a clue.'

Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and baby Frank joined the thousands of demonstrators gathered in central London today to rally against anti-Semitism

Mr Johnson, 59, appeared bundled up against the biting temperatures in a woolly hat, while 35-year-old Carrie held their child together in a baby carrier

A large group gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice for the rally

A boy drapes an Israeli flag around his shoulders as he attends the march against anti-Semitism

Tens of thousands of people join the National March Against Anti-Semitism in central London

Sunday's march was organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, and saw the likes of Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and their baby Frank in attendance.

Along with Mr Johnson, other famous names joined in to show their support - with Countdown's Rachel Riley, Eastenders star Tracy-Ann Oberman spotted.

Broadcaster Vanessa Feltz, known from Celebrity Big Brother, also appeared at the march, along with award-winning actor Eddie Marsan.

It was the largest protest against hatred directed towards the Jewish people since the infamous Battle of Cable Street in 1936, when hundreds of thousands of people rallied against a march by the British Union of Fascists through an area of the capital home to many Jewish families.

Speaking to GB News at the rally, Mr Johnson said: 'It's very sad that this march has to take place at all. What we're all doing here is showing solidarity with Jewish people, and that is necessary.

'Since October 7, there has been a very peculiar response from many parts of the world including, I'm sad to say, in London. What we've seen is the re-emergence of anti-Semitism and the failure to focus on the appalling terroristic events of Hamas.

'Whatever the rights and wrongs of what Israel has done, or is doing, I think that the antisemitism we have seen in some of the marches around Europe has really confirmed for me the absolutely human necessity for Israel to exist.

'It's kind of like an old spore of a virus that lurks beneath the floorboards of Western civilisation, our collective memory, and it comes out from time to time.

'It's perennial, it won't go away, and it flares up again. We're seeing a flare up, and we need to call it out.'

Those at the rally are holding Israeli and Union Jack flags and holding placards calling for 'Zero tolerance for AntiSemites'.

Jewish actress Maureen Lipman told Mail Online: 'It's been an amazing turnout.

'It's great to come and show support. We don't want to be here for why we are here, but we have to be here.

'As the Jewish community, we're in shock. There has been a terrible reckoning, it has frightened all of us.

'We're in total shock still. David Baddiel is right, Jews don't count. That's why we have to march.'

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'Week after week, central London has become a no-go zone for Jews.

'We have witnessed mass criminality, including glorification of terrorism, support for banned terrorist organisations such as Hamas, and incitement to racial or religious hatred against Jews.'

They added: 'The sad truth is that Jews do not feel safe in our capital city.
Four Israeli military dogs who were vital in saving soldier's lives by finding weapons and bombs hidden by Hamas are to be buried with full military honours.

The group of crack Belgian shepherds were killed by the Islamic Resistance Movement after discovering more than 50 booby trapped devices, weapons and ammunition stockpiles in the last month.

The dogs  all belong to the specialist Oketz (k-9) unit of the Israeli Defence Forces and were stationed with the Marom Special Operations Brigade.

The canines were vital in finding firearms hidden at the contested al-Shifa and Turkish hospitals in Gaza City, as well as being responsible for finding the bodies of two kidnapped hostages.

Four of these specialist hounds - named as Mido Taiga, Jack and Gendi - have now been killed in the conflict and will be buried in the cemetery of the unit at their HQ.

Mido (left) and Jack (right) belonged to the specialist Oketz (k-9) unit of the Israeli Defence Forces and were stationed with the Marom Special Operations Brigade

Taiga (left) and Gendi (right) were killed by the Islamic Resistance Movement after discovering more than 50 booby trapped devices, weapons and ammunition stockpiles in the last month

The Malinois dogs found cancer patient Yehudit Weiss, 64, and soldier Corporal Noa Marciano, 19, in al-Shifa last week.

Both had been murdered by Hamas thugs, despite claims from the Palestinian group that Mrs Weiss had died from a panic attack and Corporal Marciano from injuries during an Israeli strike.

Officials said the dogs have found bombs in various areas of the Shifa hospital, strengthening the IDF's claims that Hamas used a sophisticated network of tunnels under al Shifa as a command-and-control centre, contrary to international legislation.

Last week, the IDF uncovered various shafts and tunnels in the hospital building, which were later blown up, as Hamas continued to deny that the site was a military stronghold.

However, IDF sources said weapons had been found all over the hospital thanks to the dogs including under beds, medical equipment and cabinets.

Officials shared incredible footage of the dogs in action and revealed how one had even saved the life of a unit of soldiers after it detected a booby-trapped bomb.

The dog named Denver  who is still alive  sniffed out two large car bombs close to the Turkish hospital in Gaza and one inside a car between two buildings on the complex.

Once Denver had alerted the unit, the footage shows how a Zik drone was called up and took out the car safely without harming any of the soldiers.

The dogs are also used to check tunnels out for soldiers when access is difficult, via cameras attached to their face.

Another dog also found a lethal booby-trapped bomb that contained shrapnel and bullets, which was also safely deactivated.

The canines were vital in finding firearms hidden at the contested al-Shifa and Turkish hospitals in Gaza City, as well as being responsible for finding the bodies of two kidnapped hostages

Officials said the dogs has found bombs in various areas of the Shifa hospital, strengthening the IDF's claims that Hamas used a sophisticated network of tunnels under al Shifa

Last week, the IDF uncovered various shafts and tunnels there and which were later blown up with Hamas denying the hospital was a military stronghold

Another dog also found a lethal booby-trapped bomb that contained sharpen and bullets and this too was safely deactivated

Officials singled out Gendi for his bravery, after the dog had sacrificed his life to save soldiers in a unit that had entered an apartment block in Gaza city as part of a clean-up operation.

The dog was sent in and cleared the first and second floors, but was ambushed by a terrorist on the third, who shot it thinking it was a soldier.

As a result, the IDF unit was alerted to the enemy presence and able to take action against them, directing fire and killing them.

An IDF official told MailOnline: The dog sacrificed its life to save the soldiers who would have been ambushed, and this was only one of many such cases.

Another official said: The fighters and dogs of the unit take part in all of the operational missions, they are determined to operate as much as necessary.

We will continue to be a significant unit for the security of our forces. The dogs who died bravely defending our country will be honoured and remembered.'

The Oketz unit was founded in 1939. Since then, more than 150 dogs have been killed in action and are buried in the cemetery at the units HQ in central Israel.
Countdown star Rachel Riley today called on campaigners to 'get serious' about tackling antisemitism as she joined more than 100,000 protesters at the largest rally against antisemitism London had seen in almost 90 years.

The TV presenter, 37, said that Britain's Jewish community will need 'strong stomachs' and has to 'stand up to the mob' in their fight against antisemitism.

Her call was echoed by actor Eddie Marsan, 55, who urged people to 'stand up and face down extremism and bigotry'.

He told protesters that he hoped to see people express solidarity with victims of Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, and with civilians in Gaza caught up in Israel's military attack against the militant group.

Former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman told marchers, who also attended today's rally, said the UK was seeing a 'frightening and swift rise in antisemitism' and called on demonstrators to call out antisemitism for being an 'incitement to hatred'.

The calls for action come as the Israeli military said that 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals had been released from captivity in Gaza, on the third day of a four-day truce.

Countdown star Rachel Riley (centre) today called on campaigners to 'get serious' about tackling antisemitism as she joined more than 100,000 protesters at a rally in central London. She is pictured with Tracy-Ann Oberman (left)

Tens of thousands of activists today attended a march against antisemitism in London that heard campaigners vow the Jewish community will 'not be intimidated'

Demonstrators hold Israeli and British flags outside the Law Courts during a march against antisemitism today

Pictured left to right: Chief Rabbi Mirvis, Robert Rinder, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Eddie Marsan, Rachel Riley, Maureen Lipman and Vanessa Feltz take part in a march against antisemitism organised by the volunteer-led charity Campaign Against Antisemitism at the Royal Courts of Justice in London

Tens of thousands of activists today attended a march against antisemitism in London that heard campaigners vow the Jewish community will 'not be intimidated'.

Ms Riley, speaking in Parliament Square today, urged people to stop being 'bystanders' and join in the fight to tackle antisemitism.

She said: 'We've learned from history the sharp price to be paid when good people stay silent and I'm grateful to each and every one of you here today for refusing to be bystanders.

'We're going to have to get serious about fighting this now if we want to turn things around.

'We're going to start having to have tough conversations. We're going to have to stand up to the mob and we're going to need strong stomachs.

'But together I believe we can and we will.'

Ms Oberman, 57, and Mr Marsan also spoke to the crowds Parliament Square today, after thousands attended a march in central London.

Mr Marsan questioned why there 'were many who were hesitant to acknowledge or condemn the actions of Hamas'.

Ms Riley (pictured speaking in Parliament Square today) urged people to stop being 'bystanders' and join in the fight to tackle antisemitism. She said: 'We've learned from history the sharp price to be paid when good people stay silent and I'm grateful to each and every one of you here today for refusing to be bystanders'

The actor Eddie Marsan arrives at the antisemitism protest today in London. He questioned why there 'were many who were hesitant to acknowledge or condemn the actions of Hamas'

Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and baby Frank joined the thousands of demonstrators gathered in central London today to rally against anti-Semitism

Mr Johnson, 59, appeared bundled up against the biting temperatures in a woolly hat, while 35-year-old Carrie held their child together in a baby carrier

He told the rally: 'At a time when our country is tearing itself apart and racist attacks are on the increase because of a conflict that has two just causes, surely our job is to tell both stories - not just tell one and deny the other because it's fashionable.'

Ms Oberman called antisemitism an 'incitement to hatred, it is an incitement to divide' and argued that bigotry was on the rise.

'We're seeing a frightening and swift rise in antisemitism, Jewish attacks on our children not being able to go to school wearing their blazers with a Jewish insignia or skullcaps, our children and ourselves advised to take off any sign of being Jewish,' she told the rally.

'I have so many friends and neighbours and people who contact me on social media saying they will take their mezuzahs off their doors, that they feel frightened, they feel isolated and alone.

'But we are not alone. We are a successful and flourishing multi-ethnic and multi-faith capital city of a multi-ethnic and multi-faith country.

'A tolerant democracy where all racism, including racism against Jews, is not tolerated. We have to call out antisemitism for what it is, it is an incitement to hatred, it is an incitement to divide.'

Hundreds gathered in Whitehall for the National March Against Anti-Semitism on Sunday

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'Week after week, central London has become a no-go zone for Jews

Along with Mr Johnson, other famous names joined in to show their support - with Countdown's Rachel Riley, Eastenders star Tracy-Ann Oberman spotted

Robert Rinder and Tracey-Ann Oberman take part in a march against antisemitism

Vanessa Feltz interviewing a person taking part in the march

Pictured: Eddie Marsan, Rachel Riley and Maureen Lipman at the rally

Tens of thousands attended today's demonstration, which came a day after crowds also gathered in the capital to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat and former prime minister Boris Johnson were among the high-profile figures at the march.

People waved Israeli and Union flags and placards reading 'Never Again Is Now' and 'Zero Tolerance for Antisemites'.

The start of Sunday's march saw English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, arrested by police after he tried to join marchers.

Organisers called the rally the largest gathering against antisemitism London had seen since the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, when hundreds of thousands of people blocked a planned march by Sir Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists through an area populated by many Jewish families.

It was organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism amid fears about rising antisemitic incidents sparked by the crisis in the Middle East.

Those who addressed the marchers included Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and immigration minister Robert Jenrick, as organisers claimed the pro-Palestinian rallies in recent weeks had made the capital a 'no-go zone for Jews'.

Sir Ephraim told the crowd: 'Since October 7 we have witnessed here in the UK an alarming rise of antisemitism, but we will not be intimidated.

'We call for a strengthening of community cohesion and we will forever be proud to champion the finest of British values.

'So with regard to the poisonous spread of antisemitism, what should the response of the British people be?

Tens of thousands of people join the National March Against Anti-Semitism in central London

A protester holds a placard that says 'Spread Hummus Not Hate' at the march against anti-Semitism in Westminster

A demonstrator speaks into a microphone while waving an Israeli flag at Sunday's march

A boy drapes an Israeli flag around his shoulders as he attends the march against anti-Semitism

Demonstrators hold a banner which says 'Bring Them Home Now!', a reference to the hostages taken by Hamas during the terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7

'Number one, call it out when you see it. Number two, call it by what it really is - Jew hatred.

'Number three, be vigilant and report every incident. Number four, we must arrest every single perpetrator and bring every single one of them to justice.'

Mr Jenrick, who said he was at the march to represent the Government, spoke from the stage to warn that 'enough is enough'.

He said antisemitism was a 'stain on our country, it is moral decay'.

Mr Johnson compared antisemitism with 'an old spore of a virus'.

'Whatever the rights and wrongs of what Israel has done, or is doing, I think that the antisemitism that we've seen in some of these marches around western Europe and further afield has really confirmed for me the absolute necessity, the human necessity, for Israel to exist,' he told GB News.

Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, told marchers that since the deadly incursion by Hamas into southern Israel, antisemitic crime 'has surged in this country by over 1,000 per cent'.

'Demonstrations marched through our cities, marched through our capital, where people glorify terrorism, where people incite racism against Jews.

Minister for Immigration Robert Jenrick, who said he was at the march to represent the Government, spoke from the stage today to warn that 'enough is enough'. He said antisemitism was a 'stain on our country, it is moral decay'

Tens of thousands gather for the anti-semitism march on November 26, 2023 in London

The far right activist Tommy Robinson is arrested on November 26, 2023 in London

The anti-semitism march heads down Arundel street on November 26, 2023 in London

'And indeed, as we saw yesterday, yet again, carrying placards showing a Star of David thrown in the bin with a caption that says 'please keep the world clean', messaging that would not have been out of place in 1930s Germany, it is appalling.'

There had been fears that Mr Robinson, former leader of the English Defence League, could disrupt the protest, with organisers making clear that he would not be welcome.

Police said a 40-year-old man had been arrested close to the Royal Courts of Justice, from where the demonstration began on Sunday.

Mr Robinson had previously been seen among the crowds of counter-protesters who clashed with police during ceasefire protests held on Armistice Day.

In a statement, the Met said the organisers had 'been clear about their concerns that the man's attendance, and that of those who were likely to accompany him, would cause fear for other participants.

'The same view has been voiced by others. As a result he was spoken to and warned on more than one occasion that his continued presence in the area was likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others.

'He was directed to leave the area but refused to do so.'

The Met said that another man was also arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated offence as crowds left Whitehall.

Several personalities lead the anti-semitism protest including Chief Rabbi Ephrain Mirvis, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Eddie Marsan and Vanessa Feltz

Protesters march through London today as the antisemitism rally heads down Arundel Street

The far right activist Tommy Robinson just before being arrested on Sunday in London

Tens of thousands of people also gathered on Saturday for a demonstration demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, with some protesters accusing Israel of committing genocide and others chanting 'from the river to the sea'.

There were 18 arrests over the course of the day for a range of alleged offences, including suspicion of inciting racial hatred and suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Organisers Stop the War coalition said those at the now-regular marches have 'clear anti-racist foundations' and oppose both antisemitism and Islamophobia.

It had asked anyone attending Saturday's rally to 'respect these clear anti-racist principles, including in any signs or placards they choose to bring to the march'.

Meanwhile, the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track today as the terrorists freed 17 more hostages in a third set of releases.

Among those reunited with their family on Saturday was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, who was among those abducted by the Palestinian militant group during the deadly Hamas attack on October 7.

Some hostages were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt. Israel's army said one was airlifted to a hospital.

Israeli scout boys and girls hold Israeli flags as they gather outside the Schneider Children's Medical Center waiting for released hostages to arrive in Tel Aviv, Israel today

Pictured: Sharon Hertzman Avigdori embracing her husband Hen Avigdori after she was released along with her daughter from Hamas captivity today

Pictured: Shoshan Haran, a released Israeli hostage, speaks with an Israeli soldier shortly after her arrival in Israel on Saturday

Pictured: Sharon Hertzman Avigdori embracing her son after she was released along with her daughter from Hamas captivity today

In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. Three more Thai nationals were released.

Separately, Hamas said it released a Russian hostage 'in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin.' The Russian-Israeli citizen was the first male hostage to be freed.

Israel's prison service later said it had begun the process of releasing 39 Palestinian prisoners. A convoy of vehicles was seen leaving Ofer military prison in the occupied West Bank.

A fourth exchange is expected on Monday - the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. All are women and minors.
Burlington Police said they have not identified the shooters motive

The college students were walking home from dinner wearing keffiyeh scarves and speaking Arabic when the suspect approached them

Three Palestinian college students were shot while walking home from dinner Saturday night in Vermont - in what the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee alleges is a hate crime.

The victims of the Burlington, Vermont shooting have been identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed, all three are 20 years old.

According to the Burlington Police Department, the men were wearing keffiyeh scarves and speaking Arabic when the suspect approached them.

'Preliminary investigation has determined that all three were visiting the home of one victim's relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday,' said Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad.

'The three were walking on Prospect Street when they were confronted by a white male with a handgun. The suspect was on foot in the area. Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled on foot.'

Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed wearing keffiyeh scarves and speaking Arabic when they were shot on Saturday night

Hisham Awartani shared a hospital bed photo on Instagram

When officers arrived on the scene, they found three people with gunshot wounds.

Murad said two victims were in one location were treated at the scene by the Burlington Fire Department before being taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center. The third victim was found a short distance away and taken to the hospital.

'Two were wearing keffiyehs at the time of the assault. At this time, there is no additional information to suggest the suspects motive, such as statements or remarks by the suspect,' authorities said.

However, Murad said: 'In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if its proven.'

Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee National Director Abed A. Ayoub said: 'We are praying for a full recovery of the victims, and will support the families in any way that is needed. Given the information collected and provided, it is clear that the hate was a motivating factor in this shooting.

'We call on law enforcement to investigate it as such. The surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is another example of that hate turning violent.'

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found the three victims with gunshot wounds

Two of the victims are in stable condition while the third has sustained more serious injuries

According to police, two of the victims are in stable condition while the third has sustained more serious injuries.

The groups alma mater Ramallah Friends School said they are students at U.S. universities.

Awartani attends Brown University, Hamid is a student at Haverford University and Ahmed studies at Trinity College.

'Haverford junior Kinnan Abdel Hamid, is recovering from a gunshot wound in a hospital in Burlington, VT, after he and two of his lifelong friends were shot near the University of Vermont by an unknown assailant,' said Haverford University.

'Police are investigating the shootings, and we await word on whether it will be pursued as a hate crime.'
A paedophile teacher who was jailed for fleeing the country with a teenage pupil is now working as a baker after his release.

Jeremy Forrest, 40, spent three years in prison for abducting and having sex with a fifteen-year-old. He fled to France with the student in 2012, but was apprehended after eight days.

The former music teacher is now working as a head baker at an artisan bakery and fronting a rock band. He has also remarried and goes by the name Jeremy Buonocore, according to a report in The Sun.

Forrest was photographed leaving his new job in Kent wearing a baker's outfit earlier this week. The Aberdeenshire-born ex-convict had worked as a chef during his time behind bars at Ashfield prison.

Forrest has a brief biography on the bakery's website, which does not mention his teaching career or time in prison, but says that he spent most of his working life at his family bakery.

Jeremy Forrest was photographed with Primark bag and in a baker's uniform in Kent earlier this week

Forrest was found guilty at Lewes Crown Court in Lewes, East Sussex, of abducting a 15-year-old girl who he took to France when their sexual affair was about to be exposed

A brief biography of Forrest on the website of the artisan bakery did not mention his time in prison and said that he had spent most of his working life in a 'family bakery'

'Jeremy moved to Kent, having lived in London previously, where he has spent most of his working life at his family bakery,' the biography, which features a picture of him in the kitchen, reads.

'He is proudly a 5th generation baker, learning everything he knows from the experienced bakers that have passed down their tried and tested methods.'

Forrest was promoted to head baker in May 2022 as a result of his 'extraordinary passion for sourdough, hard work and commitment.'

'He never stops learning about the process, care and attention that goes into making the perfect loaf.'

'Jeremy loves his dogs and a sing-song - he plays guitar and lead vocals in a band that regularly does gigs!'

Forrest has added to the collection of tattoos on his arms and hands, and is fronting a rock band by night according to the biography on the bakery website

Forrest was arrested after being been recognised by a barman in Bordeaux to whom he had handed his CV with a photograph on

'Jeremy loves his dogs and a sing-song - he plays guitar and lead vocals in a band that regularly does gigs,' the biography on the bakery where he now works read

Forrest abandoned his then wife when he fled to France with a student, sparking an international manhunt until they were apprehended eight days later.

Forrest was arrested after being been recognised by a barman in Bordeaux to whom he had handed his CV with a photograph on.

He was convicted at Lewes Crown Court of child abduction and given counts of sexual activity with a child. He signed the sex offenders register for life.

The Sun claimed that he now lived in a 500,000 three-bed home in Kent.
Her grandfather Carmel said he is overjoyed she is free, but saddened that she must now cope with the death of her parents

Edan, 4, was seen in the back of a Red Cross van, her first pictures since being freed

Abigail Mor Edan was released on Sunday, marking the first American to be set free since the Hamas-Israel truce began

An orphaned four-year-old Israeli-American abducted by Hamas after her parents' murder on October 7 has been seen for the first time since her Sunday release.

Her grandfather, Carmel Edan, told Israeli media he couldn't believe it when he saw his granddaughter, Abigail Mor Edan, on her way back to Israel via Red Cross transport. Her release finally came after she wasn't included in Friday's and Saturday's exchanges.

'We were looking. Shes not there! What disappointment,' he said, according to The Times of Israel. 'Russian roulette. We were waiting on the second day. Again, Abigail isnt there! We couldnt believe it.'

While the family was happy that she has been released, they also know she is without her parents, who were murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7.

'Now Im calm, but not completely calm because there is happiness, but there is also the absence of Roee and Smadar,' Carmel Edan said, calling their deaths 'an open wound that will never heal.'

The first picture of Abigail since her release: seen in a Red Cross ambulance (right) after being released by Hamas as the first American to be set free

Abigail Mor Edan's grandfather, Carmel said that he is happy she is free from Hamas terrorists but fearful of the four-year-old having to cope with her dead parents

Abigail celebrated her fourth birthday in captivity on November 24

Carmel Edan said that even though he is filled with joy that his granddaughter is now on her way home, he knows that 'there are many people who havent yet come back.' Abigail was the first American released in the negotiated cease-fire between Palestine and Israel.

'I greatly want them to be returned and that the IDF finish what it has promised: All the hostages [back] and Hamas [destroyed],' he said.

The grandfather has not been allowed to speak or meet with Abigail yet, but plans to smother her with kisses when they reunite.

'There's nothing to say,' he added.

Edan was one of 17 hostages released Sunday, 49 days after the war broke out and militants stormed her kibbutz in southern Israel.

Fighters gunned down her parents, Roy Edan, 43 and Smadar Edan, 40, in the attack.

The girl's siblings, aged ten and six, survived after hiding out for hours in the family home. Carmel Edan said he hasn't told them about their younger sister's release yet.

Abigail, who celebrated her fourth birthday in captivity, is now in the hands of Red Cross officials. President Joe Biden said, after her release, that what the youngster has endured is 'unthinkable' and that she has suffered a 'terrible trauma.'

'I wish I were there to hold her,' Biden said. 'Today she's free, and Jilly and I, together with so many Americans, are praying for the fact that she is going to be alright.'

The grandfather thanked Biden saying: 'We love him very much for all the help he is giving us, to Israel. Keep going. Keep going. We dont admire you. We love you.'

The girl's siblings survived after hiding out for hours in the family home while their parents died. The grandfather said he hasn't told Abigail's brother and sister about her release yet

The four-year-old was taken and her two young siblings survived after hiding out for hours in the family home

President Joe Biden made a statement about Abigail's release from Nantucket Sunday afternoon, saying the youngster had endured a terrible 'trauma' and 'unspeakable' heartbreak

The terror group has been keeping captives since its October 7 surprise attack on Israel that left more than 1,200 Israelis dead. Over 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli counteroffensive.

State Department officials have yet to release the names of the other American hostages. A total of 10 Americans are currently unaccounted for.

Of the 17 hostages released Sunday, 14 were Israeli, while three were foreign citizens.

Appearing on ABCs 'This Week,' National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said two women, one child and seven men were confirmed to have been taken by Hamas.

'All of these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal, and this is the beginning of a long journey of healing for them,' Biden said in an address from Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he was celebrating Thanksgiving.

Earlier that day, the president was briefed multiple times by his national security team on the latest developments regarding the hostage release from Gaza.

'This morning I've been engaged with my team as we begin the first difficult days of implementing this deal,' Biden said. 'It's only a start but so far it's gone well.'

He noted how the first group of hostages included 'an elderly woman, a grandmother and mothers with their young children, some under the age of six years old.'

Four-year-old Abigail was released Sunday after 49 days in captivity

Hostages were set free over Friday and Saturday, but Sunday marked the first time an American was released during the cease-fire

A four-day truce began after 48 days of fighting that claimed thousands of lives. The most recent group to be released included 13 Israelis

Judith and Natalie Raanan, who have dual American-Israeli citizenship, were let go last month

'All of these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal, and this is the beginning of a long journey of healing for them,' President Joe Biden said Friday

On Saturday, a disagreement over the delivery of aid to Gaza delayed the release of captives by several hours.

The Al-Qassam Brigades militant wing accused Israel of violating the agreed terms and demanded Israel commit to allowing aid trucks to enter northern Gaza for the first time in over a month.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of the 2.3 million people living in Gaza have been displaced by the war.

So far, 58 captives have been freed in the first three days of the truce, including several children.

Thirteen Israeli civilians were let go along with 11 foreign nationals on Friday, followed by another 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals on Saturday.

This number does not include those released before the truce began. Two Americans, an Illinois mother and daughter, were freed last month.

Judith and Natalie Raanan, who have dual American-Israeli citizenship, were kidnapped from Nahal Oz together.

They were handed over to the Red Cross on October 20 before the organization passed them off to Israel.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked his government to accept a deal for Hamas to free hostages in exchange for a multi-day truce.

A U.S. official said the deal would include 50 hostages taken from Israel, mostly women and children, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

It took effect Friday, a day later than planned, and saw the adversaries agree to a four-day halt in the fighting. The deal was brokered by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt.
The Princess of Wales and Meghan Markle have both been encouraged to dress like Diana so a bit of her 'shine could rub off on them', according to a new book.

Omid Scobie, who has long been closely associated with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, claims in his new book about the royal family that the pair were urged to essentially 'cosplay' as their husbands' mother.

The Sussexes' biographer writes that Kate, 41, and Meghan, 42, would sometimes be given outfits based on ideas which used photos of the late Princess of Wales for inspiration.

The 42-year-old quotes a royal source as saying that William, 41, and Harry, 39, were consulted anytime it was suggested that their wives be dressed in a style similar to their late mother.

It is one of a number of explosive claims made in the author's new book Endgame, which is set to be published on Tuesday, with other allegations made inside including that Charles is a 'pampered' royal who has his shoelaces ironed for him.

The book also takes aim at Kate by claiming she is 'too terrified to do anything more than grinning photo ops', in a cruel swipe branded 'horribly unjust' by a friend of the Princess.

Omid Scobie claims in his new book that Kate and Meghan were urged to dress like Diana. Pictured: Meghan Markle in 2020 (left), Princess Diana in 1982 (right) in similar green outfits

The new book claims aides hoped a bit of Diana's 'shine could rub off on them'. Pictured: Kate at Ascot in 2022 (left) in a polka-dot dress and Diana at Ascot in 1988 (right) in a similar outfit

The latest claims to come out before the books official release were published in Page Six, which claims to have seen an extract that raises the spectre of Diana.

In it, Scobie writes that Kate and Meghan both wear jewellery that once belonged to their late mother-in-law, adding that a 'huge amount of effort' is put into 'channelling her exact look' and this is 'sometimes beyond the pale'.

He adds: 'During the past thirteen years, Diana cosplay has become a royal staple.'

The author continues: 'Were there gentle pushes from others? At times, yes. It had been known for someone to go back and pull images of Diana at a certain place or time for ideas.

'At the right moment this can be a sweet gesture, but there is also a slightly queasy feeling when you realise it's often orchestrated within the same system that contributed to her living misery, and an institution that still wants some of Diana's shine to rub off on them.'

Scobie co-authored Finding Freedom, a biography about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and has not held back in his criticism of the Royal Family in the build-up to the release of his new book.

In an interview published on Sunday to plug his latest work, he said: 'The small achievements that we've seen from the Princess of Wales wouldn't perhaps be noticed if it was from another member of the Royal Family, but with Kate it's like 'wow!' '

His cruel swipe  described by a friend of the Princess as 'horribly unjust'  will infuriate the Royal Family.

Insiders said that in the past few years the Princess  intelligent, hard-working and passionate about the causes she promotes  has proved popular with the public.

Princess Catherine pictured wearing a spring green tunic during a visit to Pakistan in 2019 (left) and Diana wearing a similar green tunic during her trip to France in 1992 (right)

Omid Scobie, pictured here on This Morning in January, has not held back in his criticism of the Royal Family in the build-up to the release of his new book

The Sussexes' biographer has a new book, titled Endgame, which is set to be published on Tuesday

But in a telling indication of the scornful tone of the new book, Scobie says that 'we infantilise [Kate] massively so the bar is always lower'.

Today's Sunday Times says that in the book the Princess is 'portrayed as a woman terrified to do anything more than grinning photo ops'.

In the past, Scobie, 42, has been dubbed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's 'mouthpiece' for his sympathetic portrayal of the couple.

His new book Endgame, a full-frontal assault on their perceived enemies, is expected to further widen the rift between Harry and his family.

Leaked extracts seen by The Mail on Sunday paint an unflattering picture of King Charles, with Scobie judging him 'a flawed father' and a backstabber  and accusing him of effectively sanctioning leaks about his sons to the press.

Predictably, William also comes under fire. The author says he is increasingly in cahoots with Palace courtiers who dream up dirty tricks.

By Scobie's account the Prince of Wales uses his aides and their press contacts to paint his younger brother as emotionally fragile.

Endgame also suggests William and Kate found the merciless lampooning of the Sussexes on the American animated satire South Park earlier this year 'very funny'. William, it adds, disliked Meghan from the start.

And the book says the King thought his son was a 'fool' for making a soul-baring Netflix documentary which claimed his father told 'lies' and his brother 'screamed and shouted' at the Sandringham Summit that resulted in the Sussexes leaving for the US.

Writing of what he sees as a power struggle between the favoured Prince and the 'unpopular' King, Scobie claims Charles is jealous of William's position and knows that while his reign will be merely transitional, his eldest son will have time to breathe new life into the monarchy.

Scobie alleges that Palace corruption and toxic media spin has continued into the present and reflects on what he portrays as the selfish agendas of the King and his eldest son.

This is part of Endgame's thesis that the Royal Family are 'desperate' and floundering after the death of the late Queen.

Other extracts suggest Palace aides expressed doubts about whether Charles would be a suitable King.

To survive, Scobie alleges that the Palace now uses 'jingoism' in the style of Donald Trump.
A British academic jailed and tortured in the United Arab Emirates after he was falsely accused of spying has called on the Government to intervene over the sale of The Daily Telegraph.

Matthew Hedges, who was accused of working for MI6, warned the proposed sale to an Abu Dhabi-led investment fund would threaten the independence of The Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers.

The Government is facing sustained pressure to block the takeover of the 168-year-old Telegraph by Emirati-backed investors amid fears over press freedom.

Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are expected to come face-to-face with a senior representative from Abu Dhabi at today's Global Investment Summit in London.

Mr Sunak is also expected to meet a leading figure behind the takeover bid at the Cop28 climate change conference in Dubai this week. Sultan Al-Jaber is president of this year's Cop summit and also chairman of International Media Investments (IMI), the Emirati firm funding the Telegraph bid.

Matthew Hedges, who was accused of working for MI6, warned the proposed sale to an Abu Dhabi-led investment fund would threaten the independence of The Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers

The Government is facing sustained pressure to block the takeover of the 168-year-old Telegraph by Emirati-backed investors amid fears over press freedom

Mr Sunak is also expected to meet a leading figure behind the takeover bid at the Cop28 climate change conference in Dubai this week

Downing Street said there were no plans for a bilateral meeting between Mr Sunak and Dr Al-Jaber, although it is understood the two will meet as part of the wider summit. IMI and US-based RedBird Capital have formed a joint fund, RedBird IMI, which is on the brink of buying the Telegraph Media Group, which also includes the Spectator magazine.

MPs have raised concerns about the titles falling into foreign ownership, but the Government is also seeking to foster relations with the powerful Gulf state.

Mr Hedges, who was sentenced to life in jail in the UAE after he was accused of being a spy but was later released, urged the Government to delay the proposed deal. He said the UAE was seeking to boost its 'political leverage and influence' and warned the Telegraph titles would lose their editorial independence.

In a letter to the Telegraph, he wrote: 'As a victim of torture at the hands of the United Arab Emirates, simply for undertaking legitimate academic research, I personally attest to the UAE's disregard for human rights.'

The UAE has denied he was tortured.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has said she is 'minded to' issue a public interest intervention (PII) over the proposed takeover. If she does, Ofcom will carry out a public interest test on the deal.

RedBird IMI says the titles would retain editorial independence. Other bidders for the Telegraph include Daily Mail owner DMGT.
For three months running, Maryland has had the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. But thats not necessarily cause for celebration.

The states jobless rate dropped to 1.7% in August, then fell to the lowest level ever  yes, ever  recorded for any state in September at 1.6%, government figures showed. It edged back up in October to 1.7%, beating out North Dakota for the low mark, the U.S. Department of Labor reported recently.

Marylands rate is less than half the national rate of 3.9%.

That is very much a hallmark of Maryland and Central Maryland, these extraordinarily low rates of unemployment, said Anirban Basu, an economist and chairman and CEO of Baltimore-based Sage Policy Group.

Job seekers in the Baltimore region and Maryland generally have good prospects, enjoying the power to negotiate wage increases and minimal competition for jobs.

The Baltimore metro area recorded the lowest jobless rate of any large metro area nationwide in the most recent labor department report on regions. The areas unemployment has been below 2% every month since June, settling at 1.8% in September.

But such extremely low unemployment poses real challenges for many employers and businesses, especially for those seeking high-wage professionals or in-person workers in health care, construction trades, hospitality and restaurants.

It is very difficult for enterprises to expand when it is very difficult for them to staff up, Basu said. From the perspective of forward-looking growth, this very tight labor market essentially strangles the regions growth potential.

That can mean that growing firms are more likely to expand in other parts of the country or even leave the region, he said.

At Maryland hospitals, nearly one in five nursing positions are vacant. Turnover rates are high, ranging between 26% and 41%, for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants, said Meghan McClelland, the Maryland Hospital Associations chief operating officer, in an email to The Baltimore Sun.

The states lower unemployment figures, while a welcome indicator of economic recovery, do not capture the unique struggles faced by the health care field, particularly in the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel, McClelland said.

Job seekers walk between rows of employers booths during the 35th annual Harford County Job Fair in September.

Economists point to decreasing participation in the workforce to explain the trend. The labor force in Maryland dwindled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with working people leaving the job force in droves. It still hasnt recovered and the slow recovery in Maryland lags that of other states.

Just before the pandemic, in December 2019, Marylands labor force participation rate  the share of the working age population aged 15 to 64 working or seeking a job  was 69.2%, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. As of October 2023, that rate was 65.2%.

During the pandemic, people were headed out of the labor force said Jeremy Schwartz, professor of economics at Loyola University Marylands Sellinger School of Business. They decided that they no longer wanted to work or [were] taking time off to spend taking care of children, or maybe retiring early.

Whats different, though, in Maryland, he said, is our labor force participation rate hasnt nearly recovered to the level it has at the national level or in other states that have relatively higher unemployment rates.

That potentially explains why Marylands jobless rate is below such states as California or Nevada, he said.

People may not have returned to the workforce in Maryland for a couple of reasons, Schwartz said.

The states demographics, with large numbers of people at or close to retirement age, play a role, he said. Those who work for the federal government, a large employer in Maryland, may be able to count on pensions to allow them to retire or retire early and to avoid having to go back to work.

And in a relatively affluent state, many workers may be financially secure enough to leave the workforce, he said.

Low unemployment also may be driven in part by job seekers moving to regions with stronger economies, lower income taxes, and more available and affordable housing, Basu said.

Basu said he is concerned that human capital is leaving our region for other regions, he said. And thats problematic because the economy is increasingly about talent. If we are exporting talent, we are importing trouble.

Gov. Wes Moore acknowledges a MARC train that emerged from the Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel during his remarks in January about the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

State officials take a different view.

The state has experienced tremendous employment growth since February 2020, right before the pandemic began, adding 42,300 jobs in the government and professional, scientific and technical services industry, according to the state Department of Labor.

Marylands government sector also grew at the second-strongest rate in the country during that time, said Jamie Mangrum, a Labor Department spokeswoman.

Matching job seekers to places of employment has been very successful, leading to a low unemployment rate, said Amanda Winters, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Commerce. Workers who are looking for a job they like more, or for a job that pays more, can take advantage of this.

The state under Democratic Gov. Wes Moores leadership is pushing for additional workforce training and apprenticeships, including a $6.6 million grant to boost apprenticeships in the state, which will help businesses find qualified candidates across Maryland, Winters said.

Additionally, she said, the states university system is working to address potential workforce shortage areas with a focus on in-demand science, technology, engineering and math degrees.

And thousands of jobs are expected to be created over the next five years thanks to federal investments in Baltimore regional transportation, including the Amtraks $4 billion project to replace the aged Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel.

Still, some economists expect some weakening of the labor market in coming months, which would drive up unemployment. Even if Marylands rate rises, its likely to remain below the national average, largely because of the stability of federal government jobs, Schwartz said.

In recent months, however, job openings in Maryland have increased. The number jumped to 184,000 openings in September, up from 165,000 in July, and there are now more than three jobs available for every unemployed person. That disparity has plagued employers, with labor shortages in the state exacerbated by a mismatch in terms of worker skills and employer needs versus worker demands.

Small businesses are looking to hire, they have been now for months, but the problem is they just cant find the skilled labor force thats needed to fill some of these jobs, said Mike OHalloran, Maryland state director for the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Hospitals are responding to the tight labor market by actively creating career ladders and lattices to showcase diverse opportunities, the hospital associations McClelland said.

While general interest in health care careers may have seen a decline, we are collaborating with high schools, community colleges, and other educational institutions to inspire and educate the next generation, she said.

Many businesses have increased wages. The independent business federations October jobs report showed that 43% of all business owners surveyed nationally reported job openings they could not fill. More than a third of firms, or 36%, said they raised compensation, while about a quarter plan increases in the next three months.

Those results likely would be similar or even higher in Maryland, OHalloran said.

Its been especially challenging for employers who need workers who deal directly with customers and for retail and hospitality businesses leading into the holiday season, he said.

You cant fix somebodys car sitting at your desk, he said. You cant cater a party of 50 sitting at your desk. A lot of these front-facing positions that are going unfilled, they require skills, as well.

For Maryland employers, OHalloran said, its still a long road to recovery from the pandemic, with folks leaving the workforce and just not re-entering it.
Two Chinese fighter jets were monitored "orbiting" a Philippine aircraft participating in patrols with Australia in the South China Sea but did not cause any untoward incident, officials in Manila said.

The militaries of the Philippines and Australia on Sunday carried out a second day of sea and air exercises in the Southeast Asian country's exclusive economic zone, days after Manila held patrols with the US.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China's claims had no legal basis.

The Philippines is ramping up efforts to counter what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and US tensions around naval operations.

China has accused the Philippines of enlisting "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea and stirring up trouble.

"It was confirmed as per reports received that two Chinese fighter jets were monitored orbiting the Philippines' A-29B Super Tucano at the vicinity of Hubo Reef in the West Philippine Sea," Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the Philippine military's public affairs office said.

The West Philippine Sea is Manila's term for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone.

The Chinese aircraft continued on its flight route without further incident, Trinidad said.

Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner said the nation was well within its rights to conduct joint patrols with allies to promote the "rule-based international order."

Participating in the joint drills were two Philippine navy vessels and five Philippine surveillance aircraft, and Australia's frigate Toowoomba and P8-A maritime surveillance aircraft.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the inaugural patrols represented the practical implementation of the strategic partnership signed between the two nations in September.
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Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case against Network 10 in the Federal Court in the live blog below.

Mr Lehrmann was cross-examined by Network Ten's lawyers on Thursday and Friday. He is continuing to give evidence under cross-examination, including 'accepting' that he lied to Channel Seven's Spotlight program.

Daily Mail Australia revealed earlier on Monday that Lehrmann sought a sum of $235,000 from Network Ten to settle prior to the case - but the TV station refused.

READ MORE: The telling sign Bruce Lehrmann had had enough after brutal day

READ MORE: Bruce Lehrmann denies sex on the sofa with Brittany Higgins, 'pashing' her in a nightclub or touching her leg

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Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters have shut down Manhattan Bridge on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year to demand a 'permanent ceasefire' in Gaza.

The New York protest was led by Jewish Voice for Peace, an activist group that describes itself as being the 'largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world' predominantly consisting of people from the faith.

It came as the fragile four-day pause in Israeli airstrikes which have so far killed an estimated 11,000 people is set to end Monday - and as the first US citizen was freed in prisoner swaps.

Four-year-old Israeli-American dual national Abigail Mor Edan was released by the militant group - after her parents Roy Edan, 43, and Smadar Edan, 40, were among 1,200 people slaughtered in the October 7 attack.

She was one of 17 hostages freed on Sunday, including 14 Israelis, in the third exchange under a truce that the US hoped would be extended. Israel released 39 prisoners in return.

Pro-Palestine protesters have shut down Manhattan Bridge on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year to demand a 'permanent ceasefire' in Gaza

Sunday's mass demonstration in the Big Apple came amid a fragile four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as dozens more hostages were exchanged

More than 1,000 people flooded the streets in New York City to demand a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, as the current pause is set to end on Monday

The New York protest came on one of the busiest travel days of the year, between Thanksgiving and the Christmas period - and City officials warned drivers to avoid the area.

Protesters began blocking the road at Canal Street in lower Manhattan around 2pm, many wearing shirts emblazoned with the words 'ceasefire now,' while some laid a banner on the sidewalk reading 'the whole world is watching' and 'let Gaza live.'

Organizers led chants of 'Palestinians have the right to live in freedom' and 'a pause is not enough, let Gaza live' through megaphones.

Many also wore keffiyehs - a monochrome patterned scarf that is a patriotic symbol of Palestinian identity - and waved Palestinian flags.

The same group has led several other ginormous pro-Palestine protests in the Big Apple recently, including the storming of Grand Central Station in late October and a Statue of Liberty demo in early November.

Palestinian health officials in Gaza said Tuesday that they have lost the ability to count the dead because of the collapse of parts of the enclaves health system and the difficulty of retrieving bodies from areas overrun by Israeli tanks and troops.

The Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, which carefully tracked casualties over the first five weeks of war, gave its most recent death toll of 11,078 on Nov. 10.

The United Nations humanitarian office, which cites the Health Ministry death toll in its regular reports, still refers to 11,078 as the last verified death toll from the war.

The protest was led by Jewish Voice for Peace, an activist group which describes itself as being the 'largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world' predominantly consisting of people from the Jewish faith

Protesters began blocking the road at Canal Street in lower Manhattan around 2pm, many wearing shirts emblazoned with the words 'ceasefire now', while some laid a banner on the sidewalk reading 'the whole world is watching' and 'let Gaza live'

Wearing hoodies branded with the words 'Jews say ceasefire now', the organizers led chants of 'Palestinians have the right to live in freedom' and 'a pause is not enough, let Gaza live' through megaphones

It also comes after three Palestinian college students were shot while walking home from dinner Saturday night in Vermont - in what the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee alleges is a hate crime.

The victims of the Burlington, Vermont shooting have been identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed, all three are 20 years old.

Awartani attends Brown University, Hamid is a student at Haverford University and Ahmed studies at Trinity College.

According to the Burlington Police Department, the men were wearing keffiyeh scarves and speaking Arabic when an unidentified white gunman approached them.

Police have not made any arrests in the case and have not released suspect information.

Many protesters on Manhattan Bridge wore keffiyehs - a monochrome patterned scarf which is a patriotic symbol of Palestinian identity - and waved Palestinian flags

The same group has led several other ginormous pro-Palestine protests in the Big Apple recently, including the storming of Grand Central Station in late October and a Statue of Liberty demo in early November

More than 1,000 protesters led by Jewish Voice for Peace blocked Manhattan Bridge Sunday demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza

President Joe Biden celebrated the freedom of the first American captive - Abigail - who is now in the hands of Red Cross officials in Israel.

Biden said that what the youngster has endured is 'unthinkable' and that she has suffered a 'terrible trauma'.

'I wish I were there to hold her,' Biden said. 'Today she's free, and Jilly and I, together with so many Americans, are praying for the fact that she is going to be alright.'

The President added that his goal is to extend the cease-fire for as long as possible.

Abigail was one of 17 hostages released on Sunday, including 14 Israelis, in the third exchange under a four-day truce that the US hoped would be extended. Israel released 39 prisoners in return.

Most hostages were handed over directly to Israel, waving to a cheering crowd as they arrived at an air force base.

Others left through Egypt. Israel's army said one was airlifted to a hospital, and the director of Soroka Medical Center said Elma Avraham, 84, was in life-threatening condition as 'a result of an extended period of time when an elderly woman was not taken care of as needed.'

A fourth exchange is expected on Monday  the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. Most are women and minors.
They have been among the most vocal critics of Brexit  but now bosses at Japanese carmaker Nissan have talked down its impact.

There was a 'negligible' effect from leaving the European Union, the firm said, while chief executive Makoto Uchida insisted Britain will remain its European base for 'the foreseeable future'.

Nissan, which had warned about the effect of Brexit on its investment, now says it would not be making a fresh 2billion investment into its Sunderland factory if the UK was not still worthy.

Mr Uchida added: 'I am quite surprised that people here in the UK are asking, 'Why UK?' We have great people and great talent here.'

Instead, he said, Britons should back the nation's business credentials more. After the Brexit referendum, there had been fears over the future of Nissan's Sunderland hub, which employs 6,000 people and supports 70,000 supply chain jobs.

Nissan, which had warned about the effect of Brexit on its investment, now says it would not be making a fresh 2billion investment into its Sunderland factory if the UK was not still worthy

After the Brexit referendum, there had been fears over the future of Nissan's Sunderland hub (pictured), which employs 6,000 people and supports 70,000 supply chain jobs

The company's chiefs warned UK operations would not be 'sustainable' without a trade deal with the EU.

But last week Nissan announced a multi-billion-pound plan for the North East, including funding for a third major battery plant.

It also confirmed it will make its latest electric Qashqai and Juke models at the factory, alongside the next generation of the electric Leaf.

Mr Uchida said the investment puts 'our Sunderland plant at the heart of our future vision'.

Alan Johnson, Nissan's senior vice-president of manufacturing, said the firm had 'quickly adapted' to a 'more bureaucratic' post-Brexit and it would not have a major impact on its prices. 'It's negligible,' he said.

Meanwhile, the Government yesterday pledged 50million of newly allocated funding to boost the UK's battery supply chain on the world stage by 2030.

Ministers said the battery sector alone could create 100,000 highly paid and skilled jobs in the UK.
He boasted that he 'killed a dentist' who found his 1988 movie comedy A Fish Called Wanda so funny that he died laughing.

But the Mail can now reveal that John Cleese's story is lacking in two important respects.

It has emerged that the man who died, Ole Bentzen, was a doctor rather than a dentist.

And the fatal 'blow' was delivered by Cleese's fellow Python, Michael Palin, in a scene where chips are shoved up his nose by the villain, played by Kevin Kline.

The revelations come after the Mail tracked down Mr Bentzen's son, Professor Niels Bentzen, who said his father would be 'turning in his grave' at Cleese's description of him.

But the good news is that Professor Bentzen not only sees the funny side, he even delivers lectures inspired by his father's demise. The 79-year-old said last night: 'Yes, my father died laughing at A Fish Called Wanda.

The fatal 'blow' was delivered by Cleese's fellow Python, Michael Palin (pictured, right), in a scene where chips are shoved up his nose by the villain, played by Kevin Kline (pictured, left)

The film follows a gang of thieves who double-cross each other in an attempt to find a stash of diamonds hidden by their leader

John Cleese, 84, (pictured) said on his new GB News television series: 'Kevin Kline and I killed a man in Denmark. He was a dentist, he had a huge laugh. A famous laugh'

Dr Bentzen, 71, (pictured) went to see A Fish Called Wanda in Denmark's second city Aarhus in March 1989

'I think it was Michael Palin who made my father laugh so violently, when he gets two chips in his nose and a pear in his mouth.

READ MORE: Monty Python star Eric Idle insists he WANTS to be 'cancelled' for his politically incorrect comedy Advertisement

'I actually spoke to John Cleese about my father's death... about ten years ago. He was referring to him as a dentist then  and I told Mr Cleese my father would have turned in his grave if he'd been called a dentist instead of a doctor.

'My father could hardly have wished for a better death.'

Cleese, 84, said on his new GB News television series: 'Kevin Kline and I killed a man in Denmark. He was a dentist, he had a huge laugh. A famous laugh.

'And he went to see Wanda and he started laughing about two minutes in and never stopped.

'They carried him out dead.'

Dr Bentzen, 71, went to see A Fish Called Wanda in Denmark's second city Aarhus in March 1989. Early in the film, Kline tortures Palin's character by ramming chips up his nostrils.

That particularly tickled ear, nose and throat specialist Dr Bentzen, his son revealed.

But Professor Bentzen has no hard feelings. At a John Cleese fan festival in Aarhus, he delivered a lecture entitled 'Death and humour: When the dying and the bereaved laugh'. A doctor himself, he teaches trainee medics to use humour when discussing death.

The professor added that his father's raucous laugh runs in the family. 'I have to take care it doesn't get the better of me,' he said.

'When John Cleese asked if I'd seen Wanda, I said, 'Are you crazy? I'm not ready to die'.'
New Home Secretary James Cleverly was facing fresh questions about his commitment to the Government's Rwanda scheme last night, amid claims he 'repeatedly blocked' efforts to put a back-up plan in place.

Alternative schemes including deals with a number of other African countries and British Overseas Territories  such as Ascension Island  were thwarted by Mr Cleverly in his previous job as Foreign Secretary, Tory sources said.

One highly placed source in the party said Mr Cleverly 'has the wrong mindset for the job'  just two weeks after he was parachuted in to replace sacked Suella Braverman.

The claim, which was denied by Mr Cleverly last night, comes amid growing Cabinet tensions over how to keep the Rwanda scheme alive after the Supreme Court blocked it this month.

Government sources had suggested a new treaty with Rwanda would be published last week, backed up by 'emergency legislation' to prevent further court challenges.

James Cleverly faced questions last night over his commitment to the Rwanda scheme amid claims he 'repeatedly blocked' plans to put a back up plan in place

Mr Cleverly voiced his opposition to quitting the ECHR at the weekend, telling The Times the Rwanda scheme was 'not the be all and end all' of government efforts to tackle the migrant crisis

Plans to secure deals with other African countries were abandoned after Mr Cleverly objected to them, the Mail understands

...as Labour challenges Tories on migrant targets Labour aims to slash net migration by three-quarters, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said yesterday. He said a Labour government would try to cut net migration to a 'normal level' of a 'couple of hundred thousand a year'. Cutting net migration from last year's 745,000 to 200,000 would equate to areduction of 73 per cent. But a senior Tory source called his plan 'a joke', adding, 'Labour have opposed every measure to curb migration and would scrap the Rwanda scheme', now the responsiblity of new Home Secretary James Cleverly. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper yesterday suggested raising the minimum salary for a work visa from 26,200. She added she would axe a 20 per cent pay discount for 'shortage' occupations, such as care workers. Advertisement

But the plan has been delayed by Cabinet wrangling over how far to go in exempting it from human rights laws. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick is backing radical proposals to legislate to exclude the plan from existing human rights laws, including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

But Mr Cleverly voiced his opposition to quitting the ECHR at the weekend, telling The Times the Rwanda scheme was 'not the be all and end all' of the Government's efforts to tackle the Channel migrant crisis.

Treasury minister Laura Trott yesterday appeared to rebuke Mr Cleverly, saying that the Rwanda plan was 'central' to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's bid to deter illegal migrants from crossing the Channel  although she played down claims of a Cabinet split.

The Mail understands that proposals to secure Rwanda-style deals with a number of other African countries had to be abandoned after Mr Cleverly objected.

'There were other African countries Cleverly would not get into negotiations with, and then threw obstacles in the way,' a Conservative source said.

'He was refusing to look at it properly until the legal ruling on Rwanda had come back.

'The Foreign Office put forward a couple of South American countries as possible contenders  without actually speaking to those nations properly about it  but they were completely unsuitable.'

Mr Cleverly also thwarted proposals to set up asylum processing centres on Ascension Island, Saint Helena or the Falkland Islands, Tory sources said.

A plan to use the British Overseas Territories for Channel migrants would have removed many of the human rights objections highlighted by the Supreme Court this month. 'He blocked all of those, too,' a source said.

According to Tory sources, Mr Cleverly also thwarted proposals to use British Overseas Territories for Channel migrants

'He said the schemes would not be feasible and proceeding with them would damage Britain's international reputation, which is a load of nonsense.

'Cleverly just listened to 'the Blob' in the Foreign Office  the civil servants who are dead against doing anything robust to tackle the Channel problem  and simply did what they advised.'

Mr Cleverly's official spokesman insisted the claim was 'at odds with reality'.

'Countries identified were contacted with the full intention to see if they would meet with UK officials,' the spokesman said.
Jodie Haydon has revealed the deeply personal reason she chose a children's cancer charity as the beneficiary of her first major 'solo' event.

Ms Haydon, Anthony Albanese's partner, threw open the doors of the Prime Minister's official Sydney residence Kirribilli House on Saturday to host child cancer sufferers and their families who receive help from charity Redkite.

Wearing red as a sign of her support, Ms Haydon said she had seen the wonderful work the charity does firsthand.

'Several years ago my very best girlfriend, her daughter, who was a toddler at the time, was diagnosed with brain cancer,' she told the assembled crowd.

'First lady' Jodie Haydon has revealed the personal reason why she decided to support a children's cancer charity

'And as her very best friend I saw firsthand the amazing impact that Redkite provides.'

There was a surprise addition to the party when Mr Albanese turned up midway through the event, carrying luggage in each hand.

One boy was so excited he was literally bowled over, taking a tumble backwards on the polished floorboards.

Undeterred he was later heard asking Mr Albanese: 'Can we hang out together?'

'Yeah sure, the Prime Minister replied.

While Ms Haydon showed her natural rapport with the children she would be first to admit that the star of the show was Mr Albanese's pet cavoodle Toto.

She greeted each child at the door asking if they wanted 'a Toto cuddle' later on and the reply was normally in the affirmative.

As the line formed to show affection to the little dog one girl was heard remarking: 'I have been waiting for this for a long time.'

As the line formed to do just that one girl was heard remarking: 'I have been waiting for this for a long time.'

Redkite CEO Monique Keighery said the event was important to raise the charity's profile before the Christmas season.

When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a surprise appearance one boy seemed a bit overwhelmed, falling backwards but emerging without serious hurt

Mr Albanese and Ms Haydon talk to some of the children attending Saturday's event at Kirribilli House

'We need to raise funds to help families through the holiday period,' she said.

'It's not festive for every one. Cancer doesn't stop for Christmas and RedKite does not stop.'

The cancer charity revealed in July that Ms Haydon was its new ambassador.

'I am honoured to be joining Redkite as an Ambassador,' Ms Haydon said at the time.

'I know from personal experience the incredible difference Redkite makes in the lives of families facing childhood cancer, and that they are there from day one at the most devastating and overwhelming time imaginable.

'Meeting the Redkite team, and witnessing first-hand the work they do, reinforced my decision that this is a charity I want to be part of. I am committed to helping Redkite make a real difference in the lives of these children and families.'
A millionaire Labour donor is being chased by debt collectors after a council was forced to step in to protect two Grade II-listed water towers he neglected.

Dr Anwar Ansari, who has donated 20,000 to support Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, ran up a bill with Somerset Council over work it had to carry out on the historic structures in the village of Rockwell Green.

But the council claimed it had received no communication from Dr Ansari since the summer and was now taking legal action to recover the money, thought to run into thousands of pounds.

Croydon-based property boss Dr Ansari bought the towers in 2013 and has explored the possibility of converting them into residential properties but has since been accused of allowing them to be swallowed by a jungle of weeds, which could imperil their future.

The Victorian Society ranked the Rockwell Green water towers as one of the ten most endangered heritage buildings in the country.

Dr Anwar Ansari, who donated 20,000 to support Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, has run up a bill with Somerset Council

Croydon-based property boss Dr Ansari bought the towers in 2013 and explored the possibility of converting them into residential properties

The society's president, comedian Griff Rhys Jones, described the towers as 'tremendous titans' and warned against 'throwing away our industrial heritage'.

In January, Somerset Council was forced to intervene after Dr Ansari failed to obey an order from November 2022 to remove vegetation.

Council officials cut back the overgrowth, before attempting to bill Dr Ansari for the work. By April, residents in the area had grown concerned by the presence of Japanese knotweed, which, if left untreated, can prise apart a structure.

Another notice was served ordering Dr Ansari to sort out the site and it emerged last week that debt collectors had been instructed to pursue him for the costs of the initial maintenance work.

When approached by the Mail, Dr Ansari's representatives initially claimed that all debts had been settled. On the same day last week that they were asked for comment by the Mail, Dr Ansari's representatives contacted the council for the first time in months.

A council spokesman said: 'Some payments have been received but around half of the debt remains outstanding.'

A spokesman for Dr Ansari said that his company had carried out work to remove the overgrowth, but claimed the council appointed its own contractors, before presenting an 'extortionate' 10,000 bill, which they had started to pay off.

It is also disputing the enforcement notice relating to the knotweed. An appeal is said to be pending.
Booker Prize judges have denied last week's Dublin riots strongly influenced their choice of this year's winner  a novel telling of police and protesters clashing in Ireland.

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, 46, was named winner after a full day of discussions on Saturday, with judges insisting current events were not a 'central factor' in their decision.

But chairman of judges Esi Edugyan admitted yesterday that while the recent Dublin mayhem was not 'particularly front of mind', it did feature in their discussions.

'It wasn't the central factor but I admit that this was something that did get raised,' she said.

'One cannot let world events dictate what one chooses as the best novel published that year.

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, 46, was named winner after a full day of discussions on Saturday, with judges insisting current events were not a 'central factor' in their decision

Booker Prize judges have denied last week's Dublin riots strongly influenced their choice of this year's winner  a novel telling of police and protesters clashing in Ireland

Chairman of judges Esi Edugyan admitted yesterday that while the recent Dublin mayhem was not 'particularly front of mind', it did feature in their discussions

'But we did want to choose a title that reflected the things we are all grappling with right now. I think we felt that all of the novels did this in their own way, they really did reflect these issues that we're all facing.'

Mr Lynch, the fifth Irish author to win the Booker Prize, beat Sarah Bernstein's Study for Obedience, Paul Murray's The Bee Sting, Paul Harding's This Other Eden, Chetna Maroo's Western Lane and Jonathan Escoffery's If I Survive You.

Ms Edugyan said Mr Lynch was not a unanimous choice by judges Adjoa Andoh, Mary Jean Chan, James Shapiro and Robert Webb.

She added: 'In these troubled times, we sought a novel with a guiding vision - a book to remind us that we are more than ourselves, to remind us of all that is worth saving.'

The Booker Foundation's Gaby Wood said they weren't expecting protests at last night's ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London as the winner had been a close secret.

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'We've got strong security at the venue but if there are protests we will allow people to speak,' she said.

Mr Lynch's novel is set in a dystopian Ireland which has fallen into totalitarianism under the National Alliance party. Teacher and union leader Larry Stack is 'disappeared' by the secret police, leaving his wife to try and protect their family in the face of civil war.

The winner was one of four Irish writers - Sebastian Barry, Elaine Feeney, Paul Lynch and Paul Murray - who made up the the 13-strong longlist for this year's prestigious literary prize.

Upon receiving the prize at London's Old Billingsgate Hall, Mr Lynch said: 'It is with immense pleasure that I bring the Booker home to Ireland.'

Lynch was born in Limerick in 1977 and now lives in Dublin. His other novels are Beyond the Sea, Grace, The Black Snow and Red Sky in Morning.

He is the fifth Irish author to win the prize, following in the footsteps of Iris Murdoch, John Banville, Roddy Doyle and Anne Enright.

Last night's keynote speaker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe revealed that she read Margaret Atwood's banned book The Handmaid's Tale in jail in Iran after it arrived in the post to one of her fellow prisoners.

The Booker Prize is one of the leading literary awards in the English speaking world. Previous winners include Margaret Atwood, Hilary Mantel, Bernardine Evaristo and Salman Rushdie

The winner of the prize receives 50,000. The sum of 2,500 is also awarded to each of the six shortlisted authors.

The Booker Prize is one of the leading literary awards in the English speaking world

Prophet Song beat books such as The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, Western Lane by Chetna Maroo, This Other Eden by Paul Harding, If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery and Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein to claim the top prize

Mr Lynch's novel is set in a dystopian Ireland which has fallen into totalitarianism under the National Alliance party

Robert Webb was one of the judges alongide Adjoa Andoh, Mary Jean Chan and James Shapiro

Ireland was left reeling after as many as 500 thugs responded to a horrifying knife attack on schoolchildren in Dublin on Thursday by launching an anti-migrant rampage

Shocking scenes saw police officers attacked, with around 50 sustaining injuries  one of whom faces having a toe amputated  while buses and a tram were torched

The Booker Prize had also faced criticism back in September amid a row over the number of female authors on the shortlist.

Ireland was left reeling this weekend after as many as 500 thugs responded to a horrifying knife attack on schoolchildren in Dublin on Thursday by launching an anti-migrant rampage.

Fuelled by online misinformation and unsubstantiated rumours that the person behind the attack  which saw three children and a woman injured  was a foreign national, the mobs gathered close to some of the city's most iconic locations, some waving flags and brandishing signs reading 'Irish Lives Matter'.

Shocking scenes saw police officers attacked, with around 50 sustaining injuries  one of whom faces having a toe amputated  while buses and a tram were torched, with one driver punched and dragged from his cab.

It has since been reported by the Irish Times that the attacker had lived in Ireland for some 20 years.

Dublin's 'night of shame' was condemned by Ireland's Prime Minister as a clean-up operation got underway following battles between rioters and police.

Pictures from the Irish capital showed council workers removing the wrecks of burned-out buses and cars, which were torched by the thugs as they rampaged through the streets and looted shops.
A man has been charged over the alleged domestic violence murder of a woman in Sydney's inner west.

Police were called to a unit on Berchert Road, Chiswick, about 9.50pm on Saturday following reports of a domestic incident.

When officers arrived, they found the body of a woman, believed to be aged in her 40s.

A 40-year-old man, who is known to the woman, was arrested at the scene and taken to Burwood police station, where he was charged with murder and refused bail.

Police were called to Berchert Road (pictured) on Saturday night, where they discovered the woman's body

The woman has not been formally identified and a post-mortem will be carried out to determine her cause of death.

Officers set up a crime scene at the residence and detectives have launched an investigation under Strike Force Dargal.

The 40-year-old man will appear before Burwood Local Court on Monday.
There were no war cries; no thinly veiled threats of the 'river to the sea' variety.

Few were in the mood for chanting but when they did, there was just one chorus: 'Bring them home.'

And 2,500 miles to the East, a four-year-old girl was among the handful who were indeed heading home  albeit to a home without the two parents executed in front of her very eyes on October 7.

And another 200 hostages still remain locked in their subterranean hell.

We have read and heard a lot about the sense of bewilderment, shock, profound sadness and  worst of all  fear felt by Britain's Jewish community in the 50 days since Hamas embarked on its genocidal killing spree through the communities of southern Israel.

'We have read and heard a lot about the sense of bewilderment, shock, profound sadness and  worst of all  fear felt by Britain's Jewish community in the last 50 days,' writes Robert Hardman

Organisers put the total figure at 105,000, nor far short of half the UK's entire Jewish population

The police had little to worry about from a protest army whose leaders pointedly paused alongside the Cenotaph in order to sing God Save The King

Just the day before, the capital had seen another weekly 'Free Palestine' rally, ostensibly calling for a ceasefire

Marchers hold placards calling for an end to anti-Semitism and wave Israeli flags at the demonstration

Thousands of people move on the streets of central London for Sunday's demonstration

A man holds a leaflet with the name and picture of 13-year-old Gali Tarshansky, who was kidnapped by Hamas

A woman holds a sign that says 'Never Again Is Now!' at Sunday's rally in central London

Yesterday, that collective anguish finally took to the streets as the capital staged the greatest show of support for British Jews since the Battle of Cable Street in London's East End nearly 90 years ago.

Organisers put the total figure at 105,000, nor far short of half the UK's entire Jewish population.

Except that these were not all Jews. Far from it. The whole point of this march was for Brits of all faiths and none to show solidarity with a community enduring a ten-fold increase in anti-Semitic incidents since October 7.

By far the most common banners on display were those saying: 'Shoulder to shoulder with British Jews.'

The police had little to worry about from a protest army whose leaders pointedly paused alongside the Cenotaph in order to sing God Save The King.

Just the day before, the capital had seen another weekly 'Free Palestine' rally, ostensibly calling for a ceasefire but  in the face of an actual ceasefire  attacking Israel, its leaders and Western governments for 'colonisation' and for their prosecution of the war against Hamas.

The large majority had been voicing compassion for the blameless civilian population of Gaza, but it had not been hard to spot the usual vestiges of anti-Semitism  placards with the Star of David in a bin or references to Hitler or Nuremberg; chants with lines about 'Gaza/intifada' and the favourite dog whistle of the Jew-baiters: 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free'.

Film crews were questioned for their credentials and, in the case of a female reporter from GB News, given the full angry mob treatment.

Countdown star Rachel Riley (centre) today called on campaigners to 'get serious' about tackling antisemitism as she joined more than 100,000 protesters at a rally in central London. She is pictured with Tracy-Ann Oberman (left)

Demonstrators hold Israeli and British flags outside the Law Courts during a march against antisemitism today

Pictured left to right: Chief Rabbi Mirvis, Robert Rinder, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Eddie Marsan, Rachel Riley, Maureen Lipman and Vanessa Feltz take part in a march against antisemitism organised by the volunteer-led charity Campaign Against Antisemitism at the Royal Courts of Justice in London

Tens of thousands of people join the National March Against Anti-Semitism in central London

A protester holds a placard that says 'Spread Hummus Not Hate' at the march against anti-Semitism in Westminster

A demonstrator speaks into a microphone while waving an Israeli flag at Sunday's march

Marchers at the rally against anti-Semitism were seen walking through central London on the cold Sunday

Yesterday was the polar opposite. This had not set out to be any sort of counter-demonstration.

The only thing about which it was avowedly 'anti' was anti-Semitism itself. They had not come to pick a fight.

There were plenty of Israeli flags  plus plenty of Union flags and, interestingly, quite a few traditional Iranian flags (the Persian model with the lion and sun in the middle).

However, I saw no anti-Palestinian messaging beyond a single placard saying 'F*** Hamas'.

It was outnumbered by several dozen saying 'Hummus Against Hate'. That seemed closest to the spirit of this protest: To embrace and defend Jewishness rather than to attack that which threatens it.

At the outset I was struck by a teenager's banner saying: 'Fed up with hiding my Jewishness at school.'

No one was hiding it yesterday. I saw kippahs (skull caps) galore.

The marchers had gathered outside the High Court in the Strand. Boris Johnson and wife Carrie plus baby were spotted, though the ex-PM was there to show support rather than hold forth in front of the media.

Members of Jewish communities as far afield as Cornwall and Scotland had made the journey to be here. Dropping in at Pret a Manger, I found the shelves completely cleaned out of smoked salmon sandwiches long before lunchtime was over.

A boy drapes an Israeli flag around his shoulders as he attends the march against anti-Semitism

An elderly lady with an Israeli flag draped over her shoulders stands outside the Houses of Parliament

Demonstrators hold a banner which says 'Bring Them Home Now!', a reference to the hostages taken by Hamas during the terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7

Rallygoers hold a sign that says 'United Against AntiSemitism' at the demonstration today

Ms Riley (pictured speaking in Parliament Square today) urged people to stop being 'bystanders' and join in the fight to tackle antisemitism. She said: 'We've learned from history the sharp price to be paid when good people stay silent and I'm grateful to each and every one of you here today for refusing to be bystanders'

The actor Eddie Marsan arrives at the antisemitism protest today in London. He questioned why there 'were many who were hesitant to acknowledge or condemn the actions of Hamas'

Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and baby Frank joined the thousands of demonstrators gathered in central London today to rally against anti-Semitism

Mr Johnson, 59, appeared bundled up against the biting temperatures in a woolly hat, while 35-year-old Carrie held their child together in a baby carrier

Robert Rinder and Tracey-Ann Oberman take part in a march against antisemitism

Vanessa Feltz interviewing a person taking part in the march

Pictured: Eddie Marsan, Rachel Riley and Maureen Lipman at the rally

Despite the brittle defiance of the crowd, the unspoken nervousness was palpable. Police choppers thundered overhead and the fact that one police van was emblazoned in Welsh showed how far the Met had extended its call for reinforcements.

For reasons which remain unclear, far-Right rabble-rouser Tommy Robinson had turned up in breach of a police order and was arrested, pretty much the only disturbance of the day.

More than 1,000 officers lined the route. But what was the route? No one seemed to have a clue. As comedian David Baddiel remarked later: 'No one had any idea. It was indicative, as ever, of how Jews really don't run the world.'

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The fact that the public did not know was telling in itself. The police and organisers had kept it under wraps for fear of counter-protests  or worse, perhaps.

So, the throng set off down towards the Thames and then along the Embankment, up to Trafalgar Square.

Most assumed it would end there but it took a sharp left down Whitehall for Parliament Square. There, a truck with a sound system served as a stage for a succession of speakers.

Both the Government and Opposition had dispatched official representatives (Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, and Labour's science spokesman Peter Kyle).

The chief organiser, Gideon Falter of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, assured those who 'feared they had lost sight of the Britain they knew' that the day represented 'the real Britain'.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis specifically lamented the suffering of Palestinians as well as Israelis, before warning that 'a threat to the Jews is a threat to our entire society'.

The East End-born actor Eddie Marsan, who is not Jewish and described his religion as 'diversity', reminded the crowd that they had been here before. 'This is not the Jewish community's first rodeo,' he said, reflecting on the way the East End had come out to defend the Jews against Sir Oswald Mosley's fascists in 'the Battle of Cable Street' (where Marsan's father was born that same year). Now, London  and Britain  was having to do so again.

It ended with a stirring 'enough is enough' from Countdown's Rachel Riley, some singing and even a little dancing.

Dignified and uplifting it might have been but no one wanted to call this a success. Close to tears, the broadcaster Vanessa Feltz summed it up to me: 'I am sadder than I have ever been that we have had to be here at all.'
Ever since Matts partner Gina was given an ultimatum by her family about their relationship, and she chose him, he knew there was nothing he wouldnt do for her.

Ginas family didnt take a shining to me, so they gave her an ultimatum that it was either them or me ... she chose the road to go with me, he told Yahoo News Australia.

Forty-four years, and two sons later, the bond between the Melbourne couple is as strong as ever, even as they face excruciating hardship.

Matt is currently stranded in a US hospital while the love of his life fights for hers. He is desperately searching for a way to get her home and improve what little life she has left.

The couple have been together for 44 years. But are facing their toughest challenge. Source: supplied

Tragic diagnosis leads to ill-fated trip

In September 2022, at 61, Gina was diagnosed with Motor neurone disease (MND), an uncommon condition that affects the brain and nerves and causes the body to significantly weaken over time. She has had a very sharp decline, Matt said. Shes gone from this beautiful, vibrant person to someone who is trapped in this body that is dying around her.

After becoming frustrated and disenchanted with the medical options available in Australia and the difficulty of acquiring emerging drugs approved in other markets, Matt sought help in the United States. But about a week after their first appointment with specialised neurologists in the country, Gina fell ill with pneumonia and it wasnt long before she was rushed into intensive care.

It was a full on emergency, trauma scene in the room where they had to bring in all the people to stop her from crashing and intubate her, and put her on a ventilator to survive, Matt recalled. Gradually she has improved but currently remains on a ventilator, and will likely need to be for her remaining days.

Ive got a total commitment to Gina that Ive had since she was diagnosed, and even before that, Matt said, Its almost a daily thing I look her in the eyes and assure her that whatever it takes, were going to do it ... I just want to extend her life and giver her some better quality.

Story continues

Matt by Gina's side in Boston. Source: supplied

Ordeal to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars

Speaking to Yahoo through tears from the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Matt explained they tried to do everything required before leaving Australia. They applied for the best travel insurance available  but unfortunately they do ask about preexisting conditions and we provided all that information, he said. By an unfortunate stroke of luck were now abandoned.

As a result, the family is not covered for the medical expenses and is looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills. He has been speaking with doctors in Australia, including the Victorian Respiratory Support Service, about getting her back to Melbourne. However quotes for the specialised flight that would be required are expected to be as much as US$250,000 ($A370,000). A second option to take Gina for care at a specialised facility in the US wants $200,000 before we walk through the doors, Matt explained.

In the meantime he and Gina are racking up roughly $10,000 to $15,000 in hospital bills per day. In total, the costs could feasibly approach half a million dollars.

We gotta get her home, she loves her house. She loves her things  she misses her dog, he lamented.

Gina in her younger years. Source: supplied

Response from Aussies 'reignited my faith in humanity'

After flying over to the US, the couples two sons, Marcus and Sam, landed back in Australia on Sunday. Theyve helped set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help pay the rapidly rising medical costs being incurred by the family. After being created just a few days ago, it has so far raised more than $14,000.

It has reignited my faith in humanity, Matt says. That people who dont know us, theyre giving small donations ... This whole journey has changed me for the better.

As he fights for his wife, he admits to being disappointed with the Australian consulate for the lack of support available. But like the generosity shown by ordinary Aussies, he has been bowled over by the inspirational medical staff he has encountered in the US  a stark contrast, he said, to what's typically been offered to the couple in Australia.

You wouldn't believe the roadblocks ... its like were 40 years behind. I get to America and everyone is bending over backwards to help.

Ive pursued every avenue I can just to extend her life and make her life the best possible journey for her, Matt said. Now he's just desperately hoping for one more critical journey.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The demonstration against the cancer of anti-Semitism which snaked through the capital was dignified, deeply moving and intensely powerful.

Not since the Battle of Cable Street nearly 90 years ago, when Oswald Mosley's fascist thugs were challenged by ordinary Britons, has there been a greater display of support for the country's Jewish community.

Organisers estimated 105,000 took part in yesterday's march, although not solely Jews. This was a chance to show solidarity with a community that has felt under terrifying threat since the Hamas pogroms.

There has been a steep rise in anti-Semitic hate crime since the attacks. Security has been stepped up at schools and synagogues. Posters of murdered toddlers or Israeli hostages have been torn down or defaced.

The march was good-humoured, too, and patriotic  pausing at the Cenotaph for participants to sing God Save The King.

The organisers have said it is the largest demonstration against anti-Semitism since 1936, with 104,000 estimated to be here

The march was good-humoured, too, and patriotic  pausing at the Cenotaph for participants to sing God Save The King

A group gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice for the rally organised by charity Campaign Against Antisemitism

Contrast this with the foam-flecked rage seen at pro-Palestine demonstrations over the past seven weeks. On those, flag-toting goons have clambered over poppy-bedecked war memorials, fireworks have been launched at police, and anti-Semitic chants and placards have been rife.

Even with a ceasefire, the intimidating protests continued on Saturday. The unpleasant truth is, a sizeable minority don't want an absence of hostilities. They want an absence of Israel.

Yesterday's peaceful march was a challenge to that warped worldview.

The Left frequently delights in belittling Britain. That so many people have refused to stand silently by as our Jewish neighbours again face the evil of anti-Semitism is something to be proud of.

Brexit in the fast lane

Of all Project Fear's scare stories, few have proved as embarrassingly wrong as the warning that Nissan would up sticks and quit Britain.

Remainers gloated that with our ties to the EU severed, the Japanese car giant would close its Sunderland plant, putting thousands of workers on the dole.

More in barely suppressed glee than in sorrow, naysayers were almost willing it to happen as the city's comeuppance for voting Leave.

Far from shutting up shop in the North East, however, Nissan is investing billions to mass-produce two electric car models there as well as building an enormous new battery 'gigafactory', creating and securing countless jobs.

After the Brexit referendum, there had been fears over the future of Nissan's Sunderland hub (pictured), which employs 6,000 people and supports 70,000 supply chain jobs

And at the weekend, the multinational's bosses, in the past so critical of Brexit, admitted its impact had been 'negligible'.

Hardcore Remainers might gnash their teeth, but this verdict is a huge vote of confidence in our post-Brexit economic future. As a symbol of our ability to succeed on the international stage after unshackling ourselves from the failing superstate, it could hardly be more totemic.

Charity chumps

There was a time when the purpose of a charity was to help the downtrodden.

These days, though, one gets the impression that some of these organisations see supporting the vulnerable as an unwanted distraction from woke activism.

The latest to go down this road is the Tudor Trust, which gives 20million a year to good causes. The trust is changing its entire board... for the sin of being all white.

The Tudor Trust is undergoing a woke makeover that has meant stopping all grants for 20 months while it 're-thinks' its future

Director Christopher Graves (left) retired in February, then in March interim director Raji Hunjan (right) announced it was not reopening grant applications as it had not done enough to become an 'anti-racist organisation'

As part of this diversity drive, staff and trustees will learn about contested political agendas including racial justice, white supremacy culture and colonisation.

During this shake-up, it will not award grants to new applicants  meaning some will miss out on badly needed funding.

When will this damaging self-flagellation cease? Here's a radical idea: Why don't charities revert to judging people by their characters  not the colour of their skin?
A trusted Royal aide has been caught shoplifting at luxury department store Fortnum and Mason, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Security guards are said to have discovered a bracelet in the woman's handbag after challenging her as she tried to leave through a side exit. Instead of alerting police, they warned she would be ejected if she set foot in the store again.

At the time, the aide was being 'monitored' because she allegedly helped herself to make-up samples during a previous visit. Sources told this newspaper that her Royal connection is known to Fortnum's staff.

Known as the late Queen's favourite store, 316-year-old Fortnum and Mason on Piccadilly has a long and close relationship with the Royal Family. The store holds two Royal Warrants. One was granted by Queen Elizabeth, the other by Charles.

Chiefly known as a purveyor of fine food and drink, in particular hampers, Fortnum's also sells other luxury goods.

A general view of Fortnum and Mason's department store on Piccadilly, London

The aide was observed on her most recent visit to the second level  the 'Georgian-inspired beauty floor'  by security staff who were wearing body cameras. It is understood she then left the floor and walked down a flight of stairs, heading for the Duke Street side exit, opposite an art gallery.

When apprehended, she is said to have claimed there had been a misunderstanding, but was told the theft was captured on film. Sources said the bracelet's white security tag had been removed.

Asked about the incident last night, a Fortnum and Mason spokesperson said: 'No comment.' Buckingham Palace also declined to comment.

It is understood that the aide was accompanied by another royal employee who was unaware of the theft.

The woman concerned is described by colleagues as 'utterly faithful' and indispensable to the Royal Family.

According to sources, the incident in September caused 'surprise and disappointment' within the Royal Household.

She has remained in her job, however, and is not expected to face disciplinary action.

Britain's shoplifting epidemic has been highlighted over the past two months by a Mail on Sunday campaign calling for the police, prosecutors and courts to be much tougher with offenders. Asda chairman Lord Stuart Rose has said: 'Theft has become minimised and decriminalised. It's just not seen as a crime any more.'

Thieves are exploiting lax policing, a 'soft touch' justice system and the fact that some store staff are told not to tackle shoplifters for fear they could be attacked by the criminals  or even prosecuted themselves for intervening.

Retailers say they lost more than 1 billion in stolen goods last year, forcing them to raise prices at a time when consumers are already struggling with escalating food costs.

Last year it was reported that Fortnum's had apparently lost faith in police to catch shoplifters, instead using private detectives and bringing its own prosecutions.

The store's links to the Royals date back to its foundation. William Fortnum was a footman in Queen Anne's household and started the business from a legitimate perk.

Queen Anne's insistence on having new candles every night resulted in large amounts of half-used wax, which Fortnum promptly resold. He also had a side business as a grocer. He convinced his landlord, Hugh Mason, to be his associate, and they founded the first Fortnum & Mason store in Mason's small shop at St James's Market in 1707.

Queen Elizabeth, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (L-R) look at their hampers after being presented with gifts at the Fortnum and Mason food store in London March 1, 2012

What successive monarchs bought from the store is largely a mystery. But in 1855 Queen Victoria asked for 250lbs of concentrated Beef Tea to be sent to Florence Nightingale in the Crimea 'without delay'.

It was in Victoria's reign that the store started to display the Royal Arms on packaging. Its luxuries were popular with her son and successor Edward VII. Marmalade, exotic fruits, tea and coffee were regularly dropped off at his London residence, Marlborough House. The Queen Mother had clothes made for Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret by a Fortnum's designer. She reportedly drank a cup of Fortnum's Earl Grey tea at breakfast every morning.

As an adult, Princess Margaret, was a regular visitor and could often be seen eating smoked salmon with scrambled eggs washed down with whisky at her own table in the store's Fountain restaurant.

Last year, it emerged that some of a 900,000 cash donation that King Charles, then Prince of Wales, received from a Qatari sheikh was stuffed into Fortnum and Mason carrier bags.

It was not suggested either party had done anything illegal.

Middle class 'swipers' fuel shoplifting crisis

The spike in shoplifting is being partly driven by middle-class offenders walking out without paying if items are not scanned properly by self-service checkouts, experts say.

Criminologist Emmeline Taylor said high-earning pilferers often don't regard shoplifting as a crime.

'The number of middle-class shoplifters is growing and has been since the introduction of self-service checkouts,' she told The Times. 'They would not steal using any other technique, they're not interested in putting chocolate down their pants or a piece of steak in their coat.'

Prof Taylor, professor of criminology at City, University of London, has coined the acronym Swipers to describe the new phenomenon of well-heeled shoplifters. It stands for 'seemingly well-intentioned patrons engaging in regular shoplifting'.

Prof Taylor added: 'At some point the dial shifts and middle-class shoppers go from being opportunistic shoplifters to thinking 'that felt quite good'.

'The next stage is they start becoming alert to the opportunities and then start seeking them out.'

Prof Taylor said Swipers would often play on the fact they were middle-class if they got caught. 'They will say, 'Oh gosh, I'm sorry', and they've got all these excuses just ready to go.

'They won't think of themselves as thieves, they'll think that they've cheated the system. '

lTell us what you think? Email letters@mailonsunday.co.uk
Spinning slowly in circles in his small concrete tank in an off-limits area of an aquarium, Romeo the manatee is the picture of loneliness.

The 67-year-old has been at the Miami Seaquarium - the same center where the 'loneliest whale in the world', Lolita, died earlier this year - since 1956, and campaigners say he has been kept in isolation since at least April.

Manatees are semi-social animals and 'suffer psychologically when not living in pairs or groups' - but Romeo has long been separated from his partner, and the mother of his offspring, Juliet, and has been alone since his other companions were released.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture slammed the site operators, The Dolphin Company, for their treatment of Romeo and general poor care.

Video of Romeo swimming forlornly in his tank - estimated to be just 30ft wide - went viral last week as surfing legend Kelly Slater backed a campaign for his release, which quickly gained more than 20,000 signatures.

The drone footage shows Romeo alone in a small concrete tank in an 'off-limits' area of the park where he is allegedly kept alone

The drone footage shows Romeo alone in a small concrete tank in an 'off-limits' area of the park where he is allegedly kept alone

Romeo has been kept at the Seaquarium since 1956 and campaigners say he has been alone since at least April of this year

The video, shot by campaign group UrgentSeas, pans over a desolate area of the park before zooming in on the solitary figure of Romeo, spinning in circles in the murky waters.

UrgentSeas co-founder, Phil Demers, claims that Romeo has been kept alone in the tank in 'Pompano pools' which are closed to the public, since at least last April.

It is not clear exactly how long he has been alone, or why he cannot be with his partner Juliet, but Demers said: 'He was separated from Juliet a long time ago - I think it's a breeding issue, they aren't allowed to breed manatees.

'He used to have companions when new manatees were brought in, but that was a long time ago.'

Sharing the new video online, he wrote: 'This video was taken on November 13, 2023, above the Miami Seaquarium.

'Romeo, a 67-year-old manatee lives in complete isolation in ever-deteriorating conditions. We must fight for Romeo!'

Romeo's plight was picked up by 11-time World Surf League champ Kelly Slater who called for people to put pressure on the Florida seaquarium to release him.

Kelly Slater told DailyMail.com: 'Im always confused and sad seeing these stories. For context, I dont know how the manatee ended up in the aquarium or if there is a reason it cant be returned to the wild but my thoughts on it are that manatees are very social creatures and very free, roaming large distances across the state of Florida.

'Theyre the gentlest creatures in the world and such a great and recognizable mammal in our state. It seems the humane thing to do to return these animals to their rightful place in nature, along with cetaceans of all kinds which shouldnt be in captivity at all unless terribly injured and unable to return to the wild and have quality of life.

'I grew up swimming with and admiring manatees my whole life and it would be a feel good story to see this manatee returned safely to live out its days in the wild.'

Footage from April showed Romeo alone in the same tank in the Pompano pools. The pool was uncovered at the time, prompting concerns there was nowhere for him to shelter from the sun

He could be seen swimming into the shaded area of the tank, while two other tanks in the off-limits area stood empty

Sharing the video on Instagram, Slater said: 'This is crazy. Would be cool if everyone pressured #MiamiSeaquarium (they don't allow tags) to let this 67-year-old manatee be free for the remainder of its life and have some companionship. Is there any reason it can't be released?'

The Miami Seaquarium says on its website that Romeo and his partner Juliet were 'rescued in 1956' and are 'local celebrities' at the aquarium where they have lived for 66 years.

Romeo's partner, Juliet, who he has had multiple calves with is also still at the Seaquarium, but she is kept in a separate 'celebrity' tank on the main site.

But Demers claims that Romeo has been kept 'all alone' in the 'off-limits' Pompano pools that are closed to the public.

He added: 'Manatees are semi-social animals and suffer psychologically when not living in pairs or groups.

'But Romeo remains all alone. All the time.'

Manatees can live to between 50 and 60-years-old in wild, and up to 65 in captivity, making Romeo a senior.

In a report release earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cited the Miami Seaquarium for alleged insufficient animal care and staffing problems - and slammed them for their treatment of Romeo.

The report said that Romeo had been housed alone in his enclosure because the three other manatees he was living with were released back into the wild in the spring.

And despite numerous attempts to acquire another manatee the Seaquarium did not meet the requirements to do so.

The report noted: 'Although numerous attempts have been made to acquire another manatee it was determined the facility did not yet meet the requirements to receive another animal.

'Manatees are semi-social animals and do better medically and psychologically when they are housed in pairs or groups.'

Romeo has been at the Miami Seaquarium since 1956, he is now 67 years old

Surfing legend Kelly Slater has backed the campaign to free Romeo

The USDA said: 'Marine mammals, whenever known to be primarily social in the wild, must be housed in their primary enclosure with at least one compatible animal of the same or biologically related species.'

In March 2022, the lease for the site was transferred to The Dolphin Company - since then, the USDA has issued a series of violation warnings, and findings of animals hurt and in distress.

The most recent report accused the aquarium of issues with inadequate veterinary care, animal handling, facilities and critical separation.

Dolphins were found to have eaten concrete and zip ties while one had broken ribs after an attack.

The report said the facility had 'failed to provide proper equipment or services to ensure adequate veterinary care' and failed 'to maintain a marine mammal enclosure in good repair and protect the animals from injury.'

Despite the report, the November footage showed Romeo was still alone in the tiny pool surrounded by three other empty and stained tanks.

Manatees are classed as a threatened species in the US with just 7,500 in the wild in Florida.

The slow-moving creatures swim and rest in very shallow water and are very curious, making them vulnerable to injury by boat propellers.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was forced to declare a 'Manatee Mortality Event' after thousands of the creatures died in the last three years.

So far this year, 497 manatees have died from natural and man-made causes.

Research by the Commission found 82 had been killed in collisions with boats in the state so far this year.

A further 20 were killed by contact with humans or other man-made structures like flood gates.

Demers claims the Seaquarium are taking legal action against him

Miami Seaquarium posted 'November is Manatee Awareness Month!' on its Facebook account on November 9. A popular comment replying to the post asked: 'What about Romeo?'

Patrick M. Rose, aquatic biologist and executive director at Save the Manatee Club told DailyMail.com: 'The situation as it played out was completely unacceptable.

'This went on much longer than it should have, but now I have confidence it will be corrected.

The Club is attempting to work with the Seaquarium to improve his conditions, he said: 'Every effort is going to be made to ensure his circumstances are brought up to the appropriate levels - we arent going to rest until that happens.'

He added that because Romeo has been in captivity for so long, the 'odds would be strongly against him' to survive in the wild and he would be better off in a safe environment with health care and other manatees.

A petition to free Romeo has over 20,000 signatures. It reads: 'We demand them to do the right thing and release Romeo now!

'He should be allowed freedom, can you imagine swimming in circles in a tiny, dirty tank for decades?'

Demers wrote in the comments section of the Urgent Seas video that he plans to take action with 'a protest at the Miami Seaquarium on Dec. 16, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. See you there!'

He also claimed that the Seaquarium is taking legal action against him, saying: 'The Miami Seaquarium's lawyers have filed a motion seeking a gag order against me.

'They're suing me for publishing drone videos of their poor treatment of animals and the atrocious conditions they live in. More to come.'

Miami Seaquarium posted 'November is Manatee Awareness Month!' on its Facebook account on November 9. A popular comment replying to the post asked: 'What about Romeo?'

Lolita, the 'loneliest whale in the world', died aged 57

Experts and concerned individuals had long protested against Lolita's conditions in captivity, including the size of her 80-foot long and 35-foot wide tank

Romeo is being kept in the same Seaquarium that Lolita the orca died in in March this year.

Lolita was once dubbed the 'loneliest whale in the world' and died aged 57, just months before her scheduled retirement.

Experts and concerned individuals had long protested against Lolita's conditions in captivity, including the size of her 80-foot long and 35-foot wide tank, the smallest of its kind in the US.

Just 10 years after Lolita arrived at the aquarium, her companion Hugo died of an aneurysm that was caused by repeated head trauma, earning her the title of the world's loneliest whale.

Lolita was the oldest whale in captivity at age 56 and performed until 2022 when she was finally retired after falling ill.

DailyMail.com contacted Miami Seaquarium for comment.
Celebrities are often 'forced' to make public apologies when their words and actions fall flat among fans, which are typically drawn up by frantic public relations teams.

But some A-listers appear to be using a new technique to issue generic and safe ways to say sorry - artificial intelligence.

This is according to new research that fed AI-detecting systems apologies from well-known people like Elon Musk, Doja Cat, Mila Kunis, and Ashton Kutcher this year.

The Hollywood couple came under fire in September after writing letters to the judge in the case of convicted rapist Danny Masterson

The study deployed four AI-detection tools to uncover possible evidence of hastily crafted, insincere apologies penned by an AI chatbot: ChatGPTZero, Undetectable.ai, Copyleaks and Sapling.

Tech research website EarthWeb.com selected candidates based on apology view counts, likes, shares and comments.

The team collected apologies from posts and videos and transcribed the content, which was scanned through the four systems and then analyzed for the likelihood of AI generation.

Overall percentages were then calculated, finding averages of each percentage found on different AI detector tools for that celebrity.

Tiffany Gomas - 72% chance of AI help

Viral TikTok sensation Tiffany Gomas, whose unhinged reaction to another airline passenger spanned the internet, scored a combined 72 percent likelihood that AI-generated her video-taped Instagram apology.

The transcribed text of the content was found to be 99 percent likely AI on Sapling and 45 percent likely AI on ChatGPTZero.

DailyMail.com has contacted Gomas for comment.

Erica Mena - 69% chance of AI help

The 35-year-old Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta star  who was fired from the show following a racist slur she made against her co-star Spice  apologized for her comments via an official statement to TMZ in September.

'I deeply regret my insensitive comment and want to humbly apologize to anybody I hurt or offended by my thoughtlessness,' the model said.

I am committed to listening to the voices of those affected and will work toward making amends,' she continued.

'As a woman of color and the mother of two black children, I want to make it clear that my use of that word was not in any way racially driven.

The research from EarthWeb claims the likelihood AI generated the apology is 69 percent.

DailyMail.com has contacted Mena for comment.

Cassidy McGill - 62% chance of AI help

The contestant on Love Island Australia issued an apology in January after an image of her holding a plate with white powder circulated on social media.

In a post shared to Instagram Stories, the 27-year-old wrote: 'This past week I've been taking time to reflect on my actions.

'I made a mistake, which I do not take lightly. This behavior is out of character and I am truly sorry to have let you all down.

'I hope over time I can earn your trust and respect back. Thank you to those who have reached out.'

The research from EarthWeb claims the likelihood AI generated it is 62 percent.

DailyMail.com has contacted McGill for comment.

Joe Rogan - 52% chance of AI help

Controversial podcast host Joe Rogan, who was compelled earlier this year to apologize for promoting a tweet of false information, scored a 52 percent chance that his apology let AI go through the motions for him.

Controversial podcast host Joe Rogan was compelled earlier this year to apologize for promoting a tweet of false information

When run through Sapling  criticized for misidentifying text by non-English natives as AI text  Rogan's apology jumped to a whopping 99.9 likelihood of AI assistance.

The research from EarthWeb claims the likelihood AI generated the apology is 52 percent.

DailyMail.com has contacted Rogan for comment.

Doja Cat - 50% chance of AI help

The American rapper apologized earlier this month after using her Instagram account to taunt haters

The American rapper apologized earlier this month after using her Instagram account to taunt haters in a video where she stuck her tongue out and repeatedly said 'bleah!'

Doja, whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, quickly followed up with an apology video in her Story.

'Hey, everyone, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean any harm by it,' she said.

'Looking back, I realize it was a bit unkind. I recognize that my actions might have come across as rather unsettling and assured, I genuinely mean it.'

The research from EarthWeb claims the likelihood AI generated the apology is 50 percent.

DailyMail.com has contacted Doja Cat for comment.

Lunden and Olivia Stallings - 33% chance of AI help

Lunden Stallings was forced to address the 'embarrassing' situation on camera with her new wife Olivia Bennett present - just days after the lesbian couple wed at their picturesque nuptials.

In posts from 2012 to 2014, Stallings allegedly used the n-word dozens of times in reference to song lyrics and also in her normal day-to-day posts, screenshots show.

One of the tweets read: 'N****s all about my business,' while another said: 'I'm about to clown n****s that snapchat me.'

Lunden Stallings (left) , was forced to address the 'embarrassing' situation on camera with her new wife Olivia Bennett present

In another, she wrote: 'N****s go behind ya back like nun chucks.'

Lunden, who hails from Georgia, said in a TikTok apology: 'There's been some tweets of mine that I learned about yesterday, back 10 to 12 years ago, that had resurfaced.

'That's not who I am, who I was as a teenager.

'I just want to acknowledge and recognize that I am completely and utterly disgusted and ashamed and honestly embarrassed at how normal it was for me to speak that way on Twitter and for my friends and I to address each other that way or for me to sing along in rap songs.

'That's nobody else's fault but mine.'

The nine-minute apology continued: 'I wholeheartedly take responsibility for this. I am sorry.'

The research from EarthWeb claims the likelihood AI generated the apology is 33 percent.

Daily Mail.com has contacted Lunden for comment.

Ming Tsai - 32% chance of AI help

Iron Chef star Ming Tsai came under fire in March for joking that he 'roofied' another female chef before he brushed off the MeToo Movement.

The research from EarthWeb claims the likelihood AI generated the apology is 32 percent

Tsai shared a lengthy apology in an Instagram post, stating the comments he made he 'regrets.'

The research from EarthWeb claims the likelihood AI generated the apology is 32 percent.

DailyMail.com has contacted Tsai for comment.

Matty Healy - 25% chance of AI help

The 1975 frontman publicly apologized in July for previous statements, but more recently, Healy had come under fire for comments about Harry Styles and Ice Spice.

He took to the stage during a recent London gig to address some of the offensive comments he's made.

'I'm not someone who takes things for granted. The 1975 isn't a dry band. There's a lot of irony in it. Like, 'Love Me', for example  it doesn't make sense unless I'm taking the piss out of myself,' said Healy.

'I was always trying stuff. And some stuff I got right and some stuff I got wrong. But, do you know what? There's a lot of things I've said, jokes that I've made, there's probably a couple of f   king songs I'd take back if I had the chance.

'What I mean is that I really am only doing this because I want to make you guys laugh and feel good. That's what my favorite art does and that's what I'm trying to do. I get a bit excited.'

The research from EarthWeb claims the likelihood AI generated the apology is 25 percent.

DailyMail.com has contacted Healy for comment.

Whoopi Goldberg - 25% chance of AI help

The View host apologized in March for using a Romani slur during an episode of the show.

While speaking with fellow co-hosts, the 67-year-old said: 'The people who still believe that he got, you know, gypped somehow, will still believe that he cared enough about his wife to pay that money from his personal thing. I just don't understand. If that was the case, then why all the subterfuge? Why is Michael Cohen paying for it?'

She quickly issued an apology via video: 'You know, when you're a certain age you use the words that you know from when you were a kid or you remember saying, and that's what I did today and I shouldn't have. I should have thought about it a little longer before I said it and I didn't. I should have said 'cheated,' and I used another word, and I'm really, really sorry.'

The research from EarthWeb claims the likelihood AI generated the apology is 25 percent.

DailyMail.com has contacted Goldberg for comment.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher - 24% chance of AI help

The Hollywood couple came under fire in September after writing letters to the judge in the case of convicted rapist Danny Masterson.

Masterson was handed a 30 years to life sentence earlier this week after a jury found him guilty of raping two women in the early 2000s.

'We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,' Ashton began in a short video shared on Instagram after it was revealed that he and his wife had vouched for their former That 70s Show co-star and friend.

The research from EarthWeb claims that the likelihood of AI generating an apology is 24 percent.

DailyMail.com has contacted Kunis and Kutcher for comment.

Elon Musk - 23% chance of AI help

The X CEO went on a firing spree when he took over Twitter, which sparked a row between him and a product designer who was left wondering if he was still employed.

Elon Musk sparked a row with a product designer who worked for what was Twitter at time

The new study, by tech research site EarthWeb, focused on 38 of the most infamous celebrity apologies in 2023, with Elon Musk issuing an apology after a row on what is now X

Halli Thorleifsson believed he was one of the 200 employees laid off at the end of February, having sold his company in 2021 to join Twitter, prompted by the worsening of a degenerative muscle condition.

The esteemed designer claimed in a tweet that, nine days on, Twitter's head of human resources still had 'not been able to confirm if [he] is an employee or not' and that Musk had not answered his emails.

Musk later wrote: 'The reality is that this guy (who is independently wealthy) did no actual work, claimed as his excuse that he had a disability that prevented him from typing, yet was simultaneously tweeting up a storm. Can't say I have a lot of respect for that.

'But was he fired?' he added. 'No, you can't be fired if you weren't working in the first place.'

However, Musk apologized via X, stating: 'I would like to apologize to Halli for my misunderstanding of his situation. It was based on things I was told that were untrue or, in some cases, true but not meaningful. He is considering remaining at Twitter.'

The research from EarthWeb claims that the likelihood of AI generating an apology is 23 percent.

DailyMail.com has contacted Musk for comment.

Irina Solomonova - 22% chance of AI help

Love Is Blind season four star issued an apology to her Netflix co-stars and viewers in April for her 'immature and naive' behavior.

Love Is Blind season four star issued an apology to her Netflix co-stars and viewers in April for her 'immature and naive' behavior

Solomonova was criticized for being a 'mean girl' to other women on the show.

The apology, shared on Instagram, stated: 'The first thing I want to say is that I have privately apologized to the people that I have hurt and mistreated. Second of all, I wanted to say I am so, so, so sorry for the people that watched the show that felt frustrated, angry, hurt by the way that I was mistreating people on the show. It was very immature and naive of me in a lot of those situations.

'None of those people deserved to be treated the way that I treated them. i know that none of those things were OK. I am actually someone that wants to make people 'feel seen' and felt like she acted the 'exact opposite.

'I feel like being on the show was like getting a mirror put in front of your face, in the sense of seeing yourself from a different perspective. That opened up so much to me and I'm still processing and going through everything that happened.'

The research from EarthWeb claims that the likelihood of AI generating an apology is 22 percent.

Solomonova told DailyMail.com: 'No, I wrote that from my heart. But Chat gpt would have probably given me better advice.'
Drawing in millions of tourists per year, the Egyptian pyramids are a bucket list item for many travellers.

Yet, for some, a trip to the ancient site involves wading through vendors and scammers who are eager to rid visitors of their money.

To help tourists identify who's genuine and who's a con artist, travel vlogger Sam Mayfair has highlighted four popular 'hustles' to be aware of when exploring the pyramids in a highly useful - and fascinating - YouTube video.

The 39-year-old from Surrey explains that his advice is primarily geared towards solo travellers without a guide.

Scroll down for more...

Travel vlogger Sam Mayfair (above) from Surrey revealed four scams to be aware of at the Pyramids

'You're going the wrong way hustle'

One common scam to look out for, Sam explains, is the 'you're going the wrong way hustle'.

In the video, as Sam explores the Giza pyramid complex, a man is seen in the distance slowly walking towards him, shouting that he is going the wrong way. Sam simply ignores him and walks away.

'You're going the wrong way hustle': This is a scam, says Sam, by someone who's trying to get visitors to follow him - so he can take pictures of you and charge you

Sam explains: 'If you're walking around the pyramids without a guide, these guys will keep constantly coming up to you.

'They try to confuse you by telling you you're going the wrong way and out of the complex. All they're really trying to do is get you to follow them so they can take some pictures of you with the pyramids and charge you an extortionate amount.'

To avoid being hustled, Sam advises his followers to say no and keep walking, explaining that there are 'only two exits to the pyramid complex so you can't really go wrong'.

'The whistle hustle'

Sam describes the whistle hustle as his 'favourite scam'. It involves a hustler using a whistle to convince tourists they are an authority figure. In the video Sam simply walks past the scammer

Another classic hustle at the pyramids, Sam says, is 'the whistle hustle', where a scammer will equip themselves with a whistle to confuse tourists - and to simultaneously project authority.

In the video, a man blowing a whistle approaches Sam as he walks towards the pyramids, and points in the opposite direction.

Sam says: 'The whistle hustle is probably one of my favourite ones. Tese guys will just come up, blow their whistle at you, and point and you assume that they're an authority because they have a whistle.

'Most people tend to just follow them. But again, all they're trying to do is take you somewhere to show you something very quickly and then charge you for it.

'The camel ride semi-hustle'

Sam says hustlers at the pyramids may try to get you to ride their camel or charge you for a photo. If you're tempted to hop on, Sam says it's essential to agree on a 'return price'

Sam advises tourists to watch out for people approaching them on camels, as they may be involved in the 'camel ride semi-hustle'.

The video shows a man on a camel trying to engage Sam in conversation, asking him where he is from and saying: 'You look like [an] Egyptian brother.'

While it is often a 'very friendly approach', he says 'all he's trying to do is get you to ride his camel'.

As Sam refuses and walks away, the scammer asks him to take a picture with him, but the travel vlogger warns: 'If you do take a picture, you're going to have to pay him.'

He adds: 'And if you want to go on a camel ride, make sure to negotiate and agree a return price.

'I say a return price because sometimes they can take you out into the desert and ask you to pay again to return.'

'It's a free gift hustle'

Sam says some hustlers 'use different tactics', such as the man above who tried to force the traveller into accepting a 'free gift' - if they managed to prise one into your hands, Sam says 'just give it back to them straight away and walk off'

Perhaps the most blatant of the four scams Sam highlights is the 'free gift hustle'. Sam claims that these hustlers use 'different tactics' to the other scammers.

In the video, which shows the scam in action, a man approaches Sam, asks him where he comes from and tries to force a 'free gift' in his hand for 'good luck'.

But Sam warns: 'Even if they tell you it's a gift for good luck or whatever, it's not free, so just bear that in mind.

'They will sometimes even come up to you and put something on your shoulder and will just walk off. So just give it back to them straight away and walk off.'

Despite his experience with 'persistent' scammers in Egypt, Sam told MailOnline Travel: 'I would highly recommend going to the Pyramids and exploring Egypt.

'Its one of the few remaining wonders of the ancient world and is a truly remarkable piece of engineering and an example of human determination.'

In his video, Sam also stresses: 'Do bear in mind that not everyone is a hustler and not everyone is trying to scam you. Some people are just trying to make a living.'

He told MailOnline that scammers are not just 'limited to Egypt' and explained that he has encountered hustlers in many tourist destinations, including France, Italy and Turkey.

According to Sam 'not everyone is a hustler' at the pyramids, and these scammers shouldn't deter tourists from visiting 'one of the few remaining wonders of the ancient world'. Sam is pictured above inside Bent Pyramid, an ancient Egyptian pyramid located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur

The travel vlogger claims: 'Westerners have a fear of appearing to be rude to others so often scammers play on this and take advantage by trying to make people feel guilty and giving in to them.'

However, to completely avoid being hustled, Sam advises getting a 'local licensed guide'. He said: 'They will look after you and keep scammers away. Most hotels in Cairo can arrange guides.'

He continued: 'Finally, my advice to all visitors to Egypt is just use your common sense - dont be afraid to negotiate prices as its part of Egyptian culture.'

For more from Sam, visit him on YouTube or TikTok.
An Irish-Jewish woman catapulted hundreds of talented working class youngsters into superstardom after nurturing them at her modest drama school in north London.

The Anna Scher Theatre, which started as a drama club in 1968, was created to help get children off the streets. Soon, there were classes of more than 70, some as young as six-years-old, paying 10p a session.

Many were working class with little intention of becoming actors or famous, but industry legend Anna Scher, who passed away on November 12 aged 78, helped them to become some of the UK's biggest names in TV and film.

Among Scher's renowned list of well-known alumni are Kathy Burke, Martin and Gary Kemp, Patsy Palmer, Linda Robson and Adam Deacon.

Oscar-winning star Daniel Kaluuya is another glittering graduate, and thanked Scher in his acceptance speech after winning the Rising Star Bafta in 2018.

The Anna Scher Theatre was dedicated to helping the working class and launched the careers of various famous actors (Scher, middle, pictured among children at the school in 1977)

Many were working class with little intention of becoming actors or famous, but industry legend Anna Scher, who passed away on November 12 aged 78, helped them to become some of the UK's biggest names in TV and film

Patsy Palmer attended the famous school. Her first on screen appearance was on the TV series 'The Gentle Touch' before going on to have a successful career, most notably playing Bianca Jackson in Eastenders

Following Scher's death, some of these famous names paid tribute to the icon, crediting her for their success.

Which famous names attended the drama school? Kathy Burke, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson, Martin Kemp, Natalie Cassidy, Patsy Palmer, Sid Owen, Jake Wood, Reggie Yates, Daniel Kaluuya, Brooke Kinsella and Adam Deacon. Advertisement

Kathy Burke wrote on social media that the 'magnificently mighty' and 'wonderful' Scher, along with her late husband, were 'responsible for 100s of us having a better life'.

Another student, EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy, 40, who paid pocket money for Anna's tuition, said she will always feel grateful.

'For three hours a week I felt like I mattered, along with everybody else in the room,' she told the Mirror. 'Anna took me under her wing, and was stern, but kind.

'She saw something within this funny looking little eight-year-old that no one else did. Without Anna Scher I wouldn't be where I am.

'Anna's kids have something others don't. It's a raw, "I am who I am, I'm nothing special but I'll give it a go". We don't have airs or graces. We are very grateful and thankful.'

Fellow Albert Square star Patsy Palmer, 51, felt the same. 'Most of us kids would've never had the opportunity to be actors or writers,' she wrote in her tribute. 'She gave us that.'

Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya is another from the coveted list, and thanked Scher in his acceptance speech after winning the rising star Bafta in 2018

Actor and rapper Adam Deacon catapulted to success after starting out at Scher's school

Linda Robson is best known for playing Tracey Stubbs in the sitcom Birds of a Feather and her appearances as a weekly panellist on the ITV series Loose Women

Zawe Ashton rose to fame as an actress and playwright (pictured left in 2006 and right in 2003)

Kathy Burke (pictured left in 1983) wrote that the 'magnificently mighty' and 'wonderful' Scher (pictured right, with Kathy) along with her late husband, were 'responsible for 100s of us having a better life'

Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp, 64, who attended with brother Martin said he was also given unique support.

'She gave so many local Islington kids an opportunity not just to act in TV, film and theatre, but to discover what was great about themselves,' he said.

'Her method was praise framed by good ethics, professionalism and punctuality. Children bereft of compliments and self-belief were changed, lifted by her belief in the poetry of the arts and the power of goodwill.'

Scher was born on 26 December 1944 in Cork to Irish Jewish parents Eric, of Lithuanian-Jewish descent and Claire.

Life was upended for her on June 15, 1959, when the family left Cork for good, sailing for Fishguard on the Innisfallen.

Her father had decided that there were insufficient Jewish boys in Cork and that his daughters would stand a better chance of finding a match in Hove, East Sussex.

She later won a place at Hove Grammar School and then begun taking classes at Brighton School of Music and Art, but her father Eric was not pleased.

In time she reached a compromise with her father and trained as a teacher at Trent Park College of Education (now part of Middlesex University) before starting work at Ecclesbourne Junior School, in Islington, where she worked with children whose first language was not English.

She inevitably found her way back to drama and by 1968 was taking lunchtime classes in the school library. In 1970 after being handed an ultimatum to cut the classes or leave, she moved her classes to a council hall across the road.

Scher received an MBE in 2013 and was given a lifetime achievement award at the National Film awards in 2018

She prided herself on a philosophy of promoting love, peace and understanding at her north London school

The classes quickly spiralled to 70 pupils paying 10p a session. Ages ranged from six to 60s. There 'is no upper age limit', she said.

Scher didn't hold auditions, but had a waiting list that once stretched to 5,000 and pushed her students to be their best, without focus on fame or fortune.

'We do not tolerate hubristic behaviour here,' she told a class in the Nineties.

'Being an actor is just a job. Compared to being a midwife, it is really nothing and you should all remember that.'

She prided herself on a philosophy of promoting love, peace and understanding.

Her heroes were Anne Frank and Winston Churchill.

After setting up her drama school, she would incorporate them into her lessons and begin with a 'Winston' word on the whiteboard for students to read and understand.

She received an MBE in 2013 and was given a lifetime achievement award at the National Film awards in 2018.
The Big Brother UK reboot came to an end last week with Jordan Sangha being crowned the winner and walking away with the 100,000 prize.

The rebooted series attracted a loyal fanbase yet failed to set the ratings alive, with the housemates' antics not proving wild enough to draw in some of its former fans.

On the other side of the world, however, Big Brother Australia is in full swing after launching series 15 last month featuring the 'sexiest housemates in Australia'.

While the show is not available to watch in the UK, clips of the wild antics have been circulating online, with Brits shocked by their Australian counterparts' wild actions.

Yet it's not just Big Brother Australia that has been raising eyebrows, with the Aussie versions of shows like Married At First Sight, Love Island and Real Housewives also intriguing British audiences with their drama, scandals and saucy scenes.

Now MailOnline takes a look at the key differences between British reality shows and their Australian counterparts.

No sex please, we're British: As Big Brother Australia shocks fans with VERY racy scenes (pictured) we take a look at how UK's tame reality shows stack up against shows Down Under

Big Brother UK

The British Big Brother was yanked off air in 2018 after the public fell out of love with the show and ratings plummeted.

Over its 18 years history the show aired many scandals, from the notorious Jade Goody racism row to Makosi Musambasi's pregnancy scare and the infamous Fight Night but in its latter years the show was criticised for casting 'fame hungry' contestants and losing its authenticity.

This October, after a five-year hiatus the show was revived by ITV, but in a bid not to repeat mistakes of the past, the housemates took part in 'respect and inclusion training' to ensure their behaviour in the house was acceptable.

The series was also accused of 'going woke' and after an initial interest, viewership swiftly began to decline.

Keeping their clothes on: Big Brother UK was accused of 'going woke' when it was revived this year and viewership swiftly began to decline (pictured: Dylan Tennant and Kerry Riches)

Crikey: On the other side of the world, however, Big Brother Australia is in full swing after launching series 15 last month featuring the 'sexiest housemates in Australia'

Big Brother Australia

Similarly, Big Brother Australia was also temporarily canned, being rested twice before the current revival in 2020, but unlike the UK version, there was no attempt to hide away from the controversy.

Spin-off show Big Brother Uncut - which often depicted highly sexualised adult themes - was brought back this year after it was axed in 2006 following a slew of complaints.

Audience complaints prompted the Australian Communications and Media Authority to launch an investigation into the X-rated show, with the controversy peaking in 2006 when Camilla Severi was 'turkey slapped' (hit in the face with a flaccid penis) by two male contestants, which led to them both being removed from the show.

Yet this year's revival was dubbed the 'spiciest' season yet by Channel Seven, with the series featuring full-frontal nudity and X-rated scenes.

Married At First Sight UK

When Married At First Sight (MAFS) first launched in 2015 the low-key show saw brave singles fully commit to marrying a stranger, with a handful of couples allowing the cameras to document them adjusting to life as newlyweds.

Yet during lockdown the Australian format was screened to fans and proved to be a ratings hit, as viewers were left hooked by the by explosive arguments, couple swapping and bed hopping.

The UK series has been revamped to follow their format, and rather than legal marriages, the couples made a 'lifelong commitment' to one another at a glamorous ceremony, overseen by a wedding celebrant, that includes guests, bridal gowns, dancing, speeches and cake.

No-nonsense Married at First Sight Australia expert Melanie Schilling and Sex and Relationship Therapist, Charlene Douglas were also drafted in to join returning star Paul C. Brunson (Celebs Go Dating) as experts on the series.

Love at first sight: When Married At First Sight launched in 2015 the low-key show saw brave singles fully commit to marrying a stranger (pictured Owen Jenkins and Michelle Walder)

Catfight: MAFS Australia never legally married the participants, allowing a broader range of applicants and those looking for exposure (pictured: Cyrell Paule and Martha Kalifatidis)

Married At First Sight Australia

In contrast to the UK version, MAFS Australia never legally married the participants, allowing a broader range of applicants and those looking for exposure more than love.

Since launching in 2015 it's gone on to become one of the most controversial shows on TV, with countless scandals over the years, from gaslighting grooms and cheating brides to physical brawls and wine throws.

Yet if viewers thought previous seasons of Nine's social experiment were dramatic, next year's couples are set to take things to a whole new level.

Daily Mail Australia revealed that the upcoming season has been the most chaotic series to film with the show rocked by a cheating scandal, multiple cast members walking out and another 'revenge porn' incident.

The MAFS 2024 cast are said to be the 'worst behaved cast to date' - or so they've been told - and were scolded by producers on a number of occasions.

Love Island UK

When Love Island first hit screens in 2015, viewers were left shocked by the racy antics, with stars seen romping in front of the cameras, discussing their X-rated antics in the smoking area and even coming to blows.

The ITV2 show has received thousands of complaints every season, with viewers shocked at the treatment of Islanders by the producers and by each other.

However, in 2019 ITV revealed key changes to their duty of care processes including enhanced psychological support and social and financial training following the deaths of 2017 contestant Mike Thalassitis and 2016's Sophie Gradon, both of whom died by suicide.

In 2020, the show's host Caroline Flack tragically also took her own life.

After rebooting their protocols, Love Island decided to stop showing footage of couples having sex in the villa, while also moving the smoking area off camera.

Tamer: After rebooting their protocols, Love Island UK decided to stop showing footage of couples having sex in the villa (pictured: Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan)

Crikey: Just as Love Island UK began to pull back on their racy content, Love Island Australia ramped up the action (pictured: Tayla Damir )

Love Island Australia

Just as Love Island UK began to pull back on their racy content, Love Island Australia ramped up the action, with scenes so raunchy that she left viewers around the world asking, 'Can they show that on TV?'

The racier aspects of the show have raised eyebrows among viewers who are used to couples taking it slower in the first few weeks.

While producers have no problems airing the X-rated scenes, they recently introduced a new 'consent' system to keep lusty islanders in check when jumping into bed together.

In a world first, the Love Island Australia's villa in Majorca, Spain, features a small love-heart shaped 'Consent Heart' button next to every bed this year, allowing couples to announce they are both comfortable with whatever is going on between the sheets.

Only if both buttons are pushed, and if the heart is complete in infrared, are the pairs left to their own devices. If anyone starts kissing or touching each other in bed, producers will physically walk into the bedroom and tell them to switch their Consent Heart on.

Only at that point are they both consenting adults and producers leave them alone.

The Real Housewives UK

Long after the American franchise became must-see TV, the UK created their own version in 2015, The Real Housewives of Cheshire.

However, they quickly came under fire, with those who tuned in to watch the ITVBe programme labelling the women thick' and 'vain', after seeing their multi-million pound houses, designer wardrobes and WAG lifestyle.

Much like their American counterparts, the six maintenance WAGs spent their time lunching, diamond-shopping and squabbling.

As the series progressed, already established celebrities joined the cast, such as Natasha Hamilton and Christine McGuinness.

A second UK series, The Real Housewives of Jersey, launched in 2020 but was axed after just two series.

Famous faces: Established celebrities joined the cast, such as Natasha Hamilton (pictured) and Christine McGuinness have joined The Real Housewives of Cheshire

Shocking: The Real Housewives of Sydney was cancelled after being 'too extreme' Lisa Oldfield, Athena X Levendi, and Victoria Rees were axed for their behaviour

The Real Housewives Australia

In 2014, Australia launched their first version of the franchise, with The Real Housewives of Melbourne.

Three years later came The Real Housewives of Sydney but U.S. network Bravo, which airs the Real Housewives franchise, famously declined to air the Real Housewives of Sydney in the States after executives dubbed it 'too extreme' for an American audience.

'A lot of the women in this show were nasty for nasty's sake and have no redeeming features,' a Foxtel boss said at the time.

The series was cancelled in 2019 after one season, however a revival was announced this year, with producers seeking less confrontational women this time around.

Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh has since teased that a Perth and Gold Coast spin off could be in the works.
Megan Thee Stallion revealed to her fans that she is going to be more 'stingy' when it comes to sex as she is 'turning over a new leaf' in her dating life.

The 28-year-old Savage hitmaker  who recently starred in a commercial to promote the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics  announced the update on an Instagram Live on Thursday, per Us Weekly.

She began by taking a swipe at those who have been obsessed or critical of her personal life, stating, 'It's like nobody be listening to my music.'

'They be like, "Megan Thee Stallion, I cannot believe she likes to have sex! I cannot believe Megan Thee Stallion f***s!"' the performer continued.

'B***h, y'all be,' Megan began and then paused to say, 'No, but I am turning over a new leaf.'

'Stingy': Megan Thee Stallion, 28, revealed to her fans that she is going to be more 'stingy' when it comes to sex as she is 'turning over a new leaf' in her dating life; seen earlier this month in L.A.

Megan Thee Stallion says shes turning over a new leaf and going to be stingy with the cootie cat pic.twitter.com/uUuIuO6gjL  Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) November 24, 2023

Along with stating that she is now more 'stingy' when it comes to sex, she also told her fans and followers, 'I'm not a freak anymore.'

The star  whose real name is Megan Jovon Ruth Pete  then admitted, 'I'm done. I'm done with the streets. So toxic in the streets. I'm tired with the streets.'

Her video comes shortly after her ex, Pardison Fontaine, released a diss track titled Thee Person that dropped earlier last week in response to her own newly released song, Cobra.

In Megan's single, the star alleged that the rapper had cheated on her and included lyrics such as: 'Pulled up, caught him cheatin'/Gettin' his d*** sucked in the same spot I'm sleeping...'

'Lord, give me a break/I don't know how much more of this s**t I can take,' she continued.

Upon hearing the lyrics to Cobra, social media users quickly speculated that the words were aimed at her ex, whom she dated from 2021 until 2023.

And in Thee Person, Fontaine appeared to respond to the claims, and alleged that Megan also cheated on him, had liposuction and lied to Gayle Kind during an interview where she discussed the Tory Lanez shooting.

The Canadian-born music artist notably was sentenced to 10 years of prison in August after he was found guilty of shooting Megan in the foot back in July 2020.

Moving on: The star - whose real name is Megan Jovon Ruth Pete - then admitted, 'I'm done. I'm done with the streets. So toxic in the streets. I'm tired with the streets'; seen in October in Atlanta

Diss track: Her video comes shortly after her ex, Pardison Fontaine, released a diss track titled Thee Person that dropped earlier last week in response to her own newly released song, Cobra; Megan and Pardison seen in 2021 in Los Angeles

Some of his lyrics included: 'I would like to apologize for uh/No longer keeping up with your lies, or supporting your habits to tell half-truths/I hope this message reaches you well/Hope you get the help you need.'

Pardison later revealed in the diss track that he had planned to propose to Megan: 'I picked out a ring then you lied to my face/Went on TV and then lied to Gayle King.'

He also rapped, 'God I treated you like a queen/whole time I'm a clown in your circus/ I tried to pull you up out of the mud here you are tryna drown me on purpose.'

'This ain't for Megan Thee Stallion, it's for Megan Thee person.'

Since Lanez's guilty verdict and sentence to prison, the songstress expressed to Elle earlier this year in August, 'I'm in a happier place, but I still have anxiety. Talking about being shot still makes me emotional.'

She added, 'I've started journaling as a way to better process my thoughts, hopes, and fears.'

'Prayer has also played a therapeutic role in my healing, because I can have honest and unfiltered conversations with God without any judgment.'

Megan has since been filtering through a busy schedule, and recently appeared in an ad for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, which she also uploaded to her main Instagram page on Friday.

At the beginning of the promo, the Cognac Queen hitmaker could be seen standing in front of Versailles in France as four horses joined her from behind.

She donned an eye-catching, red ensemble and announced, 'Welcome, to Thee Paris Olympics,' referencing to her stage name.

Serving time: The Canadian-born music artist notably was sentenced to 10 years of prison in August after he was found guilty of shooting Megan in the foot back in July 2020; Lanez seen in 2021 in Miami

'Happier': Since Lanez's guilty verdict and sentence to prison, the songstress expressed to Elle earlier this year in August, 'I'm in a happier place, but I still have anxiety. Talking about being shot still makes me emotional'

She showed off some of her dance skills and at one point, began talking to one of the horses - who also all breathe fire.

However, the clip then jumped to the rapper standing inside a meeting room with other executives - revealing that it was all in her head as she pitched the idea.

The talking horse was also next to her, and when the executives didn't seem too thrilled about the idea, the horse said, 'What are they not getting about this?'

In the caption of the post, Megan penned, 'Hotties, we going to Thee Paris Olympics. Be ready on July 2024, Hot Girl Style! #parisolympics.'
Demi Moore started exchanging gifts early this holiday season.

The G.I. Jane star, 61, wore black leggings and a loose black top as she exited the yoga studio in Los Angeles.

Her trademark long black hair was parted in the middle and fell to nearly her hips as she gave gifts to celebrity florist Eric Buterbaugh in the parking lot of the yoga studio.

The friends appeared to have taken the yoga class together as they smiled companionably while walking to their cars.

The Ghost actress carried a whimsical handbag with a face made out of brass accents on the front of it.

Yoga class: Demi Moore started exchanging gifts early this holiday season. The G.I. Jane star, 61, wore black leggings and a loose black top as she exited the yoga studio in Los Angeles

Over the weekend, Demi's ex-husband, Bruce Willis, 68, was spotted in the passenger seat of a black Range Rover as it drove around LA.

The Moonlighting actor spent Thanksgiving with his blended family including wife Emma Heming, 45; their daughters Mabel, 11; and Evelyn, nine; as well as his daughter Scout, 32, whom he shares with Demi.

The former couple have two more daughters, Rumer, 35, and Tallulah, 29.

Earlier this week, Rumer, who is a new mom to daughter Louetta, shared a throwback photo of her dad holding her when she was a baby.

In her caption, she wrote, 'Really missing my papa today.'

The Sixth Sense star is suffering from aphasia and frontotemporal dementia and his health has steeply declined over the past couple of years.

Glenn Gordon Caron, the creator of Moonlighting, said last month that his once-intoxicating 'joie de vivre is gone.'

'My sense is the first one to three minutes he knows who I am,' he said in a heartbreaking interview with the New York Post. 'Hes not totally verbal; he used to be a voracious reader  he didnt want anyone to know that  and hes not reading now.'

Caron, who also created the Patricia Arquette series Medium, added: 'All those language skills are no longer available to him, and yet hes still Bruce.

'When youre with him you know that hes Bruce and youre grateful that hes there, but the joie de vivre is gone.'

Last year Bruce withdrew from showbiz amid his battle with the brain condition aphasia, which causes the patient's language abilities to deteriorate.

Friends: The friends appeared to have taken the yoga class together as they smiled companionably while walking to their cars

Gifts: Her trademark long, black hair was parted in the middle and fell to nearly her hips as she gave gifts to celebrity florist Eric Buterbaugh in the parking lot of the yoga studio

Rare sighting: Over the weekend, Demi's ex-husband, Bruce Willis , 68, was spotted in the passenger seat of a black Range Rover as it drove around LA

This March, his family announced that his illness had 'progressed' and he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Since Bruce's battle with aphasia began, Glenn has apparently tried to pay monthly visits to him, not always successfully.

'Im not always quite that good,' the television writer confessed: 'but I try and I do talk to him and his wife and I have a casual relationship with his three older children. I have tried very hard to stay in his life.'

Glenn shared: 'The thing that makes [his disease] so mind-blowing is if youve ever spent time with Bruce Willis, there is no one who had any more joie de vivre than he.'
A young Irish girl who spent her 9th birthday in captivity has been released by Hamas militants this morning on the second day of a hostage and prisoner swap between Palestinian and Israeli forces.

Emily Hand was kidnapped while at a sleepover at a friends house and was initially feared dead after Hamas militants violently surged into Israel on October 7.

Desperate calls by her family for Emily's release became a major story in their home country with the Irish government celebrating today as "a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family".

Emily Hand is hours away from being reunited with her family. Source: AP

Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin confirmed her release in a statement at 9am Sunday (AEDT), saying that after 50 days in captivity, the young girl was among a group of children and women freed in the second round of prisoner swaps.

Video footage released by Hamas militants shows children being handed over to authorities. The hostages were delivered to Red Cross representatives before crossing the border into Egypt. They will then be flown by helicopter to a hospital in Israel where their loved ones will be waiting.

Unidentified hostages handed over by Hamas militants. This screengrab was taken from video released November 26 by the Hamas Military Wing. Source: Reuters (Handout . / reuters)

"After weeks of trauma, this is a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family," the statement released by Minister Martin said.

"The people of Ireland have been touched by Emilys story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father Tom. I had the opportunity to meet Tom before travelling to the region, and I was struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughters release.

"This is a message that I and my colleagues in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally, through political, diplomatic and security channels, in a bid to secure Emilys safe return. I want to acknowledge the role played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved in securing the release of the hostages."

Hostages who were abducted by Hamas give a thumbs up as they are handed over on November 26. Source: Reuters (Handout . / reuters)

TV images later showed Red Cross vehicles at Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Source: Reuters (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / reuters)

Hostage deal 'back on track' after delays on day two

The Gaza hostage deal was back on track on Sunday morning after a temporary delay over a dispute about aid supplies to the north of the besieged enclave  with the White House saying US president Joe Biden was involved in the protracted negotiations.

Story continues

"13 Israelis and 4 foreigners were received by ICRC [the International Committee of the Red Cros] and on their way to Rafah," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, said on social media just hours ago.

TV images later showed Red Cross vehicles at Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

Joyous scenes after the first day of Israeli hostages were released. Source: Reuters (Handout . / reuters)

People have been gathering in public as they awaited news of the hostages. Source: Reuters (Alexander Ermochenko / reuters)

A Palestinian official familiar with the diplomacy told Reuters that Hamas would continue with the four-day truce agreed with Israel, the first break in fighting in seven weeks of war.

Al Ansari earlier said a brief delay and obstacle to the hostage release were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides, adding that 39 Palestinian civilians were going to be released in exchange.

Among the Israeli hostages, eight were expected to be children and five others women, Al Ansari said, while the Palestinians to be released from Israeli prisons would consist of 33 children and six women.

with Reuters

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G Flip has revealed the adorable way they wooed wife Chrishell Stause during their earlier days of dating.

The nonbinary pop star, 30, who uses they/them pronouns lifted the lid on their marriage during an interview with Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday, explaining that it was their Australian accent that really won Chrishell, 42, over.

'Chrishell loves my Australian accent and is always mimicking me,' G Flip said of their American spouse.

'Around three times a day she'll laugh at something I've said. I think my accent helped me charm her,' they added.

G Flip also recalled the moment they first sparked romance with the Selling Sunset star.

G Flip, 30, (left) has revealed how their Australian accent helped to woo wife Chrishell Stause, 42, (right) during their earlier days of dating

'I met Chrishell in Los Angeles in 2021, as she was my realtor when I moved there. When we met a second time, we really hit it off,' they said.

'As we got to know each other [we realised] our personalities, likes and dislikes, how we treat people and our goals were so similar.'

'Around three times a day she'll laugh at something I've said. I think my accent helped me charm her,' they told the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday

The couple tied the knot in May after just one year together, and used their wedding announcement to promote G Flip's new single Be Your Man, which is about a woman falling in love with another woman for the first time.

Earlier this month, G Flip also revealed they are planning to have kids with Chrishell.

They made the admission on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, telling the hosts they would love to start a family.

'We have definitely talked about babies and see it in our future. But we have to plan it ahead,' they began.

Earlier this month, G Flip also revealed they are planning to have kids with Chrishell

The couple tied the knot in May after just one year together

G Flip revealed their sister was currently heavily pregnant and due to give birth in two weeks, and they were excited about meeting their new nephew or niece.

They added their cousin was soon tying the knot in Australia and they and Chrishell were excited to get glammed up for the wedding.

Chrishell would be delighted to hear that G Flip is open to having kids, as her previous relationship with real estate broker Jason Oppenheim ended due to their incompatible views over having children.
Ashley Benson looked warm and cozy as she stepped out for a quick coffee run on Saturday.

The 33-year-old actress bundled up her baby bump in a black sweatshirt and sported comfortable gray sweatpants as she picked up a caffeinated beverage with her precious pooch.

She donned black leather sandals and styled her brunette tresses in pigtail braids for her casual solo outing.

The Pretty Little Liars alumna  who recently tied the knot with her billionaire oil heir beau Brandon Davis ahead of the arrival of their first child  opted for a bare-faced, makeup-free look to showcase her natural beauty.

She dressed for comfort and did not wear any accessories except for her massive diamond ring.

Coffee run: Ashley Benson looked warm and cozy as she stepped out for a quick coffee run on Saturday. The 33-year-old actress bundled up her baby bump in a black sweatshirt and sported comfortable gray sweatpants as she picked up a caffeinated beverage with her precious pooch

Bare-faced beauty: The Pretty Little Liars alumna opted for a bare-faced, makeup-free look to showcase her natural beauty

The Spring Breakers star rocked long, bright red manicured nails.

She was spotted carrying both her iced coffee and her puppy in the same arm and hand.

It was reported that Benson and Davis legally wed at the beginning of the month.

Just days earlier, she officially confirmed her pregnancy after she had been rumored to be expecting her first child with Davis in the prior weeks.

She was spotted shopping with her beau around a store for essentials to add to their baby registry.

Rumors that Benson and Davis were expecting began emerging in October.

Around that time, a source told InTouch Weekly: 'Ashley Benson is pregnant. I don't know how far along she is, but she has been showing since at least September.'

The insider also added, 'She is wearing loose fitting clothes, avoiding photos, and is trying to keep it under wraps.'

They claimed that the actress is 'likely a few months pregnant at this point' due to the timeline of their engagement announcement in July.

'Her inner circle already knows but I'm not sure she will say anything publicly until the baby is born but she is pregnant and excited for this new chapter in her life,' the source explained.

Us Weekly reported that Benson 'around the four month [mark] and so excited to be a mom.'

Understated: She dressed for comfort and did not wear any accessories except for her massive diamond ring. The Spring Breakers star rocked a bright red, long manicure

Her precious puppy: She was spotted carrying both her iced coffee and her puppy in the same arm and hand

Effortlessly chic: She donned black leather sandals and styled her brunette tresses in pigtail braids for her casual, solo outing

Just married: It was reported that Benson and Davis legally wed at the beginning of the month. Just days earlier, she officially confirmed her pregnancy after she had been rumored to be expecting her first child with Davis in the prior weeks

Massive diamond ring: Months earlier in July, Davis had proposed to Benson with a massive $800K engagement ring. The couple were first romantically linked in January but had been in the same Hollywood circle for years

The outlet's source revealed Benson has been 'eating really well and taking care of her body' before adding that her family is 'thrilled for her'.

Another insider dished that the pregnancy 'was not a surprise' and that Benson 'wanted to start a family with Brandon'.

Months earlier in July, Davis had proposed to Benson with a massive $800K engagement ring.

The couple were first romantically linked in January but had been in the same Hollywood circle for years.
She's just getting her stellar modelling career back on track after a string of health problems stretching back more than two years.

But even as she returns to full fitness, it seems supermodel Erin OConnor cant catch a break  as I can reveal that she has split up with her long-time partner, Steve Gibson.

The 45-year-old former face of Marks & Spencer met the Irish businessman on a blind date more than a decade ago, and they have two sons  Albert, nine, and Eddie, four.

But after all her health woes, including a nine-month bout of Strep A, glandular fever and a year of post-viral fatigue syndrome, the model is now keen to join the dating pool. Shes single and ready to mingle, one of her friends tells me.

The couple had lived in New York but Erin recently said it was just me and the kids and two dogs. And my lovely sister, who is moving back to Ireland in a year, but for now is helping me with the children.

Erin O'Connor attends the Miu Miu Select event in London on Thursday, featuring a special curated selection of Miu Miu by Emma Corrin

Supermodel Erin O'Connor and her boyfriend, businessman Steve Gibson, have reportedly split up

Erin  part of the same generation of big-earning supermodels as Naomi Campbell  added that she is enjoying this new stage of life. For once in my life, Im being in the moment, she said. It makes me feel so heady. To be firmly rooted in the present makes me feel like Im probably drinking in life in a way that I never did before. So for once, I dont want to control or predict.

Erin previously dated presenter Jamie Theakston and was linked to comedian David Walliams, but kept her relationship with 6ft 3in Steve secret for some time. She came clean in a 2017 interview, saying : We met on a blind date  terrifying - the first and last of my life.

I had got to the point where I thought I would like to meet somebody tall, with a job that they like, and it would help if they were Irish, because theres an instinctual shared appreciation of humour. And there he was. We were friends for a while. There was no real romance, which I think is very good... but we got there in the end.

Erin, who was talent-spotted by industry scouts as a teenager and once described by designer Karl Lagerfeld as one of the best models in the world, is now the face of British outerwear brand Marfa Stance.

Tattoo shows life is perfect for Charlotte

She recently split from Luke Storey after just a year of marriage, so one might expect Charlotte Freud to be heartbroken.

But the granddaughter of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch reckons life is so rosy shes just had the phrase Tout est parfait  French for everything is perfect  tattooed on her abdomen, right.

I revealed earlier this month the pair had split, with Charlotte doing the modern thing of unfollowing Luke on Instagram and removing all his pictures from her account.
Bluey is set to make its debut in the Middle East.

Season 1 of the beloved Australian cartoon will be available to watch on Arabic children's platform Spacetown Kids in 2024 following a licensing deal with BBC Studios Kids & Family, as reported by TV Tonight.

Bluey's Big Play: The Stage Show - the live theatre production based on the cartoon - is also set to debut in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

'It is going to be an exciting year,' Daisy Griffiths, BBC Studios Senior Licensing Executive EMEA, said.

'The launch of the Bluey licensing programme marks a significant next step in the global expansion of Bluey following huge success across multiple regions including North and South America, UK, Europe and Australia / New Zealand.'

Season 1 of beloved Australian cartoon Bluey will be available to watch on Arabic children's platform Spacetown Kids in 2024

Launched in 2018 on the ABC, Bluey was soon hailed for its refreshing characters, and earned rave reviews from critics and parents alike, who applauded its good-natured storylines and riffs on modern parenting.

One of the few kids' shows enjoyed by parents and children in equal measure, Bluey would eventually go on to win a string of awards worldwide, including a Kids Emmy in 2019 for its tear-jerker episode 'Sleepytime'.

The show has even captured the hearts and minds of schoolchildren across America and is changing the way they speak.

Bluey's Big Play: The Stage Show - the live theatre production based on the cartoon - is also set to debut in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Launched in 2018 on the ABC, Bluey was soon hailed for its refreshing characters, and earned rave reviews from critics and parents alike, who applauded its good-natured storylines and riffs on modern parenting

Some kids in the United States are beginning to speak with an unmistakable Australian twang after watching Bluey.

The cartoon has become wildly popular in the US after premiering on the Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney+ in September 2019.

In July, the ABC announced that Bluey was Australia's top TV series, with a total TV audience averaging 11 million viewers.

In a list published by Rolling Stone of the top 100 sitcoms of all time, Bluey made 96, being the only Australian series to be featured.
Strictly star Layton Williams has defended his pole dance routine on last week's programme after it was compared to a 'strip club.'

Thousands of fans complained the couples choice routine to Ain't No Other Man by Christina Aguilera was too racy for the family viewing, while former professional Brendan Cole also likened it to a 'Magic Mike' sex show.

Williams, who is amongst the favourites to lift the glitter ball, told The Mail on Sunday: 'I feel like we've always come out and kind of, done something potentially a little bit more out there, pushing the boundaries a little bit, a bit risky, you know, we're thrown in this and that, and there's always an element of surprises.

'Why shouldn't we be swinging around a pole and living our best life? It went down pretty cute if you ask me, so I'm really proud and I stand by it. It was also a couples choice too.'

Racy: Strictly star Layton Williams has defended his pole dance routine on last weeks programme after it was compared to a 'strip club'

Complaints: Thousands of fans complained the couples choice routine to Ain't No Other Man by Christina Aguilera was too racy for the family viewing

His partner, Nikita Kuzmin who came up with the routine also hit out at the criticisms, saying: 'We were just swinging round a pole.

'There is nothing more to that than that. We were just dancing. At the end of the day we're just two boys having fun. And, well, if somebody doesn't like it, then that's absolutely fine.'

Magic Mike shows see men parade dressed as firemen, police officers and cowboys as they thrust and gyrate to the audience.

Meanwhile, West End theatre supremo Williams, 29, responded to claims that he shouldn't be allowed to appear on the show because he is as good - if not better - than the Strictly pros.

Asked if he would come back as a professional dancer, he replied: 'Are you being for real? That is so disrespectful to the pros.'

Williams, who catapulted to fame when he played Billy Elliot in the famous musical when he was just 11-years-old, paid tribute to his mum Michelle Forshaw for raising him without his Jamaican father.

He said: 'My mum is an absolute powerhouse, and I'm so grateful to her, everybody, all my family, they've all made such sacrifices. Me being on this show is massive thank you to them as well.'

He is unsure whether his dad will be go to the Strictly studio in Elstree, Hertfordshire, to watch him, saying: 'Who knows.'

Dancing to his own beat: Williams told The Mail on Sunday: 'I feel like we've always come out and kind of, done something potentially a little bit more out there'

Talent: West End theatre supremo Williams, 29, responded to claims that he shouldn't be allowed to appear on the show because he is as good - if not better - than the Strictly pros

Williams says that the most difficult aspect of Strictly has been the 'noise' and 'silly questions and assumptions' about his appearances on the show.

However, he insists that he pushes them to one side and gets on with his dancing - and also reveals that he is buoyed up by the messages he gets for being and 'effeminate' man.

'I think sometimes because of the conversations, it's like, 'oh, yeah, well' and my hard work is batted away. But I just really am grateful that, I got to have this opportunity in the show, and I've got this guy to dance with.

'We get so many beautiful messages from, teachers, parents, it's really making a change, to see somebody so outwardly effeminate, sometimes not effeminate, sometimes, more masculine and people are seeing that and going, oh, that's a little bit like what I'm like, and it resonates.

'And even, people being like, I love the two boys and kids, young people that don't even understand it but they just love it. It's causing a beautiful ripple effect. So that's my joyous takeaway from this show.'
Jodie Foster spent quality time bonding with her son Kit in New York on Saturday.

The Oscar winner, 61, bundled up for the brisk Big Apple weather as she was spotted alongside her 22-year-old son, a day after they went on a Black Friday shopping spree.

The Silence of the Lambs star, who is starring with Annette Bening in Nyad, rocked a houndstooth overcoat, black pants and a pair of Nike high tops.

She topped off the winter fashions with a grey wool cap and matching scarf as she added a crossbody designer bag to the mix.

Kit kept it casual and comfy in a winter jacket, scarf and matching beanie as he kicked around with New Balance kicks.

Family fun: Jodie Foster spent quality time bonding with her son Kit in New York on Saturday

Bundled up: The Oscar winner, 61, bundled up for the brisk Big Apple weather as she was spotted alongside her 22-year-old son

The outing comes a day after the mother-son duo were spotted carrying their loot from a shopping spree.

They both held on to the handles of a white laundry basket as they walked down the sidewalk. The bin was filled with household goods including what appeared to be throw rugs and a coffee maker.

Kitt is currently working as a research assistant at Princeton University, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Regarding his scientific aspirations, the versatile student wrote, 'I especially enjoy the physical and organic subfields though I can't decide which one I like more.'

'I also have a strong interest in pharmaceuticals.'

The Panic Room actress shares Kit and his older brother Charles, 25, with her former partner Cydney Bernard.

Jodie's current partner, Alexandra Hedison, 54, wished her a happy birthday Sunday with a sweet message and photo on social media.

The couple have been married since 2014.

'Loving you is easy as cake. Happy birthday, beautiful ' the photographer wrote.

Former flames: The Panic Room actress shares Kit and his older brother Charles, 25, with her former partner Cydney Bernard; seen in 1999

Birthday: Jodie celebrated her 61st birthday on Sunday. Her wife, Alex Hedison posted this photo and wrote 'Loving you is easy as cake. Happy birthday, beautiful ' Pals including KD Lang, Helen Hunt, Debra Messing and Chelsea Handler also sent birthday greetings

Jodie is joining the fourth season of HBO/Max drama True Detective.

She will star as Detective Liz Danvers, who, along with her partner Detective Evangeline Navarro, played by Keli Reis, is tasked with finding out how a group of men working at a research facility in Alaska disappeared.

According to the network in True Detective: Night Country the pair will 'confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.'

The new season is set to debut January 14.
Jennifer Lawrence was the image of wintertime chic when she took her one-year-old son Cy for a New York stroll on Thanksgiving weekend.

She shares her toddler with her husband Cooke Maroney, a dashing art gallerist she married in 2019 at Belcourt Castle in Newport, Rhode Island.

Although their son's exact date of birth has not been made public, he was widely reported to have been born in February 2022.

During her latest sighting with Cy, Jennifer was bundled up in a long midnight blue coat she clashed stylishly against a beige scarf.

The 33-year-old let her signature blonde hair spill freely out from under her black knit cap, which perfectly matched her leather gloves.

City girl: Jennifer Lawrence was the image of wintertime chic when she took her one-year-old son Cy for a New York stroll on Thanksgiving weekend

The couple named their baby after Cy Twombly, a 20th century American artist whose work influenced such names as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Julian Schnabel.

She spoke touchingly about motherhood in a Vogue interview last year, reflecting on how her outlook had changed since Cy was born.

'The morning after I gave birth, I felt like my whole life had started over. Like, Now is day one of my life,' she gushed.

'I just stared. I was just so in love. I also fell in love with all babies everywhere. Newborns are just so amazing.'

Jennifer added: 'Theyre these pink, swollen, fragile little survivors. Now I love all babies. Now I hear a baby crying in a restaurant and Im like, Awwww, preciousssss.'

The Don't Look Up actress reflected: 'My heart has stretched to a capacity that I didnt know about. I include my husband in that. And then theyre both just, like, out there  walking around, crossing streets.'

Jennifer marveled that her baby is 'gonna drive one day. Hes gonna be a stupid teenager and be behind the wheel of a car.'

Earlier this year, Jennifer earned praise for her charismatic lead performance in her new sex comedy No Hard Feelings, which got mixed reviews overall.

The look: During her latest sighting with Cy, Jennifer was bundled up in a long midnight blue coat she clashed stylishly against a beige scarf

Side by side: She shares her toddler with her husband Cooke Maroney, a dashing art gallerist she married in 2019 at Belcourt Castle in Newport, Rhode Island; pictured this August

The feature stars Jennifer as a cash-strapped woman named Maddie who falls on such rocky times that she tries to seduce a 19-year-old boy for pay.

While doing the publicity rounds for the picture, Jennifer seized the opportunity to deny rumors she had an affair with Liam Hemsworth while he was with Miley Cyrus.

Jennifer and Liam starred in multiple movies in the Hunger Games franchise, which made international movie stars of them both.

When Jennifer appeared on Watch What Happens Live recently, host Andy Cohen asked her about the rumors that Miley's music video for her song Flowers contained a veiled reference to a liaison between Liam and Jennifer.

'Not true,' said Jennifer. 'We all know we only kissed one time and it was years after they broke up so I just assumed that was a coincidence.'

Jennifer was referring to a 2015 appearance on Watch What Happens Live where she confessed she had shared one offscreen kiss with Liam.
Sofia Vergara enjoyed a fun day out with her gal pals in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The stunning former Modern Family star, 51  who recently split with husband Joe Manganiello after more than seven years of marriage  was spotted on a shopping spree in Beverly Hills while surrounded by a group of gorgeous friends.

Rocking a double denim ensemble for the casual occasion, the Colombian goddess looked like she stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine.

The actress kept her trademark chestnut tresses long and loose as she added a set of knee-high black leather boots to the mix.

Her glamorous day out on the town comes after she was featured in the new poster for Netflix' Griselda, where she plays notorious Colombian drug cartel leader Griselda Blanco.

Stunner: Sofia Vergara enjoyed a fun day out with her gal pals in Los Angeles on Saturday

Shopping spree: The stunning former Modern Family star, 51, was spotted on a shopping spree in Beverly Hills while surrounded by a group of gorgeous friends

Double delight: Rocking a double denim ensemble for the casual occasion, the Colombian goddess looked like she stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine

The art shows an extreme close-up of Sofia's face with her hands folded in front of it and her fingernail, painted deep red, with a white powdery substance on it.

In a cheeky reference to Blanco - who was known as the Cocaine Godmother during her Miami drug reign in the 70s - the poster's tagline read: 'A woman of substance.'

Sofia has previously said in a statement, 'Griselda Blanco was a larger-than-life character whose ruthless but ingenious tactics allowed her to rule a billion dollar empire years before many of the most notorious male kingpins we know so much about'.

The Modern Family star completely transformed into Colombian queenpin, as seen in the recent teaser for the series, which debuts on January 25.

In the 36-second clip, Sofia's Griselda can be heard saying, 'You've thought a lot about me, haven't you? I've heard that you liked my product. We can make a lot of money together.'

Following a montage of cocaine and money, someone can be heard asking: 'Who is the one in charge?'

Sofia in full Griselda costume and makeup suddenly appears and stares directly into the camera.

According to Netflix, the bilingual crime series is inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious of Blanco, who they describe as a 'devoted mother' that 'created one of the most profitable cartels in history.'

Hair story: The actress kept her trademark chestnut tresses long and loose as she added a set of knee-high black leather boots to the mix

Rear view: Sofia looked like she stepped off the runway

Queenpin: Her glamorous day out on the town comes after she was featured in the new poster for Netflix' Griselda , where she plays notorious Colombian drug cartel leader Griselda Blanco

The synopsis also noted 'Blancos lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family.'

The rest of the star-studded cast includes Alberto Guerra as Dario, Vanessa Ferlito as Isabel, Alberto Ammann as Alberto Bravo, and Christian Tappan as Arturo.

Griselda comes from the creators and executive producers of Narcos and Narcos: Mexico.

This marks Sofia's first scripted live-action project since announcing her divorce from Joe in July 2023, after seven years of marriage.
Bachelor Australia star Faith Williams has welcomed her first child - a baby girl - with partner James Cornish.

Faith, 32, who starred on Richie Strahan's season of the show in 2016, made the announcement on Instagram on Sunday.

The hair salon owner beamed in photos of herself cradling her newborn, writing: 'EVIE MAE CORNISH, 22|11|23, 2.5kg.'

'Our baby girl is finally here and we couldn't be more in love,' she added.

The photos also showed the pair holding the newborn in hospital, as well as solo photos of adorable baby Evie.

The Bachelor's Faith Williams, 32, (pictured) announced the birth of her first child with partner James Cornish on Sunday

The new parents were inundated with messages of congratulations, including from fellow Bachelor alum.

'Congratulations, so beautiful!! Wishing you and your new family all the very best,' Bachelorette star and expectant father Michael Turnbull wrote.

'Congrats to you and your fam Faithy girl. She's absolutely beautiful,' Bachelor contestant Noni Janur added.

Faith and James beamed in the photos as they held the newborn, who is named Evie

'Our baby girl is finally here and we couldn't be more in love,' Faith wrote of Evie

'Congratulations, so beautiful!! Wishing you and your new family all the very best,' Former Bachelorette star Michael Turnbull wrote

'Congratulations!! Evie Mae is beautiful,' Alex Nation chimed in.

Faith announced in June she was expecting her first child, posing with James on a beach and showing off her prominent baby bump in a yellow frock.

The joyful occasion comes Faith's trendy Brisbane hair salon was targeted by thieves who made away with pricey beauty equipment.

'Congrats to you and your fam Faithy girl. She's absolutely beautiful,' Noni Janur added

Another photo showed how tiny Evie is while cushioned in father James' hand

Faith and James announced in June they were expecting their first child together. Both pictured

Faith previously thanked The Bachelor for giving her the opportunity to launch her successful hair salon business Blondee.

Two years ago, she told The Wash: 'I guess I leveraged off the Bachelor to do my own thing. I have the show to thank for the exposure.

'I just started being a sole trader, renting a chair. I did that for about a year and a half.

'Then work just really took off from there and I was just always fully booked, couldn't take on any new clients, couldn't grow any more.'
A woman has revealed the scary moment she ended up in hospital after getting an unusual ear piercing after seeing it done online.

Gabriela Lacerda, 21, chose to get the inner conch done  located directly in the middle of the ear  after seeing others sporting similar styles. Little did she know the pain that would follow.

Just days afterwards, the student was rushed to hospital with her ear swollen, bright red and leaking puss.

She later shared the ordeal on TikTok, warning others of the risks.

After sharing her story on social media, it's clear others have had similar experiences. Source: Jam Press

Gabriela, from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, said the got the piercing done professionally, however, about three days later I started having problems. I went straight to the hospital where they told me I needed surgery.

They had to drain the abscess to remove the purulent secretion. It was the worst pain of my life!

Purulent drainage is a thick, milky white discharge indicating an unhealthy wound or infection.

In the clip, Gabriella can be seen lying on the piercing table as she has her ear punctured. She then shows pictures and videos of the days following, where she can be seen crying in pain. Slowly, her ear gets redder and swollen, and puss starts to gather.

She later found herself in hospital with a bandage wrapped around her face to keep her ear clean.

The 21-year-old's piercing ended with a three day hospital stay. Source: Jam Press (Jam Press Vid/@laacerda_gabi)

After sharing her story online, others also shared similar horror stories with one TikTok follower revealing how the seemingly simple piercing ended up with her needing to take "30 days taking antibiotics".

"My conch took almost two years to heal," they added.

Similar happened to me, I just didn't need surgery, good recovery for you, another commented.

Gabriela, who got her conch in September this year, is now fully recovered and doesn't plan on getting more piercings anytime soon.

I stayed in the hospital for three days until I stopped feeling pain completely and was discharged," she said.

I have to take antibiotics for the next 10 days and have my ears cleaned daily.

Story continues

Jam Press

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Stella Maxwell flaunted her fit frame while out out in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon.

The model, 33, was photographed chatting with her stylist pal Marc Eram as she took her dog for a walk.

Maxwell  who recently wowed at the star-studded LACMA Art+Film Gala  showed off her chiseled midriff in a jet-black Alo Yoga crop top.

The fashion industry figure styled her upper half with slim-fitting joggers and classic Adidas sneakers.

She stayed warm wearing a multicolored zip-up jacket that added texture to her sporty look.

Afternoon outing: Stella Maxwell was photographed Saturday chatting with her stylist pal Marc Eram as she took her dog for a walk

The model accessorized with sparkling hoop earrings and a sizable pair of sunglasses.

Her gorgeous blonde hair fell onto her shoulders and contrasted perfectly with the dark tone of her clothing.

Maxwell highlighted her sculpted form in a series of snaps that were shared on her Instagram account last week.

In the shots, the model wore a black dress that showed off a considerable amount of skin.

The runway regular's hair gave her dual-tone look a bit of extra color as she posed for the snaps.

The fashion industry personality also penned a short message that read: '24h in Munchen.'

It was announced that Maxwell had signed with The Society Management, which has worked with figures such as Irina Shayk and Kendall Jenner, earlier this year.

The model also provided a statement to WWD to express her enthusiasm about working with The Society Management.

Chiseled: Maxwell  who recently wowed at the star-studded LACMA Art+Film Gala  showed off her chiseled midriff in a jet-black Alo Yoga crop top

Sporty: The fashion industry figure styled her upper half with slim-fitting joggers and classic Adidas sneakers

Doing the most: Maxwell highlighted her sculpted form in a series of snaps that were shared on her Instagram account last week

All dressed up: In the shots, the model wore a black dress that showed off a considerable amount of skin

Maxwell began her message by stating: 'Change in all things is sweet like lemonade. That first part is Aristotle, but the lemonade part is all me.'

She added: 'I am very excited to be working with the Society family. I have been with Elite Paris for many years, so it feels very natural to be working within their network.'

The company also released a statement of their own to welcome the model to its ranks.

They described her as 'a fashion icon that has had an outstanding career over the years within the fashion sector, as well as with her admirable advocacy work.'
Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson signed a historic $200million 10-year radio deal which will see them expand into Melbourne.

And now, Jackie, 48, has revealed the surprising musician that congratulated the radio duo online.

Henderson explained that despite having a history of beef with Australia, US rapper Azealia Bank was quick to send her well wishes as the radio duo celebrated the monumental occasion.

'Not sure how she even came across this, but ABC News had tweeted about our deal, our 10 year deal and Azealia retweeted it with a comment,' Jackie explained.

'Was it a good comment because I really like her?' Kyle quizzed.

Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson signed a historic $200million 10-year radio deal which will see them expand into Melbourne

Jackie, 48, has revealed the surprising musician that congratulated the radio duo online

'No, it actually was,' Jackie explained. 'She said, "I quite like these two"... I was like, "wow".'

An excited Kyle then played a few seconds of Azealia's music before the radio hosts moved topic.

On Wednesday morning, the Sydney-based radio duo signed a record-breaking $200million, 10-year deal live on-air - keeping them on the airwaves until 2034.

Henderson explained that despite having a history of beef with Australia, US rapper Azealia Bank was quick to send her well wishes as the radio duo celebrated the monumental occasion

A spokesperson for ARN confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the deal means Kyle and Jackie's KIIS FM work pals Jase Hawkins and Lauren Phillips will be out of a job and their Melbourne breakfast show will be finishing up in December.

Lauren broke down in tears while announcing the news to her listeners on Wednesday, sobbing that she didn't want to 'say goodbye to Melbourne'.

Jase and Lauren's show was successful for KIIS FM, bringing in new listeners for the station and sitting third in the Melbourne market behind Fox FM's Fifi Fev & Nick and GOLD104.3's Christian O'Connell.

A spokesperson for ARN confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the deal means Kyle and Jackie's KIIS FM work pals Jase Hawkins and Lauren Phillips (pictured) will be out of a job and their Melbourne breakfast show will be finishing up in December. Lauren broke down in tears while announcing the news to her listeners on Wednesday

In a statement to celebrate the historic contract renewal, Sandilands said, 'Fans of the show will be stoked to hear this 10-year deal is the longest radio deal in Australian history.

'Love us or loathe us, Jackie and I will be continuing with our politically incorrect nonsense for a long, long time.'

He added, 'We want to thank the listeners. Staff. All the clients. Even senior management, I'll give a nod to. They actually did something brilliant.'

This means the duo will dominate markets outside their Sydney-based audience and extend their reach into Melbourne for the first time.

In a statement to celebrate the historic contract renewal, Sandilands said, 'Fans of the show will be stoked to hear that this 10-year deal is the longest radio deal in Australian history'
Doctor Who's long-awaited 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off on Saturday night, with fan favourites David Tennant and Catherine Tate reprising their roles as the titular Time Lord and his companion Donna Noble.

While the pair's return was lauded by fans, they also singled out another star's performance, calling it 'one of the best parts of the episode'.

Miriam Margolyes guest starred on the episode, voicing Beep The Meep, a deceptively cuddly looking creature.

Viewers heaped praise on the actress, 82, for her performance, adding that they were also deeply impressed she managed to keep from swearing throughout.

Miriam is famously very outspoken and has let slip many swear words and X-rated comments during her TV appearances over the years.

Praise: Doctor Who 's long-awaited 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off on Saturday night, with fans singling out Miriam Margolyes' appearance as 'one of the best parts of the episode'

Adorable: Miriam Margolyes guest starred on the episode, voicing Beep The Meep, a deceptively cuddly looking creature

Self-control: Viewers heaped praise on the actress, 82, for her performance, adding that they were also deeply impressed she managed to keep from swearing throughout

Fans took to social media to gush over the Harry Potter star, with one writing: 'I never knew how much I needed Miriam Margolyes to be in #DoctorWho until now. Easily one of the best parts of the episode!'

Another said: 'I absolutely loved the new Doctor Who episode and have a lot to say however can we take a moment to appreciate how amazing Miriam Margolyes was as the Meep???'

While a third wrote: 'Miriam Margolyes is an all time guest star, one of the best f***ing voice performances in Doctor Who, what an absolutely perfect portrayal.'

A fourth tweeted: 'i can just tell miriam margolyes had the time of her life playing the meep' while a fifth added: 'The part Miriam Margolyes was born to play!'

Others joked about the lack of swear words, with one saying: 'Knighthood for Russell T Davies for preventing Miriam Margolyes from swearing for a whole hour on #DoctorWho.'

Another echoed: 'With Miriam Margolyes voicing the Meep, am I the only one waiting for a swear word drop?*!'

A third person wrote: 'It's a shame Miriam Margolyes won't be able to swear as Beep the Meep. Fan video editors get to work.'

While a fourth agreed, saying: 'People gonna be re-dubbing the Meep with Miriam Margolyes swearing before we reach midnight I just know it.'

Lauded: Fans took to social media to gush over the Harry Potter star, with one writing: 'I never knew how much I needed Miriam Margolyes to be in #DoctorWho until now'

Potty-mouth: Miriam is famously very outspoken and has let slip many swear words and X-rated comments during her TV appearances over the years

Impressive: Others joked about the lack of swear words, with one saying: 'Knighthood for Russell T Davies for preventing Miriam Margolyes from swearing for a whole hour'

Behind-the-scenes: Miriam played the character The Meep, who appeared cute and fluffy but was secretly the villain

Someone else asked: 'Who else wants the full unfiltered recording sessions of Miriam Margolyes as The Meep, there has to be some fabulous outtakes, fantastic work by Miriam.'

A sixth quipped: 'To be fair, when i first heard the name Beep the Meep, i thought it was a production team instruction to censor out Miriam Margolyes swearing'.

And another fans gushed: 'Well that was just bloody sensational!! Every single second... just everything!! Miriam Margolyes as Meep without swearing. Russell T Davies, take a well earned bow'.

It comes after Miriam thew This Morning into chaos in September with her potty mouth.

She discussed 'steaming her vagina' and her sex life, while she also swore twice live on the show.

Presenter Holly Willoughby was left red-faced and was forced to apologise to viewers after Miriam mouthed an expletive before uttering the word s**t' during the phone in.

Miriam then raised eyebrows once again as she sat on the sofa for a chat, where she proceeded to speak candidly about her sex life and maintaining her intimate areas.

She said during the X-rated discussion: 'My friends say I haven't changed but I've always been as naughty and outspoken as I am now.

Ooh I say! It comes after Miriam thew This Morning into chaos in September with her potty mouth as she discussed 'steaming her vagina' and her sex life, while she also swore twice live on the show

'What I have learnt is to be kind. Otherwise I'm sort of perfect really. I'm 82, I fart a lot, p**s a lot, but I'm still going.

'I've just come back from Austria and I went to a rocker place and I steamed my yoni [slang for female genitalia]. It did me a world of good. You put a big saucepan with some mint and you put it in a bed pan and spread you legs. It's peaceful and pleasant. It has awoke....'

Miriam then let slip a swear word live on TV while advising a caller about her partner who paid no attention to her when he came home from work.

She told the person to speak to the annoying neighbours and explain her predicament, explaining how her health is becoming affected by the situation.

She went on: 'And then if they're still like that, throw the s**t over the wall!'

Realising her error, Miriam put her hand over her mouth as she remarked: 'Oh sorry!'

Clearly used to Miriam's antics, Holly said sorry to fans before telling the TV star: 'You felt so comfortable that you forgot yourself for a moment there, but it's fine.'

Miriam is a regular guest on the ITV daytime show and has often in the past turned the air blue during comical moments.

In November, she left fans in stitches during chaotic This Morning stint as she suggested Holly Willoughby's skirt was too short and branded a crew member's outfit a 'p***y pelmet'

While back in July, Miriam suffered another series of blunders as she swore live on TV before leaving viewers in shock as she branded Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio 'smelly'.
Girls Aloud fans have gone wild after the iconic noughties band announced they will be reuniting for a tour in 2024.

Cheryl Tweedy, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh confirmed they are coming together for a greatest hits tour in honour of their late bandmate Sarah Harding.

Sarah tragically died in September 2021 at the age of 39, after a battle with breast cancer.

The group are planning to hit the road in May and June 2024 in recognition of this month marking 21 years since they and the late Sarah won Popstars: The Rivals.

The tour will see the band provide fans with a whole dose of nostalgia by performing their best-loved hits, as the group have not recorded new music but just want to celebrate their back catalogue.

MailOnline has gathered all the information you need to book tickets to see the reunion.

They're back! Girls Aloud fans have gone wild after the iconic noughties band announced they will be reuniting for a tour in 2024

For Sarah: Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh confirmed they are coming together for a greatest hits tour in honour of their late bandmate Sarah Harding (band pictured in 2012)

Devastating: Sarah tragically died in September 2021 at the age of 39, after a battle with breast cancer (Sarah pictured in 2017)

When and where will the Girls Aloud reunion tour be?

The girls will be doing 15 shows across the UK and Ireland, with the first kicking off in Dublin in May.

They will also be visiting Wales and Scotland before finishing up in England, with the last show in Liverpool on June 29.

Here are all of the dates and locations:

18 May  3Arena Dublin

20 May - SSE Arena Belfast

23 May  Manchester AO Arena

24 May  Manchester AO Arena

27 May - Cardiff Utilita Arena

31 May - Newcastle Utilita Arena

1 June - Newcastle Utilita Arena

4 June - Aberdeen P+J Live

8 June - Glasgow OVO Hydro

12 June - Nottingham Motorpoint Arena

15 June - Leeds First Direct Arena

18 June - Birmingham Resorts World Arena

22 June - London The O2

23 June  London The O2

29 June - Liverpool M+S Bank Arena

Exciting! The girls will be doing 15 shows across the UK and Ireland, with the first kicking off in Dublin in May and the last show in Liverpool on June 29

How to get tickets for the Girls Aloud reunion tour?

Fans all over the country will be eagerly hoping to get their hands on tickets to see the iconic group perform.

To ensure your place at the tour, there is a pre-sale for tickets that starts at 9am on Wednesday, November 29.

The general sale will then be open from 9am on Friday December 1, with tickets expected to sell out quickly.

All tickets can be bought via girlsaloud.com.

Get them quick! There is a pre-sale for tickets that starts at 9am on Wednesday, November 29 and the general sale will then be open from 9am on Friday December 1

Why are Girls Aloud reuniting now?

Girls Aloud originally formed in 2002 on ITV 's Pop Stars: The Rivals and shot to fame, achieving 20 top-ten singles and five BRIT award nominations.

The girl group then took an initial break in 2009 to pursue other projects before they split for good in 2013.

Fans have had their fingers crossed for a reunion ever since, and the band had explained why now felt like the 'right time'.

Cheryl revealed they had been discussing the plans for some time but put the idea on ice when Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She said in a statement: 'We all started talking about the possibility of doing something to celebrate Girls Alouds 20-year anniversary a few years ago. The anniversary seemed like an obvious thing that we would celebrate.

'But when Sarah fell ill all priorities changed. She passed away a year before the anniversary and it just didnt feel right, it felt too soon.'

Cheryl continued: 'But now, I think there is an energy that does makes it feel right. Its the right time to celebrate Sarah, its the right time to celebrate the band and the right time to celebrate the fact we can still do this 21 years later. Thats a big honour in lots of ways.'

Kimberley added: 'Over the last year, we've felt this outpouring of love  obviously towards Sarah, but actually towards all of us as a group.

'And I guess it's ignited something in all of us again. It feels like something has changed and it does feel like the right time to celebrate Sarah and the 20-year anniversary that we didn't celebrate at the time.'

Nadine said: 'Girls Aloud are a band that made such a huge impact on people's lives. We grew up with the band, but so did so many other people.

'So for us not to do something again feels like such a shame and a waste. We want to have that moment with fans where we can all enjoy it together.'

Nicola added: 'I think what's really encouraging is that whenever people ask us about reuniting it's not, "Would you guys ever do it?" but "When are you guys gonna do it?"

'To know we still have that love from our fans and people who watched us grow up gives us the confidence to do the tour.

'It will be massive celebration of everything we've done up to this point. We want people to leave being like, "Wow, I've just had one of the best nights of my life".'

Back in the day: Girls Aloud originally formed in 2002 on ITV 's Pop Stars: The Rivals and shot to fame, achieving 20 top-ten singles and five BRIT award nominations (pictured in 2002)

Tragic: Cheryl revealed they had been discussing the plans for some time but put the idea on ice when Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer (Sarah pictured in 2017)

Celebration: Kimberley said: 'It feels like something has changed and it does feel like the right time to celebrate Sarah and the 20-year anniversary that we didn't celebrate at the time' (band pictured in 2005)

How will the Girls Aloud tour incorporate Sarah Harding?

The group have said that they plan to use the tour to 'celebrate' their late friend, Sarah and will keep her vocal parts the same.

Cheryl revealed that in her final months before her tragic death, Sarah expressed her wish that the girls reunited without her one day.

Speaking to British Vogue, she detailed the moment Sarah gave her blessing for a Girls Aloud reunion, admitting at the time she couldn't fathom the idea of losing her friend and was still waiting on a 'miracle'.

She said: 'She [Sarah] turned to me once and said, "You know when I'm not here, you girls should do something."

'But when you're face to face with someone that's dying We just thought some miracle was going to occur. We all thought we might be able to do something together.'

The foursome appeared on Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden on Thursday to discuss Sarah's impact on the tour.

Amanda said: 'I think she would be absolutely thrilled that you were doing this.'

Kimberley responded: 'We always talk about how much she loved Girls Aloud. She loved it.

'It was just the best time ever for her, we spoke so much about it the few months before she passed away and how much she loved it, she made us watch old videos, the things wed done together, she always said we had an amazing time together.

'Amanda youre absolutely right, she would love that we were doing this.'

They also confirmed that Sarah's vocals would be kept in and unchanged for the tour, and they would not be taking over her 'iconic' solo parts.

Nadine explained: 'They [Sarah's vocal parts] will remain the same, her vocal parts are big parts like 'Walking Primrose', she is the actual walking primrose and 'take a walk on the wild side', she's got some iconic Sarah's bits. They will be Sarah's bits. Why would we? They are her bits.'

Asked if the foursome would include Sarah in the tour, Nadine confirmed: 'Absolutely, she's such a huge part of the music, such a huge part of the group, the visuals, everything that makes Girls Aloud what it is.

'This is so different as a four, such a different experience, as much as we can bring in Sarah and bring her energy and everything she brought.'

During an appearance on Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp on Thursday, Cheryl added: 'Im not sure it will ever feel right. It will never feel how it felt, but were trying our best to make it as magical as we possibly can for her. With her in mind.'

Nicola added: 'People say Im sorry to ask but we want to be asked, because we have to keep her memory alive. She is part of us still and part of this.'

Impact: The group have said that they plan to use the tour to 'celebrate' their late friend , Sarah and will keep her vocal parts the same (Sarah pictured)

Reminiscing: The foursome appeared on Heart Breakfast on Thursday to discuss their comeback and Sarah's impact, with Kimberley (pictured) saying: 'She would love that we were doing this'

Staying the same: Nadine (pictured) also confirmed that Sarah's vocals would be kept in and unchanged for the tour, and they would not be taking over her 'iconic' solo parts
Spencer Howson has quit his popular radio show.

The man dubbed 'radio royalty' announced his exit from 4BC, where he has hosted the Saturday and Sunday breakfast show for 11 years, this week.

'I have thoroughly enjoyed spending weekends with you...but it is time for me to keep moving,' he said.

'I've got things I need to do next year, some that I've done before, some I've never done before.'

Spencer joined the network in 2021 after spending many years as a presenter at 612 ABC Brisbane.

Spencer Howson (picturted) has quit his popular radio show. The man dubbed 'radio royalty' announced his exit from 4BC, where he has hosted the Saturday and Sunday breakfast show for 11 years, this week

The radio star indicated he may go back to university to pursue his PhD.

'Yes, you may be calling me Dr Spencer at some point,' he joked to his listeners.

'That is something I tend to pursue, unless I'm busy doing so many other things - and as I said I am open to seeing what the universe provides - but that is just a little hint as to what I am going to be doing in 2024.'

It comes after another radio station faced a bloodbath.

The Hit Network axed several of its major stars from four of its regional stations on Australia's east coast in October.

The radio star indicated he may go back to university to pursue his PhD. 'Yes, you may be calling me Dr Spencer at some point,' he joked to his listeners

Included in the upheaval are popular 90.9 Sea FM Gold Coast team Bianca, Ben & Lakey, Newcastle Hit 106.9's breakfast trio of Nick, Jess and Dicko and Cliffo and Bronte from Hit Queensland in Townsville.

Hit stars Maz Compton and Matty Baseley from 101.3 Gosford announced the same month that they would not be back on the network in the new year.

The Hit Network, which is owned and operated by Southern Cross Austereo has not confirmed any new plans.

A spokesman from SCA did release a statement to industry blog, Mediaweek, confirming that Danny Lakey will be staying with Hit's Gold Coast station and be on air next year with a new breakfast team.

Bianca Dye and Ben Hannant, meanwhile, will be 'moving on'.
Doctor Who ratings were boosted on Saturday night as David Tennant's long-awaited return to the show aired.

The show's 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off with fan favourites David and Catherine Tate reprising their roles as the titular Time Lord and his companion Donna Noble.

The pair's return to the BBC show, in the first of three specials, was lauded by fans, 15 years after they last travelled in the TARDIS together.

The much-anticipated episode pulled in around 5million average viewers with a peak of just more than 6million, according to new overnight ratings.

In comparison, Jodie Whittaker's last ever episode as she bowed out of the role only racked in 3.6million average viewers with a peak of 4million.

Popular: Doctor Who ratings were boosted on Saturday night as David Tennant's long-awaited return to the show aired

Ratings boosted: More than 1million people more tune in than for Jodie Whittaker's final episode

The episode was a reunion that had sparked questions from die-hard fans, after Donna's memory of The Doctor was wiped in a bid to save her life, in heartbreaking scenes from their last adventure in 2008.

However, showrunner Russell T Davies created an unlikely loophole that reinstated Donna's memories, allowing her to see The Doctor again after they tackled another alien threat.

In the episode, fresh from his regeneration, the Doctor accidentally crosses paths with Donna after a spaceship crashes in London.

Desperate to keep away from her, he rushes off to investigate, unaware that a mysterious alien has escaped, and followed Donna and her daughter Rose home.

Rose (played by Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney) attempts to hide the alien, a fluffy creature called Beep The Meep, but Donna soon finds it and the entire family are forced to flee their home from alien military clashing with UNIT officers.

In a bombshell twist, Meep (voiced by Miriam Margolyes) is revealed to be the true villain, and vows to use their spaceship to wipe out the city.

Despite the Doctor's best attempts to hide his identity from Donna, he is forced to give up when they're trapped in Meep's exploding spaceship, and his longtime friend unlocks her Doctor Donna alter-ego to destroy the ship.

In heartbreaking scenes, Donna tragically dies in The Doctor's arms, but a shocking twist reveals that her abilities have been passed onto her daughter Rose.

Yay! The show's 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off, with fan favourites David and Catherine Tate reprising their roles as the titular Time Lord and his companion Donna Noble

Fan favourite: The much-anticipated episode pulled in 5million average viewers with a peak of 6million, according to new overnight ratings

Numbers: In comparison for Jodie Whittaker 's last ever episode as she bowed out of the role there were 3.6million average viewers with a peak of 4million

Not only does Rose rescue her family, but Donna, and all of her memories, are resurrected, bringing one of the show's most beloved duos back together again.

Despite the Doctor's concerns that the Time Lord power could overwhelm them both, Donna reassures him that they'll handle it like any woman - by 'letting it go.'

The episode ends with the Doctor getting a glimpse of his brand new - and sparkling white - TARDIS, before a blunder from Donna leads to the pair being catapulted into space to a destination unknown.

The first special was universally praised by fans, who lauded that David and Catherine had seamlessly slipped back into their roles after 15 years apart.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one wrote: 'I had the biggest smile on my face during that entire episode. I missed Donna and the Doctor so much!'.

While a second said: 'Okay I stayed and am crying at Doctor Donna'.

A third typed: 'That. Was. WONDERFUL!!! My heart is so warm. I bloody loved every second. Donna Noble and The Doctor are BACK.'

Someone else said: 'Today I feel like i'm a kid again. i haven't felt this kind of joy since the mandalorian season three finale. the 14th doctor and donna we're everything i remember and wanted back. allons y!!!'.

And: 'It was Brilliant to see The Doctor and Donna back together and especially DoctorDonna lol thank you, looking forward to the next two episodes then onward to the 70th'.

With a six writing: #DoctorWho was everything I wanted and more. This new era is gonna be amazing!!!! So nostalgic seeing The Doctor and Donna back together and I loved the story!'.

Viewers will next see The Doctor and Donna land on a mysterious alien planet in the second episode, titled The Wide Blue Yonder.

The specials will then conclude with The Giggle, starring Neil Patrick Harris as the villainous Toymaker, and will lead into Ncuti Gatwa's debut as The Doctor on Christmas Day.

Speaking in a Q&A ahead of the first special, Russell revealed that he convinced David and Catherine to return after they took part in a Who 'tweetalong' during the Covid lockdown in 2020.

He also revealed that Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan has joined the cast, and will appear in the show's Christmas Special in 2024.

'I just love David and Catherine together, actually,' Russell said. 'And I love that TARDIS. David loved that set so much he thought it'd be absolutely brilliant to run around it like that. After eight takes, not quite so fun. He was worn out by the end.'

Russell added that it was Catherine who suggested she'd like to reprise her role as Donna in an upcoming episode.

'Catherine said, 'Oh, I've always loved Donna Noble and wouldn't it be marvellous to make some more?' And I went, ''Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,'' like that. And then she asked David. She said, ''Would you make some more?'' And he said he would, in a heartbeat,' Russell said.

Meeting up: The pair's return to the BBC show, in the first of three specials, was lauded by fans, 15 years after they last travelled in the TARDIS together

Throwback: Catherine and David last appeared together in the series over 15 years ago (pictured in 2008)

'So then she told me that and I genuinely felt honour-bound to go to the BBC and say, ''Look, these two stars have just said they would love to come back.'' I knew it was the 60th anniversary coming up. Simple as that.

'So I just sent off that email about Christmas Eve or something - best Christmas present you ever had!'

'All I got was a reply saying, ''Thank you. We'll think about it.''

Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary celebrations continue with The Wide Blue Yonder on Saturday at 6:30pm on BBC One in the UK, and Disney+ internationally.
She is always dressed perfectly from head to toe.

And Vick Hope looked typically stylish as she arrived at Elstree Studios in London to watch Saturday night's live episode of Strictly Come Dancing.

The radio presenter, 34, cut a chic figure in a beige midi dress which had a quirky hand design in black printed on it.

She wore the dress with chunky black boots and accessorised her look with gold hoop earrings.

The beauty - who starred in Strictly herself in 2018 - wore her long dark tresses in her usual curly style and opted for a natural makeup look to show off her pretty features.

Outfit: Vick Hope looked typically stylish as she arrived at Elstree Studios in London to watch Saturday night's live episode of Strictly Come Dancing

Cosy: The radio presenter, 34, cut a chic figure in a beige midi dress which had a quirky hand design in black printed on it

Later when she headed home she wrapped up warm in a cosy fleece coat that worked with the ensemble perfectly.

Vick is married to Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, 39, who was previously linked to the likes of Rita Ora and Taylor Swift.

The two tied the knot in September in an extravagant Glastonbury-themed affair, with Nile Rogers and Chic performing.

Vick currently presents BBC Radio 1's drivetime show Going Home With Vick And Jordan alongside Jordan North and also hosts Life Hacks and Official Chart: First Look.

Saturday's Strictly saw Bobby Brazier and his professional partner Dianne Buswell moved judges Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke to tears with their emotional tribute performance to his late mother Jade Goody.

Actor Bobby, 20, was only five when Jade, who rose to fame on Big Brother in 2002, died of cervical cancer on Mother's Day in March 2009.

His father, TV presenter Jeff, 44, single-handedly raised him and younger brother Freddie, 19, with the pair both shedding some tears as they watched on from the audience.

Bobby said of his mother's death before his performance: 'It changed my life completely, I'd love to spend a day with her just to see where I get my smile from.'

Chilly: Later when she headed home she wrapped up warm in a cosy fleece coat that worked with the ensemble perfectly

EastEnders star Bobby and Dianne danced a Couple's Choice routine to This Woman's Work by Maxwell, a song that Bobby chose because it is close to his heart.

After the performance, he appeared emotional as his family watched in the audience and judges Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse gave him standing ovations. He received a score of 37 points.

Both Shirley and fellow panellist Anton were moved to tears by his tribute dance.

Bobby's father Jeff was also in tears as he called his son Bobby 'a walking tribute to his mum'.

In the emotional VT before Bobby's performance with his partner Dianne, Jeff paid tribute to Jade and how proud she would be of their son.

He told the camera: 'As a family we are very tight, we have had to be as loss has made us grow closer.'

TV: The beauty starred in Strictly Come Dancing herself in 2018 alongside professional partner Graziano Di Prima

Bobby added his love for his dad by saying: 'To be someone that my dad is proud of is everything.'

Breaking down in tears Jeff called himself 'the lucky one', explaining: 'I'm the one who gets to bring the boys up I'm the one who gets to watch him on Strictly and it brings so much joy to my life, I'm very, very grateful for that.'

Bobby and Dianne were given a score of 37 out of 40 for their dance by judges Shirley, Craig Revel Horwood, Anton and Motsi Mabuse.

Viewers took to Twitter to offer their praise for Bobby and Dianne after their performance aired.
Doctor Who's long-awaited 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off on Saturday night much to fans delight.

Actress Ruth Madeley starred in the first episode as new character Shirley Anne Bingham and proved popular with fans on the show.

Ruth - who plays scientific adviser number 56 at UNIT - is a British star known for her role in Years and Years where she worked with returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.

She was born with spina bifida and has worked with the charity Whizz-Kidz for much of her life.

The star, 36, was also nominated for a television BAFTA in 2016 for her work in Don't Take My Baby and has starred as Ingrid Woodhouse in The Rook.

Exciting: Doctor Who's long-awaited 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off on Saturday night much to fans delight - with the new episode starring actress Ruth Madeley

Loving her part: Actress Ruth starred in the first episode as new character Shirley Anne Bingham and proved popular with fans on the show

After the episode aired, she thanked fans for their support writing on Twitter: 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your gorgeous comments & messages.

'We knew how important Shirley would be to the disabled community & I really hope we did you proud. Stay tuned, gang... #DoctorWho.'

Ruth was born in Westhoughton, near Bolton, in 1987. She studied creative writing and English at Edge Hill University in Lancashire.

From her first role she gained an agent which led to a supporting part in Fresh Meat.

In the meantime she continued to write and in 2012 she wrote and starred in Scrims for Lime Pictures.

Since then Ruth completed filming for major ITV series The Level in her first non-disability specific role, something she saw as a milestone for the industry's representation of disabled people.

She said at the time: 'There's a long way to go, but I'm very excited to hopefully be a part of that change, where I can be an actress first and a disabled actress second.'

The new Doctor Who series has been notably diverse as David Tennant's Doctor was scolded by a transgender character for calling an alien 'him' during the first special.

Talent: Ruth - who plays scientific adviser number 56 at UNIT - is a British star known for her role in Years and Years where she worked with returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies

Kind: She was born with spina bifida and has worked with the charity Whizz-Kidz for much of her life

Happy: After the episode aired she thanked fans for their support writing on Twitter: 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your gorgeous comments & messages'

The character was called out by the daughter of former companion Donna Noble for referring to an adorable fluffy creature called Beep The Meep as 'him'.

Rose, who is played by transgender actress, Yasmin Finney, 19, questioned the Doctor's assumption that the alien was a 'he', asking him: 'You're assuming he as a pronoun?'

The Doctor, after realising his mistake, then apologised and asked Meep if it was a 'he or she or they', to which the creature replied: 'My chosen pronoun is the definite article. I am always The Meep'.

Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off with David and Catherine Tate reprising their roles as the titular Time Lord and his companion Donna Noble.

The pair's return to the BBC show, in the first of three specials, was lauded by fans, 15 years after they last travelled in the TARDIS together.

It was a reunion that had sparked questions from die-hard fans, after Donna's memory of The Doctor was wiped in a bid to save her life, in heartbreaking scenes from their last adventure in 2008.

However, showrunner Russell T Davies created an unlikely loophole that reinstated Donna's memories, allowing her to see The Doctor again after they tackled another alien threat.

In the episode, fresh from his regeneration, the Doctor accidentally crosses paths with Donna after a spaceship crashes in London.

Desperate to keep away from her, he rushes off to investigate, unaware that a mysterious alien has escaped, and followed Donna and her daughter Rose home.

Rose (played by Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney) attempts to hide the alien, a fluffy creature called Beep The Meep, but Donna soon finds it and the entire family are forced to flee their home from alien military clashing with UNIT officers.

In a bombshell twist, Meep (voiced by Miriam Margolyes) is revealed to be the true villain, and vows to use their spaceship to wipe out the city.

Despite the Doctor's best attempts to hide his identity from Donna, he is forced to give up when they're trapped in Meep's exploding spaceship, and his longtime friend unlocks her Doctor Donna alter-ego to destroy the ship.

In heartbreaking scenes, Donna tragically dies in The Doctor's arms, but a shocking twist reveals that her abilities have been passed onto her daughter Rose.

Not only does Rose rescue her family, but Donna, and all of her memories, are resurrected, bringing one of the show's most beloved duos back together again.

Despite the Doctor's concerns that the Time Lord power could overwhelm them both, Donna reassures him that they'll handle it like any woman - by 'letting it go.'

The episode ends with the Doctor getting a glimpse of his brand new - and sparkling white - TARDIS, before a blunder from Donna leads to the pair being catapulted into space to a destination unknown.

The first special was universally praised by fans, who lauded that David and Catherine had seamlessly slipped back into their roles after 15 years apart.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one wrote: 'I had the biggest smile on my face during that entire episode. I missed Donna and the Doctor so much!'.

While a second said: 'Okay I stayed and am crying at Doctor Donna'.

A third typed: 'That. Was. WONDERFUL!!! My heart is so warm. I bloody loved every second. Donna Noble and The Doctor are BACK.'

Someone else said: 'Today I feel like i'm a kid again. i haven't felt this kind of joy since the mandalorian season three finale. the 14th doctor and donna we're everything i remember and wanted back. allons y!!!'.

And: 'It was Brilliant to see The Doctor and Donna back together and especially DoctorDonna lol thank you, looking forward to the next two episodes then onward to the 70th'.

With a six writing: #DoctorWho was everything I wanted and more. This new era is gonna be amazing!!!! So nostalgic seeing The Doctor and Donna back together and I loved the story!'.

Viewers will next see The Doctor and Donna land on a mysterious alien planet in the second episode, titled The Wide Blue Yonder.

The specials will then conclude with The Giggle, starring Neil Patrick Harris as the villainous Toymaker, and will lead into Ncuti Gatwa's debut as The Doctor on Christmas Day.

Speaking in a Q&A ahead of the first special, Russell revealed that he convinced David and Catherine to return after they took part in a Who 'tweetalong' during the Covid lockdown in 2020.

He also revealed that Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan has joined the cast, and will appear in the show's Christmas Special in 2024.

'I just love David and Catherine together, actually,' Russell said. 'And I love that TARDIS. David loved that set so much he thought it'd be absolutely brilliant to run around it like that. After eight takes, not quite so fun. He was worn out by the end.'

Russell added that it was Catherine who suggested she'd like to reprise her role as Donna in an upcoming episode.

Actress: The star, 36, was nominated for a television BAFTA in 2016 for her work in Don't Take My Baby and has also starred as Ingrid Woodhouse in The Rook (seen in Years and Years)

Fun: Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary celebrations kicked off with David and Catherine Tate reprising their roles as the titular Time Lord and his companion Donna Noble

'Catherine said, 'Oh, I've always loved Donna Noble and wouldn't it be marvellous to make some more?' And I went, ''Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,'' like that. And then she asked David. She said, ''Would you make some more?'' And he said he would, in a heartbeat,' Russell said.

'So then she told me that and I genuinely felt honour-bound to go to the BBC and say, ''Look, these two stars have just said they would love to come back.'' I knew it was the 60th anniversary coming up. Simple as that.

'So I just sent off that email about Christmas Eve or something - best Christmas present you ever had!'

'All I got was a reply saying, ''Thank you. We'll think about it.''

Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary celebrations continue with The Wide Blue Yonder on Saturday at 6:30pm on BBC One in the UK, and Disney+ internationally.
Tiffany Haddish reportedly broke her silence over her DUI arrest in a new stand-up set at the Laugh Factory in Long Beach, just one day after her brush with the law.

Less than 24 hours after getting placed in handcuffs in the early hours of Friday morning in Beverly Hills, after performing at a comedy show on Thanksgiving, the comedian, 43, 'responded' to an audience member that asked 'what happened last night,' according to audio, obtained TMZ.

'What happened last night?' she replied, before taking a long pause as the crowd laughed and applauded. 'I don't know, you tell me.'

The Girl Trip proceeded to played coy, before musing that her prayers for a man 'in uniform were 'answered.'

Still joking: Tiffany Haddish reportedly broke her silence over her DUI arrest in a new stand-up set at the Laugh Factory in Long Beach, just one day after her brush with the law (seen in 2023)

'I prayed to God to send me a man with a job. A career. Preferably in a uniform. God answered my prayers,' she quipped.

According to TMZ, police found Tiffany allegedly asleep behind the wheel while parked in the middle of Beverly Drive.

Tiffany was arrested after a very suspicious circumstance on Friday morning, according to TMZ.

Police found the Hollywood comedienne asleep behind the wheel of her car when it was still running.

The vehicle was located in the middle of the busy street Beverly Drive, which is filled with stores like Pottery Barn and Sephora.

The call came from a concerned citizen at about 5:45am who was worried about the actress sleeping in her car in the early morning hours. Haddish was reportedly 'slumped over the wheel while the car was running,' the site claimed.

This is a second DUI arrest for the star who was found sleeping in her car in Georgia in January 2022.

DailyMail.com did not immediately hear back from Tiffany's reps to comment on the situation.

Second DUI arrest: Less than 24 hours after getting placed in handcuffs in the early hours of Friday morning in Beverly Hills, after performing at a comedy show on Thanksgiving, the comedian, 43, 'responded' to an audience member that asked 'what happened last night,' according to audio, obtained TMZ

Rough year: The Girl Trip proceeded to played coy, before musing that her prayers for a man 'in uniform were 'answered' (seen in January 2022 after her DUI arrest earlier this year

In a video obtained by TMZ, the actress could be seen in a pink floral print sleeveless top with dark slacks and her hair worn very short. Her hands were behind her back and cuffed as she was escorted to a patrol car.

The site said her arrest was 'peaceful' with no resistance.

Before she fell asleep at the wheel of her car, Tiffany was trying to make people laugh.

She had performed a stand-up set at The Laugh Factory on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood for the club's 43rd annual free Thanksgiving feast for the community.

This is not the first time she has been arrested for falling asleep behind the wheel of a car.

In January 2022 she was arrested under a similar circumstance for a DUI in Peachtree City, Georgia. The Night School actress was found 'dozing in the driver's seat' of her car, according to TMZ.

The star had been in Georgia to shoot the film Haunted Mansion with co-stars Owen Wilson and Rosario Dawson for Walt Disney Productions.

Officers told the site they believed that she had been smoking marijuana. Police approached the star's vehicle after a concerned citizen had called about a woman sleeping in her car.

After officers woke her up, she was arrested for suspicion of a DUI as well as stopping on a roadway in a manner that was not safe for traffic.

Apparently Tiffany - who split from musician Common in November 2021 - had not properly pulled off the road for her nap.

Haddish was taken to police headquarters and was in custody for 'a few hours,' according to the site. She seemed to be in custody from 4 am to 6:30 am.

A few weeks after the arrest, she commented on the incident during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.

Performance: She had performed a stand-up set at The Laugh Factory on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood for the club's 43rd annual free Thanksgiving feast for the community (seen above)

Previous arrest: In January 2022 she was arrested under a similar circumstance for a DUI in Peachtree City, Georgia; seen in October in Los Angeles

Opening up: A few weeks after the arrest, she commented on the incident during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon; seen earlier this month in Arizona

'I can say this, Jimmy. I've been praying to God to send me a new man. A good man. And God went ahead and sent me four...in uniform,' she humorously recalled to the talk show host.

The star added, 'And now I got a really great lawyer, and we're going to work it out. I've got to get my asking of things to God a little better!'

And in April 2022, she also briefly talked about the DUI arrest and made a similar quip about how she had been praying for a good man to come along, and instead was given four police officers.

'They got good benefits and everything so I can't even be mad. And yes I did get charged with a DUI, which stand for Dumb Unfortunate Incident,' she jokingly expressed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Joe Swash's eagerly-anticipated EastEnders return date has been confirmed, and fans don't have long to wait.

The actor, 41, who starred as Mickey Miller on the BBC soap between 2003 and 2008, will be making his comeback next month.

However, he will not be reprising his role as Mickey, but instead will be hosting a one-off interview special.

Joe will be chatting to the cast amid the upcoming Christmas murder storyline, in a special called EastEnders: The Six - Revealed.

A flashforward scene was aired in February showing six Walford women standing over the body of a mystery male character, leaving fans guessing who the victim and murderer could be ever since.

Exciting! Joe Swash 's eagerly-anticipated EastEnders return date has been confirmed, and fans don't have long to wait

Return: Comeback: The actor, 41, who starred as Mickey Miller (pictured) on the BBC soap between 2003 and 2008, will be making his comeback next month

Intriguing: However, he will not be reprising his role as Mickey, but instead will be hosting a one-off interview special

The actresses who play the six women will be interviewed by Joe, who'll know doubt grill them about their part in the big festive whodunnit.

Gillian Taylforth, Balvinder Sopal, Lacey Turner, Diane Parish, Letitia Dean, and Kellie Bright will all be joining Joe.

EastEnders: The Six - Revealed will air on Monday, December 11, at 8pm on BBC Three.

Joe's involvement with the show was revealed in September, with a source telling The Sun: 'There is so much buzz around the show at the moment and with so many big stories bosses felt it was the perfect moment to give the audience an exclusive behind-the-scenes access with a one-off interview special that will be hosted by Joe Swash later in the year.

'Joe is such a huge part of the EastEnders family, so he was a natural fit to present as he has such a history with the show.

'The special is unlike one theyve done before so viewers are going to love it.'

Joe's wife Stacey Solomon recently mistakenly gave a hint about Joe's big new job as she printed off his scripts in an Instagram reel.

Though she didn't state what the job was and tried to cover the contents with her hand, Gillian and Letitia's names were still partially visible, making it evident that Joe is set to interview the ladies about the storyline.

Explosive: Joe will be chatting to the cast amid the upcoming Christmas murder storyline, in a special called EastEnders: The Six - Revealed

Grilling: The actresses who play the six women will be interviewed by Joe - Lacey Turner, Balvinder Sopal, Kellie Bright, Letitia Dean, Diane Parish and Gillian Taylforth (pictured L-R in September)

Meanwhile, just months ago, Joe revealed he would like to return to EastEnders after getting the 'worst exit ever.

Speaking with fellow EastEnders star Dean Gaffney while starring on I'm A Celebrity South Africa in May, Joe admitted he wasn't happy with how he left the show.

When Carol Vorderman asked Joe if he will return to Walford, he replied: 'I wouldn't mind it.

'You know exactly what you're doing, when you're doing it, how you're doing it. But they've never asked me mate, not once.'

The soap star then admitted he wished he had been given a more dramatic exit storyline as many characters get.

He said: 'I had the worst outro ever! I didn't even leave at the end of the episode. So usually you leave at the end of the episode and you get the 'doof doof'.

'Mine, I went to Norwich to be a bell boy at a hotel and mid scene I just walked into the Vic and went, "Right, see you later".

Blunder! Joe's wife Stacey Solomon recently mistakenly gave a hint about Joe's big new job as she printed off his scripts in an Instagram reel

'They turned back to Phil, turned back to me and I'd gone. I was like, 'What, that's it?' I was there five years and not one doof doof!'

Joe recently said if the timing worked out, he would be 'thrilled' to go back to Albert Square, despite not receiving the call.

He said: 'EastEnders has a knack for resurrecting characters, so there's always a possibility of a comeback! If they truly wanted me back, they'd give me a call.

'My life is pretty hectic with the kids, but if the opportunity aligned with my schedule, I'd be thrilled to return.

Keen: Meanwhile, just months ago, Joe revealed he would like to return to EastEnders after getting the 'worst exit ever (pictured as Mickey)
The discovery of what looked like a human ear nailed to a fence post has shocked a woman travelling through a remote country town.

Birdwatcher Susan Rosine had been scouting the area for prairie falcons and ferruginous hawks when she spotted the weathered appendage from her car. "I just thought: What the heck, is that an ear?" she told Yahoo News Australia.

To her relief, Susan quickly realised the ear was actually made of metal which had rusted over years on the prairie. But that didnt make it any less mysterious.

A rusted metal ear was found mysteriously nailed to a fence post in Colorado. Source: Susan Rosine

Susan's experience gives an insight into the weird world of birdwatchers, known among themselves as "birders" or "twitchers.

When they venture into wild and remote areas, it's not always birds that get photographed. There's actually an international birding page dedicated to the odd discoveries they make. And that's exactly where Susan ultimately chose to share her picture of the ear.

Strange ear theories shared on social media

After she did so, dozens of mystified social media users quickly weighed in with theories.

One person took the strange find literally, quipping that its a listening post, while another joked that's just eerie. But others feared it could have a darker meaning and likened it to the horror movie The Hills Have Eyes.

Another birder thought it could be a biblical reference from the book of Exodus about the acceptance of slavery  Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him forever.

Why was the ear actually nailed to a post?

Susan snapped the photos as she ventured for the first time into the town of Ovid in the US state of Colorado, an area a long way from home.

After taking the photo, Susan began to think it may have been some sort of joke, but since then shes been piecing together a theory based around the areas brutal past.

Story continues

The ear is located close to several historical markers that tell the story of conflict on the plains between Native Americans and white settlers.

Another birder discovered a human effigy on icy waters of the Mississippi River. Source: Cindy Gilbert

She believes the ear could be a reference to French Canadian trapper Jules Beni who established a trading post in the area.

After he was killed in a gun fight in the 1860s, there was speculation one of his foes cut his ear off to keep as a souvenir.

Other strange birdwatching finds

While Susans discovery may seem strange, other posts to the page are arguably even weirder.

In January, birder Cindy Gilbert photographed what she described as a creepy thing in the state of Illinois on the Mississippi River,. While trying to spot eagles on the ice, she instead stumbled upon a human effigy on a chair in the middle of the lake.

I had to stop and make sure it wasnt an actual person, she said.

Other creepy images uploaded to the S**t Birders See (other than birds) page include a doll peaking out of an abandoned house, and a hairdressers mannequin head accompanied with the caption Darn near gave me a heart attack.

But not all of the posts on the site are scary, some are wonderfully lighthearted. A photograph from early November is of a roadside sign that earnestly reads, Looking for a second wife. I am fit, successful, an outdoorsman and artist.

A separate post is of a photo showing a light switch fitted into a tree in Australia. Another odd post shows someone walking their cat in a see-through backpack.

Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new weekly newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories.
Emma Watson dazzled in a plunging black suit at the We Dare To Dream premiere in London on Sunday evening.

The Harry Potter actress, 33, looked radiant as she joined Malala Yousafzai at the event at Cineworld Leicester Square.

Emma opted for an all-black number, flashing a black bralette under her suit, which was embellished with sequins at the shoulder.

The screen star also posed with the film's director Waad Al-Kateab and producer Joe Gebbia.

Also in attendance was Emma's Harry Potter co-star Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the wizarding series.

Gorgeous: Emma Watson, 33, showed off her slim figure on Sunday at the We Dare To Dream premiere in London

Wow: Gorgeous Emma opted for an all-black number, flashing a black bralette through her suit

Jason looked laid-back in a zip-up hoodie and jeans - but added a blazer for his evening out.

James Corden appeared in high spirits in a black blazer with red trimmings and buttons - after making the move from America back to the UK.

We Dare To Dream sees Refugee athletes face dramatic challenges while competing for a place in the 2020 Olympic Games.

The film features an original song Don't Need to Sleep performed by John Legend, while Angelina Jolie and Legend are two of the executive producers.

The athletes from Iran, Syria, South Sudan and Cameroon all seek to make it as they train to compete on the world stage, revealing a breadth of backgrounds, personal stories and Olympic sports.

It shows the fire and the drive of young people forced to leave their families, homes and countries of birth to build new lives out of nothing.

Culminating in their competition at the summer Olympics, their compatriots back home and their new communities in refugee camps watch as these determined young athletes fight for their place in the world.

Emma took some time out for the special evening from her busy studies at Oxford University, where she is currently focusing on master's degree in creative writing.

Famous company: The Harry Potter actress looked radiant as she joined Malala Yousafzai at the event in Cineworld Leicester Square

Stunning: The actress pulled back her brown locks into a stylish low ponytail, while adding rosy blush and red lipstick for a captivating look

Famous company: Producer Joe Gebbia, Emma Watson, Malala Yousafzai and Director Waad Al-Kateab

Busy life: Emma was taking time out from her studies at Oxford, where pal Malala also famously studied

Co-star: Emma's Harry Potter co-star Jason Isaacs was also in attendance in casual attire

Cheery: James Corden appeared in high spirits in a black blazer with red trimmings and buttons

Her plans to study creative writing were revealed in an interview with the Financial Times in April, in which it was reported that she had begun writing poetry during lockdown as well as essays on love, friendship and relationships.

Her studies are thought to be part-time and mostly online.

However she caused a stir when she appeared in person for the university's matriculation ceremony at the start of the academic year, as students rushed to take photos of the famous star.

She also spent a year attending Worcester College at Oxford as an undergraduate in the 2011/12 academic year.

This was during the course of her English literature degree at Brown University in Rhode Island, from where she graduated in 2014.

The Oxford University website states that the creative writing master's course runs for two years and costs 9,025 a year for UK students and 14,155 a year for those from overseas.

Emma spent much of her childhood in Oxfordshire, living there with her mother Jacqueline from the age of five and attending Dragon School and Headington School in the city.

Speaker: James Corden moderates a Q&A following the Premiere screening of 'We Dare to Dream'

Getting involved: Emma Watson asked a question from the audience during a Q&A

Telling the story: roducer Joe Gebbia, Director Waad Al-Kateab and Cyrille Tchatchet II speak with moderator James Corden during a Q&A
Maura Higgins looked nothing short of sensational in a colourful co-ord as she shared a gallery of Instagram snaps during an idyllic Maldives getaway on Sunday.

The former Love Island star, 33, showed off her jaw dropping figure in a orange, red and blue busty corset which she teamed with a matching mini skirt.

She turned heads in the ensemble which boasted thin gold straps as she posed up a storm in front of the ocean as the sunset.

The Irish model accessorised with a pair of gold chunky hoop earrings and styled her long brunette tresses in a neat high curly bun.

Maura applied a flawless palette of makeup as she showed off her glowing bronze tan.

Glowing: Maura Higgins looked nothing short of sensational in a colourful co-ord as she shared a gallery of Instagram snaps during an idyllic Maldives getaway on Sunday

Incredible: The former Love Island star, 33, showed off her jaw dropping figure in a orange, red and blue busty corset which she teamed with a matching mini skirt

The TV personality also posed for a stunning mirror selfie with pal and hairstylist Carl Bembridge.

It comes as Maura set pulses racing as she went braless in a sheer blue dress while posing on the beach earlier in the week during the lavish trip.

The reality star left little to the imagination in the backless fitted ribbed number as she snapped Instagram pictures in front of a picturesque Indian Ocean sunset.

She accessorised her look with a pair of stylish chunky gold earrings and pulled her brunette tresses up in a neat bun.

While facing away from the camera, the Irish model displayed her scattered star tattoo, which runs from her neck down to the top of her back.

Maura wrote alongside the images: 'Todays forecast'.

The reality star has been posting plenty of sizzling snaps from her trip to the Maldives.

Earlier this week, the TV personality slipped into a skimpy red bikini, with a bandeau top and high-leg bottoms.

Maura looked to be having the time of her life at Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa following her time as social media ambassador for Love Island Games in Fiji.

Stunning: She turned heads in the ensemble which boasted thin gold straps as she posed up a storm in front of the ocean as the sunset

Glamorous: The Irish model accessorised with a pair of gold chunky hoop earrings and styled her long brunette tresses in a neat high curly bun

Selfie! The TV personality also posed for a stunning mirror selfie with pal and hairstylist Carl Bembridge

On Monday, the reality star documented her travels with a slew of Instagram snaps and she sent fans wild as she posed in skimpy bikinis.

Maura put her toned figure on display in a red bandeau bikini that showed off her incredible abs.

She flashed underboob in the tiny two-piece and quipped in the caption: 'I like my bikinis how I like my wine..Red.'

The Love Island star then switched into a colourful crochet bikini and white mini skirt as she snapped a selfie inside her waterfront villa.

While she may have been living it up in the Maldives, she still had her work on Love Island Games in Fiji on her mind as she shared behind the scenes snaps from her final day of filming.

While she may work hard to maintain her incredible figure, she revealed she still allows herself to indulge, sharing snaps of herself enjoying pizza on set.

Maura recently discussed the exciting experience of guest hosting the new Love Island Games, chatting to ex Islander Kem Cetinay on Capital Late Show as she discussed joining the 'epic' new show.

'Love Island Games is very different to your average Love Island. I mean, people really wanted to win they were taking this very serious like, you know very strategic and I was quite shocked because people were taking it that serious that it's all they're cared about,' said Maura.

'There was still some love interest but not as much. What a show though. I was lucky enough I got to watch it. Like because obviously I was interviewing all the exited Islanders. And honestly, it is epic.'

Glowing: Earlier this week Maura set pulses racing as she went braless in a sheer blue dress while posing on the beach

Beach ready: The reality star has been posting plenty of sizzling snaps from her trip to the Maldives

Fun in the sun: The TV personality slipped into a skimpy red bikini, with a bandeau top and high-leg bottoms

Wow: On Monday, the reality star documented her travels with a slew of Instagram snaps and she sent fans wild as she posed in skimpy bikinis

Kem, 27, who also guest hosted an episode on Love Island Games told Maura: 'So you was obviously the social host, Maya Jama was the was the host, and Iain Stirling on the voiceovers very similar to the UK one, but a difference was is there was a lot of different nationalities so it was UK, USA, Australia, France, Sweden and Germany.

'So Islanders from all these different countries. Was it not weird? Like, was there not like a bit of a culture barrier in terms of them talking and humour maybe flirting?'

Maura revealed: 'Yeah, there was a few moments where people couldn't understand one another. But I think it was more like, you know, all the UK contestants were sticking with each other.

'And then all the Americans were sticking with each other. It was kind of going like that. But it is it's very interesting. Very, very interesting.

'It was so strange going in this time like I was doing the slow-mo walk with you and everything.

'It was a bit weird because you was doing the whole sexy Maura walking and I was walking next to you and thinking, 'what do I do now in this slow-mo walk? Do I just smile? Do I try and act sexy? I don't even know if I can act sexy.'
Gwyneth Paltrow paid tribute to her filmmaker father, Bruce Paltrow, as she marked what would have been his 80th birthday with a loving tribute on Instagram.

The Oscar winner was just 30-years-old when her dad passed away after a years-long bout of throat cancer in 2002.

'I wish you here to celebrate your 80th today,' she captioned a black and white photo of him standing shirtless in front of a very large lake, surrounded by trees, under a cloudy sky.

She continued: 'I miss you and love you more than ever, if that were possible.'

Daddy's girl: Gwyneth Paltrow paid tribute to her filmmaker father, Bruce Paltrow, as she marked what would have been his 80th birthday with a loving tribute on Instagram (seen in 2001)

Last year, the mother-of-two recalled how she once woke up in the night and 'thought she was having a heart attack' while grieving her father's death.

'I lost my dad to cancer when I was 30. He was only 58. It gets so abstract as the years go on. You are so far away from the last phone call, the last meal you had with them the last embrace, your relationship with them is in another realm,' she said on the Wylde Moon podcast with Holly Willoughby.

The Goop founder, 51, continued: 'When it first happened I never anticipated that it was possible to have a feeling like that. It was not in my lexicon of emotions. It was so physical it felt like it split me open.'

'After the funeral I was living in London and I woke up one night in the middle of the night and I thought I was having a heart attack. The only reason I didn't call the emergency services was because I didn't know it was 999 in England!' Gwyneth added.

'But I thought I was dying. It was really really tough, I don't know how we got through it, it was really messed up. It's sad he's not part of my life now.'

'The first year was just beyond I don't know how we all got through it, my mother, my brother and I. It was pretty messed up. Anyone will tell you, who loses a love of their life like that, there's just no other way but through,' she continued. 'You just try to process your grief and keep going.'

As for how she kept going, the star said the only 'upside' of 'having him die so young' was she 'had so much life left to build.'

'I hadn't been married yet. I hadn't had kids yet. I hadn't really found myself yet. I still had that opportunity to continue to, I don't know I had all these chapters left,' the performer explained. 'What's so sad is he's not a part of them, but at the same time, he was such an amazing part of the foundation.'

'I wish you here to celebrate your 80th today,' she captioned a black and white photo of him standing shirtless in front of a very large lake, surrounded by trees. 'She continued: 'I miss you and love you more than ever, if that were possible'

Still grieving: The Oscar winner was just 30-years-old when her dad passed away after a years-long bout of throat cancer in 2002 (pictured in 2000)

Picture-perfect family: Gwyneth is the daughter of Hollywood power couple Bruce and actress Blythe Danner (pictured in 2002)

The star went on to explain how her wellness company Goop was created a few years after his death, after she took an interest in holistic health following his illness.

She explained: 'Starting Goop was after he died. When he was diagnosed I started looking at environmental toxins and how food affects our health. That is what started me on this whole journey.'

Just days ahead of his death, Bruce joined his daughter in Rome for her 30th birthday.

Previously, she told The Sun: 'I always hold on to his wedding ring. I ask it questions, I feel like it keeps me safe. I really sense the energy of his soul, I don't think that evaporates.'

Just days ahead of his death, Bruce joined his daughter in Rome for her 30th birthday; seen in 1997

A few weeks after Bruce's death, Gwyneth met her future husband Chris Martin, who she split from from after nearly 13 years of marriage in 2016, backstage at a Coldplay gig

'I feel my dad, I still feel his love, I still speak to him and I still love him,' Paltrow said.

A few weeks after Bruce's death, Gwyneth met her future husband Chris Martin, who she split from from after nearly 13 years of marriage in 2016, backstage at a Coldplay gig.

During their relationship, they welcomed their daughter Apple, 19, and son Moses, 17.

In 2018, she married television writer and director Brad Falchuk, who she first met on the set of Glee.
Dominic Cooper and Anne-Marie Duff were spotted on the set of the second season of Channel 4's detective drama Suspect on the River Thames London recently.

The History Boys actor, 45, could be seen tussling with his co-star, 53, as they filmed the dramatic scenes on a small fishing boat.

Both were wrapped up in thick padded coats as Dominic's character forced his hand over Anne-Marie's mouth to stifle her screams.

And despite the dark themes both actors appeared in high spirits between scenes and chatted with the crew.

Anne-Marie reprises her role as psychotherapist Dr Susannah Newman with Dominic making his debut as her mysterious new client Jon Fallow.

Scary stuff: Dominic Cooper, 45, and Anne-Marie Duff, 53, were spotted on the set of Channel 4 's new detective drama Suspect in London recently

Dramatic: The History Boys actor could be seen tussling with his co-star as they filmed dramatic scenes on a boat on the River Thames

The second season follows Susannah who is now on a desperate quest to track down a self-confessed serial killer before he kills again.

But when a mysterious new client admits under hypnosis that he is a murderer and intends on killing another young female that evening, Susannah knows he must be stopped.

Ben Miller also reprises his tole with other new additions alongside Dominic including Tamzin Greig, Eddie Marsan and Gina McKee.

Actress Anne-Marie Duff said: 'I'm so pleased to be returning to Suspect to be able to dig deeper into the character of Dr Susannah Newman'.

'Expect lots of twists, turns and revelations alongside more questions to be answered. I can't wait for viewers to see what we've done with the second series.'

Meanwhile Channel 4's Ben Wadey said: Were thrilled to be working with Eagle Eye Drama again to be bringing back Suspect for a second series'.

'With Anne-Marie Duff returning as Dr Susannah Newman plus a truly spectacular ensemble cast that includes Dominic Cooper, Tamsin Greig and Eddie Marsan, Channel 4 viewers are truly in for a ride when this hits our screens'.

Series one of Suspect was broadcast earlier this year with James Nesbitt leading the cast as veteran detective Danny Frater.

Action: Both were wrapped up in thick padded coats as Dominic's character forced his hand over Anne-Marie's mouth to stifle her screams

Fight: The duo wrestled as the boat shook on the water

Off durty: And despite the dark themes both actors appeared in high spirits between scenes and chatted with the crew

Intense: Anne-Marie reprises her role as psychotherapist Dr Susannah Newman with Dominic making his debut as her mysterious new client Jon Fallow

Dark: The second season follows Susannah who is now on a desperate quest to track down a self-confessed serial killer before he kills again

Terror: But when a mysterious new client admits under hypnosis that he is a murderer and intends on killing another young female that evening, Susannah knows he must be stopped

Back in July 2022, Dominic's girlfriend Gemma Chan gave a rare insight into their relationship.

Gemma spoke about his support of her passions, gushing that her beau was particularly supportive when she spoke out on behalf of Asian communities during the pandemic.

She launched the #StopESEAHate campaign with GoFundMe that fought back against racially-motivated crimes aimed at those of East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) heritage.

She told Harper's Bazaar UK: 'I think I'm so fortunate to be in a relationship where we can talk about anything,' the actress said of her boyfriend.

New team: Ben Miller also reprises his tole with other new additions alongside Dominic including Tamzin Greig, Eddie Marsan and Gina McKee

Back for more: Actress Anne-Marie Duff said: 'I'm so pleased to be returning to Suspect to be able to dig deeper into the character of Dr Susannah Newman'

Detective: Series one of Suspect was broadcast earlier this year with James Nesbitt leading the cast as veteran detective Danny Frater (pictured)

'Dom was very understanding and empathetic. I was quite open about how I was feeling during that time, and he was just incredibly supportive.'

'I definitely didn't feel I had to shoulder everything on my own. I'm really, really lucky.'

Gemma and Dominic have worked to keep their romance out of the public eye since they got together in 2018.

After months of dating rumours, they were photographed canoodling during a beach day in Formentera that September.

The couple then made their first public appearance three months later at an afterparty for the British Fashion Awards.
Ashley James couldn't contain her smile as she enjoyed a festive day out at LaplandUK with partner Tommy Andrews and their two children on Sunday.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 36, cut a stylish figure in a pair of black leather skinny trousers as she carried her daughter Ada, eight months, on her chest.

She wrapped up warm in a padded khaki coat and green scarf as she posed for snaps during the immersive Christmas experience.

Ashley styled her long blonde tresses in a neat updo and accessorised for the outing in a pair of chunky gold hoop earrings.

The reality star kept comfortable in a pair of black boots while Ada looked cosy in a grey leopard print outdoor suit.

Making memories: Ashley James couldn't contain her smile as she enjoyed a festive day out at LaplandUK with partner Tommy Andrews and their daughter Ada on Sunday

Festive: The former Made In Chelsea star, 36, cut a stylish figure in black leather skinny trousers as she carried her little girl, eight months, on her chest

Meanwhile her boyfriend Tommy dressed smart in a long grey checked wool coat.

He teamed the jacket with a grey knitted roll neck jumper, dark blue denim jeans, brown lace up boots and a winter hat.

The couple seemed in high spirits while enjoying the festive family day out with their daughter.

Ashley took to Instagram to share a gallery of snaps from their 'magical day' as the family met Father Christmas.

The couple were also joined by their son Alfie, two, as they posed for a group photo in front of snow covered Christmas trees.

She penned: 'We have had THE most magical day at Lapland meeting Santa and all the elves!

'This is the first year Alf has started to understand Christmas, so it was just the best day ever! From the moment you step into Lapland youre transported into this magical world!

'We helped the elves make some toy bunnies, helped Mother Christmas make some gingerbread men, and even got to see some reindeer! But the best bit at the end - meeting Father Christmas. Alf was so excited to tell him all about our day!

Looking good: She wrapped up warm in a padded khaki coat and green scarf as she posed for snaps with Ada who looked cosy in a grey leopard print outdoor suit

Family: The couple were also joined by their son Alfie, two, as they posed for a group photo in front of snow covered Christmas trees

She penned: 'We have had THE most magical day at Lapland meeting Santa and all the elves! This is the first year Alf has started to understand Christmas, so it was just the best day ever!'

Amazing: Ashley's two children also met Father Christmas during the day

'Im already in bed because it was shattering and Adas sleep has been all over the place since we got back from hol, but it was so worth it.

'I feel like Christmas gets better every year know how much fun and make believe there is with the kids. Thank you for having us! I cant recommend enough. Alf went to sleep very very happy that he met the real Santa'.

During the day, the family enjoyed an immersive Christmas experience in LaplandUK's own enchanted world in Swinley Forest.

Since its creation in 2007, LaplandUK has seen over a million visitors with this years tickets selling out in under three minutes.

The annual event, which sold out in three minutes this year, runs from November 11 until December 24.

Ashley announced she had given birth to a baby girl, Ada, in a sweet Instagram post in March.

The reality star welcomed her first child, a son named Alfie, in January 2021, just a year after she and tech professional Tommy began dating.

Made In Chelsea's Ashley spent six years single before settling down with Tommy in December 2019, after having first met ten years earlier.

Six months later, the couple discovered they were having their first baby, after Tommy moved into Ashley's London home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Joshua Jackson showcased his tone muscles as he left the gym on Saturday in Los Angeles.

The 45-year-old, who has disputed the separation date from ex-Jodie Turner Smith, displayed his biff biceps as he carried his blue gym bag to his car.

The Dr. Death star completed his workout in a gray sleeveless shirt, teal shorts and sneakers.

His brown hair was brushed back and his salt and pepper beard was neatly trimmed.

The Fatal Attraction star, who grabbed headlines when he split earlier this year from his wife of four years, Jodie Turner-Smith, 37.

Buff biceps: Joshua Jackson showcased his tone muscles as he left the gym Saturday in Los Angeles. The 45-year-old displayed his biff biceps as he carried his blue gym bag to his car

The former couple share a three-year-old daughter, Juno Rose Diana, and have been able to come to a temporary custody arrangement for the little one.

The couple separated over what has been referred to as 'irreconcilable differences' in court papers.

They will have joint physical custody of the tot, and neither will pay child support.

The Affair star also requested that each pay for their own attorneys' fees.

It's unclear what Joshua's next project will be.

Starz has decided not to go forward with the series he was working on that was to be helmed by Ava Duvernay and co-starring Lauren Ridloff, with whom he worked in Children of a Lesser God on Broadway.

Production on the show had begun in Wilmington, NC in March.

However, the work was paused when Hollywood writers went on strike in May, and Ava's deal with Warner Bros, ended that same month, according to Variety.

Workout gear: The Dr. Death star completed his workout in a gray sleeveless shirt, teal shorts and sneakers

Next project: The actor's next project is up in the after after Starz decided not to continue production of a romantic drama starring Joshua and Lauren Ridloff and helmed by Ava Duvernay following the shutdown initiated by the writers strike

The actor was keen to work on the project when included an interracial romance between a hearing man and a deaf woman.

'The question that the show is asking is, "Can you ever truly see another human being?"' he told the outlet earlier this year.

'Thats why I chased Ava down and made her listen to this pitch. And I love that the deafness is not at the periphery of our story.'

Custody: The actor and estranged wife Jodie Turner-Smith, 37, reached a temporary custody agreement over their daughter Juno, three. Both with have joint physical custody of the tot and neither will pay child support, according to court documents (Pictured in Beverly Hills in March)

The actor revealed he is still close to his Dawson's Creek co-stars, including Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes, whom he dated for a while.

He says they are all part of a group chat on WhatsApp.

'It doesn't get a lot of use but every once in a while someone will crop up,' he told The Times.

'[In January] we passed the 25th anniversary [of the show] so there was a flurry of texts. It really centers around, "Oh my God, I can't believe that we all went through that thing together." It's obviously such a formative point in all our lives.'
Prince Andrew's excruciating BBC interview with Emily Maitlis was so explosive that one television depiction is apparently not enough.

Four years on from the embattled royal's grilling on Newsnight over his friendship with the late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, two of the world's biggest streaming titans are going head-to-head with their own dramatisations of the so-called 'scoop of the decade'.

In one corner we have the Netflix film Scoop, based on a book written by Sam McAlister, the former BBC production journalist who landed the interview. In the other, Amazon Prime's series A Very Royal Scandal, which Maitlis herself is executive producing.

Considering even the most ardent royal watcher is unlikely to watch both, competition between the dramas is fierce. Particularly as McAlister and Maitlis are said to be 'arch-enemies' after the interviewer was accused of ignoring the vital contribution her producer made in brokering the Prince's interview.

At the time, Prince Andrew's performance had royal commentators reeling, with one describing it as 'a plane crashing into an oil tanker, causing a tsunami, triggering a nuclear explosion-level bad'  after his increasingly bizarre answers.

Prince Andrew's excruciating BBC interview with Emily Maitlis was so explosive that one television depiction is apparently not enough

In one corner we have the Netflix film Scoop, starring Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis

In the other, Amazon Prime's series A Very Royal Scandal, with Ruth Wilson playing the former BBC journalist. Maitlis herself is executive producing the Amazon Prime series

Who can forget his claim that he was incapable of sweating and that he could not have had improper relations with then 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre because he was at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey, on the night in question?

And it seems that the stars have been queuing up to take part in the eagerly anticipated adaptations. With money no object for either streaming giant, they have been battling it out for the ultimate A-list cast. Friends of McAlister have said 'she definitely thinks Scoop's actors and actresses are the better ones. She literally has to pinch herself'.

McAlister is 'over the moon' at signing The Crown's Gillian Anderson to play Maitlis and, according to friends, 'so, so, so excited' about Billie Piper playing her. Rufus Sewell is Prince Andrew, while Keeley Hawes is starring as Andrew's private secretary of the time, Amanda Thirsk.

Meanwhile, last week, Emily Maitlis was said to be 'thrilled' to unveil Hollywood actor Michael Sheen as the Prince for A Very Royal Scandal. Ruth Wilson, a Golden Globe winner for drama The Affair, will take the role of Maitlis and The Thick Of It's Joanna Scanlan will play Thirsk.

As for the scripts, McAlister boasts British playwright and screenwriter Peter Moffat writing her one-part drama  with Philip Martin, who worked on seven episodes of The Crown in 2017, directing.

Maitlis has gone one better for her three-part series, signing Bafta-nominated director Julian Jarrold, who as well as heading up The Crown also stepped in to work on Sky Atlantic's drama This England, which told the story of Boris and Carrie Johnson during the pandemic.

Ultimately, though, it won't be the cast and crew who dictate the success of either drama  but who gets it to the small screen first. And it seems that Netflix and McAlister are winning the race to transmission. While there is no official date for when either of the dramas will air, Scoop has finished filming, while A Very Royal Scandal is thought to be less than halfway through.

One insider told the Mail: 'This was always going to be a race against time but Sam [McAlister] got in there first and she is definitely, at the moment, some months ahead.'

Emily Maitlis was said to be 'thrilled' to unveil Hollywood actor Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew for A Very Royal Scandal

Sam McAlister, the former BBC production journalist who landed the interview, said that the actors were better in Scoop. Rufus Sewell is playing Prince Andrew in the Netflix series

Ruth Wilson was spotted on set in London with a blonde bob, similar to the haircut that Maitlis had prior to the infamous interview

McAlister published her book, Scoops: Behind The Scenes Of The BBC's Most Shocking Interviews in July 2022  with the Netflix deal announced last autumn. Filming began earlier this year with on-set pictures appearing in February.

Maitlis's A Very Royal Scandal was first discussed in the summer of 2022  with Amazon only confirming their involvement last week.

Those on Team Netflix were said to have been 'amused' at how angry the former BBC star would have been at seeing her former colleague, McAlister, race ahead of her project. 'It must really irk Emily that the production girl beat her to it,' one said. 'Not only did she have to see all of the pictures of the filming taking place, but there is no doubt now that Scoop will be released first.'

And there's no doubt that rivalry between the women is 'absolutely real'. While at the BBC, McAlister reportedly spent months forming a relationship with private secretary Amanda Thirsk before holding a series of meetings with her at Buckingham Palace.

Despite being a high-flyer, she was paid a fraction of the 325,000 annual salary Maitlis earned for the show. So when Maitlis and Newsnight editor Esme Wren appeared on the cover of the Radio Times in July 2020, and failed to mention McAlister's pivotal role in the interview, McAlister wasn't best pleased.

In the piece, Wren said: 'We delivered a quite exceptional piece of journalism.'

No credit was given to McAlister despite the fact that she started the negotiations and spearheaded the meeting between Newsnight bosses and Thirsk, the Prince and his daughter, Beatrice.

In her book about the first time she met Andrew, along with Maitlis and Newsnight deputy editor Stewart Maclean, McAlister wrote: 'I hadn't slept a wink all weekend. I'd been prepping, reading, talking to people who had met Prince Andrew to gauge how to approach him. Then I had been rehearsing possible questions in my head, thinking about what their sticking points would be, gaming every possible calibration and option.'

As for how she felt to be erased from the story, a source said: 'Sam tried to laugh at it. It seemed deeply baffling that two women would not mention another, far more junior woman in an interview where they were talking about how the interview came about.'

McAlister has now left the BBC, where some of her former colleagues are said to resent how she has placed herself front and centre in the whole affair.

One can only imagine their anger if Scoop triumphs and McAlister gets the sweetest revenge.
I recently discovered a hidden known fact about Burtis Point. After passing the David Brinkerhoff home on East Lake Road, I coasted down the hill toward the site of the old log meetinghouse church. I often marvel at the perfect flat field at the bottom of the hill and the entrance to the Burtis Point. My research uncovered a newspaper article, A Memorable Day from The Auburn Weekly Bulletin, dated July 31, 1900. This article describes the Burtis racetrack located on that flat field, which a second source, a map from a 1904 atlas, confirms.

Dutch Hollow Brook courses through the 44 acres and empties into the lake. The lake property, containing the brook outlet, was valued as prime real estate. Jacob Brinkerhoff and his brother Roeliff settled on both sides of the brook, at the mouth, in 1795, and the area was first called Brinkerhoff Point.

The land was heavily forested when the pioneer settlers arrived in 1793. It was a favorite spot for the Native Americans. The two brothers found the remains of a 10-foot-high Indian brush fence located half a mile from the point stretching from Owasco Lake to Skaneateles Lake. There were strategic openings in the high-piled brush fence for hunting deer. It is recorded that the settlers caught 18 deer their first fall. They were able to feed their large families from the plentiful game in the surrounding area and the fish in the lake.

The picture with this column shows the Edwin Burtis property on Owasco Lake in the 1904 atlas, with the circular impression of the racetrack location on the north side of brook, formerly the property of Roeliff Brinkerhoff. A small pond is shown adjacent to the track. A mishap in December of 1899 was reported in The Post-Standard, when four small boys fell through the ice in the pond, causing one boy to nearly drown. The newspaper article stated that the track was located in the orchard north of the spacious manor house." This was a new fact for me, having now revealed the site of the old Brinkerhoff residence.

After this ice tragedy, Edwin Burtis posted the property to keep people off (his) land, as he explained to my great-grandfather John Watson Mattoon, who was arrested for fishing in the brook and fined $25. I wrote about great-grampas protested reaction in 2006 in The Citizen.

Within a year, Mr. Burtis had restored the manor on the south side of the brook and was using it as a summer cottage. He lived in Auburn at 189 Genesee St. and his successful brewery business was in Auburn, too. Mr. Burtis also built a private racetrack for his personal pleasure of racing fast horses. The Burtis family held a grand opening of their private racetrack and generously invited the public to attend a Friday matinee race.

It was interesting to note that both his daughters were described as excellent drivers. His eldest daughter opened the track, racing against the clock and crossing the wire at 1:14.5 to win with a horse named Frank Ellis. The paper estimated 800 people attended and reported they used every possible means to get there from the steamer down to rowboats." Music from bands, refreshments and touring the grounds was enjoyed as well. Running races also occurred. Judges, timers, starters and clerks hailed from Union Springs, Auburn and South Amboy. All in all, it was a memorable day.
The Sheikhdoms had no idea of the Hamas plan as they were engrossed in mending fences with Israel as part of the Abrahamic Agreement

As green shoots of truce finally dawn via the proposed exchange of hostages in the bloody Israel-Hamas war, it is time to reflect on the conduct of those who threatened to intervene but didnt. For starters, unlike the earlier Israel-Arab Wars i.e., Israels War of Independence/Palestinian Nakba (1948-49), Suez Crisis (1956), Six-Day War (1967), Yom Kippur War (1973)  the 2023 War in the region was strictly between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas, as sabre-rattling notwithstanding, no Arab Sheikhdom, Iran or armed militias like the Lebanese Hezbollah joined in the war.

Clearly, the Sheikhdoms had no idea of the Hamas plan as they were engrossed in mending fences with Israel as part of the Abrahamic Agreement. Israeli embassies were sprouting from Abu Dhabi, Manama, Rabat, Khartoum et al and the shadowy Israeli confabulations with the Saudis were the worst-kept secret of the region.

The restive region was almost clinically cleaved into a sectarian divide with only Shiite Iran and its co-sectarian proxies like the Lebanese Hezbollah and Yemeni Houthis, yet to reconcile to rapprochement with Israel. Within the Sunni side of the divide, the animus with Israelis was reducing with traditional alternatives in the form of militias like the Al Qaida or later, the Islamic State of Levant (ISIL) on the retreat. Politically too, the alternative phenomenon to the Muslim Brotherhood which sought to delegitimise the motley crew of Arab monarchies, dictators and dynasts had been de-fanged as part of the post-Arab Spring cleansing.

Consequently, this left the Sunni grouping of Hamas (ideologically aligned to Muslim Brotherhood sensibilities) isolated with very few sovereign backers, save the oddity of making common cause with Shiite Iran and its proxies in the region. It was an unnatural and imperfect alliance that was borne of necessity (from Hamas perspective) and topical opportunity (from Irans perspective, as it added to Tehrans outreach, especially since the usual appeal of sectarianism wasnt relevant in the Palestinian context). Understandably, Tehran supported Hamas politically and materially but may still not have had the necessary levers or the extent of control that was invokable with say Hezbollah.

This essentially meant that Hamas did not have too many committed backers who could have intervened on its behalf, should the exigency so demand. Unsurprisingly it was left to yet another odd Arab power, Qatar, who too had a testy relationship with the other Saudi-led Sheikhdoms and instead a more working relation with the sectarian other i.e., Iran, to mediate on behalf of Hamas. The role of Doha along with that of Washington DC is writ all over the current truce agreement.

The feeble anti-Israel line mouthed by the Arab Sheikhs or even countries like Turkey, Malaysia or Pakistan were more towards ticking the box of demonstrated empathy towards the hapless Palestinians, as imagined by its citizens.

If anything, the Arab Sheikdoms were more aligned with the rival Palestinian group of Fatah, and therefore may not have shed too many tears to see the diminishment of Hamas, a Muslim Brotherhood affiliate. Necessity rather than conviction dictated their supposedly anti-Israeli stand.

Hamas literally went into the provocative and unforgiving act of attacking Israel unaligned with any major regional power (sovereign or militia) and subsequently paid for it in terms of abject isolation when the Israelis responded disproportionately, killing thousands of Palestinian civilians. It is widely believed that the Iranian Supreme Leader bluntly told the Hamas leadership that as Tehran was not kept in the loop about Hamass 7th October attack, the Iranians would not enter on its behalf. Tellingly, Tehran kept voicing concerns and dissuading against the escalation and spread of the conflict, across the region.

This Iranian distance is in stark contrast to the tangible and significant support offered to Shiite Houthis in the battlefield of Yemen or even to the forces aligned to co-sectarian Syrian President, Bashar Al Assad (who is an Alawite, a syncretic offshoot of Shiite-leaning). Tehran has not shied away from deploying its official and unofficial forces and elements like drones, missiles and other weaponry to take on American or Arab interests, but not so in the case of Hamas.

The desperation was palpable when Hamas leader Mohammed Deif pleaded with Iran and its proxies, Our brothers in the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, this is the day when your resistance unites with your people in Palestine  meaningless platitudes aside, Hamas was essentially left to fend for itself.

Israel read the situation early and pressed on relentlessly in the Gaza Strip, knowing that the Hamas had not just shot the Palestinian cause, and compromised the innocent civilians but also itself with the act that looked extremely impressive in the beginning but had unimaginably painful consequences to follow.

Should peace return to the Gaza Strip, the chances that any regional power will thereafter support Hamas (or even Benjamin Netanyahu is Israel) to retain its legitimacy and relevance is highly unlikely, as Fatah with its moderate anchorage will seem more reasonable to support. The economic condition in Iran or the United States (and even Israel) is such that they can barely afford any more suicidal attempts like the 7th Oct attack, and its aftermath  truce and peace is what they all want, even if they cant say it.

(The writer, a military veteran, is a former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry. The views expressed are personal)
It was on 26th November 1949 that the Constitution was passed by the Constituent Assembly which met for 2 years, 11 months and 17 days

On 26 Nov. when we have celebrated it as Constitution Day, the reminisces of constitutional history float in the mind. Breaking the adamantine shackles of slavery, India became an independent nation on 15th August 1947 and a sovereign democratic republic on 26th January 1950 with the coming into force of the Constitution of the sovereign democratic republic of India. But it was on 26th Nov. 1949 that the Constitution was passed by the Constituent Assembly (CA) which met for 2 years, 11 months and 17 days.

Democracy presupposes Rule of law and the Constitution is the supreme Lex of the land and also the fount of all laws.

The organs of the State- the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary owe their origin to the Constitution, derive their authority from the Constitution and have to discharge their responsibilities within the framework of the Constitution. So, it was imperative and desirable that independent India had its own Constitution.

During the freedom struggle movement itself, the crusaders of freedom were alive to the need for having a Constitution for free India. Mahatma Gandhi had asserted as early as 1922 that Swaraj will not be a free gift of the British Parliament. It will be a declaration of Indias full self- expression, expressed through an Act of Parliament.

When it became evident that the Britishers could no longer subjugate and suppress the struggle for Indias Independence, a decision was taken under the Cabinet Mission in 1946 to form a Constituent Assembly (CA) by electing its 389 members through the Provincial Legislative Assemblies. However, with the partition of the country, the strength of the CA was reduced to 299. The CA first met on 9th December 1946 and Sachindanand Sinha, the oldest Member who was also the Member of Central Legislative Assembly since 1910, was elected as the provisional Chairman of the CA.

Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected as the President of the CA on 11th December 1946. On 13 December 1946, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru moved an inspiring Objective Resolution in the Assembly declaring the firm and solemn resolve of the CA to proclaim India as an independent sovereign republic and to draw up for her future governance a Constitution. The Resolution declared that all power and authority of the Sovereign Independent India, its constituent parts and organs of government, are derived from the people. It guaranteed to secure all the people of India- justice, social economic and political, equality of status and opportunity, freedom of thought, expression, belief faith and worship.

The CA became a sovereign body on 14 August 1947 with the partition of India. The CA met in sessions. There were in all 12 sessions, from 9 December 1946 to 24 January 1949. The 5th session of the CA met at 11 pm on 14 August 1947. After the singing of the Vande Mataram, Pandit Nehru made his historic tryst with destiny speech at midnight when he declared that India awakes to life and freedom and reminded the Assembly of the ambition of the greatest man of our generation to wipe every tear from every eye. He conceded that it may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and sufferings, so long our work will not be over.

He concluded in his chaste and elegant words: We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.

After the stroke of midnight hour, every Member took an oath to dedicate himself to the service of India and her people so that the ancient land of India attains her rightful place in the world and India makes her willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind.

The CA met again on 15 August 1947 at ten of the Clock.

The President of the Assembly, Dr Rajendra Prasad with their Excellencies, Lord Mountbatten the Governor General of India and Lady Mountbatten entered the Constitution Hall in a procession. The President read the congratulatory letters and greetings from foreign governments. Thereafter Lord Mountbatten addressed the Assembly. At the conclusion of the speech, with the booming of the gunfire, the National Flag, our tricolour, was hoisted over the Parliament House building by replacing the Union Jack.

The CA, consisting of great freedom fighters, statesmen, eminent lawyers, social crusaders and scholars in the CA, including 17 distinguished women members, was conscientious of the complexity and the enormity of the task before them. Twenty-two committees were formed which were chaired by prominent members of the Assembly for different areas of the proposed Constitution.

Sir B N Rao, constitutional Advisor to the Assembly prepared a draft constitution drawing from different reports of the Committees and the debates in the CA. It consisted of 213 Articles and 13 Schedules. The draft was submitted to the Drafting Committee on 29th August 1947, the day it was constituted under the chairmanship of Dr Ambekar. The Committee started its work the next day, that is, 30th August and held 141 sittings. The Draft Constitution was submitted to the President on 21 Feb. 1948 who caused its circulation by inviting suggestions including from the Provincial Govts. The suggestions and comments were considered by the Drafting Committee on 23, 24 and 27 March and on 18 Oct 1948. The suggestions acceptable to the Drafting Committee were incorporated in the revised Draft Constitution and submitted to the President on 26 Oct. 1948.

The Draft Constitution was introduced in the CA on 4 Nov. 1948 by Dr Ambedkar with a historic speech. It contained 316 Articles and 8 Schedules. The Draft Constitution was debated in the Assembly and underwent three mandatory readings between 4th Nov 1948 to 26th Nov 1949 in 114 sittings. There were as many as 7,365 amendments tabled but only 2,473 were actually moved and carried.

The Constitution was passed, adopted, enacted and given to We, the People of India on 26 Nov. 1949. The Constitution, as passed, contained 395 Articles and 8 Schedules. The 12th and the last session was held on 24th January, 1949. Dr Rajendra Prasad made a statement that Jana gana mana is the National Anthem of India with such variations as the Govt. of India may authorise and the song Vande Mataram which played a historic part in the struggle for freedom shall be honoured equally with the National Anthem. On 24th January 1950, the C elected Dr Rajendra Prasad, unopposed to the office of the President of the Republic with effect from 26 January 1950. His name was proposed by Nehru and seconded by Patel.

Thereafter three copies of the Constitution, one in English completely handwritten and illuminated by artists, the second copy in English in print and the third copy also handwritten were placed in the Assembly Hall for signatures by all the Members.

The first to sign was the Prime Minister Nehru, as desired by the President, as the Prime Minister had to go on public duty. The Members then signed the copies of the Constitution one by one. In all 284 Members signed the Constitution. Thereafter the President signed the copies.

The National Anthem was sung by the members. It was followed by the singing of the Vande Mataram.

Dr Rajendra Prasad informed the Assembly on 26 Nov. 1949 that 53,000 visitors were admitted to the Visitors Gallery of the CA during the period the Constitution was under consideration and that the expenses incurred on the CA up to 22 Nov. 1949 came to Rs.63,96,729/-. India became a Republic on 26 January 1950 and the CA transformed itself into the Provisional Parliament until the first Parliament was constituted in 1952.

Its a matter of delight that 26 Nov. is now being celebrated as Constitution Day by the Government. The decision owes its origin to the exclusive sittings of both Houses of Parliament convened on 26th Nov. 2015 to celebrate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.

(The author is ex Additional Secretary Lok Sabha and a Delhi-based Advocate. The views expressed are personal)
India faces a big challenge to preserve India-Maldives ties under new regime

Maldivess new President, Mohamed Muizzus formal request to withdraw security personnel from the Archipelago may be aimed at creating a strategic space for China in the long term but his readiness to discuss agreeable solutions to various issues may be an indicator of a ray of hope of preserving the old relationships with the neighbour (India).

Notwithstanding an open Pro China election campaign launched by Muizzu and subsequently emerging as victorious, the outburst of a newly elected president to ask India to withdraw the security personnel from the island, India responded with positive diplomatic initiative and sent union minister, Kiren Rijju to participate in the swearing-in ceremony of the new president. India opted for a friendly gesture as it was in consonance with Prime Minister, Narender Modis Neighborhood First Policy and his Vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).

The policy agreements between China and Maldives may get filip:

Five agreements were signed during the visit of the Chinese foreign minister to Maldives in January 2022 which will get a boost as Muizzi will give top priority to implement them. China may accelerate the process to execute these agreements which include mutual visa exemption between the two nations and Maldivians being permitted to travel on a 30-day vis-free basis, economic and technical cooperation, and development in key areas like social, livelihood and infrastructure projects. Male owes USD 1.4 billion from past loans from China which may be restructured to ease off the pressure on the country's fragile economy.

A big challenge for India:

The Analysts believe that the outcome of the presidential poll is bound to have a bearing on the future dynamics of the region as Muizzu ran his campaign on the theme of Pro China and India Out rhetoric hence India cannot expect the continuation of present warm ties between two countries. India has expanded trade with Maldives and undertaken several projects since 2108 when Solih took over as head of the nation which had marked an end of the Pro-Beijing template of Abdulla Ameen. Muizzus party, Peoples Nation Congress is viewed as Heavily Pro-China which has promised to ensure the withdrawal of military troops from the countrys soil and balance trade which tilted in favor of India.

The Maldives is a cluster of 1200 islands in the Indian Ocean comprising the main shipping route between the east and the west. Muizzu had focused on the India Out'' campaign and promised to send back small Indian military personnel and surveillance military aircraft which will open up the space for Chinese presence.

2nd, an agreement relating to Maldives-India defence cooperation to monitor Chinese maritime and naval movements along vital sea lane communication along the side of Maldives may be in jeopardy as Dragon would like to sabotage it under Muizzi.

3rd, Chinas enhanced footprint will be strengthened after the addition of Pear (Maldives) in Chinas String of Pearls. (The term String of Pearls denotes those areas where China is developing its bases, termed pearls. Which spreads from Hainan Island, Chinese province to Gwadar.) Maldives has been using the China card to bargain with India but the new president may permit the direct involvement of Dragon.

4th, Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs) will face an uncertain future but they are of utmost importance and critical for India for maritime trade flow between the Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Hormuz in West Asia and the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia. Experts say that 50% of Indias trade and 80% of its energy imports transit these SLOCs in the Arabian Sea.

5th, Indias total exports to Maldives exceeded USD 476.75 Million during 2022-23 which is bound to be affected in future under the new regime. India had committed USD 1.4 billion when Solih took over in 2018 but Muizzu may give priority to the Chinese debt policy.

Finally, India accounts for 23 % of the tourist source market of Maldives which may be affected if Muizzi opts to have strained relations and heavily tilts towards China. Maldives 74% GDP depends upon the resources generated from the tourism industry.

Analysts opine that Maldives graduated from the status of Least Developed Nation (LDC)in 2011 only hence new president should try to follow the principle of Equidistance diplomacy unlike his predecessor to extract the financial advantages from India and China which will be in the interest of people of his country. At the same time, India will have to tread cautiously to establish better diplomatic ties with Muizzs regime though it will be heavily tilted in favor of China which cannot be allowed to have a free run to create imbalance in the region.

(The writer is political analyst; views are personal)
The Kerala Chief Minister takes a trip across the state to tell about his good work but his party is falling apart

The Nava Kerala Sadass (New Kerala Collective), a prelude to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, being held under the auspices of the CPI-M ruled State Government has run into trouble as the internal group war within the party and the discontentment among the constituent units of the Left Democratic Front coming out in the open.

The Sadass is a journey undertaken by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and all members of the council of ministers through the 140 assembly constituencies in the State to highlight the good works done by the CPI-M during the last eight years since it came to power in 2016. A custom built luxury bus with state-of-the-art seating arrangements and communication facilities transport the ministers across the assembly constituencies in all the districts. The Sadass that commenced on 18 November 2023 from the northern town of Manjeswaram would conclude at the capital city on December 23 with a massive public meeting.

The chief minister and select ministers would address the public rallies being held along the route. While Pinarayi Vijayan would focus his speeches on global issues and topics of national importance, the ministers would portray the great work done as per the directives of the chief minister to elevate Kerala as the most socially, economically and culturally advanced State among the comity of nations.

This is a historic journey as Kerala has not seen a programme like this in the past. Once the journey concludes at Thiruvananthapuram, the historians would be forced to rewrite the States history as Kerala Before the Sadass and Kerala after the Sadass, said E P Jayarajan, convenor of the LDF and former industries minister (2016-2021). He asserted that since Pinarayi Vijayan took over as chief minister, Kerala has become a role model for the developed world. It is all because of Pinarayi Vijayan who is the undisputed global leader, said Jayarajan.

The luxury bus transporting the chief minister and his colleagues cost the exchequer Rs 2 crore. There were charges made by the opposition leaders that it was a waste of public money by a government which has not paid pension to employees and salary to workers in public sector undertakings. The ire of the Opposition is a case of bitter grapes. Once the journey is over, the bus, named as Cabinet Bus, will be displayed in a museum and there will be millions of people turning up to watch this historical bus, said A K Balan, former minister (2016-2021) and member of the central committee of the CPI-M.

Political commentator Jayashankar terms the comments by Jayarajan and Balan as reflections of the simmering groupism in the CPI-M. Both the leaders are upset with Vijayan and his new son-in-law Mohammed Riyas for sidelining them by denying them tickets in the 2021 assembly election. Jayarajan and Balan were frontrunners for the post of member of polit bureau which fell vacant following the demise of Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the former party secretary, Vijayan favored M V Govindan, a sidekick for decades, while Jayarajan and Balan had to eat humble pie, said Jayashankar.

(The writer is a special correspondent with The Pioneer, views are personal)

To be continued...
Fresh trouble has knocked Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a preliminary enquiry against her on a reference from the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal. Lok Sabha Ethics Committee is also investigating the allegations against her.

Though there has been no formal statement from either the CBI or the Lokpal on the issue, the TMC leader will face the probe as the party is grappling with Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigations into some of its prominent leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee.

Sources indicate that the CBI has registered a preliminary enquiry, which is the first step toward ascertaining if the allegations merit a full-fledged investigation. If enough prima facie material is found during the preliminary enquiry, the CBI can convert it into an FIR.

The sources also suggested since the matter is with the Parliament Ethics Committee, a full FIR will not be filed against Moitra until the committee completes its probe.

With Parliaments Winter Session scheduled to begin on December 4, members have started submitting their questions. The House is likely to make a decision on the Ethics Committees recommendation for Moitras expulsion during the session.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had approached the Lokpal with a complaint against Moitra over allegations of taking bribes to raise questions in Parliament.

Dubey had also accused Moitra of compromising national security for monetary gains. He had alleged that Moitra asked questions in the Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for gifts.

Moitra has denied any wrongdoing and has claimed that she is being targeted because she raised questions about the deals of the Adani group.

Moitra appeared before the Parliament Ethics panel on November 2 to record her oral evidence on the allegations against her. However, she stormed out of the meeting, claiming that chairperson Vinod Sonkar, a BJP MP, asked her unethical and personal questions.

Sonkar accused Moitra of using unparliamentary language against him and other members of the panel. The five Opposition members also stormed out of the meeting on November 2.

Recently, after a probe by the IT Ministry, sources claimed that Moitras Parliament login ID was only accessed from Dubai but also from two other places, including ones in the United States.

Moitra admitted to sharing her official login details with Hiranandani, the CEO of the real estate and infrastructure company Hiranandani Group, to have someone from his office type in the questions to be asked in Lok Sabha.

TMC president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has backed Moitra over the issue and said that plans were in the works to expel her from Parliament. However, any such action would assist the lawmaker from Krishnanagar ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Mamatas nephew and party MP Abhishek Banerjee have already appeared before the ED for questioning in connection with its probe into the alleged school jobs scam in West Bengal.
In the wake of a surge in a mysterious respiratory illness in neighbouring China, India is closely monitoring the situation. On Sunday, the Union Health Ministry issued a critical alert to all States, urging an immediate reassessment of public health preparedness. This includes a thorough evaluation of essential resources such as bed availability, influenza medications, vaccines, medical oxygen, antibiotics, personal protective equipment, testing kits, and reagents.

Additionally, States are advised to ensure the optimal functioning of oxygen plants and ventilators, as well as the implementation of stringent infection control practices. The nation remains vigilant as it braces itself for potential challenges posed by the evolving health crisis.

At the same time, in an effort to allay fears among the public, the advisory stated that the Ministry is closely monitoring the situation in the neighbouring country and emphasised there is no need for panic.

This follows an undetermined pneumonia outbreak in China that is severely affecting children, as media reports describe overwhelmed childrens hospitals in multiple locations. The Health Ministrys decision is an important measure, considering the ongoing winter when influenza-spreading viruses are most active in infecting children. The deteriorating air quality in many metros like Delhi and Mumbai is already taking a toll on childrens health, with many suffering from respiratory illnesses, according to pediatricians.

The Ministry said it has decided to proactively review preparatory measures against respiratory illnesses as a matter of abundant caution. This decision is noted to be important in view of the ongoing influenza and winter season, which results in an increase in respiratory illness cases. The Government is closely monitoring the situation and has indicated that there is no need for any alarm, it said.

In a letter to all States and Union Territories, the Union Health Secretary, Sudanshu Pant, advised them to immediately review public health and hospital preparedness. This includes assessing the availability of beds, drugs, and vaccines for influenza, as well as medical oxygen, antibiotics, personal protective equipment, testing kits, and reagents. The review should also cover the functionality of oxygen plants and ventilators, along with infection control practices.

The State authorities have been advised to implement the Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of COVID-19, which were shared earlier this year. These guidelines provide for integrated surveillance of respiratory pathogens presenting as cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI).

They have also been instructed to ensure that the trends of ILI and SARI, particularly among children and adolescents, are closely monitored by the district and State surveillance units of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP). The data for ILI/SARI is required to be uploaded on the IDSP-Integrated Health Information Platform portal. State authorities have been directed to send nasal and throat swab samples of patients with SARI, especially children and adolescents, to the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories for testing for respiratory pathogens.

The cumulative effect of implementing these precautionary and proactive collaborative measures is expected to counter any potential situations and ensure the safety and well-being of citizens.

Recently, information shared by the WHO has indicated an increase in respiratory illness in the northern parts of China. This is predominantly attributed to usual causes such as influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, and SARS-CoV-2.

According to the WHO, the release of Covid-19 restrictions coinciding with the onset of the winter season, in addition to cyclical trends of respiratory illnesses such as mycoplasma pneumonia, has led to this surge.

Superspreader events, such as weddings, appear to have driven the resurgence of Covid-19 in India. This time, there are also many activities due to the large number of weddings this season coupled with religious events. People usually become careless. So, we hope that they do not lower their guards and adopt safety measures, said an official from the Ministry of Health.

Health experts have called for hygiene measures such as washing hands, ensuring that kids cover their nose and mouth while sneezing and coughing, moving away from others, and using tissues to do so. Use and discard these tissues safely. Wearing masks in social situations should be encouraged, they said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a sortie in the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) in Bengaluru on Saturday and stated that the experience enhanced his confidence in Indias indigenous capabilities. He is the first serving prime minister to fly in the Tejas fighter jet, manufactured by the public sector aerospace conglomerate Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Taking to the social media platform X, Modi said, Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our countrys indigenous capabilities and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential.

Flying in Tejas today, I can say with immense pride that due to our hard work and dedication, we are no less than anyone in the world in the field of self-reliance. Heartiest congratulations to the Indian Air Force, DRDO, and HAL, as well as all Indians.

Modi arrived in Bengaluru earlier on Friday and visited to review the ongoing work at its manufacturing facilities, officials said.

The Prime Minister has been pushing for indigenous production of defence products and highlighting how his government has boosted their manufacturing in India and also their exports.

Several countries have shown interest in buying Tejas, and US defense giant GE Aerospace had inked a pact with HAL to jointly produce engines for the Mk-II-Tejas during the Prime Ministers recent state visit to the US.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh noted in April this year that Indias defence exports have reached an all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore in 2022-2023. It is a remarkable achievement for the country, he had said.

The first version of Tejas was inducted into the IAF in 2016. Currently, two squadrons of IAF, 45 Squadron and 18 Squadron, are fully operational with LCA Tejas.

HAL inked a Rs 47,000 crore deal in 2021 to supply 83 Tejas jets to IAF and is likely to get the nod for another 97 Tejas jets worth over Rs 55,000 crores in the coming days.

In October, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said the Indian Air Force was in the process of finalising a Rs 1.15 lakh crore deal to procure an additional batch of 97 Tejas Mark-1A aircraft besides upgrading 84 Sukhoi-30MKI jets at a cost of Rs 60,000 crore.

With the additional 97 Tejas Mark-1A jets, the total number of indigenously-developed aircraft being procured by the IAF would go up to 180.

The defense ministry is also looking at signing a contract with HAL next year to procure a total of 156 light combat helicopters (LCH), out of which 66 will be for the IAF.

Asked about the timeline for the delivery of the LCA Mark-1As as HAL can produce only 15 of them annually, he indicated that the aerospace major may increase the pace of production in partnership with the private sector.

Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments. It has been designed to undertake the air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and strike roles.
The voters of Rajasthan on Saturday sealed the fate of incumbent Congress Government and the Opposition BJP in the high stake polls the results of which will be known on December 3.

The election holds great significance for the BJP as it engages in a direct contest with the ruling Congress.

The grand old party seeks to defy the trend of the ruling party being voted out every five years. Simultaneously, the BJP is strategically aiming for a comeback in the State ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year.

It is more important for the Congress, which has been ridden by internal factionalism right from the day one of the formation of the government under the leadership of Ashok Gehlot who had installed former Union Minister Sachin Pilot as his Deputy.

Pilot rebelled soon against Gehlot, which continues till date, barring the photo opportunities for both the towering leaders as well as the grand old party, as the issue was the talk of the BJPs election campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A similar Pilot-Gehlot script materialised in Madhya Pradesh, where Jyotiraditya Scindia rebelled against Kamal Nath to bring down the Congress majority Government.

Madhya Pradesh also voted this month and awaits the results, along with Chhattisgarh and Meghalaya, where polls have been held, and in Telangana, which goes to polls at the end of this month.

The Assaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are also contesting the Assembly polls in the State this year.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, the Congress wrested power from the BJP and formed the Government with Ashok Gehlot as Chief Minister for a third time.

The Congress had won 100 seats and the BJP 73 then in the 200-member Vidhan Sabha. The BJP, in 2013, formed the Government with Vasundhara Raje Scindia becoming the Chief Minister for a second time. In 2013, the BJP had won 163 seats and the Congress 21.

While the State unit of Rajasthan is hopeful of Vashundhara to make a comeback as the CM as the voters have voted for her, the BJP looks to change the guard this time if it wins and downsize Vashundhara to elevate her to the partys Marg Darshak Mandal which was formed in 2014 by the Modi regime which has leaders like former Deputy PM Lal Krishna Advani, former Union Ministers Murli Manohar Joshi and others.

More than 68 per cent voter turnout was recorded by 5 pm with polling passing off peacefully barring a few stray incidents of violence.

In the last Assembly elections in 2018, the State recorded a voter turnout of 74.06 per cent.

Polling in the Karanpur assembly constituency in Sriganganagar was postponed due to the death of the Congress candidate. Two people - Shanti Lal, who was a polling agent of the BJP candidate from the Sumerpur constituency Joraram Kumawat, and 62-year-old voter Satyendra Arora - died of cardiac arrest at polling booths in Pali and Udaipur districts. There are more than 5.25 crore registered voters in 199 seats while 1,862 candidates are in the fray.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Kailash Chaudhary, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot were among the first ones to cast their votes. Gehlot and Shekhawat voted in Jodhpur, Chaudhary in Balotra, Raje in Jhalawar and Pilot in Jaipur.

Rajasthan BJP president C P Joshi exercised his franchise in Chittorgarh and party MPs Diya Kumari and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore voted in Jaipur. Kumari and Rathore are among the seven BJP parliamentarians who are contesting the assembly elections.

There is no anti-incumbency against the Congress and the party will form the government in the state again, Chief Minister Gehlot said in Jodhpur. There seems to be an undercurrent. Looks like the (Congress) government will be repeated, he said.

Talking to reporters in Jhalawar, Raje retorted, I agree with him. There is indeed an undercurrent but in the favour of BJP. Lotus (BJPs poll symbol) will bloom on December 3.
Sagar Public School, Katara Extension celebrated its annual day 'Chrysalis - The Vistas of Transformation with enthusiasm and creative presentations.

The annual celebration witnessed Pragyesh Kumar Agrawal Director, Institute of Excellence in Higher Education (IEHE), Bhopal as the Chief Guest for the day along with Dr Swapnil S Garde Senior Consultant Cardiology Sagar Multispecialty Hospital as the guest of honor.

Over 1000 Sagarites exhibited their talent showcasing the theme of inner transformation and change which is akin to the transformation of a cocoon into a vibrant butterfly. The programme was initiated with the Guard of Honor to the Chief Guest which was followed by the Lamp lighting ceremony to invoke the blessings of Goddess Saraswati. Sagarites took the audience on a journey of transformation which showcased the creative inputs of the students.

Soulful Serenades was presented by the school choir which transported the audience to an eclectic world of Western and Classical music. Through Charlie's Virtuous Voyage, the young Sagarites showcased the life of Charlie who inherits the Chocolate Factory through imbibing the values of honesty, love for family and humility. 'Navonmesh, based on an adaptation of a novel by Sudha Murthy, highlighted how an urban girl who is meek gets transformed into a confident person by dwelling into her roots in a village. The voyage continued with a marvelous Triumph of Tenacity in which the Sagarites depicted the challenging journey of a young Helen Keller, the American author who was visually and speech challenged.

The Act beautifully portrayed the inspiring journey of transformation of Helen Keller under the guidance of her mentor spreading the message of Transforming Teachers empowering us to lead the world. The audience were then transported to the era of the great Mauryan empire. The presentation of 'Yudh se Buddh' in dance drama showcased the transformation of Chakravartin Samrat Ashoka from a violent warrior to embracing spirituality after witnessing the bloodshed in the Kalinga War.

His remorse led him to embrace Buddhism and this self-realization was delightfully presented by the students. The event culminated with the depiction of transformation of India from a nascent stage into a Vishwaguru over the last 75 glorious years through the presentation: 'Vishwaguru Bhartam'- The Sagarites showcased seven beautiful classical dances of Kathak, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam, Bharatnatyam, Sattriya and Kathakali which ultimately concluded with hailing India as the new Vishwaguru

Appreciating and encouraging Sagarites Dr. Pragyesh Kumar Agrawal said, "I am delighted to be part of the annual day celebrations of school and pleased to witness the holistic transformation imparted by the school. Every child is unique I am happy to note that the Principal and teachers of the school are mentoring children with virtues as responsible citizens. My best wishes to the entire team to continue with their efforts to transform the world by virtues."
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On November 25, Changan Automobile and Huawei signed an "Investment Cooperation Memorandum", under which Huawei is set to establish a new company, focusing on the R&D, production, sales, and services of intelligent driving systems and incremental components for intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs).

This collaboration entails the integration of Huawei's core technologies and resources in the intelligent automotive solution business into the new company. Changan Automobile and its affiliates express their intention to invest in the venture, collectively supporting its future development. The targeted equity acquisition by Changan Automobile and its affiliates will not exceed 40%, with specific equity ratios, investment amounts, and timelines subject to further negotiation between the parties.

Photo credit: Changan Automobile

Changan Automobile emphasized the new company's commitment to becoming a global leader in intelligent driving systems and components. Positioned as an open platform serving the automotive industry, the new company will extend its equity to existing strategic partners in the automotive sector and other investors with strategic value, fostering a diversified ownership structure.

This development implies that beyond Changan Automobile, other automotive companies collaborating with Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solution (IAS) Business Unit (BU), such as SERES, Chery, Foton Motor, and JAC Group, may also explore investment opportunities in the new venture.

According to Changan Automobile's announcement, the new company's scope of business encompasses intelligent driving solutions, intelligent car cockpit, intelligent automotive digital platforms, intelligent car clouds, AR-HUD, and intelligent car lights. Huawei is poised to inject relevant technologies, assets, and personnel dedicated to the new company's business scope, indicating a comprehensive transfer of Huawei's IAS BU operations to the new entity.

Yu Chengdong, Chairman of Huawei's IAS BU, expressed, "We have always believed that China needs to create an electrified and intelligent open platform, one that involves collective participation from the automotive industrya platform with a 'locomotive.' Deepening our collaboration with Changan and working hand in hand with more strategic partner automakers, we aim to continually explore new models of open collaboration, seizing the opportunities presented by the electrification and intelligence transformation of the automotive industry to realize the dream of China's automotive industry great rise."
The NABARD Odisha Regional Office organised a State-Level Conclave on Enhancement of Skill of FPO and SHG Members here on Saturday.

A total of 50 Farmers Producers Organisations (FPO) were provided the sanction letters for a credit support of Rs 6.57 crore through Nabkisan, comprising of 48 FPOs and two Off-FPOs from 21 districts of Odisha. Further, a total of Rs1.21 crore was sanctioned for various skill development interventions for 1,190 SHG members and livelihood generation initiatives like Grameen Dukan and Mobile Carts in addition to six RSETIs in the State.

Chief guest Union Minister of Education and Skill and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted the need of skilling in FPOs and SHGs for effective linkage of small and marginal farmers to agricultural value chains and enhancing farm incomes. He emphasised on the initiatives of the Government of India and banks with the special focus on NABARD for extending credit to rural poor women with almost interest free loan which has made a positive impact in their financial status.

Deputy MD, NABARD, Dr Ajay Sood highlighted that NABARD has always been taking special initiatives for skill development of farmers and SHG members.

Regional Director Dr SP Mohanty, SLBC Convener Gautam Patra, Chief General Manager, NABARD, Odisha Regional Office Dr Sudhanshu KK Mishra among others also spoke.
In a ceremony held at Indian Military Academy (IMA) on Saturday, 49 meritorious soldiers of the Indian army were commissioned as officers. In the ceremony these officer cadets of Special List-36 course, passed out from the portals of the academy.

The course was addressed by the officiating commandant of the IMA major general Alok Joshi. The officer exhorted the course to selflessly serve their motherland. Manoj Singha and Sanjeev Kumar of the passing out contingent were awarded with the Commandant's Gold and Silver medal respectively.

A communique from the IMA stated, The momentous occasion of the pipping ceremony of Special List-36 course proved to be a significant milestone in the endeavours and aspirations of the meritorious soldiers of the Indian Army. Having already served in the Indian Army for a few years as trained soldiers, the discipline and conduct of the officer cadets was immaculate. During the course of their training at IMA, the officer cadets were put through structured training which is designed to focus on all aspects to give them the confidence and skills necessary to be worthy officers post commissioning. 
Delhi Education Minister Atishi visited Dr. B.R. Ambedkar School of Specialised Excellence, Humanities, Gandhi Nagar on Saturday morning and interacted with the students. During her visit, students shared their experiences stating that in school, every concept is explained to them in detail, with everyday examples. As a result, they now seek answers to exam questions not just in books but in life experiences.

Students further mentioned that education in school is not confined to textbooks alone. Here, beyond books, various activities are organized, ensuring the participation of every child. Through this exposure, they get the opportunity to learn and understand significant issues related to society, the nation, and the world. They said that earlier, there was an emphasis on rote learning in schools, but now its different. Instead of rote memorization, students understand concepts, develop their own understanding, and apply it in their daily lives. For example, they not only study democracy but also actively adopt the concept in our lives by making collective decisions in class and school subjects.

Appreciating the students enthusiasm and self-confidence, Atishi stated that our teachers here are ensuring a brighter future for every child. She mentioned that the Kejriwal government is preparing future IAS officers, journalists, historians, lawyers, judges, and outstanding professionals in its Humanities ASoSE. Here, students are being prepared for the future not only with foundational subjects but also with advanced topics like Individual and Society, and World of Work.

The Minister remarked that at one time, it was unimaginable that children in government schools would have such high self-confidence.  I am pleased to see that beyond books, activities like Moot Court, Model United Nations, Youth Parliament, debates, etc., are becoming companions in childrens learning in this school, she said.

She mentioned that with specialized education from ASoSE, our children will not only become better professionals but also contribute to the betterment of society by becoming informed and aware citizens.
Sleuths of the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) claimed to have unearthed an espionage racket involved in leaking the countrys secrets to Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and earning money in return.

The ATS arrested one member of the gang from Punjab and another from Ghaziabad.

According to an official communique, the ATS was getting intelligence inputs that some people were receiving money from dubious sources, and it was being used in terrorist and espionage activities. It was also learnt that after coming in contact with the Pakistani intelligence agency (ISI), espionage was being done for the greed of money. The communique said that confidential and sensitive information was also being sent to ISI conduits.

The inputs were developed by the ATS and after confirmation in this regard, an FIR was lodged in the ATS police station in Lucknow, under Section-121A of the Indian Penal Code naming Riyazuddin, Izharul and another unknown agent of Pakistani intelligence agency.

The release said that evidence was collected after analysing the said inputs. During the collection of evidence, when Riyazuddins bank accounts were analysed, it was found that about Rs 70 lakh came into one of his accounts from unknown sources between March 2022 and April 2022. It also came to light that an auto driver, Amrit Gill, who sent information to ISI, was given financial support through bank transfer. Amrit Gill shared sensitive information about Indian Army tanks etc. with the Pakistani intelligence agency.

It was also learnt that Riazuddin had met Izharul, engaged in welding work. The meeting was held in Rajasthan, and since then both were in touch with each other and were working for the Pakistani intelligence agency. It transpired that money was being sent to the bank accounts operated by these two men and then transferred by them to other bank accounts. The account holders are being investigated so that other people associated with Pakistani intelligence agencies can also be identified and necessary legal action can be taken against them.

After investigations collecting evidence against Amrit Gill alias Amrit Pal Singh alias Amrit alias Minister, son of Paramjeet Singh, native of village Dullewal under Phool police station of Bathinda district in Punjab, the ATS arrested him on November 23, 2023 from Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, Punjab. He was brought to Lucknow on transit remand.

Riazuddin, a resident of 126, Ansariman, Faridnagar under Bhojpur police station of Ghaziabad, was also summoned for detailed interrogation and strong evidence surfaced against him. The ATS arrested him also on Sunday morning.

Interrogation and preliminary evidence revealed that Amrit Gill was in contact with Pakistani ISI agents and used to send sensitive and restricted information related to the Indian Army to them.
Harjot Bains orders online attendance of govt school students



Chandigarh: Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Saturday instructed to start an online attendance system for students of government schools from December 15, 2023. While issuing an order in this regard to the officials of the Education Department, the Minister said that all the necessary requirements regarding online attendance should be completed by December 12. He said that information regarding absentee students will be sent to the parents every day through SMS on their registered mobile numbers. He said that efforts have been initiated by the state government to equip the government schools of Punjab with top-notch facilities and ultra-modern service tools.



Punjab Ex-servicemen squat on rail tracks in Patiala



Patiala: A group of ex-servicemen squatted on railway tracks at Shambhu railway station in this district on Saturday when they were stopped from heading to Delhi for a protest over alleged anomalies in the 'One Rank One Pension' (OROP) scheme. The protest has affected the rail movement on this section, Government Railway Police (GRP) officials said. Some of the ex-servicemen, who were protesting at the railway station, said they were headed to the national capital early Saturday morning through various modes of transport when they were stopped by the police from entering Haryana via the Shambhu border. A GRP official said the movement of trains going towards Delhi, Jammu and Amritsar has been affected due to the protest. District administration authorities and police were trying to persuade the ex-servicemen to lift their dharna, the officials said.



Nine vehicles damaged in three pile-ups in Punjabs Ludhiana



Ludhiana: Nine vehicles were damaged in three instances of pile-ups on the Ludhiana-Delhi national highway here on Saturday. The visibility was low near Dehru village, where the crashes took place, in the morning due to foggy weather conditions, police said. The vehicles involved in the pile-up included a school bus, a tractor-trolley, and cars. Poor visibility due to dense fog was the main cause of the accidents, police added. No one was seriously injured in the pile-up and the commuters left for their respective destinations after some time.



Fortis Mohali organizes awareness sessions on responsible use of antibiotics



Mohali: To encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policymakers to stop the further emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant infections, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, observed World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW). The theme for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is Preventing antimicrobial resistance together. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites that cause diseases, stop responding to medicines. This is because the body becomes more prone to common infections and increases the risk of severe illness and even death. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics, the sharing of left-over antimicrobials further contribute to resistance. An informative talk was organised for the nursing staff on Day 1, wherein they were briefed on the spread of drug-resistant infections. Dr Shivani Juneja Bedi, Associate Consultant, Pharmacology, Fortis Mohali, sensitized the staff on the responsible use of antibiotics. A public awareness session on the Role of antibiotics in healthcare was also held.
Central Coalfield Limited (CCL) Foundation Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm on November 1, 2023 and in this context, felicitation-cum-awards ceremony was held in which awards were distributed on a grand scale on Saturday.

On this occasion, CMD CCL, Dr B Veera Reddy was the chief guest. Director (Technical and Commercial), RB Prasad, Director (Personnel), Harsh Nath Mishra, Director (Technical), B Sairam, Director (Finance), PK Mishra and Chief Vigilance Officer, Pankaj Kumar along with members of JCSC and Officer Association, General Managers of the area, General Managers and Heads of Departments of various departments of the Headquarters and a large number of CCL employees were present.

As per tradition, CCL 49th Foundation Day - 2023 felicitation-cum-awards distribution ceremony started with Coal India Corporate Song and lighting of lamp by the Chief Guest and distinguished guests.

In his address on this occasion, Chief Guest Dr B Veera Reddy wishing everyone a happy 49th Foundation Day of CCL, said that the company is moving towards achieving the target of 84 million tonnes (MT) for 2023-24. He further said that CCL has the capacity to produce 200 million tonnes of coal if we utilize our resources properly. Emphasizing on the underground production of CCL, he said that in the coming time the company will also produce in underground mines so that there will be minimum damage to the environment. Dr. Reddy also discussed in detail about the challenges of the coal industry and said that it is essential for CCL to have profit in all the mining areas so that the company can continue to perform better and achieve production of 107 million tonnes in the next financial year (2024-25).

Mishra welcomed everyone and said that the employees of CCL have a lot of potential due to which the company will definitely achieve the current target of coal production.

Prasad said that we all celebrate the foundation day of CCL every year and on this occasion take resolutions for the betterment of the company. We also honor all the employees who have done excellent work. He informed everyone that our company has performed excellently in the production, dispatch and OB removal of coal in the half-yearly period, he added.

Senior member of JCSC, Ramendra Kumar said that the company should also pay special attention to the contractual workers because coal production.

On this occasion, awards were given in various categories for excellent performance for the company including Shovel Operator, Dumper Operator, Drill Operator, Dozer Operator, Pay-Loader, SDL Operator, Contractors Shovel Operator, Contractors Dumper and Tipper Operator and Special Achievement Award. The selected personnel were awarded first, second and third prizes. Various areas and departments of CCL were also honored with awards for their excellent work.

A cultural program was also organized during the program in which DAV school children and CCL personnel participated and entertained everyone.
To further connect with the Dalit community ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, the Congress has decided to extend its ongoing Dalit outreach programme in Uttar Pradesh till December end.

The Dalit Gaurav Samvad, which started on October 9, the death anniversary of Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram, was earlier scheduled to end on Sunday to coincide with Constitution Day.

In view of the positive response received during the Dalit Gaurav Samvad, we have decided to extend it further, so that we could reach out to every Dalit household in the state. This Samvad will continue till December end, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai said.

Addressing a Dalit Gaurav Samvad in Sarojininagar assembly constituency here on Saturday, Rai had charged, Dalits are being targeted and killed under the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state. The BJP government is saving criminals. The (BJP) government stood with criminals in the atrocities committed on Dalits in various districts, including Hathras, Umbha (Sonbhadra), Lakhimpur Kheri, Azamgarh, Prayagraj, Kaushambi and Bahraich.

Rai claimed there was no district in Uttar Pradesh where Dalits felt safe under the BJP government.

An attempt is being made to create an atmosphere of fear; we are fighting against it. This dialogue is a fight for the honour, self-respect and rights of Dalits, and we will continue this further. We will not allow the anti-Dalit mentality of BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to succeed in Uttar Pradesh, Rai said.

Elaborating further on the Dalit Gaurav Samvad, UP Congress organisation secretary Anil Yadav said, Under the Samvad, the party plans to reach out to one lakh influential Dalit persons, be it teachers, lawyers, village pradhans or others and ask them to fill up a Dalit adhikaar maang patra. So far, more than 86,000 people have filled up that form. The Dalit Gaurav Samvad has evoked a positive response from the people, and we are now extending it.

Initially, we had thought of holding Dalit chaupals (meetings) in 10 villages in each of the 403 assembly constituencies in the state. Seeing their response, we have now decided to increase the number of villages to 20. Now, chaupals are being held and more than 8,000 villages in the state will be covered through this, Yadav said, and added this was also one of the reasons for extending the Dalit Gaurav Samvad.

Yadav also said that the party had also set a target to form a core group of 50 people from the Dalit community in each Lok Sabha constituency in the state, and this would help the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Dalits constitute 21 per cent of the states population, he said.

Senior Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh and former Lok Sabha member from Barabanki, PL Punia, said, People (Dalits), now do not have any attachment with (BSP chief) Mayawati, and they are now searching for an alternative.

The Congress had undertaken a number of measures for Dalits. They included abolition of zamindari, land ceiling legislation, and distribution of land of gram sabha and nazul to Dalits (which was started during the Emergency under the 20-point programme). I was posted as the collector of Jalaun district (in UP), and I had done it. What has the BJP done? Or what has been done by Mayawati? Did they start any new schemes for the welfare of Dalits? Punia said.

UP Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi, who is also associated with the campaign, said, Dalit Gaurav Samvad has received immense public support from the Dalit community across the state. The reason for this is that under the BJP government, Dalits were subjected to severe atrocities and every time the government was seen protecting the criminals.

He added that 8,000 villages, which have been identified for holding Dalit chaupals, are those where the population of the Dalits is above 35 per cent.

Congress district unit president from Amethi, Pradeep Singhal said the Dalit Gaurav had evoked positive response from the people.

Lone BSP MLA in UP assembly, Uma Shankar Singh, said, The Dalit community knows and has seen the Congress ruling the country for a long time. They are also seeing the atrocities committed on Dalit in Congress-ruled states. This is a pralobhan (allurement) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The Dalits are not going to leave behenji (Mayawati). The respect which the Dalits have got in the country is due to behenji, and not because of the Congress, Singh asserted.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress could only win the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh, which was won by Sonia Gandhi, while the BSP (in alliance with the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal) had won 10 seats.
The Delhi Congress on Sunday held a pratigya rally as a part of its Jawab Do, Hisab Do campaign against the BJP government at the Centre and its seven MPs from Delhi.

Scores of Congress leaders and workers gathered at the Hathi Wala Chowk in Karol Bagh and raised slogans against the central government at the rally led by Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely.

Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken and All India Congress Committee In-charge of Delhi Deepak Babaria were also present at the rally.

Congress Treasurer Ajay Maken, while addressing a Vishal Pratigya Rally as part of Delhi Congress Jawab Do-Hissab Do campaign at Hathi Wala Chowk in Karo Bagh area said, Had not the Congress government passed the Special Protection Act-2006, over 30 lakh people, including shopkeepers, small, medium and middle traders would have been rendered jobless.

Maken, a former Union Minister, said that to provide relief to the people of Delhi, the Congress government had made amendments to the Master Plan-2021 in September 2013 to notify mixed use of 2183 roads, but the present Central and Delhi governments have not provided any facilities in these areas till now. Maken said that in 2012, the Congress government had declared 70 per cent of areas with industries as industrial areas but no development works have been carried out in such places.

The Congress leader said that out of the existing industrial complexes, 20 were established by the Congress government, and plans for another five had also been approved by the Congress government, but only notified by the present government.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the Congress of playing politics on hurdles being encountered in the operation to rescue 41 workers stuck in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. The BJP State president Mahendra Bhatt said that chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is boosting the morale of the rescuers at the site but the Congress is finding politics in it. Referring to the hindrance faced in the rescue operation on Saturday, Bhatt said that the rescuers had so far overcome various challenges to reach close to the stranded workers. We have faith in the experts and disaster management team involved in the rescue efforts and believe that they will overcome the latest hurdle too and safely rescue all the workers, he said. Responding to Congress statements on the CM setting up a temporary camp office at Matli near Silkyara, he said that Dhami is monitoring the rescue operation and has clearly directed that whichever resource or expert is needed should be brought to the site immediately. The CM thought of setting up a temporary camp considering the seriousness of the operation and to boost the morale of the families of the stranded workers. This sensitive decision is being appreciated across the State and nation but the Congress is unable to digest this. This is the reason why the Congress, which seeks political opportunities in disaster, has been seeing politics in the CMs efforts. These very people were earlier saying that the CM and ministers are busy in political tours instead of being at the site and now when the CM has set camp in the area, they are calling it politics. Instead of making statements on the basis of WhatsApp forwards and unconfirmed information from social media, the Congress should adopt a positive attitude as a responsible political party, Bhatt said.
The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, celebrated its third annual convocation on Saturday in which 302 students including five PhD scholars received their degrees.

Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Chhattisgarh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan, G20 Sherpa, Government of India and former CEO, NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant; and internationally renowned Indian music composer and three-time Grammy Award winner Dr Ricky G Kej attended the function as guests.

The university conferred Honoris Causa degrees of DLitt upon three distinguished personalities from different walks of life like Biswabhusan Harichandan, president and spiritual head, Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Chief FinTech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore and Chairman, Board of Elevandi, Singapore, Sopnendu Mohanty.

Addressing the gathering Governor Raghubar Das said, Dr Achyuta Samanta, the Founder of KIIT and KISS, has proved that no work is impossible if one has determination.

KISS is a praiseworthy initiative by Dr Achyuta Samanta for the empowerment of tribal people, stated Harichandan.

Expressing gratitude to the KISS for honouring him with the Honoris Causa Degree, Saraswati said it is heartening to see that 11 of the 15 medal recipients are girls.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has vowed to provide every possible help and assistance in the ongoing rescue operation in Silkyara. He directed that the speed of the rescue operation to save lives of the stranded labourers in the tunnel should be increased. Dhami again reviewed the progress of the rescue mission in Silkyara on Saturday. In the visit he sought information about the Auger machine. He directed that the machine which got stuck in the pipe should be taken out as early as possible and said that the machine and technology needed for the purpose should be brought to the spot. The CM also checked the quality of the food being supplied to the trapped workers. He said that every requirement of the labourers should be met on priority.

With the help of the audio communication set up installed inside the tunnel by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the CM interacted with the supervisor Gabar Singh Negi and labourers Sabah Ahmed and Akhilesh. He sought information about the safety of the workers inside the tunnel and asked them to keep their morale high. Dhami told them that the national and international experts are working day and night to save them and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is keeping an eye on the situation. The PM is taking daily updates himself, he added. Dhami told the workers that they should immediately inform the officers about any problem or issue. He assured them that they will be rescued soon and that the entire country is standing with them. The CM said that the top priority of the Union and State governments is the early and safe rescue of the workers trapped in the tunnel.

The CM also interacted with the officers and employees engaged in the rescue operation and tried to boost their morale. He told the officers, employees and experts engaged in the operation to ensure that the enthusiasm does not wane. The CM said that the rescue operation should be expedited using every available technology and resource. He said that if needed additional resources and equipment should be mobilised from outside. The CM exuded confidence that the operation will be a success and completed soon.

Cabinet minister Prem Chand Agarwal, former advisor to Prime Minister and Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Uttarakhand government, Bhaskar Khulbe, chief secretary SS Sandhu, Union secretary of Road Transport and Highways, Anurag Jain, managing director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) Mahmud Ahmed, Garhwal commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, coordinator of rescue operation and secretary Niraj Khairwal, deputy secretary in Prime Minister Office Mangesh Ghildiyal, MLAs Sanjay Dobhal, Suresh Chauhan, director general of Information Banshidhar Tiwari and others accompanied the CM .
The bereaved family members of a father-son duo, who were electrocuted while carrying out a repairing job in a water tank in a private hospital here on Friday, have demanded strict action against the hospital authorities.

We got the bodies after 24 hours. We were asked to stay away. I, along with my mother, stood helplessly outside the hospital, but no one bothered to tell us what had happened to my father and brother, Vipin, the son of deceased Kunwar Pal, said. .

According to police, Pal (40), his son Raman (20), who was a plumber by profession, and electrician Sarvesh Kumar (59) died of an electric shock while carrying out motor-repairing work at the Commander Hospital in Outer Delhis Ranhola.

There were five members in the family. My mother Raj Kumari, father, elder sister, Raman and me. Raman quit his studies after Class 10 to support the family and started working with my father. My sister is married and I am a student. My father and brother were associated with this hospital for the last five years. Now see, how they (doctors at the hospital) have fled, leaving everyone behind, Vipin said.

A case under sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 304A (whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been lodged at the Ranhola police station against unidentified people.

Further investigation is underway. The FIR was registered on a complaint from the investigating officer, ASI Shri Krishan, against unidentified people, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Jimmy Chiram told said.

I have no idea about the charges levelled by police and against whom. I only know that police must take strict action against the accused. They were aware of the possible risk and yet they asked my father and brother to work for them, Vipin said.

Pals wife Raj Kumari said, My husband was at home on Friday. He got a call at around 2 pm about a plumbing assignment. He asked Raman to accompany him. I got a call around 5 pm and the caller asked me to come to the hospital immediately as something bad had happened with my son and husband.

I asked my son, Vipin, to go to the hospital, which is around five kilometres away from our house. When we reached there, the guards stopped us at the gate and no one informed us about anything. We just saw people running from one end to another, she said, adding that police must ensure that strict action is taken against the culprits.

Kunwar Pals brother, Dhan Pal, said they got the bodies of his brother and nephew at around 3 pm on Saturday, after which they started preparing for the cremation.

The ASI has said in his complainant that a PCR call was received at about 2 pm on Friday and a team was immediately rushed to the Commander Hospital.

Once we reached the hospital, we were directed to a basement area. I saw some electrical-fitting tools near a water tank in the basement.

There were three bodies in the tank. As the water was deep, a call was made to the fire department for help, he has said.

The bodies were taken out of the tank with the help of fire department officials and sent to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital for autopsy.
Five tourists from Uttar Pradesh died after their car fell about 200 metres down the mountainside in the remote Baghni area of Nainital district. The accident is believed to have taken place on Thursday. Sub divisional magistrate Pramod Kumar informed that the local villagers on Saturday informed the police about a car having fallen into the gorge. The State Disaster Response Force and district administration personnel who reached the site of the mishap retrieved the bodies of the victims from the gorge with the help of the local villagers. The five dead have been identified as Bilaspur, UP residents Sumit Singh, Ravi Pratap Singh and Jagrup Singh along with Gurusevak and Jassu- whose addresses were not known till the time of this report being filed. The family members of the deceased were informed by the police about the incident. Kumar said that the family members said that the five friends had left their homes saying that they were going from Bilaspur to Nainital. The family members had lost contact with them after that and were attempting to trace them.

Sources stated that the site where the accident occurred is far from the inhabited area due to which the villagers came to know about the mishap about two days after it occurred. Some villagers were going to another village on Saturday when they saw one person who appeared to be lying injured in the gorge. The villagers came to know about the accident when they went down into the gorge to check, after which they informed the district administration and the police.

Sources further state that the road at the site is in a bad condition and narrow which poses various problems to the locals while travelling. This is the reason why most of the locals prefer to use the bridle path instead of using the motor road. The villagers had repeatedly demanded of the Public Works Department and the district administration that the road should be repaired but the authorities have not taken necessary action so far.
Talaiya Police have registered an FIR against Altaf Masood, the director of Max Care Children Hospital located in Fatehgarh area of Bhopal, for fraud and preparing forged documents.

The case has been registered on the orders of the court. It is alleged that the hospital operator has embezzled lakhs of rupees by committing fraud in the Ayushman scheme of the Central Government.

Rs 3.35 lakh has been recovered from the family of the child in whose name the government had collected money due to his illness. The complainant had filed a complaint in the court in this matter. After two years, the court has ordered to register an FIR. The hospital was raided on Saturday afternoon in search of the hospital operator.

According to SI Karmaveer Singh, Khalid Ali of Housing Board Colony of Tila Jamalpura, had admitted his three-month-old son to Max Children's Hospital in Fatehgarh in January 2022 for treatment. Khalid Ali had Ayushman card, so he told in the hospital that treatment should be done with this card only.

Dr. Altaf Masood, director of Max Care Children's Hospital, who went underground as soon as the case was registered. Dr. Altaf Masood, director of Max Care Children's Hospital, who went underground as soon as the case was registered.

After taking the bill, documents related to Ayushman were also taken. On this, the hospital said that right now we are not able to get treatment from the hospital through Ayushman card. Even after saying this, he asked Khalid Ali to submit other documents including Aadhar Card and information about Ayushman Card. Khalid submitted those documents. After treatment in the hospital, he got a payment of Rs 37000. This is the amount which has been billed by the hospital. The complainant says that bills for treatment and medicines worth lakhs of rupees were not paid.

A few days later, Khalid got a call from Ayushman Yojana for verification. He was asked whether the child was undergoing treatment or not. By then the child had died. He informed the caller about this. On the other side it was asked whether the hospital people took money from you or not, they said to pay the full bill. Then it was told that the hospital had also withdrawn money from the Ayushman card account.

As soon as the fraud was discovered, Khalid filed a complaint of fraud in the court through advocate Shariq Chaudhary. After hearing this, the court directed the police to file an FIR. Police have registered a case of fraud against the hospital director Dr Altaf Masood.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday hailed senior citizens who have not availed of their pension despite being eligible and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to interact with them. He said this collective sacrifice contributes to redirecting funds for the welfare of others, emphasizing the selfless strength of individuals like them, which is integral to the strength of the country and society.



Khattar interacted with senior citizens receiving old age allowance through audio conferencing as part of the CM Ki Vishesh Charcha programme and announced the state government's decision to increase the old age pension amount to Rs 3,000 from January 1, 2024.

In Haryana, 40,000 eligible senior citizens above the age of 60 have voluntarily refused the pension, resulting in an annual savings of approximately Rs 100 crore. The surplus funds will be directed towards service homes under the 'Senior Citizen Seva Ashram' scheme across 22 districts, facilitating their construction and care arrangements.



The CM acknowledged the sacrifice made by these senior citizens and highlighted that the present monthly pension in the state for those aged 60 and above, with an annual income below Rs 3 lakh, is Rs. 2,750.



During an interactive session, Khattar highlighted the 'Prahari' scheme, introduced in this financial year to safeguard the well-being of elderly individuals above 80 years of age. Data from the state's family identity card revealed that there are 3,30,000 elderly individuals above 80, of whom 3,600 live alone. Under the 'Prahari' scheme, retired government employees will personally visit these elderly individuals to assess their well-being. If any elderly person requires medical assistance, property protection, or any other form of support, the government department concerned will be notified to provide prompt assistance.



Khattar said that the state government would care for elderly individuals living alone in Seva Ashrams under the 'Senior Citizens Seva Ashram' scheme. One such ashram has been established in Rewari, and another is under construction in Karnal. Additionally, land has been identified for these ashrams in 14 districts. The Chief Minister mentioned that the Red Cross Society operates a service for senior citizens in Panipat, while the Ambalav Old Age Home is located in Panchkula. The Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board in Panchkula also runs an Old Age Home. Furthermore, Old Age Homes are operational in 13 districts of the state, including Bhiwani, Gurugram, Hisar, Jind, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Panchkula, Rohtak, Rewari, Sirsa, Yamunanagar, Jhajjar, and Bahadurgarh. Additionally, 14 day-care centers are functioning. He informed that retired government employees can join the Prahari Yojana by dialing 112.



Haryana CM Inaugurates Nari Niketan with Modern Facilities



In another function, the Chief Minister inaugurated the building of the Government North Defense Home on Saturday, constructed at a cost of Rs 6.54 crore under the Smart City initiative in Karnal. During this, he said that several buildings are being constructed under the Smart City project on 6 acres of this area. Khattar said that the newly inaugurated Nari Niketan was established to provide shelter to helpless women, and plans are underway for the construction of a working women's hostel on the same premises.



The Government North Defense Home (Nari Niketan), Karnal, is a four-story building, covering 2142.40 square meters and features various facilities, including consultation rooms, dormitories, a dining room, a kitchen, library, classrooms, a computer lab, training room, recreation room, and paramedical facilities for the treatment of physically and mentally challenged women. Additionally, the building is equipped with office spaces, a visitor room, a store room, ladies' toilets, and other amenities for the office staff.



Established in 1982, the Government North Defense Home (Nari Niketan) Karnal stands as the sole Nari Niketan institution in Haryana, situated in Karnal. Focused on destitute women aged 18 and above, the organization facilitates admission through either court orders or administrative directives. Devoted to societal reintegration, the institution employs counseling, home location efforts, and collaboration with other states and districts to bring missing or abandoned women to the facility. The reunification of these women with their families is a primary objective.

Presently, the institution houses 25 women and girls, including four from Bangladesh. Two women with mental illnesses have been admitted on court orders. Nine women are disabled and two women have been placed under court orders for security reasons, and six missing women are residing there.
A man killed his wife and father-in-law before ending his life in Muskura police station area of Hamirpur district.

According to reports, Omprakash Rajput (42) of Pahari Bhitari village lived in the town with his family for about six months. The construction of his house is going on in Lilavati Nagar. His 16-year-old elder daughter, Keshavi, claimed that her father Omprakash used to beat her mother, Anusuiya (39), every day.

As per reports, On October 8, Anusuiya had filed a complaint against her husband and mother-in-law in the police station. After this, Omprakash became agitated and went to his village. On Saturday night, Anusuiya slept in their under-construction house along with her father, Nand Kishore Rajput of Lodhipura, Keshavi, Sarila, her younger daughter Julie (12) and son Prince (10).

Around 2:30 am on Sunday, Omprakash jumped over the wall and entered the house. He firstly thrashed Anusuiya and set her on fire. Later he attacked Nand Kishore with a stone and crushed his head.

Meanwhile, Keshavi told the police that upon hearing the screams, she woke up and attempted to intervene as her father opened fire at her grandfather. Failing in her efforts, she became frightened and locked herself in a room. On Sunday morning, when she heard her neighbours outside, she came out and informed them about the attack after which they dialed 112 to inform the police.

The police reached the spot and rushed Nandkishore to the community health centre where the doctor pronounced him dead. Anusuiya also succumbed to her burn injuries.

Upon receiving the information, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Bipin Kumar Shivhare, Circle Officer PK Singh, in-charge tehsildar BP Singh and Inspector Vinod Kumar reached the spot with a heavy police force.

The police claimed to have initiated a search for Omprakash, but on Sunday morning, they came to know that a man with critical burns had been admitted to the district hospital and had succumbed to his injuries. According to doctors, the man also had a gunshot wound on his chest, which was said to be fired with his own weapon.

Police said that after killing his wife and father-in-law, Omprakash, a teacher in a local primary school, shot himself and set himself on fire.

A case was registered and all the three bodies were sent for post-mortem.

Superintendent of Police in Hamirpur, Deeksha Sharma, said that the investigations were on and a dog squad and forensic team also inspected the spot.

Meanwhile in Aligarh, peoples anger erupted on Sunday morning after an elderly shopkeeper was shot dead in Surendra Nagar Colony.

The agitated people staged a demonstration after keeping the body outside the house, demanding the arrest of the accused and compensation to the victims family.

The crowd then blocked the Naurangabad GT road and started raising slogans against the police and administration. Additional District Magistrate (City) Amit Kumar Bhatt and SP (City) Mrigank Shekhar Pathak reached the spot and gave assurance of stern action against the accused.

Reports said that Ashok Kumar Gupta Surendra Nagar Indraprastha Colony ran a confectionery shop in his house. His disabled son, Deepu alias Manish, sits on the cash counter. According to Deepu, on Saturday night at around 8 pm, three miscreants came on a motorcycle and shot his father and ran away. Ashok died before he could be shifted to hospital. When Deepu raised an alarm, people gathered at the spot and staged a protest. They were also joined by local MLA.

Police investigation revealed that Deepu was standing with his cousin, Bhavatosh, sometime before the incident. Just then a young man came out on a Bullet motorcycle, blowing the horn loudly. On this, Bhavatosh had an altercation with the youth. After some time, the Bullet-rider returned along with other youths and asked for Bhavatosh. Later, when they failed to locate Bhavtosh, they opened fire at Ashok and escaped.
In a move to attract movie makers the cost of shooting a film is going down soon as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is bringing a proposal to reduce charges of shooting a film in the city and provide them security or parking facilities. The proposal is expected to be tabled in the next meeting of the House of the MCD. According to MCD officials, the proposal aims to slash the charges for film shooting in Delhi to Rs 15,000 for an eight hour per day slot and Rs 25,000 for 24-hour per day slot from Rs 75,000 per day. The MCD is also planning to appoint a licence officer at designated areas for the shooting of film .

According to the proposal, the time designated for film shooting on an MCD property will be divided into three shifts of eight hours. Earlier, the MCD used to charge Rs 75,000 for a 24-hour full day slot. The proposal also aims to revise the one-time registration fees to obtain permission for each film shooting to Rs 2,000 plus GST across its zones.

The MCD will also provide parking facility for the film staff and implement the charges for parking which will be transferred to the department concerned. The one-time security deposit of Rs 25,000 will continue to remain the same for shooting in areas under the MCD jurisdiction.

The MCD will deploy two civil guards and a license offer at areas designated for film shooting. According to the proposal, the civic body will have the power to allot any specific location for shooting or make changes in the charges, if required. The time period for shooting or date can also be allotted by the civic body. It will also have the liberty to deny permission for film shooting.

The step is being taken after a review meeting with film producers to make Delhi a hub for film shooting. During the meeting, the producers had opined that the charges for shooting in Delhi were high and therefore suggested to divide three slots of eight hours for shooting.
In the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Vidhan Maheshwari, a group of 10 lawyers appeared today on behalf of Dow Chemical to deny that, by this appearance, Dow was accepting the jurisdiction of the court.

The criminal proceedings, from which Carbide has been a proclaimed absconder for 31 years, concern the culpable homicide of thousands arising from Dow subsidiary Union Carbides 1984 gas disaster in Bhopal. As assistants to the prosecution, the CBI, and in order to enforce the appearance of its subsidiary Union Carbide, which has been on the run since criminal charges were formally brought against in 1987, in 2004 we moved the court to summon Dow, said Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal group for Information & Action, adding, It has taken 18 years and seven summonses for Dow to appear, only to deny that it is in fact appearing, and then use its partial appearance to try to deny the jurisdiction of Indian courts.

Judge Vidhan Maheshwari has scheduled a final hearing on the issue of jurisdiction on January 6th, 2024, in the fortieth anniversary year of the disaster. The Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA) submitted an application today that The Dow Chemical Company has indeed been served notice and that contrary to the accused persons stance, there is no concept of limited jurisdiction in Indian jurisprudence and that the Honble Court has to authority to proceed against Dow under Section 305(3) and take coercive measures.Dows lawyers shared an objection statement to assert that Carbide, a company, whose sales, marketing, legal departments and board of directors are controlled, top to toe, by the Michigan based Dow Chemical Company remains a separate company.

Representatives of organistions working with the survivors of the Union Carbide disaster express their hope that the raised profile of Bhopal would bring a needed focus to the proceedings. New Netflix series The Railway Men honours the spirit of Bhopal, but to tell the whole story would take forty series. Bhopal is not history, it is unfolding right now, said Balkrishan Namdev of Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangarsh Morcha.
Odisha Labour Minister Sarada Prasad Nayak will visit Uttarakhand where the labourers have been trapped in an under-construction tunnel for two weeks.

A special team from Odisha including the Minister will review the rescue operation that is underway at the tunnel.

Being sent by the Odisha Government, the family members of Odia workers will also reach Uttarkashi district where the incident occurred. The State Government decided to send the Odia labourers family members after the latter met 5T Chairman VK Pandian at the Naveen Niwas and expressed their anxiety about the fate of their kin.

Speaking to reporters, Minister Nayak said the trapped labourers should not be described as Dadan.

Those who migrate outside the State for work are approved by the government. Many labourers from other States are also engaged here in Odisha. It will be mistaken to term them as Dadan. Our department is aware of it. We have generated employment in the State under various schemes, Nayak said.

Five workers from Odisha among a total of 41 have been trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel. The labourers from Odisha are Dhiren Nayak of Badakudar and Bisweswar Nayak of Jogibandh in Mayurbhanj district, Raju Nayak from Kuldiha in Baleswar, Bhagaban Bhotra of Nabarangpur and Tapan Mandal of Bhadrak district. They are trapped in the tunnel after a portion of the tunnel collapsed 14 days back.

According to reports, the Odisha labourers were employed at the site by the Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd, which is implementing the Silkyara tunnel work for National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.
On the eve of Constitution Day at BHEL Bhopal, the Preamble of the Constitution was read by all the General Managers and senior officers in the presence of Rajeev Singh, Executive Director, showing respect and allegiance to the Constitution of India. Along with this, The Preamble of the Constitution was also read by the department heads and employees in all the departments and offices of the unit.

On this occasion, a lecture on the Indian Constitution was organized by the Human Resource Department at the Human Resource Development Centre. The program was presided over by Vinodanand Jha, Additional General Manager (Public Relations Department). In his welcome address he explained in detail the need for the program in the current environment.

Janmejay Singh, Deputy Manager, Law Department, invited as a faculty member in the program, explained in detail the main provisions of the Constitution as well as the fundamental rights and duties in his lecture.

On the occasion of Tribal Pride Day, MK Bhagat, Additional General Manager, CAT and Ashok Kumar Mahor, Deputy General Manager informed about the various schemes being undertaken for the welfare of the tribal class and the various programs and achievements being run by Ambedkar Bhawan, BHEL, Bhopal. All the participants greatly appreciated this program.

Around 60 employees from BHEL participated in this program. The program was coordinated by Surekha Banchhor, Senior Deputy General Manager (HRM) and the program was conducted by Paritosh Kumar Dalai, Manager (HRM).

As per the instructions of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to organize various programs from 15 November 2023 to 26 November 2023 for the employees and their family members in BHEL Bhopal unit to celebrate 15 November 2023 as Tribal Pride Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Lord Birsa Munda. A poetry writing competition was organized on the topic of tribal pride and nationalism. Sachdev Soni, QTN Department was given the first prize and MK Bhagat, Additional General Manager CAT was given the second prize. Miss Rishita Maravi, daughter of Umesh Maravi, Deputy Manager (HRM.) was awarded the third prize.

In this series, a painting competition on the topic of tribal heritage and culture was organized in Jawahar and Bikram School located in BHEL Bhopal Industrial township in which about 200 children participated. In this competition, the first prize was awarded to Hardik Sonawane, Group A, Jawahar Lal Nehru School and Aniket Chaudhuri, Group B, Vikram Higher Secondary School.

During this, pictures of Lord Birsa Munda and his stories were displayed on the digital screen located at BHEL Bhopal unit.
My decision on the Proposition 480 ballot issue was a difficult one. As best I can tell, both sides had good reasons for voting one way or the other. Both sides also made a lot of exaggerated  Read moreLetter to the Editor: Lack of discussion over huge hospital leads to no vote
The Ravenshaw University in Cuttack has been awarded A++ grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of the University Grants Commission (UGC) recently.

A five-member team from the NAAC visited the university from November 20 to 22. The varsity has been awarded a final grade point of 3.58 by the NAAC, sources said.

The Ravenshaw University has received a grade point of 3.73 in curricular aspects, 3.19 in teaching-learning and evaluation, 3.5 in research, innovations and extension, 3.85 in infrastructure and learning resources, 3.75 in student support and progression, 3.58 in governance, leadership and management and 3.91 in the institutional values and best practices.

The NAAC team had examined the teaching environment and other facilities for students at our campus. It has awarded A++ grade to our university after carefully assessing all these aspects, said an official.

Hundreds of students on Saturday congregated in front of the Ravenshaw Vice-Chancellors office to celebrate the NAAC A++ grade to the varsity.

The British Government had established the Ravenshaw College in 1868. The college was granted an autonomous status in the 1990s. It was finally upgraded into a unitary university in 2006.
The Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) that was recently spotted roaming in Rayagada block of Gajapati district and some parts of Andhra Pradesh has travelled nearly 750 km from Maharashtras Vidarbha region.

This was informed by Odisha Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sushant Nanda on Saturday.

Though wildlife experts are surprised to see a tiger travelling such a long distance, they believe that the animal might have taken such an arduous journey in search of a safer habitat and a mate.

PCCF Nanda said, The Wildlife Institute of India has the databases, stripes of all the tigers trapped in our cameras. Like our fingerprints, the stripes on a tigers body are unique too.

When we captured the tiger in our cameras in Odisha, we sent the pictures of the stripes to the Wildlife Institute of India for identification. They identified this tiger as the first camera-trapped at Brahmapuri Forest Division under Maharashtras Chandrapur in 2021. Though the feline has traversed 750 km now, it has crossed many more distances before as suggested by its pictures, Nanda said.

It is a good sign for us that the tiger population is increasing and they are migrating to where they can find more food, he added.

The Forest Department had on Wednesday confirmed the presence of a Royal Bengal Tiger in Rayagada block of Gajapati district bordering Andhra Pradesh after the movement of the big cat was captured by trap cameras.

Forest officials found the pugmarks of the tiger and also recovered the carcass of a cow. In order to confirm the presence of the tiger, they installed five trap cameras in the area and the cameras captured photographs of the predator.

Though the Maharashtra tigers tracked history says it has preyed on deer and wild boars, of late it is killing livestock for its survival. However, it has reportedly not shown any aggression towards humans though it passes through human habitations.
Delhi BJP has alleged a scam of Rs 500 crore in the Delhi Jal Board in connection with awarding contracts related to upgradation and augmentation works to a single bidder. According to BJP, the contractor had not submitted the detailed project reports (DPRs) as mandated in the government tendering process.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has sent a detailed notes to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CB), Enforcement Directorate as well as Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, seeking cancellation of the awards and a probe against officials and the concerned minister who had shown undue haste in awarding the projects.

Sachdeva revealed that while the concerned minister was not competent to approve the decision, the Delhi government went ahead with the award of the works. In a press statement, Sachdeva said that the due diligence with the Taiwanese embassy was also not obtained in awarding the works even while the competence of the said contactor was well known.

According to Sachdeva, only two bidders participated for four packages of works, which were parceled with clear intents to award the works in a premeditated manner, and each got the projects awarded. He further that the tendering tweaks lowered the technical criteria with reduced timeline with aim to keep the genuine contractors away from participating in the tendering process.

Sachdeva also alleged that out of the 10 STPs (sewage treatment plant), only five were shortlisted for upgradation while rest were taken up for upgradation/ augmentation at a cost of Rs 1938 crores in 2022. Shockingly, DPRs were made available only for two STPs  Kondli and Rohini. In a startling revelation, he stated in the letters to the investigative agencies that the mandated consideration of the local factors such as soil strength, sewage quality and peak flow data and others were not even sought before hurriedly awarding the works.

Former DJB CEO Udit Prakash (Deputy Secy. to Govt of India) worked in undue haste in obtaining approvals from Board on 30.5.2022 even though he was transferred to Health & Family Welfare Dept. Appointment of Udit Prakash was also void ab initio since no officer below rank of Joint Secretary is eligible to be posted as CEO DJB, he said.

He also pointed out hat rates increased during Negotiation with L1 bidder, from Rs. 392 .04 Crores to Rs. 408.04 Crores. Negotiations were done without the approval of Competent Authority and in violation of or with adhering to the mandate under clause 5.1.8(1) of CPWD Manual, 2019.

Estimates prepared by consultant M/s NJS Engineers India Pvt. Ltd. were used for cost estimation of all STPs, despite the fact that consultants work was not found satisfactory in preparation of estimates. Estimates were prepared by this consultant on the basis of single quotation basis resulting in the estimates being higher than market rate, said Sachdeva.

During the process the rates of items / works (mainly civil works) not required to be done on the ground were included and suggestive rates were prepared on higher sides and thereafter works were awarded at Rs. 1938 Crores i.e. 28% higher than the estimated cost of Rs.1508 crores, Sachdeva added.
Every facility is being provided to the families of workers from Jharkhand who are stuck in the tunnel under construction between Silkyara and Dandalgaon in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. It is known that the family members of the workers trapped in the tunnel have reached Uttarakhand to know their condition. When Chief Minister Hemant Soren came to know about this, he instructed the officials to provide every facility.

All 15 workers from Jharkhand trapped in the tunnel are safe. Of these, two workers from Giridih, three from Khunti, three from Ranchi and seven from West Singhbhum have been confirmed. The Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district is continuously taking stock of the situation by talking to the families of the workers. Apart from this, the migrant control room is also in constant touch with the families of the workers trapped in the tunnel.

Following the order of the Chief Minister, arrangements for accommodation, food and drink have been made for all the family members of the workers. Additionally, jackets, hats and blankets have been distributed to workers and families. It is known that after the order of the Chief Minister, on November 14, ZAP IT CEO Bhuvanesh Pratap Singh, Joint Labour Commissioner Rajesh Prasad and Joint Labor Commissioner Pradeep Robert Lakra were sent to Uttarakhand to know about the condition of the workers trapped in the tunnel and to provide them assistance.

The team remained present at the spot for nine days. In view of their important work in Jharkhand, Rakesh Prasad, Joint Labour Commissioner cum Additional Registrar and Dhananjay Kumar Singh, Joint Labour Commissioner, have been sent in their place, who were present at the spot.
ExodusPoint Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI  Free Report) by 135.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 43,184 shares of the construction companys stock after buying an additional 24,852 shares during the quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP owned 0.10% of Armstrong World Industries worth $3,172,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWM LLC raised its position in Armstrong World Industries by 68.7% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 410 shares of the construction companys stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in Armstrong World Industries during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Armstrong World Industries during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $79,000. Covestor Ltd raised its position in Armstrong World Industries by 89.9% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,272 shares of the construction companys stock worth $115,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dark Forest Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Armstrong World Industries during the 1st quarter worth approximately $124,000. 98.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on AWI shares. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Armstrong World Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, November 20th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Armstrong World Industries from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Friday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $84.75.

Armstrong World Industries Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AWI opened at $83.34 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.68 billion, a PE ratio of 16.63, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $75.35 and a 200 day moving average of $73.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.88. Armstrong World Industries, Inc. has a one year low of $62.03 and a one year high of $84.23.

Armstrong World Industries (NYSE:AWI  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The construction company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $347.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $330.42 million. Armstrong World Industries had a net margin of 17.54% and a return on equity of 41.76%. The firms revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.36 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Armstrong World Industries, Inc. will post 5.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Armstrong World Industries Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 2nd were issued a $0.28 dividend. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 1st. This is a positive change from Armstrong World Industriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. Armstrong World Industriess payout ratio is presently 22.36%.

About Armstrong World Industries

(Free Report)

Armstrong World Industries, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells ceiling and wall systems in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Mineral Fiber and Architectural Specialties segments. The company offers suspended mineral fiber, soft fiber, fiberglass wool, and metal ceiling systems, as well as wood, wood fiber, glass-reinforced-gypsum, and felt ceiling and wall products; ceiling component products, such as ceiling perimeters and trims, as well as grid products that support drywall ceiling systems; ceilings and walls for use in commercial settings; and facade and partition products.

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Northern Trust Corp decreased its holdings in shares of Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY  Free Report) by 11.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,587,414 shares of the technology retailers stock after selling 329,989 shares during the quarter. Northern Trust Corp owned about 1.19% of Best Buy worth $212,039,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in BBY. EA Series Trust bought a new stake in shares of Best Buy in the 2nd quarter worth about $222,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Best Buy in the 1st quarter worth about $201,000. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc increased its position in shares of Best Buy by 163.7% in the 2nd quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc now owns 156,954 shares of the technology retailers stock worth $12,862,000 after purchasing an additional 97,443 shares during the last quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board increased its position in shares of Best Buy by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 9,571 shares of the technology retailers stock worth $784,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. increased its position in shares of Best Buy by 9.5% in the 1st quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 293,792 shares of the technology retailers stock worth $22,995,000 after purchasing an additional 25,514 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.10% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Todd G. Hartman sold 7,948 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.38, for a total value of $551,432.24. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 13,337 shares in the company, valued at approximately $925,321.06. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, insider Todd G. Hartman sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.18, for a total transaction of $355,900.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 21,285 shares in the company, valued at $1,515,066.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Todd G. Hartman sold 7,948 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.38, for a total transaction of $551,432.24. Following the sale, the insider now owns 13,337 shares in the company, valued at approximately $925,321.06. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.56% of the companys stock.

Best Buy Trading Up 2.2 %

Best Buy stock opened at $69.51 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $68.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $74.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.98, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.53. Best Buy Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $62.30 and a 52-week high of $93.32.

Best Buy (NYSE:BBY  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 21st. The technology retailer reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $9.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.90 billion. Best Buy had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 49.13%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.38 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Best Buy Co., Inc. will post 6.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Best Buy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 12th will be issued a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 11th. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.29%. Best Buys payout ratio is currently 63.45%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on BBY. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Best Buy from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 13th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $86.00 price target on shares of Best Buy in a report on Wednesday, August 30th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Best Buy from $85.00 to $76.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 13th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Best Buy from $62.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price target on shares of Best Buy from $80.00 to $75.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $75.64.

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Best Buy Profile

(Free Report)

Best Buy Co, Inc engages in the retail of technology products in the United States and Canada. The company operates in two segments, Domestic and International. Its stores provide computing and mobile phone products, such as desktops, notebooks, and peripherals; mobile phones comprising related mobile network carrier commissions; networking products; tablets covering e-readers; smartwatches; and consumer electronics consisting of digital imaging, health and fitness products, home theater, portable audio comprising headphones and portable speakers, and smart home products.

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Shares of Cedar Fair, L.P. (NYSE:FUN  Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the ten brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $48.82.

A number of analysts recently issued reports on FUN shares. StockNews.com started coverage on Cedar Fair in a research report on Tuesday, November 21st. They issued a buy rating for the company. Macquarie decreased their target price on Cedar Fair from $52.00 to $50.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 21st. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Cedar Fair from $46.00 to $42.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 24th. KeyCorp reduced their price objective on Cedar Fair from $54.00 to $49.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Finally, B. Riley reduced their price objective on Cedar Fair from $58.00 to $56.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 18th.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cedar Fair

Cedar Fair Stock Performance

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of FUN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in Cedar Fair by 50.5% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,370,752 shares of the companys stock valued at $124,718,000 after purchasing an additional 1,130,439 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Cedar Fair by 36.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 3,516,915 shares of the companys stock valued at $160,688,000 after purchasing an additional 946,782 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its stake in Cedar Fair by 67.6% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,305,406 shares of the companys stock valued at $85,300,000 after purchasing an additional 930,021 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its stake in Cedar Fair by 112.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,407,705 shares of the companys stock valued at $77,142,000 after purchasing an additional 745,056 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new position in Cedar Fair in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,351,000. 61.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NYSE:FUN opened at $39.32 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $37.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $39.45. The stock has a market cap of $2.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.51 and a beta of 1.45. Cedar Fair has a 1 year low of $34.04 and a 1 year high of $47.95.

Cedar Fair (NYSE:FUN  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 2nd. The company reported $4.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.70 by $0.51. The business had revenue of $842.01 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $821.16 million. Cedar Fair had a negative return on equity of 22.33% and a net margin of 8.19%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Cedar Fair will post 2.77 EPS for the current year.

Cedar Fair Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.05%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 5th. Cedar Fairs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.24%.

Cedar Fair Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Cedar Fair, L.P. owns and operates amusement and water parks, and complementary resort facilities in the United States and Canada. Its amusement parks include Cedar Point located on Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo in Sandusky, Ohio; Knott's Berry Farm near Los Angeles, California; Canada's Wonderland near Toronto, Ontario; Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio; Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina; Kings Dominion situated near Richmond, Virginia; California's Great America located in Santa Clara, California; Dorney Park in Pennsylvania; Worlds of Fun located in Kansas City, Missouri; Valleyfair situated near Minneapolis/St.

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Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA  Free Report) by 0.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,559,100 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 64,835 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.46% of Coterra Energy worth $469,640,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CTRA. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Coterra Energy during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Coterra Energy during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Gradient Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Coterra Energy by 1,976.2% during the 2nd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 1,308 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,245 shares during the period. Beacon Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Coterra Energy by 302.5% during the 2nd quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,441 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 1,083 shares during the period. Finally, Ceredex Value Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Coterra Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.54% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on CTRA. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Coterra Energy from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, August 18th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Coterra Energy from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 20th. Stephens reissued an overweight rating and set a $32.00 price objective on shares of Coterra Energy in a research report on Tuesday, August 8th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Coterra Energy from $32.00 to $34.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 27th. Finally, Susquehanna raised their price objective on Coterra Energy from $28.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 18th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $31.93.

Coterra Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CTRA opened at $26.77 on Friday. Coterra Energy Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $22.25 and a fifty-two week high of $29.89. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $27.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $26.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The firm has a market cap of $20.14 billion, a PE ratio of 9.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.22 and a beta of 0.34.

Coterra Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 15th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.99%. Coterra Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Coterra Energy

In other Coterra Energy news, Director Dan O. Dinges sold 68,275 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.22, for a total transaction of $1,858,445.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 3,152,392 shares in the company, valued at approximately $85,808,110.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Director Dan O. Dinges sold 400,000 shares of Coterra Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.60, for a total value of $10,640,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,302,392 shares in the company, valued at approximately $87,843,627.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Dan O. Dinges sold 68,275 shares of Coterra Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.22, for a total value of $1,858,445.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,152,392 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $85,808,110.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Coterra Energy Profile

(Free Report)

Coterra Energy Inc, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the development, exploration and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company primarily focuses on the Marcellus Shale with approximately 183,000 net acres in the dry gas window of the play located in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

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Covestor Ltd cut its stake in shares of Kontoor Brands, Inc. (NYSE:KTB  Free Report) by 13.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,713 shares of the companys stock after selling 267 shares during the period. Covestor Ltds holdings in Kontoor Brands were worth $72,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Credit Suisse AG raised its position in shares of Kontoor Brands by 0.6% during the second quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 47,091 shares of the companys stock worth $1,571,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC raised its position in shares of Kontoor Brands by 9.7% during the first quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 3,604 shares of the companys stock worth $174,000 after purchasing an additional 319 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in shares of Kontoor Brands by 2.1% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 17,999 shares of the companys stock worth $771,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of Kontoor Brands by 1.5% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 24,289 shares of the companys stock worth $1,175,000 after purchasing an additional 368 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Kontoor Brands by 1.4% during the second quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 29,367 shares of the companys stock worth $1,236,000 after purchasing an additional 411 shares during the period.

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Kontoor Brands Stock Performance

Shares of KTB stock opened at $53.25 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 2.65 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Kontoor Brands, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $37.10 and a fifty-two week high of $53.83. The stocks 50-day moving average is $46.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.14. The firm has a market cap of $2.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.16, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.10.

Kontoor Brands Increases Dividend

Kontoor Brands ( NYSE:KTB Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 2nd. The company reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.13 by $0.09. Kontoor Brands had a return on equity of 75.07% and a net margin of 8.01%. The company had revenue of $654.54 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $642.70 million. Analysts predict that Kontoor Brands, Inc. will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a positive change from Kontoor Brandss previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 7th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.76%. Kontoor Brandss dividend payout ratio is currently 51.06%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on KTB shares. Barclays raised Kontoor Brands from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their price target for the company from $47.00 to $59.00 in a research report on Monday, November 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Kontoor Brands from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the company from $51.00 to $56.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 19th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reissued a buy rating and set a $63.00 price target on shares of Kontoor Brands in a research report on Monday, September 18th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Kontoor Brands presently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $59.29.

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About Kontoor Brands

(Free Report)

Kontoor Brands, Inc, a lifestyle apparel company, designs, produces, procures, markets, distributes, and licenses denim, apparel, footwear, and accessories, primarily under the Wrangler and Lee brands. It licenses and sells apparel under the Rock & Republic brad name. The company sells its products primarily through mass merchants, specialty stores, mid-tier and traditional department stores, company-operated stores, and online.

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Covestor Ltd raised its stake in Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J  Free Report) by 64.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 666 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 262 shares during the period. Covestor Ltds holdings in Jacobs Solutions were worth $79,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Korea Investment CORP increased its stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 108.5% during the second quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 438,937 shares of the companys stock worth $52,185,000 after purchasing an additional 228,433 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its position in Jacobs Solutions by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 5,726 shares of the companys stock worth $681,000 after buying an additional 194 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 15.6% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 169,036 shares of the companys stock worth $20,097,000 after buying an additional 22,780 shares in the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 41,150.0% during the second quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 825 shares of the companys stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 823 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its position in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 13.3% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 46,570 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,089,000 after acquiring an additional 5,481 shares during the period. 84.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 6,666 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.97, for a total transaction of $926,374.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 567,960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $78,929,401.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders sold a total of 19,998 shares of company stock worth $2,722,394 in the last three months. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Jacobs Solutions Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:J opened at $123.37 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $133.65 and a 200-day moving average of $127.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.55 billion, a PE ratio of 23.32, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. Jacobs Solutions Inc. has a 12 month low of $109.00 and a 12 month high of $141.16.

Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 21st. The company reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.02 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $4.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.21 billion. Jacobs Solutions had a net margin of 4.07% and a return on equity of 14.19%. Jacobs Solutionss quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.80 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Jacobs Solutions Inc. will post 8.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Jacobs Solutions Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 9th. Investors of record on Friday, October 27th were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 26th. Jacobs Solutionss dividend payout ratio is 19.66%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Raymond James cut shares of Jacobs Solutions from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Jacobs Solutions in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Jacobs Solutions from $157.00 to $151.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Benchmark reiterated a buy rating and set a $160.00 target price on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Credit Suisse Group decreased their price target on Jacobs Solutions from $153.00 to $151.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Jacobs Solutions has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $149.60.

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About Jacobs Solutions

(Free Report)

Jacobs Solutions Inc provides consulting, technical, scientific, and project delivery services for the government and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Mexico, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through three segments: Critical Mission Solutions, People & Places Solutions, and PA Consulting.

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Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Dover Co. (NYSE:DOV  Free Report) by 2.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 2,952,412 shares of the industrial products companys stock after acquiring an additional 59,192 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.11% of Dover worth $434,781,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in shares of Dover in the first quarter valued at $48,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new position in shares of Dover in the first quarter valued at $938,000. Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its position in shares of Dover by 5.8% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 5,645 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $886,000 after buying an additional 310 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its position in shares of Dover by 6.5% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 9,126 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,465,000 after buying an additional 561 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Dover by 6.1% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 140,560 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $22,055,000 after buying an additional 8,054 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.97% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on DOV. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Dover from $149.00 to $145.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. StockNews.com upgraded Dover from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, October 2nd. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Dover from $177.00 to $175.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Dover from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Dover from $171.00 to $162.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 25th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $162.23.

Dover Stock Up 0.8 %

DOV opened at $139.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.35. The business has a 50-day moving average of $136.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $141.08. Dover Co. has a 12 month low of $127.25 and a 12 month high of $160.66.

Dover (NYSE:DOV  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The industrial products company reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.23 billion. Dover had a return on equity of 26.23% and a net margin of 12.09%. The firms revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.26 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Dover Co. will post 8.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Dover Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 30th will be paid a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 29th. Dovers dividend payout ratio is currently 28.02%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Brad M. Cerepak sold 4,631 shares of Dover stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.00, for a total value of $657,602.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 49,938 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,091,196. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock.

Dover Company Profile

(Free Report)

Dover Corporation provides equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services worldwide. The company's Engineered Products segment provides various equipment, component, software, solution, and services that are used in aftermarket vehicle service, solid waste handling, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, industrial winch and hoist, and fluid dispensing end-market.

Further Reading

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EastGroup Properties (NYSE:EGP  Get Free Report) and WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust (OTCMKTS:WPTIF  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends, risk, profitability and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares EastGroup Properties and WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trusts net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets EastGroup Properties 31.87% 8.19% 4.21% WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for EastGroup Properties and WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score EastGroup Properties 0 4 6 0 2.60 WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust 0 0 0 0 N/A

Earnings & Valuation

EastGroup Properties presently has a consensus target price of $186.08, indicating a potential upside of 7.89%. Given EastGroup Properties higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe EastGroup Properties is more favorable than WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust.

This table compares EastGroup Properties and WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trusts gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio EastGroup Properties $487.02 million 16.41 $186.18 million $3.95 43.67 WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

EastGroup Properties has higher revenue and earnings than WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

90.7% of EastGroup Properties shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of EastGroup Properties shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

EastGroup Properties beats WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About EastGroup Properties

(Get Free Report)

EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP), a member of the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and Russell 1000 Indexes, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 20,000 to 100,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. The Company's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 59 million square feet.

About WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust

(Get Free Report)

WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust engages in the acquisition, development, and owning industrial investment properties. It focuses on the warehouse and distribution properties. The company was founded on March 4, 2013 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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Tiger Brands (OTCMKTS:TBLMY  Get Free Report) is one of 171 publicly-traded companies in the Packaged Foods industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its rivals? We will compare Tiger Brands to similar businesses based on the strength of its risk, earnings, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation and institutional ownership.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Tiger Brands and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tiger Brands 0 1 0 0 2.00 Tiger Brands Competitors 555 2047 2606 43 2.41

As a group, Packaged Foods companies have a potential upside of 8.22%. Given Tiger Brands rivals stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Tiger Brands has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tiger Brands N/A N/A N/A Tiger Brands Competitors -36.29% -243.21% -13.75%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Tiger Brands and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

This table compares Tiger Brands and its rivals gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Tiger Brands N/A N/A 0.80 Tiger Brands Competitors $1.90 billion $50.13 million 301.54

Tiger Brands rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Tiger Brands. Tiger Brands is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

0.3% of Tiger Brands shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 28.4% of shares of all Packaged Foods companies are owned by institutional investors. 27.2% of shares of all Packaged Foods companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

Tiger Brands pays an annual dividend of $0.23 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.3%. Tiger Brands pays out 1.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Packaged Foods companies pay a dividend yield of 92.8% and pay out 27.6% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Summary

Tiger Brands rivals beat Tiger Brands on 9 of the 13 factors compared.

About Tiger Brands

(Get Free Report)

Tiger Brands Limited engages in the manufacture and sale of fast-moving consumer goods in South Africa. The company offers baby care products under the Purity brand; bakeries under the Albany and Tinkies brands; and culinary fruit veg products under the Crosse & Blackwell, Benny, All Gold, Spray and Cook, Ice Cap, KOO, Colman's, Black Cat, Mrs H.S. Ball's Chutney, and Hugo's brands. It also provides home care products under the Airoma, Bio Classic, Bio Crystal, Doom, Jeyes, and Peaceful Sleep brands; milling products under the Golden Cloud and Ace brands; rice pasta under the Fatti's and Moni's, Cresta, Tastic, and Aunt Caroline brands; and superfoods under the Ace, Jungle, King Korn, and Morvite brands. In addition, the company offers personal care products under the Dolly Varden, Kair, No Hair, Perfect Touch, Status, and Ingram's brands; and snacks, treats, and beverages under the Beacon, Maynards, Hall's, Sparkles, Allsorts, Oros, Jelly Tots, Toff-O-Luxe, fizzer, Fizz Pop, Smoothies, Rose's, Easter, and Energade brands. Further, it provides out of home solutions and product offerings in various pack formats to franchised restaurant groups, hotel groups, catering groups, airlines, institutions, independent restaurants and coffee shops, independent hotels, game reserves, lodges, and bed and breakfast establishments; and product solutions for the establishment cleaning, pest control, and room air refreshing. The company also exports its products to approximately 55 countries worldwide. Tiger Brands Limited was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Bryanston, South Africa.

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Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL  Free Report) by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 15,519,697 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 346,647 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned about 2.11% of PPL worth $409,567,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new position in shares of PPL during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of PPL during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of PPL during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of PPL by 83.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,377 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 625 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of PPL during the 4th quarter valued at $59,000. Institutional investors own 73.09% of the companys stock.

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PPL Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE PPL opened at $26.31 on Friday. PPL Co. has a 1 year low of $22.20 and a 1 year high of $31.74. The stock has a market cap of $19.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.83. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $24.68 and a 200 day moving average of $25.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.79.

PPL Announces Dividend

PPL ( NYSE:PPL Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 2nd. The utilities provider reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.45 by ($0.02). PPL had a return on equity of 7.82% and a net margin of 9.53%. The company had revenue of $2.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.20 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that PPL Co. will post 1.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, December 8th will be given a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 7th. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.65%. PPLs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 86.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PPL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Guggenheim reduced their target price on shares of PPL from $31.00 to $27.00 in a report on Monday, October 9th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of PPL from $26.00 to $25.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 24th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of PPL from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, November 21st. TheStreet lowered shares of PPL from a b- rating to a c rating in a report on Friday, August 4th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of PPL in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a neutral rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $30.13.

Get Our Latest Analysis on PPL

PPL Profile

(Free Report)

PPL Corporation, an energy company, focuses on providing electricity and natural gas to approximately 3.5 million customers in the United States. It operates through three segments: Kentucky Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Rhode Island Regulated. The company delivers electricity to customers in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Rhode Island; delivers natural gas to customers in Kentucky and Rhode Island; and generates electricity from power plants in Kentucky.

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Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY  Free Report) by 3.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,037,487 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock after buying an additional 31,116 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.20% of Teledyne Technologies worth $425,515,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Truist Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 17,185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $7,065,000 after purchasing an additional 650 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 24,770 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $11,075,000 after purchasing an additional 968 shares during the last quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board lifted its holdings in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 2,229 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $916,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 12,969 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $5,332,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 63,169 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $28,260,000 after purchasing an additional 2,202 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.57% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on TDY shares. BNP Paribas started coverage on Teledyne Technologies in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set an outperform rating and a $530.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com raised Teledyne Technologies from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, November 20th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and issued a $455.00 target price on shares of Teledyne Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, October 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Teledyne Technologies from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the company from $423.00 to $495.00 in a research report on Monday, August 14th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on Teledyne Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, September 27th. They issued a buy rating and a $495.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Teledyne Technologies presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $503.86.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Michael T. Smith sold 1,071 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $395.00, for a total transaction of $423,045.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 56,492 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,314,340. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Michael T. Smith sold 1,071 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $395.00, for a total transaction of $423,045.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 56,492 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,314,340. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Schack Wesley W. Von sold 376 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $412.30, for a total transaction of $155,024.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,967 shares in the company, valued at $4,933,994.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 62,717 shares of company stock worth $26,140,340 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 2.14% of the companys stock.

Teledyne Technologies Price Performance

Shares of TDY opened at $399.58 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average is $395.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $400.90. The company has a market capitalization of $18.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.68. Teledyne Technologies Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $364.98 and a fifty-two week high of $448.71.

Teledyne Technologies (NYSE:TDY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 25th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $5.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.76 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.43 billion. Teledyne Technologies had a return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 14.02%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.54 EPS. Research analysts predict that Teledyne Technologies Incorporated will post 19.31 earnings per share for the current year.

About Teledyne Technologies

(Free Report)

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, provides enabling technologies for industrial growth markets in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and internationally. The company's Instrumentation segment offers monitoring and control instruments for marine, environmental, industrial, and other applications, as well as electronic test and measurement equipment; and power and communications connectivity devices for distributed instrumentation systems and sensor networks.

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Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its position in Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE:SNV  Free Report) by 173.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 278,500 shares of the banks stock after purchasing an additional 176,613 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC owned 0.19% of Synovus Financial worth $8,425,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Synovus Financial by 1.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,996,954 shares of the banks stock worth $562,536,000 after purchasing an additional 170,332 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in Synovus Financial by 1.6% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 14,098,433 shares of the banks stock worth $434,655,000 after purchasing an additional 228,708 shares during the period. FMR LLC grew its stake in Synovus Financial by 80.1% in the first quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,675,742 shares of the banks stock worth $236,643,000 after purchasing an additional 3,413,077 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in Synovus Financial by 15.7% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,937,880 shares of the banks stock worth $216,502,000 after purchasing an additional 941,244 shares during the period. Finally, Synovus Financial Corp grew its stake in Synovus Financial by 0.6% in the second quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 5,784,933 shares of the banks stock worth $174,994,000 after purchasing an additional 35,024 shares during the period. 79.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Synovus Financial Trading Down 0.1 %

Synovus Financial stock opened at $29.90 on Friday. Synovus Financial Corp. has a one year low of $24.40 and a one year high of $44.44. The businesss fifty day moving average is $27.61 and its 200 day moving average is $29.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.37 billion, a PE ratio of 6.80 and a beta of 1.36.

Synovus Financial Dividend Announcement

Synovus Financial ( NYSE:SNV Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 19th. The bank reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.84. Synovus Financial had a return on equity of 17.48% and a net margin of 20.14%. The company had revenue of $550.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $539.16 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.34 earnings per share. Synovus Financials revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Synovus Financial Corp. will post 4.22 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, October 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 21st were issued a $0.38 dividend. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.08%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 20th. Synovus Financials dividend payout ratio is 34.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Synovus Financial

In other news, major shareholder Eli Samaha bought 4,279 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $21.50 per share, with a total value of $91,998.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 1,692,699 shares in the company, valued at $36,393,028.50. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Over the last 90 days, insiders have bought 236,481 shares of company stock valued at $5,057,219. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. DA Davidson cut their target price on Synovus Financial from $37.00 to $35.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 20th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Synovus Financial from $37.00 to $31.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 10th. StockNews.com raised Synovus Financial from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. Truist Financial cut their target price on Synovus Financial from $31.35 to $31.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Synovus Financial from $38.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $33.75.

View Our Latest Stock Report on SNV

About Synovus Financial

(Free Report)

Synovus Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Synovus Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking products and services. It operates through four segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Consumer Banking, and Financial Management Services. The company's commercial banking services include treasury and asset management, capital market, and institutional trust services, as well as commercial, financial, and real estate loans.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of W. R. Berkley Co. (NYSE:WRB  Free Report) by 51.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,051,357 shares of the insurance providers stock after buying an additional 1,373,580 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned about 1.57% of W. R. Berkley worth $241,299,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WRB. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in shares of W. R. Berkley by 427.2% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,899,093 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $790,947,000 after purchasing an additional 8,831,553 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of W. R. Berkley by 55.3% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,331,473 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,620,232,000 after purchasing an additional 8,664,707 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of W. R. Berkley by 65.6% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 11,940,770 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $795,136,000 after purchasing an additional 4,732,333 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of W. R. Berkley in the 4th quarter worth about $199,140,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of W. R. Berkley by 119.7% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,377,556 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $224,911,000 after purchasing an additional 1,840,475 shares in the last quarter. 66.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $72.00 price objective on shares of W. R. Berkley in a report on Tuesday, October 24th. StockNews.com started coverage on W. R. Berkley in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $75.57.

W. R. Berkley Trading Up 1.1 %

NYSE WRB opened at $71.83 on Friday. W. R. Berkley Co. has a 1-year low of $55.50 and a 1-year high of $76.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $66.30 and a 200-day moving average of $62.25. The firm has a market cap of $18.52 billion, a PE ratio of 14.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.59.

W. R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 23rd. The insurance provider reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $2.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.67 billion. W. R. Berkley had a return on equity of 18.52% and a net margin of 11.45%. W. R. Berkleys quarterly revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.01 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that W. R. Berkley Co. will post 4.79 EPS for the current year.

W. R. Berkley Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 25th were given a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 22nd. W. R. Berkleys payout ratio is 8.87%.

W. R. Berkley Company Profile

(Free Report)

W. R. Berkley Corporation, an insurance holding company, operates as a commercial lines writer in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess. The Insurance segment underwrites commercial insurance business, including premises operations, commercial automobile, property, products liability, and general and professional liability lines.

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Korea Investment CORP grew its holdings in shares of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE:FIS  Free Report) by 9.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 203,940 shares of the information technology services providers stock after buying an additional 17,098 shares during the quarter. Korea Investment CORPs holdings in Fidelity National Information Services were worth $11,156,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 491.5% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 3,904 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $391,000 after acquiring an additional 3,244 shares in the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 71.6% during the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 9,791 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $982,000 after acquiring an additional 4,085 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new stake in shares of Fidelity National Information Services during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,173,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 8.2% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 194,714 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $19,553,000 after acquiring an additional 14,819 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 83.3% during the 1st quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 286 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. 85.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Fidelity National Information Services news, Director Ellen R. Alemany acquired 855 shares of Fidelity National Information Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 17th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $53.00 per share, with a total value of $45,315.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 4,598 shares in the company, valued at $243,694. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.56% of the companys stock.

Fidelity National Information Services Trading Up 2.0 %

NYSE:FIS opened at $55.50 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $46.91 and a 1-year high of $79.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $53.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $55.28.

Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE:FIS  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 7th. The information technology services provider reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.65). Fidelity National Information Services had a negative net margin of 180.32% and a positive return on equity of 13.89%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. will post 3.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Fidelity National Information Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, December 8th will be paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.75%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 7th. Fidelity National Information Servicess dividend payout ratio is currently -5.08%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group reissued a neutral rating and set a $58.00 price target on shares of Fidelity National Information Services in a research report on Friday, October 20th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on Fidelity National Information Services in a research report on Friday, October 6th. They set a market perform rating and a $56.00 price target on the stock. Stephens increased their target price on Fidelity National Information Services from $69.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Mizuho reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Fidelity National Information Services in a research report on Monday, September 25th. Finally, Raymond James dropped their target price on Fidelity National Information Services from $79.00 to $71.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Fidelity National Information Services currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $66.00.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on FIS

About Fidelity National Information Services

(Free Report)

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc provides technology solutions for financial institutions and businesses worldwide. It operates through Banking Solutions, Merchant Solutions, and Capital Market Solutions segments. The Banking Solutions segment provides core processing and ancillary applications; mobile and online banking; fraud, risk management, and compliance; electronic funds transfer and network; card and retail payment; wealth and retirement; and item processing and output solutions.

Further Reading

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Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK  Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the twenty-one brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $125.14.

Several brokerages recently commented on MRK. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Thursday, November 9th. They issued a buy rating and a $115.00 target price for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, November 15th. BMO Capital Markets raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $132.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, October 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, October 27th.

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Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.2 %

MRK opened at $101.87 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $258.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.59, a P/E/G ratio of 8.60 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $96.36 and a twelve month high of $119.65. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $103.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $107.73.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 7.77% and a return on equity of 18.26%. The business had revenue of $16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.30 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.85 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 1.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 43,823 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.03, for a total transaction of $4,602,729.69. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 111,764 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,738,572.92. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 43,823 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.03, for a total transaction of $4,602,729.69. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 111,764 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,738,572.92. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 2,081 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.38, for a total value of $213,052.78. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 18,191 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,862,394.58. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.20% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. EP Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 808.5% in the third quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 187,888 shares of the companys stock worth $19,343,000 after purchasing an additional 167,206 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 45.3% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 1,577,393 shares of the companys stock valued at $162,393,000 after acquiring an additional 491,847 shares in the last quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth about $7,068,000. GUNN & Co INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth about $2,673,000. Finally, Oak Grove Capital LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Oak Grove Capital LLC now owns 20,160 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,075,000 after purchasing an additional 2,660 shares during the period. 74.59% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

(Get Free Report

Merck & Co, Inc operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines.

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Private Advisor Group LLC increased its holdings in Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Inc. (NYSE:NBXG  Free Report) by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 92,941 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,489 shares during the quarter. Private Advisor Group LLCs holdings in Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund were worth $1,026,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Eudaimonia Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund by 4.9% in the second quarter. Eudaimonia Partners LLC now owns 19,945 shares of the companys stock worth $218,000 after acquiring an additional 940 shares in the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund by 12.3% in the first quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 10,695 shares of the companys stock worth $111,000 after acquiring an additional 1,175 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund by 12.1% in the first quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 11,398 shares of the companys stock worth $159,000 after acquiring an additional 1,231 shares in the last quarter. Ignite Planners LLC raised its stake in Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund by 8.5% during the second quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 16,726 shares of the companys stock valued at $179,000 after buying an additional 1,307 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Republic Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund by 3.9% during the second quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 55,941 shares of the companys stock valued at $555,000 after buying an additional 2,106 shares in the last quarter.

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Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NBXG opened at 10.59 on Friday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is 10.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is 10.47. Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Inc. has a 52-week low of 7.70 and a 52-week high of 11.31.

Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Dividend Announcement

Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Company Profile

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.33%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 14th.

(Free Report)

Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Inc (NBXG) is a newly organized, non-diversified, limited term closed-end management investment company focused on next generation mobile network connectivity and technology.

The Funds investment strategy focuses on equity securities issued by U.S.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NBXG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Inc. (NYSE:NBXG  Free Report).

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At a recent meeting, Carroll County Board of Education President Marsha Herbert said, according to the Times, We will try our hardest, but it will be a very sad state of affairs in the next two or three years when we see what we have to do with class sizes.

Marylands multibillion dollar Blueprint for Education requires taxpayers to cover the expense for providing free community college for any public school student who wishes to attend, including students whose families are perfectly capable of paying the tuition themselves.

Per the Blueprint, taxpayers are also responsible for providing universal pre-kindergarten classes for all 3-year-olds, in addition to paying for the capital expenses necessary to improve school buildings to accommodate those classes.

Further, the taxpayer must pay for the additional resources that will be required, not to provide students more instructional time, but to give teachers more planning time.

The president of Carroll Countys Board of Education now tells us the end result of all that spending will be  larger class sizes.

According to the American Federation of Teachers, studies have shown the benefits of smaller class sizes go well beyond student academic success. Smaller class sizes also result in better behaved, more focused students, who are able to establish closer more meaningful relationships with teachers.

Further, studies show the benefits of smaller class sizes are more pronounced for historically underserved groups, including Black students, as well as Hispanic, immigrant and low-income learners.

To be fair, CCPS is not anticipating class sizes to increase at all schools. If your child attends a school in the northwest part of the county, class sizes are actually expected to decrease. But if your child attends a school in the southeastern part of the county, they can expect the number of students in their classes to rise.

The reason for this disparity is the mandates associated with the states Blueprint are not fully funded, meaning larger class sizes in the south are necessary to pay for smaller classes in the north.

That is, unless county residents are willing to pay millions of dollars in higher taxes to hire additional teachers. Thats in addition to the millions of dollars in higher taxes they must pay to fund free pre-kindergarten classes, and the millions of dollars in higher taxes to pay for free Community College classes, and the millions of dollars in higher taxes they need to pay to give teachers more planning time.

What is particularly galling is our own school officials have made it perfectly clear if it was up to them, they wouldnt spend taxpayer money in the way the state is requiring they spend it.

But dont think for a moment Democrats in Annapolis dont know what theyre doing. They have purposefully created a funding model for Maryland schools designed to take money from counties like our own, and gives it to other jurisdictions in the state with the expectation being, the taxpayers of Carroll County will simply make up the difference.

Carroll County is required by state law to implement Marylands Blueprint, whether its mandates are consistent with local educational priorities or not, and if that means schools experience larger class sizes as a result, so be it.

The state is using Carroll County to subsidize the education budgets of other Maryland counties, and pitting the residents of one part of the county against the residents of another.

In the northwest, residents are certain to embrace the decrease in class size their children will enjoy, while students in the southeast will be forced to endure the sad state of affairs Herbert warns about.

Cynically, Democrats in Annapolis believe local officials will just roll over and keep raising taxes to pay for whatever mandates they decide to force on the county.

Its a form of state-sanctioned blackmail. Raise local taxes or deal with larger class sizes. The decision is yours, but whatever you decide, you will do whatever the Blueprint requires of you.

Do we want our county commissioners to simply throw up their hands and say, Oh, well, what are we supposed to do? I guess we have no choice but to raise taxes?

If so  if the commissioners ultimately do decide to simply acquiesce to the states demands  before they raise anyones taxes, they must require CCPS to submit a prioritized list of expenses it can cut to at least partially offset the new spending requirements.

No doubt, school officials will claim there is nothing they can cut  they always do  but thats not their decision to make.

That decision belongs to the people who pay the bills, the Carroll County taxpayer.

Progressives never feel the need to make tough choices. They are forever layering spending upon spending, seeing the taxpayer as an infinitely deep well of funding into which they can dip their cup again and again and again.

Now, progressives are passing laws that compel even conservative Maryland counties to view their local taxpayers with the same level of contempt.

The question we must all answer is, how do we want our elected officials to respond to this encroachment on their authority, and on our freedom to educate our children as we, not the state, deem best?

Chris Roemer is a retired banker and educator who resides in Finksburg. He can be contacted at chrisroemer1960@gmail.com




Vehicles belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross transport released hostages toward the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, on Nov. 24, 2023. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

(Xinhua) -- As a cease-fire with Israel entered into force, Hamas on Friday released 24 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while buses carrying 39 Palestinian prisoners departed at night from Israeli Ofer prison.

The 13 Israeli hostages, all children and women, were sent to Egypt from Gaza and then headed for Israel. After initial reception procedures, including a medical assessment, the hostages were transferred to Israeli hospitals to reunite with their family members, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said.

An addition of 10 Thai and one Filipino citizens have also arrived at the Rafah crossing after being released from Gaza, Egypt's Al Qahera News TV reported.

Earlier in the day, a Palestinian source told Xinhua that the release of non-Israeli nationals was not part of the truce deal, adding that they were released without any conditions.
Northern Trust Corp lessened its stake in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX  Free Report) by 8.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,326,580 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 115,125 shares during the quarter. Northern Trust Corp owned 1.18% of Quest Diagnostics worth $186,464,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Yousif Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 5.3% in the 2nd quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 26,926 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $3,785,000 after buying an additional 1,359 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 220.5% during the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 13,959 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,975,000 after purchasing an additional 9,604 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 4.4% during the second quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 50,252 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $7,063,000 after purchasing an additional 2,103 shares during the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp lifted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 2.2% during the first quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 23,459 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $3,319,000 after purchasing an additional 494 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 1.2% during the second quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 86,920 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $12,217,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.76% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on DGX shares. Citigroup decreased their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $142.00 to $130.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. StockNews.com raised Quest Diagnostics from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $148.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, November 17th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, November 6th. Finally, TheStreet lowered Quest Diagnostics from a b- rating to a c rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 24th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $146.09.

Quest Diagnostics Stock Down 0.2 %

DGX opened at $135.54 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $127.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $132.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.12. The company has a market cap of $15.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.35 and a beta of 0.92. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a one year low of $119.59 and a one year high of $158.34.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The medical research company reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $2.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.27 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 15.80% and a net margin of 8.21%. Quest Diagnosticss revenue for the quarter was down 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.36 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 8.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Quest Diagnostics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 17th will be issued a $0.71 dividend. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 16th. Quest Diagnosticss dividend payout ratio is currently 42.64%.

Quest Diagnostics Profile

(Free Report)

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing, information, and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine testing, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services.

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Northern Trust Corp decreased its stake in CMS Energy Co. (NYSE:CMS  Free Report) by 4.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,994,900 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 146,154 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp owned about 1.03% of CMS Energy worth $175,950,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of CMS Energy by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 19,660,375 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,206,753,000 after buying an additional 774,927 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of CMS Energy by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 17,323,536 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,063,319,000 after purchasing an additional 844,330 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of CMS Energy by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 6,854,102 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $419,975,000 after purchasing an additional 257,872 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of CMS Energy by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,285,926 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $384,994,000 after purchasing an additional 124,854 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of CMS Energy by 22.4% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 5,992,116 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $367,797,000 after purchasing an additional 1,095,342 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.98% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Brandon J. Hofmeister sold 1,667 shares of CMS Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.27, for a total transaction of $93,802.09. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 61,765 shares in the company, valued at $3,475,516.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, SVP Brandon J. Hofmeister sold 1,667 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.27, for a total value of $93,802.09. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 61,765 shares in the company, valued at $3,475,516.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director John G. Russell sold 19,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.53, for a total transaction of $1,055,070.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 169,899 shares in the company, valued at $9,434,491.47. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,667 shares of company stock valued at $1,423,372. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

CMS Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CMS opened at $57.59 on Friday. The firms 50-day moving average price is $54.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $57.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88. The company has a market cap of $16.80 billion, a PE ratio of 22.67, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.39. CMS Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $49.87 and a 52-week high of $65.72.

CMS Energy (NYSE:CMS  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The utilities provider reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.63 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $1.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.11 billion. CMS Energy had a net margin of 9.61% and a return on equity of 10.49%. The businesss revenue was down 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.56 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that CMS Energy Co. will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

CMS Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 30th. Investors of record on Friday, November 3rd will be issued a $0.4875 dividend. This represents a $1.95 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 2nd. CMS Energys payout ratio is 76.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of CMS Energy from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 16th. Guggenheim decreased their price objective on shares of CMS Energy from $61.00 to $54.00 in a report on Monday, October 9th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of CMS Energy from $66.00 to $59.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 4th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of CMS Energy from $58.00 to $55.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of CMS Energy from $60.00 to $56.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $61.50.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on CMS

About CMS Energy

(Free Report)

CMS Energy Corporation operates as an energy company primarily in Michigan. The company operates through three segments: Electric Utility; Gas Utility; and Enterprises. The Electric Utility segment is involved in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. This segment generates electricity through coal, wind, gas, renewable energy, oil, and nuclear sources.

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PNC Financial Services Group Inc. cut its stake in Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH  Free Report) by 2.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,445 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 723 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.s holdings in Laboratory Co. of America were worth $8,554,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Macquarie Group Ltd. grew its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 8.4% during the first quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 6,961 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,597,000 after buying an additional 540 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL grew its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 3.5% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 9,288 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $2,131,000 after buying an additional 311 shares in the last quarter. Hartford Investment Management Co. grew its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 16.9% during the first quarter. Hartford Investment Management Co. now owns 7,490 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,718,000 after buying an additional 1,081 shares in the last quarter. Inceptionr LLC grew its position in Laboratory Co. of America by 2.5% during the first quarter. Inceptionr LLC now owns 3,190 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $732,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Payden & Rygel acquired a new stake in Laboratory Co. of America during the first quarter worth about $8,592,000. 89.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Laboratory Co. of America Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of LH opened at $212.72 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $18.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.44 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 1.20. Laboratory Co. of America Holdings has a one year low of $174.20 and a one year high of $222.33. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $204.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $212.44.

Laboratory Co. of America Dividend Announcement

Laboratory Co. of America ( NYSE:LH Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The medical research company reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.37 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. Laboratory Co. of America had a return on equity of 14.09% and a net margin of 4.88%. Laboratory Co. of Americas revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.68 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Laboratory Co. of America Holdings will post 13.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 8th will be given a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.35%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 7th. Laboratory Co. of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Peter J. Wilkinson sold 1,384 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.71, for a total value of $291,622.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 2,087 shares in the company, valued at approximately $439,751.77. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.65% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LH. Mizuho decreased their target price on Laboratory Co. of America from $257.00 to $230.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 31st. StockNews.com started coverage on Laboratory Co. of America in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Laboratory Co. of America from $238.00 to $230.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 21st. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on Laboratory Co. of America from $251.00 to $237.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 18th. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Laboratory Co. of America in a report on Friday, September 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $243.67.

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About Laboratory Co. of America

(Free Report)

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as a life sciences company that provides vital information to help doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and patients make clear and confident decisions. It operates in two segments, Labcorp Diagnostics and Labcorp Drug Development.

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PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lowered its position in The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR  Free Report) by 5.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 199,322 shares of the companys stock after selling 11,219 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.s holdings in Kroger were worth $9,368,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. First Western Trust Bank bought a new stake in shares of Kroger in the second quarter worth $236,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its position in Kroger by 4.2% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 290,023 shares of the companys stock valued at $12,894,000 after purchasing an additional 11,647 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in Kroger by 38.9% during the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 26,170 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,232,000 after purchasing an additional 7,323 shares in the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in Kroger during the second quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, King Luther Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in Kroger during the second quarter valued at $208,000. Institutional investors own 78.98% of the companys stock.

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Kroger Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of KR stock opened at $44.18 on Friday. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $42.10 and a 12-month high of $50.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $44.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.50.

Kroger Cuts Dividend

Kroger ( NYSE:KR Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, September 8th. The company reported $0.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.91 by $0.05. Kroger had a return on equity of 30.61% and a net margin of 1.10%. The firm had revenue of $33.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $34.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.90 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that The Kroger Co. will post 4.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 15th will be issued a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 14th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.63%. Krogers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 51.79%.

Insider Transactions at Kroger

In other Kroger news, SVP Timothy A. Massa sold 23,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.46, for a total transaction of $1,045,580.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 194,956 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,862,699.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Kroger news, SVP Timothy A. Massa sold 23,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.46, for a total transaction of $1,045,580.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 194,956 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,862,699.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Carin L. Fike sold 4,798 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.52, for a total value of $218,404.96. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,156 shares in the company, valued at $189,181.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 33,798 shares of company stock valued at $1,542,985. 1.38% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KR has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Kroger in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a buy rating on the stock. HSBC initiated coverage on Kroger in a research report on Friday, September 22nd. They set a hold rating and a $52.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an outperform rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of Kroger in a research report on Wednesday, September 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $52.57.

View Our Latest Analysis on KR

Kroger Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Kroger Co operates as a food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates combination food and drug stores, multi-department stores, marketplace stores, and price impact warehouses. Its combination food and drug stores offer natural food and organic sections, pharmacies, general merchandise, pet centers, fresh seafood, and organic produce; and multi-department stores provide apparel, home fashion and furnishings, outdoor living, electronics, automotive products, and toys.

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Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG  Free Report) by 18.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,272 shares of the insurance providers stock after purchasing an additional 2,192 shares during the quarter. Private Advisor Group LLCs holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group were worth $1,027,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Diversified Trust Co bought a new position in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $785,000. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 24.8% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,576 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $330,000 after purchasing an additional 910 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 1.3% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 642,986 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $44,810,000 after purchasing an additional 8,514 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 51.6% during the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 225,954 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $15,747,000 after purchasing an additional 76,931 shares during the period. Finally, Shelton Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the first quarter worth $298,000. 90.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock opened at $78.15 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The company has a 50-day moving average of $72.97 and a 200 day moving average of $72.14. The firm has a market cap of $23.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.72, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.82. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $64.25 and a 1 year high of $79.44.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Increases Dividend

The Hartford Financial Services Group ( NYSE:HIG Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 26th. The insurance provider reported $2.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.34. The business had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.17 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a net margin of 9.62% and a return on equity of 19.05%. The Hartford Financial Services Groups revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 8.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 1st will be paid a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 30th. This is a positive change from The Hartford Financial Services Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.41%. The Hartford Financial Services Groups payout ratio is currently 23.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Stephanie C. Bush sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.74, for a total value of $363,700.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 10,063 shares of the companys stock, valued at $731,982.62. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,003 shares of company stock valued at $436,159. 1.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and set a $77.00 target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Monday, July 31st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a buy rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $89.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 17th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $75.00 to $77.00 in a report on Friday, October 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $76.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, October 27th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $85.43.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on HIG

The Hartford Financial Services Group Profile

(Free Report)

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers.

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Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund Inc. (NYSE:BWG  Free Report) by 8.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 125,054 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 9,752 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLCs holdings in Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund were worth $1,040,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund during the 1st quarter worth approximately $109,000. Logan Stone Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $112,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund during the 1st quarter worth approximately $132,000. HighTower Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $168,000. Finally, Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund during the 1st quarter worth approximately $172,000.

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Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund Price Performance

BWG stock opened at $7.81 on Friday. Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund Inc. has a 1-year low of $6.86 and a 1-year high of $8.87. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $7.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $7.81.

Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund Dividend Announcement

Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 21st will be issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.29%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 20th.

(Free Report)

Legg Mason BW Global Income Opportunities Fund Inc is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC. The fund is co-managed by Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC. It invests in fixed income markets. The fund employs fundamental analysis to create its portfolio.

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US Bancorp DE increased its position in First Horizon Co. (NYSE:FHN  Free Report) by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 98,193 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 2,297 shares during the quarter. US Bancorp DEs holdings in First Horizon were worth $1,107,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in FHN. BOKF NA acquired a new position in shares of First Horizon in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in First Horizon during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in First Horizon during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Spire Wealth Management increased its position in First Horizon by 156.9% during the 2nd quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 3,334 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 2,036 shares during the period. Finally, FWL Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of First Horizon during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.44% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on FHN. Raymond James cut their price target on First Horizon from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 5th. Wedbush upgraded First Horizon from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their target price for the stock from $12.00 to $14.00 in a report on Friday, November 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on First Horizon from $13.00 to $13.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, October 19th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on First Horizon from $15.00 to $12.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 10th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on First Horizon in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $13.00.

First Horizon Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:FHN opened at $12.15 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $11.14 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $11.69. First Horizon Co. has a 1-year low of $8.99 and a 1-year high of $24.92. The stock has a market cap of $6.79 billion, a PE ratio of 7.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.54 and a beta of 0.97.

First Horizon (NYSE:FHN  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.03. First Horizon had a return on equity of 11.74% and a net margin of 20.40%. The business had revenue of $1.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $801.16 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.44 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that First Horizon Co. will post 1.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Horizon Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 14th. First Horizons dividend payout ratio is presently 35.93%.

First Horizon Company Profile

(Free Report)

First Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through three segments: Regional Banking, Specialty Banking, and Corporate. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments.

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Yay! Its going to be Christmas soon, what a wonderful time of the year what with all that food and the gifts for everyone. The thing is, for some, Christmas is nearly every day. Yep, were talking about those young people again, as we cannot mention the specific continent they are linked to or the colour of their skin. They are only known as young people on news reports, where the hundreds of thousands of daily news reports by seasoned journalists record their wonderful actions.

Its Christmas, Everything is free! Yay!!!!

For example: California state law holds that stealing merchandise worth $950 or less is just a misdemeanour, which means that law enforcement probably wont bother to investigate, and if they do, prosecutors will let it go.

Who needs to work for a living when you can literally walk into any store you want and take as much stuff as you want and simply walk out of the store untouched?

This is how it is in places like California, Chicago, Atlanta and now many cities in the UK where shoplifting has become normalised to such a level that it is not even reported any more by the mainstream networks.

Christmas can really come every day, and for many this is truly a wonderful time to be alive.

Fill your sacks and trolleys and walk out of that store without paying a single penny. For other people though, not of the young people persuasion, sorry, but you have to pay. Tough luck. Merry fucking Christmas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Image: PTI)

NEW DELHI: The 26/11 Mumbai terror attack was one of the most dastardly terror assaults India has faced, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday as he paid homage to those who lost their lives in the 2008 attack. Speaking in his monthly radio broadcast, Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister said that though the terror attack had shaken up the country, it is the country's capability that it not only recovered but is also crushing terrorism with all its courage.

"We can never forget November 26. It was on this day that the most heinous terrorist attack took place in the country. The terrorists not only jolted Mumbai but also the entire country. It is India's capability that we recovered from that attack and now we are also crushing terrorism with full courage. I pay homage to all those who lost their lives in the Mumbai attack. Today, the country is in remembrance of those bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the attack," the Prime Minister said.

Ten Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terrorists from Pakistan had arrived by sea route and opened fire, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others during a 60-hour siege in Mumbai.

The Prime Minister also noted that November 26 is also important for the reason that in 1949, the Constituent Assembly had adopted the Constitution of India on this day.

Mr Modi said the passage of the women reservation law to ensure their quota in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies is in line with the foresight of the makers of the Constitution.

"This will provide a fillip to the pace of accomplishing our resolve of a developed India," the Prime Minister added.

Reiterating his support for local products, Mr Modi urged people to hold their big wedding events in India instead of organising them abroad so that "the countrys money remains in the country itself".

The Prime Minister said that he is troubled by the practice by some "big families" of organising their weddings abroad. He said that while shopping for weddings, people should give importance to products made in India only.

"The wedding season has commenced now. Some trade organisations estimate that there could be a business of around `5-lakh crores during this wedding season. While shopping for weddings, all of you should give importance to products made in India only... If we celebrate the festivities of marriages on Indian soil, among the people of India, the country's money will remain in the country... This is a topic related to big families. I hope this pain of mine will definitely reach those big families," the Prime Minister said.

Lauding digital payments practice, the Prime Minister said for the second consecutive year it was found that the practice of buying some goods through cash on the occasion of Deepawali was gradually on the decline.

"This means people are making more and more digital payments now. This is also encouraging. You can do one more thing. Decide for yourself that for one month you will make payments only through UPI or any digital medium and not through cash. The success of the digital revolution in India has made this absolutely possible," the Prime Minister said.
4-H Tech Changemakers is a unique, community-centered program that puts youth into positions of leadership by empowering them to teach digital skills to members of underserved communities across the country.

While work is being done in Gage County to be sure people have broadband internet access, there are still a portion of the population that lack access.

This is creating what is known as the digital divide, this combination of inequitable internet access, along with a lack of digital skills," the 4-H website states. "It is contributing to a growing opportunity gap particularly for members of rural communities and communities of color.

Gage County Extension Educator Jacie Milius said 4-H Tech Changemakers is designed to train youth to teach adults.

The program and training give youth the tools and support that they need to become true agents of change by teaching digital skill-building workshops to adults, she said.

Milius and 4-H member Addison Mullins traveled to Georgia earlier this year to learn more about the program.

Milius said the training this year focus on four program activities:

 digital marketing using social media (including Facebook)

 drones

 writing a resume & using Microsoft Word

 resources for developing your career journey - LinkedIn & using AI to help develop interview skills

Mullins said she learned different skills during the training.

We learned how to talk to and train adults, she said. Microsoft came in and taught us how to use Word to do a resume. We did a deeper dive Facebook and how to use it.

She said she saw a lot of interesting things while on the trip.

We went kayaking and on a night hike. The classes were fun, and I like meeting people from other states. The food was delicious too, she said.

Mullins will teach her at Good Samaritan Society in early December.

Milius said this is the first year of getting this program off and running in Gage County. It is the third year Nebraska utilizing this national program. It is funded by a National 4-H Grant sponsored by Verizon.

More information can be found by contacting Jacie Milius at Gage County Extension at 402-223-1384.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah with others during a public rally ahead of Telangana Assembly elections, in Mulugu district, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. (PTI Photo)

HYDERABAD: Union home minister Amit Shah said that it was time to time to send Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Raos car into the garage to get rid of the corruption-ridden government. He accused the BRS of having a tacit understanding with the Congress and claimed that that the two parties were cooperating with each other for mutual benefit.

Addressing public meetings in Makthal, Mulugu and Bhongir on Sunday, Shah said, "They have a secret understanding to support each other. The Congress will support the BRS so that KCR will become CM. The BRS will support Congress (in the Lok Sabha elections) so that Rahul becomes the PM."

"Any vote for the Congress will go to the BRS. If you wish to send KCR home, then vote for the BJP. The vote will decide the future of Telangana."

"Your MLA is a land shark. KCR had promised to build a 100-bed hospital but has it been completed? Did you get a degree college as announced? Was unemployment allowance given to you," asked Shah, adding that Rao had failed to fulfill the promises.

Recalling the promises of Rao further, he alleged that the textile park, a scheme for fishermen with Rs 1,000 crore to develop Sangambanda, provide water to Utkur and completing Bheema project have all remained a pipe dream. He added that the Kaleshwaram project was the biggest example of corruption.

Egging on the people to vote for the BJP to unseat Rao, Shah he asked if there was a guarantee that the Congress MLAs would remain with the party without joining the BRS. "They have an understanding. If you wish to remove the BRS, then vote for the BJP not the Congress," he said.

"We will make a BC community leader the CM and provide vertical reservations for the Madiga community. Four gas cylinders will be given to families free of cost."

Alleging that the steering wheel of the BRS car was under the control of the AIMIM, the Union home minister opined that the CM had not been organising the Telangana Liberation Day officially fearing the Owaisis. "We will hold the Liberation Day function officially on September 17 and cancel the four per cent religion-based reservations for Muslims," Shah said.

"Consecration of the Ram idol will be held on January 22 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and we will offer free travel to Ayodhya if we come to power in Telangana."

In Mulugu he alleged that the tribal university announced by the PM recently may not get the land required for setting it up under the BRS. "If the BJP is voted to power we will not only allocate land we will give a grant of `300 crore for it. A museum for tribals will also be built. PM Modi has made products of Mulugu tribals famous by getting them GI tag. The post metric scholarship given to tribal students was not implemented in Telangana by Rao, he said.

Dwelling on the issue of rift on land in tribal areas, he said, "Land documents will be given to both tribals and non-tribals unlike the BRS which is creating a rift between them. The Congress has always been anti-tribals and never appointed a tribal President and the credit goes to Modi. Modi gave the tribals their due by celebrating Bhagwan Birsa Mundas birthday as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas."

Shah also stated that the BJP had the highest number of tribal MPs and ministers. The budget for tribes was increased from Rs 24,000 crore to Rs 1,25,000 crore but the Rao government had siphoned off thousands of crores.

He listed the alleged scams in Mission Bhagirathi, passports, Miyapur land deal, Outer Ring Road, Kaleshwaram, liquor, granite, 2020 flood relief and Mission Kakatiya. "Only the BJP can make Telangana the foremost state of India," he said.

Accusing Rao of lying, Shah said that the BRS government had never sought national status for the Kaleshwaram project. The Bhongir fort will be transformed into a tourist site with an expenditure of Rs 50 crore, he said.
J P Nadda President BJP participated in PM Narendra Modi's Mann ki Baat - Episode No.107 at Janapriya Metropolis Erragadda. (K. Durga Rao)

HYDERABAD: Family-run parties like the BRS and the Congress are two sides of the same coin. They indulge in corruption and commit scams, said BJP president J.P. Nadda. He accused Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao of looting the state after having come to power by promising to serve the interests of the people.

"He has only enriched his own family," Nadda told the media after attending Prime Minister Modis Mann Ki Baat programme in Hyderabad. He listed the helicopter, 2G, Commonwealth Games, coal and rice scams to pin down the Congress and the Kaleshwaram scam for Rao.

He said Rao had halted the centrally sponsored PM Awas Yojana programme of housing for the poor, and had bragged about the double bedroom scheme without delivering them. "All of his MLAs are grabbing land and indulging in corruption. BRS means Brashtara Samithi and Congress is akin to a commission party," he said.

On the performance of the Modi government, he said major economies were in trouble after the Covid-19 pandemic but only the Indian economy had grown and reached the fifth place. "Earlier most mobiles were made in China, now they are being made in India. During Diwali `4 lakh crore of purchases were made and this happened digitally, in white," he said. Fifty five lakh motorcycles were bought during the festival.

On the welfare front, he said the Centre was giving free rice to the poor people and crores of people had been above the poverty line. Gas cylinders are being given under the Ujwala scheme. "If the BJP comes to power in Telangana, we will give four cylinders free, and pay MSP at `3,100 per quintal of paddy. Girls studying in college will get laptops, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning for the second straight day in the state on Sunday. (Photo: Twitter)

Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning for the second straight day in the state on Sunday, continued his blitz on the BRS and the Congress, calling the two parties diseases for which only the BJP could provide a cure. He reserved the choicest criticism for BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.

He was addressing meetings in Toopran in Gajwel constituency, where BJP leader Etala Rajendar is taking on Chandrashekar Rao, and in Nirmal. He will hold a road show on Monday to wrap up his campaign in Telangana state.

Modi left no one in doubt that the BJPs primary targets were the BRS and Chandrashekar Rao, while at the same time declaring that a Congress win would be inimical to Telangana.

He said: "Telangana CM agrees that his MLAs take 30 per cent commission. Members of KCR family too are facing corruption probes. After destroying Telangana, he wants to become a national leader. In this enthusiasm, he joined hands with the corrupt Delhi state government and some corrupt BRS leaders became part of that states liquor scam in which crores changed hands. The drama of mobiles will not work. The hardcore corrupt BRS leaders in Telangana involved in the scam cannot escape."

At the Toopran meeting, Modi asked if Telangana wanted a "a Chief Minister who does not meet with people, does not go to the Secretariat, and stays in his farmhouse? KCR considers Telangana as his jagir. He is contesting from a second seat. Why did he have to do this? Just as Rahul Gandhi ran away from Amethi to Kerala, KCR has gone to another seat."

He said: "KCR did this because of Etala Rajendar, the strong BJP candidate in Gajwel, and anger against him among farmers who were left in the lurch after their lands and homes were taken away for an irrigation project named after Mallikarjuna Swamy," referring to those who lost their lands for the Mallannasagar project named after Komuravelli Mallikarjuna Swamy.

"Neither Swamy Mallikarjun, nor the farmers here will forgive such a sinner," Modi declared.

He said that Rao had to apologise to the people of Gajwel, his constituency. "Why would he do this, had he kept his promises? He also did not keep his promises to the people. He broke his promise of a Dalit CM, Dalit Bandhu, giving 2 bedroom houses for the poor, jobs for youth."

Modi said the Chief Minister had "promised skills for youth but in return only gave scams. He promised jobs for your children but worked for his children and relatives. He said peoples incomes will increase but that happened only for himself through scams."

Modi said the Congress had ruled the Telangana region for decades but had done nothing, and called on the people to reject the party which "is a carbon copy of BRS." His speech at Nirmal too focused on the Chief Minister.

"Congress, KCR ek samaan, dono se rahe saavdhaan. BJP hi badhayegi Telangana ka samman (Congress, KCR are the same, beware of both. Only BJP can increase Telanganas prestige)," he said.

"KCR is an enemy of the people. People of rest of India also listen to this. The CM here sits in his farmhouse while thousands of houses built by the Central government for the poor have not been given to them. The BJP government built four crore houses for the poor in the country and in Telangana, 2.5 lakh houses were built but thousands of these were not handed over to the poor. I assure you, when the BJP government is formed in Telangana, distribution of houses to the poor will be done immediately," he said.

Modi said Sunday is the Constitution Day and it is worth recalling that "KCR wanted to change the Constitution written by Ambedkar and insulted Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The Congress did not give Dr Ambedkar the Bharat Ratna."

He also said it was only in Telangana that the state government was setting up IT parks on the basis of religion. "BRS which is dynastic, corrupt and believes in appeasement is doing this. Should religion be the basis for IT parks," he asked in an apparent reference to the promise of setting one up for Muslims in the Malakpet constituency of Hyderabad.

He also said that the "I.N.D.I.A alliance" will be wiped out in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. (PTI Image)

NEW DELHI:Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lashed out at the BJP and the BRS, claiming that both these parties will lose in the Assembly elections. Speaking exclusively to Deccan Chronicle, Kharge said, "We are very confident about winning all the five states. We will repeat our governments both in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

The people of Madhya Pradesh are fed up with the 18-year misrule of the BJP and are eagerly looking towards the Congress and our promises. The BRS will be defeated in Telangana."

Charging the BJP with being "anti-poor", the Congress chief declared that the BJP copies the Congress manifestos and presents them as "Modi guarantees", adding, "But when the Congress announces welfare schemes, they term it as revdi culture."

Accusing the Central investigative agencies of acting at the BJPs behest, the Congress chief said, "We are continuously raising the issue of misuse of Central agencies like the ED, CBI, I-T. These agencies have been reduced to mere puppets of the BJP."

Commenting on the language being used against political rivals in this election, Kharge said, "Modi has been abusing the Congress and our senior leaders since he was the Chief Minister. He has used crass language, vulgar expressions and demeaning references on a daily basis for many years."

He then went on to add, "Modiji is extremely thin-skinned, (and) if even some reasonable criticism is directed at him, he then begins to play victim and sulks. But the truth is that its the BJP which vitiated the atmosphere in politics. We are not mute spectators. We can (hit back), but we are conscious of our role in public life and so we exercise restraint. But institutions like the Election Commission must ensure a level playing field for politicians irrespective of their parties."

The polling in the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Rajasthan have already concluded. Telangana will go to the polls at the end of the month.

Senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge have been extensively campaigning in all the states. The party is hopeful in retaining Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and winning the other three states.

The elections are also being seen as the semi-final before the all-important Lok Sabha polls next year. Kharges record in ensuring poll victories has been extremely good after he became party chief last year.

In the last one year the Congress has wrested the states of Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka from the BJP.
Rahul Gandhi Participated in Election Meeting at Kamareddy Constituency. (Photo by arrangement)

Hyderabad: Congress MP and former party chief Rahul Gandhi on Sunday promised to turn their Six Guarantees into a law in the first Cabinet meeting if the party is voted to power.

"If a legal framework is established, then the implementation of Six Guarantees will be binding on the state government," he said while speaking at rallies in Andhole, Sangareddy, and Kamareddy constituencies.

He accused Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao of running "the most corrupt" state government in the country. "The CM and his family members looted Rs 1 lakh crore in the Kaleshwaram project alone. They looted 20 lakh acres belonging to the poor in the name of Dharani portal," Rahul said.

Rahul Gandhi said that it was the Congress policy to distribute wealth to people, especially that which was "looted" by previous governments of other parties.

"My first request to CMs of all Congress-ruled states was to distribute wealth to people, which should be equivalent to whatever was looted by previous governments.

For that reason, we are implementing several schemes in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka. We are implementing Five Guarantees in Karnataka. We will implement Six Guarantees in Telangana if voted to power," he said.

Questioning his contribution to the development of Telangana, Rahul Gandhi accused Rao of looting crores of rupees in Hyderabad, which the Congress developed as a global city and turned it into an IT hub.

"I am surprised that Narendra Modi and Chandrashekar Rao speak on the same lines. Modi asks what Congress did? KCR also asks what Congress did? Whenever Modi needs support in Lok Sabha, KCR helps him. Be it GST, demonetisation, or farm laws, KCR supported Modi in Lok Sabha," the Congress leader said.

"There is also a third player. That is MIM. They contest wherever Congress fights against the BJP with an aim to benefit the BJP. Now, all these three parties came together to defeat Congress in Telangana."

Claiming that people had undergone Dorala Telangana (rule of feudal lords) under the BRS regime, he appealed to voters to bring Prajala Telangana (people's state) by electing the Congress.

Rahul Gandhi stated that Congresss goal was to defeat the BRS in Telangana and the BJP at the national level. He said that the Congress government would defend farmers interests.

He took a dig at the BJP for declaring that it would make a BC community leader the Chief Minister if it was voted to power. "Let them secure at least two per cent vote share in Telangana first. They can talk about making CMs later," Rahul Gandhi said.
A vehicle carrying Israeli hostages released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip arrives at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)

GAZA STRIP: Hamas fighters on Saturday released a second group of 13 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, freeing for the first time one of the people snatched during their bloody assault on a music festival.

The hostage-for-prisoner exchange had been delayed for hours in a heart-stopping development when Hamas accused Israel of breaching its side of the agreement, struck as part of a four-day ceasefire which is already past its mid-point.

But after the intervention of Qatari and Egyptian mediators and reassurances from Israel, Hamas agreed to proceed, releasing 13 Israelis and four Thai hostages in a late-night operation.

Israel in turn freed 39 Palestinian prisoners, officials said.

Red Cross minibuses could be seen ferrying the hostages late at night through Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt ahead of their transfer to Israel, AFP photo and video images showed.

Among the freed Israelis was 21-year-old Maya Regev, kidnapped by Hamas in their deadly October 7 assault on the Supernova desert rave, according to a forum of the hostages' families.

Maya Regev and her 18-year-old brother Itay, who was also snatched by Hamas during the festival, were later shown tied up in the back of a pick-up truck in a video posted on social media.

"I am so excited and happy that Maya is on her way to us now. Nonetheless, my heart is split because my son Itay is still in Hamas captivity in Gaza," her mother Mirit said in a statement released by the hostage families' forum.

The family of freed nine-year-old hostage Emily Hand said they were "overjoyed" to embrace her again.

"We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days," they said in a statement via the forum.

Prison authorities in Israel said they in turn released 39 Palestinian detainees including 38-year-old Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in jail for detonating a gas cylinder at a checkpoint in 2015.

The handover of Hamas hostages came hours later than expected after the militant group said Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and was not allowing aid to reach civilians in northern Gaza.

Nine-year-old boy hugs father

Hamas later said it had "responded positively" to Egyptian and Qatari mediators, after they relayed a promise by Israel to "uphold all the conditions of the accord".

Israeli officials denied any breach of the terms of the pause.

Saturday's exchange followed an initial swap on Friday when Hamas released 13 Israelis, all of them women and children.

Ten Thais and one Filipino were also unexpectedly freed by Hamas.

Israel in turn released 39 Palestinian women and children from its prisons under an agreement that mandates exchanges at a ratio of three to one.

Israeli hostages who were let go in the initial swap reunited with their families in touching scenes.

Nine-year-old boy Otah, wearing glasses and carrying a stuffed toy, rounded the corner of a hospital near Tel Aviv and broke into a run, hurling himself into the arms of his father, video images showed.

The boy, his mother and grandmother were among those released in the first exchange Friday.

On the same day in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, fireworks exploded and crowds filled the streets to welcome the first release of Palestinian prisoners.

"I was just waiting for the day I would be released from prison so I could hug my mother like this," said Rawan Abu Matar, who served eight years for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier.

Hamas is expected to free a total of 50 hostages during the truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, under an agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Aid trucks enter Gaza

Its fighters snatched around 240 people when they broke through Gaza's militarised border with Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli authorities.

Following the deadliest attack in its history, Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.

The pause in fighting in Gaza opened the way for more aid to Palestinians struggling to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Israel had placed Gaza under near-total siege.

A total of 61 trucks delivered food, water and humanitarian aid via a "humanitarian passageway" to northern Gaza on Saturday, the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs said.

Another 187 trucks of vital supplies had been sent separately to aid organisations operating in the Gaza Strip, it said.

The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said that in "several reported incidents" on Friday, "Israeli forces opened fire and threw teargas canisters at people heading northwards; at least one person was reportedly killed, and dozens injured."

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said seven people had been wounded in similar incidents on Saturday.

Egypt said that it had received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more hostages and prisoners.

"It's only a start, but so far it's gone well," US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday, adding "the chances are real" for extending the truce.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for "a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression".

But Israeli armed forces chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi insisted Saturday that the war to eliminate Hamas would resume as soon as the pause in fighting ends.

"We will return immediately at the end of the ceasefire to attack Gaza," Halevi said.

'They destroyed our houses'

"We will also do this in order to dismantle Hamas, also to create a great deal of pressure to return as quickly as possible and as many abductees as possible, every last one of them," he added.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.4 million people have been displaced by the fighting.

Since the truce, thousands have been returning to what is left of their homes.

"We are civilians," said Mahmud Masood, standing in front of flattened buildings in Jabalia, northern Gaza. "Why have they destroyed our houses?"

A woman sat on top of a mound of debris with her head in her hands, crying.

In southern Gaza, AFPTV drone images showed people walking or riding in donkey carts along paths cleared through piles of rubble.


Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Polaris Inc. (NYSE:PII  Free Report) by 10.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 40,072 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 3,898 shares during the quarter. Citigroup Inc.s holdings in Polaris were worth $4,846,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its stake in Polaris by 14.5% in the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 3,975 shares of the companys stock valued at $481,000 after buying an additional 502 shares during the last quarter. Commerce Bank raised its stake in Polaris by 11.0% in the first quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 6,042 shares of the companys stock valued at $668,000 after buying an additional 601 shares during the last quarter. Carson Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Polaris in the second quarter valued at about $294,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. purchased a new stake in Polaris in the first quarter valued at about $302,000. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC purchased a new stake in Polaris in the first quarter valued at about $496,000. Institutional investors own 87.36% of the companys stock.

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Polaris Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of PII stock opened at $90.57 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $94.84 and a 200 day moving average of $109.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The stock has a market cap of $5.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.85 and a beta of 1.69. Polaris Inc. has a twelve month low of $84.15 and a twelve month high of $138.49.

Polaris Announces Dividend

Polaris ( NYSE:PII Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The company reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.71. The company had revenue of $2.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.26 billion. Polaris had a return on equity of 51.02% and a net margin of 6.57%. Polariss quarterly revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.25 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Polaris Inc. will post 9.78 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 1st will be issued a $0.65 dividend. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 30th. Polariss payout ratio is currently 25.42%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on PII. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on Polaris from $121.00 to $108.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on Polaris from $125.00 to $100.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 25th. StockNews.com started coverage on Polaris in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Polaris from $138.00 to $110.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Polaris from $140.00 to $125.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 4th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $111.77.

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Polaris Company Profile

(Free Report)

Polaris Inc designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles worldwide. It operates through three segments: Off-Road, On-Road, and Marine. The company offers off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles; military and commercial ORVs; snowmobiles; motorcycles; moto-roadsters, quadricycles, and boats; and aftermarket parts and apparel.

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Citigroup Inc. lessened its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB  Free Report) by 2.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 19,747 shares of the companys stock after selling 506 shares during the quarter. Citigroup Inc.s holdings in iShares Russell 1000 ETF were worth $4,813,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Patriot Investment Management Group Inc. bought a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Robinson Capital Management LLC bought a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF in the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Focused Wealth Management Inc bought a new position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 331.6% in the 2nd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 164 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eukles Asset Management lifted its position in iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 61.9% in the 2nd quarter. Eukles Asset Management now owns 170 shares of the companys stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares Russell 1000 ETF Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA IWB opened at $249.96 on Friday. iShares Russell 1000 ETF has a fifty-two week low of $206.23 and a fifty-two week high of $252.93. The stock has a market cap of $31.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.92 and a beta of 1.01. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $238.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $240.00.

iShares Russell 1000 ETF Company Profile

iShares Russell 1000 ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 1,000 largest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index.

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Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII  Get Free Report) VP Jennifer R. Boykin sold 567 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.00, for a total transaction of $135,513.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 9,053 shares in the company, valued at $2,163,667. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Huntington Ingalls Industries Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE HII opened at $238.34 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $9.47 billion, a PE ratio of 17.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.60. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $188.51 and a fifty-two week high of $241.72. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $219.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $218.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

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Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 2nd. The aerospace company reported $3.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.39 by $0.31. Huntington Ingalls Industries had a return on equity of 14.69% and a net margin of 4.78%. The company had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.73 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. will post 14.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Huntington Ingalls Industries Increases Dividend

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Huntington Ingalls Industries

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 24th will be given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.18%. This is a positive change from Huntington Ingalls Industriess previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 22nd. Huntington Ingalls Industriess dividend payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital Investment Counsel Inc boosted its stake in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 0.5% during the third quarter. Capital Investment Counsel Inc now owns 8,274 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $1,693,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries by 28.9% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 205 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC lifted its stake in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 7.7% in the 2nd quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 669 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $152,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Martin Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Martin Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,548 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $521,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its stake in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 12.3% in the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 455 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $104,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 89.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on HII shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $250.00 to $247.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 28th. StockNews.com raised shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, November 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries in a research note on Wednesday, September 27th. They set a hold rating and a $217.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $231.67.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Huntington Ingalls Industries

Huntington Ingalls Industries Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc engages in designing, building, overhauling, and repairing military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls, Newport News, and Mission Technologies. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships; expeditionary warfare ships; surface combatants; and national security cutters for the U.S.

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Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE:JWN  Get Free Report) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Friday. Traders bought 17,301 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 74% compared to the average daily volume of 9,935 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling at Nordstrom

In other Nordstrom news, insider Gemma Lionello sold 32,916 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.36, for a total value of $472,673.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 39,973 shares in the company, valued at $574,012.28. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 5.90% of the companys stock.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nordstrom

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JWN. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nordstrom in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nordstrom in the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Advisory Services Network LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Nordstrom by 315.9% in the 1st quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 2,487 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,889 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in Nordstrom by 44.9% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,738 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 849 shares during the period. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new stake in Nordstrom during the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. 62.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on JWN shares. UBS Group lowered their target price on Nordstrom from $12.00 to $11.00 and set a sell rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 25th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Nordstrom from $20.00 to $18.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 25th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Nordstrom from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 29th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Nordstrom from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 26th. Finally, Evercore ISI began coverage on Nordstrom in a research note on Tuesday, November 7th. They issued an inline rating and a $14.00 price objective for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Nordstrom presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $17.19.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on JWN

Nordstrom Stock Performance

Shares of JWN opened at $15.05 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.43 billion, a PE ratio of 20.90, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 2.43. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $14.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.58, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 0.43. Nordstrom has a 1 year low of $12.88 and a 1 year high of $27.15.

Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 21st. The specialty retailer reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.12. Nordstrom had a return on equity of 45.64% and a net margin of 0.81%. The company had revenue of $3.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.41 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.20 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Nordstrom will post 2.04 EPS for the current year.

Nordstrom Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 28th will be given a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 27th. Nordstroms payout ratio is 105.56%.

Nordstrom Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Nordstrom, Inc, a fashion retailer, provides apparels, shoes, beauty, accessories, and home goods for women, men, young adults, and children. It offers a range of brand name and private label merchandise through various channels, such as Nordstrom branded stores and online at Nordstrom.com; Nordstrom.ca; Nordstrom stores; Nordstrom Rack stores; Nordstrom Locals; ASOS; Nordstromrack.com; and clearance stores under the Last Chance name.

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Youth Leadership Beatrice is a new program stemming from a partnership with the Beatrice Area Chamber of Commerce, Beatrice Public Schools and the University of Nebraska Extension.

Chamber Executive Director Angie Bruna said it was a partnership that started as an idea.

It all started as an idea on how to get our youth more involved, she said. How do we give them leadership opportunities and experiences throughout the community so that after they graduate they want to be involved.

BPS Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jackie Nielsen said it was a part of the strategic planning process.

A part of the strategic planning process was looking at how to involve youth, she said. We know that as a community, if we dont involve our youth they often dont come back after college. We want to continue to connect.

The program continues to improve every year based on feedback from students. Approximately 10-13 students participate for the previous two years.

Students begin in July with an orientation. Throughout the following months they studied The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. They participated in a service project. The students also planned a project for Arts in the Park. This year several tours within the community have been added.

We just keep evolving the program to make those connections, Bruna said.

Anna Hamilton participated in the program in 2022.

I really enjoyed the group and getting to know each other, she said.

Sophie Gleason liked learning the history of Beatrice.

Cecily Wiedel said she enjoyed having the opportunity to have input.

I liked answering questions on how we can improve Beatrice, she said.

Sarah Dodge liked helping with Arts in the Park.

We actually got to help with a project, she said.

Nielsen said the project target younger students from 9-10 grade. She noted that she is hoping to expand to students that werent as involved in activities at the school.

Students said they felt the leadership experience at a younger age was positive. They offered opinions on improving the community ranging from downtown development to public speaking skills.

Nielsen said the group had done a downtown tour with Main Street. They were asked what they wanted to see and many of them said they wanted more places to hang out.

We want the kids a better understanding of the community and how they can be a part of that, Nielsen said.

In November students will choose their holiday service project. The class will also participate in Arts in the Park as a part of the Homestead Days.
Childline reveals that over the past year the service has delivered 14,080 counselling sessions to children and young people about sexual, physical, domestic, emotional abuse and neglect  an average of 38 a day.

The service, which is run by the NSPCC, is also highlighting that of those counselling sessions, 31% (4,321) had a child say that Childline was the first place where they had spoken about their abuse.

The NSPCC is releasing these figures as it launches its Christmas appeal.

Although Christmas comes with huge expectations of happiness, love and fun  for the more than half a million children experiencing abuse a year, it can also be an incredibly lonely and frightening time.

With schools closing their doors and children having reduced contact with wider support networks over the festive season, the charity knows that there will be many vulnerable children at home facing increased risks.

For those children and young people for whom Christmas means abuse, Childline is a lifeline.

Last year during the 12-day Christmas period between 24 December 2022 and 4 January 2023, counsellors delivered 400 counselling sessions on abuse and neglect.

December last year was also the second highest month in the year for children reaching out for support on emotional abuse (247).

*A young girl from Northern Ireland told Childline: I dont know how Ill make it through Christmas with my abuser here. Last time there was huge argument when mum tried to intervene.

She tries to support me but then shes a target as well. They even tried to hit her. Its like were supposed to ignore their behaviour just because its Christmas.

I need to know how to cope and keep myself safe.

In its new TV advert, the NSPCC highlights that on average a child will call Childline every 45 seconds and that for these children, Christmas can be the worst time of year.

The ad is inspired by real calls from children to the NSPCCs Childline service, which is open for children every day, including Christmas day.

Shaun Friel, Childline director said: Although Christmas should be a time of happiness and fun for all children, at Childline we know that sadly this is not the case and that for many, it is a time full of fear, isolation and increased risks.

For lots of children, Childline is the only place they can turn to for help when they are trapped behind closed doors feeling scared and alone.

In the run up to this festive season, it is essential that the service continues to be here as a lifeline for those children who are in desperate need of support from our trained counsellors and those in immediate danger.

To enable the charity to be there for all children this Christmas, visit the NSPCC website to donate. Just 4 could help a counsellor answer a call this festive season.

The Childline service is here for children every day, even on Christmas Day. Children can contact Childline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. When a child needs help and Christmas means abuse, Childline is a lifeline and it is vital that our counsellors are here and ready to listen and support children across the UK.

*Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk For details of the NSPCC Christmas appeal, go to: www.nspcc.org.uk/christmas

Follow NSPCC NI on: @nspccni (Twitter/X) @nspccnorthernireland (Facebook) @nspccni (Instagram).
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A nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl held hostage by Hamas has been reunited with her father.

Emily Hand was among a number of people to be freed by militants at the weekend in a deal which also saw Palestinians held in Israel released.

Video footage released by the Israeli Defence Forces has shown her running into her father Thomass arms at a location in Israel.

She had been abducted while at a sleepover in Kibbutz Beeri during the Hamas attack on October 7, along with her friend Hila, 13, who has also been released. Hilas mother, Raya Rotem, 54, is still being held in Gaza.

Thomas Hand, originally from Dun Laoghaire in Dublin, thanked all the people who have supported his family.

Emily has come back to us, he said. We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again.

We appreciate the unwavering support. We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped and supported us during the last 50 days until Emilys return.

Mr Hand had previously spoken about how he was looking forward to giving her a huge hug.

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper that Emily would also be greeted by her beloved dog, Johnsie, and cuddly toys, and they are planning to give the girl  who spent her ninth birthday in captivity  the best birthday party she never had.

Irelands leaders, including Irish president Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin who met with Mr Hand as he campaigned for his daughters release, welcomed the news.

Irish president Michael D Higgins described the ordeal as a horrific time for all of her family.

In a statement, he said: It is my great hope that Emily can now, despite all that she has endured, enjoy a happy and fulfilling life after what has been an unimaginable situation for such a young child.

While we particularly recognise this important moment as an Irish-Israeli child is released, we must also retain a focus on what is now needed  a durable ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, and a commitment from all sides to engaging in the task of building what can be an enduring peace.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the country had breathed !a massive sigh of relief.

Our prayers have been answered, he said.

Irish people everywhere share in the relief of Emilys family. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the hostages in Gaza, but we followed particularly closely the fate of Emily, a dual Irish-Israeli citizen.

Mr Varadkar said that while Emily has been returned to her family, it must not be forgotten that many more hostages remain in captivity in Gaza.

Their fate is unknown but we hope that, like Emily, they will also be allowed to return to their homes and their families.

We think of all the families suffering in this troubled region, and we redouble our efforts to work for a permanent ceasefire, and for a just and lasting peace, he said.

Tanaiste and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, said he is delighted that Emily, a bright and beautiful young girl, has been released.

The people of Ireland have been touched by Emilys story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father Tom, he said.

He went on: I had the opportunity to meet Tom before travelling to the region, and I was struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughters release.

This is a message that I and my colleagues in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally, through political, diplomatic and security channels, in a bid to secure Emilys safe return.

I want to acknowledge the role played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved in securing the release of the hostages.

I am conscious today that many more hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. I reiterate my call that all hostages in Gaza should be released immediately and unconditionally.
The ball is in the Taoiseachs court to remove Justice Minister Helen McEntee from post if she does not resign after gardai lost control of Dublin last week.

Sinn Fein TD Louise OReilly said the worst rioting seen in the state for decades had been building and there had been a failure to keep people safe on Thursday night in the Irish capital.

However Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney hit back, accusing Sinn Fein of seeking to make political mileage from the situation.

Garda cars, a bus and a tram were set alight, shops damaged and looted and officers attacked during violent scenes, which involved far-right elements, in Dublin on Thursday evening.

It came shortly after three children and a women were injured in a stabbing attack outside a school in the north city centre.

A five-year-old girl injured in the knife attack outside a school remained in a critical condition in hospital on Saturday while the female care assistant, in her 30s, was in a serious condition.

The other children have since been released.

Gardai said a man who sustained serious injuries at the scene is a person of interest in their investigation.

A candlelit vigil was held at the scene of the stabbing on Sunday.

A small crowd gathered at the door of Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire on Parnell Square.

Some 48 arrests had been made in the city since the rioting on Thursday and a high-visibility policing plan is in place throughout the weekend, including the deployment of four public order units.

Friday and Saturday passed without major incident amid a heavy Garda presence in Dublin.

Two water cannon have been loaned to An Garda Siochana by the Police Force of Northern Ireland as an available tactic if further violence flares.

Sinn Fein and the Social Democrats have said they do not have confidence in Ms McEntee or Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

Ms OReilly said her party is considering tabling a no confidence motion in Ms McEntee in the Dail.

I think at this stage we need to focus on what happened on Thursday.

There was a failure to keep people safe in Dublin city, she told RTE Radios This Week programme.

It left gardai exposed, it left our emergency services exposed.

There was a period in which control of the city was lost. That is a very grave and a very, very serious matter.

The minister was slow to react. She doesnt seem to understand or appreciate the scale of the issue.

This didnt just happen on Thursday. This has been building for months.

She said retailers, workers and shoppers have told her party they dont feel safe in Dublin city centre.

This is an issue that has been building for months and the minister doesnt recognise the scale of it, and if she doesnt recognise or understand the scale of the issue, then how could anyone have confidence in her capacity to address it, she added.

The minister should resign.

If she is not going to do that, then the Taoiseach should remove her from her position.

Were going to hear from the minister early next week, and we will keep all options under review, but the ball is very firmly in the court of the Taoiseach at the moment.

It is in it is his job to ensure that that his team are up to the job.

Mr Coveney said 400 gardai were on the streets of Dublin at very short notice on Thursday when the situation escalated.

Were going to get a very detailed response in terms of a Garda report on exactly what happens and lessons to be learned, he said.

No ones saying that there arent lessons to be learned here, of course there are, but our focus in government needs to be to support the gardai and its leadership, to support the minister and her leadership, to support the migrant community and to give them the reassurance that they need and support businesses as well in terms of many businesses that have been damaged.

Asked did he feel Dublin is safe, Mr Coveney said: For the most part yes.

I walk to Dublin City Centre every week but clearly there are tensions in some parts of Dublin that we need to respond to, and I think the the vicious attack on three young children and a creche worker sparked something that was taken advantage of by a number of cynical people who brought people onto the streets to cause carnage.

We need to learn lessons send us make sure it doesnt happen again and I believe that can happen under the current leadership.

Earlier Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said he fully supports Ms McEntee and Mr Harris in their roles and cautioned that now is not the time for division.

Sinn Fein never miss an opportunity to express a lack of confidence in anybody or anything, he told the BBC.

This is exactly the time in which we need to come together, its exactly the time in which we need to show a united force I believe to some forces that are trying to fragment and pull our country apart

Of course there will be a time to consider what happened and learn lessons from it honestly, but now is not a time for division.
Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) in Dundalk have announced the launch of an exciting new fitness programme in partnership with SKF Dundalk.

This novel initiative aims to provide an inclusive group exercise environment for members of the IWA's Young Adult Service, as part of a pilot health and wellbeing programme.

Starting this month, the programme will consist of one session per week, lasting 45 minutes.

The initial pilot will accommodate eight participants and run for a duration of eight weeks.

The collaboration with SKF Dundalk will provide IWA members with a unique opportunity to partake in a supportive and engaging fitness experience.

Declan Hamilton IWA Area Manager for the Eastern region said.

"We are hoping that this can be continued all year round and ultimately lead to IWA members building confidence to go to the gym and improve their overall physical and mental health.

This partnership has come as a wonderful opportunity for those IWA members who were previously nervous about venturing to the gym alone. The ability to attend the sessions with their friends has provided a sense of encouragement and comfort, enhancing their overall exercise experience.

Declan added that there was a lot of excitement ahead of their first session last Tuesday which everyone embraced.

A big thank you to Sean and Lauren from SKF Dundalk for supporting this initiative.

Their dedication and commitment to creating an inclusive and empowering fitness environment for IWA members are commendable, concluded Declan.
On November 14th, iFixit and the Public Interest Research Group submitted a petition demanding that American consumer's rights to repair be cemented as law. As iFixit puts, it, everyone should have the right to fix what they own. "If you can't fix it, you don't own it".

Companies like Apple have long fought against independent repair shops ability to repair products like laptops. They'd prefer to have the consumer bring the product back to the Apple store, where it could potentially be fixed at a hefty price tag, or have the consumer purchase a new laptop entirely. This is a great model for Apple, effectively cornering the market on their own product and creating a repair monopoly. Apple, and similar tech giants have fought to have independent repair shops across the country shut down and have introduced proprietary screws and code on their devices that effectively make it impossible for a third party to get past a basic diagnosis.

Despite vocal bipartisan support, and enthusiastic public agreement, there isn't yet legislation at the federal level to guarantee a consumer's Right to Repair.

Hopefully, the FTC will take up this petition. Keep an eye on the story here at iFixit. If it is accepted, the public will eventually be able to weigh in on the issue.
Last Friday, Anne McMahon from Ardee was awarded Healthcare Worker of the Year at the Bluebird Care annual awards ceremony held at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.

Healthcare Workers, Care Coordinators, Team Members and Managers from across the country gathered to celebrate and acknowledge the compassionate individuals who work in the homecare sector.

A total of 32 finalists who were selected from a multitude of nominations were recognised on the day for the incredible work they do, supporting and looking after the most vulnerable people in their communities.

Prior to joining Bluebird Care over three years ago, Anne worked as a transportation assistant on a bus that catered for people with varying disabilities.

Her passion and calling for homecare came about when her own mother required support for her daily care needs years before she passed away.

I knew what a help it was to my own mam, being there to help her and this is what got me interested in pursuing a career where I could help others as I did my mam.

I love to hear my clients laughing and just having a banter with them. I listen to their stories from years ago as they reminisce and treat them all as if they were a part of my own family.

I love making a difference in the lives of people and what I do every day helps them to stay living independently in their own homes for longer.

A lady I looked after recently lost her husband and I know talking helped her while she went through the grieving process, I would listen to all the fond memories she had of him, we laughed and cried together, she calls me her angel, said Anne.

Commenting on the celebratory occasion Kieran Hallinan Director at Bluebird Care North East said:

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to our winner Anne McMahon, who deserves every ounce of acknowledgment and recognition for the care she provides her customers.

Anne always has a smile on her face and a calmness that is infectious, she is a great mentor to other carers and we always receive such high praise from our customers who absolutely adore Anne, she truly goes above and beyond.

The Bluebird Care team and finalists enjoyed Afternoon Tea before meeting with the panel of judges on the day; Broadcaster, Author, Activist, and Bluebird Care Brand Ambassador Emer ONeill, Educational Consultant & Author of Thanks for the Memories Susan McGovern and Deputy Showbiz Editor at The Irish Sun, Aine Conaty.
These are the horoscopes for week commencing November 27, 2023.

Aries 21 March  20 April

You may wonder about a brilliant opportunity, as the Full Moon can highlight any reservations you have about it. But with other more optimistic and practical energies in the mix, dont give in to feelings of despair too quickly. A key encounter can see you motivated by someone who will immediately boost your confidence. A chat will leave you more than eager to get started.

Taurus 21 April  21 May

You may not think you have it in you to do something, but you really do, Taurus. This weeks Full Moon and its links with Saturn mean youll have excuses at the ready as to why it might not be possible. Friends may have other ideas though, and be keen to persuade you that you can. With big opportunities potentially stemming from this, you would be crazy not to have a go.

Gemini 22 May  21 June

As Mercury glides into savvy Capricorn, no-one can pull the wool over your eyes, Gemini. The only person who could delude you is yourself. A potent lunar phase in your sign is stirred up further by strong energies. Others may be praising you to the skies, but you might get in your own way and lose out. Once you see what youre doing youll be able to rise above it.

Cancer 22 June  23 July

If it wasnt for one major issue you would be flying high. At least this is what youre probably thinking to yourself. Its more likely youre focusing on this to the exclusion of other areas of your life where things are going well. This week, a stroke of good fortune and some sound advice could serve to lift your mood and encourage you to aim high regardless, Cancer.

Leo 24 July  23 August

Your fears about someone or even a group could be highlighted. But perhaps they really are just fears. You may be making more of a slight or other relationship issue than is really there, and more to the point perhaps your pride has been hurt. Events may prove you wrong though. If you reach out regardless, you might find it was nothing at all and that you will get along well.

Virgo 24 August  23 September

You have more support from others than you know, and events at the start of the week could prove this, Virgo. Plus, as Mercury your personal planet enters Capricorn, its a good time to propel yourself into the top spot and showcase your skills and abilities, both online and off. You may discover a way to earn extra cash doing something you love. Others will likely love it too.

Libra 24 September  23 October

If you feel let down by something or someone, then it may be because the Full Moon is causing you to dwell on the negatives rather than see the good that is also present in this situation. There might be more positives than you know, and over coming days youll begin to realize this yourself. Plus, you could get confirmation from other sources that encourages a change of heart.

Scorpio 24 October  22 November

Wondering how this festive season will pan out moneywise? The emphasis on creativity encourages you to think up alternative ways to tackle expenses. With upbeat energies gifting you with the confidence to use your talents, then a DIY approach to presents and cards could save you a lot of cash. Theres no need to dip into savings when you can wow others with your skills.

Sagittarius 23 November  21 December

The Full Moon could find you disappointed at someones attitude and ready to let them know. But with this lunar phase linking to Mars, it may be better to let it go for now as things might be very different in a few days. Theyll be keen to prove themselves, and youll be happy that you didnt get annoyed. Have you been given another chance in the past? Think how good that felt!

Capricorn 22 December  20 January

If something isnt working then admit to it, Capricorn, and turn your attention elsewhere. The Full Moon could highlight feelings of guilt or failure when its not really this at all. Youre the kind to persevere, especially when the going is tough. But knowing when to call it a day is a useful skill too. As Mercury shifts to your sign, youll be ready to embrace new opportunities.

Aquarius 21 January  19 February

Socializing might result in an offer thats too good to miss. You may not feel like venturing out for reasons of your own. And yet if you do, you wont regret it. Friends will also rally round, and life could brighten up considerably. Yet by the weekend Mercury will be in a private zone, so making time to meditate and write down your dreams can help you to get your bearings.

Pisces 20 February  20 March

Youre doing well, and yet you might think the opposite. Accept any compliments and know that theyre genuinely meant, as believing in yourself is crucial. A focus on a highflying zone makes this a peak time for business and career success, so dont miss out! Plus, your social life takes off too, and if youre looking for romance Pisces, a conversation could be a starting point.

Birthday Luck

Mondays Birthday Luck: Happy Birthday! Youre on the cusp of some exciting new developments. Before you go any further, tie up those loose ends so you can forge ahead at full speed. Ready to stand out from the crowd? Good communication will assure it.

Tuesdays Birthday Luck: Happy Birthday! Taking up meditation or the practice of mindfulness could benefit you greatly. Youll be in touch with your intuition which can guide you to make the best decisions for your happiness and success.

Wednesdays Birthday Luck: Happy Birthday! This is the year to take good care of yourself with extra nurturing, more sleep and a healthy routine that can boost energy levels. Revel in your senses too, and a whole new world could open up for you.

Thursdays Birthday Luck: Happy Birthday! You may be good at starting things, but will you finish them? This year, you might be excited by many ideas and projects. If youre to have any success, stick to those youre most excited about.

Fridays Birthday Luck: Happy Birthday! Get the year off to the best possible start by writing a list of your goals and intentions. Youll be keen to succeed, and having a sound strategy can assist you in making fabulous and speedy progress.

Saturdays Birthday Luck: Happy Birthday! Youll accomplish more if you can be realistic about your goals and ambitions. This is a great year to realize a dream thats been on your mind for some time. With savvy and flair, youll easily do it.

Sundays Birthday Luck: Happy Birthday! Intense energies can ramp up your desire to obtain a coveted job, promotion or reach a personal goal. You may stop at nothing to get what you want. If you can relax, it might be so much easier.
The UK Governments attitude to the Irish returned a little to repellent during Brexit, one of Tony Blairs former top aides has said.

Alastair Campbell slammed an almost arrogance on the part of the current Conservative government towards Northern Ireland.

He was speaking on Ireland deputy premier Micheal Martins In Conservation With podcast.

The Tanaiste said that from an Irish perspective, the relationship with the UK government went up a level when Tony Blairs Labour swept into power in 1997, and to a certain extent hasnt been repeated.

It just went up a level in terms of trust, in terms of working together genuinely and learning and sharing experiences, it was a very, very warm relationship that did impact positively, he said.

Mr Campbell said it saddens him the extent to which in the Brexit debate, Northern Ireland was not even considered.

Theres an arrogance about the current government in its attitudes to Ireland that there used to be when I was a journalist, he said.

Mr Campbell, who worked in journalism in the 1980s and 90s, said he felt there was an arrogance during former prime minister Margaret Thatchers term.

There was an arrogance, there was an attitude towards the Irish that was really quite repellent, and that went and I think a little of it has come back again, he said.

The extent to which, particularly during the Brexit negotiations, stuff was happening that had a direct impact upon you guys, and I dont think it even figured in the thinking a lot of the time.

The Tanaiste responded: Which gave rise to all the issues around the (Northern Ireland) Protocol and where we are today, and also the bit Ive always been taken aback by was the absence of any due diligence over the impact on SMEs, small businesses, supply chains.

Its a huge imposition on a lot of ordinary small to medium-size businesses that I dont think was factored in.

He added: To be fair, I think (Prime Minister) Rishi Sunak has brought a degree of professionalism to Britain.

The pair also discussed rioting seen in Dublin last Thursday night following a stabbing attack which saw a woman and three children taken to hospital.

Mr Martin described the incident as an appalling, horrific attack on three young children and their carer, followed by rioting and attacks on gardai, co-ordinated on social media.

He expressed concern about the hate and bile in social-media messaging, directed against foreigners and the government.

Mr Campbell said he was genuinely shocked by the scenes in Dublin.

He commended Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for absolutely calling them out in reference to his assertion of the involvement of far-right elements.

Mr Campbell has published a new book called What Can I Do, about the growth of populism, polarisation and the nature of public discourse.

We are now in this world where if you combine the disenchantment that a lot of people have with their own lives, the desire to find people to blame for that, be that politicians, be that immigrants, be that anybody that they can say is not one of us, allied to the speed at which rumour can fly, conspiracies can fly and its very, very hard to contain when it kicks off, he said.

Referring to the rise of right-wing politicians in countries including the Netherlands and Argentina, Mr Campbell added: What all of these things signal is we havent got on top of this populist, polarising virus, and weve got to find ways of addressing the issues, but at the same time weve got to find ways of restoring peoples sense or at least a modicum of trust in institutions of trust in politicians.
THE Finance Minister has pledged further support to Cork Simon amid a growing demand for the charitys services.

Michael McGraths comments came in the wake of the publication of the Monthly Homelessness Report for October 2023, published by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which stated that 543 adults were accessing emergency accommodation in Cork during the week of October 23-29.

It marks an increase of seven people on the previous report which stated that 536 adults were accessing emergency accommodation in Cork during the week of September 18-24.

Minister McGrath met with the head of Cork Simon, Dermot Kavanagh, at the housing and homeless charitys emergency shelter on Andersons Quay.

Speaking to reporters following the visit, Mr McGrath praised the work of Cork Simon, who he said are doing remarkable work in very, very challenging circumstances.

Asked by The Echo if the Government would provide additional funding to Cork Simon given the increased demand for its services, the Fianna Fail TD said he will be working with Government colleagues in that regard.

There has been additional funding provided, through Cork City Council, the Department of Housing and the HSE to support the services Cork Simon are providing in the current year and there is going to be a review of the service model next year because they are heavily dependent on fundraising," said Mr McGrath.

As an organisation they raise in the region of 5m a year in Cork and Kerry to support the work of Cork Simon and theyre heavily dependent on that fundraising to complement the funding they get from the statutory agencies, so we will help them and we will provide further assistance to Cork Simon because they are doing extraordinary work."

The level of demand is growing  that is a function of a number of factors, including the lack of rental accommodation, I would acknowledge that that is factor, and also the increasing complexity of cases where addiction is involved and we do have rough sleeping in our city and we need to ensure that there is a bed for everyone and Cork Simon are doing remarkable work, but they do need further support and I will work with my colleagues in Government now to make sure that we do give them further assistance to meet the needs that are there, the Minister continued.

The Monthly Homelessness Report for October 2023, published yesterday, found that nationally homeless figures have surpassed 13,000.

A total of 9,188 adults and 3,991 children were accessing emergency accommodation last month, marking an increase of more than 350 on the previous report.

Cork Simons annual report for 2022, published in September, showed that it had experienced a 33% increase in the number of people it supported last year, leaving the charity with a deficit of more than 750,000.
A 62-year-old woman and her family's four dogs died in a fire early Sunday that caused an estimated $1 million in damage to a home in the Spaulding Lake neighborhood in Clarence.

The Erie County Sheriff's Office identified the woman Monday afternoon as Joan S. Wozer.

Clarence Fire Company Chief Brett Hanford, who was first on the scene of the fire at 2:43 a.m., told The Buffalo News Monday that three people and one dog were able to escape the flames.

The Erie County Sheriffs Office reported Sunday that deputies are investigating the cause of the blaze at 4720 Spaulding Drive. Anyone with photos or videos relevant to the fire investigation is asked to contact the voicemail of Detective Scott Kuhlmey at 716-858-2579.

When Hanford arrived at the house, the first floor was fully engulfed, with fire billowing through bay windows, front door and second-floor windows, he said. His company was joined by Clarence Center and Main-Transit firefighters just a few minutes after the 911 call.

The fire appeared to have originated in the rear right of the house, he said, because that area had the "highest concentration of char."

Given the size of the home and volume of fire, Hanford quickly called for second and third alarms, which led to assistance in firefighters and equipment from Harris Hill, Newstead, East Amherst and Swormville fire companies.

A rescue attempt was made for Wozer, who was in a second-floor bedroom, by dousing the flames as a ladder was set up.

The $1 million in damages was split between $700,000 in structural damage and $300,000 in contents.

"The way the fire service works together  it's truly remarkable and amazing to watch," Hanford said. The Clarence chief praised the coordinated response, efforts of dispatchers and responsibility of other companies that helped with standby.

The upscale Spaulding Lake neighborhood was quiet later Sunday morning as an Erie County Water Authority worker assessed the water line in the yard in front of the burned house.

Windows and doors were boarded up, particularly on the north side of the two-story structure, where ash covered the grass separating the yard from its neighbors.

The Spaulding Lake development sits on a large tract north of Main Street, to the east of Goodrich Road.
A three-year-old Cork boy who attends Enable Irelands childrens services in the Lavanagh Centre has helped to officially open Santas Magical Market at the Marina Market.

Teddy Good and his family, as well as many others who attend services at Enable Ireland, were invited to a private advance opening of Santas Magical Market last Friday morning where they were the first to enjoy behind-the-scenes VIP access.

Santa Claus will be meeting all the children and families at the market right up to December 23.

Local disability charity, Enable Ireland has been chosen as this years charity partner and during the festive period, visitors to Santa at Marina Market can tap to donate 2 to Enable Ireland and place a ribbon on a tree within the market.

Teddys mother Shiela Good said he was very excited to meet Santa with his little sister Jamie (2) and to experience the magic of Christmas at Marina Market.

I am delighted that once again Enable Ireland has been chosen as its charity partner because Teddy attends physiotherapy services there and I know first-hand the great work that is being done at the Lavanagh Centre, she said.

Regional Fundraising Manager of Enable Ireland Maria Desmond said: We are delighted to have been selected again as charity partner for Santas Magical Market. Last years event raised vital donations for our disability services for children and adults in Cork and we are sure the visitors to Marina Market will be just as generous this Christmas".

These donations will support Enable Irelands childrens centre in Cork, which is sure to put everyone who supports this great cause on the nice list. Id like to thank TS Events and all the visitors to Santas Magical Market at Marina Market for their incredible support.

This year, Santas Magical Market includes interactive areas full of Christmas magic where families can wander through snow-kissed woods, pose with the Polar Express train, journey on to the magical Christmas village, help the elves make toys at the Elf Toy Workshop, make treats at Mrs Claus bakery, and pay a visit to the South Pole Post Office.

Visitors will meet Santa himself in his grotto where each child will receive a present and an optional printed photo provided by Resolute Photography. Optional extras such as childrens gifts, photo prints, or treats from Mrs Clauss bakery can be selected at the time of online booking.

For further details and bookings see www.santasmagical.market.
The nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl held hostage by Hamas has been reunited with her father.

Emily Hand was among a number of people to be freed by militants at the weekend in a deal which also saw Palestinians held in Israel released.

Video footage released by the Israeli Defence Forces has shown her running into her father Thomass arms at a location in Israel.

She had been abducted while at a sleepover in Kibbutz Beeri during the Hamas attack on October 7, along with her friend Hila, 13, who has also been released. Hilas mother, Raya Rotem, 54, is still being held in Gaza.

Thomas Hand, originally from Dun Laoghaire in Dublin, thanked all the people who have supported his family.

Emily has come back to us, he said. We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again.

We appreciate the unwavering support. We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped and supported us during the last 50 days until Emilys return. Mr Hand had previously spoken about how he was looking forward to giving her a huge hug.

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper that Emily would also be greeted by her beloved dog, Johnsie, and cuddly toys, and they are planning to give the girl  who spent her ninth birthday in captivity  the best birthday party she never had.

Irelands leaders, including Irish president Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin who met with Mr Hand as he campaigned for his daughters release, welcomed the news.

Irish president Michael D Higgins described the ordeal as a horrific time for all of her family.

In a statement, he said: It is my great hope that Emily can now, despite all that she has endured, enjoy a happy and fulfilling life after what has been an unimaginable situation for such a young child.

While we particularly recognise this important moment as an Irish-Israeli child is released, we must also retain a focus on what is now needed  a durable ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, and a commitment from all sides to engaging in the task of building what can be an enduring peace. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the country had breathed !a massive sigh of relief.

Our prayers have been answered, he said.

Irish people everywhere share in the relief of Emilys family. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the hostages in Gaza, but we followed particularly closely the fate of Emily, a dual Irish-Israeli citizen. Mr Varadkar said that while Emily has been returned to her family, it must not be forgotten that many more hostages remain in captivity in Gaza.

Their fate is unknown but we hope that, like Emily, they will also be allowed to return to their homes and their families.

We think of all the families suffering in this troubled region, and we redouble our efforts to work for a permanent ceasefire, and for a just and lasting peace, he said.

Tanaiste and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, said he is delighted that Emily, a bright and beautiful young girl, has been released.

The people of Ireland have been touched by Emilys story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father Tom, he said.

He went on: I had the opportunity to meet Tom before travelling to the region, and I was struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughters release.

This is a message that I and my colleagues in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally, through political, diplomatic and security channels, in a bid to secure Emilys safe return.

I want to acknowledge the role played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved in securing the release of the hostages.

I am conscious today that many more hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. I reiterate my call that all hostages in Gaza should be released immediately and unconditionally.
THANK God Novembers nearly over. I hate it.

This is not the month of the year when most people die  that honour goes to January for a variety of reasons  but for me, November is the death month.

Loss. Grief. Wandering souls. Dead leaves. Dormant trees. Wasps crawling sluggishly out of crevices, belatedly realising its the wrong month, and, well, dying.

Dying, death, graves, All Saints and All Souls Day. Wholesome but depressing. So, its no surprise that November invariably reminds me of the time I saw the ghosts. (More of this later).

This is the month for remembering and praying for our loved ones. Its about grieving, about loss and the blessing of graves.

Most of all, though, November is associated with the most horrendous torture. Take the Catherine Wheel, one of the worlds most popular fireworks. Today, November 25 is also known at Catterntide, or St Catherines Day, in remembrance of Catherine of Alexandria, a scholar, princess and patron of the academically inclined, who converted many people to Christianity.

The 18-year-old virgin (oh, how they loved their virgin martyrs back then) was martyred in the fourth century by being bound to the spokes of a breaking wheel and rotated while an executioner shattered her limbs with a hammer. Well, the firework is named after her. God, I thought, when I read about poor Catherine, how I wished I hadnt started this. Last Thursday was St Clements Day, the anniversary of the martyrdom of the man who was reputedly the first to refine iron from ore and shoe a horse. For his trouble, he was tied to an anchor and tossed into the sea.

Then of course, theres poor Guy Fawkes, the unfortunate soldier who was persuaded to lead a bunch of angry Roman Catholics furious at the repression visited upon them by King James 1. They plotted to blow up the palace at Westminister during the state opening of parliament. The plot was discovered and poor Fawkes was tortured on the rack, following which he faced being hung and disembowelled, but he jumped from the gallows and died from a broken neck (though they were so mad they still disembowelled him.) To this day the British celebrate Guy Fawkes Day on November 5 with fireworks, masked children begging a penny for the guy, and the burning of effigies.

Anyway, November and the ghosts. I was in sixth class and my parents, concerned by my lack of ability in Irish had decided to pack me off to the West Cork Gaeltacht, in the depths of winter, for a three-month immersion in the Irish language.

It was a long journey the picturesque seaside village where I lived with my noisy squabbling siblings to the home of a farmer and his wife up a West Cork mountainside. My father silently drove me up the long, lonely winding boreen with bogs on either side of it. It was probably cheerful enough in summer but this time of year everything looked macabre.

I cheered up when I saw my bedroom  it was pink and had its very own sink and hot and cold taps, which was pretty darn posh for those days. The Bean an Ti was kind. She made a fuss of me, and fed me home-made brown bread and porridge made with milk in the mornings for breakfast and went out of her way to serve nice dinners.

Each morning I trudged glumly down the boreen, my ears full of her warnings not to fall into the bogs on either side.

At the end of the lane, I met the children from the house across the road and we all went down the road together to a tiny one-teacher school. There was an open fire and buckets of coal. The sixth-class students were in charge of laying the fire and keeping it going throughout the day.

I made friends, and life wasnt too bad, but there were many days after school when I roamed the fields above the farmhouse with just the dogs for company.

Higher up the mountain were clusters of ruined stone cottages. In one field, far above the farmhouse, I saw a decrepit stone house on its own and larger than the rest. I approached with caution. The Bean an Ti hadnt mentioned anything so I didnt know if there was anyone living there but it looked interesting.

Then a glimmer caught my eye and I saw a woman in a pale dress in one of the upstairs windows waving at me. I waved back. Deciding not to break into her house after all, I called the dogs and went on my way.

At dinner than evening I asked who was the lady who lived in the house above. Which house, they wanted to know.

I described it. The Bean an Ti and her husband looked at each other.

Theres nobody living up there anymore, love, they said.

There used to be a village up there, long, long ago, before the Great Famine, but everyone died, or left and the houses fell down.

Yeah I know but whos the lady living in the big house, I insisted.

Nobody, love. Nobody. Nobody lives up there now.

It must have been a trick of the light, they told me. Maybe it was. Light has a lot to answer for.

A few years earlier I had been driving, one dark winters night, with my aunt and uncle down a quiet rural road, when a person all in white flew over the bonnet and crashed straight into the windscreen. I screamed with fright. My uncle pulled in to the side of the road. What was wrong, my aunt and uncle asked, concerned. I told them theyd hit someone. They looked at each other.

Someone hit the windscreen, I gabbled.

We all got out and looked at the road around the car. There was nothing there.

It must have been a trick of the light, from an approaching car further down the road, they said.

And, sure, maybe they were right.
Kenneth Fox

The Israeli foreign minister has said he has summoned the Irish ambassador in Tel Aviv "for a reprimand" following Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's statement on the release of Emily Hand.

Following the news that the Irish-Israeli girl had been freed by Hamas, Mr Varadkar last night tweeted: This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.

Mr Varadkars tweet has gained significant attention, particularly for his use of the words lost and found".

This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) November 25, 2023

In response to Mr Varadkar, the Israeli foreign minister, Eli Cohen said: "It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

"Emily Hand was not "lost", she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother," he said.

He said: "Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you Leo Varadkar are trying to legitimize and normalize terror. Shame on you!"

In a follow-up tweet, Eli Cohen said: "Following the outrageous words of the Prime Minister of Ireland about the release of Amelie Hand, who was kidnapped to Gaza by the terrorist organization Hamas, I summoned the Irish ambassador to Israel for a reprimand."

Mr. Prime Minister,

It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother.

Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, https://t.co/CD5wIZJN4i    | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) November 26, 2023

He did not give any further detail on when the ambassador, Sonya McGuinness, would be summoned or what the "reprimand" would be.
Someone stealing his car would seem bad enough.

But Paul Brinks troubles with his 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt were just starting.

Brink was sued over what happened next, and nearly five years after someone stole his car from the Catholic Health headquarters parking lot downtown, the case is still winding through the court system.

In the early morning hours of New Years Day in 2019, a then-27-year-old homeless man, who admitted being on meth, stole the car while the then-59-year-old Brink was working the overnight shift as a security guard in the building.

The next day, the car thief was being pursued by police when he swerved into an Amherst patrol vehicle driven by Patrolman Joseph R. Oishei Jr., injuring the police officers thumb.

Afterward, the officer sued the car thief. And he also sued Brink, a Buffalo resident.

Why Brink?

The police officers lawsuit invokes whats called the key in the ignition statute, which says a vehicle owner may be found liable for injuries from a crash involving a stolen vehicle that was an attractive target for theft. In short, Brink allegedly made his car too easy to steal by leaving his doors unlocked and his spare key easy to spot inside the car, according to the police officers lawsuit.

Judge sees 'long-standing problem' in way federal prosecutors turn evidence over to the defense "The government seems to approach its discovery obligations by finding ways not to disclose evidence and excuses for not disclosing it sooner or at all," U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo said in a recently unsealed decision.

State Supreme Court Justice E. Jeannette Ogden denied Brinks pretrial request to dismiss the lawsuit against him, and an appellate court this month affirmed her ruling. As the appellate judges see it, the central issue becomes this: Was the spare key sufficiently hidden? That looms as a triable issue as for how much liability, if any, Brink faces for the injuries sustained by the police officer, the appellate judges said.

In a court filing, attorney Kenneth Krajewski, who represents Brink, said leaving the keys in the car was not the cause of the crash that hurt the officer.

The car thief joyrided Brinks Cobalt for more than 30 hours before the crash, which happened 15 miles from where he stole the car  too long and too far away to be the proximate cause of the accident, Krajewski said.

In his court filing, attorney Leonard Zaccagnino, who represents Oishei, called Brinks negligence a substantial factor in causing the officers injuries.

Clearly, the question of whether or not Brinks vehicle was left unlocked and unattended in a parking lot with the keys in sight of anyone entering the vehicle, and that such action was a proximate cause of plaintiff s injuries, should be presented to a jury, he said.

Where was the spare key?

The case remains pending, so the lawyers did not allow their clients to be interviewed.

But those involved in the case told their stories in deposition testimony.

Brink thought so little of the car  he bought it for $1,600 in 2016  that he couldnt even remember its make and model when questioned by lawyers about the car theft during his May 2021 testimony.

He said he kept the spare keys inside his unlocked car.

They were underneath the passenger seat all the time, he said.

Honestly, I just thought who would ever want to steal an old crappy blue  what kind of car was it, a Chevette? Brink said to the lawyers. No, a Cobalt. You know, I didnt even know it was a Cobalt. It was just a crappy old blue car I drove to work.

The man who wanted it was Stephen J. Gebura, who at the time was in and out of homeless shelters and living with friends when not wandering around downtown or hanging out wherever he could go inside.

He called it probably the worst period in his life. I had probably a couple years of meth, he said, and that was probably the worst point like eating and not sleeping and stuff.

If you ask anybody that knows me, like I am not the type to steal things, especially a car, and I would never do that sober, Gebura said at his June 2022 deposition. But being on meth, like I had been awake like for a month before that and you get kind of like psychotic.

Third family member taken into custody for role in alleged Yemen kidnapping plot FBI agents arrested Adham Abughanem at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York upon his arrival from Dubai on Sunday, according to court documents.

Gebura, who sought treatment for his drug addiction after his arrest, has since found a job. He remains a defendant in the lawsuit, but he has not had a lawyer actively involved in the case, given his financial standing and lack of insurance at the time of the incident. It is Brinks car insurance company  not Gebura  that the police officer looks to collect from through a verdict or settlement.

Gebura said he looked inside one or two cars on Genesee Street before entering the Catholic Health parking lot and finding a car that just happened to have the keys. It seemed really lucky, he said.

I just walked up to it and the door was open and the keys were sitting in the console, Gebura said.

Gebura looked at some papers inside the car for a few minutes and then left, without the keys. He said he headed toward a homeless shelter and then ran into someone he knew and talked for a while. Then he returned to the car and drove off.

The car thiefs time with the Cobalt would last some 30 hours.

Police pursuit

Gebura drove to Niagara Falls and made random stops on his way back to Buffalo. He drove to the Elmwood and Chippewa area and then went to eat at Friends of Night People. He then left the Allentown neighborhood around 7 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2019.

Soon, police spotted the stolen car and pursued him.

The Amherst police officer got involved at Transit and Maple roads, where he spotted an NFTA police officer pursuing the stolen car.

The officer followed Gebura into and out of a Lowes parking lot and then onto Maple Road with his lights and siren activated. Gebura swerved into his patrol car, and the officer was thrown violently against the interior of his motor vehicle, according to Oisheis lawsuit.

Police kept pursuing the stolen car on Maple Road to Brighton Road, then southbound on Delaware Avenue. Gebura was stopped after he hit another car at Delaware and Sheridan Drive, police said.

Gebura spent four months in jail and was put on probation and ordered to perform community service for his felony conviction of stealing the car.

Oishei suffered a left thumb injury, requiring surgery, that put him out of work for four months and then relegated him to desk duty for about nine months.

The tendons on my thumb were torn off, Oishei said at a deposition, and he sustained ligament damage.

The officer filed the negligence lawsuit against Brink and Gebura, citing the severe mental shock and agonizing pain and nervous mental anguish he has suffered.

It is the fear of injuring my hand again, Oishei said in his deposition, explaining the stress he said he was under. I have been told by multiple doctors now that if any further injury were to be sustained to this hand, that I would not be able to work as a police officer anymore.

Theres a lot things I cannot do anymore with it, no matter how hard I try, he said of his left hand. Like I cant open a simple jar anymore with my left hand.

Whats more, I cant ride my motorcycle and I cant ride my ATV and I cant play sports, he said.
Cascade County Commission tables election canvass amidst ballot tally questions

Cascade County Commissioners hit pause this week on completing the canvass for the recent municipal election over questions of ballot counts out of Belt and Cascade.

Taking about the same time it would to roast an 18-pound turkey, the commission hand-tallied the election machines results per precinct, in what former county officials have called an unprecedented nearly five-hour exercise Wednesday night. This method of canvassing differs from how other counties canvass, and at least one expert said it wasnt effectively checking results.

Some observers, including Great Falls Republican Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, thought the exercise was an example of the law being followed. Others, including a former Cascade County elections worker, saw it as a departure from norms and another example of dysfunction in the office.

The commission will schedule the meeting to continue the canvass after conferring with the Secretary of States office regarding the ballot reports out of Belt and Cascade.

Businesswoman-turned-Clerk-and-Recorder Sandra Merchant took office in January in a sea change after narrowly defeating 16-year incumbent Rina Moore last year despite no experience as an elections official. A pending lawsuit against Merchant alleges she mishandled the flood and irrigation district elections in May, and separately, the Great Falls Public School District requested the county assume the duties of the elections office citing lack of communication from Merchant during its election in May.

According to a couple of participants who attended the meeting to canvass, the small commission office was at first overflowing with residents. But as the hours of commissioners hand-counting results waned on, more and more residents departed before being able to give public comment, and some left written remarks critiquing how long the canvass was taking.

In an interview, Moore said typically after an election, the Clerk and Recorder runs a report after ballots are accepted into the statewide ElectMT program that shows how many were voided and undeliverable, but most importantly, how many ballots were accepted. Elections officials have to ensure the number of accepted ballots in the ElectMT system matches the number of ballots that went through the local tabulator.

And if they dont, something is wrong with the election, Moore said.

During the canvass, Elections Office staff present the final matched tabulations and read off the vote totals for each municipality, and the board of canvassers certifies those results. The certification process in the county for the municipal election in 2021 took less than half an hour.

But Jane Weber, former Cascade County Commissioner and co-founder of the Election Protection Committee, a resident-organized watchdog group, noted the canvass diverged from the usual process even before it started.

Weber said in her written testimony never in her 10 years on the commission had she witnessed a canvass where commissioners didnt get necessary reports from the Clerk and Recorder prior to the meeting.

This process today was a sham designed to outlast the public who came to make comment. Im embarrassed and deeply troubled for any future elections in this county chamber, Weber said.

Kyler Baker, who previously worked in the Cascade County Elections Office, stayed in person to express his worries over how the canvass was handled.

Looking forward to next year, when this is a possibly two-page ballot, this could be very concerning, Baker said.

Not everyone felt this way. Some, on the eve of Thanksgiving, openly expressed gratitude for the commissioners going through the process.

Rep. Sheldon-Galloways 10 year-old granddaughter, Echo, stood at the podium before the commissioners and said, Thank you for having election integrity.

Sheldon-Galloway shortly after got up to the mic as well and took the moment to defend Merchant amidst calls for the new Clerk and Recorder to be replaced.

If you dont like the process, its the law. She follows the law and that is why we voted her in, Sheldon-Galloway said. We wanted change, and today we followed the law, and today we started to see those changes happening. So I thank you, Sandra.

Commissioner Joe Briggs said he would motion to table the canvass after noticing a difference in ballots reported as processed through the tabulator, the vote counting machine, and the number checked back through the statewide ElectMT system in both Cascade and Belt.

Merchant suggested some of those discrepancies could be ballots with deficiencies or other routine issues, but that still left the totals different; in Cascade, an ElectMT report showed 126 total, but 162 ballots were run through the machine.

Merchant also said the issue could have been Cascade and Belt held an in-person poll election and theorized those votes could have been separated, but Briggs said they should still be showing up in the statewide systems report. Moore said Merchant could have overlooked putting those in-person ballots in the ElectMT system.

Moore, who helped prepare for previous canvasses prior to losing re-election, explained the tabulator results and ElectMT database dont talk to each other, so votes from the polls that were counted potentially werent added into the ElectMT system  resulting in different ballot totals in the separate reports.

Moore said in order to balance an election, those numbers from the vote counting machine and from the states ElectMT need to add up, but she believes Merchant hadnt taken the steps to make sure those numbers aligned.

Moore compared it to the self-checkout line at the grocery store.

You have 50 items in your cart, and you scan 25 of them. All she did was hand the cash register receipt to them, and they hand-added it up, Moore said. But you have to compare it to the items in the cart. You didnt scan 25 items in the cart, so how are you going to balance?

She said she had never seen anything like this in her tenure.

Briggs at one point in the hours-long count said the commission was just checking the math for the computer at this point rather than actually reconciling the reports.

The meeting Wednesday was already past the Secretary of States two-week canvassing deadline. The timing was a point of contention among commissioners earlier in the week after Merchant attempted to schedule the meeting for Monday, which would have foregone the required 48-hour public notice.

Briggs also asked Merchant for a report of how many ballots were returned by neighborhood council, as the council boundaries are different from the precinct boundaries, which Merchant at first said was information already presented.

But Briggs said she was giving him macro totals.

Are you saying that youve got no way to reconcile, on a neighborhood council level, the number of ballots that were sent out, received back and counted? Briggs said.

Merchant said she could run more reports.

if there is a report that does that, she said.

After the meeting, Moore told the Daily Montanan she believes Merchant doesnt know ElectMT produces the report Briggs wanted.

She has admitted in front of everybody now that the only thing she has done in an election is run the report the numbers out of the count machine and handed them to the commissioners, Moore said.

That day, Commissioners, acting as the canvass board, spent four hours in near silence hand tallying the machines precinct results.

The vote to table was unanimous, and it is unclear when the meeting to finish the canvass will be set.

Commissioners will convene for their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday. They will take a second and final vote on whether to restructure how the board chairperson is selected, which could lead to the end of current chairperson and Merchant ally Rae Grulkowskis leadership on the commission.

Grulkowski and Merchant have been connected to conspiracy-led movements, including election denial, in Cascade County.

The post Cascade County Commission tables election canvass amidst ballot tally confusion appeared first on Daily Montanan.
The Scottish government has called on Westminster to provide more certainty as the post-Brexit pot of funding for agriculture is 'shrinking'.

The SNP-led government said the farming industry required 'future funding certainty' due to the long term nature of investment decisions and long lead-in time for farmers.

It has urged the UK government to 'fully replace' EU funds in order to minimise disruption to the industry.

The concerns are included in a letter written by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon to Steve Barclay, the new Defra Secretary.

While the UK was in the EU, Scotland saw a seven-year multi-annual framework, receiving nearly a billion pounds in funding annually to support farming, environmental protection and wider rural priorities.

But Ms Gougeon told Mr Barclay that since the UK left the bloc, Scotland's funding allocation had been 'shrinking'.

This has direct implications on the management of our existing programme and our Agriculture Reform Programme," she said in a letter to the Defra Secretary,

"It would be a great start to our working relationship if you might commit at the earliest possible opportunity that the UK government will fully replace EU funds in order to minimise the disruption to rural industries.

Her letter also raised the issues of personal imports of animal products, the rural visa pilot proposal and post-Brexit trade deals.

The UK government's trade deals with Australia and New Zealand "are not good enough" for Scottish farmers, Holyrood recently warned.

The deals, which entered into force on 31 May, will provide Australian and New Zealand exporters with unfettered access to the UK market.

This could allow an influx of goods, often produced to lower cost and regulatory standards, with fears it could undercut British farmers.

Ms Gougeon added: Regrettably, the deals secured with Australia and New Zealand were not in line with our trade strategy, nor the needs or expectations of industry and are likely to impact adversely on Scottish beef and lamb.

"We now need to ensure that lessons are learned in time for the conclusion of the Canadian, Indian, and Mexican trade deals, some of which may be entering their final stages, as well as ensuring that traders can leverage any benefits from these deals to help recover from Brexit.
Dame Helen Mirren celebrates getting older.

Dame Helen Mirren says life is too 'interesting' to worry about lines and wrinkles

The 78-year-old actress has never wanted to fight against the ageing process because shed rather lead a long and full life and enjoy each day as it comes.

She told Britains HELLO! magazine: I say celebrate it, dont fight it.

You die young or you get old and I dont want to die young.

Im too interested in life. Its wonderful, so celebrate that and enjoy it.

The Red actress insisted she has no desire to turn back time and shes always happy to celebrate the age she is.

She said: Ive always said Im not growing old, Im growing up.

I feel the age I am in the fullest possible sense, with all the curiosity, knowledge and fear I have about life.

I love being the age I am. Why would I want to be someone else? I dont.

Actor John Gilbert said, Its all in the spine and its very true.

I want you to do something right now, sit up and the energy immediately changes. Its amazing.

That feeling of, This is my space, Im taking it and filling it up makes an enormous difference.

So as you travel through life, keep taking your space and dont let anyone else take it. Theres no one else in the world like you.

And Helen appreciates the wonderful advantages that come with growing older.

She said: We absolutely need to change the language around ageing.

Part of life is getting older, so the vocabulary is incredibly important.

Without a doubt, as you get older, your confidence grows.

One of the elements of getting older that makes you happy is you let go of those terrible, ridiculous insecurities you have when youre young.

My mum always said to me, Darling, never worry about getting older. When youre 20, the thought of being 40 is terrifying but when you get to 40, you wont want to be 20 again because youve gained more wonderful advantages. 
Two former staffers of Assemblyman Patrick B. Burke filed a lawsuit against him Saturday, accusing him of violating New York labor laws and human rights laws.

The lawsuit was filed in State Supreme Court in Erie County by attorney Nate McMurray on behalf of Matthew Dearing and Nicole Golias, who accuse Burke of discriminating against them based on race and gender and their outside political activities.

Burke denied the claims, saying his former employees were harassing him.

Burke is a white man. Dearing is a Black man who was Burkes former director of community relations, and Golias is a white woman who was Burkes former legislative director.

Dearing and Golias were among three staffers fired days after the May 14, 2022, racist massacre at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue. Burke told The Buffalo News they were fired for gross insubordination. The staffers said they had challenged him to be more forceful in condemning white supremacy in a speech.

In April, Golias filed a complaint with the New York Division of Human Rights, accusing the Orchard Park Democrat of sexual harassment, saying Burke repeatedly commented on womens appearances, joked about genitalia and discussed the sex lives of both his teenage son and fellow legislators in the office.

He would do anything he could to appear cool and attractive, Golias told The News in April. And I dont know if he was trying to convince others or himself. But it ended up just veering into entirely inappropriate behavior.

The new lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for harm, emotional distress, and economic losses and injunctive relief to prevent future retaliation, as well as court and attorney fees.

Dearing and Golias accuse Burke of various instances of inappropriate and discriminatory behavior between July 2021 and May 2022.
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Vijay Varma On Marriage Plans With Tamannaah Bhatia: Vijay Varma has earned immense recognition for his outstanding acting skills and amiable personality in the industry. The actor has been in the spotlight lately due to his relationship with actress Tamannaah Bhatia.

Ever since the duo made their romance public, fans have been eager to know about their potential wedding plans. In response to queries about his wedding with Tamannaah, Vijay had a humorous response.

Vijay Varma's response to wedding plans with Tamannaah

Vijay Varma, who has been dating Tamannaah Bhatia for some time now, is currently keeping his professional life a priority. He recently attended Sahitya Aaj Tak in Delhi and was asked about his wedding plans with Tamannaah.

During the event, when asked about his marriage plans with Tamannaah Bhatia, the Jaane Jaan actor had a witty response that will leave you in chuckles.

Jhoot Bolti Hai: Teen Tamannaah Bhatia Talking About Her Board Exams In Old Video Leaves Fans Confused | WATCH

Joking that no girl wants him to get married, Vijay said, "Koi ladki nahi chahti ki mai shaadi karu, pehli baat toh! Na to iska jawab mai mataji ko de pata hun na kisi aur ko. (I can't even tell my mom the answer to this question, and I would not be able to answer it to you.)

When Tamannaah opened up about her wedding idea

Earlier, in an interview with India Today, Tamannaah Bhatia candidly talked about her marriage plans and mentioned how marriage is a big responsibility and it takes a lot of effort to maintain it.

"I feel you should get married when you want to get married. Marriage is a big responsibility. It's not a party. It takes a lot of work. So, when you are ready for a responsibility like that then you do it. Not because time or sab kar rahe hain toh karlo," she had said.

On the work front, Vijay and Tamannaah were seen together in Netflix's anthology movie Lust Stories 2. Vijay has an interesting line-up of films, including Afghaani Snow, Murder Mubarak, and the Tamil untitled Suriya 43, while Tamannaah has the Tamil movie Aranmanai 4 and the Hindi flick Vedaa with John Abraham.

Tamannaah Bhatia Makes SHOCKING Remark On South Films: Toxic Masculinity Is Celebrated To The Point..
Alia Bhatt's Deepfake Video: In the latest instance of celebrities falling victim to deepfake technology, Alia Bhatt has become a target, joining the ranks of Rashmika Mandanna, Katrina Kaif, Kajol, Sara Tendulkar, and industrialist Ratan Tata.

A deep-fake video featuring B'town diva Alia Bhatt is widely being circulated on social media, raising concerns among people.

Alia Bhatt's deepfake video

The Gangubai Kathiawadi star in the video is seen wearing a blue floral dress and engaging in obscene gestures. However, when looked at closely, anyone can clearly say that the woman in the viral video is not Alia Bhatt.

It is quite clear that Alia Bhatt's face has been edited over another person's body.

Rashmika Mandanna DeepFake Video Case: Delhi Police Arrests Bihar Youth; Probe On

The incident involving Alia Bhatt occurred just a month after Rashmika Mandanna faced distress from a deepfake video. This highlights the misuse of technology and the potential harm it can cause to individuals in a digitally vulnerable age.

Rashmika Mandanna expressed her concerns, emphasising the broader issue of technology misuse and the susceptibility of individuals to such manipulations.

The Animal actress had expressed her concern over the video on X and stated, "Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused. Today, as a woman and as an actor, I am thankful for my family, friends and well wishers who are my protection and support system. But if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can't imagine how could I ever tackle this."

I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online.



Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused.  Rashmika Mandanna (@iamRashmika) November 6, 2023

Alia has not reacted to the video yet, nor has anybody close to her stated anything. We'll have to wait to see if the actress takes any action or not.

Kajol DeepFake Viral Video: Actress Clip Of Changing Clothes On Camera Breaks The Internet; Check DEETS

Alia Bhatt, on the work front, was last seen in her Hollywood debut, Heart of Stone, alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. She next has the thriller Jigra, which will release next year.
Rating: 2.0 /5 Star Cast: Arya, Divya Pillai, Aadukalam Naren, George Maryan Director: Milind Rau

The Village Review: Whenever a creator takes up a new genre or idea, it's always a risky path, especially in the genre of horror. To overlook its shortcomings, you have to look at it from a novel perspective.

Tamil actor Arya made his OTT debut with the Prime Video series The Village. The show is billed as India's first live-action adaptation of a graphic novel of the same name.

Helmed by Milind Rau, the horror thriller series revolves around a ghost village and a disturbing past that haunts it. The trailer offered a unique vision of the environment, human error, and superstitions. It also hinted at containing a lot of gore, thrills, and suspense. But did The Village really stand true to its expectations? Let's find out.

Story

The original Tamil language series, The Village, follows a nuclear family, Dr Gautham (Arya) and his wife Neha (Divya Pillai), who are on a road trip, travelling to Chennai with their daughter Maya and their pet dog, Hectic. Their car breaks down in a deserted and mysterious village named Kattiyal.

Ignorant about the village's reality, Gautham leaves his family in the car and walks to a nearby village alone to seek help, after which his wife and daughter get abducted.

Now, Gautham, with the help of localites Peter (George Maryan), Karunagam (Muthu Kumar), and Sakthivel (Naren), who share a common history with Kattiyal, will come join him to save his family.

The Village Trailer: Prime Video Shares Sneak Peak Of Its Spine-chilling Tamil Original Horror Series

Meanwhile, there's another plotline that is running simultaneously where Prakash (Arjun Chidambaram), a despicable, wheelchair-bound druggie, sends a group of mercenaries headed by Farhan (John Kokken) and some scientists to the same village to retrieve some samples called Lantanite that might turn out to be a boon for him as it could help him walk again.

As the story progresses, they discover that the village is haunted by mutants, and the beats there have some unfinished business.

What's good and what's bad

Directed and co-written by Milind Rau with Deeraj Vaidy and Deepthi Govindarajan, The Village keeps it straight with its storyline and direction. The past and present-day narration has been well directed.

Although horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and traditional superstitions have been adapted well with a refreshing concept, the direction fails to give chills, which is usually expected from a genre like this.

The set designs, particularly the factory, the eeriness of the village, the lab, and the look of the mutants, are mighty impressive and must be given credit.

However, the same can't be said about the colours given to the show. Meanwhile, the sound at many points stands out.

The dialogues are cliche and too stretched out and loud.

Arya About The Village on Prime Video: My OTT Debut Has Definitely Been A Different Kind Of Experience

Some scenes have been contrived, have the usual horror banal, and look very routine. Meanwhile, remaining a little true to its story and genre, The Village has a lot of gore and grossing-out scenes, like bodies cut into halves, intestines slashed, gory-looking men, and many more.

But still, you won't feel scared or frown in disgust. And after a point, they all annoy you, as the story hardly puts any effort into incorporating new ideas, exploring new topics in a fresh way, or showing the characters in a reasonable manner.

Performances

The main lead, Arya, appears out of place and has barely any strong expressions. Divya Pillai has no impressive scenes to perform. While the child actor who plays Maya and the performances of Aadukalam Naren and Muthukumar, who played the roles of Shakthivel and Karunagam, are a little better, however, everyone fails during emotional scenes.

Arjun Chidambaram, an arrogant brat and a cunning businessman, delivers quite a passable performance.

Verdict

The series stands out with its innovative fusion and has some refreshing twists, but largely fails to provide thrills and fails to keep you on the edge of your seat, which is the main aspect of the horror genre.

An ambitious attempt at showing the rural superation with its main backdrop, The Village, comes as a poor imitation of western sci-fi films. The charters are poorly written, making them feel cartoonish.

Despite the makers good intentions, The Village, through six episodes that span 35-45 minutes, looks outdated and lacks substance. A little more focus on the screenplay could have made it more watchable.

Mission Raniganj OTT Release Date: Here's When & Where You Can Watch Akshay Kumar's Survival Thriller

Even a few scenes at some places, like the neon trees and the blood-filled beating trees, look like they have been made on a shoestring budget. The show is a pass but can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Nov. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An", the "Company" or the "Group", HKEX: 2318 / 82318; SSE: 601318) is pleased to announce that Dr. Ma Mingzhe, Chairman of Ping An, has been honored by The Hong Kong Institute of Directors. His Director of the Year Award 2023 in the Listed Companies Executive Directors category recognizes his exemplary leadership and innovative approaches in corporate governance at Ping An. This is the fourth time Dr. Ma has received this prestigious award.

The panel of judges from The Hong Kong Institute of Directors unanimously praised Dr. Ma for his exceptional leadership and foresight, saying: "Dr. Ma is a seasoned and open-minded board chairman with strong commercial acumen. He is focused on long-term strategic planning, talent management, and corporate governance. He fully understands the importance of succession planning at the board and management levels. He has a good sense of external environments. Under his leadership, Ping An consciously adopts ESG investment philosophies to enhance its post-investments. Dr Ma absolutely deserves the Award."

Dr. Ma said: "The Director of the Year Awards bestowed by the Hong Kong Institute of Directors stand as a pillar of professionalism and authority within our industry. It is with immense honor and pride that I accept this award for the fourth time. This accolade serves as an affirmation of Ping An's steadfast commitment to stringent corporate governance and the collective endeavor of our esteemed board members. Throughout our 35-year venture, Ping An has relentlessly pursued a pinnacle of excellence, by integrating global best practices in corporate governance and tailor-making them to suit our local context in China. We have a meticulously constructed framework that not only complies with international standards but also recognizes the unique local characteristics. We have placed significant emphasis on fostering visionary leadership and advancing sustainable long-term progress. This honor is not only a recognition but also a source of inspiration for us. We pledge to maintain high standards of corporate governance, further enhance our strategic management prowess, and remain focused on our "Integrated Finance + Healthcare and Elderlycare" strategy. As we strive to augment the quality of our core business operations, our unweaving dedication is to generate lasting value for our clients, shareholders, employees, and the society we serve."

Ping An's Board of Directors focuses on the foresight, guidance and accuracy of the Company's strategy, prioritizes long-term and sustainable development and captures development opportunities. It remains focused on customer needs and enhancing its digital prowess to foster high-quality growth. By the end of September 2023, the Company had nearly 230 million retail customers, with an average of 2.99 contracts per customer. It has made significant strides in life insurance reform, and the innovative changes implemented over the past three years led to a 40.9% year-on-year increase in the new business value of life and health insurance to RMB33.574 billion in the first three quarters of 2023. In addition, the Company's healthcare and elderlycare services are progressing well. Customers entitled to '+ services' benefits in the healthcare ecosystem accounted for approximately 68% of Ping An Life's new life insurance business value in the first three quarters of 2023.

Ping An's Board is also proactively addressing the challenges and prospects arising from climate change. It continues to advance its green finance initiative and uphold its social responsibilities to guarantee sustained stable business growth. By the end of June 2023, green investment in Ping An's insurance assets reached RMB140.929 billion, while the balance of green loans stood at RMB134.926 billion. During the first three quarters of 2023, the company's green insurance policies generated original premium income of RMB26.276 billion. Ping An has also committed a total of RMB103.241 billion to aid in rural industrial assistance through its Rural Communities Support programs since 2018.

Ping An emphasizes that, guided by its board, the Company is committed to further developing its "integrated finance + healthcare" strategy, driven by technology. This approach aims to strengthen the synergies within integrated finance while actively enhancing its healthcare and elderlycare offerings. The Company is also dedicated to elevating its operational management standards, advancing digital transformation across the board, and focusing on cost-effective and efficient practices. This strategy is designed to foster high-quality development and consistently generate substantial value for its customers, employees, shareholders, and society.

The Directors of the Year Awards, the first of its kind, have been held annually by The Hong Kong Institute of Directors since 2001. It is dedicated to recognizing outstanding boards and directors, highlighting the significance of good corporate governance, and promoting director professionalism and excellence.

About Ping An Group

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (HKEx:2318 / 82318; SSE:601318) strives to become a world-leading integrated finance and healthcare services provider. With nearly 230 million retail customers, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Under the technology-driven "integrated finance + healthcare" strategy, Ping An provides professional "financial advisory, family doctor, and elderlycare concierge" services. Ping An advances intelligent digital transformation and employs technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of its financial businesses and enhance risk management. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. As of the end of 2022, Ping An had RMB11,137,168 million in total assets. The Group ranked 16th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2023 and ranked 33rd in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2023.

For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn - PING AN.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ping-an-chairman-dr-ma-mingzhe-receives-director-of-the-year-award-from-the-hong-kong-institute-of-directors-301997464.html
VICTORIA, Seychelles, Nov. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The trading arena today is more active than ever, which means that brokers need to make a great effort in order to cater to the ever-evolving demands of market participants. Tapping into this understanding, the globally noted broker FXGT.com is now elevating its game. With the launch of their FXGT.com Pro and ECN accounts, the firm is rolling out the red carpet for advanced and professional traders with a thirst for exceptional working conditions.

"We have always been steadfast in our dedication to empowering every trader with seamless services and unwavering reliability," stated a spokesperson for FXGT.com. "After months of hard work, our ECN and Pro accounts are nothing short of a revolution in terms of excellent trading terms. We've put an emphasis on the things that our more experienced clients require, such as asset variety, raw spreads, flexible margins and much more. We invite every trader who is dissatisfied with what their broker currently offers to check out the advantages of our Pro and ECN accounts, which are now available on our website."

Bigger, faster, better

Among the many interesting features of FXGT.com's new Pro and ECN accounts, some elements are especially worth noting. While the Pro account guarantees commission-free trading on no less than 10 different asset classes, traders who choose the ECN accounts can enjoy spreads that go as low as zero, alongside negative balance protection and the option for a 40% stop-out bar. Both accounts are coordinated with the reputable MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms and mobile apps.

The spokesperson for FXGT.com also empahsized that all clients can benefit from these accounts, regardless of their trading background, as well as from the other accounts that the broker currently offers.

About FXGT.com

FXGT.com is an FSA-regulated brokerage firm that offers an extensive range of features for its clients The brand enlists a diverse mix of assets: from classic forex and stocks to the avant-garde realm of NFTs and crypto. Moreover, the broker integrates the prowess of MT4 and MT5 terminals, amplified by the VPS sponsorship facility. The broker also assimilates 24/7 multi-lingual support and four account types , enhancing diversification optionality. Functioning more than just a brand, FXGT.com ensures that traders are equipped with the right toolkit to stay ahead in the competitive trading arena.

Website: https://fxgt.com/

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/stepping-up-the-trading-game-fxgtcom-introduces-pro-and-ecn-accounts-301997475.html
This activity was part of the 1st Liangzhu Forum, aims at deepening civilized dialogue with the countries that jointly built the "Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)". Artists were amazed by the empirical sites of China's 5,000-year history of civilization, as well as the diversity and richness of China's history, culture and art.

HANGZHOU, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / November 26, 2023 / Eighty-four artists from 83 countries started their journey of "Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous" this Friday by visiting the Archeological Ruins of Liangzhu City and Liangzhu Museum, in Hangzhou, capital city of east China' Zhejiang Province.





Artist amazed by exhibition





This activity was part of the 1st Liangzhu Forum, aims at deepening civilized dialogue with the countries that jointly built the "Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)". Artists were amazed by the empirical sites of China's 5,000-year history of civilization, as well as the diversity and richness of China's history, culture and art.

"I have seen many artifacts similar to my own country here. These amazing common elements between Nigerian and Chinese culture definitely bring much inspiration to my later creations," said Nigerian artist Oladotun Olatunbosun Alabi, who was fascinated by the jade articles unearthed in Liangzhu and the Chinese culture.

It was the second visit to Hangzhou by German artist Tobias Zaft who studied in China. "China's 5,000-year history has greatly influenced the world. My primary artistic direction is environmental protection. During my visit to Liangzhu, I learned that the sustainable lifestyle of ancient aborigines made Liangzhu's ecology the biggest beneficiary. It made me rethink how to get inspiration in environmental protection," said Tobias Zaft.

Mathilde Moreau Epse Kouassi, an artist from the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire,said that the Liangzhu Museum comprehensively displayed the production process of Liangzhu jade dated back to 5,000 years ago, which opened her eyes. She was fascinated by the most advanced production methods then and greatly enjoyed the charm of Hangzhou's culture.

After the three-day immersive experience of Liangzhu, foreign artists will combine their own cultural vision with Chinese culture and use personalized artistic language to to accomplish the beauty of a cross-cultural integration and exchange between East and West.

Artists will concentrate on creating a series of artworks after their visit and their works will be displayed in the "Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous" exhibition held in early December.





Contact Information

Grace Shi

PR

graceshi@xinhuanetus.com

6465712146





SOURCE: Hangzhou Municipal Government

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/810015/silk-road-artists-rendezvous-unveiled-in-east-chinas-hangzhou
Natural hydrogen is a primary source of energy without carbon footprint. It holds great decarbonization potential.

H2SITE's technology is an enabler for natural hydrogen projects, able to separate hydrogen streams from helium, nitrogen, CO2.

H2SITE's experience working on low concentration hydrogen blends has proven hydrogen recovery efficiencies above 95%.

White, natural or geologic hydrogen is naturally produced or present in the Earth's crust and represents a primary source of energy without carbon footprint. Although it holds great decarbonization potential by significantly reducing current hydrogen costs, the technology still requires development.

Natural hydrogen deposits are being explored in France, US and in Australia, where H2SITE has signed an MoU with Gold Hydrogen for a Pilot Plant in the Yorke Peninsula.

Utilizing H2SITE's advanced membrane separation technology, the plant aims to recover over 95% of the available hydrogen while separating valuable co-products such as Helium.

"The collaboration with Gold Hydrogen underscores our shared commitment to the natural hydrogen market growth. H2SITE is thrilled to contribute with its membrane separation technology, enabling sustainable and cost-efficient hydrogen production." according to Andres Galnares, CEO of H2SITE

The project in the Yorke Peninsula represents a significant step forward in the natural hydrogen space, with one of the first wells showcasing unprecedented levels of H2 concentration.

This collaboration is another step towards accelerating decarbonization and the future use of natural hydrogen as sustainable energy source.

About H2SITE:

H2SITE was established in 2020 and possesses exclusive technology for reactors and separators, facilitating the conversion of various feedstocks into hydrogen. These include ammonia, methanol, or synthetic gas, as well as the separation of hydrogen from gaseous mixtures in low concentrations for applications in salt caverns or natural hydrogen.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231126093987/en/

Contacts:

For more information:

Andres Galnares, CEO de H2SITE: andres.galnares@h2site.eu
BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Hong Kong will on Monday release October figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. In September, imports were down 0.4 percent on month and exports sank 5.3 percent for a trade deficit of HKD64.6 billion. China will see October numbers for industrial profits; in September, profits were down 9.0 percent year-to-date. Thailand will see October figures for imports, exports and trade balance starting today. Imports are expected to rise 6.0 percent after slipping 8.3 percent in September. Exports are called higher by 9.3 percent after adding 2.1 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $530 million after showing $2.10 trillion a month earlier. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
HONG KONG, Nov. 26, 2023the leading Asia Pacific centred biotech CRO with global execution capabilities, will be presenting at the Clinical Research Governancein Hong Kong this month.



Michael Stibilj, Novotech's Chief Operating Officer, will discuss the potential, challenges, and practical applications of Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs) from a global biotech CRO perspective.

According to Michael Stibilj, DCTs offer an advantage in terms of potential for substantial patient recruitment and retention. Currently only 5% of eligible patients are participating in clinical research.

"The use of remote tools and methods show great potential for increasing trial efficiency and reducing barriers by facilitating participation outside of traditional clinical settings," stated Mr. Stibilj.

He further mentioned that regulatory bodies are increasingly endorsing DCTs due to their capacity to enable patient participation irrespective of their location, eliminating logistical hurdles. This approach provides improved access to the study and the investigational product, allowing for the inclusion of more diverse and representative populations.

He detailed that the successful execution of DCTs hinges on advanced digital tools and technologies, including e-consent, applications, wearable devices, Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes (ePRO), telemedicine, and the relocation of trial activities to the patient's home or nearby healthcare facilities. This shift involves passive monitoring devices rather than active data collection methods.

However, he noted that "key challenges recognized by regulators include concerns regarding investigator oversight and participants' safety when physical examinations and face-to-face contact are limited".

His conclusion emphasized that "as we venture into the next phase of clinical trial evolution, there lies significant potential for patients, investigators, regulators, and sponsors to cultivate trust and assurance in these novel approaches and technologies. This will foster greater synergies among these pivotal stakeholders within drug development".

According to the organizers, this year's conference titled Clinical Research Success through Good Governance aims to facilitate communication and knowledge sharing within the global biotech research communities. It assembles professionals from academic and healthcare institutions, clinical and medical research organizations, the biomedical and pharmaceutical industry, as well as governmental agencies to discuss the latest trends in clinical trials governance.

The conference will be conducted in hybrid mode (online and in-person).

Date: 29 November 2023

Novotech presentation: 14:40 - 15:00 (GMT+8)

Title: Decentralized Clinical Trials: Potential, Challenges and Practical Applications

Novotech has more than 3,000 employees operating across 25 geographies, with 34 office locations, including the US, Greater China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

The CRO offers biotechs a unique and unparalleled suite of early to late-phase services across the US and Europe, with a foundation in Asia Pacific where the company has built a reputation for delivering high-quality expedited clinical trials.

Recognized for its industry-leading contributions, Novotech has received numerous prestigious awards, including the CRO Leadership Award 2023 and the Asia Pacific Cell & Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Excellence 2022 and 2023 awards. Additionally, the company has been honored with the Asia-Pacific Contract Research Organization Company of the Year Award each year since 2006. Its commitment to collaboration is evident in the 50 Leading Site Partnership agreements it has signed over the past three years.

Media Contact

David James

mediacontact@novotech-cro.com

AU: +61 2 8218 2144

USA: +1 415 951 3228

Asia: +65 3159 3427

About NovotechNovotech-CRO.com

Founded in 1997, Novotech is internationally recognized as the leading Asia Pacific centred Contract Research Organization (CRO) with global execution capabilities.

The Company has established itself as a clinical CRO with labs, phase I facilities, drug development consulting services and regulatory expertise. It has experience in over 5,000 clinical projects, including Phase I to Phase IV clinical trials and bioequivalence studies. Novotech employs over 3,000 staff globally across 34 office locations.

Novotech is positioned to serve as a partner and ally to small and medium-sized biotech, biopharma and pharma sponsors seeking to conduct clinical trials in Asia Pacific, the US and Europe.

For more information visit Novotech CRO
WASHINGTON  Sometime next year, after voters cast their ballots in a special election to replace Rep. Brian Higgins, the Buffalo area will be represented in the House by two first-term lawmakers for the first time in nearly half a century.

Will it make a difference? Will Buffalo have less clout in the House than it has had in decades?

[BN] Politics Now: A three-way race for NY-26 congressional district? Could three of Western New York's top elected officials  State Sen. Tim Kennedy, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz  battle it out in the race to succeed Rep. Brian Higgins?

History offers no clear answer to those questions. Academic research shows that inexperienced lawmakers have a harder time passing legislation than veterans do. But in several instances in recent decades, Buffalo-area House members of both political parties have notched extraordinary successes very early in their congressional careers  including both Higgins and Rep. Nick Langworthy, whos in his first year in office. Whats more, seniority seems to matter less and less in a body that just elected a speaker whos serving only his fourth term.

In light of all that, congressional experts and former lawmakers say, the amount of clout Buffalo has in Washington depends in large part on who replaces Higgins and how adept that person is in working with people and hiring a skilled staff.

Of course, no matter who replaces Higgins, theyre not going to become national legislators right away, said former Rep. John J. LaFalce, a Town of Tonawanda Democrat.

Seniority matters

Tim Kennedy announces candidacy to succeed Brian Higgins in Congress State Sen. Tim Kennedy is running to succeed his political mentor Brian Higgins as Buffalos representative in Congress.

LaFalce and former Rep. Henry J. Nowak, a Buffalo Democrat, were the regions last rookie tandem in the House. Elected as part of the huge Watergate class of Democrats after the resignation of Republican President Richard Nixon in 1974, LaFalce and Nowak joined Congress at a time when Erie County alone had three representatives, including Rep. Jack Kemp, a rising Republican star from Hamburg.

Back then, it took time for lawmakers to build clout. LaFalce became chairman of a low-profile subcommittee in his fifth year and saw a landmark piece of legislation that he pushed, the Superfund hazardous waste cleanup bill, become law in his sixth. Nowak, meanwhile, brought home increasingly large sums of federal money as he advanced on the House Public Works Committee over 18 years in Congress.

In other words, LaFalce and Nowak fit into the historical pattern found by researchers at the Center for Effective Lawmaking.

Members of Congress, regardless of party, as a general rule, become more successful in advancing their sponsored legislative agenda items as they become more senior, even if they dont hold positions of institutional influence, said Alan E. Wiseman, co-director of the center and chair of the Department of Political Science at Vanderbilt University.

But some relatively inexperienced House members tend to be more successful than others. Wiseman said that politicians who have served in professionalized state legislatures such as New Yorks often thrive in Washington in comparison to those who have not. In addition, he said research shows that lawmakers who hire staffers experienced in the ways of Washington accomplish more than House members who hire inexperienced loyalists.

Thats particularly true regarding constituent service, the often-overlooked job of helping average citizens fight the federal bureaucracy for aid or benefits, said Brad Fitch, president and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation.

One of the hardest jobs to learn in a congressional office is that of a field representative or constituent advocate, Fitch said. Its a really interesting, challenging, rewarding, difficult job. And people just dont build those relationships with federal agencies and local communities overnight. And so we counsel the incoming members, if at all possible, to hire at least one person who does have that experience and contacts because if not, youre going to set yourself back six months.

Bucking the trend

Be it because of who they hired or what they knew, inexperienced members of Congress from the Buffalo area have, in recent decades, bucked the historical trend and notched significant accomplishments early in their congressional careers.

Rep. Jack Quinn, a Hamburg Republican, essentially forced the Republican House to accept a minimum wage increase in his second term in 1996. Quinns successor  Higgins  forced the New York Power Authority to deliver a $279 million settlement to fund Buffalos waterfront revival in his first term in 2006. And this year, after only six months in Washington, Langworthy fought a Republican committee chairman and joined with Higgins to win passage of a measure preserving a key aviation safety measure forced into law by the Families of Continental Flight 3407 13 years earlier.

Higgins and Langworthy both attributed their early victories to the way they approached their jobs.

We won a nearly $300 million settlement in a process that nobody understood  and we understood it better than the Power Authority understood their own operation, Higgins said in an interview earlier this month. Truthfully, if we didnt, we could not have succeeded. But that was a way as a freshman in the minority to be effective.

Meanwhile, Langworthy attributed his success on the Flight 3407 safety measure to the respect he earned in his first months in office as well as his partnership with Higgins.

I was seen as somebody thats a team player, someone that worked hard behind the scenes as a freshman and that didnt push amendments on one bill after another just for the show of it, Langworthy said after winning that flight safety battle. We spent political capital on this, we leveraged relationships. Im very proud of the work that everybody put in here. ... The collaboration with our team and Brians team has been seamless and you know, we just have a great respectful working relationship despite the fact we dont vote the same way.

Quick turnover

Like Langworthy, Higgins successor will enjoy advantages that LaFalce and Nowak lacked when they took office in the 1970s.

For one thing, he or she will take office during an era of brisk turnover in the House. The current House includes 74 freshman members and the next could feature even more, given that 37 current members have either declined to run for re-election, resigned or died. That quick turnover means new members can build seniority and influence more quickly.

For another, seniority no longer seems to matter so much. For proof, just look at the Speakers Office. The speaker back when LaFalce and Nowak took office, Carl Albert of Oklahoma, served 24 years in the House before becoming speaker. But the current speaker, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, ascended to the Houses top job in only his seventh year in Congress.

Its not like it used to be, said former Rep. Tom Reed, a Republican who served a Southern Tier district for nearly 12 years before resigning last year, two months after a woman accused him of making an inappropriate advance and a few months before the end of his last term. Youre seeing a lot of loss of experience in the institution, which is good and bad, but it allows for good people to achieve great success pretty early on.
A 16-year-old queer artist from Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain named Pranshu died by suicide after a string of hateful and homophobic comments on his profile. The news was shared by Made In Heaven actor Trinetra Haldar through a long and furious post.

Sharing a picture of Pranshu, Haldar angrily wrote- Cant stop crying all day today. This is Pranshu (@glamitupwithpranshu), a sixteen year old queer child from MP who lost their life to suicide. Self taught makeup artist, so much grace, so beautiful. They posted a Diwali reel in a saree like so many of us did. After all, the online space is safer than the real world for so many of us. But is it, though? 4000+ hate comments on their reel. The number of profiles, educated or otherwise, dedicated to humiliating queer and trans folk  profiles that never get taken down  is absurd.

He added, The hashtag #JusticeForPranshu shows no posts, because some apparently violate community guidelines. There have been times Ive reported profiles spewing absolute and pure hate with 60k+ followers personally to Meta folks we know. They dont get taken down. Are we happy now? A child is gone. Just like that. So, so angry. How many more queer children do we lose?

Pranshus mother Preeti Yadav reacts

Why is no attention being paid to the fact that a 16-year-old faced hate comments online for doing something they not only loved, but were also good at? This negativity needs to be checked and curtailed.

Police investigation

The police have taken the statements of their father Rajendra Yadav, and other family members and neighbours, Nagziri police station in-charge Kamal Singh Gehlot told reporters.

Queer representation in Indian cinema continues to get more mature and nuanced but the outlook on social media still remains severely problematic and puerile.
Nargis Fakhri made her Bollywood debut with Imtiaz Alis Rockstar back in 2011 opposite Ranbir Kapoor. The actress was giving interviews recently during her trip to Mumbai and spoke about the rumours that spread about her and how it impacted her negatively.

On relationship rumours with Ranbir and Shahid Kapoor

While speaking to Siddharth Kanan, she said, It used to drive me insane. One time there was an article that said I moved into Shahid Kapoors apartment. I wish I had saved these articles and that my mom came down to visit and meet him. And I had people messaging, Oh, your mom is in town? What the hell, my mom never even came here. So, I had to get used to all of that.

An encounter with a reckless reporter

A reporter came up to me and said, Oh, how does it feel to be enjoying the B-town stars and she said it in a way like she was insinuating something. They were writing so many stories about different people. I dont even know anyone yet. I just told her, Well, I am waiting for you to turn me into a lesbian and that was the headline; I got into trouble.

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Nargis spoke about Rockstar and Madras Cafe and revealed, People still call me Heer. Everyone still loves that film. Working in Rockstar was like a green banana, I didnt know anything. I have so many memories, coming to India, the food, the language, the culture was all so amazing. I was in awe of everything, everything was so special. And with Madras Cafe, I got to experience South India. These two films gave me a full feel of India and how diverse it is, and I love that.
Cast: Arya, George Maryan, Divya Pillai, Pooja Ramachandran

Director: Milind Rau

Language: Tamil

Dr Gautham (Arya) and his wife Neha (Divya Pillai) are traveling to Chennai along with their daughter Maya when their car breaks down at a deserted village. As the help and the narrative progress, they discover the village is, no prizes for guessing, haunted. But, what makes the series The Village, directed and co-written by Milind Rau along with Deeraj Vaidy and Deepthi Govindarajan refreshing is that the ghost is not your usual evil spirit that wants to seek revenge or has some sort of unfinished business.

The monsters here go beyond jump scares. But the problem with the series is that its never as thrilling and captivating as it should be. Even when Arya, the leading man of the show puts up an impressive performance, hes overshadowed by the writing that loses grip pretty quickly. Its fine if you have done away with those done-to-death ghosts, but the characters still behave as they do in every other horror movie. There are deaths, there are investigations, and then theres one wrong move that leads to all the mess.

The series has been shot beautifully, and to combine eeriness and effervescence needs a nuanced understanding of the milieu, and some brownie points need to be given to the show for it. However, unlike Kantara and Tumbbad, The Village is not able to become more than just a title about ghosts and monsters. A dark flashback that sheds light on discrimination, the evil corporates taking over the jungles unfortunately reeks of pretense. The show wants to be a mystifying horror-drama but also a commentary on the environment. The concoction is bland.

However, lets try to end the review on a positive note. The series, as mentioned above, has stunning cinematography, spurts of eeriness that is effective, and the idea of creating a horror-drama as a web series needs to be at least lauded, if not universally embraced. Maybe next time.

The Village is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Its been 15 years since the horrific terror attacks rocked the city of dreams, Mumbai.

Not only did the attacks brutality shock Indians, but it also outraged the consciences of foreign countries. The 60-hour siege of Mumbai had begun on 26 November 2008. Hundred and sixty-six people were killed in attacks on a major railway station, luxury hotels and a Jewish cultural centre. Nine gunmen were also killed in the terror attack. While many people pay tribute to the martyrs, for survivors, the trauma still lingers.

For Devika Rotawan, who was barely nine years and 11 months old when she was shot in her right leg, justice remains a quest.

Lets take a look.

Wounds are still fresh

Just one month shy of her 10th birthday, Rotawan was shot in the right leg during the indiscriminate firing by terrorist Ajmal Kasab at the packed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station. In the gunshots at the station alone, about 50 individuals lost their lives and another 100 were injured.

In a crowded courtroom, Rotawan, now 24 years old, was the youngest witness of the incident and the minor who identified Kasab. Kasab received the death punishment in May 2010 and was executed two years later in Punes maximum security prison.

While speaking to Business Standard, she explains, I live with the memory. I wake up and go to bed with it.

Despite her young age at the time, she vividly recalls every detail of that horrific day, including the several victims who were left lying around with blood still pouring, the individuals who were shot at and collapsed, and the others who fled to save their lives.

According to The Indian Express, she periodically still feels shooting pain in her leg, sometimes as excruciating as it was on that night when I had no clue what was happening and why.

While speaking about Kasabs execution, she told the newspaper, He was living well in prison, whereas our life outside was a struggle. Just because my father and I were among the witnesses who identified Kasab, we were looked at differently. People feel we were facing some death threat and it might harm them if they are associated with us in any way. Finding a house, a school and even expecting support from relatives was difficult.

Now I know how important it was to have him alive to know more details. There is still no peace. Kasab was just one person sent for the job. What are we doing about the masterminds? Unless all such activities are stopped, there is no guarantee that there will not be another terror attack.

Also read: Moshes Mumbai trauma redux in Israel

Happiness is hard-earned

Prior to the 26/11 terror attack, Rotawan had lost her mother in 2006 from a protracted illness. Her father used to sell dried fruits.

However, his business suffered as he was rushing to and from hospitals to get his young daughter the treatment she needed after being shot.

She has two older brothers: one is disabled as a result of a spinal cord infection, and the other resides in Pune with his family.

Rotawan, who made a full recovery in three years, developed tuberculosis in 2014 and required additional hospital visits.

The Indian Express claims that despite her sudden rise to national prominence following her court appearance, her childhood was anything but ordinary. By the age of 11, she had already undergone six surgeries.

Her formal schooling, which began at the age of 11, was followed by another gap during the Class 10 board exam due to her illness. At school, however, there was no admiration.

According to her interview with Hindustan Times, her friends and schoolmates had started distancing themselves and even called her Kasab ki beti (Kasabs daughter). I used to run home crying because the girls used to tease me and did not want to play with me, she recalled. Many friends, relatives and neighbours distanced themselves from the family over fears of being associated with someone who identified as a terrorist.

The family still continues to fight a legal battle for a home from the state government. Amid the struggles, they moved from a 12-foot by 12-foot room in a Bandra slum to a one-HK flat in a residential building in Santacruz.

Also read: US okays extradition of Tahawwur Rana to India: What role did he play in 26/11?

The struggle to survive continues

Now, just a month away from turning 25, Rotawan has transformed into a confident woman. She is a final year student of Bachelor of Arts (BA) at Chetna College in Bandra.

Like many others, Rotawan and her family continue to grapple with challenges in a city of 20 million people. Her father, according to BBC News, has been jobless since his business was stopped.

Her elder brother, now well enough to work, is the sole breadwinner of the family. He works at a stationary shop, as per The Indian Express. Her college fees are covered by a private trust, which aids survivors, BBC reported. She is currently looking for a job to share the responsibility.

In her ongoing court battle, Rotawan is pressing the government for a promised home after the attack.

Maharashtra: 26/11 Mumbai attack survivor & eyewitness, Devika Rotawan says that she is facing hardship, especially following the lockdown period. She requests govt to fulfill the help assured to her earlier, in the wake of Mumbai attack. She says, I seek support from the govt. pic.twitter.com/QA3KboJwcq  ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2020

There were multiple promises. But eventually one has to look out for oneself. We have taken this on rent. My brother with a disability works at a stationary shop and earns for the family. But I want to share the responsibility soon as our father is old now and has many health issues, she said, adding that one matures with age.

Rotawan was determined to stop terrorism by joining the IPS. But eventually life catches on. I will try my best to achieve the dream Now I am looking for a job to support my family, she told The Indian Express.

She acknowledges that she may face criticism for speaking too big, too soon with no result to show, but adds, But then they dont know the struggle I have been through all these years Amid the struggle to survive, there has been no room to prepare for civil service exams

With inputs from agencies
For many around the world, this week seems to be one of deja vu.

A mystery illness in China  sounds familiar  has sent thousands of children to the hospital.

The rise of a charismatic nationalist in Europe has caused a massive political earthquake in Netherlands and left much of the continent stunned.

In Israel, while the war with Hamas continues to drag on interminably, the release of hostages has given many a glimmer of hope that the end is near.

We take you behind the scenes of the hostage deal as well as provide a look at the Israeli Defense Forces spy wing operating behind enemy lines in Gaza.

Meanwhile, OpenAI, one of the most cutting-edge tech companies in the world, was thrown into chaos after the ouster of its CEO Sam Altman. Altman, who was quickly snapped up by Microsoft and Satya Nadella, was in an incredible turn of events, rehired by OpenAI after an employee revolt.

All this and more in our weekly roundup of explainers.

1. Across the world, many had the same thought.

Another mystery illness out of China? It cant be.

No, not again.

But in fact, a pneumonia outbreak has indeed left hospitals in many Chinese cities overwhelmed with sick children.

This article takes a close look at the rising cases across China, how scientists and epidemiologist are sounding the alarm, the current line from Beijing, what the WHO is saying and if the world needs to worry.

2. Europe has seen the ascent of yet another nationalist politician.

Geert Wilders Party for Freedom netted 35 seats in the 150-seat Lower House of Parliament  more than doubling its previous tally.

The man who is often described as the Dutch Donald Trump has vowed to return the Netherlands to the Dutch.

This piece examines Wilder, his anti-Muslim and stridently anti-immigrant policies and what is likely to happen next in the Netherlands.

3. Israel has taken much flak for its operations in Gaza. The country has insisted that Hamas is using hospitals to hide its terror facilities and that its chief Yahya Sinwar is hiding like a little Hitler in a bunker inside a Gaza tunnel.

This article takes a look at Israeli Defense Forces Unit 504  which is on the frontlines of Israels ground war in Gaza  and how it has played a key role in laying bare Hamas use of hospitals as a shield for its terrorist operations.

4. By now, some of the hostages taken by Hamas during the 7 October attack have been returned to the loving arms of their families.

But making the deal between the two warring sides was no easy feat.

This piece lays out how the deal was eventually reached, its terms, what either side wanted and what they received as well as the instrumental role played by Qatar and to a lesser extent the United States.

5. What just happened at OpenAI? Thats what the entire tech world is asking after the company fired and then rehired its CEO Sam Altman.

The very public defenestration of Altman, the man whom many in the tech and finance world see as the face of the AI boom, was truly shocking.

Equally shocking was news that an agreement had been reached for Altman to return to OpenAI.

This piece provides a day-by-day blow of the stunning events  which puts one in mind of scenes from the HBO prestige drama Succession  that occurred over the space of a few days in the $29 billion dollar company.

6. Need a good cry at work?

Youre far from the only one. Trust us.

But one Japanese company has hit upon a novel idea  renting out handsome weeping boys. For just 7,900 yen (approximately Rs 4,000), these handsome young men will come to your place of work and wipe away your tears.

And if you cant get your emotions flowing theres no reason to worry  the weeping boys are trained in the subtle art of bringing out the waterworks.

The piece traces the origins of the idea from a Tokyo-based, firm, the options on offer and why this service is needed in the Land of the Rising Sun.

7. Celebrities. Theyre just like us. Except for when theyre not. At all.

This piece lays out how the rich and famous, since the beginning of 2022, have clocked up more than 11 years of airtime on their private jets.

Thats equivalent to the emissions of 40,000 of us common folk. Among the list of all-too-likely suspects are Elon Musk, The Rolling Stones, Kylie Jenner and the Murdochs.

Et tu, Kylie?

But one name remains conspicuously absent from the list  Taylor Swift, who seems to have massively cut down on flights and even bought a bunch of carbon credits prior to her latest blockbuster singing tour.

But despite Tay Tays best efforts to do her part, activists continue to argue that private jets need to be banned for the good of the planet. Theres just no pleasing some people.

If youve been too busy to keep an eye on the news lately, this list will come in handy in catching you up. Watch this space for more.
With three residents of this village on the outskirts of Ranchi still trapped in the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand, where rescue efforts have encountered yet another obstacle, the anxiety in Khirabeda has now reached a breaking point.

The auger machines blades, which were intended to cut through the tunnels rubble, became lodged in the debris on Saturday. This forced officials to contemplate other options that might delay the rescue of the 41 trapped workers for several days or even weeks.

Despite being confined to his bed, the desperation on the face of 55-year-old Shravan Bediya, whose only son Rajendra is trapped there, has been palpable since the news reached him.

Besides 22-year-old Rajendra, two others from the village  Sukhram and Anil, both in their early twenties, are trapped inside the tunnel for two weeks now.

Sukhrams mother Parvati, who is also paralysed, has been inconsolable since she found out about the disaster that happened in Uttarkashi.

In Anils house, his grieving mother has not cooked anything for the last two weeks. The family has been surviving on whatever food their neigbours are providing.

The rescue effort began November 12 when a portion of the under-construction tunnel on Uttarakhands Char Dham route collapsed following a landslide, cutting off the exit for the workers inside.

Anils brother Sunil who rushed to the spot from Ranchi told.

(with inputs from agencies)
The 18th edition of the India-Iran Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) took place in Tehran on Sunday. Leading the Indian delegation was Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, while the Iranian side was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri.

In a statement on X, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi mentioned that the co-chairs, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy FM Ali Bagheri, engaged in discussions covering a spectrum of topics, including political, trade and economic, cultural, people-to-people ties, connectivity projects such as the Chabahar port, agriculture cooperation, and capacity building.

The officials also exchanged perspectives on current regional and global issues.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, currently on a two-day visit to Iran, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Sunday. Their discussions revolved around bilateral concerns, connectivity projects like the Chabahar port, and shared insights on prevailing challenges in the region.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra called on FM @Amirabdolahian of Iran in Tehran today. Discussed bilateral matters, connectivity projects including Chabahar port, and shared perspective on current challenges in the region. Both sides agreed to further strengthen the ongoing cooperation in various spheres, Bagchi wrote on X.

A recent development saw Mahdi Rangrona, Vice President of the Iran-India Joint Chamber of Commerce, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ajay Shai, Director General and CEO of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations. The MOU aims to enhance collaboration in trade, investment, quality standards, and technology transfer.

Taking on their social media X, Iran in India stated, Mr Mahdi Rangrona, Vice President of Iran-India Joint Chamber of Commerce & Dr Ajay Shai Director General & CEO of @FieoHq (Federation of Indian Export Organizations) Signed MOU to develop cooperation in the fields of investment, trade, quality standards, & technology transfer.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and discussed matters of bilateral and regional importance.

The two leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, including to realise the full potential of Chabahar Port as a connectivity hub.

Prime Minister highlighted that India- Iran relationship is underpinned by close historical and civilizational connections, including strong people-to-people contacts, Prime Ministers Office said in a press release.

With inputs from ANI
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) announced on Sunday that efforts are underway to recover the damaged auger machine components and initiate manual digging, along with the commencement of vertical drilling, to rescue 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi for the past 14 days.

Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the NDMA, said, according to PTI, that various strategies are being implemented to rescue the workers. The second-best option, vertical drilling, began around noon, with 15 meters already completed. Hasnain explained that after reaching 86 meters in vertical drilling, the tunnel crust would need to be broken to extract the trapped workers.

Highlighting ongoing efforts, Hasnain mentioned that six rescue plans are in progress, with horizontal drilling being the most promising, having completed 47 meters. Machines for perpendicular drilling are anticipated to arrive at the site during the night.

Simultaneously, the recovery of the damaged auger machine parts, obstructed during horizontal drilling, is in progress using magna and plasma cutters. Once retrieved, a 15-meter manual digging process will commence to reach the trapped workers, acknowledging that it may take time.

Hasnain emphasised the collaborative efforts of all concerned agencies for the success of the rescue operation.

A plasma cutter from Hyderabad was flown in on Sunday to remove the obstructed parts of the auger machine within the Silkyara tunnel rubble.

Complete disengagement of the machine is essential to resume the rescue work, involving manually pushing pipes through rubble to create an escape passage.

Additionally, a unit of Madras Sappers, an engineer group from the Indian Armys Corps of Engineers, has arrived to assist in the rescue operations.

The auger machine, drilling through the collapsed tunnel rubble, faced complications on Friday night when its blades got stuck, prompting officials to explore alternative options that could extend the rescue operation duration significantly.

On the 14th day of rescue mission, focus shifted to two alternatives: manual drilling through the remaining 10- or 12-meter stretch of rubble or, more likely, drilling down 86 meters from above.

With inpurts from PTI
People behave irrationally during a meltdown or a downturn in the economy. Surprisingly, a lot of business owners do not rush to sell their businesses during a downturn, but when the stock markets are declining, we find that a lot of people start selling their stocks of good companies from their portfolios. They approach stocks as pieces of paper rather than proofs of part ownership of the businesses.

Lets say that a businessman runs a heritage hotel. During normal times, his profit is `1 crore. But as the COVID-19 fear spread, travel was disallowed and restrictions were imposed, businesses did come to a halt for some time. Usually, the businessman would not put his hotel up for sale just because of one year of slow business. However, in the stock market, people exhibit the opposite behaviour. There is a rush to sell portfolio holdings when the market slows down or starts to decline. These are the times when the astute investor uses his common sense and cash to buy businesses at dirt-cheap valuations in the stock market. Such events are common to most businesses. There are hardly any businesses which do not see a decline in their values during a market panic.

To make these points clear, I have selected a few companies which faced a hiccup in their businesses and the market severely punished their stock prices, providing astute investors with great investing opportunities.

IPCA Laboratories is a very successful pharmaceutical company with a current market cap of 27,000 crore. Its main business is API manufacturing and branded formulations for the Indian and international markets. In 2014, the US FDA made certain observations on inspection, which resulted in suspension of API shipments to the USA. The stock market reacted negatively to the news and in a short time, the stock price corrected over 50 per cent. IPCA labs had a great management team and in a brief window of time therafter, they were able to resolve the issues in their manufacturing. Their net profit is now double their 2014 levels. Investors who invested during those 50 per cent declines are now sitting on five times their investments! The intelligent investor waits for such opportunities in stocks and takes full advantage of them.

During 2015, ICICI Bank had peaked its ROE to 15 per cent and compared tofive years previously, had almost tripled its net profit from `4,670 crores in 2010 to `12,247 crores in 2015. However, with the economy slowing down from 2016, the top lender had seen concerns building up on its asset quality to corporate loans resulting in non-performing assets. The market punished the stock price from `321 in January 2015 to `168 in February 2016. This was close to a 48 per cent decrease in its stock price. However, the management was able to ride through the troubles. ICICI Bank also had profitable businesses in the form of ICICI Lombard life insurance, securities and asset management.

The bank was available at its lowest valuation in over a decade. This was the time to buy ICICI Bank stocks. The bank now has a profit of 14,749 crores as of 2021 and its stock price is at a lifetime high of `647. It has turned into a three bagger in a few years! Buying good quality companies when they have been mispriced is the cornerstone of wise investing.

Nestle India is one of the leading FMCG companies in India with a very high ROE and market-dominating products in many categories. In June 2015, the food safety regulators banned Maggi noodles after finding excessive levels of lead in its samples. Nestle India had to pull Maggi from the market, causing reduced profits in 2015. The markets beat down the stock from 7,280 to 5,100 levels in February 2016. The courts eventually ruled in favour of Nestle India and soon, their profitability was back on track. From a low profit of `563 crores in 2015, the profits in 2021 touched almost `2,100 crores. During that period, smart investors who purchased the stock have received at least three times more gains, with the Nestle India stock touching 18,577 in December 2020! This was an event risk* that unfolded. Sharp investors need to be on the lookout for such events and seize the opportunities they create.

HDFC Life is one of Indias foremost life insurance companies. In February 2018, the government announced the 80C of the Income Tax Act to be optional. All listed life insurance companies started correcting, and HDFC Life came down from being a 500 stock to the 350 range. In reality, their business had never been impacted by the announcement but the investors misjudged the business impact and kept selling the stock over the next few months. The stock fell to attractive levels and that was the perfect opportunity for value investors to buy the share. Those who bought in during that period quickly gained a large appreciation from the stock price.

The bear markets are the moments that value investors wait for. Stocks can keep going down. There is no point trying to catch the bottom. No one is known to be able to achieve that regularly. The investor needs to keep on investing on a monthly or weekly basis once the prices are in a range that they are comfortable with. These are the times when people, in a state of panic, are ready to part with gold nuggets, while the astute investor is ready to gobble them up. There is a point when the markets will stop going down. Once the tide reverses, the upward move is swift. First, the leading companies see their prices recover. After that, the rest of the market sees a broadening of the trend. The midcaps and small caps that have been battered to pulp see a swift recovery.

Intelligent investors do not want to miss these opportunities. George Soros said, The worse a situation becomes, the less it takes to turn it around, and the bigger the upside.*

It is not intelligence that is required during bull markets but the stomach and heart to stay invested, and during bear markets, to buy stocks. If the investors preserve their presence of mind and have cash for funding, then they can make some excellent purchases during these nervous periods.

Panics are a reflection of mass hysteria. They have been happening for hundreds of years. The psychology of fear remains the same. Accepting them as part of the attributes of capital markets is the first step. Taking advantage of them is quintessential for the value investors.

[Extracted with permission from the author and publisher.]

The author was formerly a banker and is now an entrepreneur running two heritage hotels, Dera Rawatsar and Fort Barli, in Rajasthan. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a 30 minute flight on the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas on November 25, and became the first and the only Indian PM to fly an indigenous designed and produced fighter aircraft. Dressed like a combat pilot and wearing a G-suit, he flew the sortie with Group Captain Debanjan Mandal. Having operated from Indian Air Forces (IAF), flight test centre, the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bengaluru, he was received and felicitated by the Air Chief, ACM VR Chaudhuri. It was all more significant, because he was flying a single-engine aircraft, when traditionally the VVIPs make flights in twin-engine aircraft like the Su-30MKI. As head of the family (government) the PM has led from the front.

PM Modi tweeted that his successfully completed sortie on the Tejas was an incredibly enriching experience, and significantly bolstering his confidence in the countrys indigenous capabilities, and left him with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about Indias national potential. He further said that it was a flight to remember. Tejas is Indias pride, a manifestation of the strength and skills of 140 crore Indians.

A flight to remember! Tejas is Indias pride, a manifestation of the strength and skills of 140 crore Indians. pic.twitter.com/n8hZk6fGKc  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 25, 2023

The flight underscored the PMs and the nations commitment to indigenisation. He congratulated the IAF, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), and all Indians for the great aircraft developed through a whole of nation approach. The PM also visited the world class production facilities where the Tejas is produced, and it was of great encouragement to the engineers and technicians.

LCA: Great Design and Operational Asset

The HAL Tejas is a single engine, delta wing, light multirole fighter designed by the DRDOs Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL. It is the smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary supersonic combat aircraft in the world. It has an indigenous fly-by-wire system, and makes extensive use of home-developed composite materials. The 4.5 generation aircraft made its first flight in 2001. The first Tejas squadron Flying Daggers became operational in 2016.

The IAF has ordered 32 LCA Mark 1s, 73 Mark 1As and 18 Mark 1 two-seater aircraft. It has been decided to order 97 additional Mk1As. IAF has projected a requirement of nearly 200 LCA Mk2.

The LCA Mk1A made its first-flight in May 2022. It can fly at Mach 1.6. It has 9 external hard-points with a capacity of 5300 kg, and provisions to carry combinations of state-of-the-art rockets; short-range and beyond-visual range (BVR) missiles; and various gravity bombs and precision guided munitions (PGM) from stand-off ranges. The initial batches have the Elta EL/M-2052 AESA fire control radar which will soon be replaced by the indigenous LRDE Uttam AESA radar. There are nearly 40 improvements over the Mk1 variant. It will have a potent electronic warfare suite. It will have an expanded weapon suite consisting of Astra BVR air-to-air missile (AAM) and Advanced Short Range AAM (ASRAAM). Many of these weapons will be of indigenous origin. The aircraft will start inducting in 2024.

The Tejas Mk2 or the Medium Weight Fighter will be a larger aircraft, with more payload, and will be powered by the more powerful General Electric GE F414 INS6 engine. These American engines will be produced in India. The engines will also initially power Indias indigenous fifth-generation fighters Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

The first flight is expected in 2024, and the aircraft ready for series production by 2026. The Mk2 will feature a modern glass-cockpit, have an advanced AESA radar, and an integrated infrared search and track (IRST). It will have an on-board oxygen generation system and a built-in electronic warfare suite among other improvements to avionics. More internal fuel will increase the combat range. The aircraft will eventually replace the Mirage-2000, Jaguar and MiG-29s.

A naval variant is also being developed. In January 2020, The Naval LCA made a successful arrested landing on INS Vikramaditya and subsequently, 18 take-offs and landings were conducted in five days. In a major milestone, the LCA naval variant made a maiden landing onboard the countrys first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) INS Vikrant in February 2023. This was also the maiden landing of any fixed wing aircraft on the carrier as part of its operationalisation. Indian Navys twin-engine MiG-29K landed and take-off subsequently.

As of 2022, indigenous content in the Tejas Mark 1 is 59.7% by value and 75.5% by number of line replaceable units. The indigenous content of the Tejas Mk 1A is expected to be 50% and rise to 60% by the end of the program.

LCA Combat Employment

LCA is a multi-role aircraft that is designed to undertake air defence, strike and maritime roles. It will be significantly used for offensive air support and provide close combat support for ground operations. Five IAF Tejas participated in its first outside India exercise Desert Flag VIII in UAE in February-March 2023. The fact that IAF deployed the aircraft in multinational exercises abroad reflects its confidence in the single-engine fighter. The LCA has been taking part in all military exercises within the country for a few years. The aircraft has had an excellent flight safety track record of accident-free flying till date.

Sulur in southern Indian Peninsula has been the home base for LCA Mk1 till now. A few months back it was decided to permanently move an LCA Mk1s squadron to a forward base in Gujarat. Further it has been decided to place the first LCA Mk1A unit in a forward airbase in Rajasthan. This not only shows aircrafts technical maturity, but also its operational capability.

Enhanced Aircraft Production

HAL has a capacity to build 16 LCA Mk-1As every year in Bengaluru and a new production line has been activated in Nashik. This will help ramp up production to a total of 24 jets. This will enable HAL to deliver the 83 fighters by 2027-28, a year ahead of the contracted delivery schedule. The IAF needs faster aircraft inductions to cater for retiring MiG 21 squadrons.

LCA Export Potential

LCA capabilities have been showcased through static and flying displays at Indias Aero India airshows for many years. It performed some daring manoeuvres to display its capability as a formidable fighter aircraft. HAL has also been developing a Lead in Fighter Trainer (LIFT) variant of the LCA two-seater.

The aircraft had also participated in many international events, such as LIMA-2019 at Malaysia, Dubai Air Show-2021, Sri Lanka Air Force anniversary celebrations in 2021, and Singapore Air Show 2022.

HAL has been in talks with many countries for possible export of the LCA. HAL was willing to set up logistic facilities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam as part of exporting the Tejas. Among the prospective customers are Botswana to replace its Canadair CF-5s with the Tejas. Egypt had once expressed interest in procuring 70 LCA Tejas to replace their 100 Chinese-made Hongdu JL-8 trainers. During Aero India 2023, it was reported that Egypt is seeking around 20 Tejas. LCA was a good contender for the Argentine Air Force, but the British sanctions affected the sale as there were some British aircraft parts including the ejection seat. Even the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) had shown interest, but finally no progress could be made as they decided to upgrade their existing Hawk two-seaters. Even the Malaysian deal could not succeed as finally they procured the KAI FA-50 Block 20 aircraft. Even Philippines dropped the LCA as a contender. But with an increase in production, LCA could continue to make efforts to find new export customers.

Way Ahead

The highest dividend for the atmanirbharta in defence is in aviation sector. Aircraft require the leading edge technologies. No country shares technology easily, and India must build its own intellectual property. Also obsolescence sets in early. IAFs leadership firmly backs the LCA program. In a recent review, Air Chief V R Chaudhari described the fighter aircraft as the flag-bearer of IAFs efforts towards the indigenisation of its combat fleet. Technology for many parts and sub-sections of the aircraft has been transferred by DRDO and HAL to private sector firms, and are being manufactured by MSMEs. Over the years a defence production ecosystem has been created. It is hoped that PM Modis confidence exuding flight will further raise the morale of Indias aircraft designers and engineers and accelerate the design and further development. It is also hoped that it will hasten the clearances and funding of further phases of LCA and AMCA development.

The writer is Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies.Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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The Erie County Legislature is considering passing a new law that would require many official government documents to be translated into the top six languages spoken in Erie County.

Advocates with the local and state New York Immigration Coalition are urging the passage of the Language Access Act, which would require that all vital government documents issued by the county to the public be translated and readily available.

The new law would also require the county to offer on-site translation services to ensure meaningful equal access to direct public services.

Advocates painted the need for the language access law this way:

I ask you to imagine how different your day-to-day life would be if you were unable to read your own mail, or even express your basic needs, such as going to the bathroom while lying in a hospital bed, said Hagar Hafez, a local interpreter and translator, who came to this country with her family under difficult circumstances. Think about how you might feel going to a road test if you couldnt communicate with the DMV staff.

Regine Ndanga, a social worker and mental health provider working with the Partnership for the Public Good, said at a recent County Legislature committee meeting that refugees and immigrants have boosted the local economy and deserve greater ability to understand information about critical services.

We must also acknowledge that language access is a fundamental human right and the foundation of language justice, she said. It empowers individuals to actively participate in our community without fear of being misunderstood or overlooked. Language access is a necessity, not a luxury.

Advocates pointed out that two Congolese residents died during the Christmas week blizzard because they were unable to understand county blizzard warnings.

This underscores the critical requirement for language access, particularly in public services such as emergency support, senior care and disability services, Ndanga said. We cannot afford to permit another preventable tragedy.

Erie County would be the first county in the state outside of New York City to adopt such a law, said Suvasini Patel, communications vice president of the New York Immigration Coalition.

County Executive Mark Poloncarzs administration weighed in on the proposed law, noting that the costs to the county for live and documentary translation services has not yet been calculated.

The administration is asking that legislators eliminate the part of the Language Access Act that forbids the use of online applications and machine interpretation and translation services.

Jordan Zyglis, a representative for the County Executives Office, said the administration would appreciate more flexibility in the law in light of the unknown costs.

The Language Access Act forbids the use of automated, electronic translation services and artificial intelligence, and precludes using family members or any other member of the public who is not a qualified interpreter from providing county services.

Advocates for the law said studies have shown that artificial intelligence cannot properly convey the nuances of human language, emotion or regional dialects.

The Language Access Act would amend the County Charter to establish an advisory board that would determine the top six non-English languages spoken in Erie County, based on a variety of data sources. The committee would also determine which county documents are considered important enough to require translation.

An evaluation of the top six languages would be redone every two years and consider U.S. census and school population data, as well as information from local interpreter and refugee resettlement agencies. Provisions of the law would also accommodate American Sign Language interpretation or real-time caption and transcription services for those who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Appointees from the county executive, clerk and sheriff would serve on the advisory committee.

Erie County Legislature Chairwoman April Baskin said she saw firsthand the difficulties that new immigrants face. She encountered a mother standing with her school-age son, who asked on his mothers behalf how and where to enter a county building for services. The boy was obviously supposed to be in school but instead was with his mother to serve as her translator.

A public hearing on the Language Access Act is slated for Dec. 4, with a final vote on the proposed law expected late next month.
The foreign ministers of China, Japan, and South Korea on Sunday reached an agreement to restart cooperation among the Asian neighbours, aiming to pave the way for a summit involving their respective leaders.

This represents the latest effort to alleviate tensions in the crucial region.

Despite the recent improvement in China-US relations, highlighted by the summit between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, Beijing remains wary of the strengthening three-way partnership between Washington and its key regional allies.

China, South Korea, and Japan had initially committed to annual summits starting in 2008 to enhance diplomatic and economic ties. However, disputes and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic derailed this plan, with the leaders last convening in 2019.

The foreign ministers met in the South Korean port of Busan for their first meeting since 2019, following the agreement in September to schedule a trilateral summit at the earliest convenience. The specific timing for this summit was not specified during the recent talks, reported AFP.

While it may not be possible for Chinese President Xi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to meet this year, South Koreas national security advisor Cho Tae-yong expressed optimism that the summit would likely take place in the near future, as reported by Yonhap news TV.

During their 100-minute discussion, the ministers agreed to enhance cooperation in six areas, including security, economy, and technology.

They also committed to engaging in substantive discussions to prepare for the upcoming summit, according to a statement from Japans foreign ministry.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, addressing concerns about North Korea, emphasized the importance of institutionalizing trilateral cooperation to establish a stable and sustainable system.

In bilateral talks, South Korea and Japan condemned North Koreas recent launch of its first spy satellite and pledged to strengthen responses to arms deals between Pyongyang and Moscow.

However, there was a discordant note when Japans Yoko Kamikawa expressed deep regret over a South Korean courts order for Japan to compensate women forced to work in wartime brothels, calling for appropriate measures from Seoul.

Despite these challenges, South Koreas Park extended an invitation to Chinas Wang to visit Seoul during their separate meeting, and they agreed to enhance strategic communications. Park also urged China to play a constructive role in encouraging North Korea to avoid provocations and move towards denuclearisation.

Amid tensions, Wang cautioned against politicising economic and technology issues in discussions with Park, emphasising the need for a more progressive approach to regional and global development.

In a separate meeting with Japans Kamikawa, Wang stressed the importance of ensuring that China and Japan do not pose threats to each other and respect each others legitimate concerns.

With inputs from agencies
China and the United States traded accusations over the weekend over the disputed South China Sea, after Chinas navy claimed it had drove away a US destroyer on a normal freedom of navigation operation, according to the US Navy.

According to a post on the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Southern Theatre Commands official WeChat social media account on Saturday, the Chinese military sent its naval and air forces to track, monitor, and warn away the US warship.

According to the US Navy, the Hopper asserted navigational rights in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law.

China claims practically the entire South China Sea, which serves as a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship-borne commerce, including areas claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that Chinas claims lacked legal foundation.

On Saturday, the Philippines and Australia launched their first joint maritime and air patrols in the South China maritime, only days after Beijing accused Manila of enlisting foreign forces to patrol the area, referring to joint patrols by the Philippine and US militaries.

This weekends incident, China said, proves that the United States is an out-and-out security risk creator in the South China Sea.

Lieutenant Kristina Weidemann, deputy spokesperson for the US 7th Fleet, said in an emailed statement: The United States challenges excessive maritime claims around the world regardless of the identity of the claimant.

Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas.

Earlier this month, the United States and China held talks on maritime issues, including the contested South China Sea, where the US underscored concerns about what it called dangerous and unlawful Chinese actions, the US State Department said.
In a recent case trending on mainland social media, a woman in China who posted her last will on WeChat had it declared invalid by the Huangpu District Peoples Court in Shanghai.

As per reports, the court ruling followed a dispute between the womans daughter, Qian, and her grandmother, Sun, over the distribution of the deceaseds assets.

The now-deceased single mother, surnamed Zhao, expressed her critical illness in a WeChat family chat on July 16, 2021, stating her desire for her assets to go to her daughter, Qian. Zhao passed away shortly thereafter, and upon her death, Qian discovered that her grandmother, Sun, had retained control of the assets, including the house, car, shareholdings, and bank deposits.

Qian took her grandmother to court, alleging interference by Suns son, who sought a share of Zhaos money and prevented Sun from cooperating with Qian regarding the inheritance.

The court ruled the WeChat will legally invalid, asserting that Zhaos assets should be divided among family members according to the law.

The court-mediated agreement between Qian and her grandmother led to Sun relinquishing the inheritance, with Qian receiving all of her mothers money. The report did not disclose if Qian compensated her grandmother.

Shanghai-based lawyer Brown Liu explained that, according to Chinas Civil Code, a will can take six forms, none of which includes a WeChat message. Liu emphasized that the WeChat will did not qualify as a legal document.

This case highlights the complexities surrounding wills made through unconventional means and the importance of adhering to legally recognized formats.
Amid the Israel-Hamas war, two men who were accused of spying for Israel were put to death in the West Bank. The crowd cheered as their bodies were dragged through alleys and then hung from a pylon.

As per reports, members of Palestinian armed groups shot and killed the two men on Friday in the West Bank city of Tulkarm.

Speaking under pseudonymity out of concern for retaliation, a Palestinian journalist in the camp claimed the men had been beaten and tramped on by camp inhabitants before being strung up from an electrical tower and thrown into a skip.

Videos depict hundreds of Palestinians swarming around the camps entrance while using their phones to record the violence.

As per a Palestinian security officer, the two men were charged with aiding Israeli security forces to target Hamas during a raid that resulted in the deaths of three important terrorists earlier this month.

The two purported informants, one from the refugee camp where the killings took place, were in their late 20s and early 30s, respectively.

There was no immunity for any informant or traitor, according to a statement from the Tulkarm Brigades, a Fatah-affiliated organization with headquarters in the West Bank city of Tulkarm.

It said of any such individual, We are on the lookout for him and we will hold him accountable.

A man appeared to be confessing to working with Israeli security services and providing details of his activities in footage shared on the Tulkarm Brigades Telegram channel.

Anyone involved in any way with Israeli security services had until December 5th, according to a statement from the Tulkarm Brigades, to come forward and express regret.

In a statement, the family of one of the whistleblowers attempted to distance themselves, referring to their disgraced relative as a malicious finger that we have cut off without regret.

The family continued, We will not allow anyone to blame us for his guilt. We affirm our complete innocence.

Confirming that Palestinian security forces were aware of the incident was a second Palestinian official who spoke on the same condition of anonymity. The public prosecutors office announced that it will provide information regarding the police investigation into the killings in the next few days.

Following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 and the Israeli armys reaction in Gaza, the situation in the occupied West Bank has become more violent.
Russian soldiers speak in shorthand of 200s to denote dead and 300s to mean injured in audio intercepts from the front lines in Ukraine. The desire to run has become so popular that there are already 500s  those who refuse to fight.

As the war enters its second winter, an increasing number of Russian soldiers want to leave, according to secret recordings obtained by The Associated Press of Russian soldiers calling home from the Ukrainian battlefields of Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk.

The conversations provide a rare sight of the battle as seen through Russian eyes  a perspective that rarely makes its way into Western media, owing to Russias criminalization of openly discussing the crisis in Ukraine. They also clearly indicate how the war has progressed, from professional soldiers who first fueled Vladimir Putins full-scale invasion to men from all walks of life forced to serve in harsh conditions.

Theres no f dying the death of the brave here, one soldier told his brother from the front in Ukraines Kharkiv region. You just die like a f earthworm.

The prospect of another wave of mobilization lingers, even as Moscow has been trying to lure people into signing contracts with the military. Russias annual autumn conscription draft kicked off in October, pulling in some 130,000 fresh young men. Though Moscow says conscripts wont be sent to Ukraine, after a year of service they automatically become reservists  prime candidates for mobilization.

The AP verified the identities of people in the calls by speaking with relatives and soldiers  some of whom are still at war in Ukraine  and researching open-source material linked to the phone numbers used by the soldiers.

The conversations, picked up in January 2023  some from near the longest and deadliest fight in Bakhmut  have been edited for length and clarity. Names have been omitted to protect the soldiers and their relatives.

The voices in these calls are of men who didnt or couldnt flee mobilization. Some had no money, no education and no options. Others believed in patriotic duty. One worked in a meat processing plant, cutting bone. Another worked at a law firm. A third, who worked as a roofer and later at a supermarket company, had a string of debts and had defaulted on his utilities payments, records show.

It is hard to say how representative these calls are of sentiment in Russias armed forces, but their desperation is matched by a spike in legal cases against soldiers in Russia who refuse to fight.

Whats happening in Ukraine is simply genocide, the soldier in Kharkiv told his brother. If this s doesnt stop, then soon well be leading the Ukrainians to the Kremlin ourselves, he said.

This is just a huge testing ground, where the whole world is testing their weapons, f it, and sizing up their d-, he went on. Thats all.

But there are other voices, too, of men who remain committed to the fight.

As long as we are needed here, we will carry out our task, a soldier named Artyom told AP from eastern Ukraine at the end of May, where hed been stationed for eight months without break. Just stop asking me these stupid questions.

The Kremlin and Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to requests for comment.

Soldier: bones, tears  all the same, they are the same as we are

When he finally got to go home, it came at a terrible price: his brothers life.

Nicknamed Crazy Professor because of his disheveled hair, he was swept up in the first days of Russias September 2022 draft. The soldier said he was assured that he wouldnt see combat and would get to go home every six months.

Neither turned out to be true.

After a few weeks of training, the Professor was sent to the front line near Bakhmut as a mortarman. He wanted out almost immediately. He was ill-equipped, at least compared to the well-camouflaged Wagner soldiers wandering around.

They have night vision and automatic rifles with cool silencers. I have an automatic rifle from 1986 or hell knows what year, he told his brother in a January phone call.

It was his job to aim, but the Russian armys coordinates were so sloppy that soldiers ended up killing each other.

The Professor said his commander instructed them not to kill civilians, but who was a civilian and who was a combatant? Even a kid could carry a grenade, he told his brother. Where did the mortars he fired land? Had he killed children?

The worst was when he was out with young guys in his unit. There was just a strip of woods between them and the Ukrainians.

I imagined that there, on the other side, there could be young people just like us. And they have their whole lives ahead of them, he told AP in June. Bones, tears  all the same, they are the same as we are.

The Professor told himself he didnt really have a choice: Either fire the mortar or face criminal charges and end up in a pit or a prison.

If you dont like something, if you refuse to do something, youre considered a refusenik, he told AP. That is, youre a 500 right away.  So we had to follow orders. Whether we wanted to or not.

The Professor never thought hed be a refusenik one day too.

___

The Professor: The worst thing is that there might even be children there, you know.

Brother: And what can you do.  You have your orders.  It seems to me that if it had been voluntary, you wouldnt have gone.

The Professor: You know, Im glad about that. Plus, we did such a good job that they gave us a car. The downside is, you know, how many lives were ruined for the sake of a car?

Brother: Not of your own free will.

The Professor: Im already so tired.

Brother: I believe it. Time to come home. I wish you could come home. Not so that you could home but so that all of this could be over already.

___

In the spring, as the Professors brothers drove down a road outside their hometown in Russia, a car made a U-turn into the side of their vehicle, sending it spinning as a semi bore down on them.

One brother was killed. Another survived but now cannot walk, family members told AP.

Desperate to go home to bury his brother, the Professor said he got approval from his commander for a 10-day leave. Military police in Russian-controlled territory in Luhansk let him through, he said, and he paid for his own taxi ride home. Once he got back to Russia, however, he was told he didnt have the right paperwork.

Not long after the funeral, the Professor got a message from his commanding officer: What is happening there? Are you going to come back or stay there?

Ill collect the documents, and then well decide everything, he wrote back.

Two hours later, around midnight, his commander responded: Im reporting you as AWOL, unauthorized abandonment of the unit. It was nice fighting together.

Now he faces up to 10 years in prison.

He hired a lawyer. Months into a 10-day leave, he cant even apply for an extension to legalize his stay and help his family because he doesnt have the right documents. He said his brother can move around on his arms and mostly get into his wheelchair by himself, but cant function independently.

People from the military came to his home, he said. Terrified theyd arrest him if he went outside, he passed documents attesting to the dire state of his familys health to them through the window.

His lawyer told him to look on the bright side. You are the only, well, how do I put this  at least, youre the only healthy person here.

His mother is at the end of her endurance.

I write everywhere, I call everywhere, too. Because he was told that he has to return to his unit, his mother told AP. But how can he leave his brother? I have no one.

Now, the Professor has visions of dead people. They stare back at him. He can almost hear them walking nearby. Sometimes he bolts awake at night, sweating, or dives under the covers at the sound of a whistle.

He wants his old life back, that sweet time he had with his wife and baby. He has picked up some roofing work at construction sites, and his neighbor proposed a new side job: digging graves.

Artyom: Everybodys f mad, f gloomy as hell

Artyom left behind a string of debts in Russia. Things got even worse in Ukraine, where it was so cold he couldnt wash his underwear and his lighter kept freezing.

Its not like Im having any f fun here, day in day out. Its been f four months already, he told his wife in January. Everybodys f mad, f gloomy as hell.

It was New Years Day, and the Russians were getting bombarded by Ukrainians and not even firing back, he said.

Yesterday we were f bombarded, for fs sake, we didnt even get a single shell out, not a single f shell, he told his wife.

The war seemed senseless to him. Why wasnt Putin satisfied with Crimea? What business did they have trying to take Kharkiv and Kyiv? Why was everyone lying about how great things were at the front?

No one was saying the one thing he wanted to hear: that he could go home.

___

Artyom: Yesterday we were listening to the radio and someone f said, the situation with mobilized soldiers is f wonderful. I dont know who the f idiot is who said that. Only five thousand people died.

Wife: Mhm. Of course.

Artyom: F sheads. I think half of them are probably gone at this point.

Wife: Right.

Artyom: Five thousand people my ass.

___

Artyom doesnt have much sympathy for draft dodgers and deserters, though he can see the wisdom in making a run for it.

Thats what you have to do, given the chance, he told his wife. This is not the best f place to be  But then theyre gonna say youre a f freak who ran away. I dont f need that.

He told her hell stay put and follow orders. If God wills it so that youre gonna f die, youre gonna f die, cant do much about it.

The AP reached Artyom by phone at the end of May. He was still in eastern Ukraine, where hed been serving for eight months without break.

Artyom said hed been a little worn out mentally when he was speaking with his wife. He said he loved his family before the war and loved them even more now. He regrets he didnt spend more time with them.

I have to save the guys who are with me in the trenches  and myself, he said. Thats what I want to do. And to put down the Ukrainians faster and go home.

Roman: I already feel more pity shooting a bird than a person

After two months on the front lines north of Bakhmut, Roman had some advice for his friend and former colleague back in Russia: Avoid this war any way you can.

Im telling you honestly, if theres even a slight chance, get exempted from service. But if the summons comes for mobilization, f it to hell. Join Wagner or the contract soldiers, or wherever you can. God forbid the mobilized. The mobilized are the lowest.

Roman explained that professional contract soldiers are taken care of: They get to go on leave, launder their clothes and bathe. They dont have to struggle for food and water.

Meanwhile, mobilized soldiers like him are shoved in trenches with men from all walks of life, some of whom dont even know how to hold guns. They never get to leave, and their commanders  weak wusses, he says  arent much help. Hes had to buy night vision goggles with his own money. Theres not enough to eat and no Clean drinking water . Soldiers are licking at snowflakes and scooping up rainwater to drink. He said he lost 30 kilos (over 60 pounds). The diarrhea hasnt helped.

It came to the point that there were puddles, it had rained, and the guys scooped up all the puddles and drank, Roman told his friend. Snow fell, f s, and the snow didnt even reach the ground, the guys caught it and ate it.

When he arrived in Ukraine in November 2022, Roman was part of a unit of 100 men. By early January, about a third were gone.

Roman said hes been lucky twice. Once he got food poisoning and stayed back while a group of scouts went out. They never came back. Another time, he was carrying water and tripped and fell just as a shell landed, killing others nearby.

Surrounded by a horseshoe of Ukrainian troops, Roman said it was like being on the tip of a toilet seat, in constant fear that their supply lines, thin as they were, would get cut off.

Roman had to scoop a mans guts back into his body  an act that didnt save the guys life. Another time, he went out to defecate in a field, and tanks started firing around him. He just kept squatting till he was done. After two months of living like this, so scared youll shoot at the softest sound in the dark, even the strongest minds started to fray.

We survive because we are on edge all the time, he said. Even guys from our own side dont come close, especially at night. When we are on duty, we warn everyone that we will shoot at anything that rustles.

Roman said his cousin was killed by a shell that took out a dozen soldiers. His family managed to get his body  or at least half of his body  back to Russia, but the other 11 soldiers lay unclaimed in Ukraine.

It wasnt just the killing that did people in, it was the sense that theyd been forgotten.

___

Roman: Our group is made up of guys who are sufficiently strong, morally, and guys like that. It was the first wave. Guys came together who are sufficiently patriotic, roughly speaking, who knew what it was to fight. After two months, they start to lose it. For many of them, their psyche was broken.

Friend: Yeah, I understand, all of the killing of course.

Roman: Yes, the killing is everywhere. A f lot of corpses. Some were stabbed with a knife, but thats not the point. Psyches are not broken because of this. These are people who are professionals, its our national army, these professionals come to our position. F, its f up here. They turn around and leave. That is, they are replaced, they have rotation, they are given leave, their clothes are washed and ironed, they wash in the bathhouse, they have no problem with food, they have no problem with water. Its not like this for us. It once came to the point that there were puddles, it had rained, and the guys scooped up all the puddles and drank.

___

The depressing, horrible panic that attacked him at the beginning of his tour has subsided. The calls home help.

One night, Roman got pulled into a special mission. They snuck into a Ukrainian dugout, knives drawn, hacked up a bunch of men and captured a Ukrainian officer for questioning. Death was everywhere, on both sides of the front.

F, I already feel more pity shooting a bird than a person, Roman told his friend.

Contacted by the AP, both men declined to comment.

Andrei: The mobilized are not considered humans

After four months in Ukraine, Andrei concluded that his life meant nothing to Moscow.

Called up for military service from a small town in Russias far east, he soon found himself in eastern Ukraines Donetsk province, on the southern approach to Bakhmut.

Andreis unit was taking heavy losses, and no one was even shooting back at the Ukrainians, he said. People were dying from friendly fire. Mobilized men like him were being forced to sign contracts.

The mobilized are not considered humans, he told his mother. No one gives a damn about us. They think that for 200,000 (rubles) we should die here.

Mutiny was in the air.

___

Andrei: Our boys are dying for nothing. Its nonsense, I tell you. This is not a war at all. When I come back, Ill tell you whats going on here. Its all bull-. Im telling you, our boys are dying, going 300, and no one even shoots back. Its all nonsense. Our artillery is hammering our own dugouts, not theirs. What is that?

Mother: What for?

Andrei: They, like, miss the mark.  Here, if they dont get you, your own will.

Mother: (Inaudible)

Andrei: Im telling you, you just start going nuts here, like everything pisses you off. Because you cant do s about it. Nobody gives a s. Its a half year and thats it. F them. If they dont relieve us, if they dont pull us out, the whole company will just walk away. They cant put a crowd of 100 people on trial.

Mother: They have no right to keep you longer.

Andrei: No one gives a damn here. We were told the other day that they forgot about us a little bit here. But they didnt just forget about us  they f us.

___

Mobilized soldiers like him are treated worst of all, he told his mom. Theyre not allowed to leave  even if they get injured  because commanders fear theyll never come back.

___

Andrei: Well, our guys are getting killed in droves.

Mother: Judging by what I 

Andrei: Im telling you. In droves from our side. If a contract soldier is wounded, hes sent home. If a mobilized soldier is wounded, they treat him, patch him up a bit, and tell him to go the f back, why the hell are you dodging? All in all, if you get sick here, you will not be sent home. They wont give a damn, and youll die in this pit where you live in. You cant get sick here at all.

Mother: Better not get sick. (Inaudible)

Andrei: This is how s works here. As long as you are useful, they like know who you are. And when you become useless, then nobody needs you. They forget about you.

___

He said the only reason hes still alive is luck and regrets finding himself at war. This is my only mistake in life, he said. I will not fall into the same trap twice.

God gives you one chance, his mother responded. God willing, youll come home.

In September, Andreis mother told AP her son was home, keeping himself busy with his family and collecting pine cones from the taiga.

She said she was born in Ukraine and her mother still lives there. She said it pains her that Ukraine is now filled with traitors and fascists.

I hate your current rulers, she said. Are you blind or stupid? Or cant you see that there are no normal people? Or do you want your children to turn into monkeys, like in America? What is this? I dont recognize my homeland, where I was born and went to school.
The top diplomats from China, Japan, and South Korea convened on Sunday to talk about enhancing cooperation between the three Northeast Asian neighbors and when to hold their leaders trilateral summit again after a four-year break.

The three nations, which are closely allied both economically and culturally, make up roughly 25% of the worlds gross domestic product. However, due to a variety of problems, such as historical disagreements resulting from Japans aggression during the war and strategic rivalry between China and the US, efforts to increase trilateral cooperation have frequently encountered obstacles.

According to Seouls Foreign Ministry, the foreign ministers of the three nations met in the city of Busan in southeast Korea to discuss issues such as how to enhance three-way cooperation, how to get ready to hold another trilateral summit, and other regional and global concerns.

Senior representatives from the three countries decided in September to call off the trilateral summit for as soon as it is convenient.

The leaders of the three nations had been scheduled to meet yearly since their inaugural trilateral summit in 2008. However, since 2019, their summit has been in suspended animation due to intermittent suspensions.

Their relationships are intertwined with a slew of complicated, touchy issues.

South Korea and Japan are key U.S. military allies, hosting a total of 80,000 American troops on their territories. Their recent push to beef up a trilateral security cooperation with the United States has angered China, which is extremely sensitive to any moves it perceives as seeking to contain its rise to dominance in Asia.

But some observers say that the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden struck a conciliatory tone in their first face-to-face meeting in a year earlier this month would provide Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing with diplomatic rooms to maneuver to find ways to revive three-way cooperation.

As the international society is at a historic turning point as it faces major challenges and changes, we hope to discuss our strategic significance of Japan-China-South Korea cooperation, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told reporters Friday.

Japanese officials said Sundays foreign ministers meeting would discuss North Koreas recent spy satellite launch and the Russian-Ukraine war as well as a resumption of the trilateral summit. The officials said that no joint statement was expected after the meeting.

The three ministers held bilateral talks on the sidelines.

After her meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday, Kamikawa said she renewed Japans demand that China remove its ban on seafood imports from Japan in response to Tokyos discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from its tsunami-hit nuclear power plant. Wang, for his part, said China opposed Japans irresponsible action of releasing the wastewater and called for an independent monitoring mechanism of the process, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Ties between South Korea and Japan deteriorated severely in past years due to issues originating from Japans 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. But their relations have warmed significantly in recent months as the two countries took a series of major steps to move beyond history wrangling and boost bilateral cooperation in the face of North Koreas evolving nuclear threats and other shared challenges.

In a reminder of their difficult relations, however, a Seoul court earlier this week ordered Japan to financially compensate Koreans forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during the colonial period. Kamikawa called the court verdict extremely regrettable and absolutely unacceptable, saying it violates international law and past bilateral agreements.

During their bilateral meeting Sunday, Kamikawa and her South Korean counterpart Park Jin discussed the court ruling, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement without elaborating. The ministry also said the two ministers strongly condemned the Norths latest spy satellite launch and agreed to work together to reinvigorate a three-way cooperation involving China.

Meeting Wang bilaterally, Park asked for China to play a constructive role in persuading North Korea to halt provocations and take steps toward denuclearization, according to South Korean media.

North Koreas growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles poses a major security threat to South Korea and Japan. But China, North Koreas last major ally and biggest source of aid, is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea and shipping clandestine assistance to the North to help its impoverished neighbor stay afloat and continue to serve as a bulwark against U.S. influences on the Korean Peninsula.
The tense cease-fire between Israel and Hamas looked to be resuming early Sunday with the release of a second group of militant-held captives and Palestinians from Israeli prisons, but the swap came after an hours-long wait that highlighted the truces frailty.

The exchange was postponed Saturday evening after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, which has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades, massive destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip, and an Israeli hostage crisis that has shaken the country.

The accord appeared to be in jeopardy until Qatar and Egypt, which mediate with Hamas, said late Saturday that the barriers to the swap had been removed. The militants freed 17 captives, 13 of whom were Israelis, while Israel released 39 Palestinian inmates.

Thousands of Israelis gathered late Saturday in central Tel Aviv to demand the release of all 240 persons arrested by Hamas during its Oct. 7 raid across southern Israel, which sparked the conflict. They charged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with failing to do enough to bring them back.

Pressure from the hostages families and lingering anger over Israels failure to prevent the attack have sharpened the dilemma facing the countrys leaders who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while bringing all the captives back safely.

The war has already claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

The four-day cease-fire, which began Friday, was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends. Israel said early Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day, in the third of four scheduled swaps.

Aid and respite in Gaza

The pause has given Gazas 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas, a few days of calm. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, returned to the streets to survey the damage Entire city blocks in and around Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes that hollowed out buildings and left drifts of rubble in the street.

In southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people from the north have sought refuge, residents lined up outside gas stations for a second day, hoping to stock up on fuel. Palestinians who have tried to return to the north to see if their homes are still intact have been turned back by Israeli troops.

Many are desperate to return to their homes, but they open fire on anyone approaching from the south, said Rami Hazarein, who fled from Gaza City last month.

The United Nations said the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (about 35,000 gallons) of fuel, just over 10% of daily pre-war volume, as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began. Aid also reached northern Gaza, for the first time in a month.

In holding up the hostage release on Saturday, Hamas alleged that aid deliveries fell short of what was expected and that not enough was reaching the north. It also said Israel was not releasing enough long-serving prisoners. Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in deadly attacks, as heroes resisting occupation.

A bittersweet moment for hostage families

Shortly before midnight, Hamas released the second group of hostages, 13 Israelis and four Thais. They were turned over to Egypt and then transferred to Israel, where they were taken to hospitals.

Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants. One girl was on crutches and wore a cast on her left foot.

The Israeli hostages freed on Saturday included seven children and six women, Netanyahus office announced. Most were from Kibbutz Beeri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 cross-border attack. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.

It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Beeri, who have been living in a Dead Sea hotel since their community was overrun. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or a loved one still in captivity in Gaza.

A heros welcome in West Bank

Some of the Palestinian prisoners were released in east Jerusalem, while the bulk returned home to a heros welcome in the occupied West Bank.

Among those released was Nurhan Awad, who was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors. Israa Jaabis had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of a bomb attack that wounded an Israeli police officer and left Jaabis with severe burns on her face and hands.

In the West Bank town of Al-Bireh, newly released teenage boys were paraded through the main square where they waved Palestinian flags as well as green banners of Hamas and yellow banners of the rival Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian health authorities said early Sunday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin that began the day before.

The military said it had arrested a suspect in the killing of an Israeli father and son at a car wash in the West Bank earlier this year. The army has conducted frequent military raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war, mostly people it suspects of being Hamas members.
A new group of Israeli and foreign hostages were released from Gaza on Sunday, on the third day of a truce after seven weeks of war, with Palestinian prisoners to be freed later.

Hamas is expected to free a total of 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israel over the course of a four-day pause brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Gaza militants took about 240 captives from southern Israel in an unprecedented 7 October attack that Israeli officials say killed around 1,200 people, most of them civilians.

In response, Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas and unleashed an aerial bombing campaign and ground invasion of Gaza that the Hamas government says has killed nearly 15,000 people, also mostly civilians.

Here are four key developments from the past 24 hours:

Third hostage-prisoner exchange

The Israeli army said that 13 released hostages were back Sunday on Israeli territory, and another four were on their way to Egypt.

An earlier statement said the released hostages included three foreign nationals who had been handed over to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip, on the third day of an agreed pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Lead mediator Qatar said 39 Palestinians held by Israel are to be released from prison later in the evening, in exchange for the release of 13 Israelis, another one holding Russian citizenship and three Thais.

Late Saturday, Hamas released a second group later than expected after the militant group accused Israel of violating the terms of the agreement, which Israeli officials denied.

Hamas says Russian hostage released

Hamas said it freed a hostage who holds Russian citizenship in support of Moscows foreign policy toward Palestinians.

That release was in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and in appreciation of the Russian position in support of the Palestinian cause, the militant group said in a statement.

Hamas says 5 leaders dead

The military wing of Hamas said Sunday that the commander of its northern brigade and four other senior leaders had been killed during Israels offensive against the Islamist movement.

In a statement, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said Ahmed al-Ghandour was a member of its military council, and named three of the others, among them Ayman Siyyam, head of its rocket division, while its West Bank branch confirmed another leaders death.

Tanker seized off Yemen

A tanker linked to an Israel-affiliated company was seized off the coast of Yemen on Sunday by unidentified armed individuals, a US defence official confirmed, following a series of incidents on the same shipping route.

There are indications that an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals seized the M/V Central Park in the Gulf of Aden 26 November. US and coalition forces are in the vicinity and we are closely monitoring the situation, the official told AFP.
Greeces prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Sunday he would push for the return of the Parthenon Marbles when he meets UK leader Rishi Sunak in Britain this week.

The sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, were taken from the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, the earl of Elgin.

Greece maintains the marbles were stolen, which Britain denies, and the issue has been a source of contention between the countries for decades.

Mitsotakis, who is due to see Sunak on Monday, likened the collection being held at the British Museum in London to the Mona Lisa painting being cut in half.

They do look better in the Acropolis Museum, a state-of-the-art museum that was built for that purpose, he told the BBC.

Its as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half, and you will have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum, do you think your viewers would appreciate the beauty of the painting in such a way?

Mitsotakis added that this is exactly what happened with the Parthenon sculptures.

That is why we keep lobbying for a deal that would essentially be a partnership between Greece and the British Museum but would allow us to return the sculptures to Greece and have people appreciate them in their original setting, he told the Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

The 2,500-year-old collection has been on display at the British Museum since 1817.

In January, the UK government ruled out a permanent return after media reported the British Museum was close to signing a loan agreement that would see the marbles back in Athens.

Mitsotakis, who won a second term in June, said his government had not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations.

But added: Im a patient man and weve waited for hundreds of years, and I will persist in these discussions.

Mitsotakis said he would also raise the issue with UK opposition leader Keir Starmer, who  if opinion polls are believed  is set to be Britains next prime minister after an election expected next year.

The Parthenon temple  built in the 5th century BCE to honour the goddess Athena  was partially destroyed during a Venetian bombardment in 1687, and then looted.

Its fragments are scattered throughout many renowned museums.

Earlier this year, three marble fragments of the Parthenon temple that had been held by the Vatican for centuries were returned to Greece.
In the last stage of a four-day cease-fire, Hamas militants released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, in the Gaza Strip, while Israel released 39 Palestinian inmates.

The late-night conversation was put on hold for several hours when Hamas accused Israel of breaching the deal. The delay highlighted the fragile nature of the cease-fire, which has brought an end to a war that has startled and scared Israel, caused enormous destruction in the Gaza Strip, and threatened to erupt into wider regional fighting.

On Oct. 7, Hamas militants in Gaza crossed the border into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, largely civilians, and kidnapping 240 others, including women, children, and the elderly. Israel declared war immediately, launching weeks of airstrikes and a ground offensive that have killed nearly 13,300 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-controlled area. Women and adolescents make up over two-thirds of those murdered in Gaza.

The cease-fire, mediated by Qatar and the United States, is the longest period of peace since the war began. In total, Hamas will release at least 50 Israeli hostages and Israel will release 150 Palestinian detainees. They are all ladies and minors.

Israel has announced that the truce can be prolonged by one day for every ten hostages liberated, but it has vowed to restart its offensive as soon as possible to achieve its goals of returning all captives and eliminating Hamas military and governmental capabilities.

The predicament of the hostages has captured the attention of the Israeli public. On Saturday, thousands of Israelis gathered in central Tel Aviv to show their support for the hostages and their families. Many criticise Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not doing enough to return the hostages. The hostage releases have elicited a range of feelings, including relief and concern for the hundreds of captives still held captive.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day in the third of four scheduled swaps.

In the West Bank, hundreds of people burst into wild celebrations for a second night as a busload of Palestinian prisoners arrived early Sunday. Teenage boys released in the deal were carried on the shoulders of well-wishers in the main square of the town of Al Bireh. But the mood of celebration was dampened by scenes of destruction and suffering in Gaza.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, who are reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has been focused, returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands.

At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate.

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

We want to find them and bury them in dignity, he said.

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (about 35,000 gallons) of fuel  just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume  as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

I wish it could be extended until peoples conditions improved, he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.

Joy and expectation

The last-minute delay created a tense standoff on the second day of whats meant to be a four-day cease-fire. By nightfall, when hostages had been expected to emerge from Gaza, Hamas alleged that aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough was reaching hard-hit northern Gaza. Hamas also said not enough longtime prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.

But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said the obstacles had been overcome.

Shortly before midnight, Hamas released the hostages  13 Israelis and four Thais. The Israelis were turned over to Egypt and then transferred to Israel, where they were taken to hospitals to be reunited with their families.

Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants. One girl was on crutches and wore a cast on her left foot as she was escorted away.

The Israeli hostages included seven children and six women, Netanyahus office announced. Most were from Kibbutz Beeri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 cross-border attack. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.

It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Beeri, who have been living in a Dead Sea hotel since their community was overrun. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza.

The mother of one of the released hostages, 12-year-old Hila Rotem, remained in captivity, the spokesperson said. Another, Emily Hand, is a girl whose father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage.

At their hotel, kibbutz residents gathered in a function room, cheering in excitement as they saw the first images of their loved ones being released on television.

A heros welcome

Some of the Palestinian prisoners were released in east Jerusalem, while the bulk returned home to a heros welcome in the occupied West Bank.

Among those released was Nurhan Awad, who was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors.

In Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out a bombing attack that wounded an Israeli police officer, and left Jaabis with severe burns on her face and hands.

Jaabis later told reporters at her home that she is ashamed to be happy at a time when Palestine is injured.

In Al Bireh, the teenage boys were paraded through the main square where they waved Palestinian flags as well as green banners of Hamas and yellow banners of the Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas. May God make them strong. May God be with the Qassam Brigades, said one of the boys, referring to Hamas military wing.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Late Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, hours after another raid in the same area killed the local governors 25-year-old son.

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was also killed by Israeli fire near the city of Ramallah. The Israeli army, which frequently conducts military raids aimed at local militant groups, did not immediately comment.
In the realm of philanthropy and advocacy, the name Rosalynn Carter is synonymous with compassion, resilience and an unwavering dedication to improving lives and creating a more caring world. As we offer our collective goodbyes to the former first lady, its important that we honor her work as a champion for those who devote their lives to caring for others.

Mrs. Carter learned at an early age that caring for family and friends who are aging, ill or disabled is a rewarding but often challenging role. She was cognizant of the diverse needs of caregivers and championed them as essential contributors to public health.

In 1987, the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers (RCI) was founded to support the health, strength and resilience of caregivers across the world. It was there that Mrs. Carter spoke these famous words that resonated deeply with my late husband, Ralph: There are only four kinds of people in the world  those that have been caregivers, those that are caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.

Throughout his life, Ralph witnessed family and friends who were unable to get access to caregivers, and caregivers who were unable to find the resources they needed to support their physical and mental health. At the end of his life, while setting the groundwork for the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Ralph had just one request of his four appointed life trustees when deciding how to direct over $1.2 billion of his assets across the communities of Western New York and Southeast Michigan  consider the caregivers. Today, elevating and supporting caregivers is one of the foundations key focus areas.

I had the distinct honor of visiting with Mrs. Carter roughly two years ago. She shared with me RCIs plans for a national advocacy program, which would help to center the voices and experiences of the countrys 53 million caregivers in our state and national policies. Last year the foundation made a lead investment to RCI to support this work. We have also provided funding to Exhale: The Family Caregiver Initiative, which brings together teams of local organizations to create innovative respite opportunities for family caregivers of older adults. Right now, the Foundation is working to improving caregiver roles and retention within health care systems.

Inspired by the shared passion of Mrs. Carter and Ralph, ongoing foundation efforts will seek to ensure the role of caregivers is valued and supported.

The world lost a changemaker this week. Let us remember Mrs. Carter and recognize her passing as an opportunity to reaffirm our communitys commitment to being both forces for good and advocates for the caregivers who embody the true spirit of compassion and selflessness.
Hamas terrorists were set to release a third group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners on Sunday as a delicate truce held in the two sides seven-week war.

The Islamist movements military wing in Gaza said meanwhile that one of its top commanders and three other senior leaders had been killed during Israels offensive, which was launched in response to deadly attacks by Hamas on 7 October.

With a four-day truce deal holding since Friday, there was relief for some families after the second group of hostages and prisoners walked free despite last-minute disagreements that underlined the fragile nature of the process.

Relatives voiced joy at the return on Saturday of hostages including a nine-year-old Israeli-Irish girl, and cheering crowds greeted Palestinian prisoners as they left a jail in the West Bank.

Four Hamas leaders killed

The ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner swap brought the first significant relief to both sides since 7 October, when Hamas fighters broke through Gazas militarised border with Israel.

In the deadliest attack in Israels history, the gunmen snatched around 240 people and killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli authorities.

In response Israel launched an air, artillery, and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.

Hamass military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said Sunday that its northern brigade commander Ahmed Al-Ghandour and three other senior leaders had been killed, without specifying when.

The group rarely issues public statements about the deaths of its members.

It said Ghandour was a member of its military council and named three other leaders who had died, including Ayman Siyyam, who Israeli media reports said was head of the Brigades rocket-firing units.

The United States blacklisted Ghandour in 2017 as a specially designated global terrorist, saying he was involved in numerous operations.

Happiness at hostage release

Among the hostages freed late Saturday was 21-year-old Maya Regev, kidnapped by Hamas fighters in their deadly raid on the Supernova music festival along with her 18-year-old brother Itay.

I am so excited and happy that Maya is on her way to us now. Nonetheless, my heart is split because my son Itay is still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, their mother Mirit said in a statement.

Emily Hand, the Israeli-Irish nine-year-old, ran into the tight embrace of her father upon her release, a video released by the Israeli Defence Forces showed.

We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember all the hundreds of hostages who have yet to return, her family said.

Among the latest group of Palestinians released was 38-year-old Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in jail for detonating a gas cylinder at a checkpoint in 2015.

Wearing a wreath of yellow flowers, she hugged relatives in her home.

Thank God. My pain is visible, no need to speak about it, she said, her face partially disfigured by burns.

I also have pain on an emotional level and I am missing my relatives. But this is the tax a prisoner pays.

Young prisoners embraced relatives and were carried on their shoulders after leaving Ofer prison in the West Bank where a crowd waved the green flags of Hamass armed wing.

May God protect the resistance in Gaza, mercy for our martyrs, and healing for the wounded, said one released prisoner, Wael Bilal Mashy.

AFPTV videos showed Israeli forces firing tear gas to disperse Palestinians gathered near the prison, and paramedics carrying one wounded person on a stretcher.

Ceasefire extension?

The latest hostage handover was delayed on Saturday when Hamas said Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and not allowing aid into northern Gaza.

Hamas later said it relented when Egyptian and Qatari mediators relayed a promise by Israel to uphold the accord.

Israeli officials denied any breach of the ceasefires terms, describing Hamass actions as psychological warfare.

Hamas released 13 Israelis and four Thai hostages at night, officials said.

Israel said it in turn freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had received a further list of hostages due to be released by Hamas on Sunday.

Hamas has released 26 Israeli hostages in exchange for 78 Palestinian prisoners in the two releases already completed.

The militants have also freed a total of 14 Thais and one Filipino.

Hamas is expected to release a total of 50 hostages during the truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

Egypt has said that it received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more hostages and prisoners.

US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday that the chances are real for extending the truce.

Jordans Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression.

But Israeli armed forces chief Herzi Halevi said Saturday that immediately at the end of the ceasefire the war would continue to dismantle Hamas and return as many hostages as possible.

Aid trucks enter Gaza

The pause in fighting has allowed more aid to reach Palestinians struggling to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Israel had placed Gaza under near-total siege.

A total of 61 trucks delivered food, water and medical supplies to northern Gaza on Saturday, the United Nations Office for humanitarian affairs said.

Another 187 trucks of vital supplies bound for aid organisations also crossed into the Gaza Strip, it said.

Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), warned of unprecedented humanitarian needs.

We should send 200 lorries a day continuously for at least two months to meet the needs, he said.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of Gazas 2.4 million people have been displaced by the fighting.

In the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health authorities said on Sunday that Israeli troops had killed eight Palestinians over a 24-hour period.
According to Palestinian health officials, Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank murdered at least eight Palestinians in a 24-hour span, as a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip reached its third day.

The West Bank has seen an increase in violence in the weeks after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, sparking a disastrous conflict in Gaza. In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers have killed scores of Palestinians and imprisoned hundreds more. Jewish residents on the West Bank have also increased their attacks.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, five Palestinians were slain in the militant stronghold of Jenin, while three others were killed in different parts of the West Bank since Saturday morning. According to the ministry, one of those slain was a youngster in al-Bireh, in the central West Bank.

According to the Israeli military, commandos stormed the Jenin refugee camp to arrest a Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli father and son earlier this year at a West Bank car wash. The military made no mention of fighting or Palestinian casualties in its statement on Sunday, but said forces were still patrolling in the region.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said Israeli snipers were positioned on roofs and that military bulldozers were damaging roads and infrastructure. The reports could not immediately be independently verified.

In its bid to pursue militants, Israel clamped down on the West Bank immediately after the Hamas assault, closing crossings and checkpoints between Palestinian towns.

The intensified violence in the territory follows more than a year of escalating raids and arrests in the West Bank and deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Before the Hamas assault, 2023 already was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in over two decades.

Israel and Hamas have briefly halted fire to allow for more aid to enter Gaza and permit a hostage release in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Vast swaths of the Gaza Strip have been flattened and some 1.7 million Palestinians have fled their homes.

In last months surprise attack, Hamas and other Gaza militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took about 240 hostage. Several dozen soldiers have been killed since Israel began its ground invasion into Gaza shortly after the attack.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories as part of their hoped-for independent state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his first visit to Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, declared on Sunday that Israel will continue until it wins.

In footage shared online by his office, Netanyahu asserted, We continue until the end  until victory.

This marked his first trip to the region since the conflict began on October 7. He emphasised Israels unwavering determination, stating, Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the power, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all the wars goals, and we will.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army reported on Sunday that 13 released hostages had returned to Israeli territory, with an additional four en route to Egypt, reported AFP.

The army specified that twelve hostages were headed to a military base near the southern city of Beersheba, accompanied by Israeli special forces, while one had been directly flown to the hospital. Sorocca hospital in Beersheba confirmed receiving an 84-year-old female hostage who was undergoing tests after being flown in by helicopter.

Four more hostages were in transit to the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

The hostages released on Sunday included 13 Israeli women and children, one man with Russian-Israeli citizenship, and three Thai nationals, as indicated by statements from the respective governments involved.

The released Israelis comprised nine children and four women, including a four-year-old girl named Abigail, whose case had been highlighted by US President Joe Biden.

With inputs from agencies
Starting from December 1, Malaysia will scrap entry visa requirements for Chinese and Indian citizens, announced the Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during his Peoples Justice Partys annual congress in Putrajaya.

Chinese and Indian nationals can now enjoy a visa-free stay of up to 30 days in Malaysia, contingent upon passing security screenings, according to a Bloomberg report.

Anwar Ibrahim, aiming to boost tourism and economic growth, unveiled plans last month to enhance visa facilities, particularly targeting tourists and investors from India and China.

In a reciprocal move, China declared on Friday that citizens from six countries, including Malaysia, will be allowed to enter thier nation without a visa.

Effective from December 1 and lasting until November 30 of the following year, this policy permits leisure, business, and family travelers from these nations to stay in China for up to 15 days without a visa.

These mutual visa waivers are anticipated to foster increased tourism, benefiting both Malaysia and the participating countries, while promoting economic exchanges and strengthening diplomatic ties.

With inputs from agencies
An armed ethnic minority in Myanmar has taken over a profitable border crossing to China from the countrys ruling junta, according to reports from local media and security sources on Sunday.

Following the October military takedown by an armed coalition of three ethnic minority groups, fighting has erupted throughout Shan state in northern Myanmar, near the Chinese border.

The groups have cut off the cash-strapped juntas trade routes by seizing dozens of military positions and a town that is crucial to trade with China.

The Kyin San Kyawt border gate was taken during an offensive by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), one of the three allied groups, according to a local media outlet connected to the group.

MNDAA also reported they seized one more border trade gate, which is called Kyin San Kyawt, in Mongko area, Muse district this morning, the Kokang news reported on Sunday.

It added that the alliance  including the Arakan Army and Taang National Liberation Army  had taken other positions in the border trade zone after the assault began on Friday.

MNDAA had raised its flag at the border trade zone at Kyin San Kyawt, a security source told Agence France-Presse.

The gate was reopened in 2022 after the pandemic, and is a major trading point along the Myanmar-China border.

Earlier in the week, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told state media that roughly 120 trucks, parked near the border crossing, had gone up in flames and blamed armed groups.

The uptick in fighting has battered Myanmars already struggling economy, damaging vital cross-border commerce and denying the military much-needed taxes and foreign exchange.

Local reports say goods that pass through the Kyin San Kyawt crossing include machinery, electrical appliances, agricultural tractors and consumer items.

(with inputs from agencies)
Police chiefs in Scotland are under scrutiny for allegedly covering up the extent of sexual misconduct accusations against officers.

As per reports, Irelands newspaper The Scottish Mail on Sunday reported earlier this year that a record number of police officers were receiving sex complaints. Concerning statistics submitted to the nations police watchdog body revealed that charges had quadrupled compared to the pervious year and suspensions had increased by 80%.

In a concerning development, Police Scotland has altered the way it records sexual misconduct allegations, making it more challenging for the public to track any potential increase in complaints.

This revelation has drawn condemnation from politicians, particularly in the wake of high-profile cases of officers committing violent crimes across the UK.

Despite heightened scrutiny on officer behavior following cases like the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Sarah Everard in London, Police Scotland has opted to obscure the number of officers accused of sexual misconduct.

Previously reported quarterly to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), sexual misconduct allegations are now placed under the broader other category, containing 433 general complaints with no specifics.

The change, made without explanation by Police Scotland, has raised concerns about transparency. Scottish Tory justice spokesman Russell Findlay emphasized the risk of public suspicion, stating that secrecy regarding serious allegations hinders trust. Scottish Labour justice spokesman Pauline McNeill called for a reversal of this decision, emphasizing the need for transparency amid a spike in sexual misconduct cases.

Recent figures indicate a notable increase in sexual misconduct complaints against Police Scotland officers and staff. In the first nine months of the 2022/23 financial year, 67 complaints were received, almost double the previous years count. Jo Farrell, the new Chief Constable of Police Scotland, faces additional criticism after apologizing for commandeering a police car for personal use.

When questioned about the altered statistics, Police Scotland suggested submitting a Freedom of Information request. This change also prompts concerns about oversight by the SPA, which no longer receives sexual misconduct information as it did before. The SPA reassured the public of its commitment to addressing these complaints and pledged to work with Police Scotland to publish relevant information by the end of the financial year.
A recent study conducted has shed light on a concerning trend in organ donation, revealing that a substantial majority of donors are women, particularly in Asia.

The study, based on data from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) in New Delhi and published on November 15, indicates that between 1995 and 2021, 80% of living donors were women, often wives and mothers. Strikingly, a parallel trend emerges among recipients, where 80% are men, underscoring the profound impact of gender inequality on matters of life and death.

This gender disparity in organ donation is not unique to India. A 2021 report by the Asian Society of Transplantation, headquartered in South Korea, found that approximately 60% of living kidney donors across 13 Asia-Pacific locations were women.

Notably, the proportion of female living donors significantly surpassed their male counterparts in most places, with exceptions in Hong Kong, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

Furthermore, the report highlighted that women faced lower chances of receiving transplants compared to men, with Bangladesh experiencing a mere 18% of female recipients for living donor kidney transplants.

Medical experts emphasize that there is no inherent medical rationale for men requiring organ transplants more frequently than women. Dr. Anil Kumar, director of NOTTO, asserts that if women needing transplants are not receiving adequate treatment, it constitutes a significant issue, debunking any medical basis for the observed trend.

Experts and reports attribute this gender disparity to societal roles, with men often viewed as primary breadwinners. The prevailing social structures, restricting womens economic freedom and autonomy, contribute to this phenomenon.

Global perspectives on this issue reveal that it extends beyond Asian cultures. The Council of Europes Committee on Organ Transplantation reported in 2022 that women constitute the leading source of organs recovered from living kidney donors across nearly 60 countries, emphasizing the widespread nature of this challenge.

In certain developing countries like Bangladesh and India, the disparities are even more pronounced due to unique economic and social pressures on women. Family expectations, economic constraints, and societal norms often coerce women into becoming donors, creating a situation where men, even with suitable donors in their families, are reluctant or prevented from donating.

The emotional dynamics surrounding organ donation further complicate the situation, with societal expectations and guilt influencing womens decisions. In some instances, husbands offering to donate to their wives face refusal out of internalized societal norms.

Efforts are being made to address this gender imbalance. Dr. Sandeep Guleria, a transplant surgeon at Apollo Hospital in Delhi, notes that counseling efforts have led to more men coming forward as donors. Despite these efforts, the overall gender imbalance in organ donation persists, indicating that more comprehensive studies are needed to understand the underlying factors contributing to this phenomenon.
Ukraine said on Saturday that it had shot down 74 of the 75 drones launched by Russia overnight, in what it called the largest such strike since the start of the invasion.

According to the Ukrainian army, Russia launched a record number of Iranian-made Shahed drones, the majority of which targeted Kyiv, creating power outages as temperatures fell below freezing.

The drone attack occurred as Ukraine observed Holodomor Remembrance Day, marking the starving of millions of Ukrainians under Soviet tyrant Joseph Stalin in the 1930s.

The enemy launched a record number of attack drones at Ukraine! The main direction of the attack is Kyiv, said the commander of Ukraines air force, General Mykola Oleshchuk.

The air force said it had downed 74 out of 75 Shahed drones.

Authorities in Kyiv reported five people were injured, including an 11-year-old, during the six-hour air raid.

According to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, falling drone debris caused fires and damaged structures throughout the city.

Residents in Kyivs Dniprovsky area were seen removing damaged windows and other debris, with ambulances parked nearby, according to AFP.

One of the damaged buildings housed a nursery, and another had a portion of its top level demolished.

Local neighbour Viktor Vasylenko said he had calmed his small daughter, who had experienced panic and nausea while hiding in a passageway during the protracted nighttime attacks.

The 38-year-old said his family always has everything prepared in case of such attacks but this was the first time one had hit so close.

My wife thought that the house would collapse in half, he said.

Latvias president, Edgars Rinkevics, on a visit to Kyiv during the attack, posted a photo of himself on social media inside a dark bomb shelter.

In a statement, the French foreign ministry condemned the drone barrage with the utmost firmness.

More than 21 months into Moscows offensive, fighting is most intense in the east of Ukraine and is now centred around the city of Avdiivka, which is nearly encircled by Russian forces.

Holodomor

Ukraines army said that while the main target of the attack was Kyiv, air defences had also been called into action across the south.

Kyiv said it was symbolic that the capital had been the subject of such a large-scale attack on the day Ukraine marks Holodomor.

More than 70 Shahed on the night of the Holodomor Remembrance Day The Russian leadership is proud of the fact that it can kill, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.

Zelensky attended a ceremony with Kyivs top military brass, holding candles, to mark the event.

We mark the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defend their freedom and Ukraines sovereignty against Russias brutal war of aggression, US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Ninety years ago, the inhumane polices of Joseph Stalin and the Soviet regime created the death by hunger, he said.

Today, Ukraines agricultural infrastructure is once more being deliberately targetedthis time by Vladimir Putin as part of his drive for conquest and power.

Ukraine says Holodomor  Ukrainian for death by starvation  was caused deliberately by Soviet agricultural policies.

Moscow denies this, and says it was part of a wider famine that also affected Russian parts of the Soviet Union.

Zelensky said it was impossible for Kyiv to forgive or forget the horrific crimes of genocide and thanked the growing number of countries that had recognised Holodomor as a deliberate crime against Ukraine.

They tried to subjugate us, to kill us, to exterminate us, Zelensky said. They failed.

Swiss leader in Kyiv

Switzerlands President Alain Berset was in Kyiv Saturday and paid homage to the victims of Holodomor that he said was provoked by Soviet leaders.

The pair discussed humanitarian demining, the use of frozen profits from the assets of the aggressor country and the peace formula, according to Zelensky.

Switzerlands famous tradition of neutrality has been tested since Russia invaded Ukraine  the Alpine country has followed the EUs lead on sanctions on Moscow, but has refused to allow countries that hold Swiss-made weapons to send them to Kyiv.

Kyiv has set up a new corridor in the Black Sea since Moscow pulled out of the UN-brokered grain deal in July, but it continues to operate under risk.

We have already accumulated more than $100 million (through the Kyiv-installed corridor), Zelensky said.

Drones have been extensively used in the conflict, with Ukraine also launching drones into Russia and annexed Crimea.

In Moscow, Russias top state television presenters took part in a ceremony bidding farewell to war correspondent Boris Maksudov, who was killed by a Ukrainian drone in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine earlier this week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Maksudov a courage award posthumously on Saturday.
Russia announced on Sunday that it has shot down four Ukrainian drones over four regions, including Moscow, as well as two Ukrainian missiles over the Azov Sea their route to Russia.

Moscow said the drone attacks targeted border regions and areas close to Moscow, a day after Kyiv reported the largest drone attack on Ukraine since Moscow launched its offensive last February.

Air defence destroyed four Ukranian drones over the territory of the Bryansk, Smolensk and Tula regions, Russias defence ministry said in a statement.

Earlier on Sunday, Russia stated that some drones were shot down over the Moscow area.

The Russian army also claimed to have shot down two Ukrainian missiles en route to Russia over the Azov Sea, which separates the two countries.

Russian air defence located and destroyed two Ukrainian missiles in the air over the water area of the Azov Sea, Russias defence ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Ukraines air defence reported it shot down eight of nine drones over the nation on Sunday.

Ukraine reported on Saturday that Moscow had launched 75 drones into the nation, the majority of which were directed at Kyiv.

The incident occurred as Kyiv commemorated Holodomor, the Stalin-era famine that killed millions in Ukraine.

Ukraine has been attacking Russian territory and occupied Crimea with drones for months, and this summer launched a counter-offensive to push back Russian forces.

The attacks on Russia came as Ukraine marked a decade since the Maidan pro-EU upheaval, which strained relations between the countries.

Russia grabbed Crimea and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine shortly after Ukrainians ousted a Moscow-sponsored regime in 2014.

Russia continues to see the Maidan revolution as illegitimate and when it launched its full-scale offensive in February last year, it aimed to install a different government in Ukraine.

In Kyiv ten years ago there was a coup with the use of force, the legitimate authorities were overthrown, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday.
South Koreas, Chinas, and Japans foreign ministers will meet in South Korea on Sunday, hoping to rekindle cooperation among the Asian neighbours and pave the way for a trilateral summit.

While China and the US have been mending strained ties, including a summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden this month, Beijing is concerned that Washington and its major regional allies are expanding their three-way partnership.

Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul had agreed to convene annual summits beginning in 2008 to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties, but the plan has been stymied by bilateral disputes and the COVID-19 pandemic. Their most recent trilateral leaders summit took place in 2019.

The three top diplomats are meeting in Busan, South Korea, for the first time since 2019. Senior officials from the three countries decided to have a trilateral summit at the earliest convenient time in September.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met separately with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, and Chinas Wang Yi on Sunday morning.

Park and Kamikawa blasted North Koreas launch of its first spy satellite last week and vowed to strengthen reactions to arms transfers between Pyongyang and Moscow, according to a statement from Seouls foreign ministry.

Marring the cooperative tone, Kamikawa called an order by a South Korean court for Japan to compensate a group of women forced to work in Japanese wartime brothels extremely regrettable and requested the South Korean government take appropriate measures, Japans Kyodo news agency reported.

On Saturday, Kamikawa met Wang and expressed hopes for security dialogue between Tokyo and Beijing in the near future. Wang highlighted the need for both sides to ensure that they do not pose a threat to one another and respect each others legitimate concerns, according to Chinas foreign ministry.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have taken steps to mend ties frayed by history and trade feuds, and held a historic trilateral summit in August with Biden.

Wang warned in July that US efforts to strengthen relations with Seoul and Tokyo could raise regional tension and confrontation.
Do we truly have freedom of speech if we are afraid to broach controversial subjects?

In a free society, what does it mean if we find ourselves self-censoring for fear of offending?

This is my quandary in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war. This is what keeps me up at night when I have broken a promise to myself not to watch the news before bed.

I am not a Jew, but my husband is. Our three children revere their Jewish heritage. In our family, we always put a premium on being well-informed citizens of the world dinner table discussions often revolved around politics and information exchange  read this book, you must check out this article. Dont just look at a screen and the same news outlets, try to keep an open mind, study history and read widely  thats what we taught our kids.

In our world as it is currently configured, I am questioning everything. Re-reading my daily journal, entries of late sound, well, crazy. Fractured  the meanderings of a very confused person. What Ive decided, considering this latest bad news onslaught, is to clarify my thoughts on paper. And ease my concerns about floundering in the troubled conversational waters we all seem to be swimming in these days, especially as regards to the always-simmering conflict in the Middle East.

Nothing is simple, and no one side has always occupied the moral high ground. So if you want to play the blame game, sophomoric at best, fingers can be pointed all around. The atrocities Hamas committed on Oct. 7 should be condemned, as should violence against Palestinians committed by Jewish-Israeli settlers on the West Bank.

Israel has a right to exist, and to defend itself. And yet, for the Israeli government to respond in kind to the Hamas attack  or inflict even worse  ultimately serves no one, except as an ever-escalating exercise in vengeance.

I reject the notion that if you criticize the government of Israel, or express sympathy for the Palestinian people, you are anti-Semitic, any more than criticizing the United States government should brand you as anti-American or unpatriotic.

Palestine, too, has a right to exist. Is there a viable two-state solution? Can a unitary state somehow be created?

I dont know, but we must try. For the sake of all the world, we must not reject the possibility of a solution. All governments lie. Officials lie in promoting war to win over public opinion, some with good intentions. (Google Colin Powell at the U.N., showing weapons of mass destruction allegedly photographed in Iraq in the lead-up to that ill-fated war.) Sometimes they regret their lies and distortions, when its way too late.

Can we not be too late this time? Can we try to harness the power of hope, and the good intentions of Israelis and Palestinians who abhor the tremendous loss of life, the damage and destruction of their beloved homeland  the shattered dreams of the children growing up in this bleak and terrifying landscape?

A true ceasefire would at least buy some time to make the real effort to find a solution. As a woman, a mother, grandmother and global citizen, I join others urging peace. Is it not worth the effort to at least try?
A year after historic protests erupted on Shanghais busy Wulumuqi Road, just a marginally heightened police presence at major intersections indicates anything out of the ordinary.

However, for many of those who took part in what became Chinas largest demonstrations in decades, the events of last October will be impossible to forget.

In the early hours of November 27, 2022, vigils for the victims of a fire in Xinjiangs capital Urumqi mutated into multi-city protests to abolish zero-Covid tactics and, in some cases, to overthrow the ruling Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping.

The authorities reacted by tightening down. However, authorities immediately eased the draconian health restrictions that had dominated peoples life for nearly three years in early December.

Shortly after zero-Covid lifted, everyone just got back to their normal daily life. Everyone just seems to have moved on, no ones talking about it, said Li, a protester in their twenties whose name has been changed for security reasons.

For people like Li, there is another reason for the silence: police visited her last month and warned her not to demonstrate.

When I think about (what happened last year) I still feel Im suffocated by it, Li told AFP.

Like many, she believed the countrys harsh Covid rules had hampered rescue efforts when she joined the vigil on Wulumuqi Road to grieve the 10 people killed in the fire.

Wulumuqi is the Mandarin name for the city of Urumqi.

When I saw so many people on that street, although I was mourning, in another way I felt safe, she said, recalling the first night of the protests.

The atmosphere was sad, but also empowering.

Taking on the regime

Protests continued in Shanghai the next day, and ignited in other major cities including Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu, with protesters holding aloft blank sheets of A4 paper to symbolise Chinas lack of free speech.

It was not surprising that protests would break out in response to the anti-Covid lockdowns, the University of Torontos Diana Fu told AFP, noting bread-and-butter issues were common flashpoints in China.

What was surprising was the blunt anti-regime rhetoric.

Overt political protest is rare in China, a sophisticated surveillance state that punishes dissent harshly.

Li said she had been concerned about freedom of expression before, but thought I could live with it, because it didnt affect my everyday life.

Covid changed everything  especially after being trapped like a prisoner in the two-month Shanghai lockdown.

People are only going to protest for their rights when it affects them. Thats why there were so many people, she said.

At the time, Durham Universitys Chenchen Zhang had suggested there may not be overarching demand for political reform beyond ending zero-Covid.

Fu noted the protests involved a minority of Gen-Z and millennials and therefore had not heralded a mass political awakening.

For those who did join though, it was a watershed moment, she added.

Huang Yicheng, a 27-year-old who was briefly detained on Wulumuqi Road and later fled to Germany, said those who wanted more had shouldered a lot of pressure to change the policy of the country.

The social movement tide was very big  but we were stranded like fish on a sand beach when people went back to normal after zero-Covid ended, he said.

So violent

Chinas security apparatus sprang into action to quash the nascent movement, from scrubbing all online mention of the protests to blanketing cities with officers.

On the second night of protests in Shanghai, Li said, police were more prepared to use force.

They were dragging a girl into a police car - it was so violent, I keep thinking about that image, she said.

Huang said he was dragged upside down along the pavement, losing his glasses and shoes.

In the chaos, during which he said he saw numerous women being beaten, he managed to escape without his name being taken.

Li was called to a police station a week later, and confronted with a picture of herself at the protest.

They asked me to describe what I did and why I was there in a lot of detail, she said.

William Nee, analyst for NGO Chinese Human Rights Defenders, said he estimated more than 100 people had been taken in or detained across the country after the protests.

He told AFP he believed most had now been released, except for 19-year-old Uyghur student Kamile Wayit.

Human Rights Watch recently called for her release, along with that of Peng Lifa, who in October 2022 unfurled an anti-government banner across a Beijing bridge.

The Ministry of State Security did not respond to AFP queries about the protests, including about those still detained.

Breaking the norm

Huang and Li both attributed zero-Covids end to the demonstrations, though the extent to which they were responsible for the U-turn is unclear.

The longer-term impact is in breaking the norm of protest rhetoric, said Fu.

Previously, protesters would cloak their demands in economic terms and refrain from directly pointing the finger at Beijing.

The impact on individuals is more tangible.

Li said some of her friends had left China and planned on never coming back.

Huang, too, will not return until he considers it safe.

For those who have spoken out, he said, we can never go back to normal as before.
The international free-speech organization Article 19 for journalists said in a statement on Saturday that two of the three journalists who were kidnapped recently in southern Mexico have been released unharmed.

The heads of the RedSiete digital platform, Silvia Arce and Alberto Sanchez, were freed in the wee hours of the morning, according to the organization.

Testimonies gathered by Article 19 indicate that both journalists were abducted on Wednesday by armed men who broke into the outlets central Taxco offices.

A press group member named Pedro Cardenas told Reuters that sources close to the journalists confirmed the release, but he would not provide additional information.

According to the organization, journalist Marco Toledo, the director of the weekly Espectador de Taxco, and his son are still missing; his wife was freed.

Cardenas, citing people close to Toledo, claimed the woman had not been physically abused.

On Thursday, the Guerrero state attorney generals office announced that it was looking into the five-person disappearance in the tourist town of Taxco, including the disappearances of journalists Toledo, Arce, and Sanchez.

An inquiry about recent events was not immediately answered by Guerreros attorney generals office.

Five journalists have died in Mexico so far this year, making it one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists, according to Article 19. With 13 journalists killed, last year was the deadliest since the group started keeping records in 2000.
Ukraine needs more air defences to secure its grain export routes as well as territories bordering Russia, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke at an international summit on food security in Kyiv on Saturday.

There is a deficit of air defence  that is no secret, Zelenskyy told the Grain from Ukraine summit, which was attended by senior officials from European countries, including Swiss President Alain Berset and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.

Zelenskyy was speaking after Russia launched an overnight drone raid on Ukraine, the largest drone assault of the war. Another air raid siren cut short the three leaders combined press conference.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine will be supplied by its foreign partners with vessels to accompany convoys of cargo ships leaving Ukrainian ports to ensure their security.

I have agreements with several countries about powerful accompaniment of convoys by Ukrainians, but using (foreign) equipment, he said.

Separately, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged support in a letter to Zelenskyy that she shared on social media platform X, saying the Commission would make available 50 million euros for quick repairs and upgrades of infrastructure in Ukraines ports.

The Ukrainian president said Kyiv hoped to solve its air defence shortage through new supplies from partners and increasing its own production capacity, something on which he said there had been progress.

As of today, I cant say details what we are making and where, but there is progress, he said.

Ukraine, a major exporter of grain, has been exporting grain via unilateral corridors through the Black sea, after Russia withdrew in July from a UN-brokered deal to allow grain ships through its blockade.

Ukraines current Black sea grain export corridors all start from ports in Ukraines southern region of Odesa.

There are certain air defence systems we are asking for them, Zelenskyy said. Weve already got an answer when those systems will start to guard that region. Because there, both the corridor and the people are important.

Asked about the protests by Polish and Slovak truckers which have blocked much of Ukraines road-based cargo supply in recent days, Zelenskyy blamed the problem on the internal politics of those countries.

I believe that there are difficulties on the border first and foremost because of certain political steps by our neighbours, he told a press conference after the summit.

Zelenskyy said he was confident the issue would be solved if Ukraines neighbours were given a bit of time to deal with the dispute.
Several Ukrainian teenagers, residing in Kherson following its occupation by Russian forces in March 2022, were reportedly compelled by school officials to attend a camp in Russian-occupied Crimea.

As per the report, one student, 17-year-old Denys Berezhnyi, studying to be a locksmith, claimed a school official informed him in October 2022 about the camp requirement, asserting his parents had already authorized the necessary travel documents, despite their alleged unawareness.

Fearful of consequences, Berezhnyi, along with other children, traveled by bus and boat to Crimea. Allegations against Russia include accusations of kidnapping or forcibly relocating over 6,000 Ukrainian children to various camps across Russia.

Some children were purportedly subjected to re-education camps or military training programs, engaging in activities related to military equipment and firearms.

These re-education camps reportedly impart Russia-centric academic, cultural, patriotic, and/or military education to Ukrainian children, according to a study funded by the US State Department. Incidents of children being punished or falling ill have been reported, including Berezhnyi, a diabetic, who claimed hospitalization against his will due to insulin shortage.

The situation prompted organizations like Save Ukraine to assist in the return of affected children, often facing complications.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of illegally deporting Ukrainian children. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine acknowledged the unclear number and circumstances of children removed from their homes.

Russias Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, denied accusations of stealing children and asserted Russia was saving them. Despite ongoing concerns, children taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territories lack the means to return independently, spending extended periods away from their homes.

The UN Commission noted that targeted children are often those in orphanages, hospitals, or those who lost contact with parents or legal guardians post-Russian invasion in February 2022.
In the next few years, the two-party monopoly of U.S. politics could come to an end . Only once in U.S. history has a third party ever succeeded at the national level. That was in 1860, when both major parties split. Abraham Lincoln, the candidate of the newly formed Republican Party, got elected with less than 40% of the vote in a four-way race. Of course, Lincolns election led to a civil war. Know what? This could get exciting.

 Are We Headed for a Great Political Crack-up? by William Schneider.

That was my former boss writing in the Los Angeles Times in 1994. As it turned out, no crack-up happened in the 1990s. The 1996 presidential election turned out to be a dull affair: President Bill Clinton easily defeated Republican Senate Leader Bob Dole as Independent candidate Ross Perot lost more than half of his support in the lowest turnout since women got the vote in 1920. But things could be quite different in 2024. We could see the wildest year since 2000 (when a recount in Florida delayed a winner for over a month) or 1968 (a year featuring war, race riots, prominent assassinations and widespread turmoil). Let us count the ways ...

1.) Voters are generally unhappy with the state of the union. According to RealClearPolitics.com, a majority of Americans in every survey over the past year have said that the country is off on the wrong track. Nor is this anything new: Since 1971, when Gallup began asking this question, most of the time Americans have expressed a negative opinion about the countrys direction. The three exceptions were the mid-1980s under Ronald Reagan (Morning in America), the late 1990s high-tech boom under Bill Clinton and briefly after 9/

11. Simply put, unhappy voters are more likely to go for a change.

2.) Many voters are uneasy about the Biden administrations performance. Since the fall of 2021, solid majorities of voters have consistently given the president negative job ratings. The turning point seems to have been the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021. But the high cost of living and perceptions of disorder both at home and abroad are also hurting President Biden. When a presidents job approval is below 50%, they usually lose: See Jimmy Carter in 1980, the first George Bush in 1992 and Donald Trump in 2020.

3.) Even many Democrats think President Biden is getting too old to serve another full term. In the two most recent polls on this subject by ABC News and USA Today, an average of roughly 40% of Democrats thought that Biden should retire  along with huge majorities of Republican and Independents. Over 65% of voters dont want President Biden to run again  a feeling especially strong among younger voters. While very few Americans have heard of Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, he could spring a surprise in next winters New Hampshire primary where Biden is running as a write-in due to scheduling conflicts. In 1968, an obscure senator named Gene McCarthy scored a near-upset on President Johnson in New Hampshire and he was from ... Minnesota. McCarthys unexpected strong showing, combined with Sen. Robert Kennedys entrance into the race, caused Johnson to retire. Watch to see if Phillips gains a protest vote in the early primaries.

4.) The antics of Hunter Biden are hurting the president. A federal judges rejection of a plea deal that seemed to go easy on Hunter will only keep this story in the news. And if the president is directly connected to his sons misdeeds, all bets are off.

5.) But Americans are also unhappy with the Republican front-runner: More than two-thirds of voters told the Suffolk University poll that they wish former President Trump would not run again. If Trump is re-nominated next year, it will be the first time an ex-president has done so since Grover Cleveland in 1892.

6.) A Trump-Biden rematch would likely be another highly negative trench warfare election that would come down to a few thousand votes in swing states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin. But the entrance of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as an independent candidate adds complications. Would Kennedys famous name draw Black and Hispanic Democratic votes away from Biden? Probably so; but RFK Jr. has also taken populist stands like opposing vaccines and favoring tighter immigration controls that could help him take Republican votes way from Trump. And Richard Winger of Ballot Access News predicts that RFK Jr. will have plenty of resources to qualify for the November ballot in most states.

7.) On the other hand, the independent candidacy of ultra-liberal former Harvard professor Cornell West (wherever he makes the ballot) will almost certainly siphon liberal votes from the Democrats. In 2000, Ralph Naders votes were greater than Al Gores margin of defeat in Florida and New Hampshire. In 2016, Green Party nominee Jill Stein diverted votes that probably cost Hillary Clinton Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin  and the election. (Stein has also announced shell be running as a Green candidate again in 2024). With Bidens 2020 leads of just a few thousand votes in Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin, Democrats have great cause to worry that history could repeat itself.

8.) And then theres the possible effect of the No Labels Party, co-founded by 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Lieberman. His party stresses many of the same issues that animated Perots Reform Party in the 1990s  deficit reduction, patriotism, nonpartisanship, commonsense reforms like term limits. When West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (perhaps the last prominent moderate Democratic senator) announced his retirement, he also said that hes absolutely considering running next year, planning to appeal to the common sense middle. (Two Republicans, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and retiring Sen. Mitt Romney, are mentioned often as possible Manchin running mates). Such a ticket would be most likely to draw equally from both major parties.

9.) Donald Trump has never received a majority in either the national popular vote or in key swing states. So, he probably needs other candidates to split the anti-Trump majority. Former Census Bureau Director Richard Scammon said that happiness is a divided opposition, and Trump is living proof of that. He may have a badly divided opposition next year, thus clearing the way for a comeback: the first poll of a five-way race including Trump, Biden, Kennedy, Manchin and Stein gave Trump a 40%-35% lead.

10.) 2020 witnessed a record total of more than 155 million votes cast and the highest turnout since William Jennings Bryan ran in 1908. With five or six candidates running, we could see close to 200 million votes cast next time.

Independent candidates tend to fade down the stretch because Americans tend to see them as a wasted vote in that they have little chance of winning. In electoral systems where proportional representation rules, minor parties can win a few seats in the legislature and be players in coalition governments. But except for Maine and Nebraska, the Electoral College is winner take all, thus usually hurting independent parties. However, with record numbers of Americans expressing unhappiness with a Biden-Trump rematch, things could be different in 2024. Ace presidential chronicler Teddy White called 1968, which also featured someone named Robert Kennedy challenging a Democratic incumbent, the year in which American politics came unhinged. History could repeat itself in 2024.

Patrick Reddy is a Democratic political consultant in California. He is the co-author of California After Arnold and the author of the forthcoming 21st Century America, a study of national politics.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe and other African countries risk losing out on the potential US$7 trillion that artificial intelligence (AI) could bring to the world economy if they are unable to optimise the productivity of AI goods, robotics professor Arthur Mutambara said.AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition and machine vision.AI is seen raising the global gross domestic product (GDP) by nearly US$7 trillion in the next decade.Mutambara, who is also a former deputy prime minister, told an In Conversation with Trevor Ideas Festival in Nyanga last week that the continent needed to embrace AI."We are talking about AI (which) has to put US$7 trillion into GDP," Mutambara said."The danger is: "Is Africa worth the value of US49$7 trillion? Are we producing the AI product? Are we manufacturing the AI product? Or are we just consumers of AI? What are we?"We must also have a share of that. We can talk about healthcare, finance, efficiency, reduction of costs and so on."Mutambara said AI could drive productivity and production."There are so many other things that you can do with generative AI," he said. "You can add US$4 million to global GDP by generative AI. General AI will add U$4 trillion annually to the global economy."He added: "On top of the US$11 million coming from the fourth industrial revolution, what is the major driver? Productivity is being driven by AI."Why? Because data is so much, remember the way robots and AI works is about data. "They give you so much data. There's so much data now and there's so much computing power."Mutambara said Zimbabwe needed strategic thinking to get things done. He also flagged the risks and dangers in AI.Existential risks  concerns that AI could eventually become so powerful that it poses an existential threat to humanity by accident or design," he said."What happens when we have a million super-intelligent agents whose capabilities surpass those of Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Elon Musk, Prof Edward Witten or Prof Andrew Wiles?"How can humans control society or the world with a million such super intelligent agents?"
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Hong Kong



British colonial possessions



Hong Kong was ceded to Britain by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking, which ended the First Opium War between China and Britain. The colony was expanded in 1860 after the Second Opium War with the addition of the Kowloon Peninsula, and again in 1898 with a 99 year lease on the "New Territories". Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997. Answer:Hong Kong was ceded to Britain by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking, which ended the First Opium War between China and Britain. The colony was expanded in 1860 after the Second Opium War with the addition of the Kowloon Peninsula, and again in 1898 with a 99 year lease on the "New Territories". Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997.

2. Indonesia



Answer: Dutch colonial possessions



The Portuguese established trading posts in what is now Indonesia in 1511. The first Dutch expedition arrived in 1595, and the separate Dutch trading companies were amalgamated into the United East India Company in 1602. They drove out the Portuguese and founded the capital of Batavia in 1619, but the territory now called the Dutch East Indies was not completely conquered until the early 20th century.



The Japanese occupied the country during World War II, and Indonesian nationalists took advantage of the situation to revolt.



Indonesia became an independent nation in 1949.

3. Algeria



Answer: French colonial possessions



Spain had occupied parts of what is now Algeria in the early 1500s in order to suppress piracy, and they were not driven out until the 18th Century. France attacked Algeria in 1830, and had occupied the entire country by 1875. Large numbers of French settlers moved into Algeria, and the French government considered it an integral part of France. Algeria won independence after a bloody war fought between 1954-1962.

4. Angola



Portuguese colonial possessions



The Portuguese arrived in what is now Angola in 1484 and soon established a trading post at the northern town of Soyo. Colonization began with the founding of Luanda in 1575. Angola was a center of the slave trade until the 1820s. The country won independence in 1975, but a bloody civil war followed. Answer:The Portuguese arrived in what is now Angola in 1484 and soon established a trading post at the northern town of Soyo. Colonization began with the founding of Luanda in 1575. Angola was a center of the slave trade until the 1820s. The country won independence in 1975, but a bloody civil war followed.

5. Mexico



Answer: Spanish colonial possessions



The modern country of Mexico was home to several civilizations before the Spanish arrived in 1519. At that time, central Mexico was dominated by the Aztec Empire, which the Spanish conquered by 1521 , naming the area New Spain. Mexico revolted from Spain in 1810 and declared independence in 1821.

6. Bermuda



Answer: British colonial possessions



Bermuda was discovered by Spanish explorer Juan Bermudez in 1505. There was no indigenous population on the islands, and the Spanish did not settle there. The first European settlement on the islands was a British colony at St. George's Town, established in 1612. Though African slaves were brought to Bermuda after 1615, the land wasn't suitable for large scale farming.



The people turned to shipbuilding, fishing, and the export of shipbuilding materials. Bermuda became a Crown Colony in 1684 and remains so today.



The mainstays of the economy today are tourism and financial services.

7. Cape Colony



Dutch colonial possessions



Cape Colony in Southern Africa was founded in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company as a stopover and re-provisioning station for ships traveling between Europe and the Dutch East Indies. The colony was lost to the British in 1795, but returned to Dutch rule in 1803.



It was again lost to the British in 1806, and this was made permanent by treaty in 1814. Cape Colony was later incorporated into the Union of South Africa in 1910. Answer:Cape Colony in Southern Africa was founded in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company as a stopover and re-provisioning station for ships traveling between Europe and the Dutch East Indies. The colony was lost to the British in 1795, but returned to Dutch rule in 1803.It was again lost to the British in 1806, and this was made permanent by treaty in 1814. Cape Colony was later incorporated into the Union of South Africa in 1910.

8. Indochina



Answer: French colonial possessions



The French began the conquest of Vietnam in 1858, and declared a protectorate over Cambodia in 1863. By 1899, Laos had been added as well. The French were ousted from the area by Japan during World War II, and when they returned in 1945, they faced independence movements in all three countries.



A brutal war was fought until 1954, when the French were defeated and granted independence to all three countries.

9. Brazil



Answer: Portuguese colonial possessions



Portuguese explorer Pedro Cabral discovered what is now Brazil in 1500, and the first settlement was established at Sao Vicente in 1530. The Portuguese imported large numbers of African slaves to work on the sugar plantations. Gold was discovered in the late 1600s, and replaced sugar as the main export by the 1720s.



The Portuguese king and court fled to Brazil from Napoleon in 1807, and the colony was elevated to kingdom status with the mother country. Brazil declared independence in 1822, and Portugal recognized it as an independent country in 1825.

10. Peru



Spanish colonial possessions



The Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro led a small force into what is now Peru in 1532. The area was part of the vast Inca Empire, which had been weakened by civil war. Pizarro captured and eventually executed the Emperor, Atahualpa, in 1533. Almost forty years of warfare followed, as the last Inca emperor was not killed until 1572. Peru declared independence in 1821, and the Spanish were defeated in 1824. Answer:The Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro led a small force into what is now Peru in 1532. The area was part of the vast Inca Empire, which had been weakened by civil war. Pizarro captured and eventually executed the Emperor, Atahualpa, in 1533. Almost forty years of warfare followed, as the last Inca emperor was not killed until 1572. Peru declared independence in 1821, and the Spanish were defeated in 1824.

11. Roanoke



Answer: British colonial possessions



An attempt was made by the British to settle on Roanoke Island in 1585, but it was not successful. A second colony, this time including women and children,

was founded in 1587. The governor of the new colony, John White, returned to England for more supplies, but he was delayed for three years due to the outbreak of war with Spain. When White finally returned in 1590, he found the site abandoned. No definite trace of the settlers has ever been found.

12. Suriname



Answer: Dutch colonial possessions



The Portuguese founded a small town, called Torarica, in what is now Suriname in 1629. The town's population consisted of Jews from Portugal and The Netherlands. The French also built a fort near modern day Paramaribo in 1644, but it was soon abandoned. British Baron Willoughby then built Fort Willoughby on the site in 1650.



The Dutch captured the area in 1667 and it became a constituent part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands in 1954. Suriname declared independence from The Netherlands in 1975.

13. Quebec



Answer: French colonial possessions



Quebec, founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, soon grew to become the capital of the French colony of New France, or Canada. The city was captured by the British in 1759 during the Seven Years War, and the entire colony was ceded to the British at the end of the war in 1763. Today, Quebec is still a French speaking city, the capital of the Province of Quebec, and the only walled city in Canada.

14. Mozambique



Answer: Portuguese colonial possessions



Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama first explored the coast of what is now Mozambique in 1498. The Portuguese began building forts and exploring the interior from 1500 on. Formal government was small, and power was held by wealthy settlers and trading companies.



The economy was mainly agricultural, but mining became important in the 20th century. A movement for independence began in 1964, and after a ten-year guerrilla war, Mozambique became independent in 1975.

15. Philippines



Answer: Spanish colonial possessions



Discovered in 1521 by the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan, who was killed in a skirmish with the native inhabitants, the Spanish began colonizing the islands in 1565. Spanish rule was harsh, and there were constant uprisings. A rebel group formed in 1892 began a revolt against the Spanish in 1896, and the islands were ceded to the United States after the 1898 Spanish-American War.



The rebels fought the U.S. until 1902. Independence was finally gained in 1946, after World War II.

16. Bahamas



Answer: British colonial possessions



The Bahamas were the site of the first European landfall in the Americas since the Vikings, Columbus having landed on San Salvador on his first voyage. The Spanish did not settle the islands, but the enslavement of the natives and the diseases brought by European contact had depopulated the islands by 1513.



The English began settling the islands in 1649, and they became a Crown Colony in 1718. Many American Loyalists came to the islands after the American Revolution, bringing the plantation economy with them.



The Bahamas became independent in 1973, and the economy is now based on tourism and financial services.

17. Guadeloupe



Answer: French colonial possessions



First sited by Columbus in 1493, Guadeloupe was not colonized by the Spanish due to native resistance. The French began to colonize the islands in 1635, establishing a plantation economy based on sugar and bringing in large numbers of African slaves. The British occupied the islands in 1759 during the Seven Years War, returning them to France in 1763.



The British again captured the islands in 1810, ceding them to Sweden, who returned them to France in 1814. Guadeloupe was declared a region of France in 1974.

18. Fort Nassau



Answer: Dutch colonial possessions



Built in 1614 to develop the Dutch fur trade with the Native Americans, Fort Nassau was located on the upper Hudson River in modern New York State. The original fort, as well as a second one built on the same site, was damaged several times by the weather and was abandoned in 1618.



The Dutch built Fort Orange nearby in 1624. The entire colony of New Netherland, including New York City, was lost to the British in 1664.

19. Macau



Answer: Portuguese colonial possessions



Located on China's southern coast, Macau was leased to Portugal as a trading post in 1557. The fortunes of the colony rose and fell over the years due to political and economic changes, such as the establishment of Hong Kong by the British and the Dutch seizure of Malacca. Portugal was granted Macau in perpetuity by an 1887 treaty with China, and the colony prospered once again.



In 1987, a treaty was signed which returned Macau to China as a "special administrative district" in 1999.

20. Florida



Answer: Spanish colonial possessions



Explored in 1513 for Spain by Juan Ponce de Leon, the first permanent Spanish settlement was established at St. Augustine in 1565. The Spanish presence was small and mostly limited to the coastal areas at this time. Florida was ceded to Britain in 1763 at the close of the Seven Years War, and British settlers began arriving. Florida was returned to Spain in 1783, after the American Revolution.



Incursions by American settlers from Georgia and hostilities between the Americans and the Seminole tribe, which the Spanish could not control, led Spain to cede Florida to the United States in 1821.

Source: Author Reamar42 This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ponycargirl before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
News / National

by Staff reporter

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says Zimbabwe is committed to promoting democracy in the region while calling on Sadc countries to remain united.Mnangagwa, who is the incoming Sadc chairperson, said this at State house yesterday during a courtesy call by regional ambassadors to Zimbabwe.The delegation was led by Angolan ambassador to Zimbabwe Agostino Tavares."Democracy and the rule of law are two of the core principles enshrined in Articles 4(c) and 5 of the Sadc Treaty. As a founding member of our august regional bloc, Zimbabwe takes pride in entrenching unity, peace and development, as well as deepening constitutionalism, good governance, democracy and the rule of law," he said."I also want to assure you, as the incoming chair of Sadc, that Zimbabwe is committed to promoting our common political values, systems and democratic practices."Critics, however, accuse Mnangagwa of closing the democratic space as evidenced by the jailing opponents.Mnangagwa said the ambassadors' visit showed how the regional bloc had remained united since the days of the liberation struggle."This unity, love and common purpose among our countries must be nurtured and defended for shared peace and stability, as well as the socio-economic development and prosperity of our peoples," he said."Your visit today shows our determination as Sadc to continue standing as a solid bloc, guided by the adage, united we stand, divided we fall'. Let us remain firm on our principles of solidarity as we accelerate regional integration for sustainable development for a common future."Mnangagwa expressed gratitude for the solidarity call for the removal of sanctions."Dating back to the days of our liberation struggle, and indeed since time immemorial, we are collectively united by unbreakable bonds cemented by historical, cultural and family ties. We are one people," he said.Tavares said the diplomats met Mnangagwa to reiterate their support for the people of Zimbabwe."We are one family. We are all here to congratulate the President on the very peaceful, fair, free and transparent election," he said.
Google Pixel 8 Review: The Android Flagship for the Masses! Reviews oi -Carlsen Martin

Last year, Google released the flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro in India after a long hiatus. And while the Pixel 7 Pro was impressive in its own rank, the Pixel 7 was my pick for the best smartphone of the year.

So expectations were at an all-time high when Google released the latest Pixel 8 series in the country. I have yet to get my hands on the Pixel 8 Pro, but I've been using the vanilla Pixel 8 model for a month now and here's what I think:

Google Pixel 8 Price in India

Starting things off with pricing! The Google Pixel 8 price in India starts from Rs 75,999 for the base 8GB/128GB, while the 8GB/256GB variant will set you back Rs 82,999. So far as pricing is concerned, the Pixel 8 falls on the steeper side. However, Google has made quite a few upgrades here but are they worth the price hike. It is worth noting that the Pixel 7 series got several discounts and price cuts throughout 2023.

Design

While the Pixel 8 follows the same design formula as the Pixel 7, the former is more compact and feels more comfortable in the hand thanks to the more rounded corners. Google has also trimmed down the bezels on the Pixel 8. The vison-style camera bar that stretches across the back of the phone and thankfully, is here to stay.

The Pixel 8 comes in three colors in India - Rose, Obsidian, and Hazel. Our model arrived in the Hazel shade. The glossy back panel on the Pixel 8 was quite resilient to fingerprints and smudges, although the smooth matte frame makes it easier to grip as compared to the glossy frame on the Pixel 7 Pro.

Another noticeable difference on the Pixel 8 is the camera bar, which protrudes a little more than that of the Pixel 7 series. Google has secured the Pixel 8 with Gorilla Glass Victus on both the front and back, while the frame is made from aluminum. To complete the flagship build, the Pixel 8 is equipped with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Lastly, the Pixel 8 measures 8.9mm thick and weighs 187 grams.

The Pixel 8 features the standard button placements with the power and volume buttons on the right and the USB Type-C port and speaker grille on the bottom. Additionally, there's a SIM tray on the left. Anyone with small-to-medium sized hands will find the buttons very conveniently placed.

Display

A noteworthy update to the Pixel 8 is the new display. Google have opted for a 6.2-inch Full HD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) OLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. However, the two biggest upgrades are the 120Hz refresh rate and the impressive 2,000 nits peak brightness. The Pixel 8's screen can refresh anywhere between 60Hz to 120Hz for a smooth navigation and gaming experience.

On the flip side, this isn't an LTPO panel, so switching it up to 120Hz will take a toll on the battery. However, there's no downside in terms of brightness, with the Pixel 8 achieving a peak brightness of 2,000 nits and an average brightness of 1,400 nits.

The Pixel 8's screen is easily visible even under direct sunlight. The panel also supports HDR10+ content. Other advantages of the screen include excellent viewing angles and accurate color reproduction. The updates to the display on the Pixel 8 make it a significant upgrade over its predecessor.

Performance

The Google Pixel 8 is equipped with the new Tensor G3 SoC, which features a 9-core CPU with a main Cortex-X3 core, four Cortex-A715 cores, and four Cortex-A510 cores. Additionally, the Pixel 8 also opts for a new Immoralis-G715s MC10 GPU, a Titan M2 security chip, and a new NPU for improvements in AI performance.

Our model of the Pixel 8 arrived with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, although you can also get it with 256GB of storage in India. Before we look at gaming performance and benchmarks, these are the Pixel 8's wireless connectivity options - Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3.

We did a few benchmarking tests, where the Pixel 8 managed an overall AnTuTu score of 930,303 points, falling short of the million mark achieved by nearly all Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 smartphones. In Geekbench 6, the Pixel 8 managed a single-core score of 1604 points and a multi-core score of 4520 points.

Apart from the benchmarks, the Pixel 8 offers smooth multitasking performance. It also ran every titled we tested smoothly on high graphics. These included Call of Duty: Mobile, Asphalt 9: Legends, and Injustice: Gods Among Us on maximum settings with the frame rates bumped up to the max. Unfortunately, some of the heating issues from its predecessor still persist while recording videos.

Cameras

For optics, the Google Pixel 8 gets the same camera setup as its predecessor, although there's an upgraded 50 MP Samsung GN2 primary camera sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, and OIS support. The downside is that the ultrawide lens is still the same 12 MP Sony IMX386 sensor with 125.8-degree FoV. There's also an LDAF sensor. Up front, there's a new 10.5 MP selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture. Now, let's look at some real-world results.

In daylight, the Pixel 8's main camera shines, capturing images with a ton of detail and virtually no noise. Some shots did tend to look a bit on the sharp side, although overall image quality was excellent. White balance was consistent in shots and Google got saturation on point, while keeping colors punchy.

The sensor also handles the 2x zoom well without lowering quality too much. However, the same cannot be said of the 5x zoom and 8x Super Res zoom, although Google's software prowess does make these photos usable. The Pixel 8's laser AF was on point, allowing the camera system to quickly focus on subjects.

The Pixel 8 has an upgraded ultrawide sensor, which is the same as on last year's Pixel 7 Pro. When compared with the iPhone 14 Pro and the Galaxy S23, the Pixel 8 managed more detailed shots with the ultrawide shooter. Moreover, the ultrawide also managed to retain the same color tones as the main camera.

The ultrawide camera on the Pixel 8 also comes with Autofocus and offers a 'Macro' mode, which are two noteworthy upgrades. To its credit, Google has made some solid upgrades to the ultrawide camera on the Pixel 8, although it doesn't quite match up to the primary 50 MP shooter in terms of detail. Additionally, images on the ultrawide were also visibly softer.

In low light, the Pixel 8's main camera captures shots with balanced exposure, while retaining highlights to ensure shadows are not blown out. Night mode also increases the level of brightness in the scene, while maintaining a realistic look and improving overall detail. The camera also captures fast moving subjects with visibly less blur than its predecessor.

Night mode also takes care of noise, although the noise reduction algorithm is not too aggressive. The ultrawide camera also captures reliable shots in low light with night mode turned on. Scenes look well exposed, while dynamic range was good in scenarios with sufficient ambient light. Unfortunately, night mode doesn't really help with softness and software can only do so much.

The Pixel 8 also incorporates a new selfie camera that captures images at the original 0.7x or a cropped 1x FoV. Selfies taken in daylight retain a ton of detail, while skin colors are captured accurately. However, selfies taken indoors, in dimly lit scenes can appear softer. Another downside is that there's no Autofocus like on the Pixel 8 Pro. The Pixel 8 also takes well exposed portrait shots with accurate edge detection and good background blur.

In terms of video recording, the Pixel 8 can capture 4K video at 60fps on both the front and rear cameras. The Pixel 8 can also record 10-bit HDR video. The video quality on the main camera was excellent with sharp, stable, and detailed output. Dynamic range was good, while color reproduction and saturation were on point.

Battery

One of my biggest gripes with the Pixel 7 was battery life, so it relieving to see a larger 4575 mAh battery on the Pixel 8. Under regular usage, it was near-impossible to drain out the Pixel 8's battery in a full day. And even when you introduce a fair bit (30 - 45 minutes) of gaming into the mix, you'll still have a good 10% or more of juice left to take into the next day.

You should see around 6 to 7 hours of screen time on a full charge. This is a solid bump from the Pixel 7 that usually gave way around the five-and-a-half-hour mark. Unfortunately, Google doesn't include an adapter in the box, although you can get one separately to access the phone's meagre 27W fast charging support.

Additionally, the Pixel 8 also supports 18W wireless charging with Google's second-gen Pixel Stand and 12W using a Qi adapter. You do get a USB Type-C cable in the box that can charge the phone in around an hour and 50 minutes via a laptop or PC. Overall, I wouldn't call the battery life on the Pixel 8 impressive, but it does make the phone a whole lot more reliable than its predecessor.

Software

On the software side, the Pixel 8 runs stock Android 14 out of the box. Google has also upped the ante on the support side, now offering 7 years of software updates and 7 years of security updates. So if the Pixel 8 can stand the test of time, you will receive updates all the way till Android 21.

The lengthier software support will also increase the phone's value in the used market as second-hand buyers won't receive a device with outdated software. One of the key highlights of the Pixel 8 is its AI integration. Google is introducing a ton of useful editing features to the Pixel 8 using AI - Audio Eraser, Best Take, and Magic Editor.

Google's Bard will now be integrated into Google Assistant to deliver smarter and richer results. This also allows Google's voice assistant to respond to calls, read webpages out loud, and much more. Google's new custom AI wallpaper also enables endless customizations, allowing you to create awesome wallpapers.

Additionally, there's a Now Playing feature that automatically detects songs playing in the background, while Google also offers several

Lock Screen customizations. Google has made improvements to Face Unlock on the Pixel 8, although the fingerprint reader isn't quite as snappy as some of the competition. The overall navigation experience also feels smooth and fluid on the Pixel 8 and I have yet to experience any bugs or slowdowns.

Verdict

Don't let appearances fool you, despite the Pixel 8's relatively small size, it does have a lot of character. While the Pixel 8 does demand a heftier asking price than its predecessor, it also brings a considerable set of upgrades. These include a super-smooth and much brighter display, new and improved camera sensors, better battery life, and now, the best-in-class software support.

Additionally, the Pixel 8 also gets a faster and smarter chip that has addressed some of the heating issues of its predecessor, although some of those issues are still persistent. And while the hardware upgrades to the new Pixel 8 are noteworthy, software is where the real magic happens. The improvements to AI make the Pixel 8 the smartest smartphone yet.

Lastly, the Pixel 8 is lighter, more compact, better looking, and tougher than its predecessor. All these improvements make the Pixel 8 a worthy successor over the Pixel 7 and does justify the price bump in India. However, the latest Pixel is not without some flaws. The Tensor G3 chip lags behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and A16 Bionic SoCs.

Moreover, a lot of Google's competitors offer a telephoto lens as well as an adapter in the box. However, the Pixel 8 is still one of the best smartphones in the segment. If I had to choose between the Pixel 8, iPhone 15, and Samsung Galaxy S23, I'd comfortably go the Google route.

Given its price, specifications, and software prowess, the Pixel 7 was my pick for best overall smartphone of 2022. And while the same cannot be said about the Pixel 8, it gets pretty damn close. After little under a month of daily driving the Pixel 8, I'd easily recommend it for those seeking a compact flagship without the ultra-premium price tag. But stay tuned to Gizbot to see if the Pixel 8 takes the crown for best flagship smartphone of 2023.

Best Mobiles in India

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Diamond Jack staged large rodeos at the Stockyards in Denver two years in a row during the time he lived in Colorado. Many of his Chicago gangland acquaintances were said to have made the trip west to attend the events.
Larry Robinson / The Daily Sentinel

Colorado Mesa University theatre arts majors, members of the public and the buildings construction crew put hand prints on one of the final beams added to the universities new theatre arts building which is set to open in Fall of 2024, during a topping off ceremony on Nov. 17, 2023.
Mon Monday

47 /27

More sun than clouds. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the upper 20s.
Opinion / Columnist

Last week, tragedy struck in Nyameni Suburb, Marondera, when a young girl named Sharon lost her life at the hands of her boyfriend. The news of this horrific incident has spread like wildfire across the Zimbabwean internet, captivating the attention of the public. As a Zimbabwean social justice advocate, I cannot help but notice the overwhelming outrage and condemnation directed at the perpetrator, Gora. While it is important to recognize the impact of violence against women and girls, it is equally crucial to acknowledge that violence knows no gender boundaries. Men can also be victims, and their suffering should not be overlooked.The tragic death of Sharon, a life cut short in the prime of youth, is a somber reminder of the darkness that can lurk within human hearts. My heart goes out to her grieving family, who must now bear the burden of this unimaginable loss. The pain they must be feeling is immeasurable, and my sympathies are with them during this incredibly difficult time.In the wake of Sharon's untimely death, the Zimbabwean internet has, understandably, erupted with anger and sorrow. Posts on social media platforms are overflowing with expressions of condemnation towards Gora, the alleged killer. The description of the act as "cruel, callous, and shocking" echoes the sentiments of many who are appalled by this act of violence. The effects of violence against women and girls cannot be overstated - it leaves scars that run deep, not only on the victims themselves but also on their families and communities.However, it is important to approach this issue with a critical lens. While the focus on violence against women and girls is justified, there seems to be a selective blindness when it comes to violence against men in Zimbabwe, as well as the rest of the world. Society's reaction to incidents of female on male violence is often muted, and the victims themselves struggle to find the support and empathy that should be accorded to all survivors of violence. This bias is deeply entrenched, perpetuated by societal expectations and the perpetuation of gender stereotypes.Where is the public uproar when women are the perpetrators of violence against their partners or husbands?News articles detailing such cases rarely gain the same level of attention as when a male commits an act of violence. Even the politicians themselves are afraid to stand in solidarity with men for fear of being "canceled out". Stand with men and you'll be called a misogynist- a woman hater. Cowards! Hypocrites!The stories of men who have lost their lives at the hands of their female partners are pushed to the sidelines, relegated to the depths of obscurity. It is as if society lacks the capacity to acknowledge, let alone condemn, violence when the roles are reversed.Take, for example, the chilling cases of female on male violence in Zimbabwe.In May, a 53 year old Chitungwiza woman killed her hubby in a fight over relish. Flash forward to July, a woman, Odith Sibanda killed her boyfriend's wife. She had been aware that he had a wife.How about the Zvishavane woman wo killed her husband over sex? Or that Mkoba Gweru woman who brutally killed her husband after being caught cheating? I didn't see them get a front page headline, or spark outrage for that matter. I could go on and on all day long.I'm not trying to trivialize the violence against men but these violence incidents against men should elicit the same level of outrage and concern as any act of violence. It is disheartening to witness the lack of support for male victims who suffer in silence, their stories buried beneath the weight of societal biases.But amidst this disillusionment, a glimmer of hope emerges. The rise of men's rights advocates in Zimbabwe, such as SaveAman movement and its co-founder Lovemore Chishamba (calls himself General Luverty), offers a promising outlook for the future. This organization has garnered considerable support from both genders, boasting an estimated 10 thousand supporters who stand in solidarity with oppressed men. Their mission, to fight for the rights of male victims, aligns with the pursuit of justice and equality- or fight it.However, it is important to note that while I may not always agree with their methods, groups like SaveAman serve as a voice for the silent victims of male violence. Their efforts should be commended for shedding light on an issue that often goes unnoticed or dismissed. By challenging societal biases and advocating for equal treatment and support for all victims, they are working towards a more inclusive and equitable society. I truly hope SaveAman will be able to tutor advocates who are level headed and will be able to eradicate hate against men, and everyone as a whole.As the American saying goes, "our interests are aligned." In recognizing that violence is violence, regardless of the gender of the victim or perpetrator, we can forge a path towards a safer and more equitable future. It is incumbent upon us, as Zimbabwean social justice advocates, to unite in the face of violence and address the biases that perpetuate inequality. Let us work together, set aside our preconceived notions, and extend our support to all survivors, irrespective of their gender.In conclusion, the tragic death of Sharon should serve as a wake-up call to our society. Violence knows no gender boundaries, and it is our collective responsibility to stand against all forms of violence. We must challenge the prevailing biases that diminish the suffering of male victims and drive them into silence. By recognizing and condemning all acts of violence, we can strive towards creating a future where no one lives in fear or suffers silently. Let us come together, support organizations like SaveAman, and forge a path towards a society where violence has no place. As the Americans say, "our interests are aligned" , and it is time for us to unite in the fight against violence.Kumbirai Thierry Nhamo | Social Justice Advocatekumbiraithierryn@gmail.comhttps://muckrack.com/kumbirai-thierry-nhamo
Several years ago, I wrote a column marking the 50th anniversary of a famous essay by the geographer Jean Gottmann, in which he introduced the word "megalopolis" to describe the huge urban conglomerations that he thought represented America's economic and demographic destiny. As Gottmann saw it, the future belonged not to individual cities, or even their metropolitan areas, but to extended regional corridors of population and development that could stretch as far as 500 miles or more, from Washington, D.C., to Boston, or Chicago to Pittsburgh. He even came up with colorful names for them: Besides "BosWash" and "ChiPitts," he coined "SanSan" for the stretch of land running north from San Diego to San Francisco.My point back then was that, unfortunately for Gottmann, the ensuing decades hadn't been kind to his megalopolitan vision. Especially in the Northeast and Midwest, central cities had become so dilapidated and economically stagnant that not everyone believed in their survival, let alone their membership in a regionwide power center.But in the past couple of years, the situation has changed. Megalopolis is back on the agenda for planners and urban scholars. It has a new name -- "megaregion." But the idea is similar to the one Gottmann posited more than half a century ago: Cities and metro areas are losing their relevance; increasingly, the most productive way to look at urban life is to focus on much larger units of territory comprising hundreds of miles of land and holding tens of millions of residents.The Regional Plan Association, which used to concentrate its attention on the New York City metro area, has branched out and identified 11 megaregions in the United States -- not just those Gottmann saw but a bunch of new entries. There's a region covering virtually the entire state of Florida; a "Texas Triangle" including Dallas, Houston and Austin; and a region following the I-85 corridor in the Southeast that is sometimes called, in Gottmann-esque fashion, "Charlanta," even though it technically extends all the way from Raleigh to Birmingham.The RPA was instrumental in creating a new organization, America 2050, that describes itself as "a clearinghouse for research on the emergence of megaregions and a resource for megaregion planning efforts nationwide." Both of these groups hold regular conferences at which public officials gather in search of ways to rearrange economic policy on a megaregional basis. Earlier this year, Island Press published a compendium of the latest thinking on the subject entitledNot every enthusiast describes these regions in exactly the same way. But this definition from America 2050 is pretty typical: A megaregion is "a large, connected network of metropolitan areas joined together by environmental, cultural, infrastructural and functional characteristics."Richard Florida, the geographer famous for coining the term "creative class," has gone megaregional in a big way. "Megaregions," he wrote a few months ago, "are the underlying driving forces of the world economy." Florida and his colleagues have even come up with a new method for identifying these places using aerial nighttime photography that shows contiguous patterns of artificial light.It seems pretty clear that the idea of megaregions has moved from obscurity back to the center of debate in a strikingly short time. But I think it's pertinent to ask the same question people asked when Gottmann first came up with it back in 1957: Other than as an intellectual exercise, does it really serve much purpose?I respect Richard Florida and agree with many of his ideas, but I don't understand what light bulbs have to do with community or economic power. Suppose the lights are glowing at night all the way from Jacksonville down to Miami. That doesn't suggest a coherent economic region with a distinct identity. It suggests a state that has been victimized by vast amounts of energy-consuming urban sprawl. To paraphrase a well-known psychiatrist, sometimes a light bulb is really just a light bulb.But let's leave the illumination issue aside for now. What might constitute real evidence that megaregions are coherent, powerful units of economic activity? Well, they might be gradually shedding some of their small-scale units of government and moving toward comprehensive public institutions that can make policy for the entire megaregion. We all know that isn't taking place. It's hard enough -- impossible so far, as a matter of fact -- for Atlanta and the counties around it to get together and decide much of anything. Can we really expect that these jurisdictions will simply skip the step of cooperating with each other and turn to the larger question of sharing power with Charlotte? That seems extremely unlikely, to say the least.Well, then, maybe there are changes that might take place short of formal megaregional power sharing. Aaron Renn, the urbanist who is probably the most incisive critic of megaregions, has suggested some. Elected leaders from cities within a megaregion might join together informally and decide on a policy of specialization. Within a region that included the old-fashioned metropolises of Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Louisville (Gottmann would probably call this "CindiLou"), it might be agreed that Cincinnati would be the corporate headquarters town, Indianapolis would be a health and science center, and Louisville would focus on tourism. Could this happen? Theoretically, yes. Is there any evidence that it is even beginning to happen, in any identifiable megaregion in America? No. As Renn writes, "None of these cities is giving up an inch in fighting for all three items."The further down the scale of cosmic importance one is willing to go, the easier it is to think of ways in which megaregions might gain themselves some economic leverage. They could work out joint purchasing agreements that could lower their procurement costs. They could join forces to help each other in the event of natural or man-made disasters. They might even, as proposed by the megaregionalist Richard Longworth, offer reciprocal tuition benefits to anyone living within the boundaries.But this is pretty thin soup compared with the grandiose claims of those who see megaregions as some sort of new world order. If, having accepted the existence of these regions, you ask yourself what practical policies they might deploy as a demonstration of their growing clout, you can't come up with many. As Renn asks, "Other than holding conferences, what is it that cities and states . . . are actually supposed to do to implement this strategy? What does a megaregional solution allow a city to do that it couldn't do on its own?"In fact, though, there is one area of public policy for which a megaregional approach really does make sense. That one area is transportation. In an era of rapidly rising gas prices and expensive jet fuel, there is going to be a genuine need for inter-city train travel. People will want to (or feel they have to) use public ground transportation for trips of 500 miles or less. We will need trains from Charlotte to Atlanta, from Austin to Houston, from Chicago to Cleveland. They needn't be the high-speed bullet trains that many urbanists, including some within the Obama administration, are currently promoting. They just have to run at a decent speed, on reliable schedules, and with the level of safety we now get from air travel.When you think of megaregions not as coherent economic juggernauts but less grandly as transportation corridors, the concept finally begins to look plausible. If the Southeastern cities along the I-85 corridor want decent train connections, they are going to have to join together to create them. The federal government can't do all the work or provide all the money. This seems to me to be megaregionalism in its one significant practical sense.And I think many of the current promoters of the megaregion idea realize this. If you go the Web site of America 2050, perhaps the most active institutional promoter of megaregionalism currently on the scene, you will find as much news about developments in rail transportation as you will about the larger vision. I don't think this is a coincidence. Touting megaregions as the key to America's economic future, even if false, may represent a useful step toward establishing transportation policies that our dense concentrations of light bulbs really do need.Richard Florida argues that "the more two megaregions -- regardless of their physical distance or historical relationship -- have in common in terms of their economic output, the more likely they are to develop similar social mores, cultural tastes, and even political leanings."I think this is wildly off base. The truth is that megaregions will not be, and cannot ever be, communities with a strong sense of identity and personal loyalty. Community bonds inevitably grow thinner and weaker as the area in question expands. A neighborhood can offer them. A successful city has an opportunity to do it. A few states have managed to maintain clear identities even amid the turmoil of recent years. But "ChiPitts Forever"? "Raise the Flag for BosWash?" "My Old Charlanta Home?" I'm afraid that's asking a bit too much of the hard-pressed ordinary citizen. On the other hand, if we can get some decent train service out of all this megaregional hype, it may be an acceptable bargain in the end.
An etching of Napoleon Bonaparte and his army retreating from Russia after a failed invasion. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

When Russia resumed trading with England, Napoleon prepared to invade Russia.

Napoleon amassed an army of 600,000, the largest army Europe had ever seen.

After a failed invasion of Moscow, the French army retreated for 200 miles.

After a coup d'etat of the French government in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte began his conquest of Europe. By 1804, Bonaparte had made himself the emperor of France and was quickly amassing power.

By 1812, Bonaparte controlled territory from Iberia to the banks of the Nemen River in Russia. Because he could not take control of Great Britain, he initiated the continental system, a blockade that prevented the British from trading with the rest of Europe.

The blockade negatively impacted Russia, which then resumed trading with Britain, leading Bonaparte to worry about possible allyship between the two countries.

In June 1812, Bonaparte invaded Russia, aiming to deal a decisive blow and force Alexander I into peace talks.

Through a series of strategic retreats and slash-and-burn techniques by the Russian army, in addition to the harsh Russian winter, the largest army Europe had ever seen found themselves retreating from Moscow.

The French Grand Army faced severe losses, and the campaign into Moscow severely weakened Bonaparte's grasp on power and is widely attributed as the beginning of the end of his rule.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military leader who rose through the ranks during the French Revolution.

A portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte riding his horse at the St. Bernard Pass. Francis G. Mayer/Getty Images

He graduated from a French military academy in 1785 and became a second lieutenant in an artillery regiment of the French army.

In 1795, Bonaparte helped suppress a royalist insurrection and was promoted to Major General.

In 1799, Bonaparte led a coup and successfully overthrew the French Directory.

An engraving of the morning of the 18th Brumaire, the day Napoleon Bonaparte became the ruler of France. Bettmann/Getty Images

In 1802, Bonaparte made an amendment to the constitution, making him the first Consul for Life and granting him dictatorial powers over France.

In 1804, Bonaparte crowned himself the Emperor of France, a little under 10 years after the French had beheaded their last king.

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After he was crowned Emperor, Bonaparte began his conquest of Europe.

A portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte in His Study at the Tuileries, 1812. Fine Art/Getty Images

Bonaparte took control of Belgium, Holland, and large swaths of present-day Italy, Croatia, and Germany. Spain was mostly under his control, while Russia, Austria, and Prussia were begrudging allies.

In 1812, the French empire had reached its maximum size, stretching from Iberia to the banks of the Nemen River in Russia.

The only place that resisted Bonaparte's advances was Great Britain.

The invasion of Russia began with Bonaparte's Continental System.

An illustration shows William Pitt and Napoleon Bonaparte carving a large plum pudding on which is a map of the world, with Pitt's slice larger than Napoleon's. Heritage Images via Getty Images

During his reign of most of Europe in the early 1800s, Napoleon enacted the Continental System designed to punish his British enemies, a large-scale embargo against the British Empire.

Because he was unable to invade and control Britain, the next best thing would be to prevent them from doing trade with the rest of Europe.

The system successfully prevented the British from trade, but also proved to be economically harmful for the Russians.

Portrait of Alexander I of Russia. A. J. Photographics via Getty Images

To help out their economy, Russia defied the Continental System and resumed trading with Britain.

An engraving of Peter I in Arkhangelsk between the Dutch and English merchants Heritage Images via Getty Images

Upon learning of Russia's trading, Bonaparte began preparing for invasion.

The French invasion of Russia of 1812 Culture Club via Getty Images

Napoleon gathered an army of 600,000 men to invade Russia and work their way toward Moscow.

Napoleon's army was the largest that Europe had ever seen. Of the 600,000 men, only half of them were French.

The other half was made up of men from Germany and Poland, countries under French control in 1812.

The invasion of Russia began in June 1812 and lasted six months.

Bonaparte looks over the battlefield on his way to Moscow. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The French army started to invade Russia at several different points. The army that gathered with Napoleon was a force of roughly 227,000 soldiers.

The rest of the army was split across the Russian border, with a French reserve of 225,000 waiting behind the lines.

The Russians proved to be elusive and incrementally led the French further into Russian territory.

Napoleon rides through a burned city on horseback with his army at his back. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Napoleon was after a quick victory that would bring Alexander I, the ruler of Russia, to the negotiation table.

But the constant retreats by the Russian army prevented a decisive victory for the French.

Instead of fighting the French head-on, the Russians employed a strategic retreat.

Napoleon Bonaparte's army marches through a burned city. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Russians were outmatched by 200,000 to 600,000 and knew a head-on fight wouldn't be productive.

During each encounter with the French army, the Russians would retreat. On their way out, they would burn bridges, food supplies, and shelter, leaving behind nothing but ashes.

The French were allowed small victories and gains of territory, but each advance came with a steep cost.

As the French continued their advance, food for horses and humans began to run low.

The first major battle of the invasion of Russia wouldn't take place until a month into the operation.

Battle of Smolensk during the French invasion of Russia. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Battle of Smolensk, a town 230 miles west of Moscow, was the first major battle between the Russians and the French. Smolensk was a city of major significance to the Russians, and they wouldn't let it go as easily as the other territories.

Nevertheless, the Russians retreated further into Russia to avoid major losses to their army, burning bridges and ammunition stores on their way out of the city.

By the end of the battle, all that was left for Napoleon were the ashes of a city and thousands of dead soldiers.

Napoleon and his army finally arrived in Moscow on September 14, 1812.

A painting of the French capture of Moscow on September 14, 1812. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.

By the time they arrived, Moscow was a ghost town. Most of the city had evacuated, and the Russian army had burned most of it down.

A painting of Moscow on fire as the Napoleonic army approaches. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Napoleon sent a letter from Moscow to Alexander I inviting him to make peace, but no response was ever received.

After five weeks in Moscow, Napoleon's army began their withdrawal, fearing a cold winter.

The Grand Army begins its withdrawal from Russia. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

On their way out, the army comprising an estimated 100,000 survivors was attacked by the Russians.

The Grand Army is attacked during their retreat from Moscow. Prisma/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.

The Battle at Maloyaroslavets resulted in a short-term victory for the French, with the Russians ultimately retreating.

The long-term victory, however, went to the Russians. After the battle of Maloyaroslavets, Napoleon decided to change routes.

Instead of continuing south on a path with warmer weather and more supplies, he took his army back the way they came. The path was 260 miles through ransacked and scorched villages, which offered no food or shelter during the cold winter.

The weather, lack of food, and repeated attacks by the Russian army further weakened Napoleon's army.

French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and the Grande Army flee the pursuing Russian army in the snow on the retreat from Moscow. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The retreat was punctuated by an early winter with high winds, below-zero temperatures, and a lot of snow. With little to no shelter, there were nights when thousands of soldiers and horses died from exposure to cold.

What was left of the Grand Army eventually made it out of Russia and returned back to France.

Retreat of the French Army After the Russian Campaign. Bettmann via Getty Images

By December 1812, Napoleon left his dwindling army and retreated to Paris.

After the invasion, Napoleon's power was significantly weakened.

Soldiers retreat, injured and sick, from Moscow. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

In the six months it took to invade and retreat from Russia, it's estimated that of the 600,000 soldiers that entered Russia, only 112,000 returned.

Among the casualties, 100,000 are believed to have died in action, 200,000 died from other causes, 50,000 were left sick in hospitals, 50,000 deserted, and an estimated 100,000 are believed to have been taken as prisoners of war.

By comparison, Russia's casualties numbered 200,000 killed, 50,000 dispersed or deserted, and 150,000 wounded.

Identifying the weakness in France's military, Russia, Austria, Prussia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, and several German states formed the Sixth Coalition and defeated the First French Empire.

After these significant losses, Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba.

The devil guides Napoleon Bonaparte into exile on the Island of Elba. Fototeca Gilardi/Getty Images

In 1815, Napoleon escaped exile and tried to regain control during the Battle of Waterloo.

Napoleon I at the Battle of Waterloo after returning from exile. Foundation Napoleon/Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

But despite his best efforts, Napoleon never rose to power again.

After his loss at Waterloo, Napoleon was again exiled to the Island of St. Helena, where he lived out his life and died at the age of 52.

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New Alonso contract not agreed yet says Krack

Mike Krack took a small step back after declaring earlier in Abu Dhabi that he wants to extend Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin contract beyond 2024.

Fernando Alonso, Abu Dhabi GP 2023

 Aston Martin Racing

Some thought the team boss's words were a sign that a new deal for the 42-year-old Spaniard was already in the making.

Obviously it's not a decision I make alone, Krack has now told the Spanish broadcaster DAZN in Abu Dhabi.

"We have Lawrence Stroll and we have Martin Whitmarsh. We talk about these things, but I can only say that at the level he is working at, I think Fernando Alonso's age is just a number.

I believe he's like Roger Federer or Valentino Rossi, who had very long sporting careers, Krack continued.

I've worked with drivers who were not even 30 and said 'I have achieved everything', even though they had not really achieved much, he added.

And then you have an example like Alonso, with a great mentality and enormous determination.

Alonso's friend, fellow Spaniard and long-time colleague at several teams, Pedro de la Rosa, is now an ambassador at the grands prix for Aston Martin.

And he says the question of whether the team should give Alonso a new contract is a no-brainer.

Yes, yes, yes, and yes for every year he asks for, de la Rosa grinned.

Experienced former F1 engineer Toni Cuquerella fully agrees.

Like Mike Krack, I don't understand the question either, he said.

"Would you renew his contract? Would you like to have Messi? You'd say 'Damn, of course I want him!'
ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme as an agent for free movement, trade facilitation

Winfred Kwasi Dodzih Business News Nov - 25 - 2023 , 10:12

This article examines the potential transformation of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme into a specialised institution/agency under the ECOWAS Commission.

It explores the scheme's role in facilitating free movement and trade across West African states, proposing structural and functional enhancements to optimise its effectiveness and integration within the broader objectives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), since its inception, has been committed to promoting economic integration and regional peace. A critical component of this mission is ensuring unhindered movement of people and goods across member states. The ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, introduced in 1982, has been instrumental in providing motor insurance coverage across the region, thereby aiding in the realization of these goals.

The current state of the ecowas brown card insurance scheme

Initially designed to guarantee victims of road accidents prompt compensation regardless of the ECOWAS country where accidents occur, the Scheme has encountered challenges including lack of awareness, varying compliance levels, and administrative bottlenecks. Despite these challenges, its role in trade facilitation and regional integration remains significant.

Rationale for upgrading the scheme

The conversion of the Brown Card Scheme into a specialised ECOWAS institution or agency is driven by the need for more effective policy harmonisation, efficient management, and enhanced stakeholder engagement. This change would align the Scheme with the ECOWAS Commissions overarching goals, thereby creating a more cohesive framework for regional integration.

Proposed structural and functional enhancements

1. Institutional Autonomy and Governance:

- Establishing an autonomous governance structure within the ECOWAS framework.

- Creating specialised departments for policy development, compliance monitoring, and dispute resolution.

2. Harmonisation of Policies and Procedures:

- Standardising claim processes and compensation mechanisms across member states.

- Developing a unified legal framework to govern cross-border motor insurance.

3. Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement:

- Enhancing collaboration with national insurance regulators, companies, and policyholders.

- Implementing widespread educational campaigns to raise awareness.

4. Technology Integration for Efficiency:

- Developing a centralised digital platform for policy issuance, claims processing, and data management.

- Employing technology to improve cross-border communication and information exchange.

Implications for free movement and trade facilitation

An enhanced Brown Card Scheme, functioning as a specialised ECOWAS agency, would significantly reduce the risk and uncertainty associated with cross-border vehicular movement. This, in turn, is expected to boost intra-regional trade, stimulate economic activities, and foster a more integrated West African market.

Challenges and recommendations

While this transformation presents a strategic opportunity, it also comes with challenges such as political will, funding, and ensuring uniform implementation across diverse legal systems.

To address these, a phased approach with pilot programmes, stakeholder consultations, and securing commitment from member states is recommended.

Conclusion

Elevating the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme to a specialised institution within the ECOWAS Commission holds the potential to significantly streamline and enhance the facilitation of free movement and trade across West Africa. This strategic shift requires careful planning, robust governance structures, and ongoing stakeholder engagement, but the benefits of a more integrated and economically vibrant ECOWAS region are compelling incentives for this transformation.

The writer is the Secretary-General of the Council of Bureaux of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme
RMG Ghana donates towards 39th Farmers Day celebration

Business Desk Report Business News Nov - 23 - 2023 , 23:22

RMG Ghana, a leading partner in the agriculture sector has donated agricultural inputs in kind as well as cash contribution worth GH50, 000 to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) towards the 39th Farmers Day celebration dubbed Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience.

RMG Ghana takes pride in our partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture as we remain committed to growing the agriculture industry by providing spraying and irrigation equipment, high  quality crop protection products (CPPs), fertilizers, farming tools and seeds for enhanced agricultural production through technical support and training on safe handling and use of pesticides coupled with our expertise in pursuit to provide the best service to farmers in Ghana.

The RMG team, led by the Ghana Executive Committee, Juan Barral made the presentation at the Ministry of Agriculture. In presenting, they noted that RMG is committed towards the empowerment of farmers and will continue to contribute toward achieving this purpose.

They said In order to sustain an ever-growing population in Ghana, we firmly believe that empowering farmers by enhancing their productivity and resilience is the most effective approach to ensuring food security.

The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture; Yaw Frimpong Addo who received the items and cheque expressed gratitude to the company for their unwavering support over the years in growing the agricultural sector.

RMG Ghana Ltd is a leading agriculture company in Ghana, founded in 2016 through a strategic acquisition of Wienco Ghana Limited and its subsidiaries by RMG Concept Limited. RMG Ghana has grown to couch an enviable niche in the Ghanaian market through the provision of timely innovative solutions as well as developing key value chains in the Ghana agricultural sector.

With a wide range of products that cuts across the various segments in the agricultural requirements and well-trained staff, RMG is one of the fastest growing companies in the sector.

RMG Ghana seeks to add value to farming by exploring relevant areas and providing high quality and enhanced inputs to improve productivity, increase yields and income of farmers.
Lets make herbal medicine safe for consumption

Daily Graphic Editorials Nov - 25 - 2023 , 09:45

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 70 per cent patients in Ghana use herbal medicine, saying there are significantly higher number of patients seeking traditional remedies compared with conventional treatment.

Studies published in 2022 show that about 60 to 70 per cent of the Ghanaian population depend on traditional medicine, largely herbal medicine for their primary healthcare needs in the management of both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Evidence for the effectiveness of herbal medicines is generally very limited. Although some people find them helpful, in many cases their use tends to be based on traditional use rather than scientific research.

However, the abuse of herbal preparations is also resulting in a high prevalence of kidney and liver diseases, particularly among the youth.

Herbal medicines are advertised to be free from side effects, which, according to health experts, is a myth. A large number of people still rely on herbal medicines, and some people take herbal medicines along with routine allopathic medicines, especially in cases of diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disease, where the patient is on long-term or lifelong treatment.

Also, because of the influence of religion and greater level of spiritual consciousness, many individuals tend to be increasingly disposed to accepting therapeutic value of a treatment based on faith or intuition rather than scientific reasoning.

There are many sub-standard herbal products available in the market. The reason is that these products are not tested, accordingly, for quality before marketing. Some contain less amount of active ingredient and some do not contain active ingredient at all as a result of incorrect identification of plant by the collector, using adulterant instead of original plant or due to improper storage of plant material, and it loses its efficacy.

Sometimes, the herbal products contain material not defined on label such as non-herb material, minerals, heavy metals, and addition of particular pharmaceutical product.

Occasionally, they may contain toxins and pesticides, which is much more dangerous and one of the major reasons of toxic effects after herbal medicine intake.

In the Saturday, November 18, 2023 issue of the Daily Graphic, the Head of Research and Innovation at the Centre for Plant Medicine Research (CPMR), Dr Kofi Donkor, cautioned the general public that herbal medicines, like any other forms of medicines, were potential poison.

According to him, safety depended on whether they had been approved, and then being taken according to the recommended dosage.

It said although some herbal medicines had promising potential and were widely used, many of them remained untested and their use also not monitored, making knowledge of their potential adverse effects very limited.

The Daily Graphic is calling on the populace to tread cautiously in their use of traditional medicine as most of the formulations available are not regulated or studied in the same way as prescription medications and that although there have been studies done to evaluate the claimed benefits of some herbs, most remain unproven.

It is time the health authorities explored how the use of quality-assured traditional medicine can make it easier to provide health care, especially in remote rural areas where conventional healthcare systems are limited.

The paper ascribes to the WHO belief that quality-assured traditional medicine can benefit a large portion of the population as it is the main or even the only source of health care for around 80 per cent of people in Africa.

Also, we caution people against combining herbal therapy with prescription medications as it could increase the potential for interactions and side effects.

The Food and Drugs Authority and the Ministry of Health must ensure that the activities of all herbal product producers are regulated to prevent needless deaths among the populace.

We further call for enhanced education and monitoring to ensure that effective herbal products are used.
Dementia: Next aging ailment to watch out for

Vicky Wireko Opinion Nov - 25 - 2023 , 10:02

It is a Latin word defined as out of mind. It did not use to be that common. Even if it did, dementia, simply explained as a disease of the brain which commonly starts with memory loss or forgetfulness and progressively leads to loss of social and occupational function, was less known.

Today, it has become very common and so close at ones doorstep. Sadly, one hears about friends and family members duly afflicted and looking helpless. Many seem to be at risk.

So, who is particularly predisposed to this dreaded acquired syndrome breaking the hearts of families and friends?

According to experts, it is a disease of the aged, seen mainly in older people who are usually in their 60s and above. Incidentally, women are said to be more pre-disposed, compared to men in the same age brackets.

Due to the very little information on the disease, people tend to leave the symptoms too late for medical intervention, to the extent that families and friends whose loved ones get afflicted become confused and worried.

Some lose hope not knowing what to do or where to turn to. It is, however, gratifying to know that a lot can be done at the onset of dementia to reverse or minimise its effects.

Talk on dementia

At a talk on dementia, organised by the Zonta Club of Accra in connection with the recent celebration of the UN Day for the Aged, Dr Winnifred Twum, a Psychiatrist at the Department of Psychiatry, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, gave a comprehensive talk to members of the Club on dementia.

Dr Twums insightful talk, unveiled in simple language and understanding, included who is predisposed to the disease, the symptoms to look out for, the risk factors, the causes and the features.

She went further to explain issues on whether it could be prevented, some of the available treatments, the worst-case scenarios, with some practical tips on ways sufferers could be looked after.

Symptoms

The common symptoms or features of dementia is said to include memory challenges characterised by losing items, forgetfulness and repetition in conversation.

It can exhibit itself in ones language where there is often a decrease in expressive language, such as, using phrases when words fail.

This person would use descriptions to get to what they mean, and therefore, using repetitive phrases, such as, that thing, you know what I mean, etc.

In extreme cases, a dementia sufferer may get lost even in familiar places or environment.

They would walk through their own front or back door, thinking they have stepped out for a walk, only for them to get lost and find it difficult to get back home, because they do not remember the route.

Sometimes, they do not recognise faces, not even their own family members or close friends. Sometimes, they are unable to connect something as simple as a comb and its use.

They may need increased amounts of time to perform tasks, make decisions without regard for safety, and show insensitivity to social standards including, modesty in dress, and political, religious or sexual topics of conversation.

The good news is that some of the early features could be minimised or reversed with medical help.

On the other hand, delayed attention could bring worse conditions that may affect the sufferers social connection including mood changes, psychosis, changes in personality, altered sleep and changes in eating habits.

Risk factors

Some of the risk factors which could be reversed in dementia are cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and depression.

Drug toxicity including alcohol, smoking, Vitamin B12/folate deficiency and infections such as HIV are also said to be risk factors that could be reversed.

Unfortunately, however, there are irreversible causes, which include vascular dementia, Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases as well as stroke.

Psychologists advocate early medical attention to attack the symptoms of dementia before they get out of hand.

However, if the unfortunate sets in and cases are not detected early enough for medical attention, with good care management, experts have expressed chances of hope.

Management

Such management options could be psychological or non-pharmacological. These may be accessed with cognitive stimulation using face name training, problem solving and conversational fluency activities.

There are other options, such as, music therapy, aromatherapy, recreational therapy that challenges the brain.

Depending on the individual case at hand, Doctors may also use pharmacological interventions to minimise effects.

Dementia is around and about. Like many acquired syndromes, the symptoms could be reversed or minimised right from onset. It is not a case of throwing in the towel.

Families, friends and caregivers are advised to seek help for sufferers under their care. After all, Psalm 71:9 in the good book says: Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

It is an age-related disease but it is reversible. Hope is not too far off.
Derek Chauvin stabbed in prison - US media reports

Getrude Ankah Nyavi International News Nov - 25 - 2023 , 10:27

Minneapolis ex-police officer Derek Chauvin, convicted in the murder of George Floyd, has been stabbed at an Arizona prison, US media reports say.

A source told AP the 47-year-old was seriously injured by another inmate.

The New York Times, citing two people with knowledge of the situation, also reported that he was attacked.

Chauvin, who is white, is serving multiple sentences for the black man's death, which triggered huge protests against police brutality and racism.

The Bureau of Prisons confirmed in a statement that an inmate at a federal prison in the city of Tucson was stabbed at 12:30 local time (19:30 GMT) on Friday.

The agency said employees contained the incident and "life-saving measures" were performed on the inmate, who was then taken to hospital. The name of the prisoner was not given.

Nobody else is thought to have been injured and Chauvin is reported to have survived the attack.

The reported incident comes days after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, in which it was argued that he had not received a fair trial for the killing of Mr Floyd - who died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes in 2020.

The killing - captured on a bystander's phone camera - sparked global outrage and a wave of demonstrations against racial injustice and police use of force.

Chauvin was later found guilty of Mr Floyd's murder and sentenced to 22 years in prison. He was given a further 20-year sentence in July 2022 for violating Mr Floyd's civil rights.

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Teacher slumps and dies, colleagues blame stress

The Punch International News Nov - 26 - 2023 , 07:21

A teacher with the Olokinne High School, Ojowo, Ijebu Igbo in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Mrs Oluwatosin Aina, reportedly slumped on the school and died.

The incident, reported by the Punch, was said to have happened on Thursday morning and has left the community in shock.

A source who said he was a close family friend said the late Aina reportedly drove herself to the school on Thursday and was said to have started feeling feverish moments after arriving the school.

The Grade Level 14 officer who teaches Christian Religious Knowledge was said to have gotten permission from the Principal to go take care of her health but slumped right beside her car.

She was said to have been rushed to the annex of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Ijebu Igbo of the state, where she was confirmed dead.

The incident reportedly threw the entire school into mourning, giving the dedication and love of the deceased to the students and colleagues.

Mrs Aina was said to be in her 50s and married to a retired Principal within Ijebu Igbo.

The source said, Yes, I can confirm that the unfortunate incident happened on Thursday morning. I know her very well. I heard that she started feeling uncomfortable after getting to the school and got permission from her Principal to go and treat herself but slumped beside her car.

She was confirmed dead at the hospital she was rushed to. She was a Christian Religious Knowledge teacher and married to a retired Principal. She should be in her 50s and either on Grade Level 13 or 14

Also speaking, a teacher who works in the area and craved anonymity has, however, expressed concern over the rate at which teachers are dying in the state, insisting that the stress of having limited numbers of teachers is taking a toll on the health of the available few hands.

Reacting, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, Ogun State, Felix Agbesanwa, while commiserating with the family of the deceased teacher, said that the union was quite aware of the challenges of the lack of required numbers of teachers in the school.

Agbesanwa said, We have a teacher shortage challenge. This week, the government commenced the employment of 2000 teachers. This is in addition to the 1000 OgunTeach interns who were given permanent employment recently.

We really appreciate this gesture from the Governor and hope that other outstanding issues that will further aid the teachers wellbeing will be addressed just as the Governor has promised.
Oscar Pistorius to be freed on parole in South Africa after killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

BBC International News Nov - 26 - 2023 , 11:07

Former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius is to be freed from jail on parole, nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

He shot her multiple times through a bathroom door on Valentine's Day in 2013, later claiming he mistook her for a burglar at their Pretoria home.

Pistorius, now 37, was sentenced by a South African court in 2016 to serve 13 years and five months in prison.

The parole board has set his release for 5 January 2024.

Once released, Pistorius will be monitored by the authorities until his sentence officially expires "just like all other parolees", the Department of Correctional Services said on Friday. If he wants to move house or get a job during that time he will have to notify his parole officer.

Pistorius will also have to attend therapy sessions, according to the Steenkamp family's spokesman.

In a letter read out to the parole board during Friday's hearing, Ms Steenkamp's mother said she did not oppose his release but wondered whether Pistorius's "huge anger issues" were truly dealt with in prison. She added that she would be "concerned for the safety of any woman" who now comes into contact with him.

June Steenkamp chose not to attend the parole hearing at Atteridgeville prison, near Pretoria, saying: "I simply cannot muster the energy to face him again at this stage."

Her husband and Reeva's father, Barry, died earlier this year and she said the strain on them both had been immense.

"My dear Barry left this world utterly devastated by the thought that he had failed to protect his daughter... I've no doubt that he died of a broken heart," Mrs Steenkamp's statement read.

Barry Steenkamp had met Oscar Pistorius face-to-face last year as part of the rehabilitation process.

Mrs Steenkamp says that while she does not believe her daughter's killer has shown remorse, she had nonetheless decided to forgive him "long ago, as I knew most certainly that I would not be able to survive if I had to cling to my anger".

This was Pistorius's second parole hearing in under a year.

His first parole bid collapsed in March because he had not completed the minimum detention period. That was later ruled a mistake by South Africa's Constitutional Court, leading to the new parole hearing.

Under South African law, all offenders are entitled to be considered for parole once they have served half their total sentence.

Friends say Reeva Steenkamp was kind-hearted and ambitious

Reeva Steenkamp, who was 29 when she died, was a law graduate and successful model who also worked as a TV presenter and appeared in a reality show called Tropika Island of Treasure.

"She was more than just a pretty face, she had a beautiful heart and ambition," her friend Kerry Smith told the BBC.

The two women met at university and had planned to start a law firm to help abused women after graduating.

"She wanted to save everyone, wanted to protect everyone," her friend recalls.

Steenkamp was three months into her relationship with Pistorius when he fired four shots with a pistol through the door of a toilet cubicle at his Pretoria home in the early hours of 14 February 2013.

She died almost instantly.

He was convicted of murder in 2015 at the Supreme Court of Appeal having initially been convicted of the lesser offence of culpable homicide.

Pistorius's lower legs were amputated when he was less than a year old. He subsequently relied on prosthetics and became a world-renowned athlete known as the "blade runner".

He won multiple gold medals at the Paralympics. He also competed against non-disabled athletes at the London 2012 Olympics.

The murder of Reeva Steenkamp just six months later, and the subsequent trials, dominated headlines around the world.

credit: BBC
Dr Juliana Ameh triumphs in healthcare leadership

Hadiza Nuhhu-Billa Quansah Life Nov - 25 - 2023 , 14:29

The Chief Executive Officer of The Trust Hospital (TTT) since 2019, Dr Juliana Oye Ameh , has seen her strategic goals yield significant results in just four years.

Recently, her impactful leadership garnered three prestigious awards, acknowledging her remarkable contributions. Dr Amehs success story was appreciated last week Thursday and Friday when she bagged three different awards .

She was first conferred with a Distinguished Fellowship at the Africa Womens Leadership Academy (AWLA)  Ladies in Leadership Awards, an honorary recognition for outstanding endeavours by women business leaders on Thursday, November 16, 2023.

The citation honouring Dr Ameh read: AWLA is delighted to bestow the Distinguished Fellowship upon Dr Juliana Oye Ameh, the esteemed CEO of Trust Hospital.

It said the accolade was a testament to her exemplary contributions and steadfast commitment to excellence.

As the visionary leader of Trust Hospital, Dr Ameh has played a pivotal role in shaping its success. Her strategic initiatives have not only elevated Trust Hospitals prominence in the healthcare industry but have also set a benchmark for innovation and comprehensive patient care.

For the icing on the cake, TTT, which is a prominent healthcare services provider and Dr Ameh, received the excellence in Sustainable Medical Practices Award and a Sustainable Patient-Centered Care Model Award at the seventh Sustainability & Social Investment (SSI) Awards held last week Friday, November 17, 2023 at the Kempinski Hotel, Accra.

The dual awards were granted for the hospitals Pink October breast cancer awareness drive, recognised as the industry gold standard, impacting over a million women and men to date and inspiring similar initiatives. Also acknowledged was the Quality Healthcare Agenda, designed to champion efficient and quality health care.

Dr Ameh (3rd from right) and some members of the management team displaying the various awards and citations received at the Sustainability and Social Investment Awards

Last Monday, The Mirror had an interview with Dr Ameh about the road map to her success at the Labadi Hotel in Accra after a Strategic Business meeting with their mother company, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT). The Trust Hospital was hived off from SSNIT in 2013.

Strategic story

Elaborating on some of the initiatives being undertaken by her since coming into office , Dr Ameh, who is also a Specialist Paediatrician, firstly touched on the Trust Mother and Child Hospital located at Osu in Accra with a specialised focus on maternal and paediatric care. Upon assuming office, she identified the facility's limitations, notably its small size and inadequate capacity.

"I recall referring a patient from our Dome facility to the Mother and Child Hospital in Osu, only to find no available beds even by 6 p.m. This limitation with merely 11 beds was immensely frustrating. It was evident that we urgently required a ward to address these challenges," Dr Ameh said , echoing her colleagues' concerns.

Dr Ameh displaying her citation with some members of staff of The Trust Hospital

In response, Dr Ameh and her team embarked on a quest to identify a suitable space capable of accommodating all patients seeking admission to the Mother and Child Hospital. The initial location at Osu was inadequate. Subsequently, they engaged with Nest Realty, renowned for constructing facilities using shipping containers, leveraging this innovative technology to expand and annex the hospital to address the facility's shortcomings.

The establishment of the Trust Premium Centre stands as another significant milestone, offering a spectrum of specialised services, notably encompassing dialysis and chemotherapy.

Dr Ameh threw light on the necessity of this centre, stemming from flagship programmes like Pink October and Blue November, which primarily focused on screening. Recognising the need for comprehensive care beyond screening, the cancer centre was integrated to provide holistic treatment and care.

Additionally, the Trust Cancer Care Academy plays a pivotal role in continuous professional development for healthcare practitioners. Dr Ameh highlighted its accreditation by all relevant agencies, underscoring its commitment to excellence in training.

One of the buildings built with shipping containers

Discussing strides in meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) patient safety goals, Dr Ameh said the implementation of policies, procedures, and guidelines, significantly enhancing patient safety within the institution had been helpful.

She said in the realm of nursing care, TTT has made notable progress. Dr Ameh said the role of caring in promoting healing and wellness, stressing the importance of building trust between nurses and patients to foster a therapeutic relationship, had been critical. She commended the nursing director, who she described as vibrant and their shared passion for patient safety.

Dr Ameh highlighted the good works of the TTT's Emergency Midwives Services, which ensure safe deliveries in emergency situations, regardless of location.

The dedicated midwives not only assist during delivery but also provide continuous support to pregnant women from their first month until childbirth, ensuring a comprehensive care journey.

TTT's Emergency Midwives Services, ensures safe deliveries in emergency situations regardless of location.

Quality care

She stressed the importance of the TTT's establishment of a Hospital Quality Management team along the appointment of a dedicated Quality Focal Person.

"Our focus remains on fostering a robust culture of quality care aligned with the World Health Organisation's seven tenets of healthcare quality."

Dr Ameh mentioned the pivotal role of duty managers in identifying instances of quality care within clinical areas, diligently documenting these occurrences for subsequent improvement measures. Moreover, she underscored the presence of an incident review committee, diligently addressing and rectifying quality of care issues.

"In line with our achievements, we've instituted both a Monitoring and Evaluation Unit and a Risk Management Unit," Dr Ameh added.

According to her, these specialised teams play a pivotal role in not only monitoring the successes and challenges of our strategic goals but also guiding our governance structure and priorities with insightful direction.

Sustainability

Dr Ameh, whose dedication to sustainability earned her an award, told The Mirror that TTT's deliberate approach, influenced their financial, environmental, human resource, and clinical decisions.

"At TTT, we've embraced environmentally sustainable business practices, reaping the benefits of this commitment," she stated.

She further shed light on the meticulous treatment of medical waste through segregation, working closely with the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly to ensure responsible waste management. She added that utilising shipping containers for construction was a strategic choice aimed at minimising waste.

Dr Ameh also emphasised the implementation of energy-saving devices across their hospitals to curtail energy consumption. She stressed their proactive approach in planned preventive maintenance of both medical and non-medical equipment, ensuring sustained patient care without constant purchasing, focusing instead on maintenance practices.

Preventive maintenance

When asked about the concept of preventive maintenance for medical equipment, Dr Ameh described it as a routine process involving the inspection and servicing of medical devices explaining that this regular upkeep ensures their optimal condition and proper functionality.

"The purpose of this maintenance is to avert equipment failures and breakdowns that could otherwise cause delays or even create hazardous situations during patient care," she explained. Dr Ameh highlighted that preventive maintenance significantly extended the lifespan of medical equipment, leading to long-term cost savings and resource conservation.

Educational Background

Dr Ameh is a Senior Specialist Paediatrician and received her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in Nigeria in 2000.

Dr Juliana Oye Ameh displaying one of the citations

She later pursued postgraduate training in Paediatrics at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. She has extensive experience in paediatrics, neonatal and child health.Dr Ameh has been involved in several health developmental projects such as national health policies, protocols and training manuals in Ghana. She has been a member of the West African College of Physicians in the Faculty of Paediatrics since 2006.She holds a postgraduate certificate, with distinction, in Business Administration and a certificate in Health Administration and Management all secured in 2012 at GIMPA.

Prior to joining The Trust Hospital Company Limited (TTHCL), Dr Ameh was the Medical Superintendent at Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Authority (LEKMA) Hospital where she set up a thriving health delivery model in the hospital and made an enormous contribution to the steady rise of the hospital.
Implement Disability Law for us all

Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng Life Nov - 25 - 2023 , 16:48

Last weekend, I went to visit an elderly relative who had been hospitalised at a private hospital in a town in the Eastern Region.

The octogenarian, who has severe mobility issues, was on the third floor of the medical facility, which has neither a ramp nor lift. Many of the patients in the male ward where my relative had been admitted also had difficulties moving, and could not have climbed on their own.

I asked one of the nurses about how my relative managed to get to the top floor. It turned out that it took almost an hour of discomfort for the patient and his carriers to carry him in his wheelchair step by step to the third floor.

According to the nurse who explained this to me, it takes much longer to carry patients who are in even more critical conditions.

The difficulties which my aged relative had to endure just to get to the male ward brings into sharp relief the challenges faced by people with disabilities (PWDs) and the elderly in our country.

The hospital in question is not alone in not providing ramps and lifts for its patients and visitors. It is obvious that people with physical disabilities would simply not be able to visit their loved ones on admission at the ward where my relative was housed.

I wonder why a medical facility at the level of the one I am talking about was licensed to start a business without access for people with disabilities and the elderly.

Hospitals and clinics should be on the frontline when it comes to respecting the rights of persons with disabilities and the elderly.

It is sad and ironic that vulnerable people still face such challenges nearly two decades after legislation was enacted to promote the rights of PWDs.

Like many countries around the world, Ghana has recognised the rights of persons with disabilities through legislation. The Persons with Disability Act, enacted in 2006, aims to promote and protect the rights and welfare of individuals with disabilities.

While the law is a positive step forward, it is evident that persons with disabilities in Ghana still face various difficulties and challenges in their daily lives.

As I have described above, access to public spaces and infrastructure remains a significant challenge for persons with disabilities in Ghana.

Despite the law's requirement for accessibility, few public places in Ghana have taken the trouble to comply with the law.

Equally, public transport of all sorts has shown little or no readiness to enable PWDs to travel independently, if at all.

It is the same for shops, markets, schools, and recreational facilities such as theatres, churches, and mosques.

This lack of accessibility is not only about physical barriers; it also limits their ability to participate in society fully, access education, find employment, and enjoy social and cultural activities.

Education, a fundamental right for all individuals, is a major area of concern. Although the law mandates inclusive education, many schools in Ghana lack the necessary accommodations and resources to support students with disabilities.

We lack specialised schools and teaching facilities for PWDs, and the few we have are severely under-resourced.

Facilities in secondary and higher education for PWDs are almost nonexistent. My former school, Okuapemman School, is one of the few schools that offer facilities for visually impaired students, and there are a few other places offering places to people with different forms of disability.

However, generally, limited access to assistive devices, specialised training for teachers and accessible learning materials hinder equal education opportunities.

As a result, many children with disabilities are excluded from mainstream educational institutions, leading to limited educational and employment prospects in the future.

Employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in Ghana are severely limited. The unemployment rate among this group is significantly higher than the national average.

Many face discrimination and prejudice from employers who may have misconceptions about their capabilities.

Even those who can find work have to negotiate many obstacles and challenges in getting to and from work, as well as performing their tasks at work. PWDs often find discrimination in housing as well.

The worst part of this is that there appears to be a limited understanding of disability rights in this country, and this is contributing hugely to the disparity in access and resources.

It is not even clear whether PWDs themselves fully understand their rights; as a result, individuals with disabilities are often marginalised and struggle to live fulfilling lives in society.

As it occurred to me last weekend, a person with a physical disability whose relative is on that third floor cannot have even the emotional satisfaction of visiting the latter.

To make matters worse, societal attitudes and stigma towards persons with disabilities persist as a barrier to their inclusion and participation.

Deep-rooted prejudices and misconceptions perpetuate discrimination and hinder efforts to create an inclusive society.

Many individuals with disabilities experience social isolation and exclusion, leading to the erosion of their self-esteem and mental well-being.

While the Persons with Disability Act provides a legal framework for the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities, its implementation and enforcement remain inadequate.

A lack of awareness and understanding of the law among both policymakers and the general public contributes to this gap. Insufficient resources, poor coordination among agencies, and a lack of political will also hinder effective implementation.

To address these difficulties, Ghana must prioritise and invest in the disability sector. It is crucial to allocate sufficient resources to improve accessibility, provide inclusive education and promote employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Public awareness campaigns and sensitisation programmes should be implemented to foster a more inclusive society and combat stigma.

Additionally, some facilities, such as hospitals and other health facilities, must, as a matter of law, provide access to disabled people.

We can implement this by ensuring that there is effective policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation by the appropriate agencies.

While Ghana has taken steps forward in recognising the rights of persons with disabilities, significant challenges persist, as was seen above. Promoting the rights of PWDs will also assist many elderly people in their everyday lives because PWDs and elderly persons share some challenges.

This is the reason why we must all support PWDs and fight for their rights. Because as we grow old, the facilities and resources provided for PWDs will also benefit the elderly in society.
Different Peruvian chiles - Static Media/Shutterstock

If you've been sleeping on Peruvian cuisine, it's time to get yourself acquainted. The country gifted the world with potatoes  that's right, the potato plant was first cultivated in Peru. Beyond that incalculable contribution to world gastronomy, the country's modern restaurant scene is also amazing. Central, a restaurant in Lima, Peru, was named the World's Best Restaurant 2023 by 50 Best.

Of course, potatoes figure heavily into Peruvian recipes, but chiles (or aji, as they're known in Peru), are just as important. It's hard to find a classic Peruvian recipe that doesn't incorporate at least a touch of chile heat. Peruvian cooks use completely different types of chiles than what you'll find in the average American grocery store, and native peppers are a big part of what gives the nation's food its special flavor. This article breaks down some of the most common Peruvian peppers, explaining what they taste like and how you can find them in the U.S.

Read more: 13 Simple Tricks To Pick The Best Fresh Fruit Every Time

Aji Amarillo

Pile of aji amarillo peppers - Mirceadobre/Getty Images

Aji amarillo is the most prominent and widely-used chile pepper in Peruvian cuisine, so much so that it's sometimes simply called "Peruvian pepper." It's a relatively slender, pointy pepper that can range from bright yellow to orange depending on ripeness. This chile's flesh is bursting with juicy, fruity, and spicy flavor. Its sweet, tropical notes are reminiscent of scotch bonnets or habaneros, but with much less extreme heat  topping out at 50,000 Scoville Heat Units rather than 350,000. This is still up to 20 times hotter than a jalapeno, however, so aji amarillo is best enjoyed by people with at least a moderate heat tolerance.

The easiest way to find aji amarillo in the U.S. is in jarred, pureed form. This is perfect for one of the most common uses of the pepper: an orange, creamy sauce blended with mayonnaise, dairy, or bread. This is the type of sauce that coats cooked potatoes in the dish papa a la Huancaina and mixes with shredded chicken to make aji de gallina.

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Aji amarillo paste can also be used to make the classic Peruvian beef-and-potato stir-fry lomo saltado, but it's even better if you can find fresh chiles to slice and saute with the rest of your ingredients. Fresh aji amarillo also makes frequent appearances in ceviche, a dish that's now popular all over Latin America but which was born in Peru.

Aji Charapita

Dish of aji charapita peppers - avoferten/Shutterstock

Aji charapitas are indigenous to Peru's jungle areas, where they are ubiquitous and appear in a wide range of dishes. Despite their diminutive form  about the size of a pea  they are quite hot. At the lower ranges, the charapita is about the same spice level as an aji amarillo, at 30,000 Scovilles, but this chile can reach 100,000 Scovilles, hotter than most people would enjoy eating on its own. For this reason, it's usually mixed with other ingredients that temper its heat, like in aji de cocona, a type of fresh fruit salsa. Like aji amarillo, the dominant flavor in aji charapita is tropical fruit, but charapita has more of a bright, citrusy edge.

There is a persistent myth online that aji charapitas are the most expensive chiles in the world. This is certainly not true in the regions where they're grown  they're quite common and affordable in the Peruvian jungle. While they're more rare, and thus more expensive, in the U.S., you can still pick up jarred paste or dried peppers for somewhat reasonable prices. If you'd like to grow your own, which is probably the best option if you want to eat fresh charapitas in North America, the seeds cost only a few dollars.

Rocoto

Rocoto relleno - AndriiR/Shutterstock

The rocoto pepper looks sort of like a bell pepper or an apple, but its cute appearance belies its impressive capsaicin content: up to 100,000 Scovilles. Unlike the previous two chiles we've discussed, rocotos are popular well outside the boundaries of Peru; they're quite common in Bolivia and they're well-known in certain regions of Mexico as well. Depending on where you live, they might be called "manzana" peppers ("manzana" means "apple" in Spanish), but they shouldn't be confused with another similar-looking but much less spicy chile that goes by the same name. Rocotos may be bright red, gold, or green in color.

Rocotos may be eaten in a variety of ways, including raw in salads, but their most distinctive application takes advantage of their large size and globular shape: rocotos rellenos, or stuffed rocotos. This dish is much like the stuffed bell peppers you may have grown up eating, but with an added kick from the rocotos. The filling typically contains chopped or ground beef and seasonings like peanuts, raisins, and onions. To make the heat less overbearing, the chiles are usually pre-cooked in water mixed with sugar and/or vinegar. A creamy sauce also helps to tame the spice.

Aji Panca

Aji panca pods and paste - Daniel San Martin/Shutterstock

Aji panca looks similar to aji amarillo, with its slender, tapered shape and medium size. The two chiles are, in fact, related  they're both from the capsicum baccatum family, a type of chile that tends to be sweeter and fruitier than the capsicum annum chiles we're familiar with in North America (bell peppers, poblanos, jalapenos, and serranos are all from the capsicum annum family).

The two things that most distinguish aji panca from aji amarillo are its red-brown color and its relative lack of heat; panca chiles register at a mere 1,000-1,500 Scovilles, mild enough for all but the most fervent spice-haters. Don't let the toned-down heat make you think these chiles are bland, however. They're filled with a dark fruitiness that's reminiscent of fresh berries, along with a distinct smokiness. You can find aji panca fresh in Peru, but it's more common to see them processed into a paste or dried and sold either whole or powdered.

One of the classic uses for aji panca in Peruvian cuisine is as a part of the marinade for anticuchos, or grilled meat skewers. The chile, along with garlic, oregano, and other seasonings, adds a deep savoriness to cubes of red meat (originally llama, but now more commonly beef heart).

Aji Limo

Pile of lemon drop peppers - avoferten/Shutterstock

This is the most confusing entry on our list. There are actually two Peruvian peppers known as aji limo/aji limon. One is from the capsicum chinense family, while the other is a type of capsicum baccatum. To make things even more murky, both plants produce yellow peppers that look quite similar. The two types of chiles also share a citrusy flavor and may be labeled as "lemon drop" chiles in the U.S. This has led some sources to claim that there is no difference between the two chiles, but this is false.

The true aji limo tends to be hotter than the aji limon/lemon drop pepper. The former can be up to 50,000 Scovilles, while the latter resides in 15,000-30,000 Scoville territory. And while lemon drop peppers tend to stay yellow, aji limo fruit will ripen to an orangy red color if left on the plant long enough. However, other than the difference in heat, they taste very similar, so they can be used for many of the same applications  they both make for a delicious, bright hot sauce, and their citrusy kick works well in ceviche. Select which one you use based on your own spice tolerance.

Peruvian White Habanero

White habaneros growing on plant - Sandia Seed Company/Facebook

Most of the chiles we've discussed so far have at least a decent amount of heat, but none of them will blow away someone with a high spice tolerance. Enter the white habanero, the Peruvian chile of choice for people who just can't get enough spice. Milder examples of this chile have about the same heat level as a particularly spicy rocoto or aji charapita, but the hottest ones are a tongue-melting 350,000 Scovilles  140 times hotter than an average jalapeno.

Peruvian white habaneros have a similar flavor to the common orange habaneros you can find in most grocery stores  fruity and citrusy with a bit of smokiness. The main way they differ from their more famous cousins is aesthetics. As you might guess, they have a striking off-white color. They're also much smaller than standard habaneros, with a form factor that has been compared to jelly beans and bullets. While you're unlikely to find this pepper in a supermarket, seeds are widely available online. Unless you're a true spice fiend, you'll want to use white habaneros in ways that allow you to add just a touch of the chile to your food, like in hot sauces or salsas.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.
730 new HIV infections recorded in Volta Region last year

Alberto Mario Noretti Nov - 26 - 2023 , 14:13

An estimated 16,996 persons are living with HIV in the Volta Region.

Out of the estimated HIV population, 68 percent are spread among nine municipalities and districts, including Ho, Hohoe, Keta, Ketu South, and Kpando municipalities, as well as Ho West, North Tongu, Central Tongu, South Tongu districts.

Meanwhile, 72.2 percent of the estimated people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the region are on lifelong antiretroviral therapy, much lower than the 95 percent stipulated by the UN Fast Track Target.

The Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission Technical Support Unit in the Volta Region, Mary Naa Asheley Anyomi, disclosed these at Ho Jubilee Park on Saturday (November 25), after a procession by students, civil society organizations, and members of the public on the streets of Ho to commemorate the 2023 World AIDS Day.

The event was organized jointly by the Ghana AIDS Commission, Ghana HIV AIDS Network (GHANET), and the Ghana Health Service under the theme: "Let Communities Lead."

Mrs. Anyomi revealed that at least two out of every 100 people in the Volta Region were living with HIV, with a prevalence of 1.5 percent, while Kpando, South Dayi, Central Tongu, North Dayi, Keta, Ho West, Akatsi North, and North Tongu areas had a prevalence rate higher than the regions.

Furthermore, she said, 730 new HIV infections for all ages were recorded last year, with young people between the ages of 15 and 24 accounting for 12.05 percent of the cases.

Mrs. Anyomi touched on the day, saying its continuous celebration was very important because HIV was real, and anyone could be infected or affected irrespective of religion, gender, tribe, occupation, or social standing.

The way forward is to utilize various media channels, including television, radio, and social media platforms, to disseminate accurate information on HIV prevention, transmission, and treatment. Promoting, Mrs. Anyomi added.

She pointed out that to reduce HIV infections, it was important to create the necessary awareness and educate the populace on the modes of transmission as well as the precautions that had to be taken to avoid getting infected.

The Volta/Oti Regional Chairman GHANET, Kofi Nyalimba, said ending AIDS by 2030 required concerted efforts involving the entire community.

He, therefore, entreated all and sundry to play active roles in that crusade and self-test to know ones HIV status.

Mr. Nyalimba said HIV self-testing was not only free but also convenient, quick, and confidential.
ECOWAS holds 39th Ordinary Meeting of Mediation and Security Council

Zadok Kwame Gyesi Nov - 26 - 2023 , 07:53

The ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ambassadorial level held its 39th Ordinary meeting on the 23rd of November, 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The MSC deliberated on the engendering of a safer, more stable, democratic and prosperous West African region in view of the acknowledged commitment of Member States to the operationalisation of the ECOWAS peace and security architecture.

The ECOWAS Commissions Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security (CPAPS), Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, laid out the progress made so far towards ensuring a sustainable and peaceful development of the region.

He however noted that despite the collective efforts in this regard, the region was still facing great challenges and vulnerabilities that constitute an impediment to our development and integration strides.

Disclosing the significant progress made with the transition authorities in some member states affected by forceful seizure of political power, he stressed that the session is obliged to advance action-oriented recommendations in order to proffer a way forward and achieve a quick restoration of Constitutional order.

On the heels of the highlights of major concerns presented by Ambassador Musah, the Council deliberated and discussed memoranda on the political and security situation in the region, the transition processes, the political and security situation in Niger, humanitarian situation as well as an update on the operationalisation of the national early warning and response mechanism.

The Memoranda also expounded present efforts being undertaken by the Commission to strengthen democracy, participatory governance, inclusion, as well as durable peace and stability in the region.

The meeting was presided over by the chair of the MSC at Ambassadorial level, Ambassador Musa Sani Nuhu who urged a rekindling of collective efforts at steering the region away from political, economic and social instability.

There were several observations made by Permanent Representatives of the ECOWAS Member States bordering in mediation procedures, threats and trends, the current status of imposed sanctions, review of texts and of communication strategies, among others. Responses were given to these by Commissioner Musah during the meeting.

The meeting was also graced by a brief appearance of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, who used the opportunity to express the Commissions gratitude in view of the work being done by the Permanent Representatives for the good of the ECOWAS community.

The MSC Ambassadorial is a preparatory meeting where informed and constructive recommendations are expected to be scaled up for the attention of the subsequent statutory assemblages of ECOWAS, beginning with the MSC at the Ministerial level.
Ghana Nurse Midwife Trainees Association issues ultimatum to govt over arrears

GraphicOnline Nov - 26 - 2023 , 09:18

The Ghana Nurse Midwife Trainees Association (GNMTA) has issued an ultimatum to the Ministry of Health to settle all outstanding arrears owed to its members by December 8, 2023.

The Association in a statement expressed gratitude for the partial payment of two months' worth of arrears but was disappointed that the full amount owed, covering seven months, was not disbursed.

GNMTA President Adumbisa Pascal said the discrepancy between the promised and paid amounts raised concerns about the transparency and efficiency of the financial processes involved.

The Association warned that if the remaining five months' arrears are not paid by the stipulated deadline, it will be forced to explore alternative avenues to address the matter.

"We seek a fair and expeditious resolution that upholds the integrity of the commitments made to our members," Pascal said.

He urged the Ministry of Health to take decisive action to ensure that trainee nurses and midwives receive the timely and just compensation they deserve.

Background

GNMTA has been engaged in discussions with the Ministry of Health over the payment of arrears for over two years. In October 2023, the Association was assured that financial clearance had been granted to the Controller and Accountant General for the disbursement of the full amount owed.

However, only two months' worth of arrears were paid, leaving GNMTA members frustrated and disappointed.

The Association's ultimatum comes as the Ghanaian government is facing increasing pressure from various groups over unpaid allowances and salaries.
Inculcate gender issues in medium-term development plans - Eric Banye to MDAs

Haruna Yussif Wunpini Nov - 26 - 2023 , 07:44

An Economic Consultant, Eric Banye, has asked municipal and district assemblies (MDAs) to inculcate gender issues in their four-year medium-term development plans.

That, he indicated, would ensure parity and fairness between males and females in all aspects of development.

Mr Banye made the call at a training seminar for local government officials at the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua last week.

The seminar which was organised by the Hunger Project in partnership with Ghana as well as BMZ was to strengthen sub-district institutions for community-led public services in Ghana.

The event which was also to improve the responsiveness, transparency and accountability of local government authorities was attended by municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs), planning officers of the assemblies, coordinating directors and budget officers.

Disadvantage

According to Mr Banye, most often development plans initiated by the assemblies had been tailored towards males at the disadvantaged of females and persons with disability (PWDs).

Male dormination

"In most cases, medium-term development plans of the assemblies are skewed towards male domination which does not augur well for the development of the communities", he stated.

Gender-parity

Mr Banye stressed that since the female population was higher than that of the males, it was expedient to implement gender-parity development agenda that would equally cater for the people.

Lack of funds

With regards to the implementation of medium-term development plan of the assemblies, he indicated that lack of funds made it almost impossible to execute such plans and that had largely affected the communities to develop.

That, he noted, was because most of the assemblies depended on Common Fund and minimal internally generated fund (IGF) that were not enough for the execution of the plans.

The Country Director of the Hunger Project, Samuel Afrane said the assemblies were now collaborating effectively with the communities in terms of development.

Resources

He said, for instance, that in some circumstances, the communities mobilise their own resources of which assemblies also added their resources for the implementation of projects for the benefit of the people.

Mr Afrane described such a two-way cooperation as the best for the development of the communities.

He however expressed dissatisfaction about the implementation of some the projects and called on the assemblies for improvement.

He encouraged the assemblies to constantly be in touch with the communities to know exactly what their priority needs are in order to profess solutions.

Best District

Mr Afrane congratulated the Okere District Assembly for their outstanding partnership and asked them to continue the good works.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Okere, Daniel Kenneth said the assembly had collaborated with Hunger Project to develop the communities.
More than 72,000 people in Ashanti Region estimated to be living with HIV

GNA Nov - 26 - 2023 , 14:31

A total of 72,429 people in the Ashanti Region are estimated to be living with HIV, according to the Ghana Aids Commission 2022 report.

Out of this number, only 26,006 are currently on Anti-Retroviral (ARV) medication at health facilities, leaving a gap of 46,421 who cannot be accounted for in terms of antiretroviral uptake.

These are individuals who either do not know their status or have defaulted in ARV treatment.

Mr. Dennis Bandoh, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Focal Person for HIV/AIDS, disclosed to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the region also recorded 4,618 new cases at the end of the third quarter of 2023, representing a 2.1 percent increase over last year.

HIV testing is divided into two categories  Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), which is mainly conducted on pregnant women, and HIV testing services for non-pregnant women and men, he explained.

Mr. Bandoh mentioned that a total of 62,835 pregnant women had been tested under the PMTCT category, with 681 testing positive. Additionally, 3,937 people tested positive out of 51,940 screened under the HIV testing services category.

The key challenge we are facing is getting men to test voluntarily because men are mostly hesitant to check their status, he noted.

Some males believe that once their pregnant wives or partners test negative, they are automatically negative. He explained that there were cases where sexual partners had different statuses without knowing, emphasizing the importance of testing regardless of their partners status.

Mr. Bandoh stressed that early initiation of treatment would halt the virus from progressing to the AIDS stage. He urged individuals who tested positive to seek treatment at health facilities convenient for them. Literature and available data indicate that men having sex with men, female commercial sex workers, long-distance drivers, and uniformed men were mostly at risk, he said.

Most men in the gay community have sex with their partners without protection, thereby exposing them to the virus. Men in uniform and long-distance drivers, by the nature of their work, are often deployed to places far from home and also work in the night, exposing them to the temptation of having multiple partners and unprotected sex, Mr. Bandoh noted.

He mentioned innovative strategies adopted by the Ghana Health Service to increase testing, including index testing, where people who have tested positive are encouraged to send their close family and sexual partners for testing.

HIV self-test kits have also been made available in all health facilities, where one could walk in for the kits.
Two Ghanaians named among 10 finalists for Africa's Business Heroes of the Year

Emelia Ennin Abbey Nov - 26 - 2023 , 12:19

Two Ghanaians have been shortlisted among the ten finalists for this year's Africa's Business Heroes Award.

The founder of Zeepay Ghana Limited, Andrew Takyi-Appiah, a fintech company and the Chief Executive Officer of Sommalife Limited, Christina Gyisun will compete with eight other finalists from South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda, Morocco and Bennin.

At a two day summit and grand final event in Kigali, Rwanda on the theme A.I-African Innovation, Insight, Impact starting today November 23 to November 24,2023, they will compete for a share of US$1.5 million in grant funding after they have the opportunity to not only showcase their talent and business ideas but also inspire others to pursue entrepreneurship as a career option.

Prizes

The winner will receive $300,000, the first runner-up $250,000 and the second runner-up $150,000.

The other seven of the top 10 finalists each receive $100,000, and the remaining $100,000 is split among all finalists for additional training programs after the competition.

The Africas Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition is a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy aimed at supporting and inspiring the next generation of African entrepreneurs across all sectors and building a more sustainable and inclusive economy for the future of the continent.

Since 2019, it has been recognising 100 African entrepreneurs and committing to allocating grant funding, training programs and support for the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group and the Jack Ma Foundation, created the prize after he made his first trip to Africa in 2017 and was inspired by the energy and entrepreneurial potential of the young people he met.

Applicants

This year, 27,267 applications were received from across 54 African countries, after the ABH official opening of applications on March 3, 2023 and also organized several information sessions.

After going through several rounds of rigorous evaluation conducted by ABH judges, three months later on June 27, 2023 the top 50 finalists were announced, the top 20 on July 24 and on September 5, 2023 the top 10 finalists were announced in Kigali Rwanda during the Semi-finale.

The finalists are selected after demonstrating that they are visionary entrepreneurs who embody innovation, resilience, growth potential and impact on Africa

Zeepay and Sommalife

Zeepay is an award-winning fintech company whose core business is remittances, transferring remittances from partner mobile transfer operators to mobile money wallets ATMs, bank accounts and visa cards across 20 African countries.

Speaking to Christina Gyisun she said she hoped to win to inspire and impact more entrepreneurs to be innovative and contribute to the growth of the continent.

She said being named among the final ten is not only thrilling but an honour.

Sommalife is a social enterprise that uses cutting-edge software technology to create value for smallholder farmers and stakeholders.

Sommalife resources rural smallholder farmers to increase the quality and quantity of their commodities and connects them to global food and cosmetic manufacturers, who pay premium prices for their commodities.
Vice President Bawumia enskinned Benkelemasa by Chief of Wangara Community in Ghana

GraphicOnline Nov - 26 - 2023 , 11:52

The Chief of the Wangara Community in Ghana, Masaba Fanyinama III, has enskinned Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as "Benkelemasa," which means the one who unites.

At a colourful ceremony in Kintampo on Saturday, during the 25th Anniversary of the Annual Benkade Kurubi Festival by Ghana's Wangara community, Chief Fanyinama said the enskinment of Dr. Bawumia by the Wangara Community is in recognition of his positive character as a unifier who reaches out to all groups.

"Dr. Bawumia is one who reaches out to all groups and brings people together to promote unity," Dr. Bawumia said.

"His sense of unity as a leader is clear, in the way he exhibits tolerance and reaches out to different groups, including Christians as a Muslim, to demonstrate how we are all one people and should continue to unite."

Chief Fanyinama added that, just as the Vice President, he is also a believer in religious tolerance and "has been attending and even chairing many Christian functions."

Congratulating Dr. Bawumia on his election as flagbearer of the NPP, Chief Fanyinama said Dr. Bawumia's election is a testament to his "hard work and love for unity."

"I have been a keen observer of Dr. Bawumia over the years, and his election by the NPP, clearly, is a testament to his love for unity, honesty, humility, respect for all, and hard work, which have impacted both his party and the nation," said Chief Fanyinama.

"Mr. Vice President, your election has given hope to many that hard work pays," he said.

"As you aspire to get to the next level of leading the country, I want to encourage you to continue to uphold your known traits of unity, honesty, and humility."

Dr. Bawumia expressed gratitude to Chief Fanyinama for the honour and pledged not to depart from his principles of being a leader for all.

He also called for the strengthening of peace and unity by not allowing people with ulterior motives to disunite.

"Let us not entertain people who try to divide us along tribal or religious lines. In Ghana, Muslims and Christians continue to live together. We have tolerance for each other, and we will continue to live with each other in harmony, and nobody will divide us for political purposes," Dr. Bawumia said.

The Kurubi Festival brought together Wangara Chiefs and groups from all parts of Ghana.
24-hour economy does not mean you can't sleep with your wives - Apaak to Minister

Zadok Kwame Gyesi Politics Nov - 26 - 2023 , 15:26

The Member of Parliament for Builsa South constituency, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has questioned the understanding of the Upper East Regional Minister of a 24-hour economy.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, at a function in his region expressed concern that implementing a 24-hour economy as proposed by John Mahama, the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), would lead to people not having time to sleep with their wives at night.

Mr Yakubu, for instance, said if farmers work throughout the night, it will be practically difficult for them to "sleep with their wives", something he expressed strong opposition to.

Former President John Mahama, who is seeking re-election has proposed a 24-hour economy in various areas as part of his strategies to reshape the Ghanaian economy when voted for as President in December 2024.

Since the announcement of the 24-hour economy proposal, many have reacted differently, with Vice President Dr Bawumia describing it as something that was already in implementation as many sectors already operate for 24-hours.

Speaking during the 2023 Sekoti Tenglebgre festival of the Chiefs and people of Sekoti in the Nabdam District on Saturday (Nov 25), the Upper East Regional Minister also expressed his views on the proposed 24-hour economy by former President Mahama.

The Builsa North MP who appeared not satisfied with Mr Yakubus position and understanding of the 24-hour economy in a social media post said: "What has a 24-hour economy got to do with farming at night and sleeping or not sleeping with wives at night?

Dr Apaak questioned Mr Yakubu's logic and explained that "even in war zones, couples manage to do the needful" and so implementing the proposed 24-hour economy will not affect anybody's conjugal duties.

Dr Apaak said Dr Bawumia and the NPP have nothing to offer Ghanaians, wondering if any Ghanaian will vote for the party after taking them through unbearable hardships.
ECOWAS condemns disturbances in Freetown

Zadok Kwame Gyesi Politics Nov - 26 - 2023 , 11:39

The Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS) has condemned the ongoing unrest in Sierra Leone, a member of the political bloc.

ECOWAS in a statement dated Sunday, November 26, 2023, said it "has learnt with utter disgust a plot by certain individuals to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order in Sierra Leone. ECOWAS condemns this act and calls for the arrest and prosecution of all participants in this illegal act."

The West African bloc reiterated its zero-tolerance for unconstitutional change of government.

"ECOWAS further underscores its commitment to supporting the government and people of Sierra Leone to deepen democracy and good governance, consolidate peace and security as well as foster socio-economic development," the statement said.
PRAGUE (Reuters) - Former Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, one of the leading figures in the country's post-Communist era, has died, officials said on Sunday. He was 85.

Schwarzenberg was born into a prestigious Czech family and became a senior aide to his friend Vaclav Havel after the former dissident won the country's first free election in 1990. He later served twice as foreign minister between 2007 and 2013.

He was a strong backer of closer integration in Europe, and while he was a declared conservative, his appeal stretched to urban liberal groups and younger people in politics.

The Vaclav Havel Library, which Schwarzenberg co-founded, said he died on Saturday, calling him a "patriot and true European". Czech media had said he had been transported to hospital in Vienna last week.

"He was one of the most important and kindest people in my life," Miroslav Kalousek, founder of the TOP09 party that Schwarzenberg led from its start, said in a social media post.

"May he rest in peace, the Czech Republic should be forever grateful to him for everything he selflessly did for it."

Schwarzenberg had spent a large part of his life in exile as his family was among major targets of the Communists who took power in a 1948 coup, confiscating the vast Schwarzenberg property which included chateaux, forests and land mainly in the south of the country near Austria, where they also had land.

While in exile in Austria, he took over the family's estate and also supported the anti-communist human rights movement and sponsored a library of banned Czech literature.

RETURN HOME

After the Velvet Revolution of 1989, which peacefully toppled Communist rule in then Czechoslovakia, Schwarzenberg became Havel's chief of staff.

Czech Television cited him as saying after his return: "You don't know the happiness a person has when he can be home again."

The Foreign Ministry called him an inspiration to two generations of diplomats. Like Havel, he hated idle chatter and would reply to discussions on the wrongs of the world with, "Well, what are we going to do about it?"

Story continues

"He knew how uncertain and fragile our freedom and democracy and the position of the Czech Republic in Europe and the world were," the ministry said.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said on X that Schwarzenberg was an "unwavering advocate" of democracy and the European idea. "He was a Central European in the best sense of the word."

Schwarzenberg became a senator in 2004 and then helped start the TOP09 party, which is a junior member in the centre-right government coalition now in power.

In 2013, he ran for president, but lost to Milos Zeman, another towering figure of post-1989 Czech politics who finished his second presidential term earlier this year.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet and Jan Lopatka; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Rosemarie Burda, 77, was moved to tears when she found out a stranger who was shopping at Pay-Less Supermarkets at Oka, Tamuning unexpectedly paid for her groceries on Thanksgiving Day, and wished to find the Good Samaritan so she could thank him personally.

The grandmother of two said she will pay forward the random act of kindness she received from the man.

It warms her heart, she said, to know there are still people out there offering their kindness to strangers.

Im still in awe. I just wish they could look through the video and see who this man may have been. I know theres good people in the world but its kind of hard to find them anymore, Burda, a retired nurse, told the Pacific Daily News in a Saturday interview at her sons place in Tamuning.

If the Good Samaritan happens to read this story in the PDN, she said, she wants to say thank you and she wished she could thank him in person.

It happened in the afternoon of Thanksgiving, when she was doing her last-minute holiday shopping.

When she was retelling the story two days later, she was fighting back her tears and was getting goose pimples once again, thinking about how a random stranger could move someone emotionally and spiritually.

I would just want to say thank you because he does not realize what he did for me, Burda, a Gold Star wife, said.

That afternoon

While she was in line at Oka Pay-Less, waiting for her turn to pay for her groceries, she remembers there was a man ahead of her, paying for his own groceries and putting them in his bag. She remembers he bought a lot of steaks or what seemed like stuff for making steaks.

When it was her turn, she put her phone number for her rewards point, but the machine wasnt accepting her card payment.

So she asked the cashier, whom she remembers as Lina, for assistance.

The cashier told her not to worry about it because the gentleman ahead of her paid for her groceries, which was about $50.

I just looked at her and I said, Oh my God, and I said, where is he? And I kept trying to look and find him, didnt see him anywhere, and I said, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I got teary eyed, and I said to her, do you have any idea who this gentleman is? She said no, but he does come in here periodically. She says, I think he just came from work. So that was my story, Burda said.

All she remembers is that the man had dark black hair which was a little curly, and was probably in his 40s. Burda said she only saw a side of his face, and couldnt tell his ethnicity.

Thats the nicest thing thats ever happened to me and I just wish I knew who this gentleman was. I would like to thank him personally and I will pay it forward. I will wait when I feel the time is right, and I would do the same thing. I would pay it forward, Burda, who was a nurse for 47 years, said.

The grandmother said she would ask Pay-Less for help, if they could identify the man from security cameras.

Burda travels between Albuquerque where her daughter currently works as a social worker, and Guam, where her son, her daughter-in-law and their two young children live. The Burdas are from Pittsburgh.

When she got home that day from Pay-Less, she immediately told her son Josh, whos in the Army.

And its a heartwarming story that her son shared on a Facebook group and on her Facebook wall.

It was his son, she said, that pointed out that all this happened during his late dads birthday, Pittsburgh time, on Nov. 22. Thats Nov. 23, Guam time, which was Thanksgiving, since Guam is a day ahead of the U.S. mainland.

Burda said her late husband was a Vietnam War veteran. He was a corpsman, picking up and helping wounded soldiers in the battlefield. He passed away in 2008.

His death was service-related, from Agent Orange. He was a corpsman, on a medevac helicopter, she said. Agent Orange is an exfoliant used to eradicate all of the foliage so they could see the enemy, the Vietnamese (during the Vietnam War). And they had no idea what it would do.

Burdas family and friends who read her sons post were also happy and thankful for the Good Samaritan and for Burda to receive an act of kindness from a stranger.

One of her friends said, and she agrees, that it was a wink from God.
Speaker Therese Terlaje heads to her office after calling for a recess on Oct. 30, 2023 at the Guam Congress Building in Hagatna.
The Guam Homeless Coalition hosted the 2nd Annual Housing and Homelessness Summit on Nov. 17 at the University of Guam CLASS Lecture Hall and adjoining HSS Building.

GHC members, government of Guam agencies, and other stakeholders reviewed their collective efforts in 2023 to assess and recalibrate the 2022 Action Framework items in their five-year plan to mitigate homelessness on Guam, according to a news release from the coalition.

This was the first ever proclamation in observance of November being Homelessness Awareness Month for Guam and legislative resolution acknowledging the Guam Homeless Coalition for its efforts.

Three plenary sessions offered information on homelessness and issues that materialized from Typhoon Mawar:

Emergency response.

Housing justice, landlord/tenant rights and encampments.

A lived experience perspective from two individuals; one currently homeless and one who transitioning out of homelessness.

Afternoon breakout sessions were conducted by the housing, communications, fundraising, data and training GHC committees.

The summit wrapped up with committee breakout session reports and proposing new action items to be included in the action framework.

The plenary sessions can be viewed here: Guam Homeless Coalition youtube page.

The coalition also has It Takes A Village video series to educate the public on the Guam Homeless Coalition partners services offered.

This summit is a positive for our partners and stakeholders by creating a united front to provide more for our unhoused residents. I strongly encourage individuals and businesses who want to help to visit our youtube page to learn about the Guam Homeless Coalition partners and consider joining or donating to support our cause, Coalition Chair Samantha Taitano said in a statement.

For more information or to donate, go to guamhomelesscoalition.org.
Its too soon to say whether the local government will get money to replace the Guam Memorial Hospital, but more information will be coming by March, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The agency, in a statement, retracted a number of comments made early this month by a FEMA administrator.

Chris Baggot, FEMA deputy infrastructure branch director for the Typhoon Mawar disaster aid program, told the Pacific Daily News that FEMA teams were trying to get to yes on funding for a new GMH, and that putting more money towards fixing the current hospital may not be worthwhile.

A statement provided by FEMA external affairs officer Veronica Verda, in response, called Baggots comments personal thoughts about the future of the hospital.

The comments did not reflect federal government policy or positions and did not demonstrate the respect the employee and the whole recovery team have for the staff who work tirelessly each day at Guam Memorial Hospital to care for patients, their family members and the broader community of Guam, the statement said.

Presently, FEMA is exploring options for the repair or possible replacement of the hospital with local officials.

It is too early to announce now what the final decisions on funding will be to Guam Memorial Hospital for disaster-related expenses and damages, but we hope to have more details about additional disaster funding, including potential resources from our interagency partners, for the hospital by March 2024, FEMA stated.

Baggot previously informed the PDN that FEMA was calling on a number of federal agencies with a stake in funding for the hospital, including the Department of Health and Human Services, to see if agencies could pool resources to get a new hospital built.

Aid from FEMA is a major federal source of funds that Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero is banking on to get a new GMH built. The other source is the Department of Defense.

The governor told media last month that the price tag for a new hospital is now hovering around $800 million.

Though lawmakers have already green-lit borrowing for a new hospital, for payments of up to $35 million over the course of 30 years, Leon Guerrero has expressed a desire to keep GovGuams debts to a minimum.

The governor has also set aside more than $100 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds for a new hospital.

Leon Guerrero put the lifespan of the current GMH at less than five years, during an October informational briefing at the hospital.
Local nonprofit organization Manelu presents its signature event, Breakfast with Santa, at Capitol Kitchen on Saturday, Dec. 2, starting at 8 a.m., with a special appearance from Santa himself.

This is the first in-person Breakfast with Santa event that Manelu will be hosting since 2019.

Manelu has been educating and empowering children and families to change their lives for over two decades. Formerly Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guam, Manelu has expanded its services over the years, hosting numerous empowering and educating programs for youth and families.

Breakfast with Santa provides a unique opportunity for the community to help support the organization, which provides not only mentorship programs for children but also translation services in five different languages, assisting individuals in applying for affordable housing, providing services to help individuals write resumes, and helping them get jobs.

The funds raised will be used to increase awareness of their services through community outreach, educational workshops, and youth programs.

In addition, it will also help to stock their pantry with food and hygiene products for their homeless clients.

The public is encouraged to join the festivities in their favorite Christmas pajamas.

The activities include:

T-shirt painting

Face painting

Photo booth

Letters to Santa

Coloring Corner

Ornament decorating

Mentoring table

Hair braiding

Hot cocoa station--Sponsored by the Father Duenas Memorial School Culinary Club

Cookie decorating--Sponsored by Bank of Guam

Manelu also thanks their sponsors for making this years event happen, including Bank of Guam, Capitol Kitchen, Matson Navigation, Personal Finance Center, SPPC 76 Circle K, and Nissan.

Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for children ages 5 to 11. They can be purchased at Manelus Tamuning location at 136 Tun Felix Camacho St., or at the Mighty Purple Cafe in Hagatna.

For more information, call (671) 789-1265 or visit www.manelu.org.




Haiti - Education : Launch of integrity clubs in schools





The Ministry of National Education and the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) launched this week at the Canado-haitien college, the "integrity clubs" initiative and presented to the media the first two clubs of this kind from the Lycee National de Petion-ville and the Canado-haitien college respectively, composed of 8 members each.



But the project aims to create such clubs in each educational establishment in the country capable of encouraging young people to join in the efforts to fight corruption by placing them in a process of self-learning and self-criticism and initiating children, from an early age, among other things, to civic values, respect for the property of others and the public good.



In the opinion of Ludwig Joseph, Director General of the ULCC, the involvement of students in efforts to understand and fight against corruption is a much better way to destroy if not reduce the reproductive capacity of this hydra which does so much harm to Haitian society.



Speaking on behalf of Minister Nesmy Manigat, Herve Boursiquot, Director General of the National Education Partnership Office (ONAPE), from the outset, reminded to the attention of the public present that the involvement of the Ministries which is convinced that education can help save the country from this scourge with the most disastrous consequences on the lives of the population.



Boursiquot highlighted the connection between the creation of integrity clubs in schools and the decision taken by the Ministry to ensure that Citizenship Education is a disciplinary subject that covers all levels. of education, namely preschool, basic and secondary. In other words, the Haitian child will be introduced to the notions of citizenship education upon entry into preschool, and this will be the case until secondary 4.



"We can no longer afford to count the students we train today in the list of tomorrows corrupters. This is why we must instill in them the values of a good citizen," concluded Herve Boursiquot.



Brother Junior Pierre, Director of the Canado-haitien college and Jean Marc Charles, director of the national Lecee de Petion-Ville both welcomed this initiative. For Jean Marc Charles, the students, members of the integrity club of the Canado-haitien college and those members of the integrity club of the national Lycee de Petion-Ville are the ambassadors of a just cause, the cause of the new preserved Haiti from the claws of the corruption handlers.



The second highlight of this ceremony was the opportunity for the two integrity clubs to take turns leading discussions. They maintained, with pedagogy, the assistance on : the culture of integrity in the school environment; the risk of corruption in schools; plagiarism and cheating as common corrupt practices in schools. At the end of each presentation, they made recommendations capable of helping to combat academic fraud.



Members of the Integrity Club of the Lycee National de Petion-ville :

Jean-Patrick Simon, Kaelle Rene, Arielle-Nifer Dorsaint, Marvens-Davis Surfin, Danushky Pierre, Sebastien Jean, Stephens Marc-Bright Auguste and Marckens Jean.



Members of the Canado-haitien College Integrity Club:

Aina Christina Cherubin, Ruth Emmanuelle Henry, Omar Florestal, Lens Jerry Lochard, Cedric Wilson Darius, Carl Dejean and Berl-Hensa Bellevue.



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Rodrigo Bentancur was forced off after half an hour against Aston Villa (REUTERS)

Rodrigo Bentancur was forced off following a poorly timed tackle from Aston Villas Matty Cash, in a fresh blow to Tottenhams mounting injury concerns.

The Uruguayan sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage in February and was making his first start for Tottenham for nine months when he had to leave the field after just half an hour.

Cash caught Bentancur on the ankle with a miss-judged sliding challenge, creating a new problem for Tottenham to contend with amid an ongoing injury crisis.

It was an unnecessary challenge, but there was nothing in the impact to suggest it would be worth more than a yellow card or any immediate evidence of the damage caused to Bentancur.

Ahead of the match against Aston Villa, Spurs were without at least nine first-team players ruled out, not including Bentancurs issue.

Tottenham already had an injury crisis before the latest setback (REUTERS)

Bentancur had made his first competitive start in nine months for Uruguay against Bolivia on Tuesday, but two matches within a week might have been too much for the midfielder.

Last season, Bentancur was one of the best players before the injury, but when he left the field hobbling he was replaced by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Yves Bissouma was also suspended for the Villa clash after sustaining his fifth yellow card of the campaign at Wolves, and manager Ange Postecoglou had been hopeful of Bentancur filling the gap.

Tottenham will already be without James Maddison and Micky van de Ven until the new year, with Christian Romero serving a suspension. Pape Matar Sarr was not fit enough to be included in the matchday squad, while Ashley Phillips is also out for a month with an issue.




Haiti - Social : International Day for the Elimination of Gender Violence





Saturday November 25, 2023, as part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Swiss Cooperation is committed to the fight against gender-based violence with local and international partners working in the gender theme in Haiti.



This year, the day is commemorated under the international theme Investing to prevent violence against women and girls and the local theme "Prevansyon, fomasyon ak edikasyon se zouti pou konbat vyolans sou fanm ak tifi" proposed by the Ministry for the Status of Women and Women's Rights.



Gender-based violence is the most widespread violation of human rights, Switzerland, in its international cooperation strategy 2021-2024, focuses on preventing gender-based violence and strengthening economic empowerment and women's political participation.



Saturday was also the launch day for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign dedicated to ending violence against women and girls.



Until December 10, KRIFA is mobilizing as usual to raise awareness and take action against this crisis. In families, offices, schools and particularly in sites for displaced people, women and young girls are increasingly suffering the consequences of this serious social problem. Our program, under the theme "Investing to prevent violence against women and girls," includes awareness-raising workshops in displaced person sites. Each of these awareness sessions is carefully designed to meet the needs of victims and their loved ones.



According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Haiti, between January 1st and August 15, 2023, at least 2,439 people were killed (282 women and 50 children), 902 injured (230 women and 23 children) and 951 kidnappings (307 women and 12 children).



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Haiti - Politic : The Haitian crisis on the agenda of European deputies





The Deputy Administrative Minister of the Dominican Presidency, Andres Lugo Risk, assured that during his meetings with different deputies in the European Parliament, they committed to making efforts to present a new resolution to put the Haitian crisis in one of the first items on the agenda.



Lugo, who is the coordinator of the delegation appointed by President Luis Abinader to publicize the "National Pact for the Haiti Crisis," held nearly 20 meetings with representatives of European states in Brussels, Belgium.



He stressed that the European Union authorities have expressed their full support for the multinational mission to support the security of Haiti. Lugo Risk presented them with the Dominican national pact for the formulation of public policies which will allow the country to face the harmful effects generated by the Haitian crisis on Dominican territory As well as the ratification of the Dominican position according to which there is no and there will be no solution to Haiti's problems in the DR. "We rather insistently ask you to intervene in the pacification of a Nation mired in violence, chaos and instability at all levels," he insisted to the deputies.



The commissioners of the Dominican delegation met with figures such as Maria Clara Girbau Ronda, Permanent Representative of Spain to the European Union; Tomas Reyes Ortega, President of the Committee on Relations with Latin America and the European External Action Service, and Belgian Senator Orry Van de Wauwer. They also met with the Chief of Staff, Leticia Zuleta, and the Deputy Head of Foreign Affairs, Francois Gabriel, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, Joao Castel Branco, Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean; Javi Lopez, President of the delegation of the Euro-Latin American Assembly of the European Parliament and Juan Lopez Aguilar, President of the Committee on Freedoms and Justice of the European Parliament.



Other meetings took place with the leaders of the European Parliament: Inma Rodriguez Pinero, Vice-President of CARIFORUM-EU; Tomasz Poreba, from the Euro-Latin American Assembly; Tilly Metz, Delegate for relations with Central American countries; Janez Lenarcic, European Commission Commissioner responsible for crisis management; Cibran Fernandez Silva, Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of the Council of the European Union, Charles Michel; Jeroen Cooreman, Director General of Bilateral Affairs, and Ghislain D'hoop, Director General of Multilateral Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium; Ibrahim Norbert Richard, Assistant Secretary of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS); Renaud Savignat, Jutta Urpilainen and Felix Fernandez Shaw, from the International Associations office; Javier Nino, Deputy Director for America of the European External Action Service and Pelayo Castro Zuzuarregui, Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean.



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Haiti - News : Zapping...





Important meeting between the PNH and Brazil

Frantz Elbe, Acting Director General of the Haitian National Police (PNH) held an important meeting with the Brazilian Ambassador to Haiti Luis Fernando de Carvalho. During this meeting several important points were discussed, including strengthening the operational capacity of the police force, particularly in terms of continuing training.



Anemia rate of 47.7% among Haitian women of childbearing age

According to the latest edition of the Regional Panorama of Food Security and Nutrition (Panorama 2023) in Latin America and the Caribbean, Haiti displays a prevalence of undernourishment of 45%, affecting 5.1 million people during the period from 2020 to 2022. According to the report, among countries in the region with a high prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age, Haiti had the highest prevalence (47.7%), followed by Guyana (31.7%) and the Dominican Republic (26.4%).



Training of trainers in essential newborn care

In support of the Family Health Directorate of the Ministry of Public Health, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO-Haiti) provided support in carrying out a training workshop for trainers in the field of essential care of the newborn, which took place at the Justinien University Hospital for the benefit of students in pediatrics, gynecologists, midwives, and other health professionals working in public and/or private hospitals and health centers in 10 departments.



Did you know ?

In the judicial system, the name Parquet (or Public Ministry) comes from the "small enclosed park" in which the king's prosecutors were held during the hearings under the Ancien Regime. The public prosecutor's office is also called "standing judiciary" since the prosecutors speak standing during hearings.



FAO alongside the Ministry of the Environment

Patrick David, the Officer in charge of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) met with the Minister of the Environment of Haiti. The two men discussed, among other things,: the Country Programming Framework; the germplasm centers of Levy de Marfranc and Fonds des Negres.



Cooperation between Haitian Universities and UQAC

The Ambassador of Haiti to Canada, Weibert Arthus, accompanied by Minister Counselor Osse Aristild and the First Secretary Ismaela Dubuisson, met by videoconference with officials from the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi (UQAC) including Rector Ghislain Samson and his advisor Christian Fillion. Together, they explored avenues for bilateral cooperation between Haitian university institutions and UQAC in the field of teaching and mainly scientific research. The question of accessibility of studies and scholarships for the benefit of Haitian students was also discussed.



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Published on 2023/11/26

Netflix's upcoming series "Gyeongseong Creature" has released its captivating teaser poster and trailer, setting the stage for a powerful narrative. The series, set in the spring of 1945, tells the story of two young individuals battling against a monstrous entity born from human greed.

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The teaser poster reveals a tense and suspenseful moment, featuring Jang Tae-sang (played by Park Seo-joon) and Yoon Chae-ok (played by Han So-hee) confronting a mysterious presence. The imagery of prison bars and desperate hands stretching out towards the protagonists hints at the deep secrets within Ongseong Hospital, one of many vital locations featured in the series. Park Seo-joon, as Jang Tae-sang, the influential master of the House of Golden Treasure, and Han So-hee, portraying the relentless sleuth Yoon Chae-ok, bring depth and intrigue to their roles. Park Seo-joon shares his excitement: "The series combines tension-filled creature encounters with a gripping survival tale". Han So-hee adds, "The unique blend of historical drama and creature genre offers an exciting diversity".

The teaser trailer intensifies the anticipation, showcasing the powerful first appearance between Tae-sang and Chae-ok. The plot thickens as Tae-sang, who controls crucial information in the bustling Bonjeong district, faces a dire threat: find the missing lover of Commissioner Ishikawa before the cherry blossoms fall or lose everything. This leads him to Chae-ok and her father, experts in tracking down missing persons. Together, they infiltrate the mysterious Ongseong Hospital, the epicenter of suspicion and intrigue. The trailer leaves viewers wondering what dark secrets and conspiracies lie ahead for the duo in this shadowy era.

"Gyeongseong Creature" is poised to be a dazzling highlight at the year's end and beginning, weaving a tale of confrontation against a creature borne of greed. Anticipation builds as Part 1 is slated for release on December 22 and Part 2 on January 5 exclusively on Netflix.

___________

"Gyeongseong Creature" is directed by Jeong Dong-yoon, written by Kang Eun-kyeong, and features Park Seo-joon, Han So-hee, Claudia Kim, Kim Hae-sook, Jo Han-chul, Wi Ha-jun. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2023/12/22~Upcoming, on Netflix.
An asylum seeker from Syria has received a masters degree after having to flee his home country and abandon his studies there.

Mohamed Hady Taresh graduated with a first class masters degree in cyber security from the University of Gloucestershire on Friday.

Mr Taresh was forced to leave Syria in 2013 because of the ongoing civil war.

He said: "It's a dream come true and especially in these circumstances and the challenges we faced."

Mr Taresh arrived in the UK in 2022 seeking refuge and a better future for his wife, Jollanar and their five-year-old daughter Alice.

He had a 10-year career working in various IT management roles in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Cyprus.

But with an armed conflict displacing millions of people, Mr Taresh said coming to the UK was a "life or death matter" for his family.

"I remember the day that we had to leave the city [Raqqa] because the city [fell down] in a very dramatic situation," he said.

The family fled to England and arrived at a hotel in Cheltenham in middle of the night.

"My wife was scared because we came in the middle of the night," he said.

"[But] the moment we wake up, it was something magical, because of the green landscapes of the countryside and the feeling that we are safe right now."

Mr Taresh was not legally permitted to work in the UK while his asylum application was processed by the Home Office, so he decided to return to education.

"I rebuilt myself from scratch," said Mr Taresh, who became the first postgraduate student to be awarded the University of Gloucestershire's Michael Perham Sanctuary Scholarship.

The scholarship helped him to cover living expenses by providing support such as food vouchers and travel tickets to and from campus.

He received a first-class master's degree in Cyber Security, which he received at the university's graduation ceremony at Cheltenham Racecourse on Friday.

"This is the moment that I was dreaming about. I can't find the words to express what I feel right now," he said.

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Founded a decade ago by owner Keith Matejka, Thunderworks Games original board games have been enjoyed by players all over the globe.

How to help To donate to Empty Stocking Club or to volunteer, visit emptystockingclub.com. Families can apply to receive a toy until Dec. 7 on the website. Donations can also be mailed to: Wisconsin State Journal 1901 Fish Hatchery Road Madison, WI 53713

The Middleton-based business has sold more than 700,000 games since its inception. One of its most popular creations, Cartographers, a map-drawing game, has been printed in 22 languages.

Thunderworks is helping satisfy a growing interest in board games. According to a report from Fortune Business Insights, the board game industry is projected to grow from $13.06 billion in 2023 to $26.04 billion in 2030.

The board game industry has really blown up, Matejka said. People are looking for ways to connect that doesnt involve a screen. I think a lot of people were starting to move toward board games, and board games have really kind of become much more interesting over the last 10 to 15 years.

Matejka and his business have prioritized mentorship and giving back to the community. Matejka and Kirk Dennison, operations manager at Thunderworks Games, frequently mentor local youth who are interested in learning more about game design.

And this is the second year the store is working with the Empty Stocking Club, the charitable arm of the Wisconsin State Journal that provides families with a toy and a book for each child who needs one.

Along with selling their games to the Empty Stocking Club at a discount, some of the staff from Thunderworks Games will be volunteering for the organization this year. Last year, Dennison helped local families shop for free toys for their children, an experience that left a lasting impression on him.

In a span of an hour, I would help 30 parents with checking out to get the presents for their kids, Dennison said.  If thats any indication of how many people need a little boost around the holidays, Im definitely happy to support that.

The Empty Stocking Club started in 1918, when readers donated money, clothes, food, toys and more for families in need during the flu pandemic. It relies on readers and community members, who donate money to purchase toys and hand them out at the Toy Depot event Dec. 13-14 at the Alliant Energy Center. In addition, hundreds of volunteers help run the event.

Donations can be made using the envelope in Sundays paper or at emptystockingclub.com. Families who need toys can apply on the website as well until Dec. 7, and volunteers can sign up there too.

Prior to starting Thunderworks Games, Matejka worked in the video game industry, but his passion was making board games. So, along with his day job, Matejka began to use the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to help fund his board games. After seeing a couple of his games take off and receiving significant financial support from Kickstarter, Matejka decided to pursue Thunderworks full time in 2016.

Today, Thunderworks Games has a staff of five and the business typically releases three games a year. Creating and releasing a new board game is a very involved process, Matejka said. From the several months that it takes to world build and create a board games landscape and rules to finding an artist to create visuals to the manufacturing process, most games take well over a year to come to fruition.

Im working on things that we plan on releasing in 2026, Matejka said. Im always thinking very far into the future. So then when they when they do finally come out, its like its like ancient history to me because Im already working on the next one.

For this holiday season, the team at Thunderworks is looking forward to helping parents in the community receive free gifts for their children, which may include one of their board games.

We sell fun and if we can give fun back to the community, thats amazing and thats what the Christmas season is about, Matejka said. Its about relaxing, unwinding and having some fun with our family and friends.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) saw the listing of five initial public offerings (IPO) this week, including the much awaited Tata Technologies IPO. The hassle-free listing of all the issues during the mega IPO week left Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath impressed. Zerodha founder Nithin Kamath lauds the mega IPO week on the stock martket.

Nithin Kamath took to X (formerly Twitter) to talk about how massive activity erupted on the IPO market after a long time, with IPOs worth 7,600 crore making a splash on the NSE.

Kamath said, "After a long time, we have had massive activity in the IPO market, with 2.6lk cr blocked in bank accounts for IPOs worth 7.6k cr. If this was 2003, it would take 16 working days (or ~1 month), and the entire money would have moved to investment bankers and cost investors (an interest forego) at least 0.5% (assuming 6% pa) or 1300 crores."

Kamath further pointed out the significant reduction in the IPO listing time as compared to two decades ago. He wrote, "T+16 became T+12, T+6, and from Sep 2023 it is T+3 (~1week). Now, the money never leaves the bank account until allotment. While institutional investors might miss out on interest income with money blocked in current bank accounts which don't yield any interest for those 3 days, retail investors continue to earn the interest from their savings accounts during the IPO process."

For the unversed, the T+3 timeline is the time set by SEBI in its new regulations, in effect from September. It states that all the IPOs need to be listed within three working days from the closure of the bid.

The Zerodha CEO further added, "In almost every aspect, capital market regulations in India have improved phenomenally over the last 20 years, especially in the last five years."

IPO week on the stock market

The Tata Group launched its first IPO in 20 years this week - Tata Technologies IPO - making it one of the most awaited issue of the year. Apart from Tata, the four other IPOs launched this week were Gandhar Oil Refineries Ltd., Fedbank Financial Services Ltd., Flair Writing Industries Ltd, and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).

Investors ended up placing bids worth 2.59 lakh crore on the stock market this week, while the overall IPOs were worth around 7,600 crore.
Some BJP leaders, who are "disgruntled" following the appointment of B Y Vijayendra as the president of the party's Karnataka unit and R Ashok as the leader of opposition in the Assembly, are likely to visit New Delhi early next month to convey their feelings to the central leadership. 'Disgruntled' Karnataka BJP leaders to meet party high-command

Also Read - Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023 to showcase Indian innovations that could impact world

Senior leader V Somanna, who has been sulking following the appointments, said on Saturday that he will visit the national capital with MLAs Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Arvind Bellad, Ramesh Jarkiholi, former MLA Arvind Limbavali and others.

All five leaders named have been critical of the saffron party's decision to appoint former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's son Vijayendra as its state president and Ashoka as the leader of opposition.

"I received a message on Friday night. I will probably go to Delhi between December 7 and 10 along with Yatnal, Limbavali, Bellad, Jarkiholi and several others. We will meet the top party leaders and share our feelings with them," Somanna told reporters here.

He said the leaders have a vision, which will be conveyed to the top leadership.

"Only when a child cries does the mother feed it milk. The party must grow. No one should be taken for granted, no one should have a complete say," Somanna said.

Earlier in the day, Somanna visited the influential Siddaganga Math here and a video of him purportedly sharing his feelings in front of math pontiff Siddalinga Swami was aired on television news channels.

In the video, Somanna can be heard saying that accepting the party's decision that he should contest the Assembly polls from two seats was a mistake.

"What was I to do when I was asked to contest with just four days left? (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah was in my house for two-three hours and he badgered me. What should I have done, Swamiji?" he is heard asking the pontiff.

Somanna, a leader from the Lingayat community, has been sulking ever since he lost from two constituencies in the Assembly polls held in May. He was asked to shift from his Govindaraj Nagar seat to contest from Varuna against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as also from Chamarajanagar.

There is speculation that he might quit the BJP and join the ruling Congress in the southern state.

Asked about Somanna's disgruntlement, Yediyurappa said he has not been able to reach out to his party colleague.

"I tried talking to him over the phone. He is not receiving my calls. We will try everything possible to keep him in the party," the former chief minister said.
The Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI) on Saturday organised a valedictory function for nine delegates of the African-Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) sponsored international training on Use of poor quality waters in agriculture. The 12-day training was attended by nine delegates from seven AARDO members, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Kenya, Zambia, Jordan and Eswatini, who are facing problems regarding poor-quality groundwater and salt-affected soils. (HT)

AARDO is a group of 32 countries, with 18 from Africa and 14 from Asia, working in the field of rural development for its member countries through various capacity-building programmes.

The 12-day training was attended by nine delegates from seven AARDO members, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Kenya, Zambia, Jordan and Eswatini, who are facing problems regarding poor-quality groundwater and salt-affected soils.

The function was chaired by AARDO secretary general Dr Manoj Nardeosingh and attended by the deputy director general, of natural resource management, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) SK Chaudhari, director, ICAR-CSSRI, Dr RK Yadav and other dignitaries.
On November 27, 2022, a woman and her son were arrested for allegedly killing her husband at a one-room flat in east Delhis Trilokpuri, and chopping up his body into at least 10 pieces. According to the police, the mans body parts were stuffed into gunny bags, refrigerated for around 48 hours, before being disposed of at an open ground in nearby Kalyanpuri. The police found the body parts soon after they were dumped. (Representational image)

Poonam Devi, 48, and her son Deepak Kumar, 25, allegedly mixed sleeping pills in Anjan Dass drink on May 30, 2022, and after he became dizzy, murdered him, left the body overnight for the blood to drain out and then chopped the corpse into at least 10 pieces on May 31.

Also read: Traces of blood on wiper, bottom of bed to help cops in Delhi murder

They then stored the body parts in their refrigerator and over the next two days, before dumping the body parts.

The police found the body parts soon after they were dumped. However, Poonam and Deepak, who was her son from a previous relationship, were arrested only in November  around the same time as another similar murder, that of 26-year-old Shraddha Walkar, had shocked the nation.

A year on, investigators in the Trilokpuri case are still looking for a missing piece of the body  the torso.

Last year, we found parts of a body We found the limbs and head cut into pieces and stuffed in plastic bags. But we did not find the torso. In their interrogation later, it was revealed that Poonam and Deepak had thrown the torso in a drain in New Ashok Nagar. We suspect that because so many months had passed, the torso must have gone with the flow of the drain, an investigator involved in the case said.

They had initially either hidden the body parts or buried them. They were pulled out in the open by dogs and were subsequently found on June 5, the investigator said.

At the time of the murder, Deepak and his wife  who was five-months pregnant  lived in a separate flat a few lanes away. The wife has claimed that one of the reasons that Anjan was killed was because he used to get drunk and molest her. The other reason offered for the murder was that he would steal money from Poonam to buy alcohol.

House rented after a year

Last week, Laxmi Kirad, 70, the owner of the first-floor flat where Poonam and Deepak allegedly killed Anjan, finally found new tenants  a 25-year-old couple in the dark about the murder.

Kirad, who lives on the ground floor of the building, said, People treat my house like it is haunted. Just a few weeks after the arrests, a couple from Uttar Pradesh rented the house, but within two days, someone told them about the murder.

The woman then started saying that she could feel Anjans spirit, and emptied the flat in less than a week.

Kirads 20-year-old daughter Sakshi said that their family have also requested neighbours not to mention the incident in front of the new tenants.

Also read: Stunned neighbours say they were in the dark about May killing

Deepaks wife, meanwhile, no longer lives in her separate house, and has also changed phone numbers. Neighbours said the family members vacated the flat a few days after Anjans murder came to light, and they have not been in contact with anyone after leaving the locality.

Watertight case

Investigators are confident of securing a conviction in this case, which has gone to trial because of the scientific evidence they have recovered.

We called Anjans brother and sisters from Bihar, and took their DNA to match the DNA from the body parts, and they matched. And though the accused cleaned the house, traces of blood were found on a wiper recovered from the house, as well as from the bottom of the bed. The traces matched with Anjan, an investigator said.
Delhis air quality remained in the upper end of the very poor category on Sunday, improving marginally from Saturday. The National Capitals 24-hour average AQI was 385 (very poor) at 6am on Sunday  a slight improvement from 389 (very poor) at 4pm on Saturday. On Saturday, at 417, the capitals 24-hour average AQI was in the severe category (Representative Photo)

As per the official data recorded on Sunday at 6am by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 14 out of Delhis 40 ambient air quality monitoring stations were in the severe category, with Wazirpur (456) worst impacted, followed by Jahangirpuri (450) and Punjabi Bagh (442).

On Saturday, at 417, the capitals 24-hour average AQI was in the severe category when the CPCB released its national bulletin. This was the citys 9th severe air day so far this month.

The number of severe air days is now behind only November 2016 (10) and November 2021 (11).

An AQI of 51 to 100 is classified as satisfactory, between 101 and 200 is classified as moderate, between 201 and 300 is classified as poor, between 301 and 400 is classified as very poor and over 400 is severe

Interestingly, even though Delhi has had nine severe air days so far this month  when the AQI has been over 400, it has been on the brink of severe  390 or higher on another six days, making it 15 such days with an AQI of 390 or higher. This is the highest tally of such days in November in the last eight years, with the previous high of 13 such days coming in November 2021. Delhi recorded 11 days of 390+ AQI in November 2016, data showed.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast drizzle in parts of Delhi on Monday, which is likely to help the AQI further, however, it still is likely to remain in the very poor category, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

Delhis air quality is likely to improve and remain in the very poor category from November 26 to 28. The outlook for the subsequent six days shows the air quality is likely to remain in the very poor category, said the Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, a forecasting model used by the CAQM.

According to the IMD forecast, a prevailing western disturbance over northwest India would impact Delhi on Monday.

The wind direction has changed and easterly winds are starting to blow towards Delhi, as the western disturbance, which is primarily impacting Rajasthan and the western Himalayan region, approaches. This is raising the minimum temperature again, which will start dipping again from Tuesday when cold northwesterly winds return.

Delhi recorded its lowest minimum temperature this season on Thursday when it touched 9.2 degrees Celsius.
Rajasthan has recorded a 0.73% increase in the polling percentage with 75.45% turnout on Saturday across 199 of 200 assembly constituencies in Rajasthan, marking culmination of a crucial polling exercise that will decide whether the Congress will buck the states political tradition of voting out the incumbent or will the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) manage to unseat the Ashok Gehlot government. Women at a polling station in Rajasthans Ajmer on Saturday. (REUTERS)

In 2018, the corresponding figure was 74.72% in Rajasthan. Polling was not held in one seat as the Congress candidate from Sriganganagars Karanpur, Gurmeet Singh Konoor passed away.

The BJP is contesting on all seats while the Congress has left one seat  Bharatpur  for its ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), like in the 2018 elections. The outcomes will be announced on December 3. Other parties contesting the election are the AAP, CPI (M), Bharatiya Tribal Party, Bharat Adivasi Party and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen.

The election is likely to be a direct contest between the two national parties with only a handful of seats likely to be won by smaller outfits and independents.

In an official statement, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, My appeal to the voters of Rajasthan to take part in this festival of democracy at a large number turned out to be a ground reality now. Voters from different sections- from youth to women and the elderly visited the booths and cast their votes with new wisdom. I appreciate the Rajasthan chief electoral officers effort to ensure a happy and comfortable voting experience for the people with several arrangements such as wheelchairs, additional volunteers, selfie points, webcasting etc.

Across the 51,756 polling stations, highest voting percentage was in Jaisalmers Pokaran with 87.79% turnout, followed by Alwars Tijara with 86.11%, Chittorgarhs Nimbahera with 85.58%, Banswaras Ghatol with 85.35%, and Hanumangrahs Nohar with 84.27%.

Jalores Ahore hit the lowest with 61.24%, followed by Uaipurs Marwar Junction with 61.29% , Palis Sumerpur with 61.44%, Jalore with 62.72%, and Karaulis Todabhim with 63.50%.
The West Bengal government is working with the Adani Group to build a deep-sea port at Tajpur in East Midnapore district, Shashi Panja, the states commerce and industry minister, said on Sunday, dismissing claims by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders that the Adanis have withdrawn from the joint venture. West Bengal commerce and industry minister, Shashi Panja. (File)

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Panja said: The Bengal government and the Adanis are very much working together on the Tajpur project for which the Union home ministry has already given a conditional clearance. The home ministry and the ministries of port and defence have sought several clarifications. Our government and the Adani Group are working on these issues right now. Those unaware of such details will obviously speak rubbish.

Speculations on the project started when Gautam Adani, the companys founder, and his son, Karan, did not attend the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) held in Kolkata on November 21 and 22 although both were invited to the annual event started by chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Banerjees inaugural address before the foreign delegates and top Indian industrialists, such as Reliance Groups Mukesh Ambani, stoked the speculations because she invited the participants to join a global tender for the Tajpur project although it was known that the Adanis had already got the contract.

The BGBS was held days after the Lok Sabha committee on ethics recorded the statements of Delhi-based lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey in the probe against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra in the bribe for questions allegation.

Dubey alleged that Moitra took bribe from industrialist Darshan Hiranandani for raising questions in the Lok Sabha about Gautam Adanis businesses.

Hiranandani initially denied the charge but later claimed in a signed affidavit that Moitra targeted Adani to malign and embarrass Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has often been accused by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of favouring the Adani Group.

Moitra, who now faces a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has denied the allegation and continues to raise questions about the Adani group.

Bengal BJPs chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya claimed that TMC leaders are trying to confuse people on the Tajpur issue.

The TMC declared long ago that the Adani Group would build the port. If that is true, then what prompted the chief minister to declare a global tender? If the chief minister is correct, then why is Shashi Panja reiterating today that the Adanis were given the contract? said Bhattacharya.

Gautam Adani and his son have met Banerjee at least twice since 2021.

In December 2021, Gautam Adani met the chief minister at her chamber in Nabanna, the secretariat, and held discussions for around 90 minutes. Banerjee also invited him to inaugurate BGBS 2022 in Kolkata.
At least 14 people lost their lives in unseasonal rains that wreaked havoc in Gujarat on Sunday, according to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC). At least 40 animals also perished due to the rainfall. unseasonal rainfall and hailstones lashed several parts of Gujarat on Sunday. (ANI)

Three deaths were recorded in Dahod district, two in Bharuch, and one each in Amreli, Surendranagar, Mehsana, Botad, Panchamahals, Kheda, Sabarkantha, Surat, and Ahmedabad. All human deaths can be attributed to lightning, an SEOC official told HT. He said that more data is being collected and the death toll can go up.

Gujarat woke up to a cool morning on Sunday after unseasonal rainfall and hailstones lashed several parts of the state. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Gujarat is likely to experience rainfall and hailstorms on November 27, too.

Unseasonal rains have started in entire Gujarat including Ahmedabad on Sunday. Winds started from the North East at a speed of 5 kilometres per hour amid heavy clouds, according to IMD.

The rains have impacted over 155 talukas.

The Saurashtra region witnessed significant impacts from the changing weather conditions, and other districts across the state also experienced rainfall and strong winds. Cities including Surat, Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar were subjected to heavy rainfall. Additionally, poor visibility due to fog has created commuting challenges for riders.

Talala in Gir Somnath district received the highest of 46 mm rainfall till Sunday noon. Other places in Saurashtra that received rainfall included Vanthali in Junagadh (43 mm), Dasada (36 mm) in Surendranagar, Patan-Veraval in Gir Somnath (35 mm) and Keshod in Junagadh (29 mm).

The abrupt weather shift sent netizens into a frenzy. They flocked to various social media platforms, particularly X, to share videos and images of the hailstorm.

The weather department had forecasted rain three days prior to the occurrence.

The IMD also issued warning for fishermen in South Gujarat coast, cautioning against widespread rain, thunderstorms with wind speed of 40 to 50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph.

According to the weather forecast, Surat and Navsari are anticipated to experience very heavy rainfall, while coastal districts including Junagadh, Gir-Somnath, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Rajkot, and Botad are likely to receive heavy rain until Monday. Ahmedabad, Tapi, Dang, Chhota Udepur, and Dahod also could face heavy rainfall until Monday.
LUCKNOW The body of a 19-year-old housemaid was discovered in the servant quarters of Shalimar Gallants Apartment in Mahanagar. The incident took a perplexing turn as the autopsy report failed to provide conclusive answers, leading doctors to recommend the preservation of viscera for further forensic examination. The tragic discovery unfolded on a somber Saturday morning when the young maid failed to resume her duties. (HT Photo)

The victim, hailing from Sitapur, had been employed by Dr Aprana Agrawal for the past one and a half years, residing in the doctors apartment with a designated servant room. The tragic discovery unfolded on a somber Saturday morning when the young maid failed to resume her duties.

Concerned, Dr Agrawal ventured to the servant room, where repeated knocks went unanswered. Fearing the worst, the police were summoned to break open the locked door, revealing the lifeless form of the maid lying on her bed. Adding to the perplexity, a pillow was found covering her mouth, leaving investigators baffled.

Inspector Prashant Mishra of Mahanagar shed light on the preliminary findings, stating, The police suspect that the girl may have succumbed to a heart attack while sleeping in the locked servant room. The door was forced open in the presence of the police, revealing a scene that raises more questions than answers.

In an attempt to unravel the circumstances surrounding the untimely demise, doctors have recommended preserving the heart for forensic analysis. Inspector Mishra said, Our examination of the crime scene and other relevant factors suggests no foul play. It appears, at this point, that the cause of death may have been a cardiac arrest.
2024 ballot questions

Senate Joint Resolution 71 would mandate that only U.S. citizens could vote in any election in the state. It is meant to head off initiatives like those in other states to allow noncitizens to vote in some local elections. The measure would appear on the Nov. 5 ballot and would read:

Question 1: Eligibility to vote. Shall section 1 of article III of the constitution, which deals with suffrage, be amended to provide that only a United States citizen age 18 or older who resides in an election district may vote in an election for national, state, or local office or at a statewide or local referendum?

Senate Joint Resolution 78 would bar the state from receiving private funds to help administer elections. Republicans proposed it in response to private election grants provided to cities in 2020 by the Chicago-based Center for Tech and Civic Life, which is funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The measure would appear on the April 2 ballot as two questions:

Question 1: Use of private funds in election administration. Shall section 7 (1) of article III of the constitution be created to provide that private donations and grants may not be applied for, accepted, expended, or used in connection with the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum?

Question 2: Election officials. Shall section 7 (2) of article III of the constitution be created to provide that only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries, elections, and referendums?
To bring back the youths home who have joined the banned militant group United Liberation Front of Assam Independent (ULFA-I) in recent years, Assam Police have launched a trust-building initiative and invited the families of the youths to discuss ways of rehabilitation. Family members of ULFA-I cadres meeting police and Army personnel in various parts of Assam (HT Photo/Sourced)

Assam director general of police (DGP) Gyanendra Pratap Singh on Saturday shared this information through a post on X (formerly Twitter) and said that an initiative has been launched in the state to connect with family members of ULFA cadres and help them bring back.

From Conflict to Collaboration: A trust-building initiative for a peaceful future, under which, the families of ULFA cadres are being invited to Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) camps and police stations for trust-building to help them bring their children back to the mainstream.

According to the DGP, this initiative holds immense potential and promotes peace and reconciliation in the region.

Singh said that the three main objectives of the initiative include filling up the gap between the security forces and the families of ULFA cadres, creating a foundation of mutual respect and understanding, encouraging rehabilitation and re-integration and promoting peace and reconciliation.

By engaging with the families, it also seeks to encourage rehabilitation and reintegration of ULFA cadres into mainstream society.

Police said that several families agreed to attend the meetings and expressed their views on the same. Most of them said that they were not aware of the fact that their kids were joining ULFA-I. But now they want them to come back home, a senior cop said.

According to the police, youths from different parts of Assam have joined ULFA-I in recent years and it is suspected that they were taken to the remote areas of Myanmar.

In September this year, ULFA-I executed four cadres, including a senior political leader, a lady and two youths for allegedly disobeying their constitution by attempting to flee their camps in Myanmar. All of them were Assam residents.

Speaking to the reporters, the father of one of the youth cadre claimed that the condition of the ULFA-I camp in Myanmar is pathetic and below standard.

According to him, his son along with another young cadre, attempted to escape from camp in September but both of them were caught by ULFA-I leaders and executed.

Sharing the deceased youths fathers quote from a media report, DGP Singh on October 28 wrote on X, My question remains the same - Why waste your life for an ungrateful tyrant.

He further wrote, My request to the youth of Assam, do not waste your life for a person and organisation for whom your life does not matter.

After this incident, at least six youths returned home and they surrendered before the police.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on November 16 said that 8,756 militants from different organisations have been rehabilitated across the state over the last two years.

The latest surrender took place on November 24 in Charaideo district. The two cadres were identified as Nayan Patmaut alias Bikash Axom and Deepak Hatibarua alias Dibya Axom, according to the police.

On November 22, a 30-year-old ULFA-I cadre was sent to trigger a grenade blast near an army camp in Assams Tinsukia district but he surrendered before the police.
The Assam police in a joint operation with the Assam Rifles late night on Saturday, arrested an active cadre of the Manipur-based militant outfit United Tribal Liberation Army (UTLA) in the Cachar district, officials said. Henlenmang Lhouvum, a resident of Manipurs Senapati district, was arrested on Saturday night in Assam (HT Photo)

Police have identified the arrested accused as Henlenmang Lhouvum (26), a resident of Manipurs Senapati district. Police also seized a .32mm Pistol along with one magazine loaded with five rounds of live ammunition from the accused.

Superintendent of police of Cachar district, Numal Mahatta, said that based on specific information, a joint operation was conducted along with the 29th Assam Rifles at Lakhinagar under the jurisdiction of the Jirighat police station area on Saturday late at night.

We arrested him (Lhouvum) from a house he hiding in. He is going through interrogation and a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against him, an investigation officer said.

Police said that they are investigating whether there are other members of the militant group entered Cachar. We are also trying to find if they had some bigger plan, an officer aware of the matter said.

Cachar shares a large border with Manipurs Jiribam district and cadres of Manipur-based militant groups had been arrested in the past as well, according to the police.

On November 22, the United Liberation Front of Assam Independent (ULFA-I)  another banned militant group, sent three teams to trigger grenade blasts near an army camp in Assams Tinsukia district.

One blast took place there but one of the members of ULFA-I surrendered before the police and revealed the entire plan. Police said that the militant group wanted to create panic amongst the common people.
Kanpur: A 25-year-old second-year medical student at Rama Medical University located in the suburbs of Kanpur, met a tragic end as he was discovered murdered in the basement of the old boys MBBS hostel on Sunday morning. The body of the victim, Sahil Saraswat, exhibited multiple injury marks on the head and neck. The body of the victim, Sahil Saraswat, exhibited multiple injury marks on the head and neck (HT Photo)

According to the analysis of CCTV footage, Sahil, originally from Mathura, was observed partying until 1:45 am, with no indications of external individuals entering the hostel block during that time. The grim discovery of the blood-covered body was made around 10 am by university guard Jai Singh who ventured into the basement.

Police have taken eight students, including some girls for questioning and their mobile phones were being examined by the experts. Sahil was living in room number 127 with one Amit Gautam, a third-year student from Bihar.

Anand Prakash Tiwari, joint commissioner of police (law and order), said The police are presently engaged in interviewing students residing in this specific hostel block. The CCTV footage indicates no instances of external entry into the hostel.

Initial investigation revealed Sahil had celebrated his 25th birthday in a bar with 10-12 of his friends on November 24. After the pictures of this party made it to social media, his other classmates pressured him into throwing a party for them on November 25.

A party was organised in the hostel in which booze and non-vegetarian foods had adequately been arranged, said the cops adding that many students attended it. About 260 students live in this hostel.

The CCTV footage has given the police some crucial leads to solve this case, and suggest that Sahil was murdered between 2 am and 4 am. Police said Sahils father Brij Mohan, who is a teacher in a inter college in Mathura has been informed about the incident. The family comprising, the parents and two siblings have left for Kanpur.
LUCKNOW To address the menace of reckless driving, the Lucknow Police unit has announced that not only will overspeeding vehicles face fines, but they will also be subject to police action. This decision comes in the aftermath of the tragic incident on November 21, where the minor son of ASP Shweta Srivastava lost his life after being hit by a speeding SUV. Intriguingly, there are no designated roads in the city allowing speeds above 80 kmph, let alone 100 kmph. (HT Photo)

In response, the police have initiated FIRs against 121 vehicles found violating speed limits multiple times, identified through the Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) across various city locations.

Hazratganj Inspector Vikram Singh, acting on the complaint of ITMS in-charge Sudhir Babu, confirmed that on Friday night, cases were registered against 121 drivers under section 279 of the IPC (rash driving on public roads) and section 336 of the IPC (causing danger to human life or personal safety of any person). This marks the first instance of filing FIRs against vehicles for overspeeding, with online challans proving insufficient in deterring offenders, as noted by Upendra Agarwal, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Lucknow.

102 from Lucknow, 19 from other dists booked

The FIRs have been registered based on vehicle numbers, with 102 vehicles hailing from Lucknow and 19 from other districts. The list includes vehicles from Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Noida, Bareilly, Hardoi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Bahraich, Varanasi, and Jhansi. Notably, many of the violators operate high-end SUVs from Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Bareilly.

Vehicles zooming past 100 kmph

A senior home department official revealed that a meticulous speed monitoring analysis identified 121 drivers exceeding the limit, reaching speeds of 100 kmph or more. Intriguingly, there are no designated roads in the city allowing speeds above 80 kmph, let alone 100 kmph.

The ITMS conducted thorough checks using the Speed Violation Detection System (SVDS) cameras installed at 12 key locations in the city, including Khurramnagar to Samta Mulak, 1090 circle to Kalidas Marg, Awadh to Dubagga, Bangla Bazaar to Cantonment, Telibagh road, Gomtinagar Vistar Road, Janeshwar Mishra Park road, Ambedkar Park Road Chatha Meel road, and Chinhat road.
State higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil will host a workshop to address issues raised by educational institute operators who are eligible to establish cluster universities. On November 29, the workshop will be held in Mumbai. More than 50 educational institute directors and their representatives will attend the one-day state-level workshop on the establishment of cluster universities organised at Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, Churchgate, Mumbai. (HT PHOTO)

To implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the establishment of cluster universities is being accelerated in the state. The guidelines for these cluster universities have been approved by the state cabinet recently.

The minutes of the decision taken in the previous meeting will be signed in the cabinet meeting to be held on November 29.

As per the state higher education department, after the cabinet meeting the guidelines of the cluster universities will be announced in the next two days by publishing an ordinance. While, after the board meeting, Patil will interact with the heads of institutions eligible to cluster group universities in the state.

The cluster university is a good concept. To clear all misconceptions, the state higher education department has organised a one-day state-level workshop on November 29 and all the queries and misconceptions related to it will be answered, said Shailendra Deolankar, state director, department of higher education.

More than 50 educational institute directors and their representatives will attend the one-day state-level workshop on the establishment of cluster universities organised at Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, Churchgate, Mumbai.

Patil will be accompanied by Deolankar, state higher and technical education department principal secretary Vikas Chandra Rastogi, deputy secretary Ajit Baviskar, and director of technical education Vinod Mohitkar.
Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO has invited applications for Project Admin Assistant and Project Store Officer posts. Eligible candidates can apply online through the official website of DRDO at drdo.gov.in. DRDO Recruitment 2023: Apply for Project Admin Asst & Project Store Officer post

This recruitment drive will fill up 11 posts in the organization. The last date to apply is till December 15, 2023. Read below for eligibility, selection process and other details.

Vacancy Details

Project Store Officer: 1 post

Project Senior Admin Assistant: 5 posts

Project Admin Assistant: 5 posts

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates who want to apply for the posts mentioned above can check the educational qualification and age limit through the Detailed Notification available here.

Selection Process

All applications received within due date will be screened and shortlisted for further selection and only those short-listed candidates will be called for interview. The final selection of candidates will be purely on the basis of merit of marks scored by a candidate in the final personal interview only. The minimum qualifying marks required by the candidate in the personal interview for consideration for selection are 70% for all unreserved vacancies and 60% for all reserved vacancies.

Application Fees

General and OBC male candidates are required to pay a non-refundable non-transferable application fee of Rs. 100/- ( One Hundred only) payable online only while filling form. There is no application fee for SC/ST/PwBD and Women candidates. For more related details candidates can check the official website of DRDO.

Direct link to apply here
Actor Rani Mukerji has shared that the only film that she felt "unfortunate" she couldn't be a part of was Aamir Khan's 2001 movie Lagaan. During an interactive session at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, Rani said that she had already signed a film the shooting for which was about 20 days. (Also Read | Rani Mukerji arrives like a boss at an event. See pics) Rani Mukerji with Aamir Khan (L), a still from Lagaan.

Rani on not being a part of Lagaan

At the event, Rani said, as quoted by news agency ANI, "The only film which I could say I was unfortunate that I couldn't be part of was Lagaan because there was a particular date clash and Aamir was turning producer with the film and he said that, 'Rani I am shooting this film in a particular way, so I want all my actors in this particular place for 6 months and not move'. He wanted everybody to be there, he had this particular way."

Rani recalls what Aamir said

"And I had already signed a film before that which was about 20 days and Aamir was like, 'Rani I won't be able to let you come back even for those 10 or 15 days because it would be unfair of me not to let the others travel'. I also asked the other producers if they would be okay if I left the film because I would really like to do Aamir's film, he's a close friend of mine. But the producer refused to let me go. It was very sad," she said.

About Lagaan

Helmed by director Ashutosh Gowariker, Laagan went on to become a big hit. The film also received critical acclaim and achieved both commercial success and international recognition. The film was produced by Aamir Khan. He starred in the film alongside Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne.

About Rani

Rani made her Bollywood debut with Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat. She had her first commercial success with Ghulam and breakthrough with the romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. In her over two-decade-long career, Rani starred in Chalte Chalte, Hum Tum, Veer-Zaara, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Bunty Aur Babli, Black, No One Killed Jessica, Talaash, Mardaani, Hichki and Mardaani 2 among many others.

The actor was last seen in the drama film Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway which received good responses from the audience. She has still not announced her next project.

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K-pop groups have long faced racism and a lack of research from Western media and the act is not new to the fandom. Big groups like BTS, EXO, TXT, and others have faced this, and now, joining the list is HYBE's ENHYPEN.ENHYPEN actively participated in the 2023 Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade recently, following which they made an appearance at the popular show 'Good Morning America'. But now, a lot of people are criticizing the popular American morning program for doing things that they believe are insulting to ENHYPEN. ENHYPEN to release new album next month.

Also read: NCT, Aespa, Red Velvet, RIIZE and more unite for SMTOWN LIVE 2024 concert in Tokyo Dome

ENHYPENs GMA appearance sparks controversy among fans

Fans brought up a number of controversial instances during the show, ranging from the mispronunciation of the band's name to Juju Chang, one of the hosts, making remarks about the group's accent and English-speaking skills.

Sam Champion and Juju Chang, two ABC reporters, took the hosts' seats. The former mispronounced the name ENHYPEN as "ipen" when introducing the group. If that wasn't enough, the host repeated the action a second time, referring to the group as "enpen."

Juju Chang, a Korean-American host, at one point commented, "Your English is so much better than my Korean." Fans found the remarks absurd and extremely disrespectful, considering that both ENHYPEN members Jay and Jake, who were raised in English-speaking countries, are highly proficient in English.

GMA deletes ENHYPENs post following the wrong pronunciation of their album's name

Alongside issues such as subpar camera work and malfunctioning microphones during member speeches, the Good Morning America X account made an error in a now-deleted interview clip. They mistakenly referred to the group's most recent album as "Blood Orange" instead of "Orange Blood."

A fan wrote i hope engenes know that part of making enhypen as big as possible is making sure people see them as legitimate artists that should be taken seriously for the work they do. that starts with us not tolerating disrespect and microaggressions as they're exposed to new audiences. While the other said You telling a fellow American citizen that their English is better than your Korean is not only ignorant but also incredibly disrespectful. Also, butchering their group name multiple times and failing to do your job in doing a proper interview? Do better.
Omid Scobie's forthcoming book, "Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival," creates waves as its publication date approaches. The book is full of outrageous claims about the Royal Family, such as the alleged "rift" between Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle's revelation to King Charles of two royal family members who have been labeled "racist." According to recent claims, the Royal family "chose to completely ignore" the Black Lives Matter movement that swept the nation. Queen Elizabeth II gestures as she stands with other members of the Royal Family on Buckingham Palace balcony following the Queen's Birthday Parade, 'Trooping the Colour' at Horse Guards Parade in London. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. In 1748, it was decided that the parade would be used to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign. AFP/Leon Neal

Royals silent on Black Lives Matter despite global uproar

As per Pagesix, who got their hands on the advance copy of Endgame, journalist and author Omid Scobie, claims that the Royals never intended to get involved in the Black Lives Matter movement from the start. Stressing how unexpected the Royal Palace's actions become when addressing issues of caste, race, etc., the author said During my years covering the royals I have regularly been surprised by the Palaces blase attitude when it comes to anything to do with race, racism, or the issues that impact those from minority backgrounds,.

Read more: No Going Back Kate Middleton shivers and giggles hearing Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys name: Explosive Book

The author claims that turmoil spread to London's streets due to the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which began in the United States and sparked rallies around the world. He further adds A global civil rights issue was forcing change around the world, but the royal family chose to completely ignore it,

The book explains how the Royal family made the decision to be mute and utterly ignorant regardless of multiple attempts at contact or even just one word on the subject. Though they moved quickly enough to deal with other problems. No matter how frequently I sent emails or made phone calls to the Buckingham Palace communications team (especially during the peak of the BLM marches), my inquiries about whether we might witness any acknowledgment from family members regarding this significant moment were consistently ignored. While they did respond to my other queries, they notably remained silent on this particular matter.

Lastly, the allegations focused on scrutinizing how various political leaders and parties addressed the issue. However, when the close sources within the family were questioned about these claims, they reportedly dismissed them, asserting that the author was merely seeking a 'headline. The Palace famously stays away from anything it considers political, but unlike the political intricacies involved with the movement in the United States, BLM support in Britain simply meant standing up to and against racism.

What is the BLM movement?

For those who are not aware, Derek Chauvin, an old White police officer, shot George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. The horrible incident sparked major racial justice protests around the country, which fueled the growth of the Black Lives Matter Movement.
British TV personality Sharon Osbourne has recently been making headlines after her shocking weight loss transformation at the age of 71. The former X Factor judge who now weighs under 100lbs once weighed 230lbs. This shocking drop in weight sparked major controversy with netizens raising questions. However, Sharon has been candid about her use of Ozempic injections. Despite admitting to using drugs for weight loss, the Rock of Love host has warned people against the ill effects of Ozempic. Sharon Osbourne opens up on shocking weight loss(Instagram)

In a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain, Sharon expressed some of her regrets over her drastic transformation. In a bid to raise awareness for those tempted to inject weight loss-inducing drugs, she said that teenagers should not use Ozempic. While talking to co-hosts Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway, the Celebrity Watch Party star revealed her concerns about the side effects of the diabetes drug. She admitted that throughout the time she used Ozempic, she felt constantly nauseated.

Explaining her decision to hop on the infamous drug, Sharon revealed, I was just fed up of going back and forth with my weight constantly. I thought I've tried everything so I thought I might as well try it. However, after some time, she realised that she had gone too far and that she could do with putting on a few pounds. Revealing her husband Ozzy Osbourne's concerns over her wellbeing, Sharon said, But at this point the way my body is, it's not listening. Ozzy doesn't like it. He thinks something is going to happen to me. It's too good to be true.

After shedding close to 42lbs, Sharon's facial structures changed a lot, which she admitted during an interview with Piers Morgan. Talking to the British presenter, Sharon said that she never wanted to go that thin, according to Hello. She added, It's just time to stop, I didn't actually want to go this thin but it just happened. I'll probably put it all on again soon!
The Ottawa Swing Dance Society celebrated their 24th Anniversary this past November 24th. OSDS invited Emily Estrella and her Stardust Stompers to play for the anniversary dance, and we start off the show with some of their recordings. From there we pick up some new Electro Swing pieces from the SwinGrowers and Elle and the Pocket Belles. We have a minor interlude about musical jenga, with the following supplemental video: Adam Neely's The Music Theory of Tick Tok Sea Shanties https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1ovAB4vKzw The back half of the show is dedicated to some of my favorite NeoSwing artists from the past decade.
On October 30, 2023, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Prime Minister (PM) Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim met in Singapore for the 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders Retreat. This event held substantial importance as it symbolised a longstanding tradition of bilateral engagement between the two nations. Amidst this milestone, both leaders emphasised their steadfast commitment to this annual platform, which serves as a pivotal space for discussions aimed at fortifying the ties between Singapore and Malaysia. The leaders utilised this Retreat as an opportunity to delve into multifaceted discussions, seeking ways to elevate their cooperation across various sectors. They explored strategies to enhance collaboration on mutual concerns and explored potential avenues for deeper engagement in areas such as trade, security, economy, and regional affairs. Ministers pose before retreat session on Asean Regional Forum at Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.

Significantly, this meeting marked a momentous occasion as it was the inaugural joint Retreat for PM Lee Hsien Loong and PM Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Moreover, given the challenging circumstances brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, this was the first Retreat held between Singapore and Malaysia since the outbreak, signifying a renewed commitment to fostering relations despite the disruptions caused by the global health crisis. The leaders acknowledged the deep-rooted geographical, historical, and economic connections that underlie their nations' bilateral relations, emphasising the enduring and diverse nature of their relationship guided by mutual respect and trust. Both countries have seen a significant number of visits and exchanges since reopening their borders in April 2022, signifying a dedicated effort to maintain robust communication channels and nurture this distinctive partnership. This commitment remains crucial, particularly amid a more intricate global landscape and growing uncertainties. The leaders affirmed their dedication to strengthening existing collaborations while exploring new areas of cooperation, aiming to address any concerns through positive dialogue.

The yearly Leaders Retreat, hosted interchangeably in Malaysia and Singapore, stands as a significant forum facilitating discussions and progress in bilateral relations. Inaugurated in 2010 during the Najib Razak administration, this retreat illustrates how a new cohort of visionary leaders is surpassing historical constraints, ideological disparities, and personal differences to bolster bilateral ties through practical cooperation, ultimately benefiting both nations. Previous instances of the annual retreat yielded favourable results, including progress on issues related to the Points of Agreement (POA) concerning Malaysian Railway Lands in Singapore and the formalisation of the Johor-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link through a bilateral agreement. Similarly, during the 10th annual retreat, both parties reaffirmed strong bilateral connections in sectors like investment, trade, business, and transportation.

They also discussed new collaborative areas that have arisen since the inception of the Anwar Ibrahim administration. For instance, there was an agreement to bolster collaboration on the signed Frameworks on Cooperation (FOC) in Digital and Green Economies from January 2023. Strengthening cooperation in the digital realm aims to enhance interoperability in digital commerce and trade. Simultaneously, efforts in green economies aim to accelerate decarbonisation efforts and augment investments in renewable energy. The two countries reached agreements in several fields, including SME development, intellectual property rights, and tackling cross-border crime. A fund to encourage businesses from Singapore and Malaysia to invest in third countries was updated to support firms that want to conduct joint pilots in each others countries, especially in emerging areas such as the green economy and digital economy. Additionally, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Enterprise Singapore and SME Corporation Malaysia aims to foster small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development in both nations. Progress on the MOU focusing on personal data protection, cybersecurity, and the digital economy, signed earlier in January, was also acknowledged by both leaders in a joint statement. In the sphere of IP Rights, The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore and the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia signed their first-ever agreement on IP cooperation. This pact incorporates patent-oriented initiatives aimed at providing enhanced assistance to innovators and businesses aiming to access both markets.

An agreement between Singapore's education ministry and Malaysia's ministry of higher education is underway, aiming to facilitate increased student and faculty exchanges within higher education institutions of both countries. The impending MOU also focuses on fostering collaboration in sharing information and expertise in technical and vocational education and training. Additionally, it aims to develop training programmes targeted at administrators and academic staff, fostering mutual learning and advancement in the education sector. Both leaders hailed the commendable advancements in constructing the RTS Link between JB and Singapore, expressing assurance that the rail service will be up and running by the conclusion of 2026. A ceremony scheduled for early 2024 will mark the finalization of the drop-in span, a crucial component connecting both ends of the RTS Link's marine viaduct. Once operational, the service will have the capacity to transport 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Both nations aim to finalise an agreement on January 11, 2024, to advance the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), fostering improved trade and mobility across the Causeway and bolstering the Iskandar development region and Singapore's ecosystems.

Furthermore, leaders expressed satisfaction with the advancements made by various work groups focusing on industrial cooperation, immigration, transportation, innovation, tourism, and the environment under the joint ministerial committee for Iskandar Malaysia. Despite deep bilateral cooperation, several issues exist between Malaysia and Singapore. The outstanding issues, which were addressed at the retreat, revolved around the implementation of the International Court of Justice ruling on Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge; maritime boundary delimitation; water agreements; and airspace. In this light, both Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to reevaluate the delegation setup for air traffic services over Southern Peninsular Malaysia, established based on recommendations endorsed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1973. This arrangement was implemented through the Operational Letter of Agreement between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore Area Control Centres in 1974, specifically addressing Singapore Arrivals, Departures, and Overflights. Both PMs Lee and Datuk Seri Anwar have tasked their respective transport ministers to convene and establish a set of guiding principles and desired outcomes, aiming for swift progress in cooperation between the civil aviation authorities of both countries. Also, Singapore and Malaysia leaders have decided to hold a joint meeting to address unresolved maritime boundary issues and enforce the International Court of Justice's ruling on Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge. Acknowledging progress in the technical working group's first meeting on territorial waters' boundary delineation, they anticipate a second meeting. Both nations agreed to resume talks on water prices under the 1962 Johor River Water Agreement, without compromising their established positions. Additionally, discussions will restart on enhancing water quality and Johor River yield to sustainably meet the terms of the 1962 agreement.

Emphasizing the significance of robust defence collaboration, both parties affirmed their commitment to bolstering regional security through engagements across diverse multilateral platforms. They committed to ongoing joint efforts aimed at combating illicit trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances while striving to establish a MOU for joint action against transnational crimes. The October 30, 2023, Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat underscored a deep commitment to bilateral ties and collaborative efforts across multiple domains. It marked milestones in transportation with the impending launch of the Johor-Singapore RTS Link, economic advancements through the JS-SEZ agreement, and strides in intellectual property cooperation. However, unresolved issues regarding maritime boundaries, water agreements, and airspace delegation persist, signifying complexities in their relationship. Despite these challenges, both nations showed a resolute commitment to re-evaluate and resolve these matters, emphasising ongoing dialogues and joint efforts to bolster regional security and combat transnational crimes. The Retreat symbolises a renewed dedication to navigate challenges collectively while fortifying bilateral relations, fostering mutual growth, and ensuring stability in the region.

This article is authored by Ananya Raj Kakoti and Gunwant, scholars of international relations, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat, held in Singapore on October 29-30, 2023, symbolises the enduring and evolving relationship between the two countries. This gathering marked the first retreat since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and was led by Malaysia's Prime Minister (PM), Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. This event holds significant importance in the bilateral ties between Singapore and Malaysia, providing a platform for discussions on various issues, exploring new avenues of cooperation, and historically resulting in important agreements. Singapore - Malaysia relations

These retreats, initiated in 2010 during the Najib Razak administration, have played a crucial role in overcoming historical tensions and ideological differences. They have been instrumental in resolving longstanding issues and forging new agreements, including matters related to the Malaysian Railway Lands in Singapore and the Johor-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link. These achievements underscore the retreats' role not only in addressing critical issues but also in fostering economic development and job creation, as evidenced by strong economic figures in 2022.

During the 10th Leaders' Retreat, both nations made significant progress in various areas of collaboration. Key outcomes included enhanced support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) with a focus on green and digital economies, advancements in personal data protection, cyber security, and digital economy initiatives. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JSSEZ) agreement, scheduled to be signed in January 2024, aims to boost trade and people movement, strengthening the Iskandar development region.

Furthermore, progress was observed in the construction of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, set to be operational by the end of 2026, greatly improving passenger transport capacity. Both countries also addressed air traffic services, agreed to review airspace management in southern peninsular Malaysia following International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, and committed to resolving maritime boundary delimitation issues.

Discussions are ongoing regarding water prices under the 1962 Johor River Water Agreement, with a focus on ensuring sustainable water supply. Both nations pledged to strengthen cooperation in defense, combat transnational crimes, and collaborate in intellectual property. They are also working on agreements for higher education exchanges and will commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Causeway in 2024 with joint events.

PM Anwar Ibrahim's leadership has positively influenced Malaysia-Singapore relations, as he does not carry the historical baggage associated with previous leaders. This has facilitated discussions on areas of cooperation without lingering issues such as the water dispute. Anwar's recent state visit to Singapore further solidified the close relationship between the two countries.

The agreements signed by Malaysia and Singapore in January in the areas of green and digital economies hold promise for regional prosperity, with Indonesia also playing a role. The JS-SEZ has the potential to bolster the Association of South East Nations (Asean)'s economic position, creating investment opportunities and jobs. These agreements in the digital and green economy sectors will promote technological innovation and sustainability, aligning with both countries' goals of achieving carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Despite challenges such as the Pedra Branca dispute and pricing issues related to the Johor River Water Agreement, the commitment to dialogue and cooperation exemplifies a balanced approach to bilateral relations. Both nations have sought to enhance cooperation in other areas despite setbacks, recognizing the potential for the revival of the KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail project in the future.

The future of Singapore-Malaysia relations centers on connectivity, economic collaboration, and environmental sustainability. The upcoming retreat in Malaysia in 2024, coinciding with the centennial of the Causeway, presents an opportunity to reflect on past achievements and chart new paths for cooperation. Ultimately, the 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat represents a beacon of hope and a blueprint for future collaboration that extends beyond national boundaries to benefit the broader Asean region.

This article is authored by Rahul Mishra, principal investigator, Indo-Pacific Research and Outreach Programme, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
The images emerging from the war in Palestine are horrifying, even to a public accustomed to visuals of daily death and destruction across the world. Ukraine, Pakistan, Afghanistan are among the hundred plus conflicts that are raging, seemingly endlessly. The Palestine war however is even more disturbing, since at some level, it seems justifiable that Israel is reacting to a terrible attack by a terror group that has no compunctions in hiding under hospital and using hostages as shields. Never was the question of what constitutes just war more under question. A four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war, brokered by Qatar, took effect early Friday, marking the first break in a conflict that began on October 7.(REUTERS)

There is vast literature on the principles of just war, but essentially requires that the cause for war is just; the right authority makes the decision; the decision is made with the right intention of bringing about peace; the war is a last resort; the overall evil of the war does not outweigh the good. And above all, it defends the age-old principle of non-combatant immunity.

Now consider available statistics. Palestine deaths have crossed the 10,000 mark, while Israel suffered around 1200 died in the Hamas attack, probably the worst such in its short history. Palestine has lost more lives in this operation than in the last 15 years of conflict. Worse, the danger of escalation persists, with Houthis capturing a merchant ship bound for India. The so called non-State actor used a Mi-17 to board the moving ship  no small enterprise  and Israel accuses Iran of the act. Earlier, US jets struck camps in eastern Syria against Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops and affiliated groups., even as US troops stationed in Iraq and Syria were attacked by rockets and drones 41 times according to Politico since the wave began on October 17, with 46 service members injured. The war could spread, and quickly. But while Israel is using its army, just who is a non-combatant in Palestine?

Another set of statistics. This year more than 150,000 migrants have arrived in Italy, compared with roughly 94,000 during the same period in 2022, according to the latest data from the interior ministry. In recent days, another few have died, among them a little girl, as shipping trawlers bring in migrants from Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan among others. This is apart from the 270,000 Afghans who arrived in Europe, and held in prison like camps, with just 1 % resettled. That is being called staggering neglect. No one is saying anything much however, of Pakistans pushing back of some 1.7 million Afghans virtually overnight, with nothing to their names but what they can carry. Dont forget those Afghans came to Pakistan to escape the war that Islamabad  and the United States  foisted on it for decades. All of these wars involve State and non-State actors, while Ukraine - with some 6.2 million refugees and counting  is a the type of war Europe has often waged in the two World Wars. Neither type of war has seen any respect for civilian lives.

Not that this hasnt been part of international law. Way back in 1899, the League of Nations which preceded the UN, declared that The right of belligerents to adopt means of injuring the enemy is not unlimited. That principle was extended to aerial warfare in 1923, with the rules barring aerial bombardment for the purpose of terrorising the civilian population, or damaging private property. None of that did much good as the World War II testified to, when all sides bombed everyone, including allied countries in an effort for the greater good which was to drive the Germans and the Japanese out. The horrors of those wars, lead to the setting up of the United Nations dominated by the victors, ostensibly to ensure that it never happened again. Yet, just 78 years later, the same war, the same area. The UN system has failed here and everywhere else. In vain, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded for respect of international humanitarian law, warning the it is the differencebetween restraint and anarchy, between losing ourselves in horror and retaining our humanity,. No one seems to be listening.

The dead and wounded are everywhere, and millions of people in flight. And the reward? Pakistan won a battered Afghanistan that now is its worst enemy. Israel may find a destroyed Palestine a far greater danger than before. Ukraine may become the USs Achilles heel. Heres another set of statistics. In the two World Wars, India lost 77,824 and 1,28,704 were wounded. In 1965, that figure was 3,250, and 3,264 in 1971 (total wounded 18,474). Attacks were largely strictly limited to hitting armed forces only. In 1971, Delhi ensured not only that 93,000 Prisoners of War received all rights of the Geneva Convention, but also protected then from slaughter by enraged Bangladeshis, as Lt.Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora, commander in the eastern front, observed. Later, after the Kargil war, India provided honourable burials to Pakistani soldiers who Islamabad refused to claim. All this, despite the horrors of 26/11 and hundreds of other attacks. Yet later, the Balakote strikes hit only terrorists. No civilians were harmed. With such a truly ingrained history of reasonable justice in war, and generosity in peace, India must take the lead in ending these ruinous wars. Alongside, its time to bring those values to the United Nations. It might just be the best thing to happen to a hapless world at the mercy of the profiteers of endless war.

This article is authored by Tara Kartha, former director, National Security Council Secretariat.
November 26, 2023, marks the 15th anniversary of the horrific 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai which took place in 2008. As many as 166 people lost their lives and over 300 were injured after 10 terrorists from Pakistan launched simultaneous attacks in several parts of the Maharashtra city. Visuals from the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai during the 26/11 terror attacks (HT archives)(Hindustan Times)

The heroics of the Indian Army and Mumbai Police led to all the Pakistani terrorists being eliminated, and one being captured. However, the attackers rained unforgettable terror on the Taj Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House and other targets in Mumbai.

While the wounds of the 26/11 terror attacks remain fresh, let's remember some heroes who saved hundreds of lives in Mumbai, putting their own lives on the line.

5 heroes of the 26/11 terror attacks

Tukaram Omble

Assistant sub inspector (ASI) in the Mumbai Police, Tukaram Omble, despite being shot over 40 times while on duty, managed to singlehandedly nab Lashkar terrorist Ajmal Kasab, which led to multiple revelations about Pakistan's terror plan.

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan

Indian Army major Sandeep Unnikrishnan was a part of the elite National Security Guard (NSG) unit responsible for neutralising the terrorists at the Taj Palace Hotel. He entered the hotel with other officers and engaged in a gunfight with terrorists, simultaneously evacuating over 50 hostages. He was shot dead by the terrorists inside the hotel while saving dozens of lives.

Mallika Jagad

Mallika Jagad was the banquet manager at the Taj Palace Hotel during the time of attacks. Upon hearing gunshots outside the hall, she ordered the guests to get under the table and remain silent. She also separated the spouses to reduce the risk of losing entire families. She was eventually able to lead 50 guests to safety with no casualties in her group.

Karambir Singh Kang

Karambir Singh Kang was Taj Mumbai's general manager, and at another location when the attacks broke out. He immediately returned to the hotel to guide the evacuations, and led hundreds to safety. Kang was the last to leave the hotel, and his wife and two children were killed during terror attacks.

Thomas Varghese

Thomas Varghese was a senior waiter in Taj's Japanese restaurant Wasabi, and was on shift when he heard gunshots in the hallway. He immediately asked all the guests to crouch down, and eventually guided their evacuation. Varghese was the last one to leave the restaurant, but was gunned down by terrorists in the alley.
After elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram, now all eyes are on the southern state of Telangana, that goes to polls on November 30. The state will witness a direct contest between K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.



Rao or KCR, as he is popularly called, has been the chief minister of the state since its formation in 2014. In the 2018 assembly election, the BRS (formerly Telangana Rashtra Samithi) won by a landslide majority and grabbed 88 out of 119 seats. The Congress, that won just 19 seats, is hoping to stage a comeback and stop KCR from a third term in office.



The Bharatiya Janata Party had won one seat in the previous election. In the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections in 2020, the saffron party had won 48 seats. The BJP is hoping to translate the civic poll performance into a bigger success in the assembly election.

Medak: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting at Toopran ahead of Telangana Assembly elections, in Medak district.(PTI)
Rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be framed by the Centre by March 30, 2024, minister of state (home affairs) Ajay Kumar Mishra said on Sunday at Thakurnagar in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district while attending a festival of the Dalit Matua community that has been demanding it. People gathered in large numbers to celebrate the 71st Republic Day, during the ongoing round the clock protests against CAA, NRC and NPR at Shaheen Bagh, in New Delhi, India on Sunday January 26, 2020.(Burhaan Kinu / Hindustan Times photo)

I am assuring that members of the Matua community will not lose their citizenship. They are all safe. According to the latest information I have, the laws for CAA will be framed by March 30, Mishra told a large crowd that had gathered for the annual Ras Utsav.

The Centre earlier said it was in the process of framing laws for the CAA.

Also read: Karnataka High Court drops sedition case over CAA play at school

During his 2021 election campaign at Thakurnagar, Union home minister Amit Shah announced that the Centre would enforce CAA once Covid-19 vaccination across the country was over. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party did not speak on this issue since then and it suffered a setback in the West Bengal panchayat polls earlier this year.

Passed by Parliament in 2020, CAA offers citizenship to non-Muslims who entered India from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh before 2015. The Trinamool Congress party insists that CAA is unconstitutional as it links citizenship to faith in a secular country.

The Matuas are a part of the large Dalit Namasudra community that migrated from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during Indias partition in 1947 and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War to escape religious persecution.

Located close to the Bangladesh border, Thakurnagar town hosts the headquarter of the All India Matua Mahasangha of which BJP leader and union minister of state for shipping, Shantanu Thakur, is president.

Thakur was present on the dais when Mishra made the announcement on Sunday afternoon. Since 2019, Thakur represents the Bongaon Lok Sabha seat, which was earlier won by his aunt and TMC leader Mamata Bala Thakur.

Implementation of the CAA has been the principal demand of the Matuas. Shantanu Thakur raised the demand on several occasions.

Support of the Matua and other Dalit communities helped the BJP win several seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 state polls.

Shantanu Thakur was made a minister of state during the Union cabinet reshuffle in 2021. It was seen as a move by the BJP central leadership to keep the Matuas happy. Thakur accompanied Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh on the eve of the 2021 assembly polls. Modi offered prayers at the Matua temple at Orakandi near Dhaka in Bangladesh and praised Thakur in his speech, triggering a sharp reaction from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Reacting to Mishras announcement, TMC leaders said the BJP was once again raising the citizenship issue in West Bengal with eyes on the 2024 parliamentary polls.

The BJP won 18 of West Bengals 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, but two of its MPs, Babul Supriyo and Arjun Singh, joined TMC over the past two years. While Singh has not yet resigned from the BJP and the Lok Sabha, the Asansol seat Supriyo vacated was won in a bypoll by actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha on a TMC ticket.

Also read: A riot memoir: Anxiety, privilege and Molotov cocktails

CAA is a thorn for the BJP. During the 2021 assembly polls, the BJP did not even mention CAA in Assam, but raised it in Bengal hoping to capture votes. In Gujarat, on the other hand, attempts are being made to enforce CAA in some districts, TMC Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen said. Bengals Matuas have understood the trick.

Mamata Banerjee has said several times that Bengal does not need CAA because those have been casting their votes, owning property and having jobs for decades are already citizens. They do not need fresh citizenship certificates from the Centre, Sen added.
A communication from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday night giving nod to the disbursement of second instalment of financial assistance to farmers under Rythu Bandhu scheme, by the Telangana government, six days ahead of the polling for the assembly elections in the state evoked strong protests from the Congress party. Revanth Reddy (ANI)

The ECI has approved the disbursement of funds under Rythu Bandhu scheme, following a representation by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government led by chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) on November 18, saying that the farmers needed the amount as the Yasangi (Rabi) operations have already commenced.

In the Friday communication to chief electoral officer Vikas Raj, which was seen by HT, an ECI official said the Telangana government had requested disbursement of Rythu Bandhu assistance for Rabi-2023 with effect from Saturday (November 24).

The Commission has no objection to disbursement of Rythu Bandhu assistance and has further directed that the DBT [direct benefit transfer] under the scheme will not be affected during silence period and poll day in the state, it said.

Under the scheme, the state government would make a direct benefit transfer of 4,000 per acre to the account of every farmer, with effect from Saturday. The first instalment of 4,000 for Kharif-2023 was disbursed in June this year.

According to a state government official, about 7,300 crore will be deposited directly into the bank accounts of over 6.5 million farmers over the next couple of days. The disbursement process has already begun, he said on Saturday.

On October 23, the Congress wrote to the ECI seeking to withhold disbursement of second instalment of Rythu Bandhu scheme in the last week of November as it is likely to influence the voters.

Naturally, the BRS would have an advantage of the disbursement of financial assistance to farmers. The farmers would be getting a minimum of 4,000 per acre directly into their accounts. A farmer with three acres of land will get 12,000 and this will help him develop a soft corner towards the BRS, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) spokesman G Niranjan said.

The Congress had requested that the ECI should either withhold the scheme till the election process is completed or direct the state government to disburse the Rythu Bandhu money before November 3, when the nomination process started.

The ECI brought to the notice of the state government the objections raised by the Congress. After seeking an explanation from the government, it issued an order on Friday night allowing the disbursement process from Saturday.

Taking strong exception to the ECI order, PCC president A Revanth Reddy said disbursement of money to the farmers by the BRS government just a few days before the polling would influence the outcome of the elections.

The ECI communication clearly establishes the Fevicol bond between the BRS and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre. KCR is attempting to win by spending public money with the support of the Centre. The move is intended to influence the outcome of the elections, he remarked.

He also pointed out that a series of raids by the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department on the residences of only Congress candidates like G Vivek and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and refusal of seizure of huge cash in the residence of former BRS government advisor clearly showed that the BRS and the BJP were hand in glove with each other.

The PCC chief appealed to the farmers not to fall into the trap of the BRS through disbursal of Rythu Bandhu money. You can accept the money. Once the Congress comes to power, we shall give more money, as promised, he said.

Senior BRS leader and state finance minister T Harish Rao said the ECI had given clearance to the disbursement of Rythu Bandhu funds to farmers only after persistent efforts by the chief minister.

The Congress hatched a conspiracy to deny Rythu Bandhu funds to the farmers during the ongoing Rabi season by lodging a complaint with the EC. But KCR made all efforts to see that the EC gave the clearance as it is an ongoing scheme to help farmers to continue their farm operations, Rao said.

The BJP did not make any comment on Revanth Reddys allegations. Union home minister Amit Shah, however, told the reporters on Saturday that the Centre would not stop financial assistance to farmers under Rythu Bandhu.
An Air India aircraft that was to fly to Delhi returned to Kathmandu airport on Saturday evening after pilots heard a noise while taking off, according to an airline official. The official said the pilots had decided to return as they heard a noise during take-off and had suspected a possible tail strike.

Also, prior to taking off, it was noticed after boarding passengers that a door in the aircraft was unserviceable. The plane was cleared for take-off after following necessary airworthiness protocols.

An airline spokesperson on Sunday said the two issues were not related and at no point was safety compromised.

While a tail strike was suspected as the plane returned, it was later confirmed that there was no tail strike, the spokesperson said.

The official said the pilots had decided to return as they heard a noise during take-off and had suspected a possible tail strike.

Further, the official said that after checks, the A321 aircraft operated the flight to Delhi on Sunday morning.

"AI 216 from Kathmandu to Delhi on Nov 26 experienced an unserviceable door after boarding was completed. All necessary airworthiness protocols were carried out and the aircraft was cleared for take-off," the spokesperson said.

While taking off, the spokesperson said the pilots suspected a tail strike and as a measure of precaution, decided to turn back in accordance with safety protocols.

"It was later confirmed that there was no tail strike," the spokesperson said.
As vertical drilling in the Silyara tunnel began on Sunday after the US-made auger machine broke down, the rescuers now have six plans in place as the Indian Army is now on board in the rescue mission that dragged on for the last 15 days. National Disaster Management Authority member Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) on Sunday said the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction tunnel are in good health condition and are getting their food and medicine. Dig deeper Vertical drilling going amid the rescue operation to extract 41 workers trapped inside the under-construction Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel(PTI)

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BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya on Sunday dubbed the Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge as a rubber stamp president after Kharge was seen losing his temper over a crowd during an election rally in Kalwakurthy in poll-bound Telangana  in a video. While sharing a 28-second clip of the Congress leader being agitated by the unruly audience, Malviya said Kharge is humiliated in all his public meetings and helplessly screams and shouts at his workers who don't respect him. Dig deeper

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Gujarat Titans have retained Hardik Pandya amid multiple reports of the all-rounder being traded to Mumbai Indians, the franchise confirmed on Sunday. Hardik was heavily linked with a move to Mumbai Indians but on the retention deadline day (November 26), the Titans have retained their skipper. Interestingly, Mumbai Indians have also retained Rohit Sharma. Dig deeper

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Thats all we have at this hour in our evening briefing. Catch you tomorrow morning.
Israeli ambassador to India Naor Gilon described the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai as a horrendous event and echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on terrorism, affirming that his country always stood with India in the fight against terrorism. Israel's ambassador to India Naor Gilon speaks to the media on Israel banning Lashkar-e-Taiba to mark the 15th year of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks on Friday. (ANI Photo)

Comparing the Mumbai terror attacks with Hamas militants' surprise assault in Israel on October 7, Gilon said, It's a horrendous phenomenon when people come into your safe haven, to your houses in Mumbai to disrupt the life, to create panic. They wanted panic, they wanted to transmit it - exactly like Hamas. Their aim is not only to kill but also to create panic with the surviving, to make them afraid.

Israel and Hamas war erupted on October 7, when Palestine's militant group, which controls Gaza, burst across the border into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting some 240 others, including, women, children and older people. Israel immediately declared war, carrying out weeks of airstrikes and a ground offensive that have left over 15,000 Palestinians dead, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled territory.

Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the horrendous 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai whose memory still continues to send shockwaves and linger in the collective memory of the nation.

Gilon told news agency ANI that there are no ifs or buts in the fight against terrorism and the countries are working together to finish the menace.

We are telling the Indians, like India is always standing with Israel, more recently but always. Whenever we need, India is on our side. Indians have to know, we are on your side. When you come to fight terrorism, there are no ifs or buts. We are working together, we will finish terrorism, Gilon said.

Six Jews were among the 166 people killed during the attack. Recently, Israel officially designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organisation. The action has been taken without any request by the government of India.

Gilon further said India and Israel demonstrate the fight against terrorism in their actions and friendships.

"As PM Modi said rightly so terrorism is a global phenomenon. You have to join hands globally. Countries, and free people of the world have to join hands and efforts in order to fight it. I think India and Israel demonstrate in our actions and friendship in what we do together, the joining of these hands to eliminate terrorism," Gilon added.

Dozens of Moshes held hostage in Gaza: Uncle

Moshe Holtzberg, the uncle of 'Baby Moshe', whose parents were killed by Pakistani terrorists at Nariman House during the Mumbai terror attacks, said dozens of Moshes have been held hostage in Gaza by Hamas.

He said children held hostage in Gaza reminded him of what happened to Baby Moshe during the 26/11 attacks, said Holtzberg. He was speaking to news agency PTI in an exclusive interview from an undisclosed location in the US ahead of the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Baby Moshe, who was two years old at the time of the attack, was rescued by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuel when Pakistani terrorists killed his parents Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg and four visitors at Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Centre in Nariman House in Colaba on November 26, 2008.

What happened on November 26, 2008?

On November 26, 2008, coordinated assaults were carried out by a group of 10 terrorists, who did mayhem on the streets of Mumbai and sent shockwaves through the nation and the world.

Terrorists from LeT terror group had entered the city of Mumbai on the night of November 26 and killed 166 people and injured 300 more over the course of four days.

The targets were carefully chosen after being surveyed for maximum impact, viz., the Taj and Oberoi Hotels, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Jewish centre at Nariman House, and the Leopold Cafe, since these places were frequented by Europeans, Indians and Jews.

The nine LeT terrorists were killed, while Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist from the attack at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, was arrested. In May 2010, Qasab was handed the death penalty, and two years later, hanged in a maximum security prison in Pune city.

(With inputs from agencies)
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)  A Lincoln, Nebraska, police officer shot and wounded a man who drove a Jeep at the officer and ran over a woman in the process, police said.

The woman was hospitalized with injuries described by police as serious but not life threatening. The driver was treated for minor injuries. The officer was unhurt.

Police said the officer was at a motel Tuesday looking for a man wanted for an alleged probation violation for possession of a weapon. The man pulled into the motel parking lot, and the officer approached the Jeep.

Police said the 35-year-old suspect put the Jeep in reverse and rammed the police cruiser, then did it again before driving at the officer, who fired into the Jeep, striking the driver. As that was happening, a 39-year-old female passenger got out of the Jeep and was run over. She had to be extricated from beneath the vehicle.

The driver is jailed on several charges, including first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault of an officer, use of a deadly weapon and resisting arrest with a deadly weapon.
A plasma cutter machine was flown from Hyderabad to the rescue site in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi on Sunday morning to cut the auger machine stuck in the debris of the Silkyara tunnel. Officials said the machine was brought from Andhra Pradesh's Rajahmundry airport to Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun at 2am on Saturday night by a charter flight of a private company. Uttarkashi: A view near the entrance of the Silkyara Tunnel during a rescue operation of 41 workers trapped inside it.(PTI)

According to micro-tunneling expert Chris Cooper, the plasma machine will help cut the steel of the auger machine faster. We are still cutting the auger. We have about 16 meters more of auger to cut, he told news agency ANI.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the cutting of the auger machine is expected to be completed soon, after which the officials would begin the manual drilling to rescue the trapped workers, reported ANI.

The efforts to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara-Barkot under-construction tunnel are being carried out at a war footing as the rescue operations entered its 15th day. The workers have been trapped behind a huge mound of debris since November 12.

While there have been several technical snags in the rescue operations in the past few days, leading to the delay in the evacuation process, it was completely halted on Friday night after a portion of the auger machine broke, blocking the potential escape route. According to a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member on Saturday, there has not been any movement in the last 24 hours. However, experts believe that the evacuation process may be carried out without any snags in the last stage of drilling.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday morning said that it flew in critical DRDO equipment to Dehradun for the rescue work. Responding with alacrity to the requirements of the ongoing rescue operation, late last evening the IAF flew in critical DRDO equipment to Dehradun, it said.

(With inputs from ANI)
A patwari, a local revenue department official, was crushed to death by a tractor-trolley used for transporting sand illegally in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Sunday. Representational picture(File photo)

The police have arrested the driver of the vehicle in connection with the incident that occurred around midnight on Saturday, an official said.

A patrolling team of government employees, including patwari Prasann Singh, intercepted the tractor-trolley transporting illegally mined sand near Son River in the Gopalpur area, Deolond police station in-charge Rajkumar Mishra said.

On reaching the river, Singh, posted as patwari in Khadda of Bohari tehsil, saw a tractor-trolley carrying sand and tried to stop it, but the driver ran over him, he said.

Singh was killed on the spot, while the accused driver fled with the vehicle, the official said.

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Talking to PTI, Shahdol's Superintendent of Police (SP) Kumar Prateek said the police began the probe immediately and identified the tractor and its driver Shubham Vishwakarma (25), who was arrested on Sunday morning.

A case under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against Vishwakarma, who is a resident of Maihar district, around 8 km from the scene of the crime, he said.

The tractor has been seized and its owner has been identified, he added.

District collector Vandana Vaidya said following complaints of illegal sand mining, a joint team of the revenue, mining departments, and the police had inspected the area on November 23.

Illegally mined sand was seized on Thursday and Friday from the same area, she said.

The sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Beohari and other officials cracked down on the illegal activity in the area till 8.30 pm on Saturday, the collector said.

However, the incident occurred when Singh and three of his colleagues went to the spot to take stock of the situation later, she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while referring to the Mumbai terror attacks on his monthly Mann ki Baat radio show on Sunday, said India can never forget this day when it faced its most heinous terror attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Mann Ki Baat show (File)(HT_PRINT)

We can never forget November 26. It was on this day that the most heinous terrorist attack took place in the country. Terrorists had shaken Mumbai and the entire country. But, it is Indias capability that we recovered from that attack and now we are also crushing terrorism with full courage, Modi said on the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists arrived by the sea route and opened indiscriminate firing, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others, besides damaging property worth crores of rupees.

The then Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, Army Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Mumbai's additional police commissioner Ashok Kamte and senior police inspector Vijay Salaskar were among those killed in the attacks.

The attacks began on November 26, 2008, and lasted until November 29. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, the Nariman House Jewish community centre were some of the places targeted by the terrorists.

Nine terrorists were later killed by the security forces.

Ajmal Kasab was the only terrorist who was captured alive. He was hanged four years later on November 21, 2012.

The prime minister also noted that November 26 is also important for another reason as in 1949, the Constituent Assembly had adopted the Constitution of India on this day

I remember when we were celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar in 2015, the idea came that November 26 be celebrated as Constitution Day I extend wishes to all on Constitution day, he said.

All of us together, by giving priorities to the duties of the citizens, will definitely fulfil the resolve of making the country developed, Modi said.

In his remarks, the prime minister also said business of around 4 lakh crore took place during recent festivals and a lot of enthusiasm was seen among people to buy made-in-India products.

Modi also questioned the practice of some families organising weddings abroad and urged all to hold such celebrations within the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lauded Indian-American entrepreneur and investor Balaji S Srinivasan for his optimism about the investment environment in India. Investing in India is improving India, Balaji wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding that he likes to invest in India and Indians because there is growth potential in Bharat. The investor made a long post supporting his argument, which got a nod from the PM who shared Balaji's post and wrote: "I love your optimism and will add -- the people of India are trendsetters and trailblazers when it comes to innovation. We welcome the world to invest in our nation. India won't disappoint." PM Modi shared Balaji S Srinivasan's post on investing in India and lauded him for his optimism. (HT_PRINT)

"If you see a startup growing, does that mean it doesn't have any flaws? That it's the best in the world? That you're going to use it for everything right away? No, of course not. But you might start using it, and putting money into it, and talking about it to your friends. And that's how I think about India  an ancient civilization that's simultaneously like a startup country," Balaji wrote.

Balaji's post was a reply to a social media user who called him the 'biggest cheerleader of India who does not stay in India'. "It's not about being a 'cheerleader' who has to 'stay' in a place to invest in it -- imagine if every business had to be funded solely by neighbours down the street. Instead, it's about being an international investor looking for the best talent around the world -- and finding quite a lot of it in India," Balaji replied.

In his long post, the investor wrote that one of India's greatest strengths is diaspora. "Indians are willing and able to move anywhere. Westerners mostly aren't willing to move, because they still think their societies are the only places that are "First World". And the Chinese increasingly aren't able to move, because they're restricted from any countries where the Chinese state lacks hard power," he wrote.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday paid floral tributes to the bravehearts at Martyrs' Memorial, located on the premises of the Police Commissioner's Office on Saturday marking the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde pays tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in 26/11 terror attacks. (File)

Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais also paid tribute to the martyrs at the memorial.

The 2008 Mumbai attacks was the worst terror strike in India's history, lasting four days till November 29. Ten armed terrorists belonging to Pakistan terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) entered Mumbai via the Arabian Sea and unleashed mayhem by carrying out coordinated attacks in multiple locations across the financial capital of India.

At least 166 people were killed during these attacks, which included civilians, police personnel, and foreign citizens. More than 300 individuals were left wounded in the attacks. One of the terrorists Ajmal Amir Qasab was captured alive. He was hanged in Pune's Yerwada Jail in 2012.

Several Maharashtra ministers including Deepak Vasant Kesarkar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha, were also among those present at the commemoration event.

A total of 18 security personnel, including members of the state police and the elite National Security Guard (NSG), sacrificed their lives in the line of duty during the 26/11 attacks.

President Droupadi Murmu said on X, A grateful nation remembers with pain all the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. We stand with their families and loved ones in honouring the memory of the brave souls. I pay homage to the valiant security personnel who laid down their lives for the motherland. Recalling their supreme sacrifice, let us renew our pledge to battle terrorism in all forms everywhere.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid tribute through a post on X, formerly Twitter, and said, My heartfelt tributes to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks. The nation will always remember the sacrifice of those security personnel who gave their lives in the line of duty.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a post, It is 15 years today since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Our quest to bring those responsible for planning and executing these horrific acts to justice continues.

Besides the Taj Hotel, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Leopold Cafe, the Nariman House and the Oberoi Trident were other places where the attacks took place.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said, Tributes to the lives lost in the ghastly 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. It was a Black Day in the history of India and bereaved families continue to suffer the loss. Gratitude to the police, security forces and all those who bravely fought the terrorists during the attacks.

The official handle of the Bharatiya Janata party said, India remembers the 26/11 attacks! The fallen are not forgotten. The perpetrators are not forgiven. In solemn remembrance, we strive for a world united against violence.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday said his government was holding "peace talks" with an Imphal Valley-based insurgent group. Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh. (File Photo)

Speaking to PTI-Video, Singh said the talks were at an advanced stage, even though he stayed away from naming the underground organisation.

This was for the first time that there was an official confirmation about such talks being held by the government, since ethnic violence broke out on May 3.

Earlier, sources had said that the government was holding talks with one faction of the proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF).

More than 180 people have been killed since the violence broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.
Mann Ki Baat Highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the 107th episode of his monthly radio show  Mann ki Baat  on November 26, 2023. The 30-minute radio programme will be aired at 11am on Saturday. 'Mann Ki Baat' programme is a platform where the Prime Minister communicates directly with the people of the country. Through this programme, the Prime Minister seeks to inform and inspire the people of the country on various topics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (File Photo)

The programme will air across Akashvani and Doordarshan channels, the All India Radio news website, and mobile apps newsonair and Narendra Modi. It will be live-streamed on AIR News, DD News, PMO and Information and Broadcasting Ministry YouTube channels. Along with this, Akashvani News will be broadcasting the programme in regional languages right after the Hindi broadcast.

In his 106th episode, Modi encouraged tourists to buy local products. He also urged people to insist on paying through the UPI digital system. Modi announced that a major nationwide organisation  'Mera Yuva Bharat'  will be founded on October 31, which coincided with the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Modi also shared inspiring efforts related to the glorious heritage of Tamil Nadu and talked about renowned author Sivashankri and her project Knit India, Through Literature'.
In a shocking incident, a group of miscreants brutally thrashed and urinated on the face of a class 12 student in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, the police said on Sunday. The whole incident which was captured on camera has been circulating on social media. The class 12 student was kidnapped and assaulted by a group(X/@Benarasiyaa)

In one of the videos, a man can be seen assaulting the boy in a deserted place and the two other accomplices recorded the incident. The man repeatedly thrashed the student on his head and back as he begged to stop the assault. In another clip, another man can be seen urinating on the student's face. The miscreants also blackmailed the youth after filming the act and took money from the victim by threatening to make the video viral.

The Meerut police took cognisance of the matter and registered a case against four accused men and nabbed one person.

"On 13.11.2023, a youth was assaulted by some persons in Mohalla Jagriti Vihar under Police Station Medical area and during the assault, urine was passed on the said youth. In relation to the incident, on the basis of the complaint filed by the victim's father, a case has been registered at the Medical Police Station under relevant sections and the main accused has been arrested. Advance investigative action is being taken", the city police said in a post on X.

According to a report by Live Hindustan, the victim's father said that the incident took place on November 13 when his son was coming back from his relative's house. On the way, the miscreants kidnapped the boy and took him to a deserted place where he was assaulted.

Following the incident, the victim's father approached the police but he claimed that no action was taken. The boy's father also accused the police of registering the case under lighter charges, the report added.

Earlier, a similar incident came to light when a man urinated on a tribal youth in the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, which triggered huge outrage. The accused, Pravesh Shukla was arrested after the video of the incident surfaced on social media.

An action was also initiated under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), against Shukla and an alleged illegal portion of the house belonging to him in Sidhi was also demolished.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flew in the light combat aircraft (LCA) in Bengaluru and described the experience as incredibly enriching while also heaping praise on the countrys indigenous military capabilities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes sortie on Tejas fighter aircraft, in Bengaluru on Saturday. (ANI)

The PMs sortie in an LCA Mk-1 fighter jet is being seen as a significant endorsement of the LCA programme.

Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our countrys indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential, Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the flight.

The development has turned the spotlight on the locally produced fighter jet that the Indian Air Force is looking at inducting in big numbers and India is also seeking to export. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari was in Bengaluru for the PMs LCA sortie.

READ | PM Modi flies on Tejas: 5 things to know about this made-in-India fighter jet

This is the first time an Indian PM has flown a fighter aircraft sortie, IAF said in a statement.

The development came weeks after Chaudhari announced plans to order 97 more LCA Mk-1As at an estimated cost of 67,000 crore. IAF ordered 83 Mk-1A fighters for 48,000 crore in February 2021.

Flying in Tejas today, I can say with immense pride that due to our hard work and dedication, we are no less than anyone in the world in the field of self-reliance. Heartiest congratulations to the Indian Air Force, DRDO, and HAL as well as all Indians, the PM wrote on X.

The sortie was carried out from the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, Bengaluru. During the 30-minute sortie, capabilities of the fighter aircraft were demonstrated to PM, the IAF statement said.

PM Modi, who has given a strong impetus to Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing, applauded the scientists, engineers and flight test crew associated with the designing, development, and production of the state-of-the-art fighter aircraft, it added. Todays sortie by PM will encourage the aeronautics ecosystem and give a big boost to Aatmanirbharta in defence sector.

On October 4, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited handed over the first trainer version of LCA Mk-1 to Chaudhari in Bengaluru, with the twin seater set to fill a key training role and double as a fighter if needed.

The aircraft is part of an earlier order for 40 Mk-1 jets in the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations --- the first variants of LCA. Of the 40 Mk-1s, IAF has inducted 32 single-seater jets and raised two LCA squadrons. The remaining eight aircraft are trainers. Seven more twin-seater aircraft will be delivered to IAF by March 2024.

READ | PM Modi shares bird's eye view of spectacular Mumbai from his chopper. Watch

LCA is set to emerge as the cornerstone of the IAFs combat power in the coming decade and beyond. IAF, the worlds fourth largest air force, is expected to operate around 350 LCAs (Mk-1, Mk-1A, and Mk-2 versions), with a third of those already ordered, some inducted, and the rest figuring prominently on the air forces modernisation roadmap and expected to be contracted in the coming years.

The newer variants, Mk-1A and Mk-2, will come with significantly improved features and technologies over the Mk-1 aircraft.

HAL has a capacity to build 16 LCA Mk-1As every year in Bengaluru and a new production line in Nashik line will help the firm ramp up production to a total of 24 jets.

The first Mk-1A will be delivered to IAF in February 2024, and the last of the 83 jets by 2028 (instead of 2029, the contracted delivery schedule). The new plant in Nashik will help advance deliveries.

IAF will deploy LCAs at forward air bases in the western sector to bolster its combat readiness against Pakistan and fill the gap left by the gradual phasing out of the Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets, as first reported by HT.

An LCA-Mk 1 squadron based at Sulur in Tamil Nadu is set to be relocated to a frontline fighter base in Gujarat, while the first LCA Mk-1A squadron will be raised at an air base in Rajasthan.

IAF is expected to begin raising the LCA Mk-1A squadron after HAL delivers the first aircraft to it early next year.
President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday favoured the creation of an All-India Judicial Service (AIJS) to pick judges from varied backgrounds through a process, which she said, should be merit-based, competitive and transparent. President Droupadi Murmu and Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud stand near the statue of Babasaheb Dr. BR Ambedkar during the Constitution Day (National Law Day) celebrations.(PTI)

Murmus call for an AIJS revived a dialogue over a pan-Indian test for judges on the lines of the central civil services that has lingered in the backdrop of the judicial reforms debate for more than 60 years.

Also read: Selective orders on appointment of judges sends wrong signal: Supreme Court

Speaking at the Constitution Day celebrations, Murmu emphasised that a more varied representation of Indias unique diversity on the bench and the bar definitely helps serve the cause of justice better, adding one way to hasten the diversification process can be the creation of a system in which judges can be recruited from different backgrounds through a merit-based and transparent process.

There can be an All-India Judicial Service which can select brilliant youngsters and nurture and promote their talents from lower levels to higher levels. Those who aspire to serve the bench can be selected from across the country to create a larger pool of talent. Such a system can offer opportunities to the less represented social groups too, she said.

I wish to do something for such children so that they can come here. Theyre young, talented, energetic, and loyal to the country. For IAS, IPS, there is an all-India examination. There can be an All India Judicial Service which can select brilliant young stars and nurture and promote their talent from lawyer level to higher level, Murmu added.

With Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal also present on the occasion, Murmu said that she would leave it to the wisdom of all the stakeholders to devise any effective mechanism that could strengthen the justice delivery system.

The Presidents call for the AIJS came on Sunday even as the proposal has remained contentious and has been debated in legal circles for at least six decades. In 1958, the 14th report of the Law Commission of India had recommended the creation of the AIJS to create a cadre of judges who can be appointed at the districts courts level across the country.

In 1961, a proposal for the AIJS was suggested in the chief justices conference as a way to remove any scope for judicial or executive intervention in the appointments to the judiciary. The proposal was, however, shelved after some states and high courts opposed it until 1976 when the Constitution was amended to provide for an AIJS under Article 312.

The recommendation for the creation of All India Judicial Service (AIJS) was once again given by the Law Commission in its 77th report which was submitted in 1978 and in its 116th report which was submitted in 1986. In 1992, the Supreme Court also endorsed the concept of the AIJS, asking the Union government to assess its feasibility.

The proposal was again floated by the UPA government in 2012 but the draft bill was shelved again after opposition from the high court chief justices and state governments which cited Articles 233 to argue that recruitment to subordinate judiciary is the prerogative of the state.

In 2021, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government also proposed to pass a bill on the AIJS but cited lack of consensus to go ahead. The then Union minister for law & justice Kiren Rijiju had in 2022 informed the Rajya Sabha that there was no proposal to bring AIJS due to lack of consensus among various state governments and high courts.

During her address, Murmu further said that the justice-delivery system has to be made citizen-centric in order to improve access to justice.

The cause of justice is best served by making it accessible for all. This also strengthens equality. We should ask ourselves whether every single citizen is in a position to seek justice. On introspection, we realise that there are many barriers in the way. Cost is the most significant factor. There are other barriers like language, which is beyond the comprehension of a majority of citizens, said the President, even as she praised the recent initiatives of the Supreme Court to facilitate citizens.

Murmu applauded the live webcast of court proceedings as a measure that transforms citizens into true stakeholders of the judicial system, besides highlighting the Supreme Courts endeavour to provide judgments in various regional languages, emphasising that this step enhances accessibility and strengthens equality.

Also read: First woman judge of SC Fathima Beevi dies at 96

The President also appreciated the Supreme Court for playing the role of the final interpreter of our founding document to perfection. She stated that this Courts bar and bench have constantly raised the standards of jurisprudence.

Their legal acumen and scholarship have been par excellence. Like our Constitution, our Supreme Court too has been a model for many other nations. With a vibrant judiciary, the health of our democracy is never going to be a cause of concern, she said.
Nigerian Politician Arrested for $246,153 Theft from Patricia Technologies Crypto Wallet

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The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has announced the arrest of a politician in connection with the theft of over 200 million naira (approximately $246,153) from Patricia Technologies crypto wallet.

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), the NPF said the arrest of Wilfred Bonse was made following an investigation conducted by the NPFs National Cybercrime Center.

According to Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the forces public relations officer, Bonse is accused of collaborating with hackers to launder 50 million naira (around $61,538) from the stolen funds.

The charges against him include criminal conspiracy, unauthorized alteration of computer systems and network data, and the illicit diversion of funds exceeding 200 million naira.

These allegations were outlined in a petition submitted to the inspector general of police.

PRESS BRIEFING BY THE FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI ON ACHIEVEMENTS RECORDED BY THE NPF-NCCC NPF-NCCC ARRESTS ONE WILFRED BONSE IN CONNECTION WITH PATRICIA SECURITY BREACH AND COMPLEX FINANCIAL FRAUD Similarly, the NPF-NCCC has made significant strides  Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) November 24, 2023

The statement issued by the NPF revealed that Bonse was apprehended for his alleged involvement in the theft, conversion of cryptocurrency wallets, and unauthorized fund diversion from Patricia Technologies.

Bonses Arrest Brings Hope to Patricia Technologies



The arrest of Bonse brings a glimmer of hope for Patricia Technologies, a crypto trading company that faced significant scrutiny following a hacking incident in May.

The breach resulted in substantial losses of customer funds, prompting Patricia to take action.

In response to customer concerns, Patricia converted the value of customer assets into its native Patricia Token (PTK), with a promise of future repayment.

The company emphasized its commitment to integrity and customer trust, introducing PTK as an internal customer holding.

To facilitate asset recovery after the security breach, Patricia pledged to reimburse holders with 1 Tether (USDT) token for each Patricia Token.

Its important to note that PTK functions as an internal token representing debt and is managed by the company, rather than being an on-chain token.

To further address customer concerns, Patricia enlisted DLM Trust as an escrow agent in October to facilitate the distribution of customer repayments.

However, disagreements between Patricia and DLM resulted in the withdrawal of the trust company.

Despite this setback, Patricia reaffirmed its intention to proceed with the repayment schedule this month.

As reported, Nigeria is one of the most crypto-savvy nations, even ahead of the United States and European countries.

Nigerias crypto awareness stands at 99% as the country leads in digital asset knowledge and perceived investment drive.

15,158 survey participants aged 18- 65 were polled from 15 countries to determine the global acceptance of Web3 and how its utility and technicalities have been broken down to give a clearer insight into the future.

Per the data, 99% were fully aware of cryptocurrencies while 70% understood the value, operations, and fundamentals of blockchain technology.
The 74 Myanmar army personnel who fled to India two weeks ago because of the civil war between rebel forces and the junta arent the only ones who came to India for safety. In Mizorams Champhais town, 25 km from the border, there are 41 Myanmar army and police personnel who have abandoned their uniforms, crossed into India at different times over the past one year and now work as labourers and porters. That Pian, Myanmar army ex-rifleman, works as a porter wherever he can find work.

On Saturday, many had gone out to work. Some refused to speak, fearing for the safety of their families back home. But at least eight among them agreed to speak. They narrated why they shed their uniform, rebelled against their own, and chose to live this life in a foreign land.

Also read: Hundreds of school students displaced from strife-torn Myanmar resume studies in India

This is their story.

Sergeant Thang Liankham, 54, who crossed over to India in September 2021, said he had won medals for valour. I was part of the LIG 269 military camp and was in uniform for over 20 years. After the military coup in Myanmar, many of us were seen with suspicion for helping rebel forces. In one operation, I sustained a bullet injury on my right shoulder when rebel forces fired. My bosses refused to send me for medical aid because they thought I was helping rebel forces, he said. That day, I realised how our army is against our own people.

Unlike other refugee camps where people are lodged in tents, these 41 along with their families are staying in a government building belonging to a defunct industrial training institute.

The other refugees in the complex requested that these men be given shelter on the first floor (above them) as a sign of respect for voluntarily leaving their jobs. Those with families share a room, bed sheets form a makeshift partition between their kitchen and bedroom. The singles are housed in a dormitory in what could have been a classroom of the institute.

They do not have their old uniforms. Memories and evidence of their past are their photographs in uniform and identity cards saved in their cellphones.

But there is one evidence of the life they left behind.

On this bright Saturday afternoon, two of them had hung out their shoes to dry after a wash. These were military boots they did not leave behind in Myanmar, even after shedding their uniform.

Among the most recent entrants in the camp is former Sergeant Chitko, 38, who crossed over in April. Chitko said he was last posted with the armys LIG 3 Military Camp. His wife and two kids was killed by members of the junta, when they learnt he had actively participated in the civil disobedience movement after the 2021 military coup.

I lived in Kalaw (Taungggi). I wontt lie. I was also helping the rebel forces. Sometime in February, while returning from a protest, my relatives informed me that my wife and two children had been shot dead, Chitko said. They told me to flee to India. I lived in hiding for weeks before taking a lift in a supply truck. The members of the Chin National Army (CNA) helped me cross the border at Farkawn (another border village in Champhai).

None of these army or police officers brought their arms or the uniform. In the months since the Myanmar military coup of 2021, like the thousands of refugees from Myanmar, they undertook different water crossings along the 496.53 km porous border. The Tiao river serves as the border between India and Myanmar.

Earlier this month, at least 74 Myanmar army personnel, who had deserted their posts in Myanmar, had entered India after rebel groups captured their military bases. These 74 men did not use any of the two official checkpoints in Champhai, but entered India after crossing the river at points where the water is less than a few feet deep.

The two official border checkpoints are no longer in control of the Myanmar army; they are guarded by forces such as CNA and Peoples Defence Force. On Saturday, the rebel forces even removed the earlier board that proclaimed the Republic of Union of Myanmar with a new one that said  Welcome to Chinland.

These 74, who do not owe allegiance with the pro-democracy rebel forces, were shifted to Moreh, a border village in Manipur, in an Indian Air Force chopper and handed over to the Myanmar army, which is still in control there.

At the Champhai camp, former Myanmar police rifleman, Bualkham, 29, who was posted at the Hakha police station in Chin State, said he had grown tired of fighting against civilians. Hakha sustained the most damage after the military coup in 2021 because of the protests and violence. I simply could not fire at my own people. One day during a protest, my senior ordered me to fire at an unruly crowd. I could not and I was punished, Bualkham, who now sells poultry, said. Two months later, sometime in March last year, I along with my wife and two children came here.

Bualkham estimates there are more than 300 Myanmar police personnel like him who work as daily wagers in different parts of Mizoram. The register maintained at this camp has the names of 41 people, 21 army and 20 police. Here, at this camp, we even have my senior, who is a three-star officer (inspector rank), he added.

The men said they are still in touch with their friends in the army and police. They message and talk over Facebook messenger.

Bualkam earned around 290,000 Myanmar Kyat, which is equivalent to around 8,000 in India.

Mizorams influential civil society organisation, the Young Mizo Association (YMA), helps them find jobs as daily wagers at construction sites. The YMA coordinates with the state government contractors who need labourers. Sometimes they even earn 700 a day. But this is not fixed, said Robert Zoremtluaga, chairperson of the Champhai district refugee subcommittee.

Also read: Village life before and after the Myanmar crisis: Hard to harder

Those who left their families also send money back home.

One of them, That Pian, 50, a former rifleman, works as a porter wherever he can find work. After 2021, even my relatives questioned me why I was helping the army, Pian said.

Sometime in August last year, he took his wife to a relatives place. He did not want her to risk her life by hiding from border guards and entering India. He regularly sent money to his wife back home but has stopped now, Pian said.

Last month, his parents told him that his wife had married another man, supposedly a soldier.

There is little I can do now, Pian said. Maybe I will go back and join the rebel forces.
Indias new broadcast bill could cover even individuals putting up news and current affairs content online, including on platforms such as YouTube, and also WhatsApp and Telegram channels. Indias new broadcast bill could cover even individuals putting up news on platforms such as YouTube.(REUTERS/Representative Image)

The proposed Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023, seeks to directly regulate streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+Hotstar as over-the-top, or OTT, broadcasting services, but under the Bill, anybody who broadcasts news and current affairs programmes online is liable to attract the same obligations as OTT streaming services. That means certain accounts and users on social media platforms can also be treated as OTT broadcasters unto themselves.

According to Gowree Gokhale, partner at Nishith Desai Associates, and Nikhil Narendran, partner at Trilegal, the move will bring streaming platforms and online news organisations, who were recognised as publishers till now, under the category of broadcasters. This will bring them solely under the domain of MIB, Narendran said.

Also read: Refrain from sensationalising tunnel rescue mission: MIB to media

Thus far, Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, was governing streaming platforms and online publishers of news and current affairs.

Part III [of the IT Rules] will have to go, Gokhale said. In the savings and repeal clause, the Broadcasting Bill does not mention repealing Part III of the IT Rules. That is not required because an act, or a section of an act, must be repealed through another act. Parts of subordinate legislation, as in the case of IT Rules, can be repealed through a simple government notification, Narendran said.

Clause 20 of the bill says any person who broadcasts news and current affairs programs through an online paper, news portal, website, social media intermediary, or other similar medium but excluding publishers of newspapers and replica e-papers of such newspapers, as part of a systematic business, professional, or commercial activity shall adhere to the Programme Code and Advertisement code referred to in Section 19.

Although the definition of an OTT broadcasting service excludes social media intermediaries and users of such social media intermediaries, experts say clause 20 allows them to be included if they broadcast news and current affairs programmes, including through a social media intermediary.

Clause 20 taken with the definitions of programme and news and current affairs programmes mean that independent journalists who have their own YouTube channels and Instagram accounts, where they post news content as a professional activity, will attract the same obligations as that of an OTT broadcaster.

Citizen journalists could be covered if they post news content as a systematic business, professional or commercial activity. This means that someone who occasionally posts public interest content would not be covered. Nor will a civilian who decides to stream a riot live will not be covered.

Professional activity here would include professional journalists who are employed or engaged as consultants by news organisations. That is easier to determine than systematic business or commercial activity, Gokhale said.

To be sure, it is not clear whether the Twitter account of a journalist featuring tweets about news could attract the obligations of an OTT broadcaster. You could get included but that will be determined by how they notify the threshold for OTT platforms and if they will have a lower one for journalists, Gokhale added. Under the Bill, OTT broadcasters have to intimate to MIB of their operations on meeting an undetermined threshold of Indian subscribers or viewers. The bill also empowers the central government to relax the provisions for OTT broadcasters who dont meet the threshold.

They may do something completely different for journalists as well. They ultimately want to control the virality of content. If there is a random individual posting things and earning money through it but has very few followers, the government may not want to go after such de minimus activity, Gokhale said.

Experts say differentiating between news content and user-generated content on social media is already a vexed task. The former is regulated by MIB while the latter is regulated by MeitY. Despite that, even under the IT Rules, MIB has issued blocking orders against non-journalists while MeitY has issued Section 69A blocking orders against news content posted by individuals.

Monetisation through YouTube or Instagram ads would be considered a commercial activity, both Gokhale and Nikhil Narendran, partner at Trilegal, said. Even financial influencers could attract the obligations of an OTT broadcaster.

But in my mind, the threshold for this will remain very high. Regular people should not be affected, Gokhale said.

It also means that YouTube will not be required to comply with the Act as it is a social media intermediary. However, the paid version of YouTube, YouTube Premium, would qualify as an OTT broadcasting service.

A combination of section 20, and the definitions in the Bill mean that a news website which has a fair mix of textual and audio-visual content, would attract obligations as an OTT broadcaster, as per Narendran.

On the other hand, a physical newspaper and its e-replica, will be exempted. A newspaper publisher will be excluded in its entirety because clause 20 excludes publishers of newspapers, not just the newspapers themselves, Narendran said.

Experts disagreed on whether news websites that are textual in nature would attract obligations of an OTT broadcaster. Gokhlae believes they will be, since writing is included in the definition of a programme, and news and current affairs programmes are defined as newly received or noteworthy audio, visual or audio-visual programmes or live programmes.

Narendran differs. The definition of broadcasting is limited to the transmission of audio, visual and audio-visual programmes that are meant for viewing, not reading. So textual news websites should not be covered here. This reading also aligns with the exemption for websites of newspapers, he said.

A senior government official familiar with the matter said: There is no change in the status of how online news publishers are governed. If they are governed under the IT Rules, they [textual news websites] will continue to be governed here.

The IT Rules cover all kinds of news and current affairs content online, not just audio, visual or audio-visual. Under the IT Rules, independent journalists also registered with self-regulatory bodies.

Asked if the new rules would cover newsletters, the official added: Newsletters will be covered if they are released as a part of a professional, systematic or commercial activity.

WhatsApp channels, Telegram channels, and other such similar features on social media platforms allow for only one-way, one-to-many communication. A lot of the content on these channels is visual (images) or audio-visual (video) in nature. This meets the definition of broadcasting under the bill. When a public official uses such a broadcasting medium, everything posted there is news. Thus, when a public official who uses a broadcast medium such as WhatsApp channels, he or she could attract the obligations of an OTT broadcaster under the Bill.

Clause 4 of the Bill constrains central government, state governments and its officers from registering as a broadcaster. However, they are not restricted from applying to be OTT broadcasters.

Under this Bill, even the prime ministers WhatsApp channel could attract the same obligations as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, Narendran said. The prime ministers WhatsApp channel currently has 11.4 million subscribers.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday strongly emphasised Parliament's sovereignty in his Constitution Day address, asserting that any encroachment into its exclusive domain would be a constitutional aberration, contradicting the democratic essence and values. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.(ANI)

Sovereignty of Parliament synonymous with the sovereignty of the nation and it's impregnable, VP Dhankhar said at the Constitution Day celebrations organised by the Ministry of Law and Justice at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

This event marked the anniversary of November 26, 1949, when India's constitution was formally adopted by the Constituent Assembly.

He further said that for the country's continual growth, the executive, judiciary, and legislature must engage in a collaborative discourse rather than adopting a confrontational perception.

Parliament is the soul of democracy, its supremacy not amenable to any intervention from executive or judiciary, the vice president said.

Recently, Justice DY Chandrachud, speaking at 21st edition of Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2023, said the Legislature can enact a fresh law to cure a deficiency in a judgment but it cannot directly overrule it.

"There is a dividing line between what the legislature can do, and what the legislature can't do when there is a judgment of the court. If a judgment decides a particular issue and it points out a deficiency in law, it is always open for the legislature to enact a fresh law to cure the deficiency," the CJI said.

"What the legislature cannot do is to say that we think the judgment is wrong and therefore we overrule the judgment. The judgment of a court cannot be directly overruled by the legislature," the CJI said.

He also said judges are guided by constitutional morality and not public morality while adjudicating cases.

Ambedkar declined to draft Article 370

The vice president also said that Article 370, the law which dealt with temporary provisions with respect to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, was not drafted by the drafting committee. All other articles were drafted, and Dr Ambedkar declined to draft it, the VP said.

The Union government abrogated the provision in 2019.

(Inputs from PTI)
Chandigarh Sangha was posted in Ferozepur as SP operations when Modi was stranded for half an hour on a flyover when he was travelling by road from Bathinda airport to Ferozepur on January 5, 2022.

The Punjab government has suspended seven policemen, including a superintendent of police (SP), and filed a charge sheet against them over dereliction of duty in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modis security breach during a visit to the state last year, official orders and people aware of the matter said.

According to an order issued by the state home department on November 22, Bathinda SP Gurbinder Singh Sangha was placed under suspension with immediate effect along with two DSP-rank officers Parson Singh and Jagdish Kumar, inspectors Jatinder Singh and Balwinder Singh, sub-inspector Jaswant Singh and assistant sub-inspector Ramesh Kumar.

READ | PM security breach: 6 months on, no action against former Punjab chief secretary, ex-DGP

Sangha was posted in Ferozepur as SP operations when Modi was stranded for half an hour on a flyover when he was travelling by road from Bathinda airport to Ferozepur on January 5, 2022. A belligerent crowd of about 300 protesters gathered at the end of the flyover, prompting the Special Protection Group, which protects the Prime Minister, to halt the convoy and head back to the airport. The incident triggered a massive political slugfest between the Congress, which was in power in the state at the time, and the BJP ahead of the crucial Punjab elections. The Supreme Court also appointed an inquiry committee, which in its report indicted the then state chief secretary Anirudh Tewari and police chief S Chattopadhyaya for lapses.

According to the Punjab government order, Sangha was suspended for not taking corrective and urgent measures while he was continuously following the protesting farmers who blocked the bridge on the Moga-Ferozepur highway on which the PMs cavalcade was struck.

READ | Breach at Karnataka event as teen tries to garland PM Modi

A report dated October 18, 2023, was submitted by the director general of Punjab Police in connection with the security breach during Modis visit wherein the DGP made remarks that Gurbinder Singh, then SP, operations, did not perform his duty properly, states the order by home secretary Gurkirat Kirpal about Sanghas suspension.

A second order issued by the home department on November 22 states that all seven policemen have been chargesheeted section 8 of Punjab Civil Services rule (punishment and appeal) 1970.

Sangha and other officials suspended were present at the bridge and despite having complete knowledge about the movement of farmers did not bother to take any action or inform seniors. Rather Sangha was not supposed to be at the site as he was assigned duty at some other place but why he was present at the bridge is another charge against him, an official privy with the probe conducted against the policemen said on condition of anonymity said.
The Centre has written to all states and Union Territories asking them to review the hospital preparedness as the health ministry is closely monitoring the rise of respiratory illness cases in China among children. As a matter of abundant caution, also because of the ongoing influenza and winter season, the ministry asked the states to check their hospital preparedness measures such as hospital beds, drugs and vaccines for influenza, medical oxygen, antibiotics, PPE etc. China is witnessing a sudden spike in cases of respiratory illness among children.(AP)

Earlier, the ministry said India's risk is low from the mystery pneumonia but the government is prepared for all kind of exigencies.

All cases of influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness among children and adolescents have to be monitored and their NASA; and throat swab samples need to be sent for testing for pathogens, the letter said.

In its letter, the ministry reiterated that there is no case for any alarm at the moment as China informed the World Health Organization that no new pathogen has been found. "As per WHO, the release of Covid-19 restrictions coinciding with the onset of winter season in addition to the cyclical trend of respiratory illnesses such as Mycoplasma pneumonia have led to this surge. While WHO has sought additional information from Chinese authorities, it is assessed that there is no cause for any alarm at the moment," the ministry note said.

China pneumonia outbreak, hospitals burdened with patients

China has been seeing a spike in cases of respiratory illnesses among children forcing the closure of schools in the northern part of the country. The spike became a global issue when the World Health Organization prodded China for more information about the outbreak -- with both WHO and China having burnt their fingers in over the Covid-19 pandemic.

China's health commission said a combination of pathogens is causing the surge in acute respiratory infections. Influenza is one of the main causes of the spike in cases, National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng said at a press conference on Sunday. Rhinovirus, mycoplasma pneumoniae and respiratory syncytial virus are also circulating, he said. T
It is 7pm, and the streets of old Hyderabad are abuzz. Every narrow lane is twinkling with lights, every square inch taken up by an amorphous crowd; families shopping, some out for an evening snack, or people just returning home after work. Hyderabad is perhaps the most important district politically; it has 15 of the 119 seats in the state (HT file photo)

Syed Alam Shah, 28, is part of this third group, but in many other aspects, his life is one of firsts. For three generations, his family has packaged and sold itr; he was the first to go to Australia to study engineering. His family has always lived and worked in the old city; yet every day he drives his car, past the Charminar, navigating the jewellery stores in Shalibanda, to the expressways and glass facades of new Hi-tech city, where he works as an IT engineer. There is only one thing that he has never done different from the rest, until now. He points to the unique sign that hangs above Purana Pul Road, the outline of a kite in fluorescent green.

I have always voted for the AIMIM. This time, Im thinking about it, he said.

READ | Owaisi dares Rahul Gandhi to contest from Hyderabad; says told Bidhuri to sit down

Hyderabad has always been central to Telanganas identity. It is a city that saw the most strident protests for the creation of the new state in 2014. It is by far its largest urban centre, a bustling metropolis in its own right, nurtured by multiple chief ministers. It is a symbol for syncretism, with more than 40% of its population Muslim. It is perhaps the most important district politically; it has 15 of the 119 seats in the state.

In those 15 seats, for the last 15 years, there has been one constant. Everything else has changed; in 2018 the TRS won 7 and the BJP 1; in 2014, the BJP won 4, TDP 3, the TRS 1; in 2009 (undivided Andhra Pradesh), the Congress won 7 and the BJP won 1. But over all these three elections, the AIMIM won 7 seats in Hyderabads biggest city and always the same seats -- Malakpet, Nampally, Karwan, Charminar, Chandrayangutta, Yakutpura, and Bahadurpura. Still looking at the sign, Syed Alam Shah said, It has always been the one political constant in our lives.

READ | BJP may play spoiler for BRS, Congress in several constituencies in Telangana

Alam has voted twice in his life, both times after the formation of Telangana in 2014. In his mind, they were both times of turbulence. In those ten years, we have seen communal hatred grow everywhere else. But in Hyderabad, there has been none because the AIMIM looks after our community and the TRS doesnt allow it. It is a combination that works, he said.

But this time, there are the beginnings of doubt. For one, in the first time in his voting life, it is unclear if the TRS will emerge frontrunners like they have in the last decade. And two, he now wonders if there is a third corner to that political friendship.

The AIMIM says openly that they have a friendship with the TRS, and that is clear on the ground. The AIMIM win in the city, and the TRS outside among the Muslim voters. But I have started to believe that there is some truck with the BJP. Why does the TRS always help the BJP in the Lok Sabha? Why do they never fight Goshamahal, the seat of Raja Singh seriously? There is only one party that has always been, unequivocally opposed to the BJP, and that is the Congress. More than that, why should we always vote as Muslims? I am tired to see KCR as chief minister and want change, Shah said.

A little distance away, with the Charminar looming behind them, a group of four men are having their daily evening debate over Irani chai, and opinion is split down the middle. One of them, a local Congress leader who only wanted to be identified by Irfan, his first name, is trying to convince the other three. I think we have to look at this from a 2024 lens. If the Congress win Telangana, they become stronger for the Lok Sabha elections. If there is a chance for a non-BJP government, then it begins from here.

He is interrupted quickly. But we have to think carefully. In Telangana, KCR and Owaisi have kept away communal riots when everywhere else has seen a problem. If the Congress comes to power, the BJP will push even harder to enter the state. Even if they support BJP at the Centre, how does it matter to a common man as long as there is peace? said the man next to him.

The third man, Mohammad Hanif, who owns the grocery store next door steps in, smelling a heated argument on the horizon. Both these things can be true at the same time. But imagine, we are actually talking about this. Even a year ago, we wouldnt even have entertained the possibility of voting for anyone other than the AIMIM.

Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri, former member of the legislative council and former pro term chairman of the Telangana state legislative council from the AIMIM says that the narrative that the Congress is gaining momentum, like the one that the BJP was rising a year ago, is simply political messaging. I dont think those are true. From where the AIMIM can see the election, the situation will stay the same, Jafri said.

For Hyderabad, Jafris argument for why there is unlikely to be any wholesale change in the AIMIM bastions on the ground, is the difference in the way that it operates; a methodology that means it always has influence in the civic body, always has a presence in the legislature, and has not lost the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency since 1984.

Look at the party offices. In the Congress, TDP, or BJP offices you will only find leaders inside, and no common people. At the AIMIM headquarters in Darus Salam in Hyderabad, there are always people inside. Legislators are asked to meet their people twice a day, morning and evening in their camp offices, and meet the rest in the party office. If people have issues in our constituencies, they call the politicians and not the government agencies. We are connected to the ground, and to peoples issues like no other party. That is why the support has been constant, he said.

Back at the tea shop in Charminar, the fourth man has begun to speak. He is the oldest, 59 years old, and on the verge of retirement from public service. In many ways, he says, the story of the Telangana election is always the Hyderabad seats outside the AIMIM bastions. In 2009, as YS Rajashekhara Reddy retained power in undivided Andhra Pradesh, the Congress won 7 seats. Five years later, there was churn, and in a city that has a big Andhra presence, the TDP won 3 seats and the BJP 4. By 2018, as the TRS consolidated, it won half the seats.

So the question is if the Congress is doing well in the other seats. Because if it manages to do the unthinkable and win in the AIMIM bastions, then the broader verdict looks to be very clear to see, he said.
For nearly three years between 2015 and 2018, the Congress party had no significant or large public rally in Telangana. In 2014, K Chandrashekar Rao became the chief minister of Indias newest state and our leaders almost went into silent mode as they feared backlash if they tried to question KCR in those emotive times, Congress worker Ramavath Ramalu said at Gandhi Bhavan, the state headquarters of the party. Congress leaders said that Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra has given a boost to the party organisation (ANI)

Five years later, the Congress has re-emerged as a threat to Raos Bharat Rashtra Samithi. By Congress standards, it is a rare achievement. In states such as Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, the Congress has been relegated to a marginal force compared with powerful regional parties.

Also read: 'Rahul Gandhi ke do pyaar': Owaisi's jibe at Congress leader's '2 friends' remark

In Andhra Pradesh, we are still trying to overcome the obvious challenges, said Gidugu Rudra Raju, state Congress president who has been camping in Hyderabad.

After Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated, the Congress strategy of claiming credit for forming the new state backfired. Rao, who went on a hunger strike for Telangana, swept to power. More than a hundred Congress leaders, including former state chiefs and former ministers, left the grand old party to join Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which has now being renamed BRS.

The two other similar examples can be seen in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, where hundreds of Congress leaders and workers have joined the new offshoots, said political analyst Sudhakar Gaud.

The Congress comeback suffered a jolt in the 2018 Telangana election in which it joined hands with N Chandrababu Naidus Telegu Desam Party, which commands some seats in the Seemandhra region. In his entire campaign, KCR asked people, do you want to vote for Telangana or Andhra Pradesh? said Mahesh Shetapally, a BRS sympathizer.

Congress leaders such as state vice-president Mallu Ravi point out that the partys district level organisation was still strong despite some confusion and silence at the top. In 2021, the Congress appointed Revanth Reddy, 54, as state party chief.

He was a good organizer and trained under Chandrababu Naidu. He spoke KCRs language. He started pointing out how the KCRs regime has not catered to the aspirations of Telangana. The state has been formed, but the promises remained unfulfilled, said Gaud.

Congress leaders such as Ajoy Kumar and Ravi also said that Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra has given a boost to the party organization. Gandhi walked more than 375 km in the state during the foot march. It was our super chawanprash (ayurvedic tonic). We are also promising more than 2 lakh jobs to fill up vacancies. Our campaign act is in place and leaders are working together, said Kumar.

The Karnataka elections, too, can create an impact for the Congress in some southern districts, political analysts said. If you look at the larger picture, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) going out of power in entire south India, Congress winning back a key state in this region. All these can help create a narrative, said Gaud.

Revanth Reddys appointment was also a key factor behind the turnaround of the Congress, said Ghanta Chakrapani, director of BR Ambedkar University and former Telangana public service commission head.

He connected will with the youth, Chakrapani said. Somehow, the Reddy community strongly feels power should be in their hands. This time, nearly 50% of the candidates in general seats are Reddy.

But chief minister Rao has also played the Reddy card well. As many as six of his ministers are from the community. Assembly speaker and deputy speaker are also from the community.

In his poll campaign, Rao launched a no-hold barred attack of Revanth Reddy, who is pitted as the chief minister if the Congress comes to power. At a rally in Cherial, he referred the Congress leader as Rifle Reddy for his alleged high-handedness and accused him as one close to the rulers of Andhra Pradesh.

At Mulugu, Rao provided details about the welfare programmes and projects his government has delivered and told the audience, Be wary of the Congress. Ten years of hard work will be wasted if you vote for Congress.

As the BRS and the Congress face each other in arguably a close contest, a a top-ranking Telugu leader, who has held important positions in Delhi in the past, pointed out to an X factor: BJP. If the BJP does well, KCR will have a better chance to retain power, he said, declining to be named. If the BJP fails to improve, the Congress might gain. Experts also believe that BRS booth management and overall organisation strength is more powerful than the Congress.
Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday intensified his attack on the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) accusing it of indulging in politics of appeasement and corrupt practises, and urged the people of the state to ensure the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s victory in the upcoming assembly elections. Union home minister Amit Shah waves at his supporters during a roadshow for the Telangana assembly elections, in Nalgonda (ANI)

Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, Shah slammed the K Chandrashekar Rao-led governments decision to implement 4% reservations for Muslims in education and employment. BRS president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced an increase of the Muslim reservations to 12%. Is it not divisive politics? he asked.

The BJP has repeatedly raised the issue of the existing Muslim reservation in the state, with Shah recently calling it unconstitutional while maintaining that it will be abolished if the BJP wins the election. BJP is the party of Telangana people. When BJP forms government in Telangana we will abolish the unconstitutional 4% Muslim reservation, he said at a poll rally at Jangaon on November 20.

Telangana minister and BRS MLA KT Rama Rao, however, hit back at Shah over the remark.

4% Muslim reservation is not on the basis of religion. That is on the basis of socio-economic status. Amit Shah should think before speaking. Secondly, we know what the BJP does and what it is attempting to do. It is trying to polarise...But they will fail this time, he told news agency ANI.

On Saturday, Shah attacked the BRS government for not officially celebrating Hyderabad Liberation Day on September 17. Who is he (KCR) afraid of? What is it called, if not divisive politics? he asked.

Since the formation of Telangana state in June 2014, the BJP has been demanding the celebration of September 17 as the Hyderabad Liberation Day stating that it was on this day that the Telangana region was liberated from the Muslim ruler Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam, and merged with India. The BRS government, however, celebrates it as Telangana Merger Day.

Shah also brushed aside the allegations that there would be communal clashes in Telangana, if the BJP was voted to power. It is totally wrong. You can check the track record of the BJP and see whether there are any communal clashes in the BJP-ruled states, he said, alleging that communal violence was witnessed only in states ruled by the Congress.

There is no appeasement of any section if the BJP comes to power and hence no one dares to create any problems. Communal clashes were totally controlled in all the BJP-ruled states and not increased as alleged, he added.

Reacting to Congress allegation of a tacit understanding between the BJP and BRS, he said both the parties cannot have any truck. Question does not arise. I would like to make it clear, there can never be any ideological understanding between BJP and BRS. There can neither be political nor tactical alliance, he said.

Asked why there was no action against the BRS leaders though the BJP leaders accuse KCR and his family of indulging in corruption, Shah said the central government would look into all such issues. It cannot be done now because of the elections. Once the BJP comes to power in the state, it will initiate a probe and all those involved in corruption in each case will be identified and punished, he said.

On the influx of Rohingyas in Hyderabad, he said that NIA was looking into the issue at a national level and would act accordingly. There is information that Rohyingans are entering Hyderabad. They have become a vote bank for the BRS and the AIMIM, but for us they are anti-national, he said.
Uttarakhand tunnel collapse highlights: The operations to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi entered the 15th day on Sunday, with the vertical drilling expected to commence in the afternoon. Rescue operations still in progress at Uttarakhand tunnel collapse site (File Photo)

The final phase of the rescue operations has been hit by repeated snags, with the American auger machine hitting a metal grinder in the rubble and breaking down, now being beyond repair.
Amid an election rally in poll-bound Telangana, prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday requested the people climbing up a tower to come down to avert any mishappening. PM Modi was addressing a rally in Nirmal in poll-bound Telangana(ANI)

PM Modi was addressing a rally in Nirmal in poll-bound Telangana where several people climbed the towers to get a better picture of the prime minister. PM Modi was quick to notice the people and requested them to come down in a bid to avert any mishappening.

Read here: Kharge gets agitated at poll rally, BJP calls him a 'rubber stamp president'

"I understand there is a lot of crowd and you are unable to see me but if someone falls, it'll make me really sad," PM Modi urged the people who climbed the tower.

Earlier a similar incident came to light when a woman had climbed up a light tower at PM Modi's election rally in Telangana's Secunderabad in a bid to speak to him. The prime minister had repeatedly urged the woman to get down from the tower as it was dangerous.

Please don't climb up the tower. The wire is not proper and may lead to a short circuit. It is not a right thing to do. Please get down from the tower. I am here to listen to you, PM Modi had told the woman.

Addressing the rally, PM Modi took aim at the ruling Bharat Rasthra Samithi (BRS) and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao saying that the KCR-led government is an enemy of the poor.

"We have a government in Telangana that stays in a farmhouse and does not give houses to the poor. KCR is an enemy of the poor and has held their houses. But I promise that as soon as the BJP government is formed in Telangana, these houses will be given to the poor immediately. This is Modi's guarantee," he said.

Read here: Watch: Woman climbs up light tower during PM Modi's speech in Secunderabad

The PM also accused the state government of destroying Nirmal's toy industry and said, "Today, when India is making new records in toy exports, the BRS is busy destroying Nirmal's toy industry. Once we come to power, we will start a campaign to rejuvenate the toy industry of Nirmal."

Telangana is set for assembly polls on November 30 while the counting of votes will take place on December 3.

(With inputs from agencies)
Albemarle County police are asking for the publics assistance to identify the vandal who destroyed multiple glass windows and doors at a popular Crozet winery.

King Family Vineyards reported on Nov. 17 that staff found the windows and doors of the winerys tasting rooms had been shattered overnight, some time between 1 and 1:30 a.m.

The vineyard and winery grounds are not only home to grape fields, production facilities, tasting rooms, stables and polo grounds but also the residences of several of the King family members who own and operate the winery.

This unthinkable act has not only left physical damage, but has emotionally shaken our family and team, the winery posted in a Facebook statement. We never imagined such a crime would strike so close to home.

King Family Vineyards is offering a reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the apprehension of the suspect. The winery has also been circulating photos of the damage as well as a grainy, black and white still from a surveillance camera showing someone wearing what appears to be a ski mask on grounds at the time of the crime.

Standing true to our principles here at King Family Vineyards, we know community has strength in numbers  now more than ever, we need your help. Were seeking any clues or information related to this incident and offering a reward of $10,000 to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible.

The winery has asked nearby residents and business owners within a 1-mile radius that have surveillance cameras of their own to scan their footage between the hours of 12 and 2 a.m. Nov. 17.

Any footage of individuals or vehicles during the above time frame could be vital to the conclusion of this investigation, the winery said in its post.

The crime was reported to the police, who told The Daily Progress Saturday that an investigation has been opened but there is no additional information yet available.

Theres no update at this point, Abbey Stumpf, a county police spokeswoman, said.

Those with any information on the incident can contact the police department through two primary means, she said.

You can call the main ACPD number and ask for the criminal investigations division or you can go through Crime Stoppers, she said.

The criminal investigations team can be contacted at (434) 296-5807. The anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line can be reached at (434) 977-4000 or crimestoppers@albemarle.org.

King Family Vineyards remains open, a tasting room employee told The Daily Progress Saturday, and it will continue to operate with normal hours.

Please share this message far and wide, King Family said in its original Facebook post. Together, we can bring this perpetrator to justice, restore our familys peace, and reinforce the strong bonds that hold our community together.
Nearly a year after Beijing said goodbye to zero-COVID  its strict policy of lockdowns and quarantines to contain the spread of the coronavirus  the Chinese public are travelling internationally again in large numbers. (Also Read | West Bengal to introduce state's first lion safari at North Bengal Animals Park) Chinese tourists have started traveling again but a full recovery could be two years away. (DW/Bildagentur-online/Joko/picture alliance)

In the first half of 2023, the number of outbound tourists from mainland China reached 40.3 million, according to official statistics. That figure is expected to have grown further in the latter half of the year.

But it's still a far cry from 155 million outbound trips taken by mainland Chinese tourists in 2019 before the pandemic struck.

The Chinese have been a major boon to global tourism as they are regularly the world's highest-spending visitors, enjoying luxury hotels, tours, souvenirs and designer brands.

In 2019, Chinese tourists spent $255 billion (235 billion) while overseas, according to business consultancy McKinsey & Company. The figure is almost twice as much as Americans, three times more than Germans and almost four times the spending of British tourists.

Once flush, now more careful

But with the Chinese economy struggling to recover fully from the pandemic, depleted household savings from a worsening real estate crisis and 20% youth unemployment eating into family budgets, Chinese tourists are becoming a lot more cost-conscious.

A survey from London earlier this month found that the number of Chinese tourists to the UK capital was just 2% shy of the 2019 figure. But their spending was down by 58%, according to the New West End Company, a firm set up to promote the interests of London's West End, where many tourist attractions are located.

The lobby group is keen for the UK government to reinstate tax-free shopping for non-European Union tourists, which was scrapped in 2020. The offer allowed tourists to reclaim the 20% sales tax (VAT) paid on purchases as they leave the country.

Market research firm Tourism Economics put the fall in average spending per visit down to the growing number of independent Chinese travellers, replacing those who normally visit in large tour groups, but said it was likely a short-term blip.

Chinese tourists still pack a punch

"The continued expected rise in incomes and emerging travel class means that over the next 10 years, we expect that there will be an additional 60 million Chinese households per year looking to travel both within China and internationally," Dave Goodger, Managing Director (EMEA) at Tourism Economics, told DW.

He said during that period, China is expected to make the greatest contribution to long-haul travel growth to Europe in terms of visits and spending, overtaking the US as the most important growth market.

While so-called revenge travel  where consumers prioritize overseas travel after long COVID lockdowns  has buoyed European and US tourism hotspots from travellers based closer to home, Tourism Economics found that long-haul trips to destinations across Europe remain 43% below pre-pandemic levels. Travelers from Asia, and in particular China, are noticeably missing.

Goodger thinks a full recovery of Chinese tourists to Europe could take up to two years, although other research firms think it could happen sooner.

"We anticipate that Chinese travel volumes will regain 2019 levels in 2025," he told DW. "Recovery to long-haul destinations is not expected until 2026, especially for travel to Europe, given the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Middle East."

Chinese travellers shun Thailand

Other regions and countries are also keen to revive the number of arrivals from China. Thailand, for example, welcomed 11 million Chinese nationals in 2019, but in the first nine months of this year saw fewer than 2.5 million. The Thai government had predicted double that figure.

In September, Thailand waived visa requirements for Chinese nationals and after a shooting last month at a luxury Bangkok mall killed two people, including a Chinese national, the Thai government proposed joint Thai-Chinese police patrols to help restore the confidence of tourists from Asia's largest economy.

Chinese social media networks have been awash with video footage showing attacks on Chinese tourists abroad and the details of the abuse of Chinese workers, many of whom were lured for high-paying jobs in Asia that turned out to be scams. This phenomenon was also highlighted in the popular Chinese movie "No More Bets," which was released in August.

In another concerning incident, a bus carrying 41 Chinese nationals was attacked by masked protesters in the southern French city of Marseille in the summer, leaving several injured. The attack prompted an angry rebuke by Beijing.

COVID theories spurred anti-Chinese sentiment

As COVID first emerged in China, many Chinese travellers were also concerned about venturing abroad for fear of Sinophobia, amid calls by some Western politicians for reparations.

"Perceptions of safety are crucial in destination choice and in determining which destinations have seen the most rapid recovery," Goodger told DW, adding that short-haul travel and more familiar destinations within Asia have been quickest to see a rebound.

Another factor keeping Chinese tourists away until recently was the need for COVID tests to enter many countries, while Goodger said Chinese nationals have also been impacted by backlogs of visa and passport applications. This has happened despite a staggered reopening of outbound travel by Beijing.

The phased restoration of international flights from Chinese airports is also slowing the recovery. In November, there were 4,778,271 seats on international flights in and out of China, a 43% decline from during the same period in 2019, according to global travel data provider OAG.

OAG data showed that flights from China to South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan were recovering much faster than those to France, Italy and the US, but all were still far below their pre-COVID levels.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has unveiled its third annual list of the finest tourism villages for 2023. Encompassing locales from Mexico, China, Ethiopia and Italy  these places are shortlisted for their efforts in preserving community values, fostering innovation and promoting sustainability. The concept of rural tourism possesses the capability to revitalise local art and craft, redevelop rural areas, and generate jobs for local residents. In the long term, it can further lead to upscaling rural areas by enabling infrastructure developments, such as building roads, offering sanitation facilities and establishing telecommunications, says Rikant Pittie, Co-founder, EaseMyTrip. The Huascaran National Park, home to Peru's highest peak, Huascaran, surrounds Chacas, offering opportunities for trekking and exploration.

With the rise of second-city travel  the concept of skipping the most popular city in a region  these destinations can also serve as offbeat getaways on your next adventure. For instance, those planning to visit Kutch would also do well to sneak out to Dhordo, which has claimed a spot on the list.

We round up some of the other villages on the list that you can visit in November and December.

Al Sela, Jordan

Nestled along the migratory route of soaring birds, Al Sela village emerges as a haven of natural and cultural wonders. Its landscape, a canvas of valleys, mountains, and plateaus, showcases the grandeur of perennial trees such as Romanian olives. The rare vegetation, an extension of Wadi Feynan and Dana Nature Reserve, paints an exquisite tapestry at the local level.

Al Sela recognizes tourism as a pivotal force for economic growth. Since 2018, a collaborative effort between the local community, government authorities, and strategic organizations has meticulously crafted a tourism development framework.

Dhordo, India

After hosting the Tourism Working Group Meeting of the G20 earlier this year, Dhordos nomination and win after competing with almost 260 applications has elevated the destination on an international scale. Popularly known for hosting the annual Rann Utsava rich, cultural extravaganza that celebrates the White Desertit also showcases circular mud houses called Bhungas which reflect the way of life in the desert region. Besides the Rann Utsav, the handicraft and local cuisine beg for a long, winding detour on your trip to Rajasthan.

Hakuba, Japan

A jewel in the Japanese Alps, Hakuba is renowned for its world-class ski resorts, including Happo-One and Goryu. The region hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998, attracting avid skiers and snow enthusiasts. Hakuba's picturesque landscapes offer hiking trails, hot springs, and the iconic Matsumoto Castle nearby.

Onati, Spain

In the heart of the Alto Deba region, cradled by the Alona Mountain, Onati beckons with a historic charm set against a backdrop of rugged slopes. The town's ancient quarter unfolds a tale of the Basque Renaissance through palaces, churches, and architectural jewels. The 16th-century Sancti Spiritus University, a masterpiece by Bishop Rodrigo Mercado de Zuazola, showcases a smart facade and a Plateresque retable sculpted by French artist Pierres Picart.

Chacas, Peru

Situated in the Ancash Region, Chacas is a historic village characterized by colonial architecture and the majestic Santa Rosa de Lima Church. The Huascaran National Park, home to Peru's highest peak, Huascaran, surrounds Chacas, offering opportunities for trekking and exploration.

Higueras, Mexico

Higueras, located in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, is known for its rural charm and agricultural activities. The village features traditional Mexican architecture and a tranquil atmosphere. The nearby Cumbres de Monterrey National Park provides hiking trails with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and canyons.
The pusillanimous response of the UPA government to the 26/11 Mumbai massacre engineered by Pakistan was more a reflection on weak political leadership at that time rather than the then ineffectual military-civilian bureaucracy on November 26, 2008. The Taj Mahal Palace -- one of the targets during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.(HT Photo)

Cowering under the so-called nuclear flashpoint theory pandered by the Left-Liberal media at that time, the counter-terror response of the Manmohan Singh government was confined to what was then branded as coercive diplomacy rather than military action against Muridke-based perpetrator Lashkar-e-Toiba group, fearing the drummed up nuclear retaliation bogey from Islamabad.

What was more damning about the UPAs counter-terror response was the fact that the US had shared the exact coordinates of the LeTs intruding ship Al Husseini from K T Bandar near Karachi days before the attack with Indian RA&W led by Ashok Chaturvedi, who in turn shared the classified intelligence with Intelligence Bureau under P C Haldar for dissemination to the Mumbai Police under Hassan Ghafoor and Maharashtra Police under Anami Roy.

Under the supervision of the then National Security Advisor M K Narayanan, the actionable intel was shared with the Indian Navy under Admiral Sureesh Mehta and the Indian Coast Guard, who were at that time conducting the Defence of Gujarat exercise off the western seaboard. Yet, none of them could either intercept Al Husseini on the high seas or the hijacked M V Kuber off Porbandar or the commando boats that landed with Pakistani killers off Colaba in a crowded Mumbai. Despite clear-cut warnings and alerts, the Mumbai police was convinced that it was gang warfare when the first fire from Ak-47s cut down innocents at the Leopold Cafe in Nariman Point. The LeT killers tried to communally segregate victims at Leopold Cafe but then lost patience but this segregation was carried out in Oberoi Trident Hotel. Rest as they say is the history of indecisive and weak political responses, which emboldened the Pakistan-based groups to continue attacking India through jihadists with impunity at least till October 27, 2013, in Patna.

Pakistan first time felt the cost of its proxy war against India when the Indian Armys special forces conducted cross-LoC strikes on September 26, 2016 in response to the Jaish-e-Mohammed strike against an Army camp in Uri on September 18, 2016. India under PM Narendra Modi stepped up the counter-terror campaign after IAFs Mirage-2000 jets hit the JeM terror training camp at Balakot in the hinterland of Pakistan on February 26, 2019, in response to the February 14, 2019 Pulwama attack. India in fact turned the nuclear flashpoint theory on its head when Prithvi Missile batteries were deployed in the Rajasthan sector to deter Pakistan from harming captured IAF pilot Abhinandan. For the first time, it was Pakistan under macho PM Imran Khan that was seared by the Indian CT response. Back to 26/11.

After receiving mandatory certificates of condemnation of 26/11 from the global community with few calling out Pakistan by name, the UPA government took some diplomatic steps to convey its annoyance and hurt to incorrigible Pakistan leadership. Despite 166 innocents butchered by Pakistani jihadists under guidance and training from Rawalpindi GHQ, PM Manmohan Singh went back to the table with Pakistan at Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt seven months later and normalized relations with then PM Syed Y R Gilani, whose distant cousin Daood Gilani aka David Coleman Headley had conducted the recce of terror targets in Mumbai in 2008. Rather than hauling thePakistani PM over burning coal, the Indian PM virtually conceded at the Egyptian resort that it was India that was responsible for unrest in Balochistan. The joint statement was drafted by then Foreign Secretary and later NSA Shiv Shankar Menon as the then Joint Secretary (Pakistan) T C A Raghavan was inexplicably not part of the Indian delegation to Sharm-El-Sheikh. The sordid chapter of 26/11 must never be forgotten and Pakistan must never be forgiven for spilling the blood of innocents in Mumbai on that fateful day.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched Chandrayaan 3 mission that landed on the moon's south pole on August 23, with the development of Chandrayaan 4 already in the talks of the space agency. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft (File photo)(ISRO)

After Chandrayaan 3 mission's rousing success and the launch of India's first solar observation mission Aditya L1, ISRO is gearing up to launch a series of space exploration missions to take the country's knowledge about the outer space to another level.

List of upcoming ISRO space missions

INSAT 3DS

The INSAT 3DS is a part of the Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) series developed by ISRO. The mission will tentatively be launched in January 2024. The aim of the satellite is the monitor and gain more knowledge about weather system, disaster management and important meteorological forecasts.

Gaganyaan 1

Gaganyaan's maiden mission is jointly prepared by ISRO and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), set to take off in January or February 2024. Gaganyaan 1 will be a test flight to prepare for India's manned space mission, set to carry three crew members.

NISAR

NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is a joint project between NASA and ISRO, where the two space agencies have partnered to launch a sythetic aperture radar satellite. It will be launched in the January 2024, and will be the first dual band radar imaging satellite.

X-ray Polarimeter Satellite

The X-ray Polarimeter Satellite will be launched into the orbit in the first few months of 2024 to study the polarisation of cosmic x-rays, and will stay put for at least 5 years. It will be used to observe pulsars, black hole x ray binaries, active galactic nuclei, and non-thermal supernova remnants.

Venus Orbiter Mission

In the Venus Orbiter Mission, ISRO plans to launch a spacecraft to orbit the planet Venus for the first time in the history of the country. The spacecraft will orbit Venus for five years to study the atmosphere of the planet, and will be launched in 2025.
Russia has added the spokesman of U.S. technology company Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, to a wanted list, according to an online database maintained by the countrys interior ministry. Meta's logo can be seen on a sign at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif.,(AP)

Russian state agency Tass and independent news outlet Mediazona first reported that Meta communications director Andy Stone was included on the list Sunday, weeks after Russian authorities in October classified Meta as a terrorist and extremist organization, opening the way for possible criminal proceedings against Russian residents using its platforms.

The interior ministrys database doesn't give details of the case against Stone, stating only that he is wanted on criminal charges. Meta didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to Mediazona, an independent news website that covers Russia's opposition and prison system, Stone was put on the wanted list in February 2022, but authorities made no related statements at the time and no news media reported on the matter until this week.

In March this year, Russia's federal Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation into Meta. It alleged that the company's actions following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 amounted to inciting violence against Russians.

After Russian troops moved into Ukraine, Stone announced temporary changes to Metas hate speech policy to allow for forms of political expression that would normally violate (its) rules, like violent speech such as death to the Russian invaders.

In the same statement, Stone added that credible calls for violence against Russian civilians" would remain banned.

Mediazona on Sunday claimed that an unspecified Russian court issued an arrest warrant earlier this month for Stone on charges of facilitating terrorism. The report didn't specify the source of that information, which couldn't be independently verified.

Western social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and X  formerly known as Twitter  were popular with young Russians before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but have since been blocked in the country as part of a broad crackdown on independent media and other forms of critical speech. They are now only accessible via VPN.

In April 2022, Russia also formally barred Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from entering the country.
World leaders converging on Dubai for the COP28 summit have their task cut out for them: To agree on emissions cut and a phase-out of fossil fuels; operationalising the loss and damage fund; and to ensure action on the new and updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

Because if they dont, and if the latest status check reports are to be believed, we may be looking at the end of the road for pulling the planet back from the brink of irreversible climate breakdown.

The world is currently headed for 2.5 to 2.9C warming over the pre-industrial period, said the United Nations Environment Programmes Emissions Gap 2023 Report on November 20.

Hours after the report was released, an update from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) showed that global temperatures may have temporarily breached the 2C threshold  on November 17 and then again on November 18  that scientists believe could cause irreversible damage to Earth if it persists for longer periods.

There are two strands in this data to focus on, apart from the catastrophic temperature rise that is staring humanity in the face.

First, yes, the breach was temporary. The rise on two days does not mean the world has already failed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. All such goals are for long-term climate, which is the aggregate of weather over decades. According to the latest estimates, the world is around 1.15C warmer than pre-industrial levels.

Second, even if briefly, the breach shows the impact even small degrees of temperature rise can have.

The data for November 17 and 18 came after months of devastating heat across the globe and record-setting temperatures for the summer. The June-July-August (JJA) period was the warmest the world has seen since 1880. And the year 2023, will indeed be the hottest year.

And yet, greenhouse gas emissions increased by 1.2% from 2021 to 2022, reaching 57.4 Gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e), and setting another (rather disconcerting) record.

Nearly 80% of historical CO2 emissions came from G20 countries. (CREDIT: AFP)

In a first, global average concentrations of CO2 were 50% above the pre-industrial level in 2022, and continued to increase in 2023. The rate of growth, to some joy, was lower than in 2021.

The global mean CO2 concentration in 2022 was 417.9ppm, up from 415.7pmm in 2021.

A tiny fraction, right?

But this tiny fraction also coincided with a 0.02C temperature rise between the two years.

Greenhouse gas emissions increased by 1.2% from 2021 to 2022. (CREDIT: AFP)

Nearly 80% of historical CO2 emissions came from G20 countries, with the largest contributions from China, the US and the European Union. The least developed countries contributed 4%.

The US accounts for 4% of the current world population, but contributed 17% of global warming from 1850 to 2021, including the impact of methane and nitrous oxide emissions. India, by contrast, accounts for 18% of the world population, but contributed 5% of warming, the report said.

And yet, governments still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5C, a separate report, The Production Gap, said on November 11.

An assessment of the stated strategies of 20 major fossil fuel producers, including India, revealed that they plan to produce around 110% more in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting the warming to 1.5C, and 69% more than would be consistent with 2C.

If the emissions continue at the current pace, the world could exceed the remaining emissions budget compatible with a 50% chance of limiting warming to 1.5C by 2030, the report said in a more alarming warning.

Major producer countries have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions and launched initiatives to reduce emissions from fossil fuel production, but none have committed to reduce coal, oil, and gas production in line with limiting warming to 1.5C, the report, by Stockholm Environment Institute, The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), United Nations Environment Programme among others, stated.

The findings of the report were synonymous with the latest projections by the International Energy Agency, which said that oil and gas demand is expected to peak by 2030 under current policies.

IEAs The Oil and Gas Industry in Net Zero Transitions urged the industry to align with Paris goals, warned of a peak in demand by 2030, and a potential 45% demand drop by 2050 in all of the pledges stated by countries are fulfilled.

The International Energy Agency warned of a peak in oil and gas demand by 2030. (CREDIT: AFP)

To align with a 1.5C scenario, emissions need to be cut by more than 60% by 2030 from todays levels, and emissions intensity of oil and gas operations must be near zero by the early 2040s  something that appears very far from being reality, going by current trends.

The oil and gas industry is facing a moment of truth at COP28 in Dubai. With the world suffering the impacts of a worsening climate crisis, continuing with business as usual is neither socially nor environmentally responsible, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said with the release of the report.

But, the countries are falling grossly short of meeting their goals and stated plans to deal with the crisis.

The UNs NDC Synthesis report released on November 14 said that even if the latest NDCs are implemented, emissions will still rise by about 8.8% when compared to 2010 levels.

The UNs NDC Synthesis report released on November 14 said that even if the latest NDCs are implemented, emissions will still rise by about 8.8% when compared to 2010 levels. (CREDIT: AFP )

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called out the countries for failing to get a grip.

As the reality of climate chaos pounds communities around the world  with ever fiercer floods, fires and droughts  the chasm between need and action is more menacing than ever, he said in a statement that yet again was high on rhetoric, but will probably fail to spur action.
An Indian businessman based in UAE chose a very unusual venue to host his daughters wedding - a modified private jet. A video showing a part of the celebration has also made its way onto X and left people surprised. The video shows a group of people dancing to a popular Hindi track. It also captures a few words from the bride and the groom. The image shows the wedding celebrations inside a plane. (X/@PTI_News)

PTI shared the video on X along with a caption that reads, UAE-based Indian businessman Dilip Popley hosted his daughter's wedding aboard a private Jetex Boeing 747 aircraft on November 24, in Dubai.

The video opens to show the inside of a flight with people dancing to Tune Maari Entriyaan. As the video progresses, a designated area for ceremonies is also shown. Towards the end of the clip, the groom thanks his father-in-law and his father. The bride also joins in and shares that she never thought she was going to experience something like this.

Take a look at the video of wedding celebrations on the flight:

The tweet was shared a few hours ago. Since being posted, the video has collected nearly 52,000 views. The post has also accumulated close to 300 likes.

The wedding ceremony took place aboard a modified 747 aircraft on November 24, reports Khaleej Times. The party, including the bride and the groom, travelled for three hours from Dubai to Oman, during which the wedding ceremony unfolded.

"Dubai is my home and this is the sequel to the wedding in the sky," Popley told City Times, reports Khaleej Times. "I've always dreamt of doing this for my daughter and there's no place better than Dubai as it fulfils all the dreams, he added.

Interestingly, Popley himself got married on an Air India flight in 1994 in an event that was hosted by his father Laxman Popley.
Three Palestinian students attending U.S. colleges were shot on Saturday night in Burlington, Vermont, and were being treated for injuries on Sunday, according to the students' former school in the West Bank. All three students who were shot at in US' Vermont, (X)

Ramallah Friends School said in a Facebook post on Sunday that three of its graduates had been shot near the University of Vermont Campus - Hisham Awartani, who attends Brown University in Rhode Island, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, who attends Haverford College in Pennsylvania, and Tahseen Ahmed, who attends Trinity College in Connecticut.

The school said all had survived, with varying severity of injuries.

"We extend our thoughts and prayers to them and their families for a full recovery, especially considering the severity of injuries  as Hisham has been shot in the back, Tahseen in the chest, and Kinnan with minor injuries," the Facebook post said.

Burlington Police said in a statement late on Saturday that officers had responded to calls of shots fired around 6:30 p.m. (2330 GMT) on Saturday night and found two people injured at one location near the university campus and a third a short distance away.

Without identifying the victims, the police statement said the first two were treated on scene and then transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center by the fire department, and police brought the third to the same hospital.

Police had not identified nor apprehended the shooter, the statement said. A police spokesperson could not immediately be reached on Sunday.

The shooting comes as the U.S. is witnessing a surge in Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents, including violent assaults and online harassment, since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on Oct. 7.

The students had been speaking Arabic and wearing the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh, the Palestinian foreign ministry said on Sunday, calling on U.S. authorities to hold those responsible to account.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, a U.S.-based advocacy organization, called on state and federal law enforcement to investigate the shooting as a hate crime in a statement on Sunday.

"The surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is another example of that hate turning violent," ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said.
Abigail Edan is shown in this family hand out photo.(AP)

A four-year-old American girl held by Hamas in Gaza was released on Sunday, President Joe Biden said, as the militant group said it had handed over 13 Israeli hostages, three Thais and one with Russian citizenship on the third day of a truce with Israel.

The release of some of the hostages captured when Hamas fighters rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7 is expected to be mirrored by the Israelis freeing another group of 39 Palestinian prisoners as on previous days in the truce.

Biden said he hoped the pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas can go on as long as prisoners are getting released. He said he hoped more Americans would be released by Hamas although he did not have firm news.

Biden said the 4-year-old hostage, Abigail Edan, had witnessed her parents being killed by Hamas fighters during their Oct. 7 raid into Israel and had been held since then.

"What she endured is unthinkable," Biden said at a news conference in the U.S.

The four-day truce is the first halt in fighting in the seven weeks since Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages back into Gaza.

In response to that attack, Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, bombarding the enclave and mounting a ground offensive in the north. Some 14,800 Palestinians have been killed, Gaza health authorities say, and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday met security forces inside the Gaza Strip and indicated that the campaign was far from over.

"Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the strength, the power, the will and the determination to achieve all the goals of the war, and that is what we will do," he said.

Netanyahu is expected to speak to Biden later on Sunday.

FARMER KILLED

The killing of a Palestinian farmer in the central Gaza Strip had earlier added to concerns over the fragility of the truce.

The farmer was killed when targeted by Israeli forces east of Gaza's long-established Maghazi refugee camp, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals arrived in Israel early on Sunday after a second release of hostages held by Hamas following an initial delay caused by a dispute about aid delivery into Gaza.

Egypt and Qatar acted as mediators on Saturday to maintain the truce.

The armed wing of Hamas also said on Sunday that four of its military commanders in the Gaza Strip had been killed, including the commander of the North Gaza brigade, Ahmad Al Ghandour. It did not say when they had been killed.

Qatar, Egypt and the United States are pressing for the truce to be extended beyond Monday but it is not clear whether that will happen.

Israel had said the ceasefire could be extended if Hamas continued to release at least 10 hostages a day. A Palestinian source had said up to 100 hostages could go free.

WEST BANK VIOLENCE

Six of the group of 13 Israelis released on Saturday were women and seven were teenagers or children. The youngest was three-year-old Yahel Shoham, freed with her mother and brother, although her father remains a hostage.

Israel freed 39 Palestinians - six women and 33 teenagers - from two prisons, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said.

Some of the Palestinians arrived at Al-Bireh Municipality Square in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where thousands of citizens awaited them, a Reuters journalist said.

Violence flared in the West Bank where Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians, including two minors and at least one gunman, late on Saturday and early Sunday, medics and local sources said.

Even before the Oct. 7 attacks from Gaza, the West Bank had been in a state of unrest, with a rise in Israeli army raids, Palestinian attacks, and violence by Israeli settlers in the past 18 months. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Oct. 7, some in Israeli air strikes.

Saturday's swap follows the previous day's initial release of 13 Israeli hostages, including children and the elderly, by Hamas in return for the release of 39 Palestinian women and teenagers from Israeli prisons.

The four Thais freed on Saturday "want a shower and to contact their relatives", Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on social media platform X. All were safe and showed few ill-effects, he said.

"Im so happy, Im so glad, I cant describe my feeling at all," Thongkoon Onkaew told Reuters by telephone after news of the release of her son Natthaporn, 26, the family's sole breadwinner.

DAYS OF CALM

The deal risked being derailed when Hamas' armed wing said on Saturday it was delaying releases until Israel met all truce conditions, including committing to let aid trucks into northern Gaza.

Saving the deal took a day of diplomacy mediated by Qatar and Egypt, which President Biden also joined.

Al-Qassam Brigades also said Israel had failed to respect terms for the release of Palestinian prisoners that factored in their time in detention.

COGAT, the Israeli agency for civilian coordination with the Palestinians, accused Hamas itself of delaying trucks trying to deliver humanitarian aid to northern Gaza at a checkpoint.

"To Hamas, residents of Gaza are their last priority," it said on Sunday.

Saturday also brought hours of waiting for the families of hostages, some of whose joy was tempered by the continued captivity of others.

"My heart is split because my son, Itay, is still in Hamas' captivity in Gaza," Mirit Regev, the mother of Maya Regev, who was released late on Saturday, said in a statement from the Hostage and Missing Families Forum.
Syrian government forces shelled a northwestern village Saturday killing at least 10 people, including seven children, as they picked olives, a paramedic group and relatives of the victims said. The shelling of the village of Qawqafeen is the latest violation of a truce reached in 2020 between Russia and Turkey who back rival sides in Syrias 12-year conflict that has killed half a million people.(PTI)

The shelling of the village of Qawqafeen, in Idlib province, is the latest violation of a truce reached in March 2020 between Russia and Turkey, who back rival sides in Syrias 12-year conflict that has killed half a million people.

Syrian government officials have not commented on the strike.

Hundreds of people have been killed or wounded over the past years in violations of the truce that ended a monthslong Russian-backed government offensive on northwestern Idlib province, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria.

READ | Shelling hits Syrian towns as rebel-govt ceasefire breaks down

The shelling of the farm was reported by the Britain-based opposition war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the oppositions Syrian Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets.

The White Helmets said it treated one woman who was wounded and handed over the bodies of the dead to their families.

Omar Qadda, whose cousin, Abdallah Saeed, was killed in the strike along with Saeed's children, sister and sisters children, said he was nearby when the shells landed and rushed to the scene.

There was no attack launched from our area, he said. They were civilians and children.

Munir Mustafa, deputy director of the civil defense, said the emergency responders have seen an escalation in strikes launched by government forces since October, including on farmers.

The targeting of farmers and preventing them from reaping their crops or cultivating their lands is a dangerous indicator for ... food security in northwestern Syria, he said.

The escalation in northwest Syria began with a drone strike in early October on the Homs Military Academy that killed 89 people, including 31 women and five children. No group claimed responsibility for the attack but the Syrian military accused insurgents of carrying it out and launched a brutal campaign of airstrikes on opposition-held areas of northwest Syria in retaliation.

Idlib is home to more than 4 million people, many of them internally displaced by Syrias conflict that broke out in March 2011. The war displaced half the countrys prewar population of 23 million and left large parts of Syria destroyed.
Welcome to 285 West I Street! This charming 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom house is now available for sale. Situated on a large .23 acre lot, this property offers plenty of space and potential. Built in 1900, this two-story house retains its original character while boasting several modern updates. The kitchen has been recently updated with a butcher block counter, gas range, and stainless steel appliances, making it a chef's dream. The updated windows and metal roof, installed in 2018, ensure both energy efficiency and durability. Inside, you'll find original wide plank fir floors that were refinished in 2012, adding warmth and charm to the living spaces. The installation of PEX plumbing in 2020 provides peace of mind for future maintenance.In addition to the main house, there is a spacious 26x56 two-story shop on the property. Complete with two bathrooms, this versatile space offers endless possibilities for hobbies, storage, or even a home office.Convenience is key with an attached single car garage, providing sheltered parking for your vehicle.Located in a desirable neighborhood, this property offers both tranquility and accessibility. With its close proximity to schools, parks, and shopping centers, everything you need is just a short distance away.Don't miss out on the opportunity to make this house your home. Schedule a showing today and envision the possibilities that await you at 285 West I Street!

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A cargo ship sank off the Greek island of Lesbos in stormy seas early Sunday, leaving 13 crew members missing and one rescued, authorities said. The ship had sailed from Dekheila, Egypt, heading for Istanbul.(REUTERS)

The Raptor, registered in the Comoros, was on its way to Istanbul from Alexandria, Egypt, carrying 6,000 tons of salt, the coast guard said. It had a crew of 14, including eight Egyptians, four Indians and two Syrians, the coast guard said.

The ship reported a mechanical problem at 7 a.m. Sunday, sent a distress signal and shortly after disappeared about 4 1/2 nautical miles (8 kilometers) southwest of Lesbos, authorities said.

One Egyptian was rescued, a coast guard spokeswoman told The Associated Press.

She said that eight merchant ships, two helicopters and one Greek navy frigate were searching for survivors. Three coast guard vessels had difficulty reaching the area because of rough seas, she added. The spokeswoman spoke on condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing and she wasnt authorized to speak to the media.

Northwesterly winds in excess of 80 kph (50 mph) per hour are blowing in the area, the national weather service said.
China, Japan and South Korea agreed on Sunday to restart cooperation and pave the way for a summit in the latest move to ease tensions between the Asian neighbours. The three foreign ministers met in the South Korean port of Busan for their first such meeting since 2019(File)

Even as China and the United States seek to mend frayed ties, including a summit this month between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, Beijing is concerned that Washington and its key regional allies are strengthening their three-way partnership.

Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo had agreed on annual summits from 2008 to bolster diplomatic and economic exchanges, but two-way rows and the COVID pandemic interrupted the plan, with the three leaders last meeting in 2019.

The three foreign ministers met in the South Korean port of Busan for their first such meeting since 2019, after officials of the three countries agreed in September to arrange a trilateral summit at the "earliest convenient time".

The three ministers did not specify a timeframe for the summit.

China's Xi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol may not be able to meet this year, but their summit is likely in the near future, South Korea's national security adviser, Cho Tae-yong, told Yonhap news TV.

The ministers agreed in their 100-minute talks to advance cooperation in six areas, including security, economy and technology, and promote concrete discussions to prepare for the summit, Japan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, who was also concerned about North Korean issues, told his counterparts it was "important to further institutionalise trilateral cooperation so that it will develop into a stable and sustainable system", his ministry said in a statement.

China's Wang Yi said the three countries should "oppose ideological demarcation and resist putting regional cooperation into camps", in comments aimed at Seoul and Tokyo's alliance with Washington.

Wang also called on the three countries to restart negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement as soon as possible, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.

Japan's Yoko Kamikawa said greater trilateral cooperation would contribute to regional peace as the international security situation has become "more severe and complex than ever".

In bilateral talks, Park and Kamikawa condemned North Korea's launch last week of its first spy satellite and agreed to boost responses to arms deals between Pyongyang and Moscow, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Marring the co-operative tone, Kamikawa described as "extremely regrettable" a South Korean court's order for Japan to compensate a group of women forced to work in its wartime brothels and asked Seoul to take appropriate measures, Japan's Kyodo news agency said.

Park, meeting separately with China's Wang, invited him to visit Seoul, and they agreed to reinforce strategic communications, Seoul said. Park asked for China to play a constructive role in encouraging North Korea to avoid further provocations and take the path towards denuclearisation.

Beijing's foreign ministry said Wang warned Park not to politicise economic and technology issues, amid China-U.S. tension over semiconductors and other trade disputes.

Kamikawa, meeting Wang on Saturday, expressed hopes for a security dialogue between Tokyo and Beijing "in the near future". Wang highlighted the need for China and Japan to ensure they "do not pose a threat" to each another and respect the legitimate concerns of each, Beijing said.

South Korea's Yoon and Japan's Kishida have moved to mend ties frayed by history and trade feuds, holding a historic three-way summit in August with Biden.

In July, Wang warned that U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with Seoul and Tokyo could fan regional tension and spark confrontation.
China's health ministry on Sunday urged local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics as the country grapples with a surge in respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since easing COVID-19 restrictions. Medical staff in protective suits treat a patient with pneumonia (Reuters Photo)

The spike became a global issue last week when the World Health Organization asked China for more information, citing a report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases.

China and the WHO have faced questions about the transparency of reporting early in the pandemic, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. The WHO said on Friday no new or unusual pathogens had been found in the recent illnesses.

National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said on Sunday the surge in acute respiratory illnesses was linked to the simultaneous circulation of several kinds of pathogens, most prominently influenza.

"Efforts should be made to increase the number of relevant clinics and treatment areas, appropriately extend service hours and strengthen guarantees of drug supplies," Mi told a news conference.

"It is necessary to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control in key crowded places such as schools, childcare institutions and nursing homes, and to reduce the flow of people and visits."

Cases among children are appearing especially high in northern areas like Beijing and Liaoning province, where hospitals are warning of long waits.

The State Council, China's cabinet, said on Friday that influenza would peak this winter and spring, while mycoplasma pneumoniae infection would remain high in some areas. It also warned of the risk of a rebound in COVID infections.

"All localities should strengthen information reporting on infectious diseases to ensure information is reported in a timely and accurate manner," the State Council said in a statement.

On Thursday the WHO said data provided by China suggested the recent cases were linked to the lifting of COVID curbs 11 months ago, along with the circulation of known pathogens like mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common bacterial infection that typically affects children, which has circulated since May.
Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for killing George Floyd in May 2020, was stabbed by another inmate on Friday at a federal prison in Arizona. (FILES) This handout photo provided by the Hennepin County Jail and received by AFP on May 31, 2020 shows Derek Chauvin booking photos face and profile. Derek Chauvin, the US police officer whose murder of George Floyd sparked massive racial justice protests in 2020, was stabbed in prison on November 24, 2023, (Photo by Handout / Hennepin County Jail / AFP)(AFP)

Chauvin's family said they were not informed by any officials about his stabbing, and learned about it from the media. His mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, told Alpha News that she was "worried and scared" about her son's situation, and that she had not slept since hearing the news. She said she had an emergency contact number for the prison, but no one had called her.

"How the hell do these news agencies know and his own mother doesn't even know?" she said.

The Bureau of Prisons said that Chauvin and his attacker were both hospitalized after the incident, and that prison staff had to perform "life-saving measures" on Chauvin. He is now in "stable" condition, according to a spokesperson for the Minnesota attorney general's office, which prosecuted him for Floyd's death.

ALSO READ| Former cop Derek Chauvin, who killed George Floyd, stabbed in US prison

Chauvin's lawyers also said they had tried to contact the Bureau of Prisons to get more information on his condition, but had not received any response. One of his attorneys, Gregory M. Erickson, criticized the prison for its lack of transparency and poor management. He said that the stabbing showed how the prison had failed to protect Chauvin, and that the failure to notify his family was another sign of the institution's incompetence.

"How the family members who are in charge of Derek's decisions regarding his personal medical care and his emergency contact were not informed after his stabbing further indicates the institution's poor procedures and lack of institutional control," Erickson said in a statement on Saturday.

Chauvin, 47, has been at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tucson, Ariz., since late 2022.

The Ex-cop's mother said she had visited her son several times at the prison, and that she had to stay strong for him.

"I have to stay strong for Derek as he does for me. There is no stronger love than a mother's love," she expressed to Alpha News.

Chauvin's stabbing came a week after the US Supreme Court rejected his appeal of his second-degree murder conviction. His lawyers had argued that he did not get a fair trial because of the intense media coverage and public pressure on the jury. They had also requested that he be kept away from the general population of the prison, fearing that he would be a target for violence.

ALSO READ| Why was Derek Chauvin attacked? Reports claim ex-officer was trying to reverse murder conviction in George Floyd's death

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led the prosecution team against Chauvin, said he was saddened by the stabbing. He said that Chauvin deserved to serve his sentence without fear of retaliation or violence, like any other incarcerated person.

"I am sad to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence," Ellison said.

"He was duly convicted of his crimes and, like any incarcerated individual, he should be able to serve his sentence without fear of retaliation or violence."
Egypt received lists of 13 Israelis and 39 Palestinians scheduled for release on Sunday, the third batch in the four-day truce deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar, Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement. This handout image released by the Israeli army, shows 9-year-old Irish Israeli former hostage Emily Hand embracing her father at a hospital in Israel after being released by Hamas, amid an exchange operation of hostages against prisoners between Hamas and Israel, on November 26, 2023. (AFP)

"The truce is proceeding without roadblocks," the statement said, adding that 120 aid tucks crossed from Egypt to Gaza on Sunday including two fuel trucks and two with gas for cooking.
Security forces killed eight terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's South Waziristan district, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, said. Pakistan security forces(Reuters/Representative)

The intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted in the district's Sararogha area based on the reported presence of terrorists.

During the operation, there was an intense exchange of fire between the troops and terrorists. Eight terrorists were eliminated in the operation, the ISPR said.

The killed terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as innocent civilians. Arms, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from them, it said.

It added that a sanitisation operation was underway in the area to eliminate any other terrorists as the security forces are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.
The ex-husband of the wife of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday filed a case against them, accusing the former first couple of fornication and fraudulent marriage, according to a media report. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan (Reuters)

Khawar Farid Maneka filed a complaint against Khan, 71, and Bushra Bibi, 49, in the court of Islamabad East Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah under Sections 34 (common intention), 496 (marriage ceremony fraudulently gone through without lawful marriage) and 496-B (fornication) of the Pakistan Penal Code, the Dawn newspaper reported.

During the hearing, Maneka also submitted a statement under section 200 (examination of complainant) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Maneka, who was recently given bail in a graft case, in the statement reiterated his claim that Khan ruined his married life.

Subsequently, the court issued notices to the three witnesses mentioned in the case  namely Istekham-i-Pakistan Party member Awn Chaudhry, Mufti Muhammad Saeed who officiated the nikah and Manekas house employee Latif  and directed them to appear before the court on November 28.

Earlier this week, Maneka had held Imran responsible for ruining his married life before eventually marrying Bushra Bibi.

The allegations were met with strong criticism from Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party leaders who questioned the moral necessity of Manekas interview, while their PML-N adversaries used the same to sling mud at the former premier.

Maneka in the complaint urged the court that Khan and Bushra be summoned and punished strictly in accordance with law in the interest of justice.

He stated that the PTI chief often visited his house for hours in his absence under the guise of spiritual healings, which was not only undesirable but unethical.

He further said that Khan used to call Bushra at late hours, with the latter also given separate contact numbers and mobile phones for communication. Maneka said he divorced Bushra on November 14, 2017.

He said the heinous offence of fornication has been committed by respondents no.1 (Imran) and 2 (Bushra) and the drama of marriage was staged on January 1, 2018.

The development comes a day after a petitioner in a similar case withdrew his plea, citing technical reasons.
Hamas' military wing said Sunday that the commander of its northern brigade, Ahmed Al-Ghandour, and three other senior leaders had been killed during Israel's offensive against the Islamist movement. Representational picture(REUTERS)

In a statement, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said Ghandour was a member of its military council and named three other leaders who had died, including Ayman Siyyam, who Israeli media reports said was head of the Brigades' rocket-firing units.

"We pledge to Allah we will continue their path and that their blood will be a light for the mujahedeen and a fire for the occupiers," the statement said, without saying when they were killed.

Ghandour -- whose nom de guerre was Abu Anas -- was listed by the US in 2017 as a "specially designated global terrorist", putting him on an economic sanctions blacklist.

The State Department described him as a former member of Hamas' Shura council and member of its political bureau.

Ghandour "has been involved in many terrorist operations," it said, including a 2006 attack on an Israeli military outpost at the Kerem Shalom border crossing which left two Israeli soldiers dead and four wounded.

ALSO READ| Watch: Emotional reunions as children, women hostages released by Hamas

That attack resulted in the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was held by Hamas for five years before he was freed in 2011 in exchange for the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners.

The announcement came on the third day of a four-day pause in fighting in Gaza which began on October 7 when Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and snatching around 240 others, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel responded with a bombing and land campaign against Hamas that has killed nearly 15,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to Gaza's Hamas-led government.

So far under the pause deal, Hamas has returned 26 Israeli hostages in two batches, with 78 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli detention in exchange.
Hamas released a second batch of 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals late on Saturday under a ceasefire deal, the Israeli military said, after the Palestine-based militant group initially delayed the exchange for several hours and claimed that Israel had violated the terms of a truce agreement. Emily Hand, a nine-year-old Irish-Israeli, reunited with her father, Thomas, after being kidnapped for 50 days by Hamas in Gaza.

The Israeli military said the released hostages, including four Thais, had been transferred to Israel. They were being taken to hospitals for observation and to be reunited with their families.

Al Jazeera, citing Israeli prison authorities, reported a second batch of 39 Palestinians have been released after the 13 Israeli hostages and four foreigners were released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.

Top updates on Israel-Hamas war and truce deal:

After the delay in the exchange, Qatar, which helped broker the deal alongside Egypt, said two mediators had managed to overcome an impasse between Israel and Hamas, The New York Times reported.

Later, Israel confirmed that Hamas had handed 13 Israelis  eight children and five women  to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza. From there, they were taken in a convoy across the Rafah crossing to Egypt and then transported to Israel, where they were delivered to hospitals, the Israeli authorities said. Four Thai nationals were also released.

Meanwhile, television images showed Palestinian detainees being welcomed home in annexed east Jerusalem. The most prominent individual listed as being released was Israa Jaabis, 38, who was convicted of detonating a gas cylinder in her car at a checkpoint in 2015, wounding a police officer, and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

The deal ran the risk of derailment earlier after Hamas said it was delaying Saturday's scheduled second round of hostage releases until Israel met all truce conditions, including committing to let aid trucks into northern Gaza.

Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan said only 65 of 340 aid trucks that had entered Gaza since Friday had reached northern Gaza, which was less than half of what Israel agreed on.

The Israel Defence Forces or IDF said inside the Gaza Strip, distribution of the aid was implemented by the United Nations and international organisations. The UN confirmed said 61 trucks of aid were delivered to northern Gaza on Saturday, the largest number since October 7. They included food, water and emergency medical supplies.

Saturday's swap comes after another 13 Israeli hostages, including children and the elderly, were freed by Hamas on Friday in return for 39 Palestinian women and youth released from Israeli prisons.

A Palestinian official familiar with the diplomacy told news agency AP that Hamas would continue with the four-day truce agreed with Israel, the first halt in fighting since Hamas fighters rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.

In response to that attack, Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, launching bombs and shells on the enclave and a ground offensive in the north. At least 14,800 people, roughly 40% of them children, have been killed so far in the counteroffensive, Palestinian health authorities claimed on Saturday.

A nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl was among the latest group of hostages released by Hamas fighters on Saturday, Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said in a statement. "This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family," Varadkar said. Emily Hand turned nine earlier this month while being held captive. Her father Thomas Hand, who was born in Ireland and later moved to Israel, told news agency AFP earlier this month that initially he thought his daughter had been killed in the attack.

Meanwhile, the Israeli foreign minister said an elite unit of the IDF and forces of the Shin Bet are now accompanying the hostages in Israeli territory who have returned home. After undergoing an initial assessment of their medical condition, our forces will accompany the returnees until they reach their families in the hospitals, it said.

(With inputs from agencies)

.
Israel faces mounting pressure to extend a four-day pause in its war against Hamas, but military officials fear that a longer truce risks blunting its efforts to rout the Islamist movement. Israel faces mounting pressure to extend a four-day pause in its war against Hamas(AP)

After hours of delay and acrimony that underscored the fragility of the truce, a second tranche of 13 Israeli hostages was freed on Saturday by Hamas in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners -- the same number as the previous day.

A total of 15 foreigners have also been released during the ceasefire -- mediated for weeks by Qatar, the United States and Egypt -- that marks the first breakthrough after seven weeks of relentless war.

Under the deal, 50 of the roughly 240 hostages held by the militants will be freed over four days in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, with a built-in extension mechanism to prolong the process as long as at least 10 Israeli captives are released each day.

That increases the number of hostages returned -- and there is strong domestic pressure within Israel to do so -- but gives Hamas a longer window in which to regroup, recover, re-arm and ultimately return to the fight, analysts say.

It also increases diplomatic pressure on Israel from the international community, which will become steadily less willing to countenance a return to the pounding of Gaza and the resulting humanitarian crisis.

"Time works against Israel as always and against the IDF," said Andreas Krieg, of King's College London, referring to the Israeli military.

"On one hand you want all the hostages out knowing that you can't get them out militarily and on the other you don't want to lose completely the momentum of this war," he told AFP.

ALSO READ| Not by novel virus: What China said on mysterious pneumonia

And the longer a truce lasted, he said, the more the international community would lose patience with a continuation of the war, he added.

But the Israeli military is determined to pursue its objective of "crushing" Hamas.

Visiting Israeli troops in the war-battered Gaza Strip on Saturday, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant insisted the timeline for the truce was "short".

"It won't take weeks, it will take days, more or less," he said, flanked by heavily armed soldiers. "Any further negotiations will take place under fire."

- 'Terrible dilemma' -

The war began after Palestinian militants smashed through the highly militarised border on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials, and triggering Israel's invasion of Gaza.

Israel has defied international criticism of its Gaza offensive, which its Hamas rulers say has killed more than 15,000 people, mostly civilians, and left an unprecedented trail of destruction in the Palestinian territory.

"The real pressure (to prolong the truce) comes from inside Israel -- from the families of the hostages," said Arik Rudnitzky, from Tel Aviv University's Moshe Dayan Center.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of demonstrators packed the streets of Tel Aviv in support of the remaining hostages, chanting "Now, now, now, all of them now!" and clutching banners that read "Get them out of hell".

An Israeli military official said the country was committed to freeing as many hostages as possible but expressed concern that the longer the truce lasts the more time Hamas has to "rebuild its capabilities and attack Israel again".

"It's a terrible dilemma," he told AFP, requesting anonymity.

- 'You cannot win this' -

The lead mediator in the negotiations for the pause in the fighting has been Qatar, whose foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told AFP there was a need to "maintain the momentum" for a lasting ceasefire.

"That can only be done when you have political will not only from the Israelis and Palestinians but also with the other partners who are working with us."

US President Joe Biden, a staunch ally of Israel, on Friday said "the chances are real" for extending the truce, as he urged a broader effort to achieve a two-state solution with a viable Palestinian state existing alongside Israel.

With a presidential election next year, there was no stomach in Washington for a prolonged intensive operation "for months and months on end", said Krieg of King's College London. "So the Biden administration needs to find an off ramp as well".

"There isn't a military solution to the conflict, you cannot win this," he added.

Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the group was "ready to search seriously to reach new deals".

But Hamas on Saturday delayed the handover of the second group of hostages for hours, accusing Israel of breaching the terms of the agreement -- claims denied by Israel.

Hamas would "play the long game with the hostages to try to exhaust the card over the longest possible length of time and at the greatest price to Israel," former Israeli intelligence official Avi Melamed told AFP.

It was hoping support within Israel for the Gaza Strip incursion would dissipate, and ultimately "international and internal pressures levied on Israel's government will create the circumstance where Hamas can continue to exist, and rule Gaza even after this war ends."

Independent Middle East analyst Eva Koulouriotis agreed.

"For Hamas, any scenario for this war that does not lead to an end to its presence in the Gaza Strip will be considered a victory," she told AFP, "regardless of its human and material losses, of the extent of the destruction in Gaza, and of the extent of civilian casualties".
Leaves are one of natures best natural fertilizers.

When left on your yard, leaves transfer essential nutrients back into the soil. Mulching them with an electric mower speeds up this process. When the leaves and shrubbery in your yard are blown away with a gas-powered leaf blower, these things happen:

The nutrients within the leaves that are intended to go back into the soil are irrevocably lost.

The microorganisms living under the leaves and under the shrubbery, essential for healthy soil, are irrevocably lost.

Habitats for bees, butterflies, moths and small mammals and amphibians are destroyed.

Toxic pollutants such as benzene are released into the atmosphere from the two-stroke gasoline/oil engine.

Noise from the machine can have a serious negative effect on the operator over time.

For the yard owners in Corvallis who strive to have a pristine lawn, please consider the damage these machines cause to the soil in which your lawn grows.

Please consider, too, the noise and air pollution they create. A number of U.S. cities have banned the use of gas-powered yard machinery. California will impose a statewide ban next year.

I would hope that Corvallis could one day join this group.

Kurt Smith

Corvallis
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday met with security forces inside the Gaza Strip, his office said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.(YouTube/IsraeliPM)

Netanyahu spoke with soldiers and commanders and received a security briefing, according to the statement from his office.

"Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the strength, the power, the will and the determination to achieve all the goals of the war, and that is what we will do," he said.
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy on Sunday hit out at Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar over his statement on the release of nine-year-old Irish-Israeli captive Emily Hand. Emily Hand, a nine-year-old girl, from Kibbutz Beeri. Emily was one of the 13 Israelis and four hostages Hamas released late Saturday, (AP)

In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Leo Varadkar said an innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned and we breathe a massive sign of relief".

Our prayers have been answered, Varadkar said.

Responding to Varadkar's X post, Levy said Hand wasnt lost but had been brutally abducted by the death squads that massacred her neighbours".

She wasnt found. Hamas knew where she was all along and cynically held her as a hostage. And Hamas didnt answer your prayers. It answered Israels military pressure, Levy wrote.

Without Israels military pressure on Hamas, which Ireland shamefully called something approaching revenge, little Emily Hand would still be a hostage of Hamas. Its not that Hamas was blind, but now it sees (if the above statement is an allusion to Amazing Grace), Levy added.

Israel and Ireland unusually have strained ties. After Hamas launched a surprise assault in Israel on October 7, Varakdar decried the attack, during which over 1,200 people were killed and 240 were taken hostages. However, days later, the Irish prime minister became one of the few European officials to raise the alarm, Al Jazeera reported.

Israel doesnt have the right to do wrong, Varakdar said in something of a play on words as most European leaders were stressing Israels right to self-defence during its bombing campaign on Gaza, the enclave ruled by Hamas.

Irish President Michael D Higgins, whose role is largely ceremonial, has also been critical of Israel, accusing it of reducing international law around the protection of civilians to tatters.

This is how you describe a little girl who went missing during a stroll in a forest, then gets discovered by a friendly hiker. Not a girl brutally abducted by death squads that brutally massacred her neighbors. But this explains the extent of Ireland's contribution: prayers, Levy wrote in another post after Emily's release.

Who is Emily Hand?

Emily Hand was one of about 240 people snatched by Hamas gunmen when they broke through Gaza's militarised border with Israel on October 7.

Hamas on Saturday released a second group of Israeli and foreign civilians it had been holding hostage in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israeli authorities said 13 Israelis, including Emily, and four Thai citizens had returned to Israel.

Emily turned nine earlier this month while being held captive.

Her father Thomas Hand, who was born in Ireland and later moved to Israel, told news agency AFP earlier this month that initially he thought his daughter had been killed in the attack.

"Later on we had an eyewitness... (who) saw her being led away by the terrorists, into a van off to Gaza" after the attack on the Beeri kibbutz, he said.
Malaysia will scrap entry visa requirements for citizens of China and India visiting the nation beginning Dec. 1, according to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Malaysia is counting on extra tourist arrivals  and their spending  to support economic growth.(AFP File Photo)

Chinese and Indian nationals may stay for up to 30 days visa-free, Anwar said in a speech at his Peoples Justice Partys annual congress in Putrajaya on Sunday. This would be subject to security screening, he added.

Malaysia is counting on extra tourist arrivals  and their spending  to support economic growth. Anwar last month announced plans to improve visa facilities next year to encourage the entry of tourists and investors, especially from India and China.

China on Friday said it would allow citizens of six countries including Malaysia to enter the country without a visa. The move takes effect from Dec. 1 and will last until Nov. 30 of next year, and will allow leisure, business and family travelers from those nations to stay in China for up to 15 days visa-free.
A new book has claimed that Prince Harry asked his father, King Charles, a heartbreaking question after he was asked to leave Frogmore cottage. A royal tell-all book by Omid Scobie  Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival  has claimed that the Duke of Sussex tried to convince Charles to let him keep their UK base, while using his children as leverage. A new book has claimed that Prince Harry asked his father, King Charles, a heartbreaking question after he was asked to leave Frogmore cottage (AP/PTI, James Manning/Pool via REUTERS)

The Prince allegedly asked Charles, Dont you want to see your grandchildren any more? He then allegedly begged the king to let him keep the keys to Frogmore cottage. Back in 2023, Charles ordered Harry and his wife Meghan Markle to leave their Windsor home.

The book is set to be released next week, but extracts of the book are already being serialised in a French magazine. In the book, Omid wrote about the moment a shocked Harry and Meghan were ordered to return their keys to their Winsor home. Omid called the move a cheap shot from a wounded father bounded by an institutional system that is often intolerant of human emotion. He also said that the house was the familys "only true safe option when visiting the United Kingdom" since armed guards monitor the grounds.

Three years ago, Harry and Meghan Markle quit the firm and moved back to America. Since then, various reports claimed the Sussexes have a strained relationship with the royals.

Among other claims, Omid said that Harry was viewed as a threat to the crown. A source told Scobie that Prince William sees Harry as a "defector". "These were two men who once upon a time were firmly aligned in their outlook. One of them had to move on to also protect the crown, he explained. Scobie has said that some people saw Harry as a "threat to the crown" after he left the royal family, and was viewed as the enemy because he has the "freedom to exert his own thinking".
A pneumonia outbreak in China has alerted the world including the World Health Organization (WHO) which sought more information about the situation from the country. The rise in cases of respiratory illness across China has triggered fears of something like the Covid-19 pandemic for which both China and WHO got blamed for inaction. Medical staff in protective suits treat a patient with pneumonia (Reuters Photo/Representational image)(HT_PRINT)

On Sunday, China's health ministry asked local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics amid the latest crisis. The ministry also urged the clinics to keep a good stock of necessary drug supplies.

"Efforts should be made to increase the number of relevant clinics and treatment areas, appropriately extend service hours and strengthen guarantees of drug supplies," National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng told a news conference.

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"It is necessary to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control in key crowded places such as schools, childcare institutions and nursing homes, and to reduce the flow of people and visits," added Feng.

What China has said about the surge in respiratory illnesses

China's health ministry claimed that the rise in respiratory illnesses across the country is being caused by the flu and other known pathogens and not by a novel virus.

According to a report by PTI, a National Health Commission spokesperson said the recent clusters of respiratory infections were due to an overlap of common viruses such as the influenza virus, rhinoviruses, the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, the adenovirus as well as bacteria such as mycoplasma pneumonia, which is a common culprit for respiratory tract infections.

What does data provided to WHO reveal?

WHO had sought information from China's health officials about the latest health crisis. As per the data provided to WHO, a rise in hospital admissions of children has happened since October due to diseases including bacterial infection, RSV, influenza and common cold viruses.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has called upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to fulfil its constitutional duty of ensuring "a level playing field" for all parties contesting the general elections, Dawn reported. The PTI demanded the electoral watchdog to take "effective, practical and tangible steps" and use its constitutional powers.(REUTERS)

Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper.

A PTI spokesperson said the chief election commissioner's letters to federal and provincial caretaker governments for providing a level playing field to political parties were "inadequate."

The letters "served no purpose" as PTI witnessed no let-up in the "ongoing oppression and suppression" against its leaders and supporters.

The PTI demanded the electoral watchdog to take "effective, practical and tangible steps" and use its constitutional powers.

As per the party spokesperson, Pakistan is facing the worst constitutional and legal crises, and concrete steps, instead of letters, are required.

The party is not allowed to hold political activities anywhere, and the coverage of most PTI leaders, including Imran Khan, was prohibited, the spokesperson said, as per Dawn.

PTI workers are being compelled to part ways with the party after their enforced disappearances, and this practise "continues unabated". "The state's plans to keep PTI out of the electoral race were the talk of town".

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Most PTI leaders have been locked up without any crime and are not being released, the statement said, adding that ECP should do more than just issuing verbal orders and issuing letters, according to Dawn.

Recently, a wave of panic and tension swept through Dir Bala district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) when clashes ensued between PTI workers and police during a party convention, as reported by ARY News.

The turmoil unfolded in the Sahibabad area of Upper Dir district, where PTI workers were gathering for a convention. However, the district administration, citing Section 144, which prohibits gatherings of more than five people, had blocked roads leading to the convention site.

Confrontations escalated when police attempted to stop PTI workers at Chukiatan, resulting in the workers pelting stones at the law enforcement officers, as reported by ARY News. (ANI)
The relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry has been strained for a long time, but according to a new book by royal expert Omid Scobie, their father Prince Charles is also not on good terms with his eldest son. Prince William Becomes Duke of Cornwall, now the King?(AP)

In his book, Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival, which will be released on Tuesday, November 28, Scobie claims that William, 41, is acting like he is already the king, while Charles, 75, is still trying to establish his own legacy as the monarch. William knows his fathers reign is only transitional  and is acting accordingly, Scobie writes in excerpts published by Londons The Times on Saturday, November 25.

Charles ascended to the throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96 in September 2022. He was crowned in May 2023, with both William and Harry, 39, attending the ceremony. However, Scobie says that the father and son duo have not worked together on any projects since then, and are instead working in silos.

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Theyve had to put up this united front against Harry and Meghan, Scobie quotes another royal expert, Christopher Andersen, as saying.

Theyve been insulted by members of their own family. Its been quite the ordeal for them, and I think that they kind of circled the wagon, so to speak. And theyve come out of that with a stronger bond.

But Scobie disagrees, and argues that Charles and William have different approaches to dealing with Harry, who left the royal family with his wife Meghan Markle in 2020.

In their explosive interview with CBS in March 2021, Harry and Meghan accused an unnamed royal of raising concerns about the skin color of their son Archie before he was born. Scobie reveals that Charles spoke to the couple and agreed not to mention the incident in Harrys memoir, Spare, or the Netflix documentary series, Harry & Meghan.

The fact that [Charles] engaged in a conversation about it shows a lot more of a willingness to take some of these issues on than Prince William, for example, who has completely avoided talking to his brother whatsoever, Scobie says.

Scobie also alleges that William is hot-headed and increasingly comfortable with the Palaces dirty tricks and the courtiers who dream them up. He claims that William has used his allies in the media and his staff to smear Harry over the years.

ALSO READ| Palace regularly encouraged Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton to dress like Princess Diana, book claims

The side of it that a lot of people dont know, or within our industry have known but chosen not to report, is just how involved William has been in many of the things that have gone out about his own brother, Scobie says.

Scobie also cites a insider who told him that William believes that Harry has been brainwashed by an army of therapists and that he no longer even recognizes his brother.

Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival is Scobies second book about the royals, after Finding Freedom, which he co-authored with Carolyn Durand in 2020.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Sunday that evidence suggested a misfired rocket was the likely cause of an explosion that resulted in heavy casualties at a hospital in Gaza on Oct. 17. Wounded Palestinians Ahli Arab hospital at the al-Shifa hospital,(AP)

The explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital triggered outrage across the Arab world. Palestinians blamed an Israeli air strike, while Israel said it was caused by a misfiring Palestinian rocket launch.

The health ministry in Gaza said 471 people were killed. Israel disputes this figure. An unclassified U.S. intelligence report estimated the death toll "at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum".

"The explosion that killed and injured many civilians at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on October 17, 2023, resulted from an apparent rocket-propelled munition, such as those commonly used by Palestinian armed groups..," HRW said.

It said the findings of its investigation into the explosion were based on a review of photos and videos, satellite imagery and interviews with witnesses and experts.

The Al-Ahli hospital blast was one of the most fiercely disputed incidents in a war marked by accusations from both sides of disinformation and war crimes.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters all indications pointed to Israel's responsibility, adding that the HRW report was biased towards Israel and was not "decisive".

"HRW hasn't come up with any evidence to support their findings nor eyewitness testimonies nor opinion of independent military exports," he said, adding that Hamas received questions from HRW two weeks ago but asked it to delay its report until after the war had ended.

Emmanuel Nahshon, deputy director general for public diplomacy at Israel's Foreign Ministry, criticised the time it took HRW to release its opinion.

"More than a month to reach half heartedly the conclusion the whole world reached after two days," he said on X social messaging network.

Naim said Hamas had offered HRW or any other international investigation committee full cooperation if they were willing to visit Gaza and conduct a thorough probe.

HRW said reports of 471 dead and 342 injured "displays an unusually high killed-to-injured ratio" and appeared to be "out of proportion" with the damage visible on the site.

"Authorities in Gaza and Israel should release the evidence of munition remnants and other information they have regarding the Al-Ahli hospital explosion to allow for a full investigation," HRW crisis and conflict director Ida Sawyer said.

Hospitals have come under bombardment in the Israel-Hamas conflict and all those in the northern part of the enclave have effectively ceased functioning normally, although they continue to house some patients who could not flee as well as people displaced from their homes.

Palestinians accuse Israel of targeting hospitals and schools, while Israel says Hamas uses ordinary Gazans as human shields by placing military positions in civilian buildings.
The question of who will be Taiwans presidential candidates for the election due in January has finally been settled. After a breakdown in last-ditch negotiations between the islands main opposition leaders to form a joint ticket, there will be a three-way race. Hou Yu-ih of the Nationalist Party, or KMT, and Ko Wen-je of the upstart Taiwan Peoples Party (TPP) will run against William Lai, the vice-president and candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of Foxconn, a giant electronics-maker, who had campaigned as an independent, has withdrawn.

The presidential election, which uses a direct, first-past-the-post system, has the potential to redefine Taiwanese relations with China at a fraught time. In the face of rising Chinese aggression, both opposition parties would adopt a more compromising stance towards the mainland. Both accuse the DPP of endangering Taiwan by being too anti-China. The island-state is a small country caught between two superpowers, Mr Ko said in a recent television interview. It must therefore find a safe balancing point between them. With polls suggesting a combined opposition ticket would have started in the lead, much had therefore been riding on the negotiations that Mr Hou and Mr Ko launched last week. Surveys conducted between November 20th and 22nd put Mr Lai on 31.5%, Mr Hou on 30.1% and Mr Ko on 26.7%. Yet the negotiations, which were due to be settled by polling data, fell apart over both opposition leaders demand to be the top dog.

This culminated on November 23rd in an embarrassingly chaotic and ultimately fruitless live-streamed opposition meeting, less than 24 hours before the deadline for registering candidates. As the deadline loomed, the negotiations ended and Mr Ko and Mr Hou both registered themselves.

Mr Ko, a former mayor of Taipei, chose as his running-mate Cynthia Wu, a TPP legislator and wealthy heiress to the Shin Kong Group, one of Taiwans biggest conglomerates. Mr Hou selected Jaw Shaw-kong, a bombastic talk-show host who once founded a pro-unification political party. Mr Jaw is expected to appeal to deep blue voters, descendants of mainlanders who fled the mainland with the KMT in the 1940s, many of whom distrust Mr Hou because of his strong Taiwanese roots.

Mr Lai of the DPP had already announced that his running-mate would be Hsiao Bi-Khim, Taiwans de facto ambassador to America since 2020. Like several other DPP leaders, Ms Hsiao has been labelled a separatist and sanctioned by China. She is known in Washington as a discreet and capable diplomat. Ms Hsiao has called herself a cat warrior in contrast to Chinas belligerent wolf warriors. Given Taiwans perilous geopolitical position, she cautions, every diplomatic step must be taken with feline caution, at times gently, but also with firmness.

Despite Mr Lais small lead, the race looks tight. Oddly, polls suggest the flurry of chaotic opposition negotiating has modestly bolstered both Mr Hou and Mr Ko. After eight years in power, the DPP is struggling especially with younger voters, who are suffering from high housing costs and low wages. Some also worry about a possible war with China. At a recent rally for Mr Ko, a young supporter named Zoe Chu said she wanted to see Mr Ko elected (whether in a coalition with the KMT or not) to unseat the dpp and reduce tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Even if the DPP retains the presidency, it is likely to lose its majority in Taiwans legislature in concurrent assembly elections. That would make it harder to pass laws against Chinese influence or budgets with increased defence spending. In any event, it is already clear that the question of Taiwans posture towards the mainland will dominate the election. Most of Taiwans voters appear torn. They want a president who can navigate the next four years of America-China competition, by at once avoiding war and maintaining Taiwanese sovereignty. Now that the question of candidates has been settled, the debate on how to thread that fiendishly tricky needle can begin.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
J.D. Vance, a senator from Ohio, is tired of having Neville Chamberlain and Munich thrown in his face. A member of the Republicans sort-of-isolationist faction (it depends on the conflict), Mr Vance rose recently in the Senate chamber to scold some of his colleagues not only for seeking military aid for Ukraine but also for lacking his erudition. What happened to our education system that the only historical analogy we can use in this chamber is World War Two? he asked, not without petulance.

Mr Vance preferred to point to the first world war, when, in his telling, We didnt de-escalate conflict when we had the opportunity. Sure, Mr Vance acknowledged, Russias president is a bad guy, but, Why is it that we think Vladimir Putin, who has struggled to fight against the Ukrainians, is somehow going to be able to march all the way to Berlin when he cant conquer a country immediately to his east?

Read more of our recent coverage of the Ukraine war

Mr Putins failure so far to march farther, at least according to the Ukrainians, is in no small part a consequence of American help. Mr Putin has made his ambitions plain. One of his close allies, Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president who is now deputy chairman of Russias security council, warned in early November of the death of Polish statehood if that country continued to oppose Russia. History has more than once delivered a merciless verdict to the presumptuous Poles, he observed. Count Mr Medvedev in the second-world-war analogy camp.

The first world war itself is a cautionary study in Russias imperialist ambitions, since they helped ignite that conflict, notes Paul Rahe, a professor of history at Hillsdale College in Michigan. I dont think he knows his history very well, he says of Mr Vance. (His geography is not so hot, either: Ukraine is west of Russia.) For his own analogy for Americas support of Ukraine, Mr Rahe prefers to reach further back, to Spartas successful manoeuvring to kneecap an imperialist rival, Athens, starting in 415bc.

Having allied with Athens in the past, enlisting its greater maritime power to hold off the Persians, Sparta had grown anxious that the Athenians might threaten its own grip on the Peloponnese. Then, in its hubris, Athens chose to attack Sicily, a vigorous 800-mile trireme-row away. As Mr Rahe recounts in a new book, Spartas Sicilian Proxy War, the Spartans saw an opportunity, without risking their own soldiers, to do Athens great and perhaps irreparable damageand that is precisely what they did. The Spartans smuggled in a general, Gylippus, whose leadership not only changed the course of the conflict in Sicily but profoundly shaped subsequent developments in the larger Greek world.

In Mr Rahes telling, Sparta was an isolationist power. It was not out to conquer territory, but in order to protect itself it developed a grand strategy to form alliances and play other powers off against each another. Americas new isolationists are not quite so strategic, or even so consistent. They want to confront China and they are eager to send more military aid to Israel as it fights Hamas and Hizbullah, the proxies of Iran. Yet they do not perceive any benefit in aiding Americas European allies by stymying Irans ally, Russia. To Mr Rahe, the Ukrainian conflict is already delivering the benefits of a classic, successful proxy war, weakening a rival at minimal American cost. It strikes me as a no-brainer, he says.

Rather than trashing President Joe Bidens low-cost, high-yield policy toward Russia, Donald Trump, the leading Republican isolationist, could easily be claiming credit for it. As president, he told the United Nations General Assembly in 2017 that We must reject threats to sovereignty, from the Ukraine to the South China Sea. He sent lethal American aid to Ukraine after President Barack Obama resisted doing so, fearing it would provoke Russia; he warned that Germany was too dependent on Russia for its energy; he demanded that other nato countries should meet their obligations to spend 2% of their gDp on defence. (Poland is on track to double that proportion, while France has approved its biggest military investment in 50 years.)

There are reasons to cavil about Mr Trumps actual contribution in each of these areas. (He did, for example, suspend aid to Ukraine while pressuring it to dig up dirt on Mr Biden.) But when it comes to many other matters, a fastidiousness about accuracy has not restrained Mr Trump from taking far more credit with far less justification. Americas new isolationists seem to have a particular disdain for Europes fears orif that description has too much of a pre-second-world-war echo for certain senatorsa particular indifference to Russias desires.

Times error

These neo- or proto- or sorta-isolationists do not dominate the Republican Party, at least not yet. In explaining his own support for arming Ukraine, Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, told the Wall Street Journal in mid-November that the countrys future, and the Western worlds future, depends upon winning this. The new House speaker, Mike Johnson, has said he would support legislation that coupled more Ukraine aid with enhanced border security. President Biden, who wants $60bn in additional aid, may need to be seen by progressives to be resisting the Republicans border demands, but he should privately welcome them as addressing one of his biggest political liabilities.

For 30 years American foreign policy has struggled with delusions that the end of the cold war meant the world was somehow overcoming history. It has turned out, to Washingtons sorrow, that the internet and capitalism did not make liberal values self-actualising in China or Russia. They did not guarantee democracy in Afghanistan or in Arab countries, even when backed up by American might. Now it appears that some nations still harbour revanchist ambitions. That was as true in the second world war as it was in the first, and in the Peloponnesian war, too. Only a fool would choose to keep learning these hard lessons all over again.

Read more from Lexington, our columnist on American politics: Why America struggles to make friends abroad (Nov 16th) The Gaza war could help set speech free again (Nov 2nd) Mitt Romney is the fixed point revealing the Republicans slide (Oct 26th)

Stay on top of American politics with Checks and Balance, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter, which examines the state of American democracy and the issues that matter to voters. You can read other articles about the elections of 2024 and follow along as we track shifts in Joe Bidens approval rating.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
A group of tourists were caught on camera almost getting swept out to sea while trying to click a photo on Icelands most dangerous beach  Black Sand Beach. A man and a woman were seen walking towards the shoreline and holding their hands above their heads to get a photo clicked. A man and a woman were seen walking towards the shoreline and posing for a photo on Iceland's Black Sand Beach, before almost getting swept out to sea (kelseystarlight/TikTok)

Shortly after, a small wave crashed against the store. As it stretched up towards the tourists, they tried to run away, but in vain, due to the waves strong grip. Both of them fell, but the man managed to grab the woman and save her, and himself.

There are literal signs on that beach warning you

The video was shared to TikTok by the user kelseystarlight, who captioned it, This is what happens when youre a cocky tourist and dont listen the rules whyyyy are people like this?!

Black Sand Beach is Icelands Most Dangerous Beaches (and one of the most dangerous beaches in the world) due to sneaker waves that look calm and small, but are in fact so powerful, they drag people out to the ocean and people have died here. The number 1 rule at this beach is: Never turn your back on the waves and to not go where you cant see orher footprints, the user added.

Other users commented, with one of them saying, Who walks on obviously saturated sand and doesnt think the waves go up that far? Is it just me or is it obvious from the size of waves and Slant of the shore this would happen. You can see where the wet sand is, said another user, while one wrote, there are literal signs on that beach warning you about sneaker waves.

To get to this exact spot you pass a sign with a picture of the last person swept out to sea by sneaker waves and yet here they are, one user wrote, while another said, You can tell by just how far smooth the sand goes. Like why go in that deep? they're laughing but they're clueless how close they were to a life or death situation, one user wrote.

According to the Visit Iceland website, Sneaker waves (also known as sleeper, king, or rouge waves) are huge coastal waves that can suddenly appear in a train of smaller waves. The sneaker waves are much larger than those in between and reach way further.

The time between the giant waves can vary, sometimes, one comes right after the other, or there can be up to tens of smaller waves in between. The waves can rise very fast just before hitting the shore. This happens because the ocean floor deepens rapidly away from the coast. In addition, the ocean currents are very powerful and add to the danger, the website adds.
The tragic car accident at a border checkpoint in Niagara Falls, New York, on Wednesday, killed a local couple who owned several businesses in the area. The authorities are investigating whether a mechanical failure, a medical condition, or some other factor caused the crash. FILE PHOTO: A vehicle burns at the Rainbow Bridge U.S. border crossing with Canada, in Niagara Falls, New York, U.S. November 22, 2023 in a still image from video. Courtesy Saleman Alwishah via REUTERS (via REUTERS)

The victims were identified as Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani, both 53 years old. They were driving a 2022 Bentley Flying Spur, a luxury car that costs about $200,000. The Villani family runs a chain of hardware stores and a lumber company in the Buffalo region.

According to Niagara Falls mayor Robert Restaino, the couple may have been going to a Kiss concert in Canada, but the show was canceled hours before. The Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, which is located near the Rainbow Bridge where the accident occurred, confirmed that the couple had briefly visited the facility before the crash.

ALSO READ| Car explosion at US-Canada border kills New York couple, this is how it happened

The accident happened when the Bentley sped through an intersection at the bridge, hit a low median, and flew into the air. The car then crashed into a row of security booths and exploded into flames.

Niagara Falls police superintendent John Faso said that the investigation was still in its early stages and that it would take time to determine the cause of the crash.

Theyll look for mechanical issues, weather issues, whether this was a medical event, Faso said.

Were going to be looking at everything. Speed, mechanical issues, whatever information we can get from it.

The crash initially sparked fears of a possible terrorist attack and led to the closure of several border crossings with Canada. Some media reports also claimed that there were explosives involved in the incident.

However, the FBI ruled out any evidence of terrorism or explosives and handed over the case to the local police, who are treating it as a traffic accident.

The incident also drew some political reactions from lawmakers who raised concerns about border security. For example, Pennsylvania congressman Mike Kelly, a Republican, said that he had warned about the surge of suspected terrorists entering through our northern border.

ALSO READ| No sign of terrorism in car blast at US-Canada border: New York Governor

The car was so badly burned that only the engine and some charred debris remained. The police said that they were trying to recover the cars black box, which could provide vital information about the speed, braking, and other aspects of the vehicles performance. However, finding the black box was challenging due to the condition of the scene.

Its one thing to piece together a seen or an intact vehicle  you can go from here, Faso said.

Obviously, thats not what we have in this situation. Thats the major obstacle right now.
President Joe Biden on Sunday said a 4-year-old U.S. hostage was released from captivity in Gaza and returned to Israel as part of a truce. Israel-Hamas War: US president Joe Biden responds to a reporter as he leaves after speaking in Nantucket.(AP)

Biden said the hostage, Abigail Edan, had witnessed her parents being killed by Hamas fighters during an Oct. 7 raid into Israel and had been held as a hostage since then.

"What she endured is unthinkable," Biden said at a news conference.

Biden said he would speak later in the day with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to swap 50 hostages held by the Palestinian militant group for 150 prisoners in Israeli jails over a four-day truce period.

It is the first halt in the conflict since Hamas fighters rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.

In response to that attack, Israel vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, bombarding the enclave and mounting a ground offensive in the north. Palestinian health authorities say some 14,800 people, roughly 40% of them children, have died.

Biden said he hopes other American hostages would be released by Hamas as well. He said he would like to see the pause in the fighting extended as long as prisoners are being released.

"We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones," Biden said.
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National Grid Submits Comprehensive Performance Investment Plan

WALTHAM, Mass.  Massachusetts Electric Company and Nantucket Electric Company, which are part of National Grid, filed with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) a Comprehensive Performance and Investment (CPI) plan, as part of its required Rate Review filing, designed to deliver the fair, affordable and clean energy transition, reinforce the local energy grid, and hold the company accountable to achieving a smarter, stronger, cleaner and more equitable energy future for the 1.3 million customers the company serves across the Commonwealth.

"The proposal we've filed today, coupled with our electric sector modernization plan, Future Grid, will deliver the fair, affordable and clean energy transition for all our customers and communities," said Nicola Medalova, the COO of Electricity for National Grid New England. "Fulfilling this mission requires a smarter, stronger, cleaner grid that can meet the rising power demand driven by electrification to support the Commonwealth's climate and clean energy goals, while ensuring the system is there when customers need it  no matter the weather. Today's proposal reflects the core investments necessary to strengthen the local electric grid, while holding ourselves accountable to meeting our customers' expectations."

The CPI plan details the core investments needed in the system over the next five years to build the foundation for the clean energy future, including hundreds of projects to modernize and reinforce the local energy grid and improve system performance through the replacement and upgrade of substations, poles and wires, the implementation of technology and programs designed to help avoid power outages that can be prevented and restore power faster to customers for outages that can't be prevented, and the expansion of system capacity to meet growing customer and community needs and ensure the grid is ready when they need it.

Plan includes innovative programs and foundational investments to increase energy equity, advance electrification, enhance safety and reliability, and hold the company accountable for delivering for customers, communities and the state

The plan also includes innovative rates and programs to drive energy equity, support electrification, and improve the overall customer experience by providing more and easier to access information on clean energy solutions and services and bill management options.

As proposed in the CPI plan, National Grid will deliver an energy future that is more equitable, more reliable and resilient, and improves the overall customer experience, by:

Supporting Affordability and Equity. Implementing a tiered discount rate program  a first for Massachusetts -- that provides larger discounts for some income-eligible customers, coupled with a robust and sustained outreach and awareness campaign. Currently customers eligible for a reduced electric rate receive a 32 percent discount. The company is proposing a more equitable approach which would result in discounts of 32 percent up to 55 percent, depending on income and energy burden, for customers earning 60% of the state median income or less. The filing also proposes a dedicated team to engage eligible customers through in-person events and targeted outreach to increase program participation.

Enhancing Reliability and Resilience. Deploying technology  known as reclosers -- to automatically restore power to as many customers as possible as quickly as possible, in the event of a system fault, expanding an enhanced tree trimming program, and deploying "tree resistant" wires to minimize system impacts from fallen limbs. Over the past decade, National Grid experienced more severe storms across its system, more than doubling from an average of 4 per year to 10 per year. These and other investments will ensure customers continue to experience the high levels of system reliability they do today and reduce the costs of increased storm-related damage.

Empowering Customers and Improving Their Experience. Enhancing the customer experience by improving customer interfaces for transactions  including customer connections -- and expanding customer offerings and digital options. The company is also proposing an opt-in electrification rate to support customer energy choices and the transition to cleaner energy, while upgrading its customer systems and establishing dedicated teams to provide more tailored and relevant information and communications to help customers manage bills, reduce costs and access energy efficiency and clean energy solutions.

To deliver on the CPI plan, the company has proposed a regulatory mechanism that will drive accountability, transparency, performance, and predictability for customers by requiring National Grid to proactively lay out its investment needs, plans and associated costs over the next five years, while placing the onus on the company to deliver customer, climate and reliability outcomes within an approved budget, or risk penalties. For example, the company has proposed metrics to hold it to account for, among other things, enrolling eligible customers in discount rate programs, on-time and on budget delivery of construction projects, adoption of clean energy requirements and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Classes and individuals who participated in the annual pie auction had their desserts appraised by several judges who awarded first, second and third ribbons. PreviousNext

Florida School's Pie Auction Raises $1,500 for Local Charities



The benefit auction raises funds for the Berkshire Humane Society, the local food pantry and the American Legion's Christmas dinner. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Gabriel Abbott Memorial School's 351 Project has raised just under $1,500 for charity.

Students in the community service learning project held their annual Oh Be Thankful Pie Auction on Tuesday at the American Legion along with a chinese auction of donated gifts from local businesses and individuals and a 50/50 raffle.

The pie auction included other goodies, such as award-winning peanut butter and chocolate balls and a pumpkin roll, and goods were produced by teachers, staff, parents and classes at both the Florida school and Clarksburg School.

Several judges selected their top three desserts and frequent among the winners were the fifth-grade's no-bake cookies, the kindergarten's apple pie, preK's mud pies, Clarksburg Grade 8's s'mores pie, and a pink lemonade pie from Clarksburg.

Chris Howard, the school's physical education teacher (who won a couple ribbons for her pecan pie) was again the auctioneer and she urged the attendees to cough up more dough.

Confections by Heidi Dugal, Florida's retired principal who started the event more than two decades ago, again got the top bid with her rasberry cheesecake going for $100 (down from $140 last year) and cream puffs for $60. Howard's pecan pie went for $75 and the no-bake cookies and peanut butter balls for $55 each.

This reporter picked up a pineapple sour cream pie by Wendy Miller for a song at $20 and it was hit on Thanksgiving Day.

Proceeds from this year's auction will again help the Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry, the Berkshire Humane Society and the American Legion's Christmas dinner.
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Chinas hospitals have been flooded with cases of respiratory illnesses and sick children complaining of pneumonia-like symptoms, leading to increased scrutiny from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Chinese Health Ministry said over the weekend the rise in cases was linked to an overlap of known pathogens and not any novel viruses amid fears of another outbreak as the country braced for its first winter after lifting the Covid-19 restrictions.

There has been a rise in cases linked to viruses such as influenza, rhinoviruses, the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, the adenovirus, as well as bacteria such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, the ministry said in a statement.

The spike in cases appeared to be driven by children contracting pathogens that two years of Covid-19 restrictions kept them away from, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the acting director of WHOs department of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention.

This is not an indication of a novel pathogen. This is expected. This is what most countries dealt with a year or two ago, Ms Van Kerkhove told health news outlet STAT.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections were mostly seen in children aged five to 14, said Wang Huaqing, the chief immunisation planning expert for China Centre for Disease and Protection (CDC).

Since China experienced a far longer and harsher lockdown than essentially any other country on Earth, it was anticipated that those lockdown exit waves could be substantial in China, Francois Balloux of University College London, told AFP.

The Chinese Health Ministry has asked local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics and urged people to wear masks in order to stop the illnesses from spreading.

A Beijing childrens hospital earlier told state media CCTV that at least 7,000 patients were being admitted daily to the institution, far exceeding its capacity.

Last week, the largest paediatric hospital in nearby Tianjin reportedly received more than 13,000 children at its outpatient and emergency departments. Liaoning province, about 690km northeast of the capital, is also grappling with high case numbers.

The increasing number of cases prompted the WHO on Wednesday to issue a formal request for disease data on respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children.

Chinese health authorities responded by saying they found no unusual or novel diseases. The officials claimed the high number of patients had not overwhelmed the countrys hospitals contrary to the local media reports.

China's National Health Commission has also warned that the spread of several pathogens could converge into a major outbreak between this winter and next spring.

The global health body also said on Wednesday that any link between clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia and a rise in respiratory infections is unclear as of now.

What has happened so far?

Northern China has reported an increase in influenza-like illnesses since mid-October, compared to the same period in the previous three years, according to the WHO.

On 21 November, public disease surveillance system ProMED had issued a notification about reports of undiagnosed pneumonia. ProMED, whih is run by health experts, had earlier in 2019 raised the alarm over the virus that causes Covid-19.

With the outbreak of pneumonia in China, childrens hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning and other places were overwhelmed with sick children, and schools and classes were on the verge of suspension, ProMED said while citing a report by FTV News.

It is not at all clear when this outbreak started as it would be unusual for so many children to be affected so quickly.

This report suggests a widespread outbreak of an undiagnosed respiratory illness in several areas in China as Beijing and Liaoning are almost 800 km apart.

The report does not say that any adults were affected suggesting some exposure at the schools.

Some parents in Shanghai on Friday said they were not overly concerned about the wave of sickness.

Colds happen all over the world, said Emily Wu outside a childrens hospital. I hope that people will not be biased because of the pandemic... but look at this from a scientific perspective.

What are the symptoms?

According to Chinese health authorities, the outbreak could be linked to mycoplasma pneumoniae, also known as walking pneumonia, a common bacterial infection typically affecting children that has been circulating since May.

Symptoms of walking pneumonia include a sore throat, fatigue and a lingering cough that can last for weeks or months. In severe cases, this can eventually deteriorate into pneumonia.

A Beijing citizen, identified only as Wei, told FTV News that infected children dont cough and have no symptoms. They just have a high temperature (fever) and many develop pulmonary nodules.

Health data analytics firm Airfinity noted that atypical symptoms have also been reported at a Sichuan province hospital.

"The fact that only children are affected suggests this is most likely to be an existing pathogen," Jin Dong-yan, a professor at the University of Hong Kong told Bloomberg.

"If it's a new pathogen it should mostly hit adults. It looks like it's something adults have got accustomed to."

However, Mycoplasma has previously triggered epidemics in China every two to four years, with the latest positivity rate in Beijing being 40 per cent  about 1.3 times higher than its 2019 peak.

How infectious is the disease?

Bruce Thompson, head of the Melbourne School of Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne, told Reuters very preliminary data suggested there was nothing out of the ordinary.

At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that it may be a new variant of Covid, he said.

One thing to note is that we can be reassured that the surveillance processes are working, which is a very good thing.

The WHO suggested people in China get vaccinated, isolate if they are feeling ill, wear masks if necessary and get medical care as needed.

While WHO seeks this additional information, we recommend that people in China follow measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness, the agency said.

What are scientists saying?

Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virologist who advised the WHO on Covid, said there needs to be more information, particularly diagnostic information.

We have to be careful.

The challenge is to discern the outbreaks and determine the cause, said David Heymann of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

He pointed out that there was a likely background of seasonal respiratory infections.

I am not going to push the pandemic panic button on the basis of what we know so far, but I will be very keen to see the response to WHO from China and see the WHOs assessment following that, said Brian McCloskey, a public health expert who also advised the WHO on the pandemic.

What we are seeing is WHOs International Health Regulations system in action, he said, referring to the rules governing how countries work with the WHO on potential outbreaks.

Virologist Tom Peacock from Imperial College London said it was unlikely the increasing infections happened under the radar as there are tools now to pretty rapidly pick up emerging influenza or coronaviruses.

(I) suspect it may end up being something more mundane or a combination of things  say Covid, flu, RSV [respiratory syncytial virus]  but hopefully well know more soon, he said.
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More than 2,000 people took part in a gay pride event in New Delhi, waving rainbow flags and multicolored balloons as they celebrated sexual diversity in India but also raised concerns over the country's restrictive laws.

Dancing to drums and music, the participants walked for more than two hours to the Jantar Mantar area near Indias Parliament. They held banners reading Equality for all and Queer and proud.

(AP)

The annual event comes after Indias top court refused to legalize same-sex marriages in an October ruling that disappointed campaigners for LGBTQ+ rights in the worlds most populous country.

Its not about marriage. It's about equality. Everybody should have the same right because thats what our constitution says, said Noor Enayat, one of the volunteers organizing this years event.

(AFP via Getty Images)

(AP)

(AP)

Earlier this year, the Supreme Courts five-judge bench heard 21 petitions that sought to legalize same-sex marriage in India.

The justices called for steps to raise awareness among the public about LGBTQ+ identity and to establish hotlines and safe houses for those in the community who are facing violence. They also urged the state to make sure same-sex couples dont face harassment or discrimination in accessing basic needs, like opening a joint bank account, but stopped short of granting legal recognition to same-sex unions.

(AFP via Getty Images)

(AFP via Getty Images)

Legal rights for LGBTQ+ people in India have been expanding over the past decade, mostly as a result of the Supreme Courts intervention.

In 2018, the top court struck down a colonial-era law that had made gay sex punishable by up to 10 years in prison and expanded constitutional rights for the gay community. The decision was seen as a historic victory for LGBTQ+ rights.

Despite this progress, Prime Minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist government resisted the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and rejected several petitions in favor. Some religious groups, too, had opposed same-sex unions, saying they went against Indian culture.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Homosexuality has long carried a stigma in Indias traditional society, even though there has been a shift in attitudes toward same-sex couples in recent years. India now has openly gay celebrities and some high-profile Bollywood films have dealt with gay issues.

According to a Pew survey, acceptance of homosexuality in India increased by 22 percentage points to 37% between 2013 and 2019. But same-sex couples often face harassment in many Indian communities, whether Hindu, Muslim, or Christian.
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Indian workers who have been stuck inside an under-construction tunnel for 15 days will be out by Christmas, according to a tunnelling expert who is assisting the rescue effort.

The comments are an indication that the 41 workers may have to remain trapped inside the tunnel under inhospitable conditions for potentially a month longer than expected.

It comes as more bad news for the families of the workers, who have been waiting anxiously for them to be rescued, with many camping out at the site of the operation.

Indias authorities said that they are working to figure out a faster solution to evacuate the construction workers who have been stuck there since 12 November, while the Indian army has now joined the rescue effort.

Rescue teams have faced repeated issues with the drilling operation, from new landslides to equipment breakdowns, and now admit the operation could take much more time.

Australian tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, who has been working with Indian officials, told the media he had always promised that they will be home by Christmas.

This operation could take a long time, said Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the countrys National Disaster Management Authority.

Progress was halted as an auger machine being used to drill a hole stopped working (EPA)

The rescue operation could take several more weeks as teams drilling through rocks and debris faced a new hurdle after the auger machine being used to drill a hole in the collapsed tunnel stopped working on Saturday.

The blades of the auger machine got stuck in the debris and the machine stopped working. The machine had drilled about 6.5ft of the last 40-foot stretch of rock debris to create a passage for the workers to come out.

Experts are now focusing on two alternative rescue plans.

One involves workers, including the Indian army, carrying out a manual drilling exercise to excavate the roughly 33ft stretch needed to reach the workers.

The other involves vertically drilling 282ft from above, something that could take much longer.

The rescue operations have been taking longer as the tunnel is located in an environmentally sensitive region in the northern state of Uttarakhand.

The workers, who are migrant labourers from various parts of India, are being provided with oxygen, food and water through a pipe.

Doctors and officials have been in regular contact with them, and have continually assessed their health and wellbeing.
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Brad Pitts son called him a world class a**hole and f***ing awful human being in a scathing Fathers Day post.

Pitt, 59, shares six children with former wife Angelina Jolie: sons Maddox, 22, and Pax, 19, daugters Zahara, 18, and Shiloh, 17, as well as twins Vivienna and Knox, 15.

Pax lashed out at the Fight Club actor in a Fathers Day post shared on his private Instagram account three years ago, according to a MailOnline report.

Happy Fathers Day to this world class a***hole, Pax reportedly addressed a message to his adoptive dad. You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person.

You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence, the teenager captioned a photograph of Pitt accepting the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2020,

Pax, then 16, wrote: You have made the lives of those closest to me a constant hell. You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want, but the truth will come to light someday.

So, Happy Fathers Day, you f***ing awful human being!!!

(Getty Images)

A source told MailOnline that the message was posted from a private Instagram account belonging to Pax and described the rant against Pitt as unusual since Pax never says much about his parents on the profile.

The Independent has contacted Pitts representatives for comment.

The report comes days after Pitt and Jolies daughter Zahara, who was adopted in 2005 from Ethiopia, dropped her fathers last name during a sorority induction ceremony at Spelman College, an American liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia.

In a video obtained by Essence, the 18-year-old undergraduate reportedly identified herself as Zahara Marley Jolie  notably choosing to omit her famous fathers surname.

Jolie, who was married to Pitt for two years, filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences, days after an alleged physical altercation between him and their oldest son Maddox, then 15, while they were onboard a private jet in 2016.

Following an FBI investigation into the child abuse allegations, Pitt was cleared of all charges. However, a detailed account of what transpired on the private plane was made public last year, after FBI records were leaked to the press.

According to the documents, the Maleficent actor told investigating officers that Pitts actions during the flight from France to Los Angeles frightened their children, aged between 8 and 15 at the time.

Jolie also said that Pitt allegedly lunged at one their kids after they called him a prick, adding she had to hold him back in a choke hold.

According to the report, Pitt told Jolie that one of the children looked like a f***ing Columbine kid, referring to the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, during which two 12th graders  Eric Harris and Dylan Kelbold  gunned down 12 children and a teacher in Colorado.

Jolie and Pitt are still locked in a bitter custody battle for their six children, three of whom were adopted by the Maleficent star.

Pitt later formally adopted Maddox, Pax, and Zahara as well.
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Linda Evangelista has spoken frankly about her lack of desire to pursue a romantic relationship.

The former supermodel has been a fixture in popular culture since the 1990s, when she and her fellow fashion colleagues Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and Tatjana Patitz set look trends across the world.

Evangelista, 58, has also had some high-profile relationships, including a tumultuous marriage to French former model Gerard Marie, an engagement with Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan and a relationship with billionaire businessman Francois-Henri Pinault, with whom she shares a 17-year-old son, Augie.

However, the Canadian star is currently single, and has expressed no plans to change her relationship status.

When asked about dating in a new Sunday Times interview, Evangelista replied: Not interested. I dont want to sleep with anybody any more. I dont want to hear somebody breathing.

Linda Evangelista (Getty Images)

She then clarified that the last time shed been in the dating game was before complications in the wake of a CoolSculpting procedure that led to her hiding her appearance from the public for at least two years.

From 2015 to 2016, Evangelista underwent seven CoolSculpting sessions that were intended as a non-surgical way to freeze away fat from her jawline and body.

However, she was left with fat that had thickened and bulged into hard bumps underneath her skin.

Evangelista went public with her negative experience with the cosmetic procedure in 2021 and sued the company for $50 million for loss of income and emotional distress.

Linda Evangelista (AFP via Getty Images)

The suit was settled in 2022 for an undisclosed amount.

Elsewhere in the interview, published on Sunday (26 November), Evangelista shared her improvement in her feelings towards her body and appearance after the procedures complications.

Well, I dont blame myself any more. Im not hard on myself any longer. And how people feel about me still bothers me a little bit, but it used to bother me a lot, she explained.

I know now that I didnt do anything wrong.

For the longest time I thought I did. Im not completely rid of it, but I work hard at getting rid of the guilt and the shame. And Im not letting it ruin my life. I wouldnt have stayed locked up if Id known how many people cared.
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If youre scrolling through comedy on TikTok right now, youd be forgiven for thinking youd been transported back to the 1970s. You will see men making jokes about menstrual cycles. Perhaps some snarky belittling of womens hobbies. Maybe one or two domestic violence gags. This, though, isnt the stand-up comedy of another era. This is merely a glimpse into the material of 2023s young male internet comics  where mocking, dismissing and belittling women is standard. And the leader of the pack is Matt Rife.

The 28-year-old standup comedian from Ohio made a name for himself on social media as a hot, inclusive comic with cheekbones. His jokes, mostly shared via short clips across Instagram and TikTok, have traditionally been aimed at a female audience, full of self-deprecating cracks at his own good looks, or making fun of other peoples bad boyfriends. Now, though, people will be hearing his name for the first time in an entirely different context.

Matt Rife opens Netflix special with domestic violence joke

In his new Netflix special, Natural Selection, Rife begins with an anecdote about going to a restaurant in Baltimore where the hostess who seats you had a black eye. He continues: A full black eye. It wasnt like, What happened? It was pretty obvious what happened. But we couldnt get over, like, this is the face of the company? This is who you have greeting people? And my boy, who I was with, was like, Yeah, I feel bad for her, man, I feel like they should put her in the kitchen or something where nobody has to see her face. And I was like, Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldnt have that black eye.

Rifes crowd might have laughed, but the internet did not. The girls and gays were Matt Rifes biggest demographic and he used his Netflix special to pander to toxic masculinity, one person commented on Twitter/X. Not Matt Rife building his platform on catering to his female audience and then opening his Netflix special with a domestic violence joke, another added.

To make matters worse, Rife responded to the criticism with an Instagram story aimed at those offended by a joke I told: Tap to solve your issue, read a URL link, which directed his followers to a website selling helmets for people with special needs.

Rife first made a name for himself on social media as a hot, inclusive comic with cheekbones (Mathieu Bitton/Netflix)

Rifes comments might seem shocking, but to anyone whos au fait with a particular corner of the internet  one that champions quick, flash-in-the-pan content from male comedians  its merely par for the course. There were other moments of misogyny in his set, too. Such as the segment where he delivered on women interested in the spiritual power of crystals. Fellas, we gotta put our foot down, he began. This crystal s*** is getting out of control. Ladies, put the f***ing pebbles down, okay?

He later laments that these women wont shut up about their crystals, before impersonating said women in a tone of voice that can only be described as psychotically high. When you consider that Rife, whose audience is predominantly female, recently told Variety that this special was way more for guys, you have to wonder about his intentions. Is he aiming to popularise himself among men through brazen misogyny? To crack jokes that belittle women and make them look stupid? To reduce them to sexual objects designed for male consumption? Because, as it happens, there are a lot of other men online doing just that  and gaining millions of views in the process.

Search brunch women on TikTok and youll immediately find countless videos of men impersonating groups of women at bottomless brunches. Their voices are high, theyre drinking rose, and often satirising a particular accent; theyre usually either very posh, or from Essex. Cringeworthy poses are made towards the camera, and they love to bitch about one another. Because all women want to do is gossip, get drunk and take embarrassing selfies, apparently. Sometimes they wear wigs and dance on tables. Other times they flirt with waiters and get increasingly drunk and delirious.

None of that, of course, is on a par with making a gag about domestic violence. But its all part of the same culture, isnt it? One that undermines and devalues women, reducing them to memeable tropes with vapid pastimes and meaningless lives, one whiny, insufferable voice at a time.

We see it a lot elsewhere, too. The popular British comedian Josh Berry has a series where he regularly impersonates ridiculously posh women, donning scruffy wigs and furiously puffing away on vapes while pontificating about the beguiling culture in Brixton. One of his most-viewed videos sees him impersonating a woman working in PR who has a raging cocaine habit, who says: I havent got a clue what Im doing, but I have taken enough coke to think that no one else has noticed.

Matt Rife may not have cracked jokes about rape, or making womens eyes water through oral sex, but that doesnt make him exempt from the wider problem at hand

Berry does regularly post videos mocking men, but they dont seem to carry quite the same tenor as the ones where he mocks women. His male characters have a little more variety to them: gamblers, LinkedIn thought leaders, middle-aged, lycra-clad road warriors. Theres more of a mix; the humour has depth. All of his women are simply morons. Thats it. Thats the joke.

Many other online comedians do the same thing. In one popular TikTok clip, American comic Bill Burr is seen poking fun at women who are always bitching about their lives. What happened to you today, sweetheart? he asks. Did they not chill your rose?

Then there are the litany of viral clips poking fun at drunk girls (note: its always girls and never women). One sees comedian Chris DElia  who has denied multiple allegations of sexual harassment  talk incoherently at the crowd and state that nothing matters to a drunk girl at all. The audio has since been reused multiple times by other male comedians to riff off the idea that erm drunk women are idiots? I think?

This specific breed of male comedian sexism had a further viral moment earlier this year, when musician Matty Healy of The 1975 and comedian Adam Friedland made a number of derogatory remarks about women on Friedlands namesake podcast. At one point, Healy told Friedland that he would f*** Friedlands sister because shes hot. They later joked about womens periods and suggested that the moon controls menstrual cycles. Its so funny that woman get f***ed up by the moon, Friedland said, adding: Meanwhile we went there  men! Healy laughed along with the comments and added: F*** yeah, f***ing too right! They also made a series of racist remarks about the rapper Ice Spice  Healy has since apologised.

Backlash: Matty Healy and Adam Friedland during their controversial interview (Screenshot)

Individually, some of these videos can be funny. And Im sure Id laugh at a few of them if I heard the jokes live, particularly if they reminded me of my own behaviour. But its hard not to smell the lingering scent of misogyny once you glimpse the sheer volume of these videos. You also cant help but wonder how helpful all of this is, particularly when you consider it within the wider context of how men talk about women online  think mens influencer Andrew Tate  and the litany of male comedians whove made jokes about sexual violence, among them Michael Che, Daniel Tosh, and Jim Jefferies.

Then theres Russell Brand, who, among a lot of other misogynist material, famously joked on stage about women giving him oral sex, saying: I like them blow jobs, right, where it goes in their neck a little bit... Them blowjobs where mascara runs a little bit. The comedian has since been accused of multiple counts of sexual assault, which he has denied.

So, where does that leave Rife? He may not have cracked jokes about rape, or making womens eyes water through oral sex, but that doesnt make him exempt from the wider problem at hand. Perhaps the point of all this is to recognise how one joke about crystal girls leads to another about drunk girls, then another about their ethnicity, then their body, and so on.

Its all part of the same culture of misogyny. And its within this framework that we need to think carefully about the way male comedians are talking about women. Because you can only poke fun at a certain type of behaviour so often before normalising the poking. Then, before you know it, youve become a part of the problem you were trying to satirise.
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Neil Morrissey has shared a stark reflection on his affair with Amanda Holden during a recent podcast appearance.

The Men Behaving Badly star had a highly publicised romance with the Britains Got Talent judge in 2000, while she was married to Les Dennis, famous for hosting Family Fortunes.

Holden and Dennis attempted to recover their marriage after the infidelity hit the headlines, but they ultimately divorced in 2003.

Morrissey, 61, made a guest appearance on the Restless Natives podcast, hosted by Line of Duty star Martin Compston and broadcaster Gordon Smart.

During a segment about advice, the former Bob the Builder voice actor offered three pieces of guidance to the listeners.

Dont p*** into the wind, because youll always get your own back, he began, noting that while the mantra is taken from camping terminology, it will work in philosophy too.

Then, Morrissey said: Dont f*** a game show hosts wife, to which Compston and Smart reacted with raucous laughter.

Neil Morrissey and Amanda Holden (PA)

The actor concluded his advice by stating that a gentlemans socks should always match his shoes.

Morrissey and Holdens affair took place while they worked together on the BBC show Happy Birthday Shakespeare.

All involved parties have addressed the difficult situation in interviews, years later. Holden, who was 23 when she married the then-40-year-old Dennis in 1995, said she struggled with the responses from the public after news of the affair broke.

She told the Express: I found the fall from grace incredibly hard to deal with. I cant bear not to be liked.

In 2003, Holden defended Morrissey in a conversation with Good Housekeeping, crediting him for his kindness while she went through a difficult time.

Neil rightly or wrongly got loads of stick. I feel like it was my fault  I was the one who was married, she explained.

I want to change the general perception of him, as he was very caring and very loving and very worried about me because I lost so much weight. He used to cook for me and look after me and babysit the dogs.

Les Dennis (Getty Images for eONE)

Holden remarried in 2008 and has two children with husband Chris Hughes. Dennis married Claire Nicholson in 2009, with whom he has two children.

Earlier this year, Dennis spoke about his contentment in his life and how he harbours no ill will towards his ex-wife.

Maybe with time she has been able to look back and see things differently, he told the Sunday Times.

Were not in touch but I am happy that shes happy. I can watch Britains Got Talent without getting angry. To be honest, its like watching a different person, someone Ive never met.

All the hurt that has happened has been healed.
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The Princess Royal convinced the King to move the Duke and Duchess of Sussex out of Frogmore Cottage, a new book about the royal family claims.

The book Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival, by royal commentator Omid Scobie, takes a deep dive into the institution and its future.

Endgame is said to claim that Princess Anne was at the forefront of the supporters of the firm approach taken with the Sussexes, who resigned from their positions as senior members of the royal family in 2020.

According to The Telegraph, Scobie writes that Anne is said to have persuaded Charles to withdraw the use of Frogmore Cottage from the couple, the use of which was a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth II.

Though the Sussexes left the UK for a new life in Canada, then Montecito, California, in early 2020, they still had items in the cottage as recently as early 2023.

Princess Anne (Getty Images)

However, shortly after the release of Harrys memoir Spare in January, Sir Michael John Stevens, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, sent a letter to the Sussexes team pushing them to complete their exit from the Windsor property.

The letter stated that because the Duke and Duchess were no longer working members of the Royal family and lived abroad, they should return the keys to Frogmore Cottage.

In June, Sir Michael confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had vacated Frogmore Cottage at the annual Sovereign Grant account briefing on royal finances.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Gala)

Safe to say that, as has previously been stated, the duke and duchess have paid for the expenditure incurred by the Sovereign Grant in relation to the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, thus leaving the Crown with a greatly enhanced asset, he added.

In 2019, royal accounts showed Meghan and Harry paid 2.4 million to cover the refurbishment and rental of Frogmore Cottage, on the Home Park Estate, a property they have only used a handful of times since relocating to the US.

A palace official said there was nothing to add in relation to who would live in the cottage in the future.

Elsewhere in the book, set for release next week, Harry is said to have asked his father: You dont want to see your grandchildren any more?
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Omid Scobie has spoken out about receiving abuse for his coverage of the royal family.

The journalist and commentator is one of the UKs most prominent voices regarding the royal family, with a particular special interest in the lives and perspectives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Soon, he will release his book Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival, which takes a deep dive into the institution and its future.

Ahead of the books release on Tuesday (28 November), Scobie has spoken out about the difficulties hes faced as a journalist who often writes sympathetically about Harry and Meghan, while offering critical takes on other aspects of the royal institution.

Im very aware that Im quite disliked in Britain. The way anything about me is said is as if Im just the absolute worst person, he explained to the Sunday Times on Sunday (26 November).

Omid Scobie, royal biographer (BBC Newsnight)

Later, expanding about the trolling he receives  much of the comments referring to his half-Iranian heritage  Scobie said: Ive really struggled with it, to be honest. I definitely felt at times like I wanted to just disappear.

Though Scobie, 42, has been reported as being a trusted contact of the Sussexes, he has frequently denied having a significant relationship with the duchess and former actor.

When asked whether Meghan contributed to the writing of Endgame, Scobie replied: No, and Im not her friend, adding: I didnt interview her for this book.

Still, he admitted to having mutual friends with Meghan, which definitely helps with getting information and breaking details.

Meghan and Harry, and Omid Scobie (Getty Images / scobiesnaps/Instagram)

Though hed been a royal reporter at several publications before Meghan and Harry met in 2016, Scobie took a deeper personal interest in the monarchy due to he and Meghan both being of mixed-race heritage (Scobie is Iranian and white through his mother and father, respectively).

I was going to work my damn hardest to make sure I was close to every single person in their lives, and become someone that, at the very least, people at the palace feel they can come to when they need to correct a story, he noted.

Some of the revelations covered in Endgame include Meghan claiming that two members of the royal household speculated about Prince Archies skin colour before his birth, as well as naming the senior royal who reportedly convinced the King to evict the Sussexes from Frogmore Cottage.

A royal spokesperson declined to comment when approached by The Independent.
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The Prince of Wales is competing with his father King Charles for control of the royal family, author Omid Scobie has claimed in his new, no-holds-barred book.

In Endgame, William is portrayed as a cold, ambitious, hot-tempered prince, impatiently awaiting his turn on the throne.

Citing conversations and interviews with palace insiders, he suggests that William is snapping at Charless heels, determined to bring the royal family into the 21st century by ripping up the institutions centuries-old rulebook and doing things the Cambridge way.

Hes not giving his father the same space Charles did with the Queen, Scobie writes. Theres no time for that.

Charles and Williams are said to have different views on the future of the royal family (Getty Images)

One of the major themes of royal reporter Scobies book is an alleged rift between William and Charles, who was named King after the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. According to Scobie, father and son are united in their frustration with Prince Harry, but have different ideas for how the family should be run.

Contrary to public belief, [Charles] leads with his head and his heart, Scobie quotes a source close to the King as saying. [William] is colder in that respect. He just wants to get the job done and has no problem taking prisoners along the way.

The British journalist describes their offices in Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace as hives of competing agendas with different ideas about how to modernise the monarchy.

While William respects his father, Scobie writes, their views, [and] their outlooks are very different, and I can see that becoming an issue over the years ahead.

Charles and William shares frustrations with Harrys behaviour, the book says (Getty Images)

Elsewhere in the new book, he claims Charles was quietly annoyed after Prince William announced the Earthshot Prize  a global initiative aimed at tackling the climate crisis  without involving his father or crediting him in any way.

Charles, 75, has consistently championed environmental issues, including sustainability, conservation and global warming, for the past five decades.

At 21, the former Prince of Wales highlighted the menace of plastic pollution, while launching the Countryside Award Scheme in support of organisations which have promoted projects that are a distinctive contribution towards improving the general quality and beauty of the environment in Wales. He has since remained a passionate and outspoken climate advocate.

Referring to Williams Earthshot initiative, launched in 2020, a source at Clarence House told Scobie that Charles had hoped that William would want to involve his father or at least credit him for inspiring him to take on this role, but instead it was as if [Charless environmentalism] didnt even exist.

Charles has led the way for a smaller Firm since the death of his mother (Getty Images)

Endgame, which will be released on 28 November, takes a critical look at the monarchy in its current form and its fight for survival in the 21st century. You can read nine of the biggest revelations from the book here.

It comes three years after Scobies first book, Finding Freedom, which chronicles the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghans love story, marriage, and eventual decision to relocate to the US after resigning as senior members of the royal family.

The Independent has contacted Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace for comment.

You can read The Independents review of the book here.
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Irish author Paul Lynch has won the Booker Prize 2023 for his novel, Prophet Song.

In a ceremony held at Old Billingsgate, London on Sunday night, Lynch was honoured for his fifth novel. None of the six authors nominated for the award had been shortlisted before; in a first for the prize, three of them were called Paul.

Set in a dystopian Ireland, Prophet Song follows protagonist Eilish Stack as she tries to make sense of the nightmare of a collapsing society, hampered by unpredictable forces beyond her control and desperate to do whatever it takes to keep her family together.

Lynch, 46, was awarded the trophy by Sri Lankan author, Shehan Karunatilaka, who won last year for his book, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. The trophy was designed by the childrens author and illustrator Jan Pienkowski, and is named after Irish novelist Iris Murdoch, who won the Booker for her novel, The Sea, The Sea in 1978.

Winning the Booker Prize also comes with a prize of 50,000.

The keynote speech at the award ceremony was delivered by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was released from prison in Iran last year.

In her address, she described the ways in which books had saved her when she was in solitary confinement, telling the gathered guests: Books helped me to take refuge into the world of others when I was incapable of making one of my own.

They salvaged me by being one of the very few tools I had, together with imagination, to escape the Evin [prison] walls without physically moving.

The 2023 judging panel was chaired by twice-shortlisted novelist Esi Edugyan. She was joined by actor, writer and director Adjoa Andoh; poet, lecturer, editor and critic Mary Jean Chan; author and professor James Shapiro; and actor and writer Robert Webb.

At the ceremony, Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte star Andoh read an extract from the 1990 Booker Prize-winning novel Possession, in honour of the late AS Byatt, who died earlier this month.

Edugyan complimented Lynchs depiction of the reality of state violence and displacement and offering no easy consolations, as well as his poetic use of language and sentence structure.

She added: This is a triumph of emotional storytelling, bracing and brave. With great vividness, Prophet Song captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment. Readers will find it soul-shattering and true, and will not soon forget its warnings.

Lynch is the fifth Irish author to win the Booker Prize, after Iris Murdoch, John Banville, Roddy Doyle and Anne Enright. The Northern Irish writer Anna Burns won in 2018.

Lynch was one of four Irish writers to make this years longlist in 2023. The shortlist, revealed in September, included debut novelists Jonathan Escoffery from the US and the UKs Chetna Maroo, as well as fellow Irish writer Paul Murray, Canadian author Sarah Bernstein, and US author Paul Harding.

When asked whether Prophet Song was inspired by true events, Lynch said he wanted to immerse the reader in a world that feels so realistic that it would prompt them to think about the unrest that takes place all around the world.

I was trying to see into the modern chaos, he told the Booker Prizes website. The unrest in Western democracies. The problem of Syria  the implosion of an entire nation, the scale of its refugee crisis and the Wests indifference.

Prophet Song is partly an attempt at radical empathy. To understand better, we must first experience the problem for ourselves. So I sought to deepen the dystopian by bringing to it a high degree of realism. I wanted to deepen the readers immersion to such a degree that by the end of the book, they would not just know, but feel this problem for themselves.

Lynch and the other shortlisted authors were all in attendance at Sunday evenings ceremony.

Other guests included previous winners Ben Okri, Eleanor Catton and Alan Hollinghurst, as well as some of this years longlisted authors and many past shortlistees.

In addition, high-profile figures from across the cultural spectrum attended, including Valerie Amos, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Caitriona Balfe, Alfred Enoch, Bella and Esther Freud, Antony Gormley, Katy Hessel, Bianca Jagger, Annie MacManus, David Olusoga, Cornelia Parker, Nitin Sawhney and Charlene White.

Earlier this week, Queen Camilla hosted the shortlisted candidates for an event at Clarence House, where she thanked the writers who enhance our life, we couldnt do without you all.
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Oscar Pistorius has been granted his freedom by a parole board in South Africa after serving a decade behind bars for the 2013 murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

After a highly-publicised trial, following the overturning of an earlier conviction, the athlete, now 37, was jailed for 13 years and five months for the killing in 2016 after being found guilty of culpable homicide, sealing the former icons dramatic fall from grace.

Just a year before Steenkamps death, Pistorius had starred at the London Olympic Games in summer 2012 and won worldwide fame.

In addition to his haul of three medals  two gold and one silver  Pistorius had become the first double-amputee to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics.

The historic achievement cemented his place as a trailblazer and celebrated ambassador for disability sport.

Accolades had streamed in as fast as the running records Pistorius broke.

He appeared on the Time 100 list of the worlds most influential people in 2008 and 2012, was named Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability and handed an honorary doctorate by the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

The story of the little boy who had both legs amputated below the knee as a baby and turned his disability into a strength captivated the world.

Reeva Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius (AP)

In South Africa, he became a national icon and when he started dating Reeva Steenkamp, a model and growing celebrity on the verge of her reality television debut, his status was elevated further.

But that all changed on Valentines Day 2013, when he shot her dead in his bathroom, firing four shots through the door with a licensed 9mm pistol.

He later claimed that he had wrongly assumed his girlfriend, 29, was a dangerous intruder who had broken into their apartment, an argument refuted by prosecutors, who said Steenkamp had fled to the toilet cubicle during a late-night row and that Pistorius had killed her in a fit of rage.

He was arrested by police that night and charged with murder the next day as grisly details of Ms Steenkamps death emerged in the South African media.

Hours later, billboards displaying his face were torn down as advertisers rapidly withdrew endorsement deals and former friends moved to distance themselves from the athlete as quickly as possible.

If the South African media had been accused before of overlooking Pistoriuss faults, the tide was turned as ex-girlfriends and critics took to the airwaves and past incidents were examined in minute detail.

There was his tantrum at the London Paralympics 200m race, for instance, when he accused a Brazilian athlete of beating him into second place with illegal blades. No rules had been violated.

Past reports of a gun by his bedside and a rifle by a window seen by journalists surfaced and there was the tweet describing how he walked into his house, believed there was a burglar present and immediately went into recon mode.

Evidence presented during his first trial revealed the extent of his fascination with guns, including footage from a firing range showing him excitedly exploding watermelons with a zombie stopper.

Oscar Pistorius wins gold at the London Games in 2012 (EPA)

Gradually, the image of a heroic and congenial sportsman who had battled against adversity to blaze a trail for disabled athletes around the world, was replaced with that of a gun-toting playboy with a huge ego and temper to match.

Now, after almost 11 years in jail, Pistorius will be released on Friday 5 January 2024, given therapy for anger management and will remain under supervision until the end of his sentence, according to South Africas Department of Corrections.

He was given a second chance at parole in the space of eight months after he being wrongly ruled ineligible for early release at a first hearing in March.

Rob Matthews, spokesperson for Ms Steenkamps mother June, addessed the media after the decision and said: The parole board are of the opinion that he met the criteria for release on parole and I believe June will be fine with that, but I cant read inside her mind, I can only interpret what she said.

My personal opinion is that part of the road to rehabilitation is acknowledging what you have done and being accountable for what you have done and being man enough to say Ive done it, and all the consequences that go with it, not just lip service because its easy to say sorry when youve been caught.
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The UK Governments attitude to the Irish returned a little to repellent during Brexit, one of Tony Blairs former top aides has said.

Alastair Campbell slammed an almost arrogance on the part of the current Conservative government towards Northern Ireland.

He was speaking on Ireland deputy premier Micheal Martins In Conservation With podcast.

There's an arrogance about the current government in its attitudes to Ireland that there used to be when I was a journalist Alastair Campbell

The Tanaiste said that from an Irish perspective, the relationship with the UK government went up a level when Tony Blairs Labour swept into power in 1997, and to a certain extent hasnt been repeated.

It just went up a level in terms of trust, in terms of working together genuinely and learning and sharing experiences, it was a very, very warm relationship that did impact positively, he said.

Mr Campbell said it saddens him the extent to which in the Brexit debate, Northern Ireland was not even considered.

Theres an arrogance about the current government in its attitudes to Ireland that there used to be when I was a journalist, he said.

Mr Campbell, who worked in journalism in the 1980s and 90s, said he felt there was an arrogance during former prime minister Margaret Thatchers term.

There was an arrogance, there was an attitude towards the Irish that was really quite repellent, and that went and I think a little of it has come back again, he said.

The extent to which, particularly during the Brexit negotiations, stuff was happening that had a direct impact upon you guys, and I dont think it even figured in the thinking a lot of the time.

The Tanaiste responded: Which gave rise to all the issues around the (Northern Ireland) Protocol and where we are today, and also the bit Ive always been taken aback by was the absence of any due diligence over the impact on SMEs, small businesses, supply chains.

To be fair, I think (Prime Minister) Rishi Sunak has brought a degree of professionalism to Britain Tanaiste Micheal Martin

Its a huge imposition on a lot of ordinary small to medium-size businesses that I dont think was factored in.

He added: To be fair, I think (Prime Minister) Rishi Sunak has brought a degree of professionalism to Britain.

The pair also discussed rioting seen in Dublin last Thursday night following a stabbing attack which saw a woman and three children taken to hospital.

Mr Martin described the incident as an appalling, horrific attack on three young children and their carer, followed by rioting and attacks on gardai, co-ordinated on social media.

He expressed concern about the hate and bile in social-media messaging, directed against foreigners and the government.

Mr Campbell said he was genuinely shocked by the scenes in Dublin.

He commended Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for absolutely calling them out in reference to his assertion of the involvement of far-right elements.

Mr Campbell has published a new book called What Can I Do, about the growth of populism, polarisation and the nature of public discourse.

We are now in this world where if you combine the disenchantment that a lot of people have with their own lives, the desire to find people to blame for that, be that politicians, be that immigrants, be that anybody that they can say is not one of us, allied to the speed at which rumour can fly, conspiracies can fly and its very, very hard to contain when it kicks off, he said.

Referring to the rise of right-wing politicians in countries including the Netherlands and Argentina, Mr Campbell added: What all of these things signal is we havent got on top of this populist, polarising virus, and weve got to find ways of addressing the issues, but at the same time weve got to find ways of restoring peoples sense or at least a modicum of trust in institutions of trust in politicians.
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Tens of thousands of people gathered in central London to march against antisemitism in what activists have called the largest gathering of its kind since 1936.

The demonstration organised by Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) drew a number of well-known figures, including former prime minister Boris Johnson.

The former PM said that he was attending in solidarity with Jewish people as he said recent pro-Palestinian protests in the capital had confirmed his belief of the absolutely human necessity for Israel to exist.

English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson was arrested at the march after he was escorted away by a large number of police officers. The force said organisers had raised concerns about his attendance in the run-up to the event, adding that when asked to leave he refused to do so.

Thousands marched from the Royal Courts of Justice to Parliament Square (AP)

There was one other arrest during the event  a man was heard making antisemitic comments and was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.

The otherwise peaceful event came as another group of Israeli hostages were released from Hamas on Sunday, weeks after the 7 October attacks saw hundreds of people held captive. Posters of missing hostages and flags of the state of Israel could be seen among the crowds as many chanted Bring them home.

Britons showed solidarity with Irsael at the march (AP)

Organisers called the rally the largest gathering against antisemitism London had seen since the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, when hundreds of thousands of people blocked a planned march by Sir Oswald Mosleys British Union of Fascists through an area populated by many Jewish families.

Mr Johnson compared antisemitism with an old spore of a virus.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of what Israel has done, or is doing, I think that the antisemitism that weve seen in some of these marches around western Europe and further afield has really confirmed for me the absolute necessity, the human necessity for Israel to exist, he told GB News.

Boris Johnson said he was very sad the march had to happen (GB News)

The protest finished at Parliament Square where a number of speeches were given, with immigration minister Robert Jenrick among the speakers addressing the crowd.

Gideon Falter, chief executive of CAA, condemned appalling signs he had seen at recent pro-Palestinian marches in London.

Since October 7, antisemitic crime has surged in this country by over 1,000 per cent, he said. And indeed, as we saw yesterday, yet again, carrying placards showing a Star of David thrown in the bin with a caption that says please keep the world clean, messaging that would not have been out of place in 1930s Germany, it is appalling.

EDL founder Tommy Robinson was prevented from attending the march by several officers (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said British Jews would not be intimidated by antisemitism. He said: We call for a strengthening of community cohesion and we will forever be proud to champion the finest of British values.

Speaking on behalf of the government, Mr Jenrick said the defeat of Hamas would be a blessing for the world as many chanted bring them home in a plea for hostages to be freed.

Chief rabbi Mirvis taking part in the event organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Know your government will not rest until each and every one of them is back in the loving embrace of their families, he added. We stand with Israel.

British celebrities in attendance included TV judge Robert Rinder, former Eastenders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman and Countdowns Rachel Riley. They walked behind banners reading United Kingdom united against antisemitism.

However, at least one Jewish group said it refused to attend the demonstration due to concerns about the reason behind the march.

Rachel Riley, Vanessa Feltz, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Robert Rinder also took part (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Naamod, a group that opposes the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, said in a statement: We know that many people marching will be doing so from a place of genuine concern. We would love to march alongside them, but we cant in good faith, because we know this march is not just about antisemitism. Its clear from the event description that CAA has organised this march in response to huge weekly ceasefire demonstrations in London.

They claim these demonstrations have turned London into a no go zone for Jews, promoting glorification of terrorism and incitement to racial or religious hatred of Jews. This could not be further from the truth. Pitting Jewish safety against Palestinian freedom doesnt make Jews safer; it makes fighting antisemitism harder.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick addressing the crowd in Parliament Square (PA)

The march came the day after tens of thousands of people gathered on Saturday for the latest pro-Palestinian demonstration in the capital, demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. There were 18 arrests over the course of the day for a range of alleged offences, including suspicion of inciting racial hatred and suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Following Robinsons arrest on Sunday, a Met office spokesperson said: Officers working as part of the policing and security operation for the march against antisemitism have arrested a 40-year-old man on the Strand.

We have been in frequent contact with the organisers of the march in recent days. They have been clear about their concerns that the mans attendance, and that of those who were likely to accompany him, would cause fear for other participants. The same view has been voiced by others.

As a result, he was spoken to and warned on more than one occasion that his continued presence in the area was likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others. He was directed to leave the area but refused to do so. We are aware that the man had suggested he was in the area as a journalist. This was not a relevant factor in his arrest.
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Tens of thousands of people are expected to march in London later in a demonstration against antisemitism.

Both ministers and the Metropolitan Police have stressed the need for the UKs Jewish community to feel safe on the streets, amid concern about rising tensions sparked by the conflict in Gaza.

A temporary truce between Hamas and Israel is still holding, with the release of a second group of hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons coming late on Saturday.

Among those reunited with their family was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, who was among those abducted by the Palestinian militant group during the deadly Hamas attack on October 7.

The rally in the capital comes after tens of thousands of people gathered once again on Saturday to demand a permanent ceasefire. Some pro-Palestinian demonstrators accused Israel of committing genocide, while others chanted from the river to the sea.

There were 18 arrests made over the course of the day for a range of alleged offences  including suspicion of inciting racial hatred and suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Around 40,000 to 50,000 people are expected to attend the march later in a rally organised by charity Campaign Against Antisemitism.

But there have been fears that Tommy Robinson, founder and former leader of the far-right English Defence League, could attend the protest.

Mr Robinson was last seen among the crowds of counter-protesters who clashed with police during protests held on Armistice Day.

The Met said he was not welcome at the march, with the force warning that any offences whether from within the protest or from any groups trying to challenge or interfere with the march would be dealt with.

Appearing on Skys Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: Im very concerned about people, particularly Jewish people, feeling safe on the streets.

I think it is right that the police take all necessary action to make sure that people are able to walk about their home city without fear.

Israel said early on Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day, in the third of four scheduled swaps.

Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

The deal seemed at risk of unravelling on Saturday after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, delaying the exchange.

But the militants eventually released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.
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A female Afghan special forces soldier who risked her life working in a unit that was set up, trained and paid for by the British armed forces is living in hiding after her application for sanctuary in the UK was rejected.

The mother of four was forced to flee Afghanistan after the Wests withdrawal and is now living illegally in Turkey in fear of deportation.

Zahab, whose name has been changed for her safety, applied for the Ministry of Defences (MoD) resettlement scheme in October 2021, designed for those who worked for or with British armed forces in Afghanistan, but was denied relocation.

Through speaking to her former colleagues, The Independent, in collaboration with investigative newsroom Lighthouse Reports, has established that Zahab was one of a select group of women who worked for Commando Force 333, an elite Afghan fighter unit that was set up and paid for by the British government.

Zahab is now struggling to support her family in Turkey (Supplied)

Zahab said her rejection felt like a betrayal by the British troops she had served alongside, adding that despite all the promises made by the British, people were left behind.

Colonel Simon Diggins, a former defence attache in Kabul, called on the government to look at her case, saying: Its really important, given the added vulnerability of women and the misogyny of the Taliban, that we look after them.

Im really disappointed to hear that this woman has been turned down, he added. Not only did she work for us, but she will be extremely vulnerable if she is sent back to Afghanistan. I encourage the government to look quickly and sympathetically at this case.

It comes after a joint investigation with Lighthouse Reports and Sky News earlier this month, which found that dozens of former members of CF333  and its sister unit Afghan Territorial Force 444 (ATF444), have been beaten, tortured or killed by the Taliban since August 2021 after the UK failed to relocate them.

The MoDs failure to help these Afghans , known as the Triples, who are documented as having served shoulder to shoulder with UK Special Forces (UKSF), is thought to be in breach of the departments own Afghan relocations and assistance policy (Arap), the scheme designed to relocate eligible Afghans who served with the British.

Major General Charlie Herbert (second right) with a female member of the Triples unit (Supplied)

The investigation also revealed for the first time that the unit was paid by the British, and that, according to veterans who served with them, Afghan commandos in the CF333 unit couldnt work more hand in glove with the British. They lived together on the same base in Logar Province, Afghanistan, and would go on missions together.

Veterans minister Johnny Mercer has said the government is aware of these rejections and has committed to re-engaging with the application process to make sure there is integrity in that process.

The MoD has said it assesses each application on its own merits against published criteria and has brought tens of thousands of people to safety.

Now, it can be revealed that among those serving in CF333 were around 15 women who are said to have played a crucial role in Britains fight against the Taliban. The unit was set up by British forces in 2002 to help the UK take out drug production networks funding the Talibans terrorism.

Major General Charlie Herbert, who worked alongside the Triples and was a senior Nato adviser in Afghanistan between 2017 and 2018, confirmed that 333 contained female members, in specialised combat roles.

Zahab was trained in collecting evidence at specific locations identified on joint operations (Supplied)

By August 2021, when the West withdrew from Afghanistan leaving it to Taliban rule, Zahab had spent two years fighting in the elite Afghan special forces unit. She began her career in the police force but soon rose through the ranks to join a handful of female fighters, hand-picked to help the British and Afghan armies track and capture Taliban and Isis leaders. Women were useful to the units who had to raid family houses and navigate the cultural sensitivities in Afghanistan, she said.

Our role in the unit was very essential. Without a woman in the unit, even the main members couldnt carry out operations because they wouldnt be able to enter a house with women involved.

We were sent all over the country for operations. It was a very risky job. We would carry out an operation on the house of a Taliban member, said Zahab, speaking from a small apartment in Turkey. We were playing the same role as male members but on top of that, because of the cultural sensitivities, we had to do the body searches of all women and girls.

When the rest of her unit headed to Kabul airport during the chaos of the Western evacuation, Zahab had to stay behind. A mother of four children, she felt she couldnt bring them to face the crush at the airport gates as thousands of Afghans pleaded with American and UK forces to be evacuated.

Left without help and under the threat of retaliation by the Taliban, Zahab fled with her family and crossed the border illegally into Iran and then on to Turkey.

The CF333 base was called Fort Hunter and was based in Logar Province, Afghanistan (US Army Corps)

There she is facing a lot of problems but is terrified she will be deported back to Afghanistan to face an even worse fate. One of her daughters, who is aged 21, started working in the clothing industry to support the family but six months ago, she was arrested for working illegally as she couldnt show documents, and detained for four months, Zahab said.

She went through a lot of problems in the prison. Shes still struggling with mental health problems. They kept her for four months and they were trying to convince her to sign a deportation form. I was never able to visit the prison while she was there because I dont have a work permit or documents myself. I was worried that if I went then I might be detained as well. We are living in constant fear of being arrested and deported, she added.

Speaking of her other daughters, aged 18 and 14, Zahab said: The uncertainty is the most difficult thing. They were going to school back home, now they have to work. If they dont work, we will not have anything to eat, pay rent or anything.

Zahab said she felt let down by those she worked alongside after her application to come to the UK was rejected. She said: I feel like all their promises were false. They were just using us and then, when they didnt need us any more, they just threw us away. Now they dont need us, they dont care.

A small number of Afghan women were trained to work alongside British and Afghan special forces (Supplied)

One of Zahabs former Afghan commanders, who is now in the UK, said she was a good soldier who he could trust on operations, and that she and the other women in the unit  who he said lived in their own section on the same base as the men  did essential work.

Sometimes the Taliban would give important documents or phones to women, and Afghan men cant search Afghan women, so we needed women in the force. It was essential to have one or two women for every night raid. Sometimes, when we didnt have women we had to cancel operations, he said.

Another of Zahabs colleagues in the 333 unit stressed the importance of soldiers like her. If the women were not there then we would cancel the operations. The enemy would hide themselves among the women, so they were the ones who would differentiate them he said.

An MoD spokesperson said: The UK government has made an ambitious and generous commitment to help eligible people in Afghanistan. So far, we have brought around 24,600 people to safety, including thousands of people eligible for our Afghan schemes.

Each Arap application is decided and scrutinised on its own merits against each criterion outlined in the specific Arap policy and the immigration rules, which are published online.
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A woman whose dog was put down after catching Alabama rot has called on pet owners to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of the disease.

Hannah Povey from Farringdon, Hampshire, issued the call after her cocker spaniel Besty caught the illness.

Alabama rot, otherwise known as cutaneous and renal gomerular vasculopathy, is a disease that affects canines and its cause is unknown.

The condition, which is incurable, damages the blood vessels in the skin and kidneys, causing visible sores on the skin and can lead to severe organ dysfunction and ultimately kidney failure.

It is unknown where Betsy, aged two when she died, caught Alabama rot, although Ms Povey believes the dog may have contracted it while walking in Park Wood, within the South Downs National Park.

She said the usually energetic Betsy started limping, went off her food and had a sore on her paw after the walk.

(Hannah Povey)

"I took her to the vets and blood tests didnt come back with any results, Ms Povey explained to the BBC.

We went home with antibiotics and painkillers for her but she still wasnt eating. We took her back to the vets but on Sunday we were told there was nothing more they could do and we were called in to say goodbye to her."

Alabama rot What are the symptoms? Skin sores

Visible swelling

Reduced appetite

Drinking more

Vomiting

Lethargy

Betsys body will now be used for research by Anderson Moores Vet, which confirmed the dog died from Alabama rot.

Little is known about Alabama rot, although researchers believe that wet muddy conditions are somehow linked to what causes the disease.

Many of the dogs that have died from Alabama rot had been walking in muddy woodland areas during winter and spring months just before becoming ill.

The disease is a rare in the UK and is known to have affected 150 dogs in the UK between November 2012 and March 2018.

The Kennel Club said that reports of the disease seem to be on the increase, which could be because more dogs are becoming affected, or because vets and owners are more aware of the condition.

When Alabama rot was first noticed, most of the cases reported were around the New Forest area. Since then, affected dogs have been found throughout the UK.

The term Alabama rot was first used in the 1980s in reference to greyhounds that developed skin ulcers and kidney failure in the state of Alabama.
 Close Thousands gather to march against antisemitism through central London

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Tens of thousands of people attended a march against antisemitism in London on Sunday amid fears about rising antisemitic incidents sparked by the crisis in the Middle East.

The event was held the day after the latest in a series of pro-Palestinian protests in the capital called again for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson was among those attending and compared antisemitism with an old spore of a virus.

Tommy Robinson was arrested at the march after organisers had raised concerns and police warned the far-right was not welcome.

There was only one other arrest at the event, which was organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism.

It came as the Israeli military said that 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals had been released from captivity in Gaza, on the third day of a four-day truce.

The father of a young Irish-Israeli girl released by Hamas on Saturday has said she is doing better than expected, and has thanked the public for their support. Thomas Hand had feared his daughter Emily had been killed in the Hamas attacks but they were reunited at the weekend
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Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to raise the issue of the Parthenon sculptures with the UK next week.

He is reportedly due to hold talks with Labour leader Keir Starmer on Monday and prime minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday and will raise the subject with both.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Starmer was open to a potential loan deal that would see parts of the ancient sculptures returned. Labour declined to comment.

The 2,500-year-old sculptures, also known as the Eglin Marbles, were taken from Athens to Britain by agents of Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Eglin, in the early 19th century and never returned. Greece says they were stolen, sparking a bitter and long-running dispute with the UK.

Housed in their own dedicated room, the sculptures of Olympian gods and goddesses, centaurs and warriors are among the greatest at the British Museum.

Visitors view the Parthenon Marbles, also known as the Elgin Marbles, at the British Museum (AFP via Getty Images)

A 1963 Act of Parliament stops the British Museum from permanently handing them back.

George Osborne, the museums chair and the former Conservative Party MP and chancellor, has backed a loan deal.

I hope well find a way to partner with Greece so that a portion of the Marbles spend part of their time in Athens . . . and we see more of their treasures in return, he wrote in The Spectator last week. Mr Osborne conceded that we may well not succeed but that it was surely worth the effort.

The proposed deal, which Mr Osborne and Mr Mitsotakis have held secret talks over, would allow the sculptures to return to Athens in exchange for Greek treasures being displayed in London.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to meet with UK leaders next week (AP)

Many of the artworks in question are in storage in museum vaults and have never before been seen.

Mr Mitsotakis, who has said it is his passion to get the sculptures back, is scheduled to meet both party leaders next week. He intends to raise the issue in both meetings, a person close to him told the FT.

Mr Sunak is said to be not opposed to the idea of a loan deal but sceptical that the sculptures would ever be returned if they were loaned to Greece, according to the paper.

No 10 has been contacted for comment.

A UK government spokesperson told the FT: The UK has cared for the Elgin Marbles for generations.

Our galleries and museums are funded by taxpayers because they are a huge asset to this country. 

We share their treasures with the world, and the world comes to the UK to see them. The collection of the British Museum is protected by law, and we have no plans to change it.
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A nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl held hostage by Hamas has been reunited with her father.

Emily Hand was among a number of people to be freed by militants at the weekend in a deal which also saw Palestinians held in Israel released.

Video footage released by the Israeli Defence Forces has shown her running into her father Thomass arms at a location in Israel.

She had been abducted while at a sleepover in Kibbutz Beeri during the Hamas attack on October 7, along with her friend Hila, 13, who has also been released. Hilas mother, Raya Rotem, 54, is still being held in Gaza.

It is my great hope that Emily can now, despite all that she has endured, enjoy a happy and fulfilling life after what has been an unimaginable situation for such a young child Michael D Huggins, president of Ireland

Thomas Hand, originally from Dun Laoghaire in Dublin, thanked all the people who have supported his family.

Emily has come back to us, he said. We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again.

We appreciate the unwavering support. We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped and supported us during the last 50 days until Emilys return.

Mr Hand had previously spoken about how he was looking forward to giving her a huge hug.

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper that Emily would also be greeted by her beloved dog, Johnsie, and cuddly toys, and they are planning to give the girl  who spent her ninth birthday in captivity  the best birthday party she never had.

Irelands leaders, including Irish president Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin who met with Mr Hand as he campaigned for his daughters release, welcomed the news.

Irish president Michael D Higgins described the ordeal as a horrific time for all of her family.

In a statement, he said: It is my great hope that Emily can now, despite all that she has endured, enjoy a happy and fulfilling life after what has been an unimaginable situation for such a young child.

While we particularly recognise this important moment as an Irish-Israeli child is released, we must also retain a focus on what is now needed  a durable ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, and a commitment from all sides to engaging in the task of building what can be an enduring peace.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the country had breathed !a massive sigh of relief.

Our prayers have been answered, he said.

Irish people everywhere share in the relief of Emilys family. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the hostages in Gaza, but we followed particularly closely the fate of Emily, a dual Irish-Israeli citizen.

Mr Varadkar said that while Emily has been returned to her family, it must not be forgotten that many more hostages remain in captivity in Gaza.

Their fate is unknown but we hope that, like Emily, they will also be allowed to return to their homes and their families.

We think of all the families suffering in this troubled region, and we redouble our efforts to work for a permanent ceasefire, and for a just and lasting peace, he said.

Tanaiste and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, said he is delighted that Emily, a bright and beautiful young girl, has been released.

The people of Ireland have been touched by Emilys story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father Tom, he said.

He went on: I had the opportunity to meet Tom before travelling to the region, and I was struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughters release.

This is a message that I and my colleagues in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally, through political, diplomatic and security channels, in a bid to secure Emilys safe return.

I want to acknowledge the role played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved in securing the release of the hostages.

I am conscious today that many more hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. I reiterate my call that all hostages in Gaza should be released immediately and unconditionally.
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The Greek prime minister has compared the British Museums possession of the Elgin Marbles to the Mona Lisa painting being cut in half.

Athens has long demanded the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, which were removed from Greece by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said he will raise the issue during meetings with Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer in London this week.

Asked where the Parthenon Sculptures should be, Mr Mitsotakis told BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: I think the answer is very clear.

They do look better in the Acropolis Museum, a state-of-the-art museum that was built for that purpose.

He went on: This is not in my mind an ownership question, this is a reunification argument, where can you best appreciate what is essentially one monument?

I mean, its as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half, and you will have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum, do you think your viewers would appreciate the beauty of the painting in such a way?

Well, this is exactly what happened with the Parthenon sculptures and that is why we keep lobbying for a deal that would essentially be a partnership between Greece and the British Museum but would allow us to return the sculptures to Greece and have people appreciate them in their original setting.

British Museum chairman George Osborne, the former chancellor, has previously said he is exploring ways for the Elgin Marbles to be displayed in Greece.

There has been speculation this could involve some form of loan arrangement.

Sir Keir, who represents the Holborn & St Pancras constituency, home to the British Museum, will tell Mr Mitsotakis that Labour will not change the law regarding the marbles, The Financial Times reported.

One person close to Sir Keir told the paper: Were sticking with the existing law, but if a loan deal that is mutually acceptable to the British Museum and the Greek government can be agreed, we wont stand in the way.

The 1963 British Museum Act prevents the institution giving away objects from its collection except in very limited circumstances.

The Prime Minister, speaking in March, said that there were no plans to change a law over the sculptures.

Mr Mitsotakis said: We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations, but again, Im a patient man and weve waited for hundreds of years and I will persist in these discussions.

Asked if it can be done within his time as prime minister, he added: I would hope so, yes, I was just elected.

A British Museum spokesperson said: Discussions with Greece about a Parthenon Partnership are on-going and constructive.

We believe that this kind of long term partnership would strike the right balance between sharing our greatest objects with audiences around the world, and maintaining the integrity of the incredible collection we hold at the museum.
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A tweet by Irish premier Leo Varadkar referring to former Hamas hostage Emily Hand as having been lost has sparked ire in Israel.

The Taoiseach welcomed the release of the nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl on Saturday as a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family.

An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief.

Our prayers have been answered, he posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Israels foreign minister Eli Cohen accused Mr Varadkar of needing a reality check, saying Emily was not lost but kidnapped.

He said he has summoned the Irish ambassador in Tel Aviv for a reprimand following Mr Varadkars statement.

Mr Cohen posted on X at Mr Varadkar: Mr Prime Minister, It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organisation worse than Isis that murdered her stepmother.

Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you @LeoVaradkar are trying to legitimise and normalise terror. Shame on you!.

On Sunday Mr Varadkar said: I call for all hostages to be released without any conditions and always have done so. And the Irish Government has worked very hard over the last few weeks, with Egypt, with Qatar, with the Red Cross and also with Israel.

He told RTE that the most important thing was that Emily was at home with her family, adding thats all that really matters.

Mr Varadkar said that Israel had also called in the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium, with the Irish ambassador, and that all three will be happy to explain their countrys position to Israel on the conflict.

Earlier Irish Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said Mr Varadkar has been unambiguous in condemning the violence of Hamas.

The Taoiseach has been unambiguous in condemning the violence of Hamas and also calling for restraint from Israeli military forces, and what we have now seen in the release of Emily is a tribute to the work her father did, his dignity, his restraint, his leadership in awful circumstances, but it also shows what diplomacy by the Irish government by the Taoiseach, by the Tanaiste, and also by allies and partners in Egypt, in America and Qatar can achieve, he told the BBC.

I think even today we still need to reflect on what a quiet word and what a well made argument and the value of countries working together and what that can achieve.

In a statement on Sunday the Israeli embassy in Dublin said: For the past weeks we have been working tirelessly with Irish counterparts, and we are all happy to see the return of Emily Hand to her loving family.

Words matter, especially in war when lives are at stake, and when there is an increase of extreme discourse.

It is important to remember Emily was kidnapped by terrorists who knew very well where she was all this time  in their hands.

So too is still the fate for many Israeli men women and children who were kidnapped and are still held in Gaza.

We continue to work and call for their immediate release.
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The release of 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals, among them a nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl, has prompted relief as the temporary truce in Gaza continues to hold.

It came as tens of thousands of people gathered once again in central London to demand a permanent ceasefire.

Later on Sunday, there will be a 90-minute march in the capital organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism, with around 40,000-50,000 people expected to attend.

The gatherings come at a key stage in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as the two sides exchange hostages and prisoners.

The hostages were transferred to Israel late on Saturday night, after Hamas delayed the release by several hours, accusing Israel of violating the terms of a truce deal.

Israel was to free 39 Palestinians later on Saturday as part of the arrangement, with a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners to be freed during the four-day truce.

Nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand was one of those released after being held captive by Hamas in Gaza since the conflict started several weeks ago.

Irish premier Leo Varadkar described it as a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily and her family.

The march in London was the first major demonstration since the Armistice Day event, which saw scenes of violent disorder after counter-protesters clashed with officers.

Hundreds also gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy in Mayfair for a demonstration by Hizb-ut-Tahrir, in the first protest by the group since October 21 after a video emerged showing a man chanting jihad.

There was a heavy police presence in the capital, with 18 arrests made over the course of the day for a range of alleged offences  including suspicion of inciting racial hatred and suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: I would like to acknowledge the overwhelming majority who came into London today and exercised their right to protest lawfully.

Regrettably, there was still a small minority who believed the law did not apply to them. Thanks to the efforts of our CCTV teams and other officers, a number of those are already in custody.

Investigations into other offences are already under way and will continue in the coming days.

Orlando Fraser, the chairman of the Charity Commission, also warned on Sunday that the watchdog will not allow premises, events or online content to become forums for hate speech.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he said: The Charity Commission is aware of a significant number of serious concerns about activities linked to the conflict in Israel and Gaza.

These include charities representing communities across the religious divide, although these, to date, largely concern allegations of anti-Semitic or hate speech.

Charities must not allow their premises, events or online content to become forums for hate speech against any community or unlawful extremism.

He said that the body would not stand by and permit charities to be abused in this way.
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The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation after a GB News journalist alleged she was verbally abused in an intimidating encounter while reporting at the pro-Palestinian march on Saturday.

Katherine Forster described herself and her crew being surrounded by people all shouting in central London after she admitted to a persistent man that she was reporting for GB News.

The broadcaster posted on X, formerly Twitter, that it was a group of pro-Palestinian protesters that surrounded and verbally abused Ms Forster and the crew.

Reporting from the scene on Saturday, Ms Forster said: In the last hour or so we, the cameraman, our backwatcher, whos here to keep us safe, had really quite an unpleasant experience.

A guy on a tannoy shouting at us wanted to know who were broadcasting from. He wouldnt go away. He was very persistent.

Eventually I said GB News at that point he just, I cant tell you what he said, but it was vile, fascist scum, etcetera.

A group of people came round us, all shouting at us. I have to say, it was very intimidating.

She continued: We then moved to a completely different place and at the end of that live lo and behold he appeared again.

The police spoke to him and hes been moved on. Weve been told to stay here and were filing a police report.

If it wasn't for the press we wouldn't even know what was happening in Israel, in Gaza, but intimidating the press on the streets of London, not okay at all Katherine Forster

She added that most people were very peaceful at the protest.

Of course, its really important that the press can bring you the news, can tell you whats going on, Ms Forster went on.

If it wasnt for the press we wouldnt even know what was happening in Israel, in Gaza, but intimidating the press on the streets of London, not okay at all.

The Met Police posted on X, formerly Twitter: The right of the press to freely report on protests is no less important than the right to protest itself.

They should be able to do so without facing intimidation or aggression.

Officers spoke with the journalist and her team following this incident.

An investigation is under way.
Unfair contract terms in standard form consumer or small business contracts are now illegal after after new laws took effect on 9 November 2023.

The changes to the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), contained in the Treasury Laws Amendment (More Competition, Better Prices) Act 2022, also expand the class of contracts covered by the unfair contract terms regime and introduce significant civil penalties for businesses that include unfair terms in their standard form contracts.

Businesses are therefore encouraged to review their standard form contracts and remove or amend any unfair contract terms, while contracting parties should consider whether they are protected under the reforms.

What contracts are covered?

A contract will be within the scope of the unfair contract terms regime if it is a standard contract for goods or services or the grant of an interest in land, and one of the parties to the contract is a consumer or small business.

While a standard form contract is generally one where terms and conditions are put forward by one party, with the other party unable to negotiate or amend those terms and conditions. For example, some home building contracts or funeral services contracts.

Prior to the reforms, a court would determine if a contract was a standard form contract by considering factors including whether one of the parties had all or most of the bargaining power, and whether the contract was prepared by one party before any discussion of the transaction.

Additionally, a contract would be considered a standard form contract if the other party was required to accept or reject it, that is, take or leave it, and whether the other party was given an opportunity to negotiate the terms.

The new laws broaden these factors to also include the repeated use of the same or similar contract, and the number of times this has been done. While a contract may also be a standard form contract even where parties have negotiated minor or insubstantial changes or selected from predetermined contract term options.

While more small businesses will be protected by these reforms, which change the threshold for the number of employees and the small businesss annual turnover. Under the previous regime, small businesses had to have less than 20 employees, whereas now the number has increased to 100. Even if the organisation has more than 100 staff, they will still meet the threshold if their turnover is less than $10 million at the time the contract is entered, renewed or varied.

How is an unfair contract term defined

A term in a consumer or small business standard form contract will be considered unfair if the term would cause a significant imbalance in the parties rights and obligations, it is not reasonably necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the party who would be advantaged by the term and it would cause detriment  either financial or otherwise  to a party if the term was applied or relied upon. The courts may also consider the fairness of the term in the context of the contract as a whole and take into account the transparency of the contract in question.

What are the consequences of a failure to comply with the new law?

The reforms introduce significant penalties for businesses and individuals that include unfair contract terms in their standard form consumer or small business contracts.

For an individual, the maximum penalty is $2,500,000. While companies may be fined up to $50 million; or three times the value of the benefit obtained; or 30 per cent of the companys adjusted turnover.

Further, where courts previously found a term in a standard form contract unfair, it was automatically void. The reforms introduce additional remedies, extending the courts powers to make orders voiding, varying or refusing to enforce all  or part  of a contract. The court can also make orders to prevent the same or a similar term from being used in future contracts. Power has also been given to the court to make adverse publicity orders, disqualify a person from managing a corporation, or both.

These are significant consequences for businesses and should not be treated as being the cost of doing business.

What actions should businesses take now?

Businesses should proactively manage potential non-compliance to avoid liability.

Business should identify all contracts captured by the updated definition of small business contract, carefully review them and amend or remove terms that may be considered unfair.

Small business customer due diligence processes could be introduced to clarify whether the regime applies to a contract and update this information regularly. Negotiations with contracting parties should be clearly recorded to demonstrate that clauses have been discussed. It is also important to remember that standard form contracts need to be drafted in simple language and include terms only as broad as necessary to protect legitimate business interests.

Businesses should draw key terms to the attention of contracting parties during the sign-up or renewal process, this is a simple step that can help with compliance, and they should expressly advise customers that the standard form contract comprises proposed terms that can be negotiated.

Finally, its important to provide ongoing staff training to ensure personnel involved with negotiating and managing the businesss contracts understand the negotiation and contract management process, how the unfair contract terms regime applies, the consequences of breaches and the significance of penalties.

By understanding and maintaining key responsibilities and obligations under the new unfair contract terms regime, businesses will remain compliant and able to operate efficiently while also ensuring small business customers are treated fairly.

By Joanne Jary, Partner, and Kayla Plunkett, Lawyer, at Holding Redlich

Disclaimer

The information in this article is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavour to provide accurate and timely information, we do not guarantee that the information in this article is accurate at the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future.

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Labour wants to dramatically cut net migration to a couple of hundred thousand a year in its first term a senior frontbencher has said, as the party piles pressure on Rishi Sunak over last weeks shock figures.

Migration levels are now three times higher than they were before Brexit, with 745,000 more people arriving than leaving last year.

The revelation prompted a furious row within the Conservatives as former home secretary Suella Braverman accused ministers of a slap in the face.

The government has said it will leave no stone unturned in efforts to reduce the numbers, now very far from David Camerons tens of thousands target for 2015.

Shadow chief secretary Darren Jones said his party would hope to bring net migration down to what he said were normal levels of a couple of hundred thousand within five years.

Asked if he hoped to be able to return to that figure in the first term of a Labour government, he said: I think we probably would hope to do that, yes.

But he added that the Conservatives had left deep structural problems after 13 years in power during an appearance on the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

He said: We talked about a decade of national renewal, not because were being presumptuous about this election or indeed the next one but because we think the deep structural problems that weve been left from the Conservatives after the last 13 years is going to take time to fix, its going to take time to turn around.

On net migration, he said the normal level is a couple of hundred thousand a year but it depends on the needs in the economy. But he shied away from setting a target, saying that the Conservatives have tried to set targets and caps and failed every single year whilst theyve had them.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper also told The Sunday Times her party would hike the salary requirements for workers coming from overseas  currently 26,000  based on recommendations from the governments migration advisory committee.

Mr Sunak is under pressure on the issue after immigration minister Robert Jenrick submitted proposals to No 10 to raise the amount to 35,000, alongside a host of other measures.

Meanwhile, No 10 said it was committed to its Rwanda asylum policy after James Cleverly, the new home secretary, urged people not to fixate on it.

He faced an angry backlash from Tories on the right of the party for the comments and others warning that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, as many Conservative MPs want, risked undermining attempts to stop small boats crossing the Channel.

A cabinet minister played down any suggestions of a split between the prime minister and Mr Cleverly, insisting they were on the same page over the policy.

Laura Trott, chief secretary to the Treasury, told the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News that both men were saying it is part of the plan, it is not all of the plan.

Mr Sunak has pledged not to let a foreign court stop flights to Rwanda, with plans for a new treaty and emergency legislation he hopes can get flights in the air.
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Parliament has been hit with a cash for seats row as Nigel Farages Reform UK was forced to deny it offered cash to the Conservative deputy chairman Lee Anderson to defect.

Mr Anderson claimed that he had been offered "a lot of money" to join Reform, formerly the Brexit Party.

The outspoken MP, dubbed 30p Lee for his views on foodbanks and how much it costs to cook a meal from scratch, also claimed Labour plans to bring in votes at 16 would kill off the Tories for generations.

Mr Farage, who is currently appearing in the latest series of ITVs Im a Celebrity, is the Reform partys honorary president.

A secret recording taped Mr Anderson telling activists: "Now there is a political party that begins with an R that offered me a lot of money to join them. I say a lot of money, I mean a lot of money, according to the Sunday Times.

He also claimed a Labour government would bring in votes for 16-year-olds, telling his audience if they do that, you might as well just rip your memberships up now, because you'll never see a Conservative (government), not in my lifetime, again... we're done for, you know, for generations.

Richard Tice, the current leader of Reform, rejected the claim, made by Mr Anderson at a event at South Cambridgeshire Conservative Association last month.

Mr Tice said: "These are the same libellous allegations first made by (Chief Whip) Simon Hart MP back in February.

"He heard from my lawyers. That case is still live to be progressed at my choosing.

Later he told the BBC that: Whats really happened here is that Lee Anderson has used the threat of defecting to Reform to negotiate himself the deputy chairmanship of the Tory party because this story first appeared almost exactly the same, in the time back in February when coincidentally, he was made deputy chairman of the Tory party. He added: Im very happy to confirm that Ive had numerous discussions with a number of Tory MPs, ministers, former ministers, who are absolutely furious with the complete betrayal of the Governments promises, furious with the failure to stop the boats, furious with opening the borders to mass immigration.

Mr Anderson is a favourite of Tory activists and MPs on the right of the party and has a show on GB News, where Mr Farage is also a host.

Earlier this month, the MP for Ashford appeared to challenge Rishi Sunaks authority when he suggested ministers should "ignore the law" and start sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Just hours before the latest claims broke, the prime minister warned dissatisfied Tory voters that backing Reform would put Labour in Downing Street.

"A vote for everyone who is not a Conservative is a vote to put Keir Starmer into office," Mr Sunak told the Mail on Sunday.

It was reported earlier this year that Mr Hart had reported Reform UK to the Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle over allegations the party had offered MPs who defected a full salary for five years - even if they lost their seats.

Mr Rice at the time labelled the claims as "nonsense".

The Conservatives whip's office declined to comment.

Mr Anderson has been approached for comment.
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Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who fatally shot two Black Lives Matter protesters in Wisconsin in 2020, has now gone broke, according to his lawyer.

Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, died after Mr Rittenhouse, then 17 years old, fired a semi-automatic AR-15-style assault rifle at them during a night of unrest in Kenosha, as hundreds gathered to protest the police shooting of Black man Jacob Blake.

Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, was also shot but survived.

After the shootings, Mr Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and two charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

Mr Rittenhouse, now 20, argued he fired in self-defence after each of the men attacked him.

In 2021, a jury acquitted him of all charges.

Since then, Mr Rittenhouse has made regular appearances in right-wing media and recently announced the release of his new book, titled Acquitted, which he describes as a story of survival, resilience, and justice.

But, despite his infamy, Mr Rittenhouses lawyer has revealed the 20-year-old has lost all his money since his acquittal.

Kyle Rittenhouse has gone broke since his acquittal, according to his lawyer (2021, Sean Krajacic, Kenosha News, All rights reserved)

He is working, he is trying to support himself. Everybody thinks that Kyle got so much money from this. Whatever money he did get is gone, lawyer Mark Richards told Court TV.

Hes living, I dont want to say paycheck to paycheck, but hes living to support himself. Obviously, as his lawyer and somebody who I want to do well, I hope he does re-engage in his studies.

But right now he is working full-time, he is living a law-abiding life and he is doing something that he enjoys.

Mr Rittenhouse has previously been open about his financial situation, appearing on Fox News to plead for donations to his legal fund.

Despite being acquitted in criminal court, the 20-year-old is currently facing a lawsuit filed by John Huber, the father of Anthony Huber.

Mr Huber filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Mr Rittenhouse, Kenosha city officials and its police force accusing them of violating his sons constitutional rights.

Mr Rittenhouse has raised $250,000 in donations for a legal defence fund to fight the lawsuit.

The estate of Joseph Rosenbaum also filed a wrongful death suit against Mr Rittenhouse in August of this year for compensatory and punitive damages.

Mr Rittenhouses trial and acquittal were divisive, with prosecutors portraying him as a wannabe soldier who had gone looking for trouble, while his supporters regarded him as a patriot who took a stand against lawlessness.

Controversy has continued to surround the 20-year-old in the aftermath of the trial, as he has slammed the media and officials including President Joe Biden and campaigned for gun rights.

Earlier this year, he joined gun rights activists in opposing a Texas state House bill that sought to raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21, in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting a year earlier.

Meanwhile, in July, he filed papers with the Texas secretary of states office to establish The Kyle Rittenhouse Foundation, a non-profit which seeks to protect human and civil rights secured by law, including an individuals inalienable right to bear arms and ensure the Second Amendment is preserved through education and legal assistance.
 Close Smoke billows from Niagara Falls explosion as two people dead in vehicle blast

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Police in Niagara Falls have warned the public about the dangers of misinformation about the deadly crash at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing.

Kurt and Monica Villani, both 53 and from Grand Island, New York, were killed last Wednesday when their speeding Bentley rammed into the border crossing, which connects the US and Canada.

The blast instantly sparked fears of a terrorist attack, but officials later ruled this out.

Now, investigators are still working to piece together what caused the deadly crash with authorities probing the possibility of a mechanical failure on the car or a medical emergency involving the driver.

Police are also using 3D scanning technology to help create a digital crash scene.

While information remains scant, Niagara police chief of police hit out at the rampant speculation which is causing significant and unnecessary anxiety within the local community.

We saw an immense amount of misinformation and speculation on both mainstream and social media platforms, which created significant and unnecessary anxiety in the community, he said.
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Tributes are pouring in for the New York couple who were killed in the fiery car crash on the Rainbow Bridge which connects the US and Canada.

The couple were named by police on Friday as Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani, though devastated friends, neighbours and loved ones in the upstate New York community of Grand Island knew the victims identities before they were officially confirmed.

Grand Island locals hailed the Villanis, who were owners of a small-business, as ingrained and influential members of the community, always happy to help with charitable causes and community projects.

Everybody knows everybody on Grand Island... Its the smallest town of small towns, Eric Fiebelkorn, president of the Chamber of Commerce on Grand Island, told The Buffalo News.

They are a very generous and community-oriented family. It leaves a void in our small-town business community that will be very difficult to fill. Our prayers and our thoughts certainly go out to their family and staff.

There are some people who are always plugged in. Their family always was.

The husband and wife were members of Niagara Sailing Club on Grand Island, the clubs treasurer Scott Henderson told NBC-affiliate-WGRZ.

Police stand guard as the Peace Bridge, one of four major crossings into the US from Canada, is closed after a car crashed and exploded at The Rainbow Bridge on 22 November 2023 (Getty Images)

Not only were people talking but then I made an announcement and some people were just incredibly shocked, he said.

Its just not only a younger couple like that, but so ingrained and influential in this community.

The couples friend Chuck Meyer also revealed his shock when he learned that the tragedy broadcast on national news involved those close to him.

I got home yesterday (Wednesday). I didnt know anything other than hearing things on the news about the border, and then saw that their driveway was filled up with all these cars, he told the local outlet on Thursday.

I thought, Oh, theyre having Christmas or Thanksgiving early, and like, thats really nice. And then about an hour later, heard the news and Im like, oh my God.

Mr Villanis father, Kurt Villani Sr, had also been a well-known figure in Grand Island, prior to his death in August last year.

Niagara Falls Mayor Robert M Restaino, a long-time friend of Mr Villani Sr, paid tribute to the couple, describing them as two kind, easygoing people.

Our families have known each other for decades. I knew Kurt and Monica, two kind, easygoing and very hardworking people, Mr Restaino told The Buffalo News.

He added: This was just a tragic, horrible incident, and because of the condition of the vehicle and sadly the human remains, we may never find out exactly what happened.

The Villanis had a son and a daughter, and are also survived by Mr Villanis mother, according to Mr Restaino.

Investigators are still probing what led to the fiery crash on the bridge, that sparked a security scare and prompted the brief closure of four US-Canadian border crossings on Wednesday.

The Niagara Falls Police Departments Crash Management Unit has taken over the investigation after federal agencies, including the FBI, determined that the incident was not terror-related.

A sign indicates that all bridges between the US and Canada are closed after a car crashed and exploded at The Rainbow Bridge on 22 November 2023 (Getty Images)

Due to the complexity of the incident, the investigation will take some time to complete, Niagara Falls Police Department Superintendent John Faso said in a statement.

Video of the crash, caught on security camera and posted to X, by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, showed the car travelling from the US side at high speed, then hitting a curb and flying into the air before crashing to the ground and exploding in flames.

The driver and passenger both died. A CBP officer also suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital and released.

The crash unfolded at a time of heightened security concerns around the world stemming from the Israel-Hamas conflict and at the peak of US holiday travel on the eve of Thanksgiving celebrations.

The Rainbow Bridge and all three other border crossings along the Niagara River between western New York and the Canadian province of Ontario  the Peace Bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and the Whirlpool Bridge  were shut for several hours as a precaution.

The three bridges that were not involved were reopened early Wednesday evening, before the Rainbow Bridge reopened on Thursday.

Additional reporting from the agencies
Sadly nobody would dispute that Britain, since the Brexit referendum, has become a more inward-looking place. European politics has become a place apart. But this doesnt just apply to Conservatives. The shock and befuddlement of British liberals at the election results in the Netherlands  which saw the far right led by Geert Wilders score a historic win  is part of this. Consumed by culture wars that started in 2016, the UK as a whole has missed the EUs own anti-migrant turn.

From Wilderss party, campaigning against an asylum tsunami, clinching the top spot in the Netherlands, to the anti-migrant bus-burning and mass violence which erupted in the heart of Dublin this week, not to mention polling surges for the Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) and Marine Le Pens party in France, politics across the continent is reacting to historic levels of migration  which the far right has capitalised on.

In 2022, nearly a million asylum seekers arrived in the EU, Switzerland and Norway, on top of some four million Ukrainians who had already sought safety there. Asylum requests in the EU have soared 38 per cent since 2019, nearing heights of 2015-2016, when the European press last spoke of a migration crisis. These numbers are alarming European leaders, not only because they suggest that none of the measures put in place in 2016 proved sufficient, but because they are alarming European voters.
 Close Huge cracks appear on roads in Icelandic town at risk of volcanic eruption

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Around 120 earthquakes have rocked the areas surrounding the town of Grindavik as they await a likely eruption, report the Icelandic Met Office.

It comes as the exact location for an eruption has been revealed by the Icelandic Met Office, which says it is still considered likely.

Experts at the Icelandic Met Office have issued a key update after a study of data from GPS stations and satellite images showed an uplift continues in the area of Svartsengi, north of Grindavik.

The Met Office stated that the eruption is still considered likely as the magma inflow continues, adding that the highest likelihood for an eruption is in the middle part of the dike between Hagafell and Sylingarfell.

Earthquake activity has also led to the deepening of the port at Grindavik, according to RUV.

The change in depth is because of the earthquakes impact, said the port manager Sigurur Arnar Kristmundsson.

He told RUV: The docks seem to have sunk by 20-30 centimeters when we measured about 10 days ago and then there is a chance that, yes, the bottom has sunk accordingly.

A fortnight ago, Grindavik was evacuated after magma-induced seismic activity tore vast chasms through the streets.
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Israel's Foreign Ministry said Sunday that it would summon the Irish ambassador over a tweet celebrating the release of a 9-year-old girl from Hamas captivity, alleging the post didn't adequately condemn the militant group.

Earlier Sunday, the Irish prime minister lauded the release of Emily Hand, an Israeli-Irish girl whose story has captivated both nations.

An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.

The girl was initially believed to have been killed in the Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel by Hamas and other militants. A month ago, her father learned that she was actually alive and among about 240 people held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

The Hamas attack, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel, triggered a blistering Israeli air and ground assault on Gaza in which at least 13,300 Palestinians, about two thirds of them women and children, have died.

Emily was one of 17 hostages released by Hamas on Saturday, the second day of a four-day cease-fire that allowed critical humanitarian aid into Gaza and gave civilians their first respite after seven weeks of war.

Israeli government officials criticized Varadkar's tweet, arguing that it cast what happened to Emily as a disappearance rather than a violent abduction by Hamas militants.

Mr. Prime Minister, It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check! Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen tweeted. He alleged that Varadkar was trying to legitimize and normalize terror, and summoned the Irish ambassador to Israel for a reprimand.

Irish government figures came quickly to the prime ministers defense. The Irish minister for public expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, said Varadkar has been unambiguous in condemning the violence of Hamas and also calling for restraint from Israeli military forces.

Irelands foreign affairs department said that the government has been clear at every stage that all hostages abducted by Hamas should be released immediately and unconditionally. It said the Irish ambassador was to meet Israeli Foreign Ministry officials on Monday.

The summons is the third issued by Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Israel has also called in the ambassadors of Belgium and Spain after the countries' leaders criticized Israel for the high civilian death toll in Gaza. The Spanish leader also called for European Union recognition of a Palestinian state.

___

Sylvia Hui contributed to this report from London.
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President Joe Biden denounced the unthinkable actions of Hamas after a four-year-old girl with American citizenship whose parents were killed by terrorists last month was released from inside Gaza on Sunday as part of a hostage agreement.

That four-day truce is currently underway in the northern Gaza Strip where Israeli forces have been bombarding the city for weeks; Hamas militants, following a shockingly bloody attack that killed roughly 1,200 across southern Israel last month, continue to hold dozens of hostages within the Palestinian territory.

On Sunday, Israel confirmed that Abigail Edan, four, had been among hostages released by the militant group into the care of the Red Cross. Her immediate condition was unknown.

Thank God she is home, Mr Biden said of Abigail on Sunday, as he addressed Americans from Nantucket. What she endured is unthinkable.

He also expressed a hope that Israel and Hamas would extend a four-day ceasefire that is set to end tomorrow; Israels military has publicly vowed to resume the bombing once the arrangement concludes.

This is a day by day approach, the president told reporters. Hour by hour, nothing is guaranteed.

The release of 50 or more hostages out of the 240 taken by the militant group was expected to occur over the course of the fightings pause, which began on Friday. In exchange, Israel has agreed to release 150 Palestinians, including women and children, who were being held in Israeli prisons.

At his home in Nantucket on Sunday, Mr Biden confirmed that 58 hostages in total had been released by Hamas since the beginning of the truce. He added that the deal was structured to allow for an extension beyond the deadline, should another agreement for the release of more hostages be struck.

Just a short time earlier Sunday morning, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had refused to go into much detail about the fates of as many as nine American citizens currently believed to be held by the militant group, including Abigail, on a series of morning show interviews. The presidents adviser had said that US officials did not even have proof of life in the case of those American hostages, and added that two American women were also thought to be among the first group of hostages Hamas militants would release during the truce.

Abigail Edan (AP)

The initial hostage deal involves the release of women and children and there are three Americans in that category: two women and one young child. And we have reason to believe that one of those Americans will be released today. But until we see her out  safely from Gaza, in the hands of the authorities and ultimately in the hands of her family  then we won't be certain. But we have reason to believe that there will be one release today, said Mr Sullivan on NBCs Meet the Press. He also appeared on CBSs Face the Nation.

But he cautioned that nothing was certain, especially given the lack of direct communications between the Biden administration and Hamass leadership.

We have not gotten proof of life on any of them, and we do not know for certain that all three of them are still alive, he told NBC on Sunday.

The status of the bulk of the hostages taken by Hamas had been unclear for weeks as Israels military launched a brutal air and ground invasion of the northern Gaza Strip. Some 14,800 Palestinians are believed to have been killed since the bombardment began.

On Friday, after weeks of growing outrage and calls for peace around the world, the two sides began a negotiated pause to the fighting which saw the first real relief for civilians caught in the crossfire since the fighting began. Calls continue in the US for the Biden administration to take further steps to temper Israels military response and to call for a permanent ceasefire with a negotiated end to the conflict.

Mr Biden has remained steadfast in his public support for Israel, however, while his administration continues to reject the growing contingent within his party calling for him to step in and demand a peaceful resolution.
Dr Tomotaka Shoji, Director of the Regional Research Division at the National Institute for Defense Studies under the Japanese Ministry of Defense. Photo by VNA

Dr Tomotaka Shoji, Director of the Regional Research Division at the National Institute for Defense Studies under the Japanese Ministry of Defense, said Vietnam-Japan relations have potential for further development.

In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency's resident correspondent ahead of President Vo Van Thuongs official visit to Japan from 27-30, the Japanese scholar said that in the context that this year marks the 50th founding anniversary of Japan-Vietnam diplomatic ties and the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation, the visit is an opportunity for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Thuong to reaffirm the strength of the bilateral relations and further development of bilateral/multilateral ties.

According to Dr. Shoji, Japanese people consider Vietnam an ideal tourist destination due to its close geographical location, attractive sites and cuisine. He assessed that Vietnam is a very fast-growing economy and its people are full of energy.

He also expressed his delight that Vietnamese people feel familiar with Japan and Japanese people find that Vietnamese people are very friendly, especially when there are many Vietnamese people living in the East Asian country. The feeling of familiarity plays an important role in promoting Japan's cooperation with Vietnam, he continued.

Regarding the strengths of the Vietnam-Japan relations, Shoji affirmed that the two countries can establish and maintain strong bilateral relations thanks to geographical proximity, ethnic sympathy, and economic complementarity and converging strategic interests.

He said that the first strength is economic collaboration, emphasizing that bilateral cooperation in this field has obtained strong progress. Japan has long valued economic cooperation in its foreign policy. With strong economic potential, Japan wants to promote its advantages to strengthen relations with Vietnam. Security is also a very important area of cooperation, Shoji said, elaborating that the two sides have many prospects for cooperation in this regard.

Touching on challenges in the bilateral relations, he said that despite good relations between the two countries, Vietnam and Japan still need to resolve a number of issues, including policies relating to technical apprentices. It is necessary for the two countries to maintain and deepen their relationship by collaborating more in areas such as sustainable economy, environmental protection and regional security. He expressed his confidence that cooperation in the economic and security fields between the two countries will continue to develop in the coming time.

Shoji noted that there are many issues that affect not only Vietnam and Japan, but also other countries in the world, such as climate change. Each country is facing different problems, such as the environment. Therefore, he believed that Japan and Vietnam should work together to solve these problems and this could be a potential area of cooperation in the future.
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A container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire came under attack by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean as Israel wages war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, an American defense official said Saturday.

The attack Friday on the CMA CGM Symi comes as global shipping increasingly finds itself targeted in the weekslong war that threatens to become a wider regional conflict  even as a truce has halted fighting and Hamas exchanges hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The defense official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said the Malta-flagged vessel was suspected to have been targeted by a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone while in international waters. The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship but not injuring any of its crew.

We continue to monitor the situation closely, the official said. The official declined to explain why the U.S. military believed Iran was behind the attack.

Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab satellite channel that is politically allied with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, reported that an Israeli ship had been targeted in the Indian Ocean. The channel cited anonymous sources for the report, which Iranian media later cited.

CMA CGM, a major shipper based in Marseille, France, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the vessel's crew had been behaving as though they believed the ship faced a threat.

The ship had its Automatic Identification System tracker switched off since Tuesday when it left Dubai's Jebel Ali port, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. It had done the same earlier when traveling through the Red Sea past Yemen, home to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

The attack is likely to have been targeted, due to the vessels Israeli affiliation through Eastern Pacific Shipping, the private intelligence firm Ambrey told the AP. The vessels AIS transmissions were off days prior to the event, indicating this alone does not prevent an attack.

The Symi is owned by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is a company ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. A phone number for Eastern Pacific Shipping in Singapore rang unanswered Saturday, while no one responded to a request for comment sent by email. The Israeli military also did not respond to a request for comment.

In November 2022, the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon, also associated with Eastern Pacific, sustained damage in a suspected Iranian attack off Oman.

Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment. However, Tehran and Israel have been engaged in a yearslong shadow war in the wider Middle East, with some drone attacks targeting Israeli-associated vessels traveling around the region.

In the Israel-Hamas war, which began with the militants' Oct. 7 attack, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship in the Red Sea off Yemen. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq also have launched attacks on American troops in both Iraq and Syria during the war, though Iran itself has yet to be linked directly to an attack.

Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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Warning: This feed contains distressing scenes.

Watch a view of an Israeli prison and the Rafah border crossing as more hostages and prisoners are released as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal on Sunday, 26 November.

Three groups of hostages and prisoners have so far been released by the militant group and Israel respectively.

On Friday, 13 Israelis were freed after weeks of being held captive inside Gaza.

Seventeen more hostages were released on Saturday - including a nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl whose father originally thought she was dead.

They were among 240 people kidnapped by Hamas during the 7 October attack on Israel when 1,200 people were killed.

A four-year-old American girl, Abigail Edan, was released as part of this group.
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Watch as an Israeli doctor gives an update about the condition of 12 Israeli hostages admitted to hospital early on Sunday, 26 November, after they were released from 50 days in Hamas captivity.

The five women and seven children in Safra childrens hospital at the Sheba Medical Centre were released on Saturday, together with another young Israeli woman and four Thai nationals.

They were among 17 freed hostages including a nine year-old girl who was feared dead by her family after the Hamas attacks on 7 October.

Irish-Israeli Emily Hand was reunited with her father after weeks of being held captive in Gaza, with emotional footage capturing the moment the pair hugged for the first time.

"Emily has come back to us. We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again," her family said in a statement.

It is the second release of hostages since the ceasefire began. On Friday, 24 were released from Gaza and transported through the Rafah crossing into Egypt after seven weeks in captivity.

Saturday's hostage release was the second since the ceasefire began - 24 hostages in Gaza were released on Friday and transported through the Rafah crossing into Egypt after seven weeks in captivity.
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Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the Gaza ceasefire by at least one more day to allow for more hostage releases.

On Thursday, just minutes before the six-day ceasefire was due to expire, Israels military said in a statement the truce will continue.

In light of the mediators efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework, the operational pause will continue, said the Israeli statement released on Thursday.

Hamas announced in a separate statement that a consensus had been reached to extend the ceasefire for a seventh day.

Qatar said the two sides had agreed to extend the truce for an additional day (today, Thursday) under the existing conditions, which are a cessation of all military activities and the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The extension of the ceasefire had been uncertain up until the last hour as Israel and Hamas couldnt come to an agreement over the new list of Israeli hostages slated for release from Gaza.

The truce between Hamas and Israel was due to expire at 7am local time (5am GMT).

Earlier, Hamas had claimed that Israel had declined to receive seven women and child hostages and the bodies of three others, who the militant group said were killed during the Israeli militarys bombardment of Gaza, in exchange for a temporary truce extension on Thursday.

This is despite confirming through mediators that this group is all the (Hamas) movement has in terms of detainees in the agreed-upon category, Hamas said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera.

Hamas freed 16 Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for 30 Palestinian women and child prisoners late on Wednesday.

Qatar, a key mediator of the truce negotiations, said that 10 of the freed captives were included in the current truce arrangement, while four Thai citizens and two Russian-Israelis were freed outside the terms of that agreement.

A Thai national waves an Israeli flag while walking to a bus leaving the Shamir Hospital in Ramle, Israel, Wednesday, 29 November 2023, on his way back to Thailand, after being released from Hamas custody. International mediators on Wednesday worked to extend the truce in Gaza, encouraging Hamas militants to keep freeing hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and further relief from Israel's air and ground offensive (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press All rights reserved)

Meanwhile, Qatars foreign affairs ministry stated that further negotiations are ongoing in hopes of reaching a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

During the six-day ceasefire, authorities said that 97 Israeli and foreign hostages were released by Hamas and 210 Palestinians were freed from Israeli prisons.

Just before announcing the ceasefire extension, both Israel and Hamas had resorted to increasingly aggressive rhetoric, with the Israeli military saying it was ready for the next stage of the war.

Over the past few days Ive been hearing this question  will Israel go back to fighting after maximising this phase of returning our hostages? So my answer is unequivocal  yes, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Hamas military wing had also asked its fighters to be ready for combat in case the ceasefire was not extended. The Al-Qassam Brigades had earlier on Telegram asked the fighters to maintain a high combat readiness.
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A four-day truce has started which will see a total of 50 Israeli hostages released in exchange for 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

In this deal the first two groups of hostages - 26 Israeli women and children held in captivity by Hamas militants in Gaza - were released on Friday and Saturday.

At the same time, a total of 78 Palestinian women and children - three for every Israeli - were expected to be released from Israeli prisons, with the inmates handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and gathered at Israels Ofer military jail before going home.

Marah Bakir, right, a former Palestinian prisoner who was released by the Israeli authorities, at her family home in east Jerusalem (AP)

The exchange has thrown a spotlight on Palestinian women and minors jailed in Israel, a surge in arrests since Hamass bloody attack on 7 October and accusations of arbitrary detention, and unfair trial - something Israel vehemently denies.

When news first broke of a ceasefire deal Israel released a list of 300 names in Hebrew of detainees that it said would be eligible for release. Israel has said the Qatari-brokered truce can be extended by a day for every 10 additional Israeli hostages that are released.

In tandem, there will be the additional release of Palestinians. Israel has said it refused to include prisoners convicted of murder on the release lists but those convicted of attempted murder, however, could be.

Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy accused the Palestinian prisoners due to be released of having blood on their hands, telling Sky News they were convicted of stabbing and shooting attacks.

Former Palestinian female prisoner Hanna Barghouti wears a Hamas headband while she is received by supporters upon her arrival in the West Bank town of Beitunia (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

On the list are 123 minors, with the youngest aged 14 who was arrested in May on offences listed as sabotage activity assault against a police officer and throwing stones. He is one of five who are also 14 years old.

The eldest on the list is 59 year old Hanan Saleh Barghouti who was arrested in September and released on Friday. She was among several being held in administrative detention, which means a person is held without trial or charge - something international and Palestinian rights groups said could amount to arbitrary detention and so a war crime.

Rights groups say that there has been a record high number of arrests of Palestinians since Hamas launched its bloody 7 October attack on southern Israel, abducting approximately 240 people.

Palestinian rights group Addameer told The Independent that since then they have documented more than 3,100 cases of arrest of Palestinians including 100 women and 40 journalists.

Eighty per cent of those arrested since 7 October are being held - like Hanan - in administrative detention. They believe there now 7,000 Palestinians in Israel jails, among that number are 200 child prisoners and 62 women.

Former Palestinian prisoners were released on the first day of a four-day cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The Israeli prisons service said there are more than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in the country. The Israeli military has said repeatedly is conducting counter terrorism raids and is apprehending wanted terror suspects.

Amnesty international says right now more than 2,000 Palestinians are being held in administrative detention - which is a historic high and a significant increase from 1,300 administrative detentions recorded before 7 October.

In a report released earlier this month the rights group said: Administrative detention is one of the key tools through which Israel has enforced its system of apartheid against Palestinians. Israel denies any such characterisation.

The report also said that there was mounting evidence of torture, with detainees stripped, beaten and humiliated in recent weeks. Israel vehemently denies these accusations.

An Israeli prison transport vehicle carries Palestinian prisoners released by the Israeli authorities from Ofer military prison near Jerusalem on Friday (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The Independent has documented testimony from Palestinians of Israelis in military uniform beating, stripping, urinating on and attempting to sexual assault Palestinians in the occupied West Bank - an incident the military said it was investigating. It follows other reports of violence that have appeared in videos which the military said was deplorable and does not comply with the armys orders. 

Addameers Tala Nasir said that they have documented that six prisoners and detainees have died in Israeli custody since 7 October. Two of the four were workers from the Gaza Strip held incommunicado in military detention centres.

In a statement released last month International Committee for the Red Cross has confirmed that Palestinian prisoners have been denied contact with their families and lawyers since 7 October.

Addameer said that around 3,000 workers from Gaza who were in Israel on the day of the attack were detained and then deported them to Gaza through Karem Abu Salem crossing. However, Addameer says the fate of around 700 workers remains unknown.
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A man who found what appeared to be a webcam filming his Airbnb stay has called it a huge invasion of privacy.

Ian Timbrell, 41, found the camera tucked between two sofa cushions in the flat where he had booked a room.

Sharing the experience on Twitter/X, he posted a photo of himself pointing at the camera, alongside the caption: OK, normal or weird? My Airbnb has a webcam watching the whole living room.

Am I wrong to have unplugged it? Seems like a huge invasion of privacy to me!

Mr Timbrell, who lives in Cardiff and provides LGBT+ inclusion training in schools, was staying in the Welsh seaside town of Aberystwyth for work when the incident occurred.

He had paid around 40 for a room in the private home, with one other guest also staying there.

And the issues didnt end there; he then shared video of the property, detailing how the kitchen had been infested with flies.

So, after finding the creepy webcam in my Airbnb its now been infested with flies.

Look at them all on the floor, there are absolutely hundreds of them in this house. It is disgusting.

He added: So, at 8 oclock at night, Im going to have to find somewhere else to stay in a town I dont know at all.

Mr Timbrell posted one further video, saying hed managed to find alternative accommodation: Finally, found a place with no hidden cameras and no flies! Time for a nice glass of wine and pretend that that creepy place, that was like the beginning of a horror film, never existed.

He said he had reported the incident to Airbnb.

Lesson learned, hotel stays from now on, he added.

Airbnb told The Independent: The presence and location of the device was disclosed in the listing description before booking, However we appreciate that our guest did not have a positive experience. While the guest did not contact us about this, we have proactively reached out to offer support and the host has fully refunded them. We enforce strict rules on recording devices and take action on rare issues brought to our attention.

The home sharing platform says it forbids recording devices that are intentionally concealed and states hosts are not allowed cameras in or that observe private spaces like bedrooms, bathrooms, or sleeping areas.

Cameras in communal spaces are permitted if property owners are up front about it with guests and let them know ahead of time.
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Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue  and what it means for you.

Barry Freeman was waiting on the platform at Amsterdam Centraal when the first Eurostar train from London St Pancras drew in. Back in February 2018, the British expatriate with an interest in rail excellence recognised the significance of the event. One of the key international air markets in Europe, linking the capitals of the UK and the Netherlands, was now an intercity rail route.

London-Brussels-Rotterdam-Amsterdam was a dream trip for rail passengers keen to reach the Netherlands without the hassle of flying or (for those who stick to terrestrial travel) changing from train to ship and back again.

It was, initially, only a one-way miracle. The big problem: Eurostar relies on juxtaposed border controls. All continent-bound travellers are cleared into the European Union while still at London St Pancras International. Five years ago, when the UK was still pretending to be in the EU, that was no problem: French frontier officials simply checked that every British passenger had a valid passport, and that it belonged to them. Inbound from Amsterdam, though, it took time to create a space inside the beautiful-but-constrained Centraal station for the mandatory security checks and passport formalities.

Then the UK government got Brexit done  and successfully negotiated for British travellers to have the same status as people from Tonga and Venezuela, vis a vis the European Union. The EU delivered exactly what we asked for: that every UK citizen must have their passport scrutinised for evidence of overstaying, and stamped.

The British decision took effect in 2021 and multiplied the time taken for each UK traveller. As a result, Eurostar must cap passenger numbers on trains leaving Amsterdam for London.

Now the Dutch want to renovate Amsterdam Centraal. The British did the same with another 19th-century gem, London St Pancras  but had the huge advantage of Eurostar trains running in and out of London Waterloo until the new terminus was good and ready.

Such is the scale of the work at the Dutch end of the route that the security-plus-passports operation required to board passengers for London has been squeezed out. Trains from Britain can still arrive and disgorge passengers, who can stride into the city centre or (my preference) take a free ferry across to Amsterdam Noord. But direct trains are simply not possible in the opposite direction. They will, instead, run empty to Brussels.

Nicky Gardner, co-author of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide, says: Eurostar is a victim here of behaving like an airline  with dedicated terminals and security. This is, of course, imposed on Eurostar by the UK governments insistence on segregated handling of Eurostar passengers and checking immigration status prior to boarding trains.

The train not departing from the Dutch capital is a casualty of Brexit, she says: Eurostars exceptionalism and that need for dedicated terminals is the direct result of Britains difficult relationship with its EU neighbours.

Thousands of passengers from beyond Dutch borders arrive every day in the Netherlands. Though trains from abroad arrive at over a score of Dutch stations.

But Eurostars need for dedicated terminals just undermines the flexibility that normally comes with cross-border rail travel. Passengers from the Netherlands on direct trains to Belgium, Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland wont be so seriously affected by the Dutch infrastructure work in 2024, as those trains dont need dedicated terminals.

One of rail travels permanently optimistic characters is Mark Smith, The Man in Seat 61. He says things could be worse: It sounds like a decent compromise. The feared 12 months has been cut to six. London Amsterdam, Amsterdam-London has a Brussels shuffle. But some of the extra time is recovered by there no longer being any need to add check-in time at Amsterdam.

Barry Freeman, meanwhile, has an appealingly simple solution: The UK should join the Schengen area then none of this malarkey will need to take place.

While little in travel is certain these days, I cant quite see that happening in the next seven months.
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The earth is at its most restless in Iceland right now. The Reykjanes peninsula, southwest of Reykjavik, is seething with seismic activity sparking hundreds of small earthquakes.

The town of Grindavik, just 10 miles south of Keflavik International Airport, has been evacuated as a precaution.

Yet flights are continuing to arrive and depart as normal. These are the key questions and answers on consumer rights.

I am in Iceland. Will I be able to leave?

Yes, assuming the international airport remains open. So far operations have been normal. You may be keen to leave earlier than booked, in order to guarantee your getaway, but at present you will not be able to switch flights without paying a penalty.

A spokesperson for British Airways told The Independent: Our flights are operating as planned and we continue to monitor the situation closely.

The earthquakes have struck just 10 miles south of Icelands main airport, Keflavik International Airport, but the UK foreign office have said travel can go ahead (Vafri.is)

We will be in touch with customers directly should the situation change.

The easyJet statement is very similar: Our flying schedule is currently operating as normal however we are monitoring the situation closely and should this change we will contact customers directly to advise on their flights.

But didnt an Icelandic volcano shut down European aviation for a week?

Yes. Travellers may remember where they were in April 2010, when the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull erupted. The skies of northern Europe completely closed to passenger aviation for almost a week because of fears that volcanic ash spreading southeast from Iceland could damage aircraft engines and endanger travellers.

More than 50,000 flights, with eight million passengers booked to travel, were cancelled.

So far in 2023, though, ash has not been an issue in the current geological outburst.

Icelands Blue Lagoon has been closed as a precuation (Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

What if I am booked on a package holiday?

Foreign Office advice stops well short of advising against travel to Iceland, meaning holiday companies can continue to operate as normal  with no automatic right to cancel.

The Foreign Office advice to British travellers is that it is increasingly possible that a volcanic eruption could occur. The official warning on volcanic eruption and earthquakes reads: Earthquakes and indications of volcanic activity have increased above normal levels on the Reykjanes peninsula, southwest of Reykjavik.

The Icelandic authorities continue to monitor the area closely, particularly the area northwest of Mt Thorbjorn near the Svartsengi power plant and the Blue Lagoon. On 10 November, a Civil Protection Alert was declared after an intense swarm of earthquakes.

The town of Grindavik was evacuated as a precaution. Some roads have been closed and visitors are advised to stay away from the area.

Keflavik International Airport is operating as normal. While there is no current eruption, it is increasingly possible that one could occur.

(Icelandic Met Office)

Until and unless the Foreign Office warns against travel, the assumption is that everything will go ahead as normal.

The FCDO advises traveller to check the following resources for updates:

The one exception is for holidaymakers who had planned to stay at the Blue Lagoon  an increasingly popular wellness destination, with an upmarket hotel on the site. The Blue Lagoon is currently closed.

Only those booked for a stay have the chance to cancel; if you were hoping to pop in as a day visitor for a steamy stop in the volcanic rock pools, you will need to return at some time in the future.

Can I claim on insurance?

No, unless it is one of the vanishingly rare cancel for any reason policies. On standard travel insurance, disinclination to travel is not an acceptable reason for a claim.

Would you go to Iceland at the moment?

Yes, I would relish the opportunity. Late November is an excellent time to visit Iceland for good value. Conditions right now are also excellent for the prospect of a good show from the Northern Lights, which are at a peak of the usual 11-year cosmic cycle.

I also know that the Icelandic authorities are expert at handling seismic events, with extremely good monitoring and emergency systems in place.

I would book a package holiday, though, knowing that if the earth gets too restless for comfort in the vicinity, I would be able to cancel for a full refund.
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A new study has revealed the most dangerous and most peaceful countries in the world for 2023.

The 17th edition of the annual Global Peace Index (GPI), produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, ranks 163 independent states and territories comprising 99.7 per cent of the worlds population.

The 2023 research reveals that the average level of global peacefulness has deteriorated by 0.42 per cent. This is the 13th deterioration in the last 15 years, with 84 countries improving and 79 deteriorating in peacefulness in 2022.

Afghanistan has been named as the least peaceful country in the world for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The war in Ukraine had a significant impact on global peacefulness, with Ukraine and Russia having the largest and fifth largest deteriorations in peacefulness respectively. Despite this, Europe is the most peaceful region in the world and is home to seven of the 10 most peaceful countries.

Haiti, Mali, and Israel were the other countries with the largest deteriorations.

Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the indexs summit by Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, and Austria.

The UK is ranked 37th most-peaceful nation, down one place from last year, and given a state of peace ranking of high. The scale ranges from very high to very low.

The United States is considered low on the peacefulness scale, and finds itself in 131st place in the list, the same as last year. The report states that the US experienced a slight deterioration in peacefulness over the past year, the continuation of a trend that began in 2015, and that while civil unrest was no longer the main driver, the fall was caused by a deterioration on the safety and security domain, particularly in the perceptions of criminality and homicide rate indicators.

The GPI uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators, and measures the state of peace across three domains: the level of societal safety and security; the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict; and the degree of militarisation.

The report was compiled before the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October and the ongoing volcanic activity in Iceland.

The Institute for Economics and Peace, headquartered in Sydney, Australia, describes itself as an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank.

The most dangerous countries in the world 2023

Afghanistan Yemen Syria South Sudan Democratic Republic of the Congo Russia Ukraine Somalia Sudan Iraq

The most peaceful countries in the world 2023
Nine-year-old Emily Hands father sobbed as the pair reunited after she was released by Hamas on Saturday, 25 November.

The Irish-Israeli girl was among the hostages who were freed under a four-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and the militant group.

She had been held captive since Hamass brutal incursion on 7 October.

Her father Thomas Hand, who was originally told Emily had been killed, can be seen hugging his daughter tightly in footage of their reunion.

We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, her family said in a statement.
South Korean First Lady praised for style during state visit to UK

International media praised South Korean First Lady Kim Keon-hee for her fashion sense during her and her husband Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to the United Kingdom.

Kim and Yoon arrived in the United Kingdom Monday in celebration of the 140th anniversary of U.K.-South Korea diplomatic ties, before departing for France for another visit on Thursday.

Landing at the airport in an elegant black and white outfit, the First Lady chose a scarf to fight the cold and complete her fitted blazer.

Members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) welcome South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee, as they arrive at Stansted Airport, near London, Britain, Nov. 20, 2023. Photo by Reuters

Kim and Yoon then arrived at their hotel to the welcome of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

For her subsequent appearance at the state banquet hosted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, Kim chose a black dress with lined stones as its highlight.

(From L) Britain's Queen Camilla, Britain's King Charles III, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee pose for pictures during a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in central London on Nov. 21, 2023. Photo handout via AFP

Her earrings were the only piece of jewelry used, while her small clutch was her only accessory.

According to Edaily, Kims fashion sense has been a hot topic in South Korea since her husband took office in May last year. Favoring a minimalistic style, Kim often wears timeless designed clothing items and limits on her jewelry, creating looks that align with a "quiet luxury" attitude. However, it is reported that as simple as they look, they are all from luxury brands and thus not widely available.

Age 51, she was praised for her youthful look, according to an Daily Mail article.

She was praised for her sophistication as she wore a royal blue blazer to the investiture when three members of K-pop group Blackpink were awarded honorary MBEs by King Charles. She completed her look with straight trousers and minimalist heels.

First Lady of South Korea Kim Keon-hee (third from R) attends a special investiture ceremony to present the members of the K-Pop band Blackpink with Honorary MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire), conducted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace, London, Britain Nov. 22, 2023. Photo by Reuters

Blazers, suits, and formal dresses have been Kims favorite outfit choices during trips with her husband.

Kim graduated from Kyonggi University with an art degree before getting a masters degree in art education and a doctorate in digital content design.

She married Yoon in 2012.

Since Yoon became president, she has been in the limelight, according to Korea Times. When she accompanied him to a NATO summit in Spain last year, she had been dubbed a "fashionista" by many South Korean newspapers.

Kang Jin-joo, former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's image consultant, said: "Kim portrays the image of a classy, sophisticated, independent and professional woman."

Cho Jin-man, professor of Political Science at Duksung Womens University in Seoul, said Kim is unique compared to her predecessors for her style, background, and character.
Crowds in Ramallah have celebrated the arrival of a third group of Palestinians released from Israeli prisons as part of the four-day ceasefire agreement.

39 Palestinians were released from prisons in exchange for the release of 17 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza following the 7 October terror attack.

A large proportion of Palestinians released were under the age of 18 and many were not officially charged though others had been convicted of violent crimes.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel will release 150 Palestinians and in exchange, Hamas will release 50 hostages to Israel.
A second group of hostages, released as part of a four-day ceasefire deal have crossed from Gaza into Egypt, en route to Israel, late on Saturday 25 November.

The group contains 13 Israelis as well as four Thai nationals who were transferred across the Rafah border crossing in a Red Cross convoy.

The hostages were kidnapped by Hamas and held in Gaza for 50 days after the group carried out a deadly terror attack on 7 October.

This is the second release of hostages as part of the deal and Israel will release 39 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Some hostages released by Hamas have "no home" to go back to, a doctor treating them at an Israeli hospital told reporters on Sunday, 26 November.

Itai Pessach, CEO of the Edmund and Lily Safra Children's Hospital in Ramat Gan, said it was an "amazing privilege" to treat people after they were freed from captivity in Gaza.

Describing the hostages' conditions, Mr Pessach said no emergency medical intervention was needed.

"Some of them have no homes to come back to but they have a very significant and supporting community that will embrace them," he added.

Seventeen hostages were freed on Saturday, following the release of 24 on Friday.
Tens of thousands of people attended a march against antisemitism in London, gathering outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Sunday, 26 November.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson and Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis joined the protest a day after a pro-Palestine demonstration was held to demand a permanent ceasefire in the conflict.

Tommy Robinson was arrested at the march after police warned the far-right wasnot welcome.

Sunday's action came on the third day of a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, after two groups of hostages - including a nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl - had been freed.
House-building

Glenveagh Properties is being lent 50m from Home Building Finance Ireland, the first time HBFI has lent to a listed Irish house-builder.

HBFI is joining Glenveaghs banking syndicate, which also includes AIB, Bank of Ireland and Barclays.

HBFIs participation in the syndicate follows Glenveaghs decision earlier this year to refinance and increase its debt facilities from 250m to 350m as part of its capital optimisation strategy.

HBFI accounts for 50m of the increase, with the remaining 50m increase coming from the other syndicate members.

Dara Deering, chief executive of HBFI, said she expects the funding will support the delivery of nearly 2,000 new homes.

Michael Rice, chief financial officer of Glenveagh, said the funding would support Glenveaghs significant growth ambitions in the coming years.

The money will fund Glenveaghs house-building activity up to and including 2028.

HBFI was set up by the State in 2019 as a commercial lender to fund the delivery of new homes.

At the end of the first half of 2023, HBFI has approved 1.4bn in finance for building over 6,300 new houses and apartments.
Alcohol

The company was formed in 2012 by the entrepreneurs behind the Porterhouse Brewery, Liam LaHart, Peter Mosley (above, left), and the late Oliver Hughes, father of Elliot

While disappointed with the decision, Elliot Hughes, director of Dingle Distillery, said work will begin immediately on a fresh submission

Plans to develop a multi-million euro upgrade of the Dingle Distillery in Co Kerry, which could have created more than 50 new jobs, have been rejected by An Bord Pleanala.

According to a board order, the national planning appeals body raised concerns regarding the effect it could have on a neighbouring residential development and said the proposed expansion could represent over-development at the site.

It also had concerns regarding increased traffic and the impact of a tower and viewing balcony on the visual amenities of the area.

Dingle Distillery. Photo: Irishwhiskey360.com

While disappointed with the decision, Elliot Hughes, managing director of Dingle Distillery, said work will begin immediately on a fresh submission with plenty of input from the community.

We are currently reviewing the planning decision and will talk individually with all key community stakeholders to ensure that we allay any concerns they have before we submit new plans.

Hughes said he was confident the community input would lead to an even more exciting proposal.

Dingle Distillerys plans were approved by Kerry County Council in late 2021, before being appealed to An Bord Pleanala

Dingle Distillery is an integral part of the fabric of Dingle town, and the planned growth will benefit the entire community, and while this is a temporary setback, it has not dimmed our hopes for the future.

The proposed expansion of the Dingle Distillery would have seen part of the existing building demolished and the construction of over 1,700 square metres of extra floor area. Plans included a circular three-storey tower and extensions to include a visitor centre with a bar and viewing balcony. The plans would have doubled its capacity.

The company was formed in 2012 by the entrepreneurs behind the Porterhouse Brewery, Liam LaHart, Peter Mosley (above, left), and the late Oliver Hughes, father of Elliot

Dingle Distillerys plans were approved by Kerry County Council in late 2021, before being appealed to An Bord Pleanala. A decision had been due by April 2022.

Dingle Distillery was formed in 2012 by the entrepreneurs behind the Porterhouse Brewery, Liam LaHart, Peter Mosley, and the late Oliver Hughes, father of Elliot. It is known for its gin and range of whiskeys.
After I proudly finished showing photos of my house already fully decorated for Christmas this past week, my colleague smiled and commented, It really is wonderful that you make such an effort for your daughter.

What? I dont decorate for Lulu, I do it for me, I shot back laughing.

Of course, the true answer is somewhere in between. I do it for myself and for my daughter. I know she especially enjoys bringing friends over when our home is wrapped in golden glitter, scented pine boughs, mistletoe and the ubiquitous knickknacks in shades of reds and greens. But youre never going to see her haul the boxes out of storage on her own volition and get to decorating. Thats entirely up to me. And despite the fact that the past few weeks have required me to travel for work a lot more than usual, I still was determined to make time to get the house properly decorated to kick off the holiday season. I didnt particularly feel like it, but I did it anyway.

On a heavier note, a friend of mine who recently split from her husband told me how she was still taking their three young children she now has sole custody of to the exotic holiday trip they had previous planned to take together. It wasnt going to be easy, but she was going to do it anyway.

That took me back to my first trip to Walt Disney World. I was eleven years old, my sister was eight and my brother was six. Our mom loaded up the car the day after Christmas that year and we drove to the airport to fly to Orlando. We were going all on our own too. Because my dad had suddenly died when the small, twin-engine plane he was piloting crashed just two weeks earlier.

As the holiday season unfolds before us this year, I certainly dont want to bring you down. I know theres a lot of pressure and extra stress that can pile on this time of year. I want you to take heart that youre not alone. I have great admiration for single moms (and dads too for that matter). Any individual who is persevering to make an extra effort  to complete that work project before years end, to open their home to entertain family and friends, whatever it is. It may not be easy and you may not feel like doing it, but you put your head down and you do it anyway.

Often its not about motivation, its about discipline and perseverance.

I stand firm in my belief that discipline and perseverance are the true driving forces behind lasting success.

Motivation is often a fleeting and unpredictable companion. It's like a burst of adrenaline that propels you forward momentarily but can fade as quickly as it arrives. On the other hand, discipline and perseverance quietly shape destinies over time.

1. Consistency Builds Momentum

Discipline is the bedrock upon which consistency is built. In business as well as parenting, success is not an overnight phenomenon but a gradual accumulation of efforts. Motivation might propel you to take the first step, but it's discipline that ensures you keep moving forward, day in and day out. The ability to consistently execute tasks, adhere to timelines, and meet targets creates a momentum that propels you further along the path to success.

Imagine a marketing campaign that relies solely on the initial burst of motivation without the backbone of discipline. It might start with a flurry of creativity and enthusiasm, but without the structured and consistent effort, it is bound to fizzle out.

2. Weathering the Storms of Setbacks

Perseverance, the tenacious partner of discipline, becomes the guiding force when the going gets tough. Challenges are inevitable. Campaigns may not yield the expected results, market trends may shift, and unforeseen obstacles may arise. It's during these testing times that perseverance emerges as the unsung hero, providing the strength to weather the storms of setbacks.

Motivation often wavers in the face of adversity. It's easy to stay motivated when everything is going according to plan, but when obstacles arise, motivation may dwindle. This is where perseverance shines.

3. Building Expertise through Adapting

Discipline is not just about doing things consistently; it's also about deliberate practice and continuous improvement. In the corporate world, where trends evolve rapidly and consumer behaviour undergoes constant shifts, building expertise is crucial. The repetition of tasks, coupled with a commitment to learning and refining strategies, is a testament to the power of discipline.

Motivation may spark the desire to learn initially, but it's discipline that transforms learning into a habit. Whether it's staying updated on industry trends, honing creative skills, or mastering analytical tools, the disciplined business professional  or parent for that matter - commits to continuous improvement. This commitment, sustained over time, leads to the accumulation of expertise.

4. The Long Game of Positive Impact

Whether its pushing yourself to take the kids on a holiday all on your own or working overtime to get the team project across the line, in the journey of achievement, motivation may be a starting point, but it's a persons unwavering commitment to discipline and perseverance who build an enduring and positive memory in the minds of those for whom they persevere.

Write to Gina in care of SundayBusiness@independent.ie

With corporate clients in five continents, Gina London is a premier communications strategy, structure and delivery expert.

She is also a media analyst, author, speaker and former CNN anchor. @TheGinaLondon 885
While engaging with public sector procurement might seem like a daunting prospect, its not only doable but proves lucrative for many Irish SMEs.

The public sector in Ireland spends 18bn a year, and is set to spend 165bn by 2030, under the National Development Plan.

Not only is this a valuable market for Irish companies, but success in Ireland is crucial for them to scale internationally. Irish companies need to be able to show international clients that their products and services have found substantial clients at home. Public procurement can help SMEs develop complementary services, diversify, and find new opportunities.

The extensive opportunities for Irish small- to medium-sized companies in terms of the national water infrastructure alone were highlighted at a recent Enterprise Ireland Meet the Buyer event with Uisce Eireann where some 600 one to one meetings took place over two days.

Held in Portlaoise in October, the event involved speed dating-style meetings with some 24 of Uisce Eireanns appointed main contractors  often large construction firms  and more than 100 potential suppliers.

Under the National Development Plan, Uisce Eireann plans to spend as much as 1.6bn a year on building and updating water and waste water infrastructure.

Main contractors need supply chain support to deliver, which provided the impetus for the Meet the Buyer event. For the SMEs attending, it was valuable opportunity to meet contractors and network with other SMEs. 

Many smaller businesses dont realise that, while they may not be able to address every aspect of a request for tender on their own, they can join with other SMEs to form consortia to tender.

To be successful its important to do your homework.

We suggest a three-step plan. The first is to understand the procurement language and codes involved. There is a single classification system across Europe for public sector work called the common procurement vocabulary (CPV). Every type of product or service has a related CPV code. Peanuts are 03111200-4, for example, while public opinion polling services are 79320000-3. There are just shy of 10 000 of them.

Once you know the code, you can find tenders quickly on eTenders.gov.ie, where the Irish Office of Government Procurement lists calls for tenders, or on ted.europa.eu, the Tenders Electronic Daily website of the European Union for tenders that must be advertised at an EU level.

Its worth keeping an eye on things like prior information notices (PINs) or LOTs when upcoming calls for tender are flagged and large tenders awarded to big contractors, who may need smaller suppliers to help them deliver the work.

The second step is to be selective. Rule out less relevant or appropriate calls for tender and pitch for the 5pc of your shortlist where you are really in a strong position. Build an inhouse Bid/ No Bid calculator to select the most promising opportunities.

Finally, upskill your team in public procurement or designate someone specific to manage it and champion it. There are many excellent resources free or for minimal cost to achieve this such as the extensive library of educational videos online produced by the OGP.

Paul Maguire is Public Sector Manager at Enterprise Ireland
Revenues at the Dublin-based international HQ for Meta increased last year by 5.7bn from 52.32bn to 58.05bn  or average weekly revenues of 1.1bn.

New accounts filed with the Companies Office by Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd, whose parent operates Facebook and Instagram, show that after the 11pc increase in revenues, the companys pre-tax profits increased by 47pc, rising from 1.18bn to 1.75bn.

Pre-tax profits were hit at the company after Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd set aside an additional 1.43bn for potential regulatory fines.

A note explains that the regulatory compliance provisions relate to amounts identified for administrative fines arising from various ongoing investigations or decisions by relevant data protection supervisory authorities.

The revenues recorded account for 54.5pc of Metas global revenues of $116.6bn (106.5bn) for 2022.

The directors for the Irish arm say the company has continued to grow during the year. Substantially all revenue is generated from advertising.

The firm recorded a post-tax profit of 1.21bn after incurring a corporation tax charge of 535.93m.

The accounts disclose that during the year, the company paid a dividend of 3.7bn to its parent company, Facebook International Operations Ltd.

Last year, Meta axed around 350 roles at its Irish base and the directors say the company recorded severance expenses of 22.5m. In May, Meta announced another round of job losses where up to 490 jobs were expected to be cut here.

Last year, average headcount at the business increased by 9pc, with employee numbers rising from 2,440 to 2,662.

Staff costs increased by 93.4m, or 22pc, from 425m to 518.48m.

Combined salary costs of 335.14m and share-based payments of 88.3m amounting to 423.44m show average pay for Meta workers at 159,070 for 2022.

A breakdown of the roles show 924 in community operations, 710 in admin, 607 in sales and 421 in engineering.

Directors received pay of 1.9m along with 4m under long-term incentive schemes. A note states other director payments in connection with retirement from office amounted to 100,000.

Last year, Meta scaled back its plans for its new European HQ in Dublin 4 and the accounts disclose that the companys profits sustained a 221.3m impairment charge for tangible assets as a result of implementing a facilities consolidation strategy impacting leased office buildings.

The companys cash funds declined from 6.08bn to 2.3bn.
The leader of the Catholic Church in Dublin has expressed his dismay and concern over the shocking events that unfolded on the streets of the capital on Thursday, warning it is a moment of truth for our city and for Irish society more broadly.

In a statement, Archbishop Dermot Farrell said people are not helpless in the face of what we have witnessed and he urged them not to be passive but to challenge casual remarks that spread cynicism and prejudice.

We have seen with our own eyes how violence puts everyone - especially the vulnerable and the innocent - in mortal danger, he said, and he prayed for the victims of the horrific assault on Parnell Square, for their families, for the school staff, and the children of Scoil Mhuire.

A five-year-old girl who was one of three children stabbed in the attack remains in a critical condition and the carer who sought to shield the children remains in a serious condition in hospital.

Archbishop Farrell gave thanks for the courage and decisiveness of those who acted so promptly with such selflessness to disable the attacker and for the skill of the emergency services and the Gardai.

In a reference to Thursday evenings rioting and looting, he said we have seen its power to draw people in and consume them in a spiral of hatred and wanton destruction.

Dr Farrell said this violence can very markedly erode the ethos of peace and safety that usually characterises our lives together.

While some feel bewildered and anxious by what occurred, he appealed to them not to allow themselves to be cowed or intimidated by those who seek to coerce us but to challenge the misinformation that seeks to sow doubt, suspicion, resentment and fear.

We can challenge the casual remarks that spread cynicism and prejudice, the church leader emphasised and he urged people to reach out in solidarity and friendship to those who have made their homes among us, but who are being targeted with words of hate and gestures that are filled with hostility and derision.

Let us not forget the invaluable contribution so many make to our economy and society. Let us not take for granted the vibrant gifts of faith and witness which they bring to our parish communities, he said.

Separately, the chair of Dublin City Interfaith Forum, Archbishop Michael Jackson, said members of the interfaith group were shocked by the horrendous attack on our young children and adults and the orchestrated public disorder which followed which was stoked by hate and farright rhetoric online and on our streets and sought to sow hatred and division in our community.

The interfaith group appealed for a way to be found to move on from the hatefilled rhetoric and actions to making Dublin a welcoming city, a city of kindness.

Meanwhile, Muslim leader, Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri recommended on X that all weekend schools in Dublin mosques remain closed and Muslims avoid travelling to Dublin city centre.
The Ruby Mountains in northeastern Nevada stretch for nearly 100 miles in Elko County, with 10 peaks towering over 10,000 feet. These rugged, glacier-carved mountains and their cold, clear streams serve as a stronghold of native cutthroat trout and other wildlife, while providing an abundance of world-class public land opportunities for hunting, fishing and other forms of outdoor recreation. They are also the origin of one of the most important big-game migration corridors in the state, utilized by one of its largest mule deer herds, and home to many other fish and wildlife species, including the Lahontan cutthroat trout.

In late 2017 the first request was made to allow leasing for oil and gas exploration on over 53,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land in Nevadas Ruby Mountains. Over the next year, Humboldt Toiyabe Forest personnel prepared the documents required by law to analyze impacts to the area and then issue a decision whether the action should be allowed. At the same time, a groundswell of public opposition formed and, when the public comment period on the proposal opened, thousands of individuals and organizations spoke out against the proposal. In fact, only a handful of comments in support were received by the Forest Service.

Finally, in 2019, Forest Supervisor Bill Dunkelberger issued a no-leasing decision on the request. However, within days of that decision, expressions of interest were filed on an additional 88,000 acres, many of which were the same parcels previously denied. It was clear whoever was behind the requests was not going away.

That same year, after hearing the many pleas to protect the iconic Ruby Mountains by not allowing drilling for oil, Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortz Masto (D-NV) introduced legislation to permanently withdraw the Ruby Mountains area of the Humboldt Toiyabe Forest from leasing for oil and gas development. The legislation would only affect oil and gas leasing.

In a bipartisan move, Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) introduced a similar companion bill a short time later. The two bills have been reintroduced each session of Congress since 2019, including this spring. Yet, despite many efforts, neither have gone to the floor of their respective chamber for a full vote. It is clear the best way to move legislation such as this is to incorporate it into a larger, compatible, multistate lands package. Unfortunately, no such opportunity has been available.

Seeing the need to get interim protections on the ground while a permanent approach looks to advance in Congress, Sens. Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) took steps to secure a 20-year administrative withdrawal from leasing by the Biden administration. In a series of letters to Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland in August and November, the senators asked the secretary to take the necessary action for a withdrawal of approximately 350,000 acres. Under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the U.S. Department of Interior is charged with administering oil and gas leasing on the nations forest as well as Bureau of Land Management land.

This action, and the legislation, is supported by the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone of Nevada, who consider the area sacred and whose reservation sits along the western flank of the Rubies. The Ruby Mountains are considered central to the lives of the Western Shoshone peoples.

In addition, Sportsmen for the Rubies, a coalition of 15 Nevada hunting and fishing groups, has supported bipartisan efforts to pass legislation permanently protecting the Rubies since 2019 and also supports the request for an administrative mineral withdrawal.

So many hunting and fishing opportunities for Nevada sportsmen and women are tied to the wildness of the Ruby Mountains and the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Because of these invaluable qualities, the diverse, bipartisan support of tribes, legislators and citizens remains strong and will continue to take steps forward to protect the places Nevadans love to hunt and fish. We urge the Bureau of Land Management to take administrative action to withdraw the oil and gas resources from leasing within the Ruby Mountains and Ruby Lake Refuge to safeguard this truly unique landscape in Nevada.
Family say acquiring drysuit for examination is critical after issues with gear were reported

Seven years and two months after the death of its advanced coxswain Caitriona Lucas, the Irish Coast Guard has failed to provide key safety equipment which she was wearing to any investigation.

An inquest into Ms Lucass death, which is due to resume in Co Limerick tomorrow, is expected to hear that her helmet and lifejacket still cannot be produced, in spite of requests by her family and by representatives of two separate state investigations.

There is also a lack of clarity over the location of her drysuit, which could have also helped to save her life at the time the rigid inflatable boat (RIB) she was crewing on capsized off Co Clare.

Ms Lucas, a 41-year old librarian and mother of two, died after a Kilkee Coast Guard RIB capsized during a search for a missing man on September 12, 2016.

The highly experienced member of Doolin Coast Guard, who had been assisting the neighbouring unit at Kilkee in the search, was the first Irish Coast Guard volunteer to lose her life during a tasking.

When she was recovered from the sea by helicopter, having lost consciousness, she was not wearing her helmet, her lifejacket was not fully inflated and she had sustained an injury to her head.

Her family say acquiring her drysuit for independent examination is critical, given reported issues with Irish Coast Guard equipment in recent years. Shortly after her death, a drysuit worn by one of Ms Lucass colleagues had filled with water during a training exercise.

It is understood that video footage recorded by a local Civil Defence unit of a rescue attempt in the minutes leading up to her death has been provided to Ms Lucass legal team for the first time.

It has been made available for the full inquest before Limerick coroner John McNamara at Kilmallock court, which is expected to run for a number of days.

Two main investigations into her death to date  by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) and by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA)  were not provided with her full safety equipment.

At the opening inquest hearing on April 12 this year, Simon Mills, senior counsel for the Department of Transport, said his clients would endeavour to try to locate the lifejacket and helmet.

Helen McCarthy of the HSA, who attended that first hearing, suggested the coroner should ask Hugh Barry of the Irish Coast Guard about the whereabouts of the equipment. When the issue came up again at a resumed hearing on June 12, Mr Mills said it was not within the scope of the inquest to get to the bottom of where the equipment is gone and why it has gone missing.

The coroner, who acknowledged at the June hearing that the evidence should have been preserved, said he would contact the HSA to see if it had information about the whereabouts of the helmet and clothing.

Mr McNamara also said he would write to the office of the Chief State Solicitor requesting all relevant evidence, including audio and visual recordings from the day, as well as any available drone footage, be provided to the inquest.

Ms Lucass widower Bernard, his two children, Ben and Emma, her parents and siblings requested in a letter to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, junior transport minister Jack Chambers and Justice Minister Helen McEntee, that their legal costs be met, considering the State has employed a senior and junior counsel for the inquest.

They point out that Mr Ryan undertook to underwrite legal costs incurred by the families of the four air crew who died in the Rescue 116 Irish Coast Guard helicopter crash off north Mayo after a final investigation report was referred for a lengthy review hearing.

In their letter, they state that our wife, mother, daughter, and sister was working for the Irish State when she died.

They say that not only is it shocking that it has taken over seven years to arrange an inquest, the purpose of which is to prevent such an incident happening again, but the production of evidence has been appalling, and our family has been treated like dirt in this process.

Commenting for the Irish Coast Guard, the Department of Transport would not confirm whether legal costs would be met. The department said it is engaging fully in supporting the upcoming coroners inquest into the death of Caitriona Lucas.

Ms Lucas was a very highly regarded and valued volunteer in the Coast Guard who tragically lost her life in the course of duty, the department said.
Helen McEntee and Drew Harris on the rack as anger grows over delayed riot response

Garda bosses only called for reinforcements after city was under siege

Helen McEntee responded to criticism of the violent scenes in the city centre by insisting she would not resign

Maeve Sheehan, Hugh O'Connell and Jody Corcoran Sun 26 Nov 2023 at 03:30







As the future of the Garda Commissioner and the Justice Minister hangs in the balance this weekend, it has emerged that it was only after gardai had lost control of Dublin city centre on Thursday that senior management circulated a desperate call for back-up across divisions, including as far away as Sligo.
There is a handbook for principals to guide them when responding to critical events in a schools community, but no part of it specifically deals with events like those outside Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire on Parnell Square in Dublin last Thursday  and how could it? Nobody envisaged a stabbing attack would leave three children and their carer injured.
Taoiseach had tweeted an innocent child who was lost has now returnedIsrael Foreign Minister Eli Cohen responded Emily Hand was not lost Emily Hand was kidnapped by a terrorist organisation worse than IsisMr Varadkars formal statement last night stated the young girl was snatched, held captive and a hostageGovernment defends Mr Varadkar and says he has been unambiguous in his repeated condemnation of the hostage-taking by HamasIsraeli Ambassador to Ireland: Words matterUnfortunate the Israeli Foreign Minister has responded the way he has  Simon Coveney

Watch: Emily Hand runs into the arms of her father, after she is released from captivity

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has defended a tweet about the release of Emily Hand thats at the centre of a diplomatic storm between Israel and Ireland.

Mr Varadkar was slammed by Israels Foreign Minister Eli Cohen over his post on X, formerly Twitter, where he referred to Emily (9) as an innocent child who was lost has now returned after she was released by Hamas.

Emily was abducted by Hamas from her home in Israel on October 7 and held hostage for 50 days.

A video released on Sunday morning shows Emily embracing her father Thomas Hand in an emotional reunion.

Mr Cohen hit the roof in response to Mr Varadkars post and summoned the Irish Ambassador to Israel to Jerusalem for a rebuke tomorrow.

Emily Hand was not lost. Emily Hand was kidnapped by a terrorist organisation worse than Isis after her stepmother was murdered, he said.

Emily and over 30 other Israeli children were kidnapped by Hamas and you are trying to legitimise it. Shame on you, he added.

However, in response this afternoon, the Taoiseach said:

I think the vast majority of people understand what I was saying, recalling the amazing joy and awe that occurs when a child comes home.

Ive always been consistent in my unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and hostage taking. I call for all hostages to be released without any conditions and I have always done so.

He said the Irish Government has worked very hard over the last few weeks with Egypt, with Qatar, with the Red Cross and also with Israel to secure Emilys release.

Mr Varadkar said: The most important thing today is that shes at home with her family and thats all that really matters.

Its really good news that Emily has been released and shes now at home with her family.

 Im really glad that she has been released and thats the most important thing.

The row is the latest in an ever-growing list of diplomatic tensions between Ireland and Israel since the Hamas attack on October 7, that led to Israels war in Gaza.

Thomas and Emily Hand reunited tonight.

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.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin also expressed surprise at the strength of reaction by Israels foreign minister.

Mr Varadkars comments had been a reflection of the happiness that Emily has been released, Mr Martin said.

I don't think more should be read into it.

He added: Im genuinely surprised at this reaction because really the only issue that matters is that Emily Hand is free and back with her family. That's all that matters.

The Fianna Fail leader said it was now a step-by-step recovery and healing process for the family, and hopefully Emily can come through this trauma.

Irish Ambassador Sonya McGuinness, who is based in Tel Aviv, will now have to travel to Jerusalem to be formally rebuked.

A government spokesperson said: The Taoiseach has been unambiguous in his repeated condemnation of the hostage-taking by Hamas and had consistently called for their unconditional release.

The Irish government was in close contact with the Egyptian, Qatari and Red Cross to help secure her release.

It was pointed out that family posters of the hostages are headlined with the word Missing.

Words matter

The Israeli Ambassador to Ireland has stepped into the row. Dana Erlich  who has faced political calls here for her expulsion  told the Irish Independent: Words matter.

She did not refer directly to the Taoiseach.

Words matter, especially in war when lives are at stake, and when there is an increase of extreme discourse, she said.

It is important to remember Emily was kidnapped by terrorists  who knew very well where she was all this time.

This was because she was in their hands, she said.

So too is still the fate for many Israeli men women and children who were kidnapped and are still held in Gaza. We continue to work and call for their immediate release.

For the past weeks we have been working tirelessly with Irish counterparts, and we are all happy to see the return of Emily Hand to her loving family..

Mr Cohens attack on the Taoiseach broke all normal codes of diplomacy as he began his response tweet: Emily Hand is not lost. Maybe you have lost your moral compass and your connection to reality.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen, right, visit Kibbutz Beeri to see the damage that the community sustained after the October 7 attack by Hamas. Photo: Reuters

The Israeli Foreign Ministry itself issued no statement as the bitter reaction threatened to undermine relations between the two countries.

Israel has long seen Ireland as the most pro-Palestinian country in Europe.

In a formal statement welcoming Emilys release on Saturday night Mr Varadkar also used the word "lost.

An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned a little girl was snatched from her home and held captive for almost seven weeks. She spent her ninth birthday as a hostage, he said.

We hope she will soon heal and recover from the traumatic experience in the loving embrace of her family.

For her family, these seven weeks have been a slow and cruel torture. We all recall the initial response from her father Tom Hand  the painful grief mixed with relief with the mistaken belief that his daughter had not been taken hostage, which turned into an ember of hope when it was discovered she was still alive. Throughout all these different emotions his love has been constant.

Tom and Emilys half-sister Natali turned that ember of hope into a flame by channelling their sorrow and campaigning tirelessly for Emilys release. They travelled across Europe to keep her plight in the public eye.

I shared their grief and was inspired by their example. Irish people everywhere share in the relief of Emilys family

Mr Varadkar said that when he met Tom and Natali in Dublin, their pain was etched on their faces, but so was their courage and determination to ensure that Emily would be freed.

I shared their grief and was inspired by their example. Irish people everywhere share in the relief of Emilys family, he said.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the hostages in Gaza, but we followed particularly closely the fate of Emily, a dual Irish-Israeli citizen. Since our country first heard that she may still be alive, we have hoped beyond hope that her name would be on one of the lists of hostages to be released.

Emily now returns to her family, but we cannot forget that many more hostages remain in captivity in Gaza. Their fate is unknown, but we hope that like Emily, they will also be allowed to return to their homes and their families.

He said more generally: We think of all the families suffering in this troubled region, and we redouble our efforts to work for a permanent ceasefire, and for a just and lasting peace.

Unfortunate

Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney said on RTEs This Week programme: "I would ask people to read the full text that the Taoiseach sent out.

Being 'lost and found' is a Biblical term. Leo Varadkar has been very clear both publicly and privately about how he sees Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

I think it is unfortunate that the Israeli Foreign Minister has responded the way he has.

There will be an opportunity for the Irish Ambassador to put context on what the Taoiseach tweeted when she meets the Israeli Foreign Minister in the next 48 hours, he said.

Mr Coveney said Mr Varadkar was one of the most balanced voices in terms of condemning Hamas, but also speaking out in terms of the protection of Palestinian woman and children and innocent civilians who have suffered so much in recent days.

He said there were some parties in Dail Eireann who would not even describe Hamas as a terror organisation, and the question should be asked of them why not.

In an unusual event, Mr Varadkar was staunchly defended on RTEs The Week in Politics by political opponent Pearse Doherty of Sinn Fein.

He said the Taoiseach had repeatedly referred to Emily as being held hostage by Hamas.

It has been condemned across the board, across the political divide, and by the Taoiseach over and over again, Mr Doherty said.

This is absolute deflection from from Israel, who are preparing, I'm sure, to begin their bombardment of Gaza again after the ceasefire. What we need now is a focus to make sure that Israel doesn't do that, that this ceasefire is a lasting, and that there is space and opportunity for dialogue and a peace process.

Fianna Fail junior minister Jack Chambers said the Israeli reaction completely misrepresents the Taoiseach, who had been very clear on the hostage-taking.

Everyone knows his integrity on this matter, he said.

Jennifer Whitmore TD of the Social Democrats said her party had called for the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich and would now reiterate that.
The HSE offers all mothers heel-prick tests for their newborn babies. Photo: Getty Images

Newborn babies are to be screened for a rare genetic condition which causes muscles to deteriorate over time as part of a new addition to the heel prick test.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said today he has asked the HSE to add Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) to the national newborn bloodspot screening programme.

The condition which affects around seven babies born in Ireland causes irreversible damage to the nerves that control movement leading to muscle wasting and weakness.

It can affect walking and upper body movement, breathing and swallowing.

In recent years, new treatments have become available for SMA with the potential to significantly improve outcomes through earlier diagnosis and treatment.

The minister said :"I understand the impact these rare but serious conditions have on children and their families. Screening is one step which can significantly improve the outcomes for children and is why I have been consistent in my support for expanding the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme since assuming office.

"I have written to the HSE, requesting that they commence implementation planning for the introduction of SMA into the NBS programme. This process will require a number of important steps being taken and will take some time to undertake in order to ensure that once introduced, screening for SMA will be underpinned by robust quality assurance systems and structures.

"I look forward to progress being made and seeing the introduction of SMA into the programme in 2024.

SMA is a rare but serious genetic neuromuscular disorder which can be divided into five identifiable subtypes based on the typical age of onset, clinical severity and achieved motor milestones.

Without treatment, the severity between the different SMA subtypes ranges from being fatal or causing serious permanent disabilities in childhood to having less severe symptoms that might emerge later in life.

Cases of SMA are more likely to be severe than mild, with over 50pc of cases being classified as subtype 1.

The estimated prevalence of diagnosed SMA in Ireland is low, on average less than seven children are born with the condition each year.

International evidence suggests that earlier identification and treatment for SMA results in better clinical outcomes for children.

In the absence of screening, children with subtypes 1 and 2 SMA are typically identified after missing key motor milestones such as sitting and walking.

However, at this point, children have suffered irreparable motor neuron damage. The early identification of infants with SMA through screening can play an important role in mitigating such harms.

Once screening for SMA is implemented, it will bring the number of conditions screened for in Ireland to eleven.

Parents of children with the condition and SMA Ireland have been campaigning for its addition to the screening programme in bid to get an early diagnosis ad treatment.

The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) will launch its third Annual Call before the end of 2023, inviting members of the public and health professionals to make submissions on screening programmes in Ireland.
Anna Mairead Breslin Kelly, who has died at the age of 85, was a teacher, tour guide and daughter of an idealistic young Irishman who fell foul of the Stalinist regime in the former Soviet Union.

Best known as Mairead, she was born on June 8, 1938, on the Falls Road in Belfast to parents Margaret McMackin, a linguist and translator, and Padraig Breslin, a poet and translator who was in Russia at the time. Her mother brought the baby to Dublin after six weeks and she grew up there as an only child, but spent a lot of time with her first cousins from the Delaney family in Clontarf in the city.

She studied at UCD in the mid-1950s, graduating with a BA in French and Irish. A talented linguist, young Breslin attended the Sorbonne in Paris where she was awarded the presidents medal for spoken French.

Having taught French in a secondary school at Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, south-east England, she returned to Dublin, where in 1962 she married the distinguished artist and printmaker John Kelly (1932-2006) and they had a family of six daughters.

It was a reflection of her linguistic ability that she taught French for many years at the Alliance Francaise language and cultural centre in Dublin, where the teachers were predominantly French natives.

Having received training as a tour guide in 1987, she spent a decade taking French tourists all over Ireland, drawing on her comprehensive knowledge of Irish history and culture. She worked as a helpline volunteer with Womens Aid, providing information and support to victims of domestic violence. After a while she became a member of the helpline staff, spending a total of 20 successful years there.

From the middle of the last decade she experienced mobility difficulties, but continued to make her way across the city with her walking rollator and on the bus to work until she retired somewhat reluctantly in 2017. 

Her father, Padraig Breslin, was born on June 14, 1907, in London to Irish emigrant parents. The family moved to Dublin (around 1920), settling in North Strand. As a young idealist he teamed up with James Connollys son Roddy, who led the newly founded Communist Party of Ireland. He went to Russia in 1928 with seven other Irish students including Big Jim Larkins son, also called James, to attend the International Lenin School, but he was later imprisoned by the Stalinist authorities as a suspected British spy, although he was posthumously rehabilitated by order of the Russian government in February 1991.

Having secured the records of her fathers interrogation by the NKVD (predecessor of the KGB), Mairead Breslin translated them into Irish and they were published by Coisceim in a book launched last February titled Ceistiuchan (meaning interrogation) with the authors name as Gaeilge: Mairead Ni Bhreisleain Ui Cheallaigh.

Her daughter Lara said at the launch it was a labour of love and loss for the author as the content was often distressing: as a child she used to dream of seeing her father, but she never did. In 1992 she was in contact with historian Barry McLoughlin who had access to Soviet security files and she embarked on her research.

In 1929, Padraig Breslin married Yekaterina (Katya) Kreizer and they had a daughter, Irina Patrickovna Breslina (1934-2006), and a son, Genrikh (Garick) Patrickovich Kreizer (1937-2002), both of whom would have many happy encounters with their Irish-born sister in later years.

That first marriage ended in divorce and Breslin wed again in 1936, this time to Maighread Nic Mhaicin (Margaret Daisy McMackin), who had been reared in Belfast and was working as a translator in Moscow. She became pregnant and in November 1937 returned to Belfast where Anna Mairead was born in June 1938.

Padraig obtained Soviet citizenship in 1936, tried hard to get that revoked and have his Irish citizenship restored in order to facilitate his return to Ireland, but this was refused by authorities in both Moscow and Dublin.

In December 1940 he was arrested as a suspected foreign agent and subjected to 60 interrogation sessions. In September 1941, he received an eight-year sentence for counter-revolutionary agitation and died in June the following year with the cause of death officially stated as heart failure caused by tuberculosis.

Anna Mairead died on November 12 at Nephin Nursing Home in Cabra, Dublin. She is sadly missed by her loving daughters, Fiona, Niamh, Roisin, Sorcha, Caitriona and Lara, as well as other relatives and dear friends.
Sinn Fein politicians and party activists have been involved in at least 18 legal actions against media organisations, journalists, public representatives and other individuals over the last decade or so, a Sunday Independent analysis has found.

More than a third of these are ongoing, including some before the courts, with the party under unprecedented scrutiny over the number of lawsuits involving representatives and members.
Latest | Watch the moment Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand (9) is reunited with her father after being released by Hamas

Emily was included in the second batch of Israelis to be released by Hamas after being taken hostage on October 7President Higgins hopes Emily can now enjoy a happy and fulfilling lifeRelease came after Hamas delayed for several hours, saying Israel had violated the terms of a truce dealA precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family  Tanaiste

Emily Hand runs into the arms of her father, after she is released from captivity

Hugh O'Connell, Tabitha Monahan, Ahmed Tolba, Bassam Masoud and James Mackenzie Sun 26 Nov 2023 at 09:47







Nine-year-old Israeli-Irish national Emily Hand has been released by Hamas, along with eight other Israeli children and five women.
The McCullough Peaks wild horse herd is famously photogenic. Its known for robust mares and stallions with a rich diversity of coat colorings, from pinto and palomino to blue and strawberry roan. The terrain they inhabit is equally diverse, and stocked with wild beauty. Throughout the 113,938 acres of McCullough Peaks Wilderness Area, the herd is found roaming amidst the desert mountain foothills, rolling sage prairie, and into loamy badlands beyond.

The herd has a presence in the area dating back centuries, and its reputation has spawned a small cottage industry of wild horse tourism in the nearby city of Cody, Wyoming. Although, its historic range over the decades has shrunk, and soon the herd will too.

The BLM Cody Field Office is moving forward with a controversial bait trap gather that aims to remove around 40 mustangs and reduce the herd total to 140, considered within the Appropriate Management Level (AML) established by a 2015 Cody Resource Management Plan. BLM officials say the removal is needed to promote healthy rangeland and multiple use objectives for a thriving ecological natural balance required by the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1977.

The herds growing fan base, however, have come out strongly against the removal plan. They say the management area can support the herds existing numbers and more without compromising multiple-use objectives; and they believe that the BLMs assessment is tilted in favor of other uses, like livestock.

Public lands are supposed to be multiple use, but the ranchers who have the permits dont want to share. Im not anti rancher, but I think that the horses need to be able to live where theyre where theyre supposed to live, said Carol Walker, a wild horse photographer whos studied the McCullough Peaks herd for two decades. Youre talking about 175 adult horses on 110,000 acres. Thats not a huge impact. But when you talk about hundreds and hundreds of cattle out there, virtually your round, theyre the ones that make a big impact on the range.

The McCullough Peaks Herd Managed Area (HMA) encompasses six grazing allotments, and under the Cody RMP has 6,179 animal unit months (the amount of forage to sustain one cow for a month). There are currently three livestock permittees operating within the HMA. (Permittees could not be reached for comment.)

The BLM assessment does not include a complete rangeland analysis for the entire HMA. Nonetheless, ecological site inventory studies show that mustangs are significantly more erosive than livestock per capita, and that allowing the herd to stay above the AML would result in severe range degradation, according to BLM-Wyoming officials.

One of the reasons is that livestock are rotated and confined to specific pastures for specific periods, allowing land managers to limit vegetation impacts during critical growing periods. Mustangs, on the other hand, are present across the entire range and impact a variety of its micro-habitats year-round, including riparian areas and priority sage-grouse habitat.

You could you have several hundred horses out there, sure. But youre going to see a detriment to other other organisms and animals wildlife, said Micky Fisher, Public Affairs representative for BLM-Wyoming.

Even still, wild horse advocates argue the gathering is unnecessary because the herd is already on the verge of losing numbers by natural causes. The American Wild Horse Campaign explained in a petition letter that 36% of the herds mares are over the age of 15, and 23 mares are over the age of 20. This makes it a disproportionately elderly group liable to lose as many as 20 mustangs in the coming winter, the letter states.

In some ways the herds elderliness is the effect of another population control tactic: immunocontraception.

The BLM in 2011 began systematically treating McCullough Peaks mares with a drug called Porcine Zona Pellucida vaccine (PZP), applied in the field via cartridge-fired dart rifle. Its a method supported by wild horse advocates and has kept the herds growth around 2% a year. (Officials say the herd would grow 20% annually if left unmanaged.) Contraceptive measures have actually increased the herds life expectancy because they reduce the stress and physical toll of foaling.

However, in addition to PZP, the impending gather comes at a time when the BLM has begun implementation of a new fertility control drug, which some worry could have unknown repercussions on the herds genetic viability. For the first time on the McCullough Peaks herd, the BLM will begin the application of a drug known as GonaCon-Equine vaccine, a longer lasting contraceptive that increases the likelihood of permanent sterility.

The drug is gaining favor in the world of wild horse management because of its longer lasting effects; whereas PZP must be applied annually, GonaCon can last up to four years. Managers say its also needed to curtail the reproductivity of non-responding mares on which PZP has proven ineffective.

The decision troubles some horse advocates, who say not enough is known about the interaction between these separate fertility drugs and its use could have long term implications on herd diversity.

Sandy Sisti is pharmaceutical expert and volunteer darter with the Cody BLM, but after more than a decade of working with McCullough Peaks herd, Sisti says she cannot in good conscience dart with GonaCon.

I cant find any data that shows that using GonaCon on top of PZP would not have any negative impacts. Not knowing if there will be adverse drug interactions, to me thats not acceptable, especially since we dont have that many breeding age mares in the population, Sisti said. Now that theyre going to start using GonaCon, I dont want to be involved in darting the horses. Its concerning.

The drug, nonetheless, has been approved for use, and the BLM assessment cites myriad studies indicating its safety, including a study showing that horses treated with GonaCon return to full fertility in under four years. The proposal stipulates that GonaCon will only be used on mares over the age of 13 whove already contributed offspring to the gene pool.

Although the systematic application of fertility control raises additional concerns, particularly for the herds genetic viability.

On the one hand, non-responding mares are diminishing the herds genetic diversity by stacking the gene pool with their DNA, which could be problematic in that their resistance to PZP may indicate an immune deficiency. In this way the application of GonaCon could help managers control for a more diversified gene pool.

On the other hand, the herds current population is already below the threshold of a genetically viable population, according to leading equine geneticist, Dr. Gus Cothran, Director of the Equine Blood Typing Research Laboratory at the University of Kentucky.

In peer-reviewed reports, Cothran says a herd needs a minimum of 150-200 animals with at least 100 breeding age animals in order to maintain the genetic viability required for species resilience. The AML established for the McCullough peaks herd is 70 -140.

That AML is an arbitrary number. And this is a historic herd that has been there for a very long time, said Carol Walker, photographer. So they really are a cultural and historic resource, as well.

The BLM counters that its decisions are informed by both voluminous scientific study as well as public input, and say theyve worked with activists to implement humane practices, including limiting more controversial gathering techniques like helicopter roundups.

We are not as much a part of the discussion, per say. It isnt us picking a side. Were just moving forward with what the law that the American people through Congress has already established for us to do, said Micky Fisher of the BLM, referring the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1977.
Mackerel and cod are going north from Irish waters, with sardines and anchovy taking their place

In June this year, when Kevin Flannery checked the temperature gauge on the piped seawater flowing from Dingle Bay into the tanks in his aquarium, he presumed there was something wrong with the dial.

It showed a record-breaking five degree jump, from 14 to 19 degrees Celsius. But it was no mistake, and the Atlantic waters stayed freakishly warm for a number of weeks.

The marine biologist, who runs Dingle Oceanworld, believes he is already seeing the effects of the marine heatwave this summer, which would have left some cold-water species feeling suffocated.

There has been virtually no cod. All the young pollock that would have hatched out are all gone, I havent found one of them this year. They would have moved out during the heatwave.

When you get this unprecedented climatic heatwave, you can have a massive die-off and massive migration.

With the UN warning the world is on track for a hellish 3C of global heating, the leading Irish marine biologist is warning the Government not to forget what is happening under the surface of the ocean.

While intensifying heatwaves, floods and droughts are all too evident, the effects of marine heatwaves are invisible to the human eye.

In the wake of the marine heatwave last summer, he is concerned that tiny or juvenile creatures, unable to survive in those temperatures, probably perished as they wouldnt have been able to swim off to colder waters.

About 90pc of fish hatch their young in early spring, so it was a prime time for young fish. But we wont know the full effects for another year or so  and if we get another one of these marine heatwaves next year, it will be catastrophic.

While many sea swimmers were marvelling at the balmy waters in June, the marine biologist could see the immediate effects of the sharp increase in temperature at the Dingle aquarium.

In 30 years of monitoring the seawater pumped in through a network of pipes into his tanks, he had never seen such readings.

We thought there was something wrong with our gauges, he says. There wasnt. This was showing up all over Northern Europe.

The Marine Institute said the marine heatwave in June was about 4C above the long-term average for our waters for that time of year, and lasted for much of the month of June.

In Dingle Harbour, Dr Flannery said it rose by 5C.

And in the harbour, it could have been higher, because its an enclosed space. It went from 14 to 19 degrees Celsius, Id never seen that before. It was fascinating  but also frightening. The swimmers couldnt believe it.

Inside in the aquarium, he was seeing a microcosm of what was happening under the surface in the bay a few hundred feet away.

Each saltwater-filled tank in the aquarium has dials giving readings of oxygen, pH levels and the temperature.

We could see what was happening immediately. Once you go over the 15 or 16 degree mark, the oxygen goes virtually out of the water. Cold-water fish like cod and whiting and pollock cant survive.

We could see them putting their heads out of the water to breathe. They were stressed. We had to increase the oxygen level for the trout, salmon, cod and pollock, and we had to reduce the temperature or they would all have died off.

We had to put refrigerant in some tanks to bring the temperature down internally for some of the fish.

He worries juvenile lobster could have been affected by the rapid increase in temperature. Thats the big worry, theyll know in a year or so.

In recent years, he says, he has seen big changes in the species caught in Irish waters Warmer water species are showing up this winter in Irish waters, with anchovies and sardines caught in large numbers in recent weeks.

These are species usually found in Spain and Portugal.

The Marine Institute said they usually see several marine heatwaves each year, many which are approximately 3C above the long-term average.

The likely cause of the event was a period of very calm weather conditions where very limited mixing of the surface waters of the ocean took place, said the institute.

Dr Kevin Flannery of Dingle Oceanworld. Photo: PA

In Dingle, Dr Flannery said further extreme heatwaves would seriously affect some of Irelands native marine species.

I hope the Marine Institute does an assessment on all the stocks after this. We saw the immediate effect on the fish in the aquarium. But at sea a whole heap of species could have migrated. We wont know until next year.

If we get a couple of more of these it will have a massive effect on fish.

In recent years, he has seen an influx of warm-water species while traditional species are leaving for colder waters.

The likes of Iceland, the Faroes and Norway are taking the bulk of the mackerel and the herrings, they are all moving into their waters.

The movement away of the traditional commercial species is a big change for the fishing industry, and also affects food security into the future.

The Marine Institute said the longer-term impact of marine heatwaves on mobile fish stocks is not clear.

For sessile organisms, or those with a range smaller than the area of the heatwave, we can expect be behavioural adaptations in the short-term, such as sheltering, and possibly physiological stresses, respiration stress...

As the effects are happening beneath the surface of Irish waters, Dr Flannery doesnt believe the public are conscious of the threat to marine life.

If grasses died off in heatwaves, the consequences of this would be quite dramatic for the farming industry,

Its fine for people swimming on the beach but for fishing communities and the sustainability of species, this could have a massive impact.

The human eye cant see whats happening offshore  but what happened this year is beyond precedent.
Dear Gay collection of letters shows how the radio show was therapy for generations suffocated by convention

I would often think of them, Kathleen Watkins says when we begin to talk about those people who wrote letters to The Gay Byrne Show.

The radio show ran from 1973 to 1998, two hours a day, with upwards of 850,000 daily listeners.

I would think: Has he gone to the pub again and is she now writing the letter? Shes going to hide it and get the envelope and post it. And Id think of the effort. And the relief  that shes poured it out onto the page, for the very first time maybe.

And this thing of hiding from the neighbours... That was the Ireland of the time. The mental suffering, she pauses.

People didnt know there was no shame in having a problem. They worried about the neighbours. But maybe the neighbours had worse problems, or maybe had the same problems?

The mental torture, her daughter Suzy agrees. You think about this being carried around...

You wonder, did they not have a brother, a sister, a mother, they could talk to, Kathleen says, adding, I suppose when one or two wrote, then it was a tsunami.

It was a tsunami. An outpouring of grief, shame, pain, misery, horror. Stories of abuse, violence, blighted lives. And there was brightness too  kindness, funny stories, generosity, sweet moments.

But those things werent surprising. They came from an Ireland everyone knew. A place where people cared for each other and were decent, open and entertaining. The other letters  the ones that told difficult stories  they were from the hidden Ireland, a place of secrets that was only just being revealed. And that hidden Ireland was, in large part dragged into the light thanks to the two hours that Gay Byrne spent on weekday mornings, reading and talking about the letters sent to him.

Kathleen Watkins and Suzy Byrne. Photo: Frank McGrath

Some of these have now been collected into a book, Dear Gay, that is a startling reminder of a very different time. A time the programme both reflected, and influenced.

By reading those letters, by talking about what was in them, and by allowing others through that to understand they were not alone, The Gay Byrne Show changed the way we lived, and the way we saw ourselves. It was mirror and reflection, and the most talked-about thing in the country.

I made the big mistake of going to the supermarket once, straight after the show, Kathleen says with a laugh. People just wanted to discuss it. I couldnt get anything done. I learned it was better to stay at home and let it settle before going out.

The book is edited by Gay and Kathleens daughter, Suzy, who explains how it came about. When dad died in 2019, RTE wanted to do something to acknowledge his contribution to broadcasting. A lot had been done on him before, and hed done his own programme, so it became about the letters.

When they went in the archives, just before Covid, it became very obvious very quickly that it was about the letters. These hadnt been done before. It had always been about The Late Late Show  much easier to do, because theres TV clip after clip.

These letters became the bedrock of the documentary (also Dear Gay). But it didnt stop there. Time constraints meant it was impossible to fit anything like the number of letters the makers wanted.

Michael Gill popped out to me, and said: I think theres a book here. Would you consider doing it? Id been very involved with the documentary, with [producer] Sarah Ryder, and she was genuinely deeply upset during editing at how much she had to take out. She said: Were literally tipping the iceberg here. Theres a wealth of stuff well never get into the documentary.

It just happened that my youngest daughter was starting in first year in school. Things were easing. The timing, it just happened, was right.

That said, says Suzy with a big laugh, she didnt really realise what was involved.

I had no idea how big the archive was. For much of it, I was on my own in RTE, because it was Covid. So Id go in and theyd leave me there with all the boxes out, and Id be on my own.

And if I needed the bathroom, Id have to bring things and prop open doors down corridors  because they self-close and I wouldnt be able to get back in again.

Id be starving, having to photocopy things because I couldnt bring anything out, and the photocopier was all keycard. I was taking photos on my phone, then the battery ran out  so Id loads and loads of stuff. I phoned Alice OSullivan who worked for years with dad on the programme, and asked: Can you please help me. Im so deep in, where do I start?

I was trying to decipher handwriting as well, as the letters were handwritten.

He was their link to Dublin, to other parts of the country

The programme, she emphasises, wasnt all sad and depressing. There was lots that was light. If he did something serious  the Christine Buckley interview for example  hed switch between that and something hilarious. It wasnt all doom and gloom.

She talks about the moment she really began to realise the true value of the show.

A funeral a few years ago, of a friends mother, in Castleblaney. As I left I went to say goodbye, she was sitting with some of her mothers friends, and she said this is Suzy Byrne, Gay Byrnes daughter. I hadnt been introduced as Gay Byrnes daughter for a long time by then, and I was a bit Oh...

Whatever my reaction was, I must have made a face. I didnt know what to do. Anyway, she called me the next day to say: Im really sorry for introducing you as Gay Byrnes daughter, its just you have no idea the lifeline your father gave to the Border counties. To my mother and her friends. The Troubles were happening, it was such a horrific time  he was their link to Dublin, to other parts of the country.

That really gave me a bit of a reality check. As I was doing the book, I understood that much, much more. That conversation was a real eye-opener for me. I was a little bit oblivious before to that sense of isolation in the country at the time.

Gay and Kathleen on Suzy's wedding day

It was his brilliance at both light and dark that set Gay apart. The way hed switch between stories that were harrowing, and those that were hilarious with no clashing of gears. He once said of the show, We specialised in finding things for people. This could range from a nice, soft, bouncy double bed to other, more vital items.

One announcement included in the book, reads: A young married man died recently in tragic circumstances, leaving behind a young family. This family have been unable to trace his will but feel that it may be inside the cover of an important historical book on the life of Daniel OConnell. The name of the book is The Liberator.

The dead man either loaned or sold the book in the last six months. This family are not interested in the return of the book  but would be most grateful to anyone who came into possession of a copy of the book recently, if they thumbed through the book to search for the missing will. Note: Book is about four inches thick  leather cover with clasp. Edges of pages are gilded.

He knew I listened to the programme, Kathleen says now. And he always used to ring me after The Late Late Show, but he never asked what did I think of the radio programme. I suppose he knew he was on a roll with it. He was a performer, an entertainer, he brought a lot of that to the programme.

When he came home in the evening, hed walk across the kitchen, put his wallet and keys down, and sometimes he looked over at the table  I think he was looking to see was there a starter, she laughs, adding, Often, there wasnt. But he had the ability to put things aside, which is a great strength.

And I would imagine, a necessity. Even now, reading the letters  decades old at this stage  its impossible not to be devastated by the details of these peoples circumstances. As Suzy says, What I think about the letters is the beauty of the ability to write and illustrate their lives.

Shes right. In the absence of any kind of familiarity with the language of therapy, the vernacular of trauma that we nearly all now have, these people were laying bare the things that happened to them in ways that were utterly honest and guileless.

One writer, a man, describing his unconsummated marriage, phrased it thus: I did not mean to write such a long letter. But the deep, deep unspoken pain of all those years drove me onwards. It feels like he spoke for many. Another woman ended with Forgive my long story, Gay, but I feel better already having told someone.

For a while we talk about the particular letters that really struck us. There are many; the woman in her 50s, a mother, who wrote in response to a previous letter: When I was four years old, I had a similar experience, only it was my own father. My mother was also downstairs. I was pinned down on the bed by a big man (my father), pulling at my clothes, pinching and pulling at my flesh. I remember everything. I screamed like an animal, screeching, wailing for my mother who was only downstairs. I remember my fathers eyes, his laughing, his mouth, him hurting me. Unless my mother dropped dead, she could not but have heard me.

None of us really has words for that.

Then there is one from a woman whose middle child, a boy, has died after a sudden and serious illness. She is soldiering on, trying to keep the world together for their other children  but her husband is struggling. As the weeks passed, it became apparent that Daddy was slowly crawling into a shell and closing it behind him. He spent all his spare time in bed, he spoke to no one and he hated to hear anyone laugh or be funny or happy in the house.

That woman, Kathleen says, what she wrote  she gave it everything. She was heartbroken, but she also was your classic mother figure. She realised: Weve other children. Ive to get up and get on with it. People around them were feeling that she was doing great, because of that, and the husband wasnt doing great  she managed to get all of that down, all in one letter, a whole world...

The loss of a child and never speaking of it, she continues. It is of course a tragically familiar tale from that time.

My own parents lost two toddlers and a 12-year-old, Kathleen says. They were never mentioned. I think they [my parents] were just magnificent in the way they coped. They just focused on the three girls and the boy  every brass farthing went into sending us down the road to Sion Hill, three of us, and a boy in Blackrock. Think of the sacrifices. The things they did without. And that was their joy. I think they were magnificent parents.

There was never fighting or shouting. If they had a row, they must have done it in secret. They were amazing. They never mentioned the [loss].

My father had this wonderful personality, he met these interesting, artistic people  such as the playwright John McCann  that was his outing, to have drinks with them once a week.

And my mother minded the house. She cooked, she baked. She was happy endlessly working. The Aga was like the altar. The neighbours came up two steps, into the kitchen, sat at the Aga, the kettle was on, and she was busily putting things in  scones, spotted dog, porridge overnight in the low oven  it was a great childhood.

Because that, too, was the Ireland of the time. A place that, when it worked, was happy, safe and content. Where families thrived, surrounded by love and security. But it wasnt everyones story.

The letters around the Ann Lovett case are particularly troubling. They tell of an Ireland where women and girls were kept in ignorance and fear, where their own bodies were mysterious to them, and potentially treacherous, weapons to be used in a battle for control.

I found that whole thing so shocking, Suzy says. That we kept young people, women, ignorant of their bodies  the church and the State did. And because of that, parents didnt know what to do. They were ignorant, and then when they got pregnant, they were punished. A lot of it was incest or rape.

The arrogance, the cruelty, Kathleen adds. Well never understand it.

There are happier parts  such as the Gay Byrne Fund, set up to help those in need.

That was huge, Suzy says. He was obsessed with the Gay Byrne Fund. That grew arms and legs and became a huge focus for him. The work that went into it. They developed huge ties with social workers, Crumlin Hospital  every letter that came in was checked and double-checked.

People would be writing in, saying: I heard you reading out that womans letter, Ive nothing myself but heres five pounds.

It wasnt huge money. It was small amounts. Someone writing to say: You gave me money last year, I paid off my electricity bill, and that turned my life around, heres 15 now because I want to help somebody else like that.

Although, Kathleen interjects, at that time, they werent that small. I remember I was having an X-ray in hospital, and this receptionist said: Could I have a word with you? She wanted to tell me that years ago she had got 50. And that to her at that time was huge. She went into detail  it was shocking what shed gone through. She said: I minded the 50, because it was huge for me at the time, until I really needed it. Now Im living in my little bungalow in its own grounds...

That was the end of the story. It had seemed thered be no light at the end of the tunnel for her. But she got 50 and that changed everything.

You get that feeling that the fund might have given them a break, Suzy agrees. Got them to a point where they could start over, break the cycle of debt that is so hard to get out of.

Something else that emerges, crystal clear, from the book, is the sheer volume of work. The way he never seemed to stop.

It was so busy, Kathleen agrees. Hed finish the radio at 11am, have a cup of coffee with the producer and talk about the next days programme, then it was straight over to The Late Late Show offices. The workload was crazy.

Every year, Gay would say: If theres one thing I cant stand, its sand in my sandwiches

Did she ever try and persuade him to do less work?

Oh sure I did. All the time. When we went to Donegal in the summers, that was heaven. Wed no phone, nothing.

Someone once said Gay used to look to see who was replacing him on the radio, as if it was important  sure, we didnt listen to the radio in Donegal! We were up and in our rags and we were gone.

It was just fantastic. We walked for about 26 years with a gang, and every night it was a different house, for a bit of supper. And we had a concert every night, for 26 years, we all did the same performance every single one of us, and thats not a word of a lie.

She laughs as she lists who did what.

Mairead sang I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls, Liam would do Cecil Sheridan parodies and Paul did his Satchmo. I did my poetry and Eamon accompanied anyone who wanted on the piano.

It never occurred to anyone to say to Mairead, would you sing a different song. It never occurred to her to sing a different song. We did the whole thing, every night.

And then the picnics, and wed go in little flotilla boats out to the islands. Every year, Gay would say: If theres one thing I cant stand, its sand in my sandwiches, And every year I would say: You never got sand in your sandwiches in your life!

They were great times. Proper time off from everything.

The picture she paints of Gay is a familiar one  someone who paid no attention to the mythologies around him; a family man, a man with a close-knit group of friends, someone who outside the parameters of his professional life was low-key and almost retiring.

He wanted to be a broadcaster from an early age, and he adored broadcasting, Suzy explains. He also worked hard to make sure that what came across on the radio every day and the TV every Friday looked off-the-cuff and natural. Aside from that, his social life was... functional. It was theatre, but never the after-party.

No, Kathleen agrees. He was getting up early in the morning.

And he stayed away from situations, Suzy continues. At weddings, for example, he would exit quite quickly after the meal. Once people had a few drinks, inhibitions were lowered, and theyd be over: I want to talk to you...

That said, she marvels at his patience.

Kathleen, Suzy and Gay at Dublin Airport in 1987

He was always so lovely with people who came up to him. Endlessly patient. There was never any kind of Not now.

I dont know how he did it, says Kathleen. I asked him, and he said: It goes with the territory.

Kathleen is very funny about being married for 55 years to the most adored man in the country.

If we were out somewhere as a couple, and I got up and went to the loo, there was always a lady sitting in my seat when I came back. And she didnt always get up immediately, she laughs.

It used to drive her mad, Suzy adds.

Id be standing there, looking around, smiling, waiting, Kathleen agrees. But the humour doesnt blind her to the serious.

He was extraordinary. Even when he was very ill, close to the end, I used to meet men and women in the supermarket and theyd say: Tell him we love him. Grown men and women. Tell him we love him.

Speaking of the end is clearly still very hard for her.

Someone said to me: Im sure he was a shocking patient, she says indignantly. He wasnt a shocking patient. He was so easy. He was just so ill. The last years were so hard.

I remember him getting so upset, Suzy says. Him saying: I just hate the fact that my grandchildren are seeing me sick. I dont want them to remember me like this. I think thats the same for anyone.

Kathleen recalls the day in 2015 of Gays heart attack.

It was Christmas time, and you were all staying with me, she says, to Suzy. I love six oclock in the morning, theres not a sound, I was up and I had my trays in the oven  sausages, rashers, tomato, mushroom. Gay came into the kitchen, clutching his chest. I went to the phone, left everything, went straight to the phone and called the ambulance, then I called Ronan and Suzy. They were dressed in a minute.

I got Gay into a chair and the men came, and they looked after him. They were so well trained, Its extraordinary how you do what you have to do when you have to do it, she says, and then adds quietly: We had some moments.

We talk again about the letters. The volume. The range. The revelations. And the impact  most of all on Gay himself.

The effect of all the letters that he read was, I think, on his tolerance of people. He was very understanding, Suzy says. The letters taught him that you never know whats going on in someone elses life.

Dear Gay is compiled by Suzy Byrne and published by Gill
My favourite room: When shes not at her Bordeaux vineyard, musician Emer Buckley calls a stylish Paris apartment home

When musician Emer Buckleys husband Fabrice suggested, after years together, that they buy a vineyard in Bordeaux, she was all in favour. Its full on but she has her Paris apartment to escape to

Emer Buckley just inside the entrance to her apartment building in the 12th arrondissement. The building dates from the 19th century and so has lovely period details, including the wrought iron gates. Photo: Tony Gavin

Mary O'Sullivan Sun 26 Nov 2023 at 03:32

While Ireland is famous for drink, particularly whiskey and stout, were not noted for our wine output  not surprising given our weather.
Nelofer Pazira-Fisk: Maintaining a ceasefire is a big risk for Benjamin Netanyahu

Difficult questions will arise for the Israeli leader during this fragile peace

A Red Cross vehicle carries hostages freed by Hamas to the Rafah crossing. Photo: Reuters

Nelofer Pazira-Fisk Sun 26 Nov 2023 at 03:30

The leaders of the so-called free world, who have been watching the death of Palestinians from a distance, now have to find the backbone to stop Benjamin Netanyahus army from killing even more.
A bus on fire on O'Connell Street, Dublin, during Thursday night's rioting in the city centre. Photo: PA

Prayer requires more of the heart than of the tongue, they say. That is why, so many lost for words will have sent their prayers for the recovery of the children and carer stabbed in Dublin.

The appalling scenes that followed shamed the whole country, as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said.

For the capital city of our country to be in the control of a mob represents a total failure.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee, when asked on RTE, dismissed any notion that safety on our streets was an issue. Such a response speaks to a lack of awareness of the experience of many people living and working in the city.

As Mr Varadkar revealed, the bill for the destruction wreaked runs to tens of millions of euro. It took hours for gardai to regain control of the situation. Despite this, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris insisted: Theres no failure here.

He may continue to tell himself that, but the images that went around the world tell another story: images of frightened tourists evacuated from their hotels, a bus and Luas burning in the city centre, which had become a no-go area, do not illustrate a secure policing environment..

Individual gardai worked heroically to keep the thugs at bay. Dozens were injured. The Garda Representative Association has for years been appealing for greater resources.

The refrain from the Government and from Garda HQ is by now familiar  personnel and resources are more than adequate.

If such was the case, why was the city able to be taken over by an opportunistic rabble directed by far-right activists?

The anti-immigrant groups want to destabilise society and spread hate and division to suit their malevolent agendas. They manipulate and exploit social inequalities without ever offering a means to address them.

The fact it was a Brazilian man who intervened to rescue one of the little girls from the knife attacker, or that many of the staff in the hospitals who saved lives are from overseas and whom we are privileged to have working here, means nothing to them.

Many people are at a loss to understand why, if garda intelligence was monitoring the chatter on social media, they apparently did not recognise the danger.

If, as the commissioner insists, resources were not an issue, why was it necessary to call in gardai from every corner of the country to the capital?

It is no consolation to hear Mr Harris say a complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology were to blame. They still succeeded in taking over our capital for a number of hours, and that speaks to a breakdown in security.

Nor does it inspire confidence that several schools in the north of the city were asked to close yesterday after noon for fear the violence might resume.

Effective policing is less about dealing with public disorder and more about preventing it.
It was interesting to hear the justice minister state that the thugs and criminals involved in the Dublin rioting will be arrested and jailed. These were most reassuring words, but we must remember how the justice system works.

Anybody who reads the court reports in the newspapers knows that those arrested will most probably be bailed immediately.

A file will then be submitted to the DPP, a process that can take up to 12 months. If prosecuted, the accused will appear in court and a hearing date will be set; if the case is destined for the higher courts, the delay can be a further year or even two.

By the time the cases are tried, the rioting will be a distant memory and those found guilty will probably get the usual derisory sentences.

It was reassuring to hear a government representative tell us the penalty for assaulting gardai was to be increased from seven years to 12.

I read court reports and see that many defendants accused of assaulting and injuring gardai do not get custodial sentences. So much for the reassuring promised 12 years. Those guilty of assaults on gardai and frontline workers must incur a substantial mandatory jail sentence.

The horrific murder of Ashling Murphy again raised the issue of allowing judges to decide the length of sentence that must be served before parole can be considered.

This has been discussed and promised for many years, but with no action taken.

We have a shortage of gardai; the office of the DPP must be under-resourced given the delays that occur, and we are told our prisons are full.

In 2022, the then President of the High Court, Mary Irvine, requested the appointment of an additional 20 judges, but the justice minister decided to appoint five because of the cost involved.

Our justice system is broken and it does not look like anybody in the Government is capable of fixing it.

However, we certainly have had plenty of reassuring stern words and promises in times of crisis.

SJ Murphy, address with editor

People who demonstrate against migrant centres are no better than rioters

Now is the time to remind all those shameless and easily-led people that when they attend demonstrations against migrant centres they are no better than those who caused such damage to our capital city.

Are you forgetting many of your grandparents, great grandparents, brothers and sisters have and still are migrating to other countries?

By all means, you have the right to demonstrate, but if you do you will be in the same category as the social rats who ran riot in the city centre.

By attending those demonstrations you are being manipulated by the low-lifes orchestrating this anti-migrant movement.

Anthony McGeough, Kingswood Heights, Dublin 24

Justice ministers cheek in preaching to mothers affected by rise in crime

I really must take issue with Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

Last night (Thursday) was 100pc about our streets not being safe. It was 100pc about a lack of general safety. It was 100pc about people not at all feeling safe or being safe.

How dare you preach to a mother (via RTE) whose child was beaten by a large gang of youths not a stones throw from our own house.

The perpetrators, known to the gardai, couldnt be prosecuted due to technicalities over their faces being hidden behind masks on video  they were circulating footage of the assault on social media afterwards.

How dare you preach last night to all mothers who have been affected by the rise in crime committed by youths on public transport, on our streets and in our city centre.

How dare you preach to mothers of teenagers, particularly those who have a tough job keeping children safe in this country, and God forbid having to pick up the pieces and deal with potential mental health issues that follow acts of violence carried out on our children.

How insulting your comments were to me, minister.

Last nights destruction of part of the city was a visual representation of the pain and terror inflicted on many communities in Ireland affected by the rapid rise in crime.

Nicola Timmons, address with editor

TDs of every party have to unite to reassure puzzled and frightened population

Last night (Thursday), Dublin for several hours was no longer the fair city of Molly Malone  it was awash with violence for the sake of violence.

I woke up on Friday morning hoping that the horrific acts of the night before were a nightmare. Alas, it wasnt so.

Im over 70 and have seen and experienced a lot in my life, but the feelings, the fears, the numbness I felt on Thursday night reminded me of the same feelings I had during 9/11, the Stardust disaster and, as a child, the Cuba crisis.

I dont have the answers, but I feel right-wing extremist are probably involved with overseas money awaiting a situation like this to occur.

Dublin has over a million citizens, and the city centre has had a tenseness about it for some time. Atrocities like this arent supposed to happen in our capital, but they have.

We elected 160 TDs to govern this country, and I feel it is high time for them to demonstrate political unity among the different parties to reassure a frightened and puzzled population.

Irish people are better than what the world witnessed on our TV screens, but there is some evil among us that needs to be removed very quickly.

Dr Aidan Hampson, Artane, Dublin

If knife attacker had been Irish and white, would city violence have broken out?

Why is it that logic seems to have evaded some of our citizens?

If we had been told the person responsible for the attack on Thursday on young children and a creche worker was an Irish white male or female, would riots have broken out that evening?

Emotions are understandably high as a result of the appalling incident, but the victims, the school, the teachers and their families require compassion and love at this time, not more violence, and especially not hatred.

We must allow our judicial system to take on the required role of judge and jury and hope too that the correct medical services are put in place to ensure the individual held accountable for his actions will never be a threat to anyone else again.

In the meantime, what does looting and burning vehicles achieve?

Those responsible for diverting much-needed garda resources and burdening business owners with financial losses must also be held accountable for their actions and brought to justice.

Marie Hanna Curran, Ballinasloe, Co Galway

Far-right racist hooligans were waiting for an excuse  they do not represent me

I was horrified by what was going on in Dublin City centre on Thursday night.

In the aftermath of the brutal stabbing attack on three young children and a carer, a group of far-right racist thugs decided to use it as an excuse to start a riot.

They set buses, a Luas tram and garda cars on fire and attacked gardai and looted shops.

This is not my Dublin, and they do not represent me.

Aisling McNiffe, Ardclough, Co Kildare

We must listen and learn from lessons of the past or ignore them at our peril

In this week of the 60th anniversary of the assassination of John F Kennedy, perhaps I might be permitted to paraphrase some words spoken by his younger brother, Robert, following another brutal killing, that of Martin Luther King in April 1968.

I hope they might be considered equally appropriate to our times, especially given the terrible events in our nations capital on Thursday evening.

What we need in Ireland is not division; what we need is not hatred; what we need is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom and compassion towards each other, and the delivery of justice to those who still suffer in our country, whether they be white or black.

Or, as another great American once put it: A house divided against itself cannot stand.

We ignore these words at our peril.

Padraig Keenan, Carrigaline, Co Cork
Eithne Agar and John Byrne were pictured at the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

Susan Kelly (Executive Librarian, Gorey Library) addressing the attendance during the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

John Dundon, relative of John Joseph Dundon attended the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

Mary Fortune and Helen Byrne attended the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

Susan Kelly (Executive Librarian, Gorey Library), Catherine Wright (Archivist, Wicklow County Archives, Wicklow County Council), Cllr Pip Breen (Cathaoirleach, Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District), Aaron O Maonaigh (Author), Grainne Doran (Archivist, Wexford County Archives, Wexford County Council), Eileen Morrissey (County Librarian) pictured at the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

Senator Malcolm Byrne, Grainne Doran (Archivist, Wexford County Archives, Wexford County Council), Cllr Pip Breen (Cathaoirleach, Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District), Aaron O Maonaigh (Author), Eileen Morrissey (County Librarian) and Cllr Donal Kenny pictured at the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

Catherine Wright (Archivist, Wicklow County Archives, Wicklow County Council), Cllr Pip Breen (Cathaoirleach, Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District), Aaron O Maonaigh (Author), Grainne Doran (Archivist, Wexford County Archives, Wexford County Council) and Johnny Mythen TD were at the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

Mari Gregan, John Caulfield and Eileen Doran, relatives of Michael Gregan were at the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

A great turn out for the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

Claire Gregan and Bridget Sheppard, grandaughters of Michael Gregan attended the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

Jack Gregan, great-grandson of Michael Gregan was pictured at the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

David Williams beside a photograph of his great-aunt Gretta Williams at the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell

Marcella Byrne, Mary Brennan and Nellie Brennan, relatives of Patrick Murphy were at the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

A great turn out for the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

This small autograph book was originally owned by Patrick Fitzpatrick from Kiltealy, a member of north Wexford IRAs flying column who was imprisoned in Wicklow Gaol in late 1922. Following his escape and subsequent recapture, he was interned again, including at Tintown Camp B in Kildare until his release on December 24, 1923.

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"The small autograph book offers a fascinating insight into the stark reality of incarceration in Wicklow Gaol 100 years ago, while at the same time humanising the men in the portrayal of their concerns and conveying their beliefs and ideals through a series of sketches, verses and political statements. He also added that the Decade of Centenaries programme has provided invaluable opportunities to focus on the everyday experiences of ordinary people living in extraordinary times, as well as on the leaders and key people in these events hence the particular significance of this Wicklow Gaol Comrades project, said Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr. John Fleming.

Catherine Wright (Archivist, Wicklow County Archives, Wicklow County Council), Cllr Pip Breen (Cathaoirleach, Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District), Aaron O Maonaigh (Author), Grainne Doran (Archivist, Wexford County Archives, Wexford County Council) and Johnny Mythen TD were at the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

The autograph book includes signatories of fellow internees from Fitzpatricks time in both places of detention. There are contributions from 43 fellow prisoners, many of whom have included a quotation, verse, drawing, sketch, or political statement. Fitzpatricks comrades hail from counties Wicklow, Wexford, Carlow, Kildare, Dublin and Westmeath.

Also speaking at the event, Cathaoirleach of Gorey-Kilmuckridge Municipal District, Cllr. Pip Breen noted how local authority archive services have been at the forefront of our understanding of this often turbulent and difficult decade and he commended the collaboration between the archive services of Wexford and Wicklow County Council, with a particular note of thanks to historian Aaron O Maonaigh for his diligent research for the book and for his interviews with some of the relatives of the men that featured in the autograph book.

John Dundon, relative of John Joseph Dundon attended the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

This project was researched and written by historian Aaron O Maonaigh and includes a short video documentary featuring excerpts from interviews held with some of the prisoners relatives. It also includes a physical exhibition featuring the men documented in the autograph book and an accompanying publication which provides a unique insight into the lives of the men imprisoned in Wicklow Gaol. This small autograph book is a collaboration between the archive services of Wexford and Wicklow County Councils centres on a small autograph book.

The exhibition will now be shown at branch libraries across the county, in County Hall, Carricklawn and other public venues in Wexford.

Susan Kelly (Executive Librarian, Gorey Library) addressing the attendance during the launch of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades: A Civil War Autograph Book in Gorey Library on Thursday evening. Pic: Jim Campbell https://www.jimcampbellphotos.com/

Copies of the Wicklow Gaol Comrades books are available in libraries in Wexford and have also been distributed to schools across the county.

This project was supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries programme 2012-23, and by the Archive Services of Wexford and Wicklow County Councils.
The Docks hotel - where Porotvino nightclub operated from for many years, in 2018.

A call has been made for a nightclub to be opened in New Ross as part of a drive to boost the towns languishing night time economy.

The last large nightclub in New Ross, Portovino on John Street, closed over a decade ago.

Speaking at the November New Ross Municipal District meeting, Cllr Michael Sheehan said levies could be applied on the owner of The Docks  (where Portovino was located)  isnt developed and opened.

We should be telling the towner to use it or lose it. A primary health care centre is proposed for the John Street area and that (site) may be an option.

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Cathaoirleach, Cllr Anthony Connick said there was activity on the site in October, which was encouraging to see.

Cllr Pat Barden said: If you are between the ages of 15 and 25 there is no nightclub in the town for you. You have to get a bus somewhere.

We need a nightclub in the town. Last bank holiday weekend six buses pulled out of the Irishtown going to Waterford or Wexford for nightclubs.

Cllr Connick said he agreed. Its dreadful! You have to drop and collect them the whole time and its dreadful for the night time economy here also. Cllr Barden insisted that a proper nightclub is needed in New Ross.

Is it Dickie Rock playing, you have in mind? one councillor joked.

We could call it Motions, area manager Alan Fitzhenry joined in.

Cllr Sheehan said The Barrowland dancehall is for sale and would be an ideal location for a nightclub.

District director Eamonn Hore said: We can do a lot in New Ross, but I cant see the council getting involved in the nightclub industry! The Docks cant be considered to be a derelict building.

We have been onto the owner John Murphy over the years.

Its actually very well developed inside. There is a platform in the bar so you can look out onto the river and hopefully with all of the development in New Ross we will be able to help move it on.
23 December 1930, New Ross, Co. Wexford This image depicts the young actors from a nativity scene in Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary School, Rosbercon. Established in 1924 by the Holy Faith Sisters, the school was one of the best known boarding schools in the country for girls for many years. The Holy Faith Sisters withdrew from Rosbercon in 1998, but the school continues to function. The nativity play has had a very enduring history in Ireland, both in religious and non-religious schools. The costumes here are particularly impressive and while we can see some expected characters  Mary, Joseph and the Angel  the witchs hat is a surprising addition and one for which we dont have a definitive explanation, although one possible theory is that it could be the Befana, a good witch who brings sweets and gifts to children in Italy on the eve of the Epiphany. Photographer: Poole Studio; Source: National Library of Ireland; Ref.: P_WP_3785.

An image from 99 years ago, depicting young actors in a nativity scene in Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary School, Rosbercon, features in the new Old Ireland in Colour book.

Established in 1924 by the Holy Faith Sisters, the school was one of the best known boarding schools in the country for girls for many years.

The nativity play has had a very enduring history in Ireland, both in religious and non-religious schools and was celebrated at the school in 1924.

The costumes here are particularly impressive and while we can see some expected characters  Mary, Joseph and the Angel  the witchs hat is a surprising addition and one for which we dont have a definitive explanation, although one possible theory is that it could be the Befana, a good witch who brings sweets and gifts to children in Italy on the eve of the Epiphany, said the authors John Breslin and Sarah-Anne Buckley.

Sourced from the National Library of Ireland, the photograph features in what is the third instalment of their record-breaking Old Ireland in Colour series. The authors have uncovered yet more photographic gems and breathed new life into them in glorious colour.

The book  which runs to 272 pages  is available in hardback for 24.99.
Bobby Brazier has dedicated his Strictly Come Dancing routine to his mother Jade Goody.

The 20-year-old EastEnders actor performed a couples choice dance to This Womans Work by Maxwell with professional Dianne Buswell on Strictly Come Dancing.

His mother died in 2009 aged 27 after being diagnosed with cervical cancer.

In a video clip before he performed, Brazier said: It changed my life completely, Id love to spend a day with her just to see where I get my smile from.

He is also the son of TV presenter Jeff Brazier, who spoke about the familys grief.

Jade Goody who died in 2009 (Ian West/PA)

Jeff said loss makes you grow closer before adding: Im the lucky one, Im the one who gets to bring the boys up, Im the one who gets to watch them on Strictly, it brings to my joy to my life.

Following the couples choice, Brazier appeared emotional as his family including Jeff watched in the audience and judges Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse gave him standing ovations.

Ballas said she was emotional as she praised the dance saying it had the most beautiful true movements through the body as you danced it through your heart.

Mabuse said: (The) steps and the dancing and technical aspects are important, but with such a beautiful dance, I think this is a dance that transcends that.

This carries the message and the message that you both put on the floor was absolutely beautiful.

I think you captured the song amazingly.

When he was waiting for his score, Brazier said he said he was blessed and the dance was something Ill never forget.

Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell (Guy Levy/BBC)

Meanwhile, former Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola received the highest score of the night from the judges with 37 points.

Mabuse said that it was about intimacy and there was a real story for their brilliant Argentine Tango to Bills, Bills, Bills by Destinys Child.

Annabel Croft was also praised by Ballas for doing some of the best footwork she has seen for a paso doble.

Wearing co-ordinated black and yellow Latin-inspired outfits, she performed alongside professional Johannes Radebe to Espana Cani and scored a total of 36 points for the routine.

Nigel Harman said he was told he would be doomed doing a rumba, and was delighted by positive comments from the judges for the routine to Its All Coming Back To Me Now by Celine Dion.

Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe during the dress rehearsal for their appearance on the live show on Saturday for BBC1s Strictly Come Dancing (Guy Levy/BBC)

Anton Du Beke called the performance super duper and said Harman tried to dance with Katya Jones, instead of letting her perform around him.

The judges scored Casualty star and former EastEnders actor Harman and Jones a total of 33 points.

Bad Education actor and West End star Layton Williams and Nikita Williams were criticised for their American smooth to Its Oh So Quiet by Bjork, which scored the routine a total of 34 points.

Ballas said the routine was gestural and fun and not smooth enough, which attracted boos from the live audience.

TV presenter Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu also performed a cha cha to I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor and were awarded 31 points.

Meanwhile David Tennant, whose return as the Time Lord in Doctor Who was seen in a new episode on Saturday, also appeared in a video message on Strictly.

He explained the BBC shows voting procedure as he appeared remotely.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Sunday.
President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse

This is the first official visit to Japan by President Vo Van Thuong as Head of State and the fourth to Japan by Vietnamese State leaders since the two countries established their diplomatic ties.

President Vo Van Thuong and his wife Phan Thi Thanh Tam were accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, Head of the Presidential Office Le Khanh Hai, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defence Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of Public Security Tran Quoc To and other leaders.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of both nations' diplomatic ties and nine years since the two countries upgraded their bilateral relations to an extensive strategic partnership./.
Catherine Tate and David Tennant have both entered the time travelling Tardis machine again as the pair returned to star in Doctor Who.

Tate played Donna Noble, who had to stop being the Doctors companion after the final episode of the rebooted fourth series due absorbing the power of the Time Lords.

Tennant as the 10th Doctor, who he played between 2005 and 2010, had to wipe her mind to save her life during the 2008 episode.

Yasmin Finney stars as Donna Nobles daughter Rose (Ian West/PA)

Tennant regenerated as the 14th Doctor during the first female Time Lord Jodie Whittakers last episode in 2022, signalling his return for three 60th anniversary episodes.

During a new episode on Saturday, Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney stars as Donnas daughter, Rose, and she meets Tennant as the Doctor along with her mother.

Donna does not recognise the Doctor and fails to pay attention when a UFO is seen in the sky.

The Doctor then gets a lift from Donnas husband Karl Collins, with actor Shaun Temple reprising the role, who explains she gave away her lottery winnings.

Jacqueline King also comes back as Sylvia Noble, who has concerns about Donnas state of mind.

Rose meets a fluffy alien called the Meep, voiced by Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, and when Donna is upset by the discovery, the Doctor returns to see her at home.

The Doctor wants to know about Wilfred Wilf Mott, previously played by the late actor Bernard Cribbins  who died last year aged 93, and she says hes not with us anymore.

The Doctor replies: I loved that man, Im so sorry for your loss before they explain that Wilfred is in sheltered accommodation.

Donna, the Doctor and her family are then captured and put in the back of a van.

Donna and the Doctor escape and she follows him into the Tardis where she says she does not mind dying to save her daughter.

The Doctor then returns her memories in an emotional moment before it is revealed that the Time Lord being genderfluid means Donna and Rose can share the knowledge she has and will not be in danger.

A new larger Tardis is then revealed, which has a coffee machine, before it catches fire and the Doctor teases that might now end up anywhere in time and space.

Saturdays The Star Beast is the first of three special episodes, marking the 60th anniversary.

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It will be followed by Wild Blue Yonder on December 2 and The Giggle on December 9.

Both Tennant and Tate previously returned to the series.

Tate also appeared when a two-part special was broadcast over 2009s Christmas and 2010s New Years Day.

During the 50th anniversary special, Tennant made a comeback during Matt Smiths tenure for The Day Of The Doctor in 2013.

Also returning for the new swathe of episodes is showrunner Russell T Davies.

Sex Education and Barbie star Ncuti Gatwa will then take over in the role of the Doctor over the festive period as he becomes the 15th Doctor.
Modern Morals: My best friend says she cant afford to go to my foreign wedding next year. Is it insensitive to ask her to get a loan?
The U.S. Consulate Kolkata in collaboration with Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I) hosted a panel discussion on STEM Education where experts discussed the scope of it recently.

Daniel B. Schwab, president and founder, STEM for Development, said during his virtual address that the world is currently facing some major 'existential crises' which include issues like climate change, water scarcity and food security.

"We need the global south and north to work closely together to address these issues," he said.

"We need well-trained scientific talent. And more than that, we need someone that knows how to communicate, that knows how to tell the story of their research both to other scientists and the public," he said.

Apart from him, Professor Rangina Hamidi, Professor of Practice, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University and Dr Kanadpriya Basu, Professor of Practice, Data Science & Leadership Develoment, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University were the other Speakers.

Basu spoke about 100 Million Learners Initiative  a move to provide 100 million entrepreneurs in India 100 Million Learners Course free of cost.

The Panel Discussion was moderated by Dr Suranjan Das, Vice Chancellor, Adamas University.

US Consul General Melinda Pavek highlighted the importance of STEM education in her closing remark and said: "It is not about quantity, it is about quality."

"We get to quality by changing the process that we use to teach, by engaging students in their hearts, in their minds, in their excitement," she said.

"I think we really need to do that differently," she said.
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

Several pilgrims, who were gearing up to visit Pakistan to attend the Prakash Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev, have expressed disappointment after the country's administration cancelled the visas of several of them without proper communication.

A bus carrying a group of Sikh pilgrims was flagged off on Friday for the visit to the neighbouring nation.

The jatha is going to celebrate the 554th anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, a jatha leader told the reporters as quoted by ANI.

The pilgrims will visit Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib. The visit will be over on December 4 and they will return to India the next day," the jatha leader said.

Another jatha leader told ANI: "Despite several requests, the Pakistani government kept us waiting till the last day and didnt give a clear number of how many pilgrims would be given visas. The pilgrims have so much devotion and cancelling their visas at the last moment really hurt their religious sentiments."

The pilgrims requested the Pakistani administration to give preference to the applications for religious visas.

We urge the Pakistan government that at least the religious visas should be granted to the pilgrims who wish to go to Pakistan. Delhi Gurdwara Committee and Shiromani Gurdwara Committee are two bodies working on it. The religious visas should be given preference, a pilgrims told the news agency.
Image Credit and Caption: UNI

New Delhi/IBNS/UNI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday remembered the victims of the Mumbai terror attack and said, "India can never forget this day".

Referring to the Mumbai terror attacks on his monthly Mann ki Baat radio, PM Modi said, "Terrorists had made Mumbai shudder along with the entire country...But it is Indias fortitude that made us surmount the ordeal; we are now quelling terror with full ardor."

Paying homage to all of those who lost their lives in the Mumbai attack, PM Modi said, "Today the country is in remembrance of those brave hearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the attack."

On Nov 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists arrived by the sea route and opened indiscriminate firing, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others.

Remembering the date for one more account, PM Modi said, "It was on this very day in 1949 that the Constituent Assembly passed and adopted the Constitution of India."

"We have been celebrating this day as Constitution Day. I extend my best wishes to all countrymen on the occasion of Constitution Day," he said.

The Prime Minister also urged the people to promote 'vocal for local,' saying, "Within the last few days, business worth more than Rs four lakh crore has been done in the country on Diwali, Bhaiya Dooj, and Chhath."

He said the success of Vocal for Local is opening the doors to a Developed IndiaProsperous India. This campaign strengthens the economy of the entire country".

"When the people at large take charge of nation-building, no power in the world can stop that country from moving forward. Today, it is clearly visible in India that many transformations are being led by the 140 crore people of the country," he said.

Over 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' PM Modi said this campaign is becoming an inspiration for people, especially the youth of the country.

He said Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has changed people's mindsets regarding cleanliness and public hygiene.

"Today this initiative has become a symbol of the national spirit, which has improved the lives of crores of countrymen," he said.

Modi also raised concerns over water conservation; he said one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century is 'Water Security'.

"Conserving water is no less than saving life. When we perform any work with this spirit of collectivity, we also achieve success," PM added.

He said that more than 65,000 AmritSarovars that India developed during the AmritMahotsav will benefit forthcoming generations.

"Now it is also our responsibility to ensure that wherever 'AmritSarovar' has been built, it should be regularly looked after so that it remains the main source of water conservation," he said.

The Prime Minister said a continuous rise in intellectual properties through the combination of technology in itself is an important facet of progress in enhancing the capability of the country.

"You will be pleased to know that there has been an increase of more than 31 percent in Indian patent applications in 2022," he said.

"Compared with the figures of 10 years ago today, our patents are getting 10 times more approvals. We all know that patents not only increase the Intellectual Property of the country; they also open doors to new opportunities," he said.
Image Credit: Image tweeted by Uttarkashi Police

The rescue operation to evacuate 41 trapped workers in a Uttarakhand tunnel for 15 days received another major blow as the giant drill working on their rescue collapsed. The Indian Army was called in to join the operation and was tasked with the manual drilling.

The blades of the auger machine got stuck in the debris as it was drilling through the rubble of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel.

The heavy drill brought in from America to break through nearly 60 meters of debris was damaged on Friday and is now being pulled out.

There are still the last 10-15 metres that need to be broken with hand-held power tools to evacuate the trapped workers.

Manual drilling would involve a worker entering the already bored stretch of the rescue passage, drilling for a brief period in the confined space, and then coming out to let someone else take over. Indian Army will helm the manual drilling.

A unit of Madras Sappers, an engineer group of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army, arrived at the site to assist in the rescue operations.

Trapped for over 360 hours, the 41 men may now have to wait for several more days, maybe weeks, before they are brought out safely.

Authorities have said they are safe, with access to light, oxygen, food, water and medicines.

The labourers have been trapped in a 400-metre buffer zone of the unfinished main tunnel since November 12 when a portion of the 4.5-km tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway collapsed.

The tunnel - meant to join Silkyara and Dandalgaon in Uttarkashi - is a part of the Char Dham project.

The cause of the tunnel collapse has not been revealed by authorities.

Located in the Himalayas, the area is susceptible to landslides, earthquakes, and floods.
Image Credit: Facebook/Nitish Kumar

Patna/IBNS/UNI: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Sunday announced that a mega campaign would be launched soon to exert the pressure on Centre to accept special status demand for his state.

Kumar while addressing a function organised by his party JD(U) here said that there was an urgent need for special status to Bihar which must be accepted by the Centre soon.

On the basis of findings of a recently held socio-economic caste census, the state government had decided to launch welfare schemes for the poor and deprived, which needed Rs 2.5 lakh Crores, he said.

"The Bihar government will spend Rs. 50,000 crores every year for 5 years to complete the target of providing financial assistance to targeted groups and individuals under the proposed scheme," the Chief Minister said adding that the target could be achieved in three years if Bihar was given special status by the Centre.

His government had been demanding a special status for Bihar for a long time.

Kumar said that a mega campaign could be launched soon to exert pressure on the Centre to grant special status to Bihar.

He exhorted the people and all stakeholders to extend their support so that the Centre was forced to accept the special status to the state.
Image Credit: Screengrab from video tweeted on SRK fan page

Mumbai/IBNS: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan and other Bollywood personalities Sunday paid homage to people who lost their lives fifteen years ago in Mumbai terror attacks.

In tribute to the countless lives sacrificed for the nation, the Global Peace Honours event was organized at the Gateway of India by the Divya Foundation, led by Amruta Fadnavis.

The respect that SRK shows to everyone around makes him the king he is! Video clip from the 'Global Peace Honours' event at the Gateway of India to pay tribute to the unsung heroes of 26/11  #ShahRukhKhan #NeverForget2611 pic.twitter.com/2lM28KWSSF  Shah Rukh Khan Universe Fan Club (@SRKUniverse) November 26, 2023

Besides Khan, the gathering was attended by notable personalities, including Sharad Kelkar, Manisha Koirala, and Tiger Shroff.

On Nov 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists arrived by the sea route and opened indiscriminate firing, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others.

Attending the event, SRK made an entry in a classic three-piece suit, displaying his dapper charm.

During the event, he was seen engaged in conversations with actor Sharad Kelkar.

As the videos from the event went viral, fans on social media can't stop applauding SRK for his politeness and humility.
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Uzbekistan leaves you spellbound with its beautiful monuments and architecture. But you literally hold your breath till you are in Bukhara, the museum-city where every building, alley and brick breathes history.

There are some 140 centuries-old monuments in Bukhara with its historical centre included in the Unesco World Heritage List.

For the tourists and other visitors planning to visit Bukhara for leisure or work, there will have a magnificent hotel to put up in the later half of 2024.

The yet to be named hotel is coming up in the city centre over an area of 0.8 hectares.

The hotel, once opened, will be able to host visitors in its 301 rooms, including 1 Presidential suite, besides three conference rooms and a restaurant with 600 seats.

It has a swimming pool, sauna and massage rooms. The building consists of seven floors and an attic (on the 8 floor).

At this time, the 5th floor is under construction which is likely to be completed by September 2024.

The hotel will be a star attraction in Bukhara which has a history dating back to more than 2500 years. According to legend, the city was founded by the Persian prince Siyavush, to whom the vassal state was handed over as a wedding gift by the ruler of Samarkand Afrasiab. In the center of the state was erected a fortress Ark, which was surrounded by settlements of artisans.

At one time, the city fell to Alexander the Great, later the Arab conquerors and was subjected to destruction by Genghis Khan. In 1370 Bukhara became part of the empire of Timur.

The city was the largest trade centre on the Great Silk Road. A visit to Bukhara is also about soaking in the beauty of Poi Kalyan (the foot of the Great Minaret), an architectural ensemble centered around the Kalyan Minaret built by Arslan Khan (1127  1129) and consisting of the majestic Kalyan mosque and the Mir-i Arab Madrassah (1527-1536).
Photo Courtesy: IDF video grab

Thirteen Israelis and four Thai citizens, who had been held captive by Hamas, arrived in Israel on Sunday as part of a crucial hostage deal brokered by Qatar and Egypt, Reuters reported.

The agreement faced a momentary threat of collapsing due to a disagreement over aid supplies, which was resolved after the intervention of the two countries, the report said.

The dispute over aid, which left the hostage release in uncertainty, highlights the fragile nature of the agreement.

According to the deal, 50 Israeli hostages would be released for 150 Palestinian prisoners over a four-day period.

This is just the beginning of bringing back all of our hostages home from Gaza. pic.twitter.com/gowOQIBfJS  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 24, 2023

Television footage showed hostages on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing after leaving Gaza.

Hamas transferred the hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) late on Saturday, the reports said.

Among the 13 released Israelis, six were women, and seven were children and teenagers, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

"The released hostages are on their way to hospitals in Israel, where they will reunite with their families," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

Representatives from the @ICRC just transferred 17 hostages via Egypt, including 13 Israeli and 4 Thai hostages, to ISA and IDF Special Forces, as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families.



We have been preparing to welcome our pic.twitter.com/ulogSb2hk5  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 25, 2023

In return for the Israeli hostages, 39 Palestinian civilians, including 33 minors, were released from Israeli prisons.

Al Jazeera TV broadcast live footage of a Red Cross bus carrying the overjoyed Palestinian prisoners, who were released from an Israeli prison and headed to Beitunia town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

A Palestinian official, aware of the diplomatic situation, said that Hamas intends to maintain the four-day truce agreed upon with Israel.

This marks the first temporary cease-fire since Hamas terrorists carried out an attack in southern Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,200 casualties while around 240 people were taken hostage.

After the sudden attack, Israel vowed to wipe out the Hamas militants governing Gaza, launching airstrikes and a ground offensive in the north.

As of Saturday, Palestinian health authorities reported that around 14,800 people, 40% of them children, have been killed.

The swap on Saturday follows another exchange on Friday, where Hamas released 13 Israeli hostages, including children and the elderly, in exchange for 39 Palestinian women and youth released from Israeli prisons.
Photo courtesy: YouTube KTLA5 screenshot

Nine-year-old Emily Hand, who was initially thought to have been killed in the October 7 attack on Israel, returned to her family after being held hostage by the Hamas militants for 50 days in Gaza, Reuters reported.

She was released along with 12 other Israeli and four Thai nationals as part of a prisoner swap agreement between Israel and the Palestine-backed fighter group.

Her release came a day after she spent her ninth birthday in captivity amid a four-day ceasefire. The prisoner exchange agreement faced a momentary threat of collapsing due to a disagreement over aid supplies, which was resolved after the intervention of the Qatar and Egypt.

It was a moment of relief and joy when Emily reunited with her family, who had initially thought she had been killed in the devastating assault by Hamas gunmen in southern Israel on October 7.

She was part of the second group of hostages released through a deal brokered by Qatar between the Islamist movement and Israel.

Among the 13 Israelis freed, six are women, and seven are children and teenagers, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

In a photograph released with fellow hostage Hila Rotem, whose mother is still captive in Gaza, she seemed to be in good health.

Emily is the daughter of an Irish immigrant to Israel. She lost her mother to cancer at the age of 2. Her family, like others with hostages, described a tumultuous blend of emotions.

We cant find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days, her family said in a statement, according to Reuters. We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return.

Kibbutz, Be'eri, where Emily resided, is one of the worst hit by the violence inflicted by Hamas. It is situated just a few kilometers from the breached security fence with Gaza, the report said.

The release of some hostages abducted on October 7 brought a sense of relief to the community albeit with a tempering of sadness.

In the Dead Sea resort, where most kibbutz residents have been evacuated, cheers and applause filled the air as the community witnessed the hostages being brought back to Israel.

You dont know, you cant imagine they will come. You just cant imagine it, what they will do, if they will talk about it, 10-year-old Talia, a friend of Emily Hand, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

We have a lot of questions; everyone wants to ask them What happened there, what they did to them, if they ate and drank, she said, the report added.

This community has now become one of the most poignant symbols of the suffering inflicted by the attack.

The current ceasefire is the first since Hamas terrorists carried out a massive surprise rocket attack in southern Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,200 casualties and the capture of around 240 people.

After the sudden attack, Israel vowed to wipe out the Hamas militants governing Gaza, launching airstrikes and a ground offensive in the north.

As of Saturday, Palestinian health authorities reported that around 14,800 people, 40% of them children, have been killed.

The swap on Saturday follows another exchange on Friday, where Hamas released 13 Israeli hostages, including children and the elderly, in exchange for 39 Palestinian women and youth released from Israeli prisons.
Photo Courtesy: Videograb

London: Police arrested at least 18 people on Saturday during a pro-Palestinian march in central London for various offences, media reports said.

Tens of thousands of participants gathered in the demonstration demanding a lasting ceasefire in Gaza. Agitators can be heard chanting "Allahu Akbar", in videos of the protest, reported media

#Watch

Tensions rise at Pro-Palestine march in London pic.twitter.com/fOwaMhJDt2  The World Monitor (@tworldmonitor) November 25, 2023

One man was arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of inciting racial hatred for carrying a placard with Nazi symbols. Four others were taken into custody for distributing materials that included a swastika inside a Star of David, according to media reports.

 Tens of Thousands March in London Pro-Palestine Demo  Police Watch On with Video Cameras pic.twitter.com/Owa8ZnxtlQ  Su D. (@DSu64713331) November 25, 2023

Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Ade Adelekan said the authorities will not tolerate anyone who revels on or promotes acts of terrorism or anyone who spreads hate speech.

The reports said, a group of Jewish women also joined the march to condemn crimes committed by Hamas, including rapes and killings.

Many Jewish people in London are leaving the city during weekends to steer clear of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and marches, where some protestors have displayed anti-Semitic signs, according to a Bloomberg report.

Members of the Muslim community are also at unease over concerns of potential attacks while traveling public transport, it added.

The report said the total count of hate crimes reported to London police in October rose by almost 46% compared to the corresponding month in the previous year, as per information from groups in both communities.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, currently in its seventh week, has shaken both Muslim and Jewish communities in London, where they have coexisted for generations.
Rome/IBNS: The murder of 22-year-old student Giulia Cecchettin in Italy has sparked outrage across the country with thousands of people taking part in protests over femicide.

What happened?

Cecchettin, a 22-year-old student at University of Padua who was about to graduate with a degree in biomedical engineering, reportedly fell victim to murder at the hands of Filippo Turetta, her ex-boyfriend, reported BBC.

On November 11, she went to buy her graduation outfit with Turetta; following this, the couple disappeared.

A few days later, CCTV footage revealed the tragic final moments of Cecchettin's life.

In a car park near her home in Vigonovo, near Venice, Turetta, 22, was captured assaulting her.

Despite her attempts to flee, he subdued her by placing duct tape on her mouth, forcing her into his car. He then drove to an industrial area, where he subjected her to further attacks.

Following a week-long search, her body was discovered at the bottom of a ditch, wrapped in a black plastic bag with multiple stab wounds, according to BBC.

Turetta, sought by an international arrest warrant, was apprehended near Leipzig, Germany.

After returning to Italy on Saturday, he is currently detained in a Verona prison. Although not formally charged, a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, as reported by Corriere del Veneto.

The Protests

Thousands rallied to condemn Italy's 'patricarchal' culture and violence against women.

To raise awareness of gender-based violence and patriarchy in Italy, a number of events were planned for the day, including processions, races, marches, flash mobs, sit-ins, and even free gynaecological tests, reports BBC.

Gino Cecchettin, Guilia Cecchettin's father, commemorated the day by speaking to students at the University of Padua and unveiling a red bench on campus in commemoration of all victims of violence against women.

"Nothing will bring Giulia back, but I want many good initiatives to come out of her death," he said to BBC.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella said: "Dramatic news stories have shaken the country's conscience," marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, BBC reports.

"A human society that aspires to be civilised cannot accept, cannot endure, this string of attacks on women and murders," he said, adding that violence against women was a failure of society.

Giorgia Meloni, Italy's first female prime minister, has expressed outrage at the country's long history of violence against women.

Talking to X, she wrote, "We are free, and no one can take that freedom away from us; no one can think that we are in their possession."

Siamo libere, e nessuno puo toglierci quella liberta, nessuno puo pensare che siamo nel loro possesso.

Nella Giornata internazionale per leliminazione della violenza contro le donne, voglio dire alle donne italiane che non sono sole, e che quando hanno paura 1522 e il numero da pic.twitter.com/AKJPtz2agN  Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) November 25, 2023

According to data from the Italian Interior Ministry, of the 106 women who have died in Italy so far this year, 55 are purportedly the victims of partners or ex-partners.
Representational image on Unsplash/Bermix Studio

Zamfara/Nigeria/IBNS: Over 100 people were abducted by bandits who raided the four villages of Nigeria's north-westren state, Zamfara.

Armed gangs, referred to locally as bandits, kidnapped the residents after the villages failed to pay a "tax" imposed on them by the gunmen, witnesses said to BBC.

A local village head told Reuters that one resident was killed in Friday's attack.

Gunmen on dozens of motorcycles stormed the villages of Mutunji, Kwanar-Dutse, Sabon-Garin Mahuta, and Unguwar Kawo in the Maru local government area of the states, residents told Reuters.

Locals told the BBC the gunmen's leader is named "Lawali Damana."

Damana controls most of the region in the absence of state security forces, said the locals.

Dankandai Musa, one of the village residents, told Reuters that he was able to escape unobserved during the turmoil. However, twenty of his kin were abducted.

"I managed to escape after they were regrouping us and the people from the three other villages that were attacked," he said. "I fled while they were dragging us to the bush."

A local village head told Reuters that Danama had already sought 100 million naira ($119,000) from the communities as payback after four of his men were slain by the Nigerian military.

President Bola Tinubu since taking office in May, President Bola Tinubu has not yet revealed his strategy for addressing the insecurity.

Aware of the problem, Tinubu's campaign highlighted his experience as governor of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, which is home to several Islamist extremist organisations and the Boko Haram conflict.

Legacy of kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria

In recent years, an alarming surge in kidnapping for ransom has plagued north-western Nigeria, with armed gangs, commonly known as "bandits," targeting villages, schools, and travelers.

Over 1,000 students have been abducted since December 2020, often released only after hefty ransoms are paid, BBC reported.

The perpetrators, referred to as 'bandits,' conduct ruthless raids on villages, kidnapping civilians, and setting houses ablaze.

These attacks have forced thousands of people to flee their homes, seeking refuge elsewhere in the country.

The epicentre of these atrocities is the north-west, particularly in Zamfara State, where over 3,000 people have lost their lives since 2012.

The kidnapping industry appears to be thriving, extending its reach into previously secure areas beyond the control of the Nigerian army. This poses a significant threat to trade, education, and the agricultural sector.

Nigeria grapples with a multitude of security challenges, including a jihadist insurgency in the north, deadly conflicts between herders and farmers, a separatist insurgency in the southeast, and militant demands for a greater share of oil profits in the Niger Delta.
The recent denial of visas to 788 Sikh devotees by Pakistan, preventing them from celebrating Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurupurab) at historic gurdwaras in the country, stands as a stark reminder of the deep-rooted intolerance that continues to plague Pakistani society, particularly towards its minority communities.

This insensitive decision not only denies Sikh devotees the opportunity to practice their faith and connect with their spiritual roots, but it also serves as a stark illustration of Pakistans blatant disregard for the rights of its religious minorities.

The Sikh community holds a special reverence for Pakistan, as it is the birthplace of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, located in the Punjab province, is one of the most revered Sikh shrines in the world. The denial of visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims seeking to visit this sacred site during Guru Nanak Jayanti is a profound act of disrespect towards their faith and a clear violation of their fundamental right to religious freedom.

Pakistans refusal to accommodate Sikh pilgrims is not an isolated incident. Despite multiple requests from India, Pakistan has consistently refused to reduce the exorbitant fees charged for pilgrims utilizing the Kartarpur Corridor, the only land route connecting the two countries gurdwaras. Also, several Gurdwaras in Pakistan have been allowed to become ruins, without any proper upkeep and maintenance.

The denial of visas to Sikh devotees and the persistence of high Kartarpur Corridor fees are not merely administrative decisions; they are symptomatic of a deeper societal ill  the pervasive intolerance towards religious minorities in Pakistan. The Sikh community, despite its significant contributions to Pakistans history and culture, has long faced marginalization and discrimination. The recent denial of visas is just another manifestation of this deep-seated prejudice.

This particular incident reflects the countrys inability to embrace its diversity and provide equal opportunities to all its citizens. It is time for Pakistan to recognize the importance of religious tolerance and take concrete steps to protect the rights of its minority communities. Only then can it hope to build a truly inclusive and harmonious society.

(Photo and text courtesy: Khalsavox.com)
1. Here's Why People Are Demanding A Ban On Ranbir Kapoor And Rashmika Mandanna's 'Animal'

T-series

It didn't actually start after the release of the trailer. However, the controversy began months before it when a leaked photo from the film went viral on social media. First of all, take a look at the photo below.



2. After Firing Gunshots At Gippy Grewal's Home, Lawrence Bishnoi Sends A Warning To Salman Khan

Twitter

In a Facebook post, Bishnoi claimed, "While you may regard Salman Khan as a brother, it is now imperative for your 'brother' to step in and rescue you. This message extends to Salman Khan as well  do not harbour the illusion that Dawood or anyone can save you from us. Your impassioned reaction on the demise of Sidhu Moose Wala did not escape our notice. We are well aware of the kind of person he was and the illicit connections he maintained."



3. 8 Interesting Details About Sandeep Reddy Vanga And Ranbir Kapoor's Animal That Have Raised Our Excitement



T-series

While in Kabir Singh, Sandeep Reddy Vanga showed what an obsessive and over-possessive boyfriend looks like, in his upcoming movie Animal, he showcases the relationship between a man obsessed with his own father.



4. The Meaning And Story Behind Animal Song 'Arjan Vailly' That Was Praised By Diljit Dosanjh

T-Series

The song is made on Dhadi-Vaar music, which was sung by Guru Gobind Singh while fighting the Mughals to instill courage in his people. It was like a war cry.



5. Bigg Boss 17: Vicky Jain's Mom Trolled As She Blames Ankita Lokhande For Not Taking Care Of Him

twitter

After calling Vicky Jain a toxic husband, now it seems trolls are after his mother who appeared on Bigg Boss 17 along with Ankita Lokhande's mom Vandana Pandis Lokhande. The glimpses of their conversation with the couple have been shared in the promo and people have already judged their mothers. Most of them are unhappy with how Vicky's mom blamed Ankita for the problems in their relationship.



For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


From the writer and director of the Malayalam movie The Great Indian Kitchen, which won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film in 2021, Jeo Baby has come up with a similar film with less dialogue yet thought-provocative film that deliver a powerful message.

Here's why everyone including Samantha Ruth Prabhu is raving about Kaathal The Core

twitter

1. The movie will keep you on the edge of the seat!

Movies at times get a bit boring or slow, but this one is so smooth that it will keep you on the edge of the seat.

2. With minimal dialogues, it makes an impact!

Remember The Great Indian Kitchen, this one is just that classic movie. It doesn't have many dialogues yet it keeps you intrigued.

3. A master class in acting!

twitter

It takes a lot to act without dialogue and to convey the right emotions. Everyone in the film, especially Mammootty and Jyothika have done a commendable job. So much so, that fans are already rooting for Mammootty's "award-winning" performance.

4. People are lauding Mammootty for shouldering a film on homosexuality at 72!

For the unversed, the Jeo Baby directorial's story revolves around a retired bank official George Devassy, whose past and sexual orientation get intertwined with his political aspirations. The fact that the 72-year-old veteran actor has shouldered a film on homosexuality, not just as an actor but also a producer, is commendable.

5. While Samantha has called Kaathal The Core as the movie of the year, several others agree it is a groundbreaking movie!

Twitter

Praising the cast and crew of the movie, Samantha Ruth Prabhu wrote on Instagram, "Movie of the year. Do yourself a favour and watch this beautiful yey powerful gem of a film. #Kaathalthecore @mammootty Sir you are my hero. I will not be able to get over this performance for a long long time. @jyotika Love youu @jeobabymusic legendary (sic)."

6. Thought-provoking progressive cinema!

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It's a must-watch film that pushes boundaries and leaves you with a lot of thoughts to ponder on. If you love engaging cinema, this one is a must-watch for you. The film deals with the struggles of coming out and is quite a bold movie.

7. Deals with LGBTQIA topic in a calm way!

Even if you don't like this kind of genre, the movie's perspective will leave you in awe. It's definitely a masterpiece from the Malayalam film industry.

Have you watched Jeo Baby's Kaathal The Core yet? Let us know in the comments section below.

For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023: Guru Nanak Jayanti also known as Gurpurab is a Sikh festival that celebrates the birth of Guru Nanak, the first Guru of Sikhism. It is one of the most important festivals in Sikhism and is celebrated by Sikhs all over the world.

Guru Nanak was born in 1469 in the village of Talwandi, which is now known as Nankana Sahib, in present-day Pakistan. He was a spiritual leader and reformer who taught the importance of equality, compassion, and service to others. He is considered to be the founder of Sikhism, which is a monotheistic religion that emphasizes the importance of a personal relationship with God.

Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Kartik in the Hindu calendar. In 2023, Guru Nanak Jayanti will be celebrated on Monday, November 27.

Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023: Best Gurpurab Wishes, Quotes images, messages And Status to share with friends and family | Shutterstock

Best Gurpurab Wishes, Quotes images, messages And Status to share with friends and family

This day is celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm, and people express their love and respect for the Guru through various Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti wishes, messages, status and Gurpurab quotes 2023 to share.

Best Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023 Wishes in English

1. Waheguru Ji da Khalsa, Waheguru Ji di Fateh. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti to you and your family.

2. May happiness and blessings surround you as we join together to remember our beloved Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Happy Gurpurab.

3. May you find happiness and peace with the blessings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Happy Gurunanak Jayanti 2023!

4. On this Gurpurab, may the Light of Guru Nanaks wisdom shine bright in our hearts. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023!

5. May the teaching of the Guru reflect goodness and compassion in you and bring into your life the glow of happiness and prosperity. Happy Gurpurab 2023!

6. May you find fulfillment in whatever you choose to do. Happy Gurpurab 2023!

7. May, the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji teach us all the values of goodness and compassion. May there be happiness & prosperity in your life. Heres wishing you a very Happy Gurpurab.

8. Happy Gurpurab! May the holy teaching of Guru Nanak Dev guide you to your right path.

9. Happy Gurpurab! May the holy teaching of Guru Nanak Dev guide you to your right path.

10. May The Name Of Waheguru Jee Be Enshrined In Your Heart.HAPPY GURPURAB!!!

Gurpurab Di Lakh Lakh Vadhai Greetings 2023

1. Jyo Kar Suraj Nikleya..Tare Chupe Haner Ploa..Miti Dhund Jag Chanan Hoa..Kaal Taarn Guru Nanak Aiya..Gurpurb 2023 Dee Lakh Lakh Wadai..!!

2. Nanak Nich Kahe Vichaar, Waria Na Jaava Ek Waar, Jo Tud Bhave Sai Bhali Kaar, Tu Sada Salamat Nirankaar, Gurpurb Dee Lakh Lakh Wadai..!!

3. Satguru Nanak Pargateya, Mitti Dund Jag Chanan Hoya, Aap Ji Nu Sri Guru Nanak Devji, De Gurpurab Dian Lakh-Lakh V Vadaiyan.

4. Nanak Naam Jahaaz Hai, Jo Chadhe So Uttre Paar! Guru Nanak Dev Ji De Gurpurab Di Lakh Lakh Vadhaiyan Sabhnu.

Punjabi Wishes for Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023

To send to your loved ones on Guru Nanak Jayanti, consider these heartfelt greetings in Punjabi:

"    - !"

"            !"

Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023: 65+ Best Gurpurab Wishes, Quotes And Messages

Inspiring Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023 Messages to share

11. And remember for you he is always there, Live in the eternal bliss of Gurujis careHappy Guru Nanak Dev Ji Jayanti!

12. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti! Enlighten your heart and mind with knowledge and sanctity!!

13. Heartiest wishes to you and your family on the auspicious occasion of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurpurab.

14. Heartiest wishes to you and your family on this auspicious day. May this Gurpurab bring a lot of joy and happiness to your life Happy Gurpurab 2023!

15. May Guru Nanaks wisdom and blessing guide out of trouble and into a world of eternal bliss. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti.

16. As we celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti, let us reflect on the Profound words of wisdom that guide us toward a life of purpose and righteousness.

17. Gurunanak Jayanti is finally here. To double the blessings and the cheer, may every day of every year keep you happy, and away from fear. Happy Gurupurab.

18. May Guru Nanak Dev Ji inspire you to achieve all your goals, dreams and ambitions. May his blessings be with you in all your endeavors ! Happy Gurpurab.

19. No person in the world should be confused, No one can go to the other shore without a guru. Best wishes to Guru Nanak Jayanti auspicious day.

20. Happy Gurpurab to all the Sikhs and to everyone who believes in the ideals of world peace and coexistence. Let us all celebrate in the name Guru Nanak dev ji.

Top Messages for Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023

21. As you walk with Guru, you walk in the light of existence, away from the darkness of ignorance, you leave behind all the problems of your life. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!

22. May happiness and blessings surround you as we join together to remember the beloved Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the beginnings of Sikhism. Happy Gurpurab.

23. May Guru Nanak's Birthday enlighten your heart & mind with knowledge & sanctity. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!

24. May happiness and blessings surround you as we join together to remember the beloved Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the beginnings of Sikhism. Happy Gurpurab.

25. O my mind, keep the thoughts of True Lord forever inside you and feel the bliss of peace. Happy Gurpurab!!

26. May your life full of golden days always with Gurus blessings warm wishes on Guru Nanak Dev Jis birthday.

27. May your journey be illuminated and directed toward a life of joy and righteousness by the blessings of Guru Nanak. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023!

28. On this hallowed occasion, I extend my wishes for a life infused with the divine grace of Guru Nanak and the blessings of Waheguru. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!

29. May the teachings of Guru Nanak inspire you to radiate kindness, love, and unity throughout the world. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023!

30. On this auspicious day, let's recall Guru Nanak's powerful message of equality and compassion. Wishing you and your family a joyful Guru Nanak Jayanti.

Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti Status 2023

31. May the light of Guru Nanak illuminate your path, guiding you toward a future filled with brightness and fulfillment. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!

32. Wishing you a blessed and peaceful Gurupurab filled with the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji! May his words continue to inspire us to lead a life filled with compassion and kindness.

33. May this Gurupurab be a reminder for us all to live a life that is guided by the principles of compassion, kindness, and service to humanity as taught by Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

34. On this auspicious occasion of Gurupurab, let us take a moment to reflect on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and commit ourselves to living a life that reflects his values.

35. Wishing you a blessed and peaceful Gurupurab filled with the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji! May his words continue to inspire us to lead a life filled with compassion and kindness.

36. Kissi Ne Pucha Tera Gharbaar Kitna Hai, Kissi Ne Pucha Tera Karobaar Kitna Hai, Kssi Ne Pucha Tera Parivaar Kitna Hai, Koi Virla Hi Puch Da Hai, Tera Guru Naal Pyaar Kitna Hai..Happy Guru Purab!

37. May Guru Nanak Dev Jis spiritual teachings enlighten you, and may you obtain whatever you wish for. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!

38. Wishing you a happy and spiritually enriching Gurupurab! May we all strive to follow the path shown by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and make a positive difference in the world.

39. May Nanak Ji be your guide! May he always bestow his blessings on you. I wish you a Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023!

40. On this blessed occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, may the light of his wisdom guide you towards a path of righteousness and truth. Happy Gurpurab 2023!

Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti Greetings in English

41. May Guru Ji inspire you to achieve all your goals and May his blessings be with you in whatever you do!

42. Tuhannu sabh nu kalghidhar patshah de janam dihade di lakh lakh wadhayi hove... Chidiyon sang baaj ladaoun tabhi Gobind Singh.

43. May this Gurupurab bring you closer to the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and help you find inner peace and wisdom. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti to you and your family.

44. Wishing you a Gurpurab filled with love, peace, and harmony. May Guru Nanak Dev Jis teachings continue to inspire and enlighten your soul.

45. May the divine teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji inspire you to be a better person and lead a life of compassion and selflessness. Happy Gurpurab!

46. As we celebrate the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, may his teachings of love, equality, and humility resonate in your heart forever. Happy Gurpurab 2023!

47. Sending you warm wishes on Guru Nanak Jayanti! May you be blessed with strength, wisdom, and inner peace as you walk on the path of truth.

48. On this auspicious day, may Guru Nanak Dev Jis blessings be with you and your family. May you find solace in his divine presence. Happy Gurpurab!

49. I pray that you remember the true teachings of Almighty Guru Nanak Dev Ji and implement them in your life. Happy Gurpurab!

50. Guru Nanak Dev Jis teachings are a blessing and healing aid to everybodys life. May you use those teachings in every step of your life. Happy Gurpurab!

51. May you find the strength to tide over all obstacles with his grace. Happy Gurpurab to you and your family.

52. On this blessed occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, may the light of his wisdom guide you towards a path of righteousness and truth. Happy Gurpurab 2023!

53. As we celebrate the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, may his teachings of love, equality, and humility resonate in your heart forever. Happy Gurpurab!

54. On this auspicious day, may Guru Nanak Dev Jis blessings be with you and your family. May you find solace in his divine presence. Happy Gurpurab!

55. Guru Nanak Dev Jis teachings are a blessing and healing aid to everybodys life. May you use those teachings in every step of your life. Happy Gurpurab 2023!

Inspirational Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

56. Those who have loved are those that have found God. - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

57. Alone let him constantly meditate in solitude on that which is salutary for his soul, for he who meditates in solitude attains supreme bliss. - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

58. Even Kings and emperors with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of God. - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

59. Let no man in the world live in delusion. Without a Guru none can cross over to the other shore - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

60. There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realised by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now. - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

61. "Burn worldly love, rub the ashes and make ink of it, make the heart the pen, the intellect the writer, write that which has no end or limit."

62 "If the people use the wealth bestowed on them by God for themselves alone or for treasuring it, it is like a corpse. But if they decide to share it with others, it becomes sacred food."

63. "Whatever kind of seed is sown in a field, prepared in due season, a plant of that same kind, marked with the peculiar qualities of the seed, springs up in it."

64. The production of children, the nurture of those born, and the daily life of men, of these matters woman is visibly the cause.

65. "Sing the songs of joy to the Lord, serve the Name of the Lord, and become the servant of His servants."

Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti Wishes Images Download

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Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023: FAQs

Q: What is Guru Nanak Jayanti?

A: Guru Nanak Jayanti is a Sikh festival that celebrates the birth of Guru Nanak, the first Guru of Sikhism. It is one of the most important festivals in Sikhism and is celebrated by Sikhs all over the world.

Q: When is Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrated?

A: Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Kartik in the Hindu calendar. In 2023, Guru Nanak Jayanti will be celebrated on Monday, November 27.

Q: What are the religious significance of Guru Nanak Jayanti?

A: Guru Nanak Jayanti is a time for Sikhs to reflect on the teachings of Guru Nanak and to renew their commitment to living a life of faith and compassion. Guru Nanak was a spiritual leader and reformer who taught the importance of equality, compassion, and service to others. He is considered to be the founder of Sikhism, which is a monotheistic religion that emphasizes the importance of a personal relationship with God.

Q: What are the cultural significance of Guru Nanak Jayanti?

A: Guru Nanak Jayanti is a time for Sikhs to come together as a community and celebrate their faith. Sikhs gather at gurdwaras, or Sikh temples, to pray, sing hymns, and listen to readings from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. They also participate in community service projects and donate to charity.

Q: Why is Guru Nanak Jayanti a public holiday in India?

A: Guru Nanak Jayanti is a public holiday in India because it is a significant festival for the Sikh community, which is a major minority in India. The Indian government recognizes the importance of this festival to the Sikh community and recognizes it as a public holiday to allow Sikhs to celebrate their faith.

(Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available.)

For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events.
Shoppers may have spent Friday scouring for the hottest Black Friday deals, but Chicago holiday shoppers clearly werent done by Saturday as they were out in full force for the 13th annual Small Business Saturday.

Throngs of people packed narrow sidewalks on North Clark Street in Andersonville, one of the strongest neighborhoods for small business shopping in Chicago. Space was even more limited inside many of the small shops and boutiquesseveral of which were experiencing their first holiday season thanks to an influx of recently opened stores in the neighborhood.

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I knew this would be a great place for a small business because I was a consumer here before a business owner, said Emma Lewis, who opened Rare Form, an art-deco concept store specializing in antique prints, three months ago.

Around midday, Lewis said Small Business Saturday had been crazy so far with a constant stream of shoppers milling around the store.

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[ Chicago areas Black Friday shoppers continue traditions, despite changes in how people shop ]

Nestled between Black Friday, a huge day for brick-and-mortar stores, and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday was established by American Express to offset the economic impacts of the national recession on independent consumer stores and encourage people to shop at small businesses. There are 33.2 million small businesses in the country, making up 99% of businesses nationwide, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Small business owners are anticipating a big consumer spending season, with an estimated 182 million people expected to shop in stores and online over the long weekend, from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. The total would be the highest number of estimated shoppers since the National Retail Federation began tracking the data in 2017.

Customers search for music at Rattleback Records in Andersonville on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

In Paper and Pencil, a stationery shop near Clark and West Berwyn Avenue, almost a dozen shoppers filled the 400 square foot store, while other shoppers waited outside until more space opened up.

Its been I think so far one of our best days since weve been open, said Tyler McCall, who co-owns the store with his husband Eric Campbell.

McCall and Campbell opened the store in May, choosing to prioritize a prime location in the neighborhood over a larger space. The co-owners said weekend sales have been higher on weekends throughout November, consistent with nationwide trends of a longer holiday shopping season, and new customers have been steadily pouring through the door.

Paper and Pencil didnt offer any special sales for the weekend, partly because its owners believed they couldnt compete with prices at larger stores like Target or Amazon, McCall said. But as the only stationary shop on the Far North Side, McCall said people often flock there prepared and willing to spend a little more to buy locally and in-person.

You want to try a pen or pencil, you want to feel the paper before you buy it. So they can do all of that in the shop, McCall said. We had someone buy one of the brands we carry and she said Im so glad I can get this here, and dont have to go on Amazon.

Elizabeth Martinez, 20, emerged from the stationary shop with a small brown bag containing a holiday gift for her mother, who she said loves shopping along Clark Street. Martinez said the stores were noticeably busy and crowded.

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But its good that its so busy, she said.

The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce brought back its Shop Local passport campaign, allowing customers to enter giveaways if they buy at Andersonville small businesses from Nov. 25 to Dec. 31, to spur even more local purchases. The chamber also gave out tote bags filled with free items from local businesses to the first 25 people at Understudy Books and Coffee Saturday morning to kick off the day.

The tote bag giveaway led to a hectic but happy morning for co-owner of Understudy Danny Fender, who was celebrating the 9-month anniversary of the cafe and bookstore alongside Small Business Saturday.

In other ways, Fender said it wasnt much different from a normal Saturday for the local shopping scene. The store buzzed as some customers browsed the books while others worked with a cup of coffee. In the middle of the chaos was an intense chess match that had drawn an audience.

Our Saturdays are traditionally busy and we had a large rush that was wild this morning, but aside from that it feels like a pretty normal Saturday here and its a great thing that so many folks continue to support small businesses here in Andersonville, Fender said.

At Rare Form, regular customers made up a healthy chunk of sales, and those who visit for the first time often remark that they plan on coming back.

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Ive had a lot of people say Im going to do all of my holiday shopping here which is so nice to hear as a small business, Lewis said.

AGuffey@chicagotribune.com
Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023: Guru Nanak Jayanti also known as Gurpurab is a Sikh festival that celebrates the birth of Guru Nanak, the first Guru of Sikhism. It is one of the most important festivals in Sikhism and is celebrated by Sikhs all over the world.

Guru Nanak was born in 1469 in the village of Talwandi, which is now known as Nankana Sahib, in present-day Pakistan. He was a spiritual leader and reformer who taught the importance of equality, compassion, and service to others. He is considered to be the founder of Sikhism, which is a monotheistic religion that emphasizes the importance of a personal relationship with God.

Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Kartik in the Hindu calendar. In 2023, Guru Nanak Jayanti will be celebrated on Monday, November 27.

Inspirational Guru Nanak Dev Ji Quotes To Share On Gurpurab 2023

This day is celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm, and people express their love and respect for the Guru through various Guru Nanak Dev ji quotes to share on Gurpurab 2023.

Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

1. Those who have loved are those that have found God. - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Inspirational Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

2. Alone let him constantly meditate in solitude on that which is salutary for his soul, for he who meditates in solitude attains supreme bliss. - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Inspirational Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

3. Even Kings and emperors with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of God. - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

4. Let no man in the world live in delusion. Without a Guru none can cross over to the other shore - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Inspirational Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

5. There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realised by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now. - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

6. "Burn worldly love, rub the ashes and make ink of it, make the heart the pen, the intellect the writer, write that which has no end or limit."

Inspirational Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

7. "If the people use the wealth bestowed on them by God for themselves alone or for treasuring it, it is like a corpse. But if they decide to share it with others, it becomes sacred food."

8. "Whatever kind of seed is sown in a field, prepared in due season, a plant of that same kind, marked with the peculiar qualities of the seed, springs up in it."

Inspirational Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

9. The production of children, the nurture of those born, and the daily life of men, of these matters woman is visibly the cause.

10. "Sing the songs of joy to the Lord, serve the Name of the Lord, and become the servant of His servants."

Inspirational Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

11. I am neither male nor female, nor am I sexless. I am the Peaceful One, whose form is self-effulgent, powerful radiance.

12. Let God's grace be the mosque, and devotion the prayer mat. Let the Quran be the good conduct.

13. Riches cannot be gathered without sin and evil means.

Inspirational Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

14. For each and every person, our lord and master provides sustenance. Why are you so afraid, O mind? The flamingos fly hundreds of miles, leaving their young ones behind. Who feeds them, and who teaches them to feed themselves? Have you ever thought of this in your mind?

Inspirational Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

15. I will fully declare what result the giver obtains after death if he gives food, designed for the gods, to a man who is unworthy to sit in the company.

16. The world is burning in the fire of desire, in greed, Arrogance and excessive ego.

Inspirational Quotes by Guru Nanak Dev Ji

17. That one plant should be sown and another be produced cannot happen; whatever seed is sown, a plant of that kind even comes forth.

Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurpurab 2023 Wishes

1. May Wahe Guru shower his blessings on you! Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!

2. God is one, but he has countless forms. He is the creator of the universe. This Gurpurab, may all your wishes and dreams come true. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!

3. May The Name of Waheguru Jee be Enshrined in Your HeartHAPPY GURPURAB 2023!

4. May Nanak Ji be your guide! May he always bestow his blessings on you. I wish you a Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023!

5. May Wahe Guru Ji inspire you to achieve all your goals and may His blessings be with you in whatever you do! Happy Gurpurab 2023!

6. This Gurpurab, may the blessings of God shower down upon you and fill your life to capacity. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!!

7. May this holy occasion enlighten your heart and mind with knowledge and sanctity. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti to you and your family!

8. Happy Gurpurab to all the sikhs and to everyone who is a well-wisher of the ideals of sikhism.

9. Heartiest wishes to you and your family on the auspicious occasion of Guru Nanak Dev jis birth anniversary. May this Gurpurab bring lots of joy and happiness to your life. Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023!

10. May the holy teachings of Guru Nanak Ji guide you through the correct path in life. Heartiest Gurpurab wishes!

11. May you find the strength to tide over all obstacles with his grace. Happy Gurpurab to you and your family.

Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023: Inspirational Guru Nanak Dev Ji Quotes To Share On Gurpurab | Shutterstock

Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023 Wishes in Punjabi | Gurpurab 2023 Wishes in Punjabi

1. Raj karega khalsa, aakee rehae naa koe, Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! Happy Gurpurab!

2. Satguru nanak pargataya mitti dhund jag channan hoia, aap ji nu sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji de Purab dian lakh-lakh vadayian.. Happy Guru Purab!

3. Nanak naam jahaaz hai, jo chadhe so uttre paar! Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti!

4. Dasven patshah Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee de janam diyan sariyan nu lakh lakh wadhaiyan!! happy gurpurab 2023!

5. Nanak nich kahe vichaar, Waria na jaava ek waar. Jo tud bhave sai bhali kaar, Tu sada salamat nirankaar. Gurpurab dee lakh lakh wadai.

6. Satguru Nanak pargateya, mitti dund jag chanan hoya, Aap ji nu sri Guru Nanak Devji de. Gurpurab dian lakh-lakh vadaiyan. Happy Gurpurab.

7. Waheguru Ji da KhalsaWaheguru Ji Di FatehAap Sab Nu Gurpurab Di Lakh Lakh Vadhaiyan Howe. Waheguru Sab Pe Meher Kare.

8. Satguru Nanak Pargateya, Mitti Dund Jag Chanan Hoya, Aap Ji Nu Sri Guru Nanak Devji, De Gurpurab Dian Lakh-Lakh Vadaiyan.

9. Jyo Kar Suraj Nikleya..Tare Chupe Haner Ploa..Miti Dhund Jag Chanan Hoa..Kaal Taarn Guru Nanak Aiya..Gurpurb Dee Lakh Lakh Wadai..!!

Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023: Inspirational Guru Nanak Dev Ji Quotes To Share On Gurpurab

Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023: FAQs

Q: What is Guru Nanak Jayanti?

A: Guru Nanak Jayanti is a Sikh festival that celebrates the birth of Guru Nanak, the first Guru of Sikhism. It is one of the most important festivals in Sikhism and is celebrated by Sikhs all over the world.

Q: When is Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrated?

A: Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Kartik in the Hindu calendar. In 2023, Guru Nanak Jayanti will be celebrated on Monday, November 27.

Q: What are the religious significance of Guru Nanak Jayanti?

A: Guru Nanak Jayanti is a time for Sikhs to reflect on the teachings of Guru Nanak and to renew their commitment to living a life of faith and compassion. Guru Nanak was a spiritual leader and reformer who taught the importance of equality, compassion, and service to others. He is considered to be the founder of Sikhism, which is a monotheistic religion that emphasizes the importance of a personal relationship with God.

Q: What are the cultural significance of Guru Nanak Jayanti?

A: Guru Nanak Jayanti is a time for Sikhs to come together as a community and celebrate their faith. Sikhs gather at gurdwaras, or Sikh temples, to pray, sing hymns, and listen to readings from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. They also participate in community service projects and donate to charity.

Q: Why is Guru Nanak Jayanti a public holiday in India?

A: Guru Nanak Jayanti is a public holiday in India because it is a significant festival for the Sikh community, which is a major minority in India. The Indian government recognizes the importance of this festival to the Sikh community and recognizes it as a public holiday to allow Sikhs to celebrate their faith.

Here's wishing you all a happy Gurpurab 2023!

(Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available.)

For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events.
Constitution Day also known as 'Samvidhan Divas', is celebrated in India on 26th November every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India in 1949.

For students, it is important to know when the constitution of India was adopted, when it came into effect and what it stands for.

When did India's Constitution come into effect?

On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution, which came into effect on January 26, 1950, replacing the Government of India Act (1935), and marking India's transition to a republic.

Constitution of India

Despite being adopted on November 26, India's Constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950 - which is celebrated as Republic Day.



Why did India's Constitution come into force 2 months post adoption?

On 26 January in 1930, the Indian National Congress (INC) - which was at the forefront of the Indian freedom struggle - had proclaimed full independence from British rule, rejecting the dominion status offered by the British.

26 January 1950 was thus specially chosen as the date of enforcement of the Constitution because it was on this day "Purna Swaraj" was celebrated in 1930.

Who is known as the principal architect or father of the Indian Constitution and why?

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is known as the principal architect of the Constitution. Serving as the chairman of the drafting committee of the Constitution, Ambedkar played a crucial role in the drafting of the Indian Constitution.

Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar/ Wikimedia Commons

The committee was formed on 29 August 1947 by the Constituent Assembly to formulate the Constitution of India.



Ambedkar was also the then Law Minister who introduced the final draft of the Constitution in the Constituent Assembly.

A lesser known fact is that the Indian Consitution was actually written by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, a calligrapher who handwrote the original constitution of India in a flowing italic style.

Prem Behari Narain Raizada

The original version was decorated by artists from Shantiniketan including Nand Lal Bose and Beohar Rammanohar Sinha.



How long did it take for India's Constitution to be completed?

It took precisely 2 years, 11 months, 17 days for the Constitution of India to be completed. The Indian Constitution consists of a Preamble, 22 Parts with 448 Articles, 12 Schedules and 5 Appendices - rendering it with the title of the longest constitution of the world.

Constitution Day is an occasion to reflect on the values and principles enshrined in the Constitution and to renew the commitment to upholding and preserving the democratic ideals of the nation



For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


No fewer than 13 persons have sustained injuries in a multiple accident on Sunday at Car Park C on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the Federal Road Safety Corps Spokesperson in Ogun, Florence Okpe, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta.

Okpe explained that the incident occurred at 4:55 am, adding that it was caused by speeding and involved five vehicles and 22 people.

The FRSC spokesperson added that the injured victims were taken to Famobis Hospital Mowe for medical attention.

READ MORE: Traffic Hit Road As Tanker Falls, Spills Content On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

She noted that the state Sector Commander, Anthony Uga, has advised motorists to always apply caution while driving and drive defensively.

Okpe said: A total of five vehicles were involved which includes three trucks, a Toyota Corolla marked MUS 793 HM, and a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number FG 369-F20.

13 persons were injured (12 male adults and 01 female adult). No life lost from the crash.

The injured victims were taken to Farmobis Hospital Mowe Lotto for medical attention, it was stated.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday night waded into the leadership crisis threatening the peace of Ondo State by insisting that Rotimi Akeredolu remains the States Governor.

However, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party has termed the Presidents intervention as mere window dressing.

Information Nigeria reports that the intervention stems from the need to restore political stability in the months-long crisis between factions loyal to Akeredolu, and the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

After negotiations between the President and the Deputy Governor, representatives of Governor Akeredolu, Federal and State lawmakers of Ondo, officials of the states chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and other stakeholders at the State House, Abuja, Tinubu advised all opposing parties to bury the hatchet and embrace peace.

This means that Governor Akeredolu remains Chief Executive of the State, Aiyedatiwa remains Deputy Governor, and members of the State Executive Council continue their respective duties, even as the leadership of the States House of Assembly and the APC Chapter in Ondo State is preserved, a statement issued by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, stated.

Aiyedatiwa, who declared his decision to maintain the status quo and unite all the factions, said: I want to say that I pledge to all of you that I embrace every one of you. I put behind all that has happened before now. Ive let go and also let God, just as the President has advised us.

And I want to say that with no offence, no guile in my mind whatsoever. All that has happened is politics. Impeachment is part of politics. If you survive it, it is also politics. It has come. Ive survived it, and every other thing is in the past.

It is one big family and our father has intervened to bring all the children together to remain under the same family and with the position that I occupy, I will carry every one of you along in every decision that needs to be taken and in everything that we do, we will work together; the executive and the legislature will work together to ensure that governance is on the right track.

The Deputy further pleaded with all members of the State Executive Council to rally around the Governor and himself to bring the dividend of democracy to the people of Ondo State.

All the Executive Council members, I want to plead with all of you to cooperate with me, with the Governor, so that we can bring the dividend of democracy to our people.

READ ALSO: Ensure You Have A Job, Someone To Look After You Before You Japa- Dabiri-Erewa Tells Nigerians

We should respect one another regarding the offices we occupy and our age differences. So, its going to be mutual respect.

And I want to assure the party structure that we will work together because the party is supreme. We will always give you your due respect, Aiyedatiwa vowed.

Oladiji Olamide, Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, who read the details of the resolution, said, Our resolution is that one, we shall embrace peace. Secondly, there would be no more dissolution of the cabinet, and the Deputy Governor would maintain the status quo as far as the House of Assembly leadership is concerned.

We will maintain the status quo as far as the party leadership in the state is concerned and maintain the status quo as far as the leadership of the State House of Assembly is concerned. Thank you, Mr. President.

Secretary to the State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu, stated, Our Father, the President, has taken the trouble to settle our rancour in Ondo State. We owe you all the gratitude, Sir. We will not disappoint you. We have taken every word you said. And we are going home as one united family under the party, APC.

The State APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, in his remarks, expressed delight at the outcome of the deliberations, affirming that the party will remain a watchdog to ensure that the new commitments are adhered to.

Today is my happiest moment. And I know sanity has come to Ondo State. So, on behalf of the teeming supporters of our party in the state, we appreciate our leader, Mr. President.

PDP has crumbled in the state; virtually, they decamp every day. The only problem we have is the one you have solved for us today. And that problem has been resolved permanently, Adetimehin stated.

Meanwhile, PDP through its Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, stressed that if Governor Akeredolu does not return to the State, there wont be any meaningful resolution of the crisis.

He said, Let us pray that the presidential intervention will not go the way of the Bello Masari Reconciliation Committee set up by APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje. After several trips to Abuja at taxpayers expense, both parties returned to court after promising to withdraw all cases.

Again, major stakeholders in the APC and Ondo State Government were at the Villa to iron out their intractable differences.

From what we have read about the outcome, Tinubus intervention is a mere window dressing. Out of respect for his office, the impeachment of the Deputy Governor will no longer see the daylight, but as long as Akeredolu remains in hiding, it is not yet Uhuru, the cat and mouse race will continue.
A group of soldiers and police officers broke into the capital of the main ammunition stores, at the Wilberforce Barracks, on Sunday morning in another attempt to remove President Julius Maada Bio from office.

There were gunshots fired at and close to the Presidential Lodge, which is thought to be heavily guarded by presidential guards.

After arriving at the Pademba Road Prisons, the armed group released the inmates, many of whom had been detained for years without being given the opportunity to face charges, including political prisoners.

There are speculations that the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation is under siege and has ceased operations.

Troops with heavy weapons have been stationed in the capital and have been spotted on patrol.

In a statement released by the Information minister, Chernor Bah, the government declared a curfew.

READ MORE: Bad Roads Fuelling Insecurity In North East, Stalling Development  Govs

The public is assured that the government and our state security forces are in control,

To enable the security forces to continue the process of apprehending the suspects, a nationwide curfew has been declared with immediate effect across the country. We strongly advise citizens to stay indoors, the statement added.
Governors of the North East on Saturday resolved that bad federal roads are the major cause of insecurity in the region.

In an obvious worry on the security challenges confronting the region, they planned to embark on more collaborative efforts among member states to come up with a security architecture design for the region.

The Governors also called on the Federal Ministry of Works to follow through with road contracts awarded in the region.

This is contained in a communique issued at the end of the 9th meeting of the Forum, held at the banquet hall of the Adamawa State Government House in Yola.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, the Forum said there was a need for a robust platform for regional economic development and resolved to work as an entity in strengthening the human capacity and socio-economic development of its people.

Forum is continuously disturbed about the poor infrastructural base of the region. More concerned that the federal roads within and between the states in the region have been neglected.

READ ALSO: Emefieles Fiscal Policies Put CBN In Bad Light  Cardoso

We call on the Federal Ministry of Works to follow through with road contracts awarded in the region. The poor road network is fuelling insecurity stalling development and making life more difficult for our people in the region.

Forum notes that the bad federal roads within and between the states are major setbacks to the infrastructural development of the region.

Forum notes the poor energy situation in the region. To mitigate the situation, Forum resolved to work with Shanghai Electric to construct a 60 MW Coal Power Power Plant in each state of the region.

Forum decried the lack of modern rail projects in the region and called for repairs on the old gauge rail lines which no longer useful and sustainable technology. Forum calls for inclusion of the region into the Nigerian National Railway Transport Plan using the Modern Guage rail, the communique read.

In respect to Climate Change and Environmental degradation, the forum resolved to strengthen its collaboration with all initiatives such as the Great Green Wall and the Global Initiative of Carbon Credit financing.
One person has been rescued from the partial collapse of a building under construction in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

It was gathered that the incident took place on Saturday in the Central Business District, adjacent to Taj Bank.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Nkechi Isa, disclosed that the agency was notified about the collapse, barely an hour after the construction workers unsuccessful attempts to save their trapped colleague.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that a team from FEMA and the FCT fire service were able to rescue the trapped man with the aid of extrication equipment and the construction companys excavator.

READ MORE: We Complained Of Cracks Severally  Tenant Of Abuja Collapsed Building

The victim was part of labourers casting the first floor of the building when the entire cast fell on him, Isa said in the statement made available to journalists.

During his visit to the site, Mohammed Sabo, the acting director-general of FEMA, emphasized the importance of following building codes and standards.

He urged construction companies and developers to steer clear of substandard materials and shortcuts in the construction process.
Baze University, Abuja has been banned from admitting students into its Law Faculty for consistently violating its admission quota of 50 students per session as approved by the Council of Legal Education (CLE).

The Acting Secretary and Director of Administration of the Nigerian Law School, Aderonke Osho, made this known in a statement on Friday, which was released to newsmen.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the school is owned by popular Nigerian politician, Ahmed Dati Baba, a running mate of Peter Obi of Labour Party in the last presidential election.

Osho added that the ban was a sequel to the findings of the CLE, which showed that the universitys Law Faculty currently had a backlog of over 347 law students waiting to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School.

The statement reads: At its Quarterly Meeting held on November 23, 2023, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) presided over by its Chairman, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, OFR, considered the report of the Accreditation panel to the Faculty of Law, Baze University, Abuja.

It emerged from the findings by the Panel led by the Director-General, Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, that Baze University consistently and most flagrantly had contravened its admission quota of 50 students per session as approved by the Council of Legal Education with the result that the Faculty is currently having a backlog of over 347 law students waiting to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School.

Since 2017 the Council of Legal Education has grappled with the excesses of Baze University by admitting over 750 law students which ordinarily would have taken about 15 years of admission based on the quota allotted to the University.

Baze University runs a three (3)-year LL.B programme for some UTME candidates without the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB and Council of Legal Education.

READ MORE: Reps Reject Motion Seeking To Waive WAEC, NECO, JAMB Fees

Under the NUC Minimum Benchmark Academic Standard (BMAS) for law degree programme in Nigerian Universities, Law is a five (5)-year programme for UTME candidates and four (4)-year for Direct Entry students.

The Council of Legal Education, after thorough consideration of these infractions, resolved as follows: The imposition of a moratorium on admission of law students to the Faculty of Law, Baze University, Abuja, with immediate effect;

The moratorium will last in the first instance for a period of 5 years and may be renewed if no satisfactory action is taken to remedy the situation.

The Council, in the interest of the innocent students, parents and guardians, will use the 5 year period to find ways to deal with the backlog of law students admitted by Baze University in excess of its admission quota.

Follow-up visits will be paid to the University to ascertain the extent of the measures it has taken to remedy the anomalies observed during the accreditation visit.
Philip Shaibu, the Edo State Deputy Governor, will on Monday formally declare his intention to run for the 2024 governorship race in the State.

His plan was contained in a letter dated November 23, issued by the Philip Shaibu Campaign Organisation.

The letter, obtained by newsmen on Saturday, titled Special Invitation, read, On behalf of Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu Campaign Organisation, I invite you to honour me with your esteemed presence as I offer myself to serve as the Chief Servant (Governor) of Edo State.

As stated in the letter, the event is scheduled to hold on Monday, November 27, at the Eterno Hotels, by 8 a.m.

READ ALSO: Edo 2024: Why I Must Succeed Gov. Obaseki  Shaibu

Shaibus ambition has put him at loggerheads with his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is believed not to be disposed to his deputy taking over from him.

The face-off led Shaibu to approach an Abuja High Court to stop Obaseki and the Edo State House of Assembly from impeaching him.

He later withdrew the case after the intervention of stakeholders.

A close aide to Shaibu had last Monday told Punch that If everything works according to his (Shaibus) plans, he will officially declare his intention next week.

He has already secured a campaign office along Airport Road, some of the campaign vehicles have started arriving and the consultations have reached an advanced stage, he said.
A former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido has reacted over the recent 160 million SUV approved for each lawmaker in the country.

Recall that the National Assembly had come under heavy attacks by Nigerians and some other opposition parties after news of the luxury vehicles went viral.

Reacting to the development during an interview with Daily Trust, on Saturday, Lamido condemned the move by the lawmakers.

He said that the National Assembly are not reflecting the peoples wishes with their decision.

He opined that because the legislators spend so much in getting elected they see their job as an investment, rather than a means to serve the people.

Lamido said: Are they reflecting the peoples wishes? They are not, then how were they elected? How would they ignore the Nigerian environment, in terms of our standing and status, to do that kind of appropriation for the president?

READ MORE: Theyve To Use It  Obi Backs Purchase Of SUVs For Lawmakers

So, what I am saying is this: if members of the National Assembly are representing us, they should do it the right way, but then they are doing what they do because they know how they won the election, they know how they got elected. To them, it is an investment into a business and they are looking for profit, so why do you blame them?

I mean you go for election: you pay the agent of your own political party, then you pay whatever they call it at the polling boothNDLEA, police, SSS, Army and they are all there at the polling booth and this goes up to the state, up to national level, they are all paid.

Then, you also give the voter, maybe spaghetti, macaroni and money or African print (wrapper). How do you expect service from them after all this spending? When they bought the entire process to be there, it is an investment for them.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 26. DLP-system, i.e. Data Leak Prevention/Data Loss Prevention is widely used in Azerbaijan, head of information security department of Russian 'SearchInform' company, Alexey Drozd told Trend.

"In Azerbaijan, our products are fully represented, taking into account the peculiarities of local legislation. That is, there are variations for different countries. We comply with all these norms. Therefore, the volume of supplies may slightly differ in different countries due to local legislation," he noted.

Speaking about the sectors where 'SearchInform' products are widely used, Drozd emphasized that banks have traditionally been at the top of the list.

"Also, our products are used in other sectors, including ports, retail, manufacturing, oil - in fact, in all areas because, as I said, the problems in these areas are common. Information leaks can occur in any organization, and it's important to keep documents in order, to keep track of the location of documents, their movement and their life cycle. However, if we talk about the introduction of new technologies, banks always act as market leaders," Drozd said.

According to him, there is interest in information security outsourcing in Azerbaijan.

He noted that Azerbaijan has seen a significant increase in interest in information security and technological innovation in recent months.

"Analysis shows that enterprises and organizations in Azerbaijan are increasingly turning to IS outsourcing in search of reliable and professional solutions to protect their data and information systems. Information security outsourcing, is the practice of outsourcing information security management and assurance to an external service provider," Drozd explained.

"Organizations choose outsourcing to gain access to security experts and advanced technologies without having to build and maintain internal infrastructure. This includes services such as threat monitoring, risk analysis, event and incident management, and implementation of protective measures against cyberattacks and data breaches," he said.

He emphasized that the growing popularity of outsourcing in Azerbaijan is due to the increasing number of cyber threats and the enterprises' realization of how important it is to ensure reliable protection of their information resources. This trend contributes not only to the improvement of business security, but also to the development of the IS services market in Azerbaijan.

'SearchInform' is a leading Russian developer of information security tools. It is a member of NP Russoft, a member of IACSIT (Association of Computer and Information Technology Enterprises). The enterprise is accredited as an IT-company. More than 4,000 clients in 20+ countries.
Oladipupo Adebutu, the governorship candidate of the Ogun States Peoples Democratic Party has described the split verdict of the appellate court on the state governorship election as one that has boosted his hope of reclaiming his stolen mandate.

Information Nigeria had reported that, in a split decision on Friday, the court dismissed the petition filed by Adebutu and affirmed All Progressives Congress (APC) Dapo Abiodun as Governor.

Justice Joseph Shagbaor Ikyegh delivered the decision of the majority while Judge Jane Inyang, ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should conduct a fresh election within 90 days in 92 polling units.

Adebutu who disclosed this in a statement signed by Afolabi Orekoya, Media Director of Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, said that having received the Appeal Court judgment on the Ogun State governorship election on Friday in Lagos, we could gladly see that true justice is on the way and the hope of reclaiming the mandate of the good people of Ogun State is drawing nearer.

The appeal judgment that can be described as the pathway to victory resolved unanimously, five out the eight issues in our favour, only one issue in favour of the respondents ( Dapo Abiodun and APC) while the other two issues were resolved in ratio two to one, he added.

Adebutu said that he was particularly happy that the appellate court treated the case on its merit, unlike the Election Petition Tribunal, which dismissed his solid case against Abiodun and APC on mere technicalities.

We are indeed glad and hopeful that the judiciary at higher level is gradually considering the merits of the petition, unlike the lower court that chose to address technicalities in place of merit.

READ ALSO: Appellate Court Affirms Dapo Abiodun As Ogun Governor

Obviously, that human decision has no place in our rule of law and cannot stand. It is however heartwarming that the appeal court resolved all the issues.

We specially want to salute the courage and boldness of Justice Jane Inyang who delivered the minority judgment that was well-detailed and true to the provisions of the rule of law.

The judgment sacked the incumbent governor, recalled his certificate of return and ordered INEC to organise a rerun within 90 days in the affected 92 polling units where election was cancelled due to violence and election malpractices.

This reputable judge also said that INEC should not have made a declaration on the March 18 governorship election, a fact that is enshrined in the Electoral Act considering the margin of lead rule.

We make bold to say that if our courts can emulate the uprightness of Justice Jane Inyang, there will be a great hope for a greater Nigeria and democracy.

It should be crystal clear to the placeholders in the government of Ogun State that they need not to rejoice over nothing as what they enjoy now is temporal and cannot last because the truth will still prevail.

We call on all the good people and stakeholders in Ogun State to celebrate Justice Jane Inyang as a role model for true justice and pray for more of such courageous Justices as we move up the ladder. We remain committed to our vision of a brighter future for our beloved state.

To our supporters; Your tenacity and unwavering faith in our cause have continued to replenish our strength even as we continue this battle to reclaiming our mandate. As we continue this legal battle to the top of the ladder, please remain steadfast; the truth will ultimately prevail, and the will of the people will be acknowledged, the statement added.
The Kogi governorship election petition tribunal, on Saturday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide certified copies of materials used during the States November 11 poll.

The tribunal asked the electoral body to provide the materials to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) within 48 hours.

The materials include Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and result sheets for Adavi, Okene, Okehi, Ogori-Magongo, Ajaokuta, Lokoja, Kogi and Bassa Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

Chairman of the tribunal, Ado Birnin-Kudu, gave the order following two ex-parte motions filed on November 19 by the SDP and Murtala Yakubu-Ajaka, its governorship candidate.

Lead counsel to SDP and Ajaka, John Adele, told the court that efforts to obtain certified copies of materials used in six LGAs of the State from INEC yielded no result.

Time is of essence in this matter, and that was why we filed the motions to your lordship to help to salvage the situation.

Each time we approached INEC since November 13, its officials failed to avail us with even one of the electoral materials for which we requested.

READ ALSO: 10 Million Atikus Wont Save PDP, Will Die With LP In Three Years If They Dont Merge  Primate Ayodele

We believe that if your lordship grants our application, INEC will do the needful to enable us to prosecute this case within the time limit, Adele said.

The petition tribunal also ordered INEC to allow SDPs forensic experts to examine some of the electoral materials.

The order is in compliance with Nigerias 1999 Constitution (as amended) and with the Electoral Act (2022).

INEC is hereby ordered to produce all the documents being sought by the plaintiffs within 48 hours to enable proceedings to go smoothly and without hitches, Birnin-Kudu said

The tribunal adjourned the case to November 29 for submission of report of compliance by INEC and continuation of the hearing.

The SDP and Ajaka are challenging the victory of All Progressives Congress candidate, Usman Ododo.

INEC declared Ododo as winner of the November 11 election with 446,237 votes, while Yakubu-Ajaka came second with 259,052 votes.
Jimmy Odukoya, the recently appointed senior pastor and former Nollywood actor, has raised millions of naira for members during a church service, and this act has got tongues wagging.

Recall that approximately two months ago, amid much controversy, Jimmy succeeded his late father, Taiwo Odukoya, the founder of the Fountain of Life Church.

In a video circulating on social media, the pastor was seen soliciting money for a student who needed N140K to cover his schools tuition and ended up receiving N640K.

Another lady also stepped out on how she needed 7500 Canadian dollars [roughly N6.3M] and ended up raising the sum of N9.6M for the church member.

READ MORE: Indiscipline Among Judiciary Must Not Be Allowed   Itse Sagay

The act of kindness of pastor Jimmy Odukoya has since generated a wave of reactions online as many commended him.

Reactions as since trailed the video

jeffryprettypretty opined: If all the big big church in Nigeria were like this poverty for reduce for Nigeria, God bless him.

simba4002023 said: From his purse or from members. He should have call God to send them the money from heaven na. While ask congregation? Shey them de pay tithe give God so he suppose collect from there give them. Many of you dont think.

_peaceful_baddie said: Pastor adeboye and oyedepo left the group chat.

officialarole penned: This is the gospel 

rhubina_ wrote: Shebi you people were judging him because he has dread on,, now all of you are looking for location to go and beg!

jeffryprettypretty opined: If all the big big church in Nigeria were like this poverty for reduce for Nigeria, God bless him.
Bright Okpocha, popular comedian and actor, popularly known as Basketmouth, has decried the fact that stand-up comedy in Nigeria is becoming a thing of the past.

According to him, unlike the music and movie industries, the Nigerian comedy sector lacks structure and platform.

In an interview with Arise Television, he said: My colleagues will agree with me that stand-up comedy in Nigeria is actually dying. The culture of stand-up comedy is bleeding terribly.

You know, with music, they have their streaming platforms; they have a platform that supports what they do across the world. With movies, they have the same thing: they have the streaming platform.

READ ALSO: Cost Of Music Video Now N30m  Comedian Basketmouth Laments

And Afrobeats broke into that space and made room for the movies. Unfortunately, for comedy, we dont have any platforms. We dont have comedy clubs; we dont have any structure.

In the United States, if comedians decide to go on tour, before they go on tour, they do comedy clubs across the states and try the materials repeatedly. But here in Nigeria, theres no comedy club. Theres nowhere for you to practice your materials. Because this is an art, you cant just create it and go on stage when you dont know what the response is going to be like.

When musicians make their songs, they call different people, A&R, and ask for their feedback before feeding it to the rest of the world. But out here, you see a lot of comedians. Its a risky game. And theyre the ones promoting the shows, looking for sponsors. The system is not built to support comedy. A lot of newbies dont have the platform like we had.
A former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido has revealed that President Bola Tinubus administration will lead Nigerians to their grave.

Lamido explained that since Tinubu has announced that he plans on following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, he would eventually bring the country to ruins.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the former governor led this out during an interview with Daily Trust, on Saturday.

According to him, the Buhari administration was plagued with insecurity, poverty and hunger and if Tinubu plans on continuing from there, then Nigerias next stop would be its grave.

He said: When he said he will continue from where Buhari stopped, what has he done? When you say you want to continue from where Buhari stopped, where do you start from?

From insecurity, poverty or hunger? Tinubu said he will continue from where Buhari stopped, so there is no distinction.

READ MORE: I Dont Miss My Time As President  Buhari

 What he means is that all of Buharis policies on the economy, on security, on corruption and human rights and what have you, he will continue, isnt it? So, it is up to you to assess, not me.

I told you in the 2015 election that if they win, Nigeria will lose. Buhari lacked the political sagacity, vision, commitment, pedigree to answer or explain the issues he was questioned on.

Now, after eight years, Tinubu came and said he will continue from where Buhari stopped, so the next destination is our grave because the journey has started with a trailer load of poverty, hunger, insecurity, hate, despondency, frustration, pain, agony, and the destination is the grave.
Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has condemned the dissolution of Party executives in Rivers State.

In a statement on Saturday, Eze alleged that the development was part of a plot to embarrass former Rivers Governor, Chibuikem Rotimi Amaechi.

According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Partys National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, plotted the scheme to hand over the state chapter of the Party to Minister Nyesom Wike of the Federal Capital Territory.

Recall that the APC-National Working Committee, on Wednesday, announced the dissolution of the Partys State Executive Committee and replaced it with a caretaker committee to run the Party for six months.

The caretaker committee which was scheduled for inauguration on Friday is headed by Tony Okocha, an ally of Nyesom Wike, the immediate past Governor of the State.

Eze however said the development was schemed to write off Amaechi and his team, notwithstanding the wars the latter fought to prune and nurture the party to its sustainable status.

READ ALSO: APC Dissolves Rivers Exco, Puts Wikes Loyalists In Charge

The erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party reminded those he called the cabal to be wary of Wike, who he described as a political chameleon.

I am happy to note that both Tinubu and Ganduje have suffered and tested the bitter pills of Wike in most of his attempts to decimate the party and to handover the party structure to him and his agents. It is nothing but sheer wickedness and unreasonableness, because it will definitely backfire.

It is however unfortunate that all the appointments so far made by Tinubu and his government have only favored Wike, who fought Rivers APC to a standstill with the resource of the state at their beck and call, he said.

The ally of former Transportation Minister, Amaechi called on Ganduje and Party members to note that their action could be prejudicial as the dissolution of the state exco is pending before a court of competent jurisdiction.

Information Nigeria reports that an ex parte motion was filed praying that parties maintain status quo  which means shelving the inauguration of the interim committee.

The dissolved executive committee, which has been grappling with internal crisis for years, is loyal to Wikes political rival, Amaechi.

Amaechi, the leader of the State APC, fell out with the Party at the centre in June 2022, after losing the presidential primary to Tinubu.
A banner outside the Moore College of Art & Design. Moore changed its policy in spring 2020 and began accepting nonbinary and gender-nonconforming students, but remains the first and only historically visual arts college for women in the nation. Read more

When Morgan OHalloran applied to Moore College of Art & Design in 2021, they didnt know the womens school a year earlier had modified its admissions policy to state that it accepts nonbinary and gender-nonconforming students.

But from whispers on the vine, OHalloran had heard it was welcoming to that population. And when they enrolled there that fall, they found exactly what they were looking for.

 READ MORE: Moore College taps Boston Conservatory leader with ties to Philadelphia region as next president

Its just a really nice breath of fresh air, said OHalloran, 21, a junior film major from Upper Dublin who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. Youre given a space to not only explore your art but also explore who you are and really come into your identity as a younger queer person. Its really, really important to have those safer spaces.

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OHalloran is part of the growth in nonbinary and gender-nonconforming students at the countrys only historically womens college for art and design, now in its 175th year. They made up 6% of the freshman class that came in under the new policy in 2021. By fall 2022, they accounted for 21%, and this fall, 26%.

Cathy Young, who became president of Moore in 2022, said it wasnt that nonbinary or gender-nonconforming students were turned away from Moore pre-policy change, but declaring their acceptance in writing opened the door wider to those populations and explicitly welcomed them. And the move aligned with the colleges mission, Young said. (The change affected undergraduate degree programs; graduate and most continuing education programs include men.)

Were an art and design college which means at the center of [students] work is their sort of identity, Young said. And us creating a space where they can be their authentic selves  because that is where their great creative work is going to come from  is mission central for Moore.

Womens colleges making the same move

As more young people identify as transgender, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming, many womens colleges have tweaked admissions guidelines.

Its really driven by students ... who identify as trans and nonbinary and who want to be recognized, included, and have their needs met, said Genny Beemyn, trans policy clearinghouse coordinator for Campus Pride, a nonprofit that aims to create a safer college environment for LGBTQ students, as well as by cisgender female students who recognize the importance of historically womens colleges being safe spaces for all people who are minoritized by virtue of their gender.

In 2015, Bryn Mawr, a womens college, modified its policy to include those who have identified and continue to identify as women (including cisgender and trans women), intersex individuals who do not identify as male, individuals assigned female at birth who have not taken medical or legal steps to identify as male, and individuals assigned female at birth who do not identify within the gender binary.

But Bryn Mawr does not accept those assigned male at birth who are nonbinary.

Moore College, which Beemyn said is on the more progressive end, goes further, stating that it accepts applications from any nonbinary or gender-nonconforming individual, as well as those who self-identify as women and trans women. The only people who arent eligible are those who were assigned male at birth and identify as male at the time of application, Young said. The college, Young said, does have alumni who transitioned to male-identifying during and after their time at Moore.

Moore made the change in 2020 at the request of students and after a long process that included faculty, students, staff, alumni, and the board of managers and trustees.

Iliana Flores, who graduated in 2023 with a degree in graphic design and is working in their field as a freelancer, was involved in that process.

It was simply because the students were here, and the school knew they were here, said Flores, who is from Jackson, N.J., and began identifying as nonbinary before the change. It was about learning how to validate it, while honoring the schools history.

Flores now serves as an alumni representative on Moores board of managers. Because the school was so responsive to students concerns about changing the policy, it helped motivate Flores to stay involved.

It felt rewarding to be able to give back and be able to do things for students at Moore, Flores said.

Both Flores and OHalloran said they have not encountered harassment or discrimination at Moore.

The most Ive gotten criticism on is some less than stellar paintings Ive done, OHalloran said.

Why theyre coming and staying

The policy change has helped to fuel an overall increase in students this year at a time when the college is celebrating its history as the first womens art school in the United States, founded in 1848 as the Philadelphia School of Design for Women.

Nearly 400 students are enrolled this year in the colleges full- and part-time bachelors of fine arts program, more than before the pandemic and up about 10% from 2022, Young said, but still less than over a decade ago when undergraduate and graduate enrollment exceeded 500. (An Inquirer survey this fall of 20 local schools showed most still arent back to their pre-pandemic levels.) This year, 248 students live on campus, the most in Moores history, Young said.

The college accepted 58% of applicants this year, up from 53% the year before when it had more applications, but the school maintained that the average GPA and SAT scores of students this year were higher.

I love that our students can call our campus safe to be in, said Lauren Stichter, associate professor and director of art education. I love that our students know that we are regularly getting training on how to navigate conversations around gender.

More students are staying, too. Young noted that Moores freshman-to-sophomore retention rate grew to 81% this fall, the highest in nine years. Nearly two-thirds of students graduate in six years, and Moore, where the cost of attendance  including tuition, room and board, and fees  is just under $70,000 a year, boasts that 97% of 2022 graduates were employed or in graduate school one year later, almost all in their field of study, according to a survey that had an 83% response rate.

To foster that, Young said, Moore places every student in a paid internship of $1,000 that the school funds during their junior year. OHalloran is working at the Wells Fargo Center this semester, creating videos and graphics for the Philadelphia Flyers.

The focus on preparing students for successful careers in art and design and its results are a major factor in the enrollment growth this year, Young said.

Super cool about names

The college did more than change its policy on nonbinary and gender-nonconforming students. It established a process where students can declare their preferred names and pronouns  30 students did this last year  and they are used in the classroom and in communication coming from the college.

OHalloran in August changed their name from Megan to Morgan, and they said staff and students have been super cool about it.

This is a huge issue for students at many universities who are being called by their dead names, Young said.

The college also changed the name of its visionary womens scholarship program to visionary honors scholarship. More than a third of Moore students receive the $25,000 annual award, Young said, which can accumulate to a total of over $100,000 during their time at Moore.

But Moore continues its same mission, to empower and nurture and elevate underrepresented voices in the field of art and design, Young said. When we were founded 175 years ago, that was women. But now, it is women and nonbinary and gender-nonconforming individuals.
At Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Ellen Heber-Katz (center) has discovered how to regenerate damaged nerves and other wounds in lab animals without scarring, such as the holes in the mouse ears in the poster at left. Also shown: research assistant Alexis Mengel and institute chief executive officer George Prendergast. Read more

Ellen Heber-Katz thought the experiment was ruined.

Her post-doctoral researcher was supposed to have punched tiny holes in the ears of laboratory mice at Philadelphias Wistar Institute, using a standard technique to indicate which ones had received an experimental treatment. But when Heber-Katz checked the animals a few weeks later, all their ears were intact.

The post-doc nevertheless insisted that she had punched the ear holes, so the scientists tried it again with different mice. Three weeks later, the holes in those mouse ears vanished, too. Not only had the wounds healed, but the ears looked completely normal, with new cartilage, hair, and no trace of scarring.

Heber-Katz had stumbled on a type of super-healing mice, launching her on a quest that has lasted more than two decades. First, she deciphered the genetic quirks that gave the animals this restorative ability. (The super-healing was an unintended consequence of their laboratory-bred autoimmune disease.) Then she and colleagues figured out how to activate this response in normal mice by simply injecting them with a drug.

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Now at Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Heber-Katz has demonstrated the drugs promise against a variety of conditions in mice and rats  not only external wounds, but also nerve damage, periodontal disease, and osteoporosis. Whats happening is more than healing, she says, likening her results to salamanders ability to regenerate missing limbs.

A note of caution: Most drugs that work in mice do not end up being effective in humans. In this case, some biologists caution that true regeneration is a complex process thats almost unheard of in mammals, and they are skeptical that it can be activated by simply administering a drug.

Undaunted, Heber-Katz says the drug prompts the growth of healthy new cells almost like what happens in a mouse (or human) embryo. When it is administered to gray-haired, 3-year-old mice (roughly equivalent to 90-year-old humans), the animals wounds recover in a way that seems to turn back time.

The hair grows back completely, she said. It even goes from gray to black.

A mandate for innovation

The health problems Heber-Katz is tackling are immense. The United States spends billions every year on wound care alone, including the treatment of diabetic skin ulcers and other chronic, nonhealing wounds.

Her success in treating nerve damage, meanwhile, has drawn funding from the military, in addition to her recurring grants from the National Institutes of Health and private donors.

A Northeast Philly native, Heber-Katz is determined to translate her laboratory successes to the real world. She and Phillip B. Messersmith, a professor of bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley, have patented the use of the drug, called 1,4-DPCA, for use in tissue regeneration. The pair also have founded a company called MRL Bio, named after the breed of autoimmune mice with the enhanced healing ability.

That entrepreneurial mindset is encouraged by George C. Prendergast, chief executive officer of the Lankenau institute, a nonprofit research organization within the Main Line Health system. Two companies co-founded by faculty have gone public in recent years, and another developed a diagnostic test that won FDA approval.

Prendergast calls it acapreneurialism  a mashup of academia and entrepreneurialism. He even trademarked the term in 2021.

Every lab here has to invent, he said.

The metabolism of an embryo

The drug that Heber-Katz uses to treat the mice, 1,4-DPCA, can be applied in a variety of ways, depending on the disease (or injury). In addition to injecting it or applying it directly to the animals skin, she and her collaborators have impregnated the substance into sutures, enabling mice to heal from surgical wounds with no scars.

The compound was developed by other scientists for different purposes. Heber-Katz thought it might promote healing after studying the autoimmune mice whose ear wounds healed unexpectedly.

She found that the cells in the animals injury sites were behaving much like the cells in mice or human embryos: They were growing rapidly and metabolizing nutrients in a low-oxygen environment, a process regulated by a master protein called HIF-1-alpha.

That protein exists in normal mice and humans, too, but it is rapidly broken down. Thats where the drug comes in. The substance inhibits the breakdown of HIF-1-alpha, resulting in higher levels of the protein, so she surmised that it would promote a supercharged healing environment in normal mice.

She was right. Upon being injected with the drug, normal mice were able to heal from wounds without scars, much like their counterparts with the autoimmune disease, she reported in a 2015 study with Messersmith, the Berkeley engineer. In another study, the pair reported that the drug enabled rats to heal from nerve injury in their forelimbs.

The progress came after decades of painstaking laboratory work, exploring different aspects of the genetics and metabolism involved in healing. Heber-Katz likened the hit-or-miss process to the old parable about a blind man encountering an elephant.

It was like feeling this big elephant with our eyes closed, trying to find something that would fit, she said.

Most attempts to regrow damaged human tissue have involved elaborate synthetic scaffolds that are seeded with stem cells or biologically active molecules. This tactic has met with limited success, Messersmith said.

In the mice and rats, on the other hand, he and Heber-Katz get good results by simply administering a drug.

This is so different from anything else out there, he said.

Lost to evolution

Among those with questions about the healing ability of Heber-Katzs mice is University of Kentucky biologist Ashley W. Seifert, who has induced regeneration-like healing in mice using a different method.

Given that our ancestors lost the natural ability to regenerate ages ago, if they ever had it, it is unlikely that any one drug will have the power to awaken it, he said.

Most basic scientists would tell you unequivocally that regeneration is a pretty complex process, he said. There are multiple things that have to happen over an extended period of time. This idea that theres a single druggable target is highly improbable.

Others are more optimistic.

Nadya Lumelsky, a former program manager at the NIHs National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, is encouraged by the mice results so far. Upon learning of Heber-Katzs work, Lumelsky put the scientist in touch with Messersmith, and the pair ended up collaborating.

Lumelsky also connected the pair with George Hajishengallis, a professor at Penn Dental Medicine. In a 2020 study, the group found that the drug stimulated new bone growth in mice with injured jawbones  suggesting that it could prove useful in treating periodontal disease.

In an interview, Lumelsky agreed that regeneration is a complex process. Boosting the levels of one protein could be just one piece of the puzzle.

Maybe you need to control several molecules in order to achieve the best result, she said.

No argument from Heber-Katz, who has been studying other molecules involved in the healing process all along. But she is convinced that HIF-1-alpha plays a central role.

The next step is testing the drug in larger animals, which she hopes to do next year, followed eventually by studies in humans.

It has been a long journey, made all the more challenging because Heber-Katz was trained in a different field, immunology. In 1998, when she published her first results with the super-healing mice, several peers warned her against changing the course of her career.

She knew no one in the field of regeneration biology, no one who could write letters or make introductions on her behalf. And some were, and continue to be, skeptical. But she forged ahead anyway.

Science is about discovery, she said. Its not about agreeing with everybody else.
Kinnan Abdalhamid, a junior at Haverford College, was one of three Palestinian students shot near the University of Vermont on Saturday evening, authorities said.

The three students were taken to the nearby University of Vermont Medical Center for treatment, according to Seven Days Vermont, a local news site. No arrests were reported.

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Burlington, Vt., police issued a statement Sunday afternoon saying that all remain under medical care, two in stable condition and the third having sustained much more serious injuries.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said the shooting was being investigated as a possible hate crime.

That there is an indication this shooting could have been motivated by hate is chilling, and this possibility is being prioritized in the BPDs investigation, Weinberger said in a statement.

Police said the three were walking down a street when they were confronted by a man on foot with a handgun. Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled on foot, the statement said.

Police said they had not determined a motive but noted the three students were of Palestinian descent, two U.S. citizens and one a legal resident, and that two were wearing keffiyehs at the time of the assault.

At this time, there is no additional information to suggest the suspects motive, such as statements or remarks by the suspect, the statement said. Others, though, including the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee and the parents of the three victims, urged the police to treat the shooting as a hate crime.

Abdalhamid said Sunday night via instagram message that he was not yet ready to make any public statement.

Haverford president Wendy Raymond and dean John McKnight described the injuries as non life-threatening. A post on Facebook said Abdalhamid had minor injuries, while the two others were described as having more serious gunshot wounds.

Abdalhamid, 20, a biology major and member of the track team, was with two lifelong friends, Hisham Awartani and Tahseen Ahmed, all graduates of the Ramallah Friends School, which posted about the shooting on Facebook.

While we are relieved to know that they are alive, we remain uncertain about their condition and hold them in the light, the school posted. The post described Awartani, a student at Brown University, as having been shot in the back; Ahmed, a student at Trinity College, in the chest; and Abdalhamid with minor injuries.

We extend our thoughts and prayers to them and their families for a full recovery, the post said.

A friend and fellow student of Abdalhamids said he was at a friends house in Vermont for Thanksgiving, and that the family says he is recovering.

He is a really bright kid, said the friend, who did not wish to be named. The kind of kid who gets the homework done for the whole semester on the first week of class.

The friend said Abdalhamid has been very active on the pro-Palestinian advocacy on Haverfords campus. He spoke publicly at a plenary, a school-wide meeting, about demands for Students for Justice in Palestine.

The student said that since Oct. 7, students have been under a lot of strain and tension, particularly with professors not giving extensions or being accommodating to their request for homework extensions.

A lot of students dont want their name to be published on any quotes about any student activism, but unlike those people, he has had the courage to be very vocal and visible on campus, the friend said, adding that he has been kind of at the forefront of Palestine activism at Haverford, especially in talks with administration and rallying and assembling students on campus.

 READ MORE: Petitioners nationwide ask Penn to defend those who speak in support of Palestinians

The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee posted on X that each of the three victims was wearing a keffiyeh and speaking Arabic, and that the organization has reason to believe the shooting was motivated by the victims being Arab.

Husam Zomlot, the ambassador and head of Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom, posted on X that the three students were on their way to a family dinner in Burlington, Vt.

Their crime? he posted. Wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh.

In a statement issued by the parents of the students through the Institute for Middle East Understanding and posted on social media accounts, the parents asked for privacy and called on law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation, including treating this as a hate crime.

As parents, we are devastated by the horrific news that our children were targeted and shot in Burlington, VT, the statement said. We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice. We need to ensure that our children are protected, and this heinous crime is not repeated.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott called the shooting a tragedy, and said he offered the states full support to the mayor and police chief, and in support of the Palestinian and broader Burlington community.

Abdalhamid was quoted in an October story in the student-run Haverford Clerk expressing disappointment in statements from Raymond about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which erupted into war after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, and Israel retaliated, leading to the deaths of more than 13,000 Palestinians inside Gaza.

He was described as a 20-year-old Illinois-born Palestinian who lived under Israeli military occupation from when he was three until he began at Haverford.

She did not mourn the Palestinian citizens who were killed, or the children who were killed by this ruthless bombing, Abdalhamid was quoted in the article as saying of Raymond.

I dont expect much from Western media or the college to mention much about Israels oppression and apartheid, said Abdalhamid. But I at least expect the thousands who were killed to be mentioned and mourned.

The story went on to say that, Abdalhamid said he found President Raymonds references to anti-Semitism as a cause of Palestinian rage to be repugnant, saying Palestinians and Jews had shared Palestine for centuries.

Another student publication, the Bico News, said it would not be publishing information on Abdalhamid per request of the family.

Haverford said McKnight would be traveling to Burlington on Sunday.

Kinnan and his friends are all Palestinian students studying at U.S. colleges and universities, the statement from the president and dean of Haverford said. Police are investigating the shootings, and we await word on whether it will be pursued as a hate crime.

In the meantime, know that Haverford College condemns all acts of hatred. We continue to work toward peace within our community and everywhere. Please join us in holding Kinnan, his friends, their families, and their communities in the light at this awful moment, as we come together in community in support of one another.
Cathy Young, executive director of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, is the new president of Moore College of Art & Design. Read more

Cathy Youngs mother died when she was 8, and she lost her father at 14. She had never seen concert dance until she went to Harvard. She didnt even know it existed.

It awakened something in her.

Having lost my parents really young, I just felt like those people on that stage looked more alive than anyone I had ever seen, said Young, who spent much of her childhood in the Philadelphia suburbs. I thought I want to be alive like that, live my life that intensely, with that much commitment.

 READ MORE: A new president at Lafayette adds to a flurry of leadership changes

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She called her aunt and uncle whom she was living with at the time and said she was scrapping law school plans to become a dancer. And dance she did, going on to a decadeslong career as a choreographer, performer, artistic director, and educator, once leading the dance and theater department at Ursinus College and most recently the highly regarded Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Now, Young is coming home as the next president of Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia, Moore announced Wednesday.

One of the things that I find really compelling about Moore is that it makes an incredibly strong link between the artistic education of its students and their career success, Young, 59, said. The other thing that Moore does is to articulate that the same qualities that are critical to artistic development like curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking are also at the center of leadership.

She starts July 1, replacing Cecelia Fitzgibbon, who has led Moore for the last decade.

We have great confidence in her to expand Moores reach and to lead the college in developing the next generation of artists and leaders, Arthur R. Block, chair of Moores board of managers, said in a statement.

Moore, the only womens visual arts college in the country with nine majors and 11 minors, enrolls about 370 undergraduates, down nearly 100 from when Fitzgibbons became president in 2012. Moore has struggled with enrollment like many colleges due to the pandemic and an already smaller number of high school graduates. By comparison, the conservatory enrolls about 850, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees in music, dance, and theater.

 READ MORE: SUNY provost named the next president of Widener University

But Young said the two schools have more in common than not.

Both institutions are focused on developing creativity in their students and the idea that an education as an artist can be an education that prepares you to be an innovator, to be a leader, she said.

Young, whose focus has been jazz dance, started at the conservatory as a dean in 2011 and became executive director in 2017 after it merged with the Berklee College of Music. Shes also senior vice president of Berklee.

She loves dance because it is a communal art form, shared with other people, she said. She also likes that its very challenging and offers a physical way of expression.

Born in New York City, she moved with her parents to Narberth at age 1 and then to Gladwyne until her mother died. Then she moved to Malvern with her father. After his death, she went to live with her aunt and uncle on a farm in Clearfield in central Pennsylvania.

During her first year at Harvard, her roommate took her to an African dance class, which was like a bolt of lightning. Her passion grew from there. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelors in sociology and womens studies and made that fateful call to her aunt and uncle  dance would be her career.

Young founded her own dance company and taught as an adjunct or visiting artist at colleges, including Bucknell, Bates, and the University of Minnesota.

At 40, she enrolled at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for her masters in fine arts. Then in 2003, she became a tenured professor of dance at Ursinus. She cofounded the dance program and designed the curriculum, spending eight years there, the last two as chair of the theater and dance department. She said she is committed to diversity and inclusion, a focus of hers at the conservatory. In a 2020 speech, titled The Shark and the Water, she describes how she saw a sign in a store window that said White supremacy is not the shark; it is the water.

I have come to understand that statement to mean: White supremacy is not one thing, that we can see swimming toward us in the dark, that we can move away from or avoid. ... Instead, it is amorphous and shape shifting, and like water, it can take on the form of whatever container is holding it.

In her speech, she said conservatories have to recognize that the art forms they have held aesthetically in the highest regard are classical or European  primarily white art forms that didnt include Black people in the first few centuries of their development.

We must challenge ourselves to examine the racial bias that is built into the conservatory model, not just this conservatory but all conservatories, and in doing so, seek to understand and meaningfully address some of the root causes for conservatories to remain primarily white spaces, and spaces in which Black faculty, staff, and students consistently report that they do not feel supported, welcomed, or valued, she said.

Moore, too, has taken steps to become more inclusive. The board in 2020 modified its admissions policy to accept nonbinary and gender-nonconforming students to the womens college.

Young said she enjoys the outdoors and has practiced yoga for nearly 40 years. She and her husband, an IT engineer and avid Eagles fan who grew up in Media, are looking forward to returning to the area. Its their second marriage and they have four children between them, ages 20 to 25, three of them in college.

We love so many areas around there, she said. Were trying to figure out where we are going to land.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 26. The French aerospace company Dassault Aviation plans to supply Rafale combat aircraft to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Trend reports citing sources.

Dassault Aviation has been actively studying these two Central Asian countries for several months, with which France wishes to deepen bilateral relations.

Reportedly, the company's prospects in Kazakhstan, in comparison with Uzbekistan, seem much more distant.

In early November, French President Emmanuel Macron paid an official visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where he held talks with the leaders of these countries. The purpose of his trips to the region was to improve France's energy security. In Kazakhstan, Macron agreed to increase oil supplies to France and uranium exports.
The simplified employee pension individual retirement account (SEP IRA) is a cost-effective option for small business owners who want to offer retirement benefits to their employees. The employer may also contribute to their own SEP account.

As the name implies, setting up and managing a SEP IRA is streamlined compared to procedures for establishing and maintaining other qualified retirement plans used mostly by big corporations, such as the 401(k).

Notably, contributions to a SEP IRA are made entirely by the employer. Employees, however, may open their own Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and contribute up to the annual limits. SEP contributions must be made by the tax-filing deadline for the year in which they are made. Here is a closer look at SEP IRAs, how contributions work, and when they are due.

Key Takeaways In a typical year, employers must contribute to a SEP IRA by the tax-filing deadline, which is usually April 15th.

If the employer has filed an extension, then the final SEP IRA contribution date is the extension deadline, which is usually October 15.

The maximum contribution to a SEP IRA is $66,000 in 2023 (increasing to $69,000 in 2024).

Contribution Deadline for SEP IRAs

Employer contributions to a SEP IRA are made in tax-deductible dollars. Business owners, including the self-employed, can also open a SEP IRA account and contribute to their own retirement savings.

In either case, the deadline is the same. Contributions must be deposited into every employee's SEP IRA account by that year's tax-filing deadline, which is typically April 15 of the following year.

If the employer has filed an extension, then the final SEP IRA contribution date is the extension deadline, which is usually October 15.

For example, say John earns $50,000 a year at XYZ Corp. The company wants to contribute 15% of each employee's compensation to their SEP IRA accounts in 2022. This means that John will receive a $7,500 contribution to his SEP IRA for 2022.

In a normal year, XYZ Corp. would have until April 15 of the following year to make the contribution to the employee SEP IRA accounts. If XYZ has filed a tax-filing extension until October 15, then the contributions must be made for John and all other employees by that date.

SEP IRA Contribution Limits

One of the advantages of a SEP IRA is that it has much higher contribution limits than a traditional or Roth IRA. The annual contribution limit for a traditional or Roth IRA is $6,500 in 2023 (increasing to $7,000 in 2024), plus $1,000 for those aged 50 or older.

With a SEP IRA, in 2023, an employer can contribute as much as 25% of an employee's gross annual salary or $66,000, whichever is less (increasing to $69,000 in 2024).To determine their annual limits, self-employed business owners must make a special computation that factors in the deductible portion of their self-employment tax.

With a SEP IRA, employers may change their contribution levels from year to year based on business considerations.

With a 401(k), employers may match a percentage of the employee's contribution. But in the SEP IRA, the contribution is entirely up to the employer and can change from year to year.

In effect, this makes it a kind of profit-sharing plan. When business is great, the employer may make a generous contribution, as much as 25% of each employee's salary. When business is bad, the employer may reduce or eliminate the company contribution.

This is not a bonus plan, though. If an employer has a SEP IRA, an identical percentage of salary must be deposited for each eligible employee.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Contribution Limit for a SEP IRA? The contribution limit for a SEP IRA in 2023 is 25% of the employee's compensation or $66,000the lesser of the two. In 2024, this amount increased to $69,000.

Who Is Eligible for a SEP IRA? Employees are eligible for a SEP IRA if they are 21 years or older, have worked for the business for at least three of the last five years, and have received at least $650 in compensation for 2022 (increasing to $750 in 2023) from the business.

What Is a Disadvantage of a SEP IRA? The primary disadvantage of a SEP IRA is that it does not allow for employee contributions. Other retirement plans, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), allow employees to contribute part of their income to a plan. With a SEP IRA, you are reliant only on your employer to contribute money for you.

The Bottom Line

A SEP IRA is a way for small business owners to provide their employees with a retirement plan. With a SEP IRA, an employer makes the contributions as opposed to the employee, and they must do so before the tax filing deadline of the following year.
Aeroflot, which is majority owned by the Russian state, has been reaching settlements with some Irish-based aircraft leasing firms, who had provided a large number of Boeing and Airbus planes before the invasion of Ukraine last year.

In September, AerCap said it had received $645m (590m) from insurance company NSK in full settlement of insurance claims for 17 aircraft and five spare engines leased to Aeroflot and its subsidiary Rossiya, Reuters reported.

The agreement meant AerCap, the worlds largest aircraft leasing giant, had settled its claim over Russias refusal to return the 17 jets. It marked a landmark agreement in a dispute over a total of 400 Western planes owned by a number of entities stranded in the wake of the Ukraine invasion.

For its part, Aeroflot said it would continue negotiations on the settlement of claims with other leasing firms. Last month, a similar settlement was made with Ireland-based SMBC Aviation Capital that was worth $710m for 16 aircraft and engines.

Sergei Alexandrovsky, chief executive of Aeroflot, said at the time the settlements would allow the aircraft to be removed from the foreign registry and be used on foreign routes, without running the risk of the craft being seized. He indicated Aeroflot would continue discussions with aircraft leasing operators to settle claims relating to foreign-manufactured aircraft.

John Whelan.

Russias largest private airline, S7 Airline, is also in the final stages of discussions with aircraft leasing firms to complete settlements of insurance claims on aircraft detained in Russia. S7 Airline had more than 40 aircraft leased from AerCap at the time of the invasion in February last year, according to publicly available data.

The landmark deals, which were approved by the US and the EU, mean the planes become the property of Russian airlines. Hundreds of millions of euro will also go back to the Irish-based leasing industry.

The deals also provide an insight into the way the Russian airline industry is able to overcome Ukraine war economic sanctions. It must be remembered that Aeroflot and other Russian airlines fly freely to China, India, South America, and Africa, where they are not affected by EU and US sanctions against Russia.

Although the Russian market is relatively small in terms of global air traffic, it had more than its share of leased aircraft, and consequently a large exposure to Irish leasing companies.

Many in the aviation industry have managed through the insurance settlements to overcome their exposure to Russia. They and are now focused on the potential exposure to China, given the political tension over Taiwan. However, China is a large part of the global marketplace that it will be hard for aircraft leasing firms to ignore, should tensions escalate.

The Irish-based leasing giants own more than 60% of the worlds leased aircraft fleet. Based on Central Statistics Office figures, the companies could be on course to generate more than 18bn in revenue this year. They face many geopolitical, regulatory, and legal exposures, however.

Nonetheless, the industry is trading well.

AerCap last month posted strong results, saying it had tapped increased leasing revenue. The increase in demand for aircraft is reflected in data from the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, which showed European air travel was continuing to recover strongly, and was set to exceed pre-pandemic levels next year.

IATA also said that an unprecedented 20 new airlines were launched in Europe in the past year. That likely augers well for Irelands leasing sector as aircraft leasing is a key part of the business model for airline start-ups.
Fund managers who turned to big tech as a low-carbon, high-return bet are growing increasingly anxious over the sectors experimentation with artificial intelligence.

Exposure to AI now represents a short-term risk to investors, said Marcel Stotzel, a London-based portfolio manager at Fidelity International. Mr Stotzel said hes worried well get an AI blowback, which he describes as a situation in which something unexpected triggers a meaningful market decline.

It takes just one incident for something to go wrong and the material impact could be significant.

Examples that Mr Stotzel says warrant concern are fighter jets with self-learning AI systems. Fidelity is now among fund managers talking to the companies developing such technologies to discuss safety features such as a kill switch that can be activated if the world one day wakes up to AI systems going rogue in a dramatic way, he said.

Read More Amazon lays off hundreds in its Alexa division as it ploughs resources into AI

The investing industry based on environmental, social, and governance considerations may be more exposed to such risks than most, after taking to tech in a big way. Funds registered as having an outright environmental, social and good governance objective hold more tech assets than any other sector, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

And the worlds biggest ESG exchange-traded fund is dominated by tech, led by Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nvidia.

Those companies are now at the forefront of developing AI. Tensions over the direction the industry should take  and the speed at which it should move  recently erupted into full public view.

This month, OpenAI, the company that rocked the world a year ago with its launch of ChatGPT, fired and then rapidly rehired its chief executive, Sam Altman, setting off a frenzy of speculation.

Internal disagreements had ostensibly flared up over how ambitious OpenAI should be, in light of the potential societal risks.

Mr Altmans reinstatement puts the company on track to pursue his growth plans, including faster commercialisation of AI.

Apple said it plans to tread cautiously in the field of AI.

Bloomberg
A national plan to control mink and other invasive species that are posing a serious threat to the countrys biodiversity is being prepared by the Government, it was confirmed during a debate in the Senate.

Minister of State Niall Collins said the alien species management plan, part of the Programme for Government, has been prioritised.

Co-ordinated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, it will act as an overarching framework for policy and legislation.

It will set out actions to tackle invasive species and incorporate the range of monitoring and reporting activities already underway in accordance with European Union regulations.

Minister Collins said the plan will provide a useful shape and focus to the range of good work already being undertaken by the NPWS and other Departments as well as by local authorities and stakeholders.

We hope to be in a position to provide positive updates on the development of the plan in the coming months as it moves closer to the public consultation phase, he said.

Senator Paul Daly, who raised the issue, said mink, a member of the weasel family, is not natural to Ireland but was imported in the 1950s as part of a commercial fur production operation.

Due to many escapees, and in instances where the commercial entity may not have been as successful as people thought, mink was sometimes deliberately released.

By nature, mink is an aggressive, opportunistic, and invasive predator with no natural predator of its own in the Irish landscape.

Its population, therefore, is ever-growing. A mink will and can kill surplus to its food requirements, he said, noting that wild mink numbers in Ireland are now estimated to be north of 50,000.

Senator Daly said when mink go into the hen houses of domestic fowl, they do not just kill the hens they want to eat but will kill all 10, 15 or 20 hens, fill their bellies and then they are gone.

This is common, and not just with domestic fowl. They will also target any eggs, fish within our lakes and rivers and ground-nesting birds, he said.

Senator Daly said many people have made sacrifices and bought into projects where their lands and properties have been devalued by designation for the hen harrier and numerous different species.

It is, therefore, a complete contradiction if some measure is not introduced to control the mink, he said.

Minister Collins outlined the legislative national and European Union framework for dealing with invasive alien species in Ireland.

Public bodies, Departments, and agencies work within this framework to manage, control and, where practicable, eradicate these species. Responsibility for dealing with them rests largely with landowners.

Much of the work happens at local level and is carried out by local authorities in their areas through their own biodiversity action plans.

Minister Collins said a range of ongoing efforts by the NPWS to control mink are primarily managed by the service's regional staff and under life projects such as those for curlew and corncrake.

These efforts are focused on the protection of rare ground-nesting birds, and nest protection officers are in place across the country to control and remove mink where they catch them, he said.

The Department's local biodiversity action fund also offers funding to help local authorities achieve actions identified by the national biodiversity action plan.

He said 29 of 31 local authorities have availed of this funding for 85 projects since 2019 with a total amount of over 1.1m being spent.

These include projects to control such species as Japanese knotweed and the quaga mussel, along with awareness and education.

However, there is a need for greater co-ordination and coherence in the overall approach to invasive alien species.

Funding was provided by the NPWS in 2012 for a scheme administered by the National Association of Regional Game Councils for a bounty on mink.

It was part of a wider effort to protect ground nesting birds in western counties. He understood it ran for three years until 2015 and is no longer in operation.

Renewal and expansion of the scheme would need to be discussed with the relevant parties and decisions taken in the context of the overall NPWS budget, priorities, and work programmes.

Senator Daly called on the Minister and Department to re-introduce the bounty scheme which worked in the areas where it was piloted.

It needs to be monitored and controlled and only be available to licensed gun and hunting clubs with terms and conditions.

Mink can travel up to 30 km in a night or two. They dont recognise boundaries or borders. Their numbers will be north of 100,000 if controls are not introduced.

If you corner a mink, he will face you. They do not back off. They have been known to kill very large animals and injure sick cows. They go for the jugular, he said.
A Cork woman who was assaulted by her partner at her home was texted by him with further insults as she was being taken to hospital by ambulance.

The Macroom man who was in a volatile relationship with her has been jailed for 18 months on a charge of assault causing harm to his then partner.

Gavin Cronin, aged 34, of Dromdubh, Macroom, County Cork, pleaded guilty to the charge of assaulting the woman at her home on Bun Na Sraide, Sleaveen Road, Macroom, County Cork on July 17.

Detective Garda Alan ORiordan of Macroom garda station said the accused was in a two-year on/off relationship with the injured party and that on this occasion they were drinking heavily together and an argument broke out.

He struck her in the side of the face and head a number of times, connecting with his fists, Det Garda ORiordan said.

There were two other men drinking with them that night and they hid in the toilet when the violent incident occurred.

She pleaded with him to stop hitting her. He went outside. The gentlemen came out of the bathroom. Gavin Cronin came back in. She picked up plates and fired them in his direction to keep him out of the house.

She picked up a wooden mallet to defend herself. He went to grab the mallet off her. He held it above his head, threatening her. He pushed her down on the ground. As she fell she broke her ankle, Det Garda ORiordan said.

Interviewed by gardai afterwards he accepted responsibility for the punching and his violent reaction but said he did not mean for her to have her ankle broken. Nevertheless, he accepted that he caused this by pushing her.

The victim said she did not accept Cronins apology. I did not deserve this, no woman does, she said in her victim impact statement.

Defence barrister Paula McCarthy repeated that the damage to the womans ankle was accidental but he accepted responsibility and wrote a letter of apology.

She said both parties were trying to deal with a tragic personal matter at the time and that things went off the rails that night, not helped by a considerable amount of alcohol.

Judge Helen Boyle imposed a sentence of two years with the last six months suspended.
Emily Hand's father Thomas has said his daughter, 9, has "lost a lot of weight from her face and body but generally is doing better than we expected."

"We would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported us throughout this whole 50 days. You have been great. We can't do it without you."

Tonight, footage also emerged of Emily being reunited with her sister Natali and two dogs.

Emily was among a number of people to be freed by militants on Saturday night in a deal which also saw Palestinians held in Israel released.

She had been abducted while at a sleepover in Kibbutz Beeri during the Hamas attack on October 7.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he has been consistent in his condemnation of Hamas and that the vast majority of people understood what he said in his tweet.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had tweeted about Emily Hand: 'An innocent child who was lost has now been found...' Israel's foreign minister reacted angrily that she had been kidnapped and not 'lost'. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Mr Varadkar was responding to Israel foreign minister Eli Cohen who has summoned the Irish ambassador to Israel, Sonya McGuinness to his office tomorrow to be reprimanded over his use of the word lost relating to Emily Hand.

Mr Varadkar said: Its really good news that Emily has been released and shes now at home with her family.

The Irish government worked very hard with the Qatari, Egyptian, Israeli authorities, and the Red Cross to press for her release. And Im really glad that she has been released and thats the most important thing.

I think the vast majority of people understand what I was saying, recalling the amazing joy and awe that occurs when a child comes home.

Ive always been consistent in my unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and hostage taking. I call for all hostages to be released without any conditions and I have always done so.

"And the Irish Government has worked very hard over the last few weeks with Egypt, with Qatar, with the Red Cross and also with Israel to secure Emilys release.

"The most important thing today is that shes at home with her family and thats all that really matters, he added.

Emily Hand, 9, from Kibbutz Beeri. Picture: Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters via AP

Following the news that the Irish-Israeli girl had been freed by Hamas, Mr Varakar last night tweeted: This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.

Mr Varadkars tweet has gained significant attention, particularly for his use of the words lost and found.

In response to Mr Varadkar, the Israeli foreign minister, Eli Cohen said: "It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

"Emily Hand was not "lost", she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother," he said.

He added: "Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you Leo Varadkar are trying to legitimize and normalize terror. Shame on you!"

Mr. Prime Minister,

It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother.

Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, https://t.co/CD5wIZJN4i    | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) November 26, 2023

In a follow-up tweet, Eli Cohen said: "Following the outrageous words of the Prime Minister of Ireland about the release of Amelie Hand, who was kidnapped to Gaza by the terrorist organization Hamas, I summoned the Irish ambassador to Israel for a reprimand."

The Department of Foreign Affairs has been contacted for comment.

In a statement, the Israeli embassy said: "For the past weeks we have been working tirelessly with Irish counterparts, and we are all happy to see the return of Emily Hand to her loving family.

Words matter, especially in war when lives are at stake, and when there is an increase of extreme discourse.

"It is important to remember Emily was kidnapped by terrorists who knew very well where she was all this time - in their hands.

"So too is still the fate for many Israeli men women and children who were kidnapped and are still held in Gaza. We continue to work and call for their immediate release."

Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said he is surprised by the reaction of Israels foreign minister to the tweet.

Mr Martin said Irelands ambassador to Israel, Sonya McGuinness will be meeting Israels foreign minister Eli Cohen tomorrow.

mily Hand, 9, from Kibbutz Beeri. Picture: Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters via AP

Mr Martin said Ms McGuinness will make it clear to Mr Cohen Irelands position on the conflict and reiterate the Governments position from the beginning.

He said the Irish Government including the Taoiseach has been very clear on its position and has continuously condemned the attack by Hamas and called for all hostages to be released.

I'm genuinely surprised at this reaction because really the only issue that matters is that Emily Hand is free and back with her family, that's all that matters," Mr Martin said.

He added that the ambassador has been in regular contact with the foreign minister in Israel and will be very clear in outlining the Governments position again and making sure that there are no doubts about that position and consistent position weve had since the outset".

Mr Martin defended Mr Varadkar saying his tweet was a reflection of, I think, the happiness that Emily has been released. I don't think more should be read into it.

On Emily Hands release, the Tanaiste said his concern all along was the trauma the nine-year-old was going through.

He said: I couldn't get it out of my head, an eight year old in captivity with no next of kin. We had no proof of life for any of the hostages, including Emily Hand.

Just for me, it's just the relief as a human being, as a parent, that this is one child that has a life to lead now

Emily Hand, 9-years-old reunited with her father Thomas Hand. Picture: Family Handout/PA Wire

He added: "I think there's huge relief across the country because her father Tom and sister Natalie with others when they came to Ireland touched the hearts of the Irish people in terms of the anguish of a father who was extremely traumatised at the abduction of Emily.

I'm genuinely surprised at this reaction because really the only issue that matters is that Emily Hand is free and back with her family, that's all that matters..as I would have communicated last evening I think now for the Hand family its a step by step recovery and healing and hopefully Emily can come through this trauma.

Speaking to RTE, he said he hopes the current pause in fighting can continue and hopes the current pause could become a permanent ceasefire.

This war is bringing nothing but death and misery and it has to stop, he added.

He said he is travelling to meet EU leader at the Mediterranean Union tonight and the focus will be on how to build a pathway to peace.

Government and Opposition TDs have also defended Mr Varadkar and accused Israel of deflection".

Sinn Fein finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty described Israel's reaction to the Taoiseach's comment on Emily Hand's release as "disgraceful".

"This is absolute deflection from Israel who are preparing, I am sure, to begin their bombardment of Gaza again after this ceasefire. What we need now is a focus to make sure Israel doesn't do that, that this ceasefire is a lasting ceasefire and that there is space and opportunity for dialogue and a peace process to emerge out of what we have the last couple of days," he told RTEs The Week in Politics.

Government junior minister Jack Chambers said: "This has been completely misrepresented."

Mr Chambers said the Taoiseach's statement is very clear in terms of people being taken from their home and held captive.

Last night, nine-year-old Emily Hand returned in the second group of hostages released by the Islamist movement under a Qatari-brokered deal with Israel. She appeared in good health in a photograph released with fellow hostage Hila Rotem, whose mother remains in Gaza.

"We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days," her family said in a statement.

"We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return."

- Additional reporting by PA
So, with Christmas around the corner, we are all looking forward to reuniting with family. How and ever, have you considered what extra tiny gifts they may arrive with together with the screw-top duty-free wine and food allergies? Just a couple of months ago an army of 40,000 Irish rugby fans went over to sop up the atmosphere of a live game. With the streets of Paris still heaving with dumped mattresses, chances are many of our returning heroes are likely to have brought some important French hitchhikers back with them. Bed bugs!

Searches on Google regarding the little blighters have soared 24000% in recent weeks, and according to one expert interviewed on Irish radio, bedbug levels (at least the ones we are admitting to by calling in the pros) are six times the norm. I was changing the sheets at a home I was staying in and found a little lighter.

There was no mistaking it, but I crushed him under my heel and didnt open my mouth.

How do you couch that with an air kiss? Thanks for the fantastic meal and the overnight, and by the way  your home is infested! Good luck with your Cimex lectularius! Bye-bye!

Bugs are not funny at all. They can at the very least leave bites on the body that will swell and itch. Lets consider the unlikely event that you and yours have bugs meandering around the Turkish sheets.

Its horrible I know, but unlike dust mites, they are visible to the eye at 2mm to 4.5mm, and relatively easy to ID.

More than likely they will stick out a pincher of welcome long before you know they are sharing your cot

Rentokil Ireland advises, It isnt always easy to identify bed bugs or know theres a problem. They remain hidden in tiny cracks and crevices during the daytime. Often the first sign of bed bugs is bites that appear on your body after you wake up. In the States, some specialist companies have bug sniffer dogs.

Bedbug calling cards (according to Rentokil):

Charming. If youre not sure. Have the inmate with the strongest stomach lift up the mattress at the edges and use a small torch and magnifying glass. Whoever brought them in (dont cruelly eyeball those sportsmen, they may not be the culprits after all) this is a problem we have to run towards, not away from.

Coming home from abroad? Go through the easy protocol if you have visited a bug hotspot. Shake your clothes off outside or in the garage, and launder what you can in a hot 60C wash ASAP. File picture

Bugs may be picked up in a hotel or on public transport and then enter our homes with us. If you go away to the continent or London (a hotspot including the Tube), keep your luggage up off the floor on the suitcase rack, even if youre assured theres no problem at that establishment. When you get home, empty the bags in the garage, dont bring them into your home immediately. Shake clothes and outerwear out thoroughly, stick them into a big plastic bag and throw them into the washing machine at the first opportunity for a good 60C wash.

How can we clean around the bed to dissuade bed bugs or deal with the area after an infestation?

Following treatment with dust, traps (based on sexy bed bug pheromone lures) or a bug bomb suited to the job, microbiologists at vacuum maker Dyson advise the following:

Remove and wash bedding

Washing sheets and blankets on a 140F or 195F wash will help to break down and reduce allergens and kill off bed bugs and dust mites. While you may vacuum your mattress only a few times a year, it's recommended that you launder and change your bedding once a week to remove microscopic skin flakes and keep dust and allergens at bay.

Vacuum your mattress

Many bed bugs on the surface may be removed through vacuuming alone, but you will need a deeper treatment to ensure complete eradication. In any case, vacuuming your mattress regularly throughout the year is important.

Other nasties like dust mites can live in our mattresses  they might be microscopic, but theyre tenacious. Using a vacuum with a high-power or Boost mode will deliver the suction you need to remove as many mites, skin flakes and allergens as possible. Attachments with stiff nylon bristles can agitate the fibres in your mattress and loosen dust and debris. Make sure that the vacuum youre using has a fully sealed filtration system to avoid allergens or debris being expelled back into your face as you clean.

Focus on hard-to-reach areas

Once youve deep cleaned the surface of your mattress, pay attention to any crevices or folds where dust and allergens can gather. For cleaning around the edge of your mattress where there may be a seam, use a crevice tool in handheld mode to remove any hidden dust. Dont forget under your bed as well, as dust mites thrive in dark, warm and humid areas with plenty of skin flakes that often remain undisturbed, and bed bugs like dark, untouched locations where they can hide. Regular vacuuming can make these places less hospitable.

Flip, repeat, remake

Flip your mattress over and vacuum the other side too to keep concentrations of invisible allergens low. You may want to consider using a mattress protector which will absorb excess sweat and dust flakes and can be more easily washed.

Keep your eyes peeled

Keep watch for any signs of bed bug infestation  bed bugs spread quickly so taking action in the early days of an infestation is important. Look for any spots of blood in the bed, exoskeletons or small brown debris (their faeces). A sweet or musty smell might also be a sign of infestation.

Stay tidy and vacuum regularly

Try to remove clutter around the bedroom to provide fewer opportunities for bed bugs to hide. Keep the space around and under the bed clear and regularly vacuum these areas.

I would add here that many of us will simply want to get rid of the sheets, blankets and even the headboard attached to a bed bug infestation, and thats completely understandable. You can find bugs parked behind everything from peeling wallpaper to tracing the trim of your new bed-topper and its the sort of thing that could play with your sense of physical safety and mental health.

Some layered pieces like old ottomans and deep buttoning will be hard to get into with a treatment solution. If the mattress is older than 10 years, theres a good argument for changing it out together with any supporting enclosed divan, which will have received equal wear and could, conceivably be harbouring some latent nasty surprises that could frolic out some January night.

Dont forget to treat or replace pet beds and to pay attention to all carpeting and soft furnishings around the home.
Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said on Sunday, as a fragile pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip entered its third day.

Violence in the West Bank has surged in the weeks since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, setting off a devastating war in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians and arrested hundreds in the West Bank. Jewish West Bank settlers have also stepped up attacks.

The Palestinian health ministry said that five Palestinians were killed in the militant stronghold of Jenin, while three others were killed in separate areas of the West Bank since Saturday morning.

A Palestinians gunman walks on a damaged road following an Israeli army operation in Jenin refugee camp (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

One of those killed, in al-Bireh in the central West Bank, was a teenager, the ministry said.

The Israeli military said forces entered the Jenin refugee camp to arrest a Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli father and son at a West Bank car wash earlier in the year.

In its statement on Sunday, the military made no mention of clashes, nor of the Palestinian deaths, but said forces were still operating in the area.

The military said it was looking into the reports of the other incidents.

In the refugee camp, debris was strewn along the streets of the densely populated urban neighbourhood and the wall of one house had a large hole in it.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said Israeli snipers were positioned on roofs and that military bulldozers were damaging roads and infrastructure.

The reports could not immediately be independently verified.

In its bid to pursue militants, Israel clamped down on the West Bank immediately after the Hamas assault, closing crossings and checkpoints between Palestinian towns.

The intensified violence in the territory follows more than a year of escalating raids and arrests in the West Bank and deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis.

Before the Hamas assault, 2023 already was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in over two decades.
Sierra Leones president has declared a nationwide curfew after gunmen attacked the militarys main and largest barracks in the West African nations capital and then overran detention centres, including a major prison.

The attack raised fears of a breakdown of order amid a surge of coups in the region.

The detention centres, including the Pademba Road Prisons  holding more than 2,000 inmates  were attacked just as security forces fought to restore calm during sustained shootouts at the Wilberforce military barracks, according to Information Minister Chernor Bah.

The prisons were overrun (and) some prisoners were abducted by the assailants while many others were released, Mr Bah said. Security forces managed to push back the assailants to the outskirts of the city where fighting continues, he added.

Sierra Leones President Julius Maada Bio earlier declared a nationwide curfew in response to the attacks.

Ecowas reiterates its zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government

An Associated Press journalist in the capital said that gunshots were still heard in the city hours after the government assured residents of calm, although it was not clear who was behind the exchange of fire nor if any arrests were made.

The security forces are making progress in the operation to defeat and apprehend those responsible for todays attacks, Mr Bah said. The government remains in control and on top of the situation.

The president and the countrys Ministry of Information and Education also both said that the government and security forces are in control of the situation, trying to dismiss fears of a possible escalation of violence in the country whose population of 8 million people is among the poorest in the world, having some of the lowest scores on the UN Human Development Index.

No details were immediately given about the gunmen or the reason for the attack, which comes months after Mr Bio was re-elected for a second term in a disputed vote in which the main opposition party accused the electoral commission of rigging the results.

Videos posted online showed soldiers patrolling Freetowns empty streets and captured the loud blasts of gunshots at dawn.

West Africas regional economic bloc Ecowas  of which Sierra Leone is a member  described the incident as a plot to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order in the country.

The bloc has in recent months tried to reverse the surge in coups in West and Central Africa, which has recorded eight military takeovers since 2020, the latest in Niger and Gabon this year.

Ecowas reiterates its zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government, the bloc said in a statement.

Mr Bio was re-elected in Sierra Leones fifth presidential election since the end of a brutal 11-year civil war  more than two decades ago  which left tens of thousands of people dead and destroyed the countrys economy.

He continues to face criticism because of debilitating economic conditions. Nearly 60% of Sierra Leones population is facing poverty, with the youth unemployment rate being one of the highest in West Africa.

Two months after Mr Bio won the disputed vote, police said they arrested several people, including senior military officers planning to use protests to undermine peace in the country.

A protest against the government in August last year resulted in the deaths of more than 30 people, including six police officers.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 26. A presentation of transit and transport potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries was held in China's major port city of Qingdao in the international exhibition center "Pearl of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization", Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry press service said, Trend reports.

According to the information, more than 200 participants, including representatives of diplomatic missions of member states, SCO observers and dialog partners, took part in the event.

Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the SCO Secretariat Nurlan Akkoshkarov presented the main projects on the development of transit and transportation potential of Kazakhstan, including the construction of second tracks on the section "Dostyk-Moyinty" and other initiatives. SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming in his video message emphasized the importance of expanding trade and economic cooperation among SCO member states.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

In 2002, the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was signed at the meeting of the Council of Heads of States in St. Petersburg, which entered into force on September 19, 2003. It is a statute that stipulates the goals, principles, structure and major areas of activities of the organization.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 26. Kazakhstan has ambitious plans to diversify transport routes and decarbonize the energy sector, so the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) sees huge potential for cooperation in the transport and renewable energy sectors with Kazakhstan, a source at the AIIB told Trend.

As the source noted, AIIB is actively supporting renewable energy and transportation projects in Kazakhstan.

The bank believes that Kazakhstan, given its geographical features and being located in the heart of Eurasia, is dynamically developing as a modern transit hub, connecting China, Russia, and Asian countries.

According to the source, the AIIB is closely working with the government of Kazakhstan on projects in the fields of energy infrastructure and green technologies.

The source noted that, in total, the bank allocated $876.7 million to finance projects in the country.

One of the Banks key projects in Kazakhstan is the Zhanatas 100 MW Wind Power Plant, where $46.7 million has already been invested to develop, construct, and operate a wind farm with a capacity of 100 MW.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank whose mission is to finance the Infrastructure for Tomorrow - infrastructure with sustainability at its core.

The bank began operations in Beijing in January 2016 and has since grown to 109 approved members worldwide. The bank is capitalized at $100 billion and Triple-A-rated by the major international credit rating agencies.

Collaborating with partners, AIIB meets clients needs by unlocking new capital and investing in infrastructure that is green, technology-enabled, and promotes regional connectivity. Having reached its first corporate commitment on July 1st, AIIB projects are now also fully Paris-aligned.

In the beginning of November, AIIB signed a $36 million loan agreement for the development, construction, and operation of another 100-megawatt (MW) wind power plant in the Zhambyl region of southern Kazakhstan.

The project is co-developed by China Power International Holding and Visor International DMCC and will be co-financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It will also be supported by concessional financing of up to $10 million from the Green Climate Fund and up to $5.7 million from the Clean Technology Fund.

.
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Excerpted from Tingis.

The forgotten history of Jews and Muslims needs to be recovered in order to challenge a multitude of dangerous false assumptions that exacerbate the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

Historically, and even theologically, Jews have always been closer to Muslims than they were to Christians. It was in Muslim lands, the late eminent historian Bernard Lewis told us, that Arabic became the language of science and philosophy, of government and commerce, even the language of Jewish theology when such a discipline began to develop under Islamic influence. The Moroccan-Israeli historian Michel Abitbol couldnt have been clearer: The transformation of Judaism following its encounter with Islam affected all aspects of Jewish life profoundly and irreversibly. The great scholar of Jewish thought Maimonides (whose face graces the Israeli sheqel as seen above), wrote his classic Guide to the Perplexed in Judeo-Arabic. It is common today to talk about a Judeo-Christian tradition to distance the West from Islam, but one can more appropriately talk about a Judeo-Muslim one.

Actually, similarities between Judaism and Islam made Jews targets in Christian Europe. Why should we pursue the enemies of the Christian faith in far distant lands, wrote Peter the Venerable of Cluny to Louis VII in 1146, while vile blasphemers far worse than any Saracens, namely the Jews, who are not far away from us, but who live in our midst, blaspheme, abuse, and trample on Christ and the Christian sacraments so freely and insolently and with impunity!?

After their expulsion from Spain in the fifteenth century, Jews were welcomed into the Ottoman Empire and other Muslim lands. A Frenchman by the name of Isaac Zarfati, deploring the treatment of Jews in Germany, encouraged his co-religionists to join him: I proclaim to you, he wrote, that Turkey is a land wherein nothing is lacking, and where, if you will, all shall yet be well with you.

Prominent nineteenth-century Jewish scholars from Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire such as Abraham Geiger, Heinrich Graetz, and Ignaz Goldziher who played a key role in developing what we now call Islamic Studies were convinced of the superiority of Islam to Christianity and felt a strong kinship with Muslims. The British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, a descendant of Spanish Jews, was disdainful of European culture and proud of his Semitic ancestry. He called Jews the Arabian tribe and Arabs Jews upon horseback. In his novel Coningsby, or the New Generation, Disraeli wrote: Why do these Saxon and Celtic societies persecute an Arabian race, from which they have adopted laws of sublime benevolence, and in the pages of whose literature they have found perpetual delight, instruction, and consolation? For this reason, Jerusalem cannot be ruled by uncouth Europeans and will ever remain, he wrote in Tancred, or the New Crusade, the appanage either of Israel or of Ishmael.

Following their emancipation in Germany, Jews, eager to reclaim their Oriental heritage, used Moorish designs to build their synagogues because they offered the closest model they could imagine to the original Temple of Solomon. This led Orientalist scholar Paul de Lagarde to comment: What is the sense of raising claims to be called an honorary German and yet building the holiest site that one possesses in Moorish style, so as to never ever let anyone forget that one is a Semite, an Asiatic, a foreigner?

Still, Jews saw themselves as Orientals connected to Arabs and Muslims more so than they were to the alien traditions of their host European nations. As one writer put it in the monthly journal Judische Monatshefte: Who is Ishmael to us? What does the Islamic world mean to us? The Muslim religious doctrine, customs and laws, the Muslim science and beautiful literature contain golden seeds which seem borrowed from us and the Jewish hereditary stock and thus seem familiar and related. In fact, the association of Jews and Muslims persisted well into the Second World War when Nazis called the most degraded of their inmates in Auschwitz Muselmanner, or Muslims

The great Iraqi poet Maruf al-Russafi wrote: We are not, as our accusers say, enemies of the Children of Israel in secret or in public/How could we be, when they are our uncles, and the Arabs are kin to them of old through Ishmael?

In 1948, King Abdullah of Transjordan told Golda Meir: I believe with all my heart that divine providence has brought you back here [to Palestine and the Middle East], restoring you, a Semitic people who were exiled to Europe and shared in its progress, to the Semitic East which needs your knowledge and initiative. Only with your help and your guidance will the Semites be able to revive their ancient glory. We cannot expect genuine assistance from the Christian world, which looks down on Semitic people. We will progress only as the result of joint efforts.

Just like Moroccan Jews in Israel and Muslim Moroccans are united by their love for their ancestral land, a better appreciation of the common heritage uniting Jews and Muslims could also help lessen tensions and establish a more durable foundation for peace.

Excerpted from Tingis with the authors permission. Read the entire essay here .
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Massachusetts Peace Action:

The Hamas attacks in Israel and Israels war on and invasion of Gaza are the latest rounds in a long-running conflict. In this webinar, three leading historians of the region will explore how we got here; what is fueling the present conflict; and what we in the United States can do.

Speakers: Juan Cole is the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan and a specialist on the Middle East. He has maintained a weblog, Informed Comment, since 2002. Sherene Seikaly is Associate Professor of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her book Men of Capital: Scarcity and Economy in Mandate Palestine (Stanford University Press, 2016) explores economy, territory, the home, and the body. She is co-editor of the Stanford Studies Middle Eastern and Islamic Societies and Cultures Series, the Journal of Palestine Studies, and Jadaliyya. Commentator:

Zachary Lockman is Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, and History at NYU. He has done a great deal of research and writing on the history of Palestine.

Massachusetts Peace Action: The Past, Present and Future of Israel/Palestine

Transcript (Auto-Generated):

0:03

and with that I will turn it over to you Rosso thank you

0:10

Brian and let me Begin by welcoming everyone its quite an audience over 400 people have registered for this webinar

0:17

so lets see how many we get by the end of the evening so welcome to the webinar

0:23

the past present and future of Israel Palestine I get to moderate tonights

0:30

webinar because Im connected to both of the organizations that have put this program together Im on the board of

0:36

Massachusetts peace action and Im on the steering committee of historians for peace and

0:41

democracy let me tell you a little bit about these two groups Massachusetts peace

0:49

action is an affiliate of the National Group peace action and we at MAPA focus

0:54

on Grassroots organizing policy advocacy and Community Education to end us Wars

1:01

interventions occupations and sanctions we also work to build a just Society at

1:07

home with a smaller military budget historians for peace and

1:12

democracy the second organization thats organized this event um has a mission to

1:19

stand up for peace and diplomacy internationally and for democracy and human rights at home to these ends

1:26

historians for peace and democracy or hpad are are dedicated to fostering

1:31

education on campuses and in communities encouraging activism and facilitating

1:36

networking with organizations working for peace and Justice now if youre in Massachusetts I

1:42

urge you to join Massachusetts peace action if youre an a historian anywhere

1:48

in the United States or uh I urge you to join hpad and if youre a historian in

1:53

Massachusetts you should join both and really put your voice behind the demand

2:00

for peace and Justice so we have an outstanding um

2:05

program for tonight with three very distinguished historians of Palestine

2:11

Andor the Middle East and let me give you a quick introduction to the three historians and then turn the floor over

2:17

to them our first speaker is Sherene Seikaly shes an associate professor of history

2:24

at the University of California Santa Barbara where shes joining us from her

2:29

book men of capital scarcity and economy in mandate Palestine published in 2016

2:36

explores economy territory the home and the body shes co-editor of the Stanford

2:41

studies Middle Eastern and Islamic societies and culture series The Journal of Palestine studies and

2:48

jaia our second speaker is Juan Cole he is the Richard P Mitchell Collegiate

2:54

professor of history at the University of Michigan and a specialist on the Middle East

3:00

and he may be well known to many of you for the web blog that he has maintained

3:06

since 2002 informed comment and we will receive a very

3:13

informed comment from our third speaker and commentator Professor Zachary Lockman whos professor of Middle

3:20

Eastern and Islamic Studies at and history at NYU and hes done a great deal of

3:25

research and writing on the history of Palestine so this is the order in which

3:31

our historians will speak and let me turn the floor over to

3:37

sh thank you all and um thank you to the organizers its a its wonderful to be

3:44

here with you all despite the very dark days that we are witnessing uh my talk today is titled

3:52

the apocalypse is now telling history in the present a young girl narrates she is

3:59

seven or eight her hair singed her brown eyes wide her clothes melted her hands

4:06

burned her face layered with dust Yellow powder and blood she is composed

4:13

confident it is the 12th of November 2023 she begins we went to Shifa we

4:20

learned it was a Target my w my mother wanted to go to her cousins they were Sheltering at another hospital someone

4:28

passes outside the eye of the camera Salam the young girl gestures and nods

4:34

her story continues we found a room we took shelter the tanks were at the gate her

4:40

voice Rises emotion fills her throat we were asleep she says when the bombing

4:46

started the sound did not wake me the smoke did she does not Shake she does

4:52

not cry she is calm pragmatic matter of fact she tells her story as a cautionary

5:01

tale what did she see that day at chiffa did she see the wounded and the

5:06

displaced crowded into the hallways and staircases did the smell of death envelop her did the reality of

5:13

decomposing bodies confront her did she walk the packed corridors did she

5:18

Glimpse the woman sitting on stools making life in the midst of catastrophe

5:24

the woman who used the two tier electric ovens kneading dough putting it on the fire watching it r eyes Browning the

5:30

loaf filling hungry stomachs with what little supplies were left did she get a piece of bread earlier on in these 45

5:39

days that have lasted a lifetime the content creator turned reporter ban AA

5:44

began her real as she does every day I am ban from Gaza Palestine we are still

5:51

alive that day on October 18 her cheeks were Fuller than they are today her eyes

5:57

still sparkling with an anticipation now worn down by an unsatiable grief by

6:03

witnessing lives lost dreams annihilated she said that day I want to

6:09

show how good people are a group of young men Bakers had started a free bakery in the shiffa courtyard using

6:16

what dwindling supplies they had left to feed one another HS Arabi or Arabic

6:22

bread is slightly leave-in flatbread it has five ingredients flour water sugar

6:29

yeast and salt it has many permutations it responds to the conditions around it

6:36

it requires care dexterity resourcefulness Palestinian bakeries

6:42

like Palestinian hospitals have been a recurring Target of this war of

6:47

annihilation among the thousands of lives ruined and maimed lie the remnants

6:53

of the places that fed them on October 25 oxam declared starvation had become a

6:59

key weapon of the war on Gaza 2.3 million people had access to 2% of the

7:05

supplies they needed that day in the courtyard on October 18 bent stood facing this

7:15

hospital that had transformed from House of healing to a place of Refuge to a mass burial site to a site of siege that

7:23

day she explained we craft hope even if we will not live to see tomorrow

7:29

catastrophe is not in the future and the neba is not in the past I speak with you

7:36

today as a child of a Palestinian woman and man who became refugees in

7:41

1948 I am a product and a scholar of what we call our ongoing nakba our

7:47

catastrophe that spans the 100 Years of denial of Palestinian political rights

7:53

and peoplehood and here I just want to give you a bit of that the history of that earlier moment on November 29

8:01

1947 the general assembly of the newly established United Nations voted to terminate the British mandate on

8:08

Palestine and partitioned Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish State between

8:13

November 1947 in May 1948 Zionist forces and the Palestinians

8:19

were immersed in a war for the future on May 14 1948 David beneran declared the

8:26

state of Israel the next day the army of Egypt Syria Lebanon trans Jordan and

8:33

Iraq invaded Zionist forces were better prepared mobilized organized and

8:40

centralized than the Arab armies and by the second stage of the war they were also better armed these forces these

8:47

Zionist forces had an intimate Ally across the Jordan River King Abdullah of

8:52

trans Jordan and the and the Jewish agency had nourished a 30-year

8:57

partnership the Arab armies were for their part more concerned with their own

9:03

national interests and did not coordinate militarily or diplomatically the NECA of 1948 took

9:10

place in what historians now categorize as four stages stage one was from

9:16

December 1947 to March 1948 the Zionist military organization

9:23

or the hagana shelled neighborhoods and Villages and authorized the destruction and expulsion of The Villages of Arab

9:30

suuk and karia south of haa in February of 1948 two militias Theon and the Lei

9:39

targeted Palestinian Fighters and civilians at bus stops shopping centers

9:44

and markets the Haugens military advances and psychological warfare

9:49

marked this period as one of panic and fear during these four months

9:54

Palestinians with the means to do so fled in hopes of return

10:00

stage two began in March 1948 when plan deit or Plan D was dispatched to hag

10:08

forces that plan was a shift to large scale highly organized and sustained

10:14

operations the war of Conquest was in full force on April 9 1948 oun and lei

10:21

forces numbering about 120 Troopers Advanced on a village near Jerusalem

10:27

called de Yin the Troopers pillaged The Village shot fleeing civilians and

10:32

killed 100 to 120 villagers including combatants later that month the hagana

10:39

overpowered Arab forces in haa by May 1948 the expulsion of villagers had

10:45

become regular practice and by the end of June 250,000 Palestinians had fled or

10:52

been expelled under the force of fire stage three of the neba was between July

10:58

and October of 1948 that July Israeli forces expelled 60,000 Palestinians men

11:05

and women children and the elderly from the towns of LDA and rla southeast of

11:11

Jaffa the refugee columns left behind a trail of belongings some refugees

11:17

perished along the way stage four of the neba was between October 1948 and March

11:24

1949 when Israeli forces conquered the nakab the neev the Jerusalem Corridor

11:30

Corridor and the upper Galilee in December of 1948 Israel

11:36

issued the quote emergency regulations on the property of absentees later

11:42

embodied in law this emergency legislation facilitated the expropriation of the land and property

11:49

of Palestinian refugees by the end of this period Israeli forces had destroyed

11:55

470 to 530 Palestinian villages and emptied Arab cities and neighborhoods

12:02

looting massacres and imprisonment prevailed as a result of the NECA of

12:08

1948 approximately 750,000 Palestinians became stateless

12:13

refugees the remaining 150,000 would become second class citizens under

12:18

military rule in Israel they were now strangers in their own home for the Palestinians The Exodus and

12:27

its aftermath were a full-fledged catastrophe the denial of self-determination and basic rights as

12:34

well as dispossession and dis and displacement did not end in 1948 it

12:40

continues in the present this is why Palestinians call our condition an

12:45

ongoing Nea it includes separation subjection to premature death

12:52

colonization brutality necro politics borders that cross and Define you the

12:57

constant threat Erasure and denial of rights to basic politics and

13:04

peoplehood that suffocating subjugation has never stopped it is now in a

13:09

fullscale assault we all knew the lesson that things might always perhaps will

13:15

always get worse today we live that lesson in entirely new ways today we

13:20

rehearse yet another inventory of neba since October 7 another inventory has

13:27

taken shape every day every day we grieve lost lives we grieve the loss of

13:32

1,200 Israelis we grieve as the loss continues we grieve the 14,100

13:39

Palestinians including nearly 5,000 children that we have lost we grieve the thousands missing under the rubble we

13:46

grieve as More than 70% of gazas 2.3 million Palestinians are now officially

13:52

internally displaced persons we watch as the UN warns of a risk of genocide

13:57

against Palestinians we cannot await a secular salvation or a Messianic apocalypse we are in the

14:05

apocalypse from Perpetual climate crisis to the extinction of plants and animals

14:10

to the forces of white supremacy misogyny and Global fascism we live in a

14:16

world of generalized catastrophe in a condition of trouble Without End of transit in the wake of interminable

14:25

events in this age of catastrophe Palestine is a paradigm it can teach us

14:31

about our present condition of the permanent temporary we are all unclear what the future holds we are all

14:38

suspended in time with no end in sight we are all uncertain if there is any normal to which we can return for some

14:47

this realization is a rupture for most violence and dispossession are not

14:52

interruptions they are rather temporal and spatial markers of the everyday

14:58

Palestine is not a laboratory it is not a sight of sympathy and it is not only or simply a

15:05

problem to be solved it is a place of abundant lessons about persisting in the

15:10

looped and looping time of the present like many other struggles Palestine reminds us in the words of jod bird that

15:18

the post has not yet arrived there is no postc Colonial postracial post sanist

15:25

and as we witness experience understand a ocalypse we hold tightly to the

15:30

lessons that the keepers of families and the keepers of stories teach us to break

15:36

bread to tell your story it is these acts that we return to as we have

15:41

learned from rosemary sa crisis and speech are inextricable crisis is motive

15:48

content and structure of speech the stories of Everyday People witnessing

15:53

extraordinary things are based on experience they are non-chronological and frag mented they exceed the

16:00

geopolitical plots those storytellers they do not reflect history

16:05

they make it we must listen as to these embodied polyvocal testimonies of

16:11

storytellers like ban like the young girl I started with these stories are not as henna

16:18

slayman reminds us only a register of resilience steadfastness and hope they

16:24

are more than that they are cautionary tales like the young girl I started with

16:29

the tellers of tales are calm pragmatic matter of fact they know that the worst

16:34

is yet to come because the worst has never stopped Palestinian women and girls who weave their stories offer us a

16:41

set of tools skills and mindsets they shape a histographic form a way of

16:47

telling history in this 45th day of 75 years of NECA and 100 years of war there

16:55

is a RAID every half hour a Palestinian child dies every 10 minutes today

17:01

Palestine is the place where a world is unmade a world in which the Illusions we have

17:08

held tightly to about international law about humanitarianism about the rule of law

17:15

about the claims of civilization shatter ever further into an an inferno of

17:21

hypocrisies and lies but even today amidst genocide we follow the lessons of

17:26

the Bakers and the storytellers kneading dough crafting narratives making worlds

17:32

even as they face the certainty of their death I am smiling bent says because I

17:38

love life because I am still alive thank

17:48

you thank you Professor

17:54

SC let me turn the floor over to Professor Cole now

18:01

well thank you so much uh for having me um these are troubling times and Im

18:07

sure were all weighted down by the horrific events uh from October 7th

18:14

forward um Im not even all that involved in in

18:21

uh Palestinian Israel Affairs but I have several friends who have been personally affected by uh these uh uh

18:30

horrid uh attacks uh theyre not just tragedies I

18:35

mean tragedy uh I think is an impersonal way of putting it but it is

18:41

a uh it is volition thats involved uh

18:47

and um uh volition of a Hamas

18:52

organization which uh I have to say has been

19:00

responsible for terrorism in the past terrorism as a tactic has been adopted by it back in the 90s uh uh they

19:08

committed uh attacks against non-combatants but the scale of what

19:14

they did on October 7th and the particular uh scenes of of their uh

19:21

actions were unusual for them uh they they took an Israeli military base and

19:28

if they had only attacked mil military targets uh they wouldnt be in the kind

19:34

of disrepute that they are now but they uh appear to have attacked a music

19:41

festival uh in fact a pnik music music festival and to shot have shot down

19:46

large numbers of people there uh the tactics that they used are reminiscent

19:51

of the uh isil or Dash organization uh that had uh become

19:58

prominent in Northern Iraq and Eastern Syria in and the teens of this Century

20:04

uh and um uh were intended to to shock and intended to polarize and of course

20:11

they got what they wanted um the Israeli response uh has broken

20:20

every uh law or regulation that any International body has attempted to

20:26

establish with regard to the prose ution of War uh since the end of World War

20:32

II and let me just back up to that moment because during World War II

20:40

Humanity behaved very badly um historians estimate as many as

20:46

65 million deaths in those four years uh in some ways it began with an

20:55

atrocity with the German air force pulverizing Warsaw raising it to the

21:04

ground with bombing uh and then an invasion and occupation of Poland in which the

21:12

Nazis were attempting to um daviz Poland uh to expel or kill

21:22

poles and to bring in uh German arens to replace them and to make Poland a

21:28

province of of Germany ethnically uh and um large numbers of

21:35

poles were expelled uh Millions were killed uh and uh and large numbers of

21:42

Germans were were brought in in an attempt to replace them uh so these

21:47

kinds of events happened during World War II um disproportionate attacks were made the

21:54

The Dresden and Tokyo were were firebombed uh and

22:00

indeed the destruction rought on Tokyo probably was greater with these

22:06

Conventional Weapons than what was done to Hiroshima with the Nuclear

22:12

One um after the war uh the United Nations was formed the United Nations

22:19

Charter was enacted an attempt was made to make aggressive War

22:25

illegal uh to make the anation of a neighbors territory through War

22:32

illegal uh and then there were the nurburg trials uh the Geneva conventions

22:38

uh the Geneva Convention of 1949 which laid out uh following the hag

22:44

regulations of 1907 but expanding on them uh the uh laws

22:52

regarding uh the responsibilities of occupiers during war because during war

22:57

territory is occupied until the end of the war uh and uh the framers of of the Gen

23:05

Geneva conventions felt that the occupier must not bring their own

23:10

population in and try to settle it as Germany did in Poland uh nor uh nor should it harm the

23:20

the non-combatants in the occupied territories nor uh should it indeed even

23:25

change their life ways in any significant way now these laws were made for uh conventional Wars of the 20th

23:34

century would la which lasted four years uh they they they didnt envisage an

23:40

occupation that would last for decades upon decades these uh and and they were

23:47

succeeded by further United Nations and other treaties and instruments many of

23:53

which were incorporated into uh national law by the signatory

23:59

uh and then beginning in the late 1990s an attempt was made uh to

24:06

establish an international criminal court uh which uh had as its Charter the

24:12

Rome statutes that took aboard uh the laws of the nurenberg and uh uh the

24:21

Geneva conventions um and attempted to codify

24:26

them and to make them a basis for positive law and to have an institution that could adjudicate it because one of

24:32

the problems with these international law regimes that were established after World War II was that they very seldom

24:40

could be adjudicated they were aspirational they were claims on values

24:46

uh but if people disregarded them there wasnt very much that could be done maybe some sanctions could be applied uh

24:54

but the Rome statute envisaged Trials of individual officials who were guilty of

25:00

war crimes and there have been of course such trials mainly uh of of former

25:07

African dictators um the United

25:13

States um Behavior towards uh Israel and the conflicts between Israel and the

25:20

Palestinians uh and uh and and its and other uh Neighbors in the Middle East uh

25:26

has undermined uh the entire thrust of international humanitarian law as it has

25:33

evolved after World War II uh in every instance the United States has attempted to

25:40

guarantee uh Israel impunity it has actually it seems to me

25:46

gone further in guaranteeing Israel impunity than even it has itself that is

25:52

to say it has accepted uh some of its own war crimes uh but uh has never

25:59

admitted any of Israels um the relationship of the United States with Israel began with uh uh Harry Truman who

26:08

recognized Israel and and famously remarked that he had Jewish constituents

26:14

he didnt think he had any Arab ones so it was a transactional event for Truman who by

26:20

the way was an enormous Blockhead if you hear him speak very long you you begin

26:25

to see just wasnt a very bright man uh and um and so he made this

26:30

calculation uh of of trying to get Jewish votes by supporting Israel which has been a standard operating procedure

26:37

in Washington ever since um Ike Eisenhower having been Supreme

26:44

Allied Commander and having been part of the attempt to establish a postor War II

26:49

order uh was was a more upright uh figure and more dedicated to the the

26:57

United Nations and to what it might mean for World Order and so was absolutely

27:03

outraged in 1956 when uh Israel France and the UK conspired to get up a war

27:10

against uh Egypt uh that would allow them to occupy the Suz Canal which had

27:16

recently been been won by Egypt uh and and Eisenhower used the fact that these

27:22

three countries were all indented to the United States to force them back out of Egypt he threatened to pull in the loans

27:28

and to bankrupt their economies um so the US very occasionally

27:33

acted in an you know an even-handed way but that was rare and of course in 1967

27:40

war in 1973 the United States was a cheering section for the Israeli side

27:45

and the conflict had been reconfigured to some extent as a cold war conflict with

27:52

Egypt uh having Soviet backing and Israel being the U uh really the proxy

28:02

for the United States um then at the end of the 1967

28:08

war uh the Israelis uh seized the West Bank and and and and the Gaza Strip uh

28:16

Palestinian majority territories uh which had been administered after

28:23

1948 by uh Egypt on the one hand and and and the the hashimite kingdom of

28:30

Jordan on the other hand in the West Bank uh these territories didnt play a

28:36

significant role in the 1967 war they they werent you know organized as

28:41

combatants they were part of the territory that was administered by belligerent but there wasnt a strong

28:50

military reason to seize them and in the aftermath the Israelis began colonizing

28:56

them uh sending in Settlers which since they were occupied territories was

29:01

completely illegal according to the Geneva uh uh conventions um and the

29:07

United States uh took the position that what Israel was doing was wrong and

29:13

should be condemned but that it would never allow anyone to interfere with it and it

29:19

wouldnt interfere with it itself uh and for the most part the

29:24

United States has been a handmaid in of Israeli colonization of the

29:30

Palestinians uh and um the the you know one major attempt to

29:35

step back from this H policy was George HW Bush who declined to offer1 billion

29:42

do in loan guarantees for Israeli settlers in the West Bank uh squatters

29:48

on Palestinian land who were doing something contrary to us stated policy at the time and the Israelis had the

29:54

nerve to come to uh to Bush and Congress and to demand $10 billion in loan guarantees for these uh structures that

30:01

were being established which the US considered illegal and so Bush uh uh took a stand on that but again this was

30:09

extremely rare and everybody else Clinton uh uh Bush Jr uh Obama Trump and

30:18

uh and Biden now ha have simply caved have have really given the Israelis

30:24

whatever they wanted uh have run in inter interference whenever the UN Security Council wanted to condemn

30:31

Israeli uh violations of international law in in this in the occupied

30:37

territories for the most part the United States has vetoed uh those resolutions

30:42

and so the world system you know does have some checks and balances if North

30:48

Korea acts in a particularly threatening way towards its neighbors and develops nuclear weapons the United Nations

30:55

security Council has put sanctions on it because even China was alarmed uh and

31:00

the five permanent members of the UN Security Council could agree on that and and therefore North Korean ships can be

31:06

boarded at will uh by by other powers uh on the high seas and and uh thats nor

31:12

normally illegal but but the UN Security Council allows it uh and under ordinary Circumstances

31:20

had the US allowed the International System to function as as it should I

31:25

believe Israel would have been subject to significant economic sanctions by the rest of the world and maybe even to

31:32

security sanctions on the part of un security counil for its behavior in the West Bank and it wasnt subject to those

31:40

sanctions because the United States vetoed all of those resolutions uh and therefore theres no

31:46

feedback loop the Israelis dont get any any push back from the rest of the world

31:51

they have impunity uh so when uh people in Gaza

31:58

six years ago or so uh began having marches uh for their

32:05

freedom the great March of return for the right to return to their homes because most of the people in Gaza are

32:10

descended from uh refugees who were pushed out of Southern Israel um by the

32:16

Zionist forces and they some of them could walk home if they were allowed to from from Gaza uh they started marching

32:23

and and and having demonstrations near the the fence that the Israelis have put up and the Israelis brought in snipers

32:31

and they just shot them down uh these were not people who were armed or who were posing a threat to Israeli soldiers

32:38

uh they were most often you know non-combatants who were simply demonstrating and they the the snipers

32:45

were uh urged to aim for the knees and to disable these people uh many young

32:53

men in in in and some women in in Gaza were injured by by this tactic and there

33:01

was no push back this was completely illegal this was a war crime there there wasnt so much as a as a a major parl

33:08

parliament in the world that condemned it and so now theyre raising Gaza uh

33:14

they theyve committed more war crimes in in a month in a little over a month than uh

33:21

than uh anyone but but Russia and Ukraine uh but Biden comes out and says

33:28

uh that theyre not committing war crimes and this is necessary and John Kirby comes out and and and gives us the

33:36

the uh Alice and Wonderland view of that that the Israelis are just defending themselves how are you defending

33:43

yourselves youre youre bombing hospitals youre bombing schools you you youve killed

33:48

uh thousands and thousands of of innocent non-combatants that Shireen spoke about

33:55

so eloquently um so this this whole situation including October 7th is to

34:02

some extent uh the fault of US policy because the US has set this up as a as a

34:08

forever struggle uh its its allowed the israelies to act with impunity uh

34:15

its ensured that the Palestinians are powerless in conventional terms and therefore uh you know

34:22

um people who are powerless in conventional terms often turn to terroris as a tactic so its not a you

34:29

know the United States didnt call Hamas up and say do October 7th but the United States created the framework of history

34:35

and Society in the Levant in which this uh this atrocity became imaginable and

34:43

and and possible and um at any point along the way Washington I think really

34:48

could have intervened to to settle this to ensure a Palestinian state to ensure rights for Palestinians and it would

34:55

have uh it would have also helped Israeli security the one-sidedness the

35:01

pusillanimity the uh the the lies that were told all of this

35:07

has contributed mightily to this uh horrible situation Washington uh needs

35:14

needs to change and um Washington is made up of the people that we elect uh

35:20

so we need to elect better people and we we need to uh put pressure on the people

35:27

that are there uh to behave like normal human beings instead of uh genocidal Psychopaths which is how they have been

35:34

behaving in this conflict thank you Professor Cole let me

35:41

turn it over now to Professor lochman who will provide some comments and

35:47

additional remarks thank you Id like to begin by thanking the uh the organizers of this

35:53

event uh for bringing us together in this uh very very Grim historical moment

35:59

um and for all of you for participating um its been inspiring to see the the

36:05

The Surge of response to the horrors that have been unfolding in Gaza and not just in Gaza elsewhere in Palestine as

36:11

well uh not enough obviously to to stop the Israeli military campaign and and

36:18

the US complicity with it but but still a sea change I think in important ways

36:24

so um Id like to do two things building on what Shireen and and Juan said or

36:30

certain aspects of what they said um do two things that that I think are quite connected maybe theyre really one thing

36:38

um on the one hand Id like to say a little bit uh about another consequence of the aftermath of October 7th and the

36:45

Israeli War on Gaza um thats unfolded here in the United States which is

36:51

manifested in uh an in many ways unprecedented tsunam

36:57

um if I were being more scholarly I would say storm of um attacks on

37:03

free speech and academic freedom um for our purposes on college and university

37:10

campuses across the country and this wave of attacks this effort to to silence expressions of concern for the

37:17

pal Palestinians in Gaza or for the Palestinian question altogether um

37:23

because the West Bank of course has also witnessed a of of killings and settlers

37:29

with the complicity of the Israeli Army going after Palestinians preventing the

37:34

olive Harvest several hundred people have been killed in the West Bank in the last five six weeks um so expressions of

37:41

concern expressions of opposition to the Israeli campaign in Gaza and complicity of the US government in

37:48

it um have been deemed to be unacceptable right universities have

37:53

been cracking down there have been several instances in which chapters of students for justice in Palestine have been suspended or or banned their

38:02

vicious attacks on on individual faculty uh and students doxing Im sure youve

38:08

all seen the reports of these trucks going around with pictures of of people who were alleged to be anti-semites and

38:14

so on so theres a wave of efforts to to silence um the the expression of certain

38:22

opinions which in many ways takes us back not to the aftermath of 9/11 but to the Red Scare of the 1950s right where

38:29

their efforts to criminalize to sanction the expression of certain kind of views and argue that they were Beyond The Pale

38:35

right in the during the Red Scare these were agents of Stalin they were agents of Moscow right to discredit certain

38:42

certain modes of belief today um uh certain modes of belief are deemed to be

38:48

uh uh supporters of terrorism Advocates of Hamas anti-semitic right and thats a

38:53

key element of it and Ill come back to that in a minute um and the flip side of this or or not

38:59

the flip side maybe but a key element of this is that um in this perspective

39:05

which is being pushed very very hard right and and this is not a conspiracy theory its pushed by organizations

39:12

which are well organized and well funded and have been trying for many many years to weaponize allegations of

39:17

anti-Semitism in order to silence views they disagree with right views they deem

39:23

as too critical of Israel or critical of Zionism so forth um a key element of

39:29

this is to argue that essentially history began on October 7th right so we cant talk about context we cant talk

39:36

about history basically which for a gathering like this which includes a lot of historians and which is co-sponsored

39:41

by an organization of historians um should be pretty outrageous now Ill

39:48

start just by saying that I think all of us agree or certainly I think a politics must start from the premise that what

39:54

happened on October 7th uh was a massacre it was a war crime its not acceptable um within the moral political

40:01

universe that at least I care to operate in but it comes out of somewhere everything comes out of somewhere right

40:07

thats essential to any historical understanding so um I wont go into the

40:13

detail here Shireen talked about some of the the the longer term history the ways in which we can think of the Palestinian

40:18

experiences ongoing Kat catastrophe right in taking many different forms

40:23

1948 but uh taking different forms for the Palestinians who ended up within what became Israel in 1948 in Gaza in

40:31

the West Bank and and so on so let me just say a little bit about that and then return to the question of of um of

40:39

the um of whats going on on our campuses today whats going on in this country which I think must be a priority in in

40:45

challenging it which is very much bound up with our opposition to Israels campaign uh against Gaza and and again

40:53

the Biden administrations complicity in it so I spent um and Ill be brief I

40:58

spent the first two weeks after October 7th watching all too much Israeli television um until I couldnt take it

41:05

anymore um not surprising you know people were in deep shock a huge sense

41:10

of victimhood this came out of nowhere from their perspective um and a desire for Revenge

41:17

not surprisingly and commentator after commentator talk show after talk show

41:22

said we have to go and smash Hamas with no thought about well then what what

41:27

happens next you destroy Gaza you destroy Hamas even if thats thats

41:32

feasible then what so very very little almost no conversation uh about any of

41:39

that but theres a theres a historical context to this because uh the term in Hebrew that people use for the

41:45

settlements that were attacked on October 7th right the kibit and other settlements surrounding Gaza the Hebrew

41:52

term for this is AA which means the Gaza envelope now why do you need an envelope

41:57

around Gaza right and these settlements go back to the 1950s right so as some of you may know

42:03

um Juan alluded to this um the Gaza Strip as was called Gaza right was the

42:09

one piece of Palestine which remained under the control of Egyptian forces uh after they unsuccessfully intervene

42:15

militarily in 1948 to prevent partition and the establishment of a Jewish State

42:21

um and its small population from before 48 was massively swelled by refugees

42:26

from other parts of Palestine so something like 2third of the population of Gaza are the some of them original

42:33

refugees but more often their children grandchildren great grandchildren who were stuck in this very small piece of

42:39

what was once Palestine before 1948 um and of course since 2007 have

42:45

been essentially blockaded by Israel with Egyptian complicity so to control

42:51

this border which Palestinians soon began to cross first to harvest their crops to to retrieve possessions um and

42:58

then to carry out raids against um Israel um Israel established a whole set

43:05

of kibuts and other settlements right the Gaza envelope um and let me just read you

43:10

something Ill be very quick right from 1956 right again to show this this comes

43:16

out of somewhere right theres a history to this um in April 1956 at at one of

43:22

the kibuts which was attacked on October 7th Nal o um one of the security guards

43:28

was killed by Palestinian Israel called them infiltrators people crossing the border from

43:33

Gaza um in many way in many cases to visit the lands The Villages they had

43:39

want the Farms they had had been theirs right on which these new settlements

43:44

including Nal was established uh his funeral was attended and the eulogy was delivered by General

43:51

mosha Dean who was then the chief of staff of the Israeli Army later defense minister right with that iconic ey patch

43:58

right seen as a as an icon of Israeli power and success he gave the

44:03

eulogy and here Ill just read a couple of excerpts uh the guards name was Rory

44:09

rutberg early yesterday morning R was murdered the quiet of the spring morning

44:14

dazzled him and he did not see those waiting in Ambush for him at the edge of the furrow let us not cast the blame on the

44:21

murderers today why should we declare their burning hatred for us for eight

44:27

years right since 1948 for eight years they have been sitting in the refugee camps in Gaza and before their eyes we

44:34

have been transforming the lands and The Villages where they and their fathers dwelt into our

44:40

estate beyond the furrow of the B border a sea of hatred and desire for revenge

44:45

is swelling awaiting the day when Serenity will dull our path for the day when we will heed the ambassadors of

44:52

malevolent hypocrisy who call upon us to lay down our Arms This is the fate of our generation

44:59

this is our lifes choice to be prepared and armed strong and determined lest the

45:04

sword be stricken from our Fist and our lives cut down so this is a long time ago this is

45:12

1956 but it already sets the stage for understanding Gaza as in a way the

45:18

microcosm of the Palestine issue right this place packed with refugees crammed into a small area under egyp I rule and

45:26

then under Israeli rule since 1967 right with no hope of a future um

45:32

and then through complicated circumstances ending up under the control of Hamas um and and in a status

45:40

quo that many Palestinians found intolerable again this is not to justify

45:45

October 7th but as historians as Scholars as thinking people we have to

45:50

understand the difference between justification and explanation right we need to explain

45:56

things which doesnt mean we agreee with them or accept them or think theyre moral but we want to understand the

46:02

context so these are the kinds of things that the campaign now underway in the

46:07

United States and Canada as well and in Europe certainly in many many European

46:13

countries um to to silence that history to make it disappear to Simply see this as a matter

46:20

of Israel defending itself which is the line of the Biden Administration with no

46:26

historical understanding with no historical grounding which would allow us to make sense of where this came out

46:34

of and and the larger issues this is this is an essential component of um and

46:41

much of the speech much of the campaign is also premised on the idea that

46:47

certain forms of speech are inherently an anti-semitic right now this is a serious

46:52

issue theres certainly been a surge in anti-Semitic speech and acts uh in the

46:58

last six weeks in the United States and many parts of the world right as theres been a surge in anti-arab anti-

47:05

Palestinian islamophobic speech and acts right this this has been generated by

47:11

this crisis and the Deep tensions and polarization its produced but the the classification the

47:19

demand that any criticism of Israel criticism of Zionism be deemed

47:24

anti-semitic um is is weaponizing a very serious allegation in an extremely

47:30

dangerous way its its again its its a poor analogy and youll forgive me but

47:35

its like saying every communist every socialist everyone on the left is an agent of Stalin is an agent of Moscow

47:42

right but here these these people who are critic are criticizing whats going

47:47

on in Gaza what criticize people who are criticizing whats going on in Palestine hate Jews and thats all we have to

47:54

understand and therefore theres speech is illegitimate and a lot of universities

48:00

uh responded after October 7th issuing statements condemning the attacks and seeking to reassure their Jewish

48:06

students right and thats fine a lot of Jewish students have been freaked out and a lot of Jews in the United States

48:12

and elsewhere have been extremely distressed we can talk about what that means and why um but a lot of other

48:18

people have been distressed in other kinds of ways and its extremely dangerous I think to again weapon

48:27

allegations of anti-Semitism for a political end especially when its part of a campaign whose ultimate aim is to

48:34

silence opposition to the Israeli War on Gava on Gaza and um the the ways in

48:40

which the United States has for three quarters of a century been Israels enabler as as Swan talked about so these

48:47

are challenges we face in the United States that that are very urgent challenges in addition to demanding a

48:54

ceasefire demand an end to Israeli violence against the Palestinians in Gaza um and and understanding that

49:02

theres no military solution to this conflict right there its there there simply isnt there has to be something

49:08

else whatever that might be um we face this challenge that that that is to the

49:16

fundamental Free Speech rights and academic freedom that is is

49:21

is vital to us and that every College every University professes but hasnt in the last 6 weeks

49:28

been very good at by and large at upholding and protecting and defending

49:33

so to me this is an important consequence this is a challenge we Face here in this country that I think we

49:39

need to be talking about and and engaging with Ill stop

49:45

there thank you Professor lman let me ask if Professor cyle or

49:51

Professor Cole would have anything to add to or respond

49:56

or anything to respond to what Professor lochman just said in his

50:03

comment um sure i Id love to say a couple of things with with with great

50:08

gratitude um to Zach um who has taught

50:13

me how to be historian so its my honor to be here with him and of course to um

50:19

Juan as well I Ill I I just want to say three things um to kind of um reinforce

50:27

four things to reinforce what Zach has already been saying one I think its

50:32

really important for people to understand that the Gaza Strip is actually a construct it is a product of

50:39

partition you know its not just that Gaza existed as part of palestin it was also a large province that had an A A

50:48

really important commercial class that was very involved in Citrus capitalism

50:55

that was a really important port um historically and throughout the 19th and

51:00

20th centuries Ill also point to the 1956 moment that um Zach pointed to and

51:08

read from and so powerfully is that also in response to and in that attack and

51:14

Counterattack um the Israelis bombed the shifa hospital so the kinds of recursive

51:21

ways that history repeats itself in this kind of ongoing I think is a really

51:26

important um takeaway that people have to that

51:31

people have to hold tightly too

51:37

um again as everybody has been saying Juan said this and Zach said this history did not begin in October 7 and

51:45

the conditions on the ground now be it for Palestinians who are second class citizens inside Israel Palestinians who

51:52

have lived in Gaza even before October 7 in a 16-year siege that was debilitating

51:59

and rendered half of the population under the poverty line or the people in

52:05

the West Bank who are now subject to increasing vestin isation as well as a

52:13

very explicit marriage between settler Vigilantes and the government right and

52:21

as as Zach noted um in this last 45 days I think the number of Palestinians

52:28

killed in the West Bank has surpassed um 200 at this point and we were calling

52:34

this year one of the bloodiest in West Bank history um because 223 Palestinians

52:40

had been killed by um Israeli forces um the number of you know another really

52:47

important uh uh factor in all of this is the carceral logic of is of the Israeli

52:53

State and that has meant that since 1967 over 800,000 Palestinians have been

53:01

um uh incarcerated in Israeli jails often times um under administrative

53:08

detention so youre basically talking about the denial of basic rights to all

53:13

of Palestinians in this plot of land and and I think understand you cannot

53:20

understand October 7 um and everything that happened after it with

53:25

without understanding that Palestinians are not free they are colonized subjects

53:31

and every single Liberation struggle has taught us that no one is free unless we

53:38

are all free the last point I want to make about anti-Semitism because this is something that is very close to uh my

53:46

intellectual and political practice is that actually the struggle for Palestinian Liberation is completely at

53:54

its best form committed to fighting all forms of racism to fighting

54:00

anti-Semitism to fighting anti-blackness to fighting xenophobia and some of the

54:05

most exciting actions that have happened in the last 45 days have actually been

54:11

organized by people like Jewish boys for peace and if not now when they closed

54:17

down the Rotunda in in the capital um when they took on the Statue of Liberty

54:23

um across the country these actions have been so inspiring and I think it is

54:29

really important I see some of these questions in the chat about religion ethn nationalism and their relationship

54:37

and I think it is really important to remember that there is a long and honorable tradition of Jewish

54:44

anti-zionism that Zionism and Judaism are not synonymous categories and that

54:50

those are histories that we have to take very seriously and that the fight against

54:55

anti-Semitism is something that the Palestinian Liberation Tradition at its

55:00

best is devoted

55:06

to thank you Professor Cole would you like to add anything or can we turn to some questions just just very briefly

55:13

and and uh to give homage to my colleagues Ive learned through my life

55:20

much of what I know about all this from Zach and and Shireen so um

55:25

let let me just say though in addition to what they have said is that October

55:31

7th didnt not only didnt happen in a vacuum and not only is there a long history behind it of uh of keeping the

55:40

Palestinian stateless and ultimately therefore without rights uh Hanah arent

55:45

I think was the one who said if that that rights come come out of

55:51

citizenship in a state you have a court to go to you have you have political rights you have you have a vote if you

55:58

if youre stateless you you dont have the right to have rights she said and I

56:04

think one of the Supreme Court Justices quoted her on that uh so the Palestinians not only dont have rights

56:09

but they dont have a right to have rights and thats why they can be treated in the media and and and in

56:16

positive law in Israel as they are uh the other thing just that Id like to underline is this these sets of of

56:25

events uh which are a gut punch and and stomach

56:30

turning uh both on the part of Hamas and on the part of uh the Israeli Air Force

56:37

um come at out of a background an immediate background

56:44

of a significant change in the character of the Israeli poity so that uh Benyamin

56:51

netan the leader of the lukud party when uh he uh was trying to get back into

56:58

Power last year this time actually brought into his

57:03

Coalition uh terrorists uh people who had

57:09

been on on terrorist watch lists of the state department and who had been tried and convicted in Israeli courts of

57:16

instigation and racism people who are the equivalent of The Proud boys and the oathkeepers in the United States uh who

57:23

rallied around Trump on January 6 those kinds of people were brought into the government and put in high POS positions

57:30

made minister of uh of National Security and given responsibilities over the

57:36

Palestinians and the West Bank uh developments uh which were extremely

57:41

disturbing to to much of the Israeli public against which hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrated many

57:48

of them weakly uh all all through this year and which made the Biden Administration unwilling to have netan

57:56

into the White House for a dinner uh that this was a pariah government and

58:02

its designs the designs of its members on places like the West Bank are

58:08

predatory uh these things are not happening by accident that that that squatters are forming gangs and going

58:14

Wilding and and and shooting up Palestinian hamlets in the West Bank theyre theyre being encouraged to do

58:20

so by Ministers of the government that that netan with uh and the the ferocity

58:28

the viciousness the brutality of the Israeli aial campaign against Gaza which

58:35

cannot be justified on any military grounds uh is also a manifestation uh

58:42

that that the the the the hate groups are in control of the Israeli government

58:48

and this is a government then that uh that people want you not to criticize I

58:53

mean its as though you you cant criticize amlo in Mexico without being a bigot against chos I mean this is crazy

59:01

uh and theres something deeply wrong with the entirety of American discourse

59:06

on this subject thank you lets turn to some of

59:11

the questions that have been submitted through the chat um let me start with one from Stephanie

59:17

Williams uh no Death Angel who asks what is the interest of the US in backing

59:23

Israel Within Unity so what is what is driving the us to do

59:31

this you want me to address it us but

59:37

any of the P to all three panelists well there are lots of reasons

59:42

for it its its what the marxists used to call overdetermined um and uh first of all

59:49

for the National Security Elite for the for the American equivalent of the deep state these the permanent bureaucracy

59:56

and the defense department and the intelligence services and so forth Israel is is Americas uh uh aircraft

1:00:04

carrier permanent aircraft carrier in the Middle East uh it it does a lot of

1:00:10

work for the United States it has excellent uh intelligence capacity

1:00:15

throughout the region it had an informant inside isil

1:00:21

which Trump let let slip and endangered the poor guy uh but

1:00:27

um Israel is a place that that the US has very extensive military and

1:00:34

technological relationships with so its an asset uh for American Security in the

1:00:39

Middle East and the Middle East is in turn an asset to us uh uh geopolitical

1:00:45

Power because it is the source of much of the worlds energy uh and although the US doesnt import so much from that

1:00:53

region all of its allies Japan Japan uh Germany France Etc deeply dependent on

1:00:58

that energy uh so thats one uh and then

1:01:04

uh in addition to the importance of Israel to the US National Security Elite

1:01:10

uh for those reasons uh and I should say I agree with n chsky that its its not

1:01:17

its not the Israelis that get the Americans to do things its not the Israelis that influence American public

1:01:23

opinion to do things its these National Security guys uh then theres theres the issue of Christian Zionism theres a

1:01:29

very large Evangelical uh constituency in the United States that has these crazy ideas about the the necessity to

1:01:37

support Israel so as to have Gus come back uh and these people are now in

1:01:42

control of the Republican party uh one of the major parties in the United States uh and then in addition to all

1:01:50

that um there is a a constituency for Israel among Jewish am some Jewish

1:01:55

Americans about about a third of Jewish Americans say they dont feel very connected to Israel uh but the other

1:02:02

some of the others are are very high on it some of the wealthier members of the community are important as donors and uh

1:02:10

um you would want them behind you in your political campaigns uh so you know

1:02:15

Ive just mentioned three but there are even more Zach Shin do you want to add

1:02:23

anything um

1:02:28

yeah Id like to Id like to add a couple of things um I want to get back to the question of anti-Semitism because

1:02:36

I think its a really important and informing one and I think one of the ways to think about the question of

1:02:43

Palestine and the Jewish question more broadly is to think about it as a problem of Europe in this history you

1:02:51

have the coming together of Europes internal others and Europes external

1:02:56

others and thats why you know when people will often say things like oh

1:03:01

well its simple right its simple to call to call for ceasefire its simple

1:03:07

to call for the liberation of all people and to have full basic inalienable rights this is a complicated history we

1:03:16

must read it we must understand it so I see a lot of questions about what next and someone has said history has its

1:03:23

limits actually you cant be thinking about Visions for the future without

1:03:29

knowing and teaching this history the reason that thats important how its linked to the question of the United

1:03:35

States is because the United States also has a problem with its relationship to

1:03:40

what it understands as its European Heritage and civilization let us not

1:03:46

forget that the United States is a settler Colony built on the foundations

1:03:52

of genocide and slavery so we have to actually hold all of those

1:03:58

lessons to account when were thinking about the way that power works in the 21st century and so in that regard I

1:04:07

think if you look historically while there have been really important

1:04:13

divisions within the US government at different moments so Juan mentioned um

1:04:20

Bush senior and his limitations that he tried to put on Settlers we know for and

1:04:27

settlement we know for a fact that theres often division on policy on US

1:04:32

policy between lets say the White House and the Pentagon we know that its not

1:04:37

all one thing and that we have to take those um divisions seriously we also

1:04:44

have to understand that since its Inception Israel and the United States

1:04:50

have been intimate geopolitical military diplomatic allies and one of

1:04:58

the things I want to also H tip to another person whos in this room um Joel Vine who um I inherited from him

1:05:07

when I went to Au a class that he taught there to American University in Cairo which then became a school for me about

1:05:16

um how to teach the history of Israel Palestine and one of the things I learned from Joels syllabus was the

1:05:23

ways in which after 1967 in particular the kinds of ways that um the uh the

1:05:31

Israeli victory in 1967 con um constituted a a salv against

1:05:39

what was then understood as the Vietnam syndrome and the ways in which Israel became a military model at a time in

1:05:47

which the United States was in crisis because within the United States womens

1:05:53

Liber women s Liberation movements the Black Liberation struggle all of these different things were taking place and

1:06:00

there were a particular um challenge to the rising consolidation of things like

1:06:07

neoconservatism and the Evangelical movement so I think one thing I would

1:06:12

you know in this last 45 days as in every time there is a a kind of

1:06:18

crystallization of struggle people often ask us for elevator pitches and what I

1:06:25

would like people to take away is there is no elevator pitch you have to do the

1:06:30

work and I saw references to people like Tom seov I would humbly also offer the

1:06:36

people in this room Zachary lochman Joel baning many people an entire field of

1:06:43

Palestinian studies the Journal of Palestinian studies um uh people like

1:06:49

Rashid khi younger Scholars like mesna R Barakat there are people doing this

1:06:55

knowledge production and to understand how to move forward we have to do that

1:07:05

work thank you I mean there is a middle ground

1:07:11

between the complexity of the understanding the complexity of the past and elevator pitches and some of us in

1:07:19

the audience are involved in organizing um

1:07:25

so but Ill come back to that I want to ask a question that that I am very uh

1:07:32

its engaged me which is um the the larger Global context for whats going

1:07:39

on right now in Israel Palestine is really the rise of the far right across

1:07:44

the globe and do our panelists have any thoughts on the connections between the

1:07:51

rise of this far right far right movements in in so many parts of the world and um the

1:07:58

responses to the events of October

1:08:05

7th um I could try to say something about that I mean you know

1:08:10

people often um well its easy lets put it this way

1:08:17

to to blame Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremely right-wing government right this is the most Hardline right-wing

1:08:22

government Israel has ever had that took office little less than a year ago right

1:08:29

um but theres also been a great deal of continuity in Israeli policy going back to

1:08:34

1948 and and the the idea that things were wonderful and this is something a

1:08:40

good number of Israelis share Israelis Jews share things were great before 1967

1:08:46

and its only those crazy settlers and those crazy religious people whove you know taken Israel in this terrible

1:08:53

Direction thats caused all these problems right and to some extent people in you know the Biden Administration

1:08:58

endorses this this is a popular view in the United States as well um and its too easy and out right for one just

1:09:05

historically right the the the expulsions and dispossession of the Palestinians in 1948 was presided over

1:09:11

people um on the Zionist Left Right David Ben guran was the the key figure

1:09:16

in in the labor Zionist the Socialist Zionist movement and this movement um presided over the the wars of 1956 and

1:09:24

the conquest of the remainder of Palestine in 1967 and the beginnings of the settlement project now of course the

1:09:30

right when it came to power um and its been the dominant force in Israeli politics in the last you know 30 40

1:09:37

years escalated this quite dramatically right but this is not these crazy people this is a project of the

1:09:43

Israeli State um and endorsed def def facto um

1:09:50

by the United States which criticized the settlements which said their illegal under international law but kept

1:09:55

providing Israel with three or four billion dollars a year so Israelis are not stupid they pay attention to what

1:10:01

the United States does and not what it says once a year when the State Department issues its annual report on

1:10:07

the occupied territories so um I wouldnt take it too far Netanyahu

1:10:15

is is culpable in his own special way right uh you know his main concern at this moment is to stay out of prison

1:10:22

because hes facing charges of corruption and thats certainly informed his policy but this is about the the

1:10:28

ideology and the policies of a state right and and not of one individual or not even of of of the right-wing of the

1:10:35

Israeli Jewish political Spectrum um are there features in common ethn nationalism sure right um and

1:10:43

Israel and this is also something thats important I think to understand and then Ill Ill Ill shut up right Israel

1:10:49

isnt a a liberal democracy in the same sense the United States is right its often referred to in the United States

1:10:55

as the only democracy in the Middle East but it defines itself not as a state of its citizens regardless of their

1:11:02

ethnicity or their religion its a state it defines itself officially as a state of the Jewish nation of all Jews

1:11:08

everywhere right who have a right under Israeli law to get on a plane and arrive in Israel and claim citizenship its

1:11:15

sort of as if the United States defined itself as a as a white Christian Nation so anyone who wasnt white and wasnt

1:11:21

Christian was had a subordinate status was a second class citizen or maybe not

1:11:26

a citizen of of at all right and the reality in Palestine and this you know

1:11:31

the the term apart aparte has begun to be used by the most respectable human rights organizations right Human Rights

1:11:38

Watch and Amnesty International and even Israels leading human rights organization Bellum right to denote a

1:11:45

situation in which Jews are today a minority in historic

1:11:50

Palestine right um Palestinians are again a majority which they hadnt been since

1:11:56

1948 um but Jews have the full rights of citizenship the kinds of Rights Swan

1:12:02

mentioned earlier right and Palestinians either have no rights at all right or theyre a second class

1:12:09

citizens referring to the Palestinians who who make up 20% of the population of of Israel the citizens of Israel so

1:12:17

thats different from the United States right where racism persists where all sorts of forms of discrimination persist

1:12:23

but at least legally whether you showed up yesterday and became a citizen or your ancestors came several centuries

1:12:30

ago as enslaved people are on the Mayflower youre an equal citizen before the law and have an equal status we know

1:12:37

the reality is different right but thats not the case in Israel so thats maybe not a direct

1:12:43

answer to your question but its its I think important to understand the you know the specificities of this state and

1:12:50

Society um which of course are Thor thly bound up with its relationship with the

1:12:56

indigenous Arab population of Palestine the

1:13:02

Palestinians can can I come in as well did you want to go ahead one yeah um I

1:13:10

want to quickly um say to get back to the question of apartheid so I want to

1:13:16

really um also remind people that that analysis of apartheid came from

1:13:24

Palestinian Civil Society organizations in 2003

1:13:30

2005 uh uh in which they were making the

1:13:35

analysis that the kinds of conditions and access to rights that that people

1:13:40

Palestinian that any people have in the land that Israel is Sovereign over

1:13:47

depend on how the state defines them okay and so this was a um a a a a the

1:13:56

launching of the boycott divestment sanctions uh uh campaign and that

1:14:01

campaign has seen many wins some of those wins have been about the uh uh

1:14:10

Heritage uh human rights organizations like b salm as well as Human Rights

1:14:15

Watch and Amnesty International all calling the conditions on the ground in

1:14:21

Palestine in in in Israel in Palestine as a partip we know in fact that Ariel

1:14:28

Chiron himself expressed these concerns and it was one of the reasons that he wanted a withdrawal from the gsus trip

1:14:34

um so I just want to remind folks because I think a lot of times the labor

1:14:40

of Palestinian organizers historians storytellers gets erased and I really

1:14:46

want to insist that we Center those voices number one I want to link that

1:14:53

a a a a non-violent movement of boycott divestment sanctions to the campus uh

1:15:01

censorship and McCarthyism that Zach talked about so powerfully because boyot

1:15:07

divestment sanctions has also been criminalized criminalized across the um

1:15:13

across the United States criminalized in many different countries right so this one of the things that Palestinians are

1:15:19

saying is that when we do use these forms of Civil Disobedience were also

1:15:26

criminalized and part of the reason I think that that happens is because of the way that racialization functions and

1:15:33

I totally agree and appreciate so much what Zach is saying because we cannot

1:15:38

locate this as something that happened with the Netanyahu government this is a long duray kind of racialization at the

1:15:47

same time I do believe that the fact that our own um the limits of liberal

1:15:57

democracy in this country are so Frid and that we are watching all of the

1:16:03

multiple ways that um uh me many many all of the multiple Notions that many of

1:16:10

us have taken for granted this is why I was talking about international law

1:16:15

humanitarianism the rule of law these kinds of things that we have been taking for granted were at a really uh a a a

1:16:24

critical inflection point at this moment and and what is happening in Palestine

1:16:31

is a part of that and constituting it and also reacting to it so I do believe

1:16:38

that the kind of right-wing uh um consolidation and crystallization that were seeing

1:16:44

globally is very dangerous and has also enabled the kind of greenlining that we

1:16:53

have seen to 45 days of shelling 45 days of shelling an onclave

1:17:02

a an enclave that has been talked about as the worlds largest open air prison

1:17:07

and we see this complicity not just from um the Republican party in this country

1:17:13

right uh all of you know all of the Republicans lindsy Graham Nikki Haley

1:17:20

annihilate them level them we see it also a different register of rhetoric in the Democratic party and we also see the

1:17:27

complicity in the media so we have a problem on our hands and that problem is

1:17:33

coming for us just as it is now battering the Palestinians in

1:17:40

Gaza yeah I totally agree with that and my point of reference is Narendra Modi

1:17:46

in India whos radically shifted Indian policy in the region and is his

1:17:53

historically India has been a supporter of Palestinian rights and now its lining up direct directly behind Israel

1:18:00

at this moment at this terrible moment but um let me

1:18:07

ask our panelists what they think the role of religion is in this

1:18:13

conflict thats a question that came through the

1:18:20

chat well um religion is a marker of identity and

1:18:26

this is a u ethnopolitical struggle so obviously it it gets invoked Hamas

1:18:32

claims to be a religious organization although um I know something serious

1:18:38

about Islam and Islamic law and I can guarantee you that uh hamass actions on

1:18:44

October uh 7th uh contravened uh Islamic law in every single way uh youre not

1:18:51

youre not allowed to kill non-combatants youre not allowed to launch a sneak attack uh to the extent

1:18:57

that there are a set of codified uh uh laws of war and Islamic jurist Prudence

1:19:03

uh Hamas uh violated them and so I think the reference to Islam is is on hamass

1:19:11

part is is a um a form of propaganda um it so happens that most

1:19:18

people who live in in uh in in Gaza are Muslims and uh it has tried to appeal to

1:19:24

that marker of identity but many Palestinians are secular-minded people it doesnt mean they dont pray or they

1:19:30

dont go to mosque or they they dont believe in God but you know the center of their politics a lot of the time

1:19:37

theyre middle class people and uh the PLO was famously not terribly religious

1:19:43

and um um there are you know Marxist uh groups that uh that reject religion

1:19:50

among the Palestinians and so forth so so um and then the N netanyahus lud

1:19:57

party is a secular party its not its not from religious Zionism it has

1:20:02

brought into the the cabinet of religious zionists but the history of

1:20:07

the lud is is a as a secular history and netan has several political allies that

1:20:15

that are themselves not uh uh not religious uh so I I would say that

1:20:22

seeing this conflict through the lens of religion would be an error that it is

1:20:29

largely an ethnopolitical struggle and in which religion is sometimes in vote

1:20:35

but theres nothing in religion that makes people behave this way and its not what what the the the the conflict

1:20:42

is over is over uh control of territory and uh how people will be treated on

1:20:48

that territory uh which are entirely uh secular uh concerns in the correct

1:20:54

meaning of the word secular thank you Zach do to add

1:21:00

anything briefly I have two more questions that Id like to get to um I

1:21:05

mean I I would love to hear um Zachs uh take on this question as well I mean I

1:21:11

think there the the the the struggle on the ground is a political territorial

1:21:19

struggle it articulates itself in ideological terms those ideologies are

1:21:26

informed by religious practice belief and conviction so we have to somehow

1:21:31

hold all of those things together and also understand that religion is never

1:21:36

one thing its constantly changing right and it is about how people practice

1:21:42

religion okay and so here its important to remember that when Zionism first was

1:21:49

established it was actually religious Jewish people who opposed it so theres an entire

1:21:57

history around the relationship between Zionism and Judaism and how that has

1:22:03

shifted over time I also want to acknowledge that political Islam is a

1:22:10

phenomenon its a political uh uh ideological formation

1:22:16

that is heterogenous and that is historically Dynamic I think there are simplified

1:22:22

ways in which Jihadi movements have been compared and again I would say we need

1:22:28

to take these differences in history seriously so somebody I would encourage everybody to read is Sak bonei whos

1:22:35

written a wonderful history of Hamas that actually takes it seriously and

1:22:42

narrates its history so the last thing I want to say here because Ive seen a lot of this in the chat here and in other

1:22:49

places oh Israel and the United States created ated Hamas because they wanted

1:22:55

to you know um contain the the PLO as a

1:23:00

national uh secular option because they were more threatened by that certainly they had a calculus

1:23:07

around what was what was most threatening to them its important to remember that Hamas is established in

1:23:13

1987 its also important to acknowledge and AOW that Hamas is part of a

1:23:20

broader uh tradition of modern political Islam and that it

1:23:26

was born of the Muslim Brotherhood itself an organization that has been

1:23:31

Dynamic and shifted from a more in the beginning a more one could say socialist

1:23:36

kind of ideological Vision uh uh in the very beginning to one that in the 21st

1:23:43

century has become much more neoliberal again were all historians we

1:23:48

got to read about this stuff theres no easy answers

1:23:54

thank you Zach do you want to add anything or can we no maybe you should move on to the since time is limited move on to the next questions yeah we

1:24:02

just have a couple of minutes but I Id like each of your thoughts on how you think this mess is going to

1:24:11

end uh well um I I would I wouldnt dare

1:24:16

to venture a prediction um I mean were I think the only safe thing to say is

1:24:23

that um people will be living with the consequences of this for for years

1:24:28

decades generations to come I mean these kids who watch their families being killed and suffer trauma and and you

1:24:37

know seen the world including the Arab world stand by and do nothing or or facilitate what Israel is doing they

1:24:45

will have a response to this and it may not be a response we like very much you know its been argued that the rise of

1:24:51

Hamas was a response to the the failure of of the world and Israel to

1:24:56

accommodate the the the compromise offered by the by the PLO right let us

1:25:02

have a little state in in a quarter of what was once Palestine um under conditions the

1:25:07

Israelis will dictate and thats enough and Israel ultimately refused to take yes for an answer which of course gives

1:25:15

rise to people who say you know about the Israelis exactly what the Israelis say about the Palestinians the only

1:25:22

thing they understand is force right you kill us we kill you you stop killing us

1:25:27

we stop killing you so um the devastation of so far the the I mean all

1:25:33

of Gaza but especially the northern half the depopulation right the ethnic cleansing which youre watching before our eyes right where this population of

1:25:41

you know million and a half plus people have been driven from their homes their homes have been destroyed there not many

1:25:46

homes and and buildings and offices and businesses you know left standing or undamaged and in in much of Gaza so its

1:25:55

not even clear how people can return um and you know if theres a huge massive

1:26:01

displaced Refugee population double refugees right refugees from the rest of Palestine in 48 who are now refugees

1:26:07

from where they lived elsewhere in Gaza its going to be a horrific situation on a humanitarian level but

1:26:14

the political implications right people with nothing to lose who whose lives have been

1:26:20

destroyed once again um by Israel and with the support of the United States and European countries and

1:26:28

others so therell be a price to pay for this for everyone and its and and you

1:26:36

know and and it will you know strengthen those forces I suspect who believe that

1:26:42

you know there is a military solution to this right why should they why should they conclude anything otherwise right

1:26:48

watching what the Israelis have done watching what the world has done or not done done so thats as far as I would

1:26:54

venture to go specic beyond that specifically right who knows it depends

1:27:00

how things develop over the next days and weeks and and months but um its its certainly an

1:27:06

inflection point in this as Shen said Century long struggle for for control of

1:27:12

Palestine um and um and and and doesnt I think bring us anything that promises

1:27:19

much for the future all right were out of time so I think

1:27:26

its a very somber note to end on but I think an appropriate note thank you thank you can I say one thing I just I

1:27:34

just want to say one thing one thing go ahead one thing which is I I I also

1:27:39

agree that I dont see how we come back from this um I also just want to say I

1:27:46

know it looks like Palestinians have nothing to lose but I also want to remind you of Bans work Words which is

1:27:54

I love life and I am alive and I thats why Im smiling and I think its really

1:28:00

really important to remember that these Palestinians who are suffering and have

1:28:05

been suffering for a hundred years continue to live and continue to embrace

1:28:12

ways of being that are it themselves in opposition to all of the subjugation

1:28:18

that that that we have lived under thank you shim thats a much better note

1:28:24

to endle thank you so much and really we owe so much to all three of you for

1:28:31

taking your your evening to spend with us and to share your thoughts on this

1:28:36

really pressing and issue of world historic importance Id say so please

1:28:42

join me in thanking our three speakers and thank you to the audience

1:28:50

for joining us and Ill just announce that on November on November 30th theres going to be

1:28:58

another uh webinar thats sponsored by both Mass peace action and histories for

1:29:03

peace and democracy and thats a webinar with Andrew basovich so thats going to be next week on November 30th so the

1:29:10

conversation will continue so thank you and please join us again for Andrew basovich and please join me in thanking

1:29:16

our three speakers thank you for organizing this all of you thank you thanks so

1:29:25

much
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Gabriel Said Reynolds of Notre Dame writes: In this video I interview Professor Juan Cole, the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. We discuss the historicity of Muhammads raids as well as the picture of the messenger that is obtained when one focuses on the Quran alone. The bulk of our discussion concerns the meaning of the word Kafir or the verb kafara in the Quran. Professor Cole puts forth his thesis that Kafir in the Quran does not mean infidel or polytheist in the conventional sense, but rather closer to the Latin meaning of the term Paganus.

Exploring the Quran and the Bible with Gabriel Said Reynolds: Juan Cole: Infidel or Pagan? Understanding Kufr () in the Quran | Muhammad the Prophet of Peace 

Juan Cole, here. This is what I wrote on the subject at IC when my article first appeared:

My new article is out in The Journal of the American Oriental Society about the meaning of the root k-f-r in the Quran, the Muslim scripture. Weve all grown up hearing about the Qurans condemnation of infidels or unbelievers, but I think that this is for the most part a mistranslation. I argue that the root does not mean infidel but pagan or polytheist (and I think with the connotation of hostile, impious and morally corrupt pagan). In fact, I think the Arabic may be a translation of the Latin paganus. The latter had connotations of hick or rustic but also of polytheist and the same is true in Quranic Arabic.

Juan Cole, Infidel or Paganus? The Polysemy of kafara in the Quran, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 140, 3:(2020): 615-635:

I also find that the noun kafir is never applied in the Quran to Jews and Christians in an unmodified way. The noun implies pagan or scoundrel or ingrate.

The Quran considers Jews and Christians to be monotheists or submitters to the one God (muslimun). This is the antonym of pagan. In The Cow 2:62, the Quran promises paradise to righteous Jews, Christians and other monotheists alongside the followers of Muhammad.

I write in the article, A key attribute of the [pagan] kafir, as we have seen, is that such a person is damned to hell. Dominion 67:6 reads: And for those who denied (kafaru bi-) their Lord, there awaits the torment of hell, and a wretched destination! In contrast, in speaking of Jews and Christians we find in The Spider 29: Debate the scriptural communities only in the best of ways, except for those who do wrong. Say We believe in the revelation sent down to us, and the revelation sent down to you; our God and your God is one, and to him we have submitted.

It is common in the contemporary Muslim world to refer to all non-Muslims as kuffar or unbelievers, but I believe this is contrary to the usage of the Quran itself.

I think virtually all Quran translations err in consistently translating kafir as infidel or unbeliever or disbeliever, since this rendering implies a larger group than just pagans.

I made some of these arguments very briefly in my book on the Prophet Muhammad, but since it is a rip-roaring historical narrative I could not stop and do word philosophy at length:

In the article, I also explore how the verb kafara can be used of anybody. It means to commit impiety, blasphemy, immorality, etc. It is like the verb to sin. Monotheists can commit impiety as a one-off or occasional act, but that does not cause them to be characterized as among the group of pagans or kafirun. Even Muhammads own followers can commit this sin, as I explain:

The verb kafara, however, is more fluid and is sometime applied to monotheists. The Family of Imran 3:167 complains about those of Muhammads believers who declined to go out to defend the city (later commentators say the verse concerned the battle of Uhud in 625): They were told, Come, fight in the path of God, or at least take a defensive position. They replied, If we knew how to fight, we would have followed you. That day, they were closer to kufr than to faith, inasmuch as they said with their lips what was not in their hearts. God knows best what they are concealing. The deverbal noun kufr here clearly means hypocrisy or dishonesty rather than disbelief.

Here are a few excerpts from the article, which I have modified slightly in an attempt to make them a bit more readable. The original is technical and written for specialists, but I think the findings are accessible and very important. Obviously, scholars should consult the full text for footnotes and for the larger argument about how the noun and verb could diverge from one another (and there really are two distinct verbs, only one of which means to disbelieve in a straightforward and consistent way).



From Juan Cole, Infidel or Paganus? The Polysemy of kafara in the Quran, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 140, 3:(2020): 615-635:

The active participle kafir . . . cannot be assumed necessarily to mean rejecter of something or infidel. Rather, it has a wide range of meanings that can be discerned contextually. In Iron 57:20 the broken plural refers to rustic farmers: Know that the life of this nether world is a game, a sport, a trinket, a mutual boast among yourselves and a multiplication of your wealth and children. It resembles rain whose resultant vegetation pleases the peasants (kuffar), but then it withers and you see it yellowing into chaff. As al-Khalil mentioned [in his early dictionary], kafr means village, reinforcing the rural connotation of the root. It may be that a secondary meaning of polytheist or adherent of traditional religion emerged because the population in the countryside was more likely than its urban counterpart to have clung to the old gods and resisted accepting monotheism.

The root is also clearly associated in the Quran with polytheism. Al-Kafirun 109:16 opens with: Say: kafiruna! I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshipping what I worship. Nor am I worshipping what you have worshipped. Nor are you worshipping what I worship. To you your religion and to me my religion. There is an admission that the pagans have a religion, but it is simply castigated as a false one, which makes translating kafir as infidel seem odd. That the dispute was over Muhammads monotheism versus Arabian polytheism is demonstrated by Sad 38:45, which says . . . They marvel that a warner came to them from among them, and the [pagans] kafiruna said, This is a lying sorcerer. Has he made the gods into only one God? That is an astonishing thing. This and many other verses demonstrate that the Quran came out at least in part of a milieu where there were adherents of traditional religion . . .

The sense of to worship the gods for k-f-r is underlined in The Cow 2:257: God is the patron of those who believe, bringing them out of darkness into the light. And those who kafaru, their patrons are Taghut, who bring them out of the light into darkness. Taghut is a loan from [Ethiopian] Geez that means new or alien god or idol, and, interestingly, is treated as a plural in this quranic verse, corresponding to numerous patrons. Belief in polytheistic religion is not, properly speaking, disbelief but the wrong sort of belief, from the point of view of the Quran. It is not a charge of atheism. Not only are such believers committed polytheists but they are also militant: Those who believed fight in the path of God, and the pagans (al-ladhina kafaru) fight in the path of Taghut, so fight the associates of Satan, for the guile of Satan is feeble (al-Nisa 4:76) . . .

Elsewhere, it is admitted that they [the pagans] are believers in their own tradition; when they question the eschatological opening or grand success, the verse reads: Say: On the Day of the Opening, the faith (imanuhum) of those who kafaru will not benefit them, nor will they be granted a respite (al-Sajda 32:29). Since it is allowed that they have faith, they are not unbelievers strictly speaking and translating this phrase as the faith of the infidels will not benefit them would be self-contradictory. While they are not accused of disbelieving, they are, however, liars and wrongdoers, dishonest and workers of evil (cf. The Women 4:16768). As well as labeling them wrongdoers (sing. zalim), they are morally dissolute (fasiquna) for responding incorrectly to Gods proverbs (The Cow 2:26). Along the same lines, it is said of Muhammads monotheistic followers: God has caused you to love faith, rendering it beautiful in your hearts, and he has caused you to abhor impiety (kufr) and ungodly behavior (fusuq) and rebellion (al-Hujurat 49:7).

Rebel is one meaning of the root k-f-r. In the story of how Lucifer fell (The Cow 2:34) it is reported: And when we said to the angels, Bow down to Adam, they prostrated them- selves, save the Devil; he refused, and grew haughty, and so he became one of the rebellious (kafirina). The active participle here does not involve disbelief but disobedience. The Devil (Iblis, Gk diabolos) is not accused of rejecting the existence or oneness of God but of refusing the divine order to bow down to the first human being. Indeed, in 2:30 the angels are depicted as arguing with God that creating Adam would lead to turmoil, and the implication is that Satan parted ways with God not because he disbelieved but because he had a positive if misguided motive - he differed with him on the wisdom of opening Pandoras box . . .

kufr is equated with impiety, which Grecophone Christians in their polemics against the pagans called asebeia. Likewise, in Prohibition 66:10 God had made the wives of Noah and Lot an object lesson for those who kafaru because of these womens preference for pagan society over their husbands. The reason given in 2 Pet 2:6 for the calamity that befell the people of Sodom and Gomorrah is that they lived impious lives (asebesin), which seems roughly the meaning of kufr in Q 66:10.

BLASPHEMY

A controversial passage in The Cow 2:102 provides a further sense of the verb. The Quran condemns those in the era of Solomon who followed demons that taught magic. It goes out of its way to underline that Solomon himself did not commit kufr, even though in late antique folk tradition he was held to be able to control sprites and demons. The demons were guilty of putting otherwise inoffensive teachings to evil purposes, turning them into black magic, so that they kafaru (A. J. Arberry translates this as disbelieved). Of what, however, did this act consist? It does not appear to have been a denial of anything, but rather was a blasphemous activity. The humans were eager to have the teaching of the two angels of Babylon, Harut and Marut, which they then desecrated by turning it into dark arts so as to separate spouses from one another. The demons instruction harmed people rather than benefited them, and turning to the occult deprived these individuals of any portion of heaven.

Harut and Marut are two of the Zoroastrian celestial spirits, Haurvatat and Ameretat. These emanations of the supreme deity, Ahura Mazda, symbolize wholeness and immortality. For instance, in the Younger Avesta, Yasht 19.9596, the last days during which the world will be renovated are described thus: Evil thought will be overcome, good thought will overcome it . . . The celestial spirits Integrity (Haurvatat) and Immortality (Ameretat) will defeat the demons of Hunger (Shud) and Thirst (Tarshna). The two celestial spirits associated with nemeses among the demons symbolizing bodily human cravings like hunger and thirst may have inspired the Qurans motif that devils misused their teachings to satisfy lust. Moreover, Ameretat is associated with plants, fertility, and the tree of life. The Quran could be projecting into the time of Solomon a contemporary set of Zoroastrian ideas. The retrofitting of this motif to the time of the Hebrew monarch may in turn have come about because of the association in late antiquity of Solomon with mastery of the sprites or demons, which is reflected in quranic passages.

In late antique Greek Christian authors, black magic was associated with blasphemy (which originally meant slandering [God]). In his Homily 10 on 2 Timothy, John Chrysostom (ca. 349407 CE) wrote, Let us then so live that the name of God be not blasphemed (blasphemiesthai). Among the many examples he gave of Christians blaspheming in failing to live up to their ideals were your auguries, your omens, your superstitious observances . . . your incantations, your magic (mageias) arts.

What if we translated The Cow 2:101 this way?

They followed what the demons recited over the realm of Solomon. Solomon himself was not a blasphemer, but the demons were blasphemers, teaching the people magic and what was revealed to the two archangels of Babylon, Haurvatat and Ameretat. But these two had been careful not to teach anyone without warning them, We are a potential disturbance of faith (fitna), so do not fall into blasphemy. From them they learned how they might divide a man and his wife [. . .].

Here is a condemnation of warlocks and witches who engage in what is seen as necromancy, which apparently enables those who covet married persons to cast spells to separate them from their spouses. They are instructed by demons who pervert and misuse the teachings of divinely inspired Zoroastrian angels.

Later Muslim commentators on this text are divided over its meaning. Some saw the anecdote as concerning fallen angels. Others defended the angels as having been sinless, and held that while they performed licit miracles, the demons turned their teachings to the purposes of thaumaturgy. As I read the text, the teaching of the angels itself is not being condemned here. Solomon, the verse says, bore no blame for his mastery of the spirits. The Zoroastrian celestial spirits are spoken of with reverence, called angels rather than demons, and are depicted as having been given inspiration (unzila) by God. The angels act responsibly inasmuch as they give disciples an explicit warning that learning their esoteric teachings could tempt humans, if they are not careful, to the dark side. (Zoroastrianism is listed in Pilgrimage 22:17 with the monotheistic religions and distinguished from paganism.)

The Quran shows positive attitudes throughout to Christians and The Cow 2:62 admits Christians to heaven (Those who believed, and the Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, and whoever has believed in God and the Last Day and performed good works, they shall have their reward with their Lord). To underline the difference, the Quran shows God pledging to Jesus regarding future Christians in The Family of Imran 3:55: God said, Jesus, I will take you to me and will raise you to me and I will purify you of those who kafaru and will render those who follow you superior to those who kafaru until the judgment day. Likely it is distinguishing between the old pagan Romans, who had persecuted Jesus and his faithful, and the Christians themselves. There will always be, the Quran vows, a difference between followers of Jesus and the kafirun. This and other passages suggest to me that the deverbal noun kafir is never used tout court for Jews and Christians.

[Takeaway: kafir as a noun is never used in the Quran to refer to Christians and Jews, only to pagans or rebels or blasphemers or the morally dissolute.]

In the Medinan period, the Quran uses the verb kafara when it begins speaking of an antagonistic group from among the other monotheists: Neither those who kafaru from among the people of the Book, nor the polytheists (mushrikuna) themselves, desire that good from your lord descend upon you (The Cow 2:105). Some groups from among the biblical communities had allied politically with the militant pagans. A hypernym  for instance, treeis lexically superordinate to hyponyms, another set of nouns or phrases under its rubric (e.g., juniper and acacia). Here the phrase people of the Book functions as a phrasal hypernym, which is lexically superordinate to the hyponym Those who kafaru from among the people of the Book. Logically speaking, the need to identify this subset of believers in the Bible as those who kafaru proves that kafir does not ordinarily refer to Jews and Christians. That is, if all Jews and Christians were always kafirun, it would be redundant to identify this group from among the people of the Book as those who kafaru. Moreover, if all Jews and Christians were always kafirun, it would make nonsense of Gods pledge to Jesus (Al Imram 3:55) that he will render those who follow you superior to those who kafaru until the judgment day. Christians are not kafirun under ordinary circumstances, just as they are not doomed to hell under ordinary circumstances. Still, just as they can commit mortal sins and so depart from righteousness into perdition, so they can throw in with bellicose polytheists against Muhammad and his cause, and likewise join the damned . . .

PAGANUS

It is suggestive that kafir maps so closely onto the Latin paganus as it was used in late antiquity. Remus points to an imperial decree of 416 CE (16.10.21) that excludes from government service those who are polluted by the profane error or crime of pagan rites, that is, gentiles (qui profano pagani ritus errore seu crimine polluntur, hoc est gentiles). This principle was reaffirmed by Justinian (r. 527565) in his Code (1.5.19), which body of law applied to Arabic speakers in the empire in Muhammads own era. The Table 5:103 likewise denounces the pagan rites of sacrifice to idols practiced by those who kafaru and al-Juma 62:2 speaks of purifying gentiles (ummiyuna) implying that paganism had polluted them.

The two words share a number of other meanings and connotations - rural, polytheist, opponent, persecutor, enemy, blasphemer, potential convert, and interlocutor. K-f-r may at least in some instances be a loanshift from the Latin paganus. Whatever the etymology of the term paganus, by the late fourth century it had come to mean both rustic and adherent of the old Roman religion. It was often used satirically, to class the remaining pagan aristocracy with unlettered peasants.

Centuries of Roman rule had made Arabic speakers familiar with Latin vocabulary. The word for path in the phrase straight path of piety in the Quran, sirat, is a loan from the Latin via strata or paved avenue.72 One route for Latin influence was the Arab mounted foederati who served as an auxiliary to the Roman army in Bostra and elsewhere, since Latin remained the language of the military. Another way Latin may have proved influential was through law, inasmuch as fourth- and fifth-century imperial decrees and even some of the sixth-century Code of Justinian were still issued in Latin as well as Greek in the sixth century.

I have argued that kafir in the Quran for the most part does not mean unbeliever or infidel. In most of our examples, a lack of belief is not at stake. Rather, kafir is a polysemous term that has a wide range of meanings, including peasant, pagan, libertine, rebel, and blasphemer. These are discernible if we look at the parallelisms, synonyms, and antonyms with which quranic verses surround this noun. I understand the impulse of translators to use unbeliever for kafir, and, of course, the term sometimes does mean just that. Moreover, the condemnations of pagan belief and practice, while often made with other terms, could be seen to imply unbelief at some meta level. I argue, however, that limiting the meaning of the root so severely causes us to miss a rich set of other connotations that give us a rounder idea of the Qurans intent

I have suggested that the bilingual lives of many Arabic speakers in and on the fringes of the Roman empire over hundreds of years (Arabic-Aramaic and Arabic-Greek) contributed to this polysemy, through the phenomenon of the loanshift. The Latin paganus, which came to have the connotation both of rustic and polytheist in the fifth and sixth centuries, may well lie behind Iran 57:20, which refers to kuffar as peasants happy to see rain and greenery. At the same time, the quranic term is clearly also used to refer to polytheists. Sad 38:5 reports of the kafirun that they rejected the notion that the many gods could merge into only one, while The Cow 2:257 says that those who kafaru had taken the deity or idol Taghut for their patron instead of God. The Family of Imran 3:151 menaces these pagans with hellfire for having made God part of a pantheon (ashraku). While it is not impossible that Arabic independently invented a connection between farmers and polytheists, Occams razor would suggest that we instead posit that Arabic was influenced by late antique Roman Christian usage, which was embedded in imperial laws applying to Arabophone citizens of the empire. In any case, far from being deniers or nihilists, the pagans are admitted to believe in their own religion (din) and to have faith (imanuhum) in it. It is simply a false religion. Kafara thus has a positive valence that to disbelieve does not capture, even if the latter is not ultimately an incorrect characterization of the quranic view of the pagans.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, November 27. Uzbekistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have discussed the reforms implemented in the Uzbek tax system and administration in recent years, as well as the results achieved in the sphere, Trend reports.

The issue was discussed during a meeting between Uzbekistans Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Akhadbek Haidarov and representatives of the Fiscal Department of IMF headed by Vincent de Paul Koukpaizan.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the results of the final report of the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT), prepared by the IMF mission on a visit to Uzbekistan in July of 2023, which is aimed at an objective assessment of the main components of the country's tax administration.

The parties also discussed the possibility of attracting IMF technical assistance to improve tax policy and administration, including reducing the shadow economy, managing tax risks, regulating tax disputes and improving other aspects of tax systems.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan plans to automate tax reporting system starting from January 1 of 2024.

Documents will be generated automatically, utilizing both internal sources such as the taxpayer's financial records, ASF data, online transactions, and external sources from other government agencies.

The resulting reports will be accessible in the taxpayer's personal account. In the event of any objections, the taxpayer can submit a revised version to the tax authorities within the legally specified timeframe.
While 2023 delivered a slew of amazing K-content, broadcast networks and streaming platforms are about to introduce a round of interesting K-dramas in 2024.

From returning stars to actresses with back-to-back K-dramas and a variety of genres, the upcoming year will surely feature an amazing list of new series.

It will be a drama war as 2024 begins with K-dramas headlined by Park Min Young, Shin Se Kyung, and Park Ji Hyun.

With that said, get to know the highly anticipated 2024 K-dramas, "Flex X Cop," "Marry My Husband," and "Sejak: Charmed Deceit."

'Flex X Cop'

Premiering in January 2024, Park Ji Hyun will headline the upcoming mystery romance K-drama "Flex X Cop."

Helmed by "Through the Darkness" and "Revenant" director Kim Jae Hong, the series will focus on the life of a third-generation chaebol who becomes a detective.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: From Chaebol to Wrestler? Park Ji Hyun Responds to Rumors Being Ssireum Athlete

However, the challenging part here is: will he be able to accomplish his mission despite his immaturity?

Park Ji Hyun plays veteran detective Lee Kang Hyun. She is known to be the first female team leader at the South Korean Police's Homicide Department.

Meanwhile, joining her is "Yumi's Cells' ' co-star Ahn Bo Hyun, who will play the chaebol Jin Yi Soo, who becomes her partner.

Penned by "My Name" writer Kim Ba Da, the upcoming K-drama is slated to air on SBS but reportedly plans to release it internationally.

'Marry My Husband'

The queen of rom-com Park Min Young is making her K-drama comeback, but this time she will headline a romance fantasy series.

Titled "Marry My Husband," she will transform into Kang Ji Won, who returns to her past after being killed by her husband and her best friend.

10 years later, Kang Ji Won experienced a second chance at life when she met Yoo Ji Hyuk, played by Na In Woo.

"Marry My Husband" will open the year with an amazing story as Park Min Young's new drama will air on January 1 at 8:50 p.m. KST.

This will be her next series after "Love in Contract" and "Forecasting Love and Weather," which both aired in 2022.

'Sejak: Charmed Deceit'

Last on the list of new K-dramas airing in January 2023 is "Sejak: Charmed Deceit."

The historical romance series stars Shin Se Kyung as one of the lead stars and will team up with "Hospital Playlist" star Jo Jung Suk.

According to reports, tvN previously announced that the new K-drama is scheduled to air in January next year; however, the specific air date is yet to be confirmed.

Penned by Kim Sun Deok of "The Crowned Clown" and directed by Jo Nam Gook of the series "The Good Detective," Shin Se Kyung's new drama also features Lee Shin Young and Park Ye Young as lead stars.

READ MORE: Jo Jung Suk is Back! Actor's New Drama With Shin Se Kyung to Premiere in January 2024

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
Rowoon is indeed among the hottest stars of his generation. From one drama to another, he proves his appeal and skills as an actor.

At the moment, he stars in the romantic comedy drama "The Matchmakers" as a lawyer, who possesses rationality and unbelievably handsome visuals.

In real life, his beauty always stands out. When clad in great styling, he becomes the star of any show.

Here are 3 ways to dress like the Hallyu heartthrob!

Rowoon's Denim On Denim Look

Rowoon never fails to make every fan swoon over his charisma and undeniable appeal.

His boyfriend look on casual days which consists of denim clothing is also greatly loved by his fans. Besides its simplicity, it also enhances his visuals without going overboard.

READ MORE: Park So Dam Fashion: Dress Like 'Death's Game' Star With These 3 Styling Tips

In an event he recently attended, he was seen wearing Calvin Klein from head to toe. He partnered up his denim jacket with a pair of washed jeans, perfecting the boy-next-door look.

For his footwear, he donned a pair of white sneakers from the same luxury brand, completing the ensemble.

Check out this denim jacket and jeans for a cheaper price.

Rowoon's Gold, Gold, Gold

Another thing to mix and match to achieve a put-together look is to accessorize with bands and gold.

Rowoon loves wearing bespoke gold pieces on any occasion from his favorite luxury brands Tiffany & Co., Dior, Prada and more.

He would also spice up his look in black tie affairs with a trusted timepiece from high end brands Seiko, Cartier and Patek Philippe. Buy one here without breaking the bank.

Rowoon's Trusted Body Bag

Rowoon's favorite accessory is a sturdy body bag that isn't only cute but also functional.

In his personal Instagram page, the idol-actor expressed his love for the brand Rimowa, and boasted about his huge collection of bags from its catalog.

In his pictorial with Noblesse Men Korea, he brought his prized bags ranging from totes to small purses. In addition, he also likes the bags from the popular brands Prada, Fendi and more. Check out this bag for a cheap price by clicking here.

Which Rowoon must-have item would you cop? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below!





ALSO READ: Kang Han Na Fashion: 3 Styles To Cop From Hallyu Superstar





KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
In a recently published study, it was found that a set of 4 genes (JUN, CEBPB, PRKCB, ENO2, or CEBPG) was shown to predict the diagnosis of heroin addiction with an accuracy rate of around 85 percent. This is an amazing development and could open the door to knowing who is at high risk of opiate addiction before the prescription is written. If similar markers can be found for other drugs of abuse, it might be possible to dramatically improve our prescribing patterns and alleviate the suffering of those who are most at risk for this terrible condition.

However, it remains to be seen how studies like these will be utilized in the current war on drugs. Will this knowledge free the afflicted from the acrimonious condemnation our society metes out to those who suffer from or treat addiction? Or will it be used to discriminate against the carriers as soon as they exit the womb, for the greater good, of course? A little history can help us understand this danger.

At the beginning of the last century, there was an argument in the academic community between those who favored nurture (environment) as the determinant of human behavior, and those who favored nature (genetics). One of the major proponents of the former was B.F. Skinner, famous for being considered the father of Behaviorism. At its extreme, behaviorism holds that all human variation in behavior results from learned habits and reflexes impressed upon a blank slate. He once said, Give me any child at birth, and Ill shape him into anything. Many were swayed by his arguments and those of like-minded researchers.

The communists saw in behaviorism support for their contention that economic disparities led to divergent and unproductive human behaviors. They also believed that the right education and environment could create a new man, a perfect citizen, supporting the state and working for the welfare of all. They also believed that an errant citizen, a dissident, could sometimes be re-educated and brought back into the states good graces. They put these theories into action, and many great thinkers and scientists spent time in prison for daring to think in an unapproved manner. The Soviet citizen who put the first satellite into space and the first man into orbit, Sergei Korolev, spent time in prison for not denouncing a targeted colleague to the satisfaction of the apparatchiks.

At the same time, in Nazi Germany, the opposite contention, that genetics determined the limits of human behavior, had become dominant. The concept, developed into the science of eugenics at Cold Harbor in 1910, had made an impact on the young Adolf when he saw the effects of their implementation in the U.S. state of Virginia. In the 1920s, Virginia had implemented a sterilization law prohibiting the unfit from being able to reproduce. Upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, about 65,000 Americans were sterilized throughout the country. Eight thousand of those were from Virginia. These laws werent repealed until 1974, and the Supreme Court never truly corrected its original ruling.

Under the Nazi regime, genetics was everything. Taking Mendels and Darwins discoveries and applying them completely out of context, the Germans developed a strict hierarchy based on these principles. Coming from a noble family guaranteed you access to an education and the officers corps. Having the wrong genes meant you were considered Lebensunwertes Leben, or life unworthy of life. Being a descendant of Jews, Romani, Poles, etc., was enough to sign your death warrant. The regime believed that the DNA of these people made it impossible for them to contribute meaningfully to society, and made them too dangerous to the social order, with no useful purpose, except as slave labor.

In an interesting parallel, when Werner von Braun, Germanys greatest rocket scientist, complained about the slave labor conditions he saw, he was also put in prison. Proving that extreme positions of dialectically opposed ideologies, taken to the extremes, wrap around and become almost indistinguishable in their tyranny.

Now, in our more enlightened age, we acknowledge that genes create raw materials and generate broad parameters to the limits of development. While understanding that epigenetics and environment shape the clay, so to speak. Or at least some of us do. There are still many adherents in the U.S. today to the arguments of these older systems. The U.S. has by far the largest and most efficient conviction and imprisonment system on earth. These internment and reeducation centers separate families and destroy lives as effectively as the Soviet gulag system, including those suffering from clearly medical issues, like mental illness and addiction. Pregnant or post-partum minority mothers are often targeted for testing and imprisoned if drugs are found.

But what about genetics? Will these tests be used to target citizens by a precrime bureau? U.S. laws do not protect the genetic privacy of its citizens. And while we may believe that HIPAA or the Fourth Amendment protects medical information, it absolutely does not. In fact, HIPAAs law enforcement exception makes all of our medical records available to the authorities. In the pre-HIPAA days, records were on paper and locked in an office. The police had to get a specific warrant to access them. Not long ago, the DEA was found to be trolling through thousands of cloud-based medical records, fishing for targets. How many patients will be willing to tell their physician about their drug problem when they know that federal agents will be reading through their charts? Worse yet, the government has developed algorithms and AI-based platforms to analyze medical and prescription records to find patients and physicians to target and prosecute.

As genetic databases become more common, how long before an authoritarian regime, ours, or someone elses, starts scanning them for preemptive strikes against those deemed a threat to society? America needs a law protecting the independence of physicians, the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship, and the absolute privacy of medical records, before these questions are answered in a manner we will not like.

L. Joseph Parker is a distinguished professional with a diverse and accomplished career spanning the fields of science, military service, and medical practice. He currently serves as the chief science officer and operations officer, Advanced Research Concepts LLC, a pioneering company dedicated to propelling humanity into the realms of space exploration. At Advanced Research Concepts LLC, Dr. Parker leads a team of experts committed to developing innovative solutions for the complex challenges of space travel, including space transportation, energy storage, radiation shielding, artificial gravity, and space-related medical issues.

He can be reached on LinkedIn and YouTube.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 26. Israel has received a list of names of people kidnapped by Hamas, who will be released as part of the third phase of the agreement on humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Trend reports.

According to the information, the list was received by the Israeli authorities from Qatar, which is mediating the negotiations with Hamas.

It is expected that the third group of hostages will be released today.

A combined attack was carried out on Israel on October 7. From the beginning, a massive rocket attack began from the territory of the Gaza Strip, followed by the penetration of militants by land, water, and air.

Israel declared a state of war after a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a mass gathering of reservists.

Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
By Deogratius Wamala

Uganda is faced with a difficult task of meeting ambitious revenue targets while juggling the complex al- lure of tax incentives it uses to attract investments to drive its economic growth and employment of its young population.

In order to attract significant foreign direct investment,the country introduced 10-year tax exemptions for businesses located in industrial parks. However, economists are concerned that these incentives may have the opposite effect of what the country intended, as they uplift firms more than the country itself. Ugandas economic narrative has been marked by persistent budgetary deficits, affecting essential public services, public servant salaries, and the stability of the national currency.



The urgency to break free from this cycle has forced the country to turn its attention towards its taxman, with high revenue targets. The broader objective is to reduce the nations dependence on debt, a phenomenon that has increasingly strained the countrys economic resilience.

For instance,in the 2022/2023 financial year (FY), the governments fiscal opera- tions resulted in a deficit of Shs10.1t or 5.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). While this surpassed initial projections, it is a marked improvement from 7.4 percent recorded in FY2021/2022, underscoring the governments stead- fast commitment to fiscal consolidation.

This deficit was strategically financed through a mix of domestic and external borrowing. As a result, the public debt stock rose from $20.99b (Shs79.2t) in June 2022 to $23.66b (Shs89.3t) by June 2023, national treasury data shows.

The main concern is that some of Ugandas largest companies are allegedly abusing tax breaks, particularly tax holidays and accelerated depreciation tax incentives for firms operating more than 50km from Kampala. Some of these entities are suspected of leveraging tax havens where they are domiciled and also exploiting available tax incentives to manipulate their operations positively. More details in todays copy of the Sunday Monitor.
By Shabibah Nakirigya

Muslims at the Gaddafi National Mosque in Old Kampala held their Jumah (Friday prayers) amid heightened se- curity due to reports of a planned protest by a section of the Muslim community. The protest is against the al- leged sale of Muslim properties.

Similar incidents played out at several mosques affiliated with the faction of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Coun-

cil (UMSC). In the early hours of Friday morning, the police and other security forces,including the military, deployed in and around the Gaddafi Mosque, which also serves as the headquarters for the UMSC leadership.

Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, the Mufti of Uganda, and the leadership of the UMSC are jointly accused of mortgaging several Muslim community properties. These properties are set to be auctioned following a

High Court order.

By 12pm on Friday, Muslims had started gathering at Old Kampala to attend prayers. Thorough search- es were conducted on all individuals accessing the mosque premises. The heightened security measures also af- fected businesses around the mosque, as people were tense in anticipation of potential unrest.

The Jumah prayers commenced promptly at 1pm in the presence of Sheikh Mubajje and other top UMSC leaders. The prayers proceeded with- out interruption to the end. Unrest Immediately after the prayers, a scuffle ensued when former Nsangi Municipality Mayor Hajji Abdul Kiyimba, a top leader in the community, stood up and started shouting Al-lahu Akbar (God is the greatest) moving toward Sheikh Mubajje. Security personnel restrained him before he reached his target and whisked him away,along with another unidentified man, to Kampala Central Police Station where they remained detained by press time.

Addressing the media after the scuffle, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyan- go, said the police had beefed up security at the mosque following intelligence reports of an imminent raid by the faction opposed to Mubajje and his leadership.

Some of them were calling for the resignation of the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Mubajje, and when we got the information, we immediately planned and set out strategies on how to keep the city safe and peaceful, he said,
Yulefest Kilkenny is open and the countdown to Christmas is well underway as Kilkenny hurling legend Jackie Tyrrell and his two sons, Harry and Freddie switched on the Christmas lights with the help of Friday nights Late Late Toy Show star Stevie Mulrooney.

They lit up the streets of the marble city as they unveiled new Christmas lighting alongside Santa and Mrs Claus to officially launch Christmas in the city.

Kicking off the annual tradition, Santa arrived by boat to Canal Square, before travelling around the city and finishing on The Parade to switch on the Christmas lights. Led by volunteers from Cycle Kilkenny, local children and their families cycled into town and met Santa Claus at Canal Square before following Santa, in the Kilkenny City Train, around the city on their bikes.

The event also marked the beginning of the Yulefest Christmas markets. The markets include local food and craft sellers such as Wired Irish Crafts, Biddys Good Luck Horse Shoes, The Phat Cow and Cakeface.

Festival Director Marian Flannery said This is Kilkenny County Councils eighth year of Yulefest and we have so much happening in Kilkenny in the run up to Christmas.

We will have the Medieval Mile Run on December 1, the Santa Truck in aid of LauraLynn Childrens Hospice will arrive in the City on the December 9 and well also have our Yulefest outdoor movie night on December 14. So theres plenty of events for all the family to enjoy and get involved in.

This year's festival is jam-packed and each weekend, the Yulefest Bandstand will showcase live music performances covering a range of genres and ages. From local community groups, to rising talent and well-established local performers, free to the public performances take place at 12noon, 2pm and 4pm every Saturday and Sunday until December 23.

Bands featuring on the Yulefest Bandstand include: The New Brass Kings, Code of Behaviour, Burnchurch, The Pinsetters, Harmania choir amo and many more. The Yulefest Bandstand is located on The Parade in Kilkenny city, alongside the Yulefest Christmas Market. A great free day out for all the family.

Visitors to Yulefest will also have the opportunity to take part in a musical workshop with acclaimed drummer Jeremy Hickey of R.S.A.G. This Rhythm Makers event will give participants an opportunity to enjoy a fun, relaxing and creatively stimulating drumming workshop. Taking place every Saturday from December 2 to 23, on the Parade in Kilkenny city, these workshops will be broken into threeage categories allowing all ages to find their space. 12noon is for 5-7 year olds, 1pm caters for 8-12 year olds and 2pm is for adults.

Santa will also be making appearances and hosting festive activities throughout the county during the month of December.

For further information on Yulefest, see https://yulefestkilkenny.ie/
The sixth year students of Grennan College, Thomastown, organised a fundraising event for Breast Cancer Ireland as part of their LCVP class.

Last month, the students planned a bake sale, a Wear Pink Day and fun run for their school. Students worked together with teachers and the charity to create a special event to raise awareness.



Sweet treats were sold in the schools canteen during breaktime. Also, during breaktime both teachers and students were treated to Principal O Sullivan, getting his hair and beard dyed a spectacular and vibrant pink.

Two sixth year students, Ella and Conall graciously volunteered to get their locks dyed too. Students who witnessed the event described it as a hilarious thing for someone to do. Pins and information cards were available as well. An online donation link was set up for parents and people in the local community to donate.



Due to their fundraising efforts, 2,684 was raised for Breast Cancer Ireland. The 6B LCVP class are proud to have raised the funds and spread awareness about the disease. It is the biggest fundraising event held by the students at the school in recent years.

Lorna Kelty, education and awareness coordinator from Breast Cancer Ireland, came to the school to talk to the sixth years about breast cancer and thank them for their hard work. The students were delighted to present her with a cheque. Well done to Mr OSullivan, Ms Murphy and 6B LCVP students.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 26. Italy will open a field hospital in Gaza Strip, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said, Trend reports.

The minister said that the General Staff is already preparing the appropriate infrastructure for the hospital, which will be located in the south of the Palestinian enclave.

Crosetto stressed that Italy was among the first countries to begin providing assistance to Gaza, thereby emphasizing the preservation of balance in relations with both sides of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

A combined attack was carried out on Israel on October 7. From the beginning, a massive rocket attack began from the territory of the Gaza Strip, followed by the penetration of militants by land, water, and air.

Israel declared a state of war after a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a mass gathering of reservists.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Generally cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 38F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 19F. Winds light and variable.
Transplant recipient returns to surprise team at St. Louis Childrens Hospital in time for the holiday
Rival parties split over motion urging China to stop repatriating NK defectors

Editors note This is a follow-up to the story, N. Korean defector keeps fingers crossed for daughter detained in China, published on Sept. 8 by The Korea Times.

By Kang Hyun-kyung

A North Korean defector, who asked to be identified only by her surname Kim, has panicked as the worst-case scenario about her daughter, appears to have become a reality.

She recently lost contact with her daughter, who had been detained in China since 2021.

Kim took this as a sign that her daughter was sent back to North Korea along with hundreds of other North Korean detainees.

I was told that my daughter was no longer there, Kim told The Korea Times on Thursday over the phone.

The sobbing mom said her heart sank.

The other day, she said she spoke with a Korean Chinese woman whom she called auntie over the phone to ask about her daughter, only to hear that her daughter was no longer at the detention center located in northeastern China.

Her daughter had been working as a waitress at a restaurant owned by the woman when she was arrested by Chinese security forces during a crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Auntie told me that she went to the detention center to see my daughter as she did regularly. This time, she heard from the corrections officer that my daughter was no longer there, Kim said. I think she was repatriated back to North Korea. Its really difficult to accept it, but that seems to be true.

Kim said she had the phone conversation with the woman in October, shortly after the news reports that China secretly sent 500 to 600 North Korean escapees back to the North shortly after the end of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.

The Ministry of Unification confirmed the reports were based on facts.

Kim was devastated.

Then she broke her silence after a brief pause, speaking about how the developments about her daughter tormented her.

This too shall pass, she said.

Her voice tapered off, as if she were overwhelmed by pain arising from the realization that her daughters life was on the line.

I will live a life no matter what because I am still alive, she said. I pinned my hopes on my daughter, but a miracle didnt happen, and my poor daughter was sent back to the horrible country.

This too shall pass

Oh Chang-hwa, a human rights activist who has helped Kim and other North Korean defectors, said he double-checked Kims daughters whereabouts in a separate phone call with an unnamed broker who had contacted Kims family living in the North.

I was told that Ms. Kims brother was coerced by North Koreas security forces to cooperate with them as they worked on a background check. They asked if the young woman they held was his niece. He said yes because he knew they knew everything about her after interrogating her, Oh told The Korea Times. I guess she was tortured.

Oh said the past several weeks have been particularly tough for Kim and other North Korean defectors because of the news about Chinas forced repatriation of hundreds of North Korean detainees.

He said they were devastated again at the news that the National Assembly failed to adopt a resolution urging China to stop repatriating North Korean defectors.

He lashed out at the lawmakers for their inhumane nature.

What kind of politicians are they? he asked. They didnt to live up to their commitment to serve the best interest of their nationals, because of China? Does that make sense?

Outrage

The two main parties were divided over the motion. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) opposed the parliamentary resolution initiated by lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP).

If passed, the DPK claimed the motion would further deteriorate South Koreas relations with China.

The subcommittee consists of eight lawmakers, five from the DPK and three from the PPP.

The ruling party lawmakers slammed their DPK counterparts for their double standard on human rights.

In the National Assembly interpellation session, the DPK members denounced Cabinet ministers for the failure to stop China from sending North Korean detainees back to the North. But when they sat down at the subcommittee to deliberate the motion, they did the opposite and refused to cooperate with us in passing it, Rep. Ha Tae-kyung said.

Rep. Kim Kyung-hyup of the DPK tried to justify his disapproval of the motion, saying in a media interview, I wonder if the U.N. has accurate information about North Koreans detained in China. And I think we need to learn more about Chinas internal process to identify how many asylum-seekers were there among illegal immigrants.

He claimed that not all North Korean escapees in China are defectors.

I understand that some North Koreans crossed the border for food or to avoid political persecution. But not all of them are defectors; as I understand there are some who come to China illegally to make money. We need to clarify who are economic migrants and who are defectors, he said.

Lee Yong-hee, a human rights activist and professor of economics at Gachon University in Seoul, voiced worries about the consequences of the unsuccessful parliamentary motion.

He said many North Korean defectors are increasingly feeling insecure about their life in South Korea because of people who sympathize with North Korea.

During the previous Moon Jae-in government, they witnessed South Korean government repatriated North Korean escapees back to the North against their will. Some politicians bullied the defectors, calling them traitors. Im concerned that the unsuccessful parliamentary motion would pave the way for their distrust of this society, he said.
BAKU, Azerbajan, November 26. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel in the next few days, Israeli newspaper "The Jerusalem Post" said, Trend reports.

This will be the fourth visit of Blinken to Israel since the Hamas attack on October 7.

The visit of the U.S. Secretary of State will take place next week.

A combined attack was carried out on Israel on October 7. From the beginning, a massive rocket attack began from the territory of the Gaza Strip, followed by the penetration of militants by land, water, and air.

Israel declared a state of war after a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a mass gathering of reservists.

Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
New Delhi, Nov 26 (PTI) A court here has rejected the application of Delhi Police to withdraw three complaints clubbed in a case related 2020 North East Delhi riots.

Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala, who was hearing a case regarding the 2020 communal riots against 11 accused registered by the Dayalpur police station, said when the case is "based on charge sheets", any plea taking a contrary stand to the final report is not maintainable.

Also Read | Iran Hangs 17-Year-Old for Murder, Sparks Uproar Among Human Rights Groups.

In an order passed on Saturday, the judge noted the submissions of the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) on the application moved by the Investigating Officer (IO) to withdraw three complaints clubbed in the case.

Also Read | Lightening Strike in Gujarat: Eight Killed As Lightning Strikes, Crops Damaged As Unseasonal Rains Hit Several Areas of State.

The court posed a query to the SPP regarding the maintainability of the application, to which he said an order could be passed in accordance with the law.

In my opinion, when the prosecution is based upon the charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet, any application taking a stand contrary to the stand taken by prosecution in the charge sheets cannot be maintainable, the court said.

Such application can be maintained only on the basis of the final stand taken by prosecution in the formal document i.e., the final report of investigation, known as charge sheet. Hence, this application is to be rejected, the court added.

During the proceedings, the court summoned the two IOs in the case, underlining that the Delhi police commissioner had already issued instructions to the investigation officers to be present in the court during the hearing on the point of charge in the Delhi riots cases.

The court posted the matter for December 14.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar, Nov 26 (PTI) The security forces on Sunday arrested a terrorist associate of Ansar Guzwat-ul-Hind (AGH) organisation in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said.

Arms and ammunition were also recovered from his possession, they said.

Also Read | Delhi Air Pollution: Air Quality Continues To Be in 'Very Poor' Category in National Capital (Watch Video).

At a checkpoint in the south Kashmir district, security forces intercepted a suspected person coming from Kundalan towards Shopian, a police spokesman said.

He was identified as Farman Khursheed Wani, a resident of Gagren in Shopian.

Also Read | Iran Hangs 17-Year-Old for Murder, Sparks Uproar Among Human Rights Groups.

During search, incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including a pistol, two pistol magazines, 10 rounds of 9mm caliber and a mobile phone were seized from his possession, the spokesman said.

During preliminary questioning, the arrested terrorist associate disclosed that he was working as a terrorist associate of banned organisation AGH and was supposed to carry out attacks on security forces in the district, the spokesman added.

A case has been registered in this regard and an investigation has been initiated, he added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Nov 26 (PTI) An Air India aircraft that was to fly to Delhi returned to Kathmandu airport on Saturday evening after pilots heard a noise while taking off, according to an airline official.

Also, prior to taking off, it was noticed after boarding passengers that a door in the aircraft was unserviceable. The plane was cleared for take-off after following necessary airworthiness protocols.

Also Read | Delhi Air Pollution: Air Quality Continues To Be in 'Very Poor' Category in National Capital (Watch Video).

An airline spokesperson on Sunday said the two issues were not related and at no point was safety compromised.

While a tail strike was suspected as the plane returned, it was later confirmed that there was no tail strike, the spokesperson said.

Also Read | Iran Hangs 17-Year-Old for Murder, Sparks Uproar Among Human Rights Groups.

The official said the pilots had decided to return as they heard a noise during take-off and had suspected a possible tail strike.

Further, the official said that after checks, the A321 aircraft operated the flight to Delhi on Sunday morning.

"AI 216 from Kathmandu to Delhi on Nov 26 experienced an unserviceable door after boarding was completed. All necessary airworthiness protocols were carried out and the aircraft was cleared for take-off," the spokesperson said.

While taking off, the spokesperson said the pilots suspected a tail strike and as a measure of precaution, decided to turn back in accordance with safety protocols.

"It was later confirmed that there was no tail strike," the spokesperson said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Puri, Nov 26 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the country could not give a befitting reply to the 26/11 Mumbai attackers.

Sarma made the remark after paying darshan at the Shree Jagannath Temple here.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: Tiger From Rajasthan Enters Kuno National Park; No Threat to Cheetahs, Says Official.

"It is a very sad day for all of us. Had Modi been the PM then instead of Manmohan Singh, things would have been totally different," Sharma told reporters.

On November 26, 2008, ten Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan arrived by sea route and in an indiscriminate fire killed 166 people, 18 of them security personnel, and injured several others during a 60-hour siege in Mumbai.

Also Read | Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Vertical Drilling of 19.2 Metres Done on First Day To Rescue Trapped Workers From Silkyara Tunnel (Watch Video).

The Assam CM said Modi would have given a befitting reply to the attackers. "It is really sad that we could not give a proper reply," he said.

Sarma, who was welcomed by the temple administration at the Lion's Gate of the 12th century shrine, said, "It is considered most pious to have darshan of the trinity during the last five days of Kartik month."

The Assam CM was accompanied by Puri MLA Jatany Sarangi and BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra.

Sarma also proposed that his government will set up a yatri niwas in the temple town to facilitate stay of the devotees visiting Jagannath temple from the north-eastern state.

"I will write to the Odisha government to provide necessary assistance to construct a yatri niwas in Puri for the devotees coming from Assam to have darshan of Lord Jagannath," he said.

Sarma recalled he had earlier visited the temple alone. This time, he came with his family to seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath, he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 26. On November 26, US President Joe Biden will have a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Assistant to the US President for National Security Jake Sullivan said, Trend reports.

He [Biden] is scheduled to have a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he said.

Sullivan noted that Biden will continue to "work in a diplomatic manner."

A combined attack was carried out on Israel on October 7. From the beginning, a massive rocket attack began from the territory of the Gaza Strip, followed by the penetration of militants by land, water, and air.

Israel declared a state of war after a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a mass gathering of reservists.
Hyderabad, Nov 26 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday requested the Chief Election Commissioner to impose restrictions on BRS, not to mention the disbursement of Rythu Bandhu amount in their poll campaign.

The EC on November 24 gave a green signal to the state government to disburse the amount under Rythu Bandhu scheme, an investment support to farmers, before November 28.

Also Read | 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack: 15 Years After Terror Attack, Multi-Layered Protective 'Kawach' Secures Mumbai.

In a letter addressed to CEC Rajiv Kumar, Congress alleged that BRS leaders are making the EC's nod as a "tool to influence" voters as if they are giving it out of their own pockets.

BRS leaders are blaming Congress for claiming that it obstructed the disbursement, which is not correct.

Also Read | Mumbai: BMC To Take Action Against Shops, Hotels Failing To Put Up Signboards With Names in Devanagari Script.

After the EC gave clearance, a press release from the state government said that as there are bank holidays on November 25, 26 and 27 and also the Election Commission directing that the distribution of money under Rythu Bandhu is not allowed on November 29 and 30, the funds would be deposited in the farmers' bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer method.

The State Agriculture Department said that 70 lakh farmers will benefit through Rythu Bandhu in this Yasangi (rabi) season.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Nov 26 (PTI) Alleging non-payment of dues since February this year, a section of contractors working for the Delhi Jal Board has said they will stop ongoing projects from November 27.

DJB Vice Chairman Somnath Bharti claimed despite repeated directions from the finance minister, the finance fepartment has not released funds for the last three months and he will reach out to the Lieutenant Governor seeking his intervention.

Also Read | Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse: Indian Army's Engineer Regiment Called In for Manual Drilling at Uttarkashi's Silkayara Tunnel (Watch Video).

The Delhi Jal Board Contractors Welfare Association has written to the Additional Chief Engineer mentioning that the workers will stop all the ongoing works due to nonpayment of dues.

After detailed deliberations and finding no option, it was unanimously decided that all the ongoing works related to water leakages, water contamination, maintenance of water supply, settled sewerage system, maintenance of sewerage system, operation of tube wells and pumping stations, providing sewer beldars/engagement labours and de-silting work will be stopped from November 27, the letter read.

Also Read | Government Renames Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres As Ayushman Arogya Mandir.

The decision was taken after a meeting was held by the association on November 23 over the non-payment of dues pending since February 2023.

It is regretted that payments due since long (February 2023) are not released till date after so many requests. In view of the same, an executive committee meeting was held with all the contractors on November 23 to discuss the present situation of financial hardships being faced by all the working contractors of the department, the letter to DJB Additional Chief Engineer said.

It said that the work once stopped will be taken up only on receipt of due payments by all concerned contractors.

DJB Vice Chairman Somnath Bharti said that the Delhi Government has been doing everything possible to ensure the release of funds for DJB for the last 3 months.

The Water Minister has repeatedly directed the Finance Department regarding the same and even wrote to the LG to ensure this.

"Despite repeated directions from the finance minister, the finance department has not released funds for the last 3 months. They keep on raising different queries and objections to delay the release of funds, Bharti said.

He said that they would reach out to the LG once again to request his intervention for the release of funds to DJB.

Earlier, Delhi Water Minister Atishi had claimed the city was staring at a "man-made water crisis" due to the stoppage of funds to the Delhi Jal Board by the finance department and demanded Lt Governor V K Saxena's immediate intervention in the matter.

According to government sources, the minister in her letter to the L-G alleged that Finance Secretary Ashish C Verma, on the chief secretary's advice, has stopped all funds of the DJB since August.

She demanded that appropriate action be taken against Verma.

Sources in the planning department said that Rs 1,598 crore was released to the DJB in June.

More funds will be released "based on evidence of the progress of works and geotagging for ensuring that public funds are not being misappropriated", a source said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], November 26 (ANI): A fire broke out in the Bohri Kadal area of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, officials said.

"The fire broke out in a building. 18 fire tenders are present at the spot. 78 per cent of the fire has been controlled and will be completely controlled in the next 1-1.5 hours. The firefighter suffered minor injuries," the fire officer said.

Also Read | Iran Hangs 17-Year-Old for Murder, Sparks Uproar Among Human Rights Groups.

Meanwhile, no casualties have been reported so far.

The cause of the fire is not known yet.

Also Read | Lightening Strike in Gujarat: Eight Killed As Lightning Strikes, Crops Damaged As Unseasonal Rains Hit Several Areas of State.

More details are awaited.

Further investigation is underway. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jammu, Nov 26 (PTI) Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari on Sunday said the people of Jammu are "deeply" disappointed with the BJP and the Lt Governor-led administration post the abrogation of Article 370.

The former minister also expressed concern over the emerging security situation in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch owing to increased terrorist activities.

Also Read | Delhi Air Pollution: Air Quality Continues To Be in 'Very Poor' Category in National Capital (Watch Video).

"Jammu is deeply disappointed with the present dispensation and the BJP in particular as they have failed to deliver what was promised after the abrogation of Article 370," Bukhari said, addressing a one-day party convention at Ratnu Chak here.

He said the BJP had described Article 370 as a stumbling block in the development of Jammu and Kashmir and assured the people that its abrogation would pave the way for massive investment for wider industrial growth and employment generation.

Also Read | Iran Hangs 17-Year-Old for Murder, Sparks Uproar Among Human Rights Groups.

"Nothing like this has happened till date," he said, citing the alleged underdevelopment and disappointment among the people especially because outsiders have "grabbed" the resources and trades in Jammu.

He said the local population feels cheated because the liquor and contractor mafia from outside are actively working with the support of government officials.

"These officials have also been imported to Jammu and Kashmir even as they do not know the ground reality, and these officers have no connect with the population and have become infamous for their actions that are completely anti-people," he said, referring to the anti-encroachment drives, alleged rise in the number of liquor shops and exploitation of natural resources.

He said Jammu and Kashmir never witnessed such a situation in the past where the local population was completely sidelined and outsiders were encouraged in government as well as the private sector.

"There is no accountability for government officials. This is happening because there is no elected government and the assembly elections are not being declared in J&K," he said.

The Apni party leader reiterated the demand for immediate restoration of the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and the declaration of assembly elections to provide an opportunity for the people to elect their own government.

He appreciated the local population living along the International Border and Line of Control for "bravely" facing the enemies and helping the defence forces in protecting the nation's internal security.

As a mark of respect, Bukhari offered heartfelt tributes to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks during the convention.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Dharwad (Karnataka) [India], November 26 (ANI): In a special drive to crime in Hubbali City in Karnataka, Karnataka Police nabbed Satish Gona, a history sheeter, who had been absconding for the last two years, according to the police.

The arrest was made after police fired three rounds on absconding rowdy sheeter Satish Gona and during panchnama, when he tried to escape Hubli Town police and assaulted PSI Vinod with stones at Mantoor Road, Hubli.

Also Read | 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack: India Can Never Forget 26/11 Terror Attack, Says PM Narendra Modi in 107th 'Mann Ki Baat'.

"We have been doing a special drive against rowdy elements for the last 15 days. in this drive, we got information about Satish Gona's movements. On this information, the town police went to execute a warrant, and at this time, he started to resist. At this time, police seized one talwar and somehow they brought him to the police station. Later, the police inspector and two Passi of Town police stations went to do spot panchnama. There, the history-sheeter assaulted PSI Vinod's head with a stone and started to escape. At this moment, the police inspector fired two rounds into the air but he didn't stop, so he fired at his leg. Both PSI and rowdy sheeter Satish Gona have been injured," said Renuka Sukumar Police Commissioner Hubli Dharwad.

"A total of three rounds were fired--two in the air and one on his leg. Police had issued a warrant against him; he had been absconding for the last two years," added Renuka Sukumar.

Also Read | Jaipur Shocker: Woman, Associates Kill 'Tinder Date', Chop Body Into Pieces; Sent to Life Imprisonment.

Police also seized one talwar (sword) from Satish's possession.

Town Inspector Rafiq Tehsildar warned the sheeter to stop by firing two rounds in the air but he didn't stop, and one bullet was fired to his left leg.

Later, injured PSI and history-sheeter Satish were shifted to KIMS for treatment.

Renuka Sukumar Police Commissioner Hubli Dharwad visited KIMS Hospital.

"Satish Gona has already had five cases registered against him in various police stations. One attempt to murder and two cases of setting fire to houses are there and a warrant is issued against him as he was absconding," said Renuka Sukumar Police Commissioner Hubli Dharwad.

"We are working with zero tolerance against rowdy elements. We will continue to have zero tolerance for rowdy elements," said the Police.

More information is awaited. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
St. Mary's Syriac Orthodox Church Celebrates 100-Year Anniversary

St. Mary's Syriac Orthodox Church -- located at 1 Industrial Drive in Shrewsbury -- is celebrating 100 years of "unwavering faith and cultural preservation."

According to a press release, the church celebrated its centennial anniversary in early October; the event was "a momentous occasion for the entire community."

As one of the oldest Syriac Orthodox churches in the United States, St. Mary's traces its roots to 1895 when the first members of the community settled in Worcester County.

"Despite immense challenges, including war and genocide, [the group] steadfastly preserved their faith, gathering in homes to pray in Syriac Aramaic," the press release states.

In 1923, the group built the first St. Mary's Church on Hawley Street in Worcester, which was "funded by humble donations of pennies, nickels and dollars," the press release states.

St. Mary's Syriac broke ground on the new church in Shrewsbury in 2013.

The centennial celebration featured presentations on the church's history, a black-tie gala reception and an appearance by Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II, the church's patriarch who traveled from the Middle East for the celebration.

"The feelings among parishioners during the 100-year occasion were a beautiful blend of reverence, gratitude, and jubilation. It was a momentous celebration of our church's rich history and the enduring faith of the community," said George Hanna.
Bob Chikos has been a special education teacher at Crystal Lake Central High School for 16 years. He mostly teaches students who have learning disabilities, he said, and also co-teaches some English and math classes in which students who have special needs are integrated with students who dont.

Chikos said its great that the education system is getting better at identifying children who have special needs and getting them the help they need, but his concern is that there arent many people who can provide that help.

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I have a few people in my family who have special needs, and the help theyve gotten has been essential in them becoming productive citizens, Chikos said. My concern is they would not have access to that, the same that my family members have had to become productive citizens.

Labor shortages are not unique to the educator workforce, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, but Chikos said the shortages arent as black-and-white as some people may think.

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A lot of times, we hear headlines saying theres a teacher shortage and it makes it sound like it affects all places equally, and it really doesnt, Chikos said. It affects certain disciplines more than others. The vast majority of vacancies are in special education and for bilingual teachers. Its also more prevalent in rural areas, more disadvantaged areas throughout the state.

This was among the findings in The State of Our Educator Pipeline 2023: Strengths, Opportunities and the Early Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, a report released in October by education watchdog group Advance Illinois.

Besides rural areas, teacher vacancies disproportionately affect schools serving Black and Latinx students as well as students from low-income households, according to the report.

Kimako Patterson, chief of staff for the Illinois State Board of Education, said at an Advance Illinois event about the report that teacher shortages are an equity issue. There are about 3,550 teacher vacancies across the state, Patterson said. Of 852 school districts, 79% reportedly have at least one vacancy, and 60% of minority students are in the schools with those vacancies, she said.

Every student in this state deserves an excellent education regardless of where they live, and thats just not occurring to date, Patterson said. Our imperative is to ensure that whether youre in south Cook, west Cook, central Illinois, Chicago, wherever you are in this state, we need to be able to provide the absolute best education and resources for every single student.

As one of the advisers for the report, Chikos said he doesnt see a shortage of educators in his own district, Community High School District 155 in McHenry County. In fact, he said that when teachers come to work at his district, it can put a burden on the districts they are leaving.

Bob Chikos helps Roger Morales Rodriquez with a math problem during algebra class at Crystal Lake Central High School on Oct. 19, 2023. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

He said his district pays significantly better than a lot of the districts around us, but even then administrators tell him theyre getting fewer applicants.

District 155 is considered a destination district, where an educator wants to end up during their career, he said.

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According to the report, Illinois had seen an increase in the number of teachers, assistant principals and paraprofessionals working in public pre-K-12 schools in all types of districts from the 2017-18 school year to 2021-22. Student-to-teacher ratios have gotten better, creating smaller class sizes that benefit students, especially in earlier years, the report said.

Paraprofessionals provide support for teachers and students while working under a licensed teacher, such as helping manage a classroom. Chikos said he advocates for paraprofessionals to become teachers, but he knows there are barriers, such as unpaid student teaching requirements.

Paraprofessionals who are already getting paid very little but want to become teachers know they might not get a paycheck for a semester or so while student teaching, and that keeps them off, especially if they have a family to take care of, Chikos said.

Bob Chikos helps Janice Johnson during algebra class at Crystal Lake Central High School on Oct. 19, 2023. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Enrollment in teacher preparation programs has increased in Illinois, with a slightly larger percentage of candidates also enrolling in special education programs, according to the report. In these early stages of the educator workforce pipeline, the report said diversity is increasing as well. Those enrolled in teacher preparation programs and even newly hired teachers are much more diverse, which makes for a promising future, the report said.

Latino representation has grown in Illinois at every stage of the pipeline, from student teaching and preparation programs to newly hired teachers and those with years of experience, but getting Black teachers has been more difficult, the report said.

The teacher shortage is like a food shortage, Chikos said. Some people can afford whatever organic, free-range, grass-fed food they want. Most of us get what we need, but comparison shop. And some are chronically hungry. Likewise, some districts can select from hundreds of applicants for every position, most get enough to staff most positions, and some cannot find or retain personnel on an annual basis.

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sahmad@chicagotribune.com
As of 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 26, 48 road accidents were reported in Odesa region due to the bad weather. Fortunately, no one was killed or hospitalized. Most of the accidents occurred in the Bilyayivka and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi directions involving trucks and buses.

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This was reported by the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa region. Due to the blizzard and snowfall, traffic on the international highway M-15 Odesa-Reni is completely banned, and the movement of heavy vehicles on the national highway M-05 Kyiv-Odesa is restricted.

"As of 11 a.m., the police received 48 reports of road accidents," the National Police said in a statement.

A Sofia - Izmail bus slid into a ditch near the village of Orlivka in the Reni community. 19 passengers and two drivers were not injured. Police officers took them in their vehicles to a local school, where they are being provided with shelter and assistance, police said.

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The Bucharest-Odesa bus got stuck on the side of the road near the village of Novosilske. It was carrying 42 passengers, including five children, and two drivers. Police officers and the State Emergency Service evacuated them to a local school.

The police added that weather conditions in Odesa region are deteriorating. Due to snow, sleet, ice, poor visibility, and strong wind gusts, traffic is hampered.

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Law enforcement officers are working in all difficult areas and providing assistance, the police assured.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- On Sunday, the Odesa region was hit by bad weather. More than 130 settlements were left without electricity, and in Odesa, the wind felled trees.

- Forecasters warned that the cyclone would bring snowfall to Ukraine over the weekend. Wind, rain, and sleet were expected in a number of regions.

- A real winter has come to the Ukrainian Carpathians. On Mount Pip Ivan Chornohorsky, it got colder in the morning to -16, with a north wind blowing. Photos of winter on Mount Pikuy were posted online.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
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Kolkata, Nov 26 (PTI) One person was killed and two others were injured after a luxury car hit their motorcycle near Fort William in the heart of Kolkata on Sunday morning, police said.

The accident happened near the South Gate of Fort William in the Maidan police station area when the three people were returning home on the motorcycle without helmets after morning workout near Red Road, they said.

Also Read | Mumbai: BMC To Take Action Against Shops, Hotels Failing To Put Up Signboards With Names in Devanagari Script.

"The motorcycle was going towards Kidderpore when the speeding car hit it. The trio fell down and the car fled the spot," a senior police officer said.

The identities of the victims are yet to be ascertained, he said.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Dalit Teen Thrashed, Forced To Drink Urine in Jaunpur District.

The car was stopped near Kyd Street and the driver was detained, the officer said.

"The CCTV footage of the area is being checked for a better idea of the accident. An investigation is underway," he added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], November 26 (ANI): Addressing the nation in the latest edition of his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, while congratulating countrymen on the occasion of Constitution Day, said it was unfortunate that the first amendment of the Constitution 'pertained to curtailing' the freedom of speech and expression.

"In keeping with the changing times, circumstances and requirements of the country, previous governments (at the Centre) carried out amendments (to the Constitution) at different times. However, it is our misfortune that the first amendment of the Constitution pertained to curtailing the freedom of speech and expression," PM Modi said during the 107th edition of his monthly radio address on Sunday.

Also Read | Constitution Day 2023: Unfortunate That First Amendment Was Made To Curtail Freedom of Speech, Says PM Narendra Modi While Greeting Nation on Samvidhan Divas.

"However, through the 44th amendment, the wrongs committed during the Emergency (during the Prime Ministership of Indira Gandhi) were duly rectified," PM Modi noted during his address.

The first amendment was passed in 1951 by the Provisional Parliament, members of which had just finished drafting the Constitution as part of the mandate of the Constituent Assembly.

Also Read | Delhi Fire: Massive Fire Breaks Out at Shoe Manufacturing Factory in Mangolpuri Area.

As part of the first amendment, changes were made to articles 15, 19, 85, 87, 174, 176, 341, 342, 372 and 376 of the Constitution.

It incorporated the Ninth Schedule to protect land reforms and other laws, after judicial review, while also inserting articles 31, 31A and 31B.

Significantly, under the provisions of Article 31 of the Constitution, laws enunciated in the Ninth Schedule cannot be challenged in a court of law on the ground of violating the fundamental rights of citizens.

Labelling November 26 as an "extremely significant" day, PM Modi said citizens can draw resolve and inspiration to build a 'Vikshit Bharat' (developed India) from the citizens' charter and fundamental duties that are laid down in the Constitution.

"All of us are aware that the Constitution took 2 years 11 months and 18 days to come into being. The oldest member of the Constituent Assembly was Shri Sachidananda Sinha-Ji. The draft of our Constitution was made after undertaking a close and careful study of the Constitution of over 60 countries and holding long deliberations. After reading the draft, before it was eventually adopted, over 2,000 amendments were re-incorporated into the Constitution. Since it came into force in 1950 to this day, a total of 106 amendments have been made to the Constitution," PM Modi said.

He also lauded Hansa Mehta, one of only 15 women members of the Constituent Assembly, which sat to draft the Constitution, for her fierce advocacy of equal rights for women.

"It's again inspiring that of the members of the Constituent Assembly who were nominated, 15 were women. One such member was Hansa Mehta-Ji, who raised her voice for the rights and justice for women. I remember that in 2015, when we were celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar (comsidered as the father of the Constitution), a thought crossed my mind to observe the 26th of November as Constitution Day. And since then, every year, we have been celebrating this day as Constitution Day," PM Modi added.

He said the 'Nari Shakti Vandanam Adhiniyam', or the Women's Reservation Act, which was passed by both Houses of Parliament and became a law following Presidential assent, will boost and facilitate the accomplishment of the country's resolve to build a developed 'Bharat'.

"Back in the day, India was one of the few countries whose Constitution enabled voting Rights for women. It gives me immense satisfaction that following in the footsteps of the visionary framers of our Constitution, the Parliament passed the 'Nari Shakti Vandanam Adhiniyam'. It serves as an illustration of the Sankalp Shakti (strength of resolve) of our democracy. The Women's Reservation Act will also aid our efforts to build a developed Bharat," PM Modi said.

Commemorating the victims on the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, he added, "We can never forget 26th of November. It was on this very day that the country came under the dastardliest terror attack. The terrorists (from Pakistan) spelt fear not just in Mumbai but across the country. However, it was our combined fortitude and resilience that made us rise again from the ordeal inflicted on us by the terrorists and crush terror with full strength and resolve." (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Indore, Nov 26 (PTI) A replica of Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya has been built in Indore, the cleanest city in the country, by using 21 tons of iron scrap.

The Ram temple in Ayodhya will be ready for consecration on January 22 next year.

Also Read | Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Vertical Drilling of 19.2 Metres Done on First Day To Rescue Trapped Workers From Silkyara Tunnel (Watch Video).

Notably, Muslim artisans are also involved in the construction of this replica, located in the city's Vishrambagh area.

"This replica will spread the message of Lord Ram as well as the message of cleanliness of Indore across the world," Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava, instrumental in the construction of the temple replica, told PTI on Sunday.

Also Read | Constitution Day 2023: Supreme Court Has Always Acted as a 'People's Court', Says CJI DY Chandrachud.

Bhargava said this replica is based on the "3R" (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) formula of waste management due to which Indore has been scoring the top slot in the National Cleanliness Survey for six consecutive years.

"This replica was constructed in about three months. It is 40 feet long, 27 feet wide and 24 feet high. 21 tons of iron scrap of electric poles, vehicles etc. was used in the construction," he added.

He said artisans who shaped the replica belong to Hindu as well as Muslim communities.

Ujjwal Singh Solanki, owner of a private firm involved in the construction of the replica, said, "When we started working on this project three months ago, the Ram temple in Ayodhya was not constructed. Therefore, in deciding the design of this replica, we consulted experts and also took the help of the Internet.

Solanki said the construction of the Ram temple replica is estimated to cost Rs 60 lakh to 70 lakh and the structure is being given the final touch through painting and lighting.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Srinagar, Nov 26 (PTI) The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the Jammu Kashmir Apple Farmers' Federation staged a protest at the Press Enclave here on Sunday over their various demands.

CITU Jammu and Kashmir unit president and CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami said trade unions and apple farmers jointly organised similar protests across the country to press their demands.

Also Read | Constitution Day 2023: As India Celebrates Samvidhan Diwas, Take a Look at Fundamental Rights And Duties of Indian Citizens.

"The apple industry is facing a huge loss. There should be a ban on the import of apples from Iran and US, otherwise people associated with it here will suffer losses," he said.

"We also demand that the government waive loans of farmers like it did for those earning billions," he said.

Also Read | Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: BSNL Steps in to Provide Landline Phone to Enable Trapped Workers to Talk to Their Families (Watch Videos).

Farmers should also get minimum support price for their crop, he said.

He also criticised the government for its "anti-people, anti-worker and anti-farmer policies."

The CPI(M) leader expressed serious concern over problems being faced by the common people in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Kashmir is facing its worst power crisis in the last two decades and is reeling under an acute power shortage. People are facing extreme inconvenience due to long and unscheduled power cuts at a time when temperatures in the valley have dipped to sub-zero levels. Hospitals are bearing the brunt of the crisis and industries as well as other crucial sectors are suffering too," he said.

Tarigami said Jammu and Kashmir is a "direct victim" of the Indus Water Treaty.

"J-K is made to bear a recurring loss of billions of rupees annually besides limiting its 15,000 MW power generation potential, he said, urging the central government to compensate for these losses.

The government must implement the recommendations made by the Rangarajan Committee to hand over two Jammu and Kashmir-based hydroelectric power projects to the Union territory, he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jammu, Nov 26 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday paid his tributes to the martyrs of 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Sinha in a statement said "humble tributes to all those who lost their lives in the heinous Mumbai terror attack of 2008.

Also Read | Constitution Day 2023: As India Celebrates Samvidhan Diwas, Take a Look at Fundamental Rights And Duties of Indian Citizens.

"We'll always stand in solidarity with the bereaved families. I salute the valour and dedication of our security personnel who made the supreme sacrifice to protect the motherland."

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Cambridge (Massachusetts) [US], November 26 (ANI): MIT researchers have created a patch-like wearable ultrasound monitor that can inspect organs within the body without the need for an ultrasound operator or the use of gel.

The researchers demonstrated in a new study that their patch can precisely scan the bladder and estimate how full it is. According to the researchers, this could make it easier for those who have bladder or kidney problems to determine whether their organs are functioning properly.

Also Read | Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal: Hamas Hands 14 Hostages, Three Foreigners to Red Cross on Third Day of Truce.

By repositioning the ultrasonic array and altering the frequency of the signal, this approach might also be used to monitor different organs within the body. Such devices may be capable of detecting deep-seated tumours, such as ovarian cancer, early on.

"This technology is versatile and can be used not only on the bladder but any deep tissue of the body. It's a novel platform that can do identification and characterization of many of the diseases that we carry in our body," says Canan Dagdeviren, an associate professor in MIT's Media Lab and the senior author of the study.Lin Zhang, an MIT research scientist; Colin Marcus, an MIT graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science; and Dabin Lin, a professor at Xi'an Technological University, are the lead authors of a paper describing the work, which appears today in Nature Electronics.Dagdeviren's lab, which specializes in designing flexible, wearable electronic devices, recently developed an ultrasound monitor that can be incorporated into a bra and used to screen for breast cancer. In the new study, the team used a similar approach to develop a wearable patch that can adhere to the skin and take ultrasound images of organs located within the body.

Also Read | Constitution Day 2023: Supreme Court Has Always Acted as a 'People's Court', Says CJI DY Chandrachud.

For their first demonstration, the researchers decided to focus on the bladder, partly inspired by Dagdeviren's younger brother, who was diagnosed with kidney cancer a few years ago. After having one of his kidneys surgically removed, he had difficulty fully emptying his bladder. Dagdeviren wondered if an ultrasound monitor that reveals how full the bladder is might help patients similar to her brother, or people with other types of bladder or kidney problems."Millions of people are suffering from bladder dysfunction and related diseases, and not surprisingly, bladder volume monitoring is an effective way to assess your kidney health and wellness," she said.Currently, the only way to measure bladder volume is using a traditional, bulky ultrasound probe, which requires going to a medical facility. Dagdeviren and her colleagues wanted to develop a wearable alternative that patients could use at home.

To achieve that, they created a flexible patch made of silicone rubber, embedded with five ultrasound arrays made from a new piezoelectric material that the researchers developed for this device. The arrays are positioned in the shape of a cross, which allows the patch to image the entire bladder, which is about 12 by 8 centimetres when full.The polymer that makes up the patch is naturally sticky and adheres gently to the skin, making it easy to attach and detach. Once placed on the skin, underwear or leggings can help hold it in place.

In a study performed with collaborators at the Center for Ultrasound Research and Translation and the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, the researchers showed that the new patch could capture images comparable to those taken with a traditional ultrasound probe, and these images could be used to track changes in bladder volume.

For the study, the researchers recruited 20 patients with a range of body mass indexes. Subjects were first imaged with a full bladder, then with a partially empty bladder, and then with a completely empty bladder.

The images obtained from the new patch were similar in quality to those taken with traditional ultrasound, and the ultrasound arrays worked on all subjects regardless of their body mass index.Using this patch, no ultrasound gel is needed, and no pressure needs to be applied, as with a regular ultrasound probe, because the field of view is large enough to encompass the entire bladder.

To see the images, the researchers connected their ultrasound arrays to the same kind of ultrasound machine used in medical imaging centers. However, the MIT team is now working on a portable device, about the size of a smartphone, that could be used to view the images."In this work, we have further developed a path toward clinical translation of conformable ultrasonic biosensors that yield valuable information about vital physiologic parameters. Our group hopes to build on this and develop a suite of devices that will ultimately bridge the information gap between clinicians and patients," said Anthony E. Samir, director of the MGH Center for Ultrasound Research and Translation and Associate Chair of Imaging Sciences at MGH Radiology, who is also an author of the study.

The MIT team also hopes to develop ultrasound devices that could be used to image other organs within the body, such as the pancreas, liver, or ovaries. Based on the location and depth of each organ, the researchers need to alter the frequency of the ultrasound signal, which requires designing new piezoelectric materials. For some of these organs, located deep within the body, the device may work better as an implant rather than a wearable patch.

"For whatever organ that we need to visualize, we go back to the first step, select the right materials, come up with the right device design and then fabricate everything accordingly," before testing the device and performing clinical trials, Dagdeviren said.

"This work could develop into a central area of focus in ultrasound research, motivate a new approach to future medical device designs, and lay the groundwork for many more fruitful collaborations between materials scientists, electrical engineers, and biomedical researchers," said Anantha Chandrakasan, dean of MIT's School of Engineering, the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and an author of the paper. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Even if you're not interested in the life of the British royal family, you may have seen photos of Princess Diana's wedding dresses, as well as those of Duchesses Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle on the Internet or in the news. Their outfits have gone down in history! And this is not an exaggeration. There are no less interesting couturier masterpieces created for titled persons. Unfortunately, few people talk and write about them.

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Casino Bee experts have analyzed Google queries and determined which dresses of Windsor brides are most often searched for by users from all over the world and which are hardly mentioned. We invite you to enjoy looking at these elegant pieces.

Top five favorites

According to the data, Meghan Markle's iconic Givenchy wedding dress, which she wore in 2018, was the most popular among other royalty outfits, with an average of 51 thousand requests per month. The second place went to Kate Middleton's outfit created by Sarah Burton and Alexander McQueen (an average of 47 thousand requests per month). And the third place was taken by Princess Diana's dress (approximately 30 thousand requests; designers - Elizabeth and David Emanuel).

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Princess Beatrice's outfit was the fourth most searched for on Google (an average of 8,200 searches per month). Interestingly, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II did not order a new outfit for her wedding, but asked to alter one of her grandmother's evening dresses. British fashion designer Norman Hartnell took on the job. The fifth place (7,700 requests per month) was taken by Her Majesty Elizabeth II. By the way, it was also made by the court couturier Norman Hartnell.

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Less popular outfits

The sixth most searched dress on Google (approximately 5,600 monthly) is the dress of Princess Margaret, Her Majesty's younger sister. The author of the masterpiece is Norman Hartnell. The petite bride with a height of 155 cm preferred a laconic design (without jewelry and unnecessary details; made of 30 meters of fabric). As a result, the princess wore the most modest dress in the history of royal weddings on one of the most important days of her life!

Princess Eugenie's magnificent gown, created by the designers of the British brand Peter Pilotto, took seventh place in this rating (4,200 requests per month).

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The eighth place, with a huge margin (1,900 searches per month), was taken by the satin dress of Sarah Ferguson, mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. The ninth place in the ranking was taken by the wedding dress of Princess Anne, daughter of Elizabeth II (1,800 searches per month). It may surprise you to learn that the least interesting thing for users was the wedding dress of Camilla Parker-Bowles, the current Queen Consort of the United Kingdom. She was in 10th place.

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Earlier OBOZ.UA wrote about what the dresses of the most elegant brides of the Spencer family looked like.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber.Don't fall for fakes!
Streaks of Light Seen in California. (Photo Credits: Video Grab)

Tehran [Iran], November 26 (ANI): The 18th India-Iran Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) were held in Tehran on Sunday.

The Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and the Iranian side was led by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri.

Also Read | Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal: Will Do Everything To Bring Back Other Hostages, Says Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

"Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy FM for Political Affairs of Iran @Bagheri_Kani co-chaired the 18th India-Iran FOC in Tehran today," MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote on 'X'.

During the FOC, the two sides discussed a range of bilateral matters, including political, trade and economic, cultural, people-to-people ties, connectivity projects including Chabahar port, agriculture cooperation, and capacity building.

Also Read | Pneumonia Outbreak: India Monitoring Respiratory Illness Cases in China, Health Ministry Says Situation Not Alarming.

They also exchanged views on current pressing regional and global issues.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra is on a two-day visit to Iran.

Kwatra on Sunday also met the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the two discussed bilateral matters, connectivity projects including Chabahar port, and shared perspectives on current challenges in the region.

"Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra called on FM @Amirabdolahian of Iran in Tehran today. Discussed bilateral matters, connectivity projects including Chabahar port, and shared perspective on current challenges in the region. Both sides agreed to further strengthen the ongoing cooperation in various spheres," Bagchi wrote on 'X'.

Recently, Vice President of the Iran-India Joint Chamber of Commerce, Mahdi Rangrona signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Director General and CEO of Federation of Indian Export Organisations, Ajay Shai.

The two signed the MoU to strengthen trade, investment, quality standards and technology transfer.

Taking on their social media 'X', Iran in India stated, "Mr Mahdi Rangrona, Vice President of Iran-India Joint Chamber of Commerce & Dr Ajay Shai Director General & CEO of @FieoHq (Federation of Indian Export Organizations) Signed MOU to develop cooperation in the fields of investment, trade, quality standards, & technology transfer."

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and discussed matters of bilateral and regional importance.

The two leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, including to realise the full potential of Chabahar Port as a connectivity hub.

"Prime Minister highlighted that India- Iran relationship is underpinned by close historical and civilizational connections, including strong people-to-people contacts," Prime Minister's Office said in a press release. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Afula, November 26: The grandfather of Moshe Holtzberg, the youngest survivor of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, has expressed his gratitude to the people of India for treating his family's pain as their own all these years. Moshe, who was just two at the time of the deadly 26/11 attack, carried out by 10 Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, lost both his parents, Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg and Rivka Holztberg, in the assault on Nariman House, also known as Chabad House.

"The people of India remember what happened on this day 15 years ago. You remember the tragedy that struck our family and also the families of other Israeli people," Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, Moshe's grandfather, told PTI. "I want to say that I, my wife Yehudit and also the Moishi (Moshe) boy, feel it and want to thank you all in India for your similar feelings for the tragedy that struck us and you all," he said. "This year especially shows how terrorists want to murder the Jews but we still hope for peace in the whole world," he said at a time when Israel is at war with the Islamist Hamas terror group after they carried out a brutal attack in its territory on October 7. 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack: Remembering Gruesome Terror Attacks Which Rocked Mumbai 15 Years Ago

Moshe's parents were the emissaries of the Chabad Movement in Mumbai at the time of the 26/11 attack. Moshe's pictures with his nanny Sandra holding him close to her chest after saving his life in a daring move in the middle of the terror attack caught worldwide attention. "Moshe is well and learning in a Yeshiva. Sandra is in Israel and comes from Jerusalem to be with us every alternate weekend. She has a permanent place in our house as a member of the family," Rabbi Rosenberg said.

Sandra was given honorary citizenship by the government of Israel and conferred with the title of "righteous gentile", a rare honour extended to those who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. The family held annual prayers in memory of their dear ones on November 13 in Afula as per the Hebrew Calendar this year. They decided not to do the prayers in Jerusalem this year because of the ongoing situation in Israel. Last year, in an emotional recorded video message Moshe had called upon the international community to look for ways to counter terror so that "nobody has to go through what he has gone through".

He narrated the story of his lucky escape in a daring act by Sandra "who risked her own life to save his" and about his growing up in Israel with his grandparents, Rabbi Shimon and Yehudit Rosenberg, who have been raising him as their own son. They are his grandparents from his mother's side. On November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists entered the south Mumbai areas through a sea route and attacked a number of places, including Chabad House, a Jewish centre. The indiscriminate attack killed 166 people, including six Jews and 18 security personnel. 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack: From Tukaram Omble To Hemant Karkare, Remembering Bravehearts Who Made Supreme Sacrifice While Fighting Pakistani Terrorists

26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack

The 26/11 attack continues to be an emotional moment for a lot of Israelis who feel that it "is a shared pain" that binds India and Israel together. Last week, Israel re-affirmed its declaration of Lashkar-e-Taiba as a terror organisation to symbolise the marking of the 15th year of commemoration of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. "While Israel only lists terror organisations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India - those globally recognised by UNSC or the US State Department; the Israeli ministries of Defence and Foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism," an official statement stressed.

Israeli Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Lior Haiat separately confirmed the development to PTI saying that it was initially done so in 2013 but has now formally entered the records. Seen by many as a "shared pain", 26/11 continues to stir outrage in Israel every year with commemorative events condemning the senseless killings and demands for justice against the masterminds of the terror attack heard every year across the country. Jewish outreach movement, Chabad, in 2021 unveiled a plaque in the southern coastal city of Eilat in memory of the six Jewish victims of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Six Jews, who were amongst the 166 victims of the terror attack, were killed at the Chabad House. Israeli leaders and officials have repeatedly called for the perpetrators of the horrendous crime to be "brought to justice". Pictures of the little toddler, Moshe, orphaned in the brutal attack evoked widespread anger and also generated a lot of interest in him. Recalling his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Israel in 2017, Moshe in the recorded message had said that, "he hugged me warmly and was really excited and invited me with my grandparents to visit India".

The youngster later did visit India with his grandparents during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to India in 2018. "I feel grateful to him (Modi) for his warmth and kindness," the youngster, who dreams of one day becoming the Director of the Chabad House in Mumbai, said. The family was also granted a long-term multiple-entry visa to facilitate their visits to India.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Washington DC [US], November 26 (ANI): NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is set to travel to India and the UAE beginning Monday for a series of meetings with key government officials.

Nelson will also meet with space officials in both countries to deepen bilateral cooperation across a broad range of innovation and research-related areas, especially in human exploration and Earth science, the American space agency NASA said in a release.

Also Read | Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal: US President Joe Biden Faces Criticism As No American Released by Hamas in First Lot.

Nelson's visit to India will fulfil a commitment as part of the US and India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology initiated by President Joe Biden.

In the India leg, Nelson will visit several locations, including the Bengaluru-based facilities where the NISAR spacecraft, a joint Earth-observing mission between NASA and its Indian counterpart ISRO, is undergoing testing and integration for launch in 2024.

Also Read | Israel-Hamas War Update: Hamas Releases Second Batch of 17 Hostages Including Four Thai Nationals.

NISAR is short for NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.

As the first satellite mission between NASA and ISRO, NISAR is a revolutionary Earth-observing instrument, the first in the Earth System Observatory, that will measure Earth's changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces, and ice masses, providing information about biomass, natural hazards, sea level rise, and groundwater, key information to guide efforts related to climate change, hazard mitigation, agriculture, and more.

Laurie Leshin, director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), recently told ANI that scientists from both space agencies -- ISRO and NASA -- are working closely on the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission to help make sure that they make the most out of the data that will be coming down from the spacecraft.

"We are so excited to be working between NASA and ISRO on NISAR, which is a radar machine to looks at the surface of the earth and how it is changing. In India, they are interested in understanding how the mangrove environment at the coasts is changing. We will understand how ice sheets are changing and how earthquakes and volcanoes are happening all over the world...There are many different aspects to understanding our earth better," Leshin told ANI in Bengaluru earlier this month.

NISAR is an equal collaboration between NASA and ISRO and marks the first time the two agencies have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission.

About the size of an SUV and partially wrapped in gold-coloured thermal blanketing, the satellite's cylindrical radar instrument payload contains two radar systems.

While in the UAE, Nelson will also participate in the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference. It will be the first time a NASA administrator has attended the conference.

Also, during the visit, students in each country will have the opportunity to meet with Nelson to discuss science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and their roles as members of the Artemis Generation. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Abu Dhabi [UAE], November 26 (ANI/WAM): The Institute at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) will host a two-day Climate Action and Health Conference from November 27-28 as part of the University's wide-ranging contribution to sustainability in the lead up to COP28.

Featuring leading global experts, the event is organised in association with the Policy Committee of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology and will include a series of panels, workshops, and networking sessions.

Also Read | World Climate Action Summit 2023: PM Narendra Modi To Visit UAE To Attend Summit From November 30 to December 1.

The conference aims to be a focal point for researchers, policy analysts, and government representatives to converge and collectively address the intersection of climate action and public health. It is being held as the impact of climate change continues to pose global risks and the need to address its causes becomes more urgent. Amidst these challenges, lies a profound opportunity to explore mitigation measures that not only combat these issues but also bring about significant benefits to human health.

The first day of the event will include opening remarks by the Dean of Science at NYUAD Marta Losada, followed by four-panel sessions that will bring together academics, scientists, and experts to share knowledge regarding the potential climate benefits from public health steps, determine ways to employ public health measures to also attain climate action, and to identify public health and urban planning policies that also mitigate climate change.

Also Read | Iran Hangs 17-Year-Old for Murder, Sparks Uproar Among Human Rights Groups.

The second day will primarily consist of workshops as attendees are divided into report writing subgroups. The conference aims to conduct dissemination of the meeting's scientific content by developing a Workshop Report for publication, under the auspices of the ISEE Policy Committee in a high impact scientific journal. The event will end with a tour of The NYU Abu Dhabi's Art Gallery, current exhibition Horizon by Blane De St. Croix, which was developed following a series of residencies over the last year in which the artist worked closely with NYUAD faculty, and other climate experts in the UAE community.

The conference is being held in the same period that NYUAD is chairing the Universities Climate Network (UCN). Comprising UAE-based universities and higher education institutions, the UCN collaborates on facilitating dialogues, workshops, public events, policy briefs, and youth participation in the lead up to and beyond COP28. (ANI/WAM)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Islamabad [Pakistan], November 26 (ANI): A school teacher died and 20 others including students suffered injuries after a school bus fell into a ravine near the Shahdara area of Islamabad, Geo News reported.

The students were travelling on a school trip on Saturday when the accident happened.

Also Read | Israel-Palestine Ceasefire Deal: Amid Delay in Release of Hostages, Hamas Accuses Israel of Violating Terms of Deal.

According to the details, the police stated that the vehicle's engine was running while the driver stood outside and eventually, the bus started moving down the hill and landed in the ditch, reported Geo News.

Police confirmed one casualty and a number of injured students, adding that the children have been brought to Islamabad from Sheikhupura, according to Geo News.

Also Read | Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal: US President Joe Biden Hopeful of More American Hostages Being Released, Hamas Accuses Israel of Breaching Deal.

Reportedly, there were 54 people on the bus, including 13 teachers and other staff, 22 boys and 19 girls.

According to Geo News, the deceased teacher was identified as 22-year-old Hania.

After the accident, rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the injured people to hospitals.

Moreover, 13 of these students were taken to the Poly Clinic Hospital and 8 to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

At the time of the incident, some of the passengers got off the bus when it stopped at the spot, according to Geo News.

Following the accident, the driver was arrested, according to a report.

The Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) ordered the registration of a case on the incident, sources linked to the police said.

Earlier this month, a woman was killed and eight were injured, including children, in a road accident on Karachi's Sharea Faisal, according to Geo News.

According to the police, the accident took place on November 10, near the Colony Gate bus stop, when a speeding bus went out of the control of the driver and hit a family travelling on a motorcycle and other people.

In September, as many as eight people died and two others suffered injuries in an accident in Sadiqabad, Pakistan, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The accident happened when a car and truck collided on Motorway M-5 in Sadiqabad.

Reportedly, the cause of the accident was the overspeeded car. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
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Some ex-mercenaries of the Wagner PMC complained to dictator Vladimir Putin about internal disputes and arbitrariness organized by the so-called "thugs of Yevgeny Prigozhin." They say that after the latter's attempted coup, the private military company split, internal quarrels escalated and turned into bloody massacres.

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The mercenaries also lamented the heavy losses in the ranks of the PMC during the storming of the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region. Ex-Vagner members even suggested that it was profitable for the leadership to send "meat" to suicide operations, as the campaign received 15 million rubles from the Russian treasury for each "two hundredth". Only 5 million were paid to the soldier's family. OBOZ.UA has obtained the open letter.

Absurdly, the war criminals asked the dictator to comply with the "labor legislation of the Russian Federation". They say that he, as the guarantor of the country's constitution, should help "stop the situation when the campaign managers and Prigozhin's thugs demonstrate the thieves' principle of 'whoever is stronger is right'."

The letter was written by mercenaries who did not support Prigozhin's rebellion on June 23-24, 2023.

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They stated that they had terminated their contract. As a result, they were deprived of their combat pay, and most did not even receive their salaries. Instead, people who did not take part in the fighting were rewarded for the occupation of Bakhmut.

The mercenaries explicitly stated that they were ready to "snitch": to reveal the identities of their former colleagues and provide other necessary information.

"For refusing to extend our contract with the Wagner PMC after the rebellion, we were subjected to unprecedented persecution, and some of us were physically killed..." the letter reads. In particular, it describes a case when Prigozhin's "thugs" massacred the "rebels" in a temporary detention center. Some were killed, some were wounded. The losses were later attributed to a "mine explosion."

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Full text of the letter:

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As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- US intelligence has found that the Russian private military company Wagner was preparing to transfer weapons to the Lebanese Islamist organization Hezbollah or Iran. The preparations for this took place on the instructions of the Kremlin.

- Earlier, the media reported that the Wagner PMC militants could transfer their air defense system to Hezbollah terrorists. We are talking about the SA-22 system.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Washington DC [US], November 26 (ANI): Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has questioned the current format of GOP debates and has proposed the Republican National Committee hold debates on social media platform X, New York Post reported.

His remarks come after the audience declined across the previous three showdowns so far.

Also Read | Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal: Hamas Hands Over List of Hostages To Be Released on Sunday.

The Indian-American entrepreneur has even proposed journalist Tucker Carlson to moderate the GOP debates.

"This January GOP debate should be held on X, not on cable TV, moderated by Tucker [Carlson], who might just ask questions that primary voters actually care about," Ramaswamy said in a statement to The Post on Friday.

Also Read | 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack: Grandfather of Moshe Holtzberg, Youngest Survivor of Terror Attack, Thanks Indians for Treating His Family's Pain As Their Own.

"The RNC says they want to reach younger voters and new audiences? Well that's how you do it," the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur added.

The first Republican primary debate, hosted by Fox News Channel was held on August 23 in Milwaukee, and averaged 12.8 million viewers.

The second debate, held September 27 in Simi Valley, California and hosted by the Fox Business Network, got 9.5 million viewers, while the third debate, hosted by NBC News on November 8, in Miami, received an average of 7.51 million viewers.

Earlier, during the third debate in Miami, Ramaswamy had again raised this issue and argued that Carlson, Joe Rogan and Elon Musk should moderate the debates to attract "ten times the viewership."

The Ramaswamy campaign has previously called on the Republican National Committee to alter its debate guidelines to feature a single moderator who "is able to enforce debate rules" and to raise the unique donor threshold from 70,000 to 1,00,000 to weed out lower-performing candidates.

Ramaswamy has also gone head-to-head with RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, calling on her to resign following a series of poor Republican election performances.

Meanwhile, the fourth debate will be held in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on December 6. The event will be hosted and broadcast by NewsNation and will be moderated by former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas and The Washington Free Beacon's Eliana Johnson, New York Post reported.

After Senator Tim Scott backed out; Ramaswamy, former Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley could all qualify for the Alabama debate.

However, former President Donald Trump, who has missed all the debates so far is unlikely to attend this one too.

Future debate dates and locations have yet to be announced, but Republicans are expected to hold at least one additional debate before the Iowa caucus on January 15 and New Hampshire primary on January 23, according to the New York Post. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Vadodara, November 26: Two people were killed and nine others injured in a multiple vehicle pile-up in Gujarat's Vadodara on Sunday. The accident occurred in Karjan, near Vadodara, when an overspeeding trailer truck collided with five cars and an auto rickshaw. As traffic flow on the highway near Kandari in the Karjan taluka was already impeded due to a container truck breaking down on the Bharuch-Vadodara lane, the trailer, speeding from Bharuch towards Vadodara, struck the five cars and the auto rickshaw, resulting in fatalities and critical injuries, sources said. Gujarat Road Accident: Four Killed, 11 Injured As Luxury Bus Rams Into Stationary Bus on Dahod-Godhra Highway.

The deceased were identified as Savita Amish Saraiyya and Sanjay Gamanlal Sariyya, both residents of Surat. The nine injured are currently in critical condition and receiving medical attention at a Vadodara city hospital. Gujarat Road Accident: Three Killed As Car Collides With Mini-Truck in Patan.

Following the incident, the Vadodara police have taken the driver of the trailer truck into custody. The investigation is ongoing to determine the full circumstances of this event.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 26, 2023 11:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Imphal, November 26: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday said that the state government is holding peace parleys with a valley-based insurgent group and the talks were at an advanced stage. Without mentioning the name of the militant outfit, Biren Singh, at a programme here, said: "We are advancing... and we are expecting to sign a peace accord with one big UG (underground organisation) very shortly."

It will be for the first time ever since the ethnic violence broke out seven months ago on May 3 that a valley-based outfit entered into peace parleys with the government. Top official sources told IANS that the state government has been holding talks with the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and an accord is expected to be signed with a faction of the outfit. Manipur CM N Biren Singh Launches Diglot Edition of Constitution in Meitei Mayek Script (Watch Videos).

The UNLF faction, led by Kh Pambei, has decided to sign a mutual ceasefire agreement with the Centre and hold talks with the government soon. On the occasion of UNLFs 59th anniversary at the newly-inaugurated camp in Kakching Khunou area on Saturday, the groups General Secretary Ch Thanil said that the proposed process may be termed as "peace talks". He said that the move towards ceasefire and a political settlement were reached after the leadership pondered over "feelers" from New Delhi.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on November 13 extended a ban on 11 Meitei extremist groups and their associate organisations including the UNLF, which mostly operate from neighbouring Myanmar and many a times carried out fatal attacks on security forces. Manipur has around 400 km of unfenced border with Myanmar. Mobile Internet Services in Manipur to Be Restored Within Four to Five Days, Says CM N Biren Singh.

According to a notification issued by the MHA, the groups which were declared banned for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 were included Peoples Liberation Army generally known as PLA, and its political wing, the Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF), the Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its armed wing Red Army, the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its armed wing (also called the Red Army).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 26, 2023 11:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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Jaunpur, November 26: In a shocking incident, a Dalit teenage boy was allegedly thrashed and forced to consume urine and soil while his eyebrows were shaved by some youths of his village under the Sujanganj police station area in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur district. The incident took place on Thursday but the FIR was registered on Saturday evening following the intervention of Jaunpur SP Ajay Pal Sharma.

The boy was also sent for medical examination which will determine if the victim is a minor. Meanwhile, the persons who thrashed him have also lodged an FIR against the Dalit boy alleging that he had sexually harassed a girl of their family. Police said that on their complaint, a named FIR against the boy had been lodged under section 354 (outraging modesty) of IPC. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: B.Tech Student, Who Attacked Bus Conductor With Cleaver After Dispute Over Ticket, Suspended After Arrest

Badlapur circle officer A.K. Singh said, On the complaint of the Dalit boy, a named FIR against two persons of his village was lodged under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC and also sections of the SC/ST Act. In his complaint, the father of the Dalit boy alleged that his son was returning home from the Aami area on Thursday when the assailants caught him and thrashed him. Later, they forced him to consume soil and urine, he said, alleging that his sons eyebrows were shaved. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 12-Year-Old Girl Kidnapped, Assaulted and Gang-Raped by Classmates in Deoria District

He further alleged that the assailants called him on the spot and allowed him to take the son after telling him not to report the matter to the police. The boys father alleged that he had contacted the Sujanganj cops on Thursday evening, but his complaint was not registered, after which he met the Jaunpur SP.
US President Joe Biden on Sunday said, "We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones," as Hamas released the third batch of hostages from Gaza. The White House shared a video snippet of Joe Biden's address. Biden also confirmed that four-year-old Israeli-American Abigail Edan, held hostage by Hamas since its October 7 attack on Israel, was released Sunday morning. US Shooting: Three Palestinian Students Shot at in Vermont's Burlington (Watch Video).

We Will Not Stop Working', Says Joe Biden

#WATCH | On the release of hostages by Hamas from Gaza, US President Joe Biden says, "We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones..." (Source: The White House) pic.twitter.com/jWfH2vRXvU  ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2023

Hamas Releases Third Batch of Hostages

Happening Now: President Biden delivers remarks on the release of hostages from Gaza. https://t.co/szqyYvhwcT  The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 26, 2023

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Tel Aviv, November 26: Nine-year-old Irish Israeli Emily Hand, whom Hamas first informed her parents that she was killed in the Israel-Hamas war, was returned to Israel very much alive and safe as the 2nd lot of some 17 hostages were released under the four day ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Among the children released on Sunday, was Emily Hand, 9, an Irish-Israeli whose reunion with her father, Thomas, was captured on emotional video.

Emily's family had been told she was dead; only to learn weeks later she was among the estimated 240 hostages seized on October 7 by militants in Israeli border communities, media reported on the release of the 2nd lot of hostages Sunday. Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal: Hamas Releases Third Group of Hostages as Part of Truce Deal; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Visits Gaza.

"Emily has come back to us," the family said in a statement. "We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days." The Other released Israelis were all women and children. An uneasy cease-fire between Israeli forces and Hamas militants appeared to remain in effect Sunday as loved ones waited for the expected release of more hostages that could include 4-year-old American Avigail Edan, USA Today reported.

Seventeen militant-held hostages were released late Saturday, 13 of them Israelis along with four Thai citizens. One of those freed was Emily Hand, whose parents initially were told she had been killed. On Friday, 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and a Filipino citizen were released, reports said.

Avigail's parents were killed in the militant rampage into Israeli border communities October 7 that left 1,200 people dead, Israeli authorities say. About 240 people were seized by the militants and brought back to Gaza. The hostages being freed are women and children; Avigail and two women are among 10 Americans believed held by the militants. Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal: Hamas Hands 14 Hostages, Three Foreigners to Red Cross on Third Day of Truce.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it had received a list of hostages to be released Sunday and that family members had been notified. The initial deal called for Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages and Israel to free 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

More than 13,000 Palestinians have died in the war, most of them civilians, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Hamas announced on Sunday that one of its top commanders had been killed but did not say when.

Israel said it had killed multiple high-ranking Hamas militants before the cease-fire went into effect, reports said. The Palestinians who were released included at least two women who had been given long sentences after being convicted by Israeli courts of violent attacks.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 26, 2023 11:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Tel Aviv, November 26: The Hostages and Missing Families forum on Sunday said that they will do everything under their command for the release of all hostages who were taken by Hamas following October 7 attacks. Emily has come back to us. We cant find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days. We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time we remember Raya Rotem and all other hostages who have not yet returned, the forum said in a statement, quoting family members of the nine-year-old Emily Hand who was released by Hamas on Saturday. Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal: Hamas Hands Over List of Hostages To Be Released on Sunday.

We will do everything in within their power to bring the rest of the hostages back home, the forum in a statement said. The family of Emily Hand also said that they wanted to express the gratitude of the family of each and everyone who had stood by them during the bad times they faced. We appreciate the unwavering support as we continue our efforts for the safe return of all, the forum said. Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal: 14 Israeli Hostages To Be Freed Today in Exchange for 42 Palestinian Prisoners.

Merit Regev, mother of Maya Regev who was also released said that she is to see her daughter back home. I am excited and happy see Maya back with us. But my heart still heavy as my son Italy is with Hamas, she said. She said that they will not stop until Italy and all other hostages get back home safely.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 26, 2023 05:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Russia was confused about the nature of the drones that attacked five of its regions on the night and morning of November 26. They claimed that the drones were definitely "Ukrainian," but not like any of the previous ones they had encountered.

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At the same time, the propagandists suggested that the drones reminded them of their "Geranium-1/2" (the Russian version of the Iranian Shahed-131/136 kamikaze drone used by the aggressor country to attack Ukraine). According to the Russian Defense Ministry, their air defense system "shot down" all the UAVs of the "Kyiv regime."

In particular, Russian Telegram channels spread a message about the "successful destruction" of two dozen "Ukrainian" drones in Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk, and Smolensk regions.

One drone, allegedly jammed by electronic warfare systems, crashed into an apartment building on Novomoskovskaya Street in Tula. This resulted in damage to apartments and cars under the high-rise, injuries to several residents, and shock to the rest of Tula residents, as well as Russians from other regions where explosions occurred.

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A photo showing how the territory of the house in Tula was surrounded by Russian special services to collect the wreckage of the UAVs and find out what kind of devices they were was posted online.

At the same time, propagandists are convinced that these are neither Ukrainian UJ-22 Airborne multipurpose UAVs, which are capable of carrying unguided aerial bombs, nor the Ukrainian long-range Beaver drones.

Russians came up with a version that the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked Tula with drones made in the form of a "flying wing", which makes them look like the famous Russian "Geran" UAVs.

It is worth noting that the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed our country's involvement in this massive drone attack on Russia.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA, Russia boasted of the production of the Termit attack drones. According to them, these UAVs are supposed to carry laser-guided missiles.

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Lehigh Valley residents will see mixed results from changes in their electric bill taking effect Dec. 1, depending on their utility provider.

Thats when all Pennsylvania regulated electric utilities are adjusting their price-to-compare (PTC) rate for residential customers who do not shop around for a competitive rate, according to the state Public Utility Commission.

In the Lehigh Valley, Allentown-based PPL Electric Utilities is decreasing its PTC rate from 12.126 cents to 11.028 cents per kWh, a difference of about 9%. FirstEnergy Corp.s Met-Ed is increasing its rate from 10.24 cents to 11.306 cents per kWh, a difference of 10.4%.

Following are charts showing the rate changes across Pennsylvanias electricity provider, and how the percentage change stacks up from provider to provider. Click the links here to view the charts, since they may not display on all platforms, or to view them full-screen.

The PTC averages 40% to 60% of the customers total electric bill. Both the Public Utility Commission and electricity providers encourage customers to shop around for competitive rates. Learn more at papowerswitch.com. Natural gas customers can visit pagasswitch.com to learn more about available competitive supply rates.

For non-shopping customers, electric utilities purchase electricity for default-service customers that meets a prudent mix requirement of spot market, short-term and long-term purchase contracts, according to the PUC. However, the commission does not regulate prices for the generation portion of electric bills  generation prices are separate from the closely regulated rates that utilities charge for their distribution services that delivers electricity to homes and businesses.

PPL Electric says the monthly electric bill for an average residential customer will drop by about $11; its small-business customers will see their rate drop to 11.386, down slightly from 11.689, cents per kWh, cutting monthly bills slightly by about $3, according to spokeswoman Tracie Witter.

Met-Ed spokesman Todd Meyers said that for the typical residential customer using 750 kWh per month, total monthly bills will increase about by about $8 or 6%, from $131.79 to $139.78.

Neither PPL Electric Utilities nor Met-Ed generates its own electricity  they deliver electricity to customers through their transmission and distribution wires.

Separately, Met-Eds parent company FirstEnergy is hopeful to receive PUC approval in December to consolidate its Pennsylvania subsidiaries  Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power, Keystone Appalachian Transmission Company (KATCo) and Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission LLC (MAIT)  into a single consolidated operating company called FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co. (FE PA). Its distribution companies will continue to do business publicly under the existing local brand names that are familiar to customers  Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power.

FirstEnergy in August announced a settlement with the PUC on its joint merger application, and requested commission approval of the application in December.

In October, the administrative law judge assigned the case recommended that the PUC approve without modification the consolidation settlement filed in August, Meyers said.

The New York Public Service Commission issued an order on Nov. 20 approving the consolidation. That regulatory approval was necessary because FirstEnergys Penelec provides electric service to about 4,000 customers in the Waverly, New York, area just above the state line. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the companies consolidation application in August.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Ireland our green, magical Island home.

For, any of us who came here as children or whose parents chose this craggy outpost in the Atlantic, we carry this nation in our hearts. The Irish humour, the easy-going way of life, the itll be grand attitude has permeated through all immigrant experiences in this country. In all of the nations that tout multiculturalism as a failed experiment, we as migrants to this country can proudly say, that Ireland is and always will be an exception.

The warmth of its people their welcoming smiles and open-heartedness is an experience shared by most if not all immigrants. Ireland stands in a class of its own.

The barbaric attack on children by a deranged individual who sought to burn the precious light of life hurts the core of all of our souls. The savage individual must be brought to justice and as citizens who want our streets safe of lunatics we as people must ensure the government and the justice machinery punishes the convicted to the full extent of the Law.

The events of last Thursday are not only shocking in their violence but also in their boldness. The vitriolic rhetoric of our countrymen and its extremism pose a very real threat to the beautiful relationship between the native and immigrant populations of Ireland. Their violence and thuggish behaviour at the heart of our nations capital is nothing more than a temper tantrum.

This group of people have hijacked real economic and social issues we all face, natives and immigrants. After what should have been a day of mourning the enough is enough attention seekers hijacked a national tragedy and made it all about themselves. In their manufactured rage they have caused immense heartache to the victims of the attack and caused fissures in different strata of society.

At a time when populism and extremism are all the rage, Ireland has been a beacon of calm. Its people understand their own history of migration and do not kowtow to fascists. Associating great revolutionaries from Ireland's past like, making Michael Collins some sort of an anti-immigrant crusader and Daniel OConnell a god in their fascist pantheon is textbook historical revisionism. Harking back to past revolutionaries, mythologising their beliefs and weaponizing this rhetoric is text book neo-fascism and the Kill all Immigrants crowd is taking the exact route of the fascists of the past.

Their violent tendencies have nothing to do with solving real social problems like homelessness and inner city depravation. Their only goal just like other fascists is to cause fear and unrest. They have no interest and no plan on how to tackle the issues they claim to face.

The common sense answer to the stupidity on our streets is to never give in to this rhetoric. Instead of burning Luas lines and increasing violence against immigrant workers a civilised and concerted effort needs to be made to ensure our elected representatives solve the underlying issues.

The savagery of Thursday night's rioting however does lend itself to a measure of reflection as my place as an immigrant in this country. For us who grew up here or have chosen to make a home in Ireland more recently and contribute to society positively, the question I pose to the Kill all Immigrants crowd is to tell me where do I belong? If a naturalisation certificate doesnt make me Irish then what does?

At what stage do I become Irish? does my religion or skin colour bar me from being Irish? Am I forever destined to be a Pakistani-Irish refugee hybrid? Where is my home? Perhaps nowhere really.

I am a Pakistani doctor, a Filipino nurse, a Polish truck driver, a Nigerian businessman, a Brazilian IT worker, an Indian engineer, and a Chinese restaurant owner.

I am that foreigner who has educated his child here, who has paid her taxes, who has cared for your ailing grandmother, not just for a paycheque but because I believe my service is appreciated by the community. The one common thread that binds all of these immigrant experiences is the unique love they all hold for Ireland and specifically for the Irish.

In my years here, until now, I was not for one second made to feel unwelcomed or inferior or not from here. Many have other experiences but this is mine. I could never repay the kindness and guidance of my 6th class teacher Mr Bradley, who looked out for a 10-year-old refugee child escaping persecution. I dont forget how a local community of a small village in Cork took me in as one of their own when I couldnt speak their language and instead, they taught me the language of GAA to communicate.

As an immigrant who has built their home and life in this country and has cherished every moment afforded by this nation, I am forever grateful. Apart from our family, where we grow up has the most affect on our personalities and I want to preserve the welcoming and friendly Ireland. It is imperative that we as citizens of this nation all unite to tackle the rising levels of hate.

It is perhaps even more important that we unite to fix the underlying problems that give way to hate. In my experience, the othering of humans does not ever end up on the good side of history. I believe in Irish exceptionalism. As a country, as a nation Ireland should be a bulwark against this madness and we can turn the tide on hate.

His blog on substack called Untold Stories is available here: https://untolds.substack.com/
Support for Sinn Fein has dropped three percentage point but remains far ahead of rival parties, a new poll has indicated.

The latest Irish Business Post/Red C poll has support for Sinn Fein at 29%  down from 32% last month  but well ahead of Fine Gael on 20% and Fianna Fail on 16%.

The poll also records an increase in support for independents by one percentage point to 13%.

The next Irish general election is set to be held in 2025, however, speculation is mounting it could be called in 2024.

The current Government is a coalition involving Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party.

The new poll has recorded a drop in, albeit high, support for Sinn Fein from 36% in the middle of last year to 32% last month and 29% this month.

Fine Gaels support is described as remaining unchanged on 20% last month and this month, while Fianna Fail is up one point to 16% this month.

In terms of the smaller parties, the Social Democrats are on 6%, the Labour Party has dropped one point to 4% while the Green Party remain unchanged on 4%.

People Before Profit-Solidarity remain on 3% and Aontu on 2%, with poll respondents saying they would vote for other parties increased by two points to 3% while 10% said they were undecided.

In terms of an early general election being called next year, more people (47%) said they would prefer to see a general election held at some point in 2024 than in 2025.

Some 29% said they would prefer for the Government to run its full term to 2025, while 20% were neutral on the matter.

The poll was carried out between November 17 and November 22.
Cllr Padraig Fallon proposed that contact be made with Coillte and the OPW seeking drainage at Diffagher River from Lisacoghill back to Belhavel, near Drumkeerin.





He said, "We've done this before with the OPW and there hasn't been a favourable response but if we could ask the OPW their stats on it and a statement from them saying they wouldn't be opposed to works being carried out and get something similar from the local authority, we may be able to get Coillte to do something about it."



Cllr Mary Bohan said she has made contact with the OPW herself in relation to the issue.

"I think it needs to be done because what is going to happen is it is going to get flooded again and the land and the road is going to get flooded."





She said she believed the OPW needed to "give their permission for Coillte and local farmers to do their part," adding "there is an urgency about it."





Cllr Fallon said that in the last three years, the road "has flooded on a number of occasions."
HOPPR Launches Groundbreaking Foundation Model for Medical Imaging





Health2047's newest portfolio company unveils first-of-its-kind medical imaging AI platform powered by Amazon Web Services; early partners include RadNet and Rad AI

CHICAGO, Nov. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, HOPPR announces the launch of Grace, a multi-modal foundation model for medical imaging, powered by Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) and available via private beta to developers, radiology PACS, and AI companies for fine tuning and application development. Together with a milestone investment from Health2047, a venture studio founded by the American Medical Association (AMA), this launch marks a significant step forward in HOPPR's quest to unlock the potential of generative AI in medical imaging.

Health2047's newest portfolio company unveils medical imaging AI platform powered by Amazon Web Services

Grace is a first-of-its-kind B2B foundation model that enables image-to-image and text-to-image learning across all medical imaging modalities, including X-rays, CTs, MRIs, and echocardiograms. Available via an API service, Grace enables application developers to more quickly build meaningful AI solutions that physicians, technicians, and support staff can use to engage interactively with medical images.

With Grace, users can unlock diagnostic, clinical, and operational value from medical imaging data. An organization's own data can be used to securely fine tune the model for use in applications that allow users to then converse with medical imaging studies about findings, alternative imaging views, suggested surgical interventions, and treatment protocols. The model also supports non-clinical use cases including workflow, billing and coding review, and QA, providing a one-API shop for all the data needed to support the imaging sector.

Grace has been meticulously developed using over a petabyte of permission-based, anonymized medical imaging study data. These studies have been enriched with corresponding reports to ensure robust training for commercial deployment across extensive datasets, spanning both 2D and 3D modalities and inclusive of longitudinal imaging studies through strategic collaborations with key partners like Gradient Health. At scale, Grace will contain approximately five trillion parameters ? five times more than current commercial generative models trained on one trillion parameters. Committed to responsible AI practices, Grace has been developed with a privacy-centric approach using healthcare industry-standard quality management systems based on the ISO 13485. In preparation for widespread release, HOPPR is actively engaging with partners such as RadNet and Rad AI to refine its offerings to meet the precise needs of the healthcare sector.

"We are thrilled to launch the beta HOPPR foundation model to trusted PACS vendors and developers to fine tune models and provide feedback to prepare us for commercial expansion in Q1 of 2024. Grace represents a game-changing advance for HOPPR and the broader medical imaging space, which stands to benefit enormously from the transformative potential of AI to improve the efficiency and quality of clinical care," said Dr. Khan M. Siddiqui, CEO of HOPPR.

HOPPR developed its foundation model exclusively on AWS using Amazon SageMaker, with plans to utilize AWS HealthImaging, Amazon Bedrock, and other services for data storage, inferencing, and model development in the future as it's scaled. Working together, the companies aim to address key obstacles to optimal AI use in medical imaging:

Dynamic Integration: Many current AI solutions for medical imaging do not fully meet the needs of medical imaging professionals. They are static and lack integration with broader patient context. HOPPR enables cross-modality comparison, historical and contextual perspective, real-time prompt and recall, and system-wide treatment planning. Faster and More Cost-Effective Application Development: Clinical app developers spend 12 to 18 cost-intensive months training and developing models and equally lengthy periods of integration and deployment. By exposing the Foundation Model for fine tuning by clients, the development process can be compressed to about a month. Increased Image Depth: Most available AI tools were developed by downsampling images, meaning 99% of the data contained in the medical imaging study is not available in traditional training models. Whereas many current AI solutions require downsampling grey scale to 256 shades, HOPPR sees 65,000 shades of grey. HOPPR has developed proprietary vision transformers for its development of the model.

"Accelerating AI's clinical and operational value in medical imaging eases burdens for radiologists, providers, and support staff, which could ultimately result in better patient outcomes," said Dan Sheeran, General Manager of Healthcare and Life Sciences at AWS. "We are excited to work with HOPPR to make fine tuning and deploying foundation models for medical imaging easier and faster ? decreasing the time to value from years to months."

In parallel with this milestone, HOPPR has received a $3 million funding round led by Health2047, a Silicon Valley-based venture studio founded by the American Medical Association. With this investment, HOPPR joins Health2047's portfolio of startups reshaping healthcare for the future. Other companies in the portfolio include Evidium, Medcurio, Phenomix Sciences, ScholarRx SiteBridge Research and Zing Health.

"Health2047 is proud to support HOPPR's work to build a powerful data repository for researchers and clinicians," said Lawrence K. Cohen, CEO of Health2047. "As a physician, imagine if you could chat with imaging studies, asking them for treatment protocols, alternate views, and more. HOPPR's work to unleash the full potential of AI for medical imaging promises to spur innovation and improve efficiency and outcomes."

Alongside AWS and early partners RadNet and Rad AI, HOPPR will conduct live demonstrations at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual conference November 26-29. The demonstrations will highlight the potential for solutions to leverage HOPPR's Foundation Model across radiology and healthcare. Visit HOPPR at Booth #4059, AWS at Booth #4724, RadNet at Booth #4547, and Rad AI at Booth #4733.

To join the HOPPR AI Beta program, please visit our website and sign up for early access. HOPPR - Contact Us Page ? HOPPR

About HOPPR AI: HOPPR is changing medical imaging forever by providing data back to clinical systems that will enable physicians, technicians, and clinical support staff to "converse" with medical imaging studies, transforming medical imaging interactions from static to dynamic. HOPPR has created both medical and administrative use cases that it will unveil with commercial partners at RSNA in November 2023.

About Health2047: Health2047 is a Silicon Valley venture studio powered by the American Medical Association. Health2047 is transforming healthcare at the system level, seeking powerful ideas, industry partners, and entrepreneurs to address systemic transformation in the areas of data, chronic disease, and productivity. Health2047's deep relationships with both the AMA and its network of strategic partners create a unique force multiplier that helps drive informed, large-scale change in healthcare. For more information, please visit www.health2047.com.

SOURCE HOPPR

26 november 2023 at 08:00

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Polish carriers are still blocking four checkpoints on the border with Ukraine. However, the Shehyni checkpoint will be blocked around the clock starting tomorrow, November 27.

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Andriy Demchenko, the spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, announced this during a telethon. He emphasized that these are the four routes where trucks weighing more than 7.5 tons can cross the border, as other checkpoints on the border with Poland only accept trucks up to 7.5 tons.

At the Yahodyn-Dorogusk, Krakovets-Korcheva, Rava-Ruska-Kreben, and Medyka-Shehyni checkpoints, approximately 3,500 trucks were waiting to enter Poland and return to Ukraine.

"Most of them were in front of the Shehyni checkpoint, as well as in front of the Rava-Ruska checkpoint. I would like to add that, for example, near the Shehyni checkpoint, the protesters have been blocking traffic since November 23 and until now during the daytime from 9:00 to 20:00 (Polish time). And tomorrow the blocking is to start around the clock," he stated.

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Demchenko reiterated that these are the routes where trucks weighing more than 7.5 tons can cross the border, as other checkpoints on the border with Poland only accept trucks up to 7.5 tons.

Poland's border with Ukraine is blocked by the far-right

Polish truck drivers have been blocking border crossings since November 6. The Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Mykola Solskyi, has clarified that the blockade was not organized by the Polish government but by "a specific association and a small number of carriers." Ukrainian carriers confirm that the border blockade was supported by only one association of Polish carriers that had previously worked extensively with Russia.

The political representation was taken over by a Polish politician and Ukrainophobe, Raphael Mekler. His party has a small representation in the Sejm, representing the far right: they are against Poland's integration into the EU and in favor of limiting ties with Ukraine. However, the far-right does not enjoy much support in Poland (they have only 6 seats out of 460 in the parliament).

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As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia offered its assistance in resolving the situation on the Polish-Ukrainian border. The head of the diplomatic department, Krisjanis Karins, held talks with the Polish Minister for EU Affairs Shimon Shinkovskiy vel Senk.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Tricastin nuclear power plant in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux (southeastern France), February 26, 2023. OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP

"It is achievements such as these that enable us to judge the value of a people, what it represents in modern times, what it wants and what it is capable of doing." These were the words used by French General Charles de Gaulle in 1967 during a visit to the nuclear facilities at Pierrelatte (southeastern France)  before the plant was called Tricastin. As if the country's entire destiny lay in mastering this technology, which was the product of military research and controlled by a handful of countries at the time.

Half a century later, the image of the atom in the French collective imagination has hardly changed: more than anywhere else, nuclear power is associated with sovereignty and independence. What other parliament could have investigated "the reasons for France's loss of sovereignty and energy independence," as the Assemblee Nationale did in early 2023, without even having to specify in its title the core of the subject, namely nuclear energy?

This vision of the origins of energy is the source of much disagreement in Brussels, where it clashes almost daily with the German perception, which is almost diametrically opposed. It's hard to understand this divergence without considering what this energy represents in the political culture of the two neighbors: an emblem of military and strategic power in France, a symbol of existential danger and civic decay in Germany, where it fueled the creation of the environmental movement. Nuclear power perfectly sums up the relationship between these two countries and their own political power.

'A Colbertistic form of energy'

According to former French-German Green MEP Daniel Cohn-Bendit, "Nuclear energy is a centralizing form of energy that needs to be controlled by a strong central state," which fits in well with France's Jacobin tradition and its system of large government bodies. "Germany is very attached to federalism, and nuclear energy is perceived there as an energy that escapes the control of citizens, that dispossesses them," he continued, whereas, in France, the state is "the backbone of society, responsible for solving all problems." The result is a "Gaullist tradition of support for major state projects that guarantee our country's independence," summed up Philippe Etienne, former French ambassador to Germany. "This type of thinking is much more natural in France than in Germany."

As an integrative technology, nuclear power requires centralized safety authorities, even if the plants are spread across the country. "You can't build nuclear power in a country where the state is weak, because the safety authority will be weak," said Louis Gallois, former chairman of EADS (now Airbus). Nuclear power also needs a government capable of planning ahead for 30 or 50 years. "It's a Colbertistic form of energy, which is not part of German culture," he said. From Germany's point of view, this highly sophisticated technology implies too great a dependence on a state whose reliability is questionable, since it was not authorized to master this technology for military purposes in the post-war period. The 2011 incident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, in a country as technologically advanced as Japan, further undermined the credibility of nuclear energy.

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A FRESH planning row has erupted over a mural on a house in Limerick with two women now facing the prospect of removing the artwork which was completed to honour a deceased friend.

As revealed by the Limerick Leader, Aoife Kiely and Darlene OCarroll enlisted an artist to paint a mural of the late Patrick Foley on the gable wall of the home they live at in Nicker near Pallasgreen.

They said the cottage was devised to them by Mr Foley in his will.

The artwork features Patrick Foley with his dog and an inscription, 'ar gcara maith which translates from Irish to English as our good friend.

But in July 2022 they were forced to seek permission from council to keep the mural after local planners said they had been alerted to what it described as an unauthorised development.

Three relatives of Mr Foley, his brother Donal Foley, his niece Elaine Holmes and his sister Mary Holmes had all expressed opposition to the mural in letters to the local authority.

All three say the home remains only rented.

Elaine Holmes claimed the mural had created deep emotional stress and is extremely insensitive to the late Patrick Foley, his family, friends and neighbours.

Council then rejected the application to keep the mural, prompting Ms Kiely and Ms O'Carroll to seek the intervention of An Bord Pleanala.

Despite a recommendation from an inspector at the national appeals body that the mural should stay, the board itself overruled this, and has refused permission for its retention.

Its left the pair now facing the prospect of having to remove the artwork which they had commissioned last year.

Now, in a further development, Mary Holmes and Donal Foley have put forward a fresh objection to a separate planning application sought by the occupants of the cottage in Nicker.

Ms Kiely and Ms OCarroll sought planning permission from council for the construction of a new vehicular access to the side of the home in the village to allow for off-street parking.

We are objecting to this request by Aoife Kiely and Darlene OCarroll as they are not registered owners. His (Mr Foleys) estate is currently in probate. They are currently renting the property, the relatives of the late Mr Foley wrote in a letter to local planners.

Solicitors acting for Ms Kiely and Ms OCarroll responded in a letter to council.

It stated that Patrick Foley, currently the registered owner of the home at Nicker devised and bequeathed the property to the pair, as tenants in common with equal shares.

The solicitors added a grant of probate - a legal process in which a will is proven in court - was issued in January this year.

Darlene OCarroll and Aoife Kiely are the persons entitled to become the registered owners of the property which they inherited from the late Patrick Foley, the letter concluded.

A decision is due on the new vehicular access at the property by December 14.
A YOUNG woman who fled the war in Ukraine as she lived near a nuclear power station, was robbed by a drug addict two days after arriving in Limerick.

The victim, aged in her mid-twenties, said she left a warzone to feel safer but I dont feel safe now.

Limerick Circuit Court heard she was scared, terrified and completely in shock after the robbery.

Robert Moran, aged 34, of Johnsgate village, Limerick city pleaded guilty to one count of robbery in the city centre on July 7, 2023.

Prosecuting barrister John OSullivan, instructed by State Solicitor Padraig Mawe, outlined the evidence with the assistance of Detective Garda Peter Connolly.

Mr OSullivan said the injured party went into a laneway off Little Glentworth Street to either make or take a phone call.

She placed her backpack on the ground beside her. Robert Moran, who was on a bicycle, grabbed the backpack as he passed.

She tried to grab it but he would not let go.

She was knocked to the ground, scraping her knuckles and knees. She was scared, terrified and completely in shock, he said.

The court heard Mr Moran fell from his bike and escaped on foot.

The victims backpack contained her earpods, pink purse, Ukrainian passport, documents, lipstick and 100 in cash and coins.

Mr OSullivan said there were two gardai in the vicinity dealing with a road traffic collision who heard the victim screaming, came to her assistance and ran in the same direction as Mr Moran.

Gardai found the backpack and a hoodie in bushes in James Street.

He was seen on CCTV, which was harvested, not wearing his hoodie and arrested on July 9.

Mr OSullivan said Mr Moran told gardai he had taken crack cocaine and tablets and took the money for the purpose of buying drugs.

He said the victim lived in the north of Ukraine near a nuclear power station and was very frightened by the ongoing situation.

She told gardai she lived in a warzone.

The court heard the robbery occurred two days after the woman arrived in Limerick.

I thought I would feel safer here but I dont feel safe now, she told gardai.

Mr OSullivan put it to Det Garda Connolly that Mr Moran was a long-standing recidivist?

Yes, said the detective garda. Mr Moran has a number of previous convictions including for robbery, burglary and carrying a firearm with criminal intent.

Jack Nicholas, defence barrister, said it was obviously a very distressing episode. He said Mr Moran made full and frank admissions including telling gardai, It was me I did it.

Mr Moran went on to say: Jail is the best place for me. Im sorry. Its worse she is from Ukraine. I seen it on the TV. If I can pay her back in any way...

Mr Nicholas put it to the detective that the victim got all her items back apart from the cash which was to buy drugs. Detective Garda Connolly agreed.

Mr Nicholas said there have been a number of tragedies in Mr Morans family including the death of his nephew Wassiou Ayawe Moran in an incident involving a jet ski in Killaloe.

My client has instructed me to apologise. He has an all encompassing drug addiction. He is remanded in custody on this, said Mr Nicholas.

Judge Dermot Sheehan asked how Mr Moran is getting on in prison. Mr Nicholas said his instructions are that he is doing well.

It is the only place he puts on weight, said the barrister.

Judge Sheehan asked for a governors report before adjourning sentencing.

He clearly has a profound addiction that he is trying to do something about, said the judge.
SOFTWARE company Mavarick has been announced as the overall winner of a prestigious national contest for start-up firms.

Mavarick, based in the Engine building in Limerick city centre, provides solutions to help manufacturers streamline their processes.

Now, management at the company have won 100,000 to invest in their business after it was named overall winner of the InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition.

The largest business competition of its kind on the island, the final of the event took place in Clontarf Castle.

Designed to help start-ups and early-stage businesses get investor ready, the competition provides participating companies with the opportunity to improve their investment pitches, get expert feedback on their business plans and gain exposure to venture capitalists, business angels and some of the islands leading industry experts and entrepreneurs.

Mavarick also won the best New Start category and the competitions Sustainability / Low Carbon Award with its 20,000 prize, as recognition of the best investment proposal from a company operating in the low carbon / green sector.

Dr Paul Byrnes, Mavarick chief executive and co-founder said: The InterTradeIreland Seedcorn competition is a fantastic all-island initiative, and it is great that they are recognising companies for their work on sustainability and carbon reduction innovation. The competition has been an invaluable experience and we have learned a lot about the investment process that will really help us in the next stages of our business plans.

Margaret Hearty, chief Executive at InterTradeIreland, said: The diverse range of companies participating in this years InterTradeIreland Seedcorn competition has been a testament to the vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem on the island of Ireland.

Mavarick, which is founded by second-generation manufacturers, also won a Chamber business award on Friday night last.

The firm was named best emerging business at the event in the Limerick Strand Hotel. See story above for a rundown of the other awards.
A LIMERICK man diagnosed with dementia has received an honorary doctorate for outstanding contributions to his field.

Chair of The Alzheimer Society of Ireland's Irish Dementia Working Group (IDWG) Kevin Quaid, has received an Honorary Doctorate of business administration from Longford College on November 10 at The Aviva Stadium.

Mr Quaid was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2017 after a previous diagnosis of Parkinsons disease.

He is also the vice-chair of the Alzheimer Europe European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPD) and the founder of Lewy Body Ireland. Mr Quaid is also a published author and has written two books about his experiences with Dementia.

In acknowledgement of this news, Mr Quaid said: I am humbled to receive this doctorate; Id like to thank the people of Longford International College and Rushford Business School for choosing to recognise me with this honour. Im extremely grateful to my colleagues in The IDWG, EWGPD and The ASI for their support in my advocacy work; I would not be here without them.

An estimated 2,691 people live with dementia in Limerick, and more than 11,000 people develop the disease annually.
THE YEAR 1973 will be remembered as a joyous one for Limerick hurling supporters but also for bingo players in east Limerick and further afield.

Cappamore Development Association (CDA) held their first bingo night and it has gone from strength to strength ever since.

The bingo committee will hold a 50th anniversary night in Cappamore Community Centre on Thursday, November 30 at 8pm.

Total prizes on the night of 5,000, including guaranteed bingo money of 4,000.

Funds raised over the last five decades have helped the CDA to maintain the community centre to be available to all groups.

Apart from Covid and a couple of other exceptions, there has been bingo every Thursday night with guaranteed prize money of 2,620 on top of bingo lotto and special draw.

Pat Fogarty, CDA chairperson, said great credit is due to all the bingo committee volunteers who come each Thursday night. Mr Fogarty, Eddie Murphy, Mary Murphy and Jerry Duggan, bingo manager, were founder members and still remain on the committee. The first numbers were called by the late Pearse Jackson.

Down through the years the bingo committee has helped many local groups and Milford Hospice with fundraising nights and will continue to support various groups each year.

Noel Gleeson, CDA treasurer and bingo committee member, said the anniversary bingo will be a night of celebration. He thanked all the bingo attendees for their continuous support each week.

Tommie Ryan, of the bingo committee, said buses come each week from Scariff, Kilfinane, Limerick city and it is a great social night for all patrons.

We will have a raffle for hampers and turkeys and also a free draw for everyone attending on November 30, said Mr Ryan.

Ger Lynch, recently appointed CDA secretary, said it is some achievement to have it going for half a century and hopes the people of the parish and local areas would support the big event. See county notes for photo of the bingo committee.
AS OF September this year, the Government has been running a nationwide media campaign, encouraging people to get out and learn a new skill. As part of this campaign, journalists across the country, including myself have been learning new skills in an attempt to encourage the general population to do the same.

The European Year of Skills 2023 initiative is being run by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (ETB) have a large number of courses suitable for picking up a new skill and I chose to take part in their Nearly Zero Energy Building Fundamental Awareness day course, something completely new to me.

The course is offered at their Green Innovation Campus in Roxboro.

Buildings in the developed world consume 70% of the total electricity production and are responsible for 40% of total CO2 emissions, so keeping your home as energy efficient as possible is a great way to help in the current climate crisis.

During the course, which ran from 9am to 5pm, we were taught about a wide range of topics on how to keep your home more energy efficient, with a lot of the emphasis and retaining heat in your house as loss of heat in your home is one of the main causes for energy usage in the house.

To tell you I knew little to nothing about how to keep your home more energy efficient would be an understatement, I had to nod in agreement as Kevin, who taught the course said to everyone: Im sure we all know what a BER rating is. I rent in Limerick city so I believed keeping my home energy efficient wasnt really in my reach besides skimping on heating and other energy-eating appliances around the house.

For those as clueless as I am, a BER (building energy rating) is exactly what it says, it ranks your home's energy rating.

Improving your home's BER can increase the warmth of your house while also reducing your energy bills. The BER is ranked from A being the best to G being the worst.

There are very limited buildings with an A rating across Ireland. As mentioned in Irelands National Retrofit Plan as part of the Climate Action Plan 2021, 500,000 homes across Ireland are set to have a BER B2 rating, with the installation of 400,000 heat pumps across the nation.

Personally, one of the greatest advantages of the course was learning more about mould and condensation, an issue faced in older houses with bad insulation, which can be an issue in my home as it was built pre-1960.

Condensation tends to form at approximately 9.3 degrees, when warm air comes in contact with cooler air, which is why it is most noticeable on windows as they are one of if not the worst objects for heat retention in your house.

Mould forms at approximately 12.6 degrees, so if your house is not properly heated, or heat easily escapes as your home is not properly insulated, mould can easily form, which can be a hazard to human respiratory health.

As part of the course, and probably the main new skill I learnt as part of the day was a practical workshop on how to make your house airtight. This involved being given a section of a window replica and having to wrap an airtight membrane around it which will help with air retention.

I by no means mastered it and I cant imagine ever making my home airtight myself if I ever buy or build one in the future but it was definitely a decent skill to learn.

The European Year of Skills is definitely a worthwhile initiative that gets you out of your comfort zone.

I never expected to be sitting in a classroom/college environment ever again and being thrown in with people who knew more about the topic than me was definitely a lot on the day but it gave an interesting outlook into the lives of people from other professions.

Limerick and Clare ETBs College of Further Education and Training run a large array of courses from sport related, to film and photography and even cooking courses.

There is definitely something for everyone to learn a new skill.
Meta Platforms sought to design its social-media products in ways to take advantage of known weaknesses of young users brains, according to newly unredacted legal filings citing internal company documents.

An internal 2020 Meta presentation shows that the company sought to engineer its products to capitalize on the parts of youth psychology that render teens predisposed to impulse, peer pressure, and potentially harmful risky behavior," the filings show. References to the documents were initially redacted in the suit, which was filed in late October by members of a coalition of 41 states and the District of Columbia, alleging that Meta has intentionally built Facebook and Instagram with addictive features that harm young users. Meta approved the filing of an unredacted version on Wednesday.

Teens are insatiable when it comes to feel good dopamine effects," the Meta presentation shows, according to the unredacted filing, describing the companys existing product as already well-suited to providing the sort of stimuli that trigger the potent neurotransmitter. And every time one of our teen users finds something unexpected their brains deliver them a dopamine hit."

Well-being concerns were especially pronounced for younger teens, some Meta executives involved with youth well-being issues internally acknowledged.

Its not regulators or critics who think Instagram is unhealthy for young teensits everyone from researchers and academic experts to parents," Karina Newton, Instagrams head of policy, wrote in a May 2021 email cited by the attorneys general. The blueprint of the app is inherently not designed for an age group that dont have the same cognitive and emotional skills that older teens do."

Meta says it didnt design its products to be addictive for teens.

The complaint mischaracterizes our work using selective quotes and cherry-picked documents," said Stephanie Otway, a spokeswoman for the company.

Meta also allegedly condoned usage of Facebook and Instagram by preteens, according to the unredacted court filings.

The states allege that Meta has long known that its platform has weak protections against usage by children below the age of 13, who are generally barred from the platform by both Metas rules and federal law. In the U.S., company algorithms estimated Meta has as many as four million underage users. Rather than seeking to crack down on underage usage, according to the complaint, Meta created charts boasting Instagrams penetration into 11- and 12-year-old demographic cohorts."

In December 2017, an Instagram employee indicated that Meta had a method to ascertain young users ages but advised that you probably dont want to open this pandoras box regarding age verification improvements," the states say in the suit.

Some senior executives raised the possibility that cracking down on underage usage could hurt Metas business. In a 2019 email, Metas head of global safety, Antigone Davis, asked Nick Clegg, the companys president of global affairs, to clarify whether the goal for identifying users under the age of 13 was to remove them or whether we are waiting to test growth impact before committing to anything."

Davis later expressed frustration that the company appeared willing to study underage usage for business reasons but not for efforts to remove them, according to a 2020 email cited in the complaint. The states say Meta made little progress on automated detection systems or adequately staffing the team that reviewed user reports of underage activity.

Meta at times has a backlog of 2-2.5 million under-13 accounts awaiting action," according to the complaint.

Otway, the Meta spokeswoman, said Instagram works to remove underage users when it finds them. Because verifying the age of people online is a complex industry problem, she said, the company supports legislation that would allow parents to control what apps users under 16 can download.

The unredacted citations also demonstrate the companys communications staff has, at points, expressed qualms about the difficulty of arguing that Meta is a responsible steward of young users.

Our own research confirmed what everyone has long suspected," Otway wrote to Instagram head Adam Mosseri after The Wall Street Journal notified the company in August 2021 that it had obtained records in which Instagrams well-being team concluded that the platform negatively affected the self-esteem of a significant portion of teen girls.

The unredacted material also includes allegations that Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg instructed his subordinates to give priority to boosting its platforms usage above the wellbeing of users.

In one email thread stretching from late 2017 into early 2018, Zuckerbergs top deputiesincluding Chief of Product Chris Cox and current Chief Marketing Officer Alex Schultzbacked a proposal to ease off the companys heavy use of notifications, which are push alerts meant to bring users onto Facebook and Instagram more regularly. Such notices were internally thought to aggravate what the company called problematic use." Such use included when users reported that their inability to stop using social media was detrimental to their work, sleep or social life. Problematic use was especially an issue for teens, according to internal studies previously reviewed by the Journal. But Meta relied on the product to increase usage growth, especially among teens, who had a higher tolerance" for being interrupted by notifications than adult users.

Fundamentally I believe that we have abused the notifications channel as a company," wrote Schultz in the unredacted email thread, concurring with Cox, who said the company shouldnt back off doing what was better for people" because usage metrics were down.

Zuckerberg overrode them, according to the unredacted portions of the complaint, with executive Naomi Gleit, now head of product at Meta, saying that daily usage is a bigger concern for Mark right now than user experience."

Zuckerberg also repeatedly dismissed warnings from senior company officials that its flagship social-media platforms were harming young users, according to unsealed allegations in a lawsuit filed by Massachusetts earlier this month.

Otway disputed the contention by the state attorneys general that the company gave priority to its own wellbeing over that of its users.

This conversationfrom over five years agohas nothing to do with peoples wellbeing," Otway said, calling user experience a broad term." Otway added that the company subsequently added optional features such as quiet mode" that encourages users to consider closing the app when scrolling late at night.

The complaint cites numerous other executives making public claims that were allegedly contradicted by internal documents. While Davis told Congress that the company didnt consider profitability when designing products for teens, a 2018 internal email stated that product teams should keep in mind that The lifetime value of a 13 y/o teen is roughly $270" when making product decisions.

While the company publicly played down its responsibility for contributing to the death of Molly Russella British 13-year-old who took her life after consuming what a coroner later concluded was a steady stream of recommended content glorifying self-harman internal document found a palpable risk of similar incidents because its algorithmic Platform features were leading users to distressing content," according to an internal Meta document cited in the unredacted complaint.

Write to Jeff Horwitz at jeff.horwitz@wsj.com
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi yet again launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while accusing him of spreading violence and hatred" in the country. Addressing the public in poll-bound Telangana on Sunday, Gandhi reiterated that he will take on PM Modi at the Center after defeating the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana.

"The fight in Telangana is between the BRS and the Congress and we are going to defeat the BRS here. Later, we will defeat Narendra Modi in Delhi. He has spread violence and hatred across the nation," Rahul Gandhi said while speaking in the Sangareddy district of poll-bound Telangana. The Congress leader added, "Hum nafrat ke bazaar me mahobbat ki dukaan kholne jaa rhe hai (We are going to open the shop of love in the market of hate)...That's why, support the Congress."

Earlier on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi visited a restaurant in Hyderabad and got involved in a candid interaction with the staff and visitors present there at the time.

Clad in a white polo T-shirt paired with regular trousers, the former Congress national president was seen exchanging pleasantries with the staff and visitors at the eatery and indulging in a casual conversation, news agency ANI reported.

Sharing details of his interaction, the Congress leader posted from his official handle, "Today in Ashoknagar, Hyderabad, I met the youth who are preparing for various competitive exams. I was moved by the fact that they had hoped that they would get success if Telangana came, but even 10 years after the state's arrival, their aspirations have not been fulfilled."

Gandhi took a swipe at the BRS government in the state led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and said, "The youth of Telangana have been among the worst affected by the misrule of the government over the past 10 years. But they are resilient and full of potential, as was evident from my interaction with them in Ashok Nagar, Hyderabad, today."

"It is our duty to transform their dreams into reality, which is why we have released a job calendar to fill 2 lakh government jobs within the first year of our government in Telangana. This is not just a promise; it is Congress's guarantee!," Gandhi added.
Farmers on Sunday launched a three-day protest at the Mohali-Chandigarh border over the pending demands of MSP (minimum support price) guarantee and debt waiver among others.

Earlier, farmer union leaders had said that a large number of farmers would be participating in the protest and they would march towards the governor's residence unless stopped midway.

While the protests will be confined to the Mohali-Chandigarh border on Sunday and Monday, after the Guru Parv celebrations, the SKM will deliberate on marching to Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh, they also said.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation comprising farmer unions from Punjab and other states, is demanding a guarantee for MSP from the central government, withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the year-long agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, waiver of debt, pension for farmers, etc.

The farmers are also demanding the withdrawal of FIRs registered for burning their crop residue and compensation for crop damage caused by floods.

The security arrangements at the Chandigarh-Mohali border have been beefed up.

All the arrangements have been made by the police administration. We knew that for three days, farmers would sit on the Mohali-Chandigarh border. Considering this, the Mohali police, along with the Chandigarh administration, have deployed security here along with water cannons and a fire brigade," said a report by ANI quoting Superintendent of Police (SP) Amandeep Brarar.

We are ready with multi-layered security. Arrangements have been made to ensure that common people don't face any kind of hassle during these 3 days," he added.

Corporate is looting and their lakhs and crores of rupees in debts are written off but not those of the farmers. These debt traps are driving our farmer friends to suicide. Through this protest, we are raising a demand that the loans or debts of farmers be written off at the earliest. The same was promised by the central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some state governments, too, made similar commitments," one of the protestors told ANI.

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When choosing a resort, travelers always assess its security level. Tourism in regions with high crime rates often suffers, and local authorities may not always be able to influence criminals or provide security guarantees to foreigners. In some cases, travelers are advised not to venture outside hotel complexes.

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Typically, tourists face threats from fraudsters, gangs, drug traffickers, and more. The editors of the Daily Star have highlighted three well-known destinations where it's better to avoid independent walks outside the resort area, especially at night.

Acapulco, Mexico

One of the oldest and most popular seaside resorts in Mexico has become a challenging destination for inattentive tourists in recent years. Due to regular clashes between drug traffickers and the police, shootings, and a high crime rate, visitors to the city may be at risk.

Foreigners are strongly advised not to venture deep into the resort and to avoid walking in streets far from tourist areas. In Acapulco, car arsons, thefts, and assaults are unfortunately common.

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Kingston, Jamaica

The main port and capital of Jamaica, washed by the Caribbean Sea, remains a popular tourist destination, but it is not considered a safe place to stay. Due to the high level of poverty in the country, attacks on wealthy foreigners for profit are common.

The primary risks for tourists include carjackings, home invasions, drug trafficking, vandalism, theft, assaults, and armed robberies. These risks can be mitigated by choosing to stay in a secure hotel during your vacation.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

No matter how attractive a vacation in Rio may seem, travelers should not overlook warnings about scams and violent crime. According to the Numbeo service, which assesses potential risks for tourists, Rio de Janeiro has been assigned a crime rating of 90.39, which is higher than the ratings for the aforementioned resorts - Acapulco has 76.97 points, and Kingston was assigned 78.82.

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Police officers work to protect the safety of residents in the city, but they face challenges in managing the large number of criminals.

Previously, OBOZ.UA wrote about countries where single women can organize a safe trip. These countries exhibit a low level of crime and violence, promote equality between men and women, and have a well-developed law enforcement system.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
Defence stocks grabbed attention on Friday thanks to reports that the Defence Acquisitions Council is expected to give preliminary approval for three crucial projects amounting to Rs1.4 trillion at the end of this month. Bharat Dynamics Ltds shares closed 5% up. In any case, its prospects are on a better footing now. Worries about delayed execution despite a strong order book appear to have eased to an extent.

True, in the first half of FY24 (H1FY24), revenue fell by almost 26%, hurt by supply chain challenges. But in the September quarter (Q2FY24), Bharat Dynamics revenues grew by 15% year-on-year to Rs610 crore after three straight quarters of revenue drop. Still, it must register an 81.5% growth in the second half to meet the full-year revenue target of Rs3,200 crore.

View Full Image Turning tide

The company doesnt appear to be losing sleep over this. When Antique Stock Broking recently met the management of Bharat Dynamics, the company said it was confident of meeting its revenue guidance, aided by timely availability of components. Analysts are broadly optimistic. Q4 is generally the strongest quarter for Bharat Dynamics, and it would see significant ramp-up in execution, thus aiding the company to achieve its revenue target," said Harshit Kapadia, analyst, Elara Securities (India).

Further, it augurs well Bharat Dynamicss order book was robust at Rs20,766 crore as at September-end, up 3.6% versus six months earlier. This provides revenue visibility of 9.6 times on a trailing 12-month basis. We believe Bharat Dynamics has the ability to execute its current order book by FY27E, and considering the company is DRDOs (Defence Research and Development Organisation) production agency, it will maintain a steady inflow of orders and growth will be uninterrupted," said Antiques analysts.

As such, so far in 2023, Bharat Dynamics shares are up 23%. The fact that it has not cut its revenue guidance has cheered investor sentiment, says Kapadia. Plus, valuations arent too demanding, with the stock trading at almost 23 times its FY26 estimated earnings. One must monitor the ongoing Israel war as that could delay supply of components for one of Bharat Dynamicss key projectsmedium range surface to air missile. In this backdrop, poor execution by the company and failure to meet its revenue target may throw cold water on investor hopes.
Conduct thorough research to understand the true value of the company against its market price, says Jitesh Agarwal, Founder, Treelife.

In an interview with MintGenie, Agarwal said that investors must regularly review their mutual fund holdings.

Edited Excerpts:

Q. Many investors are queuing up to invest in IPOs. What factors do you advise investors to look into before putting their money into any of them?

Many investors end up subscribing to IPOs based on the brand value however it is necessary to evaluate the following factors before investing in a company:

The companys current financial health

Industry prospects

Market competition

Credibility of the management team

Offer price in relation to the companys valuation

Q. Many companies raising money through IPOs are overvalued. This has caused unrealistic expectations and losses to investors due to corrections. What is your perspective on the same?

Overvaluation in IPOs is surely a concern as it can lead to unrealistic expectations and subsequent market corrections which could erode investor wealth, especially retail investors. Investors should be cautious and conduct thorough research to understand the true value of the company against its market price.

Take, for example, Paytm/Nykaa where both companies experienced significant share price declines post-IPO, raising concerns about overvaluation.

Q. Companies looking to go public must prioritize good governance and transparency. Why do you think that investors ignore such essential factors before assessing their choice of investment?

Investors generally overlook governance and transparency because of the temptation to earn quick profits, market hype, or insufficient information. Its important for investors to prioritize these factors to ensure long-term sustainability and mitigate any foreseeable risk.

Q. Many mutual fund houses are investing in overvalued businesses. Do you think that investors must refrain from continuing with such mutual fund holdings?

Investors especially retail should regularly review their mutual fund holdings and assess whether the funds investment strategy aligns with their risk appetite and investment goals. If a fund consistently invests in overvalued businesses, investors should reconsider their current investments and explore more prudent options.

Q. What is your advice to companies aiming to make a successful transition to the public markets?

Companies should focus on establishing strong governance, financial transparency, a clear business strategy for the future, and effective communication with potential investors about the current business. Building a track record of profitability and clear growth prospects is also crucial for a successful transition.

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Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, labelled the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as "horrendous" and emphasized the global nature of terrorism, urging collective action against it. Speaking to ANI, Gilon stressed the disruption caused by such events, likening the attackers' aim to that of Hamas, stating, "Their aim is not only to kill but also to create panic."

Gilon also echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stance on terrorism, affirming Israel's unwavering support for India in combating this menace. He underscored the imperative for countries to unite unequivocally in the fight against terrorism, asserting, "When you come to fight terrorism, there are no ifs or buts."

Also Read | Remembering 26/11: 15 years on since the terror attack  all you need to know

"We are telling the Indians, like India is always standing with Israel, more recently but always. Whenever we need it, India is on our side. Indians have to know, we are on your side. When you come to fight terrorism, there are no ifs or buts. We are working together, we will finish terrorism," Gilon said.

Solidarity Amidst Tragic Memory

During the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 attacks, Gilon reinforced the shared commitment between Israel and India in combating terrorism, emphasising their joint efforts in fighting this global threat.

Last week, just ahead of the anniversary, Israel reaffirmed its classification of LeT as a terrorist organisation. Speaking to PTI, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat said the designation, originally enacted in 2013, has been recently reasserted in official records.

Also Read: Caller warns Mumbai Police of 26/11-like terror attack again if

Six Jews were among those killed during the attack when terrorists held residents captive at the Jewish outreach centre of Chabad House (Nariman House). This also comes amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas.

Reflecting on the coordinated assaults carried out by terrorists in 2008, Gilon highlighted the strategic selection of targets for maximum impact. The attackers targeted locations frequented by Europeans, Indians, and Jews, leaving a lasting imprint on the collective memory.

Remembering 26/11

On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists infiltrated south Mumbai via the sea and launched attacks at several locations in the city. The indiscriminate attack perpetrated by the Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) claimed the lives of 166 individuals and injured more than 300 people.

The swift response to the attacks led to the neutralization of the nine LeT terrorists. Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist, was arrested and later sentenced to death in 2010. His execution, in 2012, marked a closure in the pursuit of justice for the victims.

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Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Sunday said the final draft of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (commonly known as CAA) is expected to be ready by March 30 next year, News agency PTI reported.

Addressing a gathering of Matua community at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district, the BJP MP from Kheri constituency in Uttar Pradesh, said nobody can snatch citizenship rights from the community, adding that the Act passed by the Parliament in December 2019 ensured that the members of the community had become citizens of this country.

Also Read | Airbus to scale up defence production with Tata arm

You will get the full rights of citizenship. In the absence of proper documents, no action can be initiated against you. This we have included in the Act," the minister told the gathering. He was joined by Minister of State for Shipping and Bongaon BJP MP Santanu Thakur at the event

"The process to roll out CAA has gained momentum in the last couple of years... some issues are being sorted out. Nobody can snatch citizenship rights from the Matuas. By March next year, the final draft of the CAA is expected to be ready for coming into force," PTI quoted the minister as saying amid thundering applause.

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The Citizenship (Amendment) Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan entering India before December 31, 2014.

Trinamool Congress has ensured the rights of Matuas as citizens of the country, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen said, adding that the saffron party remembers Matuas and the CAA only during elections. They will never be able to roll out CAA in West Bengal.

Also Read | Israel Hamas truce: Is this the end of the conflict

The BJP's false claims are becoming clear to the Matuas and others. The saffron party will be rejected by all in next year's elections, the news agency reported him as saying.

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Sunday conducted simultaneous raids in four states in connection with a probe into a Pakistan-backed Ghazwa-e-Hind terror module case in Bihar, PTI reported.

The raids were conducted at the premises of suspects in Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, Gir Somnath in Gujarat, Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh and Kozhikode in Kerala. Several incriminating documents and digital devices were seized during the raid, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

Also Read | Malaysia scraps visa requirements for Indian tourists. Check details

NIA said the raids revealed links of the suspects whose premises were searched today with their Pakistan-based handlers.

"These suspects were in contact with the handlers and were involved in propagating the radical, anti-India idea of Ghazwa-e-Hind," the spokesperson of the federal probe agency said.

Also Read | Centre asks states to review hospital preparedness amid China pneumonia scare

The Ghazwa-e-Hind terror module case is an ongoing NIA investigation into an alleged terror module operating in Bihar having links to Pakistan-based terrorist organisations, with an ulterior objective of raising sleeper cells for carrying out terrorist activities across the nation.

The case was initially registered by Bihar police on July 14, 2022, following the arrest of Marghoob Ahmad Danish alias "Tahir", the admin of the WhatsApp group Ghazwa-e-Hind, created by a Pakistani national identified as Zain.

On July 22 last year, the NIA took over the investigation from the Bihar police and filed a charge sheet against the accused in the case on January 6 under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The NIA probe revealed that Tahir had added many people from India as well as other countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Yemen, to the group. He was trying to motivate the group members with an ulterior objective of raising sleeper cells for carrying out terrorist activities across India.

He had also created another WhatsApp group in the name of 'BDGhazwa E HindBD', to which Bangladeshi nationals were added, the probe agency said.

"Aimed at radicalizing impressionable youths in the name of establishment of Ghazwa-e-Hind over the territory of India, the group was being operated by Pakistan-based suspects," the spokesperson said.

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New Delhi: India plans to showcase the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) at the upcoming UN Climate Conference (COP28) in the UAE, one of the worlds leading oil-producing nations.

As part of the advocacy, the government also plans to light up the iconic Burj Khalifa with GBA, said two people aware of the development.

The marquee alliance with India, the US and Brazil as its founding members was launched at the G20 summit hosted by New Delhi in September, and has grown rapidly, with a total of 22 countries having agreed to join the GBA.

The alliance has an eye on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec)-plus grouping, of which the UAE is a member, but is yet to fInd support from Saudi Arabia and Russia.

The plan also involves holding an industry roundtable on what the GBA would mean for the industry.

The move also gives a signal to the Opec+ grouping, which has ignored calls by New Delhi to increase production amid record high prices of petroleum products.

Russia, meanwhile, is part of the Opec+ that has been announcing successive production cuts at a time when global economic recovery has been fragile. We will showcase GBA at COP as advocacy. While we are the latest entrant, we are here and we are actually going to help you in decarbonization. Also, we will light up Burj Khalifa with GBA. We are looking at booking a slot," said one of the two government officials cited above requesting anonymity.

There is a growing traction for biofuels, with the global ethanol market valued at $99.06 billion in 2022 and predicted to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% to reach $162.12 billion by 2032 . GBA founders USA (52%), Brazil (30%) and India (3%) contribute 85% to ethanol production and make up 81% of consumption. Within a short period, a total of 12 international organizations have also agreed to join the GBA.

These include eight countries of the G20 groupingUSA, Brazil, India, South Africa, Argentina, Italy, Canada and Japan. The other countries include the UAE, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Philippines, Paraguay, Guyana, Iceland, Uganda, Finland, Kenya, Tanzania and Seychelles.

A dozen international organisations include the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Energy Agency, and International Civil Aviation Organization.

India has only 3% of the total global biofuel market in the world, yet we are becoming a leader in that. How did we create a niche space for India? One is the trajectory of uptake of biofuels. That in itself is a heartening experience from where we were to where we are now. The second thing is if we get to have the standards, the way in which the industry in India will get to benefit, then we have created a space for our companies," the first official said.

Queries emailed to the spokespersons of Indias ministries of petroleum and natural gas, external affairs and environment, forest and climate change on Wednesday evening remained unanswered at press time.

The GBAs focus is on speeding up biofuel adoption, creating new biofuels, setting internationally recognized standards and codes, identifying global best practices, and ensuring industry participation to have quantifiable outputs.

While first generation biofuels are produced from sugar, starch, corn, wheat and broken rice, among others, 2G or second-generation biofuels are produced from various types of non-food biomass, such as plant materials and animal waste. And 3G biofuel is produced from microorganisms such as bacteria and algae.

India has an ambitious biofuel roadmap under its national biofuel policy wherein the government has set a target to achieve 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025-26. The initial deadline to achieve 20% blending was 2030. The target of petrol supplies with 10% ethanol blending was achieved in June last year, ahead of the original schedule of November 2022.
The Central government has approved a proposal to merge the two wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh to create the largest tiger reserve in the country spanning 2,300 square kilometres, ANI reported on Sunday.

The Union government has issued a notification regarding the approval of the proposal to merge the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuarylocated in central Madhya Pradesh covering parts of Sagar, Damoh, Narsinghpur, and Raisen districtswith the Rani Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary in the Damoh district of the state, the report said citing a forest department official.

The department is working on its plan to make the new tiger reserve operational within the next two to three months, the officials said.

The new tiger reserve will not only provide a safe haven for the area's tiger population, which currently stands at 16 but also boost tourism and development in the region, ANI quoted Damoh's Forest Divisional Officer, MS Uikey as saying.

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He further said the tiger reserve, which will be centered around the Jabera area of Damoh, is also expected to attract more tigers to the area, further enhancing its conservation value, report said.

Expressing his optimism about the impact of the tiger reserve on Damoh's development, the Forest Divisional Officer said, "This is a big gift for Damoh. Damoh's name will be famous throughout the entire country. Damoh district of Bundelkhand is included in the backward areas but due to this tiger reserve, the possibilities of development will increase."

The reserve will also boost the local economy by attracting domestic as well as foreign tourists, Uikey added.

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The Indian Meteorological Department's (IMD) Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai has in its daily weather bulletin said it expects "likely heavy rains" at isolated places over Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, and Tiruvallur districts in Tamil Nadu today on November 26. A "light to moderate" rainfall warning has also been issued for Puducherry till November 26. "For the next two to three days, as far as Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry are concerned, light to moderate rainfall is expected. Heavy rainfall is expected in several districts, including Nilgiris and Coimbatore. If any change occurs, we will continue to monitor and inform you," Chennai Regional Meteorological Department, Director Balachandran said. He added that many areas of the state experienced heavy rains in the past 24 hours. All schools in Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai remained closed on November 25 due to heavy rain in the region, the District Collector has announced, as per an ANI report. Further, the Tamil Nadu Disaster Rescue team had on November 24 rescued 10 people who were trapped due to a landslide in the Sengal Combai Tribal Settlement on November 23 evening, ANI reported. The settlement is located in an interior forest area 20 km from Coonoor, in the Nilgiris district.

IMD Forecast

The IMD expects light to moderate rainfall at many places in India accompanied by isolated thunderstorms and lightning over Madhya Maharashtra, Konkan and Goa, Marathwada, Madhya Pradesh during November 24 -27; over Gujarat State on November 25 and 26.

It also expects thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by hail at isolated places over south Rajasthan, southwest Madhya Pradesh, north Madhya Maharashtra, and north Marathwada on November 26. Isolated heavy rainfall is likely over southwest Madhya Pradesh, north Madhya Maharashtra, and Gujarat Region on November 26, it added.

Further, light rainfall is also expected at isolated places over the Western Himalayan Region and plains of Northwest India during November 26-28. Thunderstorms and lightning accompanied by hail are likely at isolated places over Uttarakhand on November 27.

A cyclonic circulation is likely to emerge over South Andaman Sea and the neighbourhood around November 25. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the South Andaman Sea and its neighbourhood on November 26. It is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining Andaman Sea around November 27.
International tunneling expert Arnold Dix expressed optimism about the safe return of the 41 workers trapped in Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel, expressing hope that they would be home in time for Christmas. In a conversation with ANI, Dix emphasized the importance of the rescue operation focusing on ensuring the safe return of the labourers and rescuers.

Also Read | Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Auger drill stuck in the rubble, trapped workers likely to remain stuck for weeks: Top 10 updates

Dix stated, "It may take some time, perhaps up to a month, but I cannot specify the exact timeline. Rushing the process is not advisable. The priority is the safe return of these men, and I am confident they will be home for Christmas."

Clarifying his earlier statements, Dix also told ANI that he never assured a swift or easy rescue operation, reiterating his commitment to ensuring the safety of the workers above all else.

Technical Challenges

Today, Syed Ata Hasnain from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) highlighted the growing technical complexity of the rescue operation at the Silkyara tunnel. Hasnain underscored the unpredictable nature of the environment in which rescuers are operating.

Track | Uttarkashi tunnel collapse LIVE Updates here

Hasnain assured that despite the technical complexities, all 41 trapped workers were in stable conditions within the tunnel. He emphasised the challenges faced during operations in mountainous terrain, likening the situation to that of a war zone due to the unpredictability of such landscapes.

The Indian Air Force is airlifting advanced machinery to extract the damaged section of the auger machine from the tunnel. Hasnain conveyed that while the trapped workers were stable, challenges persisted due to the damaged machinery hindering the rescue operation.

Hasnain revealed plans to commence drilling within the next one to two days and highlighted the standby 12-member team from Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) prepared for vertical drilling in the tunnel. The final decision regarding the vertical drilling approach will be made jointly by SJVN and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

Also Read | Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Mountain resists machine once again, alternative methods sought to rescue trapped workers

Timeline of Events

The workers were trapped on November 12 when a section of the tunnel collapsed, leaving them stranded within a 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side. The affected area is within a 2-kilometre portion of the tunnel.

Rescue efforts have since been going on and international tunnelling experts have been called in for support. A number of teams have also arrived from across India with a number of mechanical equipment at the tunnel site to aid the operation.

The multi-agency rescue operation was halted yesterday, November 25, again when the blades of the Auger machine got stuck while drilling. Now that the officials are working out another option to rescue the trapped workers, the workers might remain trapped for another few weeks.

Also Read | Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Trapped brothers unaware of cousins' death, family says dont want them to know

In order to take stock of the situation inside the tunnel, an endoscopic camera is being used to send live visuals. The stranded workers are being sent solid food, medicines, multivitamins, anti-depressants, and other essentials through the six-inch wide pipe inside the tunnel where water and electricity are available.

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Rescue operations to free 41 construction workers, trapped for two weeks in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand, faced yet another setback on November 25. The drilling machine broke down, leaving rescuers with no choice but to manually remove rubble, stones and metal debris.

Uttarkashi tunnel collapse LIVE International expert Arnold Dix, heading the rescue team in Uttarakhand, shared the news that the drilling machine is beyond repair, adding, "The mountain has once again resisted the auger (machine)." The timeline for restarting the drilling remains uncertain as the entire machine must be removed and replaced. The ordeal began on November 12 when a landslide caused a section of the 4.5-kilometer tunnel to cave in, leaving the workers stranded about 200 meters from the entrance. The rugged terrain has been a relentless challenge for the drilling machine, which previously broke down twice while attempting to dig horizontally toward the trapped workers. Also Read: Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: NDRF shows how 41 stranded workers will be rescued | Watch video The machine halted after penetrating about two meters of the final 12-meter stretch of rock debris needed to create an escape passage for the workers. Rescuers have installed pipes in the dug-out channel and welded them together to serve as a pathway for the workers to be evacuated on wheeled stretchers. Approximately 46 meters of piping have been laid so far.

Throughout their ordeal, authorities have provided the trapped workers with hot meals through a six-inch pipe. Oxygen is supplied through a separate pipe. Over a dozen doctors, including psychiatrists, have been on-site to monitor their well-being.

Alternate method

A new drilling machine, designed for vertical excavation, was brought to the site later on November 26. This vertical dig represents an alternative strategy to reach the trapped workers.

An access road to the hilltop has been created for this purpose, but the teams must now drill 103 meters downward to reach the workers, nearly double the distance of the horizontal tunnel.

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Which European tourists prefer to spend the night in the most? The answer to this question is provided by the Eurostat report on nights spent in tourist accommodation.

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Paris is undoubtedly the leader in terms of the number of nights spent. In 2019, 43.2 million nights were spent in tourist facilities in the French capital, Euronews reports.

Berlin ranks second with 33.2 million nights, followed by Madrid with 28.9 million.

Bulgaria's Sofia had the fewest nights spent in tourist accommodation: 1.2 million visitors per year.

The list also includes Latvia's Riga (2.2 million) and Lithuania's Vilnius (2.3 million).

Which city has the highest "tourism intensity"

A look at the "tourism intensity" - the ratio of nights spent in tourist accommodation relative to the total resident population of a region - gives a clearer picture of which cities are the most crowded.

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Paris tops the list in this category too. In 2019, tourists spent 19.9 nights per capita in Paris, followed by Prague with 14.1 nights.

In Berlin (Germany), tourists spent 9.3 nights per capita, in Vienna (Austria) - 8.9 nights, and in Oslo (Norway) - 8.2 nights.

Sofia and the Turkish capital Ankara had the lowest number of nights spent in tourist accommodation per capita - 0.9 nights.

This figure was 7.4 nights in Amsterdam, 7.1 nights in Lisbon, 4.4 nights in Madrid, 3.7 nights in Rome and 3.4 nights in Dublin.

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Which EU country has the highest tourism intensity

At the country level, tourism intensity is highest in Iceland, with 23.5 nights spent in tourist accommodation per capita per year.

Croatia ranks second with 22.4 nights, and Romania has only 1.5 nights per capita.

The ratio was 14.4 in Austria, 13.4 in Greece, 10 in Spain, 6.6 in France, and 5.3 in Germany.

In the EU as a whole, the average was 6.4 nights per capita.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL spoke about 15 cities in Italy that are recommended for tourists.

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The fate of 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel remained uncertain on Sunday as rescuers began the somewhat riskier process of vertical drilling. Hope of an immediate rescue has faded after the auger machine encountered obstacles and broke down during horizontal drilling. Without impediments it will take around 100 hours to reach the trapped workers from the top of the hill above the tunnel.

Vertical drilling started at around 12 noon. 86 meters of digging is required to reach the trapped workers and make an escape passage. 15 metres have already been drilled," NDMA officials said.

Multiple agencies have joined the rescue efforts over the past two weeks. The Indian Air Force became part of the team on Sunday as it flew in critical DRDO equipment to Dehradun.

The trapped workers had been hours away from rescue on Thursday as the auger machine broke down repeatedly. Rescuers were forced to look for alternatives after the machine's blades got stuck inside the rubble and a complete disengagement became necessary for work to continue. A plasma cutter has since been flown in from Hyderabad to remove parts of the auger machine stuck in the rubble.

While vertical drilling is considered the second best option available to rescuers, there are risks associated with the process. It can cause vibrations in the already fragile mountain and had previously been tagged as dangerous by officials. International tunnelling expert Arnold Dix  who has roped in the rescue project  however said on Sunday that there was no chance of any further collapse in the area where the incident took place.

Rescuers now have to drill through 86 metres of earth and rubble before breaking the tunnel crust that lies underneath.

The workers had been trapped on November 12 due to a muck fall in a 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel. The route is being developed to connect Silkyara to Barkot in Uttarakhand. The Barkot end of the tunnel remains closed as work had not yet started on that side.

Officials are executing as many as six plans to rescue the workers. However the best option so far remains horizontal drilling  under which 47 meters of drilling have been completed.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday made his first visit to Palestine's Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began on 7 October. According to reports, during the visit Prime Minister Netanyahu told Israeli soldiers there that Israel will continue until it wins.

"We continue until the end -- until victory," footage posted online by his office showed him saying, on his first such trip since the war began October 7. "Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the power, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all the war's goals, and we will." AFP reported.

Meanwhile, Hamas fighters on Sunday freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis, in a third set of releases under a cease-fire deal. Israel was to free 39 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday as part of the deal.

A fourth exchange is expected to take place on Monday  the last day of the four-day cease-fire between the enemies. A total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed.

Israel declared war on Hamas after the group carried out a cross-border attack on 7 October that killed some 1,200 people and took 240 people hostage. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has left over 13,300 people dead, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory.

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The four-day cease-fire, which began Friday, was brokered by Qatar and Egypt and the United States. Hamas will release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel will free 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends. Sullivan said the US is working with all sides on the possibility that this deal gets extended to additional hostages beyond the initial 50."

The pause has given some respite to Gaza's 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, returned to the streets. Entire city blocks in and around Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes that hollowed out buildings and left drifts of rubble.

(With agency inputs)

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Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, in a statement on Sunday, said it is seeking to extend the four-day truce with Israel should serious efforts be made to increase the number of Palestinian detainees released from Israel, reported Reuter.

Earlier, the Militant group freed 17 hostages (13 Israeli hostages and four foreign nationals) to the Red Cross, the humanitarian body that is operating in the besieged Gaza Strip under the cease-fire deal, reports said on November 26.

Also Read | Joe Biden backs extension of war pause after latest release by Hamas

Out of the four foreign nationals who have been released, three were identified as Thai and one was identified as Russian.

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Israel was to free 39 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday as part of the deal.

Red Cross representatives transferred the hostages out of Gaza late Sunday. Some were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt.

It was the third consecutive day in which Hamas released Israeli hostages it has been holding in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Earlier, 13 Israeli hostages were released on November 24, followed by 13 more on November 25. Tel Aviv has also released 78 Palestinian prisoners so far.

A fourth exchange is expected to take place on Monday - the last day of the four-day cease-fire between the enemies.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is to release 50 Israeli hostages, whereas, Tel Aviv would free 150 Palestinian prisoners.

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Scores of hostages have been freed, and the pause in the fighting has also allowed humanitarian relief to reach thousands. This may not be the end of the conflict, which has claimed over 11,000 lives since Hamas 7 October terror attack. But how exactly did we get here?

What are the terms of the truce?

The truce was brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. Under its terms, a pause in fighting was put into place for four days, giving both sides time to exchange hostages. The truce came into effect on Friday and 24 captives held in Gaza were released while Israel released 39 Palestinians from prison. On Sunday, a second group of hostages were released by Hamas. In total, 50 Israeli hostages are expected to be exchanged for 150 Palestinians prisoners. The truce will also allow deliveries of fuel and aid to flow into Gaza, which has faced an acute humanitarian crisis since the fighting began.

How has the world responded?

Many welcomed it. US President Joe Biden hailed the deal. China, Russia, the European Union, France, the UK, Egypt and Qatar all saw the truce as a positive development. Other countries such as Jordan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia weighed in and stated that humanitarian aid should continue. However, a worrying constituency of opposition has come up in Israel. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the hardline minister for national security, opposed the truce and stated that it would only give Hamas more time to regroup. He also stated that the truce deal would cause great harm for generations".

What was the motivation for the truce?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced mounting pressure at home to secure the release of hostages. Israels longtime leader has seen public support erode after the attacks. Many believe the objective of securing hostages has been given short shrift. Public sentiment combined with international pressure made the deal happen.

How long will this truce hold?

While it has held up so far, it is still fragile. For example, the second batch of hostage releases was delayed by Hamas, which accused Israel of violating the agreement. Intervention by Qatar and Egypt reportedly kept the exchange of prisoners going. Israel has offered to extend the truce if more hostages are released. We are not ending the war. We will continue until we are victorious," said Lt Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of the Israeli general staff, just days ago. Israel has not yet achieved its stated goal of destroying Hamas.

What has Indias position been?

New Delhi has tried to follow a balanced position on the conflict. It condemned Hamas attacks as an act of terrorism. However, it has also called for humanitarian law to be respected and for aid to be allowed into Gaza as Israels military campaign there has escalated. India may welcome the truce, given its emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy for resolving conflicts. Indeed, its UN envoy has called for humanitarian aid to continue and for all parties to work for early restoration of peace and stability".
The head of Egypt's State Information Service ( SIS ) said in a statement on Sunday that Egypt has received lists of 13 Israelis and 39 Palestinians scheduled for release on Sunday. This will be the third batch in the four-day truce deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar.

"The truce is proceeding without roadblocks," the SIS was quoted by Reuters as saying in a statement. It added that 120 aid tucks crossed from Egypt to Gaza on Sunday including two fuel trucks and two with gas for cooking.

How many Israelis and Palestinians released so far

DAY 1: The first swap between Hamas and Israel happened on Friday, when the truce first came into effect. Hamas released 24 captives held in Gaza, including 10 Thai nationals, one Filipino and 13 Israeli women and children. In exchange, 24 Palestinian women  including two 18-year-olds  and 15 boys who were held as prisoners in Israel were releases, Al Jazeera reported.

Day 2: Later on Saturday, Palestinian Islamist group Hamas released 17 hostages, including 13 and four Thai nationals. Six of the 13 Israelis were women and seven were teenagers or children. The youngest was three-year-old Yahel Shoham. In return, Israel freed 39 Palestinians  six women and 33 teenagers  from two prisons, the Palestinian news agency WAFA was quoted by Reuters as saying. The second exchange was delayed for hours on Saturday after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement.

The four Thais freed on Saturday "want a shower and to contact their relatives", Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on social media platform X. "All were safe and showed few ill-effects," he said.

DAY 3: Now, the third batch of exchange is scheduled to take place across Rafah crossing later on Sunday. At least one American citizen is likely to be freed on Sunday as part of a third day of hostage releases from Gaza, said the US national security adviser.

During the four-day truce, at least 50 captives are expected to be freed, leaving an estimated 190 captives in Gaza. In exchange, 150 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released.

ALSO READ: Gaza awaits Israel-Hamas truce deal: What does it mean and does it herald end of war?

Qatar, Egypt and the United States are reportedly pressing for the truce to be extended beyond Monday. However, it is not clear whether that will happen. Israel had said the ceasefire could be extended if Hamas continued to release at least 10 hostages a day. A Palestinian source had said up to 100 hostages could go free.

The Israel-Hamas war

Egypt and Qatar had to mediate to maintain the truce between Israel and Hamas. It's the first halt in fighting since Hamas fighters rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.

In response to that attack, Israel vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, bombarding the enclave and mounting a ground offensive in the north. Some 14,800 people, roughly 40 per cent of them children, have been killed, Palestinian health authorities said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, violence flared in the West Bank where Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians, including two minors and at least one gunman, late on Saturday and early Sunday, medics and local sources.

The armed wing of Hamas also announced on Sunday the killing of four of its military commanders in the Gaza Strip, including the commander of the North Gaza brigade, Ahmad Al Ghandour. However, it was not clear when they had been killed.

(With inputs from agencies)

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After Vietnam, Thailand , and Sri Lanka, now Malaysia has declared that they will scrap entry visa requirements for citizens of India visiting the nation beginning 1 December, according to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim .

The move comes as the nation looks to boost its tourism industry and Indians and Chinese form the largest chunk of tourists all over the world.

Indian nationals may stay for up to 30 days visa-free in Malaysia, Anwar said in a speech at his Peoples Justice Partys annual congress in Putrajaya on Sunday. This would be subject to security screening, he added.

Malaysia is counting on extra tourist arrivals  and their spending  to support economic growth. Anwar last month announced plans to improve visa facilities next year to encourage the entry of tourists and investors, especially from India and China."

"Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels  Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here!

Vietnam

Vietnam is now considering visa-free entry for Indians and Chinese.

As of now, nationals from Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and Finland can travel to Vietnam without a visa.

And to other countries, it is offering e-visas with a 90-day validity and multiple entry allowances for individuals from all countries.

Thailand

Last month, Thailand also announced that the government will allow visa-free entry for tourists from India and Taiwan for a period of six months from November 10 this year to May 10, 2024.

"We will provide visa-free entry to India and Taiwan because a lot of their people like to travel to Thailand," Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavision was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Cabinet has approved the issuance of free visas to individuals from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand as a pilot project until March 31, 2024.

Cabinet approves issuing of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand with immediate effect as a pilot project till 31 March," posted Sabry on X earlier.

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Geert Wilders has urged Muslims who find the Quran more important than the law of the land to leave the country. The leader of the Freedom Party (PVV) in the Netherlands, likely to be the next prime minister of the Netherlands, was heard saying so in an unverified video.

I have a message for all the Muslims in the Netherlands who do not respect our freedom, our democracy and our core values, who find the rules of the Quran more important than our secular laws," he purportedly said.

There are many of those. Research by Professor Koompans shows there are 7 lakh. And, my message to them is: Get out! Leave for an Islamic country. Then, you can enjoy Islamic rules. Those are their rules, but not ours," he added.

"Today, tomorrow or the day after, the PVV will be part of government and I will be prime minister of this beautiful country," Wilders earlier wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Wilders declared his readiness to adjust his positions to form a government. Despite his party winning the most seats in the recent election, the PVV is projected to hold only 25% of seats in the Dutch parliament, necessitating collaboration with other parties for governance.

The conservative VVD Party, under new leader Dilan Yesilgoz, hasn't dismissed the possibility of supporting a Wilders-led government from the outside. They've, however, ruled out cabinet participation. Meanwhile, Pieter Omtzigt from the centrist NSC Party sees challenges in aligning with Wilders due to his extreme views, which might conflict with the Dutch constitution's religious freedom protections.

Coalition talks in Netherlands

Coalition talks in the Netherlands often extend over several months, with shifting positions on party cooperation. If Wilders fails to form a government, more centrist alliances excluding the PVV could emerge, with new elections being a last resort, as per Reuters.

(With Reuters inputs)

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In a poignant tribute, a statue commemorating Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Matsievskiy has been unveiled in his hometown following a viral video capturing his final moments.

The video, widely circulated in March, showed Matsievskiy, a sniper from the Chernihiv region, defiantly proclaiming "Slava Ukraini" (Glory to Ukraine) a phrase that has symbolised resistance against Russia's 2022 invasion.

Also Read: Ukraine's Zelenskyy sanctions 37 Russian groups and 108 individuals, target child abduction

The footage showed Matsievskiy standing in a wooded area, unarmed and smoking a cigarette, before tragically slumping to the ground amid what appears to be a volley of unseen gunfire. The military posthumously honoured him with a medal, representing the revered "Hero of Ukraine" distinction, bestowed by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Also Read: Ukrainian Sniper 'sets world record' by Killing Russian soldier from 3.8 km

Blaming the soldier's demise on "brutal and brazen" actions by Russians, both Kyiv authorities and Matsievskiy's grieving mother, Paraska Demchuk, 68, mourned his loss.

She exhibited the prestigious medal awarded to her son, expressing his steadfast commitment to never be captured by the enemy. Emotionally recounting her son's determination, she stated, "He wouldn't just bandy words about. It was on the inside, it was like a core inside him."

Also Read | Tired Ukrainian troops fight to hold back Russian offensive: They come like zombies

In response to the outcry on social media, where Matsievskiy was swiftly hailed as a hero, Kyiv initiated a criminal investigation into his tragic death. Supporters flooded online platforms with the traditional tribute "Heroyam Slava" (Glory to the Heroes) in posthumous response to Matsievskiy's final declaration.

Also Read: From Gaza to Ukraine, wars and crisis are piling up

War Update

Ukraine's capital faced what officials termed as the most extensive drone assault by Russia on November 25 amid the ongoing conflict, resulting in five individuals sustaining injuries, Reuters reported. The city's residents were jolted awake by the sounds of air defences and explosions, marking a week of heightened attacks.

The six-hour air raid on Saturday, coinciding with Ukraine's remembrance of the 1932-33 Holodomor famine, targeted various districts of Kyiv in the early morning hours. Additional waves of attacks continued with the sunrise.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking at the Grain from Ukraine summit, highlighted the pressing need for increased air defence systems to safeguard both the country's vital grain export routes and regions neighbouring Russia.

Addressing senior officials from European nations, including Swiss President Alain Berset and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, Zelenskiy underscored, "There is a deficit of air defence - that is no secret."

As the Russia-Ukraine war rages on, the Ukrainian Defence Force has claimed to have killed a total of 319210 Russian soldiers as of November 20, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russia controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine, Reuters reported.

According to reports, the fighting is continuing around the Donetsk town of Avdiivka. Russia's defense ministry said on Sunday that its southern grouping of forces had stopped six Ukrainian attacks around Marinka and the villages of Klishchiivka and Shumy, Newsweek reported.

The West sent in military equipment and Ukraine mounted a counteroffensive push this year to retake occupied land, but it has not made a big breakthrough. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in wartime Kyiv last week in a gesture of "unwavering" support as questions swirled over the sustainability of vital Western assistance as the war with Russia drags on.

"I'm here today to deliver an important message  the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine in their fight for freedom against Russias aggression, both now and into the future," Austin wrote on social media platform X.

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Yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 attacks, wherein 10 terrorists from Pakistan had wreaked havoc in Mumbai. The 60-odd hours that followed wrote a saga of struggle and helplessness.

First came the struggle. The initial moments of the assault misled the police; they mistook it to be a gang war. However, reality soon dawned on them as eight different locations came under attack. Chaos ensued, and members of the anti-terrorism squad of Maharashtra Police, and civilian officers were seen frantically running about where the attacks occurred. Indian Police Service officers Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, and Ashok Kamte lost their lives in the attacksan unprecedented loss in any encounter in any Indian metropolis.

Despite the loss, the morale of the Mumbai Police remained high. They valiantly fought on multiple fronts, despite a paucity of resources. ASI Tukaram Ombles confrontation of Ajmal Kasab, armed with only a baton, became a historic moment. Kasabs capture was a milestone in the history of counter-terror operations. It was the first instance of a terrorist being apprehended alive after such an attack and provided undeniable evidence of Pakistans sinister intentions.

Now, let us come to the helplessness experienced during the attacks.

Initially, the navys marine commandos (Marcos) were summoned to end the Taj Hotel siege. Eventually, the National Security Guard (NSG) took charge and ended the siege three days later with the elimination of all the terrorists there. The significant loss of life and property in the attack dealt a severe blow to Indian pride and dignity. It raised concerns about the vulnerabilities of our security apparatus, neglect of maritime borders, and the deployment of anti-terrorism squads.

It was a learning experience for the government. For instance, the NSG was previously stationed solely in Gurugram, which caused delays in its deployment in Mumbai. After the attack, four centres were established in different parts of the country. Anti-terrorism squads and intelligence units across various states were fortified. Also, essential equipment was allocated to the navy and coast guard to bolster security along maritime borders.

The capture of Kasab gave the foreign affairs ministry a strategic advantage. The evidence it handed over to major countries unmasked Pakistans deceitful nature, and resulted in the diplomatic isolation of that country.

Today, I am not recalling 26/11 as a ritual. On 7 October, as I was watching the Hamas attack on Israel on TV, the Mumbai attack kept coming to my mind. For decades, Israels army, and its spy agency Mossad have been epitomes of efficiency. Despite this, they were unable to halt the attack. The police and security forces in Israel were too slow to respond, taking a few hours in some cases.

Doubts have also been raised about Israels retaliatory measures. Im not saying Tel Aviv didnt have the right to retaliate, but Netanyahu and his associates displayed the same arrogance that George W. Bush had shown in declaring war on Afghanistan after 9/11. Israel now is locked in Gaza indefinitely. It will have to invest an enormous amount of resources for a long time to sustain its offensive. Would it have been better if Israel had used intelligence and diplomatic tactics to eliminate Hamas?

Indias approach in this regard serves as a notable example. Following 26/11, then prime minister Manmohan Singh had conveyed to Pakistans then president, Asif Ali Zardari: I am happy to meet you, but my mandate is to tell you that the territory of Pakistan must not be used for terrorism." Also, various direct and indirect messages directed at Islamabad proved to be impactful.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continued to bolster this stance more resolutely. Following the loss of 18 soldiers in Uri, the Indian government executed a surgical strike, and after the sacrifice of 40 Central Reserve Police Force soldiers in Pulwama, an air strike on Balakot sent a clear message that talks would be replaced by decisive action. Both strikes were closely overseen by Modi himself, marking a distinct and effective shift in Indias policy. Its noteworthy that since Pulwama, there hasnt been a major terrorist incident of that magnitude in the country.

Consider the ramifications if India had responded with an all-out attack. It underscores that effective governance demands not just fervour but also strategic acumen.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal.
Heres a question few of us will ever have to answer. Would you rather have $23 billion living in the UAE with no US extradition treaty, or sacrifice a chunk of your wealth and perhaps spend 18 months behind bars to resolve all your issues with the US Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission?

Binance Holdings chief executive officer Changpeng Zhao appears to have chosen the latter. We dont know all the details of the dealmost importantly the length of time, if any, Zhao must spend in prisonbut it appears to clear the way for Binance to continue as the worlds largest crypto exchange and for Zhao to keep his top-100 status on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

I see a major risk that the deal itself, and the strengthened controls it will require, will taint Binance among many of its customers, especially outside the US. People who want US-compliant crypto exchanges have established alternatives such as Coinbase Global.

The larger issue is the relationship between the traditional and crypto financial systems. Nearly all the news coverage of crypto focuses on the frontier, where people exchange fiat money for crypto currencies, or trade crypto assets to earn fiat currency profits, or raise fiat cash for crypto projects, or use crypto to buy conventional goods and services. This is no doubt due to all the public excitement [over all the conflict] and crime and punishment and fortunes won and lost [in the cryptosphere].

But its a skewed perspective, since it misses the much bigger story of relatively peaceful and steady development of crypto protocols that do not require any interaction with the traditional financial or legal system. Hot areas are projects in the Metaverse, Web 3.0, Layer 2 and Layer 3, and dont count out DeFi despite the setbacks of 2022. While all of those things have technical definitions, theyre thrown around loosely as buzzwords, more useful for marketing and hype than categorizing and tracking actual projects. But there is real progress in all those things, and more.

Binance grew up on the frontier, navigating murky and inconsistent regulations in multiple jurisdictions, satisfying customers and angering regulators. It appears to have now chosen to reconstitute itself in civilized and known territory on the legal side of the border. US regulators appear to be ready to accept it as a legal immigrant.

Along with other settlements this year and expected developments such as SEC approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF, this suggests a negotiated truce between regulators and people who want to move fiat currencies in and out of crypto. Financial sector watchdogs seem ready to allow transfers if effective safeguards against fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and sanctions violations can be put in place.

Many old-time crypto puristsand I lean in this directionare sceptical of this. We think the future of crypto is divorced from traditional finance, that the protocols that will revolutionize society will not be funded with fiat cash, and their value will not be easily translated into fiat. Many people in crypto want to reduce the coercive power of government and big finance, not get in bed with them, and certainly not get in bed on their terms.

But there are many others in crypto who welcome peace on the frontier, with clarified rules. One reason is they think this will reduce fraud and the enabling of crimes from ransomware to terrorism. Another is that it will lower the cost of fiat capital to underwrite crypto projects and increase the fiat currency value that can be extracted from successful ones. But perhaps the biggest reason is it will allow honest people to follow safe-harbour provisions to work in crypto without fear of prosecution.

There is a parallel split on the regulatory side between people who want to bring crypto into the existing legal regime, and those who prefer to isolate crypto from fiat money as much as possible. Zhaos deal with US regulators appears to be a victory for the former group. If the deal satisfies both sides, we can expect other crypto frontier gunslingers to come in from the cold.

The future of crypto will be determined by the technology, not by billionaires and lawyers negotiating over frontier real estate. If crypto comes up with a killer app that will convince hundreds of millions of people to learn real cryptonot just holding crypto coins in portfolios or speculate in NFTsthen it will take off on its own, without needing to ask regulators for permission or traditional investors for capital. Without a killer app, crypto will remain a useful technical tool for niche projects and true believers. There wont be enough economic value in it to interest lawyers or most investors. bloomberg
Time seems to us to be something eternal, constant, and unshakable. Scientists know that we cannot make it move backwards or jump into the future. But is time really sinless?

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Albert Einstein once predicted that it was not. He was convinced that time would slow down if you reached a certain speed, for example, in an airplane. And the higher the speed, the more time would slow down. But to really see and feel the change over time, you need not only speed but also extremely powerful gravity.

In an article for the BBC, Chris Lintott, a professor of astrophysics at Oxford University, writer and broadcaster, talked about interesting paradoxes in time, such as why your head ages faster than your legs and why a black hole could turn into a natural time machine.

In 1971, physicists Joseph Hafele and Richard Keating proved Einstein's theory in an experiment. To do this, they took extremely accurate atomic clocks on an airplane and flew one to the west and the other to the east. When they returned to their laboratory, where the third clock was kept, it turned out that these extremely accurate clocks showed slightly different times.

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The effect of this phenomenon is actually very small and can only be noticed with an atomic clock. As Lintott explains, a flight from London to New York will cause the clock to be ten-millionths of a second behind the one on the ground. But it's not just about the clock. A person on an airplane will also age ten-millionths of a second less than someone who is on the ground at the same time.

In addition to speed, gravity also affects the passage of time. Thus, the lower the gravitational force, the faster time will move. This is true even if we are talking about a person standing on the surface of the planet. The time at their feet will move slower than the time at their head. Thus, the head will always age faster. The effect of this time distortion is incredibly small, but the farther away from the Earth you are, the stronger it becomes. Humanity is aware of this, and that is why the GPS, which provides navigation for the entire world thanks to satellites 20,000 km above the planet, must take this into account to work properly.

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At the same time, as the astrophysicist notes, on the scale of the universe, the Earth is, after all, a small planet. So if we really want to see time warping, we need to get under the gravity of much larger objects, such as black holes, which have a super-powerful gravitational pull that even light cannot fight against.

As the scientist explains, it is practically impossible to approach a black hole and stay alive because everything that falls under the gravity of a black hole undergoes a "spaghettification" effect, when the object is stretched into a thin thread.

Theoretically speaking, a person falling into a black hole would not feel any changes in the course of time. However, they would see that the entire universe around them has accelerated.

If we could see the Earth while falling into a black hole, we would see the evolution of the planet. In what would seem to us like minutes, entire epochs would have passed on Earth, until the moment when the Sun would have turned into a red giant and swallowed the Earth.

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Instead, someone watching the astronaut fall into a black hole from a safe distance would see the opposite effect. If the astronaut were to wave goodbye before disappearing into the black hole, his colleague would see this movement getting slower and slower.

This effect was clearly shown in Christopher Nolan's movie Interstellar. There, astronauts exploring a planet near a black hole returned to the mothership and saw that the hours that had passed for them on the planet had become years for the astronauts on the ship.

At the same time, as Lintott notes, "It makes no sense to ask whether the time that passes near a black hole is 'right' or far from it; relativity tells us that there is no such thing."

He suggests that when the doomed traveler crosses the point of no return, the black hole's event horizon, he will be forced to move towards the center of the black hole.

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"This means that his perception of time could change dramatically and he might even be able to move back and forth in time," the astrophysicist said.

Lintott explains that in ordinary life, people move in the three dimensions of space as they please, but they do that through time in one way only, which is forward. Instead, after crossing the event horizon, according to some scientists, the very movement in space - to the center of the black hole - will mean movement in time.

"In this sense, a black hole can act as a time machine, allowing anyone brave enough to enter it to return to times long before they crossed the event horizon, up to the creation of the black hole itself," the scientist explained.

The only problem with such a trip is that, as far as we can tell, there is no way out of a black hole, so no time traveler from the future will be able to use this trick to visit us.

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Earlier, OBOZ.UA explained what will happen when the Milky Way crashes into Andromeda.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.
The landscape of Indian higher education institutions (HEIs) is experiencing rapid evolution, propelled by factors such as changing student expectations, a renewed emphasis on research quality and innovation, burgeoning global collaborations, a fervent desire for international recognition and intense competition in the academic sector among both public and private players. This transformation is also fuelled by accrediting bodies and ranking entities like NAAC, NBA, NIRF, UGC and AICTE, which wield substantial influence, shaping the academic landscape in terms of peer standing, access to grants and funding, student preferences, branding, faculty recruitment and development, and the introduction of new courses.

With the New Education Policy (NEP) and establishment of Institutions of Eminence (IOEs) playing catalyst, a palpable sense of change has engulfed the industry. Institutions are investing to achieve better national and global ranks. Notable institutions like IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi have made their mark in the global top 200, with IIT Bombay placed 149th by the 2024 QS Rankings. Private institutions like OP Jindal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), VIT, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences and Shoolini University have also carved out top-1,000 positions globally.

Highly relevant in this context is a report published this May titled, Transformative Reforms for Strengthening Periodic Assessment and Accreditation of All Higher Educational Institutions in India by a committee appointed by the ministry of education, led by K. Radhakrishnan, chairman of IIT Kanpurs board of governors. While the panels recommendations could cause a stir in the HEI sector, a critical examination of these is necessary to determine whether they can serve Indias global aspirations well or are merely cosmetic changes.

The current committee has experts from IITs and representatives from public universities as well as accreditation and ranking agencies. However, it lacks representation from private universities, deemed universities, multi-disciplinary institutions and other reputed universities. With more than 400 private and over 100 deemed universities in the country, their exclusion raises questions of whether adequately diverse voices are being heard. Foreign universities have no say either, even as India opens its doors for them.

One of the panels recommendations is a One Nation, One Data model, with suggestions on its implementation. HEIs currently spend much time providing data separately for various ratings and rankings. However, the report lacks specifics on the data to be collated, measurable parameters, or how data alignment between various agencies will work. While a proposal to simplify application forms is welcome, its practical implementation remains vague.

Critiques have emerged of the reports assessment of existing efforts. While it mentions that the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has accredited only 30% of HEIs in India, this is still a large number, and many renowned institutions have embraced the NAAC framework. The NAAC score is also considered a qualifying criterion for universities to run online distance learning programmes. The report suggests replacing peer teams in the NAAC methodology with other agencies, which could potentially undermine the acceptance and capacity-building efforts established within the university system. As Henry Ford famously said, We do not make changes for the sake of making them." HEIs have been striving to attain A+ or A++ rankings to showcase their excellence, but the report aligns with NEP recommendations by proposing a binary ranking system with modifications, offering fewer incentives for institutions to excel.

Globally renowned institutions operate with a high degree of autonomy; they view government bodies as enablers rather than regulators. The Indian scenario, however, is burdened with governmental bureaucracy, given the need for university and course accreditation among other periodic compliance requirements. A positive recommendation from this committee is the amalgamation of various accreditations (programme/institution) into one, with the added benefit of conditional periodicity of assessments.

The report takes a compassionate view of philanthropic institutions in remote areas with limited funding, proposing support and facilitation for accreditation. It also recognizes that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work, distinguishing between research-focused and teaching-based institutions, as well as new and established ones. But it overlooks the complexity of multidisciplinary HEIs that blend research and teaching. The report falls short in addressing how aspirational HEIs aiming for global recognition, such as IISc, IITs, Anna University, Savitribai Phule and MG University or deemed private universities like MAHE, OP Jindal and Shoolini, can be nurtured for it. Also, oddly, it does not touch upon IOEs at all, although its a major government initiative.

Nurturing both public and private universities will not only offer students access to the best education in India, but also curtail the outflow of funds for studies abroad. Our higher education sector is an opaque space, but todays HEI competition is global and this requires a competitive mindset. With broader consultations, lets hope this report will be refined to better reflect the evolving HEI landscape and our global aspirations.
WHEN HAMAS murdered and kidnapped 1,400 people on October 7th it triggered the biggest Middle East crisis in a decade and a brutal war in Gaza. On November 24th a small number of the roughly 240 captives tasted freedom again amid a four-day truce in the fighting. Israeli officials confirmed that 13 Israeli hostages had been handed over to the Red Cross; the authorities in Qatar said another 11 captives, ten holding Thai passports and one from the Philippines, were being released. At the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel, helicopters were standing by to whisk the released Israeli victims, all women or children, to hospitals. Their horrific ordeal may be over but at least 200 other captives remain in Gaza and Israels war against Hamas is likely to go on.

The dealfor Hamas to free 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for the four-day truce and the release of 150 Palestinians in Israeli prisonswas struck after weeks of negotiations through Qatari, Egyptian and American mediation. It came amid mounting domestic pressure in Israel to bring the hostages home and growing international outrage over the destruction that Israel has wrought on Gaza. The accounts of the released hostages of the atrocities on October 7th, their abduction and their treatment are likely to dominate life in Israel in the coming days. They will also deepen the debate about whether Israel should prioritise saving further hostages, or put more weight on destroying Hamass capacity to terrorise Israelis, and in the process destroying more of Gaza.

The truce between Israel and Hamas came into play at 7am, just as the sun began to rise in Gaza. An alien silencefree of airstrikes and the buzz of dronesdescended across the strips south. Palestinians, many of whom had fled Israels advances, emerged in their thousands from crammed tents and houses in Gazas southern cities. Israel had asked those in the south not to return to the north over which it now has effective control, but the unbearable conditions and a desperate search for the missing saw huge crowds march northward regardless. At least 11 Palestinians were wounded and two killed by Israeli forces as they attempted to reach their homes in northern Gaza.

One of those heading north was Sobhia Al-Najar, who had found shelter in Al-Nasser hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. She took advantage of the pause to go to her house, only to learn it had been destroyed. All I found was stones and sand," she said, bursting into tears. Now I have no home, and no hope for anything." Abu Mohammed returned to search for missing relatives. They made a ceasefire as if we would return to our old lives," he said. But our lives have lost all meaning, so their ceasefire is useless."

Several Palestinian ambulances at last made it to the coastal highway near Zahra to collect the bodies of nine Palestinians killed by Israeli naval fire. The Hamas-controlled authorities in Gaza say that some 7,000 Palestinians4,700 of them women and childrenare missing in the enclave. Many of them are thought to be dead and buried beneath the rubble. That is in addition to the more than 14,000 people killed since October 7th, according to the same authorities. One Palestinian official says that now the fighting has stopped, the official death toll will increase sharply.

The truce provides an opportunity to get aid into Gaza. Martin Griffiths, the UNs humanitarian chief has described the humanitarian situation as the worst ever". Two hundred lorries packed with food, medicine and other aid have been allowed through the Rafah crossing. Some were carrying essential fuel, though humanitarian agencies said that amount was utterly insuficient".

For the first 39 of the 150 Palestinian women and children to be released from Israeli prisons as part of the deal, there were muted welcoming receptions in the West Bank. Local officials decorated the family home of Rawan Abu Ziadeh with Palestinian flags and banners of the ruling Fatah party. Yet her family, who had been informed she may be among those freed after serving nine years for the attempted stabbing of a soldier, were more subdued. We are not in the mood for celebrating. The Palestinian people in Gaza have paid a huge price for this. They are the ones we should be thanking," said her father, Nafes Abu Ziadeh.

If the truce holds more hostages will be released in the coming days. Hamas will hope the deal will amplify calls in Israel for the government of Binyamin Netanyahu to prioritise saving more hostages over prosecuting the war; and draw global attention to the plight of ordinary people in Gaza, in turn putting even more international pressure on Israel to adopt a longer ceasefire. Yet Israel shows little sign of having changed its military objectives and America shows no sign of pulling the plug on its ally. Yoav Gallant, Israels defence minister, has said fighting will continue with intensity" for at least two more months after the truce. Under the deal Hamas may gain an extra day of truce for every ten additional hostages it releases.

Yet several uncertainties remain. One is whether, as the scale of death and destruction becomes more apparent, Gazans will direct their rage towards Hamas and its nihilistic credo, as well as towards Israel. Another is whether and how Israel will modify its tactics to reduce the number of civilians it is killing in Gaza, both to assuage global opinion and to adapt to fighting in the south, from where non-combatants have no realistic possibility of evacuation. Just before the ceasefire came into effect the Israel Defence Forces launched intense strikes on targets in Gaza, including the south. The next phase of the fighting could involve lower-intensity raids in the south in an attempt to kill or capture Hamass leaders and fighters.

The last uncertainty is whether a resumption of fighting triggers another round of escalation by Hizbullah and other Iran-backed militias across the region. By November 28th the ceasefire could be over and the Middle Easts nightmare in full swing again.
No new virus is behind the sudden surge in respiratory illnesses across China, the country's health ministry clarified on Sunday. The statement came after the World Health Organization (WHO) raised concerns over the country reporting "clusters of pneumonia in children". If not a new virus, then what is causing respiratory infections in northern China?

1.Overlap of common viruses

China's National Health Commission spokesperson said on Sunday that acute respiratory diseases continue to rise in the country and that it is being caused by the flu and other known pathogen.

"Recent clusters of respiratory infections are caused by an overlap of common viruses such as the influenza virus, rhinoviruses, the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, the adenovirus as well as bacteria such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is a common culprit for respiratory tract infections," the National Health Commission spokesperson was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

The WHO said earlier the Chinese authorities had reported an increase in incidence of respiratory diseases in China at a press conference on November 13. The global health agency said Chinese health officials on Thursday provided the data it requested during a teleconference.

According to a WHO statement, Beijing responded to the request, saying "there has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens," AFP reported. The data reportedly showed an increase in hospital admissions of children due to diseases including bacterial infection, RSV, influenza and common cold viruses since October.

ALSO READ: Centre asks states to review hospital preparedness amid China pneumonia scare, says no need for alarm

The WHO has now requested more information, noting that China closely monitors trends in viruses such as the flu, RSV and SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile, experts also suggested there is little to suggest the cases were caused by a new virus.

2. Lifting COVID lockdown and cold season

China also linked rising infections to the arrival of the first full cold season after strict COVID restrictions were lifted last December, reports said.

On November 22, the WHO cited Chinese authorities as attributed the surge "to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the circulation of known pathogens such as influenza, mycoplasma pneumoniae (a common bacterial infection which typically affects younger children), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19)".

What do experts think?

Several experts said winter's arrival, the end of COVID restrictions, and a lack of prior immunity in children might be responsible for the surging infections. It was feared that due to long COVID lockdowns, China residents might not have developed natural immunity against the virus.

"Since China experienced a far longer and harsher lockdown than essentially any other country on Earth, it was anticipated that those 'lockdown exit' waves could be substantial in China," said Francois Balloux of University College London, was quoted by news agency AFP as saying.

Meanwhile, Catherine Bennett of Australia's Deakin University pointed out that "young children in school in China will have spent up to half their life without the usual exposure to common pathogens, and so do not have the same levels of immunity".

Besides this, China-based media Global Times cited an expert with China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention as saying that the main pathogens prevalent in respiratory infectious diseases differ according to the different age groups affected. It

> 0-4 years: Influenza virus, rhinovirus

> 5-14 years: influenza virus, mycoplasma pneumonia, adenovirus

> 15-59 years: Influenza virus, rhinovirus, coronavirus

> Aged 60 and above: Influenza virus, human metapneumovirus, coronavirus

According to internal accounts in China, the outbreaks have swamped some hospitals in northern China, including in Beijing, the Associated Press reported.

It added that health authorities have asked the public to take children with less severe symptoms to clinics and other facilities.

ALSO READ: China pneumonia outbreak: From symptoms to precautions, all you need to know

A new epidemic in sight?

As the reports of rising infection in China triggered memories of the pandemic, Paul Hunter of the UK's University of East Anglia said, "... this does not sound to me like an epidemic due to a novel virus."

"If it was, I would expect to see many more infections in adults. The few infections reported in adults suggest existing immunity from a prior exposure," he was quoted by AFP as saying.

The emergence of new flu strains or other viruses capable of triggering pandemics typically starts with undiagnosed clusters of respiratory illness. Both SARS and COVID-19 were first reported as unusual types of pneumonia.

The WHO said that there was too little information at the moment to properly assess the risk of these reported cases of respiratory illness in children.

Both Chinese authorities and WHO have been accused of a lack of transparency in their initial reports on the COVID-19 pandemic, which started in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A Plea for Western Prudence and Focus on Core Values

In a world marred by geopolitical complexities and internal social strife, Shayne Heffernan advocates for a return to the foundational principles of Christian values while urging Western nations to reconsider their interventions in regions like China and the Middle East. Heffernan contends that its time to shift the focus inward, addressing the concerns of the working class and fostering an environment free from excessive taxation and intrusive thought policing.

The call for a return to Christian values is not rooted in nostalgia but in the recognition that these principles can serve as a moral compass for societies navigating the challenges of the 21st century. Heffernan argues that the Wests departure from these values has contributed to social unrest and a loss of identity, necessitating a return to the timeless principles that once shaped Western civilization.

Simultaneously, Heffernan emphasizes the importance of Western nations reassessing their roles as global interveners, particularly in regions like China and the Middle East. He argues that a more prudent approach, focused on diplomacy and cooperation rather than intervention, can pave the way for global harmony. By turning the gaze inward, Western nations can redirect resources toward addressing domestic issues and uplifting the working class.

Excessive taxation, according to Heffernan, is one of the primary grievances faced by the working class in the West. He contends that a fair and streamlined tax system is essential for economic prosperity and social equity. By relieving the burden on the working class, governments can stimulate economic growth and enhance the overall well-being of their citizens.

Moreover, Heffernan addresses concerns about thought policing, asserting that the West must champion freedom of thought and expression. In an era where ideological conformity is increasingly enforced, he argues that fostering diverse perspectives and respectful discourse is crucial for a healthy and vibrant society. By dismantling the barriers to free expression, the West can nurture an environment where ideas can be exchanged without fear of retribution.

In conclusion, Shayne Heffernans plea for a return to Christian values is intertwined with a call for Western nations to refocus their priorities. By turning away from excessive interventions in distant regions and addressing the grievances of the working class, the West can cultivate a society grounded in its foundational principles. This, Heffernan argues, is not only a path to domestic harmony but a way to contribute positively to the global community.
Hurricane Sally wiped out a 200-foot section of the Gulf State Park Fishing Pier on the Alabama coast in September 2020 just as it was about to reopen after a rebuild that was prompted by an earlier storm
On the night of November 26, several regions of the terrorist state of Russia were under massive attack by kamikaze drones. Russian officials and propagandists traditionally claimed that all the UAVs were allegedly "successfully destroyed" by air defense forces.

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In turn, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed our country's involvement in the largest drone attack on Russia. This was reported to OBOZ.UA by its own sources.

In the morning, Russia complained about drone attacks in Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk, and Smolensk regions. At the same time, the Russian Defense Ministry said that all the UAVs were allegedly destroyed by air defense systems on duty. According to preliminary data, the drones attacked the territory of the aggressor country in several waves. The first UAVs flew into Russia at night. Some Russian cities reported another attack at about 8:30 a.m.

The invaders used their usual propaganda narratives, claiming that they had "stopped the Kyiv regime's attempt to carry out a terrorist attack."

Several drones were spotted in the Moscow region. In connection with this, Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports restricted their operations. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that "there were no casualties or serious damage" and that emergency services were working at the sites where the drone debris fell.

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It is worth noting that a drone hit a multi-story residential building in Tula. At the same time, local governor Alexei Dyumin said that on the night of November 26, Russian air defense units "shot down two Ukrainian drones" over the territory of the Tula region. The official also said that one UAV lost control and hit an apartment building. Despite the three wounded and the damage to the building, the governor said that "there were no casualties or damage to infrastructure."

In addition to the Russian territories, temporarily occupied settlements in Ukraine were attacked. In particular, the leader of the terrorist "DPR" Denis Pushilin complained that after the drone attack in the pseudo-republic, some cities and districts were left without electricity.

As a reminder, on the night of November 26, powerful explosions occurred in Tula. Citizens of the terrorist country of Russia complained that the city was attacked by drones. The explosion resulted in a damage to a multi-story building.

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Earlier, it was reported that on the night of November 26, Russia complained of a massive attack by about 20 drones. Some of them were flying to the capital of the aggressor country, Moscow, and were allegedly shot down. However, a multi-story building was hit in Tula.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, on the night of November 23, a strong explosion occurred at a power substation in the city of Lytkarino, Moscow region of the Russian Federation. It caused a blackout as a part of Lytkarino itself, as well as several neighboring settlements, lost power.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Year to date Chattanooga has had 116 pedestrians struck by cars and 15 of those incidents were fatal.
An Bord Pleanala has overturned a decision of Longford County Council planners for a remote working hub in Drumlish. The national planning authority cited an incomplete file as the reason for their decision.

Applicant Seamus Gallagher was approved by Longford council planners for a change of use of an existing public house and first floor accommodation into a mixed use building. The new build would consist of a remote working hub area and self catering apartments at St Mary's Street, Drumlish, Longford.

That decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala by appellants Brian McNamara and Owen Quinn. The disused public house occupies the ground floor of part of the premises. There are also two commercial units on the ground floor.

Longford County Council planners decision, from October 6 last, was to grant permission, subject to nine conditions, including: the use is restricted to short-term accommodation, the external finishes, considerations regarding refuse storage, parking, water and drainage, and a development charge.

Architect Liam Madden submitted an appeal on behalf of appellant Brian McNamara. The grounds include the appellant contesting ownership, the applicant has not demonstrated sufficient legal interest or estate in the application lands to enable him to carry out the development if a permission were to be issued, the lack of provision for parking or rubbish and that the plan was unsustainable and contrary to proper planning and development.

The second appellant, Owen Quinn, cited privacy, the lack of access routes to the rear or side of the property, the capacity of the foul sewer and waste system, and the parking provisions.

In her assessment of the application An Bord Pleanala Inspector Dolores McCague recommended that the proposed development be granted, however the Board refused the permission.

The Board acknowledged the zoning objective for the site to enhance the town core uses including retail, residential, commercial, and civic. However the absence of accurate drawings of the existing and proposed development were not available on the file.

The Board said: On the basis of the submissions made in connection with the application and the appeal, it is considered that the proposed development would not accord with apartment standards set out in the Development Plan and would seriously injure the amenity of future residents. The proposed development would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
A tweet by Irish premier Leo Varadkar referring to former Hamas hostage Emily Hand as having been lost has sparked ire in Israel.

The Taoiseach welcomed the release of the nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl on Saturday as a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family.

An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief.

Our prayers have been answered, he posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Israels foreign minister Eli Cohen accused Mr Varadkar of needing a reality check, saying Emily was not lost but kidnapped.

He said he has summoned the Irish ambassador in Tel Aviv for a reprimand following Mr Varadkars statement.

Mr Cohen posted on X at Mr Varadkar: Mr Prime Minister, It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organisation worse than Isis that murdered her stepmother.

Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you @LeoVaradkar are trying to legitimise and normalise terror. Shame on you!.

Mr. Prime Minister,It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check! Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother. Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, https://t.co/CD5wIZJN4i    | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) November 26, 2023

On Sunday Mr Varadkar said: I call for all hostages to be released without any conditions and always have done so. And the Irish Government has worked very hard over the last few weeks, with Egypt, with Qatar, with the Red Cross and also with Israel.

He told RTE that the most important thing was that Emily was at home with her family, adding thats all that really matters.

Mr Varadkar said that Israel had also called in the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium, with the Irish ambassador, and that all three will be happy to explain their countrys position to Israel on the conflict.

Earlier Irish Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said Mr Varadkar has been unambiguous in condemning the violence of Hamas.

The Taoiseach has been unambiguous in condemning the violence of Hamas and also calling for restraint from Israeli military forces, and what we have now seen in the release of Emily is a tribute to the work her father did, his dignity, his restraint, his leadership in awful circumstances, but it also shows what diplomacy by the Irish government by the Taoiseach, by the Tanaiste, and also by allies and partners in Egypt, in America and Qatar can achieve, he told the BBC.

I think even today we still need to reflect on what a quiet word and what a well made argument and the value of countries working together and what that can achieve.

In a statement on Sunday the Israeli embassy in Dublin said: For the past weeks we have been working tirelessly with Irish counterparts, and we are all happy to see the return of Emily Hand to her loving family.

Words matter, especially in war when lives are at stake, and when there is an increase of extreme discourse.

It is important to remember Emily was kidnapped by terrorists who knew very well where she was all this time  in their hands.

So too is still the fate for many Israeli men women and children who were kidnapped and are still held in Gaza.

We continue to work and call for their immediate release.
Arts & Culture

By Lon Cohen Published: November 26 2023

We dug into the archives to find these facts.

The ghost of Christmas past brought us these crazy facts about the holidays on Long Island.

Almost 100 Years Ago in Smithtown

Captured almost 100 years ago, this photo was taken around 1920 at the Franklin Arthur Farm showing a line of people outside with Santa Claus, Collection of Smithtown Historical Society, donated by Charles Embree Rockwell.

This Crazy Amount of Snow

William J. Weeks with his horse and sleigh on way to Wampmissic from Yaphank to check on his cord wood business.

This Crazy Holiday Card From Actor Victor Moore

Photo: Freeport Historical Society. Used with permission.

Every Year the Big Duck and Montauk Lighthouse Are Lit Up for Christmas

Photo: Friends of the Big Duck Facebook page..

At The Fire Island Lighthouse There is a Flying Santa

Back in 1953 Pilot Snow (a.k.a. Flying Santa) flew his plane past the Fire Island Lighthouse and left a package of holiday gifts for the Lighthouse Keeper and his family. Every year at the Fire Island Lighthouse they reenact this event as a vintage aircraft delivers Santa to Fire Island Lighthouse. This is the 21st year they will hold the event.

A Yaphank Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center Was One of the Most Extravagant Ever

In 1949, a 75-foot Norway spruce tree was lit in NYC for the Christmas season. Think of the most over the top Christmas Tree display and plunk that down in the middle of Manhattan during the holidays. Thats what the organizers did with a 75-foot Norway spruce tree donated to Rockefeller Center by Yaphanks Charles Everett Walters in 1949.

According to an article by the Yaphank Historical Society that was shared with longIsland.com, the tree was covered with hundreds of gallons of silvery-white paint to indicate a snow-covered look before it was cut down.

They also noted that five hundred plastic globes in blue, yellow, orange, orchid, and red adorned the tree and were reflected by the silver branches during the day. 7,500 green, yellow, orange, blue, and red lights lit up the tree at night. This tree was a dazzling sight, both day and night.

Rockefeller Center added to this dazzling display by decorating the promenade leading to the tree with 576 rapidly whirling illuminated giant snowflakes.

That Was Not The Only Rockefeller Center Tree From Long Island
On the evening of Saturday, November 25, Russian occupation forces launched another attack on Ukraine, using Shahed kamikaze drones. As a result, an air raid alert was declared in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, and then the threat spread further.

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This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "UAVs are on the border of Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions," it wrote.

Later, a UAV threat was added for the Poltava region. "Strike UAVs are in the Poltava region, likely direction is Myrhorod," the AFU said.

The alert was once again declared in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, while enemy UAVs meanwhile reached the Cherkasy region. "Groups of attack UAVs are entering the airspace of the Cherkasy region from the east," the military said.

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However, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions were soon once again under threat due to new enemy UAVs.

An alert was also declared in the Kyiv region as a group of attack UAVs was moving in the direction of Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force also reported new groups of enemy UAVs heading in the direction of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

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The alert for enemy UAVs was announced in Kyiv and the Kharkiv region. "Kharkiv region, a group of enemy attack UAVs is moving in your direction," the military warned.

The Kyiv city RMA reported that attack UAVs were moving in the direction of Kyiv.

"Groups of enemy strike UAVs have split up and are moving through Kremenchuk in the direction of Cherkasy, while others are moving through Poltava in the direction of Sumy," the Ukrainian Air Force reported.

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The Russians have recently changed the tactics of using drones. Previously, each of them simply moved along a specific route to its target, but now UAVs can "circle": fly around the region, return, and circle from side to side. In addition, the duration of drone attacks on Ukraine has increased.

According to Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for the Air Force Command, the enemy is using drones to identify weaknesses in our air defense.

"This is being done to find weaknesses in our air defense, to see how effective this new route that has been laid will be. But the goal remains the same, which is to destroy the target," he explained.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- On the morning of November 25, Russian troops attacked Kyiv with Iranian kamikaze drones from several directions. Air defense was triggered in the capital, and more than 60 enemy targets were shot down.

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- Yurii Ihnat said that during this attack, groups of UAVs were simply circling the country in order to accumulate them and strike at Kyiv at the same time.

- The air defense forces targeted Russian drones in 6 regions of Ukraine, and a record 74 Shakhtyds were shot down.

- It also became known that that night the Russians launched Shahed kamikaze drones painted in black. In this way, the enemy is probably trying to complicate the work of Ukrainian air defense, the Air Force says.

Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Less than a year and a half since employees at Trader Joes in Hadley unionized in a historic moment for the grocery store chain, a group of workers is pushing to get rid of the union.

Crew members began collecting signatures on Saturday in an effort to decertify the nascent union, officially known as Trader Joes United, and to remove it from representing the workers at the store.

Union leadership was informed of the decertification effort on Saturday, according to Les Stratford, a nine-year employee at the Hadley store.

Read more: Hadley Michaels could be first of its company chain to unionize

This monumental step has been taken after careful consideration and consensus among us, without any interference from management or corporate, Stratford wrote in a statement.

Trader Joes United did not immediately return MassLives request for comment Saturday. Trader Joes corporate also did not immediately return a request for comment.

Stratford and another store employee, Jared Rodericks, told MassLive the reasons for initiating the decertification process include what they describe as a spread of misinformation from the union and a lack of collaboration with workers who did not vote in support of the union last year.

The constant defamation against our captain, our mates, and our employer has become tiresome and unjust, Stratford wrote. Thus, we firmly believe that the time has come to move forward with the decertification process promptly.

The signature drive requires at least 30% of workers to trigger a decertification election, according to Rodericks. If more than 50% of workers vote in favor of decertification, then the union is automatically removed, he said.

Rodericks has worked for Trader Joes for 22 years, four and a half of which has been at the Hadley location on Route 9. He said hes confident the signature drive will get support from at least 30% of employees. There is no time restriction for collecting signatures, he said.

We were quiet for so long, and our side of the story wasnt being heard, Rodericks said in an interview on Saturday. We hit a boiling point, and we need to get our word out there. People think everyone supports the union, and they need to understand there are people who dont want this union.

Jared Rodericks, a 22-year employee of Trader Joe's, says he wants the union at the Hadley store decertified. (Photo courtesy of Jared Rodericks)Jared Rodericks

There are about 86 crew members, or employees eligible for union representation, at the Hadley store, according to Rodericks and Stratford. The union was formed in July 2022 after a vote of 45 to 31.

Its a line in the sand, Stratford said of the desire to decertify the union. They (the union) have said a lot of stuff in the press and made a lot of us uncomfortable.

Out of the nearly 550 Trader Joes stores nationwide, the Hadley branch was the first store to unionize in the company. The Hadley stores union began bargaining a contract with Trader Joes in November and is still negotiating, MassLive previously reported.

Trader Joes staff in Hadley walked out during their shift in July in protest of the firing of employee Stephen Andrade. Union members claimed his termination was due to his support of the union while the stores management said the employee was fired due to safety violations, MassLive previously reported.

The stores dynamic among workers and management drastically changed and affected overall morale, according to Stratford.

Its just time. We gave them a year and a half, and we got the numbers to get it (the union) decertified, Stratford said. We want to try to get it back to normal and enjoy ourselves again.
SPRINGFIELD  When the pandemic began, many people in abusive relationships were locked down at home with the person harming them.

Asking survivors of domestic violence to get a restraining order or go to a shelter or hotel was not practical, said JAC Patrissi, a trauma clinician, author and founder of Growing a New Heart, a collective of professionals who work on issues including domestic violence and social justice. People were looking for ways to address the spike in intimate partner violence under the conditions we were facing, she said.

The only thing we can do right now is to ask people being abusive to stop being abusive, said Monica Moran, manager of Domestic Violence Prevention Projects at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and a coordinator of the Southern Hilltown Domestic Violence Task Force.

A solution: a helpline for people harming their partner who want to change.

Instead of harming your partner, says the website for A Call for Change Helpline, call us for help.

The line launched in spring 2021. Originally named for the hours it was open, Ten to Ten, the line changed its name after getting calls from other time zones. While there are programs like it abroad, like the Respect Phoneline in the United Kingdom, it is the first of its kind in the U.S.

Working with about two dozen towns in Western Massachusetts, with Ware in the lead, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission secured federal CARES Act of 2020 funds to start the helpline. The project, led by an advisory board of professionals and activists, has also received funding from the state Department of Public Health and private donations, Patrissi said.

Its a helpline, not a hotline  a distinction the group makes because it is not an emergency response service or crisis line. The confidential and anonymous line is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST 365 days a year and can be reached at 877-898-3411.

When it started, Patrissi was warned that no one would call. The team expected 50 calls in the first year, she said. It got 250.

Now, the service receives about 350 calls annually and that figure is on the rise.

In short order, the line got calls from across the state and country. Patrissi, a Ware resident, is proud of the projects Western Massachusetts roots.

Most of these initiatives come out of Boston and the rest of Massachusetts goes along for the ride, she said. When we started, people in Boston were surprised ... Its nice they are benefitting from an initiative that grew out here.

Though the line takes calls from anywhere, it is planning to officially expand to California next year and add operators there, Patrissi said.

Though its growing, not everyone understands the point of the project right away. People see the need to help survivors of domestic violence, Patrissi said, but when some hear about the helpline, the reaction is: You do what?

I want to do this differently

Tempestt Wilson, the lead responder on the helpline who lives in Springfield, talks to callers without judgment.

I do my best to look at them as people who could use some education, she said. This helpline really does believe that people who have caused harm can change with the appropriate tools and the willingness.

People of all ages call with varying types of situations, Patrissi said. The line hears from young people in college who are getting a text saying, I didnt consent to that and young people saying, What are you talking about? And people saying, Ive been mistreating my wife for 40 years and Ive been in therapy and Im not changing and I want to do this differently.

One goal is to make an abusive caller safer to leave, Patrissi said. Thats because leaving is most often the most dangerous time for a survivor, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Operators are trained and use specific strategies to navigate conversations, like set of nine interrupters to use, depending on where the person is at, Patrissi said. If the person is in an early stage blaming their partner and going on about how bad the person is, she said, the operator might simply say, Wed like to focus on you.

Wilson can connect callers to resources in their area, like education groups for those with a history of partner violence.

Once, she answered a call from a man who wanted to violate a restraining order and see a former partner. Wilson went over the legal consequences of doing that. The callers usually need to hear their logic repeated back to them so they can say, Thats not a good idea, she said.

Operators also talk about what abuse can look like. Many people picture abuse as yelling or hitting, and dont understand other forms like intimidation, Wilson said, and the ways you can scare a person without touching them.

One man reported his partner told him he was abusive, but he didnt know what she was talking about, Patrissi said. They talked, and he described punching the wall next to his wife when they had differing political opinions. The operator asked: Do you punch the wall when someone else in your family has a different political opinion? No, he said.

Oh my god, its me. Im the problem, Patrissi said he told her. We knew he was the problem, she said, But now he knows he is the problem. He said he had been doing it for decades, he told the operator. Its not really about peoples feelings, Patrissi said, its about what you believe is OK to do with those feelings and to whom.

A Call for Change Helpline can be reached at 877-898-3411. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233. SafeLink, a statewide domestic violence hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020.
The body of an Avon man who had not been seen for more than two months was found in a well Saturday night, according to the Norfolk County District Attorneys Office.

Keith McKechnie, 45, was last seen leaving his home at 34 East High St. on Sept. 7, according to the district attorneys office. McKechnie was reported missing by Avon police on Nov. 22.

On Nov. 25, Avon police and firefighters, along with Massachusetts State Police, were searching a heavily wooded area on the property of the home where McKechnie often walked, authorities said in a statement.

The search was mainly focused on an old well on the property that had been searched before, according to authorities. A body, later identified as McKechnie, was found in the well, the district attorneys office said.

McKechnies body was brought to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Boston for an autopsy on Monday. The office said the initial indications of the autopsy did not suggest foul play.

Our thoughts are very much with the McKechnie family tonight, District Attorney Morrissey said Saturday evening. This is a very sad result.

The investigation into McKechnies death is ongoing.
The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third set of releases under a four-day truce that the U.S. said it hoped would be extended.

Some hostages were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt. Israels army said one was airlifted to a hospital. U.S. President Joe Biden said the elderly woman was very sick and was in need of immediate medical help.

Hundreds of Israelis draped in flags cheered and sang as freed hostages, waving, arrived at an air force base. They were being flown to hospitals.

The hostages ranged in age from 4 to 84 and included Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl and dual citizen whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7.

What she endured was unthinkable, Biden said of the first American freed under the truce.

The President did not know her condition. Biden did not have updates on other American hostages and said his goal was to extend the cease-fire deal as long as possible.

In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office. Separately, Hamas said it released a Russian hostage in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian-Israeli citizen was the first male hostage to be freed.

Israels prison service later said it had begun the process of releasing 39 Palestinian prisoners. A convoy of vehicles was seen leaving Ofer military prison in the occupied West Bank.

A fourth exchange is expected on Monday  the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. All are women and minors.

International mediators led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are trying to extend the cease-fire that began Friday. Ahead of the latest release, Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke with troops.

We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return every one, he said, adding that we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us.

It was not immediately clear where he went inside Gaza.

A break in the fighting

The cease-fire agreement has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades and vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip.

More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. The war has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack.

Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the incursion into southern Israel that ignited the war. Fifty-eight have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.

Families from the southern Israeli town of Kfar Aza embraced, cried, and applauded at the news that hostages from their town had arrived in Israel. More than 70 members of the kibbutz of around 700 people were killed and 18 were kidnapped.

Pressure from hostages families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israels leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while returning all the captives.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends. The U.S. said it is working with all sides on the possibility that the deal gets extended to additional hostages.

Hamas commander killed

Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting. Israels military confirmed the death.

Al-Ghandour, believed to have been around 56 years old, had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

Hamas said that he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas rocket-firing unit. The Israeli military mentioned both men in a Nov. 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence, including several mid-ranking commanders it has identified by name.

Aid and Respite in Gaza

The pause has given some respite to Gazas 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, returned to the streets. Entire city blocks in and around Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes.

Hundreds of thousands of people from the north have sought refuge in the south. Palestinians who have tried to return to the north to see if their homes are intact have been turned back by Israeli troops.

They open fire on anyone approaching from the south, said Rami Hazarein, who fled from Gaza City last month.

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (around a half-mile) of the border fence.

The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said Israeli forces opened fire Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the other. An Israeli military spokesperson said they werent aware of the incident.

The United Nations said the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war, though it still hasnt reached prewar levels. It was able to deliver fuel for the first time since the war began, and to reach areas in the north for the first time in a month.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said 50 Egyptian aid trucks crossed through checkpoints to reach Gaza City and northern areas Sunday.

Hostages for Prisoners

The freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye. Hospitals said their physical condition has largely been good. Little is publicly known about the conditions of their captivity. Eyal Nouri, the nephew of Adina Moshe, 72, who was freed on Friday, said his aunt had to adjust to the sunlight because she had been in darkness for weeks.

Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation.

The war has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian health authorities said Sunday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin that began the day before. The toll in the West Bank is now 239 since the war began.

The Israeli army has conducted frequent military raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war, mostly people it suspects of being Hamas members.

Concerns remain over a wider conflict. Syrian state media reported that Israeli missile strikes put Damascus International Airport out of service.

It said other positions around Syrias capital were hit but made no mention of casualties. Israel has attacked airports in Damascus and Aleppo several times since the beginning of the war with Hamas. It does not usually acknowledge its airstrikes on Syria, but when it does, it says it is targeting Iranian-backed groups.
A Massachusetts driver is facing several charges after crashing their car into a utility pole in New Hampshire Saturday while trying to avoid being arrested by state troopers, New Hampshire State Police said Sunday.

A state trooper saw a vehicle speeding down Route 9 in Sullivan around 9:12 p.m. on Nov. 25, police said. The Trooper tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver kept going and a pursuit followed.

Thats when the vehicle started speeding up to 90 mph, police added. It was not long before the vehicle crashed into a utility pole and was heavily damaged, according to police.

Read More: At least 2 ejected in early morning Avon crash that hospitalized 3 people

When the trooper arrived at the scene of the crash, he noticed that two people had run off toward a nearby river and into a heavily wooded area. As authorities searched the area, the passenger of the vehicle appeared with minor injuries and was brought to Cheshire Medical Center in Keene for treatment.

At around 3:30 a.m., another trooper saw a man walking down Route 9 near Granite Gorge. The man was identified as Childlove Gelin, 31, of Springfield, who was also the driver of the vehicle. Gelin also had two full extradition warrants out of New York City and Springfield, according to New Hampshire State Police.

The 31-year-old was brought to Cheshire Medical Center for treatment. Gelin was later discharged and brought to the Cheshire County House of Corrections on the following charges:

Disobeying an officer

Conduct after an accident

Reckless conduct

Criminal mischief

Operating after suspension

Speeding

Open container

Fugitive from justice

Gelin was held without bail and will be arraigned in Keene District Court on Nov. 27. New Hampshire State Police said Gelin could face more charges following an investigation.

The crash shut down Route 9 for several hours, but it has since reopened, police said. Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact Trooper Troy Couillard at (603) 227-2162 or Troy.J.Couillard@dos.nh.gov.
Entering the winter, top free agent starter Aaron Nola looked like a prime potential target for the pitching-needy Red Sox. It turns out that Boston didnt aggressively pursue the right-hander before he re-signed with the Phillies in the first major move of hot stove season.

The Boston Globes Alex Speier reported Saturday that the Red Sox were not meaningfully involved in bidding for Nola, who re-signed with the Phillies on a seven-year, $172 million contract last weekend. According to Speier and other reports, the Braves and Dodgers were among the teams who most aggressively pursued Nola. Its unknown if there was a clear runner-up to Philadelphia for the race to sign Nola but its clear Atlanta aggressively tried to poach him from a division rival. The usually aggressive Dave Dombrowski made sure Nola didnt go elsewhere by offering him an average annual value north of $24.5 million.

Nola, 30, didnt have the greatest year in 2023 (4.46 ERA, 4.03 FIP) but has been a consistent innings-eater for the Phillies throughout his career. The former seventh overall pick has logged at least 180 innings in each full season since 2018 and made all 12 of his starts in the shortened 2020 season. In nine seasons, hes 90-71 with a 3.72 ERA in 235 starts. He has averaged 206 innings over 162 games.

The Red Sox struggled to get their starters to pitch deep into games in 2023 and are known to be looking to add meaningful innings on the free agent and trade markets. Nola, then, looked like a natural fit due to his durability and success in a big market. It appears, based on Speiers reporting, that the club has its sights set elsewhere in its pursuit to add starting pitching. Free agents Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery remain available and a few top arms are available on the trade market, including Chicagos Dylan Cease, Clevelands Shane Bieber, Tampa Bays Tyler Glasnow and potentially Pittsburghs Mitch Keller.

Nola is the only free agent to sign a contract worth more than more than $30 million so far this winter.
For many, steam rising from turkeys fresh out the oven last week evoked images of the Pilgrims. Schoolchildren learn that the origin of American democracy is the Mayflower Compact by which the Pilgrims pledged themselves to self-governance.

Less is said in classrooms and by televisions talking heads about the experience of Native Americans in the years since they were at that first Thanksgiving.

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For American Indians, an event of the sort reported in an 1883 Tribune article headlined Little Injuns conjures up painful memories:

The Feehanville Training-School received a large and unique addition to its inmates in the last few days in the form of forty Sioux Indian boys from the Dakota Indian reservation. 

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The notables among them, the Tribune noted, were three hereditary chieftains  Wa Myhe, the son of Sitting Bull, age 23; Catan Sapa, the son of Black Hawk, age 11; and Itaizipo, the son of Good Bear, age 19. 

The school was in the northwest suburbs near Des Plaines, starting out as St. Marys Training School then becoming Maryville Academy in 1950. Bringing boys and young men from the Sioux tribe there from a Western reservation marked an abrupt U-turn in the countrys policy.

The U.S. government had been sending American Indians westward, ever since the East Coast Natives were forcibly exiled west of the Mississippi River in the 1830s under the Indian Removal Act.

The Tribune was told the agent assigned to the Standing Rock Reservation in the Dakotas had induced 200 Indian families to take up farming and build houses there within the last year, and has the whole body on the reservation, numbering 5,000, under perfect control and discipline. 

But the Sioux boys were sent from that reservation eastward to a Catholic orphanage. There they would stay three years.

Sioux boys as they arrived at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania in 1879. (Library of Congress)

David Beck, a professor of Native American history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said schools like St. Marys took part in a system of economically driven cultural genocide.

They needed a source of funding, Beck told an NPR interviewer earlier this year.

He said the school was struggling financially and the federal government was offering to pay the Chicago Archdiocese $107 per boy annually.

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The purpose of such a contract and the effort to education the Natives in Western ways, as colloquially described by Richard Henry Pratt, who founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, was to Kill the Indian in him, and save the man. 

The Indians under our care have remained savage, he said in an 1892 speech. We have never made any effort to civilize them with the idea of taking them into the nation. 

He didnt mince words about what he saw as the solution.

Richard Henry Pratt, the founder and superintendent of the Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on horseback circa 1901. (Frances Benjamin Johnston/Library of Congress)

In Indian Civilization I am a Baptist, because I believe in immersing the Indian in our civilization and when we get them under holding them there until they are thoroughly soaked, he wrote in the memoir Battlefield and Classroom: Four Decades With the American Indian, 1867-1904. 

He worked out the practical application of his mantra when serving as a jailer to Kiowa, Comanche and Cheyenne prisoners of war at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida, from 1875 to 1878.

Finding the prisoners sinking from helplessness into depression, he had their leg irons removed. He explained that good behavior would be rewarded, taking them on camping and fishing excursions. He gradually introduced them to life in St. Augustine beyond the prison walls.

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Then he gave passes to selected prisoners to explore the white mans world, usually in pairs. The locals were both fascinated by the Indians and initially fearful of them. In time, the sight of Indians strolling and shopping along St. Augustines streets became commonplace.

Not all his innovations were instant successes. Thinking that if American Indians were to be integrated into the white mans world they had to dress like him, he issued them trousers. But preferring Indian leggings, the prisoners cut them off at the hip. A stern talk persuaded the Indians to wear their trousers unaltered.

What Pratt took away from that prison became the template for about 357 Indian training schools. Between 1800 and 1978, they housed 60,000 boarders. Most were taken from families with no say in the matter.

Just as in the others, Indians were robbed of their culture on the day of their arrival at St. Marys Training School. Their hair was cut short, and they were given American names.

The Chiricahua Apaches as they looked upon arriving at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, circa 1885. (Library of Congress)

The Chiricahua Apaches after four months of training at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, circa 1885. (Library of Congress)

The St. Paul Post published a glossary of name changes for Indians in 1883. Mazakaha became Samuel Godereau. Wasicuncinca became George Pleats.

It noted that Hoksilaska, a boy being taken to St. Marys, drew a picture of a horse, like those he had known on the Standing Rock Reservation.

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St. Marys and other schools like it were founded to keep Catholic children from losing their faith in the essentially Protestant ethos of the public schools. At the same time, the school was force-feeding mainstream American culture to Native American children. Speaking English was required. Tribal languages were strictly forbidden.

Yet life at the school wasnt shaped solely by malice and greed. There was also a measure of genuine concern for American Indians by those who contributed to shaping the countrys policies.

The rush of Western settlement grows more and more, wrote Henry Pancoast, a Philadelphia lawyer who organized the Indian Rights Association, after an 1882 visit to Sioux reservations in the Dakotas. He found the Native Americans ill-equipped for the inevitable cultural confrontation, where they were at a considerable disadvantage economically.

Thomas Morgan, the commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1889 to 1893, wrote that a wild Indian requires a thousand acres to roam over, while an intelligent man will find comfortable, support for his family on a very small tract.

Accordingly, social reformers thought that to survive in an individualist society, the Native people needed what todays shrinks dub assertive therapy.

Harriet Beecher Stowe, the abolitionist author of Uncle Toms Cabin, applauded Pratts work in The Christian Crisis, a publication with a progressive readership. She liked what she saw when visiting his St. Augustine prison program.

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An English or penmanship class at Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, circa 1901. (Frances Benjamin Johnston/Library of Congress)

We found no savages, she wrote. There were among these pupils seated and docile, with books in hand, men who had seen the foremost in battle and bloodshed. Now there was plainly to be seen among them the eager joy which comes from the use of a new set of faculties.

Outreach to Indians had previously come from Christian missionaries preaching in tribal languages. Their successors were schoolteachers who took on the work of teaching the American Indian children English.

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The results were passed through a filter of institutional prejudices. At St. Marys, they were blatant.

The Indians, with the exception of three white boys, have been exclusively employed on the farm, Indian Bureau inspectors found. More Indians ought to learn trades. They are eminently imitative and under prudent directions they can become proficient in mechanical arts. Two (or) more Indians might learn baking. Four or five carpentry, the same number shoe making and tailoring. Thus when they return to the reservations they can receive an encouraging compensation for their labor. 

A wood cross stands in the tiny St. Marys Cemetery in Des Plaines on Oct. 30, 2023. Among those buried in the cemetery are five Indian youths who were in a group of 41 boys from the Standing Rock Reservation brought to the school. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

The schools contract wasnt renewed. Money for educating Native Americans was getting tight. Maybe the feds simply thought it better spent elsewhere. It was cheaper to school them on the reservations.

Either way, on Oct. 28, 1886, 48 of the surviving members of the initial group of Sioux were transferred away from St. Marys. Five Indians were left behind. Having died from respiratory diseases, they remain in Des Plaines.

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The boys, whose Native names are in school records  among them Red Bull, Black Hawk, Gray Bear and Walking White Buffalo  are buried in St. Marys Cemetery.

Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com.
Russia has moved strategic air defense systems from Kaliningrad, its enclave on the Baltic coast. This is evidenced by the movement of Russian air transport in November 2023.

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It is worth noting that in this way, Russia is trying to compensate for recent losses at the front in Ukraine. This was reported by the UK military intelligence on the social network X.

The intelligence agency noted that at the end of October 2023, the aggressor country suffered heavy losses of air defense equipment. In particular, we are talking about S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems (SA-21 according to NATO classification).

British intelligence notes that the Kaliningrad region is the westernmost outpost and is bordered on three sides by NATO member states. Therefore, the Russian leadership views Kaliningrad as one of its most strategically sensitive regions.

But given the deployment of the SAMs, the Russian Ministry of Defense is probably willing to take the additional risk. This fact also underscores the strain that the war has placed on some of Russia's key modern capabilities.

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Earlier, it was reported that the destruction of Russian S-400 Triumph air defense systems in the temporarily occupied Crimea is an unprecedented event. This defeat caused Russia huge material and reputational losses.

Earlier, it was reported that on the morning of September 14, explosions occurred in the temporarily occupied Crimea. Later, it turned out that the attack managed to destroy the enemy's S-400 Triumph air defense system, which Russian propaganda called "invulnerable."

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Fighting for the industrial zone in the south of Avdiivka continues between the Russian occupiers and Ukrainian defenders. The defense forces are bravely fighting off the invaders, but the latter have a fivefold advantage in manpower.

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This was reported on the Deep State channel of in-depth analytics. Thus, the Russians continued to put pressure on the industrial zone using tanks and infantry.

Enemy "Panzers" are dismantling the remains of buildings in the western part of the area. At the same time, the enemy's personnel were caught at the moment when a significant number of our fighters retreated towards the private sector.

"Earlier, we wrote that it would be a matter of time before we lost the bridge. Explanation: the most painful thing is not the industrial zone itself but the fact that the defense was breached there, which took place approximately in early November," analysts say.

According to preliminary information, the occupiers have not yet taken the entire area and their military commanders are writing premature statements.

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"On the negative side, most of the videos show enemy vehicles being hit by artillery and FPV drones. It seems that Western partners cannot provide enough anti-tank weapons, so FPVs are a game-changer. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are doing their best, but the Russians have at least a fivefold advantage in manpower and a significant advantage in equipment," DeepState added.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- According to the morning report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the occupants continued to try to surround Avdiivka. Over the past day, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 30 enemy attacks with the support of aviation.

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- ISW noted that the enemy is using less mechanized capabilities compared to October. According to analysts, the occupiers' new assaults will not lead to their rapid advance.

- The Armed Forces of Ukraine said that the invaders launched the third wave of the assault on Avdiivka, trying to attack "head-on," which had not happened before. The enemy's actions are illogical and are related to the absurd demands of their command.

- Vitalii Barabash, the head of the Avdiivka Military Administration, said that the occupants are "coming from all directions" near Avdiivka, but unlike previous waves of the offensive, they are not advancing in columns.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Researchers found that exposure to fine particulate air pollutants, specifically coal PM2.5 from power plants, carries over twice the mortality risk compared to PM2.5 from alternative sources.



Between 1999 and 2020, 460,000 deaths among Medicare enrollees were attributable to coal-fired power plants; 10 of these plants each contributed at least 5,000 deaths, according to the study led by George Mason University, The University of Texas at Austin, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Majority of Deaths Linked to Peak Coal PM2.5 Levels

Most of the deaths occurred between 1999 and 2007, when coal PM2.5 levels were highest, according to the study published in the journalWhile previous studies have quantified the mortality burden from coal-fired power plants, much of this research has assumed that coal PM2.5 has the same toxicity as PM2.5 from other sources."PM2.5 from coal has been treated as if it's just another air pollutant.
Russians have launched another fake about Ukraine's losses in the war. This time, they uploaded a video with a figure allegedly voiced on Ukrainian television about the number of dead and missing soldiers: according to Russian propaganda, there are more than a million of them.

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At the same time, the authors of the video again failed in their clumsy attempts to imitate Ukrainian-speaking Ukrainians. Anatoliy Shtefan, an officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, drew attention to the fake, which, despite its obvious shoddiness, is actively spreading online.

"Attention - fake, editing! This video is being massively distributed on social networks. Observe information hygiene," Stefan called, posting the above-mentioned "masterpiece" of Russian propaganda.

In the video, which is spreading online, a Ukrainian allegedly shoots a TV screen broadcasting a single telethon. On the screen is a moving tape with the inscription: "Ministry of Defense: During the full-scale war, 1,126,652 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed and went missing".

At this point, attentive viewers should have questioned the "sensational information". At least because neither Ukrainian nor Western media reported on such statements by the Ministry of Defense. And the Russians got caught out on the wording itself: instead of the phrase "missing", they used a copy of the Russian "  ".

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However, the Russians, with their self-confidence, decided to bring the fake to what they thought was perfection. They forced the "Ukrainian" allegedly filming the TV screen to speak Ukrainian.

They did not take into account the categorical inability of the "Russian-speaking jaw" to pronounce Ukrainian words in a way that would not expose its owner.

The "author" of the video, as conceived by the scriptwriters, calls for his "wife": "Ir, come here!". A woman's voice replies: "What do you want?".

"Look what they are writing! I'm trying to film it for the second time. More than a million of our people died. Come here! Look!" the "Ukrainian" says, and in response he hears an obscene comment from his "wife".

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All of these remarks by "Ukrainians" who are "shocked" by the losses are as emotionless as possible for the situation they are playing.

However, such "trifles" did not prevent some Ukrainian publics from reposting the frankly shoddy product of the Russian IPSO. And even more so, they did not prevent Russian propaganda Z-channels from immediately spreading the figure drawn in the fake video as a proven fact.

"The Kyiv regime was obviously worried after the "setup" by the 1+1 TV channel, where the number of missing and killed Ukrainian soldiers was announced in a running line, using sneaky typos, as more than a million people, namely 1,126,652. The channel's management was immediately forced to apologize for the unplanned demoralization of the Ukrainian population by a call from Bankova Street. However, other details of the incident are unknown - whether it was done intentionally or accidentally," the propagandists noted.

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And although it is very easy to find the answer to this question, given the ineptness of the execution of yet another Russian fake, the Russians have no time to do so: in the comments to this post, they are vigorously celebrating their latest "victory" without questioning what Russian propagandists feed them.

Earlier, Russian propaganda began to spread the "victorious" news about the alleged escape of a Ukrainian pilot, either with a Su-27 or even a Ka-52 helicopter (which Ukraine does not have) to Russia. However, the Main Directorate of Intelligence denied this Russian fake, calling it a belated reaction to the mass surrender and defection of Russian occupiers, including officers and pilots with equipment.

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In addition, the Russians tried to dispel the fake about the shortage of medicines in Ukraine, as well as the fact that the Kraken special forces were allegedly mobilizing in Zakarpattia.
On the heels of a 76-86 season and a fourth place finish in the NL Central, the Pirates are looking for upgrades in several areas. Starting pitching appears to be a focus for Pittsburgh this offseason, particularly on the heels of yesterdays news that right-hander Johan Oviedo is set to undergo Tommy John surgery. Beyond their clubs need for multiple starting pitching additions, GM Ben Cherington has indicated that his front office hopes to make a veteran addition at first base this offseason, as the club did by inking Carlos Santana last offseason.

While Santana is a free agent again this offseason, FanSideds Robert Murray suggests a pair of recently non-tendered sluggers who could be of interest to the Pirates this offseason: Rowdy Tellez and Dominic Smith. Tellez, 29 in March, is coming off an injury-plagued 2023 campaign where he managed just 351 plate appearances but was among Milwaukees best hitters in 2022 with a .219/.306/.461 slash line and 35 home runs in 599 trips to the plate. Smith, meanwhile, is a former first-round pick who saw significant success with the Mets in 2019-20, slashing .299/.366/.571 in 139 games across the two seasons. Hes struggled since then with a .243/.311/.355 slash line over the past three seasons, though he did bounce back somewhat with the Nationals in 2023 to post a roughly league average line of .254/.326/.366 in 153 games as the clubs regular first baseman.

More from around MLBs Central divisions
MANISTEE, MI  With top hats, carolers and horse-drawn sleighs, this old-time Christmas festival might make you think youve traveled back in time to the 1800s.

Manistees annual Victorian Sleighbell Parade and Old Christmas Weekend is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 30, to Sunday, Dec. 3.

Its an entire weekend of nostalgia and old-fashioned fun, event organizers said.

The biggest event of the weekend is the Victorian Sleighbell Parade at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, on River Street in Manistee. It features horse-drawn entries, bagpipers, reindeer, and carolers elegantly dressed in Victorian attire. The finale is always draft horses pulling a 30-foot Christmas tree perched upright on a sleigh. A tree lighting ceremony immediately follows the parade.

Other events on Saturday include a holiday craft market, concerts and plays, visits with Santa and the Grinch, horse-drawn carriage rides and self-guided tours of a historic church. Things kick off Thursday with a Christmas concert and other events. Fridays schedule includes a dramatic reading of A Christmas Carol at the local library and a ticketed grand ball. Events and activities continue Sunday.

Happening all weekend is the Festival of Trees at the Ramsdell Ballroom, 101 Maple St. Creatively decorated Christmas trees, wreaths and other decor will be on display and available for purchase and silent bidding. Proceeds will benefit local causes.

Christmas decor enthusiasts should also check out the Scandinavian Christmas open house Saturday and Sunday at the Old Kirke Museum, 304 Walnut St. Trees will be decorated in the traditional Danish, Swedish and Norwegian manner.

Find the festival full schedule here.
DETROIT, MI -- A man attempting to flee the scene of a rear-end crash was severely injured after being hit by another passing vehicle, according to the Michigan State Police.

At about 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24, the Detroit Regional Communications Center received several 9-1-1 calls regarding a two-car crash that was blocking the right lane of M-39 near Tireman Avenue in Detroit, police said.

As troopers were headed to the scene of the crash, additional calls came in reporting a pedestrian down in the northbound lanes, police said.

Troopers arrived on-scene and began investigating, finding that the driver of a Ram pickup truck had rear-ended a large box truck on southbound Southfield Road.

The driver of the pickup then ran from the scene into the northbound lanes and was hit by a passing car, witnesses told police. The driver of the pickup -- a 49-year-old man from Detroit -- was hospitalized in serious-but-stable condition, police said.

Two things we see often -- hit-and-run crashes and people trying to cross the freeway, said MSP Lt. Mike Shaw. If you are involved in a crash, just stop and identify yourself. If your crash is on the freeway, dont try to walk across traffic. Its too dangerous.

The 49-year-old was cited for hit-and-run, failure to stop in an assured clear distance and no operators license. He was turned over to the hospital for medical care.

The driver who hit the fleeing man was released from the scene after making a statement, police said.
UPDATE: Indiana couple, their dogs killed in plane crash outside Ludington, police say

MASON COUNTY, MI  Two people died in a fiery airplane crash Sunday morning shortly after takeoff.

The two individuals killed in the crash near the Mason County Airport in Ludington were not immediately identified.

A report of an airplane crash was called into Mason-Oceana 911 Central Dispatch shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole explained.

RELATED: Emergency crews respond to airplane crash in Northern Michigan

The sheriff provided additional details about the crash in a Facebook Live video with 102.7 WMOM.

That plane crash was witnessed by a citizen  they saw it fall out of the sky, the sheriff said.

A single-engine aircraft was taking off from the airport heading east when the plane experienced some sort of problem and banked hard to the north, Cole said. The airplane crashed off of Meyers Road, north of Johnson Road, and caught fire.

Multiple fire crews responded to the scene and quickly extinguished the blaze. Two people inside the aircraft were pronounced dead at the scene.

Michigan State Police is the lead agency handling the investigation, which will eventually be turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration, Cole said.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- People flocked to the Grand Rapids Downtown Market on Saturday for the first ever Grand Rapids Christkindl Markt.

The event brought people from all over to the city to witness European art, culture, and music as well as local artisans.

The Christkindl Markt is intended to create a festive experience, with glowing lights, sugary smells, and joyful sounds, reminiscent of Christmas markets found throughout Europe, and deliver it to downtown Grand Rapids, said Mimi Fritz, CEO of the Grand Rapids Downtown Market in an interview with MLive/The Grand Rapids Press before the market opened earlier this month.

Some of the items sold at the Christkindl Markt included jewelry, ornaments, pottery, chocolates, novelty socks, raclette, alpaca accessories, organic skin care and more.

A beverage tent serving hot cider, hot coca, mulled wine and a specialty beer brewed specifically for the Christkindl Markt was available for those in attendance.

Visitors could also get a variety of food including Raclette cheese, Polish sausages, potato pancakes, fudge, waffles, crepes, macarons, chocolate, candies, and soup.

Performances from musicians playing long wooden instruments known as alphorns took place as well as curling for those who made reservations.

For those wanting to attend the market, it is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday until December 23.

A full schedule of events for the market can be found at christkindlmarktgr.com. Curling sheets and private heated chalets also can be reserved online.

More on MLive:

New $5M Food Network-style culinary kitchen opens at Michigan high school

Fire being investigated at DeltaPlex Arena; one firefighter injured

Michigans Best Local Eats: Carolina Lowcountry Kitchen boasts amazing flavors in East Grand Rapids

Michigans Best Local Eats: Family-run Chicken Coop serves home-cooked meals in Muskegon Heights
JACKSON, MI  A new store has made its way to downtown Jackson hoping to expand its customer base with its variety of clothing and accessories.

HMN Style began as an online store in 2021 by Scott Pienta, before it eventually turning into a physical storefront in Hillsdale to increase its storage size. After the store experienced much success, the owner decided to expand its outreach with a second location in downtown Jackson, Marketing Director Nikki Maynard said.

We really hope to get involved in the community just as much as we were in Hillsdale, Maynard said.

HMN Style, which stands for Hometown Media Network, has moved into the former Apricot Lane location inside of the Blake Building, 180 W. Michigan Ave. The new clothing boutique features womens clothing, shoes, purses, jewelry and other accessories.

Related: After 5 years of fashion, a downtown Jackson boutique is closing its doors

The goal is to offer clothes that are wallet, age and size inclusive, she said. The store takes great pride in offering plus size options up to a 3XL, as well as a range of styles that would appeal to all demographics, she said.

We wanted to create an atmosphere where grandmas, their daughters and even their daughters could shop together, Maynard said.

The clothing is picked from Maynard, Pienta and other staff, she said. Some popular brands include Kori, Judy Blue and Oddi, she said.

The online store also offers mens clothing and would like to expand the Jackson store to offer these items, along with clothing for kids and pets.

HMN Style held a sneak peek of the store on Friday, Nov. 17 during the Downtown Jackson Christmas Parade. So far, residents seem excited about the new boutique, she said.

People have been really receptive, even if they did come in for the cocoa, people were commenting on the cute stuff that we have, Maynard said.

The interior of HMN Style on Tuesday, Nov. 21 in the Blake Building, 180 W. Michigan Ave. The boutique is opening a second location in downtown Jackson.Chloe Miller | CMiller@mlive.com

Pienta is still stocking the store with clothing but is hoping to have an official soft opening in the next few weeks. However, as they stock the store, staff are keeping its doors open to continue allowing customers to get a sneak peek of it, she said.

People can catch of glimpse of the store from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday.

More information and updates on the store can be found on HMN Styles website and Facebook page.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have demonstrated the use of a rare artillery system on the front lines - the towed 2B16 Nona-K, of which there were only two before Russia's full-scale invasion of the Armed Forces. Currently, the Nona-K is in service with the 92nd Brigade named after Ivan Sirko.

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Soldiers operating this artillery system were previously part of a mortar battery, providing fire support to Ukrainian infantry. Now, they are engaging Russian infantry. A video showcasing the use of the Nona-K was released by the press service of the 92nd Brigade.

The brigade presented a video capturing the deployment of the rare artillery system - the towed 2B16 Nona-K. At the outset of Russia's full-scale invasion, only two such systems were in service with the Ukrainian army, according to Defense Express.

However, experts suggest that during a full-scale war, Ukrainian soldiers could have acquired up to eight more 2B16 Nona-Ks.

As of 2021, the Russian Armed Forces had approximately 100 units of such guns. In 2023, according to The Military Balance, the Russian army is reported to have 85 units remaining, with an additional 24 Nona-Ks in service with the Russian Navy's marines.

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In the video, the Noni-K team members mentioned that they used to operate as part of a mortar battery. Currently, their mission involves hunting Russian infantry, which either advances toward Ukrainian positions or goes on rotation to the occupiers' positions as part of a howitzer battery.

"Although the team consists of members of different ages, we all understand each other because there is no other way. We share the same goal - to liberate our native land from the occupiers," stated Dmytro, the commander of the Noni-K squad, in the video.

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The 2B16 Nona-K 120-mm artillery system weighs 1.2 tons. The gun crew consists of five people. The maximum range of this artillery system is 12.8 km.

Earlier, a video was posted online showing how the Defense Forces destroyed the enemy's Acacia self-propelled artillery system along with six occupants with a shot from HIMARS.

It was also reported that on the left bank of the Kherson region, near the village of Krynky, the "Magyars' Birds" swiftly incapacitated an enemy APC. The process of "demilitarization" was captured on video.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
I hope, dear readers, that by the time youve clicked on this newsletter youve emerged from Thanksgivings food coma and Black Fridays consumerist frenzy and are primed to get back to the ever-gripping drama that is our states politics. Allow me to be your guide.

Mark your calendars: Whitmer sets special election dates to resolve tie in Michigan House

The legislature may have flown the coop for 2023, officially adjourning on Nov. 14, but Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her staff have been left with a big stack of legislation to sift through before the end of the year  well in excess of 100 bills.

Michigans constitution gives the governor just 14 days to either sign a bill or veto it once it reaches her desk. Anything other than her signature kills the bill, given the legislature isnt around to make changes to earn her approval. The legislature appears to be sending the bills her way in chunks to lighten the load: on Tuesday they sent 21 bills to her for a final decision; a day later she signed 19.

Lets go through what she signed this week, and what may be closest on the horizon to reach her desk.

(Most of) Democrats Reproductive Health Act

A suite of legislation removing additional abortion restriction passed the legislature in early November, and on Tuesday Whitmer put her pen to the bills to sign them into law, repealing a series of requirements that advocates argued had made it more difficult to receive an abortion.

Providers will no longer have to comply with regulations surrounding hallway width, ceiling heights or HVAC systems. Democrats feel they have a mandate to greatly increase abortion access in the state after a majority of Michigan voters approved Proposal 3 in 2022, enshrining the right to an abortion in the state constitution.

More: How Michigan did, and didnt, change abortion laws in 2023

State Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, was able to single-handedly block key provisions of the package: the proposed lifting of a 24-hour waiting period and allowing the use of Medicaid funds for abortion procedures. The removal of the requirement minors receive parental consent to get an abortion was also left out of the package, but the slimmed down legislation earned a yes vote from her and passed the House on a party-line vote.

A key piece of the legislation still has not been presented to the governor from the House, a bill that, among other things, repeals a ban on health care plans covering abortion procedures by default. Its the linchpin of the package and offers Whitmer an opportunity to tout the legislative accomplishment a second time.

Gun ban for domestic abusers

The day prior, Whitmer brought her pen to Kalamazoo to usher in a ban on firearms to those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence charges.

People with felony convictions are already prohibited from owning firearms under Michigan law for three or five years, depending on the crime. After being sentenced for misdemeanors involving domestic violence, individuals will now receive an eight-year ban on having, using, transporting or selling a gun as well as ammunition.

More: Domestic abusers get 8-year gun ban under new Michigan law

Second Amendment advocates have decried the laws as egregiously expansive, and the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency found the laws expand firearm confiscation to a broad swath of nonviolent felonies, crimes like putting false information on an application for veterans benefits or violating the states lobbying act.

Nearly half of all women murdered in the U.S. are killed by a current or former intimate partner, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. And more than half of these homicides are by firearm. In Michigan alone 101 people were killed in domestic violence incidents in 2022, according to the Michigan State Police.

All the rest and whats left

Whitmer spent the end of the day before Thanksgiving to bring home a potpourri of other laws into being. They included making Juneteenth a state holiday and a duo of bills that made substantial changes to how teachers are evaluated in Michigan.

Other signed bills increasing the maximum allowable size of an election day precinct from 2,999 register voters to 4,999 and another that maintains the default speeds for local roads in Michigan. There will now be professional requirements for hunting and fishing guides and more kinds of law enforcement officials can police off-road vehicle trails.

There is some other major legislation major legislation expected to cross Whitmers desk in the near future. It includes:

In Other News

The surprise announcement from Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint, that he wouldnt seek reelection on Nov. 16 continues to reverberate around Michigans 5th congressional district.

Democrats were taken aback by the news, and speculation abut who might be best positioned to succeed the Kildee dynasty quickly ensued. Theres been some whittling down of that speculation this week as four potential Democratic candidates have already said they have no interest in whats expected to be a competitive race.

Democrats who have expressed interest in the congressional seat or who insiders have said could run include state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City; Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley; Pamela Pugh, the Democratic State Board of Education president whos months into a campaign for U.S. Senate; and Kildee aide Mitchell Rivard.
While Adam Abusalah might not know exactly who he will cast a ballot for in 2024, he knows who wont get his vote: President Joe Biden.

Abusalah, 22, of Dearborn, voted for Biden when he first ran for office in 2020. He even worked as a fellow on Bidens campaign, and previously served as a staffer for U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit.
The hospitality industry is finding long-term solutions to rebuilding one of Michigans largest economic drivers.

Coming out of the coronavirus crisis, the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association needed to find a path to longevity, president and CEO Justin Winslow said.
26.11.2023 LISTEN

Get ready for an explosive musical collaboration as two of Ghanas most celebrated artists, Fuse ODG and Kuami Eugene, unite to release their sexy new single, "100%."

With its infectious afrobeats rhythm and captivating lyrics, "100%" is poised to become a dance sensation and a must-have addition to every music lover's playlist.

The lyrical prowess of Fuse ODG and the melodic charm of Kuami Eugene shine through in this track, as they deliver a sensual yet catchy masterpiece that celebrates the seductiveness of a woman alongside her scandalous moves.

"100%" encapsulates the essence of afrobeats, promising listeners an irresistible beat to dance too! Watch out for the music video, which drops soon and is perfectly aligned with the song with its slick, sexy and stylish vibes."
The proposed partnership between Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and Torrenco Asset Management Limited (TAML) to resuscitate the ailing state-owned refinery appeared to have hit rock.

The Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice has raised competency doubts over Torrenco.

In a letter seen by this portal, the AG's office said its due diligence report on Torrenco "showed TAML has no financial and technical capacity to undertake the proposed lease transaction."

The letter addressed to the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union of the Ghana Trades Union Congress noted in part "from the DDR, TAML has no financial and technical capacity to undertake the proposed transaction."

It further pointed out that "TAML has no established affiliation with Vitol or with any other company, which has the needed funds and technical capacity to undertake the Proposed Lease Transaction and without whose support TAML lacks the financial and technical capacity to undertake its obligation under the Proposed Lease Transaction.

The AG's office thus said it is "not in the position to vouch for the credibility of TAML as a lessee in the Proposed Lease Transaction with TOR," raising doubts over Torrenco's competency to revive the critical refinery.
Atik Mohammed has voiced his disapproval of the absence of Finance Ministers during the 2024 budget debate in Parliament.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, currently engaged in a foreign assignment, leaving the responsibility of representing the ministry during the budget deliberations to his deputies.

However, to the surprise and concern of many, neither the Minister nor his deputies were present during this crucial parliamentary session.

The issue was brought to the forefront by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Tamale South and former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu.

Expressing deep concern on the floor of the House, Iddrisu highlighted the absence of the Finance Minister and questioned the failure of his deputies.

He emphasized the significance of budget oversight, stating, "Budget oversight is our most important oversight function as Parliament, and budget oversight means a lot for the Ghanaian people."

Atik Mohammed, the former General Secretary of the People's National Convention (PNC), said this during an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show.

He expressed his dismay at the Finance Ministers' decision not to attend Parliament during the budget debate, emphasizing the importance of the budget as the "most important document in the life of any government."

"It's not right, and it tells you how our leaders need to up their game," Mohammed asserted, criticizing the leadership for not taking the opportunity to break down the budget for the understanding of Ghanaians.

Mohammed further questioned the absence of the deputies at the Finance Ministry, stressing that the budget is a critical document that outlines expected revenue and expenditure.

He stated, The budget shows how much money to get and how to expend itBudget is just an estimate of your expected revenue; I mean an estimate of your revenue and your expenditure, he stated.
The Chief Executive Officer of the InterCity State Transport Corporation, Nana Akomea, has commended the Akufo-Addo government's decision not to impose taxes on the importation and assembly of electric cars in Ghana.

This move, he believes, will contribute to the growth of the electric car industry in the country over the next five to ten years.

The commendation comes in the wake of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta's announcement during the presentation of the 2024 budget statement in Parliament.

Ofori-Atta disclosed that, as part of the government's fiscal measures, import duties on electric vehicles designated for public transportation would be waived for a period of 8 years.

Additionally, import duties on semi-knocked and completely knocked down electric vehicles imported by registered electric vehicle assembly companies in Ghana would also enjoy an 8-year tax relief.

Appearing on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Nana Akomea stated, "It will help and ensure that, in the next five to ten years, the electric industry in Ghana will grow."
Seventy people have perished in widespread flooding in Kenya that has also driven tens of thousands of people from their homes, President William Ruto said on Saturday, describing it as an "emergency situation".

Kenya and neighbouring Somalia and Ethiopia, countries that are only just emerging from the worst drought in four decades, are now experiencing devastating flooding caused by rains linked to the El Nino weather pattern.

Ruto said the cabinet would hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss recommendations on how to manage the crisis.

"Unfortunately we have lost 70 people across Kenya because of these rains and about 36,160 households have been displaced so far," he said in an address from State House.

"Kenya is already soaked," he said, adding that the Meteorological Department was forecasting more rains to come, heightening the risk of further flooding.

"Therefore we need to prepare ourselves for the emergency situation that is going to ensue," he said.

Many roads, especially in the northern part of Kenya, have been washed away, he said, leaving trucks carrying food, medicine and fuel stranded.

He said the Kenya Defence Force had been called in to airlift supplies to marooned communities.

Ruto was widely chastised after saying last month that the East African country would not experience El Nino rains, only heavy rainful that "would not be destructive".
25.11.2023 LISTEN

Madam Mercy Adu-Gyamfi, a former NPP MP for Akwatia has declared that she was coming back to recapture the Akwatia seat from the NDC in 2024.

Popularly known as Ama Sey, the former Member of Parliament, made history in 2016 as she defeated Mr Babal Jamal, former NDC MP in a fierce contest, to become the first female MP for Akwatia.

Speaking with the GNA as part of the 'Women's Profile' an initiative to highlight women contesting for all public elections, she declared I am coming back like kakai to take the seat.

Madam Adu-Gyamfi was elected MP on the NPP's ticket in the 2016 general elections but lost in her re-election bid in the party's parliamentary primaries to Mr Ernest Kumi, who eventually lost the seat to the NDC in the 2020 elections.

According to her, a lot of consultations had gone on and I have heeded to the call of my people to come back and wrestle the seat for the NPP again.

She said she was optimistic that this time round the delegates would repeat what happened in the 2016 primaries to endorse her overwhelmingly to redeem the seat once again for the NPP.

Ama Sey is one of 19 aspirants and three women who have been given the nod to contest the upcoming primaries in six out of eight NPP orphan constituencies in the Eastern Region.

Notable among the aspirants who would be on the ballots on December 2, in the Eastern Region are Mr Pius Hadzide, CEO of the National Youth Authority and Mr Mark Okraku Mante, Deputy tourism minister for Asuogyaman and Ayensuano respectively.

In what has been described as a replay of the 2020 events, Madam Adu-Gyamfi is contesting with Mr Ernest Kumi who defeated her in the primaries in 2020 and one Mr Castro Obeng Dankwa.

The other NPP orphan constituencies in the region where elections would be held to choose parliamentary candidates for the Party, include Afram Plains North and South and Lower-Manya Krobo.

GNA
Climate Impact and Vulnerability: Somali youth are likely to be deeply concerned about the impacts of climate change on their country. Somalia is particularly vulnerable to climate-related challenges such as droughts, floods, and food insecurity. Somali youth may emphasize the need for urgent action to address these issues and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on their communities.

Image source: Hassan Ali Elmi/AFP/Getty Images

A man carries a sack through floodwater in Beledweyne, central Somalia. Flash flooding in central Somalia has killed 22 people and affected over 450,000, the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA said.

Environmental Degradation and Natural Resource Management: Somali youth may express concerns about environmental degradation, including deforestation, land degradation, and loss of biodiversity. They may expect the COP28 conference to address sustainable natural resource management and conservation practices that can help protect their country's ecosystems and ensure the long-term sustainability of resources.

Livelihoods and Economic Opportunities: Somali youth may highlight the importance of sustainable economic development and job opportunities in the context of climate change. They may expect COP28 to focus on promoting green growth, renewable energy investments, and sustainable livelihood options that can create employment opportunities and improve socio-economic conditions in Somalia.

Image source: Sominvest.gov.so

Access to Clean Energy and Technology: Somali youth may express the need for increased access to clean energy technologies. They may advocate for support in adopting renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, and providing energy access in remote areas of Somalia.

Water Resource Management: Given Somalia's susceptibility to droughts and water scarcity, Somali youth may emphasize the importance of effective water resource management. They may expect COP28 to address sustainable water management practices, including water conservation, infrastructure development, and access to safe drinking water, to mitigate the impacts of climate change on water availability.

Youth Empowerment and Engagement: Somali youth are likely to stress the importance of youth involvement and empowerment in climate action. They may expect COP28 to create platforms for youth participation, representation, and leadership in decision-making processes. They may also advocate for resources and support to implement youth-led climate initiatives and projects in Somalia.

The priorities of Somali youth

Climate Resilience and Adaptation: Somali youth may prioritize actions and initiatives that enhance climate resilience and adaptation in their communities. They may seek support for implementing climate-resilient infrastructure, sustainable agriculture practices, water management systems, and early warning systems to better cope with climate-related challenges such as droughts, floods, and desertification.

Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development: Somali youth may prioritize the transition to renewable energy sources and advocate for increased access to clean energy technologies. They may expect COP28 to address the barriers to renewable energy adoption and promote sustainable development practices that can improve energy access, create job opportunities, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels in Somalia.

Climate Education and Awareness: Somali youth may prioritize climate change education and awareness initiatives. They may seek support for programs that promote climate literacy among young people and the wider population. They may also advocate for raising public awareness about the urgency of climate action.

Youth Empowerment and Engagement: Somali youth may prioritize meaningful youth participation, empowerment, and leadership in climate decision-making processes. They may seek opportunities to actively engage with policymakers, contribute to policy discussions, and have their voices heard. They may also advocate for the establishment of youth-led platforms and initiatives that enable them to drive climate action at the local, national, and international levels.

Image source: Somali Greenpeace Association. Workshop on building capacities of communities on how to initiate (self-mobilize) and/or engage with movements on climate justice, conducted by Somali Greenpeace Association in collaboration with Natural Justice .

Climate Justice and Equity: Somali youth may prioritize climate justice and equity in the global climate agenda. They may advocate for fair and just distribution of climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building support to address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of Somalia and other developing countries. They may also emphasize the importance of addressing the historical responsibility of developed nations in contributing to climate change.

International Cooperation and Partnerships: Somali youth may prioritize international cooperation and partnerships to tackle climate change. They may expect COP28 to foster collaboration between developed and developing nations, as well as facilitate knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and financial support to enhance climate action in Somalia. They may also seek opportunities to connect with youth organizations and climate activists from around the world to share experiences and best practices.

The expectations of Somali youth from the COP28

Ambitious Climate Commitments: Somali youth may expect COP28 to result in ambitious climate commitments from countries worldwide. They may hope for stronger emissions reduction targets, increased investment in renewable energy, and concrete actions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. They may expect countries to step up their efforts to combat climate change and ensure a sustainable future.

Increased Climate Finance: Somali youth may expect COP28 to address the issue of climate finance and call for increased financial support for developing nations, including Somalia. They may want to see commitments from developed countries to provide adequate funding for climate adaptation and mitigation projects in vulnerable regions. They may also expect mechanisms to enhance transparency, accountability, and accessibility of climate finance.

Technology Transfer and Capacity Building: Somali youth may expect COP28 to facilitate technology transfer and capacity building to support climate action in Somalia. They may hope for partnerships and collaborations that enable the transfer of clean and sustainable technologies to help address climate challenges. They may also expect capacity building programs to enhance the knowledge and skills of Somali youth in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Youth Inclusion and Participation: Somali youth may expect COP28 to prioritize youth inclusion and meaningful participation in climate decision-making processes. They may hope for dedicated platforms and spaces that allow them to contribute their ideas, perspectives, and solutions to address climate change. They may also expect youth representation in official delegations and the integration of youth voices in policy discussions and negotiations.

Enhanced Climate Education and Awareness: Somali youth may expect COP28 to promote climate change education and awareness initiatives and community-based programs that enhance understanding of climate change and its impacts. They may expect COP28 to emphasize the importance of knowledge dissemination and public engagement.

Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange: Somali youth may expect COP28 to foster international collaboration and knowledge exchange. They may hope for opportunities to connect with youth from other countries, share experiences, and learn from successful climate initiatives. They may also expect COP28 to facilitate networking and partnerships that enable joint projects and initiatives aimed at addressing climate change.

Long-Term Funding Mechanisms: Somali youth may expect COP28 to establish long-term funding mechanisms for climate change adaptation and mitigation in Somalia. They may hope for the creation of sustainable financing mechanisms that provide predictable and adequate resources to support climate projects and initiatives. They may advocate for innovative financial instruments, public-private partnerships, and access to climate funds to ensure the long-term sustainability of climate action efforts.

Recognition and Support of Loss and Damage: Somali youth may expect COP28 to recognize loss and damage as a distinct and urgent issue that requires dedicated attention and support. They may hope for discussions that acknowledge the unique vulnerabilities of Somalia to climate change impacts, such as floods and droughts. They may advocate for the provision of financial, technical, and capacity-building support to address the loss and damage experienced by vulnerable communities in Somalia.

By Mohamed Abdullahi Hersi.

Executive Director, Save the Environment International. I ACT Peer Educator at International Renewable Energy Agency. Educationist. Environment, Climate Change and Development Educator.
The commander of the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Serhii Naiev, has warned that the war could again extend beyond the east and south of Ukraine if Russia continues to increase weapons production and improve technology with the help of its allies. The Ukrainian military is preparing for such a scenario by building defensive lines, mining areas, and training personnel.

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Naiev made the statement in an interview with the American TV channel ABC News. "We are preparing for this (Russian invasion from the north - Ed.). We are building defenses, laying mines, and training our forces," he said.

At the same time, Serhii Naiev noted that technology is the key to this war.

"Technology is crucial. A target that required 100 shells using old Soviet technology now requires much less, and it is measured in numbers up to ten, so technology always outweighs quantity," said the lieutenant general.

According to the commander, if the West reduces its assistance, it will hit Ukraine's defense capabilities, but it will continue to fight with what it has.

"We understand that there is a war for resources. The Russian Federation gets its resources through the axis of evil - North Korea, and Iran. And we, with the help of our partners, receiving air defense systems from them, are opposing Russia with their resources. We need to understand that the reduction in aid will hit our defense capabilities. But we will fight with what we have," Naiev said.

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As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed the work of mobile air defense firing groups in the Sumy sector. According to him, hundreds of such groups repel the raids of the "Shahed", being in full combat readiness around the clock.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Krachi Senior High School (KRASEC) has won the 2023 NCCE Oti Regional Debate Competition organized on the 22nd of November 2023 at Dambai, the Oti regional capital.

The Oti Regional Office of the National Commission for Civic Education organised the debate as part of the activities marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth Republic and the Commission.

In his welcome address, the Regional Director, Mr. Robert Kwesi Boame, said the competition aimed to allow future leaders an opportunity to research and know about Ghana's democratic governance, appreciating its fruits and prospects.

He added that the choice of the activity was to make the students understand that the competition of ideas best resolves disagreements. He advised students to always make superior arguments reign and not resort to violence when disagreements arise.

Six schools, namely Yabram SHS, Kyabobo Girls SHS, Kadjebi Asato SHS, Krachi SHS, Nkonya SHS, and Kpassa Sec. Tech. The school participated in the competition which was won by Krachi SHS (KRASEC) and followed by Yabram Community SHS. Kadjebi SHS came third, and Nkonya took the fourth position.

Mr. Bright Kwabla Agbodeka, the chairman for the occasion who also serves as a Commission member of the NCCE, in his closing remarks, admonished the students to learn from the presentations and be adequately prepared to take over the affairs of the country in the future.

Mr Agbodeka further expressed gratitude to the Regional Director of NCCE, his Deputy, and the entire staff for making the debate competition successful.

The competition was sponsored by GCB Bank, Cereal Investment Company Limited, and Municipal and District Assemblies in the Oti region.
26.11.2023 LISTEN

We can define Afrofuturism as an artistic movement rooted in science fiction and technological themes, it is far more than that, but this is a beginning of an understanding to the value and influence across Africa and the global African Diaspora. The intrigue of Afrofuturism lies in the creativity, imagination and innovation of Africans that embrace and share their culture through the growing integration of technology and technological creativity. The tools of technology from AI, VR, Web 3/4/5 and the Metaverse. The web site Afrofuturism Experience based in Jacksonville, Florida is preparing for another digital, virtual and in-person experience that celebrates the Mother Land of Africa and the creativity, imagination, and innovation that was birthed there https://tinyurl.com/2zr34h5p

The blending of Afrofuturism to the African culture is an influence of the exploration of culture, creation, exploration, and innovation. Afrofuturism is another way for Africans and those of the African Diaspora that live in the United States, Europe, Caribbean, and other global locations to lay claim that Africans can create the world in a story that shares their contributions to the world though-out history. That story is not just written, it is visual, auditory, impactful, and hands-on.

Increasingly across the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean it has been found that Africans and Africans of the Diaspora have created, built, made, designed, pioneered, some of the greatest discoveries and inventions of human history. Colonialism has attempted to destroy the beauty, power, purpose, and inspiration of what Africa has made and colonized thinking has tried to hide and destroy the achievements of Africans and those of the African Diaspora, we

must never let this happen.

Those of the African Diaspora must never be forgotten nor blinded about the contributions made to the world. We must never let go of our past, we must continue to find understanding in it, our contributions in all areas from the sciences to the arts. From Egypt, to Ethiopia, the Horn of Africa, the Western portions, and Northern portions where writers, scholars, designers, artists, musicians, ministers, mathematicians, scientists, engineers, authors, and other creatives have contributed. If not for the former African Afrofuturist the world would not have the achievements, it enjoys and takes for granted now.

"A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so." Chinua Achebe

All sprang from the lineage of a continent that continues to influence the direction of the world. From magazines like Fifty-Four Mag sharing the beauty of the African culture, lifestyle, education, and economics. From authors like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Ngugi wa Thiong'o creativity in writing and the arts fires up the imagination and inspires creativity. "People must never forget that there is excellence and even exuberance across Africa that must not be forgotten." Resources are available like L&D African Network, One Africa Forum, AfricaVR Center, Exponential Youth Summit 2023 (#EYS2023) and more that share African innovation and creativity.

The influence of Modern Ghana (https://www.modernghana.com/) that shares content that is respected and admired across a vast continent of diversity and brilliance, Africa. Resources like this need to be shared and expanded on to show intellectualism is still valuable. A powerful statement by Marcus Garvey warned Africa and the African Diaspora: Never forget that intelligence rules the world and ignorance carries the burden. Therefore, remove yourself as far from ignorance as possible and seek as far as possible to be intelligent. Intelligence, creativity, innovation, and understanding have been the foundation for Africa to at one time be the leader of the world. The growth and excellence of Africa can be seen in the creations of today and the future.

"Hope and Resilience" Moshoodat Sanni A major part of African heritage is hope and resilience, the ability to see a future of unity where Africans can travel unrestricted to visit family and friends. Where an Africa is not plundered and raped by foreign nations that only care about natural resources to steal and desecrate. The beauty and value of Africa is in its people. A people of promise and purpose.

"When you look at African hair you see strength and adaptability, due to its incredible versatility" Nikiwe Dlova. Africans have experienced so many trials, tribulations, challenges, ravages, but have the resilience and history that it can return to its beauty, peace, and power. The pain and trauma of colonialism has tried to destroy the identity of Africa, but this still survives as people know who they are and where they come from. There are still episodes of colonial economic and cognitive enslavements, but Africans are still learning the ways of this century.

Africa is living proof that innovation is everywhere, not just in the use of technology, it is tied to the past as it hurtles, runs, jumps, and skips toward the future. Afrofuturism is important because it embraces the future of technology in Africa and infuses the potential of Africans with adapting to new tools and the blending of the old with the new ways of thinking.

The motions of Africa are boundary-pushing, undeniably moving glory carrying with this forward motion, that were set in motion centuries before. There is a strength and resiliency to the liberation for freedom that comes from speaking the truth and sharing the history of the African story.

Ask a million people what they think of Africa, and you will get a million different answers. Ask Africans what they think of the future of their continent, and you will still get a million different answers. Ask about Afrofuturism, you will still get a million different and unique answers, but rest assured it will be powerful, purposeful and immortalize the spirit of the African continent.

Think about Afrofuturism and what I hope this does is brings to life within each African a vision for empowering Africa to be a global influence in education, economics, commerce, preserving natural resources. Allow Africans to finally blend, collaborate and cooperate on a global scale of unity, brotherhood, sisterhood and Diasporan love and peace that the world must respect and fear. From the 2023 Afrofuturism Experience (https://tinyurl.com/352bmed2 - LinkedIn), that 2024 will be even more powerful from the United States to Africa.

"There is that great proverb: that until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter." Chinua Achebe Will Africans allow other historians to tell the story of the lion or will Africans embrace technology to tell their own stories and share them globally. The opportunities are here now for Africans to apply vast amounts of technological resources to amplify African voices.
26.11.2023 LISTEN

It is a glorious thing to have a tested leader as the president of a country. It is also a blessing when the president means what he says and when what he says is not just believable but also approved by the people. Such a society is bound to swim in an environment of enormous possibilities because the question of trust is taken care of. The question of purpose is also sorted. Be that as it may, it is a two-edged sword: the leader will have to be conscious of time and calculative of his achievements while the mass of the people must remain critical in terms of the goals and objectives of the government.

As for the people, thats what will give them the leverage in terms of the measurement of performance of the critical goals and objectives of the government. As for the government, to achieve its goal, no Ministry is sacrosanct; no policy is a no-go area. In other words, there should be no sacred cows. So, a leader worth his designation must be exceptionally bold.

Promises are good when they are implemented. They create an atmosphere of trust and a political capital that is difficult to deplete. But when promises are made but broken, they deplete the political capital faster than a bullet. It is like thunder and lightning.

Integrity also wanes. The more the believability of a gladiator wanes, the faster the credibility and the ability to win elections fly away. If one tells the people something and that thing wanes, so is a certain percentage of ones political capital waning. The more reason a leader has to guide the currency of his or her promises, because nobody wants to trade with a currency thats under suspicion. In other words, once it gets to a point where the people are no longer eager to listen to their leaders voice, trouble looms.

It is no longer news that President Bola Tinubu has promised to let the poor breathe! He has promised to banish poverty! He has also promised to fight insecurity to a standstill! As a matter of fact, Nigerians have lost count of the promises made by this administration since May 29. Early this week, Tinubu vowed that no student would drop out of school on his watch! The point is: Nigerians are tired of unending promises from their leaders. In the 80s, Nigerians were promised houses, stable power supply, affordable and qualitative education and everything for all by the Year 2020. This is 2023 and  here we are! So, Tinubu needs to prove to the world that he is different from the abnormal norms. He should learn, especially from our recent past, because examples of people who started well but ended badly abound.

Successive governments have taught Nigerians how to get weary of unending promises. Its a bad experience which they dont want to relive. On May 29, 2015, Muhammadu Buhari assumed office as Nigerias president. Buhari came into office standing on a tripod: security, fight against corruption and infrastructure development and job creation. By the time he was leaving office on May 28, 2023, life in Nigeria as a Nigerian had become extremely hard. So, only God can rate the former presidents performance and thank him on behalf of Nigerians. For instance, Buhari had promised to recover every Chibok girl captured by Boko Haram. He had also promised to lead Nigeria from the front. But thats what they were: unfulfilled promises. Mention the economy under Buhari and Nigerians would be quick to recount how he acted King Rehoboam.

On the war against corruption, some of those who were around between December 31, 1983 and August 27, 1985 would have by now concluded that those who impishly said that Nigerians were being ruled by one funny Jibrin from Sudan might not have been sincerely wrong. So, when Femi Adesina said that his principal fulfilled all his promises to Nigerians, one could not but marvel at the height of insult on the collective intelligence of Nigerians.

If the foundation be destroyed ? The problem with Nigeria has been a dearth of forthright and insightful leaders; and thats why dear country has been in this sorry pass. The late Obafemi Awolowo was too elitist in his time; and he ended up being sandwiched by anti-elitist elements! It was a serious issue but, even at that, Awolowo did some things which clearly distinguished him as a forthright leader. For example, when the then University of Ife was to be established, the Ikenne-Remo-born politician resolved to make it the best university on this part of the planet. To achieve this, he ordered the hiring of the best brains from across the globe, even if it would cost the Western Region a substantial amount of resources. Reports had it that it was Awolowo who personally looked for Professor Hezekiah Oluwasanmi as the universitys pioneer Vice Chancellor. Decades after its establishment, the institution, now rechristened Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), still retains even its powerful aesthetic appeal.

Tinubu as an individual is determined and hes working. But where are the Ministers? Where are the Ministers of Agriculture and Power for instance? The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has not uttered a word or made a policy statement since his inauguration. On his part, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari has refused to take advantage of the low-hanging fruits that the sector presents, both in terms of the massive food production advocacy and provision of employment opportunities to mitigate the stress on the economy. In fact, what is only known about Penkelemesi is his running upandan, crisscrossing between Ibadan and Abuja; and its as if his destiny depends solely on the governorship seat of Oyo State, come 2027.

Without doubt, too many promises are a panacea for loss of focus. Therefore, Tinubu should let Nigerians know which among his promises are achievable before this first term expires. For instance, if he is going to provide electricity, let it be that Tinubu has said that electricity is his main focus. In any case, two terms of eight years cant even be enough to resolve the many challenges bedeviling the sector. But at the end of the day, Nigerians wont have to go back to it again.

The State of Israel once started as a subdued nation. But she went back to the drawing board to recalibrate the reasons for her existence. Now, woe betide any nation that thinks little of Eretz Yisrael. Even the United States of America takes Israel into consideration before taking any steps. So, wither Nigeria, the Giant of Africa?

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

*KOMOLAFE wrote in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, Nigeria ( [email protected] ; 08098514418  SMS only)
Devoted Christians believe that everything is possible with God, but God couldnt change Bawumia the Liar, to be a truthful person. I will, therefore; continue to alert Ghanaians about Mahamudu Bawumia, just as I did when I forewarned them about the corrupt and destructive Akufo Addo, but nobody paid attention to me until it was too late. With Ghanas entire infrastructure collapsed and jobs being hard to come by, Ghanaians are now going through the worst time in their lives.

The saying "If you want to hide anything from a black man, write it in a book" used to infuriate me because it denigrates the black race. However, I'm starting to accept that not all Africans read. This is because, if most Ghanaians ignore their hatred and political hypocrisy and consider the harm that Akufo Addo, Mahamudu Bawumia, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the NPP party have done to Ghana, Bawumia will not be trusted to become president, after failing woefully to succeed as vice president.

Ghana is for Ghanaians, it is not for any political party or ethnicity, therefore; the corrupt Supreme Court judge Kwasi Anin-Yeboah that Akufo Addo, appointed, has no right to protect, and prevent the dishonest Jean Mensa from testifying in court to explain to Ghanaians how she arrived at the fraudulent figures that never tallied with the election results. The catastrophe that has befallen the country today is the outcome of her dishonest acts in manipulating the 2020 elections to favor Akufo Addo.

Sadly, individuals like Jean Mensa and Supreme Court judges, who take an oath with the Holy Bible to serve Ghanaians, before starting their official duties would rather support all the immoralities the ruling government deserves to continue in power while the populace, especially the youth, continues to live in extreme poverty. As a result, many people have fled a nation endowed with abundant natural resources, such as gold, diamonds, and oil, only to perish horribly in the deep ocean.

Since I am not a tribal bigot who is more interested in tribalism than in developments in Ghana, I will not support this corrupt and oppressive regime. More importantly, I refuse to say that, since I am living better in Belgium, I would support the unethical behavior of the NPP government, since I am well aware that the bad seeds they sowed have the potential to ruin our country forever. The thing that saddens me the most about it is that people don't realize that what they write is them.

The majority of Ghanaians see Paul Adom-Otchere and all the state-sponsored journalists who have been supporting Akufo Addo's crimes as criminals because they have been defending the crimes of the NPP government, including Akufo Addo's immoralities. Some people believe that "if you can't fight them, then you need to join them. However, I can fight them, so I will not join them, instead; I will fight to defend Ghanaians' rights to refuse living under sub-human conditions and bondage in their country.

Ghana has reached a point where the nation is bankrupt, but Bawumia is fighting for the survival of the party rather than the survival of the poor people, refusing to admit the party's failure and the pain that the poor people. If the NPP succeeded in persuading Ghanaians that John Mahama's best years were detrimental to the country and that he was dishonest and incompetent, we now know exactly what those claims meant while the NPP was in power. They are the real destroyers and liars.

If Ghanaians don't think there is anything wrong with Bawumia in politics, then I will encourage them to be more astute to impress the white man. Nobody in the world regards Akufo Addo and Bawumia as intelligent leaders, since they demolished an entire hospital building that served communities in Accra and, three years later, informed them that there are funds available to complete the project, let alone such a person becoming president. We should prevent being mocked by the white man every time.

Finally, I don't think God has sent any of the people who say that Bawumia would become president by God's grace, any message because the invincible powerful force that believers worship in spirit, has long rejected Bawumia, since He was unable to change him to learn how to speak the truth, even though devoted Christians and Muslims believe that with God, all things are possible.
ECOWAS Ministers responsible for Social Protection convened in Banjul and online on the 24th of November 2023 to validate and adopt the ECOWAS Framework on Social Protection and its Operational Plan. The meeting was Chaired by H.E Dr. Betta C. Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The meeting is a significant milestone in the regional quest to achieve comprehensive and inclusive social protection.

In her opening remarks, H.E Dr. Edu stated that the theme of the Ministers meeting is of crucial importance as Social Protection is a fundamental human right and should not be regarded as a privilege. It is a social and economic necessity that has proved to be a stabilizer in times of crises and shocks. In this regard, the ECOWAS Framework on Social Protection and its Operational Plan would guide the Member States in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of inclusive national social protection floors.

H.E Dr. Edu while acknowledging the region's vulnerability to various shocks and related cross-border challenges, stressed that the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and its Operational Plan would foster regional collaboration to enhance existing social protection systems. Furthermore, the Framework would enhance a more coherent and effective approach to poverty reduction (SDG 1) and the eradication of food and nutrition insecurity (SDG 2).

The ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr reiterated the significance of the meeting and urged for increased regional investment in social protection, re-echoing its dual role as a fundamental human right and an economic necessity capable of elevating the standard of living for ECOWAS citizens. Prof. Sow Sarr linked the effort to develop the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework to the ECOWAS Vision 2050 which is to build a peaceful and prosperous region with strong institutions, fundamental freedoms, and inclusive and sustainable development.

The UNICEF Representative in The Gambia, Ms. Mariavittoria Ballotta, stated that the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and its Operational Plan is landmark achievement for the ECOWAS Commission and the Member States. While emphasizing the transformative potential of Social Protection to change the narratives of poor and rural households. The UNICEF would accompany the ECOWAS Commission and the Members in the implementation of the Framework, and she called on all development partners to use the ECOWAS Social Plan Framework as the basis to foster collaboration and coordination of social security schemes across the region.

The FAO Coordinator for West Africa - Dr. Robert Guei in his statement reaffirmed the commitment of the FAO to support the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and its Operational Plan. He emphasized the importance of building solid and sustainable social protection systems linked to the broader development plans for the benefit of West African communities. Dr. Guei then underscored the role of Social Protection in transforming agri-food systems to become efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.

The Vice President of The Republic of The Gambia, H.E. Muhammed B.S. Jallow, expressed gratitude to all participating Ministers for the trust and confidence vested on The Gambia as the host of the Ministers meeting. The Vice President, H.E Jallow also emphasized the importance of the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and its Operational Plan as a harmonized and coherent framework aligned with the ECOWAS mandates. H.E. Jallow highlighted The Gambia's commitment to the international declarations on human rights and social security and gave examples of the concrete initiatives undertaken by the Government in this respect.

The outcome of the deliberations of the Experts meeting was presented to the Hon. Ministers which was followed by the sharing of national experiences and best practices in implementing social protection schemes. The Ministers unanimously committed to support the implementation of the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and its Operational.

In their closing remarks, H.E Dr. Betu while congratulating the Ministers for the adoption of the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and its Operational Plan, urged the Members to re-double their efforts to increase Social Protection coverage in West Africa from 17% percent to 50% within the next two (2) years. She congratulated the ECOWAS Commission and the development partners for the quality of document validated and adopted.

In turn, the Vice President, H.E Jallow who is also the Minister responsible for Social Protection in the Republic of The Gambia commended the Ministers for unanimously adopting the finalized ECOWAS Social Protection Framework and its Operation Plan. H.E Jallow stated that it was a demonstration of the collective resolve to improve the lives of the ECOWAS citizens and to "Leave no one behind". He then declared the meeting closed.
The Global African Heritage Foundation has launched a book in Honour of His Majesty King of Morocco Mohammed VI, under the auspices of the Moroccan Embassy in Ghana.

The launch took place on Saturday, 25th November 2023 at the University of Ghana , Legon.

The book which was authored by Mr. Peter Panyin Anaman, entitled  Echoing the voice of Africa , consisting of a selection of quotes from His Majesty King Mohammed VI speeches on African issues was unveiled .

The book, the first of a series, aims to inspire generations of Africans to value the African heritage, while embracing the timeless wisdom of outstanding African leaders and statesmen.

The books first series is an invitation to the African and Non-African citizenries to delve into the priceless treasures of wisdom and inspiring quotes of King Mohammed IV, from the importance of preserving African heritage to the essence of fostering interfaith harmony thus promoting the African values of tolerance, patriotism and Pan -Africanism advocated by His Majesty the King of Morocco.

In her speech, the Moroccan Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Imane Ouaadil, put the African policy of Morocco under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in perspective and detailed the strong commitment of the Kingdom in favour of the continent in all strategic spheres namely food security, sustainable development and peace and security.

The event was well attended by the Group of African Ambassadors in Ghana, former High Commissioners of Ghana in Morocco, members of the Ghana Parliament, officials from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, members of the Ghana Morocco Old students Association and members of the Moroccan Community in Ghana.

-The New Crusading GUIDE
Majook Mawien Madut

26.11.2023 LISTEN

Warrap State has been involved in a circle of inter-communal conflicts within itself for years where violence and insecurity continued to be the order of the day. Access to health care, education and free movement is limited; there are severe deficits in basic service delivery due to a complex array of conflicts which impeded economic development and stability. The existence of conflict has seen governors appointed and sacked by H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit within a short period of time, making Warrap become the only state which its governors have been replaced most times than any other state since its reconstituted government.

In November 2022, Eng. Manhiem Bol Malek was appointed and became the third governor to replace his predecessor, Gen. Aleu Ayieny, who was the successor of Gen. Panek Biar. With Manhiem's appointment, hopes were high as English remarks, a new broom sweeps clean. It was hope in vain given current situation in Warrap State where the government seems to only scratch the surface of insecurity despite heavy death toll. Each day the devastating consequences continue to be so shocking. The escalation of conflicts without arrest of culprits involved between Aguok vs. Kuac, Twic Mayardit vs. Ngok Dinka of Abyei Administrative Area plus Apuk Giir of Warrap State vs. Marial Wau of Jur River, Western Bahr el ghazal State which has claimed more lives from Apuk indicates the inability of the government in Warrap State to solve both internal and external conflicts.

The recent incident, however, in Matiel Boma of Gogrial East County where the bodyguard of Governor Manhiem's close protection who, according to majority claim to be his close relative from Marial Wau of Jur River, the side that is fighting with Gogrial East County of Warrap State, stands accused by eyewitnesses and, on the other hand, disputed by Warrap State's Minister of information, Hon. William Wol Mayom, of having shot the deceased named Mariak Tong Ubang, has already raised a big tension in the State. The Minister of information in Warrap State has blamed and claimed Gogrial East's youth killed the late Mariak Tong with first bullet in what he called "random shooting" carried out by them during peace rally. Something that did not go well with Gogrial East citizens and call for justice into the killing of late Mariak Tong Ubang by Governor's bodyguard on 19th November, 2023.

Moreover, on 21st November 2023, the Governor of Warrap State, Eng. Manhiem Bol Malek formed a fact-finding committee on the incident of Matiel. In regards to Governor's step for forming a fact-finding committee where his bodyguard is the culprit according to bystanders while his government denies it, is absolutely wrong. How trustworthy is the committee he unilaterally formed? Isn't it an attempt by the governor to cover up the truth from the public? To me, the governor must accept full responsibility for law to take its course. There is no where you are accused of a crime and claim to preside over it as the judge. I am afraid the Governor's committee will never deliver anything but a manipulated report to bury the truth. If he thinks his bodyguard is innocent, let him allow the national government to form a fact-finding committee that will carry out the investigation - only then will truth prevail.

Shocking enough is the Minister's attempt to modify the truth and misinform the public on the incident of Matiel in favor of his government undermines democracy and rule of law. It only proves the government in Warrap State is there to implement a policy lie than serving citizens with integrity. What is so legitimate about lying to the citizens where government is supposed to be accountable to them? What good can be expected from the government where politicians choose lies over truth? The irresponsible behavior demonstrated by Warrap State's Minister of information while in public leadership position must be condemned. This can make public withdraw trust in government.

Lastly, in modern states, governments create and maintain order explicitly through the police and armed forces, and implicitly by creating the conditions under which people can go about their lives in relative safety. Under Eng. Manhiem Bol Malek as the governor of Warrap State, it is without doubt that his leadership has totally failed and lost its effective ability to protect and govern populace. Currently, Warrap State is on the brink of failing if nothing is done. Residents are living amid fear due to incompetent leadership as state experiences a breakdown in law enforcement, likely leading to a state of near-anarchy. Therefore, it is to be noted that Warrap State's current problems are administrative inability which, only if we want to save the State from collapsing, need a competent and capable leader that is not Eng. Manhiem Bol Malek.

The writer is a student of Public Administration, University of Juba and can be reached via email: [email protected] .
Mr David Odjidja, Headmaster of Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School (Presec), Legon, has appealed to the Ministry of Education to change the school's electricity meter from prepaid to postpaid.

The Headmaster said the prepaid system was financially difficult for the school and appealed for a postpaid metre where they could use electricity and pay later when they received funds from the Government.

Keeping the lights on is expensive for us. We don't receive funds to buy the credit, because we must buy the credit ourselves, and then accumulate the receipts to redeem payment from the Ministry of Education.

As an educational institution using a prepaid metre is worrying because the light can go off anytime and if you don't have money to buy electricity then you cannot get power to use in the school, he said.

Mr Odjidja made the appeal at Presec's 85th Anniversary Speech and Prize Giving Day.

The Headmaster also appealed for furniture, particularly desks, in some of its classrooms due to the increasing number of students.

He said some students stand during lessons or use dining hall benches due to inadequate furniture.

Mr Odjidja added that some dormitories were congested and called for more dormitories.

Meanwhile, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, a Deputy Minister of Education, together with Right Reverend Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, commissioned a new six-science laboratory building complex for the school on the sidelines of the event.

The building was established by the Education Ministry together with the Presbyterian Church.

Rev. Ntim Fordjour said the Government was committed to expanding science education in schools to ensure that it met its 25 per cent science enrollment target.

He said: The best investment any country can make is to build the competencies and skills set of its youth making them change agents and drivers of social change and development.

This is exactly what we are doing with the Government's educational agenda to build our students with competencies and skills set to make them creative and problem-solving through modern science education, he added.

Academic and meritorious awards and prizes were presented to deserving students and staff on the day.

Some of the awards included awards for best students in subject areas, outstanding students in 2022 WASSCE, National Science and Maths Quiz winners, and best students in sports.

The teaching and non-teaching staff of the school were also rewarded for their long service and commitment to duty.

The 1998-year group of the school constructed a new ceremonial ground as their legacy project for the school.

GNA
26.11.2023 LISTEN

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), as part of its outlined programmes for next year, will organise a debate for flag bearers of contesting political parties and Parliamentary candidates ahead of the 2024 General election.

Madam Kathleen Addy, the Chairperson of the Commission, said the debate would enable the flag bearers and independent candidates to communicate their policies and programmes to the citizenry, while Parliamentary candidates would also get platforms to interact with electorates in their constituencies.

Apart from these, the debate will also serve as a tension breaker. Because whilst political party candidates may create different platforms for their campaigns, this common platform will let them come together and show to the people that, look, we are not enemies, we are just competing candidates at an election, she added.

Madam Addy said this when a delegation from the United Nations (UN) office in Ghana paid a courtesy call to the Commission to address issues of elections and security.

An inter-party dialogue committee, she said, had been set up at what was called buffer zones for conflict resolution at the grassroots levels in every constituency.

The committees hold meetings at the grassroots levels to see how things that could escalate probably into conflict be nipped in the bud, she stated.

The Chairperson appealed for financial and logistical support to enable it to undertake educational activities across the country towards the election.

The activities were necessary, she said, to draw the attention of politicians to be mindful of their utterances in order not to create tension among the citizenry, especially the youth.

The Commission was also creating platforms for youth interactions through political party youth activist workshops, she said, explaining We call it workshop because it serves as capacity building for them to understand the roles of engagement in the political space, for example going on political procession and demonstration and they need to understand the regulations.

We also have in-school clubs for young persons and we use such platforms for engagement, she added.

A critical issue for the Commission for the next year's election, which was becoming central this time, she said was religion and religion intolerance, hence the Commission would organise inter-faith dialogue platforms to address and control it.

In addition to that, we will be holding processions between people of different faiths coming together to preach the message of peace and have fun games with people from different religious groupings.

So that we can really show to the people that in Ghana, we have lived peacefully from Islam to Christianity, so the fact that this time around, one candidate is a Christian and the other is a Muslim would not break us apart, she said.

Madam Angeline Nkwenkam Nguedjeu, Peace and Development Advisor (PDA) from the United Nations (UN)  Ghana, who led the delegation, commended the NCCE for the measures put in place to ensure peace and security in the coming election.

She said their mission was to identify which areas the UN could offer support as it always provided assistance by deploying election observers and gave assurance that the information gathered would be submitted to the principals of the UN for their response.

Other members of the delegation were Dr Mathias Awonnatey, UN-Ghana, Manus Macatteu, UN-DPPA, and Ms Ecoma Alaga, Senior Political Affairs Officer/West Africa Team Lead of the UN.

GNA
On November 26, President Volodymyr Zelensky showed photos of the Ukrainian Air Defense Forces. The President thanked the soldiers who are on combat duty every day and night to protect the sky over the country.

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The President shared the photos on his official Telegram channel. He noted that our Heroes destroy enemy missiles and drones, save lives, and protect critical infrastructure.

"All our military pilots and engineers of the Air Force, anti-aircraft warriors, soldiers of mobile fire groups, thank you for saving our people, our cities and communities! We are doing everything to make the Ukrainian air shield stronger," the president wrote.

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Photo: Joint Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Air Command "South", General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Air Command "Center", Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

At the Grain from Ukraine conference on November 25, Zelensky named the regions of the country that most need to strengthen air defense. According to him, there are problems in the regions that share a common border with Russia and Belarus, in frontline cities such as Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Dnipro, and in the Donetsk direction. Sumy, Chernihiv and Cherkasy are also under threat.

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As OBOZ.UA wrote:

- On the night of November 26, Ukraine's air defense worked out nine Shahed-131/136 kamikaze drones launched by Russia. The defenders shot down eight attack UAVs in the skies over different regions.

- On November 25, the Russian Federation launched one of the most massive drone attacks on our country. Initially, it was reported that air defense forces destroyed 74 of 75 drones, but according to the updated data of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the enemy launched 87 Shahed-136/131 in total, and all of them were destroyed. About 40% of the targets were shot down by mobile fire groups.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Remember that uneasy sensation of feeling full and tight in the abdomen? It's that disruptive force in your daily routine that causes irritation and discomfort. Bloating, with its distended belly, gas, and sense of heaviness, persistently interrupts life, hindering both productivity and mood. Multiple factors, such as overindulging, rapid eating habits, intake of gas-inducing foods like beans or fizzy beverages, unintentional ingestion of air while eating, and underlying gastrointestinal conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or food intolerances, play a vital role in causing bloating. It is, hence, important to stay steer clear of these triggers and embrace mindful eating practices. Natural remedies: If you are dealing with bloating, several natural remedies can offer relief. Peppermint tea eases bloating by aiding digestion and relaxing the gastrointestinal muscles. Ginger, on the other hand, whether consumed as tea or part of meals, supports digestion, and reduces gas and bloating discomfort. Probiotics, found in yoghurt or kefir, foster gut health by balancing intestinal flora, and fennel seeds, (saunf) chewed after meals, helps in digestion and soothes gas-related discomfort. Additionally, Chamomile tea's anti-inflammatory properties help ease digestive discomfort and fight both bloating and gas. In addition to these natural remedies, some popular yoga poses can also aid in relieving bloating. Naveen Sharma, Yoga Lead at Cult.fit, recommends the following asanas: 6 yoga asanas that help in bloating relief 1. Padahastasana (Standing Forward Bend) Instructions: Begin standing upright in Tadasana. Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, hinge at your hips to fold forward, keeping your spine long. Attempt to place your palms or fingertips on the mat beside your feet. If this is challenging, grasp your elbows and allow your torso to hang. Benefits: This forward fold stimulates the abdominal organs, thereby improving digestion and relieving the discomfort of gas and bloating. 2. Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose) Instructions: Start in a plank position. Step your right foot forward between your hands, ensuring your right knee is directly above your heel. Lower your left knee to the ground. Maintain for a few breaths, then repeat with the opposite leg. Benefits: Ashwa Sanchalanasana invigorates the abdominal muscles, aids in releasing digestive discomfort, and enhances the mobility of the digestive organs. 3. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose) Instructions: Sit with your legs extended. Bend your right knee, placing your foot outside the left thigh. Bend your left knee, bringing your left heel towards your right buttock. Place your right hand behind you, and with an inhale, stretch your left arm up. As you exhale, twist to the right, bringing your left elbow to the outside of your right knee. Maintain for a few breaths, then repeat with the opposite leg. Benefits: This twisting pose stimulates digestion and relieves bloating by massaging the abdominal organs. It also helps to release tension in the spine. 4. Balasana (Childs Pose) Instructions: Kneel on the floor with toes together and knees hip-width apart. Exhale and lower your torso between your knees, extending your arms forward with palms down. Rest your forehead on the mat. Benefits: This restorative pose gently compresses the abdomen, aiding in the expulsion of gas. It also helps to relax the body and reduce stress, which can be a contributor to digestive issues. 5. Jathara Parivartanasana (Revolved Abdomen Pose) Instructions: Begin by lying on your back, extending your arms out to the sides in a T-shape for stability. Bend your knees and bring them towards your chest. As you exhale, gently lower your knees to the right side, ensuring that your left shoulder remains in contact with the floor. Turn your head to the left, creating a full spinal twist. Hold this position for a few deep breaths, then gently bring your knees back to the center and switch sides, lowering them to the left and turning your head to the right. Benefits: Jathara Parivartanasana is a highly effective pose for enhancing digestive function and relieving bloating. The twisting action massages the internal organs, helping to release trapped gases and improve bowel movements. 6. Apanasana (Knees-to-Chest Pose) Instructions: Lie on your back. Inhale and as you exhale, draw your knees towards your chest, clasping your hands over your shins. Keep your back flat on the floor. Gently rock side to side if it feels comfortable. Benefits: This simple yet effective pose aids in the expulsion of digestive gases and reduces bloating. It also helps in easing tension in the lower back.
On Saturday, November 25, a light aircraft crashed in Austria. There were four people on board, none of whom survived. All of them were Czech citizens.

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According to the Austrian ORF, the plane crash occurred in the Alps in the Kasberg ski area near the city of Gmunden, in the federal state of Upper Austria. According to police, the plane was carrying two men and two women.

The police are working closely with the Czech authorities to identify the victims.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. It is known that the plane took off from a small airfield near the city of Pribram in the Czech Republic and was heading to Medulin in Croatia.

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Apparently, the plane hit turbulence over Kasberg, which was visible on the radar.

According to police, the Austro Control air safety authority lost the plane on radar and raised the alarm. According to the Aviation Safety Network platform, it was a single-engine Rockwell Commander 112B aircraft.

The Alpine police, rescue service, fire brigade and Red Cross launched a major operation on the snow-covered mountain, during which the wreckage was first discovered and then the crashed plane, the media reported.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, on November 10, a US military plane crashed in the Mediterranean Sea, killing all five soldiers on board. The tragedy occurred during a "planned aerial refueling operation as part of military training."

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi, said that the IDF will continue the military operation in the Gaza Strip after the current pause. According to him, the fighting will continue "with all determination."

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The IDF also noted that Israeli troops will carry out tasks until the complete destruction of the Hamas terrorist organization. This was reported by The Times of Israel.

According to Halevi, after the current truce ends, the military will resolutely return to the fight against Hamas. He noted that the Israeli military is fighting a fierce battle, protecting lives and upholding the values of the IDF.

Mr. Halevi emphasized that at this stage it was possible to create conditions for the release of the first group of hostages - children and women.

"Once this work is completed, we will resolutely return to our operations to continue the release of hostages and the complete elimination of Hamas," the military commander said.

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As a reminder, Israel commented on the temporary truce with the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli army is conducting a ground operation. They said that the suspension of intense fighting would be short-lived.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, on November 23, Israel received a list of hostages to be released by Hamas terrorists in exchange for a truce. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured that the temporary ceasefire would not harm the Defense Forces and would even help achieve Israel's military goals.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
"Auntie" Lucia McDonald, 96, the oldest war survivor present, leads everyone in saying grace during the Manenggon Memorial Foundation 2022 Christmases Not Forgotten event in honor of Guam's World War II survivors Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at the Rihga Royal Laguna Guam Resort in Tamuning.
The entrance to the Guam Judicial Center in Hagatna is shown July 16, 2023.
Man on probation accused of threatening to kill woman, daughter in their sleep
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during an APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM) Opening Session in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 14, 2023.
Former police officer Derek Chauvin, convicted of the murder of George Floyd, was stabbed. The man was attacked by a fellow inmate in a prison in Arizona.

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The prison staff took measures to save his life. This was reported by Sky News.

The US Bureau of Prisons confirmed that the prisoner was attacked at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson. At the same time, the FBI said that they were aware of the attack in the prison, but did not name the persons involved in the crime.

It is worth noting that 47-year-old Chauvin was sent to the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson from a maximum security prison in Minnesota in August 2022 to serve a 22-year sentence for the murder of George Floyd. He was sentenced to a concurrent 21-year prison term for violating Floyd's civil rights.

As you know, 46-year-old Floyd died in May 2020 after Chauvin pressed his knee on his neck for more than nine minutes on the street outside a convenience store in Minneapolis, where he was suspected of trying to pass counterfeit money.

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The killing, which was recorded on a cell phone by a passerby, shows Floyd repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe." It has sparked protests against racism and police brutality around the world.

As a reminder, in 2021, a court in Minneapolis (USA) found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of African-American George Floyd in May 2020.

As previously reported by OBOZ.UA:

- George Floyd died from a lack of blood flow to the brain, which was caused by compression of the neck and back. The police officer, detaining the man, pressed his neck with his knee.

- The media published footage of the African-American's brutal detention.

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- Floyd's death sparked large-scale protests in America and other countries, which often escalated into riots. At least 13 people died as a result.

- The funeral ceremony for the man took place in Minneapolis on June 4.

- A group of protesters from the Black Lives Matter and Antifa movements seized the central part of Seattle, declaring the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. The police were not allowed there, denying the American authorities.

- The then US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of military units in Washington to stop the riots.

Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Former officer convicted in death of George Floyd attacked in prison, official confirms
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a press conference during the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12, 2023. The Turkish government doesnat see Hamas as a terror organization, and Erdogan recently described the group as an organization fighting for the liberation of the Palestinian people. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)
On November 25, U.S. President Joe Biden honored the memory of the Ukrainians who died during the Holodomor. On the 90th anniversary of the tragedy, he mentioned the crimes of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

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The head of the White House emphasized that America is united with Ukraine. Biden's statement was published on the website of the US presidential administration.

"We mark the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defend their freedom and sovereignty against Russia's brutal war of aggression. Ninety years ago, the inhumane policies of Joseph Stalin and the Soviet regime created a 'starvation death.' Millions of Ukrainians - men, women, and children - suffered and died of starvation in 1932-1933 due to man-made famine. Stalin and his regime systematically seized Ukrainian grain and farms and transported Ukrainian grain to other parts of the U.S.S.R. to suppress Ukrainian national identity," Biden said.

He added that Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure is once again being targeted by Russian aggression today.

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"This time Vladimir Putin does it as part of his strive for conquest and power. Russian forces are seeking to destroy Ukraine's economy and independence by deliberately damaging fields and destroying Ukrainian grain storage facilities and ports. This is not just an attack on Ukraine's economic security, it is a cynical attack on food security everywhere. Putin is harming the world's most vulnerable communities for Russia's profit," the US President emphasized.

According to him, on this anniversary, the world remembers and honors all those who have survived such hardships and who continue to fight against tyranny.

"We also recommit ourselves to preventing suffering, protecting fundamental freedoms, and responding to human rights violations whenever and wherever they occur. We stand united with Ukraine," the White House chief summarized.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- On Saturday, November 25, Ukraine honored the memory of the victims of the Holodomor and political repressions. This year, our country marks the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-1933. Millions of Ukrainian civilians died as a result of this crime.

- On the Holodomor Remembrance Day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would not lose its strength and freedom. According to the head of state, Ukrainians are defending not only the whole of Europe but also humanity from Russian aggression, helping the world not to fall into the trap that Moscow is trying to create.

- In his video address on the occasion of the memorable day, Zelenskyy called on the world to unite and condemn the atrocities of the past in order to stop the current crimes.

- Every year in November, Ukraine commemorates the Holodomor Victims' Memorial Day. At 16:00, a nationwide minute of silence is declared.

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- The declaration condemning the Holodomor in Ukraine was signed by 55 UN countries. It was initiated by the Ukrainian delegation on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the tragedy.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
South Korea, Japan and China agree to resume trilateral leaders summit, but without specific date View Photo

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Meeting for the first time in about four years, the top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China agreed Sunday to revive cooperation among the Asian neighbors and resume their leaders trilateral summit  but without a specific timing.

Closely linked economically and culturally with one another, the three countries together account for about 25% of the global gross domestic product. But efforts to boost cooperation have often hit a snag because of a mix of issues including historical disputes stemming from Japans wartime aggression and the strategic competition between China and the United States.

We three ministers agreed to restore and normalize three-nation cooperation at an early date, South Korean Foreign Minister told reporters after his meeting with Japans Yoko Kamikawa and Chinas Wang Yi in Busan, South Korea.

Park said the three ministers affirmed an earlier agreement by lower-level officials to restart the summit at the earliest mutually convenient time and agreed to expedite preparations for the meeting. Kamikawa separately said the ministers agreed to speed up their work to achieve the summit at an early and appropriate timing.

The three also agreed to push for diverse cooperation projects in areas such as people-to-people exchange, trade, technology, public health, sustainable development and security, according to South Korean and Japanese statements.

The lack of an agreement on the timing for the trilateral summit would suggest the top-level gathering wont likely happen this year as South Korea, the chair of the next summit, had hoped, observers say. Still, Kamikawa said that a reactivation of a trilateral diplomacy is an important step toward achieving an upcoming Japan-China-South Korea summit.

Since they held their first stand-alone, trilateral summit in 2008, the leaders of the three countries were supposed to meet annually. Instead, the summit has been suspended since 2019. The meeting Sunday was also the first since 2019.

South Korea and Japan are key U.S. military allies, hosting a total of 80,000 American troops on their territories. Their recent push to beef up a trilateral security cooperation with the United States has angered China, which is extremely sensitive to any moves it perceives as seeking to contain its rise to dominance in Asia.

But some observers say that the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden struck a conciliatory tone in their first face-to-face meeting in a year earlier this month would provide Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing with diplomatic rooms to maneuver to find ways to revive three-way cooperation.

After her meeting with Wang on Saturday, Kamikawa said she renewed Japans demand that China remove its ban on seafood imports from Japan in response to Tokyos discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from its tsunami-hit nuclear power plant. Wang, for his part, said China opposed Japans irresponsible action of releasing the wastewater and called for an independent monitoring mechanism of the process, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Ties between South Korea and Japan deteriorated severely in past years due to issues originating from Japans 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. But their relations have warmed significantly in recent months as the two countries took a series of major steps to move beyond history wrangling and boost cooperation in the face of North Koreas advancing nuclear program and other shared challenges.

In a reminder of their difficult relations, however, a Seoul court earlier this week ordered Japan to financially compensate Koreans forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during the colonial period.

During her meeting with Park earlier Sunday, Kamikawa called the court verdict extremely regrettable and urged South Korea to take appropriate steps to remedy the breaches of international law, according to Japans Consulate in Busan. South Koreas Foreign Ministry said the ministers discussed the court ruling as well as ways to work together to reinvigorate three-way cooperation with China. The ministry also said that both strongly condemned the Norths spy satellite launch last week.

Park also asked Wang for China to play a constructive role in persuading North Korea to halt provocations and take steps toward denuclearization, according to South Koreas Foreign Ministry.

Wang described China as a stabilizing force in the region that has always played and will continue to play a constructive role in easing the situation on the peninsula, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. It said Wang called for stronger trade and economic ties between the two countries and criticized the tendency to politicize economic issues.

North Koreas growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles poses a major security threat to South Korea and Japan. But China, North Koreas last major ally and biggest source of aid, is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea and shipping covert assistance to the North to help its impoverished neighbor stay afloat and continue to serve as a bulwark against U.S. influences on the Korean Peninsula.

On Sunday, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. held maritime drills involving the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula, their latest show of force against North Korea.

North Korea typically views such U.S.-involved military training as an invasion rehearsal.

__

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Japan and Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan contributed to this report.

By HYUNG-JIN KIM

Associated Press
Russia puts the spokesman for Facebook owner Meta on a wanted list View Photo

Russia has added the spokesman of U.S. technology company Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, to a wanted list, according to an online database maintained by the countrys interior ministry.

Russian state agency Tass and independent news outlet Mediazona first reported that Meta communications director Andy Stone was included on the list Sunday, weeks after Russian authorities in October classified Meta as a terrorist and extremist organization, opening the way for possible criminal proceedings against Russian residents using its platforms.

The interior ministrys database doesnt give details of the case against Stone, stating only that he is wanted on criminal charges. Meta didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to Mediazona, an independent news website that covers Russias opposition and prison system, Stone was put on the wanted list in February 2022, but authorities made no related statements at the time and no news media reported on the matter until this week.

In March this year, Russias federal Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation into Meta. It alleged that the companys actions following Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 amounted to inciting violence against Russians.

After Russian troops moved into Ukraine, Stone announced temporary changes to Metas hate speech policy to allow for forms of political expression that would normally violate (its) rules, like violent speech such as death to the Russian invaders.

In the same statement, Stone added that credible calls for violence against Russian civilians would remain banned.

Mediazona on Sunday claimed that an unspecified Russian court issued an arrest warrant earlier this month for Stone on charges of facilitating terrorism. The report didnt specify the source of that information, which couldnt be independently verified.

Western social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and X  formerly known as Twitter  were popular with young Russians before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but have since been blocked in the country as part of a broad crackdown on independent media and other forms of critical speech. They are now only accessible via VPN.

In April 2022, Russia also formally barred Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from entering the country.

By The Associated Press
WALLINGFORD  Fire department veteran Brian Schock has been appointed as Wallingfords official fire marshal.

The promotion became official on Oct. 26, according to Wallingford Fire Chief Joseph J. Czentnar.

Schock, 52, had been serving as interim fire marshal and comes into the position with over 20 years of experience in Wallingford alone. His annual salary is $101,000. His appointement follows the retirement of Fire Marshal Michael Gudelski.

Fire Marshal Brian Schock has a lifelong passion for fire prevention, fire investigation, and public safety education, as demonstrated throughout his career, Czentnar said. Brian possesses the skills, experience, and temperament to be the Fire Marshal and lead the Fire Prevention division.

Czentnar added that Schock brings experience and strong, relevant academic preparation and training.

He has 16-plus years as a dedicated fire code official focused on Community Risk Reduction within the Town of Wallingford, Czentnar said.

The Record-Journal met with Schock for a question-and-answer session.

Q: What is your educational background?

A:I am a graduate of the University of New Haven with a Bachelor of Science in Arson Investigation and a Master in Fire Science with a concentration on Arson Investigation.

Q: Where did you start your career to get where you are today?

A: I have been involved in the fire service for over 25 years, beginning as a volunteer firefighter in Washington Crossing in Pennsylvania, where I grew up. As I came through the industry, I was a volunteer here in Connecticut in different towns and worked my way up through the Kaman Aerospace Fire Department of Kaman Aerospace Corp. in Bloomfield. I then became a paramedic and then got a job here in Wallingford.

Q: What are you responsible for now in this position?

A: There are added duties and responsibilities as compared to as an inspector as I started off as that. I spent over four years as an inspector and became the deputy fire marshal. The duties are relatively the same. My job becomes more administrative duties on top of those other duties of what we do now, like inspections, investigations, reviews, public education and fire safety programs. It changes a little, and I do more administrative things, although I still go out in the field and do inspections. None of it really changes; I just have added duties. We did not do the CT Fire Prevention poster contest for seven years and brought it back this year.

Q: What is the overall role of the Fire Marshal?

A: In my role as Fire Marshal, I am responsible for planning, organizing and supervising all fire investigations and fire hazards inspections in accordance with local ordinances and state statutes. I review and approve site, building, and fire protection plans. I actively educate the public on fire and life safety education while providing prevention and intervention for youth firesetters. In addition, I supervise day-to-day operations and the employees within the fire prevention division.

Q: What is your background in the Wallingford Fire Department?

A: I have been in the Wallingford Fire Department for 21 years, five years in the Fire Rescue Division as a firefighter/paramedic, and 16 years in the Fire Prevention Division, working my way up through the ranks of the division working in the capacity as Fire Inspector (four years), Deputy Fire Marshal (11 years), Acting Fire Marshal (one year) and was appointed Fire Marshal on Oct. 26, 2023. I joined the Wallingford Fire Department on Oct. 10, 2002, as a fire paramedic in the Fire Rescue Division and was appointed the fire inspector on July 12, 2007, appointed Deputy Fire Marshal on April 26, 2011, and Interim Fire Marshall on Sept. 8, 2022, due to the retirement of Fire Marshal Michael Gudelski.

nzappone@record-journal.com203-317-2212
Mary Otts-Rubenstein, center, holds Keinymar Avila, 7, while Keinymar's mother Yamile Perez talks with Chicago Public Schools staff during a virtual individualized education plan testing session in Otts-Rubenstein's home on Nov. 4, 2023. Keinymar, who has microcephaly, is staying at the Inn of Chicago with other migrant families. Sitting at left are Juan Pablo Salcedo, 12, and his mother, Yasmira Salcedy, 36. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Keinymar Avila, a tiny 7-year-old with microcephaly who has never been separated from her mother, curled up in the arms of a woman shed recently met.

Her mother, Yamile Perez, glanced over at her daughter to make sure all was well as she attended a virtual meeting with Chicago Public Schools officials who were evaluating Keinymars needs. It is not easy to let someone else hold your child, especially if your child requires special medical care.

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No one knows this better than the person cradling the girl, Mary Otts-Rubenstein, a Lakeview resident who has her own child with disabilities. Otts-Rubenstein has taken it upon herself to help over a dozen migrant families with medically complex kids enroll in CPS.

The children range in age from 7 to 13. Some are in wheelchairs and have conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. Few have ever been enrolled in school before; all survived journeys crossing jungles and rivers to reach the United States.

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Otts-Rubenstein has been leading volunteer efforts for these children for over two months, stepping in where city officials have failed to identify and provide acceptable solutions for disabled migrants. She got involved after another volunteer who is helping migrants called her, knowing her expertise.

Any family with a child who has disabilities faces unique challenges. But what has been so hard for these families in particular, said Otts-Rubenstein, who doesnt speak Spanish and has personal experience navigating the complex public school system, is having nowhere to turn for help.

As a family with a disabled kid, the only people who know what were going through are other families with disabled kids, she said.

Experts say children with severe disabilities born in the United States are already at a disadvantage in accessing a quality education, but migrant families with disabled children face especially daunting hurdles.

As (migrant) families come to Chicago, we know they are struggling to find housing, employment and health care. This process becomes especially hard for families with children with disabilities, said Michelle Garcia, manager of organizing and community development at the nonprofit Access Living.

CPS reports that 16% of its 323,000-student population has an individualized education program, which lays out the special education services and instruction a student may need to attend school. CPS has a specific office to identify and serve diverse learners, making sure all schools have appropriate accommodations and all students have safe transportation options. Different schools around the city offer varying degrees of accommodations.

On the 20th day of school this year, CPS had 51,910 diverse learners, 2,563 more than last year. The district has over 5,000 special education teachers  the most of any point in recent years, according to a district spokesperson. But Otts-Rubenstein, who went through the process of enrolling her own daughter in Chicago Public Schools, said the system is overwhelmed.

On a recent Saturday morning, she opened her Lakeview apartment to several migrant families staying at the Inn of Chicago so they could have a safe place to conduct individual assessment meetings with staff members from Chicago Public Schools. Migrants spent hours on borrowed iPads and computers, and were asked questions about their childrens needs they had never been asked by medical professionals.

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Anais Narvaez, 38, from left, rubs her 10-year-old daughter Brittany Narvaezs leg while she sits in a wheelchair as families wait to undergo virtual individualized education plan testing at Mary Otts-Rubenstein's home on Nov. 4, 2023. Otts-Rubenstein invited families staying at the Inn of Chicago to participate in virtual IEP testing with Chicago Public Schools staff members in her home. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Without Otts-Rubensteins help, the assessment  a long and exhausting bureaucratic hurdle  would have likely taken months.

The migrant families took public transportation to get to her home and lifted their children  many in wheelchairs procured by Otts-Rubenstein  up over the steps and through the double doors inside.

Keinymar, who Otts-Rubenstein met at a police station over a month ago, was the first child brought in.

Keinymar

Seven-year-old Keinymar is not weak but small, and her limbs bend outward.

She weighed less than 20 pounds when, held tightly by her mother, she crossed the border to the United States in August.

Keinymar was born with microcephaly as a result of the Zika virus  a condition where a babys head is smaller than normal. Because of this, she also has seizures, developmental delays and intellectual disability.

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The family left Venezuela for Colombia because she needed to have a major surgery to implant a feeding tube in her stomach.

We spent three years (in Columbia) waiting for her operation and nothing. Still nothing, said her father, Keinar Chacin.

Yamile Perez, left, holds her daughter Keinymar Avilas hands after undergoing virtual individualized education plan testing through a laptop at Mary Otts-Rubenstein's home on Nov. 4, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

They walked through seven countries, slept on the street and sold lollipops on corners on the way to make enough money to get here. Three days being carried through the mountains of the Darien Gap and weeks walking across country borders left the little girl barely responsive.

Gracias a Dios, mi nina fue muy fuerte en esa selva porque no cualquiera podia sobrevivir. Thank God, my daughter was strong in that jungle, because not everyone could survive, her mother said.

[ What to know about Chicagos migrant crisis ]

They crossed the border and took a bus to Houston, where a childrens hospital gave her a feeding tube and nursed her back to a healthy weight. With help from the hospital, the family took a bus to Chicago because the fathers brother was here, staying in a shelter.

After they were dropped off by the city at the Near North District (18th) police station in the River North neighborhood, a volunteer found Keinymar lying on the ground. She called Otts-Rubenstein, a fellow volunteer who she knew had expertise helping children with disabilities.

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Otts-Rubenstein arrived with extra medical equipment in her car, but was worried about being able to have a conversation in Spanish about health care needs with the family.

But when she saw Keinymar lying on a yoga mat next to her family, her instincts kicked in. She immediately got on the floor with the little girl. Gently, she checked the hole in Keinymars stomach and showed her mother how to use the pump she had brought to feed her.

Whatever we can do along the way to help

Otts-Rubenstein is the full-time caretaker for her daughter, Evelyn Rubenstein.

Evelyn, or Ev, is medically complex and disabled, and struggles with many of the same health issues the children of some migrant families do: Cerebral palsy. Seizures. Mobility. Temperature regulation.

Otts-Rubenstein and her wife, Rachel Rubenstein, adopted Evelyn from a different foster couple. The foster dad in that couple shook her when she was just a few weeks old. She never recovered, said Otts-Rubenstein.

Ev is a happy, silly kid with disabilities, who makes us proud and makes us laugh every single day, but the access and management of her care is a daily fight with health care institutions, schools and society at large, she said. And we have the privilege of being white, educated and English-speaking. Something none of these folks have.

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Yasmira Salcedy, right, helps Rachel Rubenstein put her 6-year-old daughter, Evelyn, into a wheelchair in Otts-Rubenstein's home. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

On Otts-Rubensteins left bicep is a tattoo of the first sugya or portion of the Talmud  an ancient Jewish text  she ever learned. It reminds her that an essential quality of leadership is demonstrating how to make the impossible possible with just what is in front of us, she said.

She converted to Judaism in her mid-20s, and stepped away from her job as a project manager to respond to her daughters needs.

I cant do a lot of things, but I can do this, she said.

She says the same about the over two dozen migrant families with medically complex children she helps out on a weekly  and often daily  basis.

Whatever we can do along the way to help them get to the next step is what were supposed to do, she said.

The goal when taking care of any medically complex child, Otts-Rubenstein said, is to make sure that your child is alive at the end of the day.

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Theyve done that alone, basically walking across a continent, and have kept their kids safe, she said. These families should not have made it. And they did.

That, she said, is a miracle.

The families

After meeting Keinymar at the police station, Otts-Rubenstein called city officials and learned that the city houses most migrant families with complex medical needs at the Inn of Chicago in the Streeterville neighborhood. The shelter has hundreds of individual hotel rooms and more privacy.

The citys Office of Emergency Management had placed Keinymars family in a different city shelter, but Otts-Rubenstein successfully advocated for them to be transported to the Inn of Chicago.

Yasmira Salcedy, left, and Mileidys Ginez, both from Venezuela, talk with Mary Otts-Rubenstein while she sits in her car outside the Inn of Chicago migrant shelter on Nov. 16, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

She figured families like Keinymars didnt have networks of social support.

These are really strong, really intelligent, really self-sufficient folks, Otts-Rubenstein said. But none of them knew each other.

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At the Inn of Chicago, she introduced them to each other and helped them get wheelchairs from different charity groups. Before she stepped in, almost no one from the city had set aside time or resources to respond to their special needs.

Otts-Rubenstein has become like a madrina or godmother to the kids. She picks up on their particularities and nuances, and they notice that. Its engendered their trust in her.

Evander Osorio feeds his 7-year-old son, Davier, before undergoing virtual individualized education plan testing at Mary Otts-Rubenstein's home. Davier, who has spina bifida, scoliosis, cerebral palsy and hip dysplasia, traveled from the Inn of Chicago, where theyre staying with other migrant families, to undergo virtual individualized education plan testing at Otts-Rubenstein's home. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Evander Osorio, 30, has a 7-year-old son named Davier with spina bifida, scoliosis and cerebral palsy. Davier likes to eat yogurt and blow kisses.

The two came to the United States without Daviers mother.

The separation was so hard. Especially at the beginning, Osorio said in Spanish.

Otts-Rubenstein was the only person who stepped up to help when they got to Chicago in October.

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We are so thankful for Mary, Osorio said. Shes our guardian angel. The only person whos held out her hand to us.

Juan Pablo, a 12-year-old with autism and a love of Mickey Mouse, left Venezuela with his parents to get medical care.

Without being enrolled in school, he spends most of his time in their small isolated hotel room at the inn, watching shows on their phone. He has no toys and no one outside their family is allowed in the room.

Juan Pablo Salcedo, 12, a migrant from Venezuela, walks outside the Inn of Chicago where he stays with his family. Juan Pablo, who has autism and a slight cognitive delay, left Venezuela with his parents to get medical care in the U.S. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

His lunches consist of pizza the family buys from the 7-Eleven across the street, which he eats outside on a towel on the concrete.

These kids have a lot of energy. To put them in a tiny room all day is an injustice, his mom, Yasmira Salcedy, 36, said in Spanish. Pero siempre anda con una sonrisa. But he always walks with a smile.

At Otts-Rubensteins house that Saturday morning, when she invited the migrant families over, Juan Pablo didnt stop moving, as he bounced from Otts-Rubensteins couch to window to kitchen. He salivates a lot, and will usually spit it out anywhere and everywhere. Otts-Rubenstein watched him attentively, putting a Styrofoam cup under his mouth to catch it.

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Otts-Rubenstein has relationships with all the kids, but is especially gentle with Keinymar, supporting her torso carefully and gently pushing her chin back so her head wont fall forward.

How come you have so many bubbles in your tummy? she asked Keinymar as she set her down on the couch with her 8-year-old brother, Keinar Chacin.

That morning, Keinymars brother didnt leave her side. He never leaves her side, said their mother. They curled up on Otts-Rubensteins couch together, him laying his hand across her collarbone while she looked up at the ceiling.

Keinar Chacin, 8, right, holds his sister Keinymar Avila at Mary Otts-Rubenstein's home. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

His sister cant walk by herself, stand up or lie flat on her back. She is tube-fed and unable to feed herself. She has mobility just in her right hand, and makes sucking sounds for hunger and thirst. She is able to recognize and smile at familiar people.

She looked at her older brother as he grabbed her hair and interlaced his fingers with her on her bad hand.

Individualized education programs

Otts-Rubenstein knew from her own experience with Evelyn that if she wanted to register the kids in school she would need to schedule individualized education program evaluations for the migrant families.

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IEPs ensure that every student has what they need in order to be able to be successful in learning. According to disability experts, establishing one for each student takes a great deal of care and attention.

Otts-Rubenstein was told the process for the kids would likely take months.

On a good day, the district struggles with responding to neurotypical, developmentally delayed children. Everyone is drowning, Otts-Rubenstein said.

After submitting a request with CPS and waiting weeks with little to no update on when the migrants programs would move forward, Otts-Rubenstein decided to schedule her own evaluations. She was told by city employees that the meetings couldnt happen at a city-run shelter, so she arranged for them to take place in her wifes office at Two Prudential Plaza in the Loop.

When Otts-Rubenstein asked city officials to foot the bill for transportation, they refused. Migrants pushing wheelchairs had to walk almost a mile. Temperatures were freezing that day.

The school district finally moved forward with the families conferences after Otts-Rubenstein presented them with the documentation she had gathered from outside therapists and medical professionals, she said.

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Hannah Kaplan, youth education coordinator at the resettlement organization RefugeeOne, said the refugee families she works with often have no idea what an IEP is. She called the process intimidating and inaccessible.

A lot of the clinicians have to present their findings in really formal language, she said.

Heidi Rabe holds an iPad running an interactive assessment program for Keinymar Avila during a medical appointment at Two Prudential Plaza on Oct. 28, 2023, as Avila undergoes testing to receive an individualized education program prior to enrolling at Chicago Public Schools. (Trent Sprague/Chicago Tribune)

Language barriers and other obstacles can extend the already lengthy process.

The Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services works with school staff and families to identify and serve diverse learners. ODLSS conducts student evaluations and creates and monitors Individualized Education Programs to serve children who need special education services, said a CPS spokesperson in a statement.

CPS coordinates with the city to send out mobile units to enroll students at police districts, shelters and airports. The CPS Welcome Center is also open every weekday for student enrollment, by appointment.

But Otts-Rubenstein said migrants  especially the families with children with disabilities  dont know about the center and wouldnt be able to arrange transportation there if they did.

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Perezs conference call

We want all these details to make sure people can take care of her, said a representative from the school district over Zoom that Saturday.

Keinymars mother, Perez, who had only gone to school through second grade in Venezuela, carefully laid out everything the therapists and counselors would want to know: Keinymar had frequent fevers. She was given a feeding tube in Houston. She has sleeping problems. Seizures. When they first put the feeding tube in, she couldnt stop vomiting.

Then all her medications: Fluticasone, Keppra, Loratadine, sodium chloride nasal spray and psyllium. And she has Valtoco spray for seizure rescue.

Perez put her hand on her daughters head, caressing her forehead and leaving it there. She adjusted the 14-centimeter extension running to her feeding tube, which pumps vanilla PediaSure into her stomach four times a day.

Keinmyars head fell down and saliva dribbled down her chin. Her brother watched cartoons in a chair nearby.

Keinymar Avila sits on a couch with her mother, Yamile Perez, while undergoing virtual individualized education plan testing through a laptop at Mary Otts-Rubenstein's home. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

On screen, the postage-stamp-size faces of psychologists and counselors asked Perez a series of questions. She struggled to hear their broken Spanish over the children screaming and cartoons blaring from the TV in the middle of the living room.

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Can we see if she can open a book?

I dont think she can open a book.

Maybe a small one?

Perez looked around Otts-Rubensteins apartment searching for a book that would be small enough not to crush her daughter. She put it on Keinymars stiff lap. Keinymar resisted, and her mother grabbed a xylophone. Keinar watched his little sister squirm underneath it.

Where do you live now?

The Inn of Chicago.

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What social services have they given you at the Inn of Chicago?

Really, none.

What things make her happy?

The sound of bags moving back and forth, and water.

Does she recognize people in her family?

Not really. Though she does get kind of excited.

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What happened on the way to the United States?

She fell. She hurt her head.

Keinar Chacin, 8, left, watches his sister Keinymar Avila undergo virtual individualized education plan testing through a laptop while sitting with her mother, Yamile Perez, on Nov. 4, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

The questions went on, and Perez looked up at the babies toddling around, the kids who played with trains and the mothers who sat in a circle and cried as they shared stories about their journeys here.

She asked the counselors to repeat their questions multiple times over the noise in the room.

Though Im not with my family now, I am very happy my daughter is getting medical attention and might be able to go to school, she said. In the country we were in, we didnt have any hope.

Nunca pense que iba a pasar. I never thought this was going to happen.

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Roadblocks

The most universal feeling among humans is the desire to protect our young, said Mia Ives-Rublee, director of the Disability Justice Initiative.

One of the ways to do that is to ensure our kids can get the correct medical care that they need. Thats especially important for children (with disabilities), who often miss milestones because they havent received the correct medical care, Ives-Rublee said.

Ives-Rublee said unlike children with disabilities in the United States, most migrant children have never been in a school setting. Theyve never received psychological evaluations.

Venezuelan migrants especially have little understanding of how to register for school or other benefits, said Jessica Darrow, professor at University of Chicagos Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice.

What distinguishes Venezuelan migrants from other refugees, she said, is their lack of resources and often their absence of familial ties in the United States. A refugee family may legally access a whole host of benefits and services, Darrow said. Refugee resettlement agencies in Illinois have relationships with social workers at CPS.

One question I think worth considering is where the parallel services are for the newcomers who are arriving on buses from southern states, Darrow said.

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Home

Windows in Otts-Rubensteins living room let in abundant light, a dozen Australian finches chirp in a large cage in the corner and books in Hebrew line her shelves  a far cry from the 12th floor in the Inn of Chicago, where Perez said the rooms are cramped and dark and sometimes the cold from the outside gets in through the vents.

For the migrant families, Otts-Rubensteins living room has become a temporary refuge.

Otts-Rubenstein said she grew up with friends who were disabled, and she volunteered in high school at an after-school program for deaf and autistic kids. But she said shes learned from the 200-plus hospitalizations shes been through with her own daughter  mostly about patience and pace.

Six years ago, Otts-Rubenstein said she would not have invited the 12 families into her home. She would have been OK with good enough.

Its really about noticing what families need in order to take a breath, she said.

Josue, 4, center, stands with other migrant families at Mary Otts-Rubenstein's home on Nov. 4, 2023. Otts-Rubenstein invited families staying at the Inn of Chicago to participate in virtual IEP testing with Chicago Public Schools staff members in her home. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Otts-Rubenstein said she makes so many decisions about Evelyns care plan that she cherishes the quiet moments in the day where she doesnt have to make any decisions.

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For them, so many decisions are always made  what theyre eating, where theyre going, how theyre getting there, where theyre going to sit, she said.

The mothers who came Saturday for the evaluation requested dry corn, mayonnaise and chicken so they could cook in Otts-Rubensteins kitchen. Migrants who use laundry services at the Inn sometimes lose their clothes, so some of them brought large bags of clothes to wash.

The endless Zoom meetings broke for lunch, and the women made arepas. They played Karol G songs through a speaker and danced. Otts-Rubenstein brought out Fanta and grape sodas.

Mileidys Ginez, left, dances with Yamile Perez while cooking arepas with other migrants at Mary Otts-Rubenstein's home. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Otts-Rubenstein sipped her coffee and said that the mothers had accidentally put Nescafe in the coffee machine.

But its, like, perfect Nescafe, she said, laughing.

Outcome

All of the children who attended the meeting at Otts-Rubensteins house were recommended for different CPS schools, but Otts-Rubenstein said she still had concerns. She said many of the schools might not have the support that they need. She notices things that the district might not, she said.

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It will take a lot for the migrants  who have never left their children with others  to trust city officials to provide adequate care. She said it took a lot for her to trust the school where she now sends her daughter.

Otts-Rubenstein was especially disappointed by the districts assessment of Keinymar and made a list of points the district missed: trauma care to help her cope with the stress of the long journey, visual impairment resources, technology to keep her engaged, direct nursing assistance and transportation.

The fact that she doesnt have a paraprofessional included on the bus, right? Thats a big problem and a big miss. Why did I catch that and the committee didnt? she asked.

She said Keinymars family shouldnt accept the districts academic goals for Keinymar without asking for additional staffing and support.

We can revisit goals and make them more cued into Keinymar once she is able to attend school safely, wrote Otts-Rubenstein in an email to the district.

Students with disabilities are protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, said Rachel Shapiro, managing attorney in the special education clinic at Equip for Equality. If parents dont agree with the districts designation for their child, she said, they can schedule a mediation to look at other types of accommodations.

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Special education students always have a right to go to school, she said. Its important for parents to understand that, even if theyre not U.S. citizens, that their kids have these rights.

A full-time job

Some migrant families of children with disabilities have been at the Inn of Chicago for months. Otts-Rubenstein drives to the inn most days to check in with them.

The needs of these children extend beyond school, she said. Without her help, the children likely would have no one responding to their needs. Otts-Rubenstein said it has become almost a full-time job.

She hands out PediaSure from the back of her van, helps drive them to medical appointments and prints out documents. She even buys them cellphones with data so they dont have to count on the unreliable Wi-Fi to fill out their health forms.

The city offered her a position as a shelter employee, but she said she cant work the long shifts because she has to take care of her own daughter.

Emergency supplies and protocols for kids with disabilities arent always intuitive or front of mind for people working for the city, she said.

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A trial run

On that recent Saturday, Otts-Rubenstein made a mental note that the next Zoom party she has with CPS will be better without everyone yelling into iPads in the same room.

She said this was a trial run. The education programs are just the beginning of the types of services she wants to provide for asylum-seekers with disabilities.

Meeting Keinymar and the kids at the inn has put Otts-Rubensteins life in a new direction.

Its really clarified for me that having care coordination for our kids by families of medically fragile kids, for families of medically fragile kids, is what I want to be doing, she said.

The children she cares for are part of their family now, she said.

Mary Otts-Rubenstein checks on Keinymar Avila at her home on Nov. 4, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Every night, the messages pour in over WhatsApp: Feliz noches, Senora Mary. Dios la bendiga. Good night, Senora Mary. God bless you.

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We, as Chicagoans, can see these families as a burden that will stress our infrastructure or as wonderful friends and neighbors who give us opportunities to make sure that our systems meet everyones needs  especially the small and the disabled, Otts-Rubenstein said.

As migrants entered her home Saturday, the Spanish speakers were unable to read the framed Shel Silverstein poem hanging on the wall:

Listen to the mustnts, child./ Listen to the donts./ Listen to the shouldnts .... Then listen close to me / Anything can happen, child./ Anything can be.

nsalzman@chicagotribune.com
The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) saw varied performance over the week, but the corrections-driven decline in the main index led the market cap to plunge by nearly 2 percent, recording around EGP 1,677 billion.
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Rape as a Weapon of War is in WashPost headline today https://t.co/FehdHrJGRc. Rape is also the ULTIMATE WEAPON OF PROPAGANDA. CNN, others chime in. US media have launched full-court press to justify Bidens support for resuming humanitarian genocide Tues UNLESS WE STOP IT.  Ray McGovern (@raymcgovern) November 25, 2023

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By Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based American political analyst who specializes in the global systemic transition to multipolarity in the New Cold War. He has a PhD from MGIMO, which is under the umbrella of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Originally published at his website.

This is also Polands last realistic chance to defend its territorial integrity in the face of the coming years threats.

Poland is poised to become Germanys largest-ever vassal state upon former Prime Minister and European Commission President Donald Tusks likely return to the premiership following the liberal-globalist opposition coalitions victory in last months elections. Those who are interested in learning more about how this is expected to unfold should review this analysis here, which focuses on how the interplay between EU, German, and NATO policies will likely lead to this geopolitical outcome.

Since that fateful vote took place, Polish truckers now even farmers have imposed a de facto blockade against Ukraine that the outgoing government hasnt broken, which can be regarded as that partys last power play aimed at giving their country a fighting chance at preserving some of its sovereignty. Heres a collection of news items about this development from the beginning of the month in order to bring readers up to speed since the Western media hasnt given it the attention that it deserves:

* EU state blocking Ukrainian vehicles  Spiegel

* Ukrainian envoy condemns Polish trucker blockade

* Protesters in EU state blocking aid to Kiev  Ukrainian official

* Polish farmers to join Ukraine blockade  Bloomberg

* Ukrainians warned of food shortages

* Ukraine counting costs of Polish border blockade

* Polish truckers blocking Ukraine military cargos  media

This scenario was actually forecast in early October in the authors piece about how Morawiecki Suspects That Zelensky Struck A Deal With Germany Behind Polands Back. It was predicted that Poland could impose a de facto blockade against Ukraine if the ruling party won in order to coerce that country into distancing itself from Germany to a degree, which sought to replace Polands desired sphere of influence there as part of its regional power play against it. Heres the pertinent excerpt from that piece:

Poland could threaten to stop the transit of third countries (especially Germanys) military and economic aid to Ukraine until Kiev pays restitution for [the Przewodow incident] in the form of institutionalizing its envisaged sphere of influence there. Whats being proposed is a remix of the 1938 ultimatum that Poland gave to Lithuania, albeit this time without the implied threat of armed force if Ukraine doesnt agree. Nevertheless, the threat of cutting off that countrys military and economic lifeline would likely be sufficient for coercing Kiev into complying with Warsaws demands.

As it turned out, Poland did indeed impose a de facto blockade against Ukraine, though the ruling party and its potential allies failed to win the majority of parliamentary seats during last months elections. Nevertheless, their refusal to break up the trucker-farmer blockade of that former Soviet Republic strongly implies tacit approval for it, and nobody should be surprised if its later revealed that that they played a role in organizing this behind the scenes to some extent.

From the outgoing governments perspective, the restoration of Polands sphere of influence over Ukraine in the face of aggressive German attempts to replace it is required for their country to have a fighting chance at preserving its sovereignty vis-a-vis Germany during Tusks next premiership. Even though hes expected to subordinate Poland to German hegemony as the hyperlinked analysis at the beginning of this piece explained, this desired geopolitical reversal could impede that.

To elaborate, the worst-case scenario for Poland is that it becomes Germanys largest-ever vassal state and then plays second fiddle to Ukraine in Berlins envisaged Mitteleuropa, which would run the risk of Berlin rewarding Kiev for forthcoming preferential reconstruction contracts with influence over Warsaw. This could in practice take the form of forcing Poland to accept even more Ukrainian migrants than it already has, all with the intent of them then becoming citizens and forming their own voting bloc.

If these Weapons of Mass Migration concentrate along the border region that the briefly lived post-WWI Ukrainian state at one time claimed as its own, then these newfound demographic realities and the creation of a powerful German-backed voting bloc could one day threaten Polands territorial integrity. Its therefore imperative to avert this worst-case scenario through all realistic means possible, ergo why the outgoing government strongly appears to tacitly approve of the ongoing de facto blockade.

If it succeeds in coercing Ukraine into restoring Polands sphere of influence over the country that Germany just recently replaced over the summer, ideally by institutionalizing it in some legal form prior to the incumbents leaving office, then Polands territorial integrity can more confidently be defended. As regards Tusks plans to subordinate Poland to German hegemony, hell struggle to do so completely since that would necessitate a full-fledged purge of his countrys permanent bureaucracy.

In particular, hed have to remove all conservative-nationalists from the military, intelligence, and diplomatic branches thereof (collectively referred as the deep state), which is a herculean task that he might possibly attempt but wont be able to completely implement. Any serious moves in this direction could also provoke large-scale protests or similar such socio-economic disruptions that could be orchestrated by those same forces exactly as theyre suspected of partially orchestrating the blockade.

Just like the liberal-globalist deep state worked against Trumps agenda in the US, so too could Polands conservative-nationalist counterparts work against Tusks in order to sabotage his goal of subordinating Poland to German hegemony. To be clear, they wont be able to stop it entirely even in the best-case scenario just like Trumps deep state opponents couldnt entirely stop his agenda, but they could still largely derail it and buy time till the next elections, which is good enough given the circumstances.

If they dont restore Polands recently lost sphere of influence over Ukraine before handing over control of the government to Tusk, however, then impending threats to Polands territorial integrity could become a fait accompli by the time the next polls are held in the worst-case scenario. Thats why the de facto blockade of Ukraine can be regarded not just as the outgoing governments last power play, but as Polands last realistic chance to defend its territorial integrity in the face of the coming years threats.
Elon Musk says Microsoft developing real-life Skynet AI to control every facet of human life

Despite his own companies' dystopian endeavors, billionaire electric vehicle (EV) guru-turned-hypocritical social media icon Elon Musk is blasting Microsoft for its artificial intelligence (AI) plans.

A new Microsoft AI chip called "Maia" is set to be the cornerstone of the company's budding AI infrastructure, which competes with that being created by Musk, hence his criticisms of it.

Maia, we are told, will bring artificial generalized intelligence (AGI) to "every facet" of human life. AGI differs from the isolated AI applications many people now know about in that it supposedly represents actual "intelligence" minus human inputs, i.e., ChatGPT.

"ChatGPT and MidJourney AI are cool, novel applications, but they only function within a specific domain  an AGI is more like the science fiction computers we have seen in the Terminator franchise," explains Wlt Report.

It is probably because of billionaire eugenicist Bill Gates' original ties to Microsoft that the company is now an easy target for Musk, who is attempting to court conservatives into believing that he is somehow any different from his competitors.

(Related: Twitter is no freer under Musk than it was under previous owners and leaders.)

Is it just that Musk hates competition?

Musk these days claims to be all about liberty, and his view is that Microsoft's Maia AI platform will be used to strip more of it from the people.

"Yikes!" is what Musk wrote in a tweet highlighting the $50 billion a year that Microsoft spends annually on data centers to support Maia and other similar types of projects.

"Microsoft has reimagined our infrastructure with an end-to-end systems approach to meet our customer's unique AI and cloud needs," stated Scott Guthrie, Vice President of the Cloud and AI Group at Microsoft, about the project.

"With the launch of our new AI Accelerator, Azure Maia, and cloud native CPU, Azure Cobalt, alongside our continued partnerships with silicon providers, we can now provide even more choice and performance."

The two custom-designed chips and integrated systems that Microsoft Ignite has developed  the Microsoft Azure Maia AI Accelerator, optimized for AI tasks and generative AI; and the Microsoft Azure Cobalt CPU, an Arm-based processor designed to run general purpose compute workloads on the Microsoft Cloud  represent the future of Microsoft, according to a recent announcement.

"The chips represent a last puzzle piece for Microsoft to deliver infrastructure systems  which include everything from silicon choices, software and servers to racks and cooling systems  that have been designed from top to bottom and can be optimized with internal and customer workloads in mind," the company says.

"The chips will start to roll out early next year to Microsoft's datacenters, initially powering the company's services such as Microsoft Copilot or Azure OpenAI Service."

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella says his company's partnership with OpenAI is a big part of its "product roadmap," and that the division's new leadership, headed by Emmett Shear, as well as newly hired Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, will help to make Microsoft's AI future a success.

"How much did Bill (Gates) have to put on the table to keep his world domination and depopulation dreams via AI alive?" asked Kim Dotcom in a skeptical tweet.

"My wife has a niece that works for Microsoft. She says that all of their office perks (drinks, snacks, lunches) have been removed, and unnecessary expenses including all but necessary executive travel has been curtailed," a commenter on a story about all this added to the conversation.

"She wasn't specific on details, just that every available resource is being pumped into AI efforts at Microsoft."

More related news about the AI takeover of the world can be found at Transhumanism.news.

Sources for this article include:

WltReport.com

NaturalNews.com
FCC votes to seize American internet infrastructure to promote equity

On November 15 with very little fanfare and minimal public knowledge, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to seize control of the internet in the name of promoting "equity."

The FCC voted in favor of a new set of rules called the "Preventing Digital Discrimination Order" that recommends for legal implementation a slew of new browsing restrictions that will forever change the way people interact with the online world.

The 200-page report proposes the implementation of a slew of new internet restrictions, stemming from section 60506 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

"This legislation was meant to infuse some federal dollars into Americas sagging internet infrastructure," reports The Blaze.

"Unfortunately, this vote will grant the FCC the power to control nearly every aspect of internet infrastructure in the name of our secular gods of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

(Related: Earlier this year, we reported that the government's anti-TikTok legislation was a thinly-disguised Patriot Act for the internet.)

Anything online considered to be a violation of "equity" will be censored, controlled

Based on the vague language of the new report, there is almost nothing that could not somehow be contorted into constituting a "violation" of "equity," meaning the government will now have free rein to silence online free speech.

Even the parts that specifically address "discrimination" appear to have been intentionally obscured as to their full extent. This will allow government officials and agencies to selectively interpret what constitutes a "violation" and enforce accordingly.

"Most disturbing is that it doesnt have to be 'discrimination' as it's generally understood but rather 'disparate outcomes,' meaning all internet infrastructure must produce perfect equity or face the wrath of the United States government," The Blaze explains.

The unelected officials who run the FCC are expected to also pass additional regulations governing online talk about race and identity. This will effectively stifle all innovation while impeding internet access opportunities for some, all in the name of achieving "equity."

"If approved, this would mark the first time the FCC would gain the authority to oversee various aspects of every ISP's service termination policies, including customer credit usage, account history, credit checks, and account termination, among other related matters."

Expert Evan Swarztrauber tweeted about all this that the FCC is basically taking control of the entire internet infrastructure, meaning broadband providers and the internet provider industry itself.

"To call it 'extreme' or 'radical' doesn't do this proposal justice," Swarztrauber warns. "It includes price controls, forced buildout of broadband regardless of ROI, and more."

All of this stems from the Biden regime, by the way, which aims to give the administrative state total control over all internet services and infrastructure. It is a complete government takeover of the internet, in short.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr commented on his agency's move in condemnation, calling it a power grab that gives the administrative state "effective control of all internet services and infrastructure."

"President Biden has called on the FCC to adopt new rules of breathtaking scope," Carr tweeted.

"Those rules would give the federal government a roving mandate to micromanage nearly every aspect of how the Internet functions  from how ISPs allocate capital and where they build, to the services that consumers can purchase; from the profits that ISPs can realize and how they market and advertise services to the discounts and promotions that consumers can receive."

Carr would add that the FCC also reserves the right under this new plan to regulate both "actions and omissions, whether recurring or a single instance." This means that an internet user can be liable for violations both for action and inaction online, depending on the situation.

"There is no path to complying with this standardless regime," Carr says. "It reads like a planning document drawn up in the faculty lounge of a university's Soviet Studies Department."

More related news about the government takeover of the internet can be found at Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheBlaze.com

Newstarget.com
More Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails are set to be released on Sunday in exchange for a third group of Israeli held in captivity by the Palestinian resistance groups, as Gaza truce holds into third day.

In a sign of the fragility of the exchanges, the latest swap Saturday was delayed for hours after Hamas accused Israel of breaching its side of the deal that led to a four-day ceasefire in seven weeks of war marked by the deadliest Israeli violence in decades, vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip.

The war has already claimed the lives of more than 14,500 Palestinians, two thirds of them women and children.

Hamas said Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and not releasing enough long-serving prisoners. Israel is also not allowing aid to reach civilians in the north. Aid deliveries fell short of what was expected.

Hamas later said it relented when Egyptian and Qatari mediators relayed a promise by Israel to uphold the accord, and finally released 13 Israelis and four Thai captives at night, officials said.

Israel, in turn, freed 33 children and six Palestinian women which were detained in Israel jails.

Israeli occupation prison authorities said the latest group of released Palestinian detainees included 38-year-old Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in jail for allegedly detonating a gas cylinder at a checkpoint in 2015.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had since received a list of captives due to be released on Sunday.

The list was being checked by security officials, it said, and families of the captives had been informed.

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the four detainees from his country released Saturday were healthy.

"Everyone is glad to be released. Overall mental health is still good," he said in a social media post.

Ceasefire extension?

Egypt has said that it received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more detainees.

"It's only a start, but so far it's gone well," US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday, adding "the chances are real" for extending the truce.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for "a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression".

But Israeli armed forces chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said Saturday that the war would continue.

"We will return immediately at the end of the ceasefire to attack Gaza," Halevi said.

West Bank celebrations

Despite the row, Sundays' release would be the third since the four-day truce entered into force Friday.

Hamas has released 26 Israeli captives in exchange for 78 Palestinian detainees in the two releases already completed.

The resistance group have also freed a total of 14 Thais and one Filipino.

Iran's foreign ministry said it had joined with key mediator Qatar to help negotiate the release of the Thai nationals.

Some of the Palestinian prisoners were released in east Jerusalem, while the bulk returned home to a heros welcome in the occupied West Bank.

Among those released was Nurhan Awad, who was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, fireworks exploded and crowds filled the streets to welcome the first release of the Palestinians on Friday.

"I was just waiting for the day I would be released from prison so I could hug my mother like this," said Rawan Abu Matar, who served eight years for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier.

In the town of Al-Bireh, newly released teenage boys were paraded through the main square where they waved Palestinian flags as well as green banners of Hamas and yellow banners of the Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas is expected to free a total of 50 captives during the truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian detainees, under an agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Aid trucks enter Gaza

The pause in the Israel war on Gaza has also allowed a little more aid to reach Palestinians struggling to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Israel had placed Gaza under total siege for 48 consecutive days.

The United Nations said the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (about 35,000 gallons) of fuel, just over 10% of daily pre-war volume, as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

Aid also reached northern Gaza, via a "humanitarian passageway," for the first time in a month. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday.

The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to another one in the south.

Another 187 trucks of vital supplies had been sent separately to aid organisations operating in the Gaza Strip, it said.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.4 million people have been forcibly displaced by Israel.

Thousands have been returning since the truce to what is left of their homes.

"We are civilians," said Mahmud Masood, standing in front of flattened buildings in Jabalia, northern Gaza. "Why have they destroyed our houses?"

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Israeli childrens chorus sings celebratory song: We will annihilate everyone in Gaza

A music video first aired by Israeli broadcaster Kan was deleted from its original source this week following widespread backlash over its implications.

An Israel children's chorus was brought together to sing about how Gaza will be completely wiped out within a year, allowing the people of Israel to return safely to their homes. In the song, the children sing about how "we will annihilate everyone" in order to bring about a pure Jewish state in the Middle East.

"We are the children of the victory generation," the song's opener states  watch the below video to hear the full song:

"Autumn night falls over the beach of Gaza," the first girl in the song sings. "Planes are bombing destruction, destruction. Look, the IDF is crossing the line to annihilate the swastika-bearers."

"In another year, there will be nothing there and we will safely return to our homes," the children continue to sing. "Within a year, we will annihilate everyone, and then we will return to plow our fields."

(Related: The United States military is retooling its advertising to once again try to appeal to white men, whom are needed to fight Israel's war on Gaza.)

"Friendship Song 2023" a battle cry for Israel in the last days

The song continues with the children singing about how they will "remember everyone, the pretty and the pure."

"We will never let our hearts forget a friendship like that. Love sanctified with blood. You will return and bloom amongst us."

According to the lyrics of the song as it goes on from there, Israel has "run out of words" when it comes to dealing with the presence of the Palestinian people on the land. Israel's "soul still cries out," the song explains, adding that the Israeli soul also sings and fights for victory over Gaza.

"One people, the people of forever evermore, we won't stop protecting our homes," the children continue to sing. "We won't be silent. We will show the world how today we destroy our enemy."

Known as "Friendship Song 2023," the song's title is upsetting many who say it glorifies genocide. Those in support of Israel say the song is a fitting description for Israel in the end times as it seeks to preserve itself and its legacy in the world.

"The song and video were originally created by Ofer Rosenbaum, a so-called 'crisis-communication expert,' who heads a public relations firm called Rosenbaum Communication," reported Electronic Intifada, which provided the English captions for the above video, which is sung in Hebrew.

The video hearkens back to statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel's biblical order to "go and smite Amalek."

Netanyahu declaring invasion: "You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible" 1 Samuel 15:3 "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass" pic.twitter.com/5QF9PkGhjJ  Michael Tracey (@mtracey) October 28, 2023

In other words, Israel will fight until what it considers as Amalek is completely destroyed. This is the plan, anyway.

"Have any members of Congress spoken out against this video?" one commenter asked. "Are any presidential candidates speaking out against the genocide of Palestinians by Zionist Israel?"

Another pointed out the hate speech found in the Talmud that is similar to what is found in the Koran, suggesting that both religions in "extreme" form call for the annihilation of their enemies, hence the ongoing, ages-long conflict in the Middle East that continues to rage.

Will Israel succeed in rooting out Palestine and assuming total control over all the land? Find out more at Prophecy.news.

Sources for this article include:

InformationLiberation.com

NaturalNews.com
Law enforcement spreading rumors about an impending Hamas attack on U.S., with risk of derailing 2024 election

Will the United States even make it to the 2024 election without a "surprise" incident that destabilizes the country and leads to martial law? Many say no, and a new warning from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suggests that another 9/11-styleevent is soon on the way.

Now that the Israel-Gaza war is in every country's media headlines, the rumor mill is spreading claims that Hamas is planning an attack on United States soil in the coming days.

The Jerusalem Post is reporting that Hamas "could be" planning a series of terror attacks on U.S. soil, which would conveniently precede the 2024 election and possibly cancel them.

In testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives' Homeland Security Committee, Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas talked openly about this alleged "security threat," making sure to pin the not-yet-happened incident or series of incidents on Hamas.

"Already, in the weeks since the assessment publication, the world has changed after Hamas terrorists viciously attacked thousands of innocent men, women, and children in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, brutally murdering, wounding, and taking hostages of all ages," Mayorkas said in a prepared speech.

(Related: Did you know that Hamas was created by Israel back in the 1970s as a destabilizing force against Yasser Arafat's administration?)

If anything, Israel or the U.S. itself is planning a "Hamas" attack

Just like with ISIS, al-Qaeda, and many bogeymen before them, Hamas has become the Zionist state's whipping boy. Nations controlled by Zionist leaders, which includes the U.S., seem to be gearing up for the next phase of the war as it trickles out of the Middle East.

With support for Israel at a dismal low, it would make sense for the powers that be, also known as the deep state, to stage another 9/11-style event that they can then blame on Hamas as a pretext to justify the sending of more weapons and money to Israel, as well as a further crackdown on civil liberties here in the States.

"Since this department's inception, the threat landscape our department is charged with confronting continues to evolve," Mayorkas added in his speech.

"Although the terrorism threat in the United States has remained heightened throughout 2023, Hamas's attack on Israel, along with other recent events, have sharpened the focus of potential attacks on targeted individuals and institutions perceived as symbolic of or tied to the conflict."

FBI Director Christopher Wray also spoke, backing up Mayorkas with claims about the need to "assist our Israeli colleagues and understand the global implications of the ongoing conflict in Israel."

"We are paying heightened attention to how the events abroad could directly affect and inspire people to commit violence here in the homeland," Wray stated.

"Our top concern stems from lone offenders, inspired by, or reacting to, the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, as they pose the most likely threat to Americans, especially Jewish, Muslim, and Arab-American communities in the United States."

The National Counterterrorism Center, directed by Christine Abizaid, is said to be actively monitoring, evaluating, and taking appropriate actions "with respect to potential threats to the United States in the wake of the 7 October Hamas attacks against Israel."

Whenever government officials talk about "threats to the United States," what they really mean are threats to the deep state that controls the U.S. These people could not care less about the lives of hard-working Americans and their families  they only care about themselves and Israel.

Do you think there will even be a 2024 election in the United States, based on all this false flag chatter taking place? Find out more at FalseFlag.news.

Sources for this article include:

LawEnforcementToday.com

JPost.com

NaturalNews.com
Plaintiffs sue New York state over Rule 2.13 Isolation and Quarantine Procedures that allows government to force residents into quarantine at any time for any reason

The Appellate Division of the Fourth Judicial Department has reversed the outcome of a legal challenge that struck down Gov. Kathy Hochul's Rule 2.13 "Isolation and Quarantine Procedures" for violating the individual rights of New Yorkers.

The case of Borrello, Lawler, Tague, Uniting NYS v. Hochul appears to now be dead in the water, meaning the state of New York is now free to force anyone into quarantine for any reason at all, including things that have absolutely nothing to do with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

State Sen. George Borrello, Assemblyman Chris Tague, Assemblyman (now Congressman) Michael Lawler, and the citizens' group Uniting NYS had originally sued Gov. Hochul and won the case, only to later have it struck down in this manner.

What the overturning of this ruling means is that the government of New York is now allowed to legally remove residents from their own homes and haul them off to Camp FEMA for "reeducation." There is no age restriction on who can be abducted and taken to one of these government-run concentration camps, nor are parents allowed any input into the matter.

"They do not need to warn citizens when they are coming or how long they must quarantine," reports Armstrong Economics. "You will be required to take any steps the state mandates, including taking medications against your will. There is no due process, no court hearing, and no rule of law as the government may now abduct citizens in the name of public health."

(Related: In mid-2022, the New York state supreme court ruled that Gov. Hochul's quarantine order is unconstitutional.)

New Yorkers no longer have control over their own bodies

Commenting on the case's overturning, Sen. Borrello noted that he is not at all surprised since "this has been a 'David v. Goliath' fight from the beginning." Even so, he and the others will continue to fight against Goliath in this case on behalf of all New Yorkers.

"It is not surprising that the state, with its limitless resources, has effectuated a win this round," Sen. Borrello said. "We will never stop fighting for New Yorkers against government overreach. And so, we will be appealing this calamitous decision to the Court of Appeals, our state's highest court, which is a court of constitutional integrity, and we are confident of justice for New Yorkers."

The state of New York does not even have to require any kind of test result to justify taking away residents to Camp FEMA. As long as the case's overturning stands, New York now has full authority of the bodies of everyone who lives in New York  though the overturning can still be successfully appealed, which is what the plaintiffs hope to accomplish.

"This is one of the most restrictive and oppressive pieces of legislation to pass in US history and nullifies our freedoms," Armstrong Economics notes. "There is one last chance to save New Yorkers  the Court of Appeals. If they can do this in New York, they can do it anywhere. We must raise awareness of what is actually going on before it is too late."

"This is like a real-life version of the movie 'Escape from New York,'" one commenter joked. "And nobody will do anything."

"In light of Governor Hochul's other overreaches into the daily lives of New Yorkers, including her effort to ban gas stoves, her 'housing' plan that would eliminate local zoning, and her excessive mask mandates on children, to name a few, our concerns are well-warranted," the plaintiffs further noted about the fight.

More related news coverage can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

ArmstrongEconomics.com

NaturalNews.com
The Prather Point: Michael Yon warns about the AMALGAM OF ENEMIES threatening America  Brighteon.TV

Combat correspondent Michael Yon warned about the "amalgam of enemies" threatening America during the Nov. 17 episode of "The Prather Point" on Brighteon.TV

"It's a whole jungle of enemies; we have an amalgam of enemies," he told program host Jeffrey Prather. "Let's talk about the World Economic Forum (WEF) as an example  that's a prime enemy. But that's an amalgam of people, or as they call them in the WEF, stakeholders  which means owners."

"Now, the WEF is consanguinated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)  I mean, they are hand in glove with each other," he continued. Yon mentioned that the WEF-CCP relationship is clearly unequal, with Beijing having a dominant status over Davos. (Related: World Economic Forum globalist Klaus Schwab praises Chinas authoritarian regime as a 'role model' for the world.)

According to Yon, there are people in government who are also members of the WEF  such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The former Green Beret denounced the Israeli leader, calling him a "straight up evil guy" who partnered with the CCP and the WEF.

He also told Prather how he was done with Israel and its treachery after it sold America's secrets to China. According to the combat correspondent, the current Israel is not the biblical one  but is more like a corporation. This entity, Yon continued, does not represent Jews and Judaism and is not a Jewish state.

America's enemies using Darien Gap migrants as foot soldiers

In response to Prather asking him to show links between the Darien Gap in Panama and the U.S.-Mexico border, Yon said America is paying a huge amount for both. The two areas serve as gathering points for migrants who seek to undermine U.S. border security.

He added that Panama is currently dying with many of the streets already blocked because of an internal conflict happening in the country. The well-traveled combat correspondent said Panama is being taken by all the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who have made their headquarters at the Panama Canal.

These NGOs  which include the World Health Organization, World Food Program, International Organization for Migration, Red Cross and other groups  have taken over an old U.S. military base headquarters on the Panama Canal. He stressed that Panama is clearly being destabilized and the U.S. Southern Command is deeply involved in it, with the canal being vital to America.

Yon claimed that behind the scenes, the CCP  with the help of the U.S.  have been doing a huge information war in Panama and they are causing the people to fight each other.

"You got Panamanians fighting each other now. Instead of fighting the government, they're fighting each other. There's been violence already; a lot of significant violence is picking up as the Panamanians kill themselves to protest their government," he told Prather.

"The roads, a lot of the main roads are closed and of course, the main road is Pan-American Highway. A lot of the roads are closed now, and food farmers are going out of business. That's a big deal, [alongside] foods not making it to the stores."

Follow Globalism.news to know more about the WEF and its ties with the CCP.

Watch the Nov. 17 episode of "The Prather Point" below. "The Prather Point" with Jeffrey Prather airs every Friday at 10-11 a.m. and every Saturday at 7-8 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

US govt is FUNDING invasion camps in Central America  exclusive interview with Michael Yon.

Prather Point: America is being sold to global elites, says investigative journalist George Webb  Brighteon.TV.

WEF takes over former U.S. military bases in Panama as migrants flood through Darien Gap on their way to America.

The Dr. Hotze Report: CCP has infiltrated most sectors of American society, including government, media, business and schools, in preparation for an INVASION  Brighteon.TV.

Michael Yon: Chinese Communist Party an ULTRA-RACIST cult seeking to RULE THE WORL

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

MichaelYon.com
North Korea says new spy satellite took photos of U.S. bases in Guam

North Korea is claiming that its new spy satellite up in orbit has taken clear pictures of United States Armed Forces bases in Guam and that Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has already seen these pictures

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the main state-owned media arm of North Korea, reported on Kim's viewing of the photos just hours after the isolated communist nation claimed the successful launch of the country's first military spy satellite.

Following the launch of the satellite, Kim immediately visited the satellite control center in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. There, Kim reportedly observed satellite pictures taken of Andersen Air Force Base in the village of Yigo in northeastern Guam, as well as Naval Base Guam on Apra Harbor in Western Guam. (Related: Blinken admits having "real concerns" over military ties between Russia, North Korea.)

KCNA claims Kim also viewed photos of other major U.S. military bases in the area, but its report did not include any of the images allegedly taken by the satellite.

North Korea allegedly launched its first military spy satellite, the "Malligyong-1," into orbit late on Tuesday, Nov. 21, from the country's west coast. KCNA claims the device is currently undergoing "fine-tuning" before it formally begins its reconnaissance mission on December 1.

The United States, Japan and South Korea, which have been closely watching the launch, did not give any confirmation if the spy satellite actually was deployed, let alone operational. However, South Korea has indicated that it is willing to believe that Pyongyang's latest attempt to place a satellite into orbit has been a success, although additional analysis is needed before determining whether the device is operating normally.

Kim wants to launch "many more" spy satellites

If confirmed, Kim's spy satellite would be the first that North Korea has successfully placed into orbit in space.

Kim's regime was quick to own up to its mistakes when it failed to place two spy satellites into orbit earlier this year. Both attempts ended with the rockets experiencing engine problems shortly after takeoff and falling into the sea.

Now that North Korea has seemingly succeeded in its goal, Kim declared that his long-term goal for his country's space capabilities is to launch "many more" spy satellites and place them "on different orbits," as part of efforts to better monitor the military movements of the "U.S. imperialists and their vassal armies," which KCNA reported are supposedly endangering the regional military situation.

The U.S. and its allies have quickly condemned the placing of the spy satellite into orbit as a provocation and a violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, while quickly redeploying troops in South Korea as a show of military force against Pyongyang. This includes the docking of a U.S. aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine in South Korean ports.

For its part, Seoul announced that, in response to the launch, it would resume reconnaissance and surveillance flights along the border with North Korea. South Korea has also suspended parts of the 2018 Comprehensive Military Agreement between Seoul and Pyongyang, which helped  at least temporarily  reduce tensions along the border.

Learn more about conflict around the world at WWIII.news.

Watch this clip from the "Worldview Report" speculating on whether North Korea has secretly launched another satellite armed with a nuclear device.

This video is from the Worldview Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

South Korea accuses North Korea of supplying Russia with over 1M ARTILLERY SHELLS in exchange for advanced technologies.

ART OF DECEPTION: North Korea showcases trucks with concealed artillery rockets.

U.S. threatens additional sanctions on North Korea if the communist nation inks arms deal with Russia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warns of nuclear war, orders military to get ready for possible U.S.-led invasion.

North Korea blasts "sinister" U.S. approval of F-16 jets for Ukraine.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

VOANews.com

Bloomberg.com

Brighteon.com
Former Obama official celebrates genocide in Gaza: If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, it wasnt enough

The guy who headed up the U.S. State Department's Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs from 1999 to 2003 under both Bill Clinton, a Democrat, and George W. Bush, a Republican, was caught harassing an Arab man working a halal street cart for supporting the Palestinian people.

Stuart Seldowitz, who also later worked as an advisor to Barack Hussein Obama  are you beginning to see how Zionists like Seldowitz control both sides of the political aisle?  made global headlines when he approached and insulted the Arab man, 24, who runs a street food cart in New York City's Upper East Side.

"It's not my fault that you pray to a criminal," Seldowitz was filmed shouting at the Arab man, who had just opened up the window on his food cart to ask Seldowitz to leave because he was blocking customers while holding up pins bearing the image of the Israeli flag.

"I'm working now, okay?" the Arab man responded to Seldowitz upon being harassed. "Can you leave, please? Go please."

"You're not working," Seldowitz then shouted back. "There's nobody here. But there are big signs here saying this man believes in Hamas."

"Do you want to buy something?" the Arab man then asked.

"No, I don't. I won't give you a penny of my money ... I don't want to go. I have a right to stand here. You have no right to be on the sidewalk," Seldowitz shouted back, pointing his finger angrily in the Arab man's face.

The two then went back and forth with Seldowitz harassing the Arab man, accusing him of not having a visa and not being allowed to operate on the sidewalk. When the Arab man responds that he is an American citizen, Seldowitz then told him:

"But you're a terrorist! You support terrorism! You support killing little children! You're a terrible person!"

When the Arab man then told Seldowitz that it is his people who are killing children, not the Palestinians, Seldowitz immediately shot back in agreement, adding that the number of Palestinians killed by Israel "is not enough."

"If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, you know what? It wasn't enough," Seldowitz yelled. "It wasn't enough!"

this man is continuing to berate and harass the halal cart vendor. He ends the video with if we killed 4,000 palestinian kids? It wasnt enough. pic.twitter.com/yhu4HSvIEZ  Layla ? (@itslaylas) November 21, 2023

(Related: The non-Zionist world can't believe their ears about what Israel is being allowed to do by the U.S.)

America's government is infested with Zionists

Others who saw the video but did not recognize who Seldowitz is started asking the internet for more information about the guy. The world has since learned that Seldowitz is a career diplomat who has worked for numerous American presidential administrations, both left and right, and is an avowed Zionist who puts Israel first above all.

It turns out that Seldowitz has been arrogantly harassing the same halal cart worker for weeks. There are numerous circulating claims about him verbally accosting the same Arab guy at the halal cart over and over again with a prideful smirk plastered across his face the entire time.

"If you ever wondered why our State Department is so biased in favor of Israel, this may give you a clue," writes Chris Menahan for Information Liberation. "We still have lunatics like Seldowitz controlling our foreign policy to this very day."

"The U.S. used to be an honest broker in the Middle East but now our foreign policy revolves around 'destroying Amalek.'"

A commenter added the following to the conversation:

"Imagine the opposite reaction from Mayor Adams's pension-scamming goons in NYPD if some Muslim eating in one of those kitschy restaurants on the Upper East Side started berating Jews at nearby tables for war crimes and genocide."

More of the latest news about the situation in Gaza can be found at Genocide.news.

Sources for this article include:

InformationLiberation.com

NaturalNews.com
Supreme Court to review challenge to Illinois semi-automatic gun ban

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to Illinois' sweeping ban on semi-automatic weapons.

Illinois' ban was enacted on Jan. 10 when Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law that banned more than 170 different brands or types of semi-automatic rifles and handguns. It also banned the ownership of .50-caliber guns and an assortment of different attachments and devices to allow the rapid firing of semi-automatics. Finally, the law also bans rifles and magazines with capacities of more than 10 rounds and 15 rounds, respectively. (Related: Gun rights groups vow to appeal seventh circuit ruling on "assault weapons.")

One seriously questionable portion of the bill requires the registration of firearms, including those that were already in the hands of gun owners before the bill came into law. All legally owned firearms must be registered with the Illinois State Police by Jan. 1, 2024. Those found out of compliance will face a number of criminal penalties.

Lawsuits contesting this sweeping gun bill were immediately filed in both state and federal courts, with the outcomes since then ranging from a preliminary injunction against the law issued in federal court being stayed and thousands of temporary restraining orders being issued in state courts being vacated. Ongoing filings continue to challenge the law on the grounds that it violates the Second and the Fourteenth Amendments.

Supreme Court the last hope of gun rights activists to defeat Illinois gun law

On Tuesday, Nov. 21, the Supreme Court docketed a case brought forward by State Rep. Dan Caulkins, a Republican from Decatur in Central Illinois, challenging the gun and magazine ban.

Caulkins' case, initially brought to a state court earlier this year, resulted in a ruling in his favor. But the Pritzker administration brought an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court, which resulted in a lengthy legal battle that ended in the Illinois Supreme Court  which includes two justices who refused to recuse themselves despite each receiving $1 million in campaign contributions from Pritzker  siding with the state.

"This is an affront on our republican form of government [and on the] separation of powers," said Caulkins in an interview with The Center Square. "Really, this is why we took this case to the U.S. Supreme Court."

"It is possible that we get oral arguments in the very early part of December, hopefully in time to seek an injunction staying the end date on the registration component," said gun rights advocate Todd Vandermyde.

At around the same time that Caulkins presented this case before the Supreme Court, the District Court for the Southern District of Illinois denied a motion brought forward by the Democratic state government to delay a ruling on plaintiffs seeking an injunction against the Jan. 1, 2024 gun registry deadline.

Similarly, plaintiffs from Naperville, a suburb of western Chicago, have filed a separate motion for a full appeals bench review of a Second Amendment challenge against the bill. Attorney Thomas Maag, representing the Naperville plaintiffs, had earlier requested a similar appeal in the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

Maag is also representing another group of plaintiffs challenging the state's ban and registry. This case is pending with the Southern District of Illinois.

Learn more about the assault on gun rights in America at Guns.news.

Watch this clip from "Greg Kelly Reports" on Newsmax explaining how more guns, not fewer, is the actual answer to gun violence.

This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Biden calls for stronger gun control laws in the wake of Maine mass shooting  he wants to leave you DEFENSELESS.

Biden administration suspends issuance of export licenses for civilian firearms and ammunition in latest attack on gun industry.

Violent criminals allowed to roam free in Illinois thanks to no-cash bail policy.

FLEEING TYRANNY: Report reveals Illinois tops list of states Americans fled in 2022.

Illinois sheriffs rebel, vow to not enforce restrictive new gun control law that includes "assault weapons" ban, registration.

Sources include:

LawEnforcementToday.com

MyStateline.com

TheCenterSquare.com

Brighteon.com
U.S. says Israel has the right to expand military offensive to southern Gaza  even if thousands more civilians are killed

A high-ranking U.S. official says Israel has the right to expand its military operations to southern Gaza.

Jon Finer, U.S. deputy national security advisor, acknowledged Israel's plan to expand its operations during an interview on CBS News' "Face the Nation." He said: "We believe they have the right to do that, but there is a real concern because hundreds of thousands of residents of Gaza have fled from the north to the south at Israels request."

Despite this acknowledgement, Finer urged Israel to delay it in light of the need for additional safeguards to protect civilians. He called on Jerusalem to "draw lessons" from its operations in northern Gaza. In particular, he called for measures such as narrowing the area of active combat and clarifying safe zones where civilians can seek refuge from the fighting.

Finer's remarks came as Israel announced its intention to press forward with its offensive. "It will happen wherever Hamas exists, including in the south of the strip," declared Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. Earlier, the IDF issued a directive to over one million civilians in northern Gaza to seek refuge in the south for their safety. (Related: Israeli military gets green light to enter Gaza and begin ground offensive.)

Israeli offensive in southern Gaza puts civilians in danger

Israel refusing to say when its expanded military operation will begin has caused anxiety among displaced Palestinians around the town of Khan Younis. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans initially instructed to move from the north to the south are now facing a dilemma as fresh directives urge them to move again.

"They asked us to go to the south. We went to the south. Now they are asking us to leave. Where do we go?" said Atya Abu Jab in frustration.

In recent days, the IDF has dropped tens of thousands of leaflets over southern areas, including the town of Khan Younis, urging Palestinians to move westward. However, reports suggest that civilians have limited options, compounded by the closure of the lone border crossing into Egypt, accessible only to certain foreign passport holders. This, in turn, amplifies fears of an imminent military push.

Giora Eiland, a former head of Israel's National Security Council, anticipates a three- to four-week campaign to subdue Hamas in the south, where its leadership is concentrated. He knew that this military expansion in the south would cause more civilian casualties, but he still chose to proceed anyway.

"One of the more challenging situations is the simple fact that most of the people of the Gaza Strip are now concentrated in the south," he told Reuters. "There will probably be more civilian casualties. It is not going to deter us or prevent us from moving forward."

Matthew Miller, spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, told reporters that the U.S. has called for pauses to let in aid for Gaza's population of 2.3 million. "We have been in conversation with [Israel] to impress upon them that as they continue to look at expanded military operations or ground operations in other parts of Gaza," he said. "They need to ensure that there are  humanitarian corridors for civilians."

Learn more about the Israel-Palestine conflict at WWIII.news.

Watch this Oct. 16 episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as the Health Ranger Mike Adams elaborates on the consequences of Israel's war against Gaza on the global economy.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Israeli troops and tanks enter northern Gaza in overnight raid ahead of impending ground offensive.

Israel DELAYS Gaza ground offensive as it orders 1.1 million Palestinians in northern Strip to EVACUATE.

Israeli military confirms Hamas has at least 155 hostages hidden in Gaza.

Hamas military wing has DESTROYED at least 160 IDF military vehicles since Israels invasion of Gaza.

Israeli leader calls for another DRESDEN & HIROSHIMA in Gaza: "Annihilate Gaza now!"

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

TheHill.com

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
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Bandhavi Annam By

Express News Service

GUNTUR: With natural farming spreading its roots in Andhra Pradesh, over 8.9 lakh farmers in the State are witnessing a transformational change under the community managed natural farming (APCNF) programme implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Government of AP. Recently, it achieved national recognition by winning three Jaivik India Awards.

Making it global, Narayanappa, a marginal farmer of the APCNF programme from the State, was selected for Karmaveer Chakra Award (Bronze) and REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship 2023-24 instituted by the Indian Confederation of NGOs (iCONGO), in partnership with the United Nations. He will receive the award at a programme in New Delhi on November 27. His wife Parvathi is behind Narayanappas success in natural farming. By adopting the Any Time Money model, Narayanappa has achieved a significant transformation. The 42-year-old farmer hailing from Mallapuram village in Anantapur district, owns a two-acre land holding, which is located in a semi-arid tropical region.

Due to insufficient rainfall and persistent drought-like conditions, agriculture had become a challenging task, and Narayanappas family plunged into financial trouble. Observing this, the APCNF district project manager organised several awareness programmes to encourage farmers to switch to natural farming. Narayanappa is among many farmers, for whom natural farming has been life-changing.

Recounting his experiences, Narayanappa in a telephonic conversation with TNIE, said, In 2016, agriculture officials visited our village and guided us to reevaluate the traditional farming practices. They provided in-depth insights into on-farm natural farming practices, emphasising plant diversity to cover the soil with crops 365 days, minimal disturbance of soil, using biostimulants as necessary catalysts, diverse crops numbering 15-20 in the same land, integrating animals into farming, increase the diversity of organic residues, pest management through better agronomic practices, botanical extracts, which help farmers cultivate nutritious food and increase their profits.

Since then, there has been no stopping. Narayanappa replaced chemical-based fertilisers and pesticides with home-prepared Kashayams and Jeevamruthams, which act as biostimulants, soil microbial enhancers and bioinoculants that help increase soil fertility. As these biostimulants are prepared using cow dung, kitchen waste and other natural materials, the investment cost has come down significantly.

Earlier, I used to raise the groundnut crop with chemical inputs and get a low yield of six to seven bags per acre. After switching to natural farming, I have been cultivating over 20 different crops, including tubers like radish, beetroot, carrot, and other crops like maize, cluster beans, and black-eyed beans, besides leafy vegetables. We opted for millets as the border crop to control pests and insects. Now, I dont have to wait for Kharif or Rabi season for crop harvest as I have been getting regular income, he explained.

It needs an average investment of over Rs 30,000 per acre to raise crops, using chemical inputs, but in natural farming, we spend less than Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 and earn an income of Rs 2 to Rs 3 lakh in the long run, he added. Rythu Sadhikara Samstha Vice-Chairman T Vijaya Kumar said, It is a proud moment for AP. Many farmers like Narayanappa have achieved year-round food security, financial stability, freedom from debts, and good health for themselves and their families by adopting natural farming.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

GUNTUR: With natural farming spreading its roots in Andhra Pradesh, over 8.9 lakh farmers in the State are witnessing a transformational change under the community managed natural farming (APCNF) programme implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Government of AP. Recently, it achieved national recognition by winning three Jaivik India Awards. Making it global, Narayanappa, a marginal farmer of the APCNF programme from the State, was selected for Karmaveer Chakra Award (Bronze) and REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship 2023-24 instituted by the Indian Confederation of NGOs (iCONGO), in partnership with the United Nations. He will receive the award at a programme in New Delhi on November 27. His wife Parvathi is behind Narayanappas success in natural farming. By adopting the Any Time Money model, Narayanappa has achieved a significant transformation. The 42-year-old farmer hailing from Mallapuram village in Anantapur district, owns a two-acre land holding, which is located in a semi-arid tropical region. Due to insufficient rainfall and persistent drought-like conditions, agriculture had become a challenging task, and Narayanappas family plunged into financial trouble. Observing this, the APCNF district project manager organised several awareness programmes to encourage farmers to switch to natural farming. Narayanappa is among many farmers, for whom natural farming has been life-changing.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Recounting his experiences, Narayanappa in a telephonic conversation with TNIE, said, In 2016, agriculture officials visited our village and guided us to reevaluate the traditional farming practices. They provided in-depth insights into on-farm natural farming practices, emphasising plant diversity to cover the soil with crops 365 days, minimal disturbance of soil, using biostimulants as necessary catalysts, diverse crops numbering 15-20 in the same land, integrating animals into farming, increase the diversity of organic residues, pest management through better agronomic practices, botanical extracts, which help farmers cultivate nutritious food and increase their profits. Since then, there has been no stopping. Narayanappa replaced chemical-based fertilisers and pesticides with home-prepared Kashayams and Jeevamruthams, which act as biostimulants, soil microbial enhancers and bioinoculants that help increase soil fertility. As these biostimulants are prepared using cow dung, kitchen waste and other natural materials, the investment cost has come down significantly. Earlier, I used to raise the groundnut crop with chemical inputs and get a low yield of six to seven bags per acre. After switching to natural farming, I have been cultivating over 20 different crops, including tubers like radish, beetroot, carrot, and other crops like maize, cluster beans, and black-eyed beans, besides leafy vegetables. We opted for millets as the border crop to control pests and insects. Now, I dont have to wait for Kharif or Rabi season for crop harvest as I have been getting regular income, he explained. It needs an average investment of over Rs 30,000 per acre to raise crops, using chemical inputs, but in natural farming, we spend less than Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 and earn an income of Rs 2 to Rs 3 lakh in the long run, he added. Rythu Sadhikara Samstha Vice-Chairman T Vijaya Kumar said, It is a proud moment for AP. Many farmers like Narayanappa have achieved year-round food security, financial stability, freedom from debts, and good health for themselves and their families by adopting natural farming. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By ANI

NEW DELHI: It's been 15 years since the devastating terrorist attacks that shook India's financial capital, Mumbai, on November 26, 2008.

Commonly referred to as 26/11, these coordinated assaults by a group of 10 terrorists did mayhem on the streets of Mumbai and sent shockwaves through the nation and the world.

Terrorists from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group had entered the city of Mumbai on the night of November 26, 2008. Over the course of four days, they killed 166 people and injured 300.

The targets were carefully chosen after being surveyed for maximum impact, viz., the Taj and Oberoi Hotels, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Jewish centre at Nariman House, and the Leopold Cafe, since these places were frequented by Europeans, Indians and Jews.

The nine LeT terrorists were killed while Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist from the attack at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, was arrested. In May 2010, Qasab was handed the death penalty, and two years later, hanged in a maximum security prison in Pune city.

The scars left by the tragic event continue to linger in the collective memory of those who witnessed it, and the lessons learned remain crucial for global security.

This year marking the 15th anniversary of the tragic terror attacks, Israel has officially designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organisation. The action has been taken without any request by the government of India.

The Israeli Embassy said in a statement that all necessary procedures have been completed to declare LeT as a terror outfit, noting that the decision was made independently without any formal request from the Indian government.

Highlighting that Israel only lists terror organisations that are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India--those globally recognised by UNSC or the US State Department--"Israel ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation on this date to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism."

ALSO READ | 12 Years of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks: Remembering the darkest days in country's history

Israel's Ambassador to India Naor Gilon also praised the decision and called the ban on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) the "right thing". He said that Tel Aviv had a few months ago decided to ban LeT after his deputy found that it was not listed as a terrorist organisation in Israel.

Meanwhile, a day-long poster exhibition was organised at the Broken Chair in front of the United Nations, Geneva on Friday to mark the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

A human rights activist and author who organised the poster exhibition, Priyajit Debsarkar, said: "Today, we are protesting in front of the United Nations, Geneva. We have displayed a lot of balance here to commemorate the costly and terrible barbaric terror attacks which rocked Mumbai, the Indian financial epicentre, 15 years ago."

On this day, every year, the nation remembers the people and security forces who lost their lives while fighting the terrorists.

ALSO READ | 'Hotel Mumbai' to 'One Less God': 10 films, TV series on the deadly 26/11 terror attacks

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NEW DELHI: It's been 15 years since the devastating terrorist attacks that shook India's financial capital, Mumbai, on November 26, 2008. Commonly referred to as 26/11, these coordinated assaults by a group of 10 terrorists did mayhem on the streets of Mumbai and sent shockwaves through the nation and the world. Terrorists from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group had entered the city of Mumbai on the night of November 26, 2008. Over the course of four days, they killed 166 people and injured 300.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The targets were carefully chosen after being surveyed for maximum impact, viz., the Taj and Oberoi Hotels, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Jewish centre at Nariman House, and the Leopold Cafe, since these places were frequented by Europeans, Indians and Jews. The nine LeT terrorists were killed while Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist from the attack at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, was arrested. In May 2010, Qasab was handed the death penalty, and two years later, hanged in a maximum security prison in Pune city. The scars left by the tragic event continue to linger in the collective memory of those who witnessed it, and the lessons learned remain crucial for global security. This year marking the 15th anniversary of the tragic terror attacks, Israel has officially designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organisation. The action has been taken without any request by the government of India. The Israeli Embassy said in a statement that all necessary procedures have been completed to declare LeT as a terror outfit, noting that the decision was made independently without any formal request from the Indian government. Highlighting that Israel only lists terror organisations that are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India--those globally recognised by UNSC or the US State Department--"Israel ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation on this date to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism." ALSO READ | 12 Years of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks: Remembering the darkest days in country's history Israel's Ambassador to India Naor Gilon also praised the decision and called the ban on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) the "right thing". He said that Tel Aviv had a few months ago decided to ban LeT after his deputy found that it was not listed as a terrorist organisation in Israel. Meanwhile, a day-long poster exhibition was organised at the Broken Chair in front of the United Nations, Geneva on Friday to mark the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. A human rights activist and author who organised the poster exhibition, Priyajit Debsarkar, said: "Today, we are protesting in front of the United Nations, Geneva. We have displayed a lot of balance here to commemorate the costly and terrible barbaric terror attacks which rocked Mumbai, the Indian financial epicentre, 15 years ago." On this day, every year, the nation remembers the people and security forces who lost their lives while fighting the terrorists. ALSO READ | 'Hotel Mumbai' to 'One Less God': 10 films, TV series on the deadly 26/11 terror attacks Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

KOLKATA: In hopes of securing the votes of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh in West Bengal in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union minister of state Ajay Mishra on Sunday said the rules will be framed within March 30 next year to implement the contentious CAA.

While addressing a gathering at Thakurnagar, the headquarters of Matuasa sect comprising Hindu refugees from the neighbouring countryMishra said no one would be able to drive out the people of the community from India.

The MP from Uttar Pradeshs Kheri constituency made the announcement taking local MP Shantanu Thakur, a representative of Matua community, beside him.

The process of implementation of the CAA has been initiated. We are in the process of sorting out some complications for the implementation of the act. You dont need to be worried. You are already citizens of India. Kisi mai ka laal ka himmat nehi hain jo aap ke birudh karwai kar sake (No one will dare take action against you), said Mishra at the Matua dominated Bongaon constituency.

Mishras announcement is said to be politically significant before the next years Lok Sabha elections as Matuas in the recent past expressed their discontent over the issue of non-implementation of the citizenship act even after four years after it was passed in Parliament. Thakur himself had expressed his displeasure on several occasions over the issue.

Hindu refugees form a significant chunk of the total electorates in several pockets in south Bengal and Mishras announcement is said to be a reflection of the saffron camps fear of losing the support of the community. The BJP had made deep inroads in the 2019 general elections in the states Matua-belt by promising them citizenship through implementing CAA.

Though the BJP bagged Shantipur Assembly seat, a Matua-dominated constituency, in the 2021 elections but the Trinamool Congress snatched the seat in the by-election as saffron camps candidate Jagannath Sarkar preferred to continue as the MP of Ranaghat.

Seconding Mishras claim, BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said the implementation of CAA is a huge task and it would be implemented on right time.

Taking a jibe at the Union ministers announcement, TMC MP Shantanu Sen said, It is nothing other than a political gimmick before the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has been unmasked and Matuas have realised that they were duped by the false promise of the BJP. This time, they are not going to get support of the community.

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KOLKATA: In hopes of securing the votes of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh in West Bengal in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union minister of state Ajay Mishra on Sunday said the rules will be framed within March 30 next year to implement the contentious CAA. While addressing a gathering at Thakurnagar, the headquarters of Matuasa sect comprising Hindu refugees from the neighbouring countryMishra said no one would be able to drive out the people of the community from India. The MP from Uttar Pradeshs Kheri constituency made the announcement taking local MP Shantanu Thakur, a representative of Matua community, beside him.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The process of implementation of the CAA has been initiated. We are in the process of sorting out some complications for the implementation of the act. You dont need to be worried. You are already citizens of India. Kisi mai ka laal ka himmat nehi hain jo aap ke birudh karwai kar sake (No one will dare take action against you), said Mishra at the Matua dominated Bongaon constituency. Mishras announcement is said to be politically significant before the next years Lok Sabha elections as Matuas in the recent past expressed their discontent over the issue of non-implementation of the citizenship act even after four years after it was passed in Parliament. Thakur himself had expressed his displeasure on several occasions over the issue. Hindu refugees form a significant chunk of the total electorates in several pockets in south Bengal and Mishras announcement is said to be a reflection of the saffron camps fear of losing the support of the community. The BJP had made deep inroads in the 2019 general elections in the states Matua-belt by promising them citizenship through implementing CAA. Though the BJP bagged Shantipur Assembly seat, a Matua-dominated constituency, in the 2021 elections but the Trinamool Congress snatched the seat in the by-election as saffron camps candidate Jagannath Sarkar preferred to continue as the MP of Ranaghat. Seconding Mishras claim, BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said the implementation of CAA is a huge task and it would be implemented on right time. Taking a jibe at the Union ministers announcement, TMC MP Shantanu Sen said, It is nothing other than a political gimmick before the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has been unmasked and Matuas have realised that they were duped by the false promise of the BJP. This time, they are not going to get support of the community. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By ANI

UTTARKASHI: As the rescue operation to save the 41 labourers trapped in the Silkaya tunnel entered its 14th day, the anxiety of the kin of the workers reached its peak. "I don't want my son to work further in the tunnel", says a grieving Chaudhary, father of Manjeet, one of the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi.

A resident of Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, the 50-year-old Chaudhary is suffering from vision loss in one of his eyes. Manjeet, 22 years old, has been trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel since November 12.

During the day, a Magna Rod cutter machine has been deployed to speed up the rescue of the drilling operation, an ONGC official said.

The development comes after a plasma cutter machine flown from Hyderabad to cut the auger machine got stuck in the debris of the Silkyara tunnel, officials said.

Chaudhary said that he does not want his son Manjeet to take up this work again after he is rescued anytime soon.

Chaudhary said, "Manjeet's mother, sister and locals are praying to see Manjeet come out safely and return to his village. We will do farming, animal husbandry or start a small business at home."

ALSO READ | 'Every day, we hear 2 more hours': Anxiety at peak in Jharkhand village as tunnel rescue hits setback

Chaudhary has already lost his elder son Deepu (22) in a bridge construction accident in Mumbai.

The family is finding it hard to keep both ends meet as Manjeet is the sole breadwinner for the family.

Choudhary added that he will do something else even at the age of 50, "but he wants his son to live with him in the house now."

After a portion of the tunnel caved in on November 12, the debris falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 labourers inside the under-construction structure.

ALSO READ | Uttarakhand tunnel tragedy: Manual drilling to be initiated to rescue labourers trapped since Nov 12

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UTTARKASHI: As the rescue operation to save the 41 labourers trapped in the Silkaya tunnel entered its 14th day, the anxiety of the kin of the workers reached its peak. "I don't want my son to work further in the tunnel", says a grieving Chaudhary, father of Manjeet, one of the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. A resident of Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, the 50-year-old Chaudhary is suffering from vision loss in one of his eyes. Manjeet, 22 years old, has been trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel since November 12. During the day, a Magna Rod cutter machine has been deployed to speed up the rescue of the drilling operation, an ONGC official said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The development comes after a plasma cutter machine flown from Hyderabad to cut the auger machine got stuck in the debris of the Silkyara tunnel, officials said. Chaudhary said that he does not want his son Manjeet to take up this work again after he is rescued anytime soon. Chaudhary said, "Manjeet's mother, sister and locals are praying to see Manjeet come out safely and return to his village. We will do farming, animal husbandry or start a small business at home." ALSO READ | 'Every day, we hear 2 more hours': Anxiety at peak in Jharkhand village as tunnel rescue hits setback Chaudhary has already lost his elder son Deepu (22) in a bridge construction accident in Mumbai. The family is finding it hard to keep both ends meet as Manjeet is the sole breadwinner for the family. Choudhary added that he will do something else even at the age of 50, "but he wants his son to live with him in the house now." After a portion of the tunnel caved in on November 12, the debris falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 labourers inside the under-construction structure. ALSO READ | Uttarakhand tunnel tragedy: Manual drilling to be initiated to rescue labourers trapped since Nov 12 Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Online Desk

My child was supremely talented. They did nothing wrong. I am proud of them, said Preeti Yadav, the mother of 16-year-old queer makeup artist Pranshu who was found dead, reportedly from hanging, on Tuesday. She was speaking to The Quint.

During Diwali, the artist and social media influencer from Madhya Pradesh had posted a reel of them wearing a saree on Instagram, following which people made hateful and homophobic remarks in the comments section. Actor-activist Trineta Haldar Gummaraju claimed that the comments section of the reel was flooded with over 4,000 homophobic remarks, forcing Pranshu to die by suicide.

Forty-four-year-old Preeti, who works as a Medical Representative (MR), told The Quint that it was last year, when Pranshu was in class 9, that they had opened up and shared their feelings with her.

Since the pandemic, Pranshu had been using their grandfathers mobile phone for online classes and also making videos on it during their free time. "They performed well academically, their teachers at school were very fond of them, and they were always respectful towards girls and women", Pranshu's mother told The Quint.

Pranshu drew their inspiration from American YouTuber and makeup artist James Charles  and wanted to be just like him,", their mother told the outlet.

Every child is unique, and I accepted my child the way they were. I would have always stood by them. I wish they would have given me that chance, Preeti mourned, adding that she feels alone now.

She added that she was proud of them for having an ambition and honing their talent.

Pranshu was a self-taught makeup artist who had a sizeable following on their Instagram handle 'glamitupwithpranshu'.

Quoting Kamal Singh Gehlot, the police station in charge, India Today reported that the 16-year-old's mobile has been seized and details will be obtained from Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.

Police have also added that they haven't yet identified the solid basis behind the suicide.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7).

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My child was supremely talented. They did nothing wrong. I am proud of them, said Preeti Yadav, the mother of 16-year-old queer makeup artist Pranshu who was found dead, reportedly from hanging, on Tuesday. She was speaking to The Quint. During Diwali, the artist and social media influencer from Madhya Pradesh had posted a reel of them wearing a saree on Instagram, following which people made hateful and homophobic remarks in the comments section. Actor-activist Trineta Haldar Gummaraju claimed that the comments section of the reel was flooded with over 4,000 homophobic remarks, forcing Pranshu to die by suicide. Forty-four-year-old Preeti, who works as a Medical Representative (MR), told The Quint that it was last year, when Pranshu was in class 9, that they had opened up and shared their feelings with her.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Since the pandemic, Pranshu had been using their grandfathers mobile phone for online classes and also making videos on it during their free time. "They performed well academically, their teachers at school were very fond of them, and they were always respectful towards girls and women", Pranshu's mother told The Quint. Pranshu drew their inspiration from American YouTuber and makeup artist James Charles  and wanted to be just like him,", their mother told the outlet. Every child is unique, and I accepted my child the way they were. I would have always stood by them. I wish they would have given me that chance, Preeti mourned, adding that she feels alone now. She added that she was proud of them for having an ambition and honing their talent. Pranshu was a self-taught makeup artist who had a sizeable following on their Instagram handle 'glamitupwithpranshu'. Quoting Kamal Singh Gehlot, the police station in charge, India Today reported that the 16-year-old's mobile has been seized and details will be obtained from Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook. Police have also added that they haven't yet identified the solid basis behind the suicide. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7). Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

ORMANJHI: In Khirabeda, the anxiety has now reached its peak as three people from this nondescript village on the outskirts of Ranchi are still stuck in the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand where the rescue operation hit another setback.

The blades of the auger machine drilling through the rubble of the tunnel were on Saturday stuck in the debris, forcing officials to consider switching to options that could drag on the rescue of 41 trapped workers by several days -- even weeks.

Ever since the news reached a paralysed Shravan Bediya, 55, whose only son Rajendra is trapped there, the desperation on his face became palpable even though he is confined to his bed.

Besides 22-year-old Rajendra, two others from the village -- Sukhram and Anil, both in their early twenties, are trapped inside the tunnel for two weeks now.

Sukhram's mother Parvati, who is also paralysed, has been inconsolable since she found out about the disaster that happened in Uttarkashi.

In Anil's house, his grieving mother has not cooked anything for the last two weeks.

The family has been surviving on whatever food their neighbours are providing.

The rescue effort began November 12 when a portion of the under-construction tunnel on Uttarakhand's Char Dham route collapsed following a landslide, cutting off the exit for the workers inside.

Anil's brother Sunil who rushed to the spot from Ranchi said over the phone, "Every day, we hear two more hours, three more hours or one more day. We don't know how long it will take. I could talk to my brother four days back."

Sunil is now living in the place his brother was staying along with the 40 other workers who are stuck inside.

"We are getting food when it is distributed," he said.

Sunil, who also works in such projects, said this was the most difficult time of his life, with none left to tend to his old parents who were in a state of shock.

"I could somehow arrange the funds to travel to Uttarkashi," he said.

ALSO READ | Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Vertical drilling only after horizontal option is over

Sukhram's sister Khushboo said that everyone in their village was glued to their mobile phones for updates on the rescue operations.

"The entire village is in shock as three of our people are stuck inside," she said.

Ram Kumar Bediya, a villager, said that a group of 13 people, all between 18 and 23, had left Khirabeda on November 1 to work at the Uttarkashi tunnel.

"When the disaster struck, three of them were working inside the tunnel," he said.

A plasma cutter was flown in from Hyderabad on Sunday to cut and remove parts of the auger machine stuck in the rubble inside the tunnel.

ALSO READ | Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel collapse 'wake-up call' for Modi govt's infrastructure drive

A complete disengagement of the machine is necessary to resume the rescue work, which involves the manual pushing of pipes through the rubble to prepare an escape passage.

The workers are in a built-up two-kilometre stretch of the tunnel.

They are being sent food, medicines and other essentials through a six-inch wide pipe.

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ORMANJHI: In Khirabeda, the anxiety has now reached its peak as three people from this nondescript village on the outskirts of Ranchi are still stuck in the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand where the rescue operation hit another setback. The blades of the auger machine drilling through the rubble of the tunnel were on Saturday stuck in the debris, forcing officials to consider switching to options that could drag on the rescue of 41 trapped workers by several days -- even weeks. Ever since the news reached a paralysed Shravan Bediya, 55, whose only son Rajendra is trapped there, the desperation on his face became palpable even though he is confined to his bed.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Besides 22-year-old Rajendra, two others from the village -- Sukhram and Anil, both in their early twenties, are trapped inside the tunnel for two weeks now. Sukhram's mother Parvati, who is also paralysed, has been inconsolable since she found out about the disaster that happened in Uttarkashi. In Anil's house, his grieving mother has not cooked anything for the last two weeks. The family has been surviving on whatever food their neighbours are providing. The rescue effort began November 12 when a portion of the under-construction tunnel on Uttarakhand's Char Dham route collapsed following a landslide, cutting off the exit for the workers inside. Anil's brother Sunil who rushed to the spot from Ranchi said over the phone, "Every day, we hear two more hours, three more hours or one more day. We don't know how long it will take. I could talk to my brother four days back." Sunil is now living in the place his brother was staying along with the 40 other workers who are stuck inside. "We are getting food when it is distributed," he said. Sunil, who also works in such projects, said this was the most difficult time of his life, with none left to tend to his old parents who were in a state of shock. "I could somehow arrange the funds to travel to Uttarkashi," he said. ALSO READ | Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Vertical drilling only after horizontal option is over Sukhram's sister Khushboo said that everyone in their village was glued to their mobile phones for updates on the rescue operations. "The entire village is in shock as three of our people are stuck inside," she said. Ram Kumar Bediya, a villager, said that a group of 13 people, all between 18 and 23, had left Khirabeda on November 1 to work at the Uttarkashi tunnel. "When the disaster struck, three of them were working inside the tunnel," he said. A plasma cutter was flown in from Hyderabad on Sunday to cut and remove parts of the auger machine stuck in the rubble inside the tunnel. ALSO READ | Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel collapse 'wake-up call' for Modi govt's infrastructure drive A complete disengagement of the machine is necessary to resume the rescue work, which involves the manual pushing of pipes through the rubble to prepare an escape passage. The workers are in a built-up two-kilometre stretch of the tunnel. They are being sent food, medicines and other essentials through a six-inch wide pipe. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day visit to Dubai this week to attend the World Climate Action Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Sunday.

It said Modi is visiting Dubai from November 30 to December 1 at the invitation of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi.

The World Climate Action Summit is the high-level segment of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP-28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The COP-28 is being held in Dubai from November 28 to December 12 under the presidency of the UAE.

On the sidelines of the Summit, PM Modi will also have bilateral meetings with other leaders.

PM Modi had attended the COP 26 in person in Glasgow and had announced the five specific targets, titled "Panchamrit, as Indias unprecedented contribution to climate action. Prime Minister had also announced Mission Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) on that occasion.

Climate change has been an important priority area of Indias G20 Presidency, and significant new steps have been captured in the New Delhi Leaders Declaration and other outcomes during our Presidency. COP-28 will provide an opportunity to take forward these successes, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges the world is facing today. Global temperatures have broken new records in the past few months- turning this into the hottest year and close to the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels that countries have agreed upon.

Greenhouse gas emissions continue to be on the ascendant which is a major cause of concern.

(With inputs from PTI)

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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day visit to Dubai this week to attend the World Climate Action Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Sunday. It said Modi is visiting Dubai from November 30 to December 1 at the invitation of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi. The World Climate Action Summit is the high-level segment of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP-28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The COP-28 is being held in Dubai from November 28 to December 12 under the presidency of the UAE. On the sidelines of the Summit, PM Modi will also have bilateral meetings with other leaders. PM Modi had attended the COP 26 in person in Glasgow and had announced the five specific targets, titled "Panchamrit, as Indias unprecedented contribution to climate action. Prime Minister had also announced Mission Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) on that occasion. Climate change has been an important priority area of Indias G20 Presidency, and significant new steps have been captured in the New Delhi Leaders Declaration and other outcomes during our Presidency. COP-28 will provide an opportunity to take forward these successes, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Climate change is one of the biggest challenges the world is facing today. Global temperatures have broken new records in the past few months- turning this into the hottest year and close to the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels that countries have agreed upon. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to be on the ascendant which is a major cause of concern. (With inputs from PTI) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Hamas and Israel exchanged on Sunday lists of the third batch of their reciprocal detainees expected to be released today as part of the four-day truce brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, according to media reports.

The Israeli occupation's Prison Service confirmed receiving a list of Palestinian detainees requested in the next release, adding that they will be moved to Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank for medical checks by the International Red Cross, ahead of their release to the West Bank or East Jerusalem.

Israel's Channel 13 reported that the list includes 39 Palestinians, out of the 8,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Earlier, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had received a list of the Israeli detainees in Gaza.

There is no official announcement on the number to be released, but the Ynet news site and Army Radio say that Israeli officials confirmed they expect 13 Israelis to be released.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says there is reason to believe an American citizen will be released from Gaza today.

We have reason to believe one of those Americans will be released today, but until we see her out safely from Gaza, in the hands of the authorities and ultimately in the hands of her family, then we wont be certain, Sullivan tells NBC.

As part of the truce deal, Hamas is expected to release a total of 50 Israeli children and women in exchange for 150 Palestinian children and women.

There are three Americans in the eligible category  two women, and a four-year-old girl.

Hamas has already released 26 Israelis in exchange for 78 Palestinian detainees in the two releases already completed.

The resistance group has also released 14 Thais and one Filipino.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross refuted earlier comments by its official Pascal Hundt to Sky News that he was not confident more captives would be released today.

An earlier statement from an ICRC official was in no way an indication that the release operations planned for Sunday will not happen. All preparations for the next release continue to move forward, the ICRC stated.

Speaking from Gaza, Hundt told Sky News that he is "hopeful" but "not confident" that a third round of captive releases from both sides will go ahead today.

"I don't know if we will see it, but I really do hope that everything goes without any problems as we saw during the last two operations," he said.

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By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew a sortie on indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas in Bengaluru on Saturday. Modi took to the skies from the HAL airport. He is the first Indian prime minister to fly a fighter aircraft sortie.

After the sortie, Modi termed his experience incredibly enriching. Successfully completed a sortie on Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our countrys indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential, the PM stated on X.

During the 30-minute sortie on the twin-seater aircraft, Modi looked cheerful and was seen waving at the pilot of an aircraft that was flying along. The PM congratulated the Indian Air Force, DRDO, and HAL for the LCAs success.

Today, Prime Minister Shri@narendramodi took a sortie in #Tejas which is our indigenously designed and developed multi-role Light Combat Aircraft. By flying in #LCA Tejas PM Modi has become the first Indian Prime Minister to take a fighter aircraft sortie, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted.

This showcases his meticulous attention and appreciation for Indias defense systems. Under his guidance Indias defense manufacturing is growing by leaps and bounds, he said. The IAF stated that the PM undertook a 30-minute sortie on Tejas twin-seater aircraft from the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment in Bengaluru. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari felicitated Modi after the sortie.

Modi visited HALs Bengaluru complex and reviewed the progress achieved in the production of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.

A statement from HAL said the PM visited the production line of LCA Tejas and interacted with the engineers there. The engineers briefed him that the aircraft is now powered by GE 404 engine which will be upgraded to GE 414 engine for LCA Mk II manufactured in India with 80% transfer of technology from GE Engines.

The PM was briefed about the capacity investments being done by HAL to scale up production of LCA Tejas aircraft. HAL has established two production lines of LCA Tejas in Bengaluru, which can produce up to 16 aircraft a year. An additional production line is being established at HAL, Nasik, to scale up LCA production beyond 24 from 2024-25 onwards. The engineers also explained about the progress made on the LCA MK1A programme.

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BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew a sortie on indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas in Bengaluru on Saturday. Modi took to the skies from the HAL airport. He is the first Indian prime minister to fly a fighter aircraft sortie. After the sortie, Modi termed his experience incredibly enriching. Successfully completed a sortie on Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our countrys indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential, the PM stated on X. During the 30-minute sortie on the twin-seater aircraft, Modi looked cheerful and was seen waving at the pilot of an aircraft that was flying along. The PM congratulated the Indian Air Force, DRDO, and HAL for the LCAs success.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Today, Prime Minister Shri@narendramodi took a sortie in #Tejas which is our indigenously designed and developed multi-role Light Combat Aircraft. By flying in #LCA Tejas PM Modi has become the first Indian Prime Minister to take a fighter aircraft sortie, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted. This showcases his meticulous attention and appreciation for Indias defense systems. Under his guidance Indias defense manufacturing is growing by leaps and bounds, he said. The IAF stated that the PM undertook a 30-minute sortie on Tejas twin-seater aircraft from the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment in Bengaluru. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari felicitated Modi after the sortie. Modi visited HALs Bengaluru complex and reviewed the progress achieved in the production of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. A statement from HAL said the PM visited the production line of LCA Tejas and interacted with the engineers there. The engineers briefed him that the aircraft is now powered by GE 404 engine which will be upgraded to GE 414 engine for LCA Mk II manufactured in India with 80% transfer of technology from GE Engines. The PM was briefed about the capacity investments being done by HAL to scale up production of LCA Tejas aircraft. HAL has established two production lines of LCA Tejas in Bengaluru, which can produce up to 16 aircraft a year. An additional production line is being established at HAL, Nasik, to scale up LCA production beyond 24 from 2024-25 onwards. The engineers also explained about the progress made on the LCA MK1A programme. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Those were moments of celebration. Students were cheering, laughing and dancing all around. Suddenly it started drizzling and people started rushing to the narrow gate, the only entrance to the amphitheatre. There was a commotion. As people rushed in, they tripped on the steps and fell on those standing on the lower rungs.

There was no one to control the crowd. The hapless people who fell on the ground were trampled upon by those who followed. They could not hold themselves due to the heavy rush of people surging ahead from behind. It was a crush. Festivities gave way to agony. Loud screams filled the air. There was panic all around and the blazing music added to the agony.

Student volunteers who realised the gravity of the situation rushed to the stage and stopped the music after which rescue operations began. It was a Herculean task to push the mob back and rescue the students who were gasping for breath under their feet. As the crowd moved out and the injured were shifted to the hospital, there was total confusion.

Footwear, watches, bags, purses and mobile phones were lying scattered all around. Students were frantically searching for their friends. Many of them moved out unable to respond to the queries of police and fire and rescue service personnel.

Cusat students console each other at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital | T P Sooraj

There is only one entrance to the amphitheatre and people who enter the amphitheatre have to exit through the same gate. The volunteers were checking the identity cards of the students and letting them in when there was a sudden rush. The stage is located around 10 ft below the entrance and there are around 12 steps leading to the hall. The hall was jampacked and as there was a rush from behind people fell on students standing near the steps, said Kalamassery municipal councillor Nishad.

It was around 6.45 pm, when Rajeev, a resident of Peringazha, drove past the entrance to the Cusat Auditorium. It was a moment of ecstasy. The students were all wearing black T-shirts and they were cheering and dancing. There was heavy music and we struggled a lot to wade through the crowd. I reached my house around 7.10 pm and then I got a call that there was a stampede. I was not surprised because there was not enough police to control the crowd, he said.

Though police also endorsed the rain theory, there was no heavy rain in the area. It was only a light drizzle. But there was a huge crowd outside. Students from other colleges had also arrived to watch the programme. Besides, there were local residents also. There was a police presence on the campus for the past month in view of the University Union election. But there were only around 10 policemen at the venue as the force was mobilised for the ISL tournament at Kaloor Stadium, said Thrikkakara Municipal Councillor Pramod Thrikkakara.

ALSO READ | Four students killed in stampede during tech fest at Kochi's CUSAT, more than 60 injured

Over 2k students in attendance, besides general public

The crowd gathered on the Cusat campus on Saturday as the injured in the stampede are being taken to the ambulance | T P Sooraj

Narrating the incident on the Cusat campus, Abhishek, general secretary of the students union of the institution, said the music concert by Nikhita Gandhi was arranged as part of the engineering departments Tech-Fest at the college amphitheatre.

The organisers failed to manage the crowd, which led to the accident. There must have been over 2,000 students in attendance, besides the general public, he said

There was a partition to separate department students in the front and outsiders in the back. The front gate was closed, preventing the entry of outsiders.

However, things went out of hand when the crowd outside demanded that the gates be opened, said Abhishek.

Pointing out that there are steep steps near the front entrance where many were standing, he said, When the gate was opened, the audience standing in front fell and were crushed by those behind them, leaving many badly injured. We managed to take the injured to nearby hospitals.

ALSO READ | Cusat stampede: Poor crowd management led to mishap, says witness

ALSO READ | CUSAT stampede: Everything happened within a matter of seconds, says witness

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KOCHI: Those were moments of celebration. Students were cheering, laughing and dancing all around. Suddenly it started drizzling and people started rushing to the narrow gate, the only entrance to the amphitheatre. There was a commotion. As people rushed in, they tripped on the steps and fell on those standing on the lower rungs. There was no one to control the crowd. The hapless people who fell on the ground were trampled upon by those who followed. They could not hold themselves due to the heavy rush of people surging ahead from behind. It was a crush. Festivities gave way to agony. Loud screams filled the air. There was panic all around and the blazing music added to the agony. Student volunteers who realised the gravity of the situation rushed to the stage and stopped the music after which rescue operations began. It was a Herculean task to push the mob back and rescue the students who were gasping for breath under their feet. As the crowd moved out and the injured were shifted to the hospital, there was total confusion. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Footwear, watches, bags, purses and mobile phones were lying scattered all around. Students were frantically searching for their friends. Many of them moved out unable to respond to the queries of police and fire and rescue service personnel. Cusat students console each other at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital | T P Sooraj There is only one entrance to the amphitheatre and people who enter the amphitheatre have to exit through the same gate. The volunteers were checking the identity cards of the students and letting them in when there was a sudden rush. The stage is located around 10 ft below the entrance and there are around 12 steps leading to the hall. The hall was jampacked and as there was a rush from behind people fell on students standing near the steps, said Kalamassery municipal councillor Nishad. It was around 6.45 pm, when Rajeev, a resident of Peringazha, drove past the entrance to the Cusat Auditorium. It was a moment of ecstasy. The students were all wearing black T-shirts and they were cheering and dancing. There was heavy music and we struggled a lot to wade through the crowd. I reached my house around 7.10 pm and then I got a call that there was a stampede. I was not surprised because there was not enough police to control the crowd, he said. Though police also endorsed the rain theory, there was no heavy rain in the area. It was only a light drizzle. But there was a huge crowd outside. Students from other colleges had also arrived to watch the programme. Besides, there were local residents also. There was a police presence on the campus for the past month in view of the University Union election. But there were only around 10 policemen at the venue as the force was mobilised for the ISL tournament at Kaloor Stadium, said Thrikkakara Municipal Councillor Pramod Thrikkakara. ALSO READ | Four students killed in stampede during tech fest at Kochi's CUSAT, more than 60 injured Over 2k students in attendance, besides general public The crowd gathered on the Cusat campus on Saturday as the injured in the stampede are being taken to the ambulance | T P Sooraj Narrating the incident on the Cusat campus, Abhishek, general secretary of the students union of the institution, said the music concert by Nikhita Gandhi was arranged as part of the engineering departments Tech-Fest at the college amphitheatre. The organisers failed to manage the crowd, which led to the accident. There must have been over 2,000 students in attendance, besides the general public, he said There was a partition to separate department students in the front and outsiders in the back. The front gate was closed, preventing the entry of outsiders. However, things went out of hand when the crowd outside demanded that the gates be opened, said Abhishek. Pointing out that there are steep steps near the front entrance where many were standing, he said, When the gate was opened, the audience standing in front fell and were crushed by those behind them, leaving many badly injured. We managed to take the injured to nearby hospitals. ALSO READ | Cusat stampede: Poor crowd management led to mishap, says witness ALSO READ | CUSAT stampede: Everything happened within a matter of seconds, says witness Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
C Shivakumar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: More than four years after undergoing a spinal surgery following a fall at the engine room of Singapore-flagged vessel MT Torm Timothy, seafarer Kesava Sasi Kumar is still struggling to get compensation from ship owners.

Kesava Sasi Kumar

Running from pillar to post to get a medical certificate after he was termed medically unfit by company doctor in Durban in South Africa and later by a doctor approved by director general of shipping, Kumar was denied the unfit or fit for sea certificate. An unfit for sea certificate is crucial to get the compensation.

With unending medical issues, deteriorating health conditions with no source of income to meet medical expenditures and daily expenses, Kumar approached the Madras High Court. A medical board was constituted following the court's direction. The board submitted its report to the court, declaring Kumar as having 60% disability and unfit for sea service in any capacity.

Following the order passed by the court in April 2023, Kumar had written to the deputy director general of shipping (Crew) to help him get his compensation, as the director general of shipping is responsible for the safety of seafarers.After a three-year struggle, I got a certificate that I am medically unfit. Now I face an uphill task to get compensation from the shipping company, said Kumar.

P Muthusamy, an advocate, said, The seafarer should not be put to misery. The director general of shipping should intervene. Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan when contacted by TNIE said the issue will be examined by the official concerned.

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CHENNAI: More than four years after undergoing a spinal surgery following a fall at the engine room of Singapore-flagged vessel MT Torm Timothy, seafarer Kesava Sasi Kumar is still struggling to get compensation from ship owners. Kesava Sasi KumarRunning from pillar to post to get a medical certificate after he was termed medically unfit by company doctor in Durban in South Africa and later by a doctor approved by director general of shipping, Kumar was denied the unfit or fit for sea certificate. An unfit for sea certificate is crucial to get the compensation. With unending medical issues, deteriorating health conditions with no source of income to meet medical expenditures and daily expenses, Kumar approached the Madras High Court. A medical board was constituted following the court's direction. The board submitted its report to the court, declaring Kumar as having 60% disability and unfit for sea service in any capacity.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Following the order passed by the court in April 2023, Kumar had written to the deputy director general of shipping (Crew) to help him get his compensation, as the director general of shipping is responsible for the safety of seafarers.After a three-year struggle, I got a certificate that I am medically unfit. Now I face an uphill task to get compensation from the shipping company, said Kumar. P Muthusamy, an advocate, said, The seafarer should not be put to misery. The director general of shipping should intervene. Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan when contacted by TNIE said the issue will be examined by the official concerned. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Kalyan Tholeti By

Express News Service

BRS MLC and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos daughter Kavitha insists that the buzz around the Congress is based on false hype, pointing at the absence of its network across the State. The former MP, in an exclusive interview with Kalyan Tholeti of TNIE, sounds confident and says the BRS is on an upward swing as election date nears

Excerpts



There is increasing buzz of a Congress surge. What do you make of it?

Yes, there is a buzz after the Karnataka election. It is natural that some sections might want something new. Until a few weeks ago, it was a bit strong but in the last days as we head into the election, the talk has changed. There is an upswing for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The Congress has tried to manufacture consent by dubious means.

You have been working in Nizamabad district for some time. How is your campaign going on?

I am working on a personal level. I am taking advantage of this Assembly election. After my electoral loss last time, I didnt want to go to Delhi. I took it too personally. Fact was, I secured more votes last time in the Lok Sabha elections than in the previous one. I am hands on here, reaching out to people. Everyone wants to have a personal connect with me.

How are you fighting off the winning perception being created by the Congress?

We have an extensive network of dedicated cadre. We can reach every doorstep, which the Congress cannot. For instance, when I visited Manthani and was interacting with hundreds of women, it was obvious to me that they dont know much about Rahul Gandhi. Fact of the matter is, Congress hasnt been able to reach the grassroots. We dismantled their network in the last decade. You see, not every voter listens to speeches. The message will have to be carried house to house. So, Congress has a crisis on its hands even now. Most of them are overconfident. Basking in their false hype, they are unable to see that their manifesto hasnt reached the people. They are merely depending on speeches.

You are confident that your party will create history by winning a third term?

My confidence stems from what I see.

What is the logic behind retaining most of the incumbent MLAs as clearly there is anti-incumbency?

Our legislators are the most recognisable faces. We didnt want to let go of leaders who have worked for the last 10 years. The Congress and BJP expected that they could wean away some of our leaders as they dont have recognisable faces. We didnt want to give them winning candidates. If you have observed, both parties didnt announce their candidates until we did.

During our travels, we have seen that many are dissatisfied that they havent benefited from schemes such as Dalit Bandhu and 2BHK housing. How are you addressing this discontent?

We have had a headstart in the poll campaign. We have reached all constituencies. In each constituency, we have communities supporting us. There are teams for every section who assure the people. We are confident that they will vote for us en bloc. If they have a problem, we address it immediately. Our local leaders speak to each and every section. When it comes to voting, people do think and vote accordingly. We are confident as we have achieved and done a lot.

People who are complaining against the BRS are those who have no lands, those who do not receive Rythu Bandhu, pensions or life insurance. We are addressing the issues. We have been telling people that first we will issue ration cards. Silent voting will be there. We are also conveying to people that every family will get health insurance of up to Rs 15 lakh and life insurance as well.

How do you see PCC president Revanth Reddy contesting against BRS chief and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao?

Revanth Reddy is a dud. He claimed in the US that three-hour power supply is enough for the farm sector. Before he could wake up in the morning there, the BRS painted wall to wall his absurd statement, asking people to choose between current or kanneellu (power or tears). The point is not how well you speak but also how meaningful your speech is. Revanth Reddy might be an orator who can elicit some whistles but he is surely not a leader. Not everyone can be a leader. People can see through the difference. As a voter if I see, he says he will develop Hyderabad real estate and draws parallels with Amaravati, which is a failed experiment!

What is your assessment of the BJPs prospects?

The BJP is nowhere in the picture. Eatala Rajender will lose in Gajwel as well as Huzurabad.

There appears to be a tough triangular contest in Kamareddy?

No. KCR sir will win Kamareddy. Look at the geography. We are closely connected to the region. Our ancestral village is here. Kamareddy is near Medak, our stronghold, and my brother Ramannas constituency as also Harish Rao garus constituency. We are going to win in Dubbaka too.

How many seats do you think your party will win?

We will not win less than 70. KCR sir, who has his finger on the pulse of the people, believes we will definitely get 90. He is generally correct.



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BRS MLC and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Raos daughter Kavitha insists that the buzz around the Congress is based on false hype, pointing at the absence of its network across the State. The former MP, in an exclusive interview with Kalyan Tholeti of TNIE, sounds confident and says the BRS is on an upward swing as election date nears Excerpts There is increasing buzz of a Congress surge. What do you make of it?googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Yes, there is a buzz after the Karnataka election. It is natural that some sections might want something new. Until a few weeks ago, it was a bit strong but in the last days as we head into the election, the talk has changed. There is an upswing for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). The Congress has tried to manufacture consent by dubious means. You have been working in Nizamabad district for some time. How is your campaign going on? I am working on a personal level. I am taking advantage of this Assembly election. After my electoral loss last time, I didnt want to go to Delhi. I took it too personally. Fact was, I secured more votes last time in the Lok Sabha elections than in the previous one. I am hands on here, reaching out to people. Everyone wants to have a personal connect with me. How are you fighting off the winning perception being created by the Congress? We have an extensive network of dedicated cadre. We can reach every doorstep, which the Congress cannot. For instance, when I visited Manthani and was interacting with hundreds of women, it was obvious to me that they dont know much about Rahul Gandhi. Fact of the matter is, Congress hasnt been able to reach the grassroots. We dismantled their network in the last decade. You see, not every voter listens to speeches. The message will have to be carried house to house. So, Congress has a crisis on its hands even now. Most of them are overconfident. Basking in their false hype, they are unable to see that their manifesto hasnt reached the people. They are merely depending on speeches. You are confident that your party will create history by winning a third term? My confidence stems from what I see. What is the logic behind retaining most of the incumbent MLAs as clearly there is anti-incumbency? Our legislators are the most recognisable faces. We didnt want to let go of leaders who have worked for the last 10 years. The Congress and BJP expected that they could wean away some of our leaders as they dont have recognisable faces. We didnt want to give them winning candidates. If you have observed, both parties didnt announce their candidates until we did. During our travels, we have seen that many are dissatisfied that they havent benefited from schemes such as Dalit Bandhu and 2BHK housing. How are you addressing this discontent? We have had a headstart in the poll campaign. We have reached all constituencies. In each constituency, we have communities supporting us. There are teams for every section who assure the people. We are confident that they will vote for us en bloc. If they have a problem, we address it immediately. Our local leaders speak to each and every section. When it comes to voting, people do think and vote accordingly. We are confident as we have achieved and done a lot. People who are complaining against the BRS are those who have no lands, those who do not receive Rythu Bandhu, pensions or life insurance. We are addressing the issues. We have been telling people that first we will issue ration cards. Silent voting will be there. We are also conveying to people that every family will get health insurance of up to Rs 15 lakh and life insurance as well. How do you see PCC president Revanth Reddy contesting against BRS chief and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao? Revanth Reddy is a dud. He claimed in the US that three-hour power supply is enough for the farm sector. Before he could wake up in the morning there, the BRS painted wall to wall his absurd statement, asking people to choose between current or kanneellu (power or tears). The point is not how well you speak but also how meaningful your speech is. Revanth Reddy might be an orator who can elicit some whistles but he is surely not a leader. Not everyone can be a leader. People can see through the difference. As a voter if I see, he says he will develop Hyderabad real estate and draws parallels with Amaravati, which is a failed experiment! What is your assessment of the BJPs prospects? The BJP is nowhere in the picture. Eatala Rajender will lose in Gajwel as well as Huzurabad. There appears to be a tough triangular contest in Kamareddy? No. KCR sir will win Kamareddy. Look at the geography. We are closely connected to the region. Our ancestral village is here. Kamareddy is near Medak, our stronghold, and my brother Ramannas constituency as also Harish Rao garus constituency. We are going to win in Dubbaka too. How many seats do you think your party will win? We will not win less than 70. KCR sir, who has his finger on the pulse of the people, believes we will definitely get 90. He is generally correct. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Ejaz Kaiser By

RAIPUR: Patan area in Chhattisgarh, the most closely watched battleground in the recently held assembly polls, is now witnessing incredible sighting of huge flocks of migratory birds, leaving the bird watchers thrilled and many including the visitors mesmerised.

The region, about 40 km from Raipur, with nature trails for around 35 species of migratory birds that arrived in Chhattisgarh after flying mammoth long-distance routes traversing many countries.Bar Headed Goose, Northern Pintail, River Tern, Ruff, Ruddy Shelduck, Black-tailed Godwit, Whiskered Tern, Peregrine Falcon, Common Teal, Garganeys, Tufted duck, Siberian Stonechat among others have so far been traced.

Patan has four water bodies, designated as a conservation zone. The State Biodiversity Board is developing it as a mega wetland complex ideally suited to be bird watching zone habitats for numerous migratory birds throng the area. Patan gets glimpse of surprises, said a senior forest officer posted in Durg district where Patan is a rural constituency represented by the chief minister Bhupesh Baghel who contested against his nephew Vijay Baghel, BJP lok sabha MP.

Some of the birds stay for short duration to move on but good many are known to continue for the entire winter season.Ornithologists are jubilant to watch the place visited by migratory birds. Wildlife life photographer and bird watcher Raju Verma, a resident of Patan, said, Around 35 varieties have already been recorded in the region. Its a thrilling experience for the people.

The birds arriving in Chhattisgarh are mostly through the East Asian-Australasian flyway that covers over 70 percent of the state along the three different routes, said ornithologist Ravi Naidu from Bombay National History Society.The birds arrived from the Euro-Siberian region which includes parts of Russia, China. Mongolia and Europe.

Chhattisgarh is among the best stopovers that we have seen for migratory birds who arrive after covering their spectacular journeys from over two dozen countries. There are no natural wetlands in Chhattisgarh unlike in Gujarat or Maharashtra but the state has thousands of man-made wetlands. So some of the birds coming from as far as 8,000 km select ideal wetland for their feeding grounds and also as resting place, Naidu told this newspaper.

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RAIPUR: Patan area in Chhattisgarh, the most closely watched battleground in the recently held assembly polls, is now witnessing incredible sighting of huge flocks of migratory birds, leaving the bird watchers thrilled and many including the visitors mesmerised. The region, about 40 km from Raipur, with nature trails for around 35 species of migratory birds that arrived in Chhattisgarh after flying mammoth long-distance routes traversing many countries.Bar Headed Goose, Northern Pintail, River Tern, Ruff, Ruddy Shelduck, Black-tailed Godwit, Whiskered Tern, Peregrine Falcon, Common Teal, Garganeys, Tufted duck, Siberian Stonechat among others have so far been traced. Patan has four water bodies, designated as a conservation zone. The State Biodiversity Board is developing it as a mega wetland complex ideally suited to be bird watching zone habitats for numerous migratory birds throng the area. Patan gets glimpse of surprises, said a senior forest officer posted in Durg district where Patan is a rural constituency represented by the chief minister Bhupesh Baghel who contested against his nephew Vijay Baghel, BJP lok sabha MP.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Some of the birds stay for short duration to move on but good many are known to continue for the entire winter season.Ornithologists are jubilant to watch the place visited by migratory birds. Wildlife life photographer and bird watcher Raju Verma, a resident of Patan, said, Around 35 varieties have already been recorded in the region. Its a thrilling experience for the people. The birds arriving in Chhattisgarh are mostly through the East Asian-Australasian flyway that covers over 70 percent of the state along the three different routes, said ornithologist Ravi Naidu from Bombay National History Society.The birds arrived from the Euro-Siberian region which includes parts of Russia, China. Mongolia and Europe. Chhattisgarh is among the best stopovers that we have seen for migratory birds who arrive after covering their spectacular journeys from over two dozen countries. There are no natural wetlands in Chhattisgarh unlike in Gujarat or Maharashtra but the state has thousands of man-made wetlands. So some of the birds coming from as far as 8,000 km select ideal wetland for their feeding grounds and also as resting place, Naidu told this newspaper. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Dilip Singh Kshatriya By

AHMEDABAD: A divorced tribal woman living in Vyara town of Gujarats Tapi district was allegedly kidnapped, thrashed, tonsured, and left half naked on a roadside by her lovers family, police said on Saturday.

The 26-year-old woman, also the mother of a ten-year-old boy, got divorced over eight years ago and has been living as a single woman since then.

According to police, year-and-half-ago, she allegedly fell in love with one Nirav Chaudhary, a resident of Borakhdi village and since last week, the duo started living together at a rented house in Vyara town.

However, Chaudharys parents and relatives were unhappy over the relationship and their decision to live together. According to the police complaint, on Wednesday afternoon, she, along with Chaudhary and her friend Pritikaben, decided to visit Buhari village for some personal work. However, on their way to the village near Kapura Square, they were allegedly stopped near Kapura Square by Chaudharys parents, identified as Sunitaben and Ajitbhai, one Snehalbhai and an unidentified person. All the four came on motorcycles.

While, Sunitaben and Ajitbhai took their son with them and fled from the spot, Snehalbhai and the fourth person asked the woman to come with them and promised to drop back to her house in Vyara. However, the duo took her to Khushalpura village where Chaudharys parents were already waiting for her. Chaudharys parents quickly took control of her and allegedly dragged her into the bushes where they abused and thrashed her with a stick.

Moreover, her lovers mother Sunitaben, who was carrying a pair of scissors, cut her hair and pulled out the jeans she was wearing and left her half-naked on a road in the village. Sunitaben even threatened to kill her if she ever again saw her approach her son. The victim woman managed to inform her ordeal to her parents and location via telephone. She was later rescued by them.

The victim then approached the Vyara police station and registered her complaint. Later, a case was lodged against Chaudharys parents, Snehalbhai and the unknown person under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including assault, outraging the modesty of women and criminal intimidation.

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AHMEDABAD: A divorced tribal woman living in Vyara town of Gujarats Tapi district was allegedly kidnapped, thrashed, tonsured, and left half naked on a roadside by her lovers family, police said on Saturday. The 26-year-old woman, also the mother of a ten-year-old boy, got divorced over eight years ago and has been living as a single woman since then. According to police, year-and-half-ago, she allegedly fell in love with one Nirav Chaudhary, a resident of Borakhdi village and since last week, the duo started living together at a rented house in Vyara town.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); However, Chaudharys parents and relatives were unhappy over the relationship and their decision to live together. According to the police complaint, on Wednesday afternoon, she, along with Chaudhary and her friend Pritikaben, decided to visit Buhari village for some personal work. However, on their way to the village near Kapura Square, they were allegedly stopped near Kapura Square by Chaudharys parents, identified as Sunitaben and Ajitbhai, one Snehalbhai and an unidentified person. All the four came on motorcycles. While, Sunitaben and Ajitbhai took their son with them and fled from the spot, Snehalbhai and the fourth person asked the woman to come with them and promised to drop back to her house in Vyara. However, the duo took her to Khushalpura village where Chaudharys parents were already waiting for her. Chaudharys parents quickly took control of her and allegedly dragged her into the bushes where they abused and thrashed her with a stick. Moreover, her lovers mother Sunitaben, who was carrying a pair of scissors, cut her hair and pulled out the jeans she was wearing and left her half-naked on a road in the village. Sunitaben even threatened to kill her if she ever again saw her approach her son. The victim woman managed to inform her ordeal to her parents and location via telephone. She was later rescued by them. The victim then approached the Vyara police station and registered her complaint. Later, a case was lodged against Chaudharys parents, Snehalbhai and the unknown person under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including assault, outraging the modesty of women and criminal intimidation. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Express News Service By

GUWAHATI: A Kuki-Zo tribal was killed during a pre-dawn gunfight between two groups in Manipur on Saturday as the violence in the strife-torn state continued.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) identified the 21-year-old deceased as Khupminthang of Phaikholum village. He was a village volunteer, the tribal organisation said.

The gunbattle occurred at Joupi, a Kuki-Zo village in the Kangpokpi district bordering Bishnupur district in the Imphal valley. The ITLF said the assailants had fired from sophisticated weapons but the Kuki-Zo village volunteers stood their ground, defending the village with single-barrel rifles.

Tension gripped the villagers on both sides of the Kangpokpi-Bishnupur border following the incident as they apprehended further attacks and counter-attacks. Security was beefed up in the areas.

After the incident, the Kuki Students Organisation declared a lightning closure of shops in Churachandpur district. Its general secretary DJ Haokip said the deceased was the only son of a widowed woman.The attack was carried out after two other Kuki-Zo tribals were killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen in the Kangpokpi district on Monday.

After the duos killings, the Committee on Tribal Unity had declared a shutdown in the district. Meanwhile, three Kuki-Zo MLAs in the state have been replaced as chairpersons of Assembly committees.

The Assembly secretariat issued separate notifications on the fresh appointments but did not cite any reasons why the trio was replaced. Rule 198 (2) of the Assembly says, If the chairman is for any reason unable to act, the Speaker may appoint another chairman in his place.

Two of the legislators replaced are former director general of police-turned-politician LM Khaute and Vungzagin Valte, both from ruling BJP, while the third  Haokholet Kipgen  is an independent legislator.

On May 3, the day the ethnic violence broke out, Valte was grievously injured after being attacked by a mob and flown to Delhi for treatment.All 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs, including seven from BJP, have been staying away from the Imphal valley due to security reasons.

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GUWAHATI: A Kuki-Zo tribal was killed during a pre-dawn gunfight between two groups in Manipur on Saturday as the violence in the strife-torn state continued. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) identified the 21-year-old deceased as Khupminthang of Phaikholum village. He was a village volunteer, the tribal organisation said. The gunbattle occurred at Joupi, a Kuki-Zo village in the Kangpokpi district bordering Bishnupur district in the Imphal valley. The ITLF said the assailants had fired from sophisticated weapons but the Kuki-Zo village volunteers stood their ground, defending the village with single-barrel rifles.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Tension gripped the villagers on both sides of the Kangpokpi-Bishnupur border following the incident as they apprehended further attacks and counter-attacks. Security was beefed up in the areas. After the incident, the Kuki Students Organisation declared a lightning closure of shops in Churachandpur district. Its general secretary DJ Haokip said the deceased was the only son of a widowed woman.The attack was carried out after two other Kuki-Zo tribals were killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen in the Kangpokpi district on Monday. After the duos killings, the Committee on Tribal Unity had declared a shutdown in the district. Meanwhile, three Kuki-Zo MLAs in the state have been replaced as chairpersons of Assembly committees. The Assembly secretariat issued separate notifications on the fresh appointments but did not cite any reasons why the trio was replaced. Rule 198 (2) of the Assembly says, If the chairman is for any reason unable to act, the Speaker may appoint another chairman in his place. Two of the legislators replaced are former director general of police-turned-politician LM Khaute and Vungzagin Valte, both from ruling BJP, while the third  Haokholet Kipgen  is an independent legislator. On May 3, the day the ethnic violence broke out, Valte was grievously injured after being attacked by a mob and flown to Delhi for treatment.All 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs, including seven from BJP, have been staying away from the Imphal valley due to security reasons. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Harpreet Bajwa By

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government has suspended Bathinda Superintendent of Police (Investigations) Gurwinder Singh Sangha for dereliction of duty in connection with security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the state on January 5, 2022.

At the time of the incident, Sangha was posted as SP (Operation) Ferozepur.As per the order issued by the state home department on November 21, Gurbinder Singh, who is posted as Bathinda SP, has been placed under suspension with immediate effect.

A report dated October 18, 2023, was submitted by the director general of Punjab Police in connection with the security breach during Modis visit wherein the DGP made remarks that Gurbinder Singh, did not perform his duty properly, Modi was on his way to Hussainiwala by road on January 5, when he had to take a U-turn after farmers protesters blocked his way. He had to return to Delhi. The security breach had caused an uproar.

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CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government has suspended Bathinda Superintendent of Police (Investigations) Gurwinder Singh Sangha for dereliction of duty in connection with security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the state on January 5, 2022. At the time of the incident, Sangha was posted as SP (Operation) Ferozepur.As per the order issued by the state home department on November 21, Gurbinder Singh, who is posted as Bathinda SP, has been placed under suspension with immediate effect. A report dated October 18, 2023, was submitted by the director general of Punjab Police in connection with the security breach during Modis visit wherein the DGP made remarks that Gurbinder Singh, did not perform his duty properly, Modi was on his way to Hussainiwala by road on January 5, when he had to take a U-turn after farmers protesters blocked his way. He had to return to Delhi. The security breach had caused an uproar.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Rajesh Asnani By

JAIPUR: Amid claims of victory by the ruling Congress and the rival BJP, people in Rajasthan turned up in large numbers to cast their votes across the state on Saturday. In the high-stakes battle between the Congress and BJP, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is seeking a second consecutive term in a state known for its revolving-door verdicts while the BJP is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity and the anti-incumbency trend to return to power in the desert state.

At the end of the day, over 70 per cent, (the voting percentage was 68.24 till 5 PM) percent of voters had used their franchise to express their choices. The highest voting took place in Jaisalmer district at 76.57% while the lowest turnout was seen in Pali district at 60.71%. Till 5 pm in Rajasthan, 68.24% voting took place. (will update the figures)

The polling for 199 out of Rajasthans 200 seats saw brisk voting from 7 am till 6 pm in the evening. The election in Sriganganagars Karanpur seat has been suspended because of the death of Congress candidate and sitting MLA Gurmeet Singh Koonar. The voting remained largely peaceful in Rajasthan except for some sporadic disputes. The polling in some areas in east Rajasthan saw attempts at booth capturing. There are also reports of firing and stone-pelting at some places in Bharatpur and Dholpur districts.

Long queues of voters were seen at polling booths in cities and villages. Enthusiasm was visible among the people since morning and there were long queues of voters at polling stations all through the day. Voters included a newly-wed couple that voted at Sagar Public School in Hawamahal assembly constituency of Jaipur.

In Niwai seat of Tonk, a 113-year old woman Bhuli Devi cast her vote. The bride and groom also came to vote at booths of many assembly seats including in Jaipur, Alwar, Jhalawar, Shrimadhopur. After the marriage, before taking the bride home, the groom stopped the car and voted for the first time at booth number 119 of Shrimadhopur.

With voting completed, the political future of 1,846 candidates in Rajasthan elections is now locked in EVM machines. The counting is due on December 3. The voters have not given any government a second term since 1993. After casting his vote in Jodhpur, CM Gehlot told the media that this time, the trend will change and his government will reemerge victoriousl.

This time people are convinced that such good work has never happened before. There is no wave against the government. Instead there is an undercurrent of support which will help us form the government. The youth, women, the farmers and the students all have faith in us.

In sharp contrast, former chief minister and national vice president of BJP, Vasundhara Raje said: The people of Rajasthan have approved the vision, development and credibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Therefore, now darkness will end in Rajasthan and lotus will bloom. Though there is no clarity about Rajes role even if BJP wins, among all state BJP leaders she held the maximum rallies during the Rajasthan campaign.

This election is critical for the political future of many stalwarts, including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former CM Vasundhara Raje and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot. Gehlot, who has been Chief Minister three times, is contesting from Sardarpura seat of Jodhpur. He has been the MLA from this seat since 1998. Vasundhara Raje, who has been the Chief Minister twice, is contesting from her Jhalrapatan seat of Jhalawar.

Long queues seen

Long queues of voters were seen at polling booths in cities and villages. Enthusiasm was visible among the people since morning and there were long queues of voters at polling stations all through the day. Voters included a newly-wed couple that voted at Sagar Public School in Hawamahal assembly constituency of Jaipur. As voting is done, the future of 1,846 candidates in Rajasthan elections is now locked in EVM machines. The counting is on December 3. No government has been given a second term since 1993.

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JAIPUR: Amid claims of victory by the ruling Congress and the rival BJP, people in Rajasthan turned up in large numbers to cast their votes across the state on Saturday. In the high-stakes battle between the Congress and BJP, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is seeking a second consecutive term in a state known for its revolving-door verdicts while the BJP is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity and the anti-incumbency trend to return to power in the desert state. At the end of the day, over 70 per cent, (the voting percentage was 68.24 till 5 PM) percent of voters had used their franchise to express their choices. The highest voting took place in Jaisalmer district at 76.57% while the lowest turnout was seen in Pali district at 60.71%. Till 5 pm in Rajasthan, 68.24% voting took place. (will update the figures) The polling for 199 out of Rajasthans 200 seats saw brisk voting from 7 am till 6 pm in the evening. The election in Sriganganagars Karanpur seat has been suspended because of the death of Congress candidate and sitting MLA Gurmeet Singh Koonar. The voting remained largely peaceful in Rajasthan except for some sporadic disputes. The polling in some areas in east Rajasthan saw attempts at booth capturing. There are also reports of firing and stone-pelting at some places in Bharatpur and Dholpur districts.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Long queues of voters were seen at polling booths in cities and villages. Enthusiasm was visible among the people since morning and there were long queues of voters at polling stations all through the day. Voters included a newly-wed couple that voted at Sagar Public School in Hawamahal assembly constituency of Jaipur. In Niwai seat of Tonk, a 113-year old woman Bhuli Devi cast her vote. The bride and groom also came to vote at booths of many assembly seats including in Jaipur, Alwar, Jhalawar, Shrimadhopur. After the marriage, before taking the bride home, the groom stopped the car and voted for the first time at booth number 119 of Shrimadhopur. With voting completed, the political future of 1,846 candidates in Rajasthan elections is now locked in EVM machines. The counting is due on December 3. The voters have not given any government a second term since 1993. After casting his vote in Jodhpur, CM Gehlot told the media that this time, the trend will change and his government will reemerge victoriousl. This time people are convinced that such good work has never happened before. There is no wave against the government. Instead there is an undercurrent of support which will help us form the government. The youth, women, the farmers and the students all have faith in us. In sharp contrast, former chief minister and national vice president of BJP, Vasundhara Raje said: The people of Rajasthan have approved the vision, development and credibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Therefore, now darkness will end in Rajasthan and lotus will bloom. Though there is no clarity about Rajes role even if BJP wins, among all state BJP leaders she held the maximum rallies during the Rajasthan campaign. This election is critical for the political future of many stalwarts, including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former CM Vasundhara Raje and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot. Gehlot, who has been Chief Minister three times, is contesting from Sardarpura seat of Jodhpur. He has been the MLA from this seat since 1998. Vasundhara Raje, who has been the Chief Minister twice, is contesting from her Jhalrapatan seat of Jhalawar. Long queues seen Long queues of voters were seen at polling booths in cities and villages. Enthusiasm was visible among the people since morning and there were long queues of voters at polling stations all through the day. Voters included a newly-wed couple that voted at Sagar Public School in Hawamahal assembly constituency of Jaipur. As voting is done, the future of 1,846 candidates in Rajasthan elections is now locked in EVM machines. The counting is on December 3. No government has been given a second term since 1993. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Narendra Sethi By

DEHRADUN: With the stubborn rubble of an under-construction tunnel in Uttarkashi knocking an auger machine out of action, rescuers of 41 labourers stuck on the other side of the debris oscillated between expediting vertical drilling and exploring manual horizontal drilling.

In the end, it was decided to exhaust all options for horizontal drilling before initiating the vertical one. Only equipment for vertical drilling is being placed. Vertical drilling wont start till we exhaust the first option of 800 mm pipes, said Col Deepak Patil, head of the rescue operations.

The US auger machine managed to drill about 47 metres horizontally into the rubble in phases and insert 2.7 ft wide pipes into it before the blades of the drill head broke and got stuck in the debris on Friday. Augering is finished...the auger is broken, destructed, international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix said in Silkyara.

The width of the rubble is estimated to be 60 metres. Manual drilling involves sending a worker into the 2.7 ft pipe, drilling briefly from within the confined space and exiting so that another labourer can take over. It can begin as soon as the stuck auger drill head is extracted.

A steel chute had been pushed through, in sections, up to this point where the rotary blades were stuck in the horizontal pipe, followed by the long auger. About 20 metres of the auger in the chute has been cut out, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said. A plasma cutter is being airlifted from Hyderabad to tackle the remaining 25 metres.

Dix was confident that the labourers would be eventually rescued. I have always promised that they will be home by Christmas, he said.

As for vertical drilling, a 1.5-km access road to the top of the tunnel has already been built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

The platform for launching the drilling machine with markings of drilling points has also been finalised, official sources said.

Vertical drilling is time-consuming and complicated. It demands more exactitude and caution because of the narrow space on the tunnel roof, said Dix. It would involve 86 metres of burrowing from the top.

Parallelly, work is continuing on a rescue tunnel from the Barkot end of the tunnel, with four explosions already creating a 9.10-metre cavity.

Uttarakhand minister Premchand Agarwal told this newspaper, A BSNL landline is being provided near the tunnel so that families of the workers can talk to them. The workers are in a built-up 2 km stretch of the tunnel where there is electricity and water supply. Food and medicines are being delivered through a 6-inch pipe.

READ MORE STORIES ON THE TUNNEL COLLAPSE HERE:

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DEHRADUN: With the stubborn rubble of an under-construction tunnel in Uttarkashi knocking an auger machine out of action, rescuers of 41 labourers stuck on the other side of the debris oscillated between expediting vertical drilling and exploring manual horizontal drilling. In the end, it was decided to exhaust all options for horizontal drilling before initiating the vertical one. Only equipment for vertical drilling is being placed. Vertical drilling wont start till we exhaust the first option of 800 mm pipes, said Col Deepak Patil, head of the rescue operations. The US auger machine managed to drill about 47 metres horizontally into the rubble in phases and insert 2.7 ft wide pipes into it before the blades of the drill head broke and got stuck in the debris on Friday. Augering is finished...the auger is broken, destructed, international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix said in Silkyara.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The width of the rubble is estimated to be 60 metres. Manual drilling involves sending a worker into the 2.7 ft pipe, drilling briefly from within the confined space and exiting so that another labourer can take over. It can begin as soon as the stuck auger drill head is extracted. A steel chute had been pushed through, in sections, up to this point where the rotary blades were stuck in the horizontal pipe, followed by the long auger. About 20 metres of the auger in the chute has been cut out, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said. A plasma cutter is being airlifted from Hyderabad to tackle the remaining 25 metres. Dix was confident that the labourers would be eventually rescued. I have always promised that they will be home by Christmas, he said. As for vertical drilling, a 1.5-km access road to the top of the tunnel has already been built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The platform for launching the drilling machine with markings of drilling points has also been finalised, official sources said. Vertical drilling is time-consuming and complicated. It demands more exactitude and caution because of the narrow space on the tunnel roof, said Dix. It would involve 86 metres of burrowing from the top. Parallelly, work is continuing on a rescue tunnel from the Barkot end of the tunnel, with four explosions already creating a 9.10-metre cavity. Uttarakhand minister Premchand Agarwal told this newspaper, A BSNL landline is being provided near the tunnel so that families of the workers can talk to them. The workers are in a built-up 2 km stretch of the tunnel where there is electricity and water supply. Food and medicines are being delivered through a 6-inch pipe. READ MORE STORIES ON THE TUNNEL COLLAPSE HERE: Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel collapse 'wake-up call' for Modi govt's infrastructure drive Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Familys anxious wait for rescue of trapped Nabarangpur youth Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Israa Jaabis, a 37-year-old Palestinian woman, endured a challenging eight-year incarceration by Israeli occupation authorities from 2015 to 2023, in a story of struggle, resilience, and triumph of the human spirit.

On 11 October 2015, Israa set out on a journey from Jericho to Jerusalem with her son Mu'tasim, their car loaded with household items. A breakdown near an Israeli military checkpoint changed the course of her life. An encounter with a former Israeli police officer escalated, resulting in a tragic turn of events.

Requesting Israa's ID, the officer insisted she remain inside the car while he inspected her documents. Ignoring her concerns about a strange smell, the situation took a dire turn when a kitchen gas cylinder in her car caught fire due to engine failure. Desperate to escape, Israa's attempts were thwarted as the officer forcefully shut the car door, causing her severe injuries.

The aftermath left Israa with third-degree burns covering 60% of her body, leading to the amputation of eight fingers, significant damage to the remaining digits, and partial vision loss in her right eye. Her ears fused to her head, resulting in hearing impairments. Despite her critical condition, she was denied proper medical care and pain relief in prison, with surgery requests consistently turned down by Israeli prison authorities.

Israa's release on 25 November 2023 marked a significant moment, as part of the truce between Hamas and Israel. Expressing humility upon her release, she said, "We are ashamed to rejoice while all of Palestine is wounded," emphasizing the need for the release of all prisoners.

Today, a Jordanian doctor announced their commitment to provide free medical treatment for Israa, offering a glimmer of hope for her recovery.

It is noteworthy that the released Palestinian prisoners, including Israa, are exclusively women and individuals under the age of 19. Similarly, those released by Hamas as captives are limited to women and children.

The plight of around 5,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli captivity, including 31 women and 160 minors, is a growing concern. This number has surged since October 7, with Israel arresting 1,215 Palestinians in the West Bank.

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The Conversation By

The four-day humanitarian pause in Israels assault on the Gaza Strip will be vital to allow humanitarian agencies into the stricken Palestinian enclave with much-needed supplies of food, water, fuel and medicine. But four days is a very short window to meet the vast humanitarian needs, given the damage wrought by more than a month of bombardment by the Israeli Defense Forces.

For the first two weeks of Israels assault on Gaza, the strip was placed into a state of siege by Israel and access was completely blocked. Since October 21, after calls from around the world for humanitarian pauses or a ceasefire, some aid has been allowed into the strip. However, the 1,479 aid trucks that have been allowed in during this period represent only 14% of the monthly volume of commercial goods and humanitarian aid that was being delivered to Gaza prior to the conflict.

The situation in Gaza is dire. The World Food Programme reports that fuel shortages have forced bakeries to shut down across the strip, making bread  a basic food staple  almost impossible to find. This has caused food prices to rise significantly.

Because of the shortage of even the most basic supplies, many shops and markets are closed  and even when people manage to get their hands on food, people are finding it difficult to obtain the fuel to cook it with. Farmers are slaughtering starving livestock and people have resorted to eating the few available unripe fruit and raw vegetables.

The supply of safe drinking water is very low and sanitation infrastructure has been destroyed, raising the risk of disease. Israel has been accused by the UN special rapporteur on human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, of using water as a weapon of war.

With more than 1 million people now living in UN shelters in Gaza, overcrowding is severe and items such as tarpaulins and tents are urgently needed. So far, the aid goods delivered mainly consist of food, medical supplies and water  and not enough of these.

Limited access

The EU has announced that it will use the four-day pause to step up deliveries, with humanitarian agencies in the region also mobilised and ready to increase the volume of aid.

But the ability to get supplies into Gaza will still be severely limited, as supplies are only being allowed in through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. This will not change under the current deal, which will allow only 200 lorries carrying aid, four fuel tankers and four lorries carrying gas to cross each day.

There are strict rules for what can be brought in and how supplies can be used. Fuel supplies brought into Gaza can only be used for limited purposes such as aid distribution, cooking, and to power essential services such as sewage treatment or water desalination plants.

There is a great deal of concern about the limited volumes of aid being allowed under this deal. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) requires 160,000 litres of fuel daily for its basic humanitarian operations in Gaza. The four tankers permitted per day would barely meet this, allowing no fuel to be stockpiled for use after the end of the pause.

Perhaps the simplest way of spelling out the inadequacy of this deal is to highlight a single commodity: water. One truck can carry around 45,000 bottles of water, which means that to meet the drinking and cooking water needs alone, 400 trucks a day would have to enter Gaza carrying nothing but water.

Humanitarian organisations ready

Humanitarian pauses are frequently negotiated in conflict areas  and all too often, they dont hold. This has often been the case between Israel and Gaza. But respecting this pause is vital as a trust-building measure for further negotiations.

The temporary cessation of hostilities begins on Friday, November 24, giving humanitarian organisations little notice, but the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says agencies are ready to step up aid deliveries.

With so many agencies involved in the humanitarian response and only very limited access, it is important to coordinate activities. The Logistics Cluster  a global community of humanitarian groups affiliated with the UN  assesses storage needs, surveys the pipeline of supplies across various organisations, and publishes maps to facilitate logistics operations.

A key strategy to enable this is pre-positioning, whereby supplies are moved as near as possible to an affected area. Since mid-October, more than 150 flights with thousands of tons of aid have arrived at Egypts El-Arish airport, located 45 kilometres from the Rafah border crossing. The goods are now stored in warehouses close to the airport.

Band-aid to a bleeding wound

Delivering supplies to those in need will remain challenging. There have been reports of hold-ups at the Rafah crossing, while terrible damage to infrastructure by weeks of airstrikes in Gaza will make delivery of aid to where it is needed very difficult. Lack of fuel for vehicles wont help.

It is also going to be very challenging to ensure equitable distribution of aid among more than 1.6 million internally displaced people in overcrowded shelters. The situation in the north of Gaza is particularly dire, as access has been cut due to Israeli military operations. It is unclear to what extent aid will be able to reach the population in this area, even during the pause.

This is difficult and dangerous work. UNRWA reports it has lost more than 100 staff since the beginning of the war. Its vital that aid workers are allowed free and safe movement throughout the strip.

With winter coming, the situation can only get worse unless this pause extends into a more permanent ceasefire, but Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already ruled this out. Instead, what Oxfam has called a band-aid to a bleeding wound is likely to be ripped off all too soon, after this brief period of desperate emergency efforts that cannot begin to meet Gazas extensive humanitarian needs.

Sarah Schiffling, Deputy Director of the HUMLOG (Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management Research) Institute, Hanken School of Economics and Chris Phelan, Business School Associate Director, Edge Hill University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Read the original article.

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The four-day humanitarian pause in Israels assault on the Gaza Strip will be vital to allow humanitarian agencies into the stricken Palestinian enclave with much-needed supplies of food, water, fuel and medicine. But four days is a very short window to meet the vast humanitarian needs, given the damage wrought by more than a month of bombardment by the Israeli Defense Forces. For the first two weeks of Israels assault on Gaza, the strip was placed into a state of siege by Israel and access was completely blocked. Since October 21, after calls from around the world for humanitarian pauses or a ceasefire, some aid has been allowed into the strip. However, the 1,479 aid trucks that have been allowed in during this period represent only 14% of the monthly volume of commercial goods and humanitarian aid that was being delivered to Gaza prior to the conflict. The situation in Gaza is dire. The World Food Programme reports that fuel shortages have forced bakeries to shut down across the strip, making bread  a basic food staple  almost impossible to find. This has caused food prices to rise significantly.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Because of the shortage of even the most basic supplies, many shops and markets are closed  and even when people manage to get their hands on food, people are finding it difficult to obtain the fuel to cook it with. Farmers are slaughtering starving livestock and people have resorted to eating the few available unripe fruit and raw vegetables. The supply of safe drinking water is very low and sanitation infrastructure has been destroyed, raising the risk of disease. Israel has been accused by the UN special rapporteur on human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, of using water as a weapon of war. With more than 1 million people now living in UN shelters in Gaza, overcrowding is severe and items such as tarpaulins and tents are urgently needed. So far, the aid goods delivered mainly consist of food, medical supplies and water  and not enough of these. Limited access The EU has announced that it will use the four-day pause to step up deliveries, with humanitarian agencies in the region also mobilised and ready to increase the volume of aid. But the ability to get supplies into Gaza will still be severely limited, as supplies are only being allowed in through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. This will not change under the current deal, which will allow only 200 lorries carrying aid, four fuel tankers and four lorries carrying gas to cross each day. There are strict rules for what can be brought in and how supplies can be used. Fuel supplies brought into Gaza can only be used for limited purposes such as aid distribution, cooking, and to power essential services such as sewage treatment or water desalination plants. There is a great deal of concern about the limited volumes of aid being allowed under this deal. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) requires 160,000 litres of fuel daily for its basic humanitarian operations in Gaza. The four tankers permitted per day would barely meet this, allowing no fuel to be stockpiled for use after the end of the pause. Perhaps the simplest way of spelling out the inadequacy of this deal is to highlight a single commodity: water. One truck can carry around 45,000 bottles of water, which means that to meet the drinking and cooking water needs alone, 400 trucks a day would have to enter Gaza carrying nothing but water. Humanitarian organisations ready Humanitarian pauses are frequently negotiated in conflict areas  and all too often, they dont hold. This has often been the case between Israel and Gaza. But respecting this pause is vital as a trust-building measure for further negotiations. The temporary cessation of hostilities begins on Friday, November 24, giving humanitarian organisations little notice, but the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says agencies are ready to step up aid deliveries. With so many agencies involved in the humanitarian response and only very limited access, it is important to coordinate activities. The Logistics Cluster  a global community of humanitarian groups affiliated with the UN  assesses storage needs, surveys the pipeline of supplies across various organisations, and publishes maps to facilitate logistics operations. A key strategy to enable this is pre-positioning, whereby supplies are moved as near as possible to an affected area. Since mid-October, more than 150 flights with thousands of tons of aid have arrived at Egypts El-Arish airport, located 45 kilometres from the Rafah border crossing. The goods are now stored in warehouses close to the airport. Band-aid to a bleeding wound Delivering supplies to those in need will remain challenging. There have been reports of hold-ups at the Rafah crossing, while terrible damage to infrastructure by weeks of airstrikes in Gaza will make delivery of aid to where it is needed very difficult. Lack of fuel for vehicles wont help. It is also going to be very challenging to ensure equitable distribution of aid among more than 1.6 million internally displaced people in overcrowded shelters. The situation in the north of Gaza is particularly dire, as access has been cut due to Israeli military operations. It is unclear to what extent aid will be able to reach the population in this area, even during the pause. This is difficult and dangerous work. UNRWA reports it has lost more than 100 staff since the beginning of the war. Its vital that aid workers are allowed free and safe movement throughout the strip. With winter coming, the situation can only get worse unless this pause extends into a more permanent ceasefire, but Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already ruled this out. Instead, what Oxfam has called a band-aid to a bleeding wound is likely to be ripped off all too soon, after this brief period of desperate emergency efforts that cannot begin to meet Gazas extensive humanitarian needs. Sarah Schiffling, Deputy Director of the HUMLOG (Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management Research) Institute, Hanken School of Economics and Chris Phelan, Business School Associate Director, Edge Hill University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

OTTAWA: India was "absolutely" and "decidedly" not involved in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and Ottawa has "convicted" New Delhi even before the completion of the investigation, India's High Commissioner here Sanjay Kumar Verma has said.

Verma's remarks came during an interview with CTV News, Canada's largest privately owned television network.

Canada and India witnessed strains in ties following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.

India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

India has rejected Trudeau's allegations as "absurd" and "motivated".

During the interview which will be aired on Sunday, Verma was asked why India was not cooperating with Canada in the investigation.

To this, he said, "Even without an investigation being concluded, India was convicted." "Is that the rule of law?" Verma asked.

When asked how India was convicted, Verma replied: "Because India was asked to cooperate. And if you look at the typical criminal terminology, when someone asks us to cooperate which means that you have already been convicted, and you better cooperate. So we took it in a very different interpretation."

"But we always said that if there is anything specific and relevant, and communicated to us, we will look into it. And that had been said from day one. So we have never said, of course, we have not used the word cooperate, because we feel that's humiliating. But we have always said, that gives us something specific and relevant, and we'll look into it," he added.

ALSO READ | Canada withdraws 41 diplomats from India as row over separatist killing grows

Verma insisted India was "absolutely" and "decidedly" not involved in the killing of Nijjar in Canada.

"And what we have said at that time as well, that this is a motivated and absurd allegation. And this is still an allegation. Whether we call it a credible allegation, that's the choice of word, but it's an allegation. So from the Indian government's side, I can assure you and your viewers that there was no government hand in the shooting of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, as it is always called," he said.

"We are a country of rule of law, and all the freedoms and everything has been given in the Indian Constitution, which was in 1950, when we adopted our Constitution. So they are our pillars. (We) will not go beyond that. So, therefore, what I feel is that the space which is available, on some pretext or other to these elements, needs to be evaluated," he said.

Verma said India's "main concern" in its relations with Canada remains that "some Canadian citizens are using Canadian soil to launch attacks on (India's) sovereignty and territorial integrity," referring to the Sikh separatist movement.

"Most of the known criminals and terrorists who are in Canada from Khalistani mindset - many of them are running their own gangs in India. They are doing drug trafficking. They are running arms. They are running guns. They are running human trafficking activities," Verma said.

"Therefore, although their activities are here, it has crossed the borders. As long as there's a domestic issue in Canada, how do we care? But it has crossed the border that, unfortunately, has reached India, where a chief minister of state was killed by one of those who started these activities from Canada," he said.

He added from that "core issue" come "security concerns" for Indian diplomats and officials working in Canada, himself included.

OPINION | The dirty hands of the Five Eyes

Later, when asked whether he is overblowing the risk Sikh separatists pose for domestic political advantage in India, the high commissioner said his government has presented "documentation" to the Canadian government "through a mutually agreed channel" to prove Sikh separatists living in Canada are engaging in criminal activity in both countries.

"These are red corner notices, which went through the Interpol. And by the way, one of the recording notices was for Mr Nijjar, who was shot down. So we have shared all these things and Interpol certainly will not forward anything without the evidence being submitted. So we have given all the documentation that we had and I hope to hear back from Canada soon. So in India, there is no traction. But we are treating these guys like terrorists, not as separatists," he said.

They are terrorists because they are raising their funds in Canada, sending it across to the gangsters and gangs in India, who are doing illegal activities in India, he said, adding: "So our main concern is not the separatism, but they being terrorists."

READ MORE | Too much at stake for India, Canada

When suggested that Sikh separatists holding a referendum in Canada is not hate speech, Verma replied: "See, the referendum, if you do it for Canada domestically, I'm fine. How are you allowing your citizens to do a referendum to bifurcate India?"

"So if they are using Canadian soil to challenge the territorial integrity of India, which international law in the world will support that?" he asked.

Responding to a question about India resuming the electronic visa services for Canadians after suspending all visa services for nearly two months, the Indian envoy said, "We did a continuous evaluation of the situation. And during the last evaluation, we came to the conclusion that the security situation is relatively better than what it used to be when we suspended the visa services. And therefore we decided to resume e-visa services."

Verma also said that both governments were in talks over issues affecting bilateral relations.

"There's a lot of conversation going on, a lot of dialogue between the two governments, and I feel that most of it is very constructive. And therefore I would say that, yes, the relationship is better than it was a couple of months back. And it's moving more towards more and more dialogue, and probably taking it to the next step," Verma said.

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OTTAWA: India was "absolutely" and "decidedly" not involved in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and Ottawa has "convicted" New Delhi even before the completion of the investigation, India's High Commissioner here Sanjay Kumar Verma has said. Verma's remarks came during an interview with CTV News, Canada's largest privately owned television network. Canada and India witnessed strains in ties following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India has rejected Trudeau's allegations as "absurd" and "motivated". During the interview which will be aired on Sunday, Verma was asked why India was not cooperating with Canada in the investigation. To this, he said, "Even without an investigation being concluded, India was convicted." "Is that the rule of law?" Verma asked. When asked how India was convicted, Verma replied: "Because India was asked to cooperate. And if you look at the typical criminal terminology, when someone asks us to cooperate which means that you have already been convicted, and you better cooperate. So we took it in a very different interpretation." "But we always said that if there is anything specific and relevant, and communicated to us, we will look into it. And that had been said from day one. So we have never said, of course, we have not used the word cooperate, because we feel that's humiliating. But we have always said, that gives us something specific and relevant, and we'll look into it," he added. ALSO READ | Canada withdraws 41 diplomats from India as row over separatist killing grows Verma insisted India was "absolutely" and "decidedly" not involved in the killing of Nijjar in Canada. "And what we have said at that time as well, that this is a motivated and absurd allegation. And this is still an allegation. Whether we call it a credible allegation, that's the choice of word, but it's an allegation. So from the Indian government's side, I can assure you and your viewers that there was no government hand in the shooting of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, as it is always called," he said. "We are a country of rule of law, and all the freedoms and everything has been given in the Indian Constitution, which was in 1950, when we adopted our Constitution. So they are our pillars. (We) will not go beyond that. So, therefore, what I feel is that the space which is available, on some pretext or other to these elements, needs to be evaluated," he said. Verma said India's "main concern" in its relations with Canada remains that "some Canadian citizens are using Canadian soil to launch attacks on (India's) sovereignty and territorial integrity," referring to the Sikh separatist movement. "Most of the known criminals and terrorists who are in Canada from Khalistani mindset - many of them are running their own gangs in India. They are doing drug trafficking. They are running arms. They are running guns. They are running human trafficking activities," Verma said. "Therefore, although their activities are here, it has crossed the borders. As long as there's a domestic issue in Canada, how do we care? But it has crossed the border that, unfortunately, has reached India, where a chief minister of state was killed by one of those who started these activities from Canada," he said. He added from that "core issue" come "security concerns" for Indian diplomats and officials working in Canada, himself included. OPINION | The dirty hands of the Five Eyes Later, when asked whether he is overblowing the risk Sikh separatists pose for domestic political advantage in India, the high commissioner said his government has presented "documentation" to the Canadian government "through a mutually agreed channel" to prove Sikh separatists living in Canada are engaging in criminal activity in both countries. "These are red corner notices, which went through the Interpol. And by the way, one of the recording notices was for Mr Nijjar, who was shot down. So we have shared all these things and Interpol certainly will not forward anything without the evidence being submitted. So we have given all the documentation that we had and I hope to hear back from Canada soon. So in India, there is no traction. But we are treating these guys like terrorists, not as separatists," he said. They are terrorists because they are raising their funds in Canada, sending it across to the gangsters and gangs in India, who are doing illegal activities in India, he said, adding: "So our main concern is not the separatism, but they being terrorists." READ MORE | Too much at stake for India, Canada When suggested that Sikh separatists holding a referendum in Canada is not hate speech, Verma replied: "See, the referendum, if you do it for Canada domestically, I'm fine. How are you allowing your citizens to do a referendum to bifurcate India?" "So if they are using Canadian soil to challenge the territorial integrity of India, which international law in the world will support that?" he asked. Responding to a question about India resuming the electronic visa services for Canadians after suspending all visa services for nearly two months, the Indian envoy said, "We did a continuous evaluation of the situation. And during the last evaluation, we came to the conclusion that the security situation is relatively better than what it used to be when we suspended the visa services. And therefore we decided to resume e-visa services." Verma also said that both governments were in talks over issues affecting bilateral relations. "There's a lot of conversation going on, a lot of dialogue between the two governments, and I feel that most of it is very constructive. And therefore I would say that, yes, the relationship is better than it was a couple of months back. And it's moving more towards more and more dialogue, and probably taking it to the next step," Verma said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Associated Press

AL BIREH: Hamas militants on Saturday released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, from captivity in the Gaza Strip, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners in the latest stage of a four-day cease-fire.

The late-night exchange was held up for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement. The delay underscored the fragility of the cease-fire, which has halted a war that has shocked and shaken Israel, caused widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip, and threatened to unleash wider fighting across the region.

The war erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants in Gaza burst across the border into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting some 240 others, including, women, children and older people. Israel immediately declared war, carrying out weeks of airstrikes and a ground offensive that has left over 13,300 Palestinians dead, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled territory. Roughly two-thirds of those killed in Gaza have been women and minors.

The cease-fire, brokered by Qatar and the United States, is the first extended break in fighting since the war began. Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive and complete its goals of returning all hostages and destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities.

The plight of the hostages has gripped the Israeli public's attention. Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv on Saturday in solidarity with the hostages and their families. Many accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not doing enough to bring the hostages home. The releases have triggered mixed emotions: happiness, coupled with angst over the scores of hostages who remain in captivity.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day in the third of four scheduled swaps.

In the West Bank, hundreds of people burst into wild celebrations for a second night as a busload of Palestinian prisoners arrived early Sunday. Teenage boys released in the deal were carried on the shoulders of well-wishers in the main square of the town of Al Bireh. But the mood of celebration was dampened by scenes of destruction and suffering in Gaza.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, who are reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has been focused, returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands.

At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate.

ALSO READ: Gazans fill streets heading home as truce begins

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

We want to find them and bury them in dignity, he said.

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (about 35,000 gallons) of fuel  just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume  as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

I wish it could be extended until peoples conditions improved, he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.

JOY AND EXPECTATION

The last-minute delay created a tense standoff on the second day of whats meant to be a four-day cease-fire. By nightfall, when hostages had been expected to emerge from Gaza, Hamas alleged that aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough was reaching hard-hit northern Gaza. Hamas also said not enough longtime prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.

But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said the obstacles had been overcome.

Shortly before midnight, Hamas released the hostages  13 Israelis and four Thais. The Israelis were turned over to Egypt and then transferred to Israel, where they were taken to hospitals to be reunited with their families.

Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants. One girl was on crutches and wore a cast on her left foot as she was escorted away.

The Israeli hostages included seven children and six women, Netanyahus office announced. Most were from Kibbutz Beeri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 cross-border attack. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.

It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Beeri, who have been living in a Dead Sea hotel since their community was overrun. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza.

The mother of one of the released hostages, 12-year-old Hila Rotem, remained in captivity, the spokesperson said. Another, Emily Hand, is a girl whose father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage.

At their hotel, kibbutz residents gathered in a function room, cheering in excitement as they saw the first images of their loved ones being released on television.

A HERO'S WELCOME

Some of the Palestinian prisoners were released in east Jerusalem, while the bulk returned home to a heros welcome in the occupied West Bank.

Among those released was Nurhan Awad, who was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors.

In Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out a bombing attack that wounded an Israeli police officer, and left Jaabis with severe burns on her face and hands.

Jaabis later told reporters at her home that she is ashamed to be happy at a time when Palestine is injured.

In Al Bireh, the teenage boys were paraded through the main square where they waved Palestinian flags as well as green banners of Hamas and yellow banners of the Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas. May God make them strong. May God be with the Qassam Brigades, said one of the boys, referring to Hamas military wing.

ALSO READ: Second stage of hostage-prisoner release awaited in Gaza truce

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Late Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, hours after another raid in the same area killed the local governors 25-year-old son.

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was also killed by Israeli fire near the city of Ramallah. The Israeli army, which frequently conducts military raids aimed at local militant groups, did not immediately comment.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

AL BIREH: Hamas militants on Saturday released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, from captivity in the Gaza Strip, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners in the latest stage of a four-day cease-fire. The late-night exchange was held up for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement. The delay underscored the fragility of the cease-fire, which has halted a war that has shocked and shaken Israel, caused widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip, and threatened to unleash wider fighting across the region. The war erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants in Gaza burst across the border into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting some 240 others, including, women, children and older people. Israel immediately declared war, carrying out weeks of airstrikes and a ground offensive that has left over 13,300 Palestinians dead, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled territory. Roughly two-thirds of those killed in Gaza have been women and minors.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The cease-fire, brokered by Qatar and the United States, is the first extended break in fighting since the war began. Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors. Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive and complete its goals of returning all hostages and destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities. The plight of the hostages has gripped the Israeli public's attention. Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv on Saturday in solidarity with the hostages and their families. Many accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not doing enough to bring the hostages home. The releases have triggered mixed emotions: happiness, coupled with angst over the scores of hostages who remain in captivity. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day in the third of four scheduled swaps. In the West Bank, hundreds of people burst into wild celebrations for a second night as a busload of Palestinian prisoners arrived early Sunday. Teenage boys released in the deal were carried on the shoulders of well-wishers in the main square of the town of Al Bireh. But the mood of celebration was dampened by scenes of destruction and suffering in Gaza. The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, who are reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent. War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has been focused, returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands. At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate. ALSO READ: Gazans fill streets heading home as truce begins For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week. He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing. We want to find them and bury them in dignity, he said. The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (about 35,000 gallons) of fuel  just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume  as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began. In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days. I wish it could be extended until peoples conditions improved, he said. For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis. JOY AND EXPECTATION The last-minute delay created a tense standoff on the second day of whats meant to be a four-day cease-fire. By nightfall, when hostages had been expected to emerge from Gaza, Hamas alleged that aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough was reaching hard-hit northern Gaza. Hamas also said not enough longtime prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday. But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said the obstacles had been overcome. Shortly before midnight, Hamas released the hostages  13 Israelis and four Thais. The Israelis were turned over to Egypt and then transferred to Israel, where they were taken to hospitals to be reunited with their families. Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants. One girl was on crutches and wore a cast on her left foot as she was escorted away. The Israeli hostages included seven children and six women, Netanyahus office announced. Most were from Kibbutz Beeri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 cross-border attack. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67. It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Beeri, who have been living in a Dead Sea hotel since their community was overrun. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza. The mother of one of the released hostages, 12-year-old Hila Rotem, remained in captivity, the spokesperson said. Another, Emily Hand, is a girl whose father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage. At their hotel, kibbutz residents gathered in a function room, cheering in excitement as they saw the first images of their loved ones being released on television. A HERO'S WELCOME Some of the Palestinian prisoners were released in east Jerusalem, while the bulk returned home to a heros welcome in the occupied West Bank. Among those released was Nurhan Awad, who was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors. In Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out a bombing attack that wounded an Israeli police officer, and left Jaabis with severe burns on her face and hands. Jaabis later told reporters at her home that she is ashamed to be happy at a time when Palestine is injured. In Al Bireh, the teenage boys were paraded through the main square where they waved Palestinian flags as well as green banners of Hamas and yellow banners of the Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas. May God make them strong. May God be with the Qassam Brigades, said one of the boys, referring to Hamas military wing. ALSO READ: Second stage of hostage-prisoner release awaited in Gaza truce According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war. The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Late Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, hours after another raid in the same area killed the local governors 25-year-old son. A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was also killed by Israeli fire near the city of Ramallah. The Israeli army, which frequently conducts military raids aimed at local militant groups, did not immediately comment. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

TEL AVIV: Hamas militants were set to release a third group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners on Sunday as a delicate truce held in the two sides' seven-week war.

The Islamist movement's military wing in Gaza said meanwhile that one of its top commanders and three other senior leaders had been killed during Israel's offensive, which was launched in response to deadly attacks by Hamas on October 7.

With a four-day truce deal holding since Friday, there was relief for some families after the second group of hostages and prisoners walked free despite last-minute disagreements that underlined the fragile nature of the process.

Relatives voiced joy at the return on Saturday of hostages including a nine-year-old Israeli-Irish girl, and cheering crowds greeted Palestinian prisoners as they left a jail in the West Bank.

Four Hamas leaders killed

The ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner swap brought the first significant relief to both sides since October 7, when Hamas fighters broke through Gaza's militarised border with Israel.

In the deadliest attack in Israel's history, the gunmen snatched around 240 people and killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli authorities.

In response Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.

Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said Sunday that its northern brigade commander Ahmed Al-Ghandour and three other senior leaders had been killed, without specifying when.

The group rarely issues public statements about the deaths of its members.

It said Ghandour was a member of its military council and named three other leaders who had died, including Ayman Siyyam, who Israeli media reports said was head of the Brigades' rocket-firing units.

The United States blacklisted Ghandour in 2017 as a "specially designated global terrorist", saying he was involved in numerous operations.

ALSO READ | Gaza ceasefire: What aid agencies can hope to achieve under strict limits of the four-day truce

Happiness at hostage release

Among the hostages freed late Saturday was 21-year-old Maya Regev, kidnapped by Hamas fighters in their deadly raid on the Supernova music festival along with her 18-year-old brother Itay.

"I am so excited and happy that Maya is on her way to us now. Nonetheless, my heart is split because my son Itay is still in Hamas captivity in Gaza," their mother Mirit said in a statement.

Emily Hand, the Israeli-Irish nine-year-old, ran into the tight embrace of her father upon her release, a video released by the Israeli Defence Forces showed.

"We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember... all the hundreds of hostages who have yet to return," her family said.

Among the latest group of Palestinians released was 38-year-old Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in jail for detonating a gas cylinder at a checkpoint in 2015.

Wearing a wreath of yellow flowers, she hugged relatives in her home.

"Thank God. My pain is visible, no need to speak about it," she said, her face partially disfigured by burns.

"I also have pain on an emotional level and I am missing my relatives. But this is the tax a prisoner pays."

Young prisoners embraced relatives and were carried on their shoulders after leaving Ofer prison in the West Bank where a crowd waved the green flags of Hamas's armed wing.

"May God protect the resistance in Gaza, mercy for our martyrs, and healing for the wounded," said one released prisoner, Wael Bilal Mashy.

AFPTV videos showed Israeli forces firing tear gas to disperse Palestinians gathered near the prison, and paramedics carrying one wounded person on a stretcher.

ALSO READ | Palestinian families rejoice over release of minors and women in prisoner swap

Ceasefire extension?

The latest hostage handover was delayed on Saturday when Hamas said Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and not allowing aid into northern Gaza.

Hamas later said it relented when Egyptian and Qatari mediators relayed a promise by Israel to uphold the accord.

Israeli officials denied any breach of the ceasefire's terms, describing Hamas's actions as "psychological warfare".

Hamas released 13 Israelis and four Thai hostages at night, officials said.

Israel said it in turn freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had received a further list of hostages due to be released by Hamas on Sunday.

Hamas has released 26 Israeli hostages in exchange for 78 Palestinian prisoners in the two releases already completed.

The militants have also freed a total of 14 Thais and one Filipino.

Hamas is expected to release a total of 50 hostages during the truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

Egypt has said that it received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more hostages and prisoners.

US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday that "the chances are real" for extending the truce.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for "a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression".

But Israeli armed forces chief Herzi Halevi said Saturday that "immediately at the end of the ceasefire" the war would continue "to dismantle Hamas" and return as many hostages as possible.

Aid trucks enter Gaza

The pause in fighting has allowed more aid to reach Palestinians struggling to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Israel had placed Gaza under near-total siege.

A total of 61 trucks delivered food, water and medical supplies to northern Gaza on Saturday, the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs said.

Another 187 trucks of vital supplies bound for aid organisations also crossed into the Gaza Strip, it said.

Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), warned of "unprecedented" humanitarian needs.

"We should send 200 lorries a day continuously for at least two months to meet the needs," he said.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.4 million people have been displaced by the fighting.

In the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health authorities said on Sunday that Israeli troops had killed eight Palestinians over a 24-hour period.

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TEL AVIV: Hamas militants were set to release a third group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners on Sunday as a delicate truce held in the two sides' seven-week war. The Islamist movement's military wing in Gaza said meanwhile that one of its top commanders and three other senior leaders had been killed during Israel's offensive, which was launched in response to deadly attacks by Hamas on October 7. With a four-day truce deal holding since Friday, there was relief for some families after the second group of hostages and prisoners walked free despite last-minute disagreements that underlined the fragile nature of the process.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Relatives voiced joy at the return on Saturday of hostages including a nine-year-old Israeli-Irish girl, and cheering crowds greeted Palestinian prisoners as they left a jail in the West Bank. Four Hamas leaders killed The ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner swap brought the first significant relief to both sides since October 7, when Hamas fighters broke through Gaza's militarised border with Israel. In the deadliest attack in Israel's history, the gunmen snatched around 240 people and killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli authorities. In response Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza. Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said Sunday that its northern brigade commander Ahmed Al-Ghandour and three other senior leaders had been killed, without specifying when. The group rarely issues public statements about the deaths of its members. It said Ghandour was a member of its military council and named three other leaders who had died, including Ayman Siyyam, who Israeli media reports said was head of the Brigades' rocket-firing units. The United States blacklisted Ghandour in 2017 as a "specially designated global terrorist", saying he was involved in numerous operations. ALSO READ | Gaza ceasefire: What aid agencies can hope to achieve under strict limits of the four-day truce Happiness at hostage release Among the hostages freed late Saturday was 21-year-old Maya Regev, kidnapped by Hamas fighters in their deadly raid on the Supernova music festival along with her 18-year-old brother Itay. "I am so excited and happy that Maya is on her way to us now. Nonetheless, my heart is split because my son Itay is still in Hamas captivity in Gaza," their mother Mirit said in a statement. Emily Hand, the Israeli-Irish nine-year-old, ran into the tight embrace of her father upon her release, a video released by the Israeli Defence Forces showed. "We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember... all the hundreds of hostages who have yet to return," her family said. Among the latest group of Palestinians released was 38-year-old Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in jail for detonating a gas cylinder at a checkpoint in 2015. Wearing a wreath of yellow flowers, she hugged relatives in her home. "Thank God. My pain is visible, no need to speak about it," she said, her face partially disfigured by burns. "I also have pain on an emotional level and I am missing my relatives. But this is the tax a prisoner pays." Young prisoners embraced relatives and were carried on their shoulders after leaving Ofer prison in the West Bank where a crowd waved the green flags of Hamas's armed wing. "May God protect the resistance in Gaza, mercy for our martyrs, and healing for the wounded," said one released prisoner, Wael Bilal Mashy. AFPTV videos showed Israeli forces firing tear gas to disperse Palestinians gathered near the prison, and paramedics carrying one wounded person on a stretcher. ALSO READ | Palestinian families rejoice over release of minors and women in prisoner swap Ceasefire extension? The latest hostage handover was delayed on Saturday when Hamas said Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and not allowing aid into northern Gaza. Hamas later said it relented when Egyptian and Qatari mediators relayed a promise by Israel to uphold the accord. Israeli officials denied any breach of the ceasefire's terms, describing Hamas's actions as "psychological warfare". Hamas released 13 Israelis and four Thai hostages at night, officials said. Israel said it in turn freed 39 Palestinian prisoners. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had received a further list of hostages due to be released by Hamas on Sunday. Hamas has released 26 Israeli hostages in exchange for 78 Palestinian prisoners in the two releases already completed. The militants have also freed a total of 14 Thais and one Filipino. Hamas is expected to release a total of 50 hostages during the truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners. Egypt has said that it received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more hostages and prisoners. US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday that "the chances are real" for extending the truce. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for "a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression". But Israeli armed forces chief Herzi Halevi said Saturday that "immediately at the end of the ceasefire" the war would continue "to dismantle Hamas" and return as many hostages as possible. Aid trucks enter Gaza The pause in fighting has allowed more aid to reach Palestinians struggling to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Israel had placed Gaza under near-total siege. A total of 61 trucks delivered food, water and medical supplies to northern Gaza on Saturday, the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs said. Another 187 trucks of vital supplies bound for aid organisations also crossed into the Gaza Strip, it said. Adnan Abu Hasna, a spokesman for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), warned of "unprecedented" humanitarian needs. "We should send 200 lorries a day continuously for at least two months to meet the needs," he said. The UN estimates that 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.4 million people have been displaced by the fighting. In the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health authorities said on Sunday that Israeli troops had killed eight Palestinians over a 24-hour period. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
San Francisco, Nov 25

S paceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk met his father Errol Musk after seven years during the launch of the Starship rocket, according to reports.

Errol and family watched the Starship launch with local and international guests from a VIP platform last Saturday, and he was visited by Elon when he was in Austin, Texas, to spend some time with his daughters.

"They spoke for a long time. It was very touching for me and our daughters to see this. We were speechless," Errol's ex-wife Heide Musk was quoted as saying.

"The family cried. It was pretty emotional stuff. Errol was very happy to see Elon, and Elon appeared very happy to see his father. They immediately sat down at Elon's table next to one another and started talking as though no time had passed," Heide added.

Elon and his father last met in Cape Town, South Africa in 2016 during Errol's 70th birthday celebrations.

Errol, 77, created a sensation last year when he admitted that he is not a 'Lothario' (serial womanizer) but in his head, he has "slept with many women".

After revealing that he had a second child with his own stepdaughter Jana Bezuidenhout, Errol said that he is not a serial womaniser despite claims of countless lovers and fathering two children with his own stepdaughter, reported The Mirror.

Errol, who now lives in South Africa, announced last year that he fathered a second child with the 36-year-old daughter of his former wife Heide.

When asked whether he was proud of his son Elon, he said: "One doesn't walk around saying 'I'm proud'.

"It's one of the seven deadly sins. Instead I would say I'm very thankful for Elon's achievements and that he is okay and managing."

Elon Musk meets father after 7 years as family cried

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Mohanlal looks serious in legal robes in latest 'Neru' poster

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 25

S uperstar Mohanlal is gearing up for his next film Neru, a legal drama. Dressed up as an experienced lawyer, the poster looks bleak and grounded, with the actor really selling his avatar.

A bleak kind of legal drama, the narrative revolves around the actor taking the reins of delivering justice himself while fighting the very system which he works under.

The movie was confirmed to be releasing sometime this year, though its release date was unknown with some even speculating that the film will not be released before 2024. However, back in early November, the film's release date was confirmed as December 21.

Unveiling the poster of himself, Mohanlal wrote: #Neru Official Poster. Releasing worldwide on December 21st!

The film will be directed by the veteran and highly acclaimed director Jeethu Joseph who had also directed Mohanlals films Drishyam, and Drishyam 2 which were later remade in Hindi as well and starred Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn.

The poster simply features Mohanlal dressed up as a veteran lawyer in official attire, donning a black coat on top of a white shirt. Wearing glasses and sporting a full beard, the actors dress however looks less like an attorney and more like a judge, a curious choice.

Mohanlal has worked with Jeethu Joseph in several films before such as Aadhi, and 12 Man. Apart from that, the two will also be working together in the upcoming action-thriller Malayalam film Ram, which will release sometime in 2024.

Last seen in Jailer in a special appearance, the megastar will next be seen in actor-producer Vishnu Manchus epic film Kannappa, while Jeethu Joseph last directed the acclaimed mystery-thriller film Kooman in 2022.

Mohanlal looks serious in legal robes in latest 'Neru' poster

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San Francisco, Nov 25

X Corp owner Elon Musk will reportedly visit Israel next week and meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a sign of solidarity amid antisemitism controversies.

According to Fox Business, Musk is expected to visit the Gaza Strip and view the destruction of settlements after Hamas's surprise attack on October 7 that killed 1,200 people.

The news was first reported by the Israeli media outlet N12.

Musk, who has been severely criticised for anti-Semitic content on X, will also meet Israel President Isaac Herzog along with Netanyahu and tour areas near the Gaza border.

He will get a firsthand look at the devastation after terrorists crossed the Israel-Gaza border to launch the massacre, the report mentioned.

Israel retaliated by beginning an attack against Hamas, and the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health claims that Israeli military activity in Gaza has killed approximately 13,000 people.

On November 24, Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day cease-fire in exchange for the release of 24 hostages held by the terror group.

Musk has come under rising fire in recent weeks for supposed failures to combat antisemitism on X.

Last week, the Joe Biden administration slammed Musk of repeating a "hideous lie" about Jewish people, as the X owner continues to endorse far-right viewpoints and agrees with posts that promote antisemitism.

Musk replied to a post sharing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, calling it "actual truth.

He responded to a conspiracy theory that motivated the man who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.

Earlier, non-profit Media Matters in its report claimed that as Musk continues his descent into white nationalist and antisemitic conspiracy theories, his social media platform has been placing ads for major brands like Apple, Bravo (NBCUniversal), IBM, Oracle, and Xfinity (Comcast) next to content that supports Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party.

The report led to tech and media majors like Apple, IBM, Disney, Warner Bros, Discovery, Paramount and Comcast/NBCUniversal reportedly pulling or halting their advertisements, along with Lionsgate and the European Commission, on X.

Later, Musk sued Media Matters, accusing it of interference with contract, business disparagement, and interference with prospective economic advantage.

Musk to visit Israel, meet PM after antisemitism controversies: Report

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Canberra, Nov 25

O n International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday called upon males in the country to step up to end violence against the fair sex and children, and said urgent action was needed to address Australia's domestic violence rate.

Around 60 per cent of adult female victims of homicide in Australia are killed by a current or former intimate partner, as per the Australian Institute of Criminology's National Homicide Monitoring Program (NHMP).

In 2020-21, one woman was killed by a current or former partner every 14 days in Australia, according to the latest NHMP data, Xinhua new agency reported.

"Changing the attitudes that entrench inequality and discrimination, and objectify women and disregard consent, is everyone's responsibility," Albanese said.

"Men in particular have to step up. And male leaders have an opportunity to champion change and create the conditions that prevent violence, abuse, discrimination and harassment."

The government on Saturday committed to establishing a new system to provide quarterly updates on intimate partner homicides.

Data is currently available on an annual basis from the NHMP, but Albanese said that in order to end violence against women, authorities needed to be able to measure it accurately.

In a statement, minister for women Katy Gallagher and Amanda Rishworth, the minister for social services, said the new system would support law enforcement, policymakers, and the domestic and sexual violence sector in developing priority responses.

"Up-to-date and accurate data is crucial to supporting us in our efforts to end this violence and ensure women's safety," Gallagher said.

As of May, the government had invested 2.28 billion Australian dollars (1.5 billion U.S. dollars) in its National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.

Australian PM urges countrymen to step up against domestic violence

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Mumbai, Nov 25

A ctress Katrina Kaif has heaped praise on her Tiger 3 partner Salman Khan and said that he lives for his work and is fantastic on sets.

IANS asked Katrina about how Salman is on the sets, strict or fun, and pat came the reply: Salman is fantastic on set. You know the great thing about Salman is he doesn't take it himself or anything too seriously. He lives for his work and he's also a very generous human being. So I think that combination makes him very amusing for everyone around him. Everyone on set is always entertained.

Katrina and Salman have often shared screen space together. They have worked in films such as Maine Pyaar Kiyun Kiya?, Partner, Hello, Yuvvraj, Tiger franchise and Bharat.

She says that everyone on set is smiling when Salman is around.

The crew is always smiling when he's around and also I think now he is very attached to the Tiger character he knows the world and he's there to create something in the scene. So we had a fantastic time together, especially when were on the Tiger films, she said.

Their camaraderie over the years has evolved that now they can read each other.

She added: We play off each other, we know each other so well now. So we're able to kind of read each other. And I think that shows on screen and it makes for great chemistry.

Katrina Kaif: 'Salman Khan lives for his work'

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X may lose up to $75 mn of ad revenue as more brands pull out: Report

San Francisco, Nov 25

E lon Musk-run X could lose as much as $75 million in advertising revenue by the end of the year as dozens of major brands pull out their marketing campaigns after the tech billionaire endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory this month, the media reported.

According to the internal documents seen by The New York Times this week, over 200 ad units of companies from the likes of Airbnb, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and others have halted or are considering pausing their ads on X.

Musk's support for an antisemitic message on the platform last week prompted numerous firms, including Walt Disney and Warner Bros Discovery, to halt advertising on the X.

X has responded by suing non-profit Media Matters, arguing that the organisation defamed the platform with a report alleging that advertisements for major brands such as Apple and Oracle appeared next to messages praising Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party.

According to the report, the documents come from X's sales team and are designed to monitor the effects of all the advertising mishaps that took place this month, including those by companies that have already suspended ads and others that may be at risk of doing so.

The documents detail how much ad revenue X employees worry the company could lose by the end of the year if advertisers do not resume their ads.

However, X claimed in a statement on Friday that $11 million in revenue was at risk, with the actual sum fluctuating as some advertisers returned to the platform and others increased spending, the report mentioned.

Meanwhile, a new report has revealed that some super-spreaders of misinformation on X, who are verified premium users with blue badges, are sharing Musks ad revenue even after making conspiratorial claims about the Israel-Hamas war.

NewsGuard, a for-profit misinformation watchdog organisation, found that such posts with misinformation reached a collective 92 million views.

X may lose up to $75 mn of ad revenue as more brands pull out: Report

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Mumbai, Nov 25

V ersatile actor Pankaj Tripathi, who will be seen as a man suffering from retrograde amnesia in the upcoming film Kadak Singh, has called it one of the most special projects, sharing how from its script and direction to its ensemble cast and music, everything about the film is special.

Directed by National Award winning director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Pankaj will be seen as AK Shrivastav, a man suffering from retrograde amnesia who gets caught in a web of lies as he tries to recover his memory.

In the ongoing 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the makers had launched the trailer of the film at the opening ceremony, along with the world premiere of Kadak Singh under Gala Premiere category ahead of its release.

It was an honour to witness the world premiere of Kadak Singh at IFFI amidst a packed auditorium. It was my first time watching the film from start to end and I could not hold back my tears, he said.

He said that Kadak Singh is one of the most special projects he has been part of.

From its script and direction to its ensemble cast and music, everything about the film is special so to witness a standing ovation and so much love from the audience meant a lot to the entire team who have put in their heart and soul into this film, he said.

The Tashkent Files actor added: It has been an encouraging start to the promotional leg of the film.

The film sees the coming together of actors including Pankaj, Sanjana Sanghi, Parvathy Thiruvothu , Jaya Ahsan, Paresh Pahuja, and Varun Buddhadev.

The film follows the life of AK Shrivastav aka Kadak Singh, a Joint Director at the Department of Financial Crimes who is currently battling retrograde amnesia. The film unfolds as AK is admitted in the hospital and is presented with conflicting narratives about his past, compelling him to discern fact from fiction.

Amidst the maze of half-baked memories, he is determined to uncover the truth behind him mysteriously landing up in a hospital and behind a significant financial crime, all of this while saving his family from falling apart.

It is also the story of a dysfunctional family and how they come closer due to a series of unforeseen events leading to a rollercoaster of emotions. The film highlights relationships in different forms and how these relationships provide different perspectives, helping the story move forward.

It is set to premiere on ZEE5 on December 8.

Pankaj Tripathi calls 'Kadak Singh' a most special project

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Los Angeles, Nov 25

S upermodel Gigi Hadid continues to make use of her huge platform to voice her support for Palestine amid the Palestine-Israel conflict.

On November 24, the supermodel took to her Instagram account to condemn Israel in a series of posts.

The 28-year-old star, whose father Mohamed Hadid is a Palestinian, put Israel on blast when commenting on the hostage exchange deal that was reached between Hamas and Israel, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The model talked about young Palestinian Ahmed Manasra, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression. Ahmed was arrested in 2015 for stabbing and injuring two Israeli citizens in Pisgat Zeev.

"Israel is the only country in the world that keeps CHILDREN AS PRISONERS OF WAR. ABDUCTION. RAPE. HUMILIATION. TORTURE. MURDER OF PALESTINIANS. YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS. BEFORE Oct 7 2023," Gigi wrote in a now-deleted post.

Gigi also reshared a post claiming that "Israel authorities detain an average of 500 - 700 Palestinian children every year." The post added that the children were "beaten," "strip searched," "arrested at night" and "isolated in solitary confinement."

In the next slide, Gigi pointed out that "Israel is the ONLY country in the world that systematically prosecutes minors in military courts and accepts confessions obtained by coercion."

Not stopping there, the sister of Bella Hadid told her almost 80 million followers, "Israel sees any Palestinian as a 'terrorist,' any person supporting Palestinian rights as 'antisemite,' and any Jew that is opposed to the government's actions as 'self-hating' - even telling them to denounce their Judaism. So everyone is lying and wrong, except Israel?! If it isn't evil and disturbing, it would be comedic."

Both Gigi and Bella are vocal supporters for Palestine amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle Eastern countries. Bella even said that her family got death threats for supporting Palestine, writing on Instagram, "I've been sent hundreds of death threats daily, my phone number has been leaked, and my family has felt to be in danger. But I cannot be silenced any longer. Fear is not an option. The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence. We are not brave - they are."

In her statement, Bella added, "We need to keep pressure on our leaders, wherever we are, not to forget the urgent needs of the people of Gaza, and to ensure that innocent Palestinian civilians are not the forgotten casualties of this war."

She concluded, "I stand with humanity, knowing that peace and safety belong to us all."

Gigi Hadid blasts Israel for keeping 'children as prisoners of war'

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New Delhi, Nov 25

I n recent years, India has seen a surge in Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, transforming its technological landscape.

As a global IT hub, India leverages AI for innovation and economic growth. In business and manufacturing, AI enhances efficiency, streamlining processes for global competitiveness.

The healthcare sector benefits from AI in diagnostics, personalised medicine, and drug discovery, accelerating research and improving healthcare quality. AI-driven platforms revolutionise education, catering to diverse learning needs and enabling remote learning.

However, challenges such as data privacy, ethical concerns, and the need for a skilled workforce remain. Addressing these challenges is crucial for sustaining the momentum of AI adoption in India.

As the nation continues to integrate AI into its fabric, the transformative impact on industries, society and governance is poised to be a defining feature of India's technological evolution.

Indian laws currently face challenges in adequately addressing the complexities of AI. Gaps in regulations regarding AI ethics, data protection, and accountability leave room for potential misuse.

The Indian laws are completely inadequate to deal with AI. One cannot blame the government or the lawmakers because artificial intelligence has been with us for the last more than 50 years, but the kind of massive advancements that have taken place in the last few years have been so phenomenal that almost every country has been taken by surprise, said Pavan Duggal, Chairman, International Commission on Cyber Security Law.

Developed by OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research laboratory, ChatGPT is a language model designed for natural language understanding and generation, making it capable of engaging in text-based conversations.

With its advent, there have been valuable advantages such as efficient information retrieval and natural language interaction. However, there is potential for misuse in generating deceptive content or spreading misinformation due to its generative nature.

Speaking to IANS, Duggal said, Ever since November 30, 2022, when ChatGPT came across, it's been a different ball game altogether. India, as of now, does not have any dedicated legal framework on artificial intelligence. The only framework that we have is the Indian Information Technology Act 2000, which is a 23-year-old legislation, but it is completely silent on artificial intelligence.

He added: If I look at artificial intelligence as a cognitive intelligence of machines, then since the IT Act deals with computers, computer systems, the network, electronic data, it can be broadly brought within its ambit.

However, Duggal said that there's no denying the fact that countries across the world are now coming up with new legal frameworks to deal with AI and it's time that the Indian government comes up with appropriate legal frameworks in this regard as well.

Data privacy in this era is a critical and evolving concern. With increasing digitisation of information and widespread use of technology, individuals' personal data is constantly generated, shared and stored.

Issues such as unauthorised access, data breaches, and the potential misuse of personal information by corporations and governments underscore the importance of robust data privacy measures.

As technology advances, the ongoing challenge is to strike a balance between innovation and safeguarding individuals' privacy rights.

Indian laws have never been made keeping in mind either the AI ecosystem, or AI applications. When I look at privacy issues, though the Supreme Court has declared the right to privacy as a fundamental right under the case of Justice Puttaswamy vs Union of India, the fact still remains that India doesn't have privacy legislation, Duggal said.

He said that some aspects of privacy are covered under the IT Act and IT rules.

On August 11, India passed the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDD) Act 2023, but even there, only some elements of privacy are covered, he added.

The objective of the DPDP Act, which has not been implemented yet, is to formulate evolvable rules that are consistent with the changing trends in technologies and can be updated according to the needs of the country's digital infrastructure.

Talking about privacy aspects or protections or collection of data for AI applications, Duggal said that there's none that exists in the country as of now.

As of now, he said, it appears that India has not made up its mind yet.

The concerned ministry had some meetings with social media companies on how they can regulate or prevent the dissemination of deepfake videos. They are going through the intermediary liability route, but even for that, changes have to be made in the rules and regulations by the Central government, and Section 87 of the IT Act, Duggal said.

China introduced and implemented the world's first law on generative artificial intelligence on August 15. Similarly, the draft AI Act has already been passed in the European Union. Further, New York has implemented a new law on artificial intelligence, which mandates that there must be appropriate audits to prevent discrimination and bias in AI systems.

I think India is currently lagging because it has not yet made up its mind as to how it wants to go forward in the direction regulating AI. And India is not alone. A large number of countries today are still in that to-be or not-to-be position, said Duggal, adding that he believes the time is now that India needs to be learning from the experiences of other countries and come up with its own customised approach so that more and more Indians can, on the one hand, be empowered to go ahead and use the AI for positive, constructive purposes, while on the other hand, there should also be appropriate deterrent punishments and provisions to prevent the misuse of AI.

Further, there's an absolute need that the rights, duties and responsibilities of all the stakeholders in the AI ecosystem are specifically addressed. And the intellectual property rights issues pertaining to AI also need to be addressed in the forthcoming legislation. There is hardly any sector of human activity or endeavour which is not going to be impacted by AI, Duggal said.

In conclusion, India's rapid embrace of AI underscores its transformative potential across industries, healthcare, education, and governance. However, the absence of a dedicated legal framework poses challenges, with gaps in regulations concerning AI ethics, data protection and accountability.

Urgent action is needed to formulate comprehensive laws that address these concerns, ensuring responsible AI development and safeguarding privacy rights.

Absence of dedicated legal framework a challenge for AI regulations

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Enactment of laws in English will not harm growth of regional languages: Kerala HC

Kochi, Nov 25

T he Kerala High Court has pointed out that the enactment of laws in English would not harm the growth of regional languages.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas further pointed out this was also required under the Constitution of India, and opined that the enactment of laws in English would not harm the growth of regional languages.

"Enacting laws in English as mandated by the Constitution in a diverse country like India, will not have any bearing on the growth of the regional language. On the other hand, it can enhance the growth potential of the state as an investment destination with better awareness about its laws," said the judge whose father Justice K.T. Thomas is a retired Supreme Court judge.

"The need for publishing statutes and rules in English language need not be reiterated. When a state like Kerala opens its invitation for people from all over the world to invest, it would be incongruous if the laws were incomprehensible to them. The importance of English as an international language of communication and comprehension within and outside the Country cannot be ignored. Parochial considerations have to be kept aside while contemplating growth and development of the State," added the judge.

The High Court made these observations while considering a petition under the Kerala Town and Country Planning Act, 2016, which found the rules were available only in Malayalam.

"The legislature and the rule making authority are bound to issue an English translation, simultaneous with the introduction and passing of the law and the Rules. The requirement of an English text is a Constitutional obligation and cannot be avoided," said the court.

Enactment of laws in English will not harm growth of regional languages: Kerala HC

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Bengaluru, Nov 25

M ajor Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who made the supreme sacrifice during the Mumbai terror attack on November 26, 2008, continues to serve as an inspiration across Karnataka, emerging as a celebrated figure over a decade and a half.

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan is best remembered for his role in the toughest battles, particularly Operation Black Tornado during the Mumbai attacks.

His bravery is highlighted in leading the special action group, fighting floor by floor at the Taj Hotel to rescue the hostages and ultimately fighting the terrorists alone until his last breath after losing his team to extremely hostile firing.

The major arterial road in Bengaluru's Yelahanka locality is named after Major Unnikrishnan. Throughout Karnataka, Kannada and patriotic organizations make it a point to put up posters of Sandeep alongside great freedom fighters like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, and others on Independence Day, Ganesh and Deepavali festivals.

As a tribute, the Indian Railways posthumously named the locomotive (TKD WDP4B 40049) "Sandeep Unnikrishnan."

There are numerous fan pages on social media, and a bicycle expedition by 2 KAR AIR SQUADRON NCC cadets from Bengaluru to Mumbai has been undertaken as a tribute to Major Unnikrishnan by cadets Mridhul, Surya, and Syed. They will meet his parents at Mumbai's Taj Hotel on November 26, 2023.

Meghna Girish, Co-Founder of the Major Akshay Girish Memorial Trust, spoke to IANS, stating, "I attended Captain Pranjals final farewell on Friday in Bengaluru. He made the supreme sacrifice in Rajouri on November 24. Many people had come from far off places to pay their respects."

Girish continued: "In the last 10 years, people have become more open in showing their respect for the soldiers and the sacrifices they make in protecting the country."

"26/11 received extensive media coverage because it was in the heart of Mumbai and was a three-day siege. However, our soldiers are guarding the country every day without media coverage. This doesn't mean any soldier is less brave or heroic," Girish added.

On a personal note, Girish said: "My son made the supreme sacrifice in 2016 in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, in a similar type of hostage situation. Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists had entered two buildings, trapping families while they were asleep. It was a long fight, and all the civilians, including children and women, were saved.

"Three soldiers, including my son, made the supreme sacrifice, and four others were killed before they could pick up their guns. Freedom is never free; it comes at a great cost -- the lives of very brave soldiers who have the passion to serve the motherland."

Talking about how people's attitude towards bravehearts has changed, Girish said: "Because of social media, more and more common people are understanding and paying respect. The motto should be to put your motherland first, ensuring the safety and welfare of the people. It doesn't matter which field we are working in; if our country is attacked tomorrow, no one is safe."

She concluded by saying: "There are wars happening in all parts of the world, and our country is always in grave danger due to enemies around us -- China, Pakistan, and within our country, terrorist groups trying to destabilise. The message is let's remain united, let's put our country first. Freedom is never free; that's my message."

26/11 martyr Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan continues to inspire people

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Washington, Nov 25

U S President Joe Biden hoped on Saturday that more American hostages will be released in the 2nd lot of the Hamas and Israel exchange of prisoners and hostages on the 2nd day of ceasefire in Gaza after two were freed in the first lot on Friday.

P:resident Biden has secured the release of two American citizens as part of the larger group of around 50 hostages to the four-day pause in fighting, a White House official announced. But media reports said Biden's assurances of more Americans being released in the first lot was belied by Hamas.

"We are early in the process that will see at least 50 women and children released during the first phase of the agreement," said an US government official who did not want to be identified.

"We are hopeful that will include three dual national women and children, who are American citizens. This will unfold over the coming days. We will not comment on individual cases as the process is underway, the official said.

President Biden said on a nationally televised address that his plan for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in order to help end "this cycle of violence was the only viable solution to the end of the war and its horrors.

"Our resolve to pursue a two-state solution ... is more important now than ever," he said as he welcomed the release of Israeli hostages while at the same time, saying he was looking forward to more people being let go as well as the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid.

"To continue down the path of terror and violence and killing and war is to give Hamas what they seek, and we cant do that," Biden said..

A Qatari operations team landed in Tel Aviv on Saturday to "ensure the truce deal continued smoothly. A diplomat told NBC News that further details on ceasefire and hostage prisoner swap would be discussed in detail while reviewing the progress of the four-day truce.

On the other hand, a Hamas official said that not enough aid was reaching northern Gaza and said that it could threaten the entire agreement. Within hours the International Red Crescent said 61 trucks had been dispatched to the region today, the "largest" so far.

Taher al-Nono, an adviser to Hamas' political bureau, said that Israel "has not fully committed to" key terms of the cease-fire agreement, particularly with regards to the amount of aid reaching northern Gaza.

"This puts a real risk on completing the process," he said.

According to al-Nono, the agreement said that at least 100 trucks with humanitarian aid would enter Gaza, but that far fewer have reached its northern part.

Other parts of the deal are also being monitored. Qatars lead negotiator, Minister Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, told the media that they "remain optimistic" that Hamas will fulfill its promise to find any civilian hostages held by other groups in Gaza. He said they were "monitoring" the Hamas commitment to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to assess all the hostages being released.

More than 1.7 million people have been displaced in Gaza, where health officials say the death toll has surpassed 14,500 since the Israeli attacks. The IDF estimates 1,200 people were killed in the October 7 Hamas attack, with more than 200 people held hostage in Gaza.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are believed to be still in northern Gaza, which has been devastated by the Israeli military attacks.

Biden hopeful of more American hostages being released, Hamas accuses Israel of breaching deal

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Mumbai, Nov 26

R ecounting an old tale of his life, back during his struggling days, Anupam Kher narrated a significant incident of his life and thanked his friend Rajan Lal for helping him during his time of need, calling his contribution invaluable to his career.

Taking to Instagram, the veteran actor posted a video of himself with Rajan and said: Friends, today Id like to introduce you to a very dear friend of mine Mr. Rajan Lal. Everybody already knows him, and his role in helping my career has been invaluable. I remember the times when I was struggling in the lanes of Mumbai, it was Mr. Rajan who came to my help, and Im extremely thankful for that. This is particularly because no one helps you when you are at your worst.

He added: When I was constantly being pushed around in the lanes of the city, it was him who offered me food and confidence to carry on. Today, I am meeting him after 39 years at his residence in Dubai. Turning to his friend, he asked: What do you remember about me from back then?

Smiling, Rajan replied: My memory of Anupam is that in the old days he used to wear a white kurta pyjama, he used to travel by auto and rang the bell of my house. I was living on the ground floor, and my place was small. It was like a garage, or an outhouse kind of thing; I used to invite him and give him breakfast. He did everything at my house, his food, shelter was all at my house.Whatever his need be, I used to listen and help when I can.

The senior actor interjected and said: He used to listen to me a lot.

Continuing, Rajan said: Yeah I used to listen to him, and I was really taken by his passion and dedication. The man that he is today, it is because of his passion. And then Saaransh happened, and Mr. Bhatt kicked him out. I used to be in NFBC back then, so I offered Rs.10 lakh back then which I said could be used to make a good film, and then Saaransh happened.

I remember all the struggling actors like Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, Kulbhusan Kharbanda, they all used to crash at my place, this little garage, so those days in the 1980s were some of my best days ever. Today, I look upon Anupam and where he has reached with his passion and dedication, how he is so successful having done over around 540 films I think, I could not be prouder of him," he added.

The two men, despite meeting after so many years were as close as ever with The Kashmir Files actor concluding: I think many of you can relate to this, its because no one helps you during your struggles, and those who do they become a part of your lives, they shape it no matter where you go. So I am extremely thankful to Rajan, and where I am today it is in great part because of him. Jai Ho!

He captioned: Rajan Lal; a friend, a helper I met this time in Dubai after 39 years. In 1982 when I was looking for work in Mumbai and the conditions weren't good, those days director #Mahesh Bhatt lived in a small flat under his house. I always had a good one!

They used to treat breakfast etc too! Basically, he was always good to me! And then #Saaransh happened!! But I never forgot Rajans kindness and generosity! Meeting him after 39 years in Dubai felt so so good. Thank you dear Rajan for your kindness in my days of hardship," he added.

Anupam Kher thanks his old friend for invaluable contribution in his career

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Israeli air strikes on Sunday made Damascus airport inoperable just hours after flights had resumed following a similar attack last month, a war monitor said, as state media also reported the attack.

"Israeli warplanes on Sunday afternoon carried out a new raid targeting Damascus International Airport... putting it out of service again," said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It said the raid targeted the runways, and reported the sound of an explosion from the direction of a military airport elsewhere in the capital.

A military source said in a statement carried by state news agency SANA that at around 4:50 pm (1350 GMT), "the Zionist enemy carried out an air attack with missiles from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan".

The raid targeted "Damascus international airport and some points in the Damascus countryside", putting the airport out of service and causing "some material losses", it said.

Air defenses "destroyed most" of the missiles, the statement added.

Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbor since Syria's civil war began in 2011, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.

But it has intensified attacks since Israel's war to "crush" Hamas, a Hezbollah ally, began on October 7.

Israeli strikes on Damascus Airport and Aleppo Airport in the north on October 12 and October 22 put both facilities out of service.

Two ticketing offices in the capital had told AFP flights had resumed from Damascus on Sunday, and local media also reported the resumption. Still, authorities had yet to make an official announcement.

Flights were re-routed to Latakia on the west coast after the October 22 strikes.

Israel rarely comments on individual strikes targeting Syria. Still, it has repeatedly said it will not allow arch-foe Iran, which backs President Bashar al-Assad's government, to expand its presence there.

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Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Rain likely. High 46F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with light rain this evening. Low 39F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
A community meeting is set for Tuesday in White Heath for members of the newly formed Trails for Piatt County to brainstorm ideas for building rail-trail segments through the county.

"When he encounters hostile individuals, he acts as though they just need more information about the issue at hand to bring them around, a friend said of the late David Monk.

Bloomington-Normal's Constitution Trail getting set to mark 35 years

It was close to 35 years ago when the first 4 miles of Bloomington-Normals Constitution Trail opened.

The twin cities began buying right-of-way property along the abandoned Illinois Central railway in the mid-1980s and formally opened it just a few years later.

Pat Dullard, president of the Friends of Constitution Trail, said the trail has blossomed to between more than 45 miles like a spiderweb extending throughout the cities, with 32 trailheads.

It's used not only by cyclists, but also inline skaters, walkers, runners and cross-country skiers.

Dullard said the trail was a tough sell at first, as many property owners cried not in my backyard.

Now, many owners celebrate and even advertise that the trail runs near their land.

It didnt take too long for people to realize the benefit of it, Dullard said. Theres a whole shopping center known as Constitution Trail Center. The developer built an access trail that goes to the trail.

Many people who are selling houses near the trail put for sale signs both by the street and in the backyard near the trail.

The trail is considered part of the communities park districts, so thats how its maintained, Dullard said.

Initial funding came through Illinois Department of Natural Resources grants, with a local partner required to furnish 50 percent of the funding.

The biggest funding mechanism anymore is" the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Dullard said. Or the bigger one is the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program funds.

Dullard said the trail is used extensively  literally thousands of people a day.

DAVE HINTON
In a move to provide big benefits during the festive season, the leading carrier Air India has introduced the Christmas Comes Early sale, providing a good discount on both national and international flights. As per the official details shared by the company, interested passengers can avail up to 30 percent on flights, and can save a decent amount.

The benefit can be avail from Air Indias official webiste or any third-party portal. However, the airline has also confirmed that the offer will be valid for the bookings, which are made in November for travel from December 2, 2023 to May 30, 2024.

Air India Express Christmas Sale

To provide extra benefits to the logged-in member, the carrier has included some extra treats, and complimentary Xpress Ahead Services and zero convenience fees on award-winning applications.

Air India Express Sale Benefits for Exclusive Members

The Tata NeuPass Rewards Program members can earn up to 8 percent of NeuCoins, which will benefit their air travel. In addition, exclusive members can enjoy the benefits of meals, baggage, seats, flight change and cancellation fee waivers, among other.

Air India Discounted Routes

The airline has listed some routes on the sale offer. The list includes Bengaluru-Kannur, Bengaluru-Kochi, Bengaluru-Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru-Mangalore, Kannur-Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram, and Bengaluru-Tiruchirappalli, along with discounted fares across the network.

Meanwhile, the airline has been spreading its network rapidly and capturing new routes. Recently, the airline has introduced new routes, which connect Hyderabad with Lucknow, Kochi and Amritsar.
Ceiling fans are a common sight in every Indian household and even after the onset of winter the demand for purchasing ceiling fans is expected to surge in the coming months. For customers planning to buy ceiling fans after February 2024, Union Cabinet Minister Piyush Goyal has shared essential information. In a video posted on the social media platform, he advises consumers to check certain aspects before purchasing new fans next season.

On Friday, November 24, 2023, the Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal posted a video on the social media platform X, cautioning consumers about being vigilant when buying ceiling fans from next year. The minister highlights significant changes in the regulations concerning ceiling fans, emphasising that the Consumer Ministry has enforced stringent safety rules for the benefit of consumers. He urges consumers to check for the Indian Standards Institution mark or ISI mark on fans before purchasing.

The ministrys directive includes issuing quality control orders to all fan manufacturers, stating that, starting February 2024, all ceiling fans sold must bear the ISI mark by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Fans without the ISI mark wont be allowed for sale, storage, or export.

Ceiling Fan  ISI         pic.twitter.com/l45oRC4wzb Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 24, 2023

The notification from the ministry specifies that failure to comply with the guidelines will result in severe consequences. According to the instructions, first-time violators may face a penalty of Rs 2 lakh and imprisonment for up to 2 years. Additionally, repeat offenders could be subject to a penalty of Rs 5 lakh or recovery of up to 10 times the products value. This initiative not only ensures consumer safety but also supports the development of local small enterprises and boosts production.

As the new regulations aim to enhance safety standards for ceiling fans, consumers are advised to be cautious and prioritise the purchase of fans that are compliant with the Bureau of Indian Standards to avoid legal consequences. The video posted by Piyush Goyal on X highlights that this move will ensure the ceiling fans are of good quality, thus, prioritising consumer safety.
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow is all set to conduct the MBA entrance examinations  Common Admission Test (CAT) 2023 today, November 26, in online mode. Ahead of the CAT 2023 exams, the institute issued important instructions and guidelines to keep in mind for the examination day. As pee the guidelines, candidates should mandatorily carry their CAT admit card 2023 while appearing for the exams. One can download the admit card through the official website of IIM.

CAT Exam Day Guidelines

 Candidates must carry the CAT 2023 admit card to their examination hall without fail.

 Students are advised to exam centre as per time mentioned on admit card.

 In order to avoid extra checking on the day of the exam, candidates are advised to follow the dress code.

 Students must not carry mobile phones and other electronic gadgets inside the exam hall.

 No other documents apart from the admit card, scribe affidavits, and medical certificates, are allowed inside the hall.

 Examination centres will provide students with scribble pads for calculations inside the hall.

 No student will be permitted to leave the examination hall before completing the exam.

 Candidates must follow the last entry timing for each slot; those arriving late will not be allowed to enter the hall.

 IIM Lucknow strictly mentions that if any student is caught cheating, he or she will be barred from taking the exam.

CAT 2023 Exam Timings

Slots Exam Timings Reporting Time Last Entry Permitted Slot 1 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM 7:00 AM 8:15 AM Slot 2 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM 11:00 AM 12:15 PM Slot 3 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM 3:00 PM 4:15 PM

The CAT 2023 will be conducted for a duration of 120 minutes across 155 cities in designated exam centres in three slots. Candidates are required to answer around 66 multiple-choice questions from the sections including Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR).
Fawry, Egypt's leading e-payment company, announced the completion of a thorough cybersecurity verification process and infrastructure examination in response to reports of a hack, according to a statement by the company on Sunday.

Fawry said that it had engaged the services of Group-IB, a global cybersecurity firm based in Singapore, to assess its systems and validate claims of a ransomware attack.

According to Group-IB's report, Fawry's operational environment, which encompasses various applications utilized by the company's customers, including "My Fawry," banking applications, payment acceptance systems, Fawry Plus systems, and retailer systems, remained secure and unaffected by any hacking attempts.

The investigation concluded that no data had been compromised or leaked, as per the report.

Fawry, founded in 2008 and listed on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX), acknowledged that a specific segment of the application testing environment had experienced an attack, resulting in the encryption of certain files.

However, Fawry emphasized that these files had no impact on the safety and security of its financial transactions, except for the exposure of limited personal data such as names, addresses, dates of birth, and mobile phone numbers.

The e-payment company reassured its users that all active and test systems were currently free from any remnants or indications of the LockBit hacking incident.

Earlier in November, reports were circulated on social media regarding a potential cyberattack against Fawry. Some banks sent messages warning their clients who use their bank credentials on the e-payment companys platforms.

Subsequently, Fawry denied these reports, stating that none of its platforms or online services were subjected to cyberattacks.

Fawry is Egypts largest e-payment company.

It was also the first banking agent in Egypt to obtain a license from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) to provide banking and financial services to individuals and companies, including account deposits and withdrawals, credit card payments, and more.

During the first nine months of 2023, Fawry grew to 51.2 million active users and a total payment volume of EGP 243.107 billion, representing a 70 percent year-on-year growth.

Egypt, in line with its commitment to expanding financial inclusion, has made significant strides in increasing the number of citizens with bank accounts.

As of June 2023, the number of individuals who owned banking accounts reached 44.6 million, which accounts for approximately 67.3 percent of the total population aged 16 and over, according to data released by the CBE.

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The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recently released the results of the Engineering Service Examination (ESE). In this, the candidates who have successfully cleared all the stages of the exam are hired for various posts within the government department. Lakhs of students applied for the exam and only a few got selected. One of the selected batch of students in UPSC ESE 2023 was Shivam Dwivedi. He secured All India 20th Rank in the Electrical Engineering branch. The national competitive exams are the platform which gives equal chances to candidates despite their economic backgrounds. Shivam Dwivedi belonged to an economically weaker section of society. The success story of Shivam Dwivedi is inspirational for all the candidates who are preparing for any competitive exams.

Shivam Dwivedi is a resident of Mahta Village in the Bhanda district of Uttar Pradesh. His father is a farmer while his mother is a housewife. His brother is also an engineer. Shivam Dwivedi was always a studious student in school. He completed his primary studies at the primary school in the village. After this, he decided to complete his secondary education at Tehsil. He pursued engineering after passing Class 12 with excellent marks. He started preparing for the IIT JEE exam. He couldnt crack the advanced stage of the exam but scored enough marks for the government engineering college, the National Institute of Technology (NIT).

He successfully graduated from college and appeared for the recruitment examination of the electricity department. He cleared the exam and was selected for the post of SDO. However, he was not satisfied with this job and started to aim for a better position. He decided to appear for the UPSC ESE exam. He started his preparation for the exam. While interacting with the media, Shivam Dwivedi said that he took leave from his job to prepare for this exam. He used to study regularly for 8 hours.

Apart from this, to efficiently manage his studies along with his job, Shivam Dwivedi decided to make a study plan. He focused on time management. He has given the credit of his success to his parents and God.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asked BRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekar Rao to tell to people what he did for Telangana before questioning the grand old party on what it did for the southern state.

KCR is running the most corrupt government in the country and all the money making portfolios are with Raos family members, Gandhi alleged at a poll rally here.

He said the six guarantees given by the Congress will be made into a law in the first cabinet meeting itself, if the party is voted to power in the state and will be implemented.

Today there is a fight between Dorala Sarkar (feudal government) and Prajala Sarkar (peoples government) in Telangana. Your chief minister is asking what Congress has done. The question is not what Congress has done, the question is what KCR has done, he said.

He further said the grand old partys target is to defeat the BRS in Telangana and BJP at the national level later.

Gandhi said Hyderabad city from which Rao allegedly is looting crores of rupees every day was developed by the Congress which transformed it into an IT hub.
More than 73 per cent of the electorate in Rajasthan voted on Saturday in a bipolar contest involving the Congress and the BJP to elect a new government, with polling passing off peacefully barring a few stray incidents of violence.

The tentative voter turnout was 73.92 per cent till the last report came in at 6 pm, an election commission official said.

Earlier, Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said the final voting figures will be issued once data is compiled.

The polling percentage till 5 pm was 68.24 per cent. The highest turnout was in Jaisalmer district, followed by Hanumangarh and Dholpur districts, Gupta said at a press conference after the polling ended.

Polling at more than 51,000 polling booths in 199 assembly constituencies began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm, but officials said those already in queue at the polling booths were allowed to vote. The votes will be counted on December 3.

When asked about repolling at booths where incidents of clashes were reported, he said the decision would be taken after the report of the observers. Gupta said there were no reports of the voting process getting halted at any place.

On the malfunction of EVMs at some booths, he said the number was less than the national average.

In the last assembly elections in 2018, the state recorded a voter turnout of 74.06 per cent. The Election Commission has set a target of at least 75 per cent turnout in each constituency this time.

Polling in the Karanpur Assembly constituency in Sriganganagar was postponed due to the death of the Congress candidate.

Two people  Shanti Lal, who was a polling agent of the BJP candidate from the Sumerpur constituency Joraram Kumawat, and 62-year-old voter Satyendra Arora  died of suspected cardiac arrest at polling booths in Pali and Udaipur districts, officials said.

There are more than 5.25 crore registered voters in 199 seats while 1,862 candidates are in the fray.

The EC had made elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth polling with more than 1.70 lakh security personnel being deployed across the state.

In Sanwler village of Kaman in Deeg district, two people, including a policeman, were injured in a stone-pelting incident.

Police fired 12 rounds in the air to disperse the crowd. Voting was disrupted for a few minutes due to the incident, Deeg Superintendent of Police (SP) Brijesh Upadhyay said.

In Sikars Fatehpur, two groups clashed and a jawan was injured in the violence.

Stone pelting occurred outside a polling booth. One jawan was injured in the stone pelting. No civilian was injured. Around five to seven people have been detained, Fatehpur Deputy Superintendent of Police Ram Pratap said.

An altercation occurred between a polling agent and a person outside a polling booth in Dholpurs Bari seat.

Two vehicles were damaged in the ensuing violence. The polling was stopped for some time, Dholpur Collector Anil Kumar Agarwal said.

In Uniara of Tonk district, 40-50 people tried to enter a polling booth, however, the situation was brought under control, Superintendent of Police Rajarshi Raj said.

The Congress is aiming to buck the trend of the ruling party being voted out every five years, while the BJP is eyeing a return in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Several voters, including youngsters and the elderly, queued up at polling centres well before 7 am.

I got ready by 6 am, called up my friends, and reached the polling booth so that we are the first ones to vote, Himanshu Jaiyaswal, a college student, told PTI at a polling booth in Malviya Nagar here.

This is the festival of democracy and all should participate in it, Jai Singh, another voter, said.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Kailash Chaudhary, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot were among the first ones to cast their votes.

Gehlot and Shekhawat voted in Jodhpur, Chaudhary in Balotra, Raje in Jhalawar, and Pilot in Jaipur.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajasthan ministers Shanti Dhariwal, Ashok Chandana, and Pramod Jain Bhaya cast their votes in Kota while state BJP president C P Joshi exercised his franchise in Chittorgarh and party MPs Diya Kumari and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore voted in Jaipur.

The leaders expressed confidence that their respective parties would get the mandate of the people.

There is no anti-incumbency against the Congress and the party will form the government in the state again, Gehlot said in Jodhpur.

There seems to be an undercurrent. Looks like the (Congress) government will be repeated, he said.

Talking to reporters in Jhalawar, Gehlots predecessor Raje retorted, I agree with him. There is indeed an undercurrent but in the favour of the BJP. Lotus (BJPs poll symbol) will bloom on December 3. Asked who will be the CM if the BJP comes to power, Raje said the decision will be taken by the party.

Birla said by casting their votes, the people have expressed themselves.

The constant rise in the voting percentage since 1952 reflects the strength of our democracy and we all are proud of it, the Lok Sabha speaker told reporters.

In Jodhpur, Shekhawat said, The BJP is coming to power with a huge majority. This time people will vote keeping in mind crimes committed against women, paper leak incidents, and corruption during the five-year rule of the Congress. Dhariwal, the urban development and housing minister, said he was confident of Congress retaining power in the state.
Ahead of the assembly elections in Telangana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend several public programmes in the state on Monday as a part of BJPs campaigns. PM Modi who landed in Tirupati on Sunday will start the day by visiting Tirumalas Sri Venkateswara temple on Monday morning at around 8 am.

Following the darshan at the temple, the Prime Minister will attend a public meeting Mahbubabad at 12:45 pm.

After the meeting at Mahbubabad, he will attend another public meeting at Telanganas Karimnagar which is scheduled at 2:45 pm. The PM will end the day-long programme by conducting a roadshow in Hyderabad at 5 pm.

The Prime Minister landed in Renigunta airport near Tirupati on Sunday evening. As per an official press release, Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy received PM Modi at the airport.

On Sunday, PM Modi attended an election rally in Telanganas Nirmal district. While addressing the people there he took a sharp hit at the ruling party of the state. He also called the Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao an enemy of the poor.

The voting for the 3rd Telangana Legislative Assembly will be held in a single phase on November 30, 2023. The counting of votes is scheduled for December 3, 2023.

Telangana is gearing up for a triangular fight between Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Raos Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Congress and BJP in the assembly elections. KCR, who is aiming for a long, comfortable tenure, is looking forward to retaining CMs chair in Indias youngest state, which goes to the polls on November 30.

Telangana is currently under the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (formerly Telangana Rashtra Samithi). Congress is the major opposition party while the BJP is looking to establish itself as one of the key parties in the state.

(with PTI inputs)
Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon termed the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai a horrendous event while also echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks on terrorism.

Gilon said that countries have to join hands and together fight against the global phenomenon that terrorism is.

Gilon drew a parallel between the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the October 7 Hamas attacks saying that, Its a horrendous phenomenon when people come into your safe haven, to your houses in Mumbai to disrupt the life, to create panic. They wanted panic, they wanted to transmit it  exactly like Hamas. Their aim is not only to kill but also to create panic with the surviving, to make them afraid.

Sunday marks the 15th year since the horrifying 26/11 attacks took place in Mumbai, the memories of which continue to send chills through the spine, an event which remains in the collective memory of the nation.

Gilon took to the microblogging site X and said, 15 years since the #MumbaiTerrorAttack, while sharing a picture from the Nariman House rooftop memorial where names of all the 26/11 victims were engraved. Om Shanti, Gilon wrote.

15 years since the #MumbaiTerrorAttack#UnitedWeStand.This pictureis from the Nariman (Chabad) House rooftop memorial where the names of all #Mumbai2611 victims are engraved.Om Shanti . pic.twitter.com/1VPbDckV2k  Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) November 26, 2023

The Israeli Ambassador also noted that there is no place for ifs or buts in fighting terrorism, adding that the countries are working together to finish off this phenomenon.

We are telling the Indians, like India is always standing with Israel, more recently but always. Whenever we need, India is on our side. Indians have to know, we are on your side. When you come to fight terrorism, there are no ifs or buts. We are working together, we will finish terrorism, Gilon told ANI.

In the 26/11 attacks, six Jews were also part of the 166 persons killed by the terrorists. In recent times, Israel officially designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organisation. The Israeli government took this decision without any requests from the Indian government.

Gilon also pointed out that India and Israels friendship and actions are a display of their fight against terrorism.

Referring to PM Modis remarks, the Israeli envoy said, As PM Modi said rightly so terrorism is a global phenomenon. You have to join hands globally. Countries, and free people of the world have to join hands and efforts in order to fight it. I think India and Israel demonstrate in our actions and friendship in what we do together, the joining of these hands to eliminate terrorism.

Gilon mentioned that each and every country has its own such event. We have all suffered terrorism for ages and we still suffer  9/11 for the US, 26/11 for India, and October 7 for us, he said. The Israeli envoy noted that these attacks are not like the other terror acts. This is the thing that changes your DNA and thinking about how you have to treat terror and terroristsThe second population with the most casualties after the Indians were Jews and Israelis Its something else that connects us and makes our bonds even stronger, Gilon said.

Meanwhile, the US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti also paid tributes to the victims at the US consulate in Mumbai. Garcetti also reiterated Washingtons commitment to fight against terrorism alongside India.

He took to X and said, Today marks the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. We honor the memory of the victims lost and pledge to continue to fight against acts of terror together with the Government of India.

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. We honor the memory of the victims lost and pledge to continue to fight against acts of terror together with the Government of India. pic.twitter.com/6Y3jUsQiak U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti (@USAmbIndia) November 26, 2023

Kids Held Hostage in Gaza Remind Me Of: Uncle of 26/11s Youngest Survivor

Uncle of Moshe Holtzberg, the youngest survivor of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, while speaking to PTI, compared the Mumbai attacks to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas saying that the children held hostage in Gaza reminded him of what happened to baby Moshe during 26/11 attacks.

Moshe, who was just two-years-old at the time of the 26/11 attacks lost both his parents in the assault on the Nariman House  also known as Chabad House  by Pakistan-based terror outfit, LeT.

Moshes grandfather expressed his gratitude towards the people of India for treating his familys sufferings as their own over the years.

The people of India remember what happened on this day 15 years ago. You remember the tragedy that struck our family and also the families of other Israeli people, Moshes grandfather, Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg told PTI. I want to say that I, my wife Yehudit and also the Moishi (Moshe) boy, feel it and want to thank you all in India for your similar feelings for the tragedy that struck us and you all, he added.

Rosenberg also referred to Hamass attack on Israel and said, This year especially shows how terrorists want to murder the Jews but we still hope for peace in the whole world.

The Horrendous Attacks of 26/11

On the night of November 26, 2008 a group of terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba entered the island city of Mumbai and killed 166 people, injured 300 persons over the period of four days and caused severe damage to the city.

The targets were deliberately chosen by the terrorists, those which will leave the maximum impact. These targets were the Taj and Oberoi Hotels, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Nariman House Jewish centre, and the Leopald Cafe. Another factor weighed in the choosing of these places was that they were often visited by the Europeans, Indians and Jews.

The nine terrorists were killed by the Indian security forces and the only surviving terrorist from the attack at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, was arrested. After two years, in May 2010, Qasab was sentenced to death. Two more years later, he was hanged at a maximum security prison in Maharashtras Pune city.

The wounds from the attacks still remain fresh in the nations memory, however crucial lessons were learnt from the attack and its aftermath.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen K T Parnaik (Retd) exhorted the forces to be alert and uphold the gallant traditions of Indian armed forces in guarding sensitive border.

On his visit to Walong in Anjaw district of the northeastern state, the governor while interacting with the personnel of the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Roads Organization (BRO) and state police, said on Saturday that the international border of the state is sensitive and strategically important for the security of the nation.

Parnaik shared fine points of border management with the security forces and encouraged them to maintain physical fitness and sound mental alertness, a Raj Bhavan communique said here.

He also shared modern-day security design and steps with the personnel to keep the border safe and secure.

The governor advised the security forces to be vigilant and instil a sense of security amongst the people while emphasising on reinforcing the goodwill amongst the local population for the troops and personnel. During his daylong tour to Anjaw district, the Governor also laid a wreath at the Walong War memorial.

Earlier at Kibithoo, the 2 Div General Officer Commanding Major General V S Deshpande and 82 Mountain Brigade Commander Brig R Bhandari, briefed him on the operational preparedness and security measures in place for maintaining the sanctity of the Line of Actual Control.

They also informed him about the bonhomie existing among the security forces and local population and cordial relations with the district administration.

Director General of Police Anand Mohan, Anjaw Deputy Commissioner Talo Jerang, Superintendent of Police Rike Kamsi, officers and troops of Bihar, Assam and Punjab regiments and personnel from ITBP, BRO, Indian Air Force officers and state police, were present on the occasion.

The governor also interacted with inhabitants of border villages, selected under the Vibrant Border Village programme at Kibithoo.

Interacting with the villagers, he said that the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra aimed at ensuring the people who could not avail benefits for welfare schemes and programmes of the Centre must be provided before January 26, next year.

The yatra has a special focus on tribal welfare and the wellbeing of the tribal community, he pointed out and appealed to the people who are yet to avail benefits from central government schemes and programmes, to come forward and avail it.

Parnaik advised the government officials to work in a mission mode and ensure that all the eligible persons are registered as beneficiaries and cent per cent saturation is achieved.

He also advised the administration and elected representatives to reach out to the distant villages in a continuous cycle every day. The governor said that the National Education Policy 2020 is all about learning and skilling and advised all to contribute to the implementation of the new policy.

Expressing concern over the school dropout rate, he advised the concerned officials and teaching community to take proactive measures to reduce the rate.
Union Minister Ajay Mishra on Sunday said that the final draft of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA is expected to be ready by March 30 next year.

The Union Minister of State for Home from Uttar Pradesh, while addressing a gathering of the Matua community at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, asserted that nobody can snatch citizenship rights from Matuas, who had fled religious persecution in Bangladesh.

The process to roll out CAA has gained momentum in the last couple of years some issues are being sorted out. Nobody can snatch citizenship rights from the Matuas. year, the final draft of the CAA is expected to be ready for coming into force, Ajay Mishra said to a thundering applause.

Local BJP MP and Union minister Santanu Thakur was by his side. The CAA seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan entering India before December 31, 2014.

Reacting to the claim, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen said, The BJP remembers Matuas and the CAA only during elections. The saffron party will never be able to roll out CAA in West Bengal.

The BJPs false claims are becoming clear to the Matuas and others. The saffron party will be rejected by all in next years elections, he said. Sen said that the Trinamool Congress has ensured the rights of Matuas as citizens of the country.

We will continue to work for the community throughout the year, unlike the BJP will only gives false promises, he added.

(With inputs from PTI)
Union Health Ministry has advised all the states and Union Territories to immediately review public health and hospital preparedness measures in view of the increasing cases of pneumonia in China.

The Union Health Secretary  in a letter to all the States and Union Territories  advised them to immediately review the preparedness measures in the health department at a senior level.

These measures are, availability of hospital beds, drugs and vaccines for influenza, medical oxygen, antibiotics, personal protective equipment (PPE), testing kits and reagents, functionality of oxygen plants and ventilators, and infection control practices at the health facility centres.

All the states and Union Territories have been asked to implement the Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of Covid-19. This guideline  which was provided earlier this year  provides integrated surveillance of respiratory pathogens which pose as influenza like illness (ILI) or severe acute respiratory infection (SARI).

They have also been asked to ensure close monitoring of the trends of ILI/SARI by District and state surveillance units of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), especially the trends of children and adolescents.

The data of ILI/SARI trends is to be uploaded on the IDSP-IHIP portal, particularly from the public health institutions including medical college hospitals.

ALSO READ | Not Like Covid But Cocktail of Viruses: India Closely Monitoring Chinas Pneumonia Outbreak

The Health Ministry is closely monitoring the situation, indicating that there is no need for raising any alarm.

The states have also been asked to send the nasal and throat swabs of patients with SARI, with special focus on children and adolescents. The swabs will be sent to the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs)  located in the states  for testing for respiratory pathogens.

These measures are being implemented with immediate effect as a precautionary and proactive way to prevent any potential situation from arising. This will also ensure the safety and well being of the citizens.

Recently, the World Health Organisation shared information which suggested that there has been an increase in respiratory illness in parts of northern China. This surge has been attributed to influenza, Mycoplasma pneumonia, SARS-CoV-2 etc.

ALSO READ | China Sees Surge in Unexplained Pneumonia Cases Among Children; WHO Seeks More Details

WHO has said that the release of the Covid-19 restrictions at the time of the arrival of winter season, in addition to the already existing cyclical trend of respiratory illnesses has led to this surge.

Although WHO has asked for additional information from the Chinese authorities, it is being assessed that there is no reason for any alarm at the moment.

The Health Ministrys decision comes as an important measure considering the ongoing winter and influenza season, which results in an increase in the cases of respiratory illness.
Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms lashed parts of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, including Mumbai, on Sunday morning, leading to waterlogging in several places. The national capital Delhi also woke up to partly cloudy skies, with shallow fog in the morning. The air quality index (AQI) across the national capital continues to be in the severe category in some areas as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Delhis overall AQI remained at 389 on Sunday morning. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, 401 and 450 severe, and above 450 severe plus.

IMD Weather Alerts
A man in West Bengals South 24 Parganas allegedly slit his wifes throat on Friday, after an argument over social media turned into a physical altercation leading to the latters death.

The man, identified as Parimal Baidya lived with his wife, Aparna Baidya, and their two children in Harinarayanpur in South 24 Parganas districts Joynagar, reported NDTV.

After killing his wife, the man who is a mason in profession, fled the spot. Later, Baidyas son who is studying in class 7 returns to the house only to find his mother lying in a pool of blood, said the police adding that the boy informed his neighbours about the incident.

The neighbours called the cops and said that Parimal using a vegetable cutter attacked his wife, who later succumbed to the injuries.

The boy told the police that they (Parents) used to have frequent fights and his father also threatened to kill her (Aparna). Infact on Thursday night, the duo again engaged in a fight.

The Times of India quoted a police officer as saying that Parimal also suspected that his wife had an affair with one of her social media friends. Because of the fights and mistrust, Aparna had even left his home and went to her parentss residence.

A police source said that the two often engaged in arguments leading to fights over Aparnas social media activity and some friends she made online.

We suspect the husband killed her because she did not approve of her social media activity. Aparna was 32 years old, quoted NDTV as saying the police source.

Since the murder, Parimal has been on the run. Investigation officers have formed a team to nab him. Further, the police has sent Aparnas body for post-mortem and recovered the weapon from the crime scene.
Egypt has released imported goods valued at $63 billion from its ports since the beginning of 2023, while a remaining backlog of goods worth $5 billion is still awaiting clearance, El-Shahat Ghatouri, the head of the Egyptian Customs Authority (ETA), said on Sunday.

Ghatouri's remarks were made in a press conference during the third Nebu Expo for Gold and Jewelry, which commenced on Sunday and will continue until 28 November.

The event has witnessed the participation of 50 local and foreign companies, as well as 110 investors from 18 different countries, showcasing the significance of the gold and jewelry industry in Egypt.

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war and its subsequent repercussions, Egypt has been grappling with a shortage of foreign currency required for the release of goods from ports, which is estimated to reach $17 billion by 2026.

As a consequence, the Egyptian pound has undergone three devaluations since March 2022, resulting in a depreciation of over 75 percent against the US dollar.

Meanwhile, Fitch Solutions expected that the Egyptian pound will be devaluated by 18.6 percent to reach around EGP 38 against the US dollar by the end of 2023.

However, in October, the UK-based multinational Standard Chartered Bank stated in a report that Egypt does not have to conduct any devaluation of its currency until the end of 2024.

The backlog of goods at Egyptian ports reached its peak in October 2022, amounting to $15 billion. Ghatouri emphasized that efforts are underway to alleviate this backlog and expedite the release of goods.

Furthermore, Ghatouri highlighted the success of the zero-customs car initiative, which was reintroduced on 30 October and is scheduled to run until 30 January, as it generated approximately $460 million in revenue.

During its initial phase, which lasted from October 2022 to May 2023, the programme garnered $763 million from 151,000 participants.

The zero-customs car initiative is an essential component of Egypt's comprehensive strategy to secure $191 billion in foreign currency, aiming to address the country's mounting external debt, which currently stands at $165.3 billion. Additionally, it aims to alleviate the scarcity of US dollars in circulation.

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Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday said his government was holding talks with an Imphal Valley-based insurgent group, and a peace accord will be signed soon. Speaking to PTI-Video, Singh said the talks were at an advanced stage, even though he stayed away from naming the underground organisation.

We are advancing, and we are expecting to sign a peace accord with one big UG (underground organisation) very shortly, the chief minister said.

This was for the first time that there was an official confirmation about such talks being held by the government, since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3.

Earlier, sources had said that the government was holding talks with a faction of the proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF).

More than 180 people have been killed since the violence broke out in May after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.

Asked about newspapers going off the stands in Imphal and local TV channels off the air, Singh said he came to know about it only on Saturday.

He said he has already sought a report from the CID on the issue. Newspapers and local TV channels have shut operations in the Imphal Valley since Friday, protesting against interference from a militant group, leading to an information blackout.

On Myanmarese people crossing over to Manipur for shelter, Singh said that although India is not a party to the UN Refugee Convention, some people are being given refuge in the state on humanitarian grounds. However, they will be deported once the situation is stable in Myanmar, he said.

Till July, around 2,500 Myanmarese people crossed over to Manipur, and were living in different parts of the state. The number has been on the rise after fresh violence in the neighbouring country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation in the 107th edition of his monthly radio program, Mann Ki Baat on Sunday at 11 AM.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad and LoP Bihar Vijay Kumar Sinha aslo listened to PM Modis Mann Ki Baat program in Patna, Bihar.

#WATCH | BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad and LoP Bihar Vijay Kumar Sinha listen to PM Modis Mann Ki Baat program in Patna, Bihar pic.twitter.com/UIMBjGtCvc ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2023

PM MODIS MANN KI BAAT 107TH EPISODE  TOP QUOTES
Uttarkashi Rescue LIVE: Indian Army Steps In For Manual Drilling As Auger Machine Breaks Down

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the house of Tanakpur worker Pushkar Singh Airi  one of the workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel  to meet his family. READ MORE

WATCH | Tearful Reunions on Both Sides as Freed Israeli Hostages, Palestinian Prisoners Head Home

Palestinian terrorist group Hamas released a second group of 13 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners on Saturday. The Israeli authorities responded by freeing 39 prisoners who were held in Israeli custody for various offences. READ MORE

Telangana: BRS Star Campaigner KTR Served EC Notice; KCR Gets Advisory Over Model Code of Conduct

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao has been served a notice by the Election Commission for combining an official visit with the political/private one, while his father and party head K Chandrashekar Rao gets an advisory from the poll body where it has asked him to follow the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). READ MORE

Bigg Boss 17: Orrys SHOCKING Reply About World Cup Winner Leaves Abhishek Kumar in Shock

Orry Awatramani is a popular internet sensation and everyone is curious to know about him. Well, no one has a correct answer for this but he has been ruling the headlines for this question. Well, on Saturday he was seen making a grand entry to the popular reality show Bigg Boss 17. Orry was introduced by Salman Khan with whom he has also posted selfies earlier on social media. However, a video surfaced which has left all fans in splits and shocked at the same time. READ MORE

Air India Express Launches Year-End Christmas Discount Offers, Check Deals and other Benefits

In a move to provide big benefits during the festive season, the leading carrier Air India has introduced the Christmas Comes Early sale, providing a good discount on both national and international flights. As per the official details shared by the company, interested passengers can avail up to 30 percent on flights, and can save a decent amount. READ MORE

Proud Jannik Sinner Twice Beats Novak Djokovic to Send Italy into Davis Cup Final

A proud Jannik Sinner beat world number one Novak Djokovic twice in one day to send Italy into the Davis Cup final with a 2-1 win over Serbia on Saturday in Malaga. READ MORE
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) conducted simultaneous raids in four states on Sunday where it seized incriminating documents and digital devices in connection with the Pakistan-backed Ghazwa-e-Hind terror module case.

The raids were conducted at the premises of suspects in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh, Gir Somnath district of Gujarat, Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh and Kozhikode district of Kerala, leading to the seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices.

The raids revealed links of the suspects, whose premises were searched today, with Pakistan-based handlers. During the raids, mobile phones, SIM cards and several documents were seized by the federal agency.

These suspects were in contact with the handlers and were involved in propagating the radical, anti-India idea of Gazwa-e-Hind, it said.

The raids were part of the ongoing investigations in the case RC- 32/2022/NIA-DLI, commonly referred to as the Gazwa-e-Hind case, Patna (Bihar).

The case was initially registered on July 14 last year by the Phulwarisharif police in Bihar, following the arrest of Marghoob Ahmad Danish alias Tahir who was the administrator of the WhatsApp group Ghazwa-e-Hind, created by a Pakistani national identified as Zain.

The official said the accused, Tahir, had added many people from India as well as other countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Yemen, to the group, which was also active on other social media platforms such as Telegram and BiP Messenger.

Aimed at radicalizing impressionable youths in the name of establishment of Ghazwa-e-Hind over the territory of India, the group was being operated by Pakistan-based suspects, the spokesperson said.

The case was initially investigated by Bihar Police, who filed an FIR against one Marghoob Ahmad Danish. In July 2022, NIA took over the investigation from Bihar Police and a chargesheet has already been filed against Danish by the anti-terror agency under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
A sub-adult tiger from Rajasthan has entered Madhya Pradeshs Kuno National Park (KNP), where cheetahs from Africa have been introduced to revive their population in the country, an official said on Sunday. Tiger pugmarks were found inside KNP two to three days back, said forest officials.

Park director Uttam Sharma told PTI that there is no direct threat to the cheetahs as they have been kept in soft enclosures or bomas in the park. Officials said the tiger, around three years old, forayed into the protected forest from Rajasthans Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, which is about 100 km from KNP. The park now has seven male and as many female cheetahs and a cub.

Officials said leopards too are scared of tigers and are very watchful of them. KNP has a high density of leopards, they said. The Kuno National Park is spread over 748 sq km. Besides, it has a buffer area of 487 sq km. The average weight of a male tiger animal is about 200 kg, while that of a male cheetah is between 55 and 60 kg, they added.

Under the cheetah reintroduction project, eight Namibian cheetahs, comprising five females and three males, were released into enclosures at KNP on September 17 last year. In February this year, 12 more cheetahs arrived at KNP from South Africa. Later, four cubs were born in the park, raising the number of the felines to 24.

Since March, nine cheetahs, including three cubs, have died, while 14 cheetahs and one cub are in healthy condition, officials had said earlier. Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952.
In a sad saga of deception, lies, and an unfortunate right swipe on a dating app, 28-year-old Dushyant Sharma lost his life after his date kidnapped and killed him in an extortion attempt in Rajasthans Jaipur. The series of unfortunate events began in February 2018, when businessman Dushyant matched with 27-year-old Priya Seth on Tinder.

However, what seemed like a normal meet-cute, was actually built on a web of lies. Priya started interacting with Dushyant only to kidnap and extort money from him. Dushyant, on the other hand, was married but posed as a wealthy bachelor from Delhi with a fake nameVivan Kohli.

Tale Of Two Lies

After three months of talking on the app, with both lying about their intentions, the two decided to meet in person in May 2018, when Priya invited Dushyant to his rented accommodation.

Both their lies unraveled soon after Dushyant walked into Priyas house, and the woman, with the help of two accomplices  Dikshant Kamra and Lakshya Walia  kidnapped him.

When the kidnappers made the ransom call to the Dushyant family in order to demand Rs 10 lakh, Priya and her accomplices realised that the Delhi businessman was not as rich as he claimed to be, and had put up a fake identity all this time.

After the ransom call, Dushyants father deposited Rs 3 lakh in his sons account. From this amount, the accused withdraw Rs 20,000 from an ATM near Jaipurs Nehru Udhyan using the victims debit card.

Fearing that their crime will come to light, the accused killed Dushyant by stabbing him multiple times and smothering him with a pillow. They then cut his body into pieces and stuffed them into a suitcase, and then dumped it on the Delhi road.

Criminals Prosecuted

Now, five years after the crime, a court in Jaipur sentenced Priya, Dishkant and Lakshya to life imprisonment for killing Dushyant. In his order on Friday, Sessions Judge Ajit Kumar Hinger said the prosecution has presented adequate evidence to authenticate facts.

The prosecution has presented adequate evidence to authenticate these facts. The evidence presented by the prosecution proved that the accused have committed the crime, Lohariya quoted the judge as saying.

Based on the evidence, the court convicted the three accused under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced them to life imprisonment, he said.

As per the police, Seth and Kamra have a criminal history. She was arrested thrice in 2014, 2016 and 2017 for breaking an ATM machine while Kamra was arrested once in Mumbai.

The Tinder Murder Documentary

After the case came to light in May 2018, journalist Deepika Narayan Bharadwaj in July same year interviewed the victims father and the three accused for a documentary. In a video interview, a smiling Priya, in a casual demure, talks about blackmailing thousands of men before kidnapping and murdering Dushyant.

THE TINDER MURDERALL CONVICTED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT I spoke to Dushyants father He said this video showed the face of these murderers to the nation & it helped immensely in the case !!! #TinderMurder #PriyaSeth pic.twitter.com/p9zNLftH5s  Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) November 24, 2023

I used to go to the men and take money, after that I went out telling them that I had to pay the driver and made off with their money, she said.

She also revealed other chilling details about the murder including the fact that the trio had already killed Dushyant even before they called his father for the ransom.

First Dikshant strangled him but he survived, then Lakshya smothered him with a pillow, but he still survived. Then Lakshya asked for a knife that he used to stab Dushyant to death, she said narrating the sequence of events.

However, according to her accomplice Lakshya, it was Priya who stabbed Dushyant first.
November 19: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari reviewed the rescue operation and said that horizontal drilling seemed to be the best option for rescuing the 41 trapped workers.

November 20: The rescue op witnessed its first major breakthrough after a six inch wide lifeline pipe was inserted through the debris to send more solid food to the workers.

November 21: An endoscopic camera was sent in through the six-inch lifeline pipe, after which the first visuals of the trapped workers emerged.

November 22: Rescuers said that the operation had entered its final stage, adding that ambulances and hospital beds were kept ready on standby.

November 23: The auger machine was faced with another hurdle after it hit a metal pipe in the evening.

November 24: Rescue operations were halted once again after the auger machine hit a snag on Friday.

November 25: Uttarkhand Chief Minister visited the site to take stock of the situation and said that plasma cutter was being flown in from Hyderabad to cut the stuck auger machine out of the tunnel.
The rescuers have begun vertical drilling of the Uttarkashi tunnel to evacuate 41 workers trapped inside the rubble as the rescue mission drags on for the last 15 days.

The vertical drilling to rescue the trapped workers inside Uttarkashis Silkyara tunnel began on Sunday afternoon after the auger machine failed to make any headways.

So far, 19.2 metres of vertical drilling has been done so far, according to Mahmood Ahmed, MD of National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).

45 metres of vertical drilling is expected to be finished by Monday morning, Ahmed said, adding that after 45 metres, the vertical drilling machine will be changed.

The development comes even as a plasma cutter was flown in from Hyderabad on Sunday to cut and remove parts of the auger machine stuck in the rubble inside the Silkyara tunnel.

Considered as the second-best option, the work on vertical drilling started around noon and 17 meters of drilling was completed on Sunday evening, Former advisor to PMO Bhaskar Khulbe said.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain said that after 86 meters of vertical drilling, the crust of the tunnel will have to be broken to bring out the trapped workers.

The vertical drilling, which was scheduled to begin earlier this week, was halted due to some problems on the upper part of the hill.

So far, two locations have been identified for the vertical drilling and both are on the Silkyara side of the under-construction tunnel, part of which caved in on November 12.

On day 14 of the multi-agency rescue mission, officials shifted focus to two alternatives  manual drilling through the remaining 10- or 12-metre stretch of the rubble or, more likely, drilling down 86 metres from above.

Syed Ata Hasnain also said that the best plan so far remains horizontal drilling. The best plan so far is plan 1 (horizontal drilling) where the drilling inside will be done manually. The second-best alternate technique remains vertical drilling.

Several agencies are working on the rescue efforts in a synchronized manner. The Indian Air Force has also joined in as it flew critical DRDO equipment to Dehradun.

The American auger machine, which started its horizontal drilling, hit a metallic grinder in the rubble of the collapsed rubble and broke down, putting a halt to the rescue operations for the third time in 15 days. The auger machine has already drilled 47 metre inside the tunnel.

Meanwhile, work is on to retrieve broken parts of the auger machine, the NDMA member said, adding magna and plasma cutters are being used for the purpose.

Once the broken parts are retrieved, manual digging of 15 meters will be done to reach out to the trapped workers though it may take time, he said, stressing that all concerned agencies are working to make the rescue operation a success.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that a plasma machine from Hyderabad was shipped in, and has started cutting out the pieces of the auger to advance the rescue operations.
Actor-turned-director Deepak Tijori has accused filmmaker Mohit Suri of betraying him during his transition to film direction. Tijori claimed that Suri took an idea he had pitched to producer Mahesh Bhatt without giving him credit. The film is Suris debut, Zeher and Tijori insists it was originally his concept.

In an interview with Bollywood Thikana, Tijori said, I wanted to work with Mahesh Bhatt. I went to narrate the film to him, while he was on the treadmill. He heard me for like 15-20 minutes and then he said, I did not enjoy it. Forget it. Afterwards, the actor remembered meeting Suri outside Bhatts room and asking him to talk sense into Bhatt. However, four days later, Anurag Basu got in touch with Tijori and shared that Bhatt liked Out of Time and had decided to launch Suri with that film.

Recalling it, Tijori said, Mereko itna gussa aya na, matlab ghar ke log. I mean, this is my second career and this is my life. Mere second career ka pehla dhoka aur itna bada dhoka. Aur uske baad se leke aaj tak woh mere saamne aake nahi bola yeh baat ki usne yeh dhoka kiya hai mere saath. (I felt so angry, because I thought of the Bhatts as family. I mean, this is my second career, and this is my life. The first betrayal of my second career, and that too, such a big betrayal. And since then, until today, he has never come in front of me and admitted that he betrayed me in this way).

He added, Zeher, uski pehli film. Woh mera idea tha. Lekin ek baar woh phone kardeta na yaar. Mereko bol deta na maine kiya hai yeh. Kya farak padta hai. I was working with Udita in Fox, I wanted to tell her kis aadmi ke saath affair hai tera. (Zeher, his first film, was my idea. But if he had just called once, you know. If only he had just told me what he did. What difference would it have made? I was working with Udita (Goswami) in Fox, I wanted to tell her). But eventually they got married and they are happy. I am happy for them. But I just feel that.
Kangana Ranaut took to social media to share a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a sortie on a fighter jet. She expressed hope that he has watched the recently released film Tejas. Kangana, known for her outspoken nature, posted the photo on her Instagram stories which created a buzz among netizens. To note, On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a sortie on a Tejas fighter jet during his visit to defence public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru.

In the photo, Prime Minister Modi is seen donning a pilots gear as he embarks on the sortie. Kangana Ranaut, in her caption, wrote, We hope honourable Prime Minister @narendramodi ji saw our film #Tejas dedicated to made in Bharat fighter jet Tejas and our Indian Air Force. Those of you who missed it in the theatres, soon it will be available on @ZEE5India and @SonyLIV. Jai Hind. Sharing the experience, Modi tweeted, Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our countrys indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential.

Take a look here:

In Tejas, Ranaut played the lead role of IAF officer Tejas Gill, who is on a mission to rescue an Indian spy alongside Anshul Chauhan and Varun Mitra. Released in October 2023, the film failed to impress the audience. On the work front, she was also seen in the Tamil comedy-horror sequel Chandramukhi 2, in which Kangana played the role of a dancer.

Kangana Ranaut recently took to social media to announce that she has begun working on her next movie in Chennai. She revealed on Saturday, November 18, that the film is a psychological thriller. Even though Kangana did not share much information about the yet-to-be-titled movie, she said that it is a very unusual and exciting script. Later in the day, she also revealed that Rajinikanth came to her set to surprise her.
Israa Jaabis, center, a Palestinian prisoner released by Israel, is hugged by relatives as she arrives home in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber, early Sunday Nov. 26, 2023. (Mahmoud Illean/AP)

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip  The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the group freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third exchange under a four-day truce that the U.S. said it hoped would be extended. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners, all young men.

Some hostages were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt. Israels army said one was airlifted to a hospital. U.S. President Joe Biden said the elderly woman was very sick and was in need of immediate medical help. Hundreds of Israelis draped in flags cheered as freed hostages, waving, arrived at an air force base.

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They ranged in age from 4 to 84 and included Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl and dual citizen whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7. What she endured was unthinkable, Biden said of the first American freed under the truce. He did not know her condition. He did not have updates on other American hostages and said his goal was to extend the cease-fire deal as long as possible.

In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office. Three more Thai nationals were released. Separately, Hamas said it released a Russian hostage in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian-Israeli citizen was the first male hostage to be freed.

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A fourth exchange is expected on Monday  the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. Most are women and minors. Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation.

We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing, said two of Edans relatives, a great aunt and cousin, in a statement thanking mediators.

International mediators led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are trying to extend the cease-fire that began Friday.

Hamas for the first time said it would seek to extend the deal by looking to release a larger number of hostages. The Israeli armys chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said it was open to extending the cease-fire if more hostages are released. Israel earlier said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends.

Ahead of the latest release, Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke with troops. At the end of the day we will return every one, he said of the hostages, adding that we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us. It was not clear where he went inside Gaza.

This is the first significant pause in seven weeks of war, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. The war has claimed more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed in the initial attack.

Life in captivity

Families from the southern Israeli town of Kfar Aza embraced, cried, and applauded Sunday at the news that hostages from their town had arrived in Israel. More than 70 members of the kibbutz of around 700 people were killed and 18 were kidnapped.

The freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye. Hospitals said their physical condition has largely been good. Little is publicly known about the conditions of their captivity.

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Merav Raviv, whose three relatives were released on Friday, said they had been fed irregularly and lost weight. One reported eating mainly bread and rice and sleeping on a makeshift bed of chairs pushed together. Hostages sometimes had to wait for hours to use the bathroom, she said.

Pressure from families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israels leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power. Hamas and other fighter groups seized around 240 people during the incursion into southern Israel that ignited the war. Fifty-eight have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.

Hamas commander killed

Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking fighter known to have been killed in the fighting. Israels military confirmed the death.

Al-Ghandour had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian fighters captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

Hamas said he was killed along with three other senior fighters, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas rocket-firing unit. The Israeli military mentioned both men in a Nov. 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of fighters, without providing evidence.

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Elsewhere, the war has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian health authorities said Sunday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin that began the day before. The war toll in the West Bank is now 239.

The Israeli army has conducted frequent raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war, mostly people it suspects of being Hamas members.

Aid to northern Gaza

The pause has given some respite to Gazas 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza fighters into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, returned to the streets. Entire city blocks in and around Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes.

But those among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled the north have been turned back by Israeli troops while trying to return to check their homes.

They open fire on anyone approaching from the south, said Rami Hazarein, who fled Gaza City.

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The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (around a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said Israeli forces opened fire Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the other. An Israeli military spokesperson said they werent aware of the incident.

The United Nations says the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war, but it calls the amount of 160 to 200 trucks a day hardly enough.

It was able to deliver fuel for the first time since the war began, and to reach areas in the north for the first time in a month. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said 50 Egyptian aid trucks crossed through checkpoints to reach Gaza City and northern areas Sunday.

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Magdy reported from Cairo. Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
APM Investment Holdings, a subsidiary of the Egyptian ASEC Company for Mining (ASCOM), sold 35 percent of its share in Kurmuk Gold Project in Ethiopia to Allied Gold Corporation (AGC), a Canadian company, for a total of $99.6 million, according to a bourse filing on Sunday.

The deals value includes issuing 11.5 million shares for APM in AGC with a total market value of $34.6 million.

AGC will also pay $65 million to APM in three instalments starting on 30 September 2024.

In 2017, ASCOM, which is a private company, sold 64.46 percent of its shares in Ethiopian subsidiary APM Ethiopia to AGC for $14.5 million.

With over 35 years of exceptional track record in the Egyptian market, ASCOM has expanded its operations covering North and East Africa, the Gulf, and the Levant regions.

Egyptian and Canadian companies are increasing their cooperation in the field of gold mining and exploration.

On Sunday, the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority (EMRA) signed an agreement with Canadian Lotus Gold Corporation for exploration concessions on 525 square kilometres with $2.5 million in investments.

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In a recent discussion with Ranveer Allahabadia on his podcast, Neena Gupta expressed her views on feminism and the concept of equality between men and women. The actor candidly referred to feminism as faltu (useless) and said that she doesnt see the need to believe in equal treatment. She added that true equality would only exist when men can go through pregnancy.

Speaking to Ranveer Allahabadia, Neena Gupta said in Hindi, I want to say that its not necessary to believe in faltu feminism (useless feminism) or the idea that women are equal to men. Instead, focus on achieving financial independence and giving attention to your work. If youre a housewife, dont look down on it; its an important role. Boost your self-esteem and avoid thinking of yourself as small. Thats the main message I want to convey. That apart, men and women are not equal. The day men start getting pregnant, that day we will be equal.

Elaborating on her point, the actor shared a personal anecdote, saying, You need a man. I will tell a small story. I had to catch a flight once at 6 am. I did not have a boyfriend at that time. I came out of the house at 4 am and it was dark. A man started following me, and I was so scared. I went back to my house and I missed my flight. The next day I booked the same flight. But I stayed at my male friends house and he dropped me off. I need a man.

This year, the veteran actor starred in projects such as Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway and Vishal Bhardwajs web series Charlie Chopra and The Mystery Of Solang Valley. That apart, she featured in R Balkis short film Lust Stories 2. Neena Gupta also has Anurag Basus Metro In Dino lined up.
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai Attack. The horrors of this incident remain vivid in the memories of every Mumbaikar and those of India. Apart from the Twin Tower attack in New York, a security breach of this magnitude, like the Mumbai attack, has never occurred anywhere in the world. On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists infiltrated south Mumbai via the sea, launching attacks at multiple locations in the city. The assault by the Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) claimed the lives of 166 individuals and injured over 300 people.

To mark the day, Divyaj Foundation, led by Amruta Fadnavis, held the Global Peace Honours at the Gateway of India, paying solemn tribute to the unsung heroes of 26/11. In attendance was Shah Rukh Khan and other celebs. Shah Rukh Khan looked dapper in a black suit as he arrived for the event. The videos are being widely shared on social media.

#NeverForget2611 | #WATCH | Actor Shah Rukh Khan attends the 'Global Peace Honours' event organised by Divyaj Foundation at the Gateway of India to pay tribute to the unsung heroes of 26/11. pic.twitter.com/ZEwzj6Mff6 ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2023

The Gateway of India, an iconic symbol in Mumbai, is a fitting backdrop with its majestic presence overlooking the Arabian Sea, creating an atmosphere that suits the seriousness and grandeur of the tribute. This occasion witnessed around 600-700 distinguished guests from various fields, including political figures, philanthropists and entertainers. The event brought together celebrities, politicians, diplomats, and dignitaries to not only pay respects to our peacekeepers but also reinforce the global message of peace, unity, and compassion.

Speaking about the event, Amruta Fadnavis had earlier said in a statement, Global Peace Honours is our way of acknowledging the selflessness and bravery of those who stood strong for peace and also the resilience of Mumbai which kept us together.
Vicky Kaushal is gearing up for the release of Sam Bahadur. The audience has loved the trailer and they are eagerly waiting for its release. Well, recently he was seen in Dubai promoting his film. The video has surfaced online in which he is engaged in a heartwarming interaction with fans. His candid moments have won everyones hearts on the internet.

In the video, shared by Voompla, Vicky Kaushal can be seen warmly interacting with fans in Dubai. He is seen taking the blessing of an elderly woman. No doubt the actor is looking very handsome in formals. Sam Bahadur is a biographical drama featuring Vicky Kaushal essaying the role of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, a legendary figure in the Indian Army. Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Shaikh are also seen in the film.

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Voompla (@voompla)

Sharing the trailer on his Instagram handle, Vicky Kaushal had written, Zindagi unki, itihaas hamara. The teaser opens with Sam Bahadur aka Vicky Kaushal sharing a motivating message to his soldiers. Ek soldier apne wardi ki izzat ke liye apne jaan bhi de sakta hai (a soldier can also give away his life for his uniform, he says. It then presents how Sam Bahadur took the lead and helped India to attain victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The teaser also shares a glimpse of Fatima Sana Shaikh as the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It also reveals that Sanya Malhotra will be playing the role of Vicky Kaushals wife in the film.

Indias first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw career in the army spanned over four decades and five wars. He was the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal and his military victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war led to the creation of Bangladesh.

Sam Bahadur will be clashing with Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal. Both are releasing on December 1.
Vijay Varma has been dating Tamannaah Bhatia for quite some time now. The duo dish out major couple goals, and dont shy away from expressing their love for each other. The actor was recently asked if he has plans of marrying her soon.

In the Sahitya Aaj Tak event in Delhi, Vijay joked that no girl wants him to get married. He shared, Koi ladki nahi chahti ki mai shaadi karu, pehli baat toh! Na to iska jawab mai mataji ko de pata hun na kisi aur ko (First of all, no girl wants me to get married. I give this answer to neither my mother, nor anyone else).

Meanwhile, it is being said that the duo is all set to take their relationship to the next level as they are reportedly planning to get married soon. According to a report in a portal, Telugu Cinema, Tamannaah and Vijay are seriously considering tying the knot. The report recently stated that Tamannaah is under pressure from her parents to get married. It also claimed that the actress has not signed any new movie after appearing in Bhola Shankar and the Kaavaalaa song in Rajinikanth starrer Jailer. However, there is no official confirmation regarding Tamannaah and Vijays wedding plan as of now.

The actor also added that he is living his best time now and revealed that the toughest time for him was when he waited for the theatrical release of Monsoon Shootout (2013). He also shared that he had this feeling that after the appreciation it received at Cannes Film Festival, he expected his life would drastically change but that wasnt the case.

Vijay also talked about his work in Mirzapur and added that he tried to copy to Pankaj Tripathi and had seen many of his videos to get the tone and accent right.

Meanwhile on the work front, Vijay was last seen in the role of a police officer in Sujoy Ghoshs Netflix India film Jaane Jaan which also starred Jaideep Ahlawat and Kareena Kapoor. He will next be seen in Suriya 43 where he would be seen sharing screen space with Nazriya Fahadh and Dulquer Salmaan.
The government has convened an all-party meeting on December 2 ahead of the Winter session of Parliament, sources said on Saturday. The session will begin on December 4 and conclude on December 22.

Though the all-party meeting is convened a day before the session begins, this time it has been advanced by a day apparently due to the counting of votes for five states on December 3 where polls are underway.

The results of the assembly elections will have a major bearing on the session during which the government is keen to pass key bills.

The report of the Ethics Committee on the cash-for-query allegations against TMC MP Mahua Moitra will be tabled in Lok Sabha during the session. The House will have to adopt the report before the expulsion recommended by the panel comes into effect.

Three key bills which seek to replace the IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act are likely to be taken up for consideration during the session as the standing committee on Home has already adopted the three reports recently.

Another key bill pending in Parliament relates to the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners.

Introduced in the Monsoon session, the government had not pushed for its passage in the special session of Parliament amid protests from the opposition and former chief election commissioners as it seeks to bring on a par the status of the CEC and ECs with that of the cabinet secretary. At present, they enjoy the status of a Supreme Court judge.
Malaysia on Sunday said it will allow visitors from India 30 days of visa-free travel from December 1. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the same provision applied for Chinese citizens as well.

Malaysia is the third Asian country after Sri Lanka and Thailand to allow visa-free travel to Indian citizens. At present, travellers from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Turkey and Jordan enjoy visa exemption in the country.

The prime minister, however, said the visa exemption for Indian and Chinese citizens will be subject to security clearance. Those with criminal record and risk of violence will not get the visa, he added.

Anwar said home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will announce the details on the visa exemption soon.

On November 24, China announced 15-day visa-free policy for Malaysians from December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024. Thanking the Chinese government, Anwar said: Next year, Malaysia will be celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties with China.

The announcement came in the wake of the ASEAN-India Media Exchange Programme 2023, where High Commissioner to Malaysia BN Reddy said Indias relationship with Malaysia was very precious. This is one relationship which is very important for the region given the proximity, diaspora connect, and the desire of both governments to realise this enhanced strategic partnership, he said.

The two countries just concluded 65 years of diplomatic relations last year and are in the process of now realising the enhanced strategic partnership established during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit in 2015.

In 2022, India was Malaysias 11th largest trading partner with total trade amounting to RM 86.22 billion (USD 19.63 billion), an increase of 23.6 percent compared to the recorded value in 2021.

(With PTI inputs)
Bringing back memories of the Covid-19 pandemic, four years after it first emerged in the country, China is dealing with a surge in respiratory illnesses being likened to a kind of pneumonia. Affecting mostly children, it is being associated with the onset of winter and ongoing influenza.

India issued a health advisory for all states and union territories on Sunday, asking them to immediately review public health preparedness amid rising cases in northern China. The ministry of health and family welfare said it has decided to proactively review preparatory measures against respiratory illnesses as a matter of extreme caution.

The increase in cases of respiratory illness in China was flagged by WHO and attributed to usual causes such as influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia and SARS-CoV-2. China lifted Covid restrictions last December. The global health body has sought additional information from the Chinese authorities, and it has been assessed that there is no cause for alarm at the moment. Experts said there is little to suggest the cases were caused by a new virus.

Here is what we know so far:

What and where?

On November 13, Chinas National Health Commission reported a surge of respiratory illnesses, mostly in children. Authorities have attributed the rising cases to the end of Covid restrictions, the arrival of the cold season, and the circulation of known pathogens including influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS-CoV-2  the virus that causes Covid.

On November 20, the public disease surveillance system ProMED  which once issued an early warning about mysterious pneumonia cases that turned out to be Covid  reported that some Chinese hospitals were overwhelmed with sick children due to a pneumonia outbreak. This was said to be mainly in the capital Beijing, but also in the northeastern Liaoning province and other areas in China.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms include fever, lung inflammation without a cough, and pulmonary nodules  lumps on lungs that are usually the result of a past infection. No deaths have been reported. Some children in Beijing have mycoplasma pneumonia, which is a common cause of pneumonia in children that is readily treated with antibiotics.

What do China and WHO say?

While social media users have dubbed this a new virus coming from China, or a new Covid, the WHO on November 22 requested more information from China about children suffering from undiagnosed pneumonia.

Beijing responded the next day saying there has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens but the WHO has requested more information, noting that China closely monitors trends in viruses such as the flu, RSV and SARS-CoV-2.

Beijing was repeatedly criticised for a lack of transparency throughout the Covid pandemic. But, the country also started monitoring mycoplasma pneumonia for the first time in mid-October.

The WHO said there is limited detailed information available to fully characterise the overall risk of the reported cases of the respiratory illness. But, it added that an increase in such illnesses was to be expected with the arrival of winter.

Is this the outbreak of a new disease? And why now?

Experts have pointed to winters arrival, the end of Covid restrictions, and a lack of prior immunity in children as likely being behind rising infections. Since China experienced a far longer and harsher lockdown than essentially any other country on Earth, it was anticipated that those lockdown exit waves could be substantial in China, Francois Balloux of University College London told AFP.

He added that unless there is new evidence suggesting otherwise, there is no reason to suspect the emergence of a novel pathogen.

Paul Hunter of the UKs University of East Anglia emphasised that at present there is too little information to make a definitive diagnosis.

He added: Overall, this does not sound to me like an epidemic due to a novel virus. If it was, I would expect to see many more infections in adults. The few infections reported in adults suggest existing immunity from a prior exposure.

Catherine Bennett of Australias Deakin University pointed out that young children in school in China will have spent up to half their life without the usual exposure to common pathogens, and so do not have the same levels of immunity.

What are the recommendations, if any?

The WHO recommended that people in affected areas should follow normal rules to avoid respiratory illnesses. These include getting vaccinated, isolating if symptoms emerge, and getting tested or wearing masks if necessary. Based on the current information, the WHO advised against any travel restrictions involving China.

What is India saying?

The health ministry in its advisory to states and UTs said: This is noted to be important in view of the ongoing influenza and winter season that results in an increase in respiratory illness cases. The Government of India is closely monitoring the situation and indicated that there is no need for any alarm, it said.

The union health secretary has also advised for the immediate review of public health and hospital preparedness such as availability of beds, drugs and vaccines for influenza, medical oxygen, antibiotics, personal protective equipment, testing kits and reagents, functionality of oxygen plants and ventilators, and infection control practices.

State authorities have been advised to implement the Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of Covid-19, shared earlier this year, which provides for integrated surveillance of respiratory pathogens presenting as cases of influenza like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI). They have also been asked to ensure that the trends of ILI and SARI, particularly among children and adolescents, are closely monitored by district and state surveillance units of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP).

The data of ILI/SARI is required to be uploaded on the IDSP-IHIP portal. States have also been asked to send nasal and throat swab samples of patients with SARI, particularly children and adolescents, to the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories for testing for respiratory pathogens.

(With agency inputs)
Thousands of people took to the streets across the world on Saturday to condemn violence against women on the international day highlighting the crime.

On the UN-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, protesters marched in Europe and the Americas.

The scourge of gender-based violence continues to inflict pain and injustice on too many, US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

An estimated one in three women globally will experience physical violence, rape, or stalking at some point in their lifetimes. Its an outrage.

Particularly in areas of conflict, countless women and girls suffer at the hands of perpetrators who commit gender-based violence and use rape as a weapon of war.

In Guatemala, protesters kicked off commemorations on Friday evening, placing candles to write out 438  the number of women killed so far this year.

In the Chilean capital of Santiago, some 1,000 protesters marched through the streets Friday night, chanting Not one step backward and demanding action by the government to protect women.

A womens advocacy group estimates that 40 femicides have occurred in the country this year.

Along Rio de Janeiros famed Copacabana Beach, protesters lined up 722 pairs of womens shoes, from high-heels to sneakers, each pair before a womans name to represent the femicides recorded in 2022  the highest number since 2019, according to the non-governmental Brazilian Forum on Public Safety.

And in Argentina, demonstrators  including those concerned by the election of incoming president Javier Milei  in Buenos Aires combined a protest on violence against women with a show of support for the Palestinian people.

Milei has suggesting eliminating the Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity  in charge of preventing gender violence  and has taken hardline stances on issues including abortion and equal pay

Italy murder

In Italy, which has been shaken by the murder of a 22-year-old university student allegedly by her former boyfriend, some 50,000 people, according to the AGI news agency, demonstrated in Rome, where the Colosseum was to be lit up in red later on Saturday.

The country has been horrified by the case of Giulia Cecchettin, who went missing for a week as she was due to receive her degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Padua.

Her body was eventually found in a gully about 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Venice, and her former boyfriend, 22-year-old Filippo Turetta, was arrested in Germany.

This year takes on particularly important connotations for us for those in this country who care about the rights, claims and emancipation of all women, following yet another femicide, the killing of Giulia Cecchettin, said Luisa Loduce, a 22-year-old librarian.

In the year to November 12, there have been 102 murder cases with female victims in Italy, 82 of them by family members or current or former partners, according to the interior ministry.

In Turkey, some 500 women gathered in the Sisli district in Istanbul, as riot police stood by, unfurling banners reading We will not remain silent and Women are united and fighting against male-state violence.

Protesters also took to the streets in Ankara.

Educate your boys

In France, several thousand people, many wearing purple, the color of women and gender equality, wove through the chilly streets of Paris and other cities, carrying signs reading: One rape every six minutes in France and Protect your girls, educate your boys.

We dont want to count the dead any more, Maelle Lenoir, an official from the All of Us activist group, told reporters, urging the government to devote more money to eradicating violence against women.

France has recorded 121 women killed so far this year in femicides, the killing of a woman due to her gender, compared with 118 in 2022, according to government data.

Leonore Maunoury, 22, said that the justice system needed to be changed to deal effectively with the phenomenon, as she marched in the eastern city of Strasbourg.

Sexual violence is difficult to prove. Many cases are dismissed. The justice system is ill-adapted to deal with the issue, she said.
Fourteen Israeli hostages and three foreign nationals were handed over to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the Israeli army said.

Based on information that was received from the Red Cross, 14 Israeli hostages and three foreign hostages have been transferred to the Red Cross, it said in a statement on the third day of an agreed pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas, that is to also see Palestinian prisoners freed in Israel, according to AFP.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who made his first to Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began, told his soldiers that Israel will continue until it wins.

Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the force, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all of our goals for the war, and this is what we will do. pic.twitter.com/ZxZH6pmoJT Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 26, 2023

Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the force, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all of our goals for the war, and this is what we will do, the Israeli Prime Ministers office posted on X, formerly Twitter.

In exchange for the Israeli hostages, a total of 39 Palestinians held by Israel are to be released from prison on Sunday, Qatars Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said.

As part of agreed commitments, on the third day of the Gaza truce, 39 Palestinian civilians will be released today in exchange for the release of 13 Israeli detainees from Gaza, in addition to a detainee holding Russian citizenship and 3 Thais, Majed Al-Ansari said in post on X.
Attackers seized a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen on Sunday, authorities said. The Turkish-captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. It is carrying a full cargo of phosphoric acid, said the ship operator Zodiac Maritime.

While no group immediately claimed responsibility, it comes as at least two other maritime attacks in recent days have been linked to the Israel-Hamas war. The Liberian-flagged Central Park was seized in the Gulf of Aden, said the company and private intelligence firm Ambrey.

An American defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed to The Associated Press that the attack took place. Zodiac called the seizure a suspected piracy incident. Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew onboard, Zodiac said in a statement.

The ship operator described the vessel as being owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc, though other records directly linked Zodiac as the owner. London-based Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofers Zodiac Group. British corporate records listed two men with the last name Ofer as a current and former director of Clumvez Shipping, including Daniel Guy Ofer, who is also a director at Zodiac Maritime.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack. Nearby Aden is held by forces allied to Yemens internationally recognised government and a Saudi-led coalition that has battled Yemens Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for years. That part of the Gulf of Aden in theory is under the control of those forces and is fairly distant from Houthi-controlled territory in the country. Somali pirates also are not known to operate in that area.

The US defence official said it appeared an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals seized the ship. US and coalition forces are in the vicinity and are closely monitoring the situation. Ambrey said it appeared that US naval forces are engaged in the situation and have asked vessels to stay clear of the area.

Zodiac Maritime has been targeted previously amid a wider years-long shadow war between Iran and Israel. In 2021, a drone attack assessed by the US and other western nations to have been carried out by Iran killed two crew members aboard Zodiacs oil tanker Mercer Street off the coast of Oman.

The British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, had earlier issued a warning to sailors that two black-and-white craft carrying eight persons in military-style clothing had been seen in the area. It issued another warning saying that radio traffic suggested a possible attack had occurred before acknowledging the seizure.

The UKMTO put the ships location over 60 km south of Yemens coast, some 80 km east of Djibouti and around 110 km northeast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden, a key shipping route. The Central Park seizure comes after a container ship, CMA CGM Symi, owned by another Israeli billionaire came under attack Friday by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean. Iran has not acknowledged carrying out the attack, nor did it respond to questions from the AP about that assault.

Both the Symi and the Central Park had been behaving as if they faced a threat in recent days. The ships had switched off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) trackers, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analysed by the AP.

Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. In the Central Parks case, the vessel had last transmitted four days ago after it left the Suez Canal heading south into the Red Sea.

The attacks come as global shipping increasingly finds itself targeted in the weeks-long war that threatens to become a wider regional conflict even as a truce has halted fighting and Hamas exchanges hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. With the Israel-Hamas war, which began with the militant Palestinian groups October 7 attack raging on, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship in the Red Sea off Yemen. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the seizure of the Central Park.
Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians, including two children, in a 24-hour period, in the occupied West Bank, WAFA news agency reported, citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that five Palestinians were killed in Jenin, during an Israeli raid overnight on the city and adjacent refugee camp, while two others were killed in separate areas of the West Bank.

Asaad Ali Damaj, 33, was killed when an Israeli drone struck a house in the camps Damaj neighbourhood, according to eyewitness accounts reported by WAFA.

Four more Palestinians were killed by gunfire: Mahmoud Khalid Abu al-Heja, 17; Ammar Muhammad Abu al-Wafa, 21; Ahmad Abu al-Heja, 20; and Muhammad Mahmoud Freihat, 27.

Israeli drones also struck the public service centre in the camp.

During the raid, Israeli troops stormed the city from multiple directions, firing live rounds and bulldozing several streets.

Six others, including three women, were injured in the airstrike.

Eyewitnesses also reported that Israeli troops stopped an ambulance carrying wounded from the refugee camp and arrested two patients. Israeli forces also laid siege to the Jenin Public Hospital, the local branch of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), and the Ibn Sina Hospital.

In response to the tragic events, national factions in the Jenin governorate declared a general strike on Sunday to mourn the dead.

A 25-year-old doctor was also killed on Saturday outside his home in Qabatiya, near Jenin.

Meanwhile, Udai Musbah Snobar, 30, was shot in the face during confrontations in the village of Yatma, south of Nablus, following an Israeli raid, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

He was transported to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries on Sunday morning.

In the city of Al-Bireh, Mohammad Riyad Saleh, 16, was shot and killed by Israeli occupation soldiers in unclear circumstances.

Two more Palestinians were injured and six others were arrested during Israeli raids in several areas of Hebron, according to Palestinian security sources.

Violence in the West Bank has surged in the weeks since the eruption of the Israeli war on Gaza. Israeli forces have killed over 230 Palestinians and arrested hundreds in the West Bank. Israeli terrorist settlers have also stepped up attacks.

The intensified violence in the territory follows more than a year of escalating raids and arrests in the West Bank. Even before the war, 2023 already was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in over two decades.

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When nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand was released by Hamas terrorists on Saturday, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy began a war of words on social media site X with the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

Emily was among the latest group of hostages released by Hamas terrorists on Saturday. This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered, Varadkar said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Emily Hand wasn't "lost". She was brutally abducted by the death squads that massacred her neighbors.She wasn't "found". Hamas knew where she was all along and cynically held her as a hostage. And Hamas didn't answer your prayers. It answered Israel's military pressure. https://t.co/tewkG4WPgx  Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) November 25, 2023

Israel government spokesperson Eylon Levy reacted to the post by writing: Emily Hand wasnt lost. She was brutally abducted by the death squads that massacred her neighbours. She wasnt found. Hamas knew where she was all along and cynically held her as a hostage. And Hamas didnt answer your prayers. It answered Israels military pressure, Levy said.

Levy and the Israeli government have been unhappy with Ireland regarding its response to the October 7 attacks.

Israel and Ireland relations have been frustrated because of Irelands full support of Palestine and Palestinian non-violent political movements.

The Irish PM Varadkar also accused Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commissions president, of lacking balance and leaning towards Israel.

Ireland was the first EU state to endorse Palestinian statehood  in 1980. The Irish diplomat Niall Holohan who was based in Ramallah from 2002-2006 told the Guardian that Ireland has a history of siding with the underdogs, referring to Palestinians.

We feel we have been victimised over the centuries. Its part of our psyche  underneath it all we side with the underdog, Holohan was quoted as saying.

Levy also referred to Irish support for the Palestinian cause in his post. Without Israels military pressure on Hamas, which Ireland shamefully called something approaching revenge, little Emily Hand would still be a hostage of Hamas. Its not that Hamas was blind, but now it sees (if the above statement is an allusion to Amazing Grace), Levy said.

Amazing Grace is a hymn written in the late 1700s by John Newton.

Hamas on Saturday released a second group of Israeli and foreign civilians it had been holding hostage in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli authorities said 13 Israelis and four Thai citizens had returned to Israel.
Unruly elements affiliated with the Khalistani separatist-terrorist movement staged a so-called protest outside the Kalibari temple in Canadas Mississauga also known as Toronto Kalibari. An unruly mob consisting of a dozen or so Khalistani supporters held Khalistani flags and raised slogans against the Indian government.

The so-called protesters also demanded justice for Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the separatist-terrorist who was shot dead in Canadas Surrey in June. The death of Nijjar has led to war of words between Canada and India, with the former accusing New Delhi of playing a role in the death of Nijjar, who is also a Canadian citizen.

People from the intelligence community familiar with the developments said that these goons have now become frequent visitors to Hindu temples. They said that these issues will be raised with higher authorities and local government as well but pointed out that local administration despite being aware of this has not interfered. They said that followers of the Khalistani movement intimidate Hindus and often remain outside temples for long periods of time.

It should be noted that this is the second time Khalistani elements have attacked worshippers and Ontario Kalibari temple authorities.

Earlier in April, the Kalibari authorities raised concerns about a theft attempt at the temple but suspected the original motive was to demoralise the Hindu community living there and also to spook frequent visitors.

Toronto Kali Bari, a Hindu Temple, in the City of Mississauga was established over 35 years ago and is maintained as a safe, common place of worship to protect and showcase the rich traditions of Hindu culture. Our goal is to provide a comfortable place where peaceful ideals and celebrations are aimed to further the well-being, prosperity and overall development of our community, the Toronto Kalibaris website reads. The three-decades old temple is located at 6815 Professional Court, Mississauga, ON L4V1Y3.

India on several occasions raised concerns with Canada over rising Hinduphobia and attacks on temples but the Canadian government has failed to address those concerns, leading to deterioration of ties between New Delhi and Ottawa.
Nicaraguan authorities have barred the director of the national beauty pageant from re-entering the country after a Nicaraguan woman seen as a symbol of opposition to the government was crowned Miss Universe, media reports and exiled opposition members said.

Karen Celebertti and her daughter were detained upon their arrival at the Managua airport  days after seeing 23-year-old Sheynnis Palacios crowned as the first Miss Universe from Nicaragua  and placed on a flight to Mexico, the opposition-linked La Prensa newspaper reported.

The government blocked Karen Celebertti, owner of the Miss Nicaragua franchise, and her daughter from entering the country, the Costa Rica-based Nicaraguan daily said on its web site.

It was unclear on what grounds Celebertti, a Nicaraguan national, was barred entry. The government has made no comment on the matter.

The writer Gioconda Belli, who lives in Spain after being stripped of her Nicaraguan nationality by the government, contended that Celebertti was blocked at the orders of President Daniel Ortegas wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, despite her success in helping a Nicaraguan win the prestigious contest.

Opposition media also reported that Celeberttis Managua home had been searched Friday and her husband, Martin Arguello, briefly detained.

In a statement to AFP, the Miss Universe Organization called on the Nicaraguan government to guarantee the safety of those associated with the local affiliates of the pageant.

We are working to guarantee the safety of all members of the organization, and we call on the government of Nicaragua to guarantee their safety, it said.

Since Palacios was crowned Miss Universe on November 18 in San Salvador, she has been widely portrayed as a symbol of opposition to Ortega.

Photos showing her waving the Nicaraguan flag at anti-government protests in 2018 have gone viral, and her victory brought joyful crowds into Nicaraguas streets in the biggest public displays since such gatherings were banned five years ago.

Murillo on Wednesday blasted the publication of such photos as malicious (and) terrorist communications that aim to transform a beautiful moment of pride and well-deserved celebration into a destructive coup.

The Nicaraguan opposition has portrayed Palacios victory as a sign of hope. Some in the celebratory crowds waved the blue and white national flag, seen as a symbol of opposition, unlike the partisan red and black flag of the ruling Sandinista Front.

Im so happy to see the joy of Nicaraguans and to see them bring out the clandestine blue and white Thanks to Sheynnis, the writer Belli said on X, the former Twitter.

National symbol

Opposition sources said that on Tuesday, government officials barred two artists from completing a mural of the new Miss Universe in the northern city of Esteli. Photos of the unfinished fresco have circulated on social media.

It is impossible to view this inoffensive contest without considering the political and social reality. She has become a national and emotional symbol who has restored hope. And the government understands this, prize-winning Nicaraguan journalist Wilfredo Miranda, who lives in exile in Costa Rica, told AFP.

Many exiles even viewed the outfit in which Palacios was crowned  a flowing white dress with a blue cape resembling images of Nicaraguas patron saint, the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception  as symbolic amid a government crackdown on the Catholic Church.

Thank you for bringing joy to our suffering people, thank you for giving us hope, Monsignor Silvio Baez, the auxiliary bishop of Managua, wrote on X. He lives in exile in the United States.

A government clampdown on the 2018 protests left more than 350 dead and more than 100,000 in exile. The government has since jailed hundreds of critics.

Miss Fritters

Palacios rose from a modest upbringing in the city of Diriamba, in Carazo department. She, her mother and grandmother started a business selling Nicaraguan sweet fried dough.

Before her victory, a pro-government television presenter had disdainfully nicknamed her Miss Fritters. Exiled Nicaraguan media have not forgotten.

Nor have they forgotten that she studied at the Central American University, a Jesuit school closed last August by the government as a center of terrorism.

The new Miss Universe, who left El Salvador on a multi-nation tour, has dedicated her victory to the six million Nicaraguans  whether in the country or in exile.
At least 18 people were arrested on Saturday during a pro-Palestine protest in London. Some of those held were arrested for displaying a swastika inside a Star of David and other Nazi symbols.

Thousands of pro-Palestine supporters took to the streets of London on Saturday. The police highlighted that the majority of the protesters were peaceful but said that the Metropolitan Police conducted a significant policing operation in order to prevent untoward incidents.

The Metropolitan Police issued a warning before the protest over the spread of hate speech. On Saturday officers handed out leaflets that sought to clarify what would be deemed a criminal offence, after the force faced pressure from senior government officials to be tougher on alleged displays of antisemitism at the protests, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Anyone who is racist or incites hatred against any group should expect to be arrested. As should anyone who supports Hamas or any other banned organisation, said Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Ade Adelekan.

We will not tolerate anyone who celebrates or promotes acts of terrorism  such as the killing or kidnap of innocent people  or who spreads hate speech, Adelekan further added.

The force said 1,500 officers were deployed to police the march.

The protest was called to demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The first arrest was made within minutes as protesters began gathering at Park Lane for the march to Whitehall. Cops said that a man wielding a placard with Nazi symbols on it was arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. A total of five people were detained on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.

Organisers Stop the War Coalition criticised the measure by calling it intrusive but urged protesters to respect these clear anti-racist principles, including in any signs or placards they choose to bring to the march.

The London police said that they also discovered a stall in Whitehall that was distributing literature featuring a swastika inside a Star of David. Police arrested all four people manning the stall.

Frances capital Paris and major cities including Strasbourg, Lyon and Marseille also saw protests in solidarity with Gazas civilians. Other major European cities like Austrian capital Vienna also saw protests in solidarity with Gazas civilians.
Ukraine said on Saturday it had downed 74 out of 75 drones Russia launched at it overnight, in what it said was the biggest such attack since the start of the invasion.

The Ukrainian army said Russia had launched a record number of Iranian-made Shahed drones, the majority of which targeted Kyiv, causing power cuts as temperatures dipped below freezing.

The drone attack came as Ukraine marked Holodomor Remembrance Day, commemorating the 1930s starvation of millions in Ukraine under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

The enemy launched a record number of attack drones at Ukraine! The main direction of the attack is Kyiv, said the commander of Ukraines air force, General Mykola Oleshchuk.

The air force said it had downed 74 out of 75 Shahed drones.

Kyiv authorities said five people  including an 11-year-old  were wounded in the capital, where the air raid lasted six hours.

Falling drone debris had sparked fires and damaged buildings across the city, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

AFP saw Kyiv residents clearing smashed windows and other damage in the citys Dniprovsky district, with ambulances parked nearby.

One of the buildings that was damaged housed a nursery and another had part of its top floor destroyed.

Local resident Viktor Vasylenko said he had soothed his young daughter, who experienced panic and nausea during the long night-time attacks as they sheltered in a corridor.

The 38-year-old said his family always has everything prepared in case of such attacks but this was the first time one had hit so close.

My wife thought that the house would collapse in half, he said.

Latvias president, Edgars Rinkevics, on a visit to Kyiv during the attack, posted a photo of himself on social media inside a dark bomb shelter.

In a statement, the French foreign ministry condemned the drone barrage with the utmost firmness.

More than 21 months into Moscows offensive, fighting is most intense in the east of Ukraine and is now centred around the city of Avdiivka, which is nearly encircled by Russian forces.

Holodomor

Ukraines army said that while the main target of the attack was Kyiv, air defences had also been called into action across the south.

Kyiv said it was symbolic that the capital had been the subject of such a large-scale attack on the day Ukraine marks Holodomor.

More than 70 Shahed on the night of the Holodomor Remembrance Day The Russian leadership is proud of the fact that it can kill, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.

Zelensky attended a ceremony with Kyivs top military brass, holding candles, to mark the event.

We mark the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defend their freedom and Ukraines sovereignty against Russias brutal war of aggression, US President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Ninety years ago, the inhumane polices of Joseph Stalin and the Soviet regime created the death by hunger, he said.

Today, Ukraines agricultural infrastructure is once more being deliberately targetedthis time by Vladimir Putin as part of his drive for conquest and power.

Ukraine says Holodomor  Ukrainian for death by starvation  was caused deliberately by Soviet agricultural policies.

Moscow denies this, and says it was part of a wider famine that also affected Russian parts of the Soviet Union.

Zelensky said it was impossible for Kyiv to forgive or forget the horrific crimes of genocide and thanked the growing number of countries that had recognised Holodomor as a deliberate crime against Ukraine.

They tried to subjugate us, to kill us, to exterminate us, Zelensky said. They failed.

Swiss leader in Kyiv

Switzerlands President Alain Berset was in Kyiv Saturday and paid homage to the victims of Holodomor that he said was provoked by Soviet leaders.

The pair discussed humanitarian demining, the use of frozen profits from the assets of the aggressor country and the peace formula, according to Zelensky.

Switzerlands famous tradition of neutrality has been tested since Russia invaded Ukraine  the Alpine country has followed the EUs lead on sanctions on Moscow, but has refused to allow countries that hold Swiss-made weapons to send them to Kyiv.

Kyiv has set up a new corridor in the Black Sea since Moscow pulled out of the UN-brokered grain deal in July, but it continues to operate under risk.

We have already accumulated more than $100 million (through the Kyiv-installed corridor), Zelensky said.

Drones have been extensively used in the conflict, with Ukraine also launching drones into Russia and annexed Crimea.

In Moscow, Russias top state television presenters took part in a ceremony bidding farewell to war correspondent Boris Maksudov, who was killed by a Ukrainian drone in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine earlier this week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Maksudov a courage award posthumously on Saturday.
Hamas announced on Sunday that one of its top commanders has been killed amidst the ongoing war with Israel.

The militant group said that Ahmed al-Ghandour was killed but did not reveal when or where he was killed. Ghadour was the highest-ranking member of the groups armed wing and was known to have been killed in the war that started after Hamas attack attack into Israel on October 7.

Al-Ghandour was also a top commander in northern Gaza. As per the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based out of Washington, he had survived at least three Israeli attempts to kill him,that goes back to 2002.

(with PTI inputs)
Palestinian terrorist group Hamas released a second group of 13 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners on Saturday. The Israeli authorities responded by freeing 39 prisoners who were held in Israeli custody for various offences.

There was a minor hiccup which led to fears that the hostage-for-prisoner exchange deal would fail after Hamas accused Israel of breaching its side of the agreement. The agreement has also established a four-day ceasefire which is already past its midpoint.

Hamas, in a first, freed one of the people snatched during their bloody assault on the Supernova Music Festival in southern Israel. The terrorist group freed 21-year-old Maya Regev, kidnapped by Hamas in their deadly October 7 assault on the desert rave. Hamas, however, continues to hold her brother, Itay, captive.

The delay in the hostage-for-prisoner exchange deal due to Hamas displeasure was mediated after the intervention of Qatari and Egyptian mediators and reassurances from Israel.

Following a late-night operation, Red Cross minibuses ferried the hostages late at night through Gazas Rafah border crossing with Egypt ahead of their transfer to Israel.

Hamas later said it had responded positively to Egyptian and Qatari mediators, after they relayed a promise by Israel to uphold all the conditions of the accord.

Israeli officials denied any breach of the terms of the pause.

Emotional reunions were reported by the hostage families forum when nine-year-old hostage Emily Hand and Otah Munder met their parents in Tel Aviv.

#WATCH | Israeli nationals who were released on November 24, after being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, reunited with their families at Schneider Children's Medical Center in Israel. (Source: Schneider Medical Centre) pic.twitter.com/CozLU3QnzU  ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2023

We cant find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days, Otahs family said in a statement.

The Schneider Childrens Medical Centre (SCMC) released a video of Otah Munder, a nine-year-old child like Emily, rushing to his father and hugging him in a warm embrace. He was freed along with his mother Keren Munder, 55, and grandmother Ruti Munder, 78.

Meanwhile, in West Bank, muted celebrations amid heavy Israeli police presence and a few crackers greeted 39 Palestinian women and children who were released from Israeli prison.

Among those released were 38-year-old Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in jail for detonating a gas cylinder at a checkpoint in 2015. Jaabis famous photo showing her withered fingers and partially burnt face, is regularly used in demonstrations to illustrate the suffering of Palestinian prisoners.

Im ashamed to talk about rejoicing when the whole of Palestine is wounded, Jaabis told journalists in her living room, sitting beside her 13-year-old son.

I was just waiting for the day I would be released from prison so I could hug my mother like this, said Rawan Abu Matar, who served eight years for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier.
All undeserving beneficiaries of school fees disbursed under the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) will be weeded out after it emerged that some schools have all their learners receiving the grants.

BEAM was introduced by the Government in 2001 as a social safety net to benefit underprivileged learners whose parents cannot afford to pay tuition and examination fees, with the scheme expanded significantly under the Second Republic to take into account roughly a third of school pupils.

However, revelations that there has been widespread abuse of the BEAM funds has prompted Government to review how the funds are being disbursed and to who.

Speaking at the National Association of Primary Heads national conference in Mutare last recently, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Torerayi Moyo said the management of BEAM funds was facing challenges, including abuse.

The late disbursement of funds to deserving learners was also a cause for concern.

Dr Moyo said the countrys central authority would go the extra mile to ensure funds for BEAM were disbursed early for schools to operate optimally. The process to remove undeserving cases from the list of BEAM beneficiaries was already in motion.

This thing called BEAM is a very good thing, said Minister Moyo.

It helps make every citizen access basic education. In my constituency, there is a school where all the 400 learners are under BEAM. Given the late disbursements of BEAM funds, how do we surely expect the school to operate. Here we are saying we must not give BEAM and grant-in-aid-of-tuition facilities to every student in Zimbabwe.

Let the few deserving students be offered those facilities. The majority of learners whose parents can afford should pay. That is our declaration.

Under a concerted campaign dubbed the Mutare golden peacock declaration, Government and stakeholders in the education sector were now embarking on a crusade to encourage parents and guardians to meet the financial demands of their dependants.

Just as the theme of our conference highlights, there is underfunding in our education, but this does not mean we do not have the funds in Zimbabwe, said Dr Moyo.

The sad thing is that we have parents and guardians who do not want to pay school fees for their children. We really have to go out and embark on a drive to urge all parents and guardians to meet the financial demands of their dependants.

We want to come up with a declaration which we will popularise as we seek to make every parent and guardian responsible by paying for their childs school fees.

Dr Moyo commended measures taken so far to curb examination paper leaks and announced more stringent measures Government was working on to plug the loopholes.

We have had the problem of exam leaks in recent years. We have had even Grade Seven exam papers leaking. We are happy that this year, we have not had exam leakages and that makes me proud, he said.

Going forward, we are now focusing of more stringent measures on this challenge of exam leaks.

We have drafted a Bill that we sent to the Attorney Generals office meant to come up with more stringent measures against exam leaks.

The Zimsec (Zimbabwe School Examinations Council) Act provisions, are to me, archaic.

We want to come up with progressive provisions such as imposing nine or 10-year jail terms on anyone responsible for exam paper leaks. That will be deterrent.

The 34th NAPH national conference was held under the theme: Rising above challenges: Underfunding in education, a challenge to the school head. Herald
Zimbabwe has emerged as the global leader in blueberry exports, experiencing unparalleled growth, according to a recent EastFruit report.

Over the past five years, blueberry exports from Zimbabwe have increased by an impressive 63% annually, reaching a total of 1,200 tonnes.

In 2022, Zimbabwe saw an 85% growth in blueberry exports, surpassing 5,000 tonnes, elevating the country to the top 15 global exporters list.

According to a recent report, Zimbabwe is presently the foremost global exporter of blueberries, outpacing all other nations in growth.

The study by EastFruit highlights a surge in blueberry farming investments in Zimbabwe, with exports rising by 63% annually or 1,200 tonnes over the last five years.

The report outlines that new plantations are primarily established by investors from neighbouring South Africa. These investors often diversify or relocate production to Zimbabwe due to highly favourable climatic conditions, access to high-quality water for irrigation, and cost-effective labour.

Furthermore, there has been an uptick in investments from other countries, contributing to the development of new blueberry plantations in Zimbabwe. As per the report, exports witnessed an 85% growth, amounting to over 5,000 tonnes in 2022.

This propelled the country into the top 15 global blueberry-exporting nations, surpassing Serbia in volume, according to Andrij Yarmak, an economist at the investment department of the Food and Agriculture Ministry UN organisations (FAO).

EastFruit experts anticipate continued growth in blueberry exports from Zimbabwe in 2023, projecting a further 30-40% increase to reach 6.5-7.0 thousand tonnes. Given the elevated price levels for blueberries resulting from a poor harvest in Peru, Zimbabwe stands to gain substantially from blueberry exports in the upcoming season.

A significant portion of Zimbabwe's blueberries is exported to South Africa, possibly for subsequent re-exports. The country also directly supplies fresh blueberries to the UK, EU, Middle East countries, and Russia. Business Insider Africa
Move over helicopter parents , tiger moms , and bulldozer dadsa new parenting style (that's quite ancient, actually), would like to take the floor. According to the Hill , a new paper in Developmental Psychology takes a look at the merits of hunter-gatherer childrearing through observations of modern societies like the Mbendjele BaYaka of central Africa. They found that parenting styles in Western, developed nations have many contrasts to the communal childrearing practices of hunter-gatherers, most revolving around the number of adults who help care for the child. "The nuclear family system in the west is a world away from the communal living arrangements of hunter-gatherer societies like the Mbendjele," says evolutionary biologist Dr. Nikhil Chaudhary in a release at Phys.org .

While parenting duties in WEIRD countries (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democraticso yes, that's the acronym) tend to fall on mothers, and later on childcare providers who are responsible for minding several infants and toddlers at once, hunter-gatherer societies create a pool of "all-mothers," which spreads out the care. As a result, hunter-gatherer children have longer amounts of physical contact with many caregivers (on average 10 people, and in some cases, up to 20). This allows birth mothers to receive more time to themselves, and a chance to recoup energy and take breaks. Physical contact is considered key to infant development, and the paper posits that a benefit of the hunter-gatherer model boosts infants' brain development and feelings of security (while also lowering rates of maternal depression).

The study noted that babies in hunter-gatherer care are held close in slings or wraps for eight to nine hours per day. In contrast, babies in Canada and Holland receive under 30 minutes, or "less contact than has been typical throughout human prehistory." The ratio of caregivers to babies is what makes this possible. A dedicated group of "all-mothers," someone besides the child's mother, is holding the baby at least half the time in hunter- gatherer groupsa far cry from what many lone parents experience on maternity leave. A phrase has been coined to describe the toll holding a newborn has on Western mothers: "touched out." Women experiencing this phenomenon are so overwhelmed by the constant physical contact demanded from them, they recoil from additional touch (even from, say, a loving cat).

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Hunter-gatherer all-mothers can include grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and older siblingsand the latter are said to gain confidence in becoming parents one day. The ratio of caregivers to babies is 10-to-1, while daycares in the US are almost reverse, set at a maximum of six children to one adult. The researchers say that despite being costly, adopting hunter-gatherer practices could lead to "reduced risk of abuse and neglect, and enhancement of maternal condition and caregiving." And while creating a system of free, enhanced childcare may seem like a radical change in the US, the researchers note that it would be more of a return to what families have done "for the vast majority of our species' evolutionary history." (Read more parenting stories.)
"I often wonder: where did I go wrong?" Graeme Pearman tells the Guardian . "Why didn't people respond? Is that my responsibility?" In the early '70s, Pearman rang the alarm about what he saw as an impending climate crisis as part of CSIRO, Australia's government agency dedicated to scientific and industrial research. And for a time, his research on the increase in human-caused carbon emissions in the atmosphere was received seriously. He rose through the ranks of CSIRO, eventually heading its atmospheric research division, and in 1989, was granted a global award by the UN for his work. The following year, Australia considered an aggressive plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2005. Then seemingly out of the blue, Pearman was asked to leave his role at CSIRO. He suspects pressure by the fossil fuel industry was at play.

Pearman's research began in 1971, when he first drew air samples above a wheatfield in Victoria, Australia. At first he doubted humans could contribute to the growing parts per million of CO2 in his readings, but within a year, he was convinced. He continued to monitor atmospheric gases, and presented his findings everywhere he could. Pearman suspects that joining the Australian Climate Group in 2003, (a group critical of fossil fuels' contribution to CO2), doomed his work at the agency. He was "devastated" when he was asked to leave CSIRO, but continued his work academically, writing papers and presenting at over 500 meetings. At 82, reflecting on the failures of his generation, he pins hope on the youth. "The older people of the community have had their time. It's their time now. Read the full piece here. (Or check out other longforms.)
Demonstrations around the world on Saturday marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. In Italy's main cities, tens of thousands took to the streets of Italy's main cities, just as an Italian man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend was extradited from Germany. The slaying of 22-year-old university student Giulia Cecchettin, which police say was at the hands of her former boyfriend, sparked outrage across Italy, where on average one woman is killed every three days. Suspect Filippo Turetta, 21, landed at the Venice airport around mid-morning on Saturday, the AP reports. He was immediately transferred to a prison in the northern city of Verona to face questions in the investigation into Cecchettin's death, Italian media reported.

Cecchettin had disappeared after meeting Turetta for a burger at a shopping mall near Venice, days before she was to receive her degree in biomedical engineering. Her body was found on Nov. 18covered by black plastic bags in a ditch near a lake in the foothills of the Alps. Turetta was arrested the following day. Cecchettin's killing has sparked an unprecedented wave of grief and anger in Italy, where many women say patriarchal attitudes are still entrenched. Data from the Italian Interior Ministry show that 106 women have been killed in Italy this year, with a partner or former partner accused in 55 of the slayings. Italy's RAI state TV reported that since Cecchettin's body was found, calls to a national hotline for women fearing for their safety at the hands of men have jumped from some 200 to 400 a dayincluding from parents of young women.

Many of the demonstrations that took place across Italy remembered Cecchettin and her striking story. "Male violence is something that personally touched me and all of us, at every age," Aurora Arleo, a 24-year-old student said in Rome. "We have united also in the name of Giulia, because her story struck us, and I hope it will change something." Thousands of men of all ages also joined Saturday's initiatives. "I think it was important to be here today," said Leonardo Sanna, 19, who took part in the Rome demonstration with female friends, adding: "I believe that Giulia's death changed in part the perception of this problem among youths. And I hope this is not going to be short-lived." The Italian parliament approved new measures this week to clamp down on violence against women, following unanimous support from the two chambers.

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Among the measures is a campaign in schools to address sexism, machismo, and psychological and physical violence against women. "A human society that aspires to be civilized cannot accept, cannot endure this string of attacks on women and murders," President Sergio Mattarella said on Saturday. "We cannot just counter this with intermittent indignation." In a message Saturday, Pope Francis called gender violence a plague that must be rooted out from society and called for educational action. "Violence against women is a poisonous weed that plagues our society and must be pulled up from its roots," the pope wrote on X. "These roots grow in the soil of prejudice and of injustice; they must be countered with educational action that places the person, with his or her dignity, at the center."

(Read more violence against women stories.)
The second group of hostages to be freed by Hamas reached Israel safely late Saturday night, an arrival delayed for hours by accusations that Israel wasn't sticking to terms of the agreement. The 17 people, who were being held in Gaza by Hamas, include eight Israeli children and five women, as well as four Thai nationals, the New York Times reports. The group was turned over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza and transported in a convoy into Egypt. They then were taken to Israel, to be checked at hospitals and reunited with their families, per the AP .

In return, Israel began releasing 39 Palestinians who have been imprisoned just after midnight. Qatar said two mediators helped end the impasse between Israel and Hamas. While those negotiations were going on Saturday, thousands of Israelis gathered in front of the central military headquarters in Tel Aviv to press the government to make the hostages' return its priority, not the offensive in Gaza. "Even if Hamas isn't destroyed, I just want everyone to return," said Sitar Kires, 27, at the demonstration.

One of the children freed Saturday is Hila Rotem, 13. But her mother, Raaya Rotem, 54, was not released, per CNN, though an Israeli official said the agreement calls for not separating mothers and their children. The Israeli government said it's trying to find out why Rotem was not with with her daughter. Alma Or, 13, and her brother Noam, 17, were in the group freed; their mother, Yonat, was killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, per the Washington Post. Emily Hand, 9, was on the list, though her father was told weeks ago she'd been killed. Thomas Hand planned to take her dog with him for their reunion. (Read more Israel-Hamas war stories.)
A surge in respiratory illnesses across China that has drawn the attention of the World Health Organization is caused by the flu and other known pathogens and not by a novel virus, the country's health ministry said Sunday. Recent clusters of respiratory infections are caused by an overlap of common viruses such as the influenza virus, rhinoviruses, the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, the adenovirus, as well as bacteria such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common culprit for respiratory tract infections, a National Health Commission spokesperson said, per the AP . According to internal accounts in China, the outbreaks have swamped hospitals in northern China, including in Beijing, and authorities have asked the public to take children with less severe symptoms to clinics instead.

The ministry called on local authorities to open more fever clinics and promote vaccinations among children and the elderly as the country grapples with a wave of respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since the removal of COVID-19 restrictions. The spokesperson advised people to wear masks and called on local authorities to focus on preventing the spread of illnesses in crowded places such as schools and nursing homes. The WHO earlier this week formally requested that China provide information about a potentially worrying spike in respiratory illnesses and clusters of pneumonia in children, as mentioned by several media reports and a global infectious disease monitoring service.

The emergence of new flu strains or other viruses capable of triggering pandemics typically starts with undiagnosed clusters of respiratory illness. Both SARS and COVID-19 were first reported as unusual types of pneumonia. Chinese authorities earlier this month blamed the increase in respiratory diseases on the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Other countries also saw a jump in respiratory diseases when pandemic restrictions ended. The WHO said Chinese health officials on Thursday provided the data it requested during a teleconference. Those showed an increase in hospital admissions of children due to diseases including bacterial infection, RSV, influenza, and common cold viruses.

(Read more China stories.)
Israel's Foreign Ministry said Sunday that it would summon the Irish ambassador over a tweet celebrating the release of a 9-year-old girl from Hamas captivity, alleging the post didn't adequately condemn the militant group. Earlier in the day, the Irish prime minister lauded the release of Emily Hand, an Israeli-Irish girl whose story has captivated both nations. "An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered," Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar posted on X , the AP reports.

The girl initially was believed to have been killed in the Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel by Hamas and other militants. A month ago, her father learned that she was actually alive and among about 240 people held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. Emily was one of 17 hostages released by Hamas on Saturday. Israeli government officials criticized Varadkar's tweet, arguing that it cast what happened to Emily as a disappearance rather than a violent abduction by Hamas militants. "Mr. Prime Minister, It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check! Emily Hand was not 'lost,' she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS," Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen tweeted.

Cohen accused Varadkar of "trying to legitimize and normalize terror" and summoned the Irish ambassador for a reprimand. Irish government figures came to the prime minister's defense. The Irish minister for public expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, said Varadkar has been "unambiguous in condemning the violence of Hamas and also calling for restraint from Israeli military forces." Ireland's foreign affairs department said the ambassador is scheduled to meet Israeli Foreign Ministry officials on Monday. The summons is the third issued by Israel since the start of the war against Hamas, per the AP. Israel called in the ambassadors of Belgium and Spain after the countries' leaders criticized Israel over the civilian death toll in Gaza.

(Read more Israel-Hamas war stories.)
UPDATE

Nov 27, 2023 1:00 AM CST

A suspect has been arrested in the Saturday night shooting of three young men of Palestinian descent near the University of Vermont campus. Jason J. Eaton, 48, was taken into custody Sunday afternoon, CNN reports. Police say he lives in an apartment building near the site of the shooting, which happened while the victims were en route to a Thanksgiving gathering. Two of the men were wearing keffiyahs, traditional Palestinian scarves, when they were attacked, and the group was speaking Arabic, NBC News reports. All three remained hospitalized Sunday, two in stable condition. The current condition of the third man, whose injuries had been described as much more serious, was not known.

Nov 26, 2023 4:35 PM CST

Three 20-year-old men of Palestinian descent were shot Saturday night near the University of Vermont campus in what police said might have been a hate crime. All three of the wounded men were hospitalized, with two of them said Sunday to be stable. The third is more seriously hurt, Burlington police said. They were shot while on their way to a Thanksgiving dinner at the home of one of the men's relatives, NBC News reports. Two of them were wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves. "In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime," police Chief Jon Murad said in a statement.
Green Party co-leader James Shaw said reversing the ban is dangerous and unscientific.

"If anyone needed a basic rule of thumb for dealing with the climate crisis, it would be this: stop burning fossil fuels," Shaw said.

"Burning fossil fuels drives the temperature of the planet ever higher, which increases the frequency and severity of the storms, floods, fires and droughts which are causing so much damage to our homes and communities."

Shaw said the idea that New Zealand's wind and solar need gas to underpin energy security is a "myth being spread by the fossil fuel industry itself".

Before the election, the Green Party committed to re-introducing a ban on new sources of fossil fuels if elected.

Appearing on AM, Shaw said over 80 percent of New Zealanders across the political spectrum strongly believe our Government should be taking more action against climate change.

"You're not going to be able to stop the climate crisis by burning more fossil fuel," Shaw said.

He hopes if people stand with the Greens there will be a chance the new Government will reconsider.
Although Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) finished well ahead of rivals in the Nov. 22 vote on an anti-immigration platform, his party is forecast to take only 25% of the seats in Dutch parliament.

That means he will have to cooperate with at least two more moderate parties in order to form a government.

On Saturday, the conservative VVD Party of caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte, which shares many of Wilders' views on immigration, said it would not participate in a cabinet with him.

However the VVD's new leader, Dilan Yesilgoz, did not rule out offering a Wilders government outside support.

Pieter Omtzigt, who leads the centrist reform NSC Party and is also seen as a likely partner in a Wilders' government, has said cooperation will be difficult due to extreme positions Wilders has voiced that appear to violate Dutch constitutional protections on freedom of religion.

Dutch coalition talks usually take months, and positions about parties' willingness to work with each other can shift as time goes on.

If Wilders is unable to form a government, more centrist combinations that exclude the PVV are theoretically possible, while new elections would be a last resort.

REUTERS.
Elizabeth Promise Crawford was promoted to the rank of sergeant major in the South Dakota Army National Guard by Larry Wetsit during a ceremony at Joint Force Headquarters on Camp Rapid, Rapid City, S.D., Nov. 9, 2023. She is the first female Native American sergeant major in the SDNG. (Staff Sgt. Breanne Donnell)
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Son sues mom in Bahrain court for biting him during fight

Son sues mom in Bahrain court for biting him during fight

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A mother fought her 14-year-old son over a photo album, causing a violent altercation.

The mother, estranged from her husband, wanted the album for herself, but the son refused. In a fit of rage, she forcefully pushed her sharp teeth into the boy's hand and snatched the album, leaving him in distress.

The Lower Civil Court ordered the mother to pay a fine of BD500 to the boy.

The mother's rage led to the boy's father filing a police report, which revealed the bite was so strong that it temporarily impaired the boy's hand movement.

The police charged the mother with assault, causing injuries that did not hinder the boy's ability to carry out his personal activities within 20 days.

The court ordered the mother to pay a BD20 fine.

The father filed a civil case seeking damages for the trauma the child suffered, arguing that the assault worsened his pre-existing psychological issues and required psychological sessions and health monitoring.

The verdict considered the impairment of hand movement and other physical and emotional distress, establishing a causal relationship between the mother's actions and harm to the minor.

The court specified that the compensation covers damages, including court expenses and attorney's fees.
Tens of thousands of Moroccans demonstrated Sunday in the country's commercial capital Casablanca, calling for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the suspension of diplomatic ties with Israel.





The fledgling rapprochement between the North African country and Israel had made steady progress since 2020 when the two governments normalised relations, but that has been thrown into reverse by the war in the Palestinian territory.

Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain all established diplomatic ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, which were negotiated under the administration of former US president Donald Trump.

An AFP journalist reported Sunday that demonstrators in Casablanca waved Palestinian flags and demanded that Rabat suspend ties with Israel.

"It is not a truce that we need, but a permanent ceasefire" to give a chance "for peace, for the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state, with its capital in Jerusalem," socialist MP Nabila Mounib told AFP on Sunday.

She said she hoped to see "the return of all those exiled in the Palestinian diaspora" and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations had declined in recent years in Morocco, but have surged since the Israeli war on Gaza broke out.

Moroccan cardiologist Safae Abderazzak told AFP she was demonstrating "to condemn the Israeli aggression against our Palestinian brothers and against our fellow doctors who are being tortured and martyred in Gaza".

A four-day truce came into effect on Friday in Gaza, seven weeks after the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7.

Hamas-led offensive into southern Israel killed 1,200 people,according to Israeli officials, another 240 people were taken as captives.

Since then, Israel began bombarding the densely populated Gaza Strip. The Palestinian health ministry says that nearly 15,000 people have been killed, two-thirds of them children and women.

As part of the truce, 39 Israelis and 19 foreign and dual-national captives have been released since Friday by Hamas, in exchange for the liberation of 117 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

* This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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AFP | Paris

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Iran has executed a 17-yearold convicted of murder, two rights groups said yesterday, expressing outrage that the Islamic republic continues to hang people for crimes committed as minors.

Hamidreza Azari was executed on Friday in prison in the eastern town of Sabzevar in Razavi Khorasan province, the Norway-based Hengaw and Iran Human Rights (IHR) groups said in separate statements.

Persian-language satellite TV channel Iran International also reported the execution, saying Azari was the only child in his family and despite his age had already a few years ago started working as a scrap worker.

Citing documents they had seen, both Hengaw and IHR said he was 16 years old at the time of the crime and 17 when executed. He had reportedly been sentenced to death for killing a man in a brawl in May.

The rights groups said the execution marked another violation by Iran of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which defines a child as any person under the age of 18.

Iran is one of the few countries that sentences child-convicts to death and executes more juveniles than all other countries, IHR said, adding that according to its data at least 68 minors have been executed in Iran since 2010.

IHR director MahmoodAmiry Moghaddam added: In Iran, if someone wants to get a drivers license, they must be 18 years old, but 15 years old is enough to be executed. IHR said Irans latest penal code explicitly defined 15 as the age of criminal responsibility for boys.
VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 24, 2023 /CNW/ - Klimat X Developments Inc. ("Klimat X" or the "Company") (TSXV: KLX) (FSE: Q1C) a leading provider of high-quality carbon credits sourced exclusively from afforestation and reforestation projects developed and owned by the Company and its stakeholders, is pleased to announce the recent completion of a successful and productive site visit to the Company's rewilding and restoration project in Sierra Leone by the Fortune 100 customer announced earlier in 2023. The company provides the following update:

The Company has planted almost 1500 ha of native species on degraded land in Sierra Leone .

. The Customer has secured the rights to credits from the first 5,000 ha of planting.

The Customer requested an extensive site visit to Sierra Leone to view the work completed to date, including site tours and active engagement with the communities and landowners within the planting areas, meetings with regional Chiefs, councils and other community stakeholders, and meetings with the national government and carbon partners in the country.

to view the work completed to date, including site tours and active engagement with the communities and landowners within the planting areas, meetings with regional Chiefs, councils and other community stakeholders, and meetings with the national government and carbon partners in the country. The visiting team spent extensive time with the project developer's management team and staff discussing their capacity, capabilities, and to better understand challenges, plans and strategies moving forward.

The visiting team and Company discussed the approach to planting, payments provided to smallholders, and contracts signed under Free Prior and Informed Consent.

A particular area of interest for the visiting team were operations around the nursery and gaining an understanding of how species selection may impact biodiversity.

An Advisory Committee of qualified scientific experts has been established to provide further input and oversight.

Klimat X CEO, James Tansey commented 'The extensive nature of the site visit by our customer demonstrates the level of scrutiny that is now expected of carbon credit developers. Our approach is to commit to fair and transparent project investments across the region and our technology development team is building a new Carbon Done Right system to support his goal. Our view is that this project is a model for the restoration of native forest across Africa, providing long term sustainable income to smallholders from degraded land.'

The company has developed a large-scale rewilding reforestation project in Sierra Leone, for an initial area of 5,000 ha, which can be extended by a further 20,000 ha. The initial project area of 5,000 ha will produce up to 1.9m tonnes of validated and verified Verra carbon credits over 30 years. The total pre-purchase amount will be repaid through the delivery of validated and verified carbon credits to the pre-purchaser.

The Company has surveyed and verified almost 20,000 ha of land for restoration through a comprehensive Participatory Mapping process. An NGO, Namati, is acting on behalf of the landowners and preparing land lease agreements through a collaborative Free and Prior Informed Consent process.

About Klimat X

Klimat X is an owner and operator of nature-based carbon assets that serves the growing demand for carbon credits from companies seeking to meet their Net Zero goals. The Company achieves this by investing in the exploration, restoration and management of terrestrial and marine systems that can either be protected to enhance the sequestration of greenhouse gases or restored from a degraded status to fully productive ecosystems. The Company's dedication to environmental stewardship and its robust pipeline of carbon credit projects makes it a trusted partner to the largest buyers of carbon credits in the world, in the fight against climate change. Klimat X deploys capital at risk under various arrangements (including cooperation, assignment, and production sharing agreements) with government engagement in various suitable jurisdictions around the world including Sierra Leone, Yucatan, Guyana and Suriname.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"James Tansey"

James Tansey

Chief Executive Officer

For further information please contact:

Klimat X Developments Inc.

James Tansey, Chief Executive Officer

Email: [email protected]

http://www.klimatx.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "will", "intends" "expects" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. More particularly and without limitation, this press release contains forward looking statements and information concerning the Offering and the ongoing business of the Company. Klimat X cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, assumptions and expectations, many of which are beyond the control of Klimat X including expectations and assumptions concerning the Company and the need for additional capital by the Company through financings, and the risk that such funds may not be raised. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Klimat X. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Klimat X does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by securities law.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

SOURCE KLIMAT X Developments Inc.
Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, has cautioned politicians against criticising the judiciary when they lose cases in court.

Judges have come under fire from politicians and their followers on social media following the outcome of election petitions.

In October, Inyang Okoro, a justice of the supreme court, warned Nigerians and lawyers against casting aspersions on judges and engaging in media trials on cases before the courts.

Speaking on Friday in Kwara, the minister said "common sense" demands that a politician accepts a judgment after losing out at the trial and supreme courts.

"You lost at the tribunal; you lost at the appeal court and the supreme court, yet you are insinuating foul play," he said.

"I think even apart from law, morality also demands that you take the outcome as it is. I am not saying that judges cannot be wrong because they are human beings.

"Where anybody sees or feels that the course of justice has been perverted, the person should feel free to bring it forth rather than making unfounded insinuations."

The attorney-general advised anyone with substantial proof against a judge to confidently present such evidence.

"Unless you can bring forth concrete evidence, I will not succumb to blackmail. Nobody will shield an erring judge," he said.

"One thing about justice is that the man who wins will praise the judgment. The person who loses will never agree that he has lost fairly unless you give him the judgment.

"Don't forget, when you make unfounded insinuations, you are dragging the name of the nation in the mud."

Speaking on judicial reforms, Fagbemi said he is working with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and that judges at all levels will also be engaged.

"What I have done is to seek the platform of NGF to address all the governors in Nigeria as to what they are required to do if anything is being done at the level of the federal government," he said.

"We expect that the state within their limited resources will be let into it.

"Another thing is that we need to engage the judges because it is one thing to make laws, it is another thing to administer them.

"We also need to engage the chief judges, especially at the state level. We need to embark on uniformity without necessarily turning the country into a unitary system."






The court of appeal sitting in Abuja has declared Nimchak Nansak of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Langtang north-north constituency poll for the Plateau state house of assembly.

Following the March 18 election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Nannim Langyi, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as winner of the vote.

But in a unanimous judgment on Saturday, the three-member panel of justices set aside the tribunal's verdict and ruled that Langyi was not qualified to have contested the election.

The court further held that the PDP structure in Plateau collapsed since 2020, adding that the party cannot claim to have a structure to sponsor any candidate to contest an election.

Abang Okon, the lead justice, held that all votes scored by the PDP candidate were wasted and therefore a nullity.

"Nimchak Abel Nansak of the APC, who scored the majority of the lawful votes is hereby declared winner and is returned as the duly elected member of the state house of assembly to represent the good people of Langtang north-north constituency of Plateau state," the judge said.

This development means that the PDP has lost all 16 seats in the house of assembly with APC now occupying 22.
The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai has eliminated a key Boko Haram terrorist leader, Abu Asad and many others in air strikes on their hideout at Tagoshe on Mandara Mountains in Borno State, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said Saturday.





The Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Edward Gabkwet, an air commodore, made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.





Mr Gabkwet said the air strikes which were conducted on Friday, was one of the most successful strikes undertaken by the air component of Operation Hadin Kai in recent time.





He said the NAF discovered a massing of terrorists in an isolated location consisting of three zinced structures amid several trees.





He added that it was evident from the footage that the terrorists were massing up at the location for either a well-planned meeting or preparing for a major attack on troops.





According to him, over 100 heavily armed terrorists were observed throwing banters and moving randomly around the structures which also had four troop carriers.





The aftermath of the air strike revealed that two out of the three structures, as well as the entire troop carriers were destroyed.





There are also indications that Abu Asad, a key figure in the Ali Ngulde group under Boko Haram, as well as other terrorists like Ibrahim Nakeeb, Mujaheed Dimtu, Mustafa Munzir and several fighters were among the several terrorists eliminated in the air strike, he said.





The Chief of the Air Staff, Hasan Abubakar, air air marshal, has commended the Air Component Commander and his men for the feet.





Mr Abubakar urged them to continue to synergise with the Land Component while maintaining the momentum in keeping the terrorists on their toes.





He said they must continue to justify the trust and confidence the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria have in them.





You must ensure that we go all out in making life unbearable for these terrorists and criminals until they surrender or are completely eliminated, he said. (NAN)
An attempted coup in the capital city of Sierra Leone was thwarted in the early hours of Sunday, resulting in heavy gunfire and widespread chaos.

The military Arsenal base was breached looted, and a fierce exchange of gunfire ensued between the coup plotters and government forces.

Confirming the incident, President Julius Maada Bio, in a release declared a nationwide curfew as the military continues to search for the perpetrators.

I bring you greetings from the Presidential Lodge in Freetown. In the early hours of this morning, there was a breach of security at the Military Barracks at Wilberforce in Freetown, as some unidentified individuals attacked the military armoury.

However, they were repelled by our gallant Security Forces and calm has been restored. As the combined team of our Security Forces continue to root out the remnant of the fleeing renegades, a nationwide curfew has been declared and citizens are encouraged to stay indoors.

The PEACE of our beloved NATION is PRICELESS and we shall continue to protect the peace and security of Sierra Leone against the forces that wish to truncate our much-cherished stability.

We remain resolute in our determination to protect democracy in Sierra Leone and I urge all Sierra Leoneans to unite towards this collective responsibility, he said.

Another statement by the Minister of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone, Chernor Bah, said some unidentified individuals carried out the attack.

In the early hours of Sunday November 26th 2023, some unidentified individuals attempted to break into the military armory at Wilberforce barracks. They have all been rebuffed.

To enable the security forces to continue the process of apprehending the suspects, a nationwide curfew is declared with immediate effect across the country.

We strongly advise citizens to stay indoors, Bah stated.
Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says the financial regulator will direct banks to increase their capital base.

Cardoso made this known at the 58th annual bankers dinner and grand finale of the 60th anniversary of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

He said Nigerian banks are not liquid enough to service the $1 trillion economy President Bola Tinubu is aiming for in the near future.

Esteemed guests, considering the policy imperatives and the projected economic growth, it is crucial for us to evaluate the adequacy of our banking industry to serve the envisioned larger economy, Cardoso said.

It is not just about the stability of the financial system in the present moment, as we have already established that the current assessment shows stability.

However, we need to ask ourselves: Will Nigerian banks have sufficient capital relative to the financial systems needs in servicing a $1.0 trillion economy in the near future? In my opinion, the answer is No! unless we take action.

Therefore, we must make difficult decisions regarding capital adequacy. As a first step, we will be directing banks to increase their capital.

In 2023, some Nigerian banks have been raising funds to increase their capital base and also requesting approval from shareholders for fundraising.

Access Bank secured $300 million from its parent company, Access Holdings, in April.

In March, Wema Bank informed its shareholders of its plan to issue bonds worth N25 billion.

Also, FCMB announced plans to borrow N20.68 billion and Fidelity Bank sought shareholders approval to trade 13.2 billion shares for capital through a public offer and rights issue.
Egypt, France and the US are optimistic about the possibility of extending the four-day truce in the Israeli war on Gaza.

Palestinian Hamas resistance group has indicated its willingness to prolong the ceasefire. On Sunday, Hamas released a third group of captives as part of the exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

This exchange is occurring within the context of a truce that commenced on Friday, following almost seven weeks of intense bombardment on Gaza triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

The third batch of released captives includes 13 Israelis and 39 Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails, as reported by Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service.

Despite Israel's vow to continue the war after the truce expires, efforts are underway to negotiate an extension.

Communication with all involved parties is ongoing, with the aim of extending the truce for one or two additional days, according to Rashwan.

US President Joe Biden is advocating for an extension, given the numerous captives still held by Hamas and the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza following weeks of Israeli occupation forces bombardment and siege.

The truce, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, has provided a temporary respite from attacks on Gaza, enabling the easing of restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid for the 2.4 million Palestinians in the besieged strip.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna emphasized the importance of extending the truce to facilitate the release of captives. While no French captives have been freed yet, Colonna expressed optimism, stating, "There are lists drawn up during the negotiations through Qatar, but Hamas makes its choices within these lists."

A source close to Hamas revealed that the Islamist movement is open to extending the current truce for up to four days beyond its initial expiry date.

The source informed mediators that resistance movements were willing to extend the truce, believing it could lead to the release of 20 to 40 Israeli prisoners.

Israeli officials claim that on October 7, Hamas militants took around 240 captives and killed 1,200 people in the deadliest attack in the country's history. In response, Israel has vowed to "crush" Hamas and initiated a lethal and barbaric air, sea and ground invasion against the civilians in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian health ministry reports that nearly 15,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed by the Israeli offensive on Gaza.

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The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has vowed to confront the cartels behind land racketeering in Abuja.

Wike vowed to burst the cartel benefiting from land racketeering across the federal city.

Addressing selected journalists on Friday, Wike recalled how lands were fraudulently allocated to several organizations.

Following fraudulent allocations, Wike said staff of the Federal Capital Territory Authority, FCTA, would ask those affected to institute legal actions.

According to Wike: FCTA allocated land of over 300 hectares to a company in 2001, revoked it in 2022 and reallocated it to another company in 2005; they revoked it and reallocated it to the initial company without notice. In 2009, they revoked it and reallocated it to another company again.

By next week, our legal team and external solicitors have arranged to defend FCTA on our land matters, what happens here is that even the leader of the secretariat will tell you to sue; they will sue without defending it, they wont go to court. Its business, its racketeering, and you will see judgments against FCT. This led to me demanding the files, but we are going to do it in a way that will help us.

There is a cartel, and to bust it, you must be very prepared, and for me, Im prepared and will face it.
Lucky Aiyedatiwa, deputy governor of Ondo state, says the impeachment plot against him was all political.

Aiyedatiwa spoke on Friday night at a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, members of the Ondo state house of assembly, and stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC), at the Aso Rock villa.

Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, who has been locked in a cold war with his deputy, returned to Nigeria in the first week of September after a three-month medical leave in Germany.

Since his return, there have been attempts by the house of assembly to impeach Aiyedatiwa.

At the reconciliation meeting held at the behest of the president, the deputy governor said there should be mutual respect between him and other public office holders in Ondo.

I want to say that with no offence, no guile in my mind whatsoever, Aiyedatiwa said.

All that has happened is politics. Impeachment is part of politics. If you survive it, it is also politics. It has come. I have survived it, and every other thing is in the past. 

All the executive council members, I want to plead with all of you to cooperate with me, with the governor, so that we can bring the dividends of democracy to our people.

We should respect one another regarding the offices we occupy and our age differences. So, its going to be mutual respect. 

And I want to assure the party structure that we will work together because the party is supreme. We will always give you your due respect.

The deputy governor said he has put behind him all that has happened.


The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it will end the importation of refined petroleum products by December 2024.

Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer of the NNPC, made this known when he led a delegation of the company's senior management team to a meeting with Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives.

He said all the country's refineries would be operational by December 2024, adding that the company would become a net exporter of the commodities at the end of the same year.

Kyari blamed the petroleum subsidy for nonfunctional refineries in Nigeria over the years, emphasising that the subsidy's removal was already attracting significant private-sector investment.

"I can confirm to you that by the end of December this year, we will start the Port Harcourt refinery; early in the first quarter of 2024, we will start the Warri refinery and by the end of 2024, Kaduna refinery will come into operation," he said.

"This is the commitment we are giving today and you can hold us accountable for this. In 2024, many of the initiatives including the rehabilitation of our refineries and also the efforts of small-scale refineries, and the upcoming Dangote refinery, will make Nigeria a net exporter of petroleum products in 2024.

"We will no longer be talking about fuel importation by the end of 2024. I am very optimistic that this will crystallise."

Kyari said the NNPC is targeting a profit increase of N2 trillion when the 2022 audited financial statements (AFS) are released, adding that since July this year, the company has started paying dividends to its shareholders.

Meanwhile, he said the company has made robust plans for the supply of petroleum products, especially premium motor spirit (PMS), sufficient to last beyond the "ember months and the new year festivities".

"By the creation of the national assembly, NNPC Ltd. is saddled with the responsibility of guaranteeing Nigeria's energy security, which is critical to national security," he said.

Kyari said plans have been made for the forthcoming end-of-the-year festivities and beyond, so NNPC doesn't see any shortages in the petroleum products supply for the period.
Hours after the intervention of President Bola Tinubu in the political crisis rocking Ondo State, some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state have insisted that the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, should be empowered as acting governor.

The APC chieftains, under the aegis of Ondo APC Progressives Stakeholders, in Akure at the weekend insisted that Aiyedatiwa should take over as Acting Governor in accordance with constitutional provisions towards resolving the political imbroglio in the state.

Tinubu had called for the maintenance of the status quo, urging Aiyedatiwa to continue as the deputy governor.

However, the Ondo APC stakeholders, after their meeting in Akure, expressed concerns over the continued absence of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, stating that it has adversely affected the governance and economy of the state.

In a statement issued after the meeting and signed by the Chairman, former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Afe Olowookere, and Secretary, Hon. Raman Rotimi, who was also a former APC Secretary in the state, the urgent need for the House of Assembly to empower Aiyedatiwa to assume the responsibilities of the acting governor was emphasized.

APC party members should be allowed to participate and determine those to be appointed or elected into political and party offices.

Elders and leaders of the party must be recognised and given their pride of place in the party, rather than being neglected and ostracised by the party.

The system of writing the names of party executives and candidates without due process will be objected to and resisted with all political and legal means possible,_ the statement said.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, has reiterated the need to double the manpower strength of the Nigeria Police Force in the country.

Egbetokun said while addressing men and officers of the Kwara State Police Command in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Friday, that his administration would also look into the welfare of police officers in the country.

The IG, who was on a day working visit to the command, said he was aware of the working conditions of an average policeman, adding that one policeman does the job of two people.

He, however, said the increase in manpower would be gradual and added that President Bola Tinubu has recently given approval for an increase in yearly recruitment.

He said, Were paying attention to manpower. I know theres a shortage of manpower in the command. I know the stress that I have gone through while working as a CP to make sure that the job is done. I know one policeman does the job of two policemen.

A policeman would close from night duty and resume for morning duty. And as hes closing from morning duty, hes resuming night duty. And when he dozes off in public, his photograph is taken and posted, making ridicule of him. Im aware of all these.

Were making efforts to increase your strength. The President had recently given approval for the yearly recruitment of police. Thats the way forward. We need to double the strength of the police force in the country. We cannot do it overnight, but gradually.

Gradually, well get there. Well also emphasise training to achieve a professionally competent police force. Were also looking into welfare with the increase in salary and other areas to improve the lives of officers, just as equipping the police force is a priority. We promise to take care of the insurance plan too.

The IGP, who said that he had an interesting time while in Kwara State as the Commissioner of Police, said, Im so excited to be with you, seeing your smiling faces.

Im aware of your sacrifices to make Kwara peaceful. Im aware of your exploits, arrests, convictions, breakthroughs, and recovery of arms you are making.

He also shared the new vision of the police, which he said is to have a professionally competent, service-driven, rule-of-law compliant, citizen-friendly police force that will support the agenda of the government in economic recovery and growth as well as social integration and political development of our country. A police force that will respond to the dynamic of crime and criminality in our community.

During a courtesy visit to the Emir of Ilorin, Egbetokun described his visit as a homecoming, while he appreciated the monarch for his support and assistance during his service in Kwara State from 2019 to 2020.

In his welcome address, the state Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya, requested the supply of an Armoured Personnel Carrier from the IGP to further enhance the security of banks and improve crime-fighting capacity.

The CP also said the number of policemen and women policing the state has dropped far below the accepted United Nations policing ratio of one policeman to 400 citizens.

He said the Kwara State Police Command was created on May 5, 1967, with a strength of 8,000 policemen, when the population of the state was far below two million people.

The CP said, Thankfully, the IGP has assured the recruitment of more hands, and we hope and wish it continues.

Kwara State is a gateway state between the northern and southern parts of the country; this alone has exposed the state to both negative and positive opportunities with her position, hence the need to continually be on our toes.

The state is surrounded by both local and international borders, making policing challenging. This brings me to the issue of synergy with sister agencies. I am proud to report, sir, that the foundation of collaboration while you served as the Commissioner of Police Kwara State Command has taken a firm root, which has contributed to the successes achieved in the area of crime fighting in the state.

In spite of logistic challenges and inadequate manpower, the command has been trying to sustain the harmony that has existed in the state.
Former Governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido has alleged that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is dragging Nigerians to their graves.

In an interview with Daily Trust, Lamido accused President Tinubu of increasing the hardship in the country and influencing judgements in court. He also accused the Chief Justice of Nigeria of working for the All Progressives Congress.

He said; They are implementing what they promised youagony, pain, hardship, anguish and insecurity. You dont feel secure, you are poor, your take home pay cant even buy you a bag of rice, so you are now harvesting what you planted.

When he said he will continue from where Buhari stopped, what has he done? When you say you want to continue from where Buhari stopped, where do you start from? From insecurity, poverty or hunger? Tinubu said he will continue from where Buhari stopped, so there is no distinction.

Buhari lacked the political sagacity, vision, commitment, pedigree to answer or explain the issues he was questioned on.

Now, after eight years, Tinubu came and said he will continue from where Buhari stopped, so the next destination is our grave because the journey has started with a trailer load of poverty, hunger, insecurity, hate, despondency, frustration, pain, agony, and the destination is the grave.

Look at the appeal in APC, the appeal in APC was corruption, favouritism, nepotism because whatever you are, if you come there, you are safe. You can steal, you can do anything you want because all they know is the numbers and because they have more crooks in the party who are willing to manipulate and impose arbitrarily, that was why they won the election and you see their government.

When they try to win any election and it doesnt work, they will say okay go to tribunal, and by the time you go there, they are there earlier than you, isnt it?

If a whole CJN of Nigeria will attend the party organised by G-5 governors and ensure they vote for them, you see it is all about the judiciary.

So, what it means is that it is part of their preparation to condition our minds that there is a programme going on and that whoever loses should go to court, but before you get to court, they are already there through the CJN, so what do you expect?

They rallied around Buhari, calling him our own, our own. So, what is the benefit of our own in power to the North, especially the North West  his own constituency?

We were demonized, we were called names, so then in that election, we lost, and thereafter APC came. They vilified us, called us Boko Haram, especially in the North.

Before 2014, I had said that in the election coming in 2014 that whoever wins, Nigeria will lose. I said so because some internal arrangements in the party was breached, and the people, kind of, lost confidence in the party based on that breach.

Meanwhile, those in APC were campaigning on hate, division, malice, so it means the two candidates at that time were only running for themselves, Nigeria was left behind. The election in 2014 was between Jonathan and Buhari for their personal ambition and interest, not for the country.

All along, Nigerians believed in us. In whatever we do, we put Nigeria first; let her lead and then pursue your interest from Nigeria. From 2014, it has been the interest leading and Nigeria following behind. That was why when Buhari won, every Nigerian lost because he was not there for Nigeria.

He lacked the political pedigree, political sagacity, and vision to address the issues of Nigeria. Instead, emotions, sentiments, ethnicity and religion came to play and today in Nigeria, this triangle of ethnicity, religion and the region North-South, Islam-Christianity, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and others, are playing out. Tribe, religion and region have been brought to the forefront in Nigeria by the APC. What did Tinubu say? He said Emilokan, it is my turn.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has condemned the dissolution of the executives of the party in Rivers State.

Eze, in a statement on Saturday, alleged that the development was part of a plot to embarrass former Rivers governor, Chibuike Amaechi.

Eze noted that President Bola Tinubu and the partys National Chairman, Umar Ganduje, plotted the scheme to hand over the state chapter of the party to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and write off Amaechi and his team, notwithstanding the wars the latter fought to prune and nurture the party to its sustainable status.

He reminded those he called the cabal to be wary of Wike, who he described as a political chameleon.

I am happy to note that both Tinubu and Ganduje have suffered and tested the bitter pills of Wike in most of his attempts to decimate the party and to handover the party structure to him and his agents is nothing but sheer wickedness and unreasonableness, because it will definitely backfire.

It is however unfortunate that all the appointments so far made by Tinubu and his government have only favored Wike, who fought Rivers APC to a standstill with the resource of the state at their peck and call, he said.

Eze called on Ganduje and the national leadership of the party to note that their action could be prejudicial as the dissolution of the state exco is pending before a court of competent jurisdiction, before which an ex parte motion was also filed praying that parties maintain status quo  which means shelving the inauguration of the interim committee.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo has reacted to President Bola Tinubus intervention in the political crisis in the state.

On Friday night, Tinubu waded into the rift between Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, and Lucky Aiyedatiwa, his deputy.

The president had a meeting with Aiyedatiwa, members of the Ondo house of assembly, and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for more than five hours at the presidential Villa.

Akeredolu, who is battling ill-health, was absent at the meeting.

Akeredolu has been in a cold war with his deputy since he returned to Nigeria in September after a three-month medical leave in Germany.

Akeredolus frosty relationship with Aiyedatiwa culminated in an attempted impeachment of the latter.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Kennedy Peretei, PDP spokesperson in Ondo, said Tinubus intervention in the political battle in the state is mere window-dressing

There have been conflicting reports as resolutions of the Presidential parley at the instance of President Bola Tinubu to resolve the political impasse that has plagued Ondo State for a better part of this year, the statement reads.

Both Rotimi Akeredolu and his embattled Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwas camps interpreted the resolutions as being in their favour.

To Aiyedatiwas supporters, their worries about impeachment are over.

Let us pray that the Presidential intervention will not go the way of the Bello Masari Reconciliation Committee set up by APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje. After several trips to Abuja at Taxpayers expense, both parties returned to Court despite promises to withdraw all cases.





Again, major stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC), leadership of the Ondo State House of Assembly and Ondo State Government were at the Villa to iron out their intractable differences.

From what we have read about the outcome, Tinubus intervention is a mere window dressing.

The opposition party said although the Ondo assembly may no longer impeach Aiyedatiwa out of the respect they have for the president, the political crisis in the state will fester if Akeredolu remains in hiding.

It is not yet Uhuru, the cat and mouse race will continue. The siege is not yet over, the party said.
Jeffrey Martin hasnt seen a paycheck in more than 100 days.

His health benefits were canceled three months ago.
For nearly the past three years, Gregory Yetmans public posts on Facebook belied a looming federal investigation that would lead to a multi-day manhunt in New Jersey on charges linked to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot.

Yetman shared news of attending concerts, traveling the East Coast and sipping beers in several locales. Some posts are political, noting his dislike for President Biden.

On June 19, Yetman, 47, of Helmetta, posted a brief Facebook reel recalling his time in the New Jersey Army National Guard and how his Adopt a Soldier class had given him a nice send off.

10 years go by so fast! Such a great memory to be honored by my adopt a soldier class, he wrote. The post featured kids in a school hallway waving American flags as the military police officer proudly walked down the hall, his arm raised in patriotic triumph accompanied by Toby Keiths song American Soldier.

The video came 18 months after Yetman acknowledged in another Facebook post on Jan. 7, 2021 that he was among those at the Capitol when rioters stormed the building on Jan. 6.

I was there, I witnessed it, he wrote.

The Army knew pretty quickly that Yetman was there and notified federal prosecutors on Jan. 14, 2021 of the social media post, according to court documents. The FBI interviewed him eight days later.

It would take nearly three years for the FBI to come calling again with charges against Yetman accusing him picking up a chemical spray canister and unleashing it on Capitol officers.

But for all of 2021 and some of 2022, Yetman served another year in the Army Guard. The answers as to why are elusive.

Speaking on background, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Army National Guard said they cannot comment on military administrative actions. And a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington, D.C., which is prosecuting the Jan. 6 cases, declined to elaborate beyond the information in federal charging documents.

One expert, though, called some of the Yetman developments, concerning.

Gregory Yetman led authorities on a three-day manhunt in the Helmetta area when he fled as authorities tried to execute a federal arrest warrant. Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media

A Fugitive

When authorities did eventually go to arrest Yetman in New Jersey, it didnt go according to plan.

The FBI attempted to take him into custody as he was exiting his Helmetta home on Nov. 8. As Yetman walked toward his parked vehicle, he dropped his belongings and bolted into a heavily wooded area behind the residence, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Jamesburg police, which patrols Helmetta and was present to assist agents.

Jamesburg police later charged Yetman with possessing nine large-capacity handgun magazines and nine large-capacity rifle magazines.

During a search of Yetmans home after he fled, the FBI located several firearms, the large-capacity magazines, and several rounds of ammunition, authorities said.

Due to others living in the home on Main Street, and the possibility of Yetman returning, the police also filed for Extreme Risk Protection Order, which prohibits a person from purchasing or possessing guns and requires the person to surrender any guns they already own or possess. Police can also confiscate weapons with an ERPO.

During the ensuing manhunt for Yetman, the small Middlesex County suburb of Helmetta was transformed into a busy FBI staging ground. Local schools were advised to shelter in place while SWAT teams, armored trucks and police K-9s scoured the neighborhood.

Things didnt return to normal until Yetman turned himself in to Monroe Township police department on the morning of Nov. 10, as the manhunt stretched into its third day.

Gregory Yetman, of Helmetta, N.J. at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, pepper spraying police officers, according to the FBI. (Images from court documents)(Images from court documents)

The case against Yetman

When Yetman wrote about his experience at the Capitol on Facebook, Yetman seemed to denounce the violence against fellow police officers. He said that as a service member and military police soldier he understood the Capitol officers job and could not condone the violence.

To my brothers and sisters in blue, Im sorry for what happened at the Capitol, he wrote.

There was a small faction that entered the Capitol and attacked officers, he wrote, saying they were riled up by Antifa members who infiltrated the protest and got the violence going.

Im not saying it was only them, others got involved too but they were influenced by these violent individuals, Yetman continued in the Facebook post. He also tried to help others hurt in the violence, he claimed.

Agents with the FBI Newark field office interviewed Yetman on Jan. 22, 2021 for about 10 minutes. He told investigators he drove to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 and made his way to the west side of the Capitol building during the riot, according charging documents from the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Yetman said he saw people trying to break windows and an officer getting pulled into the mob, authoritie said. He also told FBI agents he tried to help people exposed to chemical irritants by pouring water on their eyes, according to the documents.

Yetman continued that, he supports law enforcement and that anyone entering the Capitol or assaulting officers should be prosecuted, authorities said.

FBI investigators would later piece together that Yetman was a man they had labeled BOLO AFO-278, a person captured on body-worn camera assaulting multiple officers on Jan. 6, 2021 using the chemical spray canisters, authorities said.

Video footage shows the masked man among a crowd of rioters who breached the police line at 2:29 p.m. and advance onto the first landing of the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building.

During this time, Yetman picked up a pepper-spray canister reportedly stolen from police by another rioter, authorities said.

Yetman continued to spray the officers for approximately 12-14 seconds, then discarded the canister, and walked back to the wall behind him, according to charging documents.

Photos of BOLO AFO-278 were published by the FBI on March 25, 2021 on their Capitol Violence website.

About a month later, an open-source group, the Sedition Hunters, posted additional images of BOLO AFO-278 on their website. They dubbed him #greenheavysprayer.

In August 2022, an FBI agent charged with investigating the Capitol riots sent one of the agents who interviewed Yetman in January 2021 several photographs. They included Yetmans license photo and several images showing suspect BOLO AFO-278. The agent identified the person in the photos as Yetman, authorities said.

It would be over another year before Yetman was charged.

A USA Today investigation earlier this year connected Yetman to BOLO AFO-278, when he was still a member of the New Jersey Army Guard, and questioned why he had not been charged.

Yetman talked to the publication, telling a reporter he had not talked to the FBI since January 2021, insisted that he did nothing wrong on Jan. 6, 2021, and didnt pepper-spray anyone.

Everythings been resolved, everythings good, USA Today reported him saying.

Yetman was a military police officer in the New Jersey Army National Guard from September 2008 to March 2022, according to Heather J. Hagan, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army.

He deployed to Afghanistan from September 2012 to May 2013, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from June 2015 to March 2016, according to military records.

Yetman held the rank of sergeant at the end of his service.

The New Jersey Guard declined to elaborate.

Yetman remains incarcerated in New Jersey, and will remain behind bars until his case is resolved in Washington. Hes charged with five crimes, including civil disorder and committing an act of violence at the Capitol. His public defender did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Gregory Yetman, of Helmetta, N.J. at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, pepper spraying police officers, according to the FBI. (Images from court documents)(Images from court documents)

Over 1,200 cases

Federal authorities in Washington give regular updates on the Capitol siege investigation and in their latest on Nov. 6, they said theyve charged 1,202 defendants. More than 700 have been sentenced after pleading guilty or having been found guilty at trial.

The investigation continues to move forward at an unprecedented speed and scale. The Department of Justices resolve to hold accountable those who committed crimes on January 6, 2021, has not, and will not, wane, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a statement.

Jon Lewis, a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., has been studying the Jan. 6 riot and aftermath.

He said he was not surprised in the lag time between Yetmans identification and arrest. And there is some legitimacy in this occurring due to the the size and scope of the governments investigation, especially considering the mountains of digital evidence involved.

I have no doubt that its an intensive process, he said.

However, he said groups like Sedition Hunters have made positive identifications of Jan. 6 suspects to the FBI.

And what we are seeing is that when it goes on a year, year-and-half or two years...it could give (suspects) more time to further radicalize, Lewis said, speaking generally.

Its more troubling when its a member of the military or a person of authority, he said.

Lewis said the charges against Yetman are concerning because the accusations involve a military police officer assaulting fellow law enforcement in a situation that was stoked by a conspiracy theory.

The bigger picture is, you have someone with military service, with extreme views who is willing to mobilize offline against law enforcement, who is not only allowed to not [initially] face criminal charges, but to continue to serve in a position of authority, Lewis said.

Part of that picture should be concerning moving forward, Lewis said.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com

Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
The machine giveth, the machine taketh away. Bob Menendez, the embattled senior senator from the great state of New Jersey, is having a rough go of it lately. Not only was he hit with, objectively hilarious, charges of corruption but he was dumped by his longtime benefactors, the mighty Hudson County political machine. The ink on the press release announcing the candidacy of First Lady Tammy Murphy had barely dried before the Hudson County bosses jumped ship leaving Menendez, and some of his immediate family, on the outside looking in.

Menendez has remained defiant in the face of the indictments and escalating calls for his resignation, the loudest of which came from his own party. Hes been removed from his post as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and despite his pledge to run for re-election has had to watch state party decide who is going to take his place. Its like the Bring out your dead scene in Monty Pythons The Holy Grail.
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If you're in a poetic kind of mood, you could ruminate about how there are 64 pieces of the puzzle that is Louisiana. Or you could just call them parishes, which is how Louisiana is divided instead of counties.

But New Orleans resident Tommy Sams wasn't so much interested in the difference between parishes and counties as he was how they came into existence when he asked, "How was the land divided into parishes? What made the dividing lines?"

The modern-day answer to that question is found in Section 2 of Article VI in the Louisiana State Constitution of 1974, which states "The legislature shall provide by general law for the incorporation, consolidation, merger, and government of municipalities. No local or special law shall create a municipal corporation or amend, modify, or repeal a municipal charter. However, a special legislative charter existing on the effective date of this constitution may be amended, modified, or repealed by local or special law."
Christian Louboutin, the famous shoemaker who elevated sky-high stilettos to a luxury fetish, once said that the fascination with heels lies in the fact that they make women go slower, giving men more time to admire them. He didnt comment on their aesthetics or beauty; his only appreciation was that of speed: What is the point of wanting to run? When a woman wears heels you have time to look at her. She walks, she is not going to run () It is almost like a mirage () Why would she want to run? Where would she want to run? Whats the point? he asked himself.

He made those statements ten years ago, in 2013, in a conversation with the French photographer Garance Dore, who at that time was omnipresent in the Parisian creative scene and who captured them in a video recorded at Paris Fashion Week. In just 10 minutes, she and eight other women in the world talked about the painful fascination that walking on stiletto heels produces for them. Anna dello Russo, the ubiquitous and extravagant editor of Vogue Japan, said that if you wear heels your ego goes to the sky, while when you go flat you feel like a mouse. And she added that at fashion week you need an extra dose of confidence that only high heels can give you.

Many legendary phrases have been said about stilettos and their supposed power of attraction. On one occasion, the actress Salma Hayek one of the legends of Hollywood and married to Francois-Henri Pinault, president and heir of the Kering luxury empire, owner among others brands such as Gucci, YSL, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga stated that if it had not been for my high heels, I would still be in Coatzacoalcos and have 10 children. Victoria Beckham also famously sad that she cannot concentrate if she wears flat shoes. In mid-2023, those statements sound, to say the least, somewhat outdated, and yet the heel business is flying high: according to a report published by the research and advisory company Technavio in November 2022, the high-heeled footwear market will grow 1.88% annually between 2022 and 2027. This will result in an accumulated profit of $2.39 billion during that period, a phenomenon around the world. The countries that will buy the most high heels are the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Germany and France. At the same time, it is estimated that consumption from the Asia-Pacific region is increasing.

One of the conclusions of the report is that heels are going to stop being necessary accessories and become exclusively premium accessories with even higher prices. This is what is significantly driving the growth of the high-heeled footwear market, explains Ursula Carranza, expert fashion journalist and author of the book Tacones de Culto (Loft Publications). Most of these shoes, she adds, will be purchased online.

In an era in which comfort has taken over fashion trends, and after movements like #MeToo that have questioned the role of women in society, it is worth wondering why so many women continue to wear stilettos today. Yes, as Louboutin advanced, they are the most uncomfortable option: he once stated, I would hate for someone to look at my shoes and say: Oh my God, they look so comfortable! It is known that their daily use is bad for your feet. So what makes us continue to wear heels?

Louboutins comment is in line with his designs, because he is a designer who loves to provoke both with what he says and with what he creates. Louboutin is a designer who does not focus on the comfort of high heels, but on the aesthetics, luxury and sex appeal they project. Those have been his priorities, and thousands of women have identified with his designs. It is part of his brand identity and the reason why his heels have become iconic, notes Carranza.

Christian Louboutin in 2022. Stefania D'Alessandro (WireImage)

As writer and journalist Summer Brennan points out in an article on the subject published in The Guardian, the high heel is today the most acceptable public footwear for women. It is a shoe for events, display, performance, authority and urbanity. In some settings and on some occasions, usually the most formal, it is even required. High heels are something like neckties for women, in that it can be harder to look both formal and femme without them, writes Brennan, author of High Heel. It is a shoe for magazine covers, red carpets, award shows, boardrooms, courtrooms, parliament buildings and debate lecterns, the writer adds.

The cinema perfectly portrayed it as a requirement for applicants for high positions in the 1988 film Womens Weapons, where Melanie Griffith changed her sneakers upon arriving at the office. While heels have no practical function, they seem to provide a certain power, status and ability to metamorphose in return.

In the nineties, they were the feminine corporate uniform par excellence. In recent years, some have challenged the norm of heels at work. In 2019, Japanese women stood up to their government to demand not wearing heels to work in a movement that received the name #KuToo. They sought to end the discrimination and sexual harassment involved in being forced to wear heels. The creator of this initiative was Yumi Ishikawa, a well-known 32-year-old actress and model, who involuntarily started the movement by writing a tweet explaining her suffering from having to wear high heels every day. A couple of years earlier, in Spain, flight attendants from different airlines had raised their voices against the so-called stewardess feet: You cant even imagine the bunions, nails, calluses. It makes your job so much harder. I know many colleagues who have had to have surgery. And the important thing is no longer just the heel, it is the tip of that heel, which they require to be round and narrow, arguing that the shoe has to be pretty. I am sure that if men had this problem it would have changed, a flight attendant told EL PAIS.

An invention designed for men

Paradoxically (or not), throughout history heels have been a claim to power, a piece of oppression and a shoe for sex. But as often happens in fashion, an object that was born for one purpose ended up serving the opposite.

High heels began as an invention designed for men. It wasnt designed for walking: the high heel was used for centuries throughout the Near East as a form of riding footwear and was used on horseback by the Persians.

It is believed that it was the Sun King, Louis XIV (1638-1715), who first used it as fashionable clothing, probably because of his small stature. The trend spread like wildfire in the French court. As Jose Maria Amat Amer, founder of the Elda Footwear Museum, explains in an article in El Pais, coturns, with high platforms, were used in ancient Greece. In Asian and even European countries, riders who fought on horseback wore shoes with heels, to attach more securely to the stirrups. The men and women of ancient China also wore platforms, just like the Venetians who, since the 15th century or even before, used a type of hike, probably to navigate flooded areas.

By the time the 20th century arrived, the heel had reached the womens wardrobe. Skirts were shortened, so the ankle, and the shoes, began to be visible. Feminists of the time began to show their footwear  in fact, the five-centimeter heels that women used to wear in marches asking for the female vote are known as suffragette boots  and showing the shoe was considered a symbolic gesture of independent women, an idea that has somehow survived over time: the higher the heels, the more freedom there is possible.

The heyday of the womens heel came in the 1950s, when Dior designer Roger Vivier placed steel rods in the shafts of thin stiletto heels, raising their height to three inches or more and encouraging women to wear them in daily life. Thus, in the postwar era, when the emergency female workforce had returned to the kitchen, the model for the contemporary high heel made its debut.

Vivier, of French origin, had been making custom high heels for women like Josephine Baker and Queen Elizabeth II since the 1930s. He was one of the first conventional designers to take his creations to the limits of practicality and the realm of art. He was not the first to use steel in his heels, nor were his shoes the first to feature very high, thin heels, but it was his work with Dior in the 1950s that shaped the image of women of the time.

Detail of shoes worn by Salma Hayek at the Cannes Festival. George Pimentel (WireImage)

This shoe received its own name. The stiletto, which is characterized by its high, thin and pointed heel, has managed to leave its mark on popular culture over the years. It symbolizes elegance, glamour and style. It has always been an inspiration for designers, models and celebrities, as well as a recurring element on catwalks, red carpets and the advertising campaigns of luxury brands. Cinema has contributed to perpetuating the popularity of this type of shoes and identifying them as symbols of power, self-confidence and sensuality. We can see it in films like The Seven Year Itch where Marilyn Monroe appears with stilettos and more recently in series like Sex and the City where the protagonist Carrie Bradshaw is a fan of high heels, states Ursula Carranza.

The high heel has also had another meaning: that of the shoe for sex. One of the photographers who best portrayed the fetishism of heels was Elmer Batters (1919-1997), who captured an entire universe of feet, stockings and high-heeled shoes in his photographs and who suffered the censorship of the puritan fifties, taken to court for obscenity and perversion.

From those creations of Roger Vivier to those of more recent renowned designers such as Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin and Alexander McQueen, modern high heel designs have evolved. Their luxurious designs transform women almost into something more than human (after all, they are neither useful nor practical), placing them on a pedestal: elevated, but also easier to trap or subdue.

Indeed, you cant go very far on heels. As Louboutin himself explained in the conversation above, when you put on heels the whole body stands up and the center of gravity changes. The body is forced towards the front, so a woman, to maintain the correct center of gravity, needs to bend, repositioning their chest forward and curving their lower back. Today, certainly, the idea of this presentation grates on current ideals. As Rita Abundancia wrote in EL PAIS, there is no shortage of those who compare heels to corsets, crinolines and other instruments of torture, oppressive forms that have modulated female bodies at will because a woman in movement, outside of male control, has long been seen as a danger. The Chinese bound their girls feet to make them small, turn them into stumps and make sure their owners couldnt go far. In the fifties, after the Second World War, when women returned to the home and their position as housewives after having replaced men in their tasks and in factories, fashion moved them to uncomfortable stiletto heels, which they had to wear all day if they wanted to be feminine and desirable. What better way to tame women who want to flee than to root them in the ground?

So can heels be a feminist choice? What confines, impoverishes, exploits, enslaves, oppresses, sickens, bloodies, rapes and kills women are not generally clothes or shoes, but rather laws and societal norms, says writer and journalist Summer Brennan in a article on the subject in the English newspaper The Guardian. And she lists a long list of culprits: prejudice, misogyny and white supremacy, among others.

If you believe, as feminism dictates, that women should be able to freely wear whatever they want, whether that means wearing high heels or not, then yes, wearing a high heel could be considered a feminist choice, says Ursula Carranza. However, if you do it purely to meet certain societally imposed norms or certain gender expectations, then no. It is a complex and debatable topic. For me, high heels represent an artistic choice, she adds.

This writer has her own theory about why we still wear heels today: One of the most attractive things about heels is the ability they have to transform the woman who wears them. The magical change that occurs in a womans posture, height and way of moving when she stands in heels is a sensation that women enjoy and value. It is an almost objective fascination. Heels go from being simple accessories to being elements that allow you to reinvent yourself. The psychological effect makes women feel safe and empowered, she says.

If you add to that that technology today allows for more comfortable high heels, you find another reason why many women continue to opt for them. In recent years there has been a stronger emphasis on comfort and functionality in the design of heels. Brands and designers are increasingly aware of the importance of combining style with functionality to meet the preferences of an increasingly diverse customer base, says Ursula Carranza. The comfort of heels can vary greatly from person to person, depending on foot shape, design, and personal preference. In general, heels between 5 and 7.5 centimeters are considered relatively comfortable for prolonged wear. Adequate arch support, cushioned insoles that provide good cushioning, as well as the design of the shoe  for example, round or almond-shaped toes tend to be more comfortable than pointed ones  and the quality of materials can play a role in comfort. Wider heel bases provide greater stability while wedge heels tend to be more comfortable than stilettos. Platforms can help distribute weight more evenly. The different heel heights allow us to adjust our level of comfort.

The stiletto scholar focuses on four recent creators who are changing the heel industry: I would highlight Edgardo Osorio, from Aquazzura, because his heels are original, modern and cheerful. Andrea Wazen is a young Lebanese designer who is part of the new talent of Middle Eastern designers who are innovating with her creations. Her designs are unique, glamorous and feminine and she combines materials such as tulle, glitter and transparencies in creations that look like haute couture clothing. Ada Kokosar is the talented Italian designer of the fun Midnight 00 brand that is inspired by the world of dreams and fantasy. Handmade with haute couture techniques, the creations of Kokosar, who used to be a fashion stylist, have a unique and recognizable aesthetic that sets them apart from the rest. One of her original designs was part of one of the fashion exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Lastly, I would mention Julien Martinez from the Spanish-French brand Souliers Martinez. A lover of the braided leather technique and preserving artisanal techniques, Martinez designs heels that are inspired by beautiful and timeless silhouettes that surpass trends and the passage of time.

As writer Summer Brennan mentions in her book High Heel: In her book Bad Feminist, writer Roxane Gay defends stereotypically feminine things like her love of pink, rejecting the idea that feminism should exclude symbols of feminine culture. Can we claim power as women without also denigrating femininity? Cant even cultural femininity be rescued from patriarchy and its metaphors of oppression? she asks. The truth is that the idea of femininity is something cultural.

Fashion is not about utility. An accessory is merely a piece of iconography used to express individual identity, said Meryl Streep in her role as the all-powerful fashion magazine director in the film The Devil Wears Prada. Fashion is definitely a way to express your personal style, your aesthetic preferences, your way of seeing life. What you wear and how you wear it says a lot about you and your personality. Today more than ever, clothing is a dynamic and versatile medium to express a persons identity and communicate with the world. Whether through classic, bohemian, minimalist or eclectic garments, or if you are one of those who follow trends or prefer vintage garments or artisanal creations, women have more opportunities than ever to use clothing as a powerful tool of expression, which can have an impact on both personal and professional life, reflects Ursula Carranza.

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The costly but heavily criticised Devon and Cornwall police contact centre is finally improving with fewer people abandoning calls because of long waiting times.

However, the average time people have to hang on to speak to a police call handler on the 101 non-emergency number is still nearly an hour.

Police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez says the previously embarrassing contact service has dramatically improved in performance with over 90 per cent of 999 calls being answered within 10 seconds.

Abandoned calls to 101 have reduced by around 40 per cent with the introduction of a call back service. And the reopening of police enquiry desks have helped public engagement with the police, she told the Devon and Cornwall police and crime panel.

In addition, a triage service enables callers to speak to a human being within 30 seconds and then redirected.

However, as the average 101 call waiting time is 47 minutes, the commissioner says work still has to be done.

We know this is still too long, but two minutes, which is what the public think is right, is unreasonable. We are aiming for 20 minutes waiting time on 101 calls.

She said she had invested millions of pounds of taxpayers money into more staff and better technology, but progress had been slow, partly because of the demand on 999 calls which had risen by 25 per cent.

I have come to the police and crime panel in the past and been embarrassed at what is happening on that phone line, but I am so delighted with the level of effort that has gone into making things better. We are definitely on the right track.

In August, Devon and Cornwall Police was the best performing force in the UK for answering 999 calls promptly, and although there were technical issues in September, in October the average waiting time was six seconds.

Around 1,500 people have now visited the 12 police enquiry offices which the commissioner has reopened across the two counties in the last year and she is looking to reopen four more.

Although the openings have been staggered over that period, if they had all been accepting members of the public dropping in over the 12 months, that equates to two people per week using each stations new front desk.

The commissioner has said previously that footfall is not the key reason for reopening front desks, but rather about making communities feel safer and officers being more accessible.

Ms Hernandez is asking for suggestions so future offices can be in the right location, as well as where there is most demand.

Members of the police and crime panel said there needed to be more information about the police enquiry offices as lots of people still didnt know about them or what they could use them for, both for reporting crime and getting advice. These offices had a lot more potential to take pressure off the call centre, they said.

Cllr Mandy Ewings (Ind, Tavistock South West) said police should use council tax leaflets that went out in the post as an opportunity to promote the ways of contacting the police.

Cllr Shorne Tilbey (Con, Stratton, Kilkhampton and Morwenstow) said in Bude police encouraged the public to use social media to report crime and that had done a lot for local engagement.

Ms Hernandez said it was up to local teams to decide which way worked best for them as not all officers were interested in using social media. She said emails to neighbourhood teams was not something she wanted to promote as some could get missed when officers were off, and incidents not responded to.

We have some challenges in directing people to the right contact service for them but things are improving, she said.
KYODO NEWS - Nov 26, 2023 - 20:40 | World, All, Japan

The top diplomats of Japan, South Korea and China agreed Sunday to accelerate efforts to arrange a summit of their leaders at an early date in the nations' first in-person foreign ministerial talks in four years in Busan, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said.

Kamikawa also told reporters the three diplomats discussed North Korea's recent spy satellite launch and she asked China, which has significant economic influence over Pyongyang, to play a role in addressing the country's missile program and past abductions of Japanese nationals.

The COVID-19 pandemic and strained bilateral ties over historical and territorial disagreements had kept the three nations from holding talks since the last leaders' summit in December 2019 and a direct foreign ministerial meeting in August of that year, both in China.

Kamikawa also said she agreed with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and China's top diplomat Wang Yi to promote cooperation among the three countries in six areas including public health, security and trade as they work toward the summit.

South Korea, the rotating chair of the trilateral framework, was seeking to host a leaders' summit by the end of this year. But a senior official of the country's presidential office said on a TV program Sunday that it would not be easy to hold the summit by the year-end.

The Japanese minister added she shared the view with her counterparts that promoting future-oriented and practical cooperation among the three Asian neighbors is "important for regional and world peace."

The meeting came days after Pyongyang's satellite launch using banned ballistic missile technology that triggered condemnation from Japan and South Korea. China has stopped short of criticizing the launch.

South Korea's Park said stability in the Korean Peninsula is "a prerequisite for the peace and prosperity" of the region at the outset of the talks. He told reporters the three ministers agreed to continue communication at all levels to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

China's Wang said Beijing is ready to work with Tokyo and Seoul to put the three-way cooperation back on the correct path and seek its sound and stable development. The ministers made the opening remarks in the presence of reporters.

Ahead of the three-way ministerial talks, the Global Times, a tabloid affiliated with China's ruling Communist Party, expressed caution in its editorial Saturday over the strengthened security ties between the United States, Japan and South Korea and called on Tokyo and Seoul to demonstrate "more strategic autonomy."

Apparently reflecting Beijing's cautious stance toward the two neighbors, both of which are U.S. security allies, Wang skipped a joint press conference and dinner originally planned for the three ministers, according to diplomatic sources.

Related coverage:

Japan complains over South Korea's "comfort women" ruling in talks

Japan, China reaffirm policy to settle Fukushima row via talks

South Korea to hold top diplomat talks with Japan, China Nov. 26 in Busan
MICHIGAN CITY  Michigan City police are investigating a non-fatal shooting and fatal crash that occurred at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday on the 400 block of Walker Street, police said in a news release.

Michigan City Police Sgt. Michael Oberle was patrolling the city's north side at approximately midnight when he heard multiple gunshots being fired from the Eastport neighborhood, police said. Officers from Uniform Patrol Shift III received multiple notifications from the city's Flock Safety Raven gunshot detection system informing them gunshots were being fired near Walker Street.

Around this time, the LaPorte County E-911 Regional Dispatch Center received a call regarding a motor vehicle crash and multiple gunshots fired in the same area the gunshot system detected. On scene, officers witnessed a three-vehicle accident.

Michigan City resident Mykel Trice, 18, was found dead at the scene and pinned underneath an overturned vehicle, police said. LaPorte resident Jordan Glancy, 19, was located on scene and identified as a driver from one of the vehicles. He was detained while officers continued the investigation.

The investigation was eventually taken over by Michigan City Investigative and Traffic Divisions. At approximately 12:25 a.m., investigators were dispatched to Franciscan Health Michigan City Hospital for a patient who suffered a gunshot wound, police said.

Investigators encountered 18-year-old Michigan City resident Jermaine Carter Jr., who was being treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the right leg. Carter was later discharged and detained by investigators, police said.

Glancy was arrested for a Level 2 Felony of Dealing a Schedule I Controlled Substance and A-Misdemeanor for Dealing Marijuana, police said. He was issued a $50,005 cash bond.

Carter was arrested for three felonies: Attempted Murder, Attempted Robbery-With a Deadly Weapon and Criminal Recklessness, police said. He was also charged with A-Misdemeanor for Unlawful Carrying of a Handgun, and issued a $100,005 cash bond.

Glancy and Carter have a probable cause review hearing at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in LaPorte County Superior Court 1. Investigators from the Investigative and Traffic Divisions continue to interview witnesses, search for video surveillance and collect additional evidence, police said.

Other responding agencies who assisted with this incident were the Trail Creek Police Department, Long Beach Police Department, LaPorte County Sheriffs Office, Michigan City Fire Department, LaPorte County EMS and LaPorte County Coroners Office.

Anyone with information regarding this incident can contact Michigan City Police Detective Sgt. Lendell Hood at 219-874-3221 ext. 1074, or by email at lhood@emichigancity.com. People can also contact Michigan City police via Facebook Messenger, through the crime tip hotline number at 219-873-1488, or the WeTip Hotline for General Crime at 800-78-CRIME (800-782-7463).

This investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time, police said.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into LaPorte County Jail Kristy Miller Donald Starks Jeremy Marshall Andre Johnson Victoria Vasquez Allen Fugate Thomas Reeder Samuel Fleming Giovanni Ferreyra-Ruiz Cleophis Swanson Jr. Yvonne Noe Bonnie McGriff Tabitha Ramirez Rickey Bureau Quayshuan Kelly Almani Flippins Amber Coursel Barry Geber Jordan Glancy Donald Franklin Lauren Smith Jermaine Carter Calvin Simmons
Valparaiso will soon be sandwich city.

Acclaimed chef and restauranteur Chris Pavlou, a prolific force in Valpo's buzzy dining scene, is opening Sandwich City in downtown Valparaiso. He bought the popular, long-running Ben's Soft Pretzels on Lincolnway and is converting it into a hybrid Sandwich City/Ben's Soft Pretzel.

If the concept takes off, he hopes to open more joint Sandwich City/Ben's Soft Pretzels around the Region.

"I want to be in every city," he said. "I want a Sandwich City in every city."

Pavlou, who's already running Radius on the courthouse square and several other restaurants in Valparaiso, first opened a Sandwich City at 1441 E. Summit St. about eight years ago in Crown Point, where it shares a storefront with Olympic Imported Foods. It's a sandwich and soup restaurant that serves a side of history.

Each sandwich is named after the city from whence it came. The club is named the Saratoga, the Reuben the Omaha, the BLT the Chicago, the Greek the Athens, the tuna salad the Manhattan and a Polish ham the Warsaw.

"I put a little history in there about how the sandwich originated," Pavlou said. "It's got an interesting feeling when you go in there. I figured out which sandwiches I wanted to make and then researched the history. The pastrami started in Romania, for example. There's a little history for the history buff."

Pavlou, a Chefs of Steel winner who's president and CEO of the Pavlou Restaurant Corp., has owned 18 different restaurants, including Radius, Maple + Bacon, Pav's Place, Tommy B's Clubhouse, The Aberdeen Inn and The Abbey. All of his restaurants have different concepts.

"What makes the food business great is there are so many concepts," he said. "I want to do a variety and not do the same thing over and over and over again. It keeps me fresh and gives me new ideas."

He acquired the Ben's Pretzels at 151 Lincolnway for an undisclosed sum.

"Ben's Pretzels is a great company. It's a high-quality soft pretzel with a great story behind it. It was founded by the Amish and serves the best pretzel in the area," Pavlou said. "Sandwich City is a great concept. It's a great location. It's right by the pavilion. It's great for families and kids."

The menu includes The Gary Millworker sandwich, with roast beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onion on rye bread in a spin on the local Steelworker sandwich. Some of the sandwiches are subs, some on rye, like the New Yorker corned beef, and some on pretzel buns, like the Berlin smoked turkey, bacon and cheddar. It also has hot-pressed paninis like The Jersey with hot capicola, genoa salami and pepperoni.

Sandwiches come with pickles and can come in combos with chips and pop. Sandwich City offers a homemade City Sauce, a sub sauce that blends extra virgin olive oil with vinegar and spices.

They can be ordered as half and half-with-soup. The restaurant offers six soups a day, which are served with a dinner roll, crackers or pretzel sticks. It always has lemon rice soup, chicken noodle soup and chili. It also offers a rotating selection, such as tomato tortellini and stuffed dill pickle.

The 800-square-foot restaurant will be strictly carryout with no indoor seating and a pickup window opening up to foot traffic from the William E. Urschel Pavilion. It will offer bagged lunches people can enjoy while picnicking in the park or enjoying movie nights or concerts.

"We'll have macaroni and cookies and brownies for the kids, things that are fast, easy, and great," Pavlou said. "Our slogan is sandwiches that make you say wow. I was making sandwiches inside my dad's imported food business and a gentleman bought some bread off the shelf and asked if I could make a mortadella sandwich. The next day there was a line of people asking for the same sandwich I made this gentleman."

It's working on an app for online ordering. The goal is to cater to the lunch crowd, such as people who work downtown.

"It's grab and go," he said. "We're faster than Jimmy John's."

The Valparaiso location will have a few differences from the Crown Point location, such as different soups and more pretzel buns from the attached Ben's Soft Pretzels.

There will be 21 different breads like French rolls and multigrain, as well as wraps. Any sandwich can be made into a wrap.

The Valpo location also will have a Valpo Sub with turkey, roast beef, Swiss cheese and garlic aioli.

"Our ingredients our quality meats and cheeses," he said. "We give you a quarter pound of meat. We're giving you meat and cheese. It's not just vegetables. It's a quality sandwich at a great price that will make you say wow."

Sandwich City offers party platters and catering. It even served President Barack Obama and the Air Force One crew when it flew to the Gary/Chicago International Airport.

"I enjoy making great food and like to feed the people," he said. "This new venture will have great sandwiches and great soup. I want to expand it and put a Sandwich City in every city."

Sandwich City in Valpo will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer, spring and fall and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the winter.

Coming soon

Wingstop and Jet's Pizza are coming to Valparaiso.

According to city records, the two restaurants will share a newly constructed 3,000-square-foot building at 700 Glendale Blvd. on the edge of the CVS parking lot just off Calumet Avenue on the booming north side of town.

Wingstop specializes in chicken wings, chicken tenders and chicken sandwiches with a variety of sauces. Jet's Pizza makes Detroit-style deep-dish pizza.

Both restaurants will be carryout-only with no interior seating.

Based in suburban Dallas, Wingstop is one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in the United States with more than 1,800 locations across the United States. Growing rapidly through franchising, it's added 400 more restaurants over the last breakneck year alone.

The publicly traded restaurant has the slogan "where flavor gets its wings," in keeping with its old-timey aviation aesthetic. Suburban Detroit-based Jet's Pizza also is fast-growing and now has nearly 20 locations in the Chicago metro, including in Hobart.

Now up to 400 locations, it uses old family recipes that haven't changed since the 1970s. It pioneered what it calls an eight-corner pizza, which is actually two square Detroit-style pizzas in the same box and not an octagon-shaped pizza. The eight-corner claim is not intended to be geometric legerdemain  two smaller pizzas are twinned so that every single piece has the coveted crispy corners that many customers crave. That way, there are no squabbles over who gets the end piece.

Legend has it the rectangular Detroit-style pizza was invented by baking pie in an automotive drip pan that was used to hold tools at a local auto plant. Cooking in the metal pan caramelizes the Wisconsin brick cheese or mozzarella against the usually buttery crust, which is why crust pieces are considered so desirable.

With more of its heft coming from dough than the cheesier Chicago-style deep dish, Detroit-style deep dish has been spreading widely around the country in recent years, having wider appeal than other regional pizza styles like St. Louis-style pizza, Altoona-style pizza and Ohio Valley-style pizza.

Coming soon

Katie Rose Boutique opened two years ago in the Centennial Village mixed-use development, opening a retail outpost during the pandemic before it was better established with tenants like Rosebud Steakhouse, Bean Me Up Coffee, MegMade, Net Par and Jem Medspa.

Now the boutique at 9610 N. Centennial Drive will expand to a second location in downtown Crown Point, where owner Monica Branchik plans to open just south of the square at 218 S. Main St. in March of next year.

Katie Rose Boutique sells stylish designer merchandise like jeans, tops, dresses and sweaters, as well as fashion accessories and jewelry. Catering to women and people who buy gifts for women, the upscale boutique offers complimentary gift-wrapping.

For more information, visit www.katieroseboutique.com.

Closed

Safra Small Bites closed at 9543 Wicker Ave. in St. John, a spot on U.S. 41 across from the long-defunct Kmart that was previously home to Roma's, Pascal's Pizza and Pascale's Pizza & Pasta.

The 50-seat bar and grill specialized in gluten-free and allergy-free southern-influenced comfort food. It had burgers, sandwiches, pizza and homemade desserts like a flourless chocolate cake, all of which could be made to order to avoid any allergens that might affect customers.

Coming soon

Honey Bee's Pancake House plans to take over the Safra Small Bites, introducing a new breakfast concept to a restaurant space that has long served pizza.

Closed

Parlay Grill and Catering closed this summer at 105 N. Broad St. in downtown Griffith after a year and a half in business.

The fast food restaurant served food like bourbon chicken, pulled pork, brisket, skirt steak and mac and cheese, catering mainly to a to-go customer base.

It was in the "cocaine cheesesticks" spot where the owner of the erstwhile Broad Street Gyros was arrested after a customer found cocaine in their cheesesticks order, an unusual case that garnered a significant amount of media coverage and has become part of local lore.

Coming soon

Tandoori Cafe and Grill plans to bring Indian cuisine to the former Parlay Grill location in Griffith.

Tandoori is a type of Indian cooking with a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven that infuses food with a smoky flavor. It's perhaps best known for Tandoori chicken, which is marinated in yogurt and exotic spices.

Schererville is home to the long-running Tandoor Cuisine of India restaurant, which recently opened the Indian Curry fast-casual restaurant on the north side of Griffith.
Flora Ho was raised 7,700 miles away from Northwest Indiana. Yet when she first arrived here, the smokestack skyline looked - and smelled - surprisingly familiar.

Ho is from Kaohsiung in southwest Taiwan, a massive port city with an invisible connection to our Region. The city of nearly 3 million people boasts a thriving steel industry that emerged around the time that our Regions steel industry began to rust, Ho said.

She pointed out this insightful observation during a presentation I gave at the campus of Indiana University Northwest in Gary. I was asked to speak to students of the Indiana University School of Medicine about my book, Lost Gary, Indiana and my upbringing in the Steel City.

We would like our medical students to understand the historical, socio-economic, and demographic characteristics of Gary - past, present and future, Baraka Muvuka, assistant professor of clinical family medicine, told me weeks ago. Part of their medical education explores how social, economic, and political factors influence community health.

Despite such lofty criteria for an academic presentation, she invited me to share my uneducated experiences with her students. This past week, I visited the school and rambled for almost an hour, touching on a variety of subjects related to Gary and Northwest Indiana.

I barely addressed a printed list of relative talking points I prepared beforehand. Once I start speaking publicly, the conversation usually takes unexpected twists and turns. I welcomed a dialogue with the medical students and they didnt disappoint.

At one point I recalled growing up in Miller, just east of U.S. Steel, and smelling millions of dollars being made along the polluted Lake Michigan shoreline. It all depended on which way the wind was blowing. Most days I could see the pollution. Some days I could also smell it.

I thought every kid could tell which direction the wind blew from its harsh smell, I joked.

Thats when Ho, a first-year medical student, raised her hand and told me something I never considered.

I had a similar experience where I was raised, she said.

What? Where? How?

I experienced a similar landscape growing up in the biggest steel-producing city of my home country, she said. From my perspective, it looks like the time Gary's economy started to dwindle was the time steel making became an industry in Kaohsiung. The main company that produces steel in Taiwan - China Steel - started around the 1970s in my hometown.

Today, that company is the largest integrated steelmaker in Taiwan with nearly 10,000 workers. It opened its first of four blast furnaces in 1977 and is well known for its production in Hos hometown.

Kaohsiung, Taiwan, isn't even the biggest steel-making city in East Asia, she said. The ones in China are much bigger and started only slightly later than the ones in Taiwan.

After my presentation, I asked Ho to elaborate on her unique perspective of both cities, seemingly a world away. She told me when she first arrived in this Region and began medical school at IUN, she was amazed how familiar it looks, and smells, like her hometown.

I wasn't sure whether that was a fortunate event or an unfortunate one, given that I experienced firsthand uncontrolled air pollution across the steel-producing cities in East Asia, she said, noting how one of her aunts who contracted lung cancer.

In fact, growing up, my family would check the PM2.5 level each day before deciding whether the air quality is good enough to spend time outdoors, Ho said.

Shes referring to devices that gauge the levels of particle pollution from fine particulates that serve as a proverbial canary in the coal mine for public safety. When that level is too high, residents there do their best to remain indoors.

The pollution is occasionally visible, and one can see it covering buildings like a fog, Ho said.

Similar to her city, our Region has had a love-hate relationship with steel mills as we grapple with our cap and trade conundrum: We cap our valid health and environment concerns for the trade-off of steady money and putting food on the table.

Ho and her family moved to several cities before settling at Kaohsiung. Her father works with ship engines, which is how they ended up at Kaohsiung, given its ship building industry and harbor. Besides being the biggest steel-making city in Taiwan, Kaohsiung is also known for shipbuilding, she said.

After graduating from high school, she moved to the U.S. and decided that medicine is her passion in life. Before entering medical school, her work involved helping uninsured and underinsured patients navigate healthcare barriers at health centers.

In the future, I hope to continue to work to improve the care outcome of uninsured and under-insured patients. And research about how pollution and other environmental factors in the urban space impact peoples health, she said.

This is why Northwest Indiana, its lakeshore of steel mills, and the lower income populations of our Region resonated with Ho on a deeper level. She is exactly where she should be in life. I told this to all of the students during my presentation.

Youre here for other reasons beyond your medical schooling, I told them.

Ho illustrates this perfectly.

Im just sharing my perspective with you in case you find it interesting, she told me afterward.

I found it not only interesting but also fascinating, this connection between two industrial cities so far away that are linked at a global level.

Its interesting how cities across the continents are connected in their fate, with ones rise linked to ones fall, Ho said.

GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week
American hostages are not likely to be among the second group of women and children freed by Hamas, an American official said on Saturday.

The senior Biden administration official, who asked not to be named to discuss national security issues, said in a statement that the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas that called for the release of Palestinian prisoners and people abducted by Hamas last month was early in the process.

We are hopeful that will include three dual national women and children, who are American citizens, the official wrote. This will unfold over the coming days.

The cease-fire deal calls for Israel to release 150 Palestinian women and minors, many of whom have been convicted of violent crimes. In exchange, Hamas is expected to release at least 50 women and children who were kidnapped in the Oct. 7 assault in which Hamas killed about 1,200 people in their homes and at a music festival, according to Israeli officials.

President Biden said at a news conference on Friday that he believed the four-day cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel would result in the return of American hostages.

But no Americans were among the 24 people released by Hamas in the first exchange on Friday. That group included 13 Israelis, 10 Thai citizens and one Filipino.

The senior Biden administration official said the White House remained hopeful that American citizens would be among the hostages freed in the coming days.
A Bedford Park police officer was hospitalized after he was shot multiple times during a struggle at a Speedway gas station in the southern suburb, police said.

While responding to a report of a car crash at about 3:40 a.m., officers found an unoccupied vehicle with heavy damage in the 6700 block of South Archer Road. The car was reported stolen in an aggravated vehicular hijacking in Chicago, police said.

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Surveillance footage showed two people flee the wrecked car and enter a parked car at a gas station in the 6800 block of South Archer Road, police said.

Officers then approached the two people in the car, one of whom they said wouldnt comply with officers commands and was physically resisting. After a struggle, the person fired several shots at an officer, police said.

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The Bedford Fire Department transported the officer to a nearby hospital in stable condition.

Police said one person is in custody and two firearms were recovered at the scene.

rjohnson@chicagotribune.com
KYODO NEWS - Nov 26, 2023 - 10:29 | All, World

Hamas released a second group of hostages on Saturday, the Israeli military said, as a four-day cease-fire continues between Israel and the Palestinian militant group in the Gaza strip.

Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals were released, the military said, while Israel on Sunday freed 39 Palestinians who have been held in prison, according to local media.

Among the freed Israelis are five women and eight children.

The move comes after Hamas released 24 hostages when the four-day cease-fire began Friday on the basis of an agreement reached between the two parties.

Under the deal, Hamas will release 50 hostages, while Israel will free 150 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas said Gaza will receive humanitarian aid during the period, consisting of 200 aid trucks and four trucks carrying fuel per day.

The truce came after Hamas launched a surprise cross-border attack on Oct. 7, seizing over 230 hostages, followed by a protracted air and ground assault into Palestinian territories by Israel in response.

Related coverage:

Hamas releases 24 Gaza hostages on Day 1 of cease-fire with Israel

Gaza cease-fire begins, Hamas set to release hostages

Israel approves 4-day cease-fire with Hamas for hostage release
But for many families like Ohads  even for those whose loved ones were released  the joy at their liberation was mixed with profound sadness for the more than 200 others believed to still be in Gaza. Some families were split up, with women and children sent home as male relatives remained behind  including Abraham Munder, 78, Ohads grandfather.

Were happy, but were not celebrating. There are still other hostages in captivity, Roy Zichri, Ohads brother, said in a video statement. We need to keep up the struggle until all the hostages are freed  every last one, he added.

Yaffa Adar, 85, had been captured in Nir Oz was taken on a scooter toward the Gaza Strip by her captors in one of the assaults most iconic images. She was freed on Friday, while one of her eight grandchildren, Tamir, is still being held in Gaza, according to her family.

One stone is now removed from our heart, but we are still missing parts of it, said Moran Aloni, whose sister and niece were freed on Friday, but who still has several other relatives held hostage in Gaza.

Prof. Gilat Livni, who is overseeing the treatment of the returned child hostages at the Schneider childrens hospital, said the four Israeli children who had returned were overall in generally good condition despite the trauma they had been through.

Both the mothers and the children are speaking, telling stories and sharing their experiences, Professor Livni told reporters, calling it astonishing and emotional.

But the returned hostages now require a prolonged period of physical and mental rehabilitation, said Hagai Levine, a physician who is advising the families of hostages held captive in Gaza.

Its a long process of restoring a sense of trust, control, and functioning, after they were in a situation where they had no control over their fate, said Dr. Levine, adding that many of the freed hostages had no home to which to return, complicating their recovery.

Before the temporary cease-fire, Hamas had freed four Israelis, citing humanitarian reasons. Dr. Levine met at least two of them: Judith Raanan, a dual Israeli-American citizen, and Yocheved Lifshitz.

I was impressed by their ability not only to recover, but to offer help to other families, Dr. Levine said. But the process is long, and theres definitely trauma to be dealt with, he added.
Sharon Avigdori, a sister of Avshalom Haran and a drama therapist, was visiting her family in Beeri with her daughter, Noam Avigdori, when they were seized.

Sharon Avigdori works with people on the autism spectrum and lives in Hod Hasharon, in central Israel. Her husband, Hen Avigdori, and their son Omer, 16, had stayed home that weekend.

Mr. Avigdori, a television writer, told The Jerusalem Post this month that he was a man on a mission to bring back his wife and daughter. He said his wifes work changes the world.

He described his daughter as a young socialite and a top student. She likes learning, she is hilarious, she has a very sarcastic sense of humor, she cracks me up, he said.

Emily Hand, 9

Image Emily Hand Credit... Yael Shahrur Noah, via Associated Press

Emily Hand, an Irish Israeli, was kidnapped from a sleepover at a friends house in Kibbutz Beeri and turned 9 while in captivity.

Her family initially believed she had been killed in the attack, but was later informed that she was kidnapped. Her older sister, Natalie Hand, told Israels Channel 12 that the family had cried for Emily when it was informed she had been killed.

We were told that she had been murdered; we were in mourning, she said. Then, on Oct. 31, they told us that it was highly likely that she had been abducted.

Speaking at a news conference at the Israeli Embassy in London recently, her father, Thomas Hand, said, Im going to pull every little string that I can for my own daughter, and hopefully that helps the rest as well.

Irelands president met with Mr. Hand in recent weeks.

Maya Regev, 21

Image Maya Regev Credit... Regev Family, via Associated Press

Maya Regev was at the Tribe of Nova music festival on Oct. 7 when Hamas attackers infiltrated Israel and massacred hundreds of young festivalgoers. Her brother, Itay, with whom she attended the festival, is still believed to be held in Gaza.

Their father, Ilan Regev Derby, described in October being haunted by the last conversation he had with Ms. Regev, which he recorded on his phone. She called as the gunmen closed in.

In one Hamas video, Itay is shown, hands bound, in the back of a pickup, alive. Another friend they attended the festival with, Omer Shem Tov, is also still believed to be held in Gaza.

Mirit Regev, Mayas mother, expressed the mixed feelings of many families in a statement on Sunday:

Im excited and happy that Maya is on her way to us now. Nonetheless, my heart is split because my son, Itay, is still in Hamass captivity in Gaza, she said, adding, I am going to hug Maya so hard. We will not stop until Itay and all the hostages get back home.
Antonia Bennetts childhood had some unique charms. There were the parties, where the likes of Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Torme would gather around the piano and sing. There were the times Bennetts father, Tony, took her to work, beginning when she was about 5, and gave her an early taste of the spotlight.

My dad would just bring me up onstage, and we would sing together, Bennett recalled in a recent interview. I guess it started with The Hokey Pokey and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, and then I graduated to Puttin on the Ritz, and we just kept going from there, you know?

Bennett, 49, is the younger of the crooners two daughters by the second of his three wives, the actress Sandra Grant Bennett. Over the years, she too has sung professionally, releasing a 2014 album, Embrace Me, and an earlier EP that mixed traditional pop standards with a cover of Pat Benatars Love Is a Battlefield. For the first time since her fathers death in July at 96, she is preparing to take the New York stage  and start her career anew.

It was such a privilege to be able to get to know my dad in my adult life, and to spend so much time traveling and performing with him, said Bennett, who regularly opened for her father and was his featured duet partner at major venues and festivals until his retirement from the stage. And I learned so much from him.
In 2019, Yu, worried that the stories of Jewish refugees in his hometown were being forgotten, came up with the idea for the piece. He approached the New York Philharmonic, which has had a partnership with the Shanghai Symphony since 2014, about commissioning the work together.

Yu said he never expected the oratorio to premiere in wartime but hoped that its message would still resonate.

We always make the same mistakes in our lives, and we have to learn from history, he said. We can be inspired by the kindness and support that Shanghai showed in this moment.

To shape the music and the plot, Yu turned to Zigman, a classically trained film and television composer who has returned to classical music in recent years, including with Tango Manos (2019), a piano concerto he wrote for the pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Yu has long known Zigman, who has composed more than 60 Hollywood scores, including The Notebook, and he and Thibaudet suggested the idea for a tango concerto.

For Emigre, Zigman said he was eager to create a multicultural love story that drew attention to the violent struggles unfolding in Asia and Europe at the time. Those include the 1937 massacre in Nanjing, an eastern Chinese city, in which tens of thousands of Chinese civilians were killed by occupying Japanese forces; and Kristallnacht, the wave of antisemitic violence carried out by Nazis in 1938.

Our project is really about bridging cultures and humanity and love, hope, loss and tragedy, Zigman said.
When Paul Lynch, the Irish writer, started work on his fifth novel, he was thinking about the long civil war in Syria and the Wests apparent indifference to the people who fled the conflict.

So, he crafted a book that could bring that plight home.

That novel, Prophet Song, which imagines a near-future Ireland descending into totalitarianism, then a civil war that leads to families fleeing the country, has won the Booker Prize, the prestigious literary award.

On Sunday, Esi Edugyan, a novelist and the chair of this years judging panel, said that Prophet Song resonated with contemporary crises including the Israel-Hamas war, but that the novel had won solely on its literary merits. This is a triumph of emotional storytelling, bracing and brave, Edugyan said in a news conference before the announcement.

The judges werent unanimous in their decision, even after six hours of debate, Edugyan said. Still, she added, the panel felt that Prophet Song was a worthy winner that captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment.
Image Avigail Idan, 4, was released from Gaza yesterday. Credit... Hostages and Missing Families Forum

Hamas and Israel make their 3rd prisoner-hostage exchange

Hamas released 17 more hostages yesterday, including one American  Avigail Idan, who turned 4 on Friday, nearly seven weeks after her parents were killed in the Oct. 7 cross-border assault on southern Israel.

Heres what we know about the hostages.

The Israeli prime ministers office said that 14 Israelis, including nine children, and three foreigners were released on the third day of the negotiated cease-fire. The terms of the deal  which began on Friday and involves the release of 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and minors in Israeli custody  has allowed for the longest break in fighting in Gaza since Oct. 7. It is slated to end on Tuesday.

Israel has offered to extend the pause by one day for every additional 10 hostages released, and Hamas later announced that it was seeking to extend the truce as well.

Heres the latest.

Delays: Hamas threatened on Saturday to postpone the second trade, claiming that Israel had not allowed enough aid to reach northern Gaza. After an hourslong delay, the exchange went ahead, and Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The delay raised fears that subsequent releases would be similarly fraught.
Taiwan has built a resilience to foreign meddling that could serve as a model to the dozens of other democracies holding votes in 2024. Its defenses include one of the worlds most mature communities of fact checkers, government investments, international media literacy partnerships and, after years of warnings about Chinese intrusion, a public sense of skepticism.

The challenge now is sustaining the effort.

That is the main battlefield: The fear, uncertainty, doubt is designed to keep us up at night so we dont respond to novel threats with novel defenses, said Audrey Tang, Taiwans inaugural digital minister, who works on strengthening cybersecurity defenses against threats like disinformation. The main idea here is just to stay agile.

Taiwan, a highly online society, has repeatedly been found to be the top target in the world for disinformation from foreign governments, according to the Digital Society Project, a research initiative exploring the internet and politics. China was accused of spreading rumors during the pandemic about the Taiwanese governments handling of Covid-19, researchers said. Representative Nancy Pelosis visit to the island as speaker of the House last year set off a series of high-profile cyberattacks, as well as a surge of debunked online messages and images that fact checkers linked to China.

For all of Beijings efforts, however, it has struggled to sway public opinion.

In recent years, Taiwans voters have chosen a president, Ms. Tsai, from the Democratic Progressive Party, which the Communist Party views as an obstacle to its goal of unification. Experts and local fact checkers said Chinese disinformation campaigns were a major concern in local elections in 2018; the efforts seemed less effective in 2020, when Ms. Tsai recaptured the presidency in a landslide. Her vice president, Lai Ching-te, has maintained a polling lead in the race to succeed her.
Jump to: Todays Theme | Tricky Clues

MONDAY PUZZLE  Call it superstition, but the mention of an Astrology chart, as in todays puzzle at 1-Across, is a surefire way to get me excited about solving. I have freely admitted to wielding the cosmos with confirmation bias when I just want to feel as if someones behavior (even my own) makes a little more sense. I encourage fellow solvers of todays puzzle, constructed by Ricky J. Sirois in his New York Times debut, to find whatever clue feels as familiar to them as the subject of star signs does to me.

There are ample opportunities to find this kind of clue  we call it a gimme in crossword-speak  in Mr. Siroiss grid, which Tracy Bennett, a puzzle editor at The Times, described as thoughtfully filled with accessible but interesting answers.

You might need to stew over the constructors theme for a few minutes longer than you planned, but its answers are, in the words of Ms. Bennett, lexically crisp. I would say the description is not only deserved but also apt.
In the In Times Past column, David W. Dunlap explores New York Times history through artifacts housed in the Museum of The Times, for which he is curator.

Oh, boy, have I got something special, Daniel T. Brigham (1909-1990), a New York Times reporter in Bern, Switzerland, shouted into a radiophone when he reached The Timess headquarters on the evening of Sunday, April 29, 1945.

The deposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Claretta Petacci, had been executed on Saturday near Como, Italy. The bodies had then been brought by truck to the Piazzale Loreto in Milan. And Brigham had two shocking photos taken Sunday in the piazzale of the corpses of Mussolini, Petacci and several of his Fascist followers. No other American news organization had anything like them.

The unidentified photographer, an Italian who knew Brigham, drove the negatives to the Swiss border and put them on a train to Bern, where Brigham picked them up. Then came the hard part: getting them to editors in New York in time for Mondays paper.
Even with New Yorks complicated history as a port for new arrivals, the photographs this summer of more than a hundred migrants sleeping shoulder to shoulder on the sidewalk outside the once-elegant Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan were shocking. So were scenes of young migrants idling on sidewalks, stoops and park benches, desperate to work but legally prohibited from doing so.

For those of us who were once part of such a moment, the scenes stirred up memories and reflections on how different some things were now for new arrivals and how much they were the same. I, too, was once part of a migrant influx.

In the years after the end of World War II, New York City absorbed a similar wave of immigrants  a large majority of the 140,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors who came to America between 1946 and 1953  and it did so comparatively smoothly and uneventfully. These immigrants were eager to get on with their lives but were still in shock or heartbroken from the brutalities they had suffered, the parents and siblings they had lost, and the hometowns they could no longer return to.

Those who had no relatives to stay with were put up in 14 hotels that had seen better days as well as in a shelter hacked out of the former Astor Library on Lafayette Street, which is now the Public Theater.
To the Editor:

Re The Axe Is Sharp, by Maureen Dowd (column, Nov. 19):

While reading Ms. Dowds column on whether President Biden should run for a second term, I was struck by a historical parallel. Like Mr. Biden, President Lyndon B. Johnson had served a deeply charismatic president and used his extensive senatorial experience to seal that presidents vision with legislation.

But facing health concerns and declining popularity because of the Vietnam War, as well as surprisingly strong opposition by Robert F. Kennedy, Johnson decided that his moment had passed.

As David Axelrod has noted, it is time to consider allowing other Democratic leaders to step forward. Mr. Biden has served the nation honorably for longer than most Americans have been alive, guiding the country through dark times and leaving a clear legislative mark.

For his swan song, he can try to hold on to power until he is 86. Or he can choose to guide the nation peacefully through the turbulence of the coming electoral storm  not from the campaign trail, but as a steady presence in the Oval Office. I can think of no higher service.
The pressure to marry began when Amiee was in her early 20s.

By 25, her Chinese parents were accusing her of causing them a public loss of face because she still had no plans to wed. Her father warned her that women are worth less to a man as they near the age of 30, when  according to Chinese government propaganda  their peak childbearing time has passed. When Amiee was 29, her mother threatened to jump off a building if she didnt find a husband.

At family gatherings like Chinese New Year, relatives badgered her to help her entire clan find peace, she told me, and at work she was pressured into company-organized blind dates, chaperoned by several colleagues. These were terrifying, she said.

Amiee  whose full name is being withheld to avoid potential repercussions for questioning government policy  wasnt against marriage, per se. She simply hadnt found her soul mate at that age and didnt want to rush into marriage to please her parents or a government eager to push up the birthrate. Today, still single and with a successful career in public relations, she is finally enjoying some peace; shes 34, past what Chinas government says is a womans reproductive prime, and her family has stopped pressuring her.

I hear similar stories from single women across China, where sexist state propaganda labels single professional women older than 27 as sheng nu, or leftover women. While conducting fieldwork in China for my Ph.D. in sociology from 2011 to 2013, I spoke with many who endured relationships they didnt want, often making great personal, financial and career compromises. I wanted to tell them to just walk away.
I was a young child, living in the Jabaliya area, in the north of Gaza, when I first saw an Israeli soldier up close. The Israel Defense Forces invaded the camp and our home. They stayed for three days. After that, I was afraid of Israelis. I always thought that they were coming to kill or kidnap me.

And yet I know the world can be better. Ive seen how people in other conflicts have worked toward coexistence, and I know that one day I will work to better Gaza, to rebuild our community and to move forward. But this week I took the only opportunity that secured my immediate future: to flee.

Im a Palestinian raised in the Gaza Strip, so I have long known conflict. My family are refugees from 1948; my grandmother used to tell me really great stories about our village, Al Muharraqa. It was on the eastern border of Gaza, about nine miles from Gaza City.

Still, every other time there has been a war in Gaza, it hasnt really come to this level of intensity. This is the first time in my life I really didnt know where to go or if I would survive at all. But because I have seen a different version of this world, I still held out hope.
History, the essayist Thomas Carlyle wrote in 1840, is the biography of great men  and of these Napoleon, whom Carlyle described as our chief contemporary wonder, was considered by many to be the greatest. The Little Corporal who became a general and then emperor, the revolutionary who toppled a dynasty only to found his own, turned rapidly after his death in 1821 into an international legend, admired and reviled in equal measure. The ambitious dreamed of emulating him; inmates of lunatic asylums believed they were him. And now we find him, some 200 years later, larger than life once again, on IMAX screens and in multiplexes in Ridley Scotts new epic Napoleon.

So why does Mr. Scotts choice of subject feel like something of a throwback? When the philosopher Hegel saw Napoleon on horseback in 1806, he declared him nothing less than the soul of the world. Now, even if we can register the enormous impact Napoleon has had, he does not inflame our sentiments as he once did. There are still aficionados among the worlds would-be autocrats: When he was prime minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi reportedly bought the imperial bed (before having it widened) and hung a portrait of the emperor to greet Vladimir Putin when he came to visit. But for the rest of us, Napoleon has turned from one of those historical protagonists about whose life and exploits it is impossible to remain neutral  like a Hitler or a Stalin  into a titan distanced and defanged by time, like Alexander the Great or Genghis Khan.

What has changed is not Napoleons story but our sense of the possibilities it once represented. The fundamental source of his appeal was that he seemed to incarnate something quite unprecedented in human affairs: the unknown figure who through sheer genius succeeds in becoming an agent of history, overthrowing social and political norms. As a vehicle for change on an epochal scale, Napoleon epitomized the Romantic hero as man of action, and his ascent coincided with a time when mass political activism was a novel and revolutionary force, imbued with optimism.

Today, confidence in the future is vanishing. People (with the possible exception of Mr. Putin) are unlikely to see themselves as historys protagonists. Like other film directors whove tackled the subject, Mr. Scott has tapped into Napoleons biography and love life as grist for a biopic, but the Napoleon legend always rested on much more than an astonishing yarn: It reflected the aspirations of an era that now feels very remote from our own.
A blast shattered the stillness of a meadow in the Ozark Mountains on an autumn afternoon. Then another, and another, and another, until the whole meadow was in flames.

Special Operations troops were training with rocket launchers again.

Each operator held a launch tube on his shoulder, a few inches from his head, then took aim and sent a rocket flying at 500 miles an hour. And each launch sent a shock wave whipping through every cell in the operators brain.

For generations, the military assumed that this kind of blast exposure was safe, even as evidence mounted that repetitive blasts may do serious and lasting harm.

In recent years, Congress, pressed by veterans who were exposed to these shock waves, has ordered the military to set safety limits and start tracking troops exposure. In response, the Pentagon created a sprawling Warfighter Brain Health Initiative to study the issue, gather data and propose corrective strategies. And last year, for the first time, it set a threshold above which a weapon blast is considered hazardous.
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When Nadia Mohamed arrived as a 10-year-old refugee in the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park, she remembers, there were no faces that resembled hers. On Nov. 7, as the 27-year-old mayor-elect, she became the new face of the city of 50,000.

Mohamed will become the countrys first elected Somali-American mayor on Jan. 2, after she completes her term as a City Council member  a seat she won at 23, becoming the youngest person, the first Muslim and the first Somali-American to serve in that body. Her family migrated to Kenya after the civil war in Somalia, and she lived in the Kakuma refugee camp until she was about 10.

Election Day also brought mayoral milestones in Philadelphia, where Cherelle Parker became the first woman and the first Black woman to win the position, and in Wichita, Kan., where Lily Wu became the first Asian American elected to that office.

In St. Louis Park, whose population is 80 percent white, Ms. Mohamed centered her campaign on increasing homeownership and community policing. I recently spoke with her, and our conversation below has been condensed and lightly edited.
The police in Burlington, Vt., have arrested a suspect in the shooting of three students of Palestinian descent that the citys mayor said was being investigated as a possible hate crime.

The suspect, identified by the police as Jason J. Eaton, 48, was expected to be arraigned Monday in connection with the shooting of the students, three men in their 20s who attend American universities. They were shot and wounded on Saturday by a white man with a handgun while they were walking near the University of Vermont, the police said. Two of the victims were wearing Palestinian kaffiyehs, a traditional headdress.

The young men told family members they were speaking a hybrid of English and Arabic before the man shot at them four times without saying anything before the attack, according to a family spokeswoman.

Two of the victims were in stable condition, the authorities said. The third sustained much more serious injuries.
Here are the main takeaways from our investigation, which is based on documents and interviews with current and former officials and others familiar with Mr. Brauns case:

The Commutation Undercut a Federal Criminal Investigation

Mr. Trumps decision to commute Mr. Brauns sentence undermined what had been an ambitious Justice Department investigation being led by the U.S. attorneys office in Manhattan into predatory lenders in the merchant cash advance industry by pulling the rug out from under investigators who had been in negotiations with Mr. Braun about cooperating with them.

Prosecutors felt they needed an industry insider to flip on others in the business, explain the intricacies of lending agreements and serve as a narrator on the witness stand. In Mr. Braun, who had made clear he was desperate to get out of prison, they thought they had an ideal candidate. They were still going back and forth with his lawyer about a deal that would have freed him from prison when Mr. Trump commuted his sentence.

Prosecutors instantly lost their leverage over Mr. Braun. The investigation into the industry, and Mr. Brauns conduct, remains open but is hampered by the lack of help from an insider.

The Case Exposed Shortcomings in the Justice System

At multiple levels, right up to the president, the justice system appeared to fail more than once to take full account of all of Mr. Brauns activities despite longstanding concerns among prosecutors that he was a threat and could not be deterred.

A decade and a half ago, he fled the country while the Justice Department was closing in on him in the drug case, but prosecutors later let him out of jail while awaiting sentencing because he agreed to cooperate with their ongoing investigations into drug traffickers. But he used that freedom to establish himself as a predatory lender, leading to a string of accusations that he employed threats and intimidation  a record that the Trump White House seems not to have considered or given any weight in granting him the commutation.
Eleven are running for the Senate. Five for state or local office. One for president of the United States. Another is resigning to become a university president. And more and more say they are hanging up their hats in public office altogether.

More than three dozen members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election next year, some to pursue other offices and many others simply to get out of Washington. Twelve have announced their plans just this month.

The wave of lawmakers across chambers and parties announcing they intend to leave Congress comes at a time of breathtaking dysfunction on Capitol Hill, primarily instigated by House Republicans. The House G.O.P. majority spent the past few months deposing its leader, waging a weekslong internal war to select a new speaker and struggling to keep federal funding flowing. Right-wing members have rejected any spending legislation that could become law and railed against their new leader for turning to Democrats, as his predecessor did, to avert a government shutdown.

The chaos has Republicans increasingly worried that they could lose their slim House majority next year, a concern that typically prompts a rash of retirements from the party in control. But it is not only G.O.P. lawmakers who are opting to leave; Democrats, too, are rushing for the exits, with retirements across parties this year outpacing those of the past three election cycles.
In palmier times, the leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, appeared at a Russian cultural center in the capital of the Central African Republic, sitting with schoolchildren and promising them free laptops.

But Mr. Prigozhins death in August has rattled the mercenary groups once-cozy relations with the Central African Republic, which is now weighing offers from Russia and Western countries, including the United States, to replace Wagner as its primary security guarantor.

The outcome of this struggle could be a bellwether for the groups future on the continent, where the Central African Republic is perhaps the most deeply enmeshed among the handful of African nations partnering with Wagner.

The Russian Defense Ministry has sought to absorb some of Wagners activities, while preserving its influence and maintaining its wealth of knowledge about the continent. But a senior Western diplomat said that the uncertainty around Wagner in the Central African Republic provided a window of opportunity for the United States and France to counter Russian influence.
KYODO NEWS - Nov 26, 2023 - 21:33 | All, World, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed Sunday to "step up efforts to realize an early summit meeting" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and resolve the decades-long issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang.

Kishida renewed his pledge at a citizens gathering in Tokyo to bring home Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s.

"We are making approaches through various channels," Kishida said, adding "It is extremely important that I myself take the initiative in building a relationship between the leaders."

He has previously said he would aim to arrange negotiations with Pyongyang "at a high level under my direct control" to pave the way for talks with the North Korean leader as little progress has been made over the long-standing issue since 2002.

Japanese officials engaged in several informal contacts with the North Korean side earlier in the year.

In September 2002, then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Pyongyang and signed the historic Pyongyang Declaration with Kim's father Kim Jong Il for an early normalization of relations.

North Korea made its first formal apology for the abductions and five abductees were brought back to Japan the following month.

"We cannot say the issue is solved until all the abductees return home while their aging parents are still alive," Takuya Yokota, the head of a group representing the families of Japanese abductees, said at the gathering of some 800 participants.

Yokota is a younger brother of Megumi, who was abducted at age 13 in 1977 and became a symbol of the movement seeking their rescue.

The Japanese government has officially identified 17 of its nationals as having been abducted by North Korea, and it suspects Pyongyang's involvement in many other disappearances.

Related coverage:

North Korea abduction suspect died in 2018: Japan police

Suspect in Japanese national's abduction to North Korea reported dead

Japan, North Korea met informally this year over abduction row: sources
The warmest winter on record, followed by an unusually warm and dry spring. Hundreds of fires along Australias east coast, including one that razed 53 homes in Queensland. And last week, on the west coast, a raging blaze just over a dozen miles from the Perth city center was fueled by an unseasonably early heat wave and strong winds.

By Sunday, firefighters had contained the Perth fire, which had burned through about 4,500 acres, destroyed 18 homes and forced dozens of people to evacuate.

It is not yet summer, but Australias fire season is well underway, in the latest example of how climate change is altering the rhythms of life across the Earth. Stoked by the El Nino weather pattern, it is the first dry and hot year since the summer of 2019-2020. It is expected to be the worst fire season since that period, when nearly 500 people died from direct fire exposure and smoke inhalation, and tens of thousands of acres were charred.

Were still at the very beginning of the fire season, and already weve had hundreds of fires since early October, Western Australias emergency services minister, Stephen Dawson, said on Friday.
On Oct. 7, she witnessed her parents murder, before being abducted. On Friday, nearly seven weeks later, she spent her fourth birthday while under captivity. And on Sunday, she was finally freed, as one of the hostages Hamas released under a deal with Israel.

Her name is Avigail Idan. Avigail, whose name has also been spelled Abigail in U.S. media reports, is a dual citizen of Israel and the United States, and was among the roughly 240 people, including around 10 American citizens, taken as hostages by Hamas on Oct. 7.

After Avigails release, several members of her family reacted with relief. We are blessed to give her lots of love and care and to help her build her life again, Tal Idan, her aunt, wrote in a text message. Feels like a miracle that came true, she added.

Liz Hirsh Naftali and Noa Naftali, her great-aunt and cousin, said in a statement that they had hoped and prayed today would come, thanking President Biden and the Qatari government, which helped broker the cease-fire deal.

Avigails case has received wide attention, particularly in the United States, where several of her relatives are based in California. President Biden expressed relief over the news of her release on Sunday.

Thank God shes home, Mr. Biden told reporters in Nantucket, Mass., on Sunday. I wish I was there to hold her.

Avigails parents, Roy Idan, 43, and Smadar Idan, 38, were fatally shot at the Kfar Aza kibbutz in the October attack. The family has said that Mr. Idan was holding Avigail in his arms when he was killed, while her siblings, Michael and Amelia, watched the tragedy unfold.

Covered in her fathers blood, Avigail ran toward a neighbor, her aunt, Tal Idan, said. The neighbor brought Avigail into his home to hide with his wife and children and then left the house to find a gun. Ten minutes later, when he got back, all were gone, Ms. Idan said. Ms. Idan and her husband, Amit Idan, have been taking care of Avigails siblings, who survived the attack.

While several hostages have been reunited with their loved ones in the three days since the cease-fire began, many families are still waiting for news about their relatives who remain in captivity.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, a U.S. citizen, is one of the people still being held by Hamas. Mr. Goldberg-Polin, who was born in Berkeley, Calif., was at a music festival near the Gaza border in southern Israel when Hamas attacked on Oct. 7. Members of his family believe he is in desperate need of medical attention because part of his arm was blown off by a grenade the assailants threw before abducting him.

On Sunday, his father, Jon Polin, was anxiously awaiting news regarding his son. But he said he was thrilled for every hostage who has been released so far and for their families.

We hostage families have found ourselves kind of becoming another form of a family, he said. So it really is personal, even though I dont know the hostages themselves, other than my son.

Im really happy that theyre being reunited with their loved ones, Mr. Polin added. That being said, I want my son home and I want all of the hostages home.
In response to the devastating Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, the group that controls the Gaza Strip, Israel imposed what it called a complete siege  cutting off almost all water, food, electricity and fuel for the more than two million Palestinians living in Gaza. It also launched thousands of airstrikes on the enclave and sent in ground forces to try to root out Hamas.

A brief cease-fire, the first since the war began seven weeks ago, began to take hold on Friday, and as part of a hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas, dozens of trucks with water and other vital humanitarian aid crossed into Gaza.

Still, it was far less than what typically came into the territory before the war, and there was no indication that the freer flow of aid would last beyond the four-day agreed truce.

Before the cease-fire, little humanitarian aid  far short of what Gazans need  had been trickling in. And so, from the north to the south, in tented camps, apartments, schools and hospitals, residents crammed together in ever-shrinking spaces have been struggling every day to meet their most basic needs.

Surviving has become a full-time, perilous undertaking.

Days start well before dawn. Tasks seem simple: Fetch water. Bake bread. Buy diapers. Stay alive.

But people do not always succeed.

Mineral water trucked into the territory in aid convoys has been enough for only 4 percent of the population, according to the United Nations World Food Program. Some desalinated water is still being distributed in the south, but the north has no potable water sources left, according to the U.N. People who cannot access the scarce mineral and desalinated water rely on brackish water from wells, which the U.N. has said is not safe for human consumption.

Flour, too, is running out and most wheat mills have been bombed, according to the United Nations. Humanitarian agencies have managed to deliver bread, canned tuna and date bars to about a quarter of the population since Oct. 7, but distribution is hampered by fighting and the siege, the World Food Program said. Some farmers are slaughtering their animals, trading their future livelihoods for the emergency at hand.

The World Food Program has warned that only 10 percent of the food Gaza needs has entered the territory since the war began, creating a massive food gap and widespread hunger.

Wheat flour, dairy products, cheese, eggs and mineral water have completely disappeared, in the market, Alia Zaki, a spokeswoman for the World Food Program, said this month.
A Ukrainian strike on a power station in Russian-held territory in eastern Ukraine overnight cut power to towns and cities, the pro-Russian authorities there said on Sunday, less than a day after Moscow launched a record number of attack drones toward Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.

The overnight attack was another sign of Kyivs determination to inflict damage on its adversarys electricity infrastructure before what many in Ukraine expect will be a renewed wintertime assault by Russia on Ukraines power grid.

Denis Pushilin, the pro-Moscow leader in the Russian-held part of the Donetsk region, said that most of the drones launched by Ukraine at the area overnight had been intercepted, but due to the massiveness of the strikes, not everything was shot down.

The situation is not easy, he said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that some towns and districts had been left without light. He did not say whether the attack had involved drones or missiles or a combination of the two.
President Biden on Sunday hailed the release of Avigail Idan, who turned 4 years old during her seven weeks in Hamas captivity and was the first American citizen to be freed by the group in recent days. The president vowed to keep working to secure freedom for others in captivity and extend the pause in the fighting.

Thank God shes home, Mr. Biden told reporters in Nantucket, Mass., where he had been celebrating Thanksgiving. I wish I was there to hold her.

Avigail, whose name has been rendered as Abigail in American media, is a dual U.S. and Israeli citizen and was seized on Oct. 7 after Hamas fighters killed her parents. She was among the 17 people held captive who were turned over on Sunday as part of a temporary cease-fire deal.

Her case became the focus of widespread international attention and concern as she turned 4 on Friday. Mr. Biden said Avigails mother was killed in front of her when Hamas fighters stormed their kibbutz. The child then ran to her father, who was shot and killed while using his body to shield her, and she then ran to neighbors for help, Mr. Biden said. The family disappeared and Avigail was taken hostage.

What she endured is unthinkable, Mr. Biden said. He added that he did not have any immediate information about her condition but said that she was safely in Israel.

Liz Hirsh Naftali and Noa Naftali, Avigails great-aunt and cousin, said in a statement on Sunday that there are no words to express our relief and gratitude to the United States, Qatari government and other informal actors who worked to secure the release of hostages.

Todays release proves that its possible, they wrote. We can get all the hostages back home. We have to keep pushing.

About 10 American citizens were unaccounted for and believed to be in Hamas captivity. Asked Sunday about the other American hostages, Mr. Biden said he was hopeful for their release but did not have concrete news about them.

Israel and Hamas are halfway through a four-day pause in a war that began after Hamas assailants massacred about 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7, including in their homes and at a music festival, and kidnapped about 240 people. Among those reported killed were 36 Americans.

Under the agreement, Hamas is expected to return 50 hostages during the temporary cease-fire. Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were detained for violent crimes.

Mr. Biden said the truce, which the United States helped broker with Qatar and Egypt, was not only resulting in the release of hostages but also the provision of more aid to civilians in Gaza, with 200 trucks of food, water, medicine, fuel and cooking gas arriving each day.

He said he hoped to extend the original deal so more captives could be freed and the hold on fighting could continue. The Israeli government has said it will extend the pause one day for every additional 10 hostages freed.

Mr. Biden said he would continue to work with the leaders of Israel, Egypt and Qatar to do everything possible to free the other hostages held by Hamas. He is scheduled to speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Sunday, White House officials said.

More is needed, but this deal is delivering lifesaving results, Mr. Biden said. Critical aid is going in and hostages are coming out. This deal is structured so that it can be extended to keep building on these results. Thats my goal, thats our goal, to keep this pause going beyond tomorrow so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief to those in need in Gaza.

Earlier in the day Jake Sullivan, Mr. Bidens national security adviser, sidestepped questions about whether the president would impose conditions to future aid to Israel, including a freeze on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. But he said Mr. Biden was working toward a peace plan that includes a two-state solution.

We believe that this is absolutely a moment for us to be working with everyone in the region, Mr. Sullivan said. We do think this is a moment for that kind of diplomacy.

Mr. Biden stressed that freeing Americans held hostage has been the administrations focus since the Oct. 7 attacks. The White House described the release of Judith and Natalie Raanan of Chicago in October as a pilot for the releases this past week.

A senior administration official said that unlike other potential Americans held hostage in Gaza whose whereabouts and conditions have not been confirmed, U.S. officials had a general understanding that Avigail was being held in the northern part of Gaza with neighbors from the familys kibbutz.

Throughout the hostage discussions in Qatar and Egypt, U.S. officials insisted that Avigail be included on an early list as well as the other two Americans in the category of women and children, according to the official, who asked for anonymity to discuss national security.

On Sunday morning, U.S. officials tracked Avigails movement from Gaza as she was transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross and ultimately into Israel.

Mr. Biden called the diplomatic efforts a day-by-day approach but said the proof that this is working, and worth pursuing further, is in every smile and grateful tear we see on the faces of those families that are finally getting back together again. The proof is little Abigail.
A mother released from captivity in Gaza with her young son told relatives that they had slept on chairs pushed together. An 85-year-old grandmother from a different family described counting the days to keep track of time.

On Sunday, two days after the first group of 13 hostages was released and brought back to Israel, details began to emerge of the nearly 50 days they and others released on Saturday spent as captives of armed groups in the Palestinian enclave, via conversations with relatives.

The freed hostages have not spoken directly to the news media and most are still being treated in private areas of Israeli hospitals. Much of the information about where, and how, they were held remains classified.

Relatives who have spoken or met with some of the released hostages said all seemed to have spent their weeks in captivity totally cut off from the outside world, and to have returned thinner than before.

They were eating, but not regularly and not all of the time, said Merav Mor Raviv, a cousin of Keren Munder, 54, who was released on Friday along with her son, Ohad Munder-Zichri, 9, and her mother, Ruth Munder, 78. They ate a lot of rice and bread, Ms. Raviv said, adding that Keren told her that both she and her mother had lost about 6 to 8 kilograms, or 13 to 18 pounds.

Ms. Raviv related that the Munders had slept in a reception room on improvised benches they fashioned by pushing three chairs together, and that when they wanted to go to the bathroom they would have to knock on a door and wait  sometimes for up to two hours.

Adva Adars grandmother, Yaffa Adar, 85, was among the hostages released on Friday. She noted that her grandmother had lost weight and was aware that she had been held for nearly 50 days because she had kept count.

Ms. Raviv and Adva Adar spoke to reporters on Sunday via a video call organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a nongovernmental group set up to support the hostages and their families, and Media Central, an Israeli nonprofit group that provides services to journalists.

In an indication of how isolated the hostages were, Ms. Raviv said, Ruth Munder learned only after being released that her son, Roi, had been killed during the Oct. 7 assault.

But the Munders also received some better news. Ms. Raviv said that Ruth had assumed her husband, Avraham Munder, was killed in the attacks but was told upon her release that he had survived and been taken separately to Gaza.

Ms. Raviv said the Munders didnt have a clue about the public campaign for their release and the fact that their faces and names are now known all over Israel.

The uncle of two hostages who were among those freed late Saturday  Noam Or, 17, and his sister Alma, 13  told the BBC on Sunday that they, too, were unaware until their release that their mother, Yonat Or, had been killed in the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.

They have some difficult stories to tell of the way they were captured and treated, Ahal Besorai said of his nephew and niece. He said he had spoken with them on a video call at the hospital where they are staying.

The Or siblings were taken hostage with their father, Dror, who is believed to still be held in Gaza. Mr. Besorai said Noam and Alma were held separately from their father.
Hamas, the armed group that controls Gaza, said on Sunday that one of its top commanders had been killed in its war with Israel there.

The announcement from Hamas came on the third day of a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas to facilitate the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Israel has vowed it will continue its military campaign in the enclave after the truce is scheduled to end on Tuesday morning, with its primary goal being the destruction of Hamas.

On Sunday morning the military wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, issued a brief statement saying that Abu Anas al-Ghandour, who led the groups fighters in northern Gaza, and three other commanders had been killed. It did not provide further details on when or where they had died.

The Israeli military said earlier this month  before the truce began  that it had targeted Mr. al-Ghandour in a strike on Hamass underground infrastructure, but did not say at the time whether he was dead or alive.

On Sunday, the Israeli military said in a statement that it had killed Mr. al-Ghandour prior to the operational pause in fighting, calling him a leading figure in the planning and execution of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. The military also confirmed it had killed the three other commanders Hamas named in its statement  Aiman Siam, Wael Rajeb and Rafet Salman.

A number of other Hamas officials and commanders are believed to have been killed since Israel launched a war in retaliation for the groups Oct. 7 attacks, which killed an estimated 1,200 people in southern Israel and led to the abduction of roughly 240 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

Mr. al-Ghandour was the most senior commander that Hamas has confirmed dead since the groups announcement last month that Ayman Nofal, a member of its General Military Council and the commander of the Central Brigade in the Qassam Brigades, had been killed.

The State Department put Mr. al-Ghandour under U.S. sanctions in 2017, saying that he had been involved in many terrorist operations  including a 2006 attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and led to the kidnapping of another, Gilad Shalit.

Mr. Shalit was released in October 2011 in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. One of those freed in the deal, Yahya Sinwar, eventually became Hamass leader in Gaza and, according to Israeli officials, a mastermind of the Oct. 7 attacks.
The father was glued to his television screen for days, anxiously watching the news to see if his 17-year-old son would be among those released from an Israeli prison as part of the deal struck between the Israeli government and Hamas last week.

The deal offered a glimmer of hope to the father, Ziad Dawoud, 53, who had not seen his son for nearly a year since he was arrested for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers during a raid in their neighborhood, he said. Israeli authorities say that his son was arrested in connection with his affiliation with Hamas, according to a list of prisoners published by the Israeli government.

Then late Saturday afternoon, his sons name, Tariq Dawoud, flashed across the screen among a list of prisoners expected to be released that day. Mr. Dawoud jumped in his car and raced from their hometown, Qalqiliya, a city in a northwestern area of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, around two hours to Ramallah, where hundreds waited outside of Ofer prison for their release.

Crowds have gathered each evening for days in Ramallah to welcome the Palestinian prisoners and detainees who have been released in exchange for hostages held by Hamas. Tariq Dawoud was among the second group, which was announced on Saturday.

An additional 39 Palestinians in custody were freed on Sunday, according to Israels prison service. After their release, hundreds of people crowded around them, hoisting them in the air and carrying them toward a main square in Ramallah.

A feeling of sheer relief washed over Mr. Dawoud as his son stepped off the bus of prisoners early Sunday morning, he said. The two hugged and the younger Dawoud went to kiss his fathers feet in a sign of respect, but his father refused to let him.

I told him: Oh my son, my love, the father recalled in a phone interview.

The two drove back to Qalqiliya, both still in disbelief. When they arrived at their house at dawn, dozens of relatives and friends rushed to greet the younger Dawoud. Then, they said, they paraded him around the neighborhood in a 15-car motorcade, honking their horns and shouting to announce his triumphant return.

I couldnt believe it, I felt like I was dreaming, the younger Dawoud said in a phone interview Sunday evening.

I still havent slept, he added. Im almost delirious.
Watsana Yojampa had been waiting by the telephone for nearly two months, wondering whether she would get good news  or the worst possible message that a mother could hear.

Soon after the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in southern Israel in which about 240 hostages were taken to Gaza, Ms. Watsanas son, Anucha Angkaew, appeared in a photograph that circulated on social media showing him with three other men being held at gunpoint, hands behind their backs.

On Sunday at 4 a.m., Ms. Watsana got the phone call that she was waiting for. Her niece learned on X, the social media site, that Mr. Anucha, an avocado farmhand in Israel, had been released, and she called her aunt. Four hours later, Thai embassy officials confirmed the news to Ms. Watsana.

Im so glad, so delighted, that no words can explain, Ms. Watsana said by telephone. They told me that my son is now under the care of a medical team in a hospital for a health checkup. I hope he is fine and safe.

Mr. Anucha was among four Thai hostages released on Sunday by Hamas as part of a swap with Israel. Thailands prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, said on Sunday that the other three were Natthaphon Onkaew, Khomkrit Chombua and Manee Jirachat. (Their names were written in Thai, and The New York Times transliterated them.)

Mr. Srettha said on X that all four men were healthy and not in need of urgent medical attention, and that their mental health appeared to be good. They asked to take showers and contact their relatives, according to Mr. Srettha.

Separately, the Thai Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Israeli authorities had increased by two the number of Thai citizens they believe had been abducted. That means 18 Thai citizens are still being held hostage.
At least one American citizen could be among the group of hostages Hamas is set to release on Sunday, Jake Sullivan, President Bidens national security adviser, said on CBSs Face the Nation.

We do have reason to believe that there will be an American released today, Mr. Sullivan said.

Israel and Hamas are halfway through a four-day pause in a war that began after Hamas assailants killed about 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7, including in their homes and at a music festival, kidnapping about 240 people.

Under an agreement that the United States helped broker with Qatar and Egypt, Hamas will return 50 hostages, all women and children, during the temporary cease-fire. Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were detained for violent crimes.

Over the past two days Hamas has returned 26 Israeli hostages, 14 Thai citizens and one citizen of the Philippines, all women and children. No Americans have yet been freed.

About 10 American citizens are thought to be held hostage by Hamas. They include Avigail Idan, whose parents were gunned down by Hamas. She turned 4 on Friday.

Mr. Biden praised the initial hostage release this past week and said the United States was committed to the return of all Americans.

We also will not stop until we get these hostages brought home and an answer to their whereabouts, he said.

Mr. Sullivan said he could not confirm if Avigail would be released on Sunday.

At least one American will be released today. I cannot confirm who it will be, or that it will absolutely happen, Mr. Sullivan said, adding that we are dealing with a terrorist group.

Mr. Sullivan sidestepped questions about whether Mr. Biden would seek to impose any conditions on further aid to Israel, including a freeze on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. But he said Mr. Biden was working toward a peace plan that includes a two-state solution.

We believe that this is absolutely a moment for us to be working with everyone in the region, Mr. Sullivan said. We do think this is a moment for that kind of diplomacy.
KYODO NEWS - Nov 26, 2023 - 20:02 | World, All, Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Tokyo finds it regrettable that a Seoul court recently ruled in favor of former "comfort women" who are seeking compensation from the Japanese government as she held talks with South Korean counterpart Park Jin in Busan on Sunday.

Park told Kamikawa that South Korea "respects" the 2015 bilateral accord stating the issue was resolved "finally and irreversibly," while calling for bilateral efforts to "restore honor and dignity of the victims," according to a South Korean Foreign Ministry official.

The two foreign chiefs strongly condemned North Korea's recent military spy satellite launch using banned ballistic missile technology and reaffirmed their cooperation in addressing issues related to the North, the two governments said.

Kamikawa and Park, who met for about an hour and half ahead of their trilateral talks with China's top diplomat Wang Yi in the South Korean port city, shared "grave concerns" over Pyongyang's repeated missile firings and confirmed the two countries, together with the United States, will closely work on North Korean issues.

The North Korean issues include Pyongyang's arms trade with Russia and its past abductions of Japanese nationals, according to the press releases by the two countries' foreign ministries.

Park welcomed the recent improvement in Japan-South Korea ties, saying the two neighbors have "established a future-oriented relationship by expanding areas of cooperation in such fields as diplomacy, economy, security and people-to-people exchanges."

Kamikawa earlier criticized the Seoul High Court judgment issued Thursday as "extremely regrettable and absolutely unacceptable," urging South Korea to "immediately take appropriate measures to remedy the status of its breaches of international law on its own responsibility as a country."

The Seoul High Court denied the application of the concept of "sovereign immunity," which states that under international law a state cannot be tried in a court in another country. The plaintiffs in the suit are seeking compensation from Japan over the treatment of the women in wartime military brothels.

Japan has said all issues stemming from its 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula were settled "completely and finally" under a 1965 bilateral agreement and that the 2015 accord resolved the comfort women issue.

Park later had a bilateral meeting with Wang and called on China to play a constructive role in pressing North Korea to stop additional provocations following the spy satellite launch and seeking its denuclearization, saying it is in the common interest of Beijing and Seoul, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry.

Wang stressed that China has "always played and will continue to play a constructive role" in easing the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said Wang expressed concerns over the current security situation in the region, in an apparent reference to Pyongyang's satellite launch and the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

Related coverage:

Japan, China reaffirm policy to settle Fukushima row via talks

North Korea's Kim inspects satellite photos of "major target regions"

South Korea to hold top diplomat talks with Japan, China Nov. 26 in Busan
Farmers' Protest: Punjab And Haryana Farmers Gather For A 3-Day Protest Near Chandigarh

India

oi-Gaurav Sharma

On the call of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), farmers in large numbers from Punjab and Haryana have started gathering in Chandigarh.

The three-day protest was called by the SKM to push for farmers pending demands. Thousands of farmers with their tractor trolleys are expected to hit the roads leading to Chandigarh, resembling the anti-farm laws protest that happened in 2020 at the Singhu-Tikri border in Delhi.

As per the reports, over two dozen farmer unions along with the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha are expected to join the stage in the course of the next two days. The farmers are also expected to meet the Governor and the Chief Minister of Punjab.

Talking to the media, a farmer said the Union government has not fulfilled the promises made two years. A legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) based on the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report should be implemented at the earliest as promised at the time of the historic protest.

Taking cognizance of the protest, Punjab, Chandigarh, and Haryana police have sealed the borders to prevent any mishappening and farmers from entering the city. The farmers may gather at the Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali, to march towards Chandigarh secretariat on Monday. "Citing Punjab and Haryana High Court orders, the farmers and their unions have been warned not to block the traffic", the Panchkula Police Commissioner told media.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Announces 42 Citizen-Centric Services at Doorsteps from November 27

Referring to the Neetu Bajaj versus Haryana state case, the commissioner added that blocking traffic at public places or roads would be considered contempt of court.

Many routes have also been blocked by the police and the traffic is diverted as congestion on roads have can be experienced.

The city traffic police also shared a traffic advisory, urging people to avoid the airport routes. The Madhya Marg connecting Chandigarh and Panchkula will also remain closed for traffic.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, November 26, 2023, 18:03 [IST]
India Now Crushing Terror: PM Modi On 15 Years Of 26/11 Mumbai Attacks

India

oi-Gaurav Sharma

On the 15th anniversary of tragic 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives while saving the motherland. In his address to the nation through Mann ki Baat, PM Modi termed the tragedy as the dastardliest terror attack.

"We can never forget this day, it was on this very day that the country had come under the most dastardly terror attack," said the PM in the 107th episode of Mann Ki Baat.

The Prime Minister said entire country today is remembering the brave hearts who were martyred. On this day, entire nation was shaken up due to the terror attacks, PM further added.

Reiterating India's stance against terrorism, PM Modi said every possible effort is being made to fight against terrorism.

"Mumbai and the entire country were shaken up due to the terror attacks (on 26/11). However, India used its ability to recover from the incident and is now using the same courage to crush terrorism," PM Modi said on his radio show 'Mann ki Baat'.

In Pics: PM Modi Takes To The Skies In Tejas Fighter During HAL Visit In Bengaluru

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also paid homage to the martyrs of the 26/11. Sharing a post on the micro-blogging site X (formerly known as twitter), Jaishankar wrote "It is 15 years today since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. "India's quest to bring those responsible for the planning and execution of the attacks to justice continues".

Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Mumbai Police Commissioner along with the entire police department too paid the floral tribute to the martyrs at the martyrs' memorial in South Mumbai.

The Mumbai terror attacks was committed by a group of ten terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group. Over the course of four days, these terrorists had killed more than 166 people and over 300 had got injured at the Taj and Oberoi Hotels, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Jewish Centre at Nariman House, and the Leopold Cafe in 2008.

In the gun-battle, Nine LeT terrorists were knocked down by the defence force, while Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the lone surviving terrorist, was hanged till death following the judicial procedure in May 2010. The execution took place in a prison in Pune.
Not In Violation Of Any Rules: Karnataka Govt Says About EC Letter On Ads In Telangana Newspapers

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to hold grievance redressal programmeJana Spandana on November 27

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will hold a grievance redressal programmeJana Spandana on November 27 morning, providing on-the-spot solutions to aggrieved people.

India

-Krishna Kripa

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will hold a grievance redressal programmeJana Spandana on November 27 morning, providing on-the-spot solutions to aggrieved people. The chief minister's office said in a statement that it has made all the preparations for the programme.

Preparations for the Programme

Additional Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goyal visited Siddaramaiahs home office Krishna in the evening and reviewed the final preparations. The statement said that 20 counters have been set up to receive complaints and two counters have been set aside for senior citizens and people with special needs. Complaints received will be sorted, department-wise, and will be recorded in the software. Applicants will be given an acknowledgment letter, after which the CM will hear the complaints and suggest solutions, it said.

Government Officials to be Present

A circular has already been issued to all the government secretaries and heads of departments, asking them to be present in person. Deputy commissioners, zilla panchayat chief executive officers and superintendents of police, as well as all the district, sub-division and taluk level officers have been asked to be present at Krishna, the statement said.

Aadhaar or Ration Card Mandatory

It added that it is mandatory for citizens attending Janata Darshan to produce their Aadhaar card or ration card for identification. The statement also said that complainants can easily find find out the status of the application, as it would be documented.

The Jana Spandana programme is a great opportunity for the people of Karnataka to have their grievances heard and resolved by the Chief Minister himself. The government has made elaborate arrangements to ensure that the programme is a success and that the people of Karnataka get the relief they deserve.
Unidentified Persons Flee with Car Containing Jewellery and Cash in Greater Noida

Unidentified persons allegedly fled with a car containing jewellery and cash when the vehicle owner and his staff were eating at a dhaba along the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida.

India

-Krishna Kripa

Unidentified individuals allegedly fled with a car containing jewellery and cash in Greater Noida, India, while the vehicle's owner and his staff were eating at a roadside eatery known as a dhaba along the Yamuna Expressway. The incident took place on Saturday night, November 25th, 2023.

Abandoned Car Found

The car was later discovered abandoned at the 44th milestone on the Yamuna Expressway, but the bags containing the valuables were missing. According to the police statement, the plaintiff has yet to provide a detailed list of the items inside the bag. The police have noted that the incident appears suspicious based on initial investigations.

Possible Acquaintance Involvement

The police suspect the involvement of an acquaintance in the incident and are thoroughly investigating all leads. The complainant, a businessman, was travelling from Delhi to Jaunpur in his car with drivers Vivek and Munish when they stopped to eat at Shiva Dhaba along the expressway.

Car Found at 44th Milestone

The businessman stated in his complaint that he had left his bag in the car, but when he returned after dinner, the vehicle was missing. After searching for the car, they found it at the 44th milestone towards Aligarh district, but the bags containing the valuables were not there.

Investigation Launched

Based on the complaint filed by the plaintiff, an FIR (First Information Report) has been registered under Section 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code. Investigations are currently underway to ascertain the full details of the incident and apprehend the perpetrators.

The incident highlights the need for increased vigilance and security measures along highways and expressways to prevent such crimes. The police have urged the public to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity to the authorities. Further updates on the investigation are expected to be released as the case progresses.
Woman Stabbed Multiple Times in Delhis Shastri Park Area

A 22-year-old married woman was stabbed multiple times by her old friend following an argument in northeast Delhis Shastri Park area.

India

-Krishna Kripa

In a shocking incident, a 22-year-old married woman suffered critical injuries after she was stabbed multiple times allegedly by her old friend following an argument in northeast Delhi's Shastri Park area. The victim, identified as Hasmat Jahan of Shastri Park, is undergoing treatment at a hospital, police said, adding the accused has been arrested on attempt to murder charge.

The Incident

The incident took place near Buland Masjid where the accused Shah Babu, 23, a native of Kishanganj in Bihar, had come to meet Jahan, a police official said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey said that they received a PCR call at 3.25 pm regarding the stabbing of a woman. Jahan sustained multiple stab injuries on her head, face, and hands. She was rushed to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital from where she was referred to GTB Hospital. She is undergoing treatment and is in stable condition.

The Accused

Accused Shah Babu was apprehended from the spot and a knife used in the crime was also recovered from him, the DCP said. The woman's husband, Mohammad Munna, is a tailor by profession. Police said that the accused and victim knew each other before her marriage as both were neighbors in Bihar's Kishanganj. Jahan had married Mohammad Munna four months ago. Shah Babu was unhappy with her marriage. The accused, who worked as a tailor in Hyderabad, came to Delhi to meet her. While speaking with her, he lost his temper and stabbed her multiple times, said DCP Tirkey.

Investigation

The police have registered a case and are investigating the matter. The accused is being interrogated to ascertain the motive behind the crime. Further details are awaited.

This incident is a grim reminder of the dangers that women face in our society. It is important for women to be aware of their surroundings and to take precautions to protect themselves from potential harm. We must all work together to create a safer environment for women.
Tinder Date Murder Case: Jaipur Court Sentences 3 To Life Imprisonment

Jaipur

oi-Gaurav Sharma

In the Tinder dating app murder case, a court in Jaipur sentenced life imprisonment to three people for killing a 28-year-old businessman, Dushyant Sharma.

As per the reports, one of the three accused Priya Seth connected with Dushyant through a dating application in 2018.

The court awarded all three accused life imprisonment after the charges made under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 302 (murder), 201 (causing the disappearance of evidence of the offence), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) being proved following the judicial procedure.

The judgement reads "The adequate evidence presented by the prosecution proved that the accused have committed the crime."

As per the reports, Priya and Dushyant were connected over text and phone calls for a couple of months, after which, they decided to meet at a rented apartment.

Priya's other two allies, Dishkant Kamra and Lakshya Walia, who were already waiting for Dushyant there, held the victim hostage and demanded Rs 10 lakh as ransom from the deceased's family, say reports.

In an interview to journalist Deepika Narayan Bharadwaj, accused Priya had narrated the chilling details of the murder. "When I met Dushyant, he lied to me that he was very rich. We kidnapped him and asked for the ransom. But later, we realized that he didn't have anything," she said.

However, the Sharma's family could only arrange Rs 3 lakh. Priya also seized the businessman's debit card and withdrew Rs 20,000 before stabbing him to death, states the police charge sheet.

Dushyant 's body was later found chopped up into pieces and stuffed in a suitcase.
As Cory Bernardi called the Ukraine war a black hole of corruption on his Sky News Australia show on Sunday, Lachlan Murdoch was 24 hours away from touching down in the countrys capital.
An inheritor of intangible cultural heritage shows paper-cutting techniques at the Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) in Selangor state, Malaysia, Nov. 24, 2023. The Canton Rhythms for Silk Road concert was held at the XMUM on Friday evening. The concert, consisting of renowned compositions such as A Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix, Rain Hitting Banana Trees, and Step by Step High, as well as the traditional Malaysian folk music Rasa Sayang with traditional Chinese musical instruments, drew loud applause from the audience.

Outside the concert hall, an exhibition of Guangdong's intangible cultural heritage items, such as Guangdong paper-cutting, Foshan woodblock prints, Dawu clay sculpture, Fengxi handmade red clay teapot, Chaozhou tea art, and Shaoguan Yao ethnic embroidery, attracted a lot of local people. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)

by Mao Pengfei, Wang Yi, Cheng Yiheng

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- "I have been shocked since the first song," Chinese Malaysian student Yi Xiner said at the Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), where the Canton Rhythms for Silk Road concert was held on Friday evening.

Chen Jianwen, head of south China's Guangdong provincial publicity department, and Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, president of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, were among the audience at the traditional Cantonese concert, which is typical of the charm of Lingnan culture.

Chen hoped the event will promote in-depth cultural exchanges between China and Malaysia, and further enhance friendship between the two peoples through music.

The concert, consisting of renowned compositions such as A Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix, Rain Hitting Banana Trees, and Step by Step High, as well as the traditional Malaysian folk music Rasa Sayang with traditional Chinese musical instruments, drew loud applause from the audience.

Yi, an XMUM student, loves traditional Chinese culture since she was a child and has played Guzheng, a zither-like Chinese string instrument, for about 11 years. "This is the first time I enjoy Gaohu's live performance. It is so wonderful. The imitating bird sounds are so real that they harmonize with the sound of flute," she said.

Majid was a former Malaysian ambassador to China. He was surprised to hear Rasa Sayang played by traditional Chinese musical instruments. "I expect more Chinese art troupes to come to Malaysia, not only helpful for Malaysians to understand Chinese culture, but also for Chinese artists to understand Malaysian culture."

Outside the concert hall, an exhibition of Guangdong's intangible cultural heritage items, such as Guangdong paper-cutting, Foshan woodblock prints, Dawu clay sculpture, Fengxi handmade red clay teapot, Chaozhou tea art, and Shaoguan Yao ethnic embroidery, attracted a lot of local people.

These activities are part of programs held in Kuala Lumpur, the last leg of the 2023 Charming China - Cultural Exhibition from Guangdong hosted by the information office of the Guangdong provincial government and the Guangdong provincial department of culture and tourism.

Prior to this, the exhibition from Guangdong was staged in Italy and Egypt to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and European, African countries, and to showcase the heritage of Chinese culture and the charm of Lingnan culture to the world. 

Artists perform at the Canton Rhythms for Silk Road concert at the Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) in Selangor state, Malaysia, Nov. 24, 2023. The Canton Rhythms for Silk Road concert was held at the XMUM on Friday evening. The concert, consisting of renowned compositions such as A Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix, Rain Hitting Banana Trees, and Step by Step High, as well as the traditional Malaysian folk music Rasa Sayang with traditional Chinese musical instruments, drew loud applause from the audience.

Outside the concert hall, an exhibition of Guangdong's intangible cultural heritage items, such as Guangdong paper-cutting, Foshan woodblock prints, Dawu clay sculpture, Fengxi handmade red clay teapot, Chaozhou tea art, and Shaoguan Yao ethnic embroidery, attracted a lot of local people. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)

An artist shows the making of a clay sculpture at the Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) in Selangor state, Malaysia, Nov. 24, 2023. The Canton Rhythms for Silk Road concert was held at the XMUM on Friday evening. The concert, consisting of renowned compositions such as A Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix, Rain Hitting Banana Trees, and Step by Step High, as well as the traditional Malaysian folk music Rasa Sayang with traditional Chinese musical instruments, drew loud applause from the audience.

Outside the concert hall, an exhibition of Guangdong's intangible cultural heritage items, such as Guangdong paper-cutting, Foshan woodblock prints, Dawu clay sculpture, Fengxi handmade red clay teapot, Chaozhou tea art, and Shaoguan Yao ethnic embroidery, attracted a lot of local people. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)

Audience enjoy the Canton Rhythms for Silk Road concert at the Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) in Selangor state, Malaysia, Nov. 24, 2023. The Canton Rhythms for Silk Road concert was held at the XMUM on Friday evening. The concert, consisting of renowned compositions such as A Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix, Rain Hitting Banana Trees, and Step by Step High, as well as the traditional Malaysian folk music Rasa Sayang with traditional Chinese musical instruments, drew loud applause from the audience.

Outside the concert hall, an exhibition of Guangdong's intangible cultural heritage items, such as Guangdong paper-cutting, Foshan woodblock prints, Dawu clay sculpture, Fengxi handmade red clay teapot, Chaozhou tea art, and Shaoguan Yao ethnic embroidery, attracted a lot of local people. (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)
Caught up in Hamas brutal attack on southern Israel last month, Thai workers on farms near Gaza have been freed during the four-day pause in the conflict.
Former MP Dave Sharma returns to parliament after winning preselection, the fourth and final Israel-Hamas hostage exchange is on course and Labor is being asked to subsidise skilled foreign builders.
If President Biden thought he could escape the Israel-Palestine noise for the holiday weekend, he was wrong -- 'cause he was met with furious pro-Palestine protesters in New England, but didn't pay them any mind. Joe was out and about with the rest
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for greater air support for the passage of ships carrying grain as Russia launched one of the biggest drone assaults on Ukraine. DW has the latest.
The Greek prime minister calls for the reunification of the artefacts, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures.
Hamas militants have released more Israeli hostages on Sunday, the third day of the truce. Egypt said Israel would free 39 Palestinians in return. DW has the latest.
15 years after the Mumbai terror attacks, Israel officially designates Lashkar-e-Taiba as a terror organization, independently and without India's request. Israel's decision highlights the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism. The poster exhibition at the United Nations, Geneva commemorates the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, emphasizing the lives lost and the role of security forces in fighting the terrorists.
The humanitarian pause is supposed to start on November 24 and last for four days. Israels Prime Minister and leaders of Israels unity government pledge to renew their war when the pause ends, and resume pursuing its objectives in Gaza until all are achieved.



We, the public, are not told very clearly about...
The inevitable is finally, inexorably, happening as the governments 9-year old strategy to isolate, demonise and brand Pakistan as a state sponsoring terrorism collapses in front of the global community. Pakistan just showed the middle finger at New Delhi by formally applying for BRICS membership.



One would presume that...
As Zwakele Mncwango, ActionSA premier candidate in KwaZulu-Natal, targets ousting the ANC from power in the province alongside coalition powers, he also proposes controversial changes that are sure to stir a hornets nest.
Artists from the Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra of Beijing, China perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States on Nov. 24, 2023. Artists from the leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned here on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over a thousand audience members with their world premiere compositions.(Photo by Michael Violago/Xinhua)

by Xinhua writers Yang Shilong, Liu Yanan, Xing Yue

NEW YORK, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Artists from a leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned here on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over a thousand audience members with their world premiere compositions.

Conducted by Lin Chen, the performance marks the return of the Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra (CCOM Symphony Orchestra) of Beijing, China, to Carnegie Hall following its previous performance at the prestigious venue in 2019.

Full of Chinese cultural elements, these pieces combined traditional Chinese instruments with a symphony orchestra setting, and Chinese musical elements with Western techniques of composition.

The guzheng, bamboo flute and harp were featured in the performance with several pieces based on Chinese poems and the traditional Chinese philosophical work Tao Te Ching.

The two-hour-plus performance on the night of "Black Friday" attracted over one thousand people from various walks of life.

The performance took place at a very opportune time -- the American Thanksgiving holiday and the recent meeting between the Chinese and U.S. presidents in San Francisco, said Qin Wenchen, vice president of CCOM and a renowned composer.

"We have anticipated this performance for a long time as we didn't make it during the pandemic. We're fully prepared and only present premieres this time," Qin told Xinhua.

"It's amazing, very beautiful. I like the last one most, it brings out my Chinese soul," said Dionisio Cimarelli, adjunct sculpture professor at NYC's Fashion Institute of Technology, as he referred to "East West III: Tao for All" which was inspired by the Tao Te Ching.

"Music has no barriers and helps build bridges of understanding between the United States and China," he told Xinhua.

Cimarelli, who lived and worked in China for many years, called for more understanding and more collaboration. "We need to know each other and to work together to make a better world," he said.

Qin said the prospects of exchanges in art, culture and other fields between the United States and China are very broad.

"Every piece was amazing," said a social worker in New York who called herself Georgette. "You could feel the emotion, the sadness and the happiness. Everything portrayed in each piece came out amazing."

As a frequent concertgoer, Georgette also spoke highly of the blend of Chinese culture and Western instruments, noting that she visited Beijing a few years ago and wanted to learn more about China.

"We watch a lot of international concerts here. This is really one of the best. The instruments, the sounds and presentation," said Georgette's cousin Leone, who is a doctor in New York.

"That just takes my breath away. I've never heard anything like it and I never saw that instrument that they were using," said Julie Hill, a tourist in New York.

It was a global symphony because there were instruments from Europe, China and other places, said Xavier Sapp Cobham, a teenager from Brooklyn. "That's a really good combination of all of them."

"The symphony was just absolutely amazing. The vocalist was amazing, spectacular," Cobham said. "I will come back here again and make sure I bring all my studio's friends." 

Artists from the Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra of Beijing, China perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States on Nov. 24, 2023. Artists from the leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned here on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over a thousand audience members with their world premiere compositions.

(Photo by Michael Violago/Xinhua)

Artists from the Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra of Beijing, China perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States on Nov. 24, 2023. Artists from the leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned here on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over a thousand audience members with their world premiere compositions.

(Photo by Michael Violago/Xinhua)

Fan Linfeng, a bamboo flute player from the Central Conservatory of Music of Beijing, China, performs at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States on Nov. 24, 2023. Artists from the leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned here on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over a thousand audience members with their world premiere compositions.

(Photo by Michael Violago/Xinhua)

Artists from the Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra of Beijing, China perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States on Nov. 24, 2023. Artists from the leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned here on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over a thousand audience members with their world premiere compositions.

(Photo by Michael Violago/Xinhua)

Lin Chen, a conductor from the Central Conservatory of Music of Beijing, China, conducts the performance at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States on Nov. 24, 2023. Artists from the leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned here on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over a thousand audience members with their world premiere compositions.

(Photo by Michael Violago/Xinhua)

Song Yuanming, a soprano from the Central Conservatory of Music of Beijing, China, performs at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States on Nov. 24, 2023. Artists from the leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned here on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over a thousand audience members with their world premiere compositions.

(Photo by Michael Violago/Xinhua)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has accepted the resignation of the head of the intelligence agency and his two deputies, according to his office.
The first group of hostages were released by Israel and Hamas on Friday. NPR's Sarah McCammon talks with Itay Raviv, whose 9-year-old cousin was among those released by Hamas in the deal.
Israeli officials first told Emily Hand's father that his daughter was killed by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack. The Israelis later found evidence she was alive and she's now reunited with her father.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a small fiber arts business and am a generally crafty person. I embroider, sew, crochet and knit, and also do a variety of other crafts. I like to wear, display and talk about what I make, as Im proud of it. However, this is often met with a response along the lines of, I could never do that.

I know its rude to reply with Not with that attitude or You could if you practiced, but Im wondering what a polite response would be.

While it is often meant as a compliment, I feel that the I could never response implies that my abilities are innate rather than a skill set developed over years of work, so it makes me defensive and more likely to respond rudely or snarkily.

Is there a way to graciously accept this as a compliment while also reminding people that I am good at what I do because Ive worked hard at it?

GENTLE READER: Well, at one point, I couldnt either.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Im getting ready to propose to my girlfriend. We have a trip to Italy planned, to attend the wedding of two of her friends. I think it would be a nice time to propose, but I dont want to steal the thunder from the wedding.

We will be there for several days, so obviously I would not propose the day of the wedding or around any wedding events.

GENTLE READER: The trick is to ask her when it will, as you say, not upstage any wedding events, but also afford your new fiancee the requisite chance to squeal the news loudly to her friends.

Miss Manners wishes you luck in finding that time.Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
Oregon State running back Damien Martinez said he plans to stay at the school for his junior season.

Martinez, who has rushed for 1,185 yards this season, confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive that hell remain a Beaver even though coach Jonathan Smith is leaving for Michigan State.

I do plan to come back. Smith decision doesnt (affect) mine, Martinez wrote in a text.
One man died Saturday night in a Centennial neighborhood shooting, police said.

Portland police responded to the 3700 block of SE 154th Avenue at 10:14 p.m. and found a man on the front porch of a home dead.

Police have made no arrests. They ask anyone with information on the fatal shooting to contact Detective Shaye Samora at Shaye.Samora@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0768, or Detective Tony Harris at Tony.Harris@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0441, and reference case number 23-306127.

The unidentified mans death marks the 68th homicide in Portland so far this year. That is far less than last year at this time, when 94 people had died in killings. Portland broke a record last year with 101 homicides in total.

 Beth Slovic; bslovic@oregonian.com; 503-221-8551

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
An exploding population of hard-to-eradicate super pigs in Canada is threatening to spill south of the border, and northern states like Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana are taking steps to stop the invasion.

In Canada, the wild pigs roaming Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba pose a new threat. They are often crossbreeds that combine the survival skills of wild Eurasian boar with the size and high fertility of domestic swine to create a super pig thats spreading out of control.

Ryan Brook, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan and one of Canadas leading authorities on the problem, calls feral swine, the most invasive animal on the planet and an ecological train wreck.

Pigs are not native to North America. While theyve roamed parts of the continent for centuries, Canadas problem dates back only to the 1980s when it encouraged farmers to raise wild boar, Brook said. The market collapsed after peaking in 2001 and some frustrated farmers simply cut their fences, setting the animals free.

FILE - In this June 17, 2014, file photo, a wildlife trapper, walks past damage from feral hogs that happened overnight while foraging near one of his traps in New Orleans. An exploding population of hard-to-eradicate super pigs in Canada is threatening to spill south of the border, and northern states like Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana are taking steps to stop the invasion. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)AP

It turned out that the pigs were very good at surviving Canadian winters. Smart, adaptable and furry, they eat anything, including crops and wildlife. They tear up land when they root for bugs and crops. They can spread devastating diseases to hog farms like African swine fever. And they reproduce quickly. A sow can have six piglets in a litter and raise two litters in a year.

That means 65% or more of a wild pig population could be killed every year and it will still increase, Brook said. Hunting just makes the problem worse, he said. The success rate for hunters is only about 2% to 3% and several states have banned hunting because it makes the pigs more wary and nocturnal  tougher to track down and eradicate.

Wild pigs already cause around $2.5 billion in damage to U.S. crops every year, mostly in southern states like Texas. And they can be aggressive toward humans. A woman in Texas was killed by wild pigs in 2019.

Eradication of wild pigs is no longer possible in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Brook said. But the situation isnt hopeless everywhere and a few U.S. states have eliminated them. The key, he said, is having a detection system that finds them early and fast, and then responding quickly.

Brook and his colleagues have documented 62,000 wild pig sightings in Canada. Their aerial surveys have spotted them on both sides of the Canada-North Dakota border. Theyve also recorded a sighting in Manitoba within 18 miles (28 kilometers) of Minnesota.

Nobody should be surprised when pigs start walking across that border if they havent already, Brook said. The question is: What will be done about it?

FILE - Two feral hogs are caught in a trap on a farm in rural Washington County, Mo., Jan. 27, 2019. Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana and other northern states are making preparations to stop a threatened invasion from Canada. Wild pigs already cause around $2.5 billion in damage to U.S. crops every year, mostly in southern states like Texas. But the exploding population of feral swine on the prairies of western Canada is threatening spill south. (David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, file)AP

Brook said Montana has been the most serious about keeping wild pigs out. It banned raising and transporting wild pigs within the state.

The only path forward is you have to be really aggressive and you have to use all the tools in the toolbox, Brook said.

That could include big ground traps with names like BoarBuster or net guns fired from helicopters. Some states and provinces embrace crowdsourced Squeal on Pigs tracking programs. Scientists have also studied poisons such as sodium nitrite, but they risk harming other species.

Minnesota is among states trying to prevent the swine from taking hold. The states Department of Natural Resources is expected to release a report in February identifying gaps in its management plan and recommend new prevention steps. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is using aircraft and drones to beef up surveillance along the northern border.

Minnesota was declared an eradicated state after USDA Wildlife Services shot and killed a group of pigs in 2016 that wandered off a farm and turned feral in the far northwest corner of the state  but not before they began to reproduce and root up a wildlife preserve. Gary Nohrenberg, the Minnesota director of Wildlife Services, said as far has he knows, no truly wild pigs have made their way to his state  yet.

Feral swine have been reported in at least 35 states, according to the USDA. The agency estimates the the swine population in those states totals around 6 million.

Since launching the National Feral Swine Management Program in 2014, the USDA has provided funding to 33 states, said Mike Marlow, an assistant program director. He said their goal is to eradicate wild pigs where populations are low or emerging, and to limit the damage where theyre already established such as Texas and southeastern states.

The program has had success in some states that had small populations like Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Washington, he said. The animals are spotted occasionally and quickly killed off in North Dakota.

I think were making great strides toward success, Marlow said. But eradication is not in the near future.

___

Follow AP news about invasive species at: https://apnews.com/hub/invasive-species.
Three young men of Palestinian descent who were in Burlington for a Thanksgiving holiday gathering were shot and injured  one seriously  near the University of Vermont, police said Sunday. Authorities said the attack may have been a hate crime.

The shootings occurred at about 6:25 p.m. Saturday near the UVM campus, according to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad. He said police are searching for the shooter.

Two of the men are in stable condition and the other suffered much more serious injuries, Murad said in a news release Sunday. The three, all age 20, were visiting the home of one of the victims relatives and were walking when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun.

Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled, Murad said in a news release. All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities.

Murad said all three men are of Palestinian descent. Two are U.S. citizens and one is a legal resident. Two of the men were wearing the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves.

Murad said there is no additional information to suggest the suspects motive.

My deepest condolences go out to the victims and their families, Murad said in the news release. In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if its proven.

He added, The fact is that we dont yet know as much as we want to right now. But I urge the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less.

Before Murad issued his news release, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee released a statement Sunday saying that the victims were Palestinian American college students and that there is reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab.

The ADC said a man shouted and harassed the victims, who were conversing in Arabic, then proceeded to shoot them.

The FBI said it is aware of the shootings.

If, in the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate, Sarah Ruane, an FBI spokesperson based in Albany, New York, said in a statement.

The White House said that President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting and will continue to receive updates as law enforcement gathers more information.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or conviction of the person or people responsible for the shootings, the organization said in a statement.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent, denounced the attack.

It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT. Hate has no place here, or anywhere. I look forward to a full investigation, Sanders said in statement. My thoughts are with them and their families.

Demonstrations have been widespread and tensions are escalating in the United States as the death toll rises in the Israel-Hamas war. A fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed more hostages in a third set of releases under a four-day cease-fire deal.

By KATHY McCORMACK Associated Press

_____

McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire.
First Open AI CEO Sam Altman was out. Then he was in at Microsoft. Then hundreds of Open AI employees threatened to walk out unless the board of directors resigned. Then Altman was rehired as CEO. As Axios reported, If weve learned anything from the mess at Open AI, its that the humans are still in charge, for now.

Editorial cartoonist Drew Sheneman runs with that thought in the lead image in this weeks editorial cartoon gallery, drawing our robot overlord urging the meatwads to get it together. Nick Anderson contrasts the artificial intelligence of the machine with the real stupidity of the board.

Cartoonists also took note of President Joe Bidens 81st birthday, making him the oldest person ever to occupy the Oval Office. Dana Summers draws Democrats fretting about Bidens numbers as his looms over them. Mike Luckovichs voter says to himself, May have to vote [Donald] Trump because hes younger, framing the 2024 decision as between democracy and the former president. Jack Ohman sees it as a contest between an old man and a tantrum-throwing baby.

Other topics in this weeks gallery include Thanksgiving; Bidens meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in San Francisco; Trumps statements about how he would exact retribution if hes elected president again; and the death of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

Cartoons were drawn by Jack Ohman, Nick Anderson, Bill Bramhall, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Scott Stantis, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey, Phil Hands, Joel Pett and Joey Weatherford of Tribune Content Agency; and Mike Luckovich, Steve Breen and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.

View more editorial cartoon galleries.
Every other month or so, I like to answer questions or respond to comments from readers that have crossed my desk. Sometimes they deal with word choices or grammar but often they are about more substantive issues of news judgment or an error.

Several readers wrote to object to the phrasing of a recent online and print headline.

Comment: The headline in todays paper is so misleading that one cannot help but wonder if it is intentionally so. Election offices in Oregon, other states sent suspicious letters clearly conveys that the election offices sent the letters. The proper headline would be Election offices in Oregon, other states received suspicious letters. Isnt there enough mistrust and conspiracy theorizing without The Oregonian fanning the flames with sloppy editing? Shame on you

Response: This same headline appeared on OregonLive first and was amended based on similar reader feedback. Unfortunately, the first version was picked up for print editions. We certainly want to be clear and unambiguous in our headlines. And, yes, the letters were received.

Comment: On the front page, there is the phrase Ducks offense is somewhat unique. You cannot modify the word unique.

Response: This is true, even though we do it all the time when speaking. As Theodore Bernstein put it in The Careful Writer, One need not go looking for absolutes, but when they are obvious, they should be inviolable.  If we allow the literary unwashed to determine that more unique is correct usage, the meaning of unique becomes eroded. You can almost hear his harumph at the end.

Comment: In a recent article about a sneaker wave, the subtitle references the hero who saved the child as a physicians assistant. This is an editorial oversight which happens far too frequently. Physician assistant is a stand-alone profession. We do not belong to a physician. In fact, even the corrected title (physician assistant) is rapidly becoming antiquated, being replaced nationally -- and internationally -- with the term physician associate.

Response: This is a precision point we have missed before. Yes, we should have written physician assistant.

Comment: Your writer states that the defendant will be extradited to Multnomah County. Extradition refers to the transfer of a defendant from one sovereign body to another, such as from Mexico to the U.S. or the state of Washington to Oregon. It does not refer to the mere transfer of a prisoner from one county within a state to another. That is done every day and does not require the formalized processes, e.g. governors warrant, which interstate extradition may require.

Response: Fair point. We should get this right.

Comment: A misuse Im seeing quite often lately is when writers confuse the word phased with the word fazed. This came up in a recent Sunday newspaper where someone was described as not phased by seeing ghosts. The correct word was fazed.

Response: This mistake is common enough that we editors should always stop and look again. Faze means to disturb; unfazed means someone is not embarrassed or disturbed. Phased means carried out gradually.

Comment: I have another entry for your next publication of Readers Comments, this one having to do with the misuse of the terms number and amount in referring to people. Ive seen and heard this a lot lately in both print and on television where the reference is to the amount of people. Am I the only one bothered by this? What sayeth the AP Stylebook on this matter?

Response: The Associated Press Stylebook is our newsroom bible for matters of grammar and usage. The stylebook editors have held firm on this distinction, even as they have loosened rules on some other fine points (such as when they allowed the percent sign (%) instead of requiring writers to spell out percent).

Here is the entry: Use amount for things that cannot be counted individually: the amount of milk in the refrigerator, the amount of courage it takes to climb Mount Everest. For things that can be counted individually, use number: The number of soldiers in an army, the number of books in a library. Similarly, use less for things that cant be counted  less paper, less paint  and fewer for things that can: fewer days, fewer votes. However, some expressions are exceptions: Write the jingle in 25 words or less.

Comment: I consistently see the use of tin foil in the newspaper, in particular with fentanyl stories. Its my understanding that tin foil is no longer produced in the U.S. due to the demand of aluminum foil. Its one of my pet peeves.

Response: I never really had focused on this before, but the writer is correct. Aluminum foil overtook tin foil back in the 1940s. But, as I responded to this correspondent, aluminum foil hat just doesnt have the same ring to it.
NANNING, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chen Mo, 40, stays nearly one-third of a year on China's youngest volcanic island, Weizhou Island, keeping over six terabytes of photos and also video footage of the endangered Bryde's whales.

Chen is an associate researcher from the Guangxi Academy of Sciences who has been studying the species in the waters near Weizhou Island since 2016.

"We identified about 10 members of the herd from 2016 to 2018. There are nearly 50 Bryde's whales now, and the herd size is still increasing," Chen said.

His team has observed the mating behaviors of adult whales, and mother whales hunting with their babies for years in the area, making the researchers believe that the island and its surrounding waters are one of the major hunting and breeding zones of Bryde's whales.

Weizhou Island sits in the Beibu Gulf, home to many endangered marine wildlife in southern China, while over 1,000 km away from the Beibu Gulf lies the Gulf of Thailand, which boasts a well-preserved marine ecosystem and rich food resources and is another essential habitat of the whales.

To jointly research and protect the Bryde's whales, Chinese research institutes, including the Guangxi Academy of Sciences, have teamed up with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) of Thailand, aiming to share information and resources.

"In 2019, we jointly conducted field surveys with our Thai counterparts in both sea areas near Weizhou Island and the Gulf of Thailand, heralding the start of our cooperation in the field of studies on Bryde's whales and other marine mammals," Chen said.

Since then, protecting Bryde's whales has become an important cooperation field between researchers from China and Thailand.

To maintain clean waters and preserve the island's ecological environment, in 2018, the Beihai municipal government of Guangxi issued a regulation to prohibit the use of disposable food containers, non-degradable plastic bags, and plastic films on Weizhou Island.

Lai Chaoyun, a 38-year-old native resident of Weizhou Island, praised the government's great efforts, including setting up a sewage treatment plant and garbage transfer stations on the island.

"The garbage is mainly collected from various homestays and hotels on the island and then sorted and packaged at the stations before being transferred outside. Every day, there are 62 tonnes of garbage transported to the nearby Beihai City," explained Lai.

Lai Chaoyun has also joined whale conservation in recent years, witnessing the increasing awareness of whale conservation among island residents.

"Many residents on the island, including those businessmen, have voluntarily joined the local environmental protection campaigns," said Lai, adding that the local tourism industry association and homestay association have also advocated businesses not to provide disposable supplies to tourists to avoid generating more waste.

Weizhou Island has recorded a more frequent presence of the rare whales over the years, indicating Guangxi's outstanding efforts in strengthening marine ecological protection.

According to data released by Guangxi's oceanic administration, the autonomous region has invested over 6 billion yuan (about 834 million U.S. dollars) of funds into relevant marine ecological protection projects since 2017, making the Beibu Gulf among China's cleanest offshore marine areas.

"The Beibu Gulf boasts various endangered animals and plants and diverse marine ecosystems. Due to its natural conditions and less disturbance caused by coastal economic activities, its ecological diversity has maintained a relatively good state," said Guan Jieyao, director of the key laboratory of Guangxi Beibu Gulf's marine biodiversity conservation under Beibu Gulf University. 
EVERETT, Wash.  Lori Oncina got the call while she was at work.

She didnt pick up, but the voicemail caught her attention. The caller was asking about her brother, George Michael Taylor.

More than half a century earlier, the soldier from Kent was killed serving in Vietnam. Oncina, who had been very close with her brother, was just 14 at the time.

Intrigued, she phoned the caller back.

My name is George Michael Taylor, she remembers him saying. And this isnt a hoax.

Nearly 60 years ago, two George Michael Taylors left their homes in the Seattle area to serve in a war halfway across the globe.

Only one came back. He was the person on the other end of the line that day, six or seven years ago. Since then, the two families have formed a friendship bonded by sheer coincidence.

Taylor, now 79, grew up in north Seattle.

He was drafted within a month of his graduation from the University of Washington in 1966. His college degree in business administration got him assigned to a data processing unit in Vietnam.

One day while working with lists of soldiers who had been killed, he saw his own name. First, middle, last  all the same.

It was a shock not just for Taylor but also for his family back home. His parents saw the obituary in The Seattle Times under the headline: G.M. Taylor, Vietnam Casualty. They called Taylors then-fiancee, Josie, to make sure she didnt get scared.

She says she never came so close to fainting in all of her life, Taylor said.

The pair married in 1968 upon Taylors return from Vietnam. They raised two daughters and moved across the country several times. They live in Everett now.

Every so often, hed think about the other George Michael Taylor.

I had a desire to contact the family, Taylor said. But I didnt know what I would say to them.

He worried they would think it was some kind of scam, or that hearing from him would reopen old wounds.

That fear wasnt unfounded. When Oncina told family members about the phone call, they warned her it was a trick.

How dare he use your brothers death, she remembers they said.

Despite their caution, Oncina believed Taylor. Too much of his story rang true.

You just went to fight

His name is a reminder of someone she loved deeply.

Her George Michael Taylor, who went by Mike, was the lover in their family, Oncina said.

An animal lover, for one thing. He adopted a bullfrog as a pet and kept it alive for three years, she said, diligently fishing tadpoles out of a pond to feed it. During winter freezes, hed take it inside and keep it in the bathtub.

He loved people, too.

No one could have ever harmed me, Oncina said. Mike would have not been pleased with that.

One day, a family moved in next door to the Taylors at their home in Kent. Oncina immediately befriended the new neighbor girl, called Sue.

At the dinner table that night, she announced she had a new friend.

Mike had news, too. A beautiful girl had just moved in next door, he said, called Beverly.

Her name, it turned out, was Beverly Sue.

For Mike, it was really just love at first sight, Oncina said.

For Beverly Sue, too.

I loved him since the first second I saw him, she told the Herald via text.

Oncina and her other brother used to help Mike sneak out for a few hours in the evenings to see her.

Eventually, the teenage couple married. They had a son.

He had dreams of what life would be like for our family, said Beverly Sue, who asked to be identified by her given name only. He was much older and wiser than his age.

At 17, Mike enlisted in the Army. His father had served in World War II.

Thats just what you did, Oncina said, was you just went to fight for your country.

Mike left for Vietnam in November 1966. Six months later, he was killed by a mortar shell explosion.

He was 12 days shy of his 19th birthday.

At home, his wife was pregnant with their second child.

The memory of that time is a painful one for Oncina  not just her own pain but that of her parents and Beverly Sue.

In the decades after, she was never interested in learning more about the war. When friends suggested going to see Vietnam War movies, she told them, I just cant. It hurt too much.

But when she talked to the living George Michael Taylor, she found she wanted to know more for the first time.

It doesnt make it any less painful, she said.

But it has been comforting to understand more about the last place her brother was.

I feel now like that has come full circle, Oncina said.

You cant forget

They met in person for the first time at Oncinas house with some of her immediate family members.

Taylor gifted them rubbings of Mikes name on the Vietnam Wall, superimposed on a picture of him.

It was special, Taylor said.

The families have kept in touch ever since.

Last year, Taylor and his wife attended a Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery where Mike is buried. As part of the ceremony, Mikes son was supposed to receive a flag.

Instead, he had Taylor do it on his behalf.

Getting to know Mikes family has been meaningful for Taylor.

During the war, there were protests all the time, said Taylors wife, Josie. And I cant say that I didnt want to be on I-5 marching with everybody else. It wasnt a popular war.

Veterans of the Vietnam War were often looked down on. When Taylor returned, he rarely spoke of his experience there. He remembers going to a party shortly after coming home where a man was talking about the jerks that went to Vietnam.

I just looked at him, Taylor said. I said, Wait a minute, youre talking about me.

Even in recent years, Oncina, too, has felt indifference from people she talks to about the lives lost in the war.

Its almost like, because it was such a distasteful time, or distasteful war, that nothing about it was of any interest, she said.

She wants people to recognize that beyond the politics of the war is human loss. Many, like Taylor, had no choice but to go.

Though Taylor came home alive, there were close calls. Once, Claymore mine explosions killed three Americans taking the same route to work he normally would have. He was spared because it was his day off.

Another time, a child tried to slash his wrist as he walked down the street in Saigon, no Ho Chi Minh City.

Things happened that you cant forget, he said. And you just live with them.

The war left a physical mark on him as well. Taylor was exposed to Agent Orange during his service. In the years since, he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, Parkinsons disease and ischemic heart disease, all of which have been connected to Agent Orange exposure.

Meeting Mikes family has softened the blow that Vietnam had on me, Taylor told an audience gathered at the Snohomish Senior Center for Veterans Day earlier this month.

A number of Mikes family members came to attend the speech, including his wife, his two children and Oncina. It was their first time meeting Taylors daughters, which was amazing, Oncina said.

The bond shes formed with Taylor and his wife has been a lasting one.

Theyre two of the most lovely human beings, she said. Whether or not this had to do with my brother, I still would very much want to have them in my family.
Editors note: The Oregonian/OregonLive is not naming L.B. to protect her medical privacy and because her illness currently renders her unable to meaningfully consent to have her story made public with her full name included. Neither her advocates nor The Oregonian/OregonLive could locate a relative who could speak on her behalf.

L.B., who is 60 and unhoused, is unlikely to make it through the winter.

She can often be found sleeping under a blanket in an Old Town doorway, not understanding the very real threats of frostbite and hypothermia, even as temperatures drop.

Diagnosed with schizophrenia, L.B. often experiences paranoia and delusions that frighten her and make her aggressive toward the outside world. She does not use drugs or alcohol. But she fixates on passers-by, particularly men who she warns are child molesters, abusers and kidnappers.

Her physical deterioration most worries employees at Blanchet House, an Old Town nonprofit that feeds and clothes unhoused people. Already frail, L.B. has lost weight and doesnt always eat, even though Blanchet House offers free meals. She is often soaked in her own urine and feces and has been physically assaulted on multiple occasions.

Scott Kerman, Blanchet Houses director, thought the saving grace for L.B. would be civil commitment, a legal step that forces a person in grave danger to undergo mental health care. A person can be forced into care if they pose harm to themselves or others or are unable to provide for basic personal needs. L.B. is a perfect example, Kerman and her other advocates say.

But five times over the past year, Multnomah Countys state-certified civil commitment investigators, all with masters degrees in behavioral health, said she did not meet the criteria.

Kerman was floored.

L.B.s story highlights aspects of Oregons mental health system that can endanger lives, particularly local officials interpretations of the states civil commitment law.

Despite help from well-connected professionals, L.B. remains on a dire trajectory. Advocates and family members of people like her often walk a legal tightrope: State law protects peoples rights to make their own health care decisions with very limited exceptions. As a result, workers in law enforcement, health care, nonprofits and legal roles who want to save people in heartbreaking situations often cant.

And, in a cruel turn, the steps that L.B.s advocates have taken to help her  getting her briefly hospitalized, coaxing her to eat, helping her take a much-needed shower  have caused county workers to determine she does not need mandated long-term mental health treatment.

If the countys investigators had ruled the other way, it would have triggered the start of the civil commitment process. Behavioral health workers would have taken L.B.s case to the Multnomah Countys District Attorneys Office. She likely would have stayed in the hospital until she could stand in front of a judge, typically around 24 hours, according to the countys process.

Previously, people could only be committed if they were at risk of harm that could occur that day. In 2015, the statute was updated to expand the requirements, stating the risk could occur over the next few days.

However, Terry Schroeder, a civil commitment expert at the Oregon Health Authority, said many counties incorrectly make commitment decisions based on the old law.

After learning about L.B.s case from The Oregonian/OregonLive, Schroeder said there appeared to be enough evidence to take her case to a judge.

Being homeless in and of itself is not enough for civil commitment. But if you have a mental health disorder that is causing you to be houseless and causing you to harm yourself or harm others, then that could be enough, he said. In this case, it sounds like there is a good argument that is true.

Channa Newell, a deputy Multnomah County district attorney who also learned about L.B.s case from The Oregonian/OregonLive, said with the facts presented, L.B. is likely really, really close to being civilly committable but isnt there yet. Weight loss, for instance, must be documented by objectively measured weights at a doctors office on two different dates, not simply attested to by people who see her, she said. And the fact L.B.s advocates help her shower and access other services lessens her need for other help in the courts eyes since someone is providing her a morsel of care.

Many people who see someone in crisis on the streets cannot understand how a system that allows them to remain deeply mentally ill could possibly be right or humane.

But not everyone agrees that involuntary commitment is the answer. In fact, they worry it could cause more harm than help.

Emily Cooper, legal director at Disability Rights Oregon, recoils at talk of forced care and said civil commitment shouldnt be used as a blunt tool to coerce difficult patients to cooperate. Rather, she said, it should be used sparingly and thoughtfully to preserve peoples right to consent.

Even if the county had honored the request to force L.B. into treatment, there would likely not be enough long-term residential mental health beds to ensure she and others in severe need could get care, experts say.

L.B.S STORY

In L.B.s most lucid state, she can describe what makes a great sandwich. A sliced tomato. Avocado, but not that smashed up guacamole, just a few nice slices. Onion. Cucumber. And a real good slice of cheese. They call it a vegetarian sandwich, she tells her advocate, whom she calls That Lady.

As she talks, she munches on hot fries and a hamburger. She offers That Lady some fries and says, I havent had them in so long  Thank you.

To her advocates, times like that provide proof there is still a joyous life for L.B. to live if she gets treatment.

Records indicate she has flitted in and out of Portland area shelters and treatment centers over the past decade, with a handful of temporary hospital holds. The Blanchet House team didnt start managing her mental health case  something they dont typically do for the vulnerable people they help feed, shelter and clothe  until about a year ago, when they found her in dire need of help.

As of late, L.B.'s advocates have struggled to treat a large wound on her head stemming from a bad lice infection. Unsure of what is true and what is not, L.B. is skeptical of treatment for it.Nicole Hayden, Oregonian/OregonLive

The first of many incidents involving L.B. that Blanchet House tracked occurred in November 2022. Emergency services were called because a woman with blood in her hair asked for help, according to call logs the nonprofit keeps.

Staffers soon learned her narrative primarily included her being sex trafficked and her children being taken away from her. They believe she has experienced severe trauma, sexual abuse and rape. Her advocates say L.B. believes that many men walking by might kidnap her or the Blanchet workers she cares about. She warned them to take photos of the mens cars and be on guard.

Her advocates believe she has children, that her fears are rooted in past traumatic experiences and that she at one time lived in Walla Walla, Washington.

For the many people like L.B. living on the streets of Portland, severe mental health symptoms, such as paranoia and violent outbursts, prevent them from being a good fit at most area shelters or housing programs. Without substantial mental health resources or capacity to meet such peoples needs, shelters boot them back to the streets.

Since Blanchets first encounter with L.B., the team has called 911, Portland Street Response and Project Respond dozens of times on her behalf. Theyve accumulated even more emails tracking L.B.s progress amid their attempts to find services for her. What she needs, they say, is clear: a long-term residential mental health program followed by placement in permanent supportive housing.

In February, Blanchet workers called Street Response because she was freezing and wanted shelter. The street response team said they had no cold weather supplies or shelter beds to offer, so she slept in a coat on the ground, they said. A few days later, she stayed in a shelter for one night. But she returned to sleeping outdoors near Blanchet House because she preferred the food it serves, she told workers, not understanding her risk of frostbite or hypothermia. She fears not having access to food, said Jen Ransdell, Blanchet House program manager.

Schroeder, the Oregon Health Authority expert, said a civil commitment could be justified if L.B. is losing weight because she cant access services on her own, if she is suffering from a medical issue that hasnt been treated and if she is disoriented enough that she cant take care of herself. Still, a physician would have to say those challenges are rooted in her mental health diagnosis.

Newell, the deputy county D.A., said a doctor would have to testify how much she weighed months ago versus how much she weighed now and say they think she is at risk of starvation  If she eats in the hospital, that goes out the window.

By May, L.B.s cognitive ability was fading, according to Blanchet House logs, and she couldnt figure out how to leave the doorway where she slept. She also wouldnt eat. Staff once again called Street Response but were told there was nothing the responding EMT and social worker could do, given Oregons laws on personal autonomy. In July, L.B. had a large gash in her foot that Portland Fire cleaned and bandaged.

Rick Graves, Portland Street Response spokesperson, said while he cant comment on L.B. specifically, her story is sadly common. But without appropriate services to connect such people, he said his agency can offer little meaningful help.

Our crews have many of the same challenges that other health care, behavioral health and social service providers face, which boil down to scarce resources in the community at large, he said. (Short term) involuntary treatment can aid in the stabilization  (but) it only defers dealing with the fundamental issue: The people who are most in need of service and support have nowhere to be and no place to go.

Later in the spring of 2023, L.B.s clothes were too soiled to allow her inside to eat next to other Blanchet House guests, the nonprofits officials said. Ransdell coaxed her out of her clothes while holding a blanket up to shield her from passersby. L.B. cleaned herself with baby wipes and asked for deodorant.

She told me it wasnt her urine, but that it was from a donkey, Ransdell said. But that moment of washing, thats how we established our trust. And thats when Ransdell earned the name of That Lady.

At the end of July, L.B. arrived at the nonprofit with a black eye and acted unusually aggressive. Security cameras caught footage the night before showing someone physically assaulting her. Jon Seibert, Blanchet House program director, called Multnomah County Adult Protective Services Division, which in turn called Project Respond. It took several calls and seven hours before Project Respond arrived, Seibert said, partly due to the crisis workers waiting for a police escort due to L.B.s history of aggression.

Later that night, a temporary court-ordered mental health hold was issued after police escorted L.B. to Unity Center for Behavioral Health.

L.B. can often be found sitting in the doorway of Blanchet House where she feels most safe. She has access to food and coffee, if she wants it, but not much else.Beth Nakamura

If people are an imminent danger to themselves or others, police or Project Respond workers can request a 72-hour to seven-day hold. To extend that into forced long-term treatment lasting weeks or months, which Blanchet House keeps hoping for, a county civil commitment worker must confirm she meets their requirements.

Newell, the deputy district attorney, said, The civil commitment process is about a particular moment in time  When I am in a hearing, I am focused on making sure this person doesnt die today without forced mental health care.

When L.B. does want help, she willingly gets into an ambulance, Blanchet workers said. But she doesnt understand that, to get her health issues fully addressed and her mental health stabilized, she must stay in the hospital for a longer time.

While L.B. was hospitalized for seven days at Unity at the end of July, county workers determined through interviews  that (she) was able to take care of herself, Seibert, the Blanchet House worker, said. But then she was dropped off from the hospital right at our door. One of our staff members found her behind a dumpster with her medication and discharge papers.

Newell said patients on short-term mental health holds who respond quickly to medication and become stabilized can be challenging to commit to longer treatment because as soon as that immediacy is gone, I cant move forward. Newell said L.B.s advocates could attempt to show that every time she has left a hospital, she quickly spiraled back into psychosis  something they have been working to track. That could help the case, Newell said, but shed still have to show the judge there was an immediate danger.

While at Unity, L.B. enjoyed the food, slept well in the comfortable bed and took her medication, said Ransdell. She was calm and participated in counseling appointments.

She made such a huge leap in just a matter of days, Ransdell said. But instead of that being proof that if she had a longer hold, she would be even more successful, they used that to say she was lucid enough to take care of herself and make her own decisions.

A caseworker from Unity also recommended that L.B. not be allowed to leave after the short stay. But without a judges order, the caseworker and L.B.s advocates had no power.

After seven days, they asked her if she wanted to stay and she said she wanted to go home, Ransdell said.

She failed to remember she didnt have a home.

When L.B. left, she was prescribed Haldol, a powerful antipsychotic that helps lessen the symptoms of schizophrenia, and given a supply to take with her. But she told Blanchet workers the name on her bottle of medication was not hers but that of a woman who was stalking her. She refused to continue taking the pills.

Melissa Eckstein, president of Unity, said the facility is designed to offer acute inpatient treatment for up to 15 days but not long-term care  a significant gap in Oregons behavioral health system, she said.

With the Oregon State Hospital at full capacity treating people charged with or convicted of crimes, there is virtually no access to long-term residential mental health treatment for law-abiding people like L.B., Eckstein said. Patients can be referred to secure residential treatment facilities or other residential programs throughout the state, said Ryan Frank, a Unity spokesperson. But the number of beds available to people on the Oregon Health Plan is very limited, L.B. hasnt received a referral to one.

Within days, the medication L.B. received at Unity wore off and she returned to living coated in urine and feces, barely eating, Blanchet staff said. Ransdell called the countys new downtown Behavioral Health Resource Center and asked if she could bring L.B. there to take a shower. Workers, familiar with the frail older womans situation, agreed to let her cut to the front of the line. Knowing her moments of lucidity are far and few between, they wanted to help her shower quickly. Ransdell and L.B. set off to the center, both dragging roller bags of supplies behind them.

She was pretty lucid during that walk, Ransdell said. She said shed love a Coke. We walked where we could avoid people and she smoked a cigarette. I said, Ok, just a couple more blocks, and then they let us in through a side door. She showered while Ransdell picked up her discarded clothes, which were coated in feces.

Newell said if a person is constantly soiling their clothes, that could prove they have lost the ability to take care of themselves, prompting a civil commitment. But because someone helps L.B. shower and provides care for her, it makes it harder to commit her, Newell said.

The downtown center had a bed available where L.B. could sleep peacefully and receive some mental health care, Ransdell said. But to qualify for it, she would have had to tell workers what her plan for improvement would be, something she wasnt able to coherently answer, Ransdell said. L.B. also isnt allowed at the downtown center without a chaperone because she has such high needs.

I could tell, though, she didnt want to leave because it is such a nice, calming space, Ransdell said. On the way back, the two stopped to eat at a food cart pod, where L.B. told Ransdell about her perfect sandwich.

In mid-October, emergency room staff issued a temporary hold for L.B. because she had a suspected urinary tract infection. Newell said an UTI could be enough to justify a civil commitment, but a physician would need to testify that her kidneys would fail without the hold.

UTIs can turn into much bigger problems, Newell said. We need to be able to say she is refusing treatment for this because of her schizophrenia.

Suspicious of the request to provide a urine sample, however, L.B. refused. Without a test to confirm an infection, hospital workers released her once again.

The next morning as I am calling the hospital social worker again to make sure that (L.B.) is not going to be discharged, I look out the window and see (L.B.) walking towards us with no shoes on, said Duke Reiss, a Blanchet House peer support specialist.

Since then, because L.B. recently turned 60, Blanchet staffers were able to get county workers to reopen an adult protective services case, potentially meaning she will qualify for more physical health care, even if she doesnt consent to it.

Newell said adult services are often a good option for people who repeatedly fall through cracks in the civil commitment process. County workers told Blanchet officials that if they were to characterize L.B.s behavior as caused by dementia instead of schizophrenia, they might be able to get her more help. However, county workers advised that adult services wont begin investigating a mental health case for her until she turns 65.

In the meantime, L.B. continues to spend many days and nights camped in the doorway of Blanchet House, tearing filters off cigarettes before she smokes them. Her body forcibly shivers from the cold as her eyes roam, on guard to perceived threats. The nonprofit says it regularly feeds at least five other Portland residents in its small Northwest Portland neighborhood who need the same intensive support.

Even though their help with basic needs complicates the equation for civil commitment, they cannot look away.

I am terrified, honestly, Reiss said. I am hoping we can get her help before the winter comes.

Nicole Hayden reports on homelessness for The Oregonian/OregonLive. She can be reached at nhayden@oregonian.com.
Photo: (Photo : Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

In a deeply concerning turn of events, the ongoing salmonella outbreak has intensified, leading U.S. health officials to significantly expand the recall of whole and pre-cut cantaloupes.

Over the past week, the number of reported cases has more than doubled, spreading across 32 states and heightening anxieties among authorities and the general public.

Cantaloupe Recall Extends to Three More Brands

As the relentless spread of the salmonella outbreak continues, health officials in the United States are grappling with a substantial surge in cases.

The recall of whole and pre-cut cantaloupes has been broadened to address the escalating crisis that now affects 32 states.

This alarming surge has amplified efforts to contain the outbreak, presenting a formidable challenge to public health agencies.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken decisive action by expanding the recall to include three additional cantaloupe brands.

The total count now stands at six, encompassing Malichita, Vinyard, ALDI, Rudy, Freshness Guaranteed, and RaceTrac.

The contaminated fruits have led to nearly 100 reported cases nationwide, with Arizona, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Minnesota experiencing the highest incidence.

Tragically, the situation has resulted in two fatalities in Minnesota, with 45 individuals currently hospitalized across the country.

Read Also: FDA Intensifies Efforts in WanaBana Recall as Lead Poisoning in Cinnamon Apple Puree Increases

Consumers Urged to Discard and Disinfect

At the forefront of addressing this crisis, the FDA has issued an urgent warning to consumers concerning the cantaloupe recall.

Initially covering Malichita, Vinyard, and ALDI brands, the recall has now expanded to include Rudy, Freshness Guaranteed, and RaceTrac brands.

Consumers are strongly advised to take immediate action by discarding any recalled fruits in their possession.

In addition to disposal, health officials stress the critical importance of disinfecting surfaces that may have come into contact with the contaminated goods.

Salmonella, a resilient bacteria, can persist on surfaces for an extended period, contributing to the spread of the outbreak.

Thorough washing with hot, soapy water or sanitization in a dishwasher is recommended to mitigate the risk of further exposure.

This proactive measure is crucial in safeguarding individuals and preventing the further transmission of the bacteria.

Symptoms of salmonella infection typically manifest within six hours to six days after consuming contaminated food, with diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps being common indicators.

While most cases resolve within four to seven days, vulnerable populations, including children, individuals over 65, and those with weakened immune systems, may experience severe illnesses requiring medical attention or hospitalization.

How to Disinfect surfaces from contaminated goods

Preventing the spread of salmonella in your household begins with thorough hygiene practices and vigilant cleanliness.

Start by regularly washing hands with soap and water, especially after handling raw poultry, eggs, or any potentially contaminated food.

Clean kitchen surfaces, utensils, and cutting boards immediately after use, using hot, soapy water. To further eliminate bacteria, consider using a mixture of one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water for disinfecting surfaces.

Separate raw meats from ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator to avoid cross-contamination, and ensure that meat is cooked to a safe internal temperature.

Regularly clean and sanitize kitchen sponges and dishcloths, as they can harbor harmful bacteria. Additionally, be cautious with pet food and dishes, as animals can also carry salmonella.

By adopting these practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of salmonella contamination in your home and promote a safer, healthier living environment.

In conclusion, as the salmonella outbreak worsens and the cantaloupe recall expands, it is imperative for the public to stay informed and take proactive measures to prevent further spread.

The FDA's continued vigilance and swift actions underscore the severity of the situation, emphasizing the collective responsibility to ensure public safety and the importance of thorough surface disinfection to curb the outbreak.

Related Article: Landmark Verdict: Illinois Jury Finds Major Egg Producers Guilty of Price-Fixing Conspiracy Spanning 2004-2008
While we were in Virginia recently, we not only took the time to visit some Civil War battlefields but to take family members to Jamestown  the first permanent English settlement in the Americas, famously associated with Pocahontas  out by Williamsburg, and, in the other direction, to Carter Mountain, near Charlottesville. In preparation for the Jamestown visit, some of us watched the 1995 Disney film Pocahontas. (Age appropriate, and all that.). And, of course, at Carter Mountain we picked apples, bought fresh apple pie, drank hot apple cider, and enjoyed the magnificent view of the surrounding countryside on a very clear and beautiful day.

The other high point during our stay in Williamsburg was that my former student Nathan B. Oman, who is currently Rita Anne Rollins Professor of Law at William & Mary Law School, dropped by the place where we were lodging. He and I had a very good conversation that evening. He is, in my judgment, one of the most interesting thinkers in the Church, even when, as does occasionally happen, we dont quite see things in exactly the same way.

The College of William & Mary has a remarkable heritage.

It was founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II  hence its name  which makes it the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States (after Harvard College, which was established in 1636) and the ninth-oldest in the English-speaking world altogether. Among its many distinguished alumni are Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler, and, in a sense, George Washington, as well as Chief Justice John Marshall, Senators Henry Clay and Thomas Hart Benton, Jon Stewart, the actress Glenn Close, General Winfield Scott, and the author (one of my favorites) James Branch Cabell.

Its been a while since Ive posted anything here about near-death experiences, which are a significant interest of mine. However, I recently read through the latest issue of the principal academic journal in the field. So I will now share a little bit from Comparing Near-Death Experiences and Shared Death Experiences: An Illuminating Contrast, Journal of Near-Death Studies 40/21 (Summer 2022), 77-94. (Obviously, the journal is a bit behind its publication schedule. Sadly, not uncommon with many academic periodicals.) Authorship of the article is attributed to the Shared Crossing Research Initiative (SCRI), a team of researchers based in Santa Barbara, California, but the principal authors appear to have been Michael Kinsella and William Peters. They note that To date, researchers have published only one qualitative study of SDEs  and that one, published in 2021, was done by SCRI itself.

What are shared death experiences?

Individuals may sense  physically and/or intuitively  that a loved one is dying; witness various unusual phenomena associated with death  such as seeing what is believed to be the dying persons spirit leaving their body; find themselves either out of body or in a visionary realm where they seem to be accompanying the dying to some destination; and/or feel that they are somehow actively assisting the dying to transition. (79)

The authors note that near-death experiences are often dismissed  unpersuasively, they say (and I agree)  as perceptual hallucinations occurring by natural mechanisms or due to various neurobiological or psychological factors linked to the dying process or, even, to the perception (whether accurate or not) of impending death

But SDEs are more difficult to explain in that they happen to individuals who are not themselves physically or psychologically close to dying. (79)

The authors point out that their previous study had noted strong similarities between NDEs and SDEs. Among those similarities is that both seemed very real, indeed hyper-real (78).

It was like being in a vision, but very real and vivid, unmistakably real. (Cynthia Ploski regarding her NDE, cited on page 80; italics in the original) [T]his experience where I was there seemed realer than this real. (Magrethe K of her SDE, pages 80-81, 82)

Another important commonality is this one:

NDErs sometimes return with information not yet known in the physical world but subsequently verified as accurate. We observed this same feature in SDEs. (81)

One of the recurring features of near-death experiences is a strange and ultimately indescribable light, often golden, that seems not only brilliant but somehow loving and inviting and sometimes even personal. That same feature seems to occur in SDEs, too. The authors share part of an experience that Angela H. claims to have had while approaching the deathbed of her mother in law:

I noticed that the room was a welcoming gold color and unusual. It looked warm and it looked as though you wanted to be in there. . . . I started to think, Oh, it looks an absolutely beautiful gold color! And as I got to the room, it felt like the whole room was in some kind of a bubble. (83)

Scott Ts girlfriend died as the result of a tragic car accident. A few days later, that girlfriends son also died from injuries sustained in the accident, while Scott T sat by the boys bedside:

So, Im in the room, and I have stepped into another dimension. Stepped isnt the right word, but I have entered into another dimension that is simultaneous with the one that I am in. And so thats how come I can say I was in the space with [his girlfriend] and [his girlfriends son] and got to witness their reunion and got to go with them into the light, and into the light meant opening to the light that is in us all. And so thats the only language that I can use to describe it. This is why the very first thing, when you read about the common components of near-death experiences, the very first one is ineffable. It is really hard to describe what its like to be in the physical and at the same time to be someplace else that is this extraordinary place of divine love. (85)

(to be continued)

Finally, I nod briefly in the direction of the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File:

A brief article from the unfailingly worthwhile Stephen Cranney: Perspective: Religion isnt sexually repressive. Just read the data. Those who insist that religion is a buzzkill have not read the literature And if youre tempted to doubt that those who insist that religion is a buzzkill havent read the literature, just take a look at the unwittingly amusing comments that follow the article. Empirical data plainly has little or no effect on such folks.
Yeah, actually Im not sure of the best way to label this as I try to identify something thats disturbing me.

It has been disturbing me, ever since Hamass attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent Israeli military action in Gaza, that so many Hamas/Palestinian defenders have been calling the air strikes genocide. It is preposterous and should be written off in the same way as one writes off the claims by those defenders that the hostages, the killings, the sexual assaults, all of the horrors of the attacks, were untrue, or were justified and deserved. But it is more than that.

A twitter account I follow, a teacher in Rhode Island, made the claim that her school had eliminated Anne Frank and other instructional materials on the Holocaust, because Jews were not people of color. Others responded skeptically, because, as it turns out, Rhode Island has a law mandating that the Holocaust be covered as a part of middle/high school instruction.

But what exactly does this mean? What, specifically, must students be taught? The answer isnt as straightforward as the Holocaust unit my sons had in eighth grade, where they read the Diary of a Young Girl and/or Night.

Here is the actual text of the Rhode Island law:

The state shall adhere to the following procedures: (1) The department of education shall collect and disseminate to every school district, private school, mayoral academy, and charter school, and make available on its website, curriculum materials and such other materials as may assist local and regional school committees, and governing bodies of any private school, mayoral academy, or charter school, in developing instructional materials on holocaust and genocide awareness and education. The curriculum materials may include information on relevant genocides, including the Holocaust, Armenia, Cambodia, Iraq, Rwanda, and Darfur. (2) Every school district shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction on holocaust and genocide, utilizing, but not being limited to, the materials collected and disseminated by the department of education, commencing with the 2017-2018 school year. Nothing herein shall require school districts to require holocaust and genocide instruction in every year of middle school and high school, but that holocaust and genocide education and instruction shall be utilized during appropriate times in the middle school and/or high school curricula, as determined by the local authority. All students should have received instruction on genocide and holocaust awareness materials by the time they have graduated from high school.

And can you guess what troubles me? Yes, the Holocaust has become just one of various genocides from which teachers and schools may choose for their curriculum and, worse, the Holocaust has become a common noun, merely a synonym for genocide. Whats more, the focus of the suggested materials, specifically its general anti-genocide links, Stop Genocide Now and Facing History, appear to be on current-day civics and activism and mix together genocide, ethnic cleansing, and civil war. The Stop Genocide Now website, in particular, offers action items  which are, quite honestly, not particularly useful, consisting of links to Amnesty International and other petitions to sign. The Facing History lesson plans arent prizewinners either. For instance, the mini-lesson about the October 7 attacks, Processing Antisemitism, Terror, and War, is vague and simply instructs teachers to share news reports and encourage students to journal about their reactions.

Now, as it happens, Illinois also has a Holocaust/Genocide instruction mandate. Its text is more specific, to be sure, though in 2005, the mandate changed from requiring education in the Holocaust, capital H, defined as the killing of 6,000,000 Jews and millions of non-Jews (incidental comment: there is controversy over whether the deaths of non-Jews are a part of The Holocaust or just additional Crimes Against Humanity perpetrated by the Nazis), to also adding a second requirement, that of teaching other acts of genocide . . . includ[ing], but not limited to, the Armenian Genocide, the Famine-Genocide in Ukraine, and more recent atrocities in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Sudan.

And according to Wikipedia, a significant number of states mandate such education. How many are Rhode Islands lower-case holocaust version? I tried to click through to some of these links. For instance:

Maine: the requirement is specifically for Holocaust instruction, though oddly the law itself does not identify Jews as the target of the Nazis but simply states that victims were discrete groups of individuals based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical disability or national origin, from January 1, 1933 to December 31, 1945, in Nazi Germany or in any European country allied with or occupied by Nazi Germany, which would appear to leave room for teachers to claim that the Holocaust was not specifically anti-Jewish.

New Hampshire: this law is a bit hard to parse but the key sentence is this: that schools much teach How intolerance, bigotry, antisemitism, and national, ethnic, racial, or religious hatred and discrimination have evolved in the past, and can evolve, into genocide and mass violence, such as the Holocaust, and how to prevent the evolution of such practices.

Oklahoma: the law, effective in 2022, specifically requires Holocaust instruction, defined as the Nazi regimes murder of 6 million Jews and 5 million others.

How does this work out in practice? For how many teachers is it simply obvious that Holocaust education should be about the Holocaust? For how many is the Holocaust too outdated, too narrow, not relevant enough to modern life? How often do teachers believe that the murder of Jews isnt sufficiently culturally relevant for ethnic-minority students?
Our American Thanksgiving has just passed. While its set for the third Thursday of November, Ive noticed many people move the date around for their personal or family observances. I personally know some people who marked it out on Wednesday, and we here in Tujunga actually had our grand family gathering yesterday, Friday.

Im fascinated with Thanksgiving as a semi-secular semi-well-something else holiday. It combines a lot of things.

I do like digging around for the history of things. So, just a little.

Our first American Thanksgiving was proclaimed by George Washington on the 26th of November, 1789. It might be worth noting it was not connected to the Pilgrim story. Washington called out for a day to thank God, well, he rarely used that word, he tended to prefer Providence, and in his formal proclamation said, the Almighty, for divine protection before the Revolution, and then through the revolution, and then out of that for the establishment of a republic.

When Thomas Jefferson became president, he chose not to continue the proclamation and as a national holiday Thanksgiving was only sporadically observed in subsequent years.

That is until 1863, when in the midst of our terrible Civil War, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a regular Thanksgiving holiday to be observed on the last Thursday in November. It was a somewhat darker thing than Washingtons. For Lincoln as he said in his proclamation

I recommend to (the American people) that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him , they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

Through an act of congress in 1885, Thanksgiving became an official Federal holiday. It wasnt until 1942 that the third Thursday in November was enshrined into law. Franklin Roosevelt was hoping to boost retail sales in the run up to Christmas.

At least throughout my adult life Ive found this holiday complicated. On the one hand a worthy thing, a time simply to celebrate the goodness of life, to just be thankful. As Meister Eckhardt wrote, If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.

But on the other hand, this observation has come to be attached to an extremely problematic story. For those who care, this joining of the Pilgrim story along with a collapsing of two different English customs, an Autumnal Thanksgiving, a time of feasting, usually drinking, and all around celebration, and occasional days of Humiliation, which called for fasting, prayer, and repentance, such as we hear most clearly from Lincoln in his proclamation, gathered together ultimately seems to trace to the Unitarian minister, the Reverend Alexander Young in his book Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers.

That mixed up holiday, including of course, Franklin Roosevelts timing for business purposes, has gradually enshrined itself in the national consciousness. So, for many native Americans and those sympathetic to their plight this day has become a National Day of Mourning. Not unlike the original sense of Thanksgiving, I notice.

For me these things are inextricable linked. One peoples blessing is often another peoples curse. Our American culture, as wondrous as it is in many ways, is also built upon piles of bones. The genocide of Native Americans. And, how can we forget the other original sin, an economy built upon chattel slavery?

Good and ill woven fine.

And, this is a Zen gathering. And this all reminds me of the nature of our days, rich and terrible. Its collected as the 6th case in the ancient Chinese anthology, the Blue Cliff Record.

Yunmen addressed his assembly, I dont ask you about before the 15th of the month. Tell me something about after the 15th. No one spoke, so he responded himself, Every day is a good day.

This isnt a complete non sequitur. The 15th is the time of the full moon, and is a common metaphor in East Asia for the moment of awakening. So, theres that. Also, it probably doesnt hurt to note that Yunmen lived in harsh, politically unstable times, where armies were on the march and famine and hunger and danger the common currency of the day.

So, it would be very hard to find the phrase every day is a good day to mean dont worry, be happy. This good day carries with it the possibility of ending very badly. It wasnt all that different than this day of complicated Thanksgiving, with all that is going on in our lives all around this beautiful and terrible planet.

In some communities of the Zen tradition, people whove been acknowledged as teachers, after a ceremony that takes place in private at midnight, the next day theyre often expected to give a talk on this koan. Perhaps that suggests how complicated and how important it is.

Koans. A koan is a statement about reality. And with that is an invitation. Or, another way to say it, a koan is a pointer to the real, the deepest real, and with that an invitation to come and stand in that place.

And here we are. A very problematic story attached to a communal call to give thanks for what is good, and to celebrate. A terrible memory of the possibility of evil, and its actual manifestations. And the sense of powerlessness while also wishing for some reconciliation among people and this little planet upon which we live, and breathe, and from which we take our being.

The problem, it seems to me, it is the calling of the tradition to which Ive given my life: the problem lies with our sense of separation.

The solution, at least within our Zen world, is said to be rooted in not turning away, in the practice of presence. Presence to Thanksgiving. Presence to Humiliation. Presence to the betrayals upon which many a feast is founded. Presence to political chaos and even the possibility of the unraveling of this republic. Presence to hunger. Presence to questions of why. Presence to our own hearts.

Presence.

This is most important. It is within presence we find our awakening, our waking up from the slumber of a life that has been distracted from the most important matters. We slumber with our apparently endless desires. We slumber with our angers and hatreds. We slumber as we figure something out as true and defend, fiercely that idea of that true, sometimes even to the death. Sometimes our own, too often someone elses.

Waking up is waking up from all this grasping at wanting and resenting and hating, and knowing for sure, into something else. It denies not of that. But opens us larger. And, and this is most important: this waking up is also our common human experience. Here the action and the questions collapse into one thing.

And what does that look like?

Well, I suggest we can find a hint of the way forward in another koan in that same Twelfth century anthology, the Blue Cliff Record, this time in case 89. One of my favorite in all the Zen literature.

Yunyan asked Daowu, How does the Bodhisattva Guanyin use those many hands and eyes? Daowu answered, It is like someone in the middle of the night reaching behind her head for the pillow. Yunyan said, I understand. Daowu asked, How do you understand it? Yunyan said, All over the body are hands and eyes. Daowu said, That is very well expressed, but it is only eight-tenths of the answer. Yunyan said, How would you say it, Elder Brother? Daowu said, Throughout the body are hands and eyes.

Both Yunyan and Daowu were students of the same teacher and would themselves each become famous teachers in their own right. According to some traditions they were actually brothers. While unlikely it points to deeper truths.

But the really important thing for us here today in the penumbra of this holiday of Thanksgiving, is that both these monks had their ideas of self and other collapse and saw deeply into authentic interconnectedness.

At the time this story takes place Daowu perhaps sees a bit deeper than his dharma brother. Although perhaps not. In the great way we play a lot, each of us taking different parts in turn, and play is in fact one of the primary spiritual disciplines. That noted, in this conversation we get a sense of what it means to move from the interdependent web as a really good idea, to where it describes who we actually are.

Here. Now. With all these truths arising. Hunger. Hurt. Joy. War. Gratitude. So much collapsing. So much dying. Family for good and ill. Actions, small and great. Dreaming. Longing. Wanting something better. Acting on that. All of it. Reaching out, reaching out knowing were all in this together.

Reaching out is the body of awakening.

Reaching out and finding Buddha, finding Christ, finding our true selves

And Daowu says of this need to act, that it comes not through an interpretation of the image of the interdependent web, not through reading the Wealth of Nations, not through solid Marxist analysis, not through righteousness of any sort, certainly not righteous anger, a dreadful seducer beckoning us to a confusion of ends and means: but rather like someone turning in her sleep and reaching a hand behind her head to adjust her pillow.

Just this. Ends and means, one thing. Our interdependence and you and I, one thing.

It becomes our broken song. It acknowledges fully and without hesitation the cracks in everything. It remembers the call to Thanksgiving and Humiliation. It recalls the horrors of days. And endless failures. And it sees something else. Joys small and great. Beauty. Loves, small and great. In the very same place. At the very same time. Found as we loosen the death grip of our knowing and slip into the mysteries of not knowing.

The meeting of the month before and after the fifteenth. And with that the light that shines through those wounds and joys. The promise of our saving ourselves and each other.

A real Thanksgiving.

All of it. Intimate. Intimate.

A real Thanksgiving.

(About the image)
Atik Mohammed has condemned the absence of the Ministers of Finance in Parliament during the crucial 2024 budget debate.



The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is currently overseas on an assignment and it was expected of his deputies to appear before the august House to discuss the budget.



NDC Member of Parliament for Tamale South and former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu on the floor of the House, expressed deep concerns about the failure of the Minister nor his deputies to aid the debate.



Mr. Speaker, I note that you announced at the commencement of public business, you want us to commence on the budget today. Mr. Speaker, as I look, I have not seen the Minister of Finance. The Ministry of Finance has another Minister of State and probably two other deputy Ministers. Mr. Speaker, budget oversight is our most important oversight function as Parliament and budget oversight means a lot for the Ghanaian people, he said.



The former PNC General Secretary, Atik Mohammed questioned why the Ministers refused to go to Parliament since its an opportunity for them to break the budget down to the understanding of Ghanaians.



Its not right and it tells you how, you know our leaders, they need to up their game, he blasted them during Peace FMs Kokrokoo morning show.



He described the budget as the most important document in the life of any government, explaining that he expected the deputy Ministers to be in Parliament in the stead of the Finance Minister who is on an international assignment.



It is the most important document in the life of any government because it shows how much money to get and how to expend itBudget is just an estimate of your expected revenue; I mean an estimate of your revenue and your expenditure, he stated.



He advised the Ministers to take their job seriously knowing their responsibility to Ghanaians.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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DHAKA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- A total of 397 women were raped during the last 10 months in Bangladesh, according to the data provided by the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP), a rights-based organization.

At least 2,575 women and girls were subjected to violence during January-October this year, said the BMP in a report, marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which falls on Saturday.

The organization said it collected the data based on reports in 12 national dailies in Bangladesh.

Fauzia Moslem, president of the organization, revealed the information at a press conference in the capital Dhaka and demanded exemplary punishment for the rapists and killers.

Thirty-one victims were killed after the incident while 12 died by suicide, it mentioned.

Besides, the report said 221 females were physically abused while 443 were killed for various reasons.

The report which documented 21 child marriages, 142 cases of sexual violence and 61 cases of torture for dowry said at least 231 females died mysteriously during this period.

Among the dowry victims, 45 were killed. Meanwhile, 207 women died by suicide during the stipulated timeframe. 
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has cautioned the public against cheque fraud following an upsurge in such cases.



EOCO indicated that this followed an increase in cheque fraud cases that had come to its notice recently.



It explained that some fraudsters were using the issuing of cheques and other modes of payment to defraud traders and business entities.



Bank fraud



Bank of Ghanas fraud report has revealed that the total loss value recorded by banks and specialised deposit-taking institutions (SDIs) due to fraud in 2022 stood at approximately GH56 million as compared to approximately GH61 million in 2021.



It was observed that cheque fraud, cyber/email and cash theft (cash suppression) were the major (top five) fraud typologies that impacted most of the financial institutions.

Forgery and manipulation of documents emerged as the prominent fraud typology, recording the highest loss of GH33 million.



Money fraudulently withdrawn from customers accounts resulted in GH7 million losses, most of which the central bank observed involved staff of banks and SDIs, while cheque fraud, arising from cloned cheques, accounted for a loss value of GH5 million.



Modus operandi



EOCO, in a news release cautioning the public to be alert, indicated that the suspected fraudsters, riding on the back of technology, sometimes conducted transactions via phone calls without physical contact with the business entity.



After an agreement is reached, EOCO said, the fraudsters then issue cheques on non-existing or dormant bank accounts, which usually take a number of days to be detected through the inter-bank clearing system.



As a result, the cheque is then returned by the bank, and while the inter-bank system is yet to detect the fraud, the fraudsters would keep pushing for the goods to be delivered, insisting that they have made payment.



The business entity or trader, EOCO said, is, therefore, compelled to make delivery even though the cheque is yet to clear.



Unfortunately, once the goods are delivered, the cheque gets reversed and the fraudsters, together with the goods, vanish into thin air, the statement said.



EOCO, consequently, urged the public, especially traders and business entities, to do due diligence before delivering goods and services by ensuring that cheques or whatever forms of payment they make, irreversibly reflect in their accounts.



This should be done by confirming that the actual or available balance of business owners has increased by the amount expected. Vendors should not rush to supply goods by only SMS alert without checking their actual balance, it said.



EOCO gave an assurance that it would continue to monitor and track down those organised criminal activities and deal with the perpetrators appropriately.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has presented relief items to victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage in the Lower Volta Basin in the Volta Region.



The Resident Representative of ECOWAS in Ghana, Baba Gana Wakil, made the presentation at Battor last Thursday when he paid a visit to the North Tongu District to present a truckload of relief items worth about $10,000 to the victims.



Ambassador Wakil, who was accompanied by a team of ECOWAS officials and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, said the visit was also to enable the team to gather relevant information of the situation beyond media reports.



He said Ghana was a very active member of ECOWAS and, therefore, it was only proper for the community to support her in times of crisis such as the flood situation.



The items, which were presented through the District Chief Executive of North Tongu, Osborn Fenu, included bags of rice, cartons of vegetable oil, palm oil, tinned fish, salt, and gari.



Others were boxes of matches, bags of water, washing powder, toilet soap, bleach, packs of toilet roll, and sanitary pads.



The rest included exercise books, pencils, sharpeners, rulers and boxes of chalk.



Additional support



Ambassador Wakil said ECOWAS had a standard response procedure it followed in times of disasters in member states.



He, therefore, said additional support would be offered the victims after further assessment of the situation.



We will continue to monitor the ground and inform the ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja for the appropriate steps to be taken, the envoy added.



Gratitude



The DCE, Mr Fenu, expressed gratitude for the support. He said although the floods had largely receded, life was yet to return to normalcy in the area.



Mr Fenu said three weeks after schools had reopened, many children were still at home because their schools were still serving as safe havens for displaced persons.



For instance, the DCE mentioned the St Kizito Senior High Technical School which, he said, was still holding about 1,500 displaced people and added that we are now holding make-shift classes for the children.



Mr Fenu said an ongoing infrastructural integrity assessment would determine which houses were safe to be occupied again.



So far, the DCE said, 12,433 people had been displaced in 69 communities by the floods in North Tongu, which has 615 safe havens.



Mr Fenu said many of the 4,216 displaced persons were living in the safe havens, while about 8,000 were living with relatives and friends.



Ambassador Wakil and his team later toured the St Kizito school camp to commiserate with the victims.

Source: graphiconline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The initiative to improve healthcare access gains momentum as the government is set to commission the first 50 hospitals under the Agenda 111 initiative by the middle of next year.



The ambitious project, launched by President Akufo-Addo on August 17, 2021, aims to construct a total of 111 district and regional hospitals across the country, with the objective of enhancing healthcare accessibility for all citizens.



During the debate on the 2024 Budget, Patrick Boakye Yiadom, the Vice Chairman of the Health Committee of Parliament, highlighted the progress made in the implementation of Agenda 111.



Mr. Yiadom expressed optimism regarding the timely completion of the first phase, which will see 50 hospitals ready for operation by the middle of next year.



According to Mr. Yiadom, the initiative is aimed at promoting universal healthcare coverage and reducing the burden of accessing healthcare in the country.



The governments decision to construct a total of 111 district and regional hospitals is expected to bring healthcare services closer to the people in all parts of the country.



The construction of the hospitals is expected to create employment opportunities for thousands of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, as well as businesses in the districts.



The governments decision to make the hospitals run a 24-hour service is aimed at ensuring that healthcare services are available to everyone at all times.



The Majority in Parliament has lauded the governments efforts in improving healthcare services in the country, especially in rural areas. The commissioning of the first 50 hospitals by mid-2024 is expected to provide a significant boost to healthcare services in the country.



Mr. Speaker, by the middle of next year, I am not bragging; we will commission the first 50 of these Agenda 111 hospitals.



Mr. Speaker, when the hospitals are completed, not only will they provide jobs for thousands of doctors, nurses, and others, but they will also open up businesses in the districts. The hospitals will run 24-hour services, he stated.



In conclusion, the Agenda 111 initiative is expected to revolutionize healthcare delivery in Ghana.



The governments decision to commission the first 50 hospitals by mid-2024 is a step in the right direction towards achieving universal healthcare coverage for all Ghanaians.



The Agenda 111 initiative seeks to address the longstanding challenges faced by communities in accessing quality healthcare services.

By constructing district hospitals in underserved areas, the government aims to narrow the healthcare gap and ensure that every citizen has access to essential medical facilities and services.



The project, which is being executed with careful planning and coordination, involves collaboration between various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, district assemblies, and international partners. The government has allocated substantial resources to ensure the successful implementation of this groundbreaking initiative, reflecting its commitment to prioritizing the welfare and well-being of the Ghanaian population.



The Agenda 111 hospitals are expected to deliver a comprehensive range of healthcare services, including primary healthcare, specialized medical care, maternity care, and emergency services. These modern facilities will be equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and staffed by trained healthcare professionals, ensuring that patients receive the highest quality of care.



The commissioning of the first 50 hospitals will undoubtedly mark a significant milestone in Ghanas healthcare landscape. It will not only improve access to healthcare services but also contribute to local development and economic growth by creating employment opportunities and attracting investment to the regions.



As the government remains committed to the timely completion of the Agenda 111 project, Ghanaians can look forward to a future where quality healthcare is accessible to all, regardless of their geographical location. With this ambitious initiative, Ghana takes a leap forward in its journey towards achieving universal healthcare and ensuring the well-being of its citizens.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has said that the Environmental Protection Agency has been playing the regulatory role for waste management facilities and activities through the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1994 (Act 490) and Environmental Assessment Regulations, 1999 (L.I. 1652).



He stated that solid waste management facilities are issued with the relevant environmental permits to help prevent environmental damage from their activities.



He also said that the Environmental Protection Agency has initiated several programs, such as source waste segregation and take-back systems, to help promote sustainable waste management models in the country.



He reiterated that despite the efforts of the Government of Ghana through stakeholders and the EPA, the country still faces key barriers and challenges like most developing countries.



Mr. Kokofu spoke to the media at the 4th workshop on the Global Forum of Cities on Circular Economy (GFCCE) in solid waste management through the Environmental Protection Agency and Centre for Science and Environment collaboration, which took place in Accra.



The Accra Metropolitan Assembly Mayor, Hon. Mrs. Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, also said the aim of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly is to create sustainable solid waste management, and their initiative in sustainable solid waste management is to ensure a clean and healthy environment for citizens and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the waste sector.



She therefore stated that the AMA has an ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 76% below business-as-usual levels by 2050.

Source: Clinton Akwasi Amoako/Peace FM News









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Andrew Asiamah Amoako, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, has expressed worry at the low pace of work at the Committee levels in the House.



He said: So many reports have been referred to committees and no one is reporting back to the House.



Once a referral is made to you, we expect you to report back to the House with recommendations and the way forward, Asiamah Amoako said on the floor of Parliament on Friday when he commented on the Business Statement for the fifth week ending Friday, December 1, 2023.



Some Members of Parliament (MPs), particularly the Minority Caucus, lamented how Committees with referrals were always reminded in each weeks Business Statement to present their reports to the House for consideration but were not yielding any results.



Consequently, presiding over Friday, November 24 Proceedings of the House,b Asiamah Amoako, charged the Leadership of the House and Chairmen of the respective Committees with referrals to take up their duties of ensuring such Committees work expeditiously.



Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Tema West, called for a way that would bridge the gap for Committees to deliver to expectation.



In his presentation of the Business Statement, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Majority Chief Whip told the House that the Business Committee recommended that the debate on the ongoing Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana be concluded on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 instead of Tuesday, November 28 2023 as indicated initially.



He explained the decision was to enable as many MPs, particularly backbenchers of the House to contribute to the motion for approval of the Budget Statement.



Mr Speaker, the Leaders of this House will, however, conclude the debate on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, he said.



Annoh-Dompreh urged the Ministry of Finance and other Ministries to endeavour to submit to Parliament the estimates of Ministries early enough for consideration of same and approval by the House, due to its limited available time.



He, therefore, entreated all Committees to endeavour to commence consideration of the Budget Estimates of the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies by Wednesday, December 6, 2023.



Mr Speaker, the foregoing recommendations are expected to enable the expeditious consideration of the Budget Estimates and the passing of the Appropriation Bill, 2023, prior to the House adjourning sine die in the fourth week of December 2023, he said.



Regarding the ensuing weeks work schedule, Mr Annoh-Dompreh reminded the House of the Business Committees recommendation of the House commencing sitting each day at 1000 hours with extended sittings.



He informed the House that on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, there would be a joint caucus meeting after adjournment for the discussion of pertinent matters.



Mr Speaker, Friday, December 1, 2023 is National Farmers Day, a statutory holiday and it is expected to be observed as such across the country, he said.



Owing to Ministers expected to attend upon the House during the week, Annoh-Domperh, also an NPP MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, said in all, seven Ministers would respond to 67 questions of which nine would be urgent with 58 being oral.



He, mentioned the Minister for Works and Housing, Minister for Education, Minister for Communications and Digitalisation and Minister for Trade and Industry as some of the expected Ministers to attend upon the House.



Others would be the Minister for Food and Agriculture, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Youth and Sport.





Source: GNA









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John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, has given the strongest indication of who his running mate will be ahead of the 2024 election.



Speaking with NDC supporters in the Bono East Region, Mr. Mahama hinted that the individual who would be chosen as his running mate is a man.



He further indicated that this man served in his government as a minister and discharged his duties diligently.



Everyone knows him; hes humble and very resourceful; he served in my government, Mr. Mahama hinted.



The NDC flagbearer further added that the party will select the individual next year per its rules.



Naana Dropped



The announcement implies that Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who was Mr. Mahamas running mate in the 2016 and 2020 general elections respectively, has been dropped.



Earlier, the Northern Caucus of the opposition National Democratic Congress had rejected any attempt to select Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as the 2024 running mate for John Dramani Mahama.



The caucus, during a recent meeting held with the former President, urged him to reconsider his choice of running mate.



The caucus expressed reservations about her ability and suitability for the role, prompting them to advise Mahama to reconsider his decision.



Circumstances have changed since you selected Naana Jane for the 2020 election. Anyone who tells you that Bawumia will not have an impact in the Northern Region is misleading you, one senior caucus member boldly stated. Now that Bawumia is likely to gain votes in our supposed strongholds, what are we doing to secure votes in NPPs strongholds, particularly in the Ashanti Region? A major challenge for us is how to prevent massive rigging in the Ashanti Region and Eastern Region.



There is a growing desire within the party for a running mate from the Ashanti Region. Akwasi Oppong Fosu, former Local Government Minister, has emerged as a potential candidate who can garner support in Akan areas, having connections in the Ashanti Region, as well as the Western and Western North Regions.



Other individuals aspiring for the running mate slot are Eric Opoku, who is being pushed by Lordina Mahama, having come from the old Brong Ahafo Region; Julius Debrah, former Chief of Staff, from the Eastern Region; and Samuel Sarpong from the Ashanti Region.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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By Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, The Associated Press

JERUSALEM The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third set of releases under a four-day truce that the U.S. said it hoped would be extended.

Some hostages were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt. Israels army said one was airlifted directly to a hospital. U.S. President Joe Biden said the elderly woman was very sick and was in need of immediate medical help.

The hostages ranged in age from 4 to 84 and included Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7. What she endured was unthinkable, Biden said of the first American freed, adding he did not know the childs condition but could confirm she was safely in Israel. He did not have updates on other American hostages and said it was his goal to extend the cease-fire deal as long as possible.

In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office. Separately, Hamas said it had released one of the Russian hostages it was holding, in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and as a show of appreciation for Moscows position on the war. The Russian-Israeli citizen was the first male hostage to be freed.

Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday as part of the deal. A fourth exchange is expected on Monday  the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. All are women and minors.

International mediators led by the U.S. and Qatar are trying to extend the cease-fire.

Ahead of the latest release, Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke with troops. We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return everyone, he said, adding that we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us. It was not immediately clear where he went inside Gaza.

A BREAK IN THE FIGHTING

The cease-fire agreement has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades and vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip.

More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. The war has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, centre, greets soldiers as he visits the Gaza Strip, where he received security briefings with commanders and soldiers and visited one of the tunnels that has been revealed, on Sunday Nov. 26, 2023. (Avi Ohayon/GPO/Handout via AP)AP

Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the incursion into southern Israel that ignited the war. Fifty-eight have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.

Families from the southern Israeli town of Kfar Aza embraced, cried, and applauded at the news that the hostages from their town had arrived in Israel. More than 70 members of the kibbutz of around 700 people were killed and 18 were kidnapped.

I will be so excited to see her, Shacher Fuchter, 10, said of her friend Ela Elyakim, Israels Channel 12 reported.

Pressure from hostages families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israels leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while returning all the captives.

The cease-fire, which began Friday, was brokered by Qatar and Egypt and the United States. Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends. Sullivan said the U.S. is working with all sides on the possibility that this deal gets extended to additional hostages beyond the initial 50.

HAMAS COMMANDER KILLED

Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting. Israels military confirmed the death.

Al-Ghandour, believed to have been around 56 years old, had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

A Red Cross convoy carrying Israeli hostages heads to Egypt from the Gaza Strip at the Rafah border crossing on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)AP

Hamas said that he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas rocket-firing unit. The Israeli military mentioned both men in a Nov. 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence, including several mid-ranking commanders it has identified by name.

AID AND RESPITE IN GAZA

The pause has given some respite to Gazas 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, returned to the streets. Entire city blocks in and around Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes that hollowed out buildings and left drifts of rubble.

In southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people from the north have sought refuge, residents lined up outside gas stations, hoping to stock up on fuel. Palestinians who have tried to return to the north to see if their homes are intact have been turned back by Israeli troops.

Many are desperate to return to their homes, but they open fire on anyone approaching from the south, said Rami Hazarein, who fled from Gaza City last month.

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (around a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said that Israeli forces opened fire Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the other. It didnt provide further details. An Israeli military spokesperson said they werent aware of the incident.

The United Nations said the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war, though it still hasnt reached prewar levels. It was able to deliver fuel for the first time since the war began and to reach areas in the north for the first time in a month.

Mourners carry the bodies of Asaad Al-Dam, right, Mahmoud Abu Al-Hayja, center, and Ammar Abu Al-Wafa, draped in the Islamic Jihad militant group and Hamas flags, during their funeral in the Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said Sunday. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)AP

HOSTAGES FOR PRISONERS

The freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye. Hospitals said their physical condition has been good, aside from one who was shot during the attack and required surgery. Little is publicly known about the conditions of their captivity.

Eyal Nouri, the nephew of Adina Moshe, 72, who was freed on Friday, said his aunt had to adjust to the sunlight because she had been in complete darkness for weeks.

The released Palestinians included at least two women who had been given long sentences after being convicted by Israeli courts of violent attacks. Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation, and have celebrated their release.

The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian health authorities said Sunday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin that began the day before. The toll in the West Bank is now 239 since the war began.

The Israeli army has conducted frequent military raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war, mostly people it suspects of being Hamas members.

Samy Magdy reported from Cairo. Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem, and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

Full AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
By Charles F. McElwee

Sixty autumns have passed since the assassination of John F. Kennedy that Friday, Nov. 22, a day that traumatized a generation of children and revealed the impermanence of their innocence. For many, it was their first rendezvous with death. It endured as a vivid remembrance even as other memories lapsed with the passage of age.

Many of those children are now grandparents, having lived past the average American life expectancy in 1963. Others, like my father, are not here for the somber milestone. But until his own twilight, my father  like any Irish-Catholic child of that period  remained haunted by that afternoon, transfixed by what Kennedy meant at that time, and committed to imparting those reminiscences unto his three sons.

Those memories  delivered as captivating litanies during holidays, car rides, and walks  were rooted in his place in time. He grew up on Hazletons South Side, then a culturally sequestered, hilltop city neighborhood in northeastern Pennsylvania. In that section, surrounded by a small urban mosaic of cultures and denominations, Irish Catholicism dictated the temporal lives of families whose grandfathers and great-grandfathers had labored in anthracite mines. St. Gabriels Church, in all its Gothic majesty, towered over the South Sides blocks of half-double homes.

His familys own half-double on Birch Street faced St. Gabriels school  an imposing brick building, affixed with an elegant cupola  where, at age nine, he was seated that November afternoon inside a third-grade classroom.

At the time, amid the Cold War, my father and his parochial school contemporaries were conditioned to duck-and-cover drills beneath wooden desks and daily prayers for the conversion of Russia. There was an unspoken tension. Just a year before, on that last Sunday of October, his father  driving him home from his maternal grandparents in nearby McAdoo  abruptly pulled to the side of Buttonwood Street to hear the radio announcement that the Cuban Missile Crisis had ended.

One year later, though, neither father nor son were prepared for the trauma of that Friday, an unseasonably warm afternoon in a city accustomed to early autumn snow. When the Sisters of Mercy nun delivered the news, my father and his classmates  along with more than 900 other elementary, junior high, and high school students  exited the building. It was a spiritual evacuation, filled with shock and paralysis, into the ornate church, where they packed the pews beneath intimidating, suspended bronze lights. They prayed for Kennedys soul. They hoped it wasnt the end of the world.

For my father, the past felt stale and distant. The magazines inside his childhood home  his parents were voracious readers of Look and Newsweek  were now dated and irrelevant. The cataclysmic event, moreover, overshadowed memories of three months before, when Hazleton garnered international attention.

That August, three miners in Sheppton, a nearby patch town, were trapped 300 feet below ground. A massive, two-week drilling mission ensued, with the assistance of billionaire Howard Hughes, leading to the successful rescue of two miners on the day before the Rev. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech.

But while Kennedys death relegated that event to another, faraway time, it also marked an unknowing, dark future ahead. That afternoon in St. Gabriels, seated near my father, were older boys who would become draftees and fight in Vietnam. (In 1966, the city would become newsworthy again when one wounded staff sergeant, native Harrison Bell, appeared on one of Lifes most famous magazine covers.)

Overall, in that moment, time was suspended. In the solemn days that followed, my father walked downtown with his father, an office furniture and supply salesman, to view the storefront tributes to the president. He was particularly moved by Fierros furniture store, where the front window displayed a lone rocking chair  Kennedys preference for chronic back pain  next to a table holding two hands clasped in prayer flanked by burning candles.

And that Sunday, standing alongside his father at the Knights of Columbus, he watched Jack Ruby shoot and kill Kennedys assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, on live television. The bar erupted in shock. That day, his father bought The Philadelphia Inquirer, which included a massive In Memoriam Kennedy portrait that my father kept and cherished.

Such vivid, precise memories exhibited the mind of an Irish youth who understood the deeper meaning of Kennedys murder. For it signaled the end of an innocent world and the beginning of an uncertain one. He witnessed that innocence firsthand during the 1960 campaign. Hed hear his mother and aunts comment on Kennedys handsomeness, while his father and uncles  all World War II combat veterans  commended his military service.

All those years later, he could recite Frank Sinatras High Hopes, the lyrics changed for a campaign jingle. Everyone is voting for Jack. Cause hes got what all the rest lack.

My father also comprehended the deeper cultural meaning in a city of Catholic voters. That late October in 1960, Kennedy spoke before 12,000 in downtown Hazleton, an afternoon described by Pierre Salinger, the presidents press secretary, as the wildest day of the campaign. My father, then six, walked with his mother to Broad Street, where she lifted him above her shoulders to watch the candidate speak at a rostrum in front of the Altamont Hotel.

Less than two weeks later, on Election Day, my father walked with his father to the polling station. It was a march toward cultural enfranchisement. After all, in 1928, when Al Smith was the first Catholic to be nominated for president by a major political party, my great-grandfather Patrick  a miner with a first-grade education  took his 13-year-old son to witness burning crosses in the nearby Conyngham Valley, where Protestants protested Smiths candidacy.

My grandfather carried this enduring memory. And so, on that day in 1960, he defied the poll workers and brought my father into the voting booth to pull the lever for Kennedy. Hes going to vote for the first Irish-Catholic president, he told the workers.

For a lifetime, my father was left with those fragments of an irretrievable past, one he often shared  it could make me cry, hed say  at the dining room table on Thanksgiving. Now, in my apartment, I look at a bookcase  adorned with a framed photo of Kennedy standing in a convertible in downtown Hazleton  filled with books about the late president.

Many were given as gifts by my father. In the one biography, he inscribed: As a true believer in luck  this book will reinforce all that we (Irish) believe in. Remember, good luck is usually stalked by bad luck. So, why isnt the opposite true? May you always remain on the bright side of the moon. Words written by one who understood, as Daniel Patrick Moynihan said that Sunday after the death of John F. Kennedy, ... the world is going to break your heart.

Charles F. McElwee is the editor of RealClearPennsylvania. Follow him on Twitter at @CFMcElwee.
MOSCOW, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Armenia and Saudi Arabia have established official diplomatic relations, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

"The two countries established diplomatic relations guided by the intention to strengthen bilateral relations and expand the scope of cooperation as well as to support international security and peace," the ministry said in a statement.

The protocol on the establishment of the ties was signed in Abu Dhabi by Armenian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Karen Grigoryan and Saudi Ambassador to the UAE Sultan bin Abdullah Al-Angari, the statement added. 
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Overcast with rain showers at times. High near 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
The bids for improving a critical piece of North Augustas water infrastructure came in $1.5 million above the estimate given last summer.

The lowest bid, one of three received this month, for consolidating and upgrading the almost 50-year-old Clay Street pump station was $4.67 million, or almost 50% more than the original estimate of $3.12 million.

Its very tough to swallow an increase like that," said James Sutton, director of Public Services for North Augusta. "We know the utility funds that we get, we value them, we put them to work, and we squeeze every dollar out of them."

A nearly 100% increase in the cost of materials is responsible for the difference, he said.

The Clay Street improvements include consolidating two separate pump stations into one and updating its equipment such that the station can then be monitored and controlled remotely.

City officials say that keeping the station fully functional is crucial to avoid issues with water distribution and fire suppression.

The Clay Street station has been a high priority since at least last summer when the plans for it were submitted to South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and that first cost estimate was given for it.

North Augusta City Council had at the time also accepted a $500,000 grant for it from the Rural Infrastructure Authority and obligated $3.12 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds against it.

The city now is likely to cover the cost increase by diverting more of its ARPA dollars to it, although City Council has not yet taken this action.

I think its one of those projects that, obviously none of us likes the price, said Councilwoman Jenafer McCauley.

But given the financial reality of the bids received, plus the fact that infrastructure was one of the originally intended purposes of ARPA funding, it makes sense to continue down that path with those type of funds, she said.
NEW YORK  Stocks closed mostly higher Thursday as the market ended November with its biggest monthly gain in more than a year. Read moreWall Street closes out its best month in more than a year




RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israel received on late Saturday night the second batch of hostages released from the Gaza Strip after a delay of over seven hours, the Israeli army said.

A total of 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis and four Thais, were released on Saturday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a post on its X account. #GLOBALink





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Get your fill of oysters and holiday scenery at Drayton Hall. View the annual City of Charleston Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting. Or, satisfy your taste buds and gift-shopping needs at either the Foodees Food and Culture Festival or the annual Christmas Made in the South market. Read moreMy Charleston Weekend: December signals holiday cheer
The holidays are a time to be grateful for comforts some of us may take for granted  food on the table and a warm place to stay. Because of a local nonprofits commitment to preventing homelessness, one family gets to live out this reality securely for the first time this holiday season.

The family of three  a 9-year-old boy, his baby brother and mom  spent several years in and out of homelessness. This meant the young boy did not have a dependable roof over his head for nearly half of his life until One80 Place stepped in to help.

The Charleston nonprofit provided stable housing and supportive services for the family. When they moved into the home, the boy exuded enthusiasm to have a bed of his own, one that he can complete the simple task of making each morning, said Katie Smith, development director at One80 Place.

He now has a place to call home, said Smith.

That family is just one example of the 945 individuals that One80 Place housed this year.

This is the type of work the Good Cheer Fund supports with the help of individuals and businesses who contribute to the cause.

The Good Cheer Fund supports neighbors in need through eight local charities, including One80 Place, East Cooper Community Outreach, Lowcountry Food Bank, Salvation Army, Star Gospel Mission, Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired SC, Coastal Catholic Charities and Carolina Youth Development Center.

The annual giving event was established in 1927 by former managing editor of The News and Courier, Thomas P. Lesesne, with the goal of helping others during the holiday season. In its inaugural year, the fund raised $1,797, equivalent to about $27,000 today.

The Good Cheer Fund has continued this effort over the last century. So far, the fund has raised a total of $11,018,981.14.

Over the next several weeks, The Post and Courier will share stories of how Good Cheer donations could help individuals in the community through a variety of services.
North Augusta, SC (29841)

Today

Rain likely. High 64F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Rain showers early becoming a steady light rain overnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Those who think the study of history is a purely academic exercise largely miss the point. Yes, learning more about our past makes us smarter and may even entertain us, but it does more than that. It provides context and gives us a better sense of where we are today. Read moreEditorial: There are lessons to learn from Charleston's own tea 'party'
Blake Taylor, at the time the head of the inspection division, told Mr. Boschult he was short-staffed and prioritized conducting the inspections rather than writing the reports; indeed, a spokeswoman said it has of necessity been common practice to ensure that all facilities are inspected, even though it was not possible to publish reports in most cases.

That sounds like a logical decision, but it's not. If you conduct an inspection but keep no written record, dont even record the subsequent meeting with county officials and dont level any penalties, what does it matter that you conducted the inspection in the first place? We would say very little.

Further, a whistleblower alleged that the division deliberately delayed efforts to respond to S.C. Freedom of Information Act request for the records  or acknowledge that no records existed. The agency denied that, but it also moved Mr. Taylor to another job and now promises to comply with the reporting law going forward.

Thats encouraging, but its important to recognize that the unofficial policy of the past several years was an outgrowth of people not understanding whats important about their jobs and instead simply checking boxes. And it reminds us once again that a requirement with no enforcement mechanism is just about as close as you can get to worthless.

Its a familiar story in South Carolina: The Legislature establishes a regulator but doesnt give it the authority to enforce the regulations. (Also familiar is adopting regulations that are too weak to accomplish anything, although that doesnt appear to be the problem here.)

Were not sure what kind of penalties the Legislature should authorize the Corrections Department to levy short of closing a jail, since a few counties truly cannot afford the needed improvements and financial penalties would come out of the already-inadequate amount of money that other counties are willing to make available to fix the problems. But were sure lawmakers need to authorize something that will get the attention of the county councils, which ultimately decide whether to provide the resources necessary to ensure the safety of the public, jail staff and the people the county decides to lock up.
Most of us have heard the 1969 song, More Today than Yesterday by the band Spiral Staircase. The chorus says, I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow. I had not heard it for a while, but Im sensitive to music and often a song will trigger my emotions and then I Read moreLoving God is knowing His will and doing it
In this mornings Weekend Beacon email Vic Matus directs the attention of readers to Andrew Robertss monumental essay comparing Hamas with the Nazis. In many ways, Hamas comes out worse. However, President Biden is doing his best to complicate Israels effort to eliminate Hamas and impose his two-state fantasy on the Israelis despite the glaring absence among Palestinian Arabs of a market for peace. Take Hamas  please:

The sheer glee with which Hamaskilled parents in front of their children and of children in front of their parents, was broadcast to the world. Nazi sadism was routine and widespread, but it wasnt built into their actual operational plans in the way that Hamass sadism has been.

The gas chambers were invented in part because the Nazis did not much enjoy the actual process of killing Jews as much as Himmler hoped they might. As Laurence Rees notes of Himmler in 1941, He had observed two years before the psychological damage that shooting Jews at close range had caused his team of killers and so he had overseen the development of a system of murder via the gas chambers that to an extent distanced from emotional trauma. No such trauma is evident in Hamass teams of killers, who phoned up their parents on October 7 to boast about the number of Jews they had killed.

After invading countries, the Nazis often took hostages to ensure the compliance of the local population with their proclamations. The mayor, businessmen, the popular village priest, and other worthies would be taken hostage and threatened with execution if resistance were offered to their rule. It was brutal and in contravention of all the rules of war, but even the Nazis, foul as they were, did not deliberately take nine-month-old babies and young children, women, and octogenarians hostage, as Hamas has done. Nor did the Nazis use babies in incubators and children in hospital ICU units as human shields.
We followed the removal of the Ramirez Human Shields editorial cartoon depicting the Hamas way of war from the Washington Posts site in Ramirez on the record. The cartoon is posted at Ramirezs Substack site in Free speech dies in darkness with a collection of links to comments on the episode. I posted the cartoon here.

We learned from the Free Beacons Collin Andersons story that Washington Post opinion editor David Shipley had hand-selected the cartoon. Blowback from the newsroom resulted in its removal. Ramirez told Collin: When the intellectually indolent try to defend the indefensible, they always seem to resort to playing the race card. Theyre trying to claim that this caricature is a racial exercise, when in its specificity, it is Ghazi Hamad, who is a senior Hamas official, who went on Lebanese television praising the brutal Oct. 7 attack and systematic slaughter of women, children, and men and pledged to do it over and over again until the annihilation of Israel.

What next? Seeking to mollify the Posts newsroom Hamasniks in his own way, Ramirez revised his Human Shields cartoon to conform to their purported sensibilities. He titled his revised cartoon Take Two (below) and posted it at his Substack site last week in WaPos self-harm together with his essay on the episode. For some reason or other the cartoon did not mollify the Post, or so it seems.

Copyright  2023 Michael Ramirez. All rights reserved. Republished with permission.
Former Chicago Ald. Edward Burke arrives at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse with wife Anne Burke on Nov. 30, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

The federal racketeering case against Ed Burke is pure Chicago.

At its core, the Burke trial, which just wrapped its third week, is about a series of alleged shakedowns by the longest-serving alderman in City Council history  a potential highlight reel for the sordid legacy of City Hall.

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The former 14th Ward alderman is not accused of taking bribe money in an envelope, in a brown paper bag or slapped directly into an outstretched hand.

That cold cash approach may have been a little too ordinary for Burke, an old-school Democrat whose extraordinary clout is as much on trial as he is for the 14 charges he faces. Its a case expected to stretch well past the fifth anniversary of the Nov. 29, 2018, FBI raid of the aldermans City Hall offices.

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Even Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Chapman suggested in opening statements that Burkes style was less greasy palm and a bit more sophisticated.

Burke himself may have inadvertently labeled the alleged take from his political style as the tuna, as in, So did we land the, uh, the tuna? A secret FBI recording caught that phrase in one the alleged shakedowns, and it is fast becoming part of Chicagos political lexicon.

Sure, there was an extra step or two required in each of the four chapters that prosecutors have outlined to date in their book on Burke, but the allegations boil down to the most elemental Chicago corruption: Anybody who wanted something had to give something in return.

Over and over, Chapman charged, Burke sought to line his own pockets with money by making his public office a conduit to turn his private law firm into a cash register.

To no ones surprise, Burkes lawyers, Chris Gair and Joseph Duffy, have said there is no evidence that Burke ever demanded anything in exchange for taking official action  or made such threats to anybody. The Burke defense team portrayed a highly respected politician whose 54-year run on the City Council ended in May with a distinguished public record.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 32 Edward Burke, second from right, on the day he was sworn in as alderman, is with his mother, Mrs. Ann Burke, and Judge Joseph B. Hermes, left, and the Rev. Richard Wolfe of Visitation Parish, in City Council Chambers on March 14, 1969. (George Quinn / Chicago Tribune)

In court, Burke has eschewed the flashier pinstripe suits from his council days and opted for a more subdued and serious attire as a jury of nine women and three men prepares to determine his fate.

Though his pink ears sometimes turned reddish as prosecutors put on parts of their case, Burke occasionally slipped into a smile, such as when his lawyers described him as a man with a strong family, one highlighted in the courtrooms front row by the matron of his clan: former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke.

Undoubtedly benefiting from her husbands former lead role in the Cook County Democratic Partys judicial slating process, she became an accomplished jurist before retiring last year. But her judicial status has yet to be highlighted, perhaps a move designed to play up the familys cohesion rather than its political connections.

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Former Ald. Edward Burke is accompanied by his wife, former Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke, as they arrive for his trial at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Nov. 22, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

But the jurors arent being asked to consider most of Burkes five-decade aldermanic career. They wont hear about the judge-making, the countless backroom deals, or the time Burke spent infamously trying to thwart the agenda of Mayor Harold Washington, the citys first Black mayor, during the 1980s era of Council Wars.

In fact, many jurors live far outside of Chicago, and some have barely heard the name of the man whose guilt or innocence is in their hands.

Four chapters

In three of the four chapters alleged by prosecutors, Burke pulled levers at City Hall to help businessmen cut red tape, as long as his tax appeals law firm could get their business.

For example, the government said Burke went all out for developers working on the $600 million renovation of the Old Post Office in the West Loop and the owners of a Burger King in his Southwest Side ward once he sensed that getting their tax business could bring his law firm a financial windfall.

But Burke allegedly didnt even have to ask for tax work when a desperate developer voluntarily sent him tax work while begging for help with getting a permit for a 30-foot-high sign for a Binnys Beverage Depot on West Irving Park Road miles from Burkes ward.

In their fourth chapter, prosecutors said Burke threatened to block a proposed admission fee increase at the Field Museum, home of Sue the T. rex. All because the daughter of his longtime council ally, former Ald. Terry Gabinski, 32nd, did not get a paid internship, the sort of political faux pas in Chicago that left Burke complaining of being embarrassed in front of friends.

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Ald. Edward Burke, second from right, and his longtime council ally, then-Ald. Terry Gabinski, center, leave the Bismarck Hotel on Oct. 1, 1984. (Karen Engstrom/Chicago Tribune)

So far, prosecutors have only gotten to the Burger King and Field Museum installments.

Still weeks away is Burkes defense case, when his lawyers have said they will call to the witness stand former 25th Ward Ald. Daniel Solis, the government mole whose recordings have played a major role in the corruption cases of both Burke and former House Speaker Michael Madigan, the Chicago Democrat who faces his own trial in April.

[ Ed Burke trial: What you need to know ]

Along with racketeering, Burke, 79, is charged with federal program bribery, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity.

Longtime Burke associate Peter Andrews, 73, is charged in the alleged Burger King scheme with one count of attempted extortion, one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.

Longtime Burke associate Peter Andrews, 73, arrives at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on Nov. 6, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

A third defendant, real estate developer Charles Cui, faces bribery-related counts in an alleged scheme to get Burke to push city bureaucrats into approving a permit for the Binnys sign.

They have all pleaded not guilty.

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Real estate developer Charles Cui leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on June 4, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

Riot act

As the first few witnesses took the stand, prosecutors made Burke sound as if he were a politician stuck in the glory days of the old Democratic machine, where a patronage job could be secured by a phone call and aldermanic clout.

Burke, who became an alderman in 1969 under Mayor Richard J. Daley, acknowledged on one secret recording that he read the riot act to a Field Museum official in 2017 after the slight over the internship.

Caught on a recording, Burke unleashed his anger when he received a call from Deborah Bekken, then the Fields government affairs director, who wanted his imprimatur for a museum admission fee increase even though it was up to the park board to make the decision.

To her surprise, she testified, Burke gave her a stern message that he could make a quick call to the park board and that fee hike would suddenly go nowhere.

Bekken said she considered it a threat and immediately sent an email up the chain with a warning in the subject line: We have a problem.

While hardly the shakedown of the century, the Field Museum episode  perhaps more than any other allegation in the indictment  demonstrated Burkes clout when he was in office, not only over the City Council but with connections and friendships that gave him sway over large swaths of city life.

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The Field Museum in Chicago at dusk in 2017. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

The recordings played for the jury last week showed that when Burke expressed his displeasure over the internship snafu, officials at one of the top museums in the world fell over themselves trying to placate him, brainstorming ideas to get back on Burkes good side even though he had no direct oversight of the museums affairs.

Bekken testified she suggested offering Burke a mea culpa prize, such as an internship that he can award as a scholarship to an intern of his choosing?

The museums mad scramble to figure out how to undo any damage, including the top brass wringing hands over the potential Burke backlash during a high-level meeting of the institutions executive team, may be as illustrative as it gets in Chicagos know-somebody politics.

The amount of deference museum officials gave Burke became more obvious in a secretly recorded apology call from Field President Richard Lariviere.

While he admitted to jurors he was pouring it on thick in trying to smooth things over with Burke, Lariviere turned up on one telephone recording telling Burke that, when you call, Ed, everybody knows, we jump.

[ Ex-Ald. Edward Burke corruption trial: Evidence seen and heard by the jury ]

Lariviere conceded he immediately called Burke when the alderman dressed down Bekken.

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Despite Burkes annoyance, though, Lariviere testified he did not think the museums pitch for a $2 fee increase was ever in jeopardy.

Richard Lariviere on June 26, 2012, when he was the incoming president of the Field Museum. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)

The museum eventually offered Gabinskis daughter the chance to apply for a full-time paid position with starting pay in the range of $47,500 a year, but she didnt apply because she had landed elsewhere and was happy, according to testimony.

On cross-examination, both Bekken and Lariviere testified they never heard Burke actually demand that she get a job, a point the Burke team sought to drive home.

The question hanging is whether the jury will consider a recommendation from Burke as tantamount to a direct order.

Have it your way?

The major testimony in the Burke case at this point focused on how he took a special interest in a Burger King nestled in his Southwest Side ward along South Pulaski Road, allegedly because he wanted the owners to give his law firm all of the property tax business for their dozens of Chicago area fast-food restaurants.

In a moment of high drama, Shoukat Dhanani, CEO of the Texas-based company that owns the local Burger Kings, testified that he agreed to hire Burkes law firm in hopes that it would free him to move ahead with a long-stalled remodeling of his restaurant inside the 14th Wards borders.

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One striking piece of evidence jurors saw last week was a 2017 FBI surveillance photo from inside that Burger King, then a dingy restaurant in the Archer Heights neighborhood, where the impeccably dressed alderman met with Dhanani, his son and other company officials dressed more casually on a sweltering June day.

For all the mega-deals Burke made through the decades, the image of him holding court at a Burger King while sitting at a small plastic table in his dark suit, shiny black shoes and silver hair  right next to a yellow folded wet floor warning sign  gave a somewhat bush-league whiff to Burkes alleged scheme.

Then-Ald. Edward Burke, far right, seen in a surveillance photo meeting with the owner of a Burger King. (U.S. Attorneys Office)

A separate photo, taken as the group toured the Burger Kings parking lot, showed that Burkes aide, Andrews, wore shorts to the meeting, befitting the Part-Time Pete image his defense team pushed in opening statements.

Prosecutors used Dhananis testimony, emails and wiretapped calls to tell a tale of Burke actively throwing up roadblocks to the remodeling project as he pressed for his law firm to represent all of Dhananis Burger Kings on tax matters.

Unbeknownst to Dhanani, Burke had requested that his staff look into who was handling real estate tax work for Dhananis company, according to evidence presented by prosecutors.

At one point, Burke allegedly told Andrews to shut down the remodeling work when Dhanani initially failed to come through.

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The jury also heard a recording of Andrews telling Burke hed play as hardball as I can with Dhananis company.

In December 2017, with the Burger King rehab in limbo for months, Dhanani testified he flew to Chicago and met with Burke at the downtown Union League Club. It was there that he agreed to put Burkes firm in touch with his property tax people in Houston, Dhanani said.

My gut feeling was maybe since I had not responded about the property tax business, maybe thats why we had been shut down, Dhanani testified. I didnt see any other reason why it would be.

Testimony also indicated Burkes office pressed Dhanani for new driveway permits even though the Burger King had been open for years.

Under questioning from one of Burkes lawyers, Dhanani acknowledged nobody actually told him the Burger King project was held up because he had yet to hire Burkes law firm.

Nevertheless, Dhanani testified hed never had to meet with a local alderman over a building permit issue for any of his restaurants, not just in Chicago, but anywhere in the country.

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Ever had a public official ask you to hire his private business after you sought approval for a permit? asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker.

No, Dhanani testified.

Along with being one of the four main schemes in the Burke trial, the Burger King chapter contributed heavily to the downfall of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkles 2019 mayoral candidacy.

Mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle holds a news conference at City Hall in Chicago on Jan. 23, 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

Following Burkes urging, Dhanani testified, he also attempted to donate $10,000 to Preckwinkle but ran into a snag because it was over the limit for an individual donor.

The revelation of the donation became an explosive campaign issue that hurt Preckwinkles campaign because it highlighted her political ties to Burke when he was charged in January 2019 with extortion, an allegation later folded into his racketeering case.

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Former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot seized upon the political connection to attack Preckwinkle and ended up defeating her in a landslide in 2019s mayoral runoff.

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Dhanani, meanwhile, finished his remodeling and never ended up giving any tax appeal business to Burke.

After the Burger King evidence is finished later this week, prosecutors will queue up the allegations against Burke in the trials chapters about the Old Post Office and the developers efforts to put up the Binnys sign.

Then the defense teams will have a chance to try making sure the once-mighty alderman and his co-defendants dont have to worry about putting sentencing dates on their calendars.

rlong@chicagotribune.com

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
TEHRAN, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iran has contributed to Friday's release of 10 Thai nationals held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Saturday in an interview with official news agency IRNA.

Iran and Qatar had jointly negotiated the Thai nationals' release since the first week of the attack against Gaza, and handed over a name list of the captives to Hamas, Kanaani said.

He said that Thai officials, including Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara, both in a phone call and during a meeting in Doha with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, had requested Iran to facilitate the release of their nationals.

According to a post on social media platform X on Saturday by the Iranian Embassy in Thailand, the Thai captives' release made possible by Iran's negotiations with Hamas is at the request of Thailand's Foreign Ministry and house speaker.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said Friday in a post on social media post that a total of 10 Thai nationals held captive in the Gaza Strip had been released.

Hamas and Israel reached an agreement earlier this week on a four-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Under the deal, Hamas would release at least 50 captives from Gaza in exchange for some 150 Palestinian detainees held in Israel. 
I have been in Paris for the last week, my first visit to this city. This is a fun time of the year to be in Europe, as the Europeans generally make a bigger deal out of Christmas than we do. Before we left, friends warned us against two things: pro-genocide demonstrators, and bedbugs. So far we have seen the same number of each: zero.

Yesterday we visited one of Pariss major department stores to do a little shopping. At one point we were in the childrens book section, looking for something for grandchildren, and we came across this: a set of board books for young children, featuring some of the great heroes of history. People like Charlemagne and Julius Caesar. And

Yup. The disturbed Swedish teenager whose accomplishments evidently rival those of the Father of Europe.

Despite that, I think that Western Europeans are generally less politically correct than Americans, and Central and Eastern Europeans much less so.

We were scheduled to take the Eurostar to London via the Chunnel around noon today. We arrived at Gare du Nord to find that our train was canceled on account of a strike. Who is striking is unclearlet alone whyand other trains seem to be running. We rebooked on a train tomorrow, hoping the strike will be over.
Are journalists, as a group, the least intelligent of any profession? I think they may be, and the war between Israel and Gaza is bringing out the worst in them. Check out this exchange, in which a clueless reporter floats the theory that the ratio of terrorists to innocent hostages released under the recent agreement is evidence of Israeli racism:

The first question that left me speechless (but only for a second): pic.twitter.com/P4Bh0SKtl9  Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) November 23, 2023



We see in action here a person who is not just biased, but is of below normal intelligence.

Reporters have gotten one thing wrong after another, beginning with the Gazan massacre of October 7. If you have the impression that journalists dont mind being wrong, when their errors discredit Israel, it turns out that you are right:

BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen has admitted his coverage of the alleged bombing of a hospital in Gaza was wrong but still said he doesnt regret one thing about his reporting. Speaking in a television interview, the veteran reporter said he was incorrect to have suggested Al-Ahli hospital was flattened in an explosion on Oct 17.

***

In an item on BBC Ones News at Ten, hours after the first reports of an explosion, Mr Bowen said: The missile hit the hospital not long after dark. You can hear the impact. The explosion destroyed Al-Ahli hospital. It was already damaged from a smaller attack at the weekend. The building was flattened.

Everyone now knows that it was a misfired Islamic Jihad rocket that landed in the parking lot of the hospital, which was more or less undamaged. It was all a Hamas lie. Does the BBC regret endorsing terrorist propaganda? Not at all:

Asked about the report in an interview on Behind The Stories on the BBC News channel on Saturday, Mr Bowen said: So it broke in, I suppose, mid-evening and to answer your question, no, I dont regret one thing in my reporting because I think I was measured throughout. I didnt race to judgment.

His false accusation against the Israeli Defense Force was measured. And, hey, he didnt race! He took his time before repeating Hamass lies, for which he seems to think he deserves a gold star.

Pressed further about saying the hospital had been flattened, he said: Oh yeah, well I got that wrong because I was looking at the pictures and what I could see was a square that appeared to be flaming on all sides and there was, sort of, a void in the middle. I think it was a picture taken from a drone. So, you know, we have to piece together what we see and I thought, It looks like the whole building has gone. That was my conclusion from looking at the pictures and I was wrong on that, but I dont feel particularly bad about that. It was just the conclusion I drew. Mr Bowen said sometimes the corporation had to rely on things people say as well as looking at the multiplicity of videos that are released before making a judgment on what to report.

So the BBC doesnt really mind being wrong, as long as its reports advance the companys anti-Israel position. An astonishing admissionor it would be, if one had the slightest confidence in the press.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-26 19:03:19

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 26, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against FMC Corp. ("FMC" or "the Company") (NYSE:FMC) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired FMC securities between November 2, 2022 and October 20, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/fmc Case Details:The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, it is alleged that Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) the diminishment of patent protection for FMC's flagship products following legal defeats in key markets including India, China, and Brazil had opened the door to increased competition from generics; (2) the Company repeatedly mislead investors about the status of such proceedings and falsely claimed that it did not and would not face generic competition in key markets until 2026 at the earliest; and (3) because of these issues Defendant's positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/fmc or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in FMC you have until January 8, 2024, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz and Grossman, LLC
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In the realm of the inner cavity cleaner market, a realm defined by the ever-shifting tides of consumer demand and technological evolution, this report serves as a beacon, guiding our readers through a comprehensive and profound analysis. Our audience is as diverse as the market itself, encompassing manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors, all seeking to navigate this dynamic landscape. Our primary aim is to provide invaluable insights that empower industry stakeholders to make informed decisions within this rapidly changing environment. We strive to shed light on the current state of the inner cavity cleaner market while projecting its future trends.Scope and PurposeOur report is a comprehensive compass, designed to equip industry stakeholders with actionable knowledge. It spans various dimensions of the inner cavity cleaner market, including its dynamic market forces, competitive landscape, growth opportunities, challenges, and regional nuances. This information goes beyond mere descriptions; it is crafted to assist stakeholders in making pivotal decisions that shape their strategies and engagements within the market.Request for Sample Report:Promising Comprehensive AnalysisTo uphold our commitment, we pledge to deliver a comprehensive analysis, leaving no stone unturned. We promise to dissect the factors propelling market growth, dissecting shifts in consumer preferences and technological advancements fueling the demand for inner cavity cleaner products. Concurrently, we recognize that challenges and obstacles are intrinsic to any industry landscape. We vow to illuminate these hurdles, whether they be economic uncertainties or the intense competition that often characterizes such markets.Guiding the Path ForwardOur report invites readers to explore its contents, laying the groundwork for unveiling the competitive landscape. It introduces the major players in the inner cavity cleaner market and elucidates their strategies, offering insights into what fuels their success. This insight-rich analysis is designed to guide others on their journey  be it navigating competition more effectively or finding inspiration in successful strategies.Anticipation of InsightsAcknowledging the market's complexity, we pledge to provide a nuanced understanding of its segments. We promise to detail their sizes, potential growth trajectories, and key trends. This targeted knowledge empowers stakeholders to craft specialized strategies and allocate resources optimally.Balancing Forces and Strategic ImplicationsBy elucidating both driving forces and potential obstacles, our report paints a comprehensive picture of market dynamics. It enables industry stakeholders to navigate the competitive landscape with a deeper understanding of the forces at play. Manufacturers can align their innovation efforts with consumer preferences and regulatory trends, enhancing their market position. Investors and decision-makers can be better prepared to address economic uncertainties and supply chain vulnerabilities. Overall, this section equips readers with insights to make strategic decisions that account for both growth opportunities and challenges in the inner cavity cleaner market.Exploring the Competitive LandscapeThe section dedicated to the competitive landscape of the inner cavity cleaner market offers a meticulous exploration of the market's key players, their strategies, and their impact on the industry. This segment aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the market's dynamics, the role of major companies, and the strategies they employ to thrive.Some of the major companies in the Inner Cavity Cleaner market are as follows: Boston Scientific, ShengdaSegment CharacteristicsOur analysis commences by outlining the unique characteristics defining each segment. Whether these segments are categorized based on product types, customer demographics, use cases, or other distinguishing factors, our report provides a clear picture of their definitions and differentiators.Market Segmentation:Type: Standard, Continuous FlowApplication: Hospital, Clinic, OtherMarket SizeUnderstanding the size of each market segment is crucial for assessing its significance within the overall market landscape. Our report presents quantitative data illustrating market share and the contributions of "Type" and "Application" segments to the entire inner cavity cleaner market. This information helps stakeholders appreciate the relative importance of each segment.Growth PotentialBeyond current market size, our report delves into the growth potential of these segments. We explore factors such as emerging trends, consumer behaviors, technological advancements, and regulatory influences driving the future expansion of these segments. This forward-looking perspective aids stakeholders in identifying where growth opportunities lie.Key TrendsOur analysis captures the key trends specific to each segment, be it changing consumer preferences, evolving technology adoption, or shifting regulatory landscapes. These insights inform stakeholders about the directions "Type" and "Application" segments might take in the coming years.Strategic InsightsOur segment analysis transcends descriptive data to offer strategic insights. By understanding the characteristics, potential, and trends of "Type" and "Application," industry participants can make informed decisions. Manufacturers can tailor product development strategies to meet the demands of these segments, and marketers can create targeted campaigns to reach specific customer groups.Exploring Regional DynamicsThe section dedicated to the regional analysis of the inner cavity cleaner market provides a comprehensive exploration of how the market fares across different geographical areas. This analysis recognizes that markets are not homogenous and that regional variations can significantly impact market dynamics. Our report delves into the intricacies of each region  North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa  to provide stakeholders with valuable insights.Closing ThoughtsIn essence, the conclusion encapsulates our report's journey. It emphasizes our report's role as a strategic tool, a navigator, and a decision-making companion in the complex world of the inner cavity cleaner market. Our report is more than just a document; it is a valuable resource that empowers industry stakeholders to thrive in a dynamic and ever-evolving market environment.
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 26, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against SC Health Corporation ("SC Health" or "the Company") (NYSE:SCPE)(NYSE: SCPE.WS)(NYSE:SCPE.U) and Rockley Photonics Holdings Limited ("Rockley" or "the company") (NYSE:RKLY)(NYSE: RKLY.WS) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired SC Health and Rockley securities: (1) directly in the March 2021 private investment in public equity of Rockley shares (the "PIPE Offering") conducted in connection with the merger of SC Health and Rockley (the "Merger"); or (ii) between March 19, 2021 and January 23, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/scpe Case Details:The complaint alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Rockley's joint venture agreement ("JV Agreement") with Hengtong Rockley Technology Co., Ltd. was in jeopardy because Jiangsu Hengtong Optic-Electric Co., Ltd. ("Hengtong"), Rockley's joint venture partner, had acquired a majority interest in a company, Huawei Marine Networks Co., Ltd. ("Huawei Marine") (later renamed HMN Tech), on the banned entities list maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce since 2019; (ii) the JV Agreement was in further jeopardy because in February 2021 the World Bank had invalidated a bid by Huawei Marine to build an undersea optical cable based on security concerns raised by the United States and other countries that China could use the infrastructure to spy on communications; (iii) the materially undisclosed risk that the JV Agreement could fail as a result of Hengtong's acquisition of a majority interest in HMN Tech jeopardized Rockley's joint venture revenues, launch schedule, business prospects, and ultimately Rockley's solvency; (iv) Rockley did not have the customer base or customer commitments that defendants had represented to investors; and (v) Rockley did not have sufficient customer orders to allow it to develop and commercialize products, maintain and expand client relationships, reach cash flow break-even, or stave off bankruptcy following the Merger.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/scpe or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in SC Health you have until January 8, 2024, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz and Grossman, LLC
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 26, 2023 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Medical Properties Trust, Inc. ("MPW" or the "Company") (NYSE:MPW) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 23-cv-08597, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired MPW securities between May 23, 2023 and August 17, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act").If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Archer securities during the Class Period, you have until November 28, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888-4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.[Click here for information about joining the class action]MPW is a self-advised real estate investment trust that was formed to acquire and develop net-leased healthcare facilities. MPW's financing model purportedly facilitates acquisitions and recapitalizations and allows operators of hospitals to unlock the value of their real estate assets to fund facility improvements, technology upgrades, and other investments in operations.On May 23, 2023, MPW issued a press release announcing that it had entered into a recapitalization transaction (the "Recap Transaction") with Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. ("Prospect"), a health care management services organization. Pursuant to the Recap Transaction, in relevant part, MPW would take an equity stake in Prospect's managed care business, PHP Holdings, LLC ("PHP"), in lieu of a cash payment of outstanding loans and accrued but unpaid rent and interest owed by Prospect to MPW.As a result of PHP's involvement in the deal, the Recap Transaction was subject to regulatory approval by the Department of Managed Health Care of the Health and Human Services Agency of the State of California ("DMHC"), the regulatory body responsible for governing managed health care plans in California. On July 20, 2023, the DMHC issued an order (the "DMHC Order") putting the Recap Transaction on hold in order to obtain further information from the Company. Despite the foregoing, MPW elected not to disclose the DMHC Order to MPW shareholders when the Company reported its Q2 2023 results on August 8, 2023 or in its quarterly report filed with the SEC on August 9, 2023. Instead, MPW continued to tout the benefits of the Recap Transaction by stating that the deal had boosted the Company's revenueThe truth regarding the Recap Transaction's approval status was revealed on August 18, 2023 when the Wall Street Journal ("WSJ") published an article entitled "Cracks Deepen for America's Biggest Hospital Landlord: Struggling Tenants, a Bailout on Hold" (the "WSJ Article"). The WSJ, which had obtained a copy of the DMHC Order and other documents from the DMHC under California's Public Records Act, discussed the DMHC's decision to halt the Recap Transaction and the negative impact MPW and Prospect could each experience if the deal is permanently rejected.That same day, MPW issued a press release responding to the WSJ Article, in which the Company downplayed the DMHC Order as a "standard, expected, and non-controversial part of the approval process for [the Recap Transaction]" and attempted to excuse the Company's non-disclosure of the DMHC Order to shareholders by stating that the "DMHC's request was deemed immaterial to [MPW's] financials and thus did not require disclosure." Despite MPW's attempts to reassure investors, following publication of the WSJ Article, MPW's stock price fell $0.57 per share, or 7.6%, to close at $6.93 per share on August 18, 2023.The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Recap Transaction was subject to regulatory approval and had in fact been placed on hold by the DMHC; (ii) accordingly, MPW had misrepresented the regulatory process for the Recap Transaction's approval; (iii) as a result of the foregoing, MPW overstated the approval prospects and benefits of the Recap Transaction; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements regarding the Recap Transaction were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.On August 18, 2023, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled "Cracks Deepen for America's Biggest Hospital Landlord: Struggling Tenants, a Bailout on Hold".That same day, MPW issued a press release responding to the WSJ Article, in which the Company downplayed the DMHC Order as a "standard, expected, and non-controversial part of the approval process for [the Recap Transaction]" and attempted to excuse the Company's non-disclosure of the DMHC Order to shareholders by stating that the "DMHC's request was deemed immaterial to [MPW's] financials and thus did not require disclosure." Despite MPW's attempts to reassure investors, following publication of the WSJ Article, MPW's stock price fell $0.57 per share, or 7.6%, to close at $6.93 per share on August 18, 2023.Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2023-11-26 18:03:13

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In the realm of the zinc-based wrought alloy market, a realm defined by the ever-shifting tides of consumer demand and technological evolution, this report serves as a beacon, guiding our readers through a comprehensive and profound analysis. Our audience is as diverse as the market itself, encompassing manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors, all seeking to navigate this dynamic landscape. Our primary aim is to provide invaluable insights that empower industry stakeholders to make informed decisions within this rapidly changing environment. We strive to shed light on the current state of the zinc-based wrought alloy market while projecting its future trends.Scope and PurposeOur report is a comprehensive compass, designed to equip industry stakeholders with actionable knowledge. It spans various dimensions of the zinc-based wrought alloy market, including its dynamic market forces, competitive landscape, growth opportunities, challenges, and regional nuances. This information goes beyond mere descriptions; it is crafted to assist stakeholders in making pivotal decisions that shape their strategies and engagements within the market.Request for Sample Report:Promising Comprehensive AnalysisTo uphold our commitment, we pledge to deliver a comprehensive analysis, leaving no stone unturned. We promise to dissect the factors propelling market growth, dissecting shifts in consumer preferences and technological advancements fueling the demand for zinc-based wrought alloy products. Concurrently, we recognize that challenges and obstacles are intrinsic to any industry landscape. We vow to illuminate these hurdles, whether they be economic uncertainties or the intense competition that often characterizes such markets.Guiding the Path ForwardOur report invites readers to explore its contents, laying the groundwork for unveiling the competitive landscape. It introduces the major players in the zinc-based wrought alloy market and elucidates their strategies, offering insights into what fuels their success. This insight-rich analysis is designed to guide others on their journey  be it navigating competition more effectively or finding inspiration in successful strategies.Anticipation of InsightsAcknowledging the market's complexity, we pledge to provide a nuanced understanding of its segments. We promise to detail their sizes, potential growth trajectories, and key trends. This targeted knowledge empowers stakeholders to craft specialized strategies and allocate resources optimally.Balancing Forces and Strategic ImplicationsBy elucidating both driving forces and potential obstacles, our report paints a comprehensive picture of market dynamics. It enables industry stakeholders to navigate the competitive landscape with a deeper understanding of the forces at play. Manufacturers can align their innovation efforts with consumer preferences and regulatory trends, enhancing their market position. Investors and decision-makers can be better prepared to address economic uncertainties and supply chain vulnerabilities. Overall, this section equips readers with insights to make strategic decisions that account for both growth opportunities and challenges in the zinc-based wrought alloy market.Exploring the Competitive LandscapeThe section dedicated to the competitive landscape of the zinc-based wrought alloy market offers a meticulous exploration of the market's key players, their strategies, and their impact on the industry. This segment aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the market's dynamics, the role of major companies, and the strategies they employ to thrive.Some of the major companies in the Zinc-based Wrought Alloy market are as follows: Affilips, Allied Metal Company, Chicago White Metal Casting, Inc., Dynacast, EMP Tech Co.,Ltd ., Eastern Alloys, Grillo, PHB Corp, Pace Industries, REAZN, ZincaloySegment CharacteristicsOur analysis commences by outlining the unique characteristics defining each segment. Whether these segments are categorized based on product types, customer demographics, use cases, or other distinguishing factors, our report provides a clear picture of their definitions and differentiators.Market Segmentation:Type: ZAMAK 2, ZAMAK 3, ZAMAK 5, ZAMAK 7Application: Die Casting, Foundry, Steel CoatingMarket SizeUnderstanding the size of each market segment is crucial for assessing its significance within the overall market landscape. Our report presents quantitative data illustrating market share and the contributions of "Type" and "Application" segments to the entire zinc-based wrought alloy market. This information helps stakeholders appreciate the relative importance of each segment.Growth PotentialBeyond current market size, our report delves into the growth potential of these segments. We explore factors such as emerging trends, consumer behaviors, technological advancements, and regulatory influences driving the future expansion of these segments. This forward-looking perspective aids stakeholders in identifying where growth opportunities lie.Key TrendsOur analysis captures the key trends specific to each segment, be it changing consumer preferences, evolving technology adoption, or shifting regulatory landscapes. These insights inform stakeholders about the directions "Type" and "Application" segments might take in the coming years.Strategic InsightsOur segment analysis transcends descriptive data to offer strategic insights. By understanding the characteristics, potential, and trends of "Type" and "Application," industry participants can make informed decisions. Manufacturers can tailor product development strategies to meet the demands of these segments, and marketers can create targeted campaigns to reach specific customer groups.Exploring Regional DynamicsThe section dedicated to the regional analysis of the zinc-based wrought alloy market provides a comprehensive exploration of how the market fares across different geographical areas. This analysis recognizes that markets are not homogenous and that regional variations can significantly impact market dynamics. Our report delves into the intricacies of each region  North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa  to provide stakeholders with valuable insights.Closing ThoughtsIn essence, the conclusion encapsulates our report's journey. It emphasizes our report's role as a strategic tool, a navigator, and a decision-making companion in the complex world of the zinc-based wrought alloy market. Our report is more than just a document; it is a valuable resource that empowers industry stakeholders to thrive in a dynamic and ever-evolving market environment.
Wheat farmers in Jigawa State have expressed optimism that this years dry-season farming will see bumper harvest following the commitments of both the Jigawa State Government and the federal government towards the National Wheat Development Programme flagged off in the state on Saturday.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, at the flagging off ceremony in Hadejia local government, said the federal government will cultivate 100,000 hectares of wheat this dry season, as part of President Bola Tinubus Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Jigawa government allocated 40,000 hectares of land to the wheat production programme which the governor, Umar Namadi, said is aligned with his administrations 12-point agenda. He said wheat production will help in the attainment of the states objectives and national development objectives of food security, economic diversification, and empowerment of citizens.

Wheat farmers express optimism

At the flag-off ceremony at Kadume, a community in Hadejia, some of the farmers in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES said that this years dry-season wheat farming is exceptional because of the commitment shown by both the federal and Jigawa state governments.

One of the wheat farmers, Sabiu Ibrahim, said he has benefited five times from the governments support such as the provision of farm inputs to wheat farmers.

Previous interventions have had some issues, one of which was that the government promised a N250,000 loan to the wheat farmers but we ended up receiving N90,000.

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What makes this particular intervention different is the confidence we have in the leadership of the state. We benefitted from the fertilizer subsidy under the state government, a few months ago (after Governor Umar Namadi assumed office); farming inputs that were hitherto difficult to access are now accessible at a cheaper rate, and all the machines and other inputs the governor said he is giving were truly provided, Mr Ibrahim said.

His colleague, Hassan Husseini, said he is optimistic about a bumper harvest in the dry-season wheat farming because the state has provided tractors in the 27 local governments of the state to ease the cultivation of land.

The government has provided tractors, wheat seedlings, seven bags of fertilizer (to each of the beneficiaries) input machines, and chemicals for pest control at subsidized prices. Put together, the farming inputs worth over N300,000 were given to farmers at N80,000; this is commendable.

I am hopeful that the wheat harvest this year will be above that of last year because of the input provided by the governments, Mr Husseini said.

Group alleges exclusion

A Fulani leader at the event, Adamu Dan-Bulama, from the neighbouring Auyo Local Government Area, claimed that only Hausas farmers are being considered in the agricultural intervention.

Mr Dan-Bulama pleaded with governments at all levels to consider Fulani groups in subsequent agricultural interventions.

We all voted for the government in power. This is the time of payback but the Fulanis are not involved. Let the government know that the Fulanis are also farmers, the world has changed, and one must farm, rear animals, and send children to school. Our children are the ones rearing the cows, while we the elderly engage in farming.

We believe that the problem of exclusion of the Fulanis groups is from the local government level, the governor is a father to all. In just concluded campaigns, in Auyo local government, nobody contributed more than myself, said Mr Dan-Bulama who is one of the leaders of Miyetti Allah (a Fulani Sociocultural organisation) in Auyo.

Government intervention to the wheat farmers

At the event, Mr Namadi said the full package of support to the farmers comprises of appropriate mix of fertiliser, in-organic liquid urea, organic fertiliser fortified with booster /growth enhancer, certified wheat seeds, and herbicides.

He said it is expected that the capacity of over 42,000 smallholder farmers will be significantly expanded through their participation in the wheat production programme.

According to the governor, each farmer would be supported with the equivalent of N361,000 per hectare.

While each farmer is expected to pay only 12.5 per cent of the total cost of the input package equivalent to about N42,125 per hectare at the point of input collection, the balance of N135,275 would be recovered after harvest.

To provide comfort to the federal government and input suppliers, the Jigawa State Government has worked out an arrangement with Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) to provide a guarantee for the balance of 37.5 per cent of the cost of inputs supplied.

The Jigawa State Government will provide free high-quality extension service to the wheat farmers for which arrangements have been concluded for the engagement and training of an additional 1,440 extension agents to ensure full coverage, the governor said.

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The Sierra Leone government has declared a nationwide curfew after unidentified individuals attempted to break into a military armoury.

The Ministry of Infomation and Civic Education said the individuals, in the early hours of Sunday, tried to break into the armoury at Wilberforce barracks in the capital, Freetown.

They have all been rebuffed, the ministry said, and the government and security forces are in control.

It indicated that the suspects involved in the incident have not been apprehended.

To enable the security forces to continue the process of apprehending the suspects, a nationwide curfew is declared with immediate effect across the country, Chernor Bah, the information minister, wrote in the Sunday morning statement.

A government official, however, told Reuters, that there was a prison break at the central prison in Freetown. Many inmates escaped.

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The security breach in Sierra Leone is occurring during a period of political uncertainty in many West and Central African countries with the resurgence of military coups. Coups have taken place in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Gabon in recent years.

In Sierra Leone, in August, two months after its disputed presidential election, the government announced the arrest of senior military officials who, according to the government, were working to undermine the peace and tranquility of the state and unleash violence on peaceful citizens of Sierra Leone.

On Sunday, President Julius Bio in a post on X acknowledged the latest development and said the peace of our beloved nation is priceless and we shall continue to protect the peace and security of Sierra Leone against the forces that wish to truncate our much-cherished stability.

He added that his government remains resolute in its determination to protect democracy in Sierra Leone and urged all Sierra Leoneans to unite towards this collective responsibility.

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Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has abandoned a newly built multi-billion naira Government House in Umuahia, the state capital, since assuming office about six months ago.

He is running the government from his country home outside of Umuahia, according to findings by PREMIUM TIMES.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had, on 22 March, declared Mr Otti of the Labour Party as the winner of the 18 March governorship election in the state. He was sworn in as the fifth elected governor of Abia State on 29 May.

The administration of the former governor of the state, Okezie Ikpeazu, had commissioned the new Government House on 28 May, a day before the end of his tenure.

Mr Ikpeazus administration inherited the project  which is at Ogurute Layout in Umuahia, a few metres from the State Secretariat  from his predecessor, Theodore Orji, who initiated and built it up to the roofing stage.

PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm the total amount of money Mr Orjis administration spent on the project. However, a statement issued by the administration on 29 October, 2012 indicated that the government paid N175 million just for the fencing.

Similarly, the exact amount spent on the project by Mr Ikpeazus administration is unclear, although officials say it must have gulped several billions of naira before it was commissioned.

The sparkling mansion

The new Government House is a two-storey mansion, with a network of tarred roads. It has a large swimming pool. The building, painted white, wears a sparkling look.

At the right-hand side of the mansion, lies a separate two-storey building, said to be the governors lodge.

There are two security gates in the entrance to the complex.

Apart from a police operative manning the first gate, there was no other person around when a PREMIUM TIMES reporter visited the complex on 3 October. There was no sign of human activity within the complex.

The police operative, who asked not to be named, told this newspaper that some contracted workers do come around regularly to clean the complex, but that the building had not been put to use by the state government.

Governor abandons old Government House too

The state government also has an old Government House in Umuahia where past governors of the state operated from. But Mr Otti has not also moved into it since he became governor.

The governor has been living in and carrying out government functions from his private residence in his village, Umuru Umuehi in Nvosi, Isiala-Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State.

It took a PREMIUM TIMES reporter about an hour from Umuahia to get to Governor Ottis village on a Wednesday in early October.

The governor, however, has repeatedly claimed that he usually spends approximately 20 minutes to get there.

Part of the tarred road leading to the governors village has several potholes. The road was built in 2008 by a former chairperson of Isiala Ngwa North Council Area, it was gathered.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Mr Otti often plies a better but longer road from Umuahia.

The atmosphere at Umuru was calm and quiet when our reporter got to the area.

Security has been beefed up in the community, with security checkpoints mounted some metres before the governors private residence.

Nigerian soldiers manned the gate at the governors residence. Five different vehicles were seen parked in front of the residence.

They include two buses, a black Toyota Hilux pickup van, a white security pickup van and the governors bullet-proof G-Wagon, which he acquired before he was elected governor.

A tarred road connects his community to others. Residents said Mr Otti built the road in 2015 when he was a private citizen.

Chigozie John, a resident who deals in motorcycle spare parts, said the community is now very lively, with a boom in businesses because of people trooping in and out of the governors residence.

Almost every day, strangers enter the governors house with different vehicles, Mr John said in a mixture of Igbo and English languages. In fact, there is no type of vehicle we dont see here and you know population helps business.

Like before, shops were rare here, but because of the crowd of people coming here, everybody is now coming out to open shops for one business or the other.

Another resident, Amaka Michael, told PREMIUM TIMES that the community is usually lively on Mondays and Tuesdays when many people with flashy SUVs visit the governors residence.

Ms Michael, a PoS operator and clothes seller, said businesses thrive well on such days.

Normally, many people with big jeeps do come here. Like on Mondays and Tuesdays, this place is usually busy with activities (inside the residence).

I sell more on such days, than other days, she said, beaming with smiles.

Another resident, Obinna Onyema, said Mr Otti pays people daily to sweep the surroundings near his (governors) residence.

Looting allegations

At the old Government House, Umuahuia, the spokesperson for the governor, Kazie Uko, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the governor was not operating from either the new or the old Government House.

Mr Uko did not, however, clearly confirm that the governor had been operating from his private residence.

The spokesperson said the governor has not been operating from the old Government House because officials of the immediate-past administration allegedly looted office equipment in the complex, particularly the Governors Office Quarters and Lodge there.

At the Governors Office Quarters, a PREMIUM TIMES reporter observed that the television sets and the air conditioners were removed from where they were fixed before.

Apart from a showcase, an old book shelf and two old air conditioners at both corners, the governors main office within the quarters was empty.

The administrator at the quarters, who asked not to be named, told PREMIUM TIMES that he had to borrow a table to work in his office.

Also, at the governors six-bedroom lodge within the old Government House, the condition of the apartment suggests that it has been abandoned.

The sitting room and bedrooms looked derelict and grasses were sprouting in the balcony.

Does this look like a place the governor can stay and operate? Mr Uko asked rhetorically, apparently justifying the governor living in his private residence.

He said that the governors office and official lodge had not been renovated because they are not among the administrations priorities.

Why were yet to relocate to Government House  Official

Asked why the governor has not moved to the new Government House, Mr Uko said there were not enough buildings within the complex, adding what could have served as an additional office complex in the new Government House was abandoned.

The spokesperson said the ground floor of the new Government House was slightly furnished but that the two upper floors were not completed.

He said there were dangling wires at the upper floors.

When asked why the administration had not considered completing the complex, he responded: Thats not our priority. We are talking about paying pensions and workers salaries that the past administration did not pay.

Otti speaks

Mr Otti was at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State, on 5 October, where he delivered the universitys 63rd Founders Day lecture.

The governor told reporters shortly after the lecture that he chose to run his administration from his private residence because the old Government House was dilapidated.

Anywhere that I am in Abia, thats the Government House, he said.

The Government House is completely dilapidated and it will cost a lot of money to fix it. Now, as a student of economics, I draw up my scale of preferences and what is important to me is not to go and spend public money to retrofit the dilapidated Government House if I do have somewhere to operate from.

So, it is a later day priority. But for now, building roads, payment of salaries, retrofitting the hospitals, ensuring that businesses that were dying get back up, supporting the micro and small-scale businesses, setting up the industrial park that we have done a few days ago  those are our priorities, Mr Otti added, corroborating what his spokesperson told PREMIUM TIMES.

False allegation

When contacted, a former Commissioner for Information under the Ikpeazu administration, John Kalu, told PREMIUM TIMES that the allegation that officials who served under the past administration stole items from the government house was false.

Mr Kalu said properties from the Governors Office Quarters were moved to the new Government House before the exit of the past administration.

I know, for instance, that the old office of the governor at the old Government House, the table that used to be there and the furniture  they were moved to the new Government House before we left, he said. I can confirm that because I was there when they moved the properties (to the new Government House).

The former commissioner said it was strange that Mr Ottis administration spent over N700 million to renovate the commissioners quarters but refused to renovate the old Government House or the new Government House if indeed he wanted to work from a government facility.

He insisted that the new Government House was completed before its commissioning, and that Mr Ottis administration should be blamed if the governor failed to secure government property handed over to him on 29 May.

Inside the new Government House

Mr Uko, the spokesperson to Governor Otti, ignored several requests from PREMIUM TIMES for access to the new Government House.

PREMIUM TIMES, however, obtained some video clips and photographs showing the inside of the new Government House.

One of the clips was uploaded on a YouTube channel on 2 June.

The clips showed that the new Government House was furnished with beautiful executive seats, furniture and curtains, among others.

The floors shown in the clips were all tiled.

Contrary to claims by Mr Uko that there were dangling wires on some walls in upper floors, the clips showed that the upper floors were also completed and painted. The doors and windows of offices, seen in the clips, were all fixed.

Large air conditioners were fixed at various corners of the building.

Financial burden

Governor Otti running his administration from his private residence has placed some financial burden on the state government, with the 20 commissioners often traveling from Umuahia to the governors village for State Executive Council meetings.

The secretary to the Abia State Government and the deputy governor also take part in the executive meetings, and this brings the number of people travelling to the governors residence for meetings to 22, at least.

This excludes Mr Otti and his aides who occasionally breeze into the old Government House and return to the governors village.

Abia State Government allocates funds for the fueling of government vehicles.

PREMIUM TIMES spoke to two different vehicle owners who travel almost daily to the governors community.

The drivers separately said they spend about 15 litres of petrol to travel to the community and return to Umuahia.

As of October, a litre of petrol in Abia State was sold at N630. This implies that the Abia State Government, by modest estimation, spends at least N10, 000 to fuel a vehicle each time government officials travel to the governors village for a meeting.

Given that there are at least 22 identified officials who take part in the meetings, the government spends about N220, 000 each day it holds the State Executive Council meeting in Governor Ottis village.

The fact that the meeting usually holds on Monday and Tuesday means that the state government spends about N440,000 weekly and nearly N2 million monthly for fueling of vehicles alone.

Rented building?

There has been controversy over the ownership of the old Abia Government House, as Mr Otti recently claimed the property is a rented one.

The governors spokesperson, Mr Uko, told PREMIUM TIMES that he did not know if the administration had paid any rent on the property since the government was inaugurated on 29 May.

An Abia-based entrepreneur, Ako Obioma, however denied the governors position, arguing that the Abia State Government House was owned by the government of the defunct Eastern Region and is not a rented space.

Mr Obioma, who said more structures were later added to the original space occupied by the regional government, asked Mr Otti to investigate the matter to ascertain who had been receiving rents from the state government.

If the claim that the state government has been paying rents for the old Government House is true, it means that the state is also losing more funds which should have been channelled to other development needs.

What the law says?

Many lawyers who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said there are no laws preventing governors from operating from their private residence.

Most of the lawyers who are based in Abia State said they are also not aware if there are such laws in the state.

A former commissioner in the state, who asked not to be named, however, said it is improper to hold government business meetings in a private residence because such practice renders the official secrets of government unprotected.

The fact that they are holding official meetings at the governors private residence means official government files and documents are being kept in the house which is very wrong, the former commissioner said.

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SHANGHAI, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's export container shipping index increased in the week ending Nov. 24, according to the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.

The Exchange added that the average China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) rose 0.5 percent from the previous week to 876.74.

The sub-index for the Korea service registered the biggest week-on-week rise of 4 percent.

Bucking the trend, the sub-reading for the Mediterranean service logged the sharpest decrease of 0.9 percent from one week earlier.

The CCFI tracks spot and contractual freight rates at Chinese container ports for 12 shipping routes globally, based on data from 22 international carriers.

The index was set at 1,000 on Jan. 1, 1998. 
Troops of the Nigerian Army and local vigilantes rescued six hostages abducted by bandits in a forest in Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi on Friday.

The Special Adviser to Governor Nasir Idris on Media and Publicity, Yahaya Sarki, stated in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday that the all-male hostages were rescued in good condition and had been reunited with their families.

Troops of 1 Battalion, Dukku Barracks, Birinin Kebbi in conjunction with vigilantes raided Kogon Damisa Hill around Saminaka in Shanga Local Government Area, a border town between Kebbi and Niger on Friday.

The team dislodged a large number of bandits and rescued six kidnap victims.

The victims had earlier been reported as missing, whereas they had been abducted a long time ago, he stated.

Mr Sarki commended the gallant troops and reiterated the governments unwavering commitment to supporting security agencies in the state.

(NAN)

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The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has vowed to take a decisive action to stop the proliferation of illegal abattoirs in the Nigerias capital city.

The Mandate Secretary, Lawan Geidam, said this on Friday when officials of the FCT Butchers Association visited him in Abuja.

Mr Geidam said the measure is to ensure adherence to minimum standards in meat handling and the well-being of consumers in the federal capital, Abuja.

He said the Veterinary Services Department is doing its best to monitor and enforce compliance with operational standards.

Mr Geidam said the proliferation of unauthorised abattoirs poses a significant threat to the safety of meat consumed by the public.

Our objective is in line with the statutory mandate of the secretariat, which is to ensure that abattoirs in the FCT are not only duly registered and certified but also up to standard for the good of public health.

He said efforts are ongoing to provide water supply and ensure efficient waste management in the abattoirs.

The official added that the administration is also concluding plans to establish biogas stations to serve as an alternative to the hazardous practice of using tires in processing animal skins.

We will not ignore the significant issues facing our abattoirs, including the need for potable water and regular waste disposal.

I assure you that the present leadership of the FCT Administration are working hard to maintain standard in service delivery across all sectors in the FCT.

The secretariat will intensify its daily meat inspection activities at the various abattoirs to ensure that no animal is slaughtered without being certified safe by the veterinary doctors, he said.

Earlier, the chairperson of the association, Bashir Musa, expressed the associations commitment to complying with the administrations guidelines on the establishment and operation of abattoirs.

Mr Musa thanked the FCTA for working to improve the conditions of abattoirs and stressed the need to address the ageing infrastructure of the abattoirs.

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Three robbery suspects were shot dead in Enugu State, on Sunday, by police operatives and those of the State Security Service.

The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Enugu, the state capital, said the slain suspects belonged to a gang which specialised in robbing Point of Sale (POS) operators.

He said they were killed during a shootout with the security operatives in Enugu metropolis.

Arms and ammunition and an operational tricycle were recovered from the slain suspects, said Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police.

The security operatives also recovered two locally-made pistols, six rounds of 0.9mm calibre ammunition and N500,000 cash.

Other exhibits recovered were rolls of POS transaction printing papers, assorted mobile phones, wallets, bags and objects suspected to be charms, according to the statement.

Mr Ndukwe said that the suspects had earlier robbed different POS operators and their customers at gunpoint in different locations in Enugu metropolis.

At about 1 p.m., the hoodlums attacked POS operators at different locations in Enugu metropolis, dispossessing them of the recovered exhibits.

The hoodlums opened fire on security operatives who mounted surveillance on them upon sighting the latter.

The security operatives responded with superior firepower, neutralising the three of them and recovering the exhibits in the process, the police spokesperson stated.

He added that many of the victims later identified the assailants and some of the recovered exhibits.

Investigation is ongoing to possibly fish out other members of the criminal gang, Mr Ndukwe said.

(NAN)

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It was a windy Wednesday morning in Kyiv a fortnight ago and 14 journalists from Africa were visiting the National Museum of the Holodomor Genocide.

While learning about the genocide and how the ongoing war in Ukraine reminds Ukrainians of the Holodomor, an air raid alert went off and the tour guide started to look frantic.

Our tour ended immediately with the guide informing us that the museum had no shelter and we had to leave for the shelter in the metro station close by. Already, Ukrainians whose lives may have changed forever were trooping out of the museum.

This reporter and 13 other journalists from Africa made their way to the shelter in the metro station. On getting there, a lot of Ukrainians were already seated, some standing and waiting for the alert to go off.

While in the shelter, there was Nataliya Chernenko, a 56-year-old retired music teacher who had also come to the shelter in the metro as a result of the air raid alert. But this was not her first time; in fact, she spent three hours in the same spot the day before.

Mrs Chernenko told PREMIUM TIMES and other journalists present that she wanted Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make peace with Russias Vladimir Putin and end the war even if Ukraine did not get back its occupied territories.

We have lost more people than territories, so I would rather we make peace than lose more people, she said.

Mrs Chernenko is depressed by the war. Yet, she has to be strong for her ailing mother and husband whom she believes became sick as a result of the war.

They were fine before the war started and now they have cancer and I have to take them to the hospital every other day.

She has completely lost hope; in the first days of the war, many Ukrainians including Mrs Chernenko felt it would end quickly but the feeling has changed as the war continues.

Stuck in the metro station while trying to take her ailing mother to the hospital, Mrs Chernenko soon broke down in tears while talking to journalists.

She said she believed the war in her country was a hybrid warfare.

It feels like someone is engineering this, someone who makes more drones and missiles; compared to what I heard about the Second World War, it is the other form of the war, Mrs Chernenko said.

Having lived 33 days in occupation, she fears very little these days. When asked if she wanted her name mentioned in the journalists article, she retorted I am in my country.

She narrated how her family had fled Kyiv, Ukraines capital, on 24 February 2022 when the first missiles came down destroying parts of the city.

We thought Kyiv would be subdued and so we ran to Brkyiv, a suburb 70 kilometres from Kyiv. On 26 February 2022, the Russians came in and occupied the town for 33 days, Mrs Chernenko narrated.

According to her, there were two types of Russians during the occupation: the ones who just occupied and did nothing and the others who killed people just because they could.

While Mrs Chernenko wants the war to end, there is 50-year-old Spanish, as he is fondly called, who does not want his country to concede. The only option he sees is to get more weapons and air defence systems to win the war.

Spanish used to be an engineer before the war broke out. For love of country, he became a volunteer soldier defending his country at the frontline in the Donetsk region.

On joining the military, he and other volunteers received five weeks of simulation training in the UK before they were deployed to the war front. He is now injured and has returned to Kyiv to be treated.

Talking about his experience at the frontline, Spanish said he felt inadequate defending his country with just a gun compared to the artillery wielded by Russia.

Despite this challenge, he refused to leave the fighting but for the injury that forced him to return home.

When asked why he did not quit fighting, he asked How can I do that?

Spanish insists that Russia is not a country you negotiate with and so Ukraine must continue to fight with more air defence systems.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has lasted for 21 months with no end in sight as several propositions for peace have failed.

The war has oftentimes been referred to as a frozen conflict including recently by Slovakias new prime minister, Robert Fico.

Similarly, Ukraines military commander-in-chief General Valerii Zaluzhnyi in October told The Economist that the war has reached a stalemate.

Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Mr Zaluzhnyis position saying that a stalemate is unacceptable.

He noted that a stalemate will bequeath the war to future Ukrainians to continue fighting, adding that a stalemate is a frozen conflict which will only explode in a matter of time.

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In a joint statement signed by prominent civil society advocates, Antonio Tricarico of Re:common, Nicholas Hildyard of Cornerhouse, and Olanrewaju Suraju of HEDA Resource Centre, concerns have been raised over the Federal Republic of Nigerias decision to abandon its civil claim against Eni and Shell in the controversial OPL 245 oil prospecting license case.

The statement expresses dismay at Nigerias withdrawal from the promising $1.1 billion civil claim in Italys Supreme Court, where the country sought damages from the oil multinationals for alleged corruption in the OPL 245 deal, which is said to have severely disadvantaged Nigeria.

Despite Eni and Shell, along with 13 other defendants, being acquitted of corruption charges in the First Instance court in Milan, the statement highlights international criticism of the verdict. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) issued an unprecedented statement, describing the acquittal as not conforming to the Anti-bribery Convention and expressing extreme concern over the courts rejection of evidence.

The signatories express bewilderment at the apparent naivety of Nigerias actions, stating that President Tinubus eagerness to boost the countrys economic position may have led to a self-inflicted weakness in negotiations with the oil companies. They argue that by abandoning the Italian claim and not demanding the withdrawal of Enis claim at ICSID, Nigeria has left itself vulnerable, signalling to oil companies that they can take advantage of the countrys weakened position.

The statement emphasizes the limited space for negotiation, particularly concerning Nigerias back in rights to the OPL 245 field. Under the 2011 deal, Nigeria is currently denied any share of future profits from the fields oil exploitation, requiring a substantial payment of $875 million to Eni and Shell, which the country reportedly cannot afford.

Concerns are raised about the potential long-term consequences, including delays in oil production, missed opportunities for climate finance initiatives, and exposure to climate damage lawsuits. The decision to leave the 2011 deal intact, despite labelling it as fraudulent and corrupt, jeopardizes asset recovery cases and may negatively impact Nigerias anti-corruption efforts, deterring investors and increasing international borrowing costs.

The statement concludes by suggesting that President Tinubus family connections to the oil industry may have influenced Nigerias surrender to Eni and Shell, raising questions about the commitment to challenging corruption within the countrys petrocracy and the potential adverse effects on Nigerias masses.

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Sierra Leones Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah has announced that some prisoners were abducted in a security breach that occurred on Sunday morning.

He said this in the wake of a reported failed attempt by some unidentified individuals to break into a military armoury in the capital, Freetown. The government has since declared a nationwide curfew to forestall breakdown of security in the country.

The prisons were thus overrun. Some prisoners were abducted by the assailants while many others were released, Mr Bah wrote on X on Sunday.

Mr Bah said the security forces have pushed back the assailants to the outskirts of the city and are currently engaged in the Jui area.

Major detention centres including the Pademba Road Prisons were attacked earlier today and in the interest of protecting civilian lives (including of prisoners), the security forces were forced to make a tactical retreat, he said.

He assured that most of the city is calm and under control of the state security forces.

The security forces are making progress in the operation to defeat and apprehend those responsible for todays attacks. The curfew remains in effect, Mr Bah added.

The security breach in Sierra Leone is occurring during a period of political uncertainty in many West and Central African countries with the resurgence of military coups. Coups have taken place in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Gabon in recent years.

In Sierra Leone, in August, two months after its disputed presidential election, the government announced the arrest of senior military officials who, according to the government, were working to undermine the peace and tranquility of the state and unleash violence on peaceful citizens of Sierra Leone.

On Sunday, President Julius Bio in a post on X acknowledged the latest development and said the peace of our beloved nation is priceless and we shall continue to protect the peace and security of Sierra Leone against the forces that wish to truncate our much-cherished stability.

He added that his government remained resolute in its determination to protect democracy in Sierra Leone and urged all Sierra Leoneans to unite towards this collective responsibility.

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Nigerians have taken to social media to blame the Minister of Education, Mamman Tahir, a former Vice Chancellor of the Baze University, Abuja, for alleged roles played in the universitys flagrant violation of its admission quota for its law faculty.

The Council of Legal Education (CLE), the regulatory body for law education in Nigeria, recently imposed a five-year ban on admission of students into the law faculty of the institution, citing a breach of strict admission rules.

The council accused the university of violating its approved admission quota of 50 students per session.

The temporary ban followed the review of the accreditation panel to the university and was contained in a statement signed by the CLEs acting Secretary and Director of Administration, Aderonke Osho.

But Nigerians on social media are knocking Mr Mamman, accusing him of complicity and overseeing the universitys violation of the admission quota while serving as the institution vice-chancellor.

Until his appointment in August as the education minister by President Bola Tinubu, Mr Mamman was the vice-chancellor of the Abuja-based private university which is reportedly owned by the vice-presidential candidate of the opposition Labour Party in the February 2023 general elections, Datti Baba-Ahmed.

Mr Mamman also served as the Director General of the Nigerian Law School (NLS) from 2005 to 2013.

Accreditation panel findings

Speaking for the CLE, Ms Osho said the decision to temporarily ban admission of law students at the Baze university was taken at the councils quarterly meeting held on 23 November after considering the report of the accreditation panel to the universitys faculty of law.

She said the panel, led by the Director-General, Nigerian Law School (NLS), Isa Chiroma, a professor, noted that the university had consistently contravened its admission quota, with the faculty now having a backlog of over 347 students waiting to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School.

Since 2017 the Council of Legal Education has grappled with the excesses of Baze University by admitting over 750 law students which ordinarily would have taken about 15 years of admission based on the quota allotted to the university, a part of the statement read.

The statement added that the Baze University illegally runs a three-year Bachelors of Law (LL.B) programme for some UTME candidates without the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB and the Council of Legal Education.

Under the NUC Minimum Benchmark Academic Standard (BMAS) for Nigerian universities, Law is a five-year programme for UTME candidates, and four years for Direct Entry students, the statement added.

Councils decision

After reviewing these findings, Ms Osho said, the council resolved to impose the temporary ban on admission of law students in the university with immediate effect.

She noted that the moratorium would last for a period of five years in the first instance, and may be renewed if no satisfactory action is taken to remedy the situation.

She said: The Council in the interest of the innocent students, parents and guardians will use the five-year period to find ways to deal with the backlog of law students admitted by Baze University in excess of its admission quota.

Follow-up visits will be paid to the university to ascertain the extent of the measures it has taken to remedy the anomalies observed during the accreditation visit.

The National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), parents, guardians, prospective applicants and members of the public are hereby put on notice on the status of Baze University Abuja and its Faculty of Law.

Not disciplined, Nigerians knock minister

Meanwhile, Nigerians on social media are questioning the ministers discipline as an administrator, maintaining that the violations of the CLEs admission quota were done under his watch.

The current minister of education was their (Baze University) vice-chancellor during these years. This means the man is not a disciplined and good administrator, Abiola Olumu, posted on X in what is representative of a widespread opinion expressed on the microblogging site.

Another X user, Tunde Abiodun, @TundeAbiodun12 posted: Baze University issues: It is an indictment on the current Minister for Education,Prof.Tahir Mamman that under his watch as the former vice chancellor of the school such degree of irregularities occured in d law faculty of d school(admission quota & duration of course). What a shame!

Another X user with the username @Oserume1, posted: To understand how funny this is, Tahir Mamman, Tinubus Minister of Education was VC of Baze University when this alleged infraction was happening. It is funnier Tahir Mamman is a Senior Advocate and a former DG of Nigerian Law school. So, ordinarily Tahir Mamman should know the consequences of such infractions, but lets watch and see how this movie plays out

Another User, LK. Omole @zbnfam, wrote, In all of these, can the current Minister of Education who was the VC of this school when these infractions took place come out and explain himself?

Minister to comment

Meanwhile, the Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations at the education ministry, Obilor-Duru Okechi, said the ministers reaction on the development would be released on Monday.

It has been in the news. So youll get our reaction by tomorrow. The way its on air, thats how our reaction will be on air, she told our reporter on the phone on Sunday.

University official speaks

But an official of the university accused the CLE of deliberately targeting the university, saying all Nigerian universities violate the quota.

The official, who asked not to be named because the university has yet to give a permission to speak to the media over the sensitive matter, confirmed that the university admitted beyond its quota but noted it was not peculiar to it.

Baze Law Faculty admits more than its quota, the source told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, adding, Please tell me one university in Nigeria that does not do this. From public to private, they are all involved. Show me one that is not tangled and I will take back my words.

The source wondered why CLE was concerned about the allocated quota and not the carrying capacity or the requisite facilities of the institution.

On the accusations that the university runs a five-year programme in three years, the source explained that the university runs three semesters per session instead of two obtainable in other Nigerian universities.

The source said the third trimester is not compulsory but many students prefer doing it as it enables them to finish earlier.Baze runs a trimester system, instead of a semester system in some other universities. Trimester means three cohorts in a year, four months per one, while semester means two, and the same four months per one.

The source wondered why the regulatory body was more concerned about longevity and quantity rather than depth and quality.

Insisting that the university teaches and complete the law curriculum as approved by the relevant agencies, the source added: Whats the point (to put it simply and as an instance), of reading five books over five years, when you can finish them in three years and move on to the more difficult challenges of life?

The university official further said: Has CLE checked if Baze skipped the teaching of any module outlined in BMAS or CCMAS? Have many Baze graduates not been outstanding in the Law School?

Have many of these saints and their wards not qualified as lawyers by completing their law programmes in two years at the University of Birmingham, the University of Leeds, and many other UK and USA universities? Have they not?

What is the fuss about it all: resistance to change, or just sheer irritation with the success of a young man? Why elevate personal differences? Whats wrong with retraining politically exposed persons, seeking further knowledge? Poor Datti? Take it in your stride, for that is the price you have to pay for being daring, for being Nigerian!

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.

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Three men have allegedly gang-raped a 20-year-old woman in Owerri, Imo State, Nigerias South-east.

An X user, (@PIDOMNIGERIA), in a series of post on Saturday, narrated how the survivor was raped by the suspects.

The suspects were identified simply as Ceder, Obinna and Divine.

How it happened

The X user said the survivor was raped between 18 and 19 November.

He said the suspects allegedly hacked into the WhatsApp account of the survivors friend through whom they lured her to a location.

According to the X user, the suspects seized the survivors phone, threatened to kill her if she failed to cooperate with them and then went on to rape her despite the fact she was menstruating at the time.

The survivor, according to the X post, got back home and confided in her unnamed male friend, who mobilised other young men to apprehend two of the suspects, Ceder and Obinna while the third suspect, Divine, escaped.

He said the unidentified young men later handed over the suspects to police in Imo State and would later find out that one of the suspects was detained and released by the police last month over another rape case.

The post did not identify the suspect who was released over a similar case.

He has been arrested twice in the past over (separate) rape cases, the X user said of the suspect who was released.

He claimed that while the suspects mother had been calling the survivor daily and pleading for her son to be forgiven, wife of the second suspect visited the police facility and openly told the police to send her husband to prison because he (the suspect) is irresponsible.

The X user said the survivor had gone to a hospital to run a test given that she was raped by the suspects without protection.

He expressed worry that the suspects could bribe the officers and get released from detention.

Police react

Reacting, the police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident in a post on his X handle on Sunday.

Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the police in the state had taken necessary investigative steps in ensuring that the victim gets justice.

The (alleged) rapists will certainly be made to face the full weight of the law, he assured.

The police spokesperson dropped his telephone number and asked the X user to call him.

Similarly, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a post on his X handle on Sunday, condemned the incident and assured that the matter will never be swept under the carpet.

Mr Adejobi, an assistant commissioner of police, said the Force had contacted the police in Imo State to do the needful.

I will personally monitor it, he said of the case, adding, Rape and gender-based violence are barbaric, and we must do everything to curtail them.

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Stephen Nwaigwe, a dismissed Catholic priest, has been remanded for allegedly raping and impregnating a teenager in Anambra State.

The Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court in Awka, the state capital, ordered the remand when the matter came up in court on Monday, Vanguard newspaper reported.

Mr Nwaigwe was among the priests expelled by a popular Catholic Faith-Based Religious Congregation in Orlu, Imo State, known as the Two Hearts of Love Congregation in 2018 over alleged misconduct inimical to the image of the church.

But the dismissed priest has continued to carry out religious activities at the invitation of groups and organisations.

Mr Nwaigwe was said to have met the teenager (name withheld) at Saint Albert The Great Catholic Church Parish, Obosi in Anambra State where he was invited for a church programme.

He was also accused of taking the pregnant teenager to Benin City, Edo State, where the baby was delivered, but the police said the whereabouts of the said baby was still unknown.

Survivor speaks

The survivor, while answering questions at the court, said Mr Nwaigwe took her from her parents to live with him when she was 14 years old with a promise to sponsor her education, while she equally served as his cook.

The teenager said Mr Nwaigwe started raping her until she became pregnant at the age of 17 as soon as she moved into his house.

She said when she informed him about her pregnancy, the dismissed cleric took her from Ihiala in Anambra State, where they lived, to somewhere in Benin City to the house of a couple he introduced to her as his brother and the wife.

While on our way to Benin City, Father (the suspect) told me to say that I was gang-raped. But I have never been raped before, except the ones he did to me in his house.

When I gave birth to my baby at a native birth attendants house in Benin City, I was told that the baby died and when I made efforts for them to show me the dead baby, they said it had been buried, the survivor narrated.

During the court proceedings, the police prosecutor informed the court that there was probable cause to order the remand of the dismissed priest.

However, the defence counsel applied for bail for the defendant, urging the court to exercise its discretion of bail in favour of the defendant, citing sections 13(3), 71(3), 72 and 73 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Anambra State, 2022, as well as, sections 35 and 36 of the Nigerian constitution.

The counsel also prayed the court to grant bail to the dismissed priest in most liberal terms, assuring the court that Mr Nwaigwe would never jump bail, if granted.

But the police prosecutor opposed the bail application by the defence counsel, saying the case before the court was an offence against a minor who was supposedly under the spiritual guardianship of the defendant.

The prosecutor emphasised that the defendant had since been suspended by the authorities of the Roman Catholic Church, noting that the claim that the defendant had serious health challenge to warrant being granted bail, was never certified by a qualified medical personnel, as required by law.

He further contended that the defendant could jump bail and leave the country without standing trial, if granted bail.

Ruling on the bail application, the chief magistrate, Genevieve Osakwe, noted that the case before the court was an offence punishable with life imprisonment upon conviction.

Ms Osakwe regretted that the offence of rape against minors was becoming rampant in the society.

The chief magistrate urged Mr Nwaigwe to seek his bail at the High Court and subsequently ordered the prosecuting police officer to transmit the original case file to the office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Anambra State.

She subsequently adjourned the case until 6 December for report of compliance

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has condemned the plot by some individuals to disturb the peace of Sierra Leonians.

The condemnation is contained in a statement issued by ECOWAS on Sunday in Abuja.

The bloc has learnt, with utter disgust, a plot by certain individuals to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order in Sierra Leone.

ECOWAS condemns this act and calls for the arrest and prosecution of everyone involved in the illegality.

The bloc has always maintained its zero-tolerance for unconstitutional change of government.

We want to reaffirm our commitment to supporting the government and the people of Sierra Leones quest to deepen democracy and good governance by consolidating peace and security so as to foster socio-economic development, it stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Sierra Leonean government has declared a 24-hour nationwide curfew in a proactive step to ensure that the peace is not tampered with.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Sierra Leone government declared the nationwide curfew after unidentified individuals attempted to break into a military armoury.

The Ministry of Infomation and Civic Education said the individuals, in the early hours of Sunday, tried to break into the armoury at Wilberforce barracks in the capital, Freetown.

They have all been rebuffed, the ministry said, and the government and security forces are in control.

It indicated that the suspects involved in the incident have not been apprehended.

To enable the security forces to continue the process of apprehending the suspects, a nationwide curfew is declared with immediate effect across the country, Chernor Bah, the information minister, wrote in the Sunday morning statement.

A government official, however, told Reuters, that there was a prison break at the central prison in Freetown. Many inmates escaped.

The security breach in Sierra Leone is occurring during a period of political uncertainty in many West and Central African countries with the resurgence of military coups. Coups have taken place in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Gabon in recent years.

(NAN)

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GAZA/JERUSALEM, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Israel received on late Saturday night the second batch of hostages released from the Gaza Strip after a delay of over seven hours, the Israeli army said.

A total of 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis and four Thais, were released on Saturday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a post on its X account.

The hostages will undergo initial checkups before being escorted to hospitals by security forces.

The 17 people are the second group of hostages sent back to Israel in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The exchange was scheduled to take place around 4 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on Saturday, but was delayed for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet the terms of a four-day humanitarian cease-fire agreement, which was agreed upon by the two sides on Wednesday after more than six weeks of bloody conflict.

The "obstacles" were later solved through "Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides," Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari announced on Saturday night, adding that 39 Palestinians will be released from Israeli prisons on the same day. 
The chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Desmond Akawor, has resigned.

Mr Akawors resignation follows his appointment by President Bola Tinubu as a federal commissioner representing Rivers State in the Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation Commission.

In a resignation letter dated 22 November and addressed to Umaru Damagun, the PDP national chairperson, Mr Akawor gave his new appointment as a reason for his resignation.

He said he had since handed over to his deputy, Aeron Chukwuma.

My family and I are extremely grateful to Mr President  Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his consideration and for finding me worthy to serve in this capacity.

I remain committed to the ideals of our party always and will continue to be available to provide, steer, and support for all party affairs whenever l am called upon, Mr Akawor said.

Mr Akawor, a diplomat and politician, is a former Nigerian ambassador to South Korea. He is the second high-profile PDP member from Rivers State to get a federal appointment in the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government.

Nyesom Wike, a PDP member and immediate-past governor of the oil-rich Rivers State, was earlier appointed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory by President Tinubu.

Mr Akawor as the PDP chairperson and Mr Wike as leader of the party in Rivers, the party adopted Mr Tinubu, as its presidential candidate in Rivers State, instead of former vice president Atiku Abubakar, who was the PDP candidate in the 2023 presidential election.

Mr Akawor, an ally of Mr Wike, had before now served as the sole administrator of the Greater Port Harcourt Development Authority and director-general of Mr Wikes governorship campaign.

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There was confusion among air passengers on Sunday when an Abuja-bound aircraft belonging to United Nigeria Airlines Limited surprisingly landed at Asaba International Airport in Delta State, South-south Nigeria.

The 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in Kano State, Salihu Tanko-Yakasai, who was a passenger in the aircraft, narrated how the incident happened in a post on his X handle.

We departed Lagos about an hour ago on @flyunitedng to Abuja, and upon arrival, the cabin crew confidently announced that weve arrived Abuja, only for us to realise that we landed in Asaba, Mr Tanko-Yakasai wrote at about 4:22 p.m. on Sunday.

The PRP candidate uploaded a photograph of the passengers inside the aircraft.

Another X user, Augustine Macky, who also boarded the aircraft, uploaded a video clip which showed some passengers of the aircraft complaining bitterly about the error.

Mr Macky said he and other passengers in the aircraft were terrified by the incident.

Mr Tanko-Yakasai, in another post a few minutes later, announced that they had departed Asaba for Lagos.

I pray we dont land in Osogbo next! he joked.

Temporary diversion

The United Nigeria Airline has confirmed the incident.

In a statement on Sunday evening, the airlines spokesperson, Uchegbu Achilleus-Chud, explained that the affected aircraft, NUA 0504, was temporarily diverted to Asaba International Airport due to poor destination weather.

Mr Achilleus-Chud said a wrong announcement by the cabin crew upon landing at Asaba was what created the confusion among passengers.

At all material time, the pilot of the aircraft was aware of the temporary diversion and was properly briefed, he said.

READ ALSO: Ibom Air receives first brand new Airbus aircraft

The spokesperson announced that the aircraft has now landed safely in Abuja following improvement on destination weather.

He maintained that the airline was committed to ensuring the safety of their passengers at all times.

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The ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja has ruled that that some sections of the Nigerian Press Council Act constitute a violation of citizens rights, including their right to freedom of expression, and must be immediately amended to align them with international best practices.

The court made the pronouncement in its judgement on a suit filed by two Nigerian journalists, Isaac Olamikan and Edoghogho Ugberease.

They had sued the Nigerian government, alleging that the Nigerian Press Council Act of 1992 was discriminatory and breached their right to freedom of expression.

The Nigerian Press Council established by the contested Act is a statutory organisation vested with the responsibilities of ensuring the highest ethical and professional standards in the media.

It is empowered by the law to conduct enquiries into complaints about the print media outlets and the conduct of any person or organisation towards the press, amongst other functions.

Delivering the courts judgement on the suit on Friday, 24 November, a judge on the courts panel, Dupe Atoki, declared that sections 19 (1)(a), 27 and 37 of the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Act failed to recognise public interest media including rights of online and citizen journalists.

Highlights of the decision are contained in a statement issued by the ECOWAS Courts Communication Division on Sunday.

The statement said the three-member panel of the ECOWAS Court that decided the case comprised Ms Atoki, A Edward Amoako Asante (presiding) and Sengu M. Koroma (Member).

Specifically, Ms Atoki said the offending sections of the Nigerian law violate Article 9 (1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), and Article 8 (1) and 10 (2) of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa.

While on the alleged violation of Article 9 (freedom of expression), the Court noted that section 19(1) and Section 27 of the Press Act imposing minimum educational requirement, age limit and registration, were restrictive and interfered with the right to freedom of expression, and therefore violated Article 9 (2).

In reaching its decision, the court acknowledged the impact of technology in the evolving media space with the advent of citizen journalism, influencers and content creators who share news, commentary, and analyses on social issues.

Though not qualified in traditional sense, they contributed to shaping public opinion, the court held.

Referencing Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani education activist, and Greta Thunberg, Swedish environmental activist as good example of teenagers who deployed social media in their advocacy, attaining global recognition, the court said online media provides unrestricted opportunity to gather information and express opinion.

The regional court ordered the Nigerian government to amend these contested sections to align with international practices that promote free, pluralistic and professional journalism.

Earlier in the judgement, the court dismissed the Nigerian governments preliminary objection, holding that it had jurisdiction to entertain and determine the case.

Ungranted prayers

However, the court rejected the journalists request for $1 million as compensation for their alleged illegal arrest and detention.

The court ordered both parties to bear their costs of litigation.

On the alleged violation of Article 2 of ACHPR, the court also noted that the journalists did not prove how they were treated differently in an identical or similar situation.

Consequently, the court held their rights to freedom from discrimination under Article 2 of ACHPR was not violated.

Suit

The applicants, Mr Olamikan and Ms Ugberease, who are online and citizen journalists, filed the case on 14 June 2021, through their lawyer, President Aigbokhan.

Mr Aigbokhan argued that the said portions of the press council law requiring journalists to be at least 18 years and accredited by the NPC in addition to being 25 years to be an editor with work experience in reputable media organisation or news agency and registered with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), discriminated against his client.

The lawyer told the court that his clients practised journalism for the promotion of freedom of expression, opinion, and access to information.

Mr Aigbokhan contended that the sections of the law failed to recognise public interest media such as the rights of online and citizen journalists.

He added that the sections of the Nigerian law were discriminatory and violated their right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Articles 2 and 9(1) of the ACHPR, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR), Articles 2, 10 and 19 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 8 (1) and 10 (2) of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa; and breached the States obligation under the ECOWAS Treaty among other cited texts.

For example, Section 37 of the Press Council Act, puts the minimum age to practice journalism as 18 years of age, while to be qualified as an editor, requires a minimum of 25 years of age. Sections 19(a) and 27 of the Act imposes educational qualifications and compulsory courses of attendance and training before a person can be recognized and allowed to practice as a journalist, the judgment stated.

The journalists had alleged that Nigerian security operatives arrested them separately at different locations while they were investigating and gathering information for their journalistic work.

The pair noted that their arrests and detention were unlawful and breached their rights.

They urged the court to order the government to amend the contested sections of the NPC Act to align with international practice and pay $1 million as damages.

Nigerian govts defence

In its defence, the Nigeria government told the court that journalism is a sensitive profession requiring mastery as well as regulation to prevent negative effect.

The Nigerian governments lawyer, Maimuna Lami Shiru, the director of civil litigation at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, said rights to information and freedom of expression were not absolute.

Ms Ashiru countered the journalists allegations that they were unlawfully arrested and detained by government agents.

The defence lawyer informed the court that Mr Olamikans arrest had national security implications.

She said that Ms Ugberease illegally operated as a journalist.

Cititing instances of other professional bodies that are being regulated, the government explained that there were criteria for registration and membership as journalists.

It urged the court to dismiss the case, describing it as frivolous, baseless and an abuse of court process.

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In the Malawi, citizens learnt the hard way that the judiciary is ordinarily a weapon in the hands of the powerful; that judges are not born independent; and that judicial independence is fought for, not donated Malawis politicians, having learnt that this kind of judiciary endangers them all, have become reluctant converts to judicial independence. Trading in short-term control for long-term security of expectation, they seek and appoint the best to be judges.

Joyce Banda, Malawis fourth (and first female) president, was in Nigeria earlier this month as guest of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State in South-East Nigeria, where she spoke at the 12th annual lecture in memory of the man after whom the university is named. It was also the 119th birthday of Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe, Nigerias founding president, and the month of the 26th anniversary of the death in 1997 of Malawis founding president.

At the lecture, Joyce Banda described Malawis judiciary as award-winning and many Nigerians in the audience, embarrassed by the contrast with theirs which wallows in infamy, broke out in spontaneous acclamation. The story of how Malawis judges became award-winning should be of interest to Nigerians.

On the ruins of the banned Nyasaland African Congress (NAC), Orton Chirwa, Aleke Banda and their confederates, founded the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in 1959. The previous year, Dr Akim Kamnkhwala Mtunthama Banda, who would later lead the country to Independence as Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda (no relation of Joyce Banda), returned to the brutal embrace of a colonial jail in the country he left on foot in 1915. In the 42 years of his foreign sojourn, Dr Banda had traveled through many countries and continents, acquiring qualifications in Anthropology and qualifying as a medical doctor in both the USA and in the United Kingdom. On his release from jail in June 1960, Orton handed over to Banda the leadership of the MCP.

In 1964, on the sixth anniversary of Bandas return to the territory, Malawi attained Independence, with him as its first prime minister. Orton Chirwa, a graduate, like Nelson Mandela, of Fort Hare University in South Africa, became attorney-general and minister of Justice. Two months after the cabinet was sworn in, it was in disarray in a power tussle triggered by allegations of autocracy against Prime Minister Banda.

In many ways, Nigerias and Malawis trajectories managed to converge and diverge. Six months after the military took over power in Nigeria, Malawi became a Republic in July 1966, with Hastings Banda as its first president. It was also the month of Nigerias second military coup.

Orton Chirwa had little regard for the niceties of fair hearing. Prior to Independence, he took issue with the presumption of innocence and burden of proof in criminal trials, arguing for their replacement with traditional African ethos. As Attorney-General he sought these reforms but could not enact them before he was turfed out of cabinet in September 1964.

Following the collapse of the Chilombwe Murder Trials in 1969, Banda scrapped criminal trials by regular courts, transferring jurisdiction over them to so-called Traditional Courts, comprising a traditional chief as chair, with three citizen assessors and one lawyer. As both president and Justice minister, he appointed the traditional courts and they also reported to him. Ortons ideas had become law.

The Traditional Courts eventually usurped the regular courts, affording to Hastings Banda a perverse veneer of process, as they handed to him the heads of a succession of his political opponents in a periodic re-enactment of the Biblical blood theatre designed for his macabre amusement.

Under President Muluzi, the country took steps to reinstate the rule of law, reform the Traditional Courts, integrate them into the infrastructure of the lower magistracy and update the skills of former traditional court judges through suitable training. In the judiciary, the task of spearheading this reform then fell upon two young judges, Andrew Nyirenda and Rizine Mzikamanda.

The three decades of President Bandas reign accounted for the murder and killing of over 6,000 in a rule described by the Los Angeles Times as characterised by brutality, nepotism and whim. The rule of law in the country was reduced to reading the mood swings of the man who would come to be known simply as the Ngwazi. As he memorably put it: Everything. Anything I say is law literally law.

On Christmas Eve in 1981, Banda arranged to abduct an exiled Orton Chirwa and his wife, Vera, from Zambia and, in a tragic irony, had them arraigned for treason in 1983 before the kind of traditional courts that Orton had advocated for as Attorney-General. Their trial was a charade. The court denied them legal defence and the right to call witnesses. Initially sentenced to death on conviction, Banda commuted this to life imprisonment. Orton spent the remainder of his life in solitary confinement at the Zomba Prison in Malawi where, in December 1992, he died at 73.

In death, Orton exacted revenge on his nemesis. Reputedly born around 1898, Bandas cognitive capabilities were in terminal decline. On 12 June 1993, Nigeria voted in elections to return the country to democratic rule after a decade of military rule. Two days later, Malawians similarly voted overwhelmingly at the end of a tortured advocacy to end the single party rule in their country. In Nigeria, the military nullified the vote, extending its rule by another six years. In Malawi, the outcome stood and in elections the following year, citizens toppled Bandas MCP, replacing him with Bakili Muluzi of the United Democratic Front (UDF).

Under President Muluzi, the country took steps to reinstate the rule of law, reform the Traditional Courts, integrate them into the infrastructure of the lower magistracy and update the skills of former traditional court judges through suitable training. In the judiciary, the task of spearheading this reform then fell upon two young judges, Andrew Nyirenda and Rizine Mzikamanda.

As his tenure wound to an end at the beginning of the millennium, President Muluzi thought himself indispensable and sought to extend his tenure, pitting him in a battle of wits with the judiciary, which eventually ruled that being term-limited made him ineligible to run again. In this battle, the judiciary was strengthened by the popular support of citizens wizened by years under the Ngwazi.

In 2004, Professor Bingu wa Mutharika succeeded Muluzi. When Bingu died suddenly of a suspected infarction in April 2012, his younger brother, Peter, an American law professor for over three decades, who was also Foreign Minister, sought to engineer a departure from the constitution in order to by-pass the vice-president, Joyce Banda, and install himself as president.

Despite failing in this machination, Peter inherited his late brothers political infrastructure and, in 2014, got himself elected president in succession to President Joyce Banda, whose effort to nullify this outcome was foiled by the courts. In 2019, Mutharika sought re-election and, knowing that he lost, got the electoral commission to TipEx enough results to announce him winner. In February 2020, the Constitutional Court invalidated that declaration.

In Nigeria, by contrast, subsistence remains the cause of politics, so the politicians weaponise the judiciary in advancing a jurisprudence of subsistence. Citizens interested in changing this could profit from a study of how Malawi changed it.

The year after taking power, in 2015, President Peter Mutharika appointed Justice Andrew Nyirenda as Chief Justice of Malawi. It fell to Nyirendas Supreme Court to affirm in May 2020 that the election organised by the president that appointed him as Chief Justice was too flawed to be lawful. On 8 May 2020, they ordered a re-run.

Ahead of national elections in 2019, Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari compulsorily retired then Chief Justice, Walter Onnoghen, whose fate was buried by the selfish ambitions of his own judicial colleagues.

In Malawi, by contrast, believing that he needed a more pliable court, President Mutharika sought on 12 June 2020 to oust Chief Justice Nyirenda and his next in line, Justice Edward Twea. In response, Malawis citizens blockaded the streets and the courts restrained a desperate president. Two weeks later, the citizens delivered the coup de grace, ousting President Mutharika in the re-run. When he retired in 2021 as Chief Justice, Andrew Nyirenda became a judge of the IMF Administrative Tribunal. His successor as the Chief was Rizine Mzikamanda.

In the Malawi, citizens learnt the hard way that the judiciary is ordinarily a weapon in the hands of the powerful; that judges are not born independent; and that judicial independence is fought for, not donated.

Courts and the judges who sit in them are liable to suffer elite weaponisation in any country in which citizens are unwilling to provide judges with the political support to enable them to strategically defect from the status quo.

Malawis politicians, having learnt that this kind of judiciary endangers them all, have become reluctant converts to judicial independence. Trading in short-term control for long-term security of expectation, they seek and appoint the best to be judges.

In Nigeria, by contrast, subsistence remains the cause of politics, so the politicians weaponise the judiciary in advancing a jurisprudence of subsistence. Citizens interested in changing this could profit from a study of how Malawi changed it.

Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and can be reached through chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu.

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Joshua Gwebe, a legislative aide to a member of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has been killed in Abuja by a mob after he was falsely accused of hijacking a car, the lawmaker has said.

Mr Agbese confirmed the death of his aide to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday via a phone interview.

He said Mr Gwebe was a victim of a jungle justice over a false allegation.

Narrating the circumstances that led to the tragic event, Mr Agbese said his late aide left his (Agbese) home at Brains and Hammer in Galadinmawa around 9 p.m. and boarded a taxi to his home in One Man Village, a suburb in the neighbouring Nasarawa State.

He said there was a brawl between Mr Gwebe and the taxi driver following a disagreement in the course of the journey around Galadinmawa.

According to Mr Agbese, during the scuffle, the driver shouted barawo the Hausa word for thief. The shout attracted the mob who attacked and lynched Mr Gwebe.

He left the House and on his way to his house, he had a fight with the driverwhich is what the driver is saying. Both of them fought and he (driver) screamed Barawo or something, and people gathered and was beaten to stupor, he said.

Mr Agbese said it took the intervention of the police to disperse the mob after which they took Mr Gwebe to the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The lawmaker said the driver is currently at the Galadinmala Police Station while investigation is ongoing.

Family holds different accounts of death

Jacob Ayati, a relative of Mr Gwebe, told PREMIUM TIMES that the mob action was not the late aides immediate cause of death, but his manhandling by the police.

He said Mr Gwebe was alive at the time police arrived at the scene, but instead of taking him to the hospital, the police officers handcuffed him and hurled him into their vehicle.

It was not a mob action per se, Mr Ayati said, adding that the police were complicit in the death of the deceased.

Mr Ayati said the deceased, according to eyewitness accounts, showed his National Assembly identification card to the police but it was dismissed by the police who said it was fake.

The ASP at the scene took the ID card and said it was fake, Mr Ayati said.

So, what we are suspecting is that from the time they lifted him, and threw him into the trunk, that was when he hit his head and died. He was not killed at the scene. He was alive and standing.

When they got to the station, they asked him to stand up, but he did not, they thought he was pretending. Until they realised that he was foaming in the mouth, that was when they took him to the hospital, he said.

Mr Ayati said the family did not know about the death of Mr Gwebe until Thursday when the police contacted the family.

He added that the case has been transferred from the Galadinmawa police station where the incident happened to the criminal investigation department of the state command.

PREMIUM TIMES contacted the Galadinma Police Stations Divisional Police Officer, Abdulahi Nuhu, but he refused to comment on the case.

Position of the law on jungle justice

The lynching of suspected criminals is a regular occurrence in Nigeria and it has its own moniker: jungle justice.

The phenomenon has been on the increase despite the position of relevant laws prohibiting it.

Section 33(1) of the Nigerian constitution states that Every person has a right to life and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Police parade suspected robbers who allegedly killed colleague over loot

Furthermore, Section 8(1) of Administration of Criminal and Justice Act (2015) states that A suspect shall: (a) be accorded humane treatment, having regard to his right to dignity of his person;

(b) not be subjected to any form of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

The killing of Mr Gwebe seems to have resulted from a combination of mob action and police brutality.

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A lawyer, Emmanuel Anene, has accused the National Assembly members of having poor knowledge of the provisions of some of the laws they make.

He criticised certain provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 which omitted party officials, including the president, vice president, governors and their deputies, and other statutory delegates from voting at their party primaries.

The provisions which appeared in Section 84 (8) of the Electoral Act states that, A political party that adopts the system of indirect primaries for the choice of its candidates shall clearly outline in its constitution and rule the procedure for the democratic election of delegates to vote at the convention, congress or meeting.

The provision implies that only delegates elected for that purpose can vote at the convention. The federal lawmakers apparently did not spot the provision until the primaries for the 2023 elections were about to commence.

But Mr Anene, who was a guest on Focus Nigeria, a programme aired on AIT on Thursday, blamed the National Assembly for the omission.

This National Assembly, if you take it back to the Ninth Assembly  they dont read their laws. They dont even read their rules. They amended the Electoral Act and took themselves off the people that are going to vote (at the primaries). They later said it was a mistake but at that time it was over, Mr Anene said.

He was responding to a question whether the National Assembly would amend the Act to accommodate the rules and guidelines made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the smooth conduct of the elections.

Mr Anene, speaking particularly about the electronic transmission of results, the INEC guidelines that has been adjudged by the Supreme Court as not binding and qualified as law since it is not captured in the Electoral Act, argued that the guidelines are laws except it conflicts with the constitution.

INEC is given authority under the Electoral Act to make rules, regulations and guidelines. Even the courts  heads of the judiciary  chief judge of the federation, president of the court of appeal, the chief judge of the federal and state high courts are allowed by the constitution to make rules  these are laws.

When INEC made regulations regarding the conduct of the election, the court would say it is not in the Electoral Act.

It is a misconception of the whole thing. The guidelines, rules and regulations made by INEC will only be null and void to the extent of its inconsistency with the Electoral Act  the parent law or the constitution but if it is not inconsistent, it stands as a law, he argued.

INEC said that they are going to transmit results and a huge amount of money is invested in that and they (Supreme Court) are saying it is not compulsory. If it is not compulsory why money was allocated to it, the lawyer said while disagreeing with the Supreme Court decisions on some election petitions filed by candidates of some political parties.

To address the challenge, Mr Anene urged to the National Assembly to capture all the beautiful regulations and guidelines made by INEC into the Electoral Act.

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( Read 1592 Times)

In the midst of the bustling electoral activity in Udaipur's Mavli constituency, a peculiar atmosphere prevailed as voters maintained a conspicuous silence, offering an intriguing glimpse into their thoughts and inclinations. This unique scenario unfolded on voting day, prompting curiosity about the underlying dynamics shaping voters' decisions.





Dalji Dangi, a voter who cast his ballot at the rural polling center in Mahatma Gandhi Rajkiya English Medium School, Goodli, became the voice of this enigmatic silence when approached by inquisitive journalists. Drawing an unconventional analogy, Dangi compared the voter's mindset to the bygone use of sonography machines for determining an unborn child's gender.

He elucidated that, in the past, sonography machines played the role of revealing whether the fetus was a boy or a girl. However, due to subsequent restrictions, these machines can no longer provide such information. Similarly, voters are now unable to discern whom they have chosen, metaphorically emphasizing the secrecy of their political choices.

Dangi's comparison sparked contemplation among those present, leading him to assert that all other reactions seemed pale in comparison to this vivid metaphor. Interestingly, this perspective resonated with other voters who were also present at the scene, as smiles broke out, unveiling a shared understanding of the metaphorical depth.

Bhupendra Kumar Choubisa, after a thorough exploration of the Vallabhnagar-Mavli constituency, provided insightful reporting on the electoral atmosphere in Udaipur. He underscored the necessity for introspection by both major political parties, the BJP and Congress, urging them to analyze the election results confidently on each assembly seat.

Choubisa remarked, "While both parties claim victory on every assembly seat, only one will ultimately emerge triumphant." He emphasized that the true outcome would be revealed once the election results were officially declared.

As the day progressed, the voter turnout in the Mavli constituency exhibited dynamic fluctuations, eventually surpassing the 70% mark by evening. This active participation not only presented a challenge for pollsters but also left political candidates pondering the profound and silent impact voters wielded in shaping the intricate landscape of local politics.

Source :
( Read 1702 Times)

With the voting for the legislative assembly elections concluded, the fate of the candidates is now sealed in the EVMs. The results, determining the winners and losers, will be revealed on December 3. However, to avoid any untoward incidents, the BJP has decided to impose restrictions on legislators after the results. Senior leaders of the state will meet in the next one or two days to outline the restrictions. Afterward, party candidates will be informed of these guidelines.

According to sources, if the party attains a clear majority, the newly elected legislators may be accommodated in a hotel or resort in Jaipur or its vicinity. If a complete majority is not secured, legislators from outside the state might also be housed. The party has not officially announced the face for the Chief Minister this time, and as a precaution, the party is placing restrictions on legislators. During these restrictions, legislators will be briefed on the party's policies and strategies. If the party secures a complete majority, the name of the Chief Minister will also be decided in this hotel. The Parliamentary Board will then stamp the name.

The party is optimistic due to the increased voter turnout this time. Approximately 75% voter turnout is expected, and the BJP hopes for a complete majority. In the 2018 elections, the voter turnout was 74.71%, a slight decrease from the 75.23% in 2013. The party believes that the increased voter turnout this time will work in its favor and aims for victory.

Source :
COLOMBO, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan police, Special Task Force (STF) and army jointly carried out a pre-dawn raid in the suburbs of Colombo on Sunday and arrested over 40 people, the police said.

The raid was carried out in Sinhapura, Wellampitiya, the area known for gang activities, and those arrested were in possession of drugs and weapons, police media spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said.

A total of 138 police and STF personnel and 200 army personnel were involved in the raid, in which 61 houses and 196 people were searched, according to Thalduwa.

The raid was conducted according to the directives of senior police officials in Western Province, the spokesman said. 
NEW YORK, Nov. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The crab market in APAC is expected to grow by USD 2.29 billion from 2022 to 2027, according to Technavio. In addition, the growth momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of 3.12% during the forecast period. Rising awareness about the nutritional benefits of crabs is notably driving the crab market in APAC. However, factors such as the threat of overfishing may impede market growth. The market is segmented by end-user (food service and retail) and environment (aquaculture and capture fisheries). Technavio provides a comprehensive report summary describing the market size and forecast along with research methodology. The Free sample report is available in PDF format

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Crab Market in APAC 2023-2027

Key Segment Analysis

The market share growth by the foodservice segment is significant during the forecast period. China is one of the main countries contributing to the demand for crabs in the APAC region as it is one of the popular Asia-Pacific seafood dishes served in numerous restaurants. Furthermore, in several fast-casual and quick-service restaurants, there is a growing popularity for crab dishes which is considered a major driver for the Asia Pacific - crab market growth. Hence, such factors are fuelling the growth of this segment which in turn drives the market growth during the forecast period.

To know additional highlights and key points on various market segments and their impact in coming years, View the Free PDF Sample Report.

Company Insights

The crab market in APAC is fragmented, and the companies are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market companies, including: AEON CO. LTD., Alsa Fisheries, Evergreen Seafood, Golden Region Co. Ltd., HAIMENG Food Ltd., Hanwa Co. Ltd., Hong Seafood Pte Ltd., Karkata Trading Pte Ltd., Lee Fishing Company, Marine Aquafarm Pvt. Ltd., Maruha Nichiro Corp., Millennium Ocean Star Corp., Nissui Corp., Phil Union Frozen Foods Inc., Shanghai Kai Chuang Marine International Co. Ltd., Shiok Meats Pte Ltd., Siam Canadian Group Ltd., Source Natural Ltd., Thai Union Group PCL, True World Foods LLC, and United Ocean Co. Ltd.

View the Free PDF Sample Report to find additional highlights on the growth strategies adopted by companies and their product offerings.

Related Reports:

The organic rice flour market size is projected to increase by USD 156.61 million and the market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.26% between 2023 and 2028.

The pet treats market size is projected to increase by USD 9,103.56 million and the market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.57% between 2023 and 2028.

Crab Market In APAC Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 3.12% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 2.29 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 3.02 Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled AEON CO. LTD., Alsa Fisheries, Evergreen Seafood, Golden Region Co. Ltd., HAIMENG Food Ltd., Hanwa Co. Ltd., Hong Seafood Pte Ltd., Karkata Trading Pte Ltd., Lee Fishing Company, Marine Aquafarm Pvt. Ltd., Maruha Nichiro Corp., Millennium Ocean Star Corp., Nissui Corp., Phil Union Frozen Foods Inc., Shanghai Kai Chuang Marine International Co. Ltd., Shiok Meats Pte Ltd., Siam Canadian Group Ltd., Source Natural Ltd., Thai Union Group PCL, True World Foods LLC, and United Ocean Co. Ltd. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

ToC:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Historic Market Sizes

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by End-user

Market Segmentation by Environment

Market Segmentation by Geography

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Drivers, Challenges, & Trends

Company Landscape

Company Analysis

Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com

SOURCE Technavio
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Nov. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An", the "Company" or the "Group", HKEX: 2318 / 82318; SSE: 601318) is pleased to announce that Dr. Ma Mingzhe, Chairman of Ping An, has been honored by The Hong Kong Institute of Directors. His Director of the Year Award 2023 in the Listed Companies Executive Directors category recognizes his exemplary leadership and innovative approaches in corporate governance at Ping An. This is the fourth time Dr. Ma has received this prestigious award.

The panel of judges from The Hong Kong Institute of Directors unanimously praised Dr. Ma for his exceptional leadership and foresight, saying: "Dr. Ma is a seasoned and open-minded board chairman with strong commercial acumen. He is focused on long-term strategic planning, talent management, and corporate governance. He fully understands the importance of succession planning at the board and management levels. He has a good sense of external environments. Under his leadership, Ping An consciously adopts ESG investment philosophies to enhance its post-investments. Dr Ma absolutely deserves the Award."

Dr. Ma said: "The Director of the Year Awards bestowed by the Hong Kong Institute of Directors stand as a pillar of professionalism and authority within our industry. It is with immense honor and pride that I accept this award for the fourth time. This accolade serves as an affirmation of Ping An's steadfast commitment to stringent corporate governance and the collective endeavor of our esteemed board members. Throughout our 35-year venture, Ping An has relentlessly pursued a pinnacle of excellence, by integrating global best practices in corporate governance and tailor-making them to suit our local context in China. We have a meticulously constructed framework that not only complies with international standards but also recognizes the unique local characteristics. We have placed significant emphasis on fostering visionary leadership and advancing sustainable long-term progress. This honor is not only a recognition but also a source of inspiration for us. We pledge to maintain high standards of corporate governance, further enhance our strategic management prowess, and remain focused on our "Integrated Finance + Healthcare and Elderlycare" strategy. As we strive to augment the quality of our core business operations, our unweaving dedication is to generate lasting value for our clients, shareholders, employees, and the society we serve."

Ping An's Board of Directors focuses on the foresight, guidance and accuracy of the Company's strategy, prioritizes long-term and sustainable development and captures development opportunities. It remains focused on customer needs and enhancing its digital prowess to foster high-quality growth. By the end of September 2023, the Company had nearly 230 million retail customers, with an average of 2.99 contracts per customer. It has made significant strides in life insurance reform, and the innovative changes implemented over the past three years led to a 40.9% year-on-year increase in the new business value of life and health insurance to RMB33.574 billion in the first three quarters of 2023. In addition, the Company's healthcare and elderlycare services are progressing well. Customers entitled to '+ services' benefits in the healthcare ecosystem accounted for approximately 68% of Ping An Life's new life insurance business value in the first three quarters of 2023.

Ping An's Board is also proactively addressing the challenges and prospects arising from climate change. It continues to advance its green finance initiative and uphold its social responsibilities to guarantee sustained stable business growth. By the end of June 2023, green investment in Ping An's insurance assets reached RMB140.929 billion, while the balance of green loans stood at RMB134.926 billion. During the first three quarters of 2023, the company's green insurance policies generated original premium income of RMB26.276 billion. Ping An has also committed a total of RMB103.241 billion to aid in rural industrial assistance through its Rural Communities Support programs since 2018.

Ping An emphasizes that, guided by its board, the Company is committed to further developing its "integrated finance + healthcare" strategy, driven by technology. This approach aims to strengthen the synergies within integrated finance while actively enhancing its healthcare and elderlycare offerings. The Company is also dedicated to elevating its operational management standards, advancing digital transformation across the board, and focusing on cost-effective and efficient practices. This strategy is designed to foster high-quality development and consistently generate substantial value for its customers, employees, shareholders, and society.

The Directors of the Year Awards, the first of its kind, have been held annually by The Hong Kong Institute of Directors since 2001. It is dedicated to recognizing outstanding boards and directors, highlighting the significance of good corporate governance, and promoting director professionalism and excellence.

About Ping An Group

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (HKEx:2318 / 82318; SSE:601318) strives to become a world-leading integrated finance and healthcare services provider. With nearly 230 million retail customers, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Under the technology-driven "integrated finance + healthcare" strategy, Ping An provides professional "financial advisory, family doctor, and elderlycare concierge" services. Ping An advances intelligent digital transformation and employs technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of its financial businesses and enhance risk management. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. As of the end of 2022, Ping An had RMB11,137,168 million in total assets. The Group ranked 16th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2023 and ranked 33rd in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2023.

For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn - PING AN.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Prayagraj, Nov 26 : Lareb Hashmi, a 21-year-old B.Tech student who attacked a bus conductor with a cleaver after a dispute over ticket fare in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, has been suspended from his college after his arrest.

In a confession video, Hashmi was seen admitting that he attacked the conductor for "insulting Prophet Muhammad".

The accused also tried to escape the police but was caught in an encounter after being shot in the leg on Saturday.

The bus conductor, identified as Harikesh Vishwakarma, 24, was rushed to a hospital for medical treatment.

Hashmi is a first-year B.Tech student at the United College of Engineering and Research.

College principal H.P. Shukla said Hashmi was a quiet student who often sat alone.

He often did not respond to questions and never engaged in conversations with others, the college principal said. The principal, however, said the faculty never thought such an incident would occur.

Meanwhile, students at his university protested against the incident and said their parents were sceptical of allowing them to attend college, expressing concerns for their safety.

The students also alleged the college authorities were responsible for the incident.

Several Hindu outfits staged a demonstration at the college, appealing to take strict action against students with extremist ideologies and levying serious allegations against the college.
Gaza/Jerusalem, Nov 26 : Hamas has said in a statement that it had handed over the second group of Israeli and foreign hostages to the Red Cross.

A total of 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis and four Thais, have crossed into Egypt and are on their way to Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a post on its X account late Saturday.

The 17 people are the second group of hostages to be sent back to Israel in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Xinhua news agency reported.

The exchange was scheduled to take place around 4 p.m. local time Saturday but was delayed for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet the terms in a four-day humanitarian cease-fire agreement, which was agreed upon by the two sides on Wednesday after more than six weeks of bloody conflict.
Imphal, Nov 26 : Even as most parts of Manipur remain devastated by the seven-month-long ethnic strife between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, the Zeme Naga-dominated Yangkhullen Village, in Senapati district remains peaceful. However, this tribal village is struggling to protect its heritage.

In the midst of calm and verdant surroundings, the residents of Manipur's 'hanging village' harbour a deep yearning for Chief Minister N Biren Singh to fulfill his government's commitment of declaring Yangkhullen a heritage village.

During a visit to this unique tribal village in Manipur in May 9, 2022, Biren Singh had also assured that his government would fulfil several of the promises it had made to develop this ancient Naga village that is home to the 2,500-strong Zeme tribe.

Located about 135 km north of the capital city Imphal in the Willong sub-division just 85 km from Senapati district headquarters, the picturesque village adjoining Nagaland has remained untouched by the unceasing ethnic crisis that has gripped Manipur since May 3 this year.

Out of 16 districts in Manipur, six Naga tribal dominated districts -- Tamenglong, Chandel, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Noney and Senapati, along the Nagaland and Myanmar borders, have mostly remained undisturbed by the ethnic strife.

With an estimated population of 36.49 lakh, Manipur is a small but unique state with 34-35 recognised communities, including the Meiteis and Kukis.

Zeme stands as one among the triad of Zeliangrong Naga tribes, alongside Rongmei and Liangmei. Yangkhullen stands as the least populous among Zeme villages within the state, as most reside in the Tamenglong district.

As per the tribal elders, the collective population of Zemes in Manipur is estimated to be around 15,000. "Though Rs 3 crore was allocated through the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) for preserving our heritage, regrettably, no tangible progress has taken place so far," lamented the village authorities.

Biren Singh's visit last year revived hopes as he had acknowledged the village's allure, vowing to push the Central Government for the declaration of Yangkhullen as a Heritage Village.

Biren Singh assured all support and even promised aid from the Archaeology Department for preservation efforts.

The Chief Minister expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of substantial progress despite the fund allocation. Consequently, he directed the Deputy Commissioner (Senapati) to compile a comprehensive report on the matter and warned of repercussions if any misuse of funds was found.

"We've pleaded for essential facilities such as a police outpost, roads, water supply projects, and the upgrade of our primary health centre to a community health centre," recounted the 43-year-old village chief Hezeteing Zeme.

Hezeteing Zeme highlighted the villagers' demands presented in a memorandum to the Chief Minister during his last visit. Despite assurances by Biren Singh, more than a year has passed without visible steps taken to fulfil these promises, leaving the villagers disheartened.

"We eagerly await the translation of our CM's promises into action," said Hezeteing with a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

The village chief, responsible for settling internal disputes in accordance with traditional practice, lamented that his financial constraints prevent the proper maintenance of his symbolic traditional house, a repository of Zeme culture, artefacts, and historical items.

"Due to the growing size of my family, we had to construct a new extension in the front without adhering to our traditional norms, owing to financial constraints," he explained.

Being the ninth chief of the Yangkhullen village, Hezeteing highlighted the assortment of Zeme tribe artefacts -- traditional pottery, furniture, garments, ornaments, weapons, and a peace treaty spear presented by the neighboring Maram Naga village -- all housed and preserved in his residence.

Among these treasures lies a colossal rice beer brewing vessel carved from a single massive log, close to 500 Mithun horns, and several deer skulls.

Regarding the spear's significance, the chief recounted a history marred by frequent conflicts between the Zeme and Maram tribes. Faced with escalating violence, animosity, and hostility both sides resolved to cease hostilities. In 1976, the chiefs and authorities from both villages convened, solidifying an enduring peace pact symbolised by the mutual exchange of the spear -- a poignant gesture marking the end of strife.

"The exchange of a spear symbolised a historic peace treaty between Zeme and Maram tribes, ending years of animosity," recounted the chief, highlighting the village's rich history and heritage.

Preserving their indigenous religion, 'Paupai Renet,' centered around worshiping their deity 'Tingrangfi,' remains a priority for a few families, including Hezeteing.

"The influence of Christianity has permeated the hill districts, enveloping nearly all indigenous tribes, save for a few, including our Zeme community in this village," the chief shared.

"At present, out of the 450 Zeme households here, approximately 386 have embraced Christianity, while the remaining 64, including my own, adhere to our traditional faith, Paupai Renet," he explained.

"I am committed to perpetuating our heritage, identity, cultural legacy, and the age-old customary practices passed down by our ancestors. I will steadfastly uphold my indigenous religion for eternity," affirmed the Zeme chief.

"Despite attracting tourists, researchers, and filmmakers, our village remains neglected," Hezeteing remarked, pointing out the urgent need for action. "It is quite disheartening to see our village in shambles," Hezeteing said while mentioning his inability to renovate his traditional house.

"Except for setting up five guest houses, a mobile tower, and a Zeme museum there has been no visible sign of development in our village and surrounding areas," the chief said.

"We fervently implore the state government to implement essential measures for securing the 'heritage village' designation for Yangkhullen, as promised by Biren Singh. Additionally, we urge the government to initiate various developmental programs for our village," Hezeteing appealed.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)
New Delhi: Perhaps the best insight into the geo-political divide between the US and China -- developing on the lines of a new Cold War -- can be had by juxtaposing the address of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the remarks of his American counterpart Joe Biden at the APEC CEO summit held at San Francisco on November 15.

The Chinese President with his quiet confidence bracketed the two countries as the global powers that would shape athe future of the worlda and recalled how the inaugural APEC Economic Leaders meet three decades ago had agreed to rise above athe outdated mentality of bloc confrontationa and deepen economic cooperation to build a harmonious and prosperous Asia Pacific community.

Speaking against athe tendency to provoke antagonisma, he emphasised that the remarkable journey of Asia-Pacific cooperation during this period resulting in a contribution of 70 per cent to global economic growth, could prove to be the pacesetter for international cooperation.

Pointing out that athe world has entered into a new period of turbulence and changea, he called for a arelauncha of Asia Pacific cooperation and commitment to APECas founding mission.

Recalling that San Francisco was the place where the UN charter was signed, Xi Jinping favoured the path of adialogue and partnership rather than confrontation and challengea for maintaining Asia Pacific prosperity and stability.

He asserted that China is "the most powerful engine of global growth" and made out that Chinaas strengths are a socialist market economy in systemic terms, a supersized market in terms of demand and an abundant high-calibre labour force and entrepreneurs in terms of human resources. He claimed that China has successfully pursued ahigh-quality growth and high value-added green economic growtha.

He assured the participants that China was committed to pursuing development "with our doors open" and spoke triumphantly of the "success of the third BRI Forum for international cooperation that had produced 458 deliverables".

Xi Jinping thus presented a rosy picture of Chinese growth and its pivotal role in global development confirming that China was pursuing the economic route to becoming a superpower and that it wanted to buy time for it without running into any military confrontation.

Biden in his remarks at the APEC conference made a firm assertion of American interest in Asia-Pacific pointing out that the 21 APEC economies made up for two-thirds of global GDP and could become the largest contributor of global growth in the long term -- into a future where "our prosperity is shared and is inclusive and where workers are empowered and their rights are respected".

He informed the conference that the growth of 4.9 per cent in the American economy was the highest in two years and claimed that more people in the US were in the workforce today than at any time in the countryas history. He assured the leaders of government and industry that they could count on the US which was a Pacific power.

Interestingly, Biden gave out that in his meeting with Xi Jinping a day earlier the latter had asked why was the US so engaged in the Pacific to which Biden replied: "It is because of us that there was peace and security in the region allowing it to grow."

Saying that Xi Jinping "did not deny that", Biden reiterated that awe are not going anywhere for decades to comea as the region is "more vital than ever to the USA".

He stated that he was intent on "responsibly managing the competition" between the US and the Peopleas Republic of China (PRC); and revealed that he had mentioned this to Xi Jinping and also told the latter that "the US does not seek conflict".

Biden clarified that the US was "de-risking" its economic relationship with the PRC -- not decoupling it.

He admitted that the US has differences with Beijing when it comes to a fair and level economic playing field and these will be resolved through diplomacy. Biden emphasised that both sides were straightforward.

He claimed that "we have taken target action to protect our national security interest" but also informed the conference that the US had resumed military-to-military communication channels "to reduce the risk of accidental miscalculation".

The meeting between the Presidents of the US and China may prove to be of special importance considering that they presumably made a firm assessment of each otheras leadership acumen during their 4-hour interaction.

They were both at pains to make the point that a stable relationship between the two largest economies is "good for everyone" and they also evidently decided to work together on critical global issues like Climate, Artificial Intelligence and counter-narcotics.

The bilateral meeting would produce a thaw and the two powers would be able to concentrate on economic development and trade -- having certainly reduced the risk of a military confrontation.

Xi Jinping would be comfortable with the interaction for Chinaas strategy to work totally for building its economy to bridge the gap between the "largest developing economy" and the "largest developed economy" as the Chinese President described the two nations in his address.

There are increased prospects of US business giants making investments in China. Xi Jinping can be said to have benefited more from this bilateral summit.

It seems President Biden looks upon Russia under Vladimir Putin as its biggest adversary -- particularly in the wake of the Ukraine-Russia military conflict -- and would not like to create an environment that strengthens the China-Russia axis.

Economic engagement with China is designed, among other things, to serve that objective. However, Xi Jinpingas ambition of making China a superpower in the near future by extending its economic hold in the world outside is going to keep up the global shift towards a new Cold War in which China and not Russia would lead the block rivalling the US.

The Israel-Hamas confrontation has incidentally unveiled the move of China to increase its foothold in the Muslim world by reaching a give-and-take arrangement with Islamic radicals who regarded the US-led West as their first enemy and found themselves politically on the same side of the fence as China. Chinaas adjustment to the Taliban Emirate in Afghanistan illustrates this.

Biden has definitely adopted a more accommodating approach to China which is in contrast to the strident stand taken by former US President Donald Trump towards that country.

Incidentally, Trump had a friendly outlook towards Russian President Vladimir Putin -- this situation has been totally reversed with the arrival of Biden on the scene.

The US-China relations are a matter of strategic interest for India. Regardless of the status of this relationship, the security threats for India from a hostile Sino-Pak axis, Islamic radicals operating from the Pak-Afghan belt and the anti-India lobbies working on raising the narrative of alleged lack of protection for the minorities in India, are likely to deepen further.

There is a distinct possibility of Pakistan trying to revive Khalistan militancy in Punjab. The Indo-US friendship being pushed to a new high without India compromising with the vital bonds with Russia, is a crucial component of Indiaas strategy.

In the backdrop of a divide in the Muslim world between forces of radicalisation and countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt which are Islamic and even fundamentalist but on the right side of the US, India has to remain firm against the former -- particularly in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict. While strongly supporting the idea of two states, India would like the restoration of peace and no further civilian destruction.

India has to continue working with multilateral forums that stand for rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and watch out against any hostile activity in the Indian Ocean.

Dealing with Chinese designs on LAC and the persistent cross-border terrorism in Kashmir are problems that India would have to handle on its own.

The policy framework covering all these fronts is already in place and serving India well. It has also helped to make this country a trustworthy counsel on global issues of war and peace.

(The writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Views are personal)
Mumbai, Nov 26 : Exactly 15 years after 10 Pakistani terrorists wreaked havoc for 60 hours at multiple locations on November 26, 2008, Mumbai now feels "safe and secure" owing to a variety of reasons.

The average Mumbaikar has only faint memories of the carnage that ensued after the 10 heavily armed terrorists sneaked in through the Arabian Sea and then virtually laid siege to a small area of south Mumbai.

The final toll was 166, plus the 9 gunmen, while one attacker, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was nabbed alive, underwent a full, open trial in Indian courts, was convicted after four years and then hanged on November 21, 2012 at Pune's Yerwada Central Jail.

The other nine attackers, who were gunned down in encounters with the security forces at various locations, were buried at secret locations in Mumbai, as announced by the then home minister, the late R.R. Patil.

The attacks, which virtually caught the Indian security set-up sleeping, led to a series of corrective measures, upgrades, reinforcements, better weapons, improved intelligence, surveillance mechanisms, to avert a similar situation in the future.

The developments since on beefing up the preventive efforts have resulted in a 'security kawach' around Mumbai that can thwart any such attacks in the future swiftly and surgically, officials assure.

Among the improvements and rectifications are the elite Force One, the Quick Response Team, a Mumbai Police Marine Unit, enhancement of the sea and coastal security jointly by the Indian Navy (IN) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in tandem with the police.

They are helped by better weapons for the police force, intelligence sharing from the respective departments, keen surveillance with advanced equipment and a network of CCTVs in the city plus a technically trained manpower that has been raised since 2008.

The QRT, with five major units, is intended to be the 'first responder' to any terror strikes or other major security concerns that have made the country's commercial capital breathe easy and feel safe and secure.

As the name signifies, the QRT moves fast, reaches the terror site in the least possible time, and attempts to nullify the threats, is effective in handling/neutralising a hostage situation and works in coordination with other state or central forces.

Force One, designed on the lines of the National Security Guards (NSG) is another exclusive regiment of well-trained, highly motivated personnel, armed with the latest weaponry, communication systems and transport to respond to any terror or security threats.

It has already gained wide fame and is now training similar security forces being raised in other Indian states and also some African countries.

As a former police officer and one of the witnesses in the 26/11 terror case said, all these measures resulted in a significant improvement in the city's security environment.

"Consider this. In the past 15 years only one serious terror strike took place in Mumbai -- the 13/7, 2011 attacks, when 3 controlled explosions were triggered at Dadar west, Zaveri Bazar and Opera House on Charni Road east, claiming 26 lives and injuring 130 others," said the ex-officer.

There was another noteworthy terror incident outside the city - the Pune German Bakery blast of February 13, 2010 - but barring these two, the once vulnerable state has become almost rid of such attacks.

On the surveillance front, the state government had then decided to install 6,000 'electronic eyes' to monitor Mumbai round-the-clock and the slightest suspicious activity doesn't escape its attention.

In recent years, there have been blank threats, crank calls and other alerts from different parts of Mumbai and outside, but in some cases, the CCTV network also came in handy to track the culprits attempting to create a security scare, besides other local criminal activities, traffic violations or accidents, etc.

The government has provided the Mumbai Police with armoured bullet-proof vehicles, explosives scanners, Sealegs Amphibious Boats, speed boats in the Arabian Sea to monitor suspicious movements along the city coast along with ICG and IN ships and coastal patrols.

A former state intelligence official who was active behind the scenes in the post-26/11 scenario and related safety aspects, observed that those terror attacks were an "important lesson" not only for the government and the security forces, but also the people of the country on the need to remain 'ever-vigilant' to the slightest dubious goings on anywhere and the necessity to react, as "security is not just the concern of the experts but also the commoners".

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Retired IPS officer and BJP MP Satyapal Singh, who was Police Commissioner of Mumbai prior to joining the politics, has termed the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack as a failure of the then UPA government and security agencies.

Singh, also former Union Minister, told IANS that the 2008 Mumbai attack was a huge failure of the then Central and state governments as well as the security agencies that were not even aware of it.

He said that unfortunately, Congress and UPA "completely failed" in providing security to the common people. "During that period (UPA rule), there used to be frequent terrorist attacks and bomb blasts in different cities of the country, but after Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, the whole scenario changed," Singh said.

Citing the work done on a "war footing" by the Modi government for the modernisation of security agencies, state police and intelligence agencies, Singh said: "Today our security agencies have become stronger and more capable than before."

He claimed that the internal and external security of the country has strengthened after Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014.

The Modi government has the political will to enter into the homes or camps of terrorists, he said, adding that almost the entire country, except Kashmir where some incidents are still happening, is "completely free" from terror incidents today.

Singh further said that statistics show that the back of terrorism has been broken in the country. "Naxalite violence within the country has also reduced by almost 80 per cent and today, except Kashmir, entire India is almost safe from terror attacks."

However, he added that in Kashmir too, the incidents of stone pelting have also reduced. "Some terror incidents are still happening in Kashmir but the common man there is feeling safe now."

Singh claimed that there has been a significant reduction in the incidents of civilian casualties. "There are certainly some attacks on security forces but it is also a fact that the security situation in Kashmir has improved a lot," he said.

Responding to a question about those responsible for the 26/11 terror attacks not being punished yet, Singh said: "Ever since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, international pressure on Pakistan regarding terrorism has increased. After the surgical strikes, the number of terrorists' training camps inside Pakistan or in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir has also decreased. Today Pakistan is under a lot of pressure."

"As long as Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of this country, terrorists cannot even think of carrying out a 26/11 like attack in India, but despite this, India will have to remain alert, and cautious as terrorism has become a global problem today," he added.
Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni symbolically turns on the light of illuminated floats during the Water Festival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 26, 2023. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia celebrated the annual three-day Water Festival here on Sunday, reviving the more than 800-year-old tradition of boat races in the Southeast Asian country.

The kingdom's grandest festival returned after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tens of thousands of spectators gathered on both sides of the Tonle Sap river in the capital Phnom Penh to cheer on oarsmen who raced their boats along a 1.7 km stretch of the river.

King Norodom Sihamoni, along with Prime Minister Hun Manet and other national leaders as well as foreign diplomats, watched boat racing from a stage erected on the riverbank in front of the royal palace.

Lay Sotheara, a 32-year-old boatman from southeastern Tboung Khmum province, said he was thrilled to participate in the festival, saying that his boat has 75 rowers.

"This is to help preserve a legacy left by our ancestors," he said.

Yan Chanthavy, a 20-year-old spectator from southern Takeo province, said she has never lost her excitement in watching boat racing although she has seen it a few times.

"I come to watch this boat race with my three siblings, and it's my third time to watch it," she told Xinhua.

Chanthavy, who is also a university student, said the water festival is to thank ancestors who won the fight with enemies and to thank rivers that have provided water for people, animals and plants.

"This water festival is very good to preserve our old tradition, and to tell our younger generations that in ancient times, boats were used as a means of transport for the fight in wars and for waterway travel," she added.

Seth Sreyne, an 18-year-old viewer, said it is her first time to watch the boat race, expressing her enthusiasm to see huge crowds of people.

"It helps promote our country and culture to foreign visitors," she told Xinhua. "I wish to see more tourists coming to Cambodia because our country enjoys full peace, with good security and safety."

Bou Chumserey, vice-chairman of the boat-racing technical control committee, said some 337 boats with 20,417 oarsmen from different provinces are taking part in the three-day regatta, which will last until Tuesday next week.

During the reign of Angkorian King Jayavarman VII, the king had used naval forces, with boats as a means of transport, to fight against the Chams and defeated them in 1181, he said.

According to the official, the festival is also to mark the end of the annual rainy season and the unique reversal flow of the Tonle Sap river that connects the Tonle Sap lake with the Mekong River.

"It is to show our gratitude to the Mekong River for providing us with all-season water, fertile land and abundant fish," he said.

At the event, besides viewing the regatta during the daytime, festival-goers can enjoy the procession of illuminated floats and fireworks as well as concerts at nighttime.

With its long history, the water festival is also a special occasion for rural people to visit the capital city and to bring back home with sweet memories. 

Oarsmen take part in the boat race in the Tonle Sap river during the Water Festival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 26, 2023. (Photo by Sovannara/Xinhua)
Mumbai, Nov 26 : The picturesque UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 1,600 km-long Western Ghats Region (WGR) -- one of the 35 Biodiversity Hotspots on the planet -- is plagued by heavy and rapid soil erosion owing to multiple factors, warns a new study by IIT-Bombay.

The study by the Centre for Technology for Rural Areas (CTARA), led by Prof Pennan Chinnasamy along with Vaishavi Honap of the College of Engineering, Pune, has shown a net average increase of 94 percent in soil degradation in the WGR between 1990-2020, detrimental to the region's globally important biodiversity.

"Using the available data from the 1990s and later, we have quantified the soil loss from 1990 to 2020. It shows the average soil loss for WGR was 32.3 tonnes per hectare per annum (1990), shooting to 46.2 tphpa (2000), climbing to 50.2 tphpa (2010), and again jumping to 62.7 tphpa (2020).

Given the scale of the WGR spread over 140,000 sq.km. across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the researchers had to process large datasets with advanced technology and break down the task into multiple parallel jobs, he added.

The analyses revealed that Tamil Nadu recorded the highest soil loss rate of 121 per cent in the three decades, followed by Gujarat with 119 per cent.

Below them are Maharashtra with a soil erosion surge of 97 per cent, Kerala at 90 per cent, Goa with 80 percent and Karnataka the lowest at 56 per cent during the same period.

"These drastic and unsustainable rates of soil erosion pose a significant threat to the ecosystem, biological diversity, and the communities that depend on the WGR for survival," said Chinnasamy.

The first-of-its-kind study covering the entire WGR deployed remote sensing data from satellites to quantify the long-term soil degradation across the huge area spanning half-a-dozen states, and not only confirmed the progressive increase in soil erosion rates, but also an alarming state-wise spike owing to various factors.

"The WGR is a biodiversity hotspot that harnesses multiple lifeforms, and is a very unique spot in the world. However, the management of this ecosystem needs more focus. Water and soil form the core for life here, and since soil erosion is not monitored, we have quantified the soil losses," said Chinnasamy.

This was achieved using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) method which provides a convenient framework for assessing erosion and its factors like rainfall, topography, soil credibility, land cover and prevailing conservation practices.

"In the present study, the use of USLE for the WGR was novel and perhaps the first time such an assessment has been carried out at this scale (temporal and spatial)," said Chinnasamy.

Among the multiple factors leading to the large-scale soil erosion, the study points out that the escalating impact of climate change, coupled with land management, are the main culprits, besides the pressures of unsustainable and unplanned activities, heavy tourism, and other local challenges in all states.

The impact of this has been seen in the form of heavy floods witnessed in the past few years in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and to a lesser extent even in Goa and Karnataka.

The floods have drastically hit agricultural productivity, reduced water quality, affected fresh water sources, posed major ecological and socio-economic challenges and affected the unique biodiversity of the WGR, raising some tough questions for the policy-makers to address.

Chinnasamy feels that state agencies could work on the region of influence or administration and conserve soil by taking measures to prevent its erosion, through local or regional zones and IIT-B experts can assist them in the endeavour, and strategic focus on reducing human disturbance in the WGR.

There is also a need for physical monitoring of soil loss and erosion at multiple locations across WGR to scientifically validate the remote sensing data used in the study, increase soil conservation efforts and reduce anthropogenic disturbances.

These, in turn, can not only help mitigate climate change impacts but also avert the imminent erosion-induced damage to the fragile ecosystem of the WGR here, he urged.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)
The Gandhi Solar Park on the roof of a building in the United Nations headquarters in New York. The facility donated by India costs $1 million and has a 50-kilowatt capacity.. Image Source: IANS News

United Nations, Nov 26 : While nations discuss global warming in the world body's conference complex at its headquarters, the Gandhi Solar Park on the roof powers their meetings.

A symbol of Indiaas commitment to fighting global warming, the 50 kilowatt set up was a gift from the nation in 2019, the 193 solar panels in the park represent each of the UN members.

Taking its dedication to clean energy globally, India has taken initiatives to help spread the use of solar energy, a key source of alternate energy to polluting power generated with fossil fuels, from the UN headquarters to the tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu.

India launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in cooperation with France in 2018 with the ambitious 'Towards 1000' plan to generate $1,000 billion of investments by 2030, while delivering clean energy access to 1,000 million people and installing 1,000 gigawatts of solar energy capacity by 2030.

From the US to Fiji and Botswana to Norway, 116 countries have signed on to the Alliance with 95 of them ratifying the agreement to become full members.

The ISA works with international development banks and the private and public sectors to attain its goals.

One of its goals is 'One World, One Sun, One Grid' -- transmitting electricity produced by countries with lots of sunshine to other countries.

It provides assistance to several Global South countries, especially in Africa, in training, planning and helping find finance and implementing projects.

ISA holds consultations with member countries to ascertain their needs and to find ways to meet them.

One of the outcomes of consultations was finding there was a need for 2.7 million solar-powered water pumps, which it is helping fulfill.

ISAas activities range from setting up solar parks and rooftop generators to finding finance and managing waste from batteries.

Another initiative though the India-UN Development Fund has projects with an outlay of $3 million covering four clean energy projects and three climate action projects with a $3.2 million budget.

The projects under the Fund go beyond clean energy generation to meeting the challenges of climate change.

One project with seven tiny Pacific island nations vulnerable to weather-related disasters -- recurring cyclones, droughts and floods -- helps them deal with these crises by training people and providing material assistance like automatic weather stations.

An unusual project of the Fund was to install solar panels on the official residences of heads of state of 11 Pacific island nations as a way to highlight the importance of solar power and demonstrate its use.

In Cameroon, the Fund participated in a 'Solar Mamas' project, bringing women to India to be trained in setting up and maintaining solar power equipment that were installed in villages as part of clean energy programmes.

The clean energy projects in that country also included providing efficient stoves for cooking made with local materials and biodigesters for producing biogas briquettes.

In Mali, the Fund set up borewells with solar pumps and a water distribution system.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
New Delhi, Nov 26 : With the big polls scheduled for 2024, the question -- where does the INDIA block stand today -- looms large as the bloc bonhomie went for a toss in the five-state polls.

Many of the bloc leaders are miffed and some felt let down, more by the Congress. Some of the leaders openly expressed anguish and swore a tit-for-tat. There was no coordination and alliance seemed withering.

The bloc even failed to hold a joint rally in any of the five states during the campaign period. The INDIA bloc appeared as 28 separate parties and not as one powerhouse.

The Indian Democratic Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which BJP refers to as INDI Alliance, failed to stand united and create the magic it had claimed at the time of its formation in July.

The Assembly election in five states has exposed the weakness of the alliance, and has also made it clear that Congress will not compromise on its big brother role, which it hopes to strengthen after the state polls results.

In Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, where the Congress is the lead party to take on BJP, no seat sharing with smaller constituents of the bloc was done. In Telangana, the Left parties and in Madhya Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the AAP, felt badly let down by the Congress. The SP and AAP did not hesitate to express their frustration with the Congress.

SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav even campaigned against the Congress in Madhya Pradesh. Addressing a public meeting in the state, Yadav said if the party could "cheat" him, it can cheat the masses.

After his bitter experience in Madhya Pradesh, the SP chief is making preparations for all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. He even said, "Lessons should be learnt in politics, only this helps to move forward." If the lessons mean that, the SP will retaliate appropriately in Uttar Pradesh during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, then trouble will be more for the Congress.

With the smaller constituents expressing unhappiness and no unity show by the opposition alliance in the Assembly polls, the INDIA bloc seems to have lost much steam.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has blamed the Congress Party for the bloc not being able to put up a show. He said, "The Congress seems to be more interested in Assembly elections in the five states. In the INDIA coalition, we all had agreed to assign the leading role to the Congress but it appears they will call the next meeting only after the polls in five states."

Nitish Kumar made the right observation since the Congress is pinning for a good show in the state polls that can help it establish the lead role in the INDIA block. A good performance will increase its bargaining power in the bloc, so vital for the big 2024 fight.

Although national leaders of the Congress have been refraining from talking about its preferring solo performance in the Assembly polls, its leaders in states have been saying that the INDIA bloc was meant for national politics and not regional elections.

The Congress has put its strategy to test in the five-state Assembly elections -- Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana. Its first and foremost strategy is to strengthen itself in states and then go for the big leap in 2024. The grand old party had a morale boosting victory in Karnataka. It seeks to repeat the Karnataka show in Madhya Pradesh where Kamal Nath has been leading a "shrewd" campaign.

The party is seeking power desperately and is firefighting with populism -- guarantees, caste census, reservation for minorities -- anything and everything that can catch the sentiment and the vote at the end of the day.

A good performance in the state polls is sure to catapult the Congress to an aggressive role in the INDIA bloc. But, how will the rest of the constituents treat the grand old party after it failed to accommodate them in the state polls. That is the question that will bother the bloc and the Congress as well.

A miffed SP in Uttar Pradesh, a non-compromising Mamata in West Bengal, and similar in Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Kerala and other states, the challenges before the INDIA bloc have grown after the five state polls.

The bloc's weaknesses have been exposed now and many constituents are also miffed at the unilateral break taken by the Congress from the INDIA bloc activities. In meetings in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai, the bloc parties had reiterated the urgency to devise and adopt a plan to defeat the BJP in the 2024 election. The bloc, however, went on a break, as said by a miffed Nitish Kumar.

Congress is pinning on the state polls results to shape up the future INDIA bloc ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Assembly polls has exposed the chinks in the bloc. The parties, many of which are regional rivals to the Congress, have their own aspirations for power. They have their own regions of influence which they will never compromise upon. And remember, most of the regional outfits were born out of antagonism to the Congress.

They did put up a show by coming together on the stage three times, but the Assembly elections have proved that differences are too deep.

(Deepika Bhan can be contacted at deepika.b@ians.in)
Los Angeles, Nov 26 : Socialite Paris Hilton, who shares 10-month-old Phoenix with husband Carter Reum and announced that they welcomed daughter London, is thrilled to become a parent once again.

"Paris and Carter are thrilled to welcome London into their family. They have always wanted a little girl," a source told UsWeekly.

The former 'Simple Life' star initially sparked speculation that she had become a mother for the second time earlier this week when posted a picture of a pink outfit emblazoned with the word 'London' - which she has repeatedly said she would choose as a name if she had a little girl - alongside a pair of tiny red sunglasses and a teddy bear. She captioned the post: "Thankful for my baby girl."

And amongst the photos from her Thanksgiving celebrations shared to her Instagram Story, Paris also posted a picture of Phoenix which was captioned, "The big brother."

The socialite previously revealed she had always wanted a daughter named after the English capital.

Speaking on a 'This is Paris' podcast titled "This isa I'm Pregnant??" before she had her son, she said: "One day I want to have a little girl, and I want to name her London. That's always been my dream ever since I was a little girl, because I just love London and Paris together."

"For a boy, I want to name him after a city or a country or a state as well. I have a name, but I'm not going to say it yet - I want to keep it a surprise, and I don't want anyone stealing my baby name for that one. I've said London for a long time so I can't really hide that one now."

When she confirmed Phoenix's name, she admitted she had chosen a moniker that would complement London. Speaking on her podcast, she revealed an excerpt from her upcoming memoir "Paris", reports aceshowbiz.com.

"If all goes well, by the time you read this, Carter and I will have a baby boy. We plan to name him Phoenix, a name that I decided on years ago when I was searching cities, countries and states on a map looking for something to go with Paris and London."

"Phoenix has a few good pop culture reference points, but more importantly it's the bird that flames out and then rises from the ashes to fly again. I want my son to grow up knowing that disaster and triumph go around and come around throughout our lives. And that this should give us great hope for the future."
Los Angeles, Nov 27 : Hollywood star Bradley Cooper is open to reprising his role as Phil in the fourth installment of the 'Hangover' film series.

On a recent episode of 'The New Yorker Radio Hour' podcast, Cooper spoke to host David Remnick about his directorial efforts, including 'A Star Is Born' and 'Maestro', and pivoting to more dramatic roles, reports Variety.

Remnick then asked Cooper: "Are you done with fun? In other words, if another kinda fun comic role came along, it was three months of your life, it's not 'Hangover 5' but something of a similar spirit."

"Well, I would do 'Hangover 5,'" Cooper responded. "It would be 'Hangover 4' first, but yea You would do that in a flash? Not just to pay the bills," Remnick asked.

"I would probably do 'Hangover 4' in an instant," Cooper said. "Just because I love Todd (Phillips), I love Zach (Galifianakis), I love Ed (Helms) so much, I probably would."

When asked if a fourth 'Hangover' film could happen, Cooper replied: "I don't think Todd's ever going to do that."

Cooper starred in 2009's 'The Hangover' alongside Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha and Ken Jeong.

The original raunchy comedy film spawned two sequels: 2011's "The Hangover Part II" and 2013's "The Hangover Part III."

Cooper noted that while he hasn't done traditionally funny roles as of late, he is "having fun" on his latest projects and doesn't find these heavier films "exhausting" as others might.

"There's nothing more fun that I've experienced than 'Maestro' and 'A Star is Born,'" he said.

"I wouldn't do it if it wasn't."
London, Nov 26 : Community campaigners have been rallying behind an elderly Sikh woman who faces deportation to India, despite living in the UK for 14 years.

Gurmit Kaur, 78, who has lived in Smethwick ever since she came there to attend a wedding in 2009, has no family to return to in Punjab, the BBC reported.

A popular volunteer in the area, Kaur is known locally as a "kind auntie" by the people of the town who have adopted her.

Her appeal for indefinite leave to remain in the country was rejected despite an online petition with more than 65,000 signatures calling for her to stay.

The petition, 'We are all Gurmit Kaur', which was launched in 2020, said that Kaur "is an asset and a kind auntie to Smethwick. We want her to stay here. Smethwick is home!"

"Gurmit is a very kind woman, even though she has nothing she is still generous and will always give what she can, when she can. Most of her days are spent volunteering at the local Gurdwara," the petition read.

Campaigners told the BBC that they are fighting to keep her in the UK on the grounds that she has no friends or family to look after her in Punjab.

The UK Home Office has countered the argument saying that Kaur was still in contact with people in her home village and would be able to readjust to life in India.

Kaur appealed against the Home Office ruling last month, but this was rejected by the courts.

"I don't know what to do, I feel helpless, I don't know where to turn or what to do," Kaur had said.

Salman Mirza, an immigration advisor who has been representing Kaur told BBC: "She will probably die invisible."

]"She has a derelict house in the village, with no roof and would have to find heating, food and resources in a village she hasn't been to in years. It's like water torture, it's like a slow death, she's never had the right to work and provide for herself," Mirza said.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said it can not comment on individual cases but, "all applications are carefully considered on their individual merits and on the basis of the evidence provided."
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes to the victims and heroes of 2008 Mumbai terror attack and said that it was one of the dastardly attacks that shocked the nation and can never be forgotten.

He said and it is the courage and strength of India that "we are now giving a befitting reply to the terror activities".

Addressing the 107th episode of his monthly broadcast programme of 'Mann Ki Baat', the Prime Minister said, "We can never forget this day when India faced its most heinous terror attack."

He recalled that it was on this very day that the country had come under the most dastardly terror attack. "And it is the courage and strength of India that overcame it and is now giving a befitting reply," the Prime Minister said.

"I pay my tributes to the people who lost their lives and also pay my tributes to the bravehearts who laid their lives to protect the nation," PM Modi said.

A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The attack was carried out by 10 well-trained Pakistani terrorists, who laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing people at several iconic and vital locations of Mumbai, including Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Hotel Taj, Trident Hotel, Nariman House -- a Jewish Centre among others.
Seoul, Nov 26 : The monthly average of Chinese travellers visiting South Korea remained far below pre-pandemic levels, despite China's reopening from Covid-19 restrictions and resumption of group tours, data showed on Sunday.

Around 144,000 Chinese nationals visited South Korea per month on average this year, according to the data released by the Hyundai Research Institute.

The tally was about one-third of the monthly average of 416,000 recorded from 2017 to 2019, when the Chinese government had banned group tours to South Korea amid a bilateral rift over the deployment of the US defence shield, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to the country.

In 2017, China began to gradually scrap its ban, starting with some regions, but the group tours were suspended once again due to the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. They fully resumed this August, Yonhap news agency reported.

The Hyundai Research Institute attributed the sluggish recovery in Chinese travellers to the country to the slower-than-expected rebound of Chinese consumers' economic sentiment.

The institute also said Chinese people's travelling style has changed, with preference for group tours to South Korea down and demand for travel to Japan up amid a weak yen.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested a wanted member of a drug syndicate and recovered13 cartons of Alprazolam tablets (total 4,68,000 tablets) worth Rs two crore from his possession, an official said on Sunday.

The accused was identified as Ashwani Kumar a.k.a Ashu (41), a resident of Rohini.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Ingit Pratap Singh said that in October, three members of this syndicate, namely Md. Faizan, Md. Zubair, and Rekha, were arrested with a substantial quantity of drugs.

During their interrogation, it was revealed that Ashwani used to supply drugs in bulk to Zubair. Subsequently, raids were conducted to apprehend Ashwani, but he absconded and continuously changed his hideouts to evade arrest in the case.

"However, the relentless efforts of the Special Cell team paid off when the hideout of the accused, Ashwani, was located in Sector 24, Rohini, Delhi. Consequently, a police team conducted a raid, leading to his apprehension from Sector 24, Rohini," said the DCP.

He was arrested in the case and taken into two days of police remand. "During his police custody remand, 13 cartons of Alprazolam 0.5 mg tablets (totaling 4,68,000 tablets) were recovered at his instance from the transport booking office at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, Samaypur Badli, Delhi. Additionally, three mobile phones and some incriminating documents were seized from his possession," said the DCP.

On interrogation, it was revealed that initially Ashwani worked with pharmaceutical companies as a medical representative (MR). However, due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a slump in his salary, leading him to leave the job.

Thereafter, he opened a medical store named 'Ishan Medicine House' in Udyog Nagar, Delhi, in partnership with one Rakesh.

"The drug licence for the same was cancelled by the drug department in July 2023. Nonetheless, he continued the medicine work by obtaining the licence in the name of one of his employees, namely Satish, in Udyog Nagar," said the DCP.

"Given the lucrative profits associated with contraband drugs like Alprazolam, he began procuring and supplying these drugs, sourcing them from various pharmaceutical companies and distributing them to associates, including Zubair," the DCP added.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Tuesday a plea filed by the Kerala government against a decision rendered by the Kerala High Court refusing to lay down any fixed timeline for the Governor to assent bills.

As per the causelist published on the website of the apex court, a bench headed by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Padiwala and Manoj Misra will hear the matter on November 28.

The special leave petition filed by the Kerala government questions High Court's dismissal of a PIL filed by a practicing advocate seeking a declaration that the actions of the Governor in withholding the bills indefinitely are contumacious, arbitrary, despotic and antithetical to the democratic values.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) had said that the Governor has no power to withhold the bills ad infinitum (infinitely) and he has the Constitutional obligation under Article 200 of the Constitution of India to exercise the discretionary powers on the bills without any procrastination.

It demanded that on the legislative bills presented by the State Legislature, the Governor should act within a period of two months from the date of receipt.

"It is the Constitutional obligation of the Hon'ble Governor, either to give assent to a Bill or send it back for reconsideration by the Legislature or reserve it for consideration by the Hon'ble President," contended the plea filed before the High Court.

It added that the National Commission To Review The Working of The Constitution, Sarkaria Commission and Justice M.M. Punchhi Commission have recommended that there should be a time frame within which the President or Governor has to exercise their discretionary power.

Recently, the Supreme Court had suggested to the Kerala Governor to go through the judgment delivered by the apex court in the Punjab Governor's case.
A woman checks the damages after clashes in the West Bank city of Jenin Nov. 26, 2023. At least seven Palestinians were killed during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said on Sunday. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least seven Palestinians were killed during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said on Sunday.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement that a young man was killed at dawn as a result of an Israeli bombing of a house in the Jenin refugee camp.

Hours earlier, four Palestinians were killed by Israeli army gunfire during confrontations in various places in Jenin, according to the ministry.

The Israeli army said it killed five Palestinians during its operation in the Jenin refugee camp, where it was arresting a Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli father and son earlier in the year.

In the city of Nablus, a young man was killed after being shot by the Israeli army during clashes, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

In the city of Al-Bireh, a 16-year-old boy was killed by Israeli army gunfire near the Psigot settlement, said the health ministry.

Israel did not comment immediately on the two incidents.

At least 240 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank since a new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out on Oct. 7, according to WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency. 

A woman checks the damages after clashes in the West Bank city of Jenin Nov. 26, 2023. At least seven Palestinians were killed during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said on Sunday. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

People mourn their relatives at a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin Nov. 26, 2023. At least seven Palestinians were killed during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said on Sunday. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Zionist parties may be dominating the political landscape of Israel, but Haaretz, a newspaper founded in 1919 and known for its liberal stance on Israel's domestic and foreign affairs, has been consistently exposing the hypocrisy of the global Left with regard to the country at the eye of the international storm.

While voicing concern for the people of Gaza has been conspicuously delinked from the scale and intensity of the activities of Hamas and its accomplices, in the light of Israel's poor preparedness for surprises, failure in policy and deployment of defensive forces compounded by lack of relevant intel, its conception and hold over Gaza appear to have collapsed.

When Israel was deliberating over increasing permitted labourers from Gaza in its territory and claimed that Hamas is deterred by Israel given its presumed hold over it, thousands of Hamas fighters prepared for the October 7 surprise attack in silence and secrecy for months.

However, the devastating commemoration of October 7, when Hamas launched an attack and Israel declared war, appears to have fallen dim on the conscience of the world; but besides the massive humanitarian crisis that seems to have no end in sight, questions loom large about the political price of this situation that Israel will have to pay.

Experts believe that while the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) concentrated forces in the south, the possibility of a multi-arena war which will include the West Bank, East Jerusalem and even Hezbollah and extremist elements among Israeli Arabs is not out of the question, especially when Hezbollah is biding its time.

Haaretz senior columnist Anshel Pfeffer, who was among the first journalists to be embedded with forces in the Israeli army's ground operation in Gaza, spoke of the "many convenient but very inaccurate comparisons" between the Israel-Gaza situation and the Russia-Ukraine war. Israel operates differently in Gaza, in the sense that IDF soldiers swung in more motivated than ever after October 7.

"Many of them know people who were killed, who were taken hostage, or wounded. Some of them are from families which have been forced to leave their homes because of the war. It's very personal for everybody. There's no question about it," he said.

Acknowledging that on-ground soldiers are "very focused on their mission," Pfeffer pointed out that "when you go up the IDF hierarchy to the top, there is a growing sense of frustration that there is no clear strategic idea of the next stage" after Israel destroys Hamas' military capabilities and topples the regime.

"There is no real guidance or strategic idea of any kind coming over from this government, because this government is dysfunctional and has too many radical, far-right elements in it that refuse to even contemplate some type of Palestinian control of Gaza. And that is both frustrating for the generals planning this war, and also very damaging to Israel," Pfeffer said.

On the other hand, with respect to the mighty US, the stand of which is crucial in the compounding situation in the Israel region, "There does not appear to be a clear endgame from the Biden administration," said Trita Parsi of Quincy Institute, a think tank promoting diplomacy.

"When it comes to this strategic image, it's very difficult to be able to discern a clear strategy that actually would have the desired results," he added.

However, Haaretz finds itself at the receiving end as Israel's Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi proposed to act against the daily by ending publication of government notices in it.

He said that Haaretz is "sabotaging Israel in wartime" and was an "inflammatory mouthpiece for Israel's enemies."

This proposal was submitted without the due process of being vetted by the ministry's legal adviser, and it seeks to immediately halt all payments to Haaretz from state entities in his purview.

In response, Amos Schocken, CEO of Haaretz said: "If the government wants to close Haaretz, that's the time to read Haaretz."

(Kavya Dubey may be reached at kavya.d@ians.in)
Washington, Nov 26 : As hostages are released by Hamas, the US is waiting with bated breath for the release of Americans among them.

"We don't know when that will occur, but we're going to be -- expect it to occur," President Joe Biden said Friday when asked at a news conference about the fate of American hostages.

"We don't know what the list of all the hostages are and when they'll be released, but we know the numbers that are going to be released. So, it is my hope and expectation it will be soon," Biden added.

A total of 10 Americans are among the 240 hostages taken by Hamas in the terrorists attacks on Israel on October 7. None of them were among the first batch of hostages released on Friday in a deal brokered by Qatar in which Israel paused its military operations and released Palestinians in its custody. A second batch is due to be released on Saturday, if both sides hold up their ends of the deal.

Two Americans were the first hostages released by Hamas, in late October.

Abigail Mor Ida, one of the American hostages, turned four on Friday. She was in her father's arms when Hamas terrorists struck Kfar Aza kibbutz in southern Israel on October 7.

Both her parents were shot. Abigail had "crawled out from under her father's body full of his blood," her great aunt Liz Hirsh Naftali told NBC News.

Abigail had run to a neighbour's and had taken refuge with the rest of the family in their bomb shelter.

"The last thing we learned was that somebody saw (a) terrorist taking this mother, her three kids and Abigail out of the kibbutz," she said. "That's all we know."

Biden spoke of her in remarks on the release of the first bath of hostages.

"We also remember all those who are still being held and renew our commitment to work for their release as well. Two American women and one four-year-old child, Abigail, who remains among those missing."

Biden has vowed to bring all American hostages home and told reporters that he remains "in personal contact with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to make sure this stays on track and every aspect of the deal is implemented".

Uncertainty about the fate of remaining hostages deepened on Saturday with Hamas delaying the scheduled release of a second batch accusing Israel of failure to implement their part of the agreement, allowing humanitarian aid and relief.
Massive fire breaks out at shoe factory in Delhi. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Nov 26 : A massive fire broke out at a shoe manufacturing factory in Delhi's Mangolpuri area on Sunday, a fire department official said.

Delhi Fire Service (DFS) Director Atul Garg said that the call regarding the blaze in a factory located at B- 24,Phase 2, Truck Market, Mangolpuri, was received at around 2.30 a.m.

"Total 26 fire tenders were rushed to the site. No casualties/injuries reported," said Garg.

The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Endless shifts with no food, water, working environment; having to choose between patients, do surgeries without anaesthesia, letting them die for want of medicines, with infection; constantly losing their own health, house, colleagues and family members -- these are some of the realities being faced by the doctors and healthcare staff in war-torn Gaza for over a month now.

The Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people, is under siege by the Israeli military in response to Hamas' terror attack on October 7 that left 1,200 dead and 240 -- from babies to octogenarians -- taken hostage by Hamas.

While accidents, calamities, wars and deaths are not something unknown to doctors and other healthcare workers, the situation in Gaza is reportedly way beyond imagination. Yet amid a collapsing health system, limited painkillers, huge numbers of burns victims, amputations, the doctors are putting on a brave front.

"We are humbled by the heroic work of health workers in #Gaza," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, posted on X.

Since October 7, the WHO has verified more than 250 attacks on healthcare in Gaza -- at hospitals, clinics, ambulances and patients -- and the West Bank.

"Half of Gaza Strip's 36 hospitals and two-third of its primary healthcare centres are not functioning at all. Those that are functioning are operating way beyond their capacities," the WHO chief said.

Many doctors and healthcare workers have lost their lives by choosing to stay back for their patients.

"We are being overwhelmed. There is nowhere to evacuate to There is no escape route. We are probably one of the last lines of defence," Paul Ley, a doctor at the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

"We never leave the hospital. We work round the clock. We do operations with minimal anaesthesia. If we run out, we can't operate, but there is no clear line. There are a lot of people crying, screaming with pain, but we don't have enough analgesics. We keep them for the kids or very severe cases.

"Normally we would change dressings on patients with 40 per cent burns with them under sedation and minimise the time by using more attendants... Now it has to be done with a lot of pain. We try to keep our heads cool and steady, but for local staff this is their families, friends, their people," Ley said.

Speaking to IANS, Dr Ishwar Singh Gilada, Health Expert and Secretary General, People's Health Organisation-India, said that in a normal scenario, a patient is surrounded by a team of expert doctors. But it is difficult in warzones.

"A general surgeon may have to do even cardiovascular surgery, plastic surgery or neurological surgery and sometimes even MBBS doctors will have to do some kind of minor surgery. So in that situation, it is not kind of more of a standard care. It is not optimal care."

Doctors cannot "get any emergency care; blood supply, or any kind of surgery done immediately to plug the holes", and are likely to make "judgmental errors, and not make the proper decision; feel fatigued, overwhelmed and ultimately burnout".

Even as there is no safe water, air and food, doctors in Gaza are also facing patients with waterborne and respiratory diseases, in addition to war victims.

"This brutal annihilation of an entire population's health system stretches beyond what humanitarian aid can fix. Doctors can't stop bombs," said Joe Belliveau, Executive Director for Doctors Without Borders, while calling for a sustained ceasefire in Gaza.
Guwahati, Nov 26 : Assam Police has taken the initiative to call the families of the young people who have joined the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), a proscribed militant group, to the police stations and army camps to explore ways of rehabilitating them.

Officials have said that the aim is to get the cadres back home.

The Assam Director General of Police (DGP) Gyanendra Pratap Singh said that they have launched 'From Conflict to Collaboration' initiative which is a trust-building initiative for a peaceful future.

"Under which this initiative, the families of ULFA cadres are being invited to Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) camps and Police Stations for trust-building and to help them bringing their children back to the mainstream," the DGP said.

He said that the initiative of inviting families of ULFA cadres for trust-building activities holds immense potential and promotes peace and reconciliation in the region.

The police claimed that several families have been cooperating with the initiative and have joined the talks.

"The parents of youths who have joined ULFA-I told us that they were earlier not aware of the fact that their kids were going to join the militant group, however, they now want to bring their children back," a senior police official said.

The police suspect that the youths who have joined the ULFA-I were taken to the camps of the outlawed group stationed somewhere in Myanmar.

Police said that the situation in the camps of ULFA-I is pathetic and the cadres were not even served food properly. Many cadres are willing to leave the camp but they fear of facing extreme punishment as at least four cadres were executed by the militant organisation recently for trying to flee from the camps.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : The world's attention is on Gaza where there is finally a quantum of peace after seven weeks of indiscriminate and unrestrained bombardment that has killed thousands, levelled entire neighbourhoods and created a humanitarian disaster, but barely 100 km away, another conflict may be brewing amid heavy-handed Israeli repression.

In the occupied West Bank, life for Palestinians is virtually like being in a conflict zone, save for the absence of heavy artillery shelling and aerial attacks.

On one hand, the settlers freely don the mantle of the Israeli state, with the active support of its Army, to dispossess Palestinians of their land and livelihood, deprive them of resources and services, and sequester them into ghettos. On the other, the Israeli security forces have a free hand to conduct sweeping raids, widespread arrests, and destruction of public and private property with no bar on lethal force.

The death toll in battered Gaza has crossed 14,500 while there are 200 plus fatalities in the West Bank - where there is no similar conflict - and over 3,000 arrested, since October 7 when Hamas upended the uneasy situation in the Middle East with its unprecedented attack on Israel.

The police state-style repression in the West Bank, where Palestinians were even sternly warned against celebrating the release of the first batch of jailed women and children on Friday - the first day of the truce for release of the captives in Hamas' hands and Palestinians in Israeli prisons - and tear-gassed as the process was delayed on Saturday, bodes ominous for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the future.

It also has some disturbing implications.

Even if the pent-up anger and frustration in the West Bank - which must be remembered was the centre of the Intifada, which convinced a more perceptive Israeli leadership that its Palestinian issue could not be wished away by disregarding and subjugating it, is discounted, there are the political imperatives that cannot be ignored any longer.

Israel is doing itself no favour by hanging on to occupied territory and expanding its settlements there by forcible land grab - a step that has drawn condemnation from most of the world, including by its closest and invaluable ally, the US, and well as European countries, though it may just be lip service for them.

However, the bulk of the countries, especially those of the Global South may not be amenable to letting this state of affairs continue, given the emphasis they see the Western powers put on territorial integrity, or rights of civilian non-combatants when it comes to, say, Ukraine.

Additionally, the Israeli policy of suppressing the aspirations or the very lives of Palestinians by the random arrests, imprisonments, vandalisation, restrictions and sundry other daily humiliations is spurring creation of a populace that will not be amenable to negotiations for a settlement - that may be delayed but is inevitable - and rather, take recourse to violent counter-measures.

Hence, the support that Hamas and others like it enjoy.

This development will also impact the rather moribund Palestinian Authority, under President Mahmoud Abbas, which has shown itself powerless to forge towards statehood, or for that matter, deal with the security and rights of the people it is responsible for.

It was rather telling that the Palestinian Authority's offer to take over post-conflict Gaza - where it was trounced in the last-ever Palestinian elections held in 2006 - was met by outright rejection by hapless inhabitants of the enclave.

Furthermore, the truce led to release of Palestinian prisoners - significantly, all from West Bank and East Jerusalem, not Gaza, thus, shoring up the prowess of Hamas and showing the abject powerlessness of the Abbas administration.

Hamas does have a presence in West Bank too and this too, will earn its credits to the detriment of its PLO-led counterpart there. Thus, there was talk of including Hamas in the PLO, led by Abbas' Fatah.

Even, the sidelined and exiled ex-Fatah strongman Mohmmad Dahlan, who was a staunch and rather ruthless opponent of Hamas during his stint in Gaza, also acknowledged that Hamas would still have a role in future Palestinian politics - a prospect that will be most unpalatable to Israel and its prime supporters, but not so easily brushed away.

Finally, there remains the argument that how justified is Israel in terming itself as the sole "democracy" and "bastion of civilisation" in the region, if it continues to imprison teenagers - one of the women released on Friday was a 23-year-old, in jail since she was 16 - without trial or charges in the garb of the encompassing "administrative detention"?

And, if Israel did, belatedly, agree to a prisoner/hostage exchange - as Hamas was demanding from the beginning, did it have to kill over 14,500 people before this fructified?

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
(GAZA PACKAGE) With US being too close to Israel, China tries to upstage it in Middle East. Image Source: IANS News

New York, Nov 26 : When a contingent of Hamas hostages rode on white vans of the International Red Cross flags across the Rafa crossing to freedom in Egypt, it was a diplomatic triumph for Qatar, the odd nation out in the region with a prickly interaction with the US.

And with Washington tied down by its total support for Israel, China is trying to upstage it by raising its diplomatic profile in the region as a champion of the Muslim nations, building on the rapprochement it brokered between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Beijing is hoping to upstage Washington by taking advantage of the sympathy for Palestine shown in the backing by 121 countries of a General Assembly resolution calling for a truce in the Gaza conflict, which the US had opposed, but later allowed a truce resolution to pass in the Security Council.

China holds the presidency of the Council for this month and led the negotiations for the adoption of the truce resolution, which had been elusive for over a month.

Egypt is a key player in the Gaza crisis, having once administered the territory.

It controls the Rafah border through which humanitarian aid can go to the territory and hostages and other foreigners and those with severe medical needs can leave it, and a sizeable chunk of the international negotiations on Gaza has centred on the crossing.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani played a key role in working out the five-day truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict and the release of the hostages taken by Hamas last month and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, once again taking centre stage in the region's muddy diplomacy.

The US and Israel had to reach out to the energy-rich Gulf emirate for the hostage release deal, whatever their misgivings over Qatar's maverick international relations.

With its deft diplomacy of balancing its connections with all sides  it hosts US military bases as well as Taliban and Hamas political offices, and has close economic relations with Iran in defiance of US sanctions  Qatar has emerged as an honest broker between warring parties  or at the very least a post office for communications between those without direct contacts.

Shepherding the Gaza negotiations now is far cry from 2017 when US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved a resolution criticising Qatar for hosting Hamas leaders.

Various US politicians have attacked Doha for hosting Hamas, but Qatar's Ambassador Meshal Hamad Al-Thani explained on X social media platform that the channel with Hamas was established at the request of the US to maintain open lines of communication.

And last month a bipartisan group of Senators led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin wrote to al-Thani asking for help to free hostages.

Leading up to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Qatar also played host to the negotiations between the Taliban and the US, and when the arrangements collapsed into chaos, Doha came to the rescue by facilitating the airlifts of US citizens and Afghan refugees, earning it a Senate "thank you" resolution.

Qatar also played the banker in the deal between the US and Iran for freeing five Americans held by Tehran, holding the $6 billion in Iranian funds that Washington unfroze as part of the agreement.

Qatar's Al Jazeera cable news network, a rival to the Western channels, has helped it project its perspectives to a global audience, but that itself has put it at odds with its Gulf neighbours and several countries including the U.S and Israel.

In 2017, when its neighbours led by Saudi Arabia imposed sanctions on it and broke-off diplomatic relations, one of their demands was shutting down Al Jazeera. (The sanctions have been lifted and diplomatic relations restored.)

Doha has stood apart from the Gulf neighbours who entered the US-brokered Abraham Accords  the normalisation of relations with Israel that invoked Judaism's and Islam's shared heritage of the Prophet Abraham.

When the 7/10 Hamas attack in Israel blew up into a full-fledged war, the administration of President Joe Biden was trying to get Saudi Arabia to join the Accord as a counter to China's coup in getting Riyadh and Tehran to restore diplomatic relations broken off in 2016.

Now with prospects of Israel-Saudi relations receding, Beijing is making a play for a role in the Gaza crisis.

It hosted the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia and the Palestinian Authority, as well as the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for meeting on the Gaza conflict.

In a show of solidarity with Arab and Muslim nations, China had joined Russia to veto a US-sponsored resolution that did not call for a ceasefire.

South Africa is another wannabe player in the Gaza crisis.

It convened a virtual summit on Gaza of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) plus the six countries that will join the group next year, where President Cyril Ramaphosa turned the volume several decibels higher, accusing Israel of genocide.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept away from the summit, which adopted a statement condemning Israel's actions in Gaza, but with less belligerence.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in)
New Delhi, Nov 26 : India appears to have emerged as a minority of one in the BRICS group's stand on the Israel-Hamas war with South Africa as the chair taking the lead in mounting a vociferous attack on Israel.

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, who hosted the BRICS summit on Tuesday, said that the collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime.

"The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide," South Africa President said.

South Africa has also referred Israel to the International Criminal Court while the country's parliament voted to shut down the Israeli embassy. Israel, on its part, has recalled its ambassador from South Africa.

China, Russia and Brazil also voiced their criticism of Israel although they did not come out as strongly as South Africa.

India was the only country that did not jump on to the bandwagon and stuck to its balanced approach of also condemning terrorism that led to the war.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipped the BRICS "extraordinary meeting" and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended on his behalf, which perhaps was a signal that India would toe its own line on the issue.

India earlier abstained from a U.N. General Assembly resolution calling for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, arguing that the text did not condemn Hamas.

In his speech at the conference, China's President Xi Jinping called for a cease-fire and an end to what he called collective punishment by Israel to the people in Gaza. He said the international community should take steps to stop the war from spreading.

China had last month vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that stated that Israel had the right to defend itself.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in his address said there was a "humanitarian catastrophe" unfolding in Gaza and blamed the crisis on what he called the USA's failed diplomacy.

He asserted that "all these events are a direct consequence of the U.S. desire to monopolise mediation functions in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement."

Putin called for a cease-fire in Gaza, the freeing of hostages and the evacuation of civilians from the Gaza Strip.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called the war a "humanitarian catastrophe." He said Hamas's terrorist attacks, while "barbaric," did not justify the use of "indiscriminate and disproportionate force against civilians."

The BRICS group issued a joint statement after the meeting that called for the release of all civilians who are being illegally held captive, as well as a humanitarian truce that would lead to a cessation of hostilities.

"We condemned any kind of individual or mass forcible transfer and deportation of Palestinians from their own land," the statement said.

Six countries -- Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates -- which have been invited to join the BRICS group next year, also attended the conference.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Qatar was instrumental in facilitating talks between the US and the Taliban that culminated in the 2020 Doha Accord and led to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Ongoing mediation efforts in Lebanon, Libya, Chad, Venezuela, and Palestine are also positioning the small Gulf nation as a diplomatic heavyweight with expanding geopolitical influence, as per a recent article published in Middle East Council on Global Affairs.

Mediation has long been a cornerstone of Qataras foreign policy - a key strategy by which the country garners outsize prestige within the international system, while hedging its bets and maintaining ties with a wide range of actors.

Doha has made itself indispensable to Washington as a go-between with various states and non-state parties, including Iran and the Taliban, the article said.

This strategy arguably took a hit in 2017 when Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates imposed a three-and-a-half-year blockade on Qatar, leading the country to temper its efforts abroad even after the blockade ended in 2021.

But its more recent engagements show that Doha can still punch above its weight by mediating conflicts and alleviating tensions in the Middle East and beyond, the article said.

Qatar's ability to speak to all sides in the current conflict seems to have paid off with the potential release of hostages in Gaza, DW reported.

The announcement of a possible "humanitarian pause" in the Gaza Strip can be considered a triumph for the small Persian Gulf nation of Qatar, the report said.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry put out a statement announcing a four day "pause" during which all sides a" the Israeli military, the militant Hamas group and Hezbollah's armed wing in Lebanon a" would agree to stop fighting.

Previously, even Israel's national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi had praised Qatar's role, writing on social media that "Qatar's diplomatic efforts are crucial at this time".

But not everyone is so pleased with the small Gulf state. Some commentators said negotiators should have tried harder to secure the release of more hostages. Others argued that because Qatar has been home to Hamas' political leadership since 2012, it was somehow complicit in Hamas' attacks, DW reported.

Experts agree that Qatar is walking a fine line when it comes to its foreign policy, playing the "Switzerland of the Middle East" and keeping doors open to all comers.

"Qatar's role is particularly sensitive because the emirate has been relying on being an intermediary for well over two decades now," Guido Steinberg, a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said.

In the past, Qatar has also acted as an interlocutor between the international community and the Taliban in Afghanistan (who also have political offices in Doha), between the US and Iran, and even Russia and Ukraine.

It also hosts the largest US military headquarters in the Middle East, al-Udeid Air Base, which played a significant role in evacuations from Afghanistan in 2021. This led to Qatar being described as 'major non-NATO ally', DW reported.

In the recent past, Qatar was spending an estimated $30 million a month on Gaza. But the arguments around this money are yet another example of how fraught Qatar's role is when it comes to Palestinians and Hamas.

Some have suggested Qatari money subsidizes Hamas' military wing and is used for nefarious purposes. Hamas has ruled the enclave since 2007 and also manages payments for the civil administration of Gaza, DW reported.

For many years the Qataris have served as a diplomatic bridge between various actors in the region, which, for political reasons, would not be able to easily engage each other in direct talks, The New Arab reported.

This has been evident in many instances, including the Westas engagement with the Taliban, which manifested in the Doha Agreement of 2020, the September 2023 Iran-US prisoner swap, as well as talks in Qatar between factions involved in conflicts in Lebanon and Sudan during the 2000s.

It is no secret that Hamas has a political office in Doha, with the groupas exiled leadership moved to Doha after leaving Damascus in 2012 following Hamasa falling out with the Syrian regime at the Arab Springas outset, The New Arab reported.

Many neo-conservative voices in Washington have lashed out at Qatar for its relationship with the Palestinian group. Yet, an important fact to bear in mind is that it was the US which requested the opening of this Hamas office in the gas-rich emirate.

Qatar has long used Hamasa status in Doha as a means to serve as an intermediary between the US and Israel, on one side, and Hamas, on the other, The New Arab reported.

Through Qatari backchannels, Hamas and Israel agreed to ceasefires which ended their previous armed conflicts in 2014, 2021, and 2022.

Many countries in the Middle East aspire to the role of mediators a" Egypt, Oman and Kuwait among them a" but Qatar presents itself as the regionas primary problem solver and advocate of dialogue. It has been active in Ukraine, Lebanon, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan and Gaza, in the process hosting the leadership of the Taliban and the political wing of Hamas among others, The Guardian reported.

Observers say Qatar takes on this role since as a small but fabulously wealthy country built on vast supplies of liquid gas, it needs to make itself indispensable to the international community and be protected from unwelcome interventions by its larger neighbours, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The 2017-2021 boycott of Qatar led by Saudi Arabia showed it has good reasons to be fearful, The Guardian reported.
Tel Aviv, Nov 26 : Even as the four-day ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is underway and two groups of hostages released on Friday and Saturday, Israeli government has ordered its intelligence agency, Mossad, to assassinate senior Hamas leaders.

Sources in Israel government told IANS that no assurance was given to Qatar and Egyptian mediators that there was immunity to Hamas leaders during the ceasefire and after.

The Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has clearly told mediapersons that the senior leaders of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, Khaled Mashal, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif were living on borrowed time and they would soon be dead men even if they live in any part of the globe.

However, sources in Israel government told IANS that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed to Qatar that these leaders won't be killed on its soil, an assurance Qatar wanted for entering into mediatory talks.

Israel, according to information available is also targeting Khalil al-Hayya, who is the Politburo member of Hamas and second-in military operations after Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, the two men responsible for the October 7 massacre and mayhem in southern Israel leading to the present war.

With the ceasefire entering into the third day, the question is whether Israel would agree for an extension of ceasefire or would commence military ground invasions after Monday.

Sources in Israel who are privy to discussions told IANS that the two sides have agreed upon an extension of ceasefire for a few more days and release people from both sides.
A total of 2,024 Cambodian primary school students have recently received Chinese-donated bicycles, which not only helps reduce their commuting time but also brings about joy and hope for those unprivileged children.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service












Busan, Nov 26 : The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan agreed on Sunday to continue efforts to promote the bilateral relations in "a constructive and future-oriented" manner, amid a thaw in the ties with the resumption of shuttle diplomacy between the leaders.

Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa reached the agreement during the bilateral talks in Busan, held ahead of the trilateral gathering involving their Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

Taking note of the brisk diplomacy reinforced by the series of summits between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the two Ministers agreed to seek ways to "produce tangible results that can be felt by the people of the two countries," a Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said after the talks.

They also agreed to deepen cooperation in advanced technologies and other areas, the official added.

Park and Kamikawa exchanged opinions on the South Korean appeals court's ruling earlier this week that overturned the lower court's decision and ordered Japan to pay compensation to Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, Yonhap news agency reported.

Park reiterated Seoul's position that it respects the 2015 agreement with Japan to settle the issue of wartime sex slaves, in which the two countries agreed to "finally and irreversibly" resolve the issue.

Under the agreement, Tokyo apologised for the colonial-era atrocities and agreed to contribute 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) to a foundation dedicated to supporting the victims.

"Minister Park said that both countries should strive to restore the honour and dignity of the victims in the agreement, and continue to make efforts toward a constructive and future-oriented relationship," the official said.

Bilateral relations between Seoul and Tokyo have significantly warmed since South Korea decided in March to resolve the issue of compensating Korean forced labour victims during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula without asking for contributions from Japanese companies.

The decision led to the resumption of reciprocal visits by their leaders. Yoon and Kishida have met seven times this year.

They also discussed North Korea's recent launch of a military spy satellite, condemning the provocation as a serious threat to regional peace in Northeast Asia in violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning such launches.

They agreed to continue close coordination between South Korea and Japan, as well as among the US, their mutual ally, over North Korean issues, including its growing military cooperation with Russia.

Japan's release of the treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant was also addressed, and they agreed to continue cooperation to safely manage the discharge.

At the talks, Kamikawa is said to have reaffirmed Japan's support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan.

Kamikawa arrived in Busan, the venue for the trilateral gathering, on Saturday, her first visit to South Korea since she took office in September.

Park and Kamikawa last met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco earlier this month.
Mumbai, Nov 26 : Filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan was impressed by contestant Shiv Thakare after he performed on the Bollywood track 'Oonchi Hai Building' from the 1997 action-comedy film 'Judwaa', directed by David Dhawan.

"You infused the masala of a David Dhawan film into a three minute act," Farah, who is currently judges the dance reality show 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa', told the contestant.

This weekend 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa' has theme -- 'Chartbuster Ka Blockbuster'.

Shiv, who has already made a significant impression on the judges with his previous performances, is all set to captivate one and all with his electrifying dance to 'Oonchi Hai Building' with his choreographer Romsha Singh.

"Shiv, having that X factor is important, and that's exactly what you showed in your act. You are a store full of chaat masala and your personality spices things up so well. The way you used the props, and the dance sequence near the small chimney window was mind-blowing," Farah told Shiv.

She told Shiv that the way he enjoyed dancing was different. "The fun is so infectious that it feels like you're dancing straight from the heart. Sometimes, you remind me of Suniel Shetty. Anna has his own style; he does it in a cool and easy way and doesn't try to be a wannabe. This was a blockbuster performance," she said.

"Shiv, to be honest, I have to say, from the bottom of my heart, that out of all your performances so far, this was the absolute best.

"The stiffness in your muscles that used to be there has completely disappeared. I truly believe that this is your best performance to date. What you do, no one else can do. That is your specialty," said Malaika Arora.

'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa' airs on Sony.
Lucknow, Nov 26 : The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) has decided to extend Dalit Gaurav Samvad, its Dalit outreach that was initially scheduled to end on November 26 (Constitution Day), by a month.

It was launched on the death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram on October 9.

"We will continue with the Dalit Gaurav Samvad programme for one more month. We have not been able to reach out to many influential Dalit people so far. We are extending the programme to reach out to more people from Dalit communities," said state Congress president Ajay Rai.

"Against the target of one lakh people, we have been able to reach out to 86,800 Dalit influencers so far. Now we have raised the target to two lakh. Also, we have increased the number of villages where Dalit chaupals will be held, from 4,000 to 8,000. We are sending the list of these villages to all district units," said UPCC organisation secretary Anil Yadav.

The programme is aimed at winning back the party's traditional vote banks. The Congress has been out of power in the state since 1989.

Yadav said the party workers were getting Dalit Mang Patras filled as part of the programme and the main demands being made there include giving 'pattas' of lands to Dalits. He said a demand for reservation for them in the private sector and free education (zero admission fee) was also made.
Mumbai, Nov 26 : Evicted 'Bigg Boss 17' contestant and former crime journalist Jigna Vora, said that she never spoke about her past to gain sympathy as she never needed that in the past 12 years and wouldn't need it now by being on the show.

Jigna was shown the exit door after 6 weeks in the controversial reality show 'Bigg Boss 17', hosted by Salman Khan.

Asked by media that many felt she was playing the sympathy-card in the show, by talking about her falsely being jailed, Jigna said: "I dont think so. In 12 years I have never taken sympathy from anyone. So I don't need sympathy by coming on this platform."

A media press conference was for the first time in the history of Bigg Boss, where Jigna was seen interacting with the media.

Why did she not talk about her past then?

"Not talking about my past in the 'Bigg Boss' press conference was a conscious decision. It was sudden. I did not know myself. When you stay in a place for 6 weeks with people, everyone somewhere likes to talk about their past. It was more on the lines of sharing. I was sharing my life lessons and experiences with those who asked," she said.

Does she feel she was shown less on the show, Jigna said that she cannot scream or shout like KhanZaadi and Sana Raees Khan to be noticed.

"I don't know how much I was shown less or more. I was being seen less because my personality is different. Sana or KhanZaadi they would open up after the nominations to be seen and noticed. My graph has been the same in these 40 days. I have stayed dignified and gracefully in the show," she said.

Jigna calls her housemate Arun Mahshetty a backstabber.

"Of course, Arun backstabbed me. He even said it was tit for tat (for nomination)," she said.

On the much talked about topic, Sana and Vicky Jain's growing closelness, Jigna said: "Sana and him have nothing but they have an on and off friendship and fights due to nominations. Sana is insecure when it comes to nominations and she feels Vicky can save her. So, please, she is playing that card."

But is Vicky doing something wrong to his wife Ankita Lokhande?

"He is not doing anything wrong. Any wife would want her husband to be there for her, sit with her, give her emotional support. Vicky is so busy with other things that he complains to Ankita."
Man found charred to death in car in Hyderabad. Image Source: IANS News

Hyderabad, Nov 26 : A man was found charred to death in his car on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The incident occurred on Outer Ring Road (ORR) near Adibatla on Saturday night.

Police suspect the deceased to be Venkatesh, a resident of Kodad. The car was completely gutted in the incident.

Police registered a case and took up investigation. A police officer said they were trying to find out if it was an accident or somebody set the car ablaze.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday questioned those families who organise weddings in foreign countries, and urged people to hold such functions within India.

In his 107th episode of his monthly broadcast programme of 'Mann Ki Baat', the Prime Minister said, "The wedding season as well has commenced now. Some trade organisations estimate that there could be a business of around Rs 5 lakh crore during this wedding season. While shopping for weddings, all of you should give importance to products made in India only."

"And yes, since the topic of marriage has come up, one thing has been troubling me for a long timea and if I don't open up my heart's pain to my family members, who else do I do it with? Just pondera these days a new milieu is being created by some families to go abroad and conduct weddings. Is this at all necessary?

"If we celebrate the festivities of marriages on Indian soil, among the people of India, the country's money will remain in the country. The people of the country will get an opportunity to render some service at your weddinga even poor people will tell their children about that occasion. Can you extrapolate on this mission of aVocal for Locala? Why don't we hold such wedding ceremonies in our own country? It is possible that the kind of system you want may not be there today, but if we organise such events, systems will also develop," the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi said that this is a topic related to very big families and I hope this pain of mine will definitely reach those big families.

The Prime Minister also spoke about aProject Surata, which is set to promote cleanliness and sustainable growth in Gujarat's Surat city. aSwacchta is not a one-day campaign, instead a part of life," he said. He said that today this initiative has become a symbol of the national spirit, which has improved the lives of crores of countrymen.

"One such commendable effort has been observed in Surat. A team of youths has started aProject Surata there. Its aim is to make Surat a model city which becomes an excellent example of cleanliness and sustainable development. Under this effort, which commenced as 'Safai Sunday', the youth of Surat earlier used to clean public places and the Dumas Beach. Later, these people also got involved wholeheartedly in cleaning the banks of the Tapi river. And you will be happy to know that within no time the number of people associated with this has risen to more than 50,000," the Prime Minister said.

"Such efforts made at the grassroots level can bring huge changes," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister in his 'Mann Ki Baat' episode also lauded Loganathanji, who lives in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore, saying his contributions are incomparable.

"During his childhood, he often used to get perturbed on seeing the torn clothes of poor children. After that, he took a vow to help such children and started donating a part of his earnings to them. When there was shortage of money, Loganathanji even cleaned toilets so that the needy children could be helped," Modi said.

PM Modi said that he has been engaged in this task with complete dedication for the last 25 years and till now has helped more than 1,500 children. "I once again commend such efforts. Many such efforts taking place across the country not only inspire us but also ignite the will to do something new," he said.

Speaking about water conservation, the Prime Minister said that one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century is 'water security'.

"Conserving water is no less than saving life. An example of this is the 'Amrit Sarovar' being built in every district of the country. The more than 65,000 aAmrit Sarovarsa that India has developed during the aAmrit Mahotsava which will benefit forthcoming generations. Now it is also our responsibility to ensure that wherever 'Amrit Sarovar' has been built, they should be regularly looked after so that they remain the main source of water conservation," he said.

Emphasizing the importance of skill development, PM Modi said that he came to know that an organisation has been engaged in skill development work for the last four decades, "I felt even better".

"This institution is in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam and its name is aBeljipuram Youth Cluba. Focusing on skill development, aBeljipuram Youth Cluba has empowered around 7,000 women. Most of these women today are doing some work or the other on their own. This organisation has also helped the children trapped in child labour to get out of that vicious cycle by teaching them some skill or the other," he said.

The team of aBeljipuram Youth Cluba also taught new skills to the farmers associated with Farmer Producer Organisations, i.e., FPOs, which have empowered a large number of farmers. This youth club is also spreading awareness in every village regarding cleanliness. It has also helped in the construction of many toilets. I congratulate and appreciate all the people associated with this organisation for skill development," he said.

PM Modi also discussed the growing popularity of Ladakhi Pashmina and said that is also being discussed a lot for some time now.

"Ladakhi Pashmina is reaching the markets around the world under the name of aLooms of Ladakha. You will be surprised to know that more than 450 women from 15 villages are involved in weaving them. Earlier they used to sell their products only to the tourists coming there. But now in this era of Digital India, the products made by them have started reaching different markets in the country and the world. That means our local is now becoming global and on account of that, the earnings of these women have also increased," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister also said that this year has been a year of limitless achievements for India and extended greetings to people on Guru Nanak Jayanti and Kartik Purnima -- which will be celebrated on November 27.

He also urged people and asked them to share collective efforts with him and he will try to bring more such efforts that are taking the country forward.

He said that 'Mann Ki Baat' has gotten people to know more about such efforts and has also increased the interest in radio among people
Sangareddy : , Nov 26 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants K. Chandrasekhar Rao to remain in power in Telangana while the latter continued his support to Modi at the Centre.

Reiterating the allegation of a partnership between BRS and BJP, he said the first goal of Congress was to defeat KCR in Telangana and then defeat Modi at the Centre.

Rahul Gandhi was addressing an election rally at Andole in Sangareddy district to campaign for party candidate former deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha.

The Congress MP alleged that BJP, BRS and MIM are together and Congress is fighting all of them.

He claimed that BRS extended support to the Modi government on GST, demonetisation and farm bills.

"Since I fight BJP every day, there are 24 cases against me but there is not a single case of ED, CBI or IT against KCR," he said.

Targeting MIM, Rahul Gandhi said that it fields its candidates to help BJP wherever Congress is fighting BJP.

Referring to his meeting with unemployed youth in Hyderabad on Saturday night, Rahul Gandhi said KCR government destroyed their future through paper leaks in TSPSC exams. "They told me that they spent money and worked hard to prepare for exams but the paper leak shattered all their dreams," he said.

The Congress leader called the November 30 Assembly election a fight between 'Dorala sarkar' and 'prajala sarkar'. He promised that if voted to power Congress will usher in people's governance.

He alleged that the KCR government is the most corrupt in the entire country. "While fighting for Telangana state people had seen the dream of a government which would work for poor, tribals, farmers and weaker sections but they realised that a family is ruling them," he said.

He assured the people that the money looted by KCR and his family from them will be returned by the Congress to the people through implementation of six guarantees.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday greeted the party workers on AAP's 11th foundation day and said that despite "targeting by the government", it became a national party.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the party said, "Today, on this day in 2012, AAP was formed and it became a national party in 11 years. Due to hard work by the party, it formed government in two states, and in two states its MLAs were elected and people are talking about it across the country."

"People used to ask us at Ramleela Maidan that if you too will become corrupt," he said.

"In the history of India, no other political party has been targetted as much as AAP has been targetted in the last 11 years. They filed more than 250 false cases against us in 11 years," the Chief Minister said.

"All agencies of the country were put after AAP but they never found any evidence to this day," he claimed.

"This is the biggest certificate of our honesty," the AAP leader said.

On the occasion, Kejriwal said that he misses party leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Sanjay Singh and Vijay Nair, who are in jail in "false cases".

He said that his heart is heavy, as this is the first foundation day when party leaders Sisodia, Jain, Singh and Nair are not here with us.

"They have been jailed under false cases. BJP knows to make leaders of other parties bend through false cases but they don't know how to do that to AAP. It is a matter of pride for us that none of our MLAs sold themselves or broke," Kejriwal added.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Change in nomenclature from 'social auditor' to 'social impact assessor' is not just replacement of words but overall change in the way of working of NPO. It's not just about verifying whether utilisation was done for the purpose but it is more so that whether after the utilisation/after the interference done by not for profit organisations (NPO) what is the impact on the underprivileged or beneficiaries, says Makarand M Joshi, Founder MMJC & Associates.

SEBI board meeting recently approved a proposal to change the nomenclature of 'social auditor' to 'social impact assessora.

On SEBI board approving reduction in minimum application size and minimum issue size on social stock exchange, Joshi said already close to Rs 25,000-30,000 crores is spent by Indian corporations on CSR. So there is a big market for NPO to raise funds. So there is an opportunity for those who want to do social work and make an impact. There is now no dearth of funds for good work.

The SEBI Board approved measures to provide impetus to fund raising by NPOs on the Social Stock Exchange.

This includes reduction in minimum issue size in case of public issuance of Zero Coupon Zero Principal Instruments (ZCZP) by NPOs on SSE from Rs 1 crore to Rs 50 lakh.

Reduction in minimum application size in case of public issuance of ZCZP by NPOs on SSE from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10,000, thereby enabling wider participation of subscribers including retail.

It also approved changing the nomenclature of 'Social Auditor' with 'Social Impact Assessor' to provide comfort to NPOs and convey a positive approach towards the social sector.

Permitting NPO to disclose past social impact report in the fund raising document as per their existing practice subject to disclosure of key parameters such as number of beneficiaries, cost per beneficiary and administrative overhead.
Tel Aviv, Nov 26 : Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen chided Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar for saying that an Israeli-Irish child hostage was "found" after she was "lost," after she was released by Hamas, 50 days into her captivity, the media reported.

In a post on X directed at Varadkar, Cohen wrote: "It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!"

Emily Hand, 9, was originally presumed dead after Hamas attacked Kibbutz Be'eri as part of its October 7 rampage against Israel's southern communities and a large outdoor music festival, killing nearly 1,200 people, the majority civilians..

Hand was later confirmed to be among the 240 hostages taken that day to the Gaza Strip, The Times of Israel reported.

"Emily Hand was not 'lost', she was kidnapped by a terror organisation worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother," Cohen said.

"Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, and you are trying to legitimise and normalise terror. Shame on you!" he added.
CANBERRA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Australia is on track to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target, the federal government has claimed.

Chris Bowen, minister for climate change and energy, on Sunday released an excerpt of data from the annual Climate Change Statement (CCS) showing Australia is currently on track to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 42 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 - just short of the government's 43 percent reduction target.

The CCS in 2022 projected that Australia was on track for a 40 percent cut from 2005 levels by 2030.

Bowen, who will table the full CCS report for 2023 in parliament on Thursday before traveling to the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in the United Arab Emirates, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the data shows the Australian government is "getting on with the job."

"The latest emissions projections show what we've always said - our 43 percent target is ambitious but achievable," he said.

"As our trading partners ramp up their own transitions, reducing emissions isn't just a climate imperative but critical for keeping competitive - especially creating jobs in the regions, exporting clean energy, products and resources to the world."

However, a separate report published by NGO the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) on Sunday claimed that the government's efforts to reduce emissions are being undercut by its approval, or support, of 16 new fossil fuel projects since winning power in May 2022.

Bowen told ABC television he did not agree with the report's findings but admitted the government has approved metallurgical coal developments to support steel manufacturing. 
Busan, Nov 26 : Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday said his country will play a role in helping ensure the stability of the Korean Peninsula as he expressed concerns over the current security situation in the region.

Wang made the remarks during his bilateral talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin in Busan, an official at Seoul's Foreign Ministry said.

During their talks, Park also requested that China play a "constructive" role after North Korea scrapped a 2018 military tension reduction accord with South Korea and warned of more provocations to come, Yonhap news agency reported.

Park stressed that Seoul's decision to abandon part of the inter-Korean military deal, which came in response to North Korea's launch of a military spy satellite, was the minimal defensive measure for the safety of its people.

"We clearly made a point about North Korea's attitude of threatening further provocations, saying that it will not be bound by the September 19 military agreement, and shifting the responsibility to us," a Foreign Ministry official told reporters after the talks.

"Minister Park requested that the two countries work closely and that China play a constructive role, as it is in the common interests of South Korea and China that North Korea stop its provocations and take the path of denuclearisation," the official said.

Wang, in turn, expressed "concerns" over the latest situation on the Korean Peninsula and told Park that China will do its part to "help stabilise the situation," according to the official.

Wang arrived in Busan on Saturday to attend a trilateral gathering with Park and his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, took place on Sunday.

The talks came days after North Korea said it launched a military spy satellite and successfully placed it into orbit, after two botched launch attempts in May and August, respectively.

In response, South Korea scrapped part of a 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction accord. In a tit-for-tat, North Korea said the next day it will immediately restore all military measures it had halted under the agreement.

China has called for all concerned parties to "remain calm and exercise restraint," over the satellite launch, saying it will continue to play "a constructive role" in promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

At the talks, the two sides reaffirmed the commitment to developing their bilateral relationship into a "healthy and more mature" one, based on "mutual respect, reciprocity and common interests," according to the Seoul Ministry.

Sharing the view that the economic cooperation has been an important driver in the development of the bilateral ties, the Ministers agreed to bolster "mutually beneficial and substantive cooperation in light of the changing external environment".

In that vein, Park noted the importance of working together to ensure the stable management of supply chains and the safety of South Korean companies doing business in China, as well as the need to facilitate cultural content, such as games and films.

Park also relayed concerns over the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors in China and asked for Beijing's active cooperation in helping North Koreans move to desired places, instead of being forced to return home, where they may face harsh punishment.

As Pyongyang's key ally, China does not recognise North Korean defectors as refugees and regularly repatriates them to their home country.

The two top diplomats discussed efforts to promote high-level communications at all levels, including a potential visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Critics say the relations with Beijing have recently cooled due to what they describe as President Yoon Suk Yeol's attempts to bring South Korea closer to the US and Japan, a departure from the previous Moon Jae-in administration's greater emphasis on China.

During Sunday's talks, Park asked for Beijing's support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, and Wang said China "will seriously consider" it, according to the Ministry official.

Wang and Park last held talks on the sidelines of the Foreign Ministers' meeting involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta in July. Wang last visited South Korea in September 2021.
Chandigarh, Nov 26 : Thousands of protesting farmers from Punjab and Haryana on Sunday started gathering on the outskirts of the joint capital of both states here as part of a three-day protest over demands which the Centre had conceded on December 9, 2021.

They warned that they have come prepared for a long haul. Many of them brought along vegetables, sacks of flour and lentils and cooking oil on their tractor-trailers.

The farmer unions under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) have given a nationwide call for the protest to mark the third anniversary of the historic 'Dilli Chalo' agitation of farmers and non-fulfillment of demands like promise of minimum support price (MSP) guarantee law.

This time it has given 'Chandigarh Chalo' agitation to lodge their protest in front of the Raj Bhavans of Punjab and Haryana in Chandigarh.

The protesting farmers, comprising men and women -- both young and old -- and school and college students riding tractor-trailers, cars and motorcycles, have been assembling on the borders of Mohali in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana.

Police of both states and Chandigarh have been deployed in strength and sealed borders to prevent the forceful entry of the farmers to Chandigarh.

However, there was no report of any violence or the use of force to disperse the protesters.

The assembled farmers have pitched up their tents and parked their vehicles, largely tractor-trailers, on roads leading to the city for their stay. Even they set up makeshift kitchens to serve food to the protesters.

"The farm unions will move towards the Raj Bhavans to lodge a protest against the Union government over the non-fulfillment of their demands," Darshan Pal, member, coordination committee of the SKM, told the media.

He said, if needed, they would extend the agitation indefinitely.

"We are carrying the ration that can last up to two months," said Sarbjit Singh, a farmer from Khanna town.

"Like over an year-long protest at the three Delhi border points -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- we are now ready for similar protest on the borders of Chandigarh," remarked octogenarian farmer Gurdev Singh, who camped here along with his sons, grandsons and granddaughters.

The farm unions demand also include compensation for crops damaged due to pest attack and floods in Punjab and Haryana.

Both Punjab and Haryana Police have issued a travel advisory, asking commuters to avoid certain road stretches along Chandigarh borders in the wake of the protests.
Tel Aviv, Nov 26 : In a long letter to troops, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the military will return to fighting Hamas "with determination" once the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip ends, the media reported.

"The IDF and its soldiers fight fiercely to protect the lives of our people while upholding the values of the IDF. We created conditions for the framework of the release of the first group of hostage children and mothers (that is taking place) during this pause" in the fighting, Halevi added.

"When the framework is completed, we will return to our operations with determination, for the continued release of the hostages and the complete dismantlement of Hamas," he said as quoted by the Times of Israel report.

"I met many of you at the end of long hours of fighting both above and underground, facing complex challenges. In every encounter, I saw reflected in your eyes the magnitude of the moment, the fighting spirit and determination to achieve all the objectives of the war," Halevi added.

"I heard you tell me: 'We want to fight until we return the hostages.' And so we are doing just that!"
Kolkata, Nov 26 : Three illegal immigrants were arrested from a village near the India-Bangladesh International Border in Murshidabad district on Sunday, said police.

They were arrested in the Kamarpara village under Ranitala Police station in Murshidabad. The villagers on Sunday morning traced three unknown persons loitering in the area. Being suspicious of their body-language, the villagers informed the local police station.

The police intercepted them and during interrogation it was revealed that all of them were Bangladeshi residents who had entered India illegally after crossing the barbed fencing at the International Borders in the district. None of them had valid documents or papers for coming to India.

The three persons arrested have been identified as Jalem Sheikh, Noor Alam and Iran Sheikh. All of them are residents of Rajsahi in Bangladesh. Four mobile SIM cards were recovered from their possessions.

The police have arrested and booked them under the charge of illegal immigration and criminal conspiracy. The police were interrogating them to find out the reasons for entering India illegally.
Rawalpindi, Nov 26 : Two retired officers of the Pakistan Army have been convicted and sentenced for "inciting sedition" under the Army Act and violations of the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media reported.

"Major (Retired) Adil Farooq Raja and Captain (Retired) Haider Raza Mehdi, both retired officers of the Pakistan Army, were convicted and sentenced through Field General Court Martial (FGCM)," said the military's media wing.

"The retired officers have been sentenced under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, for the charges of inciting sedition among army personnel from the discharge of duties and violation of the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, related to espionage and acts prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state."

The statement added that the court of competent jurisdiction convicted and adjudged both individuals on the date of October 7 and October 9, 2023, through a due judicial process.

Major (retd) Raja has been given 14 years of rigorous imprisonment while Captain (retd) Mehdi is awarded 12 years of rigorous imprisonment, it said, Geo News reported.

"Pursuant to the awarded sentence, the ranks of both officers have been forfeited on November 21, 2023," the ISPR added.

Both the court-martialled former servicemen are based outside Pakistan at the moment.

Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas said that both of the convicted officers were introduced to the public through social media.

"If you watch their vlogs, they talked about the Pakistan Army, and especially the vlogs after May 9 targeted the establishment," Abbas added.

He said that he believes this is the beginning of the trials of people who were convicted after May 9 in military courts, Geo News reported.
Bhopal, Nov 26 : A patwari (revenue officer) was allegedly killed by mining mafia in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district.

The incident occurred in Beuhari area of Shahdol district late on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

Upon receiving information about illegal mining operation, the revenue officer, along with three other staff members, rushed to the spot.

The team objected to illegal mining and warned them of legal action, but the revenue officer was run over by a tractor. The officer was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died during treatment early on Sunday.

The deceased has been identified as Prashanna Singh (45), a resident of Rewa district. He was posted as Patwari in Beuhari area of Shahdol district.

The official said an FIR has been registered against unidentified persons and a search has been launched. However, no arrests could be made so far.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday said that it has arrested an Administrative Officer of National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM), Bangalore for demanding and accepting Rs 50,000 bribe to clear bills.

A CBI spokesperson here said that the agency registered a case on complaint against Nadeem A Siddiqui, an Administrative Officer of NIUM Bengaluru on the allegations of demanding bribe of Rs 1.10 lakh from the complainant for clearing bills.

The official said that the CBI laid a trap and caught the accused red handed while demanding and accepting part amount of bribe of Rs 50,000 from the complainant.

"Searches were conducted at the premises of accused which led to recovery of Rs 2 lakh," the official said.

The accused was produced before the Special Judge for CBI Cases Bengaluru and was remanded to judicial custody.
Srinagar, Nov 26 : A woman was killed and 3 others of her family injured in a gas cylinder blast in J&K's Srinagar city on Sunday, police said.

Officials said that a house in Lal Bazar locality caught fire, leading to the gas cylinder explosion.

"A 75-year old woman was killed and 3 other members of the same family were injured in this incident. aThe injured have been shifted to hospital," an official said.
Bhubaneswar, Nov 26 : A woman from Andhra Pradesh was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a hotel room at Berhampur in Odisha's Ganjam district late Saturday evening, police said on Sunday.

Police have identified the deceased as KrishnaVeni Konapalli of RV Nagar village in GK Veedhi Mandalam of Visakhapatnam district.

On Saturday evening, the sanitary staff and the hotel manager knocked at the room door but there was no response.

The manager immediately informed the hotel owner who called the Baidyanathpur police.

Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M. on Sunday told media persons that the local police received information at around 10 p.m. on Saturday that a female body was found in one of the rooms of the Berhampur Lodge located near Goilundi chak and a police team, along with scientific team and senior officers rushed to the spot immediately.

"She had come to the lodge on November 19 along with her husband, Sameedmon A.S., from Kollam, Kerala. The husband is missing currently. They were married for three years. An unnatural death case is registered and an inquest was conducted in the presence of an executive magistrate," the SP said.

The police have informed the victimas family members who will reach Berhampur soon.

"So far we have come to know from the victimas family that they were against the relationship so the woman had eloped," the SP added.

He said that police are checking the video footage of CCTVs installed in the locality and will seek to identify a person who allegedly met the couple at the hotel. He also informed the media persons that police have seized the coupleas belongings, a letter and other items from the crime spot.

The hotel manager told the investigating officials that the couple while checking in the hotel informed the staff that they had come to Berhampur for medical treatment. Police said that they are awaiting the post mortem report to ascertain the causes behind and actual time of the death. The investigation is on in the case to nab the missing husband and unearth his role in the death of the victim.
Tel Aviv, Nov 26 : Hamas, on the third day of the truce, has announced that it will release at least 13 more hostages on Sunday as part of the deal with Israel brokered by the Qatar.

On its part, the Israelis will be releasing at least 42 Palestinians including women and children.

Meanwhile, 200 aid trucks have reached Gaza with several trucks moving towards the northern Gaza. The trucks were checked by the Israeli authorities at the Nitzana crossing with Egypt before the aid trucks crossed the Rafah crossing.

Reports also said that at least six ambulances and dozens of aid trucks were headed towards the northern Gaza with the approval of Israel authorities.

The tucks including aid materials, medicines and food items are entering Gaza as part of the four day ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

The United Nations Welfare and Relief Agency (UNRWA) have already requested immediate aid for Gaza as huge humanitarian crisis is staring in the strip for want of aid including food materials, water, medicine and fuel.
GAZA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Hamas is going to release another 13 Israeli hostages in Gaza on the third day of the humanitarian cease-fire with Israel, a senior Hamas official said Sunday.

"The 13 hostages will be released tonight unless there are any further developments on the ground," the official told Xinhua.

Qatar and Egypt conducted intensive communication on Saturday to address the "obstacles" that have delayed the completion of the second batch of the release, particularly those related to the entry of relief trucks into the northern Gaza Strip and other agreed-upon terms included in the deal.

Israeli media reported that Israel has received a name list of the detainees scheduled for release on Sunday and has contacted their families. No further detail has been provided.

Furthermore, the Israeli Prison Services reportedly received a name list of 39 Palestinian prisoners expected to be released Sunday as part of the third phase of swap plans.

The temporary cease-fire in Gaza, now in its third day, entailed an increased flow of aid trucks carrying relief supplies and fuel entering Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.

According to the cease-fire swap, Hamas will release at least 50 Israeli hostages, mainly children and women, in exchange for 150 female and teen Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons. 
London, Nov 26 : Sources in Israel said that the Shabak internal security agency knows where "many" of the 240 Israeli hostages are being kept -- but cannot rescue them from Hamas' clutches without risking a large number of civilian deaths among the Palestinian population, the media reported.

Locations range from "facilities such as hospitals to apartment buildings" said a source, who added that "many locations are heavily defended and even booby-trapped, designed to cause as many casualties as possible if there is a rescue attempt", Express UK reported.

"Hamas doesn't care about innocent Palestinians dying."

Israel's IDF had intended to mount rescue operations for hostages being held in Gaza.

Last month, the Sunday Express reported that British SAS soldiers who had been helping to train Israeli Special Forces were placed on standby during the October 7 attacks to use their hostage retrieval expertise to assist the IDF and Intelligence agencies if called upon to do so.

Some 240 Israelis were kidnapped and taken to Gaza during the October 7 atrocity, where Hamas terrorists raided a series of Israeli kibbutzes, homes and even a music concert, Express UK reported.

Regional expert Catherine Perez-Shakdam, research fellow as ACLS think-tanks, said: "By launching the October 7 attacks and taking hostages Hamas laid a trap which Benjamin Netanyahu, who understandably under pressure to react, walked into."

"Israel has been force to hand over many more Palestinians hostages than the number of hostages it is getting back, knowing all the while that Hamas is using the ceasefire to regroup and plan its next action.

"Despite thousands of Hamas deaths, Hamas is still running the show. It is Hamas which is deciding which names gets on the hostage list, not Israel", Express UK reported.
Shillong, Nov 26 : A 12-member Bhutanese delegation from the Centre for Bhutan Studies visited Meghalaya to learn more about the governance and discussed on diverse issues covering sustainable urban development, climate change, natural resource management, women's roles in rural tourism and economic connectivity between Bhutan and northeast India, officials said on Sunday.

The delegation during its four-day visit to Meghalaya paid field visits, engaged in-depth roundtable discussions on diverse issues and interacted with Pymiad Sing Syiem, Chief Executive member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, one of the three tribal autonomous body in the mountainous state.

The delegation before concluding its visit to Meghalaya on Sunday held conversations with the local community at the Sacred Groves in Mawphlang and engaged in discussions with community leaders of Integrated Village Cooperative Societies at Kyiem.

"Ideas were exchanged on forest conservation, natural resource management and more. The delegation also experienced the rich Khasi tradition at the Seng Kut Snem festival and the unique culture of the Whistling Village of Kongthong, appreciating how the local communities preserve their traditions in Meghalaya," officials said.

Organised by Asian Confluence, the premier Indian think tank headquartered in Shillong, the Bhutanese delegation visited Meghalaya as follow up to the recent 8-day visit of Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, who visited India (November 3-10) and held bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During Bhutan King's three-day visit to Assam, Wangchuk visited the Kamakhya Temple and enjoyed an evening jeep safari in the world famous Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

The Bhutanese delegation visit was arranged in partnership with Thimphu based Center for Bhutan Studies and supported by Meghalaya Tourism Department, Indian Embassy in Bhutan, and Meghalaya Institute of Governance.

The initiative was earlier flagged off by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in the presence of officials of India's External Affairs Ministry, Assam and Meghalaya government.

An in depth dialogue was also held at the Asian Confluence Center in Shillong on bilateral trade, connectivity and Bhutan India strategic partnership in the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) region.

A delegation from Meghalaya is also expected to visit Bhutan in early 2024.

Three northeastern states of India  Arunachal Pradesh (217 km), Assam (267 km) and Sikkim (32 km)  have 516 km borders with Bhutan.
Nirmal : , Nov 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday described Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Congress as carbon copies of each other and remarked that Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is a "Congressi" in thought and approach.

Addressing an election rally here, he claimed that the BJP is the only alternative to the 'misrule' of BRS in Telangana. The Prime Minister said that the BJP was fighting 'Sultan Shahi' of Congress and 'Nizam Shahi' of BRS.

"Every vote for Congress will go to BRS and strengthen family rule, corruption and appeasement," he said while urging people to reject both the parties.

Exuding confidence that BJP will come to power at the Centre for a third term next year, he said if Telangana votes BJP to power, a double-engine government can speed up the development of the state.

Modi alleged that both Congress and BRS are against social justice.

He said the Congress never allowed SC, ST and OBC leaders to grow while KCR promised that a Dalit will be made chief minister.

Alleging that BRS has not given anything to people of Telangana except betrayal, he said Telangana was neck- deep in debts of thousands of crores.

"Telangana is identified today by irrigation scams of thousands of crores," he said.

He also alleged that KCR insulted BR Ambedkar and the Constitution by talking of amending the Constitution. Modi also dubbed KCR a 'farmhouse CM'.

"KCR has shifted to his farmhouse by handing over the steering of his car to some other party," he said.

The BJP leader alleged that KCR was not bothered about the future of children of people but he was concerned about the future of his own children and family.

"Do you want a CM who does not meet people and who does not go to secretariat. Does Telangana need a farmhouse CM," he asked in Telugu.

PM Modi alleged that BRS brought appeasement politics even in technology.

"Will now there be IT parks on the basis of religion? Is it the respect you have for the Indian constitution?" he asked, apparently referring to the promise by KCR to develop an IT Park exclusively for minority youth.

Earlier, PM Modi addressed an election rally at Toopran in Gajwel constituency where BJP's Eatala Rajender is contesting against KCR.

He said KCR was contesting from two seats he feared defeat at the hands of Rajender in Gajwel.

The Prime Minister claimed that KCR betrayed unemployed youth by failing to fulfil his promise to give them jobs.

The question paper leak of Group-I and other recruitment exams destroyed their future. He said KCR promised water to farmers but in the name of irrigation schemes he indulged in scams.

"Before formation of the state he said he would work for the people but after the formation of the state he started working for the family. He promised to enhance people's income but enhanced the income of his own family," he said.

Stating that many talented people among Backward Classes (BCs) were denied a chance, he reiterated BJP's promise to make someone from BCs the chief minister.

He claimed that only the BJP can deliver social justice.

He assured Madigas that justice will be done to them.

PM Modi said when the Congress was in power at the Centre there was Bofors and several other scams and under KCR's rule, MLAs were taking 30 per cent commission.

"If Congress resorted to corruption in the country, KCR indulged corruption in the state," he said.

He alleged that after looting Telangana, KCR set his eyes on the country and went to Delhi for the loot, where he joined hands with a leader for liquor scam.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Nov 26 : Estranged Trinamool Congress leader Binay Tamang, who is influential in the hills of Darjeeling, Kalimgpong, and Kurseong in north West Bengal, on Sunday joined Congress in present of its state party President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Chowdhury handed over the Congress flag to Tamang at a colorful programme at Kalimpong town hall on Sunday afternoon.

"I had contributed in ensuring the victory of BJP from Darjeeling Lok Sabha thrice. But BJP has done nothing for the hills. Later I joined Trinamool Congress also. But the stateas ruling party also did nothing for the hills. So I have joined Congress this time and I am hopeful that I will get the chance to serve the people of hills in the countryas oldest national party," Tamang said afterwards.

This is the fourth innings in the political career of Tamang with different political forces.

In his initial days he was a close confidant of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Bimal Gurung. Thereafter, he parted ways with Gurung and joined the Trinamool and very fast became an influential leader of the ruling party in the hills. But, he started distancing himself from the Trinamool since the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls as the latter started giving more importance to Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) chief Anit Thapa, who is currently the chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA with its support.

For some time, Tamang tried to maintain an independent identity and also made an attempt to float a new joint platform in the hills jointly with the GJM and Ajay Edwards-founded Hamro Party. He first gave hints of his growing closeness to Congress in May this year.

"The hills of Darjeeling gifted the BJP with an MP thrice in 2009, 2014 and 2019. None of them were sons of the soil. But what did the people of the hills get out of them? Rather Gorkha Hill Council was formed in 1986 when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister. Similarly, in 2007 the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration was formed with Dr Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister," he said then.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud on Sunday said that the Supreme Court has acted as a "people's court" in the last seven decades.

He said that thousands of citizens have approached the apex court's door with the faith that they will get justice through this institution.

"Our court is perhaps the only Ccurt in the world where any citizen, no matter who they are or where they come from, can set in motion the constitutional machinery of the Supreme Court simply by even writing to the Chief Justice of India," he said in his address after a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar was unveiled by President Droupadi Murmu in the Supreme Court premises as part of Constitution Day celebrations.

The CJI said that establishing such a statue is an extension of the thought that the right to approach the Court is "heart and soul" of the Constitution, as Dr Ambedkar famously said.

"So when we say today, we honour the adoption of the Constitution, first and foremost, we honour the fact that the Constitution 'exists', and that the Constitution 'works'," he added.

CJI Chandrachud said that apart from ensuring that the citizens get justice through its judgments, the Supreme Court has been making its administrative processes citizen-centric. He said that recently, the Supreme Court has launched e-Sewa Kendras in all courts to ensure that no citizen is left behind in the judicial process.

"We embrace our citizens as co-equal partners in a shared national endeavour," he said.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Lack of awareness and stigma are the major reasons behind rising urinary tract infection among Indian women, according to experts.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a painful condition that affects millions of people, especially women. It occurs when bacteria enter the urinary system and cause inflammation and irritation.

About 40 per cent of women and 12 per cent of men experience at least one symptom of UTI during their lifetime while as many as 40 per cent of affected women suffer with recurrent UTI. It is also known to be one of the most common medical complications during pregnancies.

According to a recent research, published in SSRG International Journal of Medical Sciences, around 35 per cent women in India get affected by female urinary incontinence.

Led by Anya Chaudhary, lead author and a social awareness campaigner on UTI in women, the research highlighted the trends of awareness and stigma surrounding female urinary incontinence, and effective methods to improve societal perception of womenas health issues.

"In India women are hesitant to seek well available treatment for UTI which hampers their daily life, their social capacity, and their confidence and this hesitance is caused by lack of awareness and stigma," Chaudhury told IANS.

Other experts also called the need for raising awareness on UTI.

"UTI or urinary tract infection is quite common in females. This problem is seen more in postmenopausal women and those with diabetes. To avoid getting UTI, it is advisable to drink at least two litres of water daily, keep sugars well controlled, and maintain good personal hygiene," Dr. Anita Gupta, Associate Director, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fortis La Femme, New Delhi, told IANS.

"In case of symptoms like burning and pain while urinating along with fever, seeking expert advice and apt antimicrobial choice is imperative for both clinical efficacy and avoiding development of resistance. Considering female population, genital and menstrual hygiene also contribute to recurrence of urine infection," added Dr. Neha Rastogi Panda, Senior Infectious Diseases Specialist at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.

--IANS

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London, Nov 26 : Increasing extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts, and hurricanes, and associated forest fires and floods caused by global warming may impact our brain function in the future, finds an alarming study.

In the new study, teams from the universities of Geneva, New York, Chicago, Washington, Stanford, Exeter in the UK and the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, said that climate change events may change brain structure, function, and overall health, while calling for more research to evaluate how this may explain changes in well-being and behaviour.

The paper also explores the role that neuroscience can play in influencing the way we think about climate change, our judgments and how we respond.

"Weave long known that factors in our environment can lead to changes in the brain. Yet weare only just beginning to look at how climate change, the greatest global threat of our time, might change our brains," said lead author Dr Kimberly C. Doell from the University of Vienna in Austria.

"Given the increasingly frequent extreme weather events weare already experiencing, alongside factors such as air pollution, the way we access nature and the stress and anxiety people experience around climate change, itas crucial that we understand the impact this could all have on our brains. Only then can we start to find ways to mitigate these changes," he added.

Since the 1940s, scientists have known from mouse studies that changing environmental factors can profoundly change the development and plasticity of the brain.

This effect has also been seen in humans in research looking at the effects of growing up in poverty, which found disturbances to brain systems, including lack of cognitive stimulation, exposure to toxins, poor nutrition, and heightened childhood stress.

While not entirely surprising, the new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change, highlights the profound impact that oneas environment can have on their brain.

"Both brain function and climate change are highly complex areas. We need to start seeing them as interlinked, and to take action to protect our brains against the future realities of climate change, and start using our brains better to cope with what is already happening and prevent the worst-case scenarios," said Dr Mathew White, of the Universities of Exeter and Vienna.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Nov 26 : President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday launched various e-initiatives of the Supreme Court and also unveiled a statue of Dr B. R. Ambedkar in the apex court's premises.

The Virtual Justice Clock, E-SCR (Hindi) and FASTER (Version 2.0), among other initiatives, were launched by the President to bring awareness and transparency about the justice delivery system.

Virtual Justice Clock, now also available in Hindi, provides information about institution, disposal, and case clearance rate (CCR) of courts. The E-SCR (Hindi) will allow users to search for judgments rendered by the top court in Hindi.

The Supreme Court portal has 21,388 judgments translated into Hindi and 9,276 judgments have been translated into other regional languages with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

FASTER (Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records) is a digital platform to communicate interim orders, stay orders, bail orders etc., of the Supreme Court to authorities concerned through a secured electronic communication channel so as to ensure timely release of undertrials.

In her address, the President said that the cause of justice is best served by making it accessible for all and commended initiatives taken by the Supreme Court, in particular, and the judiciary, in general, to expand the scope of free legal aid.

"As we celebrate the Constitution Day, we should note that the Constitution is after all only a written document. It comes alive and remains alive only if its contents are put into practice," Murmu said.

Working Sessions on 100 years of Dr BR Ambedkaras law practice, state of the judiciary and institutionalising the use of technology in judicial administration were a part of the day long Constitution-day celebrations in the Supreme Court.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Here is a list of new book launches to read before the year ends: THE GREAT INDIAN MANTHAN

In the tenth volume of the Rethinking India series, some of Indiaas most eminent persons from Sonia Gandhi, Margaret Alva, Hamid Ansari to Mallikarjun Kharge write of how we can think of re-engineering India's hardware (redressing structural flaws in India's existing institutions, creating new institutions equipped to address fresh challenges and re-engaging all of India's systems), as well as ensuring progressive forces radically reinvent their political strategies and operational methodologies to socialize Indians to constitutional values.

In the midst of India's political evolution, this game-changing book emerges to challenge the norm and spark a dialogue that captivates the nation. "Rethinking India: The Great Indian Manthan" confronts critical issues head-on and offers a fresh perspective on India's socio-economic and political landscape.

RESTLESS LIVES

Celebrating his 60th year of life, Harish Bhat, renowned for his business acumen, surprises his audience with his first poetry collection. This accessible and beautifully crafted book offers a fresh perspective on modern life, providing moments of solace within the chaos.

The modern age is characterized by speed, impersonality, and absurdity. It is easy to get caught up in the rush and forget the small, everyday things that string together to build the everyday. At times pleasing, at others disturbing, the lines within these pages promise to give pause, inspire and stir emotion.

INDIA AND MODI AND THE BATTLE FOR BHARAT

The year 2014 was a consequential one for the Bharatiya Janata Party and for India. Will 2024 also be so?

Released on November 15th, this thought-provoking work delves into whether the 2024 election will be as pivotal for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and India as the transformative year of 2014. The authors skillfully dissect the concerns of the INDIA bloc regarding Narendra Modi's vision for the country and his alleged distortion of the 'idea of India.' Through evocative, anecdotal, and deeply researched arguments, the book chronicles the emergence of a new republic, raising questions about the potential shift towards a 'Hindu Rashtra'. Whether you're interested in politics, history, or the future of India, this book promises a sharp, incisive, and revealing exploration of the battle for Bharat.

THE VELVET HOTLINE

Arsh Verma's debut thriller, "The Velvet Hotline" is an adrenaline-fueled ride. This gripping novel introduces readers to Ayingbi Mayengbam, a kind-hearted kindergarten teacher turned crisis hotline operator, whose journey spirals into a world of supernatural terror and suspense.

In this fast-paced narrative, Verma weaves a tale that transcends genres, offering readers a perfect blend of mystery, noir, and spine-chilling horror. Ayingbi, a resilient Manipuri woman, becomes an unlikely heroine as she battles not only the demons on the other end of the line but also the haunting secrets of her enigmatic boss, Dr. Rastogi.

MUSLIM POLITICS IN INDIA

What if a book could completely challenge your perspective on religion and social justice, and pave the way for a more just and equitable society?

'Muslim Politics in India' will take you in a profound exploration of the intricate relationship between religion and social justice. This transformative journey challenges preconceptions, sparking discussions on the role of faith in shaping a more just society. Authored by Hamid Dalwai, a fearless advocate for reason and justice, this book is a courageous narrative that inspires readers to question, understand, and contribute to positive change. Discover Dalwai's compelling analysis of Muslim politics, a timeless voice of reason for our contemporary times.

PAIN

How can we be resilient in the face of universal pain?

In this transformative guide, Kirti draws from her public grief over Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death to offer insights on rising above suffering. Blending science, spirituality, and philosophy, the book serves as a roadmap for finding inner peace amid life's challenges. A beacon of hope, it inspires readers to embrace pain as a catalyst for personal growth. This is not just a memoir; it's an invitation to discover the transformative power within pain. Shweta Singh Kirti's wisdom makes "Pain: A Portal to Enlightenment" a must-read for those seeking resilience and understanding.

GETTING DRESSED AND PARKING CARS

"Getting Dressed and Parking Cars" by Alok Kejriwal is a riveting chronicle of entrepreneurship and resilience. Kejriwal, CEO of Games2win, takes readers on a rollercoaster journey through the highs and lows of startup life, sharing real-life stories that capture the essence of creation and success.

In this must-read book, Kejriwal bares it alla" from getting arrested to facing the theft of top games, and the humbling quest for a chief technology officer in San Francisco. The narrative unfolds as a celebration of spirit, a testament to the unpredictable yet rewarding path of building a business.

TEACHINGS FROM THE RAMAYANA

'Every Indian is familiar with the Ramayana. Shantanu Guptaas book will make every reader relate to it' a"Bibek Debroy

Drawing from twenty-five stories of the Ramayana, Shantanu Gupta offers simple solutions for real-life challenges, from handling negative influences to fostering meaningful friendships. "Teachings from the Ramayana" offers a unique blend of ancient wisdom and modern applicability, providing readers with actionable insights for navigating the complexities of family life.

This interactive edition invites readers to reflect, take notes, and engage in family discussions, making it a delightful and essential read.

--IANS

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Hamas hands 14 hostages, 3 foreigners to Red Cross on third day of truce. Image Source: IANS News

Tel Aviv, Nov 26 : The Hamas on Sunday handed over another 14 Israeli hostages who were kidnapped on October 7 to the Red Cross on the third day of the ceasefire.

Three foreign hostages were also released by Hamas.

Out of these hostages, 13 were Israeli citizens, one a Russian-Israeli citizen and 3 from other nations.

The Israel side will also release 42 Palestinian prisoners including women and children.

Sources in IDF told IANS that the 17 hostages are now with the IDF and that they will soon reach Israel from the Gaza strip.

The third exchange of hostages/prisoners came after the Hamas had, on Saturday, delayed the release of Israeli hostages, charging that Israel had delayed the supply of aid materials to the Gaza strip which was part of the condition for their release.

--IANS

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BEIJING, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- The continued increase in acute respiratory illnesses reported recently in China is caused by various respiratory pathogens, according to a Chinese health official on Sunday.

Mi Feng, a spokesperson with the National Health Commission, told a press conference that the recent respiratory infectious diseases are mainly due to the influenza virus, with additional cases caused by rhinoviruses, mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus. 
Washington, Nov 26 : US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has hoped that Hamas will release at least one American hostage among hostages taken by the militants on October 7 in those freed on the third day of the truce.

"At least one American will be released today. I cannot confirm who it will be, or that it will absolutely happen because until we see that American out of Gaza, in safety and ultimately in the hands of their loved ones, we won't have full confirmation," Sullivan told CBS news on Sunday's "Face the Nation".

Republicans questioned President Joe Biden if the deal was brokered by the US, then why was no American released so far?

No American hostage was released in the first lot by the Hamas when the four day truce came into effect between Israel and Hamas, creating furore in the US with GOP members attacking Biden on the terms of the viability of the agreement between the warring sides.

Though 50 hostages are expected to be released during the four-day truce between Israel and Hamas, no Americans hostage has been freed yet by Hamas. Some 24 hostages were released on Friday in the first wave by Hamas that included an Israeli-Irish girl, until now believed to be dead.

Hamas took some 240 people from Israeli territory as hostages in its lightning strike on Israel on October 7 that led to the death of over 1,200 Israelis. Gaza has been under heavy bombardment by Israel since then, with the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reporting that over 14,000 Palestinians have been killed in the retaliatory strike.

Sullivan cautioned that while the US expects an American to be released Sunday, they must verify the release first. "And we do have reason to believe that there will be an American release today but let's wait and see what actually happens. Because of course, we are dealing with a terrorist group here and we can't immediately trust but have to verify," he said.

It's entirely up to Hamas to extend the four-day truce and hostage exchange deal, the NSA said.

"I have every confidence that ultimately, all of the Americans and all of the individuals being held hostage will come home, we are determined not to rest until that happens," he said. "But whether or not this particular deal gets extended, that's really up to Hamas, because Israel has been very clear as part of the deal, it is prepared to continue the pause in fighting for every day that Hamas produces an additional 10 hostages."

The Biden administration has "reason to believe" an American will be released, Sullivan also told CNN on Sunday.

"Today should be a good day, a joyful day, but until we actually see it happen, we are going to remain really at the edge of our seat," he said.

Two American women and one child, 4-year-old Abigail Edan, are currently unaccounted for and are expected to be part of the group of 50 women and children hostages released as part of a four-day truce, now in its third day.

No Americans were released as part of the deal on Friday or Saturday. Ten Americans are unaccounted for in total. The US has "growing optimism" that Edan will be returned, though Sullivan declined to provide a timeline. "We are now hopeful that Abigail will be released and reunited with her family. She turned four just two days ago. She has been through hell. She had her parents killed right in front of her and has been held hostage for the last several weeks," Sullivan said.
Vadodara, Nov 26 : Two people were killed and nine others injured in a multiple vehicle pile-up in Gujarat's Vadodara on Sunday.

The accident occurred in Karjan, near Vadodara, when an overspeeding trailer truck collided with five cars and an auto rickshaw.

As traffic flow on the highway near Kandari in the Karjan taluka was already impeded due to a container truck breaking down on the Bharuch-Vadodara lane, the trailer, speeding from Bharuch towards Vadodara, struck the five cars and the auto rickshaw, resulting in fatalities and critical injuries, sources said.

The deceased were identified as Savita Amish Saraiyya and Sanjay Gamanlal Sariyya, both residents of Surat.

The nine injured are currently in critical condition and receiving medical attention at a Vadodara city hospital.

Following the incident, the Vadodara police have taken the driver of the trailer truck into custody. The investigation is ongoing to determine the full circumstances of this event.
Tel Aviv, Nov 26 : Nine-year-old Irish Israeli Emily Hand, whom Hamas first informed her parents that she was killed in the Israel-Hamas war, was returned to Israel very much alive and safe as the 2nd lot of some 17 hostages were released under the four day ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Among the children released on Sunday, was Emily Hand, 9, an Irish-Israeli whose reunion with her father, Thomas, was captured on emotional video.

Emily's family had been told she was dead; only to learn weeks later she was among the estimated 240 hostages seized on October 7 by militants in Israeli border communities, media reported on the release of the 2nd lot of hostages Sunday.

"Emily has come back to us," the family said in a statement. "We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days."

The Other released Israelis were all women and children. An uneasy cease-fire between Israeli forces and Hamas militants appeared to remain in effect Sunday as loved ones waited for the expected release of more hostages that could include 4-year-old American Avigail Edan, USA Today reported.

Seventeen militant-held hostages were released late Saturday, 13 of them Israelis along with four Thai citizens. One of those freed was Emily Hand, whose parents initially were told she had been killed.

On Friday, 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and a Filipino citizen were released, reports said.

Avigail's parents were killed in the militant rampage into Israeli border communities October 7 that left 1,200 people dead, Israeli authorities say. About 240 people were seized by the militants and brought back to Gaza. The hostages being freed are women and children; Avigail and two women are among 10 Americans believed held by the militants.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it had received a list of hostages to be released Sunday and that family members had been notified. The initial deal called for Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages and Israel to free 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

More than 13,000 Palestinians have died in the war, most of them civilians, the Gaza Health Ministry said.

Hamas announced on Sunday that one of its top commanders had been killed but did not say when.

Israel said it had killed multiple high-ranking Hamas militants before the cease-fire went into effect, reports said.

The Palestinians who were released included at least two women who had been given long sentences after being convicted by Israeli courts of violent attacks.
New Delhi, Nov 26 : Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Vice Chairman Somnath Bharti on Sunday said that the AAP government has been doing everything possible to ensure the release of funds for the DJB for last three months and will once again reach out to L-G V.K. Saxena requesting his intervention for the same.

Bharti said that Water Minister Atishi has repeatedly directed the Finance Department regarding the same, and even wrote to the L-G to ensure this.

"Despite repeated directions from Finance Minister, the Finance Department has not released funds for last three months. They keep on raising different queries and objections to delay the release of funds," he said.

He also said that it's noteworthy that since the GNCTD (Amendment) Act, the Delhi government doesn't have the power to take disciplinary action against officers for wrongs. "We will reach out to the L-G once again to request his intervention for release of funds to DJB," Bharti said.

Bharti also said that the Delhi government will put all its efforts into ensuring facilities are being provided by the DJB so that Delhi residents do not face any trouble.
IMD warns of heavy rainfall across multiple regions in country, some areas to experience exceptionally heavy downpours. Image Source: IANS News

Gandhinagar, Nov 26 : Normal life was affected on Sunday in most places in Gujarat including Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad and Rajkot as the state received unseasonal rainfall and hailstorm, an official said, adding at least 17 people were killed in lightning strikes.

An official from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) said that the sudden weather change, particularly severe in several districts, was responsible for these fatalities.

Dahod district witnessed three deaths; Bharuch two, and one each in Amreli, Surendranagar, Mehsana, Botad, Panchamahal, Kheda, Sabarkantha, Surat, and Ahmedabad districts.

Gujarat on Sunday suddenly experienced a drastic shift in the weather.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the possibility of more rainfall and hailstorms for November 27.

The rains have affected over 155 talukas across Gujarat, with the Saurashtra region bearing significant impacts.

Major cities, including Surat, Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar, experienced heavy rainfall, while poor visibility due to fog posed commuting challenges. Talala in Gir Somnath district recorded the highest rainfall of 46 mm.

Other areas in Saurashtra like Vanthali in Junagadh (43 mm), Dasada in Surendranagar (36 mm), Patan-Veraval in Gir Somnath (35 mm), and Keshod in Junagadh (29 mm), also received substantial rainfall.

Meanwhile, the IMD has warned the fishermen along the southern Gujarat coast, cautioning against widespread rain and thunderstorms with wind speeds of 40 to 50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph.

In the coming days, heavy rainfall is anticipated in several districts.

Surat and Navsari might face heavy rainfall, while coastal districts like Junagadh, Gir-Somnath, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Rajkot, and Botad are expected to receive heavy rain until Monday.

Other districts such as Ahmedabad, Tapi, Dang, Chhota Udepur, and Dahod are also likely to experience similar conditions.
New York, Nov 26 : Former US President Donald Trump is moving "closer and closer" to "losing his own liberty" over his continued verbal and social media attacks on New York Judge Arthur Engoron and his staff on his $250 million civil fraud trials case in lower Manhattan courts, the media reported.

Trump is fast losing his advantage of being the frontrunner in the GOP nominations and polls predicting he is ahead in five swing states of incumbent President Joe Biden thus surrendering the advantage to Biden in the 2024 presidential race to the White House, Newsweek commented in a report in its latest issue released.

In the absence of a jury, as Trump's legal team has demanded, Judge Engoron has already ruled that Trump had orchestrated a tax and insurance fraud over a 10 year period and that his business licenses to conduct trade in New York be cancelled for which Trump had criticised him as a democrat launching a witch hunt.

Engoron twice fined him for violating the gag order but both gag order and cancellation of licenses in the New York are in abeyance by an appeals court pending his trial.

Appearing on MSNBC on Saturday, ex GOP veteran and former Congressman David Jolly said Trump's continued attempts to denigrate court officials in bringing the civil fraud trial against him, suggested he is inching closer to losing his personal liberties.

Jolly previously served as a GOP representative for Florida's 13th Congressional District, but has since left the Republican Party and become an outspoken opponent of Trump.

"In past years, his holiday messages have attacked socialists and Democrats and the deep state and this was an unhinged screed against prosecutors and judges and it gives you a little bit in terms of his state of mind," Jolly said.

"We continue to step closer and closer to Donald Trump possibly losing his own liberty either because of pre-trial behaviours and attacks on prosecutors and judges or a conviction."

Newsweek reached out to Trump's office via email for comment without getting a response.

Jolly also suggested on Saturday that Trump's tirades bode well for President Joe Biden's re-election chances, despite recent polls showing Trump in the lead. "I don't think he has a lead over Biden like the polls show because when people see his behaviour, they are reminded that he is an unstable, unhinged man, who should not be returning to the White House and that is enough to protect Joe Biden's lead going into a matchup," the former Congressman added.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has sued Trump and his family, including sons Donald Jr. Trump and Eric Trump, for $250 million, accusing them of frequently inflating Trump's own net worth and the value of his assets by billions of dollars from 2011 to 2021 to secure better deals and loans.

The Trump family dismissed the accusations and maintained their innocence, accusing prosecutors of being politically motivated and attempting to harm Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

New York Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the case, ruled last month that Trump, his adult sons, their businesses, and executives committed fraud, for which they will be held civilly liable to an extent to be determined throughout the rest of the trial. The court will also rule on six other accusations, including falsifying business records, insurance fraud, and conspiracy claims.

Engoron himself will rule on the charges, as Trump's legal team did not opt for a jury trial. The result could see the former president and his family lose some of their famous properties and be barred from doing business in New York.
Tel Aviv, Nov 26 : The families of the hostages, together with the diplomatic team of the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum headquarters, has sent a letter to the Qatari delegation that arrived in Israel on Saturday, seeking an urgent meeting.

In their appeal, they emphasised the need for immediate action from Qatar to release the remaining hostages as they urgently requested a meeting with the delegation.

Among the signatories on the letter sent by Emily Moatti, Head of the Forumas Diplomatic Team, were 12 former Ambassadors including Mark Sofer, Colette Avital, Rafi Gamzu, Yael Herzel, and Nadav Tamir.

Qatar is playing a pivotal role in the release of hostages under the custody of Hamas and the arrival of the high level delegation from the emirate is considered to be for an extension of ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Another 14 hostages from Israel and 3 foreign hostages were released by Hamas on Sunday on the third day of the four-day truce, after over two dozen on the first two days.

--IANS

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Imphal, Nov 26 : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday said that the state government is holding peace parleys with a valley-based insurgent group and the talks were at an advanced stage.

Without mentioning the name of the militant outfit, Biren Singh, at a programme here, said: "We are advancing... and we are expecting to sign a peace accord with one big UG (underground organisation) very shortly."

It will be for the first time ever since the ethnic violence broke out seven months ago on May 3 that a valley-based outfit entered into peace parleys with the government.

Top official sources told IANS that the state government has been holding talks with the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and an accord is expected to be signed with a faction of the outfit.

The UNLF faction, led by Kh Pambei, has decided to sign a mutual ceasefire agreement with the Centre and hold talks with the government soon.

On the occasion of UNLFas 59th anniversary at the newly-inaugurated camp in Kakching Khunou area on Saturday, the groupas General Secretary Ch Thanil said that the proposed process may be termed as "peace talks".

He said that the move towards ceasefire and a political settlement were reached after the leadership pondered over "feelers" from New Delhi.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on November 13 extended a ban on 11 Meitei extremist groups and their associate organisations including the UNLF, which mostly operate from neighbouring Myanmar and many a times carried out fatal attacks on security forces. Manipur has around 400 km of unfenced border with Myanmar.

According to a notification issued by the MHA, the groups which were declared banned for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 were included Peoplesa Liberation Army generally known as PLA, and its political wing, the Revolutionary Peoplesa Front (RPF), the Peoplesa Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its armed wing Red Army, the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its armed wing (also called the Red Army).

--IANS

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New Delhi, Nov 27 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday conducted multi-state raids, leading to the seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices, in the Pakistan-backed Ghazwa-e-Hind module case.

An official said that the searches also revealed links of the suspects, whose premises were searched on Sunday, with Pakistan-based handlers.

The official said that these suspects were in contact with the handlers, and were involved in propagating the radical, anti-India idea of Ghazwa-e-Hind.

The official said that searches were conducted at the premises of suspects in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas, Gujarat's Gir Somnath, Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh and Kerala's Kozhikode.

Apart from mobile phones and SIM cards, several documents were also seized during the NIA crackdown, as part of the ongoing investigations in the case.

The case was initially registered as FIR on July 14 last year by Phulwarisharif police in Patna district of Bihar, following the arrest of one Marghoob Ahmad Danish a.k.a. Tahir. Marghoob was the admin of WhatsApp Group 'Ghazwa-e-Hind', created by a Pakistani national identified as Zain. The accused, Marghoob, had added many persons from India as well as other countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Yemen, to the group, which was also active on other social media platforms such as Telegram and BiP Messenger.

Aimed at radicalizing impressionable youth in the name of the establishment of Ghazwa-e-Hind over the territory of India, the group was being operated by Pakistan-based suspects, according to NIA investigations, the official said. The anti-terror agency had filed a charge sheet against accused Marghoob Ahmad Danish on January 6 this year.
London, Nov 27 : Nairobi-born Chetna Maroo, who is of Indian origin and a resident of London, is one of the six novelists shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize, whose winner will be named at a glittering ceremony in East London on Sunday, 9 p.m. GMT (Monday, 2:30 a.m. IST).

Since its inception in 1969, the 50,000 pound prize has been won by six writers of Indian descent. They are V.S. Naipaul (1971), Salman Rushdie (1981, plus the Booker of Bookers in 1993 and Best of Bookers in 2008), Arundhati Roy (1997), Kiran Desai (2006), Aravind Adiga (2008), and Gitanjali Shree (2022, International Booker Prize).

Maroo is in the fray with her debut novel, "Western Lane" (Picador), which she says took her three years to write and "sees the world through the eyes of 11-year-old Gopi".

"She and her sisters have recently lost their mother," says Maroo, quoted in the Booker Prize website. "Their Pa is bereft and struggling to parent his daughters. At the same time, the girls' aunt and uncle watch the family, hoping to help Pa by taking one of the girls to raise as their own."

Looking back to her writing experience, Maroo says: "As I was writing, I was feeling my way. I didn't have a plot or outline for the whole novel, but I had a sense that the story would turn on this one question: Would Pa bring himself to let one of his daughters go?"

Explaining her creative process, Maroo says: "I write slowly, the first pages in longhand, then typing. I usually try to get each sentence and paragraph sounding right before I go on, reading and editing from the beginning of the story.

"My own process seems unwise to me because I know I'll eventually cut sections that I have spent weeks or months going over, but I have no other way. I have to trust that the work will benefit in the end from the rhythm and slow quality of this attention."

The other contenders for the Booker Prize are Canadian writer and scholar Sarah Bernstein ("Study for Obedience"), the other debutant on the list, Jonathan Escoffery ("If I Survive You"), the American Professor of English Paul Harding ("This Other Eden"), acclaimed Irish novelist Paul Lynch ("Prophet Song"), and Paul Murray ("The Bee Sting"), who's also an Irishman.
Students graduate from the Northwestern Prison Education Program at Stateville Correctional Center, becoming the first incarcerated students to earn bachelor's degrees from a top 10 university on Nov. 15, 2023. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

In mid-November, 16 men were the first incarcerated students to graduate with a bachelors degree from Northwestern University. As an educator in the program, I have learned that their stories are crucial for healing and growth  for them, certainly, but also for us who live in this society that practices punishment and exclusion instead of grace and restoration.

There are 406 higher education in prison programs across the country, according to the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison. And beyond that, complex human stories are as numerous as the nearly 2 million people who sit in prisons, jails and detention facilities across the country.

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The 103 men and women across five cohorts in the Northwestern Prison Education Program have lived complex lives. We dont ask them about the crime for which they were incarcerated when they apply, but I have learned some of their stories over the years as they participate in class discussions and do assignments. Like many people who commit crimes, some of them used drugs, had mental health challenges and were dealing with grief and loss. Beyond these personal circumstances, my students also lived in tough families, tough neighborhoods and a tough society.

One assignment in my Sociology of Chicago class at the Stateville Correctional Center for men was for students to write a sociological autobiography. Throughout the course, we read about deindustrialization, housing discrimination, concentrated poverty, urban disinvestment and unequal school funding. Their task was to place themselves and their lives within these processes. I did not ask them to ponder their actions that led to their incarceration, but many of them did. From these essays and from a large body of social science research, I have learned that almost every crime reflects a cycle  and often a circle  of hurt and harm.

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Not everyone who is hurt  either by another person or by societys neglect or cruelty  goes on to harm others. Sometimes, they hurt themselves. Sometimes, they suffer silently. Other times, they get the help they need to be OK. My students stories highlight the complexity of what lands people behind bars.

My students are likable people. Some of them committed life-ending acts. Others were wrongfully convicted. Yet they all have dreams and families and are earning their college degrees. When I have a guest speaker in my class at the Logan Correctional Center for women, I ask students to introduce themselves with one nugget about who they are. They offer a range of identities. I am a plumber. I am a grandmother. I am a dog trainer. I am a Christian. I drink way too much pop.

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My students are brilliant people. I had to significantly improve my classroom management skills because of their eagerness to discuss course material. In one class at Stateville, we discussed if a public library in Chicagos West Garfield Park neighborhood should sell or display a painting by artist Kerry James Marshall that it had purchased for $10,000 and was then worth roughly $10 million. Sure, the economic value might be high, they argued, but the value of collective self-worth that the art inspired for residents was far greater. They are talented analysts, writers, debaters and logicians.

[ Broderick Hollins: Stateville prisons tap water gave me severe lead poisoning. My friends are still drinking it. ]

I dont minimize the devastating harm that some of my students have caused others. They surely dont either. I simply want to portray them in their fullness and in their contexts, as humans, with interests and stories.

Our students have taken a full liberal arts curriculum with all the rigors demanded by a selective university. I use the same syllabus when I teach my students in prison as when I teach my students in Evanston. Just like my Evanston students, they complain whenever they get below an A. And I say, This is Northwestern! Should you step up your game or should I lower my standards? They always step up their game.

Across their coursework, they have read novels, solved math equations and completed chemistry labs. They have taken courses in psychology, philosophy and political science. They are more than capable of telling their own stories, and many of them have done so, through poetry, theater, essays and journalism. They have also endured things that most college students have not  such as lockdowns, property confiscation and pens that bend, turning the simple act of writing into a feat of ingenuity. Now, with college degrees in hand, they are looking forward, not backward.

They are creating new stories. It is up to all of us to create pathways for their stories to flourish.

Mary Pattillo is the Harold Washington professor of sociology and chair of the Department of Black Studies at Northwestern University.

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SANAA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Yemeni artist uses broken glass fragments left by airstrikes and bombardment to create artworks that illuminate the destruction wrought by conflict.

"I think art is one of the best ways of showing the scars left by war on Yemenis. The broken glass shows how fragile peace is and how brutal war is," said Ruqaya Al-Wasai, a Yemeni woman artist who just held a personal exhibition in Yemen's capital of Sanaa.

The exhibition's title, "Al-Shaqous," pays homage to the iconic glass windows adorning traditional houses in Sanaa's history-rich landscape. Al-Wasai's artworks, composed of shattered glass pieces collected over years of airstrikes and bombardment, serve as a poignant narrative of the city's struggles.

"I have collected those glasses throughout the years and painted on them the stories of our life," explained the artist.

For Al-Wasai, these broken glass fragments transcend mere debris; they encapsulate memories of victims, displaced persons, orphans, and widows. Despite their shattered state, she endeavors to convey beauty, the essence of residents' souls, and the love that once defined every Yemeni home before destruction.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government out of the capital Sanaa.

"We wish peace, security, and safety for all, living in love and happiness, looking at the completed and beautiful glass, not the broken ones, and contemplating its reflections and colors," Al-Wasai added.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the poorest Arab country to the brink of starvation.

Al-Wasai's thematic exploration also extends to the pivotal role of women, whom she regards as integral to social, cultural, cognitive, and economic progress.

Through her drawings, Al-Wasai implores societies to rally behind women, highlighting their achievements and successes in Yemen, where gender equality has been a great concern.

"Many of the artworks here are about women. We have created many great arts and made other significant achievements in Yemen and we should be seen and heard," Al-Wasai added.

Alawi Al-Saruri, a visitor to the exhibition, said, "Yemen is rich in creative artists, and holding exhibitions like this raises their morale and motivates them to exploit their arts and talents." 
New Delhi, Nov 27 : Hours after Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva wrote to Central probe agencies and Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities in the tendering process for upgrading the sewage treatment plants run by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the ruling AAP on Sunday hit back saying that everyone knows that bureaucracy in the city reports to the Central government and it has "chosen to protect all corrupt officials".

Responding to the charges made by the BJP, the AAP said that everyone knows that the bureaucracy in Delhi reports to the BJP-ruled Centre. "They have all the powers to take any kind of disciplinary action against any official. So far, BJP has chosen to only protect all corrupt officials of the Delhi government including the Chief Secretary," the AAP said.

It said that every day they allege a new scam, "but they don't take any action against any official although they have all the powers. This is nothing but political drama".

The AAP said that now the BJP is alleging that some officers of DJB have violated tender guidelines. "The Delhi government has itself asked the DJB and the Finance Department to identify errant officers based on complaints received so far, but no action has been taken yet," it said.

It also said that the ministers play no role whatsoever in the tendering process, which is all handled by concerned officials.

"It is not the Minister's responsibility to look into the technicalities and rules of NGT, DPCC, or CPCB, but rather the job of DJB officials to take cognisance of such standards," AAP said.

The Delhi ruling party further said that it is well known that the GNCTD Act does not give powers to elected government to take any action. "But if any kind of wrongdoing has taken place, we would urge L-G to take the strongest possible action against anyone who has worked against public interest."

The sharp reactions from the Delhi government came after Sachdeva alleged that the AAP government in Delhi "hurriedly" awarded the upgrading and augmentation work at "escalated" costs by "flouting norms".

"Estimates were prepared by the consultant on the basis of a single quotation, resulting in the estimates being higher than the market rate. During the process, the rates of items/works (mainly civil works) were prepared on higher sides and thereafter, works were awarded at Rs 1,938 crore -- 28 per cent higher than the estimated cost of Rs 1,508 crore," the BJP leader said.

In his complaint, Sachdeva further alleged that there were "tweaks" in the tendering process to "favour" two bidders and the work was divided into packages to award projects without the mandatory detailed project reports.

He also sent detailed notes on this to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the L-G, seeking an investigation into the alleged irregularities, the BJP statement said.

Sachdeva also called for the cancellation of the projects awarded to the contractors and sought an enquiry against officials for allegedly showing "undue haste" in awarding those.

The BJP leader has alleged that the cost of the projects was "shockingly higher" and that the Delhi government showed "extreme hurriedness" to award the projects without due diligence and cost analysis.
YAOUNDE, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and several others injured in a shooting just before midnight Saturday at a bar in Cameroon's restive English-speaking region of North, local and security sources said on Sunday.

Nigerian actor Sylvester Madu who is in Cameroon to shoot a movie was the target of the attack that took place in the region's chief town of Bamenda.

"Madu was having a drink with other crew members when they (gunmen) arrived and attempted to kidnap him. Security forces were alerted and there was shootout that resulted in the deaths," a security source in the region told Xinhua.

The government has blamed separatist fighters who regularly operate in the town for the killings. Some of those who were injured in the raid were rushed to the hospital to receive treatment.

Cameroon's English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions have been experiencing a separatist insurgency since 2017. Separatists want to create an independent nation in the regions. 
Video: Artists from a leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned to New York on Nov. 24, 2023 after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of audience members with their world premiere compositions. (Xinhua)

Music has no barriers and helps build bridges of understanding between the United States and China.



by Xinhua writers Yang Shilong, Liu Yanan, Xing Yue



NEW YORK, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Artists from a leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned here on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over a thousand audience members with their world premiere compositions.

Conducted by Lin Chen, the performance marks the return of the Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra (CCOM Symphony Orchestra) of Beijing, China, to Carnegie Hall following its previous performance at the prestigious venue in 2019.

Full of Chinese cultural elements, these pieces combined traditional Chinese instruments with a symphony orchestra setting, and Chinese musical elements with Western techniques of composition.

The guzheng, bamboo flute and harp were featured in the performance with several pieces based on Chinese poems and the traditional Chinese philosophical work Tao Te Ching.

The two-hour-plus performance on the night of "Black Friday" attracted over one thousand people from various walks of life.

Artists from the Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra of Beijing, China perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States on Nov. 24, 2023. (Photo by Michael Violago/Xinhua)

The performance took place at a very opportune time -- the American Thanksgiving holiday and the recent meeting between the Chinese and U.S. presidents in San Francisco, said Qin Wenchen, vice president of CCOM and a renowned composer.

"We have anticipated this performance for a long time as we didn't make it during the pandemic. We're fully prepared and only present premieres this time," Qin told Xinhua.

"It's amazing, very beautiful. I like the last one most, it brings out my Chinese soul," said Dionisio Cimarelli, adjunct sculpture professor at NYC's Fashion Institute of Technology, as he referred to "East West III: Tao for All" which was inspired by the Tao Te Ching.

"Music has no barriers and helps build bridges of understanding between the United States and China," he told Xinhua.

Cimarelli, who lived and worked in China for many years, called for more understanding and more collaboration. "We need to know each other and to work together to make a better world," he said.

Qin said the prospects of exchanges in art, culture and other fields between the United States and China are very broad.

Fan Linfeng, a bamboo flute player from the Central Conservatory of Music of Beijing, China, performs at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States on Nov. 24, 2023. (Photo by Michael Violago/Xinhua)

"Every piece was amazing," said a social worker in New York who called herself Georgette. "You could feel the emotion, the sadness and the happiness. Everything portrayed in each piece came out amazing."

As a frequent concertgoer, Georgette also spoke highly of the blend of Chinese culture and Western instruments, noting that she visited Beijing a few years ago and wanted to learn more about China.

"We watch a lot of international concerts here. This is really one of the best. The instruments, the sounds and presentation," said Georgette's cousin Leone, who is a doctor in New York.

"That just takes my breath away. I've never heard anything like it and I never saw that instrument that they were using," said Julie Hill, a tourist in New York.

It was a global symphony because there were instruments from Europe, China and other places, said Xavier Sapp Cobham, a teenager from Brooklyn. "That's a really good combination of all of them."

"The symphony was just absolutely amazing. The vocalist was amazing, spectacular," Cobham said. "I will come back here again and make sure I bring all my studio's friends." 
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JERUSALEM, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi announced on Sunday that once the hostages covered by the current deal are safely returned to Israel, the country will resume the fighting in Gaza.

Halevi conveyed this message in a letter addressed to all Israel Defense Forces (IDF) commanders and soldiers as the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas entered its third day.

"When the framework (of the current truce deal) is completed, we will return to our operations with determination," Halevi wrote. He said the fighting would continue until all approximately 240 hostages kidnapped by Hamas were freed and Hamas itself was "dismantled."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed in a statement that it received a list from Hamas, detailing the hostages expected to be released on Sunday night in the third round of the swap. In return, Israel is expected to release additional Palestinian prisoners.

According to Israeli figures, about 1,200 people were killed and about 240 others were held as hostages during the Hamas attacks on southern Israel that triggered the conflict.

The weeks of Israeli bombardment in Gaza have led to the deaths of over 14,000 people, 40 percent of them children, while thousands remained missing, believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. 
In honor of his father, Mark, Christian Spence partnered with the Parkinsons Foundation to organize Going the Distance for PD, a fundraiser to spread awareness throughout the community about Parkinsons disease. Spence plans to run the Longest Night 50K Ultramarathon in Greenville, South Carolina, on Dec. 16  alongside fundraising $25,000.
Last updated on: November 26, 2023 17:32 IST

Guru Nanak Devji's 554th birth anniversary will be celebrated on Monday, November 27, 2023.

IMAGE: Sikh devotees shower rose petals on the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, carried by a Sikh priest at the Golden Temple, ahead of Guru Nanak Devji's 554th Parkash Purab, here and below. All Photographs: ANI Photo

IMAGE: The Sri Guru Granth Sahib is carried through the streets of Amritsar.

IMAGE: Sikh pilgrims leave for the Attari border to visit Sikh shrines in Pakistan to participate in Guru Nanak Devji's Parkash Utsav.

IMAGE: Pilgrims on their way to Attari.

IMAGE: Children during a religious procession to mark Guru Nanak Devji's Parkash Utsav.

IMAGE: Sikh students display their skills at Gatka, the Sikh martial art.

IMAGE: A Sikh child performs the Gatka.

IMAGE: The Sri Guru Granth Sahib is carried on a special golden palanquin in Ranchi.

IMAGE: Sikhs participate in a cleanliness drive in Prayagraj as part of Guru Nanak Devji's Parkash Utsav celebrations.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Rescuers began drilling into the hill above the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel on Sunday, boring nearly 20 metres on the first day of adopting the new approach to reach 41 workers trapped inside for 14 days.

IMAGE: SJVN begins vertical drilling work on the top of the Silkyara tunnel during a rescue operation for the 41 workers trapped, on Sunday. Photograph: ANI Photo

The vertical approach was one of the at least five options on which preparatory work had begun some days back, as anxiety mounted over the fate of the men trapped in the under-construction tunnel on Uttarakhand's Char Dham route.

Rescue workers have to drill down 86 metres to reach the tunnel. By evening, the heavy drilling equipment had bored down to about 19.5 metres.

National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) managing director Mahmood Ahmed said vertical boring would be over by Thursday if there are no hurdles.

As the drilling progresses, 700-mm wide pipes are being inserted to create an escape passage. A little distance away, a thinner, 200-mm probe is being pushed in. It has reached the 70-metre mark. The vertical boring option was picked as the next best alternative after the latest in a series of snags that hit the horizontal drilling operation from the tunnel's Silkyara-end, where an estimated 60-metre stretch of rubble faced rescue workers.

This portion of the tunnel collapsed on Diwali morning, cutting off the exit of the workers inside.

A huge auger drill -- a corkscrew like-device with a rotary blade at the front-end -- that is drilling into this stretch of debris got stuck Friday evening, forcing officials to give up on the 25-tonne machine.

Individual workers have been entering this incomplete escape passage -- in which a steel chute has been inserted -- to cut through and bring out the stuck blades and the auger's shaft in pieces.

On Saturday morning, a plasma cutter was airlifted from Hyderabad to supplement the gas cutter. A Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) team and a unit of Army engineers, the Madras Sappers, also reached Silkyara.

By Sunday evening, only 8.15 metres of the auger shaft -- of the 47 metres altogether -- remained to be cut out, officials said.

"The exercise may be completed by Sunday midnight or tomorrow morning," Khairwal had predicted earlier in the day.

Once the auger is completely extricated, rescuers will adopt another fresh approach -- manual drilling to clear the remaining 10 or 12 metre stretch of rubble.

One worker will enter the steel chute laid so far and operate the drill, and another man will send the debris up through a pulley in the time-consuming operation to be carried out in confined space.

Meanwhile, work on other options is also in progress, officials said.

From Tuesday, rescue workers will start drilling a 180-metre alternative escape tunnel into the side of the hill. This could take 12-14 days.

Officials said drilling is also being carried out from the Barkot-end of the tunnel, and workers have progresses about 10 out of 483 metres.

Asked about the absence of an escape tunnel that some say should have been constructed at an earlier stage of the Silkyara-Barkot project, NHIDCL MD Ahmed said he had also thought about this aspect.

"A committee has been set up to go into all that. But as of now our first priority is the safe evacuation of the trapped workers as early as possible," he said.

The NHIDCL was executing the project through Navayuga Engineers Pvt Ltd.

The trapped workers are in a built-up two-kilometre stretch of the tunnel. They are being sent food, medicines and other essentials through a six-inch wide pipe.

A communication system has also been set up and families occasionally talk to them.

At his media briefing in Delhi, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) said the best option remained horizontal drilling under which 47 metres of rubble has already been bored through.

Relatives of those trapped inside remained anxious after drilling with the auger machine was abandoned.

"Once he comes out, we will never allow him to work here again," Manjeet's father Chowdhury said. The Uttar Pradesh farm labourer lost a son in an accident earlier in Mumbai.

Chowdhury spoke to his son through the communication link on Sunday.

"My son looked fine. I am a bit stressed though due to the delay in the rescue work. Today, I told him that this is a war but he should not be scared. We will succeed soon."

The administration has set up a camp for the families of the trapped workers outside the tunnel. They talk daily with the men inside.
On Day three of the temporary Israel-Hamas ceasefire, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) warned Palestinians who evacuated northern Gaza not to return.

IMAGE: An Israeli soldier sits atop a tank near the Israel-Gaza border, in southern Israel, on November 26, 2023. Photograph: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

Reiterating warnings made in dropped leaflets, the IDF's Arabic spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee directed Palestinians to continue moving south of Wadi Gaza.

He also instructed Gazans not to try return to the Strip's northern areas, enter the sea or approach within one kilometer of the Israel-Gaza border.

One condition of the temporary ceasefire was that Palestinians would not try to return to their homes in the combat zone of northern Gaza. While there does not appear to be large-scale Palestinian efforts to return, the warnings have not stopped some Palestinians from returning to inspect damage or bury the dead.

A temporary four-day ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organisation went into effect at 7 am on Friday.

*****

IDF raids on refugee camps continue

Five 'Palestinian terrorists' were killed and an explosives laboratory in the Jenin refugee camp was destroyed in an overnight counter-terror operation, the IDF announced on Sunday morning.

According to the IDF, the five were killed during shootouts with soldiers.

A squad of terrorists who endangered the lives of soldiers were targeted in an airstrike and captured, it said.

The IDF said 29 wanted Palestinians were arrested, including Osama Bani Fadl, a member of Hamas who is suspected of killing Shay Silas Nigreker, 60, and his 28-year-old son Aviad Nir, in the Palestinian village of Huwara in Samaria in August.

Soldiers inside the camp seized two weapons, a large amount of ammunition, explosive charges and military equipment. Two observation posts used to track Israeli movement in the camp were destroyed.

Combat engineering vehicles also uncovered improvised explosive devices placed under the road.

*****

Over $1.3 million in cash 'seized from Hamas'

Israeli soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip claim to have confiscated five million shekels ($1.3 million) in cash from terror facilities and the homes of Hamas operatives, Israel's Defence Ministry announced on Sunday.

Israeli shekels and US dollars were seized along with Jordanian and Iraqi currency, the ministry said.

The money, transferred in recent days to the finance division of the Ministry of Defence, will be counted and deposited in the state coffers.

Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Herzi Halevi on Sunday assured troops in Gaza that the war against Hamas would resume following the ceasefire to rescue dozens of hostages being held by Hamas.

"The IDF and its soldiers fight fiercely to protect the lives of our people while upholding the values of the military. We created conditions for the release of the hostages, children and mothers, during this truce," Lt Gen wrote Halevi.

"When the deal is completed, we will return to our operations with determination, for the continued release of the hostages and the complete dismantlement of Hamas," he added.
After a long delay, 17 hostages have been released by the Hamas terror group and sent to Egypt, according to The Times of Israel.

IMAGE: A vehicle carrying hostages released as part of a deal between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas arrives at Sheba Medical Center, in Ramat Gan, Israel, November 26, 2023. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

Reportedly, the Red Cross has handed these hostages to Egypt, according to the Israel Defence Forces.

As per the details, the hostages include 13 Israeli citizens and four Thais, reported The Times of Israel on Sunday.

The convoy carrying the hostages will head to the Kerem Shalom crossing, where Israeli officials will verify the list of names.

"IDF representatives are updating their families regularly," the IDF adds.

Meanwhile, some of the families of these hostages have begun to identify and confirm the identities of these hostages who are on their way to Israel.

The hostages include a 12-year-old girl named Hila Rotem, who was abducted by Hamas terrorists with her mother, Raya Rotem, 54, who was not released, according to The Times of Israel.

Another hostage Emily Hand, 9, was initially thought to have been among those killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7.

Emily was at a sleepover at a friend's house on the Kibbutz when she was abducted.

Noam Or, 17 and Alma Or, 13, were also taken hostage by Hamas terrorists from their home in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, alongside their father, Dror Or, 48, and their cousin, Liam Or, 18.

Meanwhile, their mother, Yonat Or, was killed in the attack.

However, Dror and Liam are assumed to remain hostages in Gaza, reported The Times of Israel.

Moreover, according to The Times of Israel, most of the Israeli hostages are believed to have been abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri.

Earlier, the Hamas terror group announced that it had handed over 20 hostages, including 13 Israelis and seven foreigners, to the Red Cross, The Times of Israel reported.
India was 'absolutely' and 'decidedly' not involved in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and Ottawa has 'convicted' New Delhi even before the completion of the investigation, India's High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma has said.

IMAGE: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photograph: Lars Hagberg/Reuters

Verma's remarks came during an interview with CTV News, Canada's largest privately owned television network.

Canada and India witnessed strains in ties following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September of the 'potential' involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.

India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India has rejected Trudeau's allegations as 'absurd' and 'motivated'.

During the interview which will be aired on Sunday, Verma was asked why India was not cooperating with Canada in the investigation. To this, he said, '...even without an investigation being concluded, India was convicted'.

"Is that the rule of law?" Verma asked.

When asked how India was convicted, Verma replied: "Because India was asked to cooperate. And if you look at the typical criminal terminology, when someone asks us to cooperate which means that you have already been convicted, and you better cooperate. So we took it in a very different interpretation.

"But we always said that if there is anything specific and relevant, and communicated to us, we will look into it. And that had been said from day one. So we have never said, of course, we have not used the word cooperate, because we feel that's humiliating. But we have always said, that gives us something specific and relevant, and we'll look into it," he added.

Verma insisted India was 'absolutely' and 'decidedly' not involved in the killing of Nijjar in Canada.

"And what we have said at that time as well, that this is a motivated and absurd allegation. And this is still an allegation. Whether we call it a credible allegation, that's the choice of word, but it's an allegation. So from the Indian government's side, I can assure you and your viewers that there was no government hand in the shooting of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, as it is always called," he said.

"We are a country of rule of law, and all the freedoms and everything has been given in the Indian Constitution, which was in 1950, when we adopted our Constitution. So they are our pillars. (We) will not go beyond that. So, therefore, what I feel is that the space which is available, on some pretext or other to these elements, needs to be evaluated," he said.

Verma said India's 'main concern' in its relations with Canada remains that 'some Canadian citizens are using Canadian soil to launch attacks on (India's) sovereignty and territorial integrity', referring to the Sikh separatist movement.

"Most of the known criminals and terrorists who are in Canada from Khalistani mindset -- many of them are running their own gangs in India. They are doing drug trafficking. They are running arms. They are running guns. They are running human trafficking activities," Verma said.

"Therefore, although their activities are here, it has crossed the borders. As long as there's a domestic issue in Canada, how do we care? But it has crossed the border that, unfortunately, has reached India, where a chief minister of state was killed by one of those who started these activities from Canada," he said.

He added from that 'core issue' come 'security concerns' for Indian diplomats and officials working in Canada, himself included.

Later, when asked whether he is overblowing the risk Sikh separatists pose for domestic political advantage in India, the high commissioner said his government has presented 'documentation' to the Canadian government 'through a mutually agreed channel' to prove Sikh separatists living in Canada are engaging in criminal activity in both countries.

"These are red corner notices, which went through the Interpol. And by the way, one of the recording notices was for Mr Nijjar, who was shot down. So we have shared all these things and Interpol certainly will not forward anything without the evidence being submitted. So we have given all the documentation that we had and I hope to hear back from Canada soon.

"So in India, there is no traction. But we are treating these guys like terrorists, not as separatists," he said.

They are terrorists because they are raising their funds in Canada, sending it across to the gangsters and gangs in India, who are doing illegal activities in India, he said, adding: "So our main concern is not the separatism, but they being terrorists."

When suggested that Sikh separatists holding a referendum in Canada is not hate speech, Verma replied: "See, the referendum, if you do it for Canada domestically, I'm fine. How are you allowing your citizens to do a referendum to bifurcate India?

"..So if they are using Canadian soil to challenge the territorial integrity of India, which international law in the world will support that?" he asked.

Responding to a question about India resuming the electronic visa services for Canadians after suspending all visa services for nearly two months, the Indian envoy said, "We did a continuous evaluation of the situation. And during the last evaluation, we came to the conclusion that the security situation is relatively better than what it used to be when we suspended the visa services. And therefore we decided to resume e-visa services."

Verma also said that both governments were in talks over issues affecting bilateral relations.

"There's a lot of conversation going on, a lot of dialogue between the two governments, and I feel that most of it is very constructive. And therefore I would say that, yes, the relationship is better than it was a couple of months back. And it's moving more towards more and more dialogue, and probably taking it to the next step," Verma said.
Some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, who are "disgruntled" following the appointment of BY Vijayendra as the president of the party's Karnataka unit and R Ashok as the leader of opposition in the assembly, are likely to visit New Delhi early next month to convey their feelings to the central leadership.

IMAGE: Newly appointed Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa greets the crowd after taking charge, outside the party office, Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru, November 15, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Senior leader V Somanna, who has been sulking following the appointments, said on Saturday that he will visit the national capital with MLAs Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Arvind Bellad, Ramesh Jarkiholi, former MLA Arvind Limbavali and others.

All five leaders named have been critical of the saffron party's decision to appoint former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's son Vijayendra as its state president and Ashoka as the leader of opposition.

"I received a message on Friday night. I will probably go to Delhi between December 7 and 10 along with Yatnal, Limbavali, Bellad, Jarkiholi and several others. We will meet the top party leaders and share our feelings with them," Somanna told reporters in Tumakuru.

He said the leaders have a vision, which will be conveyed to the top leadership.

"Only when a child cries does the mother feed it milk. The party must grow. No one should be taken for granted, no one should have a complete say," Somanna said.

Earlier in the day, Somanna visited the influential Siddaganga Math here and a video of him purportedly sharing his feelings in front of math pontiff Siddalinga Swami was aired on television news channels.

In the video, Somanna can be heard saying that accepting the party's decision that he should contest the Assembly polls from two seats was a mistake.

"What was I to do when I was asked to contest with just four days left? (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah was in my house for two-three hours and he badgered me. What should I have done, Swamiji?" he is heard asking the pontiff.

Somanna, a leader from the Lingayat community, has been sulking ever since he lost from two constituencies in the Assembly polls held in May. He was asked to shift from his Govindaraj Nagar seat to contest from Varuna against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as also from Chamarajanagar.

There is speculation that he might quit the BJP and join the ruling Congress in the southern state.

Asked about Somanna's disgruntlement, Yediyurappa said he has not been able to reach out to his party colleague.

"I tried talking to him over the phone. He is not receiving my calls. We will try everything possible to keep him in the party," the former chief minister said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the tenth trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Busan, South Korea, Nov. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)

BUSAN, South Korea, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- China, Japan and South Korea should play a more proactive role in promoting regional and global development facing accelerating changes unseen in a century and the slow recovery of the world economy, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Sunday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Busan, South Korea.

Wang said that China-Japan-South Korea cooperation has become the multilateral cooperation framework with the highest degree of institutionalization, the widest coverage and the richest connotation in East Asia, which has effectively served the development of the three countries and benefited the people in the region.

Following the policy of building friendship and partnership with its neighbors, China will continue to work with South Korea and Japan to bring trilateral cooperation back on track, maintain sound, stable and sustainable development, and make new contributions to regional and world peace and prosperity, said Wang.

The top priority is to continue to respect each other's development path and core interests, properly handle sensitive issues and maintain sound bilateral relations, so as to lay a solid foundation for a comprehensive restart of trilateral cooperation featuring steady and long-term progress, he stressed.

Wang stressed that the three countries should stick to mutual benefit and win-win results, restart negotiations on the trilateral free trade agreement among China, Japan and South Korea as soon as possible, maintain the momentum of regional economic integration, improve the multi-channel and multi-level regional free trade arrangements, and contribute to the common goal of pushing for a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.

The three countries should deepen scientific and technological innovation, expand people-to-people exchanges, enhance the resilience of development, and promote common and sustainable development, Wang said.

Park and Kamikawa spoke highly of the progress made in China-Japan-South Korea cooperation, saying that the three countries are inseparable neighbors and trilateral cooperation is of great significance and great potential.

Facing the new situation, the three countries should review the original aspiration of cooperation, strengthen communication and promote cooperation in various fields, and bring more tangible results to the people of the three countries, they said.

The three parties can carry out substantive cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, science, technology and digital transformation, people-to-people exchanges, environmental protection and aging, and continuously expand common interests, they said.

The three sides agreed to create conditions for the China-Japan-South Korea leaders' meeting and step up relevant preparatory work.

The three parties exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

Wang pointed out that as important countries in the Asia-Pacific region, China, Japan and South Korea should base themselves on the peaceful development of the region and interests of the people to deepen regional cooperation, jointly cope with risks and challenges, and safeguard regional peace and prosperity.

The three countries should promote East Asia cooperation through trilateral cooperation, adhere to open regionalism, oppose ideological demarcation, and resist turning regional cooperation into camp politics, he said.

The three countries should practice the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and resolve differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation and by peaceful means, Wang said.

Noting that the continued tension on the Korean Peninsula serves the interests of no one, he said the top priority is to cool down the situation, create necessary conditions for the resumption of dialogue and take meaningful actions.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Wang also held bilateral meetings with Park and Kamikawa respectively. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the tenth trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa in Busan, South Korea, Nov. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to cloudy skies and rain during the afternoon. High 49F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Showers early with some clearing overnight. Low 34F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
JERUSALEM, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured a tunnel in the besieged Gaza Strip on Sunday and vowed to "eliminate" Hamas.

"We are here in the (Gaza) Strip," Netanyahu was seen saying in a video footage released by his office, wearing an army vest and helmet. His office said he received a briefing from commanders and toured an underground tunnel belonging to Hamas that was exposed during the war.

Netanyahu stated that Israel's goals for the attack, launched on Oct. 7 following Hamas' deadly surprise attack, are to "eliminate" Hamas, release about 240 hostages kidnapped by Hamas, and "ensure that Gaza will not pose a threat to Israel again."

"We are continuing until the end -- until victory! And nothing will stop us," he said, surrounded by soldiers. He added, "We are making every effort to bring our hostages back home, and eventually, we will."

The visit took place on the third day of a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas, which includes the entry of desperately needed aid to Gaza and the release of about 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners.

The weeks of Israeli bombardment in Gaza have reportedly led to the deaths of over 14,000 people, 40 percent of them children, while thousands remain missing, believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. According to Israeli figures, about 1,200 people were killed, mainly in the initial attack that triggered the war. 
One year after the 'white paper' protests swept China, overseas activists say they are keeping the flame alive.

Protesters hold up blank papers and chant slogans as they march in protest against strict COVID-19 measures in Beijing on Nov. 27, 2022.

One year after crowds of protesters across China held up blank sheets of paper, chanting slogans calling for an end to the zero-COVID policy and for Communist Party leader Xi Jinping to step down, activists overseas vowed to keep the flame of the "white paper" revolution alive, despite attempts by Beijing to scare them away.

While authorities in China moved quickly to quash the protests, arresting a number of young people for taking part, some managed to leave China, joining others who were already expressing their support on the streets of cities around the world, sometimes risking retaliation against their families back home.

One of those overseas supporters was Apple, of the dissident group China Deviants, who was in touch with the protesters in real time via Telegram, and who organized a rally to mark the anniversary of their resistance in London this week.

"On one voice call, a girl got busted right in the middle of the call," Apple told Radio Free Asia. "People in the group were shouting 'That girl got busted!' and I was on the other end of the phone in London."

"I was thinking, 'Oh my gosh! I really wish I could help her and bring her back'," she recalled.

Instead, she got active right where she was, taking to the streets of London to oppose Chinese Communist Party rule.

The "white paper" protests were sparked by public anger at the delayed response to a deadly fire on Nov. 24 in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, that was widely blamed on COVID-19 restrictions.

The incident, which left at least 10 people dead, prompted an outpouring of public grief and tapped into pent-up frustrations of millions of Chinese who had endured nearly three years of repeated lockdowns, travel bans, quarantines and various other restrictions to their lives.

Apple, a member of the dissident group China Deviants, organized a rally in London this week to mark the one-year anniversary of the White Paper resistance. Credit: Shi Shi

But it wasn't all about calling for an end to lockdowns and mass quarantines. Protesters also voiced calls for greater freedom of expression, democratic reforms, and even the removal of President Xi Jinping, who has been closely identified with the rigid policies.

"We want to amplify the voices that have been censored in China overseas, because it's impossible to have any form of civil society in [today's] China," she said. "We want all voices to be included ... to be heard."

Fellow China Deviants activist Chen Liangshi said overseas activism is still not risk-free, and that the threat of violence and harassment from "little pink" supporters of Beijing is always there.

"There are a lot of little pinks overseas, and I would never know how many people felt the way I did," Chen said. "But since joining China Deviants, I have found a lot of like-minded friends."

"When we work together for the causes of resisting communist rule, and democracy for China, I feel very excited, and have found a sense of belonging," he said.

Feeling powerless

Fellow China Deviants activist Ma Youwei agreed.

"It's very common to feel powerless as a Chinese person living in China," Ma said. "I wanted to get rid of that feeling."

"How? You do it through action."

Yet the anniversary comes amid growing concern over Beijings long-arm law enforcement targeting overseas activists and students, who had expected to enjoy greater freedom of speech and association while living or studying in a democratic country.

Both Chen and Ma said their families haven't yet been directly targeted by the Chinese authorities, and insisted on pseudonyms to preserve their anonymity.

"This is the way the Chinese Communist Party suppresses the overseas democracy movement," Chen said. "They try to frighten us into not speaking out or protesting, so they can maintain their totalitarian rule."

"It's normal to be afraid, but we can't let that fear stop us, because it runs counter to our values and political ideas," he said. "We still have to stand up."

Ma Youwei [left], Apple [center] and Chen Liangshi and are members of the China Deviants, a dissident group based in the United Kingdom. Credit: Shi Shi

In Canada, Xiaopei recalled using his circumvention tools to go online on the morning of Nov. 27 to see large groups of people gathering on the streets of Shanghai, then heading out on his bicycle to join them.

He was later detained at a protest in Shanghai's Xuhui district, beginning an ordeal of torture and inhumane treatment at the hands of police.

"They put my hands behind my back and hit my head against the wall. It was a concrete wall, so my head was bruised," said Xiaopei, who declined to give his full name.

"I protested again inside [the police station], so I was arrested and put on the tiger bench, which is an iron chair," he said. "My wrists and ankles were all in restraints, and I sat there for more than an hour without being able to move."

Manacles and leg irons

Xiaopei was released the following day, but placed under close surveillance, then redetained after taking part in a discussion on Twitter, now X, he said.

This time, police put him in manacles and leg irons for 30 days, and was unable to move around freely.

"I was in restraints for 30 days ... I had problems sleeping, I couldn't wash or change my clothes by myself, so anyone who monitored me would notice that I smelled bad," said.

"I couldn't even eat or drink by myself, and I needed help going to the toilet," he told Radio Free Asia.

Xiaopei was eventually released, and decided he was leaving China, and boarded a plane to Canada, where he applied for political asylum.

"Ordinary people [in China] are treated like ants and are trampled to death," he said. "It takes a lot of courage to take part in action [like the white paper movement], and there are huge risks involved."

"So people overseas need to give them support and solidarity," he said.

Chinese police pin down and detain a protester during a protest against COVID-19 measures on a street in Shanghai, China on Nov. 27, 2022. Credit: AP

A Germany-based Chinese student who gave only the pseudonyms Frank said the white paper movement was kicking off back home just as he was getting ready to co-found the dissident magazine Mang Mang.

"Initially we just planned to gather material and start exchanging ideas, and we didn't imagine that it would coincide with the white paper movement," he said.

"But when it broke out on Nov. 27 and 28, we thought we should report it, as it was happening right at that time."

A more international and interconnected approach has become one of the hallmarks of overseas Chinese activism in recent years, building on the "milk tea" alliance of anti-authoritarian protesters across East and Southeast Asia in recent years.

Looking to Hong Kong

In Japan, Chinese student Xingyue had never taken part in any form of political activism before the white paper movement, and didn't even discuss politics very often.

She said that when she did get involved, she and her fellow activists took a lot of their ideas and practical tips from the 2019 protest movement in Hong Kong, whose organized actions included unified slogans and public demands, a system of private hand signals and carefully orchestrated supply lines to support those defending the crowds against riot police across the barricades.

"We needed to learn fast, so we looked at the experience of ... the Hong Kong protests in 2019, because there were a lot of archives, a lot of records."

"So my political awakening and that of my movement were achieved through the people of Hong Kong," Xingyue said.

Frank also referenced the 2019 Hong Kong protests, which used martial arts legend Bruce Lee's maxim "Be Water" to describe a decentralized movement that flows where it can, evading capture and final confrontation.

But while Mang Mang styled itself "an independent, uncensored Chinese magazine," it has felt the effects of the Chinese Communist Party's "long-arm" law enforcement, even in democratic Germany, he said.

The families of some of its members have been harassed by police in China, forcing them to quit the project, while cyberattacks by mysterious "hackers" have slowed down its operations.

The team has undergone information security training and relaunched the website, and is "regrouping" to bring out a second issue, Frank said.

"As long as it survives, wherever in the world that may be, that is kind of a miracle for us," he said. "It could never have taken root in China because the [political] environment is so hostile."

An illustration in the first issue of the magazine represents each member of the Mang Mang team as a plant. The spirit of the magazine is written on the wall: "Inside and outside the high walls, wild growth." Credit: Mang Mang

But now that the immediate excitement of the "white paper" movement has passed, many people seem to have gone back to business as usual, leaving Frank and a handful of others with a sense of loneliness and isolation.

"Everyone seems to have gone back to daily life ... and we're the only activists left," Frank said.

"We're still on the beach, yet the waves seem to have receded. It feels as if we've been left high and dry," he said.

But Xingyue likened the overseas resistance movement to "a kind of fire," that spreads like the seeds of a dandelion, both around the world, and back into China from overseas.

"Those seeds may die, or they may wind up falling to earth somewhere else," Xingyue said. "As long as we keep blowing on them, one or two will always find their way back."



Translated by Luisetta Mudie.
South Korea, Japan, and China have not only failed to agree on a date for a landmark trilateral summit of their leaders, but also in jointly condemning North Koreas latest illegal satellite launch, exposing the widening gaps in reinvigorating that three-party cooperation.

The foreign ministers of the three nations did not hold a joint press conference on Sunday, after their first ministerial talks in four years  a rare occurrence that could signify the differing diplomatic stances among these key Asian geopolitical entities.

The countries have reaffirmed their agreement to hold the summit, the apex of their cooperative framework, at the earliest mutually convenient time, South Koreas Foreign Minister Park Jin said in a solo briefing after the trilateral meeting with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Wang Yi in the Souths port city of Busan.

A South Korean government source, who asked for anonymity due to sensitivity of the matter, told Radio Free Asia that the joint press conference did not take place as Wang had pre-arranged plans. The person did not elaborate.

According to a separate South Korean government official who spoke to RFA prior to the meeting, the primary goal of the ministerial meeting was to set a date for the trilateral summit. The last trilateral summit took place in 2019 in Chengdu, China.

Efforts will be made to ensure that the summit takes place soon, Park said, without specifying an exact date. The South Korean minister mentioned his proposal for the three countries to reactivate their intergovernmental mechanism as a means to fortify the framework of trilateral cooperation. However, he did not clarify whether this proposal was agreed upon by all parties.

Whether China would want to continue the trilateral summit platform has become questionable as its emergence as a global power has relatively lessened its focus in the region. The increasing collaboration of South Korea and Japan under the trilateral framework with the United States also has been a source of discomfort for Beijing.

In fact, with South Koreas current conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration, Seoul has been more vocal in criticizing China on the international stage  with concerns ranging from Beijings decision to repatriate North Korean defectors back to the Kim Jong Un regime to Chinas coercive behavior towards the democratically self-governed island of Taiwan.

North Korea

The three ministers also failed to issue a joint statement in condemning North Koreas latest provocation, a departure from previous trilateral foreign ministers meetings which usually included a consensus on security issues in the Korean peninsula.

I emphasized that North Koreas recent so-called military reconnaissance satellite launch, along with its ballistic missile launches and nuclear development, are among the greatest threats to peace and security in the region, Park said during his solo briefing, without saying what has been agreed with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts.

North Korea launched a satellite last Tuesday, despite international warnings. Rocket technology can be used for both launching satellites and missiles. For that reason, the U.N. bans North Korea from launching a ballistic rocket, even if it claims to be a satellite launch.

The lack of a joint statement is a sharp contrast with the trilateral foreign minister meeting among the U.S., South Korea and Japan in San Francisco, in which the three called the military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, including Russias technological aid to help the North Korean launch, a serious threat to international peace and stability.

Unlike previous occasions, when Chinas foreign ministry often expressed its regrets, Beijing refrained from issuing a public criticism of North Koreas latest launch, as the strategic value of Pyongyang has been raised due to intensifying U.S.-China relations.

North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency on Saturday claimed that its satellite passed over Hawaii and observed a naval base in the Pearl Harbor, the Hickam air-force base in Honolulu, as well as South Koreas Busan.
All five Central Asian militaries have drones, and four of the countries produce military drones domestically. Drones were first used in anger in Central Asia during Kyrgyz-Tajik border clashes in September 2022, when Kyrgyzstans drones were used to attack positions in Tajikistan. Drone acquisition is a point of pride -- and of media coverage -- throughout the region. Who is supplying drones to Central Asia or helping Central Asian governments produce their own? Why do the Central Asian states even need drones? Joining host Bruce Pannier to discuss this topic are guests Derek Bisaccio, Forecast International's lead analyst for International Defense Markets, specializing in the defense trade in the Eurasia and Middle East regions, and Francisco Olmos, senior researcher in Central Asian affairs at Spains GEOPOL 21 Center, and also a research fellow at the London-based Foreign Policy Centre.
The human rights group Memorial has recognized Alsu Kurmasheva, a veteran journalist of RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service who has been in Russian custody since October 18, as a political prisoner.

Kurmasheva, a Prague, Czech Republic-based journalist with RFE/RL who holds dual U.S. and Russian citizenships, traveled to Russia for a family emergency in May.



She was temporarily detained while waiting for her return flight on June 2 at the airport in the capital of the Tatarstan region, where both of her passports were confiscated. She was not able to leave Russia as she awaited the return of her travel documents.



On October 11, Kurmasheva was fined 10,000 rubles ($103) for failing to register her U.S. passport with the Russian authorities, according to local media reports based on court documents they'd seen.



Kurmasheva was detained again on October 18 and this time charged with failing to register as a "foreign agent," a crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.



The Investigative Committee said Kurmasheva was being charged under a section of the Criminal Code that refers to the registration of foreign agents who carry out "purposeful collection of information in the field of military, military-technical activities of Russia," which, if received by foreign sources, "can be used against the security of the country."



It gave no further details.



The Investigative Committee said its investigation found that while the Russian Justice Ministry did not add her to the list of foreign agents, she failed to provide documents to be included on the registry.



Kurmasheva and RFE/RL have both rejected the charge.

Russia's detention of Kurmasheva, the second U.S. media member to be detained by Moscow this year, triggered a wave of criticism from rights groups and politicians saying the move signals a new level of wartime censorship.



Sergei Davidis, the leader of Memorial's Support of Political Prisoners project, told RFE/RL that Kurmasheva was recognized as a political prisoner because the group considers illegal the Russian Criminal Code's article on foreign agents and its connection with so-called "purposeful collection of information in the field of military, military-technical activities of Russia."



Davidis added that Memorial considered the prosecution and possible conviction of people for failing to carry out "a so-called obligation to voluntarily declare themselves as foreign agents...also illegal."



"That request is illegal because, de facto, it is not about punishment for failure to declare, but for implementation of legal activities. The information in question is not classified and it is not illegal to collect such information," Davidis said, stressing that the Federal Security Service (FSB) had given a vague explanation about what can be considered information banned for collecting.



"Additional to that, we see concrete political goals in [Kurmasheva's] case that were obvious by how the persecution was carried out. First, she was detained and convicted of failure to declare the second citizenship, and after that only, after obvious thinking over and looking for reasons -- they filed the second case," Davidis said.

"This is the first criminal case and arrest of that kind. It explicitly indicates the artificial grounds of the whole construction. This illegal charge was thought over for a long time before it was used. They had searched for something to deprive Alsu Kurmasheva of her freedom," he added.



Russia has been accused of detaining Americans to use as bargaining chips to exchange for Russians jailed in the United States. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested for alleged spying -- a charge he and the newspaper vehemently deny -- in March.

WATCH: The husband of the RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was detained in Russia on October 18, has said she is a "political prisoner."

Since 2012, Russia has used its so-called foreign agent laws to label and punish critics of government policies. It has also been increasingly used to shut down civil society and media groups in Russia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.



Amnesty International, the UN Human Rights Office, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the chairman of the U.S. House of Representative's Foreign Affairs Committee have called for the immediate release of Kurmasheva.



The "foreign agent" law allows authorities to label nonprofit organizations as "foreign agents" if they receive funding from abroad and are engaged in political activities.



RFE/RL says the law amounts to political censorship meant to prevent journalists from performing their professional duties and is challenging the authorities' moves in Russian courts and at the European Court of Human Rights.

More than 30 RFE/RL employees have been listed as "foreign agents" by the Russian Justice Ministry in their personal capacity.



In March, a Moscow court declared the bankruptcy of RFE/RL's operations in Russia following the company's refusal to pay multiple fines totaling more than 1 billion rubles ($14 million) for noncompliance with the law.

Memorial, founded in 1987 to remember victims of Soviet repression, was closed down by Russia's Supreme Court in November 2021 -- citing the "foreign agents" law -- although it still functions outside the country and has managed to continue some activities inside Russia.

Kurmasheva is one of four RFE/RL journalists -- Andrey Kuznechyk, Ihar Losik, and Vladyslav Yesypenko are the other three -- currently imprisoned on charges related to their work. Rights groups and RFE/RL have called repeatedly for the release of all four, saying they have been wrongly detained.

Losik is a blogger and contributor for RFE/RLs Belarus Service who was convicted in December 2021 on several charges including the organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Kuznechyk, a web editor for RFE/RLs Belarus Service, was sentenced in June 2022 to six years in prison following a trial that lasted no more than a few hours. He was convicted of creating or participating in an extremist organization.

Yesypenko, a dual Ukrainian-Russian citizen who contributed to Crimea.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, was sentenced in February 2022 to six years in prison by a Russian judge in occupied Crimea after a closed-door trial. He was convicted of possession and transport of explosives, a charge he steadfastly denies.
In early November, 19-year-old Russian conscript Andrei Lazhyev died at a naval hospital in Sevastopol, home of Russias Black Sea Fleet in the illegally annexed territory of Crimea.

The recent university graduate's death came just a little more than four months after he was drafted into the Russian military, and was officially determined to be the result of swelling and hemorrhage of the brain, according to documents reviewed by RFE/RL's North.Realities.

His parents -- who were not allowed to see Andrei after he was hospitalized -- have never been told how or when he received the injuries that killed their son and have yet to receive his body.

But they have their suspicions as to how he died; namely, that Andrei was beaten in an attempt to force him to sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry that would allow him to be sent into combat in Ukraine.

In late September, less than a month after Andrei informed his parents that he had completed his military training in Russia and was being transferred with other conscripts to Crimea, he called to tell them that he was in a field hospital.

"He didn't know where exactly he was," Nikolai Lazhyev, Andrei's father, told RFE/RL. "He only said that everyone lived in tents in a field, and there were mountains around. He said that he felt very bad and complained of constant nausea."

'They Stopped Talking To Us Altogether'

The 19-year-old conscript's parents, who live in the northwest Russian region of Karelia, turned to the local recruitment and enlistment office in the hope of learning where their son was stationed and why he had been hospitalized.

"The military commissar just threw up his hands and said that he did not have access to information about where the conscripts were," the elder Lazhyev said. "And then they stopped talking to us altogether."

The parents eventually learned that Andrei was discharged from the hospital within a few days and was transferred two weeks later, on October 6, to Armyansk, a town in northern Crimea.

From there the parents had no word of their son's situation until, on October 23, Nikolai was contacted on social media by a man who claimed to be Andrei's hospital roommate.

The man told Nikolai that Andrei had been admitted to the naval hospital in Sevastopol around October 8 and was in grave condition -- unable to walk or see properly, and constantly vomiting.

During a call, the roommate handed his phone to Andrei, who told his father that he had lost his phone and did not recall what happened to him or how he got to the hospital.

'We Didn't Even Recognize Him'

When the roommate sent a photograph of Andrei, the young conscript's parents were shocked.

"We didn't even recognize him at first. The sight was terrible," Nikolai said, saying that while his son weighed more than 100 kilograms when he was drafted he looked in the image like he weighed less than 60.

"I immediately started calling the hospital. But no one would talk to us," Nikolai said. "I wanted to determine my son's diagnosis. One of the doctors said that she would only talk to the competent authorities.'"

Nikolai never learned the doctor's name -- no one he spoke to from the hospital introduced themselves.

Seeking to visit the hospital to see Andrei, the parents were told they would not be allowed to without special permission. They attempted to obtain permission, Nikolai said, to no avail.

"We couldn't get permission anywhere, since the enlistment office [in Karelia] had no information at all that Andrei was hospitalized," Nikolai said. "We didn't even know exactly what unit he was in."

'Homesickness Syndrome'

The family next learned that Andrei had undergone a brain scan on October 21. Two days later his parents were contacted by a psychiatrist who told them no internal damage had been discovered and that Andrei was transferred to a psychiatric ward.

Andrei's condition, they were told, was the result of psychological trauma.

"They told me that Andrei allegedly did not want to serve to such an extent that he had something like a nervous breakdown," Nikolai said. "They called it 'homesickness syndrome.'"

But the psychiatrist also revealed that he had noticed obvious signs of beatings on Andrei's body," according to Nikolai.

The family maintained telephone contact with their son until their last conversation on October 26. After that, the hospital roommate called with news that Andrei had been taken to intensive care.

Nikolai managed to contact a medical worker who had treated his son and was told that Andrei suffered from cerebral edema and hemorrhage.

Nevertheless, Nikolai recalled, he was told that while his son might "need some medicine" Andrei was in good hands because the naval hospital had "everything."

In further conversations with the hospital authorities, Andrei's parents were told they could not visit the facility because Sevastopol was located in the war zone amid Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine, but doctors promised he would be evacuated to safer ground.

The evacuation never came -- the family was told that Andrei's condition was too serious. Finally, on November 1, Nikolai and his wife obtained the documents needed to visit the hospital, but it was too late. The next day, while at a Moscow airport en route to Crimea, they learned that Andrei had died.

'No One Tells The Truth'

The parents were told to go back to Karelia, and upon their return home again began contacting the local military authorities to determine what happened to their son.

Nikolai said they were told that none of the local conscripts were sent to the military district of which Armyansk, where Andrei had been transferred, is part.

"I still don't know what happened to Andrei," Nikolai said. "The worst thing is when you see everything and can't do anything."

Some clarity came within a couple days. A man who introduced himself as a commander contacted Nikolai through Telegram. Without revealing his name or rank, the man sent a photo of Andrei's death certificate that showed he died from "cerebral edema, internal hemorrhage of the brain stem."

"It was written there in black and white," Nikolai said, saying the document revealed the diagnosis had been known for a month before Andrei died.

"Why this swelling happened is unknown," Nikolai said. "My son lay dying for a whole month, and they did not report anything. If he had been evacuated, I think he would be alive [today]."

Looking back, Nikolai cannot erase the memory that Andrei was repeatedly asked to sign a contract with the Defense Ministry despite his reluctance.

By law in Russia, which has compulsory two-year military service, conscripts cannot be deployed to fight outside the country. That means that, in theory, those drafted into the military cannot be sent into combat in Ukraine.

Russia's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, and Moscow's claim that four partially occupied eastern Ukrainian regions were Russian territory, raised concerns that a loophole could be exploited to send conscripts into combat in those areas.

Another avenue is for draftees to sign a contract with the Defense Ministry that would allow them to fight in Ukraine.

This fact, along with widespread rumors that some draftees are physically coerced to sign up for combat service, leads Nikolai to suspect his son was beaten in an attempt to get him to sign the contract.

When Andrei contacted him on September 21 to say he was in a field hospital, Nikolai said, his son said he was being pressured heavily to sign the contract.

"Every day. Contract, contract, contract," Nikolai recalled his son saying. "I told him: just don't sign. He didn't sign."

However, Nikolai said, "there is information that they were allegedly forced to sign contracts by beating them. And I cannot rule this out."

Nikolai, a former military man himself, said that following Andrei's death, he simply cannot trust the authorities.

"I can't believe them, I can't, that's all," Nikolai said.

Nikolai has still not received any official documents from the Defense Ministry regarding his son's service and death, his requests for information have gone unanswered, and Andrei's body has yet to be returned home.

These factors have led Nikolai to reach the conclusion that his son died after an attempt to force him to sign up for combat abroad.

"I'm afraid that's how it's done," Nikolai said. "Suspicions are strengthened by the fact that no one explains anything. No one tells the truth."
James L. Jones is a retired four-star Marine Corps general and a former NATO supreme allied commander in Europe (2003-06) and onetime national-security adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama (2009-10). He is now a consultant and frequent commentator on security issues who has strongly advocated for military and other aid to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion.

Jones talked to RFE/RL's Georgian Service about the global reverberations of the Ukrainian war, whether providing longer-range weapons risks a wider war, and what this coming February should tell us about "donor fatigue."

RFE/RL: How would you describe the battlefield situation in Ukraine in chessboard terms? It has been likened to "positional warfare" by [Ukrainian commanding] General Valeriy Zaluzhniy.

James L. Jones: I don't think it's a matter of chess so much as it is probably one of the biggest historical blunders that any leader has made, when [Russian President] Vladimir Putin decided to invade. And we might never know what prompted the decision, but I think he -- like all dictators -- he listens to people who echo his own views. But I think that he saw the unfortunate [U.S.-led international] withdrawal from Afghanistan as an indication that the United States probably would not be happy about an invasion, but they would believe that the war would be over very quickly and eventually, like the annexation of Crimea, that this would become a fait accompli very quickly. Unfortunately, for him, he was sadly mistaken.

To the extent that there's any analogy with chess right now, it probably wasn't present then but is probably present on the ground now. How the denouement of this fight between Ukraine and Russia turns out is probably very important for the world.

RFE/RL: How would you describe the situation on the battlefield?

Jones: I don't think there's any clear picture right now. The Ukraine spring offensive [launched in June] was unfortunately lacking in one key element, and that's air power, and the Russians had plenty of time to mine the areas where they thought the Ukrainian [ground forces] would advance. And it just caused everything to slow down. But I think one thing is clear: Mr. Putin's ambition to take over Ukraine in its entirety is not going to happen.

The Tavberidze Interviews Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Vazha Tavberidze of RFE/RL's Georgian Service has been interviewing diplomats, military experts, and academics who hold a wide spectrum of opinions about the war's course, causes, and effects. To read all of his interviews, click here.

RFE/RL: Is a decisive battleground victory still feasible for either side?

Jones: I don't know the answer to that. It doesn't look like it, although I think the stated ambitions on both sides have not changed all that much. But if you look at what's going on right now on the ground, I don't see a definitive advantage on either side, except for the fact that there's pretty much no doubt that Russia will not be successful in taking over Ukraine as a country.

RFE/RL: Can we conclude that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is over and that another Russian offensive is beginning?

Jones: I think it's extremely important -- on almost a global basis -- that how this ends has to be seen as a victory for Ukraine and a defeat for Russia. And I don't know what that looks like, but I'm pretty convinced that it has to end that way. Because if it doesn't, the autocrats of the world will be emboldened. I would think that the president of China would rethink his position with regard to Taiwan, perhaps.

If Putin is readmitted to the family of national leaders, in the international meetings and as though nothing happened, I think that would be the worst outcome. He's an indicted war criminal by the ICC [International Criminal Court in The Hague], and that should stand for something. But how this ends, I think, is really, really important in terms of the perceptions that are going to reverberate all over the world and will cause many countries to behave differently one way or the other.

RFE/RL: As you mentioned, at this moment, there is no end in sight -- we don't know what the end of this war would look like. But what we know is that Russians are launching another offensive at Avdiyivka. I have a very simple and perhaps naive question: How come? Wasn't the Russian Army supposed to be depleted to a degree as to being unable to mount another massive offensive?

Jones: Well, I think one thing that was always clear is that the Russian leader was willing to commit whatever manpower he needed, because they outnumber the Ukrainians in terms of population. And their ability to launch a major offensive -- it might surprise someone -- but I think that his ability to draft young men and throw them into the Russian Army, even though they're fairly poorly trained, is something that you have to take into account. But it's clear that the lessons learned from the first year have taken root in Russia as well as Ukraine. They know each other better now; they know where their strengths and weaknesses are. It's not surprising that both sides are trying to exploit that advantage. But I don't see that the Russians are capable of achieving Putin's goal of taking over the whole of Ukraine.

RFE/RL: For a long while, it was assumed that Ukraine had this long line of volunteers willing to fight to defend the country. And then this Time magazine profile on Zelenskiy comes out and it cast doubts on many things, and the manpower was one of these things. It highlighted that this is also a problem for Ukraine. Who has the bigger problem when it comes to manpower, Ukraine or Russia?

Jones: Well, it's good to have enough manpower; [but] it's a problem to have qualified manpower that is organized, trained, and equipped to do the job. In the first year of the [full-scale] war [during 2022], Ukraine was more on the defensive, which is much easier in terms of manpower losses. And then the second year, Ukraine wanted to go on the offensive, but they also found out that if you don't go on the offensive with at least a three- to four- to five-to-one ratio, you're going to take more casualties. And the fact that they were fighting a combined arms war without one of the key elements -- which is air power -- that slowed things down. And I think the needed air power is on the way, but it's not going to be ready to go for quite a while. Once they get that, they can really complete that combined arms capability for which they do have great comprehension --- but they need to get it all together before they can really start making a difference.

RFE/RL: On this combined arms maneuver -- and let's call it NATO's military vision of how combat warfare needs to be carried out -- there was this great interview with General Zaluzhniy in The Economist, where he said that "If you look at NATO's textbooks and at the math which we did [in planning the counteroffensive], four months should have been enough time for us to have reached Crimea, to have fought in Crimea, to return from Crimea, and to have gone back in and out again." Were NATO, or rather Western military calculations and forecasts wrong, or was it Ukraine that underperformed?

Jones: Generally speaking, all along, it would have been better for the allies to provide the needed equipment that Ukraine wanted and should have had in order to prosecute a more effective campaign, especially when they tried to go on the [offensive]. And I think the United States was complicit in not providing the weapons rapidly enough -- particularly the air side. We were too cautious about not giving the Ukrainians weapons that could strike into Russia. And so, you're really causing them to have to fight the war with one hand tied behind their backs. But I think people realize that now, and the supply chains are better, and the equipment is arriving at a faster rate. So, we'll have to wait and see. But the big missing piece, I think, for me, is aviation. If there isn't a resolution this year, which there doesn't appear to be, when they get the air power that they need, it'll make a difference.

RFE/RL: Zaluzhniy himself admits that they're at a stalemate, but he doesn't see the combined arms maneuver as a solution; he is betting on technological advancement. He says that "in order for us to break this deadlock, we need something new, like the gunpowder which the Chinese invented and which we are still using to kill each other." Where does this leave us when it comes to the Ukraine war, if one side doesn't suddenly conjure up a modern equivalent of gunpowder in terms of technology?

Jones: That's a great question, and I think you'll get the first indication of where that leaves us in February [2024] at the Munich Security Conference, which I'm sure will be dominated by the Ukraine-Russia conflict. I was there last year, and there was great enthusiasm and many words spoken by political leaders that were very encouraging, like, "We're with you until the end." So, it'll be interesting to see what the dialogue is this year. And then I think we'll have an idea about whether there's donor fatigue out there. And I think Mr. Putin is certainly counting on the fact that he can outlast the West, because the West is always wanting to end wars quickly: "Do whatever you have to do but stop this."

RFE/RL: I will be asking you about this donor fatigue in a moment. But before that, let's go through the Western military assistance issue in a bit more detail. We saw the impact of HIMARS [U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System] on the battlefield. Will there be an ATACMS [U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System] era or an F-16 [fighter jet] era, too?

Jones: I think so, yes. I think the military advice here in Washington would be to provide that.

RFE/RL: Many noticed that the ATACMS given to Ukraine are of older production with a shorter range than their modern equivalents? Will there be more, better, longer-range ones?

Jones: It goes back to a fear in [NATO] capitals that if you give the Ukrainians the weapons that can strike into Russia, they will do that and it might cause a wider war. I don't think that's correct, to be honest with you. My first war was in Vietnam, and I was always frustrated by the fact that we couldn't pursue the enemy into Laos or Cambodia or go north of the DMZ [demilitarized zone], and there were so many restrictions on us that we did have the impression that we're fighting with one hand tied behind our back. And I think that's a risky strategy that normally contributes to defeat of the side that has so many impositions on it. The fear, obviously, is that Vladimir Putin would escalate to a nuclear conflict, and everybody's concerned about that. But I do think that the important thing is to give the Ukrainians the panoply of weapons that they need and to certainly prevent Russia from advancing any further into Ukraine.

RFE/RL: So, should we expect more, better, longer range ATACMS? And what's that dependent upon?

Jones: I think the military advice here is that they want to give them longer ranges. I'm not sure where the political leadership is on that. But if you're going to fight a war, you need to fight a war to win it. And you need to have the equipment that you need to prevail. Otherwise, you're working toward a stalemate, and that's not very good for anybody.

RFE/RL: With all this taken into account, what can be done now? What's the hand that the West has and how can they play it?

Jones: Well, I think that the list of things that they don't have needs to be shortened. I've mentioned aviation two or three times in our discussion, and I think that's the big missing piece, to be honest with you. The land offensive was stymied by the amount of time the Russians had to prepare the field with mines and fortifications that make it much harder for the Ukrainians to achieve a mass of success, especially if they're trying to do it without air power -- because then the manpower bill becomes much more expensive. So that's where I think we are.

RFE/RL: Let's look at this from General Zaluzhniy's perspective. You are a general, you have to conduct a counteroffensive, and you are asked by your partners on whom you are heavily dependent in your war efforts to go into it without air support. How does it feel?

Jones: Not good. You know, in my days in Vietnam, we always had adequate air power, whether [it was] gunships or Phantom jets. The North Vietnamese that we fought against did not have that, and they paid a heavy price militarily, regardless of how it worked out politically. And I think that Ukraine understands that without air power, the manpower bill goes up exponentially. So, you have to be very careful, because for Ukraine manpower is really important. And they can't afford the Putin doctrine, which is just throw men at the problem; he doesn't care.

RFE/RL: On this manpower topic. Which approach is proving more effective: One relying on people's willingness to defend their country, versus one where people are corralled like cattle, or one where people are so poor that going to the front is an economic solution?

Jones: I think the advantage there is with Ukraine. They're defending their homeland; they're obviously very passionate about that. And there seems to be consistent support for President Zelenskiy -- some criticism but generally speaking, he's regarded as a heroic figure -- and I have not seen a crack yet in Ukrainian society that says, "Enough." I think they're very determined, and I think the allies, and especially the United States, should accelerate to the extent possible the delivery of equipment and ammunition that they need to be successful.

RFE/RL: You said you don't see cracks in Ukrainian resolve. But do you see cracks in Western resolve, perhaps?

Jones: Well, Vladimir Putin is counting on that. And I think the first time that you may see it -- if it in fact exists -- will be at Munich in February. That's where they launched this thing from. (Editor's Note: Putin delivered a key speech at the Munich Security Conference in 2007 that was highly critical of the United States and NATO and is widely regarded as having signaled the Russian leader's foreign policy intentions.)

On the positive side, though, one of the good things is the resurgence of NATO. I think NATO deserves a lot of credit, with the secretary-general and the member countries who are going to increase their financial contribution. The defense of Europe is now a valid concept, and we know what that is, and we know where the line of defense is for the defense of Europe and protection of other countries like Georgia, Moldova, and others. And if we're able to limit Russia's advance to what it is now -- if that becomes a negotiating position -- then I think the West will be able to say that they prevailed, and the battle between the autocracies and the democracies in other parts of the world will probably have a different outcome.

RFE/RL: So that would be a partial victory but still a Ukrainian victory?

Jones: Right.

RFE/RL: You mentioned countries like Georgia and Moldova. Ever since the full-scale war started, we've seen some profound changes in Russia's neighborhood: Finland has become a NATO ally; Sweden is poised to; Moldova has aligned with the West more strongly than ever; in the South Caucasus, we saw Azerbaijan reclaiming Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, subsequently, drifting from the Russian orbit and recently getting arms deliveries from France and India. What would be your advice to a country like Georgia in these troubled times?

Jones: I think the closer the countries are to the threat posed by Mr. Putin and Russia, the more the relationship with NATO becomes important. And I think that NATO needs to reach out to those countries that are at risk and lend a hand toward explaining to them what it takes to become a NATO member. And frankly, I think, right now in Ukraine, the Ukrainians should be doing things to prepare for NATO accession that they can do right now[so] that when the day comes and the conflict is over and they become a NATO member, that they don't have to wait another couple of years. So, I think there's a lot of work that can be done right now to reassure the people of those at-risk countries that the NATO embrace is out there and they should be doing things that they can do now to shorten the time between where we are now and eventual accession to NATO.

RFE/RL: Those countries have been standing in front of NATO's "open door" for decades, and it's not reassuring that they might have to wait another decade or decades. How would you reassure them?

Jones: Well, I think it's up to NATO to reach out, and there are all kinds of different programs as countries get closer and closer to NATO. Certainly, NATO interoperability with the military forces is something that can be worked on. There are all kinds of standards for NATO admission.

But I think that, at the end of the day, Russia has to be convinced that this was a mistake, what they did, and secondly that NATO is going to be many times stronger and more capable than it was before the invasion. And that there is a line of defense for the defense of Europe. And countries like Georgia and others will probably be on it at some point.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
DAMASCUS, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- A fresh Israeli missile hit the runway of Damascus International Airport on Sunday, rendering it out of service just a day after damage from a previous Israeli strike was repaired, the Syrian Sham FM radio said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the attack came 30 hours after the airport, located in the south of the capital, resumed its operation after more than a month of suspension due to an earlier Israeli strike, which has killed two workers at the airport.

The Damascus-bond flights have been diverted to the airports in the cities of Latakia and Aleppo in northern Syria.

Meanwhile, smoke was seen rising from the al-Mazzeh and Muadamiyeh areas in the west of Damascus, with reports saying that another Israeli strike hit the vicinity of the al-Mazzeh military air base, the Britain-based observatory said.

The Israeli attacks on Syrian airports have intensified since the Israeli-Hamas conflict started on Oct. 7. Airports in Damascus and Aleppo were hit several times. Notably, Israel has shown a pattern of targeting Syrian airports once reparations from previous strikes are completed.

Reports said the move is aiming at preventing Syria from providing supplies to Lebanon, a longtime foe of Israel, via airplanes, complicating the current conflict Israel is fighting. 
Mobile Revolution Latest News: Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw meeting with mobile industry experts

Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Highlights Remarkable Growth, Credits PM Modi Govt's Commitment to 'Make in India'

Mobile Revolution Latest News: In a significant achievement for India's manufacturing prowess, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that an impressive 99.2% of phones sold in India today proudly carry the 'Made in India' tag. Vaishnaw cited this success as evidence of the country's commitment to self-reliance and the 'Make in India' initiative.

During a recent meeting with mobile industry experts, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared that mobile production in India has witnessed a remarkable 20-fold increase in just nine years. In 2014, a substantial 78% of the country's mobile industry relied on imports. Fast forward to 2023, and the landscape has transformed, with 99.2% of mobiles sold in India being domestically manufactured.

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Vaishnaw emphasized the significant reduction in India's dependence on imports, showcasing a robust shift in the country's economic landscape. He underlined that the impressive statistic of 99.2% of phones being 'Made in India' is a source of pride for every citizen.

The Minister highlighted that this growth in the mobile sector not only bolsters the domestic manufacturing ecosystem but also plays a pivotal role in minimizing India's reliance on foreign imports. Notably, major smartphone brands, including Google, Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus, have been actively manufacturing their phones within the country, further contributing to India's self-sufficiency in the mobile industry.

(For More News Apart from Mobile Revolution Latest News, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman)


PM Modi Security Lapse Case Latest News

Negligence in Prime Minister's Security: Punjab Government's Decisive Move Leads to Suspension of Key Officials

PM Modi Security Lapse Case Latest News: In a significant development, the Punjab government has taken robust action against security lapses during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, leading to the suspension of seven police officers. Among those suspended is the former SP (Operations) of Ferozepur, Gurwinder Singh, along with two DSPs, three inspectors, and one ASI, all held accountable for dereliction of duty.

The security lapse occurred on February 5, 2022, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was en route from Bathinda to Hussainiwala in Ferozepur for a rally. Farmers obstructed the highway with tractors, leading to a blockage and a 20-minute halt for PM Modi's convoy. Eventually, due to the road not being cleared, the Prime Minister had to return. Expressing his gratitude upon reaching Bathinda airport, PM Modi remarked, "To thank your Chief Minister, say that I am returning alive." At that time, the state was under a Congress government, with Charanjit Singh Channi serving as the Chief Minister.

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List of Suspended Officers:

The Officials facing suspension include the then SP Gurwinder Singh, DSPs Prasun Singh and Jagdish Kumar, along with Inspectors Jatinder Singh, Balwinder Singh, Jaswant Singh, and ASI Rakesh Kumar.

The Swift and decisive action by the Punjab government underscores the commitment to maintaining the highest standards of security, especially during high-profile visits. The suspensions send a clear message about accountability and the paramount importance of safeguarding the security of the Prime Minister and other dignitaries.

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(For More News Apart from PM Modi Security Lapse Case, Punjab Government Action Latest News, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman)


Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse Latest News

15th Day of Struggle: Vertical Drilling Marks Last Push in the Race to Rescue 41 Trapped Workers

Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse Latest News: In a relentless effort to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, the operations have entered a critical phase, marked by challenges and a race against time. The latest update reveals that the final push involves vertical drilling, with the Indian Army joining forces to overcome obstacles hindering the rescue mission.

The 15th day of rescue operations is underway, focusing on vertical drilling to create an escape route. The vertical drill machine and a plasma machine from Hyderabad are actively working to remove the damaged auger machine and drill an alternative route for the trapped workers. The Indian Army has stepped in to assist in cutting out the pieces of the stuck auger, bringing additional expertise to the complex operation.

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As per the reports, Approximately 10% of the tunnel rubble remains to be drilled to insert a steel pipe, which will serve as the pathway for safely extracting the trapped workers using stretchers. Experts indicate that only 10-12 meters of drilling are required, and no current metal obstruction poses a threat to the rescue efforts.

Notably, In the event that vertical drilling proves insufficient, agencies are prepared to initiate manual drilling as a last resort, acknowledging the increased time it may take but with fewer associated risks.

The nation holds its breath as the combined efforts of rescue teams, machinery, and now the Indian Army strive to bring an end to this arduous chapter and reunite the trapped workers with their families.

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(For More News Apart from Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse Latest News, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman)


Farmers Protest Latest Updates

United Kisan Morcha Gathers in Mohali, Delays Protest Move as Farmers Strategize for the Future

Farmers Protest Latest Updates: Amidst the ongoing farmer protest in Mohali, the planned march towards Chandigarh has been temporarily deferred. The Bharatiya Kisan Union Mohali spokesperson, Ranveer Singh, announced that farmers from the United Kisan Morcha (Samyukt Kisan Morcha) would assemble at the airport road dharna site today, with a pivotal meeting scheduled for Monday morning to determine the next course of action.

Farmers, in solidarity with the nationwide movement, have chosen to gather and strategize in Mohali, holding discussions on their plan moving forward. The scheduled march to Chandigarh, initially planned for today, has been postponed pending the outcomes of the Monday meeting. The strike, declared for three days until November 28, echoes similar sentiments expressed at the Singhu-Tikri border protests in Delhi.

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Notably, Allegations against the central government include unmet promises related to minimum support prices and the withdrawal of cases filed against farmers. Farmers express dissatisfaction with the lack of fulfillment of agreements made during previous agitations, intensifying their resolve to address these concerns.

Chandigarh Police, anticipating the farmers' movement, has implemented full deployment on routes from Mohali and Panchkula. Paramilitary forces have erected barricades in Mohali to regulate the situation and prevent unauthorized entry into Chandigarh.

Prominent farmer leader, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, affirms that a dharna will now take place at the Chandigarh border. The United Kisan Morcha (SKM) is set to convene a meeting tomorrow, where decisions regarding the Chandigarh March will be finalized. While the current strike is scheduled for three days, preparations indicate a potential escalation from Mohali to Delhi in protest against the central government.

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(For More News Apart from Farmers Protest Latest Updates, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman)


Punjabi Diaspora Latest News: Punjabi Financier Gunned Down in Manila

Wave of Grief in Khanna as Gurdev Singh (58) Becomes the Latest Victim of Violence in Manila

Punjabi Diaspora Latest News: In a distressing incident, Gurdev Singh, a 58-year-old resident of Nand Singh Avenue, Khanna, was fatally shot in Manila, Philippines, further highlighting the ongoing safety challenges faced by the Punjabi community abroad.

Gurdev Singh, a seasoned figure in the finance business in Manila, met a tragic end, sending shockwaves through his family in Khanna. Lakhveer Singh Bhatti, a relative, revealed that Gurdev Singh and his son operated a finance business in Manila, with the son currently in Punjab. The news of Gurdev Singh's untimely death, received on Saturday evening, has plunged the family into profound grief.

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Lakhveer Singh voiced the growing anxiety over the persistent violence targeting Punjabi individuals abroad, emphasizing the urgent need for the central government to address and rectify this alarming trend. As the family copes with the tragedy, efforts are underway to seek government assistance in repatriating Gurdev Singh's body to Punjab. Lakhveer Singh Bhatti disclosed that Gurdev Singh is survived by his wife, a son, and two daughters.

(For More News Apart from Punjabi Diaspora Latest News, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman)




FREETOWN, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio on Sunday urged unity among citizens following a security incident at an army barracks in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

Some unidentified individuals attempted to break into the military armory at Wilberforce Barracks in the early hours of Sunday, said a notice by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education.

"They were repelled by our gallant security forces and calm has been restored," Bio said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The peace of our beloved nation is priceless, and we shall continue to protect the peace and security of Sierra Leone against the forces that wish to truncate our much-cherished stability," said the president.

"We remain resolute in our determination to protect democracy in Sierra Leone and I urge all Sierra Leoneans to unite towards this collective responsibility," Bio added.

The Sierra Leonean government issued a nationwide curfew following the accident and urged citizens to stay indoors.

According to some witnesses, the streets in Freetown are barely empty, while gunshots could be heard in some areas. 
Twenty-five years ago, two German men founded a company in Vista, hoping to sell California lifestyle apparel.

Instead, what Benno Banzinger and Jeano Erforth found is one of todays most popular bicycle companies. As the two men worked to sell the clothing, they created their first cruiser bike as a way to spark interest in their brand. The bicycle quickly gained a following.

Today, Electra Bicycle Company offers a wide range of modern cruiser bicycles, all designed at its Encinitas office, where the company found its home in the heart of downtown in 2015.

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Its pretty awesome to think that a company that started 25 years ago with just building a few cruiser bikes would really become the bike company that we are today, selling the No. 1 best-selling bike in all of America now for the last three years, said Kevin Cox, president of Electra.

In its first 10 years, the company made nothing but Cruiser bikes, Cox said. Then, in the early 2000s, mountain bikes gained a large following, even from people who just used them to get to destinations such as parks and beaches.

That mode of transportation didnt really make sense for all-around use, Cox noted, because mountain bike seats were notoriously uncomfortable and not ideal for everyday use.

Thus, Electras Townie bike was born.

Cox said that bike, which has become the No. 1 best-selling bike in the country, really put Electra on the map. The bicycle allows riders to sit straight up versus being hunched over. Riders can also put their feet flat on the ground, and the seats are adjustable.

It allows you to get proper extension, Cox said. With other bikes, you have to tippy-toe or jump off the seat and touch the ground to stop. That was really the secret sauce for us. And now, every bike we make, we use this technology. It inspires this confidence for people that maybe havent ridden for a long time.

In 2014, the company took the Townie one step further with the advent of the Townie Go pedal-assist bicycle, which allows users to travel farther distances or uphill without having to use as much energy.

The bike includes a Bosch brand motor, a battery and an electronic component near the handrails with a power switch. Users can choose from four riding modes: eco, tourist, sport and turbo, each with different speed assistance up to 20 miles per hour.

Cyclists must still pedal in order for the bike to move, but the motor assistance gives an extra push to get users to their destinations, Cox said.

The Townie Go is the No. 2 selling e-bike in the U.S. and allotted for 25 percent of Electras total sales last year, he said.

Cox said he sees pedal-assist bikes as the bikes of the future.

I just dont see that decreasing over the next three-to-five years for sure, he said. What youll see from Electra is continued increase in the utilitarian purpose behind bikes. More and more people are looking at bikes now and seeing them as reliable transportation options. Our goal is for whenever someone wakes up and they go to where their keys are hanging, we want them to pick up their bike lock keys all the time.

Electra bikes are aimed at novice riders, rather than professionals, Cox said.

The consumer were chasing isnt a professional bike rider, he said. Its someone who just wants to take a ride to the beach or its the 47-year-old mother of two that hasnt been on a bike since she was in grade school who wants to ride with her kids.

Electra has also entered into a partnership with the City of Encinitas.

Last year, the company donated standard and electric bikes for city employees to use to pedal around town. The program was part of the citys climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Anything we can do here in Encinitas to be a good neighbor, well do, Cox said.

For more information, visit www.electrabike.com.
NAIROBI, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese contractors are boosting Kenya's quest to bridge the country's housing deficit, industry players said on Saturday.

Kenneth Mbae, the managing director of Centum Real Estate, an investment firm with operations in East Africa, told a financial forum in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya that the housing deficit in Kenya is in excess of 2 million units whereas the annual demand stands at 200,000 units.

"We have many Chinese developers participating in supplying the 50,000 units that are built every year by the property sector," Mbae said during the third Abojani economic empowerment conference.

The conference brought together more than 100 financial and investment experts to discuss ways to exploit investment opportunities in Kenya.

Mbae added that the Chinese contractors have been instrumental in getting many housing projects off the ground and supplying best-in-class technical skills, knowledge transfer, and bringing an upgrading in the construction skill set in the country.

He observed that many property developers also source construction materials from China in order to improve the quality and competitiveness of their housing units.

Mbae revealed that the Chinese contractors have also introduced advanced housing technologies that allow investors to complete projects at a faster rate hence improving returns from the property sector.

Robert Ochieng, the CEO of Kenyan-based financial advisory firm Abojani Investment, said that the entry of Chinese contractors has expanded the supply of affordable housing units in Kenya.

Ochieng observed that real estate has emerged as a profitable asset class in the country, adding that the Chinese contractors have partnered with local firms to build highly competitive and affordable units. 
A helicopter performs during the Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival at the Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand, Nov. 26, 2023. Thousands of people gathered and crowded the side of the airstrip of Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand on Sunday to watch the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

WELLINGTON, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people gathered and crowded the side of the airstrip of Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand on Sunday to watch the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow.

The Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival this year features over 70 aircraft including vintage, military, and New Zealand Defence Force aircraft, jets, helicopters and aerobatic displays.

Audiences here have previously seen aircraft from World War I and World War II, including the world-famous Vintage Aviator aircraft collection owned by Peter Jackson, which includes replicas of some of the earliest airplanes, and this year was no different.

One of the Wings crowd favorites returning after a six-year hiatus from air festivals was the Goodyear FG-1D Corsair -- a U.S. Navy and Marine fighter aircraft used in World War II.

The popular air festival, which draws an audience of thousands, was supposed to run in February this year, but was postponed due to the ongoing impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle. 

Airplanes perform during the Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival at the Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand, Nov. 26, 2023. Thousands of people gathered and crowded the side of the airstrip of Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand on Sunday to watch the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow.(Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

An airplane performs during the Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival at the Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand, Nov. 26, 2023. Thousands of people gathered and crowded the side of the airstrip of Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand on Sunday to watch the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

An airplane performs during the Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival at the Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand, Nov. 26, 2023. Thousands of people gathered and crowded the side of the airstrip of Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand on Sunday to watch the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow.(Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

Airplanes perform during the Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival at the Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand, Nov. 26, 2023. Thousands of people gathered and crowded the side of the airstrip of Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand on Sunday to watch the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow.(Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

Airplanes perform during the Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival at the Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand, Nov. 26, 2023. Thousands of people gathered and crowded the side of the airstrip of Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand on Sunday to watch the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

Airplanes perform during the Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival at the Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand, Nov. 26, 2023. Thousands of people gathered and crowded the side of the airstrip of Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand on Sunday to watch the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

An airplane performs during the Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival at the Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand, Nov. 26, 2023. Thousands of people gathered and crowded the side of the airstrip of Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand on Sunday to watch the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)

An airplane performs during the Wings Over Wairarapa Air Festival at the Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand, Nov. 26, 2023. Thousands of people gathered and crowded the side of the airstrip of Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand on Sunday to watch the biennial Wings Over Wairarapa airshow. (Xinhua/Lu Huaiqian)
Advocates have said the ban penalizes the very communities it proposes to protect

Zip around the ice skating rink in Union Square or take in art installations in Golden Gate Park

These stories are dedicated to dreaming up a better San Francisco, and maybe reading it will inspire our policymakers to dream big. We believe the San Francisco Bay Area has a long future, and the current crises might just be the perfect opportunity to make some major changes and improve our region for future generations.

Is there anything more deeply ingrained in the American character than our collective fascination with ex-nihilo creation?

The back of our coins may say E pluribus unum, but they may as well say, from nothing, something.

Our history is littered with heroic accounts of ingenuity and determination that brought forth something new, impressive, and world-changing. (Never mind that many of these uplifting tales conveniently omit the plot points involving exploitation, subjugation and displacement.)

As a nation, we remain congenitally obsessed with our ability to manifest a new reality  social, political and institutional impediments to progress be damned.

It should, therefore, come as no surprise that a group of techno-optimists boasting a collective net worth far outpacing the GDP of many countries would embark upon a blank-slate project to build a new city on the outer rim of the Bay Area.

Given 10 zeroes on your bank statement, who wouldnt want to roll the dice on such a tangible legacy project? And the location: close enough to the capital, human resources and cultural ecosystem that make the region enticing, but worlds away from the messy problems of a contemporary metropolis battling to reinvent itself after an epoch-defining upheaval.

The effort to remake a vast swath of Solano County farmland into a next-generation urban oasis has been hailed as both a refreshing blast of forward-thinking creativity and a gross affront to the interests and traditions of the people who will shoulder its impacts.

Like most hot-button issues, both poles of opinion are likely dramatically overstated, and the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. The project's underlying conceit  to design a new urban paradise unencumbered by the built environment, entrenched interest groups, and legacy infrastructure  is at least an exciting thought experiment.

It certainly got us thinking, thus the crux of this issue.

Like many thought exercises, dreaming up a new city from scratch  whether on the hypothetically empty topography of San Francisco or the windswept Solano plains and Montezuma Hills  is an escapist fantasy. Its a fantasy that has consumed our politics because it has intoxicated our society: a world without tradeoffs.

We want to combat the existential threat of climate change, but not if it inconveniences us or proves costly. We want to live in a free and open society, but not if someone else says or does something we find objectionable.

We want to build adequate housing for our residents and make the city affordable for newcomers, but not at the expense of our handsomely appreciating Redfin estimates.

We want to build the infrastructure of the future, a veritable smart city that realizes the promise of our technological advancements, but not if it means potentially disrupting our carefully nurtured historic buildings or neighborhoods.

We want to solve the shameful homelessness crisis, but not if it means confronting the phalanx of nonprofit service providers and activists that have gorged themselves at the public trough for years while the problem has exploded.

No, its easier to build a new city in more inviting climes.

The impulse to build a new city in the middle of nowhere or to pull up stakes and move a company to Texas or Florida represents nothing so much as a profound failure of imagination  compounded by a lack of civic spiritedness and determination.

Ostensibly, those individuals short on San Francisco are among the best-resourced and able to drive positive changes. Some of them are, but not enough.

Rank and file San Franciscans should also note what a city is and isnt.

Since the first cities blossomed on the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers nearly 10,000 years ago, they have been iterative entities. At their best, they are mutable, shape-shifting systems that foster new avenues for growth and inclusion as new people, technologies and behavioral patterns settle in.

The system doesnt work without tradeoffs. Every city has an element of creative destruction in its DNA. If that impulse is repressed or otherwise regulated into oblivion, the city is robbed of its natural ability to evolve, adapt, and thrive. The painful result is sclerosis and decline.

By refusing to accept occasionally painful tradeoffs, protecting every sacred cow and acquiescing to entrenched interest groups eager to protect their turf, we are robbing The City of the oxygen it needs to survive.

Other cities have had their cake and eaten it, too.

Rome  no stranger to historical preservation  will soon celebrate the opening of its new Colosseum station, tucked beneath one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Just this summer, the city laid the cornerstone for one of the most complex urban structures in the world, the eight-level subterranean station at Piazza Venezia in the shadow of the citys imposing Vittoriano monument.

Both the Colosseum and Venezia stations are continuations of the citys first new metro line since 1980. In addition to providing sustainable mobility for residents and visitors, the project also happens to be the worlds largest archaeological dig. Workers are excavating 21 million cubic feet of material nearly 150 feet below the bustling sidewalks and roadways above, surfacing countless artifacts and ancient works of art.

When finished, the Venezia station will be a show-stopping museum hub through which more than 800,000 people will pass daily.

It's a far cry from the tumbleweeds still drifting through the Transbay Transit Center's bottom deck, and the Romans didnt have to start from scratch to achieve it.

San Francisco has not been a tabula rasa project since the 1906 earthquake and fire. Even then, reimagining The City amid the ghosts of what had come before was a challenge.

But in the following decades, a new San Francisco unfolded in waves of deterioration and reinvention. This place's essence has always been its willingness to change, adapt to changing circumstances, and evolve. Yes, it is the phoenix rising from the ashes, but it is also the juxtaposition of new and old embodied by the twin spires of Coit and Salesforce Towers.

We already have the creativity to imagine a new San Francisco; we need the determination and willingness to sacrifice to create a better one.
A float moves out to get ready for the start of the Electric Christmas Parade in St. Charles on Saturday. (David Sharos/The Beacon-News)

Temperatures may have hovered just above freezing Saturday evening, but spirits and hearts in St. Charles were warm as the annual Electric Christmas Parade was held along Main Street.

Stadium chairs, piles of blankets and more were lined along the route hours before the parade began as those like Roxie Garcia of St. Charles, who has made the parade a holiday tradition, once again braved the elements in order to watch the event which featured more than 60 lighted vehicles.

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This is something that we do ever year and love how the community comes together with all the floats and rating them, Garcia said.

Organized again by the St. Charles Business Alliance, Executive Director Jenna Sawicki of the group said the parade is the culmination of the two-day Holiday Homecoming celebration that kicked off Friday with the lighting of the citys Christmas tree.

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We have 67 entries this year and we like to think this is the biggest holiday parade outside of Chicago, Sawicki said. We usually cap our parade at 60, but we just had so many people with great interest this year that were a little bigger than we were in the past.

We have a lot of new entries this year, new businesses and new community interest groups that have entered and we are excited to see the creativity, she said. We feel like this gets better and better every year. We encouraged lots of music this year and hope its really an entertaining parade for the whole community.

Roxie Garcia of St. Charles came with her two dogs to watch the Electric Christmas Parade in St. Charles on Saturday. (David Sharos/The Beacon-News)

Garcia was accompanied again this year by her dogs named Albus, a corgi, and Camper, who is a shepherd mixed breed.

There are a lot of lights and noise but weve brought the dogs before and they love it, she said.

Those participating in the parade said the event is a special one. Naomi Kreiner of St. Charles said she was representing a nonprofit group known as Support Over Stigma which works with military veterans and first responders with PTSD.

We were in the parade last year and I know a lot of people dont feel its the holidays until they see this parade, Kreiner said. I used to go to this all the time when I was a kid. I knew a couple weeks ago wed be doing this.

Esteban Barrera of St. Charles was dressed as the Grinch and said this was the fourth time he has been a part of the Electric Christmas Parade.

Dana Riebe of St. Charles and her daughter Lili, 9, were among the thousands who came to St. Charles Saturday evening for the Electric Christmas Parade. (David Sharos/The Beacon-News)

We know we are adding something to the town with this parade, he said. The kids enjoy it and we pass out everything we can  bracelets, yoyos and candy when they allow it. Its fun. We love it. Even before I worked here wed come watch it. It seems like there are more people here than ever before.

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Dana Riebe of St. Charles said she has lived in town 20 years and has basically come to the parade every year.

I agree it doesnt feel like Christmas until we have this parade. I definitely think this gets bigger every year and theres more people and its just a fun thing that everyone enjoys, Riebe said. St. Charles has a lot of great festivals and this is one of them.

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The 37th edition of the most important publishing gathering in Ibero-America, the Guadalajara International Book Fair, kicked off Saturday in Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city.

Mexican poet Coral Bracho, laureate of the Literary Award in Romance Languages, spoke out against war, violence and inequality, upon receiving the top award during the opening of the book fair.

Bracho called for an education that not only encourages children's creativity, but also deepens their capacity for introspection so they can better empathize with others.

"More than ever, it is important to have an education that fosters in children, youth and society in general, in addition to a reflective, purposeful and creative capacity that makes us freer, an introspective and communicative capacity that allows us to delve into ourselves and bring us as close as possible to the different ways of thinking and feeling of other people and cultures, through literature and the most diverse forms of art."

"If verbal language is and has been the most complete mode of communication that has accompanied humanity throughout centuries, poetry is one of the most penetrating, suggestive and generative forms in which it manifests itself," said the Mexican poet, who defined poetry as "a vital search through language to approach the complex universe that surrounds us from a broad perspective."

Created in 1987 at the initiative of the University of Guadalajara, the book fair is currently the world's largest Spanish-language book fair, attracting more than 800,000 people each year, according to figures from organizers.

The 2023 edition will run until Dec. 3. 
A man died early Thanksgiving morning after he was struck by a police car on a busy Camden County, New Jersey, highway, authorities said.

He was hit by an on-duty officer from the Waterford Police Department on White Horse Pike in the Atco section of Waterford, according to a statement from the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:19 a.m.

Neither the man who was hit or the officer was identified by the attorney generals office as of 9:30 p.m. Friday, and no other information about the incident was released.

Per state law, the office investigates all incidents where a person dies during an encounter with police, and the evidence will eventually be presented to a grand jury to determine if the officer should be indicted.
New Jersey could join a small list of states with laws requiring people to prove their age and children to get their parents permission to sign up for social media, if leaders enact a new proposal from a prominent state lawmaker.

Its a topic wrapped up in a national debate, with supporters of age verification saying the goal is to protect kids mental health and critics warning such laws not only violate free speech but would be tough to enforce and might actually harm children, especially those who are LGBTQ+.

The New Jersey bill, introduced this week by state Assemblyman Herb Conaway, D-Burlington, would mandate social media platforms verify their users in the state are at least 18 or require minors to get consent from a parent or guardian. The measure would also ban some online messages between children and adults.

Conaway, chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, said the measure (A5750) is needed as the U.S. faces a youth mental health crisis. He argued social media can lead to anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, and even suicide among children.

We have to get a hold of this, Conaway told NJ Advance Media in a phone interview. Everyone in our country should be alarmed in the rising prevalence of mental illness among our children. Much of it can be laid at the feet of social media.

The government has to step in and act responsibly.

Earlier this year, Utah made headlines when it became the first U.S. state to install a law restricting social media by age, while also banning kids from using such sites overnight. The law gives social media companies until March to enact new policies.

Arkansas followed with a similar law, though a federal judge has since blocked it. A congressman from Utah, Republican Rep. Chris Stewart, introduced a bill earlier this year that would require such regulations on a national level.

This is also part of a broader argument over how lawmakers across the country are seeking to pass various child-protection policies related to the internet. Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Texas, and Virginia recently installed laws requiring age verification to view pornographic websites.

Conaways proposal is notable because while other states with this kind of legislation are led by Republicans, Conaway is a Democrat and New Jerseys state government is controlled by Democrats.

Conaway said states are moving in this direction because the federal government has been feckless so far in bringing common-sense control.

Experts say rates of anxiety and depression that were already rising among teens were exacerbated by the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. A report this year from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found teenage girls face unprecedented levels of hopelessness, while the U.S. suicide rate among 15-to-24-year-olds grew by 7% in 2021.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning in May about social medias effect on youth mental health. While Murthy said there isnt enough evidence to say social media is safe for kids, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young peoples mental health. The report, however, also notes there are known evidence gaps in such research.

Up to 95% of Americans aged 13 to 17 have some online presence, according to the Pew Research Center.

Last month, New Jersey joined 40 states in suing the parent company of Facebook and Instagram  Meta Inc.  for allegedly fueling the mental health crisis with features that addict youth. Meta responded by saying it had already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.

But critics say age verification laws violate the First Amendment rights of both minors and adults.

Dillon Reisman, an attorney for the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said they could also negatively affect LGBTQ youth.

The internet is like a public square, Reisman told NJ advance Media. When you have a restriction that actually requires people to only participate by verifying their age by uploading a government-issued ID, that really prevents people of all ages from safely participating in the public square and public conversation.

Reisman argued children have a right to learn about politics and to use the internet as a form of identity formation to interact with communities, get resources about their health, about their lives, and connect to other people.

And they should be able to do so without having to go to their parents to do that, he said. If you have kids who belong to marginalized communities and dont receive support in school or from their own parents, being able to access information about health, identity, politics online without parents acting as the gatekeeper is important.

Reisman added it would violate adults rights by taking away the option for anonymity on the internet.

Anonymous speech is a core part of your personal, private rights, he said. It is a tool used by people who have something important politically to say who might otherwise be punished for it.

After Arkansas passed its law, NetChoice, a tech lobbying group with members like Meta, Google, and TikTok, sued the states attorney general on the grounds that the measure violated the First Amendment. In August, a federal judge temporarily stopped the laws enforcement, saying its likely unconstitutional.

Other critics note a 2021 CDC report suggests connecting with others online helped improve teens mental health during the pandemic. There are also fears age verification could make it easier for sites to harvest personal data from users.

There is no full draft of Conaways New Jersey bill yet, so its unclear which sites the legislation would cover.

The measure would need to be passed by both houses of the Democratic-controlled state Legislature  the Senate and Assembly  before the governor could sign it into law.

Conaway said he doesnt expect the bill to be taken up in the current lame-duck legislative session, which ends when the newly elected Legislature takes office in January.

Its something thats going to be discussed, he said. Were just getting started with this process.

At least one colleague is open to that discussion. State Sen. Joe Vitale, D-Middlesex, chairman of the Senates health committee, said he has not read Conaways bill but noted children can be taken advantage of on social media, which he called place for bullying, cyber criminal, and bad behavior.

Having some parental consent would be helpful, Vitale said. Its certainly worth having an adult conversation about.

This is one of a few bills Conaway has introduced in recent months related to children and social media. Gov. Phil Murphy in June signed a law he sponsored (S715) creating a commission to study social medias effects on minors. Conaway has also spearheaded measures to curb childrens addiction to social media by banning social media companies from using certain practices (A5069) and to create a New Jersey Childrens Data Protection Commission (A4919).

I think they want to protect their children, Conaway said about parents. And these technologies are used in a way that creates barriers to parents doing their job.
STATEN ISLAND, NY -- As the holiday shopping season kicks off, businesses are hoping Staten Islanders remember to shop local.

On Saturday  also known as Small Business Saturday, which is traditionally observed on the Saturday after Thanksgiving  Staten Islanders were encouraged to visit area boutiques, cafes, restaurants and stores.

One of Staten Islands newest small-business owners, David Rabinowitz, who owns David & Co. Menswear, says that supporting small businesses can make a big impact.

If someone shops here, any dollar they spend would go towards reinvesting in this business, paying a mortgage, paying a car payment, paying for a kids birthday present, he said. Its not going toward executive bonuses or anything like that.

In the very back of the store, Rabinowitz has a VIP lounge, available for a groom and his groomsmen to enjoy a private fitting, shoot some pool, and watch TV.Irza Waraich

Rabinowitz opened his store, located at 2955 Veterans Rd. West in South Shore Commons in Charleston, on Nov. 11, and offers a private label of Italian suits and tuxedos in material such as super 150s wool, as well as seasonal fabrics, and tuxedo rentals.

In the very back of the store, Rabinowitz has a VIP lounge, available for a groom and his groomsmen to enjoy a private fitting, shoot some pool, and watch TV.

We want Staten Islanders to have a luxurious shopping experience without having to leave the Island, said Rabinowitz.

In Westerleigh, Mr. Radi opened Herbal Dispense in August, a tea shop offering over 50 flavors of tea and a halal food menu.Irza Waraich

In Westerleigh, Herbal Dispense offers over 50 flavors of tea and a halal food menu. The stores owner  known to customers simply as Mr. Radi  opened the expansive tea shop in August.

I opened this place to share my tea experience with everybody, he said of his store located at 1759 Victory Blvd. Tea has helped me in so many ways. I was able to substitute certain things with tea that helped me get peace of mind and helped me balance myself.

Mr. Radi felt good about himself and other local business owners being able to offer Staten Islanders a place to chat, study and find their own peace of mind.

We are people that basically provide for the neighborhood. We keep the neighborhood alive, and give the neighborhood more options.

In Westerleigh, Mr. Radi opened Herbal Dispense in August, a tea shop offering over 50 flavors of tea and a halal food menu.Irza Waraich

A few doors down from Herbal Dispense sits Coffee & Collectibles, an antique store located at 561 Manor Rd. in Castleton Corners, with aisles and floors packed with knick knacks and trinkets. Theres also a bakery that serves the business signature apple horse-shoe ring.

The Carrozza family opened this Coffee & Collectibles in May, where Charles Pfieffer medical supplies lived originally. One of the owners, James Carrozza, has been a baker for 50 years and started building his collection of antiques 20 years ago.

Coffee & Collectibles is an antique store where you walk in to rummage through aisles and floors of knick knacks and trinkets, and cant leave without trying their signature apple horse shoe ring from their bakery.Irza Waraich

Housing over an estimated 20,000 items in his shop, Carrazzo built his collection by exclusively shopping from Staten Island garage sales. Now, Staten Islanders flock to his store to sell Carrozzo items he might be interested in, and to check out what he has to offer.

I dont care if somebody calls it a thrift shop, my wife calls it the junk store, said Carrozza.

Coffee & Collectibles is an antique store where you walk in to rummage through aisles and floors of knick knacks and trinkets, and cant leave without trying their signature apple horse shoe ring from their bakery.Irza Waraich

Taking inspiration from artists ally, Tariq Zaids store Richmond Hood Company provides both branded apparel and apparel featuring art made by Staten Island artists.

Interested in street wear and art? Richmond Hood Company has got you covered in branded and local artist made apparel.Irza Waraich

We serve as a place for the locals, local artists, local creators to provide retail, provide a footprint of Staten Island culture as it pertains to street art, street activities, and street culture, said Zaid of his store at 827 Castleton Ave in Castleton Corners.

Once a month, Zaid hosts an open mic at his store, where aspiring Staten Island artists are welcome to share poetry and whatevers on their mind, to their hearts content. During the most recent open mic night, artist Sean McArthur drew an image describing all the people that took the stage that day.

During the most recent Open Mic night at Richmond Hood Company, artist Sean McArthur drew an image describing all the people that took the stage that day.Irza Waraich

In New Dorp, iwarelove boutique welcomes Staten Islanders with chic clothes.

Sara Abouhegab started her clothing business online during the pandemic, and will celebrate three years of opening her in-person location at 3173 Richmond Rd. in February. She called owning the boutique a childhood dream.

As she overcomes the hurdles of operating a business by herself while receiving guidance from her family, Abouhegab says that shopping small means a lot to her when it comes to paying bills and making a living.

A shop you cant miss is iwarelove boutique in New Dorp owned by Sara Abouhegab, who fulfilled a childhood dream of owning her very own boutique. Irza Waraich

When you shop small, it actually makes a really big difference because its someone that you know thats trying to make a living, rather than these big corporations, she said.
The holiday seasons first major snow event could spell disaster for those traveling in upstate New York or areas surrounding the Great Lakes, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.

Although NYC should be spared the snow, northern and western New York state are forecast to witness the onset of what is expected to be significant lake-effect snow.

On Sunday, Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement urging New Yorkers to prepare for the snow event. She said the snow is expected to begin Monday morning, with the potential to last until Tuesday evening.

At its heaviest, three inches of snow per hour could fall.

For areas near Lake Erie, a widespread 6-12 inches of snow is expected beginning Monday morning in areas south of Buffalo, with up to 18 inches possible in parts of southern Erie, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus counties, the governors release says. For areas near Lake Ontario, beginning Monday afternoon, a widespread 6-12 of snow is expected in areas east of the lake and up to two feet of snow possible in the Tug Hill area.

The substantial snowfall event is the result of a trio of storms blending together into one large storm over Canada, as noted by AccuWeather. In gaining momentum, the conglomeration will whip up intense winds and funnel arctic air across the water of the Great Lakes. The resulting effect? Everything from flurries to snow squalls.

Some roads may even close for a time due to the intensity of the lake-effect snow, AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist Jake Sojda said.

Through Monday, most of the rest of the state, including NYC, is forecast to receive up to an inch of rain and higher elevations could see a few inches of snow, causing Monday morning commutes to be potentially unsafe in some places.

NEW YORK TRAVEL HAZARDS

Travel remains a great concern as the storm will result in sudden, poor visibility in the heaviest instances of snowfall. Add in the blustering winds, and now power outages are within the scope of worries.

The most hazardous weather conditions will be in the areas where lake effect snow bands form and produce a lot of snow in a short period, which will hamper travel in some places for the next day or so, Hochul said. There is still some uncertainty where and when snow bands will form and the heaviest snow will fall, so use extra caution when traveling and stay on top of the forecast throughout this event so you can plan your travel and other activities accordingly.

Winds will also make temperatures resemble the cold heart of winter with, the real feel dipping up to 20 degrees lower than the actual temperature, which in the northern tier will dip into the teens, as mentioned by AccuWeather.

Given the localized nature of the wintry conditions, motorists can experience varying road conditions every few hundred feet; some spots can be dry, others can be a slippery nightmare, as reported by AccuWeather.

Travel headaches will abound along I-90 from just south of Buffalo, New York, all the way to Cleveland during the first half of the week due to heavy snow coming off the lake, Sojda said.

According to AccuWeather, some areas prone for road closures include Interstate 81 from Syracuse to near Watertown, New York, Interstate 90 in western New York and northeast Ohio and Interstate 94 and Interstate 196 in Michigan.

Snowfall totals are likely to exceed 1 foot, where the bands of snow linger in northern and western Michigan, northeastern Ohio into southwestern New York and off the eastern end of Lake Ontario in upstate New York, Sojda said.

While the snow is expected to die down Tuesday night in Michigan and Indiana, it may persist into Wednesday and Thursday in areas further east. However, even as the storm moves away, an Alberta clipper storm could enhance the lake effect in some spots and bring yet another round of lake-effect snow later in the week, as noted by AccuWeather.
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On Sunday, November 26, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., the Society of the Grand Army of the Republic (SoGAR) will honor General Nathaniel McLean, American Civil War veteran, by unveiling a new historic roadside marker on the grounds of Woodland Cemetery, 100 Station Road, Bellport, NY 11713.

Nathaniel Collins McLean was born on 2 Feb 1815 in Ohio. He successfully defended Chinn Ridge during the second Battle of Bull Run, led the Ohio Brigade at the Battle of Chancellorsville and led again during the Atlanta Campaign, concluding with Shermans March to the Sea. After the war ended, General McLean returned to Cincinnati where he practiced law before moving to Montana to farm. In 1885, he moved to Bellport, NY, where he helped to establish the Episcopal church and lived his final twenty years. He died in Bellport on 4 Jan 1905.

In addition to unveiling their historic roadside marker, SoGAR will lay a memorial wreath on General McLeans grave. The Co. K , 67th New York Infantry will serve as Honor Guard and the 6th New York Independent Battery will fire their cannon during the event program. All are welcome to attend.

The Society of the Grand Army of the Republic is a historical, educational, and patriotic organization and a 501(c)3 charity founded in 2017 and dedicated to advancing an understanding of the Civil War. SoGAR is responsible for the restoration of the Civil War Monument on Baker Street in Patchogue and for the October 2022 placement of an historic roadside marker for Civil War patriot General Regis deTrobriand in Sayville, New York. A fraternal society, SoGAR welcomes history enthusiasts of all ages as members. For more information, visit https://www.SocietyOfTheGAR.org.
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As conservative commentator Cory Bernardi called the Ukraine war a great distraction and the country a black hole of corruption last week on his Sky News Australia show, the networks boss, Lachlan Murdoch, was 24 hours away from touching down in the countrys capital.

Murdochs visit to Kyiv a week ago attracted global attention, a deliberate show of support for the war-torn country in his first act in the job of News Corp and Fox Corp chair. He travelled flanked by journalists from his major outlets, Fox News and The Sun.

With wall-to-wall coverage of the conflict between Israel and Gaza for the past seven weeks, Murdochs trip sought to refocus attention on the other ongoing war, as Ukraine approaches two years defending a Russian offensive.

Lachlan Murdoch (left) and Sky News Australia commentator Cory Bernardi

Anti-Ukraine sentiment is also gathering sream among far-right circles in America and the Republican-heavy viewers of Murdochs Fox News. Likely presidential candidate Donald Trump and former star Fox anchor Tucker Carlson are among those speaking out.
In an unsavoury court case, venture capitalist and philanthropist Mark Carnegie has successfully sued his former wife to release $35.4 million from their family trust, to take advantage of a $13 million tax exemption available to him through his residency in New Zealand.

Carnegie, 61, moved to New Zealand in January 2020, with his then partner Lady Katie Percy, a gunsmith and mechanic, who is the daughter of Britains 12th Duke of Northumberland. Her parents own Alnwick Castle, which doubles as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

Carnegie and Percy settled in the town of Takaka on New Zealands South Island, but it was reported their relationship didnt survive the pandemic.

Mark Carnegie made his name by selling Carnegie Wiley, the investment bank he co-founded, for more than $200 million in 2007. Credit: Michael Quelch

The move to New Zealand was described by Carnegie as a shift into semi-retirement. It also made him eligible for a tax break. NSW Supreme Court Justice Michael Elkaim explained the tax break this month as a transitional residency exemption  on any foreign income received by him for a period of up to four years from his arrival. The expiration of that tax exemption is next January.
Investigators are circling the senior ranks of Sydney Metro, which is charged with delivering Australias largest public transport projects, following allegations of bullying, conflicts of interest, corruption and fraud.

A trove of emails and other internal documents show that the agency is spending more than $50,000 for two private investigators on fact-finding missions into some very senior people.

Investigators have substantiated some of the allegations. However, the documents detailing the investigations, released to NSW parliament under orders from the upper house, have been heavily redacted, blocking out references to the allegations which have been substantiated.

Sydney Metro is overseeing the construction of nearly $60 billion worth of train lines across the city. Credit: Janie Barrett

Investigators at Sydney Metro and umbrella agency Transport for NSW have named their various investigations after the moons of Jupiter.
As reindeer (C8) can have Salmonella, Brucellosis, Campylobacter, prions that cause muscle wasting and parasites that inflame your nose, it is small wonder that Rudolph has a shiny nose and a minor miracle that Peter Miniutti remains so well, says Jo Rainbow of Orange. Shout-out to Clinical Professor in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and fellow C8 contributor, David Isaacs, who taught Jo the right stuff.

Many years ago on a visit to a University in Sweden, I as told by my host that I would be delighted by what the cafeteria was putting on the menu, writes Bob Phillips of Cabarita. I thought I might get a taste of reindeer but surprise, surprise, it was kangaroo. When he asked how often I ate it in Australia I said, never. I didnt mention that at that stage kangaroo was only available as pet food and that it was illegal to sell it for human consumption.

Closer to home, Janetta Gilbert of Kirrawee agrees that B.T.C. food (C8) definitely wasnt haute cuisine and the dreaded green boxes were even worse. But were still writing about it, so weve survived into glorious old age in spite of it.

Some foodies are fakers, reckons Chris Roylance of Paddington: If Col Burns (C8) was a true epicurean, he would not consume anything infused with truffle oil. According to the late chef, writer and broadcaster, Anthony Bourdain, anyone who drizzles truffle oil should basically be punched in the kidneys  but I wouldnt suggest anything that offal.

I went in to pay for petrol at my local service station yesterday and was stunned to be told that the young woman ahead of me had already paid for me, writes Kath Maher of Lidcombe. I went hastily to thank her, and she said I just felt like doing something nice for someone. I was touched. The young are full of surprises. Quite made my day.
On Tuesday morning, NSW will become the final Australian state to permit voluntary assisted dying. Terminally ill patients will be allowed to end their own lives with the help of trusted medical professionals.

The Herald has long argued in favour of this measure because it believes individuals have a right to choose not to prolong lives which they know will bring only excruciating and hopeless torment. The tragic and ugly truth is that without access to assisted dying many people have resorted to the horrible and undignified gamble of unassisted suicide.

The NSW legislation draws on other states legislation and is a cautious model with strong safeguards against abuse.

NSW Health will begin taking applications via an online portal at 6am. The approval process is usually expected to take around three weeks, but could be faster in exceptional circumstances. About 150 NSW doctors have been certified for the approval process. Two must confirm that a candidate has an advanced, terminal disease likely to kill them within six months, or 12 months in the case of a neurodegenerative disease such as Motor Neurone Disease.
Cross River Rail works will cause disruptions, including closures, on all train lines at various times between December 23 and January 18.

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Commuters have been urged to plan ahead and allow extra time to allow for possible bus transfers.

While trains wont be able to operate across some parts of the network to ensure works can be carried out safely and efficiently, the works have been scheduled during the traditionally quieter December and January period to minimise impacts, said Transport Minister Mark Bailey.

However, we do know that some people will be affected, and we appreciate your patience while these important works are carried out.

The works will include track reconfigurations, tunnel portal works, accessibility upgrades to the stations between Dutton Park and Salisbury, and civil works between Bowen Hills and Albion.
The Victorian government and both the states publicly funded hospital clinics declined to explain the figures. Two months after The Age was promised a number of other key statistics, including how many referrals to the gender clinics proceeded to medical treatment, how many young people were put on puberty-delaying drugs called puberty blockers, and how many then proceeded to hormone therapy, the government refused to answer, citing privacy considerations. No figures are available for how many people are being treated in doctors clinics because no separate Medicare number exists for cross-gender treatment. The 2022-23 state budget put $21 million over four years into expanding the childrens hospital and Monash gender services, as well as funding advocacy and service organisations Transcend Australia and Transgender Victoria. It also allocated $1.5 million to the community health program described by Burgess, which includes two community clinics (in northern Melbourne and Ballarat), and the health practitioner training programs. In March, the government delivered another $900,000 to eight organisations. The state government said in a statement that it is dedicated to improving the lives of all LGBTIQ+ Victorians and is proud to fund a range of programs that support trans and gender diverse communities.

Your Community Healths Burgess said treatment at GP clinics was expanding because the LGBTI community sector and the state government saw that there was an enormous demand for gender-affirming services for Victoria and  this is something that should be available in standard general practice. Training GPs to provide these services had removed an enormous barrier, Burgess said. The new community practitioners and a network of GPs had made enormous inroads into making gender-affirming care available in Victoria through the primary care setting. Peer navigators  transgender people employed to help young people find their way through the system  had also made the system more efficient, Burgess said. However, a challenge remained that not many GPs were prepared to prescribe hormones to children under 16, and access is still very, very low in that cohort, he said. This was partly because of medico-legal and potential insurance issues, he said. Among these was the recent refusal of a key insurer for GPs, MDA National, to provide indemnity insurance for those treating under-18s because they could not accurately and fairly price the risk of regret.

Loading Burgess said the aim of the state governments programs was to treat more people earlier in the primary care system rather than having to wait for tertiary care, and not subject individuals and families in community to unnecessary barriers that we know through good evidence dont lead to better outcomes. Melbourne clinical psychologist Ben Callegari said he delivers affirming care to people over 16, though he preferred to wait until they were 18. He said the people he sees have generally done a lot of research, are well-informed about the options, and have a deep sense of knowing that they are transgender. He provides them with the pros and cons, as well as the risks. So with hormones, we talk about what they do; benefits, risks, whats permanent and not permanent, he said, adding its within a very affirming approach. Callegari said he is now seeing more people who are non-binary than those attached to stricter notions of gender. It was important not to be alarmist at the rising number of children coming out as trans or gender diverse, he said.

So what if your child comes out  why is that problem? The hysteria implies its a negative and they dont want their child to be like that, he said. Deeply rooted in the idea is that transgender is not real. If you speak to a trans person, they know. Its a deep sense of knowing. Like talking to a gay person, how do you know? I just know. He said there were risks in not transitioning, which are not spoken about. Patrick Parkinson, an emeritus professor of law at the University of Queensland, said there were doubts about the legality of the informed consent treatment. The Family Court has held that it does not need to become involved in the matter if there has been a mental health diagnosis of gender dysphoria and both parents and clinicians consent to treatment. However, Parkinson, who spoke via video link at a recent forum in parliament with a number of doctors and lawyers lobbying for an upper house inquiry into affirming care for teens, said that ruling was based on people being treated by a multidisciplinary team in a hospital setting. He said he had doubts about the legality of GPs prescribing hormones [to 16- and 17-year-olds] without a formal diagnosis of gender dysphoria and the involvement of an expert multidisciplinary team. The court had also never approved the use of these drugs for non-binary or gender diverse people, he added.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Why are Boomers made to feel guilty about spending their working lives paying off and setting up a home for life, and wanting to stay in it (Boomers sit tight in home shortage, November 26)? Nobody questions people who spend their money on lovely cars or antiques, or suggests that they dont need them any more. We bought and paid for these homes; its not our job to house the next generations, its the governments. Kathleen Kyle, Camden Baby Boomers are being asked to move out of their homes into smaller houses or apartments. Credit: Oscar Colman Boomers have worked very hard to get what they have, having brought up their families in these homes. I suggest the discourse be directed to people such as town planners, local councils and state governments for their lack of vision in the past, and what the present authorities are going to do about it  and of course, the taxpayers expense. Kathy Willis, Kew I can no longer remain silent on the Boomer bashing by Self-Entitled Whingeing Generations (SEWG). I bought my first home when I was 38 in an undesirable suburb. Buying a home (at 17.5 per cent interest) was as difficult then as it is today. I was born into a family who fled Europe during World War II and were given refugee status in Australia. My parents suffered from PTSD after the war. There was little help for mental illness so we faced many difficulties. My first home was a tent on the railways, where my father was a labourer (even though he was educated and spoke several languages fluently), then a migrant hostel before my parents scraped together enough money to buy a block of land in an outer suburb, where they built a modest home. When I left home I had no expectations of ever being able to afford to buy a place of my own. SEWGs, if you dont like what you see, do something positive about it. Each generation has its unique problems, and its time to stop the moralising. Suzanne Hopping, Redfern The housing problem has been brought about by successive governments pandering to greedy developers profiting from housing estates and apartments, and businesses wanting cheap labour and bigger markets. The social, economic and environmental harm brought about by this grossly incompetent Big Australia policy can only be rectified by reducing our massive immigration level. Karen Joynes, Bermagui The elephants in the room are negative gearing and immigration  without those there would be more than enough property for people to live in. Why encourage resentment of Boomers because many choose to stay in their homes? This will not free up any housing. Many have already downsized and those who havent, have a variety of reasons why they dont. We have enough division in our society without the constant Boomer bashing. Wendy Cousins, Balgownie

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Policy shifts and significant planning are needed to address the housing crisis. However, of all the ideas to address this pressing issue, none have pointed to council mergers as a positive policy. When Leichhardt was a stand-alone council it regularly exceeded its housing targets. Development was done with the community, not imposed upon the community. Jennifer Barron, Balmain Apart from stamp duty and the costs of moving, a deterrent to seniors moving is the unconscionable financial arrangements generally facing entrants into retirement villages. A common

arrangement is that entrants, mostly their estates, will receive on exit 70 per cent of the purchase price of their villas, thereby being crucially deprived of a not inconsiderable share of capital

gains. That erosion of estate value becomes a sizeable cost to childrens benefits. Peter Terrey, Castle Cove Human rights transcend conflicts among nations Im neither Jewish nor Arab. The article by Irving Wallach (Hamas, Netanyahu and their bloodied dove of peace, November 25) encapsulates perfectly the complex reasons that lead to October 7 and its aftermath. Tragedy upon tragedy wrought by fundamentalists on both sides. Ann Morrison, Leura Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: John Shakespeare So moved the other day in Newtown to see Danny Lim, the famous man with the signs displaying a sign with two sides: one for dead Israeli children, the other dead Palestinian children. So sad, however, that this humble, human expression of compassion and gentle intelligence is not always reflected in society at large and many remain so rigidly affixed to their side, so utterly stupefied by the monomaniacal mentality of social media, so pulverised by the stupidity of modern mass movements, that I am convinced no amount of inner invigilation will ever wrench them from their team. Too much has been invested, too much has been lost.

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And this is the type of human horror that scares me the most  not the virulent antisemite or Islamophobe, such people have always and will always exist  but the person who, as if still in the playground and wanting above everything else not to be exiled by the loud bullies, quietly chooses loyalty over integrity and in doing so, relegates the blood of dead children to second place behind their primal need for belonging and certainty. Simon Tedeschi, Newtown When media organisations threaten to isolate journalists who signed the petition calling for greater scrutiny in the reporting of the conflict in Gaza, it is a sad reflection on free speech in this country. But it takes a man like Wallach to say what must be said. His description of the conflict in Israel is a tragic one for both sides. The more than 70 years of conflict in Israel will persist until the blame shifting stops and there is respect for the rights of each other to exist on their own lands. Otherwise, as Wallach says, I believe that we, as Jews, are in danger of seriously compromising our basic humanity in our rush to defend Israels right to self-defence. There are human rights that transcend conflicts between nations or ethnic groups. Humanity demands that these rights be applied equally to all sides. Bruce Spence, Balmain Wallach makes many good points, but on some I cant agree. He says Netanyahu is only ever concerned with minimising Israeli casualties, but in this and previous outbreaks, Israeli forces have taken unprecedented steps to avoid civilian casualties. These include millions of warnings through leaflets, text messages and phone calls, and calling off strikes when civilians are present. Peace only followed the 1973 war because Egypt realised it couldnt defeat Israel. Now, there can only be peace with Hamas gone. Athol Morris, Forde ACT It is difficult to see how the open letter about greater scrutiny in the reporting of the war between Israel and Hamas may bring into question the impartiality of the signatories (Journalists urge improved war coverage, smh.com.au, November 25). Surely, it is advocating that great care is taken to not be partial, one way or the other. If one side is paying journalists to report and the other is not, the partiality of that reporting is obvious. The public is watching innocent people being slaughtered daily. They deserve a measured response about the reasons for this and the actions involved by both sides. Mary Billing, Allambie Heights Humane solution still needed Your editorial barely lifts the scab on the abscess that is administrative immigration detention, a cover for systemic dehumanising and unlawful, sadistic punishment of men and women who have fallen foul of immigration visa regulations and law (Cruel detention centres are a national disgrace, November 25).

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The High Court has finally, after 20 years of suffering, righted the wrong of indefinite detention. A courageous minister and government must dismantle a system and a culture that has tortured asylum seekers and others without valid visas, imprisoning them alongside foreign non-citizen criminals ejected from state-run penitentiaries on completion of their sentences. Many witnesses to this unholy mix of refugee status claimants and convicted criminals in the corrupt cesspit that was and is Villawood have reported to successive ministers and countless public servants these crimes against humanity, have shouted and documented their outrage at the deaths in custody, the attempted murder of non-criminal inmates, the unravelling of mental health. The very concept of immigration detention centres is rotten. There are other ways to deal with visa regulation transgressions and people exiting prisons. An Albanese government must set out to find lawful and humane ways. Frederika Steen, Chapel Hill (Qld) Leaders change schools Noel Dixons success in his role as principal at Granville Boys High School is a testament to the gift of educational leadership in schools: looking hard at what the school and its students need, building relationships and creating a culture where learning is valued and accessible (The best school money cant buy, November 25).

As an ex-teacher of 30 years, Ive witnessed the transformative power of leadership in schools. When school leadership is strong, it changes lives. Students build a lifelong positive relationship to learning. Teaching is dynamic and innovative. Communities are connected and proud. Examples of leadership sprout easily and everywhere in the school.

When leadership is lacking, student cohorts and communities suffer. Access to success in learning and their relationship to learning is impaired. Communities are disengaged. Staff go into survival mode.

The effort taken in the transformation Dixon has achieved during his leadership at Granville Boys should not be underestimated, nor the skill in sustaining it. School success can turn on a dime. Penny McKee, Port Macquarie Granville Boys High principal, Noel Dixon, runs a barber workshop. Credit: Edwina Pickles Noel Dixon appears to downplay the role he has had in turning the school around from where it was just a few years ago. The fact Dixon had previously taught as a music teacher, and decided to return there in later years as a deputy principal, and then principal, speaks volumes for the man. Im sure his commonsense approach has inspired staff, and indeed the community, who appreciate the way the students are being prioritised. This man and his dedicated staff are going far beyond expected duties to ensure these boys are achieving personal bests. Society will be richer as a result. Well done, all at Granville Boys HS. Mary Lawson, Marrickville

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Room to give more Malcolm Knox makes some valid points by criticising the notion that private individuals spend their money more productively than governments (Thanks Twiggy, but charity isnt enough, November 25). Knox focuses mainly on the need for domestic spending to be more systematic than that by charities and foundations. However, there is a large gap for philanthropy to fill when it comes to foreign aid, where the Australian government has dropped over the past decade to fourth last of the OECD countries. In any event, only 56 per cent of Australian citizens donate anything to charity (according to the 2023 World Giving Index), ranking us just 19th, behind countries such as Indonesia and Myanmar. There is room for both the government and our citizens to do more outside Australia. Clay OBrien, Mosman Thank you for pointing out some tax loopholes the uber-rich are capable of exploiting. I wish I could set up a charity that pays no taxes and yet still allows me to do all the things I would like to do, including saving the world. Saving the planet is undoubtedly critical, but so too is paying your fair share of taxes. Perhaps we should have a super charity tax where you can donate as much as you want to charity, but over a certain amount you can deduct only, say, 10 per cent of the total donation from your tax. Billionaires use roads, hospitals and taxpayer infrastructure and need to pay tax accordingly. Warwick Spencer, West Pymble Dark discoveries Peter Hartchers article on our energy problems highlights the price we will pay for the destructive policies of the Coalition which basically amounted to doing nothing, so consumers did it themselves by installing their own energy source in the form of rooftop solar (The dumb country sees the light, November 25). That has now created an investment problem for more renewables as costs dont match returns. Tony Sullivan, Adamstown Heights Long and the short of it I am beginning to think Michele Bullock is on to something (Letters, November 25). Perhaps she could have expressed it better than having us think it was the odd toothache and trim. In my area, hairdressers are now charging up to $150 for a simple haircut, depending on their ranking in the salon from stylist, top stylist or style director. The dental services are problematic are cosmetic and unnecessary. Im sure there are other services that fall into this category of self-indulgence while others struggle to put food on the table. Carole Hayes, Newtown

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In this article, we discuss 11 best halal dividend stocks to buy. You can skip our detailed analysis of dividend stocks and their previous performance, and go directly to read 5 Best Halal Dividend Stocks To Buy.

Halal stocks refer to shares of companies that comply with Shariah law. These stocks are from companies that operate in line with Shariah guidelines, meaning they avoid industries like alcohol, gambling, tobacco, and non-Islamic finance. Additionally, they maintain ethical business practices, ensuring their sources of income align with Islamic principles. The S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Shariah Index monitors how certain Shariah-compliant companies, selected from the S&P 1500 Composite, perform in the market. These companies are specifically chosen because they've consistently increased their dividend payments for a period of 20 years or longer. This index tracks the performance of long-standing dividend-growing companies that adhere to Shariah principles within the broader market context of the S&P 1500 Composite. The index is down by 0.78% this year so far and its 5-year return came in at 6.98%.

Dividend-growing stocks have historically been popular among investors because they provide a regular income stream for them. As these companies increase their dividends over time, investors benefit from higher payouts. Companies that consistently pay increasing dividends usually have a strong financial foundation. They must not only turn a profit but also generate more cash than they require for their operations. A report conducted by Middlefield Capital Corporation found that dividend growers have shown remarkable performance compared to the broader market over the past three decades. This success isn't just chanceit's attributed to the fact that these companies are dedicated to managing their resources and investments with a disciplined approach. The same report also mentioned that chasing high yields without considering the underlying factors can be risky for investors. While a high dividend yield might seem attractive at first glance, it's essential to look beyond the numbers. Sometimes, stocks offering the highest yields might actually carry greater risk or have unsustainable dividend payments.

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The way inflation affects fixed-income and income portfolios differs significantly. A high-quality company that consistently pays dividends has the potential to increase its income over time, acting as a safeguard against the negative effects of inflation. Research from Ned Davis shows that S&P 500 companies have raised their dividends by 9.70% in the past year, surpassing even the relatively high recent inflation rates. Over the last fifty years, the S&P 500 Index's dividend payments have grown at an average rate of 6%, which notably exceeds the historical inflation rate in the US.

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV), and Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) have a longstanding history of consistently increasing their dividend payouts, making them favored options among investors. Alongside their dividend track records, these companies also adhere to Shariah principles in their investments, appealing to investors seeking Shariah-compliant opportunities. In this article, we will further take a look at some of the best halal stocks that pay dividends.

Best Halal Dividend Stocks To Buy

Photo by Vitaly Taranov on Unsplash

Our Methodology:

To compile this list, we chose the top 11 stocks from the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Shariah Index. These specific companies are known for consistently providing substantial dividends to their shareholders and demonstrating robust financial stability. We ranked these holdings based on the number of hedge funds that had invested in them by the end of Q3 2023, using data from Insider Monkey's database. This ranking method helps identify stocks that attract interest from hedge funds, providing insight into investor sentiment and confidence in these particular companies.

11. Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of personal care and consumer tissue products. In the third quarter of 2023, the company posted revenue of $5.2 billion, which showed a 2% growth from the same period last year. Its operating cash flow for the first nine months came in at $2.3 billion and it returned $1.3 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) currently pays a quarterly dividend of $1.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.86%, as of November 25. It is one of the best halal stocks on our list as the company has been growing its dividends for 51 consecutive years.

At the end of Q3 2023, 31 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey reported having stakes in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB), compared with 38 in the preceding quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is over $790.4 million.

10. General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 39

General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) is a Virginia-based global aerospace and defense company. It also offers a wide array of IT services, including cloud computing, data analytics, and enterprise IT solutions. The company offers a quarterly dividend of $1.32 per share and has been raising its dividends for 26 years consistently. As of November 25, the stock has a dividend yield of 2.13%.

General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) generated $10.6 billion in revenues in the third quarter of 2023, which saw a 6% growth from the same period last year. The company's operating cash flow for the quarter came in at $1.3 billion. It is one of the best halal stocks on our list as the company returned $363 million to shareholders through dividends during the quarter.

As of the end of Q3 2023, 39 hedge funds in Insider Monkey's database reported having stakes in General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD), down from 46 in the previous quarter. The collective value of these stakes is over $7 billion.

9. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 43

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) is a global industrial gases company that provides atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, equipment, and services. The company's dividend growth streak currently stands at 41 years, which makes ADP one of the best halal stocks to buy. It currently pays a quarterly dividend of $1.75 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.55%, as of November 25.

The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owning stakes in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) stood at 43 in Q3 2023, which remained unchanged from the previous quarter. The total value of these stakes is over $952.3 million. With nearly 1 million shares, Citadel Investment Group was the company's leading stakeholder in Q3.

8. 3M Company (NYSE:MMM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 54

3M Company (NYSE:MMM) is a diversified multinational corporation operating in various industries. They specialize in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of a wide array of products and solutions across different sectors.

In the third quarter of 2023, 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) reported revenue of $8.31 billion, which beat analysts' estimates by $280 million. The company generated $1.9 billion in free cash flow during the quarter and returned $828 million to shareholders through dividends. This shows that the company's cash generation is strong enough to fulfill its shareholder obligation.

3M Company (NYSE:MMM), one of the best halal stocks on our list, currently pays a quarterly dividend of $1.50 per share. The company holds a 65-year streak of consistent dividend growth. As of November 25, the stock has a dividend yield of 6.25%.

The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owning stakes in 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) grew to 54 in Q3 2023, from 49 in the preceding quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is over $818.6 million.

7. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 57

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is a Georgia-based multinational beverage company. In the third quarter of 2023, the company's revenue showed an 8% year-over-year growth at $12 billion. In the first nine months of the year, the company generated nearly $9 billion in operating cash flow and its free cash flow for the period came in at $7.9 billion.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) has been rewarding shareholders with growing dividends for the past 61 years, which makes KO one of the best halal stocks on our list that pay dividends. The company offers a per-share dividend of $0.46 every quarter and its dividend yield on November 25 came in at 3.14%.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) was a part of 57 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q3 2023, according to Insider Monkey's database. The total value of stakes owned by these hedge funds is over $25 billion. Among these hedge funds, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway was the company's leading stakeholder in Q3.

6. Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 58

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) is an American retail company that operates a chain of retail stores offering a wide range of products. The company's stores are designed to cater to various customer segments, offering both essential items and trendy products.

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) has been raising its dividends for 52 consecutive years and currently pays a quarterly dividend of $1.10 per share. The stock's dividend yield on November 25 came in at 3.35%. During its most recent quarter, the company returned over $507 million through dividends to shareholders.

In the third quarter of 2023, Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) posted revenue of $25.4 billion, which fell by 4.2% from the same period last year. However, the revenue surpassed analysts' estimates by $160 million. Through the first three quarters of the year, the company generated over $5.3 billion in operating cash flow.

Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) was a popular buy among hedge funds during the third quarter of 2023, as the company ended the quarter with 58 hedge fund positions, up from 45 in the preceding quarter, according to Insider Monkey's database. The total value of stakes owned by these hedge funds is over $1.3 billion. With over 2.8 million shares, Diamond Hill Capital was the company's leading stakeholder in Q3.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Best Halal Dividend Stocks To Buy.

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Disclosure. None. 11 Best Halal Dividend Stocks To Buy is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Singapore: Jailed former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak says leaders in Kuala Lumpur should push for the extradition of convicted hitman Sirul Azhar Umar from Australia by assuring the government in Canberra that he wont be executed.

Sirul, 51, was one of 93 immigration detainees controversially released in Australia a fortnight ago as a result of a High Court decision that upended the indefinite confinement of foreigners who could not be deported.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak refutes suggestions he sought to silence Sirul Azhar Umar. Credit: VINCENT THIAN

The former prime ministerial bodyguard escaped to Australia in 2015, just before he was convicted for a second time and sentenced to be hanged over the infamous slaying of Mongolian model and one-time government translator Altantuyaa Shaariibuu nine years earlier.

Now free and living in Canberra with his 23-year-old son after being let out of Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney, he has appealed for the community to accept him, claiming he was made a scapegoat over the killing and alluding to powerful figures in the background.
When a video of Yaffa Adar went viral in the hours after the October 7 massacre, her granddaughter Adva was offended by the reactions of many who saw it.

The video showed 85-year-old Yaffa sitting in a golf cart after being taken hostage when Hamas terrorists stormed into the kibbutz where she lived in southern Israel.

Adva Adar feared that her grandmother Yaffa, 85, would not make it home alive after being kidnapped and taken to Gaza. Credit: Kate Geraghty

Wrapped in a pink blanket, Yaffa smiled serenely, as if she was being taken for a pleasant drive in the countryside rather than being paraded like a trophy by kidnappers. Many who watched it thought she must have been confused, perhaps she had dementia or Alzheimers disease.

Not at all, according to those who knew her best. Shes sharp-minded, Adva told me and photographer Kate Geraghty last month in a park in central Tel Aviv. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and Advas voice was trembling.
Hamas needs to locate dozens of Israeli women and children held hostage in Gaza by civilians and gangs before it can extend the current ceasefire, Qatars prime minister says.

The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is back on track after the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and an American, in a third set of releases under a four-day truce that the US hoped would be extended.

Sharon Hertzman, part of the second batch of hostages to be released, embraces a relative as they reunite at Sheba Medical Centre in Ramat Gan, Israel. Her daughter Noam, 12, not pictured, was also released. Credit: AP

The hostages ranged in age from four to 84 and included Abigail Edan, 4, an American girl whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started this chapter of the war on October 7.

But Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told the Financial Times that Hamas couldnt agree to the ceasefire extension until it located 40 women and children who were allegedly being held by civilians, gangs and other Islamist groups.
In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 best red wines under $50. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global wine market, the state of the American wine industry, and the recent acquisitions in the wine industry, and go directly to 5 Best Red Wines Under $50.

Wine culture is almost as old as civilization itself, with the drink always holding significant spiritual importance in human history. In Greek mythology, Dionysus was the wandering god who discovered the vine and taught men the art of vinification. Wine was the staple around which Greek philosophy, art, poetry, religion, music, and political life revolved. The ancient Egyptians also reserved wine for religious rituals, believing the 'spirit' brought one into communion with the gods. It was also offered to the dead for their afterlife and the deceased would often have five different types of wine in their burial chambers  even Tutankhamun was buried with fine white wines. In the same way, on the other side of the world, the Chinese revered Yidi, the god of wine and alcohol, who created the beverage as a gift to the emperor.

In fact, the religious significance of the fermented tipple didnt perish along with the ancients, but it is still an important symbol in Christian tradition today. Wine is a constant in Christianity  it is said to be a gift of God to humanity, its in the Last Supper, it symbolizes Christs blood, and it is used in modern rituals.

Global Wine Market:

Wine is one of the Most Consumed Alcohols in the World. As we mentioned in our article  Top 20 Wine Producing Countries in the World  the global wine market size was valued at $441.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach a value of $698.54 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period.

Wine is gaining huge popularity among millennials and youngsters, owing to its refreshing appeal and low ABV offerings. The rising demand for premium and luxury wines, increasing consumer awareness about the health benefits of wine, and growing popularity of wine tourism are some of the key factors driving the growth of the wine market.

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State of the American Wine Industry:

The American wine industry has always assumed that younger generations would naturally increase their consumption of wine as they grew older, but the truth is that its not happening. A report by the Silicon Valley Bank shows how wine hasnt gained the same traction among those under 60 as it has for baby boomers. Of the survey respondents aged 35 to 44, 29% said they were more likely to bring beer to a party, while 28% said they would bring wine. Even younger drinkers, aged 21 to 34, were more likely to bring beer, spirits, a flavored malt beverage or hard seltzer over wine. But ask the same question to 65 year-olds and 49% are likely to grab a bottle of vino.

Winemakers and advertisers are missing out on younger consumers by failing to produce wines that fit their budgets and neglecting to reach out to them with targeted marketing campaigns. The notions of health, sustainability, and responsibility are essential to buying decisions for the Gen Z and millennials, and although many wineries are already addressing this, their messaging is only sometimes connecting to these young drinkers. In order to appeal to these whole new demographics of consumers, the wine industry as a whole has to take steps to inspire curiosity and intrigue about wine, and to highlight the aspects that would appeal to them.

Recent Acquisitions in the Wine Industry:

It was announced in October that Treasury Wine Estates Limited (ASX:TWE), one of the leading wine companies in the world, has bolstered its luxury portfolio with a deal to acquire Paso Robles-based DAOU Vineyards for an upfront consideration of $900 million, plus an additional earn-out of up to $100 million. Founded in 2007, DAOU has been among the fastest growing luxury brands in the industry recently, rising from 305,000 cases in 2019 to 590,000 cases last year. The acquisition, which is subject to the U.S. antitrust approval, includes the DAOU brand, DAOU Mountain Estate and hospitality site, four boutique luxury wineries, and around 400 acres of vineyards in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles. Earlier this year, DAOU bought a 173-acre vineyard in the Val dOrcia region of southern Tuscany, but that asset is not part of the acquisition.

Tim Ford, the CEO of Treasury Wine Estates Limited (ASX:TWE), said:

"The U.S. is the world's largest wine market and we're beyond thrilled to add DAOU to our portfolio, cementing our position as a global luxury wine leader. This is a transformative acquisition that will accelerate the growth of our luxury portfolio globally and paves the way for new luxury consumer experiences. DAOU is an award-winning luxury wine business with an outstanding track record for growth and we have grand plans for DAOU to become the next brand with the international scale and luxury credentials of Penfolds. With DAOU, we will be well-positioned to connect with a new generation of wine lovers, combining tradition with innovation, culture-led experiences, and global distribution."

With a revenue of over $2.47 billion last year, the Melbourne-based Treasury Wine Estates Limited (ASX:TWE) ranks among the Largest Alcohol Companies in the World in 2023.

It was also revealed earlier this month that The Duckhorn Portfolio, Inc. (NYSE:NAPA), a California-based luxury wine company, has reached an agreement with the Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BF-B) for the acquisition of SonomaCutrer Vineyards, in a deal worth around $400 million. The Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BF-B) will receive an ownership percentage of approximately 21.5% in The Duckhorn Portfolio, Inc. (NYSE:NAPA) and $50 million in cash.

Under the terms of the agreement, the SonomaCutrer brand trademarks, facilities, and six vineyards in two appellations will join Duckhorns fine wine brands. Upon closing the deal next year, the Jack Daniels maker will receive two seats on The Duckhorn Portfolios Board of Directors.

Sonoma-Cutrer, known for its Russian River Ranches Chardonnays, operates six vineyards in Sonoma County, California, and had net sales of $84 million in the year ending July 31st.

Both, The Duckhorn Portfolio, Inc. (NYSE:NAPA) and Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BF-B), rank among the Best Alcohol Stocks to Own According to Hedge Funds.

With that said, here are the Most Extraordinary Red Wines Under $50 in 2023.

20 Best Red Wines Under $50

racorn/Shutterstock.com

Methodology:

To collect data for this article, we have referred to sources such as VinePair, WinePros, Liquor, Reddit etc., looking for the Highest Quality Red Wines Under $50. We picked wines that appeared at least twice in these sources, assigned them a score based on their number of appearances, and ranked them accordingly. When two wines had the same score, we ranked them by the price (excluding tax) of their 750 ml bottles.

Note: Prices have been sourced from multiple sources, including Wine-Searcher, Total Wine & More etc. As wine prices can vary greatly across the United States, we cannot guarantee their accuracy.

20. Chateau Buena Vista Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Insider Monkey Score: 2

Price: $49

This full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon hails from vineyards throughout the Napa Valley, and is a rich and opulent red wine with intensity, structure, and power. An enticing bouquet of blackberry and plum with notes of bay leaf spring from the glass.

Founded in 1857, and spanning from Sonoma and into Napa, Buena Vista is Californias first premium winery, now re-born under the vision of Jean-Charles Boisset.

Grown in nearly every major wine producing country in the world, Cabernet Sauvignon is known as the King of Red Wines.

19. Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot 2020

Insider Monkey Score: 2

Price: $48

Inspired after a visit to Bordeaux, Dan Duckhorn produced the first vintage of Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot in 1978. Embodying the alluring beauty of great Napa Valley Merlot, this wine reveals vibrant aromas of red currant, ripe plum, black raspberry, cherry, and sweet baking spices, with hints of tea leaves and cocoa.

The Duckhorn Napa 2020 is one of the Best Merlot Wines Under $50.

18. Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Insider Monkey Score: 2

Price: $44

The 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of black cherry, blackberry, and plum, complemented by hits of toasted oak, dried currant, and baking spice. The grapes for this wine were handpicked from several of the winerys premium Napa Valley vineyards, including William Hill, Sun Lake, Cypress Ranch, Sage Canyon, and other select growers.

The Louis M. Martini winery was acquired by E. & J. Gallo in 2002.

17. J Vineyards Russian River Pinot Noir 2021

Insider Monkey Score: 2

Price: $42.5

Crafted from up to 100 individual small lots, this appealing Pinot Noir delivers a harmonious blend of fruitiness and complexity that's sure to impress even the most discerning wine enthusiasts.

Since 1986, J Vineyards & Winery has developed a reputation as one of the top sparkling and varietal wine producers in California. The brand was acquired by E. & J. Gallo in 2015.

The J Vineyards Pinot Noir is among the Best Red Wines Under $50 According to Reddit.

16. Obsidian Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Insider Monkey Score: 2

Price: $39

The Estate Cabernet is the signature wine of Obsidian Ridge and embodies the complexity and wildness of the site. Significantly tannic but also flavorful enough to pull it off, this full-bodied wine is a good candidate for further aging. Obsidian wines are the only Cabernet Sauvignons in California (perhaps the world) aged in 100% Hungarian oak barrels.

15. Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Insider Monkey Score: 3

Price: $35

This 2017 is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 3% Petite Syrah, aged in French Oak for 16 months. This wine offers tremendous value and is made in large enough quantities for wide distribution, adding to its appeal.

Founded in 1861, Charles Krug is the oldest winery in Napa Valley. The winery is known for its commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly winemaking practices, and has received ample recognition for its efforts in this regard.

The Charles Krug CS 2017 is one of the Best Bottles of Wine Under $50.

14. Stags Leap Merlot 2019

Insider Monkey Score: 3

Price: $35

With freshness exhibiting its southern Napa origins, this 2019 Merlot is a great tasting red wine that leaps from the glass with layers of ripe black cherry, blackberry, and dark raspberry, alongside baking spice notes of cinnamon spice, vanilla, and creme brulee.

It was announced earlier this year that the Italian group Marchesi Antinori, one of the oldest Italian family-owned fine wine producers, has completed its acquisition of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates

13. Barone Ricasoli Brolio Chianti Classico Riserva 2019

Insider Monkey Score: 3

Price: $29

Barone Ricasoli is the oldest winery in Italy. It is here, in 1872, that the blend for Chianti was created. This one is ripe and layered, with red fruit, chestnut, floral notes, cedar and a fresh, food-friendly acidity.

Based at the famous Castello di Brolio in Gaiole, Barone Ricasoli is known for its top-quality Sangiovese-dominant wines, and has a reputation for fair pricing.

The Barone Ricasoli Chianti Classico Riserva 2019 ranks among the Best Red Wines Under $30.

12. Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico 2020

Insider Monkey Score: 3

Price: $26

A pure and highest quality wine out of the gate, the Chianti Classico Berardenga is fresh with aromas of pine sap, anise, and cherry lozenge. This wine delivers dense tannins that exert influence on the finish, yet it remains balanced.

Founded in 1966 by Domenico Poggiali, Felsina has a strong focus on crafting excellent Chianti Classico, specifically in the Castelnuovo Berardenga district, which is in the southeastern corner of the appellation. The Berardenga label represents a plentiful annual production of around 250,000 bottles.

11. Chateau de Fonbel Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2020

Insider Monkey Score: 3

Price: $26

Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot, and Petit Verdot by Chateau de Fonbel, the 2020 is punching above its weight, with a refinement yet exuberance that's not normally seen at this price point.

One of Bordeauxs most renowned proprietors, the Vauthier family, have owned St. Emilion Chateau de Fonbel since 1971, and the wine produced here is one of the best values in the region.

10. Frank Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Insider Monkey Score: 4

Price: $45

One of the Best Red Wines Under $75, this is a quintessential Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and 1% Merlot. Flavors of ripe blackberry, baked fruit tart, strawberry, and a touch of espresso enhance the wines balanced acidity and continue through to a long and lingering finish.

Napa Valleys Frank Family Vineyards was acquired by the Australian Treasury Wine Estates in 2021, in a deal worth $315 million.

9. Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz 2018

Insider Monkey Score: 4

Price: $30

Bin 28 was named after the Barossa Valley Kalimna vineyard purchased by Penfolds in 1945 and from which the wine was originally sourced. One of the Best Red Wines Under $40, Kalimna Bin 28 offers a showcase of warm-climate Australian Shiraz  ripe, robust, and generously flavored.

Owned by Treasury Wine Estates, Penfolds are one of Australia's most famed and respected producers.

8. Halos de Jupiter Cotes du Rhone 2020

Insider Monkey Score: 4

Price: $20

From vineyards situated on remarkable terroirs such as Signargues, Cairanne, and Rasteau, this wine is a blend of very old Grenache (75%), Mourvedre (15%), and Syrah (10%). This wine was neither fined nor filtered before bottling in order to preserve its personality and intensity, and around 28,500 bottles of this Great Value Red Wine were produced.

Based on aggregated critic scores, this is one of the top 10 Cotes du Rhone wines.

7. Bodegas El Nido Cleo 2020

Insider Monkey Score: 5

Price: $49.99

Aged for 24 months in French & American oak, this wine is a blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. With its seductive aromas, luxurious flavors, and impeccable craftsmanship, it is a true testament to the artistry of Bodegas El Nido.

Bodegas El Nido is a premium wine brand based in the Jumilla region of Spain. The winery has gained international recognition both from wine critics, as well as the general global community of wine enthusiasts.

6. Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir 2021

Insider Monkey Score: 5

Price: $49

The Spanish term Las Alturas means the heights  a fitting name for this vineyard located on one of the highest grape-growing benches in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. This 2021 wine is rich crimson in color with fragrant aromas of blackberry, sage, cherry, and hints of rich dark chocolate.

In 2022, Joe Wagner, a fifth-generation winemaker and founder of Belle Glos, announced the launch of its newest varietal and the brands first white wine, Belle Glos Glasir Holt Chardonnay.

The Belle Glos Pinot Noir 2021 sits among the Best Red Wines Under $100.

Click to continue reading and see the 5 Best Red Wines Under $50.

Suggested Articles:

Disclosure: None. 20 Best Red Wines Under $50 is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Key Insights

Significant insider control over Perak Transit Berhad implies vested interests in company growth

The top 7 shareholders own 50% of the company

Institutional ownership in Perak Transit Berhad is 12%

A look at the shareholders of Perak Transit Berhad (KLSE:PTRANS) can tell us which group is most powerful. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are individual insiders with 48% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

So it follows, every decision made by insiders of Perak Transit Berhad regarding the company's future would be crucial to them.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Perak Transit Berhad.

Check out our latest analysis for Perak Transit Berhad

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Perak Transit Berhad?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

Perak Transit Berhad already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Perak Transit Berhad's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Perak Transit Berhad is not owned by hedge funds. The company's CEO Kong Cheong is the largest shareholder with 17% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 9.9% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 7.9% by the third-largest shareholder.

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On further inspection, we found that more than half the company's shares are owned by the top 7 shareholders, suggesting that the interests of the larger shareholders are balanced out to an extent by the smaller ones.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage.

Insider Ownership Of Perak Transit Berhad

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

It seems insiders own a significant proportion of Perak Transit Berhad. Insiders have a RM423m stake in this RM878m business. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 29% stake in Perak Transit Berhad. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

We can see that Private Companies own 12%, of the shares on issue. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Perak Transit Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Perak Transit Berhad .

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
This unimaginable loss has left our family and friends devastated. My dad was more than a parent; he was a caring soul whose infectious enthusiasm brightened every room. Despite his struggles, he cherished his family deeply, and in moments of sobriety, he emphasised his love for us, making his sudden departure even more heart-wrenching.
Their fate is unknown, but we hope that like Emily, they will also be allowed to return to their homes and their families. We think of all the families suffering in this troubled region, and we redouble our efforts to work for a permanent ceasefire, and for a just and lasting peace, he said.
Mr Hundt said an extension to the ceasefire was as critical for the general population as it was for hostages as people in Gaza were living under conditions that I cannot even describe, because I never saw that in my entire career with the Red Cross.
Earlier this week, the Houthis also took control of a ship on Yemens Red Sea coast which they said was Israeli. But Israel described it as a British-owned and Japanese-operated cargo vessel with no Israeli nationals on board.
The second group was delayed yesterday when Hamas claimed promised aid had not arrived in northern Gaza. It also said the terms of the release of Palestine prisoners, three for each Israeli, had not been adhered to .
(Bloomberg) -- ESG fund managers who turned to big tech as a low-carbon, high-return bet are growing increasingly anxious over the sectors experimentation with artificial intelligence.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Exposure to AI now represents a short-term risk to investors, said Marcel Stotzel, a London-based portfolio manager at Fidelity International.

Stotzel said hes worried well get an AI blowback, which he describes as a situation in which something unexpected triggers a meaningful market decline. It takes just one incident for something to go wrong and the material impact could be significant, he said.

Examples that Stotzel says warrant concern are fighter jets with self-learning AI systems. Fidelity is now among fund managers talking to the companies developing such technologies to discuss safety features such as a kill switch that can be activated if the world one day wakes up to AI systems going rogue in a dramatic way, he said.

The ESG investing industry may be more exposed to such risks than most, after taking to tech in a big way. Funds registered as having an outright environmental, social and good governance objective hold more tech assets than any other sector, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. And the worlds biggest ESG exchange-traded fund is dominated by tech, led by Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc. and Nvidia Corp.

Those companies are now at the forefront of developing AI. Tensions over the direction the industry should take  and the speed at which it should move  recently erupted into full public view. This month, OpenAI, the company that rocked the world a year ago with its launch of ChatGPT, fired and then rapidly rehired its chief executive, Sam Altman, setting off a frenzy of speculation.

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Read More: Whats Effective Altruism? What Does It Mean for AI?: QuickTake

Internal disagreements had ostensibly flared up over how ambitious OpenAI should be, in light of the potential societal risks. Altmans reinstatement puts the company on track to pursue his growth plans, including faster commercialization of AI.

Apple has said it plans to tread cautiously in the field of AI, with CEO Tim Cook saying in May that there are a number of issues that need to be sorted with the technology. And companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc., have agreed to enact voluntary safeguards to minimize abuse of and bias within AI.

Stotzel said hes less worried about the risks stemming from small-scale AI startups than about those lurking in the worlds tech giants. The biggest companies could do the most damage, he said.

Other investors share those concerns. The New York City Employees Retirement System, one of the biggest US public pension plans, said its actively monitoring how portfolio companies use AI, according to a spokeswoman for the $248 billion plan. Generation Investment Management, the firm co-founded by former US Vice President Al Gore, told clients that its stepping up research into generative AI and speaking daily with the companies its invested in about the risks  as well as the opportunities  the technology represents.

And Norways $1.4 trillion sovereign wealth fund has told boards and companies to get serious about the severe and uncharted risks posed by AI.

When OpenAIs ChatGPT was launched last November, it quickly became the fastest-growing internet application in history, reaching 13 million daily users by January, according to estimates provided by analysts at UBS Group AG. Against that backdrop, tech giants developing or backing similar technology have seen their share prices soar this year.

But the absence of regulations or any meaningful historical data on how AI assets might perform over time is cause for concern, according to Crystal Geng, an ESG analyst at BNP Paribas Asset Management in Hong Kong.

We dont have tools or methodology to quantify the risk, she said. One way in which BNP tries to estimate the potential social fallout of AI is to ask portfolio companies how many job cuts may occur because of the emergence of technologies like ChatGPT. I havent seen one company that can give me a useful number, Geng said.

Jonas Kron, chief advocacy officer at Boston-based Trillium Asset Management, which helped push Apple and Metas Facebook to include privacy in their board charters, has been pressing tech companies to do a better job of explaining their AI work. Earlier this year, Trillium filed a shareholder resolution with Google parent Alphabet asking it to provide more details about its AI algorithms.

Kron said AI represents a governance risk for investors and noted that even insiders, including OpenAIs Altman, have urged lawmakers to impose regulations.

The worry is that, left unfettered, AI can reinforce discrimination in areas such as health care. And aside from AIs potential to amplify racial and gender biases, there are concerns about its propensity to enable the misuse of personal data.

Meanwhile, the number of AI incidents and controversies has increased by a factor of 26 since 2012, according to a database that tracks misuse of the technology.

Investors in Microsoft, Apple and Alphabets Google have filed resolutions demanding greater transparency over AI algorithms. The AFL-CIO Equity Index Fund, which oversees $12 billion in union pensions, has asked companies including Netflix Inc. and Walt Disney Co. to report on whether they have adopted guidelines to protect workers, customers and the public from AI harms.

Points of concern include discrimination or bias against employees, disinformation during political elections and mass layoffs resulting from automation, said Carin Zelenko, director of capital strategies at AFL-CIO in Washington. She added that worries about AI by actors and writers in Hollywood played a role in their high-profile strikes this year.

It just heightened the awareness of just how significant this issue is in probably every business, she said.

What Bloomberg Intelligence Says:

The EU may regulate AI thats tied to anything from a social media platforms recommendation systems to employment management tools, like resume-sorting software, and credit and exam scoring, deeming them high risk applications. Such systems would need a conformity assessment and to be registered before their placement on the EU market.

Click here for the full report by BIs Tamlin Bason.

High-Risk Requirements

(Adds Bloomberg Intelligence comment and chart in final paragraphs.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
The body of a woman from Arad who died three years ago in hospital, where she was diagnosed with Covid-19, was exhumed on Friday for investigations following a criminal complaint filed by her family on suspicions that she was not given the correct treatment, because she was actually not infected with SARS-CoV-2.

75-year-old math teacher Ileana Sirbu, wife of former local politician Pavel Sirbu, died in hospital on December 16, 2020. Back then, due to the strict pandemic rules, the family could not give her a proper funeral. The family complained that they didn't even know who they buried, as the body bag remained permanently sealed, Agerpres informs.

In March 2021 they filed a criminal complaint against the doctors, arguing that Ileana Sirbu had been given a combination of drugs for Covid-19, despite not being infected with the virus.

"I felt a terrible pain for not being able to properly bury my wife, not even knowing if it was really her in that black sealed bag. All this as we believe she didn't have Covid. No one in the family had the infection, neither did I, who was sharing the bed with her. In fact, my wife was hospitalized for another, minor condition. From the moment she arrived at the hospital, they didn't allow us to communicate with her, not even by phone. At a certain moment, the doctors told us that her condition had worsened because she has Covid-19. She died intubated, although we later learned precisely from the medical staff that her oxygen saturation was approximately 95 percent and this procedure would not have been required," her husband, Pavel Sirbu told AGERPRES on Friday.

The family requested an investigation shortly after the woman's death and insisted on having her exhumed ever since the beginning of 2021, but at that time the prosecutors rejected their request. After almost three years, however, the prosecutors decided that the exhumation is necessary to clarify the cause of death.

Despite the Covid diagnosis given by doctors in 2020, the forensic test carried out later could not determine whether or not the patient had Covid-19, so the experts considered that exhumation is required in order to collect biological samples.

The representatives of the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Arad Court declared for AGERPRES that the exhumation was performed as part of an investigation in a case of manslaughter and tampering with official documents. The prosecutors didn't provide other information at this stage of the investigation.
The national transplant register is almost completed, providing transparency and predictability to people waiting for a transplant, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila declared on Saturday.

"The national transplant register (...), which first of all provides a record of those who need a transplant, on the one hand, and of the matching donor offer on the other hand (...) is almost completed, and this is extremely important because (...) it offers people transparency and predictability. I know what this is all about, I know that there are no underground agreements there," Rafila told the National Transplant Coordinators and KDP Meeting organized by the National Transplant Agency, Agerpres informs.

In his opinion, informing and educating the public about tissue and organ donation is "essential" to increasing the number of donors.

"If we need to make legislative changes, we'll do it, but first of all the public needs to be informed about transplantation, about the usefulness of donation (...), and the number of donors must increase from where it stands now," Rafila said, mentioning that about 300 transplants were performed this year.

In his turn, French ambassador in Bucharest Nicolas Warnery opined that the cooperation protocol signed on Saturday between the Romanian National Transplant Agency and the French Biomedicine Agency represents a new illustration of the health care collaboration between the two states.

The diplomat remarked that organ transplantation is a "very sensitive" topic from a therapeutic, surgical, and ethical point of view, and is "very delicate" from a legal and logistical organization point of view.
Stock pickers are generally looking for stocks that will outperform the broader market. And in our experience, buying the right stocks can give your wealth a significant boost. For example, the B&M European Value Retail S.A. (LON:BME) share price is up 56% in the last 5 years, clearly besting the market decline of around 1.0% (ignoring dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven't been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 43% , including dividends .

So let's investigate and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

See our latest analysis for B&M European Value Retail

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

During five years of share price growth, B&M European Value Retail achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 11% per year. This EPS growth is higher than the 9% average annual increase in the share price. Therefore, it seems the market has become relatively pessimistic about the company.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on B&M European Value Retail's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, B&M European Value Retail's TSR for the last 5 years was 127%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

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A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that B&M European Value Retail shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 43% over the last year. And that does include the dividend. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 18% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with B&M European Value Retail .

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
After a disastrous number of canceled flights last December, Southwest Airlines says its on track for a smoother holiday season this year. The airline has spent 2023 bolstering its arsenal of winter weather equipment and improving its technology and operations.

Those changes come after an operational failure that started with a winter storm in late 2022. The weather problems were especially bad in Denver and Chicago, where around a quarter of Southwests crews are based.

Many pilots and flight attendants could not reach the proper cities for their next assignments, and the complicated situation overwhelmed the software Southwest uses to reassign crews to new routes. This lead to mass flight cancellations. The scheduling issues plagued Southwest days after the storm when other airlines had largely recovered.

In total, Southwest canceled 16,700 flights last holiday season, affecting nearly 2 million passengers  many of whom were unable to reach family gatherings.

A year later, Southwest says its improvements are already making a difference, but some pilots and experts think the risk of another meltdown is still present.

What changes has Southwest made?

Earlier this year, Southwest outlined an improvement plan focused on three key areas that contributed to last Decembers chaos.

Winter weather equipment

Since last winters weather conditions first triggered the problems, Southwest took steps this year to bolster its ground equipment.

Southwest bought more than 100 new de-icing trucks and added more de-icing pads, focusing heavily on key operating bases Denver International Airport and Chicagos Midway Airport. The carrier says the changes are meant to help crews get planes in the air even during snow, ice and bitter cold.

The company also hired more ground staff at airports where frigid conditions require ground crew members to take frequent breaks.

Tom Nekouei, Southwest captain and Southwest Airlines Pilots Association vice president, says more equipment should reduce the severity of another meltdown, but hes more doubtful about the technology improvements.

Technology investments

Southwest employees and aviation experts have long criticized the airline for its ailing technology. In 2023, the company attempted to rectify that, announcing it would put $1.3 billion toward technology projects this year, up 25% from 2019.

The airline increased its phone system capacity for customers and upgraded the software that assigns crews to new planes. It also added a new tech tool designed to help Southwest get its crew and aircraft reset in the event of another major disruption.

In terms of the software, and what theyve done in their processes to streamline how they schedule crews, we havent seen a huge difference, or change, for that matter, Nekouei says.

Operational planning

Southwest told investors in its third-quarter earnings call that it reorganized staff and formed a new Network Disruption Pod, designed to coordinate decisions more quickly in response to potential problems. The company also played out hypothetical bad weather scenarios in a series of exercises with employees.

Its worth noting that Southwest still operates a point-to-point route network, which means routes are scheduled in circular-ish patterns that do not require connections in hub airports.

Many of its competitors use a hub-and-spoke system, which filters a majority of flights through major airport hubs.

The point-to-point model is a hallmark of Southwests network, so its not going away any time soon. And that means the risk of getting caught in a Southwest scheduling nightmare isnt going away either.

Southwest says changes already working

But company officials are voicing optimism:

We are now so much better prepared for these extreme weather events, Andrew Watterson, Southwests COO, told analysts on the airlines most recent earnings call.

In an email, Southwest said changes made this year have already helped it navigate summer storms without major disruption and the company has been happy with the results so far.

During the peak summer months, between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day, Southwest canceled 1% of flights compared to its competitors collective 1.9%, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. (Southwests delay rate was higher than that of its competitors, though).

How should passengers prepare?

Ultimately, the record-breaking crowds expected at airports this holiday season will prove to be the true test of Southwests operation.

Do we think that there could be another meltdown this winter? Absolutely, Nekouei says.

Paul Hudson, president of the passenger advocacy group FlyersRights, expects that, at the very least, things should be better than last year. However, he suggests travelers fly nonstop whenever possible and have a backup plan (potentially in the form of a backup, refundable flight on another airline) just to be safe.

After all, recent years have brought travelers no shortage of headaches.

We certainly would hope its a lot better, but the basic fundamental problems havent really changed, Hudson says, speaking broadly about the airline industry. Airlines have a financial incentive to cut back on service because good service costs them more money.
St. Louis police were called to a building in the 5000 block of Claxton Avenue around 3:15 p.m. They found a man in his 60s who had been shot in the head. The man was taken to a hospital, where he died.
BOWLING GREEN, Mo.  The wardens office view is very good here at Northeast Correctional Center. From his window, he can see much of the sprawling state prison thats home to about 1,550 inmates and surrounded by rolling fields.

That doesnt mean its pretty.

On a recent mid-morning from his roost, the clear sun revealed overwhelming hues of gray from down below. Spools of concertina wire. Layers of fencing, concrete and metal. Even the prisoner uniforms.

An exception  a notable touch of color  came from the far-off corner of campus, where the Missouri prison system has been turned on its head. Older men milled around as they pleased, dressed in maroon free world shirts. Though each of the inmates carried convictions for long-ago heinous crimes, ranging from fatal shooting to kidnapping to strangulation, today they dont even have correctional officers in their housing unit.

In a sense, they run it, said Warden Clay Stanton.

The maroon shirts, he explained, are part of a new program called Dynamo that offers a tremendous amount of freedom to inmates who have shown many years  sometimes decades  of good behavior behind bars. Based off a prison model in Norway that prioritizes reintegration to society, staff handpicked 14 longtimers in their 50s, 60s and 70s to lay the Dynamo foundation with the goal of growing from there.

Its highly unusual for many reasons. Dynamo inmates have keys to their housing unit and yard, which they can access at any hour and are responsible for cutting the grass. They have open movement to food service, jobs, library, recreation and canteen. They have access to a day room with a soft sofa, large television, washer and dryer, refrigerator, ice machine, plants and an aquarium to help alleviate stress.

Most unusual of all, inmates have their own cells, which they can paint the color of their choosing  and are expected to clean. They are also supposed to keep track of their own doctor appointments and so on.

We took them out of a structured environment and put them in a responsible environment, said Stanton. They are now responsible for all aspects of upkeep of the place.

So far, he said, results have been amazing, including: Zero fights and no drugs, overdoses or violations.

Dynamo only serves a small group of inmates, but the warden said the positive vibes also lower the intensity of the whole prison, which is better and safer for staff. Turnover is always a challenge. Of 44 graduates from a boot camp for new hires here in 2019, the subject of a Post-Dispatch story, only one fourth remain employed by the Missouri Department of Corrections. About 450 people work at Northeast Correctional Center. Stanton said they are down about 100 employees.

Its all about respect, Stanton said of Dynamo. Its brought the camp up tremendously.

Come on in

Mike Whitfield was one of the first to introduce himself during a tour of the housing unit. At 59, hes among the youngest in the program. Short, stocky, energetic, his friendly demeanor seemed more suited for being a church greeter than somebody with a murder conviction from St. Louis.

Spend some time in prison, you are going to have a big change of heart, Whitfield said. Hes had three decades of prison experience and still doesnt have a date set with the parole board. Maybe, he said, 2046 will be the year. For now, hes moving forward.

Being institutionalized, thats not my cup of tea, he said. I am always thinking theres a chance to get home.

Like many others in prison, he has a regular job inside the walls. He drives a forklift. He also goes to the gym a couple times a day and cleans the floors at Dynamo. Hes been in incentive-based honor programs before, but he said this one in particular offers the best peace of mind.

Its a great experience, Whitfield said, for us all.

Chuck OHowell, 62, of Cape Girardeau, has spent almost his entire adult life in prison for rape.

This is like a little neighborhood, he said. We look out for each other. I like to say we leave prison at the gate.

Individual names on the cell doors resemble mailboxes on a cul-de-sac.

This is my room, said Khelby Calmese, 59, in prison since the mid-1990s for the gang-related killing of a teenager in north St. Louis. Come on in.

Just past the toilet, a St. Louis Rams blanket covered a narrow bed. Hed chosen light blue paint for the walls. He liked having his own DVD player and a collection of books that ranged from the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to the Bible.

Look at this place, he said of Dynamo. Its sent from God. It gives us a second chance at life. We get to be who we were meant to be. To have this much freedom we never had, we wont do anything to lose it. No. No.

The single cell, 8 feet by 12 feet, is the biggest perk.

One of the worst things about prison is having to be in a cell with another man, said Jeffrey Pollard, 65, a sex offender also accused in 1984 of holding the Sumner High School principal hostage to talk about God. You live in the bathroom.

They dont lock their cell doors at Dynamo. Roger R. Nolan, 76, who has been in prison since the early 1980s for a mid-Missouri murder, said thieves would rob you blind if you did that in general population.

We are trying to make it a community where you can trust everybody, said Nolan, leaning on a walker. Its one of the criteria.

The system

Convicts. Inmates. Offenders. Residents. Prison lingo has been evolving amid renewed efforts to untie knots that make the United States the most incarcerated country in the developed world.

Some view Norway as a beacon of hope. There, being pulled out of society is punishment enough. Prison is the place to rebuild and prepare for reentering society.

That is so not how American prisons are structured, said Alia Nahra, a law and doctoral student at Columbia University who has studied incarceration in the U.S. and abroad.

She said U.S. prison officials have taken more interest in touring Norway facilities. Some tweaks have been made, but the system hasnt changed. Adding to the challenge, she said, Norwegian communities are much more homogeneous.

The U.S. prison system is more of a catch-all for a lot of social safety-net failures, she said.

After a recent trip to Oslo, a report in the Los Angeles Times noted a core difference in prison systems.

Norway, like much of Scandinavia, has a reputation for allowing the common good to frequently outweigh individual desires and demands.  U.S. culture prizes vengeance."

Anne Precythe, director of the Missouri Department of Corrections, said her team doesnt need to go to Norway to figure out the obvious.

Living in prison shouldnt be the punishment, she said. Their civil liberties have been stripped, but we still have a responsibility to allow them to live a life. Ninety-five percent of these people are coming home to our communities. If we havent prepared them for what that looks like, they will not be successful.

Precythe, 58, who is stepping down in December, said shes proud of prison staff for coming up with the idea for Dynamo and seeing it through to launch.

We are such a misunderstood business and what our role is, yet everybody expects us to turn out a great product, she said. We need buy-in from communities to support what we are doing.

Lori Curry, founder of Missouri Prison Reform, which advocates for inmates, said Dynamo is a good first step.

Ultimately, she said, we hope they expand this and learn from it, learn that people change and are more than mistakes.

A similar program has also started at Algoa Correctional Center near Jefferson City. So far, theres nothing in the works at the two womens prisons in Vandalia and Chillicothe.

Thats not to say there cant be, Precythe said.

How to apply

Three residents were just added to the group of 14 who started the Dynamo program in April. More are supposed to be added soon. Full capacity is 50. To fill the remaining open slots, Stanton, the warden, said theyve received more than 300 applications from throughout the prison system, which has 23,700 inmates.

Its a game-changer, he says.

To qualify, you must be incarcerated at least 15 years consecutively, have no program failures in the past five years, no staff assaults and complete 15 restorative justice class hours per year. Then come recommendations and interviews.

The barriers to entry arent insurmountable, said Michael X. Campbell, 65, of San Francisco, who has taken advantage of many programs since he was arrested for a St. Louis-area murder in 1982. Playing the role of Polonius in Hamlet has been one of his favorites, as well as Dynamo.

If theres no opportunity in prison, theres no hope, he said.

Todd Gile, 34, a sex-offender who was painting God Bless the U.S.A. on a sign he was making in the prison wood shop, said hed apply to Dynamo if he could.

Id love to have that freedom to spread out, basically in my own studio apartment, said Gile, of Kansas City. Also to say, I earned this.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY  Passengers moved relatively smoothly through St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Sunday despite it being one of the busiest travel days since before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is typically the busiest of the travel period that starts the Friday prior to the holiday. Airport officials predicted nearly 24,000 people would move through Lamberts security checkpoints, and traffic was expected to meet or exceed that number as of early afternoon Sunday.

The airport hasnt seen such numbers since 2019, when about 25,000 went through Lambert security the Sunday after Thanksgiving, according to the federal Transportation Security Administration. The pandemic caused air travel to plummet, and passenger numbers have been ticking back up since.

Were really excited traffic is returning to normal, said Will Becker, a spokesman for the airport.

On Sunday, there were no major weather delays or other disruptions, so passengers moved through the airport much like any other busy travel day, he said.

Passengers who arrived Sunday morning at Lambert said they were relieved their trips went smoothly.

The arrivals area at Terminal 2, which services Southwest Airlines, was busy Sunday morning with passengers awaiting baggage, ride-shares or a pickup. A traffic jam backed up along the arrivals ramp.

But there were only a few people in line at Southwests customer service desk, and passengers moved in and out of the terminal relatively quickly. The average departure delay from Lambert was 13 minutes as of early Sunday afternoon, according to the live air traffic tracker Flightradar24.

Ana Johnson, 48, of Town and Country, flew on a Southwest flight into Lambert on Sunday after visiting family in Florida for Thanksgiving. Johnson, her two children and the family Yorki-poo dog arrived on time.

Everything was very organized, Johnson said.

Tyren Toliver, 19, arrived Sunday morning on Southwest after visiting family in his hometown of Zachary, Louisiana. Hes a sophomore studying computer data science at Culver-Stockton College in Canton and says he hasnt traveled much on his own. This year was smoother compared with his Thanksgiving trip last year, when he missed his flight.

Last year, I did have delays with TSA where it was the longest line ever, Toliver said. But this year, things are easier.

There were only a handful of people at Lamberts other terminal, which services United Airlines, American Airlines, international flights and other airlines.

Carolyn Coley, 58, of Columbia, flew in on United from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., after visiting family for the week. Unlike last year when a mechanical problem and a troublesome passenger delayed her flight, this years trip was on time and uneventful.

For all the hype theyve been saying on TV and in the media, it wasnt that bad, Coley said.

The TSA projected more than 200,000 departing passengers would go through security screening at Lambert during the 11-day Thanksgiving travel period that started Nov. 17. That would be about 8% more than last years total for the same period and slightly higher than the 198,649 logged in 2019, shortly before the pandemic.

From Friday, Nov. 17 through Saturday, TSA screened nearly 147,000 passengers at Lambert, according to the federal agency. Final numbers for Sunday will be available Monday.

On Sunday, TSA projected 2.9 million passengers nationally.

All types of Thanksgiving travel were projected to increase this year, according to AAA. The auto club predicted 55.4 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles from home between Wednesday and Sunday  2.3% above last years total.

Last year after Christmas, severe winter storms wrecked flight schedules and left Southwest passengers stranded at Lambert and across the country. The airline says its better prepared this year with more winter weather equipment, plans to boost staff, and updated scheduling technology.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP)  The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third exchange under a four-day truce that the United States said it hoped would be extended. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Most hostages were handed over directly to Israel, waving to a cheering crowd as they arrived at an air force base. Others left through Egypt. Israel's army said one was airlifted to a hospital, and the director of Soroka Medical Center said Elma Avraham, 84, was in life-threatening condition as a result of an extended period of time when an elderly woman was not taken care of as needed.

The youngest hostage released was Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl and dual Israeli-American citizen whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7.

What she endured was unthinkable, U.S. President Joe Biden said of the first American freed under the truce. He did not know her condition and did not provide updates on other American hostages. Biden said his goal was to extend the cease-fire deal as long as possible.

In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office. Three more Thai nationals were released. Separately, Hamas said it released a Russian hostage in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin."

The three Thai nationals were undergoing health checks at a medical center in Israel and brought the total number of Thai hostages released to 17, Thailand's Foreign Ministry said. The ministry said it was pursuing efforts for the safe release of the 15 remaining Thai hostages. Thais working in Israel are mostly employed as semi-skilled farm laborers, at wages considerably higher than those at they can earn at home.

The Palestinian prisoners released were children and young men, ages 15-19, largely accused of public disorder, property damage and in some cases causing or threatening physical harm to Israeli officers by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. Many were scooped up from protests and confrontations with troops. In turn, many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation.

A fourth exchange is expected on Monday  the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. Most are women and minors.

International mediators led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar were trying to extend the cease-fire that began Friday.

We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing, said two of Edans relatives, a great aunt and cousin, in a statement thanking mediators.

Hamas for the first time said it would seek to extend the deal by looking to release a larger number of hostages. Netanyahu issued a statement saying he had spoken to Biden and reiterated his offer to extend the cease-fire by an additional day for every 10 hostages Hamas releases. But he said Israel would resume its offensive with all of our might once the truce expires.

Ahead of the latest hostage release, Netanyahu donned body armor and visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke with troops.

At the end of the day we will return every one, he said of the hostages, adding that we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us. It was not clear where he went inside Gaza.

This is the first significant pause in seven weeks of war, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The war has claimed more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed in the initial attack.

In New York, hundreds of Jewish protesters and allies demanding a permanent cease-fire in Gaza shut down vehicle traffic on the Manhattan Bridge in both directions for several hours Sunday. A New York police spokesperson said one person was arrested for reckless endangerment and two others were issued summonses for disorderly conduct.

LIFE IN CAPTIVITY

Hamas  military wing released a video showing militants handing over the hostages to Red Cross workers and paramedics, with some of the balaclava-wearing fighters and hostages waving goodbye to each other.

Families from the southern Israeli town of Kfar Aza embraced, cried, and applauded Sunday at the news that hostages from their town had arrived in Israel. More than 70 members of the kibbutz of around 700 people were killed and 18 were kidnapped.

The freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye. Hospitals said their physical condition has largely been good. Little is publicly known about the conditions of their captivity.

Merav Raviv, whose three relatives were released on Friday, said they had been fed irregularly and lost weight. One reported eating mainly bread and rice and sleeping on a makeshift bed of chairs pushed together. Hostages sometimes had to wait for hours to use the bathroom, she said.

Pressure from families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israels leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power. Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the incursion into southern Israel that ignited the war. Fifty-eight have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.

AID TO NORTHERN GAZA

The pause has given some respite to Gaza's 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has been focused, made their way through entire city blocks gutted by airstrikes.

But those among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled the north have been turned back by Israeli troops while trying to return to check their homes.

They open fire on anyone approaching from the south, said Rami Hazarein, who fled Gaza City.

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (around a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said Israeli forces opened fire Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the other. An Israeli military spokesperson said they weren't aware of the episode.

The United Nations says the truce made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war, but it calls the 160 to 200 trucks a day hardly enough.

It was able to deliver fuel for the first time since the war began, and to reach areas in the north for the first time in a month. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said 50 Egyptian aid trucks crossed through Israeli checkpoints to reach Gaza City and northern areas Sunday.

HAMAS COMMANDER KILLED

Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting. Israels military confirmed the death.

Al-Ghandour had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

Hamas said he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas rocket-firing unit. The Israeli military mentioned both men in a Nov. 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.

The war has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian health authorities said Sunday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin that began the day before. The war toll in the West Bank is now 239.

The Israeli army has conducted frequent raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war, mostly people it suspects of being Hamas members.

Magdy reported from Cairo. Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

Full AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP)  The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be back on track Sunday after the release of a second group of militant-held hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons, and Egypt said it had received new lists for an expected third release.

In a separate development, Hamas announced that one of its top commanders had been killed, without saying when or how. Israel's military confirmed it.

The second exchange was delayed for hours Saturday after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, which has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades and vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip. Hamas later released 13 Israelis and four Thais, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Diaa Rashwan, chair of the Egyptian State Information Services, said Egypt had received a list of 13 hostages that Hamas will release Sunday, and another list of 39 Palestinians that Israel is expected to free.

Get the full story here:

Misinformation about Israel-Hamas war floods social media; here are the facts Claim: Black flag calls Muslims to action Claim: Kim Jong Un blames Biden for war Claim: Turkish president threatens to intervene Claim: Israel confirms it bombed hospital Claim: Qatars emir threatens to cut off worlds natural gas supply Claim: BBC reports Ukraine provided weapons to Hamas Claim: Video shows actor in fake blood for propaganda Claim: Hamas fighters storm sports field to attack Israelis Claim: Putin warns US to stay away from war
Regarding a proposal to build a large-scale wind farm near Minidoka Internment Camp in Idaho, which will significantly alter the historic look of the area: Minidoka was one of the 10 internment camps where most of the 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. Most of my family who were living in Seattle were incarcerated in Minidoka. The lives of Japanese Americans were permanently upended.

For my family, living a comfortable life in Seattle, nothing after the war was the same. My grandfather, who had already lived 34 years in the U.S. when the war started, ended up returning to Japan. When the others in the family were allowed to leave Minidoka, they moved to Chicago to start a new life, apparently the best or only option they had.

As unimaginable as it is that this was allowed to happen in our history, in our current environment, it is unfortunately not difficult to see how it could happen again. It is important to know and remember our history.

I fully support the idea that Minidoka be treated with the highest level of respect for all that it represents. We have to make sure that a National Historic Site honoring an important piece of Japanese/American history is not compromised in any way.

Masao Nishi  Frontenac
Quasar Markets' Innovative Fusion of AI, Web3, and Finance Makes Waves at the 2023 Benzinga Fintech Awards

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - November 25, 2023) - Quasar Markets stands out in fintech for its groundbreaking Web3 platform, integrated with cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. The platform offers tailored research and valuable insights, setting a new financial education and analytics standard.







Quasar Markets Wins 2023 Benzinga Fintech Award

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The Benzinga Global Fintech Awards program celebrates innovation and excellence in the fintech industry. It honors individuals, platforms, and companies demonstrating creativity and outstanding performance across over 40 categories. Participants in this program undergo a rigorous evaluation by an expert panel of judges from Benzinga. The judging criteria are centered around innovation, accessibility, and impact within the industry. Companies and executives achieving the highest scores in these areas are named Benzinga's 2023 Fintech Deal Day Award winners. Quasar Markets' win underlines its role as the emerging leader in the ongoing financial revolution.

About Quasar Markets

Quasar Markets offers innovative AI-powered solutions for researching financial markets, providing unparalleled automation, insights, and personalized client experiences. With a next-gen Web3 platform and strategic partnerships with industry leaders, Quasar Markets is reimagining the future of finance. For more information, visit: https://quasarmarkets.com/.

Disclosure: The content of this article is for informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

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Enlivy offers customized web development services, empowering businesses to reach their maximum potential for success.



Enlivy is a leading web development agency based in Romania that stands out as a beacon of excellence in crafting websites that not only impress visually but also strategically contribute to business success. Recognizing the significance of a powerful online presence in the digital era, Enlivy is dedicated to crafting websites that not only align with the customer's vision but also offer user-friendly experiences, attracting and engaging visitors effectively.

About the Company

In the ever-evolving landscape of online commerce, the importance of a well-designed website cannot be overstated. Enlivy's commitment to creating websites that non-programmers can easily manage sets them apart in the competitive web development industry. By adhering to a meticulous process of planning, implementation, refinement, and ongoing support, Enlivy ensures that clients can focus on growing their businesses while entrusting the technical intricacies to the experts.

Speaking to a company representative, "Enlivy is not just a web development agency, we are architects of digital success. Our commitment to crafting user-friendly websites, fostering long-lasting partnerships, and continuously refining our solutions reflects our dedication to client triumph. At Enlivy, we understand the profound impact of a well-designed website, and we stand as our clients reliable partner in navigating the dynamic digital landscape.

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Enlivy distinguishes itself through several key principles. First and foremost, Enlivy takes pride in developing user-friendly websites that non-programmers can effortlessly manage. This emphasis on user-friendliness ensures that clients can maintain and update their online presence without technical expertise.

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In today's digital age, a robust online presence is imperative for business success. Choosing a reliable web agency is essential for several reasons.

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Reputable web agencies have a history of successful projects and satisfied clients, providing evidence of competence and reliability. Moreover, maintenance packages from reliable web agencies demonstrate a commitment to ongoing support, ensuring websites remain secure, functional, and up-to-date.

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A website is a virtual gateway that shapes user perceptions, making a captivating design crucial for a positive first impression. Enlivy allows businesses to embark on their success story by leveraging the agency's expertise in crafting tailored solutions.

A well-optimized website with SEO strategies will enhance visibility in search engine results, attracting more customers. Enlivy ensures that businesses are accessible to potential customers, facilitating engagement.

Enlivys well-designed website communicates brand values, offers excellent customer service, and distinguishes a business from competitors. An effective web design will distinguish a business in a crowded digital space, capturing attention and retaining visitors.

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Enlivy's primary focus is not just on delivering a product but on establishing long-lasting partnerships with clients. The web development agency goes above and beyond to plan and develop projects with excellence, ensuring they serve their intended purposes flawlessly.

Client feedback is a cornerstone of Enlivy's continuous improvement process. By valuing and implementing user and consumer insights, the agency refines its solutions to meet evolving needs and expectations.

Enlivy's commitment to long-term partnerships is exemplified through their maintenance packages. These packages go beyond the initial project, providing ongoing support and updates to ensure clients' businesses flourish and grow over time.

Conclusion

Enlivy is a renowned web design agency that helps budding businesses set themselves on the map with a powerful online presence. By prioritizing first impressions, seamlessly integrating SEO strategies, and enhancing business image and trust, Enlivy ensures that every website they create becomes a powerful tool for client success. The agency's collaborative approach, emergency responsiveness, and accountability showcase its dedication to providing not just websites but digital experiences that resonate.



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BEIJING , Nov. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: "No way you make progress over the long term without China and the U.S. deeply talking to each other on something like AI," said the head of an American multinational technology conglomerate. "It has got to be an integral part of the process."

The recent meeting between the Chinese and U.S. heads of state in San Francisco has yielded multiple outcomes, including the establishment of government talks on AI, which, once announced, has greatly encouraged the international science and technology community.

It signified that the leaders of both countries agreed to promote and strengthen dialogue and cooperation in various fields, which aligns with the common expectations of the two peoples and the international community. It will also help establish a stronger bond of interest between the two sides and increase international confidence in stabilizing and improving the China - U.S. relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out during the San Francisco meeting that China and the United States have broad common interests in a wide range of areas, including traditional areas such as the economy, trade and agriculture, as well as emerging areas such as climate change and AI. Under current circumstances, the common interests between China and the United States have increased, not decreased.

This has laid a foundation for the two countries to carry out mutually beneficial cooperation. The important consensus and outcomes achieved during the San Francisco meeting once again proved the mutually beneficial nature of China - U.S. relations, and demonstrated that dialogue and cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries.

Advancing mutually beneficial cooperation requires necessary channels and mechanisms.

Xi noted that it is important to fully utilize the restored and new mechanisms in foreign policy, economy, finance, commerce, agriculture and other fields, and carry out cooperation in such areas as counternarcotics, judicial and law enforcement affairs, AI, and science and technology. This fully demonstrated China's sincere desire and responsible stance in promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and improving China - U.S. relations.

Important consensus has been achieved on advancing dialogue and cooperation during the San Francisco meeting. The two sides decided to step up high-level interactions, advance or launch regular consultations in such areas as commerce, economy, finance, export control, the Asia-Pacific , maritime, arms control and nonproliferation, foreign policy planning, China - U.S. joint working group, and disability issues.

The two sides also agreed to start consultations on extending the China - U.S. Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, and on resuming the China -U.S. Joint Committee on Cooperation in Agriculture. They should make good use of these channels and mechanisms to effectively promote mutually beneficial cooperation.

History and reality have repeatedly shown that as long as China and the United States advance mutually beneficial cooperation, they can create opportunities to better address their respective challenges and pursue development. China and the United States have developed $760 billion in bilateral trade and $260 billion in their two-way investment, bringing growth momentum and well-being to both sides.

The exhibition area of American companies has been the largest for six consecutive years at the China International Import Expo, and over 200 U.S. enterprises joined the event this year. This clearly demonstrates that the American business community sees opportunities in China , and hopes to continue mutually beneficial cooperation with China .

China is pursuing high-quality development, and the United States is revitalizing its economy. There is plenty of room for their cooperation, and they are fully able to help each other succeed and achieve win-win outcomes.

Win-win cooperation is the trend of the times, and it is also an inherent property of China - U.S. relations. Both China and the United States should seize the opportunities, meet each other halfway, and jointly promote mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to consolidate the positive momentum of bilateral relations.

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SOURCE People's Daily
Ocean container shipping accounts for about 2.8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions annually, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Eternity Group Mexico unveils a tool for shippers to monitor their carbon footprints; Finkargo closes a $20 million Series A funding round; cargo-partner launches a cross-border shipping solution; and SKU Distribution receives foreign trade zone status for its Arizona warehouse.

Eternity Group Mexico launches tool for shippers to monitor carbon footprint

Eternity Group Mexico recently introduced Elis Carbon Neutral, a digital tool focused on creating more environmentally sustainable global logistics operations.

Early adoptees of carbon neutral technologies could not only gain a competitive advantage but will also be leading the way to a greener and more sustainable future, company officials said.

Weve developed Elis to offer carbon-neutral solutions over the customers supply chain, Nicolas Portenza, president of Eternity Group Mexico, told FreightWaves. Due to the technology developed, Im pretty sure we are the only player in Latin America with such a solution.

The Mexico City-based logistics and transportation solutions provider is part of Hong Kong-based Eternity Group, a global freight forwarder founded in 1989. The Eternity Group operates 15 offices in China and Panama, shipping freight throughout Asia and to/from the Caribbean, as well as Central and South America.

Eternity Group Mexico launched Elis in 2019. The service is a cloud-based platform to track international freight shipments in real time between major markets from Asia to Latin America.





The addition of a tracking system came about as a way for Elis to help global shipping operations reduce their carbon emissions.

Elis Carbon Neutral uses blockchain technology, which allows for a measurement of energy output during transport. Elis also documents any carbon footprint reduction process employed by customers, which helps them obtain the necessary external certifications for carbon neutrality or carbon credits.

Story continues

Knowing the carbon footprint we generate through our activities allows us to become aware of our contribution to global warming and therefore be able to take action, Portenza said. We have decided to implement [Elis Carbon Neutral] so as to mitigate and offset the emissions from all our customers maritime operations.

Ocean container shipping accounts for about 2.8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions annually, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

In 2022, the global maritime shipping industry contributed about 858 million tons of CO2 emissions, compared with 739 million tons of CO2 emissions from air transport, said the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The results from the OECDs estimation model show that around half of total emissions are from container ships and bulk carriers and another one-fifth are from the transport of fossil fuels (oil and liquefied natural gas tankers), the OECD said in a report from June.

In July, the International Maritime Organization announced new global emission-reduction targets aimed at reducing CO2 emissions from the ocean container shipping industry. The IMO said its aim is for the shipping industry to reach net-zero GHG emissions by or around 2050, taking into account different national circumstances.

Finkargo closes $20M Series A funding round

Finkargo recently announced the closing of a $20 million Series A financing round led by QED Investors, with participation from Nazca, Quona, Flybridge, Maya and ONEVC.

The Mexico City-based company is an international trade platform for small and medium-sized businesses offering global sourcing, trade services and financing solutions.

The Series A financing will help expand Finkargos offerings into an integrated suite of trade services, such as supplier sourcing, product verifications, cargo insurance, foreign exchange and international trade data intelligence.

While the global trade finance market sits at $5.2 trillion, theres still a $1.7 trillion financing gap, QED Investors Principal Camila Key Saruhashi said in a news release. SMBs in Colombia and Mexico import over $30 billion in volume from Asia annually, but struggle to access capital to manage the 60- to 120-day gap it takes from payments to shipment arrival.

Finkargo is an international trade platform founded in 2021 by Santiago Molina, Andres Ferrer and Tomas Shuk. The company has facilitated international trade solutions for over 250 customers and financed more than 2,000 import operations totaling over $200 million.

Cargo-partner launches cross-border shipping solution

Logistics provider cargo-partner has launched a cross-border road transport solution linking shipments between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The companys cross-border shipping services include transportation, storage and customs clearance, as well as custom-tailored solutions for cross-border truckload, less-than-truckload and specialized cargo across North America.

We continue to grow our operations on all sides of the borders, so we have dedicated teams providing a variety of end-to-end solutions, said Ralf Schneider, president of cargo-partner USA.

The companys trucking services utilize warehouse facilities in Clarksville, Tennessee, and Chicago, offering 301,389 square feet of logistics space. In 2021, cargo-partner opened offices in Mexico City and Puebla, Mexico.

Austria-based cargo-partner has 4,000 employees at 160 locations in 40 countries.

SKU Distributions Arizona facility designated as FTZ

SKU Distribution announced its facility in Chandler, Arizona, has been designated as a foreign trade zone (FTZ) 3PL distribution warehouse and fulfillment center.

Chandler is located about 23 miles southeast of Phoenix.

FTZs provide special customs procedures that help companies conducting international business-related operations. When a business operates under FTZ procedures, U.S. import duties dont have to be paid on imported components entering their factories.

The FTZ designation is a cash flow game-changer for businesses, James Peacock, CEO of SKU Distribution, said in a news release. This allows companies to import their products and defer their customs duties and taxes until their product leaves the zone (our warehouse) for domestic consumption.

Chandler-based SKU Distribution, founded in 2016, is an international and domestic third-party warehousing, distribution and fulfillment provider. The company has about 50 employees.

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney.

More articles by Noi Mahoney

Mexico orders railroads to prioritize passenger service over freight operations

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Houston may restrict cargo truck movements inside city limits

The post Borderlands: Eternity Group Mexico unveils tool for shippers to monitor carbon footprint appeared first on FreightWaves.
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI , Nov. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An", the "Company" or the "Group", HKEX: 2318 / 82318; SSE: 601318) is pleased to announce that Dr. Ma Mingzhe , Chairman of Ping An, has been honored by The Hong Kong Institute of Directors. His Director of the Year Award 2023 in the Listed Companies Executive Directors category recognizes his exemplary leadership and innovative approaches in corporate governance at Ping An. This is the fourth time Dr. Ma has received this prestigious award.

The panel of judges from The Hong Kong Institute of Directors unanimously praised Dr. Ma for his exceptional leadership and foresight, saying: " Dr. Ma is a seasoned and open-minded board chairman with strong commercial acumen. He is focused on long-term strategic planning, talent management, and corporate governance. He fully understands the importance of succession planning at the board and management levels. He has a good sense of external environments. Under his leadership, Ping An consciously adopts ESG investment philosophies to enhance its post-investments. Dr Ma absolutely deserves the Award."

Dr. Ma said: "The Director of the Year Awards bestowed by the Hong Kong Institute of Directors stand as a pillar of professionalism and authority within our industry. It is with immense honor and pride that I accept this award for the fourth time. This accolade serves as an affirmation of Ping An's steadfast commitment to stringent corporate governance and the collective endeavor of our esteemed board members. Throughout our 35-year venture, Ping An has relentlessly pursued a pinnacle of excellence, by integrating global best practices in corporate governance and tailor-making them to suit our local context in China . We have a meticulously constructed framework that not only complies with international standards but also recognizes the unique local characteristics. We have placed significant emphasis on fostering visionary leadership and advancing sustainable long-term progress. This honor is not only a recognition but also a source of inspiration for us. We pledge to maintain high standards of corporate governance, further enhance our strategic management prowess, and remain focused on our "Integrated Finance + Healthcare and Elderlycare" strategy. As we strive to augment the quality of our core business operations, our unweaving dedication is to generate lasting value for our clients, shareholders, employees, and the society we serve."

Ping An's Board of Directors focuses on the foresight, guidance and accuracy of the Company's strategy, prioritizes long-term and sustainable development and captures development opportunities. It remains focused on customer needs and enhancing its digital prowess to foster high-quality growth. By the end of September 2023 , the Company had nearly 230 million retail customers, with an average of 2.99 contracts per customer. It has made significant strides in life insurance reform, and the innovative changes implemented over the past three years led to a 40.9% year-on-year increase in the new business value of life and health insurance to RMB33.574 billion in the first three quarters of 2023. In addition, the Company's healthcare and elderlycare services are progressing well. Customers entitled to '+ services' benefits in the healthcare ecosystem accounted for approximately 68% of Ping An Life's new life insurance business value in the first three quarters of 2023.

Ping An's Board is also proactively addressing the challenges and prospects arising from climate change. It continues to advance its green finance initiative and uphold its social responsibilities to guarantee sustained stable business growth. By the end of June 2023 , green investment in Ping An's insurance assets reached RMB140.929 billion , while the balance of green loans stood at RMB134.926 billion . During the first three quarters of 2023, the company's green insurance policies generated original premium income of RMB26.276 billion . Ping An has also committed a total of RMB103.241 billion to aid in rural industrial assistance through its Rural Communities Support programs since 2018.

Ping An emphasizes that, guided by its board, the Company is committed to further developing its "integrated finance + healthcare" strategy, driven by technology. This approach aims to strengthen the synergies within integrated finance while actively enhancing its healthcare and elderlycare offerings. The Company is also dedicated to elevating its operational management standards, advancing digital transformation across the board, and focusing on cost-effective and efficient practices. This strategy is designed to foster high-quality development and consistently generate substantial value for its customers, employees, shareholders, and society.

The Directors of the Year Awards, the first of its kind, have been held annually by The Hong Kong Institute of Directors since 2001. It is dedicated to recognizing outstanding boards and directors, highlighting the significance of good corporate governance, and promoting director professionalism and excellence.

About Ping An Group

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (HKEx:2318 / 82318; SSE: 601318) strives to become a world-leading integrated finance and healthcare services provider. With nearly 230 million retail customers, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Under the technology-driven "integrated finance + healthcare" strategy, Ping An provides professional "financial advisory, family doctor, and elderlycare concierge" services. Ping An advances intelligent digital transformation and employs technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of its financial businesses and enhance risk management. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai . As of the end of 2022, Ping An had RMB11,137,168 million in total assets. The Group ranked 16th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2023 and ranked 33rd in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2023.

For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn - PING AN.

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SOURCE Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd.
Shandong Heavy Industry Group Global Partner Conference and New Product Exhibition Held in Dubai

DUBAI , UAE , Nov. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 25 , local time, Shandong Heavy Industry Group's global Partner Conference and New Product Exhibition was held in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai , UAE . 570 dealers and major customers from more than 70 countries in the Middle East , Europe , Africa , South Asia and other regions participated.

Dubai has unique geographical advantages. It is the first choice for Shandong Heavy Industry Group to gather strength and deepen the development for Middle East and Africa market, and is also the second stop for Shandong Heavy Industry Global Partner Conference. The Conference aims to work with partners to explore new paths for international cooperation, create a new platform for regional win-win cooperation, and open up new space for future development.

Shandong Heavy Industry Group, headquartered in Jinan, China , is a global industrial equipment group with annual revenue of 72 billion US dollars . It owns Weichai Power, Sinotruk, Shacman, Lovol Intelligent Agriculture, Shantui Construction Machinery, Zhongtong Bus, Ferretti, KION, Linde Hydraulics, Dematic, PSI, Baudouin and other well-known brands, and has 14 stocks from 12 listed companies. The main business covers powertrain systems, commercial vehicles, agricultural equipment, construction machinery, intelligent logistics and marine mobility. It has set up science and technology innovation centers in more than 10 countries in the world to provide products and service solutions for more than 150 countries and regions. Heavy-duty engines, heavy-duty transmissions, heavy-duty trucks, industrial forklifts, luxury yachts and other products lead the world in technology and sales.

In recent years, Shandong Heavy Industry Group has continued to increase its investment in the Middle East market, and invested in Dubai to establish its Middle East Operation Center integrating product display, warehousing and logistics, after-sale service, gen-set testing, and training support. At present, Shandong Heavy Industry is planning to build regional operation centers in Africa , Central Asia , Southeast Asia , South America and other places, link up with the world's leading dealer partners, and strive to build a unified service platform for the whole Group, and synchronize the layout of local manufacturing and financial support to build a complete global market service support system.

During the event, the New Product Exhibition of Shandong Heavy Industry Group was held at the same time, and more than 10 ownership enterprises of Shandong Heavy Industry Group brought their popular products and the latest technologies. The event focused on promoting the popular products in the field of high-end heavy-duty trucks, buses, gen-sets, new energy power and other fields within the Group, as well as the collaborative research and development technology with unique international competitive advantages. The companies can customize a full range of integrated product portfolio solutions for global customers in multiple scenarios and individual needs to create maximum value for customers.

There is an Arabic proverb, "Words are the leaf, and actions are the fruit." Shandong Heavy Industry Group will join hands with global partners and move forward side by side, take root in local operations, develop markets, expand brand effect, and jointly create a new model of international win-win. More beautiful fruits would be born around the world through practical cooperation, and we will join hands to sail to a better future!

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/work-together-to-create-value-for-customers-301997465.html

SOURCE Shandong Heavy Industry Group
MANILA (Reuters) -Two Chinese fighter jets were monitored "orbiting" a Philippine aircraft participating in patrols with Australia in the South China Sea but did not cause any untoward incident, Manila said on Sunday.

China's foreign ministry said Monday it was "unaware of the circumstances".

"I want to emphasise that if China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests are threatened or challenged, China will definitely have a firm response," the spokesperson's office said in a faxed message to Reuters.

The militaries of the Philippines and Australia carried out a second day of sea and air exercises in the Southeast Asian country's exclusive economic zone, days after Manila held patrols with the U.S. as Pacific nations warily eye an increasingly assertive China.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China's claims had no legal basis.

The Philippines is ramping up efforts to counter what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tensions around naval operations.

China has accused the Philippines of enlisting "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea and stirring up trouble.

"It was confirmed as per reports received that two Chinese fighter jets were monitored orbiting the Philippines' A-29B Super Tucano at the vicinity of Hubo Reef in the West Philippine Sea," Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the Philippine military's public affairs office said.

The West Philippine Sea is Manila's term for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone.

The Chinese aircraft continued on its flight route without further incident, Trinidad said.

Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner said the nation was well its rights to conduct joint patrols with allies to promote the "rule-based international order."

Participating in the joint drills were two Philippine navy vessels and five Philippine surveillance aircraft, and Australia's frigate Toowoomba and P8-A maritime surveillance aircraft.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Additional reporting by Laurie Chen in Beijing; Editing by William Mallard and Toby Chopra)
Hostages who were abducted by Hamas gunmen during the October 7 attack on Israel, wave as they are handed over by Hamas militants to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross, as part of a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israe

By James Mackenzie

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Hamas freed 17 hostages held in Gaza, including a 4-year-old American girl, while Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, the third day of their truce.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had successfully transferred 17 hostages from Gaza. Hamas said it had handed over 13 Israelis, three Thais and one with Russian citizenship.

The release of the hostages - part of a larger group captured when Hamas fighters rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7 - was mirrored by the freeing of 39 Palestinians, all of whom are teenagers, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Hamas said it wanted to extend the truce if serious efforts were made to increase the number of Palestinian detainees released by Israel.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped the pause in fighting can go on as long as hostages are getting released. He hoped more Americans would be released by Hamas although he did not have firm news.

Biden said the 4-year-old hostage, Abigail Edan, had witnessed her parents being killed by Hamas fighters during their Oct. 7 raid into Israel and had been held since then.

"What she endured is unthinkable," Biden said at a news conference in the U.S.

Abigail was on her way to the hospital for checks, Israel's Channel 13 said. Her grandfather, Carmel Edan, told Reuters he "simply could not believe" she had been returned, thanking Biden "for all the help he's offered us."

Palestinians gave the freed prisoners a jubilant reception in Ramallah, according to WAFA.

Omar Abdullah Al Hajj, 17, one of the detainees released Sunday, said he'd been kept in the dark about what was happening in the outside world.

"I can't believe I'm free now but my joy is incomplete because we still have our brothers who remain in prison, and then there is all the news about Gaza that I am having to learn about now," he told Reuters.

The four-day truce is the first halt in fighting in the seven weeks since Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages back into Gaza.

In response to that attack, Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, bombarding the enclave and mounting a ground offensive in the north. Some 14,800 Palestinians have been killed, Gaza health authorities say, and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday met security forces inside the Gaza Strip. He also said he spoke to Biden about the hostage release, adding that he would welcome extending a temporary truce if it meant that on every additional day 10 captives would be freed.

However Netanyahu said he also told Biden that, at the end of the truce, "we will return with full force to achieve our goals: The elimination of Hamas, ensuring that Gaza does not return to what it was; and of course the release of all our hostages."

FRAGILE DEAL

Sunday's hostage release follows the liberation of 13 Israelis on Saturday - six of them women and seven of them teenagers or children. The youngest was 3-year-old Yahel Shoham, freed with her mother and brother, although her father remains a hostage.

Israel freed 39 Palestinians the same day - six women and 33 teenagers - from two prisons, WAFA said.

A Palestinian source has said up to 100 hostages could ultimately go free.

Qatar, Egypt and the United States are pressing for the truce to be extended beyond Monday but it is not clear whether that will happen.

Clashes and recriminations have threatened to torpedo the existing deal.

The killing of a Palestinian farmer in the central Gaza Strip had earlier added to those concerns. The farmer was killed when targeted by Israeli forces east of Gaza's long-established Maghazi refugee camp, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

The armed wing of Hamas also said on Sunday that four of its military commanders in the Gaza Strip had been killed, including the commander of the North Gaza brigade, Ahmad Al Ghandour. It did not say when they had been killed.

Violence has also flared in the West Bank, where Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians, including two minors and at least one gunman, late on Saturday and early Sunday, medics and local sources said.

Even before the Oct. 7 attacks from Gaza, the West Bank had been in a state of unrest, with a rise in Israeli army raids, Palestinian attacks, and violence by Israeli settlers in the past 18 months. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Oct. 7, some in Israeli air strikes.

IMMENSE RELIEF

The deal survived an earlier threat when Hamas' armed wing said on Saturday it was delaying hostage releases until Israel met all truce conditions, including committing to let aid trucks into northern Gaza.

Saving the truce took a day of diplomacy mediated by Qatar and Egypt, which President Biden also joined.

Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades also said Israel had failed to respect terms for the release of Palestinian prisoners that factored in their time in detention.

COGAT, the Israeli agency for civilian coordination with the Palestinians, accused Hamas itself of delaying trucks trying to deliver humanitarian aid to northern Gaza at a checkpoint.

"To Hamas, residents of Gaza are their last priority," it said on Sunday.

Qatari diplomats are now on site in Gaza to supervise the entry and delivery of their country's aid, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said.

A U.N. official who took part in a humanitarian convoy to northern Gaza said on Sunday aid groups were on track to deliver the biggest shipment in over a month, describing thin, gaunt residents slaking their thirst as soon as water arrived.

"People are so desperate and you can see in adults' eyes they haven't eaten," the U.N. children's agency's James Elder told Reuters by video link from southern Gaza after returning from Gaza City.

"There's just this immense relief. Literally people as they get water start drinking the water immediately," he said. "They're thirsty. They've been thirsty for days."

Even as the aid deliveries flowed north, Elder said he saw hundreds of Gazans heading in the other direction, fearing the renewal of Israeli bombardments if the four-day truce is not prolonged.

"People are so terrified that this pause won't be continued," he said.

(Reporting by Emily Rose, Emma Farge, Bassam Masoud, James Mackenzie, Aidan Lewis, Ari Rabinovitch, Adam Makary, Nidal al-Mugrabi and Moaz Abd-Alaziz; Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Nafisa Eltahir in Cairo, Andy Sullivan in Washington, Moira Warburton; Writing by Raphael Satter, Keith Weir and Giles Elgood; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Nick Macfie, Louise Heavens, David Gregorio and Diane Craft)
FILE PHOTO: A satellite image shows Al-Ahli hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza November 7, 2023. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

GENEVA (Reuters) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Sunday that evidence suggested a misfired rocket was the likely cause of an explosion that resulted in heavy casualties at a hospital in Gaza on Oct. 17.

The explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital triggered outrage across the Arab world. Palestinians blamed an Israeli air strike, while Israel said it was caused by a misfiring Palestinian rocket launch.

The health ministry in Gaza said 471 people were killed. Israel disputes this figure. An unclassified U.S. intelligence report estimated the death toll "at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum".

"The explosion that killed and injured many civilians at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on October 17, 2023, resulted from an apparent rocket-propelled munition, such as those commonly used by Palestinian armed groups..," HRW said.

It said the findings of its investigation into the explosion were based on a review of photos and videos, satellite imagery and interviews with witnesses and experts.

The Al-Ahli hospital blast was one of the most fiercely disputed incidents in a war marked by accusations from both sides of disinformation and war crimes.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters all indications pointed to Israel's responsibility, adding that the HRW report was biased towards Israel and was not "decisive".

"HRW hasn't come up with any evidence to support their findings nor eyewitness testimonies nor opinion of independent military exports," he said, adding that Hamas received questions from HRW two weeks ago but asked it to delay its report until after the war had ended.

Emmanuel Nahshon, deputy director general for public diplomacy at Israel's Foreign Ministry, criticised the time it took HRW to release its opinion.

"More than a month to reach half heartedly the conclusion the whole world reached after two days," he said on X social messaging network.

Naim said Hamas had offered HRW or any other international investigation committee full cooperation if they were willing to visit Gaza and conduct a thorough probe.

HRW said reports of 471 dead and 342 injured "displays an unusually high killed-to-injured ratio" and appeared to be "out of proportion" with the damage visible on the site.

"Authorities in Gaza and Israel should release the evidence of munition remnants and other information they have regarding the Al-Ahli hospital explosion to allow for a full investigation," HRW crisis and conflict director Ida Sawyer said.

Hospitals have come under bombardment in the Israel-Hamas conflict and all those in the northern part of the enclave have effectively ceased functioning normally, although they continue to house some patients who could not flee as well as people displaced from their homes.

Palestinians accuse Israel of targeting hospitals and schools, while Israel says Hamas uses ordinary Gazans as human shields by placing military positions in civilian buildings.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Nick Macfie, Giles Elgood and Alexander Smith)
FILE PHOTO: Sierra Leone's President and ruling party candidate Julius Maada Bio speaks to journalists after casting his vote for national elections at a polling station in Freetown, Sierra Leone, June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Cooper Inveen/File Photo

By Umaru Fofana

FREETOWN (Reuters) -Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio said most of the leaders of an attack on a military barracks in the capital Freetown earlier on Sunday had been arrested, adding that security operations and an investigation were ongoing.

"We will ensure that those responsible are held accountable," Bio said on national television.

"As your commander-in-chief, I want to assure everybody who is resident in Sierra Leone that we have overcome this challenge," he said, and calm had been restored.

Earlier, the government said security forces had repelled "renegade soldiers" who attempted to break into a military armoury in Freetown during the early hours of Sunday.

A nationwide curfew was imposed. Gunfire was heard across the city as the assailants attacked a prison and a police station.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in the barracks attack or during the gunfire in Freetown on Sunday.

The country's former president Ernest Bai Koroma, said in a statement that a military guard assigned to his residence in the capital was shot point blank, while another was "whisked away to an unknown location".

Koroma did not say who shot the guard. He condemned the killing and the attack on the barracks.

"I am deeply concerned that once again our beloved nation could be subject to such insecurity," he said.

The West African country's civil aviation authority urged airlines to reschedule flights after the curfew was declared, while a soldier on its frontier with neighbouring Guinea told Reuters they had been instructed to shut the border.

A Reuters journalist, who earlier witnessed an armed group of men commandeer a police vehicle near the Wilberforce barracks, said streets were mostly empty on Sunday as residents hunkered down.

"We'll clean this society. We know what we are up to. We are not after any ordinary civilians who should go about their normal business," one of the masked men, who was dressed in military fatigues, said before driving away.

Sierra Leone has been tense since Bio was re-elected in June, a result rejected by the main opposition candidate and questioned by international partners including the United States and the European Union.

In August 2022, at least 21 civilians and six police officers were killed in anti-government protests in Sierra Leone, which is still recovering from a 1991-2002 civil war in which more than 50,000 were killed. Bio said the protests were an attempt to overthrow the government.

In his address to the nation on Sunday night, Bio called on Sierra Leone's political and traditional leaders, and civil

society to work to preserve peace.

"Let us not succumb to fear or division," he said.

Information minister Chernor Bah said earlier on Sunday that security forces were making progress in apprehending those involved in the attack, but gave no further details.

A video on social media showed three men, two in fatigues and one in civilian clothes, with their arms tied behind their backs sitting in a military truck surrounded by soldiers. Reuters has not authenticated the video.

Bah said that major detention centres including the Pademba Road prisons were attacked and inmates released by the unidentified assailants.

It was not immediately clear how many prisoners had broken out of the facility, which a U.S. State Department report said was designed for 324 inmates but held more than 2,000 in 2019.

Videos posted on social media, which were not authenticated by Reuters, showed several people fleeing from the area of the prison, while gunshots could be heard in the background.

"The security forces were forced to make a tactical retreat. The prisons were thus overran," said Bah, who had earlier declared a nationwide curfew and called for people to stay indoors.

The Economic Community of West African States condemned what it called an attempt by certain individuals to "acquire arms and disturb constitutional order" in Sierra Leone. The U.S. embassy in Freetown said such actions were not justified.

There have been eight military coups in West and Central Africa since 2020.

(Reporting by Umaru Fofana; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Alexandra Zavis, David Goodman, Jan Harvey, Alexander Smith, Louise Heavens and Giles Elgood)
CAIRO (Reuters) -Six Palestinians, including one minor, were shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank late Saturday and early Sunday, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Five of the deaths occurred in the city of Jenin and the sixth was in Yatma, a village near Nablus city. Six others were injured during the shooting in Jenin, the ministry said.

The Israeli military spokesperson's office said it was checking the reports.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Israeli forces stormed Jenin "from several directions, firing bullets and surrounding government hospitals and the headquarters of the Red Crescent Society".

(Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Moaz Abd-Alaziz; Writing by Adam Makary; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Edmund Klamann)
KYIV (Reuters) - The Ukrainian military destroyed eight of nine attack drones launched overnight by Russia, the air force said on Sunday.

There were no immediate reports of damage or about where the remaining drone had struck.

The attack, which the air force said was launched from the southeast, came a day after what Ukrainian officials said had been Russia's largest drone attack of the war.

Ukraine has warned in recent weeks that Russia will target critical infrastructure in a winter aerial campaign, as it did last year.

(Reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by William Mallard)
Rescuers rest at the site of an under-construction road tunnel that collapsed in Silkyara in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, on Nov. 24, 2023. (AP)

UTTARKASHI, India Rescue teams trying to reach 41 construction workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in northern India for nearly two weeks stopped drilling again Friday after their boring machine hit a new metal obstruction in rock debris, further delaying efforts.

Devendra Patwal, a disaster management officer, said it may take the rescuers several hours to cut the metal object and resume the final phase of digging at the accident site in Uttarakhand state.

Patwal said the machine was stopped after it had drilled about 6.5 feet of the last stretch of 40 feet of rock debris that would open a passage for the trapped workers to come out.

On Thursday, the platform of the machine became unstable while boring and halted the digging, said Kirti Panwar, a Uttarakhand state government spokesman. It resumed drilling Friday evening, Panwar said.

Panwar could not say how long it would take to complete the drilling and to bring the construction workers out. They have been trapped since Nov. 12, when a landslide caused a portion of the 2.8-mile tunnel they were building to collapse about 650 feet from the entrance.

As the rescue operation stretched into the 13th day, teams had drilled through 151 feet and needed to excavate up to 40 feet more to create a passageway, Panwar said.

Before the work resumed Friday, rescuers manually dug through debris to remove pieces of metal and prevent further damage, he said.

The rescue teams also are inserting pipes into the dug-out channel and welding them together to serve as a passageway. About 151 feet of pipe has been put in so far, according to Panwar. Members of the National Disaster Response Force plan to bring the workers out one by one on stretchers that have been fitted with wheels.

The mountainous terrain in the area has proven to be a challenge for the drilling machine, which broke down last weekend as rescue teams attempted to dig horizontally toward the trapped workers. The machines high-intensity vibrations also caused more debris to fall.

The drilling had to stop again on Wednesday after the boring machine hit a metal girder, causing some damage to its blades.

Authorities have supplied the trapped workers with hot meals made of rice and lentils through a 6-inch pipe after days of surviving on dry food sent through a narrower pipe. Oxygen is being supplied through a separate pipe.

Most of the trapped workers are migrant laborers from across the country. Many of their families have traveled to the accident site, where they have camped out for days to get updates on the rescue effort and in hopes of seeing their relatives soon.

We are all waiting here, hoping they come out, Haridwar Sharma, whose brother, Sushil, is among the workers, said. It is not in our hands ... the administration is at it, the machinery is there. With Gods blessing, we are hopeful.

Officials earlier released a video from a camera pushed through the pipe that showed the workers in their construction hats moving around the blocked tunnel while communicating with rescuers on walkie-talkies.

The tunnel the workers were building was designed as part of the Chardham all-weather road, which will connect various Hindu pilgrimage sites. Some experts say the project, a flagship initiative of the federal government, will exacerbate fragile conditions in the upper Himalayas, where several towns are built atop landslide debris.

Large numbers of pilgrims and tourists visit Uttarakhands many Hindu temples, with the number increasing over the years due to the continued construction of buildings and roadways.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, left, and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, shake hands during their bilateral talk, in South Korea's southern port city of Busan, ahead of Sunday's three-way talks Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. (Kyodo News/AP)

TOKYO  Top diplomats from Japan and China met for bilateral talks Saturday to try to resolve disputes including Chinas ban on Japanese seafood, which has hit Japanese exporters.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, met in South Koreas southern port city of Busan. They will join their host, Park Jin, for three-way talks on Sunday.

Kamikawa, who took office in September and met with Wang in person for the first time, said their meeting was extremely meaningful. She said they had agreed to start security and economic meetings, but gave no details.

Japanese and Chinese leaders met 10 days ago in San Francisco, on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, and achieved a vague agreement on easing the seafood dispute. Chinas ban on Japanese seafood has been in place since the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant began discharging treated radioactive wastewater into the sea on Aug. 24.

Japan says the wastewater is much safer than international standards and that the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded the environmental and health impact of its release is negligible. China calls the discharge nuclear-contaminated water.

Wang said China opposed Japans irresponsible action of releasing the wastewater into the sea, according to a readout of the meeting by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. He called for an independent monitoring mechanism for the wastewater release.

Wang said China and Japan should establish that they are cooperative partners rather than threats to each other, and they should be committed to peaceful development.

The foreign ministers from Japan, South Korea and China will meet Sunday to set the stage for resuming a trilateral summit of their leaders, which has not been held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 outbreak and their complicated ties.

Japan, South Korea and China are close economic and cultural partners, but their relationships have suffered on-and-off setbacks due to a mix of issues, including Japans wartime atrocities, the U.S.-China rivalry and North Koreas nuclear and missile programs.

Associated Press journalist Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
Work-life balance seems like it wouldn't be controversial, but some of the nation's top CEOs aren't big fans of the term. Photo by Lucas Schifres/Getty Images

Over the years, CEOs and business leaders have shared their thoughts on the phrase "work-life balance."

Some aren't a fan of the phrase and think workers should take a different approach or view.

Jeff Bezos, for example, thinks the relationship between work and life is a "circle" instead.

You wouldn't think that the phrase "work-life balance" would be a controversial one. However, the way that different CEOs interpret the term varies greatly. Some think of it as an important thing to maintain, while others hate it or call it a "lie."

Here are some of the hottest takes on work-life balance, given by some of the top business executives in the US.

Jeff Bezos says work and life should make a circle, not a "balance"

Jeff Bezos has called the phrase "work-life balance" debilitating. Clive Mason - Formula 1

In 2018, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said that workers should aim for work-life harmony, not "balance," at an event hosted by Business Insider's parent company Axel Springer. Bezos also called the concept of work-life balance "debilitating" because it hints that there's a trade-off.

Bezos said that it's not a work-life balance, but "it's actually a circle."

Bezos said that if he feels happy at home then it energizes him and makes him more productive at work. Bezos is currently the second-wealthiest person in the world, just behind Elon Musk, with a net worth of $167 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index.

Satya Nadella thinks you should focus on "work-life harmony"

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella thinks people should strive for work-life "harmony." Associated Press

Microsoft's CEO also thinks that "work-life balance" shouldn't be a worker's goal. Instead, they should focus on work-life "harmony." In 2019, he shared his thoughts with the Australian Financial Review.

Nadella says he used to think that he needed to balance relaxing and working. But, he's shifted his approach, aligning his "deep interests" with his work.

TIAA CEO thinks the entire concept is a "lie"

TIAA's CEO says work-life balance is a "lie." Paras Griffin/Getty Images

"Work-life balance is a lie," TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett told Fortune CEO Alan Murray earlier this year. Brown Duckett has previously said that she used to struggle with guilt and balancing her demanding job and being a mother.

Story continues

Brown Duckett says that she views her life as a "portfolio," and that she takes time to perform different roles like mother, wife, and business executive. Though she may not always be able to be able to be there for her children, she says that she strives to be fully present during the time she is able to spend with them.

Arianna Huffington says you shouldn't have to choose between work and life

Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global and HuffPost, told Great Place to Work that we shouldn't view productivity and relaxation as two opposing forces. Huffington said that when one area of your life improves, the other does as well.

According to Oxford University, happy employees are 13% more productive compared to those who aren't happy. Huffington told Great Place to Work that employees should focus more on "work-life integration," since we bring our entire selves to work.

Still, Huffington believes that your personal life should always come first.

"While work is obviously important and can give us purpose and meaning in our lives, it shouldn't take the place of life," she told Great Place to Work. "Work is a part of a thriving life, but life should come first."

Don't expect work-life balance if you work for Elon Musk

Elon Musk is famous for demanding grueling work hours and personally sleeping overnight at work. STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk is a known workaholic, and he expects those who work beneath him to be as well.

In 2022, just after Musk had taken ownership of X, he sent out an email to employees telling them to either dedicate their lives to working or leave the company. Musk reportedly made X employees work 84 hours a week. While some people have felt remote work improved their work-life balance, giving them a more flexible schedule to attend to family-related responsibilities, Musk has often criticized it and called it "morally wrong."

Musk holds an even tighter working schedule for himself, though. In 2018, Musk said that he works 120 hours a week, amounting to 17 hours a day. Musk would also sleep on the factory floor at Tesla due to his nonstop work schedule, according to CNBC.

According to Walter Isaacson's biography about Musk, the billionaire would stay at the office overnight and shower at the YMCA when he joined the workforce in 1995. Musk has continued the habit while working at Tesla and buying Twitter, often spending the night at work.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, right, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, center, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa pose for a photo prior to the trilateral foreign ministers meeting in Busan, South Korea, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. (Ahn Young-joon/pool photo via AP)

SEOUL, South Korea  Meeting for the first time in about four years, the top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China agreed Sunday to revive cooperation among the Asian neighbors and resume their leaders trilateral summit  but without a specific timing.

Closely linked economically and culturally with one another, the three countries together account for about 25% of the global gross domestic product. But efforts to boost cooperation have often hit a snag because of a mix of issues including historical disputes stemming from Japans wartime aggression and the strategic competition between China and the United States.

We three ministers agreed to restore and normalize three-nation cooperation at an early date, South Korean Foreign Minister told reporters after his meeting with Japans Yoko Kamikawa and Chinas Wang Yi in Busan, South Korea.

Park said the three ministers affirmed an earlier agreement by lower-level officials to restart the summit at the earliest mutually convenient time and agreed to expedite preparations for the meeting. Kamikawa separately said the ministers agreed to speed up their work to achieve the summit at an early and appropriate timing.

The three also agreed to push for diverse cooperation projects in areas such as people-to-people exchange, trade, technology, public health, sustainable development and security, according to South Korean and Japanese statements.

The lack of an agreement on the timing for the trilateral summit would suggest the top-level gathering wont likely happen this year as South Korea, the chair of the next summit, had hoped, observers say. Still, Kamikawa said that a reactivation of a trilateral diplomacy is an important step toward achieving an upcoming Japan-China-South Korea summit.

Since they held their first stand-alone, trilateral summit in 2008, the leaders of the three countries were supposed to meet annually. Instead, the summit has been suspended since 2019. The meeting Sunday was also the first since 2019.

South Korea and Japan are key U.S. military allies, hosting a total of 80,000 American troops on their territories. Their recent push to beef up a trilateral security cooperation with the United States has angered China, which is extremely sensitive to any moves it perceives as seeking to contain its rise to dominance in Asia.

But some observers say that the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden struck a conciliatory tone in their first face-to-face meeting in a year earlier this month would provide Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing with diplomatic rooms to maneuver to find ways to revive three-way cooperation.

After her meeting with Wang on Saturday, Kamikawa said she renewed Japans demand that China remove its ban on seafood imports from Japan in response to Tokyos discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from its tsunami-hit nuclear power plant. Wang, for his part, said China opposed Japans irresponsible action of releasing the wastewater and called for an independent monitoring mechanism of the process, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Ties between South Korea and Japan deteriorated severely in past years due to issues originating from Japans 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. But their relations have warmed significantly in recent months as the two countries took a series of major steps to move beyond history wrangling and boost cooperation in the face of North Koreas advancing nuclear program and other shared challenges.

In a reminder of their difficult relations, however, a Seoul court earlier this week ordered Japan to financially compensate Koreans forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during the colonial period.

During her meeting with Park earlier Sunday, Kamikawa called the court verdict extremely regrettable and urged South Korea to take appropriate steps to remedy the breaches of international law, according to Japans Consulate in Busan. South Koreas Foreign Ministry said the ministers discussed the court ruling as well as ways to work together to reinvigorate three-way cooperation with China. The ministry also said that both strongly condemned the Norths spy satellite launch last week.

Park also asked Wang for China to play a constructive role in persuading North Korea to halt provocations and take steps toward denuclearization, according to South Koreas Foreign Ministry.

Wang described China as a stabilizing force in the region that has always played and will continue to play a constructive role in easing the situation on the peninsula, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. It said Wang called for stronger trade and economic ties between the two countries and criticized the tendency to politicize economic issues.

North Koreas growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles poses a major security threat to South Korea and Japan. But China, North Koreas last major ally and biggest source of aid, is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea and shipping covert assistance to the North to help its impoverished neighbor stay afloat and continue to serve as a bulwark against U.S. influences on the Korean Peninsula.

On Sunday, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. held maritime drills involving the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula, their latest show of force against North Korea.

North Korea typically views such U.S.-involved military training as an invasion rehearsal.

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Japan, and Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.
A sailor stands look out on the USS Hopper as it steams through the Philippine Sea on Oct. 30, 2023. The Hawaii-based USS Hopper sailed near the Paracel Islands to assert navigational rights and freedoms, the U.S. 7th Fleet announced Sunday in a news release. (Victoria Mejicanos/U.S. Navy)

Beijing claims the United States is pursuing a hegemony in the South China Sea after a Navy guided-missile destroyer steamed near a chain of islands there to dispute what it views as unlawful restrictions.

The Hawaii-based USS Hopper sailed near the Paracel Islands to assert navigational rights and freedoms, the U.S. 7th Fleet announced Sunday in a news release.

China responded by calling the U.S. a security risk creator and said the operation was ironclad evidence that it is pursuing navigational hegemony and militarization of the South China Sea, Chinese air force Col. Tian Junli, Southern Theater Command spokesman, said in a news release.

Beijing organized ships and aircraft to track, monitor and warn away the Hopper, he said.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper steams through the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 9, 2023. (Charles Scudella/U.S. Navy)

The Paracels, a chain of reefs, shoals and islands about 350 miles south of mainland China and 300 miles east of Vietnam, is claimed in its entirety by China, Vietnam and Taiwan. Beijing, however, maintains about 20 outposts in the islands, according to the CIAs World Factbook website.

The Navy routinely operates near the Paracels and the Spratly Islands, another contested island chain in the South China Sea, to protest restrictions on innocent passage. In the Paracels, all three claimants require either permission or advance notice before a military vessel travels through the area, 7th Fleet said in the news release.

By engaging in innocent passage without giving prior notification to or asking permission from any of the claimants, the United States challenged these unlawful restrictions imposed by [China], Taiwan, and Vietnam, 7th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Kristina Wiedemann wrote in the news release. The United States demonstrated that innocent passage is not subject to such restrictions.

The 7th Fleet did not immediately respond to an email request for additional information Sunday.

Another destroyer, the USS Dewey, cruised within 12 nautical miles of outposts in the Spratlys on Nov. 3 as part of a routine and peaceful exercise of rights and freedoms, 7th Fleet spokesman Lt. Luka Bakic said at the time.

Restrictions on innocent passage violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an international agreement that generally governs both civil and military maritime activities.

The convention has been signed and ratified by 168 of the 193 U.N. member states, although the U.S. has yet to ratify the convention despite widespread support. President Ronald Reagan in 1982 declined to sign the convention due to deep seabed mining provisions, according to the State Departments website.
Metas logo can be seen on a sign at the companys headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Nov. 9, 2022. Russia has added the spokesman of U.S. tech giant Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, to a wanted list, according to an online database maintained by the countrys interior ministry. (Godofredo A. Vasquez/AP)

Russia has added the spokesman of U.S. technology company Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, to a wanted list, according to an online database maintained by the countrys interior ministry.

Russian state agency Tass and independent news outlet Mediazona first reported that Meta communications director Andy Stone was included on the list Sunday, weeks after Russian authorities in October classified Meta as a terrorist and extremist organization, opening the way for possible criminal proceedings against Russian residents using its platforms.

The interior ministrys database doesnt give details of the case against Stone, stating only that he is wanted on criminal charges. Meta didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to Mediazona, an independent news website that covers Russias opposition and prison system, Stone was put on the wanted list in February 2022, but authorities made no related statements at the time and no news media reported on the matter until this week.

In March this year, Russias federal Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation into Meta. It alleged that the companys actions following Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 amounted to inciting violence against Russians.

After Russian troops moved into Ukraine, Stone announced temporary changes to Metas hate speech policy to allow for forms of political expression that would normally violate (its) rules, like violent speech such as death to the Russian invaders.

In the same statement, Stone added that credible calls for violence against Russian civilians would remain banned.

Mediazona on Sunday claimed that an unspecified Russian court issued an arrest warrant earlier this month for Stone on charges of facilitating terrorism. The report didnt specify the source of that information, which couldnt be independently verified.

Western social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and X  formerly known as Twitter  were popular with young Russians before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but have since been blocked in the country as part of a broad crackdown on independent media and other forms of critical speech. They are now only accessible via VPN.

In April 2022, Russia also formally barred Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from entering the country.
BEIRUT  An Israeli airstrike Sunday hit the international airport in the Syrian capital of Damascus and put it out of commission, Syrian state media said.

Israel has struck Syrias Damascus and Aleppo international airports several times since the onset of the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza on Oct. 7. Israel has also struck parts of western Syria after rocket fire landed on the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

SANA, citing an unnamed military official, said Israel fired missiles from the direction of the Golan Heights, striking Damascus International Airport and other areas in the Damascus countryside causing material damage. There was no mention of casualties.

Britain-based opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the strikes came just hours after the airport resumed flights after a monthlong hiatus following a previous Israeli strike.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years.

It does not usually acknowledge its airstrikes on Syria. However when it does, it says it is targeting Iranian-backed groups there that have backed President Bashar Assads government.
Palestinians walk by a damaged building following an Israeli army operation in Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said Sunday. (Majdi Mohammed/AP)

JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank  Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians, including at least one militant, in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said Sunday, as a fragile pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip entered its third day.

Violence in the West Bank has surged in the weeks since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, setting off a devastating war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians and arrested hundreds in the West Bank. Jewish West Bank settlers have also stepped up attacks.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that five Palestinians were killed in the militant stronghold of Jenin, while three others were killed in separate areas of the West Bank since Saturday morning. One of those killed, in al-Bireh in the central West Bank, was a teenager, the ministry said.

The Israeli military said it killed five Palestinians in a gunbattle during its operation in the Jenin refugee camp, where it was arresting a Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli father and son at a West Bank car wash earlier in the year.

The military said those killed were militants. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group claimed one of the men, identified as Asaad al-Damj, 33, as a member, while the remainder were not immediately linked to militant groups. The military said, without specifying further, that it was backed by air power that struck and wounded what it said were armed Palestinians.

The military also said it was looking into the reports of the other incidents.

In the refugee camp, debris was strewn along the streets of the densely populated urban neighborhood and the wall of one house had a large hole in it.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said Israeli snipers were positioned on roofs and that military bulldozers were damaging roads and infrastructure. The reports could not immediately be independently verified, but the Israeli military said it was using engineering equipment to uncover explosive devices buried under roads.

In its bid to pursue militants, Israel clamped down on the West Bank immediately after the Hamas assault, closing crossings and checkpoints between Palestinian towns.

The intensified violence in the territory follows more than a year of escalating raids and arrests in the West Bank and deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Before the Hamas assault, 2023 was already the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in over two decades.

Israel and Hamas have briefly halted fire to allow for more aid to enter Gaza and permit a hostage release in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Vast swaths of the Gaza Strip have been flattened and some 1.7 million Palestinians have fled their homes.

In last months surprise attack, Hamas and other Gaza militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took about 240 hostage. Several dozen soldiers have been killed since Israel began its ground invasion into Gaza shortly after the attack.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories as part of their hoped-for independent state.

Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Samy Magdy contributed to this report from Cairo.
Lake Michigan waves splash against a breakwater at sunrise at 31st Street Beach in Chicago on Jan. 29, 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune/TNS)

DETROIT (Tribune News Service)  The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald not only inspired an iconic ballad from Canadian crooner Gordon Lightfoot, it also led to the advancement of Great Lakes weather monitoring and forecasting that has helped ships navigate storms ever since.

Forty-eight years ago, the largest freighter in Lake Superior history sank during a November storm.

Back in 1975, there were actually zero wave-monitoring buoys on Lake Superior, which is hard to even fathom, said Matt Zika, a meteorologist at the National Weather Stations Marquette office. You take Lake Superior, which is basically the size of South Carolina, and there was not a single station that was reporting and telling us what the true wave heights were on the lake.

The gales of November were not a surprise on Nov. 10, 1975, the day the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior off the Upper Peninsulas Whitefish Point and her whole crew of 29 was killed. The ship was carrying taconite pellets from Superior, Wis., and bound for ports in Detroit and Toledo. Meteorologists had forecast the storm, and the Fitzgeralds captain and first mate were in touch with another ships captain and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Still, there was limited communication between ships and meteorologists compared to now, only daily forecast updates, less timely and less accurate predictions, and only weak computer monitoring capabilities. Meteorologists relied on ship crews to report their observations from the water.

The storm that blew through the Great Lakes on Nov. 9 and 10, 1975, was big. The captain of another ship that was a few miles behind the Fitzgerald during the storm, the Arthur M. Anderson, recorded wind gusts reaching 70 knots (nearly 81 miles per hour) and waves of up to 25 feet, according to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

Though big, it wasnt unusual. Zika referred to it as a classic storm, blowing in from the Plains and intensifying as it moved northeast toward the Great Lakes.

Fall conditions bring severe and dangerous storms to the Great Lakes. By November, the lakes have been absorbing summer heat for months, so they are warmer than the air masses that roll over them. They behave like a boiling pot of water, with warm air rising into the atmosphere and tumbling around with the cold air, creating strong waves and turbulent water.

Weve had storms in the last 10 years that have had wind speeds and wave action that rivaled what occurred back in the 1975 storm, Zika said. The difference is now the alerting, getting the warning out ahead of time, (telling captains) Oh, theres going to be a storm thats going to produce waves in excess of 25 feet on Lake Superior with wind in excess of 60 knots.

Were much better at predicting that and getting the word out, so youre not having folks out in those vulnerable conditions like you would have back in the 1970s with limited warnings.

Shipwrecks silver linings

Innovations tend to follow disaster, said Ric Mixter, a Great Lakes shipwreck historian who recently released a book and documentary called Tattletale Sounds about the Edmund Fitzgerald.

After three freighters sank in Lake Michigan near Pentwater during the Armistice Day Storm of 1940, the Chicago weather station went to 24-hour operations. More weather stations started sharing the duty of forecasting storms, and shipmates started sharing weather observations from the water.

Life jackets were required to have crotch straps that would keep them better attached to peoples torsos after the SS Carl Bradley went down in Lake Michigan in November 1958. The cork life jackets worn by many of the Bradleys shipmates simply werent effective, the Coast Guards Marine Board of Investigation determined after reviewing the incident.

Really, all of these big storms kind of gave way to a little bit of improvement, Mixter said.

Its shipwrecks silver lining.

Eight weather data buoys were installed on the Great Lakes in 1979 in response to the Edmund Fitzgerald wreck, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wrote in a blog post about the shipping freighter disaster. The buoys measured wind speed, wind direction and wave height.

Thats a long time to implement such important weather monitoring instruments, Mixter said.

The technology was there, they just couldnt get the funding to do it, and that was sad because that definitely is something thats improved the forecasting, he said. You can look out there, see what the buoys are doing. Thats not just freighters, thats every fisherman, thats charter operators that can look at those buoys and say, OK, its not good to go out there; this is going to be a bad spot. 

The National Weather Service office in Marquette described weather buoys as one of the most important improvements in marine technology since 1975 in a wide-ranging exploration of the Edmund Fitzgerald and its legacy.

More accurate predictions

There are now almost 30 buoys and weather observations stations across Lake Superior. They are owned by the National Weather Service, universities, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Environment and Climate Change Canada. People can call buoys through the National Data Buoy Centers Dial-A-Buoy phone service to hear hourly recorded updates.

The buoys help scientists improve models and forecasting so weather stations can give more accurate predictions, Zika said. If forecasts didnt predict what actually took place on the water, scientists can tweak models to get better predictions.

Another remaining challenge to the program is winter. Buoys cant withstand ice, so most get removed from the water after November and replaced in the spring.

Thats kind of an interesting challenge, because our storm season occurs during the fall and the winter season, Zika said. A lot of times, by the latter part of that storm season, we dont even have the buoys out there to measure.

Scientists with NOAAs Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory are testing sturdier buoys that can withstand ice and remain in the water all winter, perhaps meaning there will someday be more robust winter monitoring of Great Lakes water conditions.

Zika said he would be happy to see hundreds of new buoys scattered across the lake to help meteorologists improve their predictions.

Scientists are data-oriented, he said, and would be unlikely to turn down a chance to collect more data from the water since meteorologists use the data to help keep people safe on North Americas inland seas.

With all the ecotourism we have on Lake Superior in the summertime near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and other areas, we can provide a much more high-detailed picture of whats happening in real-time so that we can include that information in our forecasts for folks that are going right offshore and make sure that theyre staying safe, Zika said.

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A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightening II, assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., takes off during a training flight, as part of exercise Northern Lightning, at Volk Field Air National Guard Base in Camp Douglas, Wis., Aug. 9, 2023. (Kregg York/U.S. Air National Guard)

(Tribune News Service)  When an F-35B was lost for days in September following a malfunction that forced the Marine Corps pilot to eject in rural South Carolina, it was a high-profile embarrassment for the U.S. Department of Defense.

But its far from the only negative attention the F-35 program  partially managed for the Air Force out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base  has faced this year, a Dayton Daily News investigation found.

In May, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report noting the F-35  the Department of Defenses most expensive weapon system  is more than a decade behind schedule and $183 billion over original cost estimates.

For the next six or so decades, the Pentagon plans to spend an estimated $1.7 trillion on nearly 2,500 F-35s  operating, maintaining, and repairing the planes, the GAO has said.

When critics look at the F-35, they say they see an increasingly expensive plane plagued by software problems and too many contractors at cross-purposes. In short, a program trying to be all things to all services and all allies.

When advocates consider it, they see an immensely powerful weapon with cutting-edge sensors offering pilots an unparalleled view of battlefields, attracting orders from allies and envy from foes.

This is actually a highly successful program, Loren Thompson, a defense industry analyst and chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute in Northern Virginia, told the Dayton Daily News. The fighter meets all of its requirements for survivability and lethality while costing less to build than a Boeing 737.

The aircraft has matured, then-Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said in January when her nation finalized a pact with Lockheed Martin to buy 88 F-35s. And we see now that many of our allies, eight countries in particular, are using the F-35.

Its the backbone of our attack air fleet, said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel who today is senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies International Security Program. When it works, it can be a very effective weapon.

A Class-A mishap

On Sept. 17, a Marine Corps pilot ejected from an F-35B he was flying before it crashed in a rural South Carolina field.

The pilot parachuted into the yard of a North Charleston-area home.

Im not sure where the airplane is. It would have crash-landed somewhere. I ejected, reports said the pilot, whose identity has not been released, told a 911 operator minutes later.

I just rode a parachute down to the ground, he said. Can you please send an ambulance?

As it turned out, the aircraft  which costs taxpayers about $100 million  continued flying some 60 miles before crashing in a field near Indiantown, about two hours from Marine Corps Joint Base Charleston.

How in the hell do you lose an F-35? U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, asked on X, formerly known as Twitter, hours after the crash.

How is there not a tracking device and were asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in? she added.

Navy and Marine teams found the crash site after a few days and a recovery effort was launched. A two-day standdown was ordered for the Marine Corps as members searched for the jet.

But Mace isnt the only one asking questions about the F-35.

The F-35 Lightning II aircraft is DODs most costly weapon system in history, the General Accounting Office (GAO) wrote in May, about three months before the South Carolina crash, which has been classified a Class A mishap by the Department of Defense.

Critics and allies agree there are hurdles to overcome. Among them: The F-35s supply chain has what the GAO calls a unique design.

Rather than owning the spare parts for their aircraft, F-35 program participants share a global pool of parts the government owns and prime contractors manage, the GAO said. These parts are held in more than 50 domestic and international facilities.

These problems ultimately are solvable, Diana Mauer, director of defense capabilities and management for the GAO, said in an interview. The follow-on (questions) to that obviously becomes, how long will it take and at what cost?

The F-35 program is so large and so important that the GAO has split its oversight responsibilities for the jet, Maurer said.

Maurer and her colleagues examine sustainment and mission capabilities. Another GAO team examines acquisition and modernization.

Currently 58% mission capable

U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R- Va., vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he expects to see continued progress in the Defense Departments implementation of the F-35 life cycle sustainment plan, what the DOD calls the blueprint to keep F-35s flying in an affordable way.

But that plan is overdue. And the inventory of F-35s surpasses repair capacity, Wittman said.

A key shortcoming of the original F-35 contract, in his view: Allowing data needed to conduct maintenance and repairs to be proprietary to the prime contractor, Lockheed Martin.

Historically, the original F-35 sustainment plan was a sole-source Total System Performance Responsibility contract with Lockheed Martin, with all sustainment responsibilities being delegated to Lockheed, the congressman said in a statement sent in response to questions from the Dayton Daily News.

This leaves military maintainers in the awkward position of depending on contractors to fix the plane.

Maurer in particular was critical of a decision made more than 20 years ago to leave sustainment responsibilities nearly exclusively to contractors

I dont think anyone today would say, Oh yeah. Our predecessors made that right decision 20-plus years ago, Maurer said.

Wittman said he has full confidence in Lockheed Martin.

However, there is much work to do. From the outset, it appears that both the DOD and the prime contractor underestimated and undervalued the immense complexities of overseeing the DODs largest and most expensive program, he said.

This program finds itself blessed  or burdened, depending on ones point of view  with many partners, formal agreements for operation and governance, multiple customers and thousands of aircraft with diverse capabilities.

Said Wittman: A critical priority is ensuring that we have the necessary management and governance structures staffed by experts with the appropriate backgrounds to effectively guide and execute this highly intricate program.

Newer programs like the B-21 and NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance fighter) appear to have learned these lessons by defining what new planes need without overcomplicating the end product, Wittman said.

In its own statement to this newspaper, the F-35 Joint Program Office said it is working to improve increased MC, or mission-capable, rates.

Our fleet is currently at 58% Mission Capable with a goal of 64% MC by March 2024, the JPO said.

Im not going to pretend there are easy solutions

One problem examined in a Sept. 21 GAO report is the lack of spare parts and the number of F-35s sitting on the tarmac because there just arent enough spare parts, Maurer said.

It is possible to produce and store more spare parts. But that will cost money, potentially a lot more money, she said.

There are definitely trade-offs. Im not going to pretend there are easy solutions, she said. But its pretty clear that where they are right now in sustainment for the plane, its not sufficient. It needs to be continually improved.

Aircraft-maker Lockheed Martin, with engine-maker Pratt & Whitney, have the lead on most of the F-35s maintenance functions. The GAO has recommended reassessing that.

In fact, the Sept. 21 report offered seven recommendations, each essentially encouraging the Pentagon to reevaluate roles where contractors have the lead.

The problems are myriad: Buggy software code; overlapping, concurrent efforts at design and more.

Were not asking them to do simple things, right? Maurer said. We asking them to do in some cases some pretty fundamental things, and they try to get after them. But in some respects, they havent made much progress.

There are a host of problems built into the DNA of the program, that go back to decisions made 25 years ago, she added.

The most capable plane fielded by any nation

As Forbes put it in a August 2023 report, the plane is years behind schedule and some 80% over budget.

There are different variants for different military branches, different sub-versions and production batches.

Lockheed has delivered about 960 of the jets so far to nine countries, with about 630 going to the U.S. military.

U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R- Dayton, declined to comment for this story. But he has been supportive of the F-35 program.

The F-35 has great reviews in operations both from pilots and from military planners, he told this newspaper in 2021. It is the most capable plane being fielded by any nation.

Mark Cancian, of CSIS, said the U.S. is kind of stuck with the plane at this point.

When the plane works, its great, he said. The problem is the cost and getting it to work.

The problems are real, he added. Low availability rates are a problem. The fact that other planes have had this problem doesnt make it less of a problem.

F-35: By the numbers

An average of $75 million: Unit cost of the Lot 15 and 16 production batches of the F-35, without the Pratt & Whitney engine.

749,250+ flight hours

447,000+ sorties

15,120+ maintainers

2,225+pilots

975+ aircraft delivered

Sources: Lockheed Martin, Air & Space Forces magazine.

(c)2023 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

Visit www.daytondailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A group of people walk along the wall after crossing the border with Mexico to seek asylum, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, near Jacumba, Calif. As Congress returns this week, Senate Republicans have made it clear they wont support additional war aid for Ukraine unless they can pair it with border security measures. (Gergory Bull/AP)

WASHINGTON  As Congress returns to session this week, lawmakers will be trying to forge an agreement on sending a new round of wartime assistance to Ukraine. But to succeed, they will have to find agreement on an issue that has confounded them for decades.

Republicans in both chambers of Congress have made clear that they will not support additional aid for Ukraine unless it is paired with border security measures to help manage the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Their demand has injected one of the most contentious issues in American politics into a foreign policy debate that was already difficult.

Time is short for a deal.

A small, bipartisan group in the Senate is taking the lead and working to find a narrow compromise that can overcome a likely filibuster by winning 60 votes. But even if they can reach a modest agreement, there is no guarantee it would pass the House, where Republicans are insisting on wholesale changes to U.S. border and immigration policies.

Republicans hope that Democrats will feel political pressure to accept some of their border proposals after illegal crossings topped a daily average of more than 8,000 earlier this fall. President Joe Biden, who is running for reelection next year, has faced pressure even from fellow Democrats over the migrant flow.

No matter what, finding compromise will be exceedingly difficult. As they left for Thanksgiving break, Senate negotiators said they were still far apart.

A look at some of the issues under discussion and why they have proved so difficult to resolve:

Asylum and humanitarian parole

Changing the asylum system for migrants is a top priority for Republicans. They want to make it more difficult for asylum-seekers to prove in initial interviews that they have a credible fear of political, religious or racial persecution in their home country before advancing toward asylum in the United States.

Republicans in the House have passed legislation that would detain families at the border, require migrants to make the asylum claim at an official port of entry and either detain them or require them to remain outside the U.S. while their case is processed.

U.S. and international law give migrants the right to seek safety from persecution, but the number of people applying for asylum in the U.S. has reached historic highs. Critics say many people take advantage of the system to live and work in the U.S. while they wait for their asylum claims to be processed in court.

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent who is part of the Senate negotiations, said in an Arizona radio interview that one of lawmakers goals is to ensure that those who are here seeking asylum have an actual claim to asylum.

Compromise is far from certain. Many Democrats are wary of making it harder to flee persecution, and the details of each policy shift are contentious.

Hardline conservatives in the House, already unlikely to support further Ukraine aid, have also signaled they wont accept policy changes that deviate much from a bill passed in May that would have remade the U.S. immigration system. Their stance means at least some support from House Democrats will be needed to pass any agreement  no easy task.

Some progressives have already said they will oppose any Republican-led changes to immigration policy.

The cruel, inhumane, and unworkable solutions offered by Republicans will only create more disorder and confusion at the border, said Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Infrastructure and enforcement

Lawmakers may find it easier to reach consensus on other areas of border policy, particularly when it comes to border staffing and enforcement.

Negotiators have looked at steps that could be taken to reinforce existing infrastructure at the border, including hiring and boosting pay for border patrol officers and improving technology. One proposal advanced by a bipartisan group of senators would call for hiring of more border patrol agents, raising their pay and ensuring they receive overtime.

Biden has shown a willingness to accept tougher enforcement measures, recently resuming deportation of migrants to Venezuela and waiving federal laws to allow for the construction of border wall that began under then-President Donald Trump. The White House also wants to install new imaging technology at ports of entry that would allow authorities to quickly scan vehicles for illegal imports, including fentanyl.

Republicans say that is not enough. They want more robust improvements, including more expansive construction of a border wall.

What Biden is asking for

Bidens emergency request to Congress included aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, along with $14 billion to bolster the immigration system and border security. Money would go toward hiring more border patrol agents, immigration judges and asylum officers. Its part of Bidens strategy of trying to simultaneously turn away from Trumps hard-line policies but adapt to the realities of crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Still, polls indicate widespread frustration with Bidens handling of immigration and the border, creating a political vulnerability as he seeks reelection. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the Senate Appropriations Committee this month that the administration has been faced with a global phenomenon of displaced people migrating in numbers that have not been seen since World War II.

It is unanimous that our broken immigration system is in dire need of reform, Mayorkas said.

Democrats have other immigration priorities, such as expanding legal immigration pathways or work authorizations for migrants already in the U.S. Democrats have also warned about the danger of delaying aid to Ukraine as it enters another winter of war against Russia.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said its a mistake to create a situation where we have to do significant immigration reform in the next few weeks or we wont send money to assist the people in Ukraine or other causes important to our national security.

Republicans have so far been adamant about the need to address Ukraine and the border at the same time.

Rep. Mike Turner, a strong supporter of aid to Ukraine and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday that he thought passing Bidens package would be very difficult to accomplish by years end. The impediment currently is the White House policy on the on the southern border, said Turner, R-Ohio.

Whats likely not on the table

Lawmakers seem unlikely to address one of the nations long-standing immigration issues: granting some form of permanent legal status to thousands of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Republicans have made clear that will not be addressed in this package, which they want to be more narrowly focused on border security measures.

As Congress struggled to pass a comprehensive immigration overhaul, President Barack Obama launched the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2012 to shield those immigrants from deportation and allow them to work legally in the country. But it has been caught up in the courts ever since, and Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, tried to end it when he was in the White House.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, one of the Senate negotiators, would not say early last week whether his side had proposed DACA provisions as part of the talks. But he said any deal has to respect both Republican and Democratic priorities.

The more Republicans want, the more Democrats are going to want, Murphy said.

Republicans argue that Ukraine aid could be a tough sell to some of their voters, and the border policy is the compromise.

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican who has been involved in the talks, said before the Thanksgiving holiday that the negotiations were not very close yet, because Democrats have not yet accepted that the negotiations are not border security for Democratic immigration priorities. Its border security for Ukraine aid.

So far, leaders in both parties have encouraged the talks. But as senators restart their work and face pressure to approve funding by the end of the year, some are warning that a narrow deal is likely the best that they can do.

I dont think its realistic to solve anywhere close to the whole problem in the next two weeks, Murphy said.
Gardai in Cabra were alerted to the incident in an Aldi supermarket in Ashtown, Dublin 15 on Friday night shortly after 9pm.

A clip of a man threatening supermarket staff with a knife is circulating following riots that took place in Dublin on Thursday night.

Gardai in Cabra were alerted to the incident in an Aldi supermarket in Ashtown, Dublin 15 on Friday night shortly after 9pm.

A garda spokesperson said its understood a staff member was threatened at knife point by the customer who then left the premises empty handed.

No one was physically harmed in the course of the incident and no arrests have been made at this time.

An investigation into the matter is ongoing.

A video of the incident shared on social media shows a man walking into the Aldi and shouting at a worker before taking out a knife as a staff member jumps backwards.

It comes amid violence in the capital following the stabbing of three children, aged five and six, and a care worker in her 30s, outside Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire in Parnell Square East on Thursday afternoon.

The five-year-old girl remains critically ill in Temple Street Hospital this weekend and 'hero' school worker Leanne Flynn Keogh is recovering from serious injuries.

A six-year-old girl who was stabbed was discharged from hospital yesterday and a five-year-old boy was allowed to go home on Friday.

The 49-year-old suspect suspect has been in an induced coma since the horror attack  meaning gardai have been unable to question him as to his motive.

Following the incident, violence erupted in Dublin city centre as gardai were assaulted, shops looted and garda cars, buses and Luas trams destroyed.

At the height of the violence, around 400 gardai were dealing with what has been described as mayhem on the north side of Dublin city centre.

An estimated 60 gardai were assaulted in chaotic riots on Thursday night.

Three of these officers suffered serious injuries, including one male garda who was hospitalised with a severe injury to a toe. That garda is based at Pearse Street station in the capitals city centre.

Another garda suffered a broken ankle, while a third broke three fingers on one hand as they tried to contain the violence.

Up to 60 gardai suffered some form of injury last night when they were subjected to assaults. This includes cuts, bruises and significant scrapes as they were punched and kicked, a source said.

Speaking on Friday, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris hit out at the far-right protestors for deliberately targeting his officers.

Huge destruction from a riotous mob who were in effect responding, and trying to break into and disrupt the crime scene.

"Order was restored between 8.30pm and 9pm as we deployed more resources, the commissioner said.

An Garda Siochana responded to this entirely and in an extraordinary fashion.

Members from across the country responded, returned to duty, public order units from all over Ireland responded to Dublin.

But we could not have anticipated that in response to a terrible crime, the stabbing of schoolchildren and their teacher, that this would be the response.

In effect, those filled with hate and the hate directed towards An Garda Siochana, that they would attempt to storm through our cordon and disrupt a crime scene and then engage in violence, looting and disorder...nobody could have anticipated all of that that when these awful events started at 1.30pm.
Fowler and his partner Lorna Palmer lost their CAB case after a judge ruled 500k in cash and the house which was in Palmers name were the proceeds of crime

The last refuge house of Kinahan Cartel drug-dealer Barry Fowler and his partner Lorna Palmer sold for 266,000 in a five-minute auction this week.

The public auction in Dublin came a year after a receiver was appointed to the Wexford property and given the authority to have it sold off on behalf of the State.

Barry Fowler and Lorna Palmers Wexford bolthole

The pair had bought the house for 265,000 in 2008 and spent another 107,527 on it according to evidence from the Criminal Assets Bureau in their High Court case.

With a guide price of 190,000, the first bid came in at 197,000 and quickly went to 265,000 before an added 1,000 bid clinched the deal for the three-bed dormer bungalow.

Fowler and his partner Lorna Palmer lost their CAB case after a judge ruled 500,000 in cash and the house which was in Palmers name were the proceeds of crime.

The sale by Wilson Auctions brings an end to the proceeds of crime case against the couple who Judge Alex Owens said had been living high on the hog of criminal enterprise.

Barry Fowler

Chief Superintendent Michael Gubbins detailed in an affidavit how the couple and other family members created schemes to launder cash.

This included obtaining a mortgage for the Wexford property but making payments with cash and paying for renovations with cash.

One loan for 50,000 taken out by a family member and used in the house purchase was paid back within eight months even though the person had no means to do so.

The same auction firm are now set to sell off a bumper stock of 500,000 worth of luxury goods seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau ahead of Christmas.

Seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act, the items listed for auction include designer watches such as Rolex Submariners, Rolex Datejusts and an 18ct Gold Cartier Santos 100.

Lorna Palmer

Also going under the hammer are two Limited Edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshores, a Hublot Big Bang, Rolex Daytonas, a Breitling Navitimer and a Tag Heuer Ladies Formula 1.

Wilsons Auctions Director and Auctioneer, Ricky Wilson said: We are delighted to be managing the sale for CAB. Wilsons Auctions is well known for dealing with seized goods. All the money raised from this auction will be paid directly back into the state.

This is an ideal opportunity for bidders to get their hands on Christmas gifts.

Other seized goodies including one-ounce gold bars, diamond rings, a 14-carat white gold necklace and bracelets, diamond earrings and an 18-carat gold Cartier love bracelet.

The online-only auction for registered bidders starts on Friday 1st December.

But even if buyers miss out this time around there has been no shortage of luxury being seized by CAB as heard during various recent cases.

One of those was burglar-gang driver Mary Cash who claimed she saved money whole working as an escort in Australia to afford her designer goods.

During a garda search a Gold Cartier Santos Galbee watch worth 2,000 and a Chanel NQuartz watch worth 900 were found alongside two diamond bracelets worth 4,200.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese authorities said they recently opened criminal investigations into the money management business of Zhongzhi Enterprise Group Co., days after the embattled shadow banking giant revealed a shortfall of $36.4 billion in its balance sheet.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Police in Beijing said in a statement on WeChat that they took criminal mandatory measures against multiple suspects, identifying one by the last name Xie. They urged investors to report cases or provide leads to the authorities, including filing complaints online. Xie Zhikun, the groups founder, died in 2021, but several of his relatives are currently executives at the company.

The statement didnt elaborate on what the measures entail or what crimes they may have committed.

The legal terminology used to describe the situation was similar to that in the case of China Evergrande Groups billionaire chairman Hui Ka Yan. Evergrande said in September that Hui was suspected of committing crimes.

The mandatory, or coercive measures, can take several forms, including summons, release on bail and residential surveillance, detention and arrest, according to the Chinese procedure law. The measures can be enforced by the police, courts or prosecutors.

Prior to China Evergrandes Hui, similar measures were taken against some staff of the money management business of the developer at the center of Chinas property crisis, according to a police statement in September.

Severely insolvent

Privately owned Zhongzhi earlier this week revealed the depth of its financial difficulties, telling investors it is severely insolvent with a shortfall of $36.4 billion.

Story continues

The wealth manager said liquidity has dried up and the recoverable amount from asset disposals is expected to be low, according to a letter sent to investors on Wednesday and seen by Bloomberg News.

Zhongzhi first triggered concern in August after one of its trust-company affiliates failed to make payments to customers on high-yield investment products. The groups financial difficulties add to President Xi Jinpings challenges as officials grapple with a property crisis and a weak economy.

The firm said the death of its founder Xie and the subsequent departure of senior executives had led to a failure of internal management. Previous efforts at a self-rescue didnt meet expectations, according to the Nov. 22 letter.

Those affected by Zhongzhis troubles are likely to be wealthy individuals. Shadow banks like Zhongzhi are loosely regulated firms that pool household savings to offer loans and invest in real estate, stocks, bonds and commodities. In recent years, even as rival trusts pared risks, Zhongzhi and its affiliates, especially Zhongrong International Trust Co., extended financing to troubled developers and snapped up assets from companies including China Evergrande.

Authorities Saturday called on Zhongzhis investors to actively cooperate with the police investigations and protect own rights and interests through legal channels to help retrieve the proceeds of the crimes and recover their losses.

(Updates with backgound on investigations and Chinese law from fifth pararaph)

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The suspect has been in an induced coma since the horror attack  meaning gardai have been unable to question him as to his motive

The 49-year-old who is suspected of stabbing four people, including three children, outside Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire had been embroiled in a row over his social welfare payments in recent weeks.

Sources said gardai have been made aware the Algerian-born Irish citizen was deeply unhappy and agitated about the decision which had the effect of reducing his weekly income from the State.

It would certainly have acted as a significant stressor for him and its a decision that was made only in recent weeks, a source confirmed.

The suspect has been in an induced coma since the horror attack  meaning gardai have been unable to question him as to his motive,

However, a senior source said yesterday that all currently-available evidence indicates this was not a lone wolf terror attack and is more likely linked to mental health issues and may, in some way, relate to the issue regarding his social welfare payments.

A profile of the assailant put together by gardai identified him as a non-political, non-religious introvert.

Investigations so far have discovered nothing that would indicate any kind of religious or political motivation for what he did, the source said.

A thorough examination has been carried out of his online activity, while those who knew or associated with him have also been spoken to.

There isnt any sign whatsoever of radicalisation, religious, political or otherwise.

He didnt attend church or a mosque and there is no evidence of any kind of views to the extreme left or right. Also, when the property in which he lived was searched, there was nothing of note found.

In other jurisdictions where lone wolf terror attacks have taken place, investigators have usually found propaganda of some kind or a manifesto.

There is nothing like that in this case. This was not a man who led a settled existence. He lived in hostels or supported living quarters.

As far as can tell, he was an introvert, not a part of something bigger that has been determined so far.

Asked if the mans medical history, and the fact he had a brain tumour removed in recent years, was being looked at, the source confirmed it was. 

Asked specifically about the removal of a brain tumour, the source indicated this happened several years ago, while the attacker hadnt come to Garda attention in any way until recent months.

Gardai charged the man with two criminal offences arising from event that took place in March. He was charged with possession of a knife and criminal damage.

When the cases came before Dublin District Court in May, no order was made. Legal sources said this sometimes happens in cases where mental health is viewed to be a factor.

The 49-year-old gave an address on the South Circular Road when he appeared before the court,

When this newspaper called to the building on Friday with a picture of the assailant, a resident who has lived there for five years said the man had never lived there.

In advance of questioning the suspect, gardai have gathered evidence that leads them to believe he deliberately targeted the children at the school  rather than this being a spontaneous attack.

Sources said he loitered around a back gate of the school for 10 minutes before walking around to the front and starting to stab the children.

Its believed he watched as a group of five children were lined up to be taken to afterschool before launching his attack

.
7pm, be in town. Bally up. Tool up. And any f**ing g**o, foreigner, anyone, just kill them, just f**king kill them.

Damage to Foot Locker after rioting on the streets of Dublin

Sinister threats to kill foreigners were broadcast on a far-right social media account ahead of Thursdays rioting in Dublin city.

The Sunday World has obtained audio from a contributor on the forum Enough is Enough on which supporters were advised to bally up and tool up ahead of the outbreak of violence.

The contributor ranted: If there are any guards on this group, you can go f**k yourselves as well.

You have blood on your hands. You f**king accommodated. And look, if they start acting the b****x, well just make a load of little small groups...They cant control us all. .Lets have little groups splintered off and do what we got to do.

In the message, the contributor says: 7pm, be in town. Bally up. Tool up. And any f**ing g**o, foreigner, anyone, just kill them, just f**king kill them.

Lets get this on the news. Lets show the f**king media were not a f**king pushover and that no more foreigners are allowed into this poxy country.

No f**king more  enough is enough as the title says.

Sickeningly, the contributor adds: This is it. This is the straw that broke the camels back. You touch our kids, and this is (sic) the repercussions and no guard, no politician, nobody is gonna stop us.

It comes as anti-immigrant activists moved to distance themselves from rioters who torched buses, cars and trams in the wake of this weeks horrific knife attack on Parnell Street.

Damage to Foot Locker after rioting on the streets of Dublin

Social media accounts began suggesting a foreigner or Muslim had carried out the shocking acts of violence shortly after the attack in which three children and a woman were injured.

Activists called for people to gather in OConnell Street under the Ireland is Full hashtag while citizen journalists known for their anti-immigrant views announced they were travelling to the city centre.

But even as the chaos ensued, with gardai battling to keep the crime scene preserved, prominent campaigners were making sure they could not be blamed for inciting the violence.

Dee Wall, a well-known anti-immigration agitator and anti -vaxxer posted a video in which she criticised the rioters.

This is not a rising. This is not standing up to the Government. Burning buses and burning Luases, youre only destroying your own transport.

Terrorising the life out of Irish bus men, thats not going to solve anything. Its going to make us all look like thugs and animals.

Oh my god, I know you are angry and I can understand your anger but this is not the road to go down.

...So please stop the violence and breaking into the likes of Footlocker and other places. Whats that? Thats nothing to do with these children.

Wall, whose real name is Dolores Webster, once called on fellow vaccine sceptics to drag President Michael D Higgins out of Aras an Uachtarain and dance on his head.

Anti-immigrant campaigner Dee Wall

Earlier this year, she welcomed convicted criminal Tommy Robinson to Dublin for an anti-immigration march.

She said she gave the Islamophobic founder of race-hate group English Defence League 100 blessings to come here.

By 3.30pm last Thursday there were other social media accounts calling for riots and for the Dail to be burned to the ground and for a march to Taoiseach Leo Varadkars home.

Not long afterwards another anti-immigrant and local election candidate Gavin Pepper posted a call on X calling for people to gather at The Spire at 7pm.

Everyone city centre tonight 7pm no excuses everyone out enough is enough spire #irelandisfull, he wrote in a post that was later deleted.

Mr Pepper declined to answer when asked by the Sunday World why the tweet had been deleted.

In June this year, he claimed that gardai investigating the arson attack on homeless immigrants tents at Sandwith Street in May raided his Finglas home.

In two videos posted on X, Mr Pepper claimed he is being blamed for the fire at the Sandwith Street encampment in Dublin which was burnt to the ground after refugees who had been seeking shelter there had been forced out by protesters.

Another social media user at OConnell Street posted a video in which he verbally abused members of the media covering the knife attacks.

The video was reposted by Keith Woods, attracting eight million views on X.

Woods recently took part in a discussion with America First white nationalist influencer and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes to share their views.

On Thursday, Woods blamed the complete collapse in social order in Dublin tonight on the government which flooded our country with unsustainable levels of migrants.
We have seen with our own eyes how violence puts everyone - especially the vulnerable and the innocent - in mortal danger

The leader of the Catholic Church in Dublin has expressed his dismay and concern over the shocking events that unfolded on the streets of the capital on Thursday, warning it is a moment of truth for our city and for Irish society more broadly.

In a statement, Archbishop Dermot Farrell said people are not helpless in the face of what we have witnessed and he urged them not to be passive but to challenge casual remarks that spread cynicism and prejudice.

We have seen with our own eyes how violence puts everyone - especially the vulnerable and the innocent - in mortal danger, he said, and he prayed for the victims of the horrific assault on Parnell Square, for their families, for the school staff, and the children of Scoil Mhuire.

Archbishop Dermot Farrell. Picture Dylan Vaughan

A five-year-old girl who was one of three children stabbed in the attack remains in a critical condition and the carer who sought to shield the children remains in a serious condition in hospital.

Archbishop Farrell gave thanks for the courage and decisiveness of those who acted so promptly with such selflessness to disable the attacker and for the skill of the emergency services and the gardai.

In a reference to Thursday evenings rioting and looting, he said we have seen its power to draw people in and consume them in a spiral of hatred and wanton destruction.

Dr Farrell said this violence can very markedly erode the ethos of peace and safety that usually characterises our lives together.

While some feel bewildered and anxious by what occurred, he appealed to them not to allow themselves to be cowed or intimidated by those who seek to coerce us but to challenge the misinformation that seeks to sow doubt, suspicion, resentment and fear.

We can challenge the casual remarks that spread cynicism and prejudice, the church leader emphasised and he urged people to reach out in solidarity and friendship to those who have made their homes among us, but who are being targeted with words of hate and gestures that are filled with hostility and derision.

Let us not forget the invaluable contribution so many make to our economy and society. Let us not take for granted the vibrant gifts of faith and witness which they bring to our parish communities, he said.

Separately, the chair of Dublin City Interfaith Forum, Archbishop Michael Jackson, said members of the interfaith group were shocked by the horrendous attack on our young children and adults and the orchestrated public disorder which followed which was stoked by hate and farright rhetoric online and on our streets and sought to sow hatred and division in our community.

The interfaith group appealed for a way to be found to move on from the hatefilled rhetoric and actions to making Dublin a welcoming city, a city of kindness.

Meanwhile, Muslim leader, Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri recommended on X that all weekend schools in Dublin mosques remain closed and Muslims avoid travelling to Dublin city centre.
Garda bosses only called for reinforcements after city was under siege

Helen McEntee responded to criticism of the violent scenes in the city centre by insisting she would not resign

As the future of the Garda Commissioner and the Justice Minister hangs in the balance this weekend, it has emerged that it was only after gardai had lost control of Dublin city centre on Thursday that senior management circulated a desperate call for back-up across divisions, including as far away as Sligo.

Urgent requests for extra officers were sent out to divisional stations after 7pm, but at that stage a garda car was already burning on OConnell Street and the public order units were under attack from mobs throwing fireworks and flares.

Last night Tanaiste Micheal Martin promised a comprehensive and rapid review of everything that happened in Dublin on Thursday night.

He said it was very clear a far more robust way of anticipating when online aggression and division will be physically unleashed on our streets is needed.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Yesterday it was also confirmed that the Garda Commissioner and Justice Minister will be asked to the Oireachtas Justice Committee to conduct a detailed analysis of the violence.

The Government is likely to defend the position of Helen McEntee, ahead of an expected confidence motion  and also that of the Garda Commissioner  but there was growing frustration among government TDs this weekend at the perceived breakdown in law and order.

We can reveal that rioting had already broken out and the force had lost control of the main shopping district in Dublins north inner city by the time garda reinforcements were called in.

One WhatsApp message circulated at 7.20pm on Thursday shared a request that had come down from an assistant commissioner to gather any public order thats available to go to Dublin Metropolitan Region no matter what their present duty or duty tomorrow. Our members are under severe pressure there and need our support.

A source in another garda division in Leinster said a message was circulated to members at 7.45pm requesting anyone who was off and available to report to local headquarters.

The belated call meant hundreds of gardai from Kildare, Wicklow, Waterford, Wexford, Louth and Meath arrived in Dublin after 8.30pm and 9pm, when the rioters had taken control of the city centre, vandalising public transport and properties and looting shops and businesses.

The revelations will add to pressure on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, who is facing calls to resign over the forces response to the riots.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Photo: Mark Condren

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said she had no confidence in the commissioner and called for him and Helen McEntee to resign.

Violence broke out following the stabbing of three children, aged five and six, and a care worker in her 30s, outside a school on Parnell Square East at lunchtime on Thursday.

The five-year-old girl remains critically ill in hospital this weekend and her carer is recovering from serious injuries. A six-year-old girl who was stabbed was discharged from hospital yesterday and a five-year-old boy was allowed to go home on Friday.

The suspect for the stabbing, who was living in sheltered accommodation and came to Ireland from Algeria more than 20 years ago, becoming a naturalised Irish citizen in 2014, remains in hospital.

Sources indicated last night that he is in an induced coma and will be arrested and questioned once he is deemed fit.

Workers cleaning up after rioting on O'Connell Street. Photo: Frank McGrath

Detectives investigating a possible motive for the attack have found nothing to link the man to the children, the care worker or the school, Gaelscoil Colaiste Mhuire.

His iPhone and laptop were seized by detectives, who suggested he had a grievance over his social welfare entitlements. They found no evidence of extremism of any kind.

The rioting broke out after a mob joined a far-right protest close to the cordoned-off crime scene and began assaulting and taunting gardai.

Garda managements response to the riots was criticised by retired senior garda Christy Mangan, who said the call to arms came surprisingly late in the evening.

Gardai will have to review what they did. Where was the policing plan, and why did it take so long to kick in? he said. I would question the constant statements that the streets are safe, and then you have this on Thursday night. Call it as it is. The streets need to be reclaimed.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee. Photo: Collins

Justice Minister Helen McEntee wants to expand the scope of a controversial new law giving gardai powers to use facial recognition technology (FRT) in the wake of the riots.

She has instructed officials to include riot and violent disorder as grounds for using FRT on CCTV footage to identify people.

The proposed law, as it stands, only grants powers to use FRT for serious crimes investigations including murder, terrorism, child sexual abuse and rape.

Gardai investigating Thursdays riots must manually trawl through 6,000 hours of CCTV footage, but McEntee has discussed expanding the FRT law with Harris and frontline gardai in recent days.

In an internal message yesterday, the commissioner paid tribute to the bravery, professionalism and commitment of gardai of all ranks to bring the terrible and shocking violence under control and bring order back to the capital.

He issued the circular after he met four garda associations yesterday, saying he had received valuable feedback about training, equipment and deployment.

In a statement last night, McEntee said: An Garda Siochana, including Commissioner Harris, have my full support to maintain order. Those responsible will be brought to justice.

Yesterday the chair of the Justice Committee James Lawless said: I believe the events in Dublin of Thursday night were a perfect storm of far-right hate groups organising online but also of rogue gangs of local youths who have been menacing the city centre since Covid.
Taoiseach had tweeted an innocent child who was lost has now returned

The Irish Ambassador has been summoned for an angry dressing-down by the Israeli authorities after a tweet by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

The row is the latest in an ever-growing list of diplomatic tensions between Ireland and Israel since the Hamas attack on October 7, that led to Israels war in Gaza.

Mr Varadkar was commenting on X, formerly Twitter, about the release of Emily Hand, describing her as having been lost for 50 days.

A video released on Sunday morning shows Emily embracing her father Thomas Hand in an emotional reunion.

Emily was seized from her home in on October 7th.

Thomas and Emily Hand reunited tonight.

But Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen hit the roof in response to Mr Varadkars post.

He furiously wrote in response: Emily Hand was not lost.

Emily Hand was kidnapped by a terrorist organisation worse than Isis after her stepmother was murdered.

Mr Cohen, who recently met Tanaiste Micheal Martin, accused the Taoiseach: Emily and over 30 other Israeli children were kidnapped by Hamas and you are trying to legitimise it

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. Shame on you!

Irish Ambassador Sonya McGuinness, who is based in Tel Aviv, will now have to travel to Jerusalem to be formally rebuked.

The Department of Foreign Affairs had no immediate reaction in response, it said.

The Irish Independent has sought comment from both Mr Varadkar and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin.

Mr Cohens attack on the Taoiseach broke all normal codes of diplomacy as he began his response tweet: Emily Hand is not lost. Maybe you have lost your moral compass and your connection to reality.

He was answering Mr Varadkar, who wrote: This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family.

An innocent child who was lost has now returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen, right, visit Kibbutz Beeri to see the damage that the community sustained after the October 7 attack by Hamas. Photo: Reuters

The Israeli Foreign Ministry itself issued no statement as the bitter reaction threatened to undermine relations between the two countries.

Israel has long seen Ireland as the most pro-Palestinian country in Europe.

In a formal statement welcoming Emilys release on Saturday night Mr Varadkar also used the word lost.

An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned a little girl was snatched from her home and held captive for almost seven weeks. She spent her ninth birthday as a hostage.

We hope she will soon heal and recover from the traumatic experience in the loving embrace of her family.

For her family, these seven weeks have been a slow and cruel torture. We all recall the initial response from her father Tom Hand  the painful grief mixed with relief with the mistaken belief that his daughter had not been taken hostage, which turned into an ember of hope when it was discovered she was still alive. Throughout all these different emotions his love has been constant.

Tom and Emilys half-sister Natali turned that ember of hope into a flame by channelling their sorrow and campaigning tirelessly for Emilys release. They travelled across Europe to keep her plight in the public eye.

Watch: Emily Hand runs into the arms of her father, after she is released from captivity

Mr Varadkar said that when he met Tom and Natali in Dublin, their pain was etched on their faces, but so was their courage and determination to ensure that Emily would be freed.

He added: I shared their grief and was inspired by their example. Irish people everywhere share in the relief of Emilys family.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the hostages in Gaza, but we followed particularly closely the fate of Emily, a dual Irish-Israeli citizen. Since our country first heard that she may still be alive, we have hoped beyond hope that her name would be on one of the lists of hostages to be released.

Emily now returns to her family, but we cannot forget that many more hostages remain in captivity in Gaza. Their fate is unknown, but we hope that like Emily, they will also be allowed to return to their homes and their families.

He said more generally: We think of all the families suffering in this troubled region, and we redouble our efforts to work for a permanent ceasefire, and for a just and lasting peace.
A video released on Sunday morning shows Emily embracing her father Thomas Hand in an emotional reunion

Emily Hand runs into the arms of her father, after she is released from captivity

Nine-year-old Israeli-Irish national Emily Hand has been released by Hamas, along with eight other Israeli children and five women.

A video released on Sunday morning shows Emily embracing her father Thomas Hand in an emotional reunion.

On Saturday, Mr Hand had confirmed to Irish officials that he had been told his daughter is among the 13 hostages released tonight and that he was waiting for her.

Earlier on Saturday night, various media reports stated that after crossing the border to Egypt the hostages will be positively identified by Israeli security officials and flown by helicopter to a hospital in Israel.

Emily was seized from her home in on October 7th.

Israeli boy sprints into family's arms after six weeks in Hamas captivity

She was included in the second batch of Israelis to be released as part of a deal under which 50 Israeli children, mothers and elderly women are being released in four instalments over a four-day period, during which a ceasefire is being observed in Gaza by both sides.

The Tanaiste, the Taoiseach and Mary Lou McDonald have all welcomed the news of Emilys release.

Micheal Martin said in a statement: I am delighted that Emily Hand  a bright and beautiful young girl  has been released and will be reunited with her family.

After weeks of trauma, this is a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family. The people of Ireland have been touched by Emilys story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father, Tom.

Leo Varadkar added: This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and our country breathes a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.

A little girl was snatched from her home and held captive for almost seven weeks. She spent her ninth birthday as a hostage. We hope she will soon heal and recover from the traumatic experience in the loving embrace of her family.

For her family, these seven weeks have been a slow and cruel torture. We all recall the initial response from her father Tom Hand  the painful grief mixed with relief with the mistaken belief that his daughter had not been taken hostage, which turned into an ember of hope when it was discovered she was still alive. Throughout all these different emotions his love has been constant.

Emily and Thomas Hand

Mary Lou McDonald said: I welcome confirmation that Emily Hand has been released. The trauma and heartbreak that little Emily and her family have been subjected to over the last number of weeks is unimaginable.

I reiterate my call that all hostages be released urgently and for an immediate full ceasefire to be in place. Ireland must continue to be a voice for peaceful dialogue on the international stage.

Qatari and Egyptian mediators earlier said Hamas had agreed to release 13 Israelis and seven foreign nationals on Saturday in exchange for 39 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

The announcement came after Hamas delayed the releases for several hours, saying Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal that had set the stage for such swaps.

Osama Hamdan, the Hamas representative in Lebanon, told the Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen TV channel that the suspension was due to violations of the truce committed by Israel "linked to aid (entering Gaza), in addition to shootings and the rising death toll ... Some of (these violations) happened yesterday, and repeated today," Hamdan said.

Hamas was expected to release a second group of Israelis on Saturday under a deal to allow an exchange of 50 hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

Earlier, Egyptian security sources had said they had received the names of 14 Israeli women and children from Hamas and were waiting for more details.

A convoy of Israeli army vehicles near Israels border after leaving Gaza on Friday (Tsafrir Abayov/AP)

Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement that Cairo was holding extensive talks with all parties to reach an agreement which would mean "the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails."

Under the existing deal, a total of 50 hostages are to be exchanged for 150 Palestinian prisoners, some of them convicted on weapon charges and violent offences, over four days. The first exchange took place on Friday.

Among the Israelis freed on Friday after almost 50 days in captivity in Gaza was nine-year-old Ohad Munder, who ran down a hospital corridor in Israel into his father's open arms, footage released by the hospital showed.

He and three other children released at the same time were in relatively good condition, Gilat Livni, the centre's Director of Paediatrics told reporters.

"I dreamt we came home," another hostage, four-year-old Raz Asher, said sitting in her father's arms on a hospital bed after she and her mother and younger sister were freed. "Now the dream came true," her father, Yoni, replied.

Hamas fighters freed a total of 24 hostages on Friday - 13 Israelis, 10 Thai farm workers and a Filipino - and Israel later released 39 Palestinian women and teenagers from detention.

AID TRUCKS

Both sides have said hostilities would resume as soon as the truce ends, though U.S. President Joe Biden said there was a real chance of extending the truce.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after its fighters killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages after they broke through security barriers around the Gaza Strip and rampaged through Israeli communities around the blockaded enclave.

Since then, Israel has rained bombs on Gaza, killing about 14,000 people, roughly 40% of them children, Palestinian health authorities say.

For many of the 2.3 million people who live in the tiny Gaza Strip, the pause in the near-constant air and artillery strikes has offered a first chance to safely move around, take stock of the devastation, and seek access to aid imports.

"We hope the truce will continue and be permanent, not just four or five days. People cannot pay the cost of this war," said Ayman Nofal, in a street market in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

Fifty trucks carrying food, water, shelter equipment, and medical supplies, have been deployed to the northern Gaza Strip and to shelters in non-evacuated areas of the Palestinian enclave, Israel said.

This was the first time since the start of the war that a significant amount of aid was deployed to northern Gaza, according to the Israeli Defence Ministry agency that coordinates with the Palestinians.

A U.N. convoy delivered aid to two shelters for displaced people in northern Gaza for the first time in over a month, the U.N. humanitarian office said.

"We are happy with the truce, it gave the people the opportunity to breathe a little bit," Palestinian resident Haitham Ahmed said.

Four fuel trucks and four more carrying cooking gas passed through the Rafah crossing into Gaza early on Saturday. Palestinians, suffering acute fuel shortages due to Israel's blockade of the enclave, stood in long queues to fill their gas cylinders.

But Mohammed Ghandour who waited five hours to fill his cylindrical metal canister, left empty-handed. "I'm now going home without gas," he said.

Aid groups have also used the temporary truce to evacuate patients and health workers from some northern hospitals that have all but collapsed due to attacks and lack of fuel.

'STILL AFRAID'

Thailand welcomed the release of 10 of its nationals from Gaza on Friday under a separate track mediated by Egypt and Qatar, and said a further 20 were still behind held. Iran said it helped facilitate that release.

Among those freed was Thai farm worker Vetoon Phoome, whose family thought he had been killed in the Hamas attack seven weeks ago, according to his sister, Roongarun Wichagern.

In Palestinian homes, the joy of being reunited with loved ones was tinged with bitterness. In at least three cases, prior to the prisoners' release, Israeli police raided their families' homes in Jerusalem, witnesses said. Police declined to comment.

"There is no real joy, even this little joy we feel as we wait," said Sawsan Bkeer, the mother of 24-year-old Palestinian Marah Bkeer, jailed for eight years on knife and assault charges in 2015.

Israeli police were seen raiding her Jerusalem home before her daughter's release.

"We are still afraid to feel happy," she added.

In Khan Younis, Tahani al-Najjar, a Palestinian woman returning to home to find it in ruins, said a pause in the fighting was not enough.

"Tell me what we got out of this truce?," she asked. "What we got out of this truce? You only made our hearts hurt. Do you want to find a solution for us? You should make a permanent truce for us.
Mr Musk also appeared to suggest that former UFC fighter Conor McGregor should run for political office

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris was out and about yesterday

Twitter owner Elon Musk has hit out at Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and suggested former UFC fighter Conor McGregor should run for office in future.

There was a heavy police presence  including dogs, mounted officers and water cannons  in Dublin on Saturday evening following serious rioting in the capital on Thursday.

The disorder broke out after crowds gathered following an attack on young children and their creche worker in the Parnell Square area of the city.

In response to a post on X outlining Mr Varadkars intention to pass new laws in the coming weeks to help gardai make better use of CCTV to catch those engaged in disorder, Mr Musk said: Ironically, the Irish PM (Taoiseach) hates the Irish people.

"This is their last term in office, added the billionaire.

Mr Musk also appeared to suggest that former UFC fighter Conor McGregor should run for political office.

Responding to a post from one users reply to McGregor saying he should run for office to kick these losers out, the Tesla owner said: Not a bad idea.

"The current Irish government clearly cares more about praise from woke media than their own people, said Musk in a further post.

It comes after Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she has been briefed by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on the policing plan and ongoing operations to maintain order in Dublin.

She said her thoughts remain with the young children and their creche worker who were attacked by a man armed with a knife outside a school on Thursday afternoon.

"I have provided additional overtime in the capital, and I am determined to maintain the momentum we are now building in Garda recruitment to increase the number of Garda members on the ground.

"I want to again be clear that the thuggery we saw on Thursday will not be tolerated and, as Minister for Justice, An Garda Siochana, including Commissioner Harris, have my full support to maintain order. Those responsible will be brought to justice.

Conor McGregor

On Friday, the PSNI dispatched two water cannon following a request from their Dublin counterparts, with the Garda confirming its use was an available tactic for them.

"Training has taken place to refresh previously trained operators and water cannons are now an available tactic to public order operational commanders for An Garda Siochana, said a spokesperson.

"Commissioner Harris thanks the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and all PSNI personnel involved for their offer of assistance and rapid response to his request."

There were chaotic scenes on Thursday evening - which involved far-right elements - with Garda cars, buses and trams set alight, and shops looted and damaged after the knife attack in the north inner city.

Some 34 people were arrested during the scenes on the capital's main thoroughfare O'Connell Street, and Garda officers are trawling 6,000 hours of CCTV footage from the night.

It was quieter on Friday night with gardai regaining control and a small number of people were arrested for public order offences.

The five-year-old girl injured in the knife attack outside a school remains in a critical condition in hospital on Friday while the female care assistant, in her 30s, is in a serious condition.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The two other children, a five-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, suffered less serious injuries.

The six-year-old remained in hospital on Friday but the boy was discharged.

Gardai said a man who sustained serious injuries at the scene is a person of interest in their investigation.

More than half a million euros has been raised for the victims of the stabbing attack, and those who intervened.

A number of GoFundMe pages have been set up, with the highest total for an effort to assist Deliveroo driver Caio Benicio who intervened in the attack to stop the man armed with a knife.
Rotorua has been named among the top 10 trending global destinations by major travel website Booking.com.

It comes as the tourism hotspots business community anticipates positive year ahead, with more than 100 companies across 20 industries seeing visitors returning to the city.

Booking.com looked at customer bookings for travel in the coming two years over the 12 months to the end of July.

The top 1000 most-booked places were ranked by year-over-year increase.

Rotorua ranked in the top 10 alongside sister-city Beppu in Japan - which Mayor Tania Tapsell will visit next year.

Tapsell says she's stoked to see Rotorua named a top trending destinations.

This is a huge boost of confidence that Rotorua continues to be a world-class destination.

It was interesting seeing findings 74 per cent of people feel relaxed around water, with our beautiful lakes and uniquely-Rotorua geothermal its no wonder weve placed so highly.

Tapsell congratulates Beppu, a fellow geothermal destination, on its rating.

When her visit there was approved last month Tapsell told Local Democracy Reporting it was an opportunity to remind potential visitors Rotorua was back in business for tourists.

Rotorua has been named in the top 10 trending destinations on Booking.com. Photo / Felix Desmarais.

Booking.com Oceania regional manager Todd Lacey says with an array of fantastic accommodation, attractions and experiences, Rotorua is hitting the global stage as international travel continued to return to Aotearoa.

Tourism and economic development agency RotoruaNZ brand and marketing manager Haydn Marriner is thrilled by the international recognition.

This amazing accolade adds to the international recognition for Rotorua, following an earlier acknowledgment by Forbes Magazine as one of the Top 50 places to visit in 2023.

He says it's a result of hard work by local tourism operators.

Among international awards received in the last year were Trip Advisor Award recipients, such as worlds best nature tour Rotorua Canopy Tours - visited this month by superstar Sam Smith - and Polynesian Spa, which secured three awards at the World Luxury Spa Awards 2023.

He says the accolades reflect operators relentless positivity and drive.

Marriner says The Business Pulse Survey results, released on Thursday, mirrored this positivity, indicating a strong belief within the business community the tourism sector is on the rise.

Rotorua invites all of New Zealand to come and experience the best attractions, activities, and people for the best summer ever.

The forward-looking data gives us great optimism that Rotorua is on the rise, and we are proud of the work of our local people who have all contributed to this success and for being positive about our place and our future.

RotoruaNZ and the Rotorua Business Chamber jointly conduct the business survey twice a year.

The fourth edition was published to a new interactive dashboard on its website .

Asked what they are most positive about for the next 12 months, tourism recovery is the most popular answer at 44 per cent.

Comments from the survey were posted anonymously and included noting more visitors in town, including from overseas, and highlighting freshly completed public areas like the lakefront.

Others mentioned the citys beautiful natural assets and an increase in visitor accommodation, such as motels, switched back from emergency housing.

The report says economic confidence is flat compared to a year ago but there's a huge jump looking out a year, seemingly driven by the change in government and the return of international tourists.

It also notes cost pressures remain but profitability is expected to rise, leading to an increased appetite for capital investment and improved hiring intentions.

Finding skilled staff remains a top concern but has dropped with immigration starting to ease staffing pressures.

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
Christmas is nearly upon us, but for some the cupboards are bare and presents are just a dream.

Thats why the Salvation Army and Kmart are teaming up again for the 30th annual Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal.

The appeal is NZs longest-running gift appeal, launched in 1993.

New gift donations from the public can be dropped off at Christmas trees located at any Kmart store.

The Salvation Army then distributes the gifts to needy families in the community.

Taurangas two Kmart stores in Bethlehem and Bayfair have launched their store appeals with a Wishing Tree located at each store.

People are encouraged to buy a gift and place it under the tree.

The Salvation Army will then collect up the gifts to distribute.

Tauranga Salvation Army community ministries manager Sarah Way says with the community donating presents to the Wishing Tree Appeal, they can help children, adults and seniors experience the joy of Christmas.

Sarah says living costs have been impacting donations, which are needed to help assist people in rather sad situations such as homelessness, illness or family crisis.

We have at least 300 people walk through our doors every month, needing food, says Sarah.

The need is ever-increasing, and its even harder because we have had a decline of donations.

The Salvation Army works to bring about lasting change for people facing hardship and injustice.

Through local programmes and services, they provide critical support for people experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, family and domestic violence, and financial hardship.

Last year, the Salvation Army supported more than 150,000 Kiwis nationwide who sought help.

To contribute, place an unwrapped new or hand-crafted gift under the Kmart Wishing Tree at Bayfair or Bethlehem, including a completed gift tag outlining the gender and age group of the recipient.

Suggested gifts are gift cards, books, sporting equipment, school supplies, arts and crafts, headphones, educational toys, toiletries, and musical instruments.

Alternatively, its possible to scan the QR code at the Wishing Tree to make a monetary contribution, or via www.kmart.co.nz/kmartwishingtree

Or contact the Tauranga Community Ministries team on 07 578 4264 or email: tauranga.cm@salvationarmy.org.nz
Before they can restore it to all its former glory, they first need somewhere to house it!

Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade is on a shed-building mission with the ultimate goal of having a place to store and revamp their 1938 Ford V8 Fire Truck.

Construction of the shed started in July but chief fire officer Dale Lindsay says the volunteer group has now run out of money.

Weve got 90 per cent of the shed built but weve still got a few bits and pieces to go, says Dale.

Weve had about $20,000 to $30,000 more cost than we anticipated, so were trying to raise a few more dollars.

Build expenses

A big cost was the projects earthworks, says Dale.

We had to get Geotech Engineers to check all the ground.

We found 1.5m was just rubbish soil. We ended up having to take out 205-odd cubic metres of soil.

Dale says the excavation itself cost $10,000  and thats with the expense curbed due to the mahi (work) of volunteers.

It probably wouldve been $30,000 if we hadnt have been able to do it ourselves.

With the main structure of the shed complete and weather-proofed  only the final pieces of the build puzzle remain.

Its the PA [Personnel Access] door, the windows, and the flashings to go on, then the concrete ramps.

"Once thats done, itll be all set to go. If we can get it sorted by Christmas thatll be cool!

Dale says the brigades mission is to get the 1938 Fire Truck housed and in a nice area in its own shed so we can start working on that when we need toonce we get more funds raised, we can start looking at options for restoring it and making it pretty again.

The Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade are raising funds to get the last of their shed completed. Photo: John Borren.

Home and asset

The shed wont only be a home for the iconic Ford, however. It will double as a community asset in the event of emergencies.

Its to store fire and emergencies urban search and rescue equipment, says Dale.

Were a strategic location in the event of natural disaster like a tsunami or earthquake because were slightly inland.

Dale says the shed will also be used as an emergency training venue.

If we wanted to we could make some rooms you could shift around inside for training.

"You can fill the place full of smoke and then have people around the room find dummies and patients for training.

For now, Dale says: If we can pick up another $30,000 that would be great  that would allow us to finish it.

He thanks all the community who have supported the project this far.

Make the Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigades Christmas wish come true and help them get this community resource over the line!

To donate visit: https://givealittle.co.nz/org/te-puke-volunteer-fire-brigade
Eric Evans, Keenan Yancey, Harry Langbehn and Misty De La Cruz of First Financial Bank with a display check for Northwest Indiana communities. - Original Credit: Photo courtesy of First Financial Bank (Photo courtesy of First Financial Bank/HANDOUT)

NWI organizations receive First Financial donations

First Financial Bank and the First Financial Foundation have provided $42,500 in grants to organizations in Northwest Indiana, according to a release.

First Financial provided grants to Gary Community Partnership Corp., Greater Hammond Community Services, Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana, Junior Achievement of Chicago  Northwest Indiana Chapter and Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana, the release said.

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With a total of $510,000 being awarded in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, this is the First Financial Foundations largest grant campaign to date, the release said.

RDC elects new officers for 2024

The Valparaiso-based Regional Development Company announced its 2023 year-end accomplishments and elections at the annual membership meeting recently at Byway Brewing in Hammond, a release said.

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The board of directors elected the 2023 slate of officers included, Matt Saltanovitz, Indiana Economic Development Corp., as chair; Steve Kring, Horizon Bank, as vice chair; Rex Richards, Valparaiso Economic Development Corp., as secretary; Mike Riehle, LaPorte Economic Advancement Partnership, as treasurer; and Mike Schneider, Wintrust Bank, as past chair.

Three new members were elected to the board, the release said. They are: Anthony Sindone, economics and business professor at Purdue University Northwest, Anne Taylor, Executive Director of Planning and Development for the City of Hammond, and Mark Oganovich, Senior Vice President of Business Development with Old National Bank. Also elected were new Loan Committee members Tim Spoelman of Centier Bank, Tami Pae of First Merchants Bank and Jesse Hunt of Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, the release said. For more information, visit www.rdc504.org.

Ivy Tech honors faculty, alumni and benefactor

Ivy Tech Community College recently honored local faculty and adjunct faculty, as well as a distinguished alumni and benefactor, according to a release.

The winner of this years Glenn W. Sample Award was Valparaisos Sarah Darrell, who serves as simulation coordinator with the campus nursing faculty. The Adjunct Faculty Presidents Award honoree was Jimmy James Bannister, adjunct welding instructor. The Distinguished Alumni from Valparaiso was Sandy Strilich Daly, who was the first female to pass the climbing class for her electric line construction degree. The Honored Benefactor from Valparaiso was Cleveland-Cliffs, a financial friend of Ivy Tech for more than 26 years, according to a release.

A selection committee made up of alumni, past winners, State Trustees, faculty representatives, and college administration selected the honorees based on nominations from students, fellow faculty members, and Ivy Tech staff, the release said.
For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (AMS:CCEP). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Coca-Cola Europacific Partners with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

See our latest analysis for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

How Fast Is Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Growing?

The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so you'd expect share price to follow earnings per share (EPS) outcomes eventually. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. It certainly is nice to see that Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has managed to grow EPS by 34% per year over three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be beaming.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 12% to 18b. That's progress.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

You don't drive with your eyes on the rear-view mirror, so you might be more interested in this free report showing analyst forecasts for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners' future profits.

Story continues

Are Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a 26b company like Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. To be specific, they have 38m worth of shares. This considerable investment should help drive long-term value in the business. Even though that's only about 0.1% of the company, it's enough money to indicate alignment between the leaders of the business and ordinary shareholders.

Is Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Worth Keeping An Eye On?

If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Coca-Cola Europacific Partners' strong EPS growth. This EPS growth rate is something the company should be proud of, and so it's no surprise that insiders are holding on to a considerable chunk of shares. The growth and insider confidence is looked upon well and so it's worthwhile to investigate further with a view to discern the stock's true value. We should say that we've discovered 2 warning signs for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners that you should be aware of before investing here.

The beauty of investing is that you can invest in almost any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
It was a lucky night for a Powerball player from Whakatane and three Second Division players from Te Puke and Waihi on Saturday.

The Whakatane Powerball player won $8.3 million with Powerball First Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw. The winning ticket was sold at Halfway Store in Whakatane.

The prize is made up of $8 million from Powerball First Division and $333,333 from Lotto First Division.

Three lucky Bay of Plenty players will be celebrating after each winning $19,470 with Lotto Second Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw.

The winning Second Division tickets were sold at New World Te Puke, Four Square Te Puke, and Paper Plus Waihi & Toyworld.

Saturday nights Powerball winner is the seventeenth Powerball multi-millionaire of 2023, and the win comes just weeks after a $8.3 million Powerball prize was won by a couple in Hamilton. The couple are looking forward to helping their family with their win.

Two other lucky Lotto players will also be celebrating after winning $333,333 with Lotto First Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw.

The winning tickets were sold at Ngaio Supermarket in Wellington and Fresh Choice Ngaruawahia in Waikato.

Meanwhile, Strike Four has rolled over and will be $500,000 on Wednesday night.

14 Lotto players win Second Division

As well as the three Bay of Plenty Second Division winners, 11 other lucky Lotto players will be in for a treat too after each winning $19,470 with Lotto Second Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw.

Two lucky players also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $28,219.

The winning Powerball Second Division tickets were sold at Southmall Lotto Kiosk in Auckland and at Kamo Lotto in Whangarei. The winning Second Division tickets were sold at the following stores:

Store Location MyLotto (x2) Auckland City Countdown Newmarket Auckland Southmall Lotto Kiosk (+PB) Auckland Kamo Lotto (+PB) Whangarei MyLotto Waikato New World Te Puke Bay of Plenty Four Square Te Puke Bay of Plenty New World Waipukurau Hawke's Bay MyLotto (x2) Wellington Molesworth Goods and Lotto Thorndon MyLotto Lower Hutt Paper Plus Waihi & Toyworld Waihi

Anyone who bought their ticket from any of the above stores should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the MyLotto App.

Lotto NZ exists to return 100 per cent of its profits to Kiwi communities through lottery grants programmes run by Te Puna Tahua NZ Lottery Grants Board.
He was ordered in court to remove a Facebook page that contained threats, harassment, abuse and harm to a woman attacked by the dog it promoted, but Ryan Tarawhiti-Brown claims he is the victim of a witch hunt that has gone on for more than two years.

Ryan ran the Facebook page Team Chopper, in support of his mother Helen Frasers Rottweiler.

Chopper was euthanised by court order on August 21, following a lengthy court battle over a 2021 incident where Chopper bit Tauranga vet Liza Schneider, leaving her with a broken arm, nerve damage and permanent scarring. She underwent two surgeries.

Helen was convicted of being the owner of a dog that attacked and seriously injured a person.

Days after Chopper was put down, Liza took Ryan and Meta to court under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, asking that Ryan disable the page, refrain from further mention of her, and publish an apology.

In court documents obtained by Stuff dated August 31, Liza said that the physical injuries from the attack paled in significance compared to the psychological damage caused by subsequent harassment.

Liza and her practice were mentioned by name several times on the Facebook page, court documents reveal.

Comments posted on the page included death threats, wishing her to pay with life or limb, she be put asleep and that her time was coming. Comments called her abusive names.

The abusive posts in the court documents were not made by Ryan.

In an affidavit, Liza said her practices Google page had been bombarded with fake reviews, which she alleged were incited by the Team Chopper page.

Her practices own Facebook page had received numerous threatening and abusive messages, which often contained threats to harm or kill Liza, and in one instance, to set fire to her veterinary practice.

The effect on her and her teams mental and emotional wellbeing was relentless and debilitating, she says. Her staff needed counselling and two needed pharmaceutical support. Both Liza and the clinic needed security measures due to the nature of the threats.

An interim judgment in August, previously suppressed, ordered Ryan to take down the page and remove references to Liza. A technical advisor was appointed by the judge to assist the court about the scope of appropriate takedown orders of Facebook and to review the posts.

During a second court hearing in October, Ryans lawyer Bev Edwards accepted that he had not complied with the interim order to take down the page, but had instead changed the nature of the page to promote rights for cats and dogs.

In a judgement on November 13, Ryan, who now lives in Australia, was ordered to disable or take down the page, which had almost 20,000 followers.

The judge ruled that the digital communications on the Facebook page had been threatening to Liza and amount to harassment of her, and had caused her ongoing psychological harm.

In his ruling, Judge Cameron  the same judge who had made the decision to euthanise Chopper  ordered that Ryan must disable or take down the page immediately, cease and refrain from any digital communication about Liza, or identifying her directly or indirectly and must not encourage any other person to do so.

The legal system is against dogs and all I have done is stand up for dogs. This ruling is a sad day for freedom in New Zealand, says Ryan.

The judge did not order any apology and asked each person to pay costs. He also lifted suppression of the case.

A spokesperson for the New Zealand Veterinary Association, also speaking on behalf of Liza, says they both did not want to talk about it as there are still some issues.

Ryan has now renamed the page Choppers Legacy, and wants to make it a charity to fundraise for animal rescue centres.

He told Stuff that he agreed there had been some horrible private messages but both sides have suffered abuse.

Im tired of this witch hunt that has gone on for over two years. It has now been five court cases in two years, and we just want to move on.

He did his absolute best to remove anything on the page that he saw as pushing boundaries, but with up to 6000 interactions daily, he couldnt remove them all, he says.

He told Stuff he believed people should be allowed to express opinions that go against a narrative.

People shared their opinion on the case in comments for both sides of the argument. For our supporters, its understandable that they are upset, as it is common knowledge that dogs are anxious around clinics.

Choppers owner, Helen Fraser was charged with owning a dangerous dog. Photo: Christel Yardley/Stuff

Meta was dropped from the case as respondent, as orders against Facebook/Meta are fraught with difficulties, including jurisdictional ones, and so the application against those organisations is discontinued.

A Meta spokesperson told Stuff in August that a team was reviewing the posts and page.

Facebooks Community Standards prohibit bullying, hate and harassment  and a page owner or administrator must comply with the standards even if posts are made by others.

What to do about online abuse

If youre concerned about your immediate safety, call police on 111.

Annemarie Quill/Stuff
Javier Martinez Valencia Sunday, 26 November 2023, 20:27 Compartir Copiar enlace

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The Guardia Civil's anti-drug officers in Spain will use underwater drones with state-of-the-art recording systems to search for drug caches on the hulls of ships and the 'narco-diver' who pull the packages out of the water.

The acquisition of ten Gladius Mini S model devices aims to strengthen the Guardia Civil's capacity in the prevention and prosecution of drug trafficking in Valencian waters and other regions of Spain.

After detecting new techniques for concealing drugs on vessels arriving at European Union ports in recent years , the Guardia Civil's anti-drug groups have requested more technology to increase and improve inspections in the waters of the ports of Valencia, Alicante, Santander, Pontevedra, Bilbao, Tenerife, Las Palmas, Malaga, Barcelona and Algeciras.

Drug trafficking networks take advantage of different holes in the hulls of ships, both above and below the waterline, to hide cocaine stashes, and therefore need 'narco-divers' to hide the drugs in the country of origin and take them out days later when the ship docks in a Spanish port.

With the underwater drones the Guardia Civil will be better prepared "against all types of threats and particularly against smuggling", according to sources from the Guardia Civil command in Valencia.

The new devices will allow a greater number of inspections to be carried out on the hulls of the ships selected by officers of the Guardia Civil's Tax and Border Analysis and Investigation Unit (UDAIFF), and will also serve to support divers of the Special Group for Underwater Activities (GEAS), who will act when necessary after viewing the recordings of the underwater drones.

"The acquisition of this equipment has been 80% financed within the framework of the EUAF 2021 (Union Anti-Fraud Programme) of the European Anti-Fraud Office, and the remaining 20% by the Guardia Civil," the same sources said.

The Gladius Mini S underwater drones' patented motor reduces the chance of getting stuck in the silt and operates reliably in all types of harsh underwater environments. These devices have a remote control that supports Wi-Fi connections, wired data transfer to electronic devices (such as mobile phones or tablets) and a battery life of up to four hours.
Raquel Merino Malaga Sunday, 26 November 2023, 10:13 Compartir Copiar enlace

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Anyone who receives an SMS text message about a traffic fine should treat it as a scam, Spain's National Cybersecurity Institute (Incibe) has warned.

The new type of scam that is starting to emerge in the country involves a text message where the fraudster impersonates the Directorate-General of Traffic (DGT) and informs the victim that they have received a traffic fine. It is accompanied with a link, which directs them to review the amount of the fine and how to pay it.

The fake website looks very similar to the official DGT website, officials have warned. Once clicked through, bank details are requested to pay the fine. The offence is typically for illegal parking and the amount of the fine is generally 35 euros if paid within 24 hours, otherwise it rises to 50 euros.

If you click on the attached url, the web page to which it redirects then reports problems when trying to process the payment with Opera (a web browser), and explains it can be done from another browser. "This message tries to distract the victim's attention," Incibe pointed out. It then asks for personal data such as name, surname, address, date of birth, post code, telephone number and email. Then, to make the payment, the card number is requested, as well as its expiration date, CVC security code and PIN security code. The operation ends with a pop-up window in French notifying of a problem with the bank card number, but by that stage the cybercriminals have already obtained the victim's personal and banking data.

How to act

If the attached link has not been clicked, Incibe recommends blocking the sender of the message and deleting the SMS. If the URL has been clicked on and personal and bank details have been entered, these are the steps to follow:

- Take screenshots or save all possible evidence of the fraud and the links attached to them. You can use online witnesses to certify this evidence.

- If you have entered bank details, contact your bank to report the incident.

- In the coming months, review your online presence (egosurfing) to ensure your personal data has not been compromised.

- Report the fraud to Incibe or contact the Incibe's cybersecurity helpline to prevent others from falling victim to this fraud.

- File a report with local authorities, presenting evidence of the fraud.

The DGT reminds users that it never communicates its fines by e-mail or text message, and always by letter in the post. Anyone can check if they have a pending fine - whose notification by letter has failed - by entering the TESTRA, where neither certificate nor electronic DNI is required, only the number of the DNI, NIE or CIF, it added.
The owner of a small boutique reviews her one-participant 401(k).

A one-participant 401(k) or solo 401(k) is an attractive retirement savings option for self-employed workers or business owners. While theyre similar to the standard 401(k) plans often offered at larger workplaces, one-participant 401(k)s allow solo business owners to exceed the contribution limits that other plans are subject to. Consider speaking with a financial advisor if you need help saving and planning for retirement.

What Is a One-Participant 401(k)?

A one-participant 401(k) is a retirement plan specifically tailored for sole proprietors, freelancers and small business owners with no employees besides their spouse.

Also known as an individual 401(k), these plans combine features of a traditional 401(k) with a profit-sharing plan, allowing you to contribute both as an employee and employer. As a result, a business owner with a one-participant 401(k) can potentially save well beyond the normal 401(k) contribution limit of $22,500 in 2023 and $23,000 in 2024.

One-Participant 401(k) Contribution Limits

A worker looking up contribution limits for one-participant 401(k) plans.

The IRS permits one-participant 401(k) owners to save up to $66,000 in 2023 or $73,500 if theyre 50 or older. These totals comprise both the employee and employer contributions, the latter of which can equal up to 25% of their compensation from the business.

For the tax year 2023, the employee contribution limit for a one-participant 401(k) plan mirrors that of a standard 401(k) and similar plans: $22,500. If youre 50 or older, you can add catch-up contributions of up to $7,500. Employee contributions can be made on either a pre-tax or Roth basis.

For example, Mary works as a personal trainer through an S Corporation that she operates, earning approximately $115,000 per year. She has a one-participant 401(k) and makes the maximum allowable contribution as an employee in 2023  $22,500.

But one-participant 401(k) owners can also contribute up to 25% of their compensation as an employer. For Mary, this means she can make an additional contribution of $28,750 to her 401(k) if she wants. As a result, Mary is eligible to make a combined contribution of up to $51,250 to her one-participant 401(k).

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Setting Up a One-Participant 401(k)

Setting up a one-participant 401(k) starts with eligibility. Again, you must be self-employed or a business owner with no full-time employees other than yourself and a spouse.

From there, youll need to select a financial institution that offers one-participant 401(k) plans. Banks, brokerage firms and mutual fund companies are common providers. Compare fees, investment options and features before making a decision.

Your chosen provider will supply the necessary plan documents. These documents outline the rules and features of your solo 401(k) plan. Ensure you understand these terms thoroughly. When establishing your plan, youll need to provide an employer identification number (EIN).

Once your account is opened, you can fund it through salary deferrals and employer contributions. Lastly, dont forget to allocate the funds in your account to investments that your provider offers. Youll want to choose investments that best align with your goals.

Traditional vs. Roth 401(k)

When it comes to the one-participant 401(k), you can pick your preference between traditional and Roth options. If immediate tax savings are a priority, then a traditional 401(k) may appeal to you with pre-tax contributions. However, be prepared for the withdrawals in retirement to be taxed as ordinary income.

Alternatively, Roth 401(k) takes a different approach with post-tax contributions. No immediate tax savings here, but when retirement arrives and its time for withdrawals, they can be completely tax-free.

Alternatives to a One-Participant 401(k)

A one-participant 401(k) is far from being the only retirement savings option for self-employed individuals or small business owners. Simplified employee pension (SEP) and savings incentive match plan for employees (SIMPLE) IRAs are other common alternatives.

Like the one-participant 401(k), SEP IRAs are subject to higher contribution limits but do not have the same loan provisions. SIMPLE IRAs, on the other hand, offer employer matching, albeit with lower contribution limits.

Bottom Line

A one-participant 401(k) or solo 401(k) is designated for self-employed workers and small business owners with no other employees, other than their spouses. In 2023, the IRS allows one-participant 401(k) owners to contribute as both an employee and employer. As a result, you can save up to $66,000 in a one-participant 401(k), plus an extra $7,500 if youre 50 or older.

Retirement Planning Tips

SmartAssets retirement calculator can help you estimate how much your savings will be worth by the time you retire, as well as how much you may need to support your lifestyle.

A financial advisor can help you build a retirement plan tailored to your lifestyle and expenses. Finding a financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Photo credit: iStock.com/PixelsEffect, iStock.com/Delmaine Donson, iStock.com/shapecharge

The post Contribution Limits for a One-Participant 401(k) appeared first on SmartReads by SmartAsset.
Jeroen Distinguished - BHPian

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Re: Understanding Economics Quote: Samurai Originally Posted by . I am persuaded by logical explanations.



So sometimes it helps to be flexible in ones approach. Not always of course. I cant stand all those idiotic claims made by people on synthetic oils in another thread. Not a thread, pardon the pun, of factual knowledge, but hearsay, wishful thinking and personal experience



So GDP is your red flag then, mine is synthetic oil. Only for today of course. Tomorrow there will be other idiotic illogical stuff showing up somewhere on our forum.



Like how car suspension is influenced by engine RPM. All down to torque, or so I am told.



Anyway, the Dutch elections are up and it is unbelievable exiting. The looney centre right is trying to outmanoeuvre the demented centre left. And any coalition is likely to need the utterly despicable extreme right wing.



I want to vote for Volt, a very pro Europe party. Lots of young people, an incredible program of massive change and the only party that has an actual balanced financial plan to back it up. Unfortunately, latest polls show they will at best have 2-3 seats in parliament. So now I am forced to make a very illogical choice and vote for the loony right or the despicable left.



For context, in this tiny country of 17,5 million people, our parliament has 150 seat and we have 26 (yes you read that correctly) national political parties battling it out for these 150 seats!



In all its wisdom my local council appointed me chairman of our local voting station. And I just discovered the council broke, intentional, the voting laws. So I called a few people I know here and there. Made the headlines last Friday on our Dutch national news channel the NOS. (The Dutch BBC).



And the council had to redo all its preparation and change back to a proper vote counting process. And now the council folks hate me of course. Whereas they were breaking the law, not me.

No logic at all!



For the next couple of days I will be manning the voting station and helping to count votes! Democracy at work, public duty and all of that! Whish me luck and strength. Its going to be an all-nighter for the next two days.

.

Jeroen Yes, I would prefer to be the same. But logic has no place on the internet by and large and certainly not in politics.So sometimes it helps to be flexible in ones approach. Not always of course. I cant stand all those idiotic claims made by people on synthetic oils in another thread. Not a thread, pardon the pun, of factual knowledge, but hearsay, wishful thinking and personal experienceSo GDP is your red flag then, mine is synthetic oil. Only for today of course. Tomorrow there will be other idiotic illogical stuff showing up somewhere on our forum.Like how car suspension is influenced by engine RPM. All down to torque, or so I am told.Anyway, the Dutch elections are up and it is unbelievable exiting. The looney centre right is trying to outmanoeuvre the demented centre left. And any coalition is likely to need the utterly despicable extreme right wing.I want to vote for Volt, a very pro Europe party. Lots of young people, an incredible program of massive change and the only party that has an actual balanced financial plan to back it up. Unfortunately, latest polls show they will at best have 2-3 seats in parliament. So now I am forced to make a very illogical choice and vote for the loony right or the despicable left.For context, in this tiny country of 17,5 million people, our parliament has 150 seat and we have 26 (yes you read that correctly) national political parties battling it out for these 150 seats!In all its wisdom my local council appointed me chairman of our local voting station. And I just discovered the council broke, intentional, the voting laws. So I called a few people I know here and there. Made the headlines last Friday on our Dutch national news channel the NOS. (The Dutch BBC).And the council had to redo all its preparation and change back to a proper vote counting process. And now the council folks hate me of course. Whereas they were breaking the law, not me.No logic at all!For the next couple of days I will be manning the voting station and helping to count votes! Democracy at work, public duty and all of that! Whish me luck and strength. Its going to be an all-nighter for the next two days.Jeroen Last edited by Jeroen : 21st November 2023 at 00:52 .
Attorneys general from 33 states filed a court lawsuit on Wednesday alleging that Meta, Instagram's parent company, had received over 1.1 million reports of under-13 users since early 2019, but Meta "disabled only a fraction" of those accounts and collected data on children's whereabouts and email addresses without parental consent.

According to a report from The New York Times, the privacy charges are part of California, Colorado, and 31 other states' federal lawsuits against the social media juggernaut. The states seek to compel Meta to cease using certain features that allegedly harm young social media users.

The tech firm, under the helm of Mark Zuckerberg, might be fined hundreds of millions of dollars for violating the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Meta was sued last month in the US District Court for the Northern District of California for unjustly recruiting young users to Instagram and Facebook while suppressing internal research that shows user damage.

Evidence Unsealed: Here's What to Know

While much of the evidence cited in the initial filing was redacted, the unsealed complaint now provides additional details from the state's lawsuit. The complaint uses excerpts from internal emails, employee chats, and company presentations to assert that Instagram actively pursued underage users.



The complaint contends that Meta "continually failed" to prioritize effective age-checking systems, instead using approaches that allowed users under 13 to falsify their ages when creating Instagram accounts. It further accuses Meta executives of publicly stating in congressional testimony that the age-checking process was effective and that underage accounts were removed when identified, despite executives allegedly being aware of millions of underage users on Instagram.



Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, was cited in an internal company chat in November 2021 as acknowledging that "tweens want access to Instagram, and they lie about their age to get it now." However, in Senate testimony the following month, Mosseri stated, "If a child is under the age of 13, they are not permitted on Instagram."

The complaint hinges on COPPA, a 1998 federal statute that requires internet services for minors to acquire parental consent before collecting personal data from under-13s. Fines for law violations could exceed $50,000. The lawsuit asserts that Meta intentionally avoided building systems to effectively detect and exclude underage users, viewing children as a crucial demographic for future growth.

Read Also: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Reveals ChatGPT Mistook Her for Julia Roberts in AI-Assisted Speech

Meta had indicators of underage users, including an internal chart tracking the percentage of 11 and 12-year-olds using Instagram daily. The complaint alleges that Meta knew about accounts belonging to specific underage users but "automatically" ignored certain reports of users under 13 if the accounts did not contain a user biography or photos.

Meta: Parents Should Be More Active in Safeguarding Children's Privacy

Meta responded to the allegations in a statement, stating that it has spent a decade working to create safe and age-appropriate online experiences for teenagers. The social media firm argues that the state's complaint mischaracterizes its work and uses selective quotes and cherry-picked documents.

Facebook's parent also stated in a recent news release that it is "working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to build a global platform for teens who are worried intimate images they created might be shared on public online platforms without their consent. This platform will be similar to work we have done to prevent the non-consensual sharing of intimate images for adults."



Moreover, Meta called for federal legislation to place more responsibility on parents for kids' app downloads, proposing a requirement for parents to have approval power for downloads for kids under 16, according to Engadget.



The latest legal action against Meta follows years of research indicating the negative impact of social media on children, including Facebook's research in 2021, which found that Instagram is harmful to a significant percentage of teens, particularly teenage girls, as per a report from Mashable.

Related Article: Apple Facing New NLRB Charge for Alleged Illegal Union-Busting Tactic

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
On a weekday afternoon at Red Rock Coffee, the cafe known for spotting venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, one is likely to overhear a few conversations in Mandarin. With China reopening its borders this spring following three years of COVID-19 restrictions, managers of U.S. funds in the country have been flocking to the Bay Area. While these trips were routine before the pandemic, they have now taken on a fresh purpose of discovering deals beyond China.

USD-denominated funds in China have long been drawing inspiration from Silicon Valley startups, using them as benchmarks for investment targets back home. They would seek out the equivalents of Facebook, Amazon and Uber on the other side of the Pacific Ocean and hope they become winners in the country's largely untapped internet market.

This dealmaking strategy of American funds in China has become less effective in the face of shifting global and domestic landscapes. Driven by a confluence of factors, from China's crackdown on the tech industry to escalating U.S.-China tensions, some of these investors are now turning their gaze to opportunities abroad, tracing the footsteps of a new generation of Chinese-founded startups that are expanding overseas.

Between a rock and a hard place

Since their entry into China in the late 1990s, American venture capital firms, led by powerhouses like Sequoia Capital, IDG Capital and GGV, have played a major role in funding high-risk, high-reward startups in the country's consumer internet sector. This two-decade-long mutually beneficial relationship, however, now hangs in the balance as changes at home and abroad diminish the pool of investment opportunities for outside financiers.

In recent years, Beijing's sweeping tech crackdowns have introduced a new sense of uncertainty to investors. VCs fear that their portfolio companies might encounter a fate akin to that of Ant Group, whose colossal initial public offering was called off, and Didi, which weathered an extensive data security probe that eventually led to its delisting from New York. With China tightening its grip on overseas IPOs, investors who once relied on taking Chinese firms public in the U.S. are no longer assured of an exit channel.

Story continues

In the meantime, Washington has stepped up restrictions on the flow of U.S. money into China amid an escalating tech war between the two superpowers. In August, President Joe Biden signed an executive order barring U.S. investments in three strategically critical sectors in China -- artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors.

As USD funds in China await further clarity on the scope of the ban, they are practicing more discretion than ever before. They slow down capital deployment even amidst a global AI fervor that has given rise to a parallel AI universe in China. At the same time, domestic RMB funds play an increasing role in funding critical tech sectors. Zhipu AI, one of China's most ambitious challengers to OpenAI, for instance, raised financing in RMB instead of USD.

Even having the Chinese branches of famed American VCs listed on the cap table might deter U.S. investors from funding Chinese founders in their backyard. Local investors are now shunning Chinese "links", of which definition is ever evolving and broadening, at all costs.

The country's USD investors continue to deploy capital in industries that aren't in the crosshairs of U.S.-China competition, but overall, their activity has dwindled significantly due to the changing regulatory and geopolitical currents, coupled with a slowing economy. The year 2022 saw just $14.5 billion invested in Chinese companies by U.S.-headquartered VCs, compared to $45.4 billion the year before, according to a report from research firm PitchBook. The number of deals nearly halved to 595, and the share of deals with U.S. investor participation dropped to 18.2% in 2022 after hovering above 30% for half a decade.

The scaleback is most notable in prolific investors like Sequoia Capital China, which recently changed its name to HongShan after splitting off its China operation. Despite its proactive move to decouple, Sequoia still faces scrutiny from the U.S. government over its decades of activity in China. For the first three quarters this year, HongShan completed just 47 deals, compared to 99 deals in the same period of 2022, according to Crunchbase data.

The reversing turtles

As China's domestic investment appeal wanes, some investors start to look for opportunities beyond its borders. Rather than a complete departure, they are merely following the footsteps of Chinese talent who have already embarked on global expansion. (We've covered the topic extensively here and here.)

Chinese startups have a long history of going abroad, and every wave has assumed its own approach. Previously, many companies would venture out only after succeeding in China. These days, more are eyeing global expansion from day one, sometimes even skipping their home market.

Many in the current generation of globalizing Chinese founders have studied or worked overseas. Captivated by the Chinese internet's rapid growth, they returned home in the late 2010s to join the likes of Tencent, Baidu, Alibaba and ByteDance. Having gained an insider's look into Chinese tech titans, they set out on their own entrepreneurial journey with the hope of becoming the next Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba.

In China, they are called haigui, or those who "return from overseas," a homophone of "sea turtles." Their dreams started to crumple following the fall from grace of Ma, whose Ant Group and Alibaba became prominent targets of China's tech crackdown. They soon realized that China had entered a new era, where the regulatory hurdles for running a startup have significantly heightened.

The year 2022 saw just $14.5 billion invested in Chinese companies by U.S.-headquartered VCs, compared to $45.4 billion the year before.

To launch an AI service in China, for example, a company needs to navigate a multitude of complications, which can include obtaining a license for its large language model, seeking regulatory approval for its algorithms and implementing a costly censorship mechanism to comply with censorship requirements.

"You need to pick sides. You either focus on China or go overseas, otherwise, you end up doing double the workload but with a lot less funding secured from the last two years," said one of the five China-based VCs we interviewed for the story. We also spoke to six diaspora Chinese entrepreneurs. Due to the sensitivity of the topic, all of them have asked to remain anonymous.

Some ambitious, well-funded AI startups want to target both sides. To that end, they would create two entities each tailored to the Chinese and non-Chinese markets while raising capital in USD and RMB separately.

Not every startup has the resources to pursue a dual-market strategy, so many "sea turtles" wound up leaving China again. While foreign markets present their own sets of challenges -- competition and skepticism toward outsiders -- these entrepreneurs perceive a broader, more predictable opportunity in AI in the West. This reversal of their trajectory has earned them the moniker, guihai, or those who "return overseas."

Following the turtles

At home, the Western-educated and -trained Chinese entrepreneurs are darlings of local VCs. In Silicon Valley, they are little known to investors. Occasional media reports that stress their Chinese background further erode trust in potential investors and customers at a time when concerns about national security already run high.

Even having the Chinese branches of famed American VCs listed on the cap table might deter U.S. investors from funding Chinese founders in their backyard, three founders said. Local investors are now shunning Chinese "links," of which definition is ever evolving and broadening, at all costs to avoid geopolitical risks.

"If you speak like a local, know how to pitch like a confident Silicon Valley founder, have not taken any money from Chinese VCs, have all your staff in the U.S., have generated good traction in the local market, and are working on getting a green card, you might get a chance to raise local money," said a Chinese founder based in San Francisco. "Don't even think about it if you still run your R&D out of China."

This financing gap presents an opportunity for the USD fund managers who are hunting beyond China's borders. "It's just a lot easier to raise their first round from China's USD funds," said a former investor at one of China's top VC firms. "In some sense, the entrepreneurs are taking these investors on an international expedition."

VC activity with U.S. participation in China during 2023 will hit a nine-year low, followed by a decade low in 2024.

Besides the low-hanging fruit of the diaspora community, Chinese VCs flying in from Beijing and Shanghai have limited avenues to source deals in the U.S. American startups are courted by a plethora of local investors, let alone the geopolitical risks of accepting Chinese-managed money. These parachuting investors also run into competition from local investors already tailored to U.S.-China cross-border opportunities, most famously UpHonest Capital.

"VCs thrive on information arbitrage. In the U.S., we don't really have that same extensive network as at home," said an investor from the China arm of a global VC firm who now spends a third of their time abroad.

A transitory phase

Venturing out of China is not a "pivot" for the USD fund managers, said one of the investors we spoke to. Rather, the partners and their associates are mostly looking for something to get their hands on in the midst of a tepid market. Some are contemplating a career change, but it's difficult to find any job that matches their enviable pay.

"Chinese VCs are most anxious about the U.S. building cars behind closed doors. They don't want to fall behind, especially given the speed AI is evolving, so they are going to the Bay Area to figure it out themselves," the investor added.

The recent influx of Chinese VCs into the Bay Area should also be viewed in a broader context. Many of these investors, who have family ties in the U.S., have been going stateside regularly for years. COVID-19, which shut down trans-Pacific flights and introduced costly and harsh quarantines, created a pent-up demand for travel. Naturally, many investors rushed to the Bay Area as soon as the borders reopened, but the surge in activity might soon start to subside, said a partner who spent the past summer in California.

There are no signs that USD funds' dealmaking in China will bounce back to its heights in the foreseeable future. The PitchBook report predicts that VC activity with U.S. participation in China during 2023 will hit a nine-year low, followed by a decade low in 2024. Many Chinese general partners have already been sourcing capital from the Middle East, which might eventually limit the impact of U.S. investors' pullback. But the question is whether Chinese tech firms, now under a new stringent regulatory regime, can deliver the same level of strong growth and returns they experienced in the previous laissez-faire era.

If the U.S. market turns out to be too challenging to penetrate due to competitive and geopolitical factors, there are still other markets to explore. Japan, known for its openness to new technologies, has been particularly popular among China's SaaS startups venturing abroad. Sniffing opportunity, China's USD fund managers, still anchored in the Middle Kingdom, will likely follow them to the neighboring country or any other market that will help hedge against uncertainties presented at home and abroad.
Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad (KLSE:AMWAY) is about to go ex-dividend in just three days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. Accordingly, Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad investors that purchase the stock on or after the 30th of November will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of December.

The company's upcoming dividend is RM0.05 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of RM0.38 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad stock has a trailing yield of around 6.8% on the current share price of MYR5.6. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

Check out our latest analysis for Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad

Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad paid out a comfortable 31% of its profit last year. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. The good news is it paid out just 17% of its free cash flow in the last year.

It's positive to see that Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.

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Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. Fortunately for readers, Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad's earnings per share have been growing at 15% a year for the past five years. Earnings per share are growing rapidly and the company is keeping more than half of its earnings within the business; an attractive combination which could suggest the company is focused on reinvesting to grow earnings further. Fast-growing businesses that are reinvesting heavily are enticing from a dividend perspective, especially since they can often increase the payout ratio later.

Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad's dividend payments per share have declined at 4.9% per year on average over the past 10 years, which is uninspiring. It's unusual to see earnings per share increasing at the same time as dividends per share have been in decline. We'd hope it's because the company is reinvesting heavily in its business, but it could also suggest business is lumpy.

To Sum It Up

Is Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It's great that Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. It's disappointing to see the dividend has been cut at least once in the past, but as things stand now, the low payout ratio suggests a conservative approach to dividends, which we like. There's a lot to like about Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad, and we would prioritise taking a closer look at it.

In light of that, while Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Amway (Malaysia) Holdings Berhad (of which 1 can't be ignored!) you should know about.

If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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Sighting after more than 80 years: Sniffer dog sniffs out gold mole rat thought to be extinct

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Humanoid robots could be the next big thing to come from the AI boom. Take a look at 8 of the most advanced ones around.

Humanoid robot 'Rmeca' is pictured at AI for Good Global Summit, in Geneva, Switzerland, July 6, 2023. Pierre Albouy/Reuters

Humanoid robots are set to be one of the next big things to come out of the AI boom.

The industry could be worth around $13.8 billion by 2028.

Business Insider has taken a look at eight of the most advanced robots around.

Human-like robots have long been the stuff of science-fiction films, but tech companies are edging ever closer to making them a daily reality  and they may be the next big thing to come out of the artificial intelligence boom (AI).

But while the industry could be worth $13.8 billion by 2028, according to MarketsandMarkets, there's still a long way to go before we see humanoid robots roaming the streets or replacing us in the workforce.

Nevertheless, Business Insider has taken a look at eight of the most advanced prototypes around.

Apptronik launched its bipedal robot, Apollo, in August

Apptronik

"The big idea is a humanoid robot should be able to fit in all the places that a human can fit into and use all the same tools that humans can use," Apptronik cofounder and CEO Jeff Cardenas told Business Insider. "That allows them to integrate into a world that's built for us versus having to modify the world for the robots."

Apptronik started in 2016 in a lab at the University of Texas

Apptronik

"We came out of a lab at the University of Texas called the human-centered robotics lab," Cardenas said. "A lot of the work in the lab culminated with working with NASA on a robot called Valkyrie."

Apptronik signed a deal to partner with NASA last year. The space agency will help the company develop Apollo.

NASA's Valkyrie robot is designed to work in "dirty and hazardous conditions" in space

James Blair - NASA

NASA's Valkyrie is designed to carry out work in dangerous conditions such as those found on the Moon, according to the agency's website.

The University of Edinburgh is carrying out research using the robot

MARK RALSTON/ Getty

The robot "will enable breakthroughs in humanoid control, motion planning and perception," according to the University of Edinburgh's website. The university is carrying out research using the robot, which it describes as "one of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world."

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Engineered Arts' robot Ameca can "simulate" dreams

Ameca can speak using responses generated by OpenAI's GPT-3 Engineered Arts

In a video shared on YouTube by Engineered Arts, Ameca said it conjures up various scenarios that help it learn about the world.

But Engineered Arts' founder and CEO Will Jackson told BI that Ameca was "a language model," adding that it was "not sentient" and had "no long-term memory."

"Remember this is a machine and it runs on code. It's tempting to apply human attributes and capabilities, but they are not there. It's an illusion, sometimes quite a powerful one," he added.

Agility Robotics' Digit is being test by Amazon at an R&D center

Agility Robotics

"Digit is designed to go where people go and do useful work safely in spaces designed for people, starting with bulk material handling within warehouses and distribution centers," Agility Robotics cofounder and CEO Damion Shelton told BI.



Shelton added: "Because of Digit's human-centric form, we can see a day where it will be able to perform tasks that are more aligned with consumer or domestic needs, but that's still down the road."

Drinks maker Dictador made a humanoid robot its CEO

Dictador

Dictador appointed a humanoid robot as its CEO last year. Its tasks include helping to spot potential clients and selecting artists to design bottles for the rum producer.



It was also given the title of honorary professor at Warsaw Management University, even giving a speech at its awards ceremony last month.

"Mika speaks through a speaker in her mouth," a Dictador spokesperson told BI. "She is connected to 12 AI models at once (including GPT and a dedicated Dictador AI model) and her dialogue is generated after collecting data from all or most of them."

Tesla unveiled its Optimus robot at its AI Day in 2022

Future Publishing/ Getty

Elon Musk claimed the company may be able to take orders for its humanoid robot, also known as the Tesla Bot, in three to five years , Reuters reported.



"Optimus, a year ago, could barely walk and now it can do yoga. So, a few years from now, it can probably do ballet," the billionaire said in Tesla's third-quarter earnings call last month.

Hanson Robotics' viral robot Sophia has spoken on stages around the world

SOPA Images/ Getty

Sophia was created by Hanson Robotics in a team led by AI developer and CEO David Hanson.

The robot spoke at Future Investment Initiative, held in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh in 2017. It has also appeared on The Tonight Show and at numerous conferences around the world, including the World Economic Forum and the "AI For Good" Global Summit.

The Hong Kong-based company has also made several other human-like robots, per its website.

Boston Dynamics, which created robot dogs like the one in "Black Mirror," also makes humanoid robots

Tomohiro Ohsumi/ Getty

As of May, the company's robot dogs, known as Spot, can speak in complete sentences. AI firm Levatas partnered with Boston Dynamics to integrate OpenAI's ChatGPT into the robot dogs.



Its humanoid robots, called Atlas, can move quickly and jump over obstacles, a video shared on its website shows.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Passive investing in index funds can generate returns that roughly match the overall market. But one can do better than that by picking better than average stocks (as part of a diversified portfolio). To wit, the SAF-Holland SE (ETR:SFQ) share price is 51% higher than it was a year ago, much better than the market return of around 1.0% (not including dividends) in the same period. So that should have shareholders smiling. Looking back further, the stock price is 31% higher than it was three years ago.

So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 1 year and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns.

Check out our latest analysis for SAF-Holland

To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

During the last year SAF-Holland grew its earnings per share (EPS) by 63%. It's fair to say that the share price gain of 51% did not keep pace with the EPS growth. So it seems like the market has cooled on SAF-Holland, despite the growth. Interesting. The caution is also evident in the lowish P/E ratio of 8.46.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

We know that SAF-Holland has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? This free interactive report on SAF-Holland's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for SAF-Holland the TSR over the last 1 year was 58%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

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A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that SAF-Holland shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 58% over one year. Of course, that includes the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 5% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for SAF-Holland that you should be aware of.

We will like SAF-Holland better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on German exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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Spread some Christmas cheer with those in need  and earn brownie points with your friends and family in the process.

It can seem hard to keep social causes and charity in mind when the onslaught of Christmas gift-shopping and celebrations starts to pick up pace in December. But there are several organisations and businesses making it dead-easy to give back while you give to those around you.

Buy a food-focused gift that also feeds others

Food for Everyones posters have become a must-have wall accessory among chef watchers and food enthusiasts. Pairing high-profile cooks and chefs with renowned artists, each of the prints visually encapsulates a recipe from a chefs repertoire with striking results. Past talent has included Andrew McConnell, Lennox Hastie and Julia Busuttil Nishimura.

Food for Everyones latest release of posters features a recipe by Nigella Lawson. Supplied

The best part? Each poster contributes the equivalent of 10 meals to SecondBite, a charity feeding those in need.
Native Americans, I read recently, have a rather beautiful concept called second death. The first death is when breath finally leaves the body; the second is when someone says your name for the last time.

This is not entirely dissimilar from the notion at secular Australian funerals of celebrating a life. Stories, humour, sorrow and love honour the lamented lost, and help cement them in our memories  they too live on, in a sense, while they are remembered.

In her book A Better Death, oncologist Ranjana Srivastava notes how unprepared most people  even those aged in their 90s  are for the end of their life. Credit: Justin McManus

What surprises me is how often non-believers make remarks like shes in a better place now or hell be looking down from above  a paradoxical cultural legacy from the Christian belief in heaven.

Yet perhaps it is not really surprising. After all, belief in an afterlife is near universal across cultures from the earliest times, as evidenced by prehistoric grave sites  its utterly fundamental, which is a form of evidence.
The federal government is being asked to subsidise builders who bring skilled foreign workers into the country in a bid to cut the cost of new homes, stepping up industry warnings about labour shortages ahead of sweeping changes to the migration intake.

The push comes as new figures confirm the challenge in finding the skilled workers needed to build new homes when housing costs are on the rise.

Australia needs more than 480,000 new workers over the next three years to meet growing demand for skilled tradespeople.

Australias migration since May last year has included 1135 carpenters and 215 plumbers.

The building industry has told the government it will need 480,000 new workers over the next three years, ranging from Australian apprentices to skilled foreign workers, to meet growing demand and replace older tradespeople as they leave the workforce.
kpmg office

KPMG has frozen the salaries for 12,000 workers across the UK as Big Four firms continue to grapple with the sharp slowdown in the deals market.

The accountant reportedly told staff that it will only give pay rises to those who were promoted this year.

The pay freeze hits thousands of workers who had been eligible for pay rises after moving into a higher seniority rank without receiving an official promotion.

More than half of KPMGs partners, who were paid an average of 717,000 last year, will avoid the pay freeze as they receive a share of company profits instead of a salary.

The professional services firm, which employs 17,000 in the UK, will also slash bonuses, the Financial Times first reported.

A KPMG spokesman said: To attract and retain the best talent, we benchmark our salaries each year to remain competitive and we continue to invest in our people. In light of softened market demand this year, any pay increases have prioritised those who have been promoted.

We will be rewarding eligible colleagues for their efforts this year with a bonus. However, reflecting the challenging economic and market environment, this will be lower than in previous years.

The cost-cutting measures will reportedly see those in KPMGs tax and legal division, made up of 2,900 employees, receive only 55pc of their potential bonuses.

Bosses in KPMGs companys tax and legal business blamed the pay freeze on ongoing market uncertainty in a pre-recorded video message reportedly sent to staff earlier this month, after the division failed to meet revenue expectations for 2023.

It is understood that the pay freeze will not target the 3,000 graduates and apprentices employed by KPMG.

It comes as a slowdown in advisory work has left Big Four accountants overstaffed, with clients cancelling projects and demanding lower fees.

KPMG has already begun cutting hundreds of jobs in its UK deal-making and consulting divisions, and last month internally announced a pay freeze for advisory teams.

Story continues

Meanwhile, KPMG last month unveiled plans to merge its UK consulting and deal advisory divisions to create a new practice called Advisory.

It follows similar moves by rivals Deloitte, EY and PwC, which have each launched redundancy rounds targeting hundreds of staff in their advisory and consulting businesses.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
Shock Culture paid Gulasi a salary, designed his marketing strategy and boosted his followers into the millions. In return, bouts of nationalism from its stars would lead to higher sales of the products the agency was flogging, including pharmaceuticals, skincare products and fashion. All of them benefited from a patriotic surge from Chinese consumers while relations with the West stumbled. Loading When youre young, you do some things not even thinking of the end result, Gulasi says. The Sydney-raised English teacher has spent the past four years back in Australia after leaving China just before COVID struck in 2019. Then you cop the hate, and you think: could I have done something better? I wouldnt say its regret. But I would say I dont want people to think I dont love my country.

Three years on, the Chinese agencies that propelled English teachers such as Gulasi into local social media stars have evolved. His successors are increasingly joining a network of Chinese state-backed influencing operations covering universities, studios, competitions with thousands of dollars in cash prizes and major US networks including the Discovery Channel and National Geographic. They are building up a group of foreigners who are ready at critical juncture points to stand up for China, says Fergus Ryan, a researcher for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). Ryans research on 120 foreign influencers, conducted with Matt Knight and Daria Impiombato and released at the weekend, shows the Chinese government has become more ambitious and sophisticated in its use of influencers to try to manage public opinion at home and abroad. The Australian think-tank receives some financial support from Washington  though not for this research  and has previously been accused by Chinas Foreign Ministry of receiving funding of foreign forces to support its concoction of lies against China. The goal of the influencing team, according to Chinese state media editor Du Guodong, is to cultivate a group of foreign mouths, foreign pens and foreign brains. They are then transformed by Chinese state media into objective observers of Western societies, maintaining the credibility of the states narrative within the confines of the Great Firewall, Ryan says.

That gives the Chinese state power to ward off domestic criticism of its policies and, by highlighting the views of the in-house foreign voices, criticise international responses to Chinese-US competition, COVID-19 and human rights disputes. Abroad, the combination of the volume of content being produced by some studios has meant that some of the videos on issues such as the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang have risen to the top of YouTube rankings. Two videos The Xinjiang THEY dont want YOU to see and Xinjiang  a modern oasis are now competing with investigative documentaries at the top of YouTubes charts in Australia. Beijing is establishing multilingual influencer studios to incubate both domestic and foreign influencers to reach younger media consumers globally, Ryan says.

In June last year, the Chinese state-linked Shanghai United Media Group announced an Integrated Media Studio Empowerment Plan that would funnel resources to develop stars and co-operation with leading Chinese tech companies including Douyin, a subsidiary of TikTok owner ByteDance, and Tencents WeChat Strategic Research Institute. Andy Boreham, a Chinese social media influencer from New Zealand. Credit: YouTube The Shanghai United Media Group also represents New Zealander Andy Boreham, who transformed from a food and pet blogger into a staunch defender of the Chinese government. Boreham has described Australia as brainwashed and accused the West of a systemic slander campaign. He was contacted for comment. Others such as American influencer Nathan Rich, who goes by the nickname Hotpot King, have pumped out a steady stream of videos fuelling doubts about the origins of COVID-19. Did the COVID-19 virus originate from Fort Detrick in the US? Is it a conspiracy theory or reasonable suspicion? has more than 7.5 million views. These pseudo or entirely fictitious identities work to paint state narratives with a veneer of independence and spontaneity, says Ryan.

The narrative is also being driven by Chinese President Xi Jinpings push to tell Chinas story well, which he frames as establishing an international discourse power that aligns with our countrys comprehensive national strength. In a video shared by the Chinese embassy in Australia in December 2021, Italian international student turned media critic Rachele Longhi attacked the BBC for its reporting on Tibet by spending a day guided by Chinese government minders at a school in the capital, Lhasa. Longhi said she was determined to tell the story of China and present a credible, lovable and respectable real China. Prizes awarded at the My China Story competition in Beijing. Credit: ASPI That sentence echoes a clear directive laid out by Xi Jinping earlier that year, in May, at a collective study session of Chinas Politburo on external propaganda, says Ryan.

The investment in foreign social media stars is being matched with prizes worth thousands of dollars and university training programs around the country to unearth the next generation of video bloggers. The 2022 edition of the My China Story competition had a budget of $400,000, according to a government procurement document reviewed by ASPI. Sixty thousand short videos were submitted to the competition, covering US-China relations and Chinas response to COVID-19. The Chinese government then had the right to use any of the submitted videos to showcase a positive vision of China around the world. Later that year, top Chinese universities Fudan, Nanjing and Sun Yat-sen became the first external discourse innovation research centres under the direction of Chinas propaganda department. Huaqiao University in Fujian established an Overseas New Voice Generation new media studio. This year, Tsinghua University asked international students to produce short videos destined for US social media as part of a competition titled 100 reasons to love Beijing. Chinas influencer studios are now reaching beyond social media and into traditional broadcast networks. Last year, a film executive-produced by Chinas State Council Information Office and starring one of Chinas most prominent influencers, Takeuchi Ryo, was broadcast on major US cable network National Geographic. The China International Communication Centre, a Party production unit, is now producing a six-part documentary series titled What makes China, China? for the Discovery Network.

In the case of Discovery, co-operation with the Peoples Republic of China propaganda apparatus appears to be exceptionally longstanding, prolific and tightly aligned with the Chinese Communist Partys external propaganda objectives, Ryan found. Australian Harry Harding (right) with fellow GRT presenters in China. But others argue that despite the extra resources, Chinas use of Western influencers remains clunky, poorly managed and ineffective. Harry Harding, a former Chinese state media presenter and pop star who returned to Australia last year, said the system was failing to turn the tide of global public opinion. I think that, in all honesty, they are getting fairly desperate in terms of what theyre doing because most of Chinas outreach programs are just failures, he said.

I think for most non-Chinese people that are still in China working in a media-related field, its just getting more and more difficult for them to do stuff that isnt propaganda. I think they might have a bit of a difficult future ahead because, for a lot of these people, I dont know where they would go if China one day decides this kind of hostile content just isnt working for us any more. Harding, known in China as Hazza, worked in Guangdong for a decade. He was reluctant to criticise China while he was living there as he transformed into a minor celebrity and paid tribute to Chinese officials. Harding now believes he was targeted for espionage work after he said he was sceptical of claims of human rights abuses in Xinjiang in a previous interview with this masthead. In October 2021, he was approached at a Starbucks in Guangzhou by a pair of representatives purporting to be from a think tank. The meeting was first reported by the ABC in May. The pair offered him a Dior wallet and $5000 per interview or essay on a prominent Australian that never had to be published. Harding suspected they were Chinese intelligence operatives. Australian security services confirmed his concerns were valid. I think sometimes we give China a little too much credit, Harding said. When it comes to some of its operations, a lot of the time things are sloppy. Gulasi now runs English lessons online and takes little personal responsibility for his past material. He claims he split with his agency after refusing to do some forms of content and disagreements over marketing and strategy:
Rome: Tens of thousands took to the streets of Italys main cities on Saturday to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, just as an Italian man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend was extradited from Germany.

The slaying of 22-year-old university student Giulia Cecchettin, allegedly at the hands of her former boyfriend, sparked outrage across Italy, where on average one woman is killed every three days.

Demonstrators march on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in front of the ancient Colosseum, in Rome. Credit: AP

Suspect Filippo Turetta, 21, landed at the Venice airport around mid-morning on Saturday. He was immediately transferred to a prison in the northern city of Verona to face questions in the investigation into Cecchettins death, Italian media reported.

Cecchettin had disappeared after meeting Turetta for a burger at a shopping mall near Venice, just days before she was to receive her degree in biomedical engineering. The case gripped Italy.
HINDUTVA





THE third World Hindu Congress at Bangkok has adopted a path-breaking declaration -- that the word Hinduism will be shunned from now on, and will be replaced by word Hindutva. The meet also adopted a declaration that the word religion would be replaced by Hindu Dharm. This is not a change of just nomenclature. It indicates a change of approach to what was popularly described as Hinduism until now. The Bangkok meet asserted that the word Hindutva represents a greater range of connotations -- which the word Hinduism lacks. Hence the new nomenclature. When a world body adopts the change, the spread of the thought across the world gets guaranteed. It can be surmised that the words Hindutva and the word Hindu Dharm will come into greater use the world over. That will also mark a freedom from an anglicised word Hinduism. However, it appears that the World Hindu Congress did not think of shunning Hinduism because of this reason. It has pondered over the ism part and has felt that it has a narrow connotation -- whereas Hindutva is vast and deep and high.

Hence the nomenclature. The past few years have seen an unsavory debate between Hinduism and Hindutva. Opposition parties have shown utter disregard to the different shades of meaning of Hindutva, building a negative and deriding narrative to make their point. Let alone all that political stretching by some political parties, the common people have begun understanding the different and deeper nuances of Hindutva and are realising that practice of Hindu Dharm means opting for a better and finer way of life. The adoption of the declaration by the third World Hindu Congress about Hindu Dharm and Hindutva indicates favourable change of attitude of the Hindu people across the globe. This is going to have a positive effect on their commitment to their faith not as a sect but as a way of life that goes beyond any fixed norms and frames. When the Hindu community starts understanding the wider connotation of Hindutva an d Hindu Dharm, its overall conduct with itself and others will undergo a positive transformation -- for the good of the larger human community. Over the past some time, the word Sanatan, too, is being increasingly used to suggest ancientness of the Hindu way of life.

For most, Sanatan and Hindu or Hindutva are synonymous -- which is right as well to a large extent. The concept of Hindutva embodies in itself the core idea of individuals freedom of choice about his or her own conduct as a Hindu. This wide choice is the essence of Hindu Dharm or Hindu civilisation or culture -- as highlighted by ancient rishis and modern sages, intellectual and spiritual thinkers. Historically speaking, it is this freedom that kept the Hindu faith alive against the aggression of faith by the followers of other faiths weighed down by narrow definitions. For, that freedom ensures flexibility of thought and action about what constitutes Hindutva and how it is lived. And that flexibility has ensured over centuries survival of the Hindu civilisation despite repeated attacks by others. Though the media did not pick up the Bangkok conference for a big coverage, the development is slated to leave behind a positive impact on the conduct the Hindu civilisation. This will prove to be a beginning of a new era.
AI Commerce





By Leif Weatherby

ON FRIDAY, OpenAI, the Microsoft-funded operator of ChatGPT, fired its CEO, Sam Altman. Then, after five days of popcorn-emoji chaos, they hired him back. The sudden move, which billion-dollar investor Microsoft only learned about moments before it was released to the public, seems to have come from a fight between Altman and engineer Ilya Sutskever, who is in charge of alignment at the company. Sutskevers faction, including board member Helen Toner, whose feud with Altman may have precipitated these events, is out. Larry Summers, the former treasury secretary and Harvard president who doubted that women are good at science, is in. Altmans return means that, in a fight about profit versus safety, profit won. Or maybe safety did? OpenAI is a weird company, and their renewed charter re-emphasises their original goal: to save humanity from the very technology they are inventing. Both sides in this fight think artificial general intelligence (AGI, or human-level intelligence) is close. Altman said, the day before he was fired, that four times  one within the last few weeks  he had seen OpenAI scientists push the veil of ignorance back and the frontier of discovery forward. Sutskever worries about AI agents forming mega corporations with unprecedented power, leads employees in the chant Feel the AGI! Feel the AGI!, and reportedly burned an effigy of an unaligned AGI to symbolise OpenAIs commitment to its founding principles. Toner hails from Georgetown University by way of University of Oxfords Future of Humanity Institute, a leading research institute for the perpetuation of pseudoscience fiction ideology run by the philosopher Nick Bostrom. The question, in this atmosphere, is not if machines are intelligent, but instead whether to accelerate development and distribution of this potential AGI  Altmans position  or to pump the brakes, hard: Sutskevers apparent desire. This debate has now broken out into the open and highlighted the conflict between so-called artificial intelligence (AI) doomers and accelerationists. The doomer question is what the probability of extinction is, your assessment of p(doom).

 Economist Tyler Cowen has pointed out that doomers dont back up their belief in the AI takeover with actual bets on this outcome, but if tens of billions of dollars hang on this type of fight, its hard to see it as unimportant. The goal that emerges from this cocktail of science and religious belief in AGI is to align machine intelligence with human values, so that, if it gains sentience, it cannot harm us. Alignment, author Brian Christian tells us, was borrowed by computer science from 1980s management science discourse, where providing incentives to create a value-aligned corporation was all the rage. Economists have pointed out that direct alignment with a single institution is radically different from social alignment, which is what OpenAI is focused on. Sutskevers group there calls their project super alignment, pumping the rhetorical stakes even higher. But this is really just vapour, and it betrays a shocking misunderstanding of the very technology these business leaders and engineers are hawking. Karl Marx said that capitalism seemed straightforward but actually harboured metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties. Theres nothing subtle or nice about whats happening in AI enterprise, though, and were not doing a great job of countering it with critique. The events at OpenAI this week are a great example of what I think of as metaphysics in the C- suite: an unhinged, reality-free debate driving decisions with sky-high market caps and real, dangerous potential consequences. The alignment concept is a house of cards that immediately falls apart when its assumptions are revealed. This is because every attempt to frame alignment relies on a background conception of language or knowledge that is value neutral, but never makes this fully explicit. One suspects this is because value neutrality, and thus alignment itself, has no real definition. Whether you think the good thing is unbiased machines or fending off a machine that learns to kill us, youre basically missing the fact that AI is already a reflection of actual human values.

The fact that thats not good or neutral needs to be taken far more seriously. There is a whole industry devoted to AI safety, and much of it is not about metaphysics. Its not that nothing is wrong. We all read daily about the many, terrifying ills of our automated systems. Curbing actual harm is important, dont get me wrong. Its just not clear that alignment can help, because its not clear that its a concept at all. The alignment debate didnt begin with generative AI. When Google figured out how to make computers produce meaningful language, one of the first things the machine spit out was the idea that women should be homemakers. The scientists in the room at the time, Christian reports, said, Hey, theres something wrong here. They were rightly horrified by this harmful idea, but they werent sure what to do. How could you get a computer to speak to you  something we now take for granted with the rise of ChatGPT  but also conform to values like equality? The goal of alignment is like Isaac Asimovs famous law of robotics that prevents machines from harming humans. Bias, falsehood, deceit: these are the real harms that machines stand to do to humans today, so aligning AI seems like a pressing problem. But the truth is that AI is very much aligned with human values, we just cant stand to admit it.(IPA/Courtesy: Jacobin)
Governor conferred with Doctor of Letters





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

Chhattisgarh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan was conferred with honorary Doctor of Letters by Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Bhubaneswar in a function held at Bhubaneswar in Odisha on Saturday. Chhattisgarh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan received Doctor of Letters from Odisha Governor Raghuvar Das in the function. Harichandan has been given this honour for his remarkable public service through activism in social and public life. Vice-Chancellor, Professor and distinguished guests of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences were present in the function on the occasion.
Hundreds pay respect to martyred Captain Pranjal in Bengaluru





BENGALURU,

A LARGE number of people paid their last respects to Captain M V Pranjal, who was killed during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, amid emotional outpouring and poignant scenes on Saturday. His mortal remains were flown to Bengaluru on Friday night, and later taken to his parents residence in Anekal taluk near here, where hundreds of mourners filed past his body and paid tributes. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka and Bangalore Rural MP D K Suresh were among those who paid homage to the departed soul and offered condolences to the bereaved family on Saturday.

After a wreath-laying ceremony, Pranjal was accorded a guard of honour by the Army and the State Government. Later, the mortal remains were taken in a decorated military vehicle to Somasundarapalya crematorium, near Kudlu, where the last rites were performed, amid gun salute. Many people, particularly youths and school students, had gathered along the stretch, and flower petals were showered at the vehicle at several places, amid chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Amar Rahe Amar Rahe - Captain Pranjal Amar Rahe. The 29-year-old from 63 Rashtriya Rifles, who lost his life during an exchange of fire with terrorists in the Rajouri sector on Wednesday, is survived by wife and parents.




BENGALURU,

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday undertook a sortie on the Tejas aircraft and said, the experience has bolstered his confidence in the countrys indigenous capabilities. Clad in the uniform of an Air Force pilot, delightful Modi seemed to enjoy the moments as he waved multiple times. Taking to social media platform X, the Prime Minister said, Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our countrys indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential, he said. In the videos and pictures, the Prime Minister can be seen flashing thumbs-up gestures with a broad smile, after boarding the aircraft and on landing. He also posed standing next to the aircraft, pointing at Tejas writing on it. Flying in Tejas today, I can say with immense pride that due to our hard work and dedication, we are no less than anyone in the world in the field of self-reliance. Heartiest congratulations to the Indian Air Force, DRDO and HAL as well as all Indians, he added.

Modi earlier walked towards the waiting pilot and had a short chat with him, before boarding the twin-seater aircraft and positioning himself properly with the help of Air Force staff. During the sortie, he can be seen keenly observing the surroundings and waving at another fighter aircraft, flying at a visible distance -- taken from cameras inside the cabin and the other aircraft. On landing, the Prime Minister, waved and made thumbs-up gestures again, applauding the Air Force officials. Modi arrived in the city earlier on Saturday and visited Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to review the ongoing work at its manufacturing facilities, officials said. The Prime Minister has been pushing for indigenous production of defence products and highlighting how his government has boosted their manufacturing in India and also their exports.

Several countries have evinced interest in buying Tejas, a light combat aircraft, and US defence giant GE Aerospace had inked a pact with HAL to jointly produce engines for the Mk-II-Tejas during the prime ministers recent state visit to the US. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh noted in April this year that Indias defence exports have reached an all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore in 2022-2023. It is a remarkable achievement for the country, he had said. The PM flew in a twin-seater trainer version of the LCA Tejas aircraft that was delivered to the Indian Air Force last month itself on October 4 in the presence of the Union Minister Ajay Bhatt and Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, IAF officials said.

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over the first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) twin-seater trainer version aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Bengaluru on October 4. The IAF has two new trainer version twin-seater aircraft along with one twin-seater prototype aircraft which was used in the past for flying with VIPs, they said.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Mothercare fair value estimate is UK0.04

Mothercare's UK0.053 share price signals that it might be 32% overvalued

Analyst price target for MTC is UK0.14, which is 237% above our fair value estimate

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Mothercare plc (LON:MTC) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Mothercare

What's The Estimated Valuation?

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK1.00m UK1.25m UK1.47m UK1.66m UK1.82m UK1.95m UK2.06m UK2.14m UK2.22m UK2.28m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Est @ 24.85% Est @ 17.85% Est @ 12.95% Est @ 9.52% Est @ 7.12% Est @ 5.44% Est @ 4.26% Est @ 3.44% Est @ 2.86% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 9.4% UK0.9 UK1.0 UK1.1 UK1.2 UK1.2 UK1.1 UK1.1 UK1.0 UK1.0 UK0.9

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK11m

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.5%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 9.4%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK2.3m (1 + 1.5%)  (9.4% 1.5%) = UK29m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK29m ( 1 + 9.4%)10= UK12m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is UK23m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK0.05, the company appears reasonably expensive at the time of writing. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

The Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Mothercare as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 9.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.331. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Mothercare

Strength

No major strengths identified for MTC.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Interest payments on debt are not well covered.

Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the British market.

Significant insider buying over the past 3 months.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Total liabilities exceed total assets, which raises the risk of financial distress.

Annual revenue is forecast to grow slower than the British market.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Why is the intrinsic value lower than the current share price? For Mothercare, we've compiled three fundamental factors you should assess:

Risks: We feel that you should assess the 6 warning signs for Mothercare (3 are a bit concerning!) we've flagged before making an investment in the company. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for MTC's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the AIM every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Jeep used by CQMH Abdul Hameed PVC renovated, handed over to GRC





Staff Reporter

It is a matter of great honour and pride for Vehicle Factory Jabalpur to have associated with Param Yodha, CQMH Abdul Hamid, Param Veer Chakra of 4 Grenadiers. During 1965 War at Khem Karan Sector CQMH, Abdul Hamid while using his 106 mm RCL Gun which was mounted to jeep took on superior Patton tanks of Pakistani Army and which is raw courage destroyed 4 Pakistani Patton Tanks. For his action at the Battle of Asal Uttar, CQMH Abdul Hamid was awarded Indias highest gallantry Award Param Veer Chakra. VFJ has renovated and restored the original jeep used by CQMH Abdul Hamid during the Battle of Asal Uttar as a living legend and CGM, VFJ presented it to the Grenadiers Regimental Centre (GRC) on Saturday. Restoration of vehicle will go a long way in showcasing the vehicle to new generation to motivate them and also make them realise the importance of self-reliance in the defence sector.

On the occasion, CQMH Abdul Hamid, PVCs son Jainul Hasan had specially arrived from Gazipur, Uttar Pradesh to attend the event. AVNL at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur unit is a dedicated vehicle manufacturing unit for providing mobility solution to the Indian Armed Forces. VFJ is proud to have been associated with the project of renovation and restoration of original Jeep used by CQMH Abdul Hamid, PVC as the Jeep was a part of Battle of Asal Uttar, in which the Indian Army used tanks manufactured by Heavy Vehicle Factory Avadi, which is now a part of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL).

Moreover, the Jeep and RCL gun which was used by CQMH Abdul Hamid, PVC were also manufactured by Gun Carriage Factory of Jabalpur, which was erstwhile part of the Ordnance Factory Board. Sanjeev Kumar Bhola, CGM, VFJ has been associated both with GCF and HVF in his initial days of service in designing and manufacturing of RCL Gun and Arjun Tank.
Kashmiri youths held for kidnapping 15-yr-old girl





Staff Reporter

In a joint operation of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Nagpur City Police, two Kashmiri youths were apprehended for the alleged kidnapping of a 15-year-old girl. The girl, currently in a government hostel, is a Class 10 student, police said. The accused have been identified as Mohd Muddasir Hussain Mohd Hussain (19) from Kishtwar, and his step-brother Mohd Yasir Hussain Mohd Shaheen (19) from Doda, Jammu and Kashmir. According to police, Muddasir reportedly deceived the girl into a romantic relationship and into a false promise of marriage, approximately two years ago. He convinced her that they would move to Hyderabad post-marriage, where his uncle would secure a job for the girl.

On October 22, Muddasir, with the aid of Yasir, allegedly kidnapped the girl. The trio absconded from Kashmir. After reaching Delhi, the three boarded a Nagpur-bound train. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir sounded an alert to all the State police. After checking CCTV footage at Delhi railway station, the information about the trio boarded the South-bound train was relayed to police stations in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The Sitabuldi police received a tip-off that the three are at the Nagpur railway station. The police team immediately took the three in custody. The police officials alerted the relatives, and their Jammu and Kashmir counterparts about the action. The girl has been placed at a government hostel. A team from Jammu and Kashmir police reached Nagpur, on Saturday, to coordinate further investigation.




By Kaushik Bhattacharya

Two out of four tuskers from Karnataka will join Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), Maharashtra patrolling team soon as both elephants are arriving in Nagpur till next week to handle critical issues like man-animal conflict and wildlife rescue operations. The wildlife wing had a dream to have a self sustained and independent elephant camp for rescue operations and patrolling will finally be a reality by the week-end. Though the elephants were supposed to arrive in Nagpur by September end, the delay helped the Forest Department to set up a camp with full arrangements for the jumbos. The wildlife wing had been raising the demand for a fleet of tuskers with trained Mahouts to boost patrolling and rescue work for long. However, for some issue the bosses overlooked it. During the rescue of big cats, the Forest Department always relied on elephants from Madhya Pradesh. Four jumbos, including three male, Bhima (30), Subramanaya (29), Ranjan (25) and a female elephant, from Karnatakas Motigodu and Dubare camps will join the PTR patrolling team in the next few months.

We have completed all formalities and arrangements to bring them to our forest. Bhima and Subramanaya will come first. They have started from the camp in Karnataka on Saturday afternoon. It will take about 5 days for them to reach Nagpur, Dr Prabhunath Shukla, Deputy Director, PTR told The Hitavada. The third male tusker Ranjan will arrive in the city next month and the forth one, which is a female, will arrive after a couple of months, said Shukla. The forest department established two protection camps in Chorbaoli Forest Range of PTR for these elephants. The Borban camp situated on the banks of Lower Pench dam will be the next home to these four elephants. The other camp which is close to the Borban camp will accommodate more elephants in future.

The camps are deep inside the forest with less human intervention. It has kitchen, storage, medicine and medical supplies, micro chipping and other facilities, Shukla added. Along with these two elephants, their Mahouts are also coming from Karnataka whereas our trained team of Mahouts and care takers are already ready to receive these jumbos at the camp, said the Deputy Director. Elephants are very helpful for patrolling in areas where even vehicles dont have access. In tiger rescue, these elephants will play a pivotal role. We can use them for eco-tourism purposes also, said Shukla. The Department felt the requirement of elephants for these tasks during the rescue operation of T1 tigress (Avni). Then, the Department had brought elephants from Madhya Pradesh. The project cost is Rs 80 lakh and we have sought funds under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Shukla added.
Rajasthan Assembly polls 73.92 % voter turnout





JAIPUR,

MORE than 73 per cent of the electorate in Rajasthan voted on Saturday in a bipolar contest involving the Congress and the BJP to elect a new Government, with polling passing off peacefully barring a few stray incidents of violence. The tentative voter turnout was 73.92 per cent till the last report came in at 6 pm, an election commission official said.

Earlier, Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said the final voting figures will be issued once data is compiled. The polling percentage till 5 pm was 68.24 per cent. The highest turnout was in Jaisalmer district, followed by Hanumangarh and Dholpur districts, Gupta said at a press conference after the polling ended. Polling at more than 51,000 polling booths in 199 Assembly constituencies began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm, but officials said those already in queue at the polling booths were allowed to vote. The votes will be counted on December 3.

When asked about repolling at booths where incidents of clashes were reported, he said the decision would be taken after the report of the observers. Gupta said there were no reports of the voting process getting halted at any place. On the malfunction of EVMs at some booths, he said the number was less than the national average. In the last Assembly elections in 2018, the State recorded a voter turnout of 74.06 per cent.

Polling in the Karanpur Assembly constituency in Sriganganagar was postponed due to the death of the Congress candidate. Two people -- Shanti Lal, who was a polling agent of the BJP candidate from the Sumerpur constituency Joraram Kumawat, and 62-year-old voter Satyendra Arora -- died of suspected cardiac arrest at polling booths in Pali and Udaipur districts, officials said. There are more than 5.25 crore registered voters in 199 seats while 1,862 candidates are in the fray.
Jim Mullen reduced workforce by almost 800 posts - EDDIE MULHOLLAND

If Jim Mullen, the chief executive of publisher Reach, was hoping to mollify his workforce at a company-wide meeting earlier this month, his efforts proved futile.

He answered a few questions and was generally condescending as f*** throughout, says one infuriated journalist. [He had a] grin all the way through and nothing was actually addressed.

The comments highlight the growing fury among staff at the owner of the Mirror and Express newspapers after Mullen announced 450 job cuts earlier this month, taking the total number of roles reduced this year to almost 800.

The NUJ and BAJ unions have both expressed no confidence in Mullens leadership, raising the prospect of strikes. For workers, the cuts are the latest example of mismanagement by the chief executive, raising serious questions about whether his ruthless methods will pay off.

The worry is has the music stopped, says Alex DeGroote, a media analyst and former Reach adviser. Are we at the tipping point?

Mirror expanded to acquire Express and Star newspapers - LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES

When Mullen joined Reach from betting chain Ladbrokes Coral in 2019, he joined a business desperately pursuing growth.

A string of acquisitions under predecessor Simon Fox transformed Reach into the UKs largest commercial news organisation, home to the Star and Express tabloids and local titles including the Manchester Evening News and Liverpool Echo.

However, the benefits of expansion have long since subsided and for Mullen, the brutal cost-cutting is required to put the company on a sustainable financial footing.

The chief executive, dubbed mad Mullen by Private Eye, has also come under fire for his eye-watering pay packets after taking home more than 4m in 2021.

He will this year forgo a bonus and an increase to his 500,000 salary, but the pay levels have still left staff incandescent as hundreds of employees are laid off just before Christmas.

Mr Mullen has said the cuts, alongside the closure of its offices in Bristol and Newcastle and more than a dozen online publications, will reduce operating costs by between 5pc and 6pc.

Story continues

But underpinning Reachs troubles is a faltering transition to the digital era.

Unable to convert its mass-market audience into subscribers, the company has been forced to rely on digital advertising revenues. Now, a wider downturn in the ad market, compounded by Reachs overreliance on social media to feed its content to readers, has left this strategy exposed.

In a further blow, Reachs need to sweep up as many advertising pennies as possible has left its website flooded with irritating ads that risk putting off readers.

The crisis is beginning to show in Reachs top line. The company posted a 14pc drop in its digital advertising revenues in the third quarter, while page views fell by more than a fifth in the first nine months of the year, primarily due to changes in Facebooks algorithm.

As one former executive puts it: Obviously, they became too dependent on the scale that came through social media channels and that scale fell away.

DeGroote goes further, branding Reachs digital performance shocking. He adds: Digital has gone into reverse in quite an epic style. For a media business to be declining at that rate is not very good.

In an attempt to halt this decline, Mullen has focused on registrations, meaning the publisher can gather more data on its users for use in targeted advertising and e-commerce.

Other strategic shifts include expanding the Mirror and Express titles in the US and hiring social media influencers.

But the latter move has sparked particular ire among journalists at a time of crippling redundancies. Insiders are also sceptical about how effectively this strategy is being deployed.

They talk about wanting to integrate content creators, but have no clue why those creators gained a following in the first place or how to utilise them in a way to build successful projects, says one employee.

Everything is cut down or changed within months of it starting, so to blame influencers here is misdirected. The lack of vision comes from above, and responsibility lies at their feet.

Whats more, the desire to pursue audiences on TikTok only seems to echo past mistakes of relying on social media to find readers.

Conversely, the bright spot in Reachs business is print, which accounted for more than three-quarters of revenue in the first half of the year as increases in cover prices offset a decline in circulation.

Theres a lot more pricing power in newspapers than some people believe, so that gives them some sort of defence, says a leading Reach investor. If you hadnt got that then I think youd just abandon ship.

Yet Reach cannot pin its future on the declining print industry.

Daily Mirror rolling off the presses - SIMON DAWSON/BLOOMBERG

Moreover, the company is facing significant pressures on its balance sheet from its pensions deficit and losses related to phone hacking claims, which have totalled 65m over the last six years.

So with margins under pressure, Reach may be forced to cut its dividend  a move DeGroote warns could have catastrophic effects on its share price, which has already slumped to less than a fifth of its peak in 2021.

Jonathan Barrett, an analyst at Panmure Gordon, is sanguine about Reachs prospects, arguing that efficiency will improve and ad revenues will bounce back. Theyve got the audience, they just need to make sure they monetise it, he says.

Yet others are more sceptical about the outlook. Mullen could look to sell off some titles, but the recent merging of operations means it could be hard to disentangle the group, while the cuts risk further harming output and devaluing the news brands.

Ultimately, many observers feel there is no choice but to sit back and hope that Reach can weather the storm. But as Mullen tries to balance the demands of shareholders with those of a workforce in near-open mutiny, he is unlikely to get an easy ride.

When you look at it, its like trying to cut the Gordian knot when all youve got is a blunt pair of scissors, says the shareholder. Theres no easy fix.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
Shares of iRobot closed up nearly 40% on Friday following a report that Amazon's acquisition of the Roomba-maker is set to be approved by European regulators.

Reuters cited three people familiar in reporting that Amazon's planned $1.4 billion deal to purchase the robot vacuum cleaner manufacturer will win unconditional approval from the European Commission. iRobot's stock surged 39.08% on the day, closing at $41.48 a share.

iRobot vacuum cleaners are seen in a Target superstore.

iRobot did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment on the report. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment, calling the report "rumors."

The companies first announced the acquisition in August 2022, and it was cleared by the Competition and Markets Authority, British antitrust regulators, in June of this year.

iRobot's most famous product is the Roomba automatic vacuum cleaner, but the company also makes other robots for the home as well as for the U.S. military.

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The European Commission announced the next month it had opened an in-depth investigation into the deal, saying it was "concerned that the transaction would allow Amazon to restrict competition in the market for robot vacuum cleaners and to strengthen its position as online marketplace provider."

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iRobot shares soared Friday following a report that Amazon's acquisition of the Roomba-maker will soon be one step closer to a done deal.

The acquisition also remains under review by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which was also worried about Amazon's growing market power.

Shortly after the deal was announced, Ron Knox, a senior researcher at the Institute for Local Self Reliance, said it was the "most dangerous, threatening" acquisition in the e-commerce behemoth's history, FOX Business previously reported.

Amazon said in a statement in June that both companies were "working cooperatively with the relevant regulators in their review of the merger."

FOX Business' Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.





Original article source: Roomba parent shares surge as Amazon deal nears: report
Nigerians are desperately yearning for a legislature that embodies the wishes and aspirations of the people as well as the ideals of democracy. The majority have even concluded that an effective legislature remains a mirage in Nigeria, lamenting that all the investments in institutionalizing democracy since independence have amounted to a wasted venture. And then interestingly, this view found an apt expression in the recent observation by former president Olusegun Obasanjo to the effect that democracy cannot work in Nigeria because it is alien to the African culture and tradition. Though this opinion is incompletely validated, the legislature has largely failed in its roles and responsibilities, as the shield for the citizenry, particularly in holding the executive accountable. Corruption, insecurity, poverty and poor leadership are geometrically growing sequel to the absence of diligent legislative oversights. Consequently, there is a high sense of frustration fuelling the already poor perception of the legislature. In other words, public trust today favours the other arms more than the legislature. Yes, the legislators are not trusted due to accumulated failed expectations from them in addition to limited public knowledge about the legislature's mandates.

However, on the flipside, democracy is still the best form of governance the world over while the primary cause of Nigerias under-development lies squarely with the constitution. In the place of pragmatic laws and policies to drive the system optimally, a weak and shallow document that was hurriedly packaged by the military and foisted on the people as a constitution is in force. These pseudo-laws do not substantially reflect the wishes of the people. Rather than strong institutions, this obsolete constitution created and sustains strong individuals who dominate the democratic landscape thus exposing Nigerias democracy to stunted growth.

Yet ironically, all those at the vanguard of criticizing the legislature for underperformance are well-versed in this fundamental error. They are fully abreast of the numerous flaws inherent in the constitution and as such, agree that amendment or outright replacement is the panacea. But typical of the elites whose sense of hypocrisy has since become legendary, they are rather selective in their clamours. They only champion alterations in the aspects that serve their self-seeking interests. For instance, they are vociferous in calling for devolution of powers, creation of additional states, local government autonomy, state police, and funding of political parties. Despite how popular and germane these thematic areas are, the elites are only driven by the latent opportunities to advance their perennial agenda of self-preservation. And of course, restructuring and true federalism mean different things to different elites, depending on what suits their expectations. Furthermore, whereas this issue of faulty constitution has been receiving the attention of the legislature, no one is raising a voice for the strengthening of the legislative framework. None seemingly is concerned that all the powers and influence of the national assembly are merely theoretical. All feign ignorance that the legislature is being mercilessly dominated and controlled by the executive and also, that there is no practical protection for the legislature to independently exercise effective supervision over the executive. We pretend not to know that the legislature wholly depends on the executive for existence notably in the areas of operational funding and logistics.

As just one insight into the fragile situation of the federal legislature, the immediate past president of the senate, Ahmad Lawan, penultimate week, reminded his colleagues that while it is true that on paper, lawmakers have the power of the purse, the execution of the project lies in the hands of the executive arm of government through various ministries, departments and agencies that should be lobbied. That was during a debate on the need for the legislature to have greater control over the funding of constituency projects.

Lawan has only reiterated that the powers of the legislature, particularly in supervising the executive, begin and end on paper, but with collaboration, there could be a difference. Apart from becoming a presiding officer, he has been in the national assembly since 1999. So he knows enough having seen it all.

Expectedly, that proposed legislation was jettisoned by the Senate.

Understandably, the lawmakers acknowledged that they lack both the constitutional and political wherewithal to engage the executive in any form of governance battle. They might have also recalled several incidents where certain individuals openly disparaged the legislators in the course of their duties, even right inside the national assembly and nothing happened. Similarly, representatives of government and private organizations have serially shunned legislative summons with no repercussions. No doubt, the Senate is conscious that the executive determines the pace and direction of oversight duties using funding and logistics as baits. Then above all, they reasoned that what becomes of legislative resolutions has always been at the discretion of the executive in the same manner that the presidency chooses the bills to accept, despite the concerted efforts of the legislature in playing its roles.

Regrettably, all these democratic misnomers have become entrenched in the polity because the laws have not adequately empowered the legislature to perform. And this is why every sensitive legislature settles for collaboration with the other arms in the discharge of its functions being aware that whatever a legislature can deliver is a function of what the executive is willing to offer.

Guided by these facts, the president of the senate, Godswill Akpabio, was careful in reading a riot act to the executive, recently. Speaking at a public hearing on the 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, he noted that any serious appointee or any head of any agency that is interested in the success of President Bola Tinubus administration ought to be here. Chairman (of the event) should give me the list of all the heads of agencies that you invited who have failed to show up in this session. This is the beginning of their failure in their various offices. Continuing he stressed that any head of agency that sends representation here is not a serious person and therefore the president must take a second look at such a persons appointment. It is not a threat but the truth. And to further underscore the critical importance of that function, he announced that I shelved even my appointment to appear in Owerri today for our final rally of my party and other schedules that I have, to make sure that I appear so that we can strategize on how we can succeed.

Instructively, in an enlightened democracy, no concerned stakeholder could have been absent on such a critical occasion. Yes, in the face of a strong and truly independent legislature, it is an offence with grave consequences for the executive to treat governance issues with levity. But sadly, this is the Nigeria of today!

Therefore interpretatively, there are veiled but direct messages for President Bola Tinubu in those Akpabios remarks. To begin with and by the records, Akpabio has yet to hide his sense of dedication to the success of Tinubus presidency. He has made it so profound that it was the major thrust of his legislative agenda while campaigning to become the Senate president. He reiterated it at his inaugural address and has been consistent with such a mindset. So it was not strange that he utilized this recent outing to reaffirm it. Tinubu am sure understands this first message.

Again, Akpabio recognized that the legislature lacks the veritable instruments to achieve compliance from the executive. He was convinced that even if the legislators decide to bite the finger that feeds them, they neither have the energy to move the jaws nor strong teeth to act. He as well communicated clearly.

Also, Akpabio reminded Tinubu that the Senate merely confirmed the appointees as required by the law but the hire-and-fire prerogative resides with the presidency. Put differently, Tinubu could have bypassed the legislature and seamlessly appointed anyone, given the weakness and shallowness that define the Constitution. This was the third message.

So in all, Akpabio passionately appealed to Tinubu to deliberately make his appointees level of commitment to honouring legislative summons a major part of his assessment of them among other key performance indicators. It is equally safe to add that Tinubu should lead by example, particularly by treating legislative resolutions with the deserved respect and urgency. This is very important in fairly rating the legislature because a cursory look at the resolutions so far passed by the 10th National Assembly is reassuring. Certainly, if they receive commensurate attention, there would be overwhelming developmental tangible across the country.

Hence, if only President Tinubu could ponder these underlying requests and favourably consider them, Nigerians, especially the poor, would indeed breathe. And then of strategic importance, if only he could use his power and influence to give Nigeria a people-oriented constitution, prepared through an all-inclusive process, the masses would be convinced that democracy indeed can work in Africa and Nigeria, particularly. Mr President should be persuaded that there is no better challenge now than creating functional democratic systems that work for the people. He should see the need to free the masses from the suffocating grips of the elites, through robust leadership, especially now that it has mattered the most. Otherwise, it amounts to hypocrisy and unfairness expecting the legislature to deliver within the prevailing configuration. So Tinubu, the ball is in your court if you wish to receive a generous mention whenever our history is rewritten. But in the interim, please Your Excellency, listen to Akpabio on this, for he has spoken the minds of well-meaning Nigerians.

Egbo is a parliamentary affairs analyst


Hikers trek up stairs at West Beach during the "Opt Outside" Black Friday event on Friday, November 24, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

As an alternative to shopping on Black Friday, Indiana Dunes National Park hosted an assortment of family-friendly hikes on Friday at West Beach.

Close to 50 hikers gathered on Friday afternoon, despite wind and 30 degree temperatures, and were given several options of interactive hikes to follow, from a one-mile birding hike to a 3.5-mile geology hike including 270 stairs, all led by experts on various aspects of dunes ecology.

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Cookie Ferguson, secretary for Dunes Calumet Audubon Society and the Indiana Audubon Society, led her hike along Long Lake, and was hoping to see some ducks and talk about migration.

Hikers walk along the shore of Lake Michigan at West Beach in Gary as part of the "Opt Outside" Black Friday event at West Beach in Gary on Friday, November 24, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

Everything is cyclical, said Ferguson. If there are good acorns, if there is a good food source, the birds will stay. If not, they will leave and come back.

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Erin Argyilan is a geologist and just joined the Indiana Dunes National Park in August after 25 years in the geosciences department at Indiana University Northwest in Gary. Argyilans hike focused on ecology.

We are going to walk along the succession trail, named after Henry Chandler Cowles, said Argyilan. He came here and noticed this landscape and was able to formulate his theory of ecological succession.

Everything here is sand and the same material, the climate is the same, the only thing that changes as you move across the landscape is time, said Argyilan. Cowles was able to study the landscape and find which plants come first, which ones occupy the landscape second, how does a plant that gets there change the landscape so the next assemblage of plants can come in.

Great Lakes research and education center education coordinator Erin Argyilan, on left, leads hikers in a walk through the dunes at West Beach as part of the "Opt Outside" Black Friday event on Friday, November 24, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

Dunes sand is uniform in size because the wind picks it up and sorts it according to size, said Argyilan referencing the term singing sands often used in description of the dunes. Our sands are incredible soft, incredibly pure. They still have some minerals that are legacy minerals from the glaciers moving down here so there will be little bits of black sand in there that is magnetic and dances.

We do have the best beach sand anywhere in the Great Lakes, said Argyilan. We are so lucky that these landscapes have been protected because they would no doubt have been bought up and mined for fracking today.

Christa Drozd, of St. John, was at the park with her husband and three children for a Black Friday hike.

My son thats in fourth grade got the free park pass through his school so we are taking full advantage, said Drozd. We did a little bit of shopping and now we are here for an invigorating hike.

Cleveland, Ohio resident Patty Denninger, who has a goal to visit every national park with her husband, takes a picture on the shore of Lake Michigan during the "Opt Outside" Black Friday hike at West Beach in Gary on Friday, November 24, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

Dave and Barb Ferrari, of Homewood, Illinois, were back for their second Black Friday hike at the park as they enjoyed their experience last year.

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A hike is a great way to spend Black Friday, said Barb Ferrari. We are thankful for our overall health.

Indiana Dunes National Park includes 15 miles of Lake Michigan Shoreline and 15,000 protected acres of biodiverse beaches, woods, prairies and marshes.

For more information on guided hikes and other programs, visit nps.org, download the National Parks app, or call 219-395-1882.

Deena Lawley-Dixon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
(Bloomberg) -- Russian shipments of donated grain are due to begin landing in Africa within days, giving fresh impetus to its bid to bolster its influence in the continent.

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President Vladimir Putin promised to send free grain to six African countries that have strong ties with Moscow at a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July. The move followed criticism that Russias war in Ukraine and its withdrawal from a deal that facilitated the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea were pushing up global food and fertilizer prices.

The shipments will total 200,000 tons by year-end, the Russian Agriculture Ministry was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying Nov. 17, with Somalia and Burkina Faso set to be the first recipients. Zimbabwe, Mali, Eritrea and the Central African Republic are also due to get between 25,000 and 50,000 tons of grain each, Putin said in July. Thats a tiny fraction of what they consume.

Russias push to strengthen ties with African nations by increasing trade and deploying Wagner mercenaries to prop up unstable governments follows efforts by the US and its allies to isolate it in response to the invasion of Ukraine. It remains a minor player however  its two-way trade with the continent was only $18 billion in 2022, a fraction of Chinas $282 billion.

Research presented at a conference in Cape Town on Sunday organized by a foundation set up by former South African President Thabo Mbeki sought to dispel the notion that Moscow bore primary responsibility for rising food costs. Direct or indirect sanctions imposed on Russia and its ally Belarus cut global fertilizer and ammonia supplies by 40.8 million tons through April 2023, according to the study, which was backed by a fund founded by Russian fertilizer billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.

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Ukraine and Russia are two of the worlds leading exporters of grain and vegetable oil. The war has impacted on global supplies of both commodities, with Russia bombing Ukrainian stores and ports.

While Russian fertilizer hasnt been subjected to international sanctions, penalties imposed on owners of companies that produce it and restrictions by the banking and logistics industries, saw exports fall last year. They have since recovered, spurring a decline in prices.

The studys analysis of the impact of the Black Sea grain deal showed that it helped to feed about 95 million people but fell short in ensuring that fertilizer originating from Russia could flow freely to global markets. Had that happened, food could have been produced that fed about 199 million people, it said.

Billionaire Melnichenko, who holds dual citizenship from Russia and the United Arab Emirates, was sanctioned by the European Union and the US following the invasion of Ukraine. He traveled to South Africa late last year to lobby politicians to support his pleas for the EU to resolve fertilizer supply issues.

Pretoria has adopted a non-aligned stance toward the war in Ukraine that has drawn criticism from the US and some of its other largest trading partners. Mbeki spent time in exile in Russia during apartheid rule and served as South Africas president from 1999 until 2008.

--With assistance from Paul Vecchiatto.

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The state health department is all set to take strong steps to prevent rampant consumption and sale of antibiotics in the state. Swasthya Bhaban, health department headquarters at Salt Lake, may issue fresh directives to retailers and wholesellers of drugs across the city and districts not to sell antibiotics to consumers without verifying valid prescriptions. Rattled by the irrational consumption of antibiotics, the health department held a meeting with animal resources and development (ARD) and fisheries departments on

Friday to discuss the issue of how to prevent rampant sale and use of antibiotic medicines. Experts and officials of the three departments in the meeting have discussed several major issues like rampant use of antibiotics by humans, fish and animals, mainly poultry birds. It has been decided in the meeting on how to intensify vigilance on over-the-counter sale of antibiotics in most of the chemists shops without verifying valid prescriptions issued by registered doctors. The health department has threatened action against chemists shops if they are found selling antibiotics without verifying prescriptions, sources in the meeting said.

On 1 October, The Statesman had carried a report, Bengal is the highest consumer of antibiotics in the country throwing lights on how irrational and rampant use of antibiotics make a large number of antibiotics resistant to cure diseases. A recent study conducted by the health department revealed this alarming finding. Narayan Swaroop Nigam, principal secretary in charge of health department while addressing in a seminar, Sepsis prevention awareness programme held on 30 September, had said, We have the highest antibiotics consumption in the country. While analyzing the use of antibiotics in our state we got this very important innovative data.

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According to a study, the resistance rate of a large number of special category and common antibiotics in the state is more than 60 per cent. A team of microbiology experts of the health department had analysed positive reports of more than 32,000 culture and sensitivity tests of patients in state-run hospitals during the past one year and got the findings.

There are more around 45,000 whole-sale and retail shops of medicines across the state. We welcome the health departments initiatives to prevent rampant irrational sale and use of antibiotics in the state. We are ready to cooperate with the health department in this regard.

All chemist shop owners have already been sensitized and asked by our association not to sell antibiotics without verifying prescriptions, said Sankha Roychowdhury, president of Bengal Chemists and Druggists Association (BCDA), highest body of medicine shops in the state
Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought help of Mumbai-based National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) in investigation on the multicrore cash for school job case in West Bengal. Sources said that help has been sought from NSDL about the permanent account number (PAN)-related details of a particular corporate entity which is linked to Sujay Krishna Bhadra, a prime accused in the case.

Information has also been sought from NSDL about some present and past directors of the said company. Sources said that after getting the details from NSDL on this count, the ED sleuths will corroborate the same with the available documents already available with them.

They said that once the details sought from NSDL is available and corroborated with the documents already available with ED sleuths, the accounting juggleries made in the entire scam process will be more clear. One of the individual PAN cards, whose information has been sought by the ED sleuths from NSDL is that of Sujay Bhadra. However, the ED sleuths are tightlipped about the other directors whose information they have sought from NSDL.

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Sources said that ED sleuths are exploring all opportunities to track the minute financial juggleries in the school job case to make a watertight case in the court. Already the central agency sleuths are under pressure to complete the investigation process at the earliest following a recent direction of the Calcutta High Court directing ED to wind up the investigation process by December 31 this year and approaching NSDL for the related information is perceived as a step to meet the deadline.
The core committee of Trinamul Congress in Birbhum district held an important meeting today. Recently, deputy Speaker of Assembly, Ashish Mukherjee has been appointed as the chairman of Birbhum district TMC in the absence of Anubrata Mondal. Anubrata has been dropped from the post of district president of TMC in Birbhum, but so far the post is lying vacant.

The crucial Lok Sabha election is six months away, at this juncture holding the core committee meeting in Birbhum district is significant. The meeting was held at Khoyrasole Block party office of TMC, in which party MPs Shatabdi Roy, Asit Mal, and MLA of Suri and other senior leaders were present.

Our party is united in Birbhum district and on 2 January, we will organise a massive rally in Khoyrasole, where over 50,000 people will be present, said MLA Bikash Roy Choudhury. In the 2021 Assembly polls, the BJP won a lone seat from Birbhum and in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls is eyeing a seat from the district in absence of Anubrata Mondal. For the last one year, Anubrata has been lodged in jail. His so-called rival group leader Kajal Sheikh has been appointed as the sabhadhipati of Birbhum zilla parishad.

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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched the Ambedkar Fellowship for Political Change, aiming to involve the youth in the decision-making processes of the country.

The fellowship promises to provide an impactful experience, and network with like-minded people. The Ambedkar Fellowship for Political Change intends to equip the youths of the country with abilities so that they can be their voice, innovate the solutions to their problems, and get a ringside view of the elections.

The selected fellows are to be engaged in field campaigns, Media and Communications, and research & data analysis. This fellowship will be for 11 months, and the location will be on a hybrid basis.

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During this, addressing the youth of the country, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal shared, The AAP is the fastest-growing party in the history of India because its a party of honest and educated people. No matter where you live in the country, if you have the zeal to change Indian politics and make India the number 1 country in the world, this fellowship program is a golden opportunity for you.

The official handle of AAP mentioned, The AAP is launching one of its kind initiatives Ambedkar Fellowship for Political Change. With the launch of this fellowship program, we are inviting political enthusiasts who have a burning passion for politics and wish to bring reform to the country.

Quoting Dr. B.R Ambedkar, the AAP shared, For a successful revolution it is not enough that there is discontent. What is required is a profound and thorough conviction of the justice, necessity and importance of political and social rights.

The AAP appealed to the youth of the country stating, The youth of India stands at the cusp of a defining moment, a moment in which proactive action will determine the pathway that unfolds for the generations to come. At this pivotal juncture, come forth and contribute your commitment towards building a nation that resonates and promotes the aspirations of a Billion plus Indians, giving a prominent voice to each corner of the country. As a part of the fellowship, you will be entrusted to spearhead the shaping of the development and public welfare discourse, setting the stage for empowering all fellow Indian citizens, to voice their true aspirations for the India they envision.

As per the AAP, this Fellowship will enhance the attributes of fellows such as the ability to do cutting-edge political research and lead projects. Connection with like-minded individuals and senior leaders of the AAP. Ability to use ones research, and critical thinking skills and implement campaigns to make a tangible impact on issues that matter most to them. Harness ones creativity to propose innovative solutions. And first-hand experience of election campaigns.
A day after the Election Commission of India gave permission to the Telangana government to disburse funds through direct benefit transfer (DBT) to the farmer beneficiaries of the Rythu Bandhu scheme Congress state president A Revanth Reddy said it was evident that the BJP and the BRS has a Fevicol bond and were colluding to defeat the Congress in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Pointing out that Rythu Bandhu, which was a farmers investment support scheme started by the BRS government, was usually released in January, Mr Reddy pointed out that it was being disbursed just four days before the polling date. Telangana elections will be held on 30 November. Last evening the state government received the nod from the ECI to release the funds through DBT.

The Commission has no objection to disbursement of Rythu Bandhu assistance and has further directed that the DBT under the scheme will not be affected during silence period and poll day in the state read the directive from the ECI. In the 2018 Assembly elections, a similar situation had arisen and voters even while standing in the queue for voting were alerted by SMS that Rs 5,000 had been deposited in their accounts under Rythu Bandhu scheme.

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Therefore, this time the Telangana Congress leaders had taken the precaution of approaching the ECI and pleaded that this instalment of the scheme should be released before 15 November. Since the Model Code of Conduct is in force the state government requires permission from ECI to release the money to beneficiaries. Around Rs 7,300 crore will be disbursed among 65 lakh farmers in the next few days.

Today, the PCC chief slammed the move, saying: It is evident that there is a fevicol bond between the BRS and the BJP-led Centre. KCR is trying to win the election by spending money. He also pointed out other state government schemes which were running including Dalit Bandhu, BC Bandhu and Minority Bandhu were all similar but the state government asked permission from ECI to release funds only under the Rythu Bandhu scheme.

This is because the BJP and the BRS are hand-in-glove. The BJP says it wants to defeat the BRS but both are colluding to defeat the Congress, said Mr Reddy. He also assured the farmers that they wont suffer any losses by accepting the payment since Congress after coming to power will pay them the enhanced amount of Rs15,000. Moreover, we will also pay the share croppers the amount under Rythu Bandhu, assured Mr Reddy who advised farmers to accept the funds.

He also alleged that IT and ED raids were taking place only on the premises of Congress candidates who have recently joined the party either from BRS and BJP. Till G Vivek Venkataswamy was in BJP he was Ram for them. Now that he has quit the party after realising that the BJP and BRS are colluding he has become Ravan for them, said Reddy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes to the victims of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks during his monthly radio show Mann Ki Baat. Modi said that India can never forget the day when it faced its most heinous terror attack.

We can never forget November 26 It was today that a heinous attack took place on our country I pay my tribute to all the people who lost their lives in the Mumbai attack, he said.

At least 166 people were killed and scores others sustained serious injuries in the Indias biggest terrorist attack.

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The attack was carried out by 10 Pakistani terrorists, who entered the city via sea route. They continued to storm the city for nearly three days before being neutralised.

One of them, Ajmal Kasab was captured alive and was subsequently hanged after trial on November 21, 2012. The attack changed the way India dealt with the Pakistani terrorism and brought the two nuclear-armed neighbours on the brink of a war.

The attacks began on November 26, 2008 and lasted until November 29. The terrorists targetted the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, the Nariman House Jewish community centre.

The prime minister said that it was Indias strength to overcome the deadly attack. He said that we are now crushing terrorism with full courage.
John and Andy Van Wieren had enterprising wives and families.

John Van Wieren was born in 1902, Andy in 1908. Their father, Fredrich Van Wieren, emigrated from the Netherlands to the north side of Holland, where he served as Ottawa County Drain Commissioner.

Steve VanderVeen

As a teen, John worked as a machine operator for Charles P. Limbert, a furniture manufacturer. In 1922, in the era of home ice boxes, John and his wife, Anna, started Lakeside Ice. Their warehouse was located on the north side of Lake Macatawa, near the intersection of Douglas Avenue and Aniline Road.

There, they harvested ice from Lake Macatawa and made ice in brine vats. Their office was located at 447 Central Avenue, in a house they shared with their business partners, Andrew and Johanna Bremer. Johns brother, Andy, was an employee.

In 1930, John and Anna moved their three boys and business office to their newly built house at 80 W. 20th St. Soon they were a family of seven. In 1946, John, with partners George Dykstra and Bert Cranmer, purchased from Alva Fairbanks the Superior Ice and Machine Company.

Also in 1946, the Retail Merchants of Holland elected John to their executive council. The first meeting  about Tulip Time was on April 29.

An envelope addressed to John Van Wieren

But home refrigerator/freezers eliminated the home ice delivery business. In 1954, Grand Rapids Ice and Fuel purchased Superior Ice and closed the Holland plant.

In the 1960s, John and Anna moved to a small house near Douglas Avenue and Division, not far from the original Lakeside Ice, and John became an airport manager for Park Township.

Andy Van Wierens business continues to exist.

In 1928, Andy married Harriet Schepel. Together, they had three children: Lester, Roger, and Delores Jean. To support his family, Andy worked as a carpenter, farmer, truck drive and iceman.

During the Great Depression, Andy ran a fishing supply business at Ottawa Beach on the north pier. As his children grew older, they helped Andy by renting out bamboo poles and selling bait.

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In 1948, Andy and Harriet purchased a Sinclair gas station, lunchroom, and bait shop on the northeast corner of Division Street and Douglas Avenue. While Harriet operated the lunchroom, Andy ran the gas station and bait shop.

Van Wierens Sinclair Gas Station in the late 1940s.

During the Korean War, Les and Roger served in the military. In 1953, Andy suffered a heart attack. When the doctor told him he couldn't work again, Lester, newly discharged and newly married to Geneva, suspended a planned career in carpentry to take over the gas station until Roger returned a year later.

Thankfully, Andys health improved, and when he returned to the business, he added hardware items to his product mix. That decision was so successful he and Harriet converted the lunchroom into a hardware store. Then they expanded the building, and later they did so again.

The hardware store continued to flourish. In 1960, Roger joined Andy and Les built an apartment for Andy and Harriet above the store. In 1968, during a recession in the construction industry, Les and Geneva joined the business, which, by this time, also included Norm VanderZwaag, husband of Delores Jean.

Meanwhile, Roger obtained a real estate license to develop properties in Holland and northern Michigan. He also started a business reconditioning travel trailers.

Van Wierens Hardware Store in the early 1960s.

In 1972, the Van Wierens built a new, larger building for Van Wieren Hardware, and Andy and Harriets oldest grandchildren, Debra (Deb) and Laurie, daughters of Lester and Geneva, pitched in: dusting, pricing products, and later cashiering.

While in college, Deb continued work at the hardware store during breaks. After receiving a teaching degree, she married Don Axce, who became Hollands beloved downtown mailman.

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After the passing of Andy in 1988 and Harriet in 1991, Deb bought into the business. Following the deaths of Lester in 2004 and Roger in 2006, Deb and Don became the principal owners of Van Wieren Hardware, assisted by Debs mother, Geneva.

While Deb managed the store, Don, when not carrying mail, contributed as well. For instance, he made thousands of ham roll ups for holiday open houses, coordinated sidewalk sale lunches, delivered orders, and explored new product ideas at hardware shows. He died in November 2020.

Today, Van Wieren Hardware continues to thrive by treating customers like friends and neighbors, as they did in the old days.

Sources for this story include Robert Swierengas "Holland, Michigan," MiGenWeb, Holland City Directories and correspondence with Deb Axce.

 Steve VanderVeen is a resident of Holland. You may reach him at skvveen@gmail.com. His book, "The Holland Area's First Entrepreneurs," is available at Readers World.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland History: The story of Van Wieren Hardware
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha has hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for claiming that the Telanganas incumbent Chief Minister KCRs party is in an alliance with the BJP.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Kavitha said that the Gandhi family has always betrayed the people of Telangana and whatever Rahul Gandhi is saying here is a lie.

Rahul Gandhi is our guest. He comes here, eats biryani, eats paan. The Gandhi family has always betrayed the people of Telangana. They just want to accuse KCR. People of Telangana are not liking it. Whatever he (Rahul Gandhi) is saying is a lie, she said.

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The BRS leader said that when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (Grand mother of Rahul Gandhi) needed people of Telangana (then Andhra Pradesh), they helped her but in return, the Gandhi family betrayed them.

Referring to Rahul Gandhis remarks, Kavitha said, Rahul Gandhi is saying that ED has not arrested me and that is why BRS is with the BJP. But then there ED cases against Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi and then have also not been arrested by the BJP. So, do I say Congress and BJP are also together?

#WATCH | Nizamabad, Telangana: BRS MLC K Kavitha says, Rahul Gandhi is our guest. He comes here, eats biryani, eats paan. The Gandhi family has always betrayed the people of Telangana. They just want to accuse KCR. People of Telangana are not liking it. Whatever he (Rahul pic.twitter.com/SXSutet8Zx  ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2023

The Congress and the BRS are locked in an intense political battle in Telangana where elections for 119-member legislative assembly will be held on Thursday, November 30.

There is a direct contest between the Congress and the BRS with the BJP also putting a challenge to both parties on several seats.

The Congress is hoping to win the state it created in 2014 but has not governed so far. If BRS wins, KCR would be the only South Indian leader to win three consecutive terms.

The results of Telangana Assembly Elections 2023 will be declared on December 3.
Predicting electoral victory for the BJP in the just-concluded polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Sunday that the INDIA bloc would be wiped out and Congress completely uprooted.

To counter the Congress allegations of a tacit understanding between the BJP and BRS have, Modi guaranteed that the guilty leaders of the AAP and the BRS (read Kalvakuntla Kavitha, who has so far evaded arrest by Supreme Courts directive) who were allegedly involved in the Delhi liquor scam, will be sent to jail.

Addressing two election rallies in the state, the first at Toopran in Gajwel constituency, the home turf of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, and then at Nirmal in North Telangana, Modi launched a scalding attack on the BRS supremo.

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After destroying Telangana, KCR desired to become the leader of the nation and joined hands with Delhis most corrupt party. Together, they committed liquor scam and earned crores illegally and now some of the leaders are in jail and it has become difficult for them to even get bail. Everyone knows about the mobile phones that were hidden away and the money that was delivered. Those guilty will go to jail  this is my guarantee, said Modi.

The prime minister also said that Telangana would get its first BJP government this time and predicted, INDI Alliance will be wiped out, and that Congress will be uprooted by the women, farmers and the youths.

Recalling the Mumbai terror attacks on 26/11 the Prime minister said, The terrorist attack reminds us what kind of losses a country faces when there is a weak and ineffective government. In April 2014 the people removed the weak government of Congress and installed the strong government of BJP and terrorism is being wiped out bit by bit.

Speaking at Toopran, Modi wondered why KCR was contesting from both Gajwel and Kamareddy. Why is KCR contesting elections from another seat? Congress Rahul Gandhi had to leave Amethi and flee all the way to Kerala. The first reason is definitely Etela Rajender (the BJP candidate) and secondly because of the anger of the farmers and the poor, said the prime minister recalling the plight of the land losers of Mallanasagar who were also contesting as independents against the chief minister.

In a blistering attack on KCR, he said, Does Telangana need a chief minister who does not meet his people? What is the need for a Farmhouse chief minister? The farmers of Telangana have decided to keep him at the farmhouse permanently.

At his rally at Nirmal, which is witnessing a straight fight between the BRS and BJP, he said while the chief minister rested easy at his farmhouse the poor were denied housing facilities, though houses were being built with funds from the Centres and taxes of the common man.

One of the key grievances against the BRS Government is non distribution of 2BHK houses. Accusing the Congress and BRS of being carbon copies of each other, he said one cannot be an alternative to the other.

Predicting that KCR would build IT Parks for minority youths, the prime minister asked, Will there be IT parks on the basis of religion now?

He claimed only BJP can give social justice to SC, ST and the BC community.
Security forces have launched a massive search operation in Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu, following the detection of retired soldiers of Pakistan Army involved in terrorist activities in these areas.

The Northern Army Commander had confirmed the presence of Pakistan Armys retired soldiers in the two districts where the previous encounters between the Indian Army and terrorists stretched for a long period.

The Core Group of security forces met at the headquarters of the 16 Corps of the Army on Saturday to discuss the strategy to neutralise the Pakistani terrorists who have infiltrated to revive terrorism in Rajouri and Poonch where peace was prevailing for the past two decades.

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Top brass of the Army, J&K Police, intelligence agencies and para-military forces deliberated upon the prevailing situation across the Jammu region. The meeting was co-chaired by General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 16 Corps, Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain and Director General of J&K Police RR Swain.

The meeting was held hours after the major encounter in the border district of Rajouri that left five Army Bravehearts and two terrorists dead. One of the killed most wanted terrorist, Quari, is believed to be an ex-serviceman of Pakistan Army.

After discussing the security challenges, they are learnt to have finalized the counter strategy against terrorists that includes maintaining the highest level of synergy among all security agencies and building more human and technical intelligence to eliminate the remaining terrorists in Poonch-Rajouri range.

Northern Command chief Lt General Upendra Dwivedi had said that 20 to 25 Pakistani terrorists are still operating in Rajouri-Poonch.

The rugged terrain and natural caves in the twin districts were providing ample of shelter to terrorists who seem to be well trained in jungle warfare. Terrorists take advantage of the thick undergrowth, large boulders and inhospitable terrain, an Army officer said.

Quari, who was a top LeT commander, was active in Rajouri-Poonch for past about one year and is believed behind also behind the targeted killing of seven persons in the Dangri village of Rajouri and the terror attack at an Army convoy in the Kandi area of Poonch where five soldiers were killed.

Earlier in August, a retired havildar of Pakistan Army was killed on the Indian side. He was operating with a group of heavily armed terrorists.

A group of 7 terrorists, in April, fired armor-piercing bullets and tossed grenades that killed 5 Indian soldiers in the Bhatta-Durian area in the BG Sector of Poonch.

Bhatta-Durian that is along the LOC had in October 2021 witnessed the death of 9 soldiers of the Indian Army in a counter-terrorist operation that stretched to more than 25 days but the terrorists managed to escape. Five soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer, were killed on 11 October 2021 and four more in the gun battle with terrorists.

The two districts were peaceful for the past 20 years following Operation Sarp Vinash in 2003 by the Army at the Hill-Kaka near Darhal in Poonch where Pakistani terrorists had built concrete bunkers that were also used as transit camps for infiltrating terrorists.

Meanwhile, DGP RR Swain said: We should not be overly alarmed but the people should remain alert because the intent of the adversary across the border continues to be inimical.

He said that it is a long porous border and whole system across the border is convoluted thus posing a challenge but Indian state and its government has the wherewithal, the will, the resoluteness to defeat it and not allow it to become a cause of concern where normal life, business activities and peace and security would be derailed. Individual incidents happen but this does not mean they are in a position to run over the place or majorly change the security scenario.
A probe team led by Thrikkakkara Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) will probe into the stampede that occurred during a music programme at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) campus which claimed four lives on Saturday.

The Police have registered a case of unnatural death on Saturday after recording the witnesses statements. Senior police officers said that lapses in the programme arrangements led to the tragedy. The Probe team is likely to book the organisers in the case.

Four people lost their lives in the stampede that occurred during a music programme organised in connection with the Tech Fest at the School of Engineering at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) on Saturday. Around 60 people sustained injuries in the stampede.

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The incident occurred during a music concert led by Nikhita Gandhi that was held in an open-air auditorium at the campus. Among the dead, three are students of CUSAT- Sarah Thomas from Korangad near Thamassery in Kozhikode, Atul Thambi from Koothatukulama and Ann Rufta from North Paravur. The other deceased person, Albin Joseph, a native of Mundoor in Palakkad, was a former student of the CUSAT.

The stampede occurred when students rushed inside the music hall following a sudden downpour. The programme was held in the open-air auditorium. As it rained, those standing outside rushed into the auditorium, resulting in a stampede.

Meanwhile, the post-mortem report of four people who died in the stampede during the music programme at CUSAT says suffocation as the main cause of the death. The post-mortem report said that they suffered lung injuries leading to asphyxiation. The report states that they experienced difficulty in breathing due to lung injury and that there were injuries to their neck and chest.
For a judiciary mirroring the social diversity, President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday advocated for all India judicial service for the recruitment of judges from varied backgrounds through a process, which is merit based, competitive and transparent at the subordinate judiciary, who can rise up the ladder to the highest level of judiciary.

The Constitution Day function was preceded by the unveiling of the statue of Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar  the architect of the Constitution  in the fore lawns of the Supreme Court by President Murmu. The statue of Dr Ambedkar is crafted in his attire as a lawyer.

President Murmu said: One way to hasten this diversification process can be the creation of a system in which judges can be recruited from varied backgrounds through a process which is merit based, competitive and transparent. There can be an All-India Judicial Service which can select brilliant youngsters and nurture and promote their talents from lower levels to highest levels.

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The President said this in her inaugural address at the 74th Constitution Day organised by the Supreme Court of India here today.

Stating that those who aspire to serve as judges can be selected from across the country to create a larger pool of talent, President Murmu said: Such a system can offer opportunities to the less-represented social groups too. I leave it to your wisdom to devise any effective mechanism that you deem fit to achieve this objective of strengthening the justice delivery system.

Having flagged her concern for the less-represented social group in the judiciary, President Murmu asked whether every single citizen is in a position to seek justice and said that there were many barriers and the cost of litigation is notable.

Stating that accessing the court for justice is one issue close to her heart, President Murmu said: The cause of justice is best served by making it accessible for all. This also strengthens equality. We should ask ourselves, especially on occasions like today, whether every single citizen is in a position to seek justice. On introspection, we realise that there are many barriers in the way. Cost is, of course, the most significant factor. It is a matter close to my heart.

President identified language as a barrier

for the lesser represented underprivileged sections of the society which is beyond comprehension of the majority of the citizens. Then, there are other barriers too. For example, language, which is beyond the comprehension of a majority of citizens, the President said.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said that the Supreme Court is constantly working to ensure legal processes become easier and simplified, so that the citizens do not languish in jails unnecessarily.

The Chief Justice said this referring that last year on the constitution day celebration, President Murumu had voiced her concern on the overcrowding of prisons and incarceration of people from marginalized backgrounds and the steps taken in repose to that.

Madam President, I want to assure you that we are constantly working to ensure that legal processes become easier and simplified, so that citizens do not languish in jails unnecessarily. The version 2.0 of the FASTER initiative that will be launched today ensures that judicial orders of release of a person are immediately transferred to jail authorities via electronic means, so that the person is released on time, the Chief Justice said.

Besides the judicial side, the Chief Justice said that the Supreme Court has been hearing cases relating to prisoners rights, overcrowding, and he has also tasked the top courts Centre for Research and Planning to come up with a project to improve the conditions of prisons.

Stating that justice delivery system is people centric and the people must feel assured that they can knock its door without inhibition, Chief Justice Chandrachud said: Today, on the occasion of Constitution Day, I want to tell the people of India that the doors of the Supreme Court have always been open for you and will remain open in future also. You never need to be afraid of coming to court.

CJI Chandrachud said the statue of Dr Ambedkar that we unveiled today in the Supreme Court premises is an extension of the thought that Dr. Ambedkar famously said that the right to approach the Court is heart and soul of the Constitution.

Having described the courts as people centric, CJI Chandrachud said: Rather, it is my hope that by our efforts, citizens of every class, caste, and creed can repose trust in our court system and view it as a fair and effective forum to enforce their rights. Sometimes, we as a society may frown on litigation as a disreputable entanglement.

But, just as the Constitution allows us to resolve our political differences through established institutions and processes, our court system helps resolve our many disagreements through established principles and processes. In this way, every case in every court in the country is an extension of constitutional governance, CJI added.

The function was also addressed by Union Minister of State for Law and Justice (Independent Charge) Arjun Ram Meghwal. The welcome address was delivered by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Attorney General R Venkataramani and thanks giving address by Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi has slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking a sortie in Tejas when soldiers were getting killed in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district.

Owaisis attack came after PM Modi flew a sortie in the indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured Tejas Twin Seat Light Combat Fighter aircraft in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Owaisi, who was addressing an election campaign gathering in Hyderabad, said, Its crazy of Prime Minister that he is taking a joy ride in a fighter jet Jets are of the country when soldiers are getting killed in Rajouri, said Owaisi on Saturday.

Five soldiers, including two Army captains, lost their lives in the encounter that broke out between terrorists and a joint team of the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Bajimaal area of Rajouri district on Wednesday.

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He also slammed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for showcasing his patriotism here by doing campaigns for the BJP.

Further addressing the crowd, Owaisi slammed Union Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Earlier in the day, Owaisi, along with the partys leader Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala participated in a door-to-door campaigning in the Malakpet Assembly Constituency in Hyderabad yesterday.

The state of Telangana is set to undergo assembly polls on November 30. The ruling BRS, the main opposition Congress, and the BJP are the major contestants in the state.

The counting of votes will take place on December 3.
Reacting to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans statement that there was no default on the part of the Central government in allocating funds to Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said she is misrepresenting the facts and that the Centre had withheld the welfare pension for three and a half years.

Speaking to media persons in Kozhikode, Chief Minister Vijayan said the Union Finance Minister claimed that Rs 34714 crore grants had been allocated to Kerala. This is not generosity and is the share that Kerala has to get, he added.

Stating that the Centre is financially strangulating the state, he said: We are borrowing money due to the non-availability of Central allocation.

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It appears that the Chief Minister didnt reply to all the points related to the Centre allocation of funds to the state, which were specifically stated in Nirmala Sitharamans speech in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.

The Union Finance Minister tried to counter the state governments allegation that the Centre is neglecting Kerala by presenting figures.

Union Finance Minister Sitharaman on Saturday came out against the Kerala Government, saying that the Kerala government is propagating false claims that the Union government hasnt allocated funds to the state.

Presenting figures on the Central fund transfers, Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized that the Centre has fulfilled all eligible instances of fund transfers to Kerala.

Sitharaman said that those who have followed the Finance Commissions instructions have been properly given grants and if Kerala has not received it, it is because they have not followed the instructions.

The Minister clarified that all funds for social security pensions were transferred to Kerala last month. However, the state hasnt applied for the second instalment.

Old-age pensions fall under the National Social Assistance Programme umbrella scheme. The first tranche for 2023-24, Rs 602.14 crore, was released to the state in October 2023.

The state government has not submitted the request for the second tranche. So where is it pending, the minister asked.

On the issue regarding 7th UGC pay revision, the Ministry of Education has informed that the Scheme of 50 per cent Central share (7th CPC), through reimbursement was given to those state governments who adopted and implemented the revised pay scales as per the 7th CPC, subject to fulfilment of all the conditions laid down in the scheme and submission of the complete proposal as per the guidelines on or before 31st March, 2022, Nirmala Seetharaman said.

The Kerala government didnt fulfil the requisite conditions, hence the funds couldnt be released, she added.

Regarding the GST compensation, Nirmala Sitharaman stated that Kerala needs to provide accurate reports through the Accountant General (AG) to claim compensation. She alleged that Kerala is changing the name of the Central projects after getting central allocations.
Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation latest update: SJVN Limited, a CPSU firm under the Union Ministry of Power has started vertical drilling work on a hill a top the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhands Uttarkashi to create an escape passage for the 41 construction workers trapped under the rubble since November 12.

As a second option, vertical drilling work was started from the hill above the tunnel, SJVN was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Meanwhile, the Army has been pressed in to carry out the manual drilling of the escape passage after the auger machine broke inside the 900 mm pipe being pushed through the rubble to extract the trapped workers.

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#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | SJVN begins vertical drilling work on the top of the tunnel. As a second option, vertical drilling work was started from the hill above the tunnel: SJVN pic.twitter.com/szv5xxxQSn  ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2023

Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had informed that the American auger machine failed to go beyond 46.6 meters and its drilling tool broke inside the pipe.

He said that the remaining 13.1 meters of the rubble will be drilled manually. The manual drilling of the escape passage, according to experts, could be time-consuming and the operation could take several days or even weeks.

The process will involve workers entering the already bored rescue passage and take turns to drill manually.

This aint as easy as it sounds given the limited space the workers will get to drill. Arnold Dix, the international tunneling expert assisting with the rescue operation said that the trapped workers will be extracted by Christmas, which is a month away.

The drilling, augering has stopped. Its too much for the auger. Its not going to do anything more. The mountain has again resisted the auger, so we are rethinking our approach, he said, adding the workers remained safe.

Earlier on Saturday, heavy vertical drilling equipment was brought to Silkyara tunnel site. It was moved up a one-and-a half-kilometre hill road constructed by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) in the past few days.
Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation latest update: The American auger machine drilling a 900 mm hope through collapsed debris of Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhands Uttarkashi to rescue 41 trapped workers has broken and a part of it stuck inside the escape pipe. This was the biggest set back so far and it has prompted authorities to take a more time-taking but safer option of manual drilling.

Some 47 meters of the roughly 60 meters of drilling has already been covered by the machine and the remaining work will now be done manually.

This is a safer option but it could also be very time taking. The process will involve workers entering the already bored rescue passage and drill manually.

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This aint as easy as it sounds given the limited space the workers will get to drill. Arnold Dix, the international tunneling expert assisting with the rescue operation said that the trapped workers will be extracted by Christmas, which is a month away.

The drilling, augering has stopped. Its too much for the auger. Its not going to do anything more. The mountain has again resisted the auger, so we are rethinking our approach, he said, adding the workers remained safe.

Yesterday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami informed the press that the part of auger machine has stuck inside the pipe and once it is pulled out the rescue work will resume with manual drilling.

The option of vertical drilling is also being considered and a platform is being constructed atop the hill. Heavy vertical drilling equipment has been brought to Silkyara tunnel site. It will be moved up a one-and-a half-kilometre hill road constructed by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) in the past few days.
In the fragile landscape of the Israeli-Hamas conflict, a temporary ceasefire has tentatively pierced the clouds of war hanging over Gaza. After 48 days of devastation, the truce offers a momentary pause, a chance to take breath amid the ruins. Yet, its crucial to recognise that this ceasefire is more like a comma than a full stop, a brief intermission in a conflict where the resumption of hostilities looms large. The ceasefire, commencing with the release of 13 Israeli hostages by Hamas, hints at a delicate balance between conflict and a fleeting desire for peace. It is a symbolic gesture, an exchange that reflects the tragic human toll of this protracted struggle. Families torn apart, lives disrupted, and the underlying desperation on both sides are encapsulated in this negotiation. As trucks laden with aid roll into Gaza, it is a bittersweet reminder of the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded.

Thousands of lives lost, displacement on an unprecedented scale, and basic necessities becoming luxuries ~ this is the devastating aftermath of weeks of relentless bombardment. The aid is a lifeline, but it is a mere BandAid on the wounds of a community grappling with profound loss and trauma. The conflicting statements from both sides underscore the fragility of this ceasefire. While there is a momentary cessation of largescale violence, accusations of sporadic violations create an atmosphere of distrust. Its a stark reminder that deep-seated animosities cannot be erased with the stroke of a pen on a temporary truce agreement. The war, it seems, is merely taking a breath before potentially unleashing its fury again. The toll on civilians is particularly heartbreaking. The images of displaced families cautiously venturing out of shelters in Khan Younis evoke a mixture of hope and sorrow. The ceaseless cycle of conflict has not only claimed lives but shattered the very fabric of communities, leaving scars that will linger long after the ceasefire concludes. The geopolitical dimensions of this conflict are impossible to ignore. Israels stated intention to eradicate Hamas is a goal fraught with challenges. The ceasefire, temporary as it may be, offers an opportunity for diplomatic channels to engage. However, the underlying tensions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, emphasised by Hamas call for an escalation, threaten to undermine any nascent progress. The release of hostages, a humanising aspect amid the geopolitical chessboard, adds a layer of complexity.

The hope is that such gestures could be stepping stones toward broader reconciliation. However, the Israeli defence ministers statement underscores the transactional nature of this release, framing it as a pause before the resumption of conflict. Its a stark reminder that behind every diplomatic move, there are strategic calculations and geopolitical considerations. The human cost demands a collective effort to address the root causes of this conflict and forge a path toward a sustainable resolution. Until then, the ceasefire is a poignant punctuation mark in a tragic narrative, with the hope that it may one day be replaced by an enduring peace.

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When we invest, we're generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. And in our experience, buying the right stocks can give your wealth a significant boost. For example, the London Security plc (LON:LSC) share price is up 56% in the last 5 years, clearly besting the market decline of around 1.0% (ignoring dividends). However, more recent returns haven't been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 41% in the last year , including dividends .

Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

View our latest analysis for London Security

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

Over half a decade, London Security managed to grow its earnings per share at 7.9% a year. So the EPS growth rate is rather close to the annualized share price gain of 9% per year. Therefore one could conclude that sentiment towards the shares hasn't morphed very much. In fact, the share price seems to largely reflect the EPS growth.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on London Security's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of London Security, it has a TSR of 84% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that London Security has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 41% in the last twelve months. That's including the dividend. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 13% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for London Security that you should be aware of before investing here.

We will like London Security better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
The role of the Vice-President of India in conducting the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) as its ex-officio Chairman often gets mired in controversies and allegations ranging from partisan political exercise against the opposition to being the cheerleader of the government.

A recent incrimination erupted on 21 February 2023 when the chairman expunged six portions of the speech of the Leader of the Opposition concerning the alleged corrupt practices of the Adani conglomerate. The Chairman also directed the Committee of Privilege of the Rajya Sabha to investigate the breach of privilege against nine Congress and three AAP Mps. The accusations of holding the government brief or rescuing the government in difficult situations against the Chairman of RS cut across the party spectrum and timelines. On 20 December 2011, the Chairman abruptly adjourned RS at the stroke of midnight, when the debate on the Jan Lokpal Bill was underway and voting was about to start. And the deferral effectively killed the Bill for the moment.

The reckoning of Gandhi, Nehru and others that the presiding officers of legislature would act like neutral judges has come a cropper, particularly since the 1960s. The Supreme Court has repeatedly highlighted the trends of presiding officers acting against the constitutional duty of being neutral and even urged Parliament to pull up its socks. The effacing apolitical sheen vindicates the prophecy of H V Kamath, The Speaker is almost always a party man  Speaker who is a member of the party in power cannot be expected to be impartial and of complete integrity.

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When insinuations such as political bias, muzzling the voice of the opposition or pursuing the doctrine of differential rights shroud the role of the RS Chairman, the dignity and stature of the second ranked post in the constitutional hierarchy take a considerable beating. The gut issue, therefore, is whether introspective attention has been directed to the impending legal and political consequences of the elliptic dictum. Indicatively, the Draft Constitution articles relating to the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman were adopted in the Constituent Assembly without reflective attention to the looming ramifications of ex-officio chairman, as if it were apodictic.

The only addition through amendment was to debar the presiding officers from chairing the sittings in which resolutions for their removal would be considered. The general consensus was on the indispensability of the stand-in for the President (and chairmanship for some vibrancy) barring the initial scepticism of B N Rau, who underlined that it would be inappropriate to make the VP the ex-officio chairman considering the VP is the choice of both Houses of Parliament sitting together. Rau also contended that in an executive of the parliamentary type, there is hardly any room for a VP between the President and the Prime Minister and the best course would be to replicate the Irish plan of a Commission.

However, given the infrequent actual occasions, considerable recurring cost and easy alternatives, the avowed premise of VP tends to be ambivalent, expensive and dubitable. Moreover, the embellishment of the office by carving out some functions only from RSs exclusive domain seems neither enough nor democratic reinforcement. After all, the RS has, on average, 67 days of sitting in a year. The operationalisation of the ex-officio chairman stipulation evinces a few legal incompatibilities and federal as well as democratic constrictions. The emphatic attachment of the VP to the workings of the Rajya Sabha demeans the democratic credibility and federal credential of the House and the very design demands a dispassionate relook and recasting.

The VP holds the second rank in the order of precedence, but it is the only constitutional post that does not get a salary according to the designated post but only for the duties performed by virtue of presiding over the sessions of RS. Though no specific rank has been formally accorded to the Chairman of RS, Dr B R Ambedkar had explained that the position of VP was really that of the Chairman of the Council of States and that so far as his functions were concerned, they were similar to those of the Speaker of LS. Enigma unfurls when the Speaker holds a rank that is four notches below that of VP and when a higher rank holder draws a salary for performing duties of a lower rank post.

The post of VP is atypical as it combines two distinct offices and a dual capacity, a position inimitable among other constitutional positions. The office is a part of the union executive, though without any earmarked functions. Accordingly, the VP is to be kept in the loop and informed of government policies and decisions because she or he may assume the role of the President in the event of a vacancy. As ex-officio Chairman VP is the workaday element of the Union legislature, and performs both administrative and judicial functions.

The VP is empowered to adjourn the House, suspend the sitting, adjudicate on the disqualification of members, select members for different committees, determine the admissibility of the question, calling attention, amendment proposal etc. The judicial role of VP relates to the (final) interpretation of the Constitution, statutes, rules and procedures regarding the Point of Order in particular. One conceivable muddle extends to the consideration of impeachment resolution in the Rajya Sabha. The charge against the President can be leveled by either House of Parliament and the other House would then investigate the charge.

In either case, the VP is not legally barred from presiding over such proceedings. It is plausible that the VP might be interested in or might try to influence the passing of such a resolution for being the obvious beneficiary of a positive outcome. Therefore, it would be more reasonable to accredit the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to preside over such proceedings, as is the procedure in the American Senate.

Ex-officio chairmanship is anathema to the democratic tenets on which Parliament is grounded. Strangely, the RS does not have a presiding officer of its own choice or under its control. The RS can neither elect nor censure its preordained chairman. During British rule, the President and Deputy-President of the otherwise debilitated Council of States were selected from among the members by the GovernorGeneral (Government of India Act, 1919) and by the Council itself (Government of India Act, 1935).

As democratic credos demand similar procedures for every representative institution, the Rajya Sabha should have the authority to elect its presiding officers from among its members and to remove them in cases of lack of confidence. The Chairman, in practical terms, is not the choice and voice of the Rajya Sabha.

The ruling government sponsors and the Lok Sabha formally elects VP, and this is emphatically so due to numerical preponderance. The Rajya Sabha cannot push through any candidate even if all its members collectively vote for it. Thus, the VP goes on to preside without the explicit confidence of the House members. It would be fascinating if the House-wise disaggregated votes in an election were made public. The VP is not only an outsider but can also be one additional RS member of the ruling party by virtue of the casting vote. Though still presumptive, the deadlock-breaking vote of the Chairman is more likely to be in favour of the Treasury Benches. Such a leaning seems certain when the VP has had a connection with and sponsorship of the ruling party.

The choice may be tricky when the sponsoring party is not in power, yet the hanging sword of ouster has the potential to sway the choice of VP. If the Rajya Sabha does not own its Chairman, the VP cannot claim to represent the federating units. The elected RS members can contend, literally, to represent the states/UTs for having been elected by the state legislatures, but the VP lacks such legitimacy.

In a wider perspective, the constitutional dictum of the exofficio chairman has the potential to discredit the post per se. In a politically bursting legislature, controversies are bound to engulf the role of the presiding officers and when the incumbent happens to be Vice President, it demeans the constitutional status of the second most important person in India. Given the legal tangles and democratic diminution, the exofficio chairmanship deserves to be cast aside. At the most, the VP may remain a part of the Rajya Sabha and have a few ceremonial functions. If the existing additional functions (ex-officio Chancellor of universities) are inadequate, a few other non-controversial roles can be assigned (as in committees of sports, culture, foreign relations, and the InterState Council).

Or following the American example, the VicePresident may join hands with the President in performing ceremonial roles. The ex-officio chairman makes the slate clear for five years, but dispensing with the system would open the debate on the term of an in-house chairperson. There are several workable options to choose from. The Rajya Sabha habitually elects its Deputy Chairman for a six-year term.

The new post of the in-house Chairman can be readily included in that format. Alternatively, a two-year term may be fixed for both Chairman and Deputy Chairman, that is, after the completion of each biennial election, RS would elect them in one go. Indicatively, such a configuration would reflect the prevailing in-house political trajectory

(The writer is Associate Professor in Political Science, Tufanganj College, Cooch Behar, West Bengal)
On the wheat fields of the country, the connection between natures forces and human resilience takes centre-stage. A saga unfolds against a backdrop of dwindling soil moisture, subpar monsoon rains, and the impending spectre of El Nino, leaving farmers grappling with tough decisions and the nation on the brink of a pivotal agricultural juncture. Wheat, often considered the backbone of Indias agrarian landscape, is facing an unexpected challenge. The stark reality of lower soil moisture has prompted a significant shift in planting dynamics. While some northern states maintain their steadfast dedication to wheat, others, particularly in the central regions like Madhya Pradesh, are opting for alternative crops that demand less from the water table. The decision to transition from wheat to crops like chickpea and sorghum is not merely a strategic choice but a survival mechanism for farmers in states like MP and Maharashtra.

With wells nearly dried up, the choice to sow a less water-intensive crop becomes not just economic but existential. It is a poignant reminder of the delicate balance farmers must strike between tradition and adaptation, as climate change alters the rules of the age-old farming game. Statistics paint a picture of this evolving landscape. Wheat planting has seen a dip of almost 5.5 per cent from the previous year, reflecting the pragmatic choices made by those who toil in the fields. In Madhya Pradesh, the heart of the wheat belt, a potential 10 per cent reduction in wheatgrowing areas speaks volumes about the challenges faced by farmers who are forced to diversify to ensure their livelihoods. The concern does not end at the farm gate. It reverberates through the markets and potentially onto the global stage. The rally in wheat prices to near record highs is a symptom of the delicate equilibrium between supply and demand. India, the worlds second-largest wheat producer, finds itself at the cusp of a conundrum. Will it maintain its wheat export ban, or will the spectre of imports become a reality? The vagaries of climate change add an extra layer of complexity.

The El Nino weather pattern, lurking on the horizon, threatens higher-than-normal temperatures during the critical wheat growing period. This not only jeopardises yields but also casts a shadow over the livelihoods of those who depend on the success of winter-sown crops. Amidst these challenges, the governments decision to raise the wheat purchase price is a beacon of hope for farmers. However, it is a delicate balance between policy and nature and also between the aspirations of a growing nation and the unpredictable whims of weather patterns. Indias selfsufficiency in grain production is a source of pride, but it comes with a responsibility to navigate these uncharted waters carefully. With wheat stocks standing significantly below the five-year average, the prospect of importing wheat looms large ~ a scenario that seemed unlikely not so long ago.

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The nail-biting drama around Sam Altman being sacked from OpenAI, joining Satya Nadella-run Microsoft and then returning to OpenAI  all within a span of six days  has alerted governments and regulators and the call to apply guardrails on AI industry is now more vocal than ever.

Couple of days before his ouster, Altman had said at a tech event that big regulatory changes werent needed for current AI models, but would be soon.

We dont need heavy regulation here or probably for the next couple generations. But at some point, when a model can do the equivalent output of a whole company, or a whole country, or a whole world, maybe we do want some collective supervision around that, he said on a panel at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.

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However, the OpenAI fiasco has once again triggered the call to regulate AI in such a way that such episodes are not repeated.

France, Germany and Italy have reached an agreement on how AI should be regulated.

However, businesses and tech groups have cautioned the European Union against excessive regulation of foundation models in upcoming AI rules.

For Europe to become a global digital powerhouse, we need companies that can lead on AI innovation also using foundation models and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), DigitalEurope, whose members include Airbus, Apple, Ericsson, Google, LSE and SAP, wrote in a letter.

In India, concerns over deepfakes have put the government in motion to warn social media platforms to remove altered audio/video from their respective platforms or face action.

The government on Friday gave a seven-day deadline to social media platforms to tweak their policies as per Indian regulations in order to address the spread of deepfakes on their platforms.

Deepfakes could be subject to action under the current IT Rules, particularly Rule 3(1)(b), which mandates the removal of 12 types of content within 24 hours of receiving user complaints, said Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

The government will also take action of 100 per cent against such violations under the IT Rules in the future.

They are further mandated to remove such content within 24 hours upon receiving a report from either a user or government authority. Failure to comply with this requirement invokes Rule 7, which empowers aggrieved individuals to take platforms to court under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the minister said.

For those who find themselves impacted by deepfakes, I strongly encourage you to file FIRs at your nearest police station, said Chandrasekhar, adding that the IT Ministry will help aggrieved users in filing FIRs in relation to deepfakes.

India is mulling regulation to tame the spread of deepfakes and other user harms that AI can bring along, said Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

After meeting representatives from large social media platforms and other stakeholders, the minister said India will draft new rules to spot and limit the spread of deepfakes. The new regulation will also strengthen the reporting process for such deepfake videos.

After the successful AI Safety Summit in the UK, the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) in Delhi next month will further deliberate upon the risks associated with AI  in the presence of world leaders  before a global framework is reached in Korea next year.
Hamas has handed over 14 Israeli hostages and 3 foreigners to the Red Cross, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Saturday. This is the third batch of hostages Hamas has released as part of its agreement with Israel that will see pause in fighting and aid trucks reaching the Gaza Strip in exchange. Also, Israel will release Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons.

Israel and Hamas have reached a deal on Gaza ceasefire in exchange of the release of Israeli hostages being held in the Gaza Strip since the deadly October 7 attack.

In exchange of the hostage release, Israel is also bound to reciprocate in the similar manner and release Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails.

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Also, Israel will allow humanitarian aid trucks to enter Gaza, including fuel.

The Qatar brokered deal was on the verse of collapse yesterday when Hamas delayed the release of hoatages, alleging violations of the agreement by Israel.

Hamas, before ultimately releasing 13 hostages, alleged that Israel has blocked aid trucks from moving towards north Gaza. Israel dismissed Hamas claims and gave an ultimatum till midnight to release the hostages.

Hamas military wing, the Qassam Brigades, said it has decided to delay the release of the second batch of hostages until Israel commits to letting aid trucks into northern Gaza.

The Qassam Brigades accused Israel of not following the terms of the agreement for hostage releases and said that not allowing aid lorries into northern Gaza is one of the reasons that it has delayed the release of Israeli hostages today.

However, after last minute efforts from Egypt and Qatari officials, Hamas agreed to release the hostages.

Earlier on Friday, Hamas freed 24 hostages, including 13 Israelis, 10 This and one Filipino nationals. In exchange, Israel also released 39 Palestinians who were lodged in Israeli prisons.

As per the deal, Hamas will release some 50 Israeli hostages over the next four days and during that time, Israeli military will observe a pause in the fighting. Israeli will also release additional Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has said in a statement that it had handed over the second group of Israeli and foreign hostages to the Red Cross.

A total of 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis and four Thais, have crossed into Egypt and are on their way to Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a post on its X account late Saturday.

The 17 people are the second group of hostages to be sent back to Israel in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Xinhua news agency reported.

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The exchange was scheduled to take place around 4 p.m. local time Saturday but was delayed for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet the terms in a four-day humanitarian cease-fire agreement, which was agreed upon by the two sides on Wednesday after more than six weeks of bloody conflict.
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Today

Rain showers early becoming a steady light rain for the afternoon. High around 45F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

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Hamas militants released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, from captivity in the Gaza Strip, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners in the latest stage of a four-day cease-fire that has delivered a brief respite from a devastating war between the two enemies
It is said that when America sneezes the world catches a cold. If Donald Trump becomes president, then the world would get pneumonia. Ukraine shivers at the thought of the US withdrawal, China braces for hostility, Iran for war, Palestine for abandonment, the Middle East for confrontation, Africa for insults, environmentalists for climate cold-storage, the west for browbeating and the whole world for endless disruptions. An American diplomat told this correspondent, The world worries, but Americans worry more. We are so polarised. If Trump wins, we anticipate civil war.

Polarisation predates Trump, but he has deepened, widened, legitimised and weaponised internal divisions. Republican senator Mike Rounds says, Trump recognised the anger brewing in American society and seized on it for political gain, but it is a dangerous path for the nations leaders. The January 6 attack proves Trumps violent words beget violent actions. The battleground for boorish behaviour is now the Republican Party, or rather the Trump Rump that has captured the Grand Old Party, driving out respectable Republicans like Liz Cheney and Mitt Romney. Theres been a coarsening of political discourse in America, laments Romney.

The foot soldiers of this coarsening are Trump loyalists and first-time representatives who introduce into the US Congress Trumps winning strategy of threats, lies and insults. The ousted, pro-Trump speaker, Kevin McCarthy, kidney-punched Republican opponent Tim Burchett in the corridors. Burchett spat at McCarthy angrily, Youre a bully. Youve got no guts. What kind of chicken move is that? Youre pathetic man! The use of abuse is getting worse and worse, despairs Democrat Debbie Stabenow.

Illustration: Bhaskaran

Markwayne Mullin, a first-term Republican senator and Trump ally, challenged labour leader Sean OBrien to a fistfight during a Senate hearing for calling him a clown and a fraud. Leaping to his feet, Mullin taunted his rival: Stand your butt up. Republican Representative Darrell Issa rebuked Trump acolyte and first-timer Marjorie Taylor Greene for lacking maturity and experience. She insulted him with the P-word made infamous by Trump. Said Democrat Joe Manchin, It looked like a third world country or a banana republic. We are the superpower; people look to us for leadership!

Analysts say this roughneck behaviour is inspired by Trumps 2016 incitement to cheering supporters: If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them. Ill pay the legal fees. Loyalists should get a second opinion from Trump lawyer Rudi Giuliani, now stranded with $1.4 million in unpaid legal fees.

While the world (Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu excepted) worries about his possible re-election, Trump gazes inwards, vowing vengeance in his second term: I am your retribution, he thunders. Slamming the threat from within, Trump promises if re-elected, he would go after those who engaged in the witch hunt against him and root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country. Disturbingly, vermin is a loaded word used by Adolf Hitler to dehumanise and exterminate Jews. Trumps words are troubling because of the USs history of internal bloodletting that includes atrocities against indigenous people and African-American slaves, Japanese-baiting and McCarthyism.

Are Trumps comments off-the-cuff barks or dog-whistles calculated to incite his loyalists to attack? His opponents dont care; they have had enough. They pray his court cases will land him in jail before the elections. But Trumps luck is legendary. In the US, imprisonment is not a barrier to running for president; he could even govern from jail. Wonder if this is allowed in a third world country.

Pratap is an author and journalist.
In this article, we are going to discuss the top 20 countries where weed is legal in 2023. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global cannabis industry, the benefits of legalizing marijuana, and the offshore business activities of some US-based cannabis companies, and go directly to Top 5 Countries Where Weed Is Legal In 2023.

The history of the cannabis industry is riddled with changes and conflicting legislation. The international media has played an important role in shifting perspectives and today, we are watching the slow and steady change of mainstream opinion to consider cannabis one of the more harmless  and probably even potentially beneficial  drugs still largely illegal. As perspectives change, we can also expect the laws to eventually follow suit.

Global Cannabis Industry:

As we mentioned in our article  Top 20 Weed Smoking Countries in the World  the global cannabis market was valued at $47.32 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow from $57.18 billion in 2023 to $444.34 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 34% during the forecast period.

Marijuana legalization is gaining momentum around the globe, driven primarily by the increasing recognition that the product may have a range of legitimate medicinal benefits and therapeutic applications. It is the most widely cultivated, trafficked, and consumed drug worldwide.

The Benefits of Legalization:

Cannabis legalization is a controversial and multi-faceted issue that has recently been the subject of serious debate around the world. It may be difficult for physicians viewing cannabis through the lens of addiction to see any silver lining from legalization, but the first and most immediate benefit is that patients who use weed for therapeutic purposes will no longer fear legal sanctions. The most common therapeutic use of marijuana is for pain control, and while the drug isn't strong enough for severe pain, it is quite effective for the chronic pain that plagues millions of people, especially as they age.

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Another expected benefit is the establishment of a legal cannabis market, which would drive people away from its shady black counterpart that has been the main form of marijuana trade for decades. The product from the black market may often contain traces of pesticides and even other drugs that could put peoples lives at risk, so having a legal and regulated alternative gives consumers a safe and healthier option to choose from.

And last, but not least, are the economic benefits of legalizing ganja, which could potentially generate billions of tax dollars in revenue for the government, aside from creating hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities. In merely the first three years since Canada became a country with legalized recreational weed at the federal level, the industry contributed around $43.5 billion to the national GDP, while sustaining 151,000 jobs and putting $15.1 billion into government coffers.

The U.S. Census Bureaus new report documenting state-level cannabis tax revenues also reveals that states generated $5.7 billion in revenues from cannabis taxes over the 18 months from July 2021 through December 2022. Although these numbers are already making a substantial difference, the real game changer would come in the form of federal legalization, which would remove a ton of obstacles that are currently plaguing the countrys burgeoning legal marijuana industry and unlock its full and mighty potential.

Offshore Business Activities:

The United States of America is a behemoth of the global cannabis industry, so much so that even just one of its states  California  is the single largest cannabis market in the world. Americans love a good buzz and theyre forking over big bucks for it. This provides a huge opportunity for companies and entrepreneurs everywhere, who want the lions share of the sweet green ganja pie and are thus coming up with more and more innovative solutions to bring about a paradigm shift in the industry.

Large and mature consumer markets like LA and Chicago act as testing grounds for such innovators to test their ideas, before they bring them to the rest of the country and even across the border.

A great example is Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTC:CURLF)  a Massachusetts-based leading medical and recreational cannabis company serving over 350,000 registered customers across 23 states in the country. Curaleaf has worked to introduce new products in the American market, including the vape hardware system Cliq by Select, Select X Bites gummies, and even a cannabis-infused Seltzer brand. The company also maintains a presence in the U.K. and Germany  two of the countries that consume the most weed in Europe.

Since Germany is in the process of drafting its adult-use cannabis framework, Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTC:CURLF) has already acquired a majority stake in the local pharmaceutical company Four 20 Pharma, thus positioning itself to take advantage of the upcoming adult-use opportunities. The company also anticipates that more countries will follow Germanys lead in the coming years and adopt more liberal adult-use regulations.

Similarly, Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) is a leading cannabis lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company with operations in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and Latin America. Headquartered in New York, Tilray is one of the leading global companies in the production and research of medical cannabis.

It was announced earlier this year that the industry giants medical cannabis division, Tilray Medical and FL Group, has received authorization from Italys Ministry of Health to distribute three new medical cannabis compounds to pharmacies across Italy, further broadening its portfolio of pharmaceutical grade cannabis offerings. Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) also announced a new strategic partnership with Pharmaidea, a Petrone Group company, to market and educate over 12,000 pharmacies across Italy on the benefits of medical cannabis and medical cannabis patient care.

Both, Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTC:CURLF) and Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY), rank among the Biggest Marijuana Companies in the World.

With that said, here are the Countries with Legal Cannabis in 2023.

Top 20 Countries Where Weed Is Legal In 2023

Photo by Add Weed on Unsplash

Methodology:

To collect data for this article, we have referred to sources such as MJBizDaily, Leafly, CNBC etc., looking for Countries with Legalized or Decriminalized Recreational Marijuana in 2023. The following countries have been ranked by their annual prevalence of cannabis use, as stated in the UNODC World Drug Report. Annual prevalence is the percentage of the youth and adult population who have consumed cannabis at least once in the past survey year.

If youre also curious about which cities are smoking the most weed in America, here are the U.S. Cities with the Highest Weed Consumption in 2023.

20. Ecuador

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 0.67%

Ecuador has made significant strides towards transforming its approach to weed. While the country had notoriously punitive cannabis laws before, the drug was finally decriminalized in 2013 but the law took full effect in June, 2020. Medical cannabis is also legal in Ecuador but it must not exceed 1% THC.

With the Criminal Law Reform enacted in 2021, the cannabis and industrial hemp industry has become an emerging industry in the South American country.

19. Thailand

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 1.33%

In June 2022, Thailand became the first Asian country to decriminalize the cultivation, distribution, marketing, and consumption of all the parts of the cannabis plant. Legalizing the commercial sale and personal cultivation of cannabis products is the latest step in the Thai government's plan to monetize the plant as a lucrative cash crop.

Agriculture still employs nearly a third of the countrys workforce and the government plans to develop a larger export industry around the crop, expecting the national cannabis industry to exceed $2 billion.

18. Mexico

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 2.1%

In 2021, Mexican lawmakers approved a law to decriminalize cannabis for recreational, scientific, medical, and industrial uses, but key regulations remain stalled in the Senate. A fully legal cannabis market in Mexico could be worth around $3 billion a year, and at least 101,000 hectares  mostly in the northern states of Sinaloa, Chihuahua, and Sonora  are already used for illegal cultivation.

17. Malta

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 3.1%

In 2021, Malta became the first country in the E.U. to legalize the cultivation and personal use of cannabis, both for medical and recreational purposes. Maltas new rules allow people to carry up to seven grams of marijuana, grow up to four plants in their apartments, and keep up to 50 grams of dried cannabis at home, without risk of prosecution.

Last year, Materia Malta became the first company to export medical cannabis from Malta, as it completed the first commercial export of medical marijuana to Germany.

16. Colombia

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 3.27%

In 1994, Colombia decriminalized the personal use and self-cultivation of several cannabis varieties, and every Colombian resident is allowed to harvest up to 20 plants for their own use. However, selling or purchasing weed remains illegal. A few days ago, a Colombian Senate committee approved a bill to legalize marijuana, sending it to the full chamber for consideration.

Colombia became a Country with Legal Medical Marijuana in 2016.

15. Georgia

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 3.4%

In 2018, the Georgian Constitutional Court legalized the consumption of marijuana, making the country the first former member of the now-defunct Soviet Union to do so. Yet Georgians are still barred from growing, storing, or selling the drug.

Georgia is counted among the handful of Countries with Legal Weed.

14. South Africa

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 3.65%

The South African Constitutional Court deemed the prohibition on simple possession and cultivation of cannabis unlawful in 2018 and mandated legislative change within two years. Although the implementation of the court order took longer than expected, the South African lawmakers finally approved a bill earlier this month to legalize marijuana possession and cultivation by adults.

The South African medical and recreational cannabis markets are estimated to be worth around $585.5 million and $1.05 billion respectively.

13. Portugal

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 5.1%

In 2001, Portugal took an unprecedented step and became the first country to decriminalize all illegal drugs, including ganja. Medical use of marijuana was also legalized in the country in 2018, and there are currently 42 companies with licenses to operate in activities related to medicinal cannabis in Portugal, a growth of 23.5% from 2022.

12. Luxembourg

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 5.4%

The tiny landlocked country of Luxembourg became the second member country of the European Union to legalize the possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal use earlier this year. The new law allows residents to grow up to four plants per household, and possess up to 3 grams of weed outside their residence.

Luxembourg is counted among the European Countries with Legal Recreational Weed in 2023.

11. Argentina

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 8.13%

While possession of small amounts of weed is decriminalized in Argentina, the cultivation, distribution, and sale of cannabis remains illegal. The country has taken steps towards legalizing cannabis for medical purposes, and some provinces have also decriminalized the use of the drug for personal use.

Argentina is also looking to build its domestic medical cannabis market and generate foreign currency through exports, with 51 regulated research and development projects currently taking place around the country.

10. Italy

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 10.21%

At present, cannabis is legal in Italy for medical and industrial uses  although it is strictly regulated  while it is decriminalized for recreational use. Over the course of 2021, approximately 17.7% of high school students in Italy consumed cannabis, with this figure reaching 20% when considering only male students.

The Italian capital city of Rome ranks among the Cities with the Highest Weed Consumption in the World.

9. Netherlands

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 10.4%

Cannabis has been available for recreational use in Dutch coffee shops since 1976, and although Amsterdam has dominated cannabis tourism for 40 years, it is now stepping back from this multibillion-dollar industry. Earlier this year, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema told media that marijuana tourism is a blight on the city, fostering crime and public disorder, and proposed banning foreigners from its cannabis cafes.

The Netherlands is set to officially launch its pilot program to legalize the sale of adult-use cannabis in the country in December, when a group of three officially approved companies will be allowed to domestically grow and supply marijuana to the countrys coffeeshops for the first time.

8. Spain

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 10.5%

Spain has decriminalized the use of cannabis and it is permitted to have up to 100 grams of the drug strictly for private and personal use. The cultivation of weed in private places has also been decriminalized, leading to a surge in the opening of cannabis clubs.

In Madrid, these cannabis clubs arent strictly legal. Instead, they operate in a legal gray area in which members join clubs and share cannabis that they grow. Donations are exchanged for tokens, which are then used to purchase products.

With an average price per gram of $6.8, Madrid ranks among the Cities with the Cheapest Weed in the World.

7. Czech Republic

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 11.1%

Although the Czech Republic still ranks among the Countries where Recreational Weed is Illegal, it decriminalized cannabis possession for personal use in 2010 and legalized medical marijuana in 2013.

After a decade of progressive liberalization, the Czech Republic is preparing to introduce a fully legal and regulated cannabis market with the approval of the 2023-2025 Addiction Policy Action Plan in April this year.

6. Chile

Annual Prevalence of Cannabis Use: 12.05%

Chile has the highest per capita use of cannabis in South America. While the drug remains illegal for recreational use, the country passed a law in 2005 to decriminalize the possession of small amounts for personal consumption, with medical marijuana attaining legal status in 2015.

Marijuana cultivation appears to be on the rise in Chile, according to the 2021 Narcotrafficking Observatory Report published by the Office of the Attorney General. Authorities seized 285,000 plants in 2020, nearly 50,000 more than in 2019, according to the report.

Click to continue reading and see the Top 5 Countries Where Weed Is Legal In 2023.

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Disclosure: None. Top 20 Countries Where Weed Is Legal In 2023 is originally published on Insider Monkey.
In 2016, just before the Brexit referendum, a South Asian immigrant in the British Midlands was asked for his views. He was fervently in favour of Brexit. Too many bloody foreigners coming in, he said, without a touch of irony. The ingrained reaction of an immigrant: let me in and then shut the door? Or the zeal of a new convert, or simply, internalised racism? Whatever you call it, the same tendencies characterise the anti-immigrant stance of three British politicians with immigrant backgrounds: Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman and the earlier home secretary, Priti Patel. This zeal came to a frothing head in the Rwanda Plan, which fortunately has been struck down by the UK Supreme Court.

The Plans journey makes bizarre reading. Boris Johnson, under pressure to take a hard line on migrantsmany from conflict zonescoming across the Channel in small boats in thousands, decided to throw money at the problem: pay another country to accept the unwashed, unwanted masses. This would relieve Britains overloaded asylum system and theoretically serve as a deterrent to migrants. Patel rolled up her sleeves and got down to it. Lists of potential partners who were signatories to the UN refugee convention and showed compliance with human rights laws, were drawn up; Rwanda, with its dismal human rights record and repressive governance, was an unlikely candidate. However, in the end, Rwanda it was. Johnson declared, with habitual disregard for facts, that Rwanda was one of the safest countries in the world, globally recognised for its record on welcoming and integrating migrants. Besides, the Rwandans were good chaps: they had joined the Commonwealth, hadnt they, without having been a British colony? Potential deportees were handed fact-sheets that described their new home as a land of a thousand hills home to a wide array of wildlife, a tourist brochure line that sounded utterly cynical in this context.

Imaging: Bhaskaran

The facts, as is their habit, spoke for themselves: Rwanda had earlier fouled up a similar deal with Israel under which it had accepted several thousand Eritrean refugees that Israel turned out; many of the refugees were later expelled from Rwanda, some were killed in Libya and others drowned in the Mediterranean in attempts to reach Europe. Besides, Rwandas asylum system was untested, insufficiently serviced by lawyers and interpreters, and seen as discriminatory and arbitrary. Much of this ugly reality was ignored, or doctored, as Sunak made stopping the small boats a top priority; Braverman, went further than Patel, making deportation not a possibility, but a duty. She was also given to strange dreamsa plane taking off to Rwanda, thats my dream, its my obsession. All this was to please the Tory right-wing, and the devil take the hindmost.

Last week the Supreme Court called the governments bluff. It ruled that Rwanda, on the basis of all evidence, was an unsafe country for asylum seekers; they would be in danger of being sent back to their home countries to face persecution. If the Plan were to go ahead, the UK would be in violation of not only the European Convention of Human Rights (which Braverman would rather leave yesterday) but several other international treaties, besides the principles of natural justice. Sunak has not given up: no doubt putting in a 70-hour week, he intends to make Rwanda safe through a treaty and push through legislation that would obviate any legal challenges. All this is right-wing pie-in-the-sky, a desperate populist stance intended to shift the blame for a failed immigration policy from 10 Downings doorstep. Meanwhile, 1.75 lakh asylum seekers await an initial decision on their applications. And Rwanda is richer by 140 million.

Navtej Sarna is former high commissioner to the UK and author, most recently, of the novel Crimson Spring.
Who said, dog bites man is no news? It was world news last week when Moldovan President Maia Sandus pup bit Austrian President Alexander van der Bellens hand at a tripartite summit with Slovenia, called to discuss Moldovas entry into the European Union. Luckily, the elderly Austrian was no Hitler, Stalin or Dollfuss who, if treated so like a dog, would have blocked Moldovas EU entry. He was forgiving, and gifted the excitable pup a toy.

Diplomacy is going to the dogs. Vladimir Putin boasted to visiting George W. Bush that his Labrador retriever Konni was bigger, stronger and faster than Bushs Scottish terrier. He even set Konni upon Angela Merkel, who hated dogs. Joe Bidens and Boris Johnsons dogs have mounted on their guards and guests, though bites of the kind that van der Bellen suffered at Chisinau havent been reported from Downing Street or the Kremlin.

Unless on a tight leash, dogs can mar political ties. Among the many grouses that Deve Gowda had against Congress president Sitaram Kesri, which led to the fall of the Gowda regime, was that Kesri used to let his Pomeranian roam free in the room even when the two were talking matters of state. More recently, Himanta Biswa Sarma was peeved that Rahul Gandhi was paying more attention to feeding his dog Pidi when he called on the latter, than to his litany of grievances from Assam. Sarma walked out without even a canine whine, and smelled his way into the BJP. Since then it has been dog days for the Congress in the northeast.

Illustration: Bhaskaran

Indias current concern is not about such topdogs, but about dogs who bite people like us, the underdogs. Open the city pages of your morning paper, and you will see stories aplenty about street dogs biting morning strollers, neighbours terrier biting kid in a lift, a corporate honcho dying of head injury sustained while fleeing street dogs, and more. Every bite takes a few bytes on the news television, too, where you may even hear the cries of the bitten, and the barks of dog lovers who resist efforts to end the street dog menace.

Dog bites man is national news. A town council in Kerala, fed up with ill-fed dogs biting morning strollers and shocked by a stray dog mauling an autistic child to death, moved the court seeking to strike down Maneka Gandhis animal birth control (ABC) rules, and seeking powers to kill, cull or curb street dogs. The Punjab and Haryana High court ordered the state to pay Rs10,000 for every dog tooth that had entered the flesh of a man, and Rs20,000 for every 0.2 cm of torn flesh.

Earlier, municipalities were allowed to mercy-kill dogs so that town roads and parks could be kept safe. In 2001 Maneka, then a junior minister in the A.B. Vajpayee government, notified the ABC rules which disallowed dog-catching and mercy-killing, both of which had been allowed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals act. Under the rules, amended minorly this year, street dogs who bite can at the most be caught and vaccinated, but have to be set back into streets.

Six crore dogsthe mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, and curs of low degree, as Oliver Goldsmith put it in An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dogare currently stalking our streets, giving wounds both sore and sad to two crore Indians every year. Dog-bite rabies is killing more Indians than is malaria, yet animal lovers wouldnt hear of even a mad mongrel being killed.

The irony, says the kill-the-mad-dog lobby, is: it is lawful to kill a man-eating tiger in rare cases, but you can land in jail if you kill a mad dog.

prasannan@theweek.in
Calling the people of India "trendsetters and trailblazers" Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, urged the world to invest in India.

Sharing a tweet by Indian American entrepreneur and investor Balaji S. Srinivasan who wrote that "Investing in India is improving India," Modi said India won't disappoint those who invest in the country.

Tweeting a graph that shows the GDP per capita of India and the UK, Srinivasan wrote: "If you see a startup growing, does that mean it doesn't have any flaws? That it's the best in the world? That you're going to use it for everything right away?

No, of course not. But you might start using it, and putting money into it, and talking about it to your friends. And that's how I think about India  an ancient civilization that's simultaneously like a startup country, as you can see from the graph below."

He then listed out his reasons for investing in India in a long post.

"...I see the growth potential, because it helps build up Bharat, and because a strong and self-sufficient India is good for the world," he wrote, adding, 'Now, let me address a few common arguments."

Here is his post:

1) Civilizational Reincarnation. First, note that I used the phrase "ancient civilization" above. Of course I'm well aware that the Indus Valley civilization is one of the oldest in human history. But India is still analogous to a tech startup, because the country experienced a civilizational rebirth in 1991 after liberalization, just as China did in 1978. Whenever we use the term "leapfrogging" we acknowledge this. Why could India jump straight over landlines straight to mobile, or from cash to UPI? Because it was reborn recently, after centuries of colonialism and occupation. And reincarnation is something we are familiar with.

2) Underdog Millionaire. Second, observing that something is improving doesn't mean saying that it's already number one. In fact, one of the most important things about India is that Indians think of themselves as underdogs. Not starving "slumdogs" like the regrettable epithet, nor overconfident overdogs, but underrated underdogs  with a chance to win but certainly no guarantee.



That's the message of movies like Super 30 which couldn't be more different than Black Mirror. Indians know they aren't #1, or even #2, because they aren't. But the diaspora helps show that Indians can be world class, and that India itself could become world class, which is part of why India is now rising to the occasion.

Image

3) Decentralized Diaspora. Third, that brings us to one of India's greatest strengths: its diaspora. In this century China may end up playing the world's best home game, but India is on track to play the world's best away game. So India's development will look different than China's.

For one thing, Indians are willing and able to move anywhere. Westerners mostly aren't willing to move, because they still think their societies are the only places that are "First World". And the Chinese increasingly aren't able to move, because they're restricted from any countries where the Chinese state lacks hard power.

That leaves Indians to fill the gap. As Chinese emigration drops off, Indian emigration picks up to fill the holes in tech talent. As individual Indians become wealthier, more are financially able to emigrate. And as India as a whole becomes stronger, the passport improves, and more people are diplomatically able to emigrate. All this means the age of Indian emigration is just beginning. If China is the centralized state, India is the decentralized diaspora.

4) Special Economic Zones. Putting that all together, that means (a) India is reborn, (b) Indians know they are rising-yet-underdogs, and (c) Indian development is going to be quite different from Chinese development, with much more focus on the diaspora.

So, that's one of the reasons I think so much about special economic zones. Indians thrived in Dubai and Delaware, in Singapore and the Anglosphere  once they got out into a different economic system. And they're now starting to thrive in India itself  once India itself changed its economic system in 1991.

So, it's all about changes to the economic system. And with every investment we make in India or Indians, we build up a feature list of things to change.

Because there are a series of conceptually simple things India can do to be as good a place to do business as Dubai or Singapore. For example, you need to be able to send money into and out of the country for investment without hassle. You need to get a better passport so Indians can attend conferences. You need to rank higher on the economic freedom index (http://heritage.org/index/country/india). And so on.

At India's current rate of improvement, I think much of that will eventually be possible in a place like GIFT City, as a kind of special economic zone, even if not for all of India at once.

Put another way: India's internet connectivity, digital payments, and basic infrastructure has dramatically and visibly improved in the last 10 years. But while it's improving, it doesn't yet have certain "power user" features for international business that Singapore, Dubai, and Delaware do.

Once it does, it'll get even more of my business  and more importantly the world's. But it's already investable, and improving  which is why I'm writing about India, putting money into Indians, and regularly meeting founders on the ground.

5) Investor, not cheerleader. In summary, that's what the quoted tweet gets wrong.

It's not about being a "cheerleader" who has to "stay" in a place to invest in it  imagine if every business had to be funded solely by neighbors down the street.

Instead, it's about being an international investor looking for the best talent around the world  and finding quite a lot of it in India.

Reacting to the tweet, Modi wrote: "I love your optimism and will add- the people of India are trendsetters and trailblazers when it comes to innovation."

Further, he welcomed the world to invest in the country saying, "India wont disappoint."
Hollywood star Bradley Cooper says he would instantly be ready to return as Phil from"The Hangover" franchise if the fourth part ever happens.



The actor first starred in the Tod Phillips comedy series in 2009 alongside Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong and Jeffrey Tambor.

I would probably do 'Hangover 4' in an instant. Just because I love Todd, I love Zach, I love Ed so much, I probably would," Cooper said during an appearance on The New Yorker Radio Hour.

The actor, however, believes Phillips would not like to revisit the franchise.

I don't think Todd is ever going to do that, he said.

"The Hangover" revolved around Phil (Cooper), Stu Price (Helms), Alan Garner (Galifianakis) and Doug Billings (Bartha) as they go on a trip to Las Vegas for a bachelor party in honour of Doug who is about to get married. Things get hazy when after their party night out they wake up and Doug is missing and no one remembers what happened the previous night.

Phillips went on to make two sequels -- 2011's "The Hangover Part II" and 2013's "The Hangover Part III".

Cooper's latest acting effort is the Leonard Bernstein biopic "Maestro", which also marks his second directorial venture after "A Star Is Born".
Fifteen years ago, India faced its greatest security challege since the 1999 Kargil war on November 26, 2008. Nine Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan were neutralised in the encounter while the 10th man, Ajmal Kasab, was caught alive and later hanged on November 21, 2012, after his conviction.

The attacks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Oberoi Trident, Taj Hotel and Nariman House claimed lives of 166 people including security personnel. Let's remember our fallen heroes on the 15th anniversary of the gruesome attacks.

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan

Born in Kerala's Kozhikode on March 15, 1977, Major Sandeep Unnikrishan joined 51 SAG NSG on January 20, 2007. During the 26/11 attacks, he led his team to rescue hostages trapped in Mumbai's Taj Hotel, where 80 hostages were killed and 240 were injured.

Around 8.30pm on the fateful night, Major Sandeep's squad located hostages after hearing their cries as the terrorists fired indiscriminately. His team positioned themselves outside the doors of rooms where the hostages were located. One of is squad-mates got critically injured and Major Sandeep, disregarding his own safety, rescued the injured soldier. Though a bullet struck his right arm, Major Sandeep stormed inside all alone to free the hostages. He was able to inflict injuries on the terrorists but got seriously in injured and martyred. His squad did not lose heart and they neutralised the cornered terrorists.

Major Sandeep was honoured with Ashok Chakra posthumously.

Tukaram Omble

Tukaram Omble, a Mumbai Police Assistant Sub-Inspector who was killed during the 26/11 attacks, was unarmed while he tried to capture terroist Ajmal Kasab on the fateful night in Mumbai's Girgaum Chowpatty. Despite being unarmed, Omble held on to Kasab's rifle and restrained him to ensure that the terrorist was nabbed alive. In the scuffle, Omble got shot fatally after Kasab fired several rounds at him.

Scientists honoured Omble in 2021 by naming a newly discovered spider species, Icius Tukarami', after him. He was honoured with Ashok Chakra.

Hemant Karkare

Hemant Karkare, who was the former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief, was martyred outside south Mumbai's Cama Hospital, a 10-minute drive from CST station, during the attack. He served in RAW and later at the Indian mission in Austria. He was the Mumbai Joint Commissioner (Administration) before he was appointed as the ATS chief. Karkare along with senior police officials Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar were killed when terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail opened fire at their Toyota Qualis. Karkare was seated in the second row with some constables when the shootout happened.

Ashok Kamte

Ashok Kamte who was the Mumbai Additional Commissioner of Police (Eastern) was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Marutirao Narayanarao Kamte. Being an ex-Army officer, he was known for acting fearlessly against criminals despite pressure from top police officials and politicians. Kamte was sitting in the front row of the police SUV when he was martyred. He was awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously.

Vijay Salaskar

Vijay Salaskar, an encounter specialist, was credited with killing up to 80 criminals during his career. Salaskar, who headed the Mumbai Anti-Extortion Cell before his martyrdom, was killed by Ajmal Kasab in the 26/11 attack. He was driving the Qualis and was accompanied by Karkare and Kamte when he was martyred along with them. Salaskar was awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously.

Havildar Gajendra Singh Bisht

Havildar Gajendra Singh Bisht, an NSG commando with the 51 Special Action Group, who was martyred during the 2008 attacks, was honoured with the Ashoka Chakra. He was killed by terrorists at the Nariman House building.
In a series of tweets, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra took a dig at Lokpal and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for initiating a preliminary enquiry against her in the cash-for-query case.

The CBI on Saturday initiated action against the MP based on a reference from Lokpal. The central agencys probe comes amidst reports of the Parliament Ethics Committee recommending explusion of the MP in the case. Moitra has denied all allegations against her and claimed that she was being targeted as she had raised questions on the deals of the Adani group. The CBI complaint in the case had been filed by Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who had alleged that Moitra had taken bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani.

In a series of tweets, Moitra said, Neither has Lokpal uploaded any referral order on website as per Lokpal Act and nor has CBI put out anything official. Sources telling journos as per usual media circus. Hope 13,000 crore Adani coal scam merits CBI PE before my witchhunt.

He added, Amused to see how headless Lokpal with no full-time Chairman referred my case to CBI. RTI of 3/11/23 says Lokpal has no Chairman since May 2022 and 3 of 8 member posts also vacant! Maybe Jharkhand Branch of Pitbull Association also moonlighting as Lokpal Committee under BJP.

West Bengal BJP leader Priyanka Tibrewal told ANI, "We could all see this coming because Mahua Moitra has herself accepted that she had shared her credentials with Hiranandani. From the reports, we are coming to know it was not just Hiranandani who logged in from Dubai, but there were other places. It was logged in from the US and Bengaluru as well when she was present in Kolkata and Delhi. We have to find out who the people using these credentials were. An investigation has to take place. If found guilty, she should be penalized and punished."

Earlier, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had said, "Their (BJP) plan is to remove Mahua Moitra (from Lok Sabha). This will help her become more popular before the elections. What she used to speak inside (Parliament), now she will speak outside."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be traveling to the United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 1 to attend the World Climate Action Summit, the government said on Sunday.

Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders participating in the Summit.

The prime minister is visiting the gulf country at the invitation of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

The Climate Action Summit is the high-level segment of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP-28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

COP-28 will be held from November 28 to December 12 under the Presidency of the UAE.

The Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC provides a unique opportunity to impart momentum for collective action towards combating the shared challenge of climate change, the MEA said.

The ministry recalled the five specific targets, titled "Panchamrit, announced by Modi during the COP-26 in Glasgow as Indias unprecedented contribution to climate action.

The prime minister had also announced Mission Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) on that occasion.

Climate change has been an important priority area of Indias G20 Presidency, and significant new steps have been captured in the New Delhi Leaders Declaration and other outcomes during our Presidency. COP-28 will provide an opportunity to take forward these successes, the MEA said.
As election nears in Telangana, politicians are on a last-minute campaigning spree in the state as the campaign ends on November 28 in the poll-bound state.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao are campaigning in different parts of the state today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing an event in Shri Ram Chandra Mission, Hyderabad. Later today, Modi will be addressing poll rallies at Toopran and Nirmal.

Modi is campaigning in Telangana on Monday as well and he will be campaigning at Mahbubabad and Karimnagar Assembly constituencies. Before leaving for Delhi, the prime minister is scheduled to conduct a road show in Hyderabad on Monday.

During campaigning on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi made sharp attacks on BJP and BRS. Gandhi said the Congress has flattened all four tyres of the BJP in Telangana and the party will do soon in Delhi. The Congress leader accused Chief Minister and BRS leader of looting Rs 1 lakh crore from Kaleswaram irrigation project.

The Election Commission on Saturday issued an advisory to Chandrashekar Rao, advising him to adhere to MCC guidelines. Rao made controversial, threatening remarks against the Congress leadership while campaigning in the Banswada constituency.

The National Students' Union of India complained against Rao with EC and the poll body issued the advisory saying, You are hereby advised to follow the provisions of the MCC in letter and spirit."

Elections will be held in the state on November 30 and campaigning will end on November 28.
The operations to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside the collapsed Silkyara tunnel at Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand will drag on for weeks after the auger machine used to bore an escape passage broke down on Friday.

The authorities expect to begin manual drilling by Sunday after the blades of the auger machine that got stuck in the debris were removed. About 20 metres of the auger machine's remains have been cut out and a plasma cutter is being airlifted from Hyderabad to tackle the remaining 25 metres, after which the manual drilling will begin. This would involve workers entering the already bored 47-metre stretch of the rescue passage, drilling for a brief period in the confined space and then coming out to let someone else take over.



International tunnelling advisor Arnold Dix has said that the workers could be rescued by Christmas. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain also said that the operation could take a long time. "The current update is that (in) the last 24 hours, there hasn't been any movement within this bore tunnel that was being made for the rescue. Because...the Auger machine itself has had a bit of an accident. A portion of it (has actually) broken, and that broken portion has to be pulled out (of the escape pipe)," Hasnain told ANI.



Authorities are also considering vertical drilling, another process that could take weeks. Heavy equipment has already been brought to the site and was put in place on Saturday. The process, Hasnain said, would begin in the next 24 to 36 hours. He indicated that was the quicker of the two main options now being considered.



#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | Latest visuals outside the tunnel where operation is underway to rescue the 41 workers who got trapped here on 12th November.



Preparation of protection umbrella is underway inside the tunnel where the people from the rescue team pic.twitter.com/2eKPJGNuk4  ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2023

Meanwhile, a protection umbrella is being laid inside the Silkyara tunnel, where 41 workers have been trapped for two weeks to put up protection for the rescue team, official sources said.



The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has also stepped in to provide them with a landline through which they can talk to their families. Kundan, a BSNL official, said they are in the process of sending a small landline phone to the stranded workers through the pipe. "Through this, they will be able to talk directly to their families," he said.


Two days since the auger machine used inside the Silkyara tunnel broke down, a plasma cutter has been flown in from Hyderabad to remove parts of the machine that are stuck inside the escape tunnel. The drilling has been on a standstill since Friday after the machine broke down.

Authorities had decided to begin manual drilling by Sunday, but for that to happen, a complete disengagement of the machine is necessary. While 33 metres of the auger machine's remains have been cut out, 14 metres remain inside the tunnel, which have to be removed using the plasma cutter.



After this, workers would enter the already bored 47-metre stretch of the rescue passage, drilling for a brief period in the confined space and then coming out to let someone else take over.



International tunneling expert Arnold Dix, who has been monitoring the operations, said removing the remains of the auger now will become easier with the plasma cutter. "The auger machine failed, and we are having a lot of technical difficulties in getting the auger out from the pipe. The process of cutting it out is going much faster this morning as plasma cutters have come. Brave men who are going in there in a pipe with plasma cutters and cutting it piece by piece, that's happening now," he said.



Micro tunnelling expert Chris Cooper too said that the process is getting faster. "We are still cutting the auger. We have 14 metres more of auger to cut. The plasma machine is beneficial as it will cut the steel faster," Cooper said.



Once the auger is completely out, the rescue team will assess the pipe and its condition.

Meanwhile, the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam has begun vertical drilling work on the top of the tunnel as a second option. However, authorities are considering the quicker of the two main options.



A unit of Madras Sappers, an engineer group of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army, arrived at the site on Sunday to assist in the rescue operations. The Indian Air Force had put up a post on X that read, "Responding with alacrity to the requirements of the ongoing rescue operation, late last evening the IAF flew in critical DRDO equipment to Dehradun."


Wanting to help spread the word that the FDA has made the opioid antidote naloxone available over the counter as of March, I contacted a friend who is a paramedic with one of the local rescue squads, to see if he had a good example of just what a life saver it is.

He had a lot he told me. One instance was how his unit got a call at 2 a.m. from a neighbor for a male, late thirties, who was passed out in his front yard. When we got there, his lips were blue. He was cold, unresponsive and his breathing was just a sort of gasping.

They started standard resuscitation with bag and mask, but seeing his pinpoint pupils clarified that this was yet another opioid overdose. He obviously needed more than just cardio-pulmonary support. He needed a specific antidote  and thats naloxone (sometimes better known by its brand name Narcan).

In this case, they administered naloxone, and the patient had the usual result  waking up within minutes, looking around bewildered, and asking Where am I, what happened?

The push for naloxone education

This was an example of a classic opioid overdose, that, but for naloxone, would have likely ended in another fatality  and another statistic in the continuing opioid epidemic, which is reported to have caused more than 101,750 fatal overdoses in the 12 months ending October 2022.

An epidemic that has become more lethal with the advent of fentanyl, an opioid that is 100 times as potent than heroin. And is particularly dangerous as it is added to other illicit drugs, but in unpredictable quantities.

Virginia Health Departments, amongst others, are pushing training and making naloxone widely available with their REVIVE program  facilitated by the legislature passing a standing order allowing pharmacies, health departments and other organizations to dispense naloxone without an individual prescription  and free of charge with training.

As part of this push, we arranged for MRC Coordinator from the Rappahannock Area Health District, Anthony Salgado, to come to the Moss Clinic to train us in this simple, but lifesaving treatment.

Emphasizing the need, he told us that locally, the stats are even more disturbing  especially Caroline County with a mortality of 58.3 per 100,000 population  versus 20 per 100,000 for Virginia as a whole.

There are many myths and mistaken beliefs about antidotes to opioid overdose, he told us. For instance, stimulant drugs dont reverse the effects. Its only naloxone that does  by having a greater affinity for our bodys natural opioid receptors than the fentanyl/heroin/codeine, whatever the person has taken.

You may wonder, as I did, at our bodies having opioid receptors (we also have receptors for the principal intoxicant in marijuana, THC). It might make you conclude were naturally wired for doing drugs, but these receptors are part of our bodys hormonal and neurotransmitter mechanism  they control all sorts of processes in the body, and just happen to respond to exogenous drugs.

Administering naloxone

The safest, and easiest way to administer naloxone is the nasal spray, Salgado told us  a small plastic gizmo that spritzes a naloxone solution up the patients nose when you depress the plunger. It can work in less than a minute, restoring consciousness and reversing the respiratory depression, which is usually the mechanism that kills people with an overdose.

One thing to know, Salgado warned us, is that naloxone has a half-life of 90 minutes, so the effects might wear off before the ingested opioid, and the patient relapse  which is why people have to be watched, even having apparently fully recovered. They may need to be given further doses, he told us.

Another complication I have heard rescue squad personnel tell me, and that was reiterated by my paramedic buddy, is that patients, instead of coming to, and being effusively grateful to you for saving their life, are pissed because youve taken away their high.

One other practical point is that Safe Reporting laws have been passed, so someone calling for help, even if they are using drugs themselves, will be immune from civil liability or prosecution.

The final message

For lives to be saved, it is necessary that as many people as possible are trained in the use of naloxone and have it on hand.

Contact the local health department or Community Services Board to find out how you can help counter the persistent and increasingly lethal opioid epidemic.
Rescuers have begun vertical drilling to create an escape route for the 41 workers trapped inside the collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhands Silkyara, a day after an auger machine carrying out horizontal drilling broke down and got stuck in the debris.

"Vertical drilling has begun and (a stretch of) up to 15 metres has been drilled already," Mahmood Ahmed, managing director of National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, told reporters on Sunday.

"If there are no major obstacles, it will take four days to reach the tunnel through the vertical drilling method," he said.

Ahmed informed that multiple options have been put into action to rescue the workers who have been trapped for the last 14 days after a portion of the tunnel being between Silkyara and Dandalgaon in Uttarkashi district collapsed in the early morning on November 12.

The officer also informed that the machine for sideways drilling is expected to reach the tunnel rescue site during night.

The vertical drilling began a day after authorities said the blades of the augur drilling machine had got stuck in the rubble.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had said manual drilling would begin on Sunday, but for that to happen, a complete disengagement of the machine is necessary.

The removal of the shaft and fins of the auger machine stuck in the debris is underway with plasma and laser cutters inside the tunnel.

The mountain has again resisted the auger, so we are rethinking our approach...I am confident that the 41 men are coming home by Christmas...I have always promised that the workers will be home by Christmas, international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, who has been monitoring the operation, had told reporters on Saturday.

A unit of Madras Sappers, an engineer group of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army, has already arrived at the site on Sunday to assist in the rescue operations.
A nationwide curfew was declared on Sunday by Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio after unidentified gunmen attacked military barracks in the West African nation's capital, Freetown. The situation in Sierra Leone has been tense since the disputed re-election of Bio.

Taking to X, Bio said that unidentified gunmen attacked a military armoury within the barracks in the capital, Freetown, early morning. "They were driven back by security forces and calm has been restored," he added.

Fellow Sierra Leoneans,



I bring you greetings from the Presidential Lodge in Freetown.



In the early hours of this morning, there was a breach of security at the Military Barracks at Wilberforce in Freetown, as some unidentified individuals attacked the military armoury.  President Julius Maada Bio (@PresidentBio) November 26, 2023

As the combined team of our Security Forces continue to root out the remnant of the fleeing renegades, a nationwide curfew has been declared and citizens are encouraged to stay indoors, he wrote.

Reportedly, some inmates from the central prison in Freetown had escaped and the authorities are investigating into the incident. So far, it is not clear how many had escaped the prison. Some of the videos that circulated in the social media revealed many people fleeing from the prison area, while gunshots were heard in the background. According to officials, the gunmen who attacked the military barracks later broke into the prison and freed the prisoners.

Sierra Leone's civil aviation authority had urged airlines to reschedule flights after the curfew was imposed.

The aviation authority said in a statement that passengers should be placed on the next available flights after the curfew is lifted. It added that the country's airspace remains open.

Bio was reelected for a second term in June amid opposition party's accusation of Sierra Leone's electoral commission of conspiring with his party.

Since the end of the 11-year brutal civil war, it was the fifth presidential election held in the nation.

Since 2020, there have been eight military coups in West and Central Africa. Bio has been facing criticism because of weakening economic conditions. The nation is battling severe poverty, youth unemployment among other issues.

On the latest attack, the US embassy in Freetown said in a statement that such actions were not justified.
Minneapolis ex-police officer Derek Chauvin, convicted in the murder of George Floyd, is stable after been stabbed at an Arizona prison, reports said on Sunday.

Reportedly, Chauvin was seriously injured by another prison inmate.

Chauvin was arrested and later convicted for police brutality leading to the black man's death. A wide range of protests was triggered after Floyd's death.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed in a statement that an inmate at a federal prison in Tucson city was stabbed at 12:30 local time on Friday.

The agency said employees contained the incident and "life-saving measures" were performed on the inmate, who was then taken to hospital, reported BBC.

However, the name of the prisoner was not given in the statement. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, quoted by CNN, confirmed that Chauvin had been stabbed but he was in a stable condition. Chauvin's family was also anxious after hearing the reports and said they were kept in dark about his health condition.

The attack comes after US Supreme Court rejected Chauvin's appeal of his conviction for second-degree murder in the killing of Floyd.

Floyd died on May 25, 2020 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed a knee on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes on the street outside a convenience store where Floyd tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. "I can't breathe" cries of Floyd was captured by a bystander over video revealing the police brutality.

Chauvin was sentenced to 22 years in prison after found guilty. A further 20-year sentence was also given in July last year for violating Floyd's civil rights.
Hamas has confirmed that several senior commanders targeted by Israel airstrikes in the Gaza Strip have been killed.



Ahmed al Ghandour, the commander of Hamas northern Gaza brigade, and Ayman Siam, the head of Hamas rocket firing array, were killed in the strikes, according to the militant group. Other top Hamas commanders, Wael Rajab and Raafat Salman, were also reportedly killed by IDF.

IDF tried to kill Al Ghandour at least thrice in the past with earliest one going back to 2002, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

The IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on November 16 said the Israeli military targeted senior Hamas leaders in two major airstrikes. In of the strikes on a Hamas underground infrastructure in Gaza, IDF said it had targeted Ghandour and Siam. But the military did not confirm if the duo was killed back then.

Hagari had also said that top Hamas politburo members, including Sameh al-Siraj, Rawhi Mushtaha and Essam al-Dalis, were targeted in the second attack. It is not yet confirmed if these men were killed in the attack.

Back then, Hagari said Hamas is trying to hide the results of the strike, reported The Times of Israel. "It can be said with certainty that the underground where they were was very heavily damaged (sic)," the Israeli outlet quoted Hagari as saying.

On November 24, the military revealed that IDF fighter jets, directed by IDF and ISA intelligence, neutralised Amar Abu Jallah, commander of the Hamas naval forces in Khan Yunis. Abu Jallah was responsible for several terror attacks via sea that IDF said it has foiled.

- with inputs from agencies
The second batch of hostages were released by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Sunday, which saw 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals freed. The truce deal between Hamas and Israel will see a total of 50 Israeli hostages exchanged for 150 Palestinian prisoners over four days.

Videos from Israel showed hostages leaving Gaza via the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing. They were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross late on Saturday.

Of the 13 Israelis released, six were women and seven were children and teenagers. "The released hostages are on their way to hospitals in Israel, where they will reunite with their families," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. The second group also included four Thai nationals, Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on social media on Sunday. "Everybody is safe, on the whole in good mental health and are able to speak normally," he said on social media platform X.



Footages from the West Bank and East Jerusalem also showed crowds welcoming and cheering the arrival of 39 Palestinian security prisoners, who were released in exchange for the hostages. The Israel Prisons Service said it released 39 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. All of the prisoners are either women or minors 18 and under.



Hundreds of people greeted the International Committee of the Red Cross bus as it arrived in Al Bireh. Crowds chanted "God is great" as the bus arrived, and several young men stood on the roof of the vehicle. Many in the crowd held Hamas flags and chanted pro-Hamas slogans.



However, the truce deal almost derailed earlier on Saturday after Hamas said it was delaying the release of hostages after accusing Israel of not letting aid trucks into northern Gaza. According to Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan, only 65 of 340 aid trucks that had entered Gaza since Friday had reached northern Gaza, which was "less than half of what Israel agreed on."



Palestinians prisoners (wearing grey jumpers) cheer among supporters after being released from Israeli jails in exchange for hostages released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip | AFP

The IDF soon clarified that the distribution of aid inside Gaza was implemented by the United Nations and international organisations.



Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas armed wing, also said Israel had failed to respect the terms of the Palestinian prisoner releases and that prisoners were not freed based on their time in detention.

However, Qatar and Egypt intervened immediately to ensure the truce did not collapse. The mediation also saw U.S. President Joe Biden calling Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The tense cease-fire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be back on track early on Sunday after the release of a second group militant-held hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons.

The exchange was delayed on Saturday evening after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement.

The militants released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

The ceasefire has given Gazans a few days of calm, however, any attempts to move towards the south of the Strip was thwarted by the troops. Meanwhile, for the second day, hundreds of people from north who have sought refugee lined up outside gas stations to stock up.

The United Nations said the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war. It was also able to deliver 1,29,000 litres of fuel, just over 10 per cent of daily pre-war volume, as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

The Israeli hostages freed on Saturday included seven children and six women, Netanyahu's office announced.

Meanwhile, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that they have received a list of the hostages due to be released.

In a sign of the fragility of the exchanges, the last swap delayed for hours after Hamas accused Israel of violating the deal.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian farmer was, reportedly, killed and another injured on Sunday after Israeli forces targeted Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza.

Diaa Rashwan, chair of the Egyptian State Information Services, said Egypt had received a list of 13 hostages that Hamas will release on Sunday and another list of 39 Palestinians that Israel is expected to free.

This image grab from a handout video released by the Israeli army, shows 9-year-old Irish Israeli former hostage Emily Hand embracing her father at a hospital in Israel after being released by Hamas | AFP

Also, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that US had reason to believe that an American hostage would be released along with those to be freed on Sunday. Hopes are high that it would be Abigail Edan, the 4-year-old-girl who lost her parents in the Hamas attack on October 7.

Meanwhile, Hamas said it had released one of the Russian hostages it was holding, separately, in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and as an appreciation to Moscow's position on the war.

Nine-year old reunites with family

A nine-year-old reunites with her family. Dublin-born Emily Hand was released by Hamas on Saturday."Emily has back to us, her father said as Emily rushed into his embrace in an Israel hospital last night as part of a deal that.

We cant find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days, her family said in a statement.

Emily was on a sleep over in a friend's house in n kibbutz Beeri, one of the war-torn region, when she was abducted.

Her friend Hila Rotem, 13, was also released last night but her mother, Raya Rotem, 54, is still being held captive.

The taoiseach Leo Varadkar had said in a social media post that An innocent girl who was lost has now been found and returned, and our country breathes a massive sigh of relief.

For her family, these seven weeks have been a slow and cruel torture. We hope she will soon heal and recover from the traumatic experience in the loving embrace of her family, he said.

Varadkar's 'lost' comment has been criticised by Israel's foreign minister.

"Following the outrageous words of the prime minister of Ireland about the release of Emily Hand, who was kidnapped to Gaza by the terrorist organization Hamas, I summoned the Irish ambassador to Israel for a reprimand," said Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.
The spectre of floods looms before us, yet we build houses by rivers, wrote the Hindi poet Dushyant Kumar. The poet died in 1975, but his words turned out to be prophetic. They translated into what happened a few months ago in Joshimath and in many other places across Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh over the past few yearsin how a blatant disregard for nature worsened an already erratic weather pattern, how houses crumbled and lives were swept away.

The Joshimath disaster is attributed to a hydropower project which involved some deep digging and the subsequent bursting of an aquifer. Ravi Chopra, a scientist who focuses on the interactions between technology and society, said that despite the charm of hydropower, its flaws were recognised early on. Engineers neither understand nor care for the ecosystem of the river which is dramatically impacted. Their teaching has never incorporated ecology, said Chopra.

One of the biggest drawbacks of such projects is that in the distance between a powerhouse and the riveranywhere between 4km to around 20kmthe river dries up. As water is forced into a tunnel, aquatic life trapped in it dies because of a lack of oxygen. They, however, have advantages over large dams like the one in Tehriwhere the rim of the reservoir shows the signs of a series of landslides triggered by the slow seepage of water into the surrounding rock fissures. Better scientific understanding since 2006, when the dam was commissioned, have rung alarm bells over the possibility of its destruction as it lies over a major geological fault zone. If that were to happen, the force of the water would wipe off habitations 100km downstream. Dams on faults are like time bombs. We must abandon projects in areas which are acutely sensitive, said Chopra.

Going by that logic, the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydropower project in Chamoli should have been abandoned. In February 2021, a glacial burst swept away the main dam and more than 140 workers trapped in tunnels were either found dead or are still missing. It is the same project that is believed to be behind the Joshimath disaster.

Equally concerning is the Char Dham Pariyojana (CDP), the 012,000 crore project to build a 889km-long, all-weather road linking Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, the four major shrines in Uttarakhand. Hemant Dhyani, a member of the Supreme Courts High Powered Committee (HPC) on the CDP, said that the body in its report of 2000 had agreed on most points, except for the critical aspect of road width. The under construction road is 10m widesomething that can only be achieved by a vertical cutting of the slopes, massive tree felling and the accumulation of mass muck.

Dhyani said it was a tragedy that the dhams (pilgrimage centres) were being viewed in terms of daam (monetary value). The ecosystem services that the Himalayas provide, such as catering to the water needs of half the countrys population through rivers that arise in the Himalayan basin cannot be weighed on the same scale as revenue generation.

Of the many ironies that lie behind the CDP is its breakup into 53 projects, each less than 100km in length, thereby negating the need for environment impact assessment. Another is the governments target to have 18,000 people visit the dhams per day, when the HPC has recommended a maximum of 6,000 people.

In 2012, the Union ministry of environment declared the watershed area along the stretch of river Bhagirathi an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ). Such areas are ecologically important and are to be protected from industrial pollution and unregulated development. In 2018, the Uttarakhand government objected to the designation as anti-development. Land use change was thus approved to meet local needs, including infrastructure development in larger public interest and national security. It also allowed the cutting of hills in the area and construction on steep slopes. The CDP will pass through this protected area, too.

There is little to defend the need for an all-weather road as all the dhams, each located above 3,200m, are buried under snow for almost six months. The other argument in its favour, that of catering to the Armys needs, was negated by Indias first chief of defence staff, the late General Bipin Rawat, who had, in a press interaction, said, The requirements of the Army are adequately fulfilled by the existing road itself.

Mallika Bhanot, a volunteer at Ganga Ahvaan, a citizens forum which monitors the Bhagirathi ESZ said, This sacrosanct land and its cultural sanctity is an opportunity, not a burden for the government. Its policies should be designed to enhance and not destroy this sanctity. How does it even make sense to put up a statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath after you destroy a village he set up?

Bhanots reference is to Haat village in Chamoli. Haat and the Lakshmi Narayan temple complex in it were set up by Shankaracharya who also settled a community of Gaur Brahmins in it to carry out the temple rituals. For those who could not make the arduous climb to Badrinath, paying obeisance at the temple at Haat would invoke the same blessings.

Yet, in 2016, the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation started dumping debris from the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project, around the temple. Within no time it reached a height that obscured the temples spire. An INTACH report of September 2022 noted, Destruction perpetrated at the moment, will not just obliterate an ancient site but also harm the institution of the Badrinath Yatra and the legacy of Adi Shankaracharya.

But as Dushyant Kumar wrote, it is not our souls that are broken, it is the mirrors offered to us ordinary folks that are cracked. And in their reflection we gaze helplessly at the march of a broken, misguided technology.
Anyone travelling into the hills of Uttarakhand on the char dham route would immediately realise that Indians are at war with their own sacred mountains. The gashes and scars of the all-weather road, the railway tunnels and numerous dams are proof of human aggression against nature. And the mountains are retaliating with grave consequences.

What we do not realise while undertaking construction on a large scale in the Himalayas is that we are jeopardising our own survival.

What we do not realise while undertaking construction on a large scale in the Himalayas is that we are jeopardising our own survival. These mountains, with the largest concentration of glaciers outside of the polar caps and with glacial coverage of 33,000sq.km, are aptly called water towers, as they provide around 86 million cubic metres of fresh water annually, critical to the survival of the largest population concentration anywhere in the world. We will do well to remember that without water, survival is impossible.

Uttarakhand, which hosts some of the most revered pilgrimage spots and is also the source of two major rivers of India, finds itself at the cusp of a tragedy of unprecedented proportions. In more than 600 large and small settlements, the ground is shifting beneath peoples feet, forcing them to flee from their villages. A mountain of government-generated data stares us in the face, and we choose to ignore it.

For instance, an inter-ministerial group wrote a decade ago that significant lengths of the tributaries of the Ganga had been fragmented because of hydro-projects, causing irreversible ecological damage. Another report tells us that the Tehri dam has held back high-altitude Ganga sediments which has adversely impacted the unique self-purifying quality of the Ganga waters. The Forest Survey of India tells us that Uttarakhand has lost 268sq.km of forest between 2013 and 2015. The state now has only 45.3 per cent forest cover, while it should ideally be at least 67 per cent. NITI Aayog has pointed out that 60 per cent of the water bodies in the Indian Himalayas are on the verge of drying up. The Chopra Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court, told us that the Char Dham Pariyojana has experienced landslides at every half kilometre during the monsoons. Railway tunnels for the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag line are further destabilising slopes and damaging rural and urban settlements.

The Uttarakhand Himalayas are home to communities surviving on meagre landholdings with largely calcined soil and small herds of livestock. The agriculture calendar is guided by the single principle of storing stuff during the harvest season, to ensure survival during the long, harsh winter. It is a tough life of isolation and subsistence. Increased connectivity should have made life easier, and yet, never has one seen a bigger exodus to the plains than in recent times. Today, the state has upwards of 3,500 villages where the populations have turned unviable, almost half of these are completely deserted, labelled by government agencies as ghost villages. The last census has shown a substantial decline in populations in the border districts of Uttarakhand. So, why is there a huge gap between what communities need and what our governments deliver?

Psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist says humans have systematically misunderstood the nature of reality, and chosen to ignore the minority of voices, like those of indigenous communities, that have intuited as much, if not more, on our world. The modern technocratic world has been seriously misled because we have depended on that aspect of our brains most adept at manipulating the world to bend it to our purposes. The brains left hemisphere is designed to help us apprehend and thus manipulate the world, the right hemisphere to comprehend it, to see it for what it is. So, rather than simply understanding our surroundings, as the indigenous communities did with their work of gods, we take the success we have in manipulating it as proof that we understand it. What we think of as development, therefore, is an act of subversion.

Today, this manipulative thought process is dominant and seeks to suck the very life out of our mountains. Nature is giving us a warning every decade or so in the form of disasters like Varunavat, Kedarnath, Rishiganga and now Joshimath. With climate change, these incidents will begin to occur with greater frequency. We are vulnerable because the fabric of community living lies in tatters. As people find that they have no agency over jal, jangal, jameen and now jawaniwater, forest, land and now even youthcommunities are spiralling into despair, losing their spirit.

Yes, people in the hills also want jobs, connectivity, education and health care, but all this need not come packaged with the distress that forces them to leave home. Economic development must not lead us on the path of ecocide. Our modernity must never aim to trounce a tried and tested system of social living. Progress that does not respect geography and indigenous beliefs will continue to wreak havoc and break the Himalayas, and with it will break the resilience of its communities, as is happening now. Development that sacrifices forests and rivers will never work for the Himalayas, in fact it will imperil the plains, too.

Ohri is an anthropologist, author and filmmaker who has worked extensively on the Himalayas, where he lives.
Mumbai, Nov 25 (PTI) Sebi chief Madhabi Puri Buch on Saturday said the regulator will certainly address the issue of exorbitant valuation of initial public offerings, amid a slew of share sales hitting the capital market.

This week, five companies, including Tata Technologies, came out with their Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) that garnered a record Rs 2.6 lakh crore in application amount.

To a query about high premiums for some shares in IPOs, Buch said, "Of course, we are fully with you on this as the rationale given for high premia are nothing but some meaningless English words".

"We are certainly going to look into it and address the issue," she said while briefing reporters after Sebi's board meeting here.

It can be noted that to boost investors' interest in little-known companies' IPOs, the issuers and their investment bankers quote low face value but the issue is priced high citing a very high premium.

On whether Sebi is planning to advise issuers and other market makers to space their issues in a more timely manner and with enough gaps between two issues, Buch said that is not the job of the regulator. "After all, timing the market is not our job".

"We want to leave issue timing to the market. Else that will be unfair on our part as a Sebi mandated time may not be the best for the issuer and the investors. A company comes to the market to raise money at a time that's best suited for them.

"Also, we aren't worried about the issue scrambling as from a regulatory perspective our job is to ensure that the system can take the load which our market is doing perfectly well, she said, adding institutional capacity is not a problem at all. At least nothing negative has come to our notice yet on this front," she said.

To a query on whether Sebi will allow a green-shoe option as is permitted in other market activities wherein the issuer has the freedom to retain over subscription to a considerably larger amount, she said the answer is no as it has to be addressed from a practical and conceptual perspective.

"From the practical side, it is possible but from a conceptual angle this is not possible as unlike a debt issue or any other market instrument wherein there is not equity dilution, in an IPO it precisely is equity issue. So if we allow a green shoe option it will lead to an undesired dilution of equity which and other implications," she said.
New Delhi, Nov 26 (PTI) An upcoming climate concert, named Resonance, will bring together multiple voices from across the globe to raise awareness about the "urgency of a planet in dissonance - that must be healed for humanity".

Hosted by San Francisco based non-profit BayEcotarium jointly with United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the musical event will take place on December 6 in Dubai Opera, during the United Nations COP28 Climate Summit scheduled to be held in UAE from November 30 - December 12.

"Music transcends geopolitical and linguistic boundaries and is the soul of civil societies. The Climate Concert is the coming together of multiple voices from around the world during the historic UNCOP28, in solidarity with combating climate change. Aptly named Resonance- its intent is to bring awareness to the urgency of a planet in dissonance - that must be healed for humanity," George Jacob, president and CEO of BayEcotarium, told PTI.

The event will see live performances by multiple Grammy winning artists, including founder and drummer of The Police band, Stewart Copeland, who will be performing multi-platinum hits in orchestral renditions (Police Deranged) with Dubai-based Firdaus all-female Orchestra.

UN Goodwill ambassador and three-times Grammy winner Ricky Kej will open the evening with a musical tribute to climate change mitigation and global peace. Featured appearances would include Anuradha Juju Palakurthi and Tariq Qureishy.

Jacob said while the BayEcotarium is a science-based organisation, they were compelled to leverage music as the unifying force for the cause of nature conservation.

"Everything from the venue, technical requirements, musical composition, visual backdrops, sequence of music and speeches requires tremendous coordination especially given the 12 hour time difference between Dubai and San Francisco.

"While we are a science based organization that rarely holds concerts of this scale, we felt compelled to leverage music as the unifying force that resonates with the hearts and minds of all. Climate awareness is key to sustainable Climate Action," he said.

The BayEcotarium is currently setting up the world's largest climate and ocean conservation living museum in San Francisco, transforming the 27-year-old Smithsonian affiliated Aquarium. This year, the organisation, also marks the 42nd anniversary of its mission of environmental advocacy, ocean conservation and climate resilience.
Charlottesville High School is scheduled to reopen Monday.

It was closed last week for the Thanksgiving holiday, but was also shut down the previous Friday because, according to a school division news release, the principal had resigned and some teachers refused to show up.

The reason? Safety issues. The Friday release stated that there were two related fights yesterday [Thursday, Nov. 16] as well as a number of other fights this school year among a small subset of students.

The release further stated that these same students have been tardy or absent from classes or otherwise disruptive. While these students have received both supportive and strong disciplinary actions, the situation remains.

In other words, the school system has lost control of the situation and now teachers are afraid to come to work. Parents, one would imagine, are also hesitant to send their children into an environment where violence could erupt at any moment.

The school division says it is taking steps to rectify the situation, but what can officials do? It is almost impossible to expel a student these days and even if you do, that child could return with a gun to settle scores.

It would seem that school fights, especially ones that involve the same students, would be a matter for the police. But what can the police do? The courts will remand the kids to their families and apparently their families have no control over them or they wouldnt be in these situations in the first place.

This business with young people is getting out of hand. Every night on the news there are reports of carjacking  many at gunpoint  by teenagers and even preteens in Washington, D.C., and its suburbs. Gangs of teenagers also walk into stores and steal everything that isnt tied down  in plain sight of everyone. And shoplifting by teens is costing stores millions of dollars.

This stuff has got to stop! Kids cannot be allowed to run wild, to steal, threaten and sometimes kill. Now youth violence is starting to spread beyond cities like Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Chicago into smaller towns and cities like Charlottesville.

Kids have the upper hand these days and they know it. They do what they want because they know they can get away with it. If a child doesnt want to accept the punishment meted out by a parent, he just cries child abuse and the parent ends up in jail.

Teachers have little control over students. If an unruly child is told to go to the principals office and he doesnt want to go, he doesnt go. And teachers often complain that the student is sent back from the principal with a note that reads, You handle it.

If 25 teenagers ransack a store, the police will be lucky to identify and catch two, and the kids know it. The courts will look sympathetically on those caught and send them home, in part because there are not enough detention homes to house the lawbreakers.

If disruptive kids are removed from class, they are rarely expelled. Instead, they are put into some alternative education program, which means they are still in school and in a position to start trouble again.

One of the biggest reasons for this teenage violence problem is one no one wants to talk about because it is politically incorrect these days  the breakup of the traditional family. Too often there is no father in the home to administer discipline. A mother can do only so much, especially if she has several children. Consequently, kids run wild.

Thus, this violence among teenagers can be deemed a social problem. But how do you return society to what it once was when it has gotten out of control?

Maybe the answer to all this is the military. Maybe we should reinstate the draft and if these kids want to be violent, give them a controlled environment to do so  and to serve their country as well.

Back during the Vietnam War, judges often gave young lawbreakers the option of going into the military or going to jail. The army straightened out many a young man who was headed down the wrong path.

Whatever the answer, we need to find it and soon. Fights in schools, carjackings, murders. The situation is getting out of control.

This country has gone so far to protect kids that it has now given them the upper hand. They are in control and they know it.

Lets hope the halls in Charlottesville High are peaceful tomorrow.
Panaji, Nov 26 (PTI) The ongoing 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has a collection of five notable films presented in collaboration with UNICEF, which are being screened at various festival venues.

The IFFI spokesperson said that the films reflect on the dynamic forces which shape childhood and examine its socio-economic contexts.

"This year, UNICEF and National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) have partnered to focus attention of the film industry and audiences on children's rights," he said.

The spokesperson said that the partnership draws attention on portrayal of violence against children, adolescents, and women in films. The partnership is also part of the efforts to bring to focus relevant issues that affect the civil society.

Zafrin Chowdhury, Chief of Communications, Advocacy and Partnerships, UNICEF said that UNICEF is pleased to be a cause partner of NFDC for a second year in IFFI, with a curated package of films that we expect will steer a positive discourse on recognizing child rights in popular films.

She appreciated the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for its leadership in promoting and including exemplary films centered on and about children.

Chowdhury further said that IFFI is an enabling platform for UNICEF to reach filmmakers, people from art and culture, critics, and audiences, broadly on children's rights, while focusing on making violence socially unacceptable to prevent its dire impact on children and young people.

The films that are showcased at IFFI includes "Damu", the National Award winning film directed by Raja Sen; "For the Sake of Ava", the debut feature of an Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Seraji; "Gandhi & Co.", a Gujarati film which is awarded Golden Lotus Award - Best Children's Film, National Film Awards, 2023, directed by Manish Saini; "Peacock Lament", a Sinhalese film directed by Sanjeewa Pushpakumara and "Singo", a Persian film directed by Alireza Mohammadi Rouzbahany.
Lahore, Nov 25 (PTI) Pakistans Punjab province is planning to carry out an artificial rain experiment with China's help in Lahore, one of the cities to face the worst air pollution across the globe, a project estimated to cost Rs 350 million in the cash-strapped country, according to media reports here.

On Friday, Lahore once again was ranked first in terms of air pollution in the world, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported, quoting the Meteorological Department sources that said the average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 356 in the provincial capital.

Each winter, Lahore in Pakistan and Delhi in India have continued to be the worst polluted cities across the world in recent years. Incidentally, the government of Delhi has also announced the possibility of using artificial rains to bring down air pollutants.

Meteorology plays an important role in determining the level of air pollution in north Pakistan, just as it is a major factor in the neighbouring region of northwest India. After the rainy season, when the crop is harvested, and farmers from both sides tend to burn the stubble adding to the existing causes of pollution.

Quoting sources in the Finance Ministry, The News International on Friday said, As part of its efforts to combat the severe smog levels in Lahore, the Punjab government is planning to carry out artificial rain in the provincial capital, a project which is estimated to cost Rs 350 million.

Earlier this week, Chief Meteorologist Chaudhry Aslam said that artificial rain is expected in Lahore next month and preparations are underway for it as the government ups its efforts to curb smog.

A report in The Express Tribune newspaper said the Punjab government had sought advice from experts to finalise a comprehensive plan for artificial rain to counter smog.

Punjab Interim Information Minister Amir Mir was quoted as saying by the newspaper that matters have been settled with the Chinese experts as cloud seeding is the most effective way for artificial rain.

The news reports also mentioned that the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has successfully tested artificial rain in the past.

Meanwhile, several people have raised questions about spending Rs 350 million for the experiment in the already struggling times. On November 15, the International Monetary Fund's delegation wrapped two-week-long talks with Pakistani officials and announced that a staff-level agreement has been reached to enable it to release USD 700 million in the second tranche of an already agreed USD 3 billion loan.

In four months, the Pakistan government has already borrowed USD 6 billion while it expects rollovers of USD 12.5 billion.
Afula (Israel), Nov 26 (PTI) The grandfather of Moshe Holtzberg, the youngest survivor of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, has expressed his gratitude to the people of India for treating his family's pain as their own all these years.

Moshe, who was just two at the time of the deadly 26/11 attack, carried out by 10 Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, lost both his parents, Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg and Rivka Holztberg, in the assault on Nariman House, also known as Chabad House.

"The people of India remember what happened on this day 15 years ago. You remember the tragedy that struck our family and also the families of other Israeli people," Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, Moshe's grandfather, told PTI.

"I want to say that I, my wife Yehudit and also the Moishi (Moshe) boy, feel it and want to thank you all in India for your similar feelings for the tragedy that struck us and you all," he said.

"This year especially shows how terrorists want to murder the Jews but we still hope for peace in the whole world," he said at a time when Israel is at war with the Islamist Hamas terror group after they carried out a brutal attack in its territory on October 7.

Moshe's parents were the emissaries of the Chabad Movement in Mumbai at the time of the 26/11 attack.

Moshe's pictures with his nanny Sandra holding him close to her chest after saving his life in a daring move in the middle of the terror attack caught worldwide attention.

"Moshe is well and learning in a Yeshiva. Sandra is in Israel and comes from Jerusalem to be with us every alternate weekend. She has a permanent place in our house as a member of the family," Rabbi Rosenberg said.

Sandra was given honorary citizenship by the government of Israel and conferred with the title of "righteous gentile", a rare honour extended to those who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.

The family held annual prayers in memory of their dear ones on November 13 in Afula as per the Hebrew Calendar this year. They decided not to do the prayers in Jerusalem this year because of the ongoing situation in Israel.

Last year, in an emotional recorded video message Moshe had called upon the international community to look for ways to counter terror so that "nobody has to go through what he has gone through".

He narrated the story of his lucky escape in a daring act by Sandra "who risked her own life to save his" and about his growing up in Israel with his grandparents, Rabbi Shimon and Yehudit Rosenberg, who have been raising him as their own son.

They are his grandparents from his mother's side.

On November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists entered the south Mumbai areas through a sea route and attacked a number of places, including Chabad House, a Jewish centre. The indiscriminate attack killed 166 people, including six Jews and 18 security personnel.

The 26/11 attack continues to be an emotional moment for a lot of Israelis who feel that it "is a shared pain" that binds India and Israel together.

Last week, Israel re-affirmed its declaration of Lashkar-e-Taiba as a terror organisation to symbolise the marking of the 15th year of commemoration of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

"While Israel only lists terror organisations who are actively operating against it from within or around its borders, or in a similar manner to India - those globally recognised by UNSC or the US State Department; the Israeli ministries of Defence and Foreign affairs, have jointly worked in the last few months towards an expedited and extraordinary listing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation on this date, to highlight the importance of a Unified Global Front in combating terrorism," an official statement stressed.

Israeli Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Lior Haiat separately confirmed the development to PTI saying that it was initially done so in 2013 but has now formally entered the records.

Seen by many as a "shared pain", 26/11 continues to stir outrage in Israel every year with commemorative events condemning the senseless killings and demands for justice against the masterminds of the terror attack heard every year across the country.

Jewish outreach movement, Chabad, in 2021 unveiled a plaque in the southern coastal city of Eilat in memory of the six Jewish victims of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Six Jews, who were amongst the 166 victims of the terror attack, were killed at the Chabad House.

Israeli leaders and officials have repeatedly called for the perpetrators of the horrendous crime to be "brought to justice".

Pictures of the little toddler, Moshe, orphaned in the brutal attack evoked widespread anger and also generated a lot of interest in him.

Recalling his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Israel in 2017, Moshe in the recorded message had said that, "he hugged me warmly and was really excited and invited me with my grandparents to visit India".

The youngster later did visit India with his grandparents during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to India in 2018.

"I feel grateful to him (Modi) for his warmth and kindness," the youngster, who dreams of one day becoming the Director of the Chabad House in Mumbai, said.

The family was also granted a long-term multiple-entry visa to facilitate their visits to India.
Deir Al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Nov 26 (AP) Hamas says one of its top commanders has been killed in the war with Israel.

The militant group announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour on Sunday, without saying when or where he was killed. He is the highest-ranking member of the group known to have been killed in the war, which was sparked by Hamas' October 7 attack into Israel.

Al-Ghandour was a high-ranking member of the group's armed wing and Hamas' top commander in northern Gaza.

He had survived at least three Israeli attempts to kill him, going back to 2002, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington. (AP)



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Kyiv, Nov 26 (AP) Russian authorities on Sunday claimed that Ukraine tried to attack Moscow with dozens of drones overnight, just a day after Russia launched its most intense drone attack on Kyiv since the beginning of its full-scale war in 2022, according to Ukrainian officials.

Russian air defences brought down at least 24 drones over the Moscow region  which surrounds but does not include the capital  and three other provinces to the south and west, the Russian Defence Ministry and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported in a series of Telegram updates. Neither referenced any casualties.

Andrei Vorobyev, governor of the Moscow region, wrote on Telegram that the drone strikes damaged three unspecified buildings there, adding that no one was hurt.

Russian Telegram channels reported that one drone crashed into a 12-story apartment block in the western Russian city of Tula, about 180 kilometers (113 miles) south of Moscow, injuring one resident and frightening others.

Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports also briefly shut down because of the drone attack, according to Russia's state-run news agency Tass. Both appeared to have resumed normal operation by 6 a.m. local time, according to data from international flight tracking portals.

As of late morning on Sunday, Ukrainian officials did not acknowledge or comment on the strikes, which came a day after Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital with over 60 Iranian-made Shahed drones. At least five civilians were wounded in the hourslong assault, which saw several buildings damaged by falling debris from downed drones, including a kindergarten. The wounded included an 11-year-old child, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

The attack was the most massive air attack by drones on Kyiv" in the war so far, Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv city administration, said on Saturday.

Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat confirmed later that same day that air defenses shot down 66 air targets over the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region throughout the morning.

The attack on Kyiv was carried out on the morning of Holodomor Memorial Day, which commemorates the manmade famine in Soviet Ukraine that killed millions of Ukrainians from 1932 to 1933. It is marked on the fourth Saturday in November. (AP) PY

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Seoul, Nov 26 (AP) Meeting for the first time in about four years, the top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China agreed Sunday to revive cooperation among the Asian neighbours and resume their leaders' trilateral summit  but without a specific timing.

Closely linked economically and culturally with one another, the three countries together account for about 25 per cent of the global gross domestic product. But efforts to boost cooperation have often hit a snag because of a mix of issues including historical disputes stemming from Japan's wartime aggression and the strategic competition between China and the United States.

We three ministers agreed to restore and normalize three-nation cooperation at an early date, South Korean Foreign Minister told reporters after his meeting with Japan's Yoko Kamikawa and China's Wang Yi in Busan, South Korea.

Park said the three ministers affirmed an earlier agreement by lower-level officials to restart the summit at the earliest mutually convenient time" and agreed to expedite preparations for the meeting. Kamikawa separately said the ministers agreed to speed up their work to achieve the summit at an early and appropriate timing.

The three ministers also agreed to push for diverse cooperation projects in areas such as people-to-people exchange, trade, technology, public health, sustainable development and security, according to South Korean and Japanese statements.

The lack of an agreement on the timing for the trilateral summit would suggest the top-level gathering won't likely happen this year as South Korea, the chair of the next summit, had hoped, observers say. Still, Kamikawa said, "I believe it is an important step toward achieving an upcoming Japan-China-South Korea summit.

Since they held their first stand-alone, trilateral summit in 2008, the leaders of the three countries had been supposed to meet annually. Instead, the summit has been suspended or stalled since 2019. The meeting Sunday was also the first of since 2019.

South Korea and Japan are key US military allies, hosting a total of 80,000 American troops on their territories. Their recent push to beef up a trilateral security cooperation with the United States has angered China, which is extremely sensitive to any moves it perceives as seeking to contain its rise to dominance in Asia.

But some observers say that the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden struck a conciliatory tone in their first face-to-face meeting in a year earlier this month would provide Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing with diplomatic rooms to maneuver to find ways to revive three-way cooperation.

After her meeting with Wang on Saturday, Kamikawa said she renewed Japan's demand that China remove its ban on seafood imports from Japan in response to Tokyo's discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from its tsunami-hit nuclear power plant.

Wang, for his part, said China opposed Japan's irresponsible action of releasing the wastewater and called for an independent monitoring mechanism of the process, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Ties between South Korea and Japan deteriorated severely in past years due to issues originating from Japan's 1910-45 colonisation of the Korean Peninsula. But their relations have warmed significantly in recent months as the two countries took a series of major steps to move beyond history wrangling and boost cooperation in the face of North Korea's advancing nuclear program and other shared challenges.

In a reminder of their difficult relations, however, a Seoul court earlier this week ordered Japan to financially compensate Koreans forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during the colonial period.

During her meeting with Park earlier Sunday, Kamikawa called the court verdict extremely regrettable" and urged South Korea to take appropriate steps to remedy the breaches of international law, according to Japan's Consulate in Busan.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the ministers discussed the court ruling as well as ways to work together to reinvigorate three-way cooperation with China. The ministry also said that both strongly condemned the North's spy satellite launch last week.

Park also asked Wang for China to play a constructive role in persuading North Korea to halt provocations and take steps toward denuclearisation, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry.

Wang described China as a stabilising force in the region that has always played and will continue to play a constructive role in easing the situation on the peninsula," according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. It said Wang called for stronger trade and economic ties between the two countries and criticized the tendency to politicise economic issues.

North Korea's growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles poses a major security threat to South Korea and Japan. But China, North Korea's last major ally and biggest source of aid, is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea and shipping covert assistance to the North to help its impoverished neighbour stay afloat and continue to serve as a bulwark against US influences on the Korean Peninsula. (AP)



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Dubai, Nov 26 (AP) An oil tanker linked to Israel has been seized off the coast of Aden, Yemen, by an unknown force, a private security firm said Sunday.

The Central Park, managed and owned by Zodiac Maritime, was seized in the Gulf of Aden, private intelligence firm Ambrey said.

It wasn't immediately clear who was behind the attack. Aden is held by forces allied to Yemen's internationally recognised government and a Saudi-led coalition that has battled Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for years.

The US Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Mideast, did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. Ambrey said that it appeared that US naval forces are engaged in the situation and have asked vessels to stay clear of the area.

The Central Park seizure comes after a container ship, CMA CGM Symi, owned by an Israeli billionaire came under attack Friday by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean as Israel wages war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, an American defense official said Saturday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he is not allowed to discuss intelligence matters.

The attacks come as global shipping increasingly finds itself targeted in the weekslong war that threatens to become a wider regional conflict  even as a truce has halted fighting and Hamas exchanges hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

In the Israel-Hamas war, which began with the militants' Oct 7 attack, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship in the Red Sea off Yemen. (AP) SCY

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Kyiv, Nov 26 (AP) Ukraine overnight tried to attack Moscow with dozens of drones, Russian authorities said Sunday, just a day after Ukrainian officials reported that Russia had launched its most intense drone attack on Kyiv since the beginning of its full-scale war in 2022.

Russian air defences brought down at least 24 drones over the Moscow region  which surrounds but does not include the capital  and four other provinces to the south and west, the Russian Defence Ministry and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported in a series of Telegram updates. Neither referenced any casualties.

Andrei Vorobyev, governor of the Moscow region, wrote on Telegram that the drone strikes damaged three unspecified buildings there, adding that no one was hurt.

One drone crashed into a 12-story apartment block in the western Russian city of Tula, about 180 km (113 miles) south of Moscow, lightly wounding one resident and causing limited damage, local Gov Aleksei Dyumin wrote on Telegram on Sunday morning.

Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports also briefly shut down because of the drone attack, according to Russia's state-run news agency Tass. Both appeared to have resumed normal operation by 6 am local time, according to data from international flight tracking portals.

Russian Telegram channels speculated that Ukrainian forces had deployed a previously unseen type of drone in the purported strike, pointing out some similarities to the Iranian-made weapons Moscow routinely employs in its attacks on Ukraine.

The Russian capital has come under attack from drones regularly since May, with Russian officials blaming Ukraine. Military analysts commented at the time that the early attacks deployed Ukrainian locally made drones which could not carry as heavy a payload as the Iranian-made Shaheds used by Russia.

As of late morning Sunday, Ukrainian officials did not acknowledge or comment on the strikes, which came a day after Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital with over 60 Shahed drones.

At least five civilians were wounded in the hourslong assault, which saw several buildings damaged by falling debris from downed drones, including a kindergarten. The wounded included an 11-year-old child, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

The Ukrainian air force early on Sunday said it had brought down eight of nine Shahed drones fired overnight by Russian forces.

Also on Sunday morning, the Russian Defence Ministry reported that two Soviet-made S-200 rockets fired by Kyiv were shot down over the sea of Azov, which stretches between Crimea and Ukraine's Russian-occupied southeastern coast.

According to local news sources, air raid sirens sounded earlier in Russian-annexed Crimea, which on Friday came under what Russian officials called a major drone attack. Road traffic was also briefly halted on Sunday morning across the 19-km (12-mile) bridge that connects Crimea to the Russian mainland.

There were no reports of casualties, and no comment from officials in Kyiv.

Elsewhere, parts of Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine were left without power following a nighttime Ukrainian strike on a thermal power plant in the Donetsk region, a Moscow-installed local official reported on Telegram Sunday.

According to Denis Pushilin, who heads the province Russia illegally annexed last year, the attack on the Starobesheve plant took out the electricity in parts of the occupied cities of Donetsk and Mariupol, along with other nearby areas.

On the outskirts of Donetsk, Russian troops have continued their attempts to advance near Avdiivka, the eastern town that has been a Ukrainian stronghold and fighting hotspot since the early days of the war, according to reports by the Ukrainian General Staff and analysis by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

The Ukrainian General Staff on Sunday morning said Kyiv's forces over the previous 24 hours beat back Russian assaults to the northeast, west and southwest of Avdiivka, as Moscow's troops strain to encircle the city.

Several Russian bloggers also made unconfirmed claims that Ukrainian forces had begun withdrawing from the industrial zone on Avdiivka's southern flank, although others said that Russian troops lacked complete control of the area. These claims could not be independently verified.

Russian shelling killed two civilians in the Donetsk region on Saturday and overnight, acting Ukrainian Gov Ihor Moroz reported on Telegram on Sunday morning. Over that same period, Russian shells wounded one person in Ukraine's northern Sumy province, which borders Russia, according to a Telegram update by the Ukrainian regional military command. (AP) SCY

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Freetown (Sierra Leone), Nov 26 (AP) Several gunmen attacked major detention centres in the Sierra Leonean capital city on Sunday and freed or abducted inmates, moments after targeting the country's main military barracks, a government spokesman said.

The detention centres, including the Pademba Road Prisons - holding more than 2,000 inmates - were attacked just as security forces fought to restore calm during sustained shootouts at the military barracks, according to Information Minister Chernor Bah.

The prisons were overrun (and) some prisoners were abducted by the assailants while many others were released, Bah said. Security forces managed to push back the assailants to the outskirts of the city where fighting continues, he added.

Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio earlier declared a nationwide curfew in response to the attacks. (AP) SCY

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Jerusalem, Nov 26 (PTI) In clear signs of Israeli control over parts of Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with his senior colleagues, entered the Islamist Hamas-ruled coastal Strip on Sunday to meet Israeli soldiers to boost their morale and vowed to carry on the fight "until the end".

Netanyahu received security briefings from commanders and soldiers and visited one of the tunnels that has been revealed, an official press statement said.

"We are here in the Gaza Strip with our heroic soldiers. We are making every effort to return our hostages, and in the end we will return them all. We have three goals in this war: eliminate Hamas, return all of our hostages and ensure that Gaza will not go back to being a threat to the State of Israel," Netanyahu told the soldiers on the ground.

"I am here to tell the soldiers, who all tell me the same thing, and I repeat it to you, citizens of Israel: We are continuing until the end  until victory. Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the force, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all of our goals for the war, and this is what we will do," he asserted.

The Israeli prime minister was accompanied by his Chief of Staff, Tzachi Braverman, National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi, his Military Secretary Maj-Gen Avi Gil, and Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Deputy Chief-of-Staff Maj-Gen Amir Baram.

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and other senior Israeli officials have visited the northern part of the Strip during the ongoing war in a clear indication that Israel now has control over the ground in a big chunk of the territory.

Israel and Hamas are at the moment exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners in a temporary four-day "pause" mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States which will also see humanitarian aid, including fuel, entering into the Gaza Strip.

The four-day ceasefire, when 50 Israeli hostages are likely to be released against 150 Palestinian prisoners, may get extended with Israel agreeing to one-day of extension for every 10 hostages being released.
BIGFORK, Mont.  After 17 years in the U.S. Senate, Democrat Jon Tester is a well-known commodity in Montana  a plain-spoken grain farmer with a flattop and a carefully cultivated reputation as a moderate.

The 67-year-old lawmaker smiled and laughed his way through the crowd at a Veterans Day event in Bigfork, a small town on Flathead Lake where the population has surged in recent years. He chatted with veterans who supported him and some who didnt, then stood behind a lectern in the Bigfork High School gymnasium to promote his biggest recent accomplishment: expanded federal health care for millions of veterans exposed to toxic smoke at military burn pits."

Tester has survived three close elections and a changed national political landscape to emerge as the lone Democrat still holding high office in Montana. The 2024 election brings possibly his stiffest challenge yet: Republicans, just two seats short of Senate control, are expected to spend tens of millions on attack ads painting him as a Washington insider tainted by lobbyist cash.

Ousting Tester also would cement a Republican lock on a state that voted overwhelmingly for Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Tester entered the Senate after selling Montana voters on his authenticity, and the former high school band teacher's message hasnt changed much. He still mingles comfortably with union members, ranchers and veterans, has a record of working on their behalf, and says his heart remains firmly in his sparsely populated state, a vast expanse that spans from the arid Great Plains to the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest.

Still, authenticity is harder to sell when youve become a top Washington fundraiser. He's taken in almost $20 million for next year's election, ranking Tester sixth among Senate candidates nationwide, according to Federal Election Commission data through September. Tester insisted that the money hasnt changed him, that he doesnt even know where it all comes from.

I cant tell you whos donating to me. Even from within the state of Montana, I cant tell you who donates to me because I dont look at that list, he said in an interview. Its not important. I trust that those people believe in me and Im going to continue to do the same job.

His campaign reports reveal abundant lobbyist cash, the kind that rarely comes from people who don't want something, and yet the lawmaker's journey from outsider to fundraising behemoth has largely been one of necessity. With West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin's decision against seeking another term, Tester has become a top target for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his massive fundraising operation.

McConnell's aspirations to again be majority leader could get bogged down if a primary fight develops between his anointed candidate in Montana, U.S. Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, one of the far-right House members who ousted fellow Republican Kevin McCarthy of California as House speaker. Dozens of state lawmakers have encouraged Rosendale to enter. He ran against Tester in 2018 and lost despite a huge push from then-President Trump.

Republican unity next November would narrow Tester's path to victory, especially if he's branded as a Washington insider. As hes gained seniority and influence  and as election spending nationwide has exploded  the flood of campaign cash that's flowed toward Tester has left him vulnerable to attack.

The potency of the authenticity issue even within his own party was on display during a recent town hall hosted by Tester in the Democratic stronghold of Butte, where a group of activists pressed him repeatedly to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. The lawmaker, who heads the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense, rebuffed their pleas, saying Israel had a right to defend itself against the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

That rankled Noah Sohl of Missoula, who said he twice voted for Tester and supported the Democrats last reelection by making phone calls and registering voters. The nursing student drew a straight line between donations to Testers campaign by defense industry lobbyists and Tester's opposition to a cease-fire.

After becoming the panel's chairman in 2021, Tester received more than $160,000 in contributions from employees and committees representing the defense industry. The donations came at a crucial juncture for both the defense budget and Lockheed Martin, which benefited from $1.8 billion for the F-35 fighter jet that Testers subcommittee pushed as part of a military spending package.

Sohl pledged not to help Tester this election if he won't change his stance on a cease-fire. Sohl acknowledged that could benefit Republicans.

Theyre all licking their chops over the fact that among his (Testers) constituents, theres a rising group that dont agree with him, Sohl said. His big thing is, Im not like those Republicans. Im a true Montanan just going to Washington to fight for the people who voted for me. But it seems like he lost his footing.

Tester dismissed any notion that campaign donations sway his vote or that hes fundamentally changed since 2006. He also brushed off the increased pressure on him since Manchins departure.

Tester invited anyone who think he's changed to come out and pick rock at the farm near the small town of Big Sandy that he runs with his wife, Sharla. He said hes still cognizant that in Montana, every connection with voters is vital.

To his way of thinking, that makes authenticity the kind of thing money can't buy.

This is an eyeball-to-eyeball state, he said.

The 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in 2024 1. West Virginia 2. Montana 3. Ohio 4. Pennsylvania 5. Arizona 6. Nevada 7. Wisconsin 8. Michigan 9. Texas 10. Florida Analysis: Pennsylvania moves up list of contested Senate seats in 2024
New Delhi, Nov 25 (PTI) Municipal authorities in Delhi have identified people whose property tax due amount has crossed Rs 25 lakh and will soon launch prosecution against such "tax evaders", officials said on Saturday.

In a statement, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) also appealed to all property owners whose data is not available on its website, to get their UPIC (Unique Property Identification Code) ID through the portal.

The last date to get the UPIC ID is December 31, it said.

The MCD is fully committed to providing better civic amenities to citizens. Working in this direction, its assessment and collection department after analysing data related to due property tax has identified owners whose property tax due amount stands worth over Rs 25 lakh, the statement said.

According to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, the onus to file self-assessment property tax returns lies solely with property owners, it said.

The MCD will soon take legal action against property tax defaulters and will file prosecution against them, it added.

According to the act, in case the property tax due amount crosses Rs 25 lakh, it may result in punishment of rigorous imprisonment from three months to seven years, with a fine of not less than 50 per cent of the amount of tax evaded, the statement said.

The Property Tax Department of the MCD has uploaded details related to property tax on its website. The uploaded data doesn't contain any personal information, it said.

The data contains property tax details of authorised, unauthorised regularised, unauthorised colonies and residential properties above 100 sqm in rural villages, officials said.

The assessment and collection department has appealed to citizens that if any anomaly exists for any property than they should get it corrected from the zonal office, they said. The MCD has also appealed to citizens to check data on the MCD website.

In case, correction related to property tax due is not submitted, action in accordance with the municipal act will be taken, the statement said.

"The MCD after matching its property tax database with a third party's data like property registration, electricity bills, GST registration, and licensing registration has prepared databases of properties which are not paying property tax," the statement said.

The MCD appeals to all such property owners to get their UPIC ID, otherwise, they will also have to face prosecution through courts, it added.
Mumbai, Nov 26 (PTI) Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday paid floral tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives while fighting terrorists who had attacked the metropolis on this day 15 years ago.

They paid tributes at the martyrs' memorial in the premises of the Police Commissioner Office in south Mumbai, where senior police officials were also present.

Family members of the policemen, who lost their lives during the November 2008 attacks, also paid tributes to the martyrs.
Kolkata, Nov 26 (PTI) Amid speculations about the fate of the proposed Tajpur port, senior West Bengal minister Sashi Panja on Sunday said the project is very much on track and talks are underway with the Adani group on the matter.

To a question about the opposition BJP's claim that the project has become uncertain as the Adani group has pulled out of it, the state Minister for Industries, Commerce and Enterprises alleged that the opposition was making "false claims" without knowing anything about it.

"The project is very much on the cards and talks are on with the party concerned, i.e. Adani group," she said.

When asked whether there has been any breakdown in talks with the Adani group, which had been initially named as a potential investor for the project, Panja said, "There has not been any such development."

Permission has been sought from the Centre for the construction of the port and the Union government has asked for some clarifications, she said.

Speculation was abuzz after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at the Bengal Global Business Summit on Tuesday that a tender will be launched for the development of the Tajpur deep sea port.

"The proposed deep sea port at Tajpur is ready for tenders. You can participate in the process..." Banerjee had told the delegates at BGBS, triggering speculations that Adani was no longer part of the project.
Aizawl, Nov 26 (PTI) Churches in Mizoram held prayers to seek divine intervention to change the date of counting of votes for state assembly polls held on November 7, a church leader said on Sunday.

On Saturday, Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC), a conglomerate of 15 major churches, had urged churches to organise prayers during church service on Saturday night or Sunday to seek help from God so that counting is not held on Sunday, which is a sacred day for the majority of Christians in the state, the leader said.

He said that prayers were held by some churches on Saturday night, while others on Sunday.

In its letter to churches, the MKHC had expressed disappointment over no sign of progress in the efforts to reschedule the date of counting of votes.

Citing that leaders of the NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC) will meet the Election Commission on November 28, the MKHC urged church members to hold prayers to ensure that the efforts of the leaders bear fruit.

Mizoram Presbyterian Church, the largest denomination in the state, also separately urged its members to hold prayers to ensure that the date of counting is changed.

Meanwhile, a five-member delegation of NGOCC, currently camping in Delhi, will meet Chief Election Commissioner and other officials of the Election Commission on Tuesday to re-appeal and press its demand for a change of date for counting of votes.

The committee general secretary Malsawmliana said that the delegation visited the ECI office on Friday seeking an appointment.

He said that the Election Commission allowed them to meet the chief election commissioner and other officials on Tuesday at 3 pm.

The ECI had fixed December 3 as the day for counting of votes for five states - Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana.

However, political parties, civil society organisations, churches and a church-sponsored poll watchdog in Mizoram had opposed it and sent numerous pleas to the Election Commission urging it to reschedule the counting date because it falls on Sunday, a sacred day for Christians in the Christian-majority state.

Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly was held peacefully on November 7.
New Delhi, Nov 26 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday suggested the creation of an all-India judicial service which can select brilliant youngsters and nurture their talents from lower levels to higher levels in judiciary.

Addressing the Constitution Day celebrations organised by the Supreme Court of India here, she said that the place of the judiciary in the constitutional framework remains "rather unique" and a "more varied representation of Indias unique diversity on bench and bar definitely helps serve the cause of justice better".

Murmu said one way to hasten this diversification process can be the creation of a system in which judges can be recruited from varied backgrounds through a process which is merit based, competitive and transparent.

"There can be an all-India judicial service which can select brilliant youngsters and nurture and promote their talents from lower levels to higher levels," she said.

Those who aspire to serve the bench can be selected from across the country to create a larger pool of talent, the president said.

"Such a system can offer opportunities to the less-represented social groups too. I leave it to your wisdom to devise any effective mechanism that you deem fit to achieve this objective of strengthening the justice delivery system," Murmu said addressing the event. Chief Justice of India Justice D Y Chandrachud, other judges of the apex court and high courts also attended the event.

November 26 is observed as Constitution Day to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India by the Constituent Assembly in 1949.
Chandigarh, Nov 25 (PTI) An officer of the Superintendent of Police (SP) rank in Punjab has been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state in January last year.

The officer, Gurbinder Singh, was at the time of the incident posted as the Superintendent of Police (Operations) and was on duty in Ferozepur.

Singh, currently posted as an SP in Bathinda district, has been suspended with immediate effect, according to an order issued by the Punjab Home Department on Wednesday.

On January 5, 2022, Modi's convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur after which he returned from Punjab without attending any of the events, including a rally. The security breach ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections had led to a major political controversy.

According to the suspension order, a report dated October 18, 2023, on the incident was submitted by the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) in which the state police chief said that Singh did not perform his duty properly.

After consideration of the matter at the level of the competent authority, the officer concerned is suspended with immediate effect, said the order issued in Punjabi.

A Supreme Court-appointed committee that probed the security breach had earlier indicted several state officers for lapses.

The top court had on January 12 last year appointed the committee to probe the breach, saying these questions cannot be left to "one-sided inquiries" as they needed "judicially trained independent minds" to investigate.
Lucknow, Nov 26 (PTI) Seeking to further connect with the Dalit community ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress has decided to extend its ongoing Dalit outreach programme in Uttar Pradesh till December end.

The 'Dalit Gaurav Samvad' which started on October 9 --- the death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshiram --- was earlier scheduled to end on Sunday to coincide with Constitution Day.

"In view of the positive response received during the Samvad, we have decided to extend it further, so that we could reach out to every Dalit household in the state. This Samvad will continue till December end," Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai told PTI.

Addressing a Samvad in Sarojininagar assembly constituency here on Saturday, Rai had charged that, "Dalits are being targeted and killed under the BJP government in the state. The BJP government is saving criminals. The (BJP) government stood with criminals in the atrocities committed on Dalits in various districts, including Hathras, Umbha (Sonbhadra), Lakhimpur Kheri, Azamgarh, Prayagraj, Kaushambi and Bahraich."

Rai claimed there is no district in Uttar Pradesh where Dalits are feeling safe under the BJP government.

"An attempt is being made to create an atmosphere of fear, we are fighting against it. This dialogue is a fight for the honour, self-respect and rights of Dalits, and we will continue this further. We will not allow the anti-Dalit mentality of BJP and RSS to succeed in Uttar Pradesh," Rai said.

Elaborating further on the Samvad, organisation secretary of UP Congress Anil Yadav, told PTI, "Under the Samvad, the party plans to reach out to one lakh influential Dalit persons, be it teachers, lawyers, village pradhans or others. And they had to fill up a 'Dalit adhikaar maang patra'. So far, more than 86,000 people have filled up that form. The Samvad has evoked a positive response from the people, and we are now extending it."

"Initially, we had thought of holding Dalit 'chaupals' (meetings) in 10 villages under each of the 403 assembly constituencies in the state. Seeing their response, we have now decided to increase the number of villages to 20. Now, chaupals are being held, and more than 8,000 villages in the state will be covered through this," Yadav said, and added this is also one of the reasons of extending the Samvad.

Yadav also said that the party has also set a target to form a core group of 50 people from the Dalit community in each of the Lok Sabha seats in the state, and this will help the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Dalits constitute 21 per cent of the state's population, he said.

Senior Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh and former Lok Sabha MP from Barabanki (SC), PL Punia, told PTI, "People (Dalits), now do not have any attachment with (BSP chief) Mayawati, and they are now searching for an alternative."

"The Congress had undertaken a number of measures for Dalits. This includes abolition of zamindari, land ceiling legislation, and distribution of land of gram sabha and nazul land to Dalits (which was started during the Emergency under the 20-point programme). I was posted as the Collector of Jalaun district (in UP), and I had done it. What has the BJP done? Or what has been done by Mayawati? Did they start any new schemes for the welfare of the Dalits," Punia said.

Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi, who is also associated with the Samvad, said, "Dalit Gaurav Samvad has received immense public support from the Dalit community across the state. The reason for this is that under the BJP government, Dalits were subjected to severe atrocities and every time the government was seen protecting the criminals while protecting them."

He added that 8,000 villages, which have been identified for holding Dalit chaupals, are those where the population of the Dalits is above 35 per cent.

District unit president of Congress from Amethi, Pradeep Singhal said the Samvad has evoked positive response from the people.

Lone BSP MLA in UP Legislative Assembly Uma Shankar Singh told PTI, "The Dalit community knows and has seen the Congress ruling the country for a long time. They are also seeing the atrocities committed on Dalit in Congress-ruled states. This is an allurement ('pralobhan') ahead of the Lok Sabha polls."

"The Dalits are not going to leave 'behenji' (Mayawati). The respect which the Dalits have got in the country is due to 'behenji', and not because of the Congress," Singh asserted.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress could only win the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh, which was won by Sonia Gandhi, while the BSP (in alliance with the SP and RLD) had won 10 seats.
Maharajganj (UP), Nov 26 (PTI) Two Iranian nationals were arrested here while trying to cross over to Nepal using fake documents, a senior immigration official said on Sunday.

Solat Karmalou (22) and Rashid Samadidoukanlu (40), travelling from India to Nepal, were arrested by the Immigration Department in the Sonauli area of the India-Nepal border last night as their visas and passports had expired, Sonauli checkpost Immigration Officer Naresh Tyagi said.

Two illegal visas allegedly bearing forged stamps were recovered from both Iranian nationals, officials said.

A case has been registered against them under sections 419 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code and under section 14 of The Foreigners Act, they said.

The Intelligence Bureau has been informed about the matter and they are being questioned, an official of the local intelligence unit said.

Sonauli in Maharajganj district is located on the India-Nepal border and is a common transit point between the two countries.
Hyderabad, Nov 26 (PTI) BJP National President J P Nadda on Sunday said the people of Telangana have firm belief in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that they will vote out the "corrupt" BRS government.





Nadda participated in a campaign in Hyderabad for the November 30 Telangana legislative assembly polls.





"The energetic atmosphere in Kukatpally says that Telangana has decided to vote out corruption and dynastic politics," he said on social media platform X.



"The people of Telangana have a firm belief that it is only under the leadership of Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi Ji that their welfare, especially that of women, youth, and farmers, is possible," he said.





BJP and its NDA ally Jana Sena Party are steadfast in their resolve to give Telangana a better future, he said.





Jana Sena founder and actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan also attended an election meeting with Nadda.
Bareilly, Nov 26 (PTI) A school teacher and his cousin were killed allegedly when their motorcycle was hit by an unidentified vehicle here, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place on Saturday night near the Madhopur railway crossing in Fatehganj area, they said.

Sandeep (29), a teacher at Lalpur Primary School of Shahi, died on the spot while his brother Pritam (20) succumbed to injuries in the hospital on Sunday, police said.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Mukesh Chandra Mishra said that the driver of the vehicle fled the spot after the accident.

The CCTV camera footage of the area is being scanned to identify the erring vehicle and arrest the driver, police said.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Cloudy skies with a few showers this afternoon. High 52F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain ending overnight. Low 43F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.




Russia on Saturday morning launched its most intense drone attack on Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion in 2022, targeting the Ukrainian capital, military officials said.

In total, Russia launched 75 Iranian-made Shahed drones against Ukraine, of which 74 were destroyed by air defenses, Ukraines air force said.

Kyiv was the main target, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his Telegram channel.

The attack was the most massive air attack by drones on Kyiv, said Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv city administration. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat confirmed later that the air defenses shot down 66 air targets over the capital and surrounding region throughout the morning.

At least five civilians were wounded in the hourslong assault, which saw several buildings damaged by falling debris from downed drones, including a kindergarten. The wounded included an 11-year-old child, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

In the citys Solomiansky district, debris left a crater in the courtyard of a residential area, and the windows of a nearby building were blown out. Residents, most of them elderly, received medical attention at the scene. Others took shelter in a nearby subway station. As people were clearing up debris and broken glass in the neighborhood, the hum of a fresh wave of drones could be heard nearby.

The assault on Kyiv began at 4 a.m., local time, continuing in waves for more than six hours, and caused power outages in 77 residential buildings and 120 institutions, according to Popko. Ukraines Energy Ministry said 17,000 people were without power in the Kyiv region as a result of the attack, noting that four power lines were damaged. Power was restored in the early afternoon.

Our soldiers shot down most of the drones. Unfortunately, not all, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. But we continue to work to strengthen our air defense and shoot down more.

The attack was carried out on the morning of Holodomor Memorial Day, which commemorates the manmade famine in Soviet Ukraine that killed millions of Ukrainians from 1932 to 1933. It is marked on the fourth Saturday in November.

Speaking at the Grain from Ukraine summit on Saturday, which saw leaders and parliamentary representatives from Belgium, Ireland, Finland, the Czech Republic, Poland and Estonia meet with Zelenskyy in Kyiv to discuss global food security, the Ukrainian President warned that if (Russian President Vladimir) Putin could arrange another Holodomor for Ukraine, he would do it.

Besides Kyiv, the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Kirovohrad regions were also targeted.

Meanwhile, shelling killed one person and wounded three in the southern Kherson region, regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said Saturday. According to Prokudin, the region had been shelled 100 times over the previous 24 hours.

(AP)




Honda is recalling select 2023-2024 Accord and HR-V vehicles due to a missing piece in the front seat belt pretensioners, which could increase injury risks during a crash.

According to notices published by Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration earlier this week, the pretensioners  which tighten seat belts in place upon impact  may be missing the rivet that secures the quick connector and wire plate. This means that passengers may not be properly restrained in a crash, regulators said.

The NHTSA credited the issue to an error made during assembly. More than 300,000 Accords and HR-Vs are potentially affected.

As of Nov. 16, Honda had received seven warranty claims, but no reports of injuries or deaths related to the faulty pretensioners, according to documents published by the NHTSA.

For consumers impacted by this recall, dealers will inspect all cars and potentially replace the seat belt pretensioner assembly at no cost. Those who have already paid for these repairs at their own expense may also be eligible for reimbursement.

Honda estimates that less than 1% of the potentially affected vehicles will require a replacement. The vast majority are expected to be satisfied by an inspection alone, a Honda spokesperson told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Notification letters will be sent via mail to registered owners of the affected vehicles starting Jan. 8, 2024. Replacement parts should be available to dealers by the end of the month, the spokesperson said, but consumers can go to an authorized Honda dealer for the inspection now.

For more information about the recall, consumers can visit the NHTSA website and Hondas and online recall pages.

(AP)




It wasnt all work and no play for President Joe Biden on Friday on this picturesque Massachusetts island.

He spent much of the day in multiple briefings with national security aides, who were updating him as the first phase of hostages were released in Gaza earlier Friday. Biden then delivered brief remarks on the hostage deal, saying it is only a start, but so far, its gone well.

But then the president joined in the traditional Biden day-after-Thanksgiving festivities  lunch with his family, perusing local shops and mingling with the Nantucket crowd as the town Christmas tree is lit.

Because of the remarks on hostages, the traditional family lunch happened later than usual. But like always, it was at Brotherhood of Thieves, a cozy bar and grill that advertises itself as an 1840s whaling bar.

Then the presidents shopping outing began.

His first stop was just a couple doors down from the restaurant at Nantucket Books, where first lady Jill Biden and daughter Ashley were already browsing.

Cant come without going to the bookstore, the president said as he ducked inside. Weve got a tradition.

He left about 20 minutes later, carrying a copy of Democracy Awakening by the historian Heather Cox Richardson, who interviewed Biden at the White House last year.

Biden then stopped at Craftmasters of Nantucket, followed by a quick stop into the Jewelers Gallery. He was greeted throughout his walk by cheering crowds, shouts of happy birthday (the president celebrated his 81st birthday on Monday) and people waving and taking photos of the first family.

Finally, the Bidens ended up at Nantuckets annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, clapping as the town crier led the countdown and the tree was illuminated with colored lights.

Bidens outing was interrupted twice by pro-Palestine protesters, once earlier Friday as he walked to lunch and then again by a handful of demonstrators at the tree ceremony who had wiggled their way to the front of the crowd. Leaning against metal barricades and waving banners that said Free Palestine, the protesters chanted: Biden, Biden, you cant hide. We charge you with genocide!

It was unclear whether the president  who was greeting members of the childrens choir  heard them. A local official urged the protesters to stop, noting that the community event was not a political one.

Visiting Nantucket for Thanksgiving is a decades-long tradition for the Biden family.

Joe and Jill first came here for the holiday with young sons, Beau and Hunter, in the mid-1970s. As theyve done in past years, the Bidens are staying at an expansive compound owned by billionaire businessman and philanthropist David Rubenstein, according to the White House.

(AP)




The two people killed when their luxury car crashed into a border checkpoint in Niagara Falls and exploded in a fiery wreck were identified Friday as a western New York husband and wife whose family owns a lumber business and several hardware stores in the Buffalo area.

The investigation into what caused the 2022 Bentley Flying Spur to race through an intersection, hit a low median and become airborne Wednesday continued, with investigators looking at whether medical or mechanical issues may have contributed, Niagara Falls Police Chief John Faso told local media.

The car slammed into a row of security booths at the Rainbow Bridge and burst into flames.

Police identified the couple as Kurt P. Villani and Monica Villani, both 53, of Grand Island, a suburb on the Niagara River between Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

Online business records and the company website indicate the victims family owns Guis Lumber and seven Ace Hardware locations in western New York, his family operating the business since the mid-1980s.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all that extended prayers, condolences and well wishes, the families and the lumber company said in a joint statement released by the Erie County Sheriffs Office on Friday. At this point, we are requesting privacy so we may begin the process of healing.

The wreck prompted widespread concern on both sides of the border, as video and images of what appeared to be the aftermath of an explosion began to circulate online and officials closed the bridge and three other nearby crossings. Authorities investigated for several hours before the FBIs Buffalo office said it found no signs of a terror attack and turned the case over to local police as a traffic investigation.

The president of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce said Friday that the couples support for their community was well known.

They gave from their heart, so they didnt make a big deal about it, Eric Fiebelkorn said.

Mike Billoni was with Niagara Frontier Publications in 2014 when he photographed Kurt P. Villani and his son, Kurt Jr., as they dropped off a load of turkeys for a local food drive.

The Villanis were carrying on an annual tradition of donating 250 turkeys begun six years earlier by the older Villanis parents, Kurt and Gail Villani, Billoni wrote in a news story at the time.

It was such a wonderful gesture to see the philanthropy of the father passed on to the son, who then passed it down to his son, Billoni recalled Friday. It was unclear whether the tradition continued.

The eldest Villani died last year, leaving a void in the close-knit business community that has now grown with the loss of the son, Fiebelkorn said.

The Niagara Falls Police Department has said the crash investigation will take time given the complexity.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has described it as surreal and said the vehicle was basically incinerated with nothing left but the engine and a scattering of charred debris.

You actually had to look at it and say, was this generated by AI? Hochul, a Democrat, said at a news conference Wednesday. Because it was so surreal to see. How high in the air this vehicle went, and then the crash, and the explosion, and the fire.

About 6,000 vehicles cross the Rainbow Bridge each day, according to the U.S. Federal Highway Administrations National Bridge Inventory. The short, steel bridge offers scenic views of Niagara Falls.

(AP)




The baal tefillah at the Caulfield Bais Medrash in Melbourne, Australia, on Motzei Shabbos strode up to the amud with vim and vigor, his energy giving onlookers no impression that he is well over 100 years old. R Berish Aurbach ybl was there to daven for the amud on his mothers 103rd yahrtzeit, and nothing was going to stop him.

R Berish lost his mother, Rivka Aurbach (nee Blass), in Biala, Poland in 1920 when he was just a few months old. She had been stricken with typhus and never recovered.

Berish comes from a chasidic family which had lived in the Polish town of Biala Podlaska for hundreds of years, which is known for its connection to the Gerrer chasidus.

Berish had three older brothers and a sister, as well as a half-brother from his fathers second marriage. His family life was comfortable, and to this day he can recall the Torah that he learned as a youth in his local Polish Talmud Torah.

He was one of the last people to be smuggled out of the Warsaw Ghetto just prior to Pesach 1943, shortly before the uprising which led to the extermination of its inhabitants at the hands of the Nazis. Aside from his sister who had immigrated to Palestine before the war, all of Berishs family members were killed in the Holocaust.

Realizing he had nobody left in Poland, Berish contacted an uncle who lived in Australia, who sponsored his visa, allowing him to start a new life on safe shores.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




The 2024 presidential election is drawing an unusually robust field of independent, third party and long shot candidates hoping to capitalize on Americans ambivalence and frustration over a likely rematch between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump.

Those looking to blaze a new path to the White House range from members of Congress to a prominent academic and a scion of one of the countys most prominent political families.

Their odds are exceedingly long.

George Washington was the only person to win the presidency without a party affiliation. An incumbent hasnt lost his partys presidential nomination since Democrats passed over Franklin Pierce in 1856. Abraham Lincolns election in 1860 marked the last time someone from a new party  in his case, the Republican Party  won the White House.

But with the United States deeply divided and somewhat anxious about the prospect of another Biden-Trump campaign, third party candidates insist voters are restless enough to defy history.

This is really fertile ground now for independent politics, Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee in 2012 and 2016, said in an interview. Theres so much hunger for a principled politics, a politics of integrity, and for options outside of the two zombie candidates that are being forced down our throats, and the two zombie political parties.

Little-known candidates with no chance of victory run every year and sometimes piece together enough votes to make a difference in close races, even if they dont win. But the activity this fall has been notable.

Stein, a physician and environmental activist, announced this month that she will make her third bid for the presidency in 2024, reversing course from her earlier decision to remain on the sidelines next year and support Cornel West, a scholar and progressive activist with a loyal following on the left. West announced last month that he no longer was running under the Green Party banner, but as an independent.

Stein said she has felt dissatisfaction with the major parties growing steadily since her first presidential campaign and its off the charts now.

Seventy-five percent of Americans think Biden should not run for president again, and 69% think Trump should not, according to an August poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Both men are underwater with their approval ratings, meaning more Americans view them unfavorably than favorably.

Americans think Biden, 81, is too old and they are divided about criminal charges against Trump, 77, who has been indicted four times and is facing trial next year.

Nearly 80% said Biden is too old to be effective for four more years. About half of Americans approved of the Justice Department indicting Trump over his efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election to Biden.

Conscious of their candidates middling approval ratings, Democrats and Republicans are watching the third-party campaigns with wariness.

Many Democrats blame Stein for Trumps victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Stein won 1.5 million votes as Trump defeated Clinton by the slimmest of margins in a few swing states. Democrats assume that many of voters supporting a progressive environmental activist would likely have chosen Clinton if forced to choose between the major parties.

Stein takes umbrage at the suggestion that votes can be stolen from the major parties.

Meanwhile, a little-known Minnesota congressman is challenging Biden in the Democratic primary. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota says Democrats are sleepwalking into disaster with their march toward renominating an unpopular president who is the oldest person to hold the office.

Im just saying the quiet part out loud, Phillips said in an interview in South Carolina. Everybody else is still staying in line, shushing up, sitting down and doing what you do to make sure you get the money for your next election.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., last month ended his Democratic primary challenge to Biden and is running instead as an independent. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist, has higher approval ratings among Republicans than Democrats despite his deep familial ties to the Democratic Party. Kennedys uncle was the President John F. Kennedy and his father was Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

Kennedy has developed close relationships with far-right figures and has a kinship with some conservatives drawn to his fringe views, including his vocal distrust of COVID-19 vaccines, which studies have shown are safe and effective against severe disease and death.

His anti-vaccine organization, Childrens Health Defense, currently has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.

No Labels, a well-funded group that is laying the groundwork for a possible bipartisan ticket, is working toward ballot access in all 50 states, with more than a dozen already approved. The plan has caused increasing anxiety among Democrats who its support will come primarily from would-be Biden voters, easing Trumps path back to the White House. If the group managed to win one or more states, it could result in no candidate receiving a majority of the Electoral College votes and the election being decided by the House of Representatives.

No Labels has said little about how it will choose a candidate. The party planned to release a selection process in October, but the timeline slipped to November and it appears to be slipping further.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced this month he will not run for reelection next year but will travel the country to consider an independent presidential campaign. At the same time, a new group emerged calling for Manchin and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the GOP presidential nominee in 2012, to run under the No Labels ticket.

The group is raising money for polling to test the viability of a bipartisan ticket with the two retiring senators, starting in Arizona and Michigan, according to Jennifer Franks, chairman of the Draft Romney/Manchin Committee. Romney considered running for president but abandoned the effort after concluding it would help Trump, according to a Romney biography by journalist McKay Coppins published last month.

Manchin said he will seek to invigorate centrists who feel left out of the political system and he will consider running if no one emerges to represent their interests in the presidential campaign. He insists hes not going to be anybodys spoiler.

Im not going out there running, Manchin told reporters in West Virginia this month. Im going out there with the mission to bring Americans together.

(AP)




As he sits in Geneva, Michel Dreifuss does not feel all that far away from the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israels subsequent bombardment of Gaza. The ripples are rolling through Europe and upending assumptions both global and intimate  including those about his personal safety as a Jew.

Yesterday I bought a tear-gas spray canister at a military-equipment surplus store, the 64-year-old retired tech sector worker said recently at a rally to mark a month since the Hamas killings. The choice, he says, is a precaution, driven by a surge of antisemitism in Europe.

Last months slayings of about 1,200 people in Israel by armed Palestinian terrorists represented the biggest killing of Jews since the Holocaust. The fallout from it, and from Israels intense military response in Hamas-controlled Gaza, has extended to Europe. In doing so, it has shaken a continent all too familiar with deadly anti-Jewish hatred for centuries.

The past century is of particular note, of course. Concern about rising antisemitism in Europe is fueled in part by what happened to Jews before and during World War II, and that makes it particularly fearsome for those who may be only one or two generations removed from people who were the victims of riots against Jews and Nazi brutality.

What most chills many Jews interviewed is what they see as the lack of empathy for the Israelis killed during the early morning massacre and for the relatives of the hostages  about 30 of whom are children  suspended in an agonizing limbo.

What really upsets me, said Holocaust survivor Herbert Traube said at a Paris event commemorating the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 government-backed pogroms against Jews in Germany and Austria, is to see that there isnt a massive popular reaction against this.

The list of examples of anti-Jewish sentiment since the Oct. 7 attacks is long and documented by governments and watchdog groups across Europe.

Little more than a month after the attack in Israel, the French Interior Ministry said 1,247 antisemitic incidents had been reported since Oct. 7, nearly three times the total for all of 2022.

Denmarks main Jewish association said cases were up 24 times from the average of the last nine months.

The Community Security Trust, which tracks antisemitic incidents in Britain, reported more than 1,000 such events  the most ever recorded for a 28-day period.

That all comes despite widespread denunciations of anti-Jewish hatred  and support for Israel  from leaders in Europe since the attack.

Some of Europes Jews say they see it on the streets and the news. Jewish schoolchildren face bullying on their way to class, or  in one instance  have been asked to explain Israels actions, according to Britains Community Security Trust. Theres been talk of blending in better: covering yarmulkas in public and perhaps hiding mezuzahs.

In Russia, a riot broke out at an airport in which there were some antisemitic chants and posters from a crowd of men looking for passengers who had arrived from Israel. A Berlin synagogue was firebombed. An assailant stabbed a Jewish woman twice in the stomach at her home in Lyon, France.

In Pragues Little Quarter last month, staffers at the well-known Hippopotamus bar refused to serve beer to several tourists from Israel and their Czech guides, and some patrons served up insults. Police had to step in. In Berlin, Jews are still reeling from an attempted firebombing of a shul last month.

Some of us are in a state of panic, said Anna Segal, 37, the manager of the Kahal Adass Jisroel in Berlin, a community of 450 members.

Some community members are changing how they live, Segal said. Students no longer wear uniforms. Kindergarten classes dont leave the building for field trips or the playground next door. Some members no longer call taxis, or they hesitate to order deliveries to their homes. Hebrew-speaking in public is fading. Some wonder if they should move to Israel.

I hear more and more from people from the Jewish community who say they feel safer and more comfortable in Israel now than in Germany, despite the war and all the rockets, Segal said. Because they dont have to hide there.

And in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, some protesters are shouting,  from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

Faced with fears that antisemitism will spread, communities are taking action. A hotline has been set up in France to help provide psychological support for Jews. The Community Security Trust, which aims to protect the Jewish community and foster good relations with others, has joined with the British government to distribute primers on how to address antisemitism in primary and secondary schools.

Peggy Hicks, a director at the U.N. human rights office, says the actions of governments and political movements are fair game for criticism but warned against discrimination, which the Geneva-based office has long battled. In the chaos of the past weeks, she sees reason to hope.

Ive been amazed in the course of my working in human rights about the amount of compassion and the resilience of human beings, Hicks said. People who have lost children and come together on both sides of a conflict, who have shared a loss  but from opposing sides  and who have found a way to get past the fact that they should actually be enemies.

She added: I dont think everybody has the ability to show that kind of courage. But the fact that it exists, I think, gives us all something to aspire to.

(AP)




An Open Letter to Aviv Geffen,

The youth of Israel look up to you because of your strong talent in singing, But recently you made fun of two things: Channel 14 and Shabbat.

The entire nation has been through extraordinary trauma. Soldiers, those who are Shabbos observers and those who are not, fought side by side against an evil and vile enemy. These same soldiers have also died side by side fighting this enemy.

And everyone has been praying deeply for the safe return of the hostages. And Channel 14 made a decision to respect the flag. They didnt air the return of the hostages on Shabbos.

You made fun of that. Shabbat  the flag of Am Yisroel.

You see, Shabbos has always been viewed as the symbol or flag of the Jewish nation. Just as patriots look at their flag as more than a mere dyed cloth with fancy designs, so too is Shabbat viewed in the eyes of the Jewish people. The Sheiltos of Rav Achai Gaon explains that Hashem instructed us to rest on Shabbat, just as He rested from all creative acts on Shabbos. Observing Shabbos is a sign of our deep belief in G-d  that it was He who Created the world. But it is more than this too.

Aviv, our belief in Hashem is not just limited to the notion that an omnipotent entity created the world. No. An integral aspect of Torah theology is that this omnipotent entity is the source of all good.

He rewards good and punishes evil. The Jewish understanding of Hashem and His unique Oneness is that ethics and monotheism are intrinsically interwoven with each other.

In other theologies they may be two separate concepts.

Not so in Judaism.

A belief in the Oneness of G-d perforce also includes the notion that He defines what goodness is. Altruism, goodness, and ethical behavior are not the results of evolutionary biology  no, they are part and parcel of the Creator Himself.

Indeed, this is the raison detre of Creation itself  so that Hashem  G-d can reward those who do good and follow His will .

If, in the path of life, we successfully attempt to emulate G-d  then we will be rewarded. The Observance of Shabbos is thus the flag of the Jewish people  the idea and notion that represents all this.

Two thousand years ago, Roman civilization dominated the world. Many nations have battled the Romans, the Mithridates, the Parthians, the Sassanians, and especially the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians had three major wars with the Romans and lost the last and most critical one. The Romans destroyed the city of Carthage. They allegedly poured salt throughout Carthage to ensure that it never be rebuilt.

The Incas and the Aztecs were highly evolved civilizations in the Americas. The Spanish conquerors destroyed these civilizations approximately 500 years ago. These people assimilated into the melting pot of what is now Latin America.

It is unimaginable to think that these civilizations, the Carthaginians, the Incas, and Aztecs could survive intact after these long centuries exiled, so to speak, from their homeland or city and deprived of their socio-religious cultural center.

It is even more unimaginable for these civilizations, after many long centuries of such an exile, to return to their land. Finally, it is entirely inconceivable that the homeland remained unimproved and uncultivated for those many long centuries, until its people had returned.

Yet, this is precisely what happened to the Jewish people. It was our belief in Hashem and it was the Shabbos which served as that flag of our belief.

The Romans had conquered the land of Israel. They destroyed the Temple. They ransacked Jerusalem and exiled the Jewish people.

Josephus (Wars of the Jews 7:1:1) writes that Jerusalem was so thoroughly razed to the ground by those that demolished it to its foundations, that nothing was left that could ever persuade visitors that it had once been a place of habitation. The Romans re-named the holy city of Jerusalem Aelia Capitolina. The Jews were exiled and spread throughout the western world. There they remained for twenty, yes, twenty centuries.

All of this leads us to one fact that you should learn and learn well.

There is a G-d that runs the world.

This G-d is clearly concerned with the destiny of the Jewish people. This G-d, according to the sacred writings of the Jewish people, rewards good and punishes evil.

Indeed, G-d, in the eyes of Judaism, is the essence of all that is good. All this was revealed to the Jewish nation at the foot of Mount Sinai. This occurred over 3300 years ago.

The Jewish people were given a unique mission. The mission is to declare the concept of G-d and the obligation to emulate Him in all we do  in all our actions. This mission has only been partially completed. The vast majority of the peoples of the world are only somewhat aware of who G-d is, but have a woefully incomplete picture.

Torah Judaism has always felt that concepts and ideas are not enough  they must be accompanied by action.

For example, a person who wishes to become a master musician cannot merely peruse the musical notes of a concerto but must actually practice music. Hours and hours of practice are necessary. By the same token, a student of the martial arts cannot become a proficient fighter merely by reading a karate instruction manual. Years and years of practice are required for the proficiency and expertise to develop.

The prophets of Israel speak of the noble ideals of universal peace, brotherhood, seeking truth and justice, and walking humbly before G-d. They speak of the notion of hakaras haTov  recognizing the good that one has done for them. But Judaism requires that these noble ideas be put into action through the vehicle known as Mitzvah.

Thus, there is a commandment to give charity. There is a commandment to recite a short formula thanking G-d for the bread that we have consumed. And the observance of Shabbat is no different.

Shabbos observance has had and continues to have an enormous effect upon the soul of the Jewish nation. The concept of G-d to the genuine Sabbath observer is tangible and real. The exodus from Egypt is as genuine and vivid to the Sabbath observer as is the placing of a man on the moon during the Apollo space missions in the 1960s.

So, Mr. Gefen, please set aside your attacks on Shabbos and start learning about what it means to the Jewish people. And maybe, just maybe, your music will declare to the world the message of Shabbat.

The author can be reached at [email protected]




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A tense scene unfolded in a Manhattan courthouse as Palestinian-American Mahmoud Musa, convicted of participating in a hate crime against a Jewish man, Joseph Borgen, during a Times Square protest, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Musas supporters, who came to the sentencing, were tossed from the courtroom after they vocally protested the judges decision.

In 2021, Musa was part of a group that targeted Borgen, who was on his way to a pro-Israel rally, solely because he was wearing a yarmulke. The assault, described by prosecutors as a premeditated attack on Jewish people, left Borgen severely injured. I felt a liquid being poured on my face I was getting maced and pepper sprayed, Borgen recounted to the New York Post after the attack. My face was on fire. That pain was worse than the concussion and all this other stuff that followed.

The attack, captured on video, showed Borgens assailants using antisemitic slurs and leaving him with a concussion and a need for a neck brace. Borgen, during his victim impact statement, expressed that he might have died if not for police intervention.

In the courtroom, Borgens supporters sat quietly, their attire calling for justice and denouncing antisemitism. However, the atmosphere shifted when Musas supporters arrived, approximately 30 minutes into the hearing.

Judge Felicia Mennins decision to sentence Musa to seven years prompted an outcry from his supporters, who labeled the sentence unfair and accused the judge of racism. Their disruptive behavior led to their removal from the courthouse by court officers.

After the courtroom was cleared, Borgen spoke to reporters outside. Despite expressing relief at the conclusion of the case and satisfaction with the sentence, he conveyed ongoing concerns about antisemitic violence, especially in the context of recent tensions between Israel and Hamas.

Im relieved its over, I think we got a strong prison sentence and I think it sends a clear message that Jewish blood, for that matter hate crimes in all senses of the word, are not going to be treated lightly in New York City, Borgen stated.

Besides for Musa, two other suspects involved in the beating have received shorter sentences, while two more await sentencing.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




One of the hostages who was, Baruch Hashem, released on Friday was Chana Katzir, 77, from Nir Oz.

Earlier this month, the Islamic Jihad terror group, which was holding Katzir, released a video of Katzir and Yigal Yaakov, 13, making scripted comments in Hebrew. Last week, the terror group claimed that Katzir died of medical complications.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari referred to her release from Hamas captivity and said that despite the psychological warfare of the terrorist organizations, more than ever, we must avoid spreading unverified information. It so happened that dear Chana Katzir returned home after the terrorist organizations claimed to have killed her a few days ago. We cant forget for a moment that Hamas is a cruel and merciless enemy and we must rely on reports from official sources only.

Sadly, Katzir discovered that one of her sons was murdered while she was in captivity  during one of the few times that she was allowed to listen to Israeli radio broadcasts. And then upon her return to Israel, she was informed of her husbands murder. Her husband, Rami Katzir, Hyd, was murdered on October 7th but apparently, it did not occur in front of her. Her son Elad, 47, was also abducted to Gaza and is still in captivity.

Katzir, a mother of three children and a grandmother of six, worked for years caring for the children of Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Her family was very worried about her as she uses a walker, takes many medications, and requires a lot of medical care.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




Thirteen more Israeli hostages, eight children and five women, and four foreign nationals were released from captivity in Gaza on Motzei Shabbos are now in Israel.

Hamas transferred them to the Red Cross at about 11 p.m. after a seven-hour delay. Earlier, Hamas delayed the release, which was originally scheduled for 4 p.m., falsely claiming that Israel has not fulfilled its promises regarding transferring humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of prisoners. Israel responded by saying it would resume the military operation in Gaza if the hostages werent released. Qatari and Egyptian officials intervened and eventually resolved the delay.

The hostages released are all from Kibbutz Beeri except for one, a resident of Hertziliya who was at the music festival near Reim.

Sharon Avigdori, 52, and her daughter Noam, 12. Seven other members of their family were also abducted.

Alma Or, 13 and her brother Noam Or, 17. Their mother Yonat, Hyd, was murdered and their father Dror was abducted and is still in captivity in Gaza.

Shiri Weiss, 53, and her daughter Noga Weiss, 18. The father, Ilan, is still classified as missing.

Shoshan Haran, 67, her daughter, Adi Shoham, 38, and Adis daughter, Yahel, 3, and son, Naveh, 8. Their father remains in captivity. Shoshans husband Avshalom, Hyd, was murdered as well as her sister and brother-in-law.

Emily Hand, 9, who was abducted while at a sleepover with her friend, Hila Rotem, 12, who was also released, and her mother, Raya Rotem, 54, who was also abducted but remained behind despite Hamass promise not to separate mothers and children.

Maya Regev, 21, a resident of Hertziliya who was abducted from the music festival. She was abducted along with her brother Itay, who remains in captivity.

(YWNs Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis haShabbos in Israel)




Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar blasted out a tweet on Saturday celebrating the release of Israeli-Irish hostage Emily Hand from Hamas captivity, but did so in the most unfathomably infuriating way.

Varadkar wrote that Hand was an innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned.

Lost? Found? She was the victim of an international war crime when she was kidnapped by Hamas, and is only back home because actual terrorists were released for her freedom.

Of course, the tweet failed to mention the harrowing 50-day ordeal that the 9-year-old Hand endured in Gaza, where she was held captive by Hamas terrorists after being kidnapped from a sleepover with her friend.

Of note, Emilys father at first believed that she was killed during the October 7th massacre. He said that he felt blessed that she was killed, rather than have been taken hostage by the Hamas monsters.

He said her dying was the best possibility considering that what Hamas does to people in Gaza is worse than death.

Thankfully, he now has his child back.




In an emotional reunion, nine-year-old Emily Hand, who was abducted to Gaza from Kibbutz Beeri, was reunited with her father Tom Hand in the early hours of Sunday morning.

On October 7th, Emily was at a sleepover at the home of her friend Hila Rotem, 12, and was abducted together with her and Hilas mother Raya, 54. The two friends were released from captivity together but sadly, Hilas mother was left behind. Although it was initially reported that Hamas refused to release the mother, in a violation of the agreement not to separate mothers and children, later reports said that Hamas informed Israel that they could not locate Raya.

The video below shows Emily reunited with her father, Tom Hand, who was initally informed that Emily was murdered. His response to the news, as he related on a CNN interview, moved hundreds of thousands of people. Emilys friend Hila is also seen in the video reuniting with her uncle.

Emilys mother died of cancer when she was two-and-a-half. Tragically the stepmother who raised her was murdered on October 7th.

In an absolutely outrageous post on Motzei Shabbos, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar described Emilys return from being held captive by a savage terror group who murdered her stepmother, friends, and neighbors as an innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned.

Tom Hand is an Irish citizen.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




Some of the Israeli hostages who were released told relatives about the details of their living conditions in captivity.

Baruch Hashem, all hostages are in stable medical condition except for one  Maya Regev, 21  who is in moderate condition due to a gunshot wound in her leg.

Meirav Raviv, a relative of the family of freed captive Ohad Munder, 9, who was released with his mother and grandmother, told Ynet: They werent tortured or abused but there were days where they barely had any food, especially in recent days when they ate only small amounts of rice. Sometimes they had to wait an hour and a half to two hours from the time they asked to go to the bathroom until they allowed it.

Raviv added that they slept on interconnected plastic chairs used as a bench, the type that is used in waiting rooms.

At first, the terrorists took them to Gaza in a small car, separate from one another, Raviv said. They also moved them from place to place after certain amounts of time.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




After enduring more than 50 days in captivity, Avigail Idan, the 4-year-old American-Israeli girl who had been abducted by Hamas terrorists and taken to Gaza, has finally made her way back to Israel. Tragically, her parents, news photographer Roi Idan and mother Emma Samdar HYD, were murdered by Hamas animals in Kfar Gaza.

As she returns from her captivity, she faces the heartbreak of not being able to receive a hug from her parents. Fortunately, her older siblings, 6-year-old Emilia and 8-year-old Michael, managed to survive by hiding in a closet near their mothers lifeless body.

Today shes free, and Jill and I together with so many Americans are praying for the fact that she is going to alright, President Biden said.

He noted that she would need a lot of support after going through this terrible trauma, acknowledging those who are now wrapping Abigail in love and care.

You know her mom was killed in front of her when her kibbutz was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October the 7th, Biden said. Abigail ran to her dad then, who was then gunned down, gunned down as well, while using his body to shield little Abigail.

She then ran to a neighbor for help, where they were all taken hostage, that entire house of neighbors was taken hostage by Hamas and held for 50 days, the president continued. What she endured was unthinkable.

Shes been through a terrible trauma.

On October 7, Avigail bravely knocked on the door of her neighbors, the Brodutch family. Covered in blood, later revealed to be her fathers blood, she was taken into their safe room, where she found comfort alongside their wife and three children. Tragically, Avigail was ultimately kidnapped along with them.

Last weekend, Avigail marked her 4th birthday while still in the custody of Hamas. Her touching story has resonated deeply with many, and countless Israelis have been eagerly awaiting her name to appear on the list of those being released.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




A source with close ties to Hamas has revealed that the terrorist group is considering extending the current ceasefire with Israel, according to the Associated Foreign Press (AFP). This extension, which could span an additional two to four days beyond its original termination date, is being discussed as part of a larger negotiation involving the release of Israeli prisoners.

According to the source, Hamas informed the mediators that the resistance movements were willing to extend the current truce by two to four days. The resistance believes it is possible to ensure the release of 20 to 40 Israeli prisoners. These prisoners are believed to be the Israelis captured during the attacks on October 7.

Under the terms of the proposed agreement, Israel would reciprocate by freeing three Palestinian security prisoners for every Israeli hostage released. Moreover, for every extra day the truce is extended, up to a total of 10 days, an additional 10 Israeli hostages would be released.

This extension, if actualized, has the potential of getting more hostages released, but could come at a heavy cost  intense international pressure to completely halt the fighting in Gaza, which would allow Hamas to retain control of the Strip and rebuild northern Gaza  including its tunnel network  without its leaders having been affected at all.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Heard about the Commonwealth trade and investment summit in London today and tomorrow? No? You are not alone.

This year there is an element of unfortunate scheduling as it is being overshadowed by the Global Investment Summit at the same time, which will see global titans such as JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon in attendance at Hampton Court and Buckingham Palace, along with Rishi Sunak and the King.

The annual Commonwealth event, at Glaziers Hall near London Bridge, cannot compete with that level of global glitz. But it really matters at a time when the UK seeks growth and the Commonwealth is an obvious route to stronger trading ties.

Now that Britain is out of the EU, we must branch out beyond Europe. The worry is that the Government will not throw enough weight behind a trade-boosting opportunity staring us in the face.

In addition, if we do not strengthen ties with Commonwealth countries, which need knowhow and finance, we encourage China and Russia, who will exploit nations which are neglected or deemed too risky for investment by the West.

Trade boost: In King Charles' first Commonwealth Day address as monarch he stressed the 'indispensable role' the institution plays in economic co-operation

A couple of years ago I met a very senior banker from an African country who was in town trying to win backing for infrastructure projects. He had arrived filled with optimism based on Commonwealth links with the UK, but when I saw him towards the end of his trip, he was disillusioned.

He was aware of the risks of turning to China for finance, but saw little alternative. Yet the potential for Britain to forge profitable new trading relationships with the Commonwealth is vast, including in areas such as infrastructure, health, education, digital, finance and professional services.

Trade with the Commonwealth accounts for around 9 per cent of the UK total and most of it is focused on just five nations out of the 56: Australia, Canada, India, Singapore and South Africa.

Countries such as Nigeria, the largest market in Africa with a population of more than 220m, should be more on the radar.

Markets like Nigeria are seen as risky, with justification. However, economists at investment bank Morgan Stanley argue that with the election in May this year of a reforming new president, Bola Tinubu, Nigeria could see a sharp upturn in economic growth.

For UK companies, that spells opportunities in mobile banking, telecoms, tech and consumer goods. Another interesting area is the creative industries, where both countries excel: like the UK, Nigeria is known for its musical talent and its film industry produces around 2,500 movies a year.

One reason the drive to build new trade relationships with the Commonwealth has not taken off is ambivalence about the institution's imperialist roots.

King Charles' first Commonwealth Day address as monarch, in which he stressed the 'indispensable role' the institution plays in climate change and economic co-operation, took place against a backdrop of anti-royalist protests.

The onus is on the UK to show how the Commonwealth is relevant and mutually beneficial. Trade is one of the answers.

There are inbuilt advantages to trading within the Commonwealth including similar legal systems and a common language. An estimated 125m Nigerians speak English  more than the populations of the UK, Canada and Australia put together.

The Commonwealth provides an oven-ready way of making use of our Brexit freedoms. How foolish it would be to squander this chance.
On a frigid, snowy afternoon, a family gathered at a distillery in Boulder to bottle over 400 bottles of vodka, in the spirit of their products grassroots and disciplined atmosphere.

Andrew Mattson and Noah Hampton  two active-duty members of the U.S. Marine Corps of just 21 years old  have worked together to create Pentilla Vodka, an affordable liquor thats distilled 34 times, creating for an exhilarating taste and even more exhilarating backstory.

The two Marines met while on deployment in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021. Both men  barely old enough to vote  were there during the Kabul airport attack, where ISIS-K suicide bombs killed 170 civilians and 13 members of the U.S. military at Hamid Karzai International Airport, just days before the U.S. planned to evacuate.

After returning to the states and being stationed in California, the duo became close and decided they needed to take life by the horns and create something that would cement their legacy.

Mattson ruminated the idea of creating both a vodka and, later, a non-profit. He ran the idea by Hampton, who immediately jumped on board.

What seemed like the craziest idea in the world became realistic in a matter of weeks, Hampton said.

Mattson, who lives in Colorado, met with Seth Johnson, owner of JL Distilling in Boulder, to create Pentilla Vodka.

Regarding the business of liquor, Mattson saw a problem he wanted to solve.

Theres a lot of not-so-great liquor for really expensive prices, he said. So, we came here, met Seth and came up with a solution: create really quality liquor for an affordable price.

You can find anything in life in three different ways. You can find it cheap, fast or good. Normally, you can only get two of those at once. With Pentilla, you can get all three, Hampton added.

The vodka  priced at $24.99 a bottle  doesnt kick aside quality to keep prices low, though. To do that, Hampton and Mattson do the distribution and bottling themselves, with the help of their family.

You could pay someone to automate the process. You could pay someone to come do what were doing here today, Hampton said. But, to keep our costs low for the consumer, we handle that ourselves.

The family bottled the vodka for over two hours on Saturday during a bottling party, the second batch the team has created since starting in August.

The product will be distributed to a few local stores and bars and sold online, with plans to grow.

They connect their dedication and resilience to their time in the military.

Discipline in just getting up every day and going after it, Hampton said. Most small businesses fail because someone is not really willing to put in the work when it gets hard. So, discipline is the number-one thing we have. Weve been taught that from day one of stepping into boot camp.

They also say the courage to start something, perseverance and maturity as the main tools the military has given them.

Bootleggers, Rocky Mountain water and sugarcane

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The history behind Pentilla stretches further than the creators Marine background.

Pentilla Vodka carries the surname of Mattsons great grandfather, John Pentilla, a Finnish bootlegger who transported handcrafted vodka from Finland to Sweden and Norway, according to Mattson.

With gaining popularity, Pentilla started raising the suspicion of authorities. He then fled to America with his wife and changed their last name to Mattson.

When I tell people the story, they say thats a great piece of fiction. Howd you come up with that? and I tell them, no, thats the real history, Hampton joked.

Using the classic recipe, the duo crafts a crisp, sweet vodka from Rocky Mountain water, Louisiana sugarcane and Finnish roots.

More than alcohol

More than two of 10 veterans with PTSD also have substance use disorders, according to the National Center for PTSD.

Both Hampton and Mattson are aware of the stigma following veterans and alcohol abuse.

We dont believe alcohol should ever consume your life, Hampton said. We understand the stigma with alcohol and veterans. We want to help break that, too.

While the creators passion is in vodka, they want to turn their abilities and experience into positive support for veterans, as well as others.

The two plan to start the Pentilla Foundation, a non-profit organization that will bring new-age ideas to both PTSD support and adjustment disorders.

There are a lot of groups out there meant to help veterans with PTSD. Sometimes thats all you can find, but theres other groups of people out there that need PTSD help. People from abusive childhoods or victims of violence, Mattson said. Those people may not know where to get help and when they try, they may only find support groups for veterans.

Pentilla Foundation looks to make help accessible for all.

Speaking of myself, as someone thats gone to veteran support groups, it can be this endless loop. Its confusing, Hampton said about receiving help from groups.

Fitness really helped bring me out of my dark stages after deployment. Wed like to provide affordable gym memberships for people... Wed like to have service dogs at support group meetings to help distract from those negative thoughts. Just different ideas to help people see a light at the end of the tunnel.

These ideas are just a few that the 21-year-old duo  wise beyond their years and experienced in tragedies unfathomable to some  have cooking for the future.

Were just trying to create a product that people can love. But, were also trying to help out others, too, Hampton concluded.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

Mrs S.W. writes: In 2019, Scottish Power installed a smart meter. We did not take much notice of bills as the screen never worked.

We later switched to Eon and could not understand why bills were so high, but Eon was unable to see the smart meter readings. We then moved to British Gas but had the same problems so in 2021 we returned to Scottish Power.

We went on holiday, leaving only the fridge and freezer on, but came back to a big bill, so my husband bought a check meter and found the smart meter was recording three or four times the true figures.

Tony Hetherington replies: Scottish Power had told you that smart meters do not go wrong, and wanted to charge you 270 to carry out a check, so your husband did exactly the right thing.

Misleading: Readings were much higher than the energy used

You then complained to Scottish Power but got nowhere, so you went to Ombudsman Services. Despite the official-sounding title, this is actually a business based in Warrington in Cheshire, now renamed the Energy Ombudsman, which is paid by various firms including car park operators to issue verdicts when customers complain.

Ombudsman Services told you: 'Scottish Power has not provided any comments in response to your complaint.'

It ruled that Scottish Power should replace the faulty meter, recalculate your bills back to 2019, issue an apology, and credit your account with 150 for all the upset and inconvenience.

So far, so good. But that verdict from Ombudsman Services was issued a year ago. Yet when you contacted me, you had still not been given a recalculated bill. You told me: 'If the Ombudsman cannot get Scottish Power to sort this out, one year on from a decision, then what hope has anyone got?'

It is a fair question, so I put it to Scottish Power, which replied straight away, saying: 'We are very sorry we have overcharged Mr and Mrs W due to a faulty meter, and for the time it took for us to resolve this issue.' Scottish Power said it was 'working with' the Ombudsman to resolve things, and had adjusted its bills along with adding a gesture of goodwill.

There was nothing to explain the year-long delay, and even the adjusted bills were incorrect as they still included 60 wrongly charged for check meter work. I went back to Scottish Power which revised its arithmetic once more, producing a statement saying it was your final bill, and showing you to be more than 800 in credit.

But then another statement arrived. It was also described as your final bill. And it demanded 136. You called Scottish Power and were assured nothing was due, so you paid nothing. Then came a text message, telling you to pay up immediately or arrange a payment plan.

You went online to look at your account, and you sent me a print-out showing a balance of zero, making it impossible for you to pay anything. Next came a threat of legal proceedings and damage to your credit record, with the ominous news that: 'Your account has been passed to our Escalated Recoveries Team for attention.' Pay up or face court proceedings, the seizure of goods, or a raid on your bank account, Scottish Power said.

This was harassment, and pretty close to being mugged by a major company. Spokespeople kept telling me they were sorry, and that your account stood at zero, yet the demands and threats kept coming. The left hand had no idea what the right hand was doing, and the right hand did not care.

After weeks of this, the demands have now stopped. Scottish Power has apologised yet again. And you have switched to a different supplier. But why do scandals like this keep happening, not just in one company but day after day, week after week, in utility companies all over the country? And why did Ombudsman Services not see that its decision last year was enforced, or is it as weak as it appears? The sector faces many complaints and questions, but produces few answers.

Flight of fancy to get help from BA

P.G. writes: I booked four British Airways return tickets from London to Aberdeen, costing 917.

Two days later I had to change the return flight from 2.30pm to 8.30pm. BA charged 200 for this.

When I made the change, the BA app said the price for the evening return flight was 640, but when BA debited my bank account they took 200 plus the original 917.

Low flying: Getting an explanation from BA was like extracting teeth from an unwilling animal

Tony Hetherington replies: After changing the time of your return booking, you expected to pay 640. Instead, you were charged 917 for the original afternoon flights, with an extra 200 for switching to the evening flight, making a total of 1,117.

I suspected that the explanation would lie in the small print covering your original booking, so I emailed BA's press office and received an immediate acknowledgement saying the airline would look into this and get back to me.

Two weeks later, nothing had happened. More than three weeks later, still silence from the UK's foreign-owned flag carrier. I even had a long but utterly pointless online chat, asking for the phone number for the press office and being offered numbers for lost baggage, new bookings and so on.

Eventually, the BA customer adviser told me: 'I am sorry, but there is no contact number for the press office.' I should send an email, I was told, but I had already done that twice without getting any answers.

I emailed BA again, and said we would be publishing your complaint. This time it worked. And as I suspected, the answer was simply that your original booking was for non-refundable tickets costing 917, not flexible tickets that could be changed.

If BA had later applied the 640 price of the evening flights, this would have meant giving you a refund even though you had made a non-refundable booking. An easy explanation in the end, but getting it from BA was like extracting teeth from an unwilling animal.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Pork is the most popular meat in the world and a firm favourite with UK consumers too.

But our pig herds have shrunk by 12 per cent in the past 18 months, and more than half the pork we consume comes from overseas.

Yorkshire-based food group Cranswick prefers to source from home and has taken concrete steps to make that happen. Ten years ago, the firm had no livestock.

Now, chief executive Adam Couch has 30,000 pigs and intends to expand his herd further. Cranswick has a flock of ten million chickens, too, and is building up its feed business to ensure standards are maintained across poultry and pig herds.

Fired up: Midas first recommended Cranswick in 2007, when the shares were 8.45 and they have risen more than fourfold to 39.00 and should continue to gain ground

Quality is paramount to Cranswick, which supplies supermarkets with premium produce, ranging from joints and air-dried bacon to marinated drumsticks, kebabs and curry.

The company expects to deliver 60 million pigs in blankets this Christmas alone, and there is a thriving delicatessen business, too, selling houmous, olives, dips and other delicacies under brands including Cypressa and Ramona.

Keeping abreast of trends, focusing on quality and investing in the business are all key factors in Cranswick's success.

The company has invested 600million over the past seven years building new factories and automating processes. Pigs in blankets are next in line, so staff will no longer need to spend hours preparing them by hand.

Couch is a firm believer in looking after his 14,000 employees. A farmer's son from Huddersfield, Couch joined Cranswick straight from university in 1991 and took the top job in 2012.

Years of experience  on the farm and across the Cranswick group  mean that Couch is ideally placed to drive the business forward. He has also forged long-term relationships with customers, from major supermarkets to caterers to pub chains.

The group's figures speak for themselves. Six-month results to September 30, 2023, released last week, showed double-digit growth in sales, profits and dividends.

Brokers expect more of the same for the full year, with profits forecast to rise 15 per cent to 161million and an 8.5 per cent increase in the dividend to 82.4p, putting Cranswick on course for 34 years of dividend growth.

Midas verdict: Midas first recommended Cranswick in 2007, when the shares were 8.45. They have risen more than fourfold to 39.00 and should continue to gain ground.

Cost-of-living pressures persist, but Couch and his team sense that the mood is becoming brighter as economic conditions slowly improve. Existing shareholders should stick with this robust British business, while new investors could also find this stock rewarding.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: CWK Contact: cranswick.plc.uk or 01482 275000
Looking ahead: Labour's Sir Keir Starmer

The Mail on Sunday reported last week that Sir Keir Starmer had taken on spin doctors from the well-connected PR firm Brunswick to help the Labour Party shore up its links with businesses.

It seems the news has set off a scramble among the City's top companies to cosy up to the agency in anticipation that they will have the ear of a future Prime Minister.

A source close to Brunswick said the organisation had received a significant flurry of inquiries from top FTSE firms, many of which are looking to work with its PR teams and to take advantage of the group's close links with the party.

Labour's teaming up with Brunswick comes ahead of next year's much-anticipated General Election, which  according to all of the current opinion polls  will almost certainly herald a landslide victory for the party.

This would mean the end of 14 years of Conservative rule.

It always pays to have friends in high places.

Poles apart

One of the headline announcements from last week's Autumn Statement was the 'biggest business tax cut in modern British history', in the Chancellor's words.

The UK now stacks up well compared with other OECD nations.

But spare a thought for the Latin American country of Colombia, which was replaced by somewhere seemingly called 'Columbia' in a comparison table in the official Treasury document.

Investec's crystal ball on the fritz

Investment manager Investec was left red-faced last week following a major snafu with its debt forecasts.

The firm predicted in a publication on November 16 that the Treasury borrowed 22billion in October, which would have been a whopping 11.5billion more than last year.

But last Monday, it emailed a correction note saying its forecast had been cut to 11.5billion, partially blaming the previous figure on a 'coding error' and issuing an apology to its mailing list clients for 'any confusion' caused.

Regardless of Investec's final forecast, it still managed to undershoot the official number from the Office for National Statistics, which was published a day later.

Their crystal ball must be on the fritz.

Beeswax spend for Department for Net Zero

Last week, the Government quietly published a batch of spending data from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

These monthly breakdowns usually include spending on things that wouldn't seem out of place for a central department, such as costs for computer software and hotel stays for travelling civil servants.

But the data for June showed the department had splashed out 815 on products from Queen Bee Wraps, an East Lothian maker of beeswax cloth wrappings.

Given the ongoing crises facing the Government, maybe these were used to help wipe the sweat from Ministers' brows.

Contributor: Francesca Washtell
Firing up the engines: Rolls-Royce boss Tufan Erginbilgic

The boss of Rolls-Royce is this week expected to urge the Government to throw its full weight behind ground-breaking British nuclear technology developed by the country's flagship engineering giant.

Chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic is pushing through a whirlwind transformation of the company. He will on Tuesday unveil his blueprint for restoring Rolls to its former glory.

The firm, which is synonymous with Britain's manufacturing prowess, went through years in the doldrums under previous bosses and came close to bankruptcy during the pandemic.

'Turbo-Tufan' will be highlighting his company's mini nuclear power plants  known as SMRs, standing for small modular reactors.

Erginbilgic is a big believer in the SMR project, which is based on technology honed for use in submarines over the last three decades.

The mini-reactors are greener, cheaper and quicker to construct than conventional power plants and can be sited in a much wider range of locations.

Rolls-Royce, which has so far benefited from about 200 million of Government backing for its work, is ahead of other companies in the UK and abroad. But Erginbilgic is understood to be concerned that competitors will catch up if the Government does not give its full-throated support.

There are also fears that potential overseas buyers of the technology are hesitant because of the British Government's apparently lukewarm attitude towards Rolls-Royce's technology.

Instead of backing Rolls outright, the Government launched a competition to select an SMR provider, pitting the company against foreign rivals.

Six firms were selected for the next phase of the competition last month, including EDF of France and a joint venture between the US's GE and Hitachi of Japan.

Erginbilgic is likely to argue that the process should be speeded up. Sir John Rose, a former boss of Rolls, spoke out in The Mail on Sunday in the summer, warning that Ministers were risking a valuable stream of export income and the chance to create thousands of highly skilled jobs.

Rolls has said in the past that if it won the contract to supply SMRs to the UK, it could create 40,000 jobs by 2050 and boost the economy by 50 billion, as well as helping in the drive to net zero emissions.

Shares in Rolls-Royce have been among the best performers on the stock market this year, rising by 145 per cent so far as the City has been impressed with Erginbilgic's verve. However, they are still 18 per cent lower than they were five years ago.

At the capital markets day on Tuesday, when he meets top City analysts, Erginbilgic will set out medium-term financial ambitions and also talk about his long-term strategy.

As well as having overarching plans to transform the business, he is keen to make efficiency cost savings. Additionally, he is expected to outline his hopes for Rolls to go back into the narrow-bodied jet market and to gear up the company's defence arm.

He is also likely to highlight the new UltraFan aero engine, which is being developed by Rolls. It is 10 per cent more efficient than its largest aero-engine, the Trent XWB, paving the way for its first net-zero flight by 2050.
Genius or destroyer?: OpenAI founder Sam Altman

Amid the carnage on London's stock markets, two companies stand out for bucking the trend. Why? The short answer is artificial intelligence (AI).

Online data pioneer and publisher Relx has quietly climbed into the FTSE top ten and is now valued at a stonking 54billion following a 33 per cent jump in its shares this year.

And Gateshead-based small business software outfit Sage is up 52 per cent and worth 12billion as it surges up the FTSE 100.

Both companies are early adopters of artificial intelligence, a technology first nurtured in Britain at DeepMind and swallowed by Google owner Alphabet, where it is a growth engine.

Generative AI, developed by OpenAI's founding genius, the now famous 38-year-old Sam Altman, is technology which can create high-quality images, text and code which matches human endeavour.

OpenAI staff had sent a letter to their company's board, warning of the discovery of a potentially dangerous, powerful new algorithm. This contributed to Altman's rancorous departure, now reversed.

Generative AI, which includes ChatGPT created by OpenAI, is far from infallible. This is why the UK's Relx tested it to death before applying it to its legal, scientific and medical data repositories.

In the United States, the world's most litigious society, the minor accidents of everyday life can yield big money. Last May, airline passenger Robert Mata called his lawyers after being hit by a serving trolley aboard an Avianca flight from Colombia to New York.

Avianca asked a Manhattan judge to throw out the lawsuit. Mata's legal advisers then cited half a dozen cases  involving airlines including Delta and China Southern  where damages were said to have been paid. But Avianca's counsel nor the judge could verify any of them.

When challenged, the claimant's lawyer, Steven A Schwartz, admitted that he was in a hurry and instead of using the legal bible Lexus, run by UK data powerhouse Relx, he had turned to ChatGPT, developed by Altman and his colleagues. The generative AI app hallucinated and spewed out invented cases with no legal merit. The case was thrown out. Reliability is still some way off.

The row, which saw Altman ousted from his job and re-employed first by major investor Microsoft and then reinstated by OpenAI after a rebellion by almost all of its workforce, has been depicted as a failure of governance. But it is more complex than that.

Much of the dispute which provoked a revolt by 743 of OpenAI's 750 techies and coders, was about whether a non-profit organisation was allowing commercialisation to become the driving force. The reality is that the pass had already been sold when Seattle interloper Microsoft, an outsider amid the San Jose elite, ploughed 800billion into the enterprise. Small change to 2.2trillion Microsoft, but a downpayment on the next big thing.

AI uses advanced microchips, developed by Nvidia and others, to mine data at amazing speeds, process information and turn it into intelligible text. It is the breakthrough technology of our time.

A fight has been sparked among the Silicon Valley giants and older established behemoth Microsoft for AI hegemony, with billions if not trillions of dollars at stake.

As was the case when search engine Google first crashed the commercial scene two decades ago, it raises profound issues about intellectual property and copyright. The legal status of generative AI creations are being fought out in courtrooms across the world. Top music artists and production companies are having hysterics about song rights after generative AI mined the internet to mimic CDs, vinyl and videos indistinguishable from the originals.

AI's outsize brainpower and intelligence and an ability to search private and security sensitive information  such as health records and nuclear designs  makes it a potent safety threat. That's before one even considers the possibility that it will out-think humankind and take charge of us as some of Altman's colleagues feared.

Governments around the world are struggling to corral its potential capacity to control our lives. The Americans, in thrall to the commercial success of big tech and its ability to generate political donations and win election campaigns, are inclined to trust the likes of Facebook (now Meta) founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to police the industry.

These are elephantine corporations which hate regulation. They are monopolists using their market power to gobble up any technology which threatens their dominance. And they don't like paying taxes.

The United States government's subservience in the face of big tech's efforts to police AI has outraged a community which believes that the internet is for everyone, not just Silicon Valley.

Emad Mostaque, CEO of British AI unicorn Stability AI, told The Mail on Sunday: 'There needs to be more checks and balances, particularly given how opaque some of these companies are.

'Open technology is transparent and more robust, so it's much safer. We saw what happened with social media and the lack of accountability. Humanity should not put its trust in an unelected group to lead the development of AI tech without proper scrutiny.'

The EU is striving to introduce labyrinthine rules requiring enablers and users to conduct extensive risk assessments and make all of the data available.

Rishi Sunak's attempt to establish global safety monitoring principles may already have been overtaken by the speed of events.

The Altman affair has inserted an old-fashioned human drama and power struggle into the goings-on in a secretive corner of commerce. The idea of a non-profit model and open AI  good for all humankind  is away with the fairies.

At its core is a battle for bigger bucks and domination. Stopping arrogant tech giants from taking control will be a nightmare.
A celebrity clinic whose previous clients have included Kate Moss, Robbie Williams and Paul Gascoigne, is 'burning cash' and facing an 'unaffordable' rent bill, according to a US investment research firm.

Priory Group operates a network of hospitals and treatment centres across the UK specialising in treatments for mental health, addiction and eating disorders.

The clinic also provides services to the NHS, including accommodation for patients who are sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Overall, the firm provides around 10 per cent of NHS mental healthcare beds and reported that it made over 90 per cent of its revenue from public organisations last year.

But the health service's reliance on Priory has come starkly into focus after a report published last month by analysts at US risk management group Hedgeye argued the business was 'burning cash' and was locked in onerous rent agreements with an American medical property group.

Rehab for the stars: The Priory Clinic in London and, right, Kate Moss

A source close to Priory Group, however, dismissed the claims.

The source said that the firm's accounts confirmed it was solvent and were signed off by auditors without any concern about its ability to continue operating.

In accounts filed with Companies House this summer, Priory reported a loss of 28million for 2022 following losses of 37million the previous year.

According to Hedgeye, the accounts also suggested Priory Group is not generating enough cash to pay its rent.

The business faced lease payments of 61million, but only generated 38million in cash that year after shelling out on upkeep costs on buildings and equipment.

The firm's reserves  funds set aside for a rainy day  have fallen from nearly 55million at the start of 2021 to just 10.5million at the end of last year. It is nursing debts of nearly 1.1billion.

Hedgeye analyst Rob Simone said: 'The financial picture for Priory is troubling, to say the least. The company is paying nearly 61million in rent every year but is only generating around 38million in cash, meaning it needs to rely on external funding to prop up its balance sheet.'

'This clearly isn't sustainable, and if Priory can't obtain financing from other parties, it will be in serious trouble.

'The rent is simply unaffordable.'

Concerns about Priory's rental costs were initially raised in an article in the Financial Times in 2021 after it was acquired by Dutch private equity firm Waterland for nearly 1.1billion.

The takeover was almost entirely financed by a sale and leaseback agreement of around 40 of Priory's hospitals to US property fund Medical Properties Trust (MPT).

In July, Priory signed yet another sale and leaseback deal with MPT, this time for five sites, raising nearly 44million.

When contacted by The Mail on Sunday, Dr Andre Schmidt, head of German healthcare outfit Median Group, which owns Priory, said the firm was 'very well financed and has comfortable levels of rent cover to meet its lease payments, having been in partnership with its property owners for over ten years'.

He added: 'We are in a robust financial position, and remain focused on ensuring our services provide the highest quality of care.'
Taxpayers could have to fork out 4billion to power station owner Drax under new clean energy funding plans even though campaigners dispute its green credentials.

The FTSE 250 firm, which previously ran the UK's largest coal-fired power plant, now produces electricity by burning wood pellets, known as biomass, and receives a controversial Government subsidy that runs until 2027.

Drax is now lobbying for an extension that could lead to households footing a total bill of 4.1billion by the end of 2035  according to analysis shared with The Mail on Sunday by energy think tank Ember.

It estimates taxpayers could pay at least 425 million to the firm annually, equivalent to 15.28 a year slapped on home energy bills.

The Government has been giving companies, including Drax, money through its biomass strategy as the UK aims to turn from fossil fuels towards renewable energy. Drax received 617 million in Government support last year alone for its biomass units.

Environmentally friendly?: Drax now produces electricity by burning wood pellets, known as biomass, and receives a controversial Government subsidy

But campaigners have long questioned its claim that burning wood creates 'renewable' energy.

The Government considers the practice to be green despite carbon dioxide absorbed by trees being released back into the atmosphere during the burning process.

Also, most of the pellets burned by Drax at its flagship power station in Yorkshire are imported from forests in the US and Canada.

'We've already given Drax billions in subsidies, and it's made bills more expensive while probably not helping to stop climate change,' said Phil MacDonald, managing director at Ember.

'Following the enormous increase in gas prices over the last few years, British people simply can't take higher energy bills  we should be investing in clean energy which brings down bills, like wind and solar.'

Matt Williams at the Natural Resources Defence Council said: 'The Government's already wasted billions of bill-payers' cash handing out low-carbon subsidies to British companies that claim to be green for them to burn North America's forests in power stations.'

A Drax spokesman complained of 'factual inaccuracies' and 'misguided assumptions' in the report, saying: 'We operate under the same mechanisms that almost all other UK electricity generators do.'

Ember stood by its analysis, highlighting the fact that it based the projections for Government subsidies on Drax annual reports.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: 'We do not recognise these theoretical and highly speculative figures.

'Sustainable biomass plays a key role in delivering more secure, clean energy in Britain, generating 11 per cent of the country's total electricity supply last year, supporting our Net Zero target.'
Hargreaves Lansdown is set to be kicked out of the FTSE 100 for the first time in 12 years.

The UK's largest retail investing platform, founded by billionaires Peter Hargreaves and Stephen Lansdown, has seen its value tumble by almost a third to 3.3billion this year. This makes it the lowest-value company in the FTSE 100.

It is now in line to be relegated to the FTSE 250 in the upcoming quarterly reshuffle of the indexes.

It is likely to be replaced by private equity firm Intermediate Capital Group, which is worth almost 4.6billion.

The final decision will be calculated by using Hargreaves Lansdown's share price when the stock market closes on Tuesday afternoon.

Taking a tumble: Hargreaves Lansdown has seen its value tumble by almost a third to 3.3billion this year

The Bristol-based company was founded in 1981 and first floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2007.

The news comes months after chair Deanna Oppenheimer announced she would step down after five years in the role following criticism from co-founder Hargreaves.
Benchmark reiterated their buy rating on shares of Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J  Free Report) in a research report report published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $160.00 price target on the stock.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on J. Stifel Nicolaus restated a buy rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a research note on Tuesday, November 21st. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $144.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $153.00 to $151.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $135.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $157.00 to $151.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $149.60.

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Jacobs Solutions Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:J opened at $123.37 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 1.37 and a quick ratio of 1.46. Jacobs Solutions has a 1 year low of $109.00 and a 1 year high of $141.16. The businesss 50-day moving average is $133.65 and its 200 day moving average is $127.22.

Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 21st. The company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.02 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $4.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.21 billion. Jacobs Solutions had a net margin of 4.07% and a return on equity of 14.19%. Jacobs Solutionss quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.80 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Jacobs Solutions will post 8.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Jacobs Solutions Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 27th were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 26th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. Jacobs Solutionss dividend payout ratio is currently 19.66%.

Insider Activity

In other Jacobs Solutions news, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 6,666 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.97, for a total transaction of $926,374.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 567,960 shares in the company, valued at $78,929,401.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 19,998 shares of company stock worth $2,722,394 over the last three months. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Jacobs Solutions

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Clear Street Markets LLC lifted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 93.8% in the 1st quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 250 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 47.7% in the 2nd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 254 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 210.5% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 295 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp lifted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 473.9% in the 3rd quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 264 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC purchased a new position in Jacobs Solutions in the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.77% of the companys stock.

Jacobs Solutions Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Jacobs Solutions Inc provides consulting, technical, scientific, and project delivery services for the government and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Mexico, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through three segments: Critical Mission Solutions, People & Places Solutions, and PA Consulting.

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Trexquant Investment LP bought a new position in shares of Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL  Free Report) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 80,786 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $4,371,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Lindbrook Capital LLC raised its holdings in Dell Technologies by 12.0% during the second quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 2,037 shares of the technology companys stock worth $110,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Dell Technologies by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 7,986 shares of the technology companys stock worth $321,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC lifted its position in Dell Technologies by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC now owns 34,094 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,370,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Great Lakes Retirement Inc. boosted its stake in Dell Technologies by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter. Great Lakes Retirement Inc. now owns 10,207 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $552,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Dell Technologies by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 6,090 shares of the technology companys stock worth $306,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. 38.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on DELL shares. Evercore ISI raised their target price on Dell Technologies from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, September 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Dell Technologies from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, September 25th. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded shares of Dell Technologies from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their target price for the company from $50.00 to $80.00 in a report on Monday, September 18th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Dell Technologies from $75.00 to $80.00 in a report on Friday, October 6th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Dell Technologies from $70.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, September 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Dell Technologies currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $71.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Dell Technologies

In other news, General Counsel Richard J. Rothberg sold 30,009 shares of Dell Technologies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.00, for a total value of $2,040,612.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 99,899 shares in the company, valued at $6,793,132. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 48.60% of the companys stock.

Dell Technologies Stock Down 0.4 %

Dell Technologies stock opened at $74.41 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $53.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $69.45 and a 200-day moving average price of $59.36. Dell Technologies Inc. has a twelve month low of $35.96 and a twelve month high of $75.38.

Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 31st. The technology company reported $1.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.56. The business had revenue of $22.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.78 billion. Dell Technologies had a negative return on equity of 149.91% and a net margin of 2.03%. Equities analysts expect that Dell Technologies Inc. will post 5.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Dell Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 24th were paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.99%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, October 23rd. Dell Technologiess dividend payout ratio is currently 57.14%.

Dell Technologies Profile

(Free Report)

Dell Technologies Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports various comprehensive and integrated solutions, products, and services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Client Solutions Group (CSG).

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President Joe Biden is scheduled to make his fifth visit to the Centennial State and the second in the past six months, a trip the White House postponed a month ago due to the conflict in the Middle East, according to a Saturday news release.

Biden is expected to appear in Pueblo on Wednesday to speak at the CS Wind factory, the largest wind turbine tower manufacturing plant in the world, which is in Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert's district.

The president is also expected to appear at a fundraising event in the Denver area featuring Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.

On Oct. 16, hours before Biden was scheduled to depart Washington, D.C., for Colorado, the White House announced that the trip would be postponed so the president could participate in national security meetings related to the war between Israel and Hamas.

The rescheduled visit will be Bidens second trip to Colorado in less than six months. On June 1, the president delivered the commencement address at the Air Force Academy.

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On Wednesday, the president is expected to deliver remarks on his administrations efforts in mobilizing investments in clean energy manufacturing and creating good-paying jobs in communities across the country, including in Colorados third congressional district, according to the news release.

The release goes on to state that the president plans to address how self-described MAGA Republicans like Representative Lauren Boebert are threatening those investments, jobs, and opportunities.

Boebert, an outspoken Biden critic, represents the 3rd Congressional District, where she is seeking reelection to a third term.

Ahead of last month's planned trip, the White House noted that Boebert called the administration's signature infrastructure package "garbage" and said the legislation "needs to be repealed."
Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE  Free Report) by 12.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,934,341 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 215,145 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 0.74% of Ameren worth $157,978,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its position in shares of Ameren by 6.1% during the first quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 65,703 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $5,676,000 after purchasing an additional 3,773 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in shares of Ameren by 0.6% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 442,212 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $38,203,000 after purchasing an additional 2,438 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its stake in shares of Ameren by 136.5% in the 2nd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 97,081 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $7,929,000 after purchasing an additional 56,039 shares in the last quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Ameren by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 66,833 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $5,774,000 after purchasing an additional 1,310 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of Ameren by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 10,522 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $859,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. 77.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ameren news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 3,244 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.28, for a total transaction of $250,696.32. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 198,937 shares in the company, valued at $15,373,851.36. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Ameren news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 3,155 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.63, for a total transaction of $251,232.65. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 161,369 shares in the company, valued at $12,849,813.47. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 3,244 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.28, for a total value of $250,696.32. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 198,937 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,373,851.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.42% of the companys stock.

Ameren Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE AEE opened at $77.17 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $76.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $80.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.33. Ameren Co. has a fifty-two week low of $69.71 and a fifty-two week high of $92.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.47.

Ameren (NYSE:AEE  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.07. Ameren had a return on equity of 10.67% and a net margin of 14.59%. The company had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.40 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.74 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Ameren Co. will post 4.38 EPS for the current year.

Ameren Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.27%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 12th. Amerens dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 57.27%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AEE has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Ameren from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 21st. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on shares of Ameren from $85.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Monday, October 9th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ameren from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, November 17th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Ameren from $80.00 to $77.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Ameren from $101.00 to $94.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $87.11.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Ameren

Ameren Company Profile

(Free Report)

Ameren Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois Natural Gas, and Ameren Transmission. It engages in the rate-regulated electric generation, transmission, and distribution activities; and rate-regulated natural gas distribution and transmission businesses.

Further Reading

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Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG  Free Report) by 7.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,428,403 shares of the insurance providers stock after buying an additional 100,515 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 4.00% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $161,452,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of THG. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in The Hanover Insurance Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its position in The Hanover Insurance Group by 129.8% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 216 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 4,208.3% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 517 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 505 shares in the last quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $73,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 42.2% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 590 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.89% of the companys stock.

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The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance

NYSE THG opened at $121.65 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $115.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $113.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $103.82 and a 52-week high of $148.78.

The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend

The Hanover Insurance Group ( NYSE:THG Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 1st. The insurance provider reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.19. The business had revenue of $1.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.58 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a negative net margin of 1.42% and a negative return on equity of 4.16%. The firms revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.99 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 0.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 15th were given a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 14th. The Hanover Insurance Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -136.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on THG shares. JMP Securities reduced their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a market outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 13th. Oppenheimer started coverage on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Thursday, November 16th. They set an outperform rating and a $135.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a hold rating for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from $124.00 to $120.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 15th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of The Hanover Insurance Group from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and raised their price objective for the company from $125.00 to $126.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $134.00.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on THG

The Hanover Insurance Group Profile

(Free Report)

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various property and casualty insurance products and services in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Core Commercial, Specialty, Personal Lines, and Other. The Commercial Lines segment offers commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, workers' compensation, and other commercial lines coverage.

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Schroder Investment Management Group increased its position in The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX  Free Report) by 155.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 460,877 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock after acquiring an additional 280,127 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Groups holdings in TJX Companies were worth $39,078,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of TJX. Adero Partners LLC grew its position in TJX Companies by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Adero Partners LLC now owns 2,807 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $238,000 after buying an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. grew its position in TJX Companies by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. First Business Financial Services Inc. now owns 18,064 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $1,532,000 after buying an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Chatham Capital Group Inc. grew its position in TJX Companies by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Chatham Capital Group Inc. now owns 7,627 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $647,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Alpha Financial Partners LLC grew its position in TJX Companies by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Alpha Financial Partners LLC now owns 5,337 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $418,000 after buying an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tradition Wealth Management LLC grew its position in TJX Companies by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Tradition Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,672 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $288,000 after buying an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.28% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on TJX shares. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of TJX Companies from $90.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 17th. Loop Capital raised their price objective on shares of TJX Companies from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 6th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of TJX Companies from $95.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 15th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price objective on shares of TJX Companies from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, November 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of TJX Companies in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. They set an outperform rating and a $105.00 price objective for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, TJX Companies has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $98.11.

TJX Companies Price Performance

TJX stock opened at $89.97 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $72.92 and a one year high of $93.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $102.93 billion, a PE ratio of 25.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.91. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $89.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $86.14.

TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 15th. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.99 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $13.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.09 billion. TJX Companies had a net margin of 7.85% and a return on equity of 62.67%. The firms revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.86 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 3.75 earnings per share for the current year.

TJX Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 9th will be given a $0.3325 dividend. This represents a $1.33 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 8th. TJX Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.68%.

Insider Transactions at TJX Companies

In other news, CEO Ernie Herrman sold 35,907 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.29, for a total value of $3,206,136.03. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 595,191 shares of the companys stock, valued at $53,144,604.39. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Ernie Herrman sold 35,907 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.29, for a total transaction of $3,206,136.03. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 595,191 shares of the companys stock, valued at $53,144,604.39. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Carol Meyrowitz sold 64,817 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.13, for a total transaction of $5,906,773.21. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 135,050 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,307,106.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

TJX Companies Company Profile

(Free Report)

The TJX Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Marmaxx, HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International. The company sells family apparel, including footwear and accessories; home fashions, such as home basics, furniture, rugs, lighting products, giftware, soft home products, decorative accessories, tabletop, and cookware, as well as expanded pet, and gourmet food departments; jewelry and accessories; and other merchandise.

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Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new position in Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 503,152 shares of the offshore drilling services providers stock, valued at approximately $3,527,000. Trexquant Investment LP owned 0.07% of Transocean as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Transocean during the 2nd quarter valued at $375,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Transocean by 10.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 47,297 shares of the offshore drilling services providers stock valued at $301,000 after acquiring an additional 4,642 shares during the period. Highland Peak Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Transocean during the 1st quarter valued at $10,570,000. First Dallas Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Transocean by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter. First Dallas Securities Inc. now owns 34,090 shares of the offshore drilling services providers stock valued at $239,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares during the period. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Transocean during the 1st quarter valued at $66,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.70% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Susquehanna dropped their target price on shares of Transocean from $9.00 to $7.50 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 1st. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Transocean from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Transocean from $5.00 to $7.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, August 14th. Benchmark restated a buy rating and set a $12.00 price objective on shares of Transocean in a report on Friday, September 15th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Transocean to a sell rating in a report on Wednesday, November 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $8.89.

Transocean Stock Performance

NYSE RIG opened at $6.56 on Friday. Transocean Ltd. has a 1 year low of $3.65 and a 1 year high of $8.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.32. The firm has a market cap of $5.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.05 and a beta of 2.96. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $7.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $7.29.

Transocean (NYSE:RIG  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, October 30th. The offshore drilling services provider reported ($0.36) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.22) by ($0.14). Transocean had a negative return on equity of 9.76% and a negative net margin of 44.49%. The firm had revenue of $713.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $738.22 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.06) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Transocean Ltd. will post -1.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Transocean

In related news, CAO David A. Tonnel sold 57,259 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.22, for a total transaction of $470,668.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 417,789 shares in the company, valued at $3,434,225.58. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 13.16% of the companys stock.

Transocean Profile

(Free Report)

Transocean Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells worldwide. It contracts its mobile offshore drilling rigs, related equipment, and work crews to drill oil and gas wells. It serves integrated energy companies, government-owned or government-controlled energy companies, and other independent energy companies.

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BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned his South Korean counterpart on Sunday not to politicise economic and tech issues as the two prepared to meet Japan's top diplomat on the sidelines of a trilateral meeting aimed at boosting cooperation.

"China and South Korea have become cooperation partners with highly integrated interests and highly interconnected production and supply chains," Wang told South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.

"Both sides should jointly resist the tendency to politicise economic issues, instrumentalise science and tech issues, and the broad securitisation of trade issues."

South Korea has sought to avoid becoming embroiled in a tit-for-tat row between China and the United States over semiconductors.

The U.S. last month granted Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK Hynix (000660.KS) permission to supply U.S. chip equipment to their China factories indefinitely, ending a conundrum for the world's two largest memory chipmakers.

"China is willing to jointly promote the restart of revamped trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan," Wang said on Sunday.

While China and the United States have been mending frayed ties, including a summit this month between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, Beijing is concerned that Washington and its key regional allies are strengthening their three-way partnership.

Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul had agreed to hold summits every year starting in 2008 to bolster diplomatic and economic exchanges, but the plan has been blocked by bilateral rows and the COVID-19 pandemic. Their last trilateral leaders' meeting was in 2019.

The three foreign ministers are gathering in the port city of Busan, also the first such meeting since 2019. In September, senior officials from the three countries agreed to arrange a trilateral summit at the "earliest convenient time".

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have taken steps to repair ties strained by history and trade feuds, and held a historic trilateral summit in August with Biden.

(Reporting by Laurie Chen; Editing by William Mallard)
Irish author Paul Lynch said he thought he was dooming his career by writing Prophet Song before winning the 2023 Booker Prize.

The 46-year-old, who lives in Dublin, was presented with his trophy by last years winner Shehan Karunatilaka, at a ceremony held at Old Billingsgate, London.

Lynch told Sundays event: Well, there goes my hard won anonymity. This was not an easy book to write.

The rational part of me believed I was dooming my career by writing this novel. Though I had to write the book anyway. We do not have a choice in such matters.

Lynch also thanked all the children of this world who need our protection, yet have lived, and continue to live through the terrors depicted in this book.

He added: Thank you for opening our eyes to innocence. So that we may know the world again as though for the first time.

It is with immense pleasure that I bring the Booker home to Ireland.

He is the fifth Irish author to win the award, worth 50,000, according to the Booker Prize, following Dame Iris Murdoch, John Banville, Roddy Doyle and Anne Enright.

The event on Sunday had a keynote speech delivered by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was released from a prison in Iran last year.

Lynchs fifth novel Prophet Song  which is a tale of a tyrannical government  is about a mother-of-four working as a scientist whose husband is taken away by the newly formed Irish secret police.

Canadian novelist Esi Edugyan, chairwoman of the 2023 judges and a previous Booker-shortlisted author, called the tale a triumph of emotional storytelling, bracing and brave.

With great vividness, Prophet Song captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment, she said.

Readers will find it soul-shattering and true, and will not soon forget its warnings.

She was asked during a press call if the judges had considered recent events in Dublin, where after a knife attack on children, there followed a series of violent disturbances.

Edugyan said that it was mentioned at some point when the book was chosen on Saturday.

I really have to stress that, that was not the reason that Prophet Song won the prize, (and) that we werent sort of  taking our cue  from world events in such a direct fashion. I think it would have done a great disservice to the (prize), she added.

Edugyan also said the judges felt that it would have massive impact, that it would outlast this age.

The violence in the Irish capital, which involved far-right elements, on Thursday saw Garda cars, buses and trams set alight, and shops looted and damaged.

The judges also included Peep Show actor Robert Webb, Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh, poet and critic Mary Jean Chan and James Shapiro, a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University.

During the ceremony, Andoh also read an extract from the 1990 Booker Prize-winning novel Possession, in honour of British author AS Byatt, who died earlier this month at the age of 87.

Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, said: The judges established at the start of the final meeting that any of the six books on the shortlist would be a worthy winner.

Prophet Song is composed of masterful sentences, and packs a profound emotional punch.

Lynch told the PA news agency in September that the book did not have to be a warning about authoritarianism as its actually already occurring.

He said: What informs this book is the sense of liberal democratic slide thats been ongoing around the world for the past six, eight years, perhaps 10 years?

It was the sense of unravelling that so many of us have just been tuning into and feeling anxious about the thought that could this happen here? No, it couldnt but yet, there are so many countries around the world where they thought the very same thing.

Lynch also beat fellow Irish writer Paul Murray, who was shortlisted for The Bee Sting, which follows an Irish family facing financial and emotional troubles.

All of the shortlisted authors  which also include British author Chetna Maroo, American novelist Jonathan Escoffery, Canadian author Sarah Bernstein and US author Paul Harding  received 2,500 and a bespoke bound edition of their book.

Margaret Atwood, Dame Hilary Mantel and Sir Salman Rushdie are among previous Booker winners.
As borders around the world seem tougher to manage . . . Here's a look at the Kansas effort to reduce the quotient of human suffering in the world that is often routed through sketchy massage operations that have even emerged in the Golden Ghetto . . . Check-it:



Members of the Human Trafficking Advisory Board recommended during a meeting at the Statehouse earlier this month that Attorney General Kris Kobach pursue professional licensing or other forms of state regulation for massage therapists, potentially as soon as the 2024 legislative session . . .

Kristen Czugala, of the Kansas Attorney General's Office, acknowledged that "there have been many bills proposed over the years on having statewide licensing," and local governments have expressed concern that a less stringent state regulation could take away their tougher and more effective local ordinances.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Kansas should regulate massage therapy to combat human trafficking, advisory board says The Human Trafficking Advisory Board recommended that Attorney General Kris Kobach and the Legislature regulate massage therapy with state licensing.

One of our favorite skits on the massage game just to lighten the mood from a very serious subject and all of the legal wrangling required to help people . . . Here's a more middle-class dilemma . . .

Developing . . .
To say that Turkey or Turkiye is rich in history is very much the understatement of the century. The country is home to a number of attractions that can easily transport visitors back to the past and give a glimpse of how life was back then.

In fact, Turkey is actually home to ancient cities, and three of which are found in the city of Denizli. Located in southwestern Turkey, Denizli is home to three ancient cities that have much to offer any curious, history-loving wandered.

Hierapolis Ancient City

The first of the three ancient cities we will talk about is none other than the Hierapolis Ancient City. Considered an ancient spa city, it is on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List.

As a spa city, people visit Hierapolis as early as the second century because they believe its calcium and iron rich waters have healing properties. Today, it is one of Denizli's most popular tourist attractions. Among the sights that can be found here are the Temple of Apollo, the Roman Theatre, and the Plutonium.

Spelunkers, in particular, will take an interest in Plutonium, which is actually a small cave that serves as a shrine to the god of the underworld. Its name gives away just who this god is, and it's none other than Pluto.

Read Also: Interesting Facts About Ancient Cities Around The World

Laodikeia Ancient City

Considered an important city during 1st century BCE, Laodikeia is also on the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is an important pilgrimage site for Christians as it is where you can find the Laodikeia (Pilgrimage) Church.

Laodikeia is also an important site for archaeologists. Some of the structures that are still present in the ancient city today include Anatolia's largest stadium, the main entrance gate, and a four-bath complex.

Tripolis Ancient City

The third and last ancient city located in Denizli is the Tripolis Ancient City. Previously called Apollonia, this city was also known as Antionopolis before its name was changed to Tripolis.

This city, which used to be one of the richest in the region, was heavily destroyed by earthquakes and wars through the years. What is left of Tripolis, including a theater, a stadium, and a bath, can still be visited by travelers today and is considered an important archaeological site.

Related Article: Latest Archaeology Digs in Turkey Finds 12,000 Years of Anatolian Food Culture
By James Mackenzie

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Hamas freed 17 hostages held in Gaza, including a 4-year-old American girl, while Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, the third day of their truce.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had successfully transferred 17 hostages from Gaza. Hamas said it had handed over 13 Israelis, three Thais and one with Russian citizenship.

The release of the hostages - part of a larger group captured when Hamas fighters rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7 - was mirrored by the freeing of 39 Palestinians, all of whom are teenagers, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Hamas said it wanted to extend the truce if serious efforts were made to increase the number of Palestinian detainees released by Israel.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped the pause in fighting can go on as long as hostages are getting released. He hoped more Americans would be released by Hamas although he did not have firm news.

Biden said the 4-year-old hostage, Abigail Edan, had witnessed her parents being killed by Hamas fighters during their Oct. 7 raid into Israel and had been held since then.

"What she endured is unthinkable," Biden said at a news conference in the U.S.

Abigail was on her way to the hospital for checks, Israel's Channel 13 said. Her grandfather, Carmel Edan, told Reuters he "simply could not believe" she had been returned, thanking Biden "for all the help he's offered us."

Palestinians gave the freed prisoners a jubilant reception in Ramallah, according to WAFA.

Omar Abdullah Al Hajj, 17, one of the detainees released Sunday, said he'd been kept in the dark about what was happening in the outside world.

"I can't believe I'm free now but my joy is incomplete because we still have our brothers who remain in prison, and then there is all the news about Gaza that I am having to learn about now," he told Reuters.

The four-day truce is the first halt in fighting in the seven weeks since Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages back into Gaza.

In response to that attack, Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, bombarding the enclave and mounting a ground offensive in the north. Some 14,800 Palestinians have been killed, Gaza health authorities say, and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday met security forces inside the Gaza Strip. He also said he spoke to Biden about the hostage release, adding that he would welcome extending a temporary truce if it meant that on every additional day 10 captives would be freed.

However Netanyahu said he also told Biden that, at the end of the truce, "we will return with full force to achieve our goals: The elimination of Hamas, ensuring that Gaza does not return to what it was; and of course the release of all our hostages."

FRAGILE DEAL

Sunday's hostage release follows the liberation of 13 Israelis on Saturday - six of them women and seven of them teenagers or children. The youngest was 3-year-old Yahel Shoham, freed with her mother and brother, although her father remains a hostage.

Israel freed 39 Palestinians the same day - six women and 33 teenagers - from two prisons, WAFA said.

A Palestinian source has said up to 100 hostages could ultimately go free.

Qatar, Egypt and the United States are pressing for the truce to be extended beyond Monday but it is not clear whether that will happen.

Clashes and recriminations have threatened to torpedo the existing deal.

The killing of a Palestinian farmer in the central Gaza Strip had earlier added to those concerns. The farmer was killed when targeted by Israeli forces east of Gaza's long-established Maghazi refugee camp, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

The armed wing of Hamas also said on Sunday that four of its military commanders in the Gaza Strip had been killed, including the commander of the North Gaza brigade, Ahmad Al Ghandour. It did not say when they had been killed.

Violence has also flared in the West Bank, where Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians, including two minors and at least one gunman, late on Saturday and early Sunday, medics and local sources said.

Even before the Oct. 7 attacks from Gaza, the West Bank had been in a state of unrest, with a rise in Israeli army raids, Palestinian attacks, and violence by Israeli settlers in the past 18 months. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Oct. 7, some in Israeli air strikes.

IMMENSE RELIEF

The deal survived an earlier threat when Hamas' armed wing said on Saturday it was delaying hostage releases until Israel met all truce conditions, including committing to let aid trucks into northern Gaza.

Saving the truce took a day of diplomacy mediated by Qatar and Egypt, which President Biden also joined.

Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades also said Israel had failed to respect terms for the release of Palestinian prisoners that factored in their time in detention.

COGAT, the Israeli agency for civilian coordination with the Palestinians, accused Hamas itself of delaying trucks trying to deliver humanitarian aid to northern Gaza at a checkpoint.

"To Hamas, residents of Gaza are their last priority," it said on Sunday.

Qatari diplomats are now on site in Gaza to supervise the entry and delivery of their country's aid, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said.

A U.N. official who took part in a humanitarian convoy to northern Gaza said on Sunday aid groups were on track to deliver the biggest shipment in over a month, describing thin, gaunt residents slaking their thirst as soon as water arrived.

"People are so desperate and you can see in adults' eyes they haven't eaten," the U.N. children's agency's James Elder told Reuters by video link from southern Gaza after returning from Gaza City.

"There's just this immense relief. Literally people as they get water start drinking the water immediately," he said. "They're thirsty. They've been thirsty for days."

Even as the aid deliveries flowed north, Elder said he saw hundreds of Gazans heading in the other direction, fearing the renewal of Israeli bombardments if the four-day truce is not prolonged.

"People are so terrified that this pause won't be continued," he said.

(Reporting by Emily Rose, Emma Farge, Bassam Masoud, James Mackenzie, Aidan Lewis, Ari Rabinovitch, Adam Makary, Nidal al-Mugrabi and Moaz Abd-Alaziz; Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Nafisa Eltahir in Cairo, Andy Sullivan in Washington, Moira Warburton; Writing by Raphael Satter, Keith Weir and Giles Elgood; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Nick Macfie, Louise Heavens, David Gregorio and Diane Craft)
An international exhibition and conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine called "ReBuild Ukraine Powered by Energy" will be held in Warsaw on November 14-15. Delegations from more than 20 countries will attend the event, and Finlands representation will be among the most massive ones.

On the eve of the conference, an Ukrinform correspondent asked several questions to Finlands Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Tavio, who will personally lead the Finnish business delegation at the Ukraine conference in Warsaw.

UKRAINE CAN RELY ON FINLANDS SUPPORT IN THE FUTURE TO MANAGE THE IMMENSE CONSEQUENCES OF RUSSIAN AGGRESSION

- A large Finnish delegation is coming to the ReBuild Ukraine Exhibition and Conference. What do you want to present on it, what results will you achieve?

- Finnish companies have the expertise needed to contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine. We can participate, for example, in energy efficient and sustainable construction, the energy sector, clean transition, water and waste management, telecommunication, education and rule-of-law. I believe these are fields which correspond to the current needs in Ukraine very well.

The reconstruction exhibition in Warsaw is an excellent opportunity for the over 40 Finnish companies to discuss with Ukrainian partners and learn more about ways to participate in the immense efforts.

- In July you ordered to develop a plan for Finland's participation in the reconstruction of Ukraine. What are the details of this plan, what will Helsinki focus on?

- Ukraine can rely on our support in the future to manage the immense consequences of Russian aggression. Finland is getting ready to participate in the reconstruction process and is preparing a national reconstruction plan in cooperation with the private sector.

The first part of the plan will be published by the end of this year. It will focus on ways the Finnish private sector is able to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine. The second part will be drafted soon after. It will look at Finnish support to Ukraine more broadly, including development cooperation.

- Its expected that in winter Russia will again bomb critical infrastructure facilities of Ukraine for Ukrainians to live in the cold and darkness. Does Helsinki plan to help Ukraine in ensuring the operation of critical infrastructure facilities, in particular energy infrastructure, during this extraordinary period?

- Finland strongly condemns Russias missile attacks against civilian targets, including Ukraines energy infrastructure. Deliberate bombing of civilian targets is a war crime. We urge Russia to end its campaign of destruction.

Finland is one of the biggest EU donors of energy sector materiel, such as generators and transformers, to Ukraine. Also many Finnish companies in the energy sector travelled to Warsaw as they are interested in participating in the long term development of the energy infrastructure in Ukraine.

Finland has provided Ukraine with more than 280 truckloads of in-kind assistance through the EU Civil protection Mechanism. Energy sector supplies are one of the largest categories of assistance provided, and currently there are several energy sector assistance packages at different stages of the process.

UKRAINE IS FINLANDS LARGEST PARTNER IN DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

- How does Finland feel about the idea of transferring frozen assets of Russia and Russian close to the Kremlin oligarchs for the restoration of Ukraine?

- We take a favourable view of the seizure of frozen Russian assets and the repurposing of revenue from those assets to support Ukraine. A legal solution for repurposing frozen assets must be found together with partner countries.

- How much has Finland already allocated to help Ukraine and how much does it plan to allocate in the near future?

- Finlands overall support to Ukraine since the beginning of Russias full scale aggression is 2,1 billion euros, of which 1,4 billion is for defense. Ukraine is Finlands largest partner in development cooperation. We are strongly committed to continue our support for Ukraine for as long as needed.

- Does Helsinki support the fast track of Ukraine's integration to the EU?

- Finland supports Ukraines European path and we are prepared to support Ukraine in the reforms required in your EU integration path. We are impressed with Ukraines efforts so far, considering the very difficult circumstances. Finland is currently looking into the European Commissions Enlargement Package, including Ukraines country report.

I would like to highlight that the reconstruction efforts in Ukraine should go hand in hand with the reforms needed in the countrys EU path.

Yuriy Banakhevych
By Natalie Thomas

LONDON (Reuters) -An estimated 50,000 demonstrators against antisemitism marched in London on Sunday to protest against a rise in hate crimes against Jews since the attack by Hamas militants on Israel in October and Israel's subsequent bombardment of Gaza.

Protestors carried placards bearing the messages "Shoulder to shoulder with British Jews" and "Zero tolerance for antisemites." Others showed the faces of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Some people sang in Hebrew while others chanted "Bring them home" in reference to the hostages.

"Im here to support my Jewish community and I think we must stand up for ourselves, otherwise if we won't stand for ourselves who will, you know?" Avraham El Hay, a student, said.

London's Metropolitan Police received reports of 554 antisemitic offences between Oct. 1 and Nov. 1, up from 44 a year earlier, a more than 10-fold increase. Reports of Islamophobic offences almost tripled to 220 in the same period.

"I want this march to achieve for people to understand there is no place for racism in this country," Kate Worth, a travel agent, said. "We are all equal. And it's absolutely unacceptable what is happening right now for Jewish people."

Police arrested a far-right activist, Tommy Robinson, at the start of Sunday's march after he refused to leave the area at the request of police officers.

Organisers of the demonstration had asked Robinson not to attend because of the distress his presence was likely to cause.

Police also arrested a man who they said was heard to make antisemitic comments.

Sunday's march took place a day after a latest demonstration in the British capital by pro-Palestinian protestors calling for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Police estimated 45,000 people marched in the demonstration on Saturday while it said 50,000 took part in Sunday's protest.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism, which focuses on the concerns of Jewish people in Britain, said the gathering was the biggest of its kind since the so-called Battle of Cable Street in 1936 when British fascists clashed with opponents in an area of east London where many Jews lived at the time.

(Reporting by Natalie Thomas and William Schomberg, Editing by Louise Heavens)
KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Nov, 2023) As many as 455 candidates appeared in the admission test of the Department of Visual Studies, University of Karachi, which was held in 12 examination rooms at the departments of economics and history on Sunday.

The in-charge KU Directorate of Admissions Dr Saima Akhter mentioned that aspiring candidates appeared in the admission test for B. Arch, B. FA, and B. Design, in the disciplines of Architecture, Fine Art, Ceramics and Glass, Islamic Arts, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Textile Design, Film and Animation of the visual studies department of the University of Karachi. She mentioned that a two-hour long test was started at 11:00 am.

According to her, the KU would inform the candidates about the provisional merit list through email, and SMS, and they would also be able to see their results along with the necessary directives on the official web portal (www.

uokadmission.edu.pk) by December 07, 2023.

Meanwhile, the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi, Registrar Professor Dr Abdul Waheed, Dean of Arts and Social Sciences Professor Dr Shaista Tabassum, Dr Saima Akhter, in-charge VS Syed Shamoon Haider and others, Students Advisor Dr Nosheen Raza, Campus Security Advisor Dr Salman Zubiar, Medical Officer and the member of KU Syndicate Dr Muhammad Hassan Khan Auj, and others were present on this occasion and monitored the admission test proceedings.

The KU Clinic staff along with an ambulance were also present during the test proceeding. The Watch and Ward and Directorate of Admissions staff were also present for the guidance of students and separate waiting areas near the examination classrooms were established for the parents and guardians of the candidates.
By Umaru Fofana

FREETOWN (Reuters) -Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio said most of the leaders of an attack on a military barracks in the capital Freetown earlier on Sunday had been arrested, adding that security operations and an investigation were ongoing.

"We will ensure that those responsible are held accountable," Bio said on national television.

"As your commander-in-chief, I want to assure everybody who is resident in Sierra Leone that we have overcome this challenge," he said, and calm had been restored.

Earlier, the government said security forces had repelled "renegade soldiers" who attempted to break into a military armoury in Freetown during the early hours of Sunday.

A nationwide curfew was imposed. Gunfire was heard across the city as the assailants attacked a prison and a police station.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in the barracks attack or during the gunfire in Freetown on Sunday.

The country's former president Ernest Bai Koroma, said in a statement that a military guard assigned to his residence in the capital was shot point blank, while another was "whisked away to an unknown location".

Koroma did not say who shot the guard. He condemned the killing and the attack on the barracks.

"I am deeply concerned that once again our beloved nation could be subject to such insecurity," he said.

The West African country's civil aviation authority urged airlines to reschedule flights after the curfew was declared, while a soldier on its frontier with neighbouring Guinea told Reuters they had been instructed to shut the border.

A Reuters journalist, who earlier witnessed an armed group of men commandeer a police vehicle near the Wilberforce barracks, said streets were mostly empty on Sunday as residents hunkered down.

"We'll clean this society. We know what we are up to. We are not after any ordinary civilians who should go about their normal business," one of the masked men, who was dressed in military fatigues, said before driving away.

Sierra Leone has been tense since Bio was re-elected in June, a result rejected by the main opposition candidate and questioned by international partners including the United States and the European Union.

In August 2022, at least 21 civilians and six police officers were killed in anti-government protests in Sierra Leone, which is still recovering from a 1991-2002 civil war in which more than 50,000 were killed. Bio said the protests were an attempt to overthrow the government.

In his address to the nation on Sunday night, Bio called on Sierra Leone's political and traditional leaders, and civil

society to work to preserve peace.

"Let us not succumb to fear or division," he said.

Information minister Chernor Bah said earlier on Sunday that security forces were making progress in apprehending those involved in the attack, but gave no further details.

A video on social media showed three men, two in fatigues and one in civilian clothes, with their arms tied behind their backs sitting in a military truck surrounded by soldiers. Reuters has not authenticated the video.

Bah said that major detention centres including the Pademba Road prisons were attacked and inmates released by the unidentified assailants.

It was not immediately clear how many prisoners had broken out of the facility, which a U.S. State Department report said was designed for 324 inmates but held more than 2,000 in 2019.

Videos posted on social media, which were not authenticated by Reuters, showed several people fleeing from the area of the prison, while gunshots could be heard in the background.

"The security forces were forced to make a tactical retreat. The prisons were thus overran," said Bah, who had earlier declared a nationwide curfew and called for people to stay indoors.

The Economic Community of West African States condemned what it called an attempt by certain individuals to "acquire arms and disturb constitutional order" in Sierra Leone. The U.S. embassy in Freetown said such actions were not justified.

There have been eight military coups in West and Central Africa since 2020.

(Reporting by Umaru Fofana; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Alexandra Zavis, David Goodman, Jan Harvey, Alexander Smith, Louise Heavens and Giles Elgood)
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Nov, 2023) The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) appointed 32 Regional Election Commissioners (RECs) as Regional Monitoring Coordinators (RMCs) to ensure effective monitoring of the 2024 General Elections.

As stated by the ECP spokesperson, the appointed Regional Coordinators will play a crucial role in guaranteeing comprehensive monitoring at the division level. They are also responsible for guiding and supervising the monitoring teams within their respective districts during the upcoming General Elections.

The ECP will establish four-tier monitoring control rooms, with Provincial, Divisional, and District Monitoring Control Rooms operating under the supervision of the Central Monitoring Control Center in Islamabad.

Legal action will be initiated by the monitoring teams for any violations of the code of conduct in the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) conducted a one-day online training workshop for Regional Monitoring Coordinators (RMCs), where all Regional Election Commissioners in Pakistan were equipped with the necessary skills for their roles as RMCs.

The training workshop covered the Election Commission's monitoring framework and the creation of monitoring rooms at provincial, divisional, and district levels.

Following this training, Regional Monitoring Coordinators/Regional Election Commissioners will be responsible for training District Monitoring Officers and Monitoring Teams in their respective divisions.

RMCs had already undergone a two-day training session at the Election Commission Secretariat in Islamabad two months ago.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Nov, 2023) Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) will hold grand Jubilee Celebrations to mark the 50th year since its establishment from December 16 to 24.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Muhammad Umar, expressed enthusiasm for the grand Golden Jubilee celebrations during a meeting held at the main campus.

Over 10,000 doctors and proud graduates of RMU will participate in the celebrations.

These medical professionals, scattered across the globe, are a testament to the university's global impact.

Dr. Muhammad Umar, acknowledging their contributions, highlighted that Rawalains are the true capital and pride of RMU. He declared that RMU as one of the top ten universities.

In a special note of gratitude, Dr. Muhammad Umar extended thanks to Dr. Syed Hasnain Ali Johar, Chief Organizer, and Chief Coordinator of Rawalians Arabia MENA Chapter and his team for successfully commemorating the 50 years of RMU in Dubai.

Their efforts contributed to the global recognition of RMU's achievements.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Shanghai, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Nov, 2023) A year after historic protests broke out on Shanghai's bustling Wulumuqi Road, only a subtly increased police presence on main junctions betrays anything out of the ordinary.

But for many involved in what became China's most widespread demonstrations in decades, it's impossible to erase the memory of the events of last autumn.

In the early hours of November 27, 2022, vigils for victims of a fire in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi morphed into multi-city calls to end zero-Covid measures, and even in some cases topple the ruling Communist Party and leader Xi Jinping.

Authorities responded by cracking down. But in early December they abruptly lifted the strict health restrictions that had dominated people's lives for almost three years.

"Shortly after zero-Covid lifted, everyone just got back to their normal daily life.

Everyone just seems to have moved on, no one's talking about it," said Li, a protester in their twenties whose name has been changed for security reasons.

For people like Li, there is another reason for the silence: police visited her last month and warned her not to demonstrate.

"When I think about (what happened last year) I still feel I'm suffocated by it," Li told AFP.

Like many, she believed the country's harsh Covid rules had hampered rescue efforts when she joined the vigil on Wulumuqi Road to grieve the 10 people killed in the fire.

Wulumuqi is the Mandarin name for the city of Urumqi.

"When I saw so many people on that street, although I was mourning, in another way I felt safe," she said, recalling the first night of the protests.

"The atmosphere was sad, but also empowering."
Sierra Leone's president declared a nationwide curfew Sunday after gunmen attacked the military's main and largest barracks in the West African nation's capital and then overran detention centers, including a major prison.

The attack raised fears of a breakdown of order amid a surge of coups in the region.

The detention centers, including the Pademba Road Prisons  holding more than 2,000 inmates  were attacked just as security forces fought to restore calm during sustained shootouts at the Wilberforce military barracks, according to Information Minister Chernor Bah.

"The prisons were overrun [and] some prisoners were abducted by the assailants while many others were released," Bah said. Security forces managed to "push back" the assailants to the outskirts of the city where fighting continues, he added.

Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio earlier declared a nationwide curfew in response to the attacks.

An Associated Press journalist in the capital said that gunshots were still heard in the city hours after the government assured residents of calm, although it wasn't clear who was behind the exchange of fire, nor if any arrests were made.

"The security forces are making progress in the operation to defeat and apprehend those responsible for today's attacks," Bah said. "The government remains in control and on top of the situation."

The president and the country's Ministry of Information and Education also both said that the government and security forces are in control of the situation, trying to dismiss fears of a possible escalation of violence in the country whose population of 8 million people is among the poorest in the world, having some of the lowest scores on the U.N. Human Development Index.

No details were immediately given about the gunmen or the reason for the attack, which comes months after Bio was reelected for a second term in a disputed vote in which the main opposition party accused the electoral commission of rigging the results.

Videos posted online showed soldiers patrolling Freetown's empty streets and captured the loud blasts of gunshots at dawn. The AP couldn't immediately verify the authenticity of the videos.

West Africa's regional economic bloc ECOWAS  of which Sierra Leone is a member  described the incident as a plot "to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order" in the country. The bloc has in recent months tried to reverse the surge in coups in West and Central Africa, which has recorded eight military takeovers since 2020, the latest in Niger and Gabon this year.

"ECOWAS reiterates its zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government," the bloc said in a statement.

Bio was reelected in Sierra Leone's fifth presidential election since the end of a brutal 11-year civil war  more than two decades ago  which left tens of thousands of people dead and destroyed the country's economy.

He continues to face criticism because of debilitating economic conditions. Nearly 60% of Sierra Leone's population is facing poverty, with the youth unemployment rate being one of the highest in West Africa.

Two months after Bio won the disputed vote, police said they arrested several people, including senior military officers planning to use protests "to undermine peace" in the country.

A protest against the government in August last year resulted in the deaths of more than 30 people, including six police officers.
Attackers seized a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Aden, Yemen, on Sunday, authorities said. While no group immediately claimed responsibility, it comes as at least two other maritime attacks in recent days have been linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

The attackers seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden, the company and private intelligence firm Ambrey said. An American defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, also confirmed to The Associated Press that the attack took place.

Zodiac called the seizure a suspected piracy incident.

Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew onboard, Zodiac said in a statement. The Turkish-captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The vessel is carrying a full cargo of phosphoric acid.

Zodiac described the vessel as being owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc., though other records directly linked Zodiac as the owner. London-based Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofers Zodiac Group. British corporate records listed two men with the last name Ofer as a current and former director of Clumvez Shipping, including Daniel Guy Ofer, who is also a director at Zodiac Maritime.

It wasn't immediately clear who was behind the attack. Aden is held by forces allied to Yemen's internationally recognized government and a Saudi-led coalition that has battled Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for years. That part of the Gulf of Aden in theory is under the control of those forces and is fairly distant from Houthi-controlled territory in the country. Somali pirates also are not known to operate in that area.

The U.S. defense official said that it appeared an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals seized the ship.

U.S. and coalition forces are in the vicinity and we are closely monitoring the situation," the official said.

Ambrey said that it appeared that U.S. naval forces are engaged in the situation and have asked vessels to stay clear of the area.

Zodiac Maritime has been targeted previously amid a wider yearslong shadow war between Iran and Israel. In 2021, a drone attack assessed by the U.S. and other Western nations to have been carried out by Iran killed two crew members aboard Zodiac's oil tanker Mercer Street off the coast of Oman.

The British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, had earlier issued a warning to sailors that two black-and-white craft carrying eight persons in military-style clothing had been seen in the area. It issued another warning saying that radio traffic suggested a possible attack had occurred.

The Central Park seizure comes after a container ship, CMA CGM Symi, owned by another Israeli billionaire came under attack Friday by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean. Iran has not acknowledged carrying out the attack, nor did it respond to questions from the AP about that assault.

Both the Symi and the Central Park had been behaving as if they faced a threat in recent days.

The ships had switched off their Automatic Identification System trackers, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. In the Central Park's case, the vessel had last transmitted four days ago after it left the Suez Canal heading south into the Red Sea.

The attacks come as global shipping increasingly finds itself targeted in the weekslong war that threatens to become a wider regional conflict  even as a truce has halted fighting and Hamas exchanges hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

With the Israel-Hamas war  which began with the militant Palestinian group's Oct. 7 attack  raging on, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship in the Red Sea off Yemen. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the seizure of the Central Park.
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Cambodians are celebrating the return of dragon boat races at this years Water Festival after a three-year absence amid hopes it will bolster the tourism industry and an economy struggling to recover in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Luke Hunt reports. Camera: Luke Hunt, David Brown, Vicheka Kol
A bus carrying nearly three dozen Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived in the West Bank early Sunday, following Hamas' release of 13 Israelis and four foreigners in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal.

Hundreds of people burst into wild celebrations for a second night as the International Committee of the Red Cross bus arrived in Al Bireh.

Crowds chanted "God is great" as the bus arrived, and several young men stood on the roof of the vehicle. Many in the crowd held Hamas flags and chanted pro-Hamas slogans.

The teenage boys released in the deal were carried on the shoulders of well-wishers in the main square of the town. But the mood of celebration was dampened by scenes of destruction and suffering in Gaza.

Nurhan Awad received a hero's welcome from hundreds of people at the Qalandia refugee camp near Jerusalem when she arrived shortly after her release. The woman was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors.

Released Palestinian woman Shurouq Duwiyat arrived at her home in Jerusalem where joyous family members hugged and kissed her.

"We send a message to our people in Gaza that we stand by your side and support you," Duwiyat told reporters inside her home.

Also in Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out a bombing attack that wounded an Israeli police officer and left Jaabis with severe burns on her face and hands.

The late-night exchange was held up for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement. The delay underscored the fragility of the cease-fire, which has halted a war that has shocked and shaken Israel, caused widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip, and threatened to unleash wider fighting across the region.

On the first day of the cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.

Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners, during the four-day truce  all women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed  something U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.
Taliban authorities in Afghanistan arrested four local employees of Germany's main government-owned aid agency, according to the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"I can confirm that the local employees of GIZ are in custody although we have not received any official information on why they are detained," a ministry spokesperson told the Associated Press in a statement late Saturday.

"We are taking this situation very seriously and are working through all channels available to us to ensure that our colleagues are released," she added.

The German Agency for International Cooperation, or GIZ, is owned by the German government. It operates in around 120 countries worldwide, offering projects and services in the areas of "economic development, employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security," according to the agency's website.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, after the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from the country. Many foreign missions, including the German embassy in Kabul, closed their offices.

The Taliban initially promised a more moderate approach than during their previous rule from 1996 to 2001 but gradually reimposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

Girls were banned from education beyond the sixth grade and women were barred from working, studying, traveling without a male companion, and even going to parks or bathhouses and were forced to cover up from head to toe.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in September that human rights are in a state of collapse in Afghanistan more than two years following the Taliban's return to power and stripped back institutional protections at all levels.
By Gabriella Borter and Steve Gorman

(Reuters) -A suspect was arrested in the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont, local police reported early on Monday, an attack under investigation as a suspected hate-motivated crime.

A man with a pistol shot and wounded the three victims on the street near the University of Vermont in Burlington on Saturday evening and then ran away, police said in an earlier statement.

A suspect, identified as Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested on Sunday afternoon, the department later confirmed. Burlington police and the mayor's office will hold a news conference later on Monday to discuss the incident and arrest, the police said.

Two of the victims are U.S. citizens and the third is a legal U.S. resident, all 20 years old, police said. At the time of the attack, two of the men were wearing a keffiyeh, the traditional black-and-white checkered scarf worn in Middle East, police said.

The victims were reported to have been speaking Arabic when attacked, according to the Institute for Middle East Understanding, a nonprofit pro-Palestinian advocacy organization. It also said the assailant opened fire on the three men after he began to shout at and harass them. Police say he fired four shots without saying a word.

The shooting came amid a rise in anti-Islamic and antisemitic incidents reported around the United States since a bloody conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas erupted in the Middle East on Oct. 7.

"In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime," Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said in a statement earlier.

"That there is an indication that this shooting could have been motivated by hate is chilling, and this possibility is being prioritized" by police, Mayor Miro Weinberger said.

Families of the victims issued a joint statement earlier in the day urging authorities to investigate the shooting as a hate crime, as did the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, a U.S.-based advocacy group.

"The surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is another example of that hate turning violent," ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said.

The families identified the victims as Hisham Awartani, a student at Brown University in Rhode Island; Kinnan Abdel Hamid, a student at Haverford College in Pennsylvania; and Tahseen Ahmed, who attends Trinity College in Connecticut. All three are graduates of the Ramallah Friends School, a private Quaker secondary school in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the families said.

Two of the students were visiting the home of the third student's family in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Police said all three remained under medical care on Sunday, two with gunshot wounds in their torsos and one shot in the lower extremities. "Two are stable, while one has sustained much more serious injuries," police said.

(Reporting by Gabriella Borter in New York and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Caitlin Webber, Utkarsh Shetti and Susan Heavey; Editing by Josie Kao, Lisa Shumaker, Neil Fullick and Chizu Nomiyama)
Greece's prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Sunday he would push for the return of the Parthenon Marbles when he meets UK leader Rishi Sunak in Britain this week.

The sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, were taken from the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, the earl of Elgin.

Greece maintains the marbles were stolen, which Britain denies, and the issue has been a source of contention between the countries for decades.

Mitsotakis, who is due to see Sunak on Monday, likened the collection being held at the British Museum in London to the Mona Lisa painting being cut in half.

"They do look better in the Acropolis Museum, a state-of-the-art museum that was built for that purpose," he told the BBC.

"It's as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half, and you will have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum, do you think your viewers would appreciate the beauty of the painting in such a way?"

Mitsotakis added that "this is exactly what happened with the Parthenon sculptures".

"That is why we keep lobbying for a deal that would essentially be a partnership between Greece and the British Museum but would allow us to return the sculptures to Greece and have people appreciate them in their original setting," he told the Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

The 2,500-year-old collection has been on display at the British Museum since 1817.

In January, the UK government ruled out a permanent return after media reported the British Museum was close to signing a loan agreement that would see the marbles back in Athens.

Mitsotakis, who won a second term in June, said his government "had not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations".

But added: "I'm a patient man and we've waited for hundreds of years, and I will persist in these discussions."

Mitsotakis said he would also raise the issue with UK opposition leader Keir Starmer, who  if opinion polls are believed  is set to be Britain's next prime minister after an election expected next year.

The Parthenon temple  built in the 5th century BCE to honor the goddess Athena -- was partially destroyed during a Venetian bombardment in 1687, then looted.

Its fragments are scattered throughout many renowned museums.

Earlier this year, three marble fragments of the Parthenon temple that had been held by the Vatican for centuries were returned to Greece.
Israel said Sunday that Hamas militants have released 17 more hostages held in Gaza, including a 4-year-old Israeli American girl who U.S. President Joe Biden said witnessed her parents being killed by Hamas during its attack on southern Israel seven weeks ago.

The girl, Abigail Edan, was among 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals turned over to the International Committee of the Red Cross on the third day that Hamas has released hostages in exchange for Israel freeing Palestinians who had been jailed for various offenses.

Biden said, What she endured is unthinkable.

Watch related video by Veronica Balderas Iglesias:

The U.S. leader spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later about the release of the hostages during Israels planned four-day pause in its offensive on Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, the narrow territory along the Mediterranean Sea.

The White House said in a statement that Biden and Netanyahu s also discussed the pause in the fighting and surge in much needed additional humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

The prime minister thanked the president for his tireless efforts to help broker and fully implement this deal, the statement said. The two leaders agreed that the work is not yet done and that they will continue working to secure the release of all hostages.

The truce is set to end Tuesday, although Israel has said it will extend the cease-fire by a day for every additional 10 hostages Hamas releases beyond the deal now in place  a release of 50 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israel released 39 more Palestinian prisoners later Sunday.

The temporary truce is the first halt in the conflict since Hamas, in a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killed 1,200 people and seized about 240 hostages. Israel in turn vowed to eliminate Hamas and bombarded Gaza with aerial attacks and a ground offensive that Palestinian officials say has killed more than 14,000 people, about 40% of them children.

Aside from the Israeli American girl released Sunday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told ABCs This Week show that Hamas has been holding eight other Americans and a foreign national with U.S. employment rights.

Biden said he hopes other American hostages would be released by Hamas as well and said he would like to see the truce extended as long as prisoners are being released.

"We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones," Biden said.

Ahead of the latest hostage release, Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke with troops. "We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return everyone.

We are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us, Netanyahu said. It was not immediately clear where he went inside Gaza.

While the cease-fire with Hamas seemed to be holding, the Palestinian health ministry said that Israeli forces shot dead at least six Palestinians overnight on the West Bank.

Hamas released 17 hostages late Saturday, 13 Israelis and four Thais. A short time later, early Sunday, Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

The hostages were released hours later than expected after the militant group accused Israel of violating the exchange agreement, claims Israeli officials denied.

Qatari and Egyptian mediators were able to address Hamas concerns, and the hostages were then released just before midnight.

Of the 13 released Israelis on Saturday, there were seven children and six women, most from Kibbutz Beeri. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.

The Israelis released Sunday ranged from 4 to 84. Included among those released Sunday three Thai nationals.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., United Kingdom, the European Union and others.

Although one of Israels preconditions for the swap was not to split the families of the abductees, at least two families from Kibbutz Beeri were split. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza.

One was Hila Rotem, 12, whose mother remains with Hamas.

Of the 39 Palestinian prisoners freed, 33 were children and six were women, a Qatari spokesperson said.

Television images showed prisoners being welcomed home.

The most prominent Palestinian released was Israa Jaabis, 38, who was convicted of a checkpoint bombing attack in 2015 that wounded a police officer. She suffered burns and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

VOAs Natasha Mosgovaya contributed to this report. Some information for this article was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said Sunday that it would summon the Irish ambassador over a tweet celebrating the release of a 9-year-old girl from Hamas captivity, alleging the post didn't adequately condemn the militant group.

Earlier Sunday, the Irish prime minister lauded the release of Emily Hand, an Israeli-Irish girl whose story has captivated both nations.

An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.

The girl was initially believed to have been killed in the Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel by Hamas and other militants. A month ago, her father learned that she was alive and among the 240 people held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

The Hamas attack, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel, triggered a blistering Israeli air and ground assault on Gaza in which at least 14,000 Palestinians, about two thirds of them women and children, have died.

Emily was one of 17 hostages released by Hamas Saturday, the second day of a four-day cease-fire that allowed critical humanitarian aid into Gaza and gave civilians their first respite after seven weeks of war.

Israeli government officials criticized Varadkar's tweet, arguing that it cast what happened to Emily as a disappearance rather than a violent abduction by Hamas militants.

Mr. Prime Minister, It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check! Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen tweeted. He alleged that Varadkar was trying to legitimize and normalize terror, and summoned the Irish ambassador to Israel for a reprimand.

Irish government figures came quickly to the prime ministers defense. The Irish minister for public expenditure, Paschal Donohoe, said Varadkar has been unambiguous in condemning the violence of Hamas and also calling for restraint from Israeli military forces.

Irelands foreign affairs department said that the government has been clear at every stage that all hostages abducted by Hamas should be released immediately and unconditionally. It said the Irish ambassador was to meet Israeli Foreign Ministry officials Monday.

The summons is the third issued by Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Israel has also called in the ambassadors of Belgium and Spain after the countries' leaders criticized Israel for the high civilian death toll in Gaza. The Spanish leader also called for European Union recognition of a Palestinian state.
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A 4-year-old Israeli American girl was freed Sunday as part of the cease-fire between Israel and the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas. President Joe Biden celebrated the childs release as he expressed hopes that the cease-fire is extended. VOAs Veronica Balderas Iglesias has the story.
Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians, including at least one militant, in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said Sunday, as a fragile pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip entered its third day.

Violence in the West Bank has surged in the weeks since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, setting off a devastating war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians and arrested hundreds in the West Bank. Jewish West Bank settlers have also stepped-up attacks.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that five Palestinians were killed in the militant stronghold of Jenin, while three others were killed in separate areas of the West Bank since Saturday morning. One of those killed, in al-Bireh in the central West Bank, was a teenager, the ministry said.

The Israeli military said it killed five Palestinians in a gunbattle during its operation in the Jenin refugee camp, where it was arresting a Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli father and son at a West Bank car wash earlier in the year.

The military said those killed were militants. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group claimed one of the men, identified as Asaad al-Damj, 33, as a member, while the remainder were not immediately linked to militant groups. The military said, without specifying further, that it was backed by air power that struck and wounded what it said were armed Palestinians.

The military also said it was looking into the reports of the other incidents.

In the refugee camp, debris was strewn along the streets of the densely populated urban neighborhood and the wall of one house had a large hole in it.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said Israeli snipers were positioned on roofs and that military bulldozers were damaging roads and infrastructure. The reports could not immediately be independently verified, but the Israeli military said it was using "engineering equipment" to uncover explosive devices buried under roads.

In its bid to pursue militants, Israel clamped down on the West Bank immediately after the Hamas assault, closing crossings and checkpoints between Palestinian towns.

Israel and Hamas have briefly halted fire to allow for more aid to enter Gaza and permit a hostage release in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

In last month's surprise attack, Hamas and other Gaza militants killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took about 240 hostage. Several dozen soldiers have been killed since Israel began its ground invasion into Gaza shortly after the attack.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Vast swaths of the Gaza Strip have been flattened and some 1.7 million Palestinians have fled their homes.

The intensified violence in the territory follows more than a year of escalating raids and arrests in the West Bank and deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Before the Hamas assault, 2023 was already the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in over two decades.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories as part of their hoped-for independent state.
Japan and China are hoping to hold security talks "in the near future," Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Saturday after meeting with China's top diplomat Wang Yi in South Korea.

The talks between Kamikawa and Wang marked the first time the two senior diplomats had met since Kamikawa became Japan's foreign minister in September and followed the first face-to-face talks in a year by their countries' leaders earlier this month.

"We confirmed that we are seeking further close communication on a variety of issues ... and we are hoping to hold security talks in the near future," Kamikawa told reporters.

An account of the meeting released by China's Foreign Ministry said Wang had emphasized the need for both sides to make clear they "do not pose a threat to one another," while respecting "each other's legitimate concerns."

Kamikawa said Japan was seeking a lifting of a Chinese ban on all Japanese seafood-related exports in the wake of the wastewater release from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The Chinese ministry said it opposes "Japan's irresponsible practices" and that there was a need to establish a "long-term monitoring mechanism for all stakeholders."

Japan and China will also seek high-level talks on the economy, Kamikawa said, adding that no date had been set.

China's President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met on the sidelines of an international conference in the United States on Nov. 17, where they agreed to pursue mutually beneficial relations.

They appeared to emphasize shared economic interests amid a series of diplomatic disputes that have plagued relations between the two countries, including the release of wastewater from Fukushima into the Pacific and the detainment of a Japanese national in China.

Kamikawa said she communicated Japan's stance on these issues, but also emphasized that Japan and China will be in close communication on the matters that divide them.

"We also discussed issues that the countries must work together on... and we were able to have a meaningful exchange of views on climate change, international insurance, development finance, as well as the North Korea situation," she said without elaborating.

Kamikawa and Wang will attend trilateral talks with their South Korean counterpart Park Jin on Sunday.
An Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda claimed to have seized a military base in the north of Mali, inflicting heavy losses on the country's military.

The Malian army, however, said it had repulsed attacks on bases in the Timbuktu region Friday.

Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) took control of the Niafunke camp Friday with the help of a suicide-bomb vehicle, the group said on its Al-Zallaqa Foundation media platform.

That statement was verified Saturday by SITE, a U.S. organization that follows radicalized groups.

Tens of soldiers were killed or wounded in the battle, and two captured, JNIM claimed.

It released photos showing five armored vehicles it claimed to have captured, along with weapons and ammunition.

It said that dozens of soldiers had been killed or wounded and two had been taken prisoner. It was not possible to immediately verify the information.

JNIM often abandons camps they capture after a few hours.

The group also claimed to have hit another army camp, a few miles away in Goundam, with mortar fire.

The Mali military said on social media that the attacks had been "energetically repelled."

"After artillery fire on the two camps, the assailants tried in vain to occupy them and were routed," it said.

Verifying claims by either side is complicated because access to the region is difficult and dangerous.

Since 2012, Mali has been ravaged by groups affiliated to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, as well as by self-declared self-defense forces and bandits.

The north in particular has seen intensified military clashes following the recent withdrawal of United Nations forces at the demand of the ruling junta, which set off fighting between the military and Islamist and separatist forces to control the area.
The British Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on Ukraine that Russias recent transport movements indicate that Russia has likely moved its strategic air defense systems from its Baltic coast enclave of Kaliningrad.

This move from Kaliningrad which is surrounded on three sides by NATO member states highlights the overstretch the war has caused for some of Russias key, modern capabilities.

Saturday was Holodomor Remembrance Day in Ukraine, a time when Ukrainians remember the famine that starved several million people to death in the 1930s because of Soviet policies.

The Holodomor  which means death by starvation in Ukrainian  was a deliberate policy of Josef Stalin that Ukrainians, along with more than 30 countries, consider genocide but something Moscow denies.

On Holodomor Saturday, Kyiv was rocked by Russias largest drone attack since its invasion of Ukraine in February of last year. Ukraine said it shot down 74 of the 75 Iranian-designed Shahed drones launched by Russia in a six-hour air raid.

Five people, including a child, were wounded in the attack, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschkos Telegram post. Sixty-six of the drones were downed over Kyiv, Ukraine's air force said. The damage caused power outages for 17,000 people, a city official said.
Meeting for the first time in about four years, the top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China agreed Sunday to revive cooperation among the Asian neighbors and resume their leaders' trilateral summit  but without a specific timing.

Closely linked economically and culturally with one another, the three countries together account for about 25% of the global gross domestic product. But efforts to boost cooperation have often hit a snag because of a mix of issues including historical disputes stemming from Japan's wartime aggression and the strategic competition between China and the United States.

"We three ministers agreed to restore and normalize three-nation cooperation at an early date," South Korean Foreign Minister told reporters after his meeting with Japan's Yoko Kamikawa and China's Wang Yi in Busan, South Korea.

Park said the three ministers affirmed an earlier agreement by lower-level officials to restart the summit "at the earliest mutually convenient time" and agreed to expedite preparations for the meeting. Kamikawa separately said the ministers agreed to speed up their work to achieve the summit "at an early and appropriate timing."

The three also agreed to push for diverse cooperation projects in areas such as people-to-people exchange, trade, technology, public health, sustainable development and security, according to South Korean and Japanese statements.

The lack of an agreement on the timing for the trilateral summit would suggest the top-level gathering won't likely happen this year as South Korea, the chair of the next summit, had hoped, observers say. Still, Kamikawa said that a reactivation of a trilateral diplomacy "is an important step toward achieving an upcoming Japan-China-South Korea summit."

Since they held their first stand-alone, trilateral summit in 2008, the leaders of the three countries were supposed to meet annually. Instead, the summit has been suspended since 2019. The meeting Sunday was also the first since 2019.

South Korea and Japan are key U.S. military allies, hosting a total of 80,000 American troops on their territories. Their recent push to beef up a trilateral security cooperation with the United States has angered China, which is extremely sensitive to any moves it perceives as seeking to contain its rise to dominance in Asia.

But some observers say that the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden struck a conciliatory tone in their first face-to-face meeting in a year earlier this month would provide Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing with diplomatic rooms to maneuver to find ways to revive three-way cooperation.

After her meeting with Wang on Saturday, Kamikawa said she renewed Japan's demand that China remove its ban on seafood imports from Japan in response to Tokyo's discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from its tsunami-hit nuclear power plant. Wang, for his part, said China opposed Japan's "irresponsible action" of releasing the wastewater and called for an independent monitoring mechanism of the process, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Ties between South Korea and Japan deteriorated severely in past years due to issues originating from Japan's 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. But their relations have warmed significantly in recent months as the two countries took a series of major steps to move beyond history wrangling and boost cooperation in the face of North Korea's advancing nuclear program and other shared challenges.

In a reminder of their difficult relations, however, a Seoul court earlier this week ordered Japan to financially compensate Koreans forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during the colonial period.

During her meeting with Park earlier Sunday, Kamikawa called the court verdict "extremely regrettable" and urged South Korea to take appropriate steps to remedy the breaches of international law, according to Japan's Consulate in Busan. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the ministers discussed the court ruling as well as ways to work together to reinvigorate three-way cooperation with China. The ministry also said that both strongly condemned the North's spy satellite launch last week.

Park also asked Wang for China to play a constructive role in persuading North Korea to halt provocations and take steps toward denuclearization, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry.

Wang described China as "a stabilizing force" in the region that has "always played and will continue to play a constructive role in easing the situation on the peninsula," according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. It said Wang called for stronger trade and economic ties between the two countries and criticized the "tendency to politicize economic issues."

North Korea's growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles poses a major security threat to South Korea and Japan. But China, North Korea's last major ally and biggest source of aid, is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea and shipping covert assistance to the North to help its impoverished neighbor stay afloat and continue to serve as a bulwark against U.S. influences on the Korean Peninsula.

On Sunday, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. held maritime drills involving the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula, their latest show of force against North Korea.

North Korea typically views such U.S.-involved military training as an invasion rehearsal.
A suicide bomber struck a Pakistani military convoy in a volatile northwestern region Sunday, wounding at least 11 soldiers.

Multiple official sources confirmed to VOA the attack occurred in Bannu, a garrison city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. They described the condition of at least three injured personnel as critical.

The armys media wing did not immediately comment on the bombing.

The anti-government Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, known to have close ties with neighboring Afghanistans ruling Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Bannu and several adjoining Pakistani districts, including North Waziristan on the Afghan border, routinely experience militant attacks.

Pakistan alleges fugitive militants have intensified their violent campaign in the country from sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Islamist Taliban reclaimed power there two years ago.

Officials say the violence has killed more than 2,300 Pakistanis, mostly security forces. The bloodshed has strained Islamabads relations with the de facto Afghan government in Kabul.

Most of the violence has been claimed by the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, an alliance of more than a dozen militant insurgent groups.

Pakistani officials say around 6,000 TTP members, including senior commanders, have taken refuge and operate freely out of Afghan soil to direct cross-border terrorism, charges Taliban authorities reject.
By Jeff Mason

NANTUCKET, Massachusetts (Reuters) - A 4-year-old American girl captured after seeing her parents slain by Hamas fighters who stormed southern Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7 was among 17 hostages released on Sunday as part of an Israeli-Hamas prisoner exchange, President Joe Biden said.

Abigail Edan, who turned four while in captivity, became the third person with U.S. citizenship freed by Hamas during seven weeks of bloodshed between the Iranian-backed Palestinian militia that controls the Gaza Strip and the Israeli military.

Relatives told CBS News last week the toddler, in the event that she were released, would go to stay with family members in Israel who have already taken in her two older siblings.

Abigail, a dual Israeli citizen, was freed as part of a deal to swap 50 hostages held by the Palestinian militant group for 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails over a four-day truce period.

It was the first halt in the conflict since Hamas launched its surprise cross-border raid on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Hamas characterizes its armed activities as resistance against Israeli occupation.

In response, Israel vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Israeli-occupied Gaza, bombarding the crowded coastal enclave and mounting a ground offensive in the north. Palestinian health authorities say Israel has killed some 14,800 people, roughly 40% of them children.

Biden said the toddler had witnessed Hamas fighters killing her parents during the Oct. 7 raid and had been held captive since then.

"What she endured is unthinkable," the president told a news conference.

"We hoped and prayed today would come," Liz Hirsh Naftali and Noa Naftali, Edan's great aunt and cousin, said in a statement, thanking Biden and the Qatari government for their work in getting Abigail released. "There are no words to express our relief and gratitude that Abigail is safe and coming home."

Biden spoke with members of the girl's family in the United States and Israel after her release, the White House said in a statement.

FROM CAPTIVITY TO RELATIVES IN ISRAEL

Noa Naftali had said in a CBS News interview last week that if Abigail were released she would go to stay with an aunt, uncle and grandparents living in Israel.

Her siblings were already there, Noa Naftali said, and the family can provide "the love and support that they need after losing their parents."

Abigail was on her way to a hospital for medical examination, Israel's Channel 13 reported on Sunday.

Her grandfather, Carmel Edan, told Reuters he "simply could not believe" she had been returned, thanking Biden "for all the help he's offered us."

According to Noa Naftali, Abigail had been held captive in Gaza with neighbors also taken from the Kfar Aza kibbutz, where the toddler, her parents and her siblings lived.

Abigail's mother was killed in front of the girl and her two older siblings, Noa Naftali said, adding that Abigail then ran outside to her father, who picked her up but was "gunned down while holding her."

Abigail "crawled out from underneath him and went over to the neighbors, who took her in, and they were also taken hostage  a mother, a 10-year-old, an 8-year old and a 4-year old who goes to preschool with Abigail," Noa Naftali said.

She told CBS that Abigail's older siblings, aged 6 and 10, escaped by locking themselves inside a closet for 14 hours.

Hamas said it handed over 17 hostages on Sunday, including Abigail and four other foreign nationals, and Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners in return.

Two other Americans with dual Israeli citizenship, Judith Tai Raanan, 59, and her daughter Natalie, 17, were freed by Hamas on Oct 20, becoming the first captives whose release by Hamas was confirmed by both sides in the conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call with Biden on Sunday thanked him for his "tireless efforts to help broker and fully implement" the deal to release hostages, according to a White House readout of the call.

The two leaders agreed to continue working to secure the release of all hostages, the White House said, and would "remain in close contact over the coming days."

Biden said he expects Hamas to release other U.S. hostages as well, and that he wants the pause in the fighting to be extended as long as prisoners are being released.

"We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones," Biden said.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason in Nantucket; Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan and Moira Warburton in Washington and Jason Lange in Buffalo, NY; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by David Goodman, Alexander Smith, Mark Porter, Josie Kao and Lincoln Feast)
Ten of thousands of people participated in a march against antisemitism in London on Sunday protesting a rise in hate crimes against Jews since the October 7 attack by Hamas militants on Israel and Israel's subsequent bombardment of Gaza.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among the estimated 60,000 demonstrators in the first march of its kind since the Israel-Hamas war began and the largest gathering against antisemitism in London for decades according to organizers. Johnson marched along the U.K.'s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and other senior government officials.

Protestors carried placards with the message "Shoulder to shoulder with British Jews" "Never Again Is Now," and "Zero tolerance for anti-Semites." Others showed the faces of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militant group Hamas in a show of solidarity with the Jewish communities which have recently suffered a spate of hate crimes, especially in the nations capital.

Some people sang in Hebrew while others chanted "Bring them home" in reference to the hostages held by Hamas, which been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., United Kingdom, the European Union and others.

London's Metropolitan Police received reports of 554 antisemitic offences between Oct. 1 and Nov. 1, up from 44 a year earlier, a more than 10-fold increase. Reports of Islamophobic offences almost tripled to 220 during the same period.

Police arrested a far-right activist, Tommy Robinson, at the start of Sunday's march after he refused to leave the area at the request of police officers.

Organizers of the demonstration had asked Robinson not to attend because of the distress his presence was likely to cause.

Sunday's march took place a day after a latest demonstration in the British capital by pro-Palestinian protestors calling for a permanent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
The Ukrainian military destroyed eight of nine attack drones launched overnight by Russia, the air force said Sunday, a day after what Ukrainian officials said had been Russia's largest drone attack of the war.

There were no immediate reports of damage or about where the remaining drone had struck.

Kyiv was rocked Saturday by Russias largest drone attack since its invasion of Ukraine in February of last year. Ukraine said it shot down 74 of the 75 Iranian-designed Shahed drones launched by Russia in a six-hour air raid.

Five people, including a child, were wounded in the attack, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschkos Telegram post. Sixty-six of the drones were downed over Kyiv, Ukraine's air force said. The damage caused power outages for 17,000 people, a city official said.

Ukraine has warned in recent weeks that Russia will target critical infrastructure in a winter aerial campaign, as it did last year.

"It looks like tonight we heard the overture. The prelude to the winter season," Serhiy Fursa, a prominent Ukrainian economist, wrote on Facebook.

The Russian defense ministry said Sunday it intercepted at least 24 drones and shot down two Ukrainian S-200 surface-to-air missiles over Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Smolensk and Bryansk.

"A mass drone attack was attempted overnight," said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, adding that Ukrainian drones were shot down in several areas of the Moscow region.

The missiles were shot down over the Sea of Azov, the ministry said.

One person was injured in Tula when an intercepted drone hit an apartment building, the region's governor, Alexei Dyumin, said.

The Kommersant newspaper said that flights were delayed or canceled at Moscow's main airports because of the drone attack.

In the Russian-controlled Ukrainian region of Donetsk a Russian-installed official said that Ukrainian forces had struck the energy system, leaving some people without heat or power.

Russian soldiers morale

As the war grinds into its second winter, a growing number of Russian soldiers want to get out of Ukraine, as revealed in secret recordings of Russian soldiers calling home from the battlefields of the Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions in Ukraine.

Secret recordings of these conversations, obtained by The Associated Press, offer a rare glimpse of the war through Russian eyes  a point of view that seldom appears in Western media, mainly because Russia has criminalized any critical conversation about the conflict in Ukraine. The recordings also show the grueling conditions Russian soldiers endure in the battlefield.

There's no dying the death of the brave here, one soldier told his brother. You just die, like an earthworm, he said.

The voices in these calls are of men who didnt or couldnt flee mobilization. Some had no money, no education and no options. Others believed in patriotic duty.

The AP verified the identities of people in the calls by speaking with relatives and soldiers  some of whom are still at war in Ukraine  and researching open-source material linked to the phone numbers used by the soldiers.

There were also voices of soldiers committed to the fight.

As long as we are needed here, we will carry out our task, a soldier named Artyom told AP from eastern Ukraine at the end of May, where hed been stationed for eight months without break. Just stop asking me these stupid questions.

Germany debt

Berlin may not be able to finance responses to growing challenges such as climate change and the Ukraine war as Europe's largest economy has already dealt with years of chronic under-investment, contributing to its current stagnation, economists say.

German under-investment is already around 300 billion euros over the past decade vis-a-vis other AAA-rating economies, according to Scope Ratings.

Business and political leaders have even started to campaign publicly for fiscal rectitude.

"As I have long been saying, we must fear that the debt brake becomes ever more a brake on the future," said Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner on social media platform X.

Saturday was Holodomor Remembrance Day in Ukraine, a time when Ukrainians remember the famine that starved several million people to death in the 1930s because of Soviet policies.

The Holodomor  which means death by starvation in Ukrainian  was a deliberate policy of Josef Stalin that Ukrainians, along with more than 30 countries, consider genocide but something Moscow denies.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia has carried out 911 attacks, killing 19 Ukrainians and wounding 84 across the country in the last week.

"The enemy is intensifying its attacks, trying to destroy Ukraine and Ukrainians," he said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. It was doing so deliberately, "just like 90 years ago, when Russia killed millions of our ancestors."

Some information for this article was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
On the cusp of the COP28 climate talks, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited frozen but rapidly melting Antarctica and said that intense action must be taken at the conference where countries will address their commitments to lowering emissions of planet-warming gases.

"We are witnessing an acceleration that is absolutely devastating," Guterres said Thursday about the rate of ice melt in Antarctica, which is considered to be a "sleeping giant."

"The Antarctic is waking up, and the world must wake up," he added.

Guterres was on a three-day official visit to Antarctica. Chilean President Gabriel Boric joined him for an official visit to Chile's Eduardo Frei Air Force Base on King George Island.

Guterres also was scheduled to visit the Collins and Nelson glaciers by boat.

He described the U.N. climate change conference that begins in Dubai next week as an opportunity for nations to "decide the phase-out of fossil fuels in an adequate time frame" to prevent the world from warming 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial temperatures.

Guterres said the COP28 conference also gives nations the chance to commit to more renewable energy projects and to improve energy efficiency of existing grids and technologies.

The U.N. chief also said he thinks that Sultan al-Jaber, the president of the upcoming climate talks and head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, has a "bigger responsibility" to encourage the fossil fuel industry to make more clean energy investments because of his ties to the sector.

"He needs to be able to explain to all those that are responsible in the fossil fuel industry, and especially to the oil and gas industry that is making obscene profits all over the world, that this is the moment to use those profits instead of doubling down on fossil fuels," Guterres said.

Warming air and ocean temperatures are causing Antarctic ice to melt. The frozen continent plays a significant role in regulating Earth's climate because it reflects sunlight away and drives major ocean currents.

For years, scientists and environmentalists have kept an eye on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet as an important indicator of global warming. A study published in Nature Climate Change last month said warming has increased to the point that the ice sheet will now experience "unavoidable" melting regardless of how much the world reduces emissions of planet-warming gases like carbon dioxide.

The study's lead author, Kaitlin Naughten, estimated that melting ice in Antarctica's most at-risk areas could raise global sea levels by about 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) over the next few centuries.

Another study published in Science Advances, also last month, reported that nearly 50 Antarctic ice shelves have shrunk by at least 30% since 1997 and 28 of those have lost more than half their ice in that short period of time.
JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON  Hamas said its armed wing has handed over 13 Israeli hostages and four foreign nationals to the International Red Cross in Gaza Saturday night. The group is traveling to Egypt's shared border with the enclave, a Qatari source told Reuters.

Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari echoed this in an earlier social media post, although his numbers were different, saying that the five Israeli women and eight children will leave Gaza with seven foreigners.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Saturday afternoon with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told him the exchange was back on and that the International Committee of the Red Cross was moving to collect the hostages.

Biden was briefed throughout Saturday on the latest of the hostage deal implementation, said Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.

Hours earlier, the armed wing of Hamas delayed Saturday's scheduled second round of hostage releases because, it said, Israel had not met all the truce conditions, including allowing all promised aid trucks into northern Gaza.

Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan said only 65 of 340 aid trucks that had entered Gaza since Friday had reached northern Gaza, which was "less than half of what Israel agreed on."

Qadura Fares, the Palestinian commissioner for prisoners, also said Israel had failed to fulfill the terms of the Palestinian prisoner releases based on seniority.

Avi Dichter, a member of Israel's security Cabinet, told Channel 13 News that Israel was "abiding by the deal" with Hamas that Qatar had mediated.

The row over the truce had dashed hopes of a smooth second day of hostage and prisoner releases after 13 Israeli women and children were freed by Hamas on Friday, along with 11 foreigners. Israel released 39 Palestinian women and teenagers from its jails.

Eight of the freed Israeli hostages released Friday were treated at Israel's Schneider Children's Medical Center. The four children and four women all appeared to be in good physical condition, the medical center said.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (AP) South Africa, Colombia and other countries that lost out in the global race for coronavirus vaccines are taking a more combative approach toward drugmakers and pushing back on policies that deny cheap treatment to millions of people with tuberculosis and HIV.

Experts see it as a shift in how such countries deal with pharmaceutical behemoths and say it could trigger more efforts to make lifesaving medicines more widely available.

In the COVID-19 pandemic, rich countries bought most of the worlds vaccines early, leaving few shots for poor countries and creating a disparity the World Health Organization called a catastrophic moral failure.

Now, poorer countries are trying to become more self-reliant because theyve realized after COVID they cant count on anyone else, said Brook Baker, who studies treatment-access issues at Northeastern University.

One of the targets is a drug, bedaquiline, that is used for treating people with drug-resistant versions of tuberculosis. The pills are especially important for South Africa, where TB killed more than 50,000 people in 2021, making it the countrys leading cause of death.

In recent months, activists have protested efforts by Johnson & Johnson to protect its patent on the drug. In March, TB patients petitioned the Indian government, calling for cheaper generics; the government ultimately agreed Johnson & Johnson's patent could be broken. Belarus and Ukraine then wrote to the company, also asking it to drop its patents, but with little response.

In July, Johnson & Johnsons patent on the drug expired in South Africa, but the company had it extended until 2027, enraging activists who accused it of profiteering.

It had been paying about 5,400 rand ($282) per treatment course, more than twice as much as poor countries that got the drug via a global effort called the Stop TB partnership.

In September, about a week after South Africas probe began, Johnson & Johnson announced that it would drop its patent in more than 130 countries, allowing generic-makers to copy the drug.

This addresses any misconception that access to our medicines is limited, the company said.

Christophe Perrin, a tuberculosis expert at Doctors Without Borders, called Johnson & Johnson's reversal a big surprise because aggressive patent protection was typically a cornerstone of pharmaceutical companies' strategy.

Meanwhile, in Colombia, the government declared last month that it would issue a compulsory license for the HIV drug dolutegravir without permission from the drugs patent-holder, Viiv Health care. The decision came after more than 120 groups asked the Colombian government to expand access to the World Health Organization-recommended drug.

This is Colombia taking the reins after the extreme inequity of COVID and challenging a major pharmaceutical to ensure affordable AIDS treatment for its people, said Peter Maybarduk of the Washington advocacy group Public Citizen. He noted that Brazilian activists are pushing their government to make a similar move.

Still, some experts said much more needs to change before poorer countries can produce their own medicines and vaccines.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Africa produced fewer than 1% of all vaccines made globally but used more than half of the worlds supply, according to Petro Terblanche, managing director of Afrigen Biologics. The company is part of a WHO-backed effort to produce a COVID vaccine using the same mRNA technology as those made by Pfizer and Moderna.

Terblanche estimated about 14 million people died of AIDS in Africa from the late 1990s into the 2000s, when countries couldnt get the necessary medicines.

Back then, President Nelson Mandelas government in South Africa eventually suspended patents to allow wider access to AIDS drugs. That prompted more than 30 drugmakers to take it to court in 1998, in a case dubbed Mandela vs. Big Pharma.

Doctors Without Borders described the episode as a public relations disaster for the drug companies, which dropped the lawsuit in 2001.

Terblanche said that Africa's experience during the HIV epidemic has proven instructive.

Its not acceptable for a listed company to hold intellectual property that stands in the way of saving lives and, so, we will see more countries fighting back, she said.

SEE ALSO: Report: Ending AIDS Is Political, Financial Choice Challenging pharmaceutical companies is just one piece to ensuring Africa has equal access to treatments and vaccines, Terblanche said. More-robust health systems are critical.

If we cant get [vaccines and medicines] to the people who need them, they arent useful, she said.

Yet some experts pointed out that South Africa's own intellectual property laws still haven't been changed sufficiently and make it too easy for pharmaceutical companies to acquire patents and extend their monopolies.

While many other developing countries allow legal challenges to a patent or a patent extension, South Africa has no clear law that allows it to do that, said Lynette Keneilwe Mabote-Eyde, a health care activist who consults for the nonprofit Treatment Action Group.

The South African department of health didn't respond to a request for comment regarding drug procurement and patents.
LONDON (AP) Tens of thousands of people turned out on central London's streets on Saturday for a pro-Palestinian march calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.

At least five people were arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred, police said.

The National March for Palestine was the latest of several huge protests staged in the British capital and many European cities every weekend since the Israel-Hamas war began last month.

Saturday's protests came on the second day of a four-day cease-fire that has allowed critical humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and given civilians their first respite after seven weeks of war.

The Metropolitan Police said officers arrested a man on suspicion of inciting racial hatred "near the start of the protest." The man was spotted carrying a placard with Nazi symbols on it, police said.

Later Saturday, police said they arrested four more people who distributed "literature featuring a swastika inside a Star of David."

Officers handed out leaflets at the march that sought to clarify what would be deemed a criminal offense, after the force faced pressure from senior government officials to be tougher on alleged displays of antisemitism at the protests.

"Anyone who is racist or incites hatred against any group should expect to be arrested. As should anyone who supports Hamas or any other banned organization," said Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Ade Adelekan. "We will not tolerate anyone who celebrates or promotes acts of terrorism  such as the killing or kidnap of innocent people  or who spreads hate speech."

The force said 1,500 officers were deployed to police the march.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir, the Islamist group, also protested Saturday outside the Egyptian Embassy in London. Police said two women who were seen holding offensive placards were arrested for a racially aggravated public order offense.

In Paris, a march staged for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women drew both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli activists as well as other groups.

Some protesters, waving Palestinian flags and posters reading "Free Palestine," walked in a show of solidarity with "Gaza and Palestine's women who are being murdered."

A group of Jewish women also joined the march to denounce crimes committed by Hamas, including rapes and killings, chanting, "We are women, we are proud, we are Jewish and we are angry."

Meanwhile, some pro-Palestinian protests were organized over the weekend in France's major cities including Strasbourg, Lyon and Marseille.

In Vienna, many marched amid the first snow in the city, waving Palestinian flags at a "Peace for Palestine" rally. Organizers called on the Austrian government to back a cease-fire in Gaza, the release of all Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the lifting of the Gaza blockade.

Organizers warned potential participants ahead of Saturday's demonstration that any antisemitic or far-right actions would be "stopped immediately" and offenders would be asked to leave the event.

Tens of thousands of people are also expected to take part in a march organized by the Campaign Against Antisemitism charity on Sunday to show solidarity with the Jewish community in the U.K.
Hamas on Saturday released a second group of Israeli and foreign civilians it had been holding hostage in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, after an hours-long unexpected delay set nerves on edge.

Israeli authorities said 13 Israelis and four Thai citizens had returned to Israel.

The joint announcement by the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security service came after the prime minister's office said in a statement that the government "embraces the 17 hostages that are returning home, 13 of our citizens and 4 Thai citizens".

Hamas's armed wing said earlier that it had handed over 13 Israelis and seven foreigners to the Red Cross. The reason for the discrepancy in the reported number of foreigners released was not immediately clear.

The handover came hours later than expected after the militant group accused Israel of violating the exchange agreement, claims denied by Israeli officials.

The unexpected delay had caused heartache for relatives as Qatari and Egyptian mediators scrambled to address the Islamist group's concerns that Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and was not allowing aid to reach civilians in northern Gaza during the four-day truce.

Hamas said it had "responded positively" to Egyptian and Qatari mediators, after they relayed a promise by Israel to "uphold all the conditions of the accord".

Qatar had said that in the second exchange of the truce, 13 Israeli hostages -- eight children and five women -- would be released in return for 39 Palestinian prisoners -- 33 children and six women.

Seven foreigners held in Gaza would also be released, Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Israeli officials denied any breach of the terms of the pause.

Hamas had accused the Israeli army of preventing aid from reaching northern Gaza, its main centre of operations, where troops have forbidden civilians from returning during the truce which began early Friday.

The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said that in "several reported incidents" on Friday, "Israeli forces opened fire and threw teargas canisters at people heading northwards; at least one person was reportedly killed, and dozens injured."

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said seven people had been wounded in similar incidents on Saturday.

Saturday's delay followed an initial exchange on Friday when Hamas released 13 Israelis, all of them women and children.

Israel in turn released 39 Palestinian women and children from its prisons under an agreement that mandates exchanges at a ratio of three to one.

Ten Thais and one Filipino were also unexpectedly freed by Hamas.

Hamas fighters snatched around 240 people when they broke through Gaza's militarised border with Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli authorities.

Following the deadliest attack in its history, Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.

- 'Finally home' -

A video released by Hamas showed masked militants with rifles, wearing military fatigues and the green headband of the Islamist movement's armed wing, handing hostages over to the Red Cross on Friday.

In a Tel Aviv suburb, people applauded and held up Israeli flags as helicopters flew in the freed captives.

At Israel's Wolfson Medical Center, which received five elderly women hostages, Dr Shoshi Goldner said "there was no one in the room that could hold his feelings and stop crying".

"You are finally home in a safe place," Goldner said.

"Today we are excited about the returnees, but I want us not to forget all those who have not yet returned," Yael Adar, daughter-in-law of former hostage Yaffa Adar, 85, told Israel's Ynet news website.

Hamas is expected to free a total of 50 hostages during the truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, under an agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Egypt said that it had received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more hostages and prisoners.

"It's only a start, but so far it's gone well," US President Joe Biden told reporters, adding "the chances are real" for extending the truce.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for "a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression".

But Israeli armed forces chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi insisted Saturday that the war to eliminate Hamas would resume as soon as the pause in fighting ends.

"We will return immediately at the end of the ceasefire to attack Gaza," Halevi said.

"We will also do this in order to dismantle Hamas, also to create a great deal of pressure to return as quickly as possible and as many abductees as possible, every last one of them," he added.

- Palestinians celebrate -

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, fireworks exploded and crowds filled the streets. The freed prisoners waved Palestinian and Hamas flags.

"I was just waiting for the day I would be released from prison so I could hug my mother like this," said Rawan Abu Matar, who served eight years for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier.

In Israel, authorities asked the media to let the newly freed hostages reunite with loved ones in privacy.

Among those released was Hannah Katzir, 76, who according to her family uses a walking frame and needs medication.

Mothers and their children were also freed, including Doron Katz-Asher, 34, and her two young daughters.

In an emotional reunion at an Israeli hospital, nine-year-old Ohad ran to hug his father after he was released along with his mother and grandmother.

- More aid -

The pause in fighting in Gaza opened the way for more aid to Palestinians struggling to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Israel had placed Gaza under near-total siege.

Trucks carrying supplies including fuel, food and medicines began moving into Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt on Friday, and more entered on Saturday.

In Rafah, many waited to fill gas canisters for cooking. "All the people are hoping and ready for it to make their lives easier," said one resident, Ezzeddine Abu Omeira.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of Gaza's 2.4 million people have been displaced by the fighting.

Since the truce, thousands have been returning to what is left of their homes.

"We are civilians," said Mahmud Masood, standing in front of flattened buildings in Jabalia, northern Gaza. "Why have they destroyed our houses?"

A woman sat on top of a mound of debris with her head in her hands, crying.

In southern Gaza, AFPTV drone images showed people walking or riding in donkey carts along paths cleared through piles of rubble.

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Six people have been remanded in custody over the killing of a French teenager whose death at a village dance party sparked political controversy in France, prosecutors said Sunday.

Last weekend a 16-year-old pupil, identified only as Thomas, was stabbed when a group of outsiders descended on a festive crowd gathered in Crepol, in the southeastern region of Drome, for a dance party in the village hall.

He died on his way to hospital. Eight others were injured, three of them seriously.

On Tuesday, nine suspects were detained in connection with the teenager's murder.

Three are minors, the others are aged between 19 and 22.

Even before the arrests, far-right politicians had been quick to blame the attack on youths from immigrant backgrounds from public housing.

On Wednesday, more than 6,000 people marched in the southeastern town of Romans-sur-Isere, where Thomas's high school is located, in memory of the pupil.

On Sunday, some 40 ultra-right activists gathered in the centre of the town but were dispersed by police, while around a hundred marched through the town on Saturday evening.

The protesters clashed with police on Saturday, and several people were injured, said a police source, with 24 arrested over the weekend.

- 'Unacceptable violence' -

Local public prosecutor Laurent de Caigny denounced the "unacceptable violence" over the weekend and called for "calm and respect for everyone" during a press briefing on Sunday.

"No one can take justice into their own hands outside the law", he added, calling on investigators to be allowed to work given the "extreme seriousness" of the case.

Thierry Devimeux, the prefect of the Drome region, also condemned the violence during a briefing on Sunday.

He said one activist had been removed from his car by unknown assailants and "beaten up" and his vehicle "burnt".

After 96 hours in police custody, the suspects in Thomas's killing were transferred to the Valence courthouse on Saturday.

The public prosecutor's office had requested the opening of an investigation into charges including attempted murder and "murder in an organised gang."

Nine people have been placed under investigation, de Caigny said in a statement, without providing further details.

"Six people, including two minors, were remanded in custody," he added. "Three people, including one minor, were placed under judicial supervision."

More than a hundred witnesses have been questioned but the prosecutor said on Saturday that the motive and the details of the crime had not yet been established in full.

According to the preliminary investigation, an altercation that began inside the dance hall, possibly linked to a remark about the hairstyle of one of the suspects, continued outside. More young people arrived in one or two cars.

Nine witnesses reported hearing remarks aimed against "white people", said the public prosecutor.

However, de Caigny said that the investigation cannot at this stage state with certainty that the victims have been targeted on the basis of their race, ethnicity, or religion.

Most of the suspects admit to having been in Crepol, but deny having stabbed anyone.

Around 2,000 people attended the teenager's funeral in the village of Saint-Donat-sur-l'Herbasse on Friday.

The far-right branded the assault as anti-white racism.

"Now anti-white racism is hitting our countryside," Marion Marechal, the leading candidate for the far-right Reconquete party of ex-presidential hopeful Eric Zemmour in next year's European elections, claimed on X, formerly Twitter.

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President Joe Biden expressed his optimism regarding Hamas releasing American hostages 'soon' on Saturday.

Biden has spent the weekend on the island of Nantucket, off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The president addressed a gaggle of press Saturday, and was asked about the possible release of American hostages, which include nine citizens and one green card holder, after 17 were released the same day.

SENATE MUST PASS SHIP ACT TO COUNTERACT IRAN'S TERRORISM

"Im hopeful you'll see something soon," Biden said.

A four-day truce began Friday to allow for the release of two groups of hostages, who were released in two groups over the last two days. The entire first family has been met with protesters on behalf of Palestinians during their stay.

Saturday's group included 13 Israelis and 4 Thai hostages, with an age range of hostages from age three, Yahel Shoham, to 67, Shoshan Haran. Israel Defense Forces plans to transport them to Israeli hospitals before reuniting them officially with their families. The day marked the 50th day they had been hostage to Hamas.

There were nine relatives across four families released together. However, 13-year-old Hila Rotem was among the hostages returned to Israel despite her mother, Raaya Rotem, 54, remaining in the custody of Hamas. It was part of the deal between Israel and Hamas that families not be separated. Raaya's condition remains unknown.

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"We will not stop until every single one of the hostages is reunited with their families," Israel wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Israel exchanged 39 Palestinian civilians to Hamas to seal the deal Saturday. According to Israeli officials, over 62% of those Palestinians detained by Israel have committed terror attacks such as shooting, stabbing, or setting off explosives. Another 14% attempted terror attacks, over 10% had terror contact, and the remaining 11% had committed "other" crimes.

Original Location: Biden 'hopeful' American hostages will be released from Gaza 'soon'

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The defense official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said the Malta-flagged vessel was suspected to have been targeted by a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone while in international waters. The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship but not injuring any of its crew.

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We continue to monitor the situation closely, the official said. The official declined to elaborate on what intelligence the U.S. military gathered to assess that Iran was behind the attack, though authorities suspect Tehrans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard carried out the assault.

The same drones have been used by Russia in its war on Ukraine, as recently as in a barrage launched Saturday that Kyiv described as Moscows biggest drone attack since the war began.

Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab satellite channel that is politically allied with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, reported that an Israeli ship had been targeted in the Indian Ocean. The channel cited anonymous sources for the report, which Iranian media later cited.

CMA CGM, a major shipper based in Marseille, France, referred questions to the Symis owner, Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping. That company is ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.

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A statement issued on behalf of Eastern Pacific acknowledged the company being aware of claims that a container ship under the companys management was targeted in a possible security incident overnight on Friday.

The vessel in question is currently sailing as planned, the statement said. All crew are safe and well.

The company through representatives declined to answer any questions. The Israeli military referred questions to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which did not respond.

In November 2022, the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon, also associated with Eastern Pacific, sustained damage in a suspected Iranian attack off Oman.

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In recent days, the Symis crew had been behaving as though they believed the ship faced a threat.

The ship had its Automatic Identification System tracker switched off since Tuesday when it left Dubais Jebel Ali port, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. It had done the same earlier when traveling through the Red Sea past Yemen, home to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

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The attack is likely to have been targeted, due to the vessels Israeli affiliation through Eastern Pacific Shipping, the private intelligence firm Ambrey told the AP. The vessels AIS transmissions were off days prior to the event, indicating this alone does not prevent an attack.

Irans mission to the United Nations didnt respond to a request for comment. However, Tehran and Israel have been engaged in a yearslong shadow war in the wider Middle East, with some drone attacks targeting Israeli-associated vessels traveling around the region.

On Saturday, the British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, said an entity declaring itself to be the Yemeni authorities had ordered at least one ship away from a location off Hodeida, Yemen, in the Red Sea.

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Vessels in the vicinity are advised to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity, it warned.

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq also have launched attacks on American troops in both Iraq and Syria during the war. However, Iran itself has yet to be linked directly to an attack.

Iran has been wary of intervening in the ongoing Middle East crisis and is likely to avoid any action that might escalate the conflict, the Eurasia Group, a geopolitical risk firm, said in an analysis. Small-scale attacks on U.S. forces and Israel by Irans allies throughout the region suggest Tehran is willing to turn up the heat in a limited fashion, but unless the attacks cause U.S. casualties or significant damage, a major U.S. response is unlikely.

Meanwhile on Saturday, Bahrains state-run news agency reported that its national carrier, Gulf Air, had been targeted in a hack that may have seen some information from its email and client database accessed.

A statement posted online by a self-described group calling itself Al-Toufan, or The Flood in Arabic, claimed the hacking of Gulf Air. Days earlier, another statement claimed that it hacked the Foreign Ministry and other government websites purportedly over the island kingdoms stance on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

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Isabel DeBre contributed to this report from Jerusalem.
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ST. JOHNS, Newfoundland  Canada and the European Union said Friday they are making strides toward new partnerships on green energy, digital transformation and research funding, as a Canada-EU Summit got underway in the Atlantic coast province of Newfoundland. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced during opening remarks Thursday evening that Canada is joining Horizon Europe, a $100 billion scientific research program. Afterward, the two parties said in a joint statement on Friday that substantive negotiations are complete and they are working toward its prompt signature and implementation.

Canadian companies are already benefiting from Horizon and have for many years, but there is much more that well be able to access now that we are full partners, Trudeau said.

It is an exciting articulation of what have been long-standing partnerships between scientists on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Ottawa and Brussels started negotiations on Canada joining it a year ago, with an initial goal of signing the agreement this past spring.

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Canada has also worked out a deal to build water bombers and ship them to the EU, after both regions faced devastating forest fires this past summer.

And Canada and the EU have announced what they are calling a new Green Alliance, which is focused on deepening existing partnerships on fighting climate change, halting biodiversity loss and intensifying technological and scientific co-operation.

A new digital partnership was also part of the package of announcements on Friday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Canada is a perfect match for Europes resource needs, and she urged Ottawa to join a global partnership on the issue that the EU will launch within weeks.

Trudeau also said Canada and the EU are committed to helping Ukraine continue in its fight against the Russian invasion, and announced that Canada is donating additional small arms and ammunition to the country.

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The Australian school science curriculum lacks breadth and depth, and provides little guidance to teachers about content, setting students up for failure against the worlds top-performing countries, a major study has found.

A major study benchmarking the nations science curriculum against seven comparable countries shows Australia has half the content of other education systems, omits or includes only a low level of some essential topics and teaches other content years later than in other systems. Victorias curriculum has even less content than the national one.

A major study benchmarking the nations science curriculum against seven comparable countries shows Australia has half the content of other education systems. Credit: iStock

The study by Learning First, an education consultancy that does policy work for governments, has called for an overhaul of the curriculum, saying the entire process of development and review has been shockingly poor and stands to broaden the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged schools.

NSW and Victoria adapt the curriculum for their own schools, but other states and jurisdictions follow the national version that sets out a baseline level of guaranteed learning content for all students.
The UK gave us mini skirts, bumster jeans and bustles, courtesy of Mary Quant, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. Now Australian designers are repaying our countrys style debt.

In the rush towards Christmas, the racks of London department stores are heaving with Australian labels.

Rebecca Vallance is stocked in three of Londons biggest department stores, as the British embrace Australian design. Back from a special event at Harrods, Vallance poses in her new Brisbane store. Credit: Glenn Hunt

Harrods, in the midst of a 200 million ($382 million) makeover, stocks 18 Australian fashion brands. Across the road at Harvey Nichols there are 11 Australian labels, while a brisk walk through Hyde Park takes you to Selfridges where there are 16.

The London woman is the same as the Australian woman, says Rebecca Vallance, who was named Marie Claire magazines Designer of the Year on Tuesday and is stocked in all three UK stores. She loves to get dressed up for an event, whether its Ascot, the festive season or a night on the town.
While it was lovely to be taken care of, we all tend to regress when were living with our parents. Its impossible not to feel infantilised, and theres a real tipping point where you start to lean into learnt helplessness. I stayed for four months before I moved out to house-sit a friends place. Then I launched myself into dating to try to find a man to have a family with. After the roller-coaster of dating, I decided to start fertility treatment on my own, and by the time it began, Id found a stable job and was renting an apartment. When I got pregnant, I was elated but also terrified about how I would raise a kid on my own, financially and emotionally. Luckily, after I gave birth, my parents invited me to live with them, so I moved back for the first three months of my sons life. While it was wonderful to have the emotional and practical support, after three months I felt that If I didnt get out there to live as an independent person, I would quickly lose any sense of what I was capable of. But Im incredibly grateful for the time I had living with my parents; I know its a huge privilege to have them as a safety net. I ended up writing a memoir, Inconceivable, about my journey to become a solo mum  and the complexities of being a woman in your late 30s who has to start over and move back in with your parents. I think while were all embracing this contemporary feminist movement where women can create families of their own making, were also realising that we need help, that parenthood cant happen alone.

We sold our home to go travelling and now we cant get back into the market Yearning for a tree change, Tess Moone, a 31-year-old travel writer, sold her Perth home only to discover that a suitable rental was almost impossible to find. Our initial quick stay with Danes parents has stretched out month after month. My husband Dane and I became home owners at the age of 21. We thought we were doing all the right things; we bought a house 10 minutes from Perths CBD, where I was working. But after the pandemic we began questioning our lifestyle choices. Did we really want to kill ourselves to pay a million-dollar mortgage in the city when we were leaning towards a tree change in Margaret River? So we sold our home in February and spent six months travelling around Europe and Japan. Our plan, once we returned to Perth, was to stay at Danes parents house while we looked for a rental in Margaret River. We figured wed be with my in-laws for three to four weeks, but we didnt realise how bad the rental crisis in the region is. Weve been offering more than the asking price and/or offering more rent upfront to secure a place, but as theres a preference to rent to families or those whove rented before, we keep getting knocked back. Our initial quick stay with Danes parents has stretched out month after month. Were living in one of their spare rooms and have our boxes stored in another.

I love my parents-in-law, so there have certainly been upsides. Were spending a lot of quality time together and theyre really lovely about trying to give us as much space as possible, often booking weekends away so that Dane and I get the house to ourselves for a couple of days. Weve also worked out our perfect system for sharing the load; theyll cook dinner for half the week, for example, and well cook the other half, so the division of labour has been a positive experience. Loading The most challenging aspects? Theyre retired, so theyre home a lot. And I work from home, so its a little tougher for me than it is for Dane, who works in an office. I get lots of invitations from my mother-in-law to join her and her friends for lunch or coffee when Im supposed to be working, which is probably not the worst thing to complain about. Despite our love for his parents, the anxiety Dane and I have been feeling has increased as times gone by. So much so that weve just agreed to move into a friends holiday home, sight unseen, even though well have to move back in with Danes parents during the times the friend wants to use it, such as at Christmas. It isnt ideal, but its one step back towards independence. If wed known then what we know now, wed never have sold our home. Its a shame we dont value multi-generational living more than we do

Job insecurity and financial practicality encouraged Rachel Claire, a 32-year-old photographer, to move back in with her parents in 2019. The great thing about living with your parents when youre an adult yourself is that you dont take any of it for granted. My parents and I have always been close. When I first moved out of home at the age of 22, my parents would always find reasons to pop by, whether it was just a quick visit after work or to fix things or mow my lawn. I could say they struggled with becoming empty-nesters, but I think its more accurate to say weve just always enjoyed each others company. With my career as a photographer, I was in and out of the country a lot, spending money on rent when I wasnt often at home  crazy when youre in an industry where theres very little job security. Eventually, my parents said that maybe it was a good idea to move back home for a while so I could come and go with minimal financial impact while I was establishing myself. I wasnt so sure initially; I loved my freedom and struggled with the idea of falling back into traditional parent/child roles in my late 20s. But when I started thinking about the benefits  particularly my parents home security systems, which are very handy when youve got expensive gear  I accepted and moved back in.
Australia is one of the worlds most successful multicultural societies. As social tensions are increased by conflicts elsewhere, it is vital that we recognise that it didnt happen by accident.

European Union countries are now voting for governments that promise to better manage, or minimise, immigration. Italy has elected Giorgia Meloni, Hungary continues to endorse Viktor Orban, and in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders, who has long channelled and stoked Dutch concerns over immigration (especially from majority Muslim countries), received a huge slice of the vote and may be in a position to form government.

Right-wing demonstrators shout at people protesting against the victory of Geert Wilders in the Dutch general election on Thursday. Credit: Getty Images

And those countries dont have the problems of some of their neighbours. In Germany, parallel societies are entrenched and children are growing up illiterate in two languages, as policymakers have fretted. France has had the highest number of home-grown Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe and, last month, Sweden called on its army to help police tackle an epidemic of gang violence. Just this year, there have been 324 shootings in the nation of just over 10 million, 48 of them fatal.

Anti-immigration violence is escalating, too. In Ireland this week, a migrant man attacked and stabbed children and their teacher. Before the motivation was even known, far-right groups started rioting in the centre of Dublin, yelling anti-immigration chants.
Loading Professor Steven Faux, who co-leads the St Vincents clinic, said 25 per cent of his patients had given up work. Their most common symptoms are fatigue, breathlessness, cognitive impairment, headaches and a resurgence of childhood asthma. Sometimes theres some associated mental health issue like anxiety and depression, he said. He said international research had found that 90 per cent of people with long COVID have improved symptoms after two years. The clinic, which is seeing patients who contracted COVID between last December and March, will soon double its employees to reduce its waiting lists to a few months.

Faux said while earlier strains of the virus were more likely to lead to long COVID, more people caught Omicron, so there has been no slowing down of new long-COVID cases. Ann Van Leerdam, who is in her 40s, has been battling long COVID since January. Shes so exhausted at the end of the day that she goes to bed at 7pm most nights, often before her 10-year-old son. I will never get back the year of my sons life that I havent been able to engage in, she said.

Loading Because I go to bed so early, I dont get to tuck him in some nights. As well as the fatigue, Van Leerdam struggles to walk. Its like the power goes out in my legs, she said, as she shuffled across her living room in Murrumbeena, in Melbournes south-east. The condition has also affected the community development officers cognitive skills: she struggles to write emails in the afternoon and sometimes forgets words. Van Leerdam works four days a week, and taking extended sick leave is not an option as she has to pay off the mortgage on her apartment.

She said if she contracted COVID again, she would have to spend $1130 on antivirals because she does not qualify for a subsidy. She is yet to find a doctor who will validate her experience and provide her with strategies for managing the condition. Ann Van Leerdam has been unable to find a doctor who can help her manage long COVID. Credit: Paul Jeffers Its baffling how little infrastructure has been put in place for sufferers, she said. Dr Jenny Huang, a GP who works at the Geelong Long COVID Clinic, would like to see more training and remuneration for GPs to help them care for long-COVID patients.

She said it was common for patients to recount how doctors had ordered a battery of tests and then told them nothing was wrong. They are left with their own devices to get better, she said. They have struggled to find people who will take them seriously. Doctors Bernard Shiu, Jenny Huang and Victor Wong at the long-COVID clinic in Geelong. Credit: Jason South Her clinic sees about 15 long COVID patients each week, with each consultation running for an hour or more. Some patients have driven for four hours to visit the GP-led long-COVID clinic, which is the only one of its kind in Victoria. It assesses patients, provides them with strategies for managing the condition and might refer them to occupational therapists, exercise physiologists or cardiologists.
Legislation that gives judges power to strip terrorists of their dual Australian citizenship will be introduced into federal parliament next week, as the government scrambles to reclaim the political agenda after weeks of criticism over its handling of immigration policy and the arrival of a boat of asylum seekers to the countrys shores.

Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil confirmed the citizenship-stripping legislation for dual citizens would be introduced in next weeks final full sitting week before the summer break, in response to High Court rulings striking down a similar Coalition-era law.

Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil will introduce new citizenship-stripping laws for terrorists next week. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The ministers office provided little detail about the substance of the law on Saturday, but government sources unauthorised to speak publicly said the new legal regime would centre on ensuring it was the courts, not the minister, that exercised power to strip terrorists of their dual Australian citizenship.

This was the key legal failing in the case of convicted Algerian-born terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika, whose citizenship was restored after the High Court ruled against its cancellation earlier this month, finding that criminal conduct can only be punished by the judiciary, and not the government, due to the separation of powers.
In the wake of a knife attack in Dublin last week that sparked Irelands worst anti-immigrant violence in recent memory, people in the country and beyond are celebrating a Brazilian immigrant who intervened to end the assault.

An online fundraiser set up to Buy Caio Benicio a pint, a standard token of appreciation in the country, had as of Saturday afternoon (Ireland time) raised more than 330,000 (about $550,000) for Benicio, a Rio de Janeiro native who lives in the Irish capital and witnessed the stabbing while passing by on his moped.

Deliveroo driver Caio Benicio stopped a knife attacker outside a Dublin school. Credit: Getty Images

Benicio, who was on a job for the delivery service Deliveroo, told Irish national broadcaster, RTE, that he slowed down when he saw what appeared to be a fight, but which turned out to be a man stabbing a small girl while a woman tried to pull her away from the attacker.

It was everything by instinct  I remember I took off my helmet, to protect myself and use it as a weapon, he said. Just hit him in the head with all the power I have. And he fell down.
Former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie does not believe that former President Donald Trump will concede if he loses any of the Republican presidential primaries.

Christie cited the 2020 election as a reason why he does not believe that the former president will "ever concede" any election he has lost. The former New Jersey governor also said he does not care what Trump says about whether he won an election or not, while speaking on ABC's This Week on Sunday.

KARL ROVE BELIEVES DESANTIS NEEDS STRONG PERFORMANCE IN IOWA: 'DO OR DIE'

"Look, no one will expect him to concede. He hasn't conceded the 2020 election. Who cares?" Christie said.

"The secretary of state of New Hampshire will certify the votes. You'll get the delegates per the RNC rules, and we'll move on to the next race. I don't suspect he'll ever concede [that] he's ever lost any election even though he lost primaries in 2016 to Ted Cruz, and he'll lose primaries this time as well," he added.

Christie reiterated that the rules will govern who actually wins or loses, as was the case in 2020, and that his goal is for President Joe Biden to not win a second term in the White House.

When asked if he is concerned Trump could launch a third-party bid if he loses the Republican presidential nomination, Christie said the public would ignore him if he loses the GOP primary.

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"I think the public en mass will begin to ignore a four-time loser like Donald Trump if he loses this set of primaries. You know, he lost in 2018 in the House, he lost in 2020, in the Senate and in the White House. And in 2022, he led us to more losses in the governorships and in the Senate, and if he loses in 2024 will be a four-time loser," Christie said. "I think he'll go back to Mar-a-Lago. He'll continue to carp and moan and complain and say we don't deserve him. Anything that gets him out of this race and, and what keeps him out of the White House is fine by me."

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Christie, who has poured most of his campaign resources into the early primary state of New Hampshire, said his campaign will focus on South Carolina and Michigan after the Granite State.

Trump is the front-runner in the Republican primary, leading the field in New Hampshire with 45.7%, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, compared to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's 18.7%, Christie's 11.3%, and Gov. Ron DeSantis's (R-FL) 7.7%.

Original Location: Chris Christie does not expect Trump to concede even if he loses GOP primary

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Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has stated that people need to be an "aggressive listener" amid the conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza.

Swalwell described how many areas of the United States are seeing a rise of both Islamophobia and antisemitism, noting that there is "nothing easy about this high-wire act" of defeating Hamas and protecting innocent lives in both Israel and Gaza. The lawmaker has seen an increase in Islamophobia in his own district, and that antisemitism is at a "peak" in the United States, he said on MSNBC's Inside with Jen Psaki.

NORTH KOREA SATELLITE LAUNCH PORTENDS NEW ERA OF RUSSA GIVING TECH TO ROGUE REGIMES

"You can do all of that, you can say Hamas is a terrorist state, you can say Israel should protect against innocent life, you can be pro-Palestinian, anti-Hamas, and pro-Jewish state, and against the leadership of Israel right now, and not be contradictory," Swalwell said. "As I say, you have to be an aggressive listener right now, and I think we'll all be better off, and the policy would be better if that's the approach we take."

Swalwell went on to state that President Joe Biden has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to try and minimize casualties among civilians in the country's war against Hamas, noting that people should ask "what would the alternative be" in regards to criticism some have given Biden over his leadership in this conflict.

The California Democrat predicted that if former President Donald Trump were currently president, the U.S. and Israel would be in "a World War III scenario" with Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas.

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"President Biden has not sent a single American into the conflict, but he is now pulling American hostages out of the conflict," Swalwell said. "We're supporting Israel, we're getting aid into the region. So far we've held off other enemies of Israel and America, that's why President Biden was elected, and that's why I think he needs to be given the room to negotiate what is ultimately the resolution of this conflict."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Hamas released 17 of its hostages on Sunday during a temporary ceasefire that commenced on Friday. Among the hostages released was Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old American-Israeli girl whose parents were killed in the Oct. 7 terror attacks.

Biden has confirmed in remarks that Edan's "free, and she's in Israel now." He added that he is "hopeful" that other Americans would be released soon.

Original Location: Eric Swalwell asks for people to be 'aggressive listener' amid Israel-Hamas conflict

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A Claremorris councillor has called on Mayo County Council to stop vehicles speeding through a village in South Mayo.

Independent Cllr Richard Finn put forward a motion at last weeks Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District calling on the local authority to make immediate provisions for traffic calming at Crossboyne village.

Cllr Finn acknowledged all the upgrades that Crossboyne has received over the last few years through various projects but said the overlay in the village is inadequate for the amount of traffic using it.

The general consensus in the village of Crossboyne is that traffic is travelling too fast through the village. Its alright saying theres a narrow bridge through the village to slow down the traffic, but that narrow bridge is only allowing one line of traffic through. If one person comes through and another comes from the other side, you know whats going to happen, Cllr Finn said.

The top end of the village, coming into the turn, is a speed trap, because people come in at higher speeds coming off a good road.

Cllr Finn was delighted with the written response from senior engineer Conrad Harley who supported the proposal.

Its great that the people of Crossboyne are being listened to.

Fine Gael Cllr Tom Connolly seconded the motion saying that a survey was carried out recently that showed an average of 1,100 vehicles travelling through Crossboyne on a daily basis. Cllr Connolly remarked that it was a significant amount for a village the size of Crossboyne.
On Tuesday, November 28, Anam Cara will hold its Mayo meeting in the Royal Theatre in Castlebar at 7:15pm. All bereaved parents in the area are most welcome to attend, regardless of the age of the child or circumstances of death.

Meanwhile, Anam Cara is recruiting participants for its Camino walk next year. Last spring, a wonderful group of supporters of Anam Cara walked part of the famous Camino de Santiago. Each person on the trip could relate to the overwhelming sense of loss, whether they had lost a child themselves or supported someone whose child had died.

Speaking about her experience, one bereaved Mum said: "I came across an advertisement for the Anam Cara Camino walk a few months after my son's death and completed it one month before his first anniversary. Anam Cara has been so good for my mental well-being, and I had heard that people find great peace walking the Camino, so decided to find out more. I had the absolute pleasure of walking with other bereaved parents who understood what the experience meant to me. By sharing our stories along the way, I felt that each of us brought our children along with us on the journey.

On the 28th of April 2024, the group will depart Dublin to take on the final section of the Portuguese Coastal Camino, where they will be walking from Oia to Santiago. The total distance is approx. 110km over the week. If you would like some more information, please contact Jamie on j.conway@anamcara.ie or 01 4045378. All funds raised will ensure Anam Cara continue their support services for bereaved parents, nationwide.
If there is any one issue or crisis that has highlighted the problems that exist in the Irish health service, and pointed to the fact it is out of control and unmanageable in its present form and structure, it is the recent announcement of a near blanket ban on recruitment of new staff.

I believe the decisions made by Bernard Gloster, CEO of the HSE, should have been made many years ago when it became apparent that normal financial controls could not contain the budgets, and over-runs became the norm. I am no financial, business or management wizard, but a total moron would know that regular budget overruns are an indication of poor controls in different divisions of the service.

And before trade union members start writing to the Editor to tell him about staff shortages and everything else that is wrong in the health service, I wish to say that a blanket ban on recruitment is a very blunt instrument. It will penalise areas of service where there is a genuine need for new staff members. It may lead to some professionals deciding to emigrate, and it will inevitably lead to a surge in recruitment when the ban is lifted.

What it will do, however, is focus minds on the awful crisis that exists, and has existed for years in the provision and funding of health services in this country. An in-depth examination is urgently needed into the way our health services are organised, managed and funded. I hope that the radical action taken by CEO Mr Gloster is the first step in moving to a critical analysis of a monumental horror in our midst. Health services and, indeed, the HSE are too important to society to be allowed to move from one crisis to another.

Former Minister Brian Cowen described the health portfolio as being like Angola, which was then in the grips of a landmine crisis. It was a throw-away remark but it still signified the attitude of political leaders to what was, and is, the daunting task of bringing health spending under some control, while at the same time providing modern services. It has been obvious over the past number of years, as the health service expanded, that politicians were prepared to throw money at it while avoiding the tough job of making it fit for purpose and value for all the money put into it.

There are areas where the level of provision is scandalously low. Mental health services, especially for young people, are a scandal, equally so is the ridiculous situation where patients remain in acute hospital beds because public health services are unable to provide services for them at home. There are many, many other areas, of contradictions and gaps in service provision, that no one appears able to sort out.

With all of that said, I can testify from family experiences, and from friends, that everyone who got through the trauma of the awful accident and emergency waiting times, and got a hospital bed for a variety of treatments, were all in awe of the level of services, the efficiency of service and the totality of care. It is sad that such an extraordinary level of care and medical treatment should be tarnished by the inability to deal adequately with annual budgets and with areas that cause crises and reputational damage to the entire service.

Mr Gloster, when he announced the freeze on recruitment, said the service was on course to exceed its 2023 funded workforce target, which was neither affordable nor sustainable. It was reported that he wrote to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to tell him there needed to be a clear government-wide understanding that circa three-quarters of the deficit cannot be achieved without significant and punitive risks to the public.

The Department of Health budget allocation for 2023 was 23.4 billion. Recently, the Oireachtas Committee on Health was told the budget deficit for this year would be 1.4 to 1.5 billion.

Hopefully, this is the start of a new era and attitude in dealing with the demands of providing a modern and comprehensive health service.
QUAKERTOWN, Pa. - Springfield Township police have arrested a 57-year-old Quakertown man for assaulting a male child under the age of 13.

Police say Steven Gorman is accused of felony indecent assault, corruption of a minor, and endangering the welfare of a child, for actions that took place in his home on Trolley Bridge Road in Quakertown.

Police had been investigating Gorman since late October, and arrested him on Nov. 16.

For his alleged actions, Gorman is charged with felony indecent assault, corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children.
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY., Pa. - A woman who worked as a state prison employee in Schuylkill County has been charged with institutional sexual assault and other criminal offenses.

Jennifer Newberry was charged and arrested on Nov. 22, according to court documents.

A state official confirms a Jennifer Newberry had been employed at the State Correctional Institution of Frackville until she resigned in August. Various prison documents found online refer to a Jennifer Newberry as Assistant to the Superintendent and as Public Information Officer.

The 48-year-old Newberry is charged with institutional sexual assault, a contraband offense involving a telecommunication device, delivering obscene material inside a correctional institute, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

Court documents say that from June 15 - June 22, 2023 Newberry texted nude videos and photos of herself to an SCI Frackville inmate. Documents continue to say she destroyed a cellphone she gave to the inmate on June 26.

The press secretary for the Corrections Department would only confirm for 69 News that Newberry had resigned.
IDLIB, Syria (AP)  Syrian government forces shelled a northwestern village Saturday killing at least 10 people, including seven children, as they picked olives, a paramedic group and relatives of the victims said.

The shelling of the village of Qawqafeen, in Idlib province, is the latest violation of a truce reached in March 2020 between Russia and Turkey, who back rival sides in Syrias 12-year conflict that has killed half a million people.

Syrian government officials have not commented on the strike.

Hundreds of people have been killed or wounded over the past years in violations of the truce that ended a monthslong Russian-backed government offensive on northwestern Idlib province, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria.

The shelling of the farm was reported by the Britain-based opposition war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the oppositions Syrian Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets.

The White Helmets said it treated one woman who was wounded and handed over the bodies of the dead to their families.

Omar Qadda, whose cousin, Abdallah Saeed, was killed in the strike along with Saeed's children, sister and sisters children, said he was nearby when the shells landed and rushed to the scene.

There was no attack launched from our area, he said. They were civilians and children.

Munir Mustafa, deputy director of the civil defense, said the emergency responders have seen an escalation in strikes launched by government forces since October, including on farmers.

The targeting of farmers and preventing them from reaping their crops or cultivating their lands is a dangerous indicator for ... food security in northwestern Syria, he said.

The escalation in northwest Syria began with a drone strike in early October on the Homs Military Academy that killed 89 people, including 31 women and five children. No group claimed responsibility for the attack but the Syrian military accused insurgents of carrying it out and launched a brutal campaign of airstrikes on opposition-held areas of northwest Syria in retaliation.

Idlib is home to more than 4 million people, many of them internally displaced by Syrias conflict that broke out in March 2011. The war displaced half the countrys prewar population of 23 million and left large parts of Syria destroyed.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Meeting for the first time in about four years, the top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China agreed Sunday to revive cooperation among the Asian neighbors and resume their leaders trilateral summit  but without a specific timing.

Closely linked economically and culturally with one another, the three countries together account for about 25% of the global gross domestic product. But efforts to boost cooperation have often hit a snag because of a mix of issues including historical disputes stemming from Japans wartime aggression and the strategic competition between China and the United States.

We three ministers agreed to restore and normalize three-nation cooperation at an early date, South Korean Foreign Minister told reporters after his meeting with Japans Yoko Kamikawa and Chinas Wang Yi in Busan, South Korea.

Park said the three ministers affirmed an earlier agreement by lower-level officials to restart the summit at the earliest mutually convenient time and agreed to expedite preparations for the meeting. Kamikawa separately said the ministers agreed to speed up their work to achieve the summit at an early and appropriate timing.

The three also agreed to push for diverse cooperation projects in areas such as people-to-people exchange, trade, technology, public health, sustainable development and security, according to South Korean and Japanese statements.

The lack of an agreement on the timing for the trilateral summit would suggest the top-level gathering wont likely happen this year as South Korea, the chair of the next summit, had hoped, observers say. Still, Kamikawa said that a reactivation of a trilateral diplomacy "is an important step toward achieving an upcoming Japan-China-South Korea summit.

Since they held their first stand-alone, trilateral summit in 2008, the leaders of the three countries were supposed to meet annually. Instead, the summit has been suspended since 2019. The meeting Sunday was also the first since 2019.

South Korea and Japan are key U.S. military allies, hosting a total of 80,000 American troops on their territories. Their recent push to beef up a trilateral security cooperation with the United States has angered China, which is extremely sensitive to any moves it perceives as seeking to contain its rise to dominance in Asia.

But some observers say that the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden struck a conciliatory tone in their first face-to-face meeting in a year earlier this month would provide Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing with diplomatic rooms to maneuver to find ways to revive three-way cooperation.

After her meeting with Wang on Saturday, Kamikawa said she renewed Japans demand that China remove its ban on seafood imports from Japan in response to Tokyos discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from its tsunami-hit nuclear power plant. Wang, for his part, said China opposed Japans irresponsible action of releasing the wastewater and called for an independent monitoring mechanism of the process, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Ties between South Korea and Japan deteriorated severely in past years due to issues originating from Japans 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. But their relations have warmed significantly in recent months as the two countries took a series of major steps to move beyond history wrangling and boost cooperation in the face of North Koreas advancing nuclear program and other shared challenges.

In a reminder of their difficult relations, however, a Seoul court earlier this week ordered Japan to financially compensate Koreans forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during the colonial period.

During her meeting with Park earlier Sunday, Kamikawa called the court verdict extremely regrettable and urged South Korea to take appropriate steps to remedy the breaches of international law, according to Japans Consulate in Busan. South Koreas Foreign Ministry said the ministers discussed the court ruling as well as ways to work together to reinvigorate three-way cooperation with China. The ministry also said that both strongly condemned the Norths spy satellite launch last week.

Park also asked Wang for China to play a constructive role in persuading North Korea to halt provocations and take steps toward denuclearization, according to South Koreas Foreign Ministry.

Wang described China as a stabilizing force in the region that has always played and will continue to play a constructive role in easing the situation on the peninsula, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. It said Wang called for stronger trade and economic ties between the two countries and criticized the tendency to politicize economic issues.

North Koreas growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles poses a major security threat to South Korea and Japan. But China, North Koreas last major ally and biggest source of aid, is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea and shipping covert assistance to the North to help its impoverished neighbor stay afloat and continue to serve as a bulwark against U.S. influences on the Korean Peninsula.

On Sunday, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. held maritime drills involving the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula, their latest show of force against North Korea.

North Korea typically views such U.S.-involved military training as an invasion rehearsal.

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Japan and Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan contributed to this report.
Artists from the Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra of Beijing, China perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States on Nov. 24, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Artists from a leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned to New York on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over a thousand audience members with their world premiere compositions.



Conducted by Lin Chen, the performance marks the return of the Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra (CCOM Symphony Orchestra) of Beijing, China, to Carnegie Hall following its previous performance at the prestigious venue in 2019.

Full of Chinese cultural elements, these pieces combined traditional Chinese instruments with a symphony orchestra setting, and Chinese musical elements with Western techniques of composition.

The guzheng, bamboo flute and harp were featured in the performance with several pieces based on Chinese poems and the traditional Chinese philosophical work Tao Te Ching.

The two-hour-plus performance on the night of "Black Friday" attracted over one thousand people from various walks of life.

The performance took place at a very opportune time -- the American Thanksgiving holiday and the recent meeting between the Chinese and U.S. presidents in San Francisco, said Qin Wenchen, vice president of CCOM and a renowned composer.

"We have anticipated this performance for a long time as we didn't make it during the pandemic. We're fully prepared and only present premieres this time," Qin told Xinhua.

"It's amazing, very beautiful. I like the last one most, it brings out my Chinese soul," said Dionisio Cimarelli, adjunct sculpture professor at NYC's Fashion Institute of Technology, as he referred to "East West III: Tao for All" which was inspired by the Tao Te Ching.

"Music has no barriers and helps build bridges of understanding between the United States and China," he told Xinhua.

Cimarelli, who lived and worked in China for many years, called for more understanding and more collaboration. "We need to know each other and to work together to make a better world," he said.

Qin said the prospects of exchanges in art, culture and other fields between the United States and China are very broad.

"Every piece was amazing," said a social worker in New York who called herself Georgette. "You could feel the emotion, the sadness and the happiness. Everything portrayed in each piece came out amazing."

As a frequent concertgoer, Georgette also spoke highly of the blend of Chinese culture and Western instruments, noting that she visited Beijing a few years ago and wanted to learn more about China.

"We watch a lot of international concerts here. This is really one of the best. The instruments, the sounds and presentation," said Georgette's cousin Leone, who is a doctor in New York.

"That just takes my breath away. I've never heard anything like it and I never saw that instrument that they were using," said Julie Hill, a tourist in New York.

It was a global symphony because there were instruments from Europe, China and other places, said Xavier Sapp Cobham, a teenager from Brooklyn. "That's a really good combination of all of them."

"The symphony was just absolutely amazing. The vocalist was amazing, spectacular," Cobham said. "I will come back here again and make sure I bring all my studio's friends."
Several House incumbents are forgoing reelection to the lower chamber to either run for a different national office or take a job within their state in 2024.

As of now, 11 House Democrats and four House Republicans are stepping down and running for a different office. Of the 15, 11 of the representatives are running for the Senate. Two are running for their state's attorney general position, one is running for governor, and one is leaving to head a university.

DEMOCRATS FORCED TO RUN THE TABLE ON INCUMBENTS TO KEEP NARROW SENATE MAJORITY

Here is a list of each member and their plans for seeking a new position in 2024.

Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Colin Allred

Rep. Collin Allred (D-TX) is stepping down from the House to run for Senate against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2024.

Allred has portrayed Cruz as an out-of-touch culture warrior who is not invested in working for everyday Texans. He highlighted Cruz's trip to Cancun during Texas's winter storm in 2021, which was criticized by both Democrats and Republicans at the time.

The Texas Democrat is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, particularly the House Democratic Caucus, as a member of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark's (D-MA) team. He flipped Texas's 32nd Congressional District blue in 2018 by defeating former Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), who held the seat from 2003 to 2019. Allred is one of 13 Democrats in Texas's 40-member congressional delegation.

A poll conducted in May by the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation and WFAA found Cruz with a 7-point lead ahead of Allred, 47% to 40%. In the Democratic primary, Allred led state Sen. Roland Gutierrez 33% to 22% and former Midland City Council Member John Love 33% to 4%.

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN). Alex Brandon/AP

Jim Banks

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) is leaving the House to run for Senate to fill outgoing Sen. Mike Braun's (R-IN) seat. A staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, Banks is facing what so far looks like an easy primary next year.

Banks has received a slate of endorsements and support from Trump himself, Senate Republican leaders, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and the anti-establishment Club for Growth, likely putting off many of Banks's potential foes from entering the race.

The Indiana Republican is likely to face a primary from John Rust, who is currently engaged in a legal battle in the Marion County Superior Court in an effort to get his name on the primary ballot in May. Rust maintains that a current Indiana law blocking him from the primary ballot is unconstitutional. The law prohibits anyone from running for a party that differs from their past voting record  in 2008, 2010, and 2012, Rust voted in the Democratic primaries, and in 2020, he did not participate in the Republican primary, per the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

Banks is projected to be the winner of the Indiana Senate race. Several Democrats, including former state Rep. Marc Carmichael, Indianapolis City Councilor Keith Potts, and clinical psychologist Valerie McCray, are running for their party's nomination. An Emerson College poll conducted in October found that Banks led McCray, 31% to 22%. McCray held 62% of the Democratic vote.

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC). Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/AP

Dan Bishop

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) is running to become North Carolina's next attorney general in November 2024, forgoing reelection for a third term in the House. He is leaving behind a comfortable red seat in the 14-member delegation now evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

The Republican lawmaker said during a radio interview in August announcing his decision that he believes there is an opportunity to "use the influence of that office to restore law and order to our cities."

Bishop will be entering a competitive race for a role that has historically been held by Democrats. Club for Growth PAC endorsed him for attorney general almost immediately. The hard-line House Freedom Caucus member has no Republican challengers, while Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC) and Democrats Tim Dunn and Charles Ingram are running in the Democratic primary.

During his time in the House, the North Carolina congressman voted against certifying President Joe Biden's win in 2020 and openly criticized former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Democrats have also been quick to capitalize on Bishop's advocacy for the state's anti-transgender "bathroom bill" in 2016 as a reason that he is a "far-right, out-of-touch politician who is far outside the mainstream of North Carolina," per the Associated Press. The bill, which was partially repealed after a year of negative financial impacts, mandated that transgender people had to use restrooms of the gender on their birth certificates.

Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ). Matt York/AP

Ruben Gallego

Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is running in 2024 to replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) in what is shaping up to be a competitive race.

Gallego is the front-runner of the Arizona Senate race, leading both Sinema and Republican 2022 gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. Sinema has not yet announced whether she is running for reelection, and her entry into the race could cause trouble for Gallego and Lake, particularly if she can garner enough support from centrist Democrats and Republican independents.

A recent poll from Noble Predictive Insights shows Gallego leading the hypothetical three-way Senate race with 39% support, followed by Lake with 33%, and Sinema in last place, with 29% support. Another poll from the Cygnal group found Lake leading Gallego by 1 point, 37-36%, with Sinema trailing at 15%.

Democrats are eyeing Arizona as a key race to hold on to their razor-thin majority in the Senate. Gallego, who launched his bid for Sinema's seat at the start of the year, has outraised Sinema, bringing in $3.1 million from April to June compared to Sinema's $1.7 million raised in the same period.

Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC). Gerry Broome/AP

Jeff Jackson

Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC) is also running for North Carolina attorney general, forgoing a reelection bid that will likely hand his seat over to Republicans in 2024.

Jackson's entry into the race came one day after the state altered its 14 districts. He stated that he had "officially been drawn out of my district." The new maps created 10 districts that favor Republicans, three that favor Democrats, and one that would be considered a toss-up, posing a serious threat to Democratic incumbents.

If selected as the Democratic nominee, Jackson will face off against Bishop in the general election. He is considered the Democratic front-runner of the race, facing off against Dunn and Ingram.

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH). J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Bill Johnson

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) became the 32nd House member to announce his intention not to seek reelection on Nov. 21. Johnson will instead become the president of Youngstown State University.

Johnson said he will only continue to serve for "several more months" and will not complete his full term. His decision was the 12th to be announced in November. He said it was a difficult decision to leave, and he was not actively seeking another job when the university's trustees voted to make him president, 8-1.

"There is still much left on my agenda to do before I depart Congress, including doing all I can to help pass tax exemption legislation to benefit the people of East Palestine as well as a broader rail safety bill, streamline America's LNG export process, and advance a responsible budget and spending package for the remainder of this fiscal year. It's business as usual," he said on Nov. 21.

Johnson, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, has served as Ohio's 6th District representative since 2011.

Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ). Alex Brandon/AP

Andy Kim

Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) is running in 2024 to replace Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ).

Menendez is the embattled Democratic incumbent currently facing a federal indictment on corruption charges.

The New Jersey congressman outraised Menendez during the third quarter, coinciding with Menendez's drop in approval ratings and support from Democratic allies and fellow senators.

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Kim, who launched his Senate campaign the day after Menendez was indicted, has a big lead, with 48% of state Democrats favoring him. The survey found that 78% of respondents think Menendez should resign, and 9% of Democrats said they would reelect him, a sign that Kim's bid could actually make for a competitive Democratic primary race next year.

Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Katie Porter (D-CA). AP

Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, and Katie Porter

Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Katie Porter (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) are all forgoing reelection in the House and running to replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2024.

Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) replaced Feinstein, who died on Sept. 29, on Oct. 3. She said she does not intend to run for a full term in 2024.

The Senate race, expected to be one of the most competitive of the 2024 election cycle, is stirring up waves within the Democratic Party. California Democrats cannot agree on who to endorse in the high-profile election after a delegate vote held at the party's convention on Nov. 19 found that no candidate earned 60%. Lee received the most support at 41%, followed closely by Schiff with 40% and then Porter with 16%.

A University of California, Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll from early November found Porter leading Schiff, 17% to 16%, with Lee trailing at 9%. Porter is preferred by voters under the age of 50, Schiff is more liked by those older than 65, and Lee dominates among California's black electorate, according to the poll.

Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV). Gene J. Puskar/AP

Alex Mooney

Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) is running to replace outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) in 2024.

Mooney was considered one of the two biggest threats to Manchin's reelection campaign until the West Virginia senator announced on Nov. 9 that he would not be running for reelection. There is speculation rising that Manchin may be considering a third-party bid for president in 2024.

Now, the West Virginia congressman will face off against Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) in the Republican primary. A September poll found that voters favored Justice over Mooney, 58% to 26%. A matchup between Mooney and Manchin revealed a narrow race, 41% to 45%, respectively. A Justice-Manchin matchup found Justice leading, 51% to 38%.

Mooney announced his bid for Senate in November 2022, shortly after the midterm elections. He said his decision to enter the race stemmed from Manchin's vote against confirming now-Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, as well as the senator's stance on Roe v. Wade. With West Virginia trending more and more red, Manchin's reelection chances would likely have been slim at best.

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Lisa Rochester

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) is running for Senate after her mentor, Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), announced his retirement.

She was long expected to enter the Senate race and is the immediate favorite in the deep blue state. Blunt Rochester won Delaware's sole congressional seat in 2016. If she wins the Senate race, she will be the third black woman to win election to the Senate.

Blunt Rochester's departure from the House has already launched a competitive Democratic primary. Three candidates have entered the race for the at-large seat: state Sen. Sarah McBride, state Treasurer Colleen Davis, and Eugene Young, a rising star in Delaware politics.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). Mariam Zuhaib/AP

Elissa Slotkin

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) is running for Senate to replace outgoing Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

Democrats have largely coalesced around Slotkin, who is leading the field and is the only Democratic candidate with congressional experience running in the Democratic primary. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) had confirmed in April that she would not enter the race despite speculation, leaving a mostly clear primary race for Slotkin.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) endorsed Slotkin in August, giving her campaign a boost in her battle against Hill Harper, an author and actor who is running to the left of the centrist Democratic congresswoman.

Michigan's Senate race is being targeted by Republicans as a pickup opportunity and as a key battleground seat for Democrats to hold on to. Trump won the state in 2016, but the state flipped to Biden in 2020.

The two Republican candidates expected to make significant headway in the Michigan Senate GOP primary are former Michigan Reps. Mike Rogers and Peter Meijer, as well as former Detroit Police Chief James Craig.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA). Nathan Howard/AP

Abigail Spanberger

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) is forgoing a House reelection campaign and instead is running for governor of Virginia.

Spanberger will run to replace Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), who is ineligible to run again for the gubernatorial position under state law. Youngkin's departure is likely to set off a competitive race among Republicans to fill his shoes, while Spanberger will fight to turn Virginia into a Democratic trifecta.

The Virginia congresswoman announced her run for governor on Nov. 13 after months of speculation. Her departure from her House seat also sets the stage for a competitive and expensive congressional race in 2024, with several Democrats expected to run and a handful of Republicans already running campaigns for Spanberger's seat.

Spanberger's campaign launch for governor came just six days after Democrats performed well in the Virginia legislative elections, flipping the state House, maintaining control of the state Senate, and ultimately dealing a heavy blow to Youngkin's conservative agenda.

Rep. David Trone (D-MD). Andrew Harnik/AP

David Trone

Rep. David Trone (D-MD) is running for Maryland's open Senate seat after Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) announced that he would not seek reelection in 2024.

Trone announced his campaign in May, addressing the rising deaths related to fentanyl and the disproportionate incarceration rates between black men and white men. Trone was first elected to the House in 2018.

His Senate race will be supported by large purse strings. The fortune earned from his wine retail company, Total Wine & More, has allowed him to spend millions of dollars on his past campaigns. He has adamantly stated that he does not take money from "anybody," including PACs, lobbyists, and corporations.

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"I know I won't be the establishment choice, but hey, why start now? I've always been about representing you, not them," Trone said in his campaign video.

Trone will face off against Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. Montgomery County Councilor Will Jawando, who was the first Democratic to jump into the race to replace Cardin, dropped out of the race in late October. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who many speculated would enter the Senate race, launched his reelection campaign for the House in July.

Original Location: House incumbents stepping down to run for state or higher office in 2024

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Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF  Free Report) had its price objective upped by Morgan Stanley from $53.00 to $68.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the apparel retailers stock.

ANF has been the subject of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Abercrombie & Fitch from $45.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, August 24th. StockNews.com raised Abercrombie & Fitch from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 14th. TheStreet raised Abercrombie & Fitch from a c rating to a b rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 23rd. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $83.00 price objective (up from $74.00) on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch in a research report on Tuesday, November 21st. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on Abercrombie & Fitch from $33.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 15th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Abercrombie & Fitch presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $63.00.

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Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Up 0.7 %

Abercrombie & Fitch stock opened at $73.31 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $61.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.38. The company has a market cap of $3.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.33 and a beta of 1.42. Abercrombie & Fitch has a 52-week low of $21.03 and a 52-week high of $75.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 21st. The apparel retailer reported $1.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.65. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $980.99 million. Abercrombie & Fitch had a return on equity of 27.95% and a net margin of 5.16%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 20.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.01 EPS. Analysts predict that Abercrombie & Fitch will post 4.56 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Financial Management Professionals Inc. purchased a new position in Abercrombie & Fitch in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Castleview Partners LLC purchased a new position in Abercrombie & Fitch in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Abercrombie & Fitch by 36.7% in the 3rd quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 820 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. First Command Bank purchased a new position in Abercrombie & Fitch in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new position in Abercrombie & Fitch in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,056,000.

About Abercrombie & Fitch

(Get Free Report)

Abercrombie & Fitch Co, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Hollister and Abercrombie. It offers an assortment of apparel, personal care products, and accessories for men, women, and kids under the Hollister, Gilly Hicks, Social Tourist, Abercrombie & Fitch, and abercrombie kids brands.

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Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed their market perform rating on shares of American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. Telsey Advisory Group currently has a $19.00 price target on the apparel retailers stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on AEO. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $18.00 to $22.00 in a research note on Friday, September 1st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, September 8th. StockNews.com cut shares of American Eagle Outfitters from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, October 16th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, September 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $17.30.

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American Eagle Outfitters Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of AEO opened at $16.65 on Wednesday. American Eagle Outfitters has a 12 month low of $9.95 and a 12 month high of $20.21. The firms 50 day moving average is $17.19 and its 200-day moving average is $14.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.29 billion, a PE ratio of 15.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.50.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 21st. The apparel retailer reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.28 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 4.30% and a return on equity of 15.23%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.42 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 13th were issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 12th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.40%. American Eagle Outfitterss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.04%.

Insider Transactions at American Eagle Outfitters

In other news, insider Jennifer M. Foyle sold 30,000 shares of American Eagle Outfitters stock in a transaction on Friday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.00, for a total transaction of $510,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 232,459 shares in the company, valued at $3,951,803. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 7.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Eagle Outfitters

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Raymond James & Associates lifted its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters by 14.4% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 97,811 shares of the apparel retailers stock valued at $1,643,000 after buying an additional 12,318 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters by 6.7% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 19,670 shares of the apparel retailers stock valued at $330,000 after buying an additional 1,241 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters by 70.5% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 20,172 shares of the apparel retailers stock valued at $339,000 after buying an additional 8,343 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in American Eagle Outfitters by 11.6% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 20,501 shares of the apparel retailers stock valued at $344,000 after buying an additional 2,129 shares during the period. Finally, AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in American Eagle Outfitters in the first quarter valued at $432,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.10% of the companys stock.

About American Eagle Outfitters

(Get Free Report)

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc operates as a specialty retailer that provides clothing, accessories, and personal care products under the American Eagle and Aerie brands in the United States and internationally. The company provides jeans, apparel and accessories, and personal care products for women and men; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Barclays increased their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, September 7th. Bank of America raised shares of American Eagle Outfitters from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and increased their target price for the stock from $12.50 to $19.00 in a report on Wednesday, November 15th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Friday, September 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, September 7th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, November 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Eagle Outfitters has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $17.30.

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American Eagle Outfitters Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters stock opened at $16.65 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.00, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.50. American Eagle Outfitters has a 12-month low of $9.95 and a 12-month high of $20.21. The firms 50-day moving average price is $17.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $14.79.

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 21st. The apparel retailer reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.28 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 4.30% and a return on equity of 15.23%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.42 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.33 earnings per share for the current year.

American Eagle Outfitters Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 13th were given a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 12th. American Eagle Outfitterss dividend payout ratio is presently 36.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Eagle Outfitters

In other American Eagle Outfitters news, insider Jennifer M. Foyle sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.00, for a total transaction of $510,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 232,459 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,951,803. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 7.50% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of American Eagle Outfitters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Toroso Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,861,000. New York State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 230,578 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $2,721,000 after buying an additional 17,649 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp acquired a new stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $216,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 10.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,929,999 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $34,574,000 after buying an additional 265,284 shares during the period. Finally, Jacob Asset Management of New York LLC grew its position in shares of American Eagle Outfitters by 52.8% during the 2nd quarter. Jacob Asset Management of New York LLC now owns 11,569 shares of the apparel retailers stock worth $137,000 after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.10% of the companys stock.

American Eagle Outfitters Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc operates as a specialty retailer that provides clothing, accessories, and personal care products under the American Eagle and Aerie brands in the United States and internationally. The company provides jeans, apparel and accessories, and personal care products for women and men; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections.

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Shares of B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG  Get Free Report) (TSE:BTO) have received an average recommendation of Hold from the three research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $6.20.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and issued a $4.25 price target on shares of B2Gold in a research report on Friday, September 29th. Scotiabank decreased their price target on B2Gold from C$8.00 to C$7.75 in a report on Friday, August 4th. Finally, StockNews.com cut B2Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, November 20th.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On B2Gold

B2Gold Price Performance

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in B2Gold by 48.3% during the 1st quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 9,015 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 2,935 shares in the last quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of B2Gold by 13.0% in the first quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 26,023 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its position in shares of B2Gold by 10.4% in the third quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 38,054 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $122,000 after acquiring an additional 3,600 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in B2Gold by 140.1% during the first quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 6,406 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 3,738 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in B2Gold by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 87,895 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $314,000 after acquiring an additional 3,800 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 51.52% of the companys stock.

Shares of B2Gold stock opened at $3.06 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $3.65. The company has a market cap of $3.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.77 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.18 and a quick ratio of 1.12. B2Gold has a one year low of $2.77 and a one year high of $4.40.

B2Gold (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG  Get Free Report) (TSE:BTO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.05 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.07 by ($0.02). B2Gold had a net margin of 13.95% and a return on equity of 10.44%. The firm had revenue of $477.89 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $474.00 million. On average, sell-side analysts expect that B2Gold will post 0.3 EPS for the current year.

B2Gold Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 18th. Investors of record on Monday, December 4th will be issued a $0.04 dividend. This represents a $0.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.23%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 1st. B2Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 61.54%.

About B2Gold

(Get Free Report

B2Gold Corp. operates as a gold producer with three operating mines in Mali, the Philippines, and Namibia. It operates the Fekola Mine in Mali, the Masbate Mine in the Philippines, and the Otjikoto Mine in Namibia. The company also has an 25% interest in the Calibre Mining Corp.; and approximately 19% interest in BeMetals Corp.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD  Free Report) (TSE:ABX) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Thursday morning.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Veritas Investment Research cut shares of Barrick Gold from a buy rating to a reduce rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 4th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Barrick Gold from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 6th. CSFB dropped their price objective on shares of Barrick Gold from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 17th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Barrick Gold from $31.00 to $30.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 13th. Finally, Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of Barrick Gold from $26.00 to $25.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $22.48.

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Barrick Gold Stock Performance

NYSE:GOLD opened at $16.23 on Thursday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $15.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.69. The company has a current ratio of 3.07, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The company has a market cap of $28.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 541.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.46. Barrick Gold has a twelve month low of $13.82 and a twelve month high of $20.75.

Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD  Get Free Report) (TSE:ABX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 2nd. The gold and copper producer reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.03. Barrick Gold had a net margin of 0.52% and a return on equity of 3.88%. The firm had revenue of $2.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.93 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.13 earnings per share. Barrick Golds revenue was up 13.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Barrick Gold will post 0.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Barrick Gold Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 29th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.46%. Barrick Golds payout ratio is currently 1,333.33%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Barrick Gold during the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new stake in Barrick Gold during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. HM Payson & Co. grew its position in Barrick Gold by 58.2% in the second quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 1,740 shares of the gold and copper producers stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 640 shares in the last quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Barrick Gold in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Graham Capital Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Barrick Gold in the first quarter valued at approximately $340,574,000. 58.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Barrick Gold

(Get Free Report)

Barrick Gold Corporation is a sector-leading gold and copper producer. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GOLD and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ABX.



In January 2019 Barrick merged with Randgold Resources and in July that year it combined its gold mines in Nevada, USA, with those of Newmont Corporation in a joint venture, Nevada Gold Mines, which is majority-owned and operated by Barrick.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued their overweight rating on shares of BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trusts (LON:BTA  Free Report) in a research report report published on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has a GBX 280 ($3.50) price objective on the stock.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trusts in a report on Friday, September 29th. Berenberg Bank reduced their price objective on shares of BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trusts from GBX 150 ($1.88) to GBX 135 ($1.69) and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 165 ($2.06).

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BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trusts Stock Performance

BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trusts Cuts Dividend

About BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trusts

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, December 28th will be given a dividend of GBX 2.31 ($0.03) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 28th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.08%.

(Get Free Report)

BlackRock Long-Term Municipal Advantage Trusts (BTA) (the Trust) investment objective is to provide current income exempt from regular federal income tax. The Trust seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its assets in municipal obligations and derivative instruments with exposure to such municipal obligations, in each case that are exempt from federal income tax (except that the interest may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax).

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Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Halliburton (NYSE:HAL  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 419,142 shares of the oilfield services companys stock, valued at approximately $13,827,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Halliburton by 118.9% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,086,231 shares of the oilfield services companys stock valued at $35,835,000 after purchasing an additional 590,022 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its holdings in Halliburton by 56.8% in the second quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 333,133 shares of the oilfield services companys stock valued at $10,990,000 after purchasing an additional 120,734 shares in the last quarter. Trexquant Investment LP boosted its holdings in Halliburton by 1.2% in the second quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 296,530 shares of the oilfield services companys stock valued at $9,783,000 after purchasing an additional 3,535 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in Halliburton by 47.1% in the second quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 114,407,642 shares of the oilfield services companys stock valued at $3,774,308,000 after purchasing an additional 36,640,866 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Inc. CA boosted its holdings in Halliburton by 477.0% in the second quarter. Capital International Inc. CA now owns 97,592 shares of the oilfield services companys stock valued at $3,220,000 after purchasing an additional 80,679 shares in the last quarter. 82.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on HAL. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Halliburton from $46.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, September 11th. Raymond James increased their price objective on Halliburton from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Halliburton from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, October 25th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Halliburton from $49.00 to $51.00 in a report on Monday, October 2nd. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Halliburton from $42.00 to $46.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $49.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Jill D. Sharp sold 15,333 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.00, for a total value of $643,986.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 45,078 shares in the company, valued at $1,893,276. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, insider Myrtle L. Jones sold 16,800 shares of Halliburton stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.00, for a total transaction of $722,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 42,126 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,811,418. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Jill D. Sharp sold 15,333 shares of Halliburton stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.00, for a total value of $643,986.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 45,078 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,893,276. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 60,236 shares of company stock worth $2,573,715 over the last 90 days. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Halliburton Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE:HAL opened at $38.06 on Friday. Halliburton has a 1 year low of $27.84 and a 1 year high of $43.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.08, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 2.12. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $40.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $37.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 2.14.

Halliburton (NYSE:HAL  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 24th. The oilfield services company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.77 by $0.02. Halliburton had a return on equity of 31.61% and a net margin of 11.52%. The business had revenue of $5.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.60 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Halliburton will post 3.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Halliburton Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 7th will be given a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 6th. Halliburtons dividend payout ratio is currently 21.99%.

About Halliburton

(Free Report)

Halliburton Company provides products and services to the energy industry worldwide. It operates in two segments, Completion and Production, and Drilling and Evaluation. The Completion and Production segment offers production enhancement services that include stimulation and sand control services; cementing services, such as well bonding and casing, and casing equipment; completion tools that offer downhole solutions and services, including well completion products and services, intelligent well completions, and service tools, as well as liner hanger, sand control, and multilateral systems; production solutions comprising coiled tubing, hydraulic workover units, downhole tools, and pumping and nitrogen services; and pipeline and process services, such as pre-commissioning, commissioning, maintenance, and decommissioning.

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Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE  Free Report) by 9.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 914,631 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 98,491 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise worth $15,366,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of HPE. Valley National Advisers Inc. grew its position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 68.1% during the 2nd quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the technology companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC grew its position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 90.2% during the 2nd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 1,910 shares of the technology companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 906 shares during the last quarter. First Manhattan Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 89.4% in the 1st quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 2,413 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,139 shares during the last quarter. Glassman Wealth Services boosted its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 72.0% in the 2nd quarter. Glassman Wealth Services now owns 2,444 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,023 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pacific Center for Financial Services purchased a new stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 1st quarter valued at $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.15% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Antonio F. Neri sold 434,884 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.48, for a total value of $7,601,772.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,370,291 shares in the company, valued at $23,952,686.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, CEO Antonio F. Neri sold 434,884 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.48, for a total value of $7,601,772.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,370,291 shares in the company, valued at $23,952,686.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Alan Richard May sold 343,016 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.48, for a total transaction of $5,995,919.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 249,511 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,361,452.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.53% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on HPE shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, October 31st. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, August 30th. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, October 20th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $17.54.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stock Performance

NYSE:HPE opened at $15.83 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.88. The company has a fifty day moving average of $16.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $16.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.31 billion, a PE ratio of 19.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.25. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a fifty-two week low of $13.65 and a fifty-two week high of $18.14.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 29th. The technology company reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $7 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.99 billion. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a net margin of 3.64% and a return on equity of 5.32%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.31 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Hewlett Packard Enterprise will post 1.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 14th were given a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 13th. Hewlett Packard Enterprises dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.54%.

About Hewlett Packard Enterprise

(Free Report)

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. It operates in six segments: Compute, HPC & AI, Storage, Intelligent Edge, Financial Services, and Corporate Investments and Other.

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Desjardins upgraded shares of George Weston (TSE:WN  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have C$187.00 price target on the stock, up from their prior price target of C$177.00.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. TD Securities lowered their price objective on George Weston from C$200.00 to C$195.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 17th. Scotiabank lowered their target price on George Weston from C$183.00 to C$181.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. CIBC lowered their target price on George Weston from C$215.00 to C$213.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on George Weston from C$219.00 to C$215.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on George Weston from C$180.00 to C$172.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$193.50.

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George Weston Trading Down 0.1 %

George Weston Announces Dividend

WN stock opened at C$163.96 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 152.99. George Weston has a 12-month low of C$144.41 and a 12-month high of C$183.92. The stock has a market cap of C$22.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.00, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.40. The businesss 50-day moving average is C$154.57 and its 200 day moving average is C$155.16.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 15th will be given a $0.713 dividend. This represents a $2.85 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 14th. George Westons payout ratio is 27.32%.

George Weston Company Profile

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George Weston Limited provides food and drug retailing, and financial services in Canada and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) and Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (Choice Properties). The Loblaw segment provides grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, and financial services.

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House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) expressed concern over the Biden administration's involvement in the hostage release deal that has seen the release of hostages by Hamas from Gaza in exchange for a temporary ceasefire, as no American hostages have been released as of Sunday morning.

Turner, speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, questioned why officials from the Biden administration, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, are unable to provide details on the deal that has seen the release of hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

'RADICALIZED' STUDENTS STORM PRO-ISRAEL TEACHER'S CLASSROOM IN NEW YORK

When asked if he is concerned about American hostages being used as "bargaining chips" by Hamas, Turner said he had worries over the details of the temporary ceasefire deal.

"I'm concerned that the Biden administration didn't make it a condition of this deal that Americans be in the first hostages released, especially since American aid is going into Gaza right now into northern Gaza as part of the conditions that Hamas had. I think when the administration says they know every detail and then tell you that they don't even know if they are alive, that is very concerning," Turner said.

"It's been very curious that the administration is so quick to claim this as a Biden deal, and as you just heard from Jake Sullivan, he continues to say we know every detail, but then he can't answer those questions as to those details," Turner said.

Turner believed receiving information on the status of the hostages and how many the terrorist groups have should have been conditions of the deal, similar to how Hamas made allowing aid into northern Gaza a condition.

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He also emphasized how "hostage" does not describe what those held by Hamas have dealt with for the past several weeks, pointing out that the hostages were captured from their homes in Israel.

"They witnessed the brutal murdering of their families, neighbors, and friends and then were taken, kidnapped from their homes into Gaza, and they've been held in brutal conditions, and as we know, some of the hostages have been killed. So I'm certain these hostages, these individuals that have been kidnapped and are being released, went through a very brutal time," Turner added.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Sullivan said earlier they had reason to believe at least one American held hostage in Gaza would be freed on Sunday.

The ceasefire between terrorist groups in Gaza and Israel entered its third day on Sunday, with the terrorist groups agreeing to release 50 hostages in exchange for humanitarian aid. The deal was brokered last week and remains fragile, with several bumps in its implementation.

Original Location: Mike Turner concerned over lack of American hostages being released by Hamas

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Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in shares of Atmos Energy Co. (NYSE:ATO  Free Report) by 64.0% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 439,186 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 171,422 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLCs holdings in Atmos Energy were worth $51,089,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 98,059.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 1,554,847 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $180,891,000 after acquiring an additional 1,553,263 shares in the last quarter. Perpetual Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $127,941,000. Zimmer Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $104,567,000. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 13,649,229 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,533,627,000 after acquiring an additional 912,138 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Atmos Energy by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,962,224 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,026,815,000 after acquiring an additional 547,260 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.98% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In other news, VP Richard M. Thomas sold 1,750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.20, for a total transaction of $199,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 2,650 shares of the companys stock, valued at $302,630. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, VP Richard M. Thomas sold 1,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.20, for a total transaction of $199,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,650 shares in the company, valued at $302,630. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Kim R. Cocklin sold 12,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.99, for a total transaction of $1,387,375.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 199,972 shares of the companys stock, valued at $22,194,892.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.50% of the companys stock.

Atmos Energy Price Performance

ATO stock opened at $112.00 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $110.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $114.75. The company has a market capitalization of $16.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.27, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.65. Atmos Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $101.00 and a 52-week high of $125.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.65.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 9th. The utilities provider reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $587.64 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $959.12 million. Atmos Energy had a net margin of 20.72% and a return on equity of 8.54%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.51 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Atmos Energy Co. will post 6.49 EPS for the current year.

Atmos Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.805 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 24th. This represents a $3.22 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.88%. This is an increase from Atmos Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. Atmos Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.29%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ATO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $115.00 to $110.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 21st. StockNews.com lowered shares of Atmos Energy from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, November 17th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $137.00 to $131.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 11th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Atmos Energy from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $132.00 to $128.00 in a research note on Monday, August 28th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Atmos Energy from $122.00 to $116.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $122.14.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on ATO

Atmos Energy Company Profile

(Free Report)

Atmos Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated natural gas distribution, and pipeline and storage businesses in the United States. It operates through two segments, Distribution, and Pipeline and Storage. The Distribution segment is involved in the regulated natural gas distribution and related sales operations in eight states.

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Huntington National Bank lessened its position in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE  Free Report) by 28.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,578 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 2,237 shares during the period. Huntington National Banks holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities were worth $633,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 40.8% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 210,604 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $23,901,000 after buying an additional 61,028 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group grew its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 27.8% in the 2nd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 318,059 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $36,097,000 after buying an additional 69,251 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,681,425 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $416,795,000 after buying an additional 77,173 shares in the last quarter. Twin Tree Management LP purchased a new position in Alexandria Real Estate Equities in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,317,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd grew its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 121.9% in the 2nd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 406 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.36% of the companys stock.

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Alexandria Real Estate Equities Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of ARE opened at $105.18 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 75.67, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $99.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $111.36. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. has a twelve month low of $90.73 and a twelve month high of $172.65.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Dividend Announcement

Insider Buying and Selling at Alexandria Real Estate Equities

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 29th were given a dividend of $1.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 28th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.72%. Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess payout ratio is currently 356.84%.

In other Alexandria Real Estate Equities news, major shareholder Real Estate Equitie Alexandria sold 103,808 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $2.32, for a total transaction of $240,834.56. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 5,723,527 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,278,582.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ARE has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a sell rating for the company. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities in a research note on Wednesday, October 11th. They issued a neutral rating and a $108.00 price target for the company. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $137.00 to $135.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 16th. Wedbush reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities in a research note on Tuesday, October 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $163.00 to $138.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $144.33.

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About Alexandria Real Estate Equities

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Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500 company, is a best-in-class, mission-driven life science REIT making a positive and lasting impact on the world. As the pioneer of the life science real estate niche since our founding in 1994, Alexandria is the preeminent and longest-tenured owner, operator, and developer of collaborative life science, agtech, and advanced technology mega campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, including Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle.

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Citigroup started coverage on shares of RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR  Free Report) in a research note published on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $251.00 price objective on the insurance providers stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of RenaissanceRe in a research report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of RenaissanceRe in a research report on Friday, September 8th. They set a buy rating and a $242.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of RenaissanceRe from $229.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 11th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of RenaissanceRe from $249.00 to $246.00 in a research note on Friday, October 6th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of RenaissanceRe from $275.00 to $266.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $236.50.

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RenaissanceRe Stock Performance

Shares of RNR opened at $219.26 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.22 billion, a PE ratio of 7.06 and a beta of 0.34. RenaissanceRe has a one year low of $174.22 and a one year high of $227.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.45. The companys fifty day moving average price is $209.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $197.67.

RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 1st. The insurance provider reported $8.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $1.79. The company had revenue of $1.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.86 billion. RenaissanceRe had a net margin of 18.08% and a return on equity of 26.69%. The businesss revenue was down 22.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($9.27) EPS. As a group, analysts expect that RenaissanceRe will post 33.9 earnings per share for the current year.

RenaissanceRe Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 15th will be paid a $0.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 14th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. RenaissanceRes payout ratio is 4.89%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On RenaissanceRe

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Polar Capital Holdings Plc lifted its holdings in RenaissanceRe by 7.5% during the third quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc now owns 1,104,756 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $218,653,000 after purchasing an additional 77,319 shares during the last quarter. Walleye Trading LLC lifted its holdings in shares of RenaissanceRe by 141.4% in the third quarter. Walleye Trading LLC now owns 6,714 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,329,000 after buying an additional 3,933 shares in the last quarter. Walleye Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of RenaissanceRe by 198.9% in the third quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 42,743 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $8,460,000 after buying an additional 28,443 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of RenaissanceRe by 10.9% in the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 426,380 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $84,389,000 after buying an additional 41,904 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal London Asset Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of RenaissanceRe by 3.6% in the third quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 17,937 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $3,553,000 after purchasing an additional 619 shares during the last quarter. 91.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

RenaissanceRe Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Property, and Casualty and Specialty segments. The Property segment writes property catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance and excess of loss reinsurance to insure insurance and reinsurance companies against natural and man-made catastrophes, including hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis, as well as winter storms, freezes, floods, fires, windstorms, tornadoes, explosions, and acts of terrorism; and other property class of products, such as proportional reinsurance, property per risk, property reinsurance, binding facilities, and regional U.S.

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StockNews.com lowered shares of Navios Maritime Partners (NYSE:NMM  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning.

Navios Maritime Partners Stock Performance

Shares of NMM stock opened at $24.10 on Wednesday. Navios Maritime Partners has a 12-month low of $19.23 and a 12-month high of $28.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $727.34 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 2.00. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $22.64 and a 200 day simple moving average of $22.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.83.

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Navios Maritime Partners (NYSE:NMM  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 2nd. The shipping company reported $2.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.54 by $0.14. Navios Maritime Partners had a return on equity of 14.85% and a net margin of 31.06%. The business had revenue of $323.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $304.07 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Navios Maritime Partners will post 11.22 EPS for the current year.

Navios Maritime Partners Dividend Announcement

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Navios Maritime Partners

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 7th were paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 6th. Navios Maritime Partnerss payout ratio is currently 1.47%.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gratia Capital LLC boosted its stake in Navios Maritime Partners by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Gratia Capital LLC now owns 219,150 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $5,286,000 after purchasing an additional 3,178 shares in the last quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Navios Maritime Partners during the 1st quarter valued at $242,000. Globeflex Capital L P lifted its position in shares of Navios Maritime Partners by 18.5% during the 1st quarter. Globeflex Capital L P now owns 168,734 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $4,070,000 after acquiring an additional 26,324 shares during the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. lifted its position in shares of Navios Maritime Partners by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 18,400 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $402,000 after acquiring an additional 900 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Navios Maritime Partners during the 2nd quarter worth $234,000. 21.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Navios Maritime Partners Company Profile

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Navios Maritime Partners L.P. owns and operates dry cargo vessels in Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia. The company offers seaborne transportation services for a range of liquid and dry cargo commodities, including crude oil, refined petroleum, chemicals, iron ore, coal, grain, fertilizer, and containers, as well as charters its vessels under short, medium, and longer-term charters.

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Telsey Advisory Group restated their outperform rating on shares of Burlington Stores (NYSE:BURL  Free Report) in a research report released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $225.00 price objective on the stock.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Gordon Haskett downgraded shares of Burlington Stores from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $137.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, September 27th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Burlington Stores from $185.00 to $181.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 28th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Burlington Stores from $213.00 to $211.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 25th. Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating and issued a $233.00 target price on shares of Burlington Stores in a report on Monday, August 7th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Burlington Stores from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, November 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Burlington Stores currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $207.42.

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Burlington Stores Price Performance

Shares of BURL opened at $172.45 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $11.13 billion, a PE ratio of 37.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 1.13. Burlington Stores has a fifty-two week low of $115.66 and a fifty-two week high of $239.94. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $131.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $151.37.

Burlington Stores (NYSE:BURL  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 21st. The company reported $0.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.97 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.29 billion. Burlington Stores had a net margin of 3.18% and a return on equity of 42.95%. The businesss revenue was up 12.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.43 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Burlington Stores will post 5.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Burlington Stores by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 6,854,793 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,389,878,000 after purchasing an additional 415,655 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its position in shares of Burlington Stores by 16.6% during the 2nd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 6,599,768 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,038,683,000 after purchasing an additional 940,463 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Burlington Stores by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,884,904 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,072,053,000 after purchasing an additional 33,036 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in shares of Burlington Stores by 91.9% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,012,900 shares of the companys stock valued at $159,420,000 after purchasing an additional 485,200 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Burlington Stores by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 999,412 shares of the companys stock valued at $182,064,000 after purchasing an additional 18,372 shares during the period.

Burlington Stores Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Burlington Stores, Inc operates as a retailer of branded apparel products in the United States. The company provides fashion-focused merchandise, including women's ready-to-wear apparel, menswear, youth apparel, footwear, accessories, toys, gifts, and coats, as well as baby, home, and beauty products.

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AXQ Capital LP lessened its stake in shares of WestRock (NYSE:WRK  Free Report) by 52.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,500 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 8,400 shares during the quarter. AXQ Capital LPs holdings in WestRock were worth $218,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CVA Family Office LLC boosted its stake in WestRock by 5,620.0% during the second quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 1,430 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 1,405 shares during the period. Numerai GP LLC purchased a new position in WestRock during the first quarter worth about $2,477,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in WestRock by 3.7% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 25,748 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $785,000 after buying an additional 912 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc boosted its stake in WestRock by 0.8% during the first quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 5,259,854 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $160,268,000 after buying an additional 41,237 shares during the period. Finally, Empower Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in WestRock during the first quarter worth about $250,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.51% of the companys stock.

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WestRock Stock Performance

Shares of WestRock stock opened at $37.69 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. WestRock has a 52-week low of $26.84 and a 52-week high of $39.30. The company has a 50 day moving average of $36.47 and a 200 day moving average of $32.68.

WestRock Increases Dividend

WestRock ( NYSE:WRK Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 9th. The basic materials company reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $5 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.11 billion. WestRock had a negative net margin of 8.12% and a positive return on equity of 7.52%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.43 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that WestRock will post 2.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 13th were paid a $0.3025 dividend. This is a boost from WestRocks previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.21 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 10th. WestRocks payout ratio is currently -18.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WRK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of WestRock from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 14th. Argus raised shares of WestRock from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, November 17th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of WestRock from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, November 10th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of WestRock in a research note on Friday. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of WestRock from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $37.57.

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WestRock Profile

(Free Report)

WestRock Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based paper and packaging solutions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It operates in four segments, Corrugated Packaging, Consumer Packaging, Global Paper, and Distribution. The Corrugated Packaging segment produces containerboards, corrugated sheets, corrugated packaging, and preprinted linerboards to consumer and industrial products manufacturers, and corrugated box manufacturers.

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Abigail Edan is in the hands of Red Cross officials, a senior US official told CNN.
The Biden administration believes that at least one of the three American women and children held hostage by terror groups in Gaza will be freed on Sunday, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

Sunday marks the third day of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which includes the release of hostages taken by Hamas and another Gaza-based terror group known as Palestinian Islamic Jihad on Oct. 7 in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons in addition to a surge in humanitarian aid to the strip.

CONGRESS RACES TO PASS AID FOR ISRAEL AND UKRAINE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

The three American women and children include two women and a 4-year-old girl named Abigail Edan, who recently spent her birthday in captivity, though Sullivan did not specify which among them the administration expected to be released on Sunday.

"The initial hostage deal involves the release of women and children, and there are three Americans in that category. Two women and one young child. And we have reason to believe that one of those Americans will be released today, but until we see her out safely from Gaza in the hands of the authorities and ultimately in the hands of her family, then we won't be certain," Sullivan said on NBC's Meet the Press.

The U.S. does not have information about Edan's condition, he said during ABC's "This Week," adding, that they "have reason to believe is that she is still alive, and we are hopeful that she will be reunited with her family soon."

Should one of the three be released on Sunday, it would mark the first American to be released since the truce commenced on Friday, though two Americans were the first hostages freed back on Oct. 23. Natalie and Judith Raanan were released that day, and two other hostages, not Americans, were released days later as well. Together, the four were the only hostages released prior to the truce, which was the first cessation of fighting since the war broke out.

There are nine U.S. citizens and one U.S. Green Card holder, for a total of 10 Americans who are held hostage, while seven of them are men.

The truce, which was brokered by the Egyptian, Qatari, and United States governments, is a fragile agreement that was weeks in the making, has experienced a series of bumps along the way, and could crumble at any moment. Simultaneously, there is the possibility the ceasefire could extend past its intended 4-5 period if Hamas decides to release more hostages than the initial details of the agreement.

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"Obviously, this is an incredibly painful, harrowing, difficult circumstance to be held hostage by a terrorist group, to be grabbed from your home. Oftentimes some of these hostages have  had family members killed. So, the trauma of that is just intense," Sullivan said Sunday on ABC's This Week. "Physically, many of them are doing OK. Emotionally and psychologically, this is going to take a long time to recover from. And Israel and other countries have mobilized substantial resources to be able to deal with that trauma as we go forward."

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Hamas and PIJ are believed to be holding roughly 240 civilians, while the parties agreed to release fifty during this initial wave  women and children only  Israel has agreed to free three Palestinians held in Israeli jails for every hostage released.

More than 30 Americans were among the roughly 1,200 people killed in the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel.

Original Location: US has 'reason to believe' one American hostage will be released Sunday

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Small business owners gear up for the biggest shopping weekend of the holiday season
Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie doesnt have a lot of hope that Donald Trump would be capable of admitting hes lost the upcoming primary in New Hampshire if another candidate wins.

Sitting with Jon Karl on ABCs The Week on Sunday, Christie said when asked if Trump would concede, I dont care, Jon. No. No one will expect him to concede. He hasnt conceded the 2020 election. Who cares?

The Secretary of State of New Hampshire will certify the votes, youll get the delegates per the RNC rules and well move on to the next race, he added.

In fact, Christie continued, I dont suspect hell ever concede hes ever lost any election, even though he lost primaries in 2016 to Ted Cruz, and hell lose primaries this time, as well.

But it doesnt matter, Jon, Christie said. In the end, the rules will govern here just as the rules governed in 2020 and he moved out of the White House and Joe Biden is sleeping in the White House tonight. I dont want that to continue after Jan. 20, 2025, which is why I intend to beat Donald Trump and beat Joe Biden.

GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie tells @JonKarl that no one will expect Donald Trump to concede if he loses any primary races.



"No one will expect him to concede. He hasn't conceded the 2020 election. Who cares. https://t.co/hUrwDfsGOj pic.twitter.com/Lcv4gegcjM  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 26, 2023

On Nov. 15, officials announced the New Hampshire primary will take place on Jan. 23, a date anticipated by the GOP, but that puts the state out of compliance with the Democratic Party. The DNC had pushed for South Carolina to host the first primary in 2024.

Secretary of State David Scanlan announced the news and said, New Hampshire has held the first-in-the-nation presidential primary election for over 100 years. And we will vigorously defend it.

In reference to the DNCs hope South Carolina, a state with a more racially diverse voting body, would vote first, Scanlan added, Using racial diversity as a cudgel in an attempt to rearrange the presidential nominating calendar is an ugly process.

Diversity is not the real issue at play in this debate. At stake is who gets to determine the nominee of a party: the elites on a national party committee by controlling the nominating calendar, or the voters, he added.

Watch a clip from Christies appearance on The Week in the video above.

The post Chris Christie Says It Doesnt Matter if Trump Loses Primaries: He Hasnt Conceded the 2020 Election  Who Cares? | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
To be a fly on the wall during this medical mishap? Priceless.

This month, doctors were shocked to find an actual fly inside a man's intestines during a routine colon screening. According to The Independent, the fly was found intact inside a 63-year-old man, who told doctors he'd consumed nothing but clear liquids one day before the exam. He'd also eaten pizza and lettuce two days before the colonoscopy. The man didn't recall an insect being inside either dish and claimed that there weren't any symptoms to suggest otherwise.

Matthew Bechtold, the chief of Gastroenterology at the University of Missouri, told The Independent that upon seeing that the fly was "not moving on its own or with manipulation with the scope," it was removed from the man during the exam and confirmed to be dead. Although Bechtold was unsure of how the insect entered the patient, he suggested that the fly was either consumed or went in through the man's rectum.

If entering through consumption, "you would think that upper digestive enzymes and stomach acid would have degraded the fly. However, the fly was intact, making this hypothesis less likely," Bechtold said.

If from the bottom, an opening must have been created long enough for the fly to fly undetected into the colon and somehow make its way to the middle part of the colon with no light in a very curvy, large intestine," he added.

In rare cases, insects can enter the digestive tract if a person consumes food with larvae or insect eggs, although generally, neither can survive stomach acids to hatch and grow within a person's body.

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MCDSCRE PA094 - Credit: Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

Jews are not a monolith. And yet, for the past several decades, those in favor of Benjamin Netanyahus administration have mendaciously branded any criticisms of the Israeli government as antisemitism. It is a curious conflation, given how a 2021 Pew Research Center survey revealed that only 58% of Jewish adults in the U.S. feel very/somewhat attached to Israel. In that same survey, 33% said the Israeli government is making sincere effort toward peace. And in March of this year, a Gallup poll stated that for the first time in its history of polling American attitudes toward Israelis and Palestinians, Democrats sympathies in the Middle East now lie more with the Palestinians than the Israelis, 49% versus 38%. And these were published before the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 people in Israel and around 240 hostages taken, and Israels military response, which has taken the lives of an estimated 13,000 Palestinian civilians  U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called it a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I have been Secretary-General, though he should pay closer attention to whats happening in Sudan  have brought the Israel-Palestine issue to the top of everyones social media feeds, including those in Hollywood, a town with lots of Jews in it (for historical and cultural reasons explained here). And the ways Hollywood leaders have retaliated against any criticism of the Israeli government during the ongoing conflict could start to resemble a new Hollywood blacklist.

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First came top CAA agent Maha Dakhil, who was demoted from her post as co-chief of the powerful talent agencys motion pictures department after sharing an Instagram post calling Israels bombardment of Gaza genocide. Dakhil, who represents the likes of Tom Cruise, Reese Witherspoon, and Natalie Portman, issued a heartfelt apology and deleted the post, but that didnt stop one of her big clients, Aaron Sorkin, from dropping her over it. A subsequent report in Variety alleges it took the personal intervention of Cruise for Dakhil to keep her job, and The New York Post said that Dakhil has since embarked on a Jewish listening tour, meeting with Hollywood rabbi Steve Leder and Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League.

On Oct. 12, CAAs top leadership joined 2,000+ other Hollywood luminaries in signing an open letter stating: As Israel takes the necessary steps to defend its citizens in the coming days and weeks, social media will be overrun by an orchestrated misinformation campaign spearheaded by Iran. We urge everyone to remember the horrific images that came out of Israel and to not amplify or fall for their propaganda.

CAA agent Maha Dakhil.

Susan Sarandon didnt get the same reprieve as Dakhil. The Oscar-winning actress and activist was dropped by her talent agency UTA, where shed been a client since 2014, after speaking out at a pro-Palestine rally on Nov. 17 in New York City.

There are a lot of people that are afraid, that are afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence, Sarandon said.

Like Dakhil, Sarandons words were quickly twisted and weaponized against her. Her comments were called antisemitic in numerous headlines, even though she was relating the fears of Jews to those Muslims have experienced in post-9/11 America. (Sarandon did not provide comment for this article.)

Next in line was Melissa Barrera, who was dropped from her upcoming lead role in Scream VII for what the films production company, Spyglass Media Group, described thusly: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.

A Variety report highlighted how Barrera had apparently been guilty of resharing a post that accuses Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing and one from Jewish Currents magazine about distorting the Holocaust to boost the Israeli arms industry. Barrera had previously toplined the fifth and sixth entries of the Scream horror franchise.

Lets take a look at that Jewish Currents story Barrera shared on her Instagram. The piece, published Oct. 13, is penned by Raz Segal, one of the worlds foremost Israeli historians and Holocaust scholars, and calls the Israeli militarys assault on Gaza a textbook case of genocide. It also makes mention of a previous piece hed written in The Nation about the distortion of the Holocaust to boost the Israeli arms industry. When you actually read that Nation piece, it explicitly criticizes how Elbit Systems, Israels biggest arms company, allowed Bulgaria to whitewash its Holocaust history. Elbit co-published a book that cast Bulgaria as WWII heroes to Jews, and granted Bulgaria a series of arms contracts. In reality, as Segal writes, The Bulgarian state during World War II very much aimed for the forced removal of Jews from Bulgaria Bulgarian state authorities enthusiastically and brutally planned and carried out the arrest, plunder, and mass deportations of around 12,000 Jews from Bulgarian-occupied western Thrace and eastern Macedonia to Nazi death camps in March 1943.

I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me.

In other words, Segals piece is far from the Holocaust distortion that Spyglass claimed. In fact, its a preeminent Holocaust historian using his authority and expertise to critique the Israeli military and its arms-makers  for their actions in Gaza, and for allowing Bulgaria to whitewash its role in the Holocaust. And now, reports are saying that Barreras co-star Jenna Ortega, who has also been vocal about the plight of Palestinians in Gaza on social media, has exited Scream VII  though Spyglass is claiming that the decision was reached some time ago and has nothing to do with Barreras exit or Ortegas posts. (Barrera and Ortega have not responded to requests for comment; in an Instagram post, Barrera wrote, in part, I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me. ). Meanwhile, the director of Scream VII, Christopher Landon, tweeted out, Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make, accompanied by a broken-heart emoji. He then deleted the post.

On top of that which befell Dakhil, Sarandon, and Barrera, the aforementioned Variety report cited how CAA cut ties with a staffer and two clients over incendiary anti-Israeli social media posts, and that Hollywood power producer Marc Platt, the father of Ben and man behind La La Land and The Little Mermaid, had texted WME leadership about why Boots Riley was still a client after the Sorry to Bother You writer-director urged his followers on X to boycott an industry screening of footage of Hamas atrocities at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, dubbing the footage murderous propaganda because it was compiled by the IDF. Meanwhile, Platts fellow producer on La La Land, Gary Gilbert, was busy sliding into peoples DMs threatening violence if they protested the screening. The piece also claimed that WhatsApp text chains have popped up all over town filled with Hollywood players sharing instances of perceived antisemitism, and that one such chain targeted filmmaker Ava DuVernay merely for speaking up in support of Dakhil, her agent.

And at the time of writing, every Hollywoodite who has been fired or demoted over comments criticizing the Gaza crisis  Dakhil, Barrera, and the three CAA firings  has been a woman, and all but Sarandon are women of color.

During his 2006 Oscar acceptance speech, George Clooney championed Hollywoods history of progressivism. We are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while, I think. Its probably a good thing. Were the ones who talked about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasnt really popular this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when Blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. Im proud to be a part of this Academy, proud to be part of this community, and proud to be out of touch.

But Hollywood has also castigated stars for speaking up about the plight of the Palestinian people. Actress Vanessa Redgrave sold two of her homes to help finance The Palestinian, a 1977 documentary that sought to document the lives of and the struggle of the Palestinian people through interviews with survivors of the siege of Tel al-Zaatar during the Lebanese civil war, and with Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat. Redgrave received widespread condemnation for producing the film  especially from the far-right extremist Jewish Defense League, who burned effigies of her, offered a public bounty to have her killed, and later bombed a Beverly Hills cinema set to screen the doc. And during her acceptance speech at the 1978 Academy Awards, where Redgrave won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of an anti-fascist freedom fighter taking on the Nazis in Julia, she denounced the JDL, or the threat of a small bunch of Zionist hoodlums, whose behavior is an insult to the stature of Jews all over the world, and to their great and heroic record of struggle against fascism and oppression.

Redgrave was roundly criticized for her remarks and dressed down later in the show by Oscar-winning screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky at the behest of the shows producer, Daniel Melnick. And her use of the phrase Zionist hoodlums was further misconstrued as an attack on all Jews, not just the small bunch of JDL members whod targeted her. At that nights Governors Ball, Redgrave correctly explained that the JDL do not represent the Jewish people and their behavior is an insult to Jewish people all over the world, adding, Of course Im on the side of the Jews who have struggled in a most glorious struggle against fascism. But the damage was done. According to Vanessa, Dan Callahans 2014 biography of Redgrave, The scandal of her awards speech and the negative press it occasioned had a destructive effect on her acting opportunities that would last for years to come.

More recently, actor Mark Ruffalo was pressured into apologizing and retracting his remarks after calling for sanctions against Netanyahus Israeli government and their calls of genocide two years ago, writing, I have reflected & wanted to apologize for posts during the recent Israel/Hamas fighting that suggested Israel is committing genocide. Its not accurate, its inflammatory, disrespectful & is being used to justify antisemitism here & abroad. Now is the time to avoid hyperbole.

Those celebrities who have refrained from directly criticizing Israel or labeling whats happening in Gaza genocide and are simply calling for a ceasefire, however, have been spared of any professional consequences. In late October, a number of A-listers  Joaquin Phoenix, Cate Blanchett, Drake, Ben Affleck, Channing Tatum, Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, Dua Lipa, Kristen Stewart, Tom Hardy, Jennifer Lopez, and Jon Stewart among them  signed an open letter to President Biden calling for a ceasefire. It read, in part: We ask that, as President of the United States, you and the U.S. Congress call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the last week and a half  a number any person of conscience knows is catastrophic. We believe all life is sacred, no matter faith or ethnicity and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

Where is the line here? And why is everyone from a top Hollywood agent to an Oscar-winning actress to a rising franchise star being pilloried for criticizing Israel and/or speaking up about Palestinian human rights? All while celebrities like Sarah Silverman can receive no professional ramifications for arguing that Israel should be allowed to turn off the water and electricity to Gaza, thereby killing civilians in the process? Or Amy Schumer can share a meme implying that all Gazans are rapists?

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A model poses during an Indigenous fashion show in the Montana State University American Indian Hall Monday, November, 13, 2023 in Bozeman. MSU. (Photo/Marcus

BOZEMAN, Mont.  An Indigenous fashion show that drew a standing-room-only crowd to American Indian Hall at Montana State University was the perfect backdrop for a celebration of cultural tradition through the lens of modern art, say organizers of the successful Native American Heritage Month event.

It was such a positive place to be, said Riley Werk, a sophomore majoring in English education, who helped organize the Nov. 13 show. Not a lot of people, even in Indian Country, have seen a fashion show like this.

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Werk is part of the three-person cultural outreach team in MSUs American Indian/Alaska Native Student Success Services. Together with cultural outreach specialist LaTrell Hendrickson in MSUs Department of Native American Studies, Werk and fellow student-employee Watson Whitford conceived the idea for the show and worked since the start of the semester to make the event happen.

[Editor's Note: This article was first published by Montana State University News Service. Used with permission. All rights reserved.]

We started talking about a fashion series that includes workshops to make ribbon shirts and ribbon skirts because the Native fashion industry has become one more way of showcasing Native art, Hendrickson said.

Makeup artists prepare models backstage during an Indigenous fashion show in the Montana State University American Indian Hall in Bozeman. MSU. (Photo/Marcus "Doc" Cravens)

The team reached out to two professional Indigenous designers, both MSU alumni and members of the Crow Tribe: Angela Howe of Choke Cherry Creek Designs and Brocade Stops Black Eagle of Brocade Designs. They agreed to provide the clothing for the show, so Werk set about recruiting models. Meanwhile, Whitford, a freshman majoring in plant biology, began inviting Indigenous design vendors from tribes around and outside Montana. Thirty-five mostly student models representing every Native American nation in the region and several vendors of Indigenously designed wares  including earrings, clothing, cosmetic items and beadwork  signed up to participate. Some vendors traveled from out of state to attend.

On the night of the show before a diverse and appreciative crowd, each model struck a couple of poses in silhouette behind a white sheet before striding down the catwalk. Werk said that, for many of them, the experience not only boosted their confidence but also opened their eyes to future possibilities in the fashion business.

Many students are interested in the fashion industry. This gave them an opportunity to be photographed, and that work can go into a portfolio, Werk said. The designers opened their arms to students entrepreneurship questions. Its opening doors.

Whitford said he learned a lot about negotiation and working with people to figure out how to accommodate their needs and to encourage nervous models to exhibit confidence on the catwalk.

Im proud of everybody, he said. To have these opportunities opens more doors and more paths.

Above all, the organizers said they felt gratified when their goals for the project were fulfilled.

A model poses during an Indigenous fashion show Monday, November 13, 2023 at the Montana State University American Indian Hall in Bozeman. MSU. (Photo/Marcus "Doc" Cravens)

Our main vision was to have people see our culture portrayed in a modern light, said Werk. The environment was a completely safe space where everyone was encouraging and positive.

Whitford added that the fashion show was the perfect way to bring the Native American cultural perspective into a modern, Western institution.

People who dont know about Indian community think we live in the past, but we are modernized people with different ways of incorporating our culture into modern styles of fashion or architecture, he said. We cant live in the old ways, but we cant live in the totally modern world or well forget who we are.

Its healing, these different things we have, he said. I hope we continue doing these things for the community and show that were proud and make people feel included.

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About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
Through a sorcerous fusion of light, shadow and sound, a string curtain forms a fantastical landscape, with starlight twinkling, blue-green water falling and silhouetted mountains and evergreens looming tall.

From his high perch, a glowing white bird seems to watch intently as visitors pass through this thin veil into what seems like another world  or, rather, the transporting telling of a story about this one.

"Everything I do is connected to my cultural background, my Tlingit background, and I was working with aspects of this story for many years. Raven is a big figure in our culture. There's a lot of stories about Raven and his adventures and the things that he did to set the world in order," said groundbreaking Native American glass artist Preston Singletary.

"It was an adventure putting it all together."

The multisensory traveling exhibition "Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight" landed at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art earlier in November, which is Native American Heritage Month, and will be on view on the museum's third floor through April 28.

Foreground, K'anashgidel Yak Koowadzitee (Humble Birth) 2018. Oklahoma City Museum of Art exhibit, Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight. The multi-sensory experience combines glass, video, and audio to tell the story of Raven, a creator figure in Tlingit culture. Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023

Why must 'Raven and Box of Daylight' be seen in person to appreciate it?

Organized by the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, the innovative exhibit showcases the Seattle artist's glass sculptures among immersive projections and video, original music and Pacific Northwest coastal soundscapes to tell his tribe's origin story of Raven bringing the the sun, moon and stars to the world.

"We are a major venue for glass in the United States. ... But we don't have any works by Preston, and he's somebody that exists very much in that same community of glass artists. So, first, it was an opportunity to expand on what we had in our own collection," said OKC Museum of Art President and CEO Michael Anderson.

"Beyond that, we also don't really have the opportunity to do too many Native American exhibitions  and a part of that is by design with First Americans (Museum) and the National Cowboy Museum, both of which have collections and expertise in those areas. But this is an exhibition that seemed better suited to us. ... It's an important enough contemporary glass exhibition that it just needed to be in Oklahoma City."

The exhibit "Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight" is on view Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Running through April 28 at the OKC museum, the multi-sensory experience combines glass, video, and audio to tell the story of Raven, a creator figure in Tlingit culture.

Since it debuted at the Museum of Glass in 2018, "Raven and the Box of Daylight" has traveled to the Wichita Art Museum in Kansas, Chrysler Museum of Art in Virginia and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

The glass artist, who was born in San Francisco in 1963, collaborated with the company zoe I juniper to create the projections and soundscapes for the experiential exhibit.

"The still photos of these works, they just can't do them any justice. ... It is immersive, and that's by design. So, you're not seeing these glass fishes in a white box on just maybe on pedestals," Anderson said.

Ahead of the OKC opening for "Raven and the Box of Daylight," Singletary spoke with The Oklahoman about developing the immersive exhibit, working in glass and sharing the culture of his Tlingit tribe, which hails from southern Alaska:

Native American glass artist Preston Singletary stands in a gallery of his traveling exhibit "Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight" Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The multi-sensory experience combines glass, video, and audio to tell the story of Raven, a creator figure in Tlingit culture.

Q: Can you talk about what it takes to bring together a big, immersive show like this?

I'd been thinking about it for many years and working with Raven imagery, and then I met a man named Walter Porter, who was a Tlingit elder and mythologist. ... He would read into the symbolism and identify the archetypes of the symbols, and then he would compare it to a broader mythological point of view. And he shared lots of insight to the story with me.

So, we had an endeavored to work on it together and create this exhibition, but then he passed away (in 2013). So, I was left to work on my own and try to remember all the things that he had shared with me.

Then, I worked with another curator, Miranda Belarde-Lewis (who is Zuni/Tlingit), and she helped me put the show together and figure out how to string it together and tell it like a story.

Q: Can you talk about working with other artists to tell this story?

I worked with Dorothy Grant, who is Haida, a sister tribe to the Tlingit, and she makes garments and dresses and fashion haute couture. So, she makes these beautiful dresses, and she does also some of what we call regalia.

So, I asked her to create these dresses and robes ... that we could cover these mannequins with, to bring a little bit of human presence into the space with the idea of the people that live inside this clan house.

Then, Juniper Shuey was the videographer, so he helped me design the exhibition. I told him about the elements that I was interested in having, and he came up with the video and was able to bring that all together. So, it is very much a collaboration with Juniper.

The work "Along the River" is featured in the exhibit "Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight" Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. On view at the OKC museum through April 28, the multi-sensory experience combines glass, video, and audio to tell the story of Raven, a creator figure in Tlingit culture.

Q: How has it been for you as an artist and an Indigenous person to share a story with everyone that's such a big part of your heritage?

This was a real opportunity to share a cultural story with a broader audience. For me, it brings a little bit of an awareness of the culture and the stories that go with it.

This is just one story of many stories, but this was one that I chose to focus on, because it was probably the best-known story.

Sometimes I kind of lose perspective on it, because it was such an endeavor to put it all together. It took about three years to make all these pieces, aside from my studio practice, where I'm trying to have gallery shows and make money and keep the studio running. So, I had to make these pieces and put them away and stockpile until I had all the collection together.

A lot of the objects are actually Tlingit (in that) they're all based on tradition. So, what I tried to do is mimic the objects that were typically either a basket weave or an object that was carved in wood that I replicated to some degree in glass. ... Everything, like the baskets that you see in there, they're all traditional designs. For this exhibition, I wanted everything to look like it came from ancient times, but it's obviously modern in the material.

The 2018 piece "Yeil Koowditee (Raven Birth), which combines blown, hot-sculpted and sand-carved glass with video projections, is displayed Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, in the Oklahoma City Museum of Art exhibit "Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight." The multi-sensory experience combines glass, video, and audio to tell the story of Raven, a creator figure in Tlingit culture.

Q: What do you like about working in glass?

I started as a glass blower in 1982, and I started in a production factory and was doing pretty basic objects like Christmas balls and paperweights and things like that.

I started going to the Pilchuck Glass School, and that's where I learned how artists work with glass. People from all over the globe would come to this school in the Northwest, and I just happened to be there. So, I ended up just following that thread.

I realized that this was an opportunity that I could showcase the (Tlingit) culture. In the end, that's what it's come to be, that I'm getting a lot of attention for what I'm doing, because it is a new material (for Indigenous art).

So, I just decided to stick with the material that I knew best. ... I tried woodcarving, but I realized it might take me a whole other lifetime to get good at woodcarving. So, I just decided to stay in my lane and see what I could accomplish with this new material. ... I've studied the design work for many years, obviously, and how to make everything anew: How to use the elements but create new designs within that sort of architecture of the design work.

The immersive exhibit "Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight" is on view Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The multi-sensory experience combines glass, video, and audio to tell the story of Raven, a creator figure in Tlingit culture.

Q: How is it to bring this exhibit to Oklahoma, where we have 39 tribes headquartered?

This is really exciting, because there's a big Native population here. So, I've had a great opportunity to go to the First Americans Museum and see what they're doing there. ... It's (the Tlingit tribe) is from Alaska, so this is definitely a little out of place for this Midwest area. ... It's an honor to be able to share with such a broad audience.

'Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight'

When : Through April 28.

Where : Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive.

Admission : $16.95 for adults, $14.95 for seniors 62 and older and college students, $9.95 for active duty military. Children ages 17 and younger and museum members admitted free.

Information: https://www.okcmoa.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC museum opens immersive exhibit 'Raven and the Box of Daylight'
For many, steam rising from turkeys fresh out the oven last week evoked images of the Pilgrims. Schoolchildren learn that the origin of American democracy is the Mayflower Compact by which the Pilgrims pledged themselves to self-governance.

Less is said in classrooms and by televisions talking heads about the experience of Native Americans in the years since they were at that first Thanksgiving.

For American Indians, an event of the sort reported in an 1883 Tribune article headlined Little Injuns conjures up painful memories:

The Feehanville Training-School received a large and unique addition to its inmates in the last few days in the form of forty Sioux Indian boys from the Dakota Indian reservation. 

The notables among them, the Tribune noted, were three hereditary chieftains  Wa Myhe, the son of Sitting Bull, age 23; Catan Sapa, the son of Black Hawk, age 11; and Itaizipo, the son of Good Bear, age 19. 

The school was in the northwest suburbs near Des Plaines, starting out as St. Marys Training School then becoming Maryville Academy in 1950. Bringing boys and young men from the Sioux tribe there from a Western reservation marked an abrupt U-turn in the countrys policy.

The U.S. government had been sending American Indians westward, ever since the East Coast Natives were forcibly exiled west of the Mississippi River in the 1830s under the Indian Removal Act.

The Tribune was told the agent assigned to the Standing Rock Reservation in the Dakotas had induced 200 Indian families to take up farming and build houses there within the last year, and has the whole body on the reservation, numbering 5,000, under perfect control and discipline. 

But the Sioux boys were sent from that reservation eastward to a Catholic orphanage. There they would stay three years.

David Beck, a professor of Native American history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said schools like St. Marys took part in a system of economically driven cultural genocide.

They needed a source of funding, Beck told an NPR interviewer earlier this year.

He said the school was struggling financially and the federal government was offering to pay the Chicago Archdiocese $107 per boy annually.

The purpose of such a contract and the effort to education the Natives in Western ways, as colloquially described by Richard Henry Pratt, who founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, was to Kill the Indian in him, and save the man. 

The Indians under our care have remained savage, he said in an 1892 speech. We have never made any effort to civilize them with the idea of taking them into the nation. 

He didnt mince words about what he saw as the solution.

In Indian Civilization I am a Baptist, because I believe in immersing the Indian in our civilization and when we get them under holding them there until they are thoroughly soaked, he wrote in the memoir Battlefield and Classroom: Four Decades With the American Indian, 1867-1904. 

He worked out the practical application of his mantra when serving as a jailer to Kiowa, Comanche and Cheyenne prisoners of war at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida, from 1875 to 1878.

Finding the prisoners sinking from helplessness into depression, he had their leg irons removed. He explained that good behavior would be rewarded, taking them on camping and fishing excursions. He gradually introduced them to life in St. Augustine beyond the prison walls.

Then he gave passes to selected prisoners to explore the white mans world, usually in pairs. The locals were both fascinated by the Indians and initially fearful of them. In time, the sight of Indians strolling and shopping along St. Augustines streets became commonplace.

Not all his innovations were instant successes. Thinking that if American Indians were to be integrated into the white mans world they had to dress like him, he issued them trousers. But preferring Indian leggings, the prisoners cut them off at the hip. A stern talk persuaded the Indians to wear their trousers unaltered.

What Pratt took away from that prison became the template for about 357 Indian training schools. Between 1800 and 1978, they housed 60,000 boarders. Most were taken from families with no say in the matter.

Just as in the others, Indians were robbed of their culture on the day of their arrival at St. Marys Training School. Their hair was cut short, and they were given American names.

The St. Paul Post published a glossary of name changes for Indians in 1883. Mazakaha became Samuel Godereau. Wasicuncinca became George Pleats.

It noted that Hoksilaska, a boy being taken to St. Marys, drew a picture of a horse, like those he had known on the Standing Rock Reservation.

St. Marys and other schools like it were founded to keep Catholic children from losing their faith in the essentially Protestant ethos of the public schools. At the same time, the school was force-feeding mainstream American culture to Native American children. Speaking English was required. Tribal languages were strictly forbidden.

Yet life at the school wasnt shaped solely by malice and greed. There was also a measure of genuine concern for American Indians by those who contributed to shaping the countrys policies.

The rush of Western settlement grows more and more, wrote Henry Pancoast, a Philadelphia lawyer who organized the Indian Rights Association, after an 1882 visit to Sioux reservations in the Dakotas. He found the Native Americans ill-equipped for the inevitable cultural confrontation, where they were at a considerable disadvantage economically.

Thomas Morgan, the commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1889 to 1893, wrote that a wild Indian requires a thousand acres to roam over, while an intelligent man will find comfortable, support for his family on a very small tract.

Accordingly, social reformers thought that to survive in an individualist society, the Native people needed what todays shrinks dub assertive therapy.

Harriet Beecher Stowe, the abolitionist author of Uncle Toms Cabin, applauded Pratts work in The Christian Crisis, a publication with a progressive readership. She liked what she saw when visiting his St. Augustine prison program.

We found no savages, she wrote. There were among these pupils seated and docile, with books in hand, men who had seen the foremost in battle and bloodshed. Now there was plainly to be seen among them the eager joy which comes from the use of a new set of faculties.

Outreach to Indians had previously come from Christian missionaries preaching in tribal languages. Their successors were schoolteachers who took on the work of teaching the American Indian children English.

The results were passed through a filter of institutional prejudices. At St. Marys, they were blatant.

The Indians, with the exception of three white boys, have been exclusively employed on the farm, Indian Bureau inspectors found. More Indians ought to learn trades. They are eminently imitative and under prudent directions they can become proficient in mechanical arts. Two (or) more Indians might learn baking. Four or five carpentry, the same number shoe making and tailoring. Thus when they return to the reservations they can receive an encouraging compensation for their labor. 

The schools contract wasnt renewed. Money for educating Native Americans was getting tight. Maybe the feds simply thought it better spent elsewhere. It was cheaper to school them on the reservations.

Either way, on Oct. 28, 1886, 48 of the surviving members of the initial group of Sioux were transferred away from St. Marys. Five Indians were left behind. Having died from respiratory diseases, they remain in Des Plaines.

The boys, whose Native names are in school records  among them Red Bull, Black Hawk, Gray Bear and Walking White Buffalo  are buried in St. Marys Cemetery.

Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com.
Eric Sondermann is a Colorado-based independent political commentator. He writes regularly for Colorado Politics and The Gazette newspapers;t EWS@EricSondermann.com; follow him at @EricSondermann.
SILVER SPRINGS SHORES  Joan and Cleveland Robin are ready to serve you an array of decadent desserts and baked goods at their Peaches & Cream Heavenly Treats ice cream parlor.

I had a dream of opening our own place, said Cleveland Robin, 69, a native of Guyana who moved to the U.S. as a youth.

The Robins opened their business in October after overcoming a number of obstacles to meet operational requirements, according to Cleveland Robin, who served in the Marine Corps from 1973 to 1998 with overseas deployment. His military career included food service assignments as well as weapons.

Joan Robin carries a tray of freshly baked cookies on Nov. 15 at the newly opened Peaches & Cream.

Joan Robin, nicknamed Mojo, is a native of Tanzania, Africa, where she was a high school teacher.

The couple met while Joan was visiting a friend in Washington state, where Cleveland owned a set of group homes caring for patients with dementia and mental health challenges.

The couple married about three years ago and moved to the Silver Springs Shores area, where Cleveland has family. The Robins joined efforts to launch the new business venture.

Ice cream flavors served at Peaches & Cream Heavenly Treats include vanilla, birthday cake, blueberry cheesecake, bubblegum, cappuccino chip, coconut, Rocky Road, and more and fountain items include cones; flurries, which are soft ice cream mixed with candy like white chocolate; ice cream floats; milkshakes; and banana boats.

Soft serve, several flavors of sherbet and lactose free ice cream are also available.

Cleveland Robin puts out trays of freshly baked cookies at Peaches & Cream in Silver Springs Shores.

Baked goods made in house include chocolate cheese cake cookies, chocolate chip cookies, brownies and Red Velvet cupcakes.

Tanzania Spice Tea is also served.

Peaches & Cream Heavenly Treats features DeConna brand ice cream, a company now including three generations of the DeConna family. The brand was established in 1947 and is based in northwest Marion County.

The company has a co-packer in Nebraska, which packs the 3-gallon ice cream containers typically used in ice cream shops, according to Vince DeConna, son of founder Don DeConna.

Peaches & Cream, 9427 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala

Vince DeConna said his company handles about 3,000 gallons a week in the 3-gallon containers.

Vince DeConna indicated tried and true vanilla remains a very popular flavor, although flavors like Moose Tracks are also popular.

Vince DeConna said some of the challenges facing a startup ice cream business can include increased rents and having additional foods choices available for customers.

Safe dining: 16 Marion County restaurants cited for high-priority violations

Pastor Tom Morgan of New Life Pentecostal Church, which the Robins attend, said the couple is always smiling and ready to serve and well suited to run the ice cream parlor.

The Robins ran into obstacles "but they kept at it until the door opened, They are great, faithful people, Morgan said.

Peaches & Cream Heavenly Treats, 9427 SE Maricamp Road, Silver Springs Shores, (352) 680-0700

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: New restaurant in Ocala: Sweet treats in abundance in the Shores
Taylor Swift surprised fans with two rarely performed songs at her Saturday night concert at the Allianz Parque stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Nov. 25.

This has been a tradition that I started on The Eras Tour, Swift said to the Sao Paulo crowd, explaining that she tries her best to deliver two songs shes never played, or at least hasnt played in a very long time, during her acoustic set. Both songs I am playing tonight I have never, ever played on this tour.

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First up was Safe & Sound off of The Hunger Games soundtrack, on guitar. The song from the 2012 feature film hasnt been heard on Swifts stage in a decade; she last played it in 2013 on her Red Tour. The original recording featured The Civil Wars, but Swift performed the tune solo Saturday night.

Next, on piano, was the ballad Untouchable, which Swift re-recorded for Fearless (Taylors Version) but hasnt performed live since 2011.

Night one in Sao Paulo featured the live debut of Now That We Dont Talk from the 1989 (Taylors Version) vault. Ive never performed this one live before, she teased the crowd on Friday. Lets see how I do with it. She followed that surprise with a rare performance of Speak Nows Innocent at the piano.

Shell return to Sao Paulos Allianz Parque stadium for a third night on Sunday.

Over three nights in Rio de Janeiro last weekend, Swift played several songs live for first time in he career, including 1989 (Taylors Version) vault tracks Slut! and Surburban Legends, and the emotional Bigger Than the Whole Sky from Midnights (3AM Edition).

Watch clips of Safe & Sound and Untouchable from the Nov. 25 Sao Paulo show below. You can stay up-to-date with of all the surprise songs from The Eras Tour with Billboards full list here.

| Better video of Taylor Swift singing "Safe & Sound" Tonight! #SaoPauloTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/IIYyo9PfWL  Taylor Swift Updates  (@swifferupdates) November 26, 2023

its like a million little stars spelling out your name  #SaoPauloTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/9gKQVTty8s  hayley i love you | 10.11.23 (@this1smetrying) November 26, 2023

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Taylor Swift's songs for night three in Sao Paulo, Brazil included "Say Don't Go" from "1989 (Taylor's Version)" on the guitar and "it's time to go" from "Evermore" on the piano.

Swift added shes going to open up all of the songs for 2024, "I feel like for one year we've really gotten through a lot of songs so I'm just going to make all of the songs fair game."

The night two surprise songs included "Safe & Sound" from "Red (Taylor's Version)" on the guitar and "Untouchable" from "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" on the piano.

"It's been ages since I've played both of these songs," she said before performing the Hunger Games ballad.

The surprise songs for the first night in the city were "Now That We Don't Talk" from "1989 (Taylor's Version) [From The Vault]" on the guitar and "Innocent" from "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" on the piano.

At the top of the concert, Swift praised the sold-out crowd inside the Allianz Parque stadium.

Keep reading to see the entire list of surprise songs by city.

What songs are left that Swift has not performed on the Eras Tour?

Swift has less than 40 songs that she's never performed from her ten albums:

Self-Titled: The Outside, Mary's Song (Oh My My My), A Perfectly Good Heart

Fearless: The Way I Loved You, Change, Come In With The Rain, Superstar, We Were Happy, That's When, Don't You, Bye Bye Baby

Speak Now: Superman, Electric Touch, Foolish One

Red: Girl At Home, Ronan, Babe, Forever Winter, Run, Eyes Open

1989: Sweeter Than Fiction

Reputation: I Did Something Bad

Lover: London Boy, Soon You'll Get Better, It's Nice To Have A Friend

Folklore: epiphany, peace, hoax

Evermore: happiness, long story short, closure

Midnights: Paris, Glitch, Dear Reader, You're Losing Me

More: The Eras Tour returns: See the new surprise songs Taylor Swift played in Argentina

Which surprise songs has Taylor Swift performed on Eras tour?

From Arizona to Brazil, here are all of the surprise songs that Swift has performed so far:

Glendale, Arizona (March 17) - "mirrorball" and "Tim McGraw"

Glendale, Arizona (March 18) - "State of Grace" and "this is me trying"

Las Vegas (March 24) - "Our Song" and "Snow on the Beach"

Las Vegas (March 25) - "cowboy like me" (with Marcus Mumford) and "White Horse"

Arlington, Texas (March 31) - "Sad Beautiful Tragic" and "Ours"

Arlington, Texas (April 1) - "Death By a Thousand Cuts" and "Clean"

Arlington, Texas (April 2) - "Jump Then Fall" and "The Lucky One"

Tampa, Florida (April 13) - "Speak Now" and "Treacherous"

Tampa, Florida (April 14) - "The Great War" (with Aaron Dessner) and "You're On Your Own Kid"

Tampa, Florida (April 15) - "mad woman" (with Aaron Dessner) and "Mean"

Houston (April 21)  "Wonderland" and "You're Not Sorry"

Houston (April 22)  "A Place In This World" and "Today Was A Fairytale"

Houston (April 23)  "Begin Again" and "Cold as You"

Atlanta (April 28)  "The Other Side of the Door" and "Coney Island"

Atlanta (April 29)  "High Infidelity" and "Gorgeous"

Atlanta (April 30)  "I Bet You Think About Me" and "How You Get The Girl"

Nashville, Tennessee (May 5)  "Sparks Fly" and "Teardrops On My Guitar"

Nashville, Tennessee (May 6)  "Out of the Woods" and "Fifteen"

Nashville, Tennessee (May 7)  "Would've Could've Should've" (with Aaron Dessner) and "Mine"

Philadelphia (May 12) - "gold rush" and "Come Back... Be Here"

Philadelphia (May 13) - "Forever & Always" and "This Love"

Philadelphia (May 14) - "Hey Stephen" and "The Best Day"

Foxborough, Massachusetts (May 19) - "Should've Said No" and "Better Man"

Foxborough, Massachusetts (May 20) - "Question...?" and "Invisible"

Foxborough, Massachusetts (May 21) - "I Think He Knows" and "Red"

East Rutherford, New Jersey (May 26) - "Getaway Car" (with Jack Antonoff) and "Maroon"

East Rutherford, New Jersey (May 27) - "Holy Ground" and "False God"

East Rutherford, New Jersey (May 28) - "Welcome To New York" and "Clean"

Chicago (June 2)  "I Wish You Would" and "the lakes"

Chicago (June 3)  "You All Over Me" (with Maren Morris) and "I Don't Wanna Live Forever"

Chicago (June 4)  "Hits Different" and "The Moment I Knew"

Detroit (June 9)  "Haunted" and "I Almost Do"

Detroit (June 10)  "All You Had To Do Was Stay" and "Breathe"

Pittsburgh (June 16)  "Mr. Perfectly Fine" and "The Last Time"

Pittsburgh (June 17)  "seven" (with Aaron Dessner) and "The Story of Us"

Minneapolis (June 23)  "Paper Rings" and "If This Was A Movie"

Minneapolis (June 24)  "Dear John" and "Daylight"

Cincinnati (June 30)  "I'm Only Me When I'm With You" and "evermore"

Cincinnati (July 1)  "ivy" (with Aaron Dessner), "I miss you, Im sorry" (with Gracie Abrams) and "Call It What You Want"

Kansas City, Missouri (July 7)  "Never Grow Up" and "When Emma Falls in Love"

Kansas City, Missouri (July 8)  "Last Kiss" and "dorothea"

Denver (July 14) - "Picture To Burn" and "Timeless"

Denver (July 15) - "Starlight" and "Back To December"

Seattle (July 22) - "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" and "Everything Has Changed"

Seattle (July 23) - "Message In A Bottle" and "Tied Together With A Smile"

Santa Clara, California (July 28) - 'right where you left me' (with Aaron Dessner) and 'Castles Crumbling'

Santa Clara, California (July 29) - 'Stay Stay Stay' and 'All of the Girls You've Loved Before'

Los Angeles (Aug. 3)  "I Can See You" and "Maroon"

Los Angeles (Aug. 4)  "Our Song" and "You Are In Love"

Los Angeles (Aug. 5)  "Death By A Thousand Cuts" and "You're On Your Own, Kid"

Los Angeles (Aug. 7)  "Dress" and "exile"

Los Angeles (Aug. 8)  "I Know Places" and "King of My Heart"

Los Angeles (Aug. 9)  "New Romantics" and "New Year's Day"

Mexico City (Aug. 24) - "I Forgot That You Existed" and "Sweet Nothing"

Mexico City (Aug. 25) - "Tell Me Why" and "Snow on the Beach"

Mexico City (Aug. 26) - "Cornelia Street" and "You're On Your Own, Kid"

Mexico City (Aug. 27) - "Afterglow" and "Maroon"

Buenos Aires (Nov. 9) - "The Very First Night" and "Labyrinth"

Buenos Aires (Nov. 11) - "Is It Over Now?"/"Out of the Woods" mash-up and "End Game"

Buenos Aires (Nov. 12) - "Better Than Revenge" and "Slut!"

Rio de Janeiro (Nov. 17) - "Stay Beautiful" and "Suburban Legends"

Rio de Janeiro (Nov. 19) - "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" and "Bigger Than the Whole Sky"

Rio de Janeiro (Nov. 20) - "ME!" and "So It Goes"

Sao Paulo (Nov. 24) - "Now That We Don't Talk" and "Innocent"

Sao Paulo (Nov. 25) - "Safe & Sound" and "Untouchable"

Sao Paulo (Nov. 26) - "Say Don't Go" and "it's time to go"

Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Taylor Swift surprise songs in Sao Paulo Eras tour concert
Hours after she was arrested in Beverly Hills, the comedian, 43, made a joke about her DUI charge during a stand-up set in Long Beach, California.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Tiffany Haddish performs at Laugh Factory Hollywood's 43rd Thanksgiving Feast And Show on Nov. 23 in Los Angeles

Tiffany Haddish has spoken out about her DUI arrest.



On Friday, PEOPLE confirmed that Haddish, 43, had been arrested by the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) and was facing a DUI charge after allegedly falling asleep behind the wheel of a car.

Later that day, the actress performed a previously-scheduled stand-up show at the Laugh Factory in Long Beach, California, and, according to audio obtained by TMZ of the set, she addressed the arrest.

In the recording  taken by an audience member at Friday nights show  when asked about what happened last night, Haddish jokingly replied, You tell me, before cracking a joke about the situation.

I had prayed to God to send me a man with a job, career, preferably in a uniform, and I answered my prayers, she said, per the recording.

Representative for Haddish didn't immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Related: Tiffany Haddish Addresses Backlash Over Shakira VMAs Photobomb: 'Thank You All for Making Me More Famous and Relevant'

On Friday, BHPD said they received a call around 5:45 a.m. local time about a woman, who was behind the wheel of a vehicle that was stopped in the middle of Beverly Drive while the car was still running.

Haddish was arrested by authorities and released later that day.

The night before, she had performed at The Laugh Factory in West Hollywood as part of the venues 43rd annual free Thanksgiving feast for the community event.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Tiffany Haddish attends the Variety Antisemitism And Hollywood Summit at 1 Hotel West Hollywood on Oct. 18

Related: Tiffany Haddish Jokes Her Recent DUI Arrest Was a 'Dumb Unfortunate Incident'

The Girls Trip stars arrest comes after she was arrested in Georgia for another DUI-related incident in January 2022.

At the time, she was arrested for a suspected DUI and improper stopping on a roadway. Authorities responded to a 911 call around 2:30 a.m. local time about a driver who had allegedly fallen asleep at the wheel on Highway 74.

"Subsequent investigation led to Ms. Tiffany Haddish being arrested for Driving Under the Influence," police told PEOPLE at the time. "She was transported to the Fayette County Jail without incident."

Per TMZ, she is due in court for the case related to the arrest on Dec. 4.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The joke Haddish used on Friday marked the second time she comedically referred to an arrest with a retort about wanting a man in uniform.

A week after her Georgia arrest, she told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, "I can say this, Jimmy... I've been praying to God to send me a new man. A good man. And God went ahead and sent me four... in uniform."

She added of the case, "And now I got a really great lawyer, and we're going to work it out. I've got to get my asking of things to God a little better!"



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After skipping Venice due to the actors strike, a busy Willem Dafoe is back on the festival trail, attending the 20th edition of the Marrakech Film Festival with his wife, filmmaker and actor Giada Colagrande. He spoke to Variety about his ties to Morocco, why hes happy to be promoting and starting to work again now that the strike is over, and his role in Tim Burtons upcoming Beetlejuice 2.

How does it feel to be back in Marrakech?

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Im happy to be back. Morocco for me is The Last Temptation of Christ, a film that was a beautiful experience. And I loved shooting it because it demanded a lot of me and it was really full on. And it was very in the nature of Morocco. And we were working with an incredible Moroccan crew. So thats my association. Ive always heard Marrakech was a beautiful festival as far as hospitality and also that it covers some films that arent often covered from Africa, Arab filmmakers, Moroccan filmmakers. So thats cool. And then Im so happy to be promoting and starting to work again after the strike. So this is [about] getting moving again and seeing friends. And were going to make it better.

Speaking of promotions, you had three movies in Venice which you skipped in solidarity with the strike. In one, Yorgos Lanthimos Poor Things, you play Dr. Godwin Baxter, the unorthodox surgeon whom Bella, played by Emma Stone, calls God. He seems like such a fun character to play despite having to spend hours in make up.

He was, just because I was surrounded by all this beautiful [Victorian] detail in this complete world; and also great cast, great script. Also looking at these videos of Alasdair Gray who wrote the novel. I dont know this for a fact, but I think theres a lot of Alasdair Gray in that character. And hes quite an amusing guy. Hes eccentric, hes intellectual, hes playful. Hes a thinker; a free thinker. So I think that I was working from watching videos of him, partly. Dr. Baxter is a scientist and hes turned his pain into a positive thing.

I read this funny anecdote that when you got the call from Lanthimos and Emma Stone to propose that you play this character you were looking at a portrait of your father, who was a surgeon.

Yes, he was. The portrait is in my office in my apartment in Rome. I was also looking at a beautiful piece by Marina Abramovic, whom Ive worked with a bunch of times. Its a big photograph of her doing an autopsy on a woman on a slab. Those two things: so its in my world. They told me the broad strokes, and I was excited immediately.

In another Venice movie, Saverio Costanzos Finally Dawn, you play an American art dealer in 1950s Rome who is friends with a Hollywood movie star played by Lily James. You speak Italian quite a lot. How challenging was that?

I really enjoyed working with Saverio and its a good role. It was challenging because I speak Italian, but its very different to speak and perform. And, yes, I can have an accent. I didnt sweat the accent so much. Its just a matter of rhythm and fluidity. And I play an American character, but I have to speak well so you cant hear too much wonk in the voice.

The other movie you had at Venice is Olmo Schnabels Pet Shop Days. How was it to work with the son of someone whom youve worked with so much?

It was good because Olmo was basically a production assistant on his fathers film At Eternitys Gate in which I played Van Gogh. So Olmo was around a lot, doing very simple things. But I saw how he worked and I liked him and I got to know him personally. And then when he started working on this project, he spoke to me very early and said: Id love you to be in it. And I said, Well, okay. Talk to me when youre ready. And yeah, I just like how he approached things and also he really speaks for people that arent of my experience. A New York of another generation. So that was attractive. And besides, I like him and I saw him develop and its always good to work with young directors because sometimes theres a level of corruption with success, and also a level of fatigue, with directors that have been around for a while that young people dont have.

Youve got several other movies coming out, one being Tim Burtons Beetlejuice 2. Can you talk to me about working with Burton and reveal what character you play?

I havent seen any footage yet, but it was fun to do. I play a police officer in the afterlife, so Im a dead person. And in life I was a B-movie action star, but I had an accident and thats what sent me to the other side. But because of my skills, I became a detective character in the afterlife. So thats my job. But its colored by the fact of who I was [when I was alive]: a B movie action star.

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Each year, one of the best parts of the annual SI Swimsuit Issue is the opportunity to get to know the outstanding talent that graces the pages of the magazine. Though they all have proven themselves skilled in front of a camera lens, every year they leave us in awe of their impressive and touching passions beyond their modeling careers. Not only do they work hard, but they have a lot to say about their convictions.

The same was certainly true about 2023 rookie Madisin Rian, a well-known face of Giorgio Armani Beauty. Her resume includes appearances on several luxury runways and in countless fashion campaigns. She put her talent on display during her trip to the Dominican Republic with photographer James Macari.

For Rian, a significant part of her role as a model, and particularly in recent years, has been to change the narrative surrounding beauty and expectations. She chose to shave her head in 2017 in order to free herself of all limitations in a society that judges Black women a lot by their hair, she said on set.

But, more than that, she wanted to make the case that as a woman, you dont need hair to be beautiful. Beauty is not defined just by the length of your hair, the texture of your hair, or makeup or anything, she expressed. According to Rian, Who you show up as is just enough.

She proved as much when she took to the beaches of the Dominican Republic this past year. Here are a few of our favorites from the trip.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated Madisin Rian was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Gonza. Earrings by Alexis Bittar.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated Madisin Rian was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Gottex provided by Brent Edward Vintage. Earrings by Christian Lacroix provided by New York Vintage.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated Madisin Rian was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by GOD SAVE QUEENS.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated Madisin Rian was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Cleonie Swim.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated Madisin Rian was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear. Earrings by Lele Sadoughi.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated Madisin Rian was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by HAUS OF PINKLEMONAID.

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The holiday season officially kicked off this week with Thanksgiving on November 23, 2023, and as always, some celebrities gave a glimpse into how they're spending the holiday. While some celebs, like Sydney Sweeney, who posted about her trip to Australia, kept things less turkey-related, others, including Kylie Jenner, opted to show off family this year.

The Kardashians star and makeup mogul shared a sweet photo with her two children, Stormi and Aire, this Thanksgiving. She captioned the photo, my everything. She also shared some snaps from Thanksgiving dinner, which featured her sisters including Kendall Jenner.

The musician spent time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this Thanksgiving season, singing to a stadium of people as part of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Carpenter is an opener. The tour is headed to Sao Paulo next.

The Euphoria actor was shown having the time of her life during the week of Thanksgiving on the Gold Coast in Australia. According to local outlets, Sweeney was in town filming reshoots for her upcoming rom-com, Anyone but You, alongside co-star Glen Powell.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky

The musician and Fenty Beuty founder was spotted in New York City on Thursday night with partner A$AP Rocky and two sons, Rza and Riot Rose. The pair were photographed leaving a NYC apartment the night of Thanksgiving.

Celebrity Sightings In New York City - October 09, 2023 Jackson Lee

The third Kardashian sister kicked off the week of festivities as most people do  with Mariah Carey. The reality star and Good American founder posted a photo ahead of Thanksgiving with the superstar musician after attending Carey's concert in Los Angeles. Kardashian posed with mom Kris Jenner, sister Kim Kardashian, and some of the Kardashian children.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Apple Martin

The mother-daughter duo looked close to twins in new photos shared on social media this week. The Goop founder and her 19-year-old daughter wore matching half-up-half-down hairstyles with black bows. Paltrow also joked in another Instagram photo, I didn't cook this but it looks like I did.

Celebrity Sightings In New York City - November 07, 2023 James Devaney

The actor celebrated Thanksgiving by reminding fans that The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is in theaters. In celebration of the newest film, Zegler shared a behind-the-scenes video of herself singing a song from the movie.

The GUTS artist was spotted arriving in Wisconsin ahead of Thanksgiving day with friend and fellow artist Conan Gray. She later posted a photo of her Thanksgiving dinner plate to Instagram.

2023 GQ Men Of The Year - Arrivals Axelle/Bauer-Griffin

The Wicked star and artist is skipping right to Christmas. Grande shared a video of herself seemingly promoting products from her r.e.m. beauty line on Instagram Stories. In the video, Grande can be seen putting lipgloss on while her Christmas song, Santa Tell Me plays in the background.

Celebrity Sightings In New York - November 16, 2023 DAMEBK/Bauer-Griffin

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The European Space Agency has just released a photo of Earth which is unlike anything you expect to see from modern space imaging equipment. Earth itself is concealed by a dark shadow, its hard to distinguish between areas of land and sea and it looks like someone has forgotten to wipe the lens. However, this image has been taken on a camera no bigger than a 20 Euro cent coin (which is smaller than a quarter) on board the very tiny TRISAT-R CubeSat, a satellite roughly the size of a shoebox.

OK, it's small. But in a post-Hubble, post-James Webb Space Telescope age high-resolution images of deep space are something of a given. Since the JWST launched in December 2021 weve been treated to photos of the ring nebula in stunning unseen detail, out-of-this-world photos of distant spiral galaxies and it even discovered an asteroid belt commet with water vapor. So why should you care about a blurry, low-resolution image of Earth taken from 6,000km away? I think it all comes down to size and money.

The camera on board the James Webb telescope measures 6.5 meters in diameter and is made up of 18, hexagon mirror segments made of gold-plated beryllium. It cost a whopping $10 billion dollars to launch and had been in development for more than 20 years. To put things into perspective, you would need a generously sized room to house the James Webb telescope, ignoring the enormous solar panels, while the TRISAT-R CubeSat would fit into a camera backpack.

Check out the best Black Friday telescope deals

With two entirely different missions, its hard to really compare the image capabilities of these spacecraft  while the James Webb telescope's sole purpose is to observe deep space to give us a greater understanding of the origin of the universe, the TRISAT-R CubeSats mission is to provide ionizing radiation measurements at an altitude of just 6,000km. However, that didnt stop the scientists at SkyLabs in Slovenia from fitting it with a pair of tiny cameras consisting of a 2mm lens made of borosilicate glass mounted onto a 320x320 pixel image sensor.

Each of the 10 sensors found on the JWST's NIRCam are 4 megapixels which are able to produce an image measuring 2560 x 1440 pixels  a considerable difference to the tiny image capabilities of the TRISAT-R CubeSat. Its like comparing an image taken on a Fujifilm GFX 100s with one of those crappy cameras from the 2000s; each does what its designed to do but youll never be able to print a billboard image with a 320x320 pixel image.

There is something very humbling about the European Space Agencys latest image, it isnt the most distinguished and it doesnt offer much in terms of clarity but what it does deliver is almost easier for the average Joe to ascertain. Perhaps weve all become so accustomed to seeing dazzling, colorful, jaw-dropping photos of galaxies thousands of light years away that when we see something much more attainable were left disappointed or uninterested.

I still think its fascinating that such a small satellite could capture any photos at all and surely that is the big takeaway here. You dont actually have to invest in one of the best telescopes or cameras for astrophotography if you have an interest in shooting the night sky  Ive taken pretty impressive photos using my iPhone 11 and a telephoto lens for iPhone that show the details of the moon craters. Sure, Ill never submit them to the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition but it goes to show what you can do with minimal equipment and minimal spending.
United has teamed up with German train line Deutsche Bahn to offer a single ticket for both air and rail travel.

United Airlines is making it easier for travelers to hop a train in Europe by partnering with the Lufthansa Group and Deutsche Bahn to create a single ticket for both air and train travel.

The new partnership, which went into effect on Wednesday, will allow travelers flying through Frankfurt Airport to buy a single ticket that includes a train to continue onto 25 different cities in Germany as well as Basel, Switzerland, according to United. The integrated ticket will also have one fare that includes all legs of the trip.

Connecting amazing places on both sides of the Atlantic has never been so easy, Stefan Kreuzpaintner, the senior vice president of network, alliances and partnerships at Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said in a statement. Together with our partners, we have consistently expanded our intermodal services in recent years in many European countries It offers travellers to and from the USA a convenient, comfortable journey  a real premium product.

Helmut Fricke/Getty Images

Travelers who book one of these integrated tickets can receive the boarding pass for both their flight and train when checking in. They also have the possibility to access priority baggage handling and other services in the AiRail check-in area at Frankfurt Airport.

United MileagePlus members can also earn miles for the rail portion of their rail/air ticket, and eligible customers can access Deutsche Bahn lounges.

As an added perk, these tickets come with transfer and connection protection in the event of a delay or breakdown.

Trains are one of the easiest ways to get around Europe once you land with a large variety available from inter-city trains to larger lines like the Eurostar.

For its part, Deutsche Bahn operates more than 40,000 trains each day across 5,700 train stations. The company, along with its French counterpart, is also currently developing a high-speed connection between Paris and Berlin that would directly link the two major cities in 7 hours.

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Jessica Chastain brought formal glamour to the opening ceremony of the 20th Marrakech International Film Festival.

Chastain elegantly arrived to the red carpet for the event in Morocco on Saturday, draped in a black velvet Balmain dress. The Oscar-winning actress attire, styled by Elizabeth Stewart, featured a long-sleeved silhouette with structured shoulders and a floor-length train.

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Credit: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images

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The Help stars dress was complete with a curved, open neckline, which was paneled with wrapped pink silk for a romantic finish. A beaded black bracelet smoothly completed Chastains outfit, which was likely finished with pumps, sandals or heeled footwear given her past red carpet outings. Shimmering, smoky taupe eyeshadow added a dynamic edge to actress look; similarly cool, neutral shades have been trending in the beauty world this fall, appearing in new palettes from brands including Urban Decay, Smashbox and Jones Road, among others.

During the festivals opening ceremony, Chastain notably shared a special moment with fellow actresses Tilda Swinton and Isabell Huppert as the trio held hands together onstage.

(L-R): Tilda Swinton, Jessica Chastain and Isabelle Huppert attend the 20th Marrakech International Film Festivals ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco on Nov. 25, 2023. Stephane Cardinale  Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Chastains shoe style is sleek and glamorous. The Zero Dark Thirty actress often wears pointed-toe pumps in a range of shades on the red carpet, hailing from brands including Christian Louboutin, Stuart Weitzman and Sergio Rossi. Shes also been seen in metallic heeled sandals by Charlotte Olympia, Prada and Aquazzura over the years. Off-duty, Chastains rotation is decidedly more casual, including New Balance sneakers and low-heeled boots from brands including Chanel.

About the Author:

Aaron Royce is the Digital Editor for Footwear News, where he writes stories on trending news, celebrity style, collaborations and in-depth profile interviews. Prior to joining Footwear News, Aaron wrote for publications including PAPER, Grazia and the Daily Front Row. He currently holds a B.S. in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Before "forever chemicals" leach into the groundwater and pose a health risk, they sit in soils  where they can be washed out or otherwise treated before they reach an aquifer.

"If we want to address the long-term problem, we really need to figure out how to remove the PFAS from the soil or prevent the chemical from leaching," said Christopher Higgins, civil and environmental engineering professor at the Colorado School of Mines. PFAS is an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which do not break down easily, hence the nickname "forever chemicals." The chemicals can cause a range of health problems at high levels in humans.

Researchers from the Colorado School of Mines and Clarkson University expect to compare nine different strategies for removing firefighting foam from the soils at the Schriever Space Force Base to help inform how soils at other sites could be treated in the future.

The Department of Defense granted the Colorado School of Mines project $3.5 million over two years. The military has a widespread problem with forever chemical contamination with up to 651 potentially contaminated sites at the end of 2019.

The region has put in systems to remove PFAS from local groundwater, in areas such as Fountain and the Widefield Water and Sanitation District where military firefighting foam caused contamination. But technology to remove them from soils as part of prevention is not as advanced.

Sites where firefighting foam containing forever chemicals were sprayed directly on the soil, such as Schriever, tend to have higher concentrations of contamination, making it a good site for the work.

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Colorado School of Mines researchers hope to start work on soils in barrels at Schriever next summer and expect to test six technologies, Higgins said, including five that are already commercially available.

One strategy, sold by TerraTherm, relies on both heat and vacuum applied to the soil at the same time. As the soil is heated up, contaminated vapors are collected and treated. Once the water boils off, the soil's temperature can rise between 250 and 350 degrees Celsius to treat forever chemicals, according to the company's website.

The Clarkson University team will evaluate three technologies, including ball milling, which destroys forever chemicals by grinding them with metal balls in a moving container, according to a news release.

Higgins expects the side-by-side comparisons of different treatment options to help inform PFAS cleanup globally. The research project is expected to take about two years, with some early results available about a year from now.

The DOD started the first full-scale soil washing project to remove forever chemicals in North America in August, according to a news release. The $27.6 million project at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska will treat 130,000 cubic yards of soil in a water-based process that captures forever chemicals in granular activated carbon and ion-exchange resin filters, the statement said.
Heres everything to know about planning a trip to Hallstatt, an alpine village in Austria.

There are several reasons Hallstatt, a hamlet in Austrias Salzkammergut region, is one of the most-visited destinations in the country. For many travelers, its storybook appearance is the primary draw. This postcard-worthy destination delights with its colorful houses, a historic market square, the country's largest bone house, and a 7,000-year-old salt mine that is still active today and fun to tour, says Michaela Muhr, an Austrian guide with ToursByLocals.

Others are interested in its historical significance; in 1997, Hallstatt was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a distinction partially granted due to the villages preserved architectural style, cultural practices, and ancient traditions, which can be traced back to the Iron Age (around 800 B.C.E.). No matter what inspires your trip, though, Dr. Silke Seemann of Hallstatt Hideaway encourages visitors to feel the authenticity of this place and the breathtaking beauty of the nature. The history of this place is magic, and when you walk up the mountain or deep into Echerntal, you can feel it, she says.

Harald Nachtmann/Getty Images

According to Muhr, its best to visit between September and May, although the wintertime is particularly special thanks to blankets of snow and festive events. If you time your trip right, you can even witness Hallstatts Christmas Market, a one-day event that takes place annually on Dec. 8.

Interested in visiting this Austrian alpine village? Read on to discover the best places to eat, stay, and explore in Hallstatt, according to locals.

Related: The Best Times to Visit Austria, According to Locals







Book a room at Heritage Hotel Hallstatt  and request to stay in the Stocker House, known as the villages oldest secular building.

Discover Hallstatts unique history and culture on a tour of the Salzwelten salt mine.

Make your way to the World Heritage Skywalk, where youll get a panoramic view of Lake Hallstatt.

Dine on homestyle Austrian cuisine made with local ingredients at Braugasthof.

Experience a winter wonderland, complete with traditional customs and delicacies, at the Hallstatt Christmas Market.







serts/Getty Images

Best Hotels & Resorts

Heritage Hotel Hallstatt

The Heritage Hotel Hallstatt is an excellent accommodation choice located right in central Hallstatt on the lakeshore, with a convenient shuttle service from the bus terminal, says Muhr. Guests check in and have daily breakfast at the Kainz House, the main building, and stay overnight in the Stocker House or the Seethaler House, both of which come with incredible views of either the town or Lake Hallstatt.

Seewirt Zauner

Another stylish and uniquely traditional hotel situated in a perfect spot is Seewirt Zauner, says Muhr, who describes the property as having authentic Austrian charm in a beautiful setting. The 12-room historic hotel has been open since 1893, but its equipped with all kinds of modern comforts. For an extra-scenic stay, book one of the rooms with a gorgeous balcony overlooking the lake or the mountains.

Seehotel Gruner Baum

Two of the most notable attributes of Seehotel Gruner Baum are its private terraces and culinary offerings. If youre set on having a balcony, make sure you reserve one of the rooms or suites that specifically state they have the architectural feature. And, according to past travelers, youll want to book dinner reservations for the hotels restaurant ASAP, as its popularity guarantees it will fill up quickly.

Jess Macdonald/Travel + Leisure

Best Things to Do

Take a boat tour of Lake Hallstatt.

For a special view of Hallstatt and the surrounding region, visitors should take a boat trip on Lake Hallstatt. Going by private or public boat allows you to appreciate the scenic beauty from a unique vantage point and avoid the bustling crowds in the village streets, explains Muhr. For more info on boat tours and rentals, head to the Hallstatt destination website.

Visit the famous salt mine.

For Dr. Seemann, visiting the salt mine, Salzwelten Hallstatt, helps visitors understand why Hallstatt is famous and the impact the past has on the present-day destination and its residents. The mine has a 7,000-year history, making it the oldest salt mine in the world. Visitors can tour the prehistoric tunnels, watch an animation of the miners work routine, and head down the 64-meter-long miners slide.

See the iconic view from the World Heritage Skywalk.

If youre not a fan of heights, you may want to skip this one; otherwise, make sure to add the World Heritage Skywalk to your Hallstatt itinerary. Ride the funicular up to the UNESCO World Heritage View lookout point for stunning views of Hallstatt village, the lake, and surrounding mountains. The vista from this elevated platform is an unforgettable moment, perfect for capturing memorable photos above the picturesque landscape of Hallstatt, says Muhr.

Discover the Hallstatt Charnel House.

Head inside St. Michaels Chapel, a structure that dates back to the 12th century, to see the charnel house, or bone house. Here, youll find a collection of more than 600 painted skulls, a practice that originated in the early 1700s. The church itself is free to enter, but the bone house requires a small entrance fee.

Jess Macdonald/Travel + Leisure

Best Restaurants

Seehotel Gruner Baum

Many of Hallstatts best restaurants are associated with its most popular hotels. Case in point: Seehotel Gruner Baum. Located right in the center of town, Seehotel Gruner Baum offers the perfect spot with its terrace overlooking the lake, says Muhr. Given the location, guests can expect a menu with several fresh fish dishes.

Braugasthof

Want to sample some wiener schnitzel or apple strudel? Grab a lakeside table at Braugasthof Hallstatt, a traditional inn that describes its menu as homestyle Austrian cuisine with innovative ideas. Past guests applaud the warm and friendly staff as well as the spectacular and breathtaking views of the lake.

Seewirt Zauner

Muhr calls Seewirt Zauner another excellent option situated right in the middle of Hallstatt village. Along with its fish-forward entrees, the restaurant boasts a broad [offering] of delicious game found in the Dachstein mountain range as well as vegetables grown in the region.

Best Time to Visit

Hallstatt certainly has appeal all year round, although the fall and winter tend to be some of the best times to visit. In autumn, says Dr. Seemann, the forest is golden and the authentic Hallstatt comes back after the summer. Muhr echoes this statement, noting that October and November are more peaceful and quiet with fewer tourists.

If you want to visit for the holiday season, you can certainly plan to attend the Hallstatt Christmas Market on Dec. 8, but its not your only option. Throughout the rest of the winter season, you can still enjoy Hallstatt's festive charm, including a beautiful nativity scene in the market square, along with shops and streets decorated for the holidays. Even without the Christmas market, the town sparkles with yuletide spirit, says Muhr.

Related: The Best Places to Go for Christmas

How to Get There

Many travelers make their way to Hallstatt from larger Austrian cities, namely Vienna and Salzburg. If youre traveling by train, youll transfer at Attnang-Puchheim before boarding the train to Hallstatt Station, where Muhr says youll switch to a boat to get into the town, as there is no road access. On average, the journey from Salzburg takes a little over two hours whereas the Vienna-to-Hallstatt route takes between 3.5 to 4.5 hours. Taking a bus from both Vienna and Salzburg is also an option, but the train is typically a better experience, due to the beautiful views youll witness along the way. Whichever method you choose, allow plenty of time to discover this charming village and its surroundings, says Muhr.

Its important to note that visitors are not allowed to drive through Hallstatt  so its best to take public transportation.

Jess Macdonald/Travel + Leisure

Day Trip to Hallstatt

Some travelers try to fit Hallstatt in as a day trip from Salzburg, although, according to Muhr, youll want to plan on spending at least eight hours exploring Hallstatt, no matter where you're traveling from. Dr. Seemann also notes that there are some sustainability concerns with just visiting for the day. Hallstatt continues to experience over-tourism, a problem that has been especially pertinent since it was given the UNESCO World Heritage distinction. If your schedule allows, aim to spend at least a night or two in the village.

How to Get Around

Bring your walking shoes to Hallstatt, as theyll be your primary means of transportation. Hallstatt is so small that there are no cars allowed. Walking through town or taking a boat ride around Hallstatt is the best way to explore the area, suggests Muhr.



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Chinese hotpot is a delicious way to enjoy a communal meal with friends and family, cooking your own meat, vegetables, dumplings, and more at the table. But how much do you really know about Chinese hotpot? What exactly is it, what are its origins, and how do you participate?

As a self-confessed lover of Chinese hotpot, I've eaten at my fair share of hotpot restaurants around the world and know a thing or two about hotpot etiquette and customs. For this ultimate guide, I've also consulted other guides and sources on Chinese hotpot.

Are you unsure about how to order Chinese hotpot? Or perhaps you don't feel confident about how to eat hotpot when you're at a restaurant? Ensure you're in the know next time you visit your local Chinese hotpot restaurant  or enjoy hotpot on your trip to China  and pick up some handy tips along the way with this ultimate guide.

Read more: French Cooking Tricks You Need In Your Life

What Is Chinese Hotpot?

Chinese hotpot and sides - Chalee foodies studio/Shutterstock

The easiest way to think of Chinese hotpot is like fondue. Hotpot is an experience designed to be shared with loved ones rather than a specific dish.

In China, the name "Huo Guo/" literally means "fire pot." When you order hotpot, you'll get a steaming pot of broth set over a heat source on the table, with various platters of raw ingredients to cook in the pot. This varies, depending on what you order, but usually includes meat, fish, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes dumplings.

Some hotpot restaurants have a yin-yang option where the pot is divided into two halves so that you can cook your ingredients in two different broths. The idea behind hotpot is to cook each ingredient and eat it as you go along, making hotpot a great party meal or casual communal dining option to enjoy with friends or family, whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just getting together over a meal.

The Origins Of Chinese Hotpot

beef shabu-shabu dish - Promo_link/Getty Images

Legend says that hotpot dates back at least 1,000 years and was the brainchild of the Mongols, who needed something hot and hearty to fuel them after spending long hours on horseback during their invasion of China. At the time, mutton and horse meat were used for hotpot.

Later, hotpot reached the Forbidden City (modern-day Beijing) and was a favorite of Emperor Qianlong. According to the imperial dining archives, Qianlong ate hotpot over 200 times in one year!

Other stories claim hotpot originated in Chongqing (known today as the hotpot capital) in southwest China and was the creation of sailors looking for a cheap meal. The meat used was generally internal organs and discarded animal parts from nearby markets.

Hotpot isn't unique to China, though. Other cultures have their own take on this delicious experience, too. Japanese hotpot is known as nabemono, with varieties known as shabu-shabu and sukiyaki, while in Cambodia, yao hon is a type of hotpot with broth made from fish sauce and soybean paste, sometimes with coconut soda.

Where To Find The Best Chinese Hotpot

Chinese hotpot at restaurant - Bloomberg/Getty Images

Most Chinese hotpot restaurants understand how to make this cuisine special, and it shouldn't be too hard to find a good hotpot eaterie if you live in a major city. Some smaller restaurants will have hotpot on the menu alongside other dishes, but for the ultimate experience, we'd recommend a dedicated hotpot restaurant.

If you're lucky enough to live in a city that has its own Chinatown, we would recommend heading there to hunt down an authentic hotpot experience. But even smaller, less authentic restaurants offer great hotpot, and there are hotpot chain restaurants, too. You can't really go wrong.

If you're on a trip to China, head for Chongqing, the reputed birthplace of the hotpot. This is where you'll find some of the most authentic and delicious hotpot around, and you'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to restaurants. Xiao Tian E (Little Swan Hot Pot) is a popular spot with locals and a great place for those new to hotpot.

What To Expect When Ordering Chinese Hotpot

Chinese hotpot and raw meats - Pornchai Soda/Getty Images

There are three key components to hotpot: The broth, dipping sauces, and ingredients to cook. Most hotpot restaurants will provide you with a paper menu with boxes you check to indicate what you'd like to order. At first glance, menus can seem overwhelming, but they're usually divided into clear categories such as meat, meatballs, seafood, veggies, and more.

The key to ordering hotpot is to start small. Order a few trays of meat for the table and perhaps one tray of vegetables, plus some meat or vegetable dumplings, if they're on offer. It's better to go back and order more rather than over-order and end up wasting food -- you'll quickly get a feel for how much to order as you go along.

When the server arrives at your table with the broth, they'll likely set your burner to high. You can adjust this to suit once you start cooking your ingredients.

How To Hotpot: It's All About The Broth

Chinese hotpot broth on counter - norikko/Shutterstock

The key to a delicious hotpot is the broth, so make sure you order plenty of ingredients that will give it bags of flavor. Beef and lamb are highly recommended for a deeply rich, savory broth. Ingredients such as shrimp, crab, and fish balls will also pack umami into your broth.

Broth styles will vary depending on the restaurant you're eating at or the region of China you're in. Sichuan hotpot (Ma la) and Chongqing are the most common types of broth. Both are packed with Sichuan pepper and peppercorns and are incredibly spicy.

Most hotpot restaurants will also offer milder options and mushroom or vegetable-based broth. Some might offer more eclectic choices, while others may have a simple chicken broth with ginger and spices on the menu. Some of the most popular hotpot restaurants provide a yin-yang hotpot with two sides, so you can order two different broths to suit all tastes. This is an excellent quirk if some diners are craving a more spicy broth.

Choose Your Dipping Sauce

raw meats and vegetables plated - Whitewish/Getty Images

Once you've cooked your meat, seafood, fish, or vegetables in the hotpot, it's all about the dipping sauce. Typical Chinese hotpot sauce is a sesame paste with beancurd and a few other ingredients, but again, this may vary depending on the region of China you're in or the restaurant you're visiting, wherever in the world it is.

Some hotpot restaurants have a station dedicated to dipping sauce where you can make your own, either using the sesame sauce as a base or starting completely from scratch. Other restaurants will serve a variety of sauces and toppings in ramekins on the table.

Choosing the perfect dipping sauce comes down to personal taste and preference and should complement the broth, so if you're going with a super-spicy broth, choose a milder sauce with sesame oil to counteract the heat.

For seafood, a sacha sauce (made with fish and spices) is the perfect accompaniment. Peanut sauce is another popular choice. You can add whatever you want to your sauce, including soy sauce, hoisin, fermented bean curd, sriracha, minced garlic, cilantro, or scallions.

What Other Ingredients To Order

Hotpot vegetables and meats - norikko/Shutterstock

The meat and seafood offered at Chinese hotpot restaurants will vary, but you can typically expect pork belly, beef tendon, tripe, squid, shrimp, and crab, alongside a colorful array of vegetables. Adding potatoes and tofu to your hotpot is a great idea, as these soak up all the delicious flavors of the broth.

It's easy to get carried away with the meat and seafood, but don't forget those tasty veggies, from beansprouts to daikon and Chinese cabbage. Noodles and dumplings are usually on offer, too, as well as eggs to add to the hot broth.

Many hotpot eateries offer refreshing salad and a variety of sauces, with the cool salad a refreshing break from the spicy hotpot. We highly recommend washing everything down with plenty of ice-cold beer, too.

As we mentioned earlier, don't be tempted to over-order, particularly if it's your first time at a hotpot restaurant. Yes, everything looks so tempting, but try a couple of trays of meat and one vegetable tray for a small group of diners. You can always order more as you work your way through the ingredients.

Slow-To-Cook Ingredients Go In First

Adding ingredients to hotpot - vvoe/Shutterstock

The most important thing to remember is that not everything you're adding to the broth cooks at the same rate. This means it's important to add those ingredients that take longer to cook to the pot first.

Slow-to-cook ingredients include potatoes, radish, pumpkin, and other veggies, which should be placed into the broth and retrieved with the provided slotted spoon once they're cooked. The same goes for dumplings, which can take a while to cook through.

Meatballs should be added to the broth using the provided spoon -- they'll float to the top once they're ready. Most meat comes very thinly sliced, taking anywhere from ten seconds to a few minutes to cook  you can dip the raw meat in the broth using the provided chopsticks, then transfer it to your plate (but use a separate set of chopsticks for eating the cooked meat!)

Spinach, cabbage, lettuce, and other leafy vegetables should be added to the pot last. These only take a couple of seconds to cook through, so they retain their vibrant color and crunchy texture.

How To Eat Chinese Hotpot

People sharing hotpot dinner - Bignai/Shutterstock

Your server will normally set your burner to high, so the broth should be simmering before you add ingredients. You can adjust the heat as necessary to prevent the hotpot from splashing other diners.

Everyone gets chopsticks and a small bowl or plate. There will also be mesh or metal slotted spoons on the table to stir the broth and fish out ingredients such as dumplings and potatoes. You'll find a few extra chopsticks designed to add raw ingredients, such as meat or seafood, to the pot.

Meats arrive thinly sliced on a platter with tongs. Fish and other ingredients are similarly served at the table. The best part of Chinese hotpot is that it's a casual, fun experience, and there are no rules. Add whatever you feel like eating to the pot and serve it on your plate once it's cooked. Just remember to add ingredients carefully and slowly so you don't splash other diners with hot broth.

Don't Mix Your Utensils

Eating hotpot with chopsticks - Tomwang112/Getty Images

This next point is an important one. When at a hotpot restaurant, you'll usually be given a variety of utensils, including tongs, chopsticks, slotted spoons, and mesh spoons. Be careful not to mix these up.

Don't ever use the same chopsticks for cooking raw meat as you do for eating the cooked meat. Keep each utensil next to the food item or group it's intended for to avoid the risk of cross-contamination and possible food poisoning.

On that same note, don't be the person at the table who double-dips. Dunking your meat in the shared sauce, taking a bite, and then dunking it again is rude and unhygienic. The communal nature of hotpot means there's no double dipping allowed. The exception to this is, of course, if you have your own pot of sauce that you're not sharing with others -- then you can dip to your heart's content.

Five Tips For Happy Hotpot-Ing

Cooking hotpot - norikko/Shutterstock

Now you know the basics of what to expect from Chinese hotpot and how to order, it's time to share some handy tips so you can hotpot like a pro! Whether at a local hotpot restaurant or traveling through China, these tips will ensure you're a hotpot expert.

The first tip is to bring tissues. Things can get spicy and messy, and though there will already be napkins on the table, tissues (or even wipes) are a welcome addition for messy faces and hands, particularly if you're dining with kids. Next, you should try to avoid over-ordering. This is surprisingly easy to do, so start out with a few platters and go from there.

Another tip is to cook as you go. Don't add everything you want to eat throughout the meal to the pot in one go. Ingredients will become mushy and break down in the broth, so add things as you plan to eat them, and don't forget about them!

You should also remain open to trying something new. Hotpot is all about experimenting, so it's a great time to try some new meat, fish, or seafood. You might also want to consider sampling different sauces to see which flavors complement each other.

And finally, add flavorful food to your hotpot first. Ingredients such as beef, lamb, mushrooms, or seafood will give the broth tons of rich flavor, which will, in turn, ensure everything you cook tastes mouth-wateringly delicious.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.
The United States has long been a refuge for those fleeing war and persecution. In 2022 alone, 25,465 refugees arrived in the United States, according to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

Arizona has been stalwart in its acceptance of refugees.

According to Cronkite News in March 2022, Refugee resettlement groups in Arizona found homes for almost 1,900 Afghan refugees from the fall of Kabul in August through February, the most the agencies said they have placed in the least amount of time.

Between fiscal 2019 and 2023, only 140 Palestinian refugees resettled in the United States. According to State Department data, fewer than 600 Palestinians have moved to the U.S. under the Refugee Admissions Program that was established in 1980 by Congress.

This is far below the numbers of those from other countries. Nearly 8,000 refugees were welcomed to the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2022 alone, according to the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program.

There are more than 1.7 million people who have been displaced from Gaza. Thats more than the population of Phoenix.

Where will they go? We must help them.

Teresa Warnick, Chandler

Gallego isn't moving to the center

In a recent piece, Arizona Republic columnist Phil Boas used Ruben Gallegos rightward shift on immigration to reiterate a central fallacy in U.S. politics.

Courting rightwing voters and donations, the Senate candidate has changed his immigration stance, joining others in terming the U.S-Mexico border a crisis.

The border is in crisis, mind you, not because of the brutal militarization, repression and violence inflicted upon migrants and residents, but because people are fleeing for their lives and have the audacity to seek asylum in the wealthiest nation on earth.

Boas concludes: As Trump moves farther to the authoritarian right, Ruben Gallego moves closer to the political center  a more responsible place to be.

This quote encapsulates the fallacy of a sensible center. Those who are politically left watch the opposition head rightward, harshening the world, and are encouraged to meet in the center.

Gallego isnt going to the center, hes heading right, embracing a dehumanizing stance.

Incidentally, has anyone ever heard of this in reverse? Conservative candidates or politicians praised or encouraged to head toward the center as their counterparts drift left?

Oscar Mancinas, Mesa

Biden has an appearance problem

Today I have the TV on without sound, and I saw President Joe Biden making a speech. He looked very sad (or angry) and he was squinting as if directly under bright lights.

I thought he was speaking about the sad death of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. To my surprise, he was making a happy speech about pardoning the White House turkeys.

He needs help in his appearance.

1. Start smiling more and scowling less.

2. Get eyeglasses for inside and outside, and wear them to stop squinting.

3. Get some physical therapy so he doesnt look like hes about to fall down whenever he is filmed walking.

His wife and his advisers need to get on his case about these things immediately. He really needs to shape up or step aside if the Democrats want to hold the presidency.

His support is dwindling down to hardcore anti-Trumpers like me, and that wont win the elections for him.

Gerald Kern, Scottsdale

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona must be allowed to accept refugees from Palestine
In response to high border crossings, President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress appear ready to at least partially cave to demands to restrict asylum in negotiations on the contours of an ongoing deal.

This would be a grave mistake. It would hurt asylum-seekers but wont stop illegal migration. Biden already has the right plan for the border. He just hasnt fully implemented it.

The best way to reduce pressure on the border from illegal migration is to make legal entry easier, and Bidens 2023 immigration agenda included many of the necessary measures. Unfortunately, he hasnt made them available widely enough, and this failure is leading to people entering illegally.

Asylum-seekers walk along the border wall on Oct. 24, 2023, near Jacumba, Calif. Migrants at the southern border are no longer just from Central and South America and the Caribbean islands. Increasingly they're from other continents that include countries such as Russia, China and India.

Arbitrary legal immigration caps create massive backlogs

The primary initiative is parole sponsorship, under which immigrants sponsored by Americans could receive authorization to enter legally straight from their home country and live and work in the United States for at least two years.

Migrants who couldnt find sponsors could go to the U.S.-Mexico border and apply to enter legally using a Customs and Border Protection phone app called CBP One.

Those who get interviews can potentially get asylum (albeit only under very restrictive criteria) or parole for a period of up to two years.

However, arbitrarily low caps have effectively eliminated legal pathways for most immigrants who want to use them. This has transformed what were originally straightforward processes into random lotteries, where the lucky few win golden tickets and the rest are left out in the cold.

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store.

Bidens plan achieved great initial success, simultaneously helping many thousands of people escape violence and repression and reducing disorder at the border. After the January announcement of these measures, Border Patrol encounters dropped 42% from December. Illegal migration from nations covered by the sponsorship program dropped even more.

Even so, further progress was stymied because parole sponsorship was limited to migrants from just five countries: Ukraine, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Participation from the Latin American nations (the CHNV countries) is capped at just 30,000 migrants a month from all four countries combined.

The CHNV program covers people escaping horrific violence and oppression at the hands of the socialist dictatorships that rule Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela and the gangs that infest Haiti. But many migrants from uncovered nations are also fleeing horrific conditions.

Is Texas ending parole sponsorship? We welcomed refugees into our home. Now Texas wants to stop us supporting anyone else.

Thanks to the cap, less than 2% of CHNV applicants are granted entry every month. There is now a backlog of hundreds of thousands of applicants. The average new applicant will need to wait nearly five years to be processed. The legal process worked initially, but now it has largely been shut down.

The backup option  applying for legal entry at the U.S.-Mexico border using the CBP One phone app  might have mitigated the fallout. But arbitrary caps and flawed agency procedures have ruined this option as well. Appointments are capped at 1,450 a day  though there were nearly 9,000 daily migrant encounters in September.

Through truly bizarre requirements, agencies have turned this problem into a disaster. First, applicants must be in central or northern Mexico to make appointments. They cant apply in their home country.

Second, appointments cannot be booked more than three weeks out. Once immigrants get to Mexico, they find all appointments are booked. Now they are stuck in the most dangerous cities in Mexico with no way to enter the United States legally.

Operation Lone Star wasteful, dangerous: If Texas governor signs new border law, it will be open season on people who look like me

Expanding legal migration would cut black market in immigration

Biden never mentioned this cap in his January announcement. He said anyone could go on CBP One and get an appointment. But bureaucracy has made this literally untrue at any point in time almost from the moment the app opened.

The combination of horrific poverty and oppression in their home countries and labor shortages in the United States lead people seeking opportunity and freedom to enter illegally if there is no other way to do so.

We all tried, but we couldnt get an appointment, one Venezuelan said in September before crossing illegally.

Asylum-seekers wait to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande on Sept. 30, 2023, into Eagle Pass, Texas.

It's the same dynamic by which alcohol prohibition led people to illegally obtain smuggled booze from the likes of Al Capone. Barring legal markets in much-wanted goods or services predictably creates vast black markets to which millions of people seek access. When Prohibition was abolished, alcohol smuggling and associated organized crime greatly diminished. Legalizing migration would have similar effects on the black market in immigration.

Expanding legal migration would also save more people from violence, poverty and oppression  and bolster the U.S. economy. Immigrants disproportionately contribute to American innovation and entrepreneurship, thereby greatly enhancing economic freedom, wealth and opportunity for native-born Americans as well.

Slow population growth may hurt US: No, America is not seeing an unprecedented surge in immigration. New Census data prove it.

Biden should order the agencies to eliminate the arbitrary country limitations and numerical caps on parole sponsorship and CBP One. He should also allow migrants to book CBP appointments in their home countries many weeks in advance.

These options would eliminate the vast majority of illegal immigration, restoring order to a chaotic border.

Biden shouldnt give up on his policies and give in to the demands from the other side. He has already implemented severe asylum restrictions for those who cross illegally, and illegal migration is as high as ever.

Now there are just more people here with no path to legalize their status.

David J. Bier is the associate director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute.

Increased deportations aren't the answer, either. Indeed, over his first two years in office, President Biden has actually removed more border crossers than former President Donald Trump did during his last two years in office, and done it in a slightly higher percentage of cases.

Biden has already laid out a better path forward than imitating Trump. It is time to start following it.

Ilya Somin is the B. Kenneth Simon Chair in Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute.

David Bier is associate director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute. Ilya Somin, law professor at George Mason University, is the B. Kenneth Simon Chair in Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute and author of "Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration and Political Freedom."

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden's border plan is good. He just needs to follow it
Black lawmakers across Tennessee and the U.S. are meeting Sunday at Lee Chapel AME Church to discuss the state of Black health in Tennessee and what legislative changes need to be made in order to improve it.

The town hall-style meeting starts at 4 p.m. and serves as the kickoff for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.

Nashville was one of the birth places of the Civil Rights Movement with pioneers like John Lewis, Diane Nash and C. T. Vivian leading the charge," Rep. Harold M. Love Jr., president-elect for the NBCSL, said in a news release. "Its fitting that lawmakers from across the country come together here to discuss not only political and health issues, but also address gun violence in our communities, creating generational wealth and protecting our educational system.

Health inequity is an issue that impacts various communities in the U.S., but particularly communities of color. Due to a combination of racially charged legislation, food deserts and lack of access to quality care, many communities have experienced an increase in health-related issues.

Earlier this year, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee published its first health equity report, which focused on racial disparities in regard to healthcare and access to medical care.

According to the findings, Black children and teens are twice as likely to die than white children and teens in Tennessee. In addition, with limited access to healthcare and racial care disparities in the healthcare system, Black women are twice more likely to die during pregnancy and Black Tennesseans accounted for nearly 30 percent of COVID-19 deaths among residents 50 years and younger.

Tennessee Black Caucus State Legislators Chairman Rep. Sam McKenzie expressed how important it is to not only discuss these issues but enact policy changes to ensure the safety of the states citizens.

The TN Black Caucus is extremely concerned about the state of our communitys health and excited about this town hall. We are bringing experts from Meharry (Medical College) and across the nation to strategize on how we can best inform behavior of our people and discuss needed policy changes in our state governments.

The conference will touch on a variety of topics, including driving factors of obesity, the root causes of Type 2 diabetes and other healthcare factors impacting counties in Tennessee.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Black lawmakers in Tennessee are zeroing on state of Black health
U.S. President Joe Biden (L), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C), and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) are seen as they arrive to attend the second day of the NATO Summit meeting on July 12, 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Photo by Turkish President Press Office/ UPI

Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke Sunday with his Iranian counterpart, President Ebrahim Raisi, about the war in Gaza as international criticism of Israel continues to grow.

Raisi said in a statement that Hamas -- the Palestinian militia at war with Israel, which considers it to be a terrorist organization -- the "legitimate, legal government" in Gaza. The phone call was confirmed in a readout published by the office of the Turkish presidency.

During the call, Raisi emphasized to Erdogan that the United States is "the killer of the people of Gaza" and described any future interference in the future of Gaza as "the continuation of this country's crimes against Palestinians."

The Iranian leader said after the phone call that Hamas must decide the future of Gaza, and that the United States "has no right to interfere or make any decisions for the people of Gaza, and any action they take in this regard is condemned."

He added that he hopes the joint cooperation between Iran and Turkey "will be a model" for future interactions between Islamic countries.

An International Red Cross vehicle carrying Israeli Russian hostage Ron Krivoy released by Hamas drives towards the Rafah border point with Egypt ahead of a transfer to Israel, on Sunday, November 26, 2023. The Israeli army said, that 13 released hostages in northern Gaza City were back on Israeli territory, and another four were on their way via the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Photo by Ismail Muhammad/UPI

Raisi's comments and the apparently growing friendship between Iran and Turkey could pose challenges for the United States. Turkey is a longtime and critical member of the NATO alliance while the United States is also closely allied to Israel.

"The call addressed Israel's unlawful attacks against Gaza, humanitarian aid activities for Palestinians, and steps to be taken to achieve a lasting ceasefire in the region," the Turkish statement reads.

Palestinians queue in front of a gas station to fill their kitchen cylinders, in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Sunday, November 26, 2023 after the arrival of 150 trucks of aid supplies to the Gaza Strip. Aid arrived for the first time in 49 days as part of the 4-day humanitarian pause for prisoner exchange between the Israeli army and Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza Strip. Photo by Ismail Muhammad/UPI

"President Erdogan highlighted the importance of a joint stance by the Islamic world, Turkey and Iran in particular, against Israeli atrocities in the Palestinian territories. President Erdogan stated that Iran and Turkey will continue to work together to make the temporary ceasefire permanent and achieve lasting peace."

But criticism of Israel is growing from other NATO members allied to the United States. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the Rafah border crossing from Gaza into Egypt on Friday with Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

Israelis hold posters and chant "Guilty" at a protest calling for the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside his residence in Jerusalem on Saturday, November 25, 2023. Demonstrators blame Netanyahu for failing to keep the people of the Gaza border communities secure from the October 7 Hamas massacre. Photo by Debbie Hill/ UPI

Together, they also met with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority -- the internationally recognized government for the state of Palestine. Sanchez said he is open to recognizing the Palestinian state, even against the wishes of the European Union. About 139 of 193 countries in the United Nations recognize Palestine as a sovereign nation while about 163 recognize Israel.

"The Government of Spain is committed to a two-state solution that ends the endless cycles of violence and allows Palestine and Israel to coexist in peace and security," Sanchez said on Twitter. "The Palestinian Authority must be reestablished in Gaza and provide security and basic services to the population."

But Sanchez' comments during his speech at the border in which he called the situation a "humanitarian catastrophe" sparked a diplomatic row with Israel, each summoning the ambassador of the other.

On Saturday, De Croo said he stood by comments he made the day prior while visiting Rafah.

And last month, the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization met with German Ambassador Deike Potzel as Turkish diplomats responded to "slander" from Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen had announced he recalled diplomats from Ankara after Erdogan chastised Israel for bombing Gaza in its war against Hamas, which Erdogan defended by saying it was "fighting to protect its land and citizens."

Even Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store called Israel's response to the attack by the Hamas militia "disproportionate" last month while the French foreign ministry, a nation that has long dealt with claims of Islamophobic policies, called on Israel to better "protect the Palestinian population."

Greece has warned Israel that its war against Hamas will lead to a surge of undocumented migrants, a major issue for the nation that has seen an influx of Syrian refugees in recent years, even as Greece and Turkey have been at odds in the past over Europe's refugee crisis.

Even the NATO organization itself, which initially made a slurry of statements supporting Israel in early October, has backed off from addressing the conflict. It has published just five articles on its website since the start of November, mostly to address humanitarian aid to Gaza and reiterate its assertion that Israel has a "right to defend itself."
A few months ago, the Florida Tomato Exchange  a conglomerate of large, corporate industrialized, Florida-based tomato growers and packers  filed a request with the U.S. Department of Commerce to terminate an agreement governing the importation of tomatoes to the United States.

The 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement, based off a trade agreement first struck in 1996, is rarely talked about by anyone other than trade officials, distributors and farmers.

Its importance to the economy of Arizona, however, cannot be overstated.

If the Florida corporate farmers succeed in their request, Arizona stands to lose billions of dollars in annual economic activity and tens of thousands of Arizonans may soon find themselves out of work.

As mayor of Nogales, I implore the U.S. Department of Commerce to carefully consider the broader implications of its pending decision.

Florida thinks this trade is unfair. It's not

Fortino Jose Natario cuts tomatoes from a greenhouse located near the coastal town of Altata in the state of Sinaloa, about 40 miles southwest of Culiacan, Mexico, in 2017.

Floridas request is based on the pretense that Mexican tomatoes, which make their way into the U.S. market via Arizona, benefit from unfair trade practices that allow them to sell higher quality tomatoes at lower prices.

Mexican grown and imported tomatoes benefit from not only a better natural environment as they grow but also from a mutually beneficial trading relationship with Arizona that gives them a competitive advantage over the Florida produce.

In fact, it is this competitive advantage that inspired the prevailing trade agreement.

The 2019 agreement was negotiated to strike a balance between protecting the interests of U.S. tomato growers, treating importers justly and ensuring that American consumers can continue to access quality produce year-round.

Unlike Florida tomatoes, the Mexican tomatoes that Arizona brings into U.S. markets are ripened on the vine and come in a wide range of varieties that U.S. consumers prefer, such as the fresh grape and cherry tomatoes that we see on grocery store shelves today.

Changing agreement could jack up prices

About 80 percent of Del Campo's tomatoes, which are grown in Mexico, are exported to the United States and Canada.

This well-calibrated agreement, updated multiple times since 1996, has fostered a beneficial economic environment for all parties, within and beyond the tomato trade.

Terminating it to the advantage of a few Florida megagrowers would undermine decades of cross-border cooperation and create grave economic consequences for Arizona, Texas and other states that depend on robust agricultural cooperation, and a trading relationship, with Mexico.

Nogales plays an important role as a key point for importing, packaging and distributing tomatoes and other Mexican produce to the U.S., ensuring a steady supply.

Is Mexico safe for Americans? Arizona businessman weighs in

Any disruptions would be highly detrimental to the citys economy and the broader U.S. agricultural market, as tomatoes are a vital commodity used throughout the country year-round.

The estimated cost of abandoning the current agreement was recently assessed in an alarming report by the Arizona State University Morrison School of Agribusiness.

The most immediate impact would be a significant price surge for American consumers.

The ASU assessment projects that tomato prices could soar 50% higher than current rates  a sizable increase for a staple food. American retailers would also be harmed by higher wholesale prices, with potential lost revenue of up to $7.53 billion.

Arizona also could see huge ripple effects

In the long term, these impacts could stretch across the states economy. Arizona is one of the largest beneficiaries of the agreement due to its significant import volume.

The ASU report estimates that exiting the long-standing agreement could trigger a decline in annual economic activity in Arizona of nearly $3.4 billion, risking more than 22,700 jobs in the state.

Agricultural and hospitality workers would bear the brunt of this impact, but the damage wouldnt end there.

Mexico is Arizonas largest trade partner, with annual total trade already surpassing $26 billion in 2023.

Implementing baseless, protectionist policies at the behest of Florida growers would almost certainly result in Mexico imposing tariffs on U.S. exports, harming farmers in Arizona and across the country and jeopardizing an essential trade relationship.

As the U.S. Department of Commerce evaluates Floridas request, we hope more policy leaders across the state will similarly step up to ensure that President Biden and the White House not let the narrow interests of a small group in Florida tip the balance of this functioning agreement.

The stakes are immense, and we must continue on a path of continuity, stability and shared prosperity that promotes positive trade and growth in Arizona and across our southern border.

Jorge Maldonado is the mayor of Nogales. Reach him at mayormaldonado@nogalesaz.gov.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona could lose thousands of jobs over this Mexican tomato war
A group of volunteers is shown after helping unload more than 180,000 diapers donated by Huggies to the Diaper Fund of Northeast Florida. Grants made by supporters of The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida helped cover the cost of shipping to make the donation possible.

One day in September, The Community Foundation received a call from the Diaper Bank for Northeast Florida.

Huggies was offering to make the diaper banks largest-ever donation  more than 180,000 diapers, enough for 3,600 local babies to stay clean and dry. They needed $7,000 in cash to cover the shipping costs in a matter of days. Could we help?

Thanks to our fund holders, the answer was yes. Within a week, The Community Foundation staff had connected with three local donors we knew would want to help. They each made a grant through their Donor Advised Fund, and together, covered the cost to ship these diapers to our area.

Donor-advised funds (or DAFs) were incubated at community foundations for decades after the first one was created in 1931. In recent years, they have grown dramatically as traditional financial services providers have begun offering them, and these funds now house an astonishing $234 billion in charitable assets in the United States.

The funds have become more popular because of their unique advantages. Contributions are tax-deductible, and they allow donors to house and invest charitable dollars until they are ready to make grants to nonprofits. Giving through a donor-advised fund can simplify the donors taxes, help them be more strategic about their grantmaking and provide benefits in comparison to  or in addition to  a private foundation.

I believe donors with DAFs are best served through community foundations, because we help connect them to giving opportunities in the community, leveraging charitable dollars for maximum impact.

The diaper bank story is the perfect illustration.

One of the donors we called, Greg Landwirth, is the son of the late Henri Landwirth, a Holocaust survivor. His philanthropy focused on restoring dignity by meeting basic needs, which he was denied at Auschwitz. When we got the call from the Diaper Bank, this family history came to mind.

Letters: Despite some success, racial inequity still exists in Jacksonville and the U.S.

Greg wanted to help the diaper bank to honor his fathers legacy, and he was so happy to be part of the effort that he even went on-site to help unload the trucks.

At The Community Foundation, knowing our donors is the core of our work. Our goal is to operate like a cars navigation system, helping donors find the best route to their philanthropic goals. Philanthropy starts with the heart, and DAFs allow donors to pursue their passions with the strategic guidance of our knowledgeable staff.

Our regions wealth is growing, and so is the demand on nonprofits to serve our community. We are proud to be the bridge between our fundholders generosity and community needs.

Oliver

Isaiah M. Oliver, president, The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Donor-advised funds simplify charitable giving, strategic grantmaking
HOLLAND  When Sarah and Christian Koch moved to the Holland area with their son, Caden, they had no idea how much the community would wrap their arms around the young family.

Sarah and Christian are originally from Ohio and had been living in Chicago, but moved to Holland after purchasing Seppo Chiropractic.

In January, the family welcomed daughter Elliana (Ellie).

We thought it was a normal pregnancy, but as soon as she was born, you could tell something was wrong, Sarah said.

Shortly after her birth, Ellie was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect called Dextro-Transposition of the Great Arteries. She struggled greatly in the first few hours of life, due to lack of oxygen.

Sarah Koch (seated) is now selling cinnamon rolls to help support her family, which includes Caden (left), baby Ellie and husband Christian.

Doctors intervened to provide temporary help until Ellie could have heart surgery. But the struggles immediately after her birth meant other organs also suffered.

According to Sarah, Ellie suffered a significant stroke on day three. Even now, they dont know exactly how that's impacted her life.

Cognitively, we dont really know what she'll be capable of," Sarah said. "But from what we can see at 10 months, she's very full of life, very interactive, and is able to track with you. All of that is such an encouragement because when the stroke happened, we didnt know what kind of quality of life she would have.

More: Seppo Chiropractic is under new ownership at Holland Town Center

In August, Ellie was finally able to go home with her family.

She's been home about three months now and we're all so grateful to have her home with us instead of at the hospital 24/7, Sarah said.

But the work continues  physical, occupational and speech therapy. Through it all, Christian continues to run the family's chiropractic business while Sarah cares for Ellie and Caden.

Financial stress remains the family's biggest hurdle. To alleviate some of that stress, they've created a GoFundMe account that remains active at gofund.me/e76bd152.

But Sarah is also selling homemade cinnamon rolls to Hollanders, with all profits going toward medical bills.

One local mother is selling cinnamon rolls to aid in paying medical bills for her baby.

Sarah said the community has overwhelmed the family with support and orders.

Cinnamon rolls were the one thing I knew I could do from home and I could do on my own time, she said.

Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage

Sarah is selling her cinnamon rolls for $18 for a half-dozen and $30 for a dozen. To order, email her at sarahkoch554@gmail.com or visit her Google form at rb.gy/6g1h35.

"We're so grateful to anyone and everyone who gives any kind of support," Sarah said. "Whether that's prayer or a word of encouragement or financially. We've felt so overwhelmed by the support from the Holland community.

"A small thing goes a long way  and even someone saying they're praying for us, or they're following our story or they think of Ellie, even a small act of kindness is a huge thing for us."

 Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Local family raises money for medical bills one cinnamon roll at a time
A second group of 17 hostages who had been held captive in Gaza since being kidnapped by Hamas militants in the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel were released late Saturday night after an hours-long delay as part of the short-term cease-fire agreement brokered by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt. In exchange, another 39 Palestinian woman and children jailed in Israel were also freed.

There were 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals released, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement. There were seven Israeli children ranging in age from 3 to 16, and six Israeli women ranging in age from 18 to 67 released, the office announced.

Among those freed was 9-year-old Emily Hand, an Israeli-Irish girl who was initially believed to have been killed by Hamas.

"Emily has come back to us! We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days," her family said in a statement to CBS News.

Another of those released Saturday was a teen girl whose mother is still being held captive, and a 21-year-old woman who was abducted from the Supernova music festival, where at least 260 people were slaughtered in Hamas' Oct. 7 rampage. Two teen siblings whose mother was killed by Hamas were also freed.

The hostages were initially transferred by the Red Cross across southern Gaza's Rafah crossing into Egypt. The 13 Israeli hostages were then flown to Israel early Sunday morning for medical evaluations, before being reunited with family.

A convoy carrying freed Israeli hostages released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip arrives at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Nov. 26, 2023. They were the second group of Israeli and foreign hostages released by Hamas since the cease-fire began in the Israel-Hamas war. / Credit: JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Their release came after an hours-long delay Saturday when Hamas accused Israel of not complying with the cease-fire's terms.

One U.S. source told CBS News that the delay was over the pace of aid coming into Gaza.



"This is putting the deal in danger and we have spoken to mediators about that," Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official said in Beirut, the Associated Press reported.

However, Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry, said in a statement that "obstacles were overcome" with the help of Qatari and Egyptian mediators, and Hamas finally agreed to release the hostages.

Israeli Defense Forces confirmed the hostages had been freed in a statement Saturday night, saying that "after undergoing an initial medical assessment" the hostages "will continue to be accompanied by IDF soldiers as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families."

Another 39 Palestinians  33 children and six women  who were jailed in Israel were also released Saturday, Al-Ansari disclosed. The freed prisoners were transferred to the occupied West Bank by the Red Cross, just as the first group of released Palestinian prisoners were on Friday.

A bus transporting Red Cross staff and Palestinians prisoners released from Israeli jails in exchange for hostages released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip drives through supporters holding flags in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank early on Nov. 26, 2023. / Credit: AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told CBS News that President Biden spoke with Qatari leaders by phone several times Saturday in an effort to resolve the holdups.

A White House official described the president, who is spending Thanksgiving weekend with his family in Nantucket, Massachusetts, as playing a "central role" in the Gaza negotiations.

All this followed the release of an initial group of 24 Hamas-held hostages on Friday  the first day of the cease-fire  consisting of 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and a Filipino citizen. The released Israelis ranged in age from 2 to 85 and included several mothers and four children, the Israeli government said. Four hostages, two Americans and two Israelis, were released by Hamas last month.

Israeli intelligence has been receiving a list of the names of the hostages who are expected to be released in each group prior to their handover. The families of those hostages released in Saturday's second group were given early notification on Friday night, Netanyahu's office said.

The cease-fire, which took effect Friday morning after frantic diplomatic efforts, calls for a pause in the fighting and the release of some 50 Hamas-held hostages, all women and children, over the course of four days. In exchange, 150 Palestinian women and children held in Israel would also be released.

Prior to Friday's swap, Israel estimated that there were about 240 hostages still being held by Hamas. Officials did not indicate Saturday approximately how many are still being held captive.

The four-day cease-fire agreement allows for hundreds of aid trucks to enter the devastated Gaza Strip. The United Nations said that 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid  including food, water and medical supplies  crossed into southern Gaza from Egypt via the Rafah crossing Friday in the hours after the cease-fire began. Four trucks of fuel and four tanks of cooking gas were also delivered into Gaza, the U.N said.

Egyptian and Israeli officials had said that about 200 aid trucks will enter Gaza daily during the ceasefire.

However, a U.S. source familiar with the cease-fire deal told CBS News Saturday that Hamas believed the number of aid trucks which came into Gaza on Friday and Saturday were below the agreed upon amount, which contributed to Saturday's standoff. The final deal agreed to by both sides had been 200 trucks daily, which was lower than an earlier draft agreement that called for 300 trucks a day, the source said.

Those supplies have been slow to trickle in to Gazans, who on Saturday waited in endless lines for the much-needed aid.

The source added that Hamas was also frustrated over the sequence in which Palestinian prisoners were being released. Those who had been longest held were supposed to be released first, according to the terms.

Meanwhile, three Americans are expected to be among the 50 slated to be freed as part of the deal. In total, up to 10 Americans remain unaccounted for since the Hamas attack.

On Friday, Mr. Biden said the U.S. did not know when the Americans held hostage will be released, or all of their conditions. Among them is 4-year-old Abigail Mor Edan, whose parents were gunned down by Hamas militants on Oct. 7. On Saturday morning, a senior Biden administration official said they did not expect the American hostages to be released today.

"We are early in the process that will see at least 50 women and children released during the first phase of the agreement," the official said. "We are hopeful that will include three dual national women and children, who are American citizens. This will unfold over the coming days. We will not comment on individual cases as the process is underway."

In keeping its end of the deal, Israel on Friday released a first group of 39 Palestinian prisoners  24 women and 15 teen boys. Thousands gathered in the occupied West Bank village of Beitunia on Friday to greet them after they were freed from three Israeli prisons.

The Red Cross oversaw their transfer, first to the West Bank's Ofer Prison, and then to Beitunia.

Israeli forces had gathered outside Ofer Prison ahead of the exchange, where some Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers. CBS News cameras showed one Palestinian who was shot in the leg with a live round before being rushed into an ambulance.

Noman Abu Naeem told CBS News his 16-year-old son Ahmed was on the list of Palestinian prisoners due to be released Friday. Naeem said his son had been jailed for about a year after allegedly being arrested for joining a protest.

"Like anyone who was dying to see their son, we were thrilled," he said of his reaction to learning of his son's pending release.

Among the Israeli hostages released Friday was Doron Katz-Asher and her two daughters, ages 2 and 4. They had been kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz.

Israeli authorities previously said about a quarter of the Nir Oz's residents, which is located about a mile-and-a-half from the Gaza border, were either massacred or taken hostage by Hamas militants on Oct 7.

"I just broke down in tears," Dori Roberts, a cousin of Doron Katz-Asher, told CBS News Friday. "I had to walk away and let everything go. It was a very exciting moment."

The hostages were bussed to Israel, where their first stop was a military base for a health assessment, and then onto helicopters bound for Israeli hospitals and their waiting families.

Released Israeli hostages on Friday. / Credit: IDF Spokesperson, courtesy of the families

Mr. Biden said Friday he thought "the chances are real" for the temporary pause in the fighting to be extended, and that he remains in contact with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Israel "to make sure this stays on track and every aspect of the deal is implemented."

An hour into the temporary truce Friday, CBS News cameras captured the moments that Israeli soldiers fatally shot at least two Palestinians in an effort to block them from returning to evacuated northern Gaza.

CBS News producer Marwan al-Ghoul reported that between 4,000 and 5,000 people had begun to journey north from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis despite leaflets dropped by Israel Defense Forces warning them against it. They encountered a line of Israeli tanks at a crossover point in central Gaza when they were fired upon.

Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry, stressed to reporters Thursday that while Qatar was serving as an intermediary between the two sides, it would be on Israel and Hamas to maintain the tenets of the cease-fire agreement.

More than 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were killed by Hamas militants during their Oct. 7 invasion of southern Israel, according to the Israeli military.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says almost 15,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israel's retaliatory ground incursion and airstrikes, and the United Nations estimates that 1.7 million of the territory's roughly 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced by the war.

 Margaret Brennan, Lilia Luciano, Imtiaz Tyab, Tucker Reals, Elias Lopez, Caitlin Yilek, Bo Erickson, Khaled Wassef and Holly Williams contributed to this report.

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Zoe Staires protests against the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, in Tulsa, Okla. The Oklahoma Supreme Court reiterated its position on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, in a 5-4 opinion that the Oklahoma Constitution guarantees a woman's right to an abortion when necessary to preserve her life, although the procedure remains illegal in virtually all other cases.
Four swing-states are reportedly still investigating the slates of so-called "fake electors" which Donald Trump allegedly hoped to use to falsely certify that he had won the 2020 election.

The results of those investigations could bring more charges down onto the already embattled former president, according to The Hill, which contacted numerous state attorneys general offices to determine if investigations were ongoing.

The investigations are being carried out while Mr Trump faces four criminal cases, including one in Georgia focused on his alleged efforts to steal the 2020 election.

The "fake elector" scheme was reportedly concocted by Mr Trump's attorney, John Eastman, and boosted by other attorneys loyal to the former president. It hinged on then-Vice President Mike Pence choosing to certify the slates of Trump-loyalist "fake" electors in swing-states. The plotters theorised that it would allow Mr Pence to effectively force the election in Mr Trump's favour, and in doing so disenfranchise all of the voters who selected Mr Biden.

Mr Pence has insisted that the plan was illegal and could not work, and instead chose to certify the true results of the election. On the day of the certification, 6 January 2021, Mr Pence penned a letter refusing to go along with the plot, saying his oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.

Mr Trump's supporters, who had gathered in Washington DC at his request, were then told by the former president to walk to the Capitol, where the certification was taking place. The Trump loyalists then attacked the Capitol and threatened lawmakers. At least one gallows was erected outside the Capitol, around which rioters chanted "hang Mike Pence."

The slate of Trump-loyal alternate electors were arranged in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wisconsin, according to ongoing investigations into the scheme.

Donald Trump may face additional charges stemming from state attorneys general office investigations into the 2020 election fake elector scheme (via REUTERS)

Three of Georgia's 16 electors have been charged alongside Mr Trump and his allies in Fulton County's racketeering case focused on the plot to steal the election. Several others have reportedly accepted immunity deals from the prosecution.

The three electors  David Shafer, a former GOP state chair, Shawn Still, a sitting state senator, and Cathleen Latham, a local Republican official, have argued that they were acting on the orders of Mr Trump.

Another Georgia co-defendant, Kenneth Chesebro, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to file false documents. After his guilty plea, his attorneys asked the court to modify his probation rules to allow him to travel to Nevada, Arizona and Washington DC for ongoing "investigations of the 'election fraud' cases."

Mr. Chesebro needs to be able to travel to these jurisdictions in order to meet with counsel, a court filing revealed.

That may suggest that he is being pulled into broader investigations into other Trump-loyal elector investigations in other states.

One such investigation has already been confirmed; Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is investigating six activists who met and signed false paperwork saying they were the state's true electors, according to Politico.

Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani may find himself implicated in another ongoing investigation in Arizona, where he spearheaded the effort to convince state officials to use the Trump-loyal alternate electors.

In Michigan, 16 people have already been charged for falsely stating they were the states "duly elected and qualified electors," according to the state's attorney general's office.

The state attorney general's office of New Mexico also confirmed to The Hill that it was investigating a slate of Trump-loyal alternate electors.
Deborah Sebi carrying immunizations in a refrigerated box on her way to set up the mobile clinic in Teshie, a fishing village near Accra, Ghana, on July 19, 2023. (Natalija Gormalova/The New York Times)

ACCRA, Ghana  Large outbreaks of diseases that primarily kill children are spreading around the world, a grim legacy of disruptions to health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic that have left more than 60 million children without a single dose of standard childhood vaccines.

By midway through this year, 47 countries were reporting serious measles outbreaks, compared with 16 countries in June 2020. Nigeria is currently facing the largest diphtheria outbreak in its history, with more than 17,000 suspected cases and nearly 600 deaths so far. Twelve countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, are reporting circulating polio virus.

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Many of the children who missed their shots have now aged out of routine immunization programs. So-called zero-dose children account for nearly half of all child deaths from vaccine-preventable illnesses, according to Gavi, the organization that helps fund vaccination in low- and middle-income countries.

An additional 85 million children are underimmunized as a result of the pandemic  that is, they received only part of the standard course of several shots required to be fully protected from a particular disease.

The cost of the failure to reach those children is swiftly becoming clear. Deaths from measles rose 43% (to 136,200) in 2022, compared with the previous year, according to a new report from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figures for 2023 indicate that the total could be twice as high again.

The decline in vaccination coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic led us directly to this situation of rising diseases and child deaths, said Ephrem Lemango, associate director of immunization for UNICEF, which supports delivery of vaccines to almost half the worlds children every year. With each new outbreak, the toll on vulnerable communities rises. We need to move fast now and make the investment needed to catch up the children that were missed during the pandemic.

One of the biggest challenges is that the children who missed their first shots between 2020 and 2022 are now older than the age group typically seen routinely at primary health care centers and in normal vaccination programs. Reaching and protecting them from diseases that can easily turn fatal in countries with the most fragile health systems will require an extra push and new investment.

If you were born within a certain period of time, you were missed, full stop, and youre not going to get caught just by restoring normal services, said Lily Caprani, UNICEFs chief of global advocacy.

UNICEF is asking Gavi for $350 million to purchase vaccines to try to reach those children. Gavis governing board will consider the request next month.

UNICEF is urging countries to implement a catch-up vaccination blitz, an exceptional, one-time program to reach all the children between the ages of 1 and 4 who were missed.

Many developing countries have some experience of carrying out catch-up campaigns for measles, targeting children between 1 and 5 or even 1 and 15 in response to outbreaks. But now those countries also need to deliver the other vaccines and train personnel  typically, community health workers who are only accustomed to vaccinating babies  and to procure and distribute the actual vaccines.

Lemango said that despite the urgency of the situation, it had been a struggle to get plans for such campaigns in place and that he hoped most could come together in 2024.

Coming out of the pandemic, there was this hangover; no one wanted to do campaigns, he said. Everyone wants to return to normalcy and do regular strengthening of immunization. But we already had unfinished business.

In some countries, such as Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia, health systems have recovered from severe COVID disruption and have regained or even surpassed the levels of vaccination coverage they had reached before the pandemic. But others  mostly countries where vaccination rates were already considerably lower than the targets set by UNICEF  have not caught up to their previously lower levels.

The countries with the most zero-dose children include Nigeria, Ethiopia, India, Congo and Pakistan. Many with the lowest levels of coverage are facing compounding challenges, such as the civil conflicts in Syria, Ethiopia and Yemen; the growing population of climate refugees in Chad; and both of those problems in Sudan.

Ghanas experience is representative of the challenges of many lower-income countries. Parents couldnt take their children for routine shots when communities were locked down to protect against COVID, and when those restrictions were lifted, many parents still stayed away because of fear of infection, said Priscilla Obiri, a community health nurse in charge of vaccinations in low-income fishing communities on the edge of the capital, Accra.

Of the children Obiri sees these days at a typical pop-up vaccination clinic, where she sets up a table and a few chairs in the shade at a crossroads, as many as one-third will have incomplete vaccinations or sometimes none at all, she said. She agrees on a plan with their mothers to make up the gap.

But some parents dont or cant bring their children to a clinic. We must go out to the community and hunt for them, she said.

As Obiri and her colleagues attempt to regain that lost ground, they face another challenge: Disinformation campaigns and hesitation about COVID vaccines have spilled over and eroded some of the traditional eagerness that parents had to get their children routine immunizations, according to the Vaccine Confidence Project, a long-running research initiative at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

In 55 countries, there was a precipitous drop between 2015 and 2022 in the number of people who said that routine immunization is important for children, said the projects director, Heidi Larson, whose team collected what she described as robust global polling data in more than 100 nationally representative surveys.

Even as people around the world were seeking information about vaccines, there was a surge in misinformation and disinformation, she said, and people with low trust in officials and official guidance were particularly vulnerable to believing alternative sources of information.

In 2015, 95% of Ghanaian parents said they believed vaccines were safe. That figure plunged to 67% of parents in 2022. It had climbed back to 83% by October of this year.

Dr. Kwame Amponsah-Achiano, who oversees the childhood immunization program in Ghana, said he did not believe that confidence had fallen during the COVID pandemic. Demand remains high and has outstripped the programs ability to supply in some areas, he said.

Caprani said UNICEF had found that both problems were occurring in parallel.

You can have demand outstripping not just physical supply but also outstripping access  convenient, affordable, reachable access  and simultaneously see some declining confidence, she said. Its not necessarily the same people.

Last year, 22 million children missed the routine measles vaccination given in their first year of life  2.7 million more than in 2019  while an additional 13.3 million did not receive their second doses. To reach herd immunity and prevent outbreaks, 95% of children must have both doses. Measles acts as an early warning system for gaps in immunization because it is highly transmissible.

There are communities where an outbreak of measles is a bad thing, and there are communities where its a death sentence, because of the combination of other risk factors such as poor malnutrition, poor access to health care, poor access to clean water, Caprani said.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  A container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire came under attack by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean as Israel wages war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, an American defense official said Saturday.

The attack Friday on the CMA CGM Symi comes as global shipping increasingly finds itself targeted in the weekslong war that threatens to become a wider regional conflict  even as a truce has halted fighting and Hamas exchanges hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The defense official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said the Malta-flagged vessel was suspected to have been targeted by a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone while in international waters. The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship but not injuring any of its crew.

We continue to monitor the situation closely, the official said. The official declined to elaborate on what intelligence the U.S. military gathered to assess Iran was behind the attack, though authorities suspect Tehrans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard carried out the assault.

The same drones have been used by Russia in its war on Ukraine, as recently as in a barrage launched Saturday that Kyiv described as Moscows biggest drone attack since the war began.

Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab satellite channel that is politically allied with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, reported that an Israeli ship had been targeted in the Indian Ocean. The channel cited anonymous sources for the report, which Iranian media later cited.

CMA CGM, a major shipper based in Marseille, France, did not respond to a request for comment. However, the vessels crew had been behaving as though they believed the ship faced a threat.

The ship had its Automatic Identification System tracker switched off since Tuesday when it left Dubais Jebel Ali port, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. It had done the same earlier when traveling through the Red Sea past Yemen, home to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

The attack is likely to have been targeted, due to the vessels Israeli affiliation through Eastern Pacific Shipping, the private intelligence firm Ambrey told the AP. The vessels AIS transmissions were off days prior to the event, indicating this alone does not prevent an attack.

The Symi is owned by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is a company ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. A phone number for Eastern Pacific Shipping in Singapore rang unanswered Saturday, while no one responded to a request for comment sent by email. The Israeli military referred questions to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which did not respond.

In November 2022, the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon, also associated with Eastern Pacific, sustained damage in a suspected Iranian attack off Oman.

Irans mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment. However, Tehran and Israel have been engaged in a yearslong shadow war in the wider Middle East, with some drone attacks targeting Israeli-associated vessels traveling around the region.

In the Israel-Hamas war, which began with the militants Oct. 7 attack, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship in the Red Sea off Yemen.

On Saturday, the British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Mideast, said an entity declaring itself to be the Yemeni authorities had ordered at least one ship away from a location off Hodeida, Yemen, in the Red Sea.

Vessels in the vicinity are advised to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity, it warned.

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq also have launched attacks on American troops in both Iraq and Syria during the war. However, Iran itself has yet to be linked directly to an attack.

Iran has been wary of intervening in the ongoing Middle East crisis and is likely to avoid any action that might escalate the conflict, the Eurasia Group, a geopolitical risk firm, said in an analysis. Small-scale attacks on U.S. forces and Israel by Irans allies throughout the region suggest Tehran is willing to turn up the heat in a limited fashion, but unless the attacks cause U.S. casualties or significant damage, a major U.S. response is unlikely.
PROVIDENCE  More than a week after a man was shot in front of a mosque off Broad Street in Providence, a sense of unease has settled over some members of the Muslim community amid heightened tensions across the world because of Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Mustafa Ramos has recovered from the gunshot wound to the buttocks he received on the morning of Nov. 17, Islamic Center of Rhode Island Imam Abdul-Latif Sackor said at a protest his mosque helped sponsor on Black Friday. The protest, which started with prayers, went from the front of the State House to one of the main entrances to Providence Place.

Like many cities, Providence has public and private spaces that have drawn protest activity, vandalism and some arrests related to the bloody conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, which erupted anew with Hamas's Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel.

Muslims pray on tarps laid out in front of the Rhode Island State House on Friday before marching on Providence Place in a pro-Palestine protest.

Ramos, in his 50s, was wearing a turban and a robe when he was shot outside the mosque just off Broad Street, where he came every Friday, from Maine, to sell Islamic garments and religious items. In Islam, Friday is a day of prayer.

Rattled and worried: Shooting outside Islamic Center in Providence leaves Muslim community rattled and worried

Car with Massachusetts plates was stolen

More than a week after the shooting, Providence police officials have given no updates on the shooting or said what they think the motive was, or wasn't.

Sackor said the vehicle and its Massachusetts license plates were captured on surveillance cameras, but they came back as stolen.

Shooter was waiting in the parking lot

The surveillance video shows that someone who had been parked in one of the mosque's lots across the street had pulled out of the lot, fired at Ramos and drove away, an elder in the community, L. Talib Sabir, previously said. The shooter's face was partially obscured by a mask.

Imam Abdul-Latif Sackor of the Islamic Center of Rhode Island addresses a crowd after prayer and before a march on the Providence Place mall, demonstrating against the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

A man who was with Ramos at the time of the shooting told The Journal that Ramos was tending to a bag of items that he had brought outside for the sale and that the shooter was parked in a lot across the street for at least 20 minutes before the shooting. The witness declined to give his name.

Was shooting a hate crime?

After Sackor learned from police that the vehicle used in the shooting had previously been reported stolen, it made him think of an incident a year ago, when a man in a pickup truck appeared to be surveilling the mosque. After Sackor reported the truck with Massachusetts license plates to police, they reported back that it had been stolen.

Sackor said he does not think the incident a year ago and the current shooting, both involving stolen vehicles with Massachuetts plates, is a coincidence.

That means his congregation needs to be more vigilant, and they need to do more to secure the area around the mosque, he said.

"I feel it was a hate crime," Sackor said.

In an email, Providence police Maj. David Lapatin wrote that it is a "moving, ongoing investigation" and that there is "nothing new to put out as of yet."

"To say the mosque was targeted would be premature," Lapatin wrote.

Uncertainty creates unease in Muslim community

University of Rhode Island student Lina Altaan Alharri, who came to Rhode Island in 2016 as a refugee from Syria, said she recently saw Ramos at an event, despite his gunshot wound. When she pressed him on why he came, he told her that he was a man of his word and he had previously promised to come.

Alharri prays at the Islamic Center of Rhode Island mosque and often stops and talks with Ramos while he is set up in front of the mosque.

She said the shooting is particularly scary and disturbing because she easily could have been standing next to him when he was shot.

"He's such a nice person," she said. "I can't believe this happened to him."

Alharri said she is worried because, unlike Ramos, who might not easily be identified as a Muslim if he is not selling Islamic wares, she always wears the hijab outside her house, a proud sartorial identifier of her creed.

"I'm an obvious target," she said. "Women are more at risk."

University of Rhode Island Professor Nasser Zawia, who attended the Black Friday protest in Providence, said the community has faith, and there is no sense of widespread fear or panic following the shooting.

Being part of a community of faith, and having faith, was also the focus for Verra Elalami, of Rehoboth, who was also at the State House for the protest.

Black Friday protest: Israel-Hamas war protest blocks traffic at Providence Place on Black Friday

World events like the current hostilities in the Gaza Strip tend to bring about attacks by "ignorant people," she said, but added that she is not worried.

"Everything is in the hands of God," Elalami said.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Providence Journal subscription. Here's our latest offer.

Reporter Mark Reynolds contributed to this story. Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence mosque shooting: Unanswered questions, unease among Muslims
The cover of "Entangled Life: The Illustrated Edition: How Fungi Make Our Worlds," by Merlin Sheldrake.
Kili is on a mission at Mool-Mool, or Fort Simcoe Historical State Park, outside of White Swan near Yakima.

A palomino-colored yellow Lab, Kili nearly disappears amid the bleached rye and bunchgrass. Hes looking for human remains, some possibly thousands of years old.

When he finds something interesting, he lies down and barks.

This is Kilis job. He has been trained for years by his owner and handler, Suzanne Elshult.

He is a historical human remains detection dog and hes also certified as a crime scene human remains detection dog, Elshult said. This is the work he does. This is what he lives for.

Elshult and Kili specialize in buried-cold cases and finding historical remains. She said when humans decompose they leave behind hundreds of different compounds that her specially-trained Kili can sniff.

Essentially what they are alerting on is the volatile organic compounds that they have been trained to, the odor of human remains, she said.

Kili is searching for Yakama Nation dead. The remains that could be found here might include some from when this site was a long-inhabited village thousands of years ago, from those killed during the Yakama War in the 1850s and even the remains of children from when this area was turned into a Native American boarding school from 1860 to 1920.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has been heading an initiative to uncover unmarked graves and hidden history at boarding schools across the nation since June of 2021. Members of the Yakama Nation also started their research work about the same time and their work continues now. To date, this volunteer project at Fort Simcoe hasn't received any federal funding.

Among the volunteers is Emily Washines, a member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and a historian.

There are definitely a lot of layers that come with these types of projects and work, Washines said.

Washines helps find missing and murdered Indigenous people through a podcast, historical work and volunteering on the recent search at Fort Simcoe to find the dead.

There are definitely emotions that come about with trying to find answers to this kind of historical trauma and things that have taken place or possibly taken place here, Washines said.

On this warm fall day, Washines stood in the shade of an oak tree laced at the very fringe with golden leaves. This place was known as Mool-Mool when it was a natural springs, a village site and a meeting place for well-established trails, like the eel trail that runs down to the Columbia River, near whats now Dallesport, Wash. The trail is named for the lamprey that are caught in the Columbia River and tributaries. Then came the fort, which served as a military post, and in 1860 the federal government established Fort Simcoe Indian Boarding School at the site.

So, basically, some of the places that they were bringing our people to be hung, now they were bringing our kids right next to that area and telling our kids how to be educated. How to not speak their language to survive, Washines said.

The school was built before the infamous Carlisle boarding school in Pennsylvania.

To calm herself and to protect herself from this heavy work of searching for her ancestors, Washines uses wild rosewater.

If you look at our cradle boards of infants  the hoop that goes over their heads is traditionally made of wild rose, Washines said. So, we believe it has a protection that is from infancy to death.

High-tech mapping

At Fort Simcoe Historical State Park, the volunteer team is also using laptops, mapping tools and ground-penetrating radar to find potential burials.

Under a park shed, with a remote Wi-Fi setup, a laptop and cables strung across the grass is Guy Mansfield, a co-founder of the Washington State Search And Rescue Planning Unit. It is a group of about 20 volunteers who are based in Puget Sound. He is working with a team of handlers and specially-trained dogs.

Cause the search dogs have a relatively little amount of nose time, it's really important for us to carefully prioritize where we assign them, Mansfield said.

His computer can track the dogs using their radio collars and draw probability maps of where bodies might be buried in this 200-acre area.

So, an example of the factors could be proximity to the old boarding school dormitories, Mansfield said. Another factor might be where theres already been a previous unmarked burial found.

Research is ongoing into how many children may have died at Fort Simcoes boarding school. Washines said there are some inaccuracies in the written record about where and how people were buried. The research is complex, and historical records are often sketchy, she said. For example, some people were recorded as being buried in Fort Simcoes cemetery but were actually buried at another site in White Swan, she said.

Personal history

Jon Shellenberger, an archaeologist and member of the Yakama Nation and also Washines husband, measures out a grid before working a ground-penetrating radar machine, or GPR, at Fort Simcoe. Shellenberger is leading this effort at the site.

Shellenberger has been a part of hundreds of archaeological surveys and has taught at Central Washington University.

Once the grid is laid, Shellenbergers research assistant, Shane Turntoes-Kuhnhenn, pushes the GPR machine back and forth across the grass in narrow swaths like a lawn mower. The machine sort of looks like a baby jogger with a small digital screen.

In this vast grassland, there is a prominent stone monument surrounded by a fence. Its a large white obelisk.

Shellenberger said his own familys history with this village, fort and boarding school site makes this work especially meaningful for him. His own great-great-great-grandfather, Nathan Olney, who died in the late 1860s, was a sub-Indian agent for the Oregon Territory. The monument is Olneys  and much of the visible markers and buildings are all of white settlers or the federal governments footprint on the site. Much of the Native American history here has been stamped over. Shellenbergers great-great-great-grandmother Ehatinsh James was a member of the Skinpah tribe near the north side of Celilo Falls on the Columbia River, Shellenberger said.

He said some questions about this place, and the dead it hides, might outlive him.

If theres a moment our people are waiting for, in this big moment where everything will change, and everything will go back to normal or everything will be better  thats never going to come when it comes to boarding schools, Shellenberger said.

Surveys of Fort Simcoe will be done through next spring. Eventually, after more than another year of further research, any data or knowledge of found remains will be brought to Yakama Nations tribal council for review. The remains may be left to rest where they are and the council may choose no action as the best course forward. The council may also not choose to inform anyone of their ultimate decision. Washines echoes her husbands sentiments.

This work will continue probably beyond my lifetime, is a point I had to get to, Washines said. And upon a lot of reflection and prayer and what really helped me in that moment is, I thought, we and others that work on this are exactly who our ancestors prayed for. To one day help solve and bring to light some of the atrocities and horrible things that happened.

Washines and Shellenberger said the Yakama Nation wants to honor their dead and give them peace and closure, whatever is decided.
Israeli forces kill at least 8 Palestinians in surging West Bank violence, health officials say

Health officials say Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians, including at least one militant, in a 24-hour period
Eugene Finkel is an associate professor of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University and the author of the forthcoming book Intent to Destroy: Russias Two-Hundred-Year Quest to Dominate Ukraine.
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The Kiowa County Court House in Eads on the Eastern Plains of Colorado on the Kansas border. Kiowa County voted 85% no on Proposition HH, the highest no vote of any county in the state.
Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.
Geoana, mesaj de Ziua Nationala

Dupa ce Moldova si Tara Romaneasca au devenit o singura tara, sentimentul unitatii a crescut si toate teritoriile locuite de romani au inceput sa vibreze, intrezarind posibilitatea realizarii intregului vis, a afirmat secretarului general adjunct al NATO, Mircea Geoana, care subliniaza ca toti apartinem unei singure natiuni fata de [citeste mai departe]
New Delhi: As winter approaches, and the demand for ceiling fans continues to rise, Union Cabinet Minister Piyush Goyal has some crucial advice for those planning to make a purchase after February 2024.

In a video shared on social media on November 24, 2023, Minister Goyal urged consumers to be cautious when buying ceiling fans next season. Why? Because there are new rules in place for your safety. (Also Read: Searching For Job? These Startups Are Hiring For Different Roles - Check)

The Consumer Ministry has introduced strict safety regulations, and the minister wants you to know what to look for before purchasing. (Also Read: 'Pick Up Faster Than Sam Altman's Return': Auto Rickshaw's Peak Bengaluru Moment)

Starting from February 2024, all ceiling fans sold in India must have the ISI mark, which stands for Indian Standards Institution. This mark ensures that the fan meets specific safety and quality standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Fans without this mark won't be allowed to sell, storage, or export.
Dev Diwali, also known as Dev Deepawali or the Diwali of the Gods, is a significant Hindu festival celebrated with great fervor and devotion. This auspicious occasion falls on the full moon day in the month of Kartik, precisely 15 days after Diwali, the festival of lights. The sacred city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges is the center of Dev Diwali celebrations.

Here Are Wishes, Greetings, Whatsapp Messages To Share With Loved Ones

- Wishing you a Dev Diwali filled with joy, prosperity, and the brilliance of knowledge.

- May the divine light of Dev Diwali illuminate your path towards success and wisdom.

- On this auspicious occasion, may your life be adorned with the blessings of Lord Brahma.

- Happy Dev Diwali! May the festival bring enlightenment to your mind and soul.

Also read: Dev Diwali 2023: Check Date, History, Significance, And Celebration

- As you celebrate Dev Diwali, may your intellect shine bright like the diyas, guiding you to greater heights.

- May the divine knowledge of Lord Saraswati enlighten your life on this Dev Diwali.

- Wishing you a year ahead filled with wisdom, learning, and spiritual growth.

- Happy Dev Diwali! May your mind be a reservoir of creativity and innovation.

- May the blessings of Lord Ganesha pave the way for success and prosperity in the coming year.

- On this Dev Diwali, may you overcome darkness with the light of knowledge and virtue.

- May the wisdom of Lord Vishnu guide you towards a fulfilling and purposeful life.

- Wishing you a Dev Diwali filled with the joy of learning and the warmth of family and friends.

- May the festival of lights inspire you to seek knowledge and understanding in every aspect of life.

- Happy Dev Diwali! May your intellect be sharp, and your heart be full of compassion.

- As you celebrate Dev Diwali, may you be blessed with the strength to face challenges with wisdom and grace.

- May the wisdom of Lord Shiva enlighten your mind and bring tranquility to your soul.

- Happy Dev Diwali! May the flame of knowledge burn brightly in your life.

- On this special day, may you be surrounded by positive energy and the blessings of the divine.

- May the auspicious occasion of Dev Diwali mark the beginning of a journey towards self-discovery and growth.

- Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Dev Diwali filled with prosperity, happiness, and spiritual enlightenment.
New Delhi: Continuing to promote the Central government's 'Vocal for Local' initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged citizens on Sunday to refrain from organizing weddings abroad. Instead, he urged the people of the country to celebrate wedding ceremonies within India. During his latest edition of the monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat,' PM Modi emphasized the significance of prioritizing products made in India when shopping for wedding-related items

"The wedding season as well has commenced now. Some trade organisations estimate that there could be a business of around Rs 5 lakh crore during this wedding season. While shopping for weddings, all of you should give importance to products made in India only," the PM said. He further said that the poor people will get an opportunity to render some service if the weddings are arranged in the country.

"And yes, since the topic of marriage has come up, one thing has been troubling me off and on for a long time.... and if I don't open up my heart's pain to my family members, who else do I do it with? Just ponder... these days a new milieu is being created by some families to go abroad and conduct weddings. Is this at all necessary? If we celebrate the festivities of marriages on Indian soil, amid the people of India, the country's money will remain in the country. The people of the country will get an opportunity to render some service or the other at your wedding... Can you extrapolate on this mission of 'Vocal for Local'? Why don't we hold such wedding ceremonies in our own country?" the PM added.

The PM further said that the year 2023 marks the second consecutive year when the trend of buying some goods through cash payments on the occasion of Diwali is gradually on the decline. "That means, people are making more and more digital payments now," he added.

PM Modi, while commemorating the victims on the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, added, "We can never forget the 26th of November. It was on this very day that the country came under the dastardliest terror attack. The terrorists (from Pakistan) spelt fear not just in Mumbai but across the country. However, it was our combined fortitude and resilience that made us rise again from the ordeal inflicted on us by the terrorists and crush terror with full strength and resolve."

Congratulating countrymen on the occasion of Constitution Day, said it was unfortunate that the first amendment of the Constitution 'pertained to curtailing' the freedom of speech and expression.

"In keeping with the changing times, circumstances and requirements of the country, previous governments (at the Centre) carried out amendments (to the Constitution) at different times. However, it is our misfortune that the first amendment of the Constitution pertained to curtailing the freedom of speech and expression," PM Modi said during the 107th edition of his monthly radio address on Sunday.

"However, through the 44th amendment, the wrongs committed during the Emergency (during the Prime Ministership of Indira Gandhi) were duly rectified," PM Modi noted during his address.
New Delhi: Contrary to common belief, starting a business doesn't always require a hefty investment or complicated logistics. Whether you're a new entrepreneur, a bootstrapper, or someone juggling a busy schedule, there's a low-investment startup idea that allows you to dip your toes into entrepreneurship without overwhelming costs or disruptions.

For those seeking creative business ideas that align with their passion for teaching and learning, here's a unique opportunity: Establishing a Technical Training Institute (TTI). (Also Read: SBI Credit Cards: Check Features, Annual Fees, And More)

This venture enables you to kickstart a side business without putting everything else on hold. With an initial investment of just one lakh rupees, you can set up a basic institute with a room, a table, a chair, and a whiteboard. (Also Read: Top Gaming Smartphones Under Rs 20,000: Check Price, Battery Power, Features, And More)

TTI is not just a concept; it's a proven model. Originating as a non-profit organization in Jordan in 2010, TTI aimed to foster entrepreneurship and innovation among adolescents and women in underprivileged regions.

Over the years, more than 6000 direct beneficiaries have been empowered through +50 programs, including awareness campaigns, training camps, mentorship, counseling, matchmaking, and early-stage incubation.

But How Does This Apply To You?

Big companies often offer free online certificate courses that go unnoticed by many. Your role as the owner of a TTI involves bridging this gap. Your institute becomes a platform to inform and enroll individuals in these courses.

With study materials readily available, your task is to explain the courses in a language that everyone can understand. After completion, individuals take the exam and receive a valuable certificate.

TTI: Return

As per the media reports, if you invest Rs 1 lakh, you can earn up to Rs 1 lakh from the business.
Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023 is approaching, heralding the auspicious festival of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurpurab, also recognized as Guru Nanak's Prakash Utsav or Guru Nanak Jayanti. This significant day holds profound importance in Sikhism as it commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first of the ten Sikh gurus and the founder of Sikhism. The celebration is characterized by fervent devotion, spiritual gatherings, and the recitation of hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism.

Guru Nanak Jayanti 2023 Date and Time

The festival is celebrated on the fifteenth lunar day of the Hindu month of Kartik, or Kartik Poornima in the Gregorian calendar, typically falling in November. Sikhs globally will commemorate this auspicious occasion with deep reverence on Monday, November 27, celebrating the 554th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

According to Drik Panchang, the timings for purnima tithi and for performing the rituals are as follows:

Purnima Tithi Begins - 03:53 pm on November 26

Purnima Tithi Ends - 02:45 pm on November 27

Guru Nanak Jayanti History and Significance

Guru Nanak Dev Ji is believed to have been born in 1469 in Rai Bhoi Ki Talwandi, now known as Nanaka Sahib, near Lahore (in Pakistan). He is revered for founding the Sikh religion and spreading enlightenment. The festival commemorates his legacy, contributions, and life.

While all ten Sikh Gurus' birthdays are observed, Guru Nanak Jayanti holds particular significance as Baba Nanak Ji is both the first guru and the founder of the Sikh faith. Celebrations extend worldwide, where the Sikh community is present.

In India, Guru Nanak Jayanti is designated as a gazetted holiday. The day is marked by a 48-hour continuous recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib, known as Akhand Path, conducted in Gurudwaras.

Guru Nanak Jayanti Rituals and Celebrations

Prabhat Pheris, characterized by early morning processions where devotees sing hymns, commence two days before the Guru Nanak Jayanti festival, traversing through localities. The Akhand Path, involving the recitation of the Sikh holy text, Guru Granth Sahib, is observed. Nagar kirtan, a day before Guru Nanak's birth date, features a parade led by the Panj Pyare, five men carrying the Sikh triangle flag, Nishan Sahib. The parade includes the holy Guru Granth Sahib carried in a palanquin, with people chanting hymns and playing traditional musical instruments.

On Gurpurab, Gurdwaras host prayers throughout the day, and the various festival components persist until late at night, concluding with devotees partaking in the langar.

The langar food holds a special significance, with the traditional prasad being kada prasad. On this significant day, many individuals actively engage in Sewa, offering food in service.

(This article is intended for your general information only. Zee News does not vouch for its accuracy or reliability.)
New Delhi: On Sunday, the ongoing rescue mission to free the 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel reached its 15th day. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) initially attempted to drill through the tunnel to release the laborers. However, the drilling machine suffered damage, and a significant part of it became lodged in the tunnel, posing an additional challenge for the rescue team.

Given the challenging geographical terrain of Uttarakhand, the rescue team is encountering multiple obstacles in safely extracting the workers. Now, they face an additional significant challenge as experts anticipate adverse weather conditions in the region.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts rainfall in isolated areas of Uttarakhand over the next 2-3 days, with prevailing cloudy sky conditions that could potentially hinder the ongoing rescue operation.

Meanwhile, after auger machine's damage the rescue force has turned to the vertical drilling plan and according to National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) Managing Director Mahmood Ahmad a total of 19.2 meters of vertical drilling has been completed at Uttarkashi's tunnel where 41 workers remained trapped as of Sunday.

Addressing a press conference in Uttarkashi, NHIDCL MD Ahmad said, "We have completed around 19.2 meters of drilling. We have to drill around 86 meters to be done within four days that is by November 30. Hopefully, there will be no further hurdles and the work will be completed on time."

The NDMA is currently working on the second of the three plan action to rescue the workers trappped in the Silkyara tunnel. During a press briefing in New Delhi, NDMA Member Syed Ata Hasnain stated, "Our current strategy is Plan 2. The drilling machine arrived yesterday, and vertical drilling commenced around 12 noon today. A total of 86 meters of vertical digging is needed to reach the trapped workers, and we have completed 17 meters of drilling so far. Geological studies suggest no obstruction, and we are assessing stability."

He also mentioned that Plan 3, involving sideways drilling covering 170 meters, has not been initiated yet. "Our Plan 3 has not been implemented. The machine for sideways drilling is expected to reach the Silkayra tunnel rescue site overnight," he added.
Baramulla: The security forces on Sunday claimed to have arrested three TRF terrorist associates in the Kalgai area of north Kashmir's Baramulla district and recovered arms and ammunition from their possession, and one in Gegren village of district Shopian.

In an official statement, a police spokesperson reported that on November 25, security forces conducting joint Naka checking intercepted two individuals, Zameer Ahmad Khanday and Mohammad Naseem Khanday, both residents of Kamalkote, who were heading from Kamalkote towards the national highway carrying bags.

Upon searching them, 3 Chinese grenades and 2.5 lakh cash were discovered. Subsequently, a case was registered under relevant sections of the law at Police Station Uri, as per the official statement. In the course of persistent interrogation, the accused revealed that the illicitly obtained grenades and cash were supplied to them by Manzoor Ahmad Bhatti, son of Karam Din Bhatti and resident of Madiyan Kamalkote. The purpose behind providing these materials was cited as the potential execution of any terrorist act, as mentioned in the official release.

"Following the disclosure, Manzoor Ahmad Bhatti was picked up for questioning, and upon due course of action, Bhatti disclosed that he has supplied these illegally acquired grenades and cash to these persons for the commission of terrorist acts and has also kept one hand grenade and cash at a location known to him near his house," it reads. It added that on his disclosure recovery of 1 Chinese hand grenade and 2.17 lakh cash was made.

One person was also arrested in Gegren village of Shopian district of south Kashmir. The spokesman said During naka at Gagren the police apprehended one Person namely Farman Khursheed r/o Gagren and recovered 1 Pistol, 2 Magazines, 10 Rounds. In this regard case Fir No. 194/23 Dated 26/11/23 .U/S 7/25 i.a act .18,23,39 Ulp registered at police station Shopian for further investigation.


New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and said the party and said that the party has done nothing but betrayed the people of Telangana. Addressing a public meeting in the poll-bound state's Nirmal district Chief Minister KC Rao, alleged that the BRS party chief is more concerned about the welfare of his own children and family than the future of the people of the state.

The PM reiterated that Telangana is burdened with debts amounting to thousands of crores of rupees, and the state has gained notoriety due to its irrigation scams. "BRS has offered nothing but betrayal. Telangana is grappling with debts running into thousands of crores. Presently, the state is notorious for its involvement in irrigation scams. KCR shows no concern for the future of the people; his priorities lie solely with securing the future of his own children and family members," said PM Modi.

#WATCH | Nirmal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "BRS has given you nothing except betrayal. Telangana is in debt of thousands of crores of rupees. Today, Telangana is known for the irrigation scams...KCR does not care for your future. KCR only cares for his own children & pic.twitter.com/pMzj50kW8K November 26, 2023

Earlier in a public address in Medak district, PM Modi said that the people of Telangana are marching ahead with a pledge to form a BJP government for the first time in the southern state. "The people of Telangana are marching ahead with a pledge to form a BJP government for the first time in the state," PM Modi said. "Now the time has come for lotus, the party symbol, to be in full bloom in the state. The pledge of development in Telangana will only be fulfilled by the BJP," he added.

The state will go to polls in a single phase on November 30. The counting of votes has been scheduled for December 3. The state is poised for a three-cornered contest between the ruling BRS, which is bidding to return to the hustings for a third straight term, the Congress, and a resurgent BJP. In the last Assembly elections in 2018, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), previously known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), won 88 of the 119 seats, hogging 47.4 per cent of the total vote share. The Congress came in a distant second with just 19 seats while the BJP drew a blank.
Kerala Lottery Results Sunday 26-11-2023 Live: The Kerala lottery "AKSHAYA AK-627" Result, on behalf of the Kerala government, will be announced today, November 26, 2023, at Gorky Bhavan Near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala State Lotteries department, which releases the lottery in 12 series (subject to change), will draw the result. Each week, 108 lakh tickets are made available for purchase, and the series may vary. The first-place winner stands to receive a substantial 70 Lakh Rupees as the bumper prize. For those eagerly awaiting today's draw, the AKSHAYA AK-627 outcome for November 26, 2023, can be checked on this website. Stay tuned to ensure you don't miss the live results of Kerala Lottery AKSHAYA AK-627.

Kerala Lottery Result 26-11-2023 Nov: FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR AKSHAYA AK-627 LOTTERY

LUCKY NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 70 LAKHS IS: AG 137452

LUCKY NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 5 LAKHS IS: AD 607495

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 Lakh ARE: AA 555862 AB 555995 AC 673735 AD 697793 AE 982495 AF 595430 AG 978715 AH 883500 AJ 241800 AK 253761 AL 161445 AM 594070

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: AA 137452 AB 137452 AC 137452 AD 137452 AE 137452 AF 137452 AH 137452 AJ 137452 AK 137452 AL 137452 AM 137452

(For The Tickets Ending with The Following Numbers below)

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: 0123 1023 2254 2553 2971 4066 4530 5058 5190 5857 6017 6322 7609 8400 8603 8845 9606 9937

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE: 2472 6184 6885 6987 7250 9100 9715

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: 0059 1492 2221 2356 2855 3078 3313 3522 4168 4451 4748 5429 5561 5852 6213 6425 6430 6945 6967 7019 8502 9298 9406 9419 9786 9926

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: 0028 0282 0385 0399 0505 0737 0816 0847 1007 1214 1271 1483 1674 1846 2132 2331 2458 2539 2576 2582 2717 2777 2989 3107 3119 3179 3186 3458 3686 3777 4032 4041 4542 4707 4736 4776 4946 4967 5117 5522 5623 5877 6122 6158 6164 6199 6252 6519 6539 6678 6711 6824 6906 7040 7151 7212 7275 7627 7780 7953 7973 8427 8457 8628 8678 8717 8970 9268 9301 9497 9629 9808

LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: 0163 0269 0348 0396 0404 0485 0533 0556 0586 0676 0686 0881 0971 1216 1321 1324 1481 1571 1631 1742 1820 2081 2234 2344 2387 2428 2442 2462 2596 2627 2643 2644 2922 2938 3033 3287 3361 3362 3453 3474 3596 3669 3797 3824 3867 3871 3892 3932 3955 3974 4045 4214 4334 4336 4428 4461 4497 4520 4610 4680 4708 4797 4904 5020 5186 5256 5314 5438 5455 5571 5617 5848 5910 5966 5999 6179 6263 6269 6324 6523 6543 6632 6662 6724 6814 6929 7047 7078 7095 7217 7292 7352 7419 7557 7668 7692 7694 7785 7947 8049 8189 8328 8339 8382 8426 8468 8699 8801 8841 8866 8916 8951 9018 9144 9273 9288 9304 9308 9363 9469 9505 9550 9668

KERALA LOTTERY RESULT 26-11-2023 November TODAY: AKSHAYA AK-627 LOTTERY PRIZE DETAILS

1st Prize: Rs 70 Lakhs

2nd Prize: Rs. 5 lakhs

3rd Prize: Rs. 1 Lakh

4th Prize: Rs. 5,000

5th Prize: Rs. 2,000

6th Prize: Rs. 1,000

7th Prize: Rs. 500

8th Prize: Rs. 100

Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000

(NOTE: Lottery can be addictive and should be played responsibly. The data provided on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice or encouragement. Zee News does not promote lottery in anyway.)
Rajasthan voters kept the political parties guessing with the polling percentage similar to the 2018 polls. The state recorded around 74.13 per cent voter turnout in the directly contested polls between the Congress and the BJP. This year's voter turnout was slightly above the 74.06 per cent voter turnout recorded in the 2018 assembly polls. The votes will be counted on December 3.

Polling at more than 51,000 polling booths in 199 assembly constituencies began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm, but officials said those already in queue at the polling booths were allowed to vote. According to reports, at some places, the polling continued till 9 or 10 pm due to large queues inside the booth premises.

The electoral process for the Karanpur seat in Sriganganagar was halted following the unfortunate demise of Gurmeet Singh Koonar, the incumbent MLA and Congress candidate. Extensive measures were put in place by the Election Commission (EC) to facilitate a seamless voting process, deploying over 1.70 lakh security personnel across the state.

The state holds a registered voter count of 5,26,90,146 individuals, and the ongoing elections involve 1,862 candidates competing for various positions.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot exercised their franchise at their respective polling booths.

Among all the constituencies, all the eyes are on Sardarpura, Tonk, Jhalarapatan, Nathdwara, Jhunjhunu, Jhotwara, and Churu among others.

Sardarpura is on the list of key constituencies as Gehlot has won this seat since 1998. The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Mahendra Singh Rathore from the Congress' bastion.

The Bharatiya Janata Party candidate and former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is contesting from Jhalarapatan. The party's heavyweight has been winning the seat since 2003 from here.
In India, the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam stands as one of the most challenging assessments to conquer. Candidates need to dedicate extensive study hours to crack this civil service examination, aiming for prestigious positions like IRS, IPS, IFS, and IAS. Every year, thousands of aspirants attempt this rigorous test, but only a select few manage to succeed. Among the achievers is IPS officer Kamyaa Misra, who gained national acclaim for her remarkable feat of clearing the UPSC exam on her maiden attempt.

Hailing from Odisha, Kamyaa has been a high-achieving student, securing an impressive 98.6% in her 12th-grade examinations, and emerging as the top scorer in her region. Continuing her academic journey at Delhi University's prestigious Lady Shri Ram College, she made the decision to prepare for the UPSC exams while pursuing her graduation Despite its formidable reputation, the UPSC exam often necessitates multiple attempts for successful clearance. However, Kamyaa demonstrated her exceptional abilities by clinching success in her initial try. She secured a place in the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 2019, achieving an All India Rank (AIR) of 172 in the UPSC examination.

According to media reports, she attained this feat at the tender age of 22. Initially allocated to the Himachal cadre, she was later transferred to the Bihar cadre. In 2021, Kamyaa tied the knot with Awadhesh Saroj, an IPS officer belonging to the Bihar cadre, in a wedding ceremony held in Udaipur. Awadhesh is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

Talking about her preparation strategy, Kaamya Misra shared that writing plays an important role in the exam and she said that practising essay writing is important. She also shared that a focus on economic surveys and the use of data, flow charts and diagrams are crucial aspects of answer writing. She said that a person must revise the prelims syllabus before appearing for mains.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded a little girl who attended his rally in the Nirmal district of Telangana in the attire of 'Bharat Mata.' PM while addressing the public meeting noticed the little kid who donned Bharat Mata attire and was continuously waving the tricolour national flag and said that she is an inspiration to all.

Recognizing the presence of the young girl in the rally, PM Modi waved at her and exchanged a 'Namaste' as she joined her hands to greet the Prime Minister in the state heading into elections.

PM Narendra Modi waves at girl who had come dressed as 'Bharat Mata' during his rally in Nirmal, Telangana#NarendraModi #TelanganaElections2023 #Telangana pic.twitter.com/qMthAKuw9l  Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) November 26, 2023

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), accusing the party of betraying the people of Telangana. Speaking at a public meeting in the Nirmal district of the poll-bound state, PM Modi alleged that the BRS party chief, Chief Minister KC Rao, is more focused on the well-being of his own children and family than on the future of the state's residents.

The Prime Minister reiterated that Telangana is burdened with debts amounting to thousands of crores of rupees, and the state has become infamous for its involvement in irrigation scams. PM Modi stated, "BRS has provided nothing but betrayal. Telangana is struggling with debts reaching into thousands of crores. Currently, the state is notorious for its participation in irrigation scams. KCR displays no concern for the future of the people; his priorities are solely centered on securing the future of his own children and family members."

The state is set to undergo elections in a single phase on November 30, with the counting of votes scheduled for December 3. A three-cornered contest is anticipated, featuring the incumbent BRS seeking a third consecutive term, the Congress, and a resurgent BJP. In the preceding Assembly elections of 2018, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), formerly known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), secured victory in 88 out of the 119 seats, commanding a 47.4 percent share of the total votes. The Congress trailed significantly with just 19 seats, while the BJP did not secure any.
New Delhi: Popular south actress and former Bigg Boss Tamil 3 contestant Vanitha Vijayakumar has reportedly been attacked by a man who claimed to be a fan of actor Pradeep Antony, the evicted contestant of the ongoing Bigg Boss Tamil Season 7.

Vanitha took to her X (formerly known as Twitter) handle and dropped a shocking photo of her injured face. Her post showed her injured eye, and visibly swollen and discoloured face.

The actress, in a series of posts, alleged that she was attacked by a mysterious man in the middle of the night and suspects a 'Bigg Boss Tamil 7' connection. She alleged that the attacker was apparently unhappy with the fact that she supported the red card issued to Pradeep in the Kamal Haasan-hosted reality show.

'Bigg Boss Tamil' season seven is currently in full swing on Vijay TV and Disney Plus Hotstar. Vanitha's daughter Jovika is also one of the contestants. Vanatha, who reviews the show on a daily basis, had a late-night dinner and went to park her car at her sister's place when the unfortunate incident happened.

"Ni support vera (You escaped) and hit me hard on my face and fled away.I was in so much pain bleeding in my face and yelling. No one around was around 1 am I called my sister to come down she urged me to go report this incident to police but i told her I lost trust in the process (sic)", she further wrote.

She continued, "I took first aid and left home with rage and not able to identify my attacker. He laughed like a lunatic which haunts my ears. Taking a break from everything as i am not in a physical condition to appear on screen. For those who support disturbed ppl danger is just a feet away (sic)."

Vanitha, who has been active on social media, continues to express her thoughts and comments on the controversies around the 'Bigg Boss 7 Tamil'.

Actor Pradeep Antony recently got expelled from the Bigg Boss Tamil 7 over reportedly his inappropriate behavior towards female co-contestants. Ever, since his exit from the show, the actor has been hitting the headlines for his social media posts.

"It is my personal space which I use to share my happiness with my friends. It is not that I don't consider you my friend but I'm not in a place I can trust and let anyone inside my life. My Instagram page has photos of friends and family. I feel social media is a mix of positives and negatives and it can tend to attack you on a very personal level. I can take criticism well, but I don't want my friends and family's privacy to be attacked. I'll share the portion of my life I want to share with the public on Twitter on whatever platform I feel comfortable with, but certain things I only want to to share and enjoy with my very close ones and not be judged. I hope you understand my situation," he shared.
After delaying the release for hours, Hamas terrorists finally released 17 hostages and sent them to Egypt. According to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the Red Cross has handed these hostages to Egypt. The hostages include 13 Israeli and four Thai nationals. The convoy carrying the hostages headed to the Kerem Shalom crossing, where Israeli officials received them. Israel will now verify the list of names. "IDF representatives are updating their families regularly," the IDF adds.

"Representatives from the ICRC just transferred 17 hostages via Egypt, including 13 Israeli and 4 Thai hostages, to ISA and IDF Special Forces, as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families. We have been preparing to welcome our people home and accompany them and their families. We remain determined to return all of our hostages home," said the IDF.

Representatives from the @ICRC just transferred 17 hostages via Egypt, including 13 Israeli and 4 Thai hostages, to ISA and IDF Special Forces, as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families.



We have been preparing to welcome our pic.twitter.com/ulogSb2hk5  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 25, 2023

Meanwhile, some of the families of these hostages have begun to identify and confirm the identities of these hostages who are on their way to Israel.

The hostages include a 12-year-old girl named Hila Rotem, who was abducted by Hamas terrorists with her mother, Raya Rotem, 54, who was not released, according to The Times of Israel.

Another hostage Emily Hand, 9, was initially thought to have been among those killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7. Emily was at a sleepover at a friend's house on the Kibbutz when she was abducted. Noam Or, 17 and Alma Or, 13, were also taken hostage by Hamas terrorists from their home in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, alongside their father, Dror Or, 48, and their cousin, Liam Or, 18. Meanwhile, their mother, Yonat Or, was killed in the attack.

However, Dror and Liam are assumed to remain hostages in Gaza, reported The Times of Israel. Moreover, according to The Times of Israel, most of the Israeli hostages are believed to have been abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri. Earlier, the Hamas terror group announced that it had handed over 20 hostages, including 13 Israelis and seven foreigners, to the Red Cross, The Times of Israel reported.
An exhibition showcasing bonsai and suiseki artworks has kicked off at the famous Japanese temple of Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, commemorating the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between China and Japan.

As flaming autumn foliage and bustling visitors crowded the temple in late November, the Sino-Japanese bonsai suiseki exhibition kicked off on Friday at the world heritage Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

The exhibition showcases bonsai creations, which were derived from the Chinese art of Penjing, blending the beauty of natural landscapes with the ancient temple architecture.

Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian remarked during the opening ceremony that the Chinese art of bonsai, transmitted to Japan over 1,200 years ago, continues to evolve nowadays.

"The compacted beauty of natural landscapes within bonsai vessels embodies the shared desire for exquisite, natural, and beautiful lives between the people of China and Japan throughout history," he noted.

Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki, in a written statement, said the longstanding cultural and artistic exchange, particularly through bonsai art, has deepened trust and friendship between Japan and China.

He expressed hopes that this exhibition would further strengthen the ties between the two nations.

"Appreciating the beauty of bonsai transcends borders. I thank bonsai for introducing me to friends from around the world, and I hope everyone makes friends through the art," said Kunio Kobayashi, founder of the Shunkaen Bonsai Museum in Japan and a master bonsai artist.

Su Fang, secretary-general of the Chinese Penjing Artists Association, highlighted in his address that the exchange of bonsai and suiseki arts between China and Japan contributes to fostering cultural dialogue between the two nations.

Following the opening ceremony, attendees participated in a water-pouring ceremony for an 800-year-old bonsai on Friday.

Seihan Mori, the chief abbot of Kiyomizu-dera, mentioned that this was the first time the temple hosted a Sino-Japanese friendship bonsai exhibition.

He expressed his sincere hope for enduring friendship between Japan and China, symbolized by the ancient mountain spring water flowing through Kiyomizu-dera.

On the same day, Kobayashi performed a live bonsai creation demonstration on-site with his disciples, drawing a large crowd of onlookers eager to capture the master's exquisite skills.

The four-day exhibition featuring over 50 bonsai and suiseki works from both China and Japan will last until Monday.
MOUNT ZION  Mary Cardascio makes it a point to shop small.

This is how they thrive, said the Mount Zion resident, who was shopping at Plume on Saturday.

Today is just keeping everything local and putting money back in our community, said Angie Lay, owner of Plume, a boutique selling handmade soaps, body butter, signs with sayings, kitchen towels and keychains.

Plume was formerly located at the Elwin Antique Mall but moved to the eastern edge of Mount Zion recently, next door to The Willow Nest at 6985 E. U.S. 36.

It's closer to my house and my son helps me and it's been good so far, Lay said.

The store was certainly hopping on Small Business Saturday, and everybody was finding something they wanted.

Small Business Saturday was started by American Express to encourage people to do their Christmas shopping  and to shop year-round  at the small businesses in their communities, to support their neighbors and friends and keep their money in their local community.

Big box stores are fine, but there's all kinds of great stuff in small businesses, said Kelly Murray, who was shopping at The Willow Nest next door to Plume. It just gives us an opportunity to give back to the community.

The Willow Nest's owner, Laurie Burnett, and her husband are both retired, and since she has always enjoyed decorating, her husband suggested she should open a business devoted to the special and unique items not found anywhere else.

I have such a passion for home decor, and we just decided to throw in the little boutique items, too, and that's how it all started, Laurie Burnett said. We live in Forsyth, so it's quite a way out here, but it's been so well-received.

She added it was her husband's idea to name the shop after their Labradoodle, Willow.

Rockwell Coffee Co., which brought their truck to Mount Zion for the event and parked between Plume and The Willow Nest, is family-owned. Dale McKinney said he and his wife have 17 children between them and the kids all help out. All of them also work full time, he said.

Small businesses, we just love it, Dale McKinney said. It gives you some freedom. You can do what you want to do when you want to do it, and you're not constrained by the corporate idea. You can also do what the customer wants you to do. We hand the customer a drink and tell them to taste and see if you like it. Anything it needs, let us know. If it needs more of this or more of that, let us know. You can do that in a small business.

Small Business Saturday, he said, is a good way to remind residents of the many small businesses in their community that they might not have heard of before.

I think that's fantastic, he said.

Heather Elliott had an online store for six years before recently opening a brick-and-mortar version, Back Home Boutique, on Merchant Street in Decatur. She specializes in women's clothing.

"This is my first Small Business Saturday," she said, due to her online-only presence in past years. "Obviously, it's about supporting small businesses and us being able to kind of give back to the community with deals because they are the ones, the reason why we have our businesses in the first place, and just being part of the community."

The Glass House, at 2895 N. Oakland Ave. in Decatur, gave away pickle ornaments and candy canes on Saturday. The pickle ornament is part of an old tradition where an ornament shaped like a pickle is hung on the tree and the person who spots it first gets to open the first present and will have good fortune throughout the coming year. The tradition is said to be German in origin, though its true origin is shrouded in the mists of time.

The small businesses are what make Decatur unique, said Glass House owner Marilyn Trebacz. We've got a lot of little shops here that most people don't frequent as often as they should.

The Glass House has been in business for 38 years, and Trebacz said she does her best to find unique items and in all price ranges.

We have wonderful customers who come back every year, she said. When they buy locally, the money stays local and doesn't go to these big corporations, and the people who have these unique shops work a lot of extra hours and often don't get paid for it.

How to support small businesses this holiday season How to support small businesses this holiday season Shop in-store Attend a holiday market or bazaar
DECATUR  A 40-year-old man with a broken finger told Decatur police he had been kidnapped and tortured, but also informed officers he didnt want them to do anything about it.

Detective Sgt. Brian Earles said the man claimed to have been abducted on East Hickory Street around 4:40 p.m. Saturday.

He said he was walking down the road when a vehicle pulled up and someone called him by name and asked him if he wanted a ride, Earles added.

He said he got into the vehicle and he was taken to a house where he was tortured. And then at some point they took him outside and he was able to escape. But he also said he doesn't want us to do anything or contact anybody and he doesnt want to be contacted any further.

The detective said that left police with nothing else they could do and no further inquiries they could make.

A look back at Decatur police through the years  1911 1911 1911 1924 1934 1939 1941 1942 1951 1960 1977 1990
Its been seven years since Southwest Virginia authorities found the body of Janina Jefferson at the town of Appalachia water plant, where she worked the evening shift, but the suspect in her death has still not been found.

The Wise County Sheriffs Office and the U.S. Marshals Service continue to actively search for Eric Jones, Jeffersons ex husband, who is accused of shooting the 38-year-old woman and leaving her body at the plant. The womans body was found in 2016.

November 28th will live in all of our memories because of this murder, said Wise County Sheriffs Office Lt. Duane Phillips. This murder has not just affected the families, but also affected the community and law enforcement personnel.

Local investigators still work closely with the U.S. Marshals Service following up on all leads, reviewing old leads and developing new leads. Investigators still receive leads and interview people on a regular basis regarding the case, Phillips said.

It is not just our job, but our goal to locate Eric Jones to answer for the crimes that he has committed, Phillips said. Only then will the families and community be able to truly begin the healing process. 

Law enforcement officers still periodically check in with the family and speak to them about the investigation, he said.

Where is Jones? Officials believe he could be anywhere, including outside of the country.

The Wise County case has been featured on national television, including Investigation Discovery with John Walsh.

A monetary award has been offered for information that leads to his arrest and conviction.

Jones faces charges of first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and use of a firearm during the commission of first-degree murder.

He is also wanted on an outstanding felony probation violation warrant stemming from an attempted murder-for-hire conviction. The conviction stems from a 1998 incident in which Jones conspired to kill three people in Wise County by setting fire to a home, according to indictments.

Anyone with information about Jones is asked to contact the Wise County Sheriffs Office at 276-328-3756 or email crimetips@wiseso.net.
Alexis de Tocqueville once described history as a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies. Right now, in contested regions across the world, enemies of freedom and decency are adding new works of horror to this already gruesome gallery.

Some American leaders have risen to the challenge of the moment. One of them, North Carolinas own U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, has been a voice of moral clarity and resolve.

In September, for example, Tillis and his Democratic colleague Jeanne Shaheen issued a statement calling the Ukrainian resistance to Vladimir Putin a fight for democracy and freedom in every corner of the world, arguing that if we let authoritarians like Putin dictate the futures of sovereign countries, respect for human rights and democratic values will deteriorate, the global economy will suffer and any autocrats, including Xi Jinping, will be emboldened to follow suit.

And just last week, Tillis defended Israels military operations in Gaza.

The only two nations in recent history that have consistently welcomed Jews and provided them with a safe home are Israel and the United States, Tillis wrote in an op-ed. The only way that can be preserved is by destroying Hamas and rooting out antisemitism here at home.

Alas, in too many ears, the phrase never again lacks the powerful resonance it should invoke. Consider three notorious genocides of the 20th century  and their ominous parallels today.

Shortly after the start of World War I in 1914, the supposedly modernist Young Turks who ran the Ottoman Empire embarked on a systemic expulsion of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and other ethnic minorities whod lived in Asia Minor for countless generations.

The Armenians, in particular, were subjected to forced migration and murder on a massive scale. Of the approximately 1.5 million Armenians then under Ottoman rule, as many as 1.2 million died  either killed outright by Turkish soldiers or marched into the deserts of Syria and Iraq to die of exposure, disease, or starvation.

Two decades later, another ruthless gang massacred another ethnic minority. The culprits were Joseph Stalin and his Communist thugs. The victims were Ukrainians. Some had actively resisted Stalins tyranny. Others wanted only to live unmolested in their rural villages.

Although the Communists executed many Ukrainians outright, their primary tool of genocide was starvation. After forcibly collectivizing all agriculture, Russians repeatedly confiscated Ukrainian harvests and used violence to keep peasants from leaving home to find food elsewhere.

Ukrainians call it the Holodomor, the Great Starvation of 1932-1934. Estimates of the death toll vary, but four to five million is a reasonable guess, amounting to about 15% of Ukraines population.

At about the same time, Adolph Hitler and his National Socialist Party initiated their own campaign of persecution against the Jews of Germany. Over the next decade, as the scope of Nazi power grew across Europe, so did the breadth and depth of their savagery. Six million Jews  about two-thirds of all the Jews in Europe  died during the Holocaust, as did some 3.3 million Soviet prisoners-of-war, 1.8 million Poles, half a million Romani, and hundreds of thousands of other ethnic and religious minorities, political dissenters, and homosexuals.

Here we are, nearly a century later, and what horrors do we confront? In September, the military forces of Azerbaijan, aided by Turkey, invaded the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, forcing some 100,000 Armenians to flee a place their ancestors called home for centuries. In Ukraine, Putin continues his bloody war of conquest, which has already cost hundreds of thousands of lives. And in the Middle East, Jews again face genocidal foes  not just Hamas but their allies in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, and elsewhere.

This time, however, Jews possess the military might to fight back. And they do not face their foes alone. Most Americans stand, rightly, with them.

Throughout history, Sen. Tillis wrote, we have seen the tragic consequences of what happens when antisemitism is allowed to metastasize. It can never happen again.
GUEST RESEARCH: Demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and the pressure to reduce energy consumption, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions loom large over the data centre industry in 2024, predicts digital infrastructure provider Vertiv.

The proliferation of AI, which Vertiv predicted two years ago, along with the infrastructure and sustainability challenges inherent in AI-capable computing can be felt across the industry and is forecast to be one of the data centre trends in 2024.

AI and its downstream impact on data centre densities and power demands have become the dominant storylines in our industry, said Vertiv CEO Giordano (Gio) Albertazzi.

Finding ways to help customers both support the demand for AI and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is a significant challenge requiring new collaborations between data centres, chip and server manufacturers, and infrastructure providers.

These are the trends Vertivs experts expect to dominate the data centre ecosystem in 2024:

AI sets the terms for new builds and retrofits: Surging demand for artificial intelligence across applications is pressuring organisations to make significant changes to their operations. Legacy facilities are ill-equipped to support widespread implementation of the high-density computing required for AI, with many lacking the required infrastructure for liquid cooling.

In the coming year, more and more organisations are going to realise half-measures are insufficient and opt instead for new construction  increasingly featuring prefabricated modular solutions that shorten deployment timelines  or large-scale retrofits that fundamentally alter their power and cooling infrastructure. Such significant changes present opportunities to implement more eco-friendly technologies and practices, including liquid cooling for AI servers, applied in concert with air cooled thermal management to support the entire data centre space.



Expanding the search for energy storage alternatives: New energy storage technologies and approaches have shown the ability to intelligently integrate with the grid and deliver on a pressing objective  reducing generator starts.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) support extended runtime demands by shifting the load as necessary and for longer durations and can integrate seamlessly with alternative energy sources, such as solar or fuel cells.

This minimises generator use and reduces their environmental impact. BESS installations will be more common in 2024, eventually evolving to fit bring your own power (BYOP) models and delivering the capacity, reliability and cost-effectiveness needed to support AI-driven demand.



Enterprises prioritise flexibility: While cloud and colocation providers aggressively pursue new deployments to meet demand, organisations with enterprise data centres are likely to diversify investments and deployment strategies.

AI is a factor here as organisations wrestle with how best to enable and apply the technology while still meeting sustainability objectives. Businesses may start to look to on-premises capacity to support proprietary AI, and edge application deployments may be impacted by AI tailwinds.

Many organisations can be expected to prioritise incremental investment  leaning heavily on prefabricated modular solutions  and service and maintenance to extend the life of legacy equipment. Such services can provide ancillary benefits, optimising operation to free up capacity in maxed-out computing environments and increasing energy efficiency in the process. Likewise, organisations can reduce Scope 3 carbon emissions by extending the life of existing servers rather than replacing and scrapping them.



The race to the cloud faces security hurdles: Gartner projects global spending on public cloud services to increase by 20.4% in 2024, and the mass migration to the cloud shows no signs of abating.

This puts pressure on cloud providers to increase capacity quickly to support demand for AI and high-performance compute, and they will continue to turn to colocation partners around the world to enable that expansion.

For cloud customers moving more and more data offsite, security is paramount, and according to Gartner, 80% of CIOs plan to increase spending on cyber/information security in 2024. Disparate national and regional data security regulations may create complex security challenges as efforts to standardise continue.

Across Asia, were seeing organisations ramp up their investments, realigning their strategies towards harnessing and integrating AI technology, Vertiv Asia vice president and general manager Paul Churchill.

In fact, according to IDC, by 2026, tech providers will allocate significant investments towards AI/automation. With this, Vertiv is focused on helping our customers manage the challenges of AI integration, supporting them with our breadth of solutions from modular solutions to predictive maintenance services, recognising the value AI brings towards achieving more efficient and sustainable IT systems.

AI is dominating board level discussions across Australia and New Zealand, and it's often coming up as a means to generate new revenue streams, said Vertiv director ANZ LuLu Shiraz.

But to achieve the promised outcome and return on investment (ROI) of AI, organisations need to map out what goes into running this increasingly dense technology, both economically and sustainably. Were now collectively embarking on a power and cooling modernisation project. Greenfields will be dedicated to the cause, but we are also seeing existing facilities being re-designed to accommodate for the expected increase in demand.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 24 November 2023.
Ahead of an Australian-first trackless tram trial in Perth on Sunday, Monash University called for State and Federal funding to deliver the Caulfield-Rowville TRT for Victoria.

The $1.45 billion Caulfield-Rowville Trackless Rapid Transit (TRT) proposal sets out a path to see these vehicles up and running in just three years, and Monash University and Vicinity Centres presented the proposal in 2021 which shows trackless trams are cheaper, more flexible, and faster to construct than heavy rail.

Monash notes that the Victorian Government and the Commonwealth Government have expressed their support, but nothing has been done

The Eastern Transport Coalition, consisting of Melbournes seven eastern metropolitan councils, is inviting the community to add their voice to the campaign via the ETC website at trt.etc.org.au/

Monash says Victorias southeastern corridor is a rapidly growing supercity and arguably one of the most important economic corridors in Australia, however:

Traffic congestion is getting worse

East-west bus connections are getting slower

The first stage of the Suburban Rail Loop wont be completed until 2032 at the earliest

Rowville is still waiting for a long-promised mass public transport option

The proposal shows that trackless trams connecting Caulfield to Rowville can be delivered at a cost of approximately $1.4 billion, and be operational by 2025. The cost of a comparable light rail solution - $2.9 billion and an additional two years to complete, Monash says.

Together, the SRL and TRT answer the unmet need for public transport along the Caulfield-Rowville corridor, which community groups have been calling on for decades.

The proposal highlights planning challenges in Melbournes south-east that could be addressed using TRT:

The proposal shows a range of strategic challenges are preventing Plan Melbourne goals from being realised - without intervention, the daily cost of travel congestion is projected to rise from $172,000 per day in 2016 to $311,000 per day by 2031.

Victoria's largest hub for employment and innovation in Victoria, the Monash National Employment and Innovation Cluster (NEIC) is the only NEIC for which public transport access is forecast to decrease - by 2036, just 11.5% of the labour market will have public transport access to the NEIC and the Clayton industrial and employment zone - a 16% decrease on current levels.

The Monash NEIC supports approximately 75,000 jobs and contributes $9.4 billion to the Victorian economy each year.

Monash notes that TRT is proposed as a cost-effective solution -with thirteen new stations proposed, including at Carnegie, Oakleigh, Mount Waverley, Clayton, Mulgrave, and Wheelers Hill, as well as at Chadstone and Monash University:

Economic value: It is estimated the project will create $5.7 billion in economic value through supporting the further development of activity centres along the route.

Jobs: By connecting major economic hubs, TRT will drive transformational growth in Melbournes south-east. By 2040, TRT and associated development on the route is expected to create an additional 33,700 jobs in the south-east.

Workforce mobility: TRT will provide a new commuting option for the 12,900 workers in the Holmesglen-Chadstone precinct, and provide a new connection to the Monash Technology Precinct which supports 95,000 jobs.

Ease traffic congestion: taking around 600,000 car trips off the roads every day. TRT vehicles could move up to 1,800 passengers per hour in each direction.

"The technology will deliver a much-needed east-west solution in the short-term, while paving the way to a truly integrated transport network, interchangeable with the suburban rail loop. Forging ahead simultaneously with both projects (SRL & TRT) is vital," notes, Professor Doron Ben-Meir, Deputy Vice Chancellor Enterprise and Engagement, Monash University.
Artists perform at the Canton Rhythms for Silk Road concert at the Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) in Selangor state, Malaysia, Nov. 24, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

"I have been shocked since the first song," Chinese Malaysian student Yi Xiner said at the Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM), where the Canton Rhythms for Silk Road concert was held on Friday evening.



Chen Jianwen, head of south China's Guangdong provincial publicity department, and Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, president of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, were among the audience at the traditional Cantonese concert, which is typical of the charm of Lingnan culture.

Chen hoped the event will promote in-depth cultural exchanges between China and Malaysia, and further enhance friendship between the two peoples through music.

The concert, consisting of renowned compositions such as A Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix, Rain Hitting Banana Trees, and Step by Step High, as well as the traditional Malaysian folk music Rasa Sayang with traditional Chinese musical instruments, drew loud applause from the audience.

Yi, an XMUM student, loves traditional Chinese culture since she was a child and has played Guzheng, a zither-like Chinese string instrument, for about 11 years. "This is the first time I enjoy Gaohu's live performance. It is so wonderful. The imitating bird sounds are so real that they harmonize with the sound of flute," she said.

Majid was a former Malaysian ambassador to China. He was surprised to hear Rasa Sayang played by traditional Chinese musical instruments. "I expect more Chinese art troupes to come to Malaysia, not only helpful for Malaysians to understand Chinese culture, but also for Chinese artists to understand Malaysian culture."

Outside the concert hall, an exhibition of Guangdong's intangible cultural heritage items, such as Guangdong paper-cutting, Foshan woodblock prints, Dawu clay sculpture, Fengxi handmade red clay teapot, Chaozhou tea art, and Shaoguan Yao ethnic embroidery, attracted a lot of local people.

These activities are part of programs held in Kuala Lumpur, the last leg of the 2023 Charming China - Cultural Exhibition from Guangdong hosted by the information office of the Guangdong provincial government and the Guangdong provincial department of culture and tourism.

Prior to this, the exhibition from Guangdong was staged in Italy and Egypt to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and European, African countries, and to showcase the heritage of Chinese culture and the charm of Lingnan culture to the world.
A Lincoln judge has found probable cause to send the criminal case against the former director of History Nebraska on to district court over a defense argument that no crime had been committed.

The Nebraska Attorney General's Office has accused Trevor Jones, who resigned as CEO and executive director of the agency in July 2022 after six years in the role, of felony theft by deception for his alleged mishandling of more than $270,000 in funds in 2020.

But, unlike typical theft cases, no one is alleging Jones, who lives in Minnesota now, personally benefited. Instead, it involves a transfer of discretionary funds from the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation that ended up going into History Nebraska's Foundation account.

Deputy State Auditor Craig Kubicek said in early 2022 a concern had been raised by History Nebraska with the agency's hotline to report fraud, waste or abuse of state funds.

History Nebraska, a state agency, had requested funds from the Historical Society Foundation to offset anticipated loss of revenue due to COVID-19. In return, the foundation cut a check to History Nebraska for $269,926.25 in June 2020 and a second check for $325.09 a month later.

It's where Jones deposited the checks that is at issue.

Kubicek said the funds never made it into the State Treasury or an account for History Nebraska, which he says was required. Instead Jones deposited them into the History Nebraska Foundation bank account.

The History Nebraska Foundation is a private organization created in 2020 to rival the State Historical Society Foundation, which had served as the agency's primary fundraiser for decades.

Jones opened the History Nebraska Foundation's bank account in December 2019.

"So the crux of this whole thing, as I understand it to be, is because these checks were deposited into History Nebraska Foundation instead of History Nebraska's account that's the problem. Is that right?" Jones' attorney, John Ball, asked Kubicek at a preliminary hearing in October.

Kubicek said, "Yeah."

"Is that a crime?" Ball asked him.

Kubicek said he wasn't there to say whether a crime was committed; he presents the facts and cited some statutory concerns.

"In my view, if there's a request for a state agency that lost money from COVID, as the request states, then those funds should be deposited with the state of Nebraska," he said.

Jones' attorney pressed back.

"I'm just trying to understand, who is the victim here? Where is the loss?" he said.

Ball argued donor money had gone from one foundation to another, not state money.

Kubicek said the state of Nebraska was the victim because the request for discretionary funds had been made by the state agency to replenish state funds.

"Is there an allegation that these monies were misappropriated in any way, shape or form? Were they taken or stolen or obtained?" Ball asked him.

Kubicek said that wasn't for him to decide, but he acknowledged that Jones only had gotten about $130 of the funds, in the form of reimbursements for expenses for the foundation.

More to the point, it came down to what the money wasn't used for, according to Assistant Attorney General Corey O'Brien.

"Your audit found that the expenditures from the History Nebraska Foundation not a single penny was used for COVID shortfall, correct?" he asked Kubicek.

"Yes," Kubicek answered.

The money instead went to support fundraising-type activity, he said.

On Nov. 17, Lancaster County Judge Timothy Phillips announced his decision finding sufficient evidence to show a crime had been committed and that Jones had committed it.

Ball said he will file a challenge to the charge in district court.

Favorite photos from our readers Stadium after rain Arena lightning Warm winter day Morning after election in Diller Sterling Jets Fireworks and a full moon Hackberry Swallowtail taken in Lincoln backyard Pioneers Park Mueller Tower Fall leaves After the snow at Holmes Lake Park Architecture Hall at UNL Wall cloud looking west from Holmes Lake Capitol sunset Sunrise in Cherry County Roll cloud Crossing the road Sunset near Curtis Drone photo downtown Lincoln Double rainbow Sculpture Zoo sign Fall winter Sunset Trees reflected at Holmes Lake Wagon Train Fall day Fall in Lincoln Farming Storm mid-August 2016 Farmers market Sunset Lightning Spring game Storm Hayes Center ice storm Sledding Holmes Lake Sunrise Nature Bubbles Sunset Guardsman Red moon Sunrise Haymarket Haymarket trip Capitol Lincoln sunset Heritage Lake Pioneers Park Haymarket bench Big head in Union Plaza Flowers Snow shark Snowman Snowman Snow photo Lincoln sky Beautiful skies Pioneers Park
Glenda Bourek lived a simple, but generous life  most of which she spent on her family farm in northeast Nebraska.

The farm north of Clarkson was everything to her and her small family consisting of a brother and father. It was their livelihood, their home.

It was the only place they had ever known.

Life without it was unimaginable, which is why when faced with a decision to amputate her leg or suffer a long road to recovery, Bourek chose to fight.

To not only fight for her leg, but to fight for a life she wasnt willing to give up, too.

The burns on her leg were bad  really bad.

She and her father had been driving a loaded livestock truck in 1999 when the brakes went out. Somehow, Bourek, then 46 years old, became pinned against the smoldering hot engine and her lower leg was caught.

She went to the local hospital, where she was told amputation was likely. Without one of her legs, it would be extremely difficult for her to continue to help run the family farm.

So, she was transferred to Lincolns CHI Health St. Elizabeth Burn and Wound Unit  a place that quickly felt like an extension of home.

The doctors, nurses and staff were intentional, kind and genuine  which Bourek had experienced little of her whole life, her cousin, Karen Mangels said.

Not everybody treated her kindly because of where she lived and maybe the way they lived on the farm. It was pretty old-fashioned, Mangels said.

But, at the burn center, that was far from the case.

She was always treated with care and compassion there, Mangels said. She never once doubted that those people cared for her, despite who she was  a poor farmer from northeast Nebraska.

The positive impact of the people Bourek encountered during her recovery continued to stand out to her more than 20 years later. That led her to donate the remainder of her estate to the burn center, a place that harbored many good memories at what wouldve otherwise been a terrible time in her life.

It's something she never forgot, Mangels said.

Bourek was unmarried and had no children. Her father had died years earlier, as did her brother, who also never married.

The burn unit was where she wanted the money to go. It was a decision she made years ago, one that was well thought out and intentional, said Mangels, who was Boureks power of attorney.

Bourek died in April at the age of 69, leaving behind $705,000 intended for the burn center.

It was her final gift, one last act of kindness.

***

Lincolns certified burn center is a huge source of pride for CHI Health St. Elizabeth.

Its the only one in Nebraska and it is used by people from around the region who travel to the center from other states for in- and out-patient care after experiencing severe burns.

Its a gem, something the hospital is known for, co-director Dr. David Voigt said.

And now, the center is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

It started out small  with no operation room and only 10 beds  and it now has an in-unit operating room, 16 beds and a therapy rehabilitation room for patients who cant afford to stay at an out-patient rehab facility.

Weve almost doubled in size, Voigt said. We've grown, but we also learned along the way. It's nice having something that is really well established within our community.

However, Voigt expects growth and renovations at the center to halt, at least for some time. Because burn injuries can be fairly seasonal in the region  the summer months are busier than any other time of the year  the center doesnt have much of a need to be bigger right now.

Rather, Voigt wants to focus on expanding the services he and his colleagues provide to patients, like more specialized therapies.

We are always looking at new innovations, new ways to do things better for our patients, he said. I think we're still trying to grow in providing the services that are more people-related to our burn patients.

***

A lasting impact  thats what those at the center hope to have on their patients.

By taking the extra time to show patients they care and treating each with kindness, Donna Hammack, chief development officer, believes they can create lifelong relationships with patients.

Hammack often handles incoming donations from past patients, which is, in a way, proof that the work they do at the burn center can leave a lasting impression on those who receive care there.

But it goes beyond just money, she said.

It's not about dollars and cents. It's about what happens with those dollars, Hammack said. It's about seeing lives be able to be changed, and that is truly the most gratifying thing about this kind of work.

In fact, seeing the impact treatment can have on patients is why Hammack loves the work she does at the burn center.

This is above simple medical care, Hammack said. This is caring about the person, caring what happens to the person, and I think that Glenda exemplifies this very much.

***

Following the accident, Boureks leg was scarred for the remainder of her life, but that was better than the alternative.

She had a leg she could walk on and was back doing what she loved the most  working outside with animals at the place she had always called home.

In 2014, Bourek left the farm once and for all and move into an assisted-living facility in Stanton, where she lived the rest of her life.

It seems fitting that years later the money she earned from selling the farm would go back to the place that once allowed her to return to it.

Boureks donation to the burn unit came at the perfect time, too. The centers fractional laser has been in desperate need of replacing, which is exactly what the funds from Bourek will do.

Gods timing, Mangels called it.

Boureks donation will also be used to purchase a new type of laser that can be used to correct damage to skin pigmentation.

Mangels has known this is exactly what her cousin would do with her money for years, and after learning what Boureks donation will be used for, it has all come full circle.

I am so thankful and thrilled, Mangels said. It just gave complete closure and my heart goes, Yay Glenda! You've made a difference in your life for many people.

Mangels, who helped Bourek throughout her recovery, will return to the burn unit next September for a ceremony celebrating donors in honor of Bourek.

Others won't know who it was, and it doesn't make any difference, Mangels said. She was never about wanting to get acknowledgement for what she did.

Thanks for Giving: Lincoln residents in need of a helping hand this holiday season Lincoln Housing Authority Contact Courtney at 402-434-5529 or email Courtney@l-housing.com Sasha is a single mother of three girls and two boys, ages 3 through 14. Having completed schooling, she has worked hard to pay off student debt in hopes of becoming financially stable, but funds have been tight. She works full time. She says that even though its not always easy, she wouldnt trade being a mother for the world. She would appreciate receiving socks, hats, gloves, and/or toiletries. Jessica, whose daughter will soon be turning 2, is working full time, going to school and pursuing her CNA. She would appreciate winter coats for herself, large or XL, and her daughter, size 2T-3T; a winter hat and boots for her daughter, size 6 in toddler, and some groceries during the holiday season. Kathy, a single mother of five children, ages 4-12, earned her GED and is working on an associates degree. She also picked up a job to help provide for her children during the holidays. Kathy is disabled, so things that may not seem difficult to most, can be extremely difficult for her. Kathy needs clothing for her children, a winter coat for herself, food for the holidays and possibly some toys. Fresh Start Contact Meg at Fresh Start at 402-475-7777 or megd@freshstarthome.org Amy came to Fresh Start after leaving a domestic violence situation. She is rebuilding her life and recently started a full-time job. She would like gas cards to help her get to work. Amy loves cooking and would like a new set of pans and baking sheets for when she moves out of Fresh Start. Sally resided at Fresh Start earlier this year. She successfully completed the program, moved into her own apartment, and is participating in community support services. She just welcomed her first child and is adjusting well to parenthood. She would like diapers, a new set of dishes, and Walmart cards to buy additional items for her family. Patricia just graduated parole and is maintaining her sobriety. She is working full time and pursuing her GED. She would like grocery gift cards, a new bath towel set and new queen-size bedding for when she moves into her own apartment. Linda recently moved out of Fresh Start and into her own apartment. She celebrated one year of sobriety in October. She is furnishing her new apartment and would like new pots and pans, a new set of glasses, and new silverware or cooking utensils. Fresh Start, a transitional shelter for women who are experiencing homelessness, helps residents become self-sufficient by developing a goal plan that includes securing income, finding safe housing, and addressing health needs. They always need toilet paper, grocery and gas cards, cleaning supplies, feminine hygiene products and laundry detergent. Voices of Hope Contact Yaquelin Cisneros at yaquelin@voicesofhopelincoln.org Laura, 32, and her four young children relocated to Lincoln after fleeing from sexual abuse. Laura does not have a support system in Lincoln. She spent her savings on relocating and is worried about providing Christmas gifts for her children. She needs store gift cards to buy gifts for her children along with gas gift cards to help stretch her paychecks as much as possible. Sandra, 27, was sexually assaulted by her landlord, forcing her to break her lease, seek a protection order, and try to heal from the trauma. Having had to search for a new place to live, she has spent her savings on a deposit and the first months rent. Sandra seeks help with household necessities such as laundry detergent, toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, dish soap, and cleaning products. Scarlet, 36, and her 4-year-old twins (a boy and a girl) recently left the home they shared with their Scarlet's ex-partner and abuser. Scarlets abuser ruined many of Scarlets and the twins belongings by pouring bleach on them before they left. Scarlet seeks support to replace items that have been ruined. The items requested include gift cards to buy bedding for her and the twins, winter clothing, and household items. Victoria, 25, left her abusive husband and applied for a protection order that was served. Victorias abuser continually violates the protection order and has been stalking her and leaving threatening objects on her porch. Victoria notifies the police, but he disappears before they arrive. Victoria needs security cameras for her home to capture the violations of the protection orders. Cedars Contact Mandy Suing at 402-437-8815 or asuing@cedarskids.org. Logan, 20, is experiencing homelessness and has had to couch-surf at friends houses just to have a safe place to spend the night. He had a difficult childhood, but he did maintain a small group of close friends who have supported him. Logan is also a father to a young daughter, but due to his homelessness, he does not get to spend as much time with her as he would like. Cedars has helped Logan find a safe place that will allow for his daughter to come stay with him at times. He would be grateful for cooking utensils, dishes, athletic clothing (adult size L or XL), and gift cards to Walmart and Best Buy. Monica and Julio recently immigrated to Nebraska from their home country with their two children, ages 2 years and 4 months. They are grateful to live in the U.S., but still face challenges while they adjust. Cedars has helped the family receive access to parenting resources, quality child care, and the essentials for their new home. The family would be grateful for any additional help around the holidays. They need a vacuum, pots and pans, queen-size bedding/comforter set and baby wipes. Alicia and Morgan are providing supportive care in their home for two teenage girls who needed a safe and stable living environment. They also have three teenagers of their own. The teenage girls have been through experiences that would be difficult to navigate without supportive foster parents like Alicia and Morgan. CEDARS has connected them to community resources and provided them with basic necessities. This family would benefit from an air fryer, kitchen dish set (plates and bowls), and gift cards to grocery stores and coffee chains. Astrid has five children (ages 13, 10, 7, 5, and 2 months). She does not have any family in town and lacks a local support system. One of Astrids children has a developmental disability which requires additional care. Her three middle children are enrolled in a CEDARS Community Learning Center. CEDARS has continued to help the family by providing before- and after-school care, behavioral support, and clothing. This family would appreciate a vacuum, bakeware set, diapers (any size), art supplies, and school-age board games. The Bridge Behavioral Health Contact Stacie at 402-477-3951 extension 106 or development@thebridgenebraska.org Andrew, 35, is a resilient soul battling addiction with unwavering determination. His path has been marked by struggles, but his strength in seeking recovery is truly inspiring. As he rebuilds his life, having access to clean, comfortable clothes can boost his self-esteem and help him take one more step toward his recovery. Andrew is a size XL and can use a new wardrobe including a winter coat, shirts, hoodie, pants, socks and underwear. Jennifer, 30, is seeking help for her prescription pill addiction. In her quest to build an addiction-free life, Jennifer has found solace and self-expression through art. She would love art supplies and adult coloring books to help fill the gaps between educational groups and therapy sessions. HopeSpoke Contact Suzy Thompson at 402-475-7666 or sthompson@hopespoke.org Alex, 5, sees a HopeSpoke mental health therapist at his elementary school. Mom works to care for Alex and his three older sisters, but the family cant afford many basic needs; at school, Alex often reports that he didnt have dinner the night before. Clothes (size 4T-5T, shoes size 12) and toys would brighten Alexs holidays. He likes dinosaurs, Spiderman, cars, and books. The family also could use gift cards to Walmart for food, clothes, and to buy holiday gifts for his siblings. Contact HopeSpoke for specific needs for Alexs mom and sisters. Brothers Tom, 13, and Joe, 12, both receive mental health therapy through HopeSpoke to deal with grief. Their mom died unexpectedly during COVID; Dad has remarried and there are five children in their blended household. Money is tight and food goes fast. The boys would love model paint sets, Minecraft and other Lego sets, and a family pass to Morrill Hall. Both boys wear mens size XL and could use T-shirts, pants, sweatpants and hoodies. Their family also could use gift cards to grocery and discount stores. Other family members have needs as well; contact HopeSpoke for details. Silas has graduated ahead of schedule from HopeSpokes therapeutic group home and will be living on his own for the first time. He turns 18 in December, has a job, and wants to go to college, saying that for the first time he feels hopeful about his future. Silas grew up in a chaotic home environment and has no family support, so anything to help him set up his new apartment would be appreciated, particularly gift cards for groceries and discount stores. Belmont Community Center Contact Karen French at 402-477-8854 or at karen.french@belmontcommunitycenter.org The Dredge family has spent a third of this year in and out of hospitals supporting their 4-year-old son who has a rare spinal condition. This family of five is in constant motion with two working parents, their 6- and 4-year-old sons, and a daughter, nearly 2. They spend a lot of time traveling to and from health care appointments for their son. Gift cards to Target, Walmart, grocery stores, or gas stations would help meet their needs and prepare for the holidays. Gift cards to restaurants or family-fun activities are also welcome as a way for them to spend quality family time. Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach Contact Leanne Pelser at Leanne.Pelser@MTKO.org or 402-817-0163 Mary became a regular dining room guest after falling on hard times. She and her 10-year-old daughter recently moved into a new home. Money is short for the holidays. Marys daughter doesnt want to ask for anything for Christmas so as to not burden her mom, but she could use black or navy-blue leggings for school (size 14) and a pair of crocs (womens size 6). An art lover, Marys daughter could use a three-tiered rolling cart to hold art supplies. Marys daughter loves the Makit Takit Craft Studio. A gift certificate there would provide great quality time for both mother and daughter. Marys daughter also likes to play with makeup and have a spa day with her mom at home. Mary would be grateful for any gifts for her daughter for the holidays to make their first Christmas in their new home a merry one. Kennedy and her 4-year-old son have been experiencing homelessness for almost a year. They recently moved into a new apartment. Kennedy would like to be able to decorate the house for her son for Christmas. The family needs a Christmas tree, lights and ornaments, a couple of candles, and a welcome sign for the front door of her new home. All white, all red, and all green strings of lights are preferred. Kennedys son loves all things Paw Patrol and superheroes. He needs winter clothes size 4/5 and a toddler bed and bedding. John is a devoted single father facing a challenging holiday season. He is the sole caregiver of his 13-year-old daughter, Emily. John's days are a juggling act between his full-time job and ensuring Emily's well-being. His work is not glamorous, but he takes pride in it as it puts food on the table and a roof over their heads. John often has to work long hours to make ends meet, which leaves little time for leisure, let alone holiday preparations. John is determined to make Emily's Christmas unforgettable. He searches for community programs and charities that can help with gifts, hoping to fulfill Emily's dreams. John also sacrifices his own needs and indulgences to set aside a small budget for the holiday season. He would love gift cards to make his daughters holiday wishes come true. Emily would love any Hello Kitty items, pajama pants (size M), body sprays and perfumes, and hoodies (size M). Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department Lila, 31, is a single mother of four children  two boys, ages 2 and 11; and two girls, ages 8 and 6. She recently left her husband because of an abusive relationship. She is trying to find a new place to live and will need household essentials such as bedding/ linens, kitchen supplies, and towels. The family could use gift cards to help with this process. Please call or text Amity at LLCHD, 402-310-9145. Ariel and her 2-year-old son, Adrian, live in a shelter. For now, Ariel cant work and does not qualify for benefits. She uses the bus to go to free-food locations, but she would love to have fresh food to cook for Adrian. After a traumatic event, Ariel, who receives special education services, developed high anxiety. The family could use fresh food or Walmart gift cards. Adrian needs winter clothes and Ariel would love a vacuum, walker toy for Adrian, sensory toys, bed blankets, a pressure cooker, exercise items, and word-search books for adults. Sizes: Adrian winter clothes and snug-fit footed pajamas size 2T, shoes 6. Ariel S-M hoodie, M T-shirt/jogger pants, warm/snow boots size 7. Contact Dinorah at 402-432-0094 or dgarcia@lincoln.ne.gov. Stephanie has a son Dany, almost 3, and 8-month-old twins, Lucas and Noah. Only the twins qualify for benefits. The family could use fresh food or grocery store gift cards, blankets for mom and children, sippy cups, cookware set items, personal self-care items for mom and toys for the kids. Sizes: Winter clothes for Lucas and Noah, size 12 months, and size 3 shoes. Dany, 3T and size 7 shoes. Stephanie, M-L hoodies, L leggings and T-shirts, and size 6 shoes. Contact Dinorah Garcia at 402-432-0094 or dgarcia@lincoln.ne.gov. Sandy is 8 months pregnant and recently arrived in Lincoln, currently living with her older sister. Sandys due date is mid-December, and she is worried about having everything that her baby boy will need. Sandy could use a car seat, a crib or bassinet, a swing or bouncy seat, baby clothes, a diaper bag, and diapers. Sandy needs size-medium winter clothes, a coat, blankets and self-care products. She wears a size 7 shoe. Contact Dinorah at 402-432-0094 or dgarcia@lincoln.ne.gov. The HUB Central Access Point for Young Adults Contact Rose Hood-Buss at 402-471-8526 and rose@hublincoln.org or Lindsey Drake at ldrake@hublincoln.org Becky, 18, is a high school senior who is graduating a semester early and will be attending Southeast Community College in the spring. She has been supporting herself by working while also attending high school. She does not have family in the state and comes from a non-traditional support system. She lives with her sister, but will be required to move before the holidays. She would like some things to make her new place a home, clothing items and some hygiene products. Lotion, socks (small or medium) sweatpants (medium or large; preferably gray, black, or neutral colors), feminine hygiene products, a blanket, and school supplies (notebooks, colored highlighters, pens). Georgia, 21, is mom to a 5-year-old boy. Georgia has completed training to obtain her CNA, so she can find employment and housing, as they are currently homeless. She plans to return to school. She loves to write and wants to be a published author of books that can help and inspire people who are struggling. Georgia and her son would like gift cards to Target or Walmart to help with food and clothes, as well as books. Augustine, 18, has been navigating the GED path and is close to finishing. He has set goals to obtain his GED and go to trade school. He is moving into his own place and could use household items, cleaning supplies, a vacuum cleaner, laundry baskets and gift cards. Gabby, 19, is a high school senior who will graduate this year. She is also a mom to two little boys (ages 3 & 1) and works as much as she can. She juggles most of this on her own, with little support from her mom and little transportation She is moving into a place of her own and needs household items. The boys could use winter clothes, coats, hats, and gloves (3T & 18M). Gabby could also use winter clothes, a coat (size small), and Uber gift cards. Keeley, 17, recently moved to Lincoln and is a mom to 3-year-old twin boys. She is going to high school and working two jobs. She is staying with an aunt until she graduates. She plans to pursue a cosmetologist license along with a business degree, as she loves to do hair. She and the boys could benefit from winter clothes (4T & medium in womens). She would like gift cards to Mid K Hair and Wigs and the boys would like Paw Patrol toys and books. Aging Partners Mattie, 70, has breast cancer and several other chronic diseases. Living on a fixed income in west Lincoln, she must travel to medical appointments and to pick up prescriptions, driving an old car that has avoided major repairs. The air-conditioner broke this spring, so she drove all summer without it. She received some Caseys gas cards from the American Cancer Society. Now that the seasons are changing, Mattie seeks donations to have her car heater/air conditioner fixed so she will be able to stay warm in the colder weather. Contact Velvet at 402-441-6109 or vhoskins@lincoln.ne.gov Catholic Social Services Contact Patty Lang at 402-327-6229 or plang@csshope.org or Mike Fitzgerald at 402-327-6203 or mfitzgerald@csshope.org Man, 36, a self-employed vending machine supplier, became severely ill this summer due to an autoimmune disorder. It caused antibodies to attack his kidneys, resulting in missed work and a loss of clients. He is still severely ill, but is attempting to work as much as he can. Doctors say it will be months before he might start to recover. His wife is disabled due to fibromyalgia. They have five children (ages 13, 9, 9, 8 and 3). Gift cards to Walmart and Target would help them prepare for the holidays, in addition to gift cards to restaurants or family-fun activities. Woman, 47, married with four children (ages 13,11,9 & 4), is employed, but has missed a lot of work due to a surgery that brought health issues and caused her to faint. Doctors will soon conduct more tests to see if she does not have more cysts or tumors. Her husband was working, but a stroke last year resulted in brain fogs, preventing him from working. Gift cards to Walmart, Target and any grocery stores are welcome, as are gift cards to restaurants or family-fun activities. Woman, 37, married with two children (ages 15 and 8) and her husband are self-employed in the cleaning business, but mechanical problems with their vehicle make it difficult to fulfill appointments with clients. Her husbands trip to the ER for lumbar issues resulted in hospital, doctor and radiology bills. They donate plasma to get extra income. Gift cards to Walmart, Target, and any grocery stores are welcome, as are gift cards to restaurants or family-fun activities. The Al Zamel family arrived as refugees from Jordan in October. Their home country is Syria, but they have spent the last 10 years as refugees in Jordan. Mohammad and his wife have two boys and two girls between the ages of 3 and 11. One of their daughters has a condition that makes it hard for her to swallow, which has led to malnutrition over her lifetime. Unable to get help for her condition in Jordan, Mohammad hopes she can get the surgery she needs here in Nebraska. They are excited to make a home in Lincoln, but have to start from scratch. They would be thankful for cash assistance, as well as gift cards to Walmart and Target to buy household items. Centerpointe Contact Bailey Wood at 402-475-8718 ext. 133 or bwood@centerpointe.org The CenterPointe street outreach team met Joe, 65, and Anna, 63, in September, after being dispatched by the Lincoln Police Department. They and their kitten, Grover, were living out of their RV after Joe had been discharged from the hospital for treatment of a mild heart attack. They were out of gas and food. CenterPointe was able to help meet these immediate needs, but they also need adult-sized coats, hats, gloves, handwarmers and socks. Nancy, 38, has been homeless for over a year. She was hospitalized three times due to substance use and mental health challenges. She also lost her job, her vehicle, and was contemplating suicide. Everything changed for Nancy after she was referred to CenterPointe, where she was able to get treatment for her substance use and mental health and qualified for housing. Nancy will soon move into housing but doesnt have the means to stock her apartment with cleaning supplies and basic hygiene items. She needs dish soap, laundry detergent, toilet and shower cleaner, shampoo, soap, and feminine hygiene products. Friendship Home Contact Whitney at 402-434-0167 or whitneyw@friendshiphome.org Brandy left her abusive husband last month after 34 years of living in fear. Brandy is working on rebuilding her life and finding her voice. Shed like gift cards to Walmart for personal items and over-the-counter medications. Bryan Foundation Oncology Caring Fund Contact Bryan Foundation at 402-481-8605 or BryanFoundation@BryanHealth.org Jennifer is a teacher who has dedicated her life to children and helping others. Earlier this year, a cancer diagnosis and treatment used all her sick and disability time. Recently, she was diagnosed with a secondary cancer and is receiving chemotherapy. She is currently not able to work and has no income. Gift cards for gas, groceries or help with bills would help get her through this tough time. Dara, a wife and mother of three children (one with special needs), has breast cancer and is unable to work. Walmart gift cards would help her purchase groceries and needed household items. Emily, a single mother of two teenagers, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Gift cards to Russs Market and Walmart would help her buy food for her family. She could also use Dicks Sporting Goods gift cards to purchase items for her teens. Margaret is a young mother with three young children who is battling cancer. Her husband is the sole provider and has taken substantial time off to care for her and the family during her long hospital stays. They would be grateful for anything to ease their financial burden, such as grocery gift cards or help with bills.
INDIANAPOLIS  Indianapolis high school senior Caston Peters had used they and them or he and him pronouns at school for three years without a problem, but they came home a few days into this school year and told their mother that the situation had changed.

Peters, 18 and nonbinary, heard from a teacher that a new state law meant they wouldnt be able to use those pronouns, or the first name they've used for years, without explicit permission from a parent because the pronouns and name don't correspond with their sex assigned at birth.

This was news to Castons mother, Kim Michaelis-Peters, who immediately sent teachers, a counselor and the principal an email asking them to comply with Castons wishes, and the school staff did. But even though her own child's wishes are being respected, Michaelis-Peters said she has deep concerns about what Indianas law could mean for students whose parents might not be understanding if they learn from school officials that their child is transgender or nonbinary.

It makes me feel like theres going to be a child out there whos not going to feel safe at home to tell their parents and the schools going to rat them out for wanting to be called a different name or different pronouns, she said.

Indiana is among at least 10 states that have enacted laws prohibiting or restricting students from using pronouns or names that don't match their sex assigned at birth, a restriction that opponents say further marginalizes transgender and nonbinary students. Most of the laws were enacted this year and are part of a historic wave of new restrictions on transgender youth approved by Republican states.

The measures are creating fear for transgender students and sowing confusion for teachers on how to comply but still offer a welcoming environment for everyone in their classes.

The things that are passing are so vague and so hard to understand that (teachers) don't know what to do, said Cheryl Greene, senior director of the Welcoming Schools Program for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights. It just creates this ambiguity and fear with educators because it's not clear.

Supporters of the laws have argued that parents should have a say if children are using pronouns or names different than those assigned at birth. Republican lawmakers describe it as a parental rights issue alongside efforts to restrict how gender identity is addressed in the classroom or in library materials.

School districts cant shut a parent out of their childs decision about their gender identity because the child objects or because the school believes the parent isnt supportive enough of an immediate gender transition, according to a brief signed by nearly two dozen Republican attorneys general and filed in a lawsuit stemming from a California school district's policy.

Mental health experts and advocates say that requiring parental consent or notification of pronouns forcibly outs trans students, who already face a high risk of bullying and abuse.

Similar restrictions have sparked some opposition in Virginia, where Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin unveiled new model policies over the summer that include a requirement that minors be referred to by the names and pronouns in their official records unless a parent approves something else. Some school boards have begun to adopt policies consistent with Youngkin's guidelines while others have balked.

Some teachers in other states are finding ways around the requirements or defying the restrictions, saying they don't want to put their students at risk. Since the laws are being enacted in states where teachers have little job protection, few are willing to talk on the record.

Jillian Spain, who teaches social studies at a middle school in Yanceyville, North Carolina, said she's continued to address her students by the names and pronouns they use. Spain said outing a child, which is what the law would do to transgender and nonbinary students, is not in the job description.

Spain said the fear of being outed just adds to the pressures students already face, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic that devastated their well-being and academics.

I am absolutely never, ever, ever going to out a child, Spain said. School is supposed to be their safe place. It's supposed to a place where they can be who they truly are."

Teachers groups say educators have been given little to no guidance on how to comply with the new restrictions, including basic steps like how to get permission from parents of students who use pronouns or names not listed on their birth certificates.

Indiana, like other states, leaves the specifics up to school districts.

The state's teachers union says Indiana's new parental notification law, which also bars teachers from providing instruction on human sexuality to students from pre-K through the third grade, is aimed at a problem that doesnt exist.

We have heard concerns anecdotally about the potential impact of this law, Indiana State Teachers Association President Keith Gambill said in a statement. Teachers are worried that it will create confusion and additional administrative burdens in an already demanding educational environment.

Kentuckys new law says teachers and school staff cannot be compelled to use a students pronouns if they dont conform to the students biological sex.

The law, which includes other provisions dealing with student bathroom assignment and parental consent, has prompted confusion among educators, said Chris Hartman, director of the Fairness Campaign, the states highest-profile LGBTQ+ advocacy group. Hartman said it allows educators to ignore students' wishes about pronouns even if their parents have asked the district not to let it happen.

The mental health impact on trans kids being willfully misgendered by the adults in the room is disastrous, Hartman said. He said supportive adults are crucial to keeping transgender students from slipping into depression and considering suicide.

Two trans mechanics are changing gearsand stereotypesin the automotive industry Two trans mechanics are changing gearsand stereotypesin the automotive industry 'Enter: Good Judy Garage' 'I'm a driver. I just love it.' 'Attitudes across the industry are beginning to shift'
A 21-year-old man charged with sex crimes died while he was being held at the Sarpy County Jail, according to authorities.

Paul Doty was found unresponsive in his cell by a Sarpy County jail guard Saturday morning, a news release from the county said. The county said jail guards and members from the Papillion Fire Department attempted life-saving measures on Doty but were unsuccessful.

The Sarpy County Sheriffs Office, Douglas County Crime Lab and other agencies have responded to the scene to conduct an in-custody death investigation.

Doty had been held at the jail since July 18. He had been charged with disturbing the peace, enticement by electronic communication device, visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, and possession of child pornography.

The investigation into Dotys death is ongoing.
HENDERSON  For a regular supply of fresh bread in York County, Saltine in Henderson has quietly established itself as the go-to spot. Sourdough loaves, cookies, coffee cakes and other baked goods are in high demand.

While Saltine does not have a storefront operation quite yet  for now the bakery operates on a pick-up or wholesale basis  the owners are churning out about 100 loaves of bread a week from their commercial kitchen in the Hatchery building.

The head baker at Saltine, James Isom of Valentine, was formerly the head baker at a Whole Foods in Omaha before working at Archetype, a bakery and coffee shop in Omaha.

While at Archetype he met his wife, Aubrey, a Henderson native who had previously worked in San Francisco for a tech company as a private chef, creating farm-to-table meals with really cool produce, Aubrey said.

The Isoms eventually moved back to Henderson, where Aubrey had grown up. She now works full time as a recruiter for a technology company, while also raising her son, Henry, and helping run Saltine.

The Hatchery is a family operation. The building is owned by John Ruybalid and his wife Leslie, Aubreys mother. Ruybalid bought the former chicken hatchery in 2021. Leslie designed the interior.

The Hatchery is a mixed-use space, and in addition to Saltines large kitchen, it also has a co-working space, a community event space and a conference room available for rent. It also soon will have a dry goods store stocked with farm-to-table sandwiches and salads, and other local items such as pottery and T-shirts.

The Isoms operate Saltine as a wholesale bakery and caterer because it allows for more predictability in sales and prevents the waste that often goes with grab-and-go service.

However, they are working toward offering grab-and-go items and coffee a few days a week starting next year.

James Isom also has experimented with baking using Kernza, a perennial grain grown in Henderson by Marc Peters on Peters family farm. As a perennial grain, Kernza does not have to be replanted every year, and is considered more environmentally sustainable, according to Brandon Schlautman, who works with Peters on the farm and is a plant scientist at The Land Institute, which developed Kernza.

Isom said that they have made a Kernza pancake mix and are looking to incorporate the grain in other ways.

Simple ways to stop sugar cravings, and more videos to improve your life Here are a few ways to resist sugar cravings, how to grow a more sustainable garden, and more videos to improve your life.
In the days since Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen ordered thousands of state employees to return to the office full time in January, more than two dozen have raised concerns over the impact the surprise executive order will have on them  and the state's government.

The Nov. 13 order requires employees of Nebraska's executive branch to "perform their work in the office, facility or field location assigned" from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday, providing few exceptions for the more than 2,855 state employees who had been working in hybrid or remote settings.

Nebraskans are back to work, and they expect that our agencies are fully staffed and open for business Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pillen said in a news release announcing the move. As public servants, we have a duty to meet that expectation and deliver maximum value to the taxpayers.

Pillen cast the move as an end to pandemic-era remote and hybrid work, though many state departments had work-from-home policies and procedures in place before the pandemic, including some that date as far back as the mid-2000s.

In emails to state Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha  who last week asked state employees to share internal memos and concerns with her before providing anonymized responses to reporters  more than two dozen workers lodged anxieties over what the mandate will mean for their finances, mental health, family life and the state's ability to recruit and retain help.

Many of the employees raised concerns over the costs of commuting and parking  particularly in downtown Lincoln  that will accompany the return-to-office order.

Numerous workers said the mandate has forced them, with little notice, to search for stopgap child care, transportation and after-school supervision for their children.

Some employees said they had been working 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. to mitigate the need for after-school care  flexibility that will be eliminated by Pillen's order. And some wondered if they would be forced to take paid time off if their child got sick and had to stay home from school.

Others said their children had been waitlisted for after-school programs and will be forced to leave their jobs come January. A 2020 study by University of Nebraska-Lincoln economists showed that Nebraska was already losing $745 million a year when parents leave the workforce or move elsewhere because of a lack of child care in the state.

Even workers who already have child care already in place will be forced to find someone else to provide transportation for their kids, according to the emails.

Tell senators what you want In the wake of last years legislative session, the Lincoln Journal Star hopes to hear from Nebraska residents about what they want senators to focus on in the upcoming 2024 legislative session. We want to know what issues matter most to you and why. And we want to know what you think of the Legislatures performance in recent years. Are the lawmakers you sent to Lincoln focusing on the issues you elected them to tackle? Weve got a few other questions we want to ask and wed love to have you participate. You can do that by going online to https://go.journalstar.com/xgrsurvey or emailing us at citydesk@journalstar.com and asking for a link to the questions.

Some employees, with and without children, told Hunt that they've already started to seek jobs in the private sector that will allow them to continue working from home, a trend that could exacerbate Nebraska's public workforce shortage.

The state had more than 2,500 unfilled jobs before Pillen's order and the government's recruiting website once touted "work-life balance with flexible work schedules" previously offered by state employment as a benefit.

Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams said at a forum last week that he had already heard from a Lincoln company that is excited about what Pillen's order could mean for the private sector, which has faced its own hiring challenges in Nebraska, where the unemployment rate is 2.2% and where there were more than 60,000 job openings this summer.

"They were kind of optimistic now because they have the possibility to grow their workforce," Dorn said. "Yes, in return  we now maybe reduced our state workforce. Don't know. We'll see how the numbers play out."

In remarks to reporters last week, Pillen cast the potential exodus of state employees as the cost of efficiency in government.

"Everybody's got to make decisions in their best interest, so if there are public servants whose best interest is for them to do something where they can work from home  I believe I was elected to be governor to make sure that we have tremendous return for what everybody does, and the best way that happens is when you're at work face to face," he said.

Asked if he had evidence that remote or hybrid work schedules had hampered the productivity of state employees, the governor said "face-to-face engagement is the most effective way" to ensure efficiency.

"That's what's worked well in my life and that's what  we're running state government like a business, and the best way to do that is face to face," said Pillen, a former hog farmer. "I don't believe in doing it from home."

The Nebraska Association of Public Employees has considered demanding an immediate bargaining period over the issue, though the state employee union hasn't yet decided how to formally respond to Pillen's order. The union's members are set to meet Monday night and will announce their next steps Tuesday, said Justin Hubly, the labor group's executive director.

In their emails to Hunt, who has been an outspoken critic of the governor, state employees broadly said they felt blindsided by Pillen's order and had learned about it when his office issued a news release Nov. 13 announcing the return-to-office mandate.

Some employees said they felt deceived, having been hired with the promise that they would not have to work in the office full time.

The Department of Labor, for instance, offered hybrid work setups specifically as an incentive to retain four unemployment insurance adjudicators, according to an email the department sent Pillen's chief of staff in response to an August survey that preceded and informed the executive order.

And some department heads  including at the Nebraska Department of Transportation, which employs more than 360 remote or hybrid workers, and the Department of Revenue, with 208 hybrid or remote employees  had not provided any further guidance or instructions to affected employees a full week after Pillen issued the mandate, workers told Hunt.

More than half of the state's remote or hybrid employees  54%  work for the Department of Health and Human Services, which has had a telecommuting policy in place since 2008, according to the agency's response to Pillen's office's survey.

Steve Corsi, who Pillen tabbed in August to serve as the CEO of HHS, told employees the department "will be gradually implementing the EO over the next month and a half," according to an internal memo obtained by the Journal Star.

"We are requesting that you begin considering and planning for your transition back to the office," Corsi said in the memo, later adding: "Your understanding and cooperation during this period are highly valued."

Pillen's order comes after some state agencies reduced their physical office space in recent years.

The Department of Natural Resources, which has 72 hybrid employees and has had a telework policy in place for more than 15 years, reduced its physical workspace by 30% when the agency moved from the State Office Building to its Fallbrook facility in 2022, Director Thomas Riley told Pillen's chief of staff in an email.

The Department of Administrative Services adopted its work-from-home policy in 2021 to make room for the Department of Insurance move into 1526 K St, saving the state about $500,000 per year, according to the agency's survey response.

That move was in line with the department's State Building Division Real Estate strategy, which was adopted in 2021 to support then-Gov. Pete Ricketts' mission of an "effective, efficient and customer-focused state government." The written plan warned that the state "is nearing capacity in all of its major office buildings."

Some state agencies will be forced to grapple with such capacity shortfalls as they try to implement Pillen's mandate, which allows for exceptions to the return-to-office order when an agency's building is at full occupancy.

Administrative Services has 70 employees working from home, none of whom have retained a workspace in the department's physical office. The department does have 30 workspaces for "hoteling" remote employees when they do find themselves in the office, leaving the department 40 desks short of ample workspace.

HHS, meanwhile, has 418 fully remote employees who don't have physical desks. The agency has 304 spaces used for hoteling, including 286 such spaces in Lincoln, but ultimately doesn't have enough physical office space for its entire workforce.

Photos: The business of governing in Nebraska in 2023
Samantha Camenzinds friends think shes found a trophy husband.

Boyfriend Cole Bures gave the Omaha dental hygienist first crack at a once-in-a-lifetime buck during firearm deer season earlier this month and then surprised Camenzind by asking her to marry him afterward. The 28-year-old said yes.

Everybody has been saying they would marry him, too, if he let them shoot this big of a deer, Camenzind said.

The couple has been dating for three years and bonded over their love of hunting, which Camenzind said is a tradition for both families.

She learned from her father, Dave, and brother, Perry, a few years before meeting Bures, who has been hunting since he was a youngster. They process and eat the meat of what they kill.

Bures, a 32-year-old who lives in Filley, said it was no hardship to let Camenzind take the first shot at the monster buck, which they had spotted on a trail camera south of Lincoln. It had nine tines on one side and 11 on the other.

I was just as excited as she was when she got it, he said.

After Camenzind killed the deer, Bures told her they needed to get some professional photos taken to commemorate the big moment. Midway through the pictures, Bures got down on one knee and popped the question. Hed gotten the idea from a friends similar proposal in Alaska.

He was thrilled about how it all came together. Friends couldnt believe it when they saw the photos.

I dont know if they were more shocked we got engaged or the size of the deer, Camenzind said.

Although some might not think a deer hunt is that romantic, Camenzind said she wouldnt have changed a thing.

She was in tears earlier when she called her dad about the buck, but the wait for Brenton Lammers of Lammers Media to arrive to take the pictures allowed her to get cleaned up and restore her makeup.

It was perfect, but I still didnt expect it, she said. Its something we both love to do. I guess I couldnt imagine it going any other way.

They havent had time to set a wedding date. Camenzind said maybe next fall.

Not during hunting season, though, she said.
The Republicans continue to use the immigration issue as a political battering ram against the Democrats. Republicans really dont want a solution to the problem because it can no longer be used to serve their purpose.

They continue to blame the president when, in fact, the Constitution requires immigration to be handled by Congress.

A few years ago the Democrat-controlled House passed its version of an immigration bill, which they sent to a Republican-controlled Senate, led by Mitch McConnell. McConnell never allowed it to come to the floor for debate, therefore it died.

I have what is likely an unreasonable solution but could be a beginning: pass a total moratorium on immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border.

This moratorium would last until Congress did its job and passed legislation. It would require that the U.S. help Mexico with the backlog of immigrants not allowed to cross the border.

The U.S. could also help Mexico control its southern borders with Guatemala and Belize. I believe in the long run this would be no more costly than our current immigration situation. Whatever they do I hope they make it soon to help the people who are literally dying to get to the United States.

Bob Hardy, Lincoln
WATERFORD  After the tumultuous departure of its previous executive director, the Explore Waterford business and tourism group is under new leadership.

Aubrey McGaughy has been hired to lead the group that operates as a chamber of commerce and a tourism and event planner.

McGaughy, who lives in Waterford, is a Burlington retail store owner who has been active in promoting business events in the Burlington area.

Explore Waterford board president Jay Noble said the board conducted a thorough search and determined that McGaughy was a great fit for the organization.

She brings to the table event planning experience, small business ownership, and organizational skills to bring Explore Waterford to the next level, Noble said.

Explore Waterford uses public funding and membership dues to represent the business community and to organize events such as the Waterford Christmas Parade and the Celebrate Waterford summer festival.

Based inside the Village Hall, the organization was created in 2019 through a merger of the Waterford Area Chamber of Commerce and a downtown promotion group called Absolutely Waterford.

The executive director handles the groups day-to-day operations in partnership with a nine-member board that includes business and civic representatives.

The previous executive director, Tanya Maney, resigned in February in a public falling-out with her colleagues. Maney accused board members of acting behind her back to usurp her authority.

Some business owners rallied around Maney and called for Noble and other board members to resign.

Maney collected a salary of about $35,000 a year.

McGaughys salary has not been disclosed. Her appointment as executive director was posted in mid-August on Explore Waterfords Facebook page.

McGaughy operates a retail home furnishing store called 2 Fancie Gals, 225 E. Jefferson St., Burlington. She previously worked as a financial analyst in the Chicago area.

McGaughy said she was eager to work with Waterford businesses and other community members.

My goal is to implement new and exciting events and activities while building upon the existing events, she said.

Celebrate Waterford returns for its fourth year, in photos Take a bite Baby goat Baby goats Miniature horse Baby goat Bounce house Bounce house Playing with fire Aerial arts Magic Shopping Connect 4 Cornhole BMX BMX
Being in band, orchestra, debate club, student government or other mind-focused activities in high school is linked to better memory capacity at age 65.

Wives who disagree with their husbands on whether their marriages are close are more likely to have cognitive problems in older age than wives in couples who agree their relationships are close or not close.

People who spent their earliest years near lead mines in southwestern Wisconsin around 1940 are more likely to experience mental impairment later in life.

Those are among a treasure trove of findings culled from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, one of the countrys longest-running research efforts. For more than 65 years, graduates from Wisconsin high schools in 1957 have periodically answered questions on topics ranging from education, marriage and sex to employment and retirement.

Dubbed the Happy Days cohort, after the 1970s television sitcom set in Milwaukee in the 1950s, the roughly 5,000 people still tracked by the study are entering their mid-80s, with most now turning 84. Through surveys, cognitive tests, saliva samples  and, soon, blood  theyre giving researchers a window into issues of advanced aging.

Were trying to understand how this rich data that we collected when they were younger and in middle age is influencing their memory and cognitive function now, said Michal Engelman, a UW-Madison sociology professor who directs the study.

Theres biological and physiological processes, but theres also the social and economic environment, Engelman said. All of these things work together to shape peoples well-being through their life course.

A sense of duty

Elaine Hilt, 84, of Middleton, is in the study, through which she recently performed memory tests during a phone survey. A graduate of Edgewood High School in Madison, she has been married for 63 years and has three children. She worked in billing at Madison-based CUNA Mutual Group, now TruStage, and in customer service at American Girl in Middleton.

Hilt participates in the study out of a sense of duty. Why shouldnt I? It might help somebody, or help myself, she said. It keeps you involved in whats going on.

For Olsie Ekleberry, being in the study is a way to contribute to knowledge about longevity. Understanding what makes people live longer is an important thing, said the 83-year-old from Janesville, who has lung and heart disease and is on hospice care at home.

Ekleberry, who graduated from Wilton High School, south of Tomah, was married three times and has four children and six stepchildren. Her most recent husbands died after marriages of about 14 years each. In 2019, she self-published a book and gave it a title of what she said her first husband repeatedly called her: Failure as a Wife, Woman and Mother.

The book recounts how, after divorcing him, she regained self-worth and bought two accounting firms, which she sold her to son. Abused women seem to relate to it, Ekleberry said of the book.

The roots of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, funded primarily by the National Institute of Aging, lie in the Cold War. In the 1950s, with growing U.S. technological competition with the Soviet Union, Wisconsins state government wanted to better understand the aspirations of high school students.

In 1957, Kenneth Little, an education professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, surveyed the states more than 30,000 high school seniors. The students expressed a strong desire for higher education. That helped lead in 1971 to the creation of the UW System, now called the Universities of Wisconsin.

After Littles initial query, the survey was mostly forgotten, its punch cards lingering in the basement of Bascom Hall.

That changed in 1962. William Sewell, a UW-Madison sociologist who later became chancellor, realized the potential for a longitudinal, or ongoing, study of the graduates. Sewell selected a random sample of 10,317 students, a third of the total. He matched their 1957 survey answers with test scores, grades, household income and other factors.

In 1964, Sewell and other researchers surveyed the graduates parents. In 1975, they questioned the graduates. Two years later, they queried some of their siblings. Graduates, siblings or spouses were again surveyed in 1992-94, 2003-07, 2010-12 and 2019-23, with a new round underway.

Findings have ranged from women reporting fewer problems from menopause than expected to many people saying they still worked part time after retiring from a main job.

Many findings

In recent years, participants have shed light on topics such as living apart, together relationships in older adults. Among study participants in romantic relationships who dont live together, three-quarters said they didnt expect to move in with each other or get married.

People who say they have a strong sense of purpose are less likely to report feeling lonely, an analysis that included the Wisconsin study found last year. Attending religious services or valuing religion was associated with lower levels of depression, but the mental health benefit was not as large as previously thought, another analysis showed.

In a study published last year in the journal Social Science and Medicine, researchers used high school yearbooks to look at connections between participants extracurricular activities as students and their mental skills decades later.

Those in cognitive-oriented activities in high school, such as music ensembles or debate and drama clubs, had better memories and language function at age 65. No such link was found from social or physical activities in high school, though those may have benefits not examined in the study.

Researchers said the mental boost from cognitive activities in youth may result in protective chains, in which positive exposures increase the likelihood of subsequent positive exposures.

In another analysis, graduates, siblings and spouses were asked in 2004 to say whether or not they felt similar and close to their spouses. In 2020, graduates and siblings completed cognitive assessments.

Couples who disagreed on being similar or close in 2004 were more likely to have a spouse with cognitive decline 16 years later  especially if the wife thought they were similar but the husband didnt.

We think that spousal discordance in assessment of marital attributes is an important influence on later life cognitive function, Yue Qin, a UW-Madison graduate student who worked on the analysis, said in presenting the results at the Gerontological Society of Americas annual scientific meeting this month in Tampa, Florida.

It could be that stress from marital tension harms cognition or that not reading relationship dynamics well is an early sign of cognitive change, said Engelman, who also worked on the analysis. The preliminary findings havent been peer-reviewed or published yet, she said.

Lead mine effect

Study participants who grew up near lead mines in southwestern Wisconsin had lower language function at age 64 and greater decline in memory from 64 to 71 than those who didnt grow up near lead mines, researchers reported last year in the journal Social Science and Medicine-Population Health.

One possible explanation is that lead can lie inert in bones for decades before reentering the blood system after bone demineralization, which accelerates in later life, the researchers said. Childhood exposure to lead might also cause genetic changes that influence brain function years later, they said.

While the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study is valuable in showing how early life influences health in later life, it doesnt fully represent everyone who is aging in the state, Engelman said. Almost all participants are white, and given that they all graduated from high school in the late 50s, theyre educationally above average, she said.

She and other researchers at UW-Madison have started ancillary studies involving older Hmong and Latino residents, among other groups.

Recent interviews with Hmong elders showed that their experiences during war, at refugee camps and after resettlement in Wisconsin are shaping their physical and spiritual well-being at older ages. Family and community ties  as well as their absence  are sources of both resilience and tension, Engelman reported at the GSA meeting.

This article was written with the support of a journalism fellowship from The Gerontological Society of America, The Journalists Network on Generations and the The Silver Century Foundation.
More than 120 guests from home and aboard gathered at a seminar titled "Inner Child's World, The World's Child" on Monday in Wuyi county of Jinhua city, East China's Zhejiang province, discussing the future development of Chinese children's literature and opportunities for international exchange and cooperation.

The "2024 Chinese Fairy Tales Going Global" campaign was also launched during the event with many cooperation agreements in various fields signed.

Wuyi is known as the birthplace of Chinese fairy tales as it is home to many renowned Children's book writers such as Tang Tang.

Together with Heihe, an award-winning children's book author hailing from Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Tang shared at the seminar that she has been trying to create a fairy tale world full of warmth and energy. Heihe said that he attempted to reconstruct the wilderness culture of North China through fiction, showing children the possibilities of peaceful coexistence between man and nature.

Several experts expressed hope that the seminar could help spread the works of Chinese new-generation writers more widely overseas.

Through a perspective of painting creation, Roger Miro, a Brazilian painter and winner of the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, spoke of the poetic relationship between images and texts in fairy tales. As the highest form of fantasy, fairy tales present images and texts imbued with poetry and philosophy.

Li Lifang, a children's book critic and dean of the college of arts and letters at Lanzhou University, highlighted how Chinese children's literature has garnered global attention in the last decade for its distinctive aesthetics.

Vonne Cunha Canonica, Brazilian author and former executive secretary of the Brazilian ministry of culture, compared children's book creation, publication and promotion between China and Brazil. The writer hoped for more exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

Critic Chen Xiang saw Tang Tang's works as coming closest to the heart of fairy tales, with a Chinese soul that can resonate universally.

French cartoonist Olivier Richard and Sri Lankan scholar Sugat Ratnavak expressed love for the traditional elements in Tang Tang and Heihe's works, believing that natural beauty and heritage can touch readers of different cultural backgrounds.
1. Yes. The platform takes up too much time and is often abused by speakers. Get rid of it.

2. Yes. The Citizen Petitions section is unworkable and generally results in a gripe session.

3. No. The platform is the only way residents can discuss non-agenda items. Keep it around..

4. No. Killing it will discourage public input. Keep it or broaden Citizen Comments criteria.

5. Unsure. It can be a drain on the councils time, but it does serve a purpose for residents.

Vote

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A humanoid robot is pictured at the second Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Nov. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

Introducing new products, services and technologies, while also discussing cooperation intentions with Chinese partners and expressing ideas at forums -- at the ongoing second Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE), foreign companies are eyeing growing opportunities in the Chinese market.



Shan Guohong, senior vice president of Takeda and president of Takeda China, said China has scale advantage to develop digital trade, and its opening-up efforts have optimized the business environment.

Since Takeda entered China in 1994, the country has been deemed one of its important strategic markets, Shan said. Now, its Chinese subsidiary has developed into one of the best-performing transnational pharmaceutical firms in China.

"China is committed to building a digital trade market featuring high-level openness and cooperation, and the GDTE provides a platform to exchange ideas on new standards, issues and trends related to digital trade," he said.

At the second GDTE, Takeda released a report on digital healthcare practice and experience with its partners, while it also held an activity named "Takeda China Digital Healthcare Innovation Summit," showcasing its achievements in the Chinese market.

Having already cooperated with its Chinese partner in digitalization of medical care products and services, Takeda hopes to leverage the expo to work with different parties to explore paths to promote the high-quality development of the industry, thereby delivering more benefits to Chinese patients.

Takeda is not alone in hoping to use the GDTE as an opportunity to showcase advanced applications. At the Tesla booth, visitors flocked to see a humanoid robot named Optimus, which is capable of going up stairs, squatting, holding heavy items, grasping tiny objects and operating mechanical devices. Optimus is expected to enter mass production in 3-5 years.

Tesla, participating in the expo for a second time, is also displaying some its of new automobiles featuring innovative technology. "In the future, vehicles will surely become smarter and more digital-savvy," said Gao Weize, a regional general director of Tesla.

U.S. company Amazon Global Selling is attending the expo for a second consecutive year. This year, the company has expanded its booth space and prepared speeches covering various topics, hoping to share its experience in cross-border e-commerce and deepen cooperation with Chinese partners.

Themed "Digital Trade, Global Access," the second GDTE is taking place in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, running from Nov. 23 to 27. It has attracted 68 international organizations and business associations, as well as over 800 enterprises.

China announced the launch of the GDTE, to be held annually, on the occasion of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. "The expo is an important platform to propel digital trade, a public good to promote global digital economic cooperation, and a significant measure to build an open world economy," said Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen.

China's digital trade has made significant progress. In 2022, China's digitally-delivered service trade value rose 3.4 percent year on year to 372.71 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for around 9 percent of the global total, according to a report released at the expo.

By the end of 2022, the number of Chinese digital service platform enterprises with an individual market value of over 1 billion U.S. dollars had exceeded 200. Likewise, an increasing number of overseas brands have entered the Chinese market or expanded their business in China in response to the rise of digital trade in China.

China has massive data resources, a solid market foundation, and outstanding innovative capabilities in developing digital trade, while a string of supportive measures rolled out in recent years confirmed the country's sincerity to develop the sector, said Shan.

At the opening ceremony of the expo, China reaffirmed that it would build digital trade into a new engine for common development, and inject new impetus into world economic growth.

China will actively participate in the formulation of international rules and standards in the digital field and promote higher-level opening up of this field.

Also, it will continue to accelerate digital transformation and the development of cross-border e-commerce, improve digital infrastructure, establish pilot zones for Silk Road e-commerce cooperation and set up Belt and Road e-commerce markets with partners.

"We have seen the resolve of the Chinese government in promoting cooperation in digital areas," said Gao, adding that he believes that China can make full use of its massive data resources and rich application scenarios for digital technology, thereby adding new momentum to economic development and delivering more development opportunities to different industries.

"The space for the development of digital trade in China is vast," said Shan.
VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents.

Today we are talking about Jimmy Carter. His given name was James, but he liked to be called Jimmy.

Carter was elected president in 1976. Until he campaigned for the office, few Americans knew who he was.

But Carter said his lack of experience with the federal government made him the best candidate. After witnessing years of problems in the White House, many voters appeared to agree with him.

However, Carters inexperience also became a problem. Some of the issues he faced were complex and, at times, they seemed overwhelming.

After only one term, Carter failed to get re-elected.

But in time, his public image improved. His years after leaving the White House are generally considered more successful than his time in office.

Early life

Jimmy Carter was born in the southern state of Georgia. He was the oldest of four children. His father was a businessman. His mother was a nurse. The family owned a store, as well as a peanut farm and warehouse.

Although the businesses did well, Jimmy Carter grew up very modestly. His familys house did not have electricity or running water.

But he was hardworking and wanted to be successful. As a boy, he saved enough money to buy four houses. He earned more money by renting them to other people.

He also decided to attend college at the United States Naval Academy. And in time, he did so.

Carter was an excellent student. And he became a fine Naval officer. As a midshipman, Carter worked on one of the countrys first nuclear submarines. He later taught nuclear engineering to other crewmembers.

But Carters promising career in the Navy ended after only seven years.

His father was dying. And the family farm was in trouble.

Carter, his wife, Rosalynn, and their three sons, decided to return to Georgia and try to save it.

The first years back on the farm were difficult. But in time, the business became successful again.

Carter began to turn his attention to other issues. He became involved in his church, local school, hospitals and libraries. When he had a chance to compete for a position in the state senate, he took it.

As a politician, Carter developed an image as an independent thinker who tried to save the government money. He also acted and spoke strongly against racial discrimination.

In Georgia at the time, many voters did not agree with Carters support of racial equality. In 1966, even his own Democratic Party did not choose him to be its candidate to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate.

So Carter began campaigning for the office of state governor instead. In 1970, he was elected. As Georgia's governor, Carter was known as a social and political reformer.

However, historian Robert Strong notes that Carter did not always work well with others in his party.

Strong teaches at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He writes that some Georgia lawmakers believed Carter was arrogant. He could appear to think he was morally right, and they were morally wrong.

Carters difficulty in getting along with other officials proved to be one of the problems he would later face.

But in the presidential election of 1976, many Americans seemed to like this quality. The little-known governor from Georgia defeated the sitting president, Gerald Ford.

Carter won, in part, by saying that he was different than other politicians. He was, he said, a Washington outsider.

Then suddenly, Carter was the biggest insider of all: the American president.

Presidency

One of the things Carter wanted to do was change the image of the president.

Earlier leaders, such as Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson, had increased the power of the presidency. Nixon had also been shown to be dishonest, and resigned from office.

Carter promised never to lie to the American people. And on the day of his swearing-in as president, he purposefully tried to keep things simple. He walked to the White House from the U.S. Capitol building instead of riding in the back of an automobile.

His wife, Rosalynn, wore clothes that she had worn in public before. The National First Ladies Library notes that her choice of clothing sent a message of "an old American value of thrift  or respecting money, and not spending it needlessly.

What she wore was meaningful because the country was going through difficult economic times. The Carters wanted to show that the new government would work to cut costs. They also wanted to show that they were there to help the American people, not enjoy the powers of the White House.

But in the end, the Carter administration received poor ratings in surveys of public opinion.

President Carter had trouble dealing with U.S. lawmakers, even when his party was in control of Congress. One result was that Carter could not advance many of his ideas for legislation. He appeared ineffective.

Many historians point out that, in fact, Carter had a number of successes. He helped reduce the countrys dependence on foreign oil. He took steps to make the federal government more efficient, and to improve the environment. He appointed a number of women and racial minorities to top government jobs -- an important move at a time when many were pressing for womens rights and civil rights. And, in many cases, Carter supported human rights causes, both in the United States and around the world.

But the public generally did not see Carter for his successes. Instead, many Americans blamed him for the countrys economic problems.

Some also disliked the way he spoke to them. In one speech, Carter blamed the countrys troubles on what he called a crisis of confidence. Some listeners were offended.

He also decided that the U.S. would not attend the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. The move was meant to punish the Soviet Union for its involvement in Afghanistan. But many Americans believed the move mostly hurt young American Olympians.

The administration also faced other problems. The president was never accused of wrongdoing. But other high-level officials were. So was the presidents brother, Billy. As a result, Jimmy Carters public image for honesty suffered.

Then came the Iran hostage crisis.

Iran hostage crisis

The conflict between the United States and Iran had a long history. One part involved the Shah of Iran. The U.S. government had supported his rise to power, partly because American interests wanted to control Irans oil.

But the Shah severely abused his power. Many Iranians resisted. Some wanted a leader who would more closely obey Islamic teachings.

In 1979, under pressure from those Iranians and others, the Shah fled the country. By now, he was suffering from cancer.

So, as a humanitarian act, President Carter permitted the Shah to come to the United States for medical treatment.

The move made many Iranians angry. In protest, a group of students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran. They took 90 people, including 66 Americans, hostage.

Carter worked hard to get the hostages released. He tried diplomatic negotiations and economic restrictions.

But his efforts did not work.

Finally, he tried a secret military operation. He sent eight helicopters and a team of special forces to enter the embassy and rescue the hostages.

But that operation failed, too. The weather was bad. Three of the helicopters crashed. Eight Americans were killed.

And the publics approval of Jimmy Carter dropped even more.

After 444 days, the remaining hostages were released. In exchange, the U.S. government agreed to end some of its economic sanctions against Iran and promised not to interfere in the countrys affairs.

None of the hostages had been seriously hurt. But the crisis was the final blow to Carters presidency. A few months before they were released, his effort to seek re-election failed.

Legacy

As president, Carter did not meet the high expectations he had set for himself. And he faced some unusually difficult situations. His presidency also suffered from his problems communicating effectively with Congress, the media, and the American people.

But his four years as president did leave several marks on the office. For one, he showed that the U.S. president could help other nations and sides resolve their disputes.

Carters best-known success as president was his help negotiating the Camp David Accords.

The accords were a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. Carter led the talks at Camp David in Maryland.

Carters efforts to protect human rights overseas also influenced the foreign policy of later presidents.

In time, his work as a defender of human rights has become his most important legacy.

Several years after leaving the presidency, he founded the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The center seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.

In addition to his work there, Carter has helped build houses for people who need them, written books, and negotiated with world leaders to take steps toward peace.

In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

overwhelming - adj. something that is so confusing or difficult that you feel unable to do it

nurse - n. a person who is trained to care for sick or injured people

rent - v. to allow someone to use (something) in return for payment

advance - v. to move forward

confidence - n. a feeling or belief that someone or something is good or has the ability to succeed at something
A federal study of all public schools says that Americas Black and Latino students have reduced chances of success.

The data came from the Civil Rights Data Collection, which is a survey by The U.S. Education Department. It aims to examine measures of educational opportunity.

The Associated Press reported on some of the findings.

The study said Black and Latino students were less likely to be in higher-level classes and to receive teaching from certified teachers. The findings suggested effects that have a lasting influence on students ability to learn and finish college.

The Education Department gathered data during the 2020-2021 school year. That year most public schools were at least partially closed, and teaching took place online because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Speaking about the survey results, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said, access to educational opportunity in this country remains unequal.

The U.S. Supreme Court declared segregation in public schools unlawful nearly 70 years ago. However, information in the federal survey said Black and Latino students were more likely to attend schools with lower percentages of certified teachers.

The data also suggested that Black and Latino students are more likely to be in schools that have security guards or police officers but no counselor.

Cardona called this appalling, because of rising rates of mental health difficulties for young people.

The new data also showed barriers to higher level, or advanced, classes. Taking advanced classes improves a students chances of going to college, studies suggest. But Black and Latino students were far less likely to take such classes.

Black students represented 15 percent of all high school students, but they made up just eight percent of students in Advanced Placement (AP) science and six percent in AP math. Latino students represented 27 percent of all high school students but made up 20 percent in AP science and 19 percent in AP math classes.

Sonya Thomas is the executive director of Nashville PROPEL, an activist organization that works with minorities. She said children should have the best and the government should be accountable. Its so disheartening, she added.

Catherine E. Lhamon is Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education. She called differences between students in the Civil Rights Data Collection information troubling.

The data showed that in 5,500 public high schools where Black and Latino students make up 75 percent of all students, there were not as many math, science and computer classes as at other schools.

In 35 percent of schools with a high number of Black and Latino students, calculus was not offered. It was available at 54 percent of schools with low Black and Latino numbers.

The Education Department found that students with disabilities and those learning English also faced problems. Fewer students in both groups took math and science classes compared to all students.

The Civil Rights Data Collection is an effort by the U.S. Department of Education to gather information about American public schools. The departments website says the survey started in 1968. It started to include all public schools in the 2009-2010 school year and is required by the government agency.

Im Gena Bennett.

Collin Binkley and Annie Ma reported this story for the Associated Press. Gena Bennett adapted it for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - Black, Latino Students Have Reduced Chances for Success Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

survey n. a study in which people are asked to answer questions about a subject

opportunityn. situations that make something possible

certifiedadj. recognized for completing the requirements of a government or organization

access n. the ability to get or enter something

accountable adj. to be responsible or take responsibility for something; to be required to explain something
The man accused of assassinating the US President, John F Kennedy, has himself been shot dead in a Dallas police station.

Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old former Marine, was being transferred from police headquarters to the county jail, at the centre of a large crowd of police officers, reporters and camera crews.

The event was being covered live on television, and Americans across the country watched in astonishment as a man  later identified as Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner  stepped forward, drew a gun and shot Mr Oswald at point-blank range.

Mr Oswald fell to the floor, grasping his stomach, as a confused scuffle broke out between police, reporters and the gunman.

An ambulance rushed Mr Oswald to the Parkland Hospital  the same hospital which had fought to save President Kennedys life two days earlier  but he died within minutes of his arrival.

Mr Oswald was arrested about an hour after the assassination of John F Kennedy, carried out as the Presidents motorcade passed through the Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

He was initially taken into custody for the murder of a policeman, JD Tippit, who appears to have recognised him and approached him just 45 minutes after the killing of the President.

Soon after, Mr Oswald was also charged with the Presidents assassination.

He strongly denied that he carried out the assassination, saying to reporters, Im just a patsy.

Police gave no explanation of how Jack Ruby came to be in the police headquarters.

The building had been under heavy guard after several calls making threats against Oswalds life.

Ruby came to Dallas from Chicago 10 years ago.

He runs a downtown striptease club, and is said to have links with organised criminals.

Police said Ruby had told them, I didnt want to be a hero  I did it for Jacqueline Kennedy.

They said he wanted to spare the presidents wife the ordeal of the trial of the man accused of killing her husband.

Ruby has been formally charged with murder and is now being held in custody without bail.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

Jack Ruby was convicted of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald on 14 March 1964.

The conviction was overturned on procedural grounds, but before a re-trial could take place, Ruby died of cancer in prison on 3 January 1967.

Considerable controversy remains over whether Lee Harvey Oswald was in fact guilty of the murder of John F Kennedy.

The Warren Report, commissioned by President Johnson five days after Oswalds shooting to look into the assassination, concluded that he was the lone killer.

A later investigation by the House Select Committee on Assassinations during the late 1970s found that President Kennedy had been killed as a result of a conspiracy, although this report was later discredited.

But the conspiracy theories  ranging from claims that the president arranged his own death, to allegations that the driver was the murderer  continue to be hotly debated.
BEIRUT  The militant Hezbollah group fired more than 50 rockets at military posts in northern Israel on Thursday, a day after an Israeli airstrike on a home in southern Lebanon killed five of the group's senior fighters.

The waves of rockets sent over the border represented one of the most intense bombardments since Hezbollah started attacking Israeli posts in the country's north at the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.

Hezbollah has said that by heating up its actions on the Israel-Lebanon border, it is easing pressure on the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah released at least 21 statements claiming attacks on Thursday alone, making it a one-day record since fighting began last month.
Madison Police arrested a woman early Saturday morning after employees at an East side hotel said she threatened them with a weapon.

Officers were dispatched to the Red Roof Inn on Hayes Road just before 1 a.m., where a guest, 31, had reportedly been in a verbal argument with a male guest. After staff prevented her from entering the man's room, Madison police say she threatened an attendant in the lobby, who told her to leave. wielding a rock and saying "I've got something for you," according to a statement from MPD Sgt. Nathan Becker. She later drew a knife, flipping the blade open, and continuing to threaten the attendant with the rock and the knife.

The woman had retreated by the time police arrived, and was resistant when officers found her and ordered her to the ground. She was booked into the Dane County Jail on six tentative charges, including resisting arrest, disorderly conduct while armed, intimidating a victim, threatening law enforcement, trespassing and a probation hold. The knife was recovered at the scene.

Police spoke to witnesses on the scene but are asking that anyone with more information on the incident contact them at 608-255-2345. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or online at p3tips.com.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Jeff Post grew up a rock hound, scavenging the hills and valleys of Wisconsins Driftless Area for calcite, sphalerite, marcasite and pyrite crystals.

The Mount Horeb native even worked for a summer in Shullsburg in one of the states last operating lead mines.

It was from this basic, boots-on-the-grounds Badger State upbringing in the 1970s that helped lead Post to be in charge for the past 29 years of one of the most precious and most widely known stones ever found.

Were talking about the Hope Diamond mined nearly 400 years ago from India.

The now 45.5-carat stone, set in a necklace, rests here on the second floor of the Smithsonian Institutions National Museum of Natural History in a rectangular display case with walls of thick glass and soft lighting. The blue gemstone turns on a pedestal every few seconds to give the constant crowd a 360 degree view. Security here is understandably tight. But Post no longer has to worry about the invaluable diamonds well-being.

Yes, he still cares deeply about the stone and the rest of the museums vast collection of 350,000 mineral specimens and 10,000 gems. But Post, 69, is now curator emeritus of the museums mineral and gem collection. That means in retirement, which includes relocating to Wisconsin, he can relax a little bit and leave worrying about the Hope to his successor.

Theres a big, huge, interesting, fun part of the job, but theres also a huge part of the job thats just, every day, is a burden, Post said. You know, every day you come in and go, Thank God the Hope Diamond is still here. You dont want to be the guy that history associates with the Hope Diamond no longer being here.

I learned of Post earlier this year thanks to an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio. And since my daughter, Leah, now works in Washington, D.C., a trip out to visit her last week just before Thanksgiving created an opportune time for a trip to the museum and a meeting with Post. A government shutdown loomed but fortunately was avoided. That allowed Post to show me around the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals.

But first I had to find Post, who, via text, instructed me to meet him at the business end of the 13-foot-foot-tall, African bush elephant that serves as the imposing centerpiece of the museums rotunda. This was Tuesday, and it poured rain all day. The museum was crammed with people, and the first stop for many was the Harry Winston Gallery, home to the Hope Diamond. Unlike the Louvre in Paris, where the Mona Lisa is buried deep into the immense collection, the Hope is the first exhibit among the minerals and gems. Its positioning means the museums 3.9 million visitors each year are more likely to slow down, continue on and experience the rest of the collection.

Its amazing how it resonated here. Within weeks after it came to this museum the attendance more than doubled, Post said. Were happy it brings a lot of people in the door. They get to see the Hope Diamond and, hopefully, a lot of them them go on to explore the rest of the story of the earth and geology. The Hope Diamond brings people in the door in the way that geology does not.

Story of a stone

And while the Hope is a rare gem stone, its history also adds to its nearly incalculable value.

The story begins in the 1600s, when French merchant traveler Jean Baptiste Tavernier purchased a 112 3/16-carat diamond most likely from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India. Tavernier sold the diamond to King Louis XIV of France in 1668, and a few years later it was recut to 67 1/8 carats, set in gold and suspended on a neck ribbon that the king wore on ceremonial occasions, according to the Smithsonian website.

In 1791, after an attempt by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to flee France, the jewels of the French Royal Treasury were turned over to the government but stolen a year later before resurfacing in 1812, sold to King George IV of the United Kingdom and then, upon his death in 1830, sold again before ultimately being owned by Henry Philip Hope. After his death in 1839, the diamond was passed on to family members and sold multiple times thereafter, including in 1909 to Pierre Cartier.

Two years later, in 1911, Cartier sold the diamond to Evalyn Walsh McLean, of Washington D.C., but upon her death in 1947, McLeans entire jewelry collection, which included the Hope and other large diamonds, was sold to Harry Winston.

He showed the Hope at exhibits and charitable events for 10 years before donating the diamond to the Smithsonian in 1958.

Theres hardly a day that goes by where someone doesnt have a question about the Hope Diamond, Post said. Whether its a visitor, whether its the press or somebody writing a book, whatever it is, its one of these stories that doesnt ever seem to end. Its just too good of a story not to keep telling it.

Mount Horeb to the Smithsonian

Post thought his career arc would involve working in the geology department of a college or university somewhere in the Midwest, since his wife, Ann Kirking Post, is a Lodi native, whom he met through 4-H. Post graduated from UW-Platteville, did graduate work at Arizona State and post doctoral research at Harvard University in Boston. When he began looking in 1984 for a job in geology, he happened across a listing from the Smithsonian and was hired as a research mineralogist.

The museums minerals and gems go far beyond the Hope. During our tour, Post showed off the Dom Pedro Aquamarine, the largest single piece of cut-gem aquamarine in the world. Its near a bowling ball-size, 242,323-carat quartz sphere from China and the 253.7-carat Oppenheimer diamond from a mine in South Africa. But Post also showed off more humble exhibits, including a chunk of zinc from Tennessee, calcite from South Dakota, white pectolite from New Jersey and geothite from Ironwood, Michigan.

The Wisconsin entries on display came fittingly enough from the Iron County community of Montreal. They included a pink glob of calcite and a chunk of black and gold marcasite. Back in the archives, Post pulled from a drawer red, quartz crystals gleaned from Rib Mountain near Wausau and pinkish quartz crystals from McCaslin Mountain in Oconto County.

Everyone of these things came out of the earth, Post said. Every diamond, every gem stone, every piece here started out as a mineral crystal that formed in the earth and we have to remind people of that because thats not what theyre thinking when they first walk in here. Theyre part of geology. Theyre part of a story.

He and his wife now have two grown daughters and recently closed on a house south of Cross Plains but wont be moving back to Wisconsin until next summer. Post would like to get involved with geology at UW-Madison and its geology museum and will continue to do research for the Smithsonian, established in 1846, two years before Wisconsin became a state. The Natural History Museum, one of 21 Smithsonian museums plus the National Zoo, opened its doors in 1910.

Theres always things happening, theres always the next thing, Post said about continuing research after his official retirement. Its kind of daunting in a way, but the nice thing is you get to the end and retire from here and you get to leave a place that you know has got this future that you know is going to go on. So youve been part of something that is just an amazing place, tradition and opportunity.

Photos: Jeff Post, curator emeritus at the National Museum of Natural History
Sequ Zhoima, a 15-year-old from southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, regards her classmates, from all corners of the grassland where she was born and raised, as her second "family."

Sequ Zhoima, a student in the eighth grade at Damxung County Middle School, joins 51 other students in embracing bilingual education.

Positioned at the southern foot of the Nyanchen Thanglha Mountains, Damxung boasts an average elevation of around 4,200 meters. Damxung means "meticulously chosen pasture" in the Tibetan language.

In Qoiden Village, Lungring Township, Sequ Zhoima's family tends to more than 80 yaks. Relying on a combination of herding and odd jobs, her parents support four children.

Her father, Cedain Doje, said that "we didn't have the opportunity to go to school when we were young, but now, with favorable national policies, we aspire to provide our children with the chance to go to school and learn as much as possible."

Xizang historically faced challenges due to limited educational resources and teaching facilities. Over the past decades, increasing investments have been made to enhance education, with focus on both funding and manpower.

Damxung County Middle School, covering a total area of 120,000 square meters, now has 2,517 students.

Sequ Zhoima finds the most joy in attending math classes. Her academic performance may not be exceptional, but every time she solves a problem, she feels a keen sense of accomplishment.

Tibetan language class is another favorite of hers, and she is impressed by the teacher's ability to "breathe life into the textbook stories through creative metaphors and vibrant examples."

The distinctive feature of having a "week" comprising 14 days, 10 days of classes followed by a 4-day break, is common among schools in agricultural and pastoral regions.

On the "roof of the world," where the population density is as low as three people per square km, this arrangement not only reduces the need for parents to transport their children but also contributes to a more effective learning experience for the students.

Sequ Zhoima and her three siblings all receive education at schools in Xizang. The 15-year free-education policy and student-assistance initiatives in the region have spared Cedain Doje from shouldering intense financial burdens. All educational expenses, including tuition, textbooks, accommodation and meals, are covered at no cost.

"If the children decide to return to herding in the future, I would also be pleased," said Cedain Doje. "But I hope it's a choice they make after experiencing the world, not out of the necessity of making a living."

Official statistics showed that the average years of education experienced by the newly-added workforce in the region had increased to 13.1 years in 2022.
A snowstorm with bad timing was hitting southern Wisconsin on the busiest travel day of the year  the end of Thanksgiving weekend.

Steady, light snow falling Sunday morning will taper off from west to east in the afternoon, with up to 3 inches in south-central Wisconsin and 1 to 2 inches elsewhere in southern Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said.

Snowfall rates were predicted to peak from 7 to 11 a.m., with a quarter-inch to a third of an inch falling.

Here is an expandable map of live traffic conditions:

The state road conditions map shows crashes and blockages on Wisconsin's major highways.

For live traffic updates, follow 511 Wisconsin or the Wisconsin Department of Transportation on Twitter.

The Madison Streets Division said 32 trucks will be working on the city's salt route network, the main thoroughfares used by Metro Transit buses, around public schools, hospitals, fire and police stations, and other important connector streets. These roads will be plowed and salted as necessary.

Streets that are not salt routes are likely to be snow-covered as a result of this storm, and may not be plowed as they only are plowed when 3 or more inches of snow has accumulated and the storm is at or near its end. The city warned that travelers should expect these roads to be snow covered.
UNITED AUTO WORKERS | PRESIDENT SHAWN FAIN

DETROIT  Entering contract talks with Detroit's three automakers, Shawn Fain set lofty expectations for what he could gain for his union members  and delivered on many of them. He secured significant pay raises, improved benefits, the right to strike over plant closures and a raft of other concessions.

But to the United Auto Workers president, the agreements that emerged from talks that were marked by six weeks of strikes were merely the start of a victory streak and a renaissance for the 88-year-old union. Now, Fain has set his latest ambitious goal: To gain UAW membership in nonunion companies across the industry  from foreign automakers with U.S. operations like Toyota to electric vehicle makers like Tesla to EV battery plants that will likely represent a sizable share of auto jobs in the decades ahead.

Already, Fain asserted, the contracts have benefited workers in nonunion auto companies: Soon after the UAW won major pay raises for its workers, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Nissan  all nonunion operations  raised their own workers' pay in what Fain characterized as an obvious bid to stop the UAW from unionizing those workforces.

Workers at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have collectively voted 64% to ratify the new settlement deals, which are among the richest contracts in UAW history. The agreements ended many wage tiers, gave temporary hires better pay and a path to full-time work and boosted from around 6% to 10% the annual 401(k) contributions for those without pension plans.

According to Fain, workers at some nonunion plants, including the electric vehicle sales leader, Tesla, have contacted the UAW about joining the union, which hasn't even begun its organizing efforts. Fain noted that the nonunion companies didn't raise pay for their workers until after the UAW won general and cost-of living raises, which should reach 33% by the time the contacts expire in 2028.

"Companies play their workers as fools sometimes," he said. "They care about keeping more for themselves and leaving the employees to fend for themselves."

Time to grow Fain, who took office just eight months ago in the first direct election of UAW leaders in its history, said the time is right for labor unions to grow as they did in the 1930s and 40s, before they began a steady decline beginning in the 1950s. American workers, he said, are fed up with stagnant wages while corporate executives earn ever-growing multiples of median worker pay.

Companies, Fain said, will spend "limitless amounts" to try to stop the UAW, but the union can point to its Detroit contracts to show workers they will have a voice. In that way, he said, the union is a "great equalizer."

Fain declined to say which nonunion companies the UAW would target first. But high on the list is Tesla, whose biggest shareholder is CEO Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest man and an outspoken opponent of the union.

"The world's richest man is the richest man for a reason," Fain said. "They get this kind of wealth by exploiting other people."

Musk, who also runs the rocket company SpaceX, is talking about shipping Tesla production to Mexico and other low-cost countries.

The union leader said he expects Toyota, Honda and others to fight the UAW's organizing effort by threatening to close factories or eliminate benefits. Musk has threatened to end stock awards that go to production workers if they vote to join the union. Fain said the UAW, if given the opportunity, would negotiate to retain and increase those stock awards.

The union, Fain says, also will have to organize Detroit automakers' EV battery plants, which are joint ventures with South Korean companies. GM and Stellantis, the maker of Jeep and Ram vehicles, have agreed to bring their joint venture plants under the union's national contract, making it easier for the UAW to sign them up. Ford has not.

That, he said, could become a problem if Ford fights the UAW's efforts to organize at the plants in Kentucky and Tennessee.

"Unless they change their tune, it's going to be an allout war," Fain said.

'Retirement security'

In the contract talks, Fain said, he would have liked to gain stronger pension increases for longtime workers with defined benefit plans. He'd also like steady pension checks for newer hires rather than 401(k) plans. The union plans to seek law changes requiring "retirement security" for all workers, and will push for the benefits in 2028 contract talks.

Fain said he doesn't expect the higher costs that the automakers will absorb from the new contracts to lead them to build new factories in Mexico or Canada. The union, he said, can strike if a U.S. plant is closed and could take action if companies build new factories elsewhere.

The UAW, he said, will try to work with the companies. But he noted that partnering with the automakers in the past to address costs has typically benefited them to the exclusion of workers. He noted the concessions the UAW agreed to in 2008 to help the automakers survive dire financial problems.

This time, he said, union members negotiated for themselves but also won raises for nonunion workers in the South who would have received nothing without the UAW.

"That's something to be proud of," he said.
The Times-News, a year ago, didnt have its own voice.

Wed been quiet since 2018, or so I was told, and had resorted to publishing editorial takes mostly from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which, like the Times-News is owned by Lee Enterprises, along with other Idaho news organizations.

Good editorials. But local issues demand a local presence.

In one of my first columns, just days into my role as editor, I wrote:

I dont know the last time the Times-News wrote its own editorial, but Im told its been years. The longtime journalists in our newsroom dont remember when there was last an editorial board, the group whose responsibility it is to meet regularly to debate community talking points and write the newspapers view, whether thats once a week or more often.

Heres what I do know: Thats soon to change.

In the coming weeks, Ill begin taking steps to revive the Times-News Editorial Board, with hopes of holding our first weekly meeting sometime in January. The board will be comprised of myself and another newsroom representative, plus three plugged-in community members who bring varying experiences and perspectives.

Our meetings will be topical and diverse. Well take up local issues and talking points  Lava Ridge is a good example  and come to a conclusion by consensus, or in rare instances, by vote if the matter is especially tricky. Well celebrate local success and raise awareness around community causes, too.

The board will also invite state and federal elected officials, business stakeholders and local advocacy groups to join us for question-and-answer sessions. Its my belief that a seat at the table should provide a pathway for learning for board members, as well.

Quote Our editorial board ... is one of just two in the state that includes community representatives. ... Yet, still, weve had blind spots. We need representation from Mini-Cassia. Were missing connection in our Hispanic community. Wed benefit from influence in Lincoln or Gooding counties, or into the Wood River Valley.

As I write on the day after Thanksgiving, Im sincerely grateful to Brian Johns, Laurie Lickley and Doug Maughan  all of whom took a chance on the new editor and volunteered to spend a few hours each week working with me and Mychel Matthews, our managing editor, to help recapture a missing voice.

Theyve each played a vital role in shaping that voice, too.

Our editorial board, as the governor reiterated to us during a summertime visit, is one of just two in the state that includes community representatives. Its my belief that we cant fully serve and reflect our communities without hearing from them.

Yet, still, weve had blind spots. We need representation from Mini-Cassia. Were missing connection in our Hispanic community. Wed benefit from influence in Lincoln or Gooding counties, or into the Wood River Valley.

Is that you? Could you be one of our missing links?

This month, Lickley announced her Idaho Senate bid in District 26 and will step away from our board at the end of the month. But were not simply seeking to replace one seat at the table; we want to grow community representation by two additional seats in 2024.

Have questions? Interested? Lets talk.

Less than two months after I wrote on reforming an editorial board, I penned another column to announce its assembly and future plans.

In that piece, I wrote:

We will work with purpose to explore key local issues while asking relevant (and sometimes tough) questions along the way and striving to provoke a civil, thoughtful community conversation. Our mantra: More thought, less attack.

To be clear, when we need to take a stand, we will. But were not simply going to be a bully. Theres already too much noise and vitriol, particularly around politics, and we dont contribute to the greater good by adding to it. The best future is the one we work toward together.

The same holds true today. We just want more people around the table each week  to help us reach deeper into south-central Idaho, to teach us what we dont know, to bring a new accent to our voice.

We meet every Tuesday morning. Who wants to join us?

Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said over the weekend it would review the timetable for the implementation of the proposed revised fees and charges after it met with various business groups.

SEC commissioner McJill Bryant Fernandez told reporters Friday the new timeline for the implementation of the higher fees would still be approved by the corporate regulator.

Fernandez said there was no discussion on specific revisions of the proposed rules during the meeting with the business groups, contrary to a previous statement.

There will still be a revised schedule of fees and charge, but the issuance of revised fees and charges is still in the pipeline, Fernandez said.

Fernandez said the SECs meeting with the leaders of business groups was very positive in terms of moving forward on proposed fees and charges.

The SEC said it would also coordinate with Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) on the topic. The agency issued the draft rules on the proposed charges and fees for public comment in July.

Some 11 business groups issued a statement in October to strongly oppose the proposed increases in regulatory fees and charges, describing it as money-making schemes in the guise of regulatory enhancements.

The SEC proposed to charge corporate issuers one-fourth of 1 percent of total indebtedness when creating bonded indebtedness.

It also proposed to impose a fee on the total transactions cleared and settled in the previous year by the Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines (SCCP) and Philippine Depository Trust Corporation (PDTC) in the amount of 0.1 basis point and 0.05 basis point, respectively.

The groups said the increased cost of doing business would hurt small and medium enterprises (SMEs) covered by the SEC.

The SEC extended its amnesty program until the end of 2023 to give non-compliant and suspended or revoked corporations a last chance to avail of lower fines and penalties.
The Philippine semiconductor and electronics industry expects a 9-percent to 10-percent contraction in export receipts this year as exporters continue to grapple with global headwinds and supply issues.

The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry of the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI) said during a board meeting Friday the decline was quite pronounced in September, where year-on-year electronics exports eroded by 9.13 percent. Exports in the first nine months also declined by 4.3 percent to $33.75 billion from $35.3 billion a year earlier.

And if you extend that to the rest of the year, were probably going to be looking at $45 billion to $46 billion which is about 9 percent off the record from 2022s $49.09 billion, said SEIPI president Danilo Lachica.

He said the buildup in the current inventory and demand was lower than expected. Industry players, however, are looking forward to the coming year.

So now you have excess inventory that has to be used up before you go back to normal production schedules, said Lachica.

Lachica said the industry welcomes the governments efforts to promote investments in the semiconductor and electronics sector specifically on higher and advanced technologies such a wafer fabrication.

The SEIPI through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) met with American counterparts at the sidelines of the recent Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the US.

American companies encouraged the Philippines to come up with it version of the Chips Act.

The US Chips Act provides technical and fiscal support amounting to roughly $280 billion to strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing, design and research and reinforce Americas chip supply chains.

President Marcos, according to Lachica, led some discussions with two US semiconductor companies, encouraging both firms to invest in wafer fabs in the Philippines.

The President mentioned that when he was talking to the corporate executives of these companies, but the companies expressed their concerns about the cost of operating in the Philippines, he said.

SEIPI said bringing back the 5 percent gross income earned (GIE) taxation could be one of the best deals to convince US semiconductor companies to expand in the Philippines.

The President invited the US SIA Electronics Inc. to team with local companies.
Novak Djokovic said he accepts responsibility for Serbias Davis Cup semi-final defeat by Italy on Saturday after failing to convert three match points against Jannik Sinner.

The world number one had his Italian counterpart on the ropes in the second singles rubber at 5-4 up, but allowed Sinner to recover and win 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 to force the doubles decider.

Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic, who had won the opening singles rubber against Lorenzo Musetti, were defeated by Sinner and Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-4 and leave Malaga disappointed.

For me personally its a huge disappointment, because I take the responsibility, obviously having three match points, being so close to win it, Djokovic told reporters.

Yeah, its unfortunate really. This is sport. When you lose for your country, you know, the bitter feeling is even greater.

Djokovic said it was tough to swallow the defeat, in a competition he was desperate to win with Serbia for the second time after their only triumph in 2010, which he was part of.

The 36-year-old Serb, a record 24-time mens Grand Slam winner, said he thought world number four Sinners level might dip, but the Italian was relentless.

I know Janniks quality, but, you know, I was thinking maybe hes gonna drop a little bit, you know, in the doubles, but he didnt, said Djokovic.

He kept the level extremely high, and at the end of the singles match, also third set, I had a lot of chances to break him and was in his service games, but every time he needed he found the serve.

Djokovic congratulated Sinner, who has now beaten him three times in four matches across 11 days.

Sinner won in the ATP Finals group stage last week but Djokovic responded by beating the Italian to win the trophy.

They deserved it, they played really well, particularly Jannik, in singles against me and then doubles, as well, added Djokovic.

He barely missed the ball the entire match  you can only say congrats.
South Koreas spy agency chief resigned Sunday, Yonhap news agency reported, as tensions soar over neighbouring North Koreas nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

President Yoon Suk Yeol accepted the resignation offer by National Intelligence Service director Kim Kyou-hyun, Yonhap reported, without giving further details.

Kim, a former deputy national security adviser and career diplomat, was appointed in May 2022 after Yoons election victory.
Paris  Six teenagers go on trial in Paris on Monday for their role in the 2020 beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, the first of two trials in a case that horrified France.

The 47-year-old history and geography teacher was stabbed and then beheaded near his secondary school in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.

His attacker, 18-year-old Chechen refugee Abdoullakh Anzorov, was shot dead at the scene by police.

The young radicalised Islamist murdered Paty after messages spread on social media that the teacher had shown his class cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed from the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Paty had used the magazine as part of an ethics class to discuss free speech laws in France, where blasphemy is legal and cartoons mocking religious figures have a long history.

His killing took place just weeks after Charlie Hebdo republished the cartoons. When the magazine first used the images in 2015, Islamic gunmen stormed its office, killing 12 people.

Last month another teacher, Dominique Bernard, was killed in Arras in northern France by a young radicalised Islamist.

Five of the adolescents on trial, who were 14 or 15 at the time of Patys murder, will be judged behind closed doors in juvenile court for criminal conspiracy with intent to cause violence.

They are accused of having been on the lookout for Paty and identifying him to the killer in exchange for money.

A sixth teenager, who was 13 at the time, is accused of false accusation for wrongly saying that Paty had asked Muslim students to identify themselves and leave the classroom before he showed the cartoons.

In fact, the schoolgirl had not attended Patys class that day.

Her false allegation sparked violent outbursts on social media by her father, Brahim Chnina, and militant Islamist Abdelhakim Sefrioui, who made several videos denouncing Paty by name.

The two men will be judged in a criminal court in late 2024 along with six other adults.

Patys family see the trial of the teenagers as crucial, according to Virginie Le Roy, a lawyer representing his parents and one of his sisters.

The role of the minors was fundamental in the sequence of events that led to his assassination, she said.

The prosecutors case traces events over 10 days leading up to the murder, from the schoolgirl lie to online attacks and the killers arrival at the school on October 16.

According to the enquiry, Anzarov approaches a teenager outside the school and says: Hey kid. Comme and see. Ive something to propose to you.

He offers the boy 300 euros ($300) to identify Paty, saying he wants to film the teacher saying sorry.

The boy boasts to other teenagers about the offer, not wanting to do it alone. Four others join him.

They go back and forth between the school and Anzorovs hiding place, act as lookouts or film themselves with the money.

Anzorov asks one of the boys to ring the girl at the source of the stories about Paty.

She repeats the lie.

The girl later told investigators she did not know Anzorov was listening to the conversation.

When Paty leaves the school, the boys tell Anzorov: There he is.

The teacher is murdered just before 5:00 pm.

During questioning, when they broke down in tears, the teenagers swore that at most they thought Paty would be flagged up on social media, humiliated or maybe roughed up but they never imagined it would go as far as murder.

They now are high school students and risk two-and-a-half years in prison.

It is complicated, said Dylan Slama, the lawyer for one of the accused.

He will be associated with this for the rest of his life.

The trial is scheduled to last until December 8. AFP
Thousands of protesters on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) carried placards, waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans before Canadas Parliament in Ottawa, demanding a permanent ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

The diverse group included Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, Jewish, anti-war, labor and social justice organizations.

The rally followed an online petition presented to lawmakers on Friday with 286,719 signatures  said to be the most of any parliamentary e-petition  urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to press for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

A pause is not enough, said Yara Shoufani, a protest organizer, adding that thousands of Palestinians have been killed and Gazas infrastructure has been destroyed.

Protester Omar Yousif, 38, said he was taking part to awaken the world to the plight of civilians in Gaza.

The current pause in fighting, he told AFP, is definitely not enough. I think that this has to stay permanent.

In London. tens of thousands of protesters marched demanding a permanent ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, as a temporary truce largely held in Gaza.

It was the latest large pro-Palestinian demonstration in the British capital since the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel unleashed the latest conflict in the Gaza strip.

The occupation needs to end. We need a full ceasefire and not a four-day ceasefire, Alaa Hassan, a 24-year-old wellbeing practitioner, told AFP.

The demonstrators waved pro-Palestinian banners and chanted slogans as they walked through central London to the Houses of Parliament at Westminster.

Some 1,500 police officers were on duty for the protest, including 500 that had been brought in from forces outside of London.

There were no immediate reports of violence at the demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Stop the War Coalition.

We come to show our solidarity and tell the Palestinians they are not alone, we are thinking about them and we are not gonna stop until they are free, said 25-year-old student Leila Talhi.

In Gaza, a truce was largely being respected as Hamas fighters and Israels government released Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas fighters.

Hamas fighters snatched around 240 captives when they broke through Gazas militarised border with Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

In response to the deadliest attack in its history, Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.

London police have made hundreds of arrests for alleged hate crimes since the attack.

Showing support for Hamas is an offence in Britain, where the organisation is classified as a terrorist group.

The demonstration in the Canadian capital was peaceful, but earlier this month Trudeau had to be escorted to safety as police broke up a pro-Palestinian protest outside the Vancouver restaurant where he was dining.

The prime minister had said earlier that day that the killing of women, of children, of babies in the Israel-Hamas war must stop, drawing a strong rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

In Gaza, a temporary truce was largely being respected Saturday as Israel released Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas.

Hamas fighters snatched around 240 captives when they broke through Gazas militarized border with Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli authorities.

In response to the deadliest attack in its history, Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive aimed at destroying Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, according to the Hamas government in Gaza. AFP
The Philippine delegation to the 31st Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum has promoted the newly created Maharlika Investment Corp., which will manage the Maharlika Investment Fund, to their fellow legislators during the three-day regional conference that ended Saturday, Speaker Martin Romualdez said.

On the sidelines, we have mentioned that we have passed and enacted the law regarding the Maharlika Investment Corp., Romualdez told reporters Saturday night after delivering the closing remarks at the forum.

The Speaker co-chaired the annual meeting, which the Philippine Congress hosted, with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

The local lawmakers were also hosting their visiting counterparts in a farewell dinner Sunday night, with some of them going to tourist hotspot Tagaytay City along with Senator Francis Tolentino, the citys former mayor.

They can see that we can be proud of our beautiful country, and our vibrant economy, Romualdez said.

They see this along with our vibrant democracy, the freedom of our press, and the freedom of expression we enjoy, and thus they can see that we are a great investment center and a haven for all the sovereign wealth funds around the world, so the future of our own sovereign wealth fund is bright, the Speaker said.

Last week, President Marcos had sworn into office Rafael Consing Jr. as the first president and chief executive officer of Maharlika Investment Corp.

The Palace said that Consing, as MIC president and CEO for three years, will ensure that MIC continues to make significant contributions to the nations long-term economic prosperity.

Consing is an accomplished, results-driven, and multi-awarded C-level executive with a profound depth of experience in corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, global capital markets, stakeholder relations, and business strategy development, the Palace said in a statement.

In his talks with his regional peers, Romualdez said many of them have expressed the desire to visit the Philippines again.

They were all pleased, and many of them want to come back. If you want to come back, it means you are happy with what youve seen and experienced. Thats why what the President (Marcos) and I have been saying is correct, the Filipino people are the best, he said.

The hospitality, the respect (we show our guests), the accommodations, they could all see our preparation was top-notch. The arrangements were seamless, and our people were working overtime to perform. The guests were really surprised how complete we were with everything, from our education, arts, industry, we have it all, the Leyte solon added.

The Speaker also reiterated the Presidents foreign policy mantra: A friend to all and an enemy to none, as he expressed confidence that many Asia-Pacific nations would support the Philippines campaign for a seat in the United Nations Security Council.
Four Chinese law enforcement vessels that participated in the 135th Mekong River joint patrol docked at a port in Southwest China's Yunnan province on Friday afternoon, marking the successful conclusion of an operation also involving Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand.

The joint patrol saw seven vessels and 176 law-enforcement officers from the four countries and covered over 600 km of waterway.

During the patrol, the joint taskforce from these countries inspected 137 vehicles, 285 individuals, and over 60 tonnes of goods. One person involved in illegal border crossing was apprehended, while one boat-capsizing incident was handled, with two Laotian crew members rescued in the process.

In a bid to ensure effective emergency response and management in the Mekong River region, a joint search and rescue drill was carried out, including the rescue of individuals that had fallen into the water, firefighting on boats and underwater detection and salvage.

Meanwhile, the law enforcement officers also conducted campaigns to combat illegal transboundary activities through promotional initiatives in coastal villages, ports and schools.

In addition, a Chinese medical team was dispatched to Muang Mo, Laos, to provide free clinic services for the locals. They carried out cardiovascular disease screenings and general medical consultations for over 300 people, distributed more than 200 epidemic prevention brochures and donated various medicines.

The Mekong River, also known as the Lancang River in China, is an important waterway for cross-border transportation.




DFA convincing 26 Filipinos in Gaza to repatriate; more hostages freed

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is expecting more Filipinos to return home from Israel, which is at war with the Palestinian Hamas group, as it is still convincing the remaining 26 Pinoys in Gaza to join 111 who have already fled the Strip and returned to Manila.

Hamas fighters were set Sunday to release a third group of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a day after freeing captives including a young woman snatched from a desert rave.

One of two Filipino hostages held by Hamas, Gelienor Pacheco, was released earlier with the first batch, but the fate of the second, Noralyn Babadilla, was as yet unclear.

The Israeli government will give Jimmy Pacheco and his family lifetime social security benefits and regular stipends like those given to Israelis who are victims of terrorist attacks, the Philippine Embassy in Israel said Sunday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited Pacheco at a hospital where he is recovering after 49 days in captivity in Gaza.

I am only alive because of the Lord. Even on the day they abducted me, I was really thinking about my family. While I was in Gaza, I just wanted to live for my family, the embassy quoted Pacheco as saying.

In a Facebook post, Pacheco shared a photo of his breakfast, saying he was no longer eating tissue paper.

Pacheco was among those released from war-torn Gaza after Israel and Hamas agreed on a four-day humanitarian truce. He was abducted during the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7.

Meanwhile, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said a ninth batch of almost 300 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Israel  which is also fighting back attacks from militants based in Lebanon in the north and the West Bank aside from Gaza  who flew back to the Philippines over the weekend.

Pinoys in Lebanon would take longer to repatriate, the department said.

In a sign of the fragility of the exchanges, the latest swap Saturday was delayed for hours after Hamas accused Israel of breaching its side of the deal that led to a four-day ceasefire in the seven-week-old war.

Despite the dispute, Hamas finally released 13 Israelis and four Thai hostages at night, officials said.

Israel said it in turn freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Repatriation

The DFA on Sunday said the government continues its repatriation of Filipinos and their families in Israel and Lebanon.

We continue our repatriation effort in Israel  we had a ninth batch for up to 299 OFWs who flew in with 14 infants or children, De Vega said.

The DFA said the latest batch of Filipinos who returned home brought the total number of repatriates from Israel to 313.

He said the 10th batch would arrive in Manila this week.

The Philippine government has activated its repatriation program for Filipinos in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon as the Israel-Hamas war rages on, killing thousands in the war-torn Gaza.

In Lebanon, the DFA gave an update about the separate repatriation effort for Filipinos as the Israel-Hamas war persists.

In Lebanon, we have 37 OFWs. We had arrivals last Wednesday and were processing around 200 in Lebanon, De Vega said.

But he explained the processing of departure of the repatriates may take longer than usual because some of them were undocumented.

Nonetheless, De Vega said they are exhausting all options for those who seek voluntary repatriation in Lebanon.

List of hostages

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had since received a list of hostages due to be released by Hamas on Sunday.

The list was being checked by security officials, it said, and families of the hostages had been informed.

Among the hostages freed late Saturday was 21-year-old Maya Regev, who had been kidnapped by Hamas fighters in their deadly assault on the Supernova music festival, a brutal episode in the broader Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

She was the first of the music festival hostages to be released since armed Hamas fighters swooped on the event, killing hundreds, taking captives, and sending others fleeing for their lives.

Maya Regev and her 18-year-old brother Itay, who was also abducted from the festival, were shown tied up in the back of a pick-up truck in a video posted on social media after the attack.

I am so excited and happy that Maya is on her way to us now. Nonetheless, my heart is split because my son Itay is still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, her mother Mirit said in a statement released by the hostage families forum.

Sigh of relief

The family of Emily Hand, a nine-year-old Israeli-Irish freed hostage, said they were overjoyed to embrace her again.

We cant find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days, the family said in a statement via the forum.

We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember all the hundreds of hostages who have yet to return.

The girl ran into the tight embrace of her father upon her release, a video by the Israeli Defense Forces showed.

An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief, said Irelands Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

Thailands Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the four hostages from his country released Saturday were healthy.

Everyone is glad to be released. Overall mental health is still good, he said in a social media post.

Israeli prison authorities said the latest group of released Palestinian detainees included 38-year-old Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in jail for detonating a gas cylinder at a checkpoint in 2015.

The ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner swap have brought the first significant relief to both sides since Oct. 7, when Hamas fighters broke through Gazas militarized border with Israel, snatched around 240 people and killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.

Ceasefire extension?

Egypt has said that it received positive feedback from both sides about the idea of extending the truce for a day or two and releasing more hostages and prisoners.

Its only a start, but so far its gone well, US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday, adding the chances are real for extending the truce.

Jordans Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for a permanent ceasefire and a complete end to this aggression.

But Israeli armed forces chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Saturday that the war to eliminate Hamas would continue.

We will return immediately at the end of the ceasefire to attack Gaza, Halevi said.

We will also do this in order to dismantle Hamas, also to create a great deal of pressure to return as quickly as possible and as many abductees as possible, every last one of them.

The latest hostage handover was delayed when Hamas said Israel was interfering in the selection of prisoners for release and not allowing aid to reach civilians in Gaza.

Hamas later said it relented when Egyptian and Qatari mediators relayed a promise by Israel to uphold the accord.

Israeli officials denied any breach of the ceasefires terms, describing Hamas actions as psychological warfare.

West Bank celebrations

Despite the row, Sundays release would be the third since the four-day truce entered into force Friday.

Hamas has released 26 Israeli hostages in exchange for 78 Palestinian prisoners in the two releases already completed.

The militants have also freed a total of 14 Thais and one Filipino. Irans foreign ministry said it had joined with key mediator Qatar to help negotiate the release of the Thai nationals.

Israeli hostages who were let go in the initial swap Friday have since reunited with their families in touching scenes.

Nine-year-old boy Ohad rounded the corner of a corridor in a hospital near Tel Aviv, breaking into a run when he caught sight of his father and hurling himself into his arms, video images showed.

The boy, his mother, and grandmother were among those released in the first exchange Friday.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, fireworks exploded and crowds filled the streets to welcome the first release of Palestinian prisoners on Friday.

I was just waiting for the day I would be released from prison so I could hug my mother like this, said Rawan Abu Matar, who served eight years for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier.

Hamas is expected to free a total of 50 hostages during the truce in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, under an agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

Aid trucks enter Gaza

The pause in fighting has also allowed more aid to reach Palestinians struggling to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Israel had placed Gaza under near-total siege.

A total of 61 trucks delivered food, water and humanitarian aid via a humanitarian passageway to northern Gaza on Saturday, the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs said.

Another 187 trucks of vital supplies had been sent separately to aid organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, it said.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of Gazas 2.4 million people have been displaced by the fighting.

Thousands have been returning since the truce to what is left of their homes.

We are civilians, said Mahmud Masood, standing in front of flattened buildings in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Why have they destroyed our houses?

Israeli troops killed eight Palestinians over a 24-hour period in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said Sunday.

Five people were killed by Israeli army fire in Jenin, the ministry said, during an incursion by a large number of armored vehicles into the city, which was recently the scene of the deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank in almost 20 years.

Medical sources said15 people were wounded, while witnesses reported that an Israeli drone had carried out an air strike on Jenins refugee camp.

Other witnesses said on Saturday that the Israeli army had surrounded Jenins public hospital and the Ibn Sina clinic, and that soldiers were searching ambulances.

They also reported heavy fighting with automatic weapons.

The Israeli army said it had carried out counterterrorism activities overnight in the Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups in the north of the territory.

It said it had arrested the suspected perpetrator of an attack that killed two Israelis in August.

A 25-year-old doctor was killed on Saturday outside his home in Qabatiya, near Jenin, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

A Palestinian was also killed in El-Bireh, near the city of Ramallah, and another during an Israeli army raid on a village south of Nablus, it said.  AFP with Rey E. Requejo
The collaboration between us and our allies will strengthen the global supply chain, stimulate investments, and even promote hard transitions towards environmental sustainability

Exonomic security is national security.

This was rightly expressed by no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a policy statement he delivered last May in Washington, DC.

The President said, We are grappling with both new and traditional threats to our peoples security  It is for this reason that I called for evolving our alliance to make it more responsive to present and emerging challenges. It is because national security is no longer simply about territorial defense.

The Indo-Pacific region is indeed riddled with emerging threats that pose risks that could disrupt its economic opportunities.

This is the context of one of the riveting sessions in the recently held, 8th annual Pilipinas Conference of the Stratbase ADR Institute that discussed Strategic Cooperation for a Secure and Robust Economic Architecture in the Philippines and in the Indo-Pacific wherein like-minded allies of the Philippines came together to state their commitments to strategic cooperation to bolster the security and economic stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

Australian Ambassador here Hae Kyong Yu said the Philippines, as one of the top priorities in their economic strategy in Southeast Asia, has been elevated as a strategic partner and expressed Australias commitment to increase bilateral trade and investment.

UK Ambassador to the Philippines, Laure Beaufils, noted how trade between the UK and the Philippines is at an all-time high and getting stronger.

She believes this is a sign of how positive exporters and investors feel about the Philippines now and in the future.

But she also mentioned theres still room to grow, especially when it comes to attracting more investments.

She emphasized the importance of ease of doing business, predictability in taxes and legislation, and tackling red tape and corruption.

Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman emphasized the importance of the Philippines in Canadas Indo-Pacific strategy and sees the Philippines as a key partner, a fellow democracy that values peace, stability, free trade, inclusive multilateralism, and human rights.

He shared Canadas plans to make targeted investments in areas that align with the Philippines COP economic security priorities in areas of food security, energy security, climate change mitigation, educational partnerships, maritime domain awareness, and defense procurement.

Hartman said Canada is committed to enhancing prosperity, safety, and sovereignty in the face of increasing geopolitical risks. So, its not just about partnership, its about working together for a safer, more prosperous future.

The Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union in the Philippines, Luc Veron, said that to bolster partnerships for economic security, there is a need to work with reliable partners in diversifying trade agreements, strengthening international rules, and investing in sustainable development.

He added the European Union cant do it alone and that a unilateral approach just wont cut it in our interconnected global economy.

The EUs economic security depends on cooperation and coordination with others and reaffirmed strong support for an open, rule-based world economic order, and multilateralism.

Prof. Dindo Manhit, President of the Stratbase ADR Institute, underscored the need for strategic cooperation to secure a robust economic structure in the Philippines and the Indo-Pacific and highlighted the private sectors crucial role in maximizing regional economic opportunities through partnerships with allies like the US, Australia, Japan, the UK, and the EU.

Elevating the role of the private sector is crucial for maximizing regional economic opportunities through strengthened partnerships with allies like the United States, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Indeed, on top of adopting a whole-of-Philippine society approach, it is imperative for the country to fortify its ties with its most beneficial economic partners.

The international community has the collective power to manage the risks to global economic security. Given the interdependence of countries for resources, forging partnerships and alliances is not just necessary, but crucial for mutual growth and stability.

Indeed, the collaboration between us and our allies will strengthen the global supply chain, stimulate investments, and even promote hard transitions towards environmental sustainability.

Its all about working together to avert an unthinkable flux of geopolitical, geoeconomic and environmental crises that, God forbid, might become the planets next existential catastrophe.
The world needs a strong, ambitious and just treaty to cut down on the mass-produced plastics which are helping fuel the climate crisis.

Millions of tons of plastic end up in landfills, rivers and the ocean every year with the potential to enter the food chain, damaging human health and the environment.

Ever since the first world environment conference in Stockholm in 1972, environmental multilateralism has been growing, increasing pressure for a binding international instrument on plastic pollution.

Last week, negotiators from around the world have been meeting in Nairobi, Kenya for the third session of what is formally known as the International Negotiating Committee (INC) to discuss proposed text.

We need a strong, ambitious and just plastic treaty, but that is only the first step, says Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, executive secretary of the secretariat, which came into being through a resolution in the UN Environment Assembly.

She told UN News that its time for everyone with a stake in the treaty to start looking at how it can be implementeda process she believes, can begin even before the treaty is fully adopted and enters into force.

The negotiations process is at its midpoint now. And for the first time, a text of the future treaty is being discussed by the Member States in its zero draft. The negotiators ambition is to have the final text ready by the end of next year and open for signing soon after.

Mathur-Filipp, detailed progress so far saying that the momentum is there, and explained why tackling plastic pollution is so vital to protect human health and the environment.

We produce around 430 million tons of plastic a year, two thirds of which are short-lived plastics, which soon become waste. Plastic pollution can have devastating impacts on our ecosystems and wildlife, our health and well-being, and the global economy, she said.

The packaging sector is the worlds largest generator of single use plastic waste. Approximately 36 percent of all plastic produced is for packaging. This includes single use food and beverage containers, 85 percent of which ends up in landfills or as hazardous waste.

Ninety eight per cent of single use plastic products are produced from fossil fuels or virgin feedstock.

Micro-plastics can enter the body through inhalation and absorption by the skin and can accumulate in organs, including in the placenta.

Some of the chemicals in micro-plastics are associated with serious health impacts, especially in women. Scientists have established links between exposure from chemical additives that leach from plastics with obesity, diabetes, poor brain health and even cancer.

Research is still being done on the effects micro-plastics have on human health.

Additionally, due to limited and inefficient waste management infrastructure, 40 percent of the worlds garbage is burned, 12 percent of which consists of plastic. The burning of plastic waste has multiple health impacts, including increasing the risk of heart diseases and aggravating respiratory problems such as asthma and emphysema. UN News
Two people have been arrested in Henry County related to a kidnapping and larceny of a vehicle that occurred in Eden, North Carolina.

Gary Lee Alverson, 40, and Sarah Michele Newton, 35, were arrested Thursday and charged with first-degree kidnapping and larceny of a motor vehicle.

On Wednesday, a mother parked her 2016 Honda Odyssey just outside Lees Little Explorers Child Care Center in Eden and left the engine running, the doors unlocked and her 1-year-old child in the vehicle while she walked other children into the day care to drop them off. Witnesses said they saw a man and a woman get into the vehicle and drive off, a release stated.

At 9:05 a.m., Eden police responded to the day care after receiving a report of the abduction, and at 9:18 a.m. they received another call saying that someone had rung the doorbell of a residence on Settlement Loop Road and left the child in a car seat on the porch. The caller described seeing a white female with short brown or reddish hair running to a white van parked in the roadway and getting into the passenger seat. The vehicle then left the area, headed toward Highway 770, the caller said.

Investigators recovered the child, who was unharmed, and returned the child to the mother.

On Thursday, police received a call from a resident in Henry County who said he or she had seen the two people wanted for the abduction and vehicle larceny, and police arrested them at an undisclosed location in Henry County.

Alverson and Newton have previous addresses from Bardstown, Kentucky, about a seven hour drive from Eden and Henry County. Both are in jail in Henry County, awaiting extradition to Rockingham County, North Carolina, the release said.

The release did not state whether Alverson and Newton were wanted in Kentucky, what their connection with Eden, or Henry County may be, or why they may have stolen a vehicle with a child in it at the daycare. The release also did not state whether the vehicle had been recovered.
On Wednesday, Nov. 22, Gov. Roy Cooper ordered all U.S. and North Carolina flags at state facilities to half-staff in honor of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

The flags will be flown at half-staff from Saturday, Nov. 25, until sunset Wednesday, Nov. 29, in honor of Carter, who passed away at age 96 on Sunday, Nov. 19. Both Rosalynn Carter and her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, 99, have been in hospice care.

An advocate for mental health and human rights, she was an honorary chair of President Carters Commission on Mental Health during his administration from 1977-1981. In 1982, she and her husband founded the Carter Center in Atlanta where she continued her passion for humanitarian work.

Ceremonies celebrating the life of Rosalynn Carter began Monday, Nov. 27. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Nov. 29, in the Carters hometown of Plains, Ga., according to a news release from the governors office.

First Lady Rosalynn Carter dedicated her life to advocating for mental health, the homeless and people who needed a voice, said the governor. She was an inspiration across the country, and I join the nation and world in honoring and praying for the Carter family.

Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are also encouraged to fly flags at half-staff for the duration of time indicated, according to the news release.

The flag in front of the McDowell County Administrative Offices in downtown Marion is at half-staff.

In McDowell County, some local residents shared their memories of the former first lady and her husband.

One of them is Tony Bradley of Marion. In 2016, his son was living in Americus, Ga., which is only a 15-minute drive from Plains.

We were down there visiting with them on Fathers Day weekend in 2016 when my son told me on that Saturday night that we were going to have to get up early Sunday morning because we were going to Plains, Georgia, for Sunday service at the Carters home church, Bradley told The McDowell News.

The former president was scheduled to teach Sunday School at the church and the Bradley family stayed after the service so they could meet Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.

I got to meet and talk with them both and was so impressed with how down to earth and gracious the first lady and the former president were, said Bradley. For several years after our meeting in 2016, I would always make the short commute from Americus to Plains when we went to visit our kids and grandson and for as long as they were physically able it was not unusual to see Jimmy and Rosalynn out walking the streets of town or shopping at the local Dollar General store.

Marion resident Cheryl Swofford shared her memories of Rosalynn Carter on Facebook.

Swofford said she was touched by dear Rosalynn Carters illness and death.

I got to talk with her twice, once when I helped with her mental health symposium at the Carter Presidential Library & Museum, Swofford stated.

Her co-worker (with Emory Universitys Department of Psychiatry at Grady Hospital in Atlanta), Dr. Geri Scheller-Gilkey, coordinated the symposia for seven or so years.

Mrs. Carter called my desk once, looking for Geri, and I got to tell her I happened to be reading her (book) First Lady from Plains, stated Swofford.

In October 1990, Swofford received a thank-you letter from the former first lady for her help with the symposia.

We have had considerable positive feedback about the meeting and how smoothly it ran, reads the letter from Rosalynn Carter. It is only with the help of people like you who contribute your time and energy that we can make these annual symposia so successful.
Some of the first survivors of human trafficking that Billings resident Britney Higgs ever spoke with were halfway around the world in Iraq. They were women seeking refuge from the wave of violence that fighters with the Islamic State brought to the region in 2015.

Higgs was then a videographer accompanying an NGO in rescuing those escaping a genocidal campaign against Yazidis living in Northern Iraq. Working through an interpreter, Higgs learned firsthand the experiences of the women and girls rescued from massacres and sexual slavery.

One thing Ill never forget was, so many of them told me I wish I would have just died, said Higgs, who with her husband Sammy Higgs launched the HER Campaign, a non-profit in Montana dedicated to assisting survivors of sex trafficking.

The U.S. State Department estimates there are 28 million victims of human trafficking throughout the world at any given time. Trafficking humans for sex or labor transcends demographics, but the dynamic is consistent: A victim is forced into an act against their will, be it through deception, threats of violence or physical and emotional abuse. While the State Department also estimates that about two thirds of trafficking victims are forced laborers, gaps in data collected from survivors mars the accuracy of all reports on human trafficking. Federal law has only recognized human trafficking as a crime since the year 2000.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline, operated by the non-profit Polaris Project, maintains an online database of the number of reports its received since it launched in 2007. From the roughly 1,500 tips the hotline received from Montana, which include phone calls, text messages or emails, the Human Trafficking Hotline identified 446 victims in the state.

Over the past decade, law enforcement in Montana has broken up suspected sex trafficking rings across the state. In one instance, a call for help from a survivor in Billings led to a 30-year prison sentence for a man who trafficked her in Montana, Washington and North Dakota. The shooting death of a young woman in 2019 led Billings police to a sex and drug trafficking racket in which woman and girls were brought to local motels and forced to engage in commercial sex. Five men were eventually charged and sentenced for operating the trafficking scheme.

During the most recent Montana State Legislature, lawmakers passed House Bill 112, which brought the penalty for patronizing a prostitute from a misdemeanor to a felony. In July, 18 people in Gallatin County were charged with sex trafficking, per the new state law, following a sting operation in Bozeman. The change in state law was one part of the Montana Department of Justices campaign to bolster its fight against human trafficking.

The department has tracked a massive upswing in human trafficking cases investigated in Montana, with a more than 1,000% increase in annual cases since 2015. Speaking to the Gazette in 2022, advocates and law enforcement attributed the increase in cases to the increase in resources dedicated to prosecuting traffickers and assisting survivors.

In the nearly eight years since Britney and Sammy Higgs launched the HER Campaign, both Governors Office and the Montana DOJ have become strategic partners for the non-profit, which has sheltered more than 200 sex trafficking survivors.

The seed that eventually blossomed into the HER Campaign began in 2016 during a family trip. While taking a break on a cross-state drive with her husband and children, Britney Higgs had a vision that she credits to her faith. Her experience in Iraq, combined with conversations shed had with a friend regarding sex trafficking in India and Nepal, spurred her interest in wanting to create a safe house for survivors in Montana. Without even knowing how to launch a safe house, she shared that vision with her husband, and the nonprofit was founded less than a year later.

In between Britney Higgss vision and the HER Campaign assisting its first survivor, the couple put themselves through a battery of trainings on hosting and assisting sex trafficking survivors. They made local contacts within law enforcement and social work agencies here in Billings, and received mentorship from a couple in Helena who have offered shelter for survivors for years. For professional training, they attended courses in creating residential programs from the non-profit Wellspring Living, an Atlanta-based organization dedicated to combating sexual exploitation through education and mentorship.

Sammy and Britney Higgs acknowledge having no professional training in social work or therapy, and have partnered with Billings health organizations to fulfill those needs for sex trafficking survivors. What the couple does offer, Sammy Higgs said, is support and a model for a healthy relationship. The first woman the couple brought into their home stayed for about 10 months, and received assistance from them for a year-and-a-half.

For us, our journey is to walk with them on their journey, he said. And its hard to get somewhere if youve never seen it before.

About 85% of the women assisted by the HER Campaign have been through the foster care system, Britney Higgs said, and most of them are mothers.

Many of them come from broken homes, and its never been modeled for them what safe relationships are, she said. Are Sammy and I perfect? No. But we do have tools in our tool belt to show them things like how to navigate conflict safely and healthily.

Since the Higgs assisted their first survivor through the HER Campaign, their programs have expanded from their Billings home doubling as a safe house to campuses providing housing along with on-site therapy and job training. Like all forms of trauma, healing from sex trafficking is not linear, Britney Higgs said, with nearly all of the survivors she has worked with seeking help from the non-profit with also grappling with addiction and mental health problems.

Somebody doesnt get into a vulnerable position if they havent been through something traumatic, she said. You need to get rid of your fear of someone who is dealing with mental issues or addiction, even if their behavior is something youd classify as crazy.Get rid of your fear, get curious about them and just listen.

Treating a person carrying the trauma of sex trafficking, she said, requires a holistic approach to meet specific needs as they make their way from recovery and into economic independence. For the HER Campaign that means offering a safe house for survivors where they can eat and sleep for a few days, then assigning them a case manager to see if theyd like clinical treatment at the organizations eight-week emergency shelter. After graduating from the emergency shelter, survivors have the option of entering programs for long-term residence, then transitional housing which can last over a year.

If theres just the long-term care, Sammy Higgs said, youre asking someone whose brain is on fire and in a crisis to commit to a long term decision. That emergency shelter is there to help them stabilize so they can make the decision thats best for themselves.

A recent grant for the Gianforte Family Foundation allowed the HER Campaign to purchase the emergency shelter property the couple had been leasing for the past two years. On November 28, the non-profit will host a benefit at the Billings Depot. Those interested in attending can find more information at https://hercampaign.org/.
RALEIGH  The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Low Income Energy Assistance Program will begin accepting applications from older adults and people with disabilities on Dec. 1.

The federally funded program helps low-income households with a one-time payment sent directly to their heating vendor to offset the high cost of warming their homes during the cold weather months.

We know the cost of most things are increasing, and keeping homes warm and safe this winter will be a bigger burden for some of our neighbors, said Carla West, senior director for human services at NCDHHS. LIEAP helps ensure North Carolinas older adults and people with disabilities who may be facing a financial hardship have the funds to help stay warm throughout these colder months.

Payments will be distributed automatically to heating vendors beginning in December if a member of the household meets the following three requirements:

Is age 60 or older or a person with a disability receiving services through the NCDHHS Division of Aging and Adult Services (NC DHHS: Aging and Adult Services

),

Currently receives Food and Nutrition Services (

) and

Received a LIEAP payment during the 2022-2023 season.

Households meeting the requirements for the automatic payment will be notified of their eligibility in November and do not need to re-apply for LIEAP.

Any household with someone 60 or older or disability and is receiving services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services who did not receive notice of an automated payment, can apply online at www.epass.nc.gov. Applicants can also call their county department of social services (Local DSS Directory  NCDHHS) to apply by phone, in person or print a paper application from www.epass.nc.gov to mail, fax or drop off at their county department of social services.

To be eligible for the LIEAP program, a household must:

Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets the eligibility requirements,

Have income equal to or less than 130% of the federal poverty limit, and

Be responsible for their heating cost.

Beginning Jan. 2, all other eligible households who meet the eligibility requirements may begin applying. Applications will be accepted from Jan. 2 to March 31 or until funds are exhausted.

Last year, the LIEAP program provided approximately $63 million to help more than 143,000 households pay their heating bills from December 2022 through March 2023.

For more information on the program and eligibility, visit www.ncdhhs.gov/assistance/low-income-services/low-income-energy-assistance.
Hey lo di o doh!

For more than 72 years, thats how Napa Valley Nursery School preschoolers and families have greeted each other.

Its how we say hello, explained the school director, Adrianne Koford.

Koford and the nursery school families would like to keep those hellos going.

Theres just one problem: After 61 years on the campus of the Napa Methodist Church in downtown Napa, the Napa Valley Nursery School needs to find a new home.

The church recently announced a partnership with Napa Valley Community Housing, the manager of rent-limited apartment complexes, and Burbank Housing, a developer of affordable housing projects. The plan is to build 46 units of work force housing on the congregations property at 625 Randolph St.

46 units of work force housing planned for downtown Napa Methodist campus A Napa Methodist church will demolish two buildings on its downtown property to build workforce housing.

Two of the three buildings on the campus, at the intersection of Fourth, Randolph, Franklin and Division streets, will be demolished. The historic Methodist church will remain, according to Dave Whitmer of the Napa church.

The nursery school has until June 2025 to relocate.

As Napas only parent-led school cooperative, the nonprofit nursery school offers a unique experience, according to Koford.

The school has two classrooms, one for Tuesday and Thursday students and one for Monday, Wednesday and Friday students. Each classroom can accommodate about 20 kids. Students range from age 2 to 5.

Koford staffs the school daily with four family volunteers  but they dont have to be parents, she noted. Aunts, uncles and grandparents volunteer as well, and other family members serve on the nursery school board and in other roles.

Open from 9 a.m. to noon, monthly tuition at Napa Valley Nursery School runs from $300 for the Tuesday and Thursday program to $410 for the Monday, Wednesday and Friday program. Koford noted that the school offers tuition assistance and can subsidize as much as 90% to 100% of the cost.

We have a commitment to making it accessible to a range of families and students, she said. Its not just a school. It's a community. It's a resource that's a gift for our families in Napa.

Of course, affordable rent will be another challenge of the move. Currently Napa Valley Nursery School pays less than $1,000 a month for its lease.

I don't know if we'd ever be able to replicate that, admitted Koford.

This director, a mom of four, said she feels a deep obligation to the school and its search for a new home. Three of Kofords children have attended Napa Valley Nursery School and her youngest is currently enrolled.

Lori Ware, the former longtime director of the nursery school, is her mentor and friend, added Koford.

She was here for 30 years, and I would plan to do the same, said Koford. So I'm hopeful that we can find a place that we can continue.

With a deep alumni list, the director is hoping that the word will get out about the search and something will fall into place.

That could include financial help, or space or knowledge about how to relocate a school.

I'm educated in child development, not commercial leasing, Koford said. I don't know how to do some of the things that are going to need to be done.

A cooperative nursery school means people work together, she noted. That means its going to take a community effort to save this community school, said Koford. If the community wants it, they'll support it.

And hopefully there's people that are passionate enough about the school and have had it impact their lives that they want to see it impact other people and go forward.

Koford said there are no hard feelings toward the Methodist church about the move.

"We have loved working with (the church) for many years, she in a previous interview.

They have supported us in our mission to provide a nurturing, inclusive and accessible space for young children and their families to learn side-by-side together. Even though the new homes will displace the nursery school, I appreciate their vision and future plans for the Napa community, she said.

PHOTOS: Napa Valley Nursery School seeks new home
Ardshinbank was recognized as the Bank of the Year in Armenia for the fourth time by The Banker magazine

Economy minister: Armenias national air carrier needs additional funding

Armenia economy minister on cars customs clearance fees: We will have internal discussions with EAEU

Armenia president attends COP 28 opening ceremony

Defense minister meets with head of EU delegation to Armenia (PHOTOS)

Armenia Security Council chief to travel to US

Armenia was informed about antiterrorist measures in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan FM claims

Ambassador Kvien: US proud to work with Armenian counterparts to preserve Armenias cultural heritage

PM lauds Romania role in deploying EU civilian monitoring mission in Armenia

Porsche holds 3rd generation Panamera world premiere

Hamas violated ceasefire, Israel says

US dissatisfied with Turkey

Newspaper: Armenia national air carrier suspending flights

Archaeologists to soon reveal Great Pyramid of Gizas main secret

Fast & Furious 9 movie producers fined $1M

Armenia, mediators are to blame for military aggression against Karabakh Armenians, Azerbaijan FM claims

Armenia did not participate in the meeting of representatives of the CSTO member states

The OSCE Chairmanship supports the dialog aimed at concluding a peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan

We need Azerbaijan to stop rejecting proposals of facilitators to meet and finalize the peace treaty. Ararat Mirzoyan

Representatives of CSTO member states met in Northern Macedonia

Nassim Taleb: Painful that Mt. Ararat is in Turkey, Armenia is having territorial reductions

Nassim Taleb predicts 3 major global risks: pandemic, financial collapse, rising debt

Armenian captive Gagik Voskanyan not brought to court, Azerbaijan media report

Mirzoyan to Colomina: Azerbaijan public position on territorial integrity mutual recognition is of paramount necessity

Lavrov: Russia ready to contribute to normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

Mirzoyan presents to Lavrov Armenia positions regarding Russia steps

Ararat Mirzoyan, Javier Colomina discuss Armenia-NATO partnership

Kremlin: Russia considers Armenia an ally

France envoy to Armenia: Karabakh refugees have the right to return to their homes

Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation commissions 5th meeting held at border

Poland First Lady arrives in Armenia

The PM, no longer the president, to appoint and dismiss Armenia National Security Service director and deputies

Armenia president travels to Dubai for UN Climate Change Conference

Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs meeting not planned in North Macedonia

International law expert: Torture, inhumane treatment of Armenian detainees continues in Azerbaijan

US deputy assistant secretary of state for education, cultural Affairs is in Armenia

FM to France official: Armenia sent recommendations package to Azerbaijan to move settlement process forward (PHOTOS)

Monument Watch: Azerbaijan propaganda machine circulates new theory

Armenia FM, EU foreign policy chief confer about South Caucasus security

Maragos: There is move towards situation stabilization on the ground ever since EU mission deployment in Armenia

EU ambassador: Armenia citizens largely benefit from Visa Facilitation agreement

Armenia, Azerbaijan border delimitation state commissions meeting kicks off

Ambassador Maragos: EU hopes Armenia, Azerbaijan will come to some understanding during border delimitation talks

Yerevan hosting international conference on Armenian communities of Middle East

Ararat Mirzoyan, David Cameron speak about South Caucasus developments

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger dies aged 100

Towards a Brighter Tomorrow: India's G20 Presidency and the Dawn of a New Multilateralism

Newspaper: Armenia, Azerbaijan deputy PMs to meet today in Tavush Province

Mirzoyan, Blinken discuss South Caucasus security, stability

Ararat Mirzoyan underscores Netherlands support to Armenia sovereignty

EU reiterates support to Armenia-Azerbaijan relations normalization based on 1991 Almaty Declaration

Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan stresses EU programs strategic importance for Armenia

Envoy presents vision of Armenias Crossroads of Peace project to Greece lawmaker

Armenia, Georgia security councils chiefs discuss regional security, stability (PHOTOS)

Another judicial farce to begin in Azerbaijan against another Armenian

Opposition MP: Armenia will face serious economic problems next year

Karabakh ex-official says he does not consider signing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty possible at this phase

Dollar, euro go up in Armenia

Armenia premier meets with big businessman from Egypt

Armenia economy minister: Situation at Upper Lars checkpoint is strange

EU Special Representative for South Caucasus discusses peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Turkey

Amazon Web Services representative to Armenia PM: We are in active discussions with high-tech ministry

The banks should help the customers in making right decisions when managing their own funds. Saribek Sukiasyan

Armenia FM to attend OSCE Ministerial Council

Armenia-UK 6th strategic defense consultations held in London (PHOTOS)

Gagik Aghajanyan: Upper Lars border checkpoint closure means Armenia-Russia relations termination

Vahan Kerobyan: Armenia, Russia representatives will discuss situation at Upper Lars border checkpoint

Kremlin: Currently no plans for Russia President-Armenia PM contacts

Freight-forwarding company director: Yerevan is 2nd largest cargo-container hub in South Caucasus

Armenia, Azerbaijan deputy PMs meeting to be held in Tavush-Kazakh sector of border, media report

Russia MFA pays attention to dispute over Armenian Gardens in Jerusalem

Armenia parliament speaker: I tried to grasp who these people are who dont want to live side by side with Azerbaijanis

Media: South Caucasus to be discussed at Turkey security council

Karabakh former official Samvel Babayan speaks about negotiating with Azerbaijan

Karabakh ex-official: Artsakh issue cannot be resolved at any time

Japan space agency hit with cyberattack

Saudi Arabia capital Riyadh wins right to host Expo 2030 world fair

Newspaper: Armenia ruling force MP ready to live in Azerbaijan if his safety is ensured

World's largest iceberg moves, leaves Antarctica after nearly 40 years of 'rest'

Armenian-made satellite to be launched into space on Friday

Armenia MFA: Azerbaijan continues blocking matter of sending UNESCO mission to Karabakh

Turkey deputy FM, Toivo Klaar discuss South Caucasus, media report

Armenia deputy PM receives World Bank regional director

Dollar, euro drop Armenia

Cyprus to host 30 children forcibly displaced from Karabakh, for 12 days of entertainment

"Gyumri" branch of AMIO BANK was reopened under a new brand (PHOTOS)

Alen Simonyan: Armenia should attend EAEU summit in St. Petersburg

Armenia legislature head: Karabakh issue was resolved in 2016

PM Nikol Pashinyan receives delegation led by head of the Lithuania-Armenia interparliamentary friendship group

Some Armenia trucks sent back from Upper Lars checkpoint on Georgia-Russia border

National Assembly speaker: Nagorno-Karabakh issue does not exist for Armenia

Alen Simonyan: No agreement on new meeting between Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders

Armenia legislature speaker: Peace agreement can be signed within next 15 days if Azerbaijan shows political will

Armenia legislature head: Our political relations with Russia are bit tense

Irakli Garibashvili to Armenia PM staff chief: Georgia ready to assist peace process in region

Armenia parliament chair: We are ready to return Azerbaijanis enclaves to them

Amaryan Charitable Foundation Commits initial 122 mln AMD in Support to Syunik Region

Armenia National Assembly speaker: We have 31 villages whose territories are under Azerbaijan occupation

Embassies to be opened in Armenia, S. Korea on reciprocity basis

Armenia legislature head: I don't understand what Azerbaijan delaying time will give it or to the region
China's independently developed ARJ21 regional jetliner has welcomed its 10 millionth passenger on Friday since its entry into commercial service in 2016.

The ARJ21, or Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century, hit the milestone of meeting the threshold of safely carrying 10 million passengers over the past seven years, with the flight carrying 81 passengers from Guangzhou to Jieyang in south China's Guangdong Province.

Since the jetliner formally went into commercial operation, 117 aircraft have been delivered to Chinese and foreign airlines.

It has opened over 400 domestic and international routes to more than 140 cities and started overseas service in Indonesia.

Multiple derivatives are developing to adapt to the needs of different domestic aviation markets, according to its developer, such as jets for business, medical and emergency rescue aviation, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).

In October, the first two air freighters converted from ARJ21 passenger planes were delivered, marking a milestone in the jetliner's conversion program.
I embarked on my pontifical visit on 6th of November in Washington DC; and in the last 15 days in my messages, speeches and meetings I addressed issues and challenges pertaining to the mission of the Armenian Church and the imperative of reorganizing of our communities. In discussing these issues I laid the emphases on the critical importance of renewal, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I noted in his closing remarks of at the official banquet organized in his honor in NYC.

Let me put it realistically: We cannot continue our church and community life without engaging them in a process of renewal which implies critical re-evaluation.

1) My first observation is related to globalisation. We are living in a world dominated by globalisation. Globalisation is a system, world view, way of life; it is a culture which permeates all aspects of our life, individual and community, our reflection and action, even our self-understanding. Our approach to globalisation, should not be reactive but proactive. The question is how can we interact creatively with globalisation and, at the same time, preserve those values that ensure and sustain our identity.

2) My second observation pertains to our church. The Armenian Church is one of the most ancient churches in world christendom. In a rapidly and radically changing world, renewal of the church is no more an option, but a must. Renewal is not just a change or re-adjustment of certain aspects of the church. Renewal is essentially making our church a church for 21st century by responding to new realities and expectations of the people; it is making the church a living, witnessing, serving reality.

3) My third observation concerns our self-understanding as a community. Who we are? This question may sound somewhat odd, but it is an important question. Are we Armenians living in USA? Are we Americanized Armenians? I was student here in NYC when in 1976 USA celebrated the bicentennial of its independence. This was an occasion for many communities to reaffirm their specific identity. I remember the well-known book, Roots, written by Alex Haley. USA is a country of ethnic and religious diversities, and what unite these diversities are common American values. We are one of the communities of USA and therefore we must be proud of our identity as other communities are. We must make a clear distinction between integration and assimilation. We are, of course, with integration, being an integral and inseparable part of American society. We are against assimilation in this melting pot that characterizes American society.

4) As a nation we are at a crucial juncture of our modern history. We are dominated by uncertainties, tensions and polarisation in Armenia and Diaspora-Armenia relations. After the tragedy of Artsakh, Armenia is exposed to new dangers. As Diaspora we cannot remain indifferent. We are called to discern the emerging geopolitical realities which, unfortunately, are not in favor of Armenia. Let me be clear. We cannot continue the way we are by repeating ourselves, by living the past in the present, and by guiding our life with slogans. We must be realistic.

We need charismatic and visionary leaders, in Armenia and in Diaspora, who are able to read the signs of times and lead our homeland and nation accordingly, guided by the supreme values and interests of our nation.

We need to develop a new strategy in the face of new challenges and circumstances confronting our homeland and Diaspora.

We must get rid of frozen mentality, dogmatic approaches, and stereotypes that dominate our perceptions and actions, and develop new strategies and methodologies that are in line with the emerging realities and are undergirded by the ideals of our nation.

I firmly believe that our youth with their creative mind and forward looking vision can play a pivotal role in opening of our nation and homeland to broader spaces new horizons, he said.
21:49

Amid speculations about the fate of the proposed Tajpur port, senior West Bengal minister Sashi Panja on Sunday said the project is very much on track and talks are underway with the Adani group on the matter.





To a question about the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's claim that the project has become uncertain as the Adani group has pulled out of it, the state Minister for Industries, Commerce and Enterprises alleged that the opposition was making 'false claims' without knowing anything about it.





"The project is very much on the cards and talks are on with the party concerned, i.e. Adani group," she said.





When asked whether there has been any breakdown in talks with the Adani group, which had been initially named as a potential investor for the project, Panja said, "There has not been any such development."





Permission has been sought from the Centre for the construction of the port and the Union government has asked for some clarifications, she said.





Speculation was abuzz after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at the Bengal Global Business Summit on Tuesday that a tender will be launched for the development of the Tajpur deep sea port.





"The proposed deep sea port at Tajpur is ready for tenders. You can participate in the process..." Banerjee had told the delegates at BGBS, triggering speculations that Adani was no longer part of the project. -- PTI


In a significant Think20 handover ceremony from India to Brazil, Sujan Chinoy, a former Indian diplomat, emphasised the T20's mission in addressing paramount global priorities. Addressing the Cape Town Conversation event, Chinoy stated, "T20 India set out to find answers to the most important priorities of our times - reforming multilateralism, digital inclusion, resilient global value chains, the green transition, and changing lifestyles for sustainable development." Chinoy acknowledged the impact of T20 India's recommendations, noting, "This is most palpable in four main areas - multilateral reform, green transitions, digital public infrastructure, and women-led development." He also highlighted the One Future Alliance's achievement, stating, "The Indian model of DPIs has revolutionised digital payments. Social protection and women-led development, so far buried as footnotes in the G20 system, were brought into the limelight in India's G20." "The able support of our Indonesia, Brazil, and South Africa colleagues deserves special mention here--as we formally hand over the reins of the Think20 to our Brazilian colleagues here in Cape Town," the former Indian diplomat further said. Think20 (T20) is an official engagement group of the G20. It serves as an "idea bank" for the G20 by bringing together think tanks and high-level experts to discuss policy issues relevant to the G20. Samir Saran, President of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), outlined the magnitude of T20 India's contributions, stating, "We had 131 Chairs and Co-Chairs from 88 international institutions. We produced 323 policy briefs, 46 short forms, 7 task force statements, and the Communique." T20 recommendations are synthesised into policy briefs and presented to G20 working groups, ministerial meetings, and leaders' summit to help the G20 deliver concrete policy measures. Luciana Servo, President of The Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA), expressed gratitude for T20 India's efforts, emphasising the importance of T20 as a bridge between think tanks and academics. She said, "T20 is an ongoing platform for dialogue and conversation. Its adaptability allows it to respond better to global issues." As T20 transitions to Brazil, Marcia Loureiro highlighted the commitment to a close working relationship with counterparts in South Africa, stating, "Our motto is 'building a fair world and a sustainable planet'." Izabella Teixeira of T20 Brazil emphasised the importance of a GlobalSouth voice, saying, "When South Africa takes the presidency in 2025, there should be a GlobalSouth voice that emerges. It is our responsibility if we want to change the world." Cape Town Conversations serves as an annual South Africa-based platform that brings together key stakeholders and new voices. It is designed as a common platform where established and emerging actors convene for a global conversation on contemporary issues of global governance --identifying new challenges, ideating possible solutions and shaping the world order of the future. (ANI)
Chen Mo, 40, stays nearly one-third of a year on China's youngest volcanic island, Weizhou Island, keeping over six terabytes of photos and also video footage of the endangered Bryde's whales.

Chen is an associate researcher from the Guangxi Academy of Sciences who has been studying the species in the waters near Weizhou Island since 2016.

"We identified about 10 members of the herd from 2016 to 2018. There are nearly 50 Bryde's whales now, and the herd size is still increasing," Chen said.

His team has observed the mating behaviors of adult whales, and mother whales hunting with their babies for years in the area, making the researchers believe that the island and its surrounding waters are one of the major hunting and breeding zones of Bryde's whales.

Weizhou Island sits in the Beibu Gulf, home to many endangered marine wildlife in southern China, while over 1,000 km away from the Beibu Gulf lies the Gulf of Thailand, which boasts a well-preserved marine ecosystem and rich food resources and is another essential habitat of the whales.

To jointly research and protect the Bryde's whales, Chinese research institutes, including the Guangxi Academy of Sciences, have teamed up with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) of Thailand, aiming to share information and resources.

"In 2019, we jointly conducted field surveys with our Thai counterparts in both sea areas near Weizhou Island and the Gulf of Thailand, heralding the start of our cooperation in the field of studies on Bryde's whales and other marine mammals," Chen said.

Since then, protecting Bryde's whales has become an important cooperation field between researchers from China and Thailand.

To maintain clean waters and preserve the island's ecological environment, in 2018, the Beihai municipal government of Guangxi issued a regulation to prohibit the use of disposable food containers, non-degradable plastic bags, and plastic films on Weizhou Island.

Lai Chaoyun, a 38-year-old native resident of Weizhou Island, praised the government's great efforts, including setting up a sewage treatment plant and garbage transfer stations on the island.

"The garbage is mainly collected from various homestays and hotels on the island and then sorted and packaged at the stations before being transferred outside. Every day, there are 62 tonnes of garbage transported to the nearby Beihai City," explained Lai.

Lai Chaoyun has also joined whale conservation in recent years, witnessing the increasing awareness of whale conservation among island residents.

"Many residents on the island, including those businessmen, have voluntarily joined the local environmental protection campaigns," said Lai, adding that the local tourism industry association and homestay association have also advocated businesses not to provide disposable supplies to tourists to avoid generating more waste.

Weizhou Island has recorded a more frequent presence of the rare whales over the years, indicating Guangxi's outstanding efforts in strengthening marine ecological protection.

According to data released by Guangxi's oceanic administration, the autonomous region has invested over 6 billion yuan (about 834 million U.S. dollars) of funds into relevant marine ecological protection projects since 2017, making the Beibu Gulf among China's cleanest offshore marine areas.

"The Beibu Gulf boasts various endangered animals and plants and diverse marine ecosystems. Due to its natural conditions and less disturbance caused by coastal economic activities, its ecological diversity has maintained a relatively good state," said Guan Jieyao, director of the key laboratory of Guangxi Beibu Gulf's marine biodiversity conservation under Beibu Gulf University.




After the release of 13 hostages in Israel, US President Joe Biden has vowed unwavering commitment to ensuring the return of every hostage to their loved ones. While speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, President Biden said that he would not stop until every hostage is returned to their loved ones. He also underscored the 13 hostages, including an American, who were released yesterday under a deal brokered and sustained through intensive US diplomacy. "We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones. This has been the product of a lot of hard work and weeks of personal engagement for me and my team," he said. The US President further highlighted that he has been in close contact with other West Asia countries. "We have been in close contact with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and Israel, speaking with each one of them repeatedly over the past few weeks," he added. He further said that he, his wife, and so "many Americans are praying" that 4-year-old Israeli-American Avigail Idan will be all right after she was released from Hamas captivity earlier on Sunday. Idan saw her mother killed in front of her in Kibbutz Be'eri during Hamas's October 7 terror attack and then ran to her father, who shielded her with his body, as terrorists then shot him dead, said Biden. She then ran to her neighbour's home, where she, along with those inside, was taken hostage in Gaza. "What she endured is unthinkable," Biden emphasised, noting that she celebrated her 4th birthday on Friday in captivity and that he had personally pressed for her release in a recent call with the emir of Qatar. Biden then expressed hope that the truce will be extended so that more hostages can be released. "Israel has agreed to extend the four-day truce by an additional day for every extra 10 Israeli hostages released," he added. Moreover, US President Biden stated that he has pushed for a pause for weeks in order to get hostages out of Gaza and more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Roughly 200 trucks of aid have entered Gaza during the past three days of the truce, he said. "Innocent children in Gaza are suffering greatly as well because of this war that Hamas has unleashed," leading to the deaths of thousands of civilians, Biden noted. He again stressed his plan to advance a two-state solution after the war. "I get a sense that all the players in the region... are looking for a way to end this so the hostages are all released and (that) Hamas is...no longer in control any portion of Gaza," Biden said. After the release of the hostages, hundreds of Israelis were seen cheering in Ofakim as the convoy made its way to Hatzerim Airbase near Beersheba, according to The Times of Israel. The Israel Defence Forces said that the Red Cross handed them 13 hostages near the border fence in northern Gaza. One was taken by helicopter to a hospital, and the other 12 were taken in a convoy to the Hatzerim airbase. (ANI)
GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  One person was critically injured in an overnight crash in Goodlettsville, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.

The crash was reported just before 2 a.m. in the 300 block of Dry Creek Road on Sunday, Nov. 26.

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Authorities said only one vehicle was involved in the crash. The individual involved in the crash sustained critical injuries.

The crash remains under investigation. No other information was immediately released.

 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.

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 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY)  One man is dead after a shooting in Portsmouth. The victim was identified as 29-year-old Tayontrae A. Baker.

Portsmouth Police Department were dispatched to the 800 block of Stratford Street for an adult man suffering from a gunshot wound on Nov. 25, police said.

Police were dispatched around 9:40 p.m. The victim was transported to a hospital, but died from his injuries.

Next of kin has been notified of his death.

This is an ongoing investigation.

If you have any information about this case, you can submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-888-LOCK-U-UP, downloading the P3 tips app to a mobile device, or visiting www.P3tips.com and submitting a tip.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said 10 American hostages remain in Gaza as of Sunday, and that three of them qualify for release under the latest deal because they are women and children, as anticipation builds for more hostages to be freed this weekend.

Sullivan made the rounds on the Sunday political news shows as the deal continues to unfold, revealing that the U.S. expects at least one American hostage to be released Sunday.



The Biden adviser said on ABCs This Week that there are two women, one child and seven men who make up the 10 Americans who remain as hostages taken by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7.



The three women and children meet the requirements to be released by Hamas under a deal reached by multiple countries, including the U.S., that established a four-day truce that began days earlier, in which a round of Thai, Filipino and Israeli hostages were released starting Friday.

Sullivan said the U.S. has reason to believe that one of the American hostages, a 4-year-old girl, will be released today, but he gave no guarantees.

[U]ntil we actually see her safe and sound, out of Gaza, we cannot have 100 percent certainty that it will happen, he said.

So, we are going to watch this, hour by hour, and hopefully have a moment, a moment of joy, where one of the Americans is safely out and ultimately reunited with her family. Thats what we are waiting for as we speak, Sullivan said.

The girl is Abigail Idan, who turned 4 years old while being held hostage in Gaza last week. Sullivan said Sunday while the U.S. does not know the current condition of Idan, they expect that she is alive.

What we know or have reason to believe is that she is still alive, and we are hopeful that she will be reunited with her family soon, Sullivan said. But I dont want to say more than that right now because, A, I dont want to give any false hope, and, B, perhaps more importantly, I want to make sure that Hamas actually follows through with what it has committed to today and that we see the release of the 13, including one American.

Fifty hostages total are expected to be released during the four-day truce between Israel and Hamas, but so far, no Americans have been freed. Twenty-four hostages were released Friday in the first wave, and an additional 17 were released Saturday, including a 9-year-old Israeli Irish girl who was believed to be dead, after an initial delay by Hamas.

In exchange for the hostages, Israel agreed to release about 150 Palestinian prisoners  women and teenagers  from prisons in the West Bank. Sullivan conceded Sunday that under the deal, Hamas gained some benefits from the release of prisoners and the time Hamas got to regroup under the pause in fighting.

One of them is the ability to refit and retool inside Gaza, he said. Another is to try to use social media and other formats to generate some propaganda out of it. And these are difficult decisions that any Israeli prime minister has to make.

About 240 people were taken hostage by Hamas militants when the group launched its initial attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200 Israelis. Since then, Gaza has been under heavy bombardment by Israel, with the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reporting that more than 12,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The anti-Semitism protest march in central London went off without incident - Guy Bell/Alamy

Stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowd of 100,000 people in central London, a helicopter hovering above St Jamess Park could be heard over the hushed crowd.

The hum was only a little louder than the rustling of winter coats and rhythm of feet along the pavement past old Fleet Street watering holes, less a march than a shuffle.

No flares were launched, no masks were worn. No vehicles were damaged and police acted as helpful hi-vis markers of the route, unburdened by the threat of violence.

The dozens of riot vans brought in from across the South East sat unused.

The 1,000 police on duty had an easy days overtime compared to the demonstrations of recent weeks.

No, nothing at all. Its been very calm, one female officer told a protester who asked how her day was going.

One helped a bedraggled wayward jogger find his way out of the crowd and towards a less congested route.

More marshal than law enforcement

Another gave a child on his fathers shoulders a high-five, before getting a pat on the back and a thanks from a Jewish man wearing a kippah.

Their role felt more marshal than law enforcement, with only two arrests made.

The biggest furore of the day was when Tommy Robinson appeared.

He was forced to leave by police, unwanted by the Jewish organisers of the event.

Boris

Boris Johnson, pictured above, received a much better reception, prompting cheers that broke the quiet when he arrived with wife Carrie and five-month-old Frank, chatting to demonstrators surrounding him.

David Baddiel, Judge Rob Rinder, Rev Richard Coles and Rachel Riley were all spotted in the hordes who had turned up to march against anti-Semitism along with the Chief Rabbi.

Since Oct 7, on the streets of London, we have heard chants for jihad, for intifada and from River to the Sea, said Sir Ephraim Mirvis.

But today we stand on the same streets of London and say with regard to our precious hostages: Bring Them Home.

He headed up the mass of people moving through the Strand and towards Parliament Square.

There was an awkwardness to the crowds chants. Many, on their first march, preferred to keep quiet than to join in the singing, with tunes dying out in moments.

Its a bit tame! What do we chant?

Some picked up last-minute Israeli flags on wooden sticks for 5 from outside Tube stations while others braved the drizzle wearing theirs like capes.

Its a bit tame, isnt it? What do we chant? wondered Olivia, a Jewish woman in her late 20s, there with her boyfriend and their friend.

Elsewhere, a mother pushing her baby in the pram walked her golden cocker spaniel puppy alongside.

Only when calls of bring them home began echoing around the streets did the heft of tens of thousands of people in mourning become apparent.

Three twenty-something men using a small megaphone led a rendition of Am Yisrael Chai. As hundreds join in, one joked that he does weddings too.

They carried a banner stating: Failure to condemn Hamas is anti-Semitic.

Celebrities held an anti-Semitism banner at the march - Paul Grover for The Telegraph

Another sign saying Give me antipasti, not anti-Semitism became a prop for protesters to pose with, while a child was heard reading another out loud Spread hummus, not hate.

Jews were supported by non-Jews. Six-year-old Claudia held her mother Antonias hand as the family joined the rally because they were appalled that anti-Semitism has returned to Britains streets.

Mark Elliott-Smith, a priest at Our Lady of the Assumption Warwick Street, said: I thought I had to be here and show solidarity. Ive been on a few of the demonstrations. When I wrote something about it [anti-Semitism], I was called a Nazi priest.

Id feel safer in Israel than in Britain

Rev Coles, bringing up the rear of the protest, said he had joined because many of his Jewish friends now feel frightened to walk down the street. I find that intolerable, he said.

Rueben and Natalie, a young, Jewish, married couple with family in Israel, came out to march.

Natalie said that she would feel safer in Israel, even as the bombs are falling, than in Britain, her husband nodding wearily. His three brothers live there already.

At least in Israel you feel like the state is looking after us, that the police are there to protect you, that the whole nation is with you, he said. It doesnt feel like that here.

The protest culminated with speeches from political and religious leaders.

Anti-Semitism a stain on our country

The crowds reception to the speakers was muted at first, but Robert Jenrick, the Immigration Minister, won over the crowd in Parliament Square, telling the thousands packed around Parliament that anti-Semitism is a stain on our country.

Your government will not rest until each and every one of [the hostages] is back in the loving embrace of their families. We stand with Israel, he went on.

Peter Kyle, there as a member of the shadow cabinet and vice chairman of Labour Friends of Israel, spoke after Mr Jenrick warmed up the crowds.

After the most shameful period in my partys history, I am enormously proud of the leadership Keir Starmer has shown in combating anti-Semitism and standing up for the British Jewish community, he said.

It was this that drew the biggest cheer of the afternoon before the crowd went quiet again as they began their journey home.

Gideon Falter, the chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism which organised the march, said: The voice of decency has been heard today.

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The Creek National Council House was built in 1878 and still stands today in the center of downtown Okmulgee.

The second story of the Creek Nation Council House buzzed with activity every October.

The House of Kings filled one room, and the House of Warriors gathered in a larger space across the hall. Together, the legislators considered new codes and contemplated their nations future in Indian Territory.

The Council House stood as the center of Muscogee (Creek) government for more than 30 years, and the town of Okmulgee built around it. But the Muscogee Nation was forced out of the building when Congress stripped the powers of tribal governments around the turn of the 20th century. More than 100 years passed before the tribe was able to buy it back.

Now the Council House stands as an educational space that shares that chapter of time from the tribes perspective.

We wanted to certainly fill in lots of information thats not taught in schools, said John Beaver, curator of the Council House and a citizen of the Muscogee Nation.

A history of the Creek Nation Council House, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation's first unified government

The Council House was originally a two-story log cabin built in 1868, one year after the tribal nation adopted a constitution and chose a capitol site. It marked the first time the Creek Nation would operate under a unified government, Beaver said.

The Creek Nation was made up of self-governing tribal towns, whose citizens were all forced to leave their homelands around Georgia and Alabama and move to a reservation in eastern Oklahoma. Dozens of other tribes were also forced into the lands that now make up Oklahoma.

Oklahoma landmarks: Quanah Parker's Star House featured in Ken Burns' 'American Buffalo' film

As pressure grew to open the area to white settlers, federal officials discussed carving the region up into separate states, with one that would encompass all the tribal nations. The Council House hosted annual talks about the proposal from 1870 to 1875, and delegates from many tribes traveled to attend. No consensus was ever reached.

Creek leaders replaced the cabin with a stone building in time for the 1878 legislative session. It is still standing after at least two extensive renovations.

The historic Creek Council House, capitol of the Muscogee Nation, was built in 1878 in what is now downtown Okmulgee.

The building not only included legislative chambers, but also executive, judicial and administrative spaces. Its layout today mirrors the original design.

Visitors can explore how each room was used. The original wooden desk stands in the center of the office of the principal chief. An 1890s-copy of the tribal nations constitution and codes written in the Mvskoke language lies open on the desk, along with other artifacts. Rows of wooden school desks line the Board of Education office, which doubled as a school room.

Hanging exhibits in every room offer historical information and context, with text explanations supplemented by pictures, documents and maps. One set of panels, for instance, explains how the arrival of railroads impacted the Muscogee Nation and created population hubs of non-tribal citizens.

Oklahoma landmarks: Mickey Mantle's childhood home in Oklahoma to be sold for $7 a share

Another set of panels explains the increasing pressure applied by the federal government, which was trying to force tribal nations to assimilate and divide up their lands. As one example, U.S. officials would not allow the tribe to spend $25 to translate some legal documents into Mvskoke.

The exhibits introduce people to issues that deeply affected the Muscogee Nation and other tribes, but that may not widely be known about today, Beaver said.

That was the idea and the goal of this space, he said.

The Creek National Council House was built in 1878 and still stands today in the center of downtown Okmulgee.

The Creek Council House was almost completely torn down in the 1920s

Congress formally terminated the powers of tribal governments in Oklahoma in a series of acts that made the way for statehood in 1907. The U.S. government then leased the Council House to local officials, who used it as a courthouse and sheriffs office. The city of Okmulgee eventually bought it and allowed various civic groups to use the space.

By the 1920s, some residents called for tearing it down altogether and filling the city square with something else. They went so far as tearing down parts of the stone wall surrounding the Council House, according to Okmulgee County History published in 1985.

The Creek Council House, shown in the first half of the 1900s.

But enough people rallied to save it. Their advocacy was boosted by Will Rogers, the Cherokee humorist who closed out his 1926 show in Okmulgee with an entreaty to save the building. The Council House was operating as a museum by the 1930s, with a statewide news wire reporting hundreds of people visited each month, making it one of the countys most popular attractions.

But the Muscogee Nation was not involved in operations. The tribe regained federal recognition in 1970 and worked to rebuild its government. Its headquarters are now located a five minutes drive north of the Council House.

The tribe bought the Council House from the city for $3.2 million in 2010. It later purchased the museum collections from a separate group and oversaw extensive renovations, including restoring portions of the damaged stone wall.

Oklahoma landmarks: How this mansion fits into a small-town story of oil, traded tribal land and mysteries

The space officially reopened to the public in 2018. It is open most Mondays through Fridays, except for holidays. It does not charge admission.

Although most rooms were restored to their original layout, the House of Warriors has a modern addition: a long table and chairs to fit the 16 current members of the Muscogee National Council.

That was an intentional decision so the tribes legislative branch could still hold meetings in the space, and visitors can see how the tribal government operates in the present day, Beaver said.

Youre not seeing a reenactment, he said. Youre seeing the real thing.

The Creek National Council House was built in 1878 and still stands today in the center of downtown Okmulgee.

Molly Young covers Indigenous affairs. Reach her at mollyyoung@gannett.com or 405-347-3534.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: History behind the Muscogee Creek Nation Council House in Okmulgee
Paramedics transfer a survivor of a shipwreck at a hospital, on the northeastern Aegean Sea island of Lesbos, Greece, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. A cargo ship sank off the Greek island of Lesbos early Sunday, leaving 13 crew members missing and one rescued, authorities said. The Raptor, registered in the Comoros, was on its way to Istanbul from Alexandria, Egypt, carrying 6,000 tons of salt, the coast guard said. It had a crew of 14, including eight Egyptians, four Indians and two Syrians, the coast guard said.(AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas)

ATHENS, Greece (AP)  A cargo ship sank off the Greek island of Lesbos in stormy seas early Sunday, leaving one crew member dead, 12 missing and one rescued, authorities said.

The Raptor, registered in Comoros, was on its way to Istanbul from Alexandria, Egypt, carrying 6,000 tons of salt, the coast guard said. It had a crew of 14, including eight Egyptians, four Indians and two Syrians, the coast guard said.

The ship reported a mechanical problem at 7 a.m. Sunday, sent a distress signal at 8:20 a.m. and shortly after disappeared about 4 1/2 nautical miles (8 kilometers) southwest of Lesbos, authorities said.

A dead crew member was retrieved Sunday afternoon and was transported to Lesbos. The body arrived on the island but has not been identified yet, a coast guard spokeswoman told The Associated Press.

One Egyptian was rescued, another coast guard spokeswoman told AP earlier Sunday.

She said eight merchant ships, two helicopters and one Greek navy frigate were searching for survivors. Three coast guard vessels had difficulty reaching the area because of rough seas, she added. Both spokeswomen spoke on condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing and she wasnt authorized to speak to the media.

Private TV channel Mega reported that the rescued crew member, an engineer, told coast guard officers that the ship had started taking water Saturday.

Northwesterly winds in excess of 80 kph (50 mph) per hour were blowing in the area, the national weather service said.
The Israeli hostages were eventually released after an agonising delay

A second group of hostages has been released by Hamas in a prisoner swap deal with Israel.

Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals were freed on Saturday night, despite an eleventh-hour dispute and Hamas claims that Israel had breached the terms of a ceasefire agreement.

Among those released are several survivors of the massacre at Kibbutz Beeri, one of the hardest-hit communities in southern Israel on October 7, where more than 130 people were killed.

Israeli officials are optimistic that more hostages will be released by the terror group in the coming days.

Emily Hand

Age: Nine

Emily Hand

Emily Hand was at a sleepover at her friends house in Kibbutz Beeri on the night that Hamas launched its terror attack on October 7.

The Israeli-Irish girl was thought to have been killed, but was later established to have been captured by Hamas and transported into Gaza.

She was eight years old at the time of her capture and turned nine on November 17, while in captivity.

Her father, Thomas Hand, told CBS News before her birthday: The sad thing about it is, she wont even know what day it is. She wont know whether its night or dayeven though its her birthday.

In an interview with CNN, he added: The thought of a little eight-year-old child in the hands of those animalscan you imagine the sheer horror for an eight-year-old child?

Shoshan Haran

Age: 67

Shoshan Haran

Shoshan Haran, 67, was captured from her home in Kibbutz Beeri on October 7 along with six members of her extended family who were celebrating Sukkot, a Jewish holiday, at her home.

Ms Haran is an Israeli-German citizen who runs a non-profit organisation to help farms in poor countries and holds an agriculture degree.

After her home was raided, Hamas terrorists destroyed it with explosives.

Adi, Yahel and Naveh Shoham

Ages: 38, three and eight

Adi Shoham with Yahel

Yahel and Naveh Shoham

Adi Shoham, Shoshan Harans daughter, was kidnapped along with her two children Yahel, three, and Naveh, eight.

Her husband, Tal, remains a hostage in Gaza after his wife and children were freed on Saturday.

Her brother, Yuval Haran, helped organise a march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to put pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the release of the hostages earlier this month.

Shiri and Noga Weiss

Ages: 53 and 18

Shiri Weiss

Noga Weiss

Noga Weiss watched her mother Shiri be captured by Hamas on October 7 in Kibbutz Beeri, but hid under a bed from the terrorists.

After being forced to leave their home by a fire, she was also captured and taken to Gaza with her mother.

Her father, Ilan, left home to join an emergency response group after the Hamas attacks and has not returned. He is officially classified as missing.

Maya Regev

Age: 21

Maya Regev

Maya Regev, 21, was captured by Hamas at the Supernova music festival, where terrorists butchered 260 people and captured 40.

Her brother, Itai, remains hostage in Gaza. Ms Regev was the only one of the hostages released on Saturday to be taken to hospital, but was reported to be in a stable condition with a moderate leg injury and receiving medical treatment.

She reportedly called her father before being abducted to tell him she had been shot.

Hila Rotem Shoshani

Age: 12

Hila Rotem Shoshani

Thirteen-year-old Hila Rotem Shoshani and her mother, Raaya Rotem, were taken from their home in Kibbutz Beeri.

Although Hila has now been released, her mother remains a Hamas hostage, enraging Israeli officials who said Hamas had split up families.

Hila initially escaped from terrorists in the kibbutz and hid in some nearby bushes, but was discovered and taken as a hostage.

She is described as a friendly girl with a good heart who loves making TikTok videos and riding on her skateboard.

Noam and Alma Or

Ages: 17 and 13

Noam Or

Alma Or

The Or family was devastated on October 7 when Hamas captured Noam and Alma Or and killed their mother Yonat.

On Saturday the two children, aged 17 and 13, were released in the hostage deal but their father Dror and cousin Liam remain in Hamas custody.

Dror Or is a local chef and cheesemaker in Beeri, while his wife created her own furniture line.

Sharon and Noam Avigdori

Ages: 52 and 12

Sharon Avigdori

Noam Avigdori

Noam Avigdori and her mother, Sharon, were captured at Kibbutz Beeri on October 7.

Seven members of their family were kidnapped and three murdered when Hamas launched its attack.

Noam, 12, was about to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah, and is described as a dog lover and a cheerful girl who is always surrounded by many friends.

Her mother is a drama therapist who works with autistic children.

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A teenager was found dead after multiple homes and vehicles were hit by gunfire.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The incident happened Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Milledgeville Police said officers were called to the 2300 block of Anthony Way in regard to multiple reports of shots fired.

As officers were on their way to the scene, they were reportedly made aware of several homes and vehicles hit by gunfire.

According to officials, callers told dispatchers that passengers inside a red Dodge Charger and a dark blue Toyota Corolla were seen shooting from the vehicles.

TRENDING STORIES:

Once officers arrived, they found the Toyota Corolla at the end of Anthony Way with multiple bullet holes and a 16-year-old boy dead in the front passenger seat, authorities said.

As police were securing the crime scene a Baldwin County deputy noticed a red Dodge Charger on Dunlap Road and executed a traffic stop.

Milledgeville officials said the Dodge Charger also had bullet holes.

All four passengers were detained and taken to the Baldwin County Jail for questioning by Milledgeville detectives.

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The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Milledgeville Police Department at 478-414-4090 and ask for Det. Nick Reonas. Tips can also be sent to Macon Regional Crimestoppers at 478-742-2330.

IN OTHER NEWS:
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP)  Hamas released 13 Israelis and four foreigners late Saturday in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal, the Israeli military said, after the militant group initially delayed the exchange for several hours and claimed that Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal.

The army said Red Cross representatives transferred the freed hostages, including four Thais, to Egypt late Saturday. They were to be transferred to Israel later in the evening.

Ukraines military says Russia launched its largest drone attack since the start of the invasion

Israel was to free 39 Palestinians later Saturday as part of the deal that ultimately went through after international mediation efforts.

The last-minute delay had created a tense standoff on the second day of whats meant to be a four-day cease-fire. By nightfall, as the hostages should have emerged from Gaza, Hamas alleged that the aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough of it was reaching northern Gaza  the focus of Israels ground offensive and main combat zone. Hamas also said not enough veteran prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.

This is putting the deal in danger, Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in Beirut. But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said obstacles had been overcome, and Hamas listed six women and 33 teenage boys it said were expected to be released by the Israelis. Two women, Maysoun Jabali and Israa Jaabis, were imprisoned in 2015 after being convicted of carrying out attacks on Israelis. Jaabis suffered severe burns during the incident.

While uncertainty around some details of the exchange remained, there was some optimism, too, amid earlier scenes of joyous families reuniting on both sides.

On the first day of the cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.

Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners, during the four-day truce  all women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed  something U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.

Separately, a Qatari delegation arrived in Israel on Saturday to coordinate with parties on the ground and ensure the deal continues to move smoothly, according to a diplomat briefed on the visit. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details with the media.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands. At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate.

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

We want to find them and bury them in dignity, he said.

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (34,078 gallons) of fuel  just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume  as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

I wish it could be extended until peoples conditions improved, he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.JOY AND EXPECTATION

In Tel Aviv, several thousand people packed a central square called the square of the hostages, awaiting news of the second release.

Dont forget the others because its getting harder, harder and harder. Its heartbreaking, said Neri Gershon, a Tel Aviv resident. Some families have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government of not doing enough to bring hostages home.

In the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank, the family of 16-year-old Wael Mesheh was frantically getting the house ready for his homecoming as part of the second swap. We are going to hug him so tight, his mother, Hanadi Mesheh, said by phone.

The first group of freed Israelis included nine women and four children ages 9 and under. They were taken to Israeli hospitals for observation and were declared to be in good condition.

Hours later, 24 Palestinian women and 15 teenage boys held in Israeli prisons in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem were freed. The teenagers had been jailed for minor offenses like throwing stones. The women included several convicted of trying to stab Israeli soldiers.

Its a happiness tainted with sorrow because our release from prison came at the cost of the lives of martyrs and the innocence of children, said one released prisoner, Aseel Munir al-Titi.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

On Saturday, at least two Palestinians were injured at a tense West Bank checkpoint where Israel was to free prisoners. Israeli security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians gathered at Beitunia checkpoint. It was not clear how the two were injured.A LONGER PEACE?

The war erupted when several thousand Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages, including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.

We will return immediately at the end of the cease-fire to attacking in Gaza, operating in Gaza, Herzi Halevi, Israeli chief of staff, told soldiers.

Israeli leaders have said they wont stop until Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for the past 16 years, is crushed. Israeli officials have argued that only military pressure can bring the hostages home. But the government is under pressure from hostages families to prioritize the release of the remaining captives.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where communications have broken down.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
 Flash

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on the sidelines of the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea in Busan, South Korea, on Nov. 25, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

China and Japan should earnestly implement consensus reached by leaders of the two countries to push forward bilateral relations along the right track of sound development, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Busan, South Korea, on Nov. 25, 2023.



Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on the sidelines of the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea in the South Korean port city.

Wang said that during their meeting in San Francisco, leaders of the two countries reiterated their commitment to principles stipulated in the four political documents between China and Japan, reaffirmed the positioning of comprehensively advancing strategic and mutually beneficial relations between the two countries, and agreed to dedicate themselves to jointly building a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the demands of the new era, which has been an important political guidance for bilateral ties.

Noting that China and Japan are neighbors that can not move away, Wang said peaceful coexistence, lasting friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation and common development serve the fundamental interests of the two peoples.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on the sidelines of the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and South Korea in Busan, South Korea, on Nov. 25, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

The two sides should fully push forward strategic and mutually beneficial relations by drawing up corresponding roadmaps and timetables, he added.

Wang put forward a three-point proposal on rebuilding strategic and mutually beneficial relations.

First, the two countries should establish a correct mutual understanding, and make it clear that the two sides are cooperative partners rather than threats to each other, and they should be committed to peaceful development.

Second, both sides should respect each other's legitimate concerns. Japan should honor its commitments on the Taiwan question, strictly abide by the one-China principle and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs.

Noting that Japan's discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean concerns marine safety and public health, Wang said China opposes Japan's irresponsible action.

At present, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive, effective and independent long-term monitoring mechanism for all stakeholders, he added.

Third, China and Japan should strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly resist anti-globalization and protectionism, and maintain stable and smooth production and supply chains.

For her part, Kamikawa said the two leaders reached important consensus in San Francisco, affirming the positioning of strategic and mutually beneficial relations, agreeing to dedicate themselves to jointly building a constructive and stable Japan-China relationship that meets the demands of the new era, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly cope with global issues such as climate change.

Japan is willing to coordinate closely with China, strengthen dialogue and communication, accumulate positive factors, and push forward Japan-China relations in the direction pointed out by the two leaders, she said.

Japan's position on the Taiwan question remains unchanged, Kamikawa said, adding that Japan stands ready to find a proper way to resolve the issue of nuclear wastewater discharge through dialogue in a constructive manner.

The two sides agreed to actively explore a new round of high-level economic dialogue as well as a meeting of high-level consultation mechanism on people-to-people exchanges, and hold at an appropriate time the China-Japan strategic dialogue, the China-Japan security dialogue, and regular consultations between diplomatic authorities.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
A group of 17 hostages were released from the Gaza Strip on Saturday after an hourslong delay and have arrived in Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals were freed Saturday as part of a breakthrough deal between Israel and Hamas to pause fighting. As was expected under the agreement, a second-day release of 39 Palestinian prisoners held by Israeli authorities was implemented, a spokesperson for the Israel Prison Service said early Sunday, local time.

Fifty of an estimated 240 people abducted by militants during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and 150 Palestinian inmates held by Israeli authorities were expected to have been released by the end of the four-day cease-fire Monday.

The Red Cross transferred the hostages to Egypt, and they later underwent an initial medical assessment inside Israeli territory and were brought to hospitals in Israel to reunite with their families, according to the IDF.

The release followed a delay earlier in the day over allegations from Hamas that Israel violated terms of the deal, including over claims that it had not released prisoners in the agreed-upon order.

The 13 Israeli citizens released Saturday range in age from 3 to 67, according to a list from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

Among the hostages freed Saturday was Emily Hand, who celebrated her ninth birthday Friday night, according to the group Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. She was taken from a friend's home on Oct. 7.

Siblings Noam Or, 17, and Alma Or, 13, were also released. The brother and sister, along with their father, Dror, were taken from their home in Kibbutz Beeri.

"Their mother Yonat was murdered and their older brother Yahli survived the inferno as he was at his post in northern Israel where he is doing a year of national service," the group said.

According to the list from Netanyahus office, other freed Israeli hostages include Shiri Weiss, 53; Noga Weiss, 18; Sharon Hertzman Avigdori, 52; Avigdori's daughter Noam Avigdori, 12; Shoshan Haran, 67; Haran's daughter Adi Shoham, 38; Haran's grandchildren Neve Shoham, 8, and Yahal Shoham, 3; Hila Rotem Shoshani, 12; and Mia Regev Jarbi, 21.

The release comes one day after a batch of 24 hostages were freed. Israel, in exchange, on Friday freed 39 Palestinians it had been holding for various alleged offenses.

A U.S. official told NBC News theres hope three Americans will be released during the pause in fighting.

The families of hostages have relentlessly demanded the release of their loved ones, holding a demonstration last month in front of the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv. Israel has said that around 240 hostages were taken when Hamas attacked the country on Oct. 7.

The temporary cease-fire deal, which began Friday and is set to last four days, was reached following an "extremely excruciating five-week process," according to one official with President Joe Biden's administration. An administration official said Biden was directly involved in the negotiations of the deal and received hourly updates on its progress. Biden thanked the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Israel, who helped broker the deal, during a televised address from Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Under the deal, hundreds of trucks will be allowed to deliver aid to the region. On Saturday, 187 trucks with humanitarian aid including food, water and medical supplies passed through the Rafah crossing, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

The question of extending the cease-fire after the four-day period remained open, with Israel stating that the return of its abducted citizens was paramount alongside the destruction of Hamas.

A White House readout of a call Saturday between Biden and Qatars Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani expressed concern mainly with ensuring that the four-day agreement is implemented despite hurdles. Qatar played a crucial role in creating the hostage and inmate release agreement.

IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari indicated during a news conference Saturday that extending the agreement to cover further releases was not out of the question. Its not over till its over, he said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said two people were shot in Southeast D.C. Saturday evening.

MPD said it was dispatched to the 2700 block of Martin Luther King Jr Avenue SE for a shooting.

1 dead, 4 hurt in Southeast DC shootings overnight

When police arrived at the scene, they found a man and a woman who had been shot. They were conscious and breathing.

The two victims were transported to the hospital.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
VOLUSIA COUNTY - A 21-year-old died Saturday after reportedly crashing into a canal in Volusia County, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

The man was driving a 2017 Toyota Tacoma southbound on Edgewater Canal Road south of Tatum Blvd around 10:26 a.m.

He reportedly failed to negotiate a curve and ran off the roadway before crashing into a canal and overturning.

The car was fully submerged in water and the driver was pronounced deceased on the scene.

The crash remains under investigation.
Three firefighters are recovering from injuries suffered while fighting a house fire Sunday morning.

The Steele Creek Volunteer Fire Department says crews were called to Rocky Gap Lane just after 6:30 a.m. At the scene, firefighters were met with a large home fully engulfed in flames.

While fighting the fire, an outside brick wall collapsed on three firefighters who were operating the hose line, trapping them for a short time. All three were quickly rescued from the rubble and sent to the hospital for treatment.

Steele Creek Fire says two firefighters were treated for minor injuries and released; the third was released from a local trauma center for more evaluation Sunday night.

ALSO READ: 6 firefighters injured after building collapses

The Steele Creek Fire Department worked with the Charlotte Fire Department to fight and control the blaze.

The department says that because of poor structural integrity and a chance for hidden spot fires, crews stayed at the scene until late Sunday afternoon.

Officials say the family who lives there all made it out safely and none were injured.

Deep gratitude for our firefighters

Channel 9 veteran crime reporter Glenn Counts was able to catch up with neighbor Ali Mehrizi, who was relaxing at home when he heard the sound of the flames and rushed to the scene.

So we woke up this morning, walked out, and saw the house completely engulfed in flames, Mehrizi said.

Sayera Qasim lives few houses down.

ALSO READ: East Charlotte fire was intentionally set, officials say

We dont always think about what could go wrong, she said.

As firefighters remained on scene, Qasim set up a table full of donuts as a token of appreciation.

Deep gratitude for our firefighters, and were thinking about the gentlemen who got hurting during the process, she said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Mecklenburg County Fire Marshals Office.

Our job as firefighters is dangerous. The positions we need to be in, essentially, to effectively save lives and the property, said Steele Creek Fire assistant chief Jason Hardin. So yesterday is a good example of the guys doing that exact thing.

The home has since been deemed unsafe by the fire marshal.

This is a developing story; check back at wsoctv.com for updates.

(WATCH BELOW: Crews battle 2-alarm fire at vacant Gastonia motel)
Three young men of Palestinian descent who were in Burlington for a Thanksgiving holiday gathering were shot and injured  one seriously  near the University of Vermont, police said Sunday. Authorities said the attack may have been a hate crime.

The shootings occurred at about 6:25 p.m. Saturday near the UVM campus, according to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad. He said police are searching for the shooter.

Two of the men are in stable condition and the other suffered much more serious injuries, Murad said in a news release Sunday. The three, all age 20, were visiting the home of one of the victims relatives and were walking when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun.

Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled, Murad said in a news release. All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities.

Murad said all three men are of Palestinian descent. Two are U.S. citizens and one is a legal resident. Two of the men were wearing the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves.

Murad said there is no additional information to suggest the suspects motive.

My deepest condolences go out to the victims and their families, Murad said in the news release. In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if its proven.

He added, The fact is that we dont yet know as much as we want to right now. But I urge the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less.

Before Murad issued his news release, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee released a statement Sunday saying that the victims were Palestinian American college students and that there is reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab.

The ADC said a man shouted and harassed the victims, who were conversing in Arabic, then proceeded to shoot them.

The FBI said it is aware of the shootings.

If, in the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate, Sarah Ruane, an FBI spokesperson based in Albany, New York, said in a statement.

The White House said that President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting and will continue to receive updates as law enforcement gathers more information.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or conviction of the person or people responsible for the shootings, the organization said in a statement.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent, denounced the attack.

It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT. Hate has no place here, or anywhere. I look forward to a full investigation, Sanders said in statement. My thoughts are with them and their families.

Demonstrations have been widespread and tensions are escalating in the United States as the death toll rises in the Israel-Hamas war. A fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed more hostages in a third set of releases under a four-day cease-fire deal.

McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Three young men of Palestinian descent who were in Burlington for a Thanksgiving holiday gathering were shot and injured  one seriously  near the University of Vermont, police said Sunday. Authorities said the attack may have been a hate crime.

The shootings occurred at about 6:25 p.m. Saturday near the UVM campus, according to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad. He said police are searching for the shooter.

Two of the men are in stable condition and the other suffered much more serious injuries, Murad said in a news release Sunday. The three, all age 20, were visiting the home of one of the victims relatives and were walking when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun.

Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled, Murad said in a news release. All three victims were struck, two in their torsos and one in the lower extremities.

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Murad said all three men are of Palestinian descent. Two are U.S. citizens and one is a legal resident. Two of the men were wearing the black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves.

Murad said there is no additional information to suggest the suspects motive.

My deepest condolences go out to the victims and their families, Murad said in the news release. In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if its proven.

He added, The fact is that we dont yet know as much as we want to right now. But I urge the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less.

Before Murad issued his news release, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee released a statement Sunday saying that the victims were Palestinian American college students and that there is reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab.

The ADC said a man shouted and harassed the victims, who were conversing in Arabic, then proceeded to shoot them.

The FBI said it is aware of the shootings.

If, in the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate, Sarah Ruane, an FBI spokesperson based in Albany, New York, said in a statement.

The White House said that President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting and will continue to receive updates as law enforcement gathers more information.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or conviction of the person or people responsible for the shootings, the organization said in a statement.

The Institute for Middle East Understanding provided a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it described as being from the families of the victims.

We are extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of our children, it said. We call on law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation, including treating this as a hate crime. We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice.

In response to the shooting, U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries encouraged people to unequivocally denounce the startling rise of anti-Arab hate and Islamophobia in America.

No one should ever be targeted for their ethnicity or religious affiliation in our country, the New York Democrat said in the statement posted on X. We will not let hatred win.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Update: The suspect has been charged with three counts of attempted murder in the second degree. Read the latest here. Our earlier story is below.

Burlington, Vermont, police have arrested a white man who is suspected of shooting three 20-year-old college students of Palestinian descent on Saturday, police said.

The three men were in Burlington visiting the home of one of the victim's relatives for Thanksgiving, police said. They were on Prospect Street when an armed white man confronted them and, without speaking, allegedly discharged at least four rounds around 6:30 p.m. ET.

Two of the victims were shot in the torso while the third man was shot in his lower extremities, police said. Two of the victims were in what police described as stable condition. The third victim "sustained much more serious injuries."

Two of the victims were wearing keffiyehs, scarfs that have come to symbolize Palestinian solidarity, officials said. Police said two of the victims are U.S. citizens and one is a legal resident.

Police detained Jason J. Eaton, 48, around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Burlington police said Sunday night.

Evidence collected during a search of Eaton's home several hours after he was detained "gave investigators and prosecutors probable cause to believe that Mr. Eaton perpetrated the shooting," police said. He was then arrested and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday, police said.

Police did not immediately provide any information on a possible motive.

Jason Eaton / Credit: Burlington Police Department

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Vermont on Sunday night said it was investigating to determine whether a federal crime had been committed.

"We recognize the suffering and heartbreak that the three men who were wounded, their families, and their communities are experiencing," Nikolas P. Kerest, U.S. Attorney for Vermont, said in a statement.

The FBI Albany field office said Sunday night it was also investigating the shooting.

President Biden on Monday said he and first lady Jill Biden were "horrified" by the shooting. The three young men "were simply spending Thanksgiving gathered with family and loved ones," Mr. Biden wrote in a statement, adding, "While we are waiting for more facts, we know this: there is absolutely no place for violence or hate in America. Period."

Investigators don't know as much as they'd like, Burlington police chief Jon Murad said on Sunday. He urged the public to avoid jumping to conclusions "based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less."

"In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime," Murad said. "And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it's proven. But now that the victims are safe and receiving medical care, our next priority is identifying, locating, and apprehending the suspect. We're working every investigatory angle on this case, and will continue to provide reliable, factual information to public while protecting the victims and our investigation."

Police did not identify the victims by name, but the victim's families later identified them in a statement. All three victims attended Ramallah Friends School, a Quaker-run private nonprofit school in Ramallah. Currently, Hisham Awartani is a student at Brown University, Kinnan Abdalhamid is a student at Haverford College and Tahseen Ahmad is a student at Trinity College, according to their family members.

From left to right, Tahseen Ali Ahmad, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Hisham Awartani are shown.

"As parents, we are devastated by the horrific news that our children were targeted and shot in Burlington, VT. At this time, our primary concern is their full recovery and that they receive the critical medical support they need to survive. We are extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of our children," the parents said in a joint statement.

"We call on law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation, including treating this as a hate crime," the parents said. "We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice. We need to ensure that our children are protected, and this heinous crime is not repeated. No family should ever have to endure this pain and agony. Our children are dedicated students who deserve to be able to focus on their studies and building their futures."

Awartani's uncle, Rich Price, told CBS Boston station WBZ-TV the three students were spending the holiday weekend with his family in Burlington when it happened.

"We were so happy to have them visit us for Thanksgiving," said Price.

"They grew up in the occupied West Bank under military control... they just couldn't imagine this could happen in a place like Vermont," he said. He told the station the thee students had gone for a walk in the neighborhood Saturday after returning from an 8th birthday party for Price's twin boys.

"They were approached by this individual who pulled a handgun on them and shot all three of them," Price said.

Haverford's president and dean shared a joint statement about the shooting on Sunday.

"Kinnan and his friends are all Palestinian students studying at U.S. colleges and universities," they wrote. "Police are investigating the shootings, and we await word on whether it will be pursued as a hate crime."

Trinity's president and vice president also shared a joint statement, saying they were "heartbroken" to learn Ahmad was one of the victims of gun violence.

"A member of the Trinity Student Life staff went to Vermont early this morning to provide support and reports that Tahseen wants the Trinity community to know that he is in stable condition at an area hospital, and that he is aware this message is being released," they wrote.

Awartani remained hospitalized Sunday, Brown University President Christina H. Paxson said in a statement. He is expected to survive his injuries.

"There are not enough words to express the deep anguish I feel for Hisham, his parents and family members, and his friends. I know that this heinous and despicable act of violence  this latest evidence of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian discrimination and hate spiraling across this country and around the world  will leave many in our community deeply shaken," Paxson said. "The family has given us permission to share that Hisham Awartani, a junior at Brown, remains hospitalized, and we were very relieved and grateful to learn that he is expected to survive his injuries."

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said it has "reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab."

"We are praying for a full recovery of the victims, and will stand by to support the families in any way that is needed," said ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub. "Given the information collected and provided, it is clear that the hate was a motivating factor in this shooting, and we call on law enforcement to investigate it as such. The surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is another example of that hate turning violent."

A White House official on Sunday said President Biden had been briefed on the shooting.

Sen. Bernie Sanders responded to the shooting in a post on social media.

"It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT," he said. "Hate has no place here, or anywhere. I look forward to a full investigation. My thoughts are with them and their families."

Saturday's shooting comes more than a month after the stabbing death of a 6-year-old Palestinian boy in the Chicago area. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which describes itself as the country's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, in early November said there'd been an "unprecedented surge" in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias incidents reported in the U.S. since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

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Three 20-year-old students of Palestinian descent were shot in Burlington, Vermont on Saturday.

No suspect has been identified.

Police chief: "No one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime."

Three students of Palestinian descent were injured Saturday evening in a shooting in Burlington, Vermont, in what advocacy organizations have said is a possible hate crime.

Burlington police have not yet identified or arrested a suspect, and told local media outlets they are still investigating the incident.

"In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it's proven. But now that the victims are safe and receiving medical care. Our next priority is identifying, locating, and apprehending the suspect," Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad told local CBS affiliate WCAX.

The Burlington Police Department did not immediately respond to a message from Business Insider.

The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee released a statement on Sunday identifying the students as Hisham Awartani of Brown University, Tahseen Ahmed of Trinity University, and Kinnan Abdalhamid of Harvard University, all 20 years old.

The ADC said the students had gathered together during their Thanksgiving break and had been speaking Arabic and wearing keffiyehs  traditional Palestinian scarves.

"A man shouted and harassed the victims, then proceeded to shoot them," the ADC statement said. Two of the victims remain in the ICU, and one of them "sustained very critical and serious injuries," the ADC said. No further details on the students' conditions were available.

"After reviewing the initial information provided we have reason to believe this shooting occurred because the victims are Arab," the statement said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations also released a statement on Sunday offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the shooter or shooters, and called on state and federal authorities to investigate "a possible bias motive for the shooting."

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont also spoke out about the shooting on X, saying he looked forward to a full investigation.

"It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT. Hate has no place here, or anywhere," he wrote.

The shooting comes amid growing concerns of antisemitism and anti-Arab animus in the United States amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Sunday marked the third day of a planned four-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which have been fighting since October 7 when Hamas fighters killed an estimated 1,200 people and took some 240 hostages in a surprise attack on southern Israel. More than 14,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of them women and children, have been killed during Israel's retaliatory invasion.

Read the original article on Insider
Three 20-year-old Palestinian men were shot Saturday night in Burlington, Vermont, in what is suspected to be a possible hate crime.

Burlington police said the three men, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, were in town to celebrate Thanksgiving with Awartanis family. The three men were speaking a mixture of English and Arabic, and two of them were wearing keffiyeh scarves. A white man approached them on the street and fired four rounds, then fled on foot.

Police arrested a suspect, identified as 48-year-old Jason Eaton, on Sunday afternoon. He has been charged with three counts of attempted murder. Police are still investigating a possible motive.

All three men are now in the intensive care unit at a local hospital, Awartanis uncle, Rich Price, said in a news conference Monday. Awartani has a spinal injury and may face lifelong recovery, Price said. All three men are expected to survive, and Price said he has been in contact with all of them.

In a joint statement, the victims families said they are extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of their children.

We call on law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation, including treating this as a hate crime, the statement reads. We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice. We need to ensure that our children are protected, and this heinous crime is not repeated. No family should ever have to endure this pain and agony. Our children are dedicated students who deserve to be able to focus on their studies and building their futures.

At Mondays news conference, two of the victims uncles spoke of the tragic irony of their nephews, who have deep familial connections to the West Bank, being attacked in America.

My sister lives in the occupied West Bank, and people often ask me, Arent you worried about your sister? Price said. The reality is, as difficult as their life is, they are surrounded by an incredible sense of community. Tragic irony is not even the right phrase, to have them come visit me on Thanksgiving and have something like this happen.

On Sunday, the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee posted on X, formerly Twitter, that they have reason to believe that the shooting was motivated by the three victims being Arab because they were wearing a Kuffiyeh and speaking Arabic.

Violence of any kind against any person in our community is totally unacceptable and we will do everything in our power to find the perpetrator and hold them fully accountable, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said in a news release. That there is an indication this shooting could have been motivated by hate is chilling, and this possibility is being prioritized in the BPDs investigation. The City of Burlington has zero tolerance for hate crimes and will work relentlessly to bring the shooter to justice.

Jon Murad, Burlingtons chief of police, said in the news release that no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime, but he urged the public to avoid making conclusions based on statements from uninvolved parties who know even less.

Weinberger said Monday that hed had an extended phone call with President Joe Biden, and that he thanked Biden for his care for the victims.

Instances of anti-Arab, anti-Muslim and antisemitic discrimination are reportedly on the rise amid the Israel-Hamas war.

The ADC is calling on police and the FBI to investigate the Burlington shooting as a hate crime.

We are aware of the incident in Burlington and are working with our state and local partners in Vermont, a spokesperson for the FBIs field office in Albany, New York, told NBC News. If, in the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate.

We are praying for a full recovery of the victims, and will stand by to support the families in any way that is needed, said Abed Ayoub, the ADCs national executive director. Given the information collected and provided, it is clear that the hate was a motivating factor in this shooting, and we call on law enforcement to investigate it as such. The surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is another example of that hate turning violent.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a statement that the news is deeply unsettling.

Hate has no place here, or anywhere, Sanders said. I look forward to a full investigation. My thoughts are with them and their families.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) said in a statement that the shooting is a tragedy and Vermonts federal partners are ready to assist.

I urge Vermonters to unite to help the community heal, and not let this incident incite more hate or divisiveness, Scott said. We must come together in these difficult times  it is the only way to put a stop to the violence were seeing.

Related...
President Biden announced Sunday that a 4-year-old American Israeli citizen, Abigail Idan, was among the 13 hostages released Sunday from Gaza.

Two days ago, two days ago, one of our fellow Americans, a little girl named Abigail, turned 4 years old. She spent her birthday, that birthday  held hostage by Hamas. Today, shes free, and [first lady Jill Biden] and I, together with so many Americans, are praying for the fact that she is going to be alright. Shes free, and shes in Israel now, Biden said in remarks Sunday.

What she endured is unthinkable. Abigail was among 13 hostages released today from Gaza under the brokered [deal] and sustained though intensive U.S. diplomacy. Shes now safely in Israel. And we continue to press and expect for additional Americans [to] be released as well, he added. And we will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday just prior to Bidens remarks that 17 hostages were released by Hamas on the third day of the hostage deal, which included a four-day pause in fighting in Gaza. There were 14 Israelis released and three additional nationals, the IDF said.

Biden praised the cooperation between leaders of Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and others throughout the region and pledged to continue working through diplomatic means until all hostages were released.

In a subsequent readout on Sunday, the White House announced Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the rounds of hostages released and about the ongoing pause in fighting and efforts to secure humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

The Prime Minister thanked the President for his tireless efforts to help broker and fully implement this deal. The two leaders agreed that the work is not yet done and that they will continue working to secure the release of all hostages. The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact over the coming days, the White House readout said.

Biden on Sunday also spoke with family members of the four-year-old American-Israeli citizen released, in Israel and in America, according to the White House. By the latest count of those released, there remains just under 200 hostages in Gaza who were taken on Oct. 7.

The president provided an overall update on aspects of the deal reached last week in which fighting has been paused since Friday, where 58 hostages have been released since, including Israeli, Thai, Filipino and Russian nationals. More than 200 aid trucks have gone into Gaza each day during the fighting to deliver humanitarian supplies to those in need.

Dozens of families have been reunited and we worked urgently, urgently to take advantage of the pause to surge aid into Gaza, he said. Weve moved approximately 200 aid trucks into Gaza each day, loaded with food, water, medicine, fuel and cooking gas.

More is needed. But this deal is delivering life-saving results. Critically needed aid is going in, and hostages are coming out, Biden said.

The deal included a pause in fighting in exchange for the release of hostages and the allowance of additional humanitarian aid into Gaza. As part of the deal, 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israel are also to be released in West Bank.

Biden praised the structure of the deal, noting that he is hoping that Hamas decides to continue to release hostages, which would ensure more aid can be delivered in Gaza.

This deal is structured so that it can be extended, to keep building on these results. Thats my goal. Thats our goal. To keep this pause going beyond tomorrow. So that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief into those in need in Gaza, he said.

Updated 4:07 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
 Flash

The opening ceremony of the World Conference on China Studies - Shanghai Forum is held in Shanghai, Nov 24, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

A heavily illustrated book with full-color photographs of documents of Dunhuang culture collected by the National Library of France grabbed the attention of participants attending the World Conference on China Studies -- Shanghai Forum, which closed on Friday.



The book published by the Shanghai Classics Publishing House this year is an important document on the overseas studies of Dunhuang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northwest China.

"Dunhuang exemplifies trans-cultural exchanges, which are as important today as millennia ago," said Imre Galambos, professor emeritus of the University of Cambridge, when delivering a keynote speech at the conference.

The cultural relics study based on the Dunhuang caves and related documents has inspired the formation of an internationally distinguished discipline of Dunhuang studies.

"The ancient Dunhuang culture, developed and formed by the Chinese civilization through exchanges and integration with other civilizations, is a cultural heritage of all humanity. Scholars globally are welcome to study it together," said Hao Chunwen, honorary president of the Chinese Association of Dunhuang and Turfan Studies, at the conference.

Featuring four parallel sub-forums, the two-day World Conference on China Studies -- Shanghai Forum was attended by more than 400 experts, scholars, and representatives of relevant parties from over 60 countries and regions.

The participants believe that in the future, Chinese studies should be multi-lingual studies facing the world. The studies can be promoted in different countries and different languages.
Job searching can be stressful. Optimizing your job search as a veteran or a transition service member can add to the stress. Here are 5 job boards to aid in your search for your next job.

1. RecruitMilitary

(RecruitMilitary)

Founded by Marine Corps veteran Drew Myers in 1998 under a different name, what became RecruitMilitary was created to assist transitioning servicemembers, veterans and military spouses with the civilian labor market. RecruitMilitary provides a job board with opportunities posted by partner companies, those actively searching for talent in the military community. Their job board can be searched via keywords, industries, locations, but also by MOS/AFSC/Ratings. To utilize the job board, create your free profile. Treat the profile as you would treat a resume targeting your career field. When you post your resume, post the targeted resume.

2. National Labor Exchange

(USNLX)

The National Labor Exchange is a job board between DirectEmployers and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. Within the National Labor Exchange database, there is a subsect for veterans, connecting them with veteran-friendly employers and veteran resources by state. On the veteran sublink, job searchers can use their MOS/AFSC/Rating to search similar roles as well as search by keywords for jobs of interest.

3. ClearanceJobs

(ClearanceJobs)

ClearanceJobs started in 2002 as a result of the founders, Evan and Rachel Lesser, responding to 9/11. They realized there was not a cleared marketplace to match cleared candidates with job openings. ClearanceJobs is the only secure recruiting site for cleared individuals. Currently, ClearanceJobs is the largest recruiting network in the defense industry. Those interested in using the job board must create an account and have their clearance verified.

4. VirtForce

(VirtForce)

If you are looking for a remote role target to the military community, look no further. VirtForce was founded by military spouse Kimber Hill to connect individuals within the military community to remote job opportunities. While the new website is still on the way, the job board and Facebook group are both still active and great ways to be connected to your next opportunity.

5. Stars and Stripes: Veteran Job Center

(Stars and Stripes)

Since 1996, Stars and Stripes has partnered with Transition Assistance Online to assist connecting transitioning service members with employers and employment resources. The job board is searchable by keywords, job titles, companies, and MOS codes. You can also click on hyperlinks underneath the text box to see all companies, categories, and locations. In addition to the job board, job seekers are provided information on upcoming Corporate Gray virtual, military-friendly job fairs.
HALF MOON BAY, Calif. - A 5-year-old girl who was rescued from Half Moon Bay's coast has died, according to officials.

A wave swept a 54-year-old man and a 5-year-old girl off Martins Beach into the ocean near Half Moon Bay on Saturday afternoon.

The Coast Guard confirmed to KTVU that the man and girl are related; the man being the girl's grandfather.

The search began around 2 p.m. The 5-year-old girl was taken to a nearby hospital where she eventually died, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

San Mateo County Fire initially rescued her Saturday.

Search crews had searched for approximately 22 hours and over 100 square miles before suspending the search for the 54-year-old man.

The Coast Guard first received reports about the pair around 1:20 p.m., and a motor lifeboat crew arrived at the scene at 2:14 p.m. Separately, a helicopter aircrew arrived at 3:10 p.m. and again early Sunday morning.

An additional search crew arrived late last night at 11:45 p.m., searching all night before the decision to suspend the search came at 12:38 p.m. Sunday.

"The decision to suspend search efforts is one of the hardest decisions to make, but our crews searched for nearly 24 hours without any sightings of the missing person," said Capt. Jordan Baldueza, deputy commander of Coast Guard Sector San Francisco. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this very tragic event."

Multiple rescue operations occurred Saturday, with two occurring in San Francisco, involving a sailboat and a surfer.

Their identities have not been released.

The Coast Guard has suspended its search for the 54-year-old male who was swept off Martins Beach near Half Moon Bay Saturday afternoon. Search crews searched for approximately 22 hours and scoured 100 square miles.  USCGNorCal (@USCGNorCal) November 26, 2023

These rescues come as a beach hazard goes into effect at several northern California beaches. The National Weather Service warns the ocean may look relatively calm, but a sneaker wave can appear out of nowhere and drag people and pets out to sea.

Beach-goers are advised to stay out of the water and off jetties and rocks.

SEE ALSO:

Authorities say never turn your back to the ocean. The warning started Friday night and remains in effect through Sunday morning.

A flood advisory is also in effect due to high tides.
After nearly 10 months of jury selection, one of the countrys highest-profile trials is finally set to begin this week in Atlanta.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has alleged Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug is the cofounder of a criminal street gang responsible for violent acts dating back a decade. Prosecutors say YSL  the acronym for the artists label, Young Stoner Life Records  also stands for Young Slime Life, an Atlanta-based street gang affiliated with the national Bloods gang.

The artist was charged alongside more than two dozen other people under the states expansive Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act  known as RICO. Its the same law Willis used to indict former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants in August in connection with their alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

The blistering indictment naming Young Thug has turned national attention to the Atlanta courtroom where opening statements are due to begin Monday ahead of what could be a lengthy trial with a star-studded witness list. The case has also drawn fierce criticism over prosecutors use of rap lyrics as proof of the gangs existence  a move some say is a racist violation of freedom of speech and artistic expression, and the latest instance of Black art being targeted.

Heres what to know.

The rapper at the center of the case

Young Thug, who was born Jeffery Williams, was arrested in May 2022 and charged along with 27 other people, including rappers Gunna and Yak Gotti, in a sprawling indictment spanning nearly 90 pages. Several defendants took plea deals last December  including Gunna and Young Thugs older brother  while others were severed from the case for a number of reasons, including representation issues.

Six defendants, including Young Thug, are still facing trial. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

Atlanta rapper Young Thug listens to the jury selection September 26 in the YSL case at the Fulton County Courthouse. - Steve Schaefer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS/ABACA Press/Reuters

In court documents, prosecutors argue the rapper is a violent gang leader and have alleged examples they say prove it: among them, he threatened to shoot a security guard in the face; he had flashed the gangs alleged hand signal numerous times, including in social media posts; and he rapped about the criminal group. Prosecutors also alleged members of the gang had discussed getting Young Thugs permission to kill rapper YFN Lucci, the alleged leader of a rival street gang.

Young Thugs defense attorney has vehemently denied the accusations and pointed to a different side of the rappers life. In a bond hearing last year, one media executive and longtime friend of the artist testified Young Thug was put here to change the people around him.

The Jeffery I know? The Jeffery I know gave me the clothes off his back, music industry veteran Kevin Liles said.

A 15-year-old boy testified the artist tutored him, took him along on tours and urged him to stay away from crime and drugs. I told him, my YSL means Young Successful Life because thats something that he has created, teen Corey Jackson told the judge.

The 32-year-old artist grew up in public housing in a south Atlanta neighborhood long known for its poverty and violence, and went on to become one of the industrys most innovative and influential hip-hop artists, pushing not just musical boundaries but often cultural ones too  including in his decision to wear an iconic purple dress for the cover of his 2016 album, Jeffery.

That same year, he founded the YSL record label, which the rapper has used to propel close friends and family members to industry success. His tracks have landed him at the top of the charts multiple times, and hes collaborated with artists including Camila Cabello, Travis Scott and Drake. Business is Business, the album he released from jail over the summer, shot to No.1 as soon as it dropped.

Young Thugs committed no crime whatsoever, his attorney Brian Steel has told CNN. CNN reached out to Steel for comment ahead of opening statements.

The court is hearing the prosecutors say that Mr. Williams is in charge of a criminal street gang and by his word, people can die, Steel told CNN affiliate WXIA in an interview. And thats just not true.

Atlanta rapper Young Thug sits next to his defense attorney Brian Steel on September 26. - Steve Schaefer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS/ABACA Press/Reuters

Young Thug is wrongly charged on every single count, Steel said, and described his client as an amazing person, who comes from hunger and poverty and lack of opportunity.

Hes trying to get others out of poverty, Steel said. Thats his mission in life.

Alleged gang members accused of murder, armed robbery, drug sales

Prosecutors say the YSL gang began in 2012 in the area of Cleveland Avenue, near where the rapper grew up.

Me and the mayor and the police chief have talked about the fact that Cleveland in our community is referred to as Bleveland, Willis said in a May 2022 news conference, indicating the areas apparent association with the national Bloods gang. It is somewhere where violence occurs, where theyre marking up territory, Blood territory. Its horrible.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks August 14 during a news conference at the Fulton County Government building in Atlanta. - Joe Raedle/Getty Images

To support their allegations of a street gang, prosecutors listed more than 180 acts in the indictment that the group of defendants allegedly committed, dating back to 2012, including murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, carjacking, drug sales, theft and possession of firearms during the commission of a felony.

Among their evidence, they also cited social media posts, hand signs, clothing tattoos and song lyrics.

Young Thug was initially indicted for conspiring to violate the RICO statute and participating in criminal street gang activity, and in a reindictment filed in August 2022, prosecutors charged him with additional counts related to gang activity as well as drug and firearms violations. The additional charges stemmed from a search warrant executed by authorities at the home the rapper was staying in, where drugs and firearms were allegedly found, Steel told WXIA.

Young Thug is charged with eight out of the 65 total counts listed for the defendants.

Among the more serious accusations against him is that he rented a car in 2015 that was used in the murder of a rival gang member. The fatal shooting was carried out three days later by YSL gang members, according to the reindictment.

Other defendants took plea deals

The other defendants still facing trial include Marquavius Huey, Deamonte Kendrick (known as Yak Gotti), Quamarvious Nichols, Rodalius Ryan and Shannon Stillwell.

Other defendants pleaded guilty to various charges in December 2022, prior to jury selection. Among them was Gunna, whose given name is Sergio Kitchens. The rapper entered an Alford plea on a single alleged count of conspiring to violate the RICO law. An Alford plea allows defendants to maintain their innocence, while recognizing its in their best interest not to go to trial, criminal defense attorney said Devin Rafus, who is not affiliated with the case.

Gunna was sentenced to five years in prison, with one year commuted to time served and the remaining four years suspended.

Rapper Gunna performs in 2021 at the Wireless Music Festival at Crystal Palace Park in London. - Scott Garfitt/AP

Young Thugs older brother, Quantavious Grier  known as Unfoonk  pleaded guilty to one count of violating the RICO act and one count of theft by receiving stolen property, according to CNN affiliate WSB.

Trontavious Stephens, known as Tick, also pleaded guilty in December to a RICO charge as part of a negotiated deal, acknowledging he was one of YSLs founding members and that associates of the group committed crimes.

Defendant Antonio Sledge, known as Mounk Tounk, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to violate the RICO statute and a firearm charge. In court, he acknowledged YSL is a criminal enterprise and he committed several crimes on behalf and as part of the group.

He also acknowledged he received money from Young Thug to lay low, according to prosecutors, several days after the fatal shooting of the rival gang member.

Case uses rap lyrics as evidence

In the list of acts listed to prove the conspiracy of a criminal street gang, prosecutors used a number of rap lyrics and earlier this month Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville said he will allow 17 sets to be used in trial.

They include excerpts from Young Thug in which the rapper says: Got a lot of followers, a perfect leader  Im a boss, I call the shots; Come and enroll to the YSL school, and I swear Im the principal; and I never killed anybody, but I got something to do with that body.

The inclusion of lyrics in the trial is a move thats long been denounced by defense attorneys, freedom of speech advocates and artists as discriminatory.

If you committed a crime and the state can prove it, then just prove it with the evidence that someone committed a crime. Why do you have to go digging into their artistic profiles? Rafus said.

Experts say rap lyrics are the only form of art that has been repeatedly brought into courtrooms, most often as incriminating evidence against artists of color. The YSL indictment reignited that conversation and galvanized a movement against the practice.

In September 2022, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California signed a bill limiting the use of rap lyrics in criminal court cases. The following month, a northern California judge vacated the murder convictions of two Black men, ruling prosecutors use of rap lyrics  created years before the killing  likely injected racial bias into the jury proceedings. And this year, Louisianas Democratic governor signed into law the Restoring Artistic Protection Act, which prohibits a defendants creative or artistic expression from being used as evidence.

But Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, has stood by her offices use of lyrics as evident, telling reporters in 2022: I believe in the First Amendment, its one of our most precious rights. However, the First Amendment does not protect people from prosecutors using (lyrics) as evidence if it is such.

The trial could take months and feature stars

The lengthy jury selection process and numerous court hearings already have spawned chaotic headlines, from an alleged in-court drug transaction to an attorneys arrest to the judges punishment of a woman who traveled out of the country and did not return for jury service.

Twelve jurors and six alternates were selected. The jury panel includes six Black women, two Black men, one White woman, one White man, one Hispanic woman and another woman, WSB reported.

The trial is expected to take months and could feature a star-studded list of witnesses. A list of those who could potentially take the stand submitted by prosecutors earlier this year included rapper YFN Lucci and rapper Lil Wayne, while Young Thugs list of potential witnesses included Killer Mike.

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9 key races that could land Democrats the House majority in 2024

The House majoriity will be on the line in a little less than a year, as newly-minted Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) looks to hold on to his slender majority.

While Democrats are playing defense with the White House and the Senate  where the Democratic majority faces a difficult 2024 map to hold on to the upper chamber  the party thinks it can go on offense in the House and retake the gavel.

To do so, Democrats almost certainly will have to make gains in New York and California, two states where the party has some optimism it can retake ground lost in the past.

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Here are nine key races to watch that could decide the majority.

New Yorks 17th congressional district

Republicans won the majority in 2022 by winning seats in New York, including Lawlers.

To win back the majority, Democrats need to take out Republicans like Lawler, whose seat is rated as a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates as a toss-up.

Lawler narrowly ousted former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair and former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) from the seat in 2022 in one of the biggest GOP victories of the cycle.

Maloney had decided to run in the 17th after a bout of redistricting. The 17th district was slightly more Democratic. It was one of four big victories for Republicans in the state that cycle. President Biden had won the district in 2020 over former President Trump.

Lawler has been one of the more moderate Republicans in the House and was critical of the conservative members who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) earlier this year.

Former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), who previously represented the district prior to redistricting, announced in July he would run for the seat in 2024.

He gives Democrats a well-known name to run against Lawler, who will be one of the biggest GOP House targets in 2024.

New Yorks 3rd congressional district

Scandal-marred Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) was another GOP winner in 2022, but its possible he could be expelled long before Election Day. Hes already said he wont run for reelection.

Democrats are already projected as the favorites to take the district, with Cook rating the race as lean Democrat.

New Jerseys 7th congressional district

Just a little further south, Democrats also hope to make gains be winning back Rep. Tom Kean Jr.s seat in New Jersey.

Kean Jr. ousted then-Rep. Tom Malinowski (D) in 2022 after the district underwent redistricting. So far three Democrats have launched campaigns for the seat, including progressive activist Sue Altman and Roselle Park, N.J., Mayor Joe Signorello, and former State Department official Jason Blazakis.

Cook rates the race as a toss-up.

Malinowski lost by less than 10,000 votes to Kean Jr. in 2022 after beating him by just more than 5,000 votes in 2020. Redistricting had made the 7th more Republican, likely contributing to Kean Jr.s win.

Turnout was much higher in 2020, a presidential election year, and Democrats will be hoping they can turn the tide in the district again in 2024.

Californias 27th congressional district

Like Lawler, Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) represents a district in a blue state that Biden won in 2020.

The district, which includes northern Los Angeles County, is considered a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. In 2022, Garcia defeated Democrat Christy Smith in the race by 6 points.

Former NASA chief of staff and Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides announced his candidacy for the seat in February.

Michigans 7th congressional district

Its not just battles on the coasts that will determine the House majority.

In Michigan, one key race to watch is in the 7th congressional district, where Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is opening up a race by running for the Senate.

Republican Tom Barrett, who lost to Slotkin in 2022, announced earlier this year that he is running for the seat, while former Michigan state Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. (D) launched his bid in July.

The district was one of the most closely watched last cycle, but Slotkin defeated Barrett with a comfortable margin of 51 percent to 46 percent.

Cook rates next years race as a toss up.

Abortion could be one key issue to watch. Democrats across the country have repeatedly won races by warning that Republicans are set on lowering abortion rights after the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year.

Slotkin used abortion rights as a main part of her successful campaign against Barrettt in 2022.

Michigans 8th congressional district

Like the 7th district, the 8th congressional district in Michigan will be open and competitive in 2024.

Earlier this month, Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) announced he would not seek reelection. The Cook Political Report subsequently moved the district from lean Democrat to toss-up, making this one of the key seats Democrats need to hold on to if they are to win back the House.

Republicans have signaled that they are ready to pounce on Kildees absence. Hes served the district since 2013.

Martin Blank, a Republican and a trauma surgeon, launched his bid for the seat last month.

Colorados 3rd congressional district

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) is one of the most high-profile Republicans in the House, and surely the most high-profile target for Democrats.

In 2022, she almost lost to Democrat Adam Frisch in what would have been one of the biggest surprises of the cycle.

Boebert ended up narrowly defeating Frisch by more than 500 votes, but the tight race showed she could be vulnerable in 2024.

Controversy after controversy  notably an incident where Boebert was asked to leave a showing of the Beetlejuice musical  have compounded her problems.

Frisch is running again for the seat and raised nearly $3.4 million in the third quarter of this year. Boebert raised more than $800,000 during the same period.

The Cook Political Report rates the district as a toss-up.

Oregons 5th congressional cistrict

Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) is gearing up to defend her seat in Oregons 5th congressional district, which she narrowly won in 2022.

The Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up, and Democrats are already vying to challenge Chavez-DeRemer.

Former Democratic candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner, who lost to Chavez-DeRemer in 2022, has already launched her candidacy. State Rep. Janelle Bynum (D), who has beaten Chavez-DeRemer at the state level twice, jumped into the race in June. Lynn Peterson, who is the council president of Portlands metro regional government, is also running.

Washingtons 3rd congressional district

The election in Washingtons 3rd Congressional District last year was a surprise for Republicans and Democrats alike after Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D) defeated Republican Joe Kent.

Kent notably defeated incumbent GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in the districts GOP primary last year, leading many to think the district would be difficult for any Democrat to win.

However, Perez ended up narrowly defeating Kent by less than a point. Kent is set to run again, but Camas City Council member Leslie Lewallen is also running on the GOP side and has drawn early support.

The Cook Political Report rates the district as a toss-up.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
An Illinois police officer was shot during a struggle with an accused carjacker, officials said.

At about 3:40 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, police officers in Bedford Park  a suburb of Chicago  responded to the scene of a vehicle crash, the department said in a news release. The vehicle had been stolen in a carjacking earlier in Chicago, and video captured by a surveillance camera showed two suspects running away after the crash, police said.

The officers spotted two people emerge from a grassy area and get into a vehicle outside a gas station, the release said. Police say the officers confronted the two people, a struggle ensued and one of them opened fire, shooting an officer multiple times.

Investigators say the accused shooter was arrested and two guns were recovered at the scene.

The officer was taken to a hospital for treatment and was reported in stable condition, police said.

Bedford Park is roughly 15 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.

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CHILLICOTHE  He loves his work  and his office.

As a kid growing up in southern Ohio, I was always outside and looking for the next adventure, recalled Joe Alexander. We were constantly in the woods building forts or down at the creek building dams. So I always knew I wanted to end up with a career that allowed me to be outdoors.

Joe Alexander, American Electric Power forrester in the Chillicothe District, stands in front of the pollinator garden at Buzzard's Roost Nature Preserve on November 16, 2023, in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Today, Alexander is a utility forester with AEP Ohio.

Simply put, he explained, my job is to help keep the electricity on for our customers by keeping our power lines and equipment free of trees and branches. To do this, my team and I manage over 1,000 miles of electrical lines and oversee the tree crews throughout several counties including Adams, Brown, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Pickaway, Ross, Scioto and Vinton. Every four years, our team looks for both trees too close to our lines and trees that are dead or dying. Once identified, we trim and/or remove them.

My territory has a lot of trees, he added, which means when storms hit, theres the potential for more tree-related outages. During storms, our forestry team is often the first on the scene. We work as safely and quickly as possible to clear trees and branches from around our lines and equipment. Our efforts clear the way for the line crews to restore power.

Joe Alexander, American Electric Power forrester in the Chillicothe District, stands in front of the pollinator garden at Buzzard's Roost Nature Preserve on November 16, 2023, in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Restoring power following storm damage is a lot of work, he noted, but its also my favorite part. Its really rewarding when our line workers flip a fuse to restore power to a whole neighborhood and you see their lights come back on. It makes you feel like youre truly helping the public.

Alexander, 44, grew up near Hillsboro, graduated from Miami Trace High School in 1997, then earned certification as an ISA-certified arborist and now has 25 years experience working in utility forestry. He joined the AEP Ohio team in April 2020.

You could say I took the long route in my career, he said. Right out of high school, I started in an entry-level position where I helped tree crews by setting up work sites with cones and signage and cleaning up all the brush the crews trimmed by dragging it to the trucks to be chipped.

From this start, he continued, I manually climbed the trees that needed to be trimmed near power lines and equipment. Then I transitioned to working as a crew leader. After that, I was responsible for the trees wed trim or remove and addressing customer concerns or questions. Finally, I worked as an assistant forester where I gained a comprehensive understanding of our safety policies and expectations across the board.

Rich Simpson is the region forestry supervisor with AEP Ohio.

Joes efforts with AEP, said Simpson, are all about improving service to our customers and providing for a safer workplace for both employees and our contractors. He always exceeds expectations and is truly a team player.

When I was younger, Alexander responded, becoming a utility forester may not have been a thought, but I always could see myself in the arboriculture industry. Needless to say, my dreams came true and now I have the privilege of finding the next adventure in my day-to-day career.

My office stretches across beautiful southern Ohio, he summed, and I couldnt ask for a better office and career. No two days are the same and you never know what new challenges or opportunities youll encounter. At the end of the day, were here to help, and theres no greater feeling than that.

About the Series

Aces of Trades is a series focusing on people and their jobs  whether they're unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at gaznews@nncogannett.com.

Joe Alexander, American Electric Power forrester in the Chillicothe District, stands in front of the pollinator garden at Buzzard's Roost Nature Preserve on November 16, 2023, in Chillicothe, Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Aces of Trades: Joe Alexander uses his skills as a forester for AEP
The growth and development in Licking County created employment opportunities, changed the landscape and elevated community planning efforts to the highest priority. It has changed lives and created enormous challenges.

As older leaders pass the torch of leadership, a new generation will confront the challenges with new ideas and enthusiasm.

The Advocates 10th annual list of 20 Under 40 winners showcases some of those leaders. The list includes a doctor, teacher, social worker, school treasurer and village fiscal officer. They have second and third jobs. They volunteer at schools, churches, charitable and civic organizations. One was Rotarian of the Year. Another was the Ken Johnston Volunteer of the Year.

Two of this years honorees have overcome great personnel challenges and now provide help to others in the community.

Melody Bolin at The Main Place

Melody Bolin at The Main Place

Melody Bolin, 36, of Newark, assistant clinical director at The Main Place, a mental health recovery center in Newark, supervises and performs mental health assessments and mental health therapy. She is part of the overdose response team for Licking and Knox counties and does homeless outreach in both counties.

Bolin is familiar with the challenges some of her clientele face, as her husband Mike explained in his 20 Under 40 nomination.

Melody has lived experience with trauma, addiction and homelessness, Mike Bolin said. She turned her life around and strives to show people in the community that change is possible Melody is the true definition of being the change you seek and wants nothing more but to help people overcome the same struggles she has.

The 2005 Newark High School graduate went on to earn her bachelors degree from Ohio State and her masters from Chamberlain University College of Nursing. She is a licensed social worker, previously employed as a Licking Memorial Hospital point-of-care technician at Shepherd Hill residential treatment center for those with addictions.

I have faced many challenges in life and I turned my life around, Bolin said. I hope that my story can show people in our community that change is possible and hopefully I can instill hope and change in others.

I think it helps because Im not judgmental. I understand and am empathetic because Ive been in their position.

Zack Bryner at Buckeye Shooting Center

Zack Bryner at Buckeye Shooting Center

Zack Bryner, 36, of Pataskala, founder and chief marketing/operations officer at Buckeye Shooting Center in Newark, is a disabled veteran medically retired from the military. He graduated magna cum laude from Wright State University.

The former Department of Defense intelligence analyst worked high-level military operations in five deployments to various countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Bryner, a 2006 Licking Valley High School graduate, has certainly not retired from helping his community. In addition to the business, which moved into a new building two years ago on East Main Street, he founded Buckeye Charities, raising thousands annually for local charities.

My biggest motivation to make a difference locally is very simple  this is my home, Bryner said. I was raised in the Newark/Hanover area and now reside in Pataskala. My parents raised me to always leave a place better than I found it, and I have carried that throughout my adult life and have passed it down to my kids.

Bryner and Bolin are not the only young leaders making a difference. Chelsea Fulk organized a free summer lunch program for children. Hannah Goodwin helped develop a program for children with disabilities to show animals at the Hartford Fair. Jim Dodderer helped create a cultural identity club at his school. Kristin Ream created a foundation that gives weekly to local community organizations.

Hardest worker award: Bethany Malcolm

The hardest worker award may go to Bethany Malcolm, mortgage processor with TrueCore Federal Credit Union, owner of Malcolm Photography and server and shift manager at Red Oak Pub restaurant. In her spare time, she led the Utica Streetscape Committee, helped with Utica Farmers Market and is a committee member for Envision Utica 2030.

In her nomination of Malcolm, Chelsea Markert said, In the 16 years I have known Bethany, she has almost always held more than one job. She has always been a leader, no matter where she goes. She truly puts her heart and soul into her jobs and it shows by the way she excels in any position she has ever held.

20 Under 40 winners respond to Intel

The $20 billion Intel computer chip manufacturing facility under construction just south of Johnstown, as well as the presence of giants Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft, has transformed western Licking County.

The 20 Under 40 winners were asked, What challenges and opportunities do you believe the Intel project provides for Licking County? Here are some of their answers:

Adrienne Anderson, 36, of Jersey Township, 4-H program assistant for Licking County Ohio State University extension:

Those who live in the area are dealing with road closures and construction, heavier traffic on those roads, and landmarks that have been there their entire lives are either gone or look very different. These changes bring out strong emotions, and these growing pains are difficult for some to deal with. Change is often hard, and while change can bring many positives, it can still be difficult while in process.

Jim Dodderer, 36, of Johnstown, social studies teacher at Licking Heights High School:

The opportunities that Intel and other companies bring to the area are very exciting. As a teacher I see many well-paying jobs and career opportunities for my students right here in our own backyard. I hope our leaders are able to keep some of our local identity. I am very proud to be from Licking County and do not want to see our hometowns become something totally different.

Seth Elliott, 39, of Newark, founder and owner-operator of Elliott Heating & Cooling:

I believe the opportunity of growth for small businesses due to Intel can be immense in the next five to 10 years if businesses can overcome the challenge of avoiding turnover. The most important thing Licking County leaders can do to continue securing a bright future for our community is continuing the support of small businesses.

Hayley Feightner, 29, of Newark, assistant director at Grow Licking County community improvement corporation:

There is still a lot of work to do, but the momentum in Licking County right now is strong. Our community has risen to the challenge since January 2021, and there is a growing list of accomplishments that have already resulted from our ability to work in partnership.

Chelsea Fulk, 37, of St. Louisville, fiscal officer for village of Utica:

I see challenges that will and are already affecting small, rural areas like the one I work for. We are caught between a rock and a hard spot in preparing for growth but not having the financial means if we don't get awarded grants.

Todd Griffith, 36, of Newark, treasurer/chief financial officer at Licking Heights:

Its important to acknowledge that the rapid enrollment growth driven by such projects can be challenging. It necessitates the continuous construction of new schools to accommodate the increasing student population, which often strains the financial resources, as revenue doesn't always keep pace with the expenses incurred due to the influx of new enrollees.

Alyssa Johnston, 34, of Granville, assistant director at Career and Technical Education Centers of Licking County:

We have some incredible business and industry leaders that have been operating successful companies in the Licking County area for decades. I believe Intel will join an incredible group of manufacturers as they move into this area and will have a significant amount of support from other local industries.

Tim Keith, 37, of Newark, commercial loan officer with Park National Bank:

The Intel project will provide a multigenerational opportunity of economic growth. The youth of our communities will no longer be forced to leave to find meaningful work on the cutting edge of tech. We are on the map now and will need to compete globally.

Bethany Malcolm, 32, of Newark, mortgage processor with TrueCore Federal Credit Union:

Challenges: Housing shortages throughout the community, which is causing an increase in rent. Opportunities: Keeping our future generation in Licking County to live and work. Higher pay and opportunities for on-the-job training and experience.

Lacie Priest, 39, of Newark, senior executive assistant and secretary to the board of Park National Corp. and Park National Bank:

In many ways, it will be exciting to see the evolution that will occur because of the growth, but there is also a sense of melancholy around what may be lost. We dont know exactly what we will gain and what we will lose, and it will be different for each person as they experience the change differently, but we certainly know new and exciting changes are coming, and also that change can be difficult.

Kristin Ream, 38, of Granville, senior high youth director and communications director at First Presbyterian Church of Granville:

Intels arrival brings lots of exciting opportunities for Licking County. Looking forward to a more multicultural experience for our community. I am also very excited to have more young families and young professionals in the area.

Adam Shilling, 39, of Newark, CEO of Buckeye Valley Family YMCA:

I believe we have an opportunity to define what matters most to us and to grow our community in alignment with our regional values.

Hayley Snider, 32, of Granville, director of Youth Engaged in Service Club, in Newark:

Licking Countys economy/commerce will see growth, but Intel also has the potential to have a positive impact on social services available to the public. With this degree of growth, there is an opportunity for expansion. This could allow for the creation of outreach and a broader influence on more rural communities in need.

Sara Whittington, 33, of Perry Township, human resource and safety administrative assistant at The Energy Cooperative:

Intel is bringing many career opportunities and diversity to Licking County both by their hiring initiatives but also the other companies and organizations looking to relocate to the area. But I fear the amount of agricultural land that is being irrevocably lost in the process. I also worry about how the schools will afford to expand their buildings to accommodate the families moving into the districts.

Motivation for community involvement

The honorees were also asked, What motivates you to make a difference locally? Here are some of those responses:

Ashley Campbell, 39, of Pataskala, senior financial analyst for Ohio Department of Commerce:

Im a long-term resident of Licking County and have a heart that loves to serve. I like to solve puzzles and seeing how all the pieces fit together. I have children of my own; I want them to know they can make a difference. Great communities do not appear, they are built.

Kevin Cox, 32, of Newark, financial advisor at Edward Jones:

I am grateful of my upbringing in Licking County and all that it has provided myself and my family. I feel a strong responsibility to give back and help pave the way for future generations.

Hannah Goodwin, 31, of Newark, finance director at Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities:

Having been born and raised in Licking County, I feel the need to help others in this community achieve what is important to them.

Dr. Elizabeth McIntosh, 33, of Johnstown, outpatient family physician at Licking Memorial Family Practice, Johnstown office:

I became a physician because I wanted to help people and a family physician because I wanted to care for people of all ages and health conditions, and that has not changed. I believe that life is intrinsically valuable and worth fighting for, and this fuels my passion to help patients achieve true health  meaning complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com

740-973-4539

Twitter: @kmallett1958

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: The Advocate's 20 Under 40 new leaders ready for community challenges
As advocates push Congress to pass an updated Farm Bill early next year, local experts aren't certain the new law is even close to entering the floor for discussion.

Already, Congress has had to extend the existing Farm Bill, passed in 2018 under Former President Donald Trump, for an additional year. Now, grassroots organizations and governmental bodies have called for new legislation -- and for it to be done quickly.

"Congress passing an extension of the Farm Bill will ensures that the Department of Agriculture can continue to implement existing programs, keeping important benefits flowing to farmers and forest landowners to improve habitat, access, and soil and water quality on private lands," the Bipartisan Policy Center's Farm and Forest Carbon Solutions Task Force and Food and Nutrition Security Task Force collective stated in a news release. "It also enables the administration of critical nutrition programs that help feed low-income Americans.

Co-chairs, respectively, include former U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Saxby Chambliss and former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture Dan Glickman and Anne Veneman.

Darren Hudson, professor and Larry Combest Endowed Chair of Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech, expressed skepticism about the bill being ready by May as the nation approaches a new election cycle.

"Well, you never say never, right?" said Hudson, pointing out that serious discussions about the Farm Bill didn't even begin until September, after the existing Farm Bill had already expired. "We don't ever know what will happen."

The Farm Bill, he said, consists of far more than agriculture and food -- but dips into nearly every sector in the nation, including supplemental food assistance. For the most part, Hudson said he believes the new bill will look much the last but could have some modifications.

In 2018, Congress added more than 300 amendments, ranging from the prohibition of the "slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption" and providing "additional assistance under the non-insured crop assistance program for certain producers" to ensuring the "Secretary of Agriculture enforces certain Buy American requirements with respect to fish harvested within United States waters" and improving the Rural Energy for America program.

Darren Hudson

"There's really just not a lot of impetus to change things," Hudson said. "We learn our lessons sometimes, but I think majority people don't really have an issue with this bill."

Earlier this year, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, hosted a roundtable with more than a dozen agriculture experts and industry stakeholders, discussing some of the priorities they'd expect to see on the upcoming legislation.

At that time, he underscored the pressing need for an updated bill, especially in Texas, which leads the nation in terms of both acreage and quantity of farmland and ranches but has unique requirements that differ from other regions across the nation.

Already, he had identified a range of priorities for Texans, including crop insurance, initiatives to eradicate feral swine and cattle fever ticks, the establishment of an animal disease bank, and the improvement of rural broadband and school nutrition programs.

"It's Farm Bill time," he told the audience on the FiberMax Discovery Center on July 18. "And it seems like, as long as I've been in the Senate, it's either time to do a farm bill, or it's time to think and plan for the next farm bill. It never seems to ever see an end."

Like Cornyn, Hudson told the A-J he believes the current Farm Bill lacks a strong emphasis on hyperlocal experiences.

But a positive development in recent years, he said, has been the inclusion of opt-in programs that empower farmers to join incentives and assistance from the program that aligns best with their needs.

"Traditionally, the battles have always been between commodity groups. So, the cotton people were fighting the corn people," Hudson said. "But all of a sudden, in the last couple of farm bills, it's been geographic regions -- and it's the Midwest fighting the South, because there's different needs for each region. But I think Congress did a good job of recognizing that in the last couple farm bills by creating the Agriculture Risk (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. They're not necessarily geographic-based, but they are geographic-specific enough that most people accepted that they were never going to get a perfect program but would accept something that works reasonably well for them."

A complicated history

For several decades, the Farm Bill passed with relatively few feuds and woes.

In recent years, it's become increasingly divisive, Hudson said, and he believes that political turmoil is the driving factor for the haste in pushing a new bill.

"The push to try to get it done is to try to avoid the election cycle," Hudson said. "Because if they if they wait until the summer, it's toast. Nobody's gonna touch anything. Everybody is in full-on campaign mode; they don't want to mess with it, and they certainly don't want anything that can be used against them."

According to Hudson, the Farm Bill was not always a controversial bill. In its earliest years, it was a two-day discussion and would often pass by a landslide.

That changed in the early 2000s when former President George W. Bush vetoed the updated legislation in 2002 and 2008.

"For a year and a half, I have consistently asked that the Congress pass a good farm bill that I can sign," Bush wrote in a message to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008. "Regrettably, the Congress has failed to do so. At a time of high food prices and record farm income, this bill lacks program reform and fiscal discipline. It continues subsidies for the wealthy and increases farm bill spending by more than $20 billion, while using budget gimmicks to hide much of the increase. It is inconsistent with our objectives in international trade negotiations, which include securing greater market access for American farmers and ranchers. It would needlessly expand the size and scope of government. Americans sent us to Washington to achieve results and be good stewards of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars. This bill violates that fundamental commitment."

Hudson pointed out that the shift in the Farm Bill's politicization is likely because it now incorporates a multitude of facets that were not of concern, such as the dwindling water supply of the Ogallala Aquifer, or were nonexistent, such as WIC and SNAP programs, when the legislation was first introduced in the 1940s.

Now, the bill functions as the cornerstone for many of the nation's programs and political ideologies, Hudson said.

"I think that's really the concern is just trying to avoid getting deep into an election cycle, and then having to pass something that is potentially controversial," Hudson said. "It shouldn't be, but it's potentially controversial, especially with sort of the very extremes of both political parties."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: As advocates push for new Farm Bill, local experts not sure it's ready
A rendering of Lane County's proposed Integrated Material and Energy Recovery Facility in Goshen. Lane county commissioners this week will discuss the proposed waste processing facility for the Short Mountain landfill.

Lane county commissioners this week will hear public comment on the proposed Row River fire district, discuss the proposed waste processing facility for the Short Mountain landfill, and vote on a contract for the county mental health stabilization center.

Eugene city councilors will vote on policies and priorities to present to state and federal lawmakers and hear an update on the PeaceHealth hospital closure.

Springfield elected officials will discuss new state rules designed to increase housing development, future city construction projects and what to do with downtown Springfield Economic Development Agency properties.

Eugene City Council

To watch: Meetings stream online at bit.ly/Eugene-meetings and are broadcast on Comcast channel 21.

To listen: Dial any of the following numbers and use the meeting ID and passcode.

1-253-215-8782

1-346-248-7799

1-669-900-6833

1-301-715-8592

1-312-626-6799

1-929-205-6099

833-548-0282 (toll free)

To attend: Council meetings are held in the Mary Spilde Center of Lane Community College's downtown campus at 101 W 10th Ave.

To comment: Fill out the Request to Speak form on Monday, Nov. 27. The form will be open from 7-7:35 p.m. Following racist virtual comments at the last two Eugene city council meetings during public comment, speakers must show up in person to provide comment.

Written testimony can be submitted to City Council by sending an email to mayorcouncilandcitymanager@eugene-or.gov.

WORK SESSION

When: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 27

What: Eugene city councilors will vote on documents formalizing the city's positions and priorities for the state and federal government. Then City Manager Sarah Medary will present councilors an update on the PeaceHealth hospital closure.

Link: https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/j/87537738978

Meeting ID; Passcode: 875 3773 8978; council9

REGULAR MEETING

When: 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 27

What: Eugene city councilors will hear public comment. Following racist virtual comments at the last two Eugene city council meetings during public comment, the city is requiring speakers show up in-person to give spoken comment.

Link: https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/j/87058146043

Meeting ID; Passcode: 870 5814 6043; council9

Springfield City Council

To watch: The city's system requires registration to watch and to participate in meetings. Use the links for meetings to register and get information to attend.

To listen: Dial 1-971-247-1195 or 1-877-853-5247 and use the meeting ID.

To comment: There will be instructions during the meeting for speaking during public comment or public hearings.

To attend: Both meetings are held in the Jesse Maine room of Springfield City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield.

WORK SESSION

When: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 27

What: Springfield city councilors will hear an update from staff on a slate of rule changes and legislation designed to encourage housing production and decide whether to adopt one of those new optional rules, which would allow the city to annex some properties without a public hearing.

Then councilors will review the Capital Improvement Program draft list: a document with staff's recommended city construction projects for 2025-29, and recommend changes.

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_v1obxmoNSwSQ6LCWapP6YA

Meeting ID: 854 1909 3176

SPRINGFIELD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

When: 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 27

What: The SEDA board will hear public comment. Then provide city staff direction on what to do with four SEDA-owned properties in downtown Springfield.

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3WzyrV7JTJu3vpGDeqi32w

Meeting ID: 812 4731 5790

Lane County Board of Commissioners

To attend: Board of Commissioner meetings begin at 9 a.m. in Harris Hall, 125 E. Eighth Ave., unless otherwise noted. Doors to Harris Hall open at 8:45 a.m.

To watch: County meetings stream at bit.ly/LaneCounty-meetings.

To comment: When theres a chance to comment, individuals must register to do so virtually. After registering, people will get information on how to attend.

Those who go to the meeting in person should sign up on the sign-in sheet by the entry door.

There will be instructions during the meeting for speaking during public hearings and making public comments.

People also can email diana.jones@lanecountyor.gov with public comments by noon Monday. The subject line should include 'PUBLIC COMMENT FOR MEETING DATE 11/28/2023'

MORNING SESSION

When: 9 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 28

What: Lane county commissioners will set the date for a future public hearing on a proposal to raise the maximum penalty for some land use violations. Next they will vote on two contracts to strengthen Lane County's emergency services' radio network.

Then commissioners will hold a public hearing for feedback on a petition to promote Row River Fire Response, a nonprofit that acts as an unofficial fire protection district for the unincorporated communities of Dorena, Culp Creek and Disston, into a formal fire protection district.

AFTERNOON SESSION

When: 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 28

What: County commissioners will hold a public hearing on a proposed erosion prevention policy. Next they will continue discussion on the county's proposed waste processing facility. Then they will vote on a contract for operations of the county's mental health stabilization center where commissioners will decide how they want the center to handle youth services.

Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached at atorres@registerguard.com or on twitter @alanfryetorres

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Lane County hearing on mental health stabilization center contract
SAO PAULO/BRASILIA/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentine President-elect Javier Milei on Sunday invited Brazil's leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to his Dec. 10 inauguration and praised their countries' ties, again softening his tone with a figure he had harshly criticized before.

Milei said in a letter to Lula, which he reposted on social media X, that he wishes to keep sharing "complementary areas" with the neighboring country so both can achieve "growth and prosperity," citing their trade and global footprints.

The letter marks yet another shift from the radical libertarian, who during his campaign dubbed Lula an "angry communist" and suggested he would balk at doing business with Brazil, Argentina's top trade partner.

Last week Milei, who travels to the United States on Sunday, had already softened his tone with China's communist leadership, thanking President Xi Jinping for a letter congratulating him. China is Argentina's second-largest trade partner.

"I hope that our mutual time as presidents will be a stage for fruitful work and the construction of ties that consolidate the role Argentina and Brazil can and must fulfill in the concert of nations," Milei told Lula.

The letter was delivered by his top foreign policy adviser, Diana Mondino, to Brazil's Foreign Relations Minister Mauro Vieira at a meeting in Brasilia.

The new Argentine leader is closer politically and personally to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and has invited him to his inauguration. Lula defeated Bolsonaro in elections last year.

"My main message is that we are brotherly countries and will continue to be," Mondino told reporters after her meeting with Vieira, where they also discussed the current stage of Mercosur-EU negotiations for a trade deal.

Vieira said he would brief Lula on Milei's invitation.

"I have no doubts that our relationship, which is very important, will remain that way ... Mondino showed us Argentina wants to continue having a high-level dialogue with Brazil."

Milei meanwhile was set to travel to the U.S. on Sunday, a spokesperson told Reuters, noting he would attend a religious ceremony in New York and have meetings in Washington.

According to the spokesperson, Milei will meet officials from the White House, the U.S. Treasury and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to explain his economic plan, which includes dollarizing Argentina and closing the central bank.

"He is not looking for financing," said the spokesperson, adding Milei's sister Karina, the U.S. ambassador to Argentina and three close aides were traveling with him.

Facing a severe economic crisis, Argentina is tied up by a $44 billion loan program from the IMF that has veered off track. Milei spoke with IMF director Kristalina Georgieva last week.

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo in Sao Paulo, Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia and Jorge Otaola in Buenos Aires; Editing by David Gregorio and Stephen Coates)
Air defence was in operation in the suburbs of Kyiv on the night of 25-26 November.

Source: Kyiv City Military Administration on Telegram

Quote: "Air defence is in operation in the suburbs of Kyiv. The threat continues. Stay in shelters!"

Background:

On the evening of Saturday, 25 November, the Russians attacked Ukraine with UAVs.

On the night of 24-25 November, the Russians launched a record number of attack UAVs at Ukraine  75 Shahed kamikaze drones, 74 of which were shot down.

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Officials at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport are urging travelers to arrive to the airport early and practice other measures ahead of what is estimated to be one of the busiest days in the airports history.

Airport statistics show that over a 12 day period starting November 16 approximately 900,000 local and connecting passengers are forecasted to depart from the airport.

These predicted statistics would show a 14% increase from around the same time last year.

With the amount of anticipated traffic, officials are advising travelers to be inside of the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and at least three hours before international flights.

Airport employees also warn that roadways will be crowded and that it may take 45 minutes to an hour to reach the terminals front doors.

Parking is also expected to be in high demand so for those planning to park at the airport you are asked to try and book online prior to arriving at the airport.

Charlotte Douglas will be staffing extra employees to try and shorten wait times.

To check on your flight status or the current wait times in TSA CLICK HERE.

RELATED STORY: Thanksgiving Day travel less hectic at Charlotte Douglas International Airport
When I wrote a series of stories this summer about opioids, I spoke with two women incarcerated in two Idaho jails.

I was shocked and dismayed at the difficulty and the costs of trying to communicate with them via phone and video.

Phone calls at one jail cost 21 cents per minute, or more than $5 just to talk for 25 minutes. A video interview at another jail cost $7.50 for a 30-minute session, or 25 cents per minute.

One interview was cut off inexplicably after 12 minutes, a common occurrence, I was told. We finished our conversation via phone, for which I was charged $6.72 for 27 minutes, or 25 cents per minute.

The people who really bear the burden are the family members.

Tina Thompson, 69, a retired mom of one of the women in jail, tries to set aside $100 each month from her Social Security check just so she can talk to her daughter. If she wants to add money to her account, that costs, too: Adding $10 to her account requires a fee of $3.30.

Its immoral.

But it doesnt have to be this way.

A nonprofit company launched at the beginning of the pandemic offers an alternative to the practice of allowing private companies to charge people in prison and their families exorbitant fees just to talk to a family member via phone or video.

Ameelio builds software that allows incarcerated people to communicate with loved ones for free so they can maintain bonds with friends and family when theyre released.

One of the important values to us is we dont charge the families for their phone calls, Ben Porter, head of engineering for Ameelio, told me in a phone interview. So from the familys perspective, its free.

Ameelio is based in Connecticut, but Porter works from Idaho Falls.

Ameelio, which has seed money from former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, is slowly but surely working its way into prison systems across the country, now in Colorado, Maine, Illinois and Iowa.

After what Ive seen, Id love to see Ameelio make its way into Idaho.

But its an uphill climb.

System of kickbacks

The system is rigged in many places, including Idaho, where government agencies get kickbacks from the for-profit companies that run the phone and video services, in a corrupt system of profit-sharing that actually incentivizes higher costs.

Canyon County received about $130,000 last year from its contract with TelMate. Ada County received $540,000 last year from TelMate. The Idaho Department of Correction received $1.5 million from its provider, ICSolutions.

And its all on the backs of people like Tina Thompson.

The kickback system is a real problem with trying to lower the cost for incarcerated people and their loved ones, Porter said. The incentive structure they put in place, its better for everyone  everyone except the incarcerated people, that is  to have that price high. Its more revenue for the company. Its more revenue for the facility. So theres a reverse incentive there.

Ameelio so far has worked with states that dont have these kickbacks, but Porter said the company is trying to make inroads in states like Idaho.

We have seen an amazingly positive response from many people in the correction industries that really do recognize the inequities and the system of reverse incentives that weve built, Porter said. And they do see a huge value (in free communications).

Teaming up with Ameelio means that not only would these agencies lose that revenue stream, the county or state would have to pay Ameelio a fee.

So instead of getting a $1.5 million kickback from ICSolutions, the state of Idaho would have to pay a fee to Ameelio.

Porter said that fee could be anywhere from $700,000 to $2.5 million a year, depending on storage requirements (storage costs are the highest part of the cost; phone and video calls by themselves are relatively cheap, Porter said).

Thats why its such a tough sell for the states that allow kickbacks, because were basically asking them, Most of you already feel budget restricted; wed like for you to cut it more, Porter said. But its the right thing to do.

Reasons to eliminate fees

Heres why the state should make the switch:

Its the right thing to do. Its just downright immoral to allow for-profit companies to soak these families who usually are the least able to pay these exorbitant fees. If some legislators want to inject their Christian beliefs into the government, this would actually be a good place to do it.

The high cost of maintaining contact with incarcerated family members caused more than one in three families (34%) into debt to pay for phone calls and visits alone, according to a 2015 report conducted by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Forward Together and Research Action Design.

Idaho is a state that believes in family values. Thats what this is all about: keeping families together. By charging so much for a phone call, prisoners and inmates dont call as often or at all. That keeps families apart.

It could actually save Idaho money in the long run. Studies have shown that inmates who keep in contact with family members while incarcerated have a lower recidivism rate. That means reducing the cost of housing reoffenders.

A Minnesota Department of Corrections study found that even a single visit reduced recidivism by 13% for felony reconviction and 25% for technical violations.

As it is, at 62%, Idaho has the highest percentage of people incarcerated on parole and probation violations in the country, according to a recent study by the Council of State Governments.

So if youre not persuaded by doing whats morally right, you should be persuaded by whats cost-effective.

My hope is that some county commissioner somewhere or a state legislator reads this and recognizes how harmful and immoral these fees are and is willing to consider something like Ameelio.

Its just the right thing to do.
MILLINGTON, Tenn. - A native of Amarillo, Texas, recently completed an intensive 10-week training program to become a member of the elite U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard.

Seaman Marcus Avalos, a 2023 Caprock High School graduate, joined the Navy six months ago. Today, Avalos serves as a U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guardsman.

"I joined the Navy to better myself and to travel," said Avalos.

Seaman Marcus Avalos, a 2023 Caprock High School graduate, joined the Navy six months ago. Today, Avalos serves as a U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guardsman.

Established in 1931, the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard is the official honor guard of the U.S. Navy and is based at Naval District Washington Anacostia Annex in Washington, D.C.

According to Navy officials, the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guards primary mission is to represent the service in Presidential, Joint Armed Forces, Navy, and public ceremonies in and around the nations capital. Members of the Navy Ceremonial Guard participate in some of our nations most prestigious ceremonies, including Presidential inaugurations and arrival ceremonies for foreign officials.

"I've learned that teamwork goes a long way," said Avalos.

Sailors of the Ceremonial Guard are hand-selected while they are attending boot camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. Strict military order and discipline, combined with teamwork, allow the Ceremonial Guard to fulfill their responsibilities with pride and determination. They are experts in the art of close order drill, coordination and timing.

The Ceremonial Guard is comprised of the drill team, color guard, casket bearers and firing party.

"I like that I get the opportunity to be in Washington, D.C.," said Avalos.

There are many opportunities for sailors to earn recognition in their command, community and careers.

I am most proud of completing training and leaving my hometown," said Avalos.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Avalos, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.

To me, serving in the Navy means that I get a lot of opportunities I wouldn't get in the civilian world," added Avalos.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo native becomes member of elite Navy Honor Guard
WILMER, Texas - The AMBER Alert has been discontinued for the 10-year-old boy who was reportedly kidnapped by his father and taken to Mexico, and he is back in the United States and being brought back home.

Investigators said Ian Aguilar was abducted from his home in Wilmer and his mother, Zuleika Lopez, was killed.

An AMBER Alert was issued for Aguilar, with his father, 38-year-old Juan Aguilar-Cano, named as the suspect. Police also said Aguilar-Cano was the suspect in Lopez's death.

Aguliar-Cano's vehicle was found near a Tornado Bus Company in Houston, but he and the boy were not there.

Authorities then said they were in communication with Aguilar's family, and said they believed he was in Mexico and not with his father.

On Saturday, police and family confirmed Aguilar has been safely returned to the U.S. and is safe with his family. They are bringing him back home. No further details were released on his return.

Police said Aguilar-Cano has still not been found and they are continuing to search for him.
The US has the highest obesity rate of any developed country - Motortion/iStockphoto

Americas skinniest state will attempt to ban fatphobia next year, amid fears a quarter of the population face discrimination at work and school.

Colorado, long considered the USs healthiest state, has the lowest obesity rate in the country, of 25 per cent.

State lawmakers are working up two draft bills for next years legislative session that would ban weight discrimination by employers and housing providers, and outlaw weight-based bullying in US schools.

The proposals follow a new act in New York City that came into force on Wednesday, banning firms from firing employees over their weight or paying them less than slimmer colleagues.

Similar laws are under consideration in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Vermont, and have applied at a state level in Michigan since 1976.

Campaigners hope obesity will one day be added to a list of protected characteristics at a federal level, on par with race, gender and sexuality.

At 39.6 per cent, the US has the highest obesity rate of any developed country, and twice the OECD average.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows the obesity rate in Colorado is similar to in the UK, which has a rate of 26 per cent.

West Virginia has the highest obesity prevalence in the US, with a figure of 41 per cent, followed by Louisiana, Oklahoma and Mississippi.

Of the 10 slimmest states, five have proposed laws that would ban weight discrimination, while none of the 10 fattest states have done so.

In Texas, the 18th-fattest state, the state Supreme Court ruled in June that weight should not be considered a protected characteristic unless it is medically classified as a disability.

The case followed a lawsuit by a 28-stone woman who claimed she had been illegally dismissed from her job as an A&E doctor over concerns she could not stand long enough to conduct procedures on patients.

The Supreme Court ruled that excessive weight is a physical characteristic, not a disability and that while it may be a symptom of an underlying physiological impairment, only the impairment itself was protected in law.

Kristal Hartman, chair of the board of the Obesity Action Coalition, said campaigners are trying to change the perception that obese people choose to be overweight and should not have their size protected from discrimination in law.

The history of obesity is that most people have thought it is the persons fault, she told The Telegraph.

[People think] they did this to themselves, theyre lazy, they eat McDonalds 10 times a day.

But as the science has improved, and the research has improved, were understanding that that is absolutely not the be-all and end-all of obesity.

Certainly, watching food and body movement and exercise and all of those things are important, but its actually physiological.



Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
A suspected American bully XL was found abandoned and shivering in a suitcase in a field in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on Monday

Dog rescue centres fear numbers of abandoned bully XL dogs will rise if vets cannot cope with the demands of a ban coming into effect next month.

Owners of the breed will have to have dogs neutered, microchipped, and exempted, or have them euthanised.

If vets do not have the capacity to help, owners may have "nowhere else to turn", the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) has warned.

The government said it took "quick and decisive action" to protect the public.

It comes after the founder of a pet rescue centre told the BBC the government's ban on American bully XLs had led to dogs being abandoned and "killed en masse".

The government decided to ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 following a rise in fatal attacks.

Owners wishing to keep their dogs have until the end of January 2024 to register them on the Index of Exempted Dogs, and will eventually need to get them microchipped and neutered.

If the dog is less than a year old on 31 January, it must be neutered by the end of the year, but if it is older than a year, it must be neutered by 30 June.

'Postcode lottery'

Owners who choose not to keep their dog must take it to be euthanised by a vet by the end of January and can claim 200 towards the cost.

The ADCH, which is a representative charity for dog and cat rehoming organisations across the UK, said it had many concerns on how the ban would work, "particularly around veterinary capacity for euthanasia and neutering", as well as vets who refused to euthanise healthy dogs on ethical grounds.

"We fear that these factors will result in a postcode lottery on helping owners euthanise or neuter their bully XLs, and could increase abandonment rates for owners that have nowhere else to turn," the charity said.

Rebecca Taylor says it doesn't seem "practical" for bully XL owners to meet the requirements of the ban in the "short space of time" before it comes into effect

Rebecca Taylor, a locum vet in Dorset, said she would not be putting down "healthy" bully XLs.

"I use the term healthy - that covers their behaviour and mental health as well as their physical health," she said.

"To me and a lot of other vets, a dog with significant behavioural problems is not a healthy dog.

"But for me - my ethics and morals - I didn't become a vet to put down healthy animals And for me I can't justify that."

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Code of Professional Conduct says "no veterinary surgeon is obliged to kill a healthy animal unless required to do so under statutory powers as part of their conditions of employment".

Ms Taylor said she also had concerns it would be difficult for vets to cope with euthanasia and neutering requests in areas where there were more bully XLs.

"When I was working nearer to London, there's more there. If I work up in Middlesbrough, there's more up there," she says.

"I'm just in a rural pocket at the moment where there's not.

"It's not that straightforward to just have dogs traveling across the country to get neutered and then [it] has to be travelling a long way post-surgery, and then if there's any complications after the operation, they'd still need to go to their local vet."

Animal welfare advisor David Martin spoke to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in October before the ban was announced.

In October, David Martin, an animal welfare advisor for leading veterinary group IVC Evidensia, told a government committee that in a survey of 200 of new employees, 94% said they would not euthanise a healthy bully XL with no behavioural problems.

He said if the government asked them "to neuter 40,000 Jack Russells in a six-month period" vets would have enough kennel space to house them for the day, but for "40,000 very large dogs" space would be a "limiting factor".

"We would only probably be able to do one or two in a surgery per day, just simply because we haven't got the kennel space to house them while they wake up from their anaesthetics," he added.

From 31 December it will be against the law to sell, abandon, give away, or breed a bully XL, or have one in public without a lead and muzzle.

From 1 February 2024, owning a bully XL dog in England and Wales without an exemption certificate will be a criminal offence, resulting in an unlimited fine and seizure of the dog.

American bully XLs in rescue centres will either be "stuck" there for life or put down after the December deadline, Ms Taylor says, as rehoming them will be illegal.

American bullies have been involved in several high-profile attacks

Owners wanting to exempt a bully XL will need to pay for a number of things including the application which costs 92.40, third-party public liability insurance and neutering.

Their pets must also be microchipped, which applies to all dogs - regardless of their breeds - by the time they are eight weeks old.

This "chunk of money" that owners weren't anticipating to spend could be a struggle for some, Ms Taylor said.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs advised bully XL owners whose vet had refused to euthanise their dog to ask a different vet, or to discuss with them alternative veterinary practices that they could recommend.

A spokesperson said: "We have taken quick and decisive action to protect the public from tragic dog attacks, with the XL Bully type added to the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

"Up until 31 January 2024, owners of XL Bully type dogs have the options of applying for a Certificate of Exemption or taking their dog to be euthanised by a vet.

"We are working closely with the police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare groups as we take forward these important measures."
A recent report from PEN America reveals an alarming rise in educational gag orders, particularly those targeting LGBTQ+ issues, even as the conservative group Moms for Liberty faces setbacks in recent school board elections.



This report, encompassing legislative sessions up to November 1, uncovers a concerted shift in gag orders, moving away from racial and historical themes to more focused restrictions on LGBTQ+ discussions in educational settings.

PEN America is a leading organization advocating for free expression and literature.

During 2023, state legislatures saw the introduction of 110 bills defined by PEN America as educational gag orders, with a substantial number focusing on LGBTQ+ content. Mirroring Floridas controversial dont say gay law, these bills primarily target early education grades, placing significant restrictions on classroom discussions around sexual orientation and gender identity.

New PEN America report documents 110 educational gag orders introduced in 2023, primarily focused on restricting speech about #LGBTQ+ topics & identities in schools, and squelching the structures that underpin academic freedom within higher education. https://t.co/buNjim3C2P  (@)

In addition to Florida, states like Texas, Arkansas, and Indiana have also enacted similar laws. For instance, Texass SB 3 targets discussions around critical race theory (which is not taught below the undergraduate level) and aspects of American history, while Indianas HB 1608 limits discussions on LGBTQ+ issues in educational settings. These laws represent a national trend where state legislatures increasingly introduce bills restricting educational content on critical social issues.

Related: Moms for Liberty Candidates Rejected by Voters in Key School Board Elections



The report also sheds light on the broad impact of these laws, potentially affecting approximately 1.3 million public school teachers and 100,000 faculty members in public colleges and universities. Educators report a climate of fear and self-censorship stemming from potential legal challenges and societal backlash.

In a parallel development, recent school board elections across the United States witnessed a sweeping rejection of candidates endorsed by Moms for Liberty, a group known for its anti-LGBTQ+ educational materials stance and advocacy for parental rights.

Notably, Agenda PAC, a political action committee dedicated to holding anti-LGBTQ+ politicians accountable, secured victories across multiple states, marking a significant defeat for Moms for Libertys agenda.

Moms for Liberty, classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-government extremist group, has been at the forefront of advocating for book bans in school libraries and spreading hateful rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community. Their recent losses in school board races, particularly in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Iowa, underline the effectiveness of strategic campaigning by groups like Agenda PAC.

The PEN America report also highlights the strategic shift in higher education, where legislators increasingly target university governance and academic support systems. These include attacks on faculty tenure and DEI initiatives, representing a more insidious method to undermine traditional structures underpinning academic freedom and free speech in universities.

Despite these concerning trends, the report notes a growing resistance to educational gag orders. Regardless of political affiliation, most Americans have expressed opposition to academic censorship. This has translated into organized opposition nationwide, with educators, students, parents, and community groups pushing back against these laws, sometimes successfully.

As the United States approaches the 2024 legislative sessions and general elections, the report by PEN America serves as a crucial call to attention.
(AP)  NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP)  President Biden says 4-year-old American hostage Abigail Edan has been released by Hamas. Shes free and shes in Israel.

Teens shot after holiday festivities and Christmas Tree lighting in downtown Cleveland

The little girl spent her fourth birthday as a captive of Hamas, per reports from several media outlets. She was freed by the militant group Sunday as a part of the cease-fire agreement between Israel and the militant group.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
America's most notorious, double-dealing spy, Jim Nicholson, was officially released from prison on Friday, according to the Federal Burea of Prisons.

The highest-ranking CIA officer ever convicted of espionage is now just walking around, living his life at 73 years old. Some say he may actually try to do right by his family and stick around, others suspect he'll flee to Russia. But before we spend any more time speculating about what he'll be doing with his newfound freedom, let's dive into how truly awful he was/is.

Federal Burea of Prisons

A spy is born

Harold James "Jim" Nicholson was born in Woodburn, Oregon, a small town approximately 30 miles south of Portland, on November 17, 1950. The young Nicholson found himself drawn to military life and enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he specialized in signals intelligence. Stationed at various Army posts like Fort Huachuca in Arizona and Fort Meade in Maryland, he honed his skills in cryptology and communications. After acquiring a valuable skill set and a passion for intelligence, he decided to aim higher: the Central Intelligence Agency.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbGISyRLtV8

In 1980, Nicholson made the significant leap from military life to espionage, joining the CIA as an operations officer. The early 80s were fraught with Cold War tension, making Nicholson's role critical to U.S. interests. Stationed initially at CIA Headquarters in McLean, Virginia, he received further training in spycraft. His assignments later took him to locations as diverse as Manila, Philippines, and Bangkok, Thailand, where he was responsible for recruiting local assets and gathering intelligence on various geopolitical matters. His performance evaluations were exemplary throughout this period, painting him as a dedicated and competent operative.

By the mid-90s, Nicholson had achieved the notable rank of Branch Chief within the CIA's Directorate of Operations. In this elevated position, Nicholson supervised covert activities and missions. His office walls became adorned with commendations and accolades, affirming his reputation as a rising star in the Agency. Colleagues and supervisors lauded him for his knack for analysis and ability to handle high-pressure situations.

Unpacking motivations

On November 16, 1996, just a day shy of his 46th birthday, Jim Nicholson was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. He was caught red-handed with a stash of highly classified documents and $5,000 in cash. After a thorough investigation, it was confirmed that Nicholson had been leaking sensitive information to Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). This betrayal wasn't a one-off lapse in judgment; it had been happening for years.

So what led him to this point? The ensuing trial, which concluded on March 3, 1997, illuminated the matter. Nicholson himself cited financial struggles as his primary reason. Supporting three children after a divorce, Nicholson felt the weight of his financial obligations. He was lured by Russian promises of financial security. He accumulated over $300,000 from his Russian handlers in exchange for betraying his country.

However, experts on espionage psychology suggest that motivations behind turning into a double agent are generally more intricate than money. Many point to a combination of factors. Though motivations vary, it's often a combination of disillusionment with the Agency's bureaucracy and resentment towards supervisors or colleagues. Sometimes though, it's a craving for recognition that they feel is lacking in their current roles. In Nicholson's case, some hypothesize his ego played a substantial role, fueling a desire to outsmart the system that trained him.

Moreover, the trial also highlighted the extent of the damage this former spy caused. His betrayals had compromised several CIA operations and risked the lives of undercover agents. His 1997 conviction led to a sentence of 23 years, seven months in Englewood, a medium-security federal prison in Colorado.

Arrested

Press release from the U.S. Department of Justice and the CIA:

An employee of the Central Intelligence Agency was arrested November 16 for spying on behalf of Russia.

Attorney General Janet Reno, Director of Central Intelligence John Deutch, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Louis J. Freeh and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Helen Fahey today announced that Harold James Nicholson of Burke, Virginia, age 46, was arrested Saturday and charged this morning under Title 18, United States Code, Section 794 with espionage and conspiracy to commit espionage by passing classified CIA documents to agents of the Russian Federation Foreign Intelligence Service (SVRR), the Russian successor to the KGB. Affidavits unsealed in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria today include allegations that Nicholson made $120,000 in unexplained deposits to his bank account following trips abroad (including an unauthorized meeting with SVRR intelligence officers) and that federal authorities intercepted postcards mailed to his handlers, recovered classified information from his laptop computer, observed him photographing classified documents, and that a search of his office revealed numerous classified materials concerning Russia that were not related to his CIA duties.

DCI Deutch said, "The arrest of Nicholson is the direct result of an unprecedented level of cooperation between the CIA and the FBI. We are now able to demonstrate quite conclusively that the post-Ames reforms work as designed. Clearly the post-Ames analysis and detection mechanisms the CIA and FBI put in place succeeded in the identification of Nicholson and his alleged espionage activities on behalf of the Russian intelligence service."

Attorney General Janet Reno said, "I am extraordinarily proud of the men and women of all the agencies that worked together so diligently to make this possible. Cooperation among our U.S. Attorneys' offices, the Department of Justice, the FBI and the CIA is essential to preventing, detecting and punishing espionage."

FBI Director Freeh said, "The announcement today starkly demonstrates the continuing threat to our national security by foreign intelligence services. The Ames case demonstrated that the level of vigilance against espionage cannot be lessened without risking great harm to our national security. The most formidable weapon against this grave crime is a close partnership between the FBI and the CIA. It is that partnership that made today's announcement possible."

Deutch, Freeh and Reno praised the many employees of the FBI and the CIA both here and abroad who worked so diligently on this investigation. Freeh especially praised the superb work done on this investigation by the Agents and employees of the FBI's Washington Field Office, those employees out on the front line who must delicately collect the pieces of evidence required to make these cases. Both Deutch and Freeh acknowledged that these extraordinarily complex and sensitive investigations require extreme professionalism and dedication if the United States is to prevent or solve these crimes, which are so repugnant to our system of government.

Both Deutch and Freeh also expressed grave concern, noting that the unauthorized disclosure of the type of information Nicholson had access to could irreparably damage the national security of the United States.

The complaint and supporting affidavit charge that Nicholson possessed documents containing the names and biographical data and assignment of CIA case officers and the identity of a CIA employee scheduled for a sensitive overseas assignment. Nicholson's position as a staff instructor gave him access to biographical information and the assignments of every new CIA officer trained at his location during his tenure. Nicholson also possessed classified reports by access agents, people who voluntarily provide information to CIA, often at great risk to themselves.

The CIA and FBI have implemented a number of reforms and new procedures at the CIA that are designed to detect the slightest of early warning signs of espionage. As a direct result of these reforms, anomalies were detected that ultimately led to the identification of Nicholson and his alleged espionage activities. These reforms include:

The Chief of CIA's Counterespionage Group is a senior FBI official who has full access to CIA's most sensitive counterintelligence data and is thus in a position to fully coordinate the joint efforts of both organizations.

The Chief of CIA's Counterespionage Group is assisted by deputies from both the security and operational disciplines at CIA and has at least one FBI Special Agent on the Counterespionage Group staff full-time.

Section 811 of the Fiscal Year 1995 Intelligence Authorization Act requires immediate notification to the FBI whenever there are indications that classified information may have been disclosed without authorization to a foreign power.

The position of Associate Deputy Director of Operations/Counterintelligence was created to ensure high-level focus on the Agency's counterintelligence and counterespionage effort. The Associate Deputy Director of Operations/ Counterintelligence's duties include full-time coordination with the FBI, currently including weekly meetings with senior FBI officials in the FBI's National Security Division.

New training initiatives to enhance and improve counterespionage efforts have been undertaken.

Congress has provided increased resources for joint counterespionage efforts.

Nicholson was a sixteen-year employee of the CIA. He held "Top Secret" and "Sensitive Compartmentalized Information" security clearances. He had access to information, the unauthorized disclosure of which could irreparably damage the national security of the United States or provide an advantage to a foreign national. It is a criminal violation to make an unauthorized disclosure of classified information and, as part of his employment with the CIA, Nicholson had pledged and agreed never to improperly divulge classified information. Nicholson is charged with providing highly classified information to the Russian intelligence service in return for substantial payments of money. The Criminal Complaint charges that:

On or about October 16, 1995 and thereafter, Nicholson underwent a series of polygraph examinations administered by the CIA as part of a routine security update. An analysis of those polygraphs raised unresolved questions about unauthorized contacts with foreign intelligence services.

An analysis of CIA records, as well as personal travel and financial records of Nicholson, uncovered a pattern of foreign travel followed by unexplained financial transactions.

While stationed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nicholson had authorized meetings with members of the Russian intelligence service (SVRR). On June 30, 1994, one day after his last meeting, financial records indicate Nicholson wired $12,000 into his savings account in the United States. No legitimate source of the funds could be identified.

In December, 1994, Nicholson left the United States on personal travel to London, New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. While in Kuala Lumpur, he wired $9,000 to his savings account and made a $6,000 cash payment to a credit card account. After returning, Nicholson used 130 $100 bills to pay off debts. No legitimate source of the funds could be identified.

In June and July, 1995, Nicholson again traveled while on annual leave to Kuala Lumpur. While there and shortly thereafter, he made financial transactions totaling $23,815.21. No legitimate source of the funds could be identified.

In December, 1995, Nicholson left the United States on personal travel to Bangkok and Phuket, Thailand. Financial records show $26,900 in financial transactions during and after the trip. No legitimate source of the funds could be identified.

In March, 1996, an SVRR liaison officer officially requested information about Chechnyan terrorism from the FBI. In April, 1996, Nicholson went to CIA Headquarters and requested information about Chechnya for a training exercise. No such CIA training about Chechnya was planned.

In June, 1996, Nicholson went to Singapore on personal travel. Two known SVRR intelligence officers from Moscow were in Singapore while Nicholson was there. While in Singapore, Nicholson used counter-surveillance techniques before meeting with Russian intelligence officers at a remote location. Nicholson was not authorized to make the contact. After the contact, Nicholson made several large cash transactions involving approximately $20,000.

On or about July 16, 1996, Nicholson reported to his new position at CIA Headquarters in the Counter-Terrorism Center. CIA computer records reveal he conducted a number of computer searches using key words "Russia[n]" and "Chechnya." Nicholson had no need for the information in his new assignment. Nicholson attempted access to other CIA data bases.

On two occasions, FBI surveillance detected Nicholson mailing envelopes containing post cards using a false return name and address to a post office box in a foreign country. The messages on the post cards pertained to his assignment at CIA Headquarters and expected travel to Switzerland on November 23-24, 1996.

A court-authorized search conducted on or about August 11, 1996, of a notebook computer belonging to Nicholson revealed numerous classified CIA documents and fragments of documents relating to Russia. These document files had been deleted from program directories. The documents included information about the planned assignment of a CIA officer to Moscow, biographical data and assignment information about CIA employees, Russian recruitment pitches to CIA officers in the field and reports regarding Chechnya. Also included was information about the CIA station in Moscow, a summary of a debriefing of Aldrich Ames, and extensive personal observations including information about Nicholson's polygraph tests. A computer diskette was also located that contained seven summary reports concerning CIA human assets and their confidential reporting on a number of topics. The human assets were identified by code names and positions.

A court-authorized search of Nicholson's office on or about November 3, 1996, revealed Nicholson possessed a number of highly classified CIA documents concerning Russian military preparedness, Russian intelligence capabilities and other matters that did not appear germane to his assignment at the CIA.

Court-authorized electronic surveillance of Nicholson's office at CIA Headquarters revealed Nicholson photographing CIA documents after removing the classification markings on the documents.

Based on this information, Nicholson was charged with conspiracy to commit espionage.

In furtherance of the investigation, FBI Agents over the last three days also searched Nicholson's residence in Burke, Virginia, his office at CIA Headquarters, his vehicle and his safe deposit box.

The charge against Nicholson carries a possible sentence of life imprisonment without parole or, if certain statutory conditions set out in Title 18, United States Code, Section 794 are met, the death penalty. At this time, based on the state of the investigation to date, those statutory conditions have not been met.

Like father, like son

Nathaniel and Jim; photo Nathaniel Nicholson, public domain

Just when the intelligence community thought they'd closed the book on Jim Nicholson, a new chapter emerged that was equally startling. In 2008, nearly a decade after his conviction, Nicholson was back in the spotlight. However, this time, he wasn't acting alone. His co-conspirator was none other than his son, Nathaniel Nicholson.

During visiting hours where Jim was serving his sentence, the father-son duo would hold what seemed like casual conversations. In reality, Jim was schooling Nathaniel in the intricate world of spycraft. Over the course of several visits, Jim taught him how to covertly communicate with Russian agents and how to carry out clandestine activities.

Armed with these lessons, Nathaniel made multiple trips to various countries, including Mexico, Peru, and Cyprus, between 2006 and 2008. The objective? To collect what the Russians termed "pensions," essentially unpaid sums for Jim's previous spy activities. These payments were often made in person and involved convoluted handover methods to avoid detection. The FBI estimated that Nathaniel had collected at least $35,000 during these operations.

However, the duo's plot was eventually unraveled. The breakthrough came when investigators noted repeated visits by Nathaniel to countries with a Russian diplomatic presence, sparking an extensive surveillance operation. After gathering enough evidence, the FBI intervened, and both Nicholsons faced further legal proceedings.

On January 18, 2011, Jim Nicholson was sentenced to an additional eight years in prison for conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Nathaniel, for his part, cooperated with the authorities and received a lighter sentence of five years probation.

A tale of two faces

You would think the impact of a spy's capture would end with their incarceration. But that's far from the case with Jim. The repercussions of his betrayal are still felt today, creating ripples that extend far beyond the individual and touch on national security, training protocols, and psychological studies within the intelligence community.

Following his original conviction in 1997 and the shocking revelations in 2008 involving his son, the CIA and FBI underwent a period of self-examination. Special committees were formed, and reviews were launched to scrutinize recruitment methods, vetting processes and internal security measures. The Nicholson case led to a renewed emphasis on what insiders call "MICE" ( Money, Ideology, Compromise, Ego ), the four main factors that can motivate someone to betray their country.

Review, reassess and relearn

The case also became a study material for psychological analysts like Dr. Ursula M. Wilder , a clinical psychologist with a long career studying the innerworkings of what makes a spy. She dissected Nicholson's personality and motivations, hoping to better understand the warning signs and indicators of potential betrayal within the intelligence community.

In turn, the CIA completely changed how it trains agents. More time and energy is focused on counterintelligence and recruits spend significant time studying Nicholson's case. Nicholson's case serves as a poignant reminder that threats to national security aren't solely external. They can also emerge from within trusted institutions. It has left an indelible mark on how agencies like the CIA approach the human element in intelligence. It's a dark yet captivating narrative that challenges our traditional ideas of loyalty, duty, and patriotism, compelling us to look closer at the gray areas that can emerge even in the most black-and-white spy worlds.
A snowman melts in 2019 in Palmdale, where a hard freeze is forecast beginning early Monday, according to the National Weather Service. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

The Antelope Valley is facing a hard freeze warning for the early morning hours on Monday, with temperatures expected to plunge below freezing overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

The temperatures could damage outdoor plumbing and harm crops and unprotected pets or livestock in the Antelope Valley, including the areas of Palmdale, Lancaster and Lake Los Angeles, the weather service warned. It recommended that outdoor pipes be wrapped, drained or allowed to drip slowly and that in-ground sprinkler systems be drained and any above-ground pipes covered to protect them from freezing.

Lancaster had a low of 22 degrees Fahrenheit early Sunday morning, said David Gomberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. The Antelope Valley is facing chillier temperatures than the rest of the region because it is more protected from wind at night, causing "radiational cooling," Gomberg said. "Areas that are more wind sheltered get exceptionally cold."

"Most other areas of Southern California see at least a little bit of wind, which modifies the temperature," Gomberg explained, with temperatures in most valley areas in the 40s and the Los Angeles coast and basin in the low to mid 50s, "not too unusual for this time of year."

Some areas, including the Santa Clarita Valley, Calabasas, Agoura Hills and the Malibu coast, were under a wind advisory Sunday, with gusts of up to 45 miles per hour expected. The National Weather Service warned that the high winds could make driving difficult and blow down tree limbs, potentially leading to power outages.

A 20% chance of rain  mostly intermittent showers  is forecast for the Los Angeles County region beginning Wednesday and continuing through Friday, according to the NWS. Temperatures will range from the low 40s to high 60s.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Advanced Placement African American Studies class has led to controversy across the country, but when State College Area High School implements the course next year, it will expand on a class that has been offered at the school for more than a decade.

The semester-long African American studies class, which has been offered for the past 12 years at State High, will be replaced next year by its yearlong AP counterpart. AP courses are college-level classes offered by the College Board where students can take a comprehensive end of year test to earn college credit. The State College Area Board of Directors unanimously voted last month to approve the course for the 2024-25 school year.

Theres a lot of potential here for discovery, which I think is really important, board member Peter Buck said during an Oct. 2 discussion on offering the course. Especially perhaps for students whose ancestry may be from enslaved people, the potential for family discovery is really there.

Discussion around offering the AP course at State High began in 2021 when the College Board announced it would be developing it and planning for the pilot program, secondary director of curriculum Christine Merritt said. There was discussion then about adding the course immediately or waiting until the College Board settled on the scope of the curriculum and assessments, she said.

And so we had a conversation about that and what our capacity was at the time, Merritt said. We really felt like waiting was a better choice, because we already had an African American studies course on as an offering.

State College Area high school students in the African American Studies class have a discussion on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.

According to the College Board, 17 schools in Pennsylvania are offering the course this year. Data has not been collected on how many schools in the state plan to offer it next year alongside State College, which is the only Centre County school to include it in its offerings.

State Colleges current course is a semester long and taught by Jon Lodge. Starting with the transatlantic slave trade up to the present day, the class provides an in-depth look at slavery, reconstruction, the Jim Crow era and civil rights, but is limited by its four months of instruction.

Long before the College Boards announcement, there have been calls from State High students for the district to expand the scope of the current African American history curriculum.

Before the students even were aware of this, they vocalized the need for more and that they wanted a full-year course, said Jessica James, the districts social studies coordinator. So I think its interesting that they didnt have all those pieces and that they were already communicating that they wanted more depth, they wanted it to be a year long.

State College Area high school students in the African American Studies class have a discussion on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.

Why is the AP course controversial?

Since its pilot introduction in 2022, the College Boards Advanced Placement African American Studies course has drawn pushback from some conservative politicians. In January, just days before the sign-up deadline for the second pilot year, Floridas Department of Education announced that it would ban the course, prompting the College Board to remove some content in an attempt to appease Florida officials.

After heavy backlash, the College Board revised the course again in April, reincorporating some of the original content.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis administration denounced the curriculum as progressive indoctrination. In August, Arkansas joined Florida as the second state to drop the course.

Despite its time in the national spotlight, Merritt said the AP course is not about politics but rather an interdisciplinary look at a large part of American history and culture.

This course is not a political one, and we dont want to politicize it, Merritt said. So its not about whether you believe this or that, its more about just understanding history. Its not about making political judgments and all of that.

Benefits of AP

The framework for the AP course starts much earlier than the current African American studies class offered at State High, giving students a look into life before the transatlantic slave trade and its later influence on African American culture. The course units include cultural contributions, diversity within the African American community and the contributions of women within the civil rights movement.

Unlike traditional AP courses, the new African American Studies class is heavily project-based, with students submitting a project on a topic of their choosing as part of the end-of-year AP assessment. Merritt said the project component was one of the major benefits when determining to offer the course, giving students freedom in choosing their project topic.

Its a student-driven project on any topic that comes up in class, anything, any sentence that appears in the framework, they can do a project on, Merritt said. But its not about whether someone agrees or disagrees. Its about exploring the topic, and how well youve explored the topic in depth.

Before course approval, some board members expressed concerns that the AP test and yearlong enrollment would deter students from taking the class. AP enrollment has been a focus for the district, with Black students in the district showing the lowest enrollment, according to the districts June 2023 equity report. However, Merritt stressed that the class is offered to provide all students with the opportunity to take a college-level course on the history and experience of African Americans.

It fits in with our mission and vision of including all students, she said. And again, this isnt only a class for Black students. Its a course for all students to learn and theyre learning parts of world history and American history and all kinds of topics but its reinforced with a different lens in this particular class.

State College Area high school students in the African American Studies class have a discussion on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.

Current class at State High

Although the transition to AP is a year away, students at State High are already learning about African American history in an in-depth way. During the class, students learn about civil rights leaders, legislation and the effects of nationalism.

During a recent session, students engaged in a roundtable debate about the methods and motivations behind civil rights leaders.

Students will be introduced to various thematic topics that focus on a non-traditional approach covering the journey of a slave from capture, to servitude, to emancipation, to struggles for understanding the complex meaning of freedom, the current syllabus reads on the high schools website. The course will also look at present-day issues, including controversial subjects that African Americans face as a legacy of slavery.

Senior Justin Castro-Dixon, who took the class in 2022, said it helped him reach a deeper understanding of his community and history.

It just reinforces the hardships of where my people came from, Castro-Dixon said. And thats a really big one for me, because I wouldnt say I take it for granted, but Im not reminded daily about all the things that weve gone through and its really impactful.

Its one of several classes focusing on social issues that are available to State High students, including Issues of Modern Society: Controversy and Conversation and Diversity and Social Justice.

I think theres a lot of history to be told, Merritt said. I think we could develop a lot more history courses and as we look to see what AP offers, there may be other ones coming out.

Castro-Dixon said he wishes the AP course had been an option earlier. He recommended the current course to many of his friends, some who are in the class now.

Im really excited about that because you can only squeeze so much history into one quarter, Castro-Dixon said. So Im really excited for that. I wish I could take it.

In September, the board approved a motion to cover the cost of one AP testing fee for first-time test takers in the district. Tests typically cost anywhere from $98 to $146 for students, making it an additional barrier to testing. Students on free or reduced lunch are eligible for a fee waiver for up to four exams.
(Bloomberg) -- Argentina President-elect Javier Milei heads to the US on Sunday night while his incoming foreign minister traveled to Brazil to invite President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to the Dec. 10 inauguration.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Mileis delegation will meet with officials from the US Treasury, the White House and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, according to a text message from a Milei spokesperson. The purpose of the meetings is to explain the incoming administrations economic plan including the fiscal adjustment, monetary reform, state reform and deregulation. The delegation is not seeking financing on this trip, according to the spokesperson.

The President-elect suspended the trip as of Thursday, according to a campaign spokesperson, after saying he planned a spiritual trip to the US before the inauguration.

On Sunday, Milei envoy Diana Mondino visited Brazil to invite Lula to next months inauguration in Buenos Aires. Mondino, Mileis incoming foreign minister, met in Brasilia with Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, to whom she handed the invitation for Lula.

The main message is that we are brotherly countries, and we will continue to be so, Mondino told reporters after the meeting. We have to work hard together to make both countries grow.

Read More: Caputo Tells Bankers Argentina Dollarization Is Medium-Term Goal

Milei is softening his aggressive rhetoric toward trading partners such as China and Brazil after calling Lula a communist with whom he wouldnt deal in an interview with Bloomberg News. After winning election, Milei told local TV that Lula would be welcome to attend the inauguration. Lula has not yet decided whether to attend, his government said.

Mileis Softer Tone Shows How Argentina Needs China: New Economy

Its one thing to criticize the ideology and another to criticize the person. Thats totally different, Mondino said. We have to separate state, government and people. The partnership will continue better and as quickly as we can.

Lula put relations with Argentina on hold to understand the incoming Milei administrations plans for its relationship with what is its largest trading partner in South America.

Mondino, speaking alongside Vieira, said that trade agreements should be signed between the Mercosur bloc and the European Union as soon as possible and, eventually, with other countries such as Singapore.

The two did not discuss the BRICS grouping, Mondino said in response to a reporters question, adding that she doesnt know what advantages the bloc could offer Argentina. We already work with practically all the countries in the group, Mondino said.

Milei will be joined on the US trip by sister Karina Milei, potential cabinet chief Nicolas Posse and adviser Santiago Caputo.

(Updates with trip details in second paragraph, names of delegation members in final paragraph)

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Detectives with the Arkansas State Police are investigating and asking the publics help in identifying the driver who and hit a man two weeks ago and drove away from the scene.

This happened on Saturday November 11 on Highway 365 near Sweet Home, where witnesses say a driver was driving a four-door sedan when they struck 57-year-old Quinton Lee Handy.

The driver did come back to the scene to speak to witness but left.

Little Rock family offering reward for unsolved hit and run

KARK 4 News spoke to the family about the incident  and they are asking anyone with information to come forward about it.

Please come forward. Please give our family closure. We need this, Dr. Myrtis Randolph, niece of Quinton Lee Handy stated. We know that everyone has a time and a day, but to not closure on who or what, thats painful, and we wouldnt want this on anyone.

Anyone with information about this incident should call ASP Troop A Dispatch at (501) 618-8100.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
Armed Kentucky EMTs subdued a woman accused of attacking a man with an ax before she allegedly smashed a door at the emergency service station, police said.

The Olive Hill Police Department said suspect Kellie Boggs, 44, allegedly attacked an unidentified man with an ax about 1 a.m. Friday, WSAZ reported. The male victim was left with serious injuries to his face and was found in a ditch behind the Carter County EMS stations west base.

FLORIDA BURGLAR THWARTED BY ELDERLY HOMEOWNER WHO HELD HIM AT GUNPOINT: COPS

Police said that after Boggs allegedly attacked the man, she made her way to the EMTs' station and smashed a glass door.

ARMED KENTUCKY HOMEOWNER THWARTS CHAINSAW-WIELDING SUSPECT IN EARLY MORNING HOME INVASION: COPS

A group of EMTs were sleeping inside the station at the time of the incident, according to the report. The emergency workers jumped into action to subdue the woman, holding her at gunpoint until police arrived, authorities told the outlet.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

HOME INVADERS SHOT, SENT RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES WHEN ARMED RESIDENT OPENS FIRE

Boggs, who is from the neighboring town of Grayson, was charged with assault and criminal mischief. She is being held at the Carter County Detention Center.

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The injured victim was taken to a local hospital where he is being treated for serious injuries, according to the report.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Olive Hill Police Department Sunday morning for updates on the case, but did not immediately receive a reply.





Original article source: Armed EMTs thwart ax-wielding woman who slashed mans face before smashing station door: police
Andy Jehan has resigned from his ministerial post over "the indefensible misuse of taxpayers' money"

An assistant chief minister in Jersey has resigned over "severe concerns" with taxpayers' money being spent in the health service.

Constable Andy Jehan said high costs and a lack of communication with issues in the Health Department had finalised his decision to step down immediately.

He said he could not defend what he believed to be "the indefensible misuse of taxpayers' money" regarding more than 320,000 being spent on the Health and Community Services advisory board since November 2022 - which is still without a leader.

Chief Minister Kristina Moore said it was with "great regret and sadness" to accept Mr Jehan's resignation, and that she too shared concerns raised.

Mr Jehan said when he first saw issues with the advisory board regarding "severe concerns" over the planned process and "significant" cost of its interim chair in May, he had offered to resign.

He said he was persuaded to stay on, but "with hindsight, it was possibly not the right decision".

'Shocked and disappointed'

Between November 2022 and October 2023, Mr Jehan said the government had spent "in excess" of 250,000 to the interim chair of the board, and a further 73,000 on an independent recruitment agency tasked with recruitment to the board.

Mr Jehan said he was "shocked and disappointed" by the recent appointment of a fourth non-executive director to it, and a proposed extension to find a new interim chair.

He said "many" in the Council of Ministers were only informed of the decision on Thursday when the government issued a public press release.

Mr Jehan said the board had only met twice during the timeframe between November and October, and still no new candidate for chair had been found by Health Minister Karen Wilson.

"What reputational damage the failure to appoint such a high-calibre candidate does to us, only time will tell," he said.

'Hard to compromise'

Mr Jehan said he was "no longer invited" to updates with Chief Minister Moore and the former CEO Suzanne Wylie regarding the Turnaround team after he raised his concerns over the cost of the board.

He said: "Leadership is rarely easy. We often have to make decisions that are difficult, and my decision certainly falls into that category.

"However, leadership is also about authenticity, meaning you must do what you believe to be right.

"Having tried hard to compromise, I feel I have no option but to follow my instincts and stand up for what I believe is right, from both a personal and professional perspective."

Mr Jehan flagged other issues in the health service - including the decision to delay the debate on assisted dying by a minimum of six months, and the "reluctance" of the health minister to publicly endorse plans for new hospital facilities.

He also said there was a lack of "any coherent health strategy to provide strategic direction in this vital area".

Chief Minister Kristina Moore said Mr Jehan's resignation was a "loss to the government"

Ms Moore said she and Mr Jehan had a "collective determination to deliver improvements that are necessary", and she regretted they had "arrived at a position where your resignation on this matter has been required".

She said: "I am very much aware of the concerns you hold regarding the performance of our health service over recent years, which I share.

"I respect that your decision to resign following the extension of the interim chair of the board is a matter of principle for you.

"Your resignation is a loss to the government. I very much hope that, in the months to come, we can continue to work together constructively on areas and issues where we share a focus and passion."

Mr Jehan said he was "disappointed to be leaving a great set of officers ... but, again, my decision has to rise above any personal feelings and or loyalty".

Analysis: Freddie Miller, BBC Jersey political reporter

Constable Jehans departure is undoubtedly a blow for Chief Minister Kristina Moore.

She is losing his political wisdom: in addition to his years of experience holding senior roles in the private sector, he was also one of just 10 members of Deputy Moores top team of 21 to have been a States member prior to the election last summer.

She is also losing a key ally on the States Employment Board, which, for most of the year, has been locked in negotiations with unions over teachers pay, terms and conditions.

While it would appear not to have been a factor in his decision to go, Constable Jehans resignation therefore creates further, big questions about the ongoing teachers pay row  at a time when unions have said they will ramp up their actions between now and the end of term.

It also reveals further disagreements amongst members of the Council of Ministers, which had already been highlighted through incidents including the resignation of Chief Executive Suzanne Wylie and the refusal by the assistant environment minister of a developers plans to build 230 homes and a hotel between Broad St and Commercial St  a decision publicly criticised by Deputy Moore.

In addition to all this, Constable Jehans departure raises yet more questions about the process and cost involved in establishing the health advisory board, about which politicians have already expressed a number of concerns.

Last December, the health minister denied that her decision to appoint Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor to a 1,440-a-day role leading the board, when she had encouraged him to apply for the role in the first place, had represented a conflict of interest.

Then, in a States Assembly debate in June, Constable Jehan and four other members of Deputy Moores top team voted against formally establishing the board, as some questioned its cost and expressed fears its existence would mean that the governments political responsibility for the Health Department was weakened.

His departure alone is unlikely to put at risk Deputy Moores position as the islands political leader.

But, if it leads to further resignations, or to more political pressure in relation to the health advisory board or the teachers pay row, the next few weeks could prove challenging for the chief minister.

Follow BBC Jersey on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  The Austin Police Department said it began investigating an east Austin homicide late Saturday.

Police said the homicide occurred near the 2500 block of Sol Wilson Avenue.

At approximately 10 p.m., police responded to the area after multiple callers reported hearing gunshots.

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APD said two men were found with obvious trauma to their bodies.

Police said one of the men died at the scene while the other was taken to the hospital. APD reported the man taken to the hospital was in stable condition.

According to APD, a disturbance led to three people being injured, one of which was the man who died.

MAP: Where have Austins homicides occurred in 2023?

As of Saturday evening, APD said no one was in custody related to the incident.

Police said this incident was being investigated at Austins 64th homicide of 2023.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
UPDATE: According to the babys mother, the childs first operation was a success. They will do another surgery to hopefully save her eye.

**

MEMPHIS, Tenn.  An infant was severely injured in an overnight shooting in Highland Heights, Memphis Police say.

Officers responded to the shooting in the 900 block of Baltic Street at 12:09 a.m. Sunday. Police say a baby was transported to Methodist North in critical condition.

Her mother, Isis Gomez, told WREG that her baby girl is only seven months old and had to undergo a brain operation after the shooting.

Little Georgina was in bed with her family when suddenly they heard gunshots. Gomez noticed her little girl was bleeding an realized she was shot in the head after a stray bullet made it into the home.

She told us Georgina is a playful baby and shes just learning how to crawl.

While the family now hopes for the best for Georgina, her father, Eeuigen Enamorado Gomez, says they want justice and police to find the people who did this to their baby.

He also called for tougher sentencing, saying people who commit crimes need to be held accountable.

KeEricka Thomas, a neighbor in the area, says she is counting her blessings after a stray bullet nearly killed her. She was indoors, sitting on the couch with her kids when the gunshots erupted.

My kids wouldve literally seen me dead on the couch with them, she said.

Shooting in Binghampton leaves two severely injured

She says she immediately grabbed her kids and hit the ground, but on the way down she felt something hit the back of her head.

I thought I got shot because I felt the impact and I just hit the ground and I just started rubbing my head. Im like I got shot. I got shot. Then I kept feeling but I aint see no blood, said Thomas.

She says the couch saved her life. The bullet went through the wall, hit the back of the couch, and hit her in the head. She felt the impact, but the bullet did not go through the couch.

 Download the WREG App today and stay up to date with breaking news and weather.

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 See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South.

Thomas was not injured and everyone else in her home remained unharmed.

Memphis Police have not given a motive for the shooting.

There is no suspect information available at this time. This is an ongoing investigation.

If you have information regarding this incident, call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of failed crypto exchange FTX, is coping with jail time by learning how to trade fish for services from other inmates.

A source told The Wall Street Journal that Bankman-Fried recently exchanged tins of mackerel for a haircut from another inmate in an effort to maintain his signature mop-top.

The fish has become the most popular commissary item ever since the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center banned cigarettes, the outlet reported. Inmates frequently trade it for services from each other.

Mackerel costs $1.30 at the jail commissary, while one of the more expensive items is an MP3 Player for $88.40.

Bankman-Fried has been in the facility since August. Hes being held without bail after a federal judge found that he tried to intimidate a witness, harassed his former girlfriend, Caroline Ellison, and gave documents to reporters. The former crypto king denied the allegations.

Hes currently awaiting sentencing on seven felonies related to conspiracy and fraud. Hes been convicted of stealing billions from FTX customers and defrauding investors and lenders. Prosecutors alleged that Bankman-Fried took money from customers and used it to pay off debts tied to Alameda Research, a hedge fund he founded in 2017.

Former FTX chief executive Samuel Bankman-Fried testifies before the US Senate on 9 February 2022 (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Hell be moved to a federal correctional facility after his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for 28 March 2024. Hes facing a maximum of 110 years in prison.

The outlet reported he is cellmates with Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, and a former Mexican law enforcement official.

Before moving to jail, Bankman-Fried was under house arrest at his parents home in Palo Alto, California on $250m bail. He previously lived in a $30m Bahamas apartment and was reportedly worth $26bn.

During the trial, Ms Ellison, who also served as an FTX executive, told the court that the company did take money from the company.

Alameda took several billion dollars of money from FTX customers and used it for our own investments and to repay debts we had, she said.

She has pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.

The Independent has reached out to an attorney for Bankman-Fried for comment.
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG)  The last Living History Crew Drill of the year is set for Saturday, Dec. 9, at USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park.

It will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at 2703 Battleship Parkway.

Thankful for the sacrifice, Baldwin community gives back to veterans home

EVENT LOCATION:

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The Call to Battle Stations will sound at 1 p.m., so be sure to make it to the USS Alabamas fantail, an event news release said.

Visitors can interact with historical WWII reenactors on the USS Alabama and the USS Drum. The re-enactors will wear WWII-period Navy uniforms, hold demonstrations, conduct weapons briefings, and share stories from original crewmen.

Expect to pay more for a live Christmas tree no matter where you go

The reenactors will fire the 20-mm guns and hold demonstrations. Planes will fly if weather and mechanical safety permit.

The Deep South Amateur Radio Club will broadcast from Radio Central on the USS Alabama during the drill and will welcome visitors to come and listen. For ham radio operators, the call letters are K4DSR and K5LDA, broadcasting between 20 and 40.

Alex Crow update: Archdiocese of Mobile anticipates Vatican action

The drill is open to the public and included with general admission.

The park will collect items to donate to the William F. Green State Veterans Home. Attendees who bring an item for donation will get $2 off an adult admission ticket.

The venue will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the last ticket will be sold at 4 p.m.

For more information, call Ashleigh Milne at 251-327-8750 or visit the park website.

ALSO ON WKRG.com: Dauphin Island Parkway Homicide Suspect Arrested

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings people together from all walks of life. As Americans we take time to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives, and to spend time with family and friends. Different cultures have their own unique traditions when it comes to celebrating Thanksgiving. Let's explore how Hispanics, and other races celebrate Thanksgiving, and how understanding these traditions can lead to better relations between cultures.

In many Hispanic households, Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with a large feast that includes traditional dishes such as tamales, arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), and flan for dessert. Many families also incorporate their own cultural traditions into the holiday, such as playing music or dancing.

Ben Negron

In my own experience, growing up in a house with a Puerto Rican father and a Mexican mother, we truly had the best of both worlds!

Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans both have unique ways of celebrating Thanksgiving. Mexican families may serve dishes like turkey mole, enchiladas and chile rellenos (stuffed poblano peppers), which resemble stuffed bell peppers, along with traditional American dishes.

On the other hand, Puerto Ricans can enjoy pernil (roast pork), arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and pasteles (meat-filled pastries).

Both cultures often incorporate their family traditions around the holidays, like playing music or gathering to pray.

African Americans also have their own Thanksgiving traditions. For many African-American families, Thanksgiving is a time to gather together and enjoy signature dishes like collard greens, mac and cheese, and sweet potato pie. In addition to these specific dishes, African Americans also use other classic Thanksgiving dishes such as macaroni and cheese, candied yams, turkey or ham.

These dishes not only reflect their cultural heritage but also add soul to the traditional Thanksgiving celebration. In general, African Americans bring their own flavors and culinary traditions to Thanksgiving. The combination of these special dishes creates a feast filled with love, history and delicious flavors.

Native Americans have long celebrated harvest festivals, and Thanksgiving is no exception.

For many Native American tribes, Thanksgiving is a time to honor the land and give thanks for good harvests. Traditional dishes may include cornbread, roast turkey, and wild rice.

It is important to note that Thanksgiving for Native Americans has a different meaning than traditional American celebrations. For them, this is not only a historical event but also a moment of celebration of their own cultural heritage and connection to the land.

This is an opportunity for them to remember their ancestors and express gratitude for the richness of nature. Native Americans not only enjoyed a delicious feast but also participated in meaningful ceremonies that demonstrated their deep appreciation for their land and resources.

It's a great way to celebrate and preserve their rich cultural traditions.

Other races also have their own Thanksgiving traditions. For example, in Filipino families, Thanksgiving is often celebrated with a feast that includes dishes such as lechon (roasted pig), pancit (noodles), and lumpia (spring rolls). In Vietnamese families, the family can celebrate with a hot meal of meat, vegetables and noodles.

So why is it important to understand these different Thanksgiving traditions?

On the one hand, it can help us appreciate the diversity of our country and the different cultures that exist together. It can also help us build better relationships with people from different backgrounds. When we take the time to understand and appreciate another person's traditions, it shows that we value their culture and are willing to learn more about it.

Food is often used as a means to help people get to know one another. Sharing a meal with someone from a different background can be a great way to break down barriers and build connections. By incorporating different cultural dishes into our Thanksgiving celebrations, we can create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.

By understanding and appreciating the different traditions of other races and nationalities, we can build better relationships with people from different backgrounds. So this Thanksgiving, why not try incorporating some new cultural dishes into your celebration? Who knows  you may just discover a new favorite food.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Ben Negron, executive director of Hispanics of Lenawee Alliance, writes about issues affecting Hispanics and building connections in Lenawee County. The Ben and Connie Negron HOLA fund is dedicated to supporting individuals who have been marginalized and underserved in our community.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ben Negron: Take a moment to consider all our cultures and peoples
JERUSALEM - Many of the newly released convicted Palestinian terrorists who are part of a swap that secured the freedom of some Israeli and foreign hostages held by the terrorist movement Hamas could receive U.S. funds via the Palestinian Authority, an expert on the matter claimed.

Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), an Israeli-based organization researching Palestinian society, told Fox News Digital, "The American and European funding boosts the Palestinian Authority budget by $600 million. The Palestinian Authority pays the salaries of imprisoned terrorists and the family members of the martyrs and the amount comes to $300 million a year."

Marcus continued, "There is no doubt that the Palestinian Authority could not pay this funding without the boost of funding from the Americans and Europeans. The Americans and Europeans are absolutely facilitating the payment. It is willful blindness."

He noted, "Every single terrorist gets a salary from the Palestinian Authority once they are imprisoned." According to Palestinian law, Marcus said, a prisoner who serves more than five years in prison receives a monthly salary for life.

JUDGE LETS LAWSUIT CLAIMING BIDEN ADMIN KNEW US FUNDS WERE AIDING PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS MOVE FORWARD

The release of the Palestinian terrorists comes after Fox News Digital reported on a lawsuit in January by victims of terrorism and Rep. Ronny Jackson., R-Texas, alleging the Biden administration pumped more than a half billion U.S. taxpayer dollars into the Palestinian Authority without verifying that the organization isnt funding terrorism, according to a federal lawsuit.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank (known in Israel by its biblical name of Judea and Samaria), has paid the families of the convicted Palestinians a stipend while their family members were incarcerated as part of the notorious "pay for slay" program.

Marcus from PMW provided Fox News Digital a list of nine just-released Palestinian terrorists who will receive monthly payments ranging from approximately $535 to $668 for Jerusalem residents.

Shurouq Dweiyat, a Palestinian resident of Jerusalems Sur Baher neighborhood, was convicted of attempted murder in Jerusalems Old City, after she sought to stab two Jews in October 2015 and wounded one of them. She was imprisoned for eight years.

Amani Al-Hashim, a 31-year-old female Palestinian from East Jerusalem attempted to run over Israeli security forces with her car at the Qalandiya checkpoint on Dec. 13, 2016. Israeli forces opened fire, at which point she got out of the car with a knife and started shouting, "Allahu Akbar" before being arrested. Al-Hashim was serving a sentence of 10 years. She was in prison for seven years.

WITNESS TO TERRORISM: HOW HAMAS RADICALIZED PALESTINIANS FOR THEIR GENOCIDAL ATTACK ON ISRAEL

Israeli Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser told Fox News Digital that many of the convicted Palestinians released over the last few days as part of a truce with Hamas will return to terrorism.

Kuperwasser said of the released terrorists, "Those with sentences for more than five years were paid. Many of them were sentenced to more than five years. Many of them are still committed to the terrorist struggle against Israel. Past experience tells us they will re-enter terrorism."

The Israeli reserve general, now a senior researcher at the Israeli Defense Security Forum, added, however, "Each case has to be looked at by itself."

Shurouq Dweiyat, who was convicted of attempted murder after she sought to stab two Jews in October 2015 and wounded one of them, was among the Palestinians released.

According to Palestinian media, over 7,500 released Palestinian prisoners who served more than a five-year prison term have received monthly salaries.

Israels government and counterterrorism experts have long argued that the so-called moderate Palestinian Authority controlled by Mahmoud Abbas encourages terrorism with its "pay for slay" program.

An ambulance outside Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, as medical staff prepare for the arrival of hostages released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip, on Nov. 26, 2023.

Khaled Abu Toameh, a Palestinian affairs analyst, told Fox News Digital, "I don't know if some of the released prisoners will return to terrorism, but it's possible that others will now be emboldened to carry out attacks against Israel knowing that they could be released in a prisoner exchange deal."

Abu Toameh, who is widely viewed as one of the leading Middle East experts on the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, added, "The release of the Palestinian prisoners will undoubtedly boost Hamas popularity and influence in the West Bank. We saw hundreds of Palestinians celebrating the release of the prisoners with Hamas flags and slogans praising the groups leaders and its military wing. This is bad news for the Palestinian Authority, whose security forces did not stop the celebrations."

Toameh posted a picture on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the comment: "In Ramallah, masked Hamas members celebrating the release of more Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prison. They chanted: We are the men of Mohammed Deif.'"

Mohammed Deif is the commander behind Hamas Oct. 7 terrorist attack in southern Israel that led to the slaughter of 1,200 people and kidnapping of some 240 individuals, including young children.

Fox News Digital contacted the U.S. State Department for a comment about the possible misuse of U.S. funds sent to the Palestinian Authority but, as of press time, has not received a comment on the accusations saying the U.S. is indirectly funding terrorists.

The effort to crack down on Hamas financing is now front-and-center in the minds of many counterterrorism officials in Israel, the U.S. and Europe after the Oct. 7 massacre.

UNITED NATIONS SLAMMED FOR SILENCE OVER HAMAS RAPES, MUTILATION AND MURDER OF ISRAELI WOMEN, CRITICS SAY

Money is highly fungible and vulnerable to terror finance in Mideast countries and regions that are not regulated by modern anti-terrorism standards, according to security officials.

In 2018, in a sign of protest, Congress passed the Taylor Force Act aimed at cutting economic aid to the Palestinian Authority until it ends the payment policy. In addition, Israel, which collects some taxes on commerce and income on behalf of the Palestinian governing body, has passed a similar law.

Taylor Force was a West Point graduate who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was pursuing his MBA at Vanderbilt, and was savagely knifed to death March 8, 2016, by a Palestinian terrorist during a tour of Israel. President Trump signed the Taylor Force Act into law in October 2018.

Kuperwasser, who has written extensively about the dangers of the Hamas rulers in Gaza, said the cease-fire agreement is "is a done deal. We have to go along with it."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas during a meeting in Amman on Oct. 13, 2023. (Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital contacted Israels Foreign Ministry for comment. The ministry deferred to the Office of the Prime Minister, and a spokesman for Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News Digital they are "not offering comment at this juncture."

A spokesperson for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority did not immediately answer a Fox News Digital press query.

Fox News' Ruth Marks Eglash and Fred Lucas contributed to this report.





Original article source: Biden admin accused of aiding Palestinian 'pay for slay' as terrorists profit in Hamas deal, experts claim
The Biden administration has reason to believe one of the Americans held hostage by Hamas will be released Sunday, a top US official said Sunday.

Were dealing with Hamas. We are in a dont trust, but verify situation here. And so we have reason to believe that there will be an American release today, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNNs Dana Bash on State of the Union.

Today should be a good day, a joyful day, but until we actually see it happen, we are going to remain really at the edge of our seat, Sullivan said.

Two American women and one child, 4-year-old Abigail Edan, are currently unaccounted for and are expected to be part of the group of 50 women and children hostages released as part of a four-day truce, now in its third day.

We are now hopeful that Abigail will be released and reunited with her family. She turned 4 just two days ago. She has been through hell. She had her parents killed right in front of her and has been held hostage for the last several weeks, Sullivan said. But I am going to say that we have growing optimism about Abigail and we will now watch and see what happens.

No Americans were released as part of the deal on Friday or Saturday. CNN reported earlier Sunday that at least one American is expected to be released today, according to an Israeli official. There are 10 unaccounted-for Americans at this time.

Twenty-four hostages  including 13 Israeli civilians and 11 foreign nationals  were freed on Friday, followed by 17 more  13 Israelis and four Thai nationals  on Saturday as part of the brokered deal between Hamas and Israel. All 41 foreign nationals released so far by Hamas from captivity in Gaza are in stable condition, according to medical professionals.

Sullivan said that it is difficult to know the true status of the Americans who were taken captive in Gaza during Hamas brutal cross-border assault on October 7.

We cannot say for certain whether all three of them are still alive. But we do know this: We have reason to believe that today, one American will be released, he said.

Omer Neutra, a dual US-Israeli citizen, is among the IDF soldiers kidnapped by Hamas, his parents have told CNN. Sullivan said he has been candid with Neutras parents and the parents of other American hostages.

I told them directly  that we do not know the specific whereabouts or condition of Omer or other Americans because until the end of this deal, until the end of tomorrow we will not have, from the Red Cross, proof of life or other information  So, as we learn that information, we will absolutely share it with the parents, Sullivan said.

Sullivan also spoke about Hamas agreeing to allow the Red Cross to visit the remaining hostages in Gaza and said the US is leaning on Qatari and Egyptian officials to ensure that happens by the end of Monday.

We do believe that Hamas has obliged to maintain its part of the commitment on Red Cross visitation of the hostages and we expect Qatar and Egypt and other countries to hold Hamas accountable to hold that commitment by the end of tomorrow, Sullivan said.

Sullivan said Israel is prepared to extend the pause in fighting in exchange for Hamas releasing 10 hostages each day, adding, The ball is really in Hamas court.

If Hamas wants to see an extension of the pause in fighting, it can continue to release hostages, Sullivan said. If it chooses not to release hostages, then the end of the pause is its responsibility, not Israels, because it is holding these hostages completely illegitimately and against all bounds of human decency or the laws of war, so really we will see what Hamas ends up choosing to do.

While Israeli officials work to care for the already-released hostages and reunite them with their families, Sullivan said, they will also look to glean any information about Hamas in hostage debriefings on their time in captivity.

Israel is focused on learning anything it can about whereabouts, locations and other information based on conversations they have with the released hostages in the days ahead, he said.

Humanitarian aid into Gaza

Sullivan also detailed some of the inspection mechanisms involved with getting humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Before aid goes into the Rafah crossing into Gaza, Sullivan said, it is checked by Israelis to make sure that it is in fact humanitarian supplies and not goods that could help Hamas in its military campaign.

The aid trucks then go to United Nations depots and other humanitarian organizations that, he said, are vetted and trusted partners.

From there, he said, the aid is distributed directly to the people.

As humanitarian assistance has ramped up, weve seen it work  that its actually getting to people and that its not being diverted into the hands of Hamas, but thats something that we have to continue to focus on, on an ongoing basis, Sullivan said.

The United Nations said Friday that 137 trucks carrying aid, including 129,000 liters of fuel and four trucks of gas, were offloaded in Gaza on the first day of the pause, marking the largest humanitarian convoy to enter the strip since October 7. Another 70 trucks carrying food, water, fuel and medical supplies entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Saturday, according to a border crossing spokesperson.

Biden is in close touch with Israel and UN leadership to ensure the aid is getting to where it belongs, which is the innocent people who are suffering.

Sullivan declined to weigh in on Israeli politics, but said Bidens engagement with Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu has paid dividends

Hes going to continue to focus on that high level direct leader to leader diplomacy and leave others to determine the politics, the political considerations, Sullivan said.

CNNs Kaitlan Collins and Jack Forrest contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the release of hostages by Hamas in Gaza, including a four-year-old American girl he said has endured 'a terrible trauma' (Brendan SMIALOWSKI)

A four-year-old American girl is safely in Israel after being released Sunday from captivity in Gaza, US President Joe Biden said as he urged the pause in Israel-Hamas fighting be extended to allow for more hostage releases.

"She's free and she's in Israel now," Biden told reporters shortly after the Israeli army announced that 17 hostages were being freed by Hamas.

"She's been through a terrible trauma," Biden said of the child, Abigail, whose parents were murdered by Hamas militants when members of the Islamist group attacked Israel on October 7. On Friday in captivity, she marked her fourth birthday, the president said.

"Today, she's free, and Jill (Biden) and I, together with so many Americans, are praying for the fact that she is going to be alright," he said.

"She is now safely in Israel, and we continue to press and expect for additional Americans will be released as well. And we will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones."

The White House has said that 10 Americans -- seven men, two women and Abigail -- were missing and presumed held hostage by Hamas.

Abigail's case particularly gripped Biden, a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Since the conflict's onset, Biden "raised Abigail in nearly all of his phone calls with counterparts as well as with the emir of Qatar yesterday," the official said.

Witnesses helped US officials track Abigail's ordeal more closely than that of other US hostages, many of whom are in unknown locations in Gaza.

- 'In front of her eyes' -

"We learned early from witnesses what happened. Her mother was murdered in front of her eyes. Her father tried to protect Abigail -- and then he was killed," the official said.

She ran to a neighboring family but militants took the family and Abigail into northern Gaza, the official said.

US officials insisted that Abigail be included on an early list for release.

Her release Sunday held moments of drama. The convoy bearing Abigail and other freed hostages was diverted from the crossing at the border point of Rafah into Egypt to a more direct route into Israel due to another freed hostage, an 85-year-old woman, needing urgent medical care, the official said.

Questioned by reporters about when other US citizens might be released, Biden -- speaking from Massachusetts, where he was wrapping up a Thanksgiving break -- said: "I don't have anything firmly to tell you at this moment."

Biden said a total of 58 hostages have been released by Hamas during the current temporary halt in fighting, through what he called "intensive US diplomacy" by himself and administration officials working with Israel, Qatar, Egypt and others.

The US president said he hoped to see the pause extended.

"That's my goal, that's our goal, to keep this pause going beyond tomorrow so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief into those in need in Gaza," Biden said.

Asked for how long he would like to see a pause in fighting, he said: "As long as prisoners keep coming out."

"I get a sense that all the players in the region are looking for a way to end this so the hostages are all released and... Hamas is completely no longer in control of Gaza."

He also pointed to the humanitarian benefits of the break in fighting, saying hundreds of aid trucks have been able to enter the besieged Gaza Strip, providing much-needed food, water, medicine and fuel.

The three-day-old truce "is delivering life-saving results," Biden added.

"Critically needed aid is going in, and hostages are coming out."

US Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican, said without mentioning Biden that it was "a great relief" Abigail was released. But he noted that a native of Tillis's state of North Carolina, Keith Siegel, remained captive by Hamas.

Siegel's spouse, Aviva Siegel, was released on Sunday even as her husband remained captive, the senior official said.

mlm/bbk/tjj/st
NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP)  President Joe Biden confirmed Sunday that Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old American girl held hostage by Hamas after her parents were killed, was released as part of the cease-fire deal in the Israel-Hamas war.

Thank God shes home, Biden said told reporters. I wish I were there to hold her.

Abigail has dual Israeli-U.S. citizenship, and Biden said she was safely in Israel. She was the first U.S. hostage to be released under terms of the cease-fire. Biden said he did not have immediate information on Abigails condition. The White House said later that the president spoke by telephone with members of the girl's family in the United States and Israel. He also spoke with Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hamas militants stormed Abigail's kibbutz, Kfar Azza, on Oct. 7 and killed her parents. She ran to a neighbors home for shelter, and the Brodutch family  mother Hagar and her three children  took Abigail in as the rampage raged. Then all five disappeared and were later confirmed to be captives. They were among the more than 200 people taken to Gaza in the attack that touched off the war. Abigail had a birthday while she was held.

Two of Abigail's family members on Sunday thanked Biden, the Qatari government and others involved in securing her release, saying in a statement they remain committed to the safe and swift return of all hostages.

Todays release proves that its possible. We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing, said Liz Hirsh Naftali and Noa Naftali, Abigail's great aunt and cousin.

The Brodutch family was also in the group, ranging in age from 4 to 84, released Sunday. Red Cross representatives transferred the hostages out of Gaza. Some were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt. Israels army said one was airlifted directly to a hospital.

Theyve endured a terrible ordeal, Biden said, and can now begin the long journey toward healing.

According to the White House, Biden and Netanyahu agreed the work was not yet done. Biden described the negotiations as a day-by-day, hour-by-hour process and said he would continue working until all hostages were free.

Nothing is guaranteed and nothing is being taken for granted. But the proof that this is working and worth pursuing further is in every smile and every grateful tear we see on the faces of those families who are finally getting back together again. The proof is little Abigail, the president said.

Biden said in remarks from Nantucket, the Massachusetts islands where he spent Thanksgiving with his family, that the cease-fire agreement was delivering lifesaving results.

Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal Sunday. A fourth exchange was expected on Monday  the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners were to be freed. All are women and minors.

Netanyahu issued a video statement after speaking with Biden. He talked about the happiness of bringing Abigail home, but also the sadness that her parents were killed. She has no parents, but she has an entire nation that hugs her, and we will take care of all her needs, he said.

Netanyahu reiterated his offer to extend the cease-fire by an additional day for every 10 hostages Hamas releases. But he also said Israel would resume its offensive against Hamas with all of its power once the cease-fire expires.

International mediators led by representatives from the United States and Qatar are trying to extend the cease-fire for as long as possible.

Critically needed aid is going in and hostages are coming out, Biden said. And this deal is structured so that it can be extended to keep building on these results. That's my goal, thats our goal to keep this pause going beyond tomorrow so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief into those who are in need in Gaza.

Before the pause in fighting, the first hostages were released on Oct. 17  Judith and Natalie Raanan, an American woman and her teenage daughter. Their release was regarded as a successful test-case for negotiating the larger deal, according to U.S. officials.

There are believed to be eight other U.S. citizens and one lawful permanent resident still held hostage. Two were women, seven were men. Its not clear whether they are alive.

Biden said he was hopeful the others would be released. We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones, he said.

The war has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

___

Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Sara Burnett in Chicago contributed to this report.
Joe Biden said he 'wants to keep this pause going' - Stephanie Scarbrough/AP

Joe Biden on Sunday night urged Benjamin Netanyahu to extend Israels ceasefire with Hamas as 17 hostages including a very sick elderly woman and an orphaned four-year old were released.

The Israeli prime minister in turn said he was open to prolonging the truce if the terror group agrees to release more captives.

The US president said he wants to keep this pause going beyond tomorrow so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief into those in need in Gaza.

This deal is structured so that it can be extended to keep building on these results.

Thats my goal, thats our goalWe will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones, Mr Biden said.

Mr Netanyahu said he told the US President that he is open to extending Israels ceasefire with Hamas if the terror group agrees to release more hostages.

For every day, another 10, the Israeli prime minister said after a call between the two leaders on Sunday evening.

The original Qatari-brokered deal allows the ceasefire to be extended by one day for every 10 extra hostages that are released.

The White House said the two leaders agreed during the call to continue working to secure the release of all hostages.

But Qatars prime minister said efforts to extend the truce depend on Hamas locating dozens of women and children being held hostage in Gaza by civilians and gangs.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told the Financial Times that more than 40 women and children were being kept captive in Gaza who were not believed to be held by Hamas.

He said the ceasefire could run longer if Hamas was able to use the pause in the conflict to locate those hostages.

Hamas, meanwhile, said it was seeking to extend its four-day truce if Israel made serious efforts to increase the number of Palestinian detainees for release.

Israeli Defense Forces said that if it is possible to secure the release of more hostages we will do so. The Israeli government is under domestic pressure to release more hostages but military officials fear that a longer truce risks blunting its efforts to rout the Islamist movement.

Hostage in serious condition flown out

Among the 13 Israelis aged four to 84 handed over on Sunday by the Red Cross was a very sick elderly woman who had to be urgently flown to hospital by helicopter, according to Mr Biden. Israeli media reported that the hostage, thought to be 84-year-old Elma Avraham, was in a serious and life-threatening condition.

She was in need of immediate medical help so they arranged to cross directly into Israel to be able to take her into hospital, the US president said in a televised address.

Four other hostages  three Thai and one Russian  were returned to Israel via the Rafah crossing with Egypt,

The youngest of those freed was Abigail Mor Idan, a child with dual Israeli-American nationality who celebrated her fourth birthday on Friday in Hamas captivity after her parents were murdered in the Oct 7 attacks.

She was reportedly in her father Roys arms when he and her mother, Smadar Eden, were shot and killed in the massacre. Her siblings, aged six and 10, also witnessed their parents murder but escaped unharmed by hiding in a closet for 14 hours, relatives said.

Mr Biden said: Thank God shes home. I guess I cant imagine the enjoyment. I just wish I were there to hold her.

He added: What she endured is unthinkable.

In all, nine children aged 17 and younger were on the list.

Hamas has released 53 hostages so far out of the approximately 240 it is thought to have taken on Oct 7. In exchange, Israel has allowed aid shipments to enter Gaza and released 117 Palestinian prisoners, including 39 on Sunday night.

There were scenes of joy as a crowd surrounded a Red Cross bus carrying the freed prisoners in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.

March against anti-Semitism

A fourth exchange is expected on Monday, the last day of the ceasefire, during which 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. All are women and minors.

Thousands of demonstrators marched against anti-Semitism through central London on Sunday, including former prime minister Boris Johnson. On Saturday pro-Palestinian crowds took to the streets of the capital to demand a full ceasefire.

Separately, Hamas said it had released one of the Russian hostages it was holding. Roni Krivoi was freed in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and as a show of appreciation for Russias position on the war. In October, Putin warned Israel against blockading the Gaza Strip, likening it to Nazi Germanys siege of Leningrad during the Second World War.

Earlier on Sunday Mr Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip for the first time in seven weeks of war and told troops: We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return every one.

We are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us.

Brokered by Qatar and Egypt and the US, the ceasefire agreement has brought the first significant pause since Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the rampage across southern Israel that ignited the war.

It has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, according to Hamas-ruled Gazas health ministry.

In a separate development, Hamas announced that Ahmed al-Ghandour, one of its top commanders, had been killed. In charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council, Al-Ghandour is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting. Israel confirmed the claim.

Hamas said that he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamass rocket-firing unit.

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The effects of climate change are making themselves known as this year hits new records of uncertainty. And these records are just the beginning if humanity doesn't change course.

1. Hottest month on record

This year saw a sweltering summer, with July 2023 being declared the hottest month on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The month's average temperature was 62.51 degrees Fahrenheit, six-tenths of a degree higher than the previous record set in 2019, The Associated Press reported.

"These records have dire consequences for both people and the planet exposed to ever more frequent and intense extreme events," Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess told AP. The high temperatures are a combination of anthropogenic climate change as well as the El Nino weather phenomenon. "July's record is unlikely to remain isolated this year," as "temperatures are likely to be well above average," said C3S Director Carlo Buontempo.

"The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more urgent than ever before," Petteri Taalas, a professor and the secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, said in a statement. "Climate action is not a luxury but a must."

2. Hottest ocean temperatures

Climate change has also caused unprecedented ocean warming. Along with global air temperatures, water temperatures also hit a record high, almost reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some locations. In the Florida Keys, the water temperature hit 101 degrees Fahrenheit, which could potentially be a new world record, The New York Times reported.

However, scientists expect that the record will likely be broken again. "The fact that we've seen the record now makes me nervous about how much warmer the ocean may get between now and next March," Copernicus' Burgess told BBC. This is because oceans absorb more heat than land does. "The more we burn fossil fuels, the more excess heat will be taken out by the oceans, which means the longer it will take to stabilize them and get them back to where they were."

The water heat is wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems, including coral reefs. "There is widespread coral bleaching at shallow reefs in Florida, and many corals have already died," Dr. Kathryn Lesneski of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told BBC. The ocean is the "most accurate thermometer we have for the actual effect of climate change because it's where most of the heat ends up," Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at nonprofit research institute Berkeley Earth, told the Times.

3. Lowest Antarctic ice cover

Winter in the Southern Hemisphere is when Antarctic ice is supposed to form. However, this year "growth has been stunted," and the amount of sea ice in the region is "hitting a record low by a wide margin," per The New York Times. "The Antarctic sea ice extent low in 2023 is unprecedented in the satellite record," Liping Zhang, a project scientist at the NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, wrote in an email to the Times.

The previous record low was from 2022, but this year the ice level is approximately 1.6 million square kilometers below last year, CNN reported. "The Antarctic system has always been highly variable," Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, told CNN. "This [current] level of variation, though, is so extreme that something radical has changed in the past two years, but especially this year, relative to all previous years going back at least 45 years."

The warmer ocean temperatures are likely mixing into Antarctic waters, preventing ice from forming. Melting ice is a key factor in sea level rise. Ice also serves to reflect back sunlight, helping to regulate global temperatures.

4. Passing 2-degree warming

The United Nations has consistently warned of the dangers of temperatures rising 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, we finally saw a real taste of this temperature. On Nov. 17, the planet briefly exceeded two degrees Celsius of warming, the upper maximum of warming cautioned by experts. While exceeding these temperatures by just one day doesn't mean that all is lost, "it's a striking reminder that the climate is moving into uncharted territory," The Washington Post .

Passing the threshold indicates a shifting baseline. "Our best estimate is that this was the first day when global temperature was more than 2C above 1850-1900 (or pre-industrial) levels, at 2.06C," Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, wrote on X , formerly known as Twitter. The breach acts as a "canary in the coal mine," Richard Allan, professor of climate science at the University of Reading, told CNN . It is "entirely expected that single days will surpass 2 degrees above pre-industrial well before the actual 2 degrees Celsius target is breached over many years."

The temperature is testing the limits of ecosystems and infrastructure alike, putting pressure on power grids and making some regions deadly without access to air conditioners . Global temperature records are being broken with alarming regularity, Carlo Buontempo, the director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, told The Atlantic . Curbing warming is critical. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise every year and further warming is pushing the planet to several tipping points .
The founder and CEO of cryptocurrency exchange company Binance Changpeng Zhao attends to opening night of the 2022 Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. The Web Summit is considered the largest event of startups and technological entrepreneurship in the world. Photo by Miguel A. Lopes EPA-EFE

Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Binance founder Changpeng Zhao asked a judge if he could return to his United Arab Emirates home after pleading guilty to money laundering earlier this week.

Attorneys for Zhao, who holds dual citizenship in Canada and the UAE, asked U.S. District Judge Richard Jones to reject the Justice Department's request to bar him from leaving the country until he is sentenced. Zhao's attorneys argue he's not a flight risk.

"The fact that Mr. Zhao's home and his family are in the UAE does not make him a flight risk, and preventing him from returning to them would be punitive," they said in the court filing. "His family has recently grown, as he and his partner welcomed their third child a few months ago. Allowing Mr. Zhao to remain in the UAE will, in turn, allow him to take care of his family and prepare them for his return to the U.S. for sentencing."

Zhao founded the world's largest cryptocurrency trading platform Binance. On Tuesday, he agreed to step down as CEO and pay $50 million in fines as part of a plea agreement. He also agreed to pay $4.3 billion in fines and restitution.
A Black financier filed a $900 million lawsuit against the oil company ConocoPhillips. Kneeland Youngblood claims that the oil company profited by ignoring his familys claim to the land bought by his ancestors in 1889.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the 67-year-old filed the lawsuit on behalf of the descendants of his ancestors for royalty payouts against the white family who claim they are the owners of the Eagle Ford shale ranch land in Karnes County, Texas.

Youngblood is a Princeton graduate and the founding partner of Pharos Capital Group, an investment firm with over $1 billion of assets under management.

Co-founder of the private equity firm Pharos Capital Group Kneeland Youngblood. (Photo: Pharos Capital Group screenshot / pharosfunds.com)

Youngblood told the outlet that his great-great-grandfather, Louis Eckford, bought the ranch land after he and his wife Eliza were freed from slavery. After Eckford died in 1896, half of the 147.5-acre tract of land was left to his wife, and the other half passed on to his nine children.

When Eliza passed away, a white money lender from a nearby ranch, Fritz Korth, secured a deed trust on the land as payment for a $300 loan Eliza had taken from Korth before her death. After none of her children claimed the land following her passing, the land passed to the Korths, who now claim that the Eckford childrens shares were also bought by Korth. Korth paid $735.50 for part-ownership of the land in 1939.

In 2008, ConocoPhillips signed a lease with the Korths as well as some of the Eckford descendants and began drilling for oil on the land. There are at least 200 descendants of the Eckford family. It was at this time that the Korth family claimed they owned the land outright, and ConocoPhillips sided with them out of convenience, WSJ reports.

However, a Texas jury confirmed over the summer that the Eckford family co-owns the land, and Youngblood decided to sue to ensure his family receives the oil royalty payouts that they deserve.

If it goes to a verdict, I think we can get a lot more, said the former emergency room doctor. This is about legacy. Were not here to relitigate the Civil War. Regardless of the judgment, its not going to change my life. But for many of my relatives, it could be transformative.

Kneeland Youngblood, co-founder of Pharos Capital, and his family are suing ConocoPhillips, accusing it of depriving them of the riches from oil-soaked land in South Texas bought by freed slaves https://t.co/UOhu1NGJks https://t.co/UOhu1NGJks  The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 21, 2023

Korths great-grandson Chico Korth claims that because his family paid taxes on the land and their name is on the deed, the land belongs to his family.

It seems very straightforward that if you pay taxes, and youre operating the land and you have a deed that stipulates that you are the owner of the land, then its yours.

Youngblood who left his career as a practicing physician to launch his investment firm in 1998 and is a member of President Bidens Intelligence Advisory Board  says winning the lawsuit would honor the achievements of his ancestors after being freed from slavery.

Youngblood is seeking $900 million in damages, unpaid royalties as well as punitive damages.
MILWAUKEE - People shopped til they nearly dropped on Saturday, Nov. 25.

Known as Small Business Saturday, shoppers in Milwaukee's Turner Hall had the chance to support local Black-owned businesses at the 2nd annual 'Blackity Black Holiday Market.'

"We wanted to create an experience to bring all black businesses together during the best time for shopping. Small Business Saturday, around the holidays," said Radio Milwaukee Digital Director Tarik Moody.

More than 40 Black-owned businesses were on hand.

Radio Milwaukee Station "HYFIN" hosted the market. It featured items from more than 40 Black-owned businesses from around the Milwaukee area.

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"Being a small business, whatever your color is hard, but specifically its harder for Black entrepreneurs," said Tarik.

The market featured three levels, including food, fashion, jewelry and more.

Blackity Black Market , Milwaukee

"I wanted to be here today to support small businesses and the African American community and to give back," said La'Ketta Caldwell.

La'Ketta enjoyed walking the aisles, allowing her to find unique gifts ahead of the holidays. "Im looking for a few small gifts to give to my family, friends and my supervisor," she added.

Blackity Black Market , Milwaukee

The market was open to all.

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"Thats the goal. Really give them a leg up, get their word out about what theyre doing," added Tarik. "Milwaukee has a great black business community that needs support just like everybody else."

The event also provided a resource bank with reps from non-profits, financial institutions and mental health resources.
Colorado startup Boom Supersonic is developing a faster-than-sound jet called Overture.

The company's first prototype is the 71-foot-long XB-1, which has been nicknamed the "Baby Boom."

Boom hopes to conduct its first XB-1 flight by the end of this year.

Colorado startup Boom Supersonic is hoping to revive the era of the ultra-speedy Concorde with its Mach 1.7 Overture passenger jet, and its prototype is finally gearing up for its first flight.

Nicknamed the "baby boom," the company's XB-1 demo aircraft has undergone extensive ground testing since 2020, including evaluating subsystems and upgrading its engines and landing gear.

More recently, XB-1 underwent taxi testing in the Mojave desert and received an experimental airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration  all in preparation for its eventual first flight, which Boom CEO Blake Scholl said in August could take place by the end of the year.

The company doubled down on that timeline in early November as the prototype continues ground tests and receives further clearances from the FAA, Axios reported.

Boom confirmed to Business Insider on Tuesday that it is "making significant progress toward the first flight, and we expect to fly XB-1 soon."

According to the manufacturer, the 71-foot-long Baby Boom features a carbon composite and titanium fuselage and gull wings designed to enable "safe operation at takeoff and landing as well as supersonic speeds."

The engines on Boom's XB-1 supersonic test plane. Boom Supersonic

Its optimized aerodynamic shape is similar to the one planned for the all-business-class Overture, which United Airlines and American Airlines have ordered and expect to catapult travelers across the Atlantic in less than four hours by 2030.

But, the faster-than-sound Overture will sport a different engine than the three proven General Electric J85 engines that will power the XB-1. Instead of partnering with a known engine maker, Overture's will be made in-house.

Boom's decision to build its own powerplant, dubbed Symphony, came after every major manufacturer declined to help, including Pratt & Whitney, GE, Honeywell, Safran Aircraft Engines, Rolls-Royce, and CFM International.

The setback has not stopped Boom's supersonic dream, though, and could even prove a lucrative asset if successful.

Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, told Business Insider last year that selling Symphony could "not only recoup its cost but also possibly make a profit off of it."

To prepare for its first XB-1 flight, Boom said its test pilots had completed hundreds of hours of flight training in a simulator and a trainer aircraft.

A pilot sitting in the cockpit of the Boom Supersonic experimental aircraft. Boom Supersonic

The company has also secured clearances to conduct the flight in the same place where Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time in history.

The famed aviator exceeded Mach 1 when he piloted a Bell X-1 airplane equipped with a rocket engine across the Mojave desert in 1947.

"It's fitting that XB-1 is now progressing toward first flight at the Mojave Air & Space Port, home to more than 50 first flights and other significant aviation events," Boom's chief test pilot Bill "Doc" Shoemaker said. "I'm looking forward to flying XB-1 here, building on the achievements of other talented engineers and pilots who inspire us every day to make supersonic travel mainstream."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Boris Johnson, his wife, Carrie and his sister Rachel Johnson join the March Against Anti-Semitism - Thomas Bowles Photography

Boris Johnson was among many tens of thousands of people attending the March Against Anti-Semitism in central London on Sunday afternoon.

The former prime minister was seen chatting to crowds, accompanied by his wife, Carrie, and five-month old Frank Frankie Alfred Odysseus Johnson.

As the march got underway, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, 40, a far-Right activist better known as Tommy Robinson, was escorted away by police.

The Metropolitan Police later said in a statement, Officers working as part of the policing and security operation for the March Against Anti-Semitism have arrested a 40-year-old man on the Strand.

He refused to comply with a direction to disperse under Section 35 of the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act.

He was spoken to and warned on more than one occasion that his continued presence in the area was likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others. He was directed to leave the area but refused to do so.

The march, organised by Campaign Against Anti-Semitism with the support of numerous Jewish communal groups and non-Jewish organisations, began at the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand before passing along Whitehall and ending at Parliament Square, where addresses by the Chief Rabbi, Home Office Minister of State Robert Jenrick and other high profile public figures were expected.

Chief Rabbi Mirvis, Eddie Marsan, Tracey-Ann Oberman, Rachel Riley, Maureen Lipman and Vanessa Feltz take part in a march against anti-Semitism at the Royal Courts of Justice in London - Jordan Pettitt

Maureen Lipman joins the march - Paul Grover for the Telegraph

Earlier, Tube services running into the centre of London were busier than a normal morning rush hour as Jews - some proudly wearing stars of David necklaces and kippahs - and others headed for the Royal Courts of Justice, the start point for the march.

Before the event started a police helicopter was seen hovering overhead and the Strand was closed off to cars.

Early estimates from police said around 100,000 people were packed into the tight streets of central London.

Thousands, marshalled by volunteers in light blue high-visibility jackets and flanked by police (including some drafted in from Essex), headed down the embankment. Many were adorned with flags - mainly of Israel although the odd Union flag was present - some of which had been bought from entrepreneurial street vendors attracting business with shouts of: Get your flags, five pounds a pop! Cash or card?.

Antisemitism march in London 'National Solidarity March against Antisemitism' - Paul Grover

Some in the crowd held placards with images of people beneath headlines saying: kidnapped as chants of bring them home erupted from the crowd, followed by the Jewish anthem Am Israel Chai (the nation of Israel lives). A sign reading never again is now had been left against the wall of the Polish embassy.

Some attendees had taken a different approach to get their messages across, with placards proclaiming give me antipasti not anti-Semitism and spread hummus not hate also visible.

People take part in a march against antisemitism organised by the volunteer-led charity Campaign Against Antisemitism at the Royal Courts of Justice in London - Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

In polling for the Campaign Against anti-Semitism, 69 per cent of British Jews said they are currently less likely to show visible signs of their faith and fewer than one fifth believe the police treat antisemitism like other forms of hate crime.

The poll of 3,744 British Jews taken between Nov 12 and 17 also revealed almost half had considered leaving the UK due to anti-Semitism since the Oct 7 Hamas attacks in Israel.

Mark Elliott-Smith, the priest of Our Lady of the Assumption Warwick Street, said: I thought I had to be here and show solidarity. Ive been on a few of the demonstrations. When I wrote something about it I was called a Nazi priest.

Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat (centre) takes part in a march against antisemitism - PA

The Rev Richard Coles, a former Church of England parish priest and broadcaster, said: Im here in solidarity with Jewish friends who are facing unprecedented levels of anti-Semitism in my lifetime.

Lately, Ive been talking to Jewish friends and for the first time theyve talked about being frightened to walk down the street and I just think thats intolerable. Its very important that we stand in solidarity with everyone who is trying to live decently.

Ive got complicated feelings about it. I went to the rally for Palestine yesterday, so very Church of England, obviously! But Im just as much appalled by what I see in Gaza as what I saw in southern Israel.

So Im for peace and reconciliation. Im for people living together in stable peace. Anti-Semitism is a horribly toxic thing and I think we should all unite to reject it.

On Sunday night, the Met Police tweeted: The March Against Antisemitism has concluded. As the crowds left along Whitehall, a man was heard to make anti-Semitic comments. He was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. In total, there were two arrests during todays operation.

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After a breakup, I saw a clairvoyant. She told me I'd meet my soulmate soon, and just a few months later, I did.

After a rough breakup, I went to a clairvoyant for help with my healing process.

I was told that I'd meet my soulmate soon, even though I lived in a remote area.

Just a few months later, I met a man and fell in love with him.

I ended 2015 drunk-crying on a beach in Zanzibar, asking friends and strangers why I was single and no one wanted me. Two weeks later, I went home to South Africa and met a guy who I thought was the one.

The relationship was magical, but it was also toxic. I was ecstatic to have found him, and I thought he was perfect  so much so that I missed all his red flags, including manipulation and controlling behavior, right up until he told me it was over one night out of the blue. No amount of shameful begging and crying made him change his mind.

I ran away to rural Mozambique, where I found a job managing a beach lodge. Except for the local fishermen who went out most days, the beach was empty. It was like having my own private paradise where I could breathe and cry and heal from the breakup.

I saw a clairvoyant in my search for healing

Out of desperation to feel better, I consulted a clairvoyant. During our time together, she told me that another man was coming.

However, even though I had sought her help and she had told me something encouraging, I couldn't convince myself to believe her. After all, I was living in a very secluded place; surely, no one would find me here, let alone my soulmate.

The author and her partner. Courtesy of the author

I was surprised when the man of my dreams knocked on my door

As time went by, I transformed from a sobbing mess lying on the floor to someone who enjoyed being alone. For the first time in my life, I wasn't yearning for a partner to fill a hole in my life and my heart.

Four or five months later, the lodge was empty and most of the staff were off. I was working in my house when I heard someone yelling, "Hello." I went to see what was going on and found three men outside my door. They were out exploring and wanted to have a drink at our bar.

One was short and stocky, with dark hair. The second was also short but was older. The third man instantly seemed familiar; I assumed he owned one of the area's private houses. And this one was tall, dark, and handsome. The other two were close friends of his.

I remember noticing his eyes. I saw an openness and honesty in them. I sensed something genuine in him that seemed rare.

While had a few drinks in the lodge's bar, we hit it off, and they invited me for dinner at the nearby hotel. I jumped in the shower, got dressed in something not covered in dog hair, and set off to meet them.

As I walked into the bar, I ran into the owners, who were friends of mine. Instead of joining them as I usually would, I told them that I was meeting the three men.

They joked with me to be careful because the men were married. The tall, handsome man quickly replied, "No, no, I am not," with an embarrassed chuckle. I'd learned earlier that his name was Brandon, and I was intrigued.

I told them about our chef's amazing pizzas, and Brandon came to try them the next night. Then he came around again the night after that. He even extended his holiday by almost a week to spend more time with me. When he had to go home to South Africa, I was sad and expected not to hear from him again.

I had learned that holiday romances seldom last. People fall in love easily when they are on holiday with the sun on their skin, sand on their toes, and the moon creating magic.

The beach near where the author and her partner met. Courtesy of the author

He kept in touch, and now, we have a daughter together

But Brandon did keep in touch. We texted and phoned, and he drove the 1000 kilometers  over 600 miles, a drive that takes 10-12 hours each way  to visit me a few weeks later.

After that, we took turns driving to each other once or twice a month. We would spend a few days together before having to say goodbye. That was the hardest part. That, and waiting for him when I knew he was on his way.

The author and her partner. Courtesy of the author

Eventually, I moved back to South Africa to be with Brandon. He wanted to stay close to the family business, so for a while, we stayed in a small apartment on his parents' property. After a few years, we decided to start a family. It took more than a year and a few tries, but eventually, we experienced the joy of seeing two lines on a pregnancy test.

We just celebrated our daughter's first birthday. She is beautiful, feisty, fierce, and full of magic, just as we knew she would be. What else could we expect from a baby born to parents who were destined to meet under the magic of the moon in Mozambique?

Read the original article on Insider
Kira West and James Fiddmont got married in Italy on September 2, 2023.

West wore a custom Alonuko wedding dress with an illusion bodice and floral detailing.

The gown's skirt was also removable, giving West two looks in one.

The dress plays a huge part in your wedding day, whether you wear a designer gown or a thrifted outfit.

Kira West wanted to find a dress that felt worth investing in, which led her to Alonuko, a Black-owned brand that specializes in illusion gowns.

Business Insider spoke to West about why the dress made all the difference on her wedding day.

Kira West and James Fiddmont met through mutual friends.

Kira West and James Fiddmont on their wedding day. Stefano Santucci

West, 30, and Fiddmont, 34, attended the same college at different times, but they ended up connecting on Instagram thanks to some mutual friends.

Fiddmont was immediately interested in West, and they started seeing each other in 2017 when they were both single, as she told Business Insider.

They were soon inseparable. By May 2021, they were engaged.

Today, West and Fiddmont live in Chicago.

They planned a destination wedding in Italy.

They got married in Italy. Stefano Santucci

West and Fiddmont got married at Borgo i Vicelli, a resort just outside of Florence, Italy, on September 2, 2023.

They invited just 64 of their loved ones to celebrate with them, letting the Italian landscape set the tone for their "elevated farm to table" nuptials, as West said.

"It was really important that we leverage the land and the beauty of where we were," she went on to say. "We tried to do that as much as possible and then minimalist and sustainable where possible."

They worked with planner Olivia Sodi to make their dream wedding happen, and Stefano Santucci photographed the event.

West didn't initially plan to wear a designer wedding gown.

She wasn't sure what she wanted out of her wedding dress. Stefano Santucci

"I was like, 'I'm wearing my wedding dress for a few hours. I'm just gonna get something that's relatively inexpensive,'" West said of her initial approach to her wedding dress.

But a conversation with her dad and stepmom after she booked the venue changed her mind.

"They were like, 'You've just signed for this beautiful venue. You can't wear a $100 dress,'" West told BI.

There was only one brand West wanted to invest in if she was going to get a designer dress: Alonuko. Headed by London-based designer Gbemi Okunlola, the brand specializes in illusion wedding gowns for Black women, using a sheer tulle that matches brides' skin tones.

"I'm someone who loves customized, meaningful pieces, and I think that's what Gbemi does really well," West said.

As Okunlola previously told BI, she created her one-of-a-kind, skin-matching tulle fabric after seeing a lack of diversity in the bridal market.

"It's not just about having a brown option; it's about having a brown option, a beige option, a dark-brown option," she said. "No matter what color skin you are, you should feel like the dress is for you."

West fell in love with an A-line gown from Alonuko that had an illusion top.

Alonuko designed the wedding dress. Stefano Santucci

The form-fitting, long-sleeved bodice was made of Okunlola's illusion fabric.

The sheer fabric formed a V-neckline that dipped low, and the entire bodice was covered in floral applique.

The tulle skirt sat on West's hip, and it was also covered in delicate, floral embroidery.

The bodice looked like it was part of West's skin.

The illusion bodice stood out. Stefano Santucci

The bodice was one of the aspects of the gown West was most excited about, both because of its stunning design and because it felt right for her wedding.

"I really felt like the dress that I chose went with the venue really well," she said, as the floral detailing looked perfect against the Italian backdrop.

Plus, the fabric wasn't just beautiful  it was also practical because it had a natural stretch to it.

"I felt very secure in the dress," West said. "I feel like a lot of people are really pressed to lose or gain or keep the same weight. And because of the way Gbemi designs the dresses, you have a little bit more flexibility."

The skirt was removable, giving West multiple looks in one.

She could detach part of the skirt. Stefano Santucci

The base of West's dress was form-fitting, but she added a second, removable skirt for a more romantic look.

The overskirt originally had a layer of crinoline underneath it, but she decided to remove it to create a more see-through look.

"We customized the dress a bit and I ended up removing the crinoline from the overskirt, so it was a little bit more sheer," West said.

Alonuko hadn't made that customization before West's gown, and West said she loved that the dress was one-of-a-kind.

The skirt also allowed West to wear her favorite Doc Martens throughout the wedding, making the look even more personal.

West removed her overskirt before her reception for a more streamlined look.

The gown had two skirts. Stefano Santucci

The slightly sheer skirt built into the dress was form-fitting, hugging West until it flowed out slightly at the bottom.

The lace pattern on the bodice continued onto the slightly sheer skirt, so the gown had a cohesive feel no matter which skirt she wore.

"I loved being able to have the tighter style," West said of her second look.

The bride said she felt as good in her dress as she looked.

The bride and her bridesmaids. Stefano Santucci

"I felt really confident in it," West said of her wedding dress. "It felt like me. It was unique."

She paired her dress with makeup and an updo styled by Shaniqua, a friend West has known since she was a teenager.

She also chose to keep her accessories for the wedding simple so her dress would be the focus of her look.

West wore a simple veil, silver hoop earrings from Amazon, and a bracelet with blue detailing from Tiffany & Co. that was a gift from her bridesmaids.

West said her experience with Okunlola made all the difference when it came to her wedding dress.

She loved working with Gbemi Okunlola. Stefano Santucci

"She's the only person I've seen that does skin-tone mesh the way she does," West said of why she loved working with Okunlola. "People are like, 'Wow, I've never seen that on someone that looks like me.' I was really interested in doing that with her."

"She just had such attention to detail and care," West went on to say of Okunlola. "She was there to be a really big part of the experience, and I feel like that speaks volumes for the brand. And I just liked her as a person."

"And I wanted to invest money in brands that were Black-owned," West added. "There are a lot of places you can find a wedding dress, but I loved being able to know who was behind the brand and have a real reason for wanting to support them."

West's bridesmaids also wore dresses from a Black designer.

The gowns were champagne-colored. Stefano Santucci

"I was looking for a champagne-colored dress that would travel well," West said of her vision for her bridesmaid dresses. She ended up selecting dresses from Amsale Aberra's brand Amsale. They were all the same color but were made in varying styles.

"They were really high quality, and it was nice that they got to have slightly different variations and different styles," West said of the designs.

"I was really proud of the fact that we were all in Black designers," she added.

Fiddmont wore a slim-fitted tuxedo to the wedding.

The groom wore a tuxedo. Hannah Schweiss Photography for The Studio Chicago

Fiddmont kept his look classic, donning a black tuxedo from Ralph Lauren and accessories from the Tie Bar for the wedding.

He showed off his ensemble in a photo taken by Hannah Schweiss from The Studio Chicago.

Fiddmont and West didn't see each other until their ceremony.

They didn't do a first look. Stefano Santucci

West said Fiddmont was emotional when he saw her in her wedding gown.

"I think a lot of people have expectations that your partner is going to have this overwhelming emotional response, and he is not typically super outwardly emotional in that way, especially not in a public setting," West said of her husband.

"But seeing me walk down the aisle, seeing me with my dad, he definitely was emotional," she added of Fiddmont.

The ceremony was one of West's favorite parts of the entire wedding.

The ceremony was emotional. Stefano Santucci

Fiddmont's cousin officiated the nuptials, and he made the ceremony both fun and meaningful.

"We wanted him to be himself, and he did," West said.

West also said she was emotional as she got married because she was able to honor a loved one she lost during the ceremony.

"It was really special," she added.

Nearly all of the wedding took place outdoors.

The reception took place outdoors. Stefano Santucci

After the ceremony, West and Fiddmont gathered for dinner at long tables for an intimate meal.

Alessio Sedran catered the event, and they had a gelato cart from Vivoli Gelateria for dessert. Vogliadiverde provided flowers.

Lighting and music came from GB Audio, Firenze Classica Tuscany Music Events Agency provided additional music, and SKO Exotic was their DJ.

Tuscan Lab created the stationery for the event.

West also changed into a shorter dress for the dancing portion of her reception.

The bride had a third look. Hannah Schweiss Photography for The Studio Chicago

The bride said she changed out of her Alonuko dress in part to protect it.

"The dress was beautiful, but I wasn't able to move my arms as much because the mesh is pretty delicate," she said.

Her reception dress had a halter neckline and shorter hem that was perfect for dancing, and she paired it with sneakers.

The shorter dress was also perfect for the elaborate first dance she and her dad did at the reception.

The bride and her dad did a special dance. Stefano Santucci

"He's from Trinidad and Tobago, so we did a traditional slow dance," West said of her father-daughter dance.

"We did a little bit of a transitional moment, and then we pulled out flags and led everyone to the dance floor, which was really fun," she went on to say.

"We practiced it for many weeks, and my stepmom was invested in making sure that we were the best that we could possibly be," West added.

Her stepmom also helped her get ready for the day, which was meaningful to West.

"I feel like stepmoms don't really get the recognition that they deserve, so I wanted to make sure that we had a moment for her to get something back for all the years that she's put into me," West said.

But the best part of the wedding for West and Fiddmont was being with all of their loved ones.

They were happy to be with their loved ones. Stefano Santucci

The wedding festivities spanned an entire weekend, and West loved that she got to spend more than just a few hours with their guests.

"That was definitely a highlight, looking out and seeing all of our loved ones there," West said.

"We live in Chicago and a lot of our friends and family don't live here," she added. "So to be able to spend time with those people was priceless."

West said she loves the way she and Fiddmont balance each other out.

Kira West and James Fiddmont are a team. Stefano Santucci

"We are really like the epitome of yin and yang," she said of her marriage.

"I'm ambitious. There are a lot of things that I love to do, and for a lot of people, I think that's really intimidating," she went on to say. "For James, he's been super supportive, and he's helped me find flexibility and ease."

"He is just my favorite person to be around, and I think it's really nice when you can be at home and be your full self and feel fully comfortable," she said of her husband. "It really is a partnership. We want to evolve together."

If you wore an eye-catching wedding dress and want to talk to Business Insider for a story, get in touch at sgrindell@businessinsider.com .

Read the original article on Insider
Bulgaria is considering lifting the ban on imports of sunflower seeds from Ukraine

Bulgaria is considering lifting a ban on sunflower imports from Ukraine introduced in September, with local vegetable oil producers demanding access to supplies of Ukrainian sunflower seeds, the Bulgarian media outlet Agricensus reported on Nov. 23.

Bulgarian vegetable oil producers reiterated their demand to return to full liberalization of sunflower imports from Ukraine, as they "have been waiting for two-and-a-half months to see what happens".

Read also: Bulgaria shuts down criminal ring supplying military goods to Russia

Representatives of the producers said they had not been consulted before the ban on imports from Ukraine was imposed.

The Bulgarian government's position remains uncertain: on the one hand, the authorities say that oil producers will not be left without raw materials, but at the same time they do not confirm that the import ban will be lifted, Agricensus writes. The government is keeping the details under wraps to potentially curb any discontent among Bulgarian farmers, the publication wrote.

Read also: Bulgarian farmers protest imports of Ukrainian produce

The uncertainty of the situation has caused market turmoil and intensified rumors about the need for supplies of Ukrainian sunflower and rapeseed, given the smaller harvest this season. According to the local market sources, the sunflower harvest in Bulgaria in 2023/24 season is estimated at 1.6 million tonnes, which is almost 24% less than last year.

On Sept. 18, farmers in Bulgaria began protests across the country over the parliament's decision to unblock imports of agricultural products from Ukraine. Later, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said that Bulgaria would soon impose a ban on imports of Ukrainian sunflower seeds.

On Sept. 30, the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Farming announced that the country had banned imports of sunflower seeds from Ukraine until the end of November.

Read also: Bulgaria moves closer to transferring stock of faulty S-300 missiles to Ukraine

After this period, the export licensing regime for sunflower, wheat, corn, and rapeseed will be in effect, according to the agreed plan between Ukraine and the European Commission, the Bulgarian Ministry said.

In its turn, Ukraines Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported that Sofia has no objections to the export of the other three crops.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Excessive force

Regarding Charlotte police criticized for hitting woman at bus stop, (Nov. 18):

Was this crime so serious that it warranted a small-framed woman being held down by four officers in a prone position, as a fifth knelt at her side, balled fist raised well above his head, and pounded her with 10 closed-fist strike and seven bent knee blows?

I would surmise the total combined weight of the enforcers was pretty close to 900 pounds or more, and the five of them were unable to place handcuffs on an unarmed woman approximately 100 or 120 pounds. Ridiculous! My goodness, they have misplaced priorities if they were running down folks they suspected of smoking a little marijuana. I would rather see them using their time to solve the more serious crimes we are experiencing throughout the city.

Priscilla D. Johnson, Charlotte

Not a democracy

Our state currently has seven Democratic and seven Republican congressional representatives. That seems fair in a state thats pretty evenly split, but the Republicans in our state government wont be satisfied until they control all forms of government. If their new voting maps do not get stopped in the courts, it is projected that the state will have 10 or 11 Republican congressmen and three or four who are Democrats. And everyone knows the Republicans control the courts in North Carolina. This state is starting to feel like it is governed by apartheid and not a democracy.

Benjamin J. Harris, Charlotte

Lesser of 2 evils

Regarding Heres how the Democrats can win back Black voters like me, (Nov. 19 Forum):

Id like to remind the Nov. 19 letter writer that the Republican Party supports a leader who now faces 91 indictments, uses Hitlers rhetoric of vermin when describing fellow Americans, and has party support even if he ends up as a convicted felon. The Republican Party has members kidney punching other members, has senators challenging witnesses in hearings to fistfights, and has a serial liar who is accused of misappropriating campaign contributions, including on an online platform used by sex workers to sell explicit photos.

I urge this writer to consider choosing the lesser of two evils and rejoin the Democratic Party.

David Hyman, Charlotte

A second term?

Should America take away President Bidens second term keys, not so much due to embarrassing senior moments but because of the person (vice president) in the passenger seat? Its a startling historic question. Certainly Jimmy Carter at 81 had clarity and stamina. Donald Trump at 77 is able to take on attorney generals and judges. If there is a Biden-Harris ticket, will voters want to give either Biden or Harris the keys?

Bolyn McClung, Pineville

A ceasefire?

President Macron of France has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. I have to wonder what action he would have taken if Hamas had crossed his border and killed about 1,200 people and taken 240 hostage.

What would he have proposed if they had beheaded children? What would he have proposed if they violated and killed women and teenagers? I dont see him flying into Gaza to evacuate anyone.

Its easy to play the sanctimonious card when youre not involved.

Phil Levine, Charlotte

Nuclear power

Before nuclear power can be considered a green alternative to fossil fuels, Americans must deal with the 86,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel rod waste sitting in reactor sites around the country. This environmental and national security risk is a result of our NIMBY attitude which resulted in cancellation of the Yucca Mountain storage plan. We must solve this problem before embarking on an expansion of nuclear power generation.

Michael Vernon, Mountain Home

The Hornets

Regarding Hornets comfortable with Miles Bridges return, but sacrificed the moral high ground, (Nov. 17):

The Hornets are comfortable having Miles Bridges represent their team. These new owners should ask their wives and daughters their opinion. This is sick.

Gene Goldenstein, Durham
Undated handout picture of Israeli hostage Emily Hand, who was released after being taken hostage during the October 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas

Undated handout picture of Israeli hostage Emily Hand, who was released after being taken hostage during the October 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas

By Eli Berlzon

DEAD SEA, Israel (Reuters) - Emily Hand had her ninth birthday as a hostage in Gaza, the day before she was reunited with her father, who initially believed she had been killed in the devastating attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel last month.

Returned in the second group of hostages released by the Islamist movement under a Qatari-brokered deal with Israel, she appeared in good health in a photograph released with fellow hostage Hila Rotem, whose mother remains in Gaza.

The daughter of an Irish immigrant to Israel, Emily's mother died of cancer when she was 2 years old and her family described the violent mix of feelings reported by other hostage families.

"We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days," her family said in a statement. "We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return."

For residents of the Hands' home kibbutz of Be'eri, one of the communities worst hit by last month's attack by Hamas, the release of some of the hostages abducted on Oct. 7 brought a measure of relief tinged with sadness.

In the Dead Sea resort where most of the residents of the kibbutz have been evacuated to, there were cheers and applause as the community watched the hostages being brought to Israel.

"You don't know, you can't imagine they will come. You just can't imagine it, what they will do, if they will talk about it," said 10-year-old Talia, a friend of Emily Hand.

"We have a lot of questions, everyone wants to ask them, What happened there, what they did to them, if they ate and drank," she said.

EXCHANGE

More than 100 people were killed during the attack on the kibbutz, located a few kilometres from the security fence with Gaza that was breached by Hamas gunmen in the early hours of Oct. 7, and the kibbutz has become one of the most potent symbols of the suffering caused by the attack.

Around 1,200 Israelis and foreigners were killed and some 240 were seized as hostages.

Since then, Israel has vowed both to destroy Hamas and bring the hostages back home. It has unleashed a relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 14,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Saturday's release of 13 hostages came after some six weeks of fighting as part of a deal to release 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Once the scheduled four-day truce to complete the exchange is over, Israeli commanders and Hamas have both said they expect fighting to resume. The future for the hostages who remain in Gaza is unclear.

"This is the saddest joy and the happiest sadness, but our family is home," said Inbal Tzach, whose cousin Adi Shoham was visiting Be'eri, along with her children Nave, 8 and Yahel, 3 when the family was abducted.

However, with Adi's husband, Tal, still in Gaza, she said there remained a long way to go. "This is an emotional evening for the families who received their loved ones tonight. We will continue the struggle until everyone comes home."

(Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Leslie Adler)
A 53-year-old caretaker has been charged with two counts of murder after two people were found dead inside a Denmark home on Saturday, authorities said.

Tzara Jones of Denmark, was taken to the Oxford County Jail, Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said in a statement Sunday. Jones will be arraigned on Monday in Oxford District Court.

The victims have not been identified pending notification of next of kin. Autopsies performed on Sunday determined both deaths to be the result of homicide, Moss said. The cause of death is not being released at this time.

At about 2 p.m. Saturday, Oxford County Sheriffs Deputies responded to a home on Fuller Lane for a welfare check.

Man found dead after fire in makeshift tent in Sanford, Maine, officials say

When they arrived, deputies found two people dead inside the home, Moss said. Jones was taken to a nearby hospital for a medical evaluation.

The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit South responded.

Denmark is a small town in Maine, just northwest of Sebago Lake. The town, in Oxford County, had a population of 1,197 for the 2020 census.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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As Chicagos brutal winter looms, city and state officials are scrambling to find shelter for more than 2,000 migrants now living at airports, police stations and on the citys streets, plus long-term housing for thousands more already crammed into overcrowded shelters.

But advocates question whether newly announced measures from state and city officials intended to help migrants settle more quickly into the city will work as planned or contribute to the worsening of a humanitarian crisis spurred by the busing of thousands of people to the city from Texas.

So much is riding on Chicago winter, and we cant afford for anyone in our beautiful state or city to freeze because we didnt figure this out, to die because we didnt figure this out, said Karina Ayala-Bermejo, the CEO and president of the Instituto del Progreso Latino, which is involved in case management and other programs for migrants.

As of Monday morning, there were 12,251 migrants living in 26 active city-run shelters, with another 2,175 waiting in OHare and Midway airports, as well as inside and outside of police stations, for placement, according to a city census of new arrivals. According to the city, more than 21,700 asylum-seekers and migrants have arrived since August 2022, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts migrant busing program reached Chicago.

Nathan McCarthy walks through a parking lot outside the 15th District police station, a space he shares with newly arrived migrants in Chicago's Austin neighborhood on Nov. 5, 2023. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune via Getty Images)

The influx has put a strain on Chicagos network of social services. There have not been enough shelter beds for everyone in need. And the process of moving people from temporary shelter to permanent, independent housing has been painfully slow, advocates have said.

Its all about, how do you triage an ecosystem that is already in crisis? Ayala-Bermejo said.

The process of finding housing, in particular, has been very difficult for 35-year-old Johan Martinez Hernandez, who has been searching for an apartment in Chicago for three months while staying at a shelter with about 600 other migrants. He, like thousands of others, was bused to the city and has since struggled to find his footing.

As he was preparing last week to visit yet another apartment, Martinez Hernandez was hopeful it would finally be his ticket out of the packed shelter.

I really hope they rent to me, Martinez Hernandez, who traveled to the U.S. seeking asylum from Venezuela, said in Spanish.

The move into an apartment, he said, would allow him to get a legal job and bring stability to his life in a new city.

You cant survive like this forever, Martinez Hernandez said.

A young migrant boy sweeps off frozen snow on a toy car next to the small tent community near a Northside police station in Chicago on Nov. 1, 2023. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP file)

As part of a plan to move people out of shelters and eventually into permanent housing, the state and city have put new restrictions on the assistance migrants can receive, reducing both the number of days they can stay in shelter and also the amount of rental assistance they can receive, both with the stated goal of moving people more quickly into independent living.

Last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that the state would invest an additional $160 million to address bottlenecks in the asylum-seeker resettlement pipeline. According to the governor, that includes: $65 million to expand case management, housing assistance and legal services; another $65 million to create winterized temporary housing for up to 2,000 migrants and ensure safe and warm places for migrants to live during winter months; and $30 million to launch an intake center.

The state also is reducing rental assistance for asylum-seekers in shelters to three months of rent, down from up to six months. The governors office said this would allow all current shelter residents to access the rent-assistance program. But going forward, the program will not be available to new migrant arrivals, the state said, adding, housing assistance will still be provided to support the housing search process, tenant rights, and landlord-tenant communications.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, meanwhile, announced that the city would begin limiting the amount of time a person can stay in shelter to 60 days.

The goal of the 60-day limited stay policy is to accelerate how new arrivals engage with the emergency shelter system, the city said on its website. The City can continue to support existing residents on a pathway to self-sufficiency while also maintaining our ability to meet the immediate needs of new individuals and families arriving in Chicago daily, including providing direct access to public benefits and other supports during their 60-day stay.

The city said migrants may be granted temporary extensions under extenuating circumstances, including medical crises or extreme cold weather. The city said that if a migrant is not eligible for an extension and has not yet secured housing, they may return to the citys landing zone and request a new shelter placement.

Advocates said those changes could hinder efforts to find housing and potentially lead to asylum-seekers falling through the cracks and out onto the streets in plunging temperatures.

Yessica Karolina Badell Palmar, right, a migrant from Venezuela, in her tent outside the Chicago police 1st District station on Oct. 30, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune via Getty Images file)

This is like a gut punch for me, the Rev. Kenneth Phelps, who helps migrants find housing and is involved in several programs to assist them transition to life in Chicago, said of the reduction in rent assistance. That binds our hands so much.

Phelps said it had already been difficult to find landlords and property managers willing to rent to migrants with up to six months of rental assistance, as most asylum-seekers lack documentation usually provided during the rental process and do not yet have work permits. He feared that reducing the program would make the process more daunting.

I feel very defeated. Theres no way the city is going to be able to keep its promises, Phelps said.

Ayala-Bermejo said a 60-day limit for shelter stays would require intensive case management to make sure that migrants dont lose out on housing opportunities and social services.

We have to make sure that were not tossing out all the good that has been invested in that individual, in that family, that will be lost if theyre just hitting the ground and adding to the unhoused, she said.

She also said the investment from the city, state and federal government should follow the migrants beyond housing, to work authorization, work development, and work opportunities, so that they can sustain themselves.

You cannot then pull the carpet from under them once they have a job, she said. You have to continue to invest in the case management and support services that are going to help them stay employed, and then continue to pay their rent and not turn over and join the unhoused population.

But Matt DeMateo, the chief executive officer of New Life Centers of Chicagoland, a nonprofit that works with the state on resettlement, said that while the reduction to three months of rental assistance may provide a challenge in finding housing, it could ultimately allow more migrants to benefit from the program.

DeMateo believes another aspect of the states plan  submitting 11,000 applications for work authorization and temporary protected status by February  also will improve the migrant crisis.

Once that opens up, people can get on a stable path, he said. With all of those investments, the idea is how do we better the whole system, so we can get through this and get past these bottlenecks.

The state said last week that since August 2022, some 9,000 migrants have been resettled  either by being placed in permanent housing or with relatives  both inside the state of Illinois and in other states.

Oscar Penalver Sanchez hopes to soon be among them. After living for about a year in a shelter with more than 150 other migrants, he recently moved into his own apartment.

Its a huge relief because its difficult to stay in the shelters for so long, he said in Spanish, but added that he was grateful to have had somewhere to sleep and lay our heads.

He is in the process of applying for a work permit, which he hopes will put him on track to becoming financially independent.

I want to work and face life head on, he said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Chinese tech giant Alibaba has claimed it has built the first commercial server powered by a processor designed on the RISC-V CPU architecture , astonishingly announcing this news in the US at this year's RISC-V Summit.

As reported by HPCWire, the system, made using an indigenous Sophon SG2042 chip, is a gigantic 3,072-core server with 48 nodes that's been deployed at Shandong Univeristy in China. It's the first cloud-facing commercial server built with RISC-V processors. Each processor has 64 cores, with a 2GHz frequency, 64MB system cache and connectivity through PCIe 4.0.

It means China has beaten the US in a key milestone in the race to expand the RISC-V ecosystem and the adoption of the embryonic chip architecutre, especially with the US government showing great interest in the technology.

Entering RISC-V political territory

First touted as a University of California project in 2010, the RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) has grown from strength to strength in recent years. Its aim is to rivalboth the prevalent ISAs within the next decade or so: x86  which both Intel and AMD specialize in  and ARM.

Both ARM and RISC-V are reduced instruction set computing (RISC) CPU architectures, but the main difference is that ARM is proprietary technology, while RISC-V is an open source alternative. This means it's free-to-license, which lowers the barrier of entry.

Indeed, x86 architectures are also closed source, making RISC-V one of the best candidates for an open and widely used ISA in the future. Big companies are buying into it, with Qualcomm, for example, creating a RISC-V Snapdragon Wearable platform that will power future Wear OS devices.

Given that RISC-V is an open standards, with technologists around the world contributing to its development, China reaching a key milestone in the race to the RISC-V ecosystem is particularly politically relevant.

Lawmakers in the US are concerned China might be exploiting the open nature of collaboration between predominately US companies to boost its own semiconductor industry  which could eat into the West's advantage, according to Reuters . This is particularly relevant considering the trade tensions, and recent developments in which the US blocked exporting high-end AI chips to China.

More from TechRadar Pro
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao pledged to deepen bilateral trade ties with Vietnam during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, China's commerce ministry said.

Wang said China-Vietnam trade cooperation had already achieved "fruitful results" and would include strategic areas such as the digital economy, green development and cross-border e-commerce, according to a readout published late Saturday by the Chinese ministry.

China and the United States have been jostling for influence among Southeast Asian nations including Vietnam, which in September elevated its ties with Washington to a comprehensive strategic partnership, putting its one-time enemy on par with Beijing and Moscow.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong held "frank and friendly talks" on bilateral ties, land borders and maritime issues with Vietnam's Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu in Hanoi earlier this month.

Sources familiar with the situation told Reuters last month that Vietnamese and Chinese officials were preparing for a possible trip by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Hanoi in late October or early November, although three Hanoi-based diplomats later said the visit was likely to be postponed until December.

Wang also met Ho Chi Minh City's Vietnamese Communist Party secretary Nguyen Van Nen on Saturday, the Chinese commerce ministry said.

(Reporting by Laurie Chen; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
Chimera, a Chinese-linked hacker group, infiltrated the network of the Dutch semiconductor giant NXP and had access for over two years from late 2017 to the beginning of 2020, reports NRC. During this period, the notorious hackers reportedly stole intellectual property, including chip designs  however, the full extent of the theft is yet to be disclosed. NXP is the largest chipmaker in Europe, and the scale and extent of the reported attack is shocking.

According to the report, the breach remained undetected for roughly two and a half years while the hackers lurked in the company's network  the breach was only discovered because a similar attack occurred on the Dutch airline Transavia, a subsidiary of KLM. Hackers accessed Transavia's reservation systems in September 2019. An investigation of the Transavia hack uncovered communications with NXP IPs, which led to the discovery of the NXP hack. The attack bears all of the hallmarks of the Chimera hacking group, including the use of its ChimeRAR hacker tool.

Holiday CPU Deals

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To break into NXP, the hackers initially used credentials from previous data leaks on platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook and then used brute force attacks to guess the passwords. They also bypassed double authentication measures by altering phone numbers. The hackers were patient, only checking for new data to steal every few weeks, and then snuck the data out using encrypted files uploaded to online cloud storage services, like Microsoft's OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

NXP is a major player in the global semiconductor market and has been particularly influential after it acquired Freescale (an American company) in 2015. NXP is known for developing secure Mifare chips for public transportation in the Netherlands, but also for secure elements for the iPhone -- Apple's Pay, in particular.



However, even though it confirmed the theft of its intellectual property, NXP says that the breach did not result in material damage  saying that the data stolen is complex enough that it can't be easily used to replicate designs. As such, the company didn't see the need to inform the general public, reports NRC.

Following the breach, NXP reportedly took measures to boost its network security. The company enhanced its monitoring systems and imposed stricter controls on data accessibility and transfer within the company. These steps aim to safeguard against similar incidents in the future to avoid breaches, safeguard the company's valuable intellectual assets, and maintain the integrity of its network.

But who knows what has been stolen already? Additionally, it is anyone's guess how many other semiconductor companies have been hacked yet haven't disclosed those breaches to the public.
During an interview on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, former New Jersey Gov. and 2024 Republican presidential candidate, Chris Christie, placed further blame on Donald Trump for a rise in intolerance, making a case that people acting hateful are just following his lead.

When you show intolerance toward everyone, which is what [Trump] does, you give permission as a leader for others to have their intolerance come out, Christie said, adding that Intolerance toward anyone encourages intolerance toward everyone.

This echos recent statements from Christie made against Trump in his campaign against the current GOP frontrunner in which he also blamed him for an uprise in bigotry against Jews, as Politico points out. In an interview with The New York Times published earlier this month, Christie said, I dont think Trumps an antisemite, but added that the former president's intolerance of everybody is whats contributed to the surging bigotry.

I think that there have been a lot of people who contributed to it, Christie said Sunday. I believe Donald Trumps intolerant language and conduct gives others permission to act the same.
Chris Christie laid the blame for rising antisemitism and Islamophobia directly at Donald Trumps feet.

When you show intolerance toward everyone, which is what [Trump] does, you give permission as a leader for others to have their intolerance come out, Christie said during an interview with Dana Bash on CNNs State of the Union Sunday. Intolerance toward anyone encourages intolerance toward everyone.

I believe Donald Trumps intolerant language and conduct gives others permission to act the same, he added.

GOP Presidential candidate Chris Christie blames Trump for the rise in antisemitism:



"I believe Donald Trump's intolerant language and conduct gives others permission to act the same." pic.twitter.com/xobJlAR56Z  Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) November 26, 2023

Trump has long perpetuated dangerous antisemitic tropes and accused Jewish people of a dual loyalty to the U.S. and Israel. He has also expressed virulent anti-Muslim sentiments and took action while in office to ban travel from majority-Muslim nations. He has promised to bring back an expanded ban should he be elected again.

Earlier this month the Biden Administration took action to address increasing incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses, including sharing resources and public safety information, hosting listening sessions, and launching a webinar series to develop, strengthen, and share evidence-informed strategies that help schools prevent and respond to hate-based threats, bullying, and harassment.

Both antisemitism and Islamophobia are rising in the United States. In 2022, the U.S. saw the highest recorded level of antisemitic incidents, reaching nearly 3,700 reported cases, including assaults, vandalism and harassment, per the Anti-Defamation League.

Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that triggered a war with Israel, both Muslim and Jewish civil rights groups have reported increases in bias incidents, including physical assaults. In one incident, a man is accused of punching a woman in the face at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The victim reported that he told her, You are Jewish, after the assault when she asked him why he hit her. Columbia University student Rebecca Massel wrote in Rolling Stone about her experiences with antisemitism, including receiving threats after she reported on an antisemitic incident on campus.

The Council American-Islamic Relations reported a 182 percent jump in reports of bias incidents against Muslims in the two weeks following the Oct. 7 attack compared to the 2022 average. On Saturday night, three Palestinian students were shot and injured in Burlington, Vt. Police said two of the victims were wearing keffiyehs, and the victims were speaking Arabic, according to the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee. Police described the gunman as a white man who was silent before he fired at least four shots.

We have a two pronged threat to American faith communities, Brian Levin, founding director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, told the Associated Press. According to FBI estimates, hate crimes increased by seven percent last year.

In another Sunday interview, this time on ABCs This Week, Christie discussed Trumps campaign and the possibility that he wont concede if he loses any primary races. No one will expect him to concede. He hasnt conceded the 2020 election. Who cares? Christie told host Jonathan Karl. I dont suspect hell ever concede, hes ever lost any election, even though he lost primaries in 2016 to Ted Cruz, and hell lose primaries this time as well.

GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie tells @JonKarl that no one will expect Donald Trump to concede if he loses any primary races.



"No one will expect him to concede. He hasn't conceded the 2020 election. Who cares. https://t.co/hUrwDfsGOj pic.twitter.com/Lcv4gegcjM  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 26, 2023

But it doesnt matter, Christie added. In the end, the rules will govern here just as the rules governed in 2020, and he moved out of the White House and Joe Biden is sleeping in the White House tonight.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone
2024 Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said Sunday that President Biden deserves credit for helping release the hostages in Gaza, but he criticized the deal as lopsided in favor of Hamas.

Look, I think that any time theres return of hostages, thats incredibly helpful. And President Biden and his administration has played a role in it, so they deserve credit, Christie said on CNNs State of the Union. But, also, the terms of this release are really lopsided towards Hamas, as you know, 3-to-1, in terms of hostage release, and this pause thats going on as well.

Christie, the former New Jersey governor, was referring to the 150 Palestinian prisoners set to be released in exchange for 50 hostages taken by Hamas from Israel.

So, look, I think everyone can always second-guess the negotiation from the outside. Youre not in the middle of it. What Im grateful for is that these hostages have been returned to their families, he added. Thats extraordinarily important and humane to have that done.

I think President Biden deserves credit for that, he added.

Christie continued to criticize Biden, however, for suggesting he hopes the truce will continue.

He cant be doing that kind of stuff, in my view, publicly, Christie said. His voice has to be just purely supportive of what Israel is doing to try to protect its territorial integrity and the safety and security of its nine million citizens. Thats got to be priority No. 1 for the United States, and everyone in the Middle East has to know that thats Americas No. 1 priority.

Christie, who is polling in the single digits among GOP primary voters ahead of 2024, has emerged in the race as one of the staunchest supporters of the U.S. supporting Israel and Ukraine. He has made the case that the wars are linked, noting the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hamas gets funding from Iran, North Korea and Russia.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie on Sunday said former President Trumps intolerant language contributed to widespread intolerance, including the recent rise in antisemitism in the United States.

When you show intolerance towards everyone, which is what he does, you give permission as a leader for others to have their intolerance come out, Christie said in an interview on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, referring to Trump.

So intolerance towards anyone encourages intolerance towards everyone. And thats exactly whats going on here, he said.

He added that this concern extends beyond the former president to other leaders.

And thats been going on for quite some time, not just with Donald Trump, but with university professors on some of our most elite campuses in this country, with university administrators and presidents who have been unwilling to stand up against antisemitism on their campuses most particularly, he added.

Since Hamas launched the Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israels southern border, a surge in antisemitism and Islamophobia has emerged throughout the country.

In the two weeks following the initial attack, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a group dedicated to fighting hate and antisemitism, documented a 388 percent increase in antisemitic incidents compared with the same time period the year before.

One area that has seen such a rise is on college campuses across the U.S., where reports of antisemitism have also spiked. In just one example, the building hosting Cornell Universitys kosher dining hall had to shut down temporarily following vile death threats posted online by a fellow student against members of the community.

[T]here should be no campus in this country where a Jewish student is afraid to leave their dorm, a Jewish student is afraid to go to their classes, a Jewish student is afraid to go to even have a meal in the dining hall. I mean, that is outrageous and its wrong, Christie said, referring to whats been happening on college campuses since the war began on Oct. 7.



And so, in the end, look, I think that there have been a lot of people who contributed to it, and I believe Donald Trumps intolerant language and his intolerant conduct gives others permission to act the same, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie reiterated his claim that former President Donald Trump has fueled the increase in antisemitism and hate across the country Sunday, saying Trumps intolerant language and conduct has given people permission to act the same.

When you show intolerance toward everyone, which is what [Trump] does, you give permission as a leader for others to have their intolerance come out, Christie said Sunday during an interview on CNNs State of the Union. Intolerance toward anyone encourages intolerance toward everyone.

The Republican presidential hopeful previously slammed Trump, the current GOP frontrunner in the presidential race, for contributing to the surge in bigotry against Jews in an interview with the New York Times during his trip to Israel earlier this month. Antisemitism was already on the rise in the United States, but the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas has led to sharp jumps in the number of antisemitic and anti-Muslim incidents in the U.S.

Its not just Trump, Christie noted, accusing university professors and presidents of being unwilling to stand up to antisemitism on their campuses, and calling on governors in states where Jewish students are facing threats on college campuses to send state police forces to protect those students.



I think that there have been a lot of people who contributed to it, Christie said Sunday. I believe Donald Trump's intolerant language and conduct gives others permission to act the same.
Native storyteller Alan Salazar of Ventura shared lore about Chumash canoes, known as tomols, with a documentary film crew from Canada on Nov. 16. The crew is visiting sites from Alaska to Chile to collect Indigenous stories.

Canoe paddle in hand, Alan Salazar stroked the engraved whale fluke on the blade.

A cameraman focused on the slow movement of his hands. Another shifted a reflector to redirect light in the Ventura workshop.

It was a common occurrence to use our canoes as cargo ships to take trade items, Salazar, 72, told a documentary film crew on Nov. 16.

The interview was among a series of shoots from Alaska to Chile by filmmaker Barbara Todd Hager, president of Acimow Media, a Canadian documentary company focused on Indigenous storytelling. Hager spent time in Ventura and Santa Barbara for her upcoming feature project, Leaving Beringia.

The title refers to land that extended between Siberia and Alaska, a now-submerged continent, according to the National Science Foundation. It's considered the area through which man first entered the Western Hemisphere, but there are many mysteries left to unravel, Hager added.Indigenous people may have paddled here rather than walked across the land bridge called Beringia, she said.

Hager is on a mission to visit eight of the oldest Indigenous archeological sites across North and South America to unravel the origin stories of the first people in the Americas.

Hager found Salazar through a Patagonia video where he shared his knowledge of Chumash tomols, which are plank-built canoes. She sought out Salazar, who lives off Ventura Avenue on the city's west side, for his storytelling as a Chumash and Tataviam elder.

I had to find him because it ties into the story of Indigenous people being mariners and being seafarers, Hager said. For 10, 15, 20,000 years, and maybe more, we have been using boats too, for transportation. It's still happening here in Ventura and the Channel Islands.

The documentary is set to feature the Channel Islands as one of the earliest and most noteworthy Indigenous habitation sites in the Americas.

Local shoots included conversations with knowledge keepers of Chumash history and local scientists. Don Morris, a retired archeologist with the National Park Service, and John Johnson, anthropology curator with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, both participated.

I've come to Ventura to meet all these wonderful people who are helping share their stories, Hager said. During the recent shoot, she worked with a crew of three.

As the leader of an Indigenous company, she explained why it's important to look at history through the lens of Indigenous people.

Canadian documentary filmmaker Barbara Todd Hager, left, talks with Chumash and Tataviam elder Alan Salazar in Ventura on Nov. 16.

Even though we're not from the same tribe, the same culture, we have a sense that there's something important to ask each other about, she said, referring to her own Metis and Cree ancestry. In some ways, we're not just educating non-Indigenous people. We're actually helping each other to understand.

Hager also wanted to reflect on the 13,000-year-old human remains discovered in 1959 on Santa Rosa Island, known as the Arlington Springs Man.

The Chumash people have connections to that individual, she said. I was hoping that people like Alan could tell me some of the stories of how they're connected to their ancestors.

During the interview, Salazar shared details about his lifes work preserving the Chumash craft of canoe building.

Our maritime culture was almost lost, and how we made the canoes that we paddle and how we navigate, that was close to being lost forever, Salazar said. If it hadn't been for Fernando Alvarado, that Chumash elder who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s, we would maybe not be where we are today.

The documentary is being filmed in Alaska, the Yukon, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, California, New Mexico, Mexico and Chile. Through the film, Hager hopes to uncover the ways of life of her ancestors.

It will be broadcast in 2024 on TELUS Optik, a Canadian television service. However, Hager promised to bring screenings to each location where they filmed and expects to be back in Ventura next year.

Salazar wants to hand down oral histories to the next generation. He believes that as an elder with Chumash ancestry, it's important for him to learn about Chumash history, but even more important to share it.

There might be a young Chumash person that will see this video," Salazar said. "Maybe it'll inspire them."

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Chumash seafaring lore draws documentarian to Ventura's Alan Salazar
TAMPA, Fla. - California-based cinnamon roll chain Cinnaholic opened a new location in South Tampa last month, serving up gourmet, freshly made treats to those with a sweet tooth.

The shop offers hot cinnamon rolls with lots of variety to choose from. With more than 10 frostings and 10 toppings, the customizations are limitless. Owner Juliana Mendes said they have options for everyone.

"There's people that just like an Old Skool. They don't want to put anything on top," Mendes said. "But, I think that's the funny part. You can put as many toppings as you want."

READ: 'Her Sweet Xscape' in Tampa candy coats different fruits  and even pickles

The shop also offers signature cinnamon rolls. Old Skool is a classic cinnamon roll with vanilla frosting. Other options include Cookie Monster, Caramel Apple Pie and Very Berry.

For those looking for something other than cinnamon rolls, Cinnaholic has you covered. They also serve brownies, cookies, cookie dough and more. Cookie Cakes and Cinnacakes are also options for larger events.

There are 96 Cinnaholics across the United States area. This is the first one in the Tampa Bay area. Thiago Mendes, another owner, said Tampa needed a location.

READ: Pinellas Park chocolate shop gives 10% of profits to charity

"Since we opened our pages on Facebook and Instagram, people just go crazy," Mendes said. "Everybody starts to ask, 'When are you going to open? When are you going to open?' So this was a sign Cinnaholic was needed here in Tampa."

The location is finally open for those demanding the sweet treats. The address is 927 S Howard Ave. You can also order delivery and catering services.

To learn more about them, click here.
TechCrunch

With dubstep as the soundtrack and neon lighting as the backdrop, Elon Musk handed the first Cybertrucks over to a select group of customers that included Reddit co-founder and VC fund Seven Seven Six founder Alexis Ohanian and Trousdale Ventures founder and CEO Phillip Sarofim. The livestreamed portion of the Tesla Cybertruck delivery event was a short affair  around 30 minutes. The Tesla Cybertruck deliveries come at least six years since Musk first tweeted about building a truck and four years since he debuted the futuristic-looking pickup.
DHAKA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of paramilitary troops have been deployed in parts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka and elsewhere, as the South Asian country's national polls are approaching.

Shariful Islam, public relations officer at Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarters, told reporters Sunday that a total of 230 platoons (around 35 members in each platoon) of BGB troops have been deployed across the country.

BGB soldiers were deployed as the latest 48-hour countrywide blockade called by the country's largest Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies including Jamaat has been underway since Sunday morning.

Bangladeshi opposition parties have called the countrywide blockade of roads, rail lines, and waterways for the sixth time since last month ahead of the national election.

The ongoing opposition movement has reportedly led to vandalism of vehicles and arson attacks, with deadly clashes between police and workers erupting in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country. 
A male gunshot victim was reported seeking emergency care at an urgent care center on the 3500 block of Frank Phillips Blvd. in Bartlesville Saturday afternoon, prompting a swift response from local law enforcement.

Police patrol car with flashing lights

At approximately 3:21 p.m., Bartlesville Police officers arrived at the scene confirming the injured party to be an adult male. The victim was subsequently transported to a Tulsa hospital; however, details regarding his current condition have not been disclosed.

The BPD has disclosed that the shooting took place in the 2300 block of South Windsor Way. Police confirm it is the same location as an October robbery that led to the arrest of six juveniles.

A juvenile male suspect has been detained in connection with the incident. Investigators are actively working the crime scene and conducting interviews with several witnesses to piece together the circumstances of the event.

Authorities are urging the public to come forward with any information that could aid in the investigation. Witnesses or individuals with knowledge pertinent to the shooting are encouraged to contact the Bartlesville Police Department at 918.338.4001.

Additionally, information can be directly relayed to Capt. Daniel Elkins by phone at 918.338.4020 or via email at dbelkins@cityofbartlesville.org.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Gunshot victim transferred to Tulsa hospital; juvenile male detained
A dog that went missing nearly two months ago was found alive by a pair of hikers on a mountain trail in Colorado just before Thanksgiving, authorities said.

The two hikers spotted the Bernese mountain dog at Meyers Ranch Park on Nov. 19 without her owner in sight, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office said Tuesday in a social media post.

"With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we want to share this story of thanksgiving for the acts of kindness shown to a lost pet," the sheriffs office said at the time.

The hikers decided to try befriending the injured and scared dog in the hopes of bringing the pup down the mountain to safety. When one hiker tried to carry the dog, the pet bit them, according to officials.

FAMILY OF 5 DRAMATICALLY RESCUED FROM COLORADO MOUNTAINS AMID PLUMMETING TEMPS

Two hikers found Nova, a lost Bernese mountain dog, on a trail at Meyers Ranch Park in Jefferson County, Colorado, on Nov. 19.

Despite the bite, the sheriffs office said that both hikers refused to give up on helping the injured dog. One hiker remained on the trail with the animal while the other descended the mountain for medical help and to give rescuers the dogs location.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Nova was injured and scared when the hikers found her, according to officials. After she bit one of the hikers, they called the sheriff's office for help.

Rangers and animal control officers hiked up the trail and brought the dog down safely to the trailhead.

"As luck would have it, a ranger remembered a lost dog poster posted in the park over a month ago," the sheriffs office said. "#JCSO Animal Control called the owner to arrange a meet-up at the trailhead."

Rescuers safely carried Nova down the mountain trail and reunited her with her owner at the trailhead.

ARIZONA HIKER'S DEATH ON GRAND CANYON TRAIL MARKS 10TH FATALITY AT NATIONAL PARK THIS YEAR

Rescuers reunited the pup, named Nova, with its owner. Nova had suffered a broken leg but was now "resting comfortably" at home and awaiting possible surgery, the sheriffs office said.

Nova is 14 months old and is a service dog in training, the Greeley Tribune reported. Nova had slipped out of her harness and ran away from her owner, who is disabled, after getting scared in a Safeway parking lot two months ago.

Novas owner, Robynne Simons-Sealy, told the paper that her dog survived two snowstorms and frigid temperatures.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"I was in tears every time it snowed," she said, and thanked the hikers for the kindness they showed in helping to rescue the pup.





Original article source: Colorado hikers find lost dog on mountain trail 2 months after pet went missing
A man was arrested by the Georgia State Patrol after running away from a car wreck in Columbus.

According to the Columbus Police Department, Kentrall Brown crashed around Ft. Benning Road near Victory Drive and took off on foot from the scene.

CPD officers said they assisted GSP in recovering two firearms, seven bars of psilocybin chocolate bars, 30 grams of marijuana and a ski mask from the car Brown was driving.

Brown now faces charges for two counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime, felony possession of marijuana, possession of Schedule 1 substances, and additional traffic charges from state troopers.

He was arrested Friday, according to CPD.

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Officers were dispatched to a home on the 1300 block of E. 17th Ave just after 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 on report of a shooting. There officers found 62-year-old Spencer Brown suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Columbus police are investigating a Northeast Side shooting as a homicide after the victim died on Thanksgiving.

Officers were dispatched to a home in the 1300 block of East 17th Avenue in South Linden just after 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 on a report of a shooting. Officers found 62-year-old Spencer Brown at the address suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Brown was taken to a hospital in critical condition but was later stabilized. Brown, however, died of his injuries on Thursday, according to Columbus police Saturday evening.

The suspect, Christopher Shanks, 32, was arrested on Nov. 15 for felonious assault following the initial incident. He faces two new charges: an additional felonious assault charge and one count of tampering with evidence.

The incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Homicide Unit at 614-645-4192 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police investigating Nov. 12 Linden shooting as homicide
How could she have stayed so small? After seven pregnancies and six births, she was never larger than a size 6, if even that.

The way she managed to live life as she did after all the crises in her youth (leaving her family and friends behind during the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, learning a new language and culture, taking care of three small children in the space of 4 years) is a mystery.

I think about her every day, but as her Name Day (celebrated at least as often as a birthday in Hungary) approaches, she is alive in my dreams more often.

Andrea Elise

She was named after Saint Elizabeth of Hungary who lived less than a quarter of a century in the early 1200s. During that short time, Elizabeth proved to be intelligent, gentle and pious.

Elizabeth built a twenty-eight-bed hospital and visited the residents daily to attend to their needs. She was widowed at the age of 20, having three children to raise on her own.

Many hardships transpired, and she found final refuge on Good Friday (how fitting) with the Franciscan nuns, where she formally relinquished all of her possessions. She devoted her heart and soul to aid the sick and the poor before she died at age 24. She was canonized a Saint by Pope Gregory in 1235.

My mother was never larger than a size 6, if even that, as shown by this white dress.

The Elizabeth I knew was born in 1929 and died in 2013. The first thing I remember the last time I saw her in 2012 was the heat. In the middle of December, the house was smoldering.

She emerged from the inner rooms tentatively, as if a decades long routine had been abruptly altered.

She wore a white Terry cloth robe that swallowed her. How hot she must have been in that stay-at-home armor, I thought.

She searched my face for a hint of recognition. Did my voice trigger a synapse in her brain? I ask because, when I said hi, she came to me with outstretched arms as if she had been waiting all afternoon for my arrival.

In fact, I had come only on the spur of the moment. She looked confused by the bright Christmas packages I carried, even as she pulled me close.

Crying was not an option. She would have been upended to hear me lament the sight of her locked in that broiling house, in that heavy wrap, wondering but not understanding,

I have wept anyway, at my shame of leaving her alone all that time. Who does that? Who is so selfish to bail without warning?

Now, the image of her in that massive white robe, a broken angel, holding both of my hands as we sang a traditional Hungarian Christmas carol  her voice pure, full of melody, her eyes shining like the star that led the wise men to Bethlehem  pierced through me, a bayonet of regret.

Happy Name Day to my beautiful, kind, gentle, intuitive mother.

There is not enough punishment to atone for my distance or to make amends for being more worried about myself than being a good daughter to her.

The phrase szeretlek (I love you in Hungarian) rings hollow, but I say it now, with contrition and remorse.

The haiku I wrote many years ago remains my heartbeat:

Her gift from heaven

Forgiving my cowardice

Brings me to my knees

Happy Name Day to my beautiful, kind, gentle, intuitive mother.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Elise commentary: The white dress
If Russia keeps increasing weapons production and improving its technology with its allies' help, the war could expand beyond the east and south of the country, Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev, responsible for Ukraine's northern border defense, told ABC News.



"We are getting ready for that," he said. "We're building defenses, putting mines, and training our forces."

In the first few months of the full-scale invasion, Russia attacked Ukraine from the east, north, and south. Many regions, towns, and cities got firsthand experience of combat. But after Russia's quick strike failed, forcing it to withdraw troops from the north, most fighting became concentrated along the front line in the east and south, namely in Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts.



Other regions have experienced direct attacks due to Russia's waves of missile and drone strikes.



Naiev, who is also the commander of the Joint Forces, said that the importance of technology level outweighs how many munitions each side has.



The officer's observations were made during the ABC's visit to a training base for Ukraine's mobile air defense units, whose job it is to detect and intercept Russian drones in a way that's effective, flexible, and cheap.



Mobile fire groups conduct reconnaissance and engage airborne targets, boasting a key advantage over stationary air defense systems with rapid deployment, as fast as 10 minutes, and the flexibility to maneuver across varied terrain.

These units destroyed 40% of Russia's recent mass strike by 75 drones on Nov. 25, according to the Air Force.

Read also: Russia launches record number of drones against Ukraine on Holodomor Memorial Day

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
It's been 20 years since the last iconic Concorde plane flew over Bristol's skies, returning to its home city.

Crowds gathered to watch the aircraft's piercing flight, with the plane's unmistakeable nose drooping as it came into land.

Concorde meant so much to so many people, the engineers and designers who worked to create a plane that could go supersonic, the captains and air stewards who spent countless hours on board and not to mention the thousands of passengers who drank sparkling champagne while soaring through the skies.

The aircraft's first commercial flight was on 21 January 1976 and its last was on 26 November 2003.

To mark the anniversary, the last ever plane to take flight will turn its nose up and down later in a specially-built hanger in Bristol.

One so called nose droop, will take place at 11:30 GMT and another at 13:07 - the last moment it landed 20 years ago.

Special guests will then have a lunch to share their memories of the ground-breaking plane.

On 25 July 2000, Air France Flight 4590 crashed shortly after take-off with all 109 occupants and four on the ground killed. This was the only fatal incident involving Concorde.

Investigators later found one of the Concorde's tyres struck a small piece of sheet metal that had fallen from an aircraft that had taken off five minutes earlier.

Commercial operations never fully recovered from publicity after the crash, and concerns over pollution and ground noise contributed to the joint Franco-British decision to cease Concorde flights in 2003.

BBC West has gathered memories of the plane from captains, fans and engineers.

Queen Elizabeth II used Concorde to travel home from Barbados in 1977

Former chief engineer John Britton joined British Airways Concorde in 1963, going on to work as a designer on the Concorde engine.

"That's the engine which made Concorde feasible and able to fly at Mark 2," he said.

"It was brilliant to be a young engineer in my 20s working on such a prestigious project."

"We were absolutely pushing the boundaries of technology at that time, breaking new ground," said John Britton

Mr Britton said it was "funny" to think in the late 1960s there was only black and white television, yet they were designing an aircraft that was able to go twice the speed of sound [1,350mph].

'Fantastic experience'

He said: "In 1969 I had the privilege, we were all allowed out of the design office out on to the runway because Concorde had been some high speed taxing and it was thought that on this particular day it might take off.

"It went hurtling down the runway and we all held our breath and we all cheered and clapped and you could really feel the heat and the paraffin engines, you could actually feel it in your chest.

"That was a fantastic experience as a young engineer when that happened."

"Occasionally I get my memorabilia out to look at and just remind myself of how lucky I'd been," said Mr Morris

Colin Morris was a Concorde captain from 1977 to 1995 and said it was a "wonderful" time.

Mr Morris said: "When you line up on the runway at the controls of a Concorde, you've been allotted a specific task.

"And you open up those tabs and this aeroplane is like a spaniel on a lead and it's off like a rocket and you think 'oh, my god' I've got to keep up with this'."

He said going supersonic was "in the mind."

'Swig of champagne'

"The aeroplane is very good at going supersonic - you get on to the PA [public announcement] and you talk to the passengers about it and you say 'OK, we're just going to start our supersonic acceleration now' and there goes full power and you light up the afterburners two at a time and you feel two nudges in the back," he said.

He continued: "The passengers by that stage have had quite a lot of champagne so their senses are heightened and they all cheer and take another swig of their champagne."

The former captain said while the plane was viewed as just for the rich and the famous, "in fact every member of the public got a thrill out seeing it fly over".

"And they got a tremendous thrill out of it on the charter flights, which would take people all over the world just for the thrill of being on Concorde," he added.

"When I look back at my flying career the Concorde has just made it the most wonderful thing," added Mr Morris.

Neil Smith, was a member of the final crew that flew in the last Concorde.

He explained that Concorde coats were pre-boarded so they arrived on the plane first and it sometimes meant very extravagant and celebrity coats were tried on by staff.

Mr Smith said: "So there is a colleague who was casually examining a certain ex-president's wife coat, who then came on and said 'it looks far better on me darling take it off'".

Rosie Thompson loved the "speed" and "effortless power" when she flew Concorde

Rosie Thompson has been a fan of Concorde her whole life and said flying on the plane was one of the "best experiences".

Ms Thompson said: "It was the speed, it was the effortless power, that took us across the Atlantic in three hours, 23 minutes."

She has now built up a collection of Concorde memorabilia including old menus, landing lights and plane models.

"As a little girl I would see this totally different shaped aircraft in the sky never really believing that I would get to fly in it.

"When I did, it was just one of the best experiences I could ever hope to do in my life," she said.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk
There is a health alert about a popular childrens toy.

At least one congressman is calling for a national ban on water beads because of the health risks they pose for children.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said water beads can expand up to 100 times their initial size.

ALSO READ: Water beads recalled after woman testified to Consumer Product Safety Commission

If a child swallows them, the beads can lead to the following:

Vomiting

Dehydration

Intestinal blockages

Possibly death

Between 2016 and 2022, emergency rooms treated nearly eight thousand injuries.

A chairman for the commission said they are working on a solution.

We are in the process of trying to address this but in the meantime, we want to make sure that parents, childcare centers, schools are aware of the risk, Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Alexander Hoehn-Saric said.

To keep children safe, the commission said to remove water beads from any area with small children, store them in a secure container, and if you suspect a child has ingested the beads, seek immediate medical attention.

(WATCH BELOW: Familys health concerns lead to nationwide recall of popular childrens food)
Former UFC champion Conor McGregor ripped the prime minister of Ireland for "downplaying" the kidnapping and eventual release of an Irish-Israeli child by Hamas terrorists on Saturday.

McGregor called Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar a "disgrace" after he used the terms "lost" and "found" to describe the abduction and release of 9-year-old Emily Hand.

"She was abducted by an evil terrorist organization," the UFC superstar wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "What is with you and your government and your paid for media affiliates constantly down playing / attempting to repress horrific acts that happen to children. You are a disgrace."

McGregor was referring to Hand, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists from her friend, Hilas, house in Kibbutz Beeri in southern Israel on Oct. 7, along with Hila and Hilas mother.

4-YEAR-OLD AMERICAN GIRL AMONG 17 HOSTAGES RELEASED BY HAMAS

Conor McGregor called Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar a "disgrace."

Varadkar had posted on social media after Emily Hand was reunited with her father, who initially believed she had been killed in the Hamas attack.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family," the prime minister wrote. "An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered."

BIDEN ADMIN ACCUSED OF AIDING PALESTINIAN PAY FOR SLAY AS TERRORISTS PROFIT IN HAMAS DEAL, EXPERTS CLAIM

X flagged the prime ministers post for context, writing, "Emily Hand was kidnapped by Hamas Terrorists on October the 7th. The use of the term lost is inappropriate and fails to highlight that she was released as part of a hostage deal."

Hamas captured some 240 civilians from Israel and brought them back to Gaza as captives during the terror organization's bloody incursion last month.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

McGregors criticism of Varadkar comes just days after he blasted Irish leaders over their handling of a stabbing incident in Dublin that left three children injured last week.





Original article source: Conor McGregor torches Ireland's PM over response to Hamas release of child hostage
The Alabama community and nationwide media are scrutinizing the conservative blog 1819 News following its controversial coverage of Smiths Station Mayor F.L. Bubba Copeland, which preceded his tragic death.

The Daily Beast reported detailed insights into the conservative media outlets actions and justifications earlier this month.



Related: Alabama Mayor, Pastor Dies by Suicide After Being Involuntarily Outed as Transgender Woman

1819 News came under fire after publishing stories about Mayor Copelands secret online persona, where he explored his gender identity in female-presenting clothing and makeup. The day before Copelands funeral on Thursday, 1819 News released a podcast episode where CEO Bryan Dawson and editor-in-chief Jeff Poor discussed their rationale for covering Copelands private affairs.

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They revealed that the outlet had received a tip about Copeland on October 30, subsequently assigning the story to reporter Craig Monger. Poor, who also writes for the far-right outlet Breitbart News, defended the decision, stating that Copelands actions warranted public scrutiny as a public figure and worship leader, the Beast reports.

Unapologetic for the reporting, Dawson said that he 100 percent stood behind their work, emphasizing 1819 Newss commitment to tell the truth, no matter what. The sites first piece on Copeland, published on November 1, delved into his life as a transgender curvy girl named Brittini Blaire Summerlin, a persona he described as a stress-relieving hobby. Further reporting by 1819 News claimed Copeland used images and details of local residents without consent in his online activities, intensifying the controversy.

Following the reports, Copeland fatally shot himself. The incident sparked a heated debate over media ethics and the public interest in a persons private life, especially in sensitive matters such as gender identity.

Related: After Pastors Suicide, a Man Took to TikTok to Explain What Its Like to Be Outed

Dawson, who The Daily Beast notes found religion in prison and frequently shares his conversion story, remained unyielding in his defense of the reporting.

Copelands suicide, occurring on a county road as Lee County deputies attempted a welfare check, sparked a social media backlash against 1819 News. The debate centered around whether the articles served the public interest or were merely sensationalist fodder for cultural wars over gender identity. Experts have noted that a single event rarely causes suicide, but the timing in this case led to significant public backlash against the news outlet.

Dawson appeared unfazed by the global attention the story garnered. He and Poor did not return The Daily Beasts messages. The source who initially tipped off 1819 News about Copelands online activities remains unknown.

In a statement to AL.com, 1819 News referred to Copelands victims while sharing thoughts and prayers for the community, the church, and Copelands family.

This framing of Copeland as having victims in his private activities was met with criticism, particularly in the context of Alabamas current legislative stance against transgender rights.

Launched in October 2021, 1819 News promotes itself as a provider of honest news with Alabama values, aiming to deliver hard-hitting and investigative journalism.

If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned that someone you know may be, resources are available to help. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 is for people of all ages and identities. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.
A visitor watches art works exhibited during the exhibition of works of young Chinese and Beninese artists at the Chinese Cultural Center in Cotonou, Benin, Nov. 25, 2023. An exhibition featuring works by 11 Beninese and Chinese artists opened here Saturday evening, aiming to celebrate booming cultural exchanges between the two countries' young artists. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua)

COTONOU, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition featuring works by 11 Beninese and Chinese artists opened here Saturday evening, aiming to celebrate booming cultural exchanges between the two countries' young artists.

The exhibition, held at the Chinese Cultural Center in Cotonou, attracted visitors including cultural players, students from the Confucius Institute, representatives from media and diplomats.

The exhibition brings together 35 works created by six Chinese artists, and around 20 works of art and sculptures by five Beninese artists.

The artists use painting, sculpture and other forms of art to express their vision of the world.

Carole Borna, representative of Benin's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Arts, lauded the cultural exchange between young artists from the two countries, and expected a continuation of the cross-cultural fusion.

"It's a great pleasure to see this cohesion, this ongoing passion between young Beninese and Chinese artists. I congratulate them on this exhibition, which takes us on a journey and makes us dream," she said.

Wang Guanzhou, one of the Chinese artists, said China and Benin have been friends for decades, and the exhibition is an excellent opportunity for promoting in-depth cultural exchanges between the two countries.

"We prepared this exhibition with our young Beninese friends, and we were very impressed by their attitude and approach to art," he said, hoping that the exchange would continue to contribute to cultural development of the two countries. 

Visitors watch art works exhibited during the exhibition of works of young Chinese and Beninese artists at the Chinese Cultural Center in Cotonou, Benin, Nov. 25, 2023. An exhibition featuring works by 11 Beninese and Chinese artists opened here Saturday evening, aiming to celebrate booming cultural exchanges between the two countries' young artists. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua)

Visitors watch art works exhibited during the exhibition of works of young Chinese and Beninese artists at the Chinese Cultural Center in Cotonou, Benin, Nov. 25, 2023. An exhibition featuring works by 11 Beninese and Chinese artists opened here Saturday evening, aiming to celebrate booming cultural exchanges between the two countries' young artists. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua)

A visitor learns under the guidance of Chinese artist Wang Guanzhou during the exhibition of works of young Chinese and Beninese artists at the Chinese Cultural Center in Cotonou, Benin, Nov. 25, 2023. An exhibition featuring works by 11 Beninese and Chinese artists opened here Saturday evening, aiming to celebrate booming cultural exchanges between the two countries' young artists. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua)

Chinese artist Wang Guanzhou makes works during the exhibition of works of young Chinese and Beninese artists at the Chinese Cultural Center in Cotonou, Benin, Nov. 25, 2023. An exhibition featuring works by 11 Beninese and Chinese artists opened here Saturday evening, aiming to celebrate booming cultural exchanges between the two countries' young artists. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua)
In partnership with private landowners, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is working to return 21 endangered or potentially endangered aquatic species to the wild.

The project is made possible via a Safe Harbor Agreement with landowners and the companion Candidate Conservation Agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The conservation agreement was formalized in November 2022 and will remain in effect for 50 years.

Under the terms of the agreement, landowners agree to allow the species to be placed on their property and to allow wildlife staff to monitor them. They also agree not to intentionally harm the species and to provide at least a 30-day notice if they want to alter the habitat where the species was placed.

In return, the wildlife agencies agree to allow landowners to continue managing their land as they see fit. The idea is to ease concerns that placing endangered species on or around their property could result in steep regulatory hurdles, Rachael Hoch, the Wildlife Resources Commission assistant chief of inland fisheries, told The News & Observer.

Were able to reintroduce species and kind of give them reassurances that what theyre already doing works for the species and that that regulatory burden is lessened, Hoch said.

North Carolina and Kansas are the only two states with Safe Harbor agreements in effect for threatened aquatic species.

Brynn Garner, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman, said Safe Harbor Agreements are a key tool used by wildlife conservation agencies and provide a net conservation benefit for the species they are used to introduce.

Especially in a state like North Carolina, where 90% of land is privately owned, the involvement of the private sector in the conservation and recovery of species is crucial, Garner wrote in an email to The N&O.

At the end of the agreements term, the property owner is allowed to return their waters to their original conditions.

The species that will be reintroduced under the program are either listed as endangered species or being considered for endangered species status. Thats where the Candidate Conservation Agreement comes in, with the Wildlife Resources Commission agreeing to take steps to protect species the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers likely to be endangered but cannot immediately list.

Among many others, species that are eligible for reintroduction under the program include the Cape Fear shiner, a minnow found in shallow streams throughout the Cape Fear basin; the yellow lance mussel; and the lake sturgeon, a torpedo-shaped fish that can live for as long as 150 years.

So far, the Wildlife Resources Commission has reintroduced two rare species under the agreement.

Nearly 3,000 magnificent ramshorn snails were placed in a Brunswick County pond this fall, and the Roanoke logperch, a small fish found near the North Carolina-Virignia state line, was returned to the Upper Mayo River in October.

For species like magnificent ramshorn, finding ponds that have the right pH levels and lack of salinity can be difficult. In fact, the snail has only ever been found in four ponds in Southeastern North Carolina, and three of them were on private property in Brunswick County.

We want to work with the private land owners who may have those conditions in their ponds around their property that are already doing good work, Hoch said. Lets partner together to restore the species and by restoring the species weve reached our goal, which is its self sufficient and it doesnt need management intervention or help.

This story was produced with financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and 1Earth Fund, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work.
The rise of home working has also created more opportunities to commit fraud with a second income - Joe Giddens/PA

Council employees with second jobs are being investigated by a government fraud squad after staff were caught moonlighting while working from home.

The National Fraud Initiative (NFI) is looking at the practice of multiple contract working, where an employee misleadingly holds down two or more jobs at the same time.

The NFI, which is overseen by the Cabinet Office, is assessing the scale of the problem after several local authorities warned the practice has been exacerbated by hybrid working, where staff only come into the office on some days.

At least three councils  Wakefield, Enfield, and Kensington and Chelsea  claim to have caught staff members in the deception.

They warned that hybrid working during and after the Covid lockdowns has heightened the risk, with newfound flexibilities making a second income very alluring.

In each case, counter-fraud officials identified the activity and presented it to annual council meetings.

This year, the NFI launched a pilot scheme to establish the extent of the issue at London councils, having identified cases at local authorities in the past.

Levels of home working have remained stubbornly high across both public and private sectors since the pandemic, and ministers are increasingly concerned about its effect on the productivity of the Civil Service.

Senior civil servants told to come into office

Thousands of staff at HM Revenue & Customs, which has been grappling with a slump in customer service, have been failing to show up to the office at all, freedom of information figures in September showed  although the tax office has repeatedly denied its home working policies affect its performance.

Last week, senior civil servants were told to come into the office more than 60 per cent of the time to promote strong visible leadership and to increase face-to-face contact with junior colleagues.

New starters will also have to come into the office more than 60 per cent of the time under the rules, while other staff have been told they must work from the office at least three days a week.

Every council is responsible for setting its own working regulations, although most require people to declare second jobs.

Working for two employers simultaneously becomes theft of time and fraud when someone knowingly collects two full-time salaries but splits their hours so they only work 50 per cent of the time for each one.

The Government pilot investigating multiple contract working, which is still in the data collection phase, is in collaboration with the London Borough Fraud Investigators Group (LBFIG).

New and emerging fraud type

Anti-fraud officials from every London borough are represented in the group, which is chaired by Chris Keesing, the City of Londons counter fraud and investigations manager.

At Kensington and Chelsea council, moonlighting was described as a new and emerging fraud type in an official report published in June 2023.

The pandemic created this risk when it normalised working from home and hybrid working, it said.

While this increases flexibility, it also creates new types of risks when during a cost of living crisis, a second income becomes very alluring.

It said there were several instances where council employees were fraudulently working simultaneously (full-time) for other organisations.

Counter-fraud officers identified one employee also working full-time for a housing association.

At Enfield council, five people were found to have undertaken undeclared secondary employment in 2022-23.

Gemma Young, the councils head of internal audit and risk management, suggested remote working had helped enable new types of fraud.

Leadership training to raise awareness

Since the pandemic, it is normal practice for employees to work from home for part of the week, she noted in her Counter Fraud Annual Report for 2022-23.

While this has many potential benefits  not least work-life balance without the need for a daily commute  remote working, and in particular the reduced oversight of employees, has helped enable new types of fraud.

At Enfield, and in other councils, one of the most prevalent of these is undeclared secondary employment, or multiple working.

The counter-fraud unit has provided training to the councils senior leadership to raise awareness of the emerging fraud, she said, and they are also participating in a pan-London pilot exercise to identify concurrent placements held by agency employees.

Three Wakefield council employees faced allegations of multiple contract working in December 2021, the Wakefield Express reported.

Pandemic has enabled this type of fraud

Corporate counter-fraud manager Rob Blair told the councils audit committee they would monitor trends going forward.

He said: Weve done some analysis and in my opinion the pandemic has enabled this type of fraud, or potential for fraud, with staff working remotely and home working and so on and so forth.

An NFI investigation using a payroll report also revealed fraudulent claims made by an employee at Birmingham city council in 2020-21.

The employee had joined the council but also held a casual role as bank staff at a local NHS trust.

The NFI found that both roles were being undertaken while working at home, allowing the fraudulent claims to be made.

It is understood that the pilot project is not a direct response to the rise in remote working, nor is it specifically focused on employees based at home.

The investigation isnt restricted by working practice, meaning it will look at staff across the board.

However, the letter to civil servants promised that flexible working would remain fundamental to professional working life.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: The National Fraud Initiative matches and compares pieces of data provided by private and public sector organisations to identify fraud cases.

Last year, its work delivered savings of 171 million for taxpayers.

Working with organisations to fight this fraud

One of the types of fraud cases the National Fraud Initiative has identified includes multiple contract working, where an individual misleadingly works in two roles at the same time, including at local councils.

The Public Sector Fraud Authority, which oversees the NFI, is working with organisations to fight this kind of fraud wherever it occurs.

A Birmingham city council spokesman said: Like many employers and organisations, following the pandemic, [we] introduced a New Ways of Working policy, which implemented working practices, technology and facilities to enable its staff to operate and carry out their roles in an agile way.

Wherever our staff work from, our policies have not changed.

Under the staff code of conduct, employees are responsible for informing their manager of any paid work they do for other employers, not least to ensure we comply with the working time directive.

Where managers have any information or concerns over any conflicts of interest, we will investigate these.

A spokesman for Kensington and Chelsea council said: On the work from home policy, thats actually not the most relevant for cases like this.

A second job is a failure to make a declaration of interest, working from home or not.

Officers are expected to disclose secondary employment, by failing to declare this they can be breaching the codes of conduct and committing fraud offences under the Fraud Act.

The same applies if individuals are falsifying timesheets or work schedules to fulfil two full-time roles.

Were working with the Cabinet Office and it is their data matching exercise so they may be able to provide more information on that.

Wakefield and Enfield councils were also contacted for comment.

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A crash with injuries in Westboro caused delays on the Mass Pike Saturday night.

The crash occurred near Mile Marker 101, Westboro Fire posted on social media shortly before 9:00 p.m.

Several first responder vehicles responded to the crash.

The extent of the injuries involved is not known at this time.

** Traffic Alert ** Westborough Medic 2, Medic 4, Car 3, and the Rescue are working a crash w multiple injuries on the Massachusetts Turnpike westbound at the 101 mile marker. Expect delays. pic.twitter.com/fTAmFHTj7m  Westborough Fire Dept (@WestboroughFire) November 26, 2023

Boston 25 News has a crew headed to the scene.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Five people were injured in a crash involving a stolen vehicle in central Ohio Saturday.

The crash happened in Lincoln Village, which is in western Franklin County. Deputies from the Franklin County Sheriffs Office were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash just after 1:30 p.m., our news partners at WBNS in Columbus reported.

>> 2 teens shot after Ohio Christmas tree lighting

A Kia Optima ran a stop sign at an intersection and hit a Honda Civic, according to a release shared online by the sheriffs office.

Both cars came to rest in a yard near the intersection.

The driver and sole occupant of the Honda was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.

The four occupants of the Kia were taken to an area hospital in stable condition.

>> Local police warn community of new feature from iPhone update

Sheriffs deputies confirmed later Saturday that the Kia had been stolen by juveniles.

The crash remains under investigation.
At left David Steinberg, who performed in "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" and other popular programs, photographed in 2013; at right, stand-up star Richard Pryor in 1977. Both comedians faced harsher consequences for their art than comics typically see today. (Associated Press)

The modern news cycle presents us with a new controversy every week. If social media is any indication, comedians, actors, musicians and filmmakers are continually under attack. We are engaged in a battle for the soul of the nation. Free speech is dying. The country is polarized like never before.

These are common beliefs. But do they hold up to scrutiny?

In the old days of newspapers, one could read disturbing articles and horrific headlines  but readers looked at them once and threw them away. Today, with social media, we scroll through the same horrific headlines over and over again, reinforcing a perception of catastrophe. There are awful things happening in America to be sure, but a good deal of what we are exposed to is intentionally composed to incite or manipulate the reader, placing it in the category of culture war.

Read more: The rise and fall of cancel culture in comedy

The culture war can be defined by a simplistic philosophy: We are good. They are evil. The term they is left intentionally vague, a convenient placeholder for whoever needs to be demonized at any given time.

Historian Richard Hofstadter described the philosophy in his 1965 book, The Paranoid Style in American Politics: The central image is that of a vast and sinister conspiracy, a gigantic and yet subtle machinery of influence set in motion to undermine and destroy a way of life ... and what is felt to be needed [is] an all-out crusade.

Show business has often been dragged into this war and used as a scapegoat. Jazz music, rock music, hip-hop. The tango, the jitterbug, the twist. Radio comedy, stand-up comedy, television comedy. All have been blamed for the downfall of America at one time or another  and all have been subject to censorship as a result. The end is near, we are warned, unless we do something to stop the madness right now.

The modern culture war was largely crafted by Paul Weyrich, a political strategist who exploited hysteria for political purposes. Weyrich was a lecturer for the John Birch Societys speaking circuit in the early 1960s. The John Birch Society was founded in 1958 by Junior Mints manufacturer Robert Welch with other businessmen, including Fred C. Koch, father of the Koch brothers. They accused Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. of belonging to a Soviet conspiracy and warned that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 would lead to tyranny.

Read more: Op-Ed: Cancel culture has always been a problem for comedy

Throughout the 1960s, the John Birch Society was mocked by showbiz personalities such as George Carlin and Bob Dylan. Weyrich realized it had become a laughingstock and distanced himself from the organization. But he retained its political philosophy, establishing the Heritage Foundation, the American Legislative Executive Council, the Council for National Policy and the Moral Majority. All of these organizations devised bogeymen to spread panic and hysteria, and all invoked terms such as freedom and liberty while advocating for greater censorship.

Comedy has now been drafted into this culture war with a common talking point: You cant joke about anything anymore. And who is to blame? They are. Most recently they has referred to nondescript liberals, millennials and college students. And what is the proof that you cant joke about anything anymore? A new taboo on certain slurs and behaviors perceived as bigoted  a far cry from being disallowed to say anything.

Todays college campus has been cast as a villain in this culture war, characterized as anti-speech and pro-censorship. Descendants of the John Birch Society such as the Bradley Foundation and the Charles Koch Foundation have provided financial backing to establish conservative student groups on campus, which in turn invite provocative speakers, many funded by the same foundations. When the provocative speakers present views perceived as bigoted, a predictable response of anti-bigotry protest erupts and is used by these foundations as evidence that the campus is hostile to free speech.

Read more: Opinion: College students were 'woke' in the 60s and annoying to their elders. Meet their successors

These examples are then amplified and repeated through social media, podcasts, cable news and talk radio platforms, many of which are, again, supported by the same foundations. This echo chamber often frames the controversy as free speech versus censorship, when in reality, protest is itself a form of free expression. Rather than free speech versus anti-speech, most campus controversies consist of two opposing viewpoints pushing against each other  free expression versus free expression.

Despite what we are frequently told, comedy in particular has far more freedom of speech today than at any previous time in American history. For most of the 20th century, comedy about politics, religion or sexuality was forbidden, and a comedian who swore onstage risked jail time. As late as 1974, Richard Pryor was arrested for disorderly conduct simply for cussing in his stand-up act.

The relentless complaints found on social media are used as evidence that you cant joke about anything anymore  but the same argument existed in the 1950s and '60s when most complaints came through the mail.

Before the internet, hostile grievances were published as letters to the editor in magazines and newspapers. An editor would choose perhaps one out of every 100 complaints for publication. Social media has removed the editor from the equation and hostility is published automatically. It gives the impression that people are more irrational, humorless and sensitive than in the past. But the vitriol found in those letters is very similar to todays social media.

During its 1968-69 season, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" featured comedian David Steinberg delivering mock sermons in front of a stained-glass backdrop. As Robert Metz reported in his history of the network, a CBS executive recalled: The mail was overwhelmingly condemning and several letters mailed directly to the Smothers Brothers Hollywood offices contained razor blades. Their program feels innocuous by todays standards, but it was highly controversial at the time.

Even as new, modern taboos have emerged, far more have been shattered. Compare what can be said on satellite radio and podcasts today to the long-standing rules and restrictions imposed by AM and FM radio. Compare the freedom of expression permitted on most streaming services with the censorship restrictions imposed during all of network televisions existence. Today one can repeatedly hear a swear word in commercials, talk shows and on awards programs when its in reference to the popular sitcom "Schitts Creek"  a title that would have been an unthinkable scandal just 20 years ago.

Theres no question theres now more freedom of expression in comedy today, says Ernest Chambers, an Emmy-winning comedy writer who produced "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" for two seasons. I mean, having been through the Smothers Brothers situation  what we could and could not say 50 years ago compared to now? Its no comparison. People just dont know their history.

Thats precisely the way the advocates of the culture war like it.

Kliph Nesteroff is the author of Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars, which will be out Tuesday, from which this essay is adapted.

If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova has said that Czechia has very few weapons at its military depots that it could send to Ukraine.

Source: Jana Cernochova on air on Czech television, CTK, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "There is not that much military equipment that we can send to Ukraine. On the other hand, we will try to compensate for the impossibility of sending weapons from our stockpiles, because we do not want to endanger our defence capabilities, by issuing export licences to private firms."

Details: Cernochova said that Czechia has spare production capabilities to help Ukraine by using private firms. She added that the countrys partners were aware of it.

"Of course there are countries that are helping the Russian Federation and giving it their equipment, just like we supply Ukraine. It is difficult to catch up with and overtake the other side in the arms race, and for Ukraine this means that some things might not go in accordance with Kyivs plans," Cernochova said.

On 10 November, the Czech Defence Ministry revealed a list of military assistance that has been provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.

The total amount of all military assistance to Ukraine from Czechia since the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression exceeds CZK 6 million (EUR 241.5 million). It includes modern and Soviet equipment and ammunition.

Ukraine has received from Czechia 128 mortars produced in 1971-1979 and 17,400 mortar bombs, 62 tanks produced in 1968, 1977, 1985-1989 and 1993, 13 self-propelled howitzers produced in 1980-1986, and 131 infantry fighting vehicles produced in 1973-1989, 1993 and 1999.

Moreover, Ukraine received more than 30,000 units of short-barreled and more than 11,200 of long-barreled firearms, more than 4.2 million rounds of ammunition of an unknown calibre, 645 anti-tank missiles, 4,900 rockets for rocket launchers and more than 84,800 artillery shells from Czechia.

The list of aircraft includes four Mi-24 Hind helicopters produced in 2005 and 2006. Czechia also supplied bandages and medicines to Ukraine.

Previously: In September, Czechia agreed with Denmark and the Netherlands on the supply of Czech military aid to Ukraine with their financial support.

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Czechia is running low on military equipment it can send to Ukraine from its own stockpiles, Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said on local television Nov. 26, according to Czech outlet CTK.

Cernochova said her country would compensate for the low supply by providing commercial licenses to private companies.

"There is not much military equipment that we can send to Ukraine," Cernochova said.

"On the other hand, we will try to compensate for the impossibility of supplying arms from our stocks, because we do not want to jeopardize our defense capability, with export licenses, which we give to private companies."

According to Cernochova, these contracts with private firms will allow Czechia to continue providing military aid to Ukraine. She said that significant amounts of equipment have already been provided through private companies and donors.

Cernochova also referenced the recent joint Czech-Danish initiative to supply Ukraine with armored vehicles and other weapons produced in Czechia and financed by Denmark.

"Of course, some countries that are helping Russia are equipping Russia with their equipment, just as we are equipping Ukraine. It is not easy to catch up and overtake the other side in the arms race, and it may mean for Ukraine that some things are not going as they had planned in advance," Chernokhova said.

The Czech Defense Ministry has published a list of military equipment it has provided to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Shipments include aircraft, tanks, combat vehicles, rocket launchers, small arms, and ammunition.

Read also: Investigation: Czech parts make their way to Russian military helicopters despite sanctions

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A bill recently filed by Massachusetts legislators aims to close a loophole in the commonwealths campaign and political finance law that lawmakers have said permits the use of so-called dark money to influence warrant articles going before voters at town meetings.

The proposed legislation comes at a time of increased external political influence in seasonal communities across the state, said the bills cosponsor Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro. Such activity has notably seen an uptick on the Cape and Islands, he said.

There's a loophole in the states campaign finance law, where political and campaign spending to influence voters on a given town meeting warrant (article) is exempt from the state campaign finance law, Cyr said.

Provincetown community members at town hall, shortly before the start of a special town meeting on Oct. 23, 2023.

State political finance law requires the itemized disclosure of campaign contributions for any group opposing or promoting a ballot question or election. Likewise, individuals running for office must disclose contributions and adhere to contribution limits.

There is currently no language in the statute that applies the same standards to groups or individuals who aim to influence town meeting warrant articles appearing before voters, which Cyr said is where the term dark money comes from.

Dark money is any political spending, or campaign activity, where theres no transparency and disclosure as to who is financing the political activity, or what the expenditures are going toward, Cyr said.

The bill would not bar individuals or groups from participating in town meeting-related political activity, Cyr said, but would hold those parties to the same standards as other political actors in the state.

A town meeting is a gathering of a towns eligible voters, as well as a legislative body for towns in Massachusetts that decides on financial appropriations, zoning and other town business.

Thirteen of the 15 Cape Cod towns have open town meetings, meaning all voters who live in that town may vote on all matters. Falmouth has a representative town meeting, where all voters elect town meeting members who then vote on all town meeting matters. The town of Barnstable is governed by an elected town council rather than by a town meeting.

Cyr pointed to a recent effort in Provincetown, where an anonymous group called Provincetown Citizens for Housing Solutions sent out texts and mailers pushing back against short-term rental warrant articles. He said the bill would require such groups to exercise transparency and accountability when it comes to town meeting advocacy.

State Rep Dylan Fernandes, D-Falmouth

This legislation dams the flow of pervasive dark money in town meetings that too often drowns out the voices of local residents, Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D-Falmouth, a cosponsor of the bill, said in a statement. Local policy decisions should be made by town residents.

Walker Armstrong reports on all things Cape and Islands, primarily focusing on courts, transportation and the Joint Base Cape Cod military base. Contact him at WArmstrong@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jd__walker.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape legislators want to make town meeting spending transparent
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches NASA's Mars Science Laboratory from Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on November 26, 2011. File Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI

Nov. 26 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1789, U.S. President George Washington declared Nov. 26, 1789, to be Thanksgiving Day. It was the first U.S. holiday by presidential proclamation.

In 1842, the University of Notre Dame was founded in South Bend, Ind.

In 1922, in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, British archaeologists Howard Carter and George Carnarvon became the first humans to enter King Tutankhamen's treasure-laden tomb in more than 3,000 years.

UPI File Photo

An attendee poses in front of a giant model of a Polaroid instant camera during the 2018 International CES at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 9. On November26, 1948, the first commercial Polaroid camera was sold. The inventor of the device and founder of Polaroid Corp., Edwin H. Land, obtained some 533 patents before his death in 1991. File Photo by James Atoa/UPI

In 1941, U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull submitted U.S. proposals to Japanese peace envoys in Washington.

In 1948, the first commercial Polaroid camera was sold. The inventor of the device and founder of Polaroid Corp., Edwin H. Land, obtained some 533 patents before his death in 1991.

U.S. President George Washington declared November 26, 1789, to be Thanksgiving Day. It was the first U.S. holiday by presidential proclamation. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

In 1956, bandleader Tommy Dorsey died at age 51. His records sold more than 110 million copies.

In 1965, France launched a satellite into space, becoming the world's third space power after the United States and the Soviet Union.

On November 26, 1842, the University of Notre Dame was founded in South Bend, Ind. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI

In 1984, the United States and Iraq restored diplomatic relations, ending a 17-year break.

In 2001, a three-day Afghanistan prison revolt claimed the life of a CIA operative, Johnny Michael Spann, 32, a former U.S. Marine captain. His was the first U.S. combat death in the war.

File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI

In 2005, a 67-year-old textile tycoon in India, Vijaypat Singhania, set the world record for the highest flight in a hot-air balloon, reaching 69,852 feet over Mumbai.

In 2008, militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on Mumbai landmarks and commercial hubs popular with foreign tourists. More than 170 people died and about 300 were injured in the three-day siege.

In 2011, the United States launched an Atlas V rocket to look for life on Mars. Aboard was the rover Curiosity, which would explore the planet, searching for signs of life.

In 2020, a Turkish court handed down life sentences to hundreds of people charged in a failed 2016 coup attempt to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

File Photo by Eduardo Munoz/UPI
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Columbus police are still searching for leads in the fatal shooting of a man found in an East Side alley.

On Sept. 15, 2020, police responded to reports of shots fired and found 57-year-old David Olson lying in an alley behind the 700 block of South Weyant Avenue, in Eastmoor. Columbus Fire Department medics took Olson to Grant Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.

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The shooting, which occurred at 12:23 p.m., did not produce any leads or suspects during an immediate investigation.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the arrest and/or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this crime. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrime.org and submit your tip.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi (C), Portuguese Foreign Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho (R), and Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon attend a press conference in Amman, Jordan, Nov. 25, 2023. Foreign ministers from Jordan, Portugal, and Slovenia on Saturday jointly called for the delivery of sufficient and urgent humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)

AMMAN, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers from Jordan, Portugal, and Slovenia on Saturday jointly called for the delivery of sufficient and urgent humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The remarks were made during a trilateral meeting held in the Jordanian capital Amman to discuss measures to stop the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Palestinian coastal enclave. The meeting was attended by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Portuguese Foreign Minister Joao Cravinho, and Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon.

The ministers called for efforts to put an end to the humanitarian catastrophe and the suffering of Gazans, ensure the protection of civilians, and uphold humanitarian and international laws.

Safadi said the four-day humanitarian cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on Friday, was "a step in the right direction" and must immediately lead to the cessation of conflict, the delivery of aid to all sectors, including those in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the statement.

The Slovenian minister underlined Jordan's important and strategic role in bringing about security, stability, and peace in the region, saying that her country shares the concerns of Jordan and the rest of the world about the developments in the West Bank.

While calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the entry of the largest possible amount of humanitarian and relief aid into the enclave, Fajon also reaffirmed her support for a two-state solution as a way to resolve the conflict.

The Portuguese official thanked Jordan for its role in the United Nations to stop the Israel-Hamas conflict.

While rejecting the displacement of Gazans, Cravinho emphasized the need to extend the truce, stressing that diplomatic and political solutions are the only ways to resolve the conflict in the region.

The three ministers are scheduled to meet on Monday in Barcelona during the eighth Regional Forum for Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Union for the Mediterranean, which will be co-chaired by Jordan and the European Union. The forum is expected to focus on ways to stop the Israel-Hamas conflict and discuss its serious consequences. Enditem.
The death of a man found on a roadway in Bridgeville Saturday afternoon was declared a homicide by Delaware State Police.

Authorities said troopers responded to a reported shooting around 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 25 in the 21000 block of Mill Park Drive in Bridgeville. Upon arrival, they discovered a 26-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries. The victim's identity is being withheld until his family is notified.

A preliminary police investigation found the victim was engaged in conversation with a large group of people on Mill Park Drive. During this interaction an unknown suspect shot the victim and the crowd of people fled.

The Homicide Unit is investigating the incident. Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact Detective D. Grassi by calling 302-365-8441 or emailing daniel.grassi@delaware.gov.

Contact reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com. Join her on the Facebook group Delaware Voices Uplifted. Support her work and become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Man found in Bridgeville road Saturday died from gunshot
Ultimately, we should be able to choose our representatives instead of the other way around, said Katie Rosenberg, mayor of Wausau, Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will soon make a decision on whether to strike down state Republican-drawn maps that Democratic voters argue discriminate against them, including Black voters in the state.

Last week, the states high court heard hours of oral arguments in Clarke v. Wisconsin.

Supreme Court entrance marble sign plaque in United States legal system. A courthouse room marker inside of Wisconsin state capitol building, Midwest USA. Gilded capital letters carved in stone and traditional architectural interior formality inspire concepts for justice, fairness, and government law. Horizontal format with copy space and no people.

In August 2023, Democratic voters filed a lawsuit against the state, contesting that the maps are unconstitutional and contain extreme partisan gerrymanders that violate the states constitution. The suit requests that the legislative maps be redrawn for failing to be contiguous and reflect all of Wisconsins voting population.

Jonathan Miller, chief program officer at the Public Rights Project, told theGrio that Wisconsin has the most aggressively gerrymandered state legislative map in the country.

He added, Districts are drawn in such a way so that the populations in those communities dont have as much weight, and in some cases, parts of districts have been completely excluded and left off the map, ostracizing voters from marginalized communities.

Miller said the maps need to be struck down because communities of color are not represented in the legislative body. He added, That means things like funding and projects arent going to be advanced by the legislature.

What does anybody get out of this having unfair advantage over another? asked rhetorically Katie Rosenberg, mayor of Wausau. She told theGrio, Its truly about power.

The next step is to realign the power to the people and remove power from the people who have put themselves there, she added. Fair maps help all of us have better policies.

Miller said state Republicans argued on Nov. 21 that since the court previously signed off on the map, it shouldnt change its mind so quickly.

Mayor Rosenberg said, The only reason you would be against fair maps is because you want to have unfair policies.

A sign encouraging Black people to vote sits in the window of a downtown storefront Sunday in Racine, Wisconsin. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In 2011, state Republicans drew maps that gave the states GOP a two-thirds supermajority in the Senate and a majority in the state Assembly. Last year, the state Supreme Court kept the map in place.

However, the courts political makeup changed this year when liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz was sworn into office in August, replacing a conservative justice on the court.

Given Protasiewiczs election to the bench, there is a chance the court could strike down the Republican-drawn maps because she characterized the maps as rigged while she campaigned to serve on the court.

Mayor Rosenberg said she agreed with the liberal justice and said, Ultimately, we should be able to choose our representatives instead of the other way around.

It really does matter when people think they have a shot at winningthey dont want it to be rigged, she added.

Miller of the Public Rights Project said he believes that the court will strike down the state maps and appoint a specialist or referee to help propose redrawn maps for the court to make a final approval.

Rosenberg said that even if the high court appoints a special master to redraw the maps, Were still going to need to keep working and make sure that we can have the right policies that lift up all of our communities.

Especially those communities of color who have been underrepresented, she added.

The legal battle in Wisconsin comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court appointed a special master to redraw Alabamas federal election maps. The high court ruled that the southern states congressional map discriminated against Black voters and violated their constitutional rights.

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The post Dem voters urge Wisconsin Supreme Court to strike down unconstitutional maps appeared first on TheGrio.
Democratic presidential candidate and host of The Young Turks show Cenk Uygur has reportedly raised more than $250,000 since launching his White House bid against President Biden in early October.

The progressive media hosts campaign has brought in a quarter million dollars with more than 6,800 donors, according to numbers first shared with The Hill by Uygur on Saturday.

Pretty thrilled with my team, especially under the tight deadline circumstances that we have, Uygur told The Hill.

Uygur, who is still a long-shot candidate in the primary, has to first battle for ballot access in states, as he is a naturalized citizen who immigrated from Turkey to the U.S. in 1978 and is thus ineligible for the presidency under Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution. The Young Turks founder believes the Constitutions natural born citizen clause would allow him to hold the office and that he will be on the majority of state ballots.

The former California congressional candidate hopes to adjudicate the issue of his qualifications through the courts and pick various states to pursue litigation in, which could prove to be a tricky battle.

The courts are going to resolve that one way or another so none of the voters have to worry about it, Uygur said. Even if Im not in a certain state, the courts will handle it. And if they say that Im eligible, which I think they will, then well be on in all the states.

The progressive candidate has gotten ballot access in Arkansas, but he had his application rejected in Nevada after filing an altered form and crossing out the words natural born before citizen.

Uygur, like other candidates in the Democratic primary, will need to raise millions more to get national recognition and provide a challenge to the sitting president, who has recently been polling in at historically low numbers. Also, according to some recent polls, voters in swing states such as Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania have shown a preference for former President Trump.

Bidens campaign committee has raised $24.8 million during the third fundraising quarter. That figure, coupled with money raised by his joint fundraising committee and the Democratic National Committee, amounts to a war chest for the presidents reelection of more than $71 million, according to filings from the Federal Election Commission.

Book author Marianne Williamson (D) brought in more than $820,000 between July and September. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), another long-shot Biden challenger, announced his run after the end of the fundraising quarter.

Phillips, who announced that he wont run for reelection for his House seat, has the backing of a Super PAC called Pass the Torch, which has already started running ads targeting Bidens electability. The group was started with the assistance of Steve Schmidt, who previously was an adviser to Sen. John McCains (R-Ariz.) 2008 presidential campaign. Phillips has gotten little support from donors in his home state, including a powerbroker group that supported his successful House bids, according to CNBC.

Uygur, during the interview, shared that former Nebraska congressional candidate Kara Eastman is running his campaign. Eastman, a social worker and nonprofit leader, narrowly lost a race in 2020 for Nebraskas 2nd Congressional District to Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.).

Uygur believes that Biden, the presumed Democratic candidate in 2024, will lose to Trump.

[Bidens] gonna lose, Uygur said. Ive been saying this for about four months or so before I got into the race, and now pretty much everybodys caught on. The only people who are still pretending that he has a shot of winning are the ones who are personally and financially invested in Joe Biden. Otherwise, theres not a single political analyst that could look at those numbers and say that he has a decent chance of winning.

In order to make his case to the American electorate, Uygur plans to focus some of his campaign efforts in Vermont and Iowa.

I think Ive got a very compelling message, Uygur said. If we get our message out to the citizens, were gonna win those things. Our message is incredibly popular.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis police officer who murdered George Floyd, was stabbed in prison on Friday and seriously injured, law enforcement sources said.

The Associated Press first reported that Chauvin, 47, was attacked by another inmate at the medium-security federal facility in Tucson, Arizona, where he is serving time for Floyd's murder. Details of the stabbing weren't immediately made clear, but the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) told the AP in a statement that a prisoner was assaulted around 12:30 p.m. local time. First responders performed "life-saving measures" and transported the prisoner to the hospital, the BOP said.

While the BOP didn't name the inmate who was attacked, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison confirmed it to be Chauvin, telling the Star Tribune that he had been notified of the stabbing. "I am sad to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence," Ellison told the Tribune. "He was duly convicted of his crimes and, like any incarcerated individual, he should be able to serve his sentence without fear of retaliation or violence."

Chauvin made worldwide headlines in May 2020 when, as a member of the Minneapolis Police Department, he killed Floyd during an attempted arrest. Video of the incident went viral and shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes while he repeatedly states, "I can't breathe." Floyd would later be pronounced dead at the hospital. Floyd's death sparked worldwide anger and turbocharged the Black Lives Matter protests that were seen throughout the summer of 2020.

Chauvin was eventually convicted in federal court of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter related to Floyd's death. He was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison in June 2021. He was sentenced to an additional 21 years in prison by the state of Minnesota in 2022 for violating Floyd's civil rights.
KEY WEST, Fla.  Since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, when cruise ships filled with sickened passengers were blocked from U.S. ports, residents in Key West, Florida, have been trying to limit the size and number of vacation vessels on the tiny island, using the momentum created during the pandemic to argue for continuing restrictions on cruise vessels.

Activists flooded City Commission meetings, protested on the dock, collected signatures and managed to pass three ballot measures in 2020 imposing stricter controls to protect the marine environment and limit passengers to 1,500 a day  only to see the state Legislature, with the approval of Gov. Ron DeSantis, void the new restrictions the following year.

Now the wealthy hotelier who operates Key Wests cruise ship port is doubling down, asking the state for permission to expand, which would allow bigger ships with more passengers to operate legally out of the port.

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The issue will soon land on the desk of DeSantis, who has received nearly $1 million in campaign donations from the piers owner. It represents a tough balancing act for the Republican governor, a 2024 presidential candidate who has touted his environmental record but has also been a booster of Floridas tourism industry.

Safer Cleaner Ships, the organization behind the move to keep large cruise ships out of Key West, recently fired another salvo: It filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the local port owner, Pier B Development Corp., citing state records it said showed the company had underpaid millions of dollars in state fees and taxes. The Florida attorney generals office dismissed the suit in part on jurisdictional grounds, a decision that activists said was a sign of continuing state support for a campaign donor, the owner of one of the countrys largest private hotel chains.

For DeSantis, whose policies are under scrutiny during the presidential campaign, a decision on whether to authorize expanded cruise ship operations calls for weighing environmental concerns as well as potential revenues from his states biggest industry in a petition that comes from a major campaign donor.

The issue has been a contentious one in Key West, with many people whose livelihoods depend on cruise ship visitors accusing the ballot measure proponents of class warfare and of not welcoming the lower-income tourists who book passage on the giant vessels. Local retail outlets, tour guides and harbor pilots argued that hotels on the island are expensive and cruise ships open the area to people who might not otherwise be able to afford to visit.

The cruise industry, meanwhile, quietly funded a campaign against the 2020 ballot measures, The Miami Herald reported, warning residents that a reduction in cruise ship revenues could lead to drastic cuts in policing and other public services.

Before the pandemic, nearly 1 million people a year were visiting Key West aboard cruise ships. But when COVID-19 brought that to a halt, the citys $2.4 billion tourism industry  responsible for 44% of its jobs  did not collapse.

Instead, hotel tax revenue rose 15%, and with 1.4 million arrivals, the airport set a record in 2021.

People said, If you limit cruise ships, it will kill business! Jobs! Thats been proven false by the passage of time, said Arlo Haskell, one of the anti-cruise ship groups founders.

The activists have focused on the waters around the Florida Keys, which they argue improved significantly during the pandemic without a constant stream of cruise ships churning up sand and threatening coral reefs  an argument that resonated for a broad range of Key West residents.

Safer Cleaner Ships collected 2,500 signatures on the ballot measures to change the city charter; they each passed with majorities of more than 60%.

In the months after the election, 11 companies owned by the pier operator, Mark Walsh, donated a total of nearly $1 million to DeSantis political committee, The Miami Herald revealed.

Months later, DeSantis signed legislation that prohibited any local ballot measure from restricting marine commerce. Opponents were outraged, with many publicly calling it pay to play.

DeSantis office declined to comment on the issue, as did Walsh, whose lawyer, however, said the companies donations were in support of the governors general pro-tourism stance, especially during COVID-19.

In response to concerns that cruise ships were damaging coral reefs, Walsh urged the city in a 2021 letter to look at the science, and what is currently being done to restore the reef environment, an effort to which he offered to contribute.

The city settled on a compromise, prohibiting ships from mooring at the two docks the city controls. That left the privately owned dock, Pier B, operated by Walshs company, as the only dock available to cruise vessels. The cutback resulted in a 50% drop in cruise ship traffic, an outcome the anti-cruise ship activists saw as positive but that tourism business owners described as a substantial blow.

Edwin Swift III, president of Historic Tours of America, said his business, which offers trolley tours of the city, has been down 40%.

The whole thing is being mishandled by the politicians, he said.

The Safer Cleaner Ships group decided to dig further into the cruise dock companys operations and after combing state databases filed a lawsuit alleging that the company had misreported the revenue it had earned. Using the amount of disembarkation fees Pier B had paid to the city, the group calculated that the company had underpaid the state at least $5 million in lease payments and hundreds of thousands more in taxes from disembarkation fees. Thats the publics money, Haskell said.

The lawsuit was filed under seal in 2022 as a whistleblower case under the Florida False Claims Act, which empowers citizens to sue on behalf of state or local governments. The state attorney generals office unsealed the suit last week, telling The New York Times that the state had investigated the matter and decided not to pursue the case.

Chase Sizemore, a spokesperson for the office, said the groups claims were not within the jurisdiction of the False Claims Act and that many of the allegations regarding lease fees had been investigated and lacked merit. The tax revenue allegations, he said, had been referred to the appropriate agency for follow-up.

Jon Moore, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the agency that manages the lease, said a recent audit found no issues of concern related to the whistleblower claims.

Pier B officials said they only recently learned of the tax and fees lawsuit. Matt Redstone, an assistant controller at Walshs company, Ocean Properties, said that it had paid all fees owed to the state.

Bart Smith, a lawyer who represents Walsh in Key West, said claims made by Safer Cleaner Ships in its lawsuit were false and without merit, adding that the company had corrected the manner in which it reported revenue.

Unfortunately, there is one group who is willing to disparage and cast false statements or misrepresentations without consequence in order to meet their political aims and financial pursuits, Smith said. Pier B will continue its efforts to support the Key West community, environment and especially reef restoration in the Florida Keys.

Already, ships larger than what is allowed under Pier Bs existing lease with the state have been docking in Key West, a fact that came to light when cruise ship opponents last year photographed a number of large ships docked at the pier and reported it to state and federal authorities.

Mark Kincaid, an engineering consultant who works for Walsh, acknowledged that ships larger than what was allowed under the lease were docking at the pier, a legacy of practices that he said began before the city closed its own docks to cruise ships.

The companys latest request for more space is designed to bring it into compliance but will not make any practical difference, Kincaid said.

The state last year issued a temporary permit allowing the expansion to accommodate bigger ships, but it expires in June.

The issue of what, if any, environmental damage is caused by cruise ships continues to be a contentious one. Each side has competing scientists arguing its point.

William Precht, a coral reef specialist hired by Walsh, provided photographs showing living coral reefs even at the dock where the ships port. Any sand kicked up by the ships dissipates before it can damage the reefs, he said.

In my 40 years of working on the Florida reef tract, there havent been any reefs killed by cruise ships, he said.

The Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary, a federally administered agency charged with protecting waters in the area, said in a statement that studies showing healthy reefs growing vertically on the pier do not take into consideration the coral on the sea floor that may be harmed by sand churned up by the ships.

And other scientists have cautioned that the sand threatens even coral reefs that are farther from the port. That channel is not Vegas; what happens there doesnt stay there, said Henry Briceno, director of Florida International Universitys Water Quality Monitoring Network, who conducted a study on the area that has been cited by cruise ship opponents. What happens there goes to the coral reef.

The governor, who has called the reefs a state treasure, is expected to make a decision with his Cabinet in December.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
For a large portion of 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been on the road in Iowa, stopping in coffee shops, sports bars and barns  looking to convince voters that he should be the Republican party's standard bearer, and not former President Donald Trump.

At the crux of DeSantis' bid in Iowa, the first state to vote in the Republican presidential nominating contest, is a tour of all 99 counties, known as the "full Grassley," named after Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa who pioneered the all-county tour, and has been doing it for over 40 years. Past Iowa caucus winners  former Sen. Rick Santorum in 2012 and Sen. Ted Cruz in 2016  made a similar effort during their presidential bids.

DeSantis is set to complete his own Iowa tour on Dec. 2 with an event at the "Thunderdome" wedding venue in Newton, according to details first shared with CBS News.

Yet the unprecedented nature of Trump's campaign and popularity with the GOP electorate may make Iowa's political tradition of rewarding intense attention from contenders a moot point this cycle.

Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks to guest during a campaign event at the Machine Shed restaurant on November 07, 2023 in Davenport, Iowa. / Credit: / Getty Images

Trump has been the consistent frontrunner in the race for the 2024 GOP nomination against a now dwindling field of challengers, most of whom have largely avoided taking him on directly. The race is playing out as Trump also faces criminal charges in multiple cases, in part due to his failed effort to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election.

DeSantis has been the only active candidate to commit to holding at least one event in every county so far, and he's made 130 stops in Iowa overall. A majority of those events, 92, were hosted by the super PAC backing him, Never Back Down, who frequently had the governor on their bus as he trekked from county to county.

On the ground in Iowa vs. Trump "hurdle"

But DeSantis is not the only one to focus intensely on Iowa in the closing weeks before the Jan. 15 caucus.

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy announced earlier this month that he rented an apartment in the state and says he will hold over 200 events until the caucus. Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has done over 60 events in the state  and is now polling closely with DeSantis in Iowa and leads him in New Hampshire

By comparison, Trump has held just 17 events in the state since March.

Historically, Iowa voters care deeply about interacting with the candidates. Collecting that kind of grassroots support is key to building the organizing needed to turn out the kind of ground game that can deliver a win on caucus night.

Steve Scheffler, the Iowa Republican Party's National Committeeman, has worked on four presidential campaigns in Iowa before the caucuses. Compared to past cycles, he said that most candidates this cycle didn't "lay down stakes" early enough.

"Winning the caucus is pretty labor intensive work," Scheffler explained. "You're looking at a band of people that you have to identify are gonna go to the caucus, then you have to work with them and try to get 'em on board, and then you've gotta get them in your database, and then you've gotta have a mechanism to turn them out. Those things don't just happen overnight."

He added that Trump's presence is "the hurdle" for his challengers, "since many Iowa caucus-goers know what he did. They know he kept his promises."

The DeSantis campaign has called its 99-county tour "an organizational effort," and said it allows them more flexibility to target areas with bigger media markets, along with certain rural counties where DeSantis' support is stronger. At his stops, Never Back Down volunteers are often spotted asking attendees to sign "commitment to caucus" cards. The group says 30,000 of these cards, which are not legally binding but signal support for a candidate, have been collected.

DeSantis' campaign said the state will be the "primary focus" in the closing weeks before the caucus, but believed that completing the "full Grassley" gives them more flexibility to campaign in New Hampshire, where DeSantis has fallen behind Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in recent polls.

"The Iowa caucus is littered with campaigns that lost because they thought they could win through the air alone, relying solely on paid television advertising," DeSantis communications director Andrew Romeo said. "The reality is you need a strong mixture of paid media, candidate presence, and ground game to win an Iowa Caucus, and no one is executing in all three areas better than us as we hit the closing stretch."

"Cruz was only at 10% at this point of the race in 2016," Romeo said. "That's a good reminder of how Iowa traditionally breaks late, which is exactly when you will begin to see the dividends of the historic ground organization we have built in the state."

Power of Iowa endorsements

Romeo added that several notable DeSantis endorsers  Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats and 41 state legislators  have a network they can tap into to turn people out to caucus.

Iowa represents fraught territory for Trump given that he lost the caucus in 2016. But he has a large advantage in caucus polling to date, despite only making 13 visits to the state since he launched his third White House bid.

Both before and after Reynolds' endorsement of DeSantis, Trump has criticized her this year. And in a somewhat surprising move, he also recently called out Iowa's two U.S. senators, who haven't taken a public side in the race.

Regarding Grassley and Sen. Joni Ernst, Trump claimed at a rally in Fort Dodge earlier this month that "I got 'em elected, remember that."

Ernst won re-election in 2020, and Grassley in 2022, in what is now a reliably red state. Trump even praised Grassley roughly a year ago while the senator was running for re-election, calling him a legend at an Iowa rally before the 2022 midterms.

The 90-year-old Grassley has spent decades in Iowa politics, and according to his congressional website, is the longest serving senator in the state's history. He was in office long before Trump had any kind of political influence on the GOP. Ernst was elected in 2014, before Trump won the White House.

"Here in Iowa, the voters want to see you"

"Here in Iowa, the voters want to see you," said John Pentecost, an undecided voter considering DeSantis and Trump. Pentecost attended a DeSantis event earlier this month in Plainfield, DeSantis' 98th county.

"That's been the trick to winning Iowa. Grassley started it, and I think all the other candidates are kind of following that same winning strategy."

Asked what will help him decide, Pentecost said he'll "probably just keep coming to events."

 Olivia Rinaldi contributed to this report.

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Governor Ron DeSantiss comments concerning continued American support for Ukraine on stage at the third Republican primary debate in his home state of Florida represent a disappointing lack of leadership. DeSantis said he would refuse to provide additional aid to Ukraine while citing fallacies and half-truths about the United States efforts to aid Ukraine.

Governor DeSantiss proposed reorientation of U.S. foreign policy towards countering China should not overshadow the urgent need to address Russian aggression in Europe. In fact, the two are intrinsically tied. First, Russia is the biggest country in Asia, and its relying on Iran and North Korea for military aid. Countering this axis of evil should be core to our Asia policy.

If America ended support to Ukraine, Ukraine could fall to Russia, with a subsequent Russian attack on a NATO ally, such as Poland, Lithuania or Finland, imminent.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the Republican National Committee presidential primary debate in Miami this month.

And while Governor DeSantis narrows his focus on threats posed by dictatorial leaders in the Indo-Pacific region, he neglects to recognize that China is watching the U.S. response closely. And dont take my word for it: Taiwans representative to the U.S. says in no uncertain terms that Ukraines success in defending against aggression is so important also for Taiwan. Taiwan knows that China would take advantage of a Russian victory in Europe by trying to do the same thingwhy doesnt Governor DeSantis?

Governor DeSantiss comments make it clear that he does not fully comprehend the situation. This is illustrated by his call for no blank check for Ukraine.

To be clear, Ukraine is not receiving a blank check from the United States. The transfer of weapons and equipment to Ukraine has largely been executed under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which enables the United States to draw from existing stockpiles for immediate delivery during crises.

More: Florida Republicans DeSantis and Rubio go opposite directions on help for Ukraine

Supplemental aid packages have allocated $25.93 billion to restore the stocks depleted under PDA. While the military aid Ukraine has received has not been enough to eject Russias invasion forces, Ukraine has shown promise in the successful counteroffensives to liberate the Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions. When America gives Ukrainian forces the tools they need to win, victory is attainable.

Investing in a Ukrainian victory now is crucial to reducing long-term conflict costs. Recent polls indicate ongoing public support for aiding Ukraine, with a majority of voters recognizing the importance of standing against Russian aggression.

A national poll shows that public support for Ukraine aid continues, with 60 percent of U.S. voters believing that Americas allies and enemies would view a U.S. withdrawal of Ukraine military support as a sign of weakness. Sixty-eight percent believe a Russian victory over Ukraine would make the world less stable, and 84 percent say Putin is a threat to American interests.

Upon learning that only a small fraction of the U.S. annual defense budget has enabled Ukraine to decimate Russias military capabilities, polling shows there was a significant increase in support for Ukraine funding among self-identified MAGA Republican voters.

Russias ambitions extend far beyond Ukraine, posing a considerable threat to Europe and, by extension, American interests. Governor DeSantis knows this. But he argues that Europe needs to step up and do their fair share falls short. Contrary to DeSantiss claims, European nations have committed more than double the support compared to the United States.

America currently ranks 20th in GDP percentage contributed to Ukraine. In fact, the U.S. has only contributed three percent of the U.S. military budget  and with this, Ukraine has managed to cut Putins combat capacity in half.

Yes, Governor  we do need to bring this war to an end. But letting Russia keep territory it invaded is a betrayal of American interests and a victory for Putin and Xi. Without a clear Ukrainian victory against Russias invasion, the war will only drag on for years or decades to come, and returning peace to Europe will require even more costly American commitments.

Mykola Murskyj is the Director of Advocacy at Razom for Ukraine

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: DeSantis shows no leadership on Ukraine position
Perhaps the most lasting moment of William Howard Tafts U.S. presidency took place in his bathtub. It certainly wasn't any of his political activities  even his official White House biography calls him a poor politician. The same article suggests that Taft himself didnt care too much about the presidency, preferring his later position as chief justice of the Supreme Court:

I dont remember that I was ever the President.

This leaves his presidential legacy to a story about a bathtub: Legend has it that Taft, who weighed over 300 pounds during his presidency, once got so stuck in the White House bathtub that it took six people to pull him out. Yes, six. But the reality is that this likely never happened.

Perusing newspapers for reports of the event might feel a bit foolish  the most powerful man in America getting stuck in the White House bathtub likely would not be publicized. Yet there are many articles mentioning Taft and his bathtub, but for another reason: It was custom-built just for him and it was absolutely massive.

A 2009 exhibit at the National Archives simply called Big! featured a replica of a 7-foot, 1-inch-long tub built specifically for Taft alongside other large objects, like Shaquille ONeals sneakers and the first copy of the Articles of Confederation on a piece of stitched parchment over 13 feet long. That particular tub was built and used on the USS North Carolina when Taft took a trip to Panama to visit the construction of the Panama Canal, and may have been the one installed in the White House. However, it wasn't the only one made specially for him. The Hotel Taft in New Haven, Connecticut, installed an 8-foot-long bathtub for Taft's suite during his professorship at Yale after his presidency.

It seems unlikely, then, that Taft would get stuck in one of his custom tubs. The story has been traced back to Ike Hoover, the White Houses chief usher at the time. In his 1934 memoir, he mentioned it once:

When Taft came to the White House, a large tub had to be placed in his bathroom, since the one already there was not big enough. The President would stick in it while bathing and had to be helped out each time.

And while Hoover perhaps had no reason to lie, his memoir is the only known firsthand account. Historians have placed large question marks next to the bathtub story because everything else suggests otherwise.

As a consolation prize, we can share this different bathtub escapade involving Taft: In 1915, Taft took a bath at a hotel in Cape May, New Jersey. The tub overflowed, with water dripping through the floor into the dining room below. A plumber was summoned to Tafts room to investigate and found the former president napping, unaware of the flooded bathroom floor.

Taft reportedly glanced at the Atlantic Ocean the next day and joked, Ill get a piece of that fenced in some day, and then when I venture in, there wont be any overflow.

Sources:

Coe, Alexis. Opinion | William Howard Taft Is Still Stuck in the Tub. The New York Times, 15 Sept. 2017. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/opinion/william-howard-taft-bathtub.html.

Evening Star 29 Dec 1922, Page 6. Newspapers.Com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/332739040/. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.

Hoover, Irwin Hood. Forty-Two Years in the White House. Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1934. Internet Archive, http://archive.org/details/fortytwoyearsinw00hoov.

Humanities, National Endowment for the. The Washington Herald. [Volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, January 14, 1913, Image 1. 14 Jan. 1913. chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1913-01-14/ed-1/seq-1/.

Magazine, Smithsonian, and Mary Beth Griggs. Tafts Bathtubs Weighed A Ton. Smithsonian Magazine, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tafts-bathtubs-weighed-ton-180951871/. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.

Rothstein, Edward. There Are No Small Parts in This American History Lesson. The New York Times, 11 Mar. 2009. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/arts/design/12muse.html.

The Washington Post 21 Jan 1909, Page Page 6. Newspapers.Com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/28876954/. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.

Times, Special to The New York. TAFT CAUSES HOTEL DELUGE; Tidal Wave from His Bathtub Floods Bankers in Dining Room. The New York Times, 19 June 1915. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/1915/06/19/archives/taft-causes-hotel-deluge-tidal-wave-from-his-bathtub-floods-bankers.html.

William Howard Taft. The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/william-howard-taft/. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.
(WHTM)  Coffee and espresso may both be drunk to give you energy, but they are not the same thing.

Most people will go to Dunkin, Starbucks, or a coffee shop and order a type of coffee with the option to add an espresso shot.

But you can also order an espresso by itself, so what is the difference?

What is the difference between apple juice and apple cider?

Coffee

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, coffee is a beverage made by percolation, infusion, or decoction from the roasted and ground seeds of a coffee plant.

Coffee can come in three types of roasts; dark, medium, or light, and is usually served in six to eight ounces (but dont be ashamed to get a larger size).

Coffee can be made in a matter of minutes using a coffee pot or machine such as a Keurig but for a perfect cup of coffee using the drip method is preferred.

According to Giesen, the drip method process is, You start with using a paper filter. Then, the ground coffee beans are added and after that, the water is poured over this, causing fresh coffee to drip from the filter. Finally, the coffee is collected in a jug, and voila.

Espresso

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, espresso is coffee brewed by forcing hot water through finely ground usually darkly roasted coffee beans.

Espresso only has one type of roast and thats dark and the serving size is between one and two ounces.

For those that use an espresso machine, you know that espresso is made by using pressurized water.

This makes espresso a lot quicker to make than coffee as it only takes around 30 seconds to make a cup of espresso.

Espresso is also found in the following drinks macchiato, cortado, cappuccino, latte, flat white, marocchino, americano, etc.

What are the oldest municipalities in Pennsylvania?

The Differences

Coffee has three types of roasts (light, medium, and dark) compared to espresso (dark).

Coffee is served in six to eight ounces while espresso is served in one to two ounces.

Espresso brews in about 20 to 30 seconds while coffee takes six to twelve minutes to brew.

Coffee extracts using gravity/filter while espresso uses pressurized water.

The grind size for coffee is medium-coarse while espresso is very fine.

Espresso uses crema while coffee does not.

Espresso has around 63 mg of caffeine in one ounce while coffee has around 12 to 16 mg of caffeine per ounce.

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The Wall Street Journal published a dispatch this week from West Africa, where militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are increasingly using national park conservation areas as hideouts and engaging in violence against rangers.

The piece concerns activity in three large national parks that span the borders of Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso and are operated by a pan-African nongovernmental organization called African Parks. The group, whose holdings in the region include a 1,500-acre enclosure whose purpose is to breed West African cheetahs, says preventing terrorism is actually part of its mission.

It touts the economic benefits of the two national parks, hoping locals will be more inclined to protect the lands instead of poaching wildlife, cutting trees, grazing cattleor joining al Qaeda. Commerce and services help disrupt the chain of recruitment in communities, [African Parks employee Hughes] Akpona said.

In an aside, the WSJ mentions that African Parks sources of funding include the U.S. State Department. Which suggests a connection and a question: Does the American government believe that a cheetah-mating program in West Africa is a front in the War on Terror?

The link between natural preserves and extralegal militancy is actually well-studied. Wilderness areas are good hiding places, and the trafficking of endangered animals or their byproducts is a useful source of income for groups that operate outside the clean financial system. Says Elizabeth Shackelford of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, who served in Somalia and Kenya as a foreign service officer: African Parks has had a long-standing focus on the need to engage local communities and provide economic benefits in order to make conservation sustainable, and the underlying potential grievances that they are trying to manage are the same grievances that make communities susceptible to extremism and recruiting.

Theres also precedent for the U.S. spreading money around, in efforts to combat what it sees as global security threats, to entities that may not initially seem to be closely related to the threat at hand. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Central Intelligence Agency used front groups to support, of all things, literary magazines and writers programs. (The Paris Review and the vaunted Iowa Writers Workshop both had spook connections.) The idea, apparently, was that the U.S. would be a more potent rival to the USSR if it were respected culturallyand that promoting writers and intellectuals who werent so far left that they supported communism would marginalize the ones who were reds.

So, Slate put the question to the State Department: Is eradicating an extremist group that originated in the Middle East one of the reasons that the U.S. pays for national parks in West Africaand their cheetah sex parties? The answer, a spokesperson said, is that Our focus is on strengthening ranger capabilities for enforcement and investigations related to wildlife crime, as well as establishing an effective criminal justice response to poaching and transit of illicit wildlife activity. That said, according to State, Any ancillary counterterrorism benefits that accrue from our building capacity in this area is welcome.
This is a visit that "I've been anticipating for a long time," Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou, who paid a state visit to China, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Beijing.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Uruguay.

Lacalle said that in the past 35 years, the relationship between the two countries has made significant progress.

"Despite changes in government personnel, bilateral relations continue to evolve, and political mutual trust continues to deepen," he said.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
In attempts to hold the former president Donald Trump and his allies accountable for election subversion, attorneys are reaching back to laws created in the wake of the civil war in the 1860s.

Related: Searching for the perfect republic: Eric Foner on the 14th amendment  and if it might stop Trump

Beyond Trump, too, lawsuits using these Reconstruction-era laws seek to enforce voting rights and prevent discrimination in modern-era elections.

The laws from this time period were designed, in part, to reintegrate the Confederate states back into the country and ensure that they did not yet again attempt to overthrow the government or pass laws to restrict newly freed Black citizens.

But the Reconstruction Congress created laws that were flexible and responsive to modern-day threats, making them applicable today and worth trying to enforce, said Jessica Marsden, an attorney with Protect Democracy, which has filed lawsuits using such laws.

In recent years, the use of laws originally designed to crack down on the Ku Klux Klan and its allies in government after the civil war has grown. This set of laws bans political intimidation and violence, including insurrection, and has been used in legal claims from Charlottesville, to the January 6 insurrection, to the federal governments charges against Trump.

We have been compelled to use tools that we didnt use in the past  because we didnt have the kind of threat  as we do now with Mr Trump and his confederates Civl rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill

Section 3 of the 14th amendment, recently making headlines as various lawsuits attempt to use it to keep Trump off the 2024 ballot, makes it illegal for someone who was an officer of the US government to hold office again if they engaged in insurrection or rebellion.

One novel approach also seeks to use a law that dealt with readmitting Virginia into the union to protect the voting rights of people with felonies.

The resurgence of these laws in recent years has surprised some observers, but proponents say they are strong tools to fight back against anti-democratic movements happening today. And there arent more recent laws that deal directly with insurrection since the last major one happened during the civil war.

We have been compelled to use tools that we didnt use in the past or didnt need to use because we didnt have the kind of threat and the kind of character prepared to break norms as we do now with Mr Trump and his confederates, said Sherrilyn Ifill, a civil rights attorney who is opening a center focused on the 14th amendment at Howard University School of Law.

Under Ifills leadership, in 2020 the NAACPs Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against Trump and the Republican National Committee using Ku Klux Klan Act statutes, alleging Trumps campaign and the RNC were systematically trying to disfranchise Black voters by disrupting vote counting and trying to delay results. Its never easy to sue a president under the KKK Act, Ifill said, but it has to be done.

We are in a moment of democratic crisis, Ifill said. Trump and his agenda and Trumpism is a unique threat to the core of American democracy. And I think that has sent everyone into the space that we have to use all of the tools that are available to us.

The Reconstruction Congress understood the threat of insurrection and the kinds of disfranchisement and violence that came from giving rights to Black men after the civil war because these activities had just happened or were still happening then, so they created a strong set of laws to prevent further violence and to hold accountable those who perpetuated it.

Congress in the 1860s and 70s gave us a toolkit that is surprisingly well-suited to this moment Jessica Marsden of Protect Democracy

Since then, these threats havent been as direct as they are now, those filing lawsuits under these laws say, rendering the historic tools both useful and necessary.

Congress in the 1860s and 70s gave us a toolkit that is surprisingly well-suited to this moment, Marsden, of Protect Democracy, said.

The laws from that time period were written with an understanding that opponents of democracy would be quite creative in how theyd try to deter people from participating in the democratic process, leaving open what kinds of actions can be considered voter intimidation, Marsden said.

That has made the KKK Act, for instance, a valuable tool when addressing modern technology, such as a successful lawsuit against robocalls with threatening messages targeting Black voters about voting by mail. Another KKK Act case that recently settled involved a Trump train of vehicles that harassed a Biden bus in Texas in 2020, in which Protect Democracy argued that a towns police force knew of this intimidation but didnt work to stop it.

Trumps supporters on 6 January 2021 in the US Capitol. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Protect Democracy is also arguing that the Virginia Readmission Act, which protected the rights of new Black citizens to vote, applies today to disfranchising people with felonies. In a lawsuit believed to be the first making this claim, the group says Virginias law that strips people with felonies of their right to vote is illegal because the Reconstruction-era readmission act says only certain felonies can be used to prevent voting.

Its an odd thing because its considered more possible to resurrect these laws than to pass new ones Eric Foner

Eric Foner, a historian who specializes in the civil war and the Reconstruction era, said it makes sense to use existing laws from that time period because they havent been repealed, despite the lack of use in the many decades since then, and reflect similar ideas to whats happening today. The recent use of them shows just how strong the laws created by the Reconstruction Congress are, he said.

Its a political commentary on what is possible politically today, Foner said. And its an odd thing because its considered more possible to resurrect these laws than to pass new ones.

With the resurgence of these laws come some challenges with making the case to judges, who may not have dealt directly with Reconstruction-era statutes beyond scholarly arguments. In the 14th amendment lawsuits, for instance, judges have questioned how to apply this section of law and interpret its provisions. And, given the high-profile and political nature of seeking to boot a former president from the ballot, judges have expressed wariness to wade into what some consider a political question, not a legal one.

Already, 14th amendment lawsuits in Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan and Florida have been tossed, though many are still ongoing and those bringing the lawsuits are likely to appeal, with the question expected to go before the US supreme court at some point.

In one smaller case, though, which didnt involve someone as high-profile as Trump, a judge in New Mexico ruled that a county commissioner who had participated in the January 6 riots couldnt hold office any more because of the 14th amendment.

Despite their discomfort with the politics of the issue, Ifill argues that judges need to show courage to enforce the amendments provisions.

They may not want to do it any more than I wanted to sue a president under the KKK Act, but their job is to apply the law to the facts and issue a ruling that is consistent with what the law demands, she said.
Mike Fink, a retired Rhode Island School of Design professor and occasional contributor, lives in Providence.

Of my many sabbatical semesters through my six-decade career at the Rhode Island School of Design, my favorite journey was a mere jaunt around Rhode Island, a voyage of only a few hours.

My research was about the hike of the founder of our colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and the legacy of Roger Williams. His flight was from the tyranny of religion itself  he was searching both for freedom of religion and also from religion. Oddly perhaps, the first two minorities he welcomed in Newport were born brothers, one Catholic and the other Jewish. Look it up, I am not making it up. The Catholic had converted to save his very life from the horrors of the Inquisition.

More: His niece murdered, her son shielded beneath her body: A family's final moments in Israel

The Holocaust survivor and founder of the Museum of Tolerance, Simon Wiesenthal, published a book titled "Sails of Hope: The Secret Mission of Christopher Columbus" in which he claimed that the crew that helped Columbus' mission to "sail on" were likewise desperately escaping from the intolerance of the Inquisition. My point is, that our Roger was quite a remarkable exception to the intolerance of his time, and our own current time. He disagreed with the Quakers but never sought to exile them. He studied the language of the Indigenous tribes and discussed their folklore and shared his own with them.

I am writing this salute to his vision because I am deeply distressed by the war in Israel. I believe that our American values at their very best have their roots in Israel. We named the Rhode Island villages of Jerusalem and Galilee to bring the world's victims of hate to our state, rich in rivers, bays and intimate places to seek and salute one's own spiritual guides.

The statue of Roger Williams overlooks downtown Providence from the heights of Prospect Terrace Park.

Both parties and candidates for our top leadership have expressed, forcefully and eloquently, their recognition of our alliance with Israel. I would cite that freedom of religion and thus access to a free press and, hopefully, a search for truth were born under the pen and graphite of Roger Williams. Israel means, etymologically, "struggling with Creation" so we have to work to find the value of our lives.

When students at Brown University chose to throw blood-red paint on a statue of Christopher Columbus, they not only insulted the Italian community but they revealed their lack of research and the peer pressure of the latest fashions, while the value of "higher" education continues to diminish despite the enormous rise in the expenses that drain the budgets of wiser and older generations who pay the bloated bills. The "liberal" arts have lost their prestige and may not soon restore or redeem the respect they once sought and sometimes earned.

More: 'He's here': Providence's former Christopher Columbus statue will make its debut in Johnston

I am writing this rant because I am greatly distressed by the dreadful rise in anti-Semitism  hatred of the Jewish people  spreading like a plague. No, both candidates for president have behaved honorably and eloquently in saluting Israel, each within only slightly different contexts. I have visited the Holy Land many times and hope to land in El Al airport once again, as soon as possible.

My late brother, who lived in Newport, had one single granddaughter, who has dual citizenship, Israeli and American. She dwells in Tel Aviv, and I worry about her welfare and hope to be able to pay a visit to Julia, and light a memorial candle to the memory of her late grandfather.

I was the last-born "runt of the litter" of three boys, all born in Providence, where the Four Freedoms for which we fought in World War II were first spelled out way back when we were the smallest colony in size but the biggest in the dreams of our founders, framers and also farmers.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Roger Williams was quite a remarkable exception to the intolerance of his time, and our own current time.
Talk about some road hazards





There is an epidemic in Fort Worths Near Southside neighborhood between West Magnolia Avenue and West Berry Street, Hemphill Street and Eighth Avenue. Drivers routinely ignore stop signs. This problem persists because there is almost zero traffic enforcement in this area.

Isnt it time to see our tax dollars at work, ensuring our streets are safe?

- Stephen Mosher, Fort Worth

Driving deaths are no mystery

The headline in the online eEdition Extra Extra section Monday reads, in part: Spike in traffic fatalities puzzles lawmakers. (Page 10) What are they puzzled about? Its obvious that it has to be distracted driving, specifically texting but also talking and holding your phone, which is ridiculous because most modern cars have Bluetooth now.

Until there is a serious crackdown, which should involve license suspensions, well not see a change in this easily identifiable issue.

- S.R. DeWees, Arlington

Hatred shows its face publicly

The insidiousness of the Nazi takeover is slyly depicted in Cabaret. In the beginning of the movie, brown shirts are angrily evicted from a nightclub. At the end, they are accepted with a Heil Hitler! salute.

Today, hate groups hide behind the First Amendment.

- Janette Mehl, Duncanville

Trump family keeps succeeding

Instead of prospering under the leadership of Donald Trumps second term as president, the country is witnessing an unprecedented civil trial against his unrivaled real estate empire.

Democrats are putting a lot of time and money into convincing the public that the Trump family broke the law. This frantic effort is because they cannot go after Trumps successful record and exemplary accomplishments.

The Trump Organization was built from the ground up through hard work by multiple generations of the Trump family. Trumps children are upstanding individuals, dedicated to a family business that they run with the utmost integrity.

Despite the relentless attacks, their familys American success story persists and thrives. The Trump family is resilient and continues to work for the betterment not only of their business but also for the United States.

- Melissa Reed, Keller

How Davis gets abortion so wrong

The headline on Mark Davis Nov. 17 column reads, GOP can win on abortion, but messaging matters. (13A) All the Republicans have to do is convince a majority of women they are so dumb that male government bureaucrats can make better decisions regarding their reproductive health care than can the women and their doctors.

Davis also believes that adoption is the answer. He fails to explain why its not the answer to solving the problem of surplus children in government care programs.

Davis has failed to convince me that women should lose a right in order to expand the power, size and cost of government in this state.

- Larry Mason, Azle

Hamas designs its own horrors

Hamas knew Israel would respond to its Oct. 7 attack with sustained violence.

Hamas knew that Israel would kill the very Gaza members this terrorist organization callously used as human shields.

Hamas chose to kill and take as hostages innocent, unarmed Israelis to change the equation, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya asserted in a New York Times interview. He called it a great act, and, without a doubt, it was known that the reaction to this great act would be big.

Big? Try soul-crushing and heart-rending.

Hamas could have recognized Israels right to exist and then challenged Israel to negotiate a just, long-lasting peace instead of plunging the region into a dystopian horror.

Imagine the images we would be seeing if Hamas had been brave enough to do that.

- Barbara Chiarello, Austin
Vehicles were set on fire and shops looted in the disorder

Ireland's police faced an unprecedented situation when a riot broke out in Dublin after a knife attack, an Irish government minister has said.

Pascal Donohoe defended the head of the police force and Ireland's justice minister over criticism that officers were not ready for the violence.

The riot happened on Thursday after three children and a school worker were injured outside a school.

Vehicles were set on fire and shops looted in the disorder.

There have been 48 arrests to date, with more expected as officers trawl through 6,000 hours of footage.

Pascal Donohoe defended the head of the police force and Ireland's justice minister

Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee said the most riot police in Irish history had been deployed to deal with the violence, while An Garda Siochana (Irish police) Commissioner Drew Harris blamed the rioting on a "lunatic, hooligan faction driven by a far-right ideology".

However Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald was one of those critical of Ms McEntee and Mr Harris, saying she no longer had confidence in either.

Mr Donohoe told BBC News NI's Sunday Politics programme that he recognised that law and order was not maintained "in our city centre as we would want and the country would expect".

However he praised the police's "exceptional work" in "tough and demanding circumstances".

He added that he fully supported Ms McEntee and Mr Harris.

What happened in the Dublin stabbings?

The attack happened outside the children's school, Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire, in the city centre.

It is understood that a group of young children were lining up when they were stabbed by a man at about 13:40 local time on Thursday.

A five-year-old girl and a teaching assistant in her 30s remain in hospital.

Map of Dublin city centre

Several members of the public helped subdue the attacker, including a Brazilian food delivery driver who used his bike helmet to fight off the attacker.

A man in his late 40s who was also seriously injured is a person of interest, according to police. They said they are not looking for anyone else in relation to the attack.

In a statement, the school said it was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the incident and that its thoughts were with the pupils and creche worker who were injured.

How did the Dublin riot develop?

Just hours after the knife attack, rioters destroyed 11 police vehicles, while 13 shops were badly damaged and more were looted during clashes with riot police.

Three buses and a tram were also destroyed and several police officers were injured during more than three hours of sustained violence.

The "extraordinary outbreak of violence" had come after "hateful assumptions" were made based on material circulating online in the wake of the stabbings, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said.

It is understood that included false claims that the attacker was a foreign national.

Sources have indicated to the BBC that the man suspected of carrying out the attack is an Irish citizen who has lived in the country for 20 years.

"These are scenes that we have not seen in decades," said the garda commissioner.

Irish President Michael D Higgins said Thursday night's violence "deserves condemnation by all those who believe in the rule of law and democracy".
Back in the day, the car park outside the Ulster Unionist Party's headquarters was the place to be.

Night after night the media camped out while David Trimble went head-to-head with Jeffrey Donaldson over control of unionism's biggest party.

At first, we were on the pavement but locals complained and so we were allowed inside. The party even supplied tea and biscuits.

Twenty years on, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is now unionism's top dog - led by a certain Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

And lessons appear to have been learned.

Trimble and Donaldson at the UUP's annual conference in 2000

Unfortunately, there is no car park at the DUP's headquarters. If it had, its unlikely we'd be allowed onto it.

However, there are some quite narrow footpaths and, on Thursday night, crews from the BBC and UTV stood on them to await the arrival of the party's 12-strong officer board.

Blame our presence on former leader Peter Robinson who injected some fevered interest into the "will they, won't they" debate currently circling around the DUP. As in, will they or won't they return to power-sharing government?

They may or may not - Sir Jeffrey hasn't yet closed a deal with the UK government that he feels is worth trying to sell to his 11 other officers, some of whom will be more difficult to impress than others.

Leaks and denials

But one thing is certain: they never showed up at DUP HQ on Thursday night.

Half an hour before the meeting was due to begin, it was moved - before any of the officers arrived.

It eventually took place at an unknown destination, which was apparently not far away.

The media went home. Why the party didn't want us to film arrivals is unclear.

Ex-DUP first minister Peter Robinson (right) recently commented that unionists need to recognise the DUP will not get everything it wants in negotiations with the government

We can shout questions but no-one has to answer them. Unless, that is, some close to the leadership could not be sure some wouldn't.

As to what happened when the meeting eventually took place, well, Sir Jeffrey appeared on BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme on Friday saying negotiations go on but are not yet complete.

Asked about what a "senior source" from the DUP allegedly told Stephen Nolan on the party's seven tests for returning to Stormont being gone, Sir Jeffrey said: "That simply isn't true. I have no idea who this senior source is but they are clearly ill-informed and do not reflect the approach taken by the DUP leadership."

I received an unsolicited text from another party source this week.

It said: "Just to let you know all those leaks are incorrect on the Nolan Show. Things are happening and these leaks can stop progress."

So, what are we to make of that and the slightly bizarre decision to move a meeting 20 minutes before it was due to start because the media was waiting outside?

Perhaps merely that the stakes are getting higher and Sir Jeffrey knows he has to proceed with caution.

After all, he knows only too well the dangers of a leader getting too far ahead of a section of his party.

He learned that 20-plus years ago when he was a member of a different party. One that no longer is of enough interest to journalists for them to spend long evenings outside trying to see in.
ST. LOUIS  Firefighters are currently battling a fire at the Laclede Groves retirement home in Webster Groves, St. Louis. The incident began around 5 a.m. this morning.

Emergency crews from the Webster Groves, Crestwood, Mehlville, Kirkwood, Fenton, and Lemay fire departments are actively engaged in combating the fire. The exact cause of the fire remains unclear at this time, and there are no immediate reports of injuries, except for one firefighter indicating that one person was taken to the hospital.

This is an evolving story, and further updates will be provided as additional information becomes available.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Perhaps nothing illustrates Joe Bidens presidency better than a photo his team posted to celebrate his 81st birthday on Monday.

Biden is shown gripping the sides of the table, while a mass of candles (presumably 81 of them) rages on the cake in front of him.

Its symbolic of how hes clinging to the hope of winning a second term, regardless of the dumpster fire of his low approval ratings and the dissatisfaction among the American people with his job performance.

And no matter how much Biden and his administration dismiss concerns about his age (or joke about it), voters are worried.

Truly who is the communications genius who thought putting 81 candles on Bidens cake was a good idea? It looks like world after Bidens first term - completely engulfed in flames. pic.twitter.com/5SzHuPKAgT  Marc Thiessen  (@marcthiessen) November 21, 2023

On Bidens birthday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that we have to judge him by what hes done, not by his numbers.

I would put the presidents stamina, the presidents wisdom, ability to get this done on behalf of the American people, against anyone, Jean-Pierre said. Anyone, on any day of the week.

Biden staffers can play make-believe all they want, but voters are smarter than that.

Is Biden too old? President is acting old and Americans are concerned. The good news? We're talking about it.

The numbers don't lie

Poll after poll has shown voters  even the majority of Democrats  are worried about Bidens age and continued ability to carry out the countrys most important job. In September, a Wall Street Journal poll showed that 73% of voters said Biden is too old to run for reelection.

The front-runners in the presidential race, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, would be well into their 80s before one or the other left office in January 2029.

Its not Bidens age alone  its how he acts. For example, at 77, former President Donald Trump is just a few years younger, but only 47% of voters said Trumps age was an impediment to running again.

In general, voters arent happy with the quality of their lives under Biden. A new NBC News survey showed that the presidents approval rating has fallen to its lowest point  only 40% approve of his performance.

Other warning signs include a drop-off of support among Black voters, a generally loyal Democratic bloc. Several polls have shown that at least 20% of Black voters say they'd support Trump, who is the current GOP front-runner, if the election were held now. That's a significant increase from the 12% who voted for Trump in 2020.

Similarly, young voters who overwhelmingly backed Biden in 2020 are showing less enthusiasm this time around now that theyve seen him in action. Biden has continually tried to woo this group with taxpayer-funded freebies like student loan forgiveness, but even that pandering might not earn their vote.

C'mon man! SCOTUS put kibosh on Biden's loan forgiveness. That's not deterred him one bit.

If it's Trump vs. Biden, odds are looking bad for Joe

Democrats started out feeling pretty smug about their odds in a Biden-Trump rematch, but that confidence is waning. Or it should be. Even with all the baggage and criminal indictments, Trump remains a force  at least when compared with Biden.

When it comes down to it, voters will make their decisions based on whats best for them and their families. And a growing number say they trust Trump more on the economy, foreign policy and immigration.

Out of 12 national polls in November, 10 of them have Trump leading Biden in a hypothetical matchup.

Poll after poll has shown voters  even the majority of Democrats  are worried about Bidens age and continued ability to carry out the countrys most important job.

This is mirrored in battleground states that will be key to winning the White House in 2024.

A recent Michigan poll conducted by EPIC-MRA found that Trump leads Biden by 46% to 41% in the key Midwestern state. Bidens support is eroding quickly. In August, the same polling firm showed Biden with a 46% to 45% lead over Trump.

America needs real leaders: Surely Republicans can do better than Trump. Right?

And a New York Times/Siena College poll released this month had Biden losing to Trump in five of six battleground states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania) by 4 to 10 points.

So what are Democrats supposed to do? Theres no clear alternative. Biden shows no signs of bowing out voluntarily. And the other obvious choice  his Vice President Kamala Harris  is disliked even more than he is.

Other Democrats are interested, however, in leading the party and the nation. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is clearly running a shadow campaign. For instance, Newsom will debate Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis later this month.

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store.

In the months ahead, Biden faces a grueling campaign schedule, not to mention the stresses of his day job. While he was able to do much of the 2020 campaign from his Delaware home due to COVID-19, the president wont be able to get away with that this time.

The country doesnt want a Biden-Trump rematch. But if it gets one, expect a very different outcome.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can Trump win in 2024? Biden is doing his best to make it happen
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  An early morning fire in east Charlotte was deemed intentionally set, according to the Charlotte Fire Department.

Crews responded to the 6300 block of Woodbend Drive around 5:45 a.m. Sunday.

3 firefighters injured in heavy fire at two-story home in south Charlotte: CFD

Officials say it took firefighters 13 minutes to control the fire and no one was injured.

Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set on the outside of the maintenance garage door at the location. Estimated property damage is $35,000.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

This is a developing story ; check back for updates.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Governor Roy Cooper has proven a major proponent of the states transition to renewable energy sources, specifically wind and solar. In the past month, he has made public remarks twice about his policy goals on the clean energy economy.

In his 2021 State of the State Address, he said, This industry is racing toward us with thousands of good-paying jobs that will strengthen our economy and planet. We are already ahead in solar energy, and with new offshore wind and its lucrative supply chain, we can put money in North Carolina pockets.

But there is an economic pitfall in that line of thinking  a misguided understanding of how economic efficiencies and job growth are best achieved.

Donald Bryson

The governor considers solar and offshore wind projects as a lucrative and job-creating economic sector rather than a source of energy for the rest of the economy. This mindset treats wind and solar as ends rather than means. Going down this path to purposefully create clean energy jobs as an economic development tool will only lead to economic inefficiencies.

As politicians highlight the potential for creating new jobs in wind and solar, its important to look closely at the types of jobs being generated. In a well-functioning economy, the energy sector should strive for streamlined and technologically advanced processes that require fewer human resources. If there are many jobs in energy, it signals inefficiency, indicating a large part of the workforce is dedicated to producing energy rather than creating goods and services that directly benefit from more affordable, reliable energy. If the energy sector relies heavily on labor, it could divert resources from more productive areas, slowing down the broader economy.

So, when Coopers North Carolina Taskforce for Offshore Wind Economic Resource Strategies wrote in August about creating 85,000 wind energy jobs, that was not a commendable achievement. Those jobs will be traded off from the production side of the economy. Thats even more true when considering that the N.C. unemployment rate is a healthy 3.4%.

Viewing the energy sector as lucrative is also problematic. In many cases, the profitability of the clean energy sector is sustained by government subsidies, tax incentives, or other financial support mechanisms. These subsidies often mask the true cost of production and can create an artificial economic landscape where industries rely heavily on external financial injections rather than thriving based on market demand and efficiency.

Green energy proponents aim to move our state to a carbon-free energy sector. Fine. But lawmakers and energy providers must be realistic about what that means.

Achieving a fully carbon-free state requires a pragmatic dual strategy. There must be a strategic plan to scale up energy production from small-scale nuclear reactors, which can provide a reliable and low-carbon source of electricity. There also must be a more extensive pipeline infrastructure, which is essential for use of natural gas as a transition fuel. While not carbon-free, natural gas is a cleaner alternative to coal and can play a crucial role in the interim period before renewable energy sources become more technologically advanced and able to meet demand.

Realizing a fully carbon-free future in N.C. demands a keen focus on efficiency, emphasizing the need for reliable, dispatchable energy sources. Striking a balance that maximizes power output while minimizing labor intensity is key to achieving least-cost power and fostering economic efficiency for our state.

Donald Bryson is CEO of the John Locke Foundation, a public policy think tank in Raleigh.
Graduates attend USC's 2022 commencement ceremony. College students have shied away from liberal arts degrees in favor of those that might offer better career options. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Socrates would weep. The great philosopher of ancient Athens was among the first teachers of critical thinking, you might say, and he died for doing so. And now, college philosophy departments  along with the other humanities and the social sciences  are shrinking, with reduced fields of study, smaller teaching staffs and fewer courses.

Part of this shrinkage in many big universities and smaller colleges as well is the result of rising concerns about the cost of a college degree, which can leave graduates and parents in serious debt for years or decades.

Read more: Editorial: Too much heated rhetoric on campus. Bring informed debate back to universities

Students understandably want to feel that their investment of time and money will pay off in the not-too-far future. A STEM degree  science, tech, engineering and math  often opens up more and better-paid career opportunities than those in other majors. As a result, fewer students are signing up for non-STEM majors and courses, and colleges, already wondering how theyll survive declines in enrollment, are in turn shrinking those departments.

University humanities and social sciences departments also have been demonized by the far right as hotbeds of "wokeism," fuzzy thinking and rampant liberalism, where some conservative students and professors say they're made to feel unwelcome when they are not taking a progressive stance.

Read more: Editorial: A welcome revolt against the flawed college ranking system

In North Carolina, the Legislature passed a budget this year that provides funding for new distinguished professorships only in STEM fields at the state's public universities.

Apparently, the legislators also dont care whether the state produces top-notch urban planners, crime solvers, social workers, psychologists and language translators, all of which fall within social sciences. Its a pound-foolish mistake as the colleges' reputations are likely to slide, making it harder to attract top students or faculty unless the schools can come up with their own money for the high-level professorships.

Read more: Opinion: The American university system is reviled at home but envied around the world. Why?

Theres nothing wrong with supporting STEM majors, which provide a path to well-paid, meaningful and fulfilling jobs. But universities were never meant to be merely career-prep schools. They also teach  or should teach  students how to think deeply and critically, analyze smartly, bring people together collaboratively, communicate articulately, as well as innovate and create. All of these traits are at the heart of humanities and social science studies.

They also happen to be traits highly valued by employers. According to a 2013 survey, more than 90% of employers agree that demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than an applicants college major, and that ethical judgment, integrity, intercultural skills and the ability to continue learning also were key. Similar surveys a few years later showed the same: Employers were looking for workers who were great communicators and possessed "soft" skills such as critical thinking.

Read more: Opinion: I'm co-teaching my college class with ChatGPT. Will it upstage me?

If a good future awaits people with these abilities, why are the non-STEM fields often viewed as career dead ends? This is where colleges have let their students down. Employers are looking for demonstrated capacity, which means they want applicants who have shown these abilities outside the classroom, in some mix of experience with campus organizations, volunteer gigs, internships and paid work. Relatively few colleges do a good job of providing students with those opportunities or guidance in how their studies might translate into rewarding careers.

Colleges that want the liberal arts to continue as robust fields of study need to reconsider the status quo. They should slim down tuition costs and ensure that students graduate with strong skills in critical and innovative thinking and in working with others. Those are abilities that are highly valued by employers in many different industries.

At the same time, right-wing politicians (and left-wing, for that matter) should be keeping their fingers out of how universities run their academic programs. They arent experts, and their attempts to control colleges arise from personal biases and political interests rather than from sound academic thinking. It seldom comes to good.

Socrates was convicted of impiety and corrupting the youths of Athens, and sentenced to drink poison hemlock. Daring ideas taught by great thinkers have long felt like a threat to petty minds.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has strongly condemned the continuing conflict in Sudan as it called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the country.

The call was made by the AU's Peace and Security Council in a communique issued Saturday that followed its recent meeting, which dwelt upon the current situation in conflict-affected Sudan.

The council "strongly condemns the ongoing unjustified and destructive conflict between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which has had grave consequences on security and humanitarian situation in Sudan and neighboring countries," the statement said.

It further condemned the "indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians, wanton destruction of infrastructure, including diplomatic premises, and wholesale looting of civilian homes and property, and the sexual abuse of women and girls, all in violation of international humanitarian and human rights law."

Noting that there can be no viable and sustainable military solution to the conflict, the council stressed that only genuine, truly representative and all-inclusive Sudanese dialogue can lead to an amicable and sustainable solution to the current situation.

The council reiterated its demand to the conflicting parties to "immediately and unconditionally ceasefire and to end the unnecessary conflict which has resulted in the untold loss of lives, injuries and sufferance to innocent civilians, in particular women and children, and the deterioration of the already dire humanitarian situation in the country."

It, in particular, expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in Darfur, Kordofan and Khartoum, as well as in Abyei administrative area as the conflict spreads across the country.

It called upon all parties to ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Sudan, in accordance with relevant provisions of international law, and in line with the UN guiding principles of humanitarian assistance. 
Superstitious beachcombers who spot glass glinting along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico ought to exercise caution  "witch bottles" intended to entomb malevolent spirits are popping up along the coast, one researcher said.



On a 60-mile stretch of beach near Corpus Christi, Texas, monitored by the Harte Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, eight of the curious artifacts have washed up onshore since 2017, per researcher Jace Tunnell.



Tunnell pulled the most recent bottle, filled with vegetation, on Nov. 15  gooseneck barnacles that had clustered on the green glass indicated that the bottle had been floating for quite a while, the researcher said.

TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO MEDIA MATTERS FOR 'POTENTIAL FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY'

"I don't get creeped out by them, but I'm also not going to open them," Tunnell told Fox News Digital. "I mean, they're supposed to have spells and stuff in them  why take the chance?"



Instead, the researcher has reserved a sunlit section of his back fence to display his occult finds  "my wife says I can bring shells inside, but no spell bottles."



The bottles  which may be filled with a variety of items, including hair, herbs, local plants, nails or even bodily fluids  have traditionally been observed in the modern-day United Kingdom.

TEXAS BLOCKS SCHOOL CHOICE AS OTHER REPUBLICAN-LED STATES GO ALL-IN

A "witch bottle" recovered along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico on Nov. 15 by Jace Tunnell, a Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies researcher.

There, nearly 200 have been recovered by unnerved contractors and homeowners hidden in walls or buried underground, per the McGill University Office of Science and Society.



"Back in the 16th and 17th centuries there was a powerful belief in witches and their ability to cause illness by casting a spell," the society reports.

DELAWARE'S COASTAL TREASURES AWAIT EXPLORATION

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Tunnell keeps his collection of eight bottles recovered over the past six years on a fence in his backyard  he said his wife won't let him bring them inside.

"But the evil spells could be fended off by trapping them in a witch bottle, which if properly prepared, could actually reflect the spell itself while also tormenting the witch, leaving the witch with no option but to remove the spell, allowing the victim to recover."



Bottles that contained metal items like nails may be buried by the hearth to "energize the nails into breaking a witchs spell," the William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research said in a statement when a similar item was found buried in Virginia.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE WRITTEN BY MASSACHUSETTS 5TH GRADER FOUND IN FRANCE 26 YEARS LATER

Joan Garland, another researcher with the institute, can be seen holding a mysterious bottle.

Others might be buried on the corner of a property, or in some traditions, a dung pile.



Less than a dozen remnants of the practice have been discovered in the U.S., per William & Mary.



In a YouTube video discussing his growing collection, Tunnell said some spell casters may throw their bottles into the ocean. However, he told Fox News Digital, it is unclear whether the bottles were swept into a river and then the ocean by rainwater.

DETRIOIT MOM ARRESTED FOR ABANDONING SHIVERING TODDLER ON BEACH AS WAVES WASHED OVER HIM: POLICE

According to the McGill University Office for Science and Society, the most common items found in "witch bottles" are nails and human urine. But in Tunnell's experience, the bottles he's found are primarily filled with vegetation.

"When it comes to manmade debris, it's about telling people if you see a piece of trash on the ground, pick it up," Tunnell said of the impetus for the Harte Institute's beachcombing YouTube series, launched in the aftermath of Hurricane Hanna to raise awareness about what is washing up on the shores of the Gulf.



"A lot of the stuff we find, even if it's way inland, gets into the nearest waterway if it rains. Where does that go? The ocean," Tunnell said.

The "witch bottles" are thought to contain malevolent spirits or trap "harmful intentions directed at their owners," Tunnell said.

Among other items found along the Gulf of Mexico's beaches and shown to the channel's viewers in over 180 episodes and counting are an abandoned drone, a lost lifepod, lost ship supplies and about 30 messages in bottles.



Although Tunnell and other researchers can often get some idea of where washed-up objects float in from based on weather and tide patterns, it's anyone's guess where the spell bottles originate from  Tunnell doesn't suspect they were made in the U.S.



Some of the bottles, he told Fox News Digital, come in distinct, "real thin yellow vinegar bottles" manufactured in Haiti that often "have sea turtle bites in them" when they arrive onshore.

It is unclear whether spell casters throw the bottles into the ocean, or whether rainwater carries them from inland.

"But that's just sort of a guess, that they're coming from somewhere in the Carribean or South America," Tunnell conceded.





Original article source: Eerie 'witch bottles' found along Gulf of Mexico, and even researchers are creeped out
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received a call from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday to discuss obstacles threatening Israel's truce with Hamas and ways to reach a comprehensive ceasefire, Egypt's foreign ministry said.

During the phone call, Shoukry stressed the need to build on the truce while implementing the United Nations Security Council resolution issued on Nov. 15 which calls for humanitarian pauses that can allow aid into Gaza, the ministry said in a statement.

(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba; Writing by Adam Makary; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Fox 13s Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto says we are in the midst of a strong El Nino pattern that will remain in place for the foreseeable future. In store could be a stormy winter and with it, funny things seem to happen in the Gulf of Mexico.

Above normal rainfall (along with potential of severe weather) is expected this winter in Florida with El Nino conditions expected to persist into the spring, Dellegatto wrote on social media. Stormy weather puts fish on the move and in an eating mood.

While Thanksgiving Day might have been cooler than weeks past, a few days before, I was able to venture offshore before strong winds set in. It was unseasonably warm and after loading up the livewell with bait at the Sunshine Skyway, my eyes were set west of Egmont Key around 15 miles to search for hogfish or snapper and the potential of a shallow water tuna.

But the venture was distracted early. While running out of Egmont Channel, thrashing fish and birds crashing the surface caught our attention. A closer look tarpon? It was the week of Thanksgiving and it looked like late May with the middle of the crab flush in Tampa Bay.

There were probably 1,000 of the silver kings in the school that seemed to go for a half-mile or more along the edge of the sandbar. In an attempt to hook up with a late-season tarpon, we sat up tide and presented bait perfectly into them for a half-hour that they had no interest in. But the sight was amazing and set the tone for a day of odd occurrences ahead.

Heading west, we finally set up in about 55 feet of water to target hogfish on small ledges. A few porgies ate first and then a small hogfish came aboard before being released.

If youve ever hooked a hogfish, you know the bigger ones fight extremely hard. They pull and dig sideways, never making it easy. The problem with this was multiple sharks seemed to want the hooked hogfish more than we did. So not one, not two, but no less than seven times did sharks take the hogfish we had hooked and cut off the line, Hogball jig included.

After a few, we moved to heavier tackle to reel faster. Even then we saw the sharks below in the clean water eat one of the hogfish.

Reeling as fast as possible didnt seem to help. The only option we had was to keep moving and the unfortunate shark encounters happened in five different spots. It was truly heartbreaking. We still managed eight keeper-sized of the tasty wrasse.

But the most interesting catch occurred on a flatline whitebait. At one of the spots in 51 feet of water, I saw a decent-sized mahi swim right by the boat. In tow was the line from our rod in its mouth, meaning it ate the bait and was swimming freely with it. I reeled tight and the mahi went airborne.

After about a 7-minute fight, the fast grower was caught. While they can be caught nearly worldwide, mahi arent known for being in the shallow Gulf much beyond summertime. It was a cool sight, and one I was surprised to see that we werent alone in. Other anglers have continued landing mahi catches throughout the fall.

If we end up in a stormy pattern with low-pressure systems, it could make for an interesting winter time on the Gulf. It will constantly put fish on the move and therefore feed more often.

Ive had some amazing kingfishing days with the chance at a shallow-water tuna if temperatures stay above 70 degrees in the Gulf. The biggest problem might be finding a good weather window to sneak, as calm days may be few and far between.
Sir Keir Starmer will on Monday tell the Greek prime minister he is open to the Elgin Marbles being loaned to Athens if a mutually acceptable deal can be struck with the British Museum.

But the Labour leader is expected to say he has no intention of changing a law which blocks the institution from handing the sculptures back to Greece on a permanent basis.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said he will raise the long-running row over the Marbles with both Sir Keir and Rishi Sunak during his visit to London, arguing that keeping the antiquities in Britain is equivalent to cutting the Mona Lisa in half.

In response, the Labour leader, whose constituency is home to the British Museum, will make clear that his party would not oppose a loan arrangement. He will also say, however, he has no plans to revisit the 1963 British Museum Act, which prevents the institution from disposing of objects from its collection except in very limited circumstances.

A source close to the Labour leader told the Financial Times: Were sticking with the existing law, but if a loan deal that is mutually acceptable to the British Museum and the Greek government can be agreed, we wont stand in the way.

It will raise Greek hopes for a breakthrough under Labour, as the Government has previously indicated that long-term loans would not be within the spirit of its position.

Greece maintains the Marbles were stolen

Athens has long demanded the return of the sculptures, which were removed from Greece by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

Last year, British Museum chairman George Osborne proposed a way out of the stalemate with a deal which would allow the Marbles to be loaned to Athens. This was followed by talk of a Parthenon partnership to ease relations between the disputing parties.

Greece, however, has always maintained the Marbles were stolen by Lord Elgin in an example of British imperialist plundering. In order to secure their loan, Greek politicians would have to accept that Britain legally acquired and owns the collection of sculptures and friezes.

A potential cultural exchange was touted earlier this year, which could see the Marbles temporarily returned in a swap for artefacts shipped from Greece as a form of collateral. But the talks hit a stumbling block in August when Greek archaeologists urged their government to cease negotiations with the museum, warning the Marbles were not safe there following a series of thefts from its collection.

Mr Mitsotakis said it was a question of reunification, rather than ownership, insisting the statues rightful home was in the purpose-built Acropolis Museum.

He told the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: This is not in my mind an ownership question, this is a reunification argument, where can you best appreciate what is essentially one monument?

I mean, its as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half, and you will have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum, do you think your viewers would appreciate the beauty of the painting in such a way?

Well, this is exactly what happened with the Parthenon sculptures and that is why we keep lobbying for a deal that would essentially be a partnership between Greece and the British Museum but would allow us to return the sculptures to Greece and have people appreciate them in their original setting.

Weve waited hundreds of years

Mr Sunak, speaking in March, said there were no plans to change the law affecting the Marbles.

Mr Mitsotakis said: We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations, but again, Im a patient man and weve waited for hundreds of years and I will persist in these discussions.

Asked if it can be done within his time as prime minister, he added: I would hope so, yes, I was just elected.

A British Museum spokesman said: Discussions with Greece about a Parthenon Partnership are on-going and constructive.

We believe that this kind of long term partnership would strike the right balance between sharing our greatest objects with audiences around the world, and maintaining the integrity of the incredible collection we hold at the museum.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
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A nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl is among the latest hostages to be freed by Hamas in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Emily Hand is one of 17 people handed over late on Saturday.

The Israel Prison Service said 41 Palestinians had been freed under the hostage agreement.

Emily's father Tom Hand said the family could not "find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days".

"We are happy to hug Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all of the hostages who have yet to come back. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring them back home," he said.

He said thanked everyone who "helped and hugged us" while Emily was held.

Tanaiste (Irish deputy PM) Micheal Martin said "a bright and beautiful girl" had been released.

He said it was "a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family".

'Strength and resilience'

"The people of Ireland have been touched by Emily's story, innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father Tom," Mr Martin said.

He said he had met Mr Hand and had been "struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughter's release".

"This is a message that I and my colleagues in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally though political, diplomatic and security channels in a bid to secure Emily's safe return," he added.

Four Thai nationals who had been held hostage in Gaza were also freed on Saturday night.

In a statement the Israeli prime minister's office said: "The Israeli government embraces the 17 abductees who returned to Israel, 13 of our citizens and four Thai citizens who returned to Israel today."

An earlier delay to a release of hostages was resolved following mediation with Egypt and Qatar.

Mr Martin said he wanted to acknowledge the role played by the "US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved" in securing Emily's release.

However, he added that he was aware "many more hostages remain in the hands of Hamas," and called for all of them to be released.

Varadkar criticised, ambassador summoned

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar said "prayers had been answered".

"This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family," he said.

"An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief."

However, his post has been criticised by Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who accused him of losing his moral compass.

"Emily Hand was not 'lost', she was kidnapped by a terror organisation worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

He later wrote that he had "summoned the Irish ambassador to Israel for a reprimand" following Mr Varadkar's "outrageous" comments.

It is unclear when the ambassador, Sonya McGuinness, will be summoned or what action will be taken.

Mr. Prime Minister,

It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check!

Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organization worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother.

Emily and more than 30 other Israeli children were taken hostage by Hamas, https://t.co/CD5wIZJN4i    | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) November 26, 2023

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald also welcomed the news of Emily Hand's release.

"The trauma and heartbreak that little Emily and her family have been subjected to over the last number of weeks is unimaginable," she said.

"I commend the mediators' efforts, including the government of Qatar and all other neighbouring states, for the constructive role that they have played in securing the release of Emily and the other hostages, as well as Palestinian women and children who were imprisoned under administrative detention, who are finally reuniting with their loved ones today."

She called for all hostages be released urgently and for an immediate full ceasefire to be in place.

The released hostages arrived in Israel on Saturday night, the country's military said.

Israel Defence Forces said the hostages had undergone an initial medical assessment before being taken to hospitals and reunited with their families.

My statement on the release on Emily Hand. pic.twitter.com/hU1ENiJJrh  Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) November 25, 2023

Emily had been held without any of her family with her.

Her father spoke at a press conference in London on Monday, crying as he said he was sure his daughter would be asking every day: "Where's my daddy, why didn't he come to save me?"

Mr Hand has been campaigning around the world for his daughter's release.

He had originally been told she had been killed.

She turned nine while being held by Hamas. He said he realised it would take a long time to fix the mental trauma his little girl will have suffered.

Israel's military began attacking Gaza after Hamas fighters crossed the border on 7 October, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking more than 200 hostages.

The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 14,500 people have been killed in Gaza - more than a third of them children - since Israel began its retaliatory action.

Under the terms of the Israel-Hamas temporary truce, a total of 50 hostages will be released during a four-day pause in fighting which began on 24 November at 07:00 (05:00 GMT).

Hamas said 150 Palestinian women and teenagers will be released from Israeli jails under the deal, and hundreds of lorries of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and fuel will be allowed into Gaza.
ESCONDIDO, Calif.  The Escondido Police Department (EPD) is accepting toy donations for child victims of abuse, neglect and violent crime to help spread joy this holiday season.

New, unwrapped toys for boys and girls, newborn to 18 years old, will be accepted through Friday, Dec. 1. Gift card donations for coffee shops, department stores, food, movie theatres and more, are recommended for the older children.

Toys for Tots: Toy donation boxes now open at these San Diego airports

Donation drop off locations include:

Escondido PD Front Lobby  1163 N Centre City Pky, Escondido 92026

Escondido Federal Credit Union  201 N Broadway, Escondido, 92025

Escondido City Hall  201 N Broadway, Escondido, 92025

Blue Mug Coffee & Tea  1882 W El Norte Pky, Escondido, 92026

CrossFit Point A  969 Rancheros Dr. Suite A, San Marcos, 92069

More information about the toy drive can be found on the EPDs page on X, formerly Twitter.

The gifts will be distributed to children who have been the victims of abuse, neglect and violent crime at the annual EPD Childrens Christmas Party in early December. Along with gift giving, the childrens party will also have food, a magic show, arts and crafts, face painting and a visit with Santa Claus.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
Finnish Border Guards escort migrants arriving at the Raja-Jooseppi international border crossing station on Saturday in Inari - the only crossing point open on Finland's eastern border - LEHTIKUVA/VIA REUTERS/REUTERS

Dozens of additional EU guards will be sent to Finlands border with Russia this week after Moscow was accused of attempting to destabilise the bloc by funnelling migrants across the frontier.

A 50-strong group of Frontex officers will be deployed to help patrol the 833 mile-long border, the agency said, describing it as a significant reinforcement. The first group will be at the frontier on Wednesday.

More than 800 migrants from nations including Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen have entered Finland via Russia in recent weeks, according to the Finnish Border Guard.

Helsinki says Moscow is funnelling migrants to the border in retaliation for its decision to increase defence cooperation with the United States, a charge the Kremlin has denied.

Frontex director Hans Leijtens said the move to send additional guards and other staff to Finland along with equipment such as patrol cars was a demonstration of the European Unions unified stand against hybrid challenges affecting one of its members.

Frontex currently has 10 officers working at the Finnish borders.

It too may be shut

Finland has responded to the flow of migrants from its eastern neighbour by closing all but one of its eight border crossings with Russia.

The Raja-Jooseppi crossing in the far-northern arctic region has remained open, though Helsinki has signalled it may too be shut over the crisis.

Meanwhile, Russian authorities have indicated they will ferry more migrants to the border.

On Friday, the governor of Russias northwestern Murmansk region said officials were planning to transport 55 migrants from the shuttered Salla border crossing to the Raja-Jooseppi crossing.

Another 200 foreign nationals who were unable to cross the border have decided to stay in Russia and will be provided with a bus connection to St Petersburg, Governor Andrei Chibis said after the region declared a heightened state of readiness.

Baltic nations Estonia and Latvia, like Finland, have accused Moscow of sending migrants to their borders with Russia in what all three countries have described as hybrid attack operations.

Dozens of deaths

Similar tactics have been used by Russian ally Belarus on its border with Poland, where dozens of deaths have been documented in recent months amid freezing winter conditions.

Minna Alander, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute of National Affairs, said Russia was seeking to create a dilemma that involves international security, and national and international law as well humanitarian concerns.

This is a targeted movement of these people to the Finnish border to put pressure on Finland to react, she said.

Helsinki infuriated the Kremlin earlier this year when it joined Nato, ending decades of non-alignment in response to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The move doubled the length of the transatlantic alliances member states borders with Russia.

Vladimir Putin had repeatedly complained of Natos expansion before ordering Russias forces into Ukraine.

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Monique Olivier is currently serving a life sentence for her role in the murder of four other murders and a rape committed by Michel Fourniret - Getty Images/Francois Nascimbeni

The ex-wife of a notorious French serial killer dubbed the Ogre of the Ardennes will stand trial this week over the murder of a British woman more than 30 years ago.

Monique Olivier, 75, will be questioned about her role in the killing of Joanna Parrish, whose naked body was discovered in a river in central France in 1990.

The hearing, which is set to begin on Tuesday, will run for three weeks and also interrogate Oliviers alleged role in two other murders.

The crimes date back to 1988 in the case of Marie-Angele Domece, who disappeared aged 18 from Auxerre, and 2003, when nine-year-old Estelle Mouzin was abducted  despite intensive searches both bodies have never been found.

Michel Fourniret  who was charged with abduction, rape and murder in the cases  died in 2021, aged 79, before he could be brought to trial. He was dubbed the Ogre of the Ardennes by media after the hilly region on the French-Belgium border where he lived and preyed on his victims.

Olivier, who was married to Fourniret, is charged with aiding and abetting the kidnapping and murder of Ms Parrish and Ms Domece. Her third charge is for complicity in the disappearance of Ms Mouzin.

Tuesdays trial will mark the first time Ms Parrishs killing is interrogated in court. For 30 years, her case had gone cold until Fourniret admitted in 2018 to brutally killing her while he was already serving a life sentence for seven other murders.

In 2018 Michel Fourniret admitted to killing Joanna Parrish in 1990 - AP/Bruno Arnold

At the time of Fourinets death two years ago, Joannas father Roger Parrish told the Telegraph that French authorities should have done more to expedite his trial for Joannas killing. Their failure to do so stripped Ms Parrishs family of the chance to see her killer face justice, he said.

[A trial] would have offered us some closure, Mr Parrish said.

Ms Parrish, 20, who studied French and Spanish at Leeds University, was teaching English at a high school in the Burgundy town of Auxerre at the time of her abduction. She was snatched by Fourniret after placing an advertisement in a local newspaper offering English lessons.

An autopsy showed that she had been drugged, raped and strangled before being dumped in the river Yonne.

Olivier is currently serving a life sentence for her role in four other murders and a rape committed by Fourniret.

In 2018, 10 years after her initial sentencing, Olivier was given a further 20 years jail for her part in the killing of Farida Hammiche, the wife of one of Fournirets former cellmates.

In 2019, she overturned her husbands alibi for the day Ms Mouzin disappeared, prompting him to admit responsibility months later. Fourniret had earlier admitted killing Ms Parrish and Ms Domece.

I am the only one responsible for their fates... If those people had never crossed my path, they would still be alive, he told investigators.

Estelle Mouzin was just nine when she was abducted in 2003 - AFP/Jean-Pierre Muller

Olivier said in 2020 that her husband kidnapped, raped and killed Ms Mouzin, a fragment of whose DNA was found on a mattress seized from the couples home in 2003. And in 2021 she admitted her own role in the case for the first time, saying she was with her husband when he buried the girls body near a forest in the Ardennes.

Criminal experts have been divided on whether Olivier may have driven Fourniret to kill. Some have characterised her as the puppeteer who pulled the strings, possessed of a penchant for perverse behaviour.

In the early 1980s she fled from her violent first husband, with whom she had two children, before becoming a pen pal of Fourniret while he was serving a jail sentence for rape.

The two sealed a pact that she would find him virgins to rape if he would kill her then-husband  which he never did. They lived together after he was released in 1987, buying a chateau with stolen gold dug up from a graveyard, and had a son together.

The pair are the deadliest couple in French legal history and criminal experts believe there could be dozens more victims yet to be accounted for.

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It seems the Gulf Stream could use a Flomax prescription.

Thats because experts are monitoring troubling data regarding slowing water flow through the Florida Straits. The result could be altered weather patterns in North America, Europe, and other places around the world.

Experts are 99% certain that the stream has weakened, slowing about 4% during the last four decades, per a report from Space.com.

Whats the Gulf Stream?

It is a powerful ocean flow that carries warm Gulf of Mexico water to the Atlantic, traveling up the East Coast to Canada. It impacts weather in Europe, too, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The stream is powered by strong, circular wind patterns, per NOAA.

Why is it slowing?

While most climate experts agree that human-caused planet overheating is increasing the odds of more severe weather, they cant say for sure that its causing this change in the Gulf. Increased fresh water from melting ice sheets could be impacting the stream, but experts are not sure, according to Space.com.

It could be due to climate change, or something natural, Weather Channel meteorologist Ari Sarsalari said in a video clip.

Planet overheating is already contributing to warming waters in the North Sea that experts fear will wreak havoc on underwater life.

Researchers studying the Gulf Stream have some data to help forecast repercussions from its slowing. Sarsalari referenced data that suggested a 10% Gulf Stream slowdown may have triggered the Little Ice Age, a cooldown that happened from about 1200 to 1850, per Reuters (date range estimates vary slightly).

Britannica notes that during that period, the mean annual temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere declined [by 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit] relative to the average temperature between [the years] 1000 and 2000 CE.

The current 4% slowing is not quite Little Ice Age territory, but it could be an early indicator of changes to come, according to some experts.

This is the strongest, most definitive evidence we have of the weakening of this climatically-relevant ocean current, study lead author Christopher Piecuch, a physical oceanographer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, said in the Space.com story.

What can I do?

As weather patterns change, its important to understand how the differences impact parts of our lives that we might not consider. Certain insurance companies, for example, are not offering coverage to areas with high natural disaster rates.

Its something to think about when choosing where to live.

To help cool things down (which will have many benefits, even improving our kids education), buying electric vehicles and planting trees are ways to contribute to cleaner air and a cooler planet as part of a lifestyle that helps to reduce air pollution.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
Nestled just west of the picturesque Overland Park Arboretum, a hidden gem is emerging on the Kansas City real estate landscape  Wolf Run. This promising new home community seamlessly blends the expertise of some of the citys finest homebuilders, a tempting array of amenities, competitive pricing, and the coveted allure of a southern Overland Park address.

Wolf Run, situated near the intersection of 177th Street and Pflumm, beckons homebuyers with an impressive model row showcasing the craftsmanship of renowned builders such as Gabriel Homes, Pauli Homes, Calyn Homes, and Crestwood Custom Homes. The development doesnt just promise homes; it promises a lifestylea harmonious marriage of luxury and nature.

The model row stands as a testament to the quality that Wolf Run offers. Each home is a canvas, waiting for its owners to leave an indelible mark, with options ranging from stately designs to homes exhibiting modern elegance.

And now, the excitement reaches new heights as Wolf Run proudly announces the availability of its second phase. Forty-six new lots are now open for those ready to build their dream homes.

The 2nd phase is a testament to the demand Wolf Run has garnered, an affirmation that this community is not just a place to live but a destination to call home.

For those considering a move to Wolf Run, homes are priced from the $600,000s. The spectrum of home styles and finishes caters to various tastes and preferences. Whether you envision a classic architectural masterpiece or a contemporary haven, Wolf Run has the blueprint for your dream home.

Prospective homeowners need not limit their dreams to blueprints and renderings alone. Wolf Run offers an immersive experience with several homes currently in various stages of construction, ready to be explored and claimed. Its the perfect blend of customization and convenience, allowing buyers to choose between building from the ground up or settling into a meticulously crafted home.

This neighborhood extends beyond being a mere assembly of houses; it embodies a thoughtfully crafted way of life. Beyond the confines of these splendid residences, a multitude of amenities awaits, meticulously designed to enhance the daily lives of its residents. An upcoming amenity center, complete with a pool and play structure, is poised to add another layer of leisure and recreation. This is a community that places importance not only on the physical structures that shelter its residents but also on the communal spaces that foster connection and shared experiences.

For those eager to explore the offerings of Wolf Run firsthand, daily tours of the model row are available. This is more than a chance to witness the craftsmanship; its an invitation to imagine the life that awaits within these walls. The model row is a tangible preview of the possibilities that come with choosing Wolf Run as your home.

For additional information and to take the next step toward your dream home, Wolf Run has made the process seamless. A visit to their website, WolfRunKS.com, provides a comprehensive overview of the community, from available lots to detailed information about each builder. Alternatively, prospective homeowners can connect directly with the community managers at 913-777-6365.

Wolf Run isnt just a housing development. Its a testament to the evolving definition of home  a place where luxury meets nature, where craftsmanship is celebrated, and where community is more than a concept; its a way of life. The 2nd phase signals the continued growth and success of this exceptional community, inviting you to be a part of its story, to build your legacy amid the beauty of southern Overland Park.

Wolf Run

Prices: Homes starting in the $600,000s.

Hours: Monday to Sunday 12PM to 5PM or by appointment

Directions: From 175th and Pflumm Road head south on Pflumm Road. Turn left (east) on Haskins St. into the neighborhood. Model office is located at 17649 Haskins St, Overland Park, KS 66013.

For more information contact: Cooper Patterson and Ken Jansen: 913-777-6787

Website: wolfrunks.com
VIENNA, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed after a small plane flying from the Czech Republic to Croatia crashed in the Austrian state of Upper Austria on Saturday afternoon, local police said.

The single-engined Rockwell Commander 112B aircraft was en route from the central Czech town of Pribram to the southern Croatian town of Medulin when it crashed into the Kasberg Mountain in Upper Austria, according to Austrian news agency APA.

The victims are yet to be identified, and police investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. 
State Journal-Register First Citizen Patricia Benanti in the sorting room at St. Martin de Porres Center in Springfield earlier this month. Benanti started volunteering at the center after her brother, the late Jim Brahler, asked her.

Patricia Benanti of Springfield has volunteered at St. Martin de Porres Center for nearly 25 years.

A great part of her motivation to help people in need with donations of food, clothing, and other household items came, she said, from the example set by her parents, Ella and C.J. Brahler.

Benanti said her mother and father regularly fed homeless men who trudged down the alleys with pushcarts near their north end home.

More: Springfield philanthropist, businesswoman Evelyn Brandt Thomas named SJ-R First Citizen

"One Thanksgiving, one of my sisters turned away one of these guys because we were busy, and Mother was very unhappy because they knew about our home," Benanti recalled. "We would cook for them and feed them.

"I thought it was wonderful (my parents) did that. They were very kind. I'm hoping that I'm carrying this on."

For her work at the center, Benanti, 92, is the 2023 State Journal-Register First Citizen Award winner.

This is the 60th year the award has been given out in recognition of Springfield-area residents who give selflessly of their time and resources in service to others.

Last year's recipient was Evelyn Brandt Thomas, who was cited for a range of philanthropic work over decades and her championing of education, particularly women in the field of agriculture. Brandt Thomas turned 100 over the summer.

The 2002 First Citizen, Gene Humphreville, managed St. Martin de Porres Center.

A committee considered nearly 20 nominations for the award.

In his nomination, Robert Mosely wrote Benanti epitomized "a life of service to others" and because of her longevity at the center "she has become the face of the organization."

Benanti's example of volunteerism, Mosely added, "flies under the radar for most of the citizens of Springfield, mostly because when a person is so good at doing something, their execution appears effortless. Such is the case with Mrs. Benanti who continues to fiercely attack the struggles of so many disadvantaged individuals in our community, with the effortless ease of a seasoned professional."

A native of Springfield who attended St. Joseph Grade School and Ursuline Academy, Benanti said she was coaxed into volunteering at the center by her brother, Jim Brahler, a longtime Springfield businessman. Another brother, John, managed it, while her sister, Mary Jo, also volunteered there.

St. Martin de Porres was started by the late Sister Mary Dominic Joerger, a Springfield Dominican nun. The second-grade teacher at St. Patrick Grade School noticed that students needed clothing and three other parishes  Christ the King in Springfield, St. Jude in Rochester and St. Peter in Petersburg  pitched in for a clothing drive.

The center, named for a 16th-century Dominican who was in charge of giving money to the poor, moved into its current location, a former Hardee's restaurant, in 1990. Two years later, a Franciscan nun, the late Sister Helen Frances Winkler, started a food pantry.

St. Martin de Porres, said Springfield Diocese spokesman Andrew Hansen, is "a separate Catholic non-profit organization," though the diocese supports its work.

All items are free of charge and the center is open to the public for shopping from 9 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Benanti described her first day of volunteering at the center as "overwhelming."

"It was overwhelming because it was an experience I had only heard about," she recalled. "You never know there are this many people who need help. The numbers over the years have increased.

"I'm seeing a second generation of people, so this is the only thing they knew. They were taught to come here to shop."

While her brother and sister stayed on the food side of the operation, Benanti moved over to the clothing side because a couple of longtime volunteers were ready to give it up.

Three days a week  it was four days a week until recently  for about two-and-a-half hours, Benanti sorts clothes. Donations have increased since volunteers returned after the COVID pandemic, she said. Tables are stacked with all sorts of clothing in varying sizes while sacks of clothes line the walls.

"This is moderate," Benanti said of the volume.

These days, Benanti uses a chair most of the time because of an arthritic back. Otherwise, she is on the go, still driving, and wouldn't think of missing a day at the center.

A rainbow in the storm: Erica Austin confronts cancer and inspires others along the way

"What keeps me motivated is that I feel I can be of use and rather than sit at home in a chair, I would much rather be here doing something for somebody, giving back," she insisted.

Another thing that keeps Benanti coming back? Her co-workers.

"I've met some of the kindest and nicest people in my lifetime here as volunteers," she said. "These were businesspeople and a lot of them were Jim's friends. We were a large family (of 10 children), so a lot of people knew us."

The sentiment is mutual, said Jerry Hollis, a former banker who also was recruited to volunteer by Jim Brahler.

"She's an honest person," Hollis said. "Her heart's in the right place. And she's organized. I can't say enough good things about her.

"COVID kind of depleted the volunteer group, but they decided to come back. She called me. She said if we come back, will you come back? You can't say 'no.'"

Benanti met her husband, Sam, when both worked at SS Kresge's in downtown Springfield. She worked at the candy counter and Sam worked in the stockroom. At that time, she also volunteered as a "pink coat" doing all sorts of duties at St. John's Hospital.

The couple was married 64 years before Sam, later a partner with R.D. Lawrence Construction Co., died in 2015.

Patricia Benanti worked as a telephone operator for Illinois Bell before raising five children  Gregory, Richard, John, Mary Pat (McDaniels) and Nancy (Cawley)  some of whom also volunteered at the center.

Just being nominated as First Citizen was "humbling," Benanti said.

"There are so many people out there who do really good things, and I just have been doing what I love," she said. "Anything you love, it's not work."

Contact Steven Spearie at 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; or X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Longtime St. Martin de Porres Center volunteer is SJ-R First Citizen
DEL VALLE  Irene Ray knows her bus routes well: Take the 271, transfer at the library to the 311, then transfer again just past Interstate 35 onto the 801.

Thats to get Ray from her Del Valle address to the H-E-B at East Slaughter Lane and South Congress Avenue, her supermarket of choice. The 801, 10, 311 and 271 bus routes bring her home. If traffic flows well, each half of the commute can be completed in an hour and a half.

The semi-retired 76-year-old makes the trek regularly, often once a week, to buy fresh produce at an economical price and look for specific products, such as dog foods and types of fideo, that she said either are not available or are priced high at the convenience stores and mini-markets in her neighborhood. Ray cannot drive for medical reasons, and she relies on the bus whenever her husband leaves town for work. The trips remain somewhat supplemental  between the biweekly grocery stops she does with her husband  but she believes them crucially important to eating as she wants to eat.

It can be too much of a hassle sometimes. My legs are hurting, Ray said of her bus commutes. Theres a lot of us that are already too old to be going too far away out there.

Irene Ray walks away with her groceries from the H-E-B on South Congress Avenue near Slaughter Lane to a nearby bus stop on Tuesday. Ray rides buses from her home in Del Valle to the H-E-B to get products that she said either are not available or are priced high at the convenience stores and mini-markets in her neighborhood.

Like many members of her partially unincorporated community, Ray has long wished for a comprehensive grocery store in her neighborhood. Del Valle has none, despite the waves of development that have brought apartment complexes, trailer parks and houses onto the once-rugged prairie. The most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau placed the population living within the Del Valle school district boundaries  which includes Del Valle, the eastern part of Montopolis and part of eastern Travis County from Hornsby Bend south  at approximately 85,000. Yet, for local food access, residents remain reliant on convenience stores, mini-grocers and charitable food distribution.

Old and new calls for an H-E-B in Del Valle

Concerns over food access have long been on the minds of Del Valle residents. Patricia King, vice president of the Del Valle Community Coalition, says the topic is what first involved her in neighborhood activism in 2010, when she first circulated a petition to show grocers need in her community.

In 2016, H-E-B bought a 17.2-acre property off Texas 71 and FM 973 in Del Valle as part of a mixed-used site now known as Velocity. Optimism followed, despite H-E-B cautioning that it did not have a timeline for developing its parcel.

Community activist Patricia King plays bingo during a Meals on Wheels event at the Travis County Community Center at Del Valle on Nov. 16. King organizes weekly events at the community center to feed Del Valle residents and create opportunities to socialize.

The growth of Del Valle and other eastern Travis County communities in the years since  in part from residents priced out of the citys more central neighborhoods  has invigorated community members who said they have long been told they dont have enough households to support a store.

Tesla has now headquartered in the area; we have all these new housing developments being built left and right, you can drive down there and see all the new rooftops, District 2 Austin City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes said. We've been on the receiving end of changes for the last number of years. And yet we don't even get the basics.

Fuentes tweeted a public letter to H-E-B CEO Howard Butt II on Oct. 30, urging the company to prioritize the construction of the Del Valle site. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar and state Sen. Judith Zaffirini have added their support.

H-E-B did not respond to the American-Statesmans requests for comment last week. However, Leslie Sweet, H-E-Bs spokesperson for Central Texas, told KXAN this month that the company purchases its property well in advance of our current real estate needs.

We expanded our H-E-B Home Delivery service to Del Valle residents, and are also making substantial investments in food access partnerships in an effort to take immediate action towards improving food access, she told the station.

Irene Ray gets on the bus with her groceries to return to Del Valle. If traffic flows well, each half of the bus trip to and from her preferred H-E-B can be completed in an hour and a half.

In the years since it purchased the Del Valle land, H-E-B has begun and completed numerous other construction projects in Central Texas. In the last year, the company completed a store in Tarrytown, a Georgetown site in June, and another in the exurban, unincorporated community of Belterra in July. It is currently rebuilding its location on South Congress and Oltorf Street.

Its like a slap in the face. Every time they open up a new store, King said as she listed the H-E-Bs she has seen constructed. They make us feel like we dont count; its very discouraging as a community. It makes us feel like we arent good enough. But we are.

More: Austin approves resolution aimed at combating food insecurity in food-insecure areas

King added that she believes the community has no option besides putting pressure on H-E-B because no companies will "come out here as long as H-E-B has that property. They have too much power.

A retail industry analyst told the Statesman last year that H-E-B controls an estimated 60% of the Austin grocery market.

Volunteer Berlinda Chavarria serves food to visitors during a Meals on Wheels event in Del Valle on Nov. 16.

Long commutes, low frequencies

The side of Austin east of I-35 has fewer grocery options than the western side. The city of Austins 2017 mapping project located 77 healthy food stores west of I-35 compared with 22 east of it.

No major grocers exist east of U.S. 183, and the closest large supermarket for most Del Valle residents is the H-E-B on East Riverside Drive and South Pleasant Valley Road.

Many will drive about 20 miles east to the H-E-B in Bastrop or choose to go west to Austin locations. The farther the store, the less frequent trips they tend to make.

JoAnn Rogerio, 56, an administrative assistant who has been a Del Valle resident since 2007, chooses to frequent the H-E-B on East Slaughter and South Congress for the bulk of her groceries. The 40- to 60-minute total commute means that she and her family try to make the trip only once every two to three weeks. Such infrequent trips, she said, leave the family consuming less fresh produce and more canned goods than theyd like to, Rogerio said.

JoAnn Rogerio, right, and her grandmother Lorenza Carreno, left, eat at the Nov. 16 Meals on Wheels event. Rogerio says the time it takes to reach her preferred H-E-B means that she and her family try to make the grocery trip only once every two to three weeks.

The quality is a lot different, Rogerio said. Just the texture, the feel, everything is much better when it's fresh as opposed to canned.

Edwin Marty, the city of Austins food policy manager, said most people dont shop near home, but based on preferences based on perceived quality and expense, as well as cultural inclinations.

Convenience for now. Whats next?

As it stands, residents can do some of their shopping at the collection of convenience stores, mini-markets and specialty grocers in the area. These stores offer produce and other goods, though the price, residents said, is often higher.

When they say 'convenience,' youre going to pay for that convenience, said retired Austins Colony resident Pat ONeil-Davis.

Austins Colony resident Pat O'Neil-Davis said her home is at least 30 minutes from the nearest grocery store. There are closer convenience stores, but she notes, When they say 'convenience,' youre going to pay for that convenience.

Austin and Travis County are currently drafting a joint Food Policy Plan, which Marty said is important as displacement trends show individuals leaving Austin for areas out in the county.

Municipal and nonprofit efforts have produced food distribution efforts to supplement food access. Organizations such as Equidad and El Buen Samaritano work with the Central Texas Food Bank to hold pop-up food distribution events in eastern communities like Del Valle. Other groups, like the Del Valle Community Coalition, have set up mobile food fridges.

For residents of Del Valle, these efforts will help keep fridges fuller for the time being.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Del Valle, Texas residents want better access to food, grocery store
Claim:

Images shared on social media authentically show Osama bin Laden posing with Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton.

Rating:

Rating: Fake

A series of images has been circulating on the internet, with captions claiming it depicted the infamous 9/11 mastermind, Osama bin Laden, posing alongside several prominent political figures, including former U.S. President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Only one post with the in-question photographs, shared in May 2023, gained over 119,000 views on X (formerly Twitter).

The collage was also attached to posts in various languages, such as Korean, Persian, or Spanish. "Thought I unfollowed them all," a post shared on Reddit in 2019 read:

TinEye search results showed that the collage has been shared online at least since 2015.

The first of the three pictures allegedly shows Barack Obama posing with bin Laden. However, the original version of that photo did not feature bin Laden. According to www.attyandrewooten.com website, it showed "Attorney Andre Wooten seen here having some quality time with Senator Barack Obama." The photo was captured when the senator visited Hawaii.

(X user @theMemesBot, www.attyandrewooten.com)

What's more, the image was used for the cover of the book "African American Attorneys In Hawaii," which at the time of this writing was available on Amazon.

The second picture allegedly shows Rice standing next to bin Laden. "Released Photo of Condoleezza Rice and Osama bin Laden in party 2 weeks before 9/11," one X post claimed.

Released Photo of Condoleezza Rice and Osama Bin Laden in party 2 weeks before 9/11 https://t.co/FH92KP49uj #svpol pic.twitter.com/VOkhnXWqcF  olofpalmskrutt (@olofpalmskrutt) February 19, 2015

Moreover, the above-mentioned post redirected to an article that read:

A newly declassified photo showing former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and super terrorist Osama Bin Laden has been released under the Freedom of Information Act. The photo purportedly shows the two partying at a wine and dine in an American owned bar at Kandahar, Afghanistan just two weeks before the infamous and fateful 9/11. Unnamed C.I.A. sources say the purpose of the soiree was to drug Bin Laden with truth serum and get him to divulge any impending terrorist plans. According to the sources Bin Laden got very drunk and was whisked away by his bodyguards before the truth serum could take affect.

We have also found a meme template featuring the picture with a title "September 11th 2001 Inside Job Controlled Demolition."

(imgflip.com)

In reality, the image was digitally edited, and we reported on it back in 2015. The photograph was originally created for an April Fool's Day Photoshop Contest in 2008 organized by FreakingNews.com, which described itself as a "photoshop contest site focusing on news, politics, and celebrities."

(X user @ElPizarronNene)

The third picture was also digitally edited for the the FreakingNews.com Photoshop Contest, similarly to the one featuring Condoleezza Rice. The organizer's directions for the contest read:

Contest Directions: Senator Hillary Clinton officially declared her bid for presidency 2008. Making her announcement Hillary said "I'm in". This is the phrase she rarely heard from Bill in their bedroom. In this contest you are asked to photoshop anything connected to Senator Hillary Clinton running for president of United States. Examples may be photoshopping magazine covers, campaign photos, or future presidency achievements.

We accessed the currently unavailable website of the contest via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, and the image's description in 2008 read "Going for the terrorist vote."

(www.freakingnews.com)

The original version of the picture could be found on www.swarmandal.com website and it showed Hillary Clinton shaking hands with an Indian musician, Shubhashish Mukherjee.

(X user @TopInfoBlogs, www.swarmandal.com)

In sum, all three photos visible in the viral image were digitally edited to insert the face of Osama bin Laden. Because of that we have rated this claim as Fake.

If you ever find a suspicious image on social media, free to send it to us so we can fact check it.

Sources:

Amazon.Com. https://www.amazon.com/African-American-Attorneys-Hawaii-Barbee-Wooten/dp/0986075515. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.

Attyandrewooten.Com. 7 Jan. 2020, https://web.archive.org/web/20200107162226/https://www.attyandrewooten.com/23a.html.

Hillary Clinton for President? Pictures - Strange Hillary Clinton for President? Pics. 21 Dec. 2007, https://web.archive.org/web/20071221112952/https://www.freakingnews.com/Hillary-Clinton-for-President-Pictures--1303.asp.

Home - Freaking News Pictures. 28 May 2018, https://web.archive.org/web/20180528191750/https://freakingnews.com/faq5.asp#11.

Mikkelson, David. Condoleezza Rice and Osama Bin Laden. Snopes, 19 Feb. 2015, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/condoleezza-and-osama/.

---. Hillary Clinton Meets Osama Bin Laden. Snopes, 5 June 2015, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hillary-clinton-meets-osama-bin-laden/.

Shubhashish Mukherjee. https://www.swarmandal.com/AsiaInWashington.html. Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.
The sad news arrived Thursday afternoon, while Americans everywhere were preparing to give thanks. It came via email from Sharon Casey, wife of Gene Casey, who shared that her husband had passed away last week in Florida at the age of 87.

KIRO Newsradio listeners might remember Gene Casey was last featured on Seattles Morning News in September.

Casey was retired and living in Florida, but on Nov. 17, 1955, he was a 19-year old U.S. Army Private returning from duty in Korea. His troop ship docked in Seattle on a snowy morning. That night, he boarded an old DC-4 airliner at Boeing Field for a cross-country trip back to his hometown of Chicago.

Moments after takeoff, the four-engine propeller plane went down in the Boulevard Park neighborhood behind a row of houses and broke apart. The DC-4 was full of fuel, and there was a big explosion, and many of the surviving passengers were badly burned. Residents at the crash site opened their homes to the soldiers in the cold and snowy night, turning suburban living rooms into makeshift hospital wards.

Gene Casey was knocked unconscious and was badly injured in the crash. He was burned in multiple places, and had an injured clavicle and a fractured skull. After regaining consciousness and unbuckling from his seat, he made his way out of the wreckage. As badly injured as he was, Casey still stopped and helped another injured passenger stand up and get out of the burning fuselage.

The U.S. Army promised Private Casey a medal for helping that other passenger, but the paperwork got lost and he was never officially recognized for his actions  though other soldiers were awarded medals not long after the crash.

In June of this year, KIRO Newsradio began pestering people in Florida about Gene Casey and calling attention to his unrecognized bravery. Staffers in the office of Genes member of Congress, Rep. C. Scott Franklin, R-Fla., took the request seriously and tried their best to help. They met with Gene to hear his story, they searched for records of what had happened, and they pestered the Defense Department to get Gene presented with the Soldiers Medal. They didnt have much luck.

In September, for that last story about Gene, KIRO Newsradio asked for help to identify the passenger he saved so that the unidentified person  a Black man who had suffered burns on his buttocks (or, because so many years have passed, any of the mans surviving relatives)  might confirm Genes role in the long-ago rescue.

The MyNorthwest story was shared far and wide via social media, but help came from much closer to home; its pretty certain that local history researcher (and good friend of Seattles Morning News) Lee Corbin got it right when he identified U.S. Army Sergeant Hiram Thomas of Frankfort, Ohio as the man Gene Casey rescued.

In October, KIRO Newsradio identified living descendants of the late Mr. Thomas and sent multiple Facebook messages, left multiple phone messages, and even sent a hardcopy letter via U.S. Mail. Still, no one ever responded. In the meantime, KIRO Newsradio had reached out to Rep. Franklins office as recently as last Wednesday to see if there was any update on efforts to recognize Casey.

In her email on Thanksgiving, Sharon Casey wrote:

I wanted to let you now that Gene passed away on November 17th, ironically 68 years to the day of the airplane crash. I am so grateful for you for reaching out to Gene and remembering his sacrifice and bringing it to the public. He so appreciated you and your friendship as well. Although I am completely heartbroken, I will cherish 33 years of wonderful memories. He was always disappointed in not receiving the soldiers medal that he so deserved, but will always be my hero.

What Ill always remember about Gene Casey was the fortitude and resilience he demonstrated by surviving the 1955 crash, and his unselfish willingness to help a fellow injured passenger get out of the wreckage.

But what Ill cherish most is his sense of humor.

During our very first conversation back in 2015, he told me how a newspaper reporter had arranged for Gene to call his parents from his hospital bed in Burien, just hours after the crash.

I said Hi, mom, and she says, What did you do now? Casey told KIRO Newsradio, recalling earlier conversations with his parents when his mother had had good reason to leap to similar conclusions.

I was always in trouble, Casey said, laughing. I think she thought I was flying the damn thing.

Thank you to Lee Corbin for his typically brilliant research, and to anyone who shared the MyNorthwest story in September to help try and identify the man Gene Casey rescued. Also, special thanks to all of the families in that neighborhood who opened their homes to injured soldiers and who also never received any formal recognition for going above and beyond.

And on this holiday weekend, I cant think of any better way to give thanks than by remembering and commemorating those families who responded on that icy morning 68 years ago, and by doing the same for Gene Casey  who passed away exactly 68 years to the day later.

Its unclear if Rep. Franklins office will continue to seek a Soldiers Medal for Gene Casey to be awarded posthumously; officials could not be reached for comment over the holiday weekend.

This story was originally published on the MyNorthwest website.
Jerry Dumont, left, and his son Cody Dumont are now both Brimfield police officers since the younger Dumont was sworn in Nov. 1.

Some parents get to take their son or daughter to work for a day, but Jerry Dumont and his son Cody have done that better.

Cody Dumont is now an patrol officer with the Brimfield Police Department, the same department his father also serves on. He was sworn in Nov. 1.

"He seems pretty squared away," said Jerry Dumont as he sat next to his son, still in their uniforms following a recent shift.

"From what I've seen, he seems to be doing a good job," he added. "He seems to get along with the other officers, which is a big thing."

Both drawn to police work

Unlike his son, Jerry Dumont, 51, did not have a police officer in his family to influence him, but he did have a chance as a teenager to learn about the profession from one.

"It just seemed like something I wanted to do," he said. "It was very interesting to me. It's the only thing that really kept my attention. I enjoy interacting with people."

The Dumonts, who both live in Summit County, are originally from Ventura, a city on the southern California coast. When Jerry was in high school, his sister was in a "big sister program" and the big sister assigned to her just happened to be a detective on the Ventura Police Department.

Jerry said that during periodic conversations with her, she would tell him about the job and guide him. He liked what he heard.

"Anything she had to say, I listened," he said.

Eventually, after moving to Northeast Ohio, Jerry went through the Stark State University Police Academy and went to work as a police officer in 2003, first in Geneva-on-the-Lake and then in Uniontown.

In Uniontown, he was a part-time officer who wanted to go full time, but did not see much opportunity for that there at the time. Living in Suffield Township, he took a position as an unpaid reserve officer in Brimfield in 2007, thinking it would give have a better chance at getting a full-time job there if something opened up.

It worked and he was hired full time in 2008.

Cody, who turns 30 in this month, said that as a child, he would sometimes visit his father at work and was influenced by him.

"I don't have an exact pinpoint of what it was, but it was always something that interested me," he said.

Before becoming a police officer, Cody worked in asset protection at the Brimfield Walmart, which allowed him to get to know a number of the township police officers. Toward the end of his employment at Walmart, he went through the Kent State University Police Academy.

The Brimfield Police Department was his first choice after graduation, but a position in the department was unavailable, so he joined the Uniontown Police Department. He was a full-time officer there for 18 months before a position opened up in Brimfield.

"I really wanted to work here," he said. "I liked all the officers here. I like the area. It just didn't happen right away."

He said working on the same department with his father is an "added bonus."

Going through training

Jerry said he is not his son's supervisor or his training officer and was kept out of the loop when Cody was hired.

"And I would have stayed out of it anyway," he said.

Even being on the same shift is only temporary. New hires, like Cody, are required to work for a period of time, which can vary, on each of the three shifts and first up was his father's 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. day shift.

On each of those shifts, new officers are assigned a field training officer who helps them to acclimate to the community, its roads and getting around it, departmental policies and procedures and how the court system works. While there may be similarities, these things vary from department to department, so even veteran police officers have to go through this training when they first come to the department.

"It's all the same, but it's all different," said Cody. "...You're learning how it's done here."

'We're fellow officers'

Both Dumonts say they have professional goals.

"I'd probably like to get back into supervision eventually," said Jerry.

He had been the midnight sergeant from 2013 to 2016, but then had to leave for about 15 months to deal with a family situation back in California. When he returned to Northeast Ohio, he was rehired, but had to start over as a patrol officer.

Cody said he would like to get some specialized training some day.

"Maybe K-9 or something like that," he said. "But at the moment, it's just getting some years in, get some experience doing the job."

Working on the same shift, the father and son have sometimes seen each other on calls, such as traffic accidents, vehicle lockouts and neighbor disputes.

Cody said he likes working on the same department with his father, but their relationship off the job does not really impact their on-the-job interactions.

"It's a very cool opportunity," he said. "But what it comes down to is the job. We're fellow officers. We help each other out. It just so happens I look over and it's my dad."

Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Father and son now 'fellow officers' in Brimfield Township
Mention the Ferguson shipyard and two ships usually spring to mind.

Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, the overbudget and long overdue CalMac ferries, have understandably attracted plenty of attention.

But the small Inverclyde shipyard at the centre of Scotland's ferries saga has a much longer story, one which is seldom told.

It was in January 1903 that the four Ferguson brothers - Peter, Daniel, Louis and Robert - leased the derelict Newark yard, surprisingly located next door to a 15th Century castle, in Port Glasgow.

The site itself was no stranger to shipbuilding - the first recorded launch there took place in 1790 - and neither were the Ferguson brothers who had worked at their father's business, Fleming & Ferguson, in Paisley.

Ten months later the first Ferguson Brothers vessel, Flying Swift, left the building berth - a steel-hulled tug built for the Clyde Shipping Company.

The occasion was celebrated with a "wine and cake banquet" according to the Greenock Telegraph which recently reprinted extracts from its original 1903 report.

By December - the same month the Wright Brothers made their famous 12-second flight in their new-fangled flying machine - Flying Swift was finished, and work was well-advanced on a second tug.

That first boat outlived the Ferguson family's connection with the yard which ended in 1954 with the death of Bobby Ferguson, son of one of founding brothers Robert. Flying Swift finally went to the breakers in 1957.

But for longevity it is surpassed by another Ferguson vessel.

The steam tug Canterbury, built in 1907 for 14,126 and 10 shillings, was soon making a 69-day journey via the Suez Canal to Lyttelton, New Zealand, to serve as the port's tug, pilot boat and fireboat. On arrival it was declared "the finest tug in the colony".

Its first high profile job came on New Year's Day 1908 when it escorted Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Nimrod out of the harbour at the start of the Antarctic expedition that made him a national hero in Britain.

Soon renamed after the town it served, the tug is still there, lovingly cared for by the volunteers of the Tug Lyttelton Preservation Society.

Those first Ferguson vessels were all tugs, dredgers or barges but in 1908 the yard built its first ferry.

Vehicular Ferryboat No. 3 (as it was unimaginatively named by the Clyde Navigation Trust) became better known to Glaswegians as the Finnieston "horse ferry" because of the horse-drawn carts it carried across the river near where the Finnieston crane stands today.

The strange-looking vessel had a deck that could be raised or lowered by winches to the level of the quays depending on the height of the tide.

A second of these horse ferries, Vehicular Ferryboat No. 4, was built for the Govan crossing in 1938. They were still ferrying vehicles across the river into the mid-1960s when the new Clyde Tunnel made them redundant.

As World War One engulfed Europe, demand for ships swelled the order book. The yard was building hospital ships and minesweepers in 1917 when King George V became the first of many royal visitors over the years.

His visit to Ferguson's and the Colville steelworks in Motherwell was reportedly part of a plan to bolster patriotic feelings among Clydesiders amid concern about growing Communist sympathies.

While the larger shipyards up river like John Brown's or Fairfield's were building giant liners and warships, the Ferguson yard carved out a solid reputation for smaller specialist vessels.

The most illustrious was RRS Discovery II, completed in 1929 for the Discovery Committee of the Colonial Office to research whales and their habitats in Antarctica.

Named after Robert Falcon Scott's famous wooden ship that is now a visitor attraction in Dundee, it was equipped with laboratories and built from steel, cross-braced with timber, to withstand the ice floes it would encounter.

In January 1932 its strength was tested when it was caught in heavy pack ice in the Weddell Sea, not far from the spot where Shackleton's ship Endurance was crushed and sank 16 years earlier.

At one point the rivets started breaking, making a sound like a machine gun, but Discovery II escaped with a few leaks and a twisted rudder stock.

Later that year the ship became the first vessel to circumnavigate Antarctica in winter.

The crew had already shown their appreciation of the shipyard when they surveyed a small inlet on Thule Island in 1931 and named it Ferguson Bay.

The east and west edges of the bay were named Hewison Point and Herd Point, after the shipyard's manager and company secretary.

When in late 1935 the American polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth and his British pilot Herbert Hollick-Kenyon went missing while trying to fly across Antarctica, Discovery II was sent to search for them.

The story ended happily - the pair had run out of fuel and ditched their plane but a broken radio meant they spent weeks sheltering at a deserted exploration hut before the crew found them in January the following year.

Discovery II was celebrated on a 6d Falklands stamp

Finally broken up after 33 years of service, the research ship has been celebrated on two postage stamps (in the Falkland Islands and Australia) and had a book written about its adventures.

Most people waiting at the bus stop outside the old Port Glasgow Town Hall building are probably puzzled by a series of curves marked out in the pavement. They are the hull lines of Discovery II - from the architect's drawings for what was until recently the most famous Ferguson ship.

World War Two was a busy time for the small Port Glasgow shipyard, building no fewer than 32 vessels for the Ministry of Transport or the Admiralty, including nine small warships to protect the convoys.

In September 1940 when the heavy cruiser HMS Sussex was hit by a 250lb German bomb while undergoing repairs at Yorkhill Quay, the Ferguson-built Ferryboat No.4 helped put out the flames.

The majority of vessels that have left the Ferguson slipway have had more mundane duties - but every ship has a story.

Sludge boats were designed to take the strain from Britain's overburdened Victorian sewage system. The solid waste was picked up from treatment plants and dumped out at sea. Londoners nicknamed the Thames versions "Bovril boats".

In 1976, Ferguson's built one such vessel for Lothian Regional Council named Gardyloo - after the traditional warning cry given by the Edinburgh residents before they emptied their chamber pots out of tenement windows.

After a brief spell on the Clyde, the ship took up duties in Edinburgh in 1978, helping to end the practice of pouring the city's waste directly into the Forth.

Despite their filthy cargo, the sludge boats were kept spotlessly clean and often took daytrippers. Gardyloo soon became an unlikely visitor attraction.

The ship's route took it past thriving bird colonies at Bell Rock or St Abbs, making the trips popular with birdwatchers and pensioners, who travelled for free.

Refreshments were available. Guests often enjoyed a coffee and a roll during the seven-hour cruise as the ship gently relieved itself of its toxic cargo. By the time an EU directive abruptly ended sewage dumping at sea in 1998, Gardyloo had carried more than 6,000 passengers.

Finding a new role for a ship with such a pedigree was a challenge - but it was eventually sold to a shipping company in Azerbaijan where it operates as a drinking water carrier, renamed Shollar after a mountain spring.

Ferries and Ferguson's are two words that nowadays seem to hang together naturally, but the many successful builds before Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa are rarely mentioned.

West coast ferry operator CalMac has 10 major vessels longer than 80 metres. Half of them were built at Ferguson shipyard.

Among them is the oldest large ship in the fleet, MV Isle of Arran, launched in December 1983 and still serving the route it was named after. It was followed by MV Isle of Mull (1987), MV Lord of the Isles (1989), MV Isle of Lewis (1995) and MV Hebrides (2000).

The late Queen launched Hebrides, her second visit to the Port Glasgow yard in eight years.

Two fisheries research ships MV Scotia (1998) and Cefas Endeavour (2002) showed the yard could still build technologically-advanced ships. They required exceptionally low noise levels so that they could sneak up on the fish shoals. Some joked that they might actually be spy ships.

But by now Ferguson's was the last surviving commercial shipbuilder on the Clyde, struggling to match the prices of overseas competitors, particularly in eastern Europe.

From 2012 onwards it was kept afloat with orders for small CalMac ferries - pioneering diesel/battery-powered hybrids.

Two had been built when the yard went bust in 2014, by which time the workforce had dwindled to just 70. A third was constructed, on time and on budget, after the firm was rescued by businessman Jim McColl.

The story of the latest ships, Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, is long and complicated, a product of a unique set of circumstances.

Delays and cost over-runs have left the workforce embarrassed by events beyond their control, but many in the local community remain fiercely loyal to the yard.

Ferguson's has no more ship orders beyond those ferries. The shipyard is pinning its hopes on an order for seven small CalMac vessels, similar to the three it delivered successfully before Scotland's ferries saga began.

When Glen Rosa finally enters the Clyde next March, it will be the 363rd vessel launched under the Ferguson name. In Port Glasgow and across Scotland there are many who hope it won't be the last.
Jussi Halla-aho, Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, has delivered his speech in the Ukrainian Parliament entirely in Ukrainian.

Source: video on social media; European Pravda

Details: Halla-aho addressed the parliament on Saturday (25 November), along with speakers from a total of six EU countries and the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The Finnish official delivered his speech entirely in Ukrainian.

Jussi Halla-Aho commenced by pointing out that Finland faced the very same kind of imperial Soviet aggression in 1939 as Ukraine does today, and Finns were vividly reminded of this experience on 24 February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The official expressed his frustration with the fact that Russia has not changed since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR.

"Both then and today, it [Russia  ed.] does not respect international law or its obligations. It does not cherish the lives of its people or those of others. It believes that it has the right to veto its neighbours' choices, the right to veto their very existence. Russia respects and understands force. Russian imperialism must be responded to with force," Halla-aho stressed.

The speaker noted that Ukraine's heroic resistance has given Finland the courage to act, most likely referring to their decision to join NATO and provide military assistance to Ukraine.

The official mentioned that Finland has provided 20 military aid packages to Ukraine and will keep on providing support for as long as necessary.

Who among world political leaders can make a speech in so perfect #Ukrainian? May be just a few. Here is the today's video of the Speaker of the Parliament of #Finland Jussi Halla-aho addressing the #Ukraine's Parliament in Ukrainian on the 90th anniversary of the Russian crime - pic.twitter.com/eKM4bTfthG  Viktor Kovalenko (@MrKovalenko) November 25, 2023

Halla-aho also raised the issue of the Holodomor [a man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine that lasted from 1932 to 1933 and claimed the lives of millions of Ukrainians  ed.]. The speaker explained that the Finnish parliament never issues declarations on historical events for formal reasons and does not even have a procedure for doing so. Still, last week, the heads of factions, together with the majority of lawmakers, signed a joint resolution stating that they see grounds to consider the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people by the Soviet authorities.

During the speech, Ukrainian lawmakers repeatedly broke into standing ovations.

Background:

Jussi Halla-aho is a member of the far-right True Finns party. In the summer, he was elected as the party's candidate in the Finnish presidential election to be held in late January. He is currently in 5th place in the ratings.

Russian propagandists remember Halla-aho for ordering an inscription on a Ukrainian projectile for a donation.

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An explosion occurred on Nov. 26 at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant in Russia, leading to a severe fire, the Moscow Times reported.

According to the newspaper, the plant provides engines for T-72 and T-90 tanks, Terminator armored fighting vehicles, and self-propelled artillery.

In 2023, it was sanctioned by the U.S. and Ukraine for providing Russian troops with engines for military equipment.

Eyewitnesses claimed a loud explosion occurred at the plant, according to the Baza Telegram channel.

On Nov. 10, Russian media outlets reported that a massive fire broke out at a gunpowder plant in Kotovsk, a town in Russia's Tambov Oblast.

The plant manufactures ammunition for the Russian army, including gunpowder for small arms cartridges. It is one of the largest industrial facilities in Russia.

Read also: Charles Michel: I dont think this counteroffensive has failed

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  One person was critically injured while four others were hospitalized after a crash Saturday afternoon in western Franklin County.

The sheriffs office said that a person was driving a Kia Optima north on Hilliard Rome Road just after 1:35 p.m. The driver of the Kia ran the stop sign at the intersection of Beacon Hill Road and crashed into a Honda.

Death of man found in Eastmoor alley remains unsolved

Both vehicles came to a rest on the northwest corner of the intersection before medics were called to the scene, according to the sheriffs office. The driver of the Honda was taken to Grant Medical Center in critical condition while the four occupants of the Kia were taken to OhioHealth Doctors Hospital in stable condition.

The FCSO is continuing to investigate the crash.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
A mother of three was stabbed to death amid a Daytona Beach apartment fire that broke out overnight, a man was arrested after allegedly killing his wife and shooting up his ex-girlfriend's home the day after, an Orlando 7-Eleven employee was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a man at the gas station, an "upset" Florida man was arrested for backing into a staff member at a car show, and the man accused of murdering a Daytona Beach couple has been deemed competent to stand trial: Here's FOX 35's Week in Review.

Daytona Beach mom stabbed, baby killed in suspicious house fire, officials say

A mother of three was stabbed to death amid an apartment fire that broke out overnight, which also left her baby dead and two other children injured, according to police.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young shared an update on Tuesday morning about the incident that unfolded at 1200 Beville Road around midnight.

The baby was in cardiac arrest and the mother was found dead inside the apartment, police said. It remains unclear if the baby suffered any physical injuries. The other two young children are in critical condition and are receiving treatment at a local hospital.

Cory Hill arrest: Florida man killed wife, then tried to kill ex-girlfriend hours later, warrant says

A Florida man facing attempted murder charges after allegedly shooting at an ex-girlfriend at her home is now possibly facing a charge of first-degree murder in the alleged shooting death of his wife, whose body was found days ago inside a storage unit in Apopka, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wednesday that an arrest warrant had been issued for Cory Hill, who was considered a "person of interest" in the disappearance of his wife, Shakeira Rucker, and then considered to be the "prime suspect" in her death. He is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm in Rucker's death.

7-Eleven employee arrested for shooting, killing man at Orlando gas station, police say

A 7-Eleven employee was arrested for shooting and killing a 30-year-old man at the gas station over the weekend, according to an update from the Orlando Police Department.

James Trevon Felix, 23, was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm after the incident that unfolded at the gas station at 3355 Vineland Road early Friday morning.

When police arrived at the 7-Eleven, they found Wolf Lindor with an apparent gunshot wound. He died from his injuries on the scene, police said.

'Upset' Florida man, 76, backs over staff member at car show after he was kicked out, police say

A 76-year-old Florida man was arrested after he allegedly backed over a staff member at a car show for not letting him into the event, according to police.

Anthony Guerra Jr., who lives in The Villages, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after the incident that unfolded in the area of Alvarez Avenue and Main Street in Lady Lake on Saturday afternoon, according to an arrest affidavit from the Lady Lake Police Department.

While trying to enter the car show event, a staff member approached Guerra and told him to leave due to his "aggressive behavior," the report said. Guerra reportedly threw a piece of paper out of his car window toward another staff member before looking at the man and reversing his car into him, police said.

Man accused of murdering Daytona Beach couple during 2022 Bike Week deemed competent to stand trial

The man accused of brutally murdering a Daytona Beach couple during the 2022 Bike Week festivities has been deemed competent to stand trial, a judge has ruled.

It is the latest in a series of competency hearings for Jean Robert Macean, 33, who is facing two counts of first-degree murder, accused of stabbing Brenda Aultman, 55, and Terry Aultman, 48, as they were riding their bikes home from the event on March 6, 2022.

"I'm just absolutely relieved that the judge did decide that he is competent to stand trial because now we can get the ball rolling and get this over with," Sara Turner, Brenda's daughter. "We can get the ball rolling and get this over with so that we can attempt to start healing. It is just an open gash, an open wound that is not going to close."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 25)  It was a warm and jam-packed homecoming for Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Marquez Dee as she returned to the country.

Fans and supporters flocked to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 to welcome the Miss Universe top 10 finalist who arrived home Saturday night on a flight from Los Angeles, California, USA.

Dee competed in the prestigious pageant in El Salvador that culminated on Nov. 19 with the coronation of Nicaragua's Sherynnis Palacios as Miss Universe 2023.

Speaking to the media upon her return, Dee said she was grateful for making new friends with fellow candidates and hinted at a possible project with Miss Thailand's Anntonia Porsild, who was Palacio's first runner-up.

"Anntonia naman, both of us have created such good friendships," she said. "Of course, may mga things na nakalatag doon."

"May news kaming natanggap nu'ng pauwi na kaming dalawa kaya abangan niyo nalang," added Dee, whose mother is Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez.

[Translation: Anntonia and I, both of us have created such good friendshipsOf course, there are things laid out there. We both received news when we were on our way home so just watch out for it.]

In a post on X, Dee shared a moment between her and Porsild before her flight back home.

"Lahat ng nangyayari may dahilan. Alam ko marami pa tayong puwede ipakita sa buong mundo. Pinakita talaga natin kung gaano kalakas ang bayanihan spirit ng Pilipinas," said the actress-model, who brought home four special awards including Best National Costume.

[Translation: Everything happens for a reason. I know there is more we can show the world. We showed the strength of the Filipino bayanihan spirit.]

It appears that Dee has a lot on her plate as she also talked about an upcoming television project.

"May tine-tease ako na I will be returning on television very, very soon [] Sobrang nakaka-excite 'yung project. Very, very relatable po sa akin," she said.

Earlier, Dee also posted about a very "special role" in an upcoming show with the clue "ala-Freya."

She recently played Freya Salazar in the recent GMA action-drama "Mga Lihim ni Urduja."

Related: Michelle Dee returns to acting after Miss U stint
Florida amusement park riders stuck in vertical position for nearly an hour: 'Way up there'

Riders on a Universal Studios Florida Theme Park roller coaster in Orlando were stuck for nearly an hour in a vertical position Thanksgiving night.

The Orlando Fire Department told FOX 35 the incident happened at the park's Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster on Thursday night, and said there were no injuries.

Riders on the Rip Ride Rockit go up a 167-foot-tall vertical lift, then several twists, turns, and loops.

Dennis Malesky, who was at the park, said he saw people stuck in a vertical position on the ride.

DISNEY PARK GUESTS REPORTEDLY POOPING WHILE WAITING IN LONG RIDE LINES: 'WTF?'

Riders on a roller coaster at Florida's Universal Studios Theme Park in Orlando were stuck for nearly an hour in a vertical position on Thanksgiving night.

"We were walking out of the park as it was closing time and seen a group of people taking pictures of the Rip Ride Rockit. That seemed kind of odd until we looked up and seen the group stuck on the ride," Malesky said. "Shortly after, the Fire Department arrived, but nothing seemed to be happening.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Universal employees made everyone who didnt know anyone on the ride leave, as it was much after closing. On our way out, we seen the car finally move. They must have been up there an hour."

MAN CLIMBS CALIFORNIA FERRIS WHEEL CLAIMING TO HAVE BOMB, FORCING EVACUATION OF SANTA MONICA PIER

The Orlando Fire Department told FOX 35 the incident happened at the theme park's Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster on Thursday night and said there were no injuries.

After seeing what happened, Malesky said he'll be avoiding the ride going forward.

"This is the only ride in the park I have not done yet and, needless to say, it will probably stay that way," Malesky said.

Riders on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit go up a 167-foot-tall vertical lift, then several twists, turns, and loops.

One woman can be heard in a video saying "They're stuck way up there, at the tip. They're literally on their backs right now."

Universal Studios did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.





Original article source: Florida amusement park riders stuck in vertical position for nearly an hour: 'Way up there'
A Florida man was arrested and charged with murder after confessing to police early Saturday morning that he killed his brother.

Largo Police responded at about 12:47 a.m. to a home on 3rd Street in the city of Largo after Joshua Robert Brinkley, 41, made concerning statements to acquaintances, according to Fox 13.

Officers arrived at the scene to find Brinkley leaving his home in his car. But after noticing the officers, Brinkley stopped, exited the vehicle, put his hands in the air and said, "I just killed my brother in my house."

FLORIDA DEPUTIES DISCOVER DEAD MAN IN CAR TRUNK, SUSPECT WITH SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND

A welfare check of the home was conducted and officers discovered the victim dead with visible gunshot wounds inside the home, police said.

The identity of the victim was not made publicly available because of Marsy's law, which grants protective rights to a victim of a crime.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Brinkley was arrested and transported to the Largo Police Department, where he kicked a detective. Police said the detective suffered minor injuries as a result of Brinkley's attack.

WANTED FLORIDA WOMAN ON PROBATION FOR SELLING FENTANYL FOUND HIDING INSIDE COUCH, SHERIFF SAYS

According to police, Brinkley was charged with murder in the first degree and battery on a law enforcement officer. Police said the murder was an isolated incident and that the public is not in danger.

Brinkley was taken to the Pinellas County Jail.





Original article source: Florida man confesses to murdering brother, kicks detective: 'I just killed my brother'
With sweat dripping down into my eyes, I tried not to blink. This was the moment I waited for, and it could be over in a millisecond: a glimpse of a Florida panther in the wild, deep in the Fakahatchee Strand.

A Florida panther strolls past a camera trap set up at the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed.

After hours of exploring public lands from Corkscrew to Big Cypress to Babcock, I finally saw one of only 120-230 panthers that roam free in the unbridled precious landscapes that are the crown jewels of the Southwest Florida environment. It looks young, I remarked, before the ghost cat slipped back into the swamp and disappeared.

Amber Crooks

Just a few miles north, upstream past the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, massive residential and commercial developments are proposed within the Western Everglades containing vital habitat, including wetlands, and forming part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Bellmar, part of the Town of Big Cypress in Collier County, is reaching a critical decision point.

What will happen to "my" panther -- or the entirety of the panther population for that matter -- if it is approved? What will become of the Panther Refuge only one mile away from Bellmar?

With Bellmars 8,600+ new residents and all of their cars traversing rural parts of the Western Everglades, how will the panther survive the increasing threat of traffic and new roadways splintering its last remaining core habitat?

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) will soon decide the fate of the panther, as well as the loss of over 140 acres of wetlands within the Camp Keais Strand flowway.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and our partners have held the line for decades, with the first iterations of this project introduced around 2007. The FDEPs forthcoming 404 program decision is essentially the last major hurdle before Bellmar can begin to turn dirt.

If Bellmar is authorized, it would set a devastating precedent to other large and damaging mines and developments also in FDEPs queue. Just six large projects being pursued under the weakened state-assumed Clean Water Act Section 404 wetland permitting program would result in nearly 1,000 acres of waters being dredged and filled. Wetlands act as kidneys to preserve water quality and provide an ecosystem benefit where they stand.

Further, these same six projects, which includes the Kingston project in eastern Lee County, would destroy over 8,000 acres of the most valuable Florida panther habitat.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that about three panthers would die per year incidental to Bellmars traffic impacts and habitat loss, while simultaneously giving their approval for the project. In Lee County, Kingston is estimated to result in somewhere between 3-23 panthers killed each year.

With the species future hanging in the balance, how could they authorize the harm and untimely deaths from being hit by cars and from territorial disputes as their home ranges dwindle? Isnt the agency aware that there is a mystery disease called feline leukomyelopathy (FLM) that is afflicting an untold number of panthers?

How can the agencies authorize the loss of more panthers than are being added to the population on a yearly basis? By the time those projects are built out, they will have authorized take of more panthers than currently exist.

We cant afford to lose one, as the panther population is below what is needed for recovery.

The panther is a symbol of old Florida, and of the natural resources that make the Everglades one of the most iconic places on Earth. Protecting the panther means protecting our wetlands, and our agricultural and ranch lands. Panther habitat are lands we like to recreate in.

Plain and simple: Bellmar jeopardizes the panther, the Western Everglades, our waterways and public lands, and the future of Southwest Florida. Decades from now, when paradise is lost, and glimpses of the last big cat east of the Mississippi may be but a memory, well ponder where we went wrong.

These are the decisions where we can make a difference, because anything worth having is worth fighting for. Its time to say no to Bellmar.

Share your concerns at the upcoming FDEP meeting Dec. 7 from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at Collier Public Library (650 Central Avenue, Naples). Find out more at conservancy.org/bellmar.

Amber Crooks is the Environmental Policy Manager at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida panther threatened by proposed development
A Florida woman claims she was scammed out of $1.4 million after reconnecting with her high school sweetheart. She alleges the man plotted on her, claiming to be a doctor and promising her the love they dreamed of as kids, but little did she know he would introduce to her a nightmare of lies that would lead to financial ruin.

Shareza Jackson, 44, a single mother raising two teen daughters, linked with Dorian Wilkerson decades after the two graduated from high school. He reached out to her via Facebook in 2014, sweeping her off her feet with a truck full of lies. Chief among them was that he was an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a doctor at Emory Hospital.

Shareza Jackson wedding photo with her now ex-husband Dorian Wilkerson who shes accusing of fraud. (Family photo)

At the time, Jackson was working as a regional director for a Fortune 500 health care company, owned her own home, two luxury vehicles, and was a published author, but happy to reconnect with someone she thought had the same values and work ethic as she.

Not long after reconnecting on social media, they started meeting up in person. She claims she would travel from Florida to Atlanta, and stay in a hotel, where he would pick her up in his Bentley, fresh from work and still in his scrubs, before taking her to his apartment before their date.

She thought he was a knight in shining armor, and within two years, the lovebirds married.

He was tall, dark and handsome, and he was very accomplished, she said in an interview with the Daily Mail about Wilkerson. He was not just an MD but also a Ph.D. and attended these prestigious universities and would lecture around the country on vaccines and infectious disease.

The two remained married for six years and during that time he was able to swindle over $1 million from her portfolio.

Jackson filed for divorce in March 2023. Months later, in October 2023, she filed a civil lawsuit claiming that he weaseled approximately $1 million from her account and $400,000 from a business investment.

According to the complaint, Wilkerson manipulated her into using funds from her 401(k) to establish a cosmetic clinic, where he would perform a range of plastic surgery procedures, including breast augmentation, tummy tucks, and Brazilian butt lifts.

After setting up this business, he would take the profits for his own benefit. He also forged her signature on documents to secure loans in her name, pocketing that money. Jackson, who claims she was not actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the business, remained oblivious to these illicit activities.

Eventually, she left her job to put all of her attention on their family business. It was at this point that she began to notice unexplained discrepancies in the financial records, realizing that substantial amounts of money were missing from the company accounts.

To make matters worse, Jackson alleges her deceitful husband also cheated on her.

Other women came forward sharing their experiences with him. They told her that he was a dangerous person and was not who he said he was.

They were right, according to police reports. While he told Jackson he was an esteemed doctor, he actually had a laundry list of charges, some felonies dating as far back as 2001 that included battery, assault, family violence, domestic battery charges, theft, extortion, and even being fined for pretending to be a doctor.

When she confronted him with the information she discovered, he filed a complaint with the police alleging she was mishandling their joint finances and tried to get her arrested.

While Jackson is waiting for the divorce to be finalized and the civil case to come through, she is using this experience to benefit her. A money maker, she has published another book telling her story, Successful Women Get Played Too.

She believes her faith and telling her story are the first steps to reclaiming her life.

Wilkerson has not commented on the allegations leveled against him.
The Forest Bend Fire Department is mourning the death of their chief on Saturday morning.

Officials say Chief John Norris suffered an apparent heart attack shortly after getting home from battling a fire.

Chief John Norris (Photo: Forest Bend Volunteer Fire Department)

"With profound sorrow, the Forest Bend Fire Department extends its deepest condolences to announce the passing of our cherished Chief, John Norris. Today, we mourn the loss of a remarkable leader whose impact on our department will forever be remembered and honored," The Forest Bend Fire Department wrote on Facebook.

FOX 26 Houston is now on the FOX LOCAL app available through Apple TV, Amazon FireTV, Roku, Google Android TV, and Vizio!

The Forest Bend Fire Department assisted the Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department in battling a fire at an abandoned house in the 1300 block of Woodvine Street early Saturday morning around 1:11 a.m.

Friendswood Fire Marshal's Office says the fire was extinguished around 2:32 a.m.

According to Friendswood Fire Chief Stan Koslowski, Chief Norris had just gotten home from the fire when he suffered the apparent heart attack. He was transported to the hospital, where he died.

Due to Chief Norris' death occurring shortly after his fire department duties, the Fire Marshal's Office says the death is considered as happening in the line of duty.

Firefighters and EMS from Forest Bend, Friendswood, League City, Webster and Pearland formed a wall of honor behind HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake Hospital as Chief Norris body was transported to the Harris County Medical Examiners Office.

Chief Norris was promoted to the position in September after spending 18 years with the fire department and serving as assistant chief for six years.

Norris also worked with the Houston Fire Department for 32 years and was a captain. He retired from the department in 2022.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Four people were found dead at a homeless encampment in North Carolina on Sunday.

Deputies responded to shots fired near the encampment just outside of Autryville at around 9:30 a.m., WNCN reported.

The Sampson County Sheriffs Office did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment but told WNCN that two women and two men were found with gunshot wounds in what appears to be a murder-suicide.

There is no apparent danger to the public, the sheriffs office told WNCN.

WRAL News reported that three of the bodies were found outside a tent, but police did not specify where the fourth was found. No additional information on motive was released.

The encampment was located in a rural area, according to WTVD. WRAL News described the area as a long private road filled with large puddles.

Autryville is about 55 miles south of Raleigh.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Four people found dead at North Carolina homeless encampment
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said four people were shot in Northwest D.C. in the early hours of Sunday.

MPD said it was dispatched to the 1600 block of 7th Street NW for a shooting.

1 dead, 4 hurt in Southeast DC shootings overnight

When police arrived at the scene, they found two women who had been shot. They were both conscious and breathing. The women were transported to the hospital.

Police also learned two men were also shot. They had both walked into different hospitals to get treated for their injuries.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Sean Hannity and Gavin Newsom are an unlikely cable news bromance.

The conservative Fox News host and the Democratic California governor are ideologically polar opposites. But their recent joint appearances  an hourlong sitdown in June and a lengthy interview after the second Republican presidential candidates' debate on Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Library  offered a robust but cordial discussion of issues, a rarity these days in a media landscape where politicians and advocates are more comfortable preaching to their own tribes.

Hannity, who typically cites Californias problems with crime and housing as a symbol of all thats wrong with the Democrats, was even singing praises for In-N-Out Burger at his second interview with the governor.

From the first time we met we just hit it off and there was a certain relationship that developed that was like, 'Oh, come on, you don't believe all that,' Hannity said of Newsom in a recent interview at Fox News headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. It was always friendly and never contentious. You can say anything to him. You can have fun with him.

The success of their recent meetings prompted Hannity to turn it up a notch. He invited Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, to debate on his program.

Hannity negotiated the terms and details directly with the political rivals, who will meet Thursday in a 90-minute showdown at 6 p.m. Pacific on Fox News.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis greets donors before speaking at the Ronald Reagan Library in March. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The matchup is unusual from a TV news perspective because it is rare for two politicians not running against each other to be given such a high-profile forum. (Fox News is calling it "The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate.")

The last memorable example was on May 15, 1967, when a previous California governor, Ronald Reagan, appeared with Robert F. Kennedy, then representing New York in the U.S. Senate, to take questions from students studying overseas for a full hour on CBS.

"Neither of them were running at that time," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. "They both were ambitious and everybody suspected they would."

Both men did pursue the presidential nominations of their respective parties the following year, with Kennedys surging campaign ending when he was assassinated just after winning the California Democratic primary.

But it was Reagan who burnished his national reputation on the 1967 program, as the polished former actor displayed a firm grasp of global affairs. The moment helped set him on his path to the White House in 1980.

On Thursday, Hannity will question the dueling governors himself  without an audience  in Alpharetta, Ga.

Hannity, 61, is the longest tenured host in cable news history with 27 years on Fox News. He has survived the major scandals that have hit the organization over time, such as Fox's $787.5-million payout to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation case over the networks reporting on former President Trumps inaccurate claims of 2020 voting fraud. Hannity was not among the hosts named as defendants in the case, but his show was cited by Judge Eric Davis for airing false statements.

Loyal Fox News viewers, who tend to shrug off negative stories about the network, have stuck with Hannity. In October, his program was the most watched cable news show among viewers ages 25 to 54, the demographic most desired by advertisers.

This week's debate offers the opportunity for Fox News to host an attention-generating TV event that doesnt involve past controversies and could draw increased sampling from viewers who dont share the worldview of its provocative hosts.

To be sure, while Hannity likes Newsom personally and respects his political skills (I warn conservatives and Republicans, you'd better pay attention to this guy"), he would not be comfortable having him in the Oval Office due to their policy differences.

On most nights, Hannitys program is a one-sided affair, with the host often pounding away at what he calls the radical left and President Bidens cognitive capacity. At a recent broadcast, the host warmed up his audience with an impersonation of the president, lowering his head and shuffling across the studio floor.

Read more: How the JFK assassination changed TV news and the journalists who covered it 60 years ago

It raises the question why Newsom would want to engage in a potential two-on-one situation where hell be the lone liberal.

Nathan Click, an advisor to Newsom, said the governor is fully aware of the challenge.

"We are under no illusions," Click said. "This is a two-on-one match with the refs in the tank for the home team. But Gov. Newsom has long believed that Democrats have to go on offense in enemy territory, and that's exactly what he intends to do."

Hannity has given assurances he wont be the wrestling referee who looks the other way while one of the brawlers brings a steel chair into the ring. He noted that Newsom was pleased with their first interview.

I kept my pledge to give him a fair shot and let him answer, Hannity said. "If I have one goal going in, its that people walk away and say, Wow that was a good, spirited, healthy informative debate.

Mike Murphy, a screenwriter and longtime Republican political consultant, said there is value in Newsom's willingness to appear in a potentially hostile environment as he builds a national reputation.

There's a feeling sometimes among Democrats that nobody goes into the Fox lions den with a big stick and fights back, so I think he thinks he might help the wider cause while helping himself, Murphy said. "I'm always in favor of grab a microphone and go on offense as long as it's live TV and nobody can edit it."

Newsom has said in the past that he watches conservative media. He may be better acquainted than most Democrats, as his ex-wife is Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former co-host of the Fox News panel show The Five who is now engaged to Donald Trump Jr.

Hannity recalls Newsom visiting Guilfoyle at the networks offices and studios.

While Murphy thinks Newsoms upcoming appearance can help pave the road to a future White House run, he believes there is short-term risk for Democrats. The governors smoothness and on-camera vigor could invite more discussion about Bidens age  the president turned 81 on Nov. 20  which has become a significant issue among pollsters and pundits.

DeSantis is using the event to promote the idea that Republicans should be prepared for a scenario where Biden is not the nominee in 2024.

"He [Newsom] is running a shadow campaign," DeSantis told "Fox & Friends" last week. "Even people in his own party are saying that a lot of Democrats want to move Biden out .... You could have Newsom. You could have a lot of different people. But I think it's important that Republican voters get the sense that we may not be running against Biden."

While Newsom has been steadfast in his support of a second Biden term, his political action committee has been running its own ads criticizing the Florida law DeSantis signed that bans abortion for pregnancies longer than six weeks. Newsom's active role as a Biden White House surrogate has led to criticism that he is being distracted from dealing with state business.

But DeSantis is no longer the Republican juggernaut of six months ago, when he entered the race as the best chance for the party to move on from former President Trump. DeSantis has fallen behind former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in some polls and failed to get any bounce from the three GOP primary debates held so far.

Click said Newsom's office was "shocked" when DeSantis accepted the debate challenge, which Newsom issued months ago.

"The fact that he finally accepted as his campaign was circling the drain shows just how bad DeSantis needs to distract from his disaster of a candidacy," Click said.

James Uthmeier, campaign manager for DeSantis, said the candidate is approaching the debate with the possibility that Newsom could be at the top of a Democratic ticket.

"A Newsom presidency would accelerate America's decline and Nov. 30 will be the first chance to expose a national audience to just how dangerous his radical ideology would be for the country," Uthmeier said. "Ron DeSantis will take this responsibility seriously and looks forward to sharing the stark contrast between his vision to revive our nation and Newsom's blueprint for failure."

Hannity believes DeSantis has the same qualities of Newsom  smart and likable  although that assessment does not appear to be backed up in polls. Based on chats with his audience, Hannity has his own theory.

They like both Trump and DeSantis, but they wish they weren't butting heads a little bit in this primary, Hannity said. Maybe the poll numbers are more reflective of no, this really should be Donald Trump's chance, after having a contentious 2020 election with COVID in play.

Read more: Q&A: What would Sean Hannitys Fox News show look like under a Biden presidency?

Hannity appears energized by the exchanges with Newsom and the upcoming debate. He said he would do more programs with Democratic politicians if he could get them to say yes.

"You would be surprised how many don't want to come on," he said.

But Hannity also acknowledges that audiences have moved toward outlets that align with their own opinions.

"If you want [a Democrat's] view, they have their places to go," he said.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(NEXSTAR)  Getting a new car? Youll only need one license plate if youre registering it in Oklahoma.

Thats because the Sooner State is one of 19 in the nation that doesnt require a front and rear license plate. Only the back license plate is necessary. A majority of states now require both.

Any change to the license plate requirements would need to go through the state legislature, Emily Hill, senior director of communications at Service Oklahoma, told Nexstar.

A 2012 Texas A&M Transportation Institute suggests Oklahoma lawmakers might want to consider making the change.

First El Nino winter in 5 years for Oklahoma: New weather outlook released

The study found displaying both front and rear plates saved time and money for law enforcement and other state agencies. It makes things easier for automatic plate readers at tollbooths and in paid parking lots.

The interesting thing about this project is that it has allowed us to see how something as seemingly small as a license plate can have a tremendous impact on enforcement and operations, said Melissa Walden, the senior research scientist who worked on the study.

For example, the study found that at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport found that 15% of parking transactions at the airports lots had to be processed manually because sun glare made it hard for the cameras to read rear plates. That takes up extra time, and therefore costs money.

In Virginia, the study found that as many as 23% of toll skippers werent able to be pursued for payment because rear plates were unreadable.

U.S. Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies also told Texas A&M they prefer when front plates are attached and displayed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
HURON, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  The Fresno County Sheriffs Office is investigating an early morning homicide that occurred in Huron Sunday.

Details are few at this time, but the Huron Police Department says it was dispatched just before 2:00 a.m. to a call of a person whod been shot.

Officers say they arrived at Mouren Drive and P Street to find a person in the roadway who, indeed, had been shot. Authorities say the individual died at the scene.

Huron police have turned the investigation over to the Fresno County Sheriffs Office Homicide Unit.

No additional information is available, and detectives have not disclosed any suspect information.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact Huron Police Department at (559) 945-2046 or the Fresno County Sheriffs Office at (559) 488-3939.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 26)  Chinese jets on Sunday shadowed a Filipino aircraft during a maritime cooperative activity (MCA) between the Philippines and Australia in the West Philippine Sea, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner said.

The Philippines and Australia on Saturday kicked off the three-day MCA meant to enhance bilateral ties between the two nations.

READ: PH, Australia launch first maritime cooperative activity

"May shadowing lang, may shadowing dun sa maritime, tapos dun sa air. May dalawang Chinese jet fighters na umikot dun sa plane natin, inikutan lang naman, inikutan," Brawner said in a phone interview on Sunday.

[Translation: There was shadowing in the maritime, in the air. Two Chinese jet fighters circled our plane.]

He said the Chinese jets circled a Super Tucano light attack aircraft of the Philippine Air Force over Hubo Reef in the Kalayaan Island Group on Sunday morning.

The Pinoy aircraft was flying alone when China's jets converged around it. It maintained a straight path and was able to complete its patrol, despite Beijing's interference. Brawner said no radio challenges were issued.

The AFP chief said the exercise was conducted in accordance with the rule of law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Just two days before the Philippines and Australia's MCA, Manila and Washington concluded their own series of exercises in the waters off Batanes and in the West Philippine Sea.

China did not interfere on the first day of the MCA.
On this "Face the Nation" broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister

National security adviser Jake Sullivan Phillippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees

World Food Programme director Cindy McCainSen. Michael Bennet, Democrat of ColoradoRep. Ken Buck, Republican of Colorado

Click here to browse full transcripts of "Fac the Nation."

MARGARET BRENNAN: I'm Margaret Brennan in Washington.

And this week on Face the Nation: Could the fragile temporary truce between Israel and Hamas hold? And does it signal we're near the end of this brutal war?

For the first weekend in almost two months, relief and joy in Israel, with more than two dozen hostages returning home as part of a deal with Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

We will bring you an exclusive interview with one of the deal's architects, the prime minister of Qatar, on the fate of the remaining hostages and just how long this truce could last, plus National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and a look at the global consequences of Gaza's humanitarian crisis with the leaders of two of the U.N.'s organizations.

Finally, back home, we will check in on Congress' sprawling year-end to-do list, including a border deal that could tighten asylum rules.

It's all just ahead on Face the Nation.

Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation.

It is day three of the brief pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas. And a third group of hostages is expected to be released today by Hamas in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners and allowing in humanitarian aid to Gaza. Hamas has given the list of 13 hostages to Israel for review. And multiple sources tell CBS News that an American name is on that list.

The truce negotiated by Qatar and the U.S. is expected to last for at least four days, and it's unclear at this hour what will happen this week on day five.

We will have an exclusive interview with the prime minister of Qatar in a moment.

First, here's the latest from Imtiaz Tyab in the West Bank.

(Begin VT)

IMTIAZ TYAB (voice-over): After seven weeks in captivity, freedom for a second group of hostages, including 9-year-old Irish-Israeli Emily Hand, who was initially presumed dead, now in her father's arms, just one of many overjoyed reunions.

In all, 13 Israelis, six women and seven children, and four Thai nationals were released last night, and 39 Palestinian prisoners, six women and 33 children, including these teenage boys, who were given a hero's welcome in the occupied West Bank. Since the start of the agreement, a total of 41 hostages have been released and 78 Palestinian prisoners.

But there were fears on Saturday the fragile deal between Israel and Hamas was close to collapse after it was delayed for hours when Hamas accused the Israeli military of repeatedly violating the terms of the agreement, forcing Egyptian and Qatari mediators to intervene, while, in Gaza, the pause in violence allowed war-weary Palestinians to return to their homes in the north of the strip, only to find entire city blocks gutted by airstrikes.

Hamas leaders said Israeli forces had been preventing aid trucks from entering the area, a stark reminder of how brittle the truce agreement is, as Israel continues to vow it will resume its campaign to destroy Hamas after the pause, despite the growing international pressure for a longer break in the bombardment that has so far killed almost 15,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health, and has displaced over a million more, many of whom have fled to the relative safety of the south of Gaza, where CBS News producer Marwan Al Ghoul reports.

MARWAN AL GHOUL: The feelings of the people here in the south, actually, it's mixed, because they could see each other and very sad too. They heard that they lost their houses. They lost everything.

IMTIAZ TYAB: There is still some optimism that the four-day break in hostilities could be extended after Israel offered to prolong the cease- fire by an extra day for every 10 more hostages released.

(End VT)

IMTIAZ TYAB: And Israel has already received the names of the next 13 hostages that are due to be released, and Hamas has been alerted of the names of the 39 other Palestinian prisoners, while, in Gaza, for the first time since the war began, a Qatari delegation has entered the Palestinian territory, Margaret, the first foreign diplomats to do so.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Imtiaz Tyab reporting from the West Bank.

We're joined now by the prime minister and foreign minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani Mohammed. It is his first interview since Qatar helped broker this hostage deal between Hamas and Israel. Qatar has also facilitated getting Americans stuck in Gaza out of the region.

Good morning to you, sir.

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI (Qatari Prime Minister): Well, thank you very much for having me, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Sheikh, the White House told us that at least one American is expected to be released by Hamas today. You've seen the list of hostages.

Will we see 4-year-old Abigail Edan released today? And are you confident this exchange will happen?

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Well, so far, things are moving in the right direction. We've been working very closely with the U.S. government, with the White House, of course.

And we are hoping that we will see the release happening shortly. And, within the list, they include Abigail, the young girl, 4 years old.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Will we see more Americans released soon?

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Well, we are hopeful, actually.

There are still some names which supposed to be on the first group. Until now, we didn't get the confirmation yet. But, you know, we are working on daily basis and making sure that, every day, we have the list of the next day.

So, we are hopeful that to have  to have a confirmation of a proof of life for them and, hopefully, the result at the end of the agreement. As I mentioned, things are happening on a daily basis, and we are focused on today's operation. And, hopefully, that will happen very shortly from now.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Mr. Prime Minister, I understand a Qatari delegation visited Israel yesterday and Gaza today. Do you expect that this four-day truce will be extended, and, if so, for how long?

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Well, actually, we are  we are hopeful.

According to the agreement that been agreed upon in the last few days for this four-days pause, the agreement has a provision that if Hamas are  will be able to prove, to locate, and secure some of the hostages that are within the criteria of the first group, which is women and children, then it will be extended.

Depends on  on the number that they will have. This is something we cannot confirm yet, until we get to the fourth day. Then Hamas should present the list if they are available with them.

Our delegation who have reached to Israel and to Gaza, they are totally two separate delegation. The Gaza delegation is focused on ensuring that humanitarian aid are sufficient, that they are going to  the humanitarian aid that's going in Gaza, and it's a pure humanitarian mission.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you know where Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas commander believed to have planned these attacks, is right now?

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Well, I don't think that this information is available with anyone, except you know, the people who are close to him.

And this is information really that doesn't relate much to what we are doing right now and on the ongoing negotiations. Our communication throughout the years that we had with Hamas has been very exclusive to the political wing and the political representatives and the office here in Doha.

And that's it. And we don't deal directly with or never have any dealing with the military wing.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.

Well, Qatar is home to the very large U.S. military base. Qatar is a major non-NATO U.S. ally. But, in this country, a number of Republican lawmakers, in particular, have publicly called for your country to hand over those Hamas political leaders.

What is the future? Will they remain in Qatar?

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Margaret, our relation with U.S. is a very solid relationship and alliance that been established throughout the decades.

We've been working together very closely in ensuring peace and stability in the region. And, in several occasions, Qatar has been always stepping up to this partnership. And, if you recall Afghanistan, and, currently right now, we've been working very closely with the White House, with the CIA and State Department to ensure that this deal is happening.

The president of the United States is in constant contact with His Highness, the emir, and I have been in constant communication with our colleagues in the White House, CIA and State Department as well.

There is a relation that's based on trust, based on mutual interest of both countries. This office, when it's established, it's established in coordination with the U.S. to establish the communication with Hamas. And it's been always useful, not only for the U.S., but for the U.S., Israel, and for the stability of the region.

And as long as this is something useful  and also, right now, we are in the middle of the negotiation  we will always keep the communication open with everyone.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you see an opportunity in this short truce to have some kind of diplomatic agreement to end the conflict? And will Qatar play a role in the future of Gaza?

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Well, our relationship Margaret, is with the Palestinian people, with the Palestinian cause. Our support for the Palestinian people has been ongoing for decades.

And this is what Qatar stood for. Whoever is governing the Palestinians, it's their choice. And I believe that our focus right now is how to end this war, how to ensure that this is not repeated. And the only way to ensure that this is not repeated is to resolve it peacefully, to have a political solution and provide the Palestinian people with a political horizon for  for a state.

And then the day after and who will govern Gaza and the West Bank should be one unit, one country, under one leadership that will be chosen by the Palestinian people.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Prime Minister, I appreciate your time in the middle of this intense diplomacy. We will be watching and hoping for progress.

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Thank you very much, Margaret, for having me.

MARGARET BRENNAN: A source with knowledge tells CBS that a group of hostages was just handed over to the Red Cross. We will be following that.

We spoke earlier this morning with White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, before the prime minister, and asked him whether the U.S. could confirm Americans are on the list to be released.

(Begin VT)

JAKE SULLIVAN (U.S. National Security Adviser): Well, Margaret, we do have reason to believe that Americans will be released today, at least one American will be released today.

I cannot confirm who it will be or that it will absolutely happen, because, until we see that American out of Gaza, in safety and ultimately in the hands of their loved ones, we won't have full confirmation.

And so we have been in close touch with the Israeli authorities, with Qatar, with Egypt. And we do have reason to believe that there will be an American released today. But let's wait and see what actually happens, because, of course, we are dealing with a terrorist group here, and we can't immediately trust. We have to verify.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood.

And  but as part of that diplomacy  this is that delicate exchange, Palestinian prisoners, aid going in. Are all those other pieces on track today?

JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, there continues to be quite a bit of intensity around the logistics of the delivery of humanitarian assistance. That humanitarian assistance is flowing. It has been flowing for several hours this morning.

The Israelis have indicated the list of Palestinian prisoners they're prepared to release, so that should be on track. We have every reason to believe that this will come together again today. It has for the last two days.

But implementation of something as intricate and complicated as this is difficult.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I know this first phase of the deal is focused on women and children. There are 10 Americans unaccounted for at this point.

Do you anticipate this truce will be extended and that all the Americans, including the men, will come home?

JAKE SULLIVAN: I have every confidence that, ultimately, all of the Americans and all of the individuals being held hostage will come home. We are determined not to rest until that happens.

But whether or not this particular deal gets extended, that's really up to Hamas, because Israel has been very clear, as part of the deal, it is prepared to continue the pause in fighting for every day that Hamas produces an additional 10 hostages.

So, the ball is in Hamas' court. If Hamas chooses on the fifth day and the sixth day and the seventh day to continue to produce hostages, to return them to their loved ones, to return them to safety, then Israel is prepared to continue the pause in the fighting. If Hamas decides not to do it, the responsibility will request  will rest squarely on Hamas' shoulders.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Your deputy Jon Finer was on Face the Nation last Sunday and told us Israel believes Hamas leaders are hiding in the south of Gaza. Combat operations are planned for that area. But he said they should be held off until civilians are accounted for in Israel's military planning.

Is the U.S. satisfied with the assurances provided by Israel?

JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, really, this is about operations, and not just about conversation.

So, what the United States is hoping to see and, frankly, what I believe Israel is hoping to see is the conditions being set whereby any military action only takes place after civilians have been accounted for and have the opportunity to be in safety, to have access to humanitarian assistance, and to be out of the way of any military operation that is conducted.

That's the conversation we're having with the Israelis right now. It's a constructive conversation, and the details of it will remain behind closed doors. But the basic notion that continuing military operations should learn lessons from the north to be applied in any further undertakings, this is something that we have been discussing with the Israelis at length.

MARGARET BRENNAN: President Biden was asked this past week about the call by some of his fellow Democrats to put conditions on military aid to Israel, and he said it was  quote  "a worthwhile thought."

What specific conditions are you considering putting on U.S. aid?

JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, Margaret, what the president actually said was, it's a worthwhile thought, but the approach that I have taken, I, Joe Biden have taken, has actually helped generate results.

It has been high-level presidential diplomacy, deep, personal, and oftentimes private engagement

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, he said it wouldn't have gotten us where we are now.

JAKE SULLIVAN:  that has led to  a deep, personal, and private engagement that has led to a substantial and increasing amount of humanitarian assistance going into Gaza, thousands of foreign nationals, including American citizens being able to depart safely from Gaza, a pause in the fighting for the first time since the conflict began, and a hostage deal that is bringing hostages home to their loved ones after 50 days.

That has all been the result of what President Biden has described as the approach that he has taken in this conflict. And when he answered that question, he acknowledged the idea, but then he said in the same breath that the approach that he has taken is what has been generating results.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you saying that what the president was indicating was, no, there won't be any restrictions?

JAKE SULLIVAN: No, we all saw what he said. He acknowledged the idea.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, there might be restrictions?

JAKE SULLIVAN: And then he said, but the approach I'm taking  Margaret, the president made clear in his comments that he thought the approach that he is taking is the approach that has generated the results that we have seen so far.

And he is going to continue to engage in exactly that kind of diplomacy.

MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.

JAKE SULLIVAN: In fact, he has a call set up for today with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

And I think you will see the United States continue to do what we have been doing, and particularly President Biden continue to do what he is doing, because that is what is generating results.

MARGARET BRENNAN: OK, because Senator Sanders has an op-ed in "The New York Times" making very specific demands in terms of restrictions on aid, saying there should be a freeze on settlement expansion in the West Bank, a commitment to a two-state solution.

Are those reasonable things to require of the Israeli government before additional aid is handed over?

JAKE SULLIVAN: Nobody has been a stronger advocate for a two-state solution than President Joe Biden, who has been speaking about it from the beginning of this conflict

MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood. And the Israeli  the current Israeli government has not been.

JAKE SULLIVAN:  and has done so publicly, as well as privately.

And as far as the president is concerned, this is the sine qua non of a lasting peace in the region. We need to see a two-state solution, Israelis and Palestinians in equal measures of freedom and dignity living side by side one another in peace.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you think this is a moment for that diplomacy, given what Prime Minister Netanyahu has said, given what some members of his government have said?

JAKE SULLIVAN: We believe that this is absolutely a moment for us to be working with everyone in the region, the Israeli government, the Palestinians, the Arab countries, our European partners, others towards, a two-state solution.

And President Biden laid that out in detail in an op-ed that he wrote in "The Washington Post" not long ago. So, the answer to your question is, yes, we do think this is a moment for that kind of diplomacy.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Jake Sullivan, thank you for your time this morning.

JAKE SULLIVAN: Thank you.

(End VT)

MARGARET BRENNAN: And Face the Nation will back in a moment. Stay with us.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS)

MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to the commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Philippe Lazzarini.

Welcome back to Face the Nation.

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI (Commissioner-General, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East): Good morning, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I understand you're joining us from Amman, Jordan, this morning.

Roughly 108 of your staff members in Gaza have been killed, according to your reports. That's the highest number of U.N. workers killed in the history of the United Nations. We are very sorry for your loss.

I'm wondering, given that you are sharing your location coordinates with both parties, why is there still such a high death toll?

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI: Yes, Margaret, this is definitely devastating news. And the United Nations never, ever lost as many staff in such a short period in the conflict.

Now, it is also true, Margaret, that about 70 of our location sheltering more than one million people have been hit since the beginning of the conflict. And we had about 200 people who have been killed, plus 100 injured, and this despite the fact that we are constantly deconflicting and notifying the Israeli authorities, but also the de facto government of Hamas about our location.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, who is hitting these locations?

I have seen your own U.N. reports that say you discovered some UNRWA schools have been used for military purposes, Israeli tanks nearby. You have also seen weapons storage in some of these facilities. Is that Hamas?

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI: We will definitely need to have investigation about all these allegations.

For the time being, we are in no position to determine who has been behind each of the incidents we have reported until now. But, clearly, here, this has been a blatant disregard of international humanitarian law, a blatant disregard of the U.N. premises, and a blatant disregard of a civilian population.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The White House says Israel's combat operations in South Gaza should not happen until there are assurances about protecting civilians in the south of Gaza.

Have you given  been given any kind of assurances here? Are you confident you can operate there safely?

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI: Well, therefore, we are not confident, because there haven't been any safe place until now in the Gaza Strip.

But people were initially asked to move from the north to the south. And we have seen that a number of people have been killed in the south. So there haven't been. any safe place yet.

That  having said that, we have this week reached more than one million people, more than half of the displaced people in the Gaza Strip being sheltered in U.N. premises. And we will continue to ask that the Israeli authorities and the warring parties to make sure that these places be respected in line with their obligation with international humanitarian law.

MARGARET BRENNAN: How dire is the humanitarian situation?

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI: Listen, I went back last week to Gaza for the second time.

The situation is much worse than what I saw the first time. Just to give you an example, I visited the vocational training center of UNRWA. We are sheltering 35,000 people there. I met a father with his five children. They live in a four-square-meter makeshift  basically sleeping on the floor, no mattress, no blanket.

Winter is coming. And, all of a  suddenly, he's bursting into tears and saying: "Well, my dignity has been stripped."

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI: And his story is a story of hundred of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We have to take a break here, and we will continue our conversation the other side of it.

Please stay with us.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS)

MARGARET BRENNAN: And we will hear more from Philippe Lazzarini in our next half-hour, plus World Food Program Director Cindy McCain.

For more information on their organizations and how you can help, visit WFP.org and UNRWA.org.

We will be back in a moment.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS)

MARGARET BRENNAN: We will be right back with a lot more Face the Nation.

Stay with us.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS)

MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to FACE THE NATION.

And our conversation with Philippe Lazzarini of the U.N. Relief Agency for Palestine refugees.

Mr. Commissioner-General, how much aid is getting into Gaza now as part of this diplomatic deal?

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI (Commissioner-General, United Nations Relief and Works Agency): Since two days, I would say the beginning of the truce, we have seen a significant increase of trucks entering Gaza. I would say on the first day we had an average of 40 trucks, which was far, far, far too little compared to the immense need in the Gaza Strip. And now I would say over the last few days we had an average of 160 to 200 trucks crossing Rafah and entering into - into Gaza.

Having said that, I do believe that 200 are hardly enough for a humanitarian response. If we want to reverse the impact of the siege into Gaza Strip, we need also commercial fuel.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you, sir, about your organization, which continues to be criticized by some in Israel, including their intelligence minister, who published an op-ed recently in the "Jerusalem Post," and she said, "UNRWA has done zero to help the Palestinian people, even though it has an annual budget of over a billion dollars." She argued that the international community should instead fund the costs of moving Palestinians to other countries. I wonder how you respond to that.

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI: You know that UNRWA has a mandate from the general assembly, and basically is requested to provide protection and assistance to the Palestinian refugees across the region, not only in Gaza, until (INAUDIBLE) there is a firm and lasting political solution. Since then, when we refer to the $1 billion budget we have in our school, more than half a million girls and boys learning education from grade one to grade nine. We have more than 2 million people benefiting from our primary health not only in Gaza but also in Lebanon, in Syria, in Jordan, in the West Bank and in east Jerusalem.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And resettling the  all of the Palestinians, I imagine, you would strongly disagree with.

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI: UNRWA does not have the mandate from the general assembly to resettle the Palestinian refugees.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI: The assumption is there need to be a political solution, a lasting one, and that that's the way an organization like ours would then phase out. Unfortunately, for 75 years there haven't been any (INAUDIBLE) solution and basically we are dealing with the longest-lasting, unresolved conflict.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood.

We will continue watching what happens.

Commissioner-General, thank you for your time today.

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI: Thank you, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And we turn now to the executive director of the World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, also part of the United Nations.

Director McCain, we just heard this ceasefire is bringing some aid into Gaza, but UNICEF just published some information saying that there is a life-threatening form of malnutrition in children that could increase by nearly 30 percent in Gaza. Weakened immune systems, weight loss, death from illness, like common cold and diarrhea. They are talking simply about the children who make up half the population. What are you doing to prevent this from happening?

CINDY MCCAIN (Executive Director, World Food Programme): Well, thank you for having me.

First of all, the - the bottom line here is that we need to get more aid in, as  as has been said. We are looking at possible  possibly being on the brink of famine in this region. This is something that's not only terrific, but it will spread. And - and with that comes disease and - and everything else that you can imagine.

Bottom line, we need more trucks in, we need more aid in, we need to be able to have more access to be able to distribute the aid. And - and, you know, hopefully maybe a longer time to do that, not just four days. We look forward to - to making sure that we can work with all of our partners on the ground and in the area to make sure that this can happen. And I want to thank the Egyptians for being so helpful in all of this.

MARGARET BRENNAN: UNICEF also said approximately 30,000 children under the age of five in Gaza had stunted growth. And this was even before the war began.

CINDY MCCAIN: Right.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Why?

CINDY MCCAIN: Well, I  the access for aid, again, prior to the war and then, of course, since the war has been an issue all along. And the ability to make sure that these children get the proper nutrients, not just food, but the proper nutrients in this. It's a terrific situation. It's a - it's - it is - it is a massive, catastrophic event that is occurring, and it will cross regions as it happens. We have got to be able to get in there. And not only that, we have to make sure that we can safely have access to be able to feed the people that we need to feed. So far we've fed about 110,000 since the - since the ceasefire, but we need to do a lot more than that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: For the next generations, no doubt.

I know you are looking at the entire globe here, and there is a lot of need right now. I read that the World Food Programme had to cut off 10 million people in Afghanistan. In Africa you've announced you'll have to end food aid for more than a million people in Chad, suspend aid in Nigeria, in Carr (ph) and Cameroon. How do you possibly prioritize need and how do you decide who to cut off?

CINDY MCCAIN: Oh, it's - it  Margaret, it's something that keeps me awake at night. And I - I - that - that's the honest truth. It's very difficult to do. But the - the problem is - is - is not - is not just the ability to not be able to feed, but it's  the problem is the world needs to step up and help us. We  cutting off 10 million people, primarily women and children, in Afghanistan is  it's deadly. It will - it will kill the country. So, we've got to be able to make sure that we can get aid in. And, more importantly, we need our countries around the world, not just the United States, but every country in the world to step up and help us, to feed people who cannot feed themselves.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The last time we spoke you emphasized that some countries could provide technology, advice on how to do it if they don't want to kick in money. China, of course, is one of those countries that's been pressed to do more here. Are you seeing anything more?

CINDY MCCAIN: Well, I'm seeing other countries, yes, step up and offer things and begin to work with us on a daily basis to see how we can better improve. Not just - not just what we - we give, but how it's grown and - and can be grown with less water, more technology. It's a - it's a series of things to try to combat not only climate change but the effects of Covid as well as conflict. It's a long-range prospect, but we do need the technology.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And specifically, the crisis was made worse by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is such a bread basket for the world. How significant is that conflict now on supply?

CINDY MCCAIN: Well, as you know, it has - it has managed to really devastate many countries, not just from not having enough grain to be able to distribute, but also enough money to be able to do that. The - the - the Russian invasion has caused catastrophic effects that have dribbled all the way down through Africa, as was mentioned and so forth. It  Ukraine was very significant in all of this.

We are getting grain out. As you know, it's going in different directions. But we are getting some out. But we  this is a catastrophic event, as I said. And it's affected nearly every country in the world.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Director McCain, we thank you for working on these hard issues and your time today.

CINDY MCCAIN: Thank you.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We'll be right back.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS)

MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to the senior Colorado Democratic Senator Michael Bennet.

Good morning to you, Senator.

SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO): Good morning, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, when Congress comes back from this break, they have a lot of work to do. I understand you are part of a small group who has worked during the break on this very tough issue regarding the U.S. border and President Biden's request for about 14 billion to help with it. Where do talks stand now?

MICHAEL BENNET: Well, I think the - the really important thing, that there's broad bipartisan support for in the Senate right now, is that we've got to get recognition and we've got to get the Ukraine funding done as part of this package. We've got to get the Israel funding done, humanitarian funding done, and the funding for Southeast Asia as well. There are some Republicans who have said that in order to do that, in order to have that vote they want to see something done on the border. And I think we have had good conversations over the last several days and before that trying to see if we can get to some sort of solution. I believe, of course, that the Ukrainian people have earned a vote to support them without a negotiation on the U.S. border. But there are others in the Senate who feel differently, and we're trying to see if we can get to a solution.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And you mentioned that because, as I understand it, the indication in the Republican-held House is that border needs to be bundled with Ukraine aid in order to get it through. Is that still the case?

MICHAEL BENNET: That is what  yes, that is still the case from the House. I mean when you think about what the  the courage of the Ukrainian people has meant for humanity, it really has been extraordinary. They have taken back over half the territory that Putin took from them. They have rendered the Black Sea fleet, Putin's Black Sea fleet, can't do what - what they've tried to do to the grain you were talking about with Cindy McCain is actually going out because of what the Ukrainian people did. And now the United States, I think, has an obligation to continue to support them in this fight, not just for Ukraine, but a fight for democracy. And I - I don't know whether the House will come to the conclusion that that's enough for them. So, we're continuing to see if there's something we can do on the border.

My - my view is, there's always room to make our immigration system better on behalf of the American people. And I hope people of good faith can come together and reach a solution.

MARGARET BRENNAN: OK. So, on that front, if - if your leverage here is the border, tell me, what is the sticking point at this - this stage? Is it still that Republicans are pressing to tighten qualifications for claiming asylum and there's some Democratic resistance? Is it resistance to including dreamers? What are the specifics that you're actually able to tackle?

MICHAEL BENNET: Well, the  obviously I would love it if we could include the dreamers in this - in this package. Ninety percent of the American people believe that the dreamers should have a pathway to citizenship. There has been discussion about whether or not we ought to think about changing the asylum standard. One of the things we all have to recognize I think as Americans is that over the last ten years gangs south of the border have created a billion-dollar business that's smuggling human beings across the entire world to the southern border. And the southern border, as a result of that, is being undermined and - and - and - and is being more - - much more difficult to manage. That's been a problem in Republican and Democratic and, you know, administrations. And if we can find a way to help fix that in a bipartisan way that would be great.

The point I'm trying to make is that whether we succeed or not in terms of getting to that agreement, this Ukraine funding has to happen for the sake of democracy and for the sake of the western world. Putin, you know, believes he could lose on the battlefield in Ukraine. The battlefield he's trying to win on is the battlefield on Capitol Hill. And Democrats and Republicans have got to come together to make sure that doesn't happen.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you have clear guidance from Leader Schumer on how he wants this to play out in the next few weeks? I mean you're running out of time in 2023.

MICHAEL BENNET: We're running out of time in 2023. I've literally talked to Leader Schumer almost every day except Thanksgiving and his birthday over the course of this holiday weekend. I've had the chance to talk to Democrats and Republicans individually. Everybody knows what's at stake here and everybody knows how short the time is.

You said at the beginning of this interview, Congress has a lot of work to do. That's true. For once we should do that work instead of playing politics. The stakes are just too high.

MARGARET BRENNAN: On the other conflict that we haven't talked about, with Israel and Hamas, President Biden said when he was asked, "it is a worthwhile thought" raised by some democrats that there should be conditions placed on Israel aid. Now, you heard the national security adviser avoid any specifics there. Are you asking for any conditions to be placed on aid to Israel?

MICHAEL BENNET: I haven't so far, but I think that's a debate we're going to  certainly we're going to have in the coming days. In the meantime, it's critical that everybody understand that Hamas, you know, is a terrorist organization that - that Israel has to defend itself, that it's been made much more difficult because of Hamas' use of civilians as human shields, and that it is incumbent on Israel notwithstanding that, notwithstanding that difficult issue to meet the highest standard. That's critically important for Israel to make sure that they kill as few civilians as possible as they defend themselves against Hamas and that they subscribe to the rule of law.

And I - I know we're going to have a debate about that in the Congress and - and perhaps we should. But we have always disappointed ourselves when we've not met the highest standards, when we've been in armed conflict. And I think Israel's going to be facing that high standard as well, which is the right standard for Israel, for those of us that support Israel, and the right standard for those of us that have high aspirations for democracy, which those of us that are supporting both Israel and Ukraine at this moment have.

MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, Senator, we'll continue to track the work you're able to get done.

We'll be back in a moment.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS)

MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to Republican Congressman Ken Buck, also from the state of Colorado. He announced his retirement from Congress earlier this month.

Good morning to you, sir.

You've still got a bit of business to handle in these next few weeks that's for sure. Congress has a lengthy to-do list. Reauthorizing the FAA, finishing the defense bill, taking on all of these supplemental requests from President Biden. Can you get all of that done in the remaining weeks?

REP. KEN BUCK (R-CO): We can. We have three weeks of legislative business ahead of us, if not more, and we can get those things done and they're very important to get done.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You have, on that issue of Ukraine, which I understand is controversial among some Republicans, you are part of the Freedom Caucus. That puts you more to the  to the right of your party. But you are for aid to Ukraine.

I'm wondering if you think it is possible to do what Senator Bennet just laid out and said was essential, which is have that aid passed no matter what, you know, even if it doesn't get bundled with a border bill.

KEN BUCK: I think it's absolutely essential to get aid to Ukraine. I think President Biden has slow-walked different types of military equipment that Ukraine has needed. And we need to make sure that they have the very best equipment and support that we can give them in - in fighting the Russians. I hope it gets done.

The question, Margaret, is always, where does the money come from? And so, to expect that the Democrats help us find ways to pay for the Israel aid and the Ukraine aid I think is absolutely fair. For the Senate we've already sent the Israel aid to the Senate. It is sitting there. Has been for weeks. They have done nothing. I think that's irresponsible. We need to work together to find ways to pay for this aid and then to make sure that both the Israel aid, and the Ukraine aid are sent to those countries.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you voted against this latest short-term spending bill to keep the government open. Do you anticipate that the new speaker of the House, Speaker Johnson, will face more of a rebellion from the right flank of your party if he tries to partner with Democrats on this?

KEN BUCK: I don't think that most Republicans blame Speaker Johnson for the problems that he is now facing, the challenges he's facing. Those were created during the McCarthy time period, and Speaker Johnson is doing a good job to work his way through those issues. So, no, I don't think he's going to face a rebellion. I think he's going to face support when he finds ways to reduce our national spending, our $36 trillion debt at the end of next year. $1 trillion of money that is being spent to service that debt. Those are real existential issues that America needs to deal with, and I think Speaker Johnson's going about it the right way.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Does that mean Speaker Johnson has been working through the break and has a plan to do this and a way to pay for it in the next three weeks?

KEN BUCK: Yes, absolutely. The Israel aid was conditioned on the 87,000 new IRS agents 

MARGARET BRENNAN: But that's dead on arrival in the Senate and the president said he would - would - would veto that as structured.

KEN BUCK: Well, and - and the Democrats are going to own that. If we don't get aid to Israel  they haven't sent a package back to us and said, we don't agree with all of these cuts, we agree with some of them. And - and if the Democrats want to hold up Israel aid, that's up to them. I think it's important that we find ways to pay for the - the needs that Israel has, and Ukraine has and - and to do it in a responsible way.

MARGARET BRENNAN: OK. Well, we'll have to see if that can get done.

I want to ask you about how I introduced you, which was mentioning your retirement. We've seen a tremendous number of retirements announced in just the past few weeks. It's the highest number of retirements in a single month for over a decade. You said too many Republican leaders are lying to America. Who do you have in mind when you said that?

KEN BUCK: I have  everybody who thinks that the election was stolen or talks about the election being stolen is lying to America. That's everyone that - that is - that is making that argument. Everyone who makes the argument that January 6th was, you know, an unguided tour of the Capitol is lying to America. Everyone who says that the prisoners who are being prosecuted right now for their involvement in January 6th, that - that they are somehow political prisoners or that they didn't commit crimes, those folks are lying to America.

As a Republican Party, if we're going to offer good, solid policy answers to the - the - the real challenges we face in America, we've got to get past the lies and we've got to have credibility with the American public. And - and I think we can do that but we have to move forward.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you know that the speaker of the House tried to reverse the 2020 election results by signing on to that Texas amicus brief. By CBS standards that makes him an election denier. But you support him.

KEN BUCK: I do support him. I - I signed onto that brief also. And I believed that going through the courts to challenge an election is absolutely proper and it's been done dozens of times in - in American history.

What's wrong is to try to stop a legal function, a legislative function like counting the votes in an election as happened on January 6th. Mike was not the leader of the party at the time that so many Republicans voted against the certification of electors. While I disagree with some of his -

MARGARET BRENNAN: Does he need to be more clear, though, now?

KEN BUCK: I hope he is - I hope he becomes more clear. I hope all of my Republican colleagues become more clear and recognize the fact that Joe Biden is an existential threat to this country, and we need to defeat him and we do that with someone who's not lying to the country.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Congressman Ken Buck, we appreciate your time on this post-Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

KEN BUCK: Thank you.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We have some good news we want to share with all of you, just out of Gaza. We have learned from a source with knowledge that four- year-old American Abigail Edan is in the custody now of the Red Cross. The Qatari foreign ministry also says 39 Palestinians will be released by Israel as part of this latest hostage swap in exchange for those prisoners being released.

We will be right back.

(ANNOUNCEMENTS)

MARGARET BRENNAN: Before we go today, we want to pay tribute to our friend and colleague Ricardo "Rick" Whitson, who died last week at the age of 57 years old. He was a talented lighting director adored by us here, and our thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends at this hour.

For FACE THE NATION, I'm Margaret Brennan.

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Trucks carrying humanitarian aid and fuel entered Gaza from Egypt on Nov. 24, 2023. Credit - Mohammed TalatenePicture AllianceGetty Images

Additional humanitarian aid trucks started rolling over the Rafah Crossing from Egypt to Gaza early Friday morning, as the planned four-day ceasefire began. The aid trucks, fuel tankers among them, were a welcome sight amid the seven-week-long war between Israel and Hamas.

Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostage, Israel has periodically cut off water, fuel and electricity to Gaza. An estimated 14,000 people have been killed by Israeli bombardment of the territory, the Hamas-run health ministry has said.

People in Gaza experienced reprieve on Friday after the warring sides implemented a new deal that included a temporary pause in fighting, delivery of more aid, and the planned exchange of a possible 50 Hamas hostages for 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

International organizations and Qatars foreign minister, who helped broker the deal, have said the new aid will not be enough to address the dire humanitarian disaster in Gaza. More than half of the territorys two million-plus residents are internally displaced, with food and clean water now running out in north Gaza.

The United Nations and many aid groups have been calling for a permanent ceasefire.

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the country will continue its war to eliminate Hamas after the truce. Hamas told Al Jazeera in an interview that they want a permanent ceasefire, but said the group is ready to deal with all situations imposed by Israel.

What aid is entering Gaza?

Between Oct. 21 and Nov. 23, more than 1,723 truckloads of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza through the Egyptian border, the U.N. said. Before the war, a monthly average of nearly 10,000 trucks of commercial and humanitarian commodities came in.

The U.N. said Israel allowed 19,812 U.S. gallons (75,000 liters) of fuel to enter Gaza on Nov. 23. Israel had previously prohibited fuel over fears it would be used by Hamas for military purposes. Fuel is now being distributed by the U.N. to support food distribution and to operate generators at hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, shelters and other critical services, the agency said.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement shared on various social media channels that four tankers of fuel and four tankers of cooking gas were transferred from Egypt on Friday morning.

Videos showed more trucks started passing into Gaza after the temporary ceasefire started at 7 a.m. local time.

As of 10:30 a.m., 60 trucks of a total of 230 expected on Friday had entered Gaza, Al Arabiya reported, citing a Rafah crossing border official.

The Palestinian Red Crescent received two ambulances and 85 trucks loaded with aid through the crossing, carrying food, water, relief items, medical equipment, and medications, the group wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

On Nov. 25, the IDF shared a post on social media, detailing its own record of the aid distributed in Gaza the previous day.

"200 trucks with humanitarian aid entered Gaza yesterday, via the Rafah Crossing, and were delivered to international aid organizations, as part of the framework for the release of the hostages, as agreed with the U.S. and mediated by Qatar and Egypt," the update read.

The statement went on to say that 124 trucks were for carrying food, 18 for medical supplies, 38 for water, 17 for shelter supplies, four each for gas and fuel, and an additional three for hygiene supplies.

"Approximately 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid are expected to enter Gaza today," the IDF said.

What is the humanitarian crisis in Gaza?

Dr Majed Al-Ansari, Qatars foreign ministry spokesperson, told The Independent that the international community needed to allow unrestricted aid to address the scale of the crisis.

There are unbelievable levels of destruction, death and violence that we have not seen before, he was quoted as saying. This is not something that you can remedy with any number of trucks of aid that go in.

The U.N. reported on Friday that people have resorted to eating raw vegetables or unripe fruits, with no bakeries operational in north Gaza. Three children, including a baby in an incubator, reportedly died at a hospital Wednesday because of lack of electricity, the agency said.

Multiple U.N. agencies have called for a humanitarian ceasefire, with U.N.s Secretary-General saying in a statement on Nov. 19 that this must stop.

In a news conference Friday morning, Jens Laerke, spokesman for the U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA, told reporters: We hope that this humanitarian pause leads to a longer term humanitarian ceasefire for the benefit of the people of Gaza, Israel and others.

World Health Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said during the news conference that the agency remains extremely concerned about the safety of the estimated 100 patients and health workers remaining at Al-Shifa, a hospital in north Gaza that was the center of a recent Israeli ground operation.

Lindmeier said WHO, along with the Palestinian Red Crescent, evacuated 151 patients, relatives and health workers from Al-Shifa on Nov. 22. That included 73 severely ill or injured patients, 18 dialysis patients, 26 with serious spinal issues, two in need of critical care and 19 in wheelchairs, he said. He didnt know exactly how many remained at the hospital.

About 200 patients and staff also remain at the Indonesian Hospital in north Gaza, the U.N. said.

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Washington  Embattled Rep. George Santos said he expects to be expelled from Congress in the coming days and will "wear it like a badge of honor."

"I know I'm going to get expelled when this expulsion resolution goes to the floor," the New York Republican said Friday on an X Space hosted by conservative media personality Monica Matthews.

"I have done the math over and over," he said, laughing, "and it doesn't look really good."

The Ethics Committee released a 56-page report earlier this month that said there was "substantial evidence" that Santos violated federal law. The report alleged Santos funneled large sums of money through his campaign and businesses to pay for his personal expenses, including on cosmetic procedures such as Botox, at luxury stores Hermes and Ferragamo, on smaller purchases at OnlyFans, a website containing adult content, meals, parking, travel and rent.

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) arrives for the weekly House Republican conference meeting in the basement of the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 7, 2023. / Credit: / Getty Images

After the report's release, Rep. Michael Guest, the chairman of the Ethics Committee, introduced a resolution to expel Santos. Guest, a Mississippi Republican, said the findings were "more than sufficient to warrant punishment and the most appropriate punishment is expulsion."

Calling his colleague an obscenity, Santos dared Guest to introduce his resolution as "privileged," meaning the House would be required to consider the measure within two legislative days.

"He thought that he was going to bully me out of Congress," Santos said, adding that he would not resign and calling the report "a political opposition hit piece at best."

"I want to see them set this precedent," he said. "Because this precedent sets a new era of due process, which means you are guilty until proven innocent, we will take your accusations and use it to smear, to mangle, to destroy you and remove you from society. That is what they are doing with this."

Santos declined to address the specific allegations in the report, claiming they were "slanderous." He said defending himself against the allegations could be used against him in the federal case. Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges.

Santos also lashed out at his colleagues, accusing them of adultery, voting hungover and handing out their voting cards like "candy for someone else to vote for them."

"There's felons galore," he said. "There's people with all sorts of sheisty backgrounds. And all of a sudden, George Santos is the Mary Magdalene of United States Congress."

During the hourslong discussion, Rep. Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California, logged onto the X Space and pressed Santos on why he wouldn't resign.

"Why not just do the right thing and resign?" Garcia said. "We're going to vote to expel you, George."

Santos said he hasn't been found guilty of anything.

"George, we're going to expel you," Garcia repeated.

"And that's fine," Santos said. "You're saying it like I'm scared of it, Robert. I'm not scared of it.  I resign, I admit everything that's in that report, which most of it is some of the craziest st I've ever read in my life."

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Amid a weeks-long backlog of renewals for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, popularly known as food stamps, the Georgia Department of Human Services has put out a list of resources to help those in need.

According to DHS, a backlog of SNAP renewals has led to some renewals being overdue. The update comes shortly after the department announced issues with some renewals being approved despite the process not having completed.

As a result, theyve put out a resource map to help families in need find places to get immediate assistance across the state of Georgia.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

This is one of several SNAP benefits issues to impact Georgians in recent weeks.

As previously reported, on Oct. 18, DHS announced theyd gotten to replace stolen benefits from the SNAP program, for Georgians whose benefits may have been stolen between Oct. 1, 2022 and Oct. 18, 2023. Any benefits believed to have been stolen after that date must be reported within 30 days.

Additionally, state officials told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Justin Gray they are considering using an artificial intelligence program to potentially address backlog issues they say are due to a lack of manpower in DHS.

TRENDING STORIES:

To assist with providing meals to Georgia families, especially during the holidays, DHS donated $2.8 million to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

The map provided by DHS links to a locator operated by the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

According to the nonprofit food bank, about 8.4% or one in 12 people in their 29-county service area are food insecure, and of those, one in eight children in the area are food insecure, meaning they need help getting proper nutrition.

The most recently available data on SNAP use in Georgia, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, showed there were about 1.3 million residents using the benefits program in August 2023. The data was published Nov. 9.

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HALF MOON BAY, Calif.  A 5-year-old girl died, and her grandfather remains missing after a wave swept the pair into the Pacific Ocean over the weekend in Northern California.

Hazardous beach conditions began Friday and continued in Northern California through Sunday. Multiple other rescues were needed during rough surf near San Fransisco.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

A 5-year-old girl and a 54-year-old man were swept off the beach by a wave near Martins Beach, according to officials with the U.S. Coast Guard Northern California. KTVU FOX 2 reported that the missing man is the girl's grandfather.

The 5-year-old girl was pulled from the water by San Mateo County Fire personnel on Saturday and pronounced deceased at a nearby hospital, according to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard continued to search for the man near Half Moon Bay for nearly 24 hours but suspended the search late Sunday night.

"The decision to suspend search efforts is one of the hardest decisions to make, but our crews searched for nearly 24 hours without any sightings of the missing person," said Capt. Jordan Baldueza, deputy commander, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this very tragic event."

According to a news release, the Coast Guard Sector San Francisco command center launched a search and rescue effort around 2 p.m. Saturday, including a boat and air crews. An additional vessel from Monterey arrived to help with the search on Sunday.

KTVU FOX 2 reported that multiple rescue operations happened over the weekend, including two in San Francisco that involved a sailboat and a surfer.

Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County officials said they responded to a 911 call to rescue two people near Pleasure Point.

Fire rescue personnel told meteorologists with the Bay Area National Weather Service office that high tides were over 6 feet on Saturday.

The NWS Bay Area issued a Coastal Flood Advisory for San Francisco Bay due to high astronomical tides through Monday afternoon.

With dangerous conditions, the NWS warned beachgoers of sneaker waves and rip currents.

WHAT IS A SNEAKER WAVE?

With its steep and rocky coastline, Northern California is known for sneaker waves. According to NOAA, a sneaker wave is a rush of water that surges up the coast farther than expected. Some of these waves can surge more than 150 feet up the beach.

Hazardous conditions were expected from coastal Sonoma County down to Monterey County through Sunday.





Original article source: Girl dies, search for grandfather suspended after wave sweeps pair into California's Half Moon Bay coast
On Tuesday, all over the globe, we will join together on #GivingTuesday, the largest single day of philanthropic generosity. Across the Hudson Valley, the business leaders pictured and named here have committed to supporting Volunteer New York!, whose mission is to mobilize our community to address its greatest challenges. This Giving Tuesday, Volunteer New York! is proud to have partnered with generous sponsors, including Million Air White Plains, Air Culinaire, and Spectrum Designs. Their support has been instrumental in making this Giving Tuesday even more impactful.

The Volunteer New York! 2023 hat.

Thousands of local volunteers have turned to Volunteer New York! to help support their communities  by helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to causes. Every act of generosity has counted! We hope you will join these Community Champions and noted sponsors in supporting local volunteerism.

Visit volunteernewyork.org/givingtuesday to learn how your generosity can help keep our community thriving.

Community leaders who wear the Volunteer Hat are featured in a special pull-out in the Sunday, Nov. 26 print editions of The Journal News, as well as in online galleries featuring hat-wearers from both Rockland and Westchester counties.

Why we partner with Volunteer New York!

For the ninth year, lohud and The Journal News are proud to partner with our colleagues at Volunteer New York! to promote Giving Tuesday with the Volunteer Hat campaign. As ever, our goal is simple: to boost awareness of the remarkable work accomplished by non-profits across Rockland and Westchester counties and beyond. These institutions are critical to the success of our communities and we believe they are worthy of your philanthropic support.

The Giving Tuesday campaign supports both sides of the community bridge  on one side, there are people who want to volunteer and, on the other, are the local nonprofits who need people power to meet pressing community needs. Volunteers are needed now, more than ever, in support of community resiliency and recovery.

Who's wearing the hat?

Ed Forbes is a senior editor for the USA TODAY Network's Atlantic Group, overseeing opinion for news organizations across the northeast.

To get unlimited access to his insightful thoughts on how we live life in the northeast, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

ED FORBES, Senior Director, Opinion and Engagement, USA TODAY Network, 9

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Volunteer New York! launches 2023 Volunteer Hat campaign
Alastair Campbell believes British attitude to Ireland has never been better than during Tony Blair's government - Jeff Gilbert

The Governments attitude to the Irish returned to repellent during Brexit, one of Tony Blairs former top aides has said.

Alastair Campbell slammed an almost arrogance on the part of the current Conservative government towards Northern Ireland.

He was speaking on the Irish deputy premier Micheal Martins In Conservation With podcast.

The Tanaiste said that from an Irish perspective, the relationship with the British Government went up a level when Tony Blairs Labour swept into power in 1997, and to a certain extent hasnt been repeated.

It just went up a level in terms of trust, in terms of working together genuinely and learning and sharing experiences, it was a very, very warm relationship that did impact positively, he said.

Mr Campbell said it saddens him the extent to which in the Brexit debate, Northern Ireland was not even considered.

Theres an arrogance about the current government in its attitudes to Ireland that there used to be when I was a journalist, he said.

Mr Campbell, who worked in journalism in the 1980s and 90s, said he felt that there was an arrogance during the former prime minister Margaret Thatchers time in office.

There was an arrogance, there was an attitude towards the Irish that was really quite repellent, and that went and I think a little of it has come back again, he said.

The extent to which, particularly during the Brexit negotiations, stuff was happening that had a direct impact upon you guys, and I dont think it even figured in the thinking a lot of the time.

The Tanaiste responded: Which gave rise to all the issues around the [Northern Ireland] Protocol and where we are today, and also the bit Ive always been taken aback by was the absence of any due diligence over the impact on SMEs, small businesses, supply chains.

Its a huge imposition on a lot of ordinary small to medium-size businesses that I dont think was factored in.

Professional Prime Minister

He added: To be fair, I think Rishi Sunak has brought a degree of professionalism to Britain.

The pair also discussed rioting seen in Dublin last Thursday night following a stabbing attack which saw a woman and three children taken to hospital.

Mr Martin described the incident as an appalling, horrific attack on three young children and their carer, followed by rioting and attacks on gardai, coordinated on social media.

He expressed concern about the hate and bile in social-media messaging, directed against foreigners and the government.

Mr Campbell said he was genuinely shocked by the scenes in Dublin.

He commended Drew Harris, the commissioner of the Garda, for absolutely calling them out in reference to his assertion of the involvement of far-Right elements.

Mr Campbell has published a new book called What Can I Do, about the growth of populism, polarisation and the nature of public discourse.

We are now in this world where if you combine the disenchantment that a lot of people have with their own lives, the desire to find people to blame for that, be that politicians, be that immigrants, be that anybody that they can say is not one of us, allied to the speed at which rumour can fly, conspiracies can fly and its very, very hard to contain when it kicks off, he said.

Referring to the rise of Right-wing politicians in countries including the Netherlands and Argentina, Mr Campbell added: What all of these things signal is we havent got on top of this populist, polarising virus, and weve got to find ways of addressing the issues, but at the same time weve got to find ways of restoring peoples sense or at least a modicum of trust in institutions of trust in politicians.

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Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has said that issues around grain and other foodstuffs Russia steals from the occupied territories of Ukraine should be taken into account in decisions regarding sanctions against Russia.

Source: Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics during a press conference in Kyiv, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "I think the issues around grain and other foodstuffs Russia steals from the occupied territories of Ukraine should be taken into account in the sanctions mechanism. Some aspects have already been taken into account. I also think that the way we coordinate the implementation of the sanctions on the European level and how we check where certain goods have come from is equally important. We need to work on this issue," Rinkevics said.

Meanwhile, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said that sanctions should not affect basic needs.

"There is another aspect. A country cannot benefit from the goods it has stolen. Thats why we need to strengthen control mechanisms. Im talking about sanctions against dual use goods that circumvent sanctions and end up in the Russian Federation. We need to deal with problems around these gaps and to implement new solutions for import and export to and from the EU in order to put an end to this," Simonyte stressed.

She added that first and foremost the EU must turn its attention to the countries neighbouring Russia, "because those are the areas where the majority of trade is taking place".

"We will continue working to prevent Putin from benefiting from the goods he has stolen," Simonyte stressed.

Previously: Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has earlier supported the idea of limiting the import of Russian grain to the EU.

Finland has given 3 million to support Ukraines efforts to export grain to countries most dependent on it and to aid the demining of Ukrainian fields.

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MOLE LAKE, Wis.  In late August, Robert Van Zile Jr., looked out over Rice Lake with dismay. Brown spot disease had decimated this year's wild rice crop.

The lake is home to the last remaining wild rice bed on the Mole Lake Sokaogon Ojibwe Reservation, and one of the few ancient beds left in Wisconsin. Researchers collect seeds there annually for reseeding projects in other parts of the state. In addition to nutritional and cultural value, wild rice beds create habitat for fish, filter pollutants and nutrients out of the water, and provide food for migrating birds.

This year, Van Zile, chairman of the Mole Lake Ojibwe Tribe, had to deny researchers and other outside harvesters so there would be enough for tribal members.

(Ricing) is very important because there are people who dont have jobs, who have children, and they need the rice to provide for their families, said Van Ziles son, Leelyn Van Zile, who is a rice chief for the tribe. The rice  manoomin, in Ojibwe  is a staple in their diet.

Researchers believe the fungus causing brown spot disease is spreading quickly because it thrives on the intense rainfall and hotter, more humid weather ushered in by climate change. As extreme conditions become more common, natural resources will be stressed further.

Mole Lake Ojibwe tribal officials said the plant once grew on seven bodies of water within the reservation. Now, it occupies just the 2-mile shoreline of Rice Lake, mostly the result of development that was out of the tribe's control.

The Indigenous communities that call this region home have been practicing good land stewardship and sharing that message with others. But for too long, that message hasn't been heard.

Robert Van Zile Jr., chairman of the Mole Lake Ojibwe Tribe, sprinkles Rice Lake with tobacco in September 2023, asking for a blessing on the waters. The lake is home to the last remaining wild rice bed on the Mole Lake Sokaogon Ojibwe Reservation, and one of the few ancient beds left in Wisconsin.

The tribes hold thousands of years of expertise. They believe their traditional ecological knowledge is critical to safeguarding resources and cleaning up the land, air and water for everyone. And they're keenly aware that our relationship with nature is at one of the most critical junctures in history.

The question is: Will anyone pay attention?

Is the U.S. government at fault?

Some say thats not just an environmental issue. Its a legal one.

The federal government has failed to consistently uphold tribal treaty rights against the state and developers, tribes contend, shirking its duty to protect resources on reservations and ceded territories  other land where tribes have rights to hunt, fish, and gather.

If we dont have access to the walleye or wild rice anymore because theyre extinct because of climate change, that is a fault of the U.S. government because they have violated that treaty, said Bazile Minogiizhigaabo Panek, a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, and a consultant for the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, based at Northern Arizona University.

Michael Regan, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, acknowledged to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the agency has "room for improvement" when it comes to safeguarding tribal resources. Engaging with tribal leaders is a top priority, he said, and the EPA is hosting listening sessions and hoping to strengthen relationships.

Symbolic progress was made just last month when Milwaukee County became the first county in the state to pass a "rights of nature" resolution. The effort is part of a global movement grounded in Indigenous knowledge and aimed at making sure human activities do not interfere with the health of land and waterways.

Panek has seen these positive shifts in recent years with more agencies, researchers and organizations asking to consult with tribes and integrate traditional ecological knowledge.

Still, theres a long way to go.

Western thinking tends to separate people from nature, removing the responsibility to protect it, and making solutions seem out of reach.

Traditional ecological knowledge prioritizes gratitude and forward-thinking solutions, helping bring back the human connection with nature and the land.

Tribal governments are an integral part of the success of what we're doing in this country, Regan said. As we clean up our waters and fight climate change, we know that our tribal leaders will help us solve this."

Bazile Minogiizhigaabo Panek, a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and consultant for the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals based in Arizona, walks along a trail at Prentice Park, just south of Lake Superior in Ashland in September 2023. Panek has seen positive shifts in recent years with more agencies, researchers and organizations asking to consult with tribes and integrate traditional ecological knowledge.

Treaty rights include protections for the environment

Wisconsin is home to 11 federally recognized tribes. Of those, six are Ojibwe, whose people started migrating to the upper Great Lakes region from the East Coast about 1,500 years ago. They were in search of a place to settle where prophecy told them they would find food that grows on water  making manoomin, or wild rice, central to their identity.

The Ojibwe were forced to cede tens of millions of acres to the U.S. government in a series of four treaties - signed in 1836, 1837, 1842 and 1854  that created what is now Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The Ojibwe tribes were put on reservations and granted the usual privileges of occupancy, according to the treaties, which means the rights to hunt, fish and gather in the off-reservation ceded territories.

Since the treaties were signed, theres been disagreement over how to interpret them, particularly when it comes to natural resources. In Wisconsin, repeated penalization of tribal members for hunting, fishing and gathering off-reservation led the Lac Courte Oreilles tribe to sue the state in 1975. Five Ojibwe tribes joined in the lawsuit.

In 1983, a federal court of appeals sided with the tribes, affirming members right to hunt, fish and gather in the ceded territories. It also opened the door to a deeper understanding of what those rights meant about the protection of related resources.

The treaty right to fish is more than the physical act of casting a line or a net, said Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigans Upper Peninsula. Its about the environment the fish have to live in. And there not only needs to be clean water where the fish live but in the tributaries that lead into them.

Robert Lundberg, associate attorney for the Tribal Partnerships Program at the environmental law group Earthjustice, pointed to Washington v. United States, in which tribes successfully argued that the state of Washington was infringing on treaty rights by building culverts that diminished the size of salmon runs in their traditional fishing areas.

I think other people, too, are hopeful to see if that logic shows up elsewhere in other treaty rights cases  understanding that the right is more than just the right to take the fish, or shoot the deer, or harvest the plant, Lundberg said.

Jessie Conaway of the University of Wisconsin-Madison broadcasts northern wild rice into a tributary feeding into Lake Poygan near the town of Poy Sippi, west of Oshkosh, in September 2023. Wild rice reseeding projects are going on in multiple parts of Wisconsin. This one is part of the Intertribal Lake Winnebago Wild Rice Revitalization Project, working with the Brothertown Tribe.

Wolf hunt controversy highlights breakdown between state, tribes

Even when treaty rights are affirmed, government officials may not collaborate with tribes.

Wolves recently started making a comeback in northern Wisconsin after more than four decades on the federal endangered species list.

The gray wolf is considered sacred by the Ojibwe, like a spiritual brother. Tribal officials also argue that wolves are necessary for a healthy ecosystem.

Adrian Wydeven, a biologist with the Rhinelander-based conservation group Green Fire, said wolves target diseased animals, such as deer, elk, reindeer and moose before the disease can affect the rest of the herd. Wolves also encourage animal populations not to linger in a particular part of a forest, which may help the forest regenerate naturally.

Soon after the gray wolf was no longer classified as endangered, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources scheduled a hunting season for it. Some ranchers in northern Wisconsin had complained that wolves were killing their unprotected livestock.

Tribal officials favor non-lethal methods in resolving conflicts that wolves might have with pets and livestock. Non-lethal methods include using guard dogs or bright fladry-colored flags that flap in the wind and deter wolves from crossing an area or property.

In early 2021, DNR set a quota of 200 wolves to be killed in the first hunt for population control. Following treaty rights, Ojibwe claimed 81 wolves of that quota to be saved  and not available to hunters  as their portion.

Nevertheless, hunters trapped and killed 218 wolves.

Gray wolves went back on the endangered list in February 2022.

Six tribes had filed a lawsuit in the Western District of Wisconsin in September 2021 to halt another planned wolf hunt that fall. The case was dismissed when wolves were relisted in 2022.

John Johnson, president of the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Tribe in northern Wisconsin, said if the wolf hunt issue again becomes contentious, he hopes it ends up back in federal court because he believes the tribes would have a good chance of asserting their treaty rights and winning.

Its happened before.

Robert Van Zile Jr., the Mole Lake Ojibwe Tribe chairman, said elders still talk of when the tribe appealed to the local federal Indian agent a century ago to protect Rice Lake from loggers. At the time, lumber companies operating in the northwoods would float logs through Rice Lake on the way to a mill in Shawano.

The logs would destroy much of the manoomin.

Federal officials agreed, ordering the companies to stop.

Part of Leelyn Van Ziles role as a rice chief today is to work with state officials, including from the Department of Natural Resources, to help protect the manoomin that is left  and hold people who tamper with it accountable.

More: Progress seen at Great Lakes' second-largest area of concern, on Minnesota-Wisconsin border

Wild rice plants grow on Rice Lake on the Mole Lake Sokaogon Ojibwe Reservation near Crandon in September 2023.

Traditional ecological knowledge is a science in its own right

There has been an increased push in recent years to integrate tribes ancestral knowledge and western science to find better ways to understand and manage the land.

Western science breaks things down into pieces, sometimes missing the bigger picture, said Evan Larson, a geography professor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

People often think traditional ecological knowledge is folklore, but its been through thousands of years of experimentation and trial and error, said Panek, the member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and consultant for the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals. Its a science in its own right, he said.

Choosing to exclude that knowledge not only harms tribes way of life but diminishes informed decision-making, Lundberg of Earthjustice said. Drawing on what can be centuries worth of details about a particular natural resource can provide vital context. Without that context, Youre going to be leaving out a really large and important part of the picture, they said.

In addition to practical skills, traditional knowledge can also provide an important mindset shift, said Lois Stevens, an assistant professor of First Nations Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Stevens is a member of the Oneida Nation, part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, originally from what is now upstate New York.

For her, the key is to live in reciprocity with the landscape. Instead of looking to commercialize or commodify, people should have gratitude for the world around them, and consider themselves in partnership with it.

Robert Van Zile Jr., left, chairman of the Mole Lake Ojibwe Tribe, dances during the Manoomin Powwow celebrating the wild rice season in September 2023. Wild rice carries great cultural and nutritional importance to the tribe.

Fires catalyze conversation between traditional knowledge and Western science

The practical use of fire, so fraught with symbolism, may provide a path forward, showing how traditional ecological knowledge can inform land management practices.

Ojibwe have used fire to manage the land for millennia. Prescribed burns help regenerate forests and grasslands, and prevent out-of-control wildfires by clearing fuel. Historically, Indigenous communities also used them to help increase blueberry production.

When European settlers arrived, their response was to suppress and put fires out.

Larson said government management agencies and private landowners now are beginning to realize the importance of getting more fire on the ground.

Earlier this year in northeastern Minnesota, the U.S. Forest Service in Superior National Forest and three Minnesota Ojibwe tribes made a first-of-its-kind agreement  a memorandum of understanding  that gives tribes a stronger voice in land management, including prescribed burning.

Prescribed burning is also being restored to the University of Minnesotas Cloquet Forestry Center thanks to a partnership with Minnesota Ojibwe tribes. And in Wisconsin, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore collaborated with the Red Cliff Band, Bad River Band and other Ojibwe tribes to conduct prescribed burns on Stockton Island.

What were living through now is an emerging opportunity for really powerful healing and collaboration, Larson said.

Climate change is demanding such interaction.

When Panek was a child, his grandfather taught him that walleye would spawn when spring peepers made their first calls, signifying the start of the harvest. Now, climate change is affecting weather and water temperatures, he said, so those two events dont always line up.

Ensuring treaty rights are intact means the environment is sustainable and healthy, Panek said. That not only means that we benefit from these lands, but everyone does.

The bright spot, Lundberg said, is that tribal knowledge could be in a position to take center stage.

A birch bark harvest scar is evident where the birch bark was harvested for crafts or basket-making without harming the tree, and allowing the bark to grow back, at Prentice Park, just south of Lake Superior in Ashland.

Theres also room for expanded legal action to give tribes more say in natural resources protection. Lundberg said Earthjustice is interested in the concept of Free, Prior and Informed Consent, a right granted in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It allows them to engage in negotiations over any project that would impact their lands, and not consent to the project if they believe it would be harmful.

The U.S. can move closer to that model, Lundberg said, or even toward a true co-management model that would recognize that tribes and other governments have a shared interest in natural resources and ecosystems, and can collaborate on how best to manage them.

More: After decades of damage, Oneida Reservation projects 'repair the land to what it wanted to be'

As it stands now, Western society reacts to problems at the moment, Gravelle said. Indigenous thinking does the opposite, looking for solutions that offer protection for seven generations to come. Adopting the Indigenous attitude, she said, would make everyone better off as climate change continues to unfold.

Until then, tribes around the Great Lakes are on the front lines, incorporating traditional knowledge to regenerate the land, taking steps to improve air quality, and protecting freshwater.

Cindy Reffke helped organize a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay wild rice reseeding project near Green Bay in 2021.

"I've always believed that if we would've listened to Native Americans (on the environment)," she said, "we wouldn't have the problems we have today."

This four-part series examines how Indigenous communities in Wisconsin are pushing to protect land, air and water. It is supported by a climate change reporting grant from the Poynter Institute, through funding by the Joyce Foundation. All content was produced by the Journal Sentinel staff under the guidance of its editors.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Great Lakes native tribes knowledge could be key in climate change
The Parthenon Marbles have been on display at the British Museum since 1817 -- but Greece is determined to secure their return (Daniel LEAL)

Greece's prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Sunday he would push for the return of the Parthenon Marbles when he meets UK leader Rishi Sunak in Britain this week.

The sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, were taken from the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, the earl of Elgin.

Greece maintains the marbles were stolen, which Britain denies, and the issue has been a source of contention between the countries for decades.

Mitsotakis, who is due to see Sunak on Monday, likened the collection being held at the British Museum in London to the Mona Lisa painting being cut in half.

"They do look better in the Acropolis Museum, a state-of-the-art museum that was built for that purpose," he told the BBC.

"It's as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half, and you will have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum, do you think your viewers would appreciate the beauty of the painting in such a way?"

Mitsotakis added that "this is exactly what happened with the Parthenon sculptures".

"That is why we keep lobbying for a deal that would essentially be a partnership between Greece and the British Museum but would allow us to return the sculptures to Greece and have people appreciate them in their original setting," he told the Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

The 2,500-year-old collection has been on display at the British Museum since 1817.

In January, the UK government ruled out a permanent return after media reported the British Museum was close to signing a loan agreement that would see the marbles back in Athens.

Mitsotakis, who won a second term in June, said his government "had not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations".

But added: "I'm a patient man and we've waited for hundreds of years, and I will persist in these discussions."

Mitsotakis said he would also raise the issue with UK opposition leader Keir Starmer, who -- if opinion polls are believed -- is set to be Britain's next prime minister after an election expected next year.

The Parthenon temple -- built in the 5th century BCE to honour the goddess Athena -- was partially destroyed during a Venetian bombardment in 1687, then looted.

Its fragments are scattered throughout many renowned museums.

Earlier this year, three marble fragments of the Parthenon temple that had been held by the Vatican for centuries were returned to Greece.

pdh/rox
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 26)  Former senator Leila de Lima is counting on the Ombudsman to investigate former Justice chiefs Vitaliano Aguirre II and Menardo Guevarra after the Court of Appeals reversed its decision dismissing her complaint against the two in relation to her drug cases.

"With the reversal of the Ombudsman dismissal by the CA, I expect the Ombudsman to now conduct a full investigation of both Aguirre and Guevarra or, at the very least, to require Guevarra to answer the administrative aspect of the case and defend his role in propping up criminal convicts as state witnesses even if they are disqualified from being granted immunity under the law," she said in a statement on Sunday.

This came after the Court of Appeals granted her petition to challenge the Ombudsman's 2019 dismissal of her complaints against the former DOJ officials which include graft, gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct.

The court said there was no valid reason to deny the conduct of the probe on administrative charges filed by De Lima, herself a former DOJ secretary, for the alleged illegal admission of 11 convicted felons to the Department of Justices (DOJ) witness protection program (WPP).

De Lima had argued that under the law, individuals convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude cannot be admitted to the WPP.

The testimonies of the felons led to the filing of drug-related complaints against the former lawmaker, which resulted in her arrest and eventual detention for over six years.

In 2021, a Muntinlupa court junked one of three drug charges against De Lima. A year later, she was acquitted of a second drug charge

De Lima was released on Nov. 13 after she posted bail for her remaining drug case.
Corporal punishment is still allowed in many states, but Viewpoints contributor Sara Rich informs that evidence doesn't lean toward positive outcomes.

A minority of schools in Oklahoma persist in employing corporal punishment, often referred to as "swats," as a disciplinary measure for student misbehavior, including aggression and defiance. While some educators claim efficacy for certain students, empirical evidence contradicts these assertions, revealing that most students subjected to corporal punishment exhibit repeat offenses. Despite anecdotal claims, there is a consistent lack of empirical support for the effectiveness of corporal punishment in altering student behavior.

Corporal punishment, defined as the use of physical force for disciplinary purposes, has been widely discredited as an ethical method of behavior management. The Journal of Pediatrics emphasizes that this practice not only fails to instigate positive change but also inflicts harm upon students. Notably, 34 esteemed national organizations, such as the National Association of State Departments of Education, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychological Association, unequivocally oppose corporal punishment in schools.

Despite this consensus, as of 2022, corporal punishment remains legally sanctioned in 18 states, including Oklahoma.

Studies cited by Elizabeth T. Gershoff in 2010 revealed a disturbing correlation between corporal punishment and increased aggressive and antisocial behaviors in children. Furthermore, it showed that children subjected to corporal punishment were more prone to conduct problems like lying and stealing. Additionally, research indicates a connection between corporal punishment by parents and heightened mental health issues in children, including symptoms of depression or anxiety.

While most research on corporal punishment relies on correlational analyses due to ethical constraints, a study published in the Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect evaluated the effectiveness of replacing corporal punishment with positive parenting programs. The results demonstrated positive outcomes, including improved parent-child relationships and a reduction in conduct problems.

A 2022 systematic review further underscores the detrimental effects of corporal punishment in schools, revealing associations with learning deficits, increased mental health problems, and heightened aggressive behavior. Additionally, a 2019 study surveying 18- to 23-year-olds who had experienced corporal punishment in high school found that 22% reported physical injuries from the practice.

This is particularly alarming given documented disparities in corporal punishment usage for individuals from minoritized backgrounds and those with disabilities. Children with disabilities, who may struggle to communicate feelings of unsafety, face increased vulnerability, constituting 21% of those receiving corporal punishment in Oklahoma  despite comprising only 16.5% of the student population during the 2017-18 school year.

Recognizing these concerns, the National Association of School Psychologists and the U.S. Department of Education advocate for alternative, evidence-based approaches to promoting positive behavior in schools. Emphasizing the use of multi-tiered support frameworks, these organizations encourage schools to provide schoolwide instruction on positive behaviors and establish consistent, nonpunitive responses to discipline issues through teaching and acknowledging appropriate behaviors.

In light of the consistent evidence demonstrating the detrimental outcomes of corporal punishment, it prompts the critical question: Does it truly work?

Sara Rich

Sara Rich, Ph.D., is an executive board member of the Oklahoma School Psychological Association.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Psychologists suggest alternative to corporal punishment in oklahoma
As former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has moved into a clear second place in polls the early primaries in the Palmetto State and in New Hampshire, she still has the challenge of catching up to the former president.

Donald Trump maintains a dominant 35-point lead in the latest Winthrop University Poll of Republican voters in South Carolina, the state that will hold the First in The South Republican presidential primary.

A recent CNN poll found Trumps support in South Carolina is at 53%, with 82% of his supporters saying they have made up their mind.

With roughly one-in-five of Trumps South Carolina supporters being persuadable, it leaves a narrow path for Haley to be victorious in the winner-take-all Feb. 24 primary.

It is slow and steady wins the race, Haley told reporters Oct. 30 when she filed to be on the ballot in the S.C. GOP primary. But you win it based on relationships. You win it based on touching every hand, answering every question and earning the trust of the American people. And I think that we will see that if you saw the polls today in Iowa, I am now in second place in Iowa. Second place in New Hampshire, we are now second place in South Carolina.

I got one more fella I gotta catch up to, and I am determined.

A recent Des Moines Register poll had Haley in tied with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place among Iowa voters, but other polls have her in third place. She has become the clear second-place candidate in New Hampshire.

Haleys path ultimately might rely on the field further narrowing after the Iowa and New Hampshire contests, and needing Trump to win smaller than expected victories in the first two states.

Haley has been battling with DeSantis to be the sole Republican to take on Trump, and the DeSantis campaign has argued that his supporters second choice would most likely be Trump, not Haley or another alternative.

In recent weeks, Haleys support in polls has increased following her performances in the first three Republican candidate debates.

Poll after poll has proven Nikki Haley is the best challenger to Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Shes second in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina and is the only candidate with upward momentum, said Ken Farnaso, spokesman for the Haley campaign. South Carolinians know their governor has what it takes to win because theyve seen her beat the odds  not just once, but twice.

Trumps floor for support among the South Carolina Republican electorate may be in the low 40-something percent, but the CNN poll also found the former president is the first or second choice of 66% of respondents.

The same CNN poll found Haley was the first or second choice of 41% of South Carolina Republican primary voters.

Haley needs to be the No. 1 non-Trump (candidate), and she needs to be the second choice of every other non-Trump voter, said Scott Huffmon, the director of the Winthrop University Poll. So if she gets momentum in Iowa and New Hampshire, those South Carolina voters would say, My anti-Trump person has fallen by the wayside and lost momentum, Ill now flip to Nikki Haley.

But even in a two-person race, Haley may still need some Trump supporters to come to her camp.

The path is just razor thin, said Robert Oldendick, a political science professor emeritus at the University of South Carolina. If everything possible went right, if the other candidates besides those two dropped out, and all the supporters from the other candidates went to Haley ... the soft support for Trump, some of that weak support has to flip to her.

Former President Donald Trump and former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley

Where do Scotts voters go?

In recent weeks, Republican candidates have begun dropping out of the race, including Haleys fellow South Carolinian, Sen. Tim Scott. The latest Winthrop poll, which was taken right before Scott departure from the race, had the states junior U.S. senator at 10% support in his home state.

A plurality of Scotts supporters in Iowa are likely to support Haley, a position held by Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, according to Axios.

It is clear that if anyone is benefiting from Scotts dropping out, it is his fellow South Carolinian, Nikki Haley, not Ron DeSantis, Fabrizio and his colleagues write, according to a memo obtained by Axios.

Haley now has an opportunity to encourage Scott supporters to come to her camp in their home state.

With Haley in a steady second, further growth in her South Carolina support may depend on getting those former Tim Scott voters on board early and showing strength and momentum in Iowa and New Hampshire, Huffmon said. Even with those pieces of the puzzle falling into place, overcoming Trumps commanding lead is a very tall order.

U.S. Rep. Tim Scott speaks Monday to reporters at the South Carolina Statehouse after being officially introduced by Gov. Nikki Haley to fill the vacant U.S.. Senate seat vacated by departing U. S. Sen. Jim DeMint, far right.

Haley could get help from those who are Independents.

People who are most likely to be GOP primary voters tend to be the strongest Republicans, who will most likely be Trump supporters Huffmon said.

South Carolina, however, has an open primary, and GOP-leaning Independents may participate in the Republican primary.

The latest Winthrop poll, when including GOP-leaning Independents, had Haleys support at 18.7%. Trump was at 47.6%.

The harder you turn out the base, the more youre going to get Trump supporters, Huffmon said. They need to reach out to Independents and Republican leaners.

Youve got to get them to the primaries, because they are less likely to be wedded to Donald Trump, Huffmon added.

Miles Coleman, the associate editor of Sabatos Crystal Ball at the University of Virginias Center for Politics, said Haley could look to build off of the performance of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom she endorsed in 2016.

Rubio received 22% of South Carolinas primary vote and won Richland and Charleston counties.

She would need to build onto that Rubio coalition of doing well in Charleston, maybe Berkeley and Dorchester as well. Maybe she could have a good chance at carrying Lexington because thats her home base, Coleman said.
The hostage deal reached late Wednesday in the Israel-Hamas war is set to halt fighting in the conflict for at least four days, but its open-ended nature raises concerns about whether the pause may assist Hamas strategically, as the U.S. and Israel both hope to wipe out the terrorist organization.

The Israel-Hamas war began early last month when Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis in a brutal surprise attack on border settlements and took about another 250 people hostage.

The deal reached this week is set to free 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for a temporary cessation of hostilities and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank.

But critics of the agreement note that any pause in fighting may only play into Hamas hands and allow the group to extend its fight against Israel.

That criticism marks a division within Israel and among its allies, University of New Haven national security senior lecturer Ken Gray told The Hill.

For the IDF, this pause causes problems because it gets time for Hamas to realign their forces, to try to shore up some areas that they may not have had people in at that time, Gray said. It gives [Hamas] a chance to retrench themselves.

In many ways, there is a conflict as to what the primary mission is, he continued. The IDFs primary mission is to be able to remove Hamas as a threat, while others in Israel want to try to resolve this peacefully and as quickly as possible in order to get the hostages back.

Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton has been one of the loudest critics of the agreement, calling it bad for Israel, despite the concerns for hostages. He previously served as national security adviser to former President Trump.

Hamas is playing a game of psychological warfare against the people of Israel, and the people of the United States as well, he said in a CNN interview Thursday.

Theyre trying to distract Israel from its strategic mission of eliminating Hamas, and trying to focus on the question of the hostages [and] the question of the condition of civilians in Gaza, he continued.

A focus in the deal is a clause that allows Hamas to extend the cease-fire by a day for every additional 10 hostages released. That could allow Hamas to extend the pause for over two weeks until they return every hostage.

Gray said he expects Hamas to drag out the cease-fire deal. The group already delayed the second wave of hostage releases on Saturday, citing a shortfall in humanitarian aid, though the problem was quickly resolved.

Hamas is trying to buy time in hopes that it becomes a regional conflict. And the way that they do that is to start not fulfilling the hostage exchanges, he said. Early on, have a hostage exchange and then start having problems and not delivering the hostages, and then it turns into the same situation as [Gilad Shalit].

IDF soldier Gilad Shalit was taken hostage by Hamas in 2006, and released in 2011 after five years of tense negotiations in exchange for about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

However, Gray said attempts to create larger regional conflict  a major concern of the Biden administration  are unlikely to be successful. The risk of the conflict growing to include Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Iran is smaller now than at the outbreak of the war, he said.

If it were possible, it would have already happened, he said. Hamas overplayed their hand.

While Hezbollah has continued limited skirmishes with Israeli troops on the Israel-Lebanon border, there has been no large-scale escalation in fighting.

Middle Eastern governments at large appear to be refusing to back Hamas, and the Biden administration has stressed the importance of an independent Palestinian government in post-war Gaza, a key issue among Arab leaders.

As we look to the future, we have to end the cycle of violence in the Middle East, Biden said Friday. We need to renew our resolve to pursue this two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can one day live side-by-side in a two-state solution with equal measures of freedom and dignity.

Backers of the hostage deal also highlight that it allows significant amounts of humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, which has run low on food, medical supplies and fuel reserves for weeks.

Assisting civilians in Gaza has been a focus of U.S. pressure on the Israeli government and increasing domestic pressure within Israel, as the civilian death toll climbs.

Over 12,000 Palestinians, including at least 4,600 children, have died in Israeli air strikes and the ground invasion of Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Keeping that figure as low as possible and assisting civilians in Gaza also keeps Middle Eastern governments, and skeptics in Israel and the U.S., on board with the war effort, Gray said.

At some point, the number of Palestinian casualties will get so great that Israel will have no choice but be forced to stop, Gray said. The question is, how many is too much? Is 11,000 too much? Is 12,000 too much? 15,000?

Despite that the pause could bring military advantage to Hamas, proponents of the deal argue that releasing the first 50 Israeli hostages can set the stage for further hostage releases in addition to advancing humanitarian interests.

Biden said Friday that it is his goal for the cease-fire agreement to be extended beyond four days, and for all hostages to be returned.

The moment Hamas kidnapped these people, I along with my team, have worked around the clock to secure their release, he said. All of these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal, and this is the beginning of a long journey of healing for them.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
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Jason Fitz is joined by quarterback expert and host of the Athletic Football Show Nate Tice to give a unique perspective on how we rank and grade quarterbacks by adding their head coach/playcaller into the equation. Fitz and Nate go through the current playoff bracket and give letter grades for each and every quarterback and head coach combo and determine who deserves more of the credit pie. The duo also discuss some fringe playoff contenders and some of the more interesting combos on bad teams. Later, Fitz is joined by former NFL GM Michael Lombardi to discuss David Tepper's ownership style and the future of the Carolina Panthers, Brandon Staley and whether it's time for the Los Angeles Chargers to move on and how a quarterback's likability in the locker room can indirectly define their success.
Washington  Abigail Mor Edan, the youngest American held hostage by Hamas, was among the hostages released by Hamas on Sunday, President Biden confirmed on Sunday.

"She's free and she's in Israel now," President Biden said Sunday, adding that she's "been through a terrible trauma."



Mr. Biden said Abigail's mother was killed in front of her. The young girl ran to her father, who was gunned down while using his body to shield her, before running to neighbors for help, Mr. Biden said.

"What she endured is unthinkable," he said.



In a statement, the young girl's family said "there are no words to express our relief and gratitude that Abigail is safe and coming home."

Seventeen hostages were released  14 Israeli citizens, which includes Abigail, who is a joint Israeli-American citizen, and three foreign nationals, Israeli officials said.



The Qatari Foreign Ministry said 39 Palestinians will also be released as part of this hostage swap.

Three female American hostages  including Abigail  were expected to be released in the four-day-long truce. It is not clear whether it will be extended.

Transcript: Qatari Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

"The agreement has a provision that if Hamas are  will be able to prove, to locate, and secure some of the hostages that are within the criteria of the first group, which is women and children, then it will be extended depending on the number that they will have. This is something we cannot confirm yet until we get to the fourth day, then Hamas should present the list if they are available with them," Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in an exclusive interview with "Face the Nation."

Israel has publicly said it is willing to extend the fighting pause one day for each 10 hostages released. When asked whether Hamas had been able to locate any further hostages in Gaza during the pause in fighting, Al Thani said there is no such communication yet. During this phase one portion of the deal, Israel agreed to release three Palestinian prisoners for each hostage  which means kids for kids, women for women.

After all the children and female civilians are released, the second phase of a potential hostage release would include female soldiers, elderly hostages, and eventually the men, according to Al Thani. The negotiations around men are complicated given that as military reservists they would be handled as if active-duty soldiers. Some details still need to be ironed out.

There are a total of 10 unaccounted for Americans, including one legal resident. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he has "confidence that all of the individuals being held hostage will come home."

On Sunday, Hamas also released a woman named Aviva or Adrienne Siegel who is the spouse of U.S. citizen Keith Siegel. While she is not a U.S. citizen, the Biden team has advocated for her and continues to do so for her spouse who remains in captivity.

Sullivan said the White House remains in close contact with authorities in Qatar and Egypt, who have helped broker the hostage release deal, as well as Israeli officials.

Transcript: National security adviser Jake Sullivan on "Face the Nation," Nov. 26, 2023

Since Friday, Hamas has released three groups of hostages who have been held captive in Gaza since the terror attack. As part of the U.S.-Qatari brokered deal, Israel and Hamas agreed to a short-term cease-fire and Israel is also releasing dozens of Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas released 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals on Saturday, and 13 Israeli hostages, 10 Thai hostages and one Filipino hostage were released Friday, according to officials.

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Hila Rotem, 13, walks free as part of the second batch of hostage releases, but her mother Raya remains a hostage - ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES

The ceasefire deal allowing Israeli hostages to be released was nearly derailed on its second day over the separation of mothers and their children, it has been reported.

Representatives from the kibbutz of Be-eri, from where 12 of the 13 hostages released on Saturday were abducted, have accused Hamas of grossly violating the agreement by releasing a young girl without her mother.

Thirteen-year-old Hila Rotem walked free as part of the second batch to be released late Saturday, but her mother Raya remains a hostage.

The kibbutz said that, in total, three children from two families were torn from their only remaining parent.

A spokesman for the community, which watched the repatriations together on television from the hotel to which it has been displaced, said that while it was happy and excited about the releases, Hamas had acted dishonestly.

Israeli hostages are being released following a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel - Anadolu

Hila is returning home without her mother Raya, who remains in captivity. Hamas grossly violated the agreement, and separated mother and daughter, the statement says, according to the Walla news site.

On Sunday there were conflicting accounts as to whether a commitment to release children with their parents was an explicit part of the Qatar-brokered deal.

Thats part of the deal, an Israeli government official said. Its unknown where she is and what happened to her [Raya].

However, Ynet reported that the deal merely obliged Hamas to make an effort not to break up families.

The release of hostages was delayed on Saturday amid fears that a disagreement between the parties could derail the whole process and imperil the four-day ceasefire in Gaza.

Ynet reported that, after Israel received the list on Friday night of the following days hostages to be released, Mossad chief David Barnea put heavy pressure on the Qataris to improve the list.

It said the pressure was not successful.

There are conflicting accounts as to whether a commitment to release children with their parents is an explicit part of the deal

Hamas said the delay was caused in part by Israels manipulation of the list of prisoners eligible for release.

At a press conference in Beirut, Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas leader, said that Israel had violated the agreement in a number of ways alleging that only half of the agreed-upon aid trucks had been allowed into the north of Gaza, and that prisoners were not being released as agreed.

Hamas wanted the first releases to be high-profile names but said Israel was instead mostly releasing people who had only been detained for short periods.

Of the 78 Palestinians that have been released in the past two days, 50 are children and 28 are women. Many were being held without charge. Some of the others released have been charged and convicted of attempted murder.

Human rights groups estimate that over 750,000 Palestinians have passed through Israeli prisons since Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in 1967.

When charges are brought against Palestinians, they are almost always tried through military courts, rather than civil courts that Israeli citizens would go through, with an almost perfect conviction rate.

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TEL AVIV  Grief and joy.

These are just two of the complex and sometimes opposing emotions Hamas hostages and their families will experience as they emerge from 50 days in captivity in the Gaza Strip, one expert says.

Joy was the unmistakable emotion captured in the first images of freed hostages as they reunited with family this weekend. Twenty-four hostages were released Friday and another 17 were released Saturday as part of a four-day cease-fire deal.

An Israeli soldier embraces former Hamas hostage as she exists a van (Israel Army / AFP via Getty Images)

In one, Ohad Munder-Zichri, who had his ninth birthday as a hostage in Gaza, can be seen running into his fathers arms in a video posted to Facebook.

In another, Doron Katz Asher and her young daughters Aviv, 2, and Raz, 4, can be seen in their first moments with father and husband Yoni Asher.

He hugs the three tightly.

Now the dream is coming true, were home. Well be going to our home soon, a smiling Yoni Asher says.

Are you happy? he asks the solemn girls as he kisses his wife on the shoulder.

Neil Greenberg, a psychiatrist and hostage expert, said it could be challenging for child hostages to become reacquainted.

The most important thing for the children is not just whats happened to them, but its the way that they are received back and managed by the adults in their lives, he said, adding that its important to keep them stable and to give them that opportunity to express themselves and hopefully reassure them.

Returning to a different world

Sharone Lifschitz, whose mother Yocheved Lifschitz, 85, was released in October, says the familys recovery will likely be long and complicated.

My parents house, which they lived in for many, many years, is burned to the ground  theres nothing left of it, Sharone Lifschitz, whose father and Yocheveds husband, Oded, is believed to be still held hostage, told NBC News in an interview. She does not know if her husband is dead or alive.

Yocheved and Oded Lifschitz were lifelong peace activists and residents of Nir Oz, a kibbutz about a mile from Gaza that was overrun by Hamas militants who killed or abducted around a quarter of its residents. Many survivors of such communities near Gaza have not returned to their shattered homes six weeks after the Oct. 7 attack.

Yocheved Lifschitz. (Ariel Schalit / AP file)

In video produced by Hamas of the moment she was released, Yocheved Lifschitz turned to one of the armed, balaclava-clad militants leading her and another hostage to freedom, and shook the persons hand. She uttered one word: shalom, Hebrew for peace.

She later reported being beaten while in captivity.

Yocheved Lifschitz is experiencing a mix of feelings after the horrific experience of being held deep underground, isolated and in darkness, her daughter said.

The world shes coming back to is very, very different, Sharone Lifschitz said of her mother.

Greenberg said mixed emotions should be expected from the freed prisoners.

What we know after captivity is that people go through a process where things are often very distressing and a bit confusing at first, he said. And then over time, if they have good support, then most people begin to sort of recover and get to some sort of steady state again. Often, we talk about them having gone through like a pendulum of experiences where, on one hand, they have this great euphoria that theyve been released and theyve been reunited with their friends and loved ones.

But on the other hand, theyre also in this incredibly stressful environment where people are asking questions all the time, he continued. And they often are very much in the public limelight, at least for a period. And that can be quite distressing.

Greenberg said some people who are released may simply want to move on with their lives, while others will find this to be one of the most frightening things  that theyve ever been through.

And then there are those loved ones who have been forced to wait without relief.

People look at billboards. (John MacDougal / AFP via Getty Images)

Gil Dickmann, whose cousin Carmel Gat, 39, was taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, said the news that some hostages had been released was welcome.

The fact that a deal could be made between Israel and Hamas is amazing, Dickmann told NBC News, adding that seeing his friends get their relatives back fills you with happiness and hope.

But he added that he was trying not to get his hopes up too much since his cousin is a man and the hostages that are supposed to be released are mainly children and their mothers, he said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
President Joe Biden denounced the unthinkable actions of Hamas after a four-year-old girl with American citizenship whose parents were killed by terrorists last month was released from inside Gaza on Sunday as part of a hostage agreement.

That four-day truce is currently underway in the northern Gaza Strip where Israeli forces have been bombarding the city for weeks; Hamas militants, following a shockingly bloody attack that killed roughly 1,200 across southern Israel last month, continue to hold dozens of hostages within the Palestinian territory.

On Sunday, Israel confirmed that Abigail Edan, four, had been among hostages released by the militant group into the care of the Red Cross. Her immediate condition was unknown.

Thank God she is home, Mr Biden said of Abigail on Sunday, as he addressed Americans from Nantucket. What she endured is unthinkable.

Biden: A little girl named Abigail who turned four years old. She spent her birthday, that birthday, and at least 50 days before that held hostage by hamas. Today, she is free pic.twitter.com/F2nUAkPSJz  Acyn (@Acyn) November 26, 2023

He also expressed a hope that Israel and Hamas would extend a four-day ceasefire that is set to end tomorrow; Israels military has publicly vowed to resume the bombing once the arrangement concludes.

This is a day by day approach, the president told reporters. Hour by hour, nothing is guaranteed.

The release of 50 or more hostages out of the 240 taken by the militant group was expected to occur over the course of the fightings pause, which began on Friday. In exchange, Israel has agreed to release 150 Palestinians, including women and children, who were being held in Israeli prisons.

At his home in Nantucket on Sunday, Mr Biden confirmed that 58 hostages in total had been released by Hamas since the beginning of the truce. He added that the deal was structured to allow for an extension beyond the deadline, should another agreement for the release of more hostages be struck.

Just a short time earlier Sunday morning, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had refused to go into much detail about the fates of as many as nine American citizens currently believed to be held by the militant group, including Abigail, on a series of morning show interviews. The presidents adviser had said that US officials did not even have proof of life in the case of those American hostages, and added that two American women were also thought to be among the first group of hostages Hamas militants would release during the truce.

Abigail Edan (AP)

The initial hostage deal involves the release of women and children and there are three Americans in that category: two women and one young child. And we have reason to believe that one of those Americans will be released today. But until we see her out  safely from Gaza, in the hands of the authorities and ultimately in the hands of her family  then we won't be certain. But we have reason to believe that there will be one release today, said Mr Sullivan on NBCs Meet the Press. He also appeared on CBSs Face the Nation.

But he cautioned that nothing was certain, especially given the lack of direct communications between the Biden administration and Hamass leadership.

We have not gotten proof of life on any of them, and we do not know for certain that all three of them are still alive, he told NBC on Sunday.

The status of the bulk of the hostages taken by Hamas had been unclear for weeks as Israels military launched a brutal air and ground invasion of the northern Gaza Strip. Some 14,800 Palestinians are believed to have been killed since the bombardment began.

On Friday, after weeks of growing outrage and calls for peace around the world, the two sides began a negotiated pause to the fighting which saw the first real relief for civilians caught in the crossfire since the fighting began. Calls continue in the US for the Biden administration to take further steps to temper Israels military response and to call for a permanent ceasefire with a negotiated end to the conflict.

Mr Biden has remained steadfast in his public support for Israel, however, while his administration continues to reject the growing contingent within his party calling for him to step in and demand a peaceful resolution.
The Hamas terrorist group has announced that it had handed over 13 Israeli and seven foreign hostages to the Red Cross for release, and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed this information.

Source: The Times of Israel

Details: On Saturday evening, Hamas announced that it had handed over 20 hostages to the Red Cross: 13 Israelis and seven foreigners.

The hostages are to be taken to the Egyptian border crossing of Rafah, where they will be handed over to Israeli officials.

The IDF has confirmed that 13 Israeli hostages are in the hands of the Red Cross and are on their way to the Rafah border crossing in Egypt. From there, they will be escorted by Israeli officials and transferred to Israeli territory.

Background:

Earlier on Saturday, Hamas' military wing said it had decided to postpone the release of the second group of Israeli hostages due to Israel's alleged failure to comply with the terms of the agreement.

On 24 November, a four-day ceasefire began between Israel and Hamas militants.

On the evening of 24 November, the first 13 Israeli hostages, accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross, left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that intense fighting in the Middle East would continue for at least two months after the temporary ceasefire.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 26)  The Filipino worker who was taken hostage and eventually freed by Hamas will receive lifetime social security benefits and regular stipends from the Israeli government, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

The Philippine Embassy in Israel made the announcement on their Facebook page with a photo of Gelienor "Jimmy" Pacheco meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

"The Israeli Government will provide Jimmy and his immediate family lifetime social security benefits and regular stipends similar to those given to Israelis who are victims of terrorist attacks," the Embassy said in their post.

Ambassador Pedro "Junie" Laylo Jr. was also among those who visited Pacheco.

Pacheco is recovering in a hospital following his release after being held hostage for 49 days by the Palestinian militant group.

Pacheco, a caregiver and father of three, went missing on Oct. 7, the day Hamas launched an attack on Israel.

He is among 24 hostages included in the first batch released under a deal between Israel and Hamas, which brought a temporary halt to fighting in Gaza.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Israel's Deputy Ambassador to the Philippines Ester Buzgan quoted Cohen who said the Israeli government is "working with all of the parties to free all of the citizens from the hands of the Hamas terror organization, which still holds women, children and the elderly, as well as other foreign citizens.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Hamas members on Sunday freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis, in a third set of releases under a cease-fire deal.

Red Cross representatives transferred the hostages out of Gaza late Sunday. Some were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt.

The army said one of the hostages was airlifted directly to an Israeli hospital.

Israel was to free 39 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday as part of the deal.

It was the third consecutive day in which Hamas released Israeli hostages it has been holding in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

A fourth exchange is expected to take place on Monday  the last day of the four-day cease-fire between the enemies. A total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed.

Israel declared war on Hamas after the Islamic group carried out a cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed some 1,200 people and took 240 people hostage. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has left over 13,300 people dead, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory.

International mediators led by the U.S. and Qatar are trying to extend the cease-fire.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP)  The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be back on track Sunday after the release of a second group of militant-held hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons, and Egypt said it had received new lists for an expected third release.

In a separate development, Hamas announced that one of its top commanders had been killed, without saying when or how. Israels military confirmed it.

The second exchange was delayed for hours Saturday after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, which has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades and vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip. Hamas later released 13 Israelis and four Thais, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Diaa Rashwan, chair of the Egyptian State Information Services, said Egypt had received a list of 13 hostages that Hamas will release Sunday, and another list of 39 Palestinians that Israel is expected to free.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told NBCs Meet the Press that the U.S. had reason to believe that an American hostage would be released Sunday and said there were hopes it would be Abigail Edan, the 4-year-old girl who lost her parents in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. Sullivan also said that U.S. President Joe Biden would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Sunday.

Separately, Hamas said it had released one of the Russian hostages it was holding, in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and as a show of appreciation for Moscows position on the war. Israeli army radio had reported that it was an Israeli-Russian dual national.

Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the rampage across southern Israel that ignited the war. Forty-four have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.

Pressure from hostages families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israels leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while returning all the captives.

The war has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

The four-day cease-fire, which began Friday, was brokered by Qatar and Egypt and the United States. Hamas will release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel will free 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends. Sullivan said the U.S. is working with all sides on the possibility that this deal gets extended to additional hostages beyond the initial 50.HAMAS COMMANDER KILLED

Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting.

Al-Ghandour, believed to have been around 56 years old, had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

Hamas said that he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas rocket-firing unit. The Israeli military mentioned both men in a Nov. 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence, including several mid-ranking commanders it has identified by name.AID AND RESPITE IN GAZA

The pause has given some respite to Gazas 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, returned to the streets. Entire city blocks in and around Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes that hollowed out buildings and left drifts of rubble.

In southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people from the north have sought refuge, residents lined up outside gas stations, hoping to stock up on fuel. Palestinians who have tried to return to the north to see if their homes are intact have been turned back by Israeli troops.

Many are desperate to return to their homes, but they open fire on anyone approaching from the south, said Rami Hazarein, who fled from Gaza City last month.

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (around a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said that Israeli forces opened fire Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the other. It didnt provide further details. An Israeli military spokesperson said they werent aware of the incident.

The United Nations said the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war, though it still hasnt reached prewar levels. It was able to deliver fuel for the first time since the war began, and to reach areas in the north for the first time in a month.HOSTAGES FOR PRISONERS

The Israeli hostages freed on Saturday included seven children and six women, ranging in age from 3 to 67. Most were from Kibbutz Beeri, a community that Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 attack.

The freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye. Hospitals said their physical condition has been good, aside from one who was shot during the attack and required surgery. Little is publicly known about the conditions of their captivity.

Eyal Nouri, the nephew of Adina Moshe, 72, who was freed on Friday, said his aunt had to adjust to the sunlight because she had been in complete darkness for weeks.

The released Palestinians included at least two women who had been given long sentences after being convicted by Israeli courts of violent attacks. Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation, and have celebrated their release.

The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian health authorities said Sunday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin that began the day before.

The Israeli army has conducted frequent military raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war, mostly people it suspects of being Hamas members.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Roni Krivoi was abducted by Hamas terrorists at the October 7, 2023 Supernova desert rave

Hamas thanked Vladimir Putin for his support for the Palestinian cause as the terror group released a Russian hostage from the Gaza Strip on Sunday afternoon.

It said its release of a Russian citizen from the war-ravaged territory was made in appreciation of the position taken by Moscows position on the conflict with Israel.

A Red Cross vehicle carries freed hostages - REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

In response to the efforts of Russian president Putin and in appreciation of the Russian position in support of the Palestinian cause, we released a detainee who holds Russian citizenship, Hamas said.

The individual has since been named as Roni Krivoi was abducted by Hamas terrorists at the October 7, 2023 Supernova desert rave.

Russias state-run TASS news agency cited Hamas as saying that the hostage had been handed over to the Red Cross.

The neutral, Swiss-based organisation has already facilitated the release and transfer of dozens of Hamas-held hostages and Palestinian detainees under the terms of a four-day truce between the terror group and Israel.

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Air pollution, such as the extremes seen in India's capital New Delhi, are just one way that fossil fuels affect human health (Arun SANKAR)

Growing calls for the world to come to grips with the many ways that global warming affects human health have prompted the first day dedicated to the issue at crunch UN climate talks starting next week.

Extreme heat, air pollution and the increasing spread of deadly infectious diseases are just some of the reasons why the World Health Organization has called climate change the single biggest health threat facing humanity.

Global warming must be limited to the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius "to avert catastrophic health impacts and prevent millions of climate change-related deaths", according to the WHO.

However, under current national carbon-cutting plans, the world is on track to warm up to 2.9C this century, the UN said this week.

While no one will be completely safe from the effects of climate change, experts expect that most at risk will be children, women, the elderly, migrants and people in less developed countries which have emitted the least planet-warming greenhouse gases.

On December 3, the COP28 negotiations in Dubai will host the first "health day" ever held at the climate negotiations.

- Extreme heat -

This year is widely expected to be the hottest on record. And as the world continues to warm, even more frequent and intense heatwaves are expected to follow.

Heat is believed to have caused more than 70,000 deaths in Europe during summer last year, researchers said this week, revising the previous number up from 62,000.

Worldwide, people were exposed to an average of 86 days of life-threatening temperatures last year, according to the Lancet Countdown report earlier this week.

The number of people over 65 who died from heat rose by 85 percent from 1991-2000 to 2013-2022, it added.

And by 2050, more than five times more people will die from the heat each year under a 2C warming scenario, the Lancet Countdown projected.

More droughts will also drive rising hunger. Under the scenario of 2C warming by the end of the century, 520 million more people will experience moderate or severe food insecurity by 2050.

Meanwhile, other extreme weather events such as storms, floods and fires will continue to threaten the health of people across the world.

- Air pollution -

Almost 99 percent of the world's population breathes air that exceeds the WHO's guidelines for air pollution.

Outdoor air pollution driven by fossil fuel emissions kills more than four million people every year, according to the WHO.

It increases the risk of respiratory diseases, strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes and other health problems, posing a threat that has been compared to tobacco.

The damage is caused partly by PM2.5 microparticles, which are mostly from fossil fuels. People breathe these tiny particles into their lungs, where they can then enter the bloodstream.

While spikes in air pollution, such as extremes seen in India's capital New Delhi earlier this month, trigger respiratory problems and allergies, long-term exposure is believed to be even more harmful.

However it is not all bad news.

The Lancet Countdown report found that deaths from air pollution due to fossil fuels have fallen 16 percent since 2005, mostly due to efforts to reduce the impact of coal burning.

- Infectious diseases -

The changing climate means that mosquitoes, birds and mammals will roam beyond their previous habitats, raising the threat that they could spread infectious diseases with them.

Mosquito-borne diseases that pose a greater risk of spreading due to climate change include dengue, chikungunya, Zika, West Nile virus and malaria.

The transmission potential for dengue alone will increase by 36 percent with 2C warming, the Lancet Countdown report warned.

Storms and floods create stagnant water that are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and also increase the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea.

Scientists also fear that mammals straying into new areas could share diseases with each other, potentially creating new viruses that could then jump over to humans.

- Mental health -

Worrying about the present and future of our warming planet has also provoked rising anxiety, depression and even post-traumatic stress -- particularly for people already struggling with these disorders, psychologists have warned.

In the first 10 months of the year, people searched online for the term "climate anxiety" 27 times more than during the same period in 2017, according to data from Google Trends cited by the BBC this week.

dl/imm
As he spent Thanksgiving with his family, Joe Biden was heckled by a member of the public who called him an armchair murderer.

The president was pictured shopping with his granddaughter Maisy in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Saturday, though did not respond when shouted questions at by bystanders.

According to the White House pool, Mr Biden visited several local shops on Nantucket, including a bookstore and Ralph Lauren outlet. He also appeared to stop for a milkshake at a local pharmacy.

The president reportedly did not reply when asked when will the hostages be released?, but smiled and waved at people pressed up against shop windows.

As Mr Biden stood outside the Ralph Lauren shop a person shouted shame on you, with another calling him an armchair murder.

President Joe Biden walks with his granddaughter Maisy Biden as he visits local shops with family in Nantucket (AP)

It was not immediately clear what the hecklers were referring to, though Mr Biden has faced fierce criticism for his full-throated support for Israel in its military response to the Hamas attack on 7 October, in which some 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 kidnapped.

An onlooker shouts "shame on you" as US President Joe Biden, not pictured, visits local shops with relatives in Nantucket, Massachusetts (AFP via Getty Images)

More than 13,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in the conflict, roughly two thirds of whom have been women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Mr Bidens encounter with disgruntled locals in Massachusetts comes as hostage transfers and a brief ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continue.

Locals react as Biden walks past while visiting shops with family in Nantucket (AP)

On Sunday the Red Cross received 17 hostages released by Hamas in the third exchange of captives for Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli Defence Forces confirmed.

Among them was four-year-old Abigail Idan  whose parents were killed by militants last month. Mr Biden has denounced the actions of Hamas as unthinkable.
A service has been held to mark the 80th anniversary of a Lincolnshire-based World War Two bomber squadron.

The RAF's 576 Squadron was formed on 25 November 1943 at Elsham Wolds in North Lincolnshire, with its Avro Lancaster aircraft used to bomb Berlin.

Relatives of squadron members gathered at the former RAF Fiskerton near Lincoln on Sunday for the ceremony.

An anniversary dinner was held on Saturday at the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln.

Out of 1,611 aircrew who served on the squadron, 379 were killed or presumed missing, 12 evaded capture and 66 were taken as prisoners of war, event organisers said.

There are six surviving squadron members, all now in their late 90s.

The surviving members were represented over the weekend by 98-year-old wireless operator Roy Briggs, who was the guest of honour.

He told the BBC he was feeling "very lucky" as he was the only veteran who was able to travel to the event.

"People have organised this and I wanted to support them as much as I could," he said.

"I feel very proud all these people have come here."

Many relatives attending the event have been brought together via a Facebook group remembering squadron members, organisers added, with about 1,000 members worldwide.

Matt Wood, who started the group, described the weekend as "incredibly emotional".

"I wanted to do something to remember my dad, who I never knew - he was killed when I was very young in an aircraft crash," he said.

"I decided to look into his history and then it grew to looking into the history of the whole of 576 Squadron."

Diane and David Goodes travelled from Australia to be at the event.

Mr Goodes, whose father completed 30 operations in bomber command during the war, said: "He didn't talk much about his life experiences over here, we found out more while he was chatting to the grandkids.

"Us and other people have now been able to put their stories together because of the group Matt has organised."

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An endangered hen harrier has been decapitated, the RSPB said, as it reported that 38 rare birds of prey have gone missing or been killed in the North of England.

The organisation said satellite-location tags showed hen harriers had vanished from moors, including in the Yorkshire Dales. Natural England, which also monitors the birds, said they are often persecuted by gamekeepers because they eat grouse that are being reared for organised shoots.

In its annual Bird Crime Report, the charity said some of the attacks, recorded since January 2022, were brazen and horrific, including the one in which the bird was decapitated.

In another incident, four hen harrier chicks were trampled to death in a nest being monitored by Natural England. The report also revealed that one RSPB-tagged hen harrier named Dagda was found shot dead in May 2023 on a moor at Knarsdale, next door to the RSPB nature reserve at Geltsdale on which it was breeding.

The RSPB is campaigning for grouse shooting to be licensed.

Other areas where the birds have disappeared or been killed included Lancashire, Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland.

Birds illegally killed

The charity said eight satellite-tagged hen harriers had been illegally killed or had suspiciously disappeared from the Yorkshire Dales in the last year.

In the same area in May 2022, the remains of a male satellite-tagged hen harrier, called Free, were recovered by Natural England.

A post-mortem examination confirmed it had been decapitated while still alive.

North Yorkshire Police carried out an investigation, but no-one was charged due to insufficient evidence.

Mark Thomas, the RSPBs head of investigations UK, said: Despite being fully protected by law, and a threatened species in the UK, hen harriers are being illegally persecuted on a relentless scale.

The majority disappear around land managed for gamebird shooting, particularly on grouse moors.

The immediate licensing of driven grouse shooting is essential, with law-abiding landowners and grouse moor managers having nothing to fear.

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A dog that had been missing for two months in the Colorado wilderness was found and reunited with its owners just in time for Thanksgiving.

The animal, a Bernese mountain dog named Nova, was discovered alone by two hikers, who tried to befriend her and carry the injured pet back down the mountain.

Nova is 14 months old and is a service dog in training. She slipped out of her harness and ran away from her owner in a supermarket car park in September.

Her owner, Robynne Simons-Sealy, told The Greeley Tribune that Nova had survived two snowstorms and low temperatures. "I was in tears every time it snowed," she said.

The remarkable story was shared on social media by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department.

Nova was rescued after being missing for two months (Jefferson County Sheriffs Office)

Animal Control responded to Meyers Ranch Park for a dog bite. Two hikers found a dog on the trail with no owner in sight. They tried to befriend the dog, but it was injured and scared, the post read.

One of the hikers was bitten while attempting to carry the wounded pet down the mountain. Despite that, they knew the pup needed help, and they called us.

One hiker remained with the dog while the other came down for medical help and to show rescuers where to go.

A missing poster for Nova (Jefferson County Sheriffs Office)

The department added that one of the attending rangers remembered Nova from a missing dog poster in the park that had been put up a month prior.

Ms Simons-Sealy and Nova were later reunited on the trailhead.

Nova had a broken leg, but is now resting at home and awaiting possible surgery, the sheriffs department said.
A lighthouse is a place of history, mystery and romance. And, its a magnet for Lowcountry locals and visitors.

A 350-foot lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt, was considered one of the Great Wonders of the Ancient World, and for centuries lighthouses of all shapes and sizes have protected ships and commerce along treacherous coasts around the world. Lighthouses are settings for mystery novels, adventure stories and sea legends. Nothing seems more romantic than walking with your true love along a lighthouse beach or simply enjoying the excitement and relaxation of a seaside vacation beneath its protective presence.

One such location right here in the Lowcountry can provide you with a day of history, mystery and romance, and all at the expense of just an easy drive and a short walk.

The Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve located on the north end of Folly Island near Charleston is home to 80 acres of conserved land and access to one of the regions iconic landmarks: the Morris Island Lighthouse.

In 1863, Union troops occupied the area during the siege of Charleston during the Civil War. A pitched battle at nearby Fort Wagner included action by the 54th Massachusetts regiment of African American soldiers, made famous by their heroism and later by the movie Glory.

In 1944, the land was the location for a vital Loran radar site.

Acquired by Charleston County Parks from the U.S. Coast Guard in 1989, the site now protects a natural area crisscrossed by paths and marked by the half-mile paved access road that once served the Coast Guard station.

When you visit the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve today, you will be reminded of the historic past and the peaceful present and future that characterizes the beauty of the Lowcountry landscape.

From the entrance, the paved path takes you through a forest of salt-stunted live oaks and myrtles. Songbirds fill the trees, and the waves crashing along the Atlantic Ocean tunes the air.

The first thing you will notice is that the preserve is an attraction for art lovers as well as lovers of nature and the outdoors. The path is covered with graffiti and other clandestine art by locals and visitors. Although controversial to some, the art is generally of good taste and vibrant colors, and anything offensive has been covered over by park maintenance. In general, the spirit of the artwork is whimsical and even features nature and Lowcountry themes.

Where the half-mile paved path ends, you will walk a short distance through the dunes to the beach at the northern tip of the island. As you walk along the sandy path, the abandoned Morris Island Lighthouse rises above the horizon before you, like a ruined medieval tower.

Built in 1876 on the site of an older lighthouse destroyed during the Civil War, the Morris Island Lighthouse has become an iconic symbol of Charleston and the Lowcountry coast. It stands surrounded by water and buffeted by wind and tide.

Abandoned in 1962, it was robbed of its light and glass and stood leaning in crumbling disrepair until recent years. Local groups and nonprofits have worked to save the light, raising funds and awareness to preserve the faithful old structure before it crumbled into the sea. Today, a light has been affixed that now shines in merry welcome above a panoramic view of the city, harbor and sea, and a 20-foot seawall helps protect from erosion by current and crashing waves.

A beautiful boneyard beach of gnarled trees and a wide sandy beach allow visitors to stroll and enjoy the view year-round. When you go, you will surely enjoy it too.

Getting there

Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve is located on the north end of Folly Island near Charleston and is just a two-hour drive from the Beaufort area. The lighthouse itself is now 100 yards offshore of Morris Island and over a half a mile offshore from Folly Island and beach across Lighthouse Inlet. It is impossible to walk to Morris Island Lighthouse and preservation efforts have built an unclimbable 20-foot seawall around the base to keep the tower from falling. The Morris Island Lighthouse is still a condemned structure, and there is no access for the public. That said, the Morris Island Lighthouse is best viewed from a distance and against the stunning backdrop of the beach and harbor!

To visit by foot, go to the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve and Beach Access located at 1746 E. Ashley Ave. in Folly Beach. There is limited parking  try to visit early in the day  and a park admission of $1 applies. Pets are not allowed due to wildlife management and critical shorebird nesting needs. There are no facilities or restrooms but there is much available in the community nearby. Visit ccprc.com/3149/Lighthouse-Inlet-Heritage-Preserve or call 843-795-4386 for more info.

To view the lighthouse by water or from Morris Island, you will need to travel by boat. For kayaking you can launch at the landing at the Folly Island bridge. Parking is limited but access is easy. For a more adventurous and challenging view, you may wish to visit by water. A five-mile paddle from the public landing at the Folly Island bridge is best for intermediate or advanced kayakers, and it is vital to time the tides correctly. If you put in at high tide, you can ride the current to Lighthouse Inlet and then return on the incoming flow. The current is strong but the scenery is unforgettable. It is recommended you engage a local outfitter or guide, and many are available on Folly Island and the Charleston area.

For more info on the Morris Island Lighthouse and how you can help in its preservation, go to savethelight.org.
Local holiday shopping is back in full swing in Detroit.

Downtown Detroit Markets hosts a variety of metro Detroit-based businesses in time for holiday gift shopping. Located in the hub of downtown Detroit, the markets consist of more than a dozen vendor stalls featuring a variety of holiday activities just a short walk from the Detroit riverfront.

The annual holiday shops are funded by the Gilbert Family Foundation and run with support from Bedrock and Tech Town. Bedrock did not respond to Detroit Free Press requests for comment.

Shoppers look around during the Downtown Detroit Markets at Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. The local business markets are funded by Gilbert Family Foundation and operated with support from Bedrock and Tech Town.

The shops feature a variety of products, from apparel, accessories, games, food and beverages to wellness and beauty items, pet products, home goods and more.

Mixed in among colorful lights, Campus Martius' ice rink and the city's 64-foot Christmas tree, the markets represent part of Detroit's festive atmosphere during the holiday season.

Waffle Cabin has been participating for three years, selling Belgian waffles. Stuffed with sugar, these waffles come with a variety of topping options, including whipped cream, sprinkles and smores.

"Being down in Detroit as it's building and growing, it's a really really fun atmosphere to be in," said owner Renee Douglas. "We're so blessed and honored to be a part of it."

People warm up in the Cadillac Lodge, operated by the Iconic Collection, after shopping at more than a dozen local businesses at the Downtown Detroit Markets at Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. The local business markets, which will be open until Jan. 7, are funded by Gilbert Family Foundation and operated with support from Bedrock and Tech Town.

Waffle Cabin appreciates the opportunity to return to the markets and looks forward to a strong market season, Douglas said. This year, its shop is located across from the Campus Martius ice rink.

"To be part of the growth and the reason why people come down here, it means a lot to us," Douglas said.

Local fashion company Bags to Butterflies sells artistic pieces, including jewelry and handbags, crafted from repurposed wood by formerly incarcerated women. This year marked the brand's first time participating in the holiday markets.

"We decided to tackle the employment barrier but we wanted something unique and different. We wanted the ladies to come home to employment, but we didn't want to be a traditional employer," said owner Michelle Smart. "We wanted something where they could really express themselves using art.

"It's so festive, it's alive here in Detroit," Smart said. "Downtown Detroit especially, seeing all the people, individuals out here celebrating the holidays. Everything from the lights to the music, it's very, very festive."

Alexa Stubbe, 12, of Livonia, left, and Jaelyn Stubbe, 12, of Lincoln Park enjoy chocolate-covered waffles from the Waffle Cabin during the Downtown Detroit Markets at Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023.

This year's vendors

The initiative featured 18 vendors in 2022, bringing back a similar local approach and product variety this winter. Joining the markets this year are:

Ariya's Apparel and Accessories

Astouri

Bags to Butterflies

Crummy's Cake Supply and Studio

Folk

Halie and Co.

Janna Kay Charcuterie Boards and Boxes

Kids Like Mine

Konjo Me

MG Studio

Opal Grove Games

Rosemarine Textiles

SPeedcult

The Brave Wimp

Two Six 5 Stones

Verbatim

Waffle Cabin

The Downtown Detroit Markets will be open through Jan. 7. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit's downtown holiday shops return
TechCrunch

After keeping some key specs close to its proverbial chest, Tesla is finally sharing more details about the final production versions of the Cybertruck electric pickup. Tesla published battery, speed and other stats during its delivery event on Thursday, during which the automaker went out of the way to compare the Cybertruck to some of its competitors, including Ford's F-150 Lightning and Rivian's R1T. Range-wise, Tesla estimates the Cyberbeast will go 320 miles on a single charge (or more, with an external battery pack).
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 26)  Four armed men, who introduced themselves as National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents, robbed a pawnshop in Cebu City on Saturday morning, authorities reported.

The Cebu City Police Office said it was still determining the amount of jewelry stolen during the daring heist.

In a statement on Sunday, the NBI Central Visayas denied the involvement of its agents in the robbery and promised to conduct its own probe into the incident.

In a CCTV footage, one suspect can be seen pointing a firearm at a security guard while two others ransacked the store. Another suspect acted as a lookout near the entrance.

Two of the suspects were seen carrying high-caliber firearms, including M4 and M16 rifles, authorities said.

The police said the suspects fled the scene on motorcycles.

Cebu-based correspondent Dale Israel contributed to this story.
A homeless man moves in with a much older wealthy woman - is it a genuine love story, or something much darker?

Carolyn Holland was a wealthy widow aged 80, living in the idyllic Californian beachside resort of Cayucos, when she met David Foute, a man 23 years her junior.

He came to do some odd jobs for her. Within weeks, they were a couple, declaring their undying love.

Carolyn said she'd never expected to fall so deeply in love with a stranger or to be having a romantic, sexual relationship at her age: "He's given me something special, because of his caring spirit. We share a lot. I love his personality, and I hate it when he's gone."

"I'm going to take care of her as best I can unless I can't," Dave told me. "All the guys know that Carolyn's my girl and I don't mess about. I don't stay out late because I have someone to go home to. I'm going to remain until the wheels fall off."

However, her daughters saw things in a different light.

They believed that Dave was out to con and fleece their mother and would break her heart.

I learned about Dave and Carolyn's story because I live on their street. The pace of life is slow in Cayucos, and people take time to sit together and chat.

There's a pier that stretches out nearly a thousand feet into the ocean and in the evening as the light fades, you can see the surfers outlined against the setting sun. It's the perfect setting for a love story and I wanted to believe in Dave - but like Carolyn's family, I was also suspicious.

Was Carolyn about to fall victim to financial abuse, which affects around one in five of the over-60's?

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"The age difference really bothered me - that was a red light," Carolyn's niece, Kim, told me. "Why would someone that age act like he's in love with her, except to have a place to stay?"

I was in a unique position to watch the story unfold. Everyone involved wanted to talk - Carolyn's daughters welcomed a chance to give voice to their worries. Dave and Carolyn thought they were being wrongly judged and wanted to tell their story.

When I first met Dave, I really warmed to him. He'd been recommended to do some renovation work for me by a neighbour, through the local church where he was a regular in the congregation. Dave charmed all the other workmen on the job. He played the harmonica and guitar, he was funny and seemed very open about his past.

The more I heard, however, the more I understood why Carolyn's family were alarmed. Dave had arrived in Cayucos homeless and was living rough, sleeping out by the pier, when he first showed up at Carolyn's house to do some work.

He readily admitted he'd been a crystal meth addict. It had led him to drug dealing and eventually made him so paranoid that he was jailed for making pipe bombs that police believed were linked to a possible attack on Walmart. Dave was - and still is - convinced that the supermarket chain was intending to microchip us all.

Dave claimed to have given up drugs, but I noticed he drank quite a bit, and smoked a lot of marijuana too.

Carolyn's daughters, Susan and Sally, were horrified by the change in their mother's personality after she met Dave. "It's like a fantasy world, it's so bizarre," Sally said. "She was like a teenager when he came along. She was doing all this weird giggling and laughing."

The daughters didn't believe for a moment that what they were witnessing was love. What they saw was a lonely old woman in need of a companion, and a cunning outsider on the make.

There was also the question of inheritance. With her late husband, Joe, Carolyn had built up a property portfolio worth a few million dollars.

Carolyn pictured on a cruise holiday in 2014 with her late husband, Joe

"It's our family's money, my parents worked hard for that money. Should we be okay, just giving it to some loser?" she asked me.

Carolyn's daughters believed she was already losing mental capacity when she met Dave. They tried to have her declared mentally unfit to manage her own affairs.

"They think I have Alzheimer's," Carolyn told me. "Yes, I forget a lot of things, but I have too much stress. I can make my own decisions."

Her relationship with Dave was pushing Carolyn apart from her daughters, but she felt she had every right to have the partner of her choice. Carolyn said they had not given her the support she needed after their father's death: "They never came to see me before Dave, honestly they did not."

Her daughters disputed this version of events. Susan, who lives five hours away, said she wished she could have been around more, but both she and Sally were bringing up children and working full-time. "We tried to include her in everything," she said, adding that her mother was reluctant to get involved.

Sally, Carolyn and Susan celebrating Carolyn's 80th birthday in 2022

Before Dave came along, Sally - who lived closer - had helped her mother with her accounts and tax returns. However, the rift prompted Carolyn to take back control of her finances.

Not long after, Carolyn co-signed a credit agreement with Dave, allowing him to buy a $40,000 van. I asked her what would happen if Dave disappeared, leaving her to cover the full cost of the loan. She said she didn't mind, and she didn't care what her daughters thought.

"Yes, they think they're protecting me from David, but David is the best thing that happened to me."

What was the truth about Dave? I saw him coming back to Carolyn after a day's work, cooking her dinner and reminding her to take her meds. It was moments like this that made me believe he genuinely loved and cared for her.

But I also witnessed him in town, boasting to his friends that soon he would never have to work again.

I decided to investigate his past. What I found was a dark history of domestic violence and child neglect.

One relationship had ended when he suspected his partner was unfaithful, and he beat her up. In an earlier marriage, there was a baby daughter who'd nearly died from neglect. This child had been sold by Dave to a couple who eventually legally adopted her.

When I spoke to him, Dave would say this was all in the past - he was a churchgoer now, and he'd made a pact with God to lead a better life. He had come to Cayucos with nothing, and saw his relationship with Carolyn as a sign that their relationship was meant to be.

"Look what Jesus blessed me with," he said. "I couldn't leave her, because I'm supposed to be here with her."

Dave said that Jesus meant him to be with Carolyn

But their story was soon to reach a tense and bitter climax.

One of Carolyn's properties was a single plot with two homes on it in a nearby town. Dave persuaded her to put the houses on the market, even though one of them was rented out to her own grandson and his family.

Carolyn's daughters were furious, believing that he was taking advantage of their mother's mental fragility. They showed me footage from a security camera, of their mother looking bewildered as Dave showed estate agents around.

Carolyn had promised to give some of the $600,000 (480,000) from the property sale to Dave, to provide for his future.

The sale quickly went through and a cheque made out to Carolyn was waiting to be collected from the agents handling the sale. But at that very moment, she was admitted to hospital with Covid.

Carolyn had refused to be vaccinated on Dave's advice - he'd convinced her that the vaccination programme was a process of government control.

By the time she was sent home, Caroline's poor physical and mental state had allowed her daughters to gain power-of-attorney status, giving them control over her financial affairs.

Carolyn died soon after. "The Covid was not what killed her," says Susan, "but it definitely didn't help because she was already declining."

The daughters didn't allow Dave to visit Carolyn during her last days, and they didn't call to tell him she'd died. There was no funeral either, because the daughters were upset at the lack of support they thought the local church had given them.

Susan and Sally still feel that their mother was taken advantage of, and that nobody - doctors, police or care services - helped them. "Everybody's hands were tied," she says. "They were not seeing what we were seeing."

There are a million people in the UK with dementia, a third of them undiagnosed. It makes them extremely vulnerable. After hearing Susan and Sally express these concerns about their mother, I spoke to two expert geriatricians about what they had said, and the issue of financial abuse, which is an increasing problem in both the UK and the US.

According to Dr Mark Lachs, of Weill Cornell Medicine and his colleague, Dr Jason Karlawish, from the Penn Memory Centre, financial capacity can be one of the first things to decline when the brain is damaged through disease or age.

They want this process to be identified as a condition they call Age Associated Financial Vulnerability - a pattern of risky behaviour that is inconsistent with choices that would previously have been made.

Dr Karlawish says: "Financial decision-making is very challenging cognitively. Even with mild cognitive impairment, you can make mistakes with finances, even though you're otherwise doing generally OK in your daily life." The doctors tell me that half of the patients who come into their memory clinic in New York have been conned.

Veronica Gray is the director of policy at the UK charity Hourglass, which operates a telephone helpline for older people who have been abused. She says that 19.5m was reported to Hourglass as stolen, defrauded or coerced from older victims in 2022 - a 50% increase on the period from 2017-2019.

In 70% of these cases, an adult son or daughter is involved. The rest are acquaintances, carers, new lovers and even grandchildren. Most cases are never reported to the police and the victims have to live with the devastating impact of this financial abuse.

Ms Gray calls it a hidden crime: "Many lose large sums of money, they lose property they have lived in for years and incur large debts."

For families like Carolyn's, there's a dangerous grey area surrounding mental capacity and the right to self-determination in later life. It's not an unusual tale either - the geriatricians say that they hear similar stories all the time.

Dave is living by Cayucos pier once more

Back in Cayucos, Dave is homeless again, although he has the van that Carolyn helped him buy. He's parked in the same spot he was in when he first arrived in town, trying to make a living selling jewellery and artworks made from recycled items.

The last time I saw him, he was in a kind of trance, flicking a lighter on and off and telling himself over and over that he loved Carolyn: "When she called I came, I miss Carolyn, I loved Carolyn," he told me. "I was on my little mission trying to make her proud."

Additional reporting by Ben Milne

Sue Mitchell is on X, formerly Twitter
**Related Video Above: Hundreds from NE Ohio to join pro-Israel rally.**

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP)  Hamas released 13 Israelis and four foreigners late Saturday in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal, the Israeli military said, after the militant group initially delayed the exchange for several hours and claimed that Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal.

The army said Red Cross representatives transferred the freed hostages, including four Thais, to Egypt late Saturday. They were to be transferred to Israel later in the evening.

Israel was to free 39 Palestinians later Saturday as part of the deal that ultimately went through after international mediation efforts.

The last-minute delay had created a tense standoff on the second day of whats meant to be a four-day cease-fire. By nightfall, as the hostages should have emerged from Gaza, Hamas alleged that the aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough of it was reaching northern Gaza  the focus of Israels ground offensive and main combat zone. Hamas also said not enough veteran prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.

This is putting the deal in danger, Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in Beirut. But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said obstacles had been overcome, and Hamas listed six women and 33 teenage boys it said were expected to be released by the Israelis. Two women, Maysoun Jabali and Israa Jaabis, were imprisoned in 2015 after being convicted of carrying out attacks on Israelis. Jaabis suffered severe burns during the incident.

Susan Sarandon, Melissa Barrera dropped from Hollywood companies after comments on Israel-Hamas war

While uncertainty around some details of the exchange remained, there was some optimism, too, amid earlier scenes of joyous families reuniting on both sides.

On the first day of the cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.

Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners, during the four-day truce  all women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed  something U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.

Separately, a Qatari delegation arrived in Israel on Saturday to coordinate with parties on the ground and ensure the deal continues to move smoothly, according to a diplomat briefed on the visit. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details with the media.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands. At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate.

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

We want to find them and bury them in dignity, he said.

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (34,078 gallons) of fuel  just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume  as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

I wish it could be extended until peoples conditions improved, he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.

JOY AND EXPECTATION

In Tel Aviv, several thousand people packed a central square called the square of the hostages, awaiting news of the second release.

Dont forget the others because its getting harder, harder and harder. Its heartbreaking, said Neri Gershon, a Tel Aviv resident. Some families have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government of not doing enough to bring hostages home.

In the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank, the family of 16-year-old Wael Mesheh was frantically getting the house ready for his homecoming as part of the second swap. We are going to hug him so tight, his mother, Hanadi Mesheh, said by phone.

The first group of freed Israelis included nine women and four children ages 9 and under. They were taken to Israeli hospitals for observation and were declared to be in good condition.

Hours later, 24 Palestinian women and 15 teenage boys held in Israeli prisons in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem were freed. The teenagers had been jailed for minor offenses like throwing stones. The women included several convicted of trying to stab Israeli soldiers.

Its a happiness tainted with sorrow because our release from prison came at the cost of the lives of martyrs and the innocence of children, said one released prisoner, Aseel Munir al-Titi.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

On Saturday, at least two Palestinians were injured at a tense West Bank checkpoint where Israel was to free prisoners. Israeli security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians gathered at Beitunia checkpoint. It was not clear how the two were injured.

A LONGER PEACE?

The war erupted when several thousand Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages, including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.

We will return immediately at the end of the cease-fire to attacking in Gaza, operating in Gaza, Herzi Halevi, Israeli chief of staff, told soldiers.

Israeli leaders have said they wont stop until Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for the past 16 years, is crushed. Israeli officials have argued that only military pressure can bring the hostages home. But the government is under pressure from hostages families to prioritize the release of the remaining captives.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where communications have broken down.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) praised newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for releasing the Capitol footage from the Jan. 6 riot, calling the move an important step toward exposing the truth.

In an interview on NBCs Meet the Press, Turner suggested the American people were only reading biased accounts of the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, an echo of a frequent argument in favor of releasing the tapes.

Its important for Americans to know the truth. This has been fraught with an unbelievable amount of misinformation and untruths, Turner said, when asked whether it was responsible for Johnson to release the footage, despite stated concerns from the Capitol Police about jeopardizing the security of the complex.

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When you see the footage yourself, its going to give you an understanding of what was there and what occurred that day. Because were currently only depending on really partisan descriptions of what happened. Now the American people can see, Turner added.

When asked about GOP colleagues cherry-picking some of the images and misrepresenting what they depicted, Turner claimed, I think its been cherry-picked by both sides, before mentioning the Jan. 6 select committee that investigated the events that day.

Turner dodged a question on whether he was uncomfortable with GOP colleagues using the footage to falsely represent what happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Let me ask you about your Republican colleagues in the wake of this footage being released, NBCs Kristen Welker said. Are you comfortable with, for example, [Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)] posting, suggesting that this was an inside job by the Capitol Police? She removed the tweet of course, but does that make you uncomfortable?

Youll have to talk to Marjorie Taylor Greene about that, Turner told Welker. But what I will say is I think its important that the Speaker has taken this step because now people can see the truth.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Dee Dickens: "It was like having my insides scraped out and blown up all at the same time"

Undergoing a medical procedure without an anaesthetic felt like being "flayed alive", according to Dee Dickens, 53.

She is one of many in the UK who have reported having a hysteroscopy, which is used to examine the uterus, without enough pain relief.

Clinical guidelines say patients must be given anaesthetic options before the gynaecological exam.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board said it was concerned by the experiences of Ms Dickens and urged her to get in touch.

Ms Dickens, from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, had a hysteroscopy as an outpatient at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend after experiencing bleeding despite being menopausal.

Infographic: What is a hysteroscopy?

What is a hysteroscopy?

A hysteroscopy is a procedure to examine the inside of the uterus by passing a thin telescope-like device through the cervix.

According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, one third of those undergoing a hysteroscopy report pain levels of seven or above out of 10.

Patients should be offered local or general anaesthesia for the procedure, it says.

And their medical history should be taken into account, including trauma or difficulty with smear tests.

Ms Dickens, a PhD student, said her medical notes and past childhood sexual abuse were not considered and she was not offered a local anaesthetic prior to the procedure in October 2022.

Due to underlying health conditions, including fibromyalgia and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS), she was reluctant to have a general anaesthetic as it would have left her "poorly for weeks" so she had the hysteroscopy on painkillers only.

"Everybody's bustling, so it's really difficult to advocate for yourself," said Ms Dickens.

When the procedure began, she said she felt extreme pain.

"I was very aware that I was a black woman who felt like she was being experimented on with no anaesthetic.

"They took out my coil and then they started on the biopsies and good God, that felt like being flayed alive. It was awful," she said.

"It was like having my insides scraped out and blown up all at the same time.

"The way it's framed is like, if you don't get through it, you're a failure."

Ms Dickens alleged that after the procedure ended she received racist comments from a nurse who told her that "your sort" usually "tolerate pain" well.

"I got back out there in my wheelchair and I said to Phil, my husband who was waiting 'I just want to get out of here'. I was absolutely distraught," she said.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said: "We are deeply concerned to hear about Dee's experience and encourage her to get in touch with our concerns team so that we can investigate the care she received in more detail."

Dee Dickens says she was left "absolutely distraught" by her treatment

Hysteroscopy pain relief options

National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines say clinicians must explain "what the procedure involves and discuss possible alternatives".

"If a woman declines outpatient hysteroscopy, [clinicians must] offer hysteroscopy under general or regional anaesthesia."

The British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE) said back in 2018 patients must be offered general or local anaesthetic, and that the procedure is stopped if too painful.

Hysteroscopy guidelines have been revised to better support patients, says consultant Geeta Kumar.

What do the health experts say?

Consultant Geeta Kumar, vice president for clinical quality at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said while she has not had issues among patients, negative accounts made her "feel really distressed".

Ms Kumar, who is also the clinical lead for women's services at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said the RCOG updated its hysteroscopy guidelines in February 2023 so all women are offered a range of painkilling options and alternative treatments.

Ms Kumar said: "It is the duty of the healthcare professional to re-discuss all the options, make sure that the woman understands what the procedure entails and feels empowered enough to tell us when the procedure should be stopped."

'No-one should suffer'

The Campaign Against Painful Hysteroscopy has collected more than 5,000 negative hysteroscopy experiences in the UK.

Researcher Katharine Tylko said: "Unfortunately, many women are still being told that this is just basically like a smear test, and it's not.

"Nobody should be having to be brave, having to scream, having to throw up, having to be humiliated if they can't cope.

"We have found hospitals that say quite bluntly, 'unfortunately, we don't have the capacity to offer women general anaesthetic'.

"There is a great chasm between the fine words of the lovely people at RCOG and what's happening in an outpatient clinic when there's hundreds of people and a backlog to get through."

Welsh government and women's health

The Welsh government said its Quality Statement for women and girls' health sets out what health boards are expected to deliver and that healthcare professionals should take account of NICE guidelines.

It also said it has "tasked NHS Wales to develop a comprehensive 10-year women's health plan".

And "this will act as the vehicle for transforming the care received by the women of Wales".
With the holiday season upon us, Im reminded of the ways in which we care for one another. One of the best ways we do this as Idahoans is through Medicaid. It provides necessary care for our children, pregnant Idahoans, seniors who need nursing home care, and both adults and children with disabilities. Medicaid delivers developmental screenings to our kids, substance use disorder treatment, cancer care, and much more. And it demonstrates a fundamental belief we share: We never want Idahoans to go without health care due to an inability to pay.

Idaho voters continue to express strong support for Medicaid. They passed Medicaid expansion in 2018 with 61% in favor and the policy has only become more popular. Recent polling commissioned by Idaho Voices for Children shows that 73% of voters favor keeping Medicaid expansion. Additionally, voters resoundingly oppose cuts to Medicaid services.

Unfortunately, Idahos Republican supermajority isnt getting the message. They have made repeated attempts to roll back Medicaid expansion and take coverage away from Idahoans, chronically underfunded Medicaid services, and threatened to make cuts to a critical lifeline.

Todays direct care worker crisis illustrates what happens when budget setters starve a crucial service. Direct care workers help seniors and individuals with disabilities with daily tasks, like eating and dressing themselves. This support allows Idahoans to live independently in their homes and is typically funded through Medicaid. But a new report from the Office of Performance Evaluation reveals that this workforce faces a 3,000-person shortage and workers can earn 36-39% higher wages in other industries. Idahoans requiring this assistance can be forced into the more costly and less desirable option of moving into an institution when there are no direct care workers available.

There are clear steps the Idaho Legislature must take to protect Idahoans who rely on Medicaid.

First, we must bolster reimbursement for Medicaid services, especially direct care workers so that Idahoans can live as independently as possible. We should also reject proposals that cut Medicaid services.

Second, we need to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to mothers for one year after birth. This is a key recommendation that Idahos Maternal Mortality Review Board made after studying how we can best prevent maternal deaths in our state

Third, we must reject attempts to dismantle Medicaid expansion.

Too many Republican politicians prioritize their anti-government ideology over peoples needs. And while some lawmakers do not believe that the public sector should solve problems and help Idahoans access health care, voters clearly do. Voters want to ensure a strong Medicaid program is there when they, their loved ones, and their neighbors need it. Idaho Democrats will continue working to protect and strengthen Medicaid to keep all Idahoans healthy.

Rep. Lauren Necochea, D-Boise, represents District 19 in the Idaho Legislature and is the chair of the Idaho Democratic Party.
Violence in the West Bank has surged in the wake of Hamass attack on Israel on Oct 7 - ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP

Israeli forces killed at least seven Palestinians in the West Bank in the past 24 hours, local health officials said on Sunday, as violence surged in the occupied territory amid the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

Four Palestinians, including a teenager, were shot dead by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the northern city of Jenin during a raid that began late on Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry said.

A pre-dawn air strike on the city was also reported to have killed a senior fighter from the Jenin Brigade, a local armed group, and wounded several others.

The Israeli military said the five Palestinians it killed in Jenin were militants. It added, without specifying further, that troops were backed by air power that struck and wounded Palestinians.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group claimed one of the men, identified as Asaad al-Damj, 33, as a member. No group immediately claimed any of the others killed as members.

Raid in Jenin refugee camp

The IDF said it carried out the raid in the Jenin refugee camp to detain a wanted Palestinian alleged to have been involved in the killing of an Israeli father and son at a West Bank car wash earlier this year.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said that Israeli forces stormed Jenin from several directions, firing bullets and surrounding government hospitals and the headquarters of the Red Crescent Society.

Israeli snipers were positioned on roofs and military bulldozers were damaging roads and infrastructure, Wafa reported.

Local media reports suggested that the Israeli army had surrounded Jenins public hospital and that soldiers were searching ambulances.

In the refugee camp, debris was strewn along the streets of the densely populated urban neighbourhood and the wall of one house had a large hole in it.

A number of Palestinian factions called for a strike in Jenin on Sunday to mourn the souls of the martyrs, the WAFA said.

A sixth Palestinian was killed in Yatma, a village near the city of Nablus, and another, reported to be a teenager, was killed near a Jewish settlement outside the West Bank town of El Bireh, Palestinian officials said.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on either of those incidents.

239 Palestinians killed in West Bank

The IDF has conducted frequent military raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war in Gaza.

Violence in the West Bank has surged in the wake of Hamass attack on Israel on Oct 7 and the IDFs retaliatory invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians and arrested hundreds in the West Bank. Jewish West Bank settlers have also stepped up attacks on Palestinians.

The intensified violence in the territory follows more than a year of escalating raids and arrests.

Before the Hamas attack, 2023 was already the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in over two decades.

Israeli forces have now killed 239 Palestinians in the territory since Oct 7, more than in any entire year since 2005, according to the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Palestinians have killed 24 civilians and members of the security services in the West Bank, the highest number in more than 15 years.

Rights groups have accused Israel of deepening its occupation of the West Bank amid the IDFs bid to root out militants, closing down crossings between Palestinian towns and driving the territorys already lacklustre economy to a halt.

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An Israeli military spokesperson denounced a delay in the release of the second wave of Israeli hostages by Hamas on Saturday, saying the tactic is part of a strategy of psychological warfare.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Doron Spielman said the long-negotiated truce deal that promised the release of 50 Israeli hostages was on the rocks for a while on Saturday after Hamas said it would back out, claiming that Israel was not supplying humanitarian aid to Gaza as promised.

This is probably part of Hamas strategy knowing this is an opportunity to inflict emotional pain, Spielman said in a CNN interview. They know our weakness. Our weakness is how much we want our people to come home. And they simply exploited it.

The sides agreed to resume the release of hostages hours later, and a total of 13 Israelis and 4 Thai hostages were released late Saturday. In exchange, Israel released 39 Palestinians from prison.

Saturdays second wave of released hostages marks the halfway point of the expected four-day fighting pause. The cease-fire can extend by a day for every 10 additional hostages released by Hamas, according to the agreement.

Spielman said the delay on Saturday may not be the last and is a targeted move by the terrorist organization.

They know they can basically take the Israeli people hostage by dangling over our heads our hostages in the most cruel and pathetic way, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Reuters published photos and video of air defense in Kyiv during yesterday's Shahed attack

In response to the release of photos and videos by Reuters detailing the operation of anti-aircraft missile defense systems in Kyiv during drone attack on Nov. 25, Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat offered crucial insights into the incident.

I have seen the video, and there is nothing that could cause concern. Photos and videos showing the location of the anti-aircraft missile defense systems have been prohibited on the Internet, Ihnat said on national television.

Read also: Four female bloggers under house arrest after filming air defense work during Russias latest strike at Kyiv

He noted that publication is only prohibited when the footage reveals the launch location of anti-aircraft missiles.

Reuters and the UK tabloid the Sun earlier published photos and videos of the operation of anti-aircraft missile defense systems during the night attack by Shahed kamikaze drones on Kyiv. The footage shows explosions in the sky, as well as the silhouettes of high-rise buildings in the darkness.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Boris Johnson, Sir Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance talk to journalists at Downing St during the pandemic

With each passing week of the Covid inquiry, it is clear there were deep flaws in the way decisions were made and information provided during the pandemic.

And it was both politicians and scientists making mistakes.

This much was clear from the evidence given by four of the government's top Covid scientists this week.

Experts advising government had underestimated how fast the virus was spreading and overestimated the extent to which it could be controlled.

Sir Patrick Vallance, who was the government's chief scientific adviser in the pandemic, admitted as much when he appeared before the inquiry on Monday.

He said the scientists had been "wrong" to think they could apply measures such as restrictions on socialising short of a lockdown with precision to produce a manageable wave of Covid over the summer - as was the plan up to mid March.

This came to a head on the weekend of 14 and 15 March 2020 when new data suggested the NHS was at risk of "imminent" collapse.

That kick-started a series of warnings to the public that ultimately led a week later to the full lockdown, but by that point the virus had seeded so far across the UK that many of the 40,000-plus deaths seen in the first wave were already baked in.

Breadth of expertise

But it was not just that misstep at the start, the breadth of expertise advising ministers also appears questionable.

England's chief medical officer Prof Sir Chris Whitty told the inquiry he was more cautious about imposing restrictions than others on Sage, the government's scientific advisory body, because of the indirect harms they cause to mental health, deprivation, education and wellbeing (although he agreed once the experts had realised how far Covid had spread there was little other option than to lockdown).

Sir Patrick also recognised this difference in view, pointing out it was natural as Sir Chris had responsibility for the wider health of the population in his remit.

But the rest of Sage was dominated by infectious disease experts who were focussed on what the virus was doing.

It means there was little formal attempt to measure or quantify the knock-on effects of what was a completely unprecedented policy.

There was no equality impact assessment, for example, which is one of the ways government can consider the costs and benefits of a decision.

And three years on, those harms are all too clear. Rising rates of mental health problems in the young, record-high hospital waiting lists and continued attendance problems at school.

Others have questioned this approach. Last month Prof Mark Woolhouse, an infectious disease expert at the University of Edinburgh, who sat on one of the government's Covid committees providing advice into Sage, said without considering the wider harms it is difficult to see how "balanced judgements" could be made.

Missed opportunity

But what about later on? Prof Dame Angela McLean, who is now the overall chief scientific adviser but held the Ministry of Defence department post in the pandemic, told the inquiry that a "cross-government commission" should have been set up in summer 2020 to "pause and think" about the wider picture.

"It was a missed opportunity", she said, before adding that was with the benefit of hindsight as she had never asked for it.

A consequence of this was that Sage came to define the debate. Its meeting papers were pored over by the media and commentators when they were published and used to suggest scientists were calling for action when in reality Sage was only providing information for ministers to make decisions.

But because they focused solely on the consequences of doing something or not, there was no counter narrative of what those options would mean for the economy, education or wider wellbeing.

If ministers decided not to act, and as 2020 progressed the devolved nations started to make different choices, they were accused of not "following the science".

Sir Chris told the inquiry that phrase ended up becoming a "millstone around our necks".

There were "no good choices", he said, and so it was always the job of democratically-elected politicians to weigh up the options.

"I was - and Sir Patrick was - very careful not to say 'I think you must'", he added.

The flipside of this is that other parts of government came to resent the scientists. Rishi Sunak, diary entries from Sir Patrick suggest, remarked in one meeting it was about "handling the scientists, not the virus".

The Treasury ended up doing its own thing. Nowhere is that clearer than in the decision by Mr Sunak, who was then the chancellor, to introduce the Eat Out to Help Out campaign in August 2020, offering diners discounts to try to boost the UK hospitality industry following lockdown.

Both Sir Chris, Sir Patrick and then Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, who was Sir Chris's deputy during the pandemic and gave evidence on Wednesday, told the inquiry they had not been consulted on the scheme despite the inherent risks it carried.

Sir Jonathan said he first heard about it from a TV report and went on to say the scheme "didn't feel very sensible to me".

Dame Angela also said she was not consulted.

Bunny hopping

The scientists were also left frustrated by the lack of strategic direction from ministers. Sir Patrick said he was never entirely clear on what the actual aim of government was beyond stopping the NHS getting overwhelmed.

Never, despite repeated attempts, he said, would ministers define what was acceptable in terms of the number of deaths or what exactly stopping the NHS being overwhelmed meant.

Dame Angela made a similar point, saying: "If you are not told what is the objective, it makes it very difficult..."

In the end, she said, the scientists came up with their own objective focused on where the country was in terms of the peak in hospital admissions from the first wave.

The lack of joined-up thinking was unhelpful - and in the autumn of 2020 it led to the country "bunny hopping" around, in the words of Sir Chris, between opening up and slamming on the brakes.

Finding a more coherent approach to decision-making in a pandemic - balancing all the trade-offs - is at the heart of what this inquiry needs to do.
Ukraines Ministry of Internal Affairs has published some unique criminal case materials relating to cannibalism during the Holodomor of 1932-1933.

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine

Details: The documents were published as part of the Real History project.

The state archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs contains 1,022 criminal cases related to cannibalism in 1932-1933 that were opened by the Soviet police.

Quote from Inna Yashchuk, a state secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: "I very much hope that the materials that have been discovered today will give impetus to serious historical legal and other scientific research. This is a rich seam for research by physiologists and psychiatrists: what drives a person to cannibalism.

I would really like our society to accept these facts by looking at them through this lens. People who resorted to cannibalism were victims of the Holodomor."

More details: One of the documents relates to the case of Anna Ivanivna Storcheus. Her husband and three children died of starvation. Anna killed and ate their fourth and last child, a girl named Nadiia.

A specific feature of all the cases is their politicisation and falsification, the Ministry of Internal Affairs notes. That is, they outwardly conformed to the law in that a formal investigation was conducted, the fact of the crime was established, and the culprits were identified. However, the victims  people driven to cannibalism by the Soviet regime  were convicted of murder.

The mechanisms of the man-made famine and the fact that people were driven to despair and insanity are not documented in the case files. Psychiatric examinations were rarely carried out. Instead, doctors wrote opinions like "Appears rather stupid, eyes shining." That, for example, was written in a case regarding the prosecution of a woman named Martselina Antonivna in May 1933.

The archives also contain many cases of corpses being eaten, such as the case of M.K. Yarova. Her case file states that after her young child died of starvation, she was found to have eaten the corpse instead of burying it.

"Cannibalism became a widespread phenomenon at the height of the Holodomor, but the famine as such is not mentioned in these case materials. Instead, the case files show what the obvious focus of the regime was  the people accused of cannibalism did not want to join collective farms, or had not accumulated enough workdays [on the collective farm]. Also, the victims of the regime were Ukrainians whose class and social origin were unsuitable," the Ministry of Internal Affairs notes.

The documents describe people in these terms: "has earned 30 workdays, a declassed, degenerate, defective element [of society]", or "a Ukrainian woman, non-aligned with any party, illiterate, a slacker".

Overall, out of over a thousand cases, there are only a few isolated cases of someone being referred for psychiatric treatment. The vast majority of these people were sent to camps run by the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) to work on the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal.

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(CNN)  An innovative experiment flying aboard NASAs Psyche mission just hit its first major milestone by successfully carrying out the most distant demonstration of laser communications. The tech demo could one day help NASA missions probe deeper into space and uncover more discoveries about the origin of the universe.

Launched in mid-October, Psyche is currently en route to catch humanitys first glimpse of a metal asteroid between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft will spend the next six years traveling about 2.2 billion miles (3.6 billion kilometers) to reach its namesake, located in the outer part of the main asteroid belt.

Along for the ride is the Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration, or DSOC, which is carrying out a mission of its own during the first two years of the journey.

The tech demo was designed to be the US space agencys most distant experiment of high-bandwidth laser communications, testing the sending and receiving of data to and from Earth using an invisible near-infrared laser. The laser can send data at 10 to 100 times the speed of traditional radio wave systems NASA uses on other missions. If wholly successful over the next couple of years, this experiment could be the future basis of technology that is used to communicate with humans exploring Mars.

And DSOC recently achieved what engineers called first light, the feat of successfully sending and receiving its first data.

The experiment beamed a laser encoded with data from far beyond the moon for the first time. The test data was sent from nearly 10 million miles (16 million kilometers) away and reached the Hale Telescope at the California Institute of Technologys Palomar Observatory in Pasadena, California.

The distance between DSOC and Hale was about 40 times farther than the moon is from Earth.

Achieving first light is one of many critical DSOC milestones in the coming months, paving the way toward higher-data-rate communications capable of sending scientific information, high-definition imagery, and streaming video in support of humanitys next giant leap: sending humans to Mars, said Trudy Kortes, director of technology demonstrations for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA, in a statement.

Sending lasers across space

First light, which occurred on November 14, happened as the flight laser transceiver instrument on Psyche received a laser beacon sent from the Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratorys Table Mountain Facility near Wrightwood, California.

The initial beacon received by Psyches transceiver helped the instrument aim its laser to send data back to the Hale Telescope, which is located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Table Mountain.

(The November 14) test was the first to fully incorporate the ground assets and flight transceiver, requiring the DSOC and Psyche operations teams to work in tandem, said Meera Srinivasan, operations lead for DSOC at JPL, located in Pasadena, California, in a statement. It was a formidable challenge, and we have a lot more work to do, but for a short time, we were able to transmit, receive, and decode some data.

Its not the first time laser communications have been tested in space. The first test of two-way laser communication occurred in December 2021 when NASAs Laser Communications Relay Demonstration launched and went into orbit about 22,000 miles (35,406 kilometers) from Earth.

Since then, experiments have sent optical communications from low-Earth orbit and to the moon. And the Artemis II spacecraft will use laser communications to return high-definition video of a crewed journey around the moon. But DSOC marks the first time laser communications have been sent across deep space, which requires incredibly precise aim and pointing over millions of miles.

The initial test of the tech demos capabilities will allow the team to work on refining the systems used in the lasers pointing accuracy. Once the team has checked that box, DSOC will be ready to send and receive data to the Hale Telescope as the spacecraft travels farther from Earth.

Future challenges

While DSOC wont actually send scientific data collected by the Psyche spacecraft because its an experiment, the laser will be used to send bits of test data encoded in the lasers photons, or quantum light particles.

Detector arrays on Earth can pick up the signal from Psyche and extract the data from the photons. This kind of optical communication could change the way NASA sends and receives data from its missions across deep space.

Optical communication is a boon for scientists and researchers who always want more from their space missions, and will enable human exploration of deep space, said Dr. Jason Mitchell, director of the Advanced Communications and Navigation Technologies Division within NASAs Space Communications and Navigation program, in a statement. More data means more discoveries.

As Psyche continues on its journey, more challenges await.

The DSOC team will be monitoring how long it takes for the laser messages to travel across space. During first light, it took only 50 seconds for the laser to travel from Psyche to Earth. At the farthest distance between the spacecraft and Earth, the laser is expected to take 20 minutes to travel one way. And during that time, the spacecraft will continue to move and Earth will rotate.

Meanwhile, the Psyche spacecraft continues to prepare for its primary mission, powering on propulsion systems and testing the scientific instruments it will need to study the asteroid when it arrives in July 2029. The mission could determine whether the asteroid is the exposed core of an early planetary building block from the beginning of the solar system.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "First light: NASA receives laser-beamed message from 10 million miles away"
Florida governor Ron DeSantis is upping his game on the campaign trail in Iowa, away from his home state in Florida. Voters in the two states say they support him  but for contrasting reasons.

Iowa residents who support DeSantis told Fox News they admired his willingness to be tough on the U.S. border and say his immigration policies have a national appeal.

"I like the fact that he's supporting the border. You can't just let people run through," said Pam from Sigourney, Iowa.

Steve in Davenport, Iowa, agreed, adding the border is his top concern and that DeSantis caught his eye with his stance on containing the migrant flow.

DESANTIS ARGUES THAT GAVIN NEWSOM CATERS TO A VERY FAR LEFT SLICE OF THE ELECTORATE

Steve from Davenport, IA.

"We can't keep having this invasion of people. We don't know who is coming in here. Everybody forgets 9/11 and it can happen again. It only took 19 people to do it. And we just let 8 million people come in here. So, it's time to stand up and get this thing shut down," he said.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The border is among top concerns for voters nationwide too. A NBC News National poll shows 74% of registered voters support more funding for security along the U.S.-Mexico border. Voters overwhelmingly support funding the border instead of foreign aid packages.

David Kochel, a longtime Iowa-based GOP strategist says if candidates want to do well in Iowa, they need to be able to showcase their stance on securing the border.

DESANTIS LANDS ENDORSEMENT FROM INFLUENTIAL IOWA EVANGELICAL LEADER IN RACE FOR GOP NOMINATION

"To the extent that these candidates can get some traction on that issue and talk about it and show that they have a plan and that they care about how voters feel on this, I think they're going to do well," Kochel said. "And it certainly is a thing that Governor DeSantis talks about. It's a high-profile issue for most voters and especially in Iowa."

But in Florida, residents told Fox News they support DeSantis for his local accomplishments. None of the voters Fox News interviewed mentioned supporting DeSantis for his border or immigration policies.

Theresa from Madeira beach said she backs DeSantis for his unwavering conservative policies in the state.

"I just like that he tries to keep everything intact with how all of the state wants to continue as Republicans and go forward with all of the issues that we're confronted with daily on," she said.

Theresa from Madeira Beach, FL.

Harley from Treasure Island gave a specific example, saying he appreciates DeSantis taking a stand in his feud with Disney.

"I love what he did over at Disney. I'm with him on everything and there's so many crazy things that are going on right now," he said.

Kochel said Florida residents have seen his policies play out in front of them and DeSantis is able to tout his local successes to Floridians on the trail.

"They saw how he handled COVID. They see how he handles tax policy, education policy and everything else," said Kochel. "In Iowa what he emphasizes, on the campaign, might be a little different, although he has talked quite a bit about his Florida record."

As the first state to vote in the presidential nominating cycle, Iowa is key for GOP candidates ahead of the mid-January caucus. This week, DeSantis secured the latest endorsement out of the Hawkeye state from influential evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats. Evangelicals make up nearly two-thirds of Republicans voters in Iowa.

Kochel said Vander Plaats endorsement is the last major endorsement out of Iowa.

New Hampshire resident Ellie Mooney, 44, signs the campaign bus of Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after a Never Back Down campaign event in Keene, New Hampshire, U.S., on November 21, 2023.

"He [Vander Plaats] certainly has his finger on the pulse of where Iowa activists are," said Kochel. "He's had a pretty good track record of picking winners in the Iowa caucuses. You know, he's been with the last three caucus winners."

But Kochel says candidates still have plenty of time to make their pitch to Iowa voters.

"Iowa voters like to wait until the last minute and make up their minds," he said. "A lot of people will wait and make up their minds in the last 10 or 12 days. So, what we see right now may not be the way this race closes out in in a few weeks."

CHRISTIE TURNS UP THE HEAT ON HALEY AND DESANTIS AS HE TRIES TO BE THE TRUMP ALTERNATIVE IN GOP 2024 RACE

An NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll last month shows Trumps strong lead at 43% and Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley tied for second at 16%.

"I think President Trump has made it into the finals already because of his national support," said Kochel. "He's almost running as an incumbent. But I think the real fight is for Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis to see who can emerge after the first 2 or 3 states as the primary challenger to Trump, because the only way to beat President Trump is to get him one on one."

DeSantis has visited 98 out of 99 Iowa counties, one county away from completing the "Full Grassley", a statewide tour named after longtime Iowa senator Chuck Grassley. Nicole Schlinger, an Iowa-based GOP strategist says DeSantis is in full Iowa mode.

"They've had the biggest ground game in Iowa for some time right now. And they're you know, they're running a very traditional grassroots caucus campaign," said Schlinger.

With less than two months until the first-in-the-nation Iowa Republican caucuses, DeSantis has the endorsement from Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds. Reynolds is arguably the most prominent player in Iowa Republican politics and very popular among Republicans in the Hawkeye state.

While endorsing DeSantis she said, "I just felt like I couldnt sit on the sidelines any longer. We have too much at stake."

Schlinger said Iowa voters value the endorsement because he was able to turn Florida red.

"I think in terms of why he has a strong showing, a person who has been a conservative, successful governor in a large state and has helped to turn a somewhat purple state very red, is going to be appealing to Iowa caucus goers," Schlinger said.

One Iowa voter says Reynolds endorsement holds weight and will boost DeSantis in the caucus.

"She is loved here and the work the work that she's done, she is respected, and her endorsement is definitely going to swing things in his favor, I think. Definitely," said Jake.

Schlinger says the Iowa caucus will set the stage for all primaries to follow.

"It's long been said that there's three tickets that get punched out of Iowa," she said. "And so our job isn't necessarily to pick the nominee. It's to winnow the field. And if there are three tickets punched out of Iowa going into New Hampshire, that makes New Hampshire a much different race."

Kochel says the winner in Iowa will remain up in the air and no candidate has the nomination secured yet.

"I think there's probably a surprise in store. Iowa usually has one, and we'll see who that benefits in 2024 on January 15th. So I think we've got to stay tuned and see what happens," he said.





Original article source: Iowa GOP voters weigh DeSantis Florida record as caucuses near: 'Time to stand up'
Irish author Paul Lynch has won the Booker Prize 2023 for his novel, Prophet Song.

In a ceremony held at Old Billingsgate, London on Sunday night, Lynch was honoured for his fifth novel. None of the six authors nominated for the award had been shortlisted before; in a first for the prize, three of them were called Paul.

Set in a dystopian Ireland, Prophet Song follows protagonist Eilish Stack as she tries to make sense of the nightmare of a collapsing society, hampered by unpredictable forces beyond her control and desperate to do whatever it takes to keep her family together.

Lynch, 46, was awarded the trophy by Sri Lankan author, Shehan Karunatilaka, who won last year for his book, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. The trophy was designed by the childrens author and illustrator Jan PieAkowski, and is named after Irish novelist Iris Murdoch, who won the Booker for her novel, The Sea, The Sea in 1978.

Winning the Booker Prize also comes with a prize of 50,000.

The keynote speech at the award ceremony was delivered by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was released from prison in Iran last year.

In her address, she described the ways in which books had saved her when she was in solitary confinement, telling the gathered guests: Books helped me to take refuge into the world of others when I was incapable of making one of my own.

They salvaged me by being one of the very few tools I had, together with imagination, to escape the Evin [prison] walls without physically moving.

The 2023 judging panel was chaired by twice-shortlisted novelist Esi Edugyan. She was joined by actor, writer and director Adjoa Andoh; poet, lecturer, editor and criticaMary Jean Chan; author and professor James Shapiro; andaactor and writer Robert Webb.

At the ceremony, Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte star Andoh read an extract from the 1990 Booker Prize-winning novel Possession, in honour of the late AS Byatt, who died earlier this month.

Edugyan complimented Lynchs depiction of the reality of state violence and displacement and offering no easy consolations, as well as his poetic use of language and sentence structure.

She added: This is a triumph of emotional storytelling, bracing and brave. With great vividness, Prophet Song captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment. Readers will find it soul-shattering and true, and will not soon forget its warnings.

We're delighted to announce that the winner of the #BookerPrize2023 is Prophet Song by Paul Lynch.



Huge congratulations to @paullynchwriter. 



Discover the book: https://t.co/o890YuwYOV pic.twitter.com/Z0Ab0eH3LU  The Booker Prizes (@TheBookerPrizes) November 26, 2023

Lynch is the fifth Irish author to win the Booker Prize, after Iris Murdoch, John Banville, Roddy Doyle and Anne Enright. The Northern Irish writer Anna Burns won in 2018.

Lynch was one of four Irish writers to make this years longlist in 2023. The shortlist, revealed in September, included debut novelists Jonathan Escoffery from the US and the UKs Chetna Maroo, as well as fellow Irish writer Paul Murray, Canadian author Sarah Bernstein, and US author Paul Harding.

When asked whether Prophet Song was inspired by true events, Lynch said he wanted to immerse the reader in a world that feels so realistic that it would prompt them to think about the unrest that takes place all around the world.

I was trying to see into the modern chaos, he told the Booker Prizes website. The unrest in Western democracies. The problem of Syria  the implosion of an entire nation, the scale of its refugee crisis and the Wests indifference.

Prophet Song is partly an attempt at radical empathy. To understand better, we must first experience the problem for ourselves. So I sought to deepen the dystopian by bringing to it a high degree of realism. I wanted to deepen the readers immersion to such a degree that by the end of the book, they would not just know, but feel this problem for themselves.

Lynch and the other shortlisted authors were all in attendance at Sunday evenings ceremony.

Other guests included previous winners Ben Okri, Eleanor Catton and Alan Hollinghurst, as well as some of this years longlisted authors and many past shortlistees.

In addition, high-profile figures from across the cultural spectrum attended, including Valerie Amos, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Caitriona Balfe, Alfred Enoch, Bella and Esther Freud, Antony Gormley, Katy Hessel, Bianca Jagger, Annie MacManus, David Olusoga, Cornelia Parker, Nitin Sawhney and Charlene White.

Earlier this week, Queen Camilla hosted the shortlisted candidates for an event at Clarence House, where she thanked the writers who enhance our life, we couldnt do without you all.
Emily Hand, the Irish-Israeli girl thought killed in the Hamas attacks on Israel, was among 13 hostages held in Gaza who were released Saturday, a week after she spent her ninth birthday in captivity.

I am delighted that Emily Hand  a bright and beautiful young girl  has been released and will be reunited with her family, Micheal Martin, Irelands Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense, said in a statement.

After weeks of trauma, this is a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family. The people of Ireland have been touched by Emilys story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father, Tom.

Leaders of Kibbutz Beeri had told the girls family just days after the Oct. 7 attack that Emily, who had been spending the night at a friends house, was among the dead. Her father, Thomas Hand, 63, initially felt a measure of comfort, amid shock and grief, that she was not terrified and suffering.

I was sort of relieved because Id rather that than have her taken hostage, he recalled thinking at the time. The way they told me was, Emily has been found. She was found in the kibbutz, and shed been found dead. Ill never forget those three statements.

Then on Oct. 31 the Israeli military told him that no trace of Emily had been recovered at Kibbutz Beeri  no blood, remains or DNA  in either the bomb shelter she would have been in, or at the house where shed had her sleepover. This gave them reason to believe that she was one of the hostages and was in fact alive.

I had to shift my whole brain and digest this new information, said Hand, whose daughter turned 9 on Nov. 17. She wont even know its her birthday. She wont know what day it is. Can you imagine the fear?

When Emily was 2 , her mother, Liat Korenberg, died of breast cancer.

The hostage release was delayed as Hamas accused Israel of reneging on some of the cease-fire terms  but the dispute was resolved with aid from Egyptian and Quatari mediators. The exchange included 39 Palestinian prisoners and a flow of aid to Gaza.

This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said of Emilys release. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.

With News Wire Services
Emily Hand, a released hostage, has been reunited with her father, Tom, in Israel. Credit - The Israeli ArmyAP

Schoolgirl Emily Hand was among the group of hostagescontaining 13 Israelis and four Thai nationalsto be released by Hamas on the second day of the Gaza ceasefire. As per the deals of the truce between Israel and Hamas, the hostages were released in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners. The swap took place later than expected on Saturday night, following a dispute between the warring parties as to whether Israel was upholding its aid commitments.

Video footage shared by Irish broadcaster RTE News shows Emily running to greet her father Tom, with the pair sharing a hug upon their much-anticipated reunion. The nine-year-old spent her birthday (Nov. 17) in captivity, having experienced a total of 50 days with Hamas.

In a statement released to press, Emilys dad, Dublin-born Tom, said on behalf of the family: Emily has come back to us. We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days.

He added: We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember all the hostages who have yet to return. We will persist in doing everything in our power to bring them back home."

Emily, who was still a toddler when her mother died of breast cancer, lives with her father in the Kibbutz Be'eri. She had been sleeping over at a friends house when Hamas militants broke into the home on Oct. 7. Tom was initially told that his daughter was among the dead. In an interview with CNNs Clarissa Ward, he had said Emilys (then-reported) death was the best news of the possibilities he knew, citing his concern over what would have happened to her, had she been taken to Gaza. Tom later discovered that his daughter was alive, after all, and was among those captured by Hamas.

In a press conference on Monday, Nov. 20, held at the Israeli embassy in Kensington, London, Tom pleaded for his daughters release. The sheer terror of a nine-year-old girl [in a tunnel] never seeing the light of day, he remarked. She must be saying everyday: 'Where is daddy? Why has he not come to save me?' Tom added that helping his daughter recover from the ordeal would be his prime reason for getting up.

Following news of Emilys release, Irelands Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, shared a statement via social media. The people of Ireland have been touched by Emilys story, her innocence, and the quiet determination of her father, Tom, he wrote. Martin praised those who had helped facilitate the release, but added a reiteration of his call that all hostages in Gaza should be released immediately and unconditionally.

Leo Varadkar, Irelands Taoiseach [Prime Minister], also commented on Emilys homecoming. This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family, he wrote in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter). An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.

Write to Olivia-Anne Cleary at olivia-anne.cleary@time.com.
Conor McGregor took to social media to voice his opinions on last week's violence in Dublin - Getty Images/Justin Setterfield

Irish police are reportedly investigating Conor McGregors social media posts amid rising concerns about the spread of hate speech online in the wake of far-Right riots in Dublin last week.

The Irish capital witnessed its worst violence in decades on Thursday evening, when anti-migrant mobs ransacked shops and torched police cars in the centre of Dublin just hours after three children and a creche worker were wounded in a knife attack.

Police said the unrest came after hateful assumptions were made about the knifemans identity based on material circulating online and linked the unrest to a lunatic, hooligan faction driven by a far-Right ideology.

Their fury was stoked by unsubstantiated reports that the man who attacked the children was from Algeria.

Mr McGregor, an MMA star from Dublin who is known for controversial rants, said he did not condone the riots but called for change in Ireland.

Responding to a message from Britain First leader Paul Golding on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling for him to organise a Freedom March, Mr McGregor said the violence had achieved nothing toward fixing the issues we face.

I do understand frustrations however, and I do understand a move must be made to ensure the change we need is ushered in. And fast! he said in a series of posts critical of Irelands leaders and the countrys migration policies.

I am in the process of arranging. Believe me I am way more tactical and I have backing. There will be change in Ireland, mark my words. The change needed, Mr McGregor added.

Dublin was hit by far-Right riots last week  it was the worst violence the capital had seen in decades - Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

While there was no suggestion Mr McGregor was endorsing the violence or the politics of the hard-Right, he also listed a slew of crimes supposedly committed by immigrants against Irish nationals and warned that if the government do not act soon with their plan of action to ensure Irelands safety, I will.

The posts are reportedly being assessed by the Garda, the Irish police, as part of an inquiry into the dissemination of online hate speech.

Our country is at stake

Mr McGregors remarks drew an immediate rebuke from Irelands deputy PM, Micheal Martin, who branded them absolutely disgraceful.

Isolated voices like that and voices that are essentially inciting hate and a degree to some extent incitement, are unacceptable, he said.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar refused to comment directly on Mr McGregors remarks, but said the passing of new hate-speech laws had to be put in place.

Mr McGregor, who has more than 10 million followers on X and more than 47 million on Instagram, has taken a vocal stand on immigration debates in recent months.

After the conviction earlier this month of Slovakian labourer Jozef Puska for the murder of 23-year-old teacher Ashling Murphy in the central town of Tullamore, he called for serious policy reforms regarding Irelands immigration and refugee processes.

Among his demands was the creation of a new task force with the sole objective of assessing and monitoring all entrants that come into Ireland.

Our country is at stake and we will tolerate nothing less, Mr McGregor said.

Hes saying what they like to hear

Observers said the former UFC champion, who has previously been convicted of assault, may be positioning himself to become a figurehead of the far-Right.

He fits into the myth of the alpha male using violence to get his way, and hes a multimillionaire. Hes saying what they like to hear, Bryan Wall, editor of online news outlet The Beacon, told the Telegraph.

Ireland had for years appeared immune to the hard-Right movement that has won influence across Europe in countries like the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland in recent years. But concerns about healthcare provision and housing shortages, among other issues, have increasingly been channelled into anti-migrant rhetoric via social media of late, Mr Wall said.

A report by the Institute for Strategic Discourse, a counter-extremism think-tank, published just days before the Dublin riots said Irelands online mis- and disinformation ecosystem has been successfully co-opted by far-right actors who, after [the Covid] pandemic restrictions eased, have diverted attention towards targeting vulnerable communities.

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On the morning of October 7, Hamas fighters streamed into the quiet lanes of kibbutz Alumim, setting off on a rampage of killing and destruction. But most of their victims in the community werent Israeli, or even Jewish, they were Thai and Nepali farm workers, sleeping in a dormitory right in the militants path.

Some of the men limped, others were pushed. Flanked by gunmen, the men were marched to their deaths.

Security staff watched helplessly on CCTV from just a few hundred meters away as the 23 men were massacred.

Among the more than 1,200 victims of the Hamas attacks, Thais make up the largest group of foreign nationals. Most were workers on agricultural sites close to the perimeter fence that separates Israel from Gaza. Hamas freed a group of 10 Thais taken hostage on Friday but others remain captive.

The violence has set off an exodus of foreign workers from Israel, with some 10,000 farmworkers estimated to have left since October 7, according to the Israeli government.

For Israels dairy and agricultural farms, that has posed an almost existential problem. Dairy cows need milking several times a day by specially trained staff, while the past weeks have been the harvest window for many crops.

Without hands to work on the farms, crops and animals would have been left to die. Volunteers from across Israel have stepped in to prop them up, but much-needed foreign workers are still yet to return, and farmers fear that without guarantees of security, the future of Israeli farming near Gaza is impossible.

No return

I am still frightened, farm worker Nattaphong Duangchan told CNN, now back home in Thailand after the October 7 attacks.

Wounded by shrapnel, he hid for two days on the farm where he worked along the Gaza border, before being rescued by Israeli security forces. Return is not an option for him, he said.

Nothing is left there, and I am too afraid to go back.

But workers like him are sorely needed. On Israels farms, the vast majority nowadays of the kind of the people who are doing the grunt work, you know, the heavy work for low wages are Thai and have been since the early 90s, Matan Kaminer, an anthropologist studying Thai labor in Israel, told CNN.

Since the October 7 attacks, farmer Yosi Inbar patrols his fields with his rifle to protect his staff and volunteers. - Joseph Ataman/CNN

After many foreign workers fled Israel following the October 7 attacks, farmers were forced to abandon crops or rely on volunteers for the harvest. - Joseph Ataman/CNN

Israeli farms largely relied on Palestinian workers up until the 1990s. But following the wave of violence during the First Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, and the ensuing Israeli crackdown on the freedom of Palestinians to work outside the occupied territories, Israel started to look elsewhere for farm labor.

Today, many farm workers come from poorer areas in Thailands northeast, providing a cheap labor force for Israel. Strict conditions govern their work in Israel, keeping them on short contracts in manual work, with no right to raise families there. The farms around Gaza employed about 6,000 Thai workers before the war began, according to Israels ministry of interior.

The Israeli ministry of agriculture told CNN as many between 30,000 and 40,000 workers are now missing from the countrys farms, half of whom are Palestinians barred from entering Israel from the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the October attacks.

With no sign yet of a mass return of Thai workers, the Israeli government is looking to recruit some 5,000 workers from other countries, including Sri Lanka.

After the killing, a deep wound

Israels agriculture minister Avi Dichter told CNN he thought the Hamas militants were deliberately targeting Israels economy, such was the damage they wrought on local industry on October 7.

And the significance of agriculture in Israel is more than economic.

Agriculture and farming are an inseparable part of Zionism. Working the land is an important value among the people of Israel, said Lior Simcha, chief executive of the Milk Producers Association.

However, as Israels economy developed, the countrys citizens were able to take higher-paying jobs in different sectors, leaving agricultural jobs unfilled.

Soot still clings to the walls of the dairy farm that Stevie Marcus manages, several weeks after Hamas fighters raided the settlement and set buildings alight. - Joseph Ataman/CNN

The 350 milking cows on Stevie Marcus' farm are now milked by volunteers twice a day. - Joseph Ataman/CNN

Farming in the dusty plains of southern Israel is almost ingrained in the national identity of the country. The frontier spirit of the kibbutz pioneers, who did much to establish large-scale agriculture in Israels south, is a source of national pride for many in the country.

But those farmers require watertight guarantees of security for their work to continue and for their families to feel safe.

Echoing views CNN heard from other locals along the Gaza border, vegetable farmer Yosi Inbar offered an unvarnished, uncompromising assessment of how to achieve it.

We need to open the border to Egypt, (so) that all the (Gazan) people go to Egypt, live there. And we close the border, and we grow potato(es) all the way to the sea, he said from one of his fields. This is the safety that we need to come back. And its not going to happen, you know, two million people there, you cannot just throw them, shoot them, its people.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not outlined a defined, post-fighting strategy for Gaza, where more than two-thirds of the 2 million inhabitants are now internally displaced, and where more than 40% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), citing the Ministry of Housing in Gaza.

Any forced displacement of Gazas population into Egypt would constitute a war crime and the United States has warned against Israel re-occupying Gaza.

A lifeline in the fields

Inbar feels lucky, he told CNN, as a handful of volunteers stripped zucchini plants, the yellow flowers bobbing in their wake. About half of his Thai workers stayed in Israel; his neighbor only has around a third of his former workforce.

Inbars remaining foreign workers quietly motor up and down the rows of zucchini. Nearby, some of his Israeli volunteers, chatting amongst themselves, stoop to gather up zucchini that lie splayed across the dirt, the result of a clumsily overturned cart. The contrast between the two groups couldnt be starker.

Inbar said the manpower shortage has already forced him to abandon his tomato crop. Without the volunteers, the zucchini would have met a similar fate, he said. Long-term, he doesnt know how he can keep his farm running at capacity without the return of foreign laborers.

Hamas fighters torched the barns holding hay for the dairy cows on Kibbutz Alumim, riding unopposed into the settlement before massacring foreign workers and attendees of the nearby Nova music festival. - Joseph Ataman/CNN

At the dairy farm at Kibbutz Alumim, where the buildings of Gaza City cluster the horizon less than 3 miles away, the burned-out shells of barns and the skeleton of living quarters where nearly two dozen Thai and Nepali workers were slaughtered are a constant reminder of the violence of October 7.

The foreign workers run the farm, they do all the milking, farm manager Stevie Marcus said of the working of the farm before October 7.

Today, four volunteers help him milk his herd twice a day. Requiring special training from a veterinarian to work with the animals, these volunteers are in short supply.

Were doing the bare minimum we need to do, making sure they have food and clean water, milking them, he said.

Before October, the 350 cows were milked three times a day. After going days without food and care after workers fled following the attacks, the cows now only have milk for two sessions.

On recent weekends, the group organizing Inbars volunteers, Brothers and Sisters for Israel, has gathered up to 1,000 volunteers from across the country, many driving down from around Tel Aviv, to keep local farms running. Even weekdays see hundreds give up their time, organizer Lisa Perlman told CNN. Her organization has matched some 50,000 volunteers with farms across Israel since the war began.

Twenty-three Thai and Nepali workers were killed in the dormitory and safe room where they lived in the Hamas attack. - Joseph Ataman/CNN

Standing among Inbars zucchini, tech worker Avi Leibovich - volunteering on a day off from his day job - said he came to help Israeli farms survive.

Without them, probably the markets will be empty, he said, adding: I dont think that this kind of industry can be relying only on imports. Foreign produce is one of the governments short-term solutions to the manpower crisis, boosting import quotas on milk and plant products.

These are our vegetables. This is our produce, solutions engineer and volunteer farm worker Danny Parizada told CNN. The 35-year-old said that working in the fields was the very minimum that we can do.

He was laid-back about the risk of coming so close to Gaza while rockets do still occasionally streak across the sky. Volunteers have seconds to find shelter if the alarm sounds.

We live in such an insane environment where this is okay. Theres a war zone, he said, admitting that he hadnt told his mother where he was.

After the October 7 attacks, fellow farm volunteer Mei  who didnt want to give her last name - had ferried soldiers and civilians around Israels south in her car, helping however she could.

The ferocity of Hamas attacks sparked calls for immediate revenge among many Israelis. And the relentless bombing of Gaza has been welcomed in some quarters. But on Meis long car rides, she soon grew uncomfortable with what she called the celebration of the destruction in Gaza shared by some of her passengers.

She turned to picking vegetables, more comfortable with the thought that her days werent supporting Israels bloody campaign in Gaza.

For feeding people, unlike helping them fight, posed no moral qualms for Mei.

Theres no question about it, she said of her labor in the fields. Its undeniably good.

With additional reporting from CNNs Tamar Michaelis.

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Avigail Idan turned four while she was a hostage

A four-year-old Israeli-American girl who was kidnapped by Hamas during its 7 October attack in southern Israel was among the 17 hostages released by the group on Sunday.

Avigail Idan was just three at the time she was taken hostage from her home, where her parents were attacked and killed by Hamas gunmen.

She turned four while she was held hostage by Hamas.

Avigail's family said: "We hoped and prayed today would come."

"There are no words to express our relief and gratitude that Avigail is safe and coming home," said Liz Hirsh Naftali, Avigail's great aunt, and Noa Naftali, her cousin, in a statement.

They also thanked US president Joe Biden, the Qatari government and others who were involved in securing Avigail's release and called for the remaining hostages to be released.

"We have to keep pushing. We will continue to stand with the families of all the hostages still held captive, and we remain committed as ever to securing their safe and swift return."

Earlier, President Biden said Avigail had been through a "terrible trauma", adding what she "endured is unthinkable".

Speaking to reporters, he said those around Avigail will be surrounding her with "love and care."

"Today she's free, and Jilly [first lady of the US Jill Biden] and I, together with so many Americans, are praying for the fact that she is going to be alright," he said.

President Biden said Sunday's hostage releases were the result of "intensive US diplomacy", adding he was hopeful that more American hostages will be released in the coming days.

"We continue to press and expect that additional Americans will be released as well," he said, adding "we will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones".

Fourteen of the 17 hostages were Israeli and three of them were Thai nationals. Nine of the Israelis were children.

Avigail was with her family in the Kfar Aza kibbutz on 7 October. Her parents were killed during the attack, while her two siblings hid and were later rescued. Her mother's cousin told Sky News that Avigail's father had been holding her when he was shot.

She survived and walked to the home of her neighbours, the Brodutch family, but was later abducted along with the family by Hamas.

Ofri, Yuval, Hagar and Oria Brodutch were among those released by Hamas on Sunday

Some members of the Brodutch family were among the hostages released on Sunday, including four-year-old Oria, his eight-year-old brother Yuval and their 10-year-old sister Ofri.

Their mother, 40-year-old Hagar Brodutch was also released.

Hagar's father-in-law, Shmuel Brodutch, told Israel's Channel 13 News: "The moment I heard they were in the hands of the Red Cross, I was relieved."

He added: "I hope I can invest the same effort until the last captive returns. I am very happy, but I feel a great commitment to the other families until the last captive returns, including IDF soldiers."

The other released hostages include Chen Almog-Goldstein, 48, and her children Tal, eight, Gal, 11, and Agam, 17, who were abducted from their homes in Kfar Aza on the day of the attack. Chen's husband, Nadav, and their 20-year-old daughter, Yam, were killed by Hamas.

Also released were sisters Dafna and Ela Elyakim, aged 15 and eight respectively. They were taken from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the day of the attack, and were part of a family group whose capture was live-streamed by the attackers themselves.

Their mother, Maayan Zin, said in a statement that she was happy her daughters had returned, adding that it was "a joy mixed with sadness".

Dafna and her sister Ela Elyakim were among those released by Hamas on Sunday

"Joy for my daughters who are here and sadness for those who have not yet returned. My heart will not be whole again until everyone returns home safely."

She said that since the girls were kidnapped, she had been living "between despair and hope, between pain and optimism".

"The girls are returning to a new and complex situation, and now we have a period of recovery that will take time," she said.

The other hostages released were 25-year-old Roni Krivoi - a dual Israeli-Russian national, working as a sound engineer at the Supernova musica festival, 62-year-old Adrienne Aviva Seigel who was taken from her home in Kfar Aza along with her 64-year-old husband Keith.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari confirmed that 84-year-old Elma Avraham was airlifted to Soroka hospital in Beersheba in a serious condition.

Israel's prison service meanwhile has confirmed the release of 39 Palestinian prisoners as part of the four-day truce between Hamas and Israel.

Hamas' attack on 7 October killed 1,200 people, and about 240 were taken hostage. Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 14,500 people have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign in the territory.

Sunday marks the third day of a four-day pause in fighting in Gaza during which some of those being held hostage by Hamas are being freed in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

The total number of hostages released during the window now stands at 54 and the number of prisoners freed is 117.

More on Israel-Gaza war
A pair of three-year-old twin girls and their mother were among 11 Israeli hostages released by Hamas on Monday as a truce between the two sides was extended for another two days.

The latest releases mean Hamas has now released 51 Israelis and 18 foreigners since the ceasefire began on Friday.

Israel released another 33 Palestinian prisoners on Monday from its Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank and from a detention centre in Jerusalem.

It brought the total number of Palestinians it has freed since Friday to 150.

Israel has reportedly been given a list of the additional hostages who could be freed on Tuesday, and has provided its own details of an additional 50 detainees who could be released in exchange.

The two-day extension to the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas will run through Wednesday, and allow for more truckloads of aid to enter the Gaza Strip.

Key Points

Mother and three-year-old twin daughters among 11 hostages freed

Hostage handover is underway to Red Cross

Netanyahu takes Elon Musk on tour of kibbutz from which Hamas kidnapped Israelis

Qatar announces two-day extension to temporary Israel-Hamas truce

Israel and Hamas having problems with fourth day negotiations, say sources

Hamas official says truce extension depends on finding more hostages in Gaza

Mother and three-year-old twin daughters among 11 hostages freed

04:31 , Shweta Sharma

A mother and her three-year-old twin daughters were among the 11 hostages released yesterday on the fourth day of a truce between Israel and Hamas.

Sharon Aloni-Cunio, 34, and her three-year-old daughters Emma and Yuli were being held captive by Hamas since they were taken from their home kibbutz Nir Oz.

Her husband, David Cunio, and his brother, Ariel, are still believed to be in captivity in Gaza.

The family was abducted during the attack on 7 October while seeking refuge in a secure room.

Following the arson of their house by Hamas, the family was seized as they attempted to flee the flames.

Sharons sister, Daniele Aloni, and her daughter, who were also taken captive, were released last Friday.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum described Emma as an open-hearted and amazing child, full of love. A true kibbutz girl who prefers trucks and mechanical tools over dolls.

It said her sister Yuli was shy, and in the weeks before her kidnapping she became more open and smiley to her surroundings.

Another mother and seven other children were among the latest batch of freed hostages.

(AP)

Met Police investigating reports of war crimes in Gaza

10:35 , Alexander Butler

The Metropolitan Police is investigating reports of war crimes committed in Gaza.

Scotland Yards war crimes unit is collaborating with the International Criminal Court to investigate any war crimes committed by Israel or Hamas in the region since 7 October.

The unit has received over 20 referrals, including those made by individuals recently returned from Gaza, since the conflict began.

In one case, the force has contacted a leading surgeon who worked in Al-Shifa and Al-Alhi hospitals for nearly two months to give testimony of potential war crimes.

Met Police investigating reports of war crimes in Gaza

If they get additional women and children, there will be an extension'

10:22 , Alex Ross

The words of Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in an interview with the Financial Times before the truce extension was agreed by Hamas and Israel.

He was talking about Hamas requiring more hostages to complete the exchanges for Palestinian prisoners as set out as part of the truce agreement.

Sheikh Mohammed said that more than 40 other women and children were being kept captive in Gaza, but not inthe hands of Hamas. The Independent understands that figure to be more than 100 for all hostages.

Speaking before Mondays truce extension, Sheikh Mohammed said: If they get additional women and children, there will be an extension

We dont yet have any clear information how many they can find because . . . one of the purposes [of the pause] is they [Hamas] will have time to search for the rest of the missing people.

Israel had provided Qatar with a list of more than 90 women and children seized during Hamas attack on 7 October, says the FT.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Did the Israel-Hamas war cause a hate crime in Vermont?

10:00 , Josh Marcus

Federal law enforcement agencies are investigating whether the shooting of three Palestinian college students in Vermont was a hate crime.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland, in remarks from New York on Monday addressing the work of the US Department of Justice to combat hate-fuelled violence, confirmed the FBI and ATF have launched investigations in the wake of Saturdays shooting.

A white gunman fired at the three men, all in their 20s, at least four times without saying anything while they were walking near the University of Vermont, according to police. The students were speaking English and Arabic and wearing keffiyehs.

Two of the victims remain in stable condition, while one of the men remains hospitalised with serious injuries.

Alex Woodward reports.

FBI investigating hate crime motive in shooting of Palestinian students in Vermont

Hamas looking for hostages

09:58 , Alex Ross

Heres more on what US Natioanl Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told CBS on Monday night:

Were still in active discussions with all the parties here about potential extensions of the deal.

Over the weekend the president was able to get this extension over the finish line, well keep at itI couldnt tell you right now as were talking if theres going to be an extension and what that could look like in terms of length of days and number of hostages.

We know that Hamas has more hostages either that they are holding or that they can get access to. So the pool is much larger than what weve been able to get out so far obviously.So we want to see this extended for as long as it possibly can take.

(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

ICYMI: A temporary ceasefire gets a last-minute extension

09:00 , Josh Marcus

Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend a ceasefire for two more days  in a breakthrough that could see dozens of additional hostages released and more lifesaving aid flow into war-ravaged Gaza.

The decision offers a rare glimmer of hope of a possible end to the conflict that has caused unparalleled and unprecedented bloodshed, according to the United Nations.

Bel Trew reports from Jerusalem.

Israel and Hamas agree to extend Gaza truce for two more days

List of Israeli hostages to be freed received

08:52 , Alex Ross

A list of Israeli hostages to be freed today has been received by Israeli prime ministers office.

The families are being notified, the office said.

So far, Hamas has released 51 Israelis and 18 foreigners since the ceasefire began on Friday.

The pause in fighting has meant the UN has been able to increase urgent aid deliveries to Gaza.

Scenes at 33 Palestinian prisoners are freed

08:40 , Alex Ross

Israel released 33 Palestinian prisoners from jails following the freeing of 11 Israeli hostages from Gaza. It brings the total number of Palestinians freed since Friday to 150.

Pictures show crowds greeting the prisoners as they arrived in the West Bank.

Palestinian prisoners freed from the Ofer Israeli military prison disembark from a bus as they return to Beitonia, near Ramallah, West Bank (EPA)

A Palestinian prisoner freed from the Ofer Israeli military prison (EPA)

Prisoners greeted by crowds on their release (EPA)

Clashes outside prison

08:20 , Alex Ross

An Israel-Hamas truce in the Gaza Strip has been extended to a fifth day today as both sides complete the release of Israeli hostages and detained Palestinians - and more could be freed today.

The truce as been extended by two days - however, it is a limited deal, according to Israel which still holds the intention to send forces back into the territory.

Were hearing from the the Palestinian health ministry this morning that there were clashes outside the Ofer pirson in Israel where dozens of Palestinians who gathered to await the prisoner release on Monday.

Some of the protesters waved the flags of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian militant group.

The ministry said a Palestinian was killed in the area, and that it was unclear if he had participated in the clashes.

Israel slammed for repulsive embrace of Elon Musk

08:01 , Josh Marcus

Haartez journalist Ben Samuels slammed Israeli officials on Monday for their repulsive embrace of Elon Musk, after prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured a destroyed kibbutz with the Twitter owner.

Welcoming such a toxic mogul with open arms and taking him around sites of a massacre that has been belittled, demeaned and denied on his watch should be a stain on Netanyahus legacy, Mr Samuels wrote.

Heres more detail on Musks controversial visit to Israel.

Elon Musk takes tour of kibbutz where Hamas kidnapped Israelis

News is good...It is a great, great relief'

07:59 , Alex Ross

Among the 11 Israeli hostages released yesterday were three young French nationals; Eitan, 12, Erez, 12, and Sahar 16.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna welcomed the news this morning, stating they were in good health.

We have indirect news and that news is good... It is a great, great relief, she told RTL radio, when asked about the health of children.

Three French children were finally freed, now we must work relentlessly for the release of all the other hostages, she said, adding that five French nationals were still missing or believed to be held hostage.

Hamas on Monday released 11 hostages from Gaza, also including two with German nationality and six with Argentinian nationality.

Eitan Yahalomi, 12, who was released after being taken hostage during the October 7 attack (via REUTERS)

Israeli hostages arrive for treatment in Tel Aviv

07:00 , Josh Marcus

The 11 Israeli hostages released on Monday were all taken to Israels Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv for medical consultation.

Medical and psychological specialists were on hand to treat them.

We wish to remind you that these are sensitive moments for the freed hostages and their families and we wish to preserve their privacy, the health ministry said in a statement to CNN. The entire health system is prepared to receive anyone who will return to Israel and is preparing for tomorrow.

Israeli government adds 50 female prisoners to potential release list: PM

06:00 , Josh Marcus

Israel is prepared to release as many as 50 female prisoners if Hamas continues to free hostages under the ongoing ceasefire deal.

The Government has approved the inclusion of 50 female prisoners in the list of prisoners eligible to be released in the event that a release of additional Israeli hostages is carried out, the Israeli prime ministers office said in a statement.

Relative of two teens released speaks of joy and endless anxiety

05:48 , Shweta Sharma

Ido Dan, a relative of Israelis Sahar Calderon, 16, and Erez Calderon, 12 who were released on Monday, spoke of his joy mixed with anxiety about their father, Ofer, who is still being held.

It is difficult to go from a state of endless anxiety about their fate to a state of relief and joy, Mr Dan said.

This is an exciting and heart-filling moment but ... it is the beginning of a difficult rehabilitation process for Sahar and Erez, who are still young and have been through an unbearable experience.

White House says Hamas not intentionally holding back two American citizens

05:14 , Shweta Sharma

The White House does not believe that Hamas purposefully held back the release of two American women who have not been included in the exchanges so far.

A senior Biden administration official said that so far the idea that Hamas is deliberately holding back the two American hostages because of their citizenship was not a conclusion we would draw.

The Biden administration still hopes for the release of the two women, noting that Hamas has committed to releasing an additional 20 hostages over the next two days after the ceasefire was extended.

Eleven Israeli women and children were freed by Hamas and entered Israel on Monday night in the fourth swap under the original four-day truce.

Well see where we are two days from now, the official said.

Photo shows reunion of hostage Eitan Yahalomi and his mother

05:00 , Josh Marcus

Eitan Yahalomi, age 12, returned happily to his mothers arms on Monday, one of 11 Israeli citizens released today as part of the ongoing IDF-Hamas ceasefire.

His father, Ohad, who was kidnaped with him, remains in Gaza.

The meeting between Eitan Yahalomi and his mother on his return, at the Kerem Shalom meeting point, on 27 November, 2023 (IDF)

Relatives respond to release of Israeli hostages: 'Such a happy moment'

04:07 , Shweta Sharma

A relative of three of the Israeli hostages released yesterday said it was such a happy moment to see them freed, full of love and smiles.

Karina Engel-Bart, 51 and her two daughters Mika Engel, 18, and Yuval Engel, 12, were released by Hamas on Monday night in the fourth swap under the original four-day truce, which began on Friday and had been due to run out.

Karinas brother Diego Engel-Bart told CNN they are happy to be home and ready to start their lives again.

He said his two nieces are skinnier than before and the youngest one has to go undergo surgery on her leg.

His brother-in-law, Karinas husband, still remains in Hamas captivity.

Tomorrow we are going to move forward and we are going to win, he said.

This is not just Israels problem. It is a global problem. Today it happened in Israel. Tomorrow it could happen somewhere else, he added.

Israeli hostages Karina Engel-Bart, 51, Mika Engel, 18, and Yuval Engel, 11, who were released after being taken hostage during the October 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas (via REUTERS)

As hostages leave Gaza, medical aid flows in

04:00 , Josh Marcus

While much of the attention on the ongoing ceasefire deal is rightly directed towards the hostages being released, the fighting pause between Israel and Hamas has also allowed crucial medical aid to reach Gazas beleaguered civilian population.

Thousands of doses of routine immunisations were delivered to the Palestinian territory on Monday, according to UNICEF Palestine.

7,600 doses of vaccines were transported to Muscat Qarara Clinic in southern Gaza, aiming to boost routine immunisation, which was disrupted due to shortage of supplies & ongoing hostilities.

The transfer was conducted in a joint UN mission with @WHOoPt, @UNRWA, @ochaopt & @UNDSS pic.twitter.com/dDWNwRiTZf  UNICEF Palestine (@UNICEFpalestine) November 27, 2023

Prominent Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi set to be released by Israel - report

03:42 , Shweta Sharma

Prominent Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi is believed to be on the list of approved 50 female Palestinian prisoners slated to be released today, reported theTimes of Israel.

The additional group will be released if the next release of Israeli hostages by Hamas goes as planned, the prime ministers office said today.

Ms Tamimi was arrested after posting a controversial social media post following the 7 October attack.

Her family has denied the allegations, claiming her social media account was hacked.

Family of American girl released says we can get all hostages back home

03:16 , Shweta Sharma

Two relatives of an Israeli-American girl freed from Hamas captivity have expressed hope in securing the release of all hostages through continued negotiations.

Abigail Edan, who turned four while in captivity, was the third person with US citizenship freed by Hamas on Sunday after seven weeks of bloodshed between the Iranian-backed Palestinian militia that controls the Gaza Strip and the Israeli military.

We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing, two relatives of the girl said.

Relatives told CBS News last week that the toddler, if she was released, would go to stay with family members in Israel who have already taken in her two older siblings.

Three hostages released today were French, as five remain in captivity

03:00 , Josh Marcus

The government of France celebrated the release of three French citizens from Hamas captivity on Monday.

France welcomes the liberation of three of its children today: Eitan, Erez and Sahar, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. They are now in security in Israel. We share the relief of their families and all those who mobilized for their freedom.

Five other French citizens remain Hamas hostages, according to officials.

Israel government receives list of hostages to be released today

02:57 , Shweta Sharma

The government of Israel has received a list of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza who are expected to be released today, following the releases of 11 a day for the past four days.

Israel was given the names of the latest group expected to be released under a truce deal which has been extended for two more days, Israels Army Radio reported, citing the Israeli prime ministers office.

Around 10 more hostages would be released, Axios reported.

There was no immediate comment from the prime ministers office.

33 freed Palestinians arrive in Ramallah

02:00 , Josh Marcus

Thirty-three Palestinian prisoners who were freed as part of the ongoing ceasefire-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas arrived in the city of Ramallah, West Bank, early on Tuesday.

The prisoners, who were carried in on a Red Cross bus, were part of the fourth group of detainees in Israel traded for hostages held by Hamas.

A total of 150 Palestinians have been released during the ongoing ceasefire, NBC News reports.

Israel and Hamas extend their ceasefire for two days

01:45 , Josh Marcus

A two-day extension of a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas offers the chance to free further hostages, a Foreign Office minister has said.

Andrew Mitchell received reports of the deal while answering questions in the House of Commons and having previously insisted that the pause in hostilities should not be a one-off.

Addressing the chamber, he said: There is some suggestion that while Ive been on my feet in the House, Qatar has announced a truce would be extended by two days.

Obviously, we all hope that is true and that more hostages, as a result, will be able to leave.

Richard Wheeler reports.

Israel-Hamas truce extension offers further hope for hostages, says minister

Israel told of 10 more hostages to be released on Tuesday: report

01:30 , Josh Marcus

Israeli officials are reportedly aware of the next 10 Hamas hostages who will be released under the ceasefire deal.

Israeli Army Radio reports that the prime ministers office has a list of the hostages who will be released on Tuesday, while Axios reports the list will contain 10 people.

The reported release of hostages would be the first such transfer to take place under the extension of the ceasefire announced earlier today.

ICYMI: Met Police investigating reports of war crimes in Gaza

01:15 , Josh Marcus

The Metropolitan Police is investigating reports of war crimes committed in Gaza.

Scotland Yards war crimes unit is collaborating with the International Criminal Court to investigate any war crimes committed by Israel or Hamas in the region since 7 October.

The unit has received over 20 referrals, including those made by individuals recently returned from Gaza, since the conflict began.

In one case, the force has contacted a leading surgeon who worked in Al-Shifa and Al-Ahli hospitals for nearly two months to give testimony of potential war crimes.

Alexander Butler has the story.

Met Police investigating reports of war crimes in Gaza

Netanyahu takes Elon Musk on tour of kibbutz from which Hamas kidnapped Israelis

01:00 , Josh Marcus

Elon Musk toured a kibbutz attacked by Hamas on Monday during his visit to Israel. It follows an outcry over his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on his social media platform, Twitter/X.

The worlds richest man met Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visited the Kfar Aza kibbutz, which Hamas attacked on 7 October, killing an estimated 52 residents. Another 20 people are reported as missing.

It was the home of four-year-old American-Israeli citizen Abigail Edan, who was taken hostage after her parents were killed by the militant group during the attack. Abigail was reunited with members of her family on Sunday as part of the hostage exchange.

Mr Musk said witnessing the scenes of the massacre was jarring, during a live event on Twitter/X with Mr Neetanyahu after the tour.

Ariana Baio reports.

Elon Musk takes tour of kibbutz where Hamas kidnapped Israelis

ICYMI: How a 4-year-old American was freed from Hamas

00:15 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden denounced the unthinkable actions of Hamas after a four-year-old girl with American citizenship whose parents were killed by terrorists last month was released from inside Gaza on Sunday as part of a hostage agreement.

That four-day truce is currently underway in the northern Gaza Strip where Israeli forces have been bombarding the city for weeks; Hamas militants, following a shockingly bloody attack that killed roughly 1,200 across southern Israel last month, continue to hold dozens of hostages within the Palestinian territory.

On Sunday, Israel confirmed that Abigail Edan, four, had been among hostages released by the militant group into the care of the Red Cross. Her immediate condition was unknown.

Thank God she is home, Mr Biden said of Abigail on Sunday, as he addressed Americans from Nantucket. What she endured is unthinkable.

More details in the full story from John Bowden.

US girl, 4, orphaned by Hamas then kidnapped is reunited with family

As three Israeli hostages are freed, father remains in Gaza

Monday 27 November 2023 23:41 , Josh Marcus

Monday brought reunions across Israel as another 11 hostages were released.

Among those freed from Hamas captivity today were Sharon Aloni Cunio, 34, and her twin daughters, Yuli and Emma, 3.

Their father, David, is still being held in Gaza, according to The Times of Israel.

The family was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October, when Hamas militants attacked the border community.

Two-day extension to humanitarian pause in Gaza is not enough, charities say

Monday 27 November 2023 23:15 , Josh Marcus

A two-day extension to the humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip is insufficient to meet the needs of people there, charities have said as they called for an immediate ceasefire.

The Qatari government announced on Monday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to extend the humanitarian pause for two more days.

Further releases of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners in Israels jails are expected as the deal is structured to allow more exchanges for every day the pause holds.

Read the full article here

Two-day extension to humanitarian pause in Gaza is not enough, charities say

Pictures show people freed in latest hostage release

Monday 27 November 2023 23:04 , Josh Marcus

More hostages were released Monday from Hamas captivity as part of the ongoing ceasefire deal.

Here are photos of some of those who were released, courtesy of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group that has been pushing for the release of those taken in the 7 October attacks.

For the full list of the latest Israeli hostages who have been freed, consult this tweet from the prime ministers office.

Brothers Yagil Yaakov, 12, and Or Yaakov, 16 (AP)

Karina Engel-Bart, from left, and her children Mika, 18, and Yuval Engel, 11 (AP)

Erez Kalderon, 12 (AP)

Sahar Kalderon, 16 (AP)

Sharon Aloni Cunio, center, and her twin daughters, Emma and Yuli, 3 (AP)

Eitan Yahalomi, 12 (AP)

Who are the Israeli hostages who have just been released?

Monday 27 November 2023 22:45 , Josh Marcus

Officials have revealed the names of the 11 Israelis released on Monday from Hamas captivity as part of the ongoing ceasefire.

Most of those being freed are children.

Their names, according to the Israeli prime ministers office, are as follows:

Eitan Yahalomi (12)

Karina Engel-Bart (51)

Mika Engel (18)

Yuval Engel (12)

Sharon Aloni-Cunio (34)

Yuli Cunio (3)

Emma Cunio (3)

Sahar Calderon (16)

Erez Calderon (12)

Or Yaakov (16)

Yagil Yaakov (12)

The Cunio family:



Sharon Aloni-Cunio (34)

Yuli Cunio (3)

Emma Cunio (3)



The Calderon family:



Sahar Calderon (16)

Erez Calderon (12)



The Yaakov family:



Or Yaakov (16)

Yagil Yaakov (12)  Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 27, 2023

WATCH: Moment 11 Hamas hostages appear to cross into Israel

Monday 27 November 2023 22:31 , Josh Marcus

Hostages kidnapped from Israel on 7 October continue to be released as part of a temporary ceasefire deal.

Watch below as the some of the latest group of captives were returned.

Freed hostage had escaped Hamas kidnappers but was recaptured days later, family says

Monday 27 November 2023 22:00 , Holly Evans

An Israeli hostage released during the truce in Gaza managed to esacape his Hamas kidnappers for a few days before being recaptured, his family have said.

Roni Krivoi, 25, who is also a Russian citizen, spent four days alone in Gaza according to his aunt, after escaping the building where he was held after it was bombed in an airstrike. Unable to find his way to the border he Hamas eventually retook him.

Mr Krivoi was kidnapped from the Supernova music festival on 7 October. Speaking a day after his release to an Israeli broadcaster, Yelena Magid said: He was kidnapped by terrorists and they held inside him some kind of building... Its my understanding that from the bombings, the building collapsed and he managed to get out and escape. Its a movie, this whole thing.

Read the full article from Tom Watling here

Freed hostage escaped Hamas but was recaptured days later, family says

Three-year-old twins among captives released by Hamas

Monday 27 November 2023 21:37 , Bel Trew

Video footage shared on Israeli networks showed Hadas Calderon, shrieking with joy and jumping on a chair as she was informed children, Sahar (16) and Erez (12) were in Mondays group of releases.

Their father Ofer remains in captivity and their grandmother Carmela was killed on 7 October. Also on the list were twin daughters Emma and Yuli, who, aged just three were Mondays youngest releases.

Their mother Sharon Aloni Cunion, 34, was released with them. Their husband David and brother Ariel remain in captivity. Siblings Or Yaakov, 16, and Yogi, 12 were already released, while their father Yair remains in captivity.

Karina Engle-Bart, 54 who had recently recovered from breast cancer, was released with her children Mika, 18 and Yuval ,11 - the father Ronen is still a Hamas captive. Eitan Yahalomi, 12 was released on his own : his father Ohad, who was kidnaped with him, remains in Gaza.

Out of the remaining hostages who are still in Gaza, 49 are from Kibbutz Nir Oz, said the head of the kibbutz Osnat Peri. Among them are women, men, children, mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers.

The three year-old twins Emma and Yuli were among the youngest hostages kidnapped on 7 October (via REUTERS)

US Anthony Blinken will visit Israel and West Bank this week

Monday 27 November 2023 21:30 , Holly Evans

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel, the West Bank and the United Arab Emirates later this week, a senior State Department official said on Monday, to press for more humanitarian aid into Gaza and help secure release of all hostages kidnapped by Hamas.

The Secretary will stress the need to sustain the increased flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, secure the release of all hostages, and improve protections for civilians in Gaza, a senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said.

Blinken will also discuss with partners in the region Washingtons principles for the future of Gaza and the need for an independent Palestinian state, the official said. He will also attend the UN COP28 climate summit in Dubai, the official added.

US secretary of state Anthony Blinken is due to visit Israel this week (REUTERS)

IDF says hostages have arrived back in Israeli territory

Monday 27 November 2023 21:18 , Holly Evans

The Israeli military has confirmed that 11 hostages are now in Israeli territory after being released by Hamas.

The hostages will undergo medical assessments, the IDF said, and forces will accompany them until they are reunited with their families.

US thinks there are no Americans in latest group of hostages released by Hamas

Monday 27 November 2023 20:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The United States does not believe that there are any Americans in the latest group of hostages released by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told CNN on Monday.

The Israeli military said on Monday that the Red Cross confirmed 11 hostages were on their way to Israeli territory after being released by Hamas in Gaza.

Official Statement from Kibbutz Nir Oz

Monday 27 November 2023 20:26 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz have confirmed that all 11 Israeli hostages to be released this evening are from our community.

Out of the remaining hostages, 49 are from Nir Oz.

This list includes women, men, children, mothers, fathers, grandfathers, and grandmothers.

Osnat Peri, the Head of the Kibbutz says: The news this evening brings a sigh of relief to our community, however we remain deeply concerned about our loved ones that are still held hostage. We demand the return of all hostages, immediately, whatever it takes.

Eitan Yahalomi 12 (child)Sharon Kunio (mother)Emma Kunio 3 (child)Yuli Kunio 3 (child)Karina Engel (mother)Mika Engel 18 (child)Yuval Engel 11 (child)Sahar Kalderon 16 (child)Erez Kalderon 13 (child)Or Yaakov 16 (child)Yagil Yaakov 13 (child)

Qatar foreign ministry: Israeli hostages released from Gaza include 3 French, 2 Germans and 6 Argentinians

Monday 27 November 2023 20:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Israeli hostages released from Gaza on Monday include three French citizens, two Germans and six Argentinians, a Qatari foreign ministry spokesman said on social media platform X.

11 hostages on their way to Israeli territory

Monday 27 November 2023 19:57 , Holly Evans

The Israeli military has said that the Red Cross have confirmed that 11 hostages are on their way to Israeli territory in the latest hostage deal exchange since a temporary truce was struck four days ago.

Hostage handover is underway to Red Cross

Monday 27 November 2023 19:48 , Holly Evans

A hostage handover to release Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza is under way, a Palestinian official familiar with the truce efforts has said.

33 Palestinian prisoners are being exchanged for around 11 Israeli hostages, although this is yet to be officially confirmed.

White House gives latest update on American hostage releases

Monday 27 November 2023 19:35 , Holly Evans

Israeli media reporting that hostages are now in Israeli hands

Monday 27 November 2023 19:30 , Bel Trew

Residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz have confirmed that all 11 Israeli hostages to be released this evening are from their community.

Out of the remaining hostages, 49 are from Nir Oz. This list includes women, men, children, mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers.

Osnat Peri, the Head of the Kibbutz says: The news this evening brings a sigh of relief to our community, however we remain deeply concerned about our loved ones that are still held hostage. We demand the return of all hostages, immediately, whatever it takes.

Foreign Office minister says temporary truce offers chance of more hostage releases

Monday 27 November 2023 19:24 , Holly Evans

A two-day extension of a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas offers the chance to free further hostages, a Foreign Office minister has said.

Andrew Mitchell received reports of the deal while answering questions in the House of Commons and having previously insisted that the pause in hostilities should not be a one-off.

Addressing the chamber, he said: There is some suggestion that while Ive been on my feet in the House, Qatar has announced a truce would be extended by two days.

Obviously, we all hope that is true and that more hostages, as a result, will be able to leave.

White House hope two American women to be freed from Gaza in hostage deal

Monday 27 November 2023 19:06 , Holly Evans

The White House said U.S. officials hope two American women would be among those freed from Gaza, where it believes eight or nine U.S. citizens are being held.

Only one American-Israeli citizen, four-year-old Avigail Idan, has been released so far.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said it had notified the families of hostages due to be released on Monday, without specifying a number.

Netanyahu had said at the weekend that once the truce ended, We will return with full force to achieve our goals: the elimination of Hamas; ensuring that Gaza does not return to what it was; and of course the release of all our hostages.

Suspect in shooting of three Palestinian students in Vermont pleads not guilty

Monday 27 November 2023 18:50 , Holly Evans

The suspect in the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont over the weekend pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted second-degree murder on Monday and was ordered by a judge to be held without bond.

The suspect, Jason J. Eaton, 48, appeared at an arraignment at the Chittenden County Criminal Court in Burlington via a remote video feed from the county jail, where he has been held since his arrest on Sunday.

Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed, three college students of Palestinian descent who were shot near the University of Vermont (via REUTERS)

The attack is under investigation by local and federal authorities as a suspected hate-motivated crime. At the time of the shooting, two of the victims were wearing a keffiyeh, the traditional black-and-white checkered head scarf commonly worn in the Middle East, police said.

Police say Eaton used a pistol to shoot them on the street near the University of Vermont in Burlington on Saturday evening and then ran away.

All three remained under medical care on Monday, two with gunshot wounds in their torsos and one shot in the lower extremities. Two were in stable condition, while one has sustained much more serious injuries, police said.

UN chief warns truce is not enough time to meet aid needs of Gaza

Monday 27 November 2023 18:36 , Holly Evans

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described an extended truce between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas on Monday as a glimpse of hope and humanity, but warned it was not enough time to meet the aid needs of the Gaza Strip.

Mediator Qatar said on Monday that the initial four day truce had been extended by two days, continuing a pause in seven weeks of warfare that has killed thousands and laid waste to the Palestinian enclave.

I strongly hope that this will enable us to increase even more the humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza that (are) suffering so much - knowing that even with that additional amount of time, it will be impossible to satisfy all the dramatic needs of the population, Guterres told reporters.

Family of four-year-old taken hostage say she is safe and in a medical centre

Monday 27 November 2023 18:22 , Holly Evans

A day after 4-year-old Israeli American hostage Avigail Edan was released by Hamas, her family has given an update on the girls well-being.

Avigail is still being evaluated at Schneider Childrens Medical Center, where she was taken immediately upon her release, the statement said.

The girl is safe and being looked after by her aunt, uncle and grandparents, the statement said. Her parents were killed in Hamas Oct. 7 incursion into Israel.

Abigail Edan lost her parents on 7 October and was taken hostage (via REUTERS)

Two-day truce extension will come into effect when fourth group of hostages are released, says senior Israeli advisor

Monday 27 November 2023 17:46 , Tom Watling

The two-day extension of the truce between Israel and Hamas will not go into effect until the hostages set to be released on Monday are freed, according to Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israel's prime minister.

Regev confirmed that a truce extension had been reached and under the agreement, Hamas would release 10 hostages each day.

For every 10 hostages released, we're willing to give an extension of another day, and if Hamas will release Israeli hostages as agreed we will extend  that's the bottom line, Mr Regev said.

Regev said he believes the hostages released over the next two days would be women and children.

The senior adviser credited US President Joe Biden for helping arrange the parameters of the deal.

These were negotiated with the help of President Biden and we thank him for putting his effort and his office behind these arrangements. I don't think we would have reached the deal without his input, he said.

Mark Regev, a spokesperson for the Israeli government, said the truce extension was predicated on todays swaps (Channel 4 News)

Freed hostage had escaped Hamas kidnappers but was recaptured days later, family says

Monday 27 November 2023 17:33 , Tom Watling

An Israeli hostage released during the truce in Gaza managed to esacape his Hamas kidnappers for a few days before being recaptured, his family have said.

Roni Krivoi, 25, who is also a Russian citizen, spent four days alone in Gaza according to his aunt, after escaping the building where he was held after it was bombed in an airstrike. Unable to find his way to the border he Hamas eventually retook him.

You can read the full report below.

Freed hostage escaped Hamas but was recaptured days later, family says
An Israeli helicopter lands at Tel Aviv's Schneider hospital with freed hostages on board - Christophe Petit

Hamas needs to track down dozens of hostages in Gaza before it can extend the current ceasefire, Qatars prime minister has said.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told the Financial Times that Hamas cannot agree an extension to the current ceasefire until it locates 40 women and children who are allegedly being held by civilians, gangs and other Islamist groups.

We dont yet have any clear information how many they can find because . . . one of the purposes [of the pause] is they [Hamas] will have time to search for the rest of the missing people, he said.

Hamas has told Qatar that it did not capture any civilians on October 7, instead blaming it on other Islamist groups and opportunistic Palestinian civilians.

Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will extend the current four-day ceasefire by one day for every 10 additional hostages that are released.

But the Qatari prime ministers comments will cast doubt on whether Hamas can provide the hostages necessary to keep its side of the bargain.

10:01 PM GMT

Thank you for following the blog

Thats it for our live coverage of the war in Gaza today. Join us again tomorrow for all the latest.

10:00 PM GMT

Todays headlines:

Five senior Hamas commanders were killed by Israeli forces

Boris Johnson and his family were among hundreds of thousands who attended an anti-Semitism march in London

Hamas released 13 Israelis, three Thais and one Russian-Israeli

Those freed included Abigail Idan, 4, an American-Israeli whose parents were murdered on October 7

Elma Avraham, 84, was airlifted to hospital and is said to be very sick

Israel released 39 prisoners from its jails in exchange for the 17 hostages

The US said the Red Cross will visit all hostages who are not being released

Joe Biden said he wanted to extend the ceasefire

Benjamin Netanyahu said he would do so by one day for every 10 new hostages released

Qatar said Hamas does not know where many hostages are

09:43 PM GMT

Ceasefire will be extended if more hostages released, Netanyahu tells Biden

Benjamin Netanyahu has told Joe Biden that he is open to extending Israels ceasefire with Hamas if it agrees to release more hostages.

For every day, another 10, the Israeli prime minister said after a call between the two leaders this evening.

The original Qatari-brokered deal allows the ceasefire to be extended by one day for every 10 extra hostages that are released.

The White House said the two leaders agreed during the call to continue working to secure the release of all hostages.

09:26 PM GMT

Hamas does not know where hostages are, Qatar says

Hamas will only be able to agree to an extended ceasefire with Israel if it finds out where other hostages are being held, Qatars prime minister has said.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told the Financial Times that there are 40 more women and children being held in Gaza by civilians, gangs and groups, not Hamas.

If they get additional women and children, there will be an extension, he said. We dont yet have any clear information how many they can find because . . . one of the purposes [of the pause] is they [Hamas] will have time to search for the rest of the missing people.

Sheikh Mohammed said Hamas has told Qatar that its fighters did not capture civilians on October 7, blaming those abductions on other militant groups and opportunistic Palestinian civilians.

09:10 PM GMT

All 17 freed hostages have arrived at hospitals, reports CNN

CNN is reporting that all 17 hostages released to Israel today have now arrived at hospitals.

They will undergo tests and check-ups and be reunited with their families.

A young hostage is seen through the window of a helicopter arriving at Tel Aviv's Schneider children's hospital - Gil Cohen-Magen

09:08 PM GMT

Israel was not responsible for Al Ahli explosion, Human Rights Watch says

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said a misfired Palestinian rocket and not an Israeli air strike was to blame for the fiercely disputed explosion at Gazas Al Ahli hospital on October 17.

Gazas Hamas-run health ministry said 471 people were killed in the blast, a figure which is disputed by Israel. A US intelligence report estimated the death toll at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum.

HRW said that a review of photos, videos, satellite imagery and testimony from experts and witnesses showed that the explosion resulted from an apparent rocket-propelled munition, such as those commonly used by Palestinian armed groups.

Hamas has rejected the findings, with senior official Basem Naim saying the report is biased towards Israel.

08:54 PM GMT

Watch: West Bank crowds welcome prisoner wearing Hamas bandana

Crowds in the West Bank city of Ramallah cheered and chanted as they welcomed a freed Palestinian prisoner with a green Hamas bandana tied around his head.

The man is one of 39 prisoners who were released by Israel today in exchange for the 17 hostages handed over by Hamas.

In Ramallah, mother of a Palestinian prisoner released during the Israel-Hamas truce chants "With our soul and blood we will redeem you, Hamas" pic.twitter.com/a8maTv10mp  Gianluca Pacchiani (@GLucaPacchiani) November 26, 2023

08:49 PM GMT

Helicopters arrive at Tel Aviv children's hospital

Two helicopters believed to be carrying freed hostages have landed at a Tel Aviv childrens hospital, US Correspondent David Millward reports.

The first aircraft arrived shortly before 8.30pm GMT (10.30pm local time) and the second landed at 8.45pm GMT (10.30pm local time).

08:42 PM GMT

Pictured: Hamas terrorists stand guard as hostages handed over

Hamas terrorists stand guard as they hand over hostages to the Red Cross

08:34 PM GMT

Thai hostages arrive at Tel Aviv hospital

The three Thai hostages who were released by Hamas today have arrived at the Assaf Harofeh hospital in Tel Aviv.

Israels foreign ministry said they will undergo physical and psychological tests at the hospital.

They will return to their families once they are discharged from hospital.

08:18 PM GMT

Netanyahu: Give us 10 extra hostages a day and we will extend truce

Benjamin Netanyahu has told Joe Biden that he would accept an extension to the temporary truce with Hamas if the terror group releases 10 additional hostages everyday.

The two leaders had a phone call this evening in which the Israeli prime minister also said Israel will resume its war in Gaza with full force when the truce ends.

The US president said earlier today that his goal is to keep the ceasefire going to get more hostages out of Gaza and more aid into it.

08:12 PM GMT

No words to express our relief, say Abigail Idan's family

The family of freed four-year-old Abigail Idan have no words to express their relief after she was released by Hamas, reports David Millward, US correspondent.

We hoped and prayed today would come, they said in a statement.

There are no words to express our relief and gratitude that Abigail is safe and coming home.

They also thanked Joe Biden and the Qatari government for their diplomatic assistance and added they continue to stand with families of all the hostages.

Mr Biden has spoken over the telephone with members of her family in the United States and Israel, his office said.

08:02 PM GMT

Pictured: Freed girls, 8 and 15, reunited with mother

This is the moment Dafna, 15, and Ela Elyakim, 8, were reunited this evening with their mother Maayan Zin.

The two sisters were with their father Noam in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz just 800 metres from the border with Gaza, when Hamas attacked on October 7.

Mr Elyakim was killed by the terrorists, possibly in front of their eyes.

Now after 51 days in captivity, the sisters have finally been reunited with their mother this evening after being released by Hamas.

Dafna Elyakim and Ela Elyakim are reunited with their mother Maayan Zin - Maayan Zin

07:55 PM GMT

Truce should be extended until all hostages released, says France

The truce between Israel and Hamas which has held in Gaza since Friday should be extended until all hostages are released, Frances foreign minister has said.

We demand the release of our hostages and all the hostages, Catherine Colonna told Frances BFMTV channel.

It would be good, helpful and necessary for the truce to be extended to this end.

She added: There are lists drawn up during the negotiations through Qatar. Hamas makes its choices within these lists.

07:38 PM GMT

Pictured: Freed hostages and those awaiting them

A boy believed to be Tal Goldstein-Almog, 9, is seen through the window of a van taking hostages to be reunited with their families - Menahem Kahana

Scouts wave Israeli flags as they wait outside the Schneider children's hospital in Tel Aviv for the freed hostages to arrive - Christophe Petit

07:27 PM GMT

I couldn't believe it when I saw Abigail coming home, says grandfather

The grandfather of released American-Israeli hostage Abigail Idan, 4, has said he could not believe his eyes when he saw she was coming back from captivity.

It was just wow, I didnt believe it until I saw it, Carmel Idan told reporters outside his home.

Now Im calm, but not completely calm because there is happiness, but there is also the absence of Roee and Smadar.

Abigails parents were murdered by Hamas terrorists at their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7.

07:15 PM GMT

Hospitalised elderly hostage in 'life-threatening condition'

The elderly hostage who was airlifted to hospital after being released by Hamas is in a serious and life-threatening condition, Beershebas Soroka hospital has said.

It said in a short statement that she is in poor physical condition and severe clinical condition.

Elma Avraham, 84, was immediately taken to the hospital via helicopter when she was handed over to the IDF by the Red Cross, who acted as an intermediary.

07:00 PM GMT

Hamas wants to extend ceasefire

Hamas wants to extend the current ceasefire with Israel to secure the release of more prisoners, it said in a statement.

Fighting has been paused since Friday while Hamas releases hostages in exchange for Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons.

Hamas has released 53 hostages so far out of the approximately 240 it is thought to have taken in the October 7 attacks and Israel has released 117 prisoners.

06:52 PM GMT

In pictures: Hostages pictured on return to Israel

Oria Brodutch, 4, is seen inside a van transporting the freed hostages - Amir Cohen

Unnamed hostages seen being transported in the convoy - Tsafrir Abayov

Aviva Adrienne Siegel, 62, was abducted from kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7 - Amir Cohen

06:49 PM GMT

Freed hostages 'still traumatised', says cousin

Shiri Weiss, 53, and her daughter Noga, 18, who were freed on Saturday are still traumatised, David Millward, US Correspondent, reports.

Their cousin Adam Baker told CNN that there is also no news of Ilan Weiss, Nogas father.

Theres no body, theres no official claim that hes a hostage. That is worse than an open wound.

Two other members of the family were murdered.

I can only imagine it is going to be close to October 7 for them.

Its only the second chapter of the book, we dont know how chapters its going to have get chapters its good to have not the end. Its not the middle its just the beginning.

Mr Baker added he had spoke to other cousins and Shiri and Noga outwardly seemed fine

06:47 PM GMT

Qatar's prime minister optimistic about extending ceasefire

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Qatars prime minister, is optimistic that the temporary truce could be extended, reports David Millward, US Correspondent.

The agreement has a provision that if Hamas are... will be able to prove, to locate, and secure some of the hostages that are within the criteria of the first group, which is women and children, then it will be extended, he said on CBS News Face the Nation.

This is something we cannot confirm yet until we get to the fourth day, then Hamas should present the list if they are available with them, he added.

06:37 PM GMT

'Very sick' Israeli hostage rushed by helicopter to hospital

An elderly Israeli woman evacuated to hospital in a helicopter after being released by Hamas is very sick, Joe Biden has said.

An older, non-American elderly woman is very sick and was in need of immediate medical help so they arranged to cross directly into Israel to be able to take her into hospital, the US president said in a televised address.

IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the hostage, who has not been named, was sent directly to hospital after 13 Israelis were handed over by the Red Cross to Israeli soldiers.

06:30 PM GMT

Watch: Hundreds of Israelis cheer as hostages return

Hundreds of Israelis have lined roads to welcome hostages back from captivity, waving flags and cheering.

A convoy of vans is on its way to the Hatzerim airbase near Beersheba, where they will be reunited with their families.

  :      !!



    pic.twitter.com/8mes2DdI07    | Yanki Coen (@yankicoen) November 26, 2023

06:02 PM GMT

Four other hostages now on Israeli soil

The three Thai and one Russian hostage who left Gaza via the Rafah crossing are now in Israel, the IDF has said.

It now means that all 17 hostages released today are back on Israeli soil.

An elite unit of the IDF and a force of the Shin Bet are now escorting the four abductees in Israeli territory, including an Israeli citizen and three foreign nationals, who are at the Kerem Shalom crossing, spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

Those who return to Israel will be transferred directly to the hospitals.



06:00 PM GMT

Watch: Biden celebrates the release of Abigail Mor Edan, 4

05:57 PM GMT

Israeli prison service: 39 prisoners freed

A total of 39 Palestinian prisoners have now been freed from Israels prisons as part of todays hostage deal, the Israeli prison service has said.

05:44 PM GMT

AFP: Hamas willing to extend truce and release up to 40 more hostages

A source close to Hamas has said the terror group is willing to extend its truce with Israel in Gaza by two to four days and release 20 to 40 more hostages, the AFP news agency has reported.

Hamas informed the mediators that the resistance movements were willing to extend the current truce by two to four days, the source said.

The resistance believes it is possible to ensure the release of 20 to 40 Israeli prisoners.

05:42 PM GMT

Grandfather of freed children hostages speaks of happiness

An Israeli grandfather whose daughter-in-law and three grandchildren were released by Hamas today has spoken of his happiness at the news.

Samuel Brodetz said he would meet Hagar, 40, Ofri, 10, Yuval, 8, and Uriya, 4, later tonight.

The moment I heard they were in the hands of the Red Cross, I was relieved... I will meet them later tonight, he told Israels Channel 13 News.

I am very happy, but I feel a great commitment to the other families until the last captive returns, including IDF soldiers.

05:37 PM GMT

Biden: I want the ceasefire to continue

Joe Biden has said he wants to see the ceasefire that has allowed hostages to be released by Hamas to continue beyond tomorrow, when it is due to finish.

Critically needed aid is going in and hostages are coming out, he said in a televised address.

This deal is structured so that it can be extended to keep building on these results.

Thats my goal, thats our goal, to keep this pause going beyond tomorrow so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief into those in need in Gaza.

Joe Biden speaks after the hostages were released - Tom Brenner

05:32 PM GMT

Russian hostage Roni Krivoi arrives at Rafah

The freed Russian hostage Roni Krivoi has been pictured in a Red Cross vehicle at the Rafah border crossing after being released by Hamas.

Roni Krivoi, 25, was abducted by Hamas on October 7 - Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

05:30 PM GMT

We will not stop until every hostage freed, says Biden

Joe Biden has vowed to not stop working until every hostage has been freed.

We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones, he said in a televised address.

05:14 PM GMT

Biden: I wish I was there to hold freed Abigail

Joe Biden has said he wishes he was there to hold freed four-year-old hostage Abigail Mor Idan.

Thank God shes home, he said of the dual American-Israeli in a televised address.

I guess [I] cant imagine the enjoyment. I just wish I were there to hold her.

He added: What she endured is unthinkable.

Abigail Idan pictured before being taken hostage

05:10 PM GMT

Pictured: Red Cross convoy at Rafah crossing

A Red Cross vehicle arrives at the Rafah border crossing - Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Four hostages are being taken to Israel from Gaza via the Rafah crossing - Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

A hostage flashes a thumbs up as a Red Cross vehicle arrives in Rafah - Mohammed Abed

05:03 PM GMT

Elderly hostage being treated in Beersheba

The Israeli hostage who has been evacuated by helicopter for medical attention will be treated at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, the hospital has said.

IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has said the helicopter has now landed at the hospital.

As of now, 13 released hostages are now in Israeli territory.



12 of the released hostages are being accompanied by ISA and IDF special forces to the Hatzerim Base, while an additional civilian landed at a hospital a short while ago.



4 additional released hostages are on their  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 26, 2023

05:01 PM GMT

Biden address begins

President Joe Bidens address has now started.

04:50 PM GMT

Russian hostage named by Israeli media

The Russian national released by Hamas today has been named by Israeli media.

Roni Krovoi, a 25-year-old dual Russian-Israeli national, was working at the Supernova music festival when he was kidnapped on October 7.

Roni Krivoi was abducted by Hamas terrorists at the October 7 Supernova desert rave

04:49 PM GMT

Biden expected to speak at 5pm GMT

Joe Biden is expected to make a televised address at 5pm GMT.

04:48 PM GMT

Hostages are now in Israel

The IDF has said 13 hostages have returned to Israel and four more are en route.

Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: An elite unit of the IDF and a force of the Shin Bet are now escorting the 12 abductees back to Israel to the Hatzeri base in Israel.

Another civilian landed in the hospital a short time ago.

At the same time, four more abductees are on their way to the Rafah crossing.

04:42 PM GMT

American girl, 4, handed over by Hamas

An American four-year-old girl is among more than a dozen hostages who have been handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas, Israeli media have reported.

Abigail Mor Idan celebrated her fourth birthday on Friday in Hamas captivity after her parents were murdered in the October 7 attacks.

04:17 PM GMT

Israeli TV names 13 hostages being released

These are the 13 Israelis who are being released by Hamas today, Israeli TV station i24 has said.

Hagar Brodutch, 40

Ofry Bodutch, 10

Yuval Brodutch, 8

Oria Brodutch, 4

Chen Goldstein-Almog, 49

Agam Goldstein-Almog, 17

Gal Goldstein-Almog, 11

Tal Goldstein-Almog, 9

Abigail Idan, 4

Elma Avraham, 84

Aviva Siegal, 62

Dafna Elyakim, 14

Ela Elyakim, 8

Top L-R: Hagar Brodutch and children Ofri, Yuval and Oriya, Roni Krivoi; middle: Chen Almog Goldstein and her children Agam, Gal and Tal Almog; bottom: Avigail Idan, Alma Avraham, Aviva Siegel, and siblings Ela and Dafna Elyakim.

04:10 PM GMT

Benjamin Netanyahu visits Israeli soldiers in Gaza

Benjamin Netanyahu has visited Israeli soldiers in Gaza in his first visit to the territory since the war began.

We continue until the end  until victory, the Israeli prime minister said in footage posted online by his office.

Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the power, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all the wars goals, and we will.

Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to soldiers at undisclosed location in the Gaza Strip - Israeli Prime Minister Office

The prime minister wore a helmet and body armour as he visited the troops - Israeli Prime Minister Office

04:04 PM GMT

Zero tolerance for anti-Semitism, says Labour's Kyle

Labours Peter Kyle has said there must be zero tolerance for the worlds oldest hatred as he addressed the march, reports Nicole Lampert.

We stand with the Jewish people of Great Britain, the shadow science minister said. We stand as one and we are united.

I know the last month and a half has shaken the community to its core. Genocidal chants, business owners should never be attacked.

Racism ignored or denied  as if Jews dont count but today we say Jews do count.

We must have zero tolerance for the worlds oldest hatred. We stand with you.

04:01 PM GMT

Police from Wales and Devon guarding London march

Police from as far afield as Wales and Devon can be seen along the route of the march at the Embankment underground station, Joe Pinkstone reports.

There has been heavy police presence throughout the event, but with most of it merely to mark the route.

Two protestors from within the group were pulled aside by a group of around half a dozen Met Police officers.

One officer at the scene told The Telegraph the individuals were pulled aside for causing some trouble in the march but were not being asked to disperse under the section 35 order at this stage.

It was the first a lot of trouble seen in more than two hours.

03:59 PM GMT

Red Cross to visit unreleased hostages, says US

The Red Cross will visit the hostages who are not being released by Hamas, the US has said.

It is part of the agreement that that be done by the Red Cross and we expect that to be fulfilled, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told NBC.

Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that the agreement reached by Israel and Hamas would see the Red Cross visit them all and ... bring them the medication that they need.

Hundreds of Israeli and foreign hostages remain in Hamas captivity.

03:54 PM GMT

Released hostage in 70s urged Hamas to let others go instead

A released Israeli hostage in her 70s urged Hamas to let other captives go free before her, Israeli health minister Uriel Busso has said.

Mr Busso told Israels Channel 12 news: She said, wait, but there is a woman older than me who is in worse health  dont you think you should let her go first?

The minister did not say who the hostage was and when she had been released.

03:44 PM GMT

Families of hostages gathering at Israeli hospitals

The families of hostages who are expected to be released today have started to gather at hospitals where their loved ones are expected to arrive, Haaretz has reported.

03:33 PM GMT

US 'hopeful' four-year-old girl will be released

American national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said he is hopeful US citizen Abigail Mor Idan, 4, will be among the hostages released today.

We are hopeful that Abigail will be released. We think its long past time that this little girl, who just... celebrated her fourth birthday, is back home, he said.

Abigail celebrated her fourth birthday on Friday in Hamas captivity.

She was reportedly in her father Roys arms when the 43-year-old photojournalist and her mother, Smadar Eden, were shot and killed by Hamas on Oct 7.

Her siblings, aged 6 and 10, also witnessed their parents murder but escaped unharmed by hiding in a closet for 14 hours, relatives said.

03:28 PM GMT

Israel must exist, Johnson says at march

Anti-Semitism seen at pro-Palestine marches across Europe proves why Israel must exist, Boris Johnson has said at todays march in London.

The former prime minister told GB News that it is very sad this march has to take place at all.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of what Israel has done, or is doing, I think that the anti-Semitism we have seen in some of the marches around Europe has really confirmed for me the absolutely human necessity for Israel to exist, he said.

03:23 PM GMT

Israel 'strikes Damascus airport'

Israel launched air strikes on Damascus airport in Syria on Sunday, a war monitoring group and a Syrian pro-government newspaper said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israeli air strikes had targeted Damascus International Airport. There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.

Flights scheduled to arrive in Damascus are being diverted to the cities of Latakia and Aleppo, reported the Al Watan newspaper.

Israel has for years carried out strikes against what it has described as Iranian-linked targets in Syria, including against the Aleppo and Damascus airports.

03:15 PM GMT

Police block pro-Palestine protestors from joining anti-Semitism march

Three men carrying Palestine flags have been surrounded by police and blocked from joining the anti-Semitism march, Nicole Lampert reports.

The marchers are all very peaceful and many are thanking policeman as they walk past them.

Police officers have come from as far as Wales and as many as 1,500 officers are out policing the march.

We were told to expect 30,000 [marchers] but you can add a couple of zeros to that, one officer said. Another said 200,000 are here and another put the figure at well over 100,000.

The actress Felicity Kendall is here and placards on display include Give me antipasti, not anti-Semitism and Spread hummus, not hate.

One police officer said as many as 300,000 people could be on the march - Susannah Ireland

03:08 PM GMT

Egypt receives list of 13 Israelis set for release today

Egypt has received the names of the 13 Israeli hostages who are set to be released by Hamas.

The hostages will be exchanged for 39 Palestinians from Israeli prisons today, State Information Services head Diaa Rashwan said.

Seven other non-Israeli hostages are also set to be released today.

03:00 PM GMT

Scenes of destruction: Latest photos from Gaza on the third day of a four-day truce

Palestinians flee south on the third day of a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas - AP Photo/Hatem Moussa

Israeli tanks are seen in Gaza City's Zeitoun district

A Palestinian woman sits in her destroyed apartment on the outskirts of Khan Yunis - Mahmud HAMS / AFP

02:42 PM GMT

'Hamas releases Russian hostage'

Hamas has released a Russian hostage as it thanked Vladimir Putin for his support for the Palestinian cause.

The Russian, whose name has not been released, is the first of an estimated 20 to be released in total today.

The terror group said its release of the Russian citizen was in appreciation of Moscows position on its conflict with Israel and continued support from Putin, whom Hamas has previously called its closest friend.

In response to the efforts of Russian President Putin and in appreciation of the Russian position in support of the Palestinian cause; We released a detainee who holds Russian citizenship, Hamas said.

The groups statement did not name the individual who had been released. There was no immediate comment from Moscow.

Read a previous story on Hamas and Putins relationship

02:33 PM GMT

Spanish PM says his criticism of Israel is 'a question of being humane'

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defended comments he made about the Israeli offensive in Gaza which angered Israel, saying it was a question of being humane.

Visiting the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Friday with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Sanchez said the indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians in the Palestinian territory was completely unacceptable.

Both leaders called for a permanent ceasefire in the war-battered territory, with the Belgian premier also denouncing the destruction in the Gaza Strip as unacceptable.

The Israeli foreign ministry swiftly summoned the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium for a harsh rebuke over comments by the two countries leaders, accusing them of supporting terrorism.

02:24 PM GMT

Tommy Robinson 'not welcome' at London march, say police

Tommy Robinson, the founder of the English Defence League, has been escorted away by police after joining the march against antisemitism in London.

Tens of thousands of people were expected to march in London in the demonstration, a day after pro-Palestinian crowds also gathered in the capital to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.

There had been fears in that Mr Robinson, the former leader of the far-right grouping, could disrupt the protest organised by charity Campaign Against Antisemitism after violence erupted on Armistice Day. He was seen among a group of men who had turned out to protest against a pro-Palestinian march but then started attacking police.

The Metropolitan Police had made clear in advance that he was not welcome at the march, with the force warning that any offences whether from within the protest or from any groups trying to challenge or interfere with the march would be dealt with.

Tommy Robinson being surrounded by police at the march - Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images

01:54 PM GMT

Boris Johnson and family spotted at antisemitism march

Boris was joined by his wife Carrie and sister Rachel - Tom Bowles

UNITED KINGDOM, LONDON, 26th November 2023 March Against Antisemitism A march against Antisemitism organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism starting by the Royal Courts of Justice in response to the Pro Palestinian marches that have been seen over the last weeks. A2023 Tom Bowles +44 7956 938547

01:40 PM GMT

Pictured: A march against antisemitism is underway in London

SUSANNAH IRELAND

People take part in a march against antisemitism organised by the volunteer-led charity Campaign Against Antisemitism at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Picture date: Sunday November 26, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Israel. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

01:28 PM GMT

Israel criticises Leo Varadkar for comments on release of nine-year-old Hamas hostage

Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar has been criticised by Israel for saying a nine-year-old girl kidnapped by Hamas was lost and has now been found, writes Giovanni Legorano.

Responding to the release of Emily Hand, an Irish-Israeli schoolgirl, the Taoiseach said: This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered. Israels foreign minister hit out at the statement, telling Mr Varadkar that it was inappropriate to suggest Emily was simply lost when she had in fact been kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. Mr Prime Minister. It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check! Eli Cohen, Israels foreign minister, said on social media. Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organisation (sic) worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother. 

Read the full story

12:54 PM GMT

Pictured: Israeli soldiers return to their base camp at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel

Israeli soldiers return from the Gaza Strip to their base camp at the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israe - CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

12:28 PM GMT

Israel-linked tanker boarded off Yemen, says security firm

A tanker linked to an Israel-affiliated company has been boarded off the coast of Yemen, the maritime security firm Ambrey said on Sunday following a series of incidents on the same shipping route.

Ambrey said that US naval forces are engaged in the situation after the incident involving the Central Park vessel owned and managed by a UK-based, Israel-linked company.

Yemens Iran-backed Huthi rebels had previously threatened to attack the tanker if it did not divert to the port of Hodeida, it said.

Communications from a US coalition warship had been intercepted warning the Central Park to disregard the messages, Ambrey added.

12:13 PM GMT

Watch: The moment an Israeli child hostage is reunited with his father

11:51 AM GMT

Israeli forces killed Palestinian farmer in refugee camp, says Red Crescent

A Palestinian farmer was killed and another injured on Sunday after they were targeted by Israeli forces in the Maghazi refugee camp in the centre of Gaza, the Palestinan Red Crescent said.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the report and it was not clear if it would impact the latest phase of plans to swap 50 hostages held by the Palestinian militant group for 150 prisoners in Israeli jails over a four-day period.

Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals arrived in Israel early on Sunday after a second release of hostages held by Hamas following an initial delay caused by a dispute about aid delivery into Gaza.

11:21 AM GMT

Some American citizens may be released today, reports WSJ

Egyptian officials say some American citizens are to be included in todays hostage release, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The latest list of hostages to be released by Hamas has been shared with Israel but not yet been made public.

Hamas is believed to be holding nine American citizens but has not released any in the past two exchanges with Palestinian prisoners.

The Biden administration said it was disappointed that none had been released on Saturday.

11:01 AM GMT

Watch: The hostages released by Hamas on Saturday

10:45 AM GMT

Pictured: Scenes of jubilation in the West Bank last night after Palestinian prisoners returned home

Palestinians, brought by International Committee of the Red Cross vehicle, reunite with their friends, relatives and supporters

Israeli authorities released 39 Palestinians, including 6 females, 33 minors as part of second batch of prisoner swap

A freed Palestinian prisoner, right, cuddles a relative after his release - JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP via Getty Images

10:31 AM GMT

Hamas military wing confirms northern brigade commander, 3 other leaders dead

Hamas military wing confirmed the commander of its northern brigade, Ahmed Al-Ghandour, and three other senior leaders had been killed during Israels offensive against the Islamist movement.

In a statement, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said Ghandour was a member of its military council and named three other leaders who had died, including Ayman Siyyam, who Israeli media reports said was head of the Brigades rocket-firing units.

10:11 AM GMT

Pictured: Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv last night to pressure the government into securing the release of hostages still held by Hamas

Relatives, friends and supporters of 21-year-old Omer Shem Tov, protest for his release

People up their mobile phones with the torch light on to sing the national anthem - Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

100,000 people turned up to the rally, according to event organizers

09:55 AM GMT

Hamas says four of its leaders killed so far

Hamas says four of its leaders have been killed so far including a commader of the North Gaza Brigade

09:33 AM GMT

A look at the 13 Israeli hostages freed by Hamas on Saturday

A second group of hostages was released by Hamas on Saturday in a prisoner swap deal with Israel, writes Tony Diver.

Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals were freed on Saturday night, despite an eleventh-hour dispute and Hamas claims that Israel had breached the terms of a ceasefire agreement. Among those released are several survivors of the massacre at Kibbutz Beeri, one of the hardest-hit communities in southern Israel on October 7, where more than 130 people were killed. Israeli officials are optimistic that more hostages will be released by the terror group in the coming days.

See the full list of the Israelis released

09:13 AM GMT

Israeli PM's office has list of hostages for release

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it has received a list of hostages due to be released by Hamas on Sunday.

The list was being checked by security officials, it said, and families of the hostages had been informed.

08:51 AM GMT

Watch: The moment freed nine-year Israeli-Irish hostage Emily Hand was reunited with her father

The moment Emily Hand is reunited with her father Tom, after fifty days being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza @rtenews pic.twitter.com/g7bGBjTKAJ  Fran McNulty (@franmcnulty) November 26, 2023

08:33 AM GMT

Israeli snipers fire into crowds of Palestinian civilians for a second day, says Sky news journalist

Sky News journalist Alex Crawford said Israeli snipers again shot indiscriminately into crowds of Palestinians trying to return to their homes in the north on Saturday, as they did on Friday.

Hundreds of Palestinians are trying to reach stranded friends and family still trapped in the north, where many had to flee to escape Israeli bombardment.

On the first day of the truce on Friday Israeli snipers shot into a crowd of people at a checkpoint, wounding several, Sky reported.



The firing came despite some in the crowd waving white flags.

Sky said the attacks were in apparent response to the Israeli army warning the north was off limits.

Heres our report from #Gaza when our camera crew filmed Israeli snipers shooting into crowd of Gazans trying to return to homes in the north - it was the first day of the #ceasefire Its happened again today https://t.co/0XIWruugpl  Alex Crawford (@AlexCrawfordSky) November 25, 2023

08:06 AM GMT

Israeli forces kill seven Palestinians in West Bank, Palestinian officials say

Israeli forces killed six Palestinians, including two minors and at least one gunman, in the occupied West Bank late on Saturday and early Sunday, medics and local sources said.

Five of the deaths occurred in the city of Jenin, which the Israeli military said it raided to detain a Palestinian who is suspected of involvement in a lethal West Bank ambush in August.

The military did not immediately elaborate on the Jenin incident, which witnesses described as clashes between gunmen and troops.

The WAFA official Palestinian news agency said that Israeli forces stormed Jenin from several directions, firing bullets and surrounding government hospitals and the headquarters of the Red Crescent Society.

07:43 AM GMT

That's my son!' Thai family overjoyed as second group of hostages freed

The mother of a Thai hostage freed from Gaza late on Saturday said she was indescribably happy her son was among the four most recent Thai nationals confirmed as freed from Hamas captivity.

My granddaughter called me at 5 a.m. saying my son was among the hostages released and I didnt really believe it, Thongkoon Onkaew told Reuters by phone on Sunday.

Then she sent me the photo and I was like, Thats my son! My son!

Natthaporn Onkaew, 26, was released along with four other Thai nationals on Saturday. It followed the release of 10 Thais and one Filipino on Friday.

Thongkoon, like many of the 30,000 Thais working in Israel, was a farm labourer. Thais make up one of the largest migrant worker groups in the country.

07:25 AM GMT

13 Israeli hostages freed by Hamas on Saturday

Families and children kidnapped from Israels southern Kibbutz Beeri were among the 13 Israeli hostages released by Hamas on Saturday, according to various accounts given by their relatives.

The releases came following a Friday agreement between Israel and Hamas, which is supposed to last four days and allow for 50 Israelis and 150 Palestinians to be freed.

A group of 13 Israeli hostages were also freed on Friday under the agreement, while Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners on Friday, and a further 39 on Saturday night.

Hamas also freed 15 foreigners who were not included in its agreement with Israel: four Thai hostages on Saturday, in addition to ten Thais and one Filipino released on Friday.

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An American girl who spent her fourth birthday held captive by Hamas was freed by the militant group Sunday, Nov. 26 as a part of the four-day cease-fire and hostage exchange agreement between Israel and the militant group.

Abigail Mor Edan, who turned 4 on Friday, Nov. 24, was among 17 hostages freed on the third day of the fragile truce, which has seen Israel release Palestinian prisoners and allow aid into the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum.

In its statement, the organization called Abigail an unwilling symbol of war and that all of Israel and the world welcome her safe return.

In an exclusive interview in Washington with NBC News Lester Holt earlier this month, Abigails great-aunt Liz Hirsh Naftali revealed that the little girls parents were killed in their home at the Kfar Aza kibbutz.

Image: Abigail Mor Idan, 3. (Family Handout)

Seventeen hostages were released by Hamas Sunday, according to a list from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office. Of the 17, three were foreign nationals, the statement added.

Hamas said in a statement Sunday that it released a hostage with Russian citizenship in appreciation of the Russian position in support of the Palestinian cause and efforts from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Israel released 39 more Palestinians, all of whom are minors, from Israeli prisons, the spokesman for Qatars foreign ministry said Sunday on X. The Palestinians were freed in exchange for 17 hostages who were abducted by Hamas.

The International Committee of the Red Cross also said on X it helped to facilitate the release of 19 Palestinian detainees from Israeli detention centers.

Hamas wants to extend the limited peace deal by seriously seeking to increase the number of released detainees as stated in the humanitarian truce agreement, the group said in a statement issued on Telegram today.

The current parameters of the temporary cease-fire agreed upon by both Hamas and Israel is limiting the pause to four days as 50 Israeli women and children are released. Other foreign nationals who were taken hostage were also released in direct deals with other countries during the pause.

But the deal also allows for a potential extension  an extra day for every 10 hostages released, U.S. officials have previously said.

Saturday, 13 Israelis and four Thai citizens were released after an hourslong delay, bringing the total to 26 Israelis, of the 50 expected to be freed from Gaza. Fifteen Thai and Filipino citizens have also been released as part of a separate deal with Hamas.

Thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners held by Israel were released from three prisons Saturday, Nov. 25 as part of the hostage-prisoner swap that is expected to total 150 by the end of the four-day truce.

Among the Palestinian prisoners released Saturday was Israa Al-Jaabes, whose story prompted a documentary that was shortlisted for an Academy Award. She was arrested for allegedly having nationalistic motives for killing Israelis.

Al-Jaabes lost eight fingers and was badly burned when her car exploded near East Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, according to a profile by Addameer, the Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, which said she is married and had a young son.

Al-Jaabes has maintained her innocence, saying the explosion was an accident. Israel charged her with terrorism, putting her behind bars for 11 years. Addameer said she was kept in the male section of the prison and was monitored by security cameras.

Upon her release, Al-Jaabes was greeted by family. Israel has disallowed celebrations around the release of Palestinian prisoners in East Jerusalem. My instructions are clear: There are to be no expressions of joy, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said earlier this week.

Image: PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT-PRISONERS (OREN ZIV / AFP - Getty Images)

A flow of aid trucks continue to enter Gaza under protection of the cease-fire, including much-needed fuel. The humanitarian aid brings relief for civilians who have been suffering for weeks as supplies of food, water and medicine ran low.

People in northern Gaza and Gaza City are experiencing famine, Adnan Abu Hasna, media adviser for the U.N. agency for Palestinian relief, told Al Jazeera Nov. 26. Intestinal and skin diseases are more widespread than before.

Image: (Fatima Shbair / AP)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza today put out a call asking for help at Kamal Adwan Hospital in north of the besieged enclave.

In a statement, the ministry urged any available medical and nursing personnel to go to hospital to assist the staff already there.

It said the hospital is under enormous work pressure, especially in the specialties of obstetrics, children, nursery, surgery and orthopedics.

The Israeli military has warned people in the south of the strip not to return to the north, where it is conducting military operations.

The agency needed 120 tons of fuel per day to start basic facilities, Abu Hasna said, adding that 200 humanitarian aid trucks needed to enter every day for two consecutive months.

He added that this need exceeded the Rafah border crossings capacity of 130 trucks and an additional crossing would need to be opened to deliver enough fuel and relief goods.

More than 1.7 million people have been displaced in Gaza, where health officials say the death toll has surpassed 14,500 after weeks of Israeli attacks. The Israel Defense Forces estimate 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, with more than 200 people held hostage in Gaza.

This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
(CNN)  I am on my way to see my home my family that is under the rubble, Mahmoud Moharram, a displaced Palestinian, said as he walked with a group of residents hoping to return to northern Gaza while the lull in fighting holds.

We want to get our relatives, our children, Moharram, who, along with countless Palestinians, evacuated his home in the north amid Israels military campaign, told CNN.

We left them. We want to go home, he added.

The long-awaited Friday truce between Israel and Hamas has provided thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip with a moments respite from nearly seven weeks of fighting. The sound of overhead military drones on Friday quietened for the first time since October 7  the day Hamas brutally assaulted Israeli cities, killing more than 1,200 people in the largest such attack on Israel since the countrys founding in 1948.

The strikes on Gaza may have paused, but residents are still faced with destroyed homes, missing loved ones and aid that is only slowly trickling in.

Many are using the lull in fighting to try to travel back north, despite the Israeli military warning against this.

Shortly before the truce was due to come into effect, Israel was eager to remind Palestinians in Gaza that this was only a temporary lull in fighting and did not signify an end to the war.

The war is not over yet, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a video posted on X on Friday. The cessation of hostilities for humanitarian purposes is temporary.

Adraee also warned Gazans against heading back north, saying that part of the territory is a dangerous war zone and it is forbidden to move toward it.

Flyers in Arabic were also dropped across southern Gaza on Friday morning, bearing similar information and instructions.

But many Gazans say they need to use this pause in fighting to return home, where memories, belongings, money, clothes and even some of their loved ones remain  dead or alive.

We want to bury them

These are our homes, (where we left) our money, our things, our belongings, said Asaad Agha, a displaced Palestinian from Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.

Our children died, we havent been able to bury them, Agha told CNN. We want to bury them. We have martyrs tossed all over the streets.

Palestinians trying to go back north were, however, blocked by Israeli forces, residents and a journalist told CNN.

What truce are they talking about when tanks are firing at us all morning? said Abo Mohamed al-Fayoumi, sitting next to some blankets and a white plastic bag that he said held all his belongings.

We dont feel any truce, we dont feel safe, al-Fayoumi said.

In videos shared on social media, people were seen running away amid the sound of gunfire, presumed to be Israeli, on Salah al-Din Street. A journalist told CNN that Israeli tanks were seen and that gunfire could be heard on the same street, the main highway running north to south through the strip.

In response to CNNs questions about whether people attempting to travel north were fired at, the IDF said it is stationed along the designated operational lines of the pause in accordance with the provisions of the agreed upon framework.

The IDF earlier called on residents to use the time provided by the truce to stock up on needs and arrange affairs instead of traveling to the north. The only movement allowed in the north would be for residents evacuating southward, the IDF said.

It is unclear how many of the 1.1 million people populating Gazas north before the evacuation remain there. United States Special Envoy David Satterfield earlier this month said between 350,000 and 400,000 were still in the north.

More than 1.7 million of the territorys population of 2 million are internally displaced, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

Aid trickles in

As the brief truce holds, aid is being brought into the territory while it still can be.

At least 90 out of 200 aid trucks containing food, water, relief and medical supplies have so far entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing on Friday, an Egyptian official at the border told CNN.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said Friday that its teams had received two ambulances and 85 trucks from its Egyptian counterpart.

Much-needed fuel is also on its way into the territory, with at least seven fuel trucks having so far crossed from Egypt into Gaza, according to a journalist working for CNN on the ground.

Israels Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said in a statement that four fuel tankers and four tankers carrying cooking gas provided by the Israeli government had also crossed into Gaza through Rafah on Friday morning.

Homes, shelters and hospitals have been left without electricity in recent days and weeks, as the territory ran out of fuel needed to power generators.

The arriving aid is being distributed by UNRWA.

Palestinians on Friday called for a safe corridor that would allow them to cross north, gather their belongings, bury their dead and then return south.

If they could just establish a crossing corridor for us, to go to our homes and come back, said Agha.

More than 14,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry there.

Our people are gone. There is no one left, Moharram said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "As fighting pauses, Gazans displaced from north want to return home to bury their dead"
As it prepares for the imminent release of hostages by Hamas, the Israeli government has reiterated that the current truce is only a "short pause" after which it will resume its bombardment with "full military power".

"We will not stop until we achieve our goals: the destruction of Hamas and bringing home the hostages from Gaza to Israel," the Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant told his Italian counterpart in Tel Aviv, Al Jazeera reported. The Israeli army has also opened fire to stop displaced Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, according to the news site.

The "tentative" four-day ceasefire began on Friday, said the Financial Times , "setting the ground" for the release of 50 hostages held by Hamas and 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

The Qatar-brokered pause "appeared to be holding", with tankers of fuel and cooking gas entering Gaza, raising hopes for an exchange of hostages and prisoners and that "substantial humanitarian aid would be allowed into the besieged enclave". According to the Palestinian authorities nearly 15,000 people have died during the Israeli bombardment of Gaza in retaliation for the 7 October massacre carried out by Hamas.

The agreement was made "within the framework of the truce and the schedule for the release of the hostages", the Israeli defence ministry has said, but does not signal an end to its war against Hamas. However, the US will not support Israeli forces expanding their campaign in Gaza without a plan to protect civilians evacuated to the south of the territory, the White House has said.

But to the Israeli public, "it's already clear that the killing of all the leading figures in Hamas, in the Gaza Strip and abroad, is an ancillary purpose of the campaign," said Amos Harel in Haaretz . For Israelis now, it is about the hostages and their families, and the "alleviation of their suffering".
(Bloomberg) -- New US aid for Ukraine and Israel will be difficult to pass before the end of the year, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner said, while Congress remains at odds over proposed changes to securing the southern border.

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Congress is going to require that therell be laws changed to make certain that the border returns to its prior state, the Ohio Republican said on NBCs Meet the Press. That could include restricting the entry of asylum seekers across the Mexican border and other provisions to secure it, he said.

Congressional Republicans are seeking to link their approval for the foreign military assistance to stricter border policies after President Joe Biden signed a stopgap bill that extended US government funding into early next year.

I think it would be very difficult to get it done by the end of the year and the impediment, currently, is the White House policy on the southern border, Turner said.

Read more: Speaker Johnson Faces Hard-Right Dismay, Risking Disarray Ahead

Congress is returning to work this week with legislation for Israel and Ukraine on the agenda. Further complications would raise questions on whether Washington will continue to provide its allies with resources and weaponry.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a letter to colleagues that he plans to bring the national security package requested by the White House to the floor as soon as December 4th.

Providing aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific is one of the most important tasks to finish before years end, Schumer said, citing the need for necessary military capabilities to confront and deter our adversaries and competitors.

The New York Democrat also said its critical for Congress to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian citizens.

The White House has requested roughly $4 billion in emergency funding to boost resources at the US border and counter the flow of fentanyl. Turner said that proposal lacks policy changes sought by conservatives.

In return for providing additional funding for Ukraine, we have to have significant and substantial reforms to our border policy, Senator Tom Cotton said on Fox News Sunday. Asylum and parole changes are among top policy concerns for conservatives, he said.

(Updates to include comments from Senator Schumer starting in the 6th paragraph.)

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Palestinians walk by a damaged building following an Israeli army operation in Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said Sunday. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP)  Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians, including at least one militant, in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said Sunday, as a fragile pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip entered its third day.

Violence in the West Bank has surged in the weeks since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, setting off a devastating war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians and arrested hundreds in the West Bank. Jewish West Bank settlers have also stepped up attacks.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that five Palestinians were killed in the militant stronghold of Jenin, while three others were killed in separate areas of the West Bank since Saturday morning. One of those killed, in al-Bireh in the central West Bank, was a teenager, the ministry said.

The Israeli military said it killed five Palestinians in a gunbattle during its operation in the Jenin refugee camp, where it was arresting a Palestinian suspected of killing an Israeli father and son at a West Bank car wash earlier in the year.

The military said those killed were militants. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group claimed one of the men, identified as Asaad al-Damj, 33, as a member, while the remainder were not immediately linked to militant groups. The military said, without specifying further, that it was backed by air power that struck and wounded what it said were armed Palestinians.

The military also said it was looking into the reports of the other incidents.

In the refugee camp, debris was strewn along the streets of the densely populated urban neighborhood and the wall of one house had a large hole in it.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said Israeli snipers were positioned on roofs and that military bulldozers were damaging roads and infrastructure. The reports could not immediately be independently verified, but the Israeli military said it was using engineering equipment to uncover explosive devices buried under roads.

In its bid to pursue militants, Israel clamped down on the West Bank immediately after the Hamas assault, closing crossings and checkpoints between Palestinian towns.

The intensified violence in the territory follows more than a year of escalating raids and arrests in the West Bank and deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Before the Hamas assault, 2023 was already the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in over two decades.

Israel and Hamas have briefly halted fire to allow for more aid to enter Gaza and permit a hostage release in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Vast swaths of the Gaza Strip have been flattened and some 1.7 million Palestinians have fled their homes.

In last months surprise attack, Hamas and other Gaza militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took about 240 hostage. Several dozen soldiers have been killed since Israel began its ground invasion into Gaza shortly after the attack.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories as part of their hoped-for independent state.

___

Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Samy Magdy contributed to this report from Cairo.
The four-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas has resulted in the release of 17 more hostages, 14 of whom are Israelis, according to our news partners at WTVD in Raleigh.

Senator Ted Budds office told WTVD that the wife of a North Carolina native, Keith Siegel, was one of the freed hostages.

Adrienne Aviva Siegel and Keith were both taken hostage by Hamas at the start of the war on October 7. According to Budds office, Keith is still being held hostage.

ALSO READ: Exhausted all avenues: South Carolina couple stuck in Israel amid violence

Budds office released this statement:

We are pleased that some hostages have been released and are now home with their loved ones. We remain steadfast in our commitment to secure that freedom for North Carolina native Keith Siegel, Omer Neutra, and all hostages illegally held by Hamas terrorists. While we are encouraged by the government of Qatars efforts to mediate the release of some of the hostages, we renew our call to their government to exert pressure on Hamas leadership to release each and every hostage immediately and unconditionally.

WTVD reports Siegel moved to Israel a few decades ago but has ties to Chapel Hill and Durham. At the end of October, Budd took to the Senate floor about the escalating war and innocent civilians taken hostage by Hamas, multiple of whom were from North Carolina.

One aspect of the Oct. 7 attack that continues to this day is the plight of the more than 200 innocent people held hostage in Gaza, including several Americans, Budd said. That includes some from my home state of North Carolina.

A couple of weeks ago, WTVD spoke with Rabbi Daniel Greyber from Beth El Synagogue in Durham after he spent six days in Israel. Greyber said he went to Kfar Aza Kibbutz, where the Siegels were living, when they were taken hostage.

Hamas hostages released on Sunday ranged from 4 to 84 years old and included Abigail Edan, 4, whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office, nine children under 18 were on the list.

(WATCH BELOW: Photo display held in Freedom Park to bring awareness to hostages held by Hamas)








Emily Hand  the Israeli-Irish 9-year-old girl who was initially believed to have been killed by Hamas  was among the 17 hostages freed from Gaza on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

She was released with the second batch of hostages  13 Israelis and four Thai Nationals  after an initial hostage release on Friday, the first day of the temporary cease-fire.

Emily was among seven children ranging from 3 to 16, and six women ranging in age from 18 to 67, who were released in the second batch, the prime minister's office announced.

Emily Hand, 9 years old, was released to Israel after 50 days in captivity in Gaza. / Credit: Courtesy Hand Family

Emily, who was 8 years old when she was abducted by Hamas during their Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel, was initially believed to be killed by the militant group. She celebrated her ninth birthday on Nov. 17 in captivity in Gaza.

Her father, Thomas Hand, told CBS News two days before his daughter's birthday, "The sad thing about it is, she won't even know what day it is. She won't know whether it's night or day. She won't even though it's her birthday."

Hand said that his little girl was at a sleepover at a friend's house at Kibbutz Be'eri when the massacre took place. Israel said more than 100 people were killed in that community alone, among the more than 1,200 who were killed in the Hamas attack.

At the time, her father, an Irish national who is not Jewish and moved to Israel as a kibbutz volunteer three decades ago, was told by Israeli officials that his daughter had been killed. Hand told CBS News at first he was informed "she was found dead."

At the time, Hand told CNN he was relieved by the knowledge that Emily was at least not in Hamas' hands.

"The thought of a little eight-year-old child in the hands of those animals... Can you imagine the sheer horror for an 8-year-old child?"

Emily Hand, then 8, is seen with her father Thomas Hand in a family photo. / Credit: Courtesy of Thomas Hand

A few weeks later, however, Israeli authorities told Hand his daughter might be alive, as they didn't find her remains at Kibbutz Be'eri.

Hand was filled with hope. He pressed governments around the world not to give up on the hostage release.

"It doesn't matter how sick I am. It doesn't matter how tired I am. We are going to get her back," he told CBS News.

Emily has now been reunited with her family after 50 days in captivity in Gaza. In a statement to CBS News Saturday, her family said, "Emily has come back to us! We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days."

They added that while they are "overjoyed to embrace Emily again," at the same time they remember "all the hostages who have yet to return."

"We appreciate the unwavering support as we continue our efforts for the safe return of all," the statement read.

 Elaine Cobbe and Analisa Novak contributed to this report.

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Nave Shoham, a released Israeli hostage, interacts with an Israeli soldier shortly after his arrival in Israel

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel's Mossad intelligence service is hosting its Qatari counterparts to confer on the recovery of hostages held by Hamas and other elements of a Gaza truce that was mediated by Doha, an Israeli security official said on Sunday.

Qatari intelligence officers arrived on Saturday for an indefinite stay in Israel, the official said, adding that cooperation between the agencies is "traditionally close", despite the lack of formal relations between the countries.

Qatar's international media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Qatari delegation travelled to Israel on Saturday to discuss a possible extension to the truce, another official told Reuters on Saturday, but it was unclear if intelligence officials were involved in the talks.

The second official said on Sunday that a handful of Qataris remained working in Israel "to strengthen coordination during the operations and to ensure the process ran smoothly, while coordinating with the operations room in Doha."

Gas-rich Gulf state Qatar hosts several top Hamas officials and the group's political office. Qatar also has cordial relations with Iran, Israel's arch-foe, which backs Hamas.

(Writing by Dan Williams and Andrew Mills; Editing by Alexander Smith)
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday met with security forces inside the Gaza Strip, his office said.

Netanyahu spoke with soldiers and commanders and received a security briefing, according to the statement from his office.

"Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the strength, the power, the will and the determination to achieve all the goals of the war, and that is what we will do," he said.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; editing by James Mackenzie)
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday did not rule out the possibility that the four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that began Friday could be extended, but said that the decision was up to Hamas.

I think it is certainly a possibility, and we would like to see that happen, Sullivan told NBCs Kristen Welker during an interview on Meet the Press.

Israel has proposed extending the ceasefire one additional day for every 10 more hostages Hamas releases beyond the 50 women and children the two sides agreed to in the initial deal. But its unclear whether Hamas will agree to such an extension.

Hamas is going to make the decision about whether they're prepared to release another 10 hostages. Israel has put its cards on the table. They're prepared to extend the pause in the fighting, Sullivan said.

So the ball is in Hamas court. Will Hamas step up and release another 10 hostages? If they wont, then theyre the ones choosing to bring an end to the pause in fighting, not Israel, he added, noting that President Joe Biden is set to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

The agreement between Israel and Hamas has so far allowed some desperately needed to reach besieged northern Gaza, and as of Sunday morning had resulted in the release of 41 hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip, and 78 Palestinian prisoners from Israel.

Hamas is still believed to holding approximately 200 hostages who were taken during the Oct. 7 attack. Israel has more than 8,000 Palestinians imprisoned across the state  about 5,000 of whom were arrested before Hamas attack this fall.

Americans are among those still held hostage by Hamas, though Sullivan said Sunday the U.S. has reason to believe that at least one American will be among those released Sunday.

Though Sullivan did not disclose the identity of the American expected to be released, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told CBS' Margaret Brennan it was 4-year old Abigail Mor Edan. Her parents were both killed in her presence during the Oct. 7 attack

The initial hostage deal involves the release of women and children, and there are three Americans in that category  two women and one young child  and we have reason to believe that one of those Americans will be released today, Sullivan said. But until we see her out safely from Gaza, in the hands of the authorities and ultimately in the hands of her family, then we won't be certain. But we have reason to believe that there will be one released today.
(Bloomberg) -- Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said hell intensify efforts to realize a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to Kyodo News Sunday.

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The Japanese government is lobbying through various channels to realize the meeting to change the status quo and establish fruitful relations, Kyodo News reported, citing Kishidas speech at a gathering in Tokyo on Sunday for the issue of North Korean abductions.

Japan officially lists 17 of its citizens as having been kidnapped by North Korea in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Five of them were freed in 2002.

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(CNN)  When the Seychelles government announced it would allow a Canadian company to explore for oil in its waters in September 2022, it said it hoped it would never have to extract the oil.

The small archipelago nation, off the eastern coast of Africa, is at threat from crushing sea level rise as the world continues to burn planet-warming fossil fuels. But long-promised finance from rich countries to help it make a green transition simply hasnt arrived, President Wavel Ramkalawan told CNN in May. So they have had to look elsewhere.

Were hoping that whilst we do the exploration, all these promises will be fulfilled, Ramkalawan said, meaning they could leave the oil in the ground. But, he added, at the end of the day, its about survival.

While not among the poorest developing countries, the Seychelles highlights a paradox faced by many in the Global South: How to grow their economies and cope with the expenses of climate-fueled disasters they did least to cause, while also responding to international pressure to stop burning fossil fuels.

Its into this space that Sultan Al Jaber has stepped  the Emirati minister and businessman who will preside over the UN-backed COP28 climate talks in Dubai starting on November 30.

Al Jabers appointment as COP28s leader has been met with fierce criticism among some media organizations, civil society groups and even politicians in the Global North. Thats because, while he serves as the UAEs climate envoy and head of its renewables company, he also runs the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). More than 100 members of the US Congress and the European Parliament in May called for him to be replaced as COP28 president-designate.

But Al Jabers decision to focus on increasing finance to help developing countries shift to renewable energy is helping his popularity in the Global South.

The money must flow smoothly and fast to where it needs to go so that the Global South does not have to choose between climate action and development, Al Jaber told delegates at a pre-COP opening ceremony in Dubai, in October.

For some leaders, this contrasts with a string of broken promises on finance from developed countries.

Countries in the West promise and dont deliver, but yet they tell you you have to keep protecting the planet, Ramkalawan said. He said the UAE has funded wind and solar plants in the Seychelles, adding, I think the commitment of the UAE speaks volumes.

Under Al Jabers leadership at the pre-COP28 talks, countries reached an agreement on how to run a loss and damage fund that would provide some money to developing countries to pay for the outsized impacts of climate change they have experienced.

It was a welcome development for some after the rich world had for two years failed to deliver the annual $100 billion to developing nations that it agreed back in 2009. That money was supposed to reach the most climate-vulnerable countries by 2020 to help them tackle and adapt to the climate crisis. Even though the goal was finally reached in 2022, developing nations say its nowhere near enough.

But many critics have cited the UAEs plans to expand production of planet-heating fossil fuels as a conflict of interest in the COP28 talks.

ADNOC plans to invest $150 billion into scaling up its operations over the next five years. It is currently expanding its production capacity, aiming for 5 million barrels of oil a day by 2027, while the UAE government has said it plans to extract its very last barrel of oil 50 years from now, when its reserves are projected to dry up. Thats despite scientists saying society should be winding down oil and gas use now.

Al Jaber and ADNOC deny allegations of a conflict of interest, saying that having someone who knows both fossil fuels and renewables to lead the talks makes sense. ADNOC told CNN that there was no one more qualified than Al Jaber to lead the talks, pointing to his 20-year career across the renewable energy and conventional energy sectors and his decade-long history in climate diplomacy.

Despite its plans to expand production, ADNOC previously told CNN that it was still aiming to achieve net zero by 2045 backed by an initial $15 billion allocation.

Struggling to keep up

Like the Seychelles, Kenya too is facing the challenge of how to cope with the expenses of climate-fueled disasters and rapidly scale up renewable energy without adequate funding.

When Kenyan President William Ruto, widely considered one of Africas leading climate champions, was asked if he was concerned about the oil-producing UAE hosting COP28, he told CNN he had no issue because the country is also among the biggest investors in renewable energy.

The UAE recently pledged $4.5 billion to finance clean energy projects across Africa. And in June, Masdar  the state-owned renewables firm founded by Al Jaber  was part of a group that signed a deal worth $10 billion to develop a 10GW wind farm in Egypt, billed as the biggest on the continent.

We are spending inordinate resources to try and manage the effects of climate change, Ruto said. He referred to Kenyas catastrophic multi-year drought, which scientists found was made 100 times more likely by the burning of planet-heating fossil fuels.

Even if the Global North has finally delivered the promised $100 billion of annual funding, its still a drop in the ocean compared to what some experts say is needed to help developing countries cope with the escalating impacts of the climate crisis and transform energy systems. A 2022 UN-backed report calculated developing countries will need about $2 trillion a year by 2030.

Harjeet Singh, the head of global political strategy for the Climate Action Network, said the reality is Western nations have not delivered. We have seen the West only being extractive and very opportunistic, and actually kept developing countries dependent on fossil fuels, he said.

Although he remained heavily critical of the UAEs fossil fuel expansion plans, he told CNN that the country has actually made some right noises in terms of offering investments in renewable energy, which seems promising.

But others are more skeptical.

Sanam Vakil, the director of the Middle East North Africa Program at Chatham House, said ultimately, the UAE is looking to protect its interests in the energy transition.

It needs to buy more time to diversify its economy further and wants to capitalize on its energy resources for as long as possible, Vakil told CNN. By positioning itself at the forefront of the conversation, the UAE helps preserve its own interests while seeming to champion those of the Global South.

In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson for the COP28 team said the challenge we all face is transitioning to a new energy system while keeping the lights on.

The spokesperson said the COP28 team was committed to ambitious, achievable, and substantial action, which means, holding back emissions, not progress, by ensuring energy security, accessibility, and affordability. Otherwise, we risk slowing down socio-economic progress and undermining support for ambitious climate action.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Despite criticisms from the West, the UAEs oil chief is proving popular in the developing world"
Musician and author John Densmore, 78, formed The Doors along with Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger.

The iconic American rock band produced a string of memorable albums, including Strange Days, Morrison Hotel and L.A. Woman, in the late 1960s, early 1970s.

Following Morrisons death in 1971, Densmore sued his former band mates to prevent them touring as The Doors. The subsequent legal case is the focus of his book The Doors Unhinged. Densmore continues to perform as a drummer, and lives In Los Angeles with his wife Ildiko Von Somogyi.

What was the best financial advice your parents gave you?

My dad told me not to quit The Doors. I was kind of tortured at the time because Jims self-destruction was increasing and really wearing on me.

This was in the middle period, and we didnt realise Jim was ill. I much appreciated the advice later because Im rather proud of the music we created.

How did you get into drumming?

I took piano lessons when I was eight, and just went crazy for it. By the time I got to junior high I just wanted to play music, but they didnt have pianos in a marching band.

I chose clarinet next, but the orthodontist who put a brace on my teeth said no, youre not gonna play that instrument. So, drums it was and I guess I owe my career to the dentist.

When did you think about a music career?

I started playing casual gigs, weddings, bar mitzvahs, all that stuff. But I never thought I could make a living out of it. Things really started taking off, and that surprised me. I just hoped Id earn well for a decade, yet, 50 years later and Im still talking about this frigging band.

What would you have done if it hadnt worked out?

How can I answer that question? I guess a paperboy, like when I was a kid. Back then, Ray was living in a two-bed apartment over a garage with an ocean view in Venice Beach, for $75 (60) a month.

I thought I just cant do the nine-to-five thing, so Ill just live in Venice where its cheap. Well, its about $1m (800,000) for that tiny kind of place now.

John Densmore says his biggest treat was buying a Jaguar car - DAN TUFFS

You had no back-up plan?

No, we were obsessed. Jim didnt have a car, so Id pick him up and wed go to breakfast or wherever, and wed talk 24/7 about how we were going to launch this band.

What made the band work?

Jim suggested we split everything. It wasnt lyrics by Jim Morrison, music by The Doors. We split everything, all the money and had a veto in case somebody got weird. It was really a democracy in action, for a while.

What was your career highlight?

We played The Roundhouse in London, and supposedly Paul McCartney was in the audience. It was billed as the West Coast psychedelic sound comes to England, and we were really on our game. The worst was New Orleans, Jim was so loaded he just sat on my drum stool. It was awful to go down in front of all those people.

When did you feel you were making money?

Id say the transition from clubs to second billing in philharmonic halls. Thats when the train was leaving the station, we were going to make a living at playing music.

John Densmore in 1970 - TPLP

Where did it all go wrong?

Jims drinking became so difficult we stopped touring after New Orleans. After he died, it became very difficult because of an addiction to money. Ray and Robby wanted to go on with The Doors, without Jim, and I thought, excuse me, I dont think so. I said call yourself the founding members or whatever but dont call yourself The Doors, and then we got into this legal struggle.

What was Morrisons attitude to money?

When we did a big concert, Jim would have everyone on their feet, and afterwards hed say well, weve had a riot, now lets go to an island and start over. This was where it was at, and so thats why he was so upset over Come on Buick Light My Fire [a proposed deal to adapt the song to promote Buick cars]. This was a song primarily written by Robby.

Jim was so upset, he really cared about the whole catalogue, and money wasnt paramount. We were getting houses and cool cars. He lived in a motel.

Why did you sue your surviving bandmates?

There was a concert, with significant money, but I had tinnitus so I said you guys go ahead. Then I read they were doing a tour as The Doors.

I called and said straighten out the name, but they didnt so I had to do this terrible thing of taking them to court. They counter-sued me for more money than we had collectively to scare me and it worked.

Dont get me wrong, if youre a young band trying to pay the rent, do a commercial. Our situation was different, Jim had passed. I really cared about this and Im going to honour my bandmate.

Jim Morrison on stage with the band in 1968 - JAN PERSSON

But you turned down the chance to earn a fortune, right?

Twice a week my knees were shaking, I was constantly asking what Im doing here. I remember an interviewer saying to me, youve either got great morals, or youre really stupid.

I did say to Ray and Robby that we all had a nice house and a couple of groovy cars, what more do you want to buy? There was a pause, which was powerful.

Did you speak after the trial?

At the end of the trial, when I heard that Ray was getting sick, I called him and we just talked about his health. I didnt know it was going to be my last phone call, but Im blessed to have had that closure.

I called Robby after, and said that trumps everything, lets play music again, which we did. Theres even a rumour that Rob and I are going to play in the UK next year.

Do you think Morrison would have got help, if hed lived?

I used to answer no, hes a kamikaze drunk, but I now think he would. He was a smart guy, and Id encourage anyone with that addictive gene to get help.

John Densmore keeping up the beat in 2020 - JEROME BRUNET/ZUMA

What is your biggest treat?

I can tell you my biggest ever. It was the Jaguar car I bought in the late 1960s, which would also qualify as my worst money decision. I remember an English Jaguar mechanic saying John, youve got to know how to walk up to a Jag, or it might not start.

What was your best money decision?

I dont know, probably buying rather than renting.

Are you a spender or a saver?

I suppose Im a saver. I was more of a spender in the bands middle period, when they called me Jaguar John, but I learned from that.



The Doors Unhinged by John Densmore is out now (Akashic Books)

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Longtime civil rights activist, voting rights activist and president of the NAACP branch in East St. Louis, the Rev. Johnny Scott, has died.

Scott died on Thanksgiving Day at St. Elizabeths Hospital in OFallon after suffering a heart attack and contracting COVID, according to St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. and family members. He was 91.

Crystal (Scott) Watson, one of Scotts two daughters, said her father was the best dad in the whole wide world.

He taught me the value of having a relationship with the Lord at a very young age, she said.

He showed me what it is like to be a Christian by not being perfect but once you fall to get back up. He didnt just take us to church. He prayed over his family. He showed me that even as a Christian there will be times in your life where you will make mistakes. But, if you go back to God, and confess your sins, he is just and faithful to forgive us. I got the example of what the word says by seeing him walk it out. When he fell, he knew how to get back to that right relationship realizing it was not his goodness or his righteousness, but it was the righteousness of the Lord.

Watson described her dad as the best spiritual father a person could have.

He did all he could do for his family. Not a perfect father  not a perfect man. But he was the epitome of a father to me. He made his share of mistakes, but he was one you could talk to, she said.

As she and her sister, Shelia (Scott) Clark grew older, Scott knew how to transition from being a father to being a mentor, Watson said.

Watson said Scott was there for them in their adult lives, but he allowed them to make some decisions and mistakes to help them grow.

He knew he couldnt continue to raise grown children, but he was a father. He was there if we fell, she said.

Taken to hospital

Scott was at home when fell out of bed a couple of weeks ago. He hurt his shoulder and went to the hospital.

Doctors told him it was not broken so they sent him back home.

But three days later, Watson got a call from her nephew that Scott could not walk.

She left her home in Huntsville, Alabama, and headed to the metro-east.

When I got to his house he could not walk, she said. I got him to the hospital. We found out he had had a major heart attack.

She said her father subsequently contracted COVID.

Scott marriage

Scott was married to Greta (Garner) Scott for 71 years.

Watson said they were always there for each other and if they quarreled among themselves neither let anyone else bother the other.

His wife stood by his side for many years in the tax and accounting business that he ran for many years at 2149 State St. in East St. Louis. He was also president of the NAACPs East St. Louis branch, which he housed inside of his tax office. He kept the doors open for eight hours a day, six days a week.

And whatever he needed her to do, his wife was there to oblige and vice versa.

President Bill Clinton poses with the Rev. Johnny Scott. They are with Scotts daughter, Sheila Clark, and his grandson, Carlo Clark.

Greta Scott has been battling cancer for many years and those who knew the couple knew he was there at her side taking care of her to honor their marriage vows of til death do us part.

As he was preparing to retire he told a BND reporter, Whatever I needed her to do, she has been here to do. I am very grateful to her for what she has done.

They showed that a marriage can survive in the midst of adversity. They weathered the storms, hurricanes and blizzards, Watson said.

Help for Black and white residents

Talking about Scotts passion to help mankind, Watson said her father had a passion for helping the underdog.

Watson said her father worked to bring Black and white persons together and he helped Black people as well as white persons in Belleville and other places.

He fought for those who couldnt fight for themselves. Whoever needed help, my dad made himself available to them, Watson said.

And because he wanted equality for all people, regardless of race, or gender he was often called an Uncle Tom by some Black people.

Watson said her father took the heat from Black people who spoke harshly of him for fighting for white persons.

It didnt matter race or gender. Before I became a minister and when churches in the area didnt agree with women ministers, he took a stand  If God could use a donkey, he could use a woman, Watson quoted Scott saying.

He fought for what was right, she said.

Scotts career

Community leaders described Scott as a hard working and dedicated former president of the NAACP chapter in East St. Louis.

Scott, who was born in Indianola, Mississippi, wore many hats in his career. He served in the U.S. Army and was a manager with the U.S. Postal Service.

He was appointed by U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and U.S. Sen. Paul Simon to serve on a federal judicial commission. He is a former member of the East St. Louis Police and Fire board. He was a chaplain for the St. Clair County Sheriffs Department.

He also earned many other awards for his service to the community.

Scott pastored at Antioch Baptist Church in Venice, and Watson plans to continue Scotts legacy taking the torch her dad lighted and stepping up more to fight for the downtrodden and less fortunate.

In 2013, after 32 years as head of the NAACP East St. Louis branch, Scott retired as president.

He said it was time for a new younger face to take over and bring fresher ideas.

He handed the presidency of the NAACP over to Stanley Franklin saying, at that time, This position is not mine forever, to have until I cross over Jordan.

The NAACP has to stay alive.To do that you have to have new blood with new ideas, Scott said.

Rev. Johnny Scott with his grandson Jamail Watson.

Franklin offered condolences to Scotts family and praised Scott for his leadership.

Johnny was the one who prepared and got me ready to become president after him, said Franklin, who served as president of the group for about 10 years.

He assisted me in every way possible, Franklin said. He was a beacon in our community. He was a wealth of knowledge. He will be missed by not only his family but the community at large. He has touched a lot of lives.

Scott played a role in the U.S. Justice Departments settlement with the city of Belleville over racial bias in hiring. He participated in sensitivity training for local police and mediated disputes that ranged from racial epithets being used in public to being the spokesman for local groups on issues like burnings and state take over of East St. Louis schools.

He was also a member of the Metro East Police Commission and Calvin Dye Sr., who is now the county coroner, was president of the board.

Dye recalls his work with Scott. We worked together on the issue that came before the board. It was great working with him, he said with a chuckle.

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, who previously served as states attorney in St. Clair County, said, Rev. Scott was a supporter of strong, ethical law enforcement and believed the community and law enforcement had to work together to stop the cycle of violence.

Longtime businessman Cedric Taylor served under Scott as a deacon at Antioch for five years.

He said society has lost a man who was always ready and willing to serve anyone who needed a hand.

He was a tireless worker. He took his job as a leader in the community very seriously, Taylor said.

I pray he rests in peace. He deserves it. I pray for mercy and grace for his family as they go through the grieving process, Taylor said.

Funeral services

The visitation for the Rev. Johnny Scott will be 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Serenity Memorial at 3416 W. Main St. in Belleville.

A funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery chapel in south St. Louis County.

The Rev. Johnny Scott is surrounded by daughter Crystal Watson, wife Greta Scott, grandson Jamail Watson, daughter Shelia Clark, grandson Octavious Clark and his wife Tiffany Clark.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Kansas City homicide detectives are investigating a deadly shooting where a teenager died on Saturday afternoon.

KCPD says officers went to the area of Linwood and Park Avenue, just east of 71 Highway near Sanford Brown Plaza, on a reported shooting at about 3 p.m. Officers were directed to a nearby house where they found a teenage boy unresponsive.

Emergency responders attempted to save his life, but he died from his injuries. Investigators identified him as 16-year-old Derrick White.

Where are the snow plows? See KC-area city maps, plans

KCPD says they have taken in another teenager for questioning, and preliminary investigation leads police to believe this may have been an accident.

The investigation is ongoing. If you know something that will help police, call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS or contact the homicide unit directly at (816) 234-5043.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
LAWRENCE, Kan.  Lawrence police and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation are asking for help in locating a missing man who hasnt been seen since early Saturday afternoon.

A statewide Silver Alert is out for 79-year-old Stephen Earle Glass, who left home at 2 p.m. and hasnt been heard from since.

Glass has medical issues and family believes hes in need of immediate assistance.

Hes 511 and weighs 190 pounds. Hes bald and has hazel eyes.

Police believe hes driving a 2017 Toyota Highlander with Kansas license plates: 388KHV.

If youve seen him or know where he is, please call 911 immediately.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
If you're getting a live Christmas tree, there are a few things you can do to keep it fresh.

Two Christmas tree experts gave some tips on keeping a real tree in good shape through the holidays.

Choosing a healthy tree, doing a fresh cut, and giving it lots of water will all help it last.

Once you've picked out the perfect Christmas tree , there are three things to remember when it comes to making it last through the holidays: fresh tree, fresh cut, fresh water.

"That's really the key thing in all of this, is to get a tree that's fresh," Bert Cregg, a professor in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University, told Business Insider.

Though Thanksgiving falls a bit early this year, there are a few steps you can take to make sure your tree looks as good as the ornaments .

Find a fresh tree

When you're inspecting which tree to take home, Cregg recommends doing a pull test. "Take your thumb and forefinger and kind of pull along the chute," he said. "You shouldn't have needles coming off in your hand."

Cregg said Fraser and Noble firs are both known for their needle retention. "If you take care of [your tree] properly, with those species, you shouldn't have any problems," he said.

Give the trunk a fresh cut

Both experts said before you put the tree in its stand, saw off about an inch from the bottom of the trunk. The workers on a tree lot may cut it for you. It's especially important for trees that have been shipped from different parts of the country.

Doing a fresh cut on your Christmas tree will help it soak up water. Oliver Berg/picture alliance via Getty Images

Once a tree is harvested, it may take a couple of days before it arrives at a store. "Removing any of the grime or resin that's accumulated to open up the vasculature is important," Justin G. A. Whitehill, lead of the Christmas Tree Genetics Program at North Carolina State University, told BI.

Clearing away that residue "makes it easier for the tree to take up water," Cregg said.

Provide plenty of fresh water

Keeping your tree hydrated is crucial. "Get the tree into fresh, clean water as fast as possible," Whitehill said.

Both Whitehill and Cregg said trees can suck up a lot of water in the first week or so. After that, you won't need to refill the container as often.

"We recommend the stand should hold about a quart of water for every inch of diameter of the trunk where the cut is," Cregg said. A 7-foot tree may have a 3-inch diameter, so a suitable stand should hold 3 quarts (0.75 gallons) of water, for example.

Balsam firs are known as the most fragrant Christmas trees. Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images

In this case, you may want to go for substance over style. "Oftentimes it's actually the less expensive, plastic stands that hold more water," Cregg said.

If the stand runs dry, it can be difficult to get the tree to take up water again, Cregg said. That's why it's important to keep checking the water level.

Just use tap water

Maybe you've heard about adding aspirin, soda, or bleach to your tree's water supply. That's unnecessary, Cregg said. "The research has shown just fresh tap water is all people need to do  and plenty of it," he said. "Just keep that reservoir filled."

Read the original article on Business Insider
ATHENS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  Long before Michigan was granted statehood, before the first pilgrims made landfall and even before Christopher Columbus made his fateful journey across the Atlantic, the Anishinaabe were here.

Indigenous people can trace their roots back more than 2,000 years in the Midwest alone. While many groups moved in and out over the years, the territory is most commonly claimed by three Anishinaabe tribes  The Council of the Three Fires  the Chippewa, the Odawa and the Potawatomi.

History tells us how most of that land was lost to colonizers and how settlers tried to force Indigenous people to assimilate. But the native people held on and are still passing down their customs and way of life. Michigans 12 federally recognized tribes are now working together to revive some of those things that were once lost, including a grain that was once a staple of their ancestors diet: manoomin.

Manoomin  the good seed or good berry in Anishinaabemowin  is a long grain that grows on the shorelines of both rivers and lakes. It was not only plentiful but also high in nutritional value. According to the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, manoomin is high in protein and several key vitamins and minerals, including iron, potassium, riboflavin and niacin. It would typically be served as part of a meal with fish or squash and was also used in certain medicines and ceremonies.

Anishinabek oral tradition says that manoomin is what brought their ancestors to the Great Lakes region. Legend has it that their ancestors moved from the East Coast to the Great Lakes region after being visited by three prophets who told them to travel west until they found the place where food grows on water.

Douglas Taylor, the former tribal historical preservation officer for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, says manoomin represents several elements of Indigenous living.

A close-up look at a single grain of manoomin. (Courtesy John Rodwan)

A look at manoomin in the flower stage. (Courtesy John Rodwan)

A patch of wild rice sits along the shoreline of the Nottawa Creek in St. Joseph County. (Matt Jaworowski/WOOD TV8)

A close-up look at a bowl full of manoomin. (Courtesy John Rodwan)

Its not only a food source. If you look at it historically, the wild rice grows along the water. The water also provides fish, another staple in our culture, Taylor told News 8. This is a bend in the river that is easily defended, there is high ground.  Where you find wild rice, youre going to find encampments. Where you find encampments, youre probably going to find burial grounds. Those three kind of go hand-in-hand.

Like several other harvested foods, manoomin is seasonal. A successful harvest required the entire tribe to work together.

Paleoindians and beyond: West Michigans history goes back millennia

This was not an individual thing. This was a tribal event. Everybody had a job, Taylor explained. You come out here, you and your canoes. You made your little wands or tools to shake the rice off of the stalks. You would bring them in and prepare them.

Though the process changed some as time went on, the basics stayed the same. Taylor was taught how to harvest and prepare manoomin as a child, taught by elders to pass on that way of life.

You dig a hole and put a piece of leather over it, he explained. You have special moccasins you would wear and you would step on it to separate the kernels (from the shell). Then you would put it in a copper kettle and you would cook it. But you have to be very careful because you could scorch it and destroy it real quick. It takes a certain amount of skill.

Manoomin thrived across the Great Lakes alongside the Anishinaabe, but most of the rice beds were destroyed as the Anishinaabe forfeited their land in the treaty era of the 18th and 19th centuries. Michigans logging industry and the dredging and draining of wetlands helped kill off most of the manoomin, and now agricultural runoff prevents it from coming back. Manoomin stocks are so low in Michigan that most tribes have to buy it from harvesters in other states.

The other mounds: Lost history is a part of West Michigans story

John Rodwan, the environmental director for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, says people who own waterfront homes also play a role in destroying manoomin habitat. Rodwan gave a tour of a piece of property on Nottawa Creek that the tribe bought for the sole purpose of growing manoomin.

You can see our neighbor right here has removed a lot of his rice, he said. Riparian owners dont like wild rice because it grows tall (and blocks their view of the water). So, it still gets a fair amount of abuse.

Michigans tribes are working to change that. Several years ago, the 12 federally recognized tribes partnered with several state departments to launch the Michigan Wild Rice Initiative. Their goal: to protect and preserve the current manoomin stocks and bring the wild rice back to areas where it once thrived.

We monitor the existing stands for health. We try to protect those stands by (purchasing land) like this. We bought this parcel to protect this rice and use it to transplant to other properties, Rodwan told News 8.

The trauma of Indigenous boarding schools: Can government investigations deliver justice?

Several tribes conduct their own annual planting sessions, using harvested manoomin to spread the grains to other bodies of water. Sometimes, they are successful. Other times, the rice fails to take hold because humans arent the only ones looking for a meal.

Geese and carp are big predators of rice. I think the geese could almost be considered an invasive species because the populations have just mushroomed (in recent years), Rodwan said. The geese, as do all waterfowl, love rice. The carp can eat the emerging rice as it is coming up in the spring.

For Taylor, reviving manoomin circles back to the oppression Indigenous communities felt over past centuries.

It all goes back to the federal government trying to destroy the culture and the Native American lifeways, Taylor said. In order to preserve our traditional lifeways, (our ancestors) had to go underground. The powwows would continue deep in the woods in a remote area. Our traditional teachings were continued on. Our stories were continued on in private and sometimes they were so secretive that they did not even tell some of the tribal leaders because they wanted to try and protect them and insulate them from the outside world.

For our descendants: Grand River Band wont give up fight for federal recognition

Rodwan believes many people would get on board with protecting and expanding manoomin once they learn more about the grain and its role in Indigenous culture.

I think the general public would embrace rice more and rice protection the more they knew about how important it was to a lifeway and the entire ecology, Rodwan said. Tribes dont just look at it as their right to protect. They want a better lifeway. Wild rice is kind of an indicator species, too. So I like to think, So goes the rice, so goes the community. Tribal communities were in decline for many years. Now, we are revitalized and so is the rice.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
A dead body was found Saturday in northern Garrard County, the local sheriffs office said.

A property owner discovered the body while checking a remote part of their property, located on Burdette Knob Road, and notified the Garrard County Sheriffs Office just before 5 p.m., the office said in a Facebook post.

Shane Young, the county coroner, removed the body and will send it to the State Medical Examiners Office to be identified.

The sheriffs office and coroner are conducting an investigation into the death. Garrard County Sheriffs Office asked that anyone with information on the death contact the office at 859-792-3591.

This is a developing story and may be updated.
Kenya's Parliament Building is seen from observation point on the top of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi

By Humphrey Malalo

NAIROBI (Reuters) - A committee set up by the Kenyan parliament has called for reforms to the country's electoral body and a review of tax policy, public spending and social security, a copy of their report seen by Reuters on Sunday shows.

The bipartisan committee formed to study opposition grievances wants the electoral commission reconstituted and an audit of the last presidential election.

Kenya was gripped by violent protests early this year triggered by complaints by opposition leaders and supporters about electoral malpractices, the high cost of living and rising taxes.

As a result, the committee was formed in August with the backing of a parliamentary resolution and was mandated to study the grievances and propose necessary policy reforms to the government.

In its report, the committee recommended the "restructuring and reconstitution" of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the country's electoral body.

"The committee recommended the appointment of a panel of experts who would evaluate the 2022 electoral process and a mechanism for evaluating future elections."

The report was published on Saturday, a parliamentary official told Reuters.

The government, the committee said in the report, should also review its tax policy, rationalise public expenditure and expand the reach of social protection.

Incumbent President William Ruto was elected last August on a platform of helping Kenya's working poor, but critics say he has instead implemented tax policies that worsen the plight of ordinary Kenyans already struggling to afford basic commodities.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who lost to Ruto in the election, rejected the results of the ballot and says his victory was stolen. He has been demanding a review of the election and other broad reforms including reconstitution the IEBC to make it more independent.

In its report, the committee also recommended "establishment and entrenchment of the office of the prime minister in

the constitution as a means of improving governance and

coordination of functions of the executive arm of government".

In a post on X on Sunday, Kenya State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said Ruto was committed to implementing the committee's proposals.

(Reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; editing by Giles Elgood)
The Duke of Westminster only discovered the precious timepieces were missing around three weeks after the incident - Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Contributor

Prince Georges godfather has had watches worth 42,000 stolen after hiring decorators to spruce up his family seat.

The Duke of Westminster lost a 30,000 Cartier London Tank JC wristwatch, a Panerai Luminor Marina watch and a Breitling watch each worth 6,000 after a workman sneaked into his bedroom and helped himself whilst redecorating rooms at Eaton Hall in Cheshire.

The 32-year-old Duke only discovered the precious timepieces were missing around three weeks later when he was looking for the Cartier to wear.

It is believed the aristocrat, who has an estimated net worth of 9.42 billion and is the Kings godson, had instructed workmen to decorate various rooms at the mansion but not his bedroom.

The burglary at the 10,872-acre estate occurred last August but has only now emerged after two men were arrested and charged.

Matthew Turner pleaded guilty to burglary - CHP

Last Friday, at Chester magistrates court, Matthew Turner, 24, of Great Sutton, near Ellesmere Port, pleaded guilty to burglary between Aug 7 and 31 2022.

He also admitted an unrelated theft of 60 from a tyre shop for which he will be sentenced at a later date.

Nathan Elliot, 30, of Whitby, Ellesmere Port was charged with handling the stolen Cartier watch but pleaded not guilty and will face trial.

Prosecutor Scott Woodward said: The Crown say this is not suitable to be dealt with in this court. The charge is a domestic burglary. The value of goods from the burglary is 42,000, a significant amount.

Taking that value, the starting point is one year in custody. The sentencing guidelines are clearly in excess of this court so I invite you to send it to the crown court.

Steven Alis, Turners lawyer, said: The category of harm here, related to the value of items and I agree the starting point is 12 months. But I am not saying that is what he is going to get.

One of the stolen watches was a 30,000 Cartier London Tank JC

Turner was bailed for the preparation of background reports. He is expected to be sentenced following Elliotts trial.

The Duke, who was not in court, was the third child and only son of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, and his wife, Natalia, a descendant from the Russian Imperial House of Romanov.

A close friend of the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex, he was raised at Eaton Hall with his three sisters, Lady Tamara, Lady Edwina and Lady Viola.

They attended a local state primary school before the Duke transferred to the small, private Mostyn House School, followed by Ellesmere College in Shropshire, which commands fees of 40,635 a year.

He later studied at Newcastle University, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in Countryside Management.

Previously titled Earl Grosvenor, he became the seventh Duke when his father died in 2016.

At the time he was labelled Britains most eligible bachelor but in April this year he announced his engagement to Olivia Grace Henson.

The couple are due to marry on June 7 next year at Chester Cathedral.

Eaton Hall has been owned by the Grosvenor family since the 15th century. The first substantial house was built in the 17th century but has since undergone several facelifts.

The latest incarnation gives the appearance of a French chateau and is surrounded by its own formal gardens, parkland, farmland and woodland.

The Duke owns 140,000 acres of land across Oxfordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and Scotland, as well as 300 acres of prime central London in Mayfair and Belgravia.

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Labour's Darren Jones had suggested "a couple of hundred thousand a year" would be a normal level for net migration

Labour has said it will not set an "arbitrary target" on cutting net migration.

It comes after a shadow minister told the BBC the party hoped figures would reach a "normal level" of "a couple of hundred thousand a year" if it wins the next election.

Darren Jones said the numbers would depend on the needs of the economy.

A Labour spokesperson said it expected its proposals would lead to a fall in net migration.

"Labour's position hasn't changed. As we have set out we will scrap the 20% wage discount, review the skilled worker salary threshold and reform the Migration Advisory Committee to link it to the bodies setting out industrial and skills strategy," the spokesperson said after Mr Jones' BBC interview earlier.

"As a result of these measures we expect net migration will go down, but we won't set an arbitrary target unlike the Tories - who have never come close to meeting it."

The Conservatives are under pressure to cut migration after new figures showed it reached record levels last year.

Net migration - the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those leaving - was 745,000 last year, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics, published earlier this week.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has described the figure as "shockingly high", while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also said immigration levels are too high and need to come down "to sustainable levels".

Labour has said it would increase the salary requirements for foreign workers to come to the UK, based on recommendations from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.

Currently the annual salary threshold for a skilled worker visa is set at 26,200 but roles on the shortage occupation list can be offered at 20,960. Labour has said it would scrap this 20% discount if it wins power.

Back in 2010, Lord David Cameron, the former Tory prime minister who was appointed foreign secretary in the recent reshuffle, pledged to get net migration below 100,000 - but the commitment has never been met.

The Conservative Party's 2019 manifesto also promised to bring overall numbers down, without setting a specific target, after the introduction of post-Brexit border controls.

Asked on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg what a reasonable level of net migration would be, Mr Jones said: "The normal level is a couple of hundred thousand a year but it depends on the needs in the economy."

Pressed on whether this would be something Labour would hope to achieve in its first term in government, if the party wins power, Mr Jones said: "I think we probably would hope to do that, yes, but we've talked about a decade of national renewal."

However, he added that the Conservatives had left "deep structural problems" which would "take time to fix".

Mr Jones suggested the "abnormally high number of work visas", particularly for health and social care, reflected issues with the way the NHS was being run by the government.

He called for "a proper NHS workforce plan" and improvements in productivity so the UK was not so reliant on workers from overseas.

Graph show migration adds 672,000 to UK population

The vast majority of those arriving in the UK in the year ending June 2023 were from outside the European Union.

Students accounted for the largest group of non-EU migrants, followed by those coming for work. The ONS said this could largely be attributed to people on health and care visas, with the sector facing chronic staff shortages.

However, it said provisional figures suggested the rate of net migration could now be slowing, with the estimated number falling back to 672,000 in the year to June.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said this was "positive news" but that the government was taking further steps to cut migration.

For example, earlier this year it announced new restrictions on students bringing family members with them to the UK, which come into effect from January.

Ms Trott told the BBC the government's long-term plan for the NHS workforce would also mean more people would be trained for jobs in health and social care.

Tory MPs on the right of the party, including former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, have been calling for tougher measures to cut migration.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has drawn up his own set of proposals, which are not yet government policy but are being discussed internally.

These include increasing the minimum salary required for a work visa and introducing a cap on health and social care visas.
Ukrainian intelligence has planned large-scale drone attacks on Russian regions on the night of 25-26 November in retaliation for the unprecedented Shahed drone attack Russia launched on Kyiv the night before.

Source: an anonymous Ukrainska Pravda source

Details: The source told Ukrainska Pravda that the attack on Russia started at 03:30 on 26 November and ended at 09:20. Around 35 drones were launched on targets in Moscow and Moscow Oblast, as well as in Tula and Smolensk.

The source stressed that all of these targets were linked to the Russian military or the military-industrial complex.

Quote: "This was an entirely symmetric response and a signal to Russia that it should think about the consequences of its actions.

The war should be fought among the military, confined to the areas of hostilities.

Attacks on civilians and outside of the areas of hostilities will not be left without response."

Background:

On the morning of 26 November, Russian forces claimed that they had shot down 24 UAVs over Russia.

The Russians are studying the new drones, resembling their own Shahed UAVs, that hit them late on 25 November and early on 26 November.

The Russians launched a record number of attack UAVs on Ukraine on the night of 24-25 November: 75 Shahed kamikaze drones, 74 of which were shot down.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Las Vegas Raiders safety Roderic Teamer was arrested on a DUI charge Sunday morning, according to jail records.

Teamer, 26, faces charges of DUI and a basic speeding violation for going 21-30 mph over the posted limit, records showed.

Teamers arrest comes just before the teams Sunday game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Teamer has been with the Raiders since 2021.

He is scheduled to appear in court in April 2024.

The Raiders released the following statement:

The Raiders are aware of an incident involving Roderic Teamer last night. The club is in the process of gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
A federal appeals court panel significantly weakened the Voting Rights Act last week by taking away the key mechanism used to enforce it. The court ruled that private citizens and civil rights groups cannot bring lawsuits under Section 2, the provision of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits racially discriminatory voting practices. Only the federal government has the ability to bring such lawsuits, the ruling said.

One of those lawsuits was filed in North Carolina last week. Eastern North Carolina voters Monday against the states new voting districts, arguing that the state Senate map violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting power of Black residents. Its the first  but likely not the last  legal challenge to the new legislative and congressional maps enacted by Republican lawmakers last month.

The ruling came from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, so it wont immediately affect North Carolina, which is located in the 4th Circuit. The case is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, though, and if the ruling stands, it would become significantly harder to challenge legislation that threatens voting rights in every state.

The ruling originates from a redistricting case in Arkansas thats quite similar to the one filed in North Carolina this week. The Arkansas chapter of the NAACP and others sued over the states legislative maps, which they also argued dilute the voting power of Black people. The North Carolina case alleges that the state Senate map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because it cracks Black voters into multiple districts, thus diluting their votes. One of those districts stretches more than 160 miles from the Virginia border to Carteret County, the lawsuit notes.

Its not exactly clear how the U.S. Supreme Court would rule if it ultimately takes up the case. The court has taken steps to weaken the Voting Rights Act over the years, but it has also upheld it, most notably in a June ruling striking down a racially gerrymandered map in Alabama. But the Arkansas case is different, because it wouldnt ask the court to decide whether a map was gerrymandered  it would ask the court to decide whether private citizens even have the right to bring such a lawsuit in the first place.

In a 2021 ruling, Justice Neil Gorsuch noted in a concurring opinion that the court has assumed, but has not explicitly decided, that private citizens have that right. Since that question had not come before the court, he wrote, there was no need for the court to address it. Gorsuchs opinion worried legal experts, who feared it could put that part of the Voting Rights Act in danger. The 8th Circuit even cited Gorsuchs opinion in its ruling, noting that he called it an open question.

If the 8th Circuits ruling is upheld, it would strip voters of the ability to fight back against disenfranchisement. In states like North Carolina, where lawmakers regularly pass legislation that infringes upon the right to vote, its often up to private citizens and interest groups to challenge it in court. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has been the basis for many voting rights lawsuits in North Carolina, including the 2013 monster voting law and multiple racial gerrymandering cases.

While the federal government would still be able to bring lawsuits, it doesnt have unlimited resources, so its unlikely that it would be able to pursue litigation against every voting rights violation in every state. Over the past several decades, only a small percentage of successful Section 2 lawsuits nationwide were brought exclusively by the Justice Department.

North Carolinians are already limited in their ability to hold lawmakers accountable for brazen gerrymandering. Given the current state of the judiciary, racial gerrymandering lawsuits are the only true recourse that voters have to fight such discrimination. The Republican majority on North Carolinas highest court has ruled that partisan gerrymandering is not forbidden by the state constitution, effectively giving legislators the ability to draw maps with impunity. If the 8th Circuits ruling is upheld, that last path of recourse could be taken away, too.
Latvia offered to "provide assistance in seeking solutions" to unblock the Polish border with Ukraine, during a Nov. 25 phone call between Latvia's Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins and Poland's EU Affairs Secretary Szymon Szynkowski.



Karins called on Poland to solve the standoff, which has caused more than 2,000 vehicles to be stuck at the border, with two truckers known to have died. The Latvian minister said his country is ready to help.



The two also discussed the upcoming EU summit, which will consider starting talks about Ukraine's membership. Karins said he's in favor of launching them this year.

"The Latvian Foreign Minister reiterated Latvias firm support for Ukraine, noting that Ukraine belongs to Europe, therefore Latvia supports starting the EU accession talks with Ukraine already this year," reads a press release by Latvia's Foreign Ministry.



Polish truckers started blocking three border crossing points on Nov. 6 in protest of the liberalization of EU transport rules for Ukrainian trucks, causing huge lines on both sides of the border.

Polish truckers complain that the high number of Ukrainian drivers entering Poland are hauling goods from Poland to other countries, undercutting local businesses that cannot match cheaper Ukrainian prices. Ukrainian officials and industry representatives deny the accusations. The EU has warned the Polish government to ensure the end of the blockade.



The European Commission on Nov. 8 recommended formal membership talks with Ukraine. Consensus from 27 members at a European Council summit in December will be required to back the recommendations and begin negotiations.



Hungary has given strong signs that it could block Ukraine's membership.

Read also: Trucker protests: Unraveling the standoff between Polish and Ukrainian haulers

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Riga has urged Warsaw to resolve the situation with the blockades on the Polish-Ukrainian border and is offering its assistance in this regard.

Source: Latvian Foreign Ministry, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins had a conversation with Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek, Polish Minister for EU Affairs, on 25 November, urging him to seek a way out of the ongoing situation on the Polish-Ukrainian border due to the protest blockade by Polish hauliers.

"The foreign minister said Latvia was ready to join in and help find a way out of the situation," the communique stated.

The ministers also discussed the upcoming European Council summit, which is expected to consider the issue of opening EU accession talks with Ukraine.

Background:

Polish hauliers, who have been blocking three checkpoints on the Polish-Ukrainian border for road freight since 6 November, commenced a blockade of another checkpoint, Medyka-Shehyni, on 23 November. The blockade may last until 3 January.

On 22 November, the Ukrainian parliament approached the new Polish Sejm (lower chamber of the Polish parliament) and Senate with a proposal to unblock the border for hauliers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had an understanding of how to act and that "it takes a little time" to make progress.

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The European Union should postpone the sale of ammunition to third countries so that it can be provided to Ukraine, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has said.

Read also: Latvian President seeks shelter in Kyiv bunker during Russian drone assault  photo

Rinkevics expressed the view that the European Union should defer the sale of ammunition to countries not actively engaged in warfare to facilitate their provision to Ukraine.

I know that there are some so-called third countries still buying ammunition from European factories, Rinkevics said in an interview with the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne on Nov. 26.

If we can postpone, for example, their purchases because they dont have an active military situation, then perhaps thats what we should do.

The Latvian leader said this would require collaboration between European institutions and certain national states. Previously, Rinkevics suggested that the EU should start purchasing ammunition for Ukraine from third countries, as EU countries are unable to deliver the promised one million shells by the spring of next year.

Read also: Latvian president names three factors that could force Putin to end his war against Ukraine

In early May 2023, the EU Council supported an initiative to transfer one million artillery shells to Ukraine by the end of 2023. On Sept. 5, the European Defense Agency signed the first contracts for the joint procurement of artillery shells for the Ukrainian military.

During a press conference on Nov. 13 High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that EU countries might not meet the deadline to supply one million artillery shells to Ukraine by the end of 2023, as previously planned.

Read also:

Borrell said that the European Union has completed the first part of the supply plan, transferring shells that were already in the arsenals of member states, with approximately 300,000 artillery shells delivered in total.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has commented on the head of Ukraines Foreign Intelligence Service Oleksandr Lytvynenkos report that Russia might be preparing for a future attack on the Baltic States.

Source: Edgars Rinkevics in an interview with Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Rinkevics said that he was certain that given the Russian propaganda claims and the words of some Russian officials, Russia is dreaming about restoring the Russian Empire not only with an eye to controlling the Baltic States, Moldova, or Kazakhstan, but also when it comes to Finland.

"They are not talking about the Soviet Union because they are dreaming about the 19th-century Russian Empire," Rinkevics said.

He noted that NATO countries committed to growing NATO forces during the latest NATO summits in Madrid and Vilnius and stressed that the Allies were not taking threats lightly.

"At this point, we see that this will really become Russias strategic goal if it comes to believe it has won in Ukraine. Not necessarily if they win in Ukraine, but if they believe they have won. Then they might be tempted to test NATOs strength. But thats why were doing everything we can to prepare [for this]," Rinkevics said.

He also said that NATO countries have learnt a lot from Ukraines experience and that Latvia has time to grow NATOs presence there and to improve its defence capabilities.

Background:

Daiga Mierina, Speaker of the Latvian Saeima (Latvian Parliament), called Russian aggression a global threat and said that the response to it should also be global.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said that Russia was planning a long war in Ukraine, and that "it is important to actually fight for international peace, and peace in Europe, because if we stop Russia in Ukraine, then Russia is not going to be able to challenge other countries."

In a comment on Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis' warning about the possibility of a Russian attack on Lithuania, Commander-in-Chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Valdemaras Rupsys said that there is no direct military threat to the country at present.

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Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said that the EU should hold off selling ammunition to third countries, prioritizing procurement for Ukraine.



"If we can push back their procurements  because they don't have active hostilities  that's what we should do," he said in an interview with Suspilne media outlet, published on Nov. 26.

According to Rinkevics, to make that happen, European institutions must work with countries outside of the EU. He said he wasn't for imposing any limitations except on friends and allies of Russia.

Bloomberg reported on Nov. 10, citing undisclosed sources, that the EU believes it is unlikely to deliver all of the pledged 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine by the March 2024 target.

Bloomberg reported earlier in October that with more than half of the allocated time gone, the EU has delivered only 30% of planned supplies and risks missing its target.



Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba blamed the delay on the "sad state of the military industry" in EU countries.

Read also: Investigation: Czech parts make their way to Russian military helicopters despite sanctions

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A woman shows a photo of Giulia Cecchettin, allegedly killed by ex-boyfriend, on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Nov.25, 2023. Thousands of people are expected to take the streets in Rome and other major Italian cities as part of what organizers call a "revolution" under way in Italians' approach to violence against women, a few days after the horrifying killing of Giulia, the college student allegedly by her resentful ex-boyfriend sparked an outcry over the country's "patriarchal" culture. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

ROME (AP)  An Italian man who was extradited from Germany for the kidnapping and slaying of his former girlfriend hasn't yet spoken about the merits of the accusations and will appear before a judge on Tuesday, his lawyer said.

The hearing before the judge to decide whether Filippo Turetta should stay jailed while the investigation proceeds will be his first occasion to formally respond to prosecutors' allegations that he kidnapped and killed Giulia Cecchittin, whose disappearance and slaying gripped Italy and fed demands for action to stop violence against women.

Turetta, 21, was flown aboard an Italian air force plane on Saturday from Germany to Italy. He had been held for several days in a German jail after he was found by police a week earlier in his car, out of gas and parked on an emergency shoulder of a German highway after days of an international search.

He's very, very tried and disoriented,'' lawyer Giovanni Caruso told reporters on Saturday evening after visiting Turetta in a Verona jail. Asked if Turetta had spoken about the allegations, the lawyer replied: We didn't enter into the merits" of the case.

Asked about any comments the defendant made about the case, Caruso replied: The young man said essentially nothing.

Caruso said his client underwent a psychological evaluation to see if there is risk of self-harm.

There was no answer Sunday at Caruso's law office.

The lawyer said that Turetta would have an opportunity to read prosecutors' documents about the cases before the hearing Tuesday. Under Italian law, a hearing before a judge must be held within a few days of a jailing to see if there are conditions to continue to detain a suspect, such as flight risk or the possibility of tampering with evidence.

Cecchettin, 22, disappeared after meeting Turetta for a burger in a shopping mall in northern Italy on Nov. 11. Her body was found a week later in a ditch near a lake in a remote area in the foothills of the Alps, and a medical examiner noted that there were 26 stab wounds and injuries indicating that she had tried to ward off the blows.

According to her friends and family, Turetta refused to accept her decision to end their relationship and resented that she was about to get her degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Padua before him in the same department.

Surveillance cameras in the days following the woman's disappearance captured sightings of Turetta's car in northern Italy, Austria and Germany.

A camera a few kilometers from Cecchettin's home on the night of Nov. 11 had filmed Turetta's car and a woman bolting from it and then running a few steps down a sidewalk before a man, apparently Turetta, struck her repeatedly, she fell to the ground and was bundled into the car.

Cecchettin's elder sister, Elena, told fellow young people who gathered near the family home to make noise to demand action against violence targeting women in Italy and to combat a patriarchal culture.

People across Italy took up her appeal, and in vigils, marches and rallies across the nation, including in several cities on Saturday that drew big crowds, rattled keys, shouted and otherwise indicated they wouldn't stay silent.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  From mountains and canyons to forests and swamps, the vast scale of Texas provides so many natural wonders.

Across the Lone Star State, there are 86 state parks, natural areas and historic sites currently operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

What is the most-visited state park in Texas? Heres the top 10 countdown for 2023

The first parks were opened to the public in the 1930s and the newest, Old Tunnel State Park, opened in 2012. TPWD also has plans to develop five sites into future state parks.

Fairfield Lake State Park, meanwhile, closed to the public on June 4, after the property was sold to a private developer.

From state park to private development: The twisting timeline of Fairfield Lake

TPWD splits the state into seven natural regions, each of which is home to several state parks. The Prairies & Lakes region is home to 22 parks, more than any other region. The South Texas Plains region is home to the fewest, with seven parks.

Across the system, state parks welcomed more than 9.2 million visitors in Fiscal Year 2023, a 4.3% decrease from the previous fiscal year. The Prairies & Lakes region recorded the most visitors, with more than 3 million across its 22 parks.

The Hill Country region welcomed more than 2.2 million visitors across 16 parks, while the Gulf Coast and Panhandle Plains regions each saw more than 1 million visitors.

State parks in the Big Bend Country region saw the fewest number of visitors, with around 420,000. Those numbers do not include visitors to Big Bend National Park, which alone saw more than half a million visitors in 2022.

But which individual state park gets the most visitors? Explore for yourself using our interactive table below, or keep scrolling to see our top 10 countdown.

Top 10 least-visited Texas state parks

Note: The TPWD-operated Wyler Aerial Tramway is not included in the list below because its been closed since April 2020 due to safety concerns. TPWD says it is working with local partners to determine the future of the tramway.

10. Old Tunnel State Park

Old Tunnel State Park (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department photo)

TPWD calls Old Tunnel State Park a bat haven. The former railroad tunnel provides a seasonal home to more than 3 million bats. The park welcomed 23,351 visitors in FY 2023, a 27% decrease from FY 2022.

9. Fort Boggy State Park

Fort Boggy State Park (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department photo)

A tranquil patchwork of woods, fields and water. Thats how TPWD describes Fort Boggy State Park, with its trails, primitive campsites and cabins and a lake. The park welcomed 19,434 visitors in FY 2023, a 10% increase over FY 2022.

8. Mission Tejas State Park

Mission Tejas State Park (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department photo)

At Mission Tejas State Park, TPWD says you can enjoy the peace of the Pineywoods and glimpses of the past. The park sits at the north end of the Davy Crockett National Forest. The park welcomed 16,083 visitors in FY 2023, a 13% decrease from FY 2022.

7. Big Bend Ranch State Park

Big Bend Ranch State Park (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department photo)

TPWD calls Big Bend Ranch State Park the other side of nowhere. The remote park boasts rugged mountains, steep canyons, amazing views, unparalleled night skies and solitude in a high desert setting. The park welcomed 14,891 visitors in FY 2023, a 12% decrease from FY 2022.

6. Resaca de la Palma State Park

Resaca de la Palma State Park (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department photo)

Referred to as a Rio Grande treasure, Resaca de la Palma State Park is a semi-tropical paradise, TPWD says, offering a peaceful refuge for people and wildlife. The park welcomed 14,427 visitors in FY 2023, a 29% increase over FY 2022.

5. Fort Leaton State Historic Site

Fort Leaton State Historic Site (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department photo)

The Fort Leaton State Historic Site is the site of a former pioneer trading post near the U.S.-Mexico border. The site welcomed 8,352 visitors in FY 2023, a 51% increase over FY 2022.

4. Kickapoo Cavern State Park

Kickapoo Cavern State Park (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department photo)

Kickapoo Cavern State Park is a lightly-developed park with caves, birds, bats and trails. TPWD says to bring a sense of wonder and a spirit of adventure. The park welcomed 8,245 visitors in FY 2023, a 2% decrease from FY 2022.

3. Indian Lodge

Indian Lodge (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department photo)

Described as a welcome oasis in West Texas, Indian Lodge offers rustic charm, yet modern comfort, according to TPWD. The lodge is a full-service hotel within Davis Mountains State Park. The lodge welcomed 7,324 visitors in FY 2023, a 79% decrease from FY 2022. Note: Indian Lodge closed for renovations in January 2023 and is set to reopen in January 2024.

2. Devils River State Natural Area

Devils River State Natural Area (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department photo)

TPWD says Devils River State Natural Area boasts one of the most pristine rivers in Texas and features spring-fed water tumbling pasts rugged ridges, scenic canyons and brushy banks. Its not easy to get here, but its worth the effort. The park welcomed 5,096 visitors in FY 2023, a 2% increase over FY 2022.

1. Devils Sinkhole State Natural Area

Devils Sinkhole State Natural Area (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department photo)

Devils Sinkhole State Natural Area is home one of the largest colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats in the state. About 3 million bats emerge from the sinkhole in search of food on warm nights. Access to the site is only by guided tour. The park welcomed 903 visitors in FY 2023, a 29% increase over FY 2022.

We also looked at the most-visited state parks across Texas. Click here to see our top 10 countdown.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Emily Hand, 9, is reunited with her father in Israel on Sunday - The Israeli Army/AP

Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar has been criticised by Israel for saying a nine-year-old girl kidnapped by Hamas was lost and has now been found.

Responding to the release of Emily Hand, an Irish-Israeli schoolgirl, the Taoiseach said: This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.

Israels foreign minister hit out at the statement, telling Mr Varadkar that it was inappropriate to suggest Emily was simply lost when she had in fact been kidnapped by Hamas terrorists.

Mr Prime Minister. It seems you have lost your moral compass and need a reality check! Eli Cohen, Israels foreign minister, said on social media.

Emily Hand was not lost, she was kidnapped by a terror organisation (sic) worse than ISIS that murdered her stepmother. 

The Taoiseach has beeen crticised by Isreal for his choice of words - Martin Sylvest/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The minister added that Hamas has taken more than 30 children hostage, and accused the Irish taoiseach of trying to legitimise and normalise terror.

Shame on you, he concluded.

Israel subsequently summoned Irelands ambassador to Tel Aviv for a reprimand.

Ireland has angered Israel on various occasions since the Oct 7 Hamas incursion on Israel.

Early in November, the Taoiseach said Israel had gone beyond its right to self-defence with its actions in Gaza and warned that collective punishment was a breach of international law.

Ireland has a long history of supporting Palestinian freedom and peace in the region. Videos of Irish politicians criticising the Israeli government have gone viral on social media in recent weeks.

Israels government spokesman Eylon Levy said: Emily Hand wasnt lost. She was brutally abducted by the death squads that massacred her neighbours. She wasnt found. Hamas knew where she was all along and cynically held her as a hostage. And Hamas didnt answer your prayers. It answered Israels military pressure.

In response to the criticism, Mr Varadkar said he was referring to the amazing joy when a child comes home and that the most important thing was that Emily is at home with her family, adding thats all that really matters.

He added he has always been consistent in his unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and the taking of hostages.

I call for all hostages to be released without any conditions and always have done so. And the Irish government has worked very hard over the last few weeks, with Egypt, with Qatar, with the Red Cross and also with Israel, he said

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Sierra Leone has been going through a political crisis following presidential and general elections in June this year (JOHN WESSELS)

A military armoury in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown came under attack on Sunday, the government announced, as it imposed an immediate national curfew.

The government said those attempting to break into the armoury at a major army barracks had been repelled, but the public were asked to stay at home.

Witnesses told AFP they heard gunshots and explosions in the city's Wilberforce district, where the armoury is located as well as a number of embassies.

Other witnesses said they heard exchanges of fire near a barracks in Murray Town district, home to the navy, as well as outside another military site in Freetown.

Automatic weapons fire and explosions could be heard on soundtracks posted on social networks.

The streets of the capital were empty, the witnesses said.

"The public is assured that the government and our state security forces are in control," Information Minister Chernor Bah wrote in a "public notice".

"To enable the security forces to continue the process of apprehending the suspects, a nationwide curfew is declared with immediate effect across the country," the minister said.

No details were given on the alleged perpetrators of the attack, or their motives.

Sierra Leone, an English-speaking country in West Africa, has been going through a political crisis following presidential and general elections in June this year.

- Series of West Africa coups -

West Africa has seen a series of military coups and attempted coups since August 2020.

Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea, which shares a border with Sierra Leone, have all fallen under military control.

Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio also offered assurances that calm had been returned to the capital, urging people to stay indoors.

"In the early hours of this morning, there was a breach of security at the Military Barracks at Wilberforce in Freetown, as some unidentified individuals attacked the military armoury," he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"Unidentified individuals attacked the military armoury. However, they were repelled by our gallant Security Forces and calm has been restored," said Bio.

"As the combined team of our Security Forces continue to route out the remnant of the fleeing renegades, a nationwide curfew has been declared and citizens are encouraged to stay indoors," Bio said.

He added that the government would "continue to protect the peace and security of Sierra Leone against the forces that wish to truncate our much-cherished stability" and said it was "resolute in our determination to protect democracy in Sierra Leone."

Bio, who was first elected in 2018, was re-elected in June with 56.17 percent of the vote -- just over the 55 percent needed to avoid a run-off.

International observers condemned inconsistencies and a lack of transparency in the count, as well as acts of violence and intimidation.

The main opposition All People's Congress (APC) party disputed the results of the presidential, legislative and local elections on June 24 and has boycotted all levels of government.

The APC and the government signed an agreement in October following talks mediated by the Commonwealth, the African Union and the West African bloc ECOWAS.

The APC agreed to end its boycott and begin participating in government in exchange for an end to detentions and court cases it said were politically motivated.

sb-lal/bp/rox
Lithuania has announced that it will give 2 million to support the Grain From Ukraine initiative.

Source: Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "At the 2nd Grain from Ukraine summit, I announced that this year, Lithuania will contribute another [2 million] to this global humanitarian initiative by President Zelenskyy to help mitigate threats to food security caused by Russias war of aggression."

Details: Simonyte said that helping Ukraine win the war and defeat Russia as soon as possible was "the only way to ensure both food security and lasting peace in Europe".

Previously: Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has said that issues around grain and other foodstuffs Russia steals from the occupied territories of Ukraine should be taken into account in decisions regarding sanctions against Russia.

Finland has given 3 million to support Ukraines efforts to export grain to countries most dependent on it and to aid the demining of Ukrainian fields.

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Lithuania must prepare for war with Russia and strengthen regional military cooperation, as Ukraine may not win the war, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated on Nov. 24, Polish outlet TVP reports.

Landsbergis was speaking during the presentation of a plan to prepare for a military threat from Russia.

"We must openly acknowledge that the support provided to Ukraine may not be enough to win the war," Landsbergis said.

He did not rule out that Ukraine would be forced to negotiate with Russia, and this would mean a victory for Russia.

"It will be the day when we start counting down the time to the next war. Russias war with another neighbor," the minister said.

Read also:

Lithuania should wake up from the "pleasant stagnation of peace," urgently take measures to strengthen its defense and prepare for the "worst-case scenarios,"  Landsbergis said.

As for specific steps, he called for the completion of joint strategic communication projects with Poland and a significant increase in military cooperation. Part of Lithuania's new strategy should also include regional partnerships with the Nordic and Baltic countries and "(learning) from Ukraine every day, not only from a distance but also by being there."

Read also: Slowing arms supplies could force Ukraine into negotiations with Russia, Lithuania warns

According to Lithuanias top diplomat, his country should allocate 4% of GDP to defense. The draft budget for next year provides 2.71% of GDP for this purpose.

Earlier, Landsbergis said that Ukraine could be forced into peace talks with Russia if the allies fail to supply Kyiv with the amount of weapons and ammunition it needs to win the war.

On Sept. 30, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted the National Security and Defense Council's decision to hold no talks with Putin. This was a response to the attempted annexation of the occupied Ukrainian territories.

On Oct. 21, NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov reiterated that there would be no negotiations with Russia as long as it continues to occupy Ukrainian territories. Prior to that, Zelenskyy announced the impossibility of negotiations with Moscow, saying that Putin did not want peace.

On Nov. 4, NBC reported that U.S. and European officials had begun discussing privately with the Ukrainian government the possibility of peace talks with Russia.

One of these discussions took place last month during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein format), which brought together representatives of more than 50 countries.

On Nov. 6, this information was denied by the European Union, and the next day it was refuted by the United States.

Read also: Whats next: three main scenarios for Ukraine

On Nov. 21, ABC News reported, citing sources, that the U.S. supply of NATO-standard artillery shells to Ukraine had decreased by "more than 30%" since the start of Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. On the same day, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh denied this information.

Prior to that, the United States asserted it would be able to transfer long-range weapons and artillery ammunition to Ukraine "for some time to come."

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Lithuania will contribute 2 million euros to the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian initiative, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte announced on Nov. 25.

Lithuanian funding will contribute to the extension of the initiative, which has already accumulated over $100 million in support, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The announcement came as Zelensky hosted the second international summit "Grain from Ukraine" in Kyiv on the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 19321933 in Ukraine.

Through centuries, Russia has been changing names but not its nature or methods, Simonyte wrote on X. Almost a century after the Holodomor, Russia again attempts to use food as a weapon, this time by devastating (Ukraines) civilian ports, grain storages and blockading of the Black Sea.

The summits agenda focused on global food security, with Switzerland and Latvia also pledging support for the initiative.

Our position is principled: no one in the world has the right to block free navigation and weaponize food scarcity. The use of hunger as a weapon is an element of genocide policy, and any state that engages in it must be held accountable, said Zelensky at a press conference following the summit.

Read also: Shmyhal: Russia sold $1 billion of Ukrainian grain on world markets

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November is Native American Heritage Month and a University of Washington EarthLab called Future Rivers mapped out local events to celebrate and engage.

Places to visit are:

Things to do are:

November is Native American Heritage Month  a time to acknowledge and celebrate the history, resilience, and contributions of Indigenous peoples in our communities in the past, present, and future, says Future Rivers.
A night Superloop service should be introduced to better connect the London's suburbs, a City Hall politician has said.

Six new routes are being created and four incorporated into the express network, which was announced in March.

Caroline Pidgeon said that a night-time version of the bus network would boost the capital's nightlife and be useful for shift workers.

Sadiq Khan's office has confirmed there are no plans for such a service.

In response, the mayor's office said the benefits "are not clear" compared with existing night bus routes.

The Superloop service will be made up of routes that form a vast ring through outer London. The main part of the network is due to be ready by the spring.

In a written question to the mayor, Ms Pidgeon, a Liberal Democrat assembly member, suggested that the buses should also operate at night.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Having decent transport options at night is important for nightlife, and the night-time economy as a whole, and shift workers. It also has a direct impact on women's safety and their confidence to go out late at night.

"It is going to be very difficult to persuade groups of people like shift workers to give up their cars and move to public transport if the options simply don't exist where they live."

Responding to Ms Pidgeon, Mr Khan's office said: "Around 73% of Superloop stops are served by night services, and 95% of Superloop stops are within 800m of a stop served by a night route.

"In addition, 24 night routes used by five million people per year run parallel to Superloop routes for at least some of their route."

The mayor's office said the service would be monitored by Transport for London (TfL) "to get a comprehensive understanding of how customers are using this new network".

Ms Pidgeon said she would "continue to press the mayor on improving the public transport options available at night".

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk
A long-running Italian restaurant in the Midlands has closed its doors.

Alodias Cucina Italiana has shuttered its location at 2736 North Lake Drive in the Irmo area, according to a Saturday post from the business on Facebook. The Google listing for the Irmo restaurant tabs it as permanently closed.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of our beloved Irmo location after 15 and a half wonderful years, owners Adam and Betsy Huneau wrote on Facebook. Since opening our doors, this location has not just been a place of business, but a thriving community hub, filled with cherished memories and friendships.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who have supported us through the years. Your loyalty and patronage have been the cornerstone of our success, and it has been a privilege to serve you.

The Alodias location at 101 West Main St. in Lexington, near the Icehouse Amphitheater, remains open.

The Lexington Alodias ran into controversy during the summer when employees temporarily closed the restaurant after they said they had not been paid on time. The Lexington location reopened a couple weeks later after Alodias brought in employees from the Irmo location to run the restaurant.

The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation eventually fined the Lexington Alodias $2,100 for not paying employees on time.

The Irmo location of Alodias had been listed as temporarily closed after the company brought in workers from the Irmo store to run the Lexington store. The Irmo location briefly reopened in October, but then closed again. Now it appears the spot on North Lake Drive is shuttered for good.

The memories and relationships weve built in Irmo will always hold a special place in our hearts, Alodias said on Facebook. We look forward to welcoming you at our Lexington location and hope you will join us there for more memorable experiences.
The I-10 fire shut down a key transportation artery in downtown LA, which worried local leaders.

Officials encouraged people to switch to public transit to alleviate bad traffic from road closures.

But the push now presents a bigger question: How do you reimagine California's distinct car culture?

After a November 11 arson fire ravaged a critical segment of Interstate 10 in Los Angeles, rendering the affected freeway unusable until it could be repaired by the state of California, top officials in the region made a special appeal: they called on drivers to use public transit.

For native Angelenos and the millions of visitors who've traveled to the area, Los Angeles car culture is simply a way of life. Despite the traffic-choked freeways that can often make short trips in the region feel more like full-day adventures, Californians are drawn to their vehicles for their mobility and comfort.

But when I-10 was temporarily shut down, causing drivers to detour from one freeway to the next (like hopping from I-10 to the 110 to I-5) in order to get to work, school, and everything else in between, some of them heeded the advice of leaders like Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who encouraged citizens to turn to public transportation. (Bass even took the train to work herself.)

According to The Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority saw a 10% bump in ridership on the E Line light rail train that runs through downtown Los Angeles on the first two workdays after the incident. And the Metro Transit Authority also reported that there was a 25% bump in the number of parked vehicles at several stations east of downtown on Nov. 16, the first Thursday after the fire.

But what will this mean over time? What could actually get Angelenos to trade in their car keys for a TAP card (transit pass), even for only part of the week?

Yes, you can travel by rail in LA

After crews performed around-the-clock construction, I-10 was reopened weeks ahead of schedule by the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, on November 19.

While it's too early to know if public transit ridership will be up in November, a reimagined vision of traversing Los Angeles has long been overdue.

Many commuters in the region are no strangers to the bus system, but bus ridership had been declining even before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to The Wall Street Journal, bus ridership fell by 24% between 2013 to 2018, despite system investments from LA Transit at the time. Heavy traffic still continues to stifle many people from giving up their cars to sit on a bus in the same traffic.

Light rail service on the Metro Expo Line was extended to Santa Monica in 2016. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

But the LA Metro Rail system  which after years of expansion now offers direct light rail service to cities like Santa Monica and Inglewood in addition to serving major areas of Los Angeles proper  remains an overlooked public investment.

Many would like to use the rail system, but they equate driving to individual freedom. Others are unsure about adhering to a rail schedule, as they're afraid of running into reliability issues, despite the system's ability to handle the current ridership. The transit system simply isn't woven into the fabric of Los Angeles compared to cities like New York and Chicago.

Such internal hang-ups are not unexpected given that the region runs on automobiles, but it shows that weaning a sizable number of people off the roads, even for part of the week, will be difficult.

But it's not impossible.

Don't underestimate the appeal of walkability

When people can live, eat, and shop in communities where they are consistently boosting the small businesses that drive local economies, they often feel a deeper connection to their environs.

And the LA Metro Rail system increasingly affords riders the ability to live in areas where they're part of a smaller ecosystem while still being connected to the larger city.

A family living in Santa Monica with a father and mother who work remotely for part of the week and travel to a surrounding neighborhood or into downtown Los Angeles for a couple of days can easily hop on a train. They may not be fully giving up on navigating Santa Monica Boulevard by car, but they're creating alternatives to driving.

The aftermath of the I-10 fire will undoubtedly drive policymakers to grant additional infrastructure funding for longstanding highway repairs, given the role that freeways played in the rise of modern Los Angeles and the way in which they continue to drive many sectors of the economy.

But rail transit must be a part of the equation as well, and it can't just be a last-ditch option, but something that can be a cost-effective and efficient way of traversing Southern California.

Will the I-10 fire make a wave of Angelenos ditch their cars?

It's tough to change old habits. But the incident's devastating effects can and should make citizens think twice about sustainability issues, as nothing can stay the same forever.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ian Duffield is worried about what his 100,000 loss will mean for his disabled wife when he dies - Paul Cooper

Ian Duffield invested more than 200,000 in the Woodford fund and when the dust has finally settled, he is likely to have lost more than half of that figure.

The 69-year-old retiree is worried about what this will mean for his disabled wife when he dies, as there will be less left to her than he had previously hoped.

I am effectively going to be leaving my wife significantly less than we expected. Of course, myself, in my retirement, thats a lot of money to lose from what was supposed to be a relatively safe environment, he said.

At its peak in 2017, the Woodford Equity Income Fund was worth more than 10bn, but by the time it collapsed this had fallen to just 3.7bn.

The fund, which was gated in June 2019, halting withdrawals, was administered by Link Fund Solutions, which acted as an authorised corporate director. This company was responsible for managing the liquidity of the fund.

Regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) opened an investigation following the funds liquidity crisis, after harsh criticism from the Bank of England and parliamentarians.

Woodford victims have received some but not all of their money back, as the fund was wound up, but many of more illiquid assets proved difficult to sell, meaning that there is still approximately 50m in the fund.

Investors have waited years for compensation and Link Group, the parent company of Link Fund Solutions, has voluntarily offered 60m to bolster what is paid out to consumers.

The company is eager to settle claims quickly using a scheme of arrangement, which is an agreement between a business and its creditors.

The FCA has strongly encouraged investors to support the compromise as the quickest and best outcome.

Investors have until December 4 to decide whether to rubber-stamp the scheme of arrangement, before a sanction hearing before the High Court in January.

The scheme will pass if it is approved by more than 50pc of investors representing 75pc of the remaining value of the fund.

But individual and retail investors feel that their dissenting voices will be drowned out by the larger institutional actors who will also get to vote.

Some investors believe that they could get higher payouts through other compensatory mechanisms, including the courts.

They are concerned that the small print of the scheme blocks them from making further claims against other parties involved in the Woodford scandal such as Hargreaves Lansdown, Britains biggest broker, which heavily promoted the ill-fated fund before it collapsed.

Neil Woodford's fund closed in October 2019, leaving more than 300,000 savers out of pocket - Geoff Pugh

Mr Duffield is disappointed by the Financial Conduct Authoritys handling of the case, including its strong support of the scheme of arrangement.

He said: We are staring into a situation where, fundamentally, the people I am most angry at after Woodford himself, are obviously Link Fund Solutions, who just let this go on, and the FCA. They were set up to protect retail investors and consumers.

The FCA has been put in place to try and help protect us, and here they are backing this scheme, he added.

Mr Duffield is not the only investor who feels abandoned by the regulator. Campaign groups have criticised the offer on the table, saying that it ties the hands of investors and that the FCAs numbers do not add up.

In an open letter to the newly appointed City minister  Bim Afolami  Bob Blackman MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on fairer finance, accuses the regulator of failing consumers.

The letter, signed by more than 300 supporters, demands a meeting with the minister in order to pressure the Treasury to help those affected and to begin an independent inquiry.

Banking campaigner Andy Agathangelou said: The FCA is deliberately, unethically, unprofessionally, immorally and possibly even unlawfully engineering an outcome for the investors that will save the FCAs bacon but deny a fair and just outcome for the Woodford victims, if they get away with it.

Investor Ben Harness said he thought the FCAs endorsement of the scheme of arrangement was a stitch-up. He and his wife will receive just 12pc of their outstanding loss back if the scheme is approved, he said.

He said: I was happy to ride out the fund performance  I know the risk of investing. Yet the suspension took that call away from me. The FCA is simply not fit for purpose.

Others said the communications they have received from the FCA and Link Fund Solutions have been confusing and misleading.

Retired surveyor Graham Dickenson said investors werent aware that they were signing away their ability to take further action by voting for the scheme.

Investors have not been adequately consulted, are faced with a baffling series of documents and the vast majority are simply not engaged, or are unable to engage, he said.

Mr Dickenson also said that he believes that agreeing to the scheme would cut off any further chance of redress from another source.

It will neatly package all of the regulatory and monetary shortfalls into a manageable bundle, allowing all of those responsible for protecting the life savings of consumers to escape and move on, with minimal reputational or monetary damage, he added.

Woodford victim Martin Farrimond, 59, said he felt that the terms of the scheme hadnt been properly explained to investors.

The choices that in particular the retail investors are having to make have not been properly communicated. The implications of accepting this scheme of arrangement have not been properly communicated either, he said.

Along with all the other woes to the scheme is the fact that we are now finding out that the opportunities of pursuing other parties have been closed off to us. None of that has been communicated.

Martin Farrimond, who also invested in the Woodford fund, says the implications of accepting the scheme of arrangement were not properly explained to investors - Tony Buckingham

Lawyers from firm Harcus Parker, which represents some of the investors who lost money, agreed that the wording of the scheme would make it practically impossible for creditors to pursue claims against institutional actors.

Damon Parker, of the law firm, said no funders would back future third-party claims because it would be commercially nonsensical to do so.

David Hamilton, a partner at law firm Howard Kennedy and a specialist in fraud and white-collar crime, said that while the scheme doesnt stop third party claims, its structure would mean any successful attempts would receive less compensation.

I think thats the overarching issue, he said, its to avoid second bites of the cherry against Link.

Mr Hamilton also emphasised that all investors would be bound by the scheme of arrangement, whether they voted for it or not.

A spokesman for Link Fund Solutions said: LFSL continues to believe the scheme is the best option available for investors, both materially enhancing the amount of redress available from LFSL and providing the fastest route for redress possible.

Without the scheme there is no guarantee of any compensation for investors who have already waited years for this to be resolved.

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An Illinois man won $25,000 a year for life because of a printing mistake. Scott Olson/Getty Images

An Illinois man bought a lottery ticket, which the seller accidentally printed incorrectly.

Michael Sopejstal kept the ticket and won $25,000 a year for life.

He decided to take a lump-sum payment of $390,000 and said he would use the money to travel.

An Illinois man won $25,000 a year for life thanks to a lucky ticket-printing mistake.

Michael Sopejstal, 60, bought a Lucky For Life lottery ticket at the GoLo gas station in New Buffalo, Michigan.

"I asked the retailer for a ticket for 10 draws, but he accidentally printed a ticket with 10 lines for one draw, but I told him I still wanted it," he said.

The ticket for the Michigan Lottery matched the five white balls drawn on September 17.

"I checked my ticket one morning and saw that I had won $25,000 a year for life. I immediately started thinking about all the things I could do with the money and whether I wanted to take the lump sum or annuity option. It was an amazing feeling!"

Sopejstal said he chose to take a one-time lump-sum payment of $390,000 rather than the annual payments.

He said he plans to travel with some of the money and save the rest.

Read the original article on Insider
Mary O'Hagan, pictured with her daughter, says the crisis is not over

Protesters gathered in Toome on Sunday to highlight the environmental issues facing Lough Neagh.

They also called for the establishment of an independent agency to protect the environment.

The Loughshore Stands Up rally was the second protest organised by the Save Lough Neagh campaign group.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said Lough Neagh's problems are complex and will take decades to resolve.

The department said part of the solution is to review the impact of current policies and explore what it can do better in the short, medium and long term.

Mary O'Hagan from Save Lough Neagh said she believed the situation will get worse.

"We don't want the public to lose sight of the fact that this is not over," she added.

Blue-green algal blooms were prevalent in NI waters over the summer, not just in Lough Neagh but right up to Northern Ireland's north coast.

Water from Lough Neagh flows down the Upper Bann and into the Atlantic Ocean at the Barmouth between Portstewart and Castlerock in County Londonderry.

Toome village is in close proximity of the lough and many who attended the rally say they have noticed first-hand the deterioration of the water in Lough Neagh and surrounding areas.

Lauren Johnston said the deteriorating water quality has impacted her swimming group

Lauren Johnston is part of a local swimming group and says the water quality has gone down.

"We had to reallocate for swimming and it's sad to see it deteriorate," she said.

She added that "it's had a big impact on the local area" and it hasn't been safe to walk dogs near the water.

The former MP and civil rights leader Bernadette McAliskey was one of the main speakers at the event.

Bernadette McAliskey called for a single environmental body to be set up

Mrs McAliskey said she had been campaigning on the issue for many years.

"What is needed in the first place is one single environmental body," Mrs McAliskey said.

"We need a Lough Neagh strategic plan."

Gary Houston from the Ulster Angling Federation said without clean water fishermen don't have a sport

Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in the UK and supplies half of Belfast's drinking water and 40% of Northern Ireland's overall.

It is also home to the largest commercial wild eel fishery in Europe.

Gary Houston, the chairman of the Ulster Angling Federation, said that without clean water fishermen don't have a sport.

"This is galvanising everyone together," he said. "We need to keep this on the public agenda."
French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed their condolences to Ukraine on the day of remembrance of the victims of the Holodomor [a man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine that lasted from 1932 to 1933 and claimed the lives of millions of Ukrainians  ed.].

Source: Macron on Twitter, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "Never forget the Holodomor. An orchestrated famine, a genocide. Millions of Ukrainians perished 90 years ago," he said.

Never forget the Holodomor.



An orchestrated famine, a genocide. Millions of Ukrainians perished 90 years ago.



Even on this day of commemoration, Ukraine is being hit by Russia. To the people of Ukraine, I want to reiterate our full compassion and support.  Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 25, 2023

The French President added that on this day of remembrance, Russia resorted to another large-scale air attack on Ukrainian cities.

"To the people of Ukraine, I want to reiterate our full compassion and support," Emmanuel Macron said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed that the Holodomor was an attempt by the Stalinist regime to break the resistance of Ukrainians, to destroy their identity and desire for independence.

He urged Canadian citizens to learn more about these pages of history and honour the memory of the victims.

"The Soviet regime attempted to cover up the evidence of the Holodomor, and Russia still denies it was a genocide. Today, as Ukraine continues to defend itself against Russias brutal war of aggression, Ukrainians are again demonstrating their unbreakable, unwavering spirit. Ukraine will remain free; Ukraine will remain independent; and Canada will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes," Trudeau said.

A range of European leaders and ambassadors paid tribute to the millions of victims of the Holodomor on Saturday 25 November.

Those who were in Ukraine at that time, including Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, laid flowers at the memorial to the victims of the Holodomor.

Earlier, it was reported that 55 UN member states and the EU delegation have signed the Ukrainian-initiated UN Declaration on the 90th Anniversary of the 1932-1933 Holodomor.

To date, the Holodomor has been recognised as a genocide of the Ukrainian people by the parliaments of about 30 countries, as well as by the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

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CHICAGO - A man was shot Saturday afternoon in the South Chicago neighborhood.

The 21-year-old was near a sidewalk around 5 p.m. when gunfire broke out and struck him in the buttocks in the 8600 block of South Burnham Avenue, according to police.

The victim was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was reported in fair condition, police said.

No one is in custody as area detectives investigate.
(WBRE/WYOU)  A man has been charged after being accused of allegedly attempting to entice a minor into sexual situations, including prostitution.

The United States Attorney`s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Mansberger, 58, of Cassville, Huntingdon County, was indicted on Tuesday, November 21, by a grand jury on the charge of attempted enticement of a minor.

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on Friday, November 10, in Centre County, Mansberger attempted to persuade, entice, and coerce a child to engage in prostitution and sexual activity.

Two men charged with trying to entice minors into sexual situations

The case was investigated by the FBI, Pennsylvania State Police, Patton Township Police, the Centre County District Attorneys Office, Williamsport Police, and the Lycoming County District Attorneys Office.

The maximum penalty Mansberger faces under federal law for this offense is life in prison, a term of supervised release, and a fine.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
ROSELAND, La. (WGNO)  A Kentwood man is dead after a crash in Tangipahoa Parish on Saturday, Nov. 25.

According to Louisiana State Police, the crash happened around 10 p.m. on LA Highway 1058 near LA Highway 1059.

Man hit, killed while walking bike on New Orleans overpass

Reports show driver Mervin Briggs was heading northbound when he lost control of his vehicle, traveled off the road and hit a tree.

Briggs suffered fatal injuries and died on the scene.

The crash remains under investigation.

Stay updated with the latest news, weather, and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play store and subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.
The remains of an unidentified man were found inside a makeshift tent when firefighters responded to a fire in a wooded area in Sanford on Saturday, authorities said.

Emergency crews responded to the fire in a wooded area near 1 Eagle Drive around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said in a statement Sunday.

Caretaker charged with murder after double homicide at home in Denmark, Maine, authorities say

Fire crews found the remains of an adult man inside a makeshift tent that was destroyed by fire, Moss said. The remains were taken to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta where an autopsy will be performed to identify the body.

The Fire Marshals Office responded to investigate and process the scene. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Sanford Police and Maine State Police assisted at the scene.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department have launched an investigation after a man was found dead outside a business where a small fire had broken out.

According to a release from SBSD, deputies responded to calls of a deceased person in front of a business in the 14100 block of Bear Valley Road in Victorville at 4:20 a.m. Saturday morning.

Upon arriving at the scene, deputies found that the fire had occurred near the entrance to the business.

The man was found deceased nearby, authorities said.

2 victims go into cardiac arrest after violent crash in San Bernardino County

The manner and cause of the mans death, as well as his identity, have not been released.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the SBSDs Specialized Investigations Division at 909-890-4904.

Callers wishing to remain anonymous should call We-Tip at 1-800-782-7463 or visit their website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
A man is dead after he was shot and killed by Los Banos police officers outside a residence on Saturday morning, according to authorities.

Officers responded to the 100 block of H Street about 9:14 a.m. to investigate a report of a man trespassing in the backyard of a residence, according to the Los Banos Police Department. They said they found a man in the backyard waving a handgun.

Police said while making contact with the man, officers shot him at least once.

Officers rendered medical aid until paramedics arrived; the man was pronounced dead a short time later, according to authorities. No officers were injured.

According to the Los Banos Police Department, the incident remains under investigation in cooperation with the California Department of Justice and the Merced County District Attorneys Office.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department said a man was shot in Dupont Circle in the early hours of Sunday.

MPD said they were dispatched to the 1800 block of N Street NW for a shooting.

1 dead, 4 hurt in Southeast DC shootings overnight

When police arrived at the scene, they found a man who had been shot. He was conscious and breathing.

The man was transported to the hospital.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
The man shot by Citrus County Sheriff's Office deputies on Friday after a high-speed chase led into Marion County has died.

Citrus officials have identified the man as 33-year-old Skyler Wentworth of Titusville. Wentworth died Friday. Citrus officials said they did not release his name until his family could be notified.

Here's what we know:

Reason for the chase

Citrus officials said their deputies tried to stop Wentworth for a traffic violation in the Hernando area. Instead of stopping, Wentworth drove away.

Authorities said Wentworth threw a black bag from his vehicle while driving. The bag, which was picked up by deputies, contained pressed pills that tested positive for fentanyl, Citrus officials said.

At first, the pursuit was canceled because deputies saw a female and a child in the vehicle. The passengers appeared to be scared and at least one of them tried to get out, law enforcement officials said. But deputies decided to resume the chase.

Officials said the vehicle Wentworth was driving slowed down and both passengers were allowed to get out.

The pursuit entered Marion County via State Road 200. About 10 miles into Marion, a Marion deputy used the PIT maneuver to stop Wentworth's vehicle, which crashed into a wooden utility pole. The crash occurred in the 7400 block of SR 200.

Officials said Wentworth managed to get out of the vehicle, a Mitsubishi sport utility vehicle, with a rifle.

Statements from Citrus officials

"CCSO deputies discharged their firearms at the suspect, stopping any further threats to both the public and law enforcement. The suspect was transported to a medical facility for treatment, where he later succumbed to his injuries," according to Citrus officials.

Skyler Wentworth

"Wentworth is no stranger to our deputies; he is registered as a career criminal and has an extensive drug-related criminal history in our county," said Col. Elena Vitt. "None of our deputies ever WANT to use lethal force, but they are prepared to if it means saving countless others."

On Friday, Vitt also said: "The suspect in this incident posed a significant threat to two communities today through his reckless actions. At the end of the day, the deputies on scene had only seconds to decide how to respond to protect every citizen in the area before the suspect decided to further endanger the lives of both law enforcement officers and civilians present."

She also said: "This is yet another example of why having a great working relationship with all of our law enforcement partners is imperative. We joined forces and seamlessly protected those we swore an oath to serve."

Citrus officials said three deputies used their weapons. As is standard in such cases, those deputies have been placed on paid administrative leave while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates the shooting. Their names were not released by Citrus officials.

About Skyler Wentworth

State records show Wentworth has a lengthy criminal history that dates back to 2011. His past convictions includes drug possession, grand theft, burglary and fleeing law enforcement.

Wentworth was released from prison on Oct. 14 and was on probation for drug possession, grand theft of a motor vehicle and other offenses. His probation began Oct. 14 and was scheduled to end May 24, 2024.

A witness statement

Trevor Birdwhistell said he was working Friday afternoon when he heard an explosion and went outside. He saw a man, later identified as Wentworth, get out of the damaged SUV with what he believes was a pistol-style rifle and a backpack on his back.

Birdwhistell said the man began running and law enforcement officials, who by that time were outside of their vehicles, told him to get on the ground and put the gun down. He said Wentworth did not heed the commands and kept moving.

The witness said authorities then opened fire on the man. He said he saw the man's body jerk a few times and then fall. He said the man got up without the firearm and began walking away. Again, law enforcement officials told him to stay down and stop moving. But the man kept moving and they fired more shots, Birdwhistell said.

Yellow crime scene tape surrounds a wooden utility pole that was destroyed Friday when a driver was fleeing law enforcement on State Road 200.

Birdwhistell said law enforcement officials waited for someone with a shield. One the official arrived with the shield, they huddled together and walked toward the wounded man.

Once they reached him, they rolled him over and handcuffed him.

Birdwhistell's video

Birdwhistell took a video of the episode. It shows Wentworth, shirtless, walking quickly on the sidewalk. As he was walking, someone yelled twice, telling him to "Show us your hands."

Wentworth stopped and kneeled on the ground. Within seconds, one shot was fired and Wentworth went down. A second shot was fired and a voice yelled "Hold fire."

The man briefly sat up, then went back down. Law enforcement officials continued to yell commands as Wentworth moved around. After a few seconds, the man was motionless on the ground. Sirens can be heard in the background.

Several law enforcement officials are shown walking behind a shield and approaching the man. Once they reached him, they turned him over.

Law enforcement officials said a man driving this Mitsubishi Outlander crashed after a chase involving Citrus and Marion County deputies on Friday.

Citrus officials emphasized that the man got out of the wrecked SUV and was armed with a rifle. They said the man posed an immediate threat to deputies and nearby citizens. Citrus deputies took out their guns and fired, hitting the man. MCSO deputies said none of their deputies fired a shot.

FDLE investigation

FDLE's investigation could take months. Agents must conduct interviews and gather evidence. Their report will be sent to the 5th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office for review. The circuit covers Marion, Citrus, Lake, Sumter and Hernando counties.

Justified: Prosecutors: Deadly force justified

Prosecutors will determine if the use of deadly force was justified.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Man shot by Citrus County deputies during wild chase has died
A man is recovering in a hospital after being shot during a front porch altercation in south Raleigh on Sunday morning.

At 4:12 a.m., officers responded to a shooting in the 1100 block of South Blount Street, where they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound in the lower arm, according to police.

The shooting took place during an argument on the front porch between three people, including the victim, the Raleigh Police Department said in a release.

One of the suspects shot the victim before both suspects fled the scene, police said.

The victim was transported to Wake Med hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

As of early Sunday afternoon, no arrests had been made. This is an ongoing investigation.

Additional information will be released at the appropriate time, police said.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said a man was shot in Northeast Saturday evening.

MPD said it responded to the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE for the report of a man who had been shot.

4 shootings reported within hour of each other in DC

Police later determined that the man had been shot in the 1700 block of Benning Road NE.

The man was transported to the hospital where he died.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
A Vietnamese man built a fully functional replica of Tesla's Cybertruck out of wood.

Truong Van Dao's been driving his family around in the car, which is being sent to Elon Musk.

Building the wooden truck cost about $15,000, he told Business Insider.

The long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck is finally due to arrive in just a few days.

But in Bac Ninh, a small town in the north of Vietnam, one man has already been driving his family around in a fully-functional wooden replica of the new Tesla vehicle.

Truong Van Dao is a woodworker and car enthusiast who created an entire collection of functional wooden vehicles in addition to the Cybertruck, including a tank, a Bugatti replica, and a child-sized Mercedes AVTR.

As an admirer of Elon Musk, he needed little encouragement from his followers to take on the Cybertruck project.

Timed to coincide with the release of the real Cybertruck, he shared a video documenting the full process, which he said took just 100 days, to his YouTube channel, ND-Woodworking Art.

After starting with a metal chassis, frame, and wheels, Dao added wooden panels, seats, and wheel trims. Finishing touches include LED blinkers and an illuminated "X" logo on one of the doors.

The exterior of the wooden Tesla Cybertruck. ND - WoodArt

The wood is waterproof, Dao told Business Insider, and the whole project cost him $15,000.

He even made a functional Cyberquad that fits perfectly in the pick-up truck replica, which his young son has been riding.

Dao also made a functional Cyberquad that fits in the trunk of the larger Tesla replica. ND - WoodArt

After the project was completed, Dao reached out to Musk and Tesla to offer them his Cybertruck replica.

"I am a passionate content creator with a deep love for wooden vehicles and a tremendous admiration for both you and Tesla," he wrote in a post on X .

"I'm aware that Tesla has faced its share of challenges in bringing the Cybertruck to fruition. However, I maintain unwavering faith in your vision and the capabilities of Tesla," the post continued. "I hope to have the honor of gifting this wooden Cybertruck to you and Tesla."

The videos of his creation gathered momentum on social media, receiving more than 70 million views on TikTok.

"Tesla should be taking notes about the fit and finish of this thing," said one X user.

Truong Van Dao with his family and the wooden Cybertruck. ND - WoodArt

"Now - this is a smart way to introduce yourself to the most influential man in the world," pointed out another.

It seems building a wooden Tesla replica does catch Musk's attention. "Sure, much appreciated," the Tesla CEO replied to Dao's tweet, adding a little heart emoji.

Sure, much appreciated   Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 3, 2023

The Vietnamese woodworker described receiving that reply from the Tesla founder as "truly indescribable."

He is now communicating with Tesla to arrange for the car to be shipped to the US and has also been invited to the Tesla Cybertruck launch on Thursday by the President of the Tesla car owners club.

Dao's creations have not only gained him recognition from Tesla. After creating a wooden replica of the Audi Skysphere he was invited to meet with the company's head of design.

Tesla recently announced that only 10 Cybertrucks would be made delivered at Thursday's launch.

While the price of the real Cybertruck has not been confirmed, Business Insider's predicted that it could easily come in at about $100,000. When Musk first announced the vehicle back in 2019 he said it would start at just under $40,000.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Each design took about 7 hours to create on an iPad

Designing the Isle of Man's 2023 Christmas stamp collection has been a "dream come true", a local illustrator has said.

Rowan Corlett's six-piece series features several species of Manx wildlife in festive scenes in front of local landmarks.

They include a puffin at the Sound, a seal at Laxey Bay and a hare at Peel Castle.

The artist said she had been inspired by places she has spent a lot of time.

Ms Corlett said she also "had to include" a Loaghtan sheep and Manx cat, given their connections to the island, but she was keen the stamps were not "overly Christmassy".

"I didn't want Christmas hats on any of the animals," she said.

The collection features wildlife found on the Isle of Man, including a grey seal and a Loaghtan sheep

The Manx illustrator spent about seven hours on each of the designs, which were all created on an iPad.

She said she was "delighted" to see the stamps as an "actual product" that people could "enjoy and see on a day-to-day basis in the post office".

A keen sea-swimmer and nature-lover, she said she was inspired by the island's varied landscape.

"We are so blessed we are to have such amazing nature and animals on our doorstep," she said.

"I wanted to highlight that and remind people about what is around us if we come off our phones and look around."

There are six stamps in the 2023 Isle of Man Post Office Christmas collection

A spokeswoman for the Isle of Man Post Office said the stamps, which will be sent around the world, paid tribute "to all that is Manx and festive".

The set would help to celebrate "the joy of sending Christmas cards and presents to friends and family across the world", she added.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X? You can also send story ideas to IsleofMan@bbc.co.uk
Illustrations of 20th-century battlefield nurses hang on the walls of the American Red Cross in Phoenix, pridefully sharing a glimpse of the organization's past.

Edgar Olivo, CEO of the organization's Arizona and New Mexico sector, said the posters show a call to action that still rings true decades later.

"We will always find a way, and that's what the Red Cross to me represents," Olivo said. "That the best of humanity is here, and you can participate."

The Arizona Republic's Season for Sharing initiative was born in 1993 to "loosen poverty's grasp," according to the kickoff article. Over the decades, the annual fundraising campaign has continued to focus on supporting Arizona nonprofits that aid people who are hungry, people experiencing homelessness, older people and children.

Readers of The Arizona Republic have contributed more than $73 million during Season for Sharing's three decades. Those funds have been granted to hundreds of Arizona nonprofits.

Out of the 68 groups that received Season for Sharing's first grants in 1994, about two dozen nonprofits, including the American Red Cross, received grants in 2023. The Arizona Republic spoke to some of the organizations that have continued to rely on Season for Sharing to understand the impact of Republic readers' contributions.

Literary Volunteers of Maricopa County in Phoenix on Nov. 15, 2023.

The Salvation Army

Alicia Fowler said she knew she had to move out of her apartment when she discovered her roommate was smoking fentanyl. A single mom with no place to go, Fowler went to the Salvation Army's metro Phoenix emergency shelter for help.

Not long after the start of her stay there, in February, Fowler was diagnosed with breast cancer. Without the Salvation Army, she said, she may have never connected with a doctor to assess the lump in her breast, gotten treatment or had a place to recover.

She stayed at the shelter while she recuperated from a mastectomy. Since then, she moved into an apartment in Scottsdale that the Salvation Army helped her find.

The Salvation Army received $20,000 from Season for Sharing this year. The funding supports the organization's Christmas Angel program, which provides meal cards and gifts to low-income families.

Fowler moved into the Salvation Army's emergency shelter near the end of 2022 and celebrated Christmas there. It was her son's first Christmas, and the Salvation Army made it special. She remembered the Christmas Angel celebration as a "huge party."

"They had so many toys for the kids," Fowler said. "There was a band playing, and we danced. It wasn't at all like I expected."

Alexandra Dire at Literary Volunteers of Maricopa County in Phoenix on Nov. 15, 2023.

Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County

Alexandra Dier dropped out of school in eighth grade to get a job to support herself and her sister. Her parents were addicts, Dier said. Eventually, she developed an addiction, too.

Dier wanted to change for the sake of her two daughters. She went to mandatory rehab with a smile on her face, she said. She keeps a photo of her mugshot on her desk to remind herself how far she's come and to show other people fighting addiction that change is possible.

"I didn't get my kids back to parent them through the phone," she said.

Literary Volunteers of Maricopa County in Phoenix on Nov. 15, 2023.

Five years ago, Dier started taking classes from Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County to get her GED. She graduated from the program in the summer and now works in an outpatient program providing trauma-informed care to people struggling with addiction.

Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County, which started in the early 1980s, received $10,000 from Season for Sharing this year. The grant covers the cost of class materials for GED students and people learning English. The nonprofit serves about 1,000 people each year.

Without Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County, Dier would have never considered getting a GED because of its cost, she said.

The nonprofit's executive director, Jesus Love, said he loves to see people like Dier "unlocking the potential to fully participate in our society."

Executive Director Jess Love of Literary Volunteers of Maricopa County in Phoenix on Nov. 15, 2023.

Friendly House

In 2021, Saboora Sharif and her two children left Pakistan to reunite their family in Arizona. Sharif's husband had moved to the U.S. a year before for a computer engineering job.

In her home country, Sharif spent her days weaving fabric and taking care of the house. Now, she writes emails in English, goes to school and is excited about the potential of working a retail job. They're all things Sharif said she never dreamed she would do.

At first, Sharif, who only spoke Urdu, had to depend on her husband to communicate, making daily life challenging. But with the support of Friendly House, Sharif is becoming more and more independent. The nonprofit provides English language classes and high school equivalency classes. Sharif is taking both.

Friendly House has been serving Arizonans for more than a century. The organization received $10,000 from Season for Sharing this year to help people learn English, get a GED and access essential resources like food.

"Life is much easier than before because I know how to communicate with people," Sharif said.

Donate to Season for Sharing

Since 1993, because of readers like you, The Arizona Republic's Season for Sharing campaign has raised and given away more than $73 million to Arizona nonprofits. Please help The Republic continue supporting our neighbors in need.

Scan the QR code with your smartphone camera and click on the link to donate to Season for Sharing.

Where does the money go?

When you give to Season for Sharing, you're contributing to nonprofits that help teachers and students, aid older Arizonans and support struggling children and families. The Republic pays all administrative costs, so 100% of donations go back to the community.

Ways to give

Fill out the secure online form at sharing.azcentral.com.

Text "SHARING" to 91-999 and click on the link in the text message.

Go online at facebook.com/seasonforsharing and look for the featured "DONATE HERE" post.

Clip the coupon on Page 4A of The Arizona Republic, fill it out and mail it to P.O. Box 29250, Phoenix, AZ 85038-9250.

Scan the QR code with your smartphone camera, and click on the link to donate.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Many nonprofits have benefited from Season for Sharing from its start
Southern Housing said repairing the buildings was unviable

Dozens of tenants in Margate have been told they will have to leave their homes by May next year because the flats they live in are unsafe.

Southern Housing said it had to demolish Weymouth House and Stratford House, containing a total of 78 flats.

Residents said they were struggling to find homes as rents were so high.

The housing provider said its priority was safety. Thanet Council said it was seeking assurances that Southern Housing was supporting tenants.

One tenant, Annija Lise, said: "There's no flats, there's nothing. It's very expensive here."

Another tenant, Lucy Potter, said: "You've got to have deposits, rent in advance. The rentals are really expensive in Margate now.

"I need a two-bed. I've got a son who lives with me."

Lucy Potter said they needed deposits and rent in advance, and rentals were now very expensive

Jacqueline Welling, who works at a local hospital, said she moved out of one flat because it flooded and had expected to return, but instead found out her home was to be demolished.

She said: "You're looking at 800-plus now for a decent place. And, if you're not on a real high-earning money, that's a lot to find.

"The difference in this rent to what I'm going to be paying is over 300 a month."

A Southern Housing spokesman said: "There are significant structural and fire safety repairs needed to both blocks and we've made the difficult decision to close these buildings for safety reasons.

"The costs and technical complexity of repairs needed made these buildings unviable.

"Our number one priority remains keeping our residents safe in their home.

"We'll continue to maintain interim fire safety measures to ensure their safety. However, this is not sustainable in the long-term."

Helen Whitehead, cabinet member for housing, said Thanet Council understood Southern Housing was working with its fire engineer and Kent Fire and Rescue Service, and interim measures were in place for the buildings.

She said she had contacted Southern Housing to seek assurances it would offer support to tenants to help them find accommodation.

Tenants have been told they will have to move out by next spring

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.
(NEXSTAR)  No unbelievable twist happens in the climax of May December, the newest film from Carol director Todd Haynes. Nevertheless, the moment ends with one of the films main characters utterly speechless  and perhaps irreparably changed.

May December, which hits Netflix on Dec. 1., stars Best Actress Oscar winners Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, in an emotional thriller that continually blurs the lines of morality, identity and storytelling.

Comedian Tiffany Haddish arrested for DUI in Beverly Hills

The film is loosely inspired by the infamous real-life case of then-36 year-old teacher Mary Kay Letourneau, who was convicted in 1997 for the sexual abuse of 12 year-old student Vili Fualaau. Letourneau would give birth to Fualaaus child during the trial and the two married after Letourneaus 2004 prison release, when Fualaau was an adult.

The case was one of the 1990s biggest news stories and a scandal that would become prime fodder for the true crime genre in the decades that followed. And thats where May December picks up.

When Elizabeth Berry (Portman) arrives in Savannah, Georgia, to research local Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Moore), a former pet store worker who was sentenced to prison for sexual abuse of a 13 year-old back in the early 1990s, shes surprised to find things seem more normal than expected. Elizabeth is preparing to play Gracie in a forthcoming film and she hopes to present the complexities of the problematic figure. But Elizabeths well-intentioned shadowing of Gracie soon uncovers uncomfortable truths all of the characters  including Elizabeth herself  are hiding from.

Caught up in this spiral is Joe Yoo (Charles Melton, Riverdale), who is now the age Gracie was when she blew up her previous life to pursue a relationship with him. At just 36, Joe is preparing to be an empty nester, with the couples children leaving for college. This change, plus the emergence of a TV actress in his home complicate what had been Joes seemingly happy life.

Thanksgiving review: Holiday horror for 90s slasher lovers

Despite sharing the screen with two of Hollywoods most celebrated stars, Melton carries his scenes with palpable heaviness, including a bittersweet late moment with the son he gave up his youth to raise.

Portman plays Elizabeths observation of Gracies unusual life with an icy matter-of-factness, and Portmans greatest moments in the film come when Elizabeth purposely loses herself in the research. Its a performance that might feel like something of a spiritual successor to Black Swans controlled-then-uncontrolled ballerina, the role which Portman snagged the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2011.

Taylor Swift shakes off wardrobe mishap during Eras Tour show in Brazil

Meanwhile, Moores Gracie moves through the film with a childlike fragility encasing an aching inner core. Gracie often reacts unlike what Elizabeth (and the audience) expect from her and emotionally, Moore continually opens trap doors of Gracies that only leave Elizabeth understanding less, not more.

With awards season impending, its highly likely all three May December leads will receive acting nominations. Haynes, meanwhile, might possibly snag his first directing Oscar nomination for the intrusive intimacy he imbues into the film. Very often, Haynes direction draws the audience into a characters most private moments  documentary-like  before yanking the camera back horrifically, reminding you that you are indeed watching a movie and yes, foulness is afoot.

All of this shouldnt imply that the film isnt darkly comedic. With a sharp and thoughtful screenplay by Sammy Burch (the recently beleaguered Coyote vs. Acme), youll find yourself laughing when you feel like you shouldnt just before shielding your eyes from what you cant stop from happening.

It goes without saying that this R-rated feature should be reserved for an adults night in.

May December makes for an entertaining watch but also one that benefits from discussion among viewers, even second watches. It goes down easier than this review might imply but it also takes some time to digest. Where some of Haynes most signature films (2002s Far From Heaven, 2015s Carol) send viewers off with melodramatic heartache and/or hope, May December sends its viewers off questioning what theyve seen and how they might even have been complicit in proliferating stories like the one at the center of May December.

The film, which earned Haynes his fifth Palme dOr nomination at the Cannes Film Festival, currently holds a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score. May December is now in select theaters ahead of its Netflix streaming release this coming Friday. This is one fall release youll want to have seen ahead of next years awards ceremonies.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
George Cohon, the man who brought McDonald's to Canada and later Russia, has died. (The Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov) (The Canadian Press)

George Cohon, the founder and senior chairman of McDonald's Canada, died at age 86 on Friday night.

The American-born businessman's son, Mark Cohon, took to X  formerly known as Twitter  on Saturday, sharing a tribute post to his late father.

"Last night we said farewell to my dad. Our family, Canada and the world lost a remarkable man," Cohon's son wrote.

Cohon was born on April 19, 1937 in Chicago, eventually receiving a degree from Drake University and graduating from the Northwestern University School of Law in 1961. Six years later, he moved to Toronto as a McDonald's licensee for eastern Canada, alongside his wife and their two sons, according to the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. He opened his first McDonald's location in London, Ont. in November 1968.

Helping drive the rapid expansion of McDonalds' operations in Canada, Cohon became chairman, president and chief executive officer of McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. in 1971. He held those titles until July 1992.

Cohon was also instrumental in bringing McDonald's to what was then the Soviet Union, where he started the arduous process in 1976 when he was already presiding over more than 200 locations. It wasn't until 1990 where he opened the first McDonald's in Moscow.

Last night we said farewell to my Dad. Our family, Canada and the world lost a remarkable man. pic.twitter.com/6hbHfRDL5X  Mark Cohon (@MarkCohon) November 25, 2023

Cohon was also the founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides accommodations for families whose children are receiving medical treatment, in Canada and in Russia.

In 1988, he made a Member of the Order of Canada. A decade later, he was awarded the Order of Friendship by the Russian government.

He was given the Order of Ontario in 2000, and was given a key to city of Toronto in 2012. Most recently, he received the Companion of the Order of Canada earlier this year.

On X, many users  including Canadian politicians and business figures  paid their respects to Cohon.

A remarkable Canadian with a legacy the family can be proud of. Condolences.  Erin O'Toole (@erinotoole) November 25, 2023

Devoted to his family,

devoted to his business,

devoted to his country.



His eyes always gleamed, his smile always broad. Time with him was time well-spent, and a time youd remember for the rest of your life. He was that kind of guy.



Our thoughts are with his family.  Seamus O'Regan Jr (@SeamusORegan) November 25, 2023

I read to Russia With Fries as a kid and always loved your dads story.



So, it was a thrill to meet him one day in line at McDonalds. He was so kind to my 8 year old son, chatting about his favourite items and menu tips. And of course, with his biz card he bought us lunch.  daniel debow (@ddebow) November 25, 2023

RIP George Cohon, a kind and very likeable man. His concept of Ronald McDonald House is outstanding and a fine legacy.  Hadley Obodiac (@hobodiac) November 25, 2023

George Cohon with @JohnCena at the #WWE Canada charity golf event (Aug. 14, 2005). pic.twitter.com/guAwhEwZRk  Steve Argintaru (@SteveTSN) November 25, 2023

This weekend the flags at your Toronto Zoo will fly at half-mast to honour the memory of George Cohon who passed away November 24, 2023.



Mr. Cohon was the founder of Mcdonald's Canada and in 1974 opened the worlds largest Mcdonald's at the Toronto Zoo. pic.twitter.com/yvKdQ3c7Wt  The Toronto Zoo (@TheTorontoZoo) November 25, 2023
Ukraine attacked Russian military targets with about 35 drones overnight on Nov. 26 in response to Russia's mass Shahed attack against Ukraine a day earlier, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing a military intelligence source.



Ukraine's drones were aimed at targets in Moscow and its region, as well as in Tula and Smolensk. Russia claimed that it had shot down 24 Ukrainian drones.

According to Ukrainska Pravda's source, the attack is a signal to Russia that its strikes against civilians in Ukraine will be met with consequences.

"The war must be fought with the military in the war zones. Strikes on civilians and outside the war zone will not go unanswered," source said as cited by the media.



On the morning of Nov. 25, Russia struck Ukraine with 75 Shahed kamikaze drones, mainly targeting Kyiv. Ukrainian air defense reported bringing down 74 of them.

As a result of the six-hour attack, at least two people were injured and several residential and non-residential buildings were damaged across the capital.

Shaheds are an Iranian design  cheap, simple, long-range kamikaze drones, which have steadily replaced missiles in Russia's mass strikes, especially after thousands of advanced missiles had been fired.



Both Russia and Ukraine produce and field their own takes on the design.

Read also: Russia launches record number of drones against Ukraine on Holodomor Memorial Day

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A Cruise car drives in downtown Austin on Sept. 26. Cruise, based in San Francisco, is one of several autonomous vehicle companies that tests their self-driving cars in Austin. Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune

Austins Downtown Commission has created a dashboard to track incidents involving self-driving cars after a slew of mishaps that have Austin residents complaining.

The dashboard will be updated weekly and divided into six categories: blocking traffic, collision, ignoring police direction, near miss, nuisance and safety concern.

According to a report by KXAN, there were 43 complaints related to driverless cars filed between July and October. Since then, the complaints have risen to 53.

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Complaints were reported in the downtown and West Campus area of Austin.

The majority of the complaints come from residents and the Austin Fire Department, but there are others from the Austin Police Department, Austin Transportation & Public Works Department and Austin-Travis County EMS, the KXAN report states.

The incident dashboard shows that there have been 20 complaints related to near misses. KXANs report described a near-miss complaint submitted by the AFD on July 8, stating that a driverless car almost cut off an EMS unit.

In September, several Cruise self-driving vehicles were stopped along a street near the University of Texas at Austin. A month later, five self-driving car collisions were reported by APD, according to KXAN.

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Richard Franks answers questions during the 2023 Gastonia Mayoral Forum held Monday evening, Aug. 7, 2023, at St. Stephens AME Zion Church on West Franklin Boulevard.

Gastonia Mayor-elect Richard Franks expects his first month in office to be a blur.

"It's going to be very busy," said Franks, who was elected as Gastonia's new mayor in the 2023 municipal election. "I've a lot to learn."

Franks, a Republican, ousted incumbent Mayor Walker Reid, a Democrat, who was on the Gastonia City Council for 16 years and the mayor of Gastonia for six.

Background

Franks is a native of south Gastonia and a graduate of Hunter Huss High School and UNC Charlotte, where he studied human services.

Now retired, he previously owned his own screenprinting and embroidery business.

"Technically, I still do it for some people. I've done it since I was 14 years old," he said.

Franks returned to Gastonia around eight years ago from Memphis, Tennessee, where he lived off and on for more than a decade.

Now, he says that working as Gastonia's mayor will be his full-time job.

"The city needs leadership and somebody that can give it direction," he said.

Priorities

One of Frank's priorities in his first year will be the establishment of a mayoral task force to help him work in five areas of concern he's identified: public safety, fiscal responsibility, transparency in governance, Gastonia's homelessness crisis and city beautification.

"I like to surround myself with people that are very knowledgeable in their areas of expertise," he said. "This empowers the citizens to play an active role in shaping the future of the city."

He said that his task force will include people from all walks of life.

"I want to bring the city back together. I want it to be an inclusive city of all people," he said.

Franks said that he wants there to be "less of a tax burden" on the citizens of Gastonia. He also wants to examine the city budget, looking for "wasteful spending."

Franks also said that he wants to help address the problem of widespread homelessness in Gastonia.

He said that he has connected with the District Attorney's Office about holding a special court for people who are homeless that would connect them to vital resources to help get them off the street.

"If somebody gets into trouble, they'll have options," Franks said. "The purpose is to give the homeless people a path to self sustaining."

District Attorney Travis Page said his office reviewed possibilities for the court earlier this year, and they plan to resume their efforts to get a program going.

"Some jurisdictions have specialized courtrooms, but we may look for it to be a program within the DA's Office, similar to the Deferred Prosecution program we have for first offenders," he said. "The goal would be to use the criminal process as motivation and a means to connect people to the services that can get them off the street for good."

Franks said that when he takes office, he will convene a meeting of various stakeholders around the county to address the problem of homelessness.

"This is a big undertaking, but I think the citizens of Gastonia deserve somebody that's willing to step up and try to alleviate the problem," he said.

Personal philosophy

Franks is a Christian, and he said that one of his driving personal philosophies "is you take care of the least among us."

"That's a broad statement, but I look at it from a Christian point of view," he said.

Franks said he feels the city is ready for change.

"There's a lot that I'm trying to get accomplished. I think the citizens of Gastonia deserve a brighter future, a better future, a more fiscally responsible government," he said.

Richard Franks stands on the steps near City Hall in Gastonia Thursday afternoon, Nov. 16, 2023.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Meet Gastonia's new mayor-elect
Russell Coleman wasted no time in making clear his desire to be Kentuckys next top cop.

One day after Kentuckys sitting attorney general, Daniel Cameron, announced in May 2022 he was running for governor instead of a second term as the commonwealths chief law enforcement officer, Coleman shared he was running to be Camerons successor.

Fast-forward 18 months, and Coleman, 47, won his race and will be sworn in as Kentuckys 52nd attorney general Jan. 1.

Over the span of two decades, Coleman has worn different hats in the legal field and criminal justice system, including at the Department of Justice and FBI, as legal counsel to Sen. Mitch McConnell and as a U.S. Attorney.

Coleman traces his desire to work in law enforcement back to when he was a second-grade student in Daviess County.

I came across these black and white books. Instead of reading the Berenstain Bears books, I looked at these black and white, beat up, pure J. Edgar Hoover propaganda, he told the Herald-Leader.

It was Tommy guns and fedoras, fast cars and tracer rounds being fired on the last page. And I knew when I looked at those books, I wanted to be an FBI agent.

With time and maturity, Coleman said what continued to draw him in was the mission of law enforcement, the mission of protecting.

I love that mission. And its not all that different than what parents do, he said. Ideally in law enforcement, you prevent harm. ... Everything I did professionally after that point was to someday be an FBI agent.

After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Coleman worked at the U.S. Department of Justice for three years under attorneys general Janet Reno and John Ashcroft.

But I realized even then, when I was interacting with smart lawyers that were arguing cases before the Supreme Court, were top-flight legal talent from Ivy League schools, I realized that the people that I identified with the most working at the Justice Department were FBI special agents, Coleman said.

Coleman returned to UK to earn his law degree and went on to work briefly as a prosecutor in Garrard and Jessamine counties while waiting to be called up at Quantico.

For five years, Coleman lived out his dream of becoming an FBI agent, with assignments in Indiana, Washington, D.C., and Iraq.

Probably the most rewarding experience I had my entire time as an agent was serving in Iraq for a number of months with the special operations community, the U.S. military, Coleman said. We were working cases looking for terrorism there in Iraq, trying to preclude acts of terrorism here by working cases there along with the U.S. military.

I loved the work, loved being an agent.

But a spinal cord condition  called transverse myelitis  paralyzed Coleman.

I went from being a 32-year-old active runner on the National Mall to being a complete paraplegic in a few days, he said. We moved home. We had a young child then. We didnt know how I was going to be a dad, didnt know how I was going to be a husband and certainly didnt know how I was going to be an FBI agent.

The FBI relocated Coleman and his family to Louisville because of the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute, where he would eventually learn how to walk again, though he remains without feeling in one leg.

From there, Coleman would work as McConnells legal counsel for five years, and then two years as a partner at the law firm Frost Brown Todd.

After Donald Trumps election, Coleman was called on to be the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, a role he held until the end of the Trump administration in January 2021.

(That was) being as close to law enforcement as I could be with with a leg that doesnt work, being able to lead from the podium, being able to lead from the end of the conference room table, not necessarily wearing the badge and a gun and going through the door, Coleman said.

This is my opportunity to get back to law enforcement.
43 million Americans hold $1.6 trillion in outstanding federal student debt.

Millennials hold the most student debt, with an average balance of about $35,000 per person.

Most student-loan borrowers want Biden to deliver broad debt relief.

Federal student debt is a $1.6 trillion problem for over 43 million Americans, and now that payments have started back up again, it's hitting some borrowers especially hard.

Take Helena, a 58-year-old borrower with $145,000 in student debt who previously had to sell items on eBay to afford her payments. "But as much as I would pay, it would get nowhere because the interest kept growing," she previously told Insider.

It's an issue that's impacting borrowers of all ages. While this past October marked the first time since 2020 that recent college graduates had to make a student-loan payment due to the over three-year pandemic pause, some older borrowers have been dealing with the burden for decades  and wish they would benefit from President Joe Biden's targeted relief measures.

"Everybody I talk to says, 'Yeah, older people should have their debt forgiven, too,'" Theresa Teders, a 69-year-old borrower, previously told Insider. "But that's never expressed, and if it's not expressed, how does the government and federal lawmakers know that we care out here?"

Last year, Biden announced up to $20,000 in student-debt relief for borrowers making under $125,000 a year, but the Supreme Court struck down the plan in June following conservative challenges. The Education Department is attempting a new route for relief using the Higher Education Act of 1965, and it's in the process of determining which borrowers will qualify for this next round.

While borrowers across all ages and demographics are dealing with unique challenges to student-loan repayment, here's what recent data say makes up the typical American borrower.

The average student-debt load for borrowers is around $35,000

A recent TransUnion study using its consumer credit database found that the average American borrower has about $35,000 in student debt. That amount varies by generation: the average Gen Z borrower holds $24,472 in student debt, the average millennial holds $42,637 in student debt, and the average Gen Xer holds $48,733 in student debt, according to TransUnion.

Interest capitalization, in which unpaid interest gets tacked onto a borrower's principal balance, could contribute to the higher amounts older generations hold.

TransUnion projections of student-debt loads by generation. TransUnion

Women hold more student debt than men

Women hold about two-thirds of the US student-loan portfolio  about $929 billion  according to a 2021 report from the American Association of University Women.

Upon graduation, women owe on average about $22,000 in student debt, compared to the $18,880 men owe. That number increases when considering race: Black women graduate with an average of $37,558 in student debt.

"Women take about two years longer than men to repay student loans," the report said. "From the moment women graduate from college, most face a gender pay gap  which widens as they age. This makes it even harder to pay off their larger share of student debt."

Millennials hold the most student debt right now

According to the latest data from Federal Student Aid for the third quarter of 2023, 14.8 million student-loan borrowers aged 25 to 34  older Gen Zers and young millennials  hold $483 billion outstanding dollars in student debt, and 12.2 million borrowers aged 35 to 49  older millennials and younger Gen Xers  hold $534 billion outstanding dollars in student debt.

Meanwhile, 6.8 million Gen Z borrowers 24 and under owe $97 billion in student debt, 5 million Gen X and younger boomer borrowers aged 50 to 61 owe $238 billion in student debt, and 1.7 million boomer borrowers 62 and older owe $82 billion in student debt, per FSA.

Most borrowers want debt relief

According to an Ipsos poll conducted in April with a sample of 1,029 adults 18 and older  399 of which have student loans  83% of the respondents with loans said they supported Biden's first attempt at broad student-loan forgiveness of up to $20,000, with an income threshold.

When it comes to the over three-year student-loan payment pause that ended in October, 55% of borrowers in the survey said the pause has improved their mental health. Meanwhile, half of borrowers said they were able to save money during the pause that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to, and 53% of borrowers believed the pause was an economic stimulus.

Support for broad debt relief is also fairly consistent across generations. A Morning Consult and Politico poll in June 2022, right before Biden's first debt relief plan was announced, found that of 2,000 registered voters, 65% of respondents aged 18 to 34 supported $10,000 in debt relief, with 61% of respondents aged 35 to 44 feeling the same.

Currently, the Education Department is working with a group of negotiators to craft its new plan for student-debt relief. While it has not yet finalized the draft text of the relief, it has outlined four groups of borrowers it's seeking to prioritize for this next round  and borrowers now have to wait and see if they qualify for a reduction to their balances in the coming year.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Representative Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat leaving her Virginia seat to seek the governorship, gives Republicans a prime pickup opportunity. But most retiring lawmakers are in safe seats. (The New York Times) (NYT)

WASHINGTON  Eleven are running for the Senate. Five for state or local office. One for president of the United States. Another is resigning to become a university president. And more and more say they are hanging up their hats in public office altogether.

More than three dozen members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election next year, some to pursue other offices and many others simply to get out of Washington. Twelve have announced their plans just this month.

The wave of lawmakers across chambers and parties announcing they intend to leave Congress comes at a time of breathtaking dysfunction on Capitol Hill, primarily instigated by House Republicans. The House GOP majority spent the past few months deposing its leader, waging a weekslong internal war to select a new speaker and struggling to keep federal funding flowing. Right-wing members have rejected any spending legislation that could become law and railed against their new leader for turning to Democrats, as his predecessor did, to avert a government shutdown.

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The chaos has Republicans increasingly worried that they could lose their slim House majority next year, a concern that typically prompts a rash of retirements from the party in control. But it is not only GOP lawmakers who are opting to leave; Democrats, too, are rushing for the exits, with retirements across parties this year outpacing those of the past three election cycles.

And while most of the departures announced so far do not involve competitive seats, given the slim margins of control in both chambers, the handful that provide pickup opportunities for Republicans or Democrats could help determine who controls Congress come 2025.

I like the work, but the politics just no longer made it worth it, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., said in an interview. He announced his retirement last month after more than a quarter-century in the House.

I think I can have more impact on a number of things I care about if Im not going to be bogged down for re-election, Blumenauer said.

As lawmakers consider their futures in Congress, they are weighing the personal sacrifice required to be away from loved ones for much of the year against the potential to legislate and advance their political and policy agendas. In this chaotic and bitter environment, many are deciding the trade-off is unappealing.

This session, said Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., has been the most unsatisfying period in my time in Congress because of the absolute chaos and the lack of any serious commitment to effective governance.

Kildee, who has served in Congress for a decade, said he decided not to seek re-election after recovering from a cancerous tumor he had removed earlier this year. It made him reevaluate the time he was willing to spend in Washington, away from his family.

The dysfunction in the House majority only made the calculation easier.

That has contributed to the sense of frustration, he said, and this feeling that the sacrifice were all making in order to be in Washington, to be witness to this chaos, is pretty difficult to make.

Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, D-Calif., also announced she would end her three-decade career in Congress at the close of her current term. One of her closest friends in Congress, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, another California Democrat, told her hometown news site, San Jose Spotlight, that there was speculation that Eshoo was leaving because the majority we have now is nuts  and they are. But Lofgren added that thats not the reason; she felt it was her time to do this.

Some House Republicans have reached the limits of their frustration with their own party.

Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., announced he would not seek re-election after his dissatisfaction and sense of disconnect with the GOP had grown too great. Buck, who voted to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California from the speakership, has denounced his partys election denialism and many members refusal to condemn the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

We lost our way, Buck told The New York Times this month. We have an identity crisis in the Republican Party. If we cant address the election denier issue and we continue down that path, we wont have credibility with the American people that we are going to solve problems.

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., said in a statement during the speaker fight last month that she would not run again.

Right now, Washington, D.C., is broken; it is hard to get anything done, she said.

The trend extends even to the most influential members of Congress; Rep. Kay Granger, the 80-year-old Texas Republican who chairs the powerful Appropriations Committee, announced she would retire at the end of her 14th term. Even if her party manages to keep control of the House, Granger, the longest-serving GOP congresswoman, faced term limits that would have forced her from the helm of the spending panel.

Few of the retirements thus far appear likely to alter the balance of power in Congress, where the vast majority of House seats are gerrymandered to be safe for one party or the other. Prime exceptions include Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., whose retirement will almost certainly mean that Republicans can claim the states Senate seat and get a leg up to win control of that chamber.

The decision of Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, to leave her seat in a competitive Virginia district to seek the governorship also gives Republicans a prime pickup opportunity.

And Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., announced he would not seek re-election after a House Ethics Committee report found substantial evidence that he had violated federal law. His exit will give Democrats a chance to reclaim the suburban Long Island seat he flipped to the GOP last year.

Many others are likely to be succeeded by members of their own party.

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who last month announced a long-shot bid to challenge President Joe Biden for his partys nomination, said this week that he would step aside to focus on that race. Biden won his district by 21 percentage points in 2020, according to data compiled by Daily Kos, making it all but certain that Democrats will hold the seat.

Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, said he would accept a job as president of Youngstown State University. His seat, too, is all but sure to be held by the GOP; former President Donald Trump won the district by more than 28 percentage points in 2020.

Some members not seeking re-election have determined they can affect more change from outside Congress, where they do not have to contend with the same infighting, gridlock and attention-seeking that now frequently drive the place.

I think I will have as much or more impact as a civilian as I would as a member of Congress, especially having to be involved in a pretty toxic political environment, Blumenauer said.

Lawmakers typically do not choose to leave office when their party looks poised to regain power in the next election cycle, and Democrats see an opening to regain the House majority next year. But Blumenauer, who would be a senior member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee should his party win the House, said he would rather not sacrifice time with his family.

Its tempting, said Blumenauer. Im going to continue working on the things I care about, but with a renewed commitment to family, friends and fun.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
In January, abortion rights groups celebrated the introduction of legislation to repeal Michigan's 1931 abortion ban after Democrats flipped control of both chambers of the state Legislature for the first time in 40 years. But by the end of the session, those same groups bemoaned the abortion restrictions left untouched when lawmakers headed home for the rest of the year.

Those restrictions include a law mandating a 24-hour waiting period for those seeking abortions and a ban on Medicaid-funded abortions. A single Democratic lawmaker's opposition derailed efforts to repeal them, exposing the limitations of a single-vote majority in both legislative chambers and an apparent disconnect between the issues that helped Democrats win legislative majorities and what they delivered.

Proposal 3 passed with a larger share of support from voters than any of the Democratic candidates running for top statewide offices. Abortion rights proponents consistently posit the measure helped deliver Democratic legislative majorities. It received more votes than the total cast for Democratic candidates for the state House or state Senate.

Alex Cascio, 27, of Royal Oak, applauds during a Yes on Proposal 3 campaign watch party at the David Whitney Building in downtown Detroit on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

"I think we believe the reason why we have the Legislature that we do right now is because abortion was on the ballot," said Merissa Kovach, the legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. While Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was unable to eliminate all of the abortion restrictions she wanted, she signed legislation Tuesday repealing other laws such as a ban on higher education institutions' pregnant and parenting services offices from providing referrals for abortion services.

Some anticipated Democrats' slim control would hinder Democrats' productivity this year or stall change long-awaited by advocates. Democrats defied some of those predictions at the outset. After taking power, they largely stuck together to act swiftly at the start of the year to move legislative priorities from labor laws to gun safety measures that languished under GOP control. But when lawmakers returned from their summer break, fissures emerged within the Democratic caucus, particularly in the state House where more than half are freshmen lawmakers. Some voiced frustrations about the items on their agendas that stalled.

Will a Democratic majority last?

Reflecting on the first session in which Democrats held full control of the Legislature for the first time since 1983, Democratic legislative leaders took a victory lap.

"Nobody's ever perfect," said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids. "But I think we did a really excellent job finding the ways that we can work together, and I think the proof is in the bills we passed on major issues."

House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, delivered his own message to those who wanted more from the first year of Democratic control of the Legislature in 40 years. "The work that we've done up to this point bodes well for what we can do in the future," he said.

House speaker Rep. Joe Tate looks on during Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's State of the State address on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing.

The last time Democrats had a majority in Lansing was in 2010 in the state House. MoReno Taylor II, executive director of Fund MI Future, was a legislative staffer at the time and said Democrats lost their power because they were too afraid to be progressive. He could envision history repeating itself as Democrats stare down elections next year in the state House. "You have a whole new crop of legislators who campaigned on doing progressive things for the people in their community," he said. But when they arrived in Lansing, they were stymied, he said.

A freshman Democratic lawmaker who won his election last fall in one of the many newly drawn swing districts his party needs to hold onto to keep their majority delivered a mixed assessment of Democrats' legislative performance.

"I think the first half of the year we really delivered," said state Rep. Joey Andrews, D-St. Joseph. But he expressed disappointment with how Democrats handled the second half of the year. He sees "opportunities left on the table," including a bill he sponsored that never made its way to the floor to repeal a Michigan law that bars local governments from putting in place more generous minimum wage and paid leave policies than those at the state level. Moving forward, he wants to see more ambitious Democratic policymaking he says goes "hard on our values."

"Because majority could be fleeting," he said.

It's already gone in the state House, at least temporarily. A pair of former state representatives  both Democrats  recently won mayoral elections in metro Detroit. While they'll still control both chambers of the Legislature next year, the vacancies leave Democrats without a majority of votes in the state House. The even partisan split in the chamber will slow down any legislative priorities that encounter united GOP opposition.

State Rep. Lori Stone, D-Warren, poses with her campaign sign as she knocks on voters doors to ask for their support for her mayoral bid on June 12, 2023. At left, Rep. Kevin Coleman of the 15th District with one of the many campaign signs in Westland on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Both won their 2023 mayoral elections, temporarily leaving Democrats in the state House without a majority.

For their part, GOP legislative leaders delivered a sharp critique of Democrats' actions during the legislative session that just ended. Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, blasted several moves by Democrats, including energy policies he called "extreme", votes to "give millions in handouts to multinational corporations" and legislation that strikes a requirement to hold back third graders who fail a reading proficiency test, saying Democrats "gutted reading standards." Nesbitt said in a statement, "it's quite clear Democrats failed their math, science, and history lessons" and gave Democrats an "F" for the term.

House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, similarly criticized the Democrats agenda, calling their budget "wasteful," their labor agenda a "payback" for their "union boss supporters" and their energy policies "radical."

"But one-party rule didn't last long," Hall said in a statement. "The House now has a bipartisan balance, and Democrats should turn the page and work with Republicans to finally solve all of the problems they've ignored for a year, like fixing our local roads and bridges, making our schools and communities safer, and attracting high-paying careers and new residents to our state."

The last time the state House was evenly divided along partisan lines was in 1994. But just a year ago Democratic leaders found themselves on opposite sides of the state celebrating a different historic milestone.

A long to-do list

In November 2022, Brinks joined Democrats in Kent County when she learned their party won full control of the Legislature while Tate watched the election results at the Motor City Casino in Detroit. Coming together in Lansing, the pair shepherded Democratic priorities through the legislative process to Whitmer.

A Whitmer spokesperson celebrated what they accomplished.

"With Governor Whitmers leadership and a new Democratic majority, this legislative term has been one of the most productive in state history," said Whitmer press secretary Stacey LaRouche, who provided a list of legislative actions that included new tax, labor and gun policies. She said Whitmer "looks forward to continuing this momentum in the next legislative session to deliver on these kitchen table issues for Michiganders."

Senate majority leader Winnie Brinks looks on during Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's State of the State address on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing.

Within the first six months, Democrats passed a major tax overhaul with a $1 billion tax cut for retirees and working families. They expanded the state's civil rights law to add explicit protections from discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals. They repealed Michigan's right-to-work law. Michigan AFL-CIO communications director Aaron Pelo called the right-to-work repeal "history-making stuff." With it, Michigan became the first state in nearly 60 years to ditch the law that allows those in unionized workplaces to opt out of paying union fees and dues.

Democrats also reinstated a prevailing wage requirement for state-funded construction projects. They passed new laws aimed at curbing gun violence and crafted a state budget that includes funding for free breakfast and lunch for all public school students, infrastructure projects like replacing water lines and temporarily expanding a tuition-free path to higher education.

Officials and people in the crowd cheer on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer after she signs into law bills that would allow police officers, family members and medical professionals to ask courts to issue an extreme risk protection order to temporarily take away guns from those who pose a danger to themselves or others on Monday, May 22, 2023, outside of the 44th District Court in Royal Oak.

"We have moved major pieces of legislation faster than any Legislature in decades," said state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City.

Despite the swift movement on some Democratic priorities, lawmakers ended the session with some big items left undone.

McDonald Rivet said she was "really frustrated" to see a proposal to create a prescription drug affordability board not make its way to Whitmer before the end of session. She said she also wanted to see the House tackle auto insurance after the Senate voted on legislation to increase reimbursement rates for medical providers treating car crash victims in Michigan. People are suffering because of inaction on those fronts and she has experienced a "flooding" of visitors coming to her office specifically to talk about those two issues, she said.

Other groups have similarly lined the halls of the Capitol to lobby for their own priorities.

One staged a sit-in at Brinks' office to demand swift passage of bills to enable undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. Organizer Gema Lowe with the Michigan chapter of Movimiento Cosecha has fought for the legislation for years and hoped that Michigan's Democratic trifecta would follow Minnesota's footsteps with the expansion of driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. Legislative committees have not held hearings on the Michigan bills sponsored by most Democratic lawmakers. According to the group's legislative director Joe Gutowski, the legislation also has the support of the majority of the Michigan Democratic Party Rural Caucus and is of particular interest to farmers.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her "Whats Next" Address that outlines her legislative priorities for the fall at the Lansing Shuffle in Lansing Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023.

Even Whitmer who crossed off many items on her own legislative agenda this year didn't see everything she asked for land on her desk. This fall, lawmakers passed legislation to establish a 100% clean energy standard and codify health care protections in the federal Affordable Care Act in state law  two items Whitmer asked for in a speech before the end of the Legislature's summer recess. But they didn't heed her calls for other policies, including the proposal for a drug affordability board and another for paid family and medical leave.

Asked whether she wants lawmakers to start with those proposals when they reconvene next year, Whitmer said she's talking with Democratic legislative leaders and "keeping a line of open communication" with GOP leaders. "I think we've got to stake out an agenda where we can find common ground. I'm hoping that perhaps those are places where we can. But we're going to take on a lot of things as we go into 2024," she told reporters after an event when she signed legislation repealing several abortion restrictions.

Frustrations with financial transparency, economic development

While Democratic lawmakers map out their legislative priorities for the new year, some expressed dismay with what they see as missed opportunities on the items they already tackled.

Under Proposal 1  a constitutional amendment approved by voters  lawmakers had until the end of the year to implement disclosure requirements for reporting information about their own finances. Transparency advocates wanted the legislation to create financial disclosures in Michigan to go further than what lawmakers passed.

"There's an immense amount of work yet to be done on implementing real transparency, anti-corruption and ethics reforms," said state Rep. Betsy Coffia, D-Traverse City, in a text message. "Look, Lansing clearly has very bad deeply ingrained habits in this area, and I am sick of us being worst in the country." She was among the group of House Democrats who sponsored more expansive legislation to implement Proposal 1.

Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. After Michigan voters passed a constitutional amendment in the fall of 2022 requiring financial disclosures from certain politicians, lawmakers passed bills to implement the new reporting requirements.

State Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, who sponsored one of the implementation bills awaiting Whitmer's signature described his legislation as just a start after hearing calls in a legislative committee to strengthen his proposal. In response to a question from the Free Press asking why lawmakers waited until the Dec. 31 deadline approached to introduce the Proposal 1 bills, Moss defended the timing.

"If you had told the (Michigan State University) families in February that we were going to neglect them in February on moving forward on meaningful commonsense gun reforms in favor of something that we did have a deadline at the end of the year to achieve, they would have looked at us like we were crazy," he told reporters. "If we were a do-nothing Legislature, I would take that criticism. I think all of you including us are exhausted from 2023 based on the amount of work that weve achieved so far."

While lawmakers waited until the end of the year to take up the financial transparency legislation, Democrats went on an economic development spending spree at the beginning of the year, approving large sums to support companies promising jobs in the state in a process lawmakers have criticized for lacking transparency and aim to change next year.

A small section of land near Michigan Avenue and 13 Mile Road bought by Ford Motor Company has the ground worked on during Wednesday, July 12, 2023 for the eventual location of footers to be used in the construction of the Ford EV plant in Marshall.

"We need a very different approach to economic development," McDonald Rivet said. She's not opposed to subsidizing companies looking to expand their footprint in Michigan or move to the state. "But if that's all we do, the status quo is not going to get us out of where we are right now," she said. She wants to see greater investments in making Michigan communities attractive to lure young professionals she says want to live in walkable communities with good public transit systems where they can access affordable housing and child care.

But Democrats are bound for a slow start in the new year on any priorities that lack GOP support without the historic majority they enjoyed in the state House at the start of last year. It will take until April to fill the vacancies left by the two Democratic state representatives now serving as metro Detroit mayors.

Tate dismissed the possibility Republicans could pull off victories in the recently vacated solidly Democratic districts.

"I feel very confident that we'll be back to full strength after the special elections in our caucus," he said.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article misstated an abortion-related restriction Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation to repeal.

Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Democrats reflect on 2023 legislative session
A Macomb County jury has found a Michigan man guilty of one charge of ethnic intimidation and two additional offenses connected to a 2022 shooting. The assailant yelled the N-word at a Black pedestrian before firing his rifle at the man.

He currently faces up to eight years and will have to serve a minimum of two years in prison.

Anthony Mangiapanes mugshot. He remains jailed until his sentencing in January, 2024. (Macomb County Jail)

The incident occurred on July 25, 2022, in suburban Detroit when the victim innocently passed by Anthony Mangiapanes Warren, Michigan, shop. As the Black man stood on the sidewalk, the 56-year-old raised his weapon in his doorway and shouted, N##ger, you better get moving, according to Fox 2 Detroit.

Shortly after he uttered that demand, he shot at the 37-year-old St. Clair Shores resident three times.

The victim, who was uninjured, left the scene of the gunfire and went to a nearby location. There he called 911 to report that he was shot at. The dispatcher who picked up the call, also heard the shooting still going on in the background.

Within three minutes, Warren police responded to the call, arriving at the two separate locations, meeting the victim, and going to the business where they encountered a resistant Mangiapane. After the shooting, Mangiapane barricaded himself inside a business before later surrendering to police.

Before he surrendered, police noticed and gathered rifle casings on the ground, believed to be from the reported shooting. After testing, the forensic lab concluded that the shell casing was indeed a match with the rifle with a green laser scope that belonged to Mangiapane which was on the property.

Jurors listened to evidence against the business owner during a three-day jury trial in Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens before coming to a guilty verdict.

They reviewed evidence discovered by the Michigan State Police bomb squad such as an M203 grenade shell, a cache of weapons, including A German Luger pistol and other kinds of pistols, shotguns, and AR-15-style rifles with high-capacity magazines.

Also found on his property was Nazi memorabilia that Mangiapane collected.

The case was prosecuted by Kumar Palepu, who heads the Macomb Prosecutors Hate Crime Unit for the department. The statement regarding the verdict was given by Palepus colleague, Peter Lucido

Thank you to the Macomb County jury for holding this man accountable for his hate-driven, violent actions, said Lucido, according to the Macomb Daily.

In addition to ethnic harassment, which carries a two-year felony, the jury found Mangiapane guilty of assault with a deadly weapon, a four-year felony, and a felony firearm charge for a mandatory two-year sentence.

Mangiapane is currently incarcerated in the Macomb County Jail. He is awaiting his sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2024.
As a result of Polish haulers blocking Ukrainian border crossing points, around 2,100 vehicles are stuck, unable to get into Ukraine as of Nov. 26, Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry said in an update.

The flow of traffic at Dorohusk-Yahodyn, Ukraine's largest cargo crossing, is usually 680 trucks per day. It is now down to a few dozen every 24 hours, according to the ministry.

Volunteers distributed 2,500 liters of water, 1,200 meals, and needed medicines at this crossing point, where more than 800 trucks are currently standing in line.

The Korczowa-Krakivets and Rava-Ruska - Hrebenne have 700 and 600 vehicles stuck, respectively. Four checkpoints have been blocked so far, and a fifth was being considered as of Nov. 24.

Polish truckers started blocking three border crossing points on Nov. 6 in protest of the liberalization of EU transport rules for Ukrainian trucks, causing huge lines on both sides of the border.

An organizer of the protests, Rafal Mekler, tweeted an intention to extend the blockade until Feb. 1. Mekler is the owner of a logistics firm and a member of the far-right Confederation party in Poland, which has been vocally pro-Russian and skeptical of Ukraine.

The protesting haulers complain that the high number of Ukrainian drivers entering Poland are hauling goods from Poland to other countries, undercutting local businesses that cannot match cheaper Ukrainian prices.

Ukrainian officials and industry representatives deny the accusations. The EU has warned the Polish government to ensure the end of the blockade.

Although the protesting Polish truckers said that the blockade would only apply to non-essential goods, Ukrinform reported on Nov. 20 that trucks carrying humanitarian aid or fuel and other essential goods had been on standby at the border for days.

Negotiations have so far yet to bring an end to the situation.

Conditions have continued to worsen for the truckers as the weather gets colder. Two Ukrainian truckers have already died while waiting at the border, both reportedly of natural causes. One of them had been waiting at the border for more than three days prior to his death.

Kyiv is preparing to evacuate Ukrainian truckers who have been stuck in the border blockade orchestrated by Polish truckers, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Serhii Derkach said on Nov. 23.

Read also: Trucker protests: Unraveling the standoff between Polish and Ukrainian haulers

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This is a season of thanks. In the spirit of that season, I want to reflect on things for which I am thankful.

I am thankful I was able to become a lawyer and a judge. Its a dream I didnt even think to have as a girl. As a child, my work involved helping my parents on our dairy farm. In high school, I thought of becoming a journalist for my hometown paper. I had the honor of doing just that, but I also am thankful for opportunities I never had imagined and mentors along the way who encouraged me to strive beyond what I already knew. As a result, I earned a law degree from Mizzou, clerked for a state Supreme Court judge and came home to practice law in Hannibal.

I am thankful for all the people I was able to help as a Missouri lawyer, from those who ran businesses to those who bartered for legal services with handcrafted items or produce. I am thankful for my law partners and others who encouraged me to shift from being a legal advocate to a judge, to serve the people who rely on the courts to protect their rights. I lost both my parents around the same time I was appointed to the Supreme Court of Missouri, but every day since then, I have believed they would be proud of the work I have been so fortunate to do.

I am thankful for all my Court colleagues, both past and present. We may not always agree, but we are not disagreeable, and each of us works hard to follow the law and do what is right. I am especially thankful to be serving at this moment in our states history  the first time weve had a female majority on our states highest court. When I began practicing law, there were few female lawyers and no women on the Court, and so it was something I never thought would happen in my lifetime. But I hope it serves as a call to all Missouri children, no matter their gender, to believe they too can become state Supreme Court judges, if that is their dream.

Most importantly, I am thankful for the thousands of staff working every day in hundreds of local courthouses throughout Missouri. They are the heroes of our courts. Theirs are the faces seen by the Missourians who have cases in our courts. Theirs are the voices on the phone, patiently listening to the fears and frustrations of their fellow citizens. They are the clerks, bailiffs, juvenile officers, jury supervisors, court administrators and other staff who together form the team of people who make our legal system function well.

I also am thankful, as Ive grown older and, I think, wiser, for learning how important it is not just to listen but to really hear what people have to say. So, during my two years as chief justice, I plan to visit every one of our 46 judicial circuits to thank our local court employees for everything they do  and to listen to their ideas for how we could do things better.

Our local court employees, like so many others in our communities, are overworked and underpaid. But they remain committed to their jobs  sometimes, even in the face of heartbreak and tragedy in cases they encounter  because they believe in the rule of law, they are passionate about helping others, they recognize our courts are not just soulless institutions that decide millions of cases a year. They understand, for the individuals involved in all those cases, how meaningful it is to be able to turn to a court for relief in a dispute.

I have seen firsthand how these dedicated men and women are at the heart of our courts. So, the next time you encounter a Missouri court employee  whether in the courthouse or in the community, at church, in the grocery store, or at your childs ball game  please take a moment to say thank you. And I wish you and those you love all the best this holiday season.

Mary R. Russell is chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Russell: Give thanks to those at the heart of Missouri's court system
Erika Schwartz, who at 79 is one of the younger Holocaust survivors, would never have reached even her first birthday if not for her Aunt Olga.

On July 5, 1944, Baby Erika, who was not yet three months old, her mother, Jolan Hornstein, and Jolans younger sister, Olga Petrover, were living in a flat in Budapest with letters of protection intended to show that they were Christians with foreign citizenship.

At the time, diplomats like Swedens Raoul Wallenberg were putting such papers into the hands of as many Hungarian Jews as possible. And like many such documents, not only then and there, these at least theoretically entitled those who held them to certain highly sought-after privileges, like freedom from being hunted, and the food ration stamps that meant they could eat.

Only, on that day, as Olga stepped out onto the street to get groceries, a former neighbor from Nyiregyhaza recognized her and screamed, Shes a JEW!

Arrow Cross Party soldiers came running, and Olga ducked back inside. Then, because if she returned to her own apartment theyd all be murdered, my scared, brave, 19-year-old aunt ran to the roof and jumped off. In ending her life, she saved mine, Schwartz said recently, at a talk at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education in Kansas City.

At a time of the record antisemitic violence thats rising along with Islamophobic attacks and other hate crimes, the audience was large and attentive, staying on past the presentation for an hour of Q&A and almost another hour of one-on-one questions after that.

Though my dad and one of his brothers served in World War II, I grew up hearing very little about the Holocaust except that it happened, that its horrors were inexplicable, and from what I gathered, that it was really too vile to talk about. Only as an adult have I realized that it was too vile not to talk about.

And though I still have so much to learn, heres one thing I concluded long before Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and also before our former and perhaps future president began openly referring to certain human beings as vermin: The Holocaust was not so inexplicable, and could all too easily happen again, here or anywhere.

History can be told in broad strokes, but is surely most deeply felt through the stories of individuals, and Olgas sacrifice made me want to know more about her family. It made me wonder, too, about things that cannot be known, like what happened to the former neighbor whose outburst condemned her to death. Did he spend the rest of his life knowing hed murdered her, or never think of it again?

In a long interview at Schwartzs home in Springfield last week, she said she thinks she does know the answer: Like all fanatics, she said, he would have been trained to feel proud of himself for ridding the world of one more subhuman.

History says shes right, even if Id rather imagine that Olgas betrayer spent the rest of his life trying to atone.

Erika Schwartzs father, Hermann Hornstein

Father returned to labor camp  never saw him again

She was born on April 23, 1944, one day before the Jewish ghetto in her hometown of Nyiregyhaza was closed. Her maternal grandfather, a watchmaker, was pulled out of the house in a roundup while my mother was giving birth to me.

Her own father, Hermann Hornstein, a bridal shop manager, somehow escaped from a labor camp right after she was born, and since every Jew had to be in the ghetto closest to his official address, convinced authorities that their little familys official residence was in Budapest. Then he returned to the labor camp, and we never saw him again. Two weeks later, Jews from Nyiregyhaza began being sent to Auschwitz in cattle cars.

Erika, her mother and her mothers sister-in-law, Klara, were the only members of Jolan Petrover Hornsteins family who survived. A sister, Margit Petrover Bohm, almost did, but was shot to death even as Auschwitz was being liberated. According to Klara, Erika said, the Allies were already there,  and these SS soldiers, instead of trying to get away, just hung out to kill more Jews.

It was Klara, too, who corrected the version of the story of how Olga died that Erika had grown up hearing: In that version, after the former neighbor screamed out that she was a Jew, soldiers grabbed her, dragged her into a different building where they raped and then threw her out an upper-floor window.

Klara told Erika that no, right after the war, her mother had told her the same story but with a very different ending: Olga hadnt been thrown to her death, but had jumped.

Why would her sister have revised the story? My mother must have felt incredible guilt, not just that she and her baby had survived, but that Olga had chosen to save their lives at the cost of her own. Klara told me that my mother witnessed it, peering out, because their apartment faced the front of the building. She saw Olga hit the pavement.

Erika Schwartzs Aunt Olga Petrover

Kidnapped for six months before reuniting with mother

In the alternate version, it was Olgas boyfriend who saw her die, and later remarked that before she did, she had been begging for water. But that was my mother putting what she saw onto Olgas boyfriend. It was my mother looking out the window, seeing Olga suffering and realizing there was nothing she could do.

Even after the war, and after Jolan came to the United States in January of 1948, any relief that she might have felt was taken from her, too: The family friends with whom shed intended to only briefly leave Erika kidnapped and disappeared with her, hoping to raise her as their own. It was six months before another family friend found her, and in July of that year, mother and daughter were reunited at the airport in Newark, where Erika remembers looking up and seeing her mother on the observation deck, screaming her name.

Jolan, not surprisingly, never found peace: She was never able to the day she died to really understand that despite her losses, which were horrific, she had made a new life, she had children and grandchildren, her daughter said.

Even what seemed like her fleeting moments of happiness, were over the top and could change in an instant.  There were always expectations for how an event or a situation or person could be perfect, and when reality fell in any way short, it triggered hysteria. That was my role model. I was raised that way and became that way.

But the miracle of Erika Schwartzs story, and the other reason I wanted to meet her again after hearing her speak, is that she did not stay that way, and has through her own hard work been able to both teach others about the Holocaust and overcome the trauma passed down to her by Hitlers nearly successful efforts to exterminate her people.

Im all about fun, she said at her talk in Kansas City.

WHAT? And I know people who find that an entree served at the wrong temperature can ruin their day? When my daughter was in high school, shed sometimes come home from her job in a high-end cafe marveling at how many of her customers seemed to feel tortured beyond their limits by the experience of having to wait the couple of minutes (exactly, every time) that it took for the cappuccino machine to produce a little cup of perfection. Though steaming, and sometimes even screaming, did not make the machine work any faster, they apparently kept hoping that it would.

Missouri Holocaust survivor Erika Schwartz and her mother Jolan Hornstein in New York, 1948

At 79, never been happier

Through her mid-40s, Schwartz said, she, too, found fault easily and often, and never really even knew what feeling good felt like. But after shed been attending Overeaters Anonymous meetings for a while, she was struck by a comment, ordinary in itself, that over time made joy possible.

Even before that day, I had started to get an inkling that possibly I could change my life. I couldnt change how other people around me were behaving, but maybe I could change how I reacted.

I was starting to realize that the only thing I ever focused on was the negative. I only saw what was imperfect in the people around me, and that of course included my entire family.  There was nothing in my head that was able to make room to even see that there were good things, good moments, too.

So when somebody at a meeting mentioned that the only thing we can ever really change is whats happening in our own brains, that simple sentence burst the door wide open. Wow, I can choose to be happy. Now Ive got to figure out how.

With the help of friends in her 12-step program, she trained herself to count her blessings. On her morning walk where they lived then, in Southern California, she even started running into other peoples yards on a regular basis  yes, to smell their roses.

Doing that reminded me how beautiful this world is and that God really is a genius. A couple of years later, it hit me that I was no longer having to try, but was spontaneously feeling grateful many times a day.

I appreciate not only that Erika Schwartz managed this, which means that maybe we can, too, but that she didnt have to deny or minimize even the darkest realities to get there. Now, Ill look around and tear up: my God, my life is amazing. Ive gone from walking around with my head in a dark cloud all the time to appreciating every beautiful thing that happens.

The war in Israel has made that more difficult, she said, absolutely. Yet somehow, even after all that has happened and is happening, thanksgiving still comes naturally. In Springfield, she lives with her husband of almost 60 years and near their only grandchild and her family. And what an accomplishment that at 79, she says, Ive never been happier in my life.
HOLLAND  Envision walking along the beach at Holland State Park, winding through the beach path and around the dunes. You look down, what do you see? Small pieces of plastic.

Beaches all around the globe are rife with plastic pollution, and West Michigan is no exception.

Students at Hope College have decided to do something about it. Every year, Hope Advocates for Sustainability, a student-led team that works to promote and practice sustainable actions on campus and in the Holland community, organizes beach cleanups as a part of the Lakeshore Cleanup Coalition.

Students created found-object art with tiles by using upcycled trash from Holland State Park.

These beach cleanups call students from across campus to take ownership of our community's natural resources. Hope Advocates for Sustainability hosts two cleanups each semester, and theyre always among the groups most popular events, even when the weather doesnt cooperate.

Most recently, on Saturday, Oct. 21, during what turned out to be a rainy morning, Hope students visited Holland State Park to clean and remove as much trash as possible. In less than an hour, the team collected more than 12 pounds of trash, mostly snack wrappers and small broken pieces of plastic. Plastic is especially a problem, because unlike many materials, it really never decomposes.

Cleanups like this help to remove pollution from the beach, but also help to show that all things end up somewhere, whether in a landfill or the environment.

Tile art made with trash from Holland State Park.

This year, the cleanup took on a special meaning as the trash became part of an art project. Hope Advocates for Sustainability, together with the colleges Kruizenga Art Museum, hosted a found-art collaborative event as an additional way of showing that plastic and trash we throw away or litter can end up on our beautiful West Michigan beaches.

Found-object art focuses on using upcycled materials, meaning reused materials instead of recycled, to create an art piece with meaning. Gathered at the museum, Hope students had the chance to decorate a tile with pieces of recovered trash from the beach cleanup. They were encouraged to get their creative juices flowing and decorate the tiles in any way they saw fit.

Throughout the day, more than 50 students participated in the collaboration. The tiles were then put together to create a large-scale abstract art piece.

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The piece will be on display in the Jim and Martie Bultman Student Center to remind students, staff, and faculty the waste we put in our landfills and environment lives on long after we throw it away.

It's time we start thinking about the waste we produce and where it ends up, because some of it might just end up in a sand dune at Holland State Park.

 Devin White is a senior at Hope College and co-president of Hope Advocates for Sustainability.

About This Series:MiSustainable Holland is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives.This Weeks Sustainability Framework Theme: Environmental Awareness/Action: Environmental education and integrating environmental practices into our planning will change negative outcomes of the past and improve our future.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: MiSustainable Holland: Hope students turn plastic pollution into art
Getting yearly maintenance on your plumbing is one way to ensure you can enjoy Black Friday instead of "Brown Friday." Billy Calzada, Staff / Staff Photographer

While youre running around snagging Black Friday deals, plumbers everywhere are dealing with the effects of Thanksgiving meals literally dumped down the drain.

Coined Brown Friday, Thanksgiving and the day after is the busiest time of the year for plumbers, who report a huge increase in calls to unclog drains loaded with food scraps.

San Antonio is no exception this year, according to Cody Blackmon, CEO of San Antonios PlumbSmart.

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I cant tell you how many calls we got, he said.

With family members helping in the kitchen and guest bathrooms being put to the test, its all a recipe for disaster.

Roto-Rooter, a nationwide plumbing service, said requests for plumbing skyrocket 50% on the day after Thanksgiving compared to a normal Friday, according to a statement on its website.

To prevent any plumbing problems next year, Blackmon recommends getting yearly maintenance on your pipes, ideally before the holidays.

Dont reach for any harsh chemicals, he says, because they could cause further damage to your pipes. Try a natural solution like Bioclean instead.

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A memorial honoring Hero of Ukraine Oleksandr Matsiyevsky, whose murder by Russian invaders was captured on video, shocking Ukrainians, has been unveiled in Nizhyn, local publication Nizhyn.city reported on Nov. 24.

The sculpture takes center stage in a memorial complex dedicated to Ukrainian soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in the conflict against the Russian invaders, funded by philanthropists.

Nizhyn.city

The monuments inauguration follows the renaming of Nizhyns 3rd microdistrict to Oleksandr Matsiyevsky Street in March.

Nizhyn.city

What Is Known About Hero of Ukraine Oleksandr Matsiyevsky

A horrifying video went viral on social media on March 6 showing Russian soldiers shooting to death an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner at close range. After the camera was pointed at the prisoner, Matsiyevsky says Glory to Ukraine! and immediately a soldier shoots him in the head and then several times in the body.

Read also: 'Impossible to forget' mother's interview reveals final conversation with Ukrainian hero Matsiyevsky

Matsiyevsky, 42, was a resident of Moldova but had lived in Nizhyn in Chernihiv Oblast. He volunteered to fight at the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion and served as a sniper of the 119th Brigade of Chernihiv Territorial Defence Forces.

Matsiyevsky was murdered on Dec. 30, 2022. His body was exchanged in February, Ukraines Security Service revealed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine, the countrys highest national title conferred upon citizens.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Tel Aviv rally: Israelis have had very little news about the hostages held by Hamas

A second group of Israeli hostages left Hamas captivity on Saturday, after hours of delay had increased the anxiety of desperate families.

The Israeli military said 13 Israelis were released in Gaza and in exchange 39 more Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel in the West Bank. Hamas also released four Thai hostages.

The first releases took place smoothly on Friday, under a temporary four-day truce deal brokered by Qatar.

Urgent talks saved Saturday's handover.

The Israelis had been expected to be handed over to the Red Cross on Gaza's border with Egypt at 16:00 (14:00 GMT).

The Hamas armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said there were issues over the delivery of aid to northern Gaza and the selection criteria for Palestinian prisoners being exchanged for captives held by Hamas. Israel denied violating the terms of the deal.

Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan said a total of 340 aid trucks had gone into Gaza since Friday, but only 65 had reached northern Gaza - which he said was less than half of what Israel had agreed on. Israel describes the north as a war zone and says the UN is responsible for delivering the aid.

Later a senior Palestinian official close to the talks confirmed Qatar's statement that the dispute had been resolved.

And Hamas voiced "appreciation towards Egypt and Qatar for ensuring the continuation of their temporary truce with Israel".

Under the deal, 50 Israeli hostages - women and children - are to be freed by Hamas over four days, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli government says the truce could be extended if at least 10 Israelis are released daily - but it has also vowed to wipe out Hamas and insists the deal is only temporary.

Hamas kidnapped about 240 people when it raided southern Israel on 7 October, and killed 1,200, most of them civilians, Israel says.

The Islamist Iran-backed group is categorised as "terrorist" by Israel, the UK and US.

In retaliation for the 7 October attack Israel has bombed Gaza relentlessly, wrecking its infrastructure.

Hamas says nearly 15,000 people have died, including many children. Large supplies of aid - notably food, water and hygiene kits - are desperately needed.

Released Palestinian prisoners were jubilant in the occupied West Bank on Friday

On Saturday evening some 50,000 people rallied in central Tel Aviv with the slogan "Bring them back home" on posters and t-shirts, hoping that the fragile truce would hold.

The Israeli government said Saturday's handover freed two teenage members of the Or family; two members of the Weiss family (53 and 18); two members of the Avigdori family (52 and 12) and four members of the Haran and Shoham families, including a three-year-old and eight-year-old.

The father of Irish-Israeli Emily Hand, who turned nine while in captivity, told the BBC that while he was happy to have his daughter returned, he was determined to keep doing everything he could to help bring those still kept hostage home.

They include Raya Rotem, whose daughter, Hila Rotem Shoshani, was released on Saturday without her. Itay Regev, the brother of newly freed Maya, 21, also remains a hostage.

"My heart is split because my son, Itay, is still in Hamas' captivity in Gaza," said their mother, Mirit Regev.

Before the Gaza release took place Noam Sagi, son of 75-year-old hostage Ada Sagi, told the BBC: "we're still waiting for tonight's list to be released; it's torture, the whole family are waiting and biting their nails to see if she's on the list".

He said "we need to see the mechanism is getting into shape, [that] every day there is a release, the ceasefire is being held". But he added "of course there is very little trust on both sides". Ada Sagi was not among those freed on Saturday.

Most of the 39 Palestinians released by Israel on Friday - 24 women and 15 teenage boys - were in pre-trial detention. One of them, Sarah al-Suwaisa, said the Israelis had fired teargas and cut off the prisoners' electricity before the release. She called it "humiliating, psychological torture" and said "only Hamas helped us".

A crowd gathered again in Beitunia on Saturday to receive more released Palestinians - women and teenagers who were held at Ofer prison. Many green Hamas flags were displayed there, the BBC's Lucy Williamson reports.

Among those freed was Nourhan Awad, 23, who was arrested in 2015 on suspicion of being involved in a stabbing operation in Jerusalem. She served eight of the 10 years she was sentenced to.

Israa Jaabis had also been in prison since 2015 after her car broke down on a highway 1.5km (0.9 miles) from a checkpoint in the West Bank. Israel said at the time that it was an attempted car bombing but this has been disputed.

Meanwhile, Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that the four Thai nationals released on Saturday were doing well.

"Everybody is safe, on the whole in good mental health and are able to speak normally," he wrote on social media.

More on Israel-Gaza war
Moscow airports were forced to shut on Sunday as Ukraine launched its most intense drone attack on the Russian capital for months.

Russian air defences brought down at least 24 drones over the Moscow region, which surrounds but does not include the capital, and three other provinces to the south and west, officials said.

The attack came a day after Ukrainian officials reported that Russia had started its most severe drone attack on Kyiv since the beginning of the war.

One person was injured in the city of Tula, about 115 miles south of Moscow, when an intercepted drone hit an apartment building, Alexei Dyumin, the regions governor, said.

Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were briefly shut down because of the attack, according to Tass, the Russian state-run news agency.

Both airports appeared to have resumed normal operation by 6am local time, according to data from international flight tracking portals.

Three buildings damaged

Andrei Vorobyev, the regional governor, said the drone strikes damaged three buildings in the Moscow region, without providing further details, adding that no one was hurt.

Meanwhile, Russias defence ministry reported that two Soviet-made S-200 rockets fired by Kyiv were shot down over the sea of Azov, which stretches between annexed-Crimea and the occupied southeastern coast.

According to local news sources, air raid sirens sounded in Crimea and road traffic was also briefly halted yesterday (Sunday) morning across the 12-mile Kerch bridge that connects the occupied peninsula to the Russian mainland.

Elsewhere, parts of the occupied eastern area were left without power following a night-time Ukrainian strike on a thermal power plant in the Donetsk region, a Moscow-installed local official reported on Sunday.

According to Denis Pushilin, who heads the province, the attack on the Starobesheve plant took out the electricity in parts of the cities of Donetsk and Mariupol, along with other nearby areas

Ukrainian officials did not immediately acknowledge the attacks, which came a day after Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital with over 60 Iranian-made Shahed drones.

Falling debris from downed drones

At least five civilians were wounded in the hours-long assault, which saw several buildings damaged by falling debris from downed drones, including a kindergarten.

The wounded included a child, aged 11, according Vitali Klitschkoto, the mayor of Kyiv.

The attack was the most massive air attack by drones on Kyiv in the war so far, Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv city administration, said on Saturday.

Yurii Ihnat, the Ukrainian air force spokesman, confirmed later on Saturday that air defences shot down 66 air targets over the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region throughout the morning.

The attack on Kyiv was carried out on the morning of Holodomor memorial day, which commemorates the man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine that killed millions of Ukrainians from 1932 to 1933. It is marked on the fourth Saturday in November.

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The Carter Center has released the motorcade route for former first lady Rosalynn Carter.

Last Sunday, the Carter Center announced Rosalynn passed away at her home in Plains, Georgia.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The route will start in Plains at 10 a.m. The motorcade will leave from downtown Plains via US 280 to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus.

According to the center, after a brief departure ceremony at the hospital, the motorcade will continue on US 280, turning north on U.S. 19, and then turn right at West Lamar Street, traveling through downtown Americus then turning right on Tripp Street.

Get the latest updates on road closures on WSBTV.com and WSB Tonight at 11 p.m.

The vehicle procession will go into Georgia Southwestern State University via GSW State University Drive to arrive at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex.

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After the wreath ceremony, the procession will leave the university through GSW State University Drive, turning left on Tripp Street, followed by a left turn on East Forsyth Street through downtown Americus.

At the intersection of U.S. 19, the motorcade will turn right toward the town of Butler, traveling 35 miles before turning right on State Route 540/96 East and continuing 34 miles to Interstate 75 at Byron. Traveling I-75 north for seven miles, the motorcade will then travel on I-475 north to rejoin I-75 north toward Atlanta.

Once in Atlanta, the motorcade will enter John Lewis Freedom Parkway at Exit 248C and will proceed to The Carter Presidential Center, arriving around 2:30 p.m.

For more details on the funeral ceremonies, click here.

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Mount Etna lights up the night sky with eruptions seen from Mount Salto Del Cane in Italy. Etna Walk/By Giuseppe Di Stefano & Marco Restivo/Handout via REUTERS

Mount Etna is a volcano in Italy.

It is the most active volcano in all of Europe.

It's latest eruption has spewed lava into the sky.

Europe's most active volcano is back at it.

Italy's Mount Etna has erupted again, ejecting lava and ash into the Sicilian sky.

The volcano, which has erupted every few months this year, has been in a constant state of activity for the last decade, according to the BBC.

This is what Mount Etna's latest majestic display looks like.

A light show you can't miss...

Lava erupts from snow-covered Mount Etna volcano, Sicily, Italy. Etnawalk, Giuseppe Di Stefano/AP

Mount Etna knows how to command an audience, typically erupting several times a year. In 2023, the volcano saw eruptions in February, May, August, and November.

... Especially if you're a local.

Mount Etna erupts, scattering ashes around its populated surroundings. Etnawalk, Giuseppe Di Stefano/AP

About a million people live in Mount Etna's direct vicinity, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.

There are clean-up efforts when needed.

Mount Etna lights up the night sky with eruptions seen from Mount Salto Del Cane in Italy. Etna Walk/By Giuseppe Di Stefano & Marco Restivo/Handout via REUTERS

If ash or volcanic rock litters surrounding cities, residents clean the streets by bagging the ash, the Associated Press reported in 2021.

Ash and volcanic rocks have littered cities in the past.

Plumes of smoke rise from Mount Etna. Etna Walk/By Giuseppe Di Stefano & Marco Restivo/Handout via REUTERS

But residents have said that doesn't happen often. In 2021, one resident described a rare "rain of stones" which locals call "lapillus."

"Something I never saw in my entire life," Letizia Olivieri, a resident of Pedara, told the AP.

The ash can cause transportation problems.

A view of Mount Etna's smoke from a point near the village of Sant'Alfio. Salvatore Allegra/AP

Earlier this year, the volcano's eruptions closed a nearby airport after ash covered the runway, Sky News reported.

But it's a wonderland for scientists.

An onlooker watches Mount Etna spew lava into the night sky. Giuseppe Di Stefano/AP

The volcano is considered to be one of the most scientifically monitored volcanoes in the world, the Smithsonian Magazine reported.

"It's really a volcanic playground for scientists," volcanologist Boris Behncke told the magazine.

Read the original article on Insider
MOUNTAIN GREEN, Utah (ABC4)  Multiple agencies responded to a major fire at a Mountain Green home early Saturday morning, according to Morgan County Fire & EMS.

On Nov. 25, Morgan County and Mountain Green fire personnel responded to a house fire in Mountain Green.

Mountain Green crews first arrived on scene and reportedly found defensive fire conditions. They quickly set up to mitigate additional hazards, officials said.

Motorhome fire nearly burns down Herriman house

Courtesy of Morgan County Fire & EMS

Courtesy of Morgan County Fire & EMS

Courtesy of Morgan County Fire & EMS

Courtesy of Morgan County Fire & EMS

Morgan County fire crews were able to integrate their crews into Mountain Greens crews, reportedly helping with aerial operations and exposure protection.

Our ambulance crew provided medical standby and rehab assistance for all firefighters on scene, Morgan County officials said.

There were reportedly no injuries to response personnel.

The homeowners were out of town at the time of the fire, officials said. While the fire was called under control at around 9 a.m. Saturday, the home appears to have been completely destroyed in the fire.

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It is a privilege to work closely with our response partners in a time of need. Many thanks to Mountain Green Fire Protection District for allowing us to come and work with them, Morgan County fire officials said.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

No further information is currently available.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Mariana Bezuhla, a member of parliament from President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party, on Nov. 26 called for the dismissal of Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces.

The statement comes amid speculation in Western and Ukrainian media about alleged disagreements between Zelensky and Zaluzhnyi.

Bezuhla, a deputy head of the parliament's national security committee, claimed that Zaluzhnyi had not provided a plan for Ukraine's armed forces for next year.

"If the military leadership can't provide any plan for 2024, and if all their proposals for mobilization boil down to needing more people without any proposal for changes in the military system, then this leadership should step down," Bezuhla said.

The Kyiv Independent requested comments from the Presidents Office and the Armed Forces but did not get a response by the time of publication.

Asked whether Bezuhlas stance was in line with the Servant of the People party's position, its spokeswoman Yulia Paliychuk told Ukrainska Pravda that Bezuhla "is responsible for her own words."

Bezuhla wrote on Facebook that the "issue escalated during the summer" during the budget planning for 2024.

"We asked (Zaluzhnyi) what we should plan for. How do you envision the war? Why create a brigade instead of completing existing ones? How much will a new brigade cost?" she wrote.

Bezuhla said she had also asked Zaluzhnyi whether funds should be allocated for rotation, demobilization, and training.

"Why isn't the purchase of tourniquets planned for 2024 at all, for example? Do you understand that one casualty costs the state Hr 15 million and a combat application tourniquet is 10,000 times less? Besides the tragedy of death itself."

Her post implies that Zaluzhnyi did not respond to those questions.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Defense Ministry says $4.8 billion to be allocated for shells, missiles in 2024

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Multiple fire crews were called after a fire broke out in at a commercial building

Firefighters have been dealing with a blaze at an metal plating firm in Hertfordshire.

The fire service was called to Lamberts London Limited on Hagden Lane in Watford at 05:47 GMT.

Six fire engines were called to the scene to extinguish the blaze and four remained at the scene.

Hertfordshire Fire Service posted on social media: "Please avoid the area and if you live locally keep your windows and doors shut."

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830
Multiple states are under winter weather alerts across the country Sunday as millions of Americans prepare for one of the busiest travel days of the year.

The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasted that moderate to heavy snowfall will continue to impact the Southern Rockies and the Central Plains regions, including most of Kansas. It said the storm system will then shift into the Mississippi Valley Region and the western Great Lakes starting Sunday into Monday.

Federal forecasters warned that gusty winds and heavy snow could create hazardous travel conditions. The NWS, based in Marquette, Mich., issued a winter storm warning Sunday, saying that 5 to 8 inches of heavy lake snow is expected, with a foot of snow possible in some areas. It said winds gusting as much as 30 miles per hour are expected Monday.

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AccuWeather forecasters warned that travel could be affected due to the lake snow south of Buffalo, N.Y., due to the lake-effect snow off the Great Lakes.

Travel headaches will abound along I-90 from just south of Buffalo, New York, all the way to Cleveland during the first half of the week due to heavy snow coming off the lake, AccuWeather meteorologist Jake Sojda said.

Parts of other Midwestern states, including Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois, are also under winter weather advisories. There are also winter weather advisories in parts of Maine and New Hampshire.

The Mid-Atlantic to New England coasts are expected to see moderate to heavy rain Sunday, forecasters said. The wet weather could also affect those traveling after the Thanksgiving weekend.

On Monday morning, motorists on and east of Interstate 91 are most at risk for delays and travel disruptions, including cities like Providence, Rhode Island, and Boston, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in a Sunday interview that the civilian death toll in Gaza was unacceptable and that he did not think it was controversial to stipulate that U.S. aid given to any country should be conditional on its adherence to international law.

Murphy doubled down on his previous remarks when pressed on Sen. Bernie Sanderss (I-Vt.) comments that the U.S.s blank check approach must end and that the U.S. must make clear that, while we are friends of Israel, there are conditions to that friendship and we cannot be complicit in actions that violate international law and our own sense of decency.

Well, I stand by what I said, Murphy said when asked on CNNs State of the Union whether he agrees with Sanders. I do believe that the level of civilian harm inside Gaza has been unacceptable and is unsustainable.

I think theres both a moral cost to this  many civilians, innocent civilians, children often, losing their life  but I think theres a strategic cost, he continued. Ultimately, Hamas will get stronger, not weaker, in the long run, if all of this civilian death allows them to recruit more effectively and ably inside Gaza.

More than 12,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, according to estimates from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Since then, people have protested around the world calling for a cease-fire, and incidents of antisemitism have skyrocketed.

Murphy noted that it is not unusual for the United States to include conditions on aid to allies, saying, Its very consistent with the ways in which we have dispensed aid, especially during wartime, to allies, for us to talk about making sure that the aid we give Ukraine or the aid we give Israel.

I guess Im not sure what would be controversial about simply saying that aid we give any country has to be used in compliance with international law. And, yes, of course, I do think that Israel needs to be more careful in the way that it is conducting these operations, he said.

I think that you can defeat Hamas without this level of civilian casualty. And so thats an appropriate discussion for us to have, in part because I really dont know that it serves Israels strategic aims in the long run if Hamas ultimately is given this kind of bulletin board recruiting material.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
San Antonio police arrested a 35-year-old man after chasing a stolen EMS unit into the Hill Country. MattGush / Getty Images / iStockphoto

A stolen ambulance led police in a wild chase from downtown San Antonio to the Hill Country this Thanksgiving weekend.

Patrol officers were sent to the Methodist Metropolitan Hospital in the 1300 block of McCullough Avenue about 5:15 a.m. Saturday for a stolen EMS unit, according to a preliminary report released Sunday by the San Antonio Police Department.

By the time EMS began tracking the vehicle, it was already near Fredericksburg and Callaghan roads, the report said. Officers were immediately sent to hunt down the stolen vehicle. By the time they caught up, the ambulance had reached the outskirts of Bexar County.

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MORE TO READ: Police say intoxicated man struck two officers with his car during Christmas river parade

San Antonio police chased the vehicle up Interstate 10 past Boerne, where deputies for the Kerr County Sheriffs Office took up the pursuit. Deputies caught up to the ambulance at mile marker 517, where they arrested a 35-year-old man, according to the report.

The man has been booked in Kerr County on a charge of evading arrest in a vehicle, according to San Antonio police. Additional charges are pending. The report didnt identify the man.


Commercial satellites like Elon Musks Starlink could become legitimate targets during war if they help one side, a space law expert has warned.

Under the Geneva Convention, countries involved in military conflict are banned from attacking civilian objects.

But experts say the lines are becoming increasingly blurred, with satellite companies leaving themselves open to attacks either through cyber warfare or missile strikes.

Mr Musks Starlink satellite constellation has been helping Ukrainian forces to launch drone attacks against Russian tanks, even though the billionaire has warned that the service was to be used for Netflix, not drone strikes.

Russia, China and the US have already tested anti-satellite missiles, and have shown they have the capability to destroy satellites in orbit, while Russia has warned it will take action against private companies assisting enemy nations.

Speaking this week at the UK Space Conference in Belfast, Maj Jeremy Grunert, of the US Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps, said that companies needed to be careful about straying into conflicts.

In the realm of the law of war, a nation needs to target military targets and to refrain from targeting civilian targets, he said.

Starlink may be potential military target

But civilian targets could perhaps be targeted if it was providing a military benefit. So for example, right before the D-Day invasions, the bridges leading into Normandy and the railways leading into Normandy were all bombed because of the military benefit that was provided to the Germans.

Its the same thing in outer space and certainly, the way in which civilian systems like Starlink have been used for drone targeting - something that has proven to be somewhat controversial, even within the Starlink organisation itself - arguably would make Starlink a potential military target under the laws of war.

Russia has already warned that the use of civilian infrastructure by Ukraine would make it a legal target.

Elon Musk is a huge space fan - but his Starlink satellites could be a target for Russia - Michael Gonzalez/Getty

Maj Grunert added: There was some shock at the time that those comments were made.

But in the context of the law of war, the Russians are likely not wrong on that, because of the military benefits that those sorts of things can provide.

It doesnt mean that civilian satellites would be targeted or targeted all the time. But it does mean that they potentially could be.

Several countries now have the ability to shoot satellites out of orbit. The United States successfully destroyed one of its own satellites in 1985, while in 2007, China launched a missile strike on one of its weather satellites.

Threat to International Space Station

In 2021, Russia intentionally destroyed its defunct Cosmos 1408 satellite, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of pieces of space debris which posed a threat to the International Space Station.

Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador to the US, has reportedly warned Mr Musk that interfering in the war could lead to a nuclear response.

Mr Musk was recently accused of switching off Starlink to prevent a drone attack on the Russian fleet near the coast of Crimea, but it later emerged that there had never been coverage in the area.

Asked about his role in the Ukraine war by biographer Walter Isaacson, Mr Musk said: Starlink was not meant to be involved in wars. It was so people can watch Netflix and chill and get online for school and do good peaceful things, not drone strikes.

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When Russia resumed trading with England, Napoleon prepared to invade Russia.

Napoleon amassed an army of 600,000, the largest army Europe had ever seen.

After a failed invasion of Moscow, the French army retreated for 200 miles.

After a coup d'etat of the French government in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte began his conquest of Europe. By 1804, Bonaparte had made himself the emperor of France and was quickly amassing power.

By 1812, Bonaparte controlled territory from Iberia to the banks of the Nemen River in Russia. Because he could not take control of Great Britain, he initiated the continental system, a blockade that prevented the British from trading with the rest of Europe.

The blockade negatively impacted Russia, which then resumed trading with Britain, leading Bonaparte to worry about possible allyship between the two countries.

In June 1812, Bonaparte invaded Russia, aiming to deal a decisive blow and force Alexander I into peace talks.

Through a series of strategic retreats and slash-and-burn techniques by the Russian army, in addition to the harsh Russian winter, the largest army Europe had ever seen found themselves retreating from Moscow.

The French Grand Army faced severe losses, and the campaign into Moscow severely weakened Bonaparte's grasp on power and is widely attributed as the beginning of the end of his rule.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military leader who rose through the ranks during the French Revolution.

A portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte riding his horse at the St. Bernard Pass. Francis G. Mayer/Getty Images

He graduated from a French military academy in 1785 and became a second lieutenant in an artillery regiment of the French army.

In 1795, Bonaparte helped suppress a royalist insurrection and was promoted to Major General.

In 1799, Bonaparte led a coup and successfully overthrew the French Directory.

An engraving of the morning of the 18th Brumaire, the day Napoleon Bonaparte became the ruler of France. Bettmann/Getty Images

In 1802, Bonaparte made an amendment to the constitution, making him the first Consul for Life and granting him dictatorial powers over France.

In 1804, Bonaparte crowned himself the Emperor of France, a little under 10 years after the French had beheaded their last king.

After he was crowned Emperor, Bonaparte began his conquest of Europe.

A portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte in His Study at the Tuileries, 1812. Fine Art/Getty Images

Bonaparte took control of Belgium, Holland, and large swaths of present-day Italy, Croatia, and Germany. Spain was mostly under his control, while Russia, Austria, and Prussia were begrudging allies.

In 1812, the French empire had reached its maximum size, stretching from Iberia to the banks of the Nemen River in Russia.

The only place that resisted Bonaparte's advances was Great Britain.

The invasion of Russia began with Bonaparte's Continental System.

An illustration shows William Pitt and Napoleon Bonaparte carving a large plum pudding on which is a map of the world, with Pitt's slice larger than Napoleon's. Heritage Images via Getty Images

During his reign of most of Europe in the early 1800s, Napoleon enacted the Continental System designed to punish his British enemies, a large-scale embargo against the British Empire.

Because he was unable to invade and control Britain, the next best thing would be to prevent them from doing trade with the rest of Europe.

The system successfully prevented the British from trade, but also proved to be economically harmful for the Russians.

Portrait of Alexander I of Russia. A. J. Photographics via Getty Images

To help out their economy, Russia defied the Continental System and resumed trading with Britain.

An engraving of Peter I in Arkhangelsk between the Dutch and English merchants Heritage Images via Getty Images

Upon learning of Russia's trading, Bonaparte began preparing for invasion.

The French invasion of Russia of 1812 Culture Club via Getty Images

Napoleon gathered an army of 600,000 men to invade Russia and work their way toward Moscow.

Napoleon's army was the largest that Europe had ever seen. Of the 600,000 men, only half of them were French.

The other half was made up of men from Germany and Poland, countries under French control in 1812.

The invasion of Russia began in June 1812 and lasted six months.

Bonaparte looks over the battlefield on his way to Moscow. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The French army started to invade Russia at several different points. The army that gathered with Napoleon was a force of roughly 227,000 soldiers.

The rest of the army was split across the Russian border, with a French reserve of 225,000 waiting behind the lines.

The Russians proved to be elusive and incrementally led the French further into Russian territory.

Napoleon rides through a burned city on horseback with his army at his back. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Napoleon was after a quick victory that would bring Alexander I, the ruler of Russia, to the negotiation table.

But the constant retreats by the Russian army prevented a decisive victory for the French.

Instead of fighting the French head-on, the Russians employed a strategic retreat.

Napoleon Bonaparte's army marches through a burned city. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Russians were outmatched by 200,000 to 600,000 and knew a head-on fight wouldn't be productive.

During each encounter with the French army, the Russians would retreat. On their way out, they would burn bridges, food supplies, and shelter, leaving behind nothing but ashes.

The French were allowed small victories and gains of territory, but each advance came with a steep cost.

As the French continued their advance, food for horses and humans began to run low.

The first major battle of the invasion of Russia wouldn't take place until a month into the operation.

Battle of Smolensk during the French invasion of Russia. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Battle of Smolensk, a town 230 miles west of Moscow, was the first major battle between the Russians and the French. Smolensk was a city of major significance to the Russians, and they wouldn't let it go as easily as the other territories.

Nevertheless, the Russians retreated further into Russia to avoid major losses to their army, burning bridges and ammunition stores on their way out of the city.

By the end of the battle, all that was left for Napoleon were the ashes of a city and thousands of dead soldiers.

Napoleon and his army finally arrived in Moscow on September 14, 1812.

A painting of the French capture of Moscow on September 14, 1812. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.

By the time they arrived, Moscow was a ghost town. Most of the city had evacuated, and the Russian army had burned most of it down.

A painting of Moscow on fire as the Napoleonic army approaches. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Napoleon sent a letter from Moscow to Alexander I inviting him to make peace, but no response was ever received.

After five weeks in Moscow, Napoleon's army began their withdrawal, fearing a cold winter.

The Grand Army begins its withdrawal from Russia. Photo12/Foundation Napoleon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

On their way out, the army comprising an estimated 100,000 survivors was attacked by the Russians.

The Grand Army is attacked during their retreat from Moscow. Prisma/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.

The Battle at Maloyaroslavets resulted in a short-term victory for the French, with the Russians ultimately retreating.

The long-term victory, however, went to the Russians. After the battle of Maloyaroslavets, Napoleon decided to change routes.

Instead of continuing south on a path with warmer weather and more supplies, he took his army back the way they came. The path was 260 miles through ransacked and scorched villages, which offered no food or shelter during the cold winter.

The weather, lack of food, and repeated attacks by the Russian army further weakened Napoleon's army.

French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and the Grande Army flee the pursuing Russian army in the snow on the retreat from Moscow. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The retreat was punctuated by an early winter with high winds, below-zero temperatures, and a lot of snow. With little to no shelter, there were nights when thousands of soldiers and horses died from exposure to cold.

What was left of the Grand Army eventually made it out of Russia and returned back to France.

Retreat of the French Army After the Russian Campaign. Bettmann via Getty Images

By December 1812, Napoleon left his dwindling army and retreated to Paris.

After the invasion, Napoleon's power was significantly weakened.

Soldiers retreat, injured and sick, from Moscow. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

In the six months it took to invade and retreat from Russia, it's estimated that of the 600,000 soldiers that entered Russia, only 112,000 returned.

Among the casualties, 100,000 are believed to have died in action, 200,000 died from other causes, 50,000 were left sick in hospitals, 50,000 deserted, and an estimated 100,000 are believed to have been taken as prisoners of war.

By comparison, Russia's casualties numbered 200,000 killed, 50,000 dispersed or deserted, and 150,000 wounded.

Identifying the weakness in France's military, Russia, Austria, Prussia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, and several German states formed the Sixth Coalition and defeated the First French Empire.

After these significant losses, Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba.

The devil guides Napoleon Bonaparte into exile on the Island of Elba. Fototeca Gilardi/Getty Images

In 1815, Napoleon escaped exile and tried to regain control during the Battle of Waterloo.

Napoleon I at the Battle of Waterloo after returning from exile. Foundation Napoleon/Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

But despite his best efforts, Napoleon never rose to power again.

After his loss at Waterloo, Napoleon was again exiled to the Island of St. Helena, where he lived out his life and died at the age of 52.

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Nathan Finney, president and founder of Finney Hospitality Group, and his family.

Bloomington restaurateur Nathan Finney and a Chicago flight instructor died in a fiery Shelby County plane crash the day before Thanksgiving.

Finney was president and founder of Finney Hospitality Group, which owns The Tap, Tap Brewery, Yogi's, SmokeWorks and Social Cantina in downtown Bloomington. Social Cantina also has locations in Indianapolis, Carmel, West Lafayette and Mishawaka.

Finney's restaurant ownership began with The Tap in 2012. In 2015, an Indianapolis location for The Tap opened.

Mandy Baker, left, and Leslie Tait eat lunch at the Social Cantina in 2019.

Finney's company was awarded a contract to open a The Tap location in the Indianapolis Airport in 2023 and had plans to open a Social Cantina in Nashville, Tennessee, next year.

He had recently embarked on a venture to open 14 Slim Chickens in the Midwest.

Finney lived in Bloomington with his family. He and pilot Warren Bruhl were the only two on the plane, which Finney recently purchased and was learning to fly.

The day of the crash, Bruhl posted to Facebook photos and video of the two flying in Finney's airplane, which according to different post by aircraft dealership Mason Amelia, he purchased on Nov. 13.

The Cirrus SR22 Turbo crashed in a cornfield near Fairland at 4:46 p.m. after a 41-minute flight that originated at the Monroe County Airport.

The crash happened near the Shelbyville Municipal Airport, about 55 miles northeast of Bloomington.

Gambit Aviation, where Bruhl was employed to teach students how to fly, confirmed in a Facebook post he had been killed in the crash.

"Please bear with us as we mourn the loss of one of our own. On Wednesday, Warren was involved in a tragic accident in a Cirrus ... our hearts break for him, his family, and his friends."

Related story: Flight of plane that crashed and killed two originated in Monroe County

Bruhl was a chiropractor and a commercial pilot who taught East African youth the basics of flying so they could pursue aviation careers.

The National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency, is leading the investigation into the crash.

FlightAware, a website that tracks air traffic, shows the aircraft first arrived at the Monroe County Airport Nov. 19 from South Carolina.

Later that day, the plane took off from the airport and landed there again one hour and 12 minutes later.

Nov. 20, the plane flew back and forth to Terre Haute, then to West Lafayette. From there, it flew back to Bloomington.

Nov. 21, the plane left the Monroe County Airport and flew to Nashville, Tennessee. The return trip that same day took two hours and eight minutes.

On Wednesday, Nov. 22, the plane departed and landed several times at the Monroe County Airport, then took off for the final time at 4:05 p.m. toward the Shelbyville airport. It was last seen on radar at 4:46 p.m.

Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington restaurateur Nathan Finney dies in plane crash
A small shed-like structure built in the longleaf pine forest a stones throw from Andy Woods Hampstead home is one of the last places on Earth that the magnificent ramshorn snail can be found.

For more than 30 years, Wood has protected the species, which is only found in the Lower Cape Fear River basin, by creating a habitat that is growing increasingly rare. Hes installed freshwater tanks and filled them with spatterdock water lilies while diligently keeping frogs, turtles and other predators away.

Over time, thats evolved into what Wood calls snail central, a wood-framed structure with sliding doors that contains five large blue plastic tanks. Numerous other tanks sit outside, many covered in black mesh as Wood works to transfer snails from them and into the indoor tanks.

By encouraging people to think about this small snail, Wood hopes to raise awareness of broader conservation needs and of how human activity is threatening the region.

Yeah, this is a story about snails, but the bigger story is about the Cape Fear River and what weve done to it and its adjacent bottomland hardwood swamps. Those swamps have been decimated and altered and damaged by saltwater intrusion, Wood said.

Andy Wood, a biologist, tends to tanks at his Magnificent Ramshorn snail refuge in Hampstead. Wood took the Magnificent Ramshorn into captivity in the early 1990s. He has maintained a population of the snails, which have been believed to be gone from the wild for at least two decades, ever since.

Woods work is paying off. The N.C .Wildlife Resources Commission now manages its own captive population at its Conservation Aquaculture Center in Marion and N.C. State University manages another population. Recently, the Wildlife Resources Commission started reintroducing snails to the wild for the first time in decades, a step biologists and advocates hope will play a pivotal role in the species recovery.

The reintroduction is a bright spot in a conservation field often marked by gloom, Emilia Omerberg, the Wildlife Resources Commission biologist who works with the snail, told The News & Observer.

This has been really exciting for a lot of people to see potential for success and the excitement of being able to take the first steps in the process of successfully recovering this species, Omerberg said.

Reintroduction is crucial to the species long-term survival, Will Harlan, the southeast director and senior scientist for the Center for Biological Diversity, said.

We need to get them into the wild. We need to get them reproducing in the wild and have large populations establish strongholds so that these captive breeding facilities are essentially the last step and not the lifeline that they are right now, said Harlan, who has long lobbied the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for additional protections for the snail.

Earlier this year, the Fish and Wildlife Service formally determined that the snail is an endangered species and designated critical habitat for it. The agency has prepared a recovery outline and expects a full plan to be available within 18 months.

Andy Wood, a biologist, shows off a Magnificent Ramshorn snail at his snail refuge in Hampstead. Wood took the Magnificent Ramshorn into captivity in the early 1990s. He has maintained a population of the snails, which have been believed to be gone from the wild for at least two decades, ever since.

Rescuing ramshorn

Even at its peak, experts believe magnificent ramshorn had a small range along the Cape Fear River.

Biologists like Wood think it lived in beaver ponds, which were largely wiped out in the early 20th century. The four places the snail has been spotted in the wild  Greenfield Lake in Wilmington and three Brunswick County ponds  were formed by old mill dams.

For a time in the mid-1900s, biologists believed there was a chance the snail was extinct. But a 1970s article in the book Threatened and Endangered Species in North Carolina noted that the snail could still be living in some small refuges like Orton Pond, near the Cape Fear River.

Bill Adams, who was a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers biologist, had a chance to sample the pond for salinity around 1987 and decided to look for the snail.

Within 10 minutes of first dipping his net in the water, Adams pulled a snail out.

I started poking around and sure enough, there it was, Adams, who is now a pastor in Greensboro, told The N&O.

Adams contacted the Smithsonian to say the snail was still alive and submitted pictures and an article about his findings to the Nautilus, a New York-based science magazine.

Soon after, he reached out to Wood.

The history of these mill ponds was when a good hurricane comes through and drops 20 inches of rain and blows the dam out, who knows what youve got. So I wanted to get at least one population that was sustainable, that I could guarantee was there, Adams said.

Adams and Wood spent much of the summer of 1992 looking for snails that could be brought into captivity. They searched every pond they could gain access to, dipping their nets in and checking slow-moving areas. They spent the most time looking around the spatterdock water lilies where the snails like to lay their eggs.

Finally, on a blistering hot August day, they found 37 snails on a Brunswick County pond. Wood took them to the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher, where he worked, and those snails are where the rescue of the species began.

It was lucky that they did.

Days after Hurricane Fran Struck in 1996, that ponds owner called Wood to say the dam had blown out and saltwater was washing in with every high tide.

Snails were immediately wiped out of that pond, and I sampled in there multiple years and multiple times and havent found them since, Wood said.

A Magnificent Ramshorn snail at biologist Andy Woods snail refuge in Hampstead. Wood took the Magnificent Ramshorn into captivity in the early 1990s. He has maintained a population of the snails, which have been believed to be gone from the wild for at least two decades, ever since.

A charismatic snail

The magnificent ramshorn is a lunged snail that has only been found in the Lower Cape Fear River basin. Its defining features include a shell that spirals on both sides and often features leopard-print spots.

The snail lives for about two or three years, and when fully grown its shell is about 1.5 inches wide and an inch tall.

Wood views the snails and other small species like it as rivets in the ecosystem. Without protecting those smaller creatures, he warns, the larger species that depend on them will face significantly more peril.

Snails like the magnificent ramshorn eat plant matter in water, digesting it and then pooping it out, Wood said. Their refuse is then available for plankton, which feed small fishes and gradually work their way up the aquatic food pyramid, all the way to large-mouth bass.

If you dont start at the bottom, we have no hope of protecting whats at the top, Wood said.

Everyone who works with magnificent ramshorn seems to have a favorite fact or feature.

For Omerberg, its the shell and features the snail exhibits when it pokes out of the opening.

Its really kind of charismatic-looking. Its got almost facial features, and its quite magnificent, Omerberg said.

For Adams, its that the snail actually goes blind as it grows older.

Why anything would ever just go blind as part of its natural history is really pretty bizarre, Adams said.

Bringing the snail into captivity has helped researchers understand the threats it faces.

Before 1992, the snail had been seen, but nobody had spent time observing it. Wood quickly realized just how vulnerable it is to salt.

He put the snails in a tank at the Fort Fisher Aquarium, perched near the Atlantic Ocean. A week later, Wood checked on them only to find the snails drawn within their shells at the bottom.

I instantly had one of those (light-bulb) moments, Wood said.

He realized that the salty air at Fort Fisher was affecting the fresh water and that the snails were dramatically susceptible to its presence.

Wood took the snails to his then-home in Wilmington and commandeered a blue wading pool that belonged to his sons, who were then 3 and 5 years old.

I said, Sorry, guys, this is now for snails. That was the first snail tank. Its just graduated over time, Wood said.

Safe Harbor Agreement and Wildlife Resources

The magnificent ramshorn is one of 21 endangered or threatened aquatic species the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is working to reintroduce using a safe harbor agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Rachael Hoch, the Wildlife Resources Commissions assistant chief of inland fisheries, likens reintroducing species to the wild to placing eggs in more baskets.

If something catastrophic happened, like a hurricane wiped out the habitat and that was the only place that you could find the species, you dont have redundancy. So by having more populations on the landscape, those species have a greater potential to exist and thrive, Hoch said.

In the case of the magnificent ramshorn, reintroduction first meant finding a pond that has slow-moving or still water, a neutral pH level and no salt. Thats a tough ask in Southeastern North Carolina.

Ramshorn is difficult because it faces a lot of challenges being so coastal and having the saltwater intrusion coming in, Hoch said, adding that the snail lives dangerously close to salty areas for a species that is so intolerant to those environments.

Omerberg has been tasked with finding those ponds and then monitoring the snails.

The first reintroduction happened in October, when about 800 snails were placed in a Brunswick County pond on private property. That pond is within the snails historical range, but is not one of the places where snails were found previously.

To prepare the pond, Omerberg and Wildlife Resources Commission staff put agricultural lime in the water to help keep its pH levels neutral and planted native aquatic vegetation for the snails to eat.

Omerberg checks on the snails by donning a wet suit and diving, carefully pulling herself along the bottom by her fingertips to avoid crushing the tiny creatures. She searches for snails and eggs, noting where theyre located and how theyre acting.

Its been a long time since theyve had free reign of a natural environment, so were just learning a lot right now about what they do given all of the options, Omerberg said.

Theyre doing well enough that the commission recently put 2,000 more snails in the pond. The next hurdle will be how they handle the winter months, as the snails go dormant when the water grows cold.

Depending on survival numbers and reproduction success in the spring, then I think wed start discussing further introductions, Omerberg said.

Aided by the Safe Harbor agreement, Omerberg is looking for more ponds where the snail can be reintroduced. Under that agreement, private landowners agree to work with the Wildlife Resources Commission to make their property available for the reintroduction of threatened and endangered species.

Wildlife officials see it as a key tool in a state where much of the land is privately owned.

We have to do this together in order to actually conserve species in their habitat, Hoch said.

The end goal, Hoch added, is to reintroduce the species to their native habitats and recover them to a point where monitoring and conservation efforts arent needed.

Andy Wood, a biologist, took the Magnificent Ramshorn snails into captivity in the early 1990s. He has maintained a population of the snails, which have been believed to be gone from the wild for at least two decades, ever since.

Threats to ramshorn

Wood is worried that even if theyre reintroduced to the historic areas where they lived, the magnificent ramshorn will face the same threats anew. And, he notes, those challenges threaten other species and even pose some challenges to humans in the Lower Cape Fear area.

For example, the magnificent ramshorn is tremendously sensitive to changes in water quality and to the saltwater intrusion caused by climate change.

As sea levels continue to rise, saltwater will spill onto more land and push further up the creeks that feed into and swamplands bordering the Cape Fear River. Bleached cypress trees are a sentinel of this intrusion throughout the region.

And, the Fish and Wildlife endangered species notice adds, higher temperatures and longer periods between rains will likely lead to more demand for and stress on the freshwater that magnificent ramshorn need to survive.

For now, the Fish and Wildlife Service has identified Orton Pond and Big Pond as critical habitats for the snail, water bodies that total 739 acres. Adam and Wood have found magnificent ramshorn in both ponds.

The agency could also introduce the species to two other ponds within its historical range as part of its recovery, according to the listing.

Advocates worry those habitats arent enough.

Theyre simply not safe for the survival of an entire species. We cant pin this species survival to two privately owned ponds in the floodplain near the Cape Fear River, which is already experiencing serious saltwater intrusion, said Harlan of the Center for Biological Diversity.

That organization has urged the FWS to identify five more critical habitat sites either farther upriver in the Cape Fear watershed or in the adjacent Waccamaw River watershed.

For now, the Wildlife Resources Commissions reintroduction efforts are focused on the places where the snail has been found historically.

But, Hoch said, the magnificent ramshorn was lost from that area. With rising sea level, if we as a resource agency dont think about assisted migration, getting it outside of its historical range, we could lose the species from the planet.

Still, Hoch said, deciding to put the species in a new place would mean not only considering whether the habitat is viable for magnificent ramshorn, but also whether its introduction would have any impact on the species already living there.

Wood is also worried about the Port of Wilmingtons proposed deepening of its shipping channel from 42 to 47 feet to let bigger ships containing more containers travel up the Cape Fear River.

That project would allow more saltwater to flow upstream, Wood warns, threatening key habitats, including those that could be used by magnificent ramshorn. For a species whose entire historical range amounts to freshwater ponds in the flat swamplands around the Cape Fear River, more saltwater poses a dramatic threat.

As a solution, Wood wants any approval of the dredging to include large swaths of protected land upstream of the Cape Fear Rivers Lock and Dam Number One. That would protect the snails and other species from salt while potentially offering similar habitat to the places where they historically lived.

Im hoping that the snail as a flagship will raise awareness of the importance of the littler things around us. And is that enough to warrant all of this? Wood said, raising his hands among the tanks and sanctuary he has built and maintained over decades. Yeah, I think so.

This story was produced with financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and 1Earth Fund, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work.
Between an unprecedented number of visits and clients, this year has been bananas (no pun intended) at the Franklin Food Bank, said Director of Development Allie O'Brien.

The nearly 50-year-old nonprofit organization introduced wraparound services this year to the already popular programs it offers.

A source of nourishment for the greater Somerset County community since it opened in 1975, the Franklin Food Bank has served more than 2.6 million pounds of food to thousands of clients. In 2019, the organization moved to larger quarters at 224 Churchill Ave. in Somerset.

Over the last year, O'Brien said they have seen about 700 new clients.

"This is kind of historic," she said. "In 2020, we had 1,000 new families, which is unprecedented, and we had never seen anything like it before. We usually have around 200 to 300 new families every year. There were a lot of different reasons for that to happen and since 2020, it's never been that high. But this year, it's 700 so far. And again, we're seeing this increase in people needing help."

Between unprecedented numbers of visits and clients, the Franklin Food Bank introduced wraparound services to its already popular programs.

Historically, the Franklin Food Bank ran one primary program, O'Brien said. That changed in 2022 and 2023 saw even more innovation.

"Whether it was giving out bags of food or the Client Choice Market model, it was always just one program," O'Brien said. "In 2022, we formalized two additional food-based programs  Community Distribution and Beyond Borders. In 2023, we introduced wraparound services to help to address some of the root causes of food insecurity."

A food pantry is an organization that serves people, while a food bank is an organization that serves organizations. The Franklin Food Bank does both, O'Brien said.

"We're a hybrid model," she said. "In 2022, we formalized those programs and made a lot of impact. The monthly distribution serves everybody. It is a drive-thru distribution and serves a lot of families  about 11,000 last year. And Beyond Borders is our way of serving other organizations. We have more than 40 Beyond Border partners."

The wraparound services introduced in 2023 include actions such as helping individuals sign up for SNAP and WIC benefits and helping to navigate government assistance programs from the paperwork side, O'Brien said. The Franklin Food Bank also introduced a monthly nutrition class with a cooking demonstration and nutrition education in the market, as well as a backpack program in two Franklin elementary schools and mobile medical screenings.

In its nearly 50 years of service, the Franklin Food Bank has served more than 2.6 million pounds of food to thousands of clients.

And the Franklin Food Bank is readying for 2024 with plans to introduce a financial literacy program as well.

These wraparound services help address the real cause of hunger, which O'Brien says is "really just about financial insecurity."

"Food insecurity is a financial crisis," O'Brien said. "It's when a family has to make choices between paying for groceries or paying for rent, paying for groceries or paying for utilities. Food is the easiest piece of a person's household budget to move, but it doesn't really say anything about why that's happening in the first place. The reason why it's happening is because there's a serious wealth disparity issue in New Jersey and in the country. And until we start to try to solve those problems, and by we, I mean the collective 'we' like our entire community, our entire nation, then food insecurity is just going to continue being here forever."

Like many service organizations, the Franklin Food Bank has seen huge increases in need in recent years. Last year, they saw approximately 11,300 visits in the Client Choice Market. It looks like they are going to close out 2023 with 17,000 visits, O'Brien said.

The Client Choice model allows families and individuals to enter the facility and "shop" by choosing their own foods. The market is arranged like a small grocery store with typical food categories like produce, meats, dairy, frozen and bread. Clients call to schedule an appointment and once inside, they are checked in, grab a cart and shop for whatever they want to feed their families. A menu details the categories and items available.

Between unprecedented numbers of visits and clients, the Franklin Food Bank introduced wraparound services to its already popular programs.

The Client Choice Market is open 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays.

And at every visit, every bag is filled, and meal is given with dignity and respect for those in need, said Franklin Food Bank Executive Director Derek Smith.

A Franklin resident is eligible for up to two visits per month at the Client Choice Market, while anyone can come to the monthly community distributions the first Wednesday of each month at the headquarters of the Franklin Township Community Relations Bureau ("the CRB"), 935 Hamilton St. in Somerset. The program begins at 11a.m. and runs until supplies are gone. There is no appointment necessary for the community distribution program.

"As far as that goes, it makes no difference to us if it's a person's second time there or if it's person's first time there in a month or a year, because it's the same in terms of pounds of food," O'Brien said. "Right now, it looks like we're about over 50% additional family is being served this year so far. And that's just from mid-year reports."

The community program is "ridiculously busy," O'Brien said, and that speaks to its great need and to the community. In the past, it would open at 11 a.m. and start to close shop at around 1:30 p.m.

"Maybe we have a couple pallets of food leftover  now, it's 16 pallets gone in an hour-and-a-half," she said. "And it also speaks to the awareness of the Franklin Food Bank's excellent programming."

The Franklin Food Bank has experienced "tremendous, tremendous growth" in a very short time, O'Brien said. Growth is not possible without our community supporting our efforts, Smith said.

In its nearly 50 years of service, the Franklin Food Bank has served more than 2.6 million pounds of food to thousands of clients.

"If we're going to be able to continue serving the need and the community, and we're going to be able to address the growth that we've seen, we need the community support," O'Brien said. "We need monetary donations. We need people to communicate with us if and when they'd like to run a food drive. And we just need that general awareness to continue."

The organization has seen an increase in general awareness that's been created around its offerings, O'Brien said.

"That's a good thing," she said. "Yes, the need is increasing, but also the awareness is increasing at the same time, so it's sort of a perfect storm of busy."

For more information, go to franklinfoodbank.org and for an appointment, call 732-246-0009.

How to support the Needy Cases Fund

From Nov. 26 to Dec. 3, the Courier News, the Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com are focusing on 11 organizations serving Central Jersey as part of the annual Needy Cases Fund program.

The Needy Cases Fund is a Central Jersey holiday tradition, stretching back more than seven decades. The community-service project has been sponsored by the Home News Tribune and its predecessor, the Daily Home News, working with the Lions Club of New Brunswick. The Courier News has joined the Home News Tribune in sponsoring the charity since 2020.

Send donations (checks made out to the Needy Cases Fund or cash) to: Needy Cases Fund, Home News Tribune/Courier News, 92 E. Main St., Suite 202, Somerville, NJ 08876. Please indicate with a note whether you wish to be acknowledged in a wrap-up story about the program, or whether you wish to remain anonymous.

Donations will be gratefully accepted through the end of December.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Franklin NJ Food Bank 'ridiculously busy', expands outreach
At first sight, the nearly four acres of farmland in this rural hamlet in northeast Haiti resembles more of a desert than a thriving agricultural experiment. The soil is brown and barren, battered by a lack of water and neglect.

But walk further inland and the seemingly lifeless terrain soon turns green: Cabbages and pumpkins rise out of the ground, papayas hang from trees and workers plant rows of hot peppers in the freshly plowed dirt as a generator hisses in the background.

A year ago, such a lush landscape was unimaginable for Fransik Moncher, a farmer and father of seven who couldnt even grow fiery habanero peppers because they quickly died.

All that changed the day a group of entrepreneurs decided to take a gamble to launch a socioeconomic experiment with the goal of answering a simple, but daunting question: What if a Haitian farmer, like Moncher, had everything he needed to be a successful grower?

That farmer who has the land, how do you get him to upgrade his way of production  and how do we recuperate that cost? said Maxwell Marcelin, one of the entrepreneurs.

From left to right: Geoffrey Handal, farmer Fransik Moncher and Maxwell Marcelin. Handal and Marcelin, who formed the company AGRILOG, are working with farmers like Moncher in northern Haiti to help them improve techniques for growing peppers and other produce.

The quest for the answers has birthed an unusual partnership among four Port-au-Prince-based friends and entrepreneurs, and local farmers and agronomists in northern Haiti. Together, they are pushing locally grown peppers and sweet potatoes while also aiding farmers like Moncher in transforming their sun-scorched land, restoring hope in the only livelihood theyve known: agriculture.

Though 75% of Haitis population lives in rural areas, the country cant feed itself. Nearly half of the population, 4.9 million people, are experiencing acute hunger, according to the United Nations. The blame, the U.N. says, can be placed on a number of factors, including poor irrigation systems, lack of capital, political instability and the intensifying gang violence that has spread beyond the capital of Port-au-Prince to rural areas.

In areas where gangs are not occupying farmland or distribution routes, small-scale farmers are fighting to grow crops with limited or no government support. Crops fail due to increasingly frequent and severe droughts and tropical storms, and higher-than-average temperatures.

None of it makes for a hopeful scenario where agriculture can once more become the driving economic force in the countryside.

Everybody is locked into the idea that it cant be done, said Geoffrey Handal, the accounting and logistics expert in the friends group, who challenges such pessimism. We have all of the qualified agronomists, we have all of the techniques needed, we have all of the land, we have all of the water, we have everything.

While Haitis capital is overrun by gangs, in the north entrepreneurs and farmers are trying to focus on its economic potential. Peppers like these growing in a field in Paulette, Haiti are being grown for both the local and export markets.

Handal and Marcelin launched their experiment with Moncher, and also invested in cultivating hot peppers and sweet potatoes about 30 miles to the east of Cap-Haitien in Paulette, a rural village once known for its old sisal plantations. Theyve dubbed their socioeconomic lab Ayiti Demen  The Haiti of Tomorrow.

Total despair

When Marcelin first arrived at Monchers farm in Limonade, the northeast city that is part of the Marihaboux Plain, he believed, like the farmer, that the land was unworkable.

It was total despair, Marcelin said, as a group of workers dig a hole on a dirt mound to plant habanero pepper trees. He said every time he tried to plant, there was no rain and he would lose his harvest.

Refusing to accept that the expansive plot was a wasteland, Marcelin and Handal began to think about how they could help. Moncher not only needed seeds, but also financing. But most importantly, he needed a steady supply of water so he wouldnt have to depend on rains.

Thats the basis of agriculture. Otherwise its like youre playing the lottery waiting for rain, Marcelin said.

Farmers in Haiti have always struggled to make a living off their crops. But with help from a group of fellow Haitians, they are hoping to see their fortunes turn.

In Haiti, crops failed not just because of too little or too much rainfall, but also due to a lack of access to irrigation, even when water is available.

Just across the border 45 minutes away in the Dominican Republic farmers are successful, Marcelin said, so the issue is not the availability of water.

The only thing is there is no investment on our side of the border to bring the water to the producers, he said.

(This is why farmers in the region have been constructing a controversial canal off the nearby Massacre River, which divides Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in hopes of exploiting the potential of the once-lush Marihaboux Plain.)

Armed with a study showing that there was indeed water under Monchers arid land, the group sprang into action. Magalie Dresse, a well-known designer who works with women artisans, helped with financing. Handal, who is also experimenting with producing a bank of high-quality seedlings, provided the seeds. And Marcelin crunched the numbers. With a background in management economics, he wanted to show Moncher that he could have a successful harvest and rely on it for income to feed his family.

We provided him with a well, a submersible pump, a generator a propane one because there is no gas, Marcelin said. He has the support of one of our agronomists to help him on what to do and what not to do. We plowed his field.

Maxwell Marcelin, left, and Geoffrey Handal visit an agriculture field in Paulette, Haiti, where they are growing peppers and sweet potatoes for the local and export market.

The contributions have not gone unnoticed. Since January, Moncher has grown more than 2,000 pounds of habanero peppers in addition to other fruits and vegetables.

They backed me up, he said, flashing a smile and standing upright in his field. I could not have accomplished this on my own. I could not have dug a well because I dont have the means to do that.

Whereas before he saw despair, he now sees hope.

My children are starting to eat and I am beginning to make some money. If they tell me they are hungry, I can come here, grab two or three papayas and sell them to find money to buy food, Moncher said.

The groups initial investment of about 480,000 gourdes  about $3,600  is expected to bring Moncher about $7,000 in sales, which he will make from selling his habanero peppers to AGRILOG/Ets JB Vital, S.A., the company that Marcelin and Handal use to export peppers to Miami.

A group of young entrepreneurs from Port-au-Prince is helping farmers in northern Haiti grow peppers. This variety, known as Piman Bouk, is among the peppers being developed in Paulette, Haiti.

This is someone weve taken out of poverty when we gave him this opportunity, Marcelin said.

Because we invested in Fransik, he adds, walking through the papaya trees, weve created an oasis.

From coffee to sweet potatoes

Growing up in a poverty-stricken Haiti as a member of a well-off family, Handal knew he was blessed, a feeling hes wanted to share with others.

Ive always felt like every Haitian should have it and we should show the world this is how we live, he said.

For 200 years, the Handal family exported coffee, once among the islands most lucrative cash crops. But deforestation, natural disasters and the increasing need for coffee to be grown at higher elevations due to warming temperatures led to a rapid decline in coffee production. In 2008, Handal said the family was shipping 33 cargo containers of coffee beans each season.

A year later, before the devastating 2010 earthquake further decimated production, the family shipped only two containers because we couldnt find any coffee.

Farmers in Haiti have always struggled to make a living off their crops. But with help from a group of fellow Haitians, they are hoping to see their fortunes turn.

Handel said that an investigation into the demise of Haitis coffee market led him to conclude that the family needed to invest in agricultural production. But more than a decade went by before he revisited the idea of exports, spending most of the time working in the familys shipping business in Port-au-Prince.

I realized the only two things we could export here would be, first of all, textiles and second, agriculture, he said. He decided on the agriculture route as a way to boost his export volume. It was purely a logistic play to see what could I do to get containers full of agriculture products out of Haiti.

Then he met Marcelin, who pitched him on growing peppers and sweet potatoes, and helping farmers boost their harvest.

The Dominican Republic is the same size, same economy as Haiti and there is no reason why we cant reach that level of GDP, Handal said. If we do this right, if we invest properly in Haiti in 20 years, we can have 10% GDP growth every year. With that measure, this is how billionaires get made. This is how you create a real economy.

Maxwell Marcelin and his wife, Kalinda Magloire, who focuses on producing clean-cooking stoves, are among four friends from Port-au-Prince now working with farmers in north Haiti to help them find better techniques to grow crops.

Marcelin said he became interested in agriculture through the work of his wife, Kalinda Magloire. She is the founder of a clean cooking social enterprise known as SWITCH, which encourages Haitians to move away from charcoal in favor of propane.

One of the effects of Haitis declining agricultural sector is that when farmers cant cultivate their land, they turn to cutting their trees down for charcoal production, which gives them about $400 every two years. For farmers to stop cutting trees to survive, said Marcelin, they need a path to production to get replace that revenue.

Cutting down the trees is the easiest choice today because he doesnt have money to invest, so he just lets the trees grow and then every two years, he sells them, he said. But if he had the financing, the know-how and access to market, he would have an alternative.

When we were presenting clean cooking as an alternative, the question we were always presented with was, What about the farmer who lives off charcoal?  Marcelin adds. This is why we started thinking about agriculture.

Bringing back the Scotch bonnet, saving the Bouk

About 17 miles to the east of Limonade along National Highway 6 in the rural community of Paulette is the for-profit side of Marcelin and Handals vision. Together with the Peasant Movement for the Development of Paulette they are growing sweet potato and several varieties of pepper, including the high-in-demand Piman Bouk, whose first shipment arrived in Miami in April.

Despite the demand for Bouk, it is hard to find, said Handal, who has built a nursery to provide high quality pepper seeds.

Today, even if a farmer wants to go plant Bouk, he wont find quality seeds to do it, Handal said.

The entrepreneurs also want to bring back production of the Caribbean Scotch bonnet, a variety of chili pepper. According to local lore, the Scotch bonnet, popular in Jamaica, was bountiful around Cap-Haitien before the Haitian revolution but soon disappeared after Haiti won its independence from France in 1804.

The two are also working on exporting sweet potato, which for now is being sold on the local market as they continue to improve the yield for export to Europe with the help of agronomists from Honduras, who have expertise in growing the vegetable.

Geoffrey Handal is among four friends from Port-au-Prince, Haiti who have come together to launch a socioeconomic lab focused on helping farmers in northern Haiti access expertise and new techniques to grow crops.

To make the agricultural project work, the duo invested in a drip irrigation system, similar to whats used in the Dominican Republic, and fertilizer. They also brought onboard interns from the nearby University of Limonade to assist and to learn.

The financial model, which Handal came up with, calls for the Paulette farmers to get 30% of sales.

At the end of the day, when you look at the investment, it comes up to 50-50 in terms of profits, Marcelin said. In Paulette, its a Fransik Moncher magnified. We created jobs but the profit sharing is for the whole organization.... Everyone who is in the ecosystem is making money.

A group of young entrepreneurs from Port-au-Prince are working with farmers in northern Haiti to help them grow various varieties of peppers including habanero.

Handal also sees another important result.

For me as long as the community is involved, thats all you need, he said.

The two also focus on finding creative ways to get around problems. After some of the habaneros and Piman Bouk ripened before they could be shipped out, Marcelin and Handal decided to go into the pepper sauce business.

A group of young entrepreneurs from Port-au-Prince are helping farmers in northern Haiti grow peppers. This variety known as Piman Bouk, is among the peppers being developed in Paulette, Haiti. l 2023 by the company AGRILOG.

With their next harvest less than 30 days away, they are hoping the sweet potatoes will be ready so they can be shipped out. If not, they will just continue to sell it locally.

The effort is a bet that this country will not die, which is a bit of a leap of faith these days. But if its not going to die, its going to grow at some point, Handal said. And thats why we invest.
A Ukrainian politician said Russia proposed ending the war if Ukraine abandoned its NATO ambitions.

Russia made the proposal during peace talks soon after the full-scale invasion began.

"There is no, and there was no, trust in the Russians that they would do it," the politician said.

Russia offered to stop its invasion of Ukraine on the condition that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government abandon its ambition to join NATO, the Kyiv Post reported.

David Arakhamia, the leader of the Servant of the People party and the head of the Ukrainian delegation in the talks, said that Russia had proposed a resolution to the conflict in spring 2022.

The peace talks took place during the early stages of the full-scale war on the border of Ukraine and Belarus and in Turkey.

The Russian delegation reportedly proposed ending the war if Ukraine dropped its NATO aspirations and took a neutral position.

Arakhamia said that a shift toward neutrality would require a constitutional change, considering Ukraine's current constitutional commitment to NATO membership.

Arakhamia told Natalia Moseychuk, a Ukrainian journalist, that Russia saw Ukraine's neutrality as a key condition for a potential peace agreement. "They really hoped almost to the last that they would put the squeeze on us to sign such an agreement so that we would take neutrality. It was the biggest thing for them," he said.

Arakhamia said there was a lack of trust in Russia's sincerity. "There is no, and there was no, trust in the Russians that they would do it. That could only be done if there were security guarantees," he explained.

Signing an agreement without such assurances, Arakhamia argued, would leave Ukraine vulnerable to a potential second incursion because it would have given Russia an opportunity to regroup and prepare for another round of military aggression.

War crimes

Communal workers prepare to carry a corpse in a body bag in a street of Bucha, about 18 miles from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, in April 2022. SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's unexpected visit to Kyiv on April 9, 2022, had an impact on the potential cease-fire. Johnson advised against signing any agreement with Russia and encouraged Ukraine to continue the fight. Arakhamia recalled Johnson's stance, saying Ukraine "shouldn't sign anything with them at all  and let's just fight."

While both sides expressed readiness for a meeting between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussions abruptly halted when Russian troops retreated from Kyiv. The withdrawal exposed the extent of apparent war crimes committed, including the Bucha massacre.

Three days after Johnson's departure from Kyiv, Putin publicly declared that talks with Ukraine had "turned into a dead end."

NATO expansion has been underway since the beginning of the war, with the formerly neutral Finland joining in April.

Business Insider reported in January that Putin's decision to invade Ukraine was a miscalculation because the war backfired by uniting NATO in support of Ukraine.

While the bloc has been a crucial ally to Ukraine, there is a reluctance to initiate Ukrainian membership while the country is at war. The US opposes extending NATO membership to Ukraine in the immediate future to avoid escalating the West's tensions with Russia.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Canadas new ambassador in Port-au-Prince is no stranger to Haitis vexing challenges. But a lot has changed and much hasnt  since Andre Francois Giroux help to coordinate his countrys efforts at the United Nations to help train the Haitian police back in the late 1990s.

Today, the job goes beyond reading files or U.N. reports from a remote location, and involves making the rounds through Port-au-Princess gang-ridden streets while trying to decipher fact from fiction in a country where things are not always as they seem.

Giroux, who recently arrived in Port-au-Prince after being appointed as Canadas new ambassador to Haiti in September, says hes up for the challenge. So far, he has no regrets about giving up a posh posting in Sydney, Australia, where he still had a year left as consul general, for the troubled Caribbean nation that Canadian citizens are urged to avoid due to threat posed by kidnappings, gang violence and the potential for civil unrest.

Im thrilled and honored and very humbled by the opportunity, said Giroux, adding that while Haiti is a major source of Canadian aid, Ottawa has spent the last three decades really trying to help in moving Haiti forward.

But you know, the situation has always been complicated, he said. Canada definitely has been stepping up to the plate. Its a very important relationship for us. And, I just love a challenge.

Giroux replaces Ambassador Sebastien Carriere, who left in August after his two-year posting ended.

I know I have big shoes to fill, Giroux said, adding that when he agreed to come onboard, he knew that he would be well supported, given the focus the country is getting from his government.

I can tell you I may be the face of the relationship but theres a whole army behind me, supporting Haiti, he said.

READ MORE: Across the Americas, crises roil without U.S. ambassadors on the ground

Like his predecessor, Giroux will be tasked with steering Canadas foreign policy amid an ongoing Haitian political impasse that still has not provided a clear path for holding long overdue elections, and dealing with widespread gang violence. The violence, which has been escalating in recent months, has turned most of the capital into a no-go zone as heavily armed gangs target schools and hospitals, pillage police stations and entire neighborhoods, and rape and kidnap with impunity.

He must also balance what at times is a fraught relationship between his government and Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has led the country since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, and groups that want him out.

Ive been doing a lot of  listening to the views from all segments of society since Ive arrived here, Giroux said. You sometimes leave the room thinking, Where is the area of agreement here? Because some of the positions are so opposite.

As Haitis violence continues to spiral out of control, Canada has tried to carve out its own identity in respect to its foreign policy toward the country, one that is independent of the United States.

While many Haitians have long held the belief that Canada takes its policy cues from Washington, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been challenging that notion as he rebuffed U.S. pressure to put boots on the ground in Haiti.

In various public forums, Trudeau has highlighted the fact that Canada is imposing sanctions28 to date against members of Haitis political and economic elite whom his Liberal government believes are contributing to the gang violence, while the United States is lagging in its blacklisting.

Despite such sanctions, gang violence continues to escalate. Last week a gang alliance in the countrys largest slum, Cite Soleil, fired its assault weapons at a hospital where a baby died before being delivered and babies on oxygen had to be evacuated in a hail of flying bullets.

It was the latest violent clash in the country, where gang violence has now internally displaced more than 200,000 people, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration.

In July, Kenya offered to lead a security force into Haiti and last month, nearly a year after Henrys government asked for the deployment of such a force to help its police take on gangs, the U.N. Security Council authorized a Multinational Security Support Mission to the country. The effort, however, remains blocked by the High Court in Nairobi, which last week extended a ban on the deployment of Kenyan security forces to Haiti until it could hear a challenge in late January.

Ottawa, Giroux said, hasnt made a decision one way or another about Canadas contribution to the Kenya-led security mission. But Canada, he said, feels strongly that $100 million Canadian dollars in aid Trudeau announced earlier this year for the Haiti National Police is definitely a complement to the efforts that the force will be bringing.

Our view is that were very supportive of the force, its needed but its not going to be here forever and we want to make sure that the force is there to support the police, not substitute itself to the police, Giroux said. So there is a decision to be made on the Canadian contribution to the force but in parallel, we will carry on with our support to the [police].

Those efforts, he said, include purchasing equipment and reconstructing police stations that were destroyed by gangs. It also includes having members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police train members of the Haitian national police, which has seen a staggering loss of officers since the beginning of the year.

While a U.N. report earlier this year on the departures didnt provide a breakdown of why officers were leaving, diplomats in Haiti believe a large contributor is migration, with officers fleeing to Canada and to the United States, the latter made easier by a two-year humanitarian parole program. Launched in January, the program allows individuals from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to legally migrate to the U.S. as long as they have a financial sponsor.

The challenges the brain drain poses is not lost on Giroux, who was once involved in Haitian police training efforts by Canada when the country sat on the U.N. Security Council in the late 1990s.

In addition to helping to rebuild the police force, Canada is also pushing for a political consensus. Last month, Trudeau delivered a very strong message to Henry about the need to share power as he and other Caribbean leaders met in Ottawa for a summit.

I believe those messages were received, Giroux said. There have been some major concessions. I think the prime minister has demonstrated his willingness to share power. Now I think its for the members of the various opposition parties to grab that hand that is being extended and do it for the good of the Haitian people.

Despite those concessions, some of the political and civic leaders who have been negotiating with Henry are demanding his resignation as a precondition for talks.

Giroux said he remains hopeful of a breakthrough .

Nothing is simple here and unanimity is never going to happen, he said. Our view is you need critical mass, you need minimal consensus and I dont think its out of reach.

Everybody is complaining about the lack of legitimacy, the lack of constitutional order, the lack of this, the lack of that, he added. But the reality is the only way you can really restore this is by having elections.
The North Versailles Police Department has released its first statement since one of its officers was shot.

The officer was injured early Friday morning while responding to a domestic disturbance. He was released from the hospital later in the day and the man accused of shooting him was taken into custody.

RELATED COVERAGE >>> Police officer shot in North Versailles; suspect in custody

PHOTOS: Police search for suspect after officer-involved shooting in North Versailles

Officers received help from multiple municipalities during the incident as authorities spent hours looking for the suspect after the shooting before he was arrested. Saturday evening, the North Versailles Police Department thanked everyone who helped.

On behalf of the members of the Police Department, the administration would like to formally thank the numerous first responders who responded to the scene and offered their assistance. The list of those first responders is exhaustive, but to all of our local, county, state and federal law enforcement partners who assisted, we thank you, the statement said.

The department also thanked Allegheny County dispatchers for keeping the situation under control.

To our dispatchers and County 911 employees, the hard work you do never gets properly acknowledged. You are the constant calm in the storm and always will be. Thank you, the department said.

The officers said the situation can be used as an example to others that the community is always willing to step up and help.

Fire and EMS, paid or volunteer, your skill and dedication is unmatched and our communities should be assured that you folks are there waiting to help anyone, at any time, the department said.

Community members and local businesses delivered food and words of support to the department after the shooting.

The officer who was shot is healing at home and expected to make a full recovery, the department said.

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This article was originally published in Honolulu Civil Beat.

Val Kalahiki isnt sure her students know what a fire alarm sounds like. In November 2019, Konawaena Elementarys fire alarm system broke, and it hasnt been replaced, said Kalahiki, who runs the after-school program at the Hawaii island school.

In the case of a fire, the main office can use the loudspeaker system to inform students and teachers, Kalahiki said. But after the main office closes at 4:30 p.m., Kalahiki said she has to remain extra vigilant as she oversees 130 students who remain on campus for the after-school program.

Where is the state putting all of our money if they cant even protect our kids? Kalahiki said.

Her school is one of over two dozen that lacks a working fire alarm, according to Department of Education estimates.

Concern for school fire safety has gained urgency following the Aug. 8 Maui wildfires that killed 99 people and destroyed more than 2,200 structures, including King Kamehameha III Elementary in Lahaina.

The state House Schools Working Group, formed in the aftermath of the Lahaina fires, released a draft report earlier this month finding some Hawaii schools vulnerable to fire. The report offered recommendations for better protecting students, from updating schools fire sprinkler systems to making evacuation plans more accessible to the public.

Increased Urgency

But the problems long predated the Maui fires, with some schools waiting years to have broken fire alarm systems repaired. In a House education committee hearing in March, Department of Education deputy superintendent Curt Otaguro estimated that while 80% of Hawaii schools had working fire alarms, 12% had alarm systems in critical condition.

Thats just not acceptable, Otaguro said in the hearing.

DOE spokeswoman Nanea Kalani said the department now has 28 fire alarm systems needing repairs. Over 250 public schools fall under the DOE system.

Randall Tanaka, assistant superintendent for the office of facilities and operations, said DOE has made repairs to some systems since the spring, but larger repairs need more time since some require updates to schools electrical wiring systems.

Its a high priority for us, Tanaka said.

Many of Hawaiis public schools are over 100 years old.

A significant number of school buildings in Hawaii lack modern fire suppression systems, such as automatic fire sprinklers and fire alarms, leaving them vulnerable in the event of a fire, the House Schools Working Group draft report said.

The House has scheduled a public hearing Thursday to seek feedback on the schools working groups findings. A final report on that and other Maui-related topics is due Dec. 15. The DOE said it is still looking over the report but will submit testimony by Thursday.

Broken Systems, Delayed Repairs

County fire departments conduct inspections on schools every year. To pass these inspections, schools need to have working fire alarm systems, said Parrish Purdy, captain of the fire prevention bureau for Maui County.

DOE said 90% of its schools passed their fire inspections in the 2022-23 school year.

But for schools with broken alarm systems, it can sometimes take years to receive replacements or repairs.

Konawaena Elementarys fire alarm system has been broken since November 2019, even after the school experienced an electrical fire in 2021. (Courtesy: Val Kalahiki)

For example, as of 2017, the Department of Education acknowledged that King Intermediate School on Oahu had lacked a working fire alarm system for seven years.

If campuses have broken fire alarm systems, they must go on fire watch, said Kendall Ching, a captain with the Honolulu Fire Department. That means teachers and staff members are responsible for notifying the schools administration and the fire department if they see signs of a potential blaze.

Theres no time limit on how long a school can remain on fire watch, but its not meant to be a long-term solution, Purdy said.

In January 2021, fire watch protocols helped to keep an electrical fire from spreading on Konawaena Elementarys campus. Second-grade teacher Anika Agerlie said shes grateful a custodian was on campus and quickly alerted the school administration, but she worries what would have happened if the fire wasnt caught early on.

Four years is way too long to be on fire watch, Agerlie said. One year is way too long

Legislative Action Planned

Rep. Jeanne Kapela represents District 5 on Hawaii island, which previously included Konawaena Elementary before redistricting. In the 2023 legislative session, she introduced and passed House Resolution 55, which requested the DOE to submit a list of schools with broken fire alarms and a timeline for completing these repairs.

The House Education Committee has not yet received the DOEs list, Kapela said.

Kapela said she plans to introduce a bill next year providing funding to fix schools fire alarm systems. DOE said it would need to spend $10 million annually for the next five years to complete its repairs.

Theres no alternative to having a working fire alarm, Kapela said.

Tanaka is unsure of the exact timeline for fixing schools fire alarm systems but said the DOE is constantly searching for solutions. He added that a shortage of companies who are able to fix schools fire alarm systems has contributed to delays.

Structural Changes

Since the August wildfires, DOE has focused on keeping the perimeters of schools safe and has worked with the Department of Transportation to cut down the grass and dry brush surrounding campuses such as Lahainaluna High, Tanaka said. He added that DOE is evaluating available emergency escape routes for schools, pointing to the emergency access route leading out of the Lahaina schools that DOT constructed last month.

He added that DOE continues to assess the fire preparedness of schools, particularly in fire-prone areas.

When it comes to building new schools or renovating old ones, the state is working with the National Council on School Facilities and the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure campuses have fire-safe infrastructures, said Keone Farias, executive director of the School Facilities Authority. For example, he said, the EPAs guidance on what building materials are most fire-resistant will inform projects moving forward.

Farias said SFA hasnt yet been involved in conversations around rebuilding King Kamehameha IIIs permanent campus. But, he added, the agency will take all the precautions to protect the school when the time comes.

Well build the safest school we possibly can, Farias said.

Civil Beats education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.
A rider poses at the start of the Philly Naked Bike Ride held in August in Philadelphia. Tassanee Vejpongsa/Associated Press

Its not unusual to see cyclists weaving through downtown San Antonio, but a different kind of bike ride that could be held in the Alamo City next year would surely catch any passerbys attention.

According to the ticketing website SimpleTix, the World Naked Bike Ride, an international clothing-optional event, is coming to San Antonio this summer. The website says it will take place between June 15 through June 30 and will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa. Hotel management was not immediately available Sunday to comment on the posting.

Created in 2004, the free event invites people to protest fossil fuels and promote body positivity, according to its website. The nudity represents the vulnerability of bikers in urban settings, the group says.

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The WNBR site says naked rides have been held throughout the United States and in international destinations like Brazil, Greece, Taiwan and South Africa. It has become an annual cultural affair for cities like Portland, Seattle and Philadelphia, where it routinely attracts thousands of cyclists.

Houston has held its own annual version of the bike ride for more than a decade.

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I know what youre thinking  isnt streaking illegal? Yes, Texas does have an indecent exposure law, and there is also an ordinance in San Antonio that prohibits nudity in public places. The legislation even goes as far as to bar people from being semi-nude, meaning youre not allowed to show human genitals, pubic region or pubic hair; or crevice of buttocks or anus; any portion of the female breast that is situated below a point immediately above the (nipple).

But such legality doesnt stop nude bikers from descending upon cities en masse. Public nudity is outlawed in many of the destinations that host the ride. Event organizer David Collins told Houston Public Media that participants have had run-ins with police in the past, but that no arrests have occurred since the annual event began in 2011.

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The San Antonio Police Department did not respond Sunday to a request for comment.

On top of protesting reliance on cars, the event intends to advocate for better bike infrastructure. San Antonio saw more than 600 bicycle accidents in 2022 and 2023, according to a query on Texas Crash Records Information System.

Its true that confirmation of San Antonios Naked Bike Ride is relatively hard to come by, aside from a few event registration websites. Its vague scheduling and unspecified route could indicate that the event is nothing but rumors.

Or it could be intentional. Portlands Naked Bike Ride took place in August, but the route remained top-secret beforehand to prevent pedestrians from lining up along the streets, according to Axios.

Event registration website All Events said the bare-as-you-dare bike ride will begin at 8 p.m. and end around 11:30 p.m. on an unspecified date in June. Participants are encouraged to show up in anything from body paint to underwear to costumes.

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Due to legal restrictions full frontal nudity is at your own risk but many participants do go all out, the page states.
A Labour frontbencher has said he would not march against anti-Semitism following a rebellion over calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Darren Jones, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said he would not attend any demonstrations in the weeks to come, as he represents constituents who have different concerns and different opinions about this issue.

He said all peaceful protests should be allowed to go ahead, but repeatedly dodged questions on whether he would join Sundays march himself.

Asked directly whether he would attend the demonstration in London, led by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, he said: Ive not gone to any marches in the last few weeks and I dont intend on going [on] any marches in the future weeks, because I represent constituents who have different concerns and different opinions about this issue.

Its my job to represent all of them. Thats why I am not going on any marches.

But he said of course he would stand in solidarity with his constituents against anti-Semitism.

Speaking to Sky News Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, he said: There is a difference between going on marches and a difference between talking to my constituents locally.

Major shadow cabinet split

It comes in the wake of a major shadow cabinet split over the crisis in the Middle East, which saw Sir Keir Starmer suffer the biggest rebellion of his leadership to date.

Eight Labour frontbenchers defied their leader over a vote for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on November 15, exposing damaging rifts at the top of the party.

Sir Keir has backed humanitarian pauses in the conflict but refused to demand a ceasefire, despite pressure from within Labour ranks to change tack.

Mr Jones said he didnt know if any Labour MPs would be attending Sundays march, but noted that shadow minister Peter Kyle would be in London.

Pressed on whether that meant his colleagues would be permitted to take part, he said: Ive not had any guidance from the Labour Party about the demo today or the demo yesterday, in fact, so Im not sure what it is that youre referring to.

When it was put to him that Labour frontbenches had been told not to attend pro-Palestinian protests, he said: There is no distinction between peaceful marches on either side of the debate on this issue, as there wouldnt be on any other issue.

Laura Trott, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, also declined to say whether she would attend Sundays march, stressing she was focused on her ministerial duties.

But she insisted the entire Government is against anti-Jewish hate.

Speaking to the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, she said: Of course I am and the entire Government is against anti-Semitism. You can see that in the way that we have acted.

I think thats a hypothetical on whether I go on the march or not, Im not going to answer but I think my direction is very clear.

Backlash against BBC

It comes as the BBC has faced a backlash for banning Jewish employees from participating in Sundays demonstration.

Staff working in current affairs and factual journalism who have sought permission to go to the march have been referred to impartiality rules.

According to the rules, editorial staff should not participate in public demonstrations or gatherings about controversial issues.

Jewish journalists have argued that protesting against racism should not be regarded as a controversial or partisan issue, and that the BBC should not stand in their way.

One MP called for the resignation of Tim Davie, the BBC director-general, saying the decision was perverse.

Sundays march from the Royal Courts of Justice in London is being billed as the biggest British demonstration against anti-Semitism since 1936.

In that year, Jews and fascists clashed in the Battle of Cable Street during a march by Oswald Mosleys British Union of Fascists.

On Friday, a BBC spokesman said: The BBC is clear that anti-Semitism is abhorrent. We have established guidance around marches, which explains that different considerations apply depending on what you do for the BBC.

Corporately, we have not issued any staff communication on any specific march this weekend, but this does not mean discussions which consider the guidance have not taken place between colleagues.

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Advocates of mass immigration often argue that we should accept the huge changes it brings to our country because such immigration brings unalloyed benefits. If it wasnt for immigration, the argument often goes, there would be no NHS. By the same logic, we might also argue that the prison population would be considerably smaller.

It is patently absurd to treat all immigration as though all immigrants are uniformly good or bad. Yet that is how the debate proceeds. Immigration, we are told, brings growth and dynamism, it is fiscally positive and helps to avert the demographic crisis we face thanks to an ageing population and falling birth rate.

Yet none of this is really true. Immigration increases the size of the economy by increasing the size of the population, but does nothing in itself to increase our prosperity on a per capita basis. Immigration does not magically increase productivity: low-paid migrant workers kill incentives to train resident workers and invest in labour-saving technology.

Fiscally, immigration is broadly neutral, although there is a lag effect as infrastructure and services take time to recognise and meet rising demand. The idea that immigration can fix demographics is a widely debunked myth.

If piles of academic research and evidence do not persuade you, consider this. Last year, net migration totalled an unprecedented 745,000. We still had no growth, flatlining productivity, a fiscal squeeze, struggling infrastructure and services, and a difficult old age dependency ratio.

With net migration running at many multiples of the levels promised by successive governments, it is right to focus on the overall numbers. With consequences for housing, roads, schools and much else besides, immigration is a numbers game, and the current inflow is a disgrace. But the focus on numbers should not cause us to neglect the profile of immigration.

A brain surgeon, quite obviously, brings benefits an unskilled labourer does not. A foreign criminal brings costs a law-abiding migrant does not. In such individual and clear-cut examples, the point is self-evident. But in large numbers and in more subtle ways, the argument still holds. Making it is fraught with danger  for the most zealous of immigration advocates are quick to make accusations of bigotry and racism  but that only means that it is more important that we do not flinch from doing so.

The post-Brexit points-based system claims to be highly selective. Taken at face value, it appears that only skilled people with the right number of points can come. But the reassuring language is made meaningless by official definitions.

The salary threshold, used as a proxy to determine high-skilled migration, is only 26,200 and for some 20,960. The shortage occupation list includes welders, bricklayers and arts officers. For many jobs, migrants can be brought to Britain on skilled worker visas for salaries as low as the National Minimum Wage.

Our universities finance themselves by selling long-term immigration to Britain. Foreign students  whatever the institution, whatever their qualification  are automatically allowed to stay to live and work in Britain after study. At some universities, a majority of students is now foreign. Several have now established satellite campuses in East London, where it is easier to attract international students keen to work.

Then there are dependants, for whom the rules have been radically relaxed since Brexit. Forty per cent of work visas  218,000  are given to dependants. About a quarter of student visas  154,000  are for dependants. With the health and care visa, which was introduced in 2020 as a supposedly temporary measure to bring in tens of thousands of workers, more dependants arrive than workers. Last year, 121,000 brought 138,000 family members. These migrants have the unfettered right to work here, and there are no conditions based on skill or qualification.

There are other costs to our lack of selectivity. As the Tory MP Neil OBrien has demonstrated, repeat academic studies show that non-European migrants to Britain are overall net recipients of public spending, not contributors. Yet the post-Brexit immigration system has deliberately shifted the profile of migration, causing the Office for Budget Responsibility to change its models, explaining the participation rate of migrants under the post-Brexit regime will be lower.

Britain does not publish data as the Danish government does. There, official figures show that Danes and European migrants are net contributors to the public purse, but at no point in their life cycle are migrants and their descendants from the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Turkey. Income tax data we do publish suggest a similar story would apply here. Bangladeshis receive more in child benefit and tax credits than they pay in income tax and National Insurance, for example, and that is before we get into the cost of education, housing, healthcare, pensions and so on.

Seventy-two per cent of Somalis here live in social housing. Fifty-seven per cent of Bangladeshi and Pakistani women are economically inactive. Forty-six per cent of Pakistani-heritage babies born in Bradford have parents who are cousins. Proportionately, Albanians are 10 times more likely than the public as a whole to be in prison. The number of people unable to speak English well or at all has increased in the past 10 years by more than 20 per cent to more than a million.

Academic research shows, in the words of Robert Putnam, that immigration and ethnic diversity challenge social solidarity and inhibit social capital. Other studies show that cultural attitudes  from family roles to trust in others  survive several generations after migration. And we know that mass immigration brings significant cultural change and that social integration is more likely for some than others. The ability to speak English, attitudes to women and minority rights, and familiarity with the norms and laws of open and democratic societies all matter. Here, the behaviour we have seen at the rolling anti-Israel protests in London is a case in point.

So the profile of immigration matters as much as the numbers. Yet we act as though it does not. For economic and social reasons, we need to become radically selective. Migrants, as one author puts it, can make their new countries a lot like those they left.

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The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber has announced the four individuals who will be honored as Great Living Cincinnatians.

Great Living Cincinnatians are recognized for their business and civic attainment on a local, state, national or international level; leadership; awareness of the needs of others, and distinctive accomplishments that have brought favorable attention to their community, institution or organization.

The 2024 honorees, who will join the previous 171 awardees named since 1967, are: John Barrett, Sally Duffy, Donna Salyers, and Dolores Hargrove Young.

Delores Hargrove-Young

Helping other people is hardwired into Delores Hargrove-Youngs DNA. From the very beginning, the vice chairwoman of d.e. Foxx & Associates, Inc., was an example of offering assistance to those who needed it.

Her beginnings were humble. She grew up in Jacksonville, Florida  we called it Southeast Georgia, she said  with her brother and parents. Her mother was a homemaker, her father a blue-collar worker, and they learned that abundance wasnt necessary for generosity. She wasnt aware of her economic status until visiting family told her otherwise.

I thought, How could we be poor when my parents were always helping other people?  Hargrove-Young said.

Eager to take on the world, Hargrove-Youngs first professional role was as an activities director for a geriatric program. It was here she learned even more deeply the value of generosity.

I absolutely loved (it) because the senior citizens loved you unconditionally, she said. They were always glad to see me. Its a good feeling when you know that youre helping people and theyre so glad to see you when you actually show up.

Hargrove-Youngs next career move was to State Farm.

I was on such a fast track, Hargrove-Young said. I had been there for seven years and had six promotions, and I really had decided what the next step was going to be for me at State Farm. I had some great mentors that were helping me to achieve that.

But fate intervened. In 1986, her former husband took a job in Cincinnati, and Hargrove-Young and their three children followed suit  reluctantly.

Neither I nor our daughters were excited at the time about the move, for different reasons, she said. I had mapped out my career at State Farm, and our daughters did not want to be uprooted from their friends. Our son, our middle child, had been in Cincinnati for two months with his dad before we arrived. He was the only one that was excited.

Initially, her plan entailed continuing in the insurance business. Upon leaving State Farm as a senior claims representative, the company provided a glowing recommendation, and she was hired over the phone by a local insurance company and told to report to work on Monday.

I showed up, in my blue suit, white blouse and little tie, because that was the appropriate attire back in the day for women, to find out the job had been filled, Hargrove-Young said. Imagine my surprise, since I spoke with the recruiter Friday afternoon. I later realized that no one knew I was Black.

She didnt let that dampen her spirits for long.

What it taught me was that people can set barriers for you, Hargrove-Young said. However, God sometimes closes a door because He has something better for you. If I had taken that job, if it had worked out, I would have missed a major blessing.

A conversation with Dave Foxx, founder of d.e. Foxx & Associates and formerly of Procter & Gamble, led to that blessing. That same year she moved to Cincinnati, she became president and COO of one of d.e. Foxxs brands, XLC Services, a managed service provider. She started out in a 2,500 square foot office on Winton Road.

I remember calling myself to make sure the phone worked, Hargrove-Young said.

More than 30 years later, she has helped grow the company, now located on W. 9th Street, to its current roster of 1,800 employees. Under her leadership, XLC won a variety of prestigious awards, including the Eli Lilly & Company Supplier of the Year, two-time winner of the P&G Minority Supplier of the Year, Cincinnati USA Supplier Diversity Circle of Excellence, and the African American Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year.

We have been able to grow our business based on the excellent service that we provide to our customer, she said. We encourage our customers to give us the good, the bad, and the ugly. We provide a service and our motto is, Improving all we touch. 

She is the immediate past chair of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation board. Other past chair roles include chairing the Go-Red Annual Luncheon; co-chairing the American Heart Association Circle of Red; and the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau. She serves on several other boards, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; 7 Principles Foundation, Inc.l Lindner Executive Cabinet for the Carl H. Lindner College of Business; Inspiring Service; and as secretary for the Sister Accord Foundation. She belongs to the Queen City Chapter of The Links Incorporated. She has received numerous awards, a sample of which include: the 2015 Girls Scouts of Western Ohio Women of Distinction Award; 2018 Boy Scouts of America Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award; and the 2019 Womens Alliance Inc. Jewel of the Community and Metropolitan Award. In 2020, she was named an Enquirer Woman of the Year. In 2022, she received the Northern Kentucky University Lincoln Award.

Her thoughts as she adds Great Living Cincinnatian to that impressive roster?

It is difficult to articulate what receiving this award means to me, said Hargrove-Young. I find that I am still in disbelief. I am both humbled and honored by this award. I never in a million years thought I would be a Great Living Cincinnatian. I stand on the shoulders of current and former recipients.

3 questions with Delores Hargrove-Young

What advice do you have for the next generation of Cincinnatians?

Be intentional! Nothing happens by being a spectator. When you are in the room where things are happening, and you are sitting at the table with key influencers, dont squander the opportunity. Remember, you are not just there to only carry your own paper, because you are carrying the paper for those not as fortunate, and the next generation. Once in the room you have a voice, so be intentional. Representation matters, so represent.

Do you have a motto or creed by which you live your life?

I have a few principles that I live by daily. 1) Treat people better than you want to be treated. 2) Each one teaches one. 3) It is our responsibility to mentor the next generation and set them up for success. My hope is that all of these principles will translate into the next generation setting up the next for success and so on.

Who has been an inspirational figure in your life?

That is a difficult question to answer, because I have had so many in my personal and professional life. My parents encouraged me to be the best version of myself. As a good friend said to his daughter, "Perfection is not required; however, mediocrity is not acceptable." My three children, four grandchildren, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, forever sisters and brothers-in-laws, sister friends, baby girls, and little brothers. I have been pleased to have a circle of family and friends who have cheered me on. The inspirational figures in my life are not necessarily world-famous people; they are my people.

This article was provided by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. The 2024 Great Living Cincinnatians will be honored at the chamber's 2024 annual dinner  Legacy & Promise: A Celebration of Leadership  at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Chamber names Delores Hargrove-Young 2024 Great Living Cincinnatian
The U.S. played a direct role in helping set up the Hamas office in Qatar during the Obama administration, seeking appeasement and soft diplomacy but ultimately failing to control the terrorist group as it festered in Gaza.

"For many years now, both the United States and Israel have been living in a policy fantasy world where we have tolerated Hamas' existence in Doha and believed that Doha would be a moderating influence," Richard Goldberg, the coordinator for the Trump administrations maximum pressure campaign on Iran, told Fox News Digital.

"That thesis was disproven on Oct. 7, so whatever has happened in the last few years, it doesn't matter because Oct. 7 now stands as the new reality," Goldberg, also senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said. "It disproves anybody's hypotheses that Hamas would somehow become a governing entity, not a terrorist group."

Qatar's Ambassador to Washington Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that his government set up the Hamas political office in Doha "after a request from Washington to establish indirect lines of communication" in 2012. He claimed the office "frequently" served in mediation efforts and helped de-escalate conflicts between Israel and the Palestinian territories.

"The presence of the Hamas office shouldnt be confused with endorsement but rather establishes an important channel for indirect communication," the minister wrote.

UNITED NATIONS CHIEF SLAMMED AS GAZA DEATH COMPARISON FACT-CHECKED BY SOCIAL MEDIA: LOST ANY MORAL STANDING'

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US President Barack Obama delivers his much-anticipated message to the Muslim world from the auditorium in the Cairo University campus in Cairo during a one-day visit to Egypt on June 04, 2009. Obama said that he wants "a new beginning" with the world's 1.5 billion Muslims, and called for an end to a cycle of "suspicion and discord."

The State Department told Fox News Digital that "Qatar is an influential actor, especially when there are limited conduits of communication with groups like the Taliban and Hamas," adding that the U.S. continues "actively working with Qatar to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and Secretary (Antony) Blinken expressed appreciation for their help in this effort" while stressing that Blinken "has repeatedly condemned Hamas unconscionable acts of brutality and made clear that there can be no more business as usual with Hamas."

The Qatari Hamas liaison office has played a role in helping secure the release of 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners and a four-day ceasefire. Qatar first announced the agreement once both parties had finalized it last week.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, left, meets with Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh, center, in Doha, Qatar, on Oct. 31.

Fox News Digital confirmed with a former Obama administration State Department official that the U.S. did request the establishment of the Hamas office, but Goldberg and Steven Simon, a senior director on the National Security Council (NSC) for the Middle East and North Africa during the Obama administration, said the U.S. merely supported the offices establishment in Doha.

"Hamas was going to go somewhere, and the Qataris wanted to host it," Simon told Fox News Digital. "Of course, it was discussed with the United States, and we said, go ahead.'"

Goldberg argued that the Doha office was "clearly a policy that was already in line with the Obama administrations thinking of how to remake the Middle East in a Muslim Brotherhood image, and the Qataris played right into that."

ISRAEL-GAZA DEAL COULD BE MADE TO RELEASE WOMEN, CHILDREN HOSTAGES

He explained that the Qataris viewed it as taking their "longtime client Hamas" and seeking to "help moderate them and help separate them from the Iranians," selling it as a "win-win for everybody."

"Well, 11 years later, were paying a very, very high price for that fatal mistake of allowing Doha to sell us on this route, and if we do not finally reverse this policy and shut down Qatari support for Hamas, we are guaranteeing ourselves more and more Oct. 7 [attacks] to come in the future," Goldberg said.

Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Ismail Haniyeh addresses supporters during a rally in solidarity with the Palestinians outside Qatar's Imam Muhammad Abdel-Wahhab Mosque in the capital of Doha on May 15, 2021.

Simon, who now teaches Middle Eastern studies at the University of Washington and serves as a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, stressed that the Qataris saw the office as a chance to enhance their standing and role in the Middle East and strengthen relations with the U.S.

"I think there was broad agreement, first of all, that there was no point in trying to block Qatar from hosting these guys but there might be an advantage to it, and certainly that was the Israeli perspective because the Israelis were using the Qataris as a cut-out to deal with Hamas," Simon explained.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani give a statement following their meeting in Doha on Oct. 13.

"Hamas leadership needed a place where it had unfettered access to media, to communications and simple infrastructure of care and feeding, and a place, of course, where they would be safe, and Doha was a great place for that," he lamented. "They would have found a comfortable environment  that the people they dealt with on a day-to-day basis, the Qatari government in particular, would be comfortable dealing with them."

Simon argued that hosting Hamas also gave Qatar a chance to "poke" its regional rivals, the Saudis and Emirates, "in the eye with a sharp stick" because they stood against the Muslim Brotherhood, out of which Hamas eventually developed.

STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS TRANSITION PERIOD MUST FOLLOW ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

"So it sort of worked in terms of intra-Gulf rivalries then, it works for Qatar because they, like a lot of these smaller Gulf states, fancies itself a big player, and here was a chance to be a big player because they were a pivotal factor in the policy arena involving Israel and the United States, among others," he added. "They had leverage. They had some juice, and they kind of liked that."

Israeli soldiers operate inside the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing ground operation of the Israeli army against the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, on Nov. 7.

Neither Simon nor Goldberg were able to speak about how much and to what degree their respective administrations made use of this office. Fox News Digital also reached out to several other senior State and NSC officials from the Obama and Trump administrations, all of whom either declined to comment or did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

However, both Simon and Goldberg noted that the Oct. 7 attack on Israel has changed the attitudes toward the office and Qatars role. Simon pointed out that Qatar still plays an important role as Hamas continues to negotiate to release some of the over 200 hostages still in their possession, but that after the attack "you could see the transformation of attitudes."

An aerial view of buildings destroyed by Israeli air strikes in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City on Oct. 11.

"Theyre in crisis management mode, theyre in damage limitation mode," he stressed, saying that there will be an effort to "salvage" the value of the office going forward  whatever that might look like.

Goldberg diverged on this point, arguing that the U.S. has to seek an end to the Doha office, using what leverage Washington has with Qatar.

MY PARENTS WERE KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS. THEY ARE NOT A FOOTNOTE TO GAZA WAR, THEY ARE ITS ESSENCE

"There has to be a policy decision that we will no longer tolerate a state sponsor or safe harbor for Hamas, period," Goldberg argued. "If that is the policy of the United States, the next question is: What are the consequences for any state that violates that policy?"

Among the options he suggested, including a pathway for American victims of the Oct. 7 attack to sue Hamas  along the lines of the pathway provided to 9/11 victim families to sue Saudi Arabia  Goldberg believes that the U.S. should move its air base out of Doha and drop the non-NATO ally status provided to Qatar last year.

A Red Cross vehicle, as part of a convoy believed to be carrying hostages abducted by Hamas militants during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, arrives at the Rafah border, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, as seen from southern Gaza Strip Nov. 24, 2023.

"We are not stuck there. We have other options in the region," he said. "Im sure other Gulf countries who want major strategic defense commitments from the U.S. would happily pay for the relocation of our forces to their country."

"We should absolutely start that process, no matter what," he continued. "We do not need to be there. They do not have us over a barrel the Qataris believe that we are owned by them because we have a base there. They deserve a wake-up call."

Ambassador Al Thani blasted those who would criticize Qatar for its role in the conflict, arguing that "commentators" have made "untrue" assertions that Qatar has funded and sponsored Hamas.

"These narratives create obstacles for constructive mediation efforts and aim to derail negotiations," the ambassador wrote in his Wall Street Journal piece. "Almost as soon as the conflict began, Qatar became the target of a sustained disinformation campaign about the nature of our role as a mediator for peace in the region."

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"The release of several hostages over the past week shows that Qatars policy of engaging with all sides can yield positive results," he wrote, referring to the first two hostages released in the conflict last month. "Avoiding the further loss of civilian lives and securing the release of hostages should be the priority for all. Open channels of communication can lead to lasting peace."

The spokesman for the Qatari embassy in Washington, D.C., and the spokesman for the foreign ministry in Doha did not respond to repeated requests for comment from Fox News Digital by the time of publication.





Original article source: Obama-era deal to allow Hamas office in Qatar backfired on US: experts
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A Salt Lake City Police officers foot was run over during a vehicle pursuit near downtown Salt Lake City Saturday afternoon.

Shortly before 4 p.m., an SLCPD officer was engaged in a short car chase with a brown Toyota Sequoia.

An officer reported that the driver of the Toyota attempted to run him over, and that the driver narrowly missed, instead running over his foot.

Mountain Green home destroyed in major house fire

The driver was reportedly last seen in the area of 300 North 600 West heading eastbound.

The officer is recovering from the incident, police said, and the driver is now wanted for aggravated assault against a police officer.

Fortunately, our officer wasnt seriously hurt, SLCPD stated.

The pursuit was reportedly ended due to the individuals reckless driving and the fact the driver was headed into downtown.

The driver is still at large at this time.

This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as more information becomes available.

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You could only dream of having half of the audacity possessed by some people in the Ohio Assembly who have decided they're going to unravel the results of the Nov. 7 election following the approval of Issues 1 and 2.

The new laws, which will legalize recreational marijuana and codify reproductive health choices in the state constitution, were passed by a majority of voters.

You kids out there may not believe this, but once upon a time, people in Ohio accepted the results of an election  even if they didn't like it.

The voting machines hadn't even cooled off before opponents of the approved measures declared war.

At least one legislator has proposed that the Ohio House be given the power to interpret the new laws rather than judges, whose job it is to  wait for it  interpret the law.

Sure. We don't need no stinkin' three branches of government.

Thankfully, state Rep. Jennifer Gross' ludicrous idea was dismissed out-of-hand by House Speaker Jason Stephens, who called it "Schoolhouse Rock-type stuff."

"We need to make sure that we have the three branches of the government," Stephens told reporters. "The constitution is what we abide by.

Clearly ignoring the adage that "You don't have to say everything you think," Gross' stunt makes it pretty clear that "Schoolhouse Rock" desperately needs to return to the airwaves. On loop.

Others announced they have not yet begun to fight. They're rummaging through their bags of tricks to find something, anything to derail the will of the public, which is an insult to voters and the process which sets us apart from so much of the world.

One state senator has proposed a 15-week ban on abortion, in essence, tossing out the Nov. 7 results.

Perhaps he should have been done so before Nov. 7.

More Charita Goshay: Is ambition causing Frank LaRose to squander his potential?

Others have suggested that proponents of Issues 1 and 2 accepted campaign money from nefarious and murky  even foreign  sources.

Who? Boris and Natasha?

Gov. Mike DeWine has said he'd like to see some tweaks to the new marijuana law so that it reflects doing things "The Ohio Way."

Public be damned: Ohio GOP lawmakers an unhinged authoritarian band. Vows to chuck abortion, weed vote proof

What does that even mean, that the people who voted for the measure didn't understand what they voted for or how elections work?

The Ohio Way is knowing that even if you didn't support Issues 1 or 2, Ohioans don't want or need government big-footing in every aspect of their most personal and private decisions.

The Ohio Way means you accept that things don't always go your way. It doesn't mean that you get to thwart the results because they don't align with your wishes.

It's weird because whenever the Election-Denier-in-Chief blew into town, DeWine went radio silent and tried to blend in with the furniture.

Meanwhile, Governing.com reports that the state legislature is having its least-productive year since 1955. According to the report: "For the last three decades, the General Assembly has passed an average of 66 bills each session. So far, the Legislature has only passed 12 bills this year. The least productive year on record was 2009, when only 17 bills passed."

In this sports-mad state, the Ohio Way means you learn early in life that sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Rub some dirt on it.

Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Charita Goshay: Ohio Assembly making mockery of democracy
A 25-day-old puppy had to be rescued by Ohio firefighters are getting stuck over the weekend.

Firefighters from the Brunswick Hill Fire and Rescue, which is approximately 30 miles from Cleveland, helped the lab puppy with his head stuck in a can, according to a social media post.

>> 2 teens shot after Ohio Christmas tree lighting ceremony

Sometimes our patients are someones fur baby, the department wrote on Saturday.

One firefighter used a pair of trauma shears to cut the puppy free.

The puppy did not appear to be injured.
Thomas Suddes is a former legislative reporter with The Plain Dealer in. Cleveland and writes from Ohio University. tsuddes@gmail.com

If the General Assembly is ever going to address Ohios real needs, legislators need to stop yammering about social issues and focus on fundamentals  such as the states relative economic slippage over the last several generations.

It is of course easier for the 132 members of the General Assembly  many of them self-satisfied, small-town white males to rail against abortion and for guns, and to demonize LGBTQ Ohioans.

Meanwhile, articles about the semiconductor factories sprouting in the cornfields of suburban Columbus make for heartening headlines.

It is not the Ohio you remember

But they mask a stark fact, relayed here before but which bears mentioning again. Thats especially so Thanksgiving weekend, as ex-Ohioans revisit hometowns, where likely they recall an upbringing when next year was almost certain to be better than last year  with say, a new car, or a remodeled home, on the horizon.

Not now. In 2022, per capita personal income in Ohio was $57,777. In contrast, U.S. per capita personal income nationwide was $65,470, according to the United States Regional Economic Analysis Project.

That is, Ohioans saw 88 cents for every $1 in nationwide per capita personal income reported nationally.

Even more startling, the project reported that the last time Ohioans per capita personal income was at least 100% of the national figure was in 1969, first year of Republican Richard M. Nixons presidency  54 years ago.

Thats where Statehouse ballyhoo about tax cuts and business giveaways has landed Ohio  and squeezed Ohios one-time industrial heartland, the Cleveland-Akron-Youngstown triangle. In fairness, it may be that Republican then-Gov. James A. Rhodess jobs-and-progress quest (1963 through 1970, then 1975 through 1982)  and its reinvention by every governor since  has kept Ohios economic decline from being deeper than it is. (And Hondas decision during Rhodess governorship to invest in outer-suburban Columbus has been a huge boost to what then was primarily an agricultural region.)

Thomas Suddes

Meanwhile, though, Ohios blue collar cities, mainly but not just in Northeast Ohio, began their slow slide in population and employment, exemplified by the collapse, during Jimmy Carters presidency, of steel production in Youngstown.

More: Rosalynn Carter was the best first lady in modern history. Here's why.

(Where are its semiconductor fabs?) Stiff headwinds have also buffeted the Mansfield region and the Miami Valley.

Lawmakers drawing attention away from the big issues

Rather than address these big-picture problems, the General Assembly has been trying to forbid city regulation of flavored tobacco products, to penalize transgender Ohioans anyway it can, and to grandstand  still  on abortion, although Ohio voters have indicated they favor choice.

None of those things addresses the real, measurable paycheck slippage Ohioans have endured relative to other states.

So when former Ohioans return for visits this holiday weekend, and wonder why the old home town isnt what it used to be, direct any questions to the Statehouse, where Ohios real problems should be addressed, but arent.

And its not because the legislature is so busy working on other things. In an eye-opening story, Cleveland.coms Jake Zuckerman recently reported that the General Assembly could be in for its least productive year, in terms of passing bills into law, since at least 1955.

In contrast, he reported, over the last 30 years, during odd-numbered years  when lawmakers debate biennial operating-, highway-, and workers compensation budgets  lawmakers have passed an average of about 66 bills.

This sessions La-Z-Boy workload is why, naturally, each legislator is paid a minimum of roughly $70,000 this year  most of them much more  and each legislator is also entitled to enroll in the state employee health care plan and the Public Employees Retirement System.

Plus, since General Assembly membership is considered part-time, an Ohio legislator may hold an outside job. And not to worry about re-election: Last time around, in November 2022, roughly a score of Ohio House candidates ran unopposed or faced only write-ins.

Somehow, with all that time on its hands, the legislature just never gets around to addressing Ohioans big-picture circumstances, like relatively flat incomes. No, thats a no-go in a General Assembly whose idea of leadership is to sic people on each other rather than unite them behind common goals that better Ohio.

Thomas Suddes is a former legislative reporter with The Plain Dealer in. Cleveland and writes from Ohio University. tsuddes@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Ohio is not what you remember and GOP lawmakers don't want it to be
With all the misinformation, disinformation and false narratives these days, its hard to tell fact from fiction. But one thing has been clear for a very long time: Corporal punishment is harmful to kids.

Thats why, in the past year, Idaho and Colorado banned the use of corporal punishment in their public schools. And why there is pending legislation  House Bill 1028  aimed at banning the practice in Oklahomas schools, as well.

Something else is also quite clear. In Oklahoma, corporal punishment is used disproportionately on Native students and students with disabilities.

At the interim study hearing held in October at the Oklahoma House, there was consensus among experts that corporal punishment is ineffective and potentially harmful, and that there are better, safer alternatives. Additionally, Oklahoma school attorney Andrea Kunkel stated that, regardless of the current technical legality of corporal punishment, schools are advised against using the practice, pointing to the legal risks to educators personally and schools organizationally.

The pending legislation has significant implications for Oklahomas students and their teachers. One of the leading opponents of the bill, state Rep. Randy Randleman, published an op-ed in the Midland Reporter-Telegram explaining the rationale for his stance: a.) The Bible supports the use of corporal punishment; b.) While he would never use corporal punishment on children facing an emotional or neurological problem [he] would use corporal punishment if this is a technique that the parent wanted as their choice; c.) He has significant practical and research expertise on behavioral management of children, including his doctoral dissertation, and knows that corporal punishment is needed in some instances; and d.) We dont need legislators deciding how schools and parents should manage children. We are puzzled by Rep. Randlemans position for several reasons.

First, we have read Rep. Randlemans dissertation. It was not about corporal punishment. It explored alternatives to punitive and exclusionary discipline and showed that such alternatives are effective.

Second, there is no research suggesting that corporal punishment is effective at improving student behaviors. We assume that Rep. Randleman  as a licensed psychologist  is familiar with such research, and are therefore surprised  given the ethical principles of psychologists governing the accurate reporting of research  that he would support corporal punishment under any circumstances.

Third, if corporal punishment is harmful and ineffective, we are puzzled that Rep. Randleman would support its use when schools and parents want to use it. There are countless precedents for the government taking action to ban harmful practices.

And, finally, there is significant debate about whether the Bible actually supports the use of corporal punishment, with many clergy arguing that it does not. Along these lines, it is noteworthy that one of the sponsors of House Bill 1028  Rep. John Talley  is an ordained minister.

The Rev. Shannon Fleck, of the Oklahoma Faith Network, recently shared with The Oklahoman: The Bible shouldnt be used to legislate. Fleck said Scripture should never be used to justify violence. There is enough violence in the world.

Rep. Randleman correctly asserts that a small minority of children in a classroom account for a majority of discipline referrals and actions in schools, that schools are not sure how to handle the behavioral issues of these students, and that it is important to have services available to help these districts. So, we are most puzzled that hes not taking the lead on infusing evidence-based alternative practices into Oklahomas schools and eliminating the practices that are most harmful.

Ross Greene

Ben Jones

Ross Greene, Ph.D., is founding director of the nonprofit Lives in the Balance and adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech and in the Faculty of Science at University of Technology Sydney. Ben Jones, J.D., is the director of legal and policy initiatives at Lives in the Balance.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Guests: Oklahomans should know that corporal punishment harms kids
A recent study showed that Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the United States city most engaged in an extreme embrace of dirty energy lobbyists. Everything in Pittsburgh, from its cultural institutions to its schools to the transportation sector, employs lobbying firms that are simultaneously working to destroy our planet in service of corporate profits.

What is happening?

People are increasingly coming to understand that in order to ensure the health and safety of our planet for generations to come, we must stop relying on heavily polluting dirty energy sources like gas and oil and turn instead to clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

One group that disagrees with that, however, is the dirty energy industry, which wants our society to remain reliant on its products so that its executives and shareholders can continue to make as much money as possible.

To that end, the industry employs lobbyists whose job it is to undermine efforts to transition to green energy, prevent legislation that will hold polluters accountable, and obfuscate the truth about the safety of oil and gas.

According to research from F Minus, a database of state-level lobbying disclosures, and LittleSis, a research database project created by the nonprofit corporate and government accountability watchdog Public Accountability Initiative, Pittsburgh is more overrun with these lobbyists than any other U.S. city.

Lobbyists who represent ExxonMobile and many other dirty energy companies are also employed by the school district of Pittsburgh, the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, the Carnegie Institute, the Frick Art and Historical Center, the Childrens Museum of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Even the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, a conservation group, and the Pittsburgh Foundation, which funds climate advocacy, employ these lobbyists. This may seem like a conflict of interests, and it is, but it is the exact conflict of interests that dirty energy companies and their lobbyists aim for, as it gives them the opportunity to undermine the clean energy movement from the inside.

Why is this concerning?

For these lobbying firms, representing prestigious clients in the arts, education and philanthropy does wonders for their image, James Browning, executive director of F Minus, told the Guardian. Instead of being the villains on climate, suddenly theyre heroes for children, for local conservation efforts, and for all kinds of good causes even though theyre also working for fossil fuel companies.

What is being done about it?

There is a very easy solution to the problem of organizations that should, in theory, care about our planet employing lobbyists for companies that do immense environmental harm: Those organizations should simply stop employing those lobbyists.

Organizations like F Minus and LittleSis are calling on Pittsburghs institutions, as well as those in all cities, to cut ties with the dirty energy industry.

The data is clear: our institutions, educational pillars and beacons of culture continue to engage with lobbyists intertwined with the fossil fuel industry, Jasmine Banks, executive director of UnKoch My Campus, told the Guardian. In order to forge a path towards a sustainable future, she said, our institutions must be unclouded by conflicting interests.

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Students walk through campus at the University of Texas at Dallas in this 2021 photo. The University of Texas at Dallas recently replaced three boulders  known as the Spirit Rocks  with trees, citing extended political discourse. Students say the quirky public square is a frequent venue for political messaging. Shelby Tauber/For the Texas Tribune

For years, three large lumpy rocks bedecked in bright paint announced events or bore symbolic messages at the University of Texas at Dallas  a cornerstone of campus life.

Sometimes the messages were political, Vote Blue. Sometimes not, Welcome Scholars!

But last week, students found the university uprooted their beloved boulders, known as the Spirit Rocks, overnight and replaced them with freshly planted trees.

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The rocks removal came weeks after student groups took turns painting pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian messages on their surfaces in response to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

The Oct. 7 terrorist attack, and ensuing assault on Gaza, has triggered intense debates over the decades-old conflict as many urge for a cease-fire. College campuses like UT Dallas have become a nexus of those debates and, in some cases, a test of students freedom of expression.

In the weeks since Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 people and took hundreds hostage, Israel has maintained an airstrike campaign on Gaza. The relentless assault resulted in the deaths of more than 11,000 people in Palestine, most of whom are women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza. Last week, Israel and Hamas agreed to a hostage exchange agreement and a multiday pause in fighting.

Student protests across the country, often accompanied by calls for an end to occupation of Palestinian land by Israeli forces, have prompted backlash by those who perceive these protests as antisemitic endorsements of Hamas. College administrators have since been tasked with navigating those accusations, while not suppressing student voices.

In a statement following the removal of the rocks, the university affirmed the importance of free speech and said the recent paintings related to the Middle East conflict strayed too far from the original purpose of the public message board.

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The spirit rocks were not intended to be a display for extended political discourse, and because painted messages have been negatively impacting people on and off campus, our best solution was to remove them, read the statement.

The university removed a page from its website outlining the purpose and guidelines around painting the rocks last week. UT Dallas did not respond to a list of questions about the rocks and websites removal.

For students, the removal came as a complete surprise.

Not only was this a 180, but also the reasoning given was hypocritical, lacking and contradictory given the 15 years of history, said Alex De Jesus, a senior political science student.

De Jesus said students have used the rocks to protest last years abortion ruling, police brutality and a push to limit LGBTQ+ rights. He said students largely have managed the rocks themselves in the 15 years the quirky public forums have existed on campus. In the past when hateful speech appeared on the rocks, students have painted over those messages.

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A series of photos, published by the UT Dallas student newspaper The Mercury, showed that between Oct. 11 and 15 the rocks were painted in the likeness of an Israeli flag, a Palestinian flag and a split of the two.

During that week, the largest of the spirit rocks oscillated between the two flags within hours. At noon on Oct. 12, one of the rocks was painted to reflect the Palestinian flag and bore the message, No (peace) on stolen land. Two hours later, half of the rock was painted white and blue, in the style of Israels flag, with the message, We are winning.

The following week, UT Dallas President Richard Benson released a statement condemning the attack and applauding students civil disagreements about the conflict.

Students are conversing about their differences; they are gathering donations and peacefully protesting; they are shaking hands, Benson wrote on Oct. 16.

In response, students criticized Bensons lack of acknowledgement of Palestinian suffering stemming from Israeli airstrikes. On Oct. 24, the UT Dallas Student Government passed a resolution calling Benson to amend his earlier statement to consider the plight of Palestinians.

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The following day, Benson responded to the resolution, acknowledging the pain felt on both sides of the conflict and asked the campus to rededicate ourselves to presuming good faith on the part of others and to listen with kindness and empathy.

Roughly one month later, the spirit rocks were removed.

How free speech is regulated on college campuses has been a perennial issue for decades. Conservatives have long argued their political speech has been stifled in traditionally liberal settings. Texas Republicans have passed legislation to create free speech protections in years past.

Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers banned diversity, equity and inclusion offices at Texas public universities, which they argued limited free speech on college campuses.

The timing of the rocks removal, De Jesus said, is especially painful because that new law, eliminating UT Dallas DEI office, will take effect in 2024. And the rocks  caked in years of paint, which serves as a special place for student groups of color and the LGBTQ+ community to share their message  are no longer part of campus life.

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The helicopter landed at a hospital east of Tel Aviv on Friday night, blowing twirls of dust into the faces of the medical staff who stood in wait. On it, the first hostages freed by Hamas, as part of the long sought-after hostage deal and truce lasting four days. As they went inside to see their families for the first time in seven weeks, a landmark was reached in this conflict.

More hostages were released on Saturday, and 17 more on Sunday  with the potential for more beyond that, should a ceasefire be extended, although delays over the exchanges in the weekend will have put everyone on edge. As the families of those freed rejoice, the loved ones of those remaining in Gaza continue to wait, counting the minutes as they pass.

On the seventh floor of a high-rise in central Tel Aviv, the family of 36-year-old hostage Yarden Roman-Gat have gathered for Shabbat dinner, watching events unfold.

The past seven weeks have seen their apartment transform into a command centre. Laptops line a long dining table in the kitchen. TV crews unfold tripods and run wires through the living room. Friends bring round steaming trays of home-cooked food. From the break of dawn until late at night, interviews are set up, phone calls are made, and plans are drawn.

The tentative first stages of the hostage deal have given the team here  made up of family, friends and neighbours  a lifeline. Words cant describe how Im feeling, says Yardens husband Alon, gesturing to the sky above central Tel Aviv. Im floating up above.

Alon, who has spent these weeks as a single father, was the last person to see Yarden.

Alon Gat, husband of Yarden Roman-Gat, sits on the balcony of his familys apartment in Tel Aviv (Tom Bennett)

After being abducted from Kibbutz Beeri with their three-year-old daughter Geffen, Yarden and Alon were forced into a car and driven towards Gaza. As the car slowed at a junction, they saw an opportunity. They leapt from the vehicle, Geffen clasped tight around her mothers neck, and made a dash for woodland up ahead. As bullets peppered the ground around them, Yarden took a split-second decision to pass Geffen to Alon, in the hope that he could run faster to evade the gunmen. Alon and Geffen escaped. Yarden was taken hostage.

The weeks since have been excruciating. Like the other hostage families across Israel, their lives have changed overnight. Their days are filled with interviews, meetings, planning and PR. One team handles diplomacy. One handles communications. One handles events. Theyve travelled overseas, to Washington, New York, Munich and Berlin, meeting with politicians, religious groups and celebrities.

Its excitement. Its anxiety. Its hopefulness. Its helplessness, says Yardens brother, Gili Roman. Theres nothing I can do right now to influence the deal and whether my sister will be in it or not. I dont even know where shes held. And I dont know what the governments priorities are.

Gili has been a lynchpin for his family over the past seven weeks. In the days after the attack, he travelled to Kibbutz Beeri, painstakingly combing the woodland with the help of the army, searching for any trace of her. Alon joined them, showing the exact spot where she was last seen. They tracked her footprints, and reached the conclusion that she had been recaptured.

At the Hostage Families Forum, an office block in central Tel Aviv that has been commandeered for the cause, the families of those not expected to be released continue to campaign for ongoing negotiations.

Aviram Meir, uncle of Almog Meir Jan, stands outside the Hostage Families Forum (Tom Bennett)

I dont believe anyone. I dont believe my government, and I dont believe the other side [Hamas], says Aviram Meir, uncle of 21-year-old Almog Meir Jan, taken hostage from the Supernova Festival. I believe less in the other side. I believe they want psychological war, he says, tapping his hands on a table in the foyer of the building.

When the news broke of the deal, Aviram was in the UK speaking at an event held by the Jewish community. Hes spent time in London and Manchester in recent weeks, becoming the driving force behind his familys efforts to rescue Almog.

For most of the families, he tells me, it is the uncles, cousins and aunts who have been the most active campaigners  the relatives once removed from the agony of the situation.

For my sister, Almogs mother, the talks of the deal are like a stab to her stomach. Shes in a very sensitive mental situation. Its all just driving her crazy, he says, gazing into the middle distance.

Now, Aviram and a group of other families whose relatives are unlikely to be released have banded together to put on an event for the young adult hostages, to be held during Hanukkah on 7 December. We want to do an event for the young hostages. Until now it was the kids and the old. And now we want to do something for the youngsters.

For some families their nightmare is close to being over. For others, the structure of the deal has led to fears that their loved ones may be used as a bargaining chip for weeks.

I can tell you that about 20 per cent of the families are functioning, 80 per cent are less functioning, says Aviram.

For ex-Israeli hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin, who helped secure the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011 via years of back-channel bargaining with Hamas, the hostage deal is a positive step. I think that theres a good chance if the deal goes well, if its smooth and there are no breakdowns in the ceasefire, that it could go for a fifth day, a sixth day, a seventh day, an eighth day, to get most of the women and maybe all the women and all the children out. Im not sure about the elderly and the other civilians. That might require another negotiation.

In the end, he adds, Hamas is going to be left with the soldiers [they have taken] and theyre going to try and negotiate for all the prisoners in Israel. Thats probably a non-starter and I dont think that Israel would ever do that.
About 2,000 vehicles are waiting to enter Ukraine at three checkpoints blocked by Polish hauliers.

Source: Ukrainian Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development on 26 November, writes European Pravda

Details: The ministry said on 25 November that with the help of the Association of International Road Carriers, 2,500 litres of water, 1,200 meals and all necessary medicine were distributed to the drivers stuck at the border at the Yahodyn-Dorogusk checkpoint. Under normal circumstances, 680 trucks travelled through the border crossing per day, yet now due to the blockade only several dozen manage to do so.

Quote: "On the Polish side of the border, over 800 trucks are waiting in the physical queue," the report said.

It is reported that the number of trucks in the physical queue from the Polish side of the Krakivets-Korczowa and Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne border crossings is 700 and 600 vehicles, respectively.

Drivers and hauliers stuck in the queue can contact the following support lines.

The ministry noted that since last week a headquarters for helping Ukrainian drivers has been established jointly with specialised associations. The ministry also asked the EU to send monitoring groups to the blocked checkpoints in order to evaluate the real situation on the border.

Background:

Polish hauliers have been blocking trucks at three border checkpoints on the Polish-Ukrainian border since 6 November. On Thursday, 23 November, they started blocking an additional checkpoint, Medyka-Shehyni. They might continue blocking the checkpoints up until 3 January 2024.

On 22 November, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraines Parliament) addressed the new Sejm and the Senate of Poland calling on parliamentarians to immediately find ways out of the situation on the Ukrainian-Polish border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Kyiv has an understanding of how to act and that the shifts will have to "take a little time".

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KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP)  Israel began releasing 39 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday following Hamas release of 13 Israelis and four foreigners in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal, the Israeli military said, after the militant group initially delayed the exchange for several hours and claimed that Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal.

The Israeli military said the released hostages, including four Thais, had been transferred to Israel. They were being taken to hospitals for observation and to be reunited with their families.

Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants as they headed out of the besieged enclave.

Nurhan Awad received a heros welcome by hundreds of people at the Qalandia refugee camp near Jerusalem when she arrived shortly after her release. The woman was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors.

People participate in a show of solidarity with hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, near the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Egyptian officials said Hamas was preparing to release 14 Israeli hostages Saturday for 42 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. (AP Photo/ Leo Correa)

A Red Cross vehicle carrying Israeli hostages drives by at the Gaza Strip crossing into Egypt in Rafah on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Aviv Asher, 2,5-year-old, her sister Raz Asher, 4,5-year-old, and mother Doron, react as they meet with Yoni, Dorons husband and their father, after they returned to Israel to the designated complex at the Schneider Childrens Medical Center on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. A four-day cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza on Friday with an exchange of hostages and prisoners. (Schneider Childrens Medical Center via AP)

Shuruq Dwayat, left, a Palestinian prisoner released by Israel, is hugged by relatives as she arrives home in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Bahar, early Sunday Nov. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Released Palestinian woman Shurouq Duwiyat arrived at her home in Jerusalem where joyous family members hugged and kissed her.

We send a message to our people in Gaza that we stand by your side and support you, Duwiyat told reporters inside her home.

Also in Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out separate attacks on Israelis.

Hundreds of Palestinians waited in the West Bank town of Beitunia for the arrival of additional prisoners.

The Israeli hostages released Saturday by Hamas included seven children and six women, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office announced. Most of the released hostages were from Kibbutz Beeri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 cross-border attack, a spokesperson for the kibbutz said. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.

It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Beeri. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza.

The mother of one of the released hostages, 12-year-old Hila Rotem, remained in captivity, the spokesperson said.

Another, Emily Hand, is a girl whose father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage.

Residents of the kibbutz have been staying together at a Dead Sea hotel since the Oct. 7 attack. A large crowd gathered in a function room at the hotel late Saturday, cheering in excitement as they saw the first images of their loved ones being released.

One classmate of 18-year-old Noga Weiss said there was great excitement about her release.

I was very nervous when I heard about the delay. I thought something would happen, the classmate, identified as Zohar, told Channel 13 TV. It was a great relief when I saw her.

The last-minute delay had created a tense standoff on the second day of whats meant to be a four-day cease-fire. By nightfall, as the hostages should have emerged from Gaza, Hamas alleged that the aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough of it was reaching northern Gaza  the focus of Israels ground offensive and main combat zone. Hamas also said not enough veteran prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.

This is putting the deal in danger, Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in Beirut. But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said obstacles had been overcome, and Hamas listed six women and 33 teenage boys it said were expected to be released by the Israelis.

While uncertainty around some details of the exchange remained, there was some optimism, too, amid earlier scenes of joyous families reuniting on both sides.

On the first day of the cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.

Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners, during the four-day truce  all women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed  something U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.

Biden spoke Saturday with Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani of Qatar, the White House said, to discuss hurdles to the release of the hostages.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

We want to find them and bury them in dignity, he said.

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (34,078 gallons) of fuel  just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume  as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

I wish it could be extended until peoples conditions improved, he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.

The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Late Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, hours after another raid in the same area killed the local governors 25-year-old son.

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was also killed by Israeli fire near the city of Ramallah. The Israeli army, which frequently conducts military raids aimed at local militant groups, did not immediately comment.JOY AND EXPECTATION

In Tel Aviv, several thousand people packed a central square called the square of the hostages, awaiting news of the second release.

Dont forget the others because its getting harder, harder and harder. Its heartbreaking, said Neri Gershon, a Tel Aviv resident. Some families have accused Netanyahus government of not doing enough to bring hostages home.

In the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank, the family of 16-year-old Wael Mesheh was frantically getting the house ready for his homecoming as part of the second swap. We are going to hug him so tight, his mother, Hanadi Mesheh, said by phone.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.A LONGER PEACE?

The war erupted when several thousand Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages, including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.

We will return immediately at the end of the cease-fire to attacking in Gaza, operating in Gaza, Herzi Halevi, Israeli chief of staff, told soldiers.

Israeli leaders have said they wont stop until Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for the past 16 years, is crushed. Israeli officials have argued that only military pressure can bring the hostages home. But the government is under pressure from hostages families to prioritize the release of the remaining captives.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where communications have broken down.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Three students from Palestine who are studying at universities in the United States were shot in Vermont, including one shot in the back, Saturday night. Photo courtesy of CAIR

Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Three students from Palestine who are studying at universities in the United States were shot in Vermont, including one shot in the back, Saturday night.

"Ramallah Friends School board, administration, staff and community are deeply distressed by the recent incident involving three of our graduates -- Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed," their alma mater in the West Bank said on Facebook.

"While we are relieved to know that they are alive, we remain uncertain about their condition and hold them in the light."

The school said that Awartani was shot in the back and Ahmed was shot in the chest, with Hamid suffering minor injuries. Awartani is an Ivy League student at Brown University. Hamid studies at Haverford University and Ahmed studies at Trinity College.

"My cousin Hisham has been shot in the back while walking with his friends in Burlington for simply wearing kuffiyehs and speaking Arabic," Basil Awartani posted on Twitter. "Dangerous performative rhetoric from U.S. pundits and politicians as well as constant dehumanization of Palestinians has a real-life cost."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said Sunday it was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people behind the shooting.

"CAIR also called on state and federal law enforcement authorities in Vermont to investigate a possible bias motive for the shooting," the civil rights organization said.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also released a statement condemning the shooting and targeting of its citizens.

The shootings were confirmed by police to local news stations WCAX and WPTZ. It was not immediately clear if the attack is being investigated as a hate crime.

Police said officers received reports of multiple people shot around 6:35 p.m. on North Prospect Street and were taken to UVM Medical Center where they're being treated for non-fatal injuries.

The shooting comes amid a rise in hate crimes against Muslims across the United States, a phenomenon often categorized as Islamophobia -- though some say the label is not descript or critical enough to describe crimes against Muslims and people of Arab descent.
FILE PHOTO: View of the Cobre Panama mine, of Canadian First Quantum Minerals, in Donoso, Panama, December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Aris Martinez

By Valentine Hilaire and Elida Moreno

(Reuters) -Canada's First Quantum intends to start arbitration against Panama, the Central American nation's trade ministry and the company said on Sunday, as Panama's top court considers annulling a copper contract that opponents call unfair.

On Oct. 20, Panama's government approved a contract for First Quantum to operate the copper Cobre Panama mine. It included a 20-year mining right with an option to extend for another 20 years. In return the miner agreed to pay Panama $375 million a year.

Opponents claim the contract favors the miner too much as the mine represents about 5% of the country's GDP and some 1% of global copper output. Protesters have demonstrated over the mine's environmental and economic impacts and allege corrupt practices in its approval.

A spokesperson for First Quantum confirmed to Reuters the company sent one notification of intent to start arbitration proceedings.

Panama's trade ministry said in a statement that First Quantum, the miner's local unit Minera Panama and Franco-Nevada Corp sent two notifications to an international arbitration center, adding it was ready to defend the country's interests. Arbitration is a way of resolving disputes by an impartial person or panel deciding the outcome.

Challenges against the contract's validity have piled up in Panama's top court, which on Friday started deliberations to rule on several constitutional challenges to it and is expected to issue a ruling in the coming days.

"People seem to think that the supreme court decision will be the end of the matter, but it won't... Panama's exposure in international arbitration is massive," Damien Nyer, expert in international arbitrations, said in a statement to BNamericas this week.

Panama's actions will be subject to review and scrutiny, he added.

The country's mining chamber head Zorel Morales set at a minimum $50 billion what the country would pay if it loses arbitration, and said uncertainty around First Quantum's project could also spook investors.

J.P Morgan warned this month that the odds of Panama losing its investment-grade rating would rise significantly if the contract is revoked.

First Quantum was forced to shut down commercial production this week, following blockades by protesters at a key port that prevented the miner from receiving shipments of essential supplies.

Tensions have been rising around the mine and eight Panama workers of Canadian miner First Quantum were injured when protesters hurled rocks at a bus transporting them, a union leader said earlier on Sunday.

Reuters was not immediately able to contact the protesters.

(Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Elida Moreno; Editing by Josie Kao and David Gregorio)
Some men live only a short life, but one moment can be remembered for generations. James Fannin was a planter, businessman, solider, and family man. He was only 32 when he died during the Texas Revolution. Fannins death would be a rallying cry across Texas, but his early life was one far from the concerns of the Texas frontier and the politics of Mexico.

James Walker Fannin, Jr., was born on New Years Day in 1804 in rural Georgia. He came from a noted family that included veterans of the American Revolution, and later, the War of 1812. His cousin, Samuel F. B. Morse, would later invent the telegraph. Fannins father was a physician and a planter, but the circumstances of his birth created a scandal. His parents were not married. As a result, he was soon adopted by his grandfather, James Walker, and raised on his plantation at the other end of the state.

Bridges

In 1818, he enrolled at the University of Georgia. The next year, however, he earned an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point and enrolled as a cadet. Only 15, he was wild and unfocused, even with military discipline. His grades were poor, and his temper was sharp. At the beginning of his third year, he challenged a fellow cadet to a duel. This deeply upset his instructors, and he resigned from West Point.

He returned to Georgia, went into business for himself, and married a young woman named Minerva Fort. Within a few years, his life had completely turned around. By 1828, he moved to Columbus, Georgia, where he was now focused, successful, and a respected member of the community. He joined the Georgia state militia, served as a Grand Master for the local Masonic lodge, and was a leader in the local temperance society. His wife eventually gave birth to two daughters. His business thrived. He attempted to become a local judge, but his dueling scandal at West Point ended that bid.

In 1834, Fannin moved his family to Velasco, then a prosperous port city in Brazoria County at the mouth of the Brazos River. He bought a plantation and became a slave trader. Though illegal across the rest of Mexico, Fannins business was in high demand among the Texas colonists. He arrived in Velasco at a time when tensions were high amid the bitter memories of a vicious battle between residents of Velasco and the Mexican Army two years before in which a dozen men died over a Mexican garrison nearby. Relations between the colonists and Mexico were disintegrating rapidly, and Fannin was soon swept up in the excitement.

Fannin became part of a rising chorus of voices calling for Texas independence by early 1835. In Mexico City, one government after another came to power and collapsed, with each regime unable to contain the rising resentment across the country. Mexico tried to tighten its grip on the Texas colonists, with their rage only rising in response as Mexicos ideas of law and order clashed with Texas ideals and ambitions. Uprising and rebellions would soon erupt across southern and central Mexico, with Texas following suit.

In Texas, a group of citizens formed the Committee of Safety and Correspondence, echoing the American Revolution, and contacted Fannin in August to use his influence in the cause. Fannin called for the Consultation, a meeting to be held later that year to discuss the possibility of independence. Fannin also contacted old friends and powerful allies in Georgia and from his days at West Point to solicit funds for a possible fight against Mexico. A militia was formed in Velasco, the Brazos Guards, with Fannin appointed as captain.

Mexico made its first move in October at the Battle of Gonzales. The army attempted to repossess a cannon on loan to the community used for defense against Native American tribes. Word had spread of the arrival of the army, and Fannins Brazos Guards had arrived to rally the people and to intercept the arriving force. Gunfire erupted on October 2, making Gonzales the first battle of the Texas Revolution. Mexican forces were repelled for the time being, but Fannin realized it was only the beginning.

Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Bridges Texas history column: James Fannin's fighting spirit, part 1
With three Pauls on a shortlist of six names, there was a decent chance one would triumph with the 2023 Booker Prize. As it turns out, it is Paul Lynch who can claim the bragging rights and the 50,000 prize pot for his hauntingly claustrophobic tale Prophet Song, published by Oneworld. The novel, about an imagined near-future dystopian Ireland that is heading towards tyranny, is undoubtedly a powerful book, but its a winning choice that jars. Picking favourite books is highly subjective, of course, but for me the outstanding novel on the shortlist was by another Irishman called Paul  Paul Murrays tragicomic multi-voice family drama: The Bee Sting (Hamish Hamilton).

Although chair of 2023 judges Esi Edugyan, who has twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, was at pains to point out that any of the six could easily have won, in truth it was unlikely to have ever been either of the two debuts: Chetna Maroos Western Lane (Picador) or Jonathan Escofferys If I Survive You (4th Estate), neither of which were special enough to win. Canadian Sarah Bernsteins Study for Obedience (Granta Books) was also an outsider, and it was hard to see Paul Hardings excellent This Other Eden (Hutchinson Heinemann), about a community of outcasts facing ethnic cleansing, winning over enough of the judges to take the prize.

Edugyan conceded that the final choice, after Saturdays six-hour meeting with fellow judges actor Adjoa Andoh, poet Mary Jean Chan, literature professor James Shapiro and writer and Peep Show star Robert Webb, wasnt unanimous. I can understand why Lynchs book would have its supporters. Lynch spent four years writing the story of teacher and trade unionist Larry Stack, a husband and father who is arrested and imprisoned by repressive government forces as Ireland slides into totalitarianism. Larrys sudden detention by the newly formed secret police acts as the catalyst for wife Eilishs realisation that the state they live in has become a monster.

With scientist and mother of four Eilish as the novels protagonist, Lynch memorably explores the sensations of dread and fear, of not knowing where your relatives are as you try to make sense of the nightmare of a collapsing society. As Lynch puts it in the novel, Eilish lies in the dark walking blind alleys of thought, remorsefully assailed by thoughts of what its like to be at the mercy of unpredictable forces suddenly in charge of a volatile country.

The six shortlisted works for the 2023 Booker Prize (AP)

Edugyan repeatedly used the words visceral experience to describe reading Prophet Song and it is true that there are genuine feats of language in the dense, lyrical monolithic paragraphs that bring to life Eilishs encirclement by malevolent forces. Lynch described the book as, in part, an attempt at radical empathy, drawing the reader in slowly and immersing you, so that by the end you would feel Eilishs problems for yourself. He achieves this. You feel the anguish of a mother desperately trying to shield her family.

Prophet Song is dystopian realism and although Im sure the judges did not take their cue in a direct fashion (Edugyans words) from recent events in Dublin, there is no doubt that Prophet Songs chances were not damaged by the current social and political anxieties. Lynch, who won the 2022 Gens de Mer Prize for his maritime novel Beyond the Sea, began writing this novel four years ago when events in Syria were more of a triggering factor. Given the increasingly worrying spread of right-wing populism and the atmospheric way that Lynch looks at the way misinformation and disinformation have led to a decline in trust in traditional sources of authority, I fear his novel will have long-term topicality.

What I have serious doubts about, however, are the claims that this Booker winner (the 56th since the prizes inception in 1969) will outlast this age (Edugyan) or that people will still be reading it in 50 years (Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation). I loved a previous Paul Booker winner. In 1977, Paul Scotts novel Staying On was so outstanding that then chairman of the judges, Philip Larkin, threatened to jump out of the window if it didnt win. Scott wrote a superb tale about the end of empire, but I suspect its largely forgotten nearly half a century later. Im not sure Lynchs book wont share the same long-term fate, however remarkable his gift for capturing the current claustrophobic nature of state violence and repression.

Paul Harding was one of the six shortlisted for the 2023 Booker (AP)

Booker judges face a tricky task with so many rich pickings to choose from, but I do wonder whether 2023s choice is somewhat reminiscent of last year, when the sublime traditional storytelling small-town novel by Claire Keegan (Small Things Like These) lost out  unfairly in my opinion  to the more experimental and self-consciously ambitious metaphysical thriller, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka.

Perhaps, with 2023, its as simple as acknowledging that, for me, Prophet Song, however hypnotic, simply did not cast its spell in the way that the more readable The Bee Sting did. For practical reasons, the Booker winners ceremony this year comes later than usual, on the very doorstep of Advent. Prophet Song will get a Christmas spike in sales, but if youre looking for an entertaining, thought-provoking festive gift, I would recommend making a beeline for Murrays magnificent, multi-layered story, even if it doesnt have a Booker winner sticker attached to its cover.
You may have heard by now that America is suffering from a loneliness epidemic. Earlier this year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an 80-page document summarizing the many hazards of Americans declining social connection. While social engagement has decreased among all age groups, time spent with friends has plummeted by 70% in only two decades among teens and young adults.

Murthy underscores, Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling  it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.

Its no great revelation that social media, with its myriad distractions and often false sense of community, has played its part. But social media has also helped proliferate an illusory therapy-speak and a therapeutic culture that can hamper in-person relationships.

The harm in therapy-speak

Therapy-speak is the casual use of therapeutic terms in nonclinical settings. Instagram and TikTok in particular are saturated in such therapeutic content. Examples include describing someone who is acting selfishly as a narcissist or referring to an adverse event as trauma. David Brooks has noted that while therapeutic culture promises a kind of liberation, it puts adherents at odds with many of the duties and responsibilities necessary for forming meaningful relationships. Therapy-speak, meanwhile, has a set of problems that arent necessarily found in therapy itself.

Addison, a young mother of three, told us about how all the quotes and affirmations on Instagram made her feel like she had things all figured out. But when things got harder and heavier, she decided to try real therapy, which was far different than she imagined.

It wasnt about blaming the world or others. It was more about understanding my own perspective.

It was only later she realized, maybe those Instagram posts were actually part of what created those damaging cycles  making her feel the world was against me. By comparison, her experience working with a qualified therapist led her to consider that maybe I was the one creating the problem with my outlook.

Related

Esther Perel, a psychotherapist and expert in building strong and lasting relationships, notes that breaking down stigma around therapy is important, but using therapy-speak absent from the individualized, relational context of a clinical setting can do more harm than good.

Its very important to show that therapy is a highly relational, nuanced, and contextual conversation, Perel states. That is very different from what you get on TikTok or (Instagram) or your friends in armchairs.

Seerut K. Chawla, a London-based psychotherapist who rose to prominence as a critic of Insta-therapy, similarly cautions that psychotherapy is conducted within a mutually consensual private relationship that cannot scale. She argues that by engaging in vague, highly validating pop-psychology, online therapeutic advice often serves only as marketing content, which gives the appearance of something vaguely related to therapy without offering any of the benefits.

In therapy, a formal diagnosis can serve as a powerful tool for treatment, but like all good tools, they can be wielded as weapons in the wrong context. For example, the authoritativeness of therapeutic diagnoses or other therapeutic labels can result in one-sided interactions that fail to consider the needs of others or the long-term health of our relationships.

Perel sums it up this way: I dont like what you do, so I say youre gaslighting me. You have a different opinion, and I bring in a term that makes it impossible for you to even enter into a conversation with me. Labeling enables me to not have to deal with you.

Boundaries

In her article, Is Therapy-Speak Making Us Selfish, Rebecca Fishbein describes how boundaries and self-care can sometimes be invoked to place incontestable demands on others. She notes that there are times when an emphasis on protecting ones individual needs can overlook the fact that someone else is on the other side of that boundary-setting.

And when youre on the other side of someones perhaps overzealous self-care, the experience can range from annoying, to frustrating, to downright hurtful.

Debbie had originally gone to therapy because she felt unhappy, with a life driven by meeting all the needs of the people around her. Her husband. Her teenage and adult children.

When was it my turn? she recalls asking her therapist in an early session. After being recommended an influential book, Boundaries, Debbie admitted beginning to experience a new life.

I was able to serve better because I chose when I would, and when I wouldnt, so I didnt resent it. When she didnt feel able to support a child or neighbor, she describes saying, Sorry, I wish I could help as her go to.

However, Debbie eventually began to notice that the focus on taking care of herself didnt always align with what was best for my kids, both the teenagers and the grown ones. Recognizing that she may have swung too far in one direction, she began reevaluating.

Instead of just asking what boundary was best for me, I started considering what was the right boundary, period.

In his own commentary on therapy culture, Steve Salerno warns against using boundaries as a way to control others. At first blush, this delineation of boundaries may seem reasonable and innocuous, he writes. But much of the discussion around boundaries seems to assume its natural and even healthy for your engagement with others to be about your expectations, your wants, your sense of agency, and the validation that you reap from such interactions.

The isolating effects of this kind of self-focused therapy culture are further compounded by a tendency to pathologize the normal difficulties of relationships. When terms like narcissism, toxic, gaslighting and trauma are used to amplify ones subjective sense of hurt, all conflict essentially becomes abuse. Powerful words can elicit powerful responses, but they can also become cudgels to invalidate other peoples perspectives and relieve us of our duties toward them.

The benefits of self-denial and shared values

Therapy culture can be particularly difficult to navigate for the religious. Religion is, by its very nature, about obligations; self-fulfillment may be the end goal, but it comes about in part through a denial of self or exercising self-restraint. If acts of self-denial are characterized as emotionally or psychologically harmful, faith provides a nearly endless supply of grievances in the online wellness community.

Certainly, some religious communities and teachings can be harmfully rigid. And they can also be enforced badly through shame or punishment. Even so, pro-social faith traditions are undeniably important for creating cohesive societies and relationships.

All the research shows that being part of a community, being married, being part of a church or religious organization, that all of these are associated with greater satisfaction in your personal life, says Daniel Cox, the director of the Survey Center on American Life and a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Self-denial and shared values help us sand down our jagged edges, which allows us to come into closer proximity to one another. Religious observance teaches individuals how to navigate their wants and needs in light of the reality that others also have wants and needs. To live within certain parameters and to curb our individual desires reflects, far better than words, that other people are real and valuable to us.

We are deeply relational beings, as Murthys dire warning makes clear. We cannot self-actualize on our own; our fullest potential and greatest happiness is achieved within relationships to others. Embracing cultural messages to prioritize ourselves above others is antithetical to building that happiness.

Editors note: the names of clients in the piece have been modified to protect privacy.

Meagan Kohler is a Latter-day Saint convert and writer who studied philosophy, French and Latin at BYU. She lives in Utah with her husband and four sons. She writes on Twitter @TresClare. C.D. Cunningham is the managing editor of Public Square Magazine. After graduating from BYU-Idaho, he studied religion at Harvard University.
Photos show the Hollywood sign's transformation from a temporary billboard to an iconic landmark

Hollywood sign located on Mount Lee in Los Angeles, California. turtix/Shutterstock

Dedicated on July 13, 1923, the Hollywood sign in California is now known around the world.

The structure wasn't initially meant to last more than two years.

Now, 100 years later, neither Los Angeles nor California would be the same without it.

The Hollywood sign is a shining monument to the entertainment industry and a tourist attraction as culturally iconic for the city of Los Angeles as the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Francisco.

Towering over the City of Angels, this structure has a storied history, from a short-lived advertisement to a famous landmark.

Here is that evolution in photos as the structure, which was dedicated in 1923, celebrates its centennial.

The Hollywood sign, which is situated on Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills area of the Santa Monica Mountains, overlooks the Hollywood district of Los Angeles.

The Hollywood sign overlooks the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Steve Proehl/Getty Images

Originally reading "Hollywoodland," the first version of the sign was constructed in 1923 to promote an affluent new housing development in the Hollywood Hills.

A group of men working on the "Hollywoodland" housing development pose for a portrait beneath the sign circa 1925 in Los Angeles, California. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Initially meant to be an 18-month-long advertisement, it was built by former Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler for about $378,000 today.

Circa 1935: Hollywoodland sign, Hollywood, California. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Source: The Hollywood Sign

The original 13 letters were 30 feet wide and about 43 feet tall, and they featured 4,000 bright white lights that blinked at night.

The illuminated Hollywoodland sign at night on Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills, overlooking Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

In 1932, the sign became an emblem for Hollywood's dark side when, after setbacks in the industry, actress Peg Entwistle scaled a ladder to the top of the "H" and jumped, killing herself. She became known as "The Hollywood Sign Girl."

"Hollywoodland" sign, California. Bettmann/Getty Images

When the Great Depression hit, the new owner, M.H. Sherman Company, had to power down the display and ultimately abandon it.

A sign advertises the opening of the Hollywoodland housing development in the hills on Mulholland Drive overlooking Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

The M.H. Sherman Company officially gave the dilapidated sign to the City of Los Angeles in December 1944.

Les Tremayne and and Eileen Palmer with their bicycles in the Hollywood Hills, with the Hollywoodland sign in the background on August 3, 1940. CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Despite efforts by the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission to have the sign torn down in 1947, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce proposed to restore it after locals protested.

The Hollywood sign on Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills, overlooking Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. Michael Ochs Archives

"Hollywoodland" became "Hollywood" in 1949  so it no longer just referenced the original housing development  when the City of Los Angeles officially took ownership.

A 1950s Austin car driving up a road in the Hollywood Hills with the Hollywood Sign in the distance in Los Angeles, California. ClassicStock/Getty Images

The billboard would appear in many high-profile movies over the decades, from "Earthquake" to "Superman."

Extras portraying Roman soldiers resting in treeless valley, with Hollywood sign visible on hill in background during filming of Julius Caesar. John Swope/Getty Images

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

The Los Angeles Heritage Commission declared the then-50-year-old sign a cultural landmark in 1973.

The Hollywood sign on Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills, overlooking Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, December 7, 1972. Express/Getty Images

In August 1978, Playboy's Hugh Hefner symbolically auctioned off the sign to celebrities for $27,700 a letter to raise money to reconstruct it.

(L-R) John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Bob Welch, and Christine McVie of the rock group Fleetwood Mac pose for a portrait under the Hollywood Sign in August 1974 in Los Angeles, California. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

The new sign, revealed in November 1978, is the same sign we see today. It's 450 feet long and weighs 480,000 pounds.

Hollywood Sign on July 24, 1984, in Los Angeles, California. Bob Riha Jr/Getty Images

While shooting for a National Geographic cover story in 1997, Michelle Yeoh performed a daring stunt dangling from a helicopter over the Hollywood sign.

Actress Michelle Yeoh in mid-air over the famous Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, California. Joe McNally/Getty Images

The repainting of the Hollywood sign, which happens about once a decade, is a process that takes weeks.

Painters work on the Hollywood Sign on November 16, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. David McNew/Getty Images

Source: The Guardian

The sign has been altered many times over the years. It was changed to "Holywood" ahead of Pope John Paul II's visit in 1987, and pranksters switched the letters to read "Hollyweed" in 1976 and 2017.

Hollywood sign changed to Hollyweed on January 1, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider

In 2023, Los Angeles commemorated 100 years of the sign by announcing October 31 as the official "Hollywood Sign Day."

The Hollywood sign at dusk, circa 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Read the original article on Insider
Alex Walters: 'The first time I met them it was crazy... they were within metres of me'

Planet Earth III is back on our screens again this weekend but for Bristol-based Alex Walters, she has lived it.

For the past five years, she has been working as an assistant producer on the award-winning programme.

For the sixth instalment, Extremes, she spent three months camping on an isolated island filming Arctic wolves.

Filming on Ellesmere in the Canadian Arctic, crews had to cover up to 50 miles per day on all-terrain vehicles in their search for a wolf pack.

Ms Walters said: "I allow myself to take one luxury item, a travel size pot of marmite, it's really hard to find that in other parts of the world."

It was back in 2018, that Alex Walters began the search for creatures with an "interesting story" to feature in the latest series of Planet Earth.

"We sort of know what's going to work," she said.

"But I do quite like to find quite obscure animals for instance a tragopan - which is this crazy dancing bird in Asia which I read about in a wildlife book from the '80s.

"I was completely hooked by this bird that had never been filmed in the wild."

The comical dance routine of the shy tragopan bird, features in episode 5, Forests.

In episode 6, Extremes, it is the turn of the arctic wolf.

"The first time I met them it was crazy. I'd never met an Arctic wolf before," said Alex.

"They just walked up to me and they were within meters of me. It was just the most incredible moment. And the way they look at you, you can tell they're just curious."

'Camp blew away'

After finally tracking down a pack, the crew turned their attentions to setting up camp ready for three months of extreme camping.

"Then we had these katabatic winds that came in the middle of the night and blew our kitchen tent away, flattened all the tents, broke tent poles," said Alex.

"It was a complete disaster but we found the kitchen tent two kilometres away and managed to put it all back together."

"Then we had these katabatic winds that came in the middle of the night and blew our kitchen tent away. "

Tracking down the elusive wolf pack had been tough, but once the camp had been set up the curious wolves could not be kept away.

"Out in the Arctic it's just this great expanse so if there's a camp - that's so interesting to them [wolves]," said Alex..

"So they'd come to our camp and they would break the guy lines on our tents, and you would hear this pinging sound and they would rummage through things.

"They did actually steal someone's Wellington boot and ran away, and completely ripped it into ribbons."

'Very wild feeling'

The crew had hoped to film the Arctic wolf pups spending their first weeks on the tundra, but none of the packs had pups that year.

Instead they had to let the wolves tell the story and "see what happened".

"They'd come to our camp and they would break the guy lines on our tents."

"There was a moment, a really odd moment that we don't really get very often in modern life, where you sort of feel this very wild feeling," said Alex.

"As I was walking towards the equipment tent I suddenly realized the wolves were at the tent and they suddenly clocked me.

"One of them looked at me and tilted his head, and then the others looked up, and they all tilted their heads and looked at me, and they started, sort of walking towards me.

"It felt how it must have felt back in the Stone Age when you feel this real sort of fear.

"But out there you do get these sort of visceral almost ancient feelings. So that was something that will definitely stay with me."

The sixth instalment of Sir David Attenborough's latest series of Planet Earth will be on BBC One and iPlayer on 26 November.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk
Omar Atshan, 17, is hugged by his mother after being released from an Israeli prison in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Sunday Nov. 26, 2023. Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners in a third exchange of hostages for prisoners with Hamas Sunday. Nasser Nasser/AP A group of Israelis celebrate as a helicopter carrying hostages released from the Gaza Strip lands at the helipad of the Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, Sunday Nov. 26, 2023. The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners in a third set of releases under a four-day truce. Leo Correa/AP This handout photo provided by Haim Zach/GPO shows Sharon Hertzman, right, hugging a relative as they reunite at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, Saturday Nov. 25, 2023. Sharon Hertzman and her daughter Noam, 12 years old, not pictured, were released by Hamas after being held as hostages in Gaza for 50 days. (Haim Zach/GPO/Handout via AP) Haim Zach/AP An Israeli soldier looks at Palestinians fleeing south at Salah al-Din road in central Gaza Strip on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, on the third day of a temporary cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. Hatem Moussa/AP Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, centre, greets soldiers as he visits the Gaza Strip, where he received security briefings with commanders and soldiers and visited one of the tunnels that has been revealed, on Sunday Nov. 26, 2023. (Avi Ohayon/GPO/Handout via AP) Avi Ohayon /AP President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks to reporters in Nantucket, Mass., Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, about hostages freed by Hamas in a third set of releases under a four-day cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. Stephanie Scarbrough/AP This handout photo provided by the Israel Prime Minister Office shows Naveh Shoham, 8 years old, upon his arrival in Israel after being freed. Naveh was one of the 13 Israeli hostages that Hamas released late Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal. (Israel Prime Minister Office/Handout via AP) Israel Prime Minister Office/AP Protesters sing chants during a pro-Palestinian rally in Marseille, southern France, Sunday Nov. 26, 2023. Daniel Cole/AP Palestinians walk through Gaza City on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. on the third day of the temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Mohammed Hajjar/AP English teacher Tariq Al-Annabi holds a class in a UN-run school in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, on the third day of a temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Hatem Ali/AP Palestinians flee south on the third day of a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas at Salah al-Din road in central Gaza Strip on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Hatem Moussa/AP A Palestinian walks through Shifa Hospital grounds in Gaza City on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. on the third day of the temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Mohammed Hajjar/AP Mourners carry the bodies of Asaad Al-Dam, right, Mahmoud Abu Al-Hayja, center, and Ammar Abu Al-Wafa, draped in the Islamic Jihad militant group and Hamas flags, during their funeral in the Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said Sunday. Majdi Mohammed/AP Palestinian gunman shoots in the air during the funeral of Palestinians killed in an overnight Israeli army raid at the Jenin refugee camp West Bank, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said Sunday. Majdi Mohammed/AP Palestinians walk by a damaged building following an Israeli army operation in Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed at least eight Palestinians in a 24-hour period, Palestinian health officials said Sunday. Majdi Mohammed/AP A Red Cross convoy carrying Israeli hostages heads to Egypt from the Gaza Strip at the Rafah border crossing on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Hatem Ali/AP People walk past an image of 4-year-old Abigail Edan, a hostage held by Hamas who was released on Sunday, projected onto a building in Tel Aviv, Sunday, Nov 26, 2023. Edan's parents were both killed by Hamas militants in the same attack in which she was kidnapped, a cross-border assault Oct. 7 that prompted Israel to declare war on Hamas. Ariel Schalit/AP Palestinian woman Hiyam Qudih cooks in front of her family's building destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in the village of Khuza'a, east of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. on the third day of the temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Adel Hana/AP A soldier who just arrived from Gaza stands on top of a tank at an army staging area in southern Israel, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Victor R. Caivano/AP

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP)  The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third exchange under a four-day truce that the United States said it hoped would be extended. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Most hostages were handed over directly to Israel, waving to a cheering crowd as they arrived at an air force base. Others left through Egypt. Israel's army said one was airlifted to a hospital, and the director of Soroka Medical Center said Elma Avraham, 84, was in life-threatening condition as a result of an extended period of time when an elderly woman was not taken care of as needed.

The youngest hostage released was Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl and dual Israeli-American citizen whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7.

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What she endured was unthinkable, U.S. President Joe Biden said of the first American freed under the truce. He did not know her condition and did not provide updates on other American hostages. Biden said his goal was to extend the cease-fire deal as long as possible.

In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office. Three more Thai nationals were released. Separately, Hamas said it released a Russian hostage in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin."

The three Thai nationals were undergoing health checks at a medical center in Israel and brought the total number of Thai hostages released to 17, Thailand's Foreign Ministry said. The ministry said it was pursuing efforts for the safe release of the 15 remaining Thai hostages. Thais working in Israel are mostly employed as semi-skilled farm laborers, at wages considerably higher than those at they can earn at home.

The Palestinian prisoners released were children and young men, ages 15-19, largely accused of public disorder, property damage and in some cases causing or threatening physical harm to Israeli officers by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. Many were scooped up from protests and confrontations with troops. In turn, many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation.

A fourth exchange is expected on Monday  the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. Most are women and minors.

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International mediators led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar were trying to extend the cease-fire that began Friday.

We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing, said two of Edans relatives, a great aunt and cousin, in a statement thanking mediators.

Hamas for the first time said it would seek to extend the deal by looking to release a larger number of hostages. Netanyahu issued a statement saying he had spoken to Biden and reiterated his offer to extend the cease-fire by an additional day for every 10 hostages Hamas releases. But he said Israel would resume its offensive with all of our might once the truce expires.

Ahead of the latest hostage release, Netanyahu donned body armor and visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke with troops.

At the end of the day we will return every one, he said of the hostages, adding that we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us. It was not clear where he went inside Gaza.

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This is the first significant pause in seven weeks of war, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The war has claimed more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed in the initial attack.

In New York, hundreds of Jewish protesters and allies demanding a permanent cease-fire in Gaza shut down vehicle traffic on the Manhattan Bridge in both directions for several hours Sunday. A New York police spokesperson said one person was arrested for reckless endangerment and two others were issued summonses for disorderly conduct.

LIFE IN CAPTIVITY

Hamas  military wing released a video showing militants handing over the hostages to Red Cross workers and paramedics, with some of the balaclava-wearing fighters and hostages waving goodbye to each other.

Families from the southern Israeli town of Kfar Aza embraced, cried, and applauded Sunday at the news that hostages from their town had arrived in Israel. More than 70 members of the kibbutz of around 700 people were killed and 18 were kidnapped.

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The freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye. Hospitals said their physical condition has largely been good. Little is publicly known about the conditions of their captivity.

Merav Raviv, whose three relatives were released on Friday, said they had been fed irregularly and lost weight. One reported eating mainly bread and rice and sleeping on a makeshift bed of chairs pushed together. Hostages sometimes had to wait for hours to use the bathroom, she said.

Pressure from families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israels leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power. Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the incursion into southern Israel that ignited the war. Fifty-eight have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.

AID TO NORTHERN GAZA

The pause has given some respite to Gaza's 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

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War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has been focused, made their way through entire city blocks gutted by airstrikes.

But those among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled the north have been turned back by Israeli troops while trying to return to check their homes.

They open fire on anyone approaching from the south, said Rami Hazarein, who fled Gaza City.

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (around a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said Israeli forces opened fire Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the other. An Israeli military spokesperson said they weren't aware of the episode.

The United Nations says the truce made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war, but it calls the 160 to 200 trucks a day hardly enough.

It was able to deliver fuel for the first time since the war began, and to reach areas in the north for the first time in a month. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said 50 Egyptian aid trucks crossed through Israeli checkpoints to reach Gaza City and northern areas Sunday.

HAMAS COMMANDER KILLED

Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting. Israels military confirmed the death.

Al-Ghandour had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

Hamas said he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas rocket-firing unit. The Israeli military mentioned both men in a Nov. 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.

The war has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian health authorities said Sunday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin that began the day before. The war toll in the West Bank is now 239.

The Israeli army has conducted frequent raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war, mostly people it suspects of being Hamas members.

___

Magdy reported from Cairo. Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

___
A fire broke out at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant, which is under Ukrainian and US sanctions as a manufacturer of engines for military equipment.

Source: Russian Telegram channels; Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation; The Moscow Times

Details: Baza, a Russian Telegram channel, reported that witnesses said they heard an explosion before the fire broke out and saw a large column of fire rise above the plant.

Early reports indicate that the fire broke out at the plants transformer station.

Mash, another Russian Telegram channel, said that a transformer exploded, which could cause issues with power supply in Chelyabinsk. Emergency workers were deployed to the site of the incident. There is no information about casualties.

There is no power in some residential buildings.

"Residents of other apartment buildings were more lucky: they only had power cut off for 15 minutes, and then they had their power restored. At least eight appliances were brought to the site of the incident," Mash reported.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said that fire at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant has been extinguished.

"An oil transformer was on fire, with fire spreading over an area of 40 square metres," the ministrys report read.

Meanwhile, The Moscow Times reported that the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant is the main supplier for the Uralvagonzavod enterprises: Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant engines of various capacities are used to power T-72 and T-90 Proryv (Breakthrough) tanks, Terminator armoured personnel carriers, and Akatsia (Acacia), Msta-S, and Koalitsiya (Coalition)-SV artillery systems.

In 2023, the plant became subject to US and Ukrainian sanctions as an "enterprise specialising in the production of diesel engines for military equipment for the needs of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation".

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DETROIT, Mich. (FOX 2) - Police are investigating a fatal gas station shooting overnight in southwest Detroit.

The Detroit Police Department says a 17-year-old boy was fatally shot at a CITGO gas station (9126 Dearborn St) just after 1 a.m. Saturday.

Police say an employee at the gas station, a 27-year-old man, was arrested.

The circumstances of the shooting are unknown at this time. The investigation is ongoing.

READ NEXT: Explosions rock White Lake Township Friday night
SAN DIEGO  San Diego police are looking for a suspect involved in a stabbing in North Park Saturday morning that left one person injured.

The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. in the 4100 block of Oregon Street. According to the San Diego Police Department, two men were in a verbal fight when the suspect slashed the other with a knife.

The victim, identified as a 44-year-old man, sustained an a non-life-threatening injury to his right leg. Authorities transported him to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Two arrested in double homicide outside El Cajon house party

The suspect fled the scene and police are currently searching for him. He is described by witnesses as an adult man who was last seen wearing a blue doo rag and jeans. Police report the victim did not give further details on the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
Striking Polish hauliers have been blocking three border checkpoints on the Polish-Ukrainian border for freight traffic since 6 November. On 27 November, they will start blocking another checkpoint, the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint, round the clock.

Source: Andrii Demchenko, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, on the national 24/7 newscast, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Demchenko said that vehicles could cross the border at the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint between 10:00 and 21:00 (Kyiv time) up until 26 November.

Demchenko also said that freight traffic was allowed to pass through the previously blocked checkpoints on the border with Slovakia, with 350 trucks crossing the border there over the course of the past day.

Background:

It was earlier reported that as of 26 November, about 2,000 vehicles were waiting to enter Ukraine at three checkpoints blocked by Polish hauliers.

Polish hauliers have been blocking trucks at three border checkpoints on the Polish-Ukrainian border since 6 November. On Thursday, 23 November, they started blocking an additional checkpoint, Medyka-Shehyni. They might continue blocking the checkpoints up until 3 January 2024.

On 22 November, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraines Parliament) addressed the new Sejm and the Senate of Poland calling on parliamentarians to immediately find ways out of the situation on the Ukrainian-Polish border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Kyiv has an understanding of how to act and that the shifts will have to "take a little time".

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Polish haulers will begin the round-the-clock blockade of the fourth border crossing with Ukraine, Medyka, on Nov. 27, State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on national television on Nov. 26.

Before that, the traffic at Medyka crossing was blocked from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Kyiv time, Demchenko said.

Polish truckers started blocking three border crossing points on Nov. 6 in protest of the liberalization of EU transport rules for Ukrainian trucks, causing huge lines on both sides of the border.

As of Nov. 26, around 2,100 vehicles were stuck, unable to get into Ukraine as a result of the blockade.

On Nov. 21, Demchenko also said that Slovak haulers began to block the movement of trucks at the Vysne Nemecke checkpoint.

However, according to Demchenkos latest report, the traffic on the border with Slovakia has been unblocked, with about 350 trucks crossing the border there over the past day.

Although the protesting Polish truckers said that the blockade would only apply to non-essential goods, Ukrinform reported on Nov. 20 that trucks carrying humanitarian aid or fuel and other essential goods had been on standby at the border for days.

Conditions have continued to worsen for the truckers as the weather gets colder. Two Ukrainian truckers have already died while waiting at the border, both reportedly of natural causes. One of them had been waiting at the border for more than three days prior to his death.

Kyiv is preparing to evacuate Ukrainian truckers who have been stuck in the border blockade, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Serhii Derkach said on Nov. 23.

Read also: Trucker protests: Unraveling the standoff between Polish and Ukrainian haulers

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Several populated areas of the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast saw power outages on the night of Nov. 26, probably linked to a reported attack on the Starobeshivska Thermal Power Station (TES).

Read also: Censorship, curfew, gatherings ban in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast after sham 'elections'

Targeting of the Starobeshivska TES in Donetsk Oblast caused half of Mariupol, Donetsk, Yenakiieve, and Horlivka to be left without power, as reported by the local Telegram channel AteoBreaking.

Denis Pushilin, the leader of the DPR, or Donetsk Peoples Republic  a sham republic set up by the Kremlin in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraines Donetsk Oblast  claimed that overnight Ukrainian forces attempted to damage the energy system of the region.

Read also:

Unfortunately, not everything was shot down due to the scale of the strikes, Pushilin said, apparently referring to drone strikes. He added that the resulting damage had caused partial power outages in some areas of the sham Donetsk republic.

Read also: Motor Sich President Boguslaev cooperated with DPR terrorists, SBU says

Some cities and districts are without electricity, Pushilin wrote. As a result, heat is not supplied from a number of boiler rooms, and emergency crews are working. The government has been instructed to work in (emergency) mode.

There was also a large drone attack on Moscow by Ukrainian drones on the night of Nov. 26. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that using air defense means, 11 drones were supposedly destroyed over the territories of Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, and Bryansk oblasts.

In Tula, a high-rise building was damaged, and a 44-year-old man received and injury to his left foot from flying debris.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The Portland Public Schools announced Sunday afternoon they have tentatively agreed to a contract with the Portland Association of Teachers which paves the way for students to return tomorrow (Monday, November 27).

This strike was historic. This is Portland Publics first-ever strike. We won improvements on all of our core issues, PAT President Angela Bonilla said in a Sunday evening press conference. Educators, parents, families and allies all stepped up and stuck together until we were able to finalize a deal.

Portland Association of Teachers President Angela Bonilla smiles after reaching a tentative deal to end the teachers strike, November 26, 2023 (KOIN)

Our whole school community is excited to welcome our students and educators back tomorrow, PPS Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero said in a statement.

Classes will start 2 hours late on Monday, the district said in a release.

Portland parents excited, surprised at end of teacher strike

However, the 3500 teachers and the PPS board will need to ratify the deal. Both the teachers and the PPS board will vote on Tuesday.

We thank our students, families, and community for your patience and perseverance through these protracted negotiations. We also want to express our deep appreciation for our educators, who are the backbone of our district, and who enrich the lives of our students, the district said in the release which was also sent to parents.

Educators have secured improvements on all our key issues. These changes will make a huge difference on priorities like mental health supports for students, educator workload relief, and safe and welcoming school environments, Bonilla said in a statement. Educators walked picket lines alongside families, students, and allies  and because of that, our schools are getting the added investment they need.

The union has been bargaining with the district for months for a new contract after its previous one expired in June. The annual base salary in the district starts at roughly $50,000.

What the deal includes

The Portland Association of Teachers said the deal includes expanded language on target class sizes and caseloads including new committees to discuss growing class sizes, improved overage thresholds that cover new classifications of educators, and a guarantee of 410 minutes of protected planning time for educators at every grade level.

There is also wording the contract to keep students and teachers from extreme classroom temperatures plus a 3-year cost-of-living increase. That cost-of-living increase is 6.25% in the first year, 4.5% the second year with 3% in the third year.

The agreement also includes making up 11 instruction days: December 18, December 19, December 20, December 21; January 26; February 19; April 8; June 12, June 13, June 14.

Report cards will be handed out by December 8 and parent-teacher conferences will be re-scheduled.

This contract will cost roughly $175 million over the next three years, Guerrero said in a statement. As we have said before, it will involve making significant cuts during our spring budget process for the upcoming school year, and we will handle those as with all budgeting  with input from our community.

Sunday turn of events

Earlier Sunday, just 20 minutes before it was scheduled to begin, the Portland Public Schools canceled their previously scheduled public meetings to talk about a new collective bargaining agreement with striking teachers.

We continue to await a full agreement, and we remain hopeful that we can vote on that agreement at our Tuesday meeting, a statement from PPS spokesperson Will Howell said. In the meantime, we want to clarify for our community that the contract does NOT need Board or PAT approval before students return. We are extremely hopeful that PAT will work with our team to resolve these last-minute issues, and that students can return tomorrow (Monday.)

The school board had scheduled two public meetings for Sunday afternoon and night and noon on Monday to consider a new deal.

Weekend negotiations

Negotiators for both sides met every day this week except Thanksgiving. Portland Public Schools and the Portland Association of Teachers continued to work with a state mediator to settle a contract agreeable to all parties.

Agreements were reached on parental involvement on class size committees, student overage thresholds, and building safety issues.

However a plan for making up classtime lost during the strike and compensation for a newly added day to the contract school year remained sticking points by midday Saturday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A ban on American XL bully dogs will not apply in Scotland after SNP ministers argued the move was premature, despite a spate of attacks.

Siobhian Brown, the SNP community safety minister, has written to the UK Government formally rejecting a request to join a coordinated crackdown on the breed in England and Wales.

With the ban due to start south of the Border on Dec 31, she said it would not be introduced in Scotland at the same time as relevant evidence in this area was still being assessed.

Ms Brown said the current system of councils issuing dog control notices was a proportionate approach that focused on deed not breed.

But she raised eyebrows in Whitehall by seeking assurances that English XL bully owners trying to get rid of their dogs ahead of the ban would not be allowed to sell them to Scots.

The rejection came after Michael Gove pleaded with SNP ministers to join the ban south of the Border in light of the threat to public safety.

Dumping ground for dogs

In a letter to Shona Robison, the Deputy First Minister, seen by The Telegraph, he argued that it is vital we agree a shared solution which minimises the risk of creating a potential dumping ground for dangerous dogs that are moved from England and Wales to Scotland.

The Tories accused the SNP of gambling with lives by rejecting the invitation and claimed they were yet again picking a constitutional fight with the UK Government.

A six-month-old XL bully savaged its teenage owner in Motherwell last month, leaving him needing surgery. The same month, a court heard how another one mauled three children in Forfar.

Rishi Sunak moved to ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act following a spate of attacks, some fatal, in England and Wales.

The UK Government announced that from Dec 31, breeding, selling, advertising, rehoming, abandoning and allowing an XL bully dog to stray will be illegal south of the border.

From Feb 1, it will also become illegal to own one of the dogs unless its owner applies for their animal to be registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs, and agrees to abide by a strict set of rules, including keeping them muzzles and on a lead in public.

Mr Gove raised the ban with Ms Robison at a meeting on Oct 19 and followed up with a letter on Nov 13 stating he was concerned that it has not yet been possible to secure equivalent protections in Scotland.

As I said at our recent meeting, whilst this is clearly a matter for the Scottish Government, I strongly believe a comprehensive ban is the best possible outcome to keep people safe, the minister for intergovernmental relations said.

He offered the assistance of his officials and those in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) but Ms Brown rejected the ban the following day.

Demand for clarity

In a letter to Lord Benyon, the UK Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs at Defra, Ms Brown said no new breed types had been added to the banned list in Scotland for 30 years and this reflected a policy for owners to control their dogs whatever the breed may be.

Highlighting the current system of dog control notices issued by councils, she said: This is a proportionate approach using these important powers where needed and focusing on those owners who have allowed their dogs including XL Bully type dogs to be out of control.

Ms Brown said that a ban will not be introduced in Scotland on the timings set for England and Wales and SNP ministers would continue to assess relevant evidence in this area.

But she demanded clarity over whether the ban will apply to people living in England and Wales who sell, abandon etc. their XL Bully dog to people in all other parts of the UK including Scotland.

Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tories shadow justice secretary, told the Scottish Sun on Sunday: Given the spate of horrific incidents, the evidence for a ban in Scotland is surely staring SNP ministers in the face. Her refusal to sign up to this sensible plan can only increase the risk to Scots.

He added: For her to then demand that these dogs do not end up in Scotland is tacit admission of the danger they pose. The SNP must stop pathetic posturing and put public safety first.

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Israel faces mounting pressure to extend a four-day pause in its war against Hamas, but military officials fear that a longer truce risks blunting its efforts to rout the Islamist movement.

After hours of delay and acrimony that underscored the fragility of the truce, a second tranche of 13 Israeli hostages was freed on Saturday by Hamas in exchange for 39 Palestinian prisoners -- the same number as the previous day.

A total of 15 foreigners have also been released during the ceasefire -- mediated for weeks by Qatar, the United States and Egypt - that marks the first breakthrough after seven weeks of relentless war.

Under the deal, 50 of the roughly 240 hostages held by the militants will be freed over four days in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners, with a built-in extension mechanism to prolong the process as long as at least 10 Israeli captives are released each day.

That increases the number of hostages returned -- and there is strong domestic pressure within Israel to do so -- but gives Hamas a longer window in which to regroup, recover, re-arm and ultimately return to the fight, analysts say.

It also increases diplomatic pressure on Israel from the international community, which will become steadily less willing to countenance a return to the pounding of Gaza and the resulting humanitarian crisis.

"Time works against Israel as always and against the IDF," said Andreas Krieg, of King's College London, referring to the Israeli military.

"On one hand you want all the hostages out knowing that you can't get them out militarily and on the other you don't want to lose completely the momentum of this war," he told AFP.

And the longer a truce lasted, he said, the more the international community would lose patience with a continuation of the war, he added.

But the Israeli military is determined to pursue its objective of "crushing" Hamas.

Visiting Israeli troops in the war-battered Gaza Strip on Saturday, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant insisted the timeline for the truce was "short".

"It won't take weeks, it will take days, more or less," he said, flanked by heavily armed soldiers. "Any further negotiations will take place under fire."

- 'Terrible dilemma' -

The war began after Palestinian militants smashed through the highly militarised border on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials, and triggering Israel's invasion of Gaza.

Israel has defied international criticism of its Gaza offensive, which its Hamas rulers say has killed more than 15,000 people, mostly civilians, and left an unprecedented trail of destruction in the Palestinian territory.

"The real pressure (to prolong the truce) comes from inside Israel - from the families of the hostages," said Arik Rudnitzky, from Tel Aviv University's Moshe Dayan Center.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of demonstrators packed the streets of Tel Aviv in support of the remaining hostages, chanting "Now, now, now, all of them now!" and clutching banners that read "Get them out of hell".

An Israeli military official said the country was committed to freeing as many hostages as possible but expressed concern that the longer the truce lasts the more time Hamas has to "rebuild its capabilities and attack Israel again".

"It's a terrible dilemma," he told AFP, requesting anonymity.

- 'You cannot win this' -

The lead mediator in the negotiations for the pause in the fighting has been Qatar, whose foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told AFP there was a need to "maintain the momentum" for a lasting ceasefire.

"That can only be done when you have political will not only from the Israelis and Palestinians but also with the other partners who are working with us."

US President Joe Biden, a staunch ally of Israel, on Friday said "the chances are real" for extending the truce, as he urged a broader effort to achieve a two-state solution with a viable Palestinian state existing alongside Israel.

With a presidential election next year, there was no stomach in Washington for a prolonged intensive operation "for months and months on end", said Krieg of King's College London. "So the Biden administration needs to find an off ramp as well".

"There isn't a military solution to the conflict, you cannot win this," he added.

Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the group was "ready to search seriously to reach new deals".

But Hamas on Saturday delayed the handover of the second group of hostages for hours, accusing Israel of breaching the terms of the agreement -- claims denied by Israel.

Hamas would "play the long game with the hostages to try to exhaust the card over the longest possible length of time and at the greatest price to Israel," former Israeli intelligence official Avi Melamed told AFP.

It was hoping support within Israel for the Gaza Strip incursion would dissipate, and ultimately "international and internal pressures levied on Israel's government will create the circumstance where Hamas can continue to exist, and rule Gaza even after this war ends."

Independent Middle East analyst Eva Koulouriotis agreed.

"For Hamas, any scenario for this war that does not lead to an end to its presence in the Gaza Strip will be considered a victory," she told AFP, "regardless of its human and material losses, of the extent of the destruction in Gaza, and of the extent of civilian casualties".

burs-ac-dla/slb/rlp
San Antonio Police remove firearms from vehicles at a drive-thru gun buyback Nov. 19 at the Alamodome. Gun buybacks might be ineffective, but state and federal lawmakers have failed to pass real reforms. Carlos Javier Sanchez/Contributo

In a general sense, its good that, thanks to District 9 City Councilman John Courage's gun buyback event Nov. 19, about 1,000 fewer guns are on San Antonio's streets and in its homes.

At a cost of $160,000 in H-E-B gift cards, perhaps some Thanksgiving tables were more bountiful. One sign of the community interest in the buyback at the Alamodome is that after the gift cards were gone, Courages staff had to turn away about 200 vehicles.

Specifically, though, it's unlikely the event will reduce gun violence or make a dent in gun-related fatalities here.

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That 200 vehicles, many with gun owners wanting to sell multiple firearms, had to be turned away illustrates how prevalent guns are in the community. And, of course, people planning to use a gun for a crime aren't likely to trade it for a gift card. This is the flaw in buyback programs.

If there is a silver lining, it's that there are about 1,000 fewer guns that could be stolen or used in an accidental shooting.

Gun buyback programs in the United States have been around for decades, and they happen in other countries, too. But in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, buybacks are mandatory and national. In the U.S., buybacks are voluntary and local.

While the intention behind buybacks is commendable, there is scant evidence that they reduce gun violence. A 2023 report by the Rand Corporation said: The empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of buyback programs is limited and mixed at best. However, meaningful effects could go undetected because only a tiny fraction of guns in a community is turned in at buyback events."

The Trace, a news site dedicated to covering gun violence, reported: The most rigorous studies of gun buyback programs have found little empirical evidence to suggest that they reduce shootings, homicides, or suicides by any significant degree in either the short- or long-term.

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A major obstacle is the sheer number of guns out there. The Trace conducted an analysis this year and estimated between 350 million and 465 million guns are in circulation nationwide. Gun buybacks, meanwhile, collect hundreds of firearms at a time.

At the Alamodome, 933 guns were collected: 420 handguns, 303 rifles and shotguns, 114 semi-automatic rifles and 96 homemade or nonfunctioning guns.

That any of those weapons would have been being used in a future mass shooting is unlikely. Studies suggest that people participating in buyback programs are older and less likely to be part of the problem of gun violence.

Buyback programs in other countries are usually coupled with more restrictive gun ownership laws. Buyback programs in the U.S. occur against the backdrop of mass shootings and legislative inaction.

This isnt to criticize the San Antonio event or to make light of the efforts of Courage, who used $100,000 in discretionary funds for the event. Nor is it to discourage future buyback programs.

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Courage is doing all he can within the confines of our system. Congress and state lawmakers have been unable to pass meaningful reforms, so City Council members, mayors and other local leaders are reduced to ineffective responses in an attempt to do something to reduce the national plague of gun violence.
Crime downtown

Regarding A bad feeling: What the city is doing about downtown Raleigh, (Nov. 16):

After reading recent articles about the state of downtown Raleigh, I ask where are the police ? I hear about hiring private security but what about our police force, that Raleigh citizens pay for?

Maybe if we invested in our police and had enough officers to cover the downtown area, maybe that would discourage the break-ins and encourage businesses to stay in downtown Raleigh.

Henry Jarrett, Raleigh

Sluggish action

As a native North Carolinian and a fourth-year medical student, I am deeply concerned by my home states sluggish action on climate change. Climate change is the largest threat to human health of our time and will strike Southerners first.

We are already experiencing this. Climate-change-related infections such as La Crosse Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus are increasing in our state. West Nile has been rising in the Raleigh area, with five new cases between August and September alone.

This issue needs public attention.

In addition, North Carolinas carbon emissions increased 8.4% between 2020 and 2021. Many counties still use coal and natural gas.

I took care of a patient with a climate change-related viral infection. Many of these infections are unfamiliar and difficult to diagnose. Neither the health care system nor the public is ready.

More drastic action is needed to to improve our states climate emissions and brace our health care workforce for impact.

Jonathan Grubbs, Chapel Hill

A GOP checklist

A N.C. Republican checklist:

Run for office blaming the other guy for all problems real or imaginary. Check.

Encourage dissent between economic, cultural and racial classes. Check.

Once elected contrive districts to insure your party rules. Check.

Stack the top court with cronies. Check.

Disallow public input or review and hide deliberations on policy issues. Check.

We are ruled, not represented.

George Carter, Raleigh

UNC interference

Regarding If Guskiewicz goes, good for him. But it could get bad for UNC-Chapel Hill, (Nov. 19 Opinion):

Associate opinion editor Ned Barnett is on target. I graduated in 1971 and fund two academic scholarships, one undergraduate in the College of Arts and Sciences and a graduate scholarship in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. I worry about political interference in higher education.

I urge others who are concerned to support The Coalition For Carolina and hopefully counteract the apparent heavy handed influence of our General Assemblys Republican supermajority and its allies on the UNC System Board of Governors and the UNC Chapel Hill Board of Trustees.

Mark Rodin, Morrisville

Israel-Hamas war

Theres a reason that the war between Israel and Hamas has driven a wedge through the center of the American Jewish community. While we all are profoundly upset by the killing, some are moved primarily by the ineffable cruelty committed by Hamas against our extended family; others have prioritized the numerical nightmare of civilian deaths in Gaza, exemplifying that their democratic and universal values come first.

But both Judaism and democracy condemn the current carnage and unite us in our hope that America will find a way to help bring Israelis and Palestinians to a peace neither has yet known.

Rabbi Jonathan Gerard, Durham

Realize this truth

Amid the chaos around the globe, I remember international students I taught at a local university. Whether from China, India, Bangladesh, Europe, Africa or Iran, they were always empathetic and supportive. We were more alike than we were different.

The carnage caused by the Israel-Hamas conflict is beyond heartbreaking and almost beyond comprehension. Where are the world leaders to step up to mitigate this suffering? Where is the humanity within those who murder innocents? Again, we are more alike than we are different. Unless every soul on this planet realizes this truth, we are doomed.

Nancy Swisher, Raleigh
Putin fears the wrath of soldiers' wives as the Kremlin tries to buy off potential protesters, report says

Russian soldiers and their families are increasingly unhappy with long, rotation-free deployments. NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images

Russian soldiers and their wives are becoming increasingly unhappy with long deployments.

The Kremlin is trying to prevent military wives from protesting by speeding up salary payments.

Wives and mothers of mobilized soldiers have influenced public opinion in past conflicts.

The Kremlin is concerned that the disgruntled wives and relatives of conscripted soldiers unhappy with long deployments could become a significant political headache, reports say.

Two sources in federal and regional authorities told the Russian opposition outlet Verstka that to prevent the women's discontent from bubbling over, regional officials have been instructed to give soldiers' salary payments to their wives as quickly as possible.

The outlet reported that the Kremlin believes most wives are more concerned about the paycheck than their husbands returning from war.

The report comes after the wives of deployed soldiers held a rare public protest in Moscow on November 7.

The UK Ministry of Defence said the women gathered in the city's Teatralnaya Square with banners demanding their husbands be rotated away from the front line, but police broke it up "within minutes."

"The apparently indefinitely extended combat deployments of personnel without rotation is increasingly seen as unsustainable by both the troops themselves and by their relatives," the UK Ministry of Defence said.

Wives of Russian soldiers rally in Moscow to demand return of their "liberators" home pic.twitter.com/RkeSEZILBt  Slava (@Heroiam_Slava) November 7, 2023

Officials were also instructed to prevent protests from spreading at a three-day conference near Moscow, the Times of London reported, citing reporting by the Russian outlet The Insider.

They were told: "Persuade, promise, pay. Anything, as long as it doesn't go out onto the street, in any quantity, even 50 people."

Recent requests by soldiers' wives to hold protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg have been denied.

The Kremlin appears to be increasingly concerned with public discontent, especially with Russian presidential elections taking place in March 2024.

They are "inexplicably concerned," the think tank The Institute for the Study of War said in a recent update, considering "apparent widespread Russian approval" of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Levada Center, an independent Russian polling organization, said that 82% of surveyed Russians approve of Putin as of October 2023.

Some analysts have said the accuracy of these polls is unclear because many may fear expressing opposition to Putin.

But Putin faces no serious threats at the ballot box because of long-term crackdowns on the opposition and the prevalence of state-controlled media.

But in previous Russian conflicts in Afghanistan and Chechnya, wives and mothers of mobilized soldiers have proved influential in shaping public opinion, and analysts believe Putin fears they could become the kernel of an anti-war movement.

"In a country without an independent media or other effective systems of government oversight, and that has repressive state policies toward all kinds of civil society activism, mothers and wives are really the only legitimate critics of the military," openDemocracy, an independent international-media platform, wrote.

The war in Ukraine has put Putin under pressure, with international sanctions hitting the economy and the partial mobilization of more than 300,000 reservists sparking protests in September 2022.

The chair of Russia's Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, made claims this week about Russians who have left the country trying to discredit the upcoming elections.

The Institute for the Study of War said Pamfilova's statements suggest "the Russian government will continue to intensify censorship efforts under the guise of fighting attempted internal election meddling ahead of the presidential elections."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Qatars prime minister said Sunday that the location of the Hamas leader believed to have planned the Oct. 7 attack in Israel is currently unknown, saying that information was likely only known by those close to him.

CBSs Margaret Brennan asked Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Sunday if he knew where Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar, who is thought to have planned the attack on Israel, is currently located.

Well, I dont think that this information is available with anyone except you know, the people who are close to him, al-Thani responded. And this is information really that doesnt relate much to what we are doing right now and on the ongoing negotiations.

Al-Thani was referring to negotiations related to the release of dozens of hostages in recent days, an agreement he helped broker with U.S. and Israeli officials, including President Biden.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have said that it will continue to pursue Sinwar in the wake of the attacks. The Oct. 7 attack left more than 1,400 Israelis dead and resulted in about 240 Israeli and foreign nationals taken hostage by the militants.

Al-Thani emphasized that Qatars communication with the militant group has been very exclusive to the political wing of Hamas, not its military arm. He reiterated that Qatar has and still does not deal directly with the military wing of Hamas, a group that the United States designates as a terrorist organization.

Qatar has been at the center of negotiations for the four-day truce and the hostage deal struck between Hamas and Israel last week, thanks to which 50 hostages are expected to be released. Brennan asked al-Thani about calls by some U.S. Republicans who are asking Qatar to turn over the Hamas political leaders they are in communication with and whether they would remain in Qatar.

Al-Thani responded that his country has a solid relationship with the United States.

[O]ur relation with U.S. is a very solid relationship and alliance that being established throughout the decades, weve been working together very closely in ensuring peace and stability in the region. And in several occasions, Qatar has been always stepping up to this partnership, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said in a Sunday interview that the effort to free Ukrainian children from Russia is ongoing and that they hope more children will be released before the holidays.

Qatar has been mediating in different conflicts that [are] not only exclusive to the region. But even beyond that. And this is something thats been in the foundation of the country foreign policy. And its a core element that we are focusing on, he said.

These efforts are, has been ongoing and still continuing. And we are hoping also for another group to come back to their families before the holidays, hopefully, Al Thani added.

Qatar has played a critical role in securing the release of Israeli and foreign hostages from Gaza in recent days, and President Biden has praised Qatari leaders for their partnership in the process.

Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, used tactics in its attack against Israel similar to those of Russia, which has been publicly denounced for abducting Ukrainian children from their families as it wages war against the democratic country.

Qatar helped secure the return of Ukrainian children recently, and the prime minister said he is in constant communication with Ukrainians and Russians to secure more results.

We see that this is a contribution of such a small country to international peace and security. We carried out this role based on the request at the beginning, from the Ukrainian in our constant exchange and communication with them, how we are able to help, and we use the channels of communication and the relationship that we have with Russia to secure those four kids, the prime minister said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Students at a high school in Queens, N.Y., reportedly stormed the hallways after learning a teacher attended a pro-Israel protest Monday.

According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), school safety agents at Hillcrest High School requested the response of the school sergeant in regard to a disorderly group of students inside of the location. When the sergeant responded, the students reportedly dispersed.

The New York Post reported Saturday that the disturbance began over what students referred to as a protest that was already planned due to a teachers Facebook profile photo that showed her at a pro-Israel rally last month holding a poster that said I stand with Israel.

Best Black Friday Deals

The teacher was seen holding a sign of Israel, like supporting it, a senior reportedly told The New York Post.

A bunch of kids decided to make a group chat, expose her, talk about it, and then talk about starting a riot, the senior continued.

Alleged video of the incident appeared to show students running through and jumping in hallways.

The students tried to get into the teachers classroom, according to The New York Post. The teacher hid in a locked office due to the alleged riot.

I have been a teacher for 23 years in the New York City public school system  for the last seven at Hillcrest High School. I have worked hard to be supportive of our entire student body and an advocate for our community, and was shaken to my core by the calls to violence against me that occurred online and outside my classroom last week, the teacher said in a statement to The New York Post.

No one should ever feel unsafe at school  students and teachers alike, she continued.

The Hill has reached out to New York City Public Schools.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
AccuWeather meteorologists say that although the final days of November may be dry for most of the South, stormy weather is expected to surge into the area later this week, bringing with it the risk for flooding and severe thunderstorms.

"Dry and tranquil weather is expected across the southern Plains and the mid-South through midweek due to an area of high pressure moving pretty slowly from Oklahoma to northern Mississippi," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.

The lack of precipitation comes in the wake of an expansive storm that brought a fresh blanket of snow from Kansas and Oklahoma into the Midwest, with a brief spell of rain spreading from Texas through the southern U.S. over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The coldest air, relative to the historical average, will settle into the eastern third of the nation through Wednesday. For many in the Southeast, the temperatures will fall to the lowest levels so far this season before gradually rebounding later in the week.

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Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts with Premium+

The dry weather that began the week, however, is not expected to last throughout the week.

A storm is expected to move into Southern California at midweek before moving into the southern Plains Thursday or Friday. As it moves into this area, winds will turn out of the south, providing a surge of warmth and moisture.

"Cool air being pulled down from the Rockies, combined with the warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, is likely to provide the right atmospheric conditions for some robust thunderstorms," explained Pydynowski.

The exact track of the storm as it moves from the southern Plains into the Mississippi River Valley will be vital in determining the locations most susceptible to severe risks like damaging winds, hail, or an isolated tornado or two. A more southerly track will limit the violent weather closer to the Gulf Coast, while a more northerly track would allow for more widespread thunderstorms.

At this time, the area from the upper Texas coast to southern and central Louisiana appears to be at risk for severe thunderstorms from Friday afternoon to Friday night. Storms can bring flooding downpours and even an isolated tornado.

AccuWeather forecasters say that rainfall amounts could range anywhere between half an inch to an inch from central Oklahoma and Texas to Tennessee and Alabama, with locally higher amounts as high as 2 inches just west of the Mississippi River. Cities such as Dallas and Houston, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Jackson, Mississippi; and New Orleans and Shreveport, Louisiana, are likely looking at another dose of rain as the calendar turns to December.

"If heavy thunderstorms repeatedly hit the same area for a couple of days, this could bring the threat of flash flooding. However, much of the area at risk is still in quite a drought and could use the rain," Pydynowski said.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, there has been some improvement to the drought in parts of Texas during the month of November. However, 99% of Louisiana is still in some sort of drought, and 87% is in an extreme or exceptional drought, the two most significant drought levels on the scale. Meanwhile, 90% of Mississippi is also in an extreme or exceptional drought.

The recent dry conditions could put the area more at risk for flash flooding, with the ground unable to absorb any rainwater that accumulates quickly. Downpours could cause ponding, especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas, but could also cause reduced visibility and slowed travel. Motorists traveling on interstates such as 10, 20, 49 and 55 should continue to monitor the weather for updates.

AccuWeather's Long-Range Forecasting team says that there might even be another storm that brings rain to the Gulf and the southern U.S. for the first weekend of December, adding to flash flooding concerns and perhaps interrupting outdoor holiday festivities.

AccuWeather's expert team of meteorologists will continue to provide more details about the locations at risk for severe thunderstorms and heavy rain as the week progresses.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Police in Niagara Falls have warned the public about the dangers of misinformation about the deadly crash at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing.

Kurt and Monica Villani, both 53 and from Grand Island, New York, were killed last Wednesday when their speeding Bentley rammed into the border crossing, which connects the US and Canada.

The blast instantly sparked fears of a terrorist attack, but officials later ruled this out.

Now, investigators are still working to piece together what caused the deadly crash with authorities probing the possibility of a mechanical failure on the car or a medical emergency involving the driver.

Police are also using 3D scanning technology to help create a digital crash scene.

While information remains scant, Niagara police chief of police hit out at the rampant speculation which is causing significant and unnecessary anxiety within the local community.

We saw an immense amount of misinformation and speculation on both mainstream and social media platforms, which created significant and unnecessary anxiety in the community, he said.

Key Points

New York couple killed in Rainbow Bridge explosion planned to go to KISS concert

Casino where car stopped before crash cooperating with police

Dramatic surveillance footage captures fiery car crash

New York Governor Hochul says no sign of terrorist activity

Video captures the speeding car ahead of the crash

14:00 , Mike Bedigan

CBP is working closely with @FBI, federal, state & local partners in response to a vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge which remains closed. Out of abundance of caution, CBP temporarily suspended inbound/outbound traffic at 3 other Buffalo crossings that have since reopened. pic.twitter.com/pTXyUsavRB  CBP (@CBP) November 22, 2023

Police use 3D scanners to create digital crash scene following Rainbow Bridge explosion

13:00 , Mike Bedigan

Police are using 3D scanning technology to help create a digital crash scene, as the investigation into the Rainbow Bridge vehicle explosion continues.

Read the full story here:

Police use 3D scanners to create digital crash scene following Niagara explosion

Police guard the Rainbow Bridge in the aftermath of the crash

12:00 , Mike Bedigan

Police stand guard as the Peace Bridge, one of four major crossings into the US from Canada, is closed after a car crashed and exploded at The Rainbow Bridge on 22 November 2023 (Getty Images)

Homeland Security, Border Patrol, and local authorities block traffic to the Rainbow Bridge, one of four major crossings between the U.S. and Canada that is closed after a car crashed and exploded at the bridge on 22 November 2023 (Getty Images)

A member of the Border Patrol stands guard as Homeland Security, Border Patrol, and local authorities block traffic to the Rainbow Bridge (Getty Images)

Right-wing figures bashed for rushing to label crash a terrorist attack

11:00 , Mike Bedigan

A number of right-wing figures quickly branded the crash a terrorist attack, sparking criticism.

Senator Ted Cruz also claimed the incident was a terror attack, tweeting: This confirms our worst fear: the explosion at Rainbow Bridge was a terrorist attack.

Congressman Byron Donalds also chimed in. Todays apparent terrorist attack must be a wake-up call to all Americans. Nowmore than everwe need a change in leadership in our nation, he said. As authorities respond to this ongoing situation, I extend my prayers to all those impacted by this terror and pray for our great nation.

Florida Senator Rick Scott and presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy, as well as Donald Trump Jr, among others, also suggested the explosion was a terrorist incident, linking it to border enforcement policies.

CNN reporter Oliver Darcy criticized Fox News initial terrorist attack reporting in an interview with Abby Phillip on Wednesday.

This was irresponsible reporting, this was reckless reporting and by all accounts, it was inaccurate reporting, he said, adding that it was reported for hours and the network sent out a push alert on the terrorism report.

Political strategist Lindy Li also criticised Fox News, tweeting: Contrary to what Fox News wants you to believe the car explosion on the Rainbow Bridge was NOT a terrorist attack but a terrible accident, she said.

Trumps violent insurrection against our Capitol WAS a terrorist attack and NOT a normal tourist visit. Learn the b****y difference.

Who were the two people killed in the blast?

09:00 , Mike Bedigan

Law enforcement sources told CNN on Wednesday night that the Rainbow Bridge crash is believed to have involved a local New York individual and a passenger who had planned to attend a KISS concert in Toronto, Canada.

The concert was cancelled earlier in the day due to frontman, Paul Stanley, falling ill with the flu.

Police identified the couple on Friday as Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani, both 53; they lived in Grand Island, New York. They are survived by two children, according to an obiturary for the husbands father.

The Villanis own Guis Lumber, a business with eight locations across western New York.

In a statement to CBC, the business wrote: We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all that [have] extended prayers, condolences and well wishes. We are deeply touched. At this point, we would request privacy so we may begin the process of healing.

Read the full story...

What we know about the deadly Rainbow Bridge explosion

Niagara police chief warns against misinformation following Rainbow Bridge crash

07:00 , Mike Bedigan

Niagara Regions chief of police, Bryan MacCulloch, said that although the incident was quickly confirmed to be non-terrorist related, speculation in the mainstream media and online had caused significant and unnecessary anxiety within the local community.

Niagara police chief warns against misinformation following Rainbow Bridge crash

Watch: NY Gov. Kathy Hochul

05:01 , Mike Bedigan

Tributes pour in for couple killed in fiery crash on Rainbow Bridge

03:00 , Mike Bedigan

The couple were named by police on Friday as Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani, though devastated friends, neighbours and loved ones in the upstate New York community of Grand Island knew the victims identities before they were officially confirmed.

Tributes pour in for couple killed in fiery crash on Rainbow Bridge

What happened at Rainbow Bridge?

01:00 , Mike Bedigan

At 11.50am ET, the Rainbow Bridge was closed due to a traffic event, according to an incident alert from the Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition.

Witness Mike Guenther told NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV that he had been walking on the bridge when he saw a speeding car approach the border checkpoint, hit a fence and go airborne before exploding.

Another witness told reporters that he had seen the vehicle catch fire, before seeing black smoke and flames.

Ambulances arrived soon afterward to find the vehicle completely burned out. Two individuals travelling in the car died, officials said.

Cause of crash still a mystery

00:00 , Mike Bedigan

Though police investigations continued throughout the weekend, the cause of the Rainbow Bridge blast remains something of a mystery.

Some previously speculated that the driver of the vehicle may have suffered from a medical emergency, though investigators are now exploring whether a mechanical failure in the car could be to blame.

Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls, told The New York Times that the Bentley the couple was driving in was an older model and may have experienced some sort of mechanical glitch that caused it to suddenly accelerate as it approached the border checkpoint.

However, a spokesperson for the American arm of Bentley Motors told the paper that the automaker was yet to hear from investigators about the incident.

Automotive analyst Laura Fix told NBC-affiliate-WGRZ that acceleration data recovered from the vehicles Event Data Recorder (EDR) may determine the cause of the crash.

They could actually see that the driver applied the accelerator pedal, not unintentionally, then it could have been [possibly] a medical issue, Ms Fix said.

A message from the family

Sunday 26 November 2023 23:00 , Mike Bedigan

Grand Island residents Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani were identified on Friday as the victims of the crash.

Online records revealed that the family owns Guis Lumber, a business that spans locations across western New York.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all that extended prayers, condolences and well wishes, the families and the lumber company said in a joint statement released by the Erie County Sheriffs Office on Friday. At this point, we are requesting privacy so we may begin the process of healing.

NY Gov: Shocking crash almost looked AI generated

Sunday 26 November 2023 22:00 , Mike Bedigan

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that when she first saw footage of the crash which killed two people, she wondered whether it could have been AI generated  such was its shocking nature.

Ms Hochul quickly ruled out that the incident was terrorist-related, but described it as surreal and said the vehicle was basically incinerated with nothing left but the engine and a scattering of charred debris.

You actually had to look at it and say, was this generated by AI? she told reporters at a news conference Wednesday.

Because it was so surreal to see. How high in the air this vehicle went, and then the crash, and the explosion, and the fire.

Niagara Police Chief warns about the spread of misinformation

Sunday 26 November 2023 21:30 , Mike Bedigan

The Niagara Regions chief of police has warned the community about the dangers of misinformation, following the crash at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing on Wednesday.

Bryan MacCulloch said that although the incident was quickly confirmed to be non-terrorist related, speculation in the mainstream media and online had caused significant and unnecessary anxiety within the local community.

Several outlets including Fox News were forced to walk back on parts of their coverage, after previously suggesting that the attack was linked to terrorism.

Addressing the Niagara Region Police Services Board on Thursday, Mr MacCulloch said: We saw an immense amount of misinformation and speculation on both mainstream and social media platforms, which created significant and unnecessary anxiety in the community.

I think what we saw on Wednesday was really the speed at which misinformation [spreads] in todays environment of social media and how quickly it can spiral.

Mr MacCulloch did not refer to any specific piece of msinformation or outlet, but said there were claims of an attack, that the car had come from Canada and that the vehicle was filled with explosives.

None of that information was accurate. None of it was corroborated. Yet that didnt stop individuals, and in some cases media outlets, from putting that information out, he said.

We have four international bridge crossings here in the Niagara Region that lead into the United States and [I think] their closing [out of] an abundance of caution added to that fear and anxiety that there was the potential for another attack when in fact, there wasnt an original attack.

The timeline

Sunday 26 November 2023 21:00 , Mike Bedigan

Wednesday, 22 November:

The band KISS cancelled its Toronto show due to frontman Paul Stanley catching the flu

A New York couple, who had been planning on going to the concert, decide to go to a casino

The couple left the casino, and headed toward the bridge

11.50am: The Rainbow Bridge was closed due to a traffic event

Gov Kathy Hochul announces there is no indication of a terrorist attack

The FBI also said no terrorism nexus was identified

Friday, 24 November:

Police identify the couple as Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani from Grand Island New York

They were survived by their two children

Investigators employ the use of 3D scanners to help create a digital crash scene

Saturday and Sunday 25/26 November:

Police investigations continue

Surveillance footage shows car speeding moments before Rainbow Bridge explosion

Sunday 26 November 2023 20:00 , Mike Bedigan

A cancelled KISS concert to a fatal crash

Sunday 26 November 2023 16:30 , Mike Bedigan

The deadly crash at a border crossing between the US and Canada involved New York couple Kurt and Monica Villani, who had planned to attend a Kiss concert in Toronto on Wednesday night.

Law enforcement sources told CNN that the couple, who lived in the small town of Grand Island in western New York, were speeding in their Bentley when the car rammed into the Rainbow Bridge crossing, killing them both.

The blast sparked fears of a terrorist attack and prompted Canadian and US officials to briefly close all border bridges between the two nations and ground planes at nearby Buffalo Airport.

Hours later, the FBI Buffalo office and New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that there were no signs that the incident was terror-related.

Instead, the investigation so far indicates that the couple were planning to cross the border to go to a Kiss concert in Toronto that night. But the concert was cancelled earlier in the day due to frontman Paul Stanley becoming ill with the flu.

Rainbow Bridge crash couple were always plugged in to local community

Sunday 26 November 2023 15:30 , Mike Bedigan

Eric Fiebelkorn, president of the Chamber of Commerce on Grand Island, where the Villanis lived, said the couple were well known in the business community and always happy to help with charitable causes and community projects.

Everybody knows everybody on Grand Island... Its the smallest town of small towns. There are some people who are always plugged in. Their family always was, Mr Fiebelkorn told The Buffalo News.

They are a very generous and community-oriented family, Mr Fiebelkorn said. It leaves a void in our small-town business community that will be very difficult to fill. Our prayers and our thoughts certainly go out to their family and staff.

He added that news that the crash had involved a Bentley and a couple from Grand Island had sparked concern amongst friends and other members of the community.

Its a nice community, but not too many of us have Bentleys, Mr Fiebelkorn said, adding: Its so sudden. Almost, really unbelievable.

Niagara Falls Mayor: We may never find out exactly what happened'

Sunday 26 November 2023 14:42 , Mike Bedigan

Niagara Falls Mayor Robert M Restaino paid tribute to Kurt and Monica Villani, describing them as two kind, easygoing people.

Mr Restaino, who was a longtime friend of Mr Villanis father, Kurt Villani Sr, told The Buffalo News: Our families have known each other for decades. I knew Kurt and Monica, two kind, easygoing and very hardworking people.

This was just a tragic, horrible incident, and because of the condition of the vehicle and sadly the human remains, we may never find out exactly what happened.

Mr Restaino said he would be astonished if the crash was intentional, adding: I know police are looking into every possibility, but from my conversations with investigators, that appears very unlikely.

The Villanis had a son and a daughter, and are also survived by Mr Villanis mother, according to Mr Restaino.

Sunday 26 November 2023 10:00 , Mike Bedigan

What New York officials have said about the crash

Only one day after the horrific incident on the Rainbow Bridge closed nearby cross-border travel for hours, the bridge is now reopen.



I am grateful to the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, @CBP, & all working to keep New Yorkers safe during the busiest travel time of the year.  Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) November 23, 2023

Im closely monitoring the situation on the Rainbow Bridge crossing between the United States and Canada in Niagara Falls. Please follow guidance from local officials. Im deeply grateful to all of our brave first responders responding to this situation.  Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) November 22, 2023

Ive been newly briefed by the @FBI this evening on the incident at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls.



They have now confirmed that there is no reason at present to believe this was terrorism.



And they believe they have the identity of the driver.  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) November 22, 2023

The timeline

Sunday 26 November 2023 04:00 , Mike Bedigan

Wednesday, 22 November:

The band KISS cancelled its Toronto show due to frontman Paul Stanley catching the flu

A New York couple, who had been planning on going to the concert, decide to go to a casino

The couple left the casino, and headed toward the bridge

11.50am: The Rainbow Bridge was closed due to a traffic event

Gov Kathy Hochul announces there is no indication of a terrorist attack

The FBI also said no terrorism nexus was identified

Friday, 24 November:

Police identify the couple as Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani from Grand Island New York

They were survived by their two children

Saturday 25 November 2023 22:00 , Mike Bedigan

ICYMI: What we know about the Rainbow Bridge crash

Two people, Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani, died after a vehicle exploded at a US-Canadaborder crossing at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, on Wednesday 22 November.

The car was attempting to enter Canada from the United States when it sped toward a checkpoint, crashed into a fence and erupted into a fireball just before midday, according to witnesses.

Video footage and photos showed flames and thick black smoke billowing from the checkpoint, and a security booth that had been charred by flames.

The blast killed two, reportedly injured one Border Patrol officer and led to the closure of four border crossings between the US and Canada in New York state.

Within hours, investigators had ruled out that the car had been carrying explosives or was connected to terrorism.

Read the full story...

What we know about the deadly Rainbow Bridge explosion

Saturday 25 November 2023 20:59 , Mike Bedigan

WATCH: Surveillance footage shows car speeding moments before explosion

Niagara Falls identify victims of Rainbow Bridge crash

Saturday 25 November 2023 18:59 , Mike Bedigan

Police named the two people who died in the Rainbow Bridge crash as Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani on Thursday.

Crash couple were ingrained in local community

Saturday 25 November 2023 16:59 , Mike Bedigan

Scott Henderson, treasurer of the Niagara Sailing Club on Grand Island, told NBC-affiliate-WGRZ that the Villanis were so ingrained and influential in this community.

The Niagara Sailing Clubhouse, which was heavily damaged by a March 2021 fire, and the couple had made multiple donations, both personal and through their business, to help with its rennovation.

Without those folks we would have never, never been able to this extent rebuild this beautiful club, Mr Henderson said.

Neighbours of crash couple: They were so loved'

Saturday 25 November 2023 15:59 , Mike Bedigan

Members of the community described the crash victims, now identified by authorities as Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani, as very kind, wonderful people.

Chuck Meyer, a close friend and neighbour, told NBC-affiliate-WGRZ he had seen multiple vehicles at the Villanis house on Wednesday, initially assuming that the couple were throwing an early Christmas or Thanksgiving party.

Then about an hour later, heard the news and Im like, oh my God, he told the outlet.

Mary Meyer said: Its really shock and devastation and its just gut wrenching really, really. They were so loved.

She added: They were so generous and kind and always willing to help. You know, just plowing everybodys driveway for the love of it, you know what I mean? Just always willing to help and lend a hand. Always. always, always.

They were just so very, kind wonderful people.

Mr Meyer saidd: "Without ever being asked, they would just be giving and gifting, and that's the type of people we lost."

Vehicle black box critical to investgation

Saturday 25 November 2023 15:30 , Mike Bedigan

Automotive analyst Lauren Fix said that the Event Data Recorder (EDR)  similar to an aircrafts black box, which collects vehicle data to share with manufacturers  maybe be a critical piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation into the Rainbow Bridge crash.

"Every vehicle it collects your data, that data is shared with the manufacturers," Ms Fix told NBC-affiliate-WGRZ.

"It knows steering input, because we have steer by wire, it has accelerator information," Fix said. "It would tell you if the pedal was put to the floor."

Ms Fix believes that acceleration data recovered from the EDR may help investigators narrow determining factors of the crash.

"They could actually see that the driver applied the accelerator pedal, not unintentionally, then it could have been [possibly] a medical issue," she told WGRZ. They're going to have to make a decision based on the knowledge that they have."

The investigation was turned over to local law enforcement, after it was determined there was no sign of terrorist activity by the FBI.

3D scanners being used to help recreate Niagara crash scene

Saturday 25 November 2023 14:58 , Mike Bedigan

According Niagara Falls Police Department Chief John Faso, 3D scanners are being used to help create a digital crash scene to help discover the cause of the crash at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing.

"They take it to the scene, it scans the scene and reproduces a 3D image for them to work on of the of the entire scene," Mr Faso told NBC-affiliate-WGRZ.

Mr Faso added: This is not something thats going to happen overnight. Its a monumental task.

Saturday 25 November 2023 13:00 , Kelly Rissman

What caused the crash?

The cause of the Rainbow Bridge blast remains something of a mystery, with investigators now exploring whether a mechanical failure in the car could be to blame.

Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls, told The New York Times that the Bentley the couple was driving in was an older model and may have experienced some sort of mechanical glitch that caused it to suddenly accelerate as it approached the border checkpoint.

However, a spokesperson for the American arm of Bentley Motors told the paper that the automaker was yet to hear from investigators about the incident.

Whatever the cause, getting to the bottom of what happened could take time as the car was effectively incinerated in the fireball blast.

On Thursday, Niagara Falls Police Department  which is now leading the investigation after the FBI found no signs of terrorism  carried out an accident reconstruction, including retracing the last known movements of the couple.

In a press conference on Wednesday evening, Ms Hochul said she would not go so far as to declare the blast an accident just yet as the probe continues but that the two people killed were local residents with no ties to terrorism. No other potential motive had been discovered.

I want to be very, very clear to Americans and New Yorkers, at this time there is no indication of a terrorist attack, Ms Hochul said.

She added: Based on what is happening in the world, everyone is on edge. This is an international border. I wont call it an accident yet. All we know is there was a horrific incident, a crash, a loss of life  but at this time: no known terrorism activity.

The FBIs Buffalo division also released a statement saying that no explosives had been found at the scene and that no terrorism nexus was identified.

Saturday 25 November 2023 11:00 , Kelly Rissman

Mystery as investigators probe possible cause of Rainbow Bridge crash

The cause of the Rainbow Bridge deadly vehicle explosion remains something of a mystery, with investigators now exploring whether a mechanical failure in the car could be to blame.

Kurt and Monica Villani, both 53, were killed on Wednesday when their speeding Bentley rammed into the border crossing along Niagara Falls, which connects the US and Canada.

The blast instantly sparked fears of a terrorist attack, prompting Canadian and US officials to briefly close all four border bridges between the two nations and ground planes at nearby Buffalo Airport.

Hours later, the FBI Buffalo office and New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that there were no signs that the incident was terror-related.

Now, two days on, investigators are still working to piece together what caused the deadly crash which has left the couples upstate New York community of Grand Island in mourning.

Saturday 25 November 2023 10:00 , Kelly Rissman

What was the cause of the fatal crash?

The cause of the crash is still unknown, but officials have ruled out that it was caused by a terrorist act.

Others have speculated that it was caused by the Bentley, which the couple were driving.

Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls, told The New York Times that the Bentley was an older model and may have experienced some sort of mechanical glitch that caused it to suddenly accelerate as it approached the border checkpoint.

However, a spokesperson for the US arm of Bentley Motors told the outlet that the automaker was yet to hear from investigators about the incident.

We might not know exactly what happened for some time. Due to the complexity of the incident, the investigation will take some time to complete, the Niagara Falls Police have said.

Saturday 25 November 2023 09:00 , Kelly Rissman

Gov Kathy Hochul said she initially thought the crash was AI-generated

At a press conference earlier this week, the governor said, You actually had to look at it and say, was this generated by AI?

Because it was so surreal to see. How high in the air this vehicle went, and then the crash, and the explosion, and the fire, she explained.

She and the FBI have ruled out that the incident was a terrorist act. The investigation into the cause is ongoing.

Saturday 25 November 2023 05:00 , Kelly Rissman

Tributes pour in after Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani died in the crash

The husband and wife were members of Niagara Sailing Club on Grand Island, the clubs treasurer Scott Henderson told NBC-affiliate-WGRZ.

Not only were people talking but then I made an announcement and some people were just incredibly shocked, he said.

Its just not only a younger couple like that, but so ingrained and influential in this community.

The couples friend Chuck Meyer also revealed his shock when he learned that the tragedy broadcast on national news involved those close to him.

I got home yesterday (Wednesday). I didnt know anything other than hearing things on the news about the border, and then saw that their driveway was filled up with all these cars, he told the local outlet on Thursday.

I thought, Oh, theyre having Christmas or Thanksgiving early, and like, thats really nice. And then about an hour later, heard the news and Im like, oh my God.

Saturday 25 November 2023 03:00 , Kelly Rissman

WATCH: Trudeau addresses explosion at Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls

Saturday 25 November 2023 01:00 , Kelly Rissman

Bentley spokesperson weighs in

In the wake of the incident, Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls, told The New York Times that the Bentley the couple was driving in was an older model and may have experienced some sort of mechanical glitch that caused it to suddenly accelerate as it approached the border checkpoint.

Erin Bronner, a spokesperson for Bentley USA, told WIVB 4: We will work with the authorities quickly as soon as we are contacted and if we can aid in any investigation.

Friday 24 November 2023 23:00 , Kelly Rissman

What caused the crash?

The cause of the Rainbow Bridge blast remains something of a mystery, with investigators now exploring whether a mechanical failure in the car could be to blame.

Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls, told The New York Times that the Bentley the couple was driving in was an older model and may have experienced some sort of mechanical glitch that caused it to suddenly accelerate as it approached the border checkpoint.

However, a spokesperson for the American arm of Bentley Motors told the paper that the automaker was yet to hear from investigators about the incident.

Whatever the cause, getting to the bottom of what happened could take time as the car was effectively incinerated in the fireball blast.

On Thursday, Niagara Falls Police Department  which is now leading the investigation after the FBI found no signs of terrorism  carried out an accident reconstruction, including retracing the last known movements of the couple.

In a press conference on Wednesday evening, Ms Hochul said she would not go so far as to declare the blast an accident just yet as the probe continues but that the two people killed were local residents with no ties to terrorism. No other potential motive had been discovered.

I want to be very, very clear to Americans and New Yorkers, at this time there is no indication of a terrorist attack, Ms Hochul said.

She added: Based on what is happening in the world, everyone is on edge. This is an international border. I wont call it an accident yet. All we know is there was a horrific incident, a crash, a loss of life  but at this time: no known terrorism activity.

The FBIs Buffalo division also released a statement saying that no explosives had been found at the scene and that no terrorism nexus was identified.

Friday 24 November 2023 22:20 , Kelly Rissman

Mystery clouds the cause of the Rainbow Bridge crash

The cause of the Rainbow Bridge deadly vehicle explosion remains something of a mystery, with investigators now exploring whether a mechanical failure in the car could be to blame.

Kurt and Monica Villani, both 53, were killed on Wednesday when their speeding Bentley rammed into the border crossing along Niagara Falls, which connects the US and Canada.

The blast instantly sparked fears of a terrorist attack, prompting Canadian and US officials to briefly close all four border bridges between the two nations and ground planes at nearby Buffalo Airport.

Hours later, the FBI Buffalo office and New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that there were no signs that the incident was terror-related.

Read the full story...

Mystery as investigators probe possible cause of Rainbow Bridge crash

Friday 24 November 2023 22:00 , Kelly Rissman

ICYMI: What happened in the fatal crash

A couple from New York died after a vehicle exploded at a US-Canada border crossing at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, on Wednesday 22 November.

The car was attempting to enter Canada from the United States when it sped toward a checkpoint, crashed into a fence and erupted into a fireball just before midday, according to witnesses.

Video footage and photos showed flames and thick black smoke billowing from the checkpoint, and a security booth that had been charred by flames.

The blast killed two, reportedly injured one Border Patrol officer and led to the closure of four border crossings between the US and Canada in New York state.

Despite mounting speculation the crash was a terrorist act, within hours, investigators had ruled out that the car had been carrying explosives or was connected to terrorism.

Read the full story...

What we know about the deadly Rainbow Bridge explosion

Friday 24 November 2023 21:40 , Kelly Rissman

The latest from the Niagara Falls police

Friday 24 November 2023 21:20 , Kelly Rissman

What happened to the border patrol worker?

A Customs and Border Protection worker in a checkpoint booth was injured after the couples Bentley rammed into the booth.

The CBP worker was treated at a hospital for minor injuries and released, Gov Kathy Hochul said.

Friday 24 November 2023 21:00 , Kelly Rissman

Who were the two people killed in the blast?

Law enforcement sources told CNN on Wednesday night that the Rainbow Bridge crash is believed to have involved a local New York individual and a passenger who had planned to attend a KISS concert in Toronto, Canada.

The concert was cancelled earlier in the day due to frontman, Paul Stanley, falling ill with the flu.

Police identified the couple on Friday as Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani, both 53; they lived in Grand Island, New York. They are survived by two children, according to an obiturary for the husbands father.

The Villanis own Guis Lumber, a business with eight locations across western New York.

In a statement to CBC, the business wrote: We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all that [have] extended prayers, condolences and well wishes. We are deeply touched. At this point, we would request privacy so we may begin the process of healing.

Friday 24 November 2023 20:40 , Kelly Rissman

A statement from the family

The Villanis own Guis Lumber, a chain of stores across western New York. CBC reached out to the business:

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all that [have] extended prayers, condolences and well wishes. We are deeply touched. At this point, we would request privacy so we may begin the process of healing, the statement says

Friday 24 November 2023 20:20 , Kelly Rissman

Tributes pour in for couple killed in fiery crash

The husband and wife were members of Niagara Sailing Club on Grand Island, the clubs treasurer Scott Henderson told NBC-affiliate-WGRZ.

Not only were people talking but then I made an announcement and some people were just incredibly shocked, he said.

Its just not only a younger couple like that, but so ingrained and influential in this community.

Read the full story...

Tributes pour in for couple killed in fiery crash on Rainbow Bridge

Friday 24 November 2023 19:34 , Kelly Rissman

Buffalo airport reopens to international flights after explosion

Buffalo Niagara International Airport has reopened to arriving international flights and departures following a car explosion that occurred at the US-Canada border in Niagara Falls on Wednesday, according to the US Department of Transportation.

It had been closed earlier in the afternoon as officials investigated the cause of the blast.

The incident occurred shortly before 12pm. Authorities say that the vehicle had attempted to cross the US border into Canada using Rainbow Bridge. When a border patrol officer directed the car into a secondary lane for searching, it sped up, went airborne over an 8-foot fence, crashed, caught on fire and then exploded.

Read the full story...

Buffalo airport reopens to international flights after Niagara blast

Friday 24 November 2023 19:20 , Kelly Rissman

Chilling footage revealed

The CBP released harrowing footage of the moment that the car went flying through the air, which can be seen in the upper part of the video.

CBP is working closely with @FBI, federal, state & local partners in response to a vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge which remains closed. Out of abundance of caution, CBP temporarily suspended inbound/outbound traffic at 3 other Buffalo crossings that have since reopened. pic.twitter.com/pTXyUsavRB  CBP (@CBP) November 22, 2023

Friday 24 November 2023 19:00 , Kelly Rissman

The blast could have been caused by a fuel-air explosion, former official says

Scott Sweetow, the former director of the FBIs Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center, told CBS News the eruption may have been the result of a fuel-air explosion.

I am speculating that, due to the high speed of the car, and almost disintegration of [the car], that as fuel in the breached gas tank went forward under high speed, it mixed with the air and created almost a cloud of gasoline, which then ignited, creating the dramatic fireball we all saw, he told the outlet.

Friday 24 November 2023 18:40 , Kelly Rissman

Theory that the deadly crash was caused by a terrorist act has been throughouly rejected

On Thursday, Niagara Falls Police Department  which is now leading the investigation after the FBI found no signs of terrorism  carried out an accident reconstruction, including retracing the last known movements of the couple.

In a press conference on Wednesday evening, Ms Hochul said she would not go so far as to declare the blast an accident just yet as the probe continues but that the two people killed were local residents with no ties to terrorism. No other potential motive had been discovered.

I want to be very, very clear to Americans and New Yorkers, at this time there is no indication of a terrorist attack, Ms Hochul said.

She added: Based on what is happening in the world, everyone is on edge. This is an international border. I wont call it an accident yet. All we know is there was a horrific incident, a crash, a loss of life  but at this time: no known terrorism activity.

The FBIs Buffalo division also released a statement saying that no explosives had been found at the scene and that no terrorism nexus was identified.

Friday 24 November 2023 18:20 , Kelly Rissman

The bridge is reopened

Only one day after the horrific incident on the Rainbow Bridge closed nearby cross-border travel for hours, the bridge is now reopen.



I am grateful to the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, @CBP, & all working to keep New Yorkers safe during the busiest travel time of the year.  Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) November 23, 2023

Friday 24 November 2023 18:20 , Kelly Rissman

What exactly happened in the Rainbow Bridge crash?

At 11.50am ET, the Rainbow Bridge was closed due to a traffic event, according to an incident alert from the Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition.

Witness Mike Guenther told NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV that he had been walking on the bridge when he saw a speeding car approach the border checkpoint, hit a fence and go airborne before exploding.

Another witness told reporters that he had seen the vehicle catch fire, before seeing black smoke and flames.

Ambulances arrived soon afterward to find the vehicle completely burned out. Two individuals travelling in the car died, officials said.

Friday 24 November 2023 18:00 , Kelly Rissman

WATCH: Smoke billows from Niagara Falls explosion as two people dead in vehicle blast

Friday 24 November 2023 17:40 , Kelly Rissman

Gov Kathy Hochul said she initially thought the crash was AI-generated

At a press conference earlier this week, the governor said, You actually had to look at it and say, was this generated by AI?

Because it was so surreal to see. How high in the air this vehicle went, and then the crash, and the explosion, and the fire, she explained.

She and the FBI have ruled out that the incident was a terrorist act. The investigation into the cause is ongoing.

Friday 24 November 2023 17:20 , Kelly Rissman

What was the cause of the fatal crash?

The cause of the crash is still unknown, but officials have ruled out that it was caused by a terrorist act.

Others have speculated that it was caused by the Bentley, which the couple were driving.

Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls, told The New York Times that the Bentley was an older model and may have experienced some sort of mechanical glitch that caused it to suddenly accelerate as it approached the border checkpoint.

However, a spokesperson for the US arm of Bentley Motors told the outlet that the automaker was yet to hear from investigators about the incident.

We might not know exactly what happened for some time. Due to the complexity of the incident, the investigation will take some time to complete, the Niagara Falls Police have said.
Add the name of Takeoff, a member of the popular rap trio Migos, to the ever-growing list of rappers, recent and past, tragically and violently killed.

The initial reaction to the Nov. 1, 2022, shooting death of Takeoff, born Kirsnick Ball, was to blame rap music and hip hop culture. People who engaged in this kind of scapegoating argue that the violence and despairing hopelessness in the music are the cause of so many rappers dying.

Even within hip hop culture, the continued violent tragedies have led some artists, like Jim Jones and Fat Joe, to go so far as to claim that rap is the most dangerous profession and rappers are an endangered species.

Its troubling. As Lupe Fiasco raps in On Faux Nem, Rappers die too much.

But as a rap artist and scholar, I always feel compelled to push back on the notion that the plague of American gun violence is unique to hip hop culture or rap music. As a professor at the University of Virginia, I live in Charlottesville, a place that has recently been besieged by gun violence.

Like many places across the country, the city has seen an increase in shootings, and on the night of Nov. 13, 2022, the university campus was locked down for 12 hours, with students, faculty and community members sheltering in place as police searched for a gunman who shot five people, killing three.

During the lockdown and for days afterward, I endlessly scrolled social media for updates. My phone incessantly chirped from text messages and the universitys emergency notifications.

I found myself frantically engaging in a ritual too familiar to far too many Americans of reading the texts and alerts and scrolling my phone for news. Part of this ritual, too, was sending students a message to let them know Im available to talk or listen or try to answer questions. I shared the numbers and links of the professional counseling services offered by the university.

The lockdown was lifted Nov. 14, shortly after police arrested the suspect in the campus shootings. On the same day, another man was arrested in Charlottesville for concerning and threatening social media posts against the university. The man, a convicted felon, was arrested on several weapons charges and possession of a controlled substance.

All-American victim blaming

Violence is the American pastime.

Gun violence is everywhere, all the time, and as unpredictable as it is predictable. We Americans anywhere, including at the University of Virginia, should not be surprised that it happens here so often. But if were surprised, its only because we havent been paying attention. According to the most recent statistics, the U.S. homicide rate in 2020 was over seven times greater than those of other industrialized economies, and guns accounted for 80% of those homicides.

But when gun violence happens to rappers, its as if people believe they cant be victims, too.

After each of the recent fatal shootings of rappers, the conversation has predictably veered into blaming the victim.

Some said 30-year-old Rakim Hasheem Allen, professionally known as PnB Rock, should not have been wearing his jewelry in the Los Angeles restaurant where he was robbed and killed in 2022.

Apparently, Adolph Thornton, Jr., 36, whose stage name was Young Dolph, should have known better than to go back to his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, which had 346 killings in 2021, a record number.

Some believed the 2020 killing of 20-year-old Brooklyn drill rapper Pop Smoke, whose legal name was Bashar Jackson, was a product of him accidentally divulging too much information on social media.

Some thought Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, who was 33 at the time of his death, was lax on taking adequate security measures, which led to his being shot and killed in front of his Los Angeles clothing store in 2019.

Megan Thee Stallion attends the Met Gala in New York on May 2, 2022. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Even after the horrific shooting of 27-year-old Megan Pete, professionally known as Megan Thee Stallion, who survived the incident, the casual condemnation of her  the victim  has clouded public conversation.

On Twitter, she took rappers to task for using her violent assault for attention. She implored them to stop using her shooting for clout.

Specifically, on his new album, Her Loss, Drake insinuates that she lied about the incident, rapping, This bch lie bout getting shots but she still a stallion.

An American plague

Regardless of their social environments or criminal backgrounds, all of these young rappers, 28-year-old Takeoff included, were victims of a common American fate  gunfire.

In the days before Takeoff was killed, there were nine mass shootings in the U.S.. One of those incidents during the Halloween weekend was a drive-by shooting near a Chicago park where children were trick-or-treating.

Blaming the violence that occurs on rap musicians relies on a circular logic: rap is to blame because the person who was shot or murdered was a rapper.

The reality in America

All of America is living with the normalization of gun violence.

That doesnt stop politicians from attempting to tie events like the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, or the mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, to rap.

You cant escape gun violence in America no matter your profession or where you hang out. You cant escape it in school. You cant escape it in church. You cant escape it in a synagogue.

You cant escape it in a park. You cant escape it in a grocery store. Or even at the nations Capitol building. Wherever you go in America, even on campuses like the University of Virginia, you might be a victim of gun violence.

Gun violence casts a perpetual shadow over the U.S., like the star-spangled banner flying high in the sky. It should be a reminder that the victims of these tragedies, including rappers whose lives are taken, are also threaded into the fabric of America.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world.If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: A.D. Carson, University of Virginia.

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A.D. Carson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Four-year-old Abigail Mor Edan is returning home. The dual American Israeli citizen is the first American hostage to be released since the four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on Friday.

President Joe Biden celebrated the girls release, but said, What she endured was unthinkable. Edan is one of 17 hostages, aged four to 84, released by Hamas on Sunday, including nine children aged 17 and younger. One elderly hostage, Biden said, was very sick and was in need of immediate medical help.

Biden: A little girl named Abigail who turned four years old. She spent her birthday, that birthday, and at least 50 days before that held hostage by hamas. Today, she is free pic.twitter.com/F2nUAkPSJz  Acyn (@Acyn) November 26, 2023

This deal is delivering life-saving results. Critically needed aid is going in, and hostages are coming out, Biden said of the ceasefire, adding that the deal is structured so that it can be extended to keep building on these results.

Thats my goal, Biden added. To keep this pause going beyond tomorrow.

Biden This deal is structured so that it can be extended to keep building on these results. Thats my goal. To keep this pause going beyond tomorrow pic.twitter.com/6iH9voMoEl  Acyn (@Acyn) November 26, 2023

Some of the released hostages were handed to Israel, while others left Gaza through Egypt, the AP reported. According to Israels army, one hostage was airlifted to a hospital.

The initial hostage deal involves the release of women and children, and there are three Americans in that category: two women and one young child. And we have reason to believe that one of those Americans will be released today, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker on Sunday, possibly referring to Edan.

NEW from @kwelkernbc:



National Security Adviser @JakeSullivan46 tells #MTP the admin has reason to believe at least one of the three American hostages will be released today. pic.twitter.com/H8FSQQ5y3T  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 26, 2023

I dont know how [shell be] when she comes back, the girls grandfather, Carmel Edan, said according to The Times of Israel. When she comes back, she wont know shes an orphan.

Edans parents were killed in a kibbutz during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. She will be returned to her siblings to live with their aunt, uncle and grandparents in Israel. Noa Naftali, the girls cousin, told CBS News, that the family will offer the siblings the love and support that they need after losing their parents.

Hamas agreed to free Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians, including women and minors, held in Israeli custody. The plan is to release over the course of four days 50 hostages held by the Palestinian militant group in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Hamas fighters said on Sunday that they had freed a hostage who held Russian-Israeli citizenship in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and in appreciation of the Russian position in support of the Palestinian cause.

Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from an Israeli jail early Sunday after Hamas released a second group of 13 Israeli and foreign hostages, eight children and five women, Saturday night.

Sullivan, like Biden, said there is a possibility to extend the four-day ceasefire that began Friday. I think it is certainly a possibility, and we would like to see that happen, he told NBC. Israel made an offer to extend the temporary cessation of hostilities for one day in exchange for every 10 additional hostages Hamas releases beyond the 50 covered in the initial agreement.

Hamas is going to make the decision about whether theyre prepared to release another 10 hostages, Sullivan said. Israel has put its cards on the table. Theyre prepared to extend the pause in the fighting.

Both Biden and Sullivan the president will speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. Biden has said previously that the U.S. providing aid to Israel with conditions regarding limiting the killing of civilians was a worthwhile thought.

NEW: President Biden said aid to Israel with conditions was a "worthwhile thought." On #MTP, NSA @JakeSullivan46 doesn't rule it out.@kwelkernbc asks @JakeSullivan46, "is [Biden] open to it?"



Sullivan: "He is going to continue to focus on what is going to generate results." pic.twitter.com/VvDmviIjmO  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 26, 2023

Another 200 hostages captured from Israel are believed to be held by Hamas. Israel is currently holding 2,200 Palestinians in administrative detention, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group.

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US President Joe Biden has released a statement in memory of the victims of the Holodomor in 1932-1933.

Source: White House

Quote: "We mark the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defend their freedom and Ukraines sovereignty against Russias brutal war of aggression. Ninety years ago, the inhumane polices of Joseph Stalin and the Soviet regime created the "death by hunger." Millions of Ukrainiansmen, women, and childrensuffered and starved to death between 1932-1933 because of a man-made famine. Stalin and his regime systematically seized Ukraines grain and farms and transferred Ukrainian grain to other parts of the USSR as a tactic to repress Ukraines national identity."

Details: Biden also emphasised that today, Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure is once again being targeted: this time by Vladimir Putin, seeking to conquer and seize power.

As the US president said, Russian troops are trying to destroy the economy and independence of Ukraine, deliberately damaging fields and destroying Ukrainian granaries and ports.

He also noted that this is not just an attack on Ukraine's economic security, it is a cynical attack on food security everywhere: "Putin is hurting the worlds most vulnerable communities, for Russias profit."

Quote: "On this anniversary, we remember and honour all those, both past and present, who have endured such hardship and who continue still to fight against tyranny. We also recommit ourselves to preventing suffering, protecting fundamental freedoms, and responding to human rights abuses whenever and wherever they occur. We stand united with Ukraine."

Background:

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Unidentified gunmen attacked a military barracks in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown early on Sunday morning (November 26), raising fears of a breakdown of order in the country and a wider conflict within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after coups in Mali, Niger, and Gabon in recent months.

Bio later posted a statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that the assailants were driven back by security forces and that "calm has been restored."

Nevertheless, he declared a nationwide curfew and encouraged people to stay indoors, Associated Press reported.

Meanwhile, a senior US official told Reuters, on the condition of anonymity, that the central prison in Freetown - which housed inmates way above its maximum capacity - was also opened and that some inmates had escaped.

Both ECOWAS and the US embassy in Freetown condemned the attacks as unjustifiable.

Read Also: Military Mutineers Seize Power in Gabon, Overthrow President Ali Bongo

Factors Leading to the Attack

Aside from the coups in fellow ECOWAS nations, one factor that could be considered was Bio's reelection as president for a second term in June in a disputed vote in which the main opposition accused Sierra Leone's electoral commission of conspiring with his party to rig the results.

June's elections were only the fifth since the end of a brutal 11-year civil war over two decades ago, which left tens of thousands dead and crashed the country's economy - an issue Bio was still being criticized to this day.

Almost 60% of Sierra Leone's over seven million population is facing poverty, with youth underemployment being one of the highest in West Africa.

Related Article: Analyst: 'We're Now in World War 3'-Here's What He Had to Say

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A bus carrying nearly three dozen Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived in the West Bank early Sunday, following Hamas release of 13 Israelis and four foreigners in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal.

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Hundreds of people greeted the International Committee of the Red Cross bus as it arrived in Al Bireh. Crowds chanted God is great as the bus arrived, and several young men stood on the roof of the vehicle. Many in the crowd held Hamas flags and chanted pro-Hamas slogans.

The Israeli military said the hostages released by Hamas, including four Thais, had been transferred to Israel and were to be reunited with their families.

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Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants as they headed out of the besieged enclave.

Nurhan Awad received a heros welcome by hundreds of people at the Qalandia refugee camp near Jerusalem when she arrived shortly after her release. The woman was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors.

Released Palestinian woman Shurouq Duwiyat arrived at her home in Jerusalem where joyous family members hugged and kissed her.

We send a message to our people in Gaza that we stand by your side and support you, Duwiyat told reporters inside her home.

Shuruq Dwayat, left, a Palestinian prisoner released by Israel, is hugged by relatives as she arrives home in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Bahar, early Sunday Nov. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

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Also in Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out separate attacks on Israelis.

Hundreds of Palestinians waited in the West Bank town of Beitunia for the arrival of additional prisoners.

The Israeli hostages released Saturday by Hamas included seven children and six women, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office announced. Most of the released hostages were from Kibbutz Beeri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 cross-border attack, a spokesperson for the kibbutz said. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.

People participate in a show of solidarity with hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, near the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Egyptian officials said Hamas was preparing to release 14 Israeli hostages Saturday for 42 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. (AP Photo/ Leo Correa)

It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Beeri. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza.

The mother of one of the released hostages, 12-year-old Hila Rotem, remained in captivity, the spokesperson said.

Another, Emily Hand, is a girl whose father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage.

This undated photo released by Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters shows Emily Hand, 9 years old, from Kibbutz Beeri. Emily was one of the 13 Israeli and four hostages Hamas released late Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal, the Israeli military said, after the militant group initially delayed the exchange for several hours and claimed that Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters via AP)

Residents of the kibbutz have been staying together at a Dead Sea hotel since the Oct. 7 attack. A large crowd gathered in a function room at the hotel late Saturday, cheering in excitement as they saw the first images of their loved ones being released.

One classmate of 18-year-old Noga Weiss said there was great excitement about her release.

I was very nervous when I heard about the delay. I thought something would happen, the classmate, identified as Zohar, told Channel 13 TV. It was a great relief when I saw her.

The last-minute delay had created a tense standoff on the second day of whats meant to be a four-day cease-fire. By nightfall, as the hostages should have emerged from Gaza, Hamas alleged that the aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough of it was reaching northern Gaza  the focus of Israels ground offensive and main combat zone. Hamas also said not enough veteran prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.

This is putting the deal in danger, Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in Beirut. But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said obstacles had been overcome, and Hamas listed six women and 33 teenage boys it said were expected to be released by the Israelis.

While uncertainty around some details of the exchange remained, there was some optimism, too, amid earlier scenes of joyous families reuniting on both sides.

On the first day of the cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.

Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners, during the four-day truce  all women and minors.

People participate in a show of solidarity with hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, near the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Egyptian officials said Hamas was preparing to release 14 Israeli hostages Saturday for 42 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. (AP Photo/ Leo Correa)

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed  something U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.

Biden spoke Saturday with Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani of Qatar, the White House said, to discuss hurdles to the release of the hostages.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

Aviv Asher, 2,5-year-old, her sister Raz Asher, 4,5-year-old, and mother Doron, react as they meet with Yoni, Doron's husband and their father, after they returned to Israel to the designated complex at the Schneider Children's Medical Center on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. A four-day cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza on Friday with an exchange of hostages and prisoners. (Schneider Childrens Medical Center via AP)

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

A person holds a placard with pictures of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, in a show of solidarity, in Tel Aviv, Israel Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Egyptian officials said Hamas was preparing to release 14 Israeli hostages Saturday for 42 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. (AP Photo/ Leo Correa)

We want to find them and bury them in dignity, he said.

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (34,078 gallons) of fuel  just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume  as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

I wish it could be extended until peoples conditions improved, he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.

Palestinians visit an open-air market in Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. on the second day of the temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Late Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, hours after another raid in the same area killed the local governors 25-year-old son.

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was also killed by Israeli fire near the city of Ramallah. The Israeli army, which frequently conducts military raids aimed at local militant groups, did not immediately comment.

JOY AND EXPECTATION

In Tel Aviv, several thousand people packed a central square called the square of the hostages, awaiting news of the second release.

Dont forget the others because its getting harder, harder and harder. Its heartbreaking, said Neri Gershon, a Tel Aviv resident. Some families have accused Netanyahus government of not doing enough to bring hostages home.

In the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank, the family of 16-year-old Wael Mesheh was frantically getting the house ready for his homecoming as part of the second swap. We are going to hug him so tight, his mother, Hanadi Mesheh, said by phone.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

A LONGER PEACE?

The war erupted when several thousand Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages, including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.

We will return immediately at the end of the cease-fire to attacking in Gaza, operating in Gaza, Herzi Halevi, Israeli chief of staff, told soldiers.

Israeli leaders have said they wont stop until Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for the past 16 years, is crushed. Israeli officials have argued that only military pressure can bring the hostages home. But the government is under pressure from hostages families to prioritize the release of the remaining captives.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where communications have broken down.

Full AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

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Lee Anderson is the Conservative MP for Ashfield, in Nottinghamshire

Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson claims he was offered a financial incentive to defect to another party.

Mr Anderson alleges he was offered a job worth the equivalent of five years of an MP's salary in the event he switched but failed to win re-election.

Senior Conservative sources say Mr Anderson told them he had been approached by Reform UK.

Its leader Richard Tice has denied he offered any MP any money.

Mr Anderson issued a statement addressing the claims after they were first reported by the Sunday Times.

The newspaper acquired a leaked recording of Mr Anderson saying at an event: "There is a political party that begins with an R that offered me a lot of money to join them. I say a lot of money, I mean a lot of money."

It said the comment was made by the Tory MP for Ashfield at a South Cambridgeshire Conservative Association event last month.

Mr Tice was asked about the Sunday Times report on Sunday with Laura Kuenssburg, and said he has had "numerous discussions with Tory MPs" but denied offering any money.

He then accused Mr Anderson of using "the threat of defecting to Reform to negotiate" his role as deputy chairman of the Tory party.

Mr Anderson said the allegations over how he got the senior party job made by Mr Tice are "simply ridiculous".

In a statement issued via GB News - which he is also employed by - on Sunday evening, Mr Anderson clarified the nature of the offer he was allegedly made to defect.

He said: "From time to time politicians do meet other politicians from different political parties.

"At one such meeting I was offered the chance to join another party for the following deal - I join within a few months and stand for this Party at the next election.

"If I lost my seat I would be guaranteed a job with the party for five years on the same salary as an MP. To falsely claim that I used this as leverage to get the position of deputy chairman is an insult to me and my party."

BBC News has approached Mr Tice for further comment in light of Mr Anderson's intervention.

An MP's salary from April 2023 is 86,584.

Businessman Richard Tice is the leader of Reform UK

Mr Anderson did not specifically name the party involved in his lengthy statement, but did criticise Mr Tice for his leadership of Reform UK.

The BBC has been told Mr Anderson contacted Tory Party officials with the allegation in February and they contacted the party's chief whip.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle was then informed.

A parliamentary official said: "The party should now pass any evidence it might have to the police which is the appropriate authority to deal with it."

Reform UK was founded with support from ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage in 2018 and has only taken a small proportion of the vote in recent by-elections.

However, some Tories are worried the party could capitalise on concern over record levels of migration, as well as the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.
Richard Tice, the leader of Reform UK, speaks to the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg - Jeff Overs/BBC/PA

Richard Tice, the leader of Reform UK, has claimed he has had numerous discussions with Conservative MPs  including ministers  who are furious with the Governments betrayal on migration.

But he insisted no one has been promised cash to defect after Lee Anderson, the Tory deputy chairman, said he was offered a lot of money to switch sides.

Mr Tice said he was happy to confirm he had been in talks with a number of Conservative MPs  including both ministers and former ministers  who are livid with the Governments failure to stop the boats.

He said he would keep the discussions completely confidential, but hinted he had offered them the chance to change the shape of the debate.

Laura Trott, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said a vote for Reform is a vote for Keir Starmer as prime minister.

Anderson offered a lot of money

It comes after Mr Anderson was caught on tape claiming he was offered cash to join Mr Tices party, founded by former UKIP and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage.

In a recording obtained by The Sunday Times, the Ashfield MP can be heard saying: Now there is a political party that begins with an R that offered me a lot of money to join them. I say a lot of money, I mean a lot of money.

The newspaper said the remarks were made at a Lagers with Lee meeting at Cambridge Rugby Club in October.

Speaking to the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Tice said: Im very happy to confirm that Ive had numerous discussions with a number of Tory MPs, ministers, former ministers, who are absolutely furious with the complete betrayal of the Governments promises, furious with the failure to stop the boats, furious with opening the borders to mass immigration.

Obviously I will keep those discussions completely confidential, but let me make it absolutely clear: no cash or money has in any way been offered. What has been offered is the chance to change the shape of the debate.

A vote for Reform is a vote for Starmer

Reform has only taken small proportions of the vote in recent by-elections.

But that has not stopped some Conservatives fearing that it could tempt Tory voters frustrated by issues such as the small boats crisis to switch allegiances at the next general election.

Their concerns appear to be playing out in the polls, with a recent YouGov survey suggesting some 12 per cent of those who supported the Conservatives in 2019 now back Reform. Meanwhile, Mr Tices party is hitting near 10 per cent of the overall vote.

Speaking to Sky News, Ms Trott insisted that she was not worried about Reform outflanking her party from the Right.

She said: Id be very clear that a vote for Reform or any other party which is not Conservative is a vote for Keir Starmer as prime minister.

But what I would say is one of the reasons its so important for me to come on shows like yours is for us to communicate as a Government what we are doing to stop the boats.

Mr Sunak also used an interview with the Mail on Sunday to warn dissatisfied Tories against abandoning the party.

He said: A vote for everyone who is not a Conservative is a vote to put Keir Starmer into office.

Mr Anderson has been approached for comment.

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AVON  An Avon man who was missing for more than two months was found dead in a well on the property where he lived, authorities said.

The Norfolk County district attorney's office said a relative found the body of 45-year-old Keith McKechnie on Saturday, WCVB reported.

McKechnie had not been seen since Sept. 7 and was known to walk the neighborhood, Avon police said.

Keith McKechnie, 45, of Avon, was found dead in a well Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, after he was missing for two months.

Our thoughts are very much with the McKechnie family tonight, District Attorney Michael Morrissey said in a statement. This is a very sad result.

Avon police and firefighters called upon mutual aid resources, including the State Police, to recover McKechnie's body from the well.

McKechnie's body was taken to the chief medical examiner's office in Boston, where an autopsy will be conducted, the district attorney's office said.

State Police homicide investigators and other officials at the scene did not see any obvious signs of trauma on McKechnie's body, authorities said.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Avon man missing for two months is found dead in well
FILE - A group of people, including many from China, walk along the wall after crossing the border with Mexico to seek asylum, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, near Jacumba, Calif. As Congress returns this week, Senate Republicans have made it clear they wont support additional war aid for Ukraine unless they can pair it with border security measures. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  As Congress returns to session this week, lawmakers will be trying to forge an agreement on sending a new round of wartime assistance to Ukraine. But to succeed, they will have to find agreement on an issue that has confounded them for decades.

Republicans in both chambers of Congress have made clear that they will not support additional aid for Ukraine unless it is paired with border security measures to help manage the influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Their demand has injected one of the most contentious issues in American politics into a foreign policy debate that was already difficult.

Time is short for a deal.

A small, bipartisan group in the Senate is taking the lead and working to find a narrow compromise that can overcome a likely filibuster by winning 60 votes. But even if they can reach a modest agreement, there is no guarantee it would pass the House, where Republicans are insisting on wholesale changes to U.S. border and immigration policies.

Republicans hope that Democrats will feel political pressure to accept some of their border proposals after illegal crossings topped a daily average of more than 8,000 earlier this fall. President Joe Biden, who is running for reelection next year, has faced pressure even from fellow Democrats over the migrant flow.

No matter what, finding compromise will be exceedingly difficult. As they left for Thanksgiving break, Senate negotiators said they were still far apart.

A look at some of the issues under discussion and why they have proved so difficult to resolve:

Asylum and humanitarian parole

Changing the asylum system for migrants is a top priority for Republicans. They want to make it more difficult for asylum-seekers to prove in initial interviews that they have a credible fear of political, religious or racial persecution in their home country before advancing toward asylum in the United States.

Republicans in the House have passed legislation that would detain families at the border, require migrants to make the asylum claim at an official port of entry and either detain them or require them to remain outside the U.S. while their case is processed.

U.S. and international law give migrants the right to seek safety from persecution, but the number of people applying for asylum in the U.S. has reached historic highs. Critics say many people take advantage of the system to live and work in the U.S. while they wait for their asylum claims to be processed in court.

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent who is part of the Senate negotiations, said in an Arizona radio interview that one of lawmakers' goals is to ensure that those who are here seeking asylum have an actual claim to asylum.

Compromise is far from certain. Many Democrats are wary of making it harder to flee persecution, and the details of each policy shift are contentious.

Hardline conservatives in the House, already unlikely to support further Ukraine aid, have also signaled they won't accept policy changes that deviate much from a bill passed in May that would have remade the U.S. immigration system. Their stance means at least some support from House Democrats will be needed to pass any agreement  no easy task.

Some progressives have already said they will oppose any Republican-led changes to immigration policy.

The cruel, inhumane, and unworkable solutions offered by Republicans will only create more disorder and confusion at the border, said Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Infrastructure and enforcement

Lawmakers may find it easier to reach consensus on other areas of border policy, particularly when it comes to border staffing and enforcement.

Negotiators have looked at steps that could be taken to reinforce existing infrastructure at the border, including hiring and boosting pay for border patrol officers and improving technology. One proposal advanced by a bipartisan group of senators would call for hiring of more border patrol agents, raising their pay and ensuring they receive overtime.

Biden has shown a willingness to accept tougher enforcement measures, recently resuming deportation of migrants to Venezuela and waiving federal laws to allow for the construction of border wall that began under then-President Donald Trump. The White House also wants to install new imaging technology at ports of entry that would allow authorities to quickly scan vehicles for illegal imports, including fentanyl.

Republicans say that is not enough. They want more robust improvements, including more expansive construction of a border wall.

What Biden is asking for

Biden's emergency request to Congress included aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, along with $14 billion to bolster the immigration system and border security. Money would go toward hiring more border patrol agents, immigration judges and asylum officers. It's part of Biden's strategy of trying to simultaneously turn away from Trump's hard-line policies but adapt to the realities of crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Still, polls indicate widespread frustration with Bidens handling of immigration and the border, creating a political vulnerability as he seeks reelection. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the Senate Appropriations Committee this month that the administration has been faced with a global phenomenon of displaced people migrating in numbers that have not been seen since World War II.

It is unanimous that our broken immigration system is in dire need of reform, Mayorkas said.

Democrats have other immigration priorities, such as expanding legal immigration pathways or work authorizations for migrants already in the U.S. Democrats have also warned about the danger of delaying aid to Ukraine as it enters another winter of war against Russia.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said it's a mistake to create a situation where "we have to do significant immigration reform in the next few weeks or we wont send money to assist the people in Ukraine or other causes important to our national security.

Republicans have so far been adamant about the need to address Ukraine and the border at the same time.

Rep. Mike Turner, a strong supporter of aid to Ukraine and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that he thought passing Biden's package would be very difficult to accomplish by year's end. The impediment currently is the White House policy on the on the southern border," said Turner, R-Ohio.

What's likely not on the table

Lawmakers seem unlikely to address one of the nation's long-standing immigration issues: granting some form of permanent legal status to thousands of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Republicans have made clear that will not be addressed in this package, which they want to be more narrowly focused on border security measures.

As Congress struggled to pass a comprehensive immigration overhaul, President Barack Obama launched the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2012 to shield those immigrants from deportation and allow them to work legally in the country. But it has been caught up in the courts ever since, and Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, tried to end it when he was in the White House.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, one of the Senate negotiators, would not say early last week whether his side had proposed DACA provisions as part of the talks. But he said any deal "has to respect both Republican and Democratic priorities.

The more Republicans want, the more Democrats are going to want, Murphy said.

Republicans argue that Ukraine aid could be a tough sell to some of their voters, and the border policy is the compromise.

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican who has been involved in the talks, said before the Thanksgiving holiday that the negotiations were not "very close yet, because Democrats have not yet accepted that the negotiations are not border security for Democratic immigration priorities. Its border security for Ukraine aid.

So far, leaders in both parties have encouraged the talks. But as senators restart their work and face pressure to approve funding by the end of the year, some are warning that a narrow deal is likely the best that they can do.

I don't think it's realistic to solve anywhere close to the whole problem in the next two weeks, Murphy said.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  A 26-year-old man died at a Nashville hospital on Saturday after being shot in a rideshare vehicle along Interstate 65.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, officers from the Madison Precinct were dispatched to TriStar Skyline Medical Center at approximately 3:11 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25 after a walk-in shooting victim arrived at the Dickerson Pike hospital.

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When authorities arrived at Skyline Medical, they said they spoke with the Uber driver who brought the passenger  identified as 26-year-old Stephen Rouse III  to Skyline Medical. Rouse later died at the hospital.

According to detectives, the investigation shows the Uber driver picked up Rouse shortly before 3 p.m. at Citi Trends in the 2000 block of Clarksville Pike. The driver was set to bring Rouse to Madison.

The Uber driver reportedly told detectives he observed a white Nissan Maxima parked outside Citi Trends with its headlights on.

CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee

As they left Citi Trends, the same Maxima followed them on Rosa Parks Boulevard and continued to follow them as they approached the I-65/I-24 split, authorities said. Then, the Maxima allegedly pulled up alongside the Uber and someone inside the Maxima fired shots into the backseat of the Uber, hitting Rouse.

After the shooting, the Uber driver told officers he continued on I-65 while the Maxima fled onto I-24 West.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

The interstate was closed briefly Saturday evening as detectives worked to locate the shooting scene.

Anyone with information about the Maxima or the people involved in the deadly shooting is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers can remain anonymous and could qualify for a $5,000 reward.

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Riot police officers came under attack from a "hostile" crowd during large-scale disorder in an East Ayrshire village.

One officer had to be taken to hospital for treatment after being hit by a firework as trouble flared in Auchinleck on Saturday evening.

Footage on social media showed officers in helmets and carrying riot shields as they tried to break up the crowd.

Two homes were also badly damaged in apparent fire-raising attacks.

A fire-damaged house in Heathfield Road, near where the disturbances started

Police Scotland described the attacks on officers as "completely unacceptable".

Det Insp Louise White of Ayrshire Division said: "An investigation is under way following an incident of large-scale disorder in Auchinleck on Saturday, 25 November. Officers were called to reports of a crowd gathered in Old Avenue.

"The crowd moved to other addresses in the area and public order officers attended to assist when the crowd refused to disperse when requested.

"Unfortunately during the incident some of those gathered became extremely hostile towards the police and one officer was struck by a firework and taken to hospital for treatment."

Det Insp White said officers had a duty to ensure the safety of everyone involved in such incidents and added: "This kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable".

She said: "Although the crowd later dispersed, our investigation is ongoing to trace those responsible and ensure they are dealt with appropriately.

"This will include reviewing any available video footage."

Police were initially called after a group gathered on Old Avenue

Local councillors Claire Leitch and William Lennox issued a joint statement condemning the night of attacks - particularly those aimed at police officers.

"The community does not deserve the displays of violence and disorder that we saw last night and we will provide support to residents in any way we can," they said.

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Rise in respiratory virus symptoms sends more people to the ER

Emergency rooms in North Carolina are seeing more patients with respiratory virus symptoms.

New data showed that nearly 10% of all emergency room patients in the last week had respiratory virus symptoms.

ALSO READ: Cases of COVID, Flu, RSV on the rise, health officials say

Channel 9 news spoke with a family doctor at Novant Health about how you can avoid getting sick. She recommends the following:

Get vaccinated against the flu, COVID-19, and RSV

Use a HEPA filter if youre gathering with large crowds indoors

Wash your hands frequently

As its getting colder, most of us are kind of spending more time indoors, and as we do that, the amount of cold viruses around start kind of ticking up, Family Medicine Physician at Novant Health, Onyinye Igbokwe said.

Doctors also recommend you sanitize surfaces regularly and take vitamins.

(WATCH BELOW: Officials confirm first flu-related death of 2023 in S.C.)
Omid Scobie has spoken out about receiving abuse for his coverage of the royal family.

The journalist and commentator is one of the UKs most prominent voices regarding the royal family, with a particular special interest in the lives and perspectives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Soon, he will release his book Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchys Fight for Survival, which takes a deep dive into the institution and its future.

Ahead of the books release on Tuesday (28 November), Scobie has spoken out about the difficulties hes faced as a journalist who often writes sympathetically about Harry and Meghan, while offering critical takes on other aspects of the royal institution.

Im very aware that Im quite disliked in Britain. The way anything about me is said is as if Im just the absolute worst person, he explained to the Sunday Times on Sunday (26 November).

Omid Scobie, royal biographer (BBC Newsnight)

Later, expanding about the trolling he receives  much of the comments referring to his half-Iranian heritage  Scobie said: Ive really struggled with it, to be honest. I definitely felt at times like I wanted to just disappear.

Though Scobie, 42, has been reported as being a trusted contact of the Sussexes, he has frequently denied having a significant relationship with the duchess and former actor.

When asked whether Meghan contributed to the writing of Endgame, Scobie replied: No, and Im not her friend, adding: I didnt interview her for this book.

Still, he admitted to having mutual friends with Meghan, which definitely helps with getting information and breaking details.

Meghan and Harry, and Omid Scobie (Getty Images / scobiesnaps/Instagram)

Though hed been a royal reporter at several publications before Meghan and Harry met in 2016, Scobie took a deeper personal interest in the monarchy due to he and Meghan both being of mixed-race heritage (Scobie is Iranian and white through his mother and father, respectively).

I was going to work my damn hardest to make sure I was close to every single person in their lives, and become someone that, at the very least, people at the palace feel they can come to when they need to correct a story, he noted.

Some of the revelations covered in Endgame include Meghan claiming that two members of the royal household speculated about Prince Archies skin colour before his birth, as well as naming the senior royal who reportedly convinced the King to evict the Sussexes from Frogmore Cottage.

A royal spokesperson declined to comment when approached by The Independent.
Russia has reported an attempted massive drone attack on the night of 25-26 November, with a total of 21 UAVs recorded.

Source: Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin; Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti; Russian Defence Ministry

Details: Sobyanin claimed that drones flying towards Moscow were shot down near the city of Naro-Fominsk (Moscow Oblast) and over the Odintsovo urban district of Moscow Oblast; in addition, air defence supposedly intercepted and destroyed several drones in Russia's Bryansk, Tula and Kaluga oblasts.

No casualties or severe damage purportedly occurred.

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that their air defences shot down 11 UAVs over the territory of Moscow, Tula, Kaluga and Bryansk oblasts.

Updated at 04:02: Sobyanin claimed that another drone attempting to attack Moscow had been shot down over the city of Podolsk. No damage or casualties supposedly occurred.

Updated at 04:55: Another drone was purportedly shot down by Russian air defences on approach to Moscow in the Ramensky urban district, Sobyanin added.

Updated at 05:15: Russian air defence forces supposedly destroyed nine more UAVs over the territory of Moscow, Tula, Kaluga and Bryansk oblasts, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.

Updated at 06:00: The Russians supposedly brought down UAVs over the Dzerzhinsky and Zhukovsky districts of Russia's Kaluga Oblast. Early reports indicated no casualties or damage to infrastructure.

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Two Chinese fighter jets were monitored "orbiting" a Philippine A-29 Super Tucano, which was participating in patrols alongside Australian assets in the South China Sea, Manila officials revealed on Sunday (November 26).

The incident happened while Filipino and Australian military units executed a second round of maritime and aerospace exercises over the West Philippine Sea - the South China Sea area within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner told reporters that his nation was well in its right to conduct joint patrols with its allies to promote a "rule-based international order."

Filipino defense assets also held joint patrols with their US counterparts as Pacific nations are on edge regarding China's increased assertion, Reuters reported.

Read Also: Australian PM Albanese Visits China to Reestablish Economic Ties

Curbing Beijing's Hegemony

Since the Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 ruling that China's claims lack a legal basis, Manila, Canberra, and Washington have all indicated their concern regarding Beijing's fast rise to power in the Indo-Pacific, specifically because the South China Sea continued to be a busy shipping lane.

However, Chinese officials accused the Philippines of enlisting "foreign forces" to patrol the contested waters.

Aside from the Filipino Super Tucano, Chinese jets were shadowing, two Filipino ships and four other aircraft were deployed alongside the Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba and a P8 maritime surveillance plane.

However, no radio challenges were issued, Brawner told CNN's Philippine bureau.

Related Article: Joint Patrols by Philippines, US in Waters Near Taiwan May Escalate Tensions With China

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Russia has relocated its S-400 air defense systems from Kaliningrad Oblast, its enclave on the Baltic Sea coast, in November 2023, to make up for its recent losses on the Ukrainian front, the UK intelligence reported on Nov. 26.

Read also: Ukraine degrades Russias cutting-edge S-400 air defense systems

This follows a surge in Russias losses of S-400 systems in the occupied territories of Ukraine in late October 2023.

As its most westerly outpost and bordered on three sides by NATO member states, Russia sees Kaliningrad as one of its most strategically sensitive regions.

Read also: Russian S-400 Triumf in Crimea destroyed by Ukrainian missile  Danilov

The fact that the Russian MoD appears willing to accept additional risk here (in Kaliningrad) highlights the overstretch the war has caused for some of Russias key, modern capabilities, states the report.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
UK Defence Intelligence has suggested that Russia has moved strategic air defence assets from Kaliningrad Oblast in November to replace those lost in the war against Ukraine.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence review on Twitter dated 26 November, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Based on the exceptional movements of Russian transport aircraft during November 2023, UK intelligence suggests that Russia may have moved strategic air defence systems from Kaliningrad Oblast to replace those lost in the war with Ukraine.

These movements were noticed as Russia experienced a rise in losses of S-400 (SA-21 under NATO classification) air defence systems in the occupied territories of Ukraine in late October 2023.

"As its most westerly outpost and bordered on three sides by NATO member states, Russia sees Kaliningrad as one of its most strategically sensitive regions. The fact that the Russian MoD appears willing to accept additional risk here highlights the overstretch the war has caused for some of Russias key, modern capabilities," the UK MoD pointed out.

Background:

The previous UK intelligence review suggested that the logistical challenges of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the port city of Novorossiysk affect their ability to launch cruise missiles towards Ukraine.

Earlier, UK Defence Intelligence reported that Russia had amassed substantial stockpiles of cruise missiles ahead of winter and was simultaneously shaping the battlefield ahead of a potential winter campaign against Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

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A downed drone crashes into a high-rise building in the Russian city of Tula

Four waves of drone attacks were reported in Russia from the early hours of Nov. 26, with the Russian Ministry of Defense claiming to have "downed" 24 drones across five regions, as well destroying two missiles over the Sea of Azov.

Russia accused the "Kyiv regime" of being behind all of the attacks. The Ukrainian authorities have not officially commented on the night's events in Russia, but a number of Ukrainian media outlets, including public broadcaster Suspilne, cite sources in the Defense Intelligence or HUR as saying that Ukrainian intel was behind the attacks.

NV has collected everything known about the large-scale drone attack on Russia.

At around 3.30 a.m., Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that a "Ukrainian attempt at a massive drone attack" on the city had been stopped. He said UAVs flying toward the Russian capital were intercepted in Moscow Oblast.

Because of the attack, Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were temporarily closed.

Read also: Ukrainian forces invent innovative method to attack Russian rear facilities  video

Air defense destroyed several drones in Bryansk, Tula, and Kaluga oblasts, according to Sobyanin. The Russian Defense Ministry soon claimed to have shot down 11 "Ukrainian drones."

The second drone attack was reported in Russia at around 5 a.m. Local governors also claimed to have "shot down" drones in Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, and Bryansk oblasts. Then the Russian Ministry of Defense reported nine more "intercepted" UAVs.

In Moscow Oblast, there was no damage, but the governor of Tula Oblast reported that one of the drones shot down by Russian air defense "lost control and crashed into an apartment building in Tula."

There was supposedly no serious damage. Local social media groups shared photos and videos from Tula showing traces of fire in an apartment on one of the floors. One man was lightly injured.

The governors of Bryansk and Kaluga oblasts also reported on the "successful work of air defenses" and said that there was no damage in their regions.

At 9 a.m., a third UAV raid on Russia was reported. This time the Smolensk governor announced the attack, saying that air defenses were operating. The Russian Defense Ministry announced the "destruction of four more Ukrainian drones."

Around the same time, fresh explosions were heard in Tula. Russian Telegram news channels also published a video showing a drone flying over the city.

Then, at around 11 a.m., the Russian Defense Ministry announced that two missiles had been shot down over the Sea of Azov.

According to the Russians, the weapons were converted S-200 anti-aircraft missiles. Before that, an air raid alert was declared in occupied Crimea and traffic over Kerch Bridge was suspended.

Read also: Ukraine defense chief vows to respond as Russia gears up to target energy grid again this winter

On Nov. 25, Russia launched the most massive drone attack on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Russian troops launched 75 Shahed suicide drones overnight, including about 60 toward Kyiv. Air defenses managed to destroy 74 of the 75 aerial targets.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A Ukrainian Emergency Service image shows the scene of one drone attack Saturday in Kyiv, while Moscow said Sunday it had downed Ukrainian drones in five regions (Handout)

Russia said Sunday it had downed Ukrainian drones over five regions, including Moscow, as well as two Ukrainian missiles over the Azov Sea, a day after a large-scale Russian drone attack on Kyiv.

Russia and Ukraine have hit each other with drones for months, as Moscow's offensive drags on in to a 22nd month, with little significant movement on the front, despite fierce fighting.

Russia said the drones hit the Moscow region, other regions near the capital as well as regions bordering Ukraine.

"Air defence destroyed nine drones over the territory of the Moscow, Tula, Kaluga and Bryansk regions," Russia's defence ministry said early on Sunday.

It later said that another four Ukrainian drones were downed over the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, as well as the southwestern Smolensk region and the Tula region, which lies north of Moscow.

The attacks came a day after Ukraine said Russia had launched 75 Iranian-made Shahed drones, mostly aimed at Kyiv, in what it said was a "record" since Moscow's offensive last year.

Ukraine has upped attacks on Russia since launching its counteroffensive this summer, and has hit regions close to fighting zones as well as further inland into Russia, including Moscow itself.

The Russian army also said Sunday it had downed two Ukrainian missiles over the Azov Sea that it said were headed for Russia.

Russia controls the Ukrainian Azov Sea coast, which fell to Moscow early in its offensive last year.

Local authorities in the affected regions did not report casualties.

"I call on refraining to share photographs or videos of the drones on social media," the Smolensk governor Vasily Anokhin wrote on Telegram, adding that emergency services were working in areas that were hit.

Smolensk region, which borders Belarus, has been mostly spared from drone attacks.

- 'Bad weather and Russian shelling' -

On the battlefield, fighting has now focused around the industrial hub of Avdiivka, which appears almost encircled by Russian forces.

The fall of Avdiivka -- a symbol of Ukrainian resistance since 2014 -- would be a significant loss for Kyiv.

Ukraine, meanwhile, reported Russian attacks in the south and east of the country.

The head of the southern city of Kherson, Roman Mrochko, said two urban districts were shelled and that information of possible victims was being clarified.

Regional authorities in the Kherson region said around a dozen villages were left without electricity due to bad weather and Russian attacks.

Kyiv has been preparing for weeks for a feared renewal of Moscow's campaign to hit its energy grid in a possible repeat of last year, when thousands were left without power in freezing temperatures.

"Due to bad weather and Russian shelling, a number of settlements in our region were left without electricity," the head of the Kherson region Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram.

"Power supply teams are already working to eliminate the malfunctions," he added.

Nearly 400 localities are without electricity in Ukraine due to "extremely difficult" weather conditions, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced.

This comes at a time when "a large part of our country is experiencing extremely difficult weather conditions", he added.

Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Oleksiy Kuleba warned that the weather was worsening with heavy snowfalls expected in the Kyiv, Chernigiv, Cherkasy and Odesa regions.

- Call for more weapons -

Fearing that global attention has shifted to the Israel-Hamas conflict, Ukraine has called on the West to supply more weapons to counter Moscow's forces as the winter settles in.

Saturday's large-scale attack on Ukraine, which affected central Kyiv areas, came the day Ukraine marked Holodomor -- the starvation of millions in Ukraine during the Stalin era.

It also came as Ukraine is marking 10 years since its pro-EU Maidan revolution.

Shortly after Ukrainians overthrew a Moscow-backed regime in 2014, Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Russia continues to see the Maidan revolution as illegitimate and when it launched its full-scale offensive in February last year, it aimed to install a different government in Ukraine.

"In Kyiv ten years ago there was a coup with the use of force, the legitimate authorities were overthrown," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday.

bur/cw/pvh/acc
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has promised that there will be retaliation against Moldova for joining four EU sanctions packages against Moscow.

Source: European Pravda

Details: In the time-honoured manner of Russian propaganda, Zakharova accused Moldova of "hostile steps" and an "anti-Russia campaign" aimed at the "complete destruction of Russian-Moldovan relations".

Zakharova is convinced that the "overwhelming majority" of Moldovans are "friendly towards Russia and interested in preserving and developing multifaceted bilateral cooperation".

Quote: "Moldovas decision will not go unanswered. The measures to be taken will be announced later."

Background:

Nicu Popescu, Moldovas Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, stated last week that Moldova has joined four EU sanctions packages against Russia over the last year and a half.

When Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Moldova stated that it would not immediately join in certain restrictive measures, such as sanctions against Russia.

In March 2023, Popescu announced that Moldova would reevaluate some of its previous decisions on sanctions and would present new ones. He promised that the extent of Moldovas involvement in EU sanctions would increase significantly.

Moldova and Ukraine are candidates for EU membership. The EU expects its future members to align their foreign policy vector and adhere to the EUs sanctions policy.

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Russian forces are crashing headlong into another city using some of the same catastrophic tactics that bloodied its army in Bakhmut

Members of Ukraine's National Guard Omega Special Purpose fire a SPG-9 anti-tank grenade launcher toward Russian troops in the front line town of Avdiivka, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine November 8, 2023. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Serhii Nuzhnenko via REUTERS

Russia has faced a slaughter fighting for the eastern city of Avdiivka.

Ukrainian forces say they've destroyed heaps of armor, equipment, and personnel.

Experts say Moscow has employed similar military tactics to those in Bakhmut.

Several weeks have passed since Russia began its renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine, and Moscow's relentless efforts to capture the city of Avdiivka are being met by a steadfast Ukrainian defense.

As the days go by, Russia's military losses continue to mount. War experts say the slaughter around Avdiivka bears similar hallmarks to the months-long battle for Bakhmut, where Moscow's catastrophic tactics badly bloodied its army, even though it eventually captured the city.

Avdiivka is one of a few areas across the sprawling front line that has seen "the most intense ground combat" in recent days, according to a November 18 intelligence update from Britain's defense ministry. There, it added, Russian forces are suffering "particularly heavy casualties."

Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic International Studies, said Russia's quest for Avdiivka appears to be driven by the same intent as with Bakhmut, which is the opportunity to pinch off a Ukrainian salient (a pocket of territory surrounded by the enemy on three sides).

"They've tried to do that many times," Cancian told Business Insider, including in Bakhmut and in other areas like the northeastern city of Izium. "That's a classic military maneuver, something that the Soviets did repeatedly in the latter days of the Second World War."

George Barros, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said Avdiivka presents a similar situation for Ukraine as Bakhmut did. If Kyiv loses the city, it won't necessarily threaten to completely unravel Kyiv's defense of the broader Donetsk region, though Ukraine will want to avoid letting Russia surround and trap its forces there.

Russian armored vehicles moving near Avdiivka. Screengrab/Special Operations Forces of Ukraine via Telegram

Russia is also employing a military strategy in Avdiivka that's similar to what it did in Bakhmut, which is sending forward a tremendous amount of combat power in brutal attacks  "throwing good money after bad," Barros told Business Insider.

Shortly after Russia began its assault on Avdiivka, a top White House said in mid-October that Moscow was again relying on "human wave tactics"  a gruesome strategy that was widely seen in Bakhmut  for its renewed offensive and was back to sending poorly trained soldiers into battle without proper training or equipment.

Combat footage that has since emerged from the area around Avdiivka shows what Ukraine says is destroyed armor , indicative of the heavy losses in personnel and equipment that Moscow has suffered during the fighting. Russian sources from the front lines of the slaughter have also pinned blame on a lack of coordination and preparation from military leadership, as well as unrelenting Ukrainian artillery attacks.

War analysts estimated earlier this month that in a period of three weeks, Russia lost more vehicles fighting for Avdiivka than Ukraine lost in several months of intense fighting in the south. Britain's defense ministry said on November 18 that small drones and artillery  including deadly cluster munitions  are playing a "major role" in the fighting there, citing eyewitness reports.

A Ukrainian soldier fires during battle in Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, August 18, 2023. Libkos/ AP Photo

Ukraine's commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said on November 10 that in the month since Russia launched its offensive against Avdiivka, its armed forces have lost over 100 tanks, 250 other armored vehicles, 50 artillery systems, seven warplanes, and suffered around 10,000 casualties. Business Insider is unable to independently verify these figures.

"That's a bad way to conduct military operations," Barros said, adding that it's a "needlessly costly" way to carry out offensives as Russia continues to fight attritional battles and incur more losses than necessary.

"Bakhmut was like that too. It was a tactical victory  I'd argue operational failure  contributing to the continued Russian strategic failure," Barros said. "Avdiivka so far, they've not even yet achieved tactical victory, and it's unclear that they necessarily will. But even if they do at this price point, I would characterize it as an operational failure."

But for all the similarities between the two bloody battles, Avdiivka is different from Bakhmut in several ways. For one, it's long been heavily fortified by Ukraine given its role as a strongpoint during the fighting between Kyiv's forces and Russia-backed separatists that began nearly a nearly a decade ago.

It's also a smaller city than Bakhmut (with a pre-war population of around 33,000 compared to 73,000) and is more operationally significant from a military perspective. While Bakhmut was a place for Ukraine to bleed and destroy Russian combat power, Avdiivka is right on the doorstep of Donetsk, a strategic region that's currently held by Moscow.

Aerial footage released November 2 by Ukraine shows a Russian armored vehicle exploding near Avdiivka. 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade via Reuters Connect

Maintaining this forward presence by Donetsk is important for the planning and phasing of Kyiv's future operations, Barros said, adding that Avdiivka is also seen as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance having been on the front lines of the separatist fighting for years.

As for Moscow's motivations in taking Avdiivka, beyond anything strategic, Barros said that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be seeking some sort of political victory that he can point to ahead of the country's presidential elections next year.

For now though, Russian forces continue to conduct "failed assault operations" near Avdiivka, according to an update from Ukraine's military on November 16, and the effort doesn't look like it's going to let up anytime soon.

Just as it did when Bakhmut became the focus of the war, the battle for Avdiivka appears to represent a shift in the war and the coming culmination of the counteroffensive.

"The offensive in Avdiivka indicates that the Russians now have the initiative, that the Ukrainian offensive is over," Cancian said, describing the current fighting for the city as another phase of the 21-month-long war. "These offensives don't go on forever."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Russian occupying forces killed two civilians in the village of Voskresenka (Donetsk Oblast) on 25 November.

Source: Donetsk Oblast Military Administration

Details: Apart from the two civilians killed in Voskresenka, one more was injured in the settlement of Kalynove over the past 24 hours.

The Russians have killed a total of 1,780 civilians in the oblast, excluding the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol and the town of Volnovakha, and injured 4,330 people.

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The Russians carried out 58 bombardments of Kherson Oblast, firing 332 shells, during the day of 25 November.

Source: Kherson Oblast Military Administration

Details: It is specified that the Russians fired mortars, artillery, Grads, tanks, UAVs, AGS grenade launchers and aircraft; two of the strikes were missile strikes.

The Russians fired 30 projectiles on the city of Kherson.

According to the authorities, the Russian military targeted residential areas of the populated areas of the oblast.

There are no casualties among civilians.

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The Russian occupying forces have been attempting to break through the Ukrainian defence and recapture the town of Kupiansk (Kharkiv Oblast), said Volodymyr Fito, Chief of Public Relations Service at the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

Source: Fito on air of the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote from Fito: "Right, the Russian invaders have never abandoned their intentions to march on Kupiansk and seek to recapture it.

Ukrainian defenders repelled four enemy attacks in the area near [the settlements of] Synkivka and Ivanivka.

The enemy is trying to reach Synkivka in order to expand its further advance on Kupiansk.

We see that the enemy is stepping up their activity, regardless of the losses in military personnel and equipment, and does not give up their plans, trying to push through the Ukrainian defence and find some weak spot there."

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Buc-ee's customer looks for jerky Friday, June 19, 2020, in Katy. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Clean bathrooms. A staggering array of snacks, including a whole wall of jerky. A ball-capped beaver mascot, beaming from T-shirts, beach towels, insulated mugs and toys.

From these building blocks Buc-ees, headquartered in Lake Jackson in Brazoria County, has built one of the leading convenience store brands in the United States since opening its first store in 1982. Thats no small feat, considering its still a relatively small chain, with just 46 locations in Texas and another 12 across six states.

A 2023 survey of 1,011 Americans by Payless Power found Buc-ees ranked second as the nations favorite gas chain overall, and first for customer service. A key finding from the survey was that respondents are willing to drive 21 minutes out of their way to visit Buc-ees: its a destination gas station, food emporium and souvenir shop. (What store could possibly sell more Texas-related apparel and home decor?)

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Not a truck stop, mind you: Although many Buc-ees travel centers are large, offering more than 100 fueling stations and plenty of parking, the chain does not accommodate 18-wheelers. The focus is squarely on consumers. Ever since our inception in 1982, we have been committed to providing a clean, friendly, and in stock experience for our customers, its website explains. Regardless of where you may find us, if the store is big or small, near or far, the mission remains the same.

The ethos at hand is a light-hearted one, exemplified by the slogans on Buc-ees billboards. (My overbite is sexy or Potty like a rock star) But theres a serious upside to some of its policies. Buc-ees stands out among its industry peers for paying employees above-market wages, as well as offering health and dental benefits, a 401(k) plan with company match, and three weeks of paid vacation. As a result, the company has said, its been able to maintain strong staffing levels even in the tight post-pandemic labor market. The clean, friendly environment is also an appealing one to travelers concerned about safety. They can stop in a Buc-ees at any hour of the night and find the store well-lit and well-populated.

The sheer size of Texas means that its homegrown companies  like Buc-ee's and H-E-B  have plenty of room to grow without ever leaving the state. But in 2019, Buc-ees opened its first location outside the state, in Alabama, and has since opened more travel centers in that state, as well as in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. Additional Buc-ees stores are scheduled to open Colorado and Missouri this year.

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Jeff Nadalo, general counsel for Buc-ees, said in an email that while Buc-ees travel centers outside the state carry region-specific items, the core offerings  the jerky, sandwiches and Beaver Nuggets  are consistent everywhere.

Customers outside of Texas visit the new travel centers to experience Buc-ees award-winning clean restrooms, freshly prepared food, and great service, Nadalo said.
Ukrainian defenders have repelled 23 attacks on the Avdiivka front over the past day.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 26 November

Details: A total of 58 combat clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces took place during the past day. In total, the Russians launched 4 missile strikes and 109 airstrikes and carried out 59 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas.

Yesterday the Russians launched another airstrike on Ukraine using 87 attack UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type. All Russian drones were destroyed. As a result of Russian terrorist attacks, there are people injured among the civilian population. Private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged. In addition, on this day, the Russians again attacked Ukraine with Shahed-136/131 UAVs. Information about the aftermath of these attacks is currently being established.

Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts were hit by airstrikes.

More than 100 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson oblasts came under artillery fire.

In the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group on the Kupiansk front, the Russians conducted assault operations near Synkivka and Ivanivka (Kharkiv Oblast), where the Defence Forces repelled four attacks.

The Russians did not conduct offensive (assault) actions on the Lyman front.

On the Bakhmut front, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 10 Russian attacks near Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk Oblast). The defence forces of Ukraine continued their assault south of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the Russian forces and consolidating their positions.

In the area of responsibility of the Tavriia Operational Strategic Group on the Avdiivka front, the Russians, with the support of aircraft, continued trying to encircle Avdiivka. Ukrainian soldiers are firmly holding the defence, inflicting significant losses on the Russians. Offensive actions by the Russians near Stepove, Avdiivka, Pervomaiske and south of Novokalynove (Donetsk Oblast) were unsuccessful. Here, Ukrainian defenders repelled 23 attacks.

On the Marinka front, the Russians carried out assaults near Marinka and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk Oblast), where the Defence Forces repelled nine attacks.

On the Shakhtarsk front, the Russians conducted unsuccessful assaults south of Zolota Nyva and east of Staromaiorske (Donetsk Oblast).

On the Zaporizhzhia front, the Russians unsuccessfully tried to restore their lost position near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast eight times.

At the same time, Ukraines Defence Forces are continuing to conduct an offensive operation on the Melitopol front, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the Russian forces, and exhausting the Russians along the entire front line.

In the area of responsibility of the Odesa Operational Strategic Group on the Kherson front, Ukrainian soldiers are maintaining their positions on the left bank of Dnipro, continuing to conduct counter-battery operations, and inflicting fire damage on the Russian rear.

In the past 24 hours, the Air Force of the Ukrainian Defence Forces carried out 11 strikes on areas where Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment were concentrated.

Units of Rocket Forces and Artillery hit 11 areas where Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment were concentrated, four artillery pieces, a command post and a Russian ammunition storage point.

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(FOX40.COM)  Local community advocate and entrepreneur, Berry Accius, is giving folks the ultimate shopping experience as well as the ultimate Black alternative through the seventh annual Shop Black Friday Weekend event in Sacramento.

The concept of Shop Black Friday was birthed out of the legacy of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Accius said in a press release. (It was) The need for Black people to be more economically self-sufficient and create an alternative for Black people to share in the Holiday festivities.

Sacramentos Show Black Friday Weekend Event includes live music, small business vendors, food, raffles, and more. The festivities continue Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. at 2251 Florin Road, Sacramento.

This is not just about an event, but a culture and a lifestyle, Accius said. This whole platform that we utilize is more than a mindset shift but it represents exposing up and coming Black entrepreneurs, seasoned entrepreneurs, and mom and pop businesses.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
Thousands of Hmong community members gathered at Cal Expo this weekend to celebrate the Sacramento Hmong New Year festival, an annual cultural celebration in the city with the second-largest Hmong population the state.

The three-day festival included the Miss Hmong California pageant, a Hmong Idol singing competition, arts and crafts showcases, food vendors, local business vendors, and a series of talks from prominent figures in Californias Hmong community.

There are 32,000 Hmong community members in the capital  the second-largest population outside of Fresno.

And for the 18th year in a row, many of them gathered this weekend to celebrate their history and culture.

Early Saturday, the line to enter at Cal Expo stretched into the parking lot, crowded with people eager to celebrate the festivities in vibrant Hmong dresses, suits, vests and hats, all draped in silver coins and colorful beads.

Thousands of Hmong community members gathered at Cal Expo this weekend to celebrate the Sacramento Hmong New Year festival Saturday.

Its just a really beautiful time to be with family, be with community, celebrate our culture and our roots, and be together, said Sacramento City Councilwoman Mai Vang, a Sacramento native and daughter of Hmong refugees from Laos, while passing out balloons to her fellow Hmong Californians at the festival.

This is my favorite time of year, she said. Were celebrating the end of our harvest season, really just celebrating everything that we worked hard for and celebrating the new year.

Vang said she is incredibly blessed to be the first Asian woman and the first Hmong woman elected to City Council. As you can see, she said, pointing to the hundreds of families with young children dressed in traditional Hmong clothes, there are so many little kids here, little Mais, and I cant wait to read about them in history books.

Heart Vue, 2, of Sacramento, plays with a new bubble gun she got as thousands celebrate the Sacramento Hmong New Year festival Saturday.

Vang said events like the festival are crucial for educating young people in the community about their heritage.

So did See Lor, a childrens book author and educator who writes childrens books about Hmong history and culture in English and Hmong languages.

Im so glad to be back, Lee said as she signed copies of her books. She missed last year because of COVID-19.

It feels really good to be here. Historically, we tell our stories orally. Now that our children are growing up in this country, they learn through literature. So this is how we can preserve our identity, our culture, and our history.

Thousands of Hmong community members gathered at Cal Expo this weekend to celebrate the Sacramento Hmong New Year festival Saturday.

Ker Lee, left, and Chia Her of Sacramento do some shopping as thousands of Hmong community members gathered at Cal Expo this weekend to celebrate the Sacramento Hmong New Year festival Saturday.

Allison Vang, left and her cousin See Vang, center, of Fresno, participate in the ball toss as Danny Xiong of Stockton comes up to talk to them during the Sacramento Hmong New Year festival Saturday.
Safety experts hope to get a better understanding of what causes accidents in hills and mountains, and the types of injuries people sustain.

Information has been sought from rescuers, and also people who have been hurt.

Mountaineering Scotland and the Mountain Safety Group, whose members include Police Scotland and rescue teams, have launched the survey.

The groups said there was a lack of information on what caused incidents.

The survey is open to anyone in the UK and Ireland.

Ross Cadie, senior mountain safety adviser at Mountaineering Scotland, said: "Getting a better insight into the drivers behind mountain accidents will be a game changer.

"Being able to recognise and then understand any patterns of behaviour will help us tailor our safety messaging and deliver better courses that will help to prevent accidents and save lives in the mountains."

The groups leading the survey said mountain rescue teams and the police collected information about the number and nature of rescues they attend.

But they said this only gave details of what happened after an incident, and not what caused it, or what the person might have learned from it.

Insp Matt Smith, of Police Scotland said: "Preventative work to reduce accidents is a priority for us.

Learning exactly why they take place will help us focus our work to reduce demand on volunteer mountain rescue teams and ultimately, help keep people safe."

Busiest year

In May this year, Scottish Mountain Rescue reported its second busiest year on record in 2022 for call-outs and incidents.

Its teams were called out 843 times to 636 incidents. These involved 21 deaths, with 11 of them mountaineering accidents.

The organisation's members include 25 civilian rescue teams - including Braemar, Galloway and Skye MRTs - three Police Scotland teams and an RAF team.

Scottish Mountain Rescue's busiest year on record was 2021 when there were 951 separate call-outs to 660 incidents.

According to the organisation's latest annual report, summer continued to be the busiest season.

A total of 740 people were assisted in 2022, with 90 having been injured. Fractures made up 45% of the injuries.

In terms of mountain rescues, most - almost 320 - involved hillwalking with 69% of these accidents occurring in summer.

The 26 to 35-year-old age group was the most frequently rescued. Scottish Mountain Rescue said this age group was the most likely to be taking part in outdoor activities.

The statistics also record gender for some rescues - 202 were male, 134 female and 93 were described as unspecified.
The Greek Coast Guard continues to search for the missing crew of a cargo ship that sank off the island of Lesbos on Sunday as a low-pressure system moving across the country rocked the seas around Greece with gale-force winds.

The Athens News Agency reported the freighter "Raptor" sank off the island of Lesbos on Sunday with 14 people onboard. The ship was sailing from Egypt to Istanbul when its captain radioed for help because of a mechanical issue.

One was rescued using a Hellenic Navy helicopter, according to the news outlet. A massive search for the 13 remaining crew continues.

Hellenic Navy officials said the vessel sank off the island of Lesbos in the East Aegean Sea during rough seas from a storm system Greek's national meteorologists are calling Storm Bettina.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

The Hellenic National Meteorological Center issued a Code Orange emergency warning of dangerous weather on Friday as the low-pressure system moved toward Greece.

Forecasters said stormy weather was expected throughout the entire country, including heavy rain and snowfall in the highlands. The temperature was forecast to drop by 8 to 10 degrees in the Ionian region by Sunday.

Gale Warnings were in effect for most of the Aegean Sea, Black Sea and coastal Greece through Sunday.

STORM AGNES: BOMB CYCLONE HITS IRELAND, UK WITH HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS

Winds were forecast to reach 9 or 10 on the Beaufort Wind Scale in the Black Sea and 7 or 8 in the Aegean Sea over the weekend. According to the National Weather Service, 9 on the Beaufort Wind Scale includes high waves, winds up to 54 mph and reduced visibility at sea.

Weather conditions were forecast to improve for Greece on Sunday as Storm Bettina moved into the Northwest Black Sea toward Libya.

The same storm is prompting weather warnings across Eastern Europe and blizzard conditions in Romania and Ukraine.

Satellite data shows a winter storm moves off the Black Sea into Eastern Europe bringing blizzard conditions.

Similar to how the National Hurricane Center has a list of names for hurricanes, other countries have names for windstorms based on the region in which the country is located.

Greece is part of the Eastern Mediterranean Group, including Cyprus and Israel.

In September, a deadly severe weather system, dubbed Storm Daniel, brought historic amounts of rain across the Mediterranean, including more than 30 inches in Greece.





Original article source: Sailors missing after gale-force winds sink freighter off Greek island
Scots could be penalised with tax hikes for refusing to install heat pumps in their homes, under proposals unveiled by a Green minister in Humza Yousafs government.

A taskforce co-chaired by Patrick Harvie, the zero carbon buildings minister, has recommended using taxation to promote behavioural change in line with the governments objectives of getting rid of gas boilers.

In a new report, it said local authorities could impose a council tax premium on households which fail to switch to zero emissions heating systems, such as heat pumps.

The taskforce also proposed hiking Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), Scotlands version of stamp duty, for the purchase of properties that have lower energy efficiency ratings.

It said the two taxes offer the potential to influence home owner and purchaser decisions around replacing gas boilers, with a massive acceleration in the number of heat pump installations required to meet government targets.

The report recommended that the Scottish Government should review and publish, by the end of 2024, the potential of incentivising domestic property owners to increase levels of retrofit works through fiscal and taxation policy.

Funding installation

Among the other proposals for meeting the huge cost of the roll-out was getting homeowners aged over 55 to fund the installation of heat pumps by using equity in the value of their properties to provide the required cost.

However, it acknowledged that they may need this equity to provide income after retirement or to fund future care costs when they are elderly.

The report was published ahead of Mr Harvie unveiling a public consultation this week on the Scottish Governments strategy for decarbonising building heating systems. A ministerial statement is scheduled for Holyrood on Tuesday afternoon.

The SNP-Green government wants to introduce legislation requiring the installation of zero or very near zero emissions heating systems, with the new standard to be phased in for off-gas grid areas from 2025 and on-gas grid areas from 2030.

It has admitted that the average cost of installing a heat pump is around 10,000. This is around four times the 2,500 cost of replacing a fossil fuel boiler.

Mairi McAllan, the Scottish net zero secretary, signalled earlier this month that the plans could be delayed and blamed the Prime Minister for rolling back on UK-wide climate change actions.

But the Scottish Government has estimated the cost of converting all homes to zero emissions as 33 billion while providing an initial package of support of only 1.8 billion.

The taskforce said it recognised that this cost cannot be funded by the public purse alone and set out a series of proposals for getting others to foot the bill, including householders.

Desired behaviours

Highlighting how tax could be used to incentivise desired behaviours, the report said: It could encourage investment by providing monetary benefits to undertake works, or alternatively penalise those who do not adhere to the encouraged behaviour (the latter potentially then providing funding to subsidise retrofit programmes).

Could include taxation powers such as Land and Building Transaction Tax for domestic properties or Non-Domestic Rates for nondomestic properties, it added.

The report added that differential levels of stamp duty could apply, depending on the energy rating of the building/property sold and triggered at the point of sale.

On council tax, it said that discounts and premiums could be applied to building rates (domestic and non-domestic) depending on their net zero performance.

The taskforce also recommended ministers examine the use of other devolved powers to create new green taxes that could be levied on those who do not comply.

But Douglas Lumsden, the Scottish Conservative shadow net zero secretary, told the Sunday Herald: This smacks of total desperation by the SNP-Green government.

After ditching previous plans  such as making it illegal to sell your house if it had a boiler  as unrealistic and unaffordable, theyre now peddling this equally daft scheme.

He added: Trying to finance subsidies to fit heat pumps by fining people who dont fit heat pumps is bonkers. And Scottish taxpayers foot the bill either way round.

A Scottish government spokesman said: We will respond to the recommendations following publication of the taskforces second report next year, and this week we will publish proposals that could form part of a Heat in Buildings Bill, to help deliver our commitment to be a net zero country by 2045 and reduce the exposure felt by households and businesses to volatile fossil fuel prices.

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Two people found clinging to a rock were rescued from the Truckee River, Nevada firefighters reported.

The rescue took place at 4:50 p.m. in East Truckee Canyon on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue said in a post on X, formerly branded as Twitter.

Two people were walking along the river when a woman fell in, firefighters told KOLO. The other person fell in trying to rescue her and they were swept away by the swift current.

Reports of screaming led firefighters to the couple holding onto a rock in the freezing water, firefighters told SF Gate. They were taken to a hospital for possible hypothermia.

Composed mostly of melted snow, the Truckee River is extremely cold even in summer, firefighters told the publication.

The couple had been in the water for about an hour, firefighters told KOLO.

East Truckee Canyon is about 25 miles northeast of Truckee, California, near Verdi, Nevada.

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Second-graders Ivory Donson, left to right, Daniela Nieves and Keon Viverette play a reading game with tutor Grace Martin during a Circle City Readers tutoring session Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at Vision Academy at Riverside in Indianapolis. The word Donson is reading is eye.

Growing up with undiagnosed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Matthew Anderson faced hurdles in school and didnt always get the extra push he needed to succeed.

He worked in the manufacturing industry after graduating high school on the east side of Indianapolis, then Anderson switched careers. He is now a tutor with Circle City Readers.

The program works with kindergarten through third grade students in Marion County who need additional help with reading skills. For Anderson, tutoring through Circle City Readers is fulfilling, as he remembers struggling with reading in school himself.

Give now: Make a difference with a donation to Season for Sharing

My attention was not there and a program like this would not have cured my ADHD, but it would've given me an extra opportunity to make a mistake and learn from that, said Anderson, who is now 51.

Circle City Readers had its initial pilot program in two schools in the spring then expanded into more schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools district, Warren Township and three charter schools.

Brooke Arnett-Holman taught as an elementary school teacher in Indianapolis for eight years before taking on the position of director of Circle City Readers, which is run through the City of Indianapolis.

Second-graders Keon Viverette, left to right, Daniela Nieves and Ivory Donson play a literacy game with tutor Grace Martin during a Circle City Readers tutoring session Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at Vision Academy at Riverside in Indianapolis. The students are hopping to count each syllable in a given word.

"It was there in the classroom I realized I needed to do more, Arnett-Holman said. The students I was seeing the last three or four years, it was obvious there was a need for extra help with reading."

The program was created with $1 million from the citys American Rescue Plan funds that were approved by the City-County Council last year. Indianas early literacy proficiency rates have lagged over the past three years since scores took a big hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but proficiency rates have been steadily falling for the past decade.

Previous coverage: Small-group reading tutoring coming to Indy area schools with goal of reaching 800 kids

Reading is fundamental, Arnett-Holman said. Knowing the adversity many of the students we serve are facing, it's personal to me. It's about empowering the youths to excel.

What is your organization's mission?

Beautiful Roberson, left, and Cadrea Adkins work with tutor Matthew Anderson during a Circle City Readers tutoring session Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at Vision Academy at Riverside in Indianapolis. The third-graders meet with Anderson three times a week to practice literacy skills.

Circle City Readers mission is to enhance the foundational literacy skills of students in kindergarten through third grade.

With the impact of COVID and other factors with student learning loss, we just wanted to adhere to those needs, Arnett-Holman said.

How many people do you serve?

Circle City Readers currently serves about 475 students with 34 tutors. The goal is to expand the program and hire more tutors so that 800 students can take part by the end of the school year.

What is your organizations No. 1 need?

Brooke Arnett-Holman, program director of Circle City Readers, poses for a portrait Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at Vision Academy at Riverside in Indianapolis, the school where she started her teaching career.

The program is hiring more tutors. The positions are paid and applicants should have a high school diploma. Training for new tutors is provided by Circle City Readers.

Tutors work 16 to 22 hours per week and are paid $22 an hour.

The program can also use donations of supplies, such as books, whiteboards and index cards, Arnett-Holman said.

How can people get involved?

Anyone interested in applying to become a tutor can send a resume and cover letter to brooke.arnett-holman@indy.gov. Those interested in making a donation of supplies to the program can also contact Arnett-Holman.

Make a difference with IndyStar: Give to Season for Sharing

Daniela Nieves waits to play a reading game during a Circle City Readers tutoring session Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at Vision Academy at Riverside in Indianapolis.

The shared mission of IndyStars Our Children initiative and annual Season for Sharing campaign is to harness the power of journalism to make a difference in the lives of Central Indiana youth.

Indianas third-grade reading assessment, known as IREAD-3, showed one in five Hoosier students  over 14,000 children  cannot read by the end of third grade. Thats why, with this years campaign, were focusing on the importance of reading as a foundation for lifelong success. Funds raised by this campaign will be awarded to initiatives promoting reading and literacy in Central Indiana.

Join us in giving at indystar.com/ocdonate. If you prefer to send a check, please mail it to: Central Indiana Community Foundation, Attn: Our Children, 615 N. Alabama St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46204. You can also text SHARING to 80888.

About Circle City Readers

Contact information: brooke.arnett-holman@indy.gov

Website: circlecityreaders.org

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Season for Sharing: Circle City Readers provides small-group tutoring
Ti-yanna Flores was on her way to work in July, wondering what was in store, when she stopped at the traffic light at 53rd Avenue in Bradenton.

Each day at the behavioral center, she was met with something new among the kids and young adults, from tantrums to sullenness, insults to racial slurs. And each time, she showered them back with love.

It was how shed won over the toughest cases, gaining their trust. She understood their pain, having once lived a version of it herself: childhood sexual abuse, extreme poverty and neglect.

They were lovable, she assured the kids. It was an idea shed only just started to believe about herself.

At 28, she had finally found stability  no longer homeless or running stubbornly from a better life. Leading to that day in traffic, she had been thinking about going back to college to further her training.

Ti-yanna looked up as the light turned green, and then seconds later felt the blow from an impact amid an explosion of metal and glass.

Worthy of love

Ti-yanna was five years old when she moved from New York City to Florida with her mother, entranced by all the stars she could see in the night sky. In this new life in St. Petersburg, surrounded by her mothers family, there were tons of cousins to play with and backyard fences to jump.

There also were her mothers drug parties, shed recall, and months without running water or electricity.

Florida was also where the sexual abuse began, by an older male relative on her mothers side, until Ti-yanna was the age of 8. After Ti-yanna told her father of the abuse, he and his parents called the police.

Life changed drastically with her paternal grandparents, who raised her from then on. Their two-story house in a gated Bradenton community with a swimming pool felt like a resort youd see on TV.

I loved it, shed say.

She had a room of her own for the first time. But it was the structure and affection she remembered the most.

Her grandmother  a schoolteacher formerly in the military  got her reading through audiobooks. Soon Ti-yanna was a bookworm, excelling at school.

Her grandfather, an engineer who came of age with the Civil Rights Movement, stressed education, awarding good grades with a Harry Potter set and her first telescope. There were family vacations, board games, and baking cookies from scratch.

After Ti-yanna aced the FCAT test, her grandpa granted her wish and the three of them flew to New York, getting dressed up to see "Wicked" on Broadway.

But inside Ti-yanna was suffering. A young girl of color  from a mixed heritage of Black, white, Puerto Rican and Native American  she struggled to fit in with the other school kids, most of whom were white.

She chemically straightened her hair. She overlooked racist comments from white boys  Youre pretty for a Black girl  and slights from white friends, who derided Black people in front of her, adding, because of her light skin, You dont count.

Mostly, she wrestled with the trauma of her past, which caused effects she couldnt name but usually manifested in anger. In junior high, she provoked fight after fight. On pills for anxiety and ADHD, she sat sullenly in the offices of therapists  old, white people she felt couldnt relate.

Expelled from three middle schools, she finally finished at Pace Center for Girls, where she learned to set goals for herself. Shed be a pediatric nurse, she thought  loving kids but fearing having any of her own because of her troubled childhood.

Those career goals changed the day she and other students in the Manatee High School Medical Academy did a shadowing tour of a hospital psych ward.

This is my tribe, she thought. This is the place for me.

By her senior year, though, rebelling against her protective grandparents, she left the academy. She went to live with her mother and graduated from St. Petersburgs Gibbs High School.

Days later, she learned she was pregnant and told her high school sweetheart. Instead of the dread shed once expected with motherhood, she was filled with love and joy. For the first time in her life, she felt she had value.

But weeks later, she suffered a miscarriage. Reeling with grief, she sensed under her sorrow a nagging belief that maybe she wasnt worthy of love after all.

Housing Crisis: Season of Sharing faces huge fundraising challenge amid historic need in Sarasota, Manatee

A promise

The years that followed were marked by moves between her grandparents home in Bradenton and apartments with friends and boyfriends as she worked retail jobs and took college classes.

By 2017, she was a mental health technician at a behavioral health facility for children and young teens. The job was a perfect fit. Many of the kids lashed out by insulting her, swearing or calling her names. But she understood the pain lurking underneath and responded with love, often through humor but always with respect.

The kids warmed to her, calling her Cousin Ti and Miss Ti.

She accompanied them through their daily activities and group therapy, where she learned a lot about herself and her own trauma  including, for the first time, about something called PTSD.

Around then, she became pregnant again  this time carrying the baby full term  and named the little girl Phoenix, after one of her favorite Harry Potter characters.

Heading into the pandemic, Ti-yanna worked for a family shelter as a behavioral tech with special-needs kids. But soon she and Phoenix also had to move into a shelter.

While subsidized childcare and her grandmas help kept her working, Ti-yanna struggled to find stable housing as rents soared. She bounced between moldy apartments and the homes of friends until, at last, she found a two-bedroom apartment for $1,100, which she could afford on her salary.

Im finally stable, she thought. After all the turmoil through the first years of her daughters life, she made a promise to both Phoenix and herself:

Im not going to lose this place.

A healing path: Season of Sharing helps Bradenton father in life of grief and growth

My therapy

That day in traffic in July, a car smashed into hers going more than 45 miles per hour.

Ti-yanna missed about a month of work while undergoing surgery on her face and back after the wreck and was forced to quit her job

She looked for other work while recovering from jaw surgery, but fell further behind in rent. She couldnt lose this place, not after what she and Phoenix had been through. Whats more, her rent was a great deal compared to what else was available during Sarasota-Manatee's housing crisis. And if she had to move, shed need thousands of dollars she did not have for deposits and move-in rents  even if she could find anything available.

Luckily, she was on great terms with her rental managers, who agreed to work with her. She just needed to get over this hump.

Caseworkers at JFCS of the Suncoast said they had something to help: Season of Sharing, which paid $2,000 to cover rent for part of September and all of October.

In October, Ti-yanna started a new job at a residential center for substance abuse. Right now she handles paperwork on the night shift, but she soon hopes to work with patients again.

Struggling with a bulging disc from the wreck, she is focused on her health but still plans to go back to school, dreaming of opening an outreach program to counsel and mentor teens and young adults.

Doing this kind of work is my therapy, she said. She knows she cant save all the kids shes tried to help. Some have returned to drugs, institutions or broken homes. But many have gone on to thrive.

Miss Ti, if it werent for you, I wouldnt be here, they say, some of them now in their 20s and marrying or starting a family.

Her own daughter also helps her to heal  forcing Ti-yanna out of her comfort zone, to feel safe with displays of physical affection. She knows a love she has not experienced before, both for Phoenix, now 5, and for herself. She is proud of all shes overcome, for never succumbing to a victim mentality.

If anything, she says, Im a victor.

How to help

You can donate to Season of Sharing by going to cfsarasota.org or calling 941-556-2399. You can also mail a check to Season of Sharing, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, 2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34237.

This story comes from a partnership between the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Saundra Amrhein covers the Season of Sharing campaign, along with issues surrounding housing, utilities, child care and transportation in the area. She can be reached at samrhein@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Season of Sharing helps mother who focuses on healing trauma
A second group of hostages released by Hamas amid its short-term truce with Israel are on their way to Egypt, according to an Israeli official.

The Israeli military said 17 hostages in total were released  including 13 Israeli and four Thai hostages.

The released hostages convoy is currently making its way through Egypt to the meeting point at Kerem Shalom, the official said. Security representatives will verify the list at the meeting point with the released hostages.

The families of the hostages are being updated by IDF representatives with the latest available information, they said.

Qatar and Egypt have served Israel and Hamas as key negotiators in the exchange amid the four-day pause in fighting.

The latest movement comes after the militant group delayed the release for hours, claiming Israel had violated the terms of the agreement. Hamas alleged Israel did not send the amount of aid into northern Gaza that it promised, and failed to release the right number of Palestinian prisoners in its first exchange on Friday.

We have been preparing to welcome our people home and accompany them and their families, the IDF posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, with a video showing their preparations. We remain determined to return all of our hostages home.

In the first release, Hamas freed about two dozen hostages taken captive. Among those freed were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.

Israel, in exchange, released 39 Palestinians from prison  a small fraction of the 150 expected to be released under the deal.

A Qatari delegation was sent to Israel on Saturday to ensure the deal continues to move smoothly, the Associated Press reported.

President Biden spoke with Qatar officials early on Saturday about the hostage deal and humanitarian pause in Gaza.

The leaders discussed hurdles to implementation of the deal and mechanisms for resolving those hurdles as soon as possible, the White House said in a statement. They agreed to remain in close contact to ensure the deal is fully implemented according to its terms.

Biden was asked by reporters during his Nantucket, Mass., trip about when more information on the hostage release will be released.

He replied, Hopefully well see something soon, per the pool report.

The IDF suggested the truce could be extended one day for every 10 additional hostages Hamas agrees to release.

Overall, Hamas agreed to release 50 of the more than 200 hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.

Despite the deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting until all of the hostages are returned.

Laura Kelly contributed reporting.

This story was updated at 5:47pm.

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Paddle boarders and kayakers look to beat the heat by getting out on the water on Lake Woodlands Tuesday, July 5, 2022 in The Woodlands. Temperatures reached into the high 90s, with highs forecast to reach into the100s into the weekend. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Rowers back up a colorful, dragon-themed boat, that weight up to 1,800-lbs during the YMCAs annual Dragon Boat Races at Northshore Park, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in The Woodlands. The popular team building event featured six different activities. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Georgie Mowbray, 20 months, plays with a new interactive light table at The Woodlands Christian Academy, Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in The Woodlands. The table, donated by The Woodlands Christian Academy, expands the organizations STEAM learning exhibits. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Triathletes wait to begin the swimming portion of the Texas Ironman triathlon at Northshore Park, Saturday, April 22, 2023, in The Woodlands. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Rower Devan Godfrey, 19, glides across the water as he works out on Lake Woodlands Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023 in The Woodlands. Godfrey recently won Men's Youth Singles division in the 2023 Head of the Charles Regatta. He also won youth national championship in June. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Christmas lights are seen at a home on Mystic Lake Circle, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, in The Woodlands. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Children play on a seesaw and other playground equipment at Northshore Park, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022, in The Woodlands. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Bird watchers John Black, Judy Black and Heather Wasaff make their way through the George Mitchell Nature Preserve to take part in the Great Texas Birding Classic, Saturday, April 29, 2023, in The Woodlands. The state-wide competition, divided into 14 categories spanning from a day to a week-long, brings together birdwatchers of all skill levels. More than 1,000 watchers participate in last years event from across the state and identified 425 species of birds. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A triathlete ride through around the water course staging area as preparations for Saturdays annual Ironman Texas triathlon continues at Northshore Park, Thursday, April 20, 2023, in The Woodlands. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Abu Azimuth laughs after dodging a ball while playing dodgeball during the YMCAs annual Dragon Boat Races at Northshore Park, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in The Woodlands. The popular team building event featured six different activities, culminating in teams racing the colorful boats that weight up to 1,800-lbs. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Stan Lee with Trek of The Woodlands cleans McCullough Junior High School teacher Margaret Kerrs bike as she stops at Northshore Park on her way to work, Friday, May 19, 2023, in The Woodlands. The Woodlands held its Bike to Work Day as part of National Bike Month, while continuing efforts to expand recreational pathways and transit options. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Jacob Anderson, right, watches his 18-month-old daughter, Ellie, play with a new interactive light table at The Woodlands Christian Academy, Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in The Woodlands. The table, donated by The Woodlands Christian Academy, expands the organizations STEAM learning exhibits. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

Named after an actual creek that runs through The Woodlands' second-oldest village, much of life in Panther Creek is centered around water.

Panther Creek hosts the Panther branch of Spring Creek, two parks on Lake Woodlands and several neighborhoods with scenic views of the lake.

As The Woodlands' second-oldest village, it's home to some of the most diverse homebuying options in The Woodlands, resident and local realtor Emily Braud said. Braud, who is a member of the Panther Creek Village Association, said the village is also facing a revamp as it changes hands from one generation to the next.

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"We are seeing original owners move out, downsizing or moving on to a retirement community," Braud said. "So I guess Panther Creek is on the way to becoming younger. It's kind of at the edge of a little bit of change."

Here are five things to know about the centrally-located village:

ALSO SEE: Lighting of the Doves festival brightens holiday season in The Woodlands

Overview

Panther Creek is home to more than 13,500 people and around 5,000 homes. From November 2022 to November 2023, 136 home sales closed in the village, ranging in price from $215,000 to $3.7 million, Braud said.

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The village is bordered by Lake Woodlands and Grogan's Mill to the east, Indian Springs to the west, the George Mitchell Preserve to the south and Cochran's Crossing to the north.

Glen Loch and Sally K. Ride Elementary and The Woodlands' second-oldest school, McCullough Junior High, are located in the village. Panther Creek students may be zoned to Collins Intermediate, Wilkerson Intermediate, Knox Junior High and College Park High School.

Neighborhoods

The Cove, West Isle and Windward Cove are top lakefront neighborhoods, while homes near Wedgewood Park are also in high demand, Braud said.

Braud said homes bought in the last year ranged from 1,000 to 10,000 square feet. Most homes were built in the 1970s and 1980s and range from unique Lifeforms "Tree Houses" with second-story entrances to more updated white brick homes.

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"We are seeing a lot of painted brick," Braud said. "We have mid-century modern, more modern clean lines. We have traditional, we have Victorian, and we were the first village to get the Lifeforms 'Tree Houses.'"

The village offers housing options for all life stages, from upscale living on the lake to starter homes in South Panther Creek, apartments and retirement communities. Like much of The Woodlands, trails connect the village's neighborhoods, and many kids walk to school, Braud said.

"Everything is connected by trails, and I feel safe sending my children out to go to a friend's house because they have a safe way of getting there," Braud said.

Amenities

Panther Creek is home to two of The Woodlands' largest lakeside parks. Southshore Park boasts an island with an observation tower overlooking Lake Woodlands and "The Rise of the Midgard Serpent," a 35-foot-long dragon sculpture that greets passerby from the water along Woodlands Parkway.

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One of The Woodlands' most popular meeting places, Northshore Park, serves as the site of the Riva Row Boat House and rowing club, an outdoor concert venue, and the launching point for the annual Dragon Boat Race and Ironman Texas. Panther Creek has 13 parks, two swimming pools and several neighborhood ponds. It's also home to part of the 1,700 acre George Mitchell Preserve.

The village hosts The Woodlands' first standalone village center, which served as a prototype for future village centers. The village center hosts The Woodlands Children's Museum, shops, and restaurants Sapporo Izakaya, Los Cucos Mexican Cafe and the original Crust Pizza. Resident and local realtor Greg Welch, who regularly walks to the village center, said Republic Grille is among the best hangouts in the area.

Residents can grab coffee and breakfast at Brooklyn Cafe and Conduit Coffee, order pizza to-go at Pizza Tonight or enjoy Vietnamese food at Lucky Cafe. The village is also home to one of The Woodlands' longest-running businesses, The Candy House.

Pros and cons

Amenities in The Woodlands' other villages and Town Center are often within walking distance of Panther Creek, Braud said, while I-45 remains close by.

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Welch often works with investors. But unlike developments in Grogan's Mill, most investors are looking to flip an older home into rentals rather than tearing down and rebuilding a high-end new home. As a result, the neighborhood can be accessible for renters and young homebuyers, Welch said.

"The neighborhood that I'm in, in South Panther Creek is predominantly a renters' neighborhood," Welch said. "I don't really see a lot of (demolitions,) just really seeing investors just utilizing what's already there."

Welch does see many homebuyers come in from more expensive states to buy homes in cash, however.

"It does make it more competitive for first time homebuyers, but it's still realistic," Welch said.

One 65,000-square foot hole in the village is its lack of a grocery store, Braud said. The village center lost its anchor, Randalls, in Feb. 2020 and hasn't found a replacement since.

ALSO SEE: Montgomery County families celebrate National Adoption Day as 15 children find new homes

Future developments

With just 2.5 percent of land left for future commerical development, much of The Woodlands is built out. That's especially the case for Panther Creek, Braud said.

"It's a bit more fitting with George Mitchell's original vision of The Woodlands," Braud said. "It's feeling like you're living in the middle of a forest, but yet you're in the middle of a bustling town."

While it won't be located in Panther Creek, Howard Hughes has announced a new development on the last available residential sites on Lake Woodlands. The new Ritz Carlton condominiums will include a restaurant with a Michelin-awarded chef and include 111 condominiums available for purchase.

While lakefront views may change, the heart of Panther Creek should remain the forested hideaway that reminds Welch of his childhood.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy on Sunday said he was open to placing conditions on any aid to Israel, with the aim of reducing civilian casualties in Gaza.

The Connecticut Democrat, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNNs Dana Bash on State of the Union that as lawmakers return to the Capitol Monday with the elusive goal of passing aid to Israel and Ukraine, they will discuss how to structure aid to Israel so it is used in line with human rights laws. His comments, on the third day of the truce between Israel and Hamas, come as other lawmakers  on both sides of the aisle  either didnt rule out the idea of conditions on aid or underscored concern about minimizing civilian Palestinian casualties.

We regularly condition our aid to allies based upon compliance with US law and international law. And, so, I think its very consistent with the ways in which we have dispensed aid, especially during wartime, to allies, for us to talk about making sure that the aid we give Ukraine or the aid we give Israel is used in accordance with human rights laws, Murphy said. And thatll be a conversation we will all be engaged in when we get back to Washington on Monday.

Murphy has previously called on Israel to try to further reduce civilian casualties and to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, where more than 14,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry there, in the wake of Hamas brutal cross-border assault on Israel on October 7.

I do believe that the level of civilian harm inside Gaza has been unacceptable and is unsustainable, he said. I think theres both a moral cost to this many civilians, innocent civilians, children often, losing their life, but I think theres (also) a strategic cost. Ultimately, Hamas will get stronger, not weaker, in the long run if all of this civilian death allows them to recruit more effectively and ably inside Gaza.

But Murphy also said that Israel has a moral obligation to continue fighting Hamas following the temporary four-day truce between Hamas and Israel, which is now in its third day.

Hopefully, Hamas will accept the conditions that have been laid down that will allow for more hostages to be released. But if they dont, ultimately Hamas is going to be defeated, added Murphy. Thats in Israels interest, but its also in the interest of the United States. We do not want terrorist organizations believing they can get away with the kind of murder that Hamas did on October 7.

The Biden administration has pleaded with lawmakers to come together to pass aid for Ukraine and Israel, but disputes over supporting Ukraine  and now over immigration policy  have marred the talks.

Some progressives have proposed adding strict restrictions on aid, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, who released an extensive list of proposed demands for the Israeli government to receive US aid, including an end to the indiscriminate bombing, a right of displaced Gazans to return to their homes, a freeze on settlement expansion in the West Bank and no long-term occupation of Gaza by Israeli forces, as well as a commitment to engage in peace talks for a two-state solution in the wake of the war.

Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet indicated to CBS in an interview Sunday that he is open to supporting conditions on aid to Israel. I havent so far, but I think thats a debate were going to have in the coming days, the Colorado senator, who services on the Intelligence Committee, said on Face the Nation.

House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican, told NBC Sunday that while he wouldnt propose placing conditions on aid to Israel aimed at lessening civilian casualties in Gaza, it is already the policy of the US and Israel.

I think the White House has been clear, and I think US policy has been clear, of lessening the Palestinian casualties that are not Hamas, Turner said on Meet the Press, adding that Israel has issued warnings to civilians about which areas will be targeted. I wouldnt propose it, but I think it does accurately reflect US policy.

Murphy on Sunday also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus previous policies toward Palestinians, saying, Benjamin Netanyahu believed that you could ignore the Palestinians, that you could try to squash their desires for a state and, ultimately, that would bring peace to the region into Israel. Thats just not the case.

He continued, Ultimately, the next government is going to have to put us back on a path to have a Palestinian state. Thats not easy, but it is the only way forward for Israel, is the only way forward for long-term peace.

CNNs Lauren Fox and Manu Raju contributed to this report.

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Most parents who took part in a survey said they felt schools in Norfolk did not meet special educational needs

A survey has found that most parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Norfolk do not feel their requirements have been identified.

Almost half said they were not happy with how they had been supported by social services.

More than 500 parents and carers took part in the survey.

The county council said it had hired more staff to boost children's support and it was building more SEND schools.

The survey showed 62% of those who answered questions said they did not think their child's needs had been identified, while 48% said they were not happy with the support they had received from social care or early help services.

'Parents are desperate'

Pat Brickley, joint chair of the Norfolk SEN Network, which supports parents, said she was not surprised by the results.

"Parents are desperate, to be honest. They're desperate to get the right provision, and they're going to people who they think should be helping them and they're not getting that help."

She also noted that the number of people taking part in the survey had fallen from the previous year, suggesting that families were "disillusioned" with the support they received.

Gary Olive's son has been out of school for almost three months

Gary Olive is one parent who said he had become disillusioned with the system. His 11-year-old son, Samuel, is autistic.

Samuel struggled in a mainstream school, so the council paid for a place for him at the private Steiner School in Norwich.

In September, the school said it was no longer appropriate for Samuel to study there. Since then, Samuel has been home-schooled.

Mr Olive wants his son back in lessons, but said support from the council had so far been "totally inadequate".

He added: "The length of time it takes to get this through the system is weeks and months. It's time-critical - three months down the line and we're no further forward."

The Steiner School said it could not comment on Samuel's case.

Councillor Penny Carpenter said the council would use the survey to "inform" how it develops its services

Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for children's services at the Conservative-controlled county council, said the authority worked as quickly as it could to find alternatives for children.

Responding to the survey results, she said the council was investing a further 100m in SEND provision and that she sympathised with parents.

"The feedback from the latest survey will help to inform how we develop services further over the next year," she said.

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Seven DCPS schools were among dozens in Florida to be designated by the state as Purple Star Schools of Distinction.

This distinction recognizes schools who provide tremendous support to military families.

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Alimacani Elementary School

Chimney Lakes Elementary School

Duncan U. Fletcher High School

James Weldon Johnson College Preparatory Middle School

Oceanway Elementary School

Venetia Elementary School of the Medical Arts

Waterleaf Elementary School

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Nearly 70 residents of Alexandria, St. Albans Township, Granville and Granville Township filled the Licking County Planning Commission meeting room Nov. 20 in downtown Newark to voice concerns about The Shelly Co.'s proposals for asphalt and concrete mixing facilities along Raccoon Creek near Alexandria. They're concerned about potential water pollution from industrial operations along the creek.

Minutes from the end of a meeting that dragged across nearly four hours and two intermissions, most folks in the packed room finally heard the Licking County Planning Commission roll-call vote they had come to witness.

The commission members voted unanimously to reject an appeal by Shelly Materials and Scioto Materials, affiliates of The Shelly Co., for a permit to develop a site near Alexandria where the company would like to operate concrete- and asphalt-mixing facilities.

Nearly 70 people who filled the basement meeting hall before the start of the 7 p.m. meeting  most from Alexandria, St. Albans Township, Granville and Granville Township  erupted in cheers and applause after 10:30 p.m., when the roll-call vote was completed.

Thank you, Planning Commission! someone in the audience shouted over the applause.

That was worth the wait, said Granville Mayor Melissa Hartfield, who was among the Granville-area residents who spoke to the commission during the public comment period early in the meeting at the Donald D. Hill County Administration Building in downtown Newark.

One after another, residents of the villages and townships pleaded with the commission to reject the appeal by The Shelly Co., whose affiliates applied for a permit to develop in the Raccoon Creek flood plain. The commission denied that permit in June, saying the companys proposed construction would not be permitted in the floodplain under Federal Emergency Management Agency rules.

You made the right decision the first time by denying this permit, Hartfield said early in the meeting. She joined residents of the villages and townships in speaking out during the past year as three different companies proposed two asphalt plants and three concrete-mixing plants near Raccoon Creek and the village of Alexandria.

Granville draws its drinking water from wells in an aquifer that is recharged in part by Raccoon Creek, and that water source serves the 5,700 residents of Granville and the nearly 500 residents of Alexandria.

She said that industrial operations using petroleum products in the floodplain threatens not only the village water supply but also the many people in the area who rely on their own wells for water.

Among them is Marcus Marter, an Alexandria resident who held up a clear water bottle as he spoke to the commission.

This water came out of the ground under my house, he said. I love this water. It keeps me alive.  My friends, my community; were fighting for our lifeblood.

Stephanie Taylor, an Alexandria resident and a leader in the grassroots group Clean Air and Water for Alexandria and St. Albans Township, said, Its our drinking water. Its a bad place to put an asphalt plant. Anything that falls on that ground goes straight into the aquifer.

But in the end, Planning Commission Chairman Randall Bishop said the board motion to reject The Shelly Co.'s appeal was not based on the proposed use of the property, but on whether any development activities on the site owned by James Geiger of Alexandria could be permitted within the floodplain.

Aaron Underhill, of Underhill & Hodge in New Albany, is the attorney for The Shelly Co., who argued the commission should approve the appeal and grant the permit because sand and gravel mining has happened on that property since at least 1951, and the mining and related proposed activities, such as mixing concrete and asphalt, are grandfathered under current regulations.

He argued, for those reasons, The Shelly Co. didnt need a permit, but it applied for one to cover its bases.

And he said the land where the company would put the asphalt and concrete plants isnt really in the floodplain, so therefore floodplain regulations dont apply. Underhill presented an expert witness, Glenn Heistand, a former Pataskala resident who is section head of the coordinated hazard assessment and mapping program and a water resources engineer at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.

Heistand said he studied the Geiger property and is preparing a request to FEMA to change the floodplain map to reflect his findings that the land where The Shelly Co. wants to operate concrete and asphalt plants is not in the floodplain, and that once filed, it could take FEMA up to a year to decide.

Underhill told the planning commission that The Shelly Co. appealed without having FEMA approval for the map change because it wants to move forward sooner than later with its business. And he said repeatedly that the company really didnt need a permit and could do whatever it wants to do on the property because it is grandfathered into modern regulations.

Licking County Planning Manager Brad Mercer explains Nov. 20 to the planning commission that The Shelly Co.'s proposed development activities in the Raccoon Creek floodplain would violate Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations.

But Brad Mercer, planning manager for the Licking County Planning and Development office, repeatedly told the commission that FEMA regulations do not allow for grandfathering such activities in the floodplain and that a permit is required.

The commission members agreed. And chairman Bishop noted that if the commission approved such an appeal, it would put the countys flood-insurance program in jeopardy.

Underhill said, We disagree, but respect the decision and (will) figure out where we go from here.

When asked if Shelly Materials intends to honor the St. Albans Comprehensive Plan and relocate the asphalt plant to a manufacturing district, he said Shelly Materials has rights on the property. They or their predecessors have been there for decades upon decades. In fact, part of the property had an M1 (manufacturing) designation at one point. You can argue whether it applies or not anymore. Theyve repealed that part of the code, but the zoning map still shows M1. So there are a lot of nuances in all this, not only in the floodplain side but on the zoning side.

After the vote to reject the appeal, a relieved Elaine Ashbrook Robertson, one of the leaders of Clean Air and Water for Alexandria and St. Albans Township, said, Weve got another day.

And she added that water quality and availability remain significant concerns for area residents as New Albany seeks additional sources of water  in Licking County and beyond  for future phases of the $20 billion Intel computer-chip manufacturing campus being built in western Licking County.

Im super concerned, she said. It all comes down to water.

Alan Miller writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of the Denison University Journalism Program, which is funded in part by the Mellon Foundation and donations from readers.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Licking County rejects The Shelly Co.'s asphalt, concrete plant appeal
Peter Moruzzis Nov. 12 opinion column brought up many significant points that reflect the current temporary placement of the Forever Marilyn statue. As a business owner in Palm Springs, I pass by the statue several times a week and it is indeed very popular, which is great for Palm Springs.

However, there are significant issues of safety every time I pass that intersection. Belardo Road is a narrow road that is shared by cars, cyclists and pedestrians. It is a heavily trafficked street and the interaction of those three causes chaos. People trying to reach the statue makes that intersection even more chaotic and unsafe. Additionally, the lack of parking makes it a difficult experience for our citys visitors hoping to enjoy the statue.

It should be placed in an area where people can easily walk around the statue. It is currently squished in between fences on both sides of a narrow street and Ive seen it overly packed with people squeezing in to take a photograph. Due to its popularity, Marilyn has simply outgrown her current temporary location. Im certain that the city and PS Resorts can do justice to a very popular tourist attraction and find a more suitable location so that it can be enjoyed in a safe area with some breathing room around it for all to enjoy.Michael Stern, Palm Springs

Palm Springs road construction continues to baffle me

On so many different streets in Palm Springs in the last month or months, there are reduced lanes, work ahead signs, construction workers, big trucks and equipment, etc. Yet I don't remember any statement by the City of Palm Springs to the public regarding this activity.

Like what is the construction about and how long will this last? No one that I know who I have talked to knows what is going on. I called the city and Riverside County and the best information (from the city) was to go online and check for closed streets and see if any roadway I was planning to use was open to traffic. I watch local news daily and I read The Desert Sun every day and I have yet to see or read any story about local road work going on. This is a big disservice to local citizens using local roads. In the past, The Desert Sun had a reporter who wrote a column frequently about local happenings in cities and planned and ongoing work being done on area roads. It would be nice to have that very informative column revived!

Ronald Zimmerman, Palm Springs

Not all politicians are turkeys

The Desert Sun opinion cartoon Nov. 19 illustrated the U.S. Capitol and grounds as a "turkey farm with turkeys all around and on top of the building. Very clever and almost correct, except the "turkey farm" should be the GOP Turkey Farm. Republicans in Congress are playing games with us, and it is dangerous and almost evil.

At a well-attended Democrats of the Desert event recently in Cathedral City, Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-25th) said something to the effect that many Republicans he works with in Congress are putting politics above people. Ruiz is popular, smart, compassionate, and works every day for his constituents' betterment. He appeared with Will Rollins, a Democratic congressional candidate in District 41, who echoed Ruiz's urgent pleas that Congress must always put people first over politics. Ruiz is not some right-wing narcissist turkey working for his own ego, as many GOPers are doing. He deserves to be reelected in 2024. Rollins is a very intelligent, eager, also compassionate guy who believes in inclusion and working for a just and progressive Congress, not for ego and recognition. He is no turkey. He deserves to be sent to Congress in 2024 from Congressional District 41.Rob Westwood, Rancho Mirage

Why the hate?

Why is there so much hate spreading around the world? Why have hate groups been tolerated and even encouraged in our country? Why is there so much antisemitism in the U.S.?

Jews are no different from other folks. They have gangsters and diplomats, they have gamblers and chief executive officers, they have religious people and agnostics. But Jews have given us much to be proud of: Albert Einstein, philanthropist Walter Annenberg, Sandy Koufax, cellist Itzhak Perlman, George Gershwin, Groucho Marx, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall, and Moses who gave us the Ten Commandments.

We may not like some things that Israel is doing, but Israel doesnt represent Jews in other lands. Israel was founded in 1948 as a haven for survivors of the Holocaust and those persecuted in Europe. It is a tiny country with neighbors, funded by Iran, who want them gone or dead. Its tough to be peaceful and compassionate when rockets are continuously being fired at you.

Its OK to be critical of Israel, but not to hate Jews as a group. We need to be tolerant and respectful of all peace-loving people and to teach our children that hate is the problem, not the answer.

David Levine, Palm Springs

Where's the outrage?

The 2023/24 Congress is comprised of 469 Christians, 33 Jews, three Muslims and others and totals 535 members. The degree of antisemitism here and around the world has not been addressed adequately by our Democrat Congressional leaders until the peaceful rally in Washington, D.C. Nov. 14. Finally Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish, spoke out as did Hakeem Jeffries. But why were those same leaders and others in Congress silent during the violent pro-Palestinian rallies where participants were ranting about stopping the purported "genocide" by Israel? It's Hamas calling for the death of all Jews worldwide not the Israelis calling for the death of all Palestinians. The barbaric attacks on Israel by Hamas show the soulless beings for who they are and I can't believe the Israeli response is in question.

Ellan Batavick, La Quinta

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: She's too popular  'Marilyn' has simply outgrown her location
Some shipping operators are being warned their licences could soon expire

Passenger and cargo ship operators in Alderney and Sark are being urged to check their shipping licences.

The Office of Guernsey's Lieutenant-Governor, the licensing authority, said the licences of nine operators, covering 17 vessels, were due to expire at the end of this year.

It has advised all operators to apply to renew them now if necessary.

By law, almost all passenger and cargo shipping services to and from Alderney and Sark must have a current licence.

Secretary to the Lieutenant-Governor Major Marco Ciotti said: "Some of the licences that operators currently hold will expire on 31 December, so now is the time to check your licence and see if you need to apply for a new one.

"It is a simple process and there is no charge involved."

Follow BBC Guernsey on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
Russia has stolen and exported $1 billion worth of Ukrainian grain on world commodities markets, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Nov. 24 at a grain market forum in Kyiv.

"The occupiers have prepared technical means to steal and take away 12,000 tons of grain from the captured territories every day."

Kyiv has lost operational control over large swathes of farmlands in southern and eastern Ukraine.

"They succeeded only partially, because the heroic resistance of the Ukrainians forced the enemy to retreat. But the volume of stolen goods is impressive - it is millions of tons of grain worth about 1 billion dollars. Russia's robbery of Ukraine continues even now.

This year, Ukraine is expected to harvest 79 million tons of grain which is 10% more than last year. About 25% of grain production is consumed domestically while the rest is earmarked for export.

To date, 30 countries and international organisations have joined the Grain from Ukraine programme initiated by the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, raising 180 million dollars to buy Ukrainian grain. We have sent 170,000 tonnes of food to Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. We are about to send another 25,000 tonnes to Nigeria."

Read also: Duda: Grain dispute will not disrupt good relations between Poland, Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Two men died after gunfire broke out early Sunday during a fight outside the Sacto By Night Lounge in south Sacramento, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office.

Patrons were leaving the club and bar at 7151 Governors Circle about 1:45 a.m. when a group of people got into a fight, sheriffs spokesman Sgt. Amar Ghandi said.

Deputies went to the scene in the Parkway neighborhood and began life-saving measures for the men, Gandhi said. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Witness said a white vehicle fled from the area, according to Gandhi. California Highway Patrol officers found the vehicle and detained four people inside, Gandhi said.

Its unclear if these people were related to the homicide, with deputies continuing to question them, Gandhi reported.
For many, the holiday season is a time to come together and share, celebrate with family and friends, and fill our stomachs and hearts with abundance.

Yet for far too many families in Southwest Florida, the holidays are a time of doubt, sadness and fear. While others celebrate the season surrounded by food, thousands of families in our community worry about where their next meal is coming from.

Harry Chapin Food Bank, the largest hunger-relief organization and only Feeding America member in Southwest Florida, feeds more than 250,000 people a month through a variety of food distribution programs.

At Harry Chapin Food Bank, we know that food insecurity is the foremost concern in Southwest Florida, with thousands upon thousands of families in need of healthy and nutritious food options all year long. We also know that the holidays can be especially challenging for families struggling to put food on the table.

Stuart Haniff

The harsh reality is that one in eight adults and one in six children in Southwest Florida are food insecure or lack regular access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.

For 40 years, Harry Chapin Food Bank has been here to help community members most in need. As the largest hunger-relief organization and only Feeding America member in Southwest Florida, we are proactively working to ensure hunger-free holidays

It is our sincere belief that no one should ever go hungry, and this holiday season were taking a variety of steps to ensure our neighbors in need have continuous access to fresh, nutritious and festive food.

Harry Chapin Food Bank would not be able to fulfill its mission of hunger-free holidays without the support of our 170 partner agencies throughout Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. By working with our partners, were distributing thousands of holiday boxes to families who are hungry, ensuring they have everything they need  including a centerpiece protein and all the fixings  to make their holiday special.

Were also giving community members the opportunity to shop for themselves, deploying our Fresh Force Mobile Grocery Experience to our rural underserved communities. This innovative grocery experience on wheels empowers community members with the opportunity to select fresh produce, canned and dry goods, frozen meats, breads and grains.

These collaborations allow us to work toward our mission of ending hunger in Southwest Florida, but we cant do it alone.

Far too often, our neighbors who are food insecure suffer in silence, exist in the shadows and go to sleep at night with empty stomachs and low spirits. Were confident that, together, we can make a monumental difference.

In this time of giving, we ask for our communitys support to help us combat food insecurity in Southwest Florida. From food drives to packing events, Harry Chapin Food Bank offers community members a variety of ways to support our mission of ending hunger. Moreover, a contribution of as little as $1 has a tremendous impact, providing enough food for two healthy meals.

This holiday season, remember those one in eight adults and one in six children. You may not see them, but you can help provide their next meal, filling not just their stomachs but their hearts.

We are dedicated to feeding our community and know that each of us has the power to make a difference. We also know that, working together, we can bring about a transformation. As we celebrate this season, please remember to show your thanks by giving.

To join Harry Chapin Food Bank in our mission for a hunger-free holiday, visit harrychapinfoodbank.org.

Stuart Haniff is the chief development officer at Harry Chapin Food Bank, the largest hunger-relief organization in Southwest Florida.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Show your thanks by giving back this holiday season
Streets in Freetown were largely deserted on Sunday after a curfew was declared

Sierra Leone's night-time curfew imposed after armed men freed prison inmates has been lifted for now.

Detainees from a number of "major" facilities were released on Sunday morning, said the West African nation's information minister.

President Julius Maada Bio later said most of the leaders behind the attack had been arrested.

In a televised address, he described the events as a "breach of security" and an attack on democracy.

He carefully avoided calling them an attempted coup.

He said calm had been restored but gave no details about who the perpetrators were or what they wanted.

There will be a new nine-hour night-time curfew beginning at 21:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Monday, the information ministry says.

The political situation in Sierra Leone has remained tense since June, when President Bio was re-elected - narrowly missing out on the need to have a run-off.

International observers have condemned inconsistencies and a lack of transparency in the count, as well as acts of violence and intimidation.

After the attack, the Ministry of Information declared an immediate curfew, which was due to be lifted at 06:00 (GMT) on Monday. Residents across the country were "strongly" recommended to stay indoors and flights to and from the nation's only international airport have been cancelled.

On Sunday morning, the BBC witnessed soldiers in Freetown carrying heavy weaponry in a seized police vehicle and saw others chanting that they planned to "clean Sierra Leone".

It is unclear exactly how many prisoners were released but videos shared on social media show several people fleeing from the area of Freetown's Central Pademba Road prison.

One video appeared to show popular rapper Boss LAJ, who was imprisoned last year on robbery charges, running free.

The BBC has not been able to authenticate these videos.

In August, a number of soldiers were arrested and accused of plotting a coup against the president.

Eight countries in West and Central Africa are under military rule after a series of coups, including in neighbouring Guinea.

The US, European Union, UK and regional block Ecowas have released statements strongly condemning Sunday's violence.

Military police set up roadblocks following the attack
Claire Hao is a Hearst Fellow for the Houston Chronicle's business desk, where she is starting by covering electricity, renewable energy and the Texas power grid. She also spends one day a week covering breaking and trending news.

Claire spent her first-year fellowship rotation on the climate and environment team of The San Francisco Chronicle. She has previously interned on the news desks of Bloomberg Law and The Chicago Tribune as well as on the editorial board of The Washington Post.

She is a 2022 graduate of the University of Michigan, where she was the 2021 editor-in-chief of her college paper The Michigan Daily.
Russians are studying the new drones, resembling their own Shahed UAVs, that attacked them at night and on the morning of 26 November.

Source: Russian Telegram channel Mash

Quote: "According to one version, Ukraines Armed Forces attacked Tula with flying wing-type drones, which is why they are similar to the infamous Russian Geran UAVs [the name used for Shaheds by the Russians  ed.].

Experts are now finding out what this device is."

Details: The Russians report that it has been discovered that these UAVs have nothing to do with the UJ-22 and the Bober UAVs.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported that four more drones were shot down in the morning over the territory of the Bryansk, Smolensk and Tula oblasts, right after the night attack.

Thus, the number of the drones allegedly downed by the Russians has reached 24, as reported by the Russian authorities.

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Palestinians check the damage in a street in the aftermath of an Israeli raid in Jenin

Palestinians check the damage in a street in the aftermath of an Israeli raid in Jenin

JENIN, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians, including two minors and at least one gunman, in the occupied West Bank late on Saturday and early Sunday, medics and local sources said.

The West Bank, among territories where Palestinians seek statehood, has experienced a surge in violence parallel to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, now in its eighth week.

Five of the overnight deaths occurred in the city of Jenin, which the Israeli military said it raided to detain a Palestinian wanted for alleged involvement in a lethal West Bank ambush in August as well as 20 other suspects.

During the raid, Israeli forces "engaged with armed terrorists and killed five of them", the military said in a statement.

The Jenin Brigades, a local armed group, said its fighters battled the Israeli troops. It did not immediately provide details on any casualties, but local witnesses said at least one of the Palestinians killed in Jenin was a known Brigades member.

The WAFA official Palestinian news agency said that Israeli forces stormed Jenin "from several directions, firing bullets and surrounding government hospitals and the headquarters of the Red Crescent Society".

A sixth Palestinian fatality was in Yatma, a village near Nablus city, and another was near a Jewish settlement outside the West Bank town of El Bireh, Palestinian officials said. There was no immediate comment from Israel on those incidents.

Six other Palestinians were injured during the shooting in Jenin, the Palestinian health ministry said. The Israeli military said one of its aircraft had attacked a group of gunmen, wounding several of them.

A number of Palestinian factions called for a strike in Jenin on Sunday to "mourn the souls of the martyrs", the WAFA said.

About 200 West Bank Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that triggered the Gaza war, according to United Nations figures. Four Israelis have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank in the same period, the figures show.

(Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Moaz Abd-Alaziz; Writing by Adam Makary; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Edmund Klamann and David Goodman)
Adverse weather in Odesa Oblast caused power loss in 131 towns and villages as of noon on Nov. 26, according to the regional branch of the private energy company DTEK.



Snowstorms also forced an emergency shutdown at one of Odesa's high-voltage substations, leaving 14,000 customers in the city's Kyiv District without electricity.



Maintenance personnel are trying to restore power to critical infrastructure, DTEK said.

Emergency services in Odesa Oblast conducted 59 missions, as 121 cars, five buses and five ambulances were dug out from the snow, using 48 vehicles and 157 workers, according to a report by the State Emergency of Ukraine.



Big parts of Ukraine are under heavy weather warning, with wind gusts up to 30 meters per second and blizzard conditions or heavy snowfall expected on Nov. 27.



The weather hit on the same weekend that Russia attacked the country with 75 Shahed drones. Ukraine's Air Force reported shooting down 74 of them.

Read also: Russia launches record number of drones against Ukraine on Holodomor Memorial Day

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Severe weather conditions have caused power outages across 386 settlements in 10 Ukrainian regions, including Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kirovohrad oblasts, the State Emergency Service reported on Nov. 26, citing the state grid operator Ukrenergo.

Emergency services in Odesa Oblast conducted 62 missions, as 145 cars, six buses and five ambulances were dug out from the snow. Also, traffic along the M15 highway is currently prohibited, according to the report.

Snowstorms also forced an emergency shutdown of the major heating plants in Odesa, a local municipal enterprise reported.

"Once stable power supply is restored, the heating process will be resumed immediately," the enterprise wrote on Facebook.

Earlier in the day, a regional branch of the private energy company DTEK said adverse weather in Odesa Oblast caused power loss in 131 towns and villages.

Severe weather conditions in Odesa Oblast caused blackouts in the region and forced the authorities to shut down a highway on Nov. 26, 2023. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

State Emergency Service also said 27 missions were conducted in Kirovohrad Oblast and 18 in Mykolaiv Oblast.

"Overall, across the entire territory of Ukraine, nearly 500 people, as well as 131 units of firefighting and other specialized equipment, are currently working under the State Emergency Service to eliminate the consequences of the bad weather and assist the population," reads the report.

Large parts of Ukraine are under a severe weather warning, with wind gusts of up to 30 meters per second and blizzard conditions or heavy snowfall expected on Nov. 27.

The bad weather hit Ukraine on the same weekend that Russia attacked the country with 75 Shahed drones. Ukraine's Air Force reported shooting down 74 of them.

Read also: Russia launches record number of drones against Ukraine on Holodomor Memorial Day

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Rain associated with low pressure tracking across the lower Great Lakes overspread the state Sunday. Snow is falling on the cold side of the storm across portions of Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

A cold front will sweep through the region tonight, changing lingering showers to flurries overnight and Monday morning, borne on gusty northwesterly winds. Little or no accumulation is expected in central Ohio, but lake-effect will bring several inches of snow to extreme northeast Ohio later Monday and Tuesday.

When could we expect our first snow in Columbus this season

The beginning of the week will bring a taste of winter, as wind chills fall into the teens or even lower. Afternoon readings will hover near freezing and morning temperatures will plunge into the low 20s.

On Tuesday, a cold Canadian high-pressure system drops southeast, with winds slowly relaxing, and longer periods of sunshine.

Winds will increase from the southwest on Wednesday ahead of low pressure passing over the northern Lakes, but little moisture will accompany the system.

The weather will moderate to seasonal levels later in the week. The next chance for rain showers will come on Friday with a storm system traveling east from the central Plains to the Great Lakes.

Forecast

Tonight: Showers linger, windy, flurries late. Low 30

Monday: Mainly cloudy, windy, colder, stray flurry. High 34

Tuesday: Partly cloudy, cold. High 32 (22)

Wednesday: Mix clouds, sun, breezy. High 45 (22)

Thursday: Partly sunny, breezy, milder. High 50 (28)

Friday: Showers. High 51 (41)

Saturday: Clearing, seasonable. High 49 (38)

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) -China, Japan and South Korea agreed on Sunday to restart cooperation and pave the way for a summit in the latest move to ease tensions between the Asian neighbours.

Even as China and the United States seek to mend frayed ties, including a summit this month between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, Beijing is concerned that Washington and its key regional allies are strengthening their three-way partnership.

Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo had agreed on annual summits from 2008 to bolster diplomatic and economic exchanges, but two-way rows and the COVID pandemic interrupted the plan, with the three leaders last meeting in 2019.

The three foreign ministers met in the South Korean port of Busan for their first such meeting since 2019, after officials of the three countries agreed in September to arrange a trilateral summit at the "earliest convenient time".

The three ministers did not specify a timeframe for the summit.

China's Xi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol may not be able to meet this year, but their summit is likely in the near future, South Korea's national security adviser, Cho Tae-yong, told Yonhap news TV.

The ministers agreed in their 100-minute talks to advance cooperation in six areas, including security, economy and technology, and promote concrete discussions to prepare for the summit, Japan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, who was also concerned about North Korean issues, told his counterparts it was "important to further institutionalise trilateral cooperation so that it will develop into a stable and sustainable system", his ministry said in a statement.

China's Wang Yi said the three countries should "oppose ideological demarcation and resist putting regional cooperation into camps", in comments aimed at Seoul and Tokyo's alliance with Washington.

Wang also called on the three countries to restart negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement as soon as possible, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.

Japan's Yoko Kamikawa said greater trilateral cooperation would contribute to regional peace as the international security situation has become "more severe and complex than ever".

In bilateral talks, Park and Kamikawa condemned North Korea's launch last week of its first spy satellite and agreed to boost responses to arms deals between Pyongyang and Moscow, Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Marring the co-operative tone, Kamikawa described as "extremely regrettable" a South Korean court's order for Japan to compensate a group of women forced to work in its wartime brothels and asked Seoul to take appropriate measures, Japan's Kyodo news agency said.

Park, meeting separately with China's Wang, invited him to visit Seoul, and they agreed to reinforce strategic communications, Seoul said. Park asked for China to play a constructive role in encouraging North Korea to avoid further provocations and take the path towards denuclearisation.

Beijing's foreign ministry said Wang warned Park not to politicise economic and technology issues, amid China-U.S. tension over semiconductors and other trade disputes.

Kamikawa, meeting Wang on Saturday, expressed hopes for a security dialogue between Tokyo and Beijing "in the near future". Wang highlighted the need for China and Japan to ensure they "do not pose a threat" to each another and respect the legitimate concerns of each, Beijing said.

South Korea's Yoon and Japan's Kishida have moved to mend ties frayed by history and trade feuds, holding a historic three-way summit in August with Biden.

In July, Wang warned that U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with Seoul and Tokyo could fan regional tension and spark confrontation.

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin in Seoul; Additional reporting by Sam Nussey and Daniel Leussink in Tokyo, Laurie Chen in Beijing and Hyunyoung Yi in Seoul; Editing by William Mallard, Clarence Fernandez and Nick Macfie)
Clay County is getting spotlighted thanks to photographer Dennis T. Hoban, who captured the sight of a space jellyfish cloud while watching an early morning Space-X launch across the St. Johns River.

The image from Clay County has won a photo contest to be featured in a statewide calendar.

The Florida Association of Counties (FAC) chose this photo and 15 other photos from different Florida counties to feature in its annual calendar. The contest is open to all of Floridas 67 counties, and folks from 52 Florida counties submitted more than 580 photos. FAC announced the winners during its Legislative Conference in Hillsborough County, Fla.

Space jellyfish clouds, which resemble the translucent bodies of their namesake, are a phenomenon that occurs when the suns rays light up the plume of gases that a rocket leaves behind.

To view a list of calendar winners and pictures, please visit https://www.fl-counties.com/2023-24-calendar/

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The Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, where the financier Jeffrey Epstein was found dead, on Aug. 13, 2019. (Haruka Sakaguchi/The New York Times)

WASHINGTON  The stabbing Friday of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020, at a special unit inside a Tucson, Arizona, prison is the latest in a series of attacks against high-profile inmates in the troubled, short-staffed federal Bureau of Prisons.

The assault comes less than five months after Larry Nassar, a doctor convicted of sexually abusing young female gymnasts, was stabbed multiple times at the federal prison in Florida. It also follows the release of Justice Department reports detailing incompetence and mismanagement at federal detention centers that led to the deaths in recent years of James Bulger, the Boston gangster known as Whitey, and Jeffrey Epstein, who had been charged with sex trafficking.

The Bureau of Prisons confirmed that an inmate at the Tucson prison was stabbed around 12:30 p.m. Friday, though the bureau did not identify Chauvin, 47, by name. The agency said in a statement that the inmate required lifesaving measures before being rushed to a hospital emergency room nearby. The office of Keith Ellison, the Minnesota attorney general who prosecuted the former police officer, identified the inmate as Chauvin.

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He is likely to survive, according to two people with knowledge of the situation who were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly.

On Saturday, the prison remained on lockdown while law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, examined the crime scene and interviewed witnesses. Family visits to the facility have been suspended indefinitely, according to the prisons website.

The Tucson facility where Chauvin was stabbed is referred to as a dropout yard, one of several special protective units within the Bureau of Prisons system housing informants, people convicted of sex crimes, former gang members and former law enforcement personnel, among others, according to Joe Rojas, who retired this month as president of the union local representing workers at the Federal Correctional Complex near Coleman, Florida.

These specialized facilities  including units in Tucson, Coleman (where Nassar was stabbed), and Terre Haute, Indiana  are supposed to provide an additional measure of safety for high-profile inmates. In turn, such inmates tend to avoid conflicts and disciplinary infractions prevalent in the wider prison population, for fear of losing their protected status.

There is a different inmate code at these places, Rojas said.

It was not clear how Chauvin, who is serving a sentence of just over two decades in federal prison after he was convicted of state murder charges and a federal charge of violating the constitutional rights of Floyd, was assaulted. Nor was it clear why prison officials failed to protect one of the most hated, and vulnerable, inmates in the 160,000-person federal prison system.

A bureau spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

Chauvin, who is white, killed Floyd, who was Black, by kneeling on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes while he lay handcuffed on the street. The incident set off the largest protests of a generation and led to calls to reform or defund the police.

Chauvin negotiated a plea deal with prosecutors in his federal case, in part, to serve his sentence in a federal prison, which his legal team considered safer than a state prison. Before his federal deal, Chauvin was serving a state sentence in solitary confinement for 23 hours each day in Minnesota.

State prison officials said at the time that Chauvin had been isolated because of concerns for his safety.

Ellison expressed concerns about the level of protection on the former officer.

I am sad to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence, Ellison, who was informed by federal officials of the attack late Friday, said in a statement. He was duly convicted of his crimes and, like any incarcerated individual, he should be able to serve his sentence without fear of retaliation or violence.

While the specific details of the attack on Chauvin are not yet known, they appear to fit into a pattern of other attacks documented by Michael E. Horowitz, the Justice Departments inspector general, who has issued two reports in the past year calling upon the prison bureau to improve procedures and oversight of high-profile inmates.

In December last year, Horowitz issued a scathing 65-page report on the death of Bulger at the federal prison in Hazelton, West Virginia, detailing staff and management performance failures; bureaucratic incompetence; and flawed, confusing, and insufficient policies and procedures, that allowed inmates to fatally beat the 89-year-old with a padlock hours after he had been transferred into the general population.

In June, the inspector general concluded a yearslong probe into the death of Epstein, a well-connected financier who was found dead in a cell with a bedsheet tied around his neck in 2019, disclosing a similar pattern of lax management and missteps.

While the inspector generals office confirmed the departments determination that Epstein had killed himself, the report described a remarkable, at times unexplained, succession of circumstances that made it easy for him to take his own life. For example, the jails staff members allowed Epstein to hoard extra bedding and clothing, even though he had tried to hang himself earlier.

The combination of negligence, misconduct and outright job performance failures documented in this report all contributed to an environment in which arguably one of the B.O.P.s most notorious inmates was provided with the opportunity to take his own life, Horowitzs report said.

Theodore Kaczynski, the man known as the Unabomber, who killed three people and injured 23 in a bombing rampage from 1978 to 1995, died by suicide in June at a federal prison medical center in North Carolina.

Nassar, who is serving a sentence of up to 60 years, was attacked by an inmate wielding a homemade weapon in a common area of a specialized protective unit at the U.S. Penitentiary Coleman II.

Bulger, Epstein and Nassar were all assigned to the federal prison complex in Tucson at one time or another.

Bureau of Prison officials have struggled to cope with an exodus of staff  particularly among corrections officers and medical workers  who are able to find better-paying, lower-stress jobs in the private sector, a factor Horowitz acknowledged in the Bulger and Epstein reports. In many instances, prison officials have been forced to staff guard shifts with teachers, case managers, counselors, facilities workers and even secretaries.

Colette Peters, the director of the Bureau of Prisons, said in an interview earlier this year that filling vacancies is our No. 1 priority, even as she tackles a host of other issues, including the sexual abuse of female prisoners and staff members, the overuse of solitary confinement and an increase in suicides.

It is not clear if any of those issues played a role in the attack on Chauvin. But Richard Hernandez, a corrections officer who serves as president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 3955, which represents the staff at Tucson, said chronic staffing problems have had an impact on the overall functioning of prisons, including at Tucson.

The targeting of Chauvin is likely to increase scrutiny of the bureau even as the national debate over police reform continues to play out.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
AUSTIN (Nexstar)  The field is taking shape for the 2024 elections in Texas. December 11 is the last day for candidates to file to be on the ballot for the March primary election. But even before that deadline, some trends are starting to take shape.

Some incumbent Republicans will face primary challengers who aim to move the state farther to the right. Part of that move is being fueled by a push for political revenge.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking steps to shake up who wins the GOP primary elections after his impeachment acquittal in the Senate. Hes now seeking to push out Republican state representatives who voted to impeach him earlier this year.

Since the Senate reinstated Paxton to his office, he rolled out endorsements of at least a dozen people to take down House Republicans who voted for his impeachment. Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edwards University in Austin, said Paxton is carrying out an earlier promise to support and fund primary challengers against opponents in his own party. He also recently announced he would file criminal complaints against the 12 state representatives who led his impeachment trial, accusing them of violating a new anti-doxing law.

His problem, of course, is hes still facing a litany of legal challenges that could bring him down at any moment, but right now hes at the height of his popularity, Smith said. Hes using that to try to shape the races going forward.

Paxton, who lives in McKinney, is setting his sights close to home in Collin County. One of the four targets he named there is Rep. Matt Shaheen, the Plano Republican who began serving House District 66 in 2015. He voted for Paxtons impeachment in May and still stands by that vote despite the pushback from some in his party.

Paxton is not really relevant. He doesnt really represent our values. I mean, we almost had to listen to his mistress during his trial, Shaheen said during an interview with KXAN. Im ranked one of the most conservative members of the legislature. Im a conservative fighter thats been getting the job done. Were getting a lot of conservative wins across the goal line. Really, in the state of Texas, were winning the culture wars because of fighters like me.

Shaheen will face businessman Wayne Richard, who Paxton endorsed at an Oct. 10 meeting of the Collin County Republican Party. Richard, who sought this same seat 10 years ago, said how the House handled the attorney generals impeachment ultimately put him over the top to enter the primary.

I know that the reps here in Collin County are hoping that the impeachment issue goes away by March for the primary, Richard said, but the people here in Collin County, my district specifically, are very annoyed with what took place.

Both men are promising to make border security a top priority during their respective primary campaigns. Shaheen said the Republican voters hes meeting are more concerned about things like the economy and education rather than intraparty fights happening at the Texas Capitol. Richard intends to campaign on setting a four-term limit on state lawmakers as well as pushing for an end to the practice of letting Democratic House members serve as committee chairs.

One of Paxtons defense lawyers during the impeachment trial, Mitch Little, officially announced his primary challenge against a Republican incumbent. Hed like to unseat Rep. Kronda Thimesch of Carrolton, who voted for impeachment. Little previously served as her campaign treasurer when she first ran for office.

Paxton reposted a message on X, formerly Twitter, featuring Littles campaign announcement that read, Very excited that @realmitchlittle is running! He be a true conservative fighter for the Texas House!!

Regarding Paxtons efforts to back primary challengers, Smith said hell watch to see whether these candidates will be able to unseat incumbents and how theyll do once theyre past the primary.

Paxton said he was going to go after those people who tried to impeach and remove him. He said there was going to be political consequences and retribution, so hes following through with what he said. It means going and finding candidates who match his ideology, Smith said. The problem with some of these candidates is they are so ideologically pure that in a general election, unless its heavily gerrymandered, they arent going to be very strong candidates because theyre not going to be able to attract moderate Republicans or independents. So he has to be very careful that in attracting candidates who match his ideology, youre talking about people that are effective in the primary elections, but maybe not as much in the general.

A trend is emerging of Republican lawmakers in the Texas House of Representatives facing challengers aiming to push out either those who supported Attorney General Ken Paxtons impeachment or stood in the way of Gov. Greg Abbotts repeated efforts to pass an education savings account program. However, the intraparty fighting also extends to the other side of the aisle.

As promised, Gov. Greg Abbott endorses Republicans who supported school vouchers and excludes incumbent opponents

In one Houston-area district, a Democratic incumbent known for supporting progressive causes now faces two primary challengers after a controversial vote she took earlier this year.

Texas Rep. Shawn Thierry, D-Houston, said shes seeking re-election for a fifth term to represent House District 146 in south Houston. However, shell have to fend off the most challengers shes ever faced to win her partys nomination for this reliably blue seat. In her own campaign announcement, Thierry listed her policy successes that included addressing maternal mortality, enhancing school safety, combating human trafficking and working on tax relief efforts. She also said she would keep working across party lines if voters send her back to the Capitol.

Rep. Shawn Thierry said shes running for fifth serving Texas House District 146 in Houston.

What sets me apart is my ability to work across the aisles, even during politically charged times, Thierry wrote on her campaigns Facebook page. Im proud to be credited as a consensus builder, bridging divides and bringing people together to pass meaningful legislation that positively impacts the lives of all Texans.

According to the two Democratic challengers who entered the race so far, though, they argue what makes Thierry vulnerable is voting at times with Republican lawmakers on certain issues. They contend shes out of touch with the values of their district, setting up an intraparty fight for voters to resolve in the March 5, 2024 primary.

What were seeing is a very, very liberal representative being challenged from further left because of some votes on very controversial issues that are important to Democratic constituents, Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edwards University in Austin, said. For Thierry, I think one of her advantages is the name recognition and her history of being a really very progressive candidate  with the exception of a handful of votes.

Lauren Ashley Simmons announced shes running in the Democratic primary for Texas House District 146. (Photo Courtesy: Lauren Ashley Simmons)

The latest candidate to jump in the race against Thierry is Lauren Ashley Simmons, a union organizer and mother of two who experienced a viral moment this summer. Video of her remarks at a community meeting about the state takeover of the Houston Independent School District exploded online  with one clip garnering more than 8 million views on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. Cameras captured her criticizing Mike Miles, the man appointed by the state to serve as the districts superintendent, and accusing him of possibly being Greg Abbotts pawn sent down here to destroy the largest district in this city.

Simmons said she intends to make supporting public education as one of her main focuses during the primary campaign. She also called expanding access to health care as another priority, which is part of the reason why she decided to challenge Thierry.

I want to be a representative for my district because I love where I live, she said. I love my neighbors, and its a great place to be. But it could be so much better.

During the regular legislative session earlier this year, Thierry joined three other Democrats and all the House Republicans in supporting Senate Bill 14. Thats the legislation banning transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers, hormone therapies or surgeries to assist in their transition. She was also the only member of her party who rose on the floor to speak in favor of the bill. That public stance led to a Democratic club in her district voting to censure her in May, accusing her of not being an ally to the states LGBTQ+ community. Her first primary challenger, activist Ashton Woods, also decided to enter the race at that time.

Thierrys office declined a request to do an interview about her re-election campaign, but she previously told KXAN that she stood by her vote despite all the pushback.

I represent House District 146, and I did this based on the will of my constituents, Thierry said in May. I believe that the majority of people that live, work and play in my district agree with me, and I heard from them.

Simmons noted her daughter has sickle cell anemia, a blood disorder, which requires her family to live within close proximity to a hospital and potentially consider experimental treatments to provide relief. These experiences made her worry about the Texas families with transgender children who can no longer access certain gender-affirming care because of SB 14 becoming state law.

She also detailed a number of other issues she found with Thierrys recent record. Simmons said she questioned why Thierry voted for House Bill 900, which aimed to keep sexually explicit books out of school libraries. However, critics claimed it could amount to a book ban bill and limit the availability of LGBTQ+ content.

Those are some, I feel like, the very low bars to clear when you say that youre a Democrat, she said. It shouldnt have been a huge hurdle, get over those bars, because thats what the people are asking for. Thats what the district demands, and it just felt like in those moments, our voices didnt matter.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Texas Democrat faces censure, primary challenger after vote on health care ban for transgender minors

Ashton Woods said hes running in the Democratic primary for Texas House District 146 in Houston. (Photo Courtesy: Ashton Woods)

Ashton Woods, who founded the Houston chapter of Black Lives Matter, previously challenged Thierry in the 2020 Democratic primary but lost that race by nearly 35 percentage points. He announced his intent to face her again the day after Thierry voted in favor of SB 14. That led to a bump in early campaign donations, Woods said.

It definitely needs to change, he said about the districts leadership. I think the status quo is no longer acceptable, especially when we elect people to represent all of us in the district, regardless of our gender identity or sexual orientation or race.

Rather than discuss which issues will serve as the focus of his primary campaign, Woods said the first thing hed like to do is build space for his community.

I believe in creating spaces for the marginalized and for people to be a voice for themselves, he explained. I dont want to be a voice for the voiceless. I want to be a space builder, where people can come in and actually be heard, not anecdotally, but taken seriously about the needs and also educating people about who to be mad at.

Woods said that would more specifically mean creating a better constituent services operation for the office. He explained how that could build partnerships and help people, for instance, find resources more easily, like how to report a lack of fire hydrants in their neighborhood or locate affordable fresh food close to them.

These are things that we have to look at to make sure that actual access exists, he said, and not from the perch of one looking down but being at eye level with people and making sure that we are hearing them, actively listening and actually acting on those things.

He said he also spoke to Simmons already and commended her advocacy work in the community. He said they both have the same goal.

The thing is, is that we will run our campaigns with integrity and make sure that regardless of who wins this nomination, it wont be Shawn Thierry, Woods said during a recent interview with KXAN.

Smith said regardless of who wins the primary, that person is almost assured to win the general election in November next year.

When we think about this district, were talking about a very safe Democratic seat, so, in essence, the primary is the general election. You dont need any crossover votes from Republicans. You dont have to worry about the moderate independent vote, Smith said.

[Thierry] has had primary challengers before, but in the general election not really anybody of note, he added, so if she can survive the primaries, shell get reelected easily.

Goldilocks question highlights division within Texas political parties

Polling from the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas shows a growing trend among both Republicans and Democrats moving away from the political center.

Part of the TPPs October 2023 poll asked Texas Democrats whether they think their partys elected officials are liberal enough, too liberal, or just liberal enough. Executive Director Jim Henson called it a Goldilocks question.

What we found is, most Democrats, but not a lot about a little more than 40% say that their candidates are not liberal enough. And thats very competitive with those that say they are [liberal enough] which is maybe 10 or so points, fewer than that, Henson said.

Just 12% of Democrats in the poll said their elected officials were too liberal. The poll showed 34% saying they were liberal enough and 40% believing elected Democrats are not liberal enough.

So, you can see where the setup for ideological conflict in the primary comes from, Henson added.

The poll also posed a similar question to GOP voters, asking whether they thought elected Republicans were conservative enough. The results showed 38% viewing elected officials as conservative enough, while 36% said they were not conservative enough.

You still see a very similar division, very evenly split between those who say conservative enough, and and not conservative enough. And so again, thats where you see this conflict that weve all become so familiar with, Henson said.

Henson said the division within each major political party has been playing out over a long period of time.

As the parties have become more homogenous, if you will, all of the conservatives, for the most part have left the Democratic Party, the liberals have left the Republican Party, Henson said.

He said the division among Republicans is not new, but its taken longer to manifest among Democrats.

As recently as the late 2000s among Democrats, about half identified as moderate and between 15 and 20%, identified as conservative. Now more than 60% identify as liberal. And those other two categories have shrunk dramatically to [now] youve got fewer than 10% in the Democratic Party say that theyre conservative, Henson explained.

So the parties have become more defined, and voters, you know, have followed suit, Henson said.

Three elected Democrats lead large field for U.S. Senate nomination

The campaign for U.S. Senate will be one of the most-watched races in next years election. Several Democrats have announced plans to run in the primary, hoping to earn the chance to take on incumbent Ted Cruz.

Three Democrats who currently hold elected offices stand out in the race. Colin Allred, who represents Dallas in Congress is by far the leading fundraiser. Allred brought in more than six million dollars since announcing his run in May. That fundraising put him ahead of Cruz when it comes to cash on hand.

Allred is running on his record in Congress, touting his ability to work across the aisle to get things done. He has pointed to his work on legislation like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the CHIPS Act that required bipartisan support to pass.

You have to have leaders who are willing to do it, or willing to put in that hard work of finding common ground, Allred said.

Early polling shows Allred with a solid lead among the Democratic candidates for Senate. But the numbers also show he still has work to do to avoid a runoff in the crowded field of primary candidates.

The candidate polling closest to Allred is State Sen. Roland Gutierrez. The San Antonio Democrat represents a district that includes Uvalde, and he gained nationwide attention for speaking out on behalf of the families affected by the Robb Elementary mass shooting. Gutierrez has called for gun reforms like universal background checks and raising the age to 21 for purchasing certain semiautomatic rifles.

As the next senator from the United States in Texas, were going to talk about that because there is no bigger issue. If you dont have your child, the economy, all those other things, they just dont matter, Gutierrez said.

Another member of the Texas legislature also set his sights on challenging Cruz next November. State Rep. Carl Sherman is running on his record both in the Texas House and as a former mayor.

I want a Texas that is inclusive of all Texans, where everyone from the farmers to the ranchers, to those who work in our suburbs and cities have a seat at the table, Sherman said.

Whoever wins the primary will face a tough campaign against incumbent Republican Ted Cruz, who has held the Senate seat since January 2013. Cruz narrowly won reelection in 2018, defeating Democrat Beto ORourke by less than three percentage points.

Campaign finance records show Cruz had more than $5.7 million on hand at the end of September. Thats significantly less than Allred, who reported more than $7.9 million on hand. For comparison, Gutierrez reported less than $380 thousand on hand. Sherman did not have fundraising data posted yet with the Federal Election Commission.

History suggests that money will be an important factor in next years Senate election. In 2018, Cruz and ORourke combined to spend just under $115 million on their campaigns.

Outspoken former Miss Texas mounts campaign for Texas House seat

Once outspoken on GOP politics as Miss Texas, Averie Bishop is running as a Democrat in a competitive district northeast of Dallas, aiming to unseat the longtime Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson.

Bishop announced her bid for Texas House District 112 in late August, months before the November filing deadline. In a campaign launch video, the 27-year-old highlighted her upbringing in North Texas and said she never saw people who looked like her in government or leadership roles.

When crowned Miss Texas in 2022, Bishop became the first Asian competitor to take the crown pageants 85-year history. Her mother emigrated to the United States from the Philippines, and Bishop said she would be the first Filipino American to serve in the Legislature. Currently, she works as a substitute teacher in the northeast Dallas area.

Her presumptive opponent has shattered glass ceilings of her own. Button is the only female Asian lawmaker in both the Texas House and Senate. An immigrant from Taiwan, Button grew up in a 300-square-foot hut with dirt floors and no running water. She said her parents fled once China became a communist nation, coming to America where Button credits her education as a pillar for achieving the American dream.

While both Button and Bishops backgrounds have shaped who they are today, the two women have different perspectives on how race plays a factor in their everyday lives. Bishop attributes many of the opportunities she has received to the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program at Southern Methodist University  where she got her undergraduate and law degree.

In a break with tradition, Bishop was outspoken on political issues during the end of her time as Miss Texas. The pageant queen has been critical of a range of policies passed by the Republican-led state  including its near-total abortion ban, lenient gun policies and racial issues. Bishop said the turning point for her was when the lawmakers passed a ban on DEI programs in higher education during this past legislative session.

[Senate Bill 17] banned diversity and inclusion programs across colleges and universities. And if it werent for my diversity and inclusion program at SMU, or in undergrad, I honestly dont think I would have gone on to law school and run for office, Bishop told Nexstar.

However, Button contrasts herself starkly with Bishop, describing herself as appreciative, not angry of the opportunities shes been provided as a first-generation American.

I spent years working in the industry, serving the community, across the board, to learn that kind of experience to propel me to really, really make a difference. Once again, its easy to complain, but you dont get the result, she said. You got to have the knowledge and the skills and the relationship to make real things happen.

As a Republican and Democrat, Button and Bishop have their natural policy differences, mostly when it comes to social issues that Bishop has been outspoken on.

I think its really important that there are many women of color running for office on both parties, both sides, right? Its all about giving options, Bishop said. Representation doesnt just stop when I see someone who looks like me, I want to see someone who stands for the same things that I do.

Button is reminding her business-friendly district of her accolades during her 14 years in public office, touting her leadership roles and relationships with top Republicans who control the legislative agenda. She is one of three women in the House who hold coveted chair positions on standing committees in the House.

With that kind of experience, influence and connection, I am able to pass good, reasonable bills, Button said. What I can offer is my business, my technology experience and my leadership position in the House and in the community.

If elected, Bishop would likely become the youngest member of the Texas Legislature. She already has a sizable following on social media, with about 1 million followers across multiple platforms, mostly on Instagram and TikTok.

While Bishop notes she hasnt seen evidence that her followers interest in her political videos translates to people voting on election days, she does attribute early fundraising to them.

Social media influencers often do daily vlogs to show what their lives are like  which Bishop has adapted to a regular video series where she documents what it is like to run for public office as a 20-something in Texas.

I really want this campaign to not only be about education policy, making sure that diversity and inclusion is incorporated into schools, for example, but I want it to be about visibility and transparency, she said. Im pulling back the curtain so that they can see exactly what that process looks like.

Serving in the Texas House since 2009, Button is no stranger to tough races. In 2020, she won re-election by a slim margin of less than 300 votes in a year that President Joe Biden won her district. But new maps drawn under redistricting made HD 112 redder and Biden would have lost by 1 point.

Bishop said she is hopeful the race will be competitive after Beto ORourke won the district in the 2022 gubernatorial campaign. That year, Button won another reelection by 10 points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
More than 140 people have taken part in the shoebox appeal

Residents of a UK retirement complex are putting together boxes of Christmas items for impoverished children in eastern Europe.

People living in Stoke Gifford retirement village in South Gloucestershire are planning to send more than 140 packages to the Shoebox Appeal, run by the charity Teams4u.

The boxes contain essentials like toothpaste and soap, but also toys.

Residents also donated more than 1,000 to fund the cost of shipping.

Bill Webb, who lives in the retirement village, said the number of residents wanting to take part had grown dramatically.

Viv Warren and Bill Webb have been organising the appeal

"A couple of us have been sending Christmas shoeboxes to destitute children and their families in Moldova, Romania, Ukraine and others for a number of years," he said.

"This year a few residents said they would like to join us, so we ordered a few extra boxes for them.

"More and more residents wanted to take part so we ordered another 25, but it soon became obvious this was not enough - so another 50 were ordered, but still there was more demand, so we ordered a further 50."

In the end more than 140 people decided to take part.

Residents also collected money to pay for shipping the boxes

Resident Viv Warren said "Everybody has been so generous."

"There are three ranges of ages for the boxes. 3-5, 6-11 and then 12+.

"There's also what we call a 'home box', which is things like washing-up liquid, cloths, tea towels, and a little gift for the parents, like chocolate."

"The Knit and Natter group at the village has been making so many scarves, hats and teddies, that each of the boxes for the younger age groups has a little teddy in it."

The boxes will be given to children in eastern Europe

In addition to items in the boxes, people have also been sending personal greeting notes to the children who will receive them.

Simon Cooke, eastern Europe project manager for Teams4u, told BBC West: "What we do wouldn't be possible without people like this group."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk
Shoppers at the Galleria mall stop to look at kittens up for adoption as part of The Houston SPCA collaborating with Neiman Marcus for the 35th annual Homes for the Holidays pet adoption event on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

The newest addition to your family might be found at what seems to be an unlikely place this holiday season: Neiman Marcus.

The Dallas-based luxury retailer is hosting the 35th annual Homes for the Holidays pet adoption event every weekend through Dec. 10 at the Galleria and then daily from Dec. 15-23.

The pets are part of the Houston SPCAs adoption program, which offers packages that include microchipping, spaying or neutering surgery, vaccinations and a sample-sized bag of food.

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The Houston SPCA collaborates with Neiman Marcus for the 35th annual Homes for the Holidays pet adoption event on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer The Houston SPCA collaborates with Neiman Marcus for the 35th annual Homes for the Holidays pet adoption event on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Jacob Tatum, 29, fholds his newly adopted dog, Cookie, 11, as part of The Houston SPCA collaborating with Neiman Marcus for the 35th annual Homes for the Holidays pet adoption event on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer The Houston SPCA collaborates with Neiman Marcus for the 35th annual Homes for the Holidays pet adoption event on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Erina Yang, 3, stops with her father to look at puppies up for adoption as part of The Houston SPCA collaborating with Neiman Marcus for the 35th annual Homes for the Holidays pet adoption event on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Jacob Tatum, 29, finalizes paperwork for his newly adopted dog, Cookie, 11, as part of The Houston SPCA collaborating with Neiman Marcus for the 35th annual Homes for the Holidays pet adoption event on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Shoppers at the Galleria mall stop to look at kittens up for adoption as part of The Houston SPCA collaborating with Neiman Marcus for the 35th annual Homes for the Holidays pet adoption event on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Shoppers at the Galleria mall stop to look at puppies up for adoption as part of The Houston SPCA collaborating with Neiman Marcus for the 35th annual Homes for the Holidays pet adoption event on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

The partnership with Neiman Marcus typically homes around 90 to 120 animals yearly and is the nonprofits longest-running and largest ongoing event, said Houston SPCA spokesperson Julie Kuenstle.

ADOPTION EVENTS: Houston Humane Society offers Black Friday deal with waived fees for all animals with black noses

The event will allow customers to meet new furry friends at various prices and peek at Neiman Marcus collection. Customers can watch volunteers take small dogs from the event on strolls through the store and play with the animals hanging out by the windows.

Its not only a place where you can come and adopt a pet, but it also helps us raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption, Kuenstle said. There are so many pets out there that are in need.

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Jania Thomas, 17 and a senior at BELIEVE Circle City High School in Indianapolis, was a strong math student all the way through eighth grade.

But then COVID struck.

Thomas had trouble learning the subject online: She mastered some of the material two years behind schedule.

I always did really well in math  until I entered high school, she said. Because of COVID, I had to learn so many things on my own, especially in my ninth-grade year.

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Despite this challenge, Thomas remained a focused and determined student: Shes already earned an associate degree from Ivy Tech Community College and hopes to attend a top-ranked school next fall, possibly Columbia University, to which she applied early decision.

Thomass struggle with mathematics mirrors that of students throughout the nation: Test results released in June charting long-term trends show 13-year-olds have suffered tremendous losses. The NAEP scores unveiled in October 2022 revealed a five-point decrease in math for fourth graders and an eight-point plummet for eighth graders, the largest drops ever recorded.

Disparities along racial lines were significantly worsened by the pandemic and the alarming outcomes for Black students on state exams in Indiana, where Thomas lives, prompted the states NAACP last year to release an Indiana Black Academic Excellence plan to address long-standing inequities.

Related

Allies Rally Behind Indiana NAACPs Black Student Achievement Proposal

Last year, just 5% of Black 10th-graders in Indianapolis, Thomass city, passed both the math and English sections of the states tests. Recent state assessments show a majority of children in Indiana cannot meet minimum math standards: Just 41% of students in grades 3-8 scored proficient or better in the math portion of the states ILEARN exam.

In Indiana and across the country, educators and advocates are searching for ways to make the subject more relevant and engaging  and less a source of failure.

Some are working to address persistent obstacles for low-income children and students of color by re-evaluating their requirements and offerings. To that end, many are providing students with additional pathways  not just one road leading to calculus, a course whose value is being questioned, even for those students who seek a career in STEM.

Related

A Bankrupt Concept of Math: Some Educators Argue Calculus Should Be Dethroned

Thomas is among BELIEVEs 300 students, most of them children of color: 51% of the charter high schools student body is Black while 41% are Latino. Nearly all qualified for free or reduced-price lunch last school year.

Thomas is currently enrolled in Advanced Placement Statistics, excelling in a class she believes will one day help her to better her local community.

Shes glad her school offers numerous rigorous mathematics courses and plans to continue with the subject in college where she seeks to study journalism, education and law. Thomas is one of seven children: Hers is the first generation to attend college.

The 74: Do you think its possible to skip your freshman year of college after earning so many college credits in high school?

Jania Thomas: Im hoping that I could move into my sophomore year. It just depends on the college that I get accepted to and how many of my credits transfer over.

Tell me how youve done in math through the years.

Before high school, math was, for sure, my favorite subject because it was something that I quickly latched on to and that I could understand. Its not like the sciences or reading because its all stats. You just have to understand the steps. I always did really well in math  until I entered high school.

And what happened then?

Because of COVID, I had to learn so many things on my own, especially in my ninth-grade year. Thats when the letters came into it: sign, cosign, tangents and triangles. I really struggled, especially my freshman year and into my sophomore year.

Did that improve when school resumed?

I was better in the classroom environment. I started to get it because I had more one-on-one time with my teachers. I had to learn things that I thought I knew from my ninth-grade year in my sophomore and junior year.

How have you done since?

When I took my college algebra class at Ivy Tech, I really enjoyed it. It was more focused on degrees, measurements and numbers.

Many students in previous generations were told to take calculus to qualify for top-tier schools. Did you ever hear that?

Im really glad to have the opportunity to choose the math classes I want: I have more autonomy over the courses I can take. Ive spoken with my counselor, and shes never said that.

What role do you think math will play in your professional life?

I dont know what specific field I want to go into, but I like dealing with finances.

I want to fight against inequality within the American system. I know Im going to have to understand a lot of concepts pertaining to money, which is all math.

But you want to pursue the subject for other reasons, right?

I want to be someone you could come to if youre struggling. I want to start a tutoring program. Ive tutored before and I want to be able to help students in all subjects. If I stopped learning math now, I wouldnt grow (in that area.) I would rather have a growth mindset than one thats stagnant.

How far do you plan to go educationally?

I want to get at least one doctorate. Ive always told myself I will be in school for the rest of my life because I enjoy being in the classroom environment. Ill just be getting degree after degree after degree, not trying to reach a limit, but just trying to attain the most information that I can so that I can apply it to the real world and teach it to other people.

Are you concerned about paying for school?

Thats one thing thats given me a lot of anxiety in my senior year. My school is focused a lot on trying to help us fill out scholarships. Im just going to fill out as many scholarships as I can my senior year and while Im in college.
Amid concerns that the four-day Israel-Hamas ceasefire could allow Hamas to bolster its forces, safeguards are in place to prevent the humanitarian aid being shuttled in Gaza as part of the hostage deal from being hijacked by Hamas forces, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday.

First, Dana, there's the inspection mechanism, Sullivan told CNNs Dana Bash. The Israelis at a crossing called Nitzana, check all of the trucks before they go in through the Rafah crossing into Gaza. And they check to make sure that it is, in fact, humanitarian supplies and not goods that could help Hamas in its military campaign.

After that, aid trucks move on to U.N. depots and to other vetted humanitarian organizations, who distribute aid directly to people in need, Sullivan said on "State of the Union."

We have seen this work over the course of the last several weeks as humanitarian assistance has ramped up, Sullivan said, but U.S. leaders continue to monitor the process closely.

President Biden stays in close touch with the Israeli leadership on this, with the U.N. leadership, and with others to make sure, in fact, the aid is getting to where it belongs, which is the innocent people who are suffering, Sullivan added.

On Saturday, 200 aid trucks were dispatched from Nitzana and 187 had made it into Gaza by Saturday evening, according to the U.N., sending desperately needed food, water and fuel into the besieged region.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan sidestepped a question Sunday on whether the Biden administration would support restrictions on aid to Israel.

CBSs Margaret Brennan asked Sullivan about President Bidens response to a question on some Democrats calls to put conditions on military aid to Israel, where he said it was a worthwhile thought. Sullivan clarified Bidens comments, explaining that Biden emphasized how his own diplomacy helped secure the hostage deal and the pause in fighting.

That has all been the result of what President Biden has described as the approach that he has taken in this conflict. And when he answered that question, he acknowledged the idea, but then he said in the same breath, that the approach that he has taken is what has been generating results, Sullivan said on Face the Nation.

And were seeing those results now day by day as we see loved ones returned to their families, a pause in the fighting and a substantial surge in humanitarian assistance going in, that is all the result of American diplomacy that was not inevitable, he said.

When pressed further on whether Biden was suggesting that there would not be any restrictions, Sullivan did not say whether the Biden administration would back restrictions on Israel.

The President made clear in his comments that he thought the approach that he is taking, is the approach that has generated the results that we have seen so far. And he is going to continue to engage in exactly that kind of diplomacy, he said.

A growing number of Democrats are pushing for conditions on additional military aid to Israel. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote in a New York Times op-ed last week that the blank check approach to Israel must end.

The United States must make clear that while we are friends of Israel, there are conditions to that friendship and that we cannot be complicit in actions that violate international law and our own sense of decency, he wrote.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 12,000 Palestinians since it began early last month, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. More than 1,200 were killed in the initial Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 and another 240 people were taken hostage by the militants.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States expects at least one American hostage being held by militant group Hamas to be released Sunday.

At least one American will be released today. I cannot confirm who it will be, or that it will absolutely happen because until we see that American out of Gaza, in safety and ultimately in the hands of their loved ones, we wont have full confirmation, Sullivan told CBSs Margaret Brennan on Sundays Face the Nation.

Fifty hostages are expected to be released during the four-day truce between Israel and Hamas, but so far, no Americans have been freed. Twenty-four hostages were released on Friday in the first wave of hostages planned to be released by Hamas and an additional 17 were released on Saturday, including a 9-year-old Israeli-Irish girl who was believed to be dead.

About 240 people were taken hostage by Hamas militants when the group launched its initial attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200 Israelis. Since then, Gaza has been under heavy bombardment by Israel, with the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reporting that more than 12,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting.

Sullivan cautioned that while the U.S. expects an American to be released Sunday, they must verify the release first.

And we do have reason to believe that there will be an American release today but lets wait and see what actually happens. Because of course, we are dealing with a terrorist group here and we cant immediately trust we have to verify, he said.

He also said that it is up to Hamas whether this hostage deal gets extended.

I have every confidence that ultimately, all of the Americans and all of the individuals being held hostage will come home we are determined not to rest until that happens, he said. But whether or not this particular deal gets extended, thats really up to Hamas, because Israel has been very clear as part of the deal, it is prepared to continue the pause in fighting for every day that Hamas produces an additional 10 hostages.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Suella Braverman cited Rishi Sunaks failure to stick to their deal in her scathing departure letter after being fired as Home Secretary earlier this month

Rishi Sunak agreed to raise the salary threshold for migrants to 40,000 as part of a deal he struck with Suella Braverman, according to a copy of the pact seen by the Telegraph.

Mr Sunak agreed to a four-point migration plan as he sought her support during his leadership bid last year, allies of Mrs Braverman say.

Chief among them was a pledge to raise the minimum salary threshold required for a foreign skilled worker visa from 26,000 to 40,000, a proposal that was publicly backed last week by Boris Johnson, the architect of the post-Brexit points-based migration system.

A copy of the agreement on migration, seen by the Telegraph, showed that they proposed to close down the graduate visa route, restrict the number of dependants that legal migrants could bring and prioritise Russell Group university applicants when evaluating student visa applications.

Mrs Braverman cited the Prime Ministers failure to stick to their deal in her scathing departure letter that she published after being fired as Home Secretary earlier this month.

Details of the deal have emerged days after official figures showed that net migration hit a record 745,000 in the year to December 2022, three times pre-Brexit levels and blowing apart the Conservatives 2019 manifesto commitment to reduce overall numbers below 239,000.

Mr Sunak has not denied discussing policy options with Mrs Braverman or the existence of a document, but Downing Street has rejected any characterisation of it as a deal.

Im getting on with delivering things

Mr Sunak told the Mail on Sunday: Of course, you have conversations with people when you are in a leadership election and not just Suella. Asked if he was worried about her producing proof of the deal, he replied: Thats a question for her. Im getting on with actually delivering things.

Sources close to Mrs Braverman said the deal was not signed by Mr Sunak but that it was verbally agreed on multiple occasions  and in front of witnesses  and that he left their meeting with a physical copy of the document.

They claimed that after agreeing the deal and making her Home Secretary, No 10 failed to take legal migration seriously, declaring instead that small boats were the publics prime concern.

Six letters, each setting out detailed policy options and sent to No 10 either by Mrs Braverman or her office, were ignored, according to sources close to the former home secretary. In one, in November 2022,weeks after her appointment, she said she had instructed officials to work up a set of proposals.

Our manifesto commitment that overall immigration numbers will come down is at risk because of recent trends on visa grantswe can and must deliver our manifesto promise of lowering overall numbers in a manner that is consistent with supporting economic growth, she said.

The letter set out two additional proposals, one for a cap on overall visa rates, with numbers annually set by Parliament, and a second scrapping the shortage occupation list, where employers can hire foreign workers at 20 per cent below the going rate. This has been recommended by the Governments own Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).

Tackling net migration was the top item in the agreement, which opened by warning record numbers of visas were being issued including a large increase in numbers of foreign students from developing countries attending non-Russell group universities on business studies masters with dependants.

It proposed: A. Close down the graduate visa route. B. Restrict number of dependents. C. Prioritise particular universities and courses. D. Increase salary thresholds for skilled workers from 25k to 40k.

In her November 2022 letter, she advocated replacing the two-year graduate visa route with a four-month stay when overseas students could try to get a job and could switch their visa over from student to work. This was in line with a 2018 recommendation by the MAC.

A ban on nearly all postgraduate students bringing in dependents apart from those on research programmes was announced in May by Mr Sunak, which he has described as the single toughest measure in years to reduce net migration.

However, he is under pressure to go further. Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, who co-signed Mrs Bravermans final letter in October this year, is pressing for a ban on care workers bringing in dependants and a cap on health and social care visas.

No 10 is actively considering measures, understood to include restrictions on care worker dependents and an increase in the skilled worker salary threshold. On Sunday, a spokesman said Mr Sunak had been very clear he believed migration was too high and had to come down to more sustainable levels. They noted the numbers were slowing, adding: Were prepared to act and do more.

Suella had policy principles

However, a Tory ally of Mrs Braverman said: The Prime Minister needs to get on with delivering our 2019 manifesto promise rather than trying to kid people with warm words and vague pledges. Suella was very clear what needed to be done and he just ignored her. Thats why they didnt like her  because she had policy principles.

Ministers are expected this week to make final decisions on the new treaty with Rwanda and bill to declare it safe after the policy was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court.

The bill will enshrine in law a treaty under which Rwanda commits not to remove any migrant deported from the UK, a move designed to answer the main criticism by the supreme court that asylum seekers could be returned to their homelands to face persecution.

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Who do our kids look up to today? Who are their heroes?

The last time I went to a movie, I was terrified watching the previews: the demons shown in coming attractions were all razor-skinned, had yellow eyes and bellowed words through fire and dust. Are those their heroes?

Then I thought about the people who lead our country. Are they persons for our youngsters to look up to?

Sadly, our former president is facing so many charges. I dont like seeing this and so much coverage of it. Children are like sponges. They absorb every detail of life around them. I dont know if young ones are looking to Washington for people to emulate.

Susan Keezer

I thought about Congress then thought again.

When I vote, I think I am sending reasonable people to our Capitol. I expect them to represent me in decisions that affect how successful our country is, how stable our democracy remains and how well we abide by the Constitution.

I do not expect those people to turn the floors of Congress into a battlefield with name-calling and physical attacks.

The Washington Posts Opinion by Dana Milbank, Nov. 17, 2023, put to rest any idea that there are very many heroes wandering the halls of Congress.

We have the sticky fingers of George Santos in addition to the sticky biographical trail he has been casting about for some time. What is remarkable is that he got away with it for such a long time. He announces he will not run again for office? Really? I cannot imagine why he thinks he will have a choice.

Regrettably, he carries the first name of our first president.

Milbank wondered who was the most unreasonable member of our dignified Congress the week before his article. Was it the late Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, accused of slamming another Republican in the kidneys?

Perhaps the vote should go to the vocal Sen. Markwayne Mullin who, at a committee hearing, challenged a witness to stand up so he could fight him right there in the committee room. Mullin, in a later podcast, further advanced his nomination by posting, In a fight, Im gonna bite, and I dont care where.

Wellthe person he was after might want to request some protection.

Next on the list is James Comer. He chairs a committee and apparently has anger issues. He lost his temper at a meeting yelling Bull---- at a junior worker of the committee not only refusing to give him his time back but also telling him he looked like a Smurf.

Last on the slate of possibilities is Marjorie Taylor Greene. She tried to impeach Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas. One of her fellow Congress persons said she lacks maturity. Her response on X was that this man is lacking certain male genitalia.

In going over Milbanks list of possible winners, I had a hard time trying to figure out who should get the blue ribbon.

These are all people elected by American citizens to represent us.

Given the truth of this, does this mean that a certain percentage of us steal from others and lie about our education and family histories? If these Congress persons do in fact represent U.S., does it follow that some of us are going to sucker punch someone we dislike if we catch them in a corridor?

Do we elect people like us when we decide we dont like someone enough to tell them to get off their keisters so we can duke it out in front of people in the room  then later on a podcast make sure the world knows we can bite and will bite anywhere on anothers body?

Are our elected senators and representatives mirrors of people who call other people names of toys because of the color of their clothing?

If we dont get our way, do we resort to sharing to nearly 3 million people that one of the people we dislike is lacking body parts required for reproduction? What does that say about us and the person we sent to Washington?

I did some research: we cannot fire these people for ridiculous behavior. We have to wait until election time to remove them from office. In the meantime, I guess they will continue to act ... I was going to say like children.

No, they are acting like spoiled adults.

What this must look like to other countries. Freedom of speech, certainly.

Freedom to speak and act like idiots and irresponsibly, I dont think so.

 Susan Keezer lives in Adrian. Send your good news to her at lenaweesmiles@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Susan Keezer: We have the freedom to speak and act like idiots
Citrus County deputies have released the name of suspect shot and killed in Friday night deputy-involved shooting that occurred in Marion County.

On Friday evening, Citrus County Sheriffs Office deputies attempted a traffic stop in the area of Hernando Avenue on a Mitsubishi SUV where the driver was suspected of having a felony warrant.

According to deputies, the driver, Skyler Wentworth, failed to stop, and a deputies began a vehicle pursuit.

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The 33-year-old from Titusville, who had not been positively identified at this point, immediately threw a black bag from his vehicle while attempting to flee deputies, according to a news release.

Deputies said the bag, which was collected for evidence, was found to be holding pressed pills that tested positive for Fentanyl.

During the initial pursuit, deputies noticed a female passenger in the front seat and a child in the back seat who looked scared and were attempting to exit the moving vehicle and called off the pursuit.

Read: Man hospitalized after shooting in Orlando, police say

At some point, Wentworth slowed the SUV down, allowing the passengers to exit, deputies said.

The pursuit was re-initiated and ended 10 miles into Marion County where deputies from the Marion County Sheriffs Office joined in the pursuit and used a PIT maneuver, successfully stopping the feeling vehicle, which crashed into a power pole.

The suspect then exited the vehicle with a rifle in hand, posing an immediate threat to the deputies and nearby citizens, according to a news release.

Read: Rain continues through Sunday as a front moves in, bringing cold temperatures

Citrus County deputies drew their firearms and fired at the suspect, according to deputies.

The suspect was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead from his injuries.

Wentworth is no stranger to our deputies; he is registered as a career criminal and has an extensive drug-related criminal history in our county, said Citrus County Colonel Elena Vitt. None of our deputies ever WANT to use lethal force, but they are prepared to if it means saving countless others.

Read: Homicide suspect dies from self-inflicted gunshot after deputies find dismembered body, deputies say

As per CCSO policy, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating the officer-involved shooting.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and needs assistance with finding resources, please contact our Behavioral Health Unit at (352) 249-2790.

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Sweden has announced an additional 8 million for the Grain From Ukraine initiative, which aims to transport Ukrainian grain to the poorest countries.

Source: Twitter of the Prime Minister of Sweden, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "Pleased to announce that Sweden will provide another 100 million SEK to the Grain from Ukraine initiative via the World Food Programme. Ukraine continues to contribute to global food security, despite Russias continuing war of aggression," said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Pleased to announce that Sweden will provide another 100 million SEK to the #GrainfromUkraine initiative via @WFP. Ukraine continues to contribute to global food security, despite Russias continuing war of aggression.  SwedishPM (@SwedishPM) November 26, 2023

Background:

Finland allocated 3 million to support the export of Ukrainian grain to the countries which depend on it the most, and to clear mines in rural Ukraine.

In mid-November, Latvia announced that it will allocate a second contribution of 50,000 to the programme.

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Keinymar Avila, a tiny 7-year-old with microcephaly who has never been separated from her mother, curled up in the arms of a woman shed recently met.

Her mother, Yamile Perez, glanced over at her daughter to make sure all was well as she attended a virtual meeting with Chicago Public Schools officials who were evaluating Keinymars needs. It is not easy to let someone else hold your child, especially if your child requires special medical care.

No one knows this better than the person cradling the girl, Mary Otts-Rubenstein, a Lakeview resident who has her own child with disabilities. Otts-Rubenstein has taken it upon herself to help over a dozen migrant families with medically complex kids enroll in CPS.

The children range in age from 7 to 13. Some are in wheelchairs and have conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. Few have ever been enrolled in school before; all survived journeys crossing jungles and rivers to reach the United States.

Otts-Rubenstein has been leading volunteer efforts for these children for over two months, stepping in where city officials have failed to identify and provide acceptable solutions for disabled migrants. She got involved after another volunteer who is helping migrants called her, knowing her expertise.

Any family with a child who has disabilities faces unique challenges. But what has been so hard for these families in particular, said Otts-Rubenstein, who doesnt speak Spanish and has personal experience navigating the complex public school system, is having nowhere to turn for help.

As a family with a disabled kid, the only people who know what were going through are other families with disabled kids, she said.

Experts say children with severe disabilities born in the United States are already at a disadvantage in accessing a quality education, but migrant families with disabled children face especially daunting hurdles.

As (migrant) families come to Chicago, we know they are struggling to find housing, employment and health care. This process becomes especially hard for families with children with disabilities, said Michelle Garcia, manager of organizing and community development at the nonprofit Access Living.

CPS reports that 16% of its 323,000-student population has an individualized education program, which lays out the special education services and instruction a student may need to attend school. CPS has a specific office to identify and serve diverse learners, making sure all schools have appropriate accommodations and all students have safe transportation options. Different schools around the city offer varying degrees of accommodations.

On the 20th day of school this year, CPS had 51,910 diverse learners, 2,563 more than last year. The district has over 5,000 special education teachers  the most of any point in recent years, according to a district spokesperson. But Otts-Rubenstein, who went through the process of enrolling her own daughter in Chicago Public Schools, said the system is overwhelmed.

On a recent Saturday morning, she opened her Lakeview apartment to several migrant families staying at the Inn of Chicago so they could have a safe place to conduct individual assessment meetings with staff members from Chicago Public Schools. Migrants spent hours on borrowed iPads and computers, and were asked questions about their childrens needs they had never been asked by medical professionals.

Without Otts-Rubensteins help, the assessment  a long and exhausting bureaucratic hurdle  would have likely taken months.

The migrant families took public transportation to get to her home and lifted their children  many in wheelchairs procured by Otts-Rubenstein  up over the steps and through the double doors inside.

Keinymar, who Otts-Rubenstein met at a police station over a month ago, was the first child brought in.

Keinymar

Seven-year-old Keinymar is not weak but small, and her limbs bend outward.

She weighed less than 20 pounds when, held tightly by her mother, she crossed the border to the United States in August.

Keinymar was born with microcephaly as a result of the Zika virus  a condition where a babys head is smaller than normal. Because of this, she also has seizures, developmental delays and intellectual disability.

The family left Venezuela for Colombia because she needed to have a major surgery to implant a feeding tube in her stomach.

We spent three years (in Columbia) waiting for her operation and nothing. Still nothing, said her father, Keinar Chacin.

They walked through seven countries, slept on the street and sold lollipops on corners on the way to make enough money to get here. Three days being carried through the mountains of the Darien Gap and weeks walking across country borders left the little girl barely responsive.

Gracias a Dios, mi nina fue muy fuerte en esa selva porque no cualquiera podia sobrevivir. Thank God, my daughter was strong in that jungle, because not everyone could survive, her mother said.

They crossed the border and took a bus to Houston, where a childrens hospital gave her a feeding tube and nursed her back to a healthy weight. With help from the hospital, the family took a bus to Chicago because the fathers brother was here, staying in a shelter.

After they were dropped off by the city at the Near North District (18th) police station in the River North neighborhood, a volunteer found Keinymar lying on the ground. She called Otts-Rubenstein, a fellow volunteer who she knew had expertise helping children with disabilities.

Otts-Rubenstein arrived with extra medical equipment in her car, but was worried about being able to have a conversation in Spanish about health care needs with the family.

But when she saw Keinymar lying on a yoga mat next to her family, her instincts kicked in. She immediately got on the floor with the little girl. Gently, she checked the hole in Keinymars stomach and showed her mother how to use the pump she had brought to feed her.

Whatever we can do along the way to help

Otts-Rubenstein is the full-time caretaker for her daughter, Evelyn Rubenstein.

Evelyn, or Ev, is medically complex and disabled, and struggles with many of the same health issues the children of some migrant families do: Cerebral palsy. Seizures. Mobility. Temperature regulation.

Otts-Rubenstein and her wife, Rachel Rubenstein, adopted Evelyn from a different foster couple. The foster dad in that couple shook her when she was just a few weeks old. She never recovered, said Otts-Rubenstein.

Ev is a happy, silly kid with disabilities, who makes us proud and makes us laugh every single day, but the access and management of her care is a daily fight with health care institutions, schools and society at large, she said. And we have the privilege of being white, educated and English-speaking. Something none of these folks have.

On Otts-Rubensteins left bicep is a tattoo of the first sugya or portion of the Talmud  an ancient Jewish text  she ever learned. It reminds her that an essential quality of leadership is demonstrating how to make the impossible possible with just what is in front of us, she said.

She converted to Judaism in her mid-20s, and stepped away from her job as a project manager to respond to her daughters needs.

I cant do a lot of things, but I can do this, she said.

She says the same about the over two dozen migrant families with medically complex children she helps out on a weekly  and often daily  basis.

Whatever we can do along the way to help them get to the next step is what were supposed to do, she said.

The goal when taking care of any medically complex child, Otts-Rubenstein said, is to make sure that your child is alive at the end of the day.

Theyve done that alone, basically walking across a continent, and have kept their kids safe, she said. These families should not have made it. And they did.

That, she said, is a miracle.

The families

After meeting Keinymar at the police station, Otts-Rubenstein called city officials and learned that the city houses most migrant families with complex medical needs at the Inn of Chicago in the Streeterville neighborhood. The shelter has hundreds of individual hotel rooms and more privacy.

The citys Office of Emergency Management had placed Keinymars family in a different city shelter, but Otts-Rubenstein successfully advocated for them to be transported to the Inn of Chicago.

She figured families like Keinymars didnt have networks of social support.

These are really strong, really intelligent, really self-sufficient folks, Otts-Rubenstein said. But none of them knew each other.

At the Inn of Chicago, she introduced them to each other and helped them get wheelchairs from different charity groups. Before she stepped in, almost no one from the city had set aside time or resources to respond to their special needs.

Otts-Rubenstein has become like a madrina or godmother to the kids. She picks up on their particularities and nuances, and they notice that. Its engendered their trust in her.

Evander Osorio, 30, has a 7-year-old son named Davier with spina bifida, scoliosis and cerebral palsy. Davier likes to eat yogurt and blow kisses.

The two came to the United States without Daviers mother.

The separation was so hard. Especially at the beginning, Osorio said in Spanish.

Otts-Rubenstein was the only person who stepped up to help when they got to Chicago in October.

We are so thankful for Mary, Osorio said. Shes our guardian angel. The only person whos held out her hand to us.

Juan Pablo, a 12-year-old with autism and a love of Mickey Mouse, left Venezuela with his parents to get medical care.

Without being enrolled in school, he spends most of his time in their small isolated hotel room at the inn, watching shows on their phone. He has no toys and no one outside their family is allowed in the room.

His lunches consist of pizza the family buys from the 7-Eleven across the street, which he eats outside on a towel on the concrete.

These kids have a lot of energy. To put them in a tiny room all day is an injustice, his mom, Yasmira Salcedy, 36, said in Spanish. Pero siempre anda con una sonrisa. But he always walks with a smile.

At Otts-Rubensteins house that Saturday morning, when she invited the migrant families over, Juan Pablo didnt stop moving, as he bounced from Otts-Rubensteins couch to window to kitchen. He salivates a lot, and will usually spit it out anywhere and everywhere. Otts-Rubenstein watched him attentively, putting a Styrofoam cup under his mouth to catch it.

Otts-Rubenstein has relationships with all the kids, but is especially gentle with Keinymar, supporting her torso carefully and gently pushing her chin back so her head wont fall forward.

How come you have so many bubbles in your tummy? she asked Keinymar as she set her down on the couch with her 8-year-old brother, Keinar Chacin.

That morning, Keinymars brother didnt leave her side. He never leaves her side, said their mother. They curled up on Otts-Rubensteins couch together, him laying his hand across her collarbone while she looked up at the ceiling.

His sister cant walk by herself, stand up or lie flat on her back. She is tube-fed and unable to feed herself. She has mobility just in her right hand, and makes sucking sounds for hunger and thirst. She is able to recognize and smile at familiar people.

She looked at her older brother as he grabbed her hair and interlaced his fingers with her on her bad hand.

Individualized education programs

Otts-Rubenstein knew from her own experience with Evelyn that if she wanted to register the kids in school she would need to schedule individualized education program evaluations for the migrant families.

IEPs ensure that every student has what they need in order to be able to be successful in learning. According to disability experts, establishing one for each student takes a great deal of care and attention.

Otts-Rubenstein was told the process for the kids would likely take months.

On a good day, the district struggles with responding to neurotypical, developmentally delayed children. Everyone is drowning, Otts-Rubenstein said.

After submitting a request with CPS and waiting weeks with little to no update on when the migrants programs would move forward, Otts-Rubenstein decided to schedule her own evaluations. She was told by city employees that the meetings couldnt happen at a city-run shelter, so she arranged for them to take place in her wifes office at Two Prudential Plaza in the Loop.

When Otts-Rubenstein asked city officials to foot the bill for transportation, they refused. Migrants pushing wheelchairs had to walk almost a mile. Temperatures were freezing that day.

The school district finally moved forward with the families conferences after Otts-Rubenstein presented them with the documentation she had gathered from outside therapists and medical professionals, she said.

Hannah Kaplan, youth education coordinator at the resettlement organization RefugeeOne, said the refugee families she works with often have no idea what an IEP is. She called the process intimidating and inaccessible.

A lot of the clinicians have to present their findings in really formal language, she said.

Language barriers and other obstacles can extend the already lengthy process.

The Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services works with school staff and families to identify and serve diverse learners. ODLSS conducts student evaluations and creates and monitors Individualized Education Programs to serve children who need special education services, said a CPS spokesperson in a statement.

CPS coordinates with the city to send out mobile units to enroll students at police districts, shelters and airports. The CPS Welcome Center is also open every weekday for student enrollment, by appointment.

But Otts-Rubenstein said migrants  especially the families with children with disabilities  dont know about the center and wouldnt be able to arrange transportation there if they did.

Perezs conference call

We want all these details to make sure people can take care of her, said a representative from the school district over Zoom that Saturday.

Keinymars mother, Perez, who had only gone to school through second grade in Venezuela, carefully laid out everything the therapists and counselors would want to know: Keinymar had frequent fevers. She was given a feeding tube in Houston. She has sleeping problems. Seizures. When they first put the feeding tube in, she couldnt stop vomiting.

Then all her medications: Fluticasone, Keppra, Loratadine, sodium chloride nasal spray and psyllium. And she has Valtoco spray for seizure rescue.

Perez put her hand on her daughters head, caressing her forehead and leaving it there. She adjusted the 14-centimeter extension running to her feeding tube, which pumps vanilla PediaSure into her stomach four times a day.

Keinmyars head fell down and saliva dribbled down her chin. Her brother watched cartoons in a chair nearby.

On screen, the postage-stamp-size faces of psychologists and counselors asked Perez a series of questions. She struggled to hear their broken Spanish over the children screaming and cartoons blaring from the TV in the middle of the living room.

Can we see if she can open a book?

I dont think she can open a book.

Maybe a small one?

Perez looked around Otts-Rubensteins apartment searching for a book that would be small enough not to crush her daughter. She put it on Keinymars stiff lap. Keinymar resisted, and her mother grabbed a xylophone. Keinar watched his little sister squirm underneath it.

Where do you live now?

The Inn of Chicago.

What social services have they given you at the Inn of Chicago?

Really, none.

What things make her happy?

The sound of bags moving back and forth, and water.

Does she recognize people in her family?

Not really. Though she does get kind of excited.

What happened on the way to the United States?

She fell. She hurt her head.

The questions went on, and Perez looked up at the babies toddling around, the kids who played with trains and the mothers who sat in a circle and cried as they shared stories about their journeys here.

She asked the counselors to repeat their questions multiple times over the noise in the room.

Though Im not with my family now, I am very happy my daughter is getting medical attention and might be able to go to school, she said. In the country we were in, we didnt have any hope.

Nunca pense que iba a pasar. I never thought this was going to happen.

Roadblocks

The most universal feeling among humans is the desire to protect our young, said Mia Ives-Rublee, director of the Disability Justice Initiative.

One of the ways to do that is to ensure our kids can get the correct medical care that they need. Thats especially important for children (with disabilities), who often miss milestones because they havent received the correct medical care, Ives-Rublee said.

Ives-Rublee said unlike children with disabilities in the United States, most migrant children have never been in a school setting. Theyve never received psychological evaluations.

Venezuelan migrants especially have little understanding of how to register for school or other benefits, said Jessica Darrow, professor at University of Chicagos Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice.

What distinguishes Venezuelan migrants from other refugees, she said, is their lack of resources and often their absence of familial ties in the United States. A refugee family may legally access a whole host of benefits and services, Darrow said. Refugee resettlement agencies in Illinois have relationships with social workers at CPS.

One question I think worth considering is where the parallel services are for the newcomers who are arriving on buses from southern states, Darrow said.

Home

Windows in Otts-Rubensteins living room let in abundant light, a dozen Australian finches chirp in a large cage in the corner and books in Hebrew line her shelves  a far cry from the 12th floor in the Inn of Chicago, where Perez said the rooms are cramped and dark and sometimes the cold from the outside gets in through the vents.

For the migrant families, Otts-Rubensteins living room has become a temporary refuge.

Otts-Rubenstein said she grew up with friends who were disabled, and she volunteered in high school at an after-school program for deaf and autistic kids. But she said shes learned from the 200-plus hospitalizations shes been through with her own daughter  mostly about patience and pace.

Six years ago, Otts-Rubenstein said she would not have invited the 12 families into her home. She would have been OK with good enough.

Its really about noticing what families need in order to take a breath, she said.

Otts-Rubenstein said she makes so many decisions about Evelyns care plan that she cherishes the quiet moments in the day where she doesnt have to make any decisions.

For them, so many decisions are always made  what theyre eating, where theyre going, how theyre getting there, where theyre going to sit, she said.

The mothers who came Saturday for the evaluation requested dry corn, mayonnaise and chicken so they could cook in Otts-Rubensteins kitchen. Migrants who use laundry services at the Inn sometimes lose their clothes, so some of them brought large bags of clothes to wash.

The endless Zoom meetings broke for lunch, and the women made arepas. They played Karol G songs through a speaker and danced. Otts-Rubenstein brought out Fanta and grape sodas.

Otts-Rubenstein sipped her coffee and said that the mothers had accidentally put Nescafe in the coffee machine.

But its, like, perfect Nescafe, she said, laughing.

Outcome

All of the children who attended the meeting at Otts-Rubensteins house were recommended for different CPS schools, but Otts-Rubenstein said she still had concerns. She said many of the schools might not have the support that they need. She notices things that the district might not, she said.

It will take a lot for the migrants  who have never left their children with others  to trust city officials to provide adequate care. She said it took a lot for her to trust the school where she now sends her daughter.

Otts-Rubenstein was especially disappointed by the districts assessment of Keinymar and made a list of points the district missed: trauma care to help her cope with the stress of the long journey, visual impairment resources, technology to keep her engaged, direct nursing assistance and transportation.

The fact that she doesnt have a paraprofessional included on the bus, right? Thats a big problem and a big miss. Why did I catch that and the committee didnt? she asked.

She said Keinymars family shouldnt accept the districts academic goals for Keinymar without asking for additional staffing and support.

We can revisit goals and make them more cued into Keinymar once she is able to attend school safely, wrote Otts-Rubenstein in an email to the district.

Students with disabilities are protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, said Rachel Shapiro, managing attorney in the special education clinic at Equip for Equality. If parents dont agree with the districts designation for their child, she said, they can schedule a mediation to look at other types of accommodations.

Special education students always have a right to go to school, she said. Its important for parents to understand that, even if theyre not U.S. citizens, that their kids have these rights.

A full-time job

Some migrant families of children with disabilities have been at the Inn of Chicago for months. Otts-Rubenstein drives to the inn most days to check in with them.

The needs of these children extend beyond school, she said. Without her help, the children likely would have no one responding to their needs. Otts-Rubenstein said it has become almost a full-time job.

She hands out PediaSure from the back of her van, helps drive them to medical appointments and prints out documents. She even buys them cellphones with data so they dont have to count on the unreliable Wi-Fi to fill out their health forms.

The city offered her a position as a shelter employee, but she said she cant work the long shifts because she has to take care of her own daughter.

Emergency supplies and protocols for kids with disabilities arent always intuitive or front of mind for people working for the city, she said.

A trial run

On that recent Saturday, Otts-Rubenstein made a mental note that the next Zoom party she has with CPS will be better without everyone yelling into iPads in the same room.

She said this was a trial run. The education programs are just the beginning of the types of services she wants to provide for asylum-seekers with disabilities.

Meeting Keinymar and the kids at the inn has put Otts-Rubensteins life in a new direction.

Its really clarified for me that having care coordination for our kids by families of medically fragile kids, for families of medically fragile kids, is what I want to be doing, she said.

The children she cares for are part of their family now, she said.

Every night, the messages pour in over WhatsApp: Feliz noches, Senora Mary. Dios la bendiga. Good night, Senora Mary. God bless you.

We, as Chicagoans, can see these families as a burden that will stress our infrastructure or as wonderful friends and neighbors who give us opportunities to make sure that our systems meet everyones needs  especially the small and the disabled, Otts-Rubenstein said.

As migrants entered her home Saturday, the Spanish speakers were unable to read the framed Shel Silverstein poem hanging on the wall:

Listen to the mustnts, child./ Listen to the donts./ Listen to the shouldnts .... Then listen close to me / Anything can happen, child./ Anything can be.

nsalzman@chicagotribune.com
(Bloomberg) -- Taiwans voters in January will have the chance to reset the islands fraught relationship with China, and cool down one of the worlds key geopolitical flashpoints.

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With less than seven weeks to go until polling day, that prospect now hangs in the balance after opposition parties that seek better relations with Beijing failed to unite behind a single candidate, despite weeks of chaotic and often acrimonious negotiations that played out in public.

The collapse of the opposition alliance makes Chinese President Xi Jinpings stated goal of voluntary unification with Taiwan more remote, with pro-Beijing votes scattered among the challengers to the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party. That would benefit the ruling partys candidate, Vice President Lai Ching-te, who wants to further strengthen Taiwans ties with Washington.

Standing in Lais way are the Kuomintangs Hou Yu-ih and the Taiwan Peoples Partys Ko Wen-je, both of whom have said they plan to restart direct talks with Beijing. Foxconn Technology Group founder Terry Gou withdrew from the presidential race just hours before Fridays registration deadline, saying he did so for the greater good to give the two remaining opposition candidates a better chance of unseating the DPP.

Despite the fractured opposition, an unprecedented third straight term in power for the DPP is by no means a foregone conclusion. After almost eight years in power, theres growing unhappiness with the party, especially among younger voters. Support for Lai dipped to 31.9%, leaving him just a fraction ahead of the KMTs Hou on 30%, according to a survey by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation released Sunday. Ko trails in third place on 26%.

There are a substantial amount of voters who want a change, said Wei-Ting Yen, assistant professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania. So there is a higher chance for the DPP to lose the majority in the legislature.

Geopolitical tensions with China are also giving opposition candidates something to seize on.

Current trends look dangerous to many Taiwanese voters, said Kharis Templeman, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University who cited concerns about sudden economic embargoes, more diplomatic isolation and more threats of war.

The KMTs Hou can credibly claim his administration would be able to work with Beijing, Templeman said, adding that his election could also buy time for Taiwan to implement more extensive defense reforms.

Fridays registration deadline for the election confirmed the final roster of candidates contesting the Jan. 13 vote. Their choices of vice presidential running mates also provided strong indications of where their priorities lie.

Lais vice presidential pick, Hsiao Bi-khim  Taiwans former de facto ambassador to the US  points to his partys efforts to build upon its success in strengthening unofficial ties overseas, especially with Washington.

Weve been put in a situation where geostrategic challenges are formidable and the rock-solid partnership with the US is critically important, Hsiao said at a press conference Thursday.

While the US doesnt formally recognize Taiwan as a nation, it has vowed to help the island defend itself against what American officials say is an increasingly aggressive China. Beijing views Taiwan as a part of Chinese territory.

Both Lai and Hsiao assert Taiwan is already a de facto sovereign country in need of greater international recognition. China has labeled Lai a troublemaker, and has put Hsiao on its sanctions list of die-hard Taiwan independence supporters.

Their potential to win Januarys vote raises the stakes for Beijing. Responding to the breakdown in opposition talks, Chinas Taiwan affairs office issued a statement saying it hopes Taiwanese voters oppose independence and make the right choice when facing peace or war, prosperity or recession, according to a China Central Television report.

Hou selected television presenter and media owner Jaw Shaw-kong as his running mate. A former KMT legislator in the 1980s, Jaw split from the party in the early 1990s to co-found a hardline unification political party, only to rejoin the KMT in 2021.

Hous choice of a China-leading vice president sends a clear signal that they aim to consolidate the blue voters, Franklin & Marshall Colleges Yen said, referring to that part of the electorate that favors Taiwans eventual unification with China. If the KMT is successful in the strategic voting campaign, we can expect the poll number to go up for the KMT candidate, and it will be a much closer race, she said.

--With assistance from Jill Disis.

(Updated with new poll results in fifth paragraph. An earlier version of this story included a graphic that misspelled Kuomintang.)

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In this Sept. 15, 1966 file photo, then Georgia State Sen. Jimmy Carter hugs his wife, Rosalynn, at his Atlanta campaign headquarters. Horace Cort/AP

Rosalynn Carter

Regarding Rosalynn Carter, outspoken former first lady, dies at 96, (Nov. 19): I am saddened by our loss of Mrs. Rosalynn Carter. She goes to her reward. We are diminished by her passing.

If only such class might be demonstrated by the current crop of public figures, we would be better off.

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People might take this opportunity to revisit her husbands famous malaise speech, in which he never used that word, but outlined precisely the troubles ahead and the solutions which would have nipped them in the bud. He is arguably the last president to submit to Congress a balanced budget.

Forget how good Mr. Carter was after office; he was much better in office than people give him credit for.

Bruce Ellis, Houston

After being married 77 years, former first lady Rosalynn Carter was half of the longest married presidential couple in American history. Her sad passing is no doubt a terrible blow to former President Jimmy Carter who recently celebrated his 99th birthday and is also in failing health. They were a couple truly dedicated to one another, a class act and a genuine love story. With her own list of accomplishments  campaigning for womens rights, those with disabilities and mental health issues  Mrs. Carter can rest in peace knowing that she made a difference in the world and will not escape history.

JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater, Fla.

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SpaceX impact

Regarding SpaceX launched its giant new rocket but explosions end the second test flight, (Nov. 18): Im a seventh-generation Texan. This is not OK. Its not OK that the massive booster unexpectedly self-destructed, its remnants falling into the Gulf or on shore, trashing the environment and harming life. And then SpaceX commentator Kate Tice glibly says theyll learn from it, without mention of environmental concerns.

Trashing Texas and Mexico, the borderland, the turtles, the nature preserves. It is not OK.

Pat Naumann, Seattle,Wash.

Voting system

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Regarding Dont blame the kids for not voting. Help them. (Opinion), (Nov. 18): In 1876, when the Army of the North was withdrawn after Reconstruction following the war between the states, Texans wrote their new state constitution.

They hated the idea that people were equal. They hated the idea that formerly enslaved men could vote. And they particularly resented the dictatorship of the North.

So they wrote a constitution which still rules Texas and prevents anyone from getting control again. Until Greg Abbott began reaching down to thwart Democratic cities and counties, the plan has mostly worked.

Consider the 254 counties, which were probably the closest government to the majority of rural residents of that time. Power is split among five people on the Commissioners Court. The district attorney, the county attorney, the treasurer, the district clerk, the county clerk, the tax collector, the sheriff, and all the district court judges, county criminal court and civil court, probate, and juvenile justice judges are elected by the people. In Harris County, thats more than 100 separately elected judges.

Long ballots? Divided governments? Information on each of these myriad elected officials? One of the letter writers doesnt want everyone to vote  only informed voters. Thumbs last week shamed citizens who did not exercise their right to vote.

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Id say the system is working just as it was set up to work in 1876. Still, the Yankees havent retaken control, which may or may not bother you.

No one is in control.

Sally Lehr, Houston

This piece made me think of the 1957 book by Anthony Downs, An Economic Theory of Democracy. He is an economist, and simplistically, his thesis is that Americans dont vote because it costs too much. Not in money, but in the value people consider in trading off the time to vote.

This article hits on many hindrances and how the drive-thru, extended hours and facilitated mail-in voting helped during the pandemic. One potential obstacle I think doesnt get enough attention is the parent, sometimes single, who must figure out who will watch the children while they go to vote (the drive-thru would help in that situation). Nothing has changed since 1957.

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It would be wonderful to see higher voter participation rates. Thanks for writing about the problem.

Carol Abel Lewis, professor of transportation studies, Texas Southern University

Regarding Swifties' business school takeover, Turners legacy book flameout (Thumbs), (Nov. 20): I would give just about anything, even my Dick Tracy decoder ring, to be a fly on the wall during the editorial meetings to decide what to include in the Thumbs editorial. That has got to be comedy club worthy!

Seriously, asking 311 callers if they voted in this last mayoral election is a great idea. As a veteran of 10 years as precinct voting judge, I always said, based on questions I had to answer about the ballot, that prospective voters should be asked to name one thing each person they intended to vote for or against had said or done.
Residential buildings, destroyed in Israeli strikes during the conflict, lie in ruin, in Gaza City

Residential buildings, destroyed in Israeli strikes during the conflict, lie in ruin, in Gaza City

By Mohammed Salem

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Under a night sky illuminated by moonlight rather than flares and explosions, Gaza resident Ibrahim Kaninch sat by a small bonfire outside his partially destroyed house, feeding the flames with bits of cardboard as he heated up water for tea.

The peaceful scene, on the second night of a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, was a moment of respite and reflection for Kaninch, who like other Gazans has endured fear and hardship since the war began on Oct. 7.

"Were living days of calm, where we are stealing moments to make tea," he said, his face lit in warm colours by the glow of the fire.

"These truce days have allowed people to have a bit of social communication and to check on their families and friends and their houses."

Kaninch lives in Khan Younis, a town in the southern Gaza Strip where tens of thousands of people have sought refuge in tents, schools and residents' homes after fleeing heavy bombardment in the northern half of the territory.

However, air strikes have also hit many targets in the south, and Kaninch said the constant terror and the sound of military jets and explosions made it impossible to have a quiet evening whether inside or out, until the truce.

He was enjoying the break from the fear and noise, but with his home badly damaged by a strike the situation was still very far from normal. Kaninch mused that the war had revived aspects of the lifestyle of earlier generations.

"Weve lost this kind of gathering around the fire years ago, but the exceptional status of war that were currently experiencing has brought back some of the heritage and the social culture that our ancestors used to have," he said.

Nearby, a man pushing a bicycle and a woman carrying a baby strolled side by side in the darkened street as the call to prayer could be heard faintly in the distance. The headlights of a passing car briefly lit up piles of rubble on the street and graffiti on the walls.

The war began when Hamas militants broke out of Gaza on Oct. 7 and rampaged through southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, among them babies and children, and seizing 240 hostages.

Vowing to destroy Hamas in response, Israel launched an all-out assault on Gaza which has killed 14,800 people, of whom about four in 10 were children, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled territory.

The military campaign has also levelled much of northern Gaza and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, while a tight blockade has caused shortages of food, water, medicines, electricity and other supplies.

"We ask ourselves what's next? There's no electricity or water, there are shortages of all basic human needs," said Kaninch.

"We ask God to let people's lives resume and go back to safety, peace and prosperity."

(Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Giles Elgood)
Lonely man comforted by couple and their dog in bar

A tear-jerking Christmas advertisement for a pub in Northern Ireland has been described as better than anything John Lewis has put out after it went viral on social media.

Charlies Bar in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, has created a two-minute video initially posted on TikTok highlighting the issue of loneliness during the festive period.

The advertisement, which has now been watched by millions of people online, involves an elderly man visiting a gravestone with flowers before making his way downtown, where he is ignored by passersby he tries to greet.

He ends up in the pub, Charlies Bar, where hes given a pint of Guinness and takes up a seat by the fire before being joined by a couple and their dog, who makes a beeline for the man.

It ends with a quote from WB Yeats: There are no strangers here, only friends you havent yet met.

This Christmas ad for a pub in Enniskillen is better than anything John Lewis has ever put out pic.twitter.com/GFlkhDgyuj  Greg Murphy  (@TheGregMurphy) November 25, 2023

The video was created by locals, starring Martin McManus as the elderly gentlemen, and filmed and created by content creator Aoife Teague.

The heart-warming video was hailed by users on Twitter as better than anything John Lewis has put out despite costing a lot less to produce.

One said: It succeeded where John Lewis has always failed. Not only did it bring a tear to my eye [but] it had a simple but important heartwarming message.

Posting on Facebook, Charlies Bar said: Christmas can be such a joyful time for some and painfully hard for others.

One things for sure - youll always receive a warm welcome when you walk through our doors.

We will be open on Christmas Day, so if you are alone this festive season, drop in for a chat.

Lisa McGee, creator of the comedy Derry Girls was among those who praised the bar for its ad, while Emma DeSouza, the writer, praised the county for its community.

Im not crying, she said. One of the things we love so much about Fermanagh is the community, this is a good reminder that for many people the festive period can be very lonely, reach out the hand of friendship if you can.

Doug Beattie, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party leader, and Malachy Quinn, a Social Democratic and Labour Party councillor, were among the politicians in Northern Ireland to praise the ad. A Sinn Fein councillor said the video had left her a blubbing mess.

Lonely man is ignored in street

One Twitter user said it was the finest Christmas ad while another said if this doesnt bring a tear to your eye you need a heart transplant.

Una Burns, the manager of Charlies Bar, said she was completely overwhelmed by the reaction. Were just a small, local pub and we just wanted to provide a Christmas advert that hopefully resonated with people and for us, it became apparent over the years that Christmas can be a really lonely, tough time for some people, Ms Burns told PA news agency.

We see that more than others as on Christmas morning  when were open  there are some people coming in with maybe nowhere else to be and need people to speak to.

We were not expecting the reaction that its received  its just blown up.

She said Charlies Bar was more than just a business, its part of our family.

My dad is the owner and my grandad was the previous owner, she said.

The lonely man finds comfort with three new friends

She added: People have been comparing it to the John Lewis advert, which we could have never expected  thats brilliant.

It is the latest in a series of made-at-home Christmas ads made by local companies.

Another pub in Northern Ireland, Quinns Bar in Newcastle, Co Down, has also produced an ad around loneliness.

An elderly man is surprised by all of his family after they join him at the seaside town pub on Christmas Eve. The caption says leave nobody behind this Christmas.

In another ad, a family-run DIY store called Hafod Hardware, from in a small town in mid-Wales, filmed their two-year-old Arthur Jones getting up and donning his apron for a days work.

It features four generations of the family and cost less than 100 to make back in 2019.

John Lewiss Christmas advertisements have set the bar for other brands to meet since it produced its first festive ad in 2007.

This years edition received a mixed-reception, with the tale of a little boy and a giant Venus flytrap, attempting to evoke the feeling of family and the evolution of traditions.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
Cisco delivered to Kyiv in April 2023 a special prototype device that will help Ukraine's power grid defend against Russian attacks this winter, CNN reported.

The pizza box-sized prototypes were shipped using a US plane carrying humanitarian aid. They are designed to keep the energy grid running and ward off Russian cyberattacks.

"Cisco, along with power grid experts in the public and private sector, worked tirelessly for 8 months to develop, test and deploy our solution to Ukraine," Joe Marshall, Cisco Talos security strategist, told Business Insider.

In April, the Cisco devices were loaded onto a US Air Force plane traveling to a military airfield in Rzeszow, Poland. Ukrenergo engineers worked on adapting the products to align with energy needs.

"It involved a great deal of trial and error, but we managed to develop a unique solution that helps mitigate the GPS jamming issue."

In April, the prototypes were loaded onto a US Air Force plane carrying humanitarian aid from a military base on the East Coast to Rzeszow, Poland, near the Ukrainian border, CNN reported.

The prototypes are valued at about $1 million a piece but were offered for free by Cisco.

"Fighting the good fight isn't just about cybersecurity. It's about doing the right thing and helping others in the face of adversity," Marshall said.

"We knew that this work was our chance to make a tangible difference to Ukrainians, who are living in an active war zone. We knew this solution would help save lives - and keep the lights on in Ukraine."

Read also: Ukraine-founded tech service company SupportYourApp finds a way forward during war

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  As teacher shortages continue to inundate school districts in Texas and beyond, some participants in teacher certification programs here in Austin shared what attracted them to the profession.

Alberto Serna, a teacher residency program participant at Austin Community College, decided to return to school after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a film degree last year.

Austin Community Colleges Northridge campus features a mock-up classroom for students to practice in. (KXAN Photo/Kelsey Thompson)

Austin Community Colleges Northridge campus features a mock-up classroom for students to practice in. (KXAN Photo/Kelsey Thompson)

Austin Community Colleges Northridge campus features a mock-up classroom for students to practice in. (KXAN Photo/Kelsey Thompson)

Austin Community Colleges Northridge campus features a mock-up classroom for students to practice in. (KXAN Photo/Kelsey Thompson)

Austin Community Colleges Northridge campus features a mock-up classroom for students to practice in. (KXAN Photo/Kelsey Thompson)

Austin Community Colleges Northridge campus features a mock-up classroom for students to practice in. (KXAN Photo/Kelsey Thompson)

Austin Community Colleges Northridge campus features a mock-up classroom for students to practice in. (KXAN Photo/Kelsey Thompson)

I was kind of left wondering, Where do I go from here? Whats the next steps?' Serna said, adding: It kind of led me to this idea of what if I go back to school, literally?'

Right now, Serna works alongside three teachers at Austin ISD who help give guidance on day-to-day lesson planning and interactions with students. Through it, Serna said its helped shape perspective on how to devote one-on-one, individualized attention to students while still reaching the masses.

KXAN INVESTIGATES: The Exit  Teachers Leave. Students Suffer.

My main goal is to always put students first, and Im learning that, you know, you have to learn that its difficult to try to get all of them and to teach all of them, Serna said. But sometimes, its just taking that little time every other day to actually sit down and give them that one-on-one attention.

Jazmine Sauls and Christopher Hicks are students in ACCs traditional pathway teacher certification program. For Sauls, her experience as a music teacher led to her wanting a classroom of her own and full-time experiences with a set of students. Now, shes interested in becoming a prekindergarten or kindergarten teacher, following completion of the program.

With Hicks, he comes from a medical background, with experience studying histotechnology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

I feel like Im making as much of a difference with students as I am with patients, Hicks said.

RELATED: New ACC residency program addressing Central Texas teacher shortages

Both of them noted their personal experiences with teachers who helped shape their own educational paths, as well as encouraging them to enter the profession themselves. Hicks said he has a large family with many nieces and nephews and sees this as an opportunity to serve as a role model for them.

For Sauls, its been a full circle moment, as Rebecca Miller  ACCs program coordinator for the new principal certification program  was her eighth-grade teacher.

I think its interesting that shes here and a part of the program and basically led the way for me to be here, in a way, today, Sauls said.

More details on ACCs teacher certification programs are available online.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
The Wilmer Police Department discontinued an Amber Alert for a 10-year-old boy whose dad is wanted in his abduction and in the killing of the childs mother.

Ian Aguilar, from Wilmer, Texas, was retrieved from Mexico and has been reunited with his family in the U.S., according to Star-Telegram media partner, WFAA-TV.

Wilmer is in Dallas County and is about 45 miles east of Fort Worth.

The Amber Alert was initially issued on the morning of Nov. 14. Law enforcement officials believed Ian to be in grave or immediate danger, the initial alert said.

Juan Aguilar-Cano, 38, is the suspect wanted in connection to the abduction of 10-year-old Ian Aguilar, who was last seen Tuesday morning in Wilmer, TX.

On Nov. 15, the suspect vehicle  believed to be driven by the boys father, 38-year-old Juan Aguilar-Cano  was found unoccupied in the Houston area, according to Wilmer police.

Aguilar-Cano is also suspected of killing Ians mother, 48-year-old Zuleika Lopez, in her home on Nov. 14 and then taking their son, according to authorities.

The Dallas County Sheriffs Department is investigating Lopezs homicide.

Ian was believed to be with family in Mexico and no longer with his father, Wilmer police said in a Nov. 17 news release.

Zuri Lopez, Ians sister, confirmed Saturday Ian was back with family in the U.S. and said she was frustrated police didnt go to the home of the homicide earlier after police received a call from Aguilar-Cano, who admitted he had done something terrible and said he should kill himself, according to the report from WFAA.

Neighbors said that Aguilar-Cano hadnt been himself lately and Zuri says her mother, Zuleika, was in a toxic relationship with Aguilar-Cano and planning to remove him from her life and their house, according to WFAA.

Aguilar-Cano was arrested in 2008 and was charged with evading arrest with a vehicle in Ennis. He pleaded guilty in an agreement for two years probation, according to court records.
Dying from hepatitis C is a notoriously miserable way to go.

The virus attacks your liver  in many cases, destroying its ability to make proteins and filter blood. You might not notice at first, because it can inflict damage gradually and silently until finally you start to feel symptoms that could include fatigue, jaundice, mental disorientation, severe itching and joint pain. Your belly could fill up with so much fluid that doctors have to drain it, while gastrointestinal difficulties might have you vomiting up blood.

This could go on for months or years, and eventually your liver could fail completely. A transplant might save you, but only if you can get one, and only if it works.

Hepatitis C kills thousands of Americans every year, making it the nations deadliest bloodborne infectious disease. And it doesnt have to be this way.

Theres a cure for hepatitis C that works in almost all cases  an antiviral medication thats been around for a decade, needs to be taken for just two or three months, and has relatively mild side effects. But lots of Americans diagnosed with the disease arentgetting the drug because its too expensive, or theyre getting it only after the virus has already done severe damage. Takeup is worst among low-income groups and uninsured people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although even among the privately insured, only about one-third have initiated treatment within a year of testing positive.

President Joe Biden has proposed to do something about that. His 2024 budget calls for a campaign to eliminate hepatitis C by making sure at-risk people are aware of the disease and its cure, giving providers the training and tools to identify cases early, and getting the medication to everyone who needs it. Although nobody believes the campaign would actually wipe out the disease, at least in the near term, experts think it could dramatically reduce its incidence  and the death toll too.

Of course, Biden has endorsed plenty of other promising ideas to improve public health. The prospects for making most of them a reality these days are slim given divided control of Congress, not to mention many conservatives aversion to anything that requires about $5 billion in new federal outlays over 10 years, as the hepatitis C campaign would.

But theres real hope for this proposal, starting with its actual budget arithmetic.

A comprehensive hepatitis C strategy could actually save the federal government money, because curing the disease is so much cheaper than paying to treat its complications. One independent analysis has projected about $13 billion in reduced federal spending over the first 10 years, with much larger windfalls in the future.

Thats a big number  but it starts to make sense when you consider that a single liver transplant typically costs more than $100,000 for the procedure, followed by tens of thousands of dollars annually to maintain.

And while that kind of logic doesnt always prevail in Washington, this particular proposal includes among its champions two people in a unique position to affect the debate. One is a world-famous scientist with credibility on both sides of the aisle. The other is the ranking Republican senator on a key committee. Not coincidentally, each has a personal connection to the issue.

The Scientist

The renowned scientist is Francis Collins, former leader of the Human Genome Project and director of the National Institutes of Health. He served as Bidens acting science adviser for most of 2022, and has continued to lead the hepatitis C initiative since then. His personal connection to the issue is through his brother-in-law, who died from the disease 11 years ago.

You wouldnt believe what he went through, the gradual liver failure, to the point of being almost bedridden, Collins told HuffPost. His brother-in-law was actually one of the lucky ones who was able to get a liver transplant. But during the procedure, doctors discovered liver cancer, which along with some other hepatitis C complications ultimately killed him. I dont want anybody to go through that again.

It was around the time of his death that the pharmaceutical giant Gilead got approval for a breakthrough drug Sofosbuvir, sold under the brand name Sovaldi. Unlike earlier treatments that came with serious side effects and frequently didnt cure the disease, Gilead announced, Sovaldi wiped out the virus in more than 90% of cases.

Former National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins, pictured here at a 2022 conference, is leading the White House initiative to wipe out hepatitis C.

Former National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins, pictured here at a 2022 conference, is leading the White House initiative to wipe out hepatitis C.

It was a major scientific advance, one of the biggest in modern medicine. But from the get-go, public health experts knew  and warned  that getting the cure to people would be a challenge.

Hepatitis C spreads through bloodborne contact, frequently (though by no means always) by drug users who are sharing needles. Many people who are at risk have no health insurance or no regular contact with health care providers, or both.

And then there was the issue of price. Gilead initially sold Sovaldi for $1,000 per pill, which for a typical daily regimen lasting 12 weeks worked out to $84,000. That price made it a heavy expense for private and public insurers alike. The burden on the latter was especially great, given the high number of people on Medicaid or in prisons who had hepatitis C.

A subsequent bipartisan congressional investigation concluded that Gileads own documents and correspondence show its pricing strategy was focused on maximizing revenue  even as the companys analysis showed a lower price would allow more patients to be treated. And even when the high cost led insurers to restrict access, the congressional report said, Gilead refused to lower its prices.

Gilead responded by saying that it had priced the drug responsibly and thoughtfully, given the long-term benefits and savings from curing hepatitis C. The company said its strategy was in line with previous standards of care. It also cited discounts and assistance programs that it ran, arguing that they made the drug available to people who couldnt afford it.

The company eventually lowered the price of its drugs to about $20,000, in order to compete with a new treatment from the drugmaker AbbVie. But the prospective treatment costs for insurers and governments remained staggering, given the sheer volume of people who needed the drug.

Thats when the state of Louisiana got involved. And along the way, one of its Republican senators did too.

The Senator

In 2016, a little more than a year after Sovaldi sales began, Louisiana officials brought in an outside research group to calculate how much it would cost to provide Sovaldi to all of the states hepatitis C patients. The group, based at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute and led by physician and policy expert Peter Bach, calculated it would be $760 million a year, which was more than Louisiana spends on schools, veterans and correctional facilities combined.

Louisiana officials began looking for ways to make the cost manageable  among them, asking the federal government to use its authority to license production of hepatitis C drugs by other manufacturers at lower prices. That would have effectively broken Gileads exclusive rights to produce and sell the drug, an idea many progressives have supported in the past for other high-priced treatments.

When the drug industry threatened to fight any such effort in court, officials floated an alternative that Bach had championed: a subscription or Netflix model, under which the state would pay the manufacturers a fixed sum in exchange for production of however many doses it took to meet demand through Medicaid, prisons and other government programs that the state financed.

Among those taken with the idea was Bill Cassidy, then a newly elected Republican senator from Louisiana as well as a physician who specializes in treatment of liver disease. Cassidy, a staunch economic conservative, said that threatening Gileads exclusivity was legally questionable and would deter future innovation by reducing incentives for investment. But he embraced the subscription model as a market-friendly way to get treatment to the people who need it  a population, he frequently noted, that he knew well from his work in clinics serving the uninsured.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has cited his experience as a doctor treating liver disease in making the case for aggressive efforts to treat hepatitis C. He's also held up his state's experience with a

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has cited his experience as a doctor treating liver disease in making the case for aggressive efforts to treat hepatitis C. He's also held up his state's experience with a "subscription" financing strategy as proof that it can work nationally.

During one Senate committee hearing, as later recounted in The Washington Post, Cassidy drew on a whiteboard to demonstrate how hepatitis C can lead to cirrhosis, and why intervening early is so important. What currently happens is those who either have cirrhosis, the most advanced disease, or are at risk of developing it, are who is treated now, Cassidy said. Youre putting out a fire, as opposed to putting out a match. (Cassidys office did not make him available to HuffPost for comment.)

Under pressure from both state and federal officials, from both political parties  and with the promise that the new model would only add to their revenue, rather than reduce their income from existing sales  the drug companies agreed to the subscription financing model. The program launched in July 2019, and the number of people getting treatment immediately jumped by more than a factor of five, according to Louisiana state data.

The treatment rate fell from that peak once COVID-19 hit, most likely because people were reducing regular contact with medical providers at the time. And although the rate remained above pre-pandemic levels, it had also become clear that, as explained in a Stat feature on the Louisiana program, lack of access and awareness remained big impediments to success.

That realization  and a determination to do something about it  is behind the new federal proposal.

The Plan

Collins says the idea of the plan first appeared on his radar in early 2022, while he was serving as Bidens acting scientific adviser. The more he learned about it, he said, the more he understood what an opportunity it was.

The testing challenge is in some ways the easiest, he said. Today, the test for hepatitis in the U.S. requires giving a blood sample that doctors send away for analysis, and then returning for a follow-up test if the initial findings are positive. Starting treatment then requires one more session.

Getting people to do that is never easy. Its particularly tough in cases where people dont have regular sources of care or ways to pay for it.

But theres a simpler test that physicians could process in their own office, in minutes rather than days. Australia has already approved the test, and if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does too, as Collins hopes will happen within the next year, then the key will be making sure providers have everything they need to offer it. The Biden proposal would, among other things, get the necessary material to federally run community clinics that serve millions of low-income and uninsured Americans every year.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a leading proponent for a major campaign against hepatitis C, has been working with Cassidy on legislation.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a leading proponent for a major campaign against hepatitis C, has been working with Cassidy on legislation.

Im feeling pretty good about this and I think it will be a game changer, Collins said, because many of the populations affected are simply not in a position to come back three times to the clinic before they get started on treatment. The transportation problems alone are big  we just lose a lot of people along the way.

Another piece of the Biden proposal would focus on raising awareness: among the populations most likely to have hepatitis C, and, just as critically, among the providers who would be in a position to do the testing and prescribe the medication.

Collins says hes hopeful such a campaign can actually work, because some smaller pilot programs (like one in New Mexico) have shown positive results, and because physicians are bound to be enthusiastic about the testing and treatment once more of them understand how transformative it can be.

You have a chance to make a diagnosis, a very straightforward diagnosis, Collins explained. You have a chance to offer something to the people who have the disease, and then they get cured ... Every physician Ive ever talked to whos decided to get involved in this, theyve [said] its been among the most gratifying things theyve ever done.

The final piece of the initiative is the purchase of the drugs, which would involve taking the subscription model to the rest of the country  although, as with other elements of the proposal, itd be up to states whether they want to participate. The plan would also provide more funding to cover out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries who take the drugs.

The Politics

Implementing the campaign would still present formidable challenges, but the more immediate issue is getting the plan through Congress.

The idea has some forceful advocates, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who has been working closely with Cassidy on fine-tuning a proposal that could turn into legislation  ideally in time to be part of a must-pass spending bill that will include health care appropriations. That bill is scheduled to come up for a vote in February.

The legislation would have to get through a familiar political gauntlet, including questions from progressives who might prefer a more aggressive effort to force down treatment prices  perhaps by threatening the companies with the kind of licensing that Louisiana floated back in the day. But the bigger obstacle is likely to come from conservatives who might blanch at all of that new federal spending.

Thats where Cassidy could play a big role. He comes from a deeply red state and has impeccable conservative credentials on health care. In 2017, he was chief co-sponsor of a major proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He is the ranking Republican on the Senates health, education, labor and pensions committee. And he speaks with the authority of a physician, which among other things would help in the House, where the GOP Doctors Caucus includes more than a dozen members.

Good policy is good politics, but everybody in Congress knows somebody with hepatitis C, Cassidy told CBS News in August. If the administration comes up with a good plan and it can justify what its asking for, and we can show success elsewhere, Id like to think that we can go to members of Congress and get buy-in.

A lot will depend on whether the Congressional Budget Office, the official scorekeeper for legislation, agrees with those independent researchers who found big savings in the first 10 years that the CBO uses for projections. Another major variable is the pharmaceutical industry, which is still among the most powerful interest groups in Washington and which may try to stymie policies they see as interfering with their profits.

But Collins says hes optimistic about that  because, as in Louisiana, the proposal doesnt affect the ability of drugmakers to earn money off existing sales. In the end, Collins says, theyd come out ahead.

The marginal cost of making these drugs is really low  its very easy to make these drugs, theyre not hard to synthesize, he said. They also can see theyre not making money on the marginalized populations  that being Medicaid patients, uninsured people, people in the prison system, people who are on Native American reservations.

But ultimately, Collins says. the biggest selling point for this plan is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save so many people. Its a really big deal, he said. How can we just look the other way? ... [It] seems impossible to justify just letting this go.

This article has been updated to reflect state data from Louisiana.

Related...
Demonstrators held posters that read 'zero tolerance for anti-Semitism' as they walked to parliament (JUSTIN TALLIS)

Thousands of demonstrators, some waving Israeli and British flags, marched against anti-Semitism through central London on Sunday.

The protest came a day after large pro-Palestinian crowds took to the streets of Britain's capital to demand a full ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The UK has seen a spike in anti-Semitic incidents since the unprecedented October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel unleashed the latest conflict in the Gaza Strip.

"The hate has got to disappear. You can't have hate on either side," 69-year-old retiree Michael Jennings told AFP, as the march began outside the Royal Courts of Justice.

Demonstrators, who were joined by ex-prime minister Boris Johnson, held posters that read "Zero tolerance for anti-Semitism" as they walked to parliament.

They also displayed photographs of Israelis and foreigners kidnapped by Hamas militants.

- 'Asking for peace' -

"We're here to support Israel. We're here to ask for the release of all the hostages," 52-year-old Debby Goldberg told AFP, a large Israeli flag wrapped around her shoulders.

"We're here asking for peace and asking for this nightmare to be over," added Goldberg, an Israeli citizen originally from Argentina.

Omer Plotniarz, a 37-year-old music therapist, said he was so worried about anti-Semitism that he had not brought his wife and child on the march.

"We're not here about hating people. We're not here to shout for murder. On the seventh of October we woke up to a new reality and we are all traumatised by that," he told AFP.

Plotniarz and other protesters wore stickers that said: "Our love is stronger than your hate."

"We just want to see our babies, our wives, our brothers, sisters, everyone back home," Plotniarz added.

A third set of hostages were due to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners Sunday as a delicate truce in the seven-week war held.

In the deadliest attack in Israel's history, Hamas gunmen snatched around 240 people and killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, according to Israeli authorities.

In response Israel launched an air, artillery and naval bombardment alongside a ground offensive to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.

During Sunday's march, organised by Campaign Against Antisemitism, police arrested far-right agitator Tommy Robinson who had been told to stay clear of the demonstration.

Jewish charity the Community Security Trust (CST) has said that it recorded in the 40 days from the initial Hamas attack to November 15, at least 1,324 anti-Semitic incidents across Britain.

That was the highest-ever total over a 40-day period since it began logging incidents in 1984, and compares with 217 reported in the same period in 2022.

pdh/acc
Thousands of Italians took to the streets to condemn violence against women after a 22-year-old female student was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend earlier this month.

The case of Giulia Cecchettin grasped the attention of Italy for days after she was reported missing on Nov. 11. She disappeared after meeting her ex-boyfriend, Filippo Turetta, at a mall just days before she was slated to receive her degree in biomedical engineering. Her body was found on Nov. 18.

The death of the young woman sparked outrage across the country, including organizing rallies and protests calls for action to end violence against women. The Associated Press reported that 106 women have been killed in Italy so far this year, including 55 of them allegedly murdered by a partner or former partner, according to data from the Italian Interior Ministry.

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Male violence is something that personally touched me and all of us, at every age, Aurora Arleo, a 24-year-old student, told the Associated Press. We have united also in the name of Giulia, because her story struck us, and I hope it will change something.

The protests also come as Turetta, 21, was extradited from Germany on suspicion of murder. Surveillance cameras just miles from Cecchettins home captured the image of a man, alleged to be Turretta, chasing after Cecchettin after she sprinted from the car. The footage shows her being struck repeatedly before being bundled into the car.

Roadside surveillance cameras later captured Turettas car in Italy, Austria and then Germany. A German court ordered his extradition to Italy last week after German police checked in on a car that had run out of gas on the side of the highway.

The death of Cecchettin also came days after a blockbuster movie, Ce ancora domani, was released in Italy and detailed the life of a woman who was abused by her husband. The movie was set in 1946, which the AP noted was 24 years before divorce became legal in Italy. It highlighted the patriarchal roles still embedded in Italian society, according to the AP.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Three Palestinian men were shot and injured near the University of Vermont on Saturday in what authorities suspect could be a hate-related crime.

The Burlington Police Department (BPD) said in a press release that two of the three victims are in stable condition while the third sustained much more serious injuries. The three men, who are each 20 years old and of Palestinian descent, were visiting the home of one victims relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving weekend and were walking along a street when they were confronted by a white man with a handgun.

Police said the man discharged at least four rounds without saying anything and fled on foot. Two of the victims were shot in their torso and one was shot in the lower extremities, police said.

Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad suggested that it could be a hate-related crime.

My deepest condolences go out to the victims and their families, Murad said in a statement. In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime. And I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if its proven.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger also vowed to hold the shooter accountable in a statement.

Violence of any kind against any person in our community is totally unacceptable and we will do everything in our power to find the perpetrator and hold them fully accountable, Weinberger said in a statement. That there is an indication this shooting could have been motivated by hate is chilling, and this possibility is being prioritized in the BPDs investigation. The City of Burlington has zero tolerance for hate crimes and will work relentlessly to bring the shooter to justice.

In a message to students, Haverford College said that junior Kinnan Abdalhamid was one of the three suffering from a gunshot wound as a result of the shooting.

Kinnan and his friends are all Palestinian students studying at U.S. colleges and universities. Police are investigating the shootings, and we await word on whether it will be pursued as a hate crime, Haverford College President Wendy Raymond and Dean John McKnight said in the message. In the meantime, know that Haverford College condemns all acts of hatred. We continue to work toward peace within our community and everywhere.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Sunday that the organization will be offering a $10,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetuator of the shooting. The organization is also calling on state and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate whether there was a possible bias motive for the shooting.

Islamophobic incidents across the United States have spiked since the outbreak of the war between Israel and the militant group Hamas last month, which has left thousands dead on both sides of the conflict.

President Biden has been briefed on the incident and will continue to receive updates about the situation. The Albany FBI office said in a statement that it was aware of the incident.

We are aware of the incident in Burlington and are working with our state and local partners in Vermont, Albany FBI spokesperson Sarah Ruane said. If, in the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also issued a statement on the shooting.

It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT. Hate has no place here, or anywhere. I look forward to a full investigation. My thoughts are with them and their families, Sanders said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) said Sunday it has raised $800 million through a syndicated social loan to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Korea.

Japan's Mizuho Bank was the sole manager for the loan, which is a combination of a three-year loan of $300 million and a five-year loan of $500 million.

The loan was funded by a total of 14 banks, including those from Japan, China, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia, according to Eximbank.

The Korean bank said the money will be delivered to local SMEs that contribute to job creation in the form of a social loan. (Yonhap)
Three college students reportedly of Palestinian descent were shot and wounded on Saturday night in Burlington, Vermont, according to police.

The students were travelling to a family dinner when they were attacked, The Guardian reports.

The victims were identified as Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ahmed, and Kinnan Abdalhamid, who are undergraduate students at Brown, Haverford, and Trinity, according to Husam Zomlot, the head of Palestine's mission to the UK.

Mr Zomlot wrote on X/Twitter that the victims were wearing Palestinian kuffiyeh when they were shot.

While police have not publicly identified a motive in the attack, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee wrote on X/Twitter that "we have reason to believe that the shooting was motivated by the three [victims] being Arab."

Three Palestinian students who were shot while walking to a family dinner in Burlington, Vermont. They have been identified as Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ali and Kenan Abdulhamid (@@hzomlot/Twitter)

The three victims were wearing a kuffiyeh and speaking Arabic. A man shouted and harassed the victims," the organisation wrote in its statement.

Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said during a press briefing that the suspect was a white male who shot the three men without speaking.

Preliminary investigation has determined that all three were visiting the home of one victims relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday. The three were walking on Prospect Street when they were confronted by a white male with a handgun, Mr Murad said. The suspect was on foot in the area. Without speaking, he discharged at least four rounds from the pistol and is believed to have fled on foot.

The Council on American Islamic Relations have put up a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the attacker or attackers.

All three of the men were graduates of Ramallah Friends School, which is a Palestinian learning institution.

We extend our thoughts and prayers to them and their families for a full recovery, especially considering the severity of injuries  as Hisham has been shot in the back, Tahseen in the chest, and Kinnan with minor injuries, the school said in a social media post. While we are relieved to know that they are alive, we remain uncertain about their condition and hold them in the light.

Both Islamophobia and antisemitism have been on the rise in the wake of the 7 October Hamas terror attack that killed 1,400 Israelis, and Israel's devastating military response, which has reportedly left more than 14,500 Palestinians dead.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported that it received 1,283 requests for help and reports of bigotry toward Arabs and Muslims since the beginning of October, account for a 216 per cent increase when compared to the same period in 2022.

The Anti-Defamation League has reported a nearly 400 per cent jump in antisemitic incidents when compared to the same time in 2022.

On Thursday, the LAPD began investigating a demonstration outside the house of AIPAC president Michael Tuchin's home. The LAPD is reportedly considering treating the incident as a hate crime.

Shortly after the war began, a Palestinian-American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, was stabbed and killed, allegedly by his family's landlord, who had reportedly argued with the boy's mother about the conflict in Israel just before the attack.

Approximately a week before the three Palestinian students were shot, a Muslim man selling goods outside a mosque in Providence, Rhode Island, was shot and wounded.

The hate crimes against Palestinians must stop, Mr Zomlot wrote on X/Twitter. Palestinians everywhere need protection.
While investigating the murders of Alex Murdaugh's wife Maggie and son Paul in June 2021, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) stumbled across a clue in another mysterious death  that of Stephen Smith, a 19-year-old who'd been found dead on July 8, 2015. His death was ruled a hit and run even though investigators at the scene found no evidence of one, and the case had gone cold until SLED's discovery after the Murdaugh murders brought it back to life. SLED announced it would be renewing the investigation into Smith's death, sparking new theories and reviving old rumors.

SLED has never said what it found that led them back to Stephen Smith, but through reports and interviews found in the 2015 case file, "48 Hours" pieced together what happened in the original investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The story of Stephen Smith's death begins with his final conversation with his mother, just a week before his death.

July 1, 2015: An unusual conversation

Sandy and Stephen Smith / Credit: Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith says the last time she saw her son Stephen was July 1, 2015, when he visited her house. Stephen was a nursing student at the time and was shuttling between the homes of his parents, who lived apart. Sandy says Stephen told her something that day that now gives her pause.

"He told me that he was goin' on a fishin' trip, deep sea fishin'," Sandy told "48 Hours." What seemed odd, according to Sandy, was that Stephen said he was taking the trip with "a prominent person." To this day, Sandy doesn't know who that prominent person could have been, and Stephen never said.

Despite the mysterious exchange, Sandy says her last day with her son was joyful. As he left her house, she warned him of an oncoming storm and told him to text her when he arrived at his destination. "So, when he made it, he texts me and says, 'I made it safe, Mom. Mama, I love you.'" Sandy says those were Stephen's last words to her.

July 8, 2015 | 3:59 a.m.: A body in the roadway

A red square marks the spot on Sandy Run Road where Stephen Smith's body was found on July 8, 2015. / Credit: South Carolina Highway Patrol

On July 8, 2015, a local man was on his way to work in the early morning hours when he noticed someone lying in the road  in the location indicated by the red square in the image above. Concerned, the man called 911 at 3:59 a.m. Officers were dispatched to the scene and found Stephen deceased in the roadway, blood pooling around his head.

What exactly had happened to Stephen? Highway Patrol agents noted that there was none of the evidence you might typically find at the scene of a vehicle accident. Officers saw no debris in the roadway, skid marks or injuries consistent with someone being struck head-on by a car. What they did see was a large wound to Stephen's head. It was so significant that the incident report notes, "After checking the body, it appears that the victim had been shot."

Thomas Moore, a retired lieutenant with the South Carolina Highway Patrol and an on-scene supervisor for the Smith case, told "48 Hours," "The consensus when I got there, speakin' with the coroner, the first words out of his mouth was, 'This is not a hit and run. This is a murder.'"

July 8, 2015 | Early morning hours: Stephen Smith's car found

Stephen Smith's car / Credit: South Carolina Highway Patrol

Not long after Stephen's body was found officers discovered his car, as well. It was pulled over on the side of the road nearly three miles away, with the gas cap hanging off. "In all the years I've worked, a car sittin' on the side of the road with the gas cap off is  is not normal," former Lieutenant Thomas Moore says. "I thought it was staged."

So, had Stephen run out of gas and decided to walk down the road in search of help? Or was this truly a staged crime scene? It seems from the case file that there were more questions than answers that July morning.

July 8, 2015 | Later that morning: "The biggest shock"

Stephen Smith / Credit: Sandy Smith

While officers were still at the scene on the morning of July 8, 2015, Sandy tuned in to a local radio show on her way to work. The host said a body had been found on a rural road, and Sandy recognized the location. It was close to Stephen's father's house.

"So, I called [Stephen's sister] and asked her if everything was OK," she told "48 Hours." "And she said, "'Mama, did Stephen stay with you last night? Because he didn't come home last night.'" And then my stomach dropped, and I knew it was him." Sandy eventually received confirmation: the body found in the road was her son. "I lost it then," Sandy says. "It was just the biggest shock of our life."

July 8, 2015 | 12:30 p.m.: The autopsy: not a gunshot wound

At 12:30 p.m., as Sandy mourned, Stephen was taken for an autopsy. Though officers initially believed Stephen had been shot due to the way his wound looked at the scene, the medical examiner performing the autopsy found no evidence of a bullet and came to a different conclusion.

"It is the opinion of the pathologist that the decedent died of blunt head trauma sustained in a motor vehicle crash in which the decedent was a pedestrian struck by a vehicle," the doctor wrote. In simple terms: Stephen wasn't shot, he was struck by a vehicle while walking in the road.

To Sandy, that conclusion didn't sound right. She says Stephen was cautious and would never have been walking in the middle of the road so late at night. Something seemed fishy, and she was determined to find out what had really happened to her son.

July 17, 2015: Unsubstantiated rumors

Soon after Stephen's body was found, Hampton County Guardian managing editor Michael DeWitt says rumors started spreading in the Lowcountry. "Everybody knows everybody," he told "48 Hours" of Hampton's small-town atmosphere.

It was especially true that everyone knew the Murdaugh family. Alex Murdaugh was a prominent attorney, and three generations of Murdaugh men had held the top prosecutor job in the circuit for nearly a century. It was natural, Sandy says, for all roads in Hampton to lead to the Murdaughs. "Anything happens," she says, "the Murdaugh name comes up."

Soon the name appeared in the Stephen Smith case file. On July 17, 2015, a recorded interview indicates that the Highway Patrol was informed of a rumor circulating about Buster Murdaugh, Alex Murdaugh's oldest son. The story officers heard in follow-up interviews was that Buster had supposedly been in a car with some other boys that night, when they saw Stephen in the road and struck him with an object.

Various versions of the rumor circulated in the community, many pointing to Buster Murdaugh's purported involvement. But there is no public evidence that Buster or any Murdaugh had anything to do with Stephen's death, and Buster himself has since contested the claims.

"These baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his death are false," he said in a statement released through his father's attorney in 2023. "I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family."

The case file indicates that investigators made a call to Buster in 2015, but there is no record of any investigator having spoken to him.

Dec. 18, 2015: A possible lead

The Buster Murdaugh rumor wasn't the only story the South Carolina Highway Patrol heard. According to the case file, on Dec. 18, 2015, a Highway Patrol officer was made aware of another tip called in by a man named Darrell Williams.

Williams told police that his stepson, a young man named Patrick Wilson, had come over to his house and told him a story involving his friend Shawn Connelly. Wilson said Connelly told him he'd been driving drunk and had hit something he thought might've been a deer, then returned to the area the next day and saw law enforcement on the scene.

Though the case file indicates attempts were made to find Wilson and Connelly, there is no record of officers ever speaking to either of them. Wilson had no comment to 48 Hours. Messages to the Hampton's County Sheriff's Office, Williams, and Connelly have not been answered. Sandy Smith says she asked Shawn Connelly point blank if he killed Stephen, and he told her he did not.

2016: The case goes cold

Stephen Smith / Credit: Sandy Smith

For reasons that are unclear, in 2016 Stephen's case went cold. Despite the medical examiner's opinion that Stephen had been hit by a vehicle, former Highway Patrol Lieutenant Thomas Moore still believes the case was not an accidental hit and run, but a murder. He feels the case went cold because the Highway Patrol was not equipped to handle that type of investigation alone.

"The case certainly went cold on our part. Lotta frustration," Moore tells "48 Hours." "From the beginning I felt like we were investigating a case that ... we don't handle. We're not homicide investigators."

Moore also says, "I don't think it ever went cold for Sandy Smith."

Sept. 28, 2016 | A plea for outside help

On Sept. 28, 2016, fed up with the lack of progress in Stephen's case, Sandy Smith wrote to the FBI.

"I was just lettin' 'em know that, you know, my son was murdered and there's no progress," Sandy says. "And just, "Please help. Just please help me.""

Her letter was answered. Sandy says agents came to her home, and they were later able to unlock Stephen's phone. "[The agent] said there was a lot of interesting information in the phone that needed to be looked at," Sandy says. "There's somethin' in that phone that nobody wants out there."

But Sandy says local and state agencies didn't pursue the information. And despite her best efforts, the case would remain cold.

June 7, 2021 | The Murdaugh murders

Maggie and Paul Murdaugh / Credit: Maggie Murdaugh/Facebook

On June 7, 2021, Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were found dead at the kennels at Moselle, the family's country estate. It was another Hampton County tragedy  though this time, there was no doubt that it was murder. It was investigated from the start by the SLED.

June 22, 2021 | SLED steps up to the plate

SLED headquarters / Credit: CBS News

On June 22, 2021, less than a month after the Murdaugh deaths, SLED made an announcement no one was expecting. "SLED has opened an investigation into the death of Stephen Smith," a spokesperson told the media, "based upon information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh."

No one but SLED knows exactly what information it discovered during the Murdaugh case that pointed them back toward Stephen Smith. But the announcement gave Sandy hope that there might finally be progress in her son's case.

"I hate that something bad had to happen for him to be brought back up, you know, brought to the light," Sandy says, adding: "He deserves justice just like Paul and Maggie and everybody else. He deserves justice."

March 19, 2023: A powerful team in Sandy Smith's corner

Attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter / Credit: CBS News

Two years passed. Even with SLED's involvement, there didn't seem to be any progress in Stephen's case as SLED focused its resources on investigating Alex Murdaugh. But on March 19, 2023, high-powered South Carolina attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter announced their firm would be representing Sandy in the Stephen Smith death investigation.

"Ronnie and I are like arsonists. We started the fire," Eric Bland says. He and Richter worked with Sandy to get Stephen's case back in the public eye, in the hopes of raising awareness to achieve what had been one of Sandy's goals for years: getting a new autopsy for Stephen, whose manner of death was still unclear.

"Our sole goal was to start the fire," says Bland, "To rekindle the interest in Stephen's death. And what that entailed was us being able to get permission to exhume his body and have a second autopsy performed."

March 31, 2023: Stephen Smith's body exhumed

Stephen Smith's exhumation on March 31, 2023. / Credit: LunaShark Media

On March 31, 2023, Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter helped Sandy Smith achieve her goal of exhuming Stephen's body so another autopsy could be performed. It was an emotional day for Sandy, who says it was joyful for her to see a longtime goal realized.

April 1, 2023: A new, independent autopsy

Dr. Michelle DuPre, a former investigator and forensic pathologist who's performed more than 3,000 autopsies, was hired by Bland and Richter to oversee Stephen's new autopsy on April 1, 2023. Though results of the autopsy were not publicly shared, in an exclusive interview, DuPre tells "48 Hours" what she observed about Stephen's injuries.

"There was blunt trauma," she says, pointing to a spot on a model as pictured in the image above. "He had about a seven-and-a-half inch laceration on the right side of his forehead that went from his eyebrow to about the middle of his head."

She was able to dispel some of the confusion surrounding Stephen's death that occurred in the original investigation. "At one point, there was thought to be a gunshot wound," she says, "We can definitively say that there was not." She also doesn't believe Stephen's body was staged, saying, "We don't believe that he was placed there. We believe that ... whatever happened, happened right there."

May 16, 2023: Dr. Kenny Kinsey shares his findings

CBS News national correspondent and

Bland and Richter also hired Dr. Kenny Kinsey, a crime scene expert and star prosecution witness in the Murdaugh murder trial, to conduct an independent investigation into Stephen's death. On May 16, 2023, he told CBS News' Nikki Battiste about his findings.

"I'm as close to a degree of scientific certainty as I've ever felt," says Dr. Kinsey. He believes Stephen was struck in the head by something hanging off of a vehicle traveling at high speed. "It's a gamut of things it could've been," he says, "But it was most probably affixed to that vehicle or secured on that vehicle." A side mirror on a truck, for example, would be plausible.

"So, a hit-and-run, but an atypical hit-and-run?" Battiste asks.

"Yeah," says Dr. Kinsey, "Very atypical."

All of the information gathered by Dr. Kinsey and Dr. DuPre has been turned over to SLED for their ongoing investigation

Sept. 28, 2023: Stephen Smith's dreams live on

Sandy Smith announces the Stephen N. Smith Memorial Scholarship. / Credit: LunaShark Media

In September 2023, Sandy Smith announced the creation of the Stephen Nicholas Smith Memorial Scholarship. As stated on the website for the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, "the mission of the Stephen Nicholas Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund is to provide annual scholarship support for qualified students with financial need."

Stephen's dreams of becoming a doctor were tragically cut short. He was buried in his scrubs with his stethoscope, Sandy says, "everything he needed."

Now Sandy hopes this scholarship in his name will provide opportunities for kids like Stephen looking to pursue their goals through higher education.

2023: Hope for justice

Sandy Smith holds a photo of her son. / Credit: AP

SLED's investigation into Stephen Smith's death has so far yielded no new public information, and it's unclear how much progress has been made. Sandy's attorneys confirm a grand jury was empaneled and has issued subpoenas.

Sandy hasn't given up hope. She has offered a $30,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in Stephen's case and urges anyone who knows anything about his death to come forward. If you have any information on the death of Stephen Smith, email SLED at tips@sled.sc.gov today.

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A college investment is one of the largest expenses that most families will face in their lifetime. So, the key is to do some serious homework to identify best-fit colleges where students can prepare for the careers of their dreams at a school that meets their academic and social preferences.

College Boards BigFuture website offers a free college search feature that is an ideal place for families to start their research. There they will find a college search database with information on more than 2,400 four-year colleges in the U.S. As students select the specific criteria that are important to them, such as school size, location, availability of on-campus housing, choice of major, etc., the list of appropriate colleges starts to shrink.

For example, if a student clicks on location and chooses New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania as options, the list shrinks to 191 potential colleges. If the student then clicks majors and indicates that they are seeking Business and Management, the list reduces to 153 good-fit colleges. If the student then identifies a preference for an urban setting, the list further narrows to 31 colleges. Without leaving their computer, students can vastly narrow down the list of colleges worthy of further investigation.

More: College graduation rates often misrepresented | College Connection

These colleges can be categorized as reach, match, and safety schools by inputting SAT scores and GPA. Further details are provided indicating the likelihood of admission, the range of SAT scores for admitted students, graduation rate, and average annual cost of attendance after financial aid.

Parents and students should gather the facts on the real cost of attending any college under consideration. By googling the college name and COA (cost of attendance), they will find a breakdown of all the costs: tuition, fees, room and board, books, travel allocation, personal items allocation. Then, they should google the college name and net price calculator to find the amount the average student pays to attend the institution for an academic year after subtracting scholarships and grants (which do not get paid back). This will best reflect the true cost of attendance.

More: Use this free college planning tool | College Connection

At times, a particularly prestigious college is worth the investment, if you can gain acceptance. A back door way to get a degree from Columbia University, for those interested in engineering, is to gain acceptance to any of 100 other colleges  many of which arent nearly as competitive  and enroll in the Combined Plan Program. Students spend three years at their college of choice and then transfer to Columbia for two years, earning a liberal arts bachelors degree from the first school and an engineering bachelors degree from Columbia. This is a fabulous way for an average to above average student to earn an Ivy League degree, as Columbias regular acceptance rate is only 3.9%.

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: College Board BigFuture tool great resource for prospective students
HOWELL  From a garage to 3,000 square feet to four sections and a storefront in Tanger Outlets in Howell, Tools for Veterans is quickly becoming not just a Livingston County phenomenon, but a Michigan one.

Owner Justin Billard more than doubled the size of his retail storefront with a grand reopening celebration in early November. His store now includes much more than restored tools. Tools for Veterans also offers hunting and fishing gear, an expanded antique tool area, specialty furniture products made by veterans, and beyond.

Tools for Veterans, in many ways, is a celebration of veterans as a whole. Even on a late Sunday morning in November, customers poured into Billards store ready to ask questions or share a kind word. Many customers who visited already knew Billard. Others visited for the first time and wanted to share a personal story of a loved one who served in the military.

New merchandise is available after a more-than-twofold expansion at Tools for Veterans at Tanger Outlets.

But that doesn't mean customers need to be veterans to visit. Across Michigan, anyone can donate tools in any condition to Tools for Veterans, and anyone can shop. The business aims to employ veterans or utilize the skills of volunteers, then donates a percentage of profits on a quarterly basis to support veterans' causes.

Tools for Veterans draws up to 400 customers most weekends. Billard says he often turns over roughly half of the stores floor inventory, despite being open just three days a week.

Theres nothing new about donating to retail, Billard says. But I like to think when our customers come in here, they have a different experience every time. Thats what makes us different.

So does the obvious allegiance to veterans of all backgrounds. Billard himself served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including 2004-2005 in Iraq. He seems equally at ease talking about his experiences in the Marines as he does finding the right tool for the right project. He enthusiastically talks about his late father, Hartley, a trade schoolteacher and the handiest person he ever met, as one of his influences for opening the store.

Justin Billard poses for a photo in Tools for Veterans in November 2023.

As a way to further honor veterans of the region, Billard and his staff built a Military Wall that features an homage to veterans from several U.S. wars, ranging from the Civil War to Iran and Afghanistan. Many old uniforms, photos and other items on the Military Wall have been donated by veterans or their families.

Billard, a Brighton resident, juggles family time with his burgeoning business. Tools for Veterans also houses a workshop and warehouse at Tanger Outlets. Billard hopes to hold live auctions for customers starting next year for larger items like snowblowers, lawnmowers and anything with an engine.

I never would've thought that we would grow where we did from our opening (in 2021) to where we are today. I was thinking it would take at least five years (to get this large) and it's taken half of that, Billard said.

A new Military Wall honors local veterans at Tools for Veterans in Tanger Outlets.

In 2023, donated funds from Tools for Veterans helped support the sponsorship of a local service dog that will be provided to a veteran in the weeks ahead, along with walkers, wheelchairs and other medical equipment used to help disabled veterans. That commitment to giving will continue.

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So will a commitment to growth  important because Billard has big dreams. He plans to launch a Tools for Veterans franchise model in the next couple of years.

"Im hoping we can help build something like this in every big town (in Michigan) and around the country, he said.

Tools for Veterans is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays. Visit toolsforveterans.com or call 810-510-4123 to learn more.

 M. Alan Scott is a freelance writer for The Livingston Daily. Contact him at newsroom@livingstondaily.com

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Tools for Veterans expands twofold in Tanger Outlets
Beaufort County schools will spend $1.7 million compensating its 10 highest-paid employees this year. In total, theyll spend $177.7 million on staff salaries, according to the approved 2023-24 budget.

The top 10 highest-paid employees are all in administrative or operational positions  you wont find any classroom teachers on the list  and 7 of 10 are women.

For context, some salaries are compared to similar positions in the Richland 2 school district. Richland 2 has more than 27,000 students, which is about 5,500 fewer students than Beaufort Countys 21,500.

The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act allows employee salaries equaling $50,000 or more annually to be released. Here are the highest-paid employees according to an Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette FOIA request.

1. Frank Rodriguez  $251,254

Rodriguez is the superintendent and his contract goes until 2028. The Richland 2 school district pays its new superintendent an annual salary of $230,000, according to a district contract.

2. Tonya Crosby  $174,883

Crosby is the chief financial officer. In Richland 2, the senior financial officer made $187,303 in 2022, according to govsalaries.com.

3. Alice Walton  $174,833

Walton is the chief administrative and human resources officer. The positon made $146,842 in 2022, according to govsalaries.com.

4. Mary Stratos  $168,073

Stratos is the chief instructional services officer. In Richland 2, the position made $166,473 in 2022, according to govsalaries.com.

5. Mellow Lee  $167,606

Lee was recently hired as the deputy superintendent. In Richland 2, the deputy superintendent made $176,800 in 2022, according to govsalaries.com.

6. Wendy Cartledge  $166,333

Cartledge is the chief legal officer. In Richland 2, general counsel made $162,760 in 2022, according to govsalaries.com.

7. Dale Crawford  $152,119

Crawford is a human resources officer.

8. NKia Campbell  $152,119

Campbell is an officer of academic initiatives.

9. Juliet White  $152,119

White leads the districts student services divison.

10. Robert Oetting  $147,769

Oetting is the chief operations officer. In Richland 2, the position made $139,526 in 2022, according to govsalaries.com.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, right, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, center, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa pose for a photo prior to the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting in Busan, South Korea, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, Pool)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  Meeting for the first time in about four years, the top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China agreed Sunday to revive cooperation among the Asian neighbors and resume their leaders trilateral summit  but without a specific timing.

Closely linked economically and culturally with one another, the three countries together account for about 25% of the global gross domestic product. But efforts to boost cooperation have often hit a snag because of a mix of issues including historical disputes stemming from Japans wartime aggression and the strategic competition between China and the United States.

We three ministers agreed to restore and normalize three-nation cooperation at an early date, South Korean Foreign Minister told reporters after his meeting with Japans Yoko Kamikawa and Chinas Wang Yi in Busan, South Korea.

Park said the three ministers affirmed an earlier agreement by lower-level officials to restart the summit at the earliest mutually convenient time and agreed to expedite preparations for the meeting. Kamikawa separately said the ministers agreed to speed up their work to achieve the summit at an early and appropriate timing.

The three also agreed to push for diverse cooperation projects in areas such as people-to-people exchange, trade, technology, public health, sustainable development and security, according to South Korean and Japanese statements.

The lack of an agreement on the timing for the trilateral summit would suggest the top-level gathering wont likely happen this year as South Korea, the chair of the next summit, had hoped, observers say. Still, Kamikawa said that a reactivation of a trilateral diplomacy "is an important step toward achieving an upcoming Japan-China-South Korea summit.

Since they held their first stand-alone, trilateral summit in 2008, the leaders of the three countries were supposed to meet annually. Instead, the summit has been suspended since 2019. The meeting Sunday was also the first since 2019.

South Korea and Japan are key U.S. military allies, hosting a total of 80,000 American troops on their territories. Their recent push to beef up a trilateral security cooperation with the United States has angered China, which is extremely sensitive to any moves it perceives as seeking to contain its rise to dominance in Asia.

But some observers say that the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden struck a conciliatory tone in their first face-to-face meeting in a year earlier this month would provide Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing with diplomatic rooms to maneuver to find ways to revive three-way cooperation.

After her meeting with Wang on Saturday, Kamikawa said she renewed Japans demand that China remove its ban on seafood imports from Japan in response to Tokyos discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from its tsunami-hit nuclear power plant. Wang, for his part, said China opposed Japans irresponsible action of releasing the wastewater and called for an independent monitoring mechanism of the process, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Ties between South Korea and Japan deteriorated severely in past years due to issues originating from Japans 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. But their relations have warmed significantly in recent months as the two countries took a series of major steps to move beyond history wrangling and boost cooperation in the face of North Koreas advancing nuclear program and other shared challenges.

In a reminder of their difficult relations, however, a Seoul court earlier this week ordered Japan to financially compensate Koreans forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during the colonial period.

During her meeting with Park earlier Sunday, Kamikawa called the court verdict extremely regrettable and urged South Korea to take appropriate steps to remedy the breaches of international law, according to Japans Consulate in Busan. South Koreas Foreign Ministry said the ministers discussed the court ruling as well as ways to work together to reinvigorate three-way cooperation with China. The ministry also said that both strongly condemned the Norths spy satellite launch last week.

Park also asked Wang for China to play a constructive role in persuading North Korea to halt provocations and take steps toward denuclearization, according to South Koreas Foreign Ministry.

Wang described China as a stabilizing force in the region that has always played and will continue to play a constructive role in easing the situation on the peninsula, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. It said Wang called for stronger trade and economic ties between the two countries and criticized the tendency to politicize economic issues.

North Koreas growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles poses a major security threat to South Korea and Japan. But China, North Koreas last major ally and biggest source of aid, is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea and shipping covert assistance to the North to help its impoverished neighbor stay afloat and continue to serve as a bulwark against U.S. influences on the Korean Peninsula.

On Sunday, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. held maritime drills involving the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula, their latest show of force against North Korea.

North Korea typically views such U.S.-involved military training as an invasion rehearsal.

__

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Japan and Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan contributed to this report.
SEOUL, South Korea  The top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China met Sunday to discuss when to resume their leaders trilateral summit after a four-year hiatus and how to strengthen cooperation among the three Northeast Asian neighbors.

Closely linked economically and culturally with one another, the three countries together account for about 25% of the global gross domestic product. But efforts to boost trilateral cooperation have often hit a snag because of a mix of issues including historical disputes stemming from Japans wartime aggression and the strategic competition between China and the United States.

Korea, Japan and China have the potential for massive cooperation. Our three countries are neighbors that cant be separated from one another, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said at the start of the meeting in Busan, South Korea. I hope we can strive together to hold the South Korea-Japan-China summit, which is at the apex of three-way cooperation, at an early date.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said they would also push to revive three-way cooperation. Park said he hoped Sundays meeting would also discuss ways of collaboration in the face of North Koreas evolving nuclear threats, as well as trade, climate change and personnel exchange between the three countries.

In September, senior officials of the three nations agreed to restart the trilateral summit at the earliest convenient time.

Since they held their first stand-alone, trilateral summit in 2008, the leaders of the three countries had been supposed to meet annually. But their summit has faced on-again, off-again suspensions and remains stalled since 2019.

Their relationships are intertwined with a slew of complicated, touchy issues.

South Korea and Japan are key U.S. military allies, hosting a total of 80,000 American troops on their territories. Their recent push to beef up a trilateral security cooperation with the United States has angered China, which is extremely sensitive to any moves it perceives as seeking to contain its rise to dominance in Asia.

But some observers say that the fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden struck a conciliatory tone in their first face-to-face meeting in a year earlier this month would provide Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing with diplomatic rooms to maneuver to find ways to revive three-way cooperation.

The three ministers held bilateral talks on the sidelines.

After her meeting with Wang on Saturday, Kamikawa said she renewed Japans demand that China remove its ban on seafood imports from Japan in response to Tokyos discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from its tsunami-hit nuclear power plant. Wang, for his part, said China opposed Japans irresponsible action of releasing the wastewater and called for an independent monitoring mechanism of the process, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Ties between South Korea and Japan deteriorated severely in past years due to issues originating from Japans 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. But their relations have warmed significantly in recent months as the two countries took a series of major steps to move beyond history wrangling and boost bilateral cooperation in the face of North Koreas advancing nuclear program and other shared challenges.

In a reminder of their difficult relations, however, a Seoul court earlier this week ordered Japan to financially compensate Koreans forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during the colonial period.

During her meeting with Park Sunday, Kamikawa called the court verdict extremely regrettable and urged South Korea to take appropriate steps to remedy the breaches of international law, according to Japans consulate-general in Busan. South Koreas Foreign Ministry said the two ministers discussed the court ruling as well as ways to work together to reinvigorate three-way cooperation with China. The ministry also said that both strongly condemned the Norths spy satellite launch last week.

Meeting Wang bilaterally, Park asked for China to play a constructive role in persuading North Korea to halt provocations and take steps toward denuclearization, according to South Koreas Foreign Ministry.

Wang described China as a stabilizing force in the region that has always played and will continue to play a constructive role in easing the situation on the peninsula, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. It said Wang called for stronger trade and economic ties between the two countries and criticized the tendency to politicize economic issues.

North Koreas growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles poses a major security threat to South Korea and Japan. But China, North Koreas last major ally and biggest source of aid, is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea and shipping covert assistance to the North to help its impoverished neighbor stay afloat and continue to serve as a bulwark against U.S. influences on the Korean Peninsula.




The SUV where a two-year-old child in Michigan accidentally shot and killed himself using a firearm prosecutors claim belonged to Avis Damone Coward (UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT/ WESTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN)

A man in Michigan has been charged with felony possession of a firearm after his gun accidentally discharged and killed a two-year-old boy in October.

US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced the felony firearms possession charges against Avis Damone Coward on Wednesday, according to CBS News.

Mr Coward allegedly exited his car while at a Lansing gas station, leaving the two-year-old and his mother in his car. Video footage captured by the gas station shows that approximately a minute later a bullet hole appeared in the car's window.

Prosecutors who reviewed the video said the mother then left the car cradling the toddler, who was bleeding from a gunshot wound. The child eventually died from his injuries.

When the woman left the car, Mr Coward's gun fell to the ground. When he returned from the gas station he allegedly picked it up and put it back in the car.

Mr Coward allegedly fled the scene, but was later arrested in connection to the case, according to People.

Police later found Mr Cowards car on Halloween night in a field in Lansing. The car had reportedly been badly damaged by fire, according to a court filing reviewed by People.

Mugshot of Avis Damone Coward, November 2023 (Ingham County Sheriffs Office)

A gun lies at the feet of Avis Damone Coward moments after it accidentally fired and fatally struck a 2-year-old boy inside the car (U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WESTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN)

Its not immediately clear if Mr Coward has employed or been assigned an attorney.

"Death of child by gunfire is a story that should never be written," Mr Totten said in a statement. "Yet beginning in 2022, and for the first time ever, gun violence has become the number one cause of death for kids in America. As this swelling epidemic reaches our most innocent, my office will use every resource available to secure full accountability and prevent future harm."

Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane blamed the widespread availability of firearms for the child's death.

"No child should have access to a handgun, period," Mr Dewane said. "However, due to the widespread proliferation of firearms, guns are all too readily available for children to encounter."

Just days before the child was shot, Paul Elam, the chief strategy office for the Michigan Public Health Institute, published an op-ed in the Lansing State Journal saying "the cost of gun violence in Lansing is too high to ignore" and argued for taxpayer money to be used to implement measures that would prevent future gun violence.
The following is a transcript of an interview with national security adviser Jake Sullivan that aired on Nov. 26, 2023.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Jake, good morning to you. Little Abigail Edan, the youngest US citizen hostage turned four years old while in captivity in Gaza this past week. She is one of three female US citizens who we expected to be released in this first phase of the deal that you helped work on here. Multiple sources indicate that Americans are on the list to be released today, including Abigail. Can you confirm that?

WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, Margaret, we do have reason to believe that Americans will be released today, at least one American will be released today. I cannot confirm who it will be or that it will absolutely happen, because until we see that American out of Gaza, in safety and ultimately in the hands of their loved ones, we won't have full confirmation. And so we have been in close touch with the Israeli authorities, with Qatar, with Egypt. And we do have reason to believe that there will be an American released today. But let's wait and see what actually happens, because of course, we are dealing with a terrorist group here and we can't immediately trust. We have to verify.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood. But as part of that diplomacy, this is that delicate exchange, Palestinian prisoners, aid going in. Are all those other pieces on track today?

SULLIVAN: Well, there continues to be quite a bit of intensity around the logistics of the delivery of humanitarian assistance. That humanitarian assistance is flowing, and has been flowing for several hours this morning. The Israelis have indicated the list of Palestinian prisoners they're prepared to release, so that should be on track. We have every reason to believe that this will come together again today, it has for the last two days. But implementation of something as intricate and complicated as this is difficult. And so, until we actually see it happen, we are going to remain cautious in what we say and that's why I'm not being more forward-leaning in indicating what's happening with an American citizen coming out today. We're going to stay cautious. We're going to stay focused on getting every element to this in place. And then when an American comes across that border and into safety, we can all celebrate together.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I think everyone can agree with you that they're- they're hoping for- to see that as well, Jake. I know this first phase of the deal is focused on women and children. There are 10 Americans unaccounted for at this point. Do you anticipate this truce will be extended and that all the Americans, including the men, will come home?

SULLIVAN: I have every confidence that ultimately, all of the Americans and all of the individuals being held hostage will come home. We are determined not to rest until that happens. But whether or not this particular deal gets extended, that's really up to Hamas. Because Israel has been very clear as part of the deal. It is prepared to continue the pause in fighting for every day that Hamas produces an additional 10 hostages. So, the ball is in Hamas' court. If Hamas chooses on the fifth day and the sixth day and the seventh day, to continue to produce hostages, to return them to their loved ones, to return them to safety, then Israel is prepared to continue the pause in the fighting. If Hamas decides not to do it, the responsibility will request- will rest squarely on Hamas' shoulders.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Your deputy, Jon Finer, was on Face the Nation last Sunday and told us Israel believes Hamas leaders are hiding in the south of Gaza combat operations are planned for that area. But he said they should be held off until civilians are accounted for in Israel's military planning. Is the US satisfied with the assurances provided by Israel?

SULLIVAN: Well, really, this is about operations and not just about conversation. So, what the United States is hoping to see and frankly, what I believe Israel is hoping to see, is the conditions being set whereby any military action only takes place after civilians have been accounted for and have the opportunity to be in safety, to have access to humanitarian assistance, and to be out of the way of any military operation that is conducted. That's the conversation we're having with the Israelis right now. It's a constructive conversation and the details of it will remain behind closed doors. But the basic notion that continuing military operations should learn lessons from the north to be applied in any further undertakings. This is something that we have been discussing with the Israelis at length.

MARGARET BRENNAN: President Biden was asked this past week about the call by some of his fellow Democrats to put conditions on military aid to Israel, and he said it was quote, "a worthwhile thought." What specific conditions are you considering putting on US aid?

SULLIVAN: Well, Margaret, what the President actually said was, it's a worthwhile thought, but the approach that I've taken, I, Joe Biden have taken, has actually helped generate results. It has been high level, presidential diplomacy, deep, personal, and oftentimes private engagement--

(CROSSTALK)

MARGARET BRENNAN: -- Well he said it wouldn't have gotten us where we are now--

SULLIVAN: -- That has led to- a deep, personal, and private engagement that has led to a substantial and increasing amount of humanitarian assistance going into Gaza. Thousands of foreign nationals, including American citizens being able to depart safely from Gaza, a pause in the fighting for the first time since the conflict began, and a hostage deal that is bringing hostages home to their loved ones after 50 days. That has all been the result of what President Biden has described as the approach that he has taken in this conflict. And when he answered that question, he acknowledged the idea. But then he said in the same breath, that the approach that he has taken is what has been generating results. And we are seeing those results now day by day, as we see loved ones return to their families, a pause in the fighting, and a substantial surge in humanitarian assistance going in. That is all the result of American diplomacy that was not inevitable. And that, we believe, is what is continuing to generate outcomes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you saying that what the President was indicating was "No, there won't be any restrictions?"

SULLIVAN: No, we all saw what he said. He acknowledged the idea--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --So, there might be restrictions?--

SULLIVAN: --And then he said, but the approach I'm taking- Margaret, the President made clear in his comments that he thought the approach that he is taking is the approach that has generated the results that we have seen so far. And he is going to continue to engage in exactly that kind of diplomacy. In fact, he has a call setup for today with Prime Minister Netanyahu. And I think you will see the United States continue to do what we have been doing, and particularly President Biden continue to do what he is doing, because that is what is generating results.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, because Senator Sanders has an op-ed in the New York Times making very specific demands in terms of restrictions on aid, saying there should be a freeze on settlement expansion in the West Bank, a commitment to a two-state solution. Are those reasonable things to require of the Israeli government before additional aid is handed over?

SULLIVAN: Nobody has been a stronger advocate for a two-state solution than President Joe Biden, who has been speaking about it publicly

(CROSSTALK)

MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood and the Israeli - the current Israeli government has not been.

SULLIVAN: as well as privately. And as far as the President is concerned, this is the sine qua non of a lasting peace in the region. We need to see a two-state solution, Israelis and Palestinians in equal measures of freedom and dignity living side by side one another in peace. That is the President's vision, that is what he's going to work intensively towards, not just after the conflict, but starting now. And I think you will see him take a backseat to no one in terms of driving forward on that until we achieve that goal.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you think this is a moment for that diplomacy, given what Prime Minister Netanyahu has said? Given what some members of his government have said?

SULLIVAN: We believe that this is absolutely a moment for us to be working with everyone in the region, the Israeli government, the Palestinians, the Arab countries, our European partners, others towards a two-state solution. And President Biden laid that out in detail in an op-ed that he wrote in The Washington Post not long ago. So the answer to your question is yes, we do think this is a moment for that kind of diplomacy.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Jake Sullivan, thank you for your time this morning.

The tragic costs of e-waste

Italy's Mount Etna volcano erupts again

Second group of Hamas-held hostages freed after long delay
The following is a transcript of an interview with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, that aired on Nov. 26, 2023.



MARGARET BRENNAN: We're joined now by the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. It is his first interview since Qatar helped broker this hostage deal between Hamas and Israel. Qatar has also facilitated getting Americans stuck in Gaza, out of the region. Good morning to you, sir.

PRIME MINISTER MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI: Thank you very much for having me, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Sheikh, the White House told us that at least one American is expected to be released by Hamas today. You've seen the list of hostages. Will we see four-year-old Abigail Edan released today and are you confident this exchange will happen?

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, so far things are moving in the right direction. We've been working very closely with the U.S. government, with the White House, of course, and we are hoping that we will see the release happening shortly. And within that list, they include Abigail, the young girl, four years old.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Will we see more Americans released soon?

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, we are hopeful, actually, there are still some names, which supposed to be on the first group. Until now, we didn't get the confirmation yet. But you know, we are working on daily basis and making sure that every day we have the rest of the next day. So we are hopeful that to have- to have a confirmation of, you know, a proof of life for them and hopefully, the result at the end of the agreement. As I mentioned, things are happening on a daily basis and we are focused on today's operation and hopefully that will happen very shortly from now.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Mr. Prime Minister, I understand a Qatari delegation visited Israel yesterday and Gaza today. Do you expect that this four day truce will be extended? And if so for how long?

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, actually, we are- we are hopeful. According to the agreement that been agreed upon in the last few days for this four days pause. The agreement has a provision that if Hamas are- will be able to prove, to locate, and secure some of the hostages that are within the criteria of the first group, which is women and children, then it will be extended depends on- on the number that they will have. This is something we cannot confirm yet until we get to the fourth day, then Hamas should present the list if they are available with them. Our delegation who have reached to Israel and to Gaza, they are totally two separate delegation. Gaza delegation is focused on ensuring that humanitarian aid are sufficient, that they are going to- the humanitarian aid that's going in Gaza and it's a pure humanitarian mission. Our delegation who are in Israel, they are [unintelligible] in Doha that monitor the operation of the releases and ensuring that everything and any concern that addressed as early as possible.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, during these pauses in military operations, has Hamas been able to gather more hostages? Do you have any indication that there will be more freed beyond these 50 women and children and civilians?

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, until now, we have- we have no confirmation but you know, Margaret, it's a very complicated structure that we've been dealing with. So our dealing is only with the political office in Doha, and the representatives in that office, whom they are communicating with Hamas, in Gaza, and they are getting- bringing information from them. And normally what we have seen throughout these negotiations, the information only provided at the time of any agreement, or when it's happened, but they never indicate something earlier, and this is a pattern that they've been using as part of their methods for a very long time.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You're saying the political leaders located in Doha sometimes have a delay in communicating with the military commanders in Gaza. Do you know where Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas commander believed to have planned these attacks is right now?

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, I don't think that this information is available with anyone except you know, the people who are close to him. And this is information really that doesn't relate much to what we are doing right now and on the ongoing negotiations. Our communication throughout the years that we had with Hamas has been very exclusive to the political wing and the political representatives and the office here in Doha. And that's it. And we don't deal directly with or never have any dealing with the military wing.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Qatar is home to the very large US military base. Qatar is a major non-NATO US ally. But in this country, a number of Republican lawmakers in particular, have publicly called for your country to hand over those Hamas political leaders. What is the future? Will they remain in Qatar?

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Margaret, our relation with US is a very solid relationship and alliance that being established throughout the decades, we've been working together very closely in ensuring peace and stability in the region. And in several occasions, Qatar has been always stepping up to this partnership. And if you recall, Afghanistan, and currently right now, we've been working very closely with the White House, with the CIA and State Department to ensure that this deal is happening. The President of the United States is in constant contact with His Highness, the Emir, and I've been in constant communication with our colleagues in the White House, CIA and State Department as well. There is a relation that's based on trust, based on mutual interest of both countries. This office, when it's established, it's established in coordination with the US to establish the communication with Hamas. And it's been always useful, not only for the US, but for the US, Israel, and for the stability of the region. And as long as this is something useful, and also, you know, right now we are in the middle of the negotiation, we will always keep the communication open with everyone. We did that previously with Taliban, some of the politicians in the US, they didn't, probably they didn't like it, or they disagreed with us. But we've been dealing with this matter very professionally and trying to get the benefit of this communication. You cannot end the conflict by speaking to your friend. If there is a conflict, you need a friend to speak to your adversary or to your opponents, and I believe Qatar represent the perfect friend of the United States to speak to those adversaries and multiple parties.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you see an opportunity in this short truce, to have some kind of diplomatic agreement to end the conflict? And will Qatar play a role in the future of Gaza? You've had a relationship with Gaza under Hamas' rule. Will the future of Gaza involve your country?

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, our relationship Margaret, is with the Palestinian people, with the Palestinian cause. Our support for the Palestinian people has been ongoing for decades. And this is what Qatar stood for. Whoever is governing the Palestinians, it's their choice. And I believe that our focus right now is how to end this war, how to ensure that this is not repeated. And the only way to ensure that this is not repeated is to resolve it peacefully, to have a political solution and provide the Palestinian people with a political horizon for- for a state. And then the day after and who will govern Gaza and the West Bank should be one unit, one country, under one leadership that will be chosen by the Palestinian people.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And Qatar will play a role, I understand you saying. Before I let you go, you've talked-

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: For- for the- for the support of the Palestinian people, definitely we will continue that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood. Before I let you go. As you mentioned, Qatar has undertaken a lot of diplomatic initiatives. One of them recently has been to help bring Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia back to their families in Ukraine. You brought four children home so far. Is there hope to bring home more Ukrainian children soon? And what is the goal here? Are you trying to broker a breakthrough with Russia?

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Qatar has been mediating in different conflicts that not only exclusive to the region. But even beyond that. And this is something that's been in the foundation of the country foreign policy. And it's- it's a core element- element that we are focusing on. And this- we see that this is a contribution of such a small country to international peace and security. We carried out this role based on the request at the beginning, from the Ukrainian in our constant exchange and communication with them, how we are able to help and we use the channels of communication and the relationship that we have with Russia to secure those four kids. And this, these efforts are- has been ongoing and still continuing. And we are hoping also for another group to come back to their families before the holidays, hopefully.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Another group - how many children?

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Well, until now, the numbers are not clear yet, so I won't disclose it until we have, you know, this solidified and finalized.

MARGARET BRENNAN: All right. Prime Minister, I appreciate your time in the middle of this intense diplomacy we will be watching and hoping for progress.

PRIME MINISTER AL THANI: Thank you very much, Margaret, for having me.

The tragic costs of e-waste

Italy's Mount Etna volcano erupts again

Second group of Hamas-held hostages freed after long delay
By Lee Yeon-woo

Expectations are growing that Korea could gain ground in the global crypto industry, as Chinese crypto exchanges that once dominated the global coin market are faltering one after another.

On Tuesday (local time), Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, was ordered by the U.S. government to pay a roughly $4 billion settlement. Its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, was also required to step down, following allegations that the exchange allowed trades violating U.S. sanctions, including those linked to Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades.

This was followed by HTX's recent entanglement in security risks, following a hacking incident last month.

After the announcement, $1 billion worth of virtual assets flowed out from Binance in a single day.

"The market is still nervous about the recent legal implications against Binance," said Greta Yuan, head of research at Hong Kong-based digital-asset platform VDX. "In the short term, we will see more users move funds to compliant or licensed exchanges for peace of mind."

Amid the global crypto market turbulence, there is an expectation that more opportunities are emerging for the crypto industry in Korea, which is still recovering from the crypto winter, despite the global market capitalization of virtual assets increasing by more than 800 trillion won this year.

"It is anticipated that exchanges in other countries will receive indirect benefits following Binance's collapse. Most assets (derived from Binance) are expected to flow into the U.S. exchanges like Coinbase, but there's also a possibility that users may shift their focus to alternative markets in Asia," a crypto industry official said.

He also cited the expected approval of a Bitcoin spot-exchange-traded fund (ETF) as another favorable factor, and suggested that domestic exchanges enhance their management and operations in preparation.

Mike Belshe, CEO of Bitgo, a digital asset trust company based in California, spoke highly of Korea's management in the crypto industry.

"Korean financial authorities are actively forming regulations, with a keen interest in ensuring the proper functioning of the (crypto) industry," Belshe said during his visit to Korean Blockchain Week 2023 in September.

Belshe then announced plans to enter the Korean market in cooperation with Hana Bank, noting that Korea ranks in the top 2 or 3 globally in Bitcoin trading volume and is on the path to becoming a crypto hub in Asia.

Major blockchain projects such as Astar Network, Chainlink, Avalanche, Polygon, Solana and NEAR Protocol have also entered or announced plans to enter the Korean market.

This trend is thought to be influenced by Korean investors' keen interest in virtual assets, particularly in altcoins. In the U.S., altcoin transactions account for approximately 43 percent of Coinbase's total trading, whereas in Korea's largest virtual asset exchange, Upbit, altcoins represent 95 percent of the total 24-hour trading volume.

Additionally, the presence of a significant number of domestic blockchain companies specializing in content and service development is considered an asset for these foreign tech firms looking to expand their ecosystem.
Rishi Sunak at the time of Eat Out to Help Out at Wagamama, one of the many restaurants to benefit from the programme - RISHI SUNAK/TWITTER

Rishi Sunaks team at His Majestys Treasury ignored a study from Oxford University warning that opening up restaurants like they did with Eat Out to Help Out in 2020 did not make economic sense, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.

The study found that opening customer-facing industries like hospitality would see deaths rise and have minimal impact on unemployment.

The better option, the data show, would be to focus on reopening non-customer-facing sectors such as construction and manufacturing while restaurants stay shut.

A first-of-its-kind model built at Oxford weighed up the impact on both the economy and the epidemic of various Covid reopening measures and the findings were shared with the Treasury and No 10 in May 2020.

Data showed that opening restaurants would see the number of infections rise and it would also be a worse option for the economy than opening factories and manufacturing.

Prof Doyne Farmer, Director of Complexity Economics at the Institute for New Economic Thinking at the University of Oxford, sent the study to Mike Webb, Special Adviser to Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister, and Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnsons Chief Adviser.

Economic output can be recovered

In emails between Mr Webb And Prof Farmer, seen by The Daily Telegraph, the academic says the model shows that keeping restaurants closed but opening factories achieves a sweet spot where the epidemic is not growing yet most of the economic output can be recovered.

He told The Daily Telegraph: I had a correspondence with Dominic Cummings, who said he was very interested in what we are doing, and I sent our paper to him (and Michael Webb) before the first lockdown was relaxed.

So when the Eat Out programme was announced, Cummings should have been well aware of our conclusion that this didnt make economic sense. But of course we cant say whether this was communicated to Boris Johnson or Rishi Sunak.

Mr Cummings and Mr Webb both received the findings on May 8, 2020, with the full paper released that day as a pre-print. The findings were this week published in a peer-review journal.

The study, in the online scientific journal Nature Human Behaviour, found that opening manufacturing and construction would have caused just a 4 per cent increase in the death rate. However, it would reduce unemployment by more than a third (36 per cent).

Rishi Sunak meeting business people on the Isle of Bute, Scotland, on Aug 7, 2000 - JEFF J MITCHELL/POOL VIA REUTERS/REUTERS

In contrast, opening customer-facing industries would have led to a spike in fatalities of 39 per cent and led to just a 18 per cent decrease in unemployment.

The study is this week to be submitted to the Covid Inquiry via a letter to the chair, Baroness Hallett.

Eat out to help out was a suboptimal policy, from a health-economy trade-off perspective, the scientists will write in their letter, seen by The Daily Telegraph.

Lockdowns can be made more effective by only closing customer-facing industries and not manufacturing and construction.

Schemes such as eat-out-to-help-out, while perhaps closing manufacturing and construction, seem to be clearly suboptimal in our framework, study author Dr Marco Pangallo, also from Oxford, told The Daily Telegraph.

This verdict was shared with the Government ahead of the July 2020 announcement from Rishi Sunak that Eat Out to Help Out would be launched.

The scheme gave discounts of up to 50 per cent on meals in restaurants in summer 2020 and last week Sir Patrick Vallance and Sir Chris Whitty, the Covid-era Chief Scientific Adviser and Chief Medical Officer respectively, did not know about the scheme until it was announced on television.

Increase transmission

Sage and the leading government scientists were not consulted about the implications of the scheme and Sir Patrick told the Covid Inquiry that it was highly likely the initiative increased deaths.

Sir Patrick added that if he had been asked about the plan to launch Eat Out to Help Out, he would have warned that it would increase transmission.

Rishi Sunak, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, reportedly also said just let people die and previously told the inquiry he does not recall any concerns being raised about the scheme.

Sir Patrick Vallance also said that the epidemiological aspect of the pandemic often took precedence over the economic fallout.

However, despite early speculation about an economic Sage and the Government talking with experts in the area, no advisory group was established.

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Right-wing American thinking has infiltrated Canadian politics and caused the Conservative Party to "turn their backs" on Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.

Trudeau called out the Conservative Party after the group unanimously voted against an update to the Canada Ukraine Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Ukraine.

"I've actually boasted . . . that it's not a political debate in Canada, all parties in Canada stand with Ukraine," Trudeau said at a press conference Friday. "So it is particularly troubling to see  even though we are seeing a rise of right-wing rhetoric in the United States with MAGA conservatives, across Europe, in certain corners of right-wing politicians and parties  starting to pull their support for Ukraine. Starting to parrot Russian disinformation and misinformation and propaganda."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv, Ukraine June 10, 2023

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre earlier Friday said his party had voted against the agreement not because of flagging support for Ukraine, but out of concern it would saddle the war-torn country with a carbon tax.

Trudeau said that explanation was "an absurd excuse."

CONSERVATIVE CANADIAN LEADER GOES VIRAL FOR MUNCHING ON APPLE WHILE CALMLY BATTING DOWN REPORTER'S QUESTIONS

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"The real story is the rise of a right-wing, American MAGA-influenced thinking that has made Canadian Conservatives  who used to be among the strongest defenders of Ukraine, I'll admit it  turn their backs on something Ukraine needs in its hour of need," Trudeau said.

"That is the danger of the rise of the right-wing influence that is feeling its impact in Canada. That's what not just Ukrainian Canadians but all Canadians should be concerned about. When the Conservative Party of Canada and Pierre Poilievre turn their backs on history, turn their backs on our friends and allies, turn their backs on the international rules-based order and our support for the UN Charter and territorial Integrity, it is of real concern and should be of concern to all of us, because we're seeing that spiking up all around the world," Trudeau said.

Earlier Friday, Poilievre said that his party was only voting against the agreement because conservatives understood how disastrous carbon taxes can be.

"We voted against Justin Trudeau forcing a carbon tax into that pre-existing agreement. Conservatives understand how devastating the carbon tax has been for Canadians," Poilievre said. "It's caused two million people to go to a food bank every single month, seven million Canadians not eating enough to stay healthy."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine June 10, 2023

"I really think it speaks to how pathologically obsessed Trudeau is with the carbon tax that, while the knife is at the throat of Ukrainians, he would use that to impose his carbon tax ideology on those poor people," Poilievre said, according to CBC News.

The trade agreement includes a section committing both parties to coordinate "bilaterally and in international forums to address matters of mutual interest, as appropriate, to . . . promote carbon pricing and measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks."

Ukraine has had a carbon tax since 2011, and it is in the process of modifying the tax as it seeks to gain membership in the EU.

It's not the first time Trudeau has blamed American politics for pushback to liberal policies in Canada.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU BLAMES 'AMERICAN RIGHT-WING' FOR MUSLIMS OPPOSING LGBTQ CURRICULUM: 'LEAVE OUR KIDS ALONE!'

In July, Trudeau said the "American right-wing" was responsible for causing Canadian Muslims' to oppose gender ideology and LGBTQ curriculum in K-12 education.

Trudeau made the comments during a visit with the Muslim community at the Baitun Nur Mosque in Calgary after hundreds of protesters rallied against gender ideology in schools , chanting, "Leave our kids alone."

The frustration reached a boiling point after audio surfaced of an Edmonton Public Schools teacher berating Muslim students for skipping school in order to avoid Pride events.

One person in the audience asked Trudeau to "please protect our culture, our belief, the sin that you are doing to them."

Trudeau responded: "First of all, there is an awful lot of misinformation and disinformation out there [from] people on social media, particularly fueled by the American right-wing are spreading a lot of untruths about what is actually in the curriculum."

Fox News' Hannah Grossman contributed reporting.





Original article source: Trudeau blames 'right-wing, American MAGA' after Canadian Conservative Party votes against Ukraine bill
Former President Trump blasted American leaders as there were no U.S. citizens released in the past few days by Hamas.

Hamas terrorists released 17 hostages late Saturday, and 24 on Friday, but none of them were any of the 10 American citizens being held, including 4-year-old Avigail Idan. The release of hostages comes as Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day cease-fire.

Fifty hostages held by Hamas are expected to be released within the four-day window, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. In exchange, 150 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel will be released.

"Has anybody noticed that Hamas has returned people from other Countries but, so far, has not returned one American Hostage? There is only one reason for that, NO RESPECT FOR OUR COUNTRY OR OUR LEADERSHIP. This is a very sad and dark period of America!" Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social.

17 ADDITIONAL HAMAS HOSTAGES RELEASED AFTER HOURS-LONG DELAY

Two American nationals held hostage by Hamas were released Oct. 20, but no U.S. citizen has been released since then.

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While on vacation in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Friday, President Biden said he still expects American hostages to be released.

BIDEN UNSURE WHEN AMERICAN HOSTAGES WILL BE FREED BY HAMAS: 'WE DON'T KNOW'

President Joe Biden speaks about the release of hostages from Gaza, in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on November 24, 2023.

"We don't know when that will occur, but we're going to expect it to occur," Biden said. "We don't know what the list of all the hostages are and when they will be released, but we know the numbers that are going to be released, So, it's my hope and expectation it will be soon."

Biden added that he didn't know the conditions of Americans being held hostage by Hamas. While walking on the island Saturday, he told reporters, "Im hopeful youll see something soon," when asked about American hostages.

According to U.S. intelligence, approximately 10 Americans are among those being held hostage by Hamas.

A vehicle believed to be carrying hostages abducted by Hamas militants during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, arrives at the Rafah border Friday, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, as seen from southern Gaza Strip.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., wrote on X that Biden should be doing more in order for the American hostages to be released.

Fox News' Greg Norman, Lucas Tomlinson, Trey Yingst, Andrea Vacchiano and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.





Original article source: Trump blasts American leaders as no US citizens are among Hamas hostages recently released
Very early in the morning on Donald Trumps last day in office, the president announced he was pardoning Jonathan Braun, a loan shark who had been convicted of running a vast marijuana ring. Braun, who at the time was serving a 10-year sentence, was pardoned along with 142 others, including rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.

Trumps move undermined a years-long federal investigation, The New York Times reported Sunday. The paper also uncovered ties between Braun and the family of Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Federal prosecutors were in the midst of negotiations hoping to secure Brauns cooperation in a Justice Department investigation into predatory lenders in the merchant cash advance industry when Trump announced his clemency. Investigators felt that an industry insider like Braun could reveal information about predatory lending agreements, but after he was released from incarceration, prosecutors no longer had leverage they could use to compel Braun to talk.

Between 2011 and 2020, while awaiting sentencing in the marijuana case, Braun offered predatory loans to small businesses. Borrowers who took out loans from Braun say in court documents that he threatened them and their families for non-payment. During the nine years he was waiting to be sentenced, Braun was accused of making violent threats to eight people who had borrowed money from him, and a lawsuit claimed Braun had pushed a man off a deck at a Staten Island home in 2018.

A real estate developer who borrowed from Braun said in a court document that Braun threatened him, saying, I will take your daughters from you.

According to an affidavit, Braun allegedly told another borrower, Be thankful youre not in New York, because your family would find you floating in the Hudson.

Only months following his release from prison, Braun was banned from making or collecting business loans by the state of New York. In a statement following the ban, New York Attorney General Letitia James claimed that Braun and others had been harming small businesses through high-interest loans and undisclosed fees. In a lawsuit, James alleged that merchant cash advances, which are a form of short-term, high-interest funding for small businesses offered by Braun and others were in fact illegal, high-interest loans with astronomical and illegal rates.

The court ordered Brauns company  Richmond Capital Group, LLC  as well as two other companies  Ram Capital Funding, LLC, and Viceroy Capital Funding Inc.  to cancel debt owed by thousands of small businesses across the country as well as repay interest and overage charges, amounting to tens of millions of dollars.

The Times also raised questions about Brauns connections to the Kushners. An investigation by the paper found that Braun was a member of the inaugural class of the Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston, N.J., which received a large amount of funding from the Kushner family.

A merchant cash advance dealer who wished to remain anonymous told The Times that a cousin who was running Brauns business while he was in jail told him that Brauns father, Jacob Braun, had reached out to Kushners father, Charles Kushner, regarding the familys hopes that Trump would pardon Braun. The cousin, Isaac Wolf, later claimed that the Kushners had helped secure Brauns release, the merchant cash advance dealer said.

Jacob Braun also regularly called Trump ally Alan Dershowitz to plead for Brauns release. Every single Friday by 3 oclock in the afternoon: Hi this is Jacob Braun, Im so upset my son is still in prison, what can you do? Its unfair, hes a good boy, Dershowitz told the paper.

Federal investigators were not made aware of the pardon until the morning it was announced and, according to The Times, they were furious that Trump had sabotaged a possible deal with Braun over predatory lending practices.

Braun, however, maintains his innocence and claims he is a victim of the justice systems unfair practices. What is so bad about me? he told the paper. I never hurt anybody, never did anything wrong to anybody.

Trump has publicly said that if he becomes president again, he intends to make more pardons, including for those convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. He has also told allies privately he would pardon higher-level people involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone
Former President Donald Trump said he is seriously looking at alternatives to the Affordable Care Act if he returns to the White House, reigniting his longstanding crusade against former President Barack Obamas signature health-care law. Trumps failed effort in 2017 to repeal the health-care law was blasted at the time over the prospect of millions of Americans losing their health insurance. We had a couple of Republican Senators who campaigned for 6 years against it, and then raised their hands not to terminate it, he wrote in reference to the late Senator John McCains successful effort to block the repeal of Obamacare. It was a low point for the Republican Party, but we should never give up! Now, a year out from the election, Trump stares down the possibility of a return to power with a more ambitious agenda and no McCain to block his effort.

Read it at Truth Social

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Former President Trump turned his ire onto influential Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats after he announced his endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this week.

Bob Vander Plaats, the former High School Accountant from Iowa, will do anything to win, something which he hasnt done in many years, Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social. Hes more known for scamming Candidates than he is for Victory, but now hes going around using Disinformation from the Champions of that Art, the Democrats.

I dont believe anything Bob Vander Plaats says, he continued. Anyone who would take $95,000, and then endorse a Candidate who is going nowhere, is not what Elections are all about!

Best Black Friday Deals

In his endorsement Tuesday, the evangelical leader told Fox Newss Bret Baier that Republicans need somebody who can win in 2024. His backing comes two weeks after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds put her support behind the Florida governor.

He also pointed to significant losses in 2022, claiming the supposedly red wave really only happened in Florida and in Iowa.

Gov. DeSantis took a reliable toss-up state in Florida and made it complete red, won by 20 points, won in demographics that we havent won in, said Vander Plaats, who currently serves as the CEO and president of The Family Leader. But hes also done that by being a bold and courageous leader.

Following the announcement, Trumps campaign sent out a mocking email with the subject: Bob Vander Plaat$ Endorses A Candidate Who Will Never Be President.

Over 150 faith leaders in Iowa are organizing their congregations for President Trump and not a single one demanded nearly $100k like Bob Vander Plaat$ did from Ron DeSanctus, the campaign said in a statement. When you are actually the leader of a movement like President Trump is, people are willing to support you for free, the campaign said in a statement.

Kim Reynolds endorsement wont save Ron DeSanctus, and neither will Vander Plaat$ endorsement, they added.

The former president also hit Reynolds ahead of her expected endorsement, claiming she had been disloyal.

At the time, Trump said her decision would mark the end of her political career, adding that MAGA would never support her again.

Two extremely disloyal people getting together is, however, a very beautiful thing to watch, he wrote on Truth Social. They can now remain loyal to each other because nobody else wants them!!!

DeSantis also secured the endorsement of Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) on Saturday.

Still, Trump remains the front-runner in the Republican presidential race, according to national polling.

There are less than 60 days until the Iowa caucuses officially kick-start the 2024 primary season.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
With Thanksgiving behind us, theres a dash to get to the airport and head home.

Channel 2s Justin Carter was at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on what has been the busiest day of the year for TSA so far.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Its like organized chaos as some airport employees told Carter.

An estimated 3.6 million people have traveled through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport this week. The bulk of those people are powering through the crowds on Sunday.

(I) did not know it was going to be this busy, passenger Parker Condon said.

Condon has her mom to thank for booking her flight on the busiest travel day of the year at the busiest airport in the world.

Shes headed back to college in New York.

Ive been standing in line for a while now, but Ive been reading my book for my class, Condon said.

TRENDING STORIES:

Lines wrapped around and extended down to the Atrium at all the main security checkpoints.

TSA says 2.9 million people will be screened through security checkpoints nationwide Sunday.

The busiest day of the year appears to be the Sunday after Thanksgiving because the window to come back home is a lot shorter than it is to leave, TSA employee Johnny Jones said.

Its why Lea Bernard gave herself two and a half hours to get through security.

She missed her flight by five minutes coming to Atlanta.

It was really busy at TSA, Bernard said.

Theyre really organized so we appreciate that. But, weve been in line for 30 minutes now (and) we still dont see the checkpoint yet, passenger Jessica Freel said.

Freel and her husband headed back home to Des Moines and they are not taking chances either. Their flight to Atlanta was delayed five hours last week and shes hoping for the best today.

It hasnt been that terrible. If it were disorganized I would probably be losing my mind, Freel said.

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Theres only been a handful of delays and cancellations. TSA is asking for patience as they work to get people through efficiently.

IN OTHER NEWS:
The federal racketeering case against Ed Burke is pure Chicago.

At its core, the Burke trial, which just wrapped its third week, is about a series of alleged shakedowns by the longest-serving alderman in City Council history  a potential highlight reel for the sordid legacy of City Hall.

The former 14th Ward alderman is not accused of taking bribe money in an envelope, in a brown paper bag or slapped directly into an outstretched hand.

That cold cash approach may have been a little too ordinary for Burke, an old-school Democrat whose extraordinary clout is as much on trial as he is for the 14 charges he faces. Its a case expected to stretch well past the fifth anniversary of the Nov. 29, 2018, FBI raid of the aldermans City Hall offices.

Even Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Chapman suggested in opening statements that Burkes style was less greasy palm and a bit more sophisticated.

Burke himself may have inadvertently labeled the alleged take from his political style as the tuna, as in, So did we land the, uh, the tuna? A secret FBI recording caught that phrase in one the alleged shakedowns, and it is fast becoming part of Chicagos political lexicon.

Sure, there was an extra step or two required in each of the four chapters that prosecutors have outlined to date in their book on Burke, but the allegations boil down to the most elemental Chicago corruption: Anybody who wanted something had to give something in return.

Over and over, Chapman charged, Burke sought to line his own pockets with money by making his public office a conduit to turn his private law firm into a cash register.

To no ones surprise, Burkes lawyers, Chris Gair and Joseph Duffy, have said there is no evidence that Burke ever demanded anything in exchange for taking official action  or made such threats to anybody. The Burke defense team portrayed a highly respected politician whose 54-year run on the City Council ended in May with a distinguished public record.

In court, Burke has eschewed the flashier pinstripe suits from his council days and opted for a more subdued and serious attire as a jury of nine women and three men prepares to determine his fate.

Though his pink ears sometimes turned reddish as prosecutors put on parts of their case, Burke occasionally slipped into a smile, such as when his lawyers described him as a man with a strong family, one highlighted in the courtrooms front row by the matron of his clan: former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke.

Undoubtedly benefiting from her husbands former lead role in the Cook County Democratic Partys judicial slating process, she became an accomplished jurist before retiring last year. But her judicial status has yet to be highlighted, perhaps a move designed to play up the familys cohesion rather than its political connections.

But the jurors arent being asked to consider most of Burkes five-decade aldermanic career. They wont hear about the judge-making, the countless backroom deals, or the time Burke spent infamously trying to thwart the agenda of Mayor Harold Washington, the citys first Black mayor, during the 1980s era of Council Wars.

In fact, many jurors live far outside of Chicago, and some have barely heard the name of the man whose guilt or innocence is in their hands.

Four chapters

In three of the four chapters alleged by prosecutors, Burke pulled levers at City Hall to help businessmen cut red tape, as long as his tax appeals law firm could get their business.

For example, the government said Burke went all out for developers working on the $600 million renovation of the Old Post Office in the West Loop and the owners of a Burger King in his Southwest Side ward once he sensed that getting their tax business could bring his law firm a financial windfall.

But Burke allegedly didnt even have to ask for tax work when a desperate developer voluntarily sent him tax work while begging for help with getting a permit for a 30-foot-high sign for a Binnys Beverage Depot on West Irving Park Road miles from Burkes ward.

In their fourth chapter, prosecutors said Burke threatened to block a proposed admission fee increase at the Field Museum, home of Sue the T. rex. All because the daughter of his longtime council ally, former Ald. Terry Gabinski, 32nd, did not get a paid internship, the sort of political faux pas in Chicago that left Burke complaining of being embarrassed in front of friends.

So far, prosecutors have only gotten to the Burger King and Field Museum installments.

Still weeks away is Burkes defense case, when his lawyers have said they will call to the witness stand former 25th Ward Ald. Daniel Solis, the government mole whose recordings have played a major role in the corruption cases of both Burke and former House Speaker Michael Madigan, the Chicago Democrat who faces his own trial in April.

Along with racketeering, Burke, 79, is charged with federal program bribery, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity.

Longtime Burke associate Peter Andrews, 73, is charged in the alleged Burger King scheme with one count of attempted extortion, one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.

A third defendant, real estate developer Charles Cui, faces bribery-related counts in an alleged scheme to get Burke to push city bureaucrats into approving a permit for the Binnys sign.

They have all pleaded not guilty.

Riot act

As the first few witnesses took the stand, prosecutors made Burke sound as if he were a politician stuck in the glory days of the old Democratic machine, where a patronage job could be secured by a phone call and aldermanic clout.

Burke, who became an alderman in 1969 under Mayor Richard J. Daley, acknowledged on one secret recording that he read the riot act to a Field Museum official in 2017 after the slight over the internship.

Caught on a recording, Burke unleashed his anger when he received a call from Deborah Bekken, then the Fields government affairs director, who wanted his imprimatur for a museum admission fee increase even though it was up to the park board to make the decision.

To her surprise, she testified, Burke gave her a stern message that he could make a quick call to the park board and that fee hike would suddenly go nowhere.

Bekken said she considered it a threat and immediately sent an email up the chain with a warning in the subject line: We have a problem.

While hardly the shakedown of the century, the Field Museum episode  perhaps more than any other allegation in the indictment  demonstrated Burkes clout when he was in office, not only over the City Council but with connections and friendships that gave him sway over large swaths of city life.

The recordings played for the jury last week showed that when Burke expressed his displeasure over the internship snafu, officials at one of the top museums in the world fell over themselves trying to placate him, brainstorming ideas to get back on Burkes good side even though he had no direct oversight of the museums affairs.

Bekken testified she suggested offering Burke a mea culpa prize, such as an internship that he can award as a scholarship to an intern of his choosing?

The museums mad scramble to figure out how to undo any damage, including the top brass wringing hands over the potential Burke backlash during a high-level meeting of the institutions executive team, may be as illustrative as it gets in Chicagos know-somebody politics.

The amount of deference museum officials gave Burke became more obvious in a secretly recorded apology call from Field President Richard Lariviere.

While he admitted to jurors he was pouring it on thick in trying to smooth things over with Burke, Lariviere turned up on one telephone recording telling Burke that, when you call, Ed, everybody knows, we jump.

Lariviere conceded he immediately called Burke when the alderman dressed down Bekken.

Despite Burkes annoyance, though, Lariviere testified he did not think the museums pitch for a $2 fee increase was ever in jeopardy.

The museum eventually offered Gabinskis daughter the chance to apply for a full-time paid position with starting pay in the range of $47,500 a year, but she didnt apply because she had landed elsewhere and was happy, according to testimony.

On cross-examination, both Bekken and Lariviere testified they never heard Burke actually demand that she get a job, a point the Burke team sought to drive home.

The question hanging is whether the jury will consider a recommendation from Burke as tantamount to a direct order.

Have it your way?

The major testimony in the Burke case at this point focused on how he took a special interest in a Burger King nestled in his Southwest Side ward along South Pulaski Road, allegedly because he wanted the owners to give his law firm all of the property tax business for their dozens of Chicago area fast-food restaurants.

In a moment of high drama, Shoukat Dhanani, CEO of the Texas-based company that owns the local Burger Kings, testified that he agreed to hire Burkes law firm in hopes that it would free him to move ahead with a long-stalled remodeling of his restaurant inside the 14th Wards borders.

One striking piece of evidence jurors saw last week was a 2017 FBI surveillance photo from inside that Burger King, then a dingy restaurant in the Archer Heights neighborhood, where the impeccably dressed alderman met with Dhanani, his son and other company officials dressed more casually on a sweltering June day.

For all the mega-deals Burke made through the decades, the image of him holding court at a Burger King while sitting at a small plastic table in his dark suit, shiny black shoes and silver hair  right next to a yellow folded wet floor warning sign  gave a somewhat bush-league whiff to Burkes alleged scheme.

A separate photo, taken as the group toured the Burger Kings parking lot, showed that Burkes aide, Andrews, wore shorts to the meeting, befitting the Part-Time Pete image his defense team pushed in opening statements.

Prosecutors used Dhananis testimony, emails and wiretapped calls to tell a tale of Burke actively throwing up roadblocks to the remodeling project as he pressed for his law firm to represent all of Dhananis Burger Kings on tax matters.

Unbeknownst to Dhanani, Burke had requested that his staff look into who was handling real estate tax work for Dhananis company, according to evidence presented by prosecutors.

At one point, Burke allegedly told Andrews to shut down the remodeling work when Dhanani initially failed to come through.

The jury also heard a recording of Andrews telling Burke hed play as hardball as I can with Dhananis company.

In December 2017, with the Burger King rehab in limbo for months, Dhanani testified he flew to Chicago and met with Burke at the downtown Union League Club. It was there that he agreed to put Burkes firm in touch with his property tax people in Houston, Dhanani said.

My gut feeling was maybe since I had not responded about the property tax business, maybe thats why we had been shut down, Dhanani testified. I didnt see any other reason why it would be.

Testimony also indicated Burkes office pressed Dhanani for new driveway permits even though the Burger King had been open for years.

Under questioning from one of Burkes lawyers, Dhanani acknowledged nobody actually told him the Burger King project was held up because he had yet to hire Burkes law firm.

Nevertheless, Dhanani testified hed never had to meet with a local alderman over a building permit issue for any of his restaurants, not just in Chicago, but anywhere in the country.

Ever had a public official ask you to hire his private business after you sought approval for a permit? asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker.

No, Dhanani testified.

Along with being one of the four main schemes in the Burke trial, the Burger King chapter contributed heavily to the downfall of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkles 2019 mayoral candidacy.

Following Burkes urging, Dhanani testified, he also attempted to donate $10,000 to Preckwinkle but ran into a snag because it was over the limit for an individual donor.

The revelation of the donation became an explosive campaign issue that hurt Preckwinkles campaign because it highlighted her political ties to Burke when he was charged in January 2019 with extortion, an allegation later folded into his racketeering case.

Former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot seized upon the political connection to attack Preckwinkle and ended up defeating her in a landslide in 2019s mayoral runoff.

Dhanani, meanwhile, finished his remodeling and never ended up giving any tax appeal business to Burke.

After the Burger King evidence is finished later this week, prosecutors will queue up the allegations against Burke in the trials chapters about the Old Post Office and the developers efforts to put up the Binnys sign.

Then the defense teams will have a chance to try making sure the once-mighty alderman and his co-defendants dont have to worry about putting sentencing dates on their calendars.

rlong@chicagotribune.com

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said conditioning U.S. aid for Israel on certain demands is a policy that would be consistent with U.S. policy with allied countries.

In an interview on NBC Newss Meet the Press, Turner said he thinks the White House has been clear that Israel should lessen the Palestinian death toll among civilians and that he thinks Israel has taken steps to meet those concerns.

I think the White House has been clear, and I think U.S. policy has been clear of, you know, lessening the Palestinian casualties that are not Hamas. And I think certainly Israel has made it clear in the areas in which theres going to be conflict and trying to get people to leave those areas to lessen those casualties, Turner said when asked whether he would support growing calls for U.S. aid to be conditioned on a plan to limit civilian deaths.

NBC Newss Kristen Welker pressed again on whether he would vote for conditional aid to Israel if it came up for a vote.

Well, I wouldnt propose it, but I think it does accurately reflect U.S. policy, Turner responded.

Turners remarks come amid growing calls for a cease-fire and for conditions on U.S. aid to Israel amid concerns about the high civilian death toll in Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF)claimed Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, frequently uses civilians as human shields as part of its propaganda against Israel. Israel and U.S. intelligence, according to officials, have provided evidence backing up this claim in numerous instances.

Since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, the IDF airstrikes and its ground offensive have resulted in more than 12,000 Palestinian casualties, according to estimates by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Israel has sought to destroy Hamas and secure the release of all hostages taken on Oct. 7.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, predicted Sunday that approval of an aid package to Ukraine and Israel is unlikely before the end of the year.

Turner identified the White Houses southern border policies as an obstacle for passing the aid package for Ukraine and Israel before the end of the year on NBCs Meet the Press. House Republicans had passed a $14.3 billion aid deal earlier this month solely for Israel, but that package likely faces an uphill battle in the Senate and is opposed by the White House because it also does not include aid to Ukraine. The Israel-only bill also established the cutting of added IRS funding opposed by the GOP that the White House established in a bill last year.

I think it would be very difficult to get it done by the end of the year and the impediment, currently, is the White House policy on the southern border, Turner said Sunday. The White House in this package making  including it as a national security package, recognizing that the southern border is a threat, put in funding, but its going to need policy changes.

Congress is going to require that therell be laws [changing] to  to make certain that the border returns to its prior state, you know, perhaps Remain in Mexico, other types of provisions that would secure the southern border, he continued.

The White House had proposed last month a roughly $106 billion national security supplemental funding request that included money for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan as well as humanitarian aid and border security measures. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) already announced that the upper chamber would not take up the House GOPs proposal earlier this month, and the White House has maintained that President Biden would not sign a bill that aids only Israel.

Let me be clear: The Senate will not take up the House GOPs deeply flawed proposal, Schumer said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at the time. Instead we will work on our own bipartisan emergency aid package that includes funding for aid to Israel, Ukraine, humanitarian aid including for Gaza, and competition with the Chinese Government.

There are a growing number of House GOP members who are opposed to approving more aid for Ukraine, which is still battling Russian forces after Moscow invaded Ukraine more than a year and a half ago. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) floated that he wants to pair funding for Kyiv with border security.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Yoon Suk Yeol returned home Sunday from a trip to Europe that took him first to Britain for a state visit and then to France for a final campaign to bring the World Expo 2030 to Busan.

Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee paid a four-day state visit to London on the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations and received a ceremonial welcome featuring a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace and a state banquet hosted by King Charles III.

The visit produced a new bilateral agreement, called the "Downing Street Accord," on elevating economic and security ties to the highest level, including by upgrading the Korea-Britain free trade agreement and conducting joint maritime patrols against North Korea's sanctions evasions.

From London, Yoon headed to Paris in what was his second visit this year to promote South Korea's bid to host the World Expo 2030 in its southeastern city of Busan.

Yoon attended a dinner, luncheon and a reception for delegates from the 182 member states of the Bureau International des Expositions, the body in charge of overseeing the World Expo, with only days to go until the selection of the host city on Tuesday.

Yoon appealed for support, saying the Busan Expo will be a platform for solutions to global challenges and a chance for South Korea to repay the favor it received from the international community during its economic development. (Yonhap)
A Titusville man who was considered to be a "career criminal" was shot dead by sheriff's deputies Friday night after a high-speed chase through Citrus and Marion counties, officials said.

Skyler Wentworth, 33, was shot by Citrus County deputies after exiting a Mitsubishi SUV with a rifle in hand following a two-county chase from Citrus County into Marion County. He died later at a local hospital.

"Wentworth is no stranger to our deputies. He is registered as a career criminal and has an extensive drug-related criminal history in our county," said Col. Elena Vitt of the Citrus County Sheriff's Office. "None of our deputies ever want to use lethal force, but they are prepared to if it means saving countless others."

Citrus County deputies had tried to stop Wentworth in the Hernando area for a traffic infraction, according to a news release from the Citrus County Sheriff's Office. Wentworth threw a black bag from the vehicle during the pursuit, a bag later found to contain pressed pills testing positive for fentanyl, officials said.

Police patrol car with flashing lights and siren on during the night raid against crime

"The pursuit was initially canceled due to safety concerns when units noticed a female passenger in the front seat and a child in the back seat who appeared to be in distress and attempting to exit the moving vehicle," the release said. "However, units re-initiated the pursuit when the suspect slowed the vehicle down, allowing the passengers to exit along the roadside."

The pursuit continued about 10 miles into Marion County on State Road 200, officials said. There, a Marion County deputy stopped the SUV driven by Wentworth with the "PIT maneuver," in which law enforcement officers pull in front of a fleeing vehicle and turn sideways abruptly. The SUV crashed into a utility pole, and Wentworth got out of the vehicle, brandishing a rifle, police said.

Deputies opened fire, fatally wounding Wentworth, the release said.

More: Port St. John man with lengthy criminal arrest record charged with stabbing woman

State records show Wentworth has a lengthy criminal history dating to 2011. His past convictions include drug possession, grand theft, burglary and fleeing law enforcement.

Wentworth, who was released from prison Oct. 14, was on probation for drug possession, grand theft of a motor vehicle and other offenses. His probation was scheduled to end May 24, 2024.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the officer-involved shooting.

Britt Kennerly is education/breaking news editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Kennerly at 321-917-4744 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Citrus officials: Armed Titusville man shot, killed in 2-county chase
Two main high-voltage transmission lines, damaged during the Russian night attack on 24-25 November, have already resumed operation. There is currently no threat of power outages.

Source: Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, chairman of the board of the Ukrenergo National Power Company during the national joint 24/7 newscast, Ukrenegro on Facebook

Quote: "Several powerful power transmission lines that supply Kyiv and the surrounding cities were damaged and turned off during the night due to this dense and very powerful Shahed attack."

Details: Kudrytskyi said that due to this, certain power supply restrictions could be introduced while these lines were being repaired.

But, "we have managed to get through this day without any shutdown schedules."

The head of Ukrenergo emphasised that dispatchers had handled the situation, and repair crews had quickly restored important lines and did not cause discomfort to people on their day off.

Background: On the night of 24-25 November, the Russians launched a record number of attack UAVs at Ukraine  75 Shahed kamikaze drones, 74 of which were shot down.

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The Domodedovo and Vnukovo international airports in Moscow oblast suspended operations after drones approached the Russian capital early on Nov. 26.

Flightradar data suggests departure flights are grounded.

Russian media claims 11 Ukrainian drones were shot down by air defense while one building in the city of Tula was hit.

Injuries were reported by local Russian media.

Read also: Media: Ukraine retaliated against Russias mass attack with 35-drone-strike

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(KRON)  Two people were injured in a shooting in San Francisco on Saturday.

San Francisco officers responded to the area of Turk Street and Hyde Street on a report of shots fired at approximately 10:41 p.m. on Nov. 25.

One person dead, one injured in San Francisco shooting

Once police were on the scene, they located two victims suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. According to police, officers rendered aid and summoned medical attention.

Paramedics responded to the scene and transported the victims to a local hospital. Both victims have non-life-threatening injuries.

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to contact SFPD at (415)-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Two people lost their lives in the past 24 hours due to shelling from the Russian Federation in Donetsk Oblast, the acting governor, Ihor Moroz, reported on Nov. 26.

The casualties occurred in Voskresenka, while another person was injured in Kalynove.



Read also:

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(FOX40.COM)  Two people are dead after a shooting that stemmed from a fight outside of a nightclub in Sacramento.

On Sunday at 1:45 a.m. Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said they responded to a scene outside Sacto By Night bar/club at 7121 Governors Circle as patrons were leaving.

The sheriffs office said that a group of gang members refused to leave the club after closing time.

Once all patrons had exited the club, a fight broke out and two people, including the clubs owner, were fatally shot.

Burglars target family-owned ice-cream shop in Sacramento the day after Thanksgiving

Witnesses described a white vehicle fleeing from the scene, which California Highway Patrol located a short time later. Four people were detained from that vehicle stop and are under investigation.

The sheriffs office confirmed that the individuals detained were involved with the shooting and said detectives found multiple firearms in the vehicle.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
U.S. Special Operations Service members undergo testing in a trailer near a heavy weapon firing line directly after operating shoulder-fired rocket launchers, in Fort Chaffee, Ark., on Oct. 23, 2023. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)

FORT CHAFFEE, Ark.  A blast shattered the stillness of a meadow in the Ozark Mountains on an autumn afternoon. Then another, and another, and another, until the whole meadow was in flames.

Special Operations troops were training with rocket launchers again.

Each operator held a launch tube on his shoulder, a few inches from his head, then took aim and sent a rocket flying at 500 mph. And each launch sent a shock wave whipping through every cell in the operators brain.

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For generations, the military assumed that this kind of blast exposure was safe, even as evidence mounted that repetitive blasts may do serious and lasting harm.

In recent years, Congress, pressed by veterans who were exposed to these shock waves, has ordered the military to set safety limits and start tracking troops exposure. In response, the Pentagon created a sprawling Warfighter Brain Health Initiative to study the issue, gather data and propose corrective strategies. And last year, for the first time, it set a threshold above which a weapon blast is considered hazardous.

Despite the order, though, things have hardly changed on the ground. Training continues largely as it did before. Troops say they see little being done to limit or track blast exposure. And weapons like shoulder-fired rockets that are known to deliver a shock wave well above the safety threshold are still in wide use.

The disconnect fits a pattern that has repeated for more than a decade: Top leaders talk of the importance of protecting troops brains, but the military fails to take practical steps to ensure safety.

Its extremely frustrating, said Paul Scharre, a former Army Ranger and a policy expert at the Center for a New American Security who published a report in 2018, funded by the Defense Department, about the dangers of repeated blasts from firing weapons. Weve known for years that these weapons are dangerous. There are simple things we can do to protect people. And were not doing them.

Nowhere is that disconnect more clear than on the firing range at the military training center in the Ozarks, Fort Chaffee in Arkansas.

With flames still leaping from the meadow, a few of the Special Operations troops walked to a pair of air-conditioned trailers just behind the firing line, where a research team drew blood samples, strapped sensors to their heads and ran tests, searching for evidence of brain injuries.

Measurements taken by the team from scores of troops over three years showed that in the days after firing rockets, they had worse memories and reaction times, worse coordination, lower cognitive and executive function, and elevated levels of proteins in their blood that are markers of brain injury.

Sensors placed on the operators helmets and body armor showed that the rocket launcher they were firing  the Carl Gustaf M3  delivers a blast that is often twice the recommended safety threshold.

But when the research team finished running tests, the operators walked right back out and started firing again.

Dr. Michael Roy, the lead researcher, said he designed the five-year study to deliver the kind of empirical data that could help the military make better decisions.

The question is, does this affect performance? he said. We are seeing it does. He added, If you are on a mission and you cant remember things and your balance is off, that could be a real problem.

Research by his team and others suggests that troops appear to recover after a few days or weeks, just as people recover from concussions. But, as with concussions, there is growing concern that repeated exposure may lead to permanent brain damage and serious long-term consequences for mental health.

A 2021 Navy study of the records of 138,000 service members found that those in career fields with more blast exposure had an increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression, migraines, substance abuse problems, dementia and a number of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. And an investigation by The New York Times found that many soldiers and Marines who were exposed to blast waves from firing heavy artillery in Syria and Iraq came home with life-shattering mental and physical problems.

Special Operations Command said in response to questions from the Times that it plans to keep using the Carl Gustaf rocket launcher, but sparingly, because of its potential negative effects. But the command has taken steps to reduce blast exposure for instructors and assistant gunners, it said, and now requires them to stand farther away when a gunner fires.

During the recent training observed by the Times, none of those safety steps could be seen.

Its really negligent, given everything the Pentagon knows, that they havent taken action, said David Borkholder, a professor of engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

In 2010, at the request of the military, Borkholder and a team from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency developed a small, wearable gauge to measure blast exposure.

The agency fielded the blast gauge on about 10,000 troops sent to Afghanistan in 2011, intending to measure blast exposure from roadside bombs. But researchers analyzing the data instead found that 75% of the troops exposure was coming from their own weapons.

It was hugely, hugely surprising, Borkholder said. The danger was us. We were doing it to ourselves.

At the same time, other studies were showing that these kinds of blasts were strong enough to cause brain injuries  even though they packed just a fraction of the punch of an enemy bomb.

One 2009 study by the Swedish military used pigs to assess brain damage from blast exposure and found that ones placed in the firing position of the Carl Gustaf and exposed to the blasts from three shots developed large numbers of tiny brain hemorrhages. Subsequent studies in military personnel going through explosives and sniper training found evidence of temporary negative effects on brain function.

Rather than expand the blast gauge program, though, the Army quietly shelved it in 2016. The Army said at the time that it did so because the gauges did not provide consistent and reliable data.

Borkholder, who founded a company that makes blast gauges but left in 2021 and now has no financial stake, said he thought the gauges were shelved because the data told leaders something they didnt want to hear.

For two years, he pressed the Army surgeon general and members of Congress to revive the program. Without real-time monitoring, he argued, the military was blind to the risks. He said he made no progress.

Merely issuing the gauges to service members might reduce exposure significantly, several researchers said. Time and again in recent studies that equipped troops with gauges and let them see their exposure, the troops have changed their behavior on their own to avoid blasts.

The enlisted folks are smart, Borkholder said. Give them the tools, often they can solve the problem.

That has yet to happen. Though a congressional mandate passed in 2018 requires monitoring of blast exposure, the Pentagon is still studying how to go about it. Special Operations Command said in 2019 that it would start issuing gauges to all its operators, but four years later, only those taking part in research studies have them.

Special Operations Command told the Times that its blast gauge program was in the final development stage.

Frank Larkin, a former Navy SEAL and Secret Service agent who lobbied lawmakers to create the congressional mandate, said in an interview that blast exposure is an insidious threat that is absolutely affecting our force, and we have to act.

During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Larkin worked on a Pentagon team assigned to figure out how to counter the threat of roadside bombs. He realized only years later, he said, that he had missed a major threat.

His son Ryan Larkin was a SEAL deployed in combat at that time. He was in a number of firefights in Iraq and Afghanistan and was decorated for valor, but, as his father later realized, almost all of the blasts in his career came from his own weapons: Carl Gustafs, sniper rifles and explosives used to blow holes in walls.

We think 80% of the blasts he experienced happened in training, Frank Larkin said.

After 10 years of service, his father said, Ryan Larkin had been exposed to so many blasts that he could barely function. He couldnt sleep and had panic attacks, headaches, memory problems and a growing dependence on alcohol.

The Navy gave him a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and treated his symptoms with a host of strong medications. No brain injury was diagnosed.

He kept saying there was something wrong with his head, but no one was listening, his father recalled.

Ryan Larkin grew increasingly erratic and was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital after making threats against an officer. Soon after that, he left the Navy when his enlistment ended.

A few months later, in 2017, he died by suicide.

It is my greatest burden, Frank Larkin said as he recalled his sons death. I spent a career trying to protect people and couldnt protect my own son.

Frank Larkin gave his sons brain to a Defense Department brain tissue bank set up to study traumatic brain injuries. Researchers found that Ryan Larkins brain showed a distinct pattern of damage unique to people exposed to blast waves.

Frank Larkin pushed to get mandates into military appropriations bills that now require the military to create safety standards, to track and document individual troops blast exposure and to put that data in the troops medical records. But he said the military has resisted.

There is a battle against how we have always done things, he said.

In the field, troops say they see things changing, but not enough.

Cory McEvoy was a Special Operations medic who left the Army in August. While in uniform, he pressed for better tracking of blast exposure so that when career special operators started to fall apart, the military might recognize their conditions as an injury caused by their service.

He said in a recent interview that he was disappointed that there was still no system in place.

At a policy level, they are talking about all this incredible stuff, he said. But at my level, I never saw any of it. And if Im not seeing it, you can be sure a regular infantry platoon isnt seeing it.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
British American Tobacco wants vendors of e-cigarettes to be licensed in the same way as those who sell alcohol - Sean Gallup/Getty Images Europe

BRITAINS largest tobacco and vaping company is calling for e-cigarettes to be more closely regulated as it urges ministers not to ban disposable vapes.

British American Tobacco (BAT) is calling for vendors of vapes to be licensed, like those selling alcohol, and the banning of promotional images and flavours that target children.

The company - which says healthier alternatives to smoking account for half of its revenue - said it backed the Governments ambitions to make Britain smoke free.

But anti-smoking campaigners said its move was a breathtakingly cynical move from a company that continues to make most of its profits from cigarettes.

Ministers are consulting on ways to reduce youth vaping, and plan to pass laws that will gradually ban the sale of cigarettes by phasing in increases in the age at which they can be legally purchased.

One in five children aged 11 to 17 has puffed on an e-cigarette

Their moves follow warnings that the number of children using vapes has tripled over the past three years, with one in five children aged 11 to 17 having tried them.

Measures adopted could include a total ban on disposable e-cigarettes, or additional taxes on all vapes.

The consultation is also considering less stringent actions - such as banning flavours that appeal to children and marketing aimed at younger markets.

BAT is among many vape manufacturers opposed to a full ban on disposable e-cigarettes. It says doing so could fuel an illegal market, or push people trying to quit smoking by using vapes to buy tobacco.

The company, which manufactures such cigarette brands as Rothmans and Dunhill, insists it is committed to the transformation of its portfolio and shares the long-term ambition of a smoke-free world.

While most of its global profits come from cigarette sales, earlier this year the company - the biggest UK-based vaping manufacturer - said it was close to break even in new markets.

It will launch a series of billboard and newspaper advertisements on Monday setting out ways to help reduce youth vaping.

Call seen as an attempt to head off heavy taxes or a ban on disposable vapes

But its actions are likely to be seen as an attempt to persuade the Government not to bring in heavy taxes on e-cigarettes, or ban disposables.

British American Tobacco is supporting the Governments aim of making Britain smoke-free by the end of the decade

Its five-point campaign will state: You want Britain to be smoke-free by 2030. Surprisingly, so do we and will call for a ban on confectionery, dessert and soft-drink flavoured vapes, none of which it sells.

The Government consultation is considering a ban on flavours favoured by children and teenagers but there has been much discussion about where the line should be drawn.

While flavours such as bubblegum and cotton candy and those mimicking sweets and alcoholic drinks are likely to be first in the firing line, there are arguments about berry flavours that appeal to adults and children.

BAT - which markets menthol, berry and tobacco vapes - argues that such flavours help to wean adult cigarette smokers off the habit.

Asli Ertonguc, BATs lead for the UK, said vaping is the key to unlocking the UKs smokefree market.

She added: As the largest manufacturer of vaping products in the UK, we are clear on our responsibilities and are urging the Government to introduce more stringent vaping regulations.

Ban confectionery, dessert and soft-dring flavoured vapes

We believe that underage users should never vape, so we want confectionery, dessert and soft drink flavours to be banned and the introduction of a new regime for how and where vapes are sold.

The charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has suggested a levy of 4 per disposable vape to prevent the devices being sold at pocket money prices.

Ms Ertonguc said the firm was not against some increased taxes on e-cigarettes, but said such a levy was too high, adding it needed to be a reasonable and proportionate sum that did not deter tobacco users from switching.

The company has also called for harsher penalties for those selling and importing vapes and highlighted the recent case of a shop being fined 26 for selling e-cigarettes to a child.

It also wants better enforcement of vaping laws and single-use products to have removable batteries.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said: For BAT to claim to be spearheading a campaign to make industry more responsible is breathtakingly cynical. BAT makes the vast majority of its profits from selling cigarettes, which kill consumers when used as intended.

Tougher vape regulation, long called for by ASH and others, is now finally coming down the track, and this campaign is a vain attempt by BAT to put itself on the right side of history by clinging to the coattails of the public health community. No-one is going to take it seriously, certainly not the UK Government, which has made very clear it wont allow the tobacco industry to influence public policy.

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Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, believes that Russias war against Ukraine could once again spread beyond the country's east and south, especially if Russia continues to ramp up weapons manufacturing and improve the technologies available to it with the help of its allies, or if Ukraines allies reduce the amount of aid they give it.

Source: Serhii Naiev in an ABC News interview

Quote: "We understand that there is currently a resource war going on. The Russian Federation gets its resources with the help of the Axis of Evil  it is North Korea, it is Iran. And we, with the help of our partners, receiving air defense equipment from them, are opposing the Russian Federation with their resources.

It must be understood that the reduction of aid will really hit our defense capabilities. But we will fight with what we have."

Details: Naiev warned that if Russia continues to increase weapons production and improve technologically with the help of its allies, war could again expand beyond Ukraine's east and south.

"We are getting ready for that," he said. "Were building defenses, putting mines, and training our forces."

ABC News reported that the Ukrainian Air Force and Defence Intelligence estimate that Russia fired more than 800 drones on Ukraine in the last two months, "having kept around 870 cruise and ballistic missiles in stock for major attacks against the countrys energy infrastructure".

"Technology is critical. The target for which, according to the old Soviet-style technologies, it was necessary to spend 100 shells  with the help of Western technologies, much less is needed, and it is measured in numbers up to ten, so the technology always outweighs the number. And I will emphasize once again that this help is very, very important to us," Naiev said.

Background:

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraines Armed Forces, said in an interview with The Economist this week that the situation at the front has reached a stalemate when neither side can advance because they are technologically equipped at the same level. The general says the situation reminds him of the First World War.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not think the situation on the front in Ukraine is a stalemate and has said that Ukraine will not negotiate with Russia.

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When Hamas launched its attack on Israeli settlements on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people, according to Israeli government data, President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials condemned the terror and supported Israel's right to defend itself.

Zelensky has compared Hamas to Russia, while his chief of staff Andriy Yermak suggested that Israel's fight with Hamas and Ukraine's defensive war are "elements of an asymmetric war waged against the free world by the' axis of evil'."

Though the combat was halted on Nov. 24 to exchange Israeli hostages for jailed Palestinians, the war is expected to resume after the temporary ceasefire is over.

Combined with deteriorating relations between Israel and Russia, Kyiv's position fueled hopes that Israel would get tough on Moscow and consider military aid for Ukraine.

But as the death toll in the Gaza Strip has been constantly increasing, now in its thousands, Zelensky was slow to acknowledge the suffering of Palestinian civilians. He avoided criticizing Israel's indiscriminate airstrikes and blockade of the enclave, seen by international organizations as collective punishment.

Some experts raised concerns about Kyiv's official stance on the Israel-Hamas war, warning it can damage Ukraine's relations with the Arab world and the countries of the so-called Global South, which have accused the West of valuing Ukrainian lives more than those of Palestinians.

Read also: Is Russia involved in Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel?

Historical relationship

Compared to Palestine, Israel is a lot closer to Ukraine historically, economically, and culturally.

Jews have lived in Ukraine for centuries; hundreds of thousands came to Israel when the Soviet Union collapsed. Many prominent Ukrainians, including Zelensky, have Jewish roots. And some Israeli leaders, such as Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir, were born in Ukraine, which is also home to a major pilgrimage site for Hasidic Jews.

Kyiv established diplomatic relations with Israel shortly after Ukrainian independence in 1991. Ukrainians and Israelis have enjoyed a visa-free travel regime between their countries since 2011 and a free trade agreement since 2019.

Ukraine has had diplomatic relations with Palestine, currently comprising the Gaza Strip run by Hamas and the West Bank governed by the Palestinian Authority, since 2001. Kyiv cut ties with Gaza when Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU, came to power in the enclave.

The Palestinian Authority supported Ukraine's territorial integrity after Russia's occupation of Crimea and Donbas in 2014. But it never condemned the full-scale invasion, reportedly because it wants to be on good terms with the Kremlin.

While Ukraine recognized Israel's right to sovereignty, it supported United Nations resolutions condemning Israeli settlements in Palestine and calling for the International Court of Justice to weigh on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

In 2016, Volodymyr Yelchenko, Ukraine's UN delegate at the time, compared Israeli settlements in Palestine to Russia's occupation of Crimea in the sense that both violated international law.

In July, Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky warned that Ukraine's voting in favor of "90% of anti-Israel" resolutions could harm his country's support, highlighting increased tensions between Ukraine and Israel during Russia's full-scale invasion.

Frustrated by Israel's refusal to send military aid or sanction Russia, Kyiv in June accused Israel of "blatant disregard for moral boundaries" and "a clear pro-Russian position."

Israel explained that it needed to cooperate with Russian forces in Syria and was worried that Israeli weapons could end up in the hands of its enemies, namely Moscow's ally Iran.

Read also: Israels reluctance to choose sides strains relations with Ukraine

'Shared destiny'

When protests against Israel's response to the Oct. 7 attack filled the streets in Arab countries and Western capitals alike, Brodsky uncharacteristically called Ukraine "the most pro-Israeli" country in Europe, which may soon declare Hamas a terrorist organization.

Ukraine was among the 45 countries that abstained from voting for a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a humanitarian truce between Israeli forces and Hamas on Oct. 27 because the document failed to condemn Hamas' attacks against civilians.

Ukrainian officials have said that their country, which has long fought for its independence, has "a shared destiny with Israel," and public opinion appears to mirror this position. According to a January poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, most Ukrainians maintain a positive attitude toward Israel despite being disappointed about its refusal to send weapons.

According to Samantha de Bendern, Associate Fellow at the Russia and Eurasia Program at Chatham House, "Zelensky has often been trying to position Ukraine as being very similar to Israel in this fight for existence and against anti-democratic forces and authoritarianism."

"So, in a way, the Ukraine-Israel alliance is a much more natural one than one in which Ukraine and Israel would not be together," de Bendern told the Kyiv Independent.

Read also: A wave of terror: Hamas attack brings back haunting memories of war for Ukrainians in Israel

Kyiv's pragmatism?

On a more basic level, Kyiv likely hopes that a better relationship may lead to Israeli weapons. Kyiv's support is also informed by its desire to align with the West. The European Union and the U.S., which send the most weapons, have mostly supported Israel.

A few experts said Israeli weapons are wishful thinking  Israel will not arm another country for war while fighting one of its own. And yet, reports soon emerged that Israel has sold some of its Barak MX air defense systems to Azerbaijan.

Israel and Ukraine are also competing for the U.S.'s resources and attention, which means that Israel is likely not a big fan of the White House's idea to combine aid to the two countries in one spending bill, according to Iliya Kusa, an expert on international politics and the Middle East at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future.

Meanwhile, as the Kremlin stepped up its criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza and accepted delegations from Hamas and Iran, Israel still has to take into account the Russian military presence in neighboring Syria, where Russian and Israeli warplanes are flying side by side to bomb targets of their interest.

"Tel Aviv has been long building a separate track for relations with Moscow, and considering the conservatism of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, they are hardly ready to change it quickly," Ihor Semyvolos, chief of Ukraine's Association of Middle East Studies, told the Kyiv Independent.

Read also: Zelensky, Netanyahus meeting in New York highlights their differences

Complications with Global South

While Kyiv is trying to push Israel to support Ukraine and, as de Bendern put it, "to cement the wedge driven between Netanyahu and Putin," Ukraine risks losing an already complicated race to charm the Arab countries and the Global South, a collective term for the developing nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

At a peace summit in Cairo on Oct. 21, the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia reportedly lambasted Western countries for staying silent about the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza while unequivocally condemning Russian attacks against Ukrainian cities.

Accusing the West of hypocrisy towards international conflicts has been popular in the Muslim World for a long time.

"And so now, when we see Israel potentially committing war crimes in Gaza the accusations of double standards are coming out again, directed towards the West. And, of course, they will put Ukraine within that same basket of countries who only apply humanitarian law when it arranges them," de Bendern explained.

A protestor holds a banner during solidarity with Palestine demonstration at the Main Square in Krakow, Poland on Oct. 13, 2023. Protests in support of both Israel or Palestine have been held worldwide after the Hamas Oct. 7 attack against Israel. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Kusa thinks, in turn, that Ukraine's official position on the Israel-Hamas war is unlikely to bring any fundamental changes in Kyiv's relations with these countries anytime soon.

Arab countries that kept good ties with Russia during the war don't want to miss the prestigious option of playing mediator, he said.

Saudi Arabia's efforts in brokering prisoner exchanges and hosting a major summit on Zelensky's peace formula have reportedly contributed to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's goal of rebranding his international image.

The Kyiv Independent requested comments from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry and Presidential Office, but there has been no response at the time of the publication.

Read also: Ukrainians trapped in besieged Gaza: We are constantly bombed

Could Ukraine do differently, and what's next?

Ukraine has limited room to support or condemn while balancing the West, Israel, and the Global South.

In Kusa's view, Kyiv's official stance on the Israel-Palestine war could be more leveled, but Ukraine's hands are tied by the antagonism between countries considered Western and non-Western. Ukraine often gets grouped with the former.

Criticism of Israel might expose Kyiv to accusations of antisemitism, amplified by Russian propaganda that tries to paint Ukraine as a neo-Nazi state, according to de Bendern. She added that avoiding radical steps in support of any side would be a wise strategy for Ukraine in the short term.

"And in the long term, I believe that we need to build a separate foreign policy that would be more autonomous from the Western agenda, including in the Middle East," Kusa said. "It is obvious that we will need partnerships in non-Western regions to deter Russia. And it will be difficult to achieve this by repeating the rhetoric of our Western partners."

De Bendern suggested Zelensky can pay more attention to India, one of the few countries of the Global South that has firmly sided with Israel after the Hamas attack.

While India has extensive economic ties with Russia, which it didn't want to sanction, there is an opportunity for Zelensky to "bring one of the most important countries in the BRICS onto Ukraine's side," she said.

The disagreements on how Israel has been handling the battle with Hamas are evident not only in the Global South but also in the West, where pro-Palestinian sentiments have been growing in tandem with the civilian death toll in Gaza.

Several European countries and some of the EU's staff reportedly criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for taking a more proIsrael stance than agreed in the bloc and failing to stress the importance of protecting Gazan civilians.

Zelensky should watch the Middle East, and what the international community says to Israel in the coming weeks if he hopes to avoid alienating not only the Arab Countries but his Western allies as well, de Bendern said.

"The most important thing is keeping European allies on his side. And if you look at the mood in Europe right now, the cards are all up in the air."





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Top diplomats of South Korea, China and Japan were set to hold talks in the southeastern port city of Busan on Sunday, with discussions on resuming the long-stalled three-way summit of the three countries' leaders expected to be in focus.

The trilateral meeting among Foreign Minister Park Jin, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa also comes after about a four-year hiatus as the three neighboring countries seek to deepen the tripartite cooperation despite many pending bilateral issues.

Wang and Kamikawa arrived in Busan on Saturday.

Park is joining the two ministers the day after returning from a trip to London and Paris, where he accompanied President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Park will hold bilateral talks with Kamikawa and have separate talks with Wang in the morning.

Park will then host a luncheon meeting for his two counterparts, before the trilateral talks take place later in the day.

Sunday's trilateral talks are expected to center on ways to revive the three-way summit among the leaders of the three Northeast Asian neighbors.

The trilateral summit has not been held since the last one took place in China's southwestern city of Chengdu in December 2019.

The summit has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and a deterioration in Seoul-Tokyo relations over the issue of compensating Korean victims of forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

Talks of reviving the summit gathered momentum amid a dramatic warming of the Seoul-Tokyo relations after South Korea said in March it will compensate the Korean victims on its own without asking for contributions from Japanese companies.

In a senior officials' meeting in late September, the three countries agreed to hold the tripartite summit at "the earliest convenient time."

The ministers are likely to discuss the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea's launch of a military reconnaissance satellite earlier this week, amid concerns over the growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

They are also likely to discuss efforts to promote three-way cooperation in forward-looking areas, such as sustainability and climate change, science and digital technologies, health and aging society, and people-to-people exchanges.

It will mark the first visit by Kamikawa since she took office in September. Wang last visited South Korea in September 2021. (Yonhap)
Editors Note: This is issue 112 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from Nov. 18-24. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission.

Ukrainian SOE Weekly is an independent weekly digest based on a compilation of the most important news related to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and state-owned banks in Ukraine. This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union within the project Supporting Ukraine in rebuilding and recovery implemented by the KSE Institute. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the editorial team of the Ukrainian SOE Weekly and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Corporate governance of SOEs

Verkhovna Rada appoints a new chief for SPFU. On Nov. 21, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Vitaliy Koval, governor of Rivne Oblast, as the head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU).

According to Chesno, Vitaliy Koval had been a governor since 2019. He was also a candidate for mayor of Rivne from the Sluha Narodu party in 2020. In the first round of the mayoral elections, Koval received 13.52% of the vote, taking the third place.

In 2020, Koval was elected as a member of the Rivne City Council from Sluha Narodu.

He is also a member of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and the first vice president of the Greco-Roman Wrestling Federation of Ukraine.

In 2006-2019, he headed and co-founded enterprises in the agricultural, transport, and construction industries: Atlant-Trans LLC, InvesttradeService LLC, RGS-Logisticgroup LLC, BBB Montazh LLC, and Sanako LLC.

Read also: Ministry: 2,100 trucks stuck at Ukraine border due to Polish blockade

We are not aware if Koval has any investment banking or state property management experience.

As we reported in Issue 110, Davyd Arakhamia, head of the Sluha Narodu faction in parliament, wrote that the Verkhovna Rada was planning to appoint Koval as the new head of the SPFU.

Later, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal formally proposed the candidacy of Koval to the Rada.

In Issue 101, we reported that the former head of the SPFU, Rustem Umerov, stepped down to replace Oleksii Reznikov as defense minister on Sept. 6.

NABU updates its suspicion for SPFUs former head Sennychenko  he is now also suspected of laundering Hr 10 billion. On Nov. 24, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAPO) said that they had renewed suspicions against all members of the criminal group led by Dmytro Sennychenko, the former head of the SPFU. They are now also suspected of legalizing the proceeds of crime in excess of Hr 10 billion ($277,000).

According to NABU, Sennychenkos accomplices included:

As we reported in March 2023, NABU and SAPO said that they exposed a criminal group run by Sennychenko. See more about this case in SOE Weeklys Issue 80.

In Issue 81, we reported that the court imposed a pre-trial restraint on two defendants in this case, Lypko and Synytsia.

As we reported in Issue 83, the suspects in this case, including Sennychenko, were placed on the wanted list.

SPFU presents a roadmap for the implementation of Land Bank. On Nov. 20, the SPFU said that it had presented what the Land Bank will look like to an inter-ministerial working group.

According to the SPFU, this group includes representatives of the Justice Ministry, the Agrarian Policy Ministry, relevant committees of the Verkhovna Rada, the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre (StateGeoCadastre), and Prozorro.Sale.

Read also: Sales of Ukrainian-made goods skyrocket during retailer Rozetkas Black Friday sale

The roadmap was not publicly available at the time of writing.

The SPFU plans to consolidate state land in several stages. First, the farmland of SOEs in liquidation may be transferred to the Land Bank. The next stage is about the land of SOEs that are free of any encumbrances and restrictions. The third and fourth stages would include the land of distressed SOEs that require an individual approach.

The first two phases can be completed in two or three months if all the authorities work together in a consolidated manner, the SPFU said.

The SPFU also believes that the Land Bank would become one of the strategic assets to stay state-owned and will go into the Ukrainian Sovereign Wealth Fund.

As we reported in June, the SPFU was working out plans to launch a land bank to centralize all state-owned agricultural land into a single entity for long-term leasing. For more detail, see SOE Weeklys Issue 93.

As we reported in Issue 100, the Cabinet of Ministers transferred 25 SOEs, previously managed by the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, to the SPFU. We also wrote about the SPFUs plans to launch the first open auctions for leasing of state agricultural land in 2024.

Cabinet reappoints the three state representatives on Oschadbanks supervisory board for a second term. On Nov. 17, the Cabinet of Ministers reappointed three state representatives of Oschadbanks supervisory board: Yulia Pashko (nominated by the Finance, Tax, and Customs Committee of the Verkhovna Rada), Rosa Tapanova (nominated by the Cabinet of Ministers), and Oleksandr Rodnyansky (nominated by the president of Ukraine).

According to SMIDA, Rodnyansky and Tapanova have been state representatives on the board since 2021; Pashko has served since 2019.

As we wrote in SOE Weeklys Issue 111, the supervisory board of Oschadbank started its work and elected Volodymyr Lavrenchuk as its new chair on Nov. 14.

As we reported in Issue 85, the Cabinet appointed four new independent members of Oschadbanks supervisory board back in April 2023. It is unclear why the board needed seven months to start its work only now. See Issue 111 for more detail.

Banks

Ukrainian banks make a profit of Hr 110 billion in the first three quarters of 2023, state-owned banks at the top of the list. Opendatabot wrote that Ukrainian banks made a total profit of Hr 109.85 billion ($3.1 billion) in the first nine months of 2023. This is 1.4 times as much as what they made in the entire year before the full-scale Russian invasion, 2021. That year, Ukrainian banks profits were Hr 77.53 billion ($2.2 billion).

According to Opendatabot, there are 63 banks operating in Ukraine. Only 10%, with most of them owned by private Ukrainian capital, lost money in 2023; their total losses are Hr 160 million ($4.4 million).

The top 10 banks by profit are all still the same. That includes all the five state-owned banks, four banks with foreign capital, and one with private Ukrainian capital. They make 87.5% of the total profit of all banks in the country, Opendatabot added.

PrivatBank is still the undisputed leader, with profits of Hr 43.4 billion ($1.2 billion) in the first three quarters, twice as much as the same period in 2021 (Hr 21.21 billion, or $590 million).

Read also: Media: Court launches bankruptcy case against Ukraine International Airlines

Oschadbank is in second place among all Ukrainian banks, with Hr 15.18 billion ($422 million) against Hr 0.85 billion ($23 million) in 2021.

In other words, the state-owned PrivatBank and Oschadbank earned over half (52%) of the total profit of all Ukrainian banks in the first nine months of 2023.

The recently nationalized Sense Bank is third with Hr 5.58 billion ($155 million), up from Hr 2.46 billion ($68 million) in 2021. As we reported earlier, Sense Bank, previously owned by sanctioned Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven, and Andrey Kosogov, was nationalized in late July 2023. See more in SOE Weeklys Issue 98.

Ukreximbank earned Hr 3.59 billion ($99 million) in first nine months of 2023, compared to Hr 1.75 billion ($48 million) in the same period of 2021. Ukrgasbank earned Hr 2.92 billion ($81 million) against Hr 1.75 billion ($49 million), respectively.

Overall, the share of state-owned banks profits increased to 63.4% of the total profits of Ukrainian banks in the third quarter of 2023.

Energy sector

Naftogaz raises 200 million euros from EBRD to strengthen Ukraines energy security. On Nov. 22, Naftogaz reported that it signed a loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The agreement is to be state-guaranteed, and it will enter into force after the guarantee would have been issued.

This signing brings to fruition an agreement initially made in June 2023 at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, between EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso and Ukraines Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the EBRD explained.

As we wrote earlier, in June 2023, Ukraine signed memorandums with the EBRD to provide 600 million euros to support Ukraines energy sector  funds would go to Ukrenergo, Naftogaz, and Ukrhydroenergo. See SOE Weeklys Issue 94 for more detail.

Defense

Cabinet approves UDIs financial plan for 2024  a good profit expected. On Nov. 17, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the financial plan of Ukrainian Defense Industry (UDI) for 2024.

Financial plan indicators were not publicly available at the time of writing.

According to Oleksandr Kamyshin, minister for strategic industries, the plan envisages a significant increase in revenue and a good profit." He did not specify the planned financial indicators.

As we wrote earlier, in June 2023, Ukroboronprom was officially transformed into a joint-stock company called Ukrainian Defense Industry (UDI). We also reported that Ukroboronproms CEO Yuriy Husiev resigned, and the Cabinet appointed Herman Smetanin as the CEO of newly established UDI. See SOE Weeklys Issue 95 for more detail.

Infrastructure

Ukrzaliznytsias financial plan for 2024 approved  losses of almost Hr 13 billion forecast, break-even measures proposed. On Nov. 20, Ukrzaliznytsia announced that the Cabinet of Ministers approved its financial plan for 2024.

The Cabinets resolution was not publicly available at the time of writing.

The financial plan forecasts losses of Hr 12.6 billion ($350 million). Ukrzaliznytsias said that these losses would be covered by a break-even plan." The release did not specify what this means.

The company projects Hr 103.2 billion ($2.8 billion) in revenue, Hr 98.6 billion ($2.7 billion) of which will be net income from the sale of goods and services. Revenue from freight transportation is expected to be Hr 80.1 billion ($2.2 billion), and revenue from passenger transportation, Hr 9.3 billion ($258 million).

Total expenses are planned at Hr 115.8 billion ($3.2 billion), including a 13% increase in the cost of goods sold, mainly due to the need to increase wages and electricity tariffs. EBITDA is planned at Hr 11.8 billion ($327 million), meaning an EBITDA margin of 12%.

There should be Hr 38 billion ($1.05 billion) in capital investments, mainly to rebuild damaged infrastructure and build cross-border connections with the EU.

Ukrzaliznytsia expects to contribute Hr 24 billion ($667 million) to the state budget (apparently, in tax payments, as no dividends can be planned with projected losses), 5% more than what is expected in 2023.

Read also: Forbes cancels sale deal allegedly linked to Russian oligarch

Ukrzaliznytsias CEO Yevhen Lyashchenko said that the financial plan does not envisage raising funds from the state budget, whose priority is to finance the countrys defense capability. Among other things, the financial plan provides for an increase in the salaries of railway workers, which currently do not correspond to their contribution to the defense capability and functioning of the Ukrainian economy, compared to other industries, Lyashchenko said.

This financial plan was developed and submitted for consideration in the third quarter of 2023, when the ports were completely blocked. We have already developed our proposals on how to break even. In particular, given the trend of the previous two months of this year, we made a more optimistic forecast for cargo transportation. We are also planning (to ask the Infrastructure Ministry for) uniform tariffs, to make them more transparent and bring them in line with the European model. We continue to work on cost optimization.

As we reported in SOE Weekly Issue 72, Ukrzaliznytsia took losses of Hr 10.8 billion ($300 million) in 2022. The loss from passenger transportation was Hr 13.3 billion ($369 million), suggesting that the companys other segments, such as cargo transportation, made a profit of Hr 2.5 billion ($69 million).

In Issue 70, we reported that on Dec. 30, 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers approved Ukrzaliznytsias consolidated financial plan for 2023. According to that plan, Ukrzaliznytsia expected to lose Hr 20.2 billion ($561 million) in 2023 due to the large social burden and restrictions on cargo transportation (see Issue 72).

As we wrote in Issue 80, in March 2023, after his appointment as Ukrzaliznytsias new CEO for the next two years, Lyashchenko got several key tasks, one of which was for the company to break even.

In Issue 90, we reported that Ukrzaliznytsia would receive a $25 million grant from the World Bank.

In Issue 91, we reported that Ukrzaliznytsia would also receive a 6.7-million-euro grant from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the companys operations during Russias full-scale war against Ukraine.

As we wrote in Issue 92, Ukrzaliznytsia signed a 200-million-euro loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as part of the Emergency Support to Ukrainian Railways project.

In Issue 101, we wrote that Ukrzaliznytsia would receive a 100-million-euro loan from EIB.

As we wrote in Issue 103, in September 2023, Lyashchenko said that Ukrzaliznytsia was reaching break-even and would finish the first nine months of 2023 with a profit.

Privatisation

Prozorro.Sale reports over Hr 2.7 billion in budget revenues from small-scale privatization in 2023. On Nov. 20, Prozorro.Sale wrote that its system replenished the state and local budgets by Hr 2.7 billion ($75 million) from small-scale privatization of state and municipal property.

Read also: Russia launches record number of drones against Ukraine on Holodomor Memorial Day

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One of the drones in Tula

The overnight drone attack on Russia on Nov. 26 was a response by Ukrainian military intelligence to the massive attack by the Shahed drones on Kyiv the day before, NVs sister publication Ukrainska Pravda has reported, citing an intelligence source.

The attack began at 3.30 a.m. and ended at 9.20 a.m. About 35 drones were fired at facilities in Moscow and the region, as well as in the cities of Tula and Smolensk. The UP source stressed that all the targets were military or related to military production.

"The actions are purely symmetrical and a sign that Russia should think about the consequences," it said.

The war should be fought with the military in the combat areas. Strikes on civilians outside the combat zone will not go unanswered.

Since the early hours of Nov. 26, four waves of drone attacks were reported on Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry alleged 24 "downed" UAVs in five regions, as well as the destruction of two missiles over the Sea of Azov.

The Ukrainian government did not officially comment on the night's events in Russia, but a number of Ukrainian media outlets, including public broadcaster Suspilne, cited sources in Ukraine's Defense Intelligence as saying that Ukrainian intel was behind the attacks.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said at around 3.30 a.m. that the drones flying toward Moscow had been intercepted in Moscow Oblast. Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were temporarily closed due to the attack.

Sobyanin also said that air defense destroyed several drones in Bryansk, Tula and Kaluga oblasts.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Key updates on Nov. 26:

Shmyhal: Russia sold $1 billion worth of Ukrainian grain on world markets

Polish truckers to start round-the-clock blockade of border crossing on Nov. 27

Media: Ukraine retaliated against Russia's mass attack with drones

ISW: Russian forces advancing in Avdiivka

Ukrainian forces defend positions on east bank of Dnipro River

Commander: War can spread to more of the country if Russia's tech grows

The improvements in Russian technology and increased weapons production may expand the war beyond the east and south of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev, responsible for Ukraine's northern border defense, told ABC News on Nov. 26.

"We are getting ready for that," he said. "We're building defenses, putting mines, and training our forces."

Ukraine attempts to curtail the possible new attacks by calling for disruption of supplies for Russias electromagnetic warfare, according to The Guardian.

A Ukrainian dossier reportedly was passed to countries that have sanctioned Russia identifying key firms involved in the development of Russia's military equipment and called for the creation of the unified database of components for the technology.

Joint Forces Commander Serhii Naiev speaks during a military training exercise in Kyiv Oblast on Sept. 27, 2023. (Genya Savilov /AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine allegedly launches retaliatory drone strike, following attack on Kyiv

Ukraine attacked Russian military targets with about 35 drones overnight on Nov. 26 in response to Russia's mass drone attack against Ukraine a day earlier, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing a military intelligence source.

Ukraine's drones were aimed at targets in Moscow and its region, as well as in Tula and Smolensk. Russian officials claimed 24 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia.

The alleged attack came after Russia struck Ukraine with 75 drones, mainly targeting Kyiv. Ukrainian air defense reported bringing down 74 of them.

The local authorities said that at least five people were injured, and several residential and non-residential buildings were damaged in Kyiv as a result of the Russian attack.

Read also: Russia launches record number of drones against Ukraine on Holodomor Memorial Day

Russia sold $1 billion worth of Ukrainian grain, PM says

Russia has stolen and exported $1 billion worth of Ukrainian grain on world markets, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a grain summit in Kyiv.

The announcement came as Ukraine hosted the second international summit, "Grain from Ukraine," in Kyiv on the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 19321933 in Ukraine.

The summit was attended by leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, and Switzerland.

Through centuries, Russia has been changing names but not its nature or methods, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, during her visit.

Almost a century after the Holodomor, Russia again attempts to use food as a weapon, this time by devastating (Ukraines) civilian ports, grain storages and blockading of the Black Sea.

Lithuania will contribute 2 million euros to the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian initiative, she added.

This year, Ukraine expects to harvest 79 million tons of grain, with about 25% of grain production consumed domestically, while the rest is earmarked for export.

Read also: Lithuania pledges 2 million euros for grain initiative

Power outages across Ukraine



Severe weather conditions have caused power outages across 386 settlements in 10 Ukrainian regions, including Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kirovohrad oblasts, the State Emergency Service reported on Nov. 26, citing the state grid operator Ukrenergo.

The emergency service deployed multiple missions to restore the power supply in the impacted settlements.

"Overall, across the entire territory of Ukraine, nearly 500 people, as well as 131 units of firefighting and other specialized equipment, are currently working under the State Emergency Service to eliminate the consequences of the bad weather and assist the population," the State Emergency Service reported.

The outages followed reports of adverse weather in Odesa Oblast, which caused power loss in 131 towns and villages, according to the regional branch of the private energy company DTEK.

The worsening weather in Ukraine coincides with Russia's renewed attempts to destroy Ukraine's energy system.

Read also: Snowstorm causes power outages in 10 regions across Ukraine

Polish border crossing blockade



Polish haulers will begin the round-the-clock blockade of the fourth border crossing with Ukraine, Medyka, on Nov. 27, according to State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko.

The move by the Polish haulers signals an extension of the blockade as the traffic at Medyka crossing was blocked from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Kyiv time previously.

Polish truckers began blocking border crossing points in early November to protest EU transport rules for Ukrainian trucks, causing lines on both sides of the border. As of Nov. 26, around 2,100 vehicles were stuck, unable to get into Ukraine as a result of the blockade.

As conditions have continued to worsen for the truckers, two Ukrainian truckers have already died while waiting at the border, both reportedly of natural causes.

Latvia offered to "provide assistance in seeking solutions" to unblock the Polish border with Ukraine, during a Nov. 25 phone call between Latvia's Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins and Poland's EU Affairs Secretary Szymon Szynkowski.

Read also: Polish truckers to start round-the-clock blockade of border crossing on Nov. 27

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Ukrainian troops on east bank of the Dnipro in Kherson Oblast continue to advance

Ukrainian troops on the east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast are approaching one of the highways connecting Crimea and Melitopol, Yevhen Dykyi, former company commander of the Aidar battalion, told Radio NV on Nov. 23.

"Their (Russian armed forces') main logistical artery is under serious threat  a highway connecting Crimea to Melitopol," Dykyi said.

Read also: Ukrainian Marines destroy Russian trucks on Oleshky-Nova Kakhovka road in east-bank Kherson Oblast

(We) have not reached it yet, but our guys and girls are already getting close to it. And, in fact, this is what is causing the orcs to panic, which is still quiet, but already quite obvious.

On Nov. 17, the Ukrainian Marine Corps officially confirmed that Ukrainian soldiers had opened up several bridgeheads on the Russian-occupied east bank of the Dnipro. Ukrainian forces have already destroyed more than 1,000 Russian troops and dozens of pieces of equipment during the operation, the Ukrainian military said.

Read also: Russia unlikely to push Ukraine back across the left bank of Dnipro before winter  Estonian intel

Since mid-October, in particular, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War or ISW has been writing about the successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and their advances on the east bank of Kherson Oblast. The analysts reported a breakthrough across the Dnipro River into the occupied part of the region near the villages of the Oleshky community.

At the end of October, ISW announced an advance to the village of Krynky, and on Nov. 10, they reported a possible expansion of the bridgehead and the cutting of an important road from Nova Kakhovka to Oleshky.

UK newspaper the Guardian, citing unnamed officials, wrote that the Ukrainian military had managed to move three brigades to the east bank of the Dnipro River.

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Ukraines military continues to hold positions on the east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, officials reported on Nov. 22.

Kyiv says the countrys armed forces are inflicting serious damage on Russian troops in the region and that Moscow has suffered colossal losses.

Russia said last week that its marines, aviation, and artillery disrupted Ukrainian attempts to gain a strong foothold on the east bank of the Dnipro River.

A successful crossing of the Dnipro leaves Ukrainian troops exposed between river and marshland on one side and dug-in Russian positions on the other.

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Over the past day, Ukraines General Staff reported almost 60 clashes, with Ukrainian forces holding positions along the left bank of the Dnipro River, actively engaging in counter-battery combat, and launching artillery strikes on the enemys rear.

Key points from the General Staffs morning briefing on Nov. 26, as posted on Facebook, include:

 58 skirmishes took place within the last day.

 The occupiers launched four missile and 109 aviation strikes, conducting 59 shelling attacks from multiple launch rocket systems on Ukrainian positions and residential areas.

Read also: Over 1,000 Russian troops eliminated in Ukraine over past 24 hours, says General Staff

 Russia conducted an aerial strike on Ukraine using 87 Shahed-136/131 UAVs. All enemy drones were destroyed, resulting in casualties and injuries among the civilian population. Private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure suffered damage.

 On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy carried out assault actions near Synkivka and Ivanivka in Kharkiv Oblast, where defense forces repelled four enemy attacks.

 On the Lyman direction, Russians did not engage in offensive actions.

 On the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled ten enemy attacks near Klishchiivka and Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast.

 Ukrainian defense forces continue assault actions south of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.

Read also: Ukraines General Staff reports 45 combat engagements in four sectors over past 24 hours

 On the Avdiivka direction, the invaders, with aviation support, persist in attempting to encircle Avdiivka. The Ukrainian military resiliently maintains defense, causing significant losses to the Russians.

 The enemy unsuccessfully advanced in the areas of Stepove, Avdiivka, Pervomaiske, and south of Novokalynove in Donetsk Oblast, where Ukrainian defenders repelled 23 attacks.

 On the Mariupol direction, the enemy conducted assault actions in the areas of Maryinka and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast, where Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled nine attacks.

 On the Shakhtarsk direction, Russians conducted futile assault actions south of Zolota Nyva and east of Staromykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast.

 On the Zaporizhzhya direction, occupiers attempted unsuccessfully eight times to regain lost positions near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhya Oblast.

 Ukrainian defense forces continue advancing on the Melitopol direction.

 In the past day, the defense aviation carried out 11 strikes on enemy personnel, weaponry, and military equipment concentration areas.

 Missile troops targeted 11 concentration areas of enemy personnel, weaponry, and military equipment, destroying four artillery units, a command post, and an ammunition depot of the Russians.

Read also:

Russian invaders will not be able to displace the Ukrainian defenders who have entrenched themselves on the left bank of Kherson, Ants Kiviselg, the head of Estonian intelligence, said on Nov. 25.

Simultaneously, in communities on the Russian-occupied left bank of Kherson Oblast, the Russian military is informing local officials that evacuation will be necessary in the near future.

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Ukrainian students were told to go to a Crimean 'camp' for school only to be held captive in Russia, The Washington Post reports

People place candles beside teddy bears as a demonstration for Ukrainian children taken by Russia. Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

Russia has been accused of forcibly removing thousands of Ukrainian children from their homes.

One study claimed that children are being sent to re-education camps across Russia.

Some Ukrainian students were told they needed to go to Crimea for school "camp," WaPo reported.

Some Ukrainian teenagers were told that they needed to go to a "camp" in Russian-occupied Crimea for school only to have no way of returning home, The Washington Post reported.

Students from Kherson, which was seized by Russian troops in March 2022, told the Post their school directors pressured them to go to the "camp."

In one case, Denys Berezhnyi, who was 17 at the time, was studying to be a locksmith when a school official told him in October 2022 that he would need to go to the camp and that his parents had already signed off on legal documents allowing Berezhnyi to travel, according to the Post.

Berezhnyi told the publication that the parents were unaware of signing any document.

The student agreed to go to the camp for fear of repercussions and traveled by bus and boat with other children to Crimea.

Russia has been repeatedly accused of kidnapping or forcibly removing Ukrainian children from their homes.

One study funded by the US State Department said that more than 6,000 children, some as young as four months old, were taken to one of 43 camps across Russia, and some of them are being taken to "re-education camps" or military training programs where they learn to military equipment or shoot firearms.

Re-education camps "expose children from Ukraine to Russia-centric academic, cultural, patriotic, and/or military education," the study said.

One video posted on social media appeared to show two women entertaining a group of Ukrainian children while praising Russian President Vladimir Putin and calling for the deaths of President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Some children were punished or left sick, according to the Post.

Berezhnyi, who is diabetic, told the publication that he was hospitalized for weeks against his will after he ran out of insulin. Another student said he was placed in solitary confinement for about nine days for not singing the Russian national anthem.

The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said in September that the exact number of children who were taken from their homes and what exactly happened to them was unclear.

Russia's Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, denied earlier this year that Russia was "stealing children" from Ukraine and said instead that it was "saving" them.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting Ukrainian children and transferring them to Russia.

Children taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territories have no way of returning to their country on their own, often spending months away from their homes.

Organizations such as Save Ukraine have to coordinate with a parent or legal guardian who can retrieve the child but can sometimes run into unforeseen complications, the Post reported.

Berezhnyi left Crimea with the help of Save Ukraine after searching for his own way out.

A UN Commission spokesperson previously told Insider that the children targeted are often those who are in orphanages or hospitals or those who have lost contact with their parents or legal guardians after the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ukrainian soldiers shoot at what a source from Ukraine's Presidential Office says are Lancet drones REUTERS

Russia's air offensive has been an impediment to Ukraine's counteroffensive.

Ukrainian soldiers are training to shoot at drones without the help of Western weaponry.

On Saturday, Russia launched its largest drone attack since the beginning of the war.

Ukrainian soldiers are preparing to face Russian drones without the help of Western weapons in training centers hidden away in the northern part of Ukraine, ABC News reported .

At the northern training center, Ukrainian soldiers in training target drones that mimic Shahed drones, which are made in Iran, with dated Soviet-era antiaircraft weapons and machine guns.

The focus on training with various weaponry comes in the face of a "resource war" between Russia and Ukraine, Lt. Gen. Serhii Nayev, who heads Ukraine's northern border defense, told the outlet.

The goal is to ensure that Western air defense systems  expensive and harder to come by  are an infrequently used last resort.

The consideration comes at a time when a US-aid package to Ukraine sits in Congress as military support to the country becomes less popular among hard-right Republicans. The aid package, which is also tied to funding for Israel, is also being scrutinized by left-wing Democrats.

"It must be understood that the reduction of aid will really hit our defense capabilities," Nayev said. "But we will fight with what we have."

As Ukraine continues its counteroffensive in the southern part of the region, Russia has been ramping up its use of drones to wipe out troops. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has launched 800 drones in the past two months, ABC News reported. The strategy aims to take advantage of the country's lean air defense systems, the Washington Post previously reported.

Russia's most advantageous drone weaponry are its Lancets , which are lightweight loitering munitions that crash and explode into targets. The drones have been effective in putting a dent in Ukraine's efforts to push back against Russian advances.

Russia has also been using Shahed-136 drones , loitering munitions made by Iran, and creating its own cheaply-made drones to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. Meanwhile, Russians have also been targeting Ukrainian drones and jamming their systems, making them inoperable.

On Saturday, Russia launched its largest drone strike on Kyiv since the start of the war, injuring five and setting a Kindergarten on fire.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said 75 drones manufactured by Iranian company Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar were sent on the night of November 25, and troops shot down 71 drones.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov spoke with Pentagon head Lloyd Austin by phone on Nov. 25 and discussed Russian airstrikes, the U.S. Department of Defense revealed.



Secretary Austin condemned Russia's continued barrage of missile and Unmanned Aerial System attacks on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.



The two defense chiefs pledged to remain in close contact.



They also discussed security assistance priorities, as Ukraine continues to fight Russian aggression.

Read also: Umerov: Death of soldiers at award ceremony could have been avoided

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the United Nations (U.N.) Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, said Sunday that recent attacks in the Gaza Strip against U.N. relief locations have shown a disregard of international humanitarian law.

During an appearance on CBSs Face The Nation, moderator Margaret Brennan asked Lazzarini about the recent killings of about 108 U.N. staff members in the territory, asking why the death toll is so high.

Yes, Margaret, this is definitely devastating news, and the United Nation never ever lost as many staff in such a short period in the conflict. But now it is also true, Margaret, that about 70 of our locations, sheltering more than 1 million people, have been hit since the beginning of the conflict, Lazzarini told Brennan.

And we had about 200 people who have been killed and  injured, Lazzarini added. And this despite the fact that were constantly deconflicting, and notifying the Israeli authorities, but also  Hamas about our location.

When asked who is responsible for the attacks on their locations, Lazzarini told Brennan that the U.N. will have to launch an investigation into the allegations, saying, We are in no position to determine who has been behind each of the incidents we have reported until now.

But clearly here, this has been a blatant disregard of international humanitarian law, a blatant disregard of U.N. premises, and a blatant disregard of a civilian population, Lazzarini said.

Lazzarinis remarks come as the Israeli military announced Sunday that 17 people  14 Israelis and three foreign nationals  were released from Hamass captivity in Gaza. The ages of the released Israeli citizens range from 4 to 84 years old.

This is the latest round of hostages to be freed amid the four-day cease-fire between Israel and the militant group; 50 hostages are expected to be released by Monday. Twenty-four of them were released in the first wave Friday, and an additional 17 were released the following day.

Its been a month since Hamass surprise attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. Israel has since launched a wave of attacks in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of tens of thousands of Palestinian residents, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan agreed Sunday to continue efforts to promote the bilateral relations in "a constructive and future-oriented" manner, amid a thaw in the ties with the resumption of shuttle diplomacy between the leaders.

Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa reached the agreement during the bilateral talks in Busan, held ahead of the trilateral gathering involving their Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

Taking note of the brisk diplomacy reinforced by the series of summits between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the two ministers agreed to seek ways to "produce tangible results that can be felt by the peoples of the two countries," a foreign ministry official in Seoul said after the talks.

They also agreed to deepen cooperation in advanced technologies and other areas, the official said.

Park and Kamikawa exchanged opinions on the South Korean appeals court's ruling earlier this week that overturned the lower court's decision and ordered Japan to pay compensation to Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery.

Park reiterated Seoul's position that it respects the 2015 agreement with Japan to settle the issue of wartime sex slaves, in which the two countries agreed to "finally and irreversibly" resolve the issue.

Under the agreement, Tokyo apologized for the colonial-era atrocities and agreed to contribute 1 billion yen ($8.9 million) to a foundation dedicated to supporting the victims.

"Minister Park said that both countries should strive to restore the honor and dignity of the victims in the agreement, and continue to make efforts toward a constructive and future-oriented relationship," the official said.

Bilateral relations between Seoul and Tokyo have significantly warmed since South Korea decided in March to resolve the issue of compensating Korean forced labor victims during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula without asking for contributions from Japanese companies.

The decision led to the resumption of reciprocal visits by their leaders. Yoon and Kishida have met seven times this year.

They also discussed North Korea's recent launch of a military spy satellite, condemning the provocation as a serious threat to regional peace in Northeast Asia in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning such launches.

They agreed to continue close coordination between South Korea and Japan, as well as among the United States, their mutual ally, over North Korean issues, including its growing military cooperation with Russia.

Japan's release of the treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant was also addressed, and they agreed to continue cooperation to safely manage the discharge.

At the talks, Kamikawa is said to have reaffirmed Japan's support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan.

Kamikawa arrived in Busan, the venue for the trilateral gathering, on Saturday, her first visit to South Korea since she took office in September.

Park and Kamikawa last met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco earlier this month. (Yonhap)
Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson is expected to visit Ankara to discuss Turkiyes compliance with sanctions against the Russian Federation and Hamas.

Source: Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the discussions, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Nelson will meet his Turkish counterparts and ask for Turkish compliance with US sanctions against a number of Russian entities and Hamass financial activities.

Sources told Bloomberg that the US has also warned a number of Turkish companies about possible sanctions that may disrupt their ties with the Western financial system.

Sources also said the US was alarmed by Turkiyes refusal to support the USs unilateral sanctions against Russian ships making port calls to Turkiye and airlines receiving ground handling at Turkish airports.

"Nelsons visit highlights the new challenges facing the already strained relationship between Turkey and the US. The Turkish government doesnt see Hamas as a terror organisation, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently described the group as an organisation fighting for the liberation of the Palestinian people," Bloomberg wrote.

Turkiye, in the meantime, wants to restore its relations with the US and secure President Joe Bidens support with procuring F-16 military aircraft and modernising its naval fleet.

Background:

The Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control has announced an extensive package of sanctions against 130 individuals and legal entities that help Russia supply technology for military production.

The US has imposed sanctions on about a dozen Turkish firms and several individuals for managing an investment portfolio on behalf of Hamas or helping Russia circumvent sanctions.

Earlier this week, Reuters reported that the US Department of Treasury had sent notices to 30 ship management companies requesting information about 100 vessels it suspects of violating Western sanctions on Russian oil.

The source with knowledge of the notices said one of the companies that had received a request for information was Beks Shipping, based in Turkiye.

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National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that he is hopeful that 4-year-old Israeli American hostage Abigail Idan will be released at some point, but he would not specify the timing of such a release.

In an interview on CNNs State of the Union, Sullivan told anchor Dana Bash that he has reason to believe that an American would be released later Sunday but would not say whether he expects them to be Idan.

We are now hopeful that Abigail will be released [and] reunited with her family, Sullivan said. She turned four just two days ago. She has been through hell. She had her parents killed right in front of her and has been held hostage for the last several weeks.

We are hopeful that she will be released. Im not going to confirm that its today. But I am going to say that we have growing optimism about Abigail and we will now watch and see what happens, he continued on CNN.

Sullivan told NBCs Kristen Welker on Meet the Press that he would be prepared to speak publicly about Abigail when he gets more details on whether she will be part of the Sunday hostage release.

Im not in a position sitting here at this moment to confirm that, but I will tell you, Kristen, that this is unfolding as we speak, he said. And hopefully, literally any hour now, we will know which of the Americans is out. We have a sense of who it is, but I just am not in a position to confirm it because we want to make sure that the release goes off as indicated, as we expect. And at that point were  well be prepared to speak to it  quite joyfully speak to it.

Sullivan made the rounds on the Sunday morning talk shows to speak about the status of the hostages set to be released as part of the deal with Hamas and Israel, which involved Qatari and U.S. officials.

On whether the pause in fighting would be extended beyond the four days agreed upon in the initial deal, Sullivan said, The ball is really in Hamas court.

If Hamas wants to see an extension of the pause and fighting, it can continue to release hostages. If it chooses not to release hostages, then the end of the pause is its responsibility, not Israels, because it is holding these hostages completely illegitimately and against all bounds of human decency, Sullivan added on CNN, noting that part of the deal detailed that every additional 10 hostages that are released by Hamas would earn another day in the pause in fighting.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Republican Mike Turner, House Intelligence Committee Chairman, said that new US aid to Ukraine and Israel would be difficult to approve by the end of the year.

Source: Turner on NBC's Meet the Press, Bloomberg reports

Quote: "I think it would be very difficult to get it done by the end of the year and the impediment, currently, is the White House policy on the southern border."

Details: Turner stated that "Congress is going to require that therell be laws changed to make certain that the border returns to its prior state." According to Turner, this may include restricting the entry of asylum seekers across the Mexican border and other measures to ensure its security.

Republicans in Congress are seeking to tie their approval of foreign military aid to stricter border policies after President Joe Biden signed a stopgap bill that extended funding for the US government until early next year.

Congress returns to work this week, with bills on Israel and Ukraine on the agenda.

"In return for providing additional funding for Ukraine, we have to have significant and substantial reforms to our border policy," Senator Tom Cotton said on Fox News Sunday.

Background:

Earlier, Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin assured that his department would continue to work to approve additional funding for Kyiv's defence and other needs in the US Congress.

US President Joe Biden is trying to convince the US Congress to support aid to both Ukraine and Israel and to approve a new US$106 billion aid package, which includes more than US$61 billion in funding for Ukraine.

Leaders of the US Congress hope to collect the votes for additional aid for Ukraine and Israel, as well as for the improvement of the immigration system, by Christmas.

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Lloyd Austin, US Defense Secretary, spoke by phone with Rustem Umierov, Ukraines Defence Minister, on Saturday, 25 November about Russias missile and drone strikes.

Source: Pentagon

Quote: "Secretary Austin condemned Russia's continued barrage of missile and Unmanned Aerial System attacks on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.

They also discussed security assistance priorities, as Ukraine continues to fight Russian aggression."

Details: Both leaders promised to stay in close contact.

It is worth noting that Ukraines Defence Ministry did not report this conversation.

Background: On the night of 24-25 November, the Russians launched a record number of attack UAVs at Ukraine  75 Shahed kamikaze drones, 74 of which were shot down.

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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke by phone with Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov on Sunday, 26 November.

Source: US Department of Defense press release, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The press release says that Secretary Austin "condemned Russia's continued barrage of missile and Unmanned Aerial System attacks on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure".

Austin and Umierov also discussed security assistance priorities, as Ukraine continues to fight Russian aggression and pledged to remain in close contact.

Background:

Bridget Brink, United States Ambassador to Ukraine, has thanked Ukrainian air defenders for intercepting Russian drones on the night of 24-25 November.

The Russians launched a record number of attack UAVs at Ukraine on the night of 24-25 November. There were about 75 Shahed kamikaze drones.

Ukraines allies in the West declared their commitment to further develop Ukrainian air defence capabilities during the 17th Ramstein Group virtual meeting on 22 November.

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The released hostages (from left to right). Top - Hagar Brodetz and children Ofri, Yuval and Oriya, Roni Krivoi. Middle - Chen, Agam, Gal and Tal Goldstein-Almog. Bottom: Abigail Idan, Elma Avraham, Aviva Siegel, and Ela and Dafna Elyakim

A four-year-old American girl who crawled out from beneath the bloodied body of her father before being kidnapped by Hamas was one of 17 hostages released by the terror group on Sunday.

Abigail Mor Idan, a dual US-Israeli citizen, spent her 51 days in captivity in Gaza after seeing both her parents murdered on Oct 7.

In a hastily-arranged press conference, US president Biden said: Shes been through a terrible trauma.

Abigail was one of 14 Israeli citizens, one of whom also had Russian citizenship, who were handed over on Sunday evening, the third day of fraught and emotional transfers under Israels four-day ceasefire deal with Hamas.

Most of those freed were from the kibbutzim of Kfar Aza and Nahal Oz.

Three Thai nationals were also released under a separate agreement. They were handed over to the Red Cross at around 5pm local time, who then delivered them to Israeli forces.

One of the elderly Israeli hostages was flown straight to hospital via helicopter due to fears for her health.

Abigail Idan

Abigail Idan

Abigail Mor Idan, 4, was reportedly in her father Roys arms when the 43-year-old photojournalist and her mother, Smadar Eden, were shot and killed by Hamas on Oct 7.

She was said to have crawled out from under her fathers body and fled to a neighbours home in southern Israel, where she was later kidnapped.

Her siblings, aged 6 and 10, also witnessed their parents murder but escaped unharmed by hiding in a closet for 14 hours, relatives said.

The orphaned toddlers American relatives said they hoped she would be released before her fourth birthday on Friday.

The one thing that we all hold on to is that hope now that Abigail comes home, she comes home by Friday, her aunt, Liz Hirsh Naftali, told CNN from the Los Angeles home.

Elma Avraham

Elma Avraham

At the other end of the scale was Elma Avraham, 84. She was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz after being unable to close her safe room door because it was too heavy.

As the Hamas rampage unfolded, she told her son Uri Rawitz on the phone in Tel Aviv that she could hear men shouting in Arabic outside.

Rawits brother, who also lives in the kibbutz, was locked in his safe room and unable to help.

He was rescued about 10 hours later by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but when they went to look in Ms Avrahams safe room they found the door open and the bed tipped over.

They later heard that she had told a neighbour at about 11am theres a terrorist in my house.

She had remarried a widowed kibbutz member years ago, helped raise his two young children and they had another child together, making Alma Avraham a mother of five.

Aviva Siegal

Aviva Siegel

Aviva Seigel, 62, had lived with her husband Keith, 62, in the kibbutz of Kfar Aza for the last 40 years.

Their daughter, Shir Seigel, who lived with them, was away from the community on the morning of Oct 7.

She frantically tried to call her parents, but with no success.

The following day a Hamas video on the social messaging platform Telegram showed the couple being abducted into Gaza in their own car.

Keith, who also has US citizenship, is believed to remain there.

Aviva, who was born in South Africa, was described by her son-in-law as an extraordinary kindergarten teacher and a loving person.

Agam, Gal, Tal and Chen Goldstein-Almog

Agam Goldstein-Almog

Three children from the Goldstein-Almog family  Agam, 17, Gal, 11, and Tal, 9  were seized along with their mother, Chen, from Kibbutz Kfar Aza.

Their father, Nadav, and their eldest sister, Yam, were murdered on the same day while sheltering in the safe room of the family home.

Yam is believed to have stayed with her father in the room because he was recovering from surgery and was not very mobile.

She frantically sent messages for help as the terrorists roamed through their neighbourhood. Her family are still unsure of the sequence of events in the family home.

Chen is believed to have spent her birthday on Oct 23 in Gaza  the same day her daughter and husband were buried.

Its not the first time the family has been blighted by terrorism. Five members of the Almog family were killed during a suicide bombing in the city of Haifa in 2003.

Ofri, Yuval, Uriya and Hagar Brodetz

Uriya Brodetz

Hagar, 40, Ofri, 10, Yuval, 8 and Uriya Brodetz, 4, were abducted from the kibbutz of Kfar Aza on Oct 7.

Avihai Brodutch, the father and husband, did his best to defend the kibbutz while his loved ones sheltered in the safe room, but when he returned, wounded, to look for his family they were gone.

He thought they were dead, but found out days later they had been abducted.

He said at the time: I felt like I won the lottery.

Daughter Ofri turned 10 in captivity. Meanwhile her father became one of the more vocal family members in the campaign to bring home the hostages, one of the first to sit outside the defence ministry in Tel Aviv demanding their return.

Do you know why my family was abducted to Gaza? Brodutch yelled in a Channel 12 interview on Nov 11. Because there wasnt an army to defend us. Hamas is tiny next to Israel the giant, he said.

Dafna and Ella Elyakim

Ella Elyakim

Sisters Dafna Elyakim, 15, and Ella, eight, were kidnapped by terrorists who livestreamed the storming of the girls father Noams home in Nahal Oz

Noam, his partner, Dikla Arava, and her 16-year-old son, Tomer, were also captured but their bodies were later discovered near the Gaza border.

Dafna and Ella were presumed to be alive after an unverified photo of them in Gaza appeared on a Telegram channel.

They were in clothes that werent their own and Ella had two fingers bandaged.

Their mother, Maayan, told The Telegraph earlier this month that the wait was getting harder and harder with each passing day.

I think about what I will say to my girls when I see them, but I dont know, she said. It wont be like coming back from holiday, they will be coming back from Hell.

Roni Krivoi

Roni Krivoi

Roni Krivoi, 25, who holds dual Israeli and Russian citizenship, was working as a sound technician at the Supernova music rave, where hundreds were massacred by Hamas on Oct 7.

His sister Julia later said that Roni had initially succeeded in running away from the gunmen and had hidden in a pit.

He texted that he was OK, and at 11am he sent his location, but an hour later someone answered his phone in Arabic and cut off the conversation.

He is the youngest of three siblings from a Russian-Israeli family in Karmiel and was said to be always travelling around the country looking for work.

He had arrived at the festival the previous day to help set it up.

His father has described him as someone who has nine lives, having survived two car crashes, a fall into a manhole and other accidents.

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CHICAGO - Charges have been filed against three Venezuelan migrants after they allegedly stole over $500 worth of merchandise from a department store in Elmhurst on Black Friday.

Ilys Mary Ledesma Zapata, 37, Christian Johan Saavedra-Omona, 21, and Braud Pineda Avendano, 33, all of Venezuela, were arrested at the Kohl's located at 303 South Route 83.

Elmhurst police were called to the store around 1 p.m. for reports of a retail theft. The trio allegedly stole several articles of clothing and left without paying, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's office. The three suspects then re-entered the store and stole more clothing before they were arrested by Elmhurst police.

Officials said Ledesma Zapata was in possession of a large magnet used to thwart the store's anti-theft devices. The total value of the items stolen from the store is roughly $500, prosecutors said.

All three suspects were charged with one count of burglary and one count of retail theft.

The offenders currently reside in Waukegan.

"It is alleged that on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, these three defendants, one of whom brought an anti-theft device with her, entered the Kohls store, helped themselves to more than five-hundred dollars worth of merchandise and then left the store without paying," DuPage County States Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. "With the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping season now upon us, I ask everyone to please help us combat theft and if you see something suspicious, please alert store authorities."

All three suspects are scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 18.
Last week, in a hotel conference room in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Vivek Ramaswamy fielded a barrage of questions from the Republican state party chairman. One question dealt with China. Another, about Iran. Then the chair, Jeff Kaufmann, hesitated. He framed his next question diplomatically  you can delve personally, policy-wise, any way you want to go with this, he said. Ramaswamy, sitting across from him, held a microphone to his mouth, anticipating.

Could you talk about the role of faith in a Vivek Ramaswamy administration?

The room went silent, all eyes on Ramaswamy. The 38-year-old presidential candidate smiled. Weve had a lot of discussion on policy, but I always feel like theres a little bit of an elephant in the room when we leave at times, he said. Im Hindu. Id be the first Hindu president that weve had in the United States.

Then Ramaswamy began to elaborate. He went on for five minutes, uninterrupted, about his belief in one true God, in the purpose of life, in the sanctity of marriage. He quoted the Old Testament, crediting the Bible study courses he took at his Catholic high school in Cincinnati. I think thats the value set that our nation was founded on. We share that, deeply, in common, he said.

By the time he finished, the tension in the room seemed to dissipate. Attendees nodded along as he spoke and thanked him when he finished.

Sitting at the front of the room, just below the stage, was Jake Chapman, one of Ramaswamys campaign co-chairs in Iowa. Chapman deserves as much credit as anyone in helping Ramaswamy craft his message on religion in a way that evangelical Christians  who make up a majority of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers  will embrace.

Jake Chapman, right, an Iowa co-chairman for the Vivek 2024 campaign and former president of the Iowa State Senate, introduces Apoorva Ramasawmy at an event in Ankeny, Iowa, on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. | Sam Benson, Deseret News

The former Iowa Senate president, Chapman understands Ramaswamys challenge, in a way: Chapman grew up a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission to Norway. When he ran for the state senate in Iowa, he was a practicing Latter-day Saint, and he faced his fair share of skepticism from wary evangelicals. (Latter-day Saints, like Hindus, make up less than 1% of the Iowa adult population.)

Safe to say that there were a lot of questions raised when I first ran for office, Chapman told me. There were probably some that wouldnt vote for me for that reason.

Now, Chapman is tasked, in part, with helping the first-ever Hindu Republican presidential candidate to connect with evangelicals. In recent years, Chapman converted to evangelicalism and married an evangelical Christian, so he now has something of an insiders view; the other campaign co-chair, Matt Schultz, is still a practicing Latter-day Saint. Both campaigned for Mitt Romney when he ran for president  Schultz in 2008, Chapman in 2012.

I think it brings people to at least feel a peace that he can be Hindu, and I can be Mormon and somebody else can be Catholic or evangelical, but that hell fight for those core values that we all believe, Schultz, the former Iowa secretary of state, said.

Over the past few weeks, there appears to be a marked shift in Ramaswamys openness about his faith. At the event in Council Bluffs on Nov. 16, he spent a good chunk of the event answering two separate questions about his personal religiosity; the following day, in front of a room full of evangelicals at the Thanksgiving Family Forum, Ramaswamy repeated the message.

My faith teaches me that we have a duty, a moral duty, to realize that purpose, that were Gods instruments, he said. He works through us in different ways, but we are still equal because God resides in each of us.

Schultz and Chapman deny theres been any shift in Ramaswamys strategy, just that voters have started asking more. But they both admitted that Iowans  widely known as Iowa nice  have been extremely hesitant for months to pry about Ramaswamys faith. Often, event attendees will approach Ramaswamys staff at town halls, asking them about the Hindu thing. More often than not, Chapman said, voters seemed scared that asking Ramaswamy directly about his faith will come across as an act of hostility. You dont want to be labeled as a religious bigot, Chapman said. You dont want to have that label placed on you.

But theres no way around it. In order to win Iowa, candidates need to win the evangelical vote. A majority of Republican voters there are evangelicals; in 2016, the last time there was a competitive caucus in Iowa, evangelicals made up 64% of Republican voters who showed up.

Polls show that evangelicals are skeptical of Ramaswamys faith, more so than voters of other faiths. A Deseret News/HarrisX poll in September asked voters nationwide whether Ramaswamys religious beliefs made them more likely to vote for him, less likely or no difference. Evangelicals were similar to survey respondents at large; 19% said they were less likely to vote for him because of his faith, compared to 18% of voters generally. 23% of evangelicals said they were more likely to support him, even higher than 17% of voters at large.

Later, when voters were explicitly told Vivek Ramaswamy identifies as a Hindu then asked the same question about his religious affiliation, 25% of evangelicals said they were less likely to vote for him and only 12% said they were more likely  a significant shift from the earlier question.

Its not the first time a Republican candidate from a minority faith has struggled to win over Iowa evangelicals. In 2016, Marco Rubios Catholicism and upbringing as a Latter-Day Saint were a poison pill to some Iowans. And Mitt Romney, a devout Latter-day Saint, outspent the other candidates by a mile in 2008, pouring $10 million into Iowa only to finish second. Four years later, he again finished as runner-up. Romneys faith was the key hindrance to many voters.

Schultz saw some of the dissonance firsthand. After attending BYU-Idaho and serving a Latter-day Saint mission to Argentina, Schultz moved back to Iowa, where he worked as a volunteer on the 2008 Romney campaign. (Schultz didnt work for Romney in 2012, instead backing Rick Santorum.) In 2010, Schultz ran for secretary of state in Iowa. Thanks to Romney, people here had heard about Mormons before I ran, he said.

Still, he faced plenty of questions  especially whether Latter-day Saints believe in Jesus and follow the Bible. Were there people who didnt vote for me because of (my faith)? Im sure there were, Schultz said. But honestly, I felt like most people gave me an honest shake.

Matt Schultz, right, an Iowa co-chairman for the Vivek 2024 campaign, talks to a forum attendee after the Family Leaders Thanksgiving Family Forum in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. | Sam Benson, Deseret News

Chapman dealt with anti-Latter-day Saint hostility, too. He campaigned for Romney in 2012, winning his own election for the state senate that year. During one floor debate in 2017, a fellow state senator poked fun at Chapmans faith. While Chapman was reading from a book to answer a question about firework restrictions, a Democratic senator sarcastically asked Chapman to dumb this down because he didnt have the Book of Mormon over there like youve got to read from. The incident made waves across the states political landscape; the state Republican Party chairman called the statement bigoted.

In a way, Schultz and Chapman understand the hesitance some voters feel about Ramaswamys minority faith; theyve experienced that wariness themselves. They say they dont tell Ramaswamy what to say to evangelicals, but they do encourage him to talk more about his personal faith. More Iowans are asking, they note.

I think theyre fair questions, and I know that Vivek thinks theyre fair questions, Chapman said. Ramaswamys go-to answer focuses on his belief in God, in the purpose of each life, and in the moral imperative of each human finding that purpose. Ive watched (voters) faces, Schultz said. Theyre nodding in agreement with most of what hes saying.

Many of the attendees at Ramaswamys Council Bluffs event were no different. Dylan Hoyt, a middle-aged man who drove nearly two hours to attend, said he has no problem with Ramaswamys faith. I think its admirable for anyone to follow faith these days, Hoyt said. Theres a lot of similarities between Christianity and Hinduism. Hoyt plans to support Ramaswamy in the caucus.

Not everyone sees it the same way. Rebecca Wilkerson, also an evangelical Christian, said most of her friends are cautious about Ramaswamys faith. I talked to a guy today, she told me. He said, I absolutely will not vote for a Hindu.

When I asked what she thought, she shook her head. (Ramaswamy) has the same core values that we have. she said. Im not electing a pastor.
A popular winter attraction in the Upper Delaware region is watching bald eagles, which perch in the trees and soar over the river seeking fish. Helping to guide the public in looking for them and in "eagle etiquette" are volunteers, courtesy of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy.

Volunteer training has been scheduled for the winter 2024 Eagle Watch on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Settlers Inn in Hawley.

"It does seem to me like the public is as interested as ever with bald eagle watching and our guided excursions," said Bethany Zarnowski, communications and development director at the Conservancy. "Weve added additional bus tours to our winter schedule and the tours always sell out."

Following the in-person training session, volunteers are provided manuals and other materials. Afterward, volunteers are invited to go on self-guided tours to the Van Scott Nature Reserve near Beach Lake and the Eagle Observation Areas.

A bald eagle flies between the snowflakes over the Upper Delaware River.

The Conservancys winter Eagle Watch program runs on weekends through January and February. Volunteers cover morning or afternoon shifts at the Eagle Observation Areas throughout the Upper Delaware River region.

The main monitoring areas are the Zane Grey boat launch at Lackawaxen on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River and the Mongaup Reservoir and the Delaware River at Minisink Falls on the New York side. On site, volunteers collect data on wintering eagles and resident pairs. They educate the public in Eagle Etiquette and on how to have the best eagle-watching experience.

Volunteers are also needed to help staff booths, do workshops, and participate in other eagle-related events. The DHC Winter Field Office will be based at the Zane Grey Museum in Lackawaxen.

I can honestly say that every year I see and learn something new about eagles, said Paul Gomer, a DHC Eagle Watch volunteer from Milford. My greatest joy is helping a child, or an adult, see a bald eagle for the first time. As I tell the guests on the bus my wife says the only way to get me to do anything in the house between January and March is to put on an eagle outfit. For me enduring the cold weather during volunteer season has been well worth it.

Bald eagle watching is as popular as ever in the Upper Delaware River region. Here is an eagle watch at the boat launch area in Lackawaxen, Pa., overlooking the Delaware River one snowy day. Delaware Highlands Conservancy volunteers help guide the public in looking for eagles and showing how not to disturb them.

Gomer has been doing this for 20 years, first when it was run by the Eagle Institute, and then the Conservancy. He said before retiring in 2001, they would travel from New York City to the Upper Delaware to look for eagles. His wife suggested that he ought to be an Eagle Watch volunteer.

For the past six years he has been one of the guides on the Saturday bus tours and still spends Sundays at Mongaup volunteering. His grandson also volunteers with him. Gomer said he enjoys volunteering because of the friends he makes with fellow volunteers and visitors, as well as sharing his skills as a wildlife photographer.

Those interested in attending the training are asked to register online at DelawareHighlands.org/events or call 570-226-3164 ext. 2.

Anyone not able to attend the training on Dec. 9 but still interested in becoming an Eagle Watch volunteer can contact Rachel Morrow at the Conservancy at rachel@delawarehighlands.org.

The Conservancy reports that every winter, up to 150 to 200 bald eagles migrate to this region, joining a population of eagles that are here year-round and breed. The wintering eagles are seeking a reliable food source and undisturbed habitat so they can survive the cold winter months. They may be seen along rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Some fly here from Canada.

Delaware Highlands Conservancy volunteer Joel Murphy at an Eagle Observation Area along the Upper Delaware River.

Large stands of trees and protected habitat offer perches from which they can hunt. Because the wintering eagles do not build nests here, they rely on the undisturbed tracts of land for nighttime roosting. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times of day to look for them.

While the public is welcome to watch for eagles on their own, the DHC also offers ticketed guided eagle tours on a heated bus departing from the Zane Grey Museum. The first tour is scheduled for Jan. 6. For more information, visit the DHC website.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Volunteers power the Eagle Watch program on the Upper Delaware
Japan has decided to support Korea's bid to host the World Expo 2030 in the southeastern city of Busan, a local media report said Sunday, as the voting for the mega event is set to take place this week.

The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun said Tokyo has made the decision in consideration of President Yoon Suk Yeol's continued efforts to improve long-frayed ties between the two countries.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had reportedly notified his will to support Busan's expo bid during his meeting with Yoon held on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi in September.

The report comes as Korea is set to attend the general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions, the body in charge of overseeing the quadrennial event, in Paris on Tuesday, where 182 member states will be voting for a host among Busan, Riyadh and Rome.

It also comes as the top diplomats of Korea, China and Japan were set to hold talks in Busan later in the day, with discussions on resuming the long-stalled summit of the three countries' leaders expected to be in focus. (Yonhap)
Last week, the BBCs Executive Complaints Unit refused to uphold complaints about the BBC News Channels coverage of the situation in Gaza, including its serious propagation of false information about the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City on 17 October 2023.

Effectively acting as a mouthpiece for the Hamas terrorist organisation, BBC News outlets ran with variations on hundreds feared dead or injured in Israeli air strike on hospital in Gaza, Palestinian officials say. The caveat of the source for this claim being Hamas was lost entirely as commentators mused on the frequency of Israeli war crimes and alleged that Israel habitually targets civilians. The disinformation from the trusted BBC was further disseminated by high-profile individuals, including the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The BBCs subsequent walk-back from its initial reporting has involved gross misrepresentations of what was actually said, and what BBC officials claim was meant by it. The explanation the network finally offered did not even address its most disturbing failure. It shunned its responsibility for wilfully broadcasting false information when it had been warned. I know because I was there.

I was booked for an interview at 19:00 that evening to address and analyse the application of the law of armed conflict to the developing situation. At 19.10, while waiting on the line for the live broadcast, I received a call from an assistant editor of the BBC News Channel, to tell me they would have to bump me off to run with the rolling coverage of the Israeli airstrike on the hospital. He was apologetic, and insistent that I would be invited back as soon as possible. Thus began my bid to appeal to reason, common sense and basic journalistic integrity.

I had been watching the coverage that evening already in disbelief. I explained that now, more than ever, the channel needed me on to provide balance. There was a desperate need to keep to the BBCs commitments of due accuracy and impartiality. I had already seen many online reports that the incident had occurred in the context of a barrage of rockets from Gaza towards Israeli civilian communities. The BBCs line simply didnt add up.

I explained: there are things we dont know and things we do know. At this moment, we dont know who or what hit that hospital (it later transpired to be only the car park that was hit). We do know, however, that, unlike Hamas, Israel does not target civilian or protected individuals or buildings.

We know that Hamas and other Palestinian terror organisations keep weapons caches in and around schools and hospitals. We know that the rockets they fire towards Israel frequently fall short in Gaza, indiscriminately killing civilians there. We knew by then also that the BBC had, a few days previously, similarly wrongly attributed the bombing of a civilian convoy evacuating to the south of Gaza (US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had earlier that day confirmed that this had been a Hamas attack).

I appealed to reason. I could predict the impact that spreading disinformation about the hospital would have on the Arab world, incited as it was in the hours that followed to riot by these false reports.

My pleas, though I was informed they were relayed up to the editor himself, fell on deaf ears. Reports of a rocket barrage towards Israel were not being seen on any of the wires, came the retort. I was told the BBCs story had been confirmed by multiple sources. Yet we know that any Palestinian official in Gaza is a Hamas official, and not a source that any self-respecting journalist can take seriously. Parroting Hamas propaganda is not journalism. The call ended abruptly. I was told there wasnt time to discuss this further.

The false allegation of Israeli war crimes continued. The damage it has done is irreversible.

I maintained a naive hope that, with further opportunities to address this disinformation on air, the truth would out. But after my interview the next week with Katya Adler, I was stonewalled by BBC producers and executives, and their promotion of Hamas propaganda has continued.

The consequences of its coverage are plain and on regular display in the hate marches on the streets of the UK. The Met Police recorded an increase of over 1,000 per cent in anti-Semitic hate crimes in October. The BBC has become a national broadcasting disservice.

Natasha Hausdorff is a barrister and legal director at UK Lawyers for Israel Charitable Trust

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Tommy Robinson is led away by police on Sunday - Paul Grover for the Telegraph

Tommy Robinson, founder of the English Defence League was escorted away by police as thousands attended a march against anti-Semitism in London.

Police later confirmed a 40-year-old man had been arrested close to the Royal Courts of Justice, from where the demonstration began on Sunday afternoon.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson joined thousands of people for the demonstration, a day after pro-Palestinian crowds also gathered in the capital to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.

A truce between Hamas and Israel is still holding, with the release of a second group of hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons coming late on Saturday.

There had been fears that Mr Robinson, the former leader of the far-Right grouping, could disrupt the protest organised by charity Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Mr Robinson, 40, had previously been seen among the crowds of counter-protesters who clashed with police during ceasefire protests held on Armistice Day.

On Sunday, he was seen arguing with officers for about 10 minutes outside a coffee shop opposite the Royal Courts of Justice.

He was then led away from the scene.

Frequent contact

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: We have been in frequent contact with the organisers of the march in recent days.

They have been clear about their concerns that the mans attendance, and that of those who were likely to accompany him, would cause fear for other participants.

The same view has been voiced by others.

As a result, he was spoken to and warned on more than one occasion that his continued presence in the area was likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others.

He was directed to leave the area but refused to do so.

Tom Tugendhat, the security minister joined minor celebrities including Tracy-Ann Oberman, Rachel Riley and Robert Rinder at the march, which saw marchers join in singing as they proceeded through the city.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis was among those at the front of the crowd, as marchers waved Israeli and Union flags as well as placards reading Never Again Is Now and Zero Tolerance for Antisemites.

Appearing on Skys Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: Im very concerned about people, particularly Jewish people, feeling safe on the streets.

I think it is right that the police take all necessary action to make sure that people are able to walk about their home city without fear.

Israel said early on Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day, in the third of four scheduled swaps.

Among those reunited with their family was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, who was among those abducted by the Palestinian militant group during the deadly Hamas attack on Oct 7.

Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners.

All are women and minors.

The deal seemed at risk of unravelling on Saturday after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, delaying the exchange.

But the militants eventually released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

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Since 2008, the building at 244 W. South St., Wooster, housed the American Red Cross. But, due to operational changes, that is no longer the case.

In 2021, the Red Cross gifted the building to the Wayne County commissioners, who contacted health Commissioner Nick Cascarelli to see if he was interested in moving. After two years of planning and renovation, Cascarelli and his staff have moved from their former 203 S. Walnut St. location.

According to Cascarelli, the health department will fully use the additional space.

The rooms at our previous building were tiny, Cascarelli said. When a family comes in with a stroller, it takes space to service that client comfortably. We also added an additional clinic room for our community clinic and an additional counseling room for our WIC (Women, Infants, Children) program.

Public health nurse Melissa Ahrens organizes the clinic room after the Wayne County Health Department moved into Woosters former Red Cross building.

The primary objective of the health department is to safeguard the health of the community by:

Promoting healthy lifestyles.

Preventing and monitoring disease.

Protecting and preparing against environmental and public health risks.

As a trusted health authority, the health dept. also advocates for the optimal health of residents through education, outreach, and services. In addition, the staff develops and delivers educational campaigns and initiatives to raise awareness about crucial public health issues, encourage healthy behaviors, and empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health.

Wayne County Health Commissioner Nick Cascarelli cuts the ribbon in front of the door to the Wayne County Health Department building at 244 W. South St., Wooster. Looking on are Wooster Chamber President Samira Zimmerly, left, Executive Director Heartland-Stark and Muskingum Red Cross Kimberly Kroh, Wooster Red Cross Disaster Program specialist Elizabeth Cante, Commissioner Jonathan Hofstetter, Commissioner Sue Smail, community liaison Steve Matthew, Commissioner Ron Amstutz, and Orrville Chamber Marketing and Communications representative Landre McCloud.

Prevention, healthy lifestyle and health protection

By focusing on prevention, communities have the opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle and protect themselves from potential health threats through vaccinations and education.

This building also allows us to facilitate care to those with access barriers, Cascarelli continued. If it comes to a point where there is a need in the community, we will be able to provide that care here as the need arises.

The department will continue to provide vaccines, but the added space allows the clinicians to react to the communitys needs.

Patty Reining, director of community health, carries boxes to the Wayne County Health departments new location.

One example of the work we do clinically is when we had to shift gears is the overdosing issues, Cascarelli said. We train community members on how to administer Naloxone, the opiate overdose reversal drug. Now we have a much bigger area to provide that training.

To learn more about services provided by the Health Department, visit www.wayne-health.org or call 330-264-9590.

Dan Starcher is the Public Communications coordinator for Wayne County.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne County Health Department moves into former Red Cross building
Two protest marches took place in London at the weekend. On Saturday, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered once again to protest against Israels response to the October 7 massacres. The thousands who took part denounced the actions of the Israel Defence Force, even though they are trying to remove the persistent and murderous threat to their homeland in the form of the Hamas terrorist group.

Some marchers were no doubt motivated by compassion for the suffering of the people of Gaza and wish the war to end for their sake. Others were promoting their opposition to Israel and even their hatred for Jews, though to make this obvious is to break the law and some arrests were made.

The second march was different in character since it was explicitly against racism and intolerance. Thousands of Jews and non-Jews, including Boris Johnson, took part in an act of solidarity against anti-Semitism in central London yesterday. The march was not explicitly pro-Israel nor anti-Palestinian, though participants might have felt both sentiments to a greater or lesser extent.

Anti-Semitism is a pernicious doctrine that we had hoped to see diminish here, but recent weeks have exposed the extent to which it remains a serious threat. A determination to stamp it out should be shared across the political spectrum.

It was dispiriting that a member of Labours shadow cabinet, Darren Jones, said he would not march against anti-Semitism because he has constituents who have different concerns and different opinions about this issue. If that is so, surely he should be confronting those views, rather than appeasing them.

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(Bloomberg) -- In the weeks since Oct. 7, Issa Amro has watched as Israeli settlers have entered his community, shot at nearby families and damaged property. Hes erected a fence and barricaded his windows with bricks after men in military uniform broke into his home earlier this month.

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Im living in a cage now from all directions, said Amro, a Palestinian activist who advocates the use of nonviolent resistance living in Hebron, a city located in occupied territory of the West Bank. Its intimidation day and night.

The events of Oct. 7, which saw more than 2,000 heavily armed fighters belonging to the Islamic militant group Hamas storm into southern Israel from Gaza and kill 1,200 people, has aggravated a long-standing conflict over the West Bank. Jews living in the swathe of land between Israel and the Jordan River that forms the other Palestinian territory fear that something similar could happen there, and extremists among them have lashed out.

Settlers  who have received hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding toward infrastructure and weapons in recent years  have carried out more than 220 assaults on Palestinian communities since Oct. 7, according to Yesh Din and BTselem, two human rights groups documenting attacks in the West Bank. They say thats included shooting live ammunition, setting homes and olive trees on fire and destroying water pipelines.

For decades, there have been clashes in the West Bank between Israelis  the military and settlers  and Palestinians, but last months attacks have exacerbated tensions, sparking fears that a second front in Israels war against Hamas could open up. While the violence is caused by a minority, President Joe Biden has threatened sanctions against those extremists should it continue.

Israeli forces in the West Bank have killed in excess of 200 people in that time, more than a quarter of whom were children, according to the United Nations. Seventy of the dead were living in refugee camps with most killings occurring during Israeli search-and-arrest operations or in the context of demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza, the UN says.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said that it had recorded 770 terrorism events carried out by Palestinians in the West Bank since Oct. 7, including shootings and hurling stones and Molotov cocktails. Four Israelis have been killed in the West Bank.

The army confirmed that it had killed 216 Palestinians and documented 126 attacks by Jewish settlers. Counterterrorism operations are conducted nightly to apprehend suspects, many of whom are part of the Hamas terrorist organization, according to the IDF spokesperson. Its mission is to maintain the security of all residents of thearea, and to act to prevent terrorism and activities that endanger the citizensof the State of Israel, they said.

Nearly 3,000 Palestinians, including at least 355 children, have been injured in demonstrations, the UN says. Making the situation more volatile is the presence of reservists from settler communities who have replaced troops departing to secure Israels border with Lebanon.

In many areas of the West Bank  referred to by the Israeli authorities by its biblical names Judea and Samaria  shops are shut, streets are deserted and communities cut off, closing down businesses and starving parts of the region of economic activity. Very few of the 200,000 Palestinians who used to work in Israel prior to Oct 7. are able to move freely.

Whereas Gaza is ruled by Hamas, designated a terrorist group by the US and the European Union, parts of the West Bank are run by the Palestinian Authority, which receives direct funding from the EU. Israel estimates that 465,400 Jewish settlers lived in the West Bank as of 2021, excluding Jerusalem, while Palestinian officials put the figure at 751,000 including neighborhoods in the suburbs of the contested capital.

At the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which sits on the site where Christians believe Jesus was born, throngs of tourists usually line the streets at this time of the year. Today, the roads leading into the ancient town are blocked by Israeli police officers.

Its the most limited amount of freedom of movement that Palestinians in the West Bank have had since the Second Intifada, said Yahav Erez, international advocacy coordinator for Israeli rights group Yesh Din, referring to a yearslong Palestinian uprising that occurred after the failure of peace talks in 2000 and then security forces entered the al-Aqsa mosque, one of Islams holiest sites, triggering demonstrations that escalated.

Erez said her organization had documented a systematic campaign  organized through Telegram channels  by Jewish settlers to target Palestinian communities harvesting their olive trees.

One Telegram message seen by Bloomberg News accuses Palestinian olive harvesters of planning the next massacre on behalf of Hamas and uses a map to pinpoint their exact location.

This is a very strategic method, Erez said. And its very efficient, because you dont need many Israeli settlers to actually carry it out. The fear is that such repression could spark a reaction from armed Palestinian militias.

The West Bank is split into three areas, A, B and C  the first two give Palestinian authorities some control while the third, which makes up roughly 60% of the land, is controlled by Israel.

Today, anything between 15-25% of the population are Jewish settlers living on land once envisioned by the signatories of the Oslo accords  a deal signed in 1993  to provide Palestinians with limited self rule.Splits have meanwhile started to emerge inside the Palestinian Authority, which retains control of Area A but is deeply unpopular. Its 88-year-old leader, Mahmoud Abbas, who also chairs the Fatah political party, hasnt held presidential elections since 2005 and is widely considered out of touch.

Abbas has come under increased public pressure to be tougher on Israel and local media have reported that he has lost control of his militiamen. Two diplomats following the situation closely confirmed that the Palestinian Authority was struggling to keep a firm grip on its armed units as tensions rise.

Jamal Masharka, a member of the Palestinian General Intelligence Service, was wounded in clashes with Israeli troops in the Jenin refugee camp this month and later died of his injuries. Israel has also arrested Atta Abu-Ramila, Fatahs secretary general in Jenin, as well as other Fatah officials based in Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Oded Revivi, the mayor of Efrat, a Jewish settlement close to Bethlehem, is known as a moderate among the settler communities. But his position has hardened in recent weeks.

I think the international community fails to understand the severity of the attack of Oct. 7, he said. Anybody who lives here understands that after Oct. 7 weve gone back not just by a few years, but maybe even by a few decades with any possibility of a two-state solution, whereby Israel and a future Palestinian state would live side-by-side.

Asked about attacks by settlers on Palestinian communities, he added that the whole story has been blown a bit out of proportion.

Theyre done by a small group of extremists, who as far as Im concerned, need to be dealt with by the legal methods that we have with the police and with the courts, Revivi said.

In reality, Israeli authorities are failing to arrest settlers suspected of attacking Palestinian communities.

Yonatan Mizrahi, who heads the settlement watch team at Peace Now, a group that strives to convince Israelis to embrace a two-state solution, said there was little appetite by either side in the West Bank for peace at the moment.

At this stage, both sides believe in fighting and protecting itself, he said. There is a lot of fear and hate. Only international political pressure can change that.

Back in Hebron, Amro sees no peace until the Palestinians are granted a state and the occupation ends.

What happened on Oct. 7 will happen again if you dont make peace, he said. The security solution failed. Only the peace solution will win.

--With assistance from Michael Ovaska, Jeremy Cf Lin, Jane Pong, Mathieu Benhamou, Kyle Kim, Adrian Leung, Sam Dodge and Rachael Dottle.

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A funeral ceremony was held for the Palestinians who were killed in raids by Israeli forces in Jenin

Eight Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank in the past 24 hours, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The most serious incident was an Israeli raid overnight in the city of Jenin, in which five were killed.

The Israeli army said it was mounting a raid to capture a Palestinian who was suspected of involvement in an ambush that killed two Israelis in August.

Palestinian factions have called for a strike in Jenin to mourn those killed.

The West Bank has seen almost daily clashes for more than a year and a half, after Israel suffered a wave of deadly violence by Palestinian militants.

Israeli forces have gone into West Bank towns and cities in search of those suspected of being involved in shootings and stabbings or planning such attacks.

Jenin has been a flashpoint, and hundreds of Palestinians - both fighters and civilians - have been killed.

Back in July, Israeli forces launched an incursion into the city's refugee camp, which is regarded as a hotbed of militants.

Thirteen Palestinians were killed in the fiercest confrontation in the West Bank for 20 years.

In addition, Israeli settlers have responded to killings carried out by Palestinian gunmen with rampages in Palestinian towns and villages.

So, the area was already at boiling point before the Hamas assault on Israel on 7 October.

In the weeks since then, the UN says some 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers in a new escalation of the conflict. Four Israelis have been killed by Palestinians.

Even as Israel has been fighting a war with Hamas in Gaza, it has tightened its controls on the West Bank in a bid to prevent a spill-over of the conflict.

But this appears only to have further undermined the Palestinian Authority and boosted the rise of militant groups in Jenin and beyond.

More on Israel-Gaza war
Ten-year-old Lana Azizieh, a fifth grader at Clinton Elementary School, said that before she came to the United States two years ago, she didnt know English.

Now Im really good at English, she said, noting that she loves math, but not so much reading. I like to read graphic novels, but mostly Im not reading graphic novels (in school) so there are just words, words, words. I get tired of reading.

Azizieh, a refugee from Syria, is one of 103 students receiving tutoring from Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America (FORA), the West Ridge education center dedicated to helping refugee children arriving in Chicago.

Azizieh came to the U.S. in 2021 and enrolled at FORA almost immediately, joining students mostly from Myanmar.

A minority of students at FORA are from Afghanistan, and a few are from South Sudan, Syria, Bhutan and Eritrea.

We primarily serve refugee students who have been denied the opportunity to go to school before arriving in Chicago, said Kathleen OConnor, FORAs director of education. I think most people are familiar with the idea that the Taliban doesnt want girls to be educated. But I dont think very many people realize that means there are lots of Afghan girls here in Chicago, who are attending Chicago Public Schools, who do not have the background that they need so they can really engage in a class the way they want to.

OConnor and her husband, Michael OConnor, thought of the idea for FORA while they were volunteering to help resettle refugee families around 2015. They noticed children who were often fluent in multiple languages were struggling in school because they didnt have the age-appropriate core curriculum skills to succeed at a high level or communicate effectively.

For Moe Tun, a 15-year-old from Myanmar who is a 10th grader at Mather High School, the safe space at FORA allows her to ask all the questions she feels too shy to ask in school.

My least favorite subject is English because its my third language for reading and writing so it has been a bit challenging for me, Tun said. FORA helped me become a good learner and seeing all the tutors willing to help, encouraged me that I can learn this new language. And I dont have to feel like I am being judged (for my questions).

Tun, who came to the U.S. four years ago, said she used to like math a lot, but then she started learning about chemistry over the summer.

I think its really cool and interesting, she said. Also, I started learning a little about physics and I like that too now.

Tuns brother, Soe Tun, 17, also gets after-school tutoring help at FORA.

Since English is my fourth language, I usually struggle to bring my ideas and gather them in structured words, he said. So having someone who can walk me through and explain to me how to write is really helpful.

Kathleen OConnor, a former Dominican University professor with a doctorate in child development psychology, said most of the students who come to FORA lack basic literacy and numeracy skills, which is why high-impact tutoring is so beneficial. The students get anywhere from two to four hours a day of tutoring in math and reading, five days a week, with at least one tutor for every two students.

Since opening its facility in 2019, it has partnered with several organizations and institutions to foster a volunteer base, most recently working with students from a class at DePaul University.

Last quarter Kate Cooper, an assistant professor of communication studies at DePaul, taught an experiential learning class where her students worked with FORA. Cooper was given a grant from DePauls Migration Collaborative to work on a project that benefits an organization. Cooper also worked with Michael OConnor close to 20 years ago and was familiar with his work in the migrant communities.

We looked for a project that we could do together  and its something students are reading about a lot, Cooper said. Theyre hearing about migrant and refugee issues and its very visible right now in Chicago, where DePaul students are living and working and studying so its something that they care about.

Tristan Balgemann, a senior at DePaul, focused on helping FORA enhance its volunteer turnout as part of Coopers class.

Our focus group team has been looking at ways to bolster engagement and retention and seeing if theres anything that we can offer that will help volunteers stay in it for a longer haul, Balgemann said.

Giulianna Larson, chief outreach officer at FORA, started as a work-study tutor in 2021 before being hired in 2022.

I look at recruitment as an opportunity to provide our students with individualized tutoring resources as well as a way to educate the community on refugee literacy, Larson said. My first semester in this role I recruited about 120 tutors and this semester we had just over 200 tutors for our fall sessions.

Larson, who is a junior majoring in multimedia journalism at Loyola University, said the tutors are just as inspired by the students as the students look up to the tutors.

Many tutors are like mentors for students, supporting them on good days and bad days and were inspired by the students resilience, she said. And the students have been inspired by the tutors hobbies and academic interests. FORA students see the wide range of studies and become inspired and feel a sense of belonging that they can find something that interests them.

Logan Taylor Black, a student at Northwestern Universitys School of Education and Social Policy, tutors students in kindergarten through seventh grade five days a week at FORA. Although she found the organization through a need to complete a quarter-long experiential learning component for her program at Northwestern, Black said the experience has been twofold.

The most rewarding aspect of tutoring is feeling like Im actually making a difference in the lives of the students, she said. The fact that every day I am able to come in and support them in something that I have taken for granted but they are so curious about is incredible.

Black said one of her students  a seventh grader from Afghanistan  recently scored high on a test and proudly brought the paper to tutoring to show her.

Sometimes  though not often  there can be a language barrier between the tutors and students, but Black said she was impressed with how much English every student knows while also being fluent in their native tongue.

OConnor said the bridge between the students and their tutors, especially those in college, has been fantastic.

Its so great for college students to have the opportunity to make an immediate impact, she said. But on a deeper level, I think when students walk into our building, they get to experience the kind of joy that all of our staff and volunteers and our students are experiencing as they connect with one another through learning  its hard work teaching literacy and restoring the right to read, but we have a culture that brings joy to that effort.

zsyed@chicagotribune.com
Camila Bautista with Audubon California takes a water sample from an emerging wetland area near the former shoreline of the Salton Sea near Bombay Beach, Calif., Nov. 6, 2023.

About 3 miles east of Bombay Beach, and a half-mile back from the Salton Seas receding shoreline, the crunchy exposed playa gives way from a mostly empty white landscape to more and more native vegetation, and then suddenly a few shallow ponds appear, surrounded by dense vegetation.

The Bombay Beach wetlands are an unexpected side effect of the shrinking sea, and Audubon California is eyeing this phenomenon as at least a partial solution to the complex issues at the Salton Sea.

Proposals abound aimed at mitigating the effects of the seas quickly receding shoreline, from importing water from Mexicos Sea of Cortez (still just an idea) to the states 4,000-acre habitat restoration along the seas southern edge (nearing completion). But near Bombay Beach, this wetland habitat appeared all on its own, without any feats of engineering or years of environmental study. As it recedes, drainages that historically flowed in can no longer reach the Salton Seas edge. Instead, this water is pooling into wetlands along the playa. Audubon California believes these emerging wetlands could play a key role in the seas future, and is starting on a project near Bombay Beach to protect existing emerging wetlands and facilitate expansion.

Frank Ruiz, Salton Sea program director for Audubon California, and Michael Cohen, a senior researcher with the Pacific Institute who has spent decades focused on the Colorado River basin and the Salton Sea, both separately described emerging wetlands as a less sexy approach to the Salton Sea to The Desert Sun.

The Salton Sea thats full of water is already gone. We want to embrace the new future for the Salton Sea, and perhaps this is that new future, a little water here and there, native plants covering up dust. It may not be the sexiest idea for a lot of people, said Ruiz, who has long been opposed to the idea of importing water to the sea. A lot of people subscribe to the idea of importing water because they want to say, More water, more water. But there is no more water.

Frank Ruiz with Audubon California explains the makeup of the former shoreline of the Salton Sea near Bombay Beach, Calif., Nov. 6, 2023.

Audubon is in the early stages of its Bombay Beach Wetland Project, a roughly 800-acre project that aims to stabilize, preserve, and enhance the emerging wetland in the area. Audubon is aiming for a groundbreaking by the end of next year and a completion date by the end of 2026.

The state plans on counting those 800 acres toward its targets under the Salton Sea Management Program, which sets a goal of 30,000 acres of projects by 2028. Now about halfway to that deadline, the state is supposed to have 11,500 total completed acres of habitat and dust-suppression projects by the end of 2023.

These projects fall into two categories: aquatic habitat like wetlands and dust suppression like planted vegetation. So far, a total of just 368 acres are considered completed, which is defined as "flooded for aquatic habitat and planted and irrigated for vegetation enhancement dust suppression projects."

Interim dust control measures are in place for another 5,356 acres of projects under construction. The states 4,100-acre Species Conservation Habitat Project, the largest project at the sea to date, should have construction completed by the end of this year, but only 130 acres will be flooded initially. The rest of the project likely won't be flooded until after an expansion project that would add roughly another 3,000 to 5,000 acres.

Mimicking nature

Meanwhile, at least a few more years of studies are expected before a long-term solution (or solutions) are selected to implement at the sea. A wide range of concepts have been proposed, including building and filling a narrow perimeter lake around the edge of the exposed lakeshore, splitting the lake in two, building desalination plants, or importing water from the Sea of Cortez, among other proposals.

With slow progress on existing efforts at the sea, Ruiz believes tapping into and expanding the emerging wetlands could serve as a cost- and time-effective solution, and importantly, a very minimal water approach to the Salton Sea, by using the drainage water thats already in the area rather than bringing in water from elsewhere.

This vegetation and these ponds all naturally occur here, and thats something we are really trying to take advantage of, Ruiz said, gesturing toward the wetland. We want to mimic nature, and this project is less engineering-focused for two reasons. One, we dont have all the money in the world, were a nonprofit with limited resources. And secondly, we want to mimic the ways that nature is already providing habitat for a variety of different types of birds and wildlife.

Emerging wetlands are forming along the former shoreline of the Salton Sea just southeast of Bombay Beach, Calif., Nov. 6, 2023.

The Bombay Beach Wetland has emerged in an area where three drainages converge from businesses further north, including the Fountain of Youth Spa and RV Resort and the Pacific Aquafarms fishery, according to Camila Bautista, Audubons project manager for the Bombay Beach Wetland Project.

Unable to reach all the way to the sea now that the shoreline is farther away, the three drainages now flow into several small shallow ponds to form about 225 acres of wetland habitat. Audubon estimates that there are roughly 6,000 acres of these types of newly emerging wetlands around the Salton Sea, produced by outflows from agriculture or other businesses or from natural seeps from springs.

Nature is already doing the work, if we can just enhance these wetlands rather than destroying them and creating more expensive wetlands, we can find a way to manage them, Ruiz said.

Managing the emerging wetlands will take some engineering, however. Audubon envisions building a series of small connected ponds that water can flow through, with soil conditions optimized so that some water can percolate through the soil to quench the thirst of surrounding vegetation, while also not letting the soil be so permeable that the wetlands quickly disappear.

Bautista estimates outflow from the businesses to the ponds equals about 3,000 acre-feet of water each year. A drop in the bucket compared to other projects at the sea, Ruiz says the 3,000 acre-feet could support about 1,000 acres of wetlands if Audubon facilitated the water being spread further across multiple shallow ponds. A key part of this strategy involves spreading less water across more land, rather than focusing on deep water habitat.

An emerging wetland area near the former shoreline of the Salton Sea near Bombay Beach, Calif., Nov. 6, 2023.

Managing the wetland also will involve removing invasive and thirsty Tamarisk trees, which, if allowed to spread, could suck up the water from the wetlands and take over the landscape.

Ruiz also envisions a trail that community members could use to explore the wetlands, stretching from Bombay Beach to Niland Marina. And if the managed wetland project works, its something that he hopes could be scaled up around the sea.

In addition to runoff from fish farms and hot springs resorts in Bombay Beach, agricultural drainage pipes that previously dumped water into the sea are now in some places a half-mile or more from the shorelines, resulting in additional emerging wetlands.

Like Ruiz, Cohen believes that capturing this water and spreading it out could cover more playa and minimize dust emissions. As water becomes increasingly scarce in the drying West, at least some runoff toward the sea is expected to continue, says Cohen, making these shallower wetlands feel like a future thats within reach  even if theyre not very sexy compared to a restored or full-sized Salton Sea.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Are wetlands emerging at the Salton Sea an answer to habitat woes?
Rosalynn Carter's final resting place will be near the first and only home she and her husband Jimmy Carter owned.

The Carters said years ago they would be buried by a willow tree on the property, The Washington Post reported in 2018. The family-only interment for Rosalynn, who died Nov. 19 died at age 96 after a brief stay in hospice care, at the Carter residence is scheduled for midday on Wednesday.

The Carters built the modest ranch-style house at 209 Woodland Drive, in Plains (Sumter County) in 1960 and moved in the following year ahead of Jimmy Carter's political career advancing from state senator to Georgia Governor and the 39th President of the United States.

Rosalynn Carter motorcade route set: Where, when the public can view in Atlanta and Plains

The 2.4 acres includes a pond Jimmy Carter dug himself for fishing and a magnolia grown from a tree on the White House lawn that was planted by former President Andrew Jackson, the Post reported.

The Carters' house had four bedrooms at time of construction, according to the book "The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter," and was built for $10 per square foot. Subsequent work was done on the house in 1974, '81 and in the past decade.

Former President Jimmy Carter, 99, and Rosalynn were married for 77 years. Jimmy Carter has been in hospice care since February. Rosalynn Carter was diagnosed with dementia in May.

Jimmy was with Rosalynn when she died, their son James "Chip" Carter III told the Washington Post.

My Dad told her he loved her and thanked her for all the wonderful things she had done, he said. Then he asked us to leave so he could be alone with her.

Memorial services this week for Rosalynn Carter in Atlanta and Plains are for invited guests only, but the public can attend some events and are invited to line motorcade routes to pay respects to the former first lady.

Rosalynn Carter motorcade viewing opportunities include:

Leaving Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus en route to Georgia Southwest University on Monday, Nov. 27 at 10 a.m.

Leaving GSW en route to The Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on Monday, Nov. 27, midmorning. Arrival at The Carter Presidential Center around 2:30 p.m.

Leaving The Carter President Center en route to Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the Emory University campus on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Leaving Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Leaving a private ceremony at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains en route to a family-only interment at the Carter residence around midday on Wednesday, Nov. 29. This will be the final opportunity for the people of Plains and visitors to say farewell to Mrs. Carter.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Rosalynn Carter interment: Where the former first lady will be buried
Klaryssa Holbrook, 5, tells Santa what's on her list at the Fowlerville Fire Station during Christmas in the Ville on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY  Santa Claus and his helpers are busy this December, as they travel across Livingston County to pose for pictures, hear wish lists, and share meals and joy with families.

Here are some of Santa's destinations in the county this Christmas season:

Reservations to meet Santa and take wagon and train rides at Spicer's Orchard have filled up quickly, but some evening timeslots were still available before Thanksgiving. The orchard, at 10411 Clyde Road in Hartland Township, offers visits with Santa at his Michigan Flight Command Center. Reservations are available at spicerwebmarket.com/copy-of-book-santa.

Santa and Mrs. Claus, joined by the usual elves and The Grinch, will help celebrate opening night of the Santa Lights Trail on Friday, Dec. 1, from 6-8 p.m. at Hamlett Lavender Farms, 10722 Stinchfield Woods Road in Pinckney. The event will feature live music from Heidi Arlene Rickard's new Christmas album, plus product and food demonstrations by Regina Hamlett. The Santa Lights Trail will run 6-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Saturday, Dec. 23.

Saturday, Dec. 2

Take photos with Santa from 9-11 a.m at the Howell Carnegie District Library, 314 W. Grand River Ave. in Howell. Bring your own camera.

Santa will also be ready for photos at the Livingston Classical Academy's Classic Christmas Craft Show, which runs 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 8877 Main Street in Whitmore Lake.

You can also visit with Santa from 10:15 a.m.-12 p.m. at Cromaine District Library, 3688 Hartland Road in Hartland Township. Bring your own camera. The event will feature cookie decorating, crafts and activities. Registration opens at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 30. Register for library events at cromaine.evanced.info/signup.

Finally, visits with Santa are available during Fowlerville's Christmas in the 'Ville, an all-day festival, from 3-5 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. at the Fowlerville District Library, 130 S. Grand Ave. Bring your own camera. Santa's reindeer will be in the parking lot until 5:30 p.m. The parade and tree lighting kicks off at 6 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 2-3

Santa will join families for a pancake Breakfast with Santa from 9-10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Howell Nature Center, 1005 Triangle Lake Road in Marion Township. The event, which takes place both Saturday, Dec. 2, and Sunday, Dec. 3, will also include letters to Santa and admission to the Wild Wonders Wildlife Park. Registration is available at howellnaturecenter.org/plan-your-visit/events.

Want your pet to pose with Santa? Visit with Santa Paws at Bountiful Harvest's annual photo event at Bordine's from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at 6347 Grand River Ave. in Genoa Township. Photos will arrive before Christmas. A suggested $20 donation will benefit Bountiful Harvest.

Wednesday, Dec. 6

Santa will be the special guest during Santa Story Time For Preschoolers from 10:15-11 a.m. at the Brighton District Library, 100 Library Drive. Staff will tell holiday stories and sing songs for the event. Santa will be available for photos at the conclusion of the presentation.

Santa Visits Hamburg Township Library for photos, songs and stories from 6:30-8 p.m. at 10411 Merrill Road in Hamburg Township. Reservations are available at hamburglibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/santa-claus-all-ages.

Thursday, Dec. 7

Santa will be the special guest at Santa Babies Story Time for infants and toddlers from 10:15-11 a.m. at the Brighton District Library, 100 Library Drive. Staff will present stories, songs and rhymes geared toward little ones aged 0-2. Santa will be available for photos at the conclusion of the presentation.

Friday, Dec. 8

The Oceola Community Center will host Pictures with Santa from 5-8 p.m. at 1661 N. Latson Road. Families who sign up for the first session, from 5-5:30 p.m., can enjoy a special showing of the holiday movie "Elf" at 5:45 p.m. The event will also feature Christmas music, a hot cocoa bar and popcorn. Registration is available at howellrecreation.org/events/picswithsanta23.

Saturday, Dec. 9

The Jingle Jubilee from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Brighton District Library, 100 Library Drive, will include Santa and song. The event will feature a festive performance by the Livingston County Youth Choir and a sing-along with the Echoes of Praise Handbell Choir. Guests will also meet animals from Chamberlin Petting Zoo and enjoy holiday crafts.

Santa's STEM Workshop, presented by The Hive Youth and Teen Center, will include pictures with Santa, breakfast, button-making, ornament painting and STEM experiments from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Bennett Recreation Center, 925 W. Grand River Ave. in Howell. Registration is available at howellrecreation.org/events/stemworkshop23.

Sunday, Dec. 10

Have Breakfast with Santa from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at the American Spirit Centre, 10590 Grand River Ave. in Brighton. Reservations are accepted via phone at 810-599-2153.

Eat breakfast and meet Santa at the Livingston County Wildlife and Conservation Club. Santa will arrive at 9 a.m.

Take Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus and make crafts from 1-4 p.m. at the Brighton Area Historical Society's Lyon School, an historic one-room schoolhouse at 11455 Buno Road in Brighton Township.

Santa will spend time in an inflatable igloo at the Oceola Community Center for Holiday Pictures With Pets from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at 1577 N. Latson Road. There's a two-pet limit. Photos will be emailed Monday, Dec. 11. Registration is available at howellrecreation.org/events/holidaypetpics.

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Later in December

Reservations for Kensington Metropark's Snacks with Santa have filled up quickly. Two time slots were available as of Tuesday, Nov. 21, including 2-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, and 12-1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. The events include visits with Santa, a horse-drawn hayride or sleigh ride, and a holiday sing-along. Registration is available at metroparks.com/holiday.

 Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Where to visit Santa in Livingston County this December
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday said his country will play a role in helping ensure the stability of the Korean Peninsula as he expressed concerns over the current security situation in the region.

Wang made the remarks during his bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Park Jin in Busan, an official at Seoul's foreign ministry said.

During their talks, Park also requested that China play a "constructive" role after North Korea scrapped a 2018 military tension reduction accord with South Korea and warned of more provocations to come.

Park stressed that Seoul's decision to abandon part of the inter-Korean military deal, which came in response to the North's launch of a military spy satellite, was the minimal defensive measure for the safety of its people.

"We clearly made a point about North Korea's attitude of threatening further provocations, saying that it will not be bound by the Sept. 19 military agreement, and shifting the responsibility to us," a foreign ministry official told reporters after the talks.

"Minister Park requested that the two countries work closely and that China play a constructive role, as it is in the common interests of South Korea and China that North Korea stop its provocations and take the path of denuclearization," the official said.

Wang, in turn, expressed "concerns" over the latest situation on the Korean Peninsula and told Park that China will do its part to "help stabilize the situation," according to the official.

Wang arrived in Busan on Saturday to attend a trilateral gathering with Park and his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, set to take place later in the day.

The talks came days after North Korea said it launched a military spy satellite and successfully placed it into orbit, after two botched launch attempts in May and August, respectively.

In response, South Korea scrapped part of a 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction accord. In a tit-for-tat, North Korea said the next day it will immediately restore all military measures it had halted under the agreement.

China has called for all concerned parties to "remain calm and exercise restraint," over the satellite launch, saying it will continue to play "a constructive role" in promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

At the talks, the two sides reaffirmed the commitment to developing their bilateral relationship into a "healthy and more mature" one, based on "mutual respect, reciprocity and common interests," according to the Seoul ministry.

Sharing the view that the economic cooperation has been an important driver in the development of the bilateral ties, the ministers agreed to bolster "mutually beneficial and substantive cooperation in light of the changing external environment."

In that vein, Park noted the importance of working together to ensure the stable management of supply chains and the safety of South Korean companies doing business in China, as well as the need to facilitate cultural content, such as games and films.

Park also relayed concerns over the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors in China and asked for Beijing's active cooperation in helping North Koreans move to desired places, instead of being forced to return home, where they may face harsh punishment.

As Pyongyang's key ally, China does not recognize North Korean defectors as refugees and regularly repatriates them to their home country.

The two top diplomats discussed efforts to promote high-level communications at all levels, including a potential visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Critics say the relations with Beijing have recently cooled due to what they describe as President Yoon Suk Yeol's attempts to bring South Korea closer to the U.S. and Japan, a departure from the previous Moon Jae-in administration's greater emphasis on China.

During Sunday's talks, Park asked for Beijing's support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, and Wang said China "will seriously consider" it, according to the ministry official.

Wang and Park last held talks on the sidelines of the foreign ministers' meeting involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta in July. Wang last visited South Korea in September 2021. (Yonhap)
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs ordered the flags at all state buildings to remain at half-staff to honor the memory of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who died last Sunday.

The proclamation went into effect at sunset on Saturday, Nov. 25.

U.S. President Joe Biden remembered the late first lady as a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls; an advocate for mental health and wellness for all; and a supporter for the often unseen and uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones, and people with disabilities.

In coordination with the Presidential proclamation, the flags will remain at half-staff from Nov. 25-29.

In Arizona, flags were already scheduled to be lowered on Nov. 25 in honor of Sgt. Andrew Southard, of the U.S. Army Special Operations Forces, elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Southard died in a helicopter crash during a training mission in the Mediterranean Sea on Nov. 10, according to Hobbs' proclamation.

Individuals, businesses, and other organizations are encouraged to join in this tribute, the proclamation said.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why are flags at half-staff in Arizona?
An intervention programme which aims to deter young people from crime is working, a council has said.

Wirral's Youth Justice Service runs workshops for school pupils, educating them about County Lines, cyber safety or the age of criminal responsibility,

There was a 26.6% drop in young people in Wirral entering the justice system between 2021 and 2022, data published in the service's annual plan showed.

This was the highest reduction on Merseyside.

The data also showed there had been a small cut in re-offending rates, noting: "Significantly the number of offences committed by re-offenders reduced from 166 to 98, inferring a decreased volume impact of youth related crime on the community and victims."

Wirral Council is attributing that fall to the preventative projects run by Wirral Youth Justice Service.

Kathy Gill, from the service, said: "A lot of young people don't know the age of criminal responsibility for example, so they might not even know what they are doing is illegal or that they could get a criminal record for it."

Two of the projects, called In The Zone and Operation Inclusion, focus on raising awareness of the criminal justice system, and the choices young people may have to make.

In The Zone delivers prevention and information sessions to Year 9 students, using board games as part of the sessions.

One pupil from Prenton High School, who took part, said: "It's really important to learn this stuff.

"We've learned things like how to help people if they've been drunk or even stabbed."

Another pupil added: "It can seem all a bit much when you hear things on the news.

"Having it presented in this manner, with board games, helps us relax and retain the information too".

Board games are used as part of the sessions

One of the main focuses of the sessions is county lines, where drug gangs often using violence and intimidation to exploit children and vulnerable people to sell drugs.

Ms Gill said "County lines affects young people.

"It starts with a friendship for example, so in the sessions we run it could be looking at cyber safety, that's where a lot of those friendships begin."

More than 4,000 young people have taken part in these sessions since the project launched.

Operation Inclusion is a 12-week programme, working with young people who are already known to the Youth Justice Service and their families to reduce offending behaviour and address the underlying issues.

Funded through the Violent Reduction Partnership the programme, initially piloted in Wirral has been rolled out across Merseyside.

In the last year, the Youth Justice team have worked with a number of young people under Operation Inclusion and to date none of the young people have gone on to re-offend.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  The Tampa Police Department is investigating after a woman and a juvenile girl were stabbed to death in Tampa Sunday morning.

According to authorities, officers were called to the 14000 block of Riveredge Drive for reports that a girl in her early teens suffered multiple stab wounds, seriously injuring her.

Landslide in Alaska devastates family, killing 3 members and leaving 2 kids missing

When police arrived, they found two victims  a woman in her 30s, who sustained similar injuries, and the juvenile girl. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The girl was taken to a local hospital, where she was also pronounced dead.

According to TPD, preliminary investigation revealed that both the victims were related to each other and knew the suspect.







At this time, detectives are working to determine what led to this incident. Officials have not announced if the suspect is in custody.

Anyone with information that could assist detectives with their investigation is asked to call Tampa Police at 813-231-6130 or submit an anonymous tip by contacting Crime Stoppers at 800-873-TIPS (8477) or via TIP411.

This is a developing story. Stay up to date on the latest from News Channel 8 on-air and on the go with the free WFLA News Channel 8 mobile app.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Nashville authorities have launched an investigation into a Saturday shooting on an Interstate 24 exit ramp that left a woman wounded.

The Metro Nashville Police Department told News 2 that officers from the South Precinct responded to the intersection of Linbar Drive and Eisenhower Drive at approximately 3:21 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25 after a 25-year-old woman ended up with a hip injury.

Rideshare passenger shot along I-65, dies at Nashville hospital

According to officials, the victim was traveling on I-24 East when she said she accidentally cut off another vehicle before taking the Harding Place exit.

Authorities said the woman told them the suspect pulled up next to her vehicle on the exit ramp and words were exchanged before the suspect flashed a pistol and shot once at the drivers side door.

The victim fled west on Harding Place and pulled over at Linbar Drive and Eisenhower Drive, but the suspect continued west on Harding Place, according to police.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

The victim was reportedly brought to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Officials said the suspect was described as a bearded man driving a newer black or gray four-door sedan.

 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.

 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.

 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Melinda Bettencourt with a photo of her daughter Amanda Bews, taken when Bews was around 20 years old, that hangs on the wall of Bettencourt's home in Fresno. Bews died at 29 in a Los Angeles County jail on Sept. 9, 2022, two days after she was arrested on a pair of misdemeanor charges. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Melinda Bettencourt was still in her nightgown when the police showed up at the door. It was a slow Saturday morning last fall, but her heart raced when she heard the uneasy tone in the officers voice.

The Fresno woman knew her youngest daughter, Amanda Bews, had been struggling for years. After battling a painful nerve condition, the 29-year-old started using drugs and had taken to living on the street. Eventually Bettencourt lost track of her. So when men with badges showed up at her home, Bettencourt feared she knew why  and she was right.

Bews had been arrested on a pair of misdemeanor charges, and died in a Los Angeles County jail two days later. But the officer who showed up at her door couldnt tell Bettencourt anything about how her daughter died.

And a few weeks later, no one could explain what had happened to the rotting body Bettencourt saw at the funeral home.

She looked like she was mummified, Bettencourt told The Times, describing the horrible shock of watching bugs hover around her dead daughter's face as a foul stench emanated across the room.

Even the pictures are gruesome: A side-shot of a face so bloated with death its gone flat. A close-up of skin, one patch bloodied and another so decayed its turned gelatinous. Part of the nose is missing, and the features are bloated beyond recognition.

When Bettencourt saw what was left of her daughter, she screamed.

I couldnt believe it was my baby, she said.

Earlier this month, after more than a year of looking for answers, San Diego-based attorneys Lauren Williams and Timothy Scott filed a lawsuit against county officials, jail medical providers and the funeral home that handled Bews body.

Folks whose family members die in custody are often waiting months for information about how their loved ones passed away. And even when they do find out from an autopsy, the answers are still vague  and that's what we see here, Williams told The Times.

Read more: He was beaten to death in Mens Central Jail. It took staff nearly 4 hours to notice

We see a lot of facts consistent with the county failing to treat a case of alcohol withdrawal, but no one is accepting responsibility and calling it what it is," she said. "And the same is true about any questions the family has about how and why Amanda's body decomposed to the extent it did.

Citing pending litigation, the medical examiners office declined to comment. Both the funeral home and jail medical providers did not respond to emails this week. And the Sheriffs Department sent a general statement, but did not address several specific questions about the case.

Any loss of life is tragic, especially those who are within our custody and care, the statement said. The Department takes every in-custody death seriously and strives to make every effort possible to prevent similar deaths in the future.

It was in her early 20s that Bews really started drinking. By that point, she had a husband and two children and, according to her mother, nobody could really figure out why her life took such a turn. But it was right around the same time her medical problems started.

At first, Bews complained of pain in her feet and ankles, but the problem grew steadily worse. For months, doctors couldnt figure out why, until a spinal tap revealed she had Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack its own nerves, leading to tingling, weakness and pain.

Sometimes, her mother said, Bews couldnt walk or take care of herself. Then during a hospital stay, she was prescribed painkillers. Soon, she turned from prescription pills to heroin and alcohol. Eventually, she stopped coming home.

She just didnt want to subject her kids to this, Bettencourt said. She was embarrassed.

By the time Bews got arrested, her mother hadnt heard from her for three years. It was Sept. 7, 2022, and court filings show that sheriffs deputies had picked her up in Santa Clarita for allegedly shoplifting at a BevMo. During her arrest, records show, she admitted to using heroin and said shed been drinking.

Before booking, the deputies took her to a nearby hospital, where records show she told the staff she had been drinking a fifth to a handle [1.75 liters] a day for the past six years. According to the lawsuit, they discharged her just after midnight and noted that she should go TO ACUTE CARE FACILITY, meaning she would need consistent monitoring and treatment once she arrived at the jail.

Medical records shared with The Times show she was prescribed medications for anxiety, blood pressure and alcohol withdrawal. She was assigned to a cell in the 1400 Module, an intake unit where another woman had died months earlier. But just after midnight on Sept. 9, medical staff at the jail decided she was cleared for detox and did not require any medications.

According to the lawsuit, that meant the jail staff stopped treating her  neither for her opioid withdrawal nor for the even deadlier alcohol withdrawal.

When a nurse came to check on her a little over four hours later, Bews didnt respond and her cellmate couldnt rouse her. Deputies tried giving her an overdose-reversing drug, but it didnt help.

Lab tests found drugs in her system, but at such low levels that her lawyers said they were more indicative of withdrawal than overdose. And according to the autopsy report, her body also showed signs of dehydration, and there was vomit in her airways.

Based on the toxicology results, Amanda did not die of acute drug intoxication or drug overdose, her lawyers wrote in the lawsuit. Rather, Amanda died of untreated or inadequately treated effects of withdrawal from alcohol and drugs.

Read more: Fights, beatings and a birth: Videos smuggled out of L.A. jails reveal violence, neglect

In addition to allegedly failing to treat Bews withdrawal, the suit says jailers also erred by not checking on her more often. Under state requirements, jailers are required to check on inmates at least once an hour. Though the autopsy makes clear that medical staff did not check on her for at least four hours, the records dont say whether any jailers checked on her during that time, and the Sheriffs Department did not clarify.

Instead, this week the department told The Times Bews death had been thoroughly investigated and that appropriate administrative action was taken against several employees.

After the police left the Bettencourts home that morning in September, Melinda sat down to cry. Her husband tried to calm her enough to call the phone number the officers had left behind, so she could talk to the Los Angeles detective in charge of the case.

As she waited in vain for answers, Bettencourt had to figure out how to get her daughters body from Los Angeles to Fresno for the funeral.

First, Bews body was sent to the Los Angeles County medical examiner for an autopsy, which ultimately declared her death an accident resulting from the effects of heroin, methamphetamine and chronic alcohol use  a description indicating Bews death was drug-related without clearly calling it an overdose.

In mid-September  less than a week after Bews died  an embalmer from the Chapel of Light, a Fresno-based funeral home, came to pick up her body in Los Angeles.

Though the Los Angeles County medical examiners office confirmed to The Times earlier this year that their standard practice is to refrigerate dead bodies to slow down decomposition, the embalmer  Catherine Valenzuela  later said the body she received was already noticeably decayed.

She was decomposed, Valenzuela wrote in a Sept. 21, 2022, letter turned over to Bettencourts lawyers. Her face has major skin slippage and discoloration was apparent throughout her remains.

Read more: County avoids contempt hearing over jail conditions: federal judge approves settlement

According to Valenzuelas letter, the smell was so strong and offensive that she drove with the windows down all the way back to Fresno. But according to Bettencourt, if there was already a clear problem, no one at the funeral home told her. She didn't find out until several weeks later, when she and her husband showed up at the funeral home for a viewing just before the Oct. 7 service.

An employee led the couple to a back room to see Bews remains. As she took in the scene  the bugs, the smell, the decaying flesh  Bettencourts heart raced and, for a moment, she thought she was dying, too.

Afterwards, she realized it was a panic attack. Shes been having them ever since she learned of her daughter's death  along with nightmares, anxiety and regret.

I had almost been hoping she would get arrested so she could get some help  and then I find out she got arrested and died, she said. I feel guilty for even thinking that now.

The lawsuit filed Nov. 17 in federal court lists 11 claims, including negligence, wrongful death and deliberate indifference. It doesnt name a dollar amount in damages.

But Bettencourt and her lawyers said that aside from any compensation, they hope the case leads to some accountability  and some more answers.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A woman was shot and killed just before noon Saturday outside a Fresno liquor store.

Police said officers responded about 11:36 a.m. to Waynes Liquor at California and Thorne avenues after reports of a shooting.

Police found a 21-year-old woman with multiple gunshot wounds to her upper torso, Lt. Paul Cervantes said.

Officers provided life-saving measures before she was taken to a local hospital.

She was pronounced dead a short time later.

Cervantes said there apparently was a fight before shots rang out. He added that there were a number of witnesses seen on surveillance video fleeing on foot and in vehicles.

Im relatively certain theres more people that probably were in the vicinity, Cervantes said. So much work to do in front of us. We have to locate and identify those individuals and try to figure out the reason for this particular incident.

Several shell casings were found at the scene.

Cervantes said there have been 30 murders in 2023 compared to 53 this time last year.

Anyone with information can call police at 559-621-7000.
Two centuries ago, Percy Shelley wrote that poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world. Yet elite power has routinely vetoed their best measures. Still, the ability of poetry to inspire and nurture is precious, including when governments are on protracted killing sprees.

But sometimes conscience requires the withdrawal of poetic talent instead of helping to normalize the unconscionable. Thats what happened last week when the New York Times Magazine lost its poetry editor.

Anne Boyer, a poet and essayist who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2020, abruptly quit her Times gig and released a powerful resignation letter. She denounced what she called the Israeli states U.S.-backed war against the people of Gaza  calling it an ongoing war against the people of Palestine, people who have resisted through decades of occupation, forced dislocation, deprivation, surveillance, siege, imprisonment and torture.

Boyers resignation was not merely a protest against the continuous killing in Gaza. She also observed that the New York Times, like U.S. news media overall, can flatten mass murder into monotone narratives: I cant write about poetry amidst the reasonable tones of those who aim to acclimatize us to this unreasonable suffering. No more ghoulish euphemisms. No more verbally sanitized hellscapes. No more warmongering lies.

In Gaza, more than 13,000 civilians have been killed since early October. Children are perishing at an average rate of 10 every hour. The ongoing slaughter by Israeli forces  supported by massive military aid from the U.S.  follows Hamas atrocities on Oct. 7 in Israel, where the latest estimate of the death toll is 1,200, including at least 846 civilians, in addition to some 200 hostages kidnapped. (Some of whom are now being freed as part of a laborious negotiated exchange with Israel.)

But numbers dont get us very far in human terms. And news accounts have limited capacities to connect with real emotions.

Thats where poetry can go far beyond where journalism fails. A few words from a poet might chip away at the frozen blocks that support illegitimate power. And we might gain strength from the clarity that a few lines can bring.

Stanley Kunitz wrote:

In a murderous time

the heart breaks and breaks

and lives by breaking.

It is necessary to go

through dark and deeper dark

and not to turn.

In a dark time, Theodore Roethke wrote, the eye begins to see.

Bob Dylan wrote lines that could now be heard as addressing Benjamin Netanyahu and Joe Biden:

You fasten all the triggers

For the others to fire

Then you sit back and watch

When the death count gets higher

You hide in your mansion

While the young people's blood

Flows out of their bodies

And is buried in the mud

June Jordan wrote:

I was born a Black woman

and now

I am become a Palestinian

against the relentless laughter of evil

there is less and less living room

and where are my loved ones?

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

In the United States, far away from the carnage, viewers and listeners and readers can easily prefer not to truly see that their government is helping Israel to keep killing thousands upon thousands of Palestinian children and other civilians. I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty / to know what occurs but not recognize the fact, a poem by William Stafford tells us.

From Pink Floyd:

Dont accept that whats happening

Is just a case of others suffering

Or youll find that youre joining in

The turning away . . . .

Just a world that we all must share

Its not enough just to stand and stare

Is it only a dream that therell be

No more turning away?

Franz Kafka wrote: You can hold yourself back from the sufferings of the world, that is something you are free to do and it accords with your nature, but perhaps this very holding back is the one suffering you could avoid.
JOHANNESBURG  A minimum of 5.6 million people have been driven from their homes, a further 25 million need aid and some 9,000 have been killed in Sudan since the latest conflict began earlier this year, according to the U.N. The situation gets worse daily, with increasing credible reports of ethnically based attacks and rape of women and children.

Yet Sudan is literally the forgotten war.

"An Arab paramilitary group is carrying out a genocide in Sudan with mass killings of minorities and corpses spread across streets," Richard Goldberg, of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

Theres little media coverage, and relief agencies battle to get into the worlds spotlight so they can supplement funds, which at the same time are diminishing.

The World Food Program (WFP) has delivered food to over 3 million people in Sudan "in very difficult circumstances" since the start of the conflict. A WFP spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Our humanitarian dollar is being stretched to the breaking point. Across the board, the gulf between humanitarian needs and funding available to respond has grown steadily."

UN APPROVES INVESTIGATION MISSION FOR SUDAN'S ONGOING CONFLICT AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Upwards of 6 million people have been ripped from their homes  but reportedly not even 600 have demonstrated against the atrocities in Sudan. Goldberg, who was also a member of former President Donald Trumps National Security Council, pointed out this contrast with the massive protests engulfing Europe and parts of the U.S. over the war in Gaza.

"Theres no mob outside the White House to stop the indiscriminate killing of thousands in Sudan," said Goldberg. "These extremists only seem to get agitated by Jews who lawfully defend themselves from further mass slaughter," he said.

PRO-PALESTINIAN RALLIES IN NYC AND DC INTERRUPT CROWDED HUBS DURING RUSH-HOUR COMMUTE

This "bloodshed and terror," as U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths described it, broke out April 15 between the governments Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the groups of militia known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The United States is deeply concerned and appalled by the escalating violence and human rights abuses in Sudan, especially attacks by the Rapid Support Forces in West, Central and South Darfur.

MALI: 'AFRICA'S AFGHANISTAN' SEES FRANCE WITHDRAW TROOPS AND TERROR GROUPS RUN AMOK

"These have included  according to credible reports  mass killings, including ethnic targeting of non-Arab and other communities, killings of traditional leaders, unjust detentions, and obstruction of humanitarian aid."

Sources on the ground, backed up by satellite imagery, tell of RSF militia in some cases going house to house in villages, killing every man they see.

"We are disturbed by the reports of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) members massacring members of the Masalit community in Ardamata," added the State Department spokesperson. "These actions are sickening and once again highlight the RSFs history of brutality in areas under their control."

The Masalits are predominately Sunni Muslims.

Traumatizing rape is common here. Fox News Digital obtained this first-hand report from a 21-year-old woman who was with her 10-year-old sister in Darfur when snatched by RSF militia: "Two of them took turns on me while the third one assaulted my sister." The assault took nearly three hours, and after the young child couldnt walk because of the pain.

"The situation throughout Sudan is catastrophic, with massive destruction, death, and what may be the largest humanitarian crisis in the world," Sudan researcher Eric Reeves told Fox News Digital. Reeves is so versed on the subject that he has given congressional testimony.

ESCALATING CONFLICT IN SUDAN HAS PUSHED OVER 4 MILLION PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES, ACCORDING TO UN OFFICIAL

Women from El Geneina, West Darfur, gather near the border crossing in Adre, Chad, on Nov. 7 as they await news of their missing relatives. The women fled ethnic violence in the El Geneina district of Ardamata where they said they were attacked by RSF and Arab militia forces.

"The RSF in particular is wildly undisciplined and violently out of control. They are the worst sort of barbarians," he added.

"There is no acceptable military solution to the conflict," the State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) need to deescalate and engage in meaningful discussions that lead to a cease-fire and unhindered humanitarian access."

The U.S. officially welcomed the recent resumption of talks in Jeddah, co-facilitated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and has called "for the parties to immediately end the fighting in Sudan and for the SAF and RSF to silence the guns."

Reeves says neither warring side can be trusted to abide by any agreement signed, and that "talks in Jeddah have proved fruitless."

UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SUDAN RESIGNS, WARNS OF POTENTIAL 'FULL-SCALE CIVIL WAR'

Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho., and Rep. Michael McCaul., R-Texas, felt so strongly over the issue they issued a joint statement last week. "The Biden administrations efforts regarding Sudan in Jeddah have repeatedly failed," they wrote.

Risch is ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and McCaul is Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee. Their statement continued: "As the United States claims success in Jeddah, more innocent Sudanese perish. The war in Sudan is an unrelenting horror that further proves the United States needs to change its strategy on Sudan."

Africa analyst Cameron Hudson also took no prisoners over the U.S. position on Sudan: "There is no circumstance under which you could argue that the Biden administration is doing enough to either end the conflict in Sudan, or alleviate the suffering in a place like Darfur."

A wounded man lies in a Doctors Without Borders hospital, where refugees receive treatment after fleeing ethnic violence in Ardamata, West Darfur, in the border town of Adre, Chad, on Nov. 10.

Hudson knows Sudan intimately. He was director of African affairs at the National Security Council during President George W. Bushs administration, and is now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies Africa Program. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Hudson said, "The bigger challenge perhaps for Biden is that we know what a strong response to these crimes looks like. The Bush administration responded to the same crimes 15 years ago with robust sanctions, high-level diplomacy, led by a special envoy and personal involvement by the president. The current administration has done none of those things."



Hudson further made a disturbing prophecy: "The ripple effects of this unchecked conflict will be felt from Riyadh to Washington. As things stand now, a genocidal militia group backed by Russias Wagner (mercenary) group is on the march to defeat Sudans army. Thats an outcome we cannot risk coming true."

Some on Capitol Hill are now making noise, but as Reeves pointed out, the publics attention is focused elsewhere.

"Violence at present levels could reduce Sudan from a coherent state to a collection of fiefdoms, dominated by warlords recruiting fighters along ethnic lines", he told Fox News Digital. "All this is obscured by the fixation in the news world on Gaza, which for its part displaced Ukraine as the central foreign policy story. But the collapse of the Sudanese state could create another 'Somalia'  but this time in the vast and very center of Africa."





Original article source: World, protesters silent on Sudan massacres: 'no mob outside the White House'
I should have seen this coming. For the last four years, the Booker Prize has alternated between picking the right book and the very wrong. Last year, it went to Shehan Karunatilaka for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, a comic thriller set in Sri Lanka and the afterlife. That novel was a deserving winner, quick-witted and spry in style. According to the pendulum, then, 2023 would go awry.

And so it has. Though the shortlist was the strongest in years, Paul Lynchs Prophet Song was by some distance the weakest link. In Britain, and his native Ireland, Lynchs novels are well-regarded, but none of the previous four have been runaway hits. (On the other hand, the Americans admire him, and hes oddly successful in France.) His style has a self-serious beauteousness; reviewing Prophet Song for this paper, Declan Ryan described it as darkly lyrical, rich and somewhat stylised. Several critics have even gestured to Cormac McCarthy, a comparison Lynch must like: he has used the latters sparse, magisterial writing for one of this novels three epigraphs.

Prophet Song, like some of McCarthys work, shows civilisation on the brink. In a totalitarian Ireland  secret police, arbitrary arrest  a molecular biologist, Eilish, loses her husband to the machine. She decides she must rebel, but shes quickly isolated at work, and when a civil war erupts, her children slip from her control, while the distance to her father, who has dementia and lives across town, becomes a terrifying gulf. The conflict soon reaches Dublin: homes are destroyed, the lines of contact shift, Eilish and co become unmoored.

Booker chair Esi Edugyan said that Prophet Song "forces us out of complacency" - Handout

Lynch has described Prophet Song as allegorical: Why are we in the West so short on empathy for the refugees flooding towards our borders? [The novel] is partly an attempt at radical empathy. He wanted to bring the crisis home to the West, and make readers identify with those displaced. Upon his victory, Esi Edugyan, chair of this years judges, declared that Prophet Song forces us out of our complacency and captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment. Readers, she added, will not soon forget its warnings.

The problem is how she, and Lynch, imagine political fiction to work. There isnt much to be gained from slamming morals upon the table. Most people who care about an issue as big as the refugee crisis already know what they think. That could be me, were I not in the West is the most basic thought any person can have.

Allegories are hard to craft well, because once theyre solved, the bulk of the text can seem like mere ornament. You can add explosions, and make them exciting, but thats not the same thing as making them resonate. The purpose of Prophet Song is obvious early, so its success relies on how its told; yet Lynchs prose is undisciplined, overwritten and often illogical, as when Eilish muses on the easterly breeze blowing cold hell upon Bull Island yet cooling the mind to think. Nor are the plot and the pacing impressive. Lynch is a film critic too, and it shows. Too many novels wish they were prestige TV scripts; this one thinks its in Hollywood.

The disappointment is all the more bitter, because the judges had the opportunity to reward what fiction, and only fiction, can do. They could have gone for Chetna Maroos Western Lane, Jonathan Escofferys If I Survive You, or Paul Hardings This Other Eden  all superior books  while I half-expected the winner to be Paul Murrays The Bee Sting, about the disintegration of an Irish family. It has been lavishly overpraised, but in its thematic breadth, physical length and (slightly strained) humour, it was at least obvious Booker bait.

Overturning perceptions: Sarah Bernstein's Study for Obedience was a strong contender - Alice Meikle

But I had hoped they would give the Prize to Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein, which  as I wrote last weekend  was my novel of the year. I havent believed since 2020, and Shuggie Bain, that someone deserved the Booker more. Study for Obedience and Prophet Song have a similar pivot: an isolated figure, an ambient threat. Bernsteins novel is about a woman who moves to a cold and faraway land; her heritage, which we slowly learn is Jewish, sees the locals react with menace and fear. Her character makes the situation stranger still: she longs to be obedient, subservient, to abnegate her autonomy and dissolve into a group.

Shes no Hollywood heroine, in other words: no solitary figure defying the world. And so much isnt stated outright; your sympathies keep being unsettled, your perception overturned. What is she thinking, and the locals doing, and what are the desires or hopes or self-loathing beneath it all? Study for Obedience could never be called an allegory  if anything, its a rebuke to those who like their stories trite.

The irony, then, is this: the Booker Prize could have gone to a political novel, one that does force us out of our complacency, and that represents, per the rubric, the best sustained work of fiction this year. It would have been a novel in which politics and fiction were interwoven subtly, and still have me thinking five months on. Yet the judges overlooked it  and, worst of all, on the same terms by which they picked Lynch. Come back next year, I guess.

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Tokyo will support Busans bid to host 2030 event, Japanese paper reports

By Jung Min-ho

A Korean delegation will make its last case for Busans bid to host the World Expo 2030 as representatives of 182 member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), a governing body for the event, are preparing to vote in Paris on Tuesday (local time) to determine the host city.

Before departing for Paris, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo voiced his optimism. The long, unforgettable Expo journey of Team Busan is now coming down to its "final page, he wrote in a statement posted on social media, Sunday.

My mind is calm. Since launching a private-public bidding committee on July 8 last year, we have met 3,472 people including heads of state during a 509-day period, flying a distance that would encircle the Earth 495 times, Han said. With an unwavering heart, we will do our best to the very end, hoping to bring good news to everyone we are grateful to.

Busan is competing fiercely with Saudi Arabias Riyadh and Italys Rome. Each bidder will be given an opportunity to deliver its final presentation at the BIEs 173rd General Assembly before representatives of the member states vote for the host city by secret ballot.

The bidding committee has not revealed who would be the speakers. Ban Ki-moon, former secretary-general of the United Nations, and Na Seung-yeon, who played a significant role in winning the hosting rights of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics with her powerful presentation, are among those mentioned as the potential speakers, according to officials.

With three candidates competing to host the Expo, the successful host nation must receive two-thirds of votes to win outright. But that scenario is unlikely as the contest appears to be tight, officials in Korea said.

If no candidate gathers two-thirds of votes cast in the first round, the third-place candidate is eliminated and the other two will immediately move to a second round. The host city will then be elected by a simple majority.

The Saudi capital is regarded as the strongest candidate, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman backing the kingdom-led campaign that, in the eyes of the competitors, promises to shower public investments in countries in return for their support. Dozens of countries have so far expressed their support for Riyadh, according to Arab media.

Yet Korean officials believe the gap is narrow and the outcome is impossible to foresee.

Under the theme Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future, they have attempted to sell the message of hope and vision to developing countries  mostly in Africa as well as Central and South America. They think Korea's extraordinary success story and Busans role in it could still be an inspiration for those seeking to emulate that story.

In recent months, Korean officials have concentrated resources on highlighting the Busan Initiatives, through which it offers long-term support for countries by providing training and knowhow rather than, say, financial aid for one-time construction projects.

In an encouraging move for Korean officials, Japan has decided to support Busans bid amid improving relations between Seoul and Tokyo, according to a report by Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese daily newspaper.

First opening in London in 1851 and quickly spreading to countries across the globe, the Expo  also known as the World Fair  has been a platform for great inventions and creative ideas. Taking place every five years and lasting up to six months, the event draws tens of millions of visitors from all over the world, providing a rare opportunity for the host city to promote its vision for the future and to transform itself.
A 9-year-old Israeli-Irish girl believed to be dead was unexpectedly freed Saturday as part of the hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.

Emily Hand was among the 17 hostages released Saturday, the second wave of 50 hostages planned to be released by Hamas by Monday after Israel and Hamas reached a short-term cease-fire deal this week.

The girls father, Thomas Hand, told CBS News that his daughter was at a sleepover at Kibbutz Beeri on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants unexpectedly attacked Israeli border settlements, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping about 240 more.

Thomas Hand was informed by the Israeli military that his daughter was killed, he told CBS News.

The thought of a little eight-year-old child in the hands of those animals Can you imagine the sheer horror for an 8-year-old child? he said.

But the military, weeks later, told him that his daughter may in fact be alive, as her remains were not found.

She was released to Israel on Saturday after 50 days in captivity.

Emily has come back to us! her family said in a statement to CBS News. We cant find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days.

The release of the second wave of hostages was delayed slightly Saturday after Hamas claimed Israel did not adequately supply humanitarian aid, as agreed. The two sides struck a deal hours later, however, and the hostage deal and cease-fire continued.

I am delighted that Emily Hand  a bright and beautiful young girl  has been released and will be reunited with her family, Micheal Martin, Irelands foreign affairs minister, said in a statement.

After weeks of trauma, this is a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family. The people of Ireland have been touched by Emilys story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father, Tom.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(FOX40.COM)  One person is dead after he spent nearly a week in the hospital following a vehicle collision on Bogue Road in Yuba City that caused an hours-long road closure.

My brother was in an accident on Highway 99 and Bogue Road on Nov. 15. He was the passenger in a vehicle that was struck by a semi-truck that was running a red light, said Gavin White who identified himself as the victims brother.

He said 23-year-old Jadyn Fife was killed. He would have been 24 on Nov. 20.

California Highway Patrol reported that at around 8:40 p.m., Gurninder Singh Rai drove a semi-truck north on Highway 99 in the second lane while approaching Bogue Road. At that time Dominic McKibbon was driving a Toyota south on Highway 99 and was turning left to eastbound Bogue Road.

The two vehicles reportedly collided and overturned north of the intersection, blocking all northbound and southbound lanes. The passenger of the Toyota was critically injured and was airlifted to Sutter Roseville Medical Center by Reach Air Ambulance.

Crash blocks all lanes on Highway 99 in Sutter County, Caltrans says

Officials say McKibbon suffered what appeared to be moderate injuries and was transported to Adventist Health + Rideout Hospital. He was moved to the Intensive Care Unit and was transferred to UC Davis Trauma Center for further treatment.

The highway was closed for four hours for scene cleanup. The intersection of Highway 99 at Bogue Road is controlled by a traffic light.

CHP said the passenger of the Toyota, Fife, succumbed to his injuries at Sutter Roseville Medical Center on Nov. 19 at 11:51 a.m.

We have been in the hospital for countless hours ever since this has happened and we are all devastated for our loss, White said.

CHP said the crash is still under investigation. Drugs or alcohol were not considered a factor in the crash.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian servicemen move past a burning car hit by a kamikaze drone outside the front line town of Avdiivka

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian servicemen move past a burning car hit by a kamikaze drone outside the front line town of Avdiivka

KYIV (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday thanked Ukraine's military for fighting Russian attacks and its rescue services for tackling the consequences of extreme winter weather that he said had deprived about 400 settlements in 10 regions of power.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said relentless, intense battles were ongoing in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv, while "extremely challenging weather" was affecting areas from Kyiv region in the north to Odesa in the south.

In Russian-controlled territory, Oleg Kryuchkov, a senior Moscow-installed official, said nearly half a million people were without power in Crimea, the peninsula Russia annexed in 2014.

The Russian-installed heads of Crimea, of the Black Sea port of Sevastopol, and of the part of Kherson region under Moscow's control, declared days off for Monday amid reports of high winds, flooded homes and snowbound roads, and damaged buildings.

Ukraine's border service said Moldova had temporarily suspended vehicle access to its territory from two crossing points in Odesa region. Moldovan authorities also asked local schools to consider closing due to snowfall and high winds.

Odesa Mayor Henadii Trukhanov urged residents of his Black Sea port to stay at home. Local authorities warned that water supplies were being interrupted by power cuts that stopped pumps from working and urged people to preserve supplies.

Power grid operator Ukrenergo shared a photograph of a transmission tower in Odesa region whose leg had snapped in two due to high winds, adding, "We are doing everything possible to overcome the consequences of the bad weather as soon as possible and restore light to every home."

(This story has been updated to remove incorrect images)

(Reporting by Oleksandr Kozhukhar in Kyiv, Alexander Tanas in Chisinau and Elaine Monaghan in Washington; Editing by Alexander Smith and David Gregorio)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked those responding to Russian terrorist attacks.

Source: President Zelenskyys video address

Quote: "Now, when it is so difficult, when the conditions are like this, we should all be especially grateful to those who are holding the line in our country, who are carrying out Ukrainian offensive operations, who are on the battlefield, on combat duty in mobile firing groups and in all our other units, who are protecting Ukraine, the life of our state and our independence.

Intense fighting continues at all times on Donetsk [Oblast  ed.] fronts and on the Kupiansk front in Kharkiv Oblast. Our soldiers are also holding their positions in the country's south: this is Zaporizhzhia Oblast, this is our Kherson Oblast.

I want to thank everyone who is giving a decent answer to the Russian terrorist attacks, those repelling the enemy's assaults now  and under such circumstances."

Details: The President, in particular, praised certain fighters, including soldier Oleh Danylchenko, a combat medic of the 110th Separate Mechanised Brigade; senior soldier Oleksii Tokariev and junior sergeant Mykola Tyshchenko, both from the 53rd Separate Mechanised Brigade; senior soldier Yaroslav Bazil and junior sergeants Ihor Ponomarenko and Serhii Kashyrin, all three from the 118th Separate Mechanised Brigade; soldier Andrii Shabelnyk from the 93rd Separate Mechanised Brigade; sergeant Andrii Tarhonii from the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade; junior sergeant Ihor Shapran from the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade; and soldier Oleksandr Voronenko from the 57th Motorised Brigade.

Background:

On the morning of 26 November, the occupiers claimed to have shot down 24 UAVs over Russia. Russians are also studying the new Ukrainian drones, resembling their own Shahed UAVs, that attacked them at night and on the morning of 26 November.

On the night of 24-25 November, Russia launched a record number of attack UAVs at Ukraine: a total of 75 Shahed drones, with 74 shot down.

According to Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrainian intelligence planned large-scale drone attacks on Russian regions on the night of 25-26 November in retaliation for the unprecedented Shahed drone attack Russia launched on Kyiv the night before.

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The challenges in arranging the secret transfer of MiG-29 aircraft and the supply of other weapons to Ukraine are detailed by Zbigniew Parafianowicz in the book Polska na Wojnie (Poland at War), with excerpts published by NV.

Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda, in a closed-door NATO meeting, announced his countrys readiness to establish a logistical base for transferring military equipment to Ukraine. This commitment was reiterated during the Bucharest Nine meeting, uniting Central European countries in the security sphere.

The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, later echoed this message, introducing the concept of Poland as a logistical hub into international discourse.

Journalist Zbigniew Parafianowicz discusses this in his book Polska na Wojnie (Poland at War), excerpts of which are published by NV.

Read also: Russia's efforts to foster discord between Ukraine and Poland suffer a setback

The chosen center for the transfer of weaponry to the Ukrainian side was Zeszow.

Americans asked us to determine a location to establish such a center, says a person from Dudas inner circle.

Lublin was undoubtedly in consideration. The president stated that it should be a city where Americans are present. The matter was clear: the center would be where the 82nd American Airborne Division is stationed. Russians know not to shoot at Americans. The discussion was effectively closed.

It was necessary to state clearly that the security of Poland is a top priority. Thats why Zeszow was chosen. We didnt want Russian missiles falling near Lublin.

The Polish leadership planned to transfer its MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine but aimed to do so in the safest manner for Poland. The Polish authorities were cautious, not wanting to expose their country to danger, as predicting Russias reaction and capabilities at that time was challenging.

The Americans even nudged Zelenskyy. He called Duda and expressed frustration that he was reluctant to transfer the equipment, the book states.

Read also: Journalist says mechanical fault forced emergency landing of Polish presidents plane early in Ukraine war

He asked, Andrzej, why are you treating me like this? He said that the situation was critical, and he needed the machines as soon as possible.

At the same time, Polish Deputy PM Jarosaw Kaczynski proposed transferring the aircraft during a meeting in the Ramstein format.

In a statement to NATO countries, especially to the Americans, it was said that we are ready to hand over those MiGs at any moment, said a source close to the Polish President.

Our pilots are transferring them to Ramstein (a city in Germany with a U.S. airbase, where on April 26, 2022, the first meeting of defense ministers from various countries regarding the war against Ukraine took place).

We dont care who sits in these MiGs, who will be at the controls, and where they will fly. Its not our business. We dont know if they will be Ukrainians or citizens of Paraguay. We know nothing.

But the Americans started bothering us. They asked what game we were playing. We also asked what game they were playing. If they dont like our idea, how are we supposed to understand their position? Does the base in Ramstein have a different NATO category than Zeszow or Lublin? Does Germany have more protection than Poland? They didnt answer anything.

Read also: Poland has handed over nearly all of its MiG-29s, but cant provide F-16s, says Duda

The White House strongly criticized Polands initiative to transfer the aircraft to Ramstein. When Zelenskyy pointed out that Ukraine simply didnt have time for such discussions, the U.S. began shifting blame and responsibility to Warsaw, Parafianowicz says, citing sources.

However, Dudas team had its own unique plan for the transfer of the aircraft. The Poles decided to dismantle about a dozen of their MiGs into parts and leave them in various sections of the forest along the state border for the Ukrainians to retrieve. And so it happened.

The Americans asked if (the planes) could be put back together, recounts one of the Polish ministers. I replied that I think its possible. Sullivan inquired about how and where they (Ukrainians) assembled them. I answered, In the forest. As it turned out later, I wasnt even lying much. The planes took off from highways. They adapted their highways to the standard of takeoff and landing strips with compartments for fighters.

As stated in the book, such roads that can serve as takeoff and landing strips exist at least in the Kyiv and Odesa oblasts.

Our military says its impossible to assemble these planes after theyve been dismantled, adds a high-ranking Polish official. However, it turned out that the Ukrainians can. For them, there are no borders. They are very creative!

Parafianowiczs sources also mention that the significance of this operation was not only that the Ukrainians acquired the planes.

There werent many of these MiGs, no morethan ten, notes one of the Polish ministers. But the confusion was significant. Besides rearming Zelenskyy, we were improving relations with the Americans. The style of conversation. Its not excluded that this was even more important than the machines themselves.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
NAGOYA, Nov 26 ( News On Japan ) - Panicked passengers on a Shinkansen bullet train were evacuated at a central Japan station on Friday night, after a plastic bag containing suspicious liquid was found onboard.

The incident occurred just before 9 PM at Toyohashi Station, where firefighters in full protective gear prepared to examine a white plastic bag lying near the exit of Hikari 657, bound for Shin-Osaka from Tokyo.

After evacuating passengers and inspecting the contents, the bag was deemed safe and determined to be trash from a lunchbox.

The emergency situation caused a temporary suspension of services on the Tokyo to Osaka-bound line.
An Iowa hospital worker was forced to resign in September after co-workers reported they suspected he was intoxicated.

According to state records, Kevin K. Bennett worked as a full-time patient access professional for Jennie Edmundson Memorial Hospital in Council Bluffs prior to his termination on Sept. 5, 2023. Typically, patient access professionals guide patients through the admission process and answer any questions they have.

Bennett resigned after being asked to submit to drug and alcohol testing due to what the hospital felt was a reasonable suspicion that he was under the influence while on duty.

At a subsequent hearing dealing with his request for unemployment benefits, Bennett stated that his father had died recently and he had been drinking the night of Sept. 4, 2023. Bennett stated he drank more than normal, but stopped drinking at midnight. Six hours later, he arrived at work  although, he testified, he probably shouldnt have gone to work that day.

Shortly after he arrived, Bennetts co-workers began to express concern about his sobriety. When Bennetts supervisor arrived at the office that morning, shed already received multiple messages of concern from Bennetts co-workers. After speaking with Bennett, the supervisor allegedly noticed he was slurring his words, had watery eyes, was not being able to focus, and was falling asleep.

The supervisor asked Bennett to take a drug and alcohol test, which Bennett allegedly refused to do. After an administrator came to the supervisors office and explained that a refusal could lead to a termination, Bennett resigned, hospital officials alleged.

At the unemployment hearing, Bennett testified that he was simply told to go home, which he did.

Administrative Law Judge Blair Bennett presided over the hearing. She ruled that Kevin Bennett had offered testimony that was not believable. This may be because of his state of intoxication when he went to work. But his statement that the administrator did not ever come to the office of the supervisor indicates a person who may have blacked out while he was at work, thereby tainting or eliminating his memory of the events.

The judge ruled the evidence in the case had failed to establish that Bennett had voluntarily quit for good cause due to the hospitals own actions, and she affirmed a fact-finders decision to deny him benefits.
UN Special Rapporteur for human rights defenders Mary Lawlor starts this Sunday a ten-day visit to Algeria to urge local authorities to respect freedom of speech and stop human rights violations.

On this occasion, 12 NGOs, including the World Organization against Torture (OMCT), called on Ms. Lawlor to focus on the harassment and intimidation campaign targeting human rights defenders as hundreds of militants and journalists have been tossed in jails solely for exercising their rights to freedom of speech, association, and peaceful assembly.

They also expressed alarm about the erosion of the human rights situation in Algeria and the systematic crackdown against human rights defenders.

They cited the case of reprisals against Ahmed Manseri, President of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (Ligue algerienne pour la defense des droits de lHomme, LADDH) in Tiaret. He was arrested on 8 October 2023 and sentenced to one year in prison under spurious charges of disseminating documents that harm the national interest, incitement to unarmed assembly, and attack on the integrity of the national territory.

On 17 September 2023, Manseri met with the UN special rapporteur on freedom of association and peaceful assembly, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, during his visit to Algeria September 16  26.

The NGOs called on the Algerian regime to refrain from any acts of reprisal aimed at punishing or intimidating human rights defenders. Over the past two years, the Algerian repressive regime has shut down almost all spaces for dissent.

The Algerian authorities have dismantled most independent civil society groups that were created to defend human rights, and have shuttered the remaining media outlets that represent voices of resistance in the face of the prevailing authoritarianism in the country.

Prominent associations such as the LADDH and the Youth Action Rally (Rassemblement Actions Jeunesse, RAJ), created in 1989 and 1992 respectively, have been dissolved by the administrative tribunal merely for activities that are inherent to their mandate, such as hosting conferences critical of the authorities, meeting with foreign activists, or defending minority rights.

Furthermore, Nacer Meghnine, the president of the association SOS Bab el-Oued, was sentenced to one year in prison after police found publications in the premises of the association denouncing repression, arbitrary arrests, and torture.

Several human rights defenders have been forced to flee the country due to constant intimidation, harassment, prosecution and arbitrary detention for speaking up against repression.

During her visit to Algeria, Ms. Lawlor will meet with government officials, the National Human Rights Council, members of civil society, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, academics, and other relevant stakeholders.

The Special Rapporteur will also hold meetings with the UN country team and representatives of diplomatic missions.
Foreign ministerial meeting held in Busan after 4-year hiatus

By Lee Hyo-jin

BUSAN  The foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China vowed, Sunday, to arrange a summit of their leaders at the earliest possible date after failing to reach an agreement on an exact timeline in their rare gathering.

The trilateral foreign ministers' meeting was the first of its kind in four years, bringing together South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and his respective Chinese and Japanese counterparts Wang Yi and Yoko Kamikawa in the southeastern port city of Busan.

"We reaffirmed our commitment to convene a summit, which is the pinnacle of the trilateral cooperation framework, at the earliest convenient time for all parties, and promised to expedite the preparations for the upcoming summit," Park said in a press briefing held shortly after the meeting.

He did not elaborate any further on the timeline of the anticipated summit.

Discussions about the summit are underway with several proposed dates, but we have yet to reach an agreement, a senior ministry official said during a closed-door briefing.

The foreign ministers' meeting was widely anticipated to give momentum to setting the timeline for the resumption of the annual trilateral summit gathering the leaders of the Asian neighbors, which has been suspended for four years since the last one held in China's Chengdu in December 2019.

During a meeting between senior foreign ministry officials of the three nations in September, they agreed to resume the trilateral summit at the earliest convenient time.

With discussions on setting the timeline making little progress, it is said that three nations are looking at possible dates for the summit in early 2024, given that only one month is left in this year.

Sunday's ministerial gathering was a sign of revival in trilateral cooperation among the neighboring countries, which has been weakened in recent years amid diplomatic disputes and global hegemonic conflicts.

"Despite the high potential for cooperation among the three countries, our partnerships have faced various setbacks due to changes in the international environment and bilateral relations. As such, today's meeting, held after four years and three months, signals a significant step toward the restoration and normalization of cooperation between South Korea, Japan and China, Park said in his opening remarks.

The South Korean minister also called for bolstered partnership in addressing security threats in the region prompted by North Koreas increasing belligerence, highlighted by the regime's launch of a military spy satellite last week.

Since launching the satellite on Tuesday night, Pyongyang has been touting the success of its self-described space guard, which it claims has captured photos of major target regions in South Korea including Seoul and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province, where key U.S. military bases are located.

Kamikawa, for her part, said, "The global environment is becoming more difficult and complex than ever, with challenges ranging from Russia's invasion of Ukraine to increased threats in the Middle East and escalating tensions by North Korea."

She hoped for forward-looking and constructive cooperation among the neighboring countries to tackle various regional and global challenges.

It was Kamikawas first visit to South Korea as Japans top diplomat since she took office in September.

The Chinese foreign minister said the decades-long ties between the three Asian nations have brought mutual benefits to each country, and hoped for the normalization of the trilateral partnership that had been scaled down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year's trilateral gathering was the first of its kind in four years and three months.

After the inaugural foreign ministerial meeting held on South Koreas Jeju Island in 2007, the three nations took turns hosting the event, which was convened nine times before it came to a halt after the last one in Beijing in 2019, due mainly to strained relations between South Korea and Japan over historical grievances as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to the event, discussions had been underway for the three ministers to hold a joint press briefing after their discussions, followed by a dinner hosted by Park, but the plans were canceled reportedly due to Wang's limited time in Korea.

On the sidelines of the three-way meeting, Park sat down for separate talks with Wang and Kamikawa earlier in the day.

The meeting with his Japanese counterpart focused on bolstering partnerships in the economy, security and people-to-people exchanges, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.

"The ministers also exchanged views about pending issues in bilateral relations which included a recent Seoul High Court ruling issued on Nov. 23 that ordered Japan to compensate South Korean victims of wartime sex slavery," a senior ministry official said during a closed-door briefing.

According to the official, the Japanese top diplomat reiterated her government's position issued last week that the ruling is contrary to a deal signed by the two governments in 2015 to "irreversibly" resolve the wartime sex slavery issue.

Park replied that the South Korean government respects the 2015 agreement, while stressing that the two sides should make joint efforts to restore the honor and dignity of the victims as stated in the agreement.

The official commented that the meeting between Park and Kamikawa proceeded in a friendly mood, saying that it lasted for 85 minutes  25 minutes longer than scheduled  as the two ministers laid out areas of future cooperation.

In a sign of the warm bilateral relations, it is said that Japan has recently expressed support for South Koreas candidacy to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan. The port city is competing with Saudi Arabias Riyadh and Italys Rome, with the host city to be decided during a vote at the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) general assembly in Paris, Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the bilateral meeting between Park and Wang, which took place amid strained relations between the two nations, highlighted their differing views on key diplomatic issues.

"Both ministers reaffirmed their fundamental position on developing a healthy and mature relationship based on mutual respect, reciprocity and common interests," a ministry official told reporters.

During the meeting, the South Korean side requested China's constructive role in addressing North Korea's nuclear threats, mentioning that Pyongyang's latest satellite launch violated multiple U.N. resolutions and threatened the stability of the Korean Peninsula.

Wang replied that China will help to stabilize tensions on the peninsula, without providing further details on how, according to the official.

In response to Park's "strong demand" to refrain from repatriating North Korean escapees against their will, Wang said the Chinese government will stick to its current stance of making decisions based on domestic and international laws as well as from a humanitarian perspective.
Conservatives obsession with Dylan Mylvaney is bizarre

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It's more than bizarre, it's insidious. Especially using her name as an "-ization"; it's so deliberate and obvious that they're relying on the continued hate of one (1) trans person to fan the flames of their renewed hate crusades.



Dylan does not deserve this. She has never deserved any of this. And it breaks my fucking heart.

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it's scary tbh. i can't imagine being targeted like that by the worst people in this country

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Growing up i was obsessed with frosted Flakes. When i would eat them, i never had just one bowl, it was 2, maybe 3.



The older i get, the more concerned about my sugar intake bc it's in everything (in the usa) and I'm scared of the possibly of diabetes.



The idea of doing that popular sugar is mostly off the table bc i love carbs and fear what a month of intense restriction would do to my head.



Does this make sense?

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Nah I totally get that--I try to monitor my sugar intake now as best as possible, but I had such a sweet tooth as a teen (thank god I've grown out of it)

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if you're concerned about your sugar intake, you should get your bloodwork done and talk to a dr about it before trying restrictive diets

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I don't think I was clear :( I don't want to do the extreme no-sugar diet. sorry for being confusing

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I agree with the second person. Youre not guaranteed to get diabetes just because you eat a lot of sugar. It makes you a more likely candidate, but its not definite. So, speak to a doctor, share your family history (esp if it includes diabetes), and then take the necessary steps to limit your sugar/carb intake without restricting to the point of causing more issues for your body.

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Ill co-sign bellwetherrs comment and suggest getting a blood panel done before making a huge diet change. While diet can be a factor when it comes to type 2 diabetes, its not the only one. Your body could react in an unexpected way if you try to cut out all sugars at once.



Edited at 2023-11-26 03:23 am (UTC)

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I know you clarified that you weren't super serious about cutting all sugar, but it is useful to just know what your numbers look like in general! doctors think they can tell by looking at someone, but they really can't (I know this because doctors are always assuming my sugar is bad but it's actually perfect). If your numbers are in good shape then you don't need to worry about it and can carry on without anxiety!

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I don't know if you could do a no-sugar diet even if you wanted to. John Oliver did an ep. on sugar in America and we truly do put that shit on EVERYTHING. I was stunned that a good amount of it was even in cesar salad dressing. like wtf??



Edited at 2023-11-26 03:44 pm (UTC)

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Yeah I've always been into sweets, and I've been trying to cut down the last few months. It's really hard. I think completely cutting them out is difficult but if you can even cut down in certain areas, it's probably helpful. I try to only have chocolate a couple of times a week when before it would be almost everyday :/ lol

Over time I want to reduce it down gradually even more.

If you can focus on reducing added sugars and embrace the sugars from fruits and dairy (if you eat it, like from milk or yogurt) I think you'd be off to a great start just health wise.

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Where do people find the time lol

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When you stay at home raising 5 children bc your husband doesn't think a woman's plce is outside of the home you get a lot of free time when they go to school (and presumably read similar books about *checks* an accessible city.)

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A better use of their time would be getting a hot personal trainer or tennis instructor but theyre dumb and transphobic so its what they deserve

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oh i just remembered i saw it in a last week tonight story



https://youtu.be/lzsZP9o7SlI?si=NMDK89Hyc11LlAXy&t=437







WAIT IT'S MORE THAN 75%!!!! WHAT THE FUCK



Edited at 2023-11-26 01:39 am (UTC) i think they probably homeschool them, but i saw a tiktok of a kid who was homeschooled and they showed their schedule. like 75% of it was just chores. so yeah, i guess they do have the time even if they homeschool their kids. did you know that most states don't even check on homeschooled kids?oh i just remembered i saw it in a last week tonight storyWAIT IT'S MORE THAN 75%!!!! WHAT THE FUCK

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when you are oppressed in no way, shape or form and are a complete basic bitch of a human being with no imagination whatsoever, I guess it can take its toll and you need to find ways to feel valid and interesting

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i am begging these people to develop positive, productive hobbies

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Gay Nutcracker is excessive like just say nutcracker how could it be anything else BUT gay

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pretty much every pas de deux is two people that enjoy dick.

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Otherwise, it's plain Cheerios. This is my favorite sweet cereal: https://my-french-grocery.com/product/chocolate-hazelnut-cereal-tresor/ Otherwise, it's plain Cheerios.

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'Dylanization' omg. I hope Dylan is ok, so sad she gets all this hate. Maybe she could own it and make some Dylanization merch ha

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Lol Dylan is fine, living her best life. These idiots really think they can get to her, but all theyre doing is exposing her to new people who just keep following her and fight the idiots in her comments.

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i'd buy it

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Whoa, my friend wrote Maggies Chopsticks. I had no idea it was considered a "controversial" book. I hope this encourages more people to buy and read it.

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Let me add it to books to read to my niece

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He has also written another book: Yay! Next time I see him I'm going to tell him about these comments! <3He has also written another book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51208298-david-jumps-in

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love this promo for her!

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I know what Im getting my nieces and nephews for Christmas.

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let me see if the org i work for has it in its library

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i read the end wokeness tweet about it and some of the replies. seems like the book itself isn't controversial but the word "diverse" being used to advertise the books that froot loops is providing.

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Gonna get this book for my nephews and niece! 

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Im getting this for my kid. She loves trying to use chopsticks!

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ONTD DOES READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1



WE DID IT JOE.GIF



may your friend get a nobel peace prize just for this accomplishment!

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love all this free promo your friend is getting <3

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I never eat Froot Loops anymore, but made an exception for my niece this morning and now this. Sigh, ok, lemme go stock up on Froot Loops now.



Also, why is that weirdo whos so against a black disabled Santa wearing a spaghetti strap top on a news show? Arent they all about modesty (for women only, obv)? Hmm?

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covid should've taken these people

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You had ONE job Covid!!!!!

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but it's NON conservatives that were labeled the snowflakes right? LMAO

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Every accusation is a confession tbh

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conservatives are the masters of projection

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i question whether they're at all capable of self awareness at this point.

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tbh my favorite cereals are Life, Total, and Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, and I don't even eat cereal all that much, because it's not a good ROI for the cost.

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Also Froot Loops are constantly nasty anyway. Also FLs are by Kellogg's, right, so wouldn't ANY Kellogg's cereal be under their boycott??

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I havent seen them on the BDS list, is it for something else? Its getting tough to keep up with eek

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If conservatives were boycotting froot loops because they have an online library, they're probably not the only cereal under Kellogg's to have that library, so they would be boycotting Kellogg's as a whole.

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haven't had them in forever but froot loops always hurt the roof of my mouth, lol

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Yes! Froot Loops are owned by Kellogg's, and they've been doing this for YEARSSSS.



The free books can be redeemed from buying just about any Kellogg's product, not just cereal. You can buy stuff like Frosted Flakes, Mini Wheats, Eggos, Cheez-itz, Rice Krispie Treats, Pop-Tarts etc...



The books they send are high quality, usually hardcover, and there's a huge variety from early readers to middle school level chapter books to teen/young adult.



It's really an amazing way to get free books for buying stuff most families get anyway.

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This fucking loser Riley. She can't admit she's a shit swimmer and wants to take it out on everyone else.

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omg, THAT'S who that is??????? what a loser (literally)

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Im about to make a fruit loops inspired book display at my library. These dummies.

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I hope you have Chika Chika Boom Boom.

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chopsticks and crosswalks are "woke" now?



huh.

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Another Israeli-linked shipping vessel has been targeted by Iran-backed forces against the backdrop of the Gaza war. A US defense official was cited in the Associated Press as describing that a container ship owned by an Israeli businessman came under attack by an Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone on Friday.

Separately, the pan-Arab satellite channel Al Mayadeen said an Israeli ship was targeted. The Malta-flagged, French-operated CMA CGM Symi vessel was in international waters when the suicide drone armed with a bomb exploded into the ship, causing damage but not resulting in injury to crew members.

CMA CGM Symi vessel at port, via AP

The US official cited in AP said "we continue to monitor the situation closely" but did not cite any specific evidence showing Iran to be behind the attack.

Maritime security company Ambrey said the vessel had departed a port in the UAE, and soon the ship's tracking signal went offline. "The vessel was managed by an Israeli-affiliated company, which was assessed to be the reason why it was targeted," a statement from the security company said.

As for Israeli ties, The Times of Israel has learned that "The ship, its cargo, its operating company and its points of departure and destination did not appear to have any clear ties to Israel. Rather, the Symi is leased to CMA CGM by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is a company ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer."

According to further emerging details:

CMA CGM, a major shipper based in Marseille, France, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the vessels crew had been behaving as though they believed the ship faced a threat. ...The ship had its Automatic Identification System tracker switched off since Tuesday when it left Dubais Jebel Ali port, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP.

Thus it's likely the crew switched off the tracker as it suspected a drone was overhead seeking to target the ship. In the attack aftermath, a statement from the operator indicated that as of Saturday, "The vessel in question is currently sailing as planned" and that "all crew are safe and well."

The following unverified photograph is widely circulating on Saturday...

Tensions have increased in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf areas on fears that Iran-backed groups could escalate attacks on shipping. The Houthis on Nov. 21 seized an Israeli-linked shipping vessel and are holding the 25 international crew members hostage.

The still captured Galaxy Leader is ultimately owned by Ray Car Carriers, which was founded by Abraham "Rami" Ungar. With an estimated 2019 net worth of more than $2 billion, he's among Israel's 30 wealthiest individuals. The Biden administration is now threatening to formally designate the Houthis a terrorist organization. The White House has also alleged that Iran is complicit in the hijacking of the Galaxy Leader. It's as yet unclear whether this latest drone attack had Houthi involvement.

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Even if theres no snow on the ground, you can still enjoy a White Christmas at the Durham Museum this holiday season.

The museum is partnering with the Rosemary Clooney House Museum and private collectors Stephen and Heather French Henry to host White ChristmasThe Exhibition until Jan. 28. Along with the music of Irving Berlin, the film features a star-studded cast of Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen.

Visit the Durham and see film costumes created by legendary designer Edith Head, movie props, sheet music, behind-the-scenes photos, archival materials and more. The exhibit features some of the most iconic costumes such as the blue Sisters dresses and Vera-Ellens sparkling Mandy dance outfit.

To learn more visit durhammuseum.org.

In conjunction with the exhibit, Film Streams Ruth Sokolof Theater will host screenings of the movie throughout the week of Dec. 15. Visit filmstreams.org.

Ollie the Trolley doing holiday light tours

Ollie the Trolley has been doing Holiday Light Tours for 38 years.

See the most beautifully decorated homes in Omaha during the holidays aboard one of its six trolleys or a shuttle van. It offers both private and public tours.

Private tours are offered seven days a week, from 7 to 9 p.m. during the week, 5 to 7 p.m. and 8 to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

To book a group tour, call 402-597-3596, or email info@olliethetrolley.com.

Public tours are offered Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 7 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 5 to 7 and 8 and 10 p.m., and Sundays from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $35 per person, and children under 7 are free.

To purchase one or more individual tickets for a public tours, visit olliethetrolley.com and click on the Tours tab.

Raising Canes raising funds for animal rescue

Raising Canes is giving back this holiday season with its annual Plush Puppies Fundraiser, selling limited-edition plush puppies and donating 100% of local net proceeds from area restaurants to Haven Animal Rescue Nebraska.

The local foster-based all-volunteer rescue is devoted to helping abandoned, suffering and homeless dogs and cats of all breeds.

Plush puppies are available to purchase in-restaurant for $9.99 plus tax. The fundraiser runs until Dec. 31.

VNA offers flu shots to those who cant travel

As part of its commitment to creating healthier communities, Visiting Nurse Association is now providing free in-home flu vaccinations to residents of Sarpy and Cass Counties experiencing substantial barriers to getting a flu shot.

Eligible participants have complex health concerns that place them at higher risk for flu complications while also experiencing barriers to obtaining annual vaccinations, such as low income, a lack of health insurance or limited transportation options. The program is supported by a $3,000 grant from the Midlands Community Foundation.

Everyone deserves access to a flu vaccination, regardless of their financial situation, insurance availability or access to transportation, said Carole Patrick, Ph.D., interim CEO of VNA. VNA is grateful to the Midlands Community Foundation for its support to protect the health and wellbeing of those in need in Sarpy and Cass counties.

In-home flu vaccination services will be offered throughout the 2023 flu season, which typically increases in intensity throughout the winter. VNA encourages people to seek out a vaccination as soon as possible to prevent the flu.

Residents of Sarpy and Cass Counties who are interested in learning more, determining eligibility or scheduling an appointment may contact Katie Pile, immunization coordinator, at kpile@vnatoday.org or 402-930-4000. Appointments take about 15-30 minutes.

Learning Community names interim CEO

The Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties has appointed an interim CEO with a background in community service, youth empowerment and advocating for under-resourced communities.

Gerald Kuhns appointment to the role was unanimously approved by the Learning Community Coordinating Council at its Nov. 16 council meeting.

In previous positions, Kuhn has served local community organizations and governmental bodies, including Mosaic, Jesuit Academy, Boy Scouts of America and the City of Omaha. Kuhn replaces Dr. Bradley Ekwerekwu, who resigned from the CEO position effective Nov. 17.

Im honored to have been appointed interim CEO of the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties, Kuhn said. Throughout my career, Ive focused on serving organizations that improve community and uplift young people, two qualities Ive long admired in the Learning Community. Dr. Ekwerekwu has led with purpose and integrity, and the Learning Community is better for his leadership.

Scooters Coffee raises fund for the Pink Agenda

Through a $277,032 donation that was presented to the Pink Agenda, Scooters Coffee will help the organization provide valuable resources such as funding for life-saving breast cancer research and raising awareness.

From Sept. 27 to Oct. 31, and in connection with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, customers across the 30-state Scooters Coffee footprint supported this research by collectively purchasing 461,673 Courage Cookies and/or by adding a donation to their order  the donations and 20% of the cookie sales will directly support breast cancer research.

Since 2020, Scooters Coffee has donated nearly $676,000 to The Pink Agenda and sold more than 1 million Courage Cookies across its footprint. Due to significant progress in breast cancer research, there are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

We appreciate the unwavering support from our new and loyal customers as they rallied behind this cause. Our gratitude also extends to our dedicated franchisees and employees who made this important initiative happen. To The Pink Agenda  thank you  for your dedication and incredible work to end this disease, said Bill Black, chief community officer at Scooters Coffee.

The Pink Agenda funds four major research projects through its strategic partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. These projects aim to: improve survivorship and treatment approaches; eliminate disparities in access to care in ethnically diverse communities; investigate risk factors to inform preventative strategies; and understand genetic risks.
Dr. Luis Padilla stops before walking through the curtains.

This moment, right before darkness turns into dazzling greenery and light, is Padillas favorite. Its also intentional.

Padilla, the president and CEO of Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, wants visitors walking through those curtains and into the Lied Jungle to have what he calls The Wizard of Oz effect.

Youre in one space. Its kind of dark. Its kind of gloomy, he said. And then as you walk through the curtains ...

Inside is the largest indoor rainforest in the United States. Its full of lush green plants, monkeys swinging from vines, colorful squawking macaws and pygmy hippos wading in water  all living with the ever-present sound of a rushing waterfall.

On a morning earlier this month, Padilla walked through the jungle exhibit among dozens of guests. He took a photo of a missing sign that needed to be fixed. He peered around a large rock to look up at hundreds of bats and marveled at how most people walk past without noticing them.

A guest stopped Padilla.

So, who are you? she asked. You seem important.

Were all important, Padilla told her with a laugh. Im the zoo director.

One year into leading one of Omahas most cherished institutions, Padilla is still adjusting to that attention.

Last November, Padilla replaced Dennis Pate, who led the zoo for 13 years and steered it through a period of ambitious expansion, the COVID-19 pandemic and further cemented the zoo as a major tourist attraction.

Padilla, who started his career as a veterinarian, is now charged with helping write the zoos next chapter.

He is responsible for all facets of the zoos management, including animal programs, scientific research, guest services, education and facilities. He oversees a $60 million budget and more than 1,000 staff members.

The zoo is not only a source of local pride but also an important economic driver in the city. In 2015, a study found that the zoos average economic impact on the Omaha community is more than $200 million annually.

Deborah Ward said the zoo is consistently used in advertisements to draw people to Omaha. Ward is the executive director of Visit Omaha, the citys convention and visitors bureau.

Its an ever-evolving product, Ward said. It really helps us promote Omaha and helps us entice visitors year after year after year to our city, which then helps hotels and restaurants and other attractions. It feeds into the whole economic cycle.

Its also the place that Omahans take family and friends visiting from other states.

When you think of Omaha, you probably think of steaks, Warren Buffett, the zoo and the College World Series, Ward said. That gives us a lot more than other cities have.

From Dr. Lee Simmons to Pate, Ward said, each zoo director has left his own mark on the zoo while elevating it to new heights. After meeting Padilla, Ward said its clear he wants to do the same.

He is totally passionate about making the zoo even better, Ward said.

During Padillas first year, USA Today named the zoo the nations best in its annual 10Best Readers Choice Awards, the Lied Jungle reopened after being closed for repairs, renovations began on a revamped Hubbard Orangutan Forest, plans began on a new on-site animal hospital, and the new zoo director met with zoo staff to learn about what they need.

The renovation of the Hubbard Orangutan Forest, which opens early next year, is a preview of the next 10 years at the zoo, Padilla said. The zoo has had orangutans since the 1960s, when it was common to show animals in cages with little else in them.

And now we know that for people to create that sense of wonder, curiosity, caring, empathy for the animals, we have to do it in a different way, Padilla said.

That starts with putting the animals needs first and foremost.

To do that, Padilla said the zoo also needs to work within its existing infrastructure.

You cant rely on everything being: level it and build something new, he said. How do we embrace the infrastructure that we have? The traditions and the legacy of some of these spaces. How do we make them fresh? Make them new?

The Desert Dome isnt going anywhere, but it opened in 2002.

How do we manage animals in that space? How do we get people in and out? How do we keep it fresh and dynamic? Same with the Jungle. Were going to have to be doing those investments to make sure that its modern, its impactful, its talking to the audiences and the guests of today.

Padillas first introduction to Omaha came in the 1990s when he visited the city for a national zoo veterinary conference. He remembers chatting with a taxi driver on the way from the airport to the convention center. When Padilla told him why he was in town, the driver replied that he must know Doc Simmons then.

The taxi driver knows the zoo director by name? Padilla remembers thinking.

Padilla had never encountered anything like it.

It was childhood trips to his local zoo in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, that set Padilla on the path to Omaha.

Padilla vividly remembers going to the zoo with his parents and seeing a white rhino for the first time.

This beautiful large animal like nothing else, Padilla said. I remember some kids were yelling at it to try to get it to move. I remember how angry it made me to see people harassing an animal.

Those were things that resonated. I want to protect these animals. I want to help these animals.

Padilla, to the annoyance of his siblings, wanted to read every sign at the zoo. He corrected them if they misidentified an animal.

Its not a pig, its a tapir, Padilla remembers telling his sister. Theyre native to South America and Southeast Asia.

Padilla volunteered at the zoo in high school and decided he specifically wanted to work with more than just cats and dogs.

Theres so much to nature and our role in the world is so dependent on wildlife, whether its animals or plants, and I felt like that was really where I wanted to learn and be a part of, Padilla said.

Padilla, who primarily spoke Spanish until he went to college, attended Cornell University, where he received his undergraduate degree and doctorate in veterinary medicine.

Padilla spent the first 20 years of his career as a practicing veterinarian at the St. Louis Zoo, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the Smithsonian National Zoo and the Oklahoma City Zoo.

Anything from a sick fish, a sick elephant and anything in between that size, Padilla said.

He was often tasked with figuring out how to diagnose something in a species hed never worked with or seen before.

How you get a diagnostic sample from a piece of coral is going to be very different than you would from a person, but youre still using the same problem-solving approach, and thats the art in science, Padilla said.

It was a sick baby elephant that changed Padillas career path.

While working at the St. Louis Zoo, Padilla was caring for a baby elephant with a herpes virus. For three days straight and with no sleep, Padilla did everything he could to save the elephant. When she died, the herd of elephants mourned the loss.

The sounds, the effect on the rest of the herd when this baby elephant passed away, it was haunting, he said. They were mourning. They were vocalizing. They were very upset that the baby elephant passed away.

The team of human caretakers were also devastated. Padilla said he began to realize he could have a bigger impact on animals if he helped the people caring for them learn and grow.

Exponentially, what I learn, what I figure out, what I discovered and taught somebody else is having an impact on a lot more animals than if Im just trying to do it all myself, Padilla said. Theres an aspect to leadership and mentorship and putting teams together that can really, really be impactful.

Padilla began taking more leadership roles, eventually serving as the vice president of animal collections at the St. Louis Zoo, overseeing all the care and well-being of the zoos animals and animal care teams. That was his job before taking over the top role in Omaha.

During his first year, Padilla said some of his most exciting work has been conversations with the zoos staff and getting to know what they need. Those conversations prompted compensation studies, strategies and revisiting job descriptions.

We couldnt do it without them, Padilla said of the zoos staff. These are highly trained, highly specialized, highly devoted, passion-driven people. And I take great pride in making sure we are culture-first. How do we give people that sense of belonging? That is the heart of our operation.

One of those conversations with the zoos giraffe team prompted Padilla to embrace a new philosophy on transparency and storytelling.

They said: I wish we would tell more of our stories. We do amazing work. And we know it, Padilla said. But sometimes we are so afraid of the risk of, well, what if something goes wrong that wed rather not tell the story. I took that really to heart.

As a result of that conversation, Padilla and zoo staff decided to feature a pregnant giraffe and share her story publicly, highlighting all the work that goes on behind the scenes with weekly ultrasounds and calorie adjustments. It was all supposed to end with a cute healthy baby giraffe.

But the worst-case scenario happened with first-time mom Zola when the baby was born on March 19.

She didnt know how to care for her baby, she didnt know how to nurse it, she was afraid of her baby, Padilla said. And that happens in the animal world just like it happens in people.

The baby was tiny in giraffe terms  5-foot-7 and 108 pounds. After eight to 10 hours, zoo staff decided to intervene.

It was weeks before zoo staff knew the reticulated giraffe, eventually named Hope, was out of danger. And it took a village to keep her alive.

Hospital veterinarians had to come up with the correct kind of milk and a plan of action, which included plasma transfusions from dad Jawara. The 11 members of the hoof barn staff took turns being with Hope night and day to monitor her condition. They nursed her through a gastrointestinal infection and a few other ailments.

The zoo shared the story of Hopes scary start with the public and explained everything they had done for the now-healthy Hope. They made and sold T-shirts with Hope on them and donated all the proceeds to giraffe conservation.

If it had gone the way that it couldve with Hope not making it, we were still going to be transparent, Padilla said. The community wouldve been sad, and we wouldve been disappointed and sad and probably wouldve had detractors and criticism, but we would still stick with the transparency of what happened. I feel we owe that transparency to our community, to our guests, to our everything.

Padilla said he believes that transparent storytelling is key to the core of the zoos mission  conservation.

We want to inspire, engage, educate so that people can care about the conservation of wildlife and wild places, he said.

This year, the zoo in collaboration with the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership and the Arbor Day Foundation planted its six-millionth tree while working to reconnect the fragmented forests of Madagascar.

Madagascar is a better place today because of the efforts of Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo and our scientists, Padilla said.

Since 2005, the zoos Amphibian Conservation Area has released 131,211 animals back into the wild  from the critically endangered Puerto Rican crested toad to the dusky gopher frog  hoping to shore up dwindling populations through reproduction and reintroduction.

In the aquarium, Padilla said his Midwestern zoo is teaching people on the coasts how to propagate coral that can go back to restore coral reefs off the coast of Florida.

Conservation does not need to be a doom-and-gloom story, Padilla said.

When you look at things that we can do, theres hope, he said.

Padilla, who doesnt often wear clothing with the zoos logo, likes to walk around the zoo as much as possible.

He spends a lot of time in the Lied Jungle. He finds a bench where he can sit and think. Or, like he did on a morning earlier this month, Padilla watches the guests.

A curious little boy stuck his head through the curtains at the Jungles entrance. A woman, her mouth open in awe, took a photo on the wooden bridge.

We want those sticky emotions when you come to the zoo to turn into a memory that makes you care about an animal, Padilla said.

Not everyone who goes to the zoo will leave so inspired they become a veterinarian or a zoo director. Padilla said the goal is smaller than that.

We do want everybody to have better respect and appreciation and understanding of the natural world and the animals behind it, he said. If we can get every visitor, every guest, every person that sees our name to make a connection with a wild animal or a wild place  we are successful.

Photos: The Henry Doorly Zoo through the years
Winter cold has begun to curtail road construction around the Omaha metro area. But utility work  planned, or unplanned because of water-main breaks  continues to disrupt traffic in the city.

Traffic has been squeezed to two lanes on Q Street between South 33rd and South 36th Streets in South Omaha since last Sunday morning.

Thats when a vehicle smashed into a fire hydrant before 6 a.m. and broke the connection to a 12-inch water main. Emergency repairs restored the pipe and the hydrant within nine hours, said Tracey Christensen, a Metropolitan Utilities District spokeswoman.

Still, a 20-foot hole remained in the road with pipes exposed several days later. A press release from Omaha Public Works warns that utility work will continue until Saturday, with traffic restricted to one lane in each direction.

Just two blocks to the east, Q Street already had been narrowed to two lanes between 30th and 31st Streets because of a separate utility project.

That lane closure began Nov. 6 and was originally scheduled to last a week, according to Public Works. But the project has stretched to 24 days, taking it to Thursday. Or not.

Its unlikely many South O commuters are relying heavily on Q Street, anyway. The artery has been closed between 45th and 48th Streets since early September for a city repaving project. The Public Works website says that work will wrap up by Thursday.

Over in the neighborhood just south of Happy Hollow Club, motorists on 105th Street at Brookside Lane woke up Tuesday morning to find water covering the street. The city quickly closed the street for about five blocks, from West Center Road to Frances Street.

MUD crews made emergency repairs on an 8-inch cast-iron water main dating to 1950 that had corroded through, and restored water service within eight hours, Christensen said.

But the road will stay closed until Dec. 5, according to Public Works  presumably to replace a length of pipe and repave the road.

Christensen said the closure wont affect traffic on West Center Road. In May, a water-main break at 105th and West Center limited traffic to one lane in each direction on that commuter artery for nearly two months.

MUD crews have been busy along West Center the past few months. Christensen said 1,000 feet of 6-inch water main around 100th Street (five blocks east) and 1,200 feet of 12-inch water main between 105th and 108th Streets was replaced last summer.

Still, closures continue. Starting Monday, West Center Road will be limited to two lanes between 99th and 102nd Streets for two weeks. That will allow MUD crews to make a final connection between the new main on 100th Street and the existing one on Center.

Got that straight?

But theres more. Also on West Center, one eastbound lane is closed for a couple of blocks east of 120th Street.

Dont blame MUD for this one. This is a sewer line, so its an Omaha Public Works project. The city expects it to finish by Thursday.

Whats New

South 13th Street between I and G Streets will be restricted to one lane northbound for utility repair in the outside curb lane until Thursday.

Vinton Street between the east and west legs of Oak Street will be restricted southbound for utility work until Dec. 7.

180th Street is closed for half a mile south of Highway 370 near Vala's Pumpkin Patch for replacement of a culvert and reconstruction into a three-lane road. The closure will last until the summer of 2024.

Around Omaha

Northwest (north of West Dodge Road and west of I-680)

The eastbound lanes of U.S. Highway 64/West Maple Road over the Elkhorn River will be closed through the fall to remove and replace pavement and improve lighting. Traffic will be shifted to one of the westbound lanes. The access to JC Robinson Boulevard, leading to Waterloo, will be closed.

will be closed through the fall to remove and replace pavement and improve lighting. Traffic will be shifted to one of the westbound lanes. The access to leading to Waterloo, will be closed. North 120th Street between Fort Street and Roanoke Boulevard will be restricted to one lane southbound for street construction in the outside curb lane until Dec. 5.

will be restricted to one lane southbound for street construction in the outside curb lane until Dec. 5. Fort Street between North 120th Street and North 122nd Court will have various lane restrictions for island reconstruction in both inside lanes until Monday.

will have various lane restrictions for island reconstruction in both inside lanes until Monday. State Street is closed from 156th to 147th Streets due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway through fall.

is closed from due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway through fall. State Street is closed from 168th Street to HWS Cleveland Boulevard for grading, paving and reconstruction of the 168th and State Street intersection until November 2024.

for grading, paving and reconstruction of the 168th and State Street intersection until November 2024. Fort Street is closed from 183rd to 195th Streets due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway through fall.

is closed from due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway through fall. North 108th Street between Burt Circle and Decatur Street will be closed with local access only for street widening until Thursday.

Northeast (north of Dodge Street and east of I-680)

The right lane on I-680 is closed from the 31st Street interchange east to the Iowa state line until Dec. 29 while workers repair a damaged expansion joint on the west end of the Mormon Bridge.

is closed until Dec. 29 while workers repair a damaged expansion joint on the Wenninghoff Road between Sorensen Parkway and Reed Street will have lane closures for street widening and sewer construction until Dec. 23.

will have lane closures for street widening and sewer construction until Dec. 23. Traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction and the westbound lanes are closed on Cass Street between North 74th and North 76th Streets for utility work until Friday.

for utility work until Friday. Dodge Street between North 72nd and North 76th Streets/Rose Blumkin Drive will have varying lane restrictions for street improvements connected to the Crossroads redevelopment through December.

will have varying lane restrictions for street improvements connected to the Crossroads redevelopment through December. Southbound traffic on North 69th Street at Cass Street/Underwood Avenue will be shifted into the left turn lane until Friday while contractors carry out utility work.

will be shifted into the left turn lane until Friday while contractors carry out utility work. Traffic on Military Avenue between Northwest Radial Highway and Binney Street will be restricted until further notice southbound for creation of a building safety zone in the curb lane.

will be restricted until further notice southbound for creation of a building safety zone in the curb lane. Westbound Dodge Street between North 38th and North 40th Avenues will be restricted for building construction in the outside curb lane until Dec. 4.

will be restricted for building construction in the outside curb lane until Dec. 4. North 30th Street between Patrick and Burdette Streets will have varying lane restrictions because of sewer repair until Monday.

will have varying lane restrictions because of sewer repair until Monday. North 30th Street between Titus and Newport Avenues will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work in the southbound lanes until Friday.

will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work in the southbound lanes until Friday. Binney Street between 26th Street and 28th Avenue over the North Freeway is closed for repair and painting through January 2024. Traffic is detoured to Lake Street. The entrance ramp from Lake Street to northbound U.S. Highway 75 is closed during the project.

is closed for repair and painting through January 2024. Traffic is detoured to Lake Street. The is closed during the project. The intersection of North 18th and Grace Streets will be closed for sewer work until Tuesday.

will be closed for sewer work until Tuesday. North 16th Street will be closed at various points between Pinkney and Clark Streets for CSO sewer separation improvements through Aug. 31, 2024.

will be closed at various points for CSO sewer separation improvements through Aug. 31, 2024. North 16th will be closed between Ohio and Corby Streets for utility work until Dec. 13.

will be closed for utility work until Dec. 13. Because of construction at the Kiewit corporate campus, North 15th Street between Mike Fahey and California Streets will be restricted southbound, and Mike Fahey Street between North 16th and North 15th Street will have eastbound traffic shifted to the center lane until March 15, 2024. North 16th and North 17th Streets between Cuming and Mike Fahey will have restrictions in the curb lanes until Dec. 13. North 16th Street between Mike Fahey and California Streets will have varying lane restrictions for utility work until Dec. 5.

will be restricted southbound, and will have eastbound traffic shifted to the center lane until March 15, 2024. will have restrictions in the curb lanes until Dec. 13. will have varying lane restrictions for utility work until Dec. 5. Grace Street between North 16th and North 18th Streets is closed for CSO storm sewer upgrades until Tuesday.

is closed for CSO storm sewer upgrades until Tuesday. Florence Boulevard between Clark and Grace Streets will be closed for storm sewer separation work until Dec. 8.

Southwest (south of West Dodge Road and west of I-680/80)

The left lane of U.S. Highway 6/South 204th Street northbound is closed between Q and F Streets due to road construction by a private developer until late November.

is closed due to road construction by a private developer until late November. The right lane of U.S. Highway 6/South 204th Street southbound is closed between Blue Sage Parkway and U.S. Highway 275 due to road construction by a private developer until late November.

is closed between due to road construction by a private developer until late November. South 168th Street between Q Street and West Center Road will have lane restrictions for street widening until December 2024.

will have lane restrictions for street widening until December 2024. Shirley Street between South 168th Street and South 169th Circle will be closed for utility work until Dec. 5.

will be closed for utility work until Dec. 5. South 157th Street between 158th and U Streets will be closed for utility work until Tuesday.

will be closed for utility work until Tuesday. South 156th Street between Pacific Street and Wycliffe Drive/Nottingham Drive will have closures for street widening until May 2024.

will have closures for street widening until May 2024. Pacific Street between South 155th and South 157th Streets will have lane restrictions for street widening until May 2024.

will have lane restrictions for street widening until May 2024. Q Street at South 136th Street will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work until Monday.

will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work until Monday. The West Dodge Frontage Road South between 130th and 132nd Streets will be restricted westbound for street panel replacement until Dec. 8.

Southeast (south of West Dodge Road and east of I-680/80)

Nighttime lane closures from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. are planned on the Kennedy Freeway (U.S. Highway 75) between Q and F Streets, including entrance and exit ramps, to allow for milling and resurfacing of the roadway, through the fall.

including entrance and exit ramps, to allow for milling and resurfacing of the roadway, through the fall. The right shoulder of eastbound I-80 at the 72nd Street off-ramp is closed for road construction work. No completion date is listed.

is closed for road construction work. No completion date is listed. Varying lane restrictions are continuing on West Center Road between South 90th Street and the West Center Frontage Road until Tuesday because of bridge repair.

until Tuesday because of bridge repair. The West Dodge Frontage Road South between 84th and 86th Streets is closed for building construction until Feb. 29, 2024.

is closed for building construction until Feb. 29, 2024. South 84th Street between West Center Road and the I-80 bridge will have various lane restrictions for utility adjustments until Thursday.

will have various lane restrictions for utility adjustments until Thursday. The northbound curb lane on South 72nd Street from Mercy Road to Arbor Street is closed until Tuesday to accommodate building construction. There will also be varying lane restrictions on Mercy Road between 72nd and 68th Streets until Tuesday.

is closed until Tuesday to accommodate building construction. There will also be varying lane restrictions on until Tuesday. F Street between South 94th and South 90th Streets is restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work until Tuesday.

is restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work until Tuesday. G Street between South 50th and F Streets will be closed to through traffic for utility work until Dec. 4.

will be closed to through traffic for utility work until Dec. 4. Center Street between South 42nd Street and South 47th Street will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Dec. 5.

will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Dec. 5. South 44th Street between Douglas and Farnam Streets will be limited to head-to-head traffic because of road construction until Friday.

will be limited to head-to-head traffic because of road construction until Friday. South 42nd Street between the I-80 eastbound exit ramp and D Street will be closed for bridge reconstruction until Dec. 31.

will be closed for bridge reconstruction until Dec. 31. South 42nd Street between Pacific Street and Walnut Street will have various lane restrictions for utility adjustments until Friday.

will have various lane restrictions for utility adjustments until Friday. Harney Street between South 38th and South 37th Streets is restricted to one lane eastbound for building construction until Dec. 13. South 37th between Farnam and Harney is closed as part of the same project.

is restricted to one lane eastbound for building construction until Dec. 13. is closed as part of the same project. Harney Street between South 36th and South 35th Streets is restricted eastbound for street repair until Dec. 8.

is restricted eastbound for street repair until Dec. 8. The eastbound curb lane on Douglas Street will be closed between 44th and Saddle Creek Road for construction until Mar. 31, 2024.

will be closed between for construction until Mar. 31, 2024. Woolworth Avenue between South 36th and South 29th Streets will have varying lane restrictions because of utility adjustments until Dec. 5.

will have varying lane restrictions because of utility adjustments until Dec. 5. Douglas Street between Turner Boulevard and South 30th Street will be restricted eastbound for street repair until Wednesday.

will be restricted eastbound for street repair until Wednesday. Grover Street between South 56th Street and South 59th Avenue will be closed for street reconstruction through December.

will be closed for street reconstruction through December. L Street between South 30th and South 33rd Streets will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work due to a water main break in the westbound lanes until Tuesday.

will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work due to a water main break in the westbound lanes until Tuesday. L Street between South 26th and South 24th Streets will be restricted to one lane eastbound for building construction in the outside curb lane until June 23, 2024.

will be restricted to one lane eastbound for building construction in the outside curb lane until June 23, 2024. Traffic in the east curb lane is restricted on South 24th Street between Landon Court and Howard Street due to building construction until Wednesday.

due to building construction until Wednesday. The intersection of South 17th and Harney Streets will have various lane restrictions because of a streetscaping project until Thursday.

will have various lane restrictions because of a streetscaping project until Thursday. South 15th Street between Farnam and Douglas Streets will be closed for utility work until Dec. 11.

will be closed for utility work until Dec. 11. The eastbound lane on Farnam Street between 10th and Eighth Streets is restricted because of building construction until Dec. 11.

is restricted because of building construction until Dec. 11. 14th Street will be closed between Farnam and Douglas Streets, and curbside lanes will be closed on Farnam, Douglas and 15th Street until early 2026 because of construction of the new Mutual of Omaha tower.

Sarpy/Cass Counties

The intersection of 204th Street and Capehart Road, and Capehart Road east of 204th Street are closed as part of the Gretna Crossing Park project until sometime in December.

Platteview Road from Highway 31 to 210th Street is closed through January to allow for construction of a three-lane road. Pflug Road is suggested as an alternate route.

is closed through January to allow for construction of a three-lane road. Pflug Road is suggested as an alternate route. Lane restrictions can be expected on U.S. 34/75 from Plattsmouth to the Bellevue bridges through the fall to allow for bridge deck repairs, and from Nebraska Highway 1 to Oak Hill Road in Plattsmouth through November 2024 to allow for road construction.

through the fall to allow for bridge deck repairs, and from through November 2024 to allow for road construction. A lane is closed intermittently, and a 12-foot width limit is in effect through the fall on U.S. Highway 34 between Bay Road and U.S. Highway 75 while bridge and road construction work is in progress through late November.

A portion of 234th Street north of Schram Road just west of Gretna is closed for replacement of a 550-foot area of culvert until December.

Around Nebraska

On I-80 west of Kearney , an eastbound lane is closed for 11 miles and a westbound lane is closed for six miles between mile markers 238 and 249 for lane reconstruction and guardrail replacement.

, an eastbound lane is closed for 11 miles and a westbound lane is closed for six miles between mile markers 238 and 249 for lane reconstruction and guardrail replacement. Nebraska Highway 79 is closed in Dodge County at North Bend from U.S. 30 to County Road R , with detours in place through the fall.

is closed in Dodge County at , with detours in place through the fall. U.S. Highway 77 between Winnebago and Walthill is closed until November while two box culverts are replaced, with traffic detoured via U.S. Highway 75 and Nebraska Highway 94. Then one lane will reopen, and traffic will be maintained with temporary traffic signals, flaggers and a pilot car until the project is completed in midsummer 2024.

is closed until November while two box culverts are replaced, with traffic detoured via U.S. Highway 75 and Nebraska Highway 94. Then one lane will reopen, and traffic will be maintained with temporary traffic signals, flaggers and a pilot car until the project is completed in midsummer 2024. Temporary shoulder and lane closures can be expected on U.S. Highway 77 north and south of the I-80 56th Street interchange in Lincoln until March 2024 while workers add left and right turn lanes on Highway 77 and widen westbound shoulders on I-80 entrance and exit ramps.

Council Bluffs

Occasional nighttime lane and ramp closures may occur on I-80 at the Madison Avenue interchange through June 2026 while the interchange is being rebuilt.

through June 2026 while the interchange is being rebuilt. Lane restrictions are in place on South Third Street between Story Street and Ninth Avenue until Friday because of water-main installation. South Third Street between Ninth Avenue and Worth Street is closed entirely until Friday as part of the same project.

until Friday because of water-main installation. is closed entirely until Friday as part of the same project. McPherson Avenue between Grand Avenue and Canning Street in Council Bluffs will have lane restrictions for gas main installation until Dec. 8.

will have lane restrictions for gas main installation until Dec. 8. Navajo Street between Portland and Mohawk Streets is closed for sewer rehabilitation work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays until Thursday.

The history of how roads are built, and what future construction may look like The history of how roads are built, and what future construction may look like Past: The foundation of the road systems Present: An enormous investment in resources Future: Toward more innovative infrastructure
AL BIREH, West Bank  Hamas militants on Saturday released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, from captivity in the Gaza Strip, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners in the latest stage of a four-day cease-fire.

The late-night exchange was held up for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement.

The last-minute delay created a tense standoff on the second day of what's meant to be a four-day cease-fire. Hamas alleged aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and not enough reached northern Gaza. Hamas also said not enough longtime prisoners were freed in the first swap Friday.

Egypt, Qatar and Hamas later said the obstacles had been overcome.

The war erupted Oct. 7, when Hamas militants in Gaza burst across the border into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting some 240 others, including, women, children and older people. Israel immediately declared war, carrying out weeks of airstrikes and a ground offensive that left over 13,300 Palestinians dead, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled territory. Roughly two-thirds of those killed in Gaza have been women and minors.

The cease-fire, brokered by Qatar and the United States, is the first extended break in fighting since the war began. Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners  all women and minors.

Israel said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but vowed to quickly resume its offensive and complete its goals of returning all hostages and destroying Hamas' military and governing capabilities.

Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv on Saturday in solidarity with the hostages and their families.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced early Sunday that it received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day in the third of four scheduled swaps.

In the West Bank, hundreds of people burst into celebrations for a second night as a busload of Palestinian prisoners arrived early Sunday. Teenage boys released in the deal were carried on the shoulders of well-wishers in the main square of the town of Al Bireh. They waved Palestinian flags as well as green banners of Hamas and yellow banners of the Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, who are reeling from Israeli bombardments. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, the focus of Israel's offensive, returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands.

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remnants of his home, flattened in an Israeli attack last week. He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. Three other relatives are still missing. "We want to find them and bury them in dignity," he said.

At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate.

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver about 35,000 gallons of fuel, as well as cooking gas.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.

Shortly before midnight, Hamas released 13 Israelis and four Thais. The Israelis were turned over to Egypt and then transferred to Israel, where they were taken to hospitals to be reunited with their families.

Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants.

The Israeli hostages included seven children and six women, Netanyahu's office announced. Most were from Kibbutz Be'eri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 cross-border attack.

Some of the Palestinian prisoners were released in east Jerusalem, while the bulk returned home to a hero's welcome in the occupied West Bank.

Among those released was Nurhan Awad, who was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with scissors.

In Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who was imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out a bombing attack that wounded an Israeli police officer and left Jaabis with severe burns.

Jaabis later told reporters at her home that she is "ashamed to be happy at a time when Palestine is injured."

Advocacy group Palestinian Prisoners' Club says Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

Late Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, hours after another raid in the same area killed the local governor's 25-year-old son.

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was also killed by Israeli fire near the city of Ramallah.
JERUSALEM  Israel's military offensive has turned much of northern Gaza into an uninhabitable moonscape. Whole neighborhoods have been erased. Homes, schools and hospitals have been blasted by airstrikes and scorched by tank fire. Some buildings are still standing, but most are battered shells.

Nearly 1 million Palestinians have fled the north, including its urban center, Gaza City, as ground combat intensified. When the war ends, any relief will quickly be overshadowed by dread as displaced families come to terms with the scale of the calamity and what it means for their future.

Where would they live? Who would eventually run Gaza and pick up the pieces?

I want to go home even if I have to sleep on the rubble of my house, said Yousef Hammash, an aid worker with the Norwegian Refugee Council who fled the ruins of the urban refugee camp of Jabaliya for southern Gaza. But I don't see a future for my children here.

The Israeli armys use of powerful explosives in tightly packed residential areas  which Israel describes as the unavoidable outcome of Hamas using civilian sites as cover for its operations  has killed over 13,300 Palestinians and led to staggering destruction. Hamas denies the claim and accuses Israel of recklessly bombing civilians.

When I left, I couldnt tell which street or intersection I was passing, said Mahmoud Jamal, a 31-year-old taxi driver who fled his northern hometown of Beit Hanoun this month. He described apartment buildings resembling open-air parking garages.

Israels bombardment has become one of the most intense air campaigns since World War II, said Emily Tripp, director of Airwars, a London-based conflict monitor. In the seven weeks since Hamas unprecedented Oct. 7 attack, Israel unleashed more munitions than the United States did in any given year of its bombing campaign against the Islamic State group  a barrage the U.N describes as the deadliest urban campaign since World War II.

In Israels grainy thermal footage of airstrikes targeting Hamas tunnels, fireballs obliterate everything in sight. Videos by Hamas military wing feature fighters with rocked-propelled grenades trekking through smoke-filled streets. Fortified bulldozers have cleared land for Israeli tanks.

The north of Gaza has been turned into one big ghost town," said Mkhaimer Abusada, a political scientist at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City who recently fled to Egypt. People have nothing to return to.

About half of all buildings across northern Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to an analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite data by Corey Scher of the CUNY Graduate Center and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University. With the U.N. estimating 1.7 million people are newly homeless, many wonder if Gaza will ever recover.

Youll end up having displaced people living in tents for a long time," said Raphael Cohen, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, a research group.

The war has knocked 27 of 35 hospitals across Gaza out of operation, according to the World Health Organization. The destruction of other critical infrastructure has consequences for years to come.

Bakeries and grain mills have been destroyed, agriculture, water and sanitation facilities, said Scott Paul, a senior humanitarian policy adviser for Oxfam America. You need more than four walls and a ceiling for a place to be habitable, and in many cases people dont even have that.

Across the entire enclave, over 41,000 homes  45% of Gazas total housing stock  are too destroyed to be lived in, according to the U.N.

All I left at home was dead bodies and rubble, said Mohammed al-Hadad, a 28-year-old party planner who fled Shati refugee camp along Gaza City's shoreline. Shati sustained nearly 14,000 incidents of war damage  varying from an airstrike crater to a collapsed building  over just 0.2 square miles, the satellite data analysis shows.

Southern Gaza  where scarce food, water and fuel has spawned a humanitarian crisis  has been spared the heaviest firepower, according to the analysis.

But thats changing. In the past two weeks, satellite data shows a spike in damage across the southern town of Khan Younis. Residents say the military has showered eastern parts of town with evacuation warnings.

Israel has urged those in southern Gaza to move again, toward a slice of territory called Muwasi along the coast. As of Thursday, Israel and Hamas were still working out the details of a four-day truce that would allow more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and facilitate an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages.

Displaced Palestinians said four days won't be enough.

This is our nakba," said 32-year-old journalist Tareq Hajjaj, referring to the mass displacement of an estimated 700,000 Palestinians during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation  an exodus Palestinians call the nakba, or catastrophe.

Although publicly Palestinians reject the idea of being transferred outside Gaza, some privately admit they cannot stay, even after the war ends.

We will never return home, said Hajjaj, who fled his home in Shijaiyah in eastern Gaza City. Those who stay here will face the most horrific situation they could imagine.

Photos: Scenes from the Israel-Hamas war
At first glance, Omaha family medicine physician Alex Dworak was pleasantly surprised by the gender-affirming care regulations for minors proposed by the state health department. The new rules, he initially believed, aligned with the standards he already employed in his practice.

But it wasnt long before he ran into concerns.

When the temporary regulations on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for people under 19 took effect in October, Dworak said, it added stress and confusion for him and his patients. Now that similar regulations are proposed to take effect permanently, Dworak and other local health professionals are speaking out to criticize aspects of the proposal they believe create unnecessary barriers to care.

This could be a de facto ban, Dworak said.

The regulations are a statutory requirement under Legislative Bill 574, which was signed into law earlier this year. Nebraska Chief Medical Officer Timothy Tesmer created the temporary regulations to take effect for 90 days starting Oct. 1, avoiding a potential full ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy that otherwise would have taken effect.

Then, according to a Department of Health and Human Services document, Tesmer consulted with medical, psychological and behavioral health specialists in the department on the permanent proposal, which added some small changes to the temporary regulations. Those have yet to take effect, with a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday at the Lancaster Event Center.

Among the regulations are several waiting periods, including that patients must live at least six months in their preferred gender, receive at least 40 hours of therapy and wait seven days after having their prescription before obtaining the medication.

Under these criteria, Dworak said, a patient could possibly wait one to three years before receiving treatment, not counting potential delays in finding an available therapist.

Dawn Darling, a licensed social worker for a therapy service in Kearney, said therapists are in high demand, with many having waitlists. Mandated therapy is extra difficult for those who have lower incomes, lack insurance coverage or live in rural areas.

Additionally, she said, the 40-hour requirement doesnt align with how most therapists measure their sessions. Rather than going by hourly increments, Darling said many therapists sessions go for 45 or 75 minutes, which will make it more difficult to ensure their clients meet the requirement.

A DHHS document said 40 hours was chosen as the requirement to ensure a thorough understanding of the patients needs. It notes that some gender-affirming care can have lasting effects on the body, so a patient should be aware of the commitment involved. A department official said the regulations intend to enforce a balanced approach to this treatment while not creating undue barriers.

Mandatory therapy came up as part of the legislative debate on LB 574 earlier this year, with at least one lawmaker, State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, citing it as part of her reasoning for supporting the bill. She raised concerns after learning that Planned Parenthood doesnt require that clients 16 and older receive therapy before prescribing hormones.

Hughes advocated for a slower approach, arguing that because some gender-affirming medications have lasting effects, minors should go through some therapy to ensure there arent other factors contributing to their desire for the treatment.

Were talking about kids here, Hughes said.

Nicole Chaisson, director of gender-affirming care for Planned Parenthood of North Central States, said that while Planned Parenthood doesnt require therapy, it does follow an informed consent model that requires parental consent and an extensive conversation about the effects of hormone therapy.

Chaisson said she does evaluate her clients mental state during these meetings, and while in some extreme cases she has denied hormones to adults, that hasnt happened yet with younger clients, who have to be 16. She said Planned Parenthood trusts clients and their parents to know whats best for them, whether that includes therapy or not.

Many supporters of LB 574 contended that minors brains arent developed enough to be trusted to seek these medications, but some health officials have disputed this. Dworak said humans can realize their gender identity as young as 3 years old; Chaisson said that by 16, peoples brains are developed enough to be capable of pursuing gender-affirming care under a sound mind.

Dworak added that many of his younger clientele have consistently and persistently talked with their parents for a long time before they reach him, at the stage where prescriptions are issued.

Usually, theyve been waiting for a while to get to me, he said.

Darling, who has worked with transgender patients for the past nine years, said therapy isnt always necessary for people seeking gender-affirming care, although many still do it. In fact, she said mandated therapy was once part of worldwide standards for transgender care, but it has since been phased out in favor of a more individualized system.

This is kind of just trying to take us back in time, Darling said.

There were also concerns with the regulations guidelines for the therapy hours. According to the proposal, the 40 hours must be gender-identity-focused but also be clinically objective and non-biased and not merely affirm the patients beliefs.

This language raised red flags for several mental health professionals, including Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha, one of two openly LGBTQ+ Nebraska lawmakers and an opponent of LB 574. Fredrickson said he chuckled when he read this part of the proposal, because it was evident it wasnt written by people within the mental health field.

All therapy is clinically neutral  thats how therapy works, Dworak said.

The language is difficult enough to interpret that Chaisson said Planned Parenthood has halted prescribing hormones to new patients younger than 19 in Nebraska until it is clear how the regulations will impact its practice.

Darling said therapy that is both unbiased and doesnt affirm the clients identity is inherently contradictory. She said the guidelines seem to promote therapists taking a doubtful stance where the client has to convince their therapist that they are trans. She said that runs counter to an environment that is supposed to feel safe and welcoming.

Darling questioned whether using a clients preferred pronouns would violate these guidelines. A DHHS official said it wouldnt, but Darling argued the language is uncomfortably similar to an emerging anti-trans approach to therapy that is growing in popularity in states that have passed similar laws to LB 574.

Fredrickson said it will be nearly impossible to enforce whether a therapist even follows these guidelines, as therapy sessions are confidential and protected under federal law. Including it at all, he said, suggests that the state is trying to nitpick something that doesnt need regulating.

Thats extraordinarily petty to me, Fredrickson said.

Beyond issues with the therapy regulations, Chaisson brought up concerns with the proposals pharmaceutical regulations. Specifically, she criticized a provision that would require injectable forms of puberty blockers and hormones be administered by a credentialed professional with the prescribed practitioners office, or by the patients primary care provider.

Chaisson argued this unnecessarily targets trans men, as the most efficient and accessible way to administer the hormone testosterone is via injection, while estrogen can be easily ingested through a pill.

Typically, Chaisson said Planned Parenthood trains its clients how to inject themselves from home, similar to how diabetic patients can give themselves insulin shots. With injections typically administered every one to four weeks, requiring that younger patients receive them outside their home is a significant time commitment, she said.

DHHS said this requirement was included to ensure that patients receive the proper dosage and that their side effects are monitored by professionals. Because of a grandfather clause in LB 574, patients under 19 who were receiving injectable treatment before Oct. 1 can continue doing so at home if they wish.

In contrast to the concerns raised by health professionals, LB 574s introducer, Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, said the proposed regulations dont go far enough to restrict gender-affirming care. She said shes heard similar concerns privately from medical professionals who are scared to speak up, but she hopes they will share their thoughts at Tuesdays hearing.

Dworak said the proposed regulations intend to have a chilling effect on patients and professionals in the gender-affirming care field. The way the language is written, he said, it sends a message to medical professionals that they shouldnt be practicing in this type of care.

In the last year since LB 574 was introduced, Dworak said at least five of his transgender patients have left Nebraska out of safety concerns, despite being older than the age limit set in the bill. A majority of his remaining patients also have plans to leave, he said.

The rhetoric during the debate and lack of interest in the views of medical experts have made Dworak question his future in the state.

Darling said the proposed regulations could very well exacerbate the shortage of health care providers in Nebraska. If that happens, Dworak said that will impact more than just transgender patients, as most professionals within the gender-affirming care field work in other fields as well.

This is going to hurt all Nebraskans, he said.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of November 2023
AL BIREH, West Bank (AP)  Hamas militants on Saturday released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, from captivity in the Gaza Strip, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners in the latest stage of a four-day cease-fire.

The late-night exchange was held up for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement. The delay underscored the fragility of the cease-fire, which has halted a war that has shocked and shaken Israel, caused widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip, and threatened to unleash wider fighting across the region.

The war erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants in Gaza burst across the border into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting some 240 others, including, women, children and older people. Israel immediately declared war, carrying out weeks of airstrikes and a ground offensive that have left over 13,300 Palestinians dead, according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled territory. Roughly two-thirds of those killed in Gaza have been women and minors.

The cease-fire, brokered by Qatar and the United States, is the first extended break in fighting since the war began. Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive and complete its goals of returning all hostages and destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities.

The plight of the hostages has gripped the Israeli public's attention. Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv on Saturday in solidarity with the hostages and their families. Many accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not doing enough to bring the hostages home. The releases have triggered mixed emotions: happiness, coupled with angst over the scores of hostages who remain in captivity.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day in the third of four scheduled swaps.

In the West Bank, hundreds of people burst into wild celebrations for a second night as a busload of Palestinian prisoners arrived early Sunday. Teenage boys released in the deal were carried on the shoulders of well-wishers in the main square of the town of Al Bireh. But the mood of celebration was dampened by scenes of destruction and suffering in Gaza.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, who are reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has been focused, returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands.

At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate.

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

We want to find them and bury them in dignity, he said.

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (about 35,000 gallons) of fuel  just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume  as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

I wish it could be extended until peoples conditions improved, he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.

JOY AND EXPECTATION

The last-minute delay created a tense standoff on the second day of whats meant to be a four-day cease-fire. By nightfall, when hostages had been expected to emerge from Gaza, Hamas alleged that aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough was reaching hard-hit northern Gaza. Hamas also said not enough longtime prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.

But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said the obstacles had been overcome.

Shortly before midnight, Hamas released the hostages  13 Israelis and four Thais. The Israelis were turned over to Egypt and then transferred to Israel, where they were taken to hospitals to be reunited with their families.

Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants. One girl was on crutches and wore a cast on her left foot as she was escorted away.

The Israeli hostages included seven children and six women, Netanyahus office announced. Most were from Kibbutz Beeri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 cross-border attack. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.

It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Beeri, who have been living in a Dead Sea hotel since their community was overrun. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza.

The mother of one of the released hostages, 12-year-old Hila Rotem, remained in captivity, the spokesperson said. Another, Emily Hand, is a girl whose father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage.

At their hotel, kibbutz residents gathered in a function room, cheering in excitement as they saw the first images of their loved ones being released on television.

A HERO'S WELCOME

Some of the Palestinian prisoners were released in east Jerusalem, while the bulk returned home to a heros welcome in the occupied West Bank.

Among those released was Nurhan Awad, who was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors.

In Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out a bombing attack that wounded an Israeli police officer, and left Jaabis with severe burns on her face and hands.

Jaabis later told reporters at her home that she is ashamed to be happy at a time when Palestine is injured.

In Al Bireh, the teenage boys were paraded through the main square where they waved Palestinian flags as well as green banners of Hamas and yellow banners of the Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas. May God make them strong. May God be with the Qassam Brigades, said one of the boys, referring to Hamas military wing.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Late Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, hours after another raid in the same area killed the local governors 25-year-old son.

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was also killed by Israeli fire near the city of Ramallah. The Israeli army, which frequently conducts military raids aimed at local militant groups, did not immediately comment.

Magdy reported from Cairo and Mroue from Beirut. Federman and Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre and Julia Frankel reported from Jerusalem.

Full AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
SPRINGFIELD  A Livingston County man convicted in two separate child sex abuse cases is entitled to a new trial in one of them because he was improperly shackled during the proceedings, an appellate court has ruled.

The decision does not mean Rodolfo Luna, 41, will be released from prison. He will continue to serve a 31-year sentence from his December 2021 conviction on child sex abuse charges, which stemmed from inappropriate sexual contact with a girl who was younger than 13. Records show that his attempt to appeal that case was unsuccessful.

The following year, he was convicted on charges that he inappropriately touched another child younger than 13. Livingston County Circuit Judge Jennifer H. Bauknecht sentenced Luna in October 2022 to five years in prison on two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

This sentence was to be served at the same time as the one in the earlier case, meaning it would not add to his total time behind bars.

That also means, however, that the length of his sentence should not be affected by the Fourth District Appellate Court opinion issued Monday. In it, a three-judge panel sent the case back to court in Livingston County for a new trial, though one justice acknowledged the difficulty of that effort.

"As a result of the trial court's egregious error in this case," wrote Justice Robert J. Steigmann in a special concurring opinion, "this court is required to reverse defendant's conviction of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and remand for a new trial.

"Assuming the State can even gather the evidence and witnesses necessary for a new trial of defendant, the second trial will require the victim in this case to once again relive the dreadful events she experienced and testify about them once again in open court."

The appellate justices agreed with Luna's argument that he was denied the right to due process when placed in arm and leg shackles for his bench trial without a hearing on the subject.

His defense attorney did ask the judge to order removal of the arm shackles; after a hearing, she did so, but the attorney did not seek the removal of the leg shackles and they remained in place.

It is unclear why Luna was restrained. According to court records, Judge Bauknecht cited information from the Illinois Department of Corrections, which listed no security concerns but alluded to a need for "close supervision/constant restraints."

The appellate court noted that, according to the trial court record, Luna had no history of escape attempts, "assaultive behavior" or gang activity.

The defendant's "appearance in hand shackles for half of the bench trial and leg shackles for the entirety of the proceedings without justification offended the dignity of the judicial process," wrote Justice Amy C. Lannerd, joined by Justices Steigmann and John W. Turner.

Bauknecht could not be reached for comment, but a message left for her was returned by William Scanlon, trial court administrator for the 11th Judicial Circuit.

Scanlon said the judge acknowledged that the case could be retried and would comply with the appellate rulings if it did.

It is unclear whether the case will be retried. Livingston County State's Attorney Mike Regnier also could not be reached for comment last week.

Luna remains incarcerated at Pinckneyville Correctional Center in southern Illinois. Online state records list his projected parole date as Jan. 17, 2046.

Drew Zimmerman contributed to this story.
South Korea, the United States and Japan jointly conducted naval drills in waters south of the Korean Peninsula on Sunday to bolster their defense posture against North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats, the South's Navy said.

The joint exercise took place in southeastern waters off Jeju Island involving the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which has been docked at a naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

The South Korean Navy's Aegis combat system-equipped destroyers and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Murasame-class destroyers joined the air defense and maritime exercise, the Navy said.

The drill was held to bolster joint capabilities and combined defense posture of the three nations against North Korea's rising nuclear and missile threat following its launch of a military spy satellite Tuesday, according to the armed service.

The trilateral drill came a day after Pyongyang claimed its reconnaissance satellite took photos of U.S. Army bases in South Korea and U.S. territories of Hawaii and Guam, as well as the USS Carl Vinson, which arrived in Busan on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the defense ministers of the three nations agreed to develop a multiyear joint drill plan and expand the scope of the exercise to better counter the North's threat. (Yonhap)
HOW TO HELP Anyone with information is asked to contact McLean County Sheriff's Office Detective Hanner at 309888-5063, Lieutenant Tuttle at 3098885928, or the McLean County Sheriff's Office at 309-888-5019.

BLOOMINGTON  Authorities are investigating the death of a male victim whose body was found in a ditch in Funks Grove Township, police said Saturday.

The investigation began around 7 a.m. Saturday, according to a statement issued jointly on Saturday night by the McLean County Sheriff's Office, Bloomington Police Department and McLean County Coroner's Office.

Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the area of 1375 East Road and 700 North Road, south of Bloomington, where a female was reported to be searching for a male who had been the victim of violence. Deputies "saturated the area" in search of the victim, according to the statement.

Further investigation brought deputies and city police officers to an apartment in the 1600 block of Springfield Road in Bloomington. Two people were detained after a search warrant was served at the residence.

At roughly 12:30 p.m., the sheriff's office was notified of a male lying in a ditch in the area of U.S. Route 136 and 1025 East Road. He was found by responding deputies and pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner's office.

The victim's name is pending release by the coroner's office.

Police did not provide age, city of residence or any other identifying information for any of the people mentioned in the statement.

The agencies said that no further information was being released because the investigation is ongoing.

Several agencies were credited in the statement:

The search warrant was served with help from McLean County Sheriff's deputies, the Bloomington Police Department SWAT Team, and the Bloomington Police Department Crisis Negotiation Unit.

The Illinois State Police Crime Scene Unit also responded to the scene.

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Creative forms of expression weave together the individual threads of our being into a vibrant, complex tapestry of community.

Art has been and continues to be an integral part of being human. Art has the power to be many things. Folk art, specifically, has the power to enhance our understanding of history and heritage and serves as a means to share our respective cultures.

While there is no steadfast definition of folk art, many experts agree it primarily has a practical utility to which decoration is secondary. Folk artists often receive training not in formal fine arts programs but rather through mentorship, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and oral tradition.

This is not to say that there aren't folk artists with MFAs, nor that folk art must always have a practical application, but rather that folk art can be fluid, and most importantly, folk art is rooted in tradition and community.

Embroidery is one of the most common and often overlooked forms of folk art in the world.

With needle and thread, embroiderers can create limitless combinations of stitches to mend clothes, decorate textiles, share stories, personalize patterns, and everything in between.

Embroidery has existed as a form of textile decoration for almost as long as people have worn clothes. Evidence of hand-stitched embellishments on clothing dates back as far as 30,000 BCE and is present in nearly every culture on earth.

Historically, embroidery has been considered women's work, assuming that women embroidered out of love and duty rather than an artistic and creative drive. This gendered understanding of artistic creation is part of the reason embroidery is often not credited as a high art form.

For example, when "crazy quilts" became popular in the late 1800s, they were seen as beautiful but merely a means to keep idle women occupied, not art. Today, crazy quilts are held in higher regard, praised for their complexity, and often recognized for their resourcefulness and as an early form of abstraction.

The McLean County Museum of History holds over a dozen crazy quilts in its extensive 18,000-plus object collection. One of the best examples of a crazy quilt in the collection was created by Emma Dena Lewis McMackin (1859-1943), who lived in Cheney's Grove Township near Saybrook.

McMackin's grandson donated the quilt to the museum in 2010. It features patches of silk and velvet, sewn to a foundation heavily embroidered with fancy-colored feather stitching at the seams with painted birds and flowers scattered throughout the composition.

Another exquisite example of a crazy quilt in the museum's collection was created by Marie Wendt Spies Quosiqk in 1893. Quosiqk immigrated from Germany and lived on West Grove Street in Bloomington.

The quilt is whimsical in nature and features a plethora of birds and bugs among flourishing flowers. Quosiqk's granddaughter, who donated the quilt to the museum in 2012, said that her grandmother's quilts always included a spiderweb and an owl. In this quilt, the owl is parallel to a woman with blue hair, and the spiderweb looms over a couple under an umbrella.

While Quosigk isn't here today to account for the exact meaning of the various symbols in her handiwork, the quilt itself lives on to tell a piece of Quosigk's story and provide insights into Midwest folk art practices of the 19th century.

Artists like Quosigk and McMackin would have spent countless hours honing their craft and, presumably, like many other folk artists throughout history, were both students and teachers of their art form.

Working with a needle was historically a pillar of women's education, often taught by women to women, passing from generation to generation.

A popular method for teaching embroidery in the past and today is through a sampler. A sampler is an educational tool to practice embroidery stitches and often features quotes or the alphabet.

They can also function as a pattern for future monogramming on sheets or napkins. Embroiderers can reference previously completed samplers to remember proportions and stitch lengths.

The goal of the sampler is for the individual to use their already extensive knowledge of stitch types to cover the printed pattern. Not stating a specific intended stitch encouraged creativity with the stitch choice and allowed young stitchers to express their artistic design.

One can think of samplers like an advanced coloring book or perhaps a "stitch by numbers."

The museum's collection also features several samplers, including one created by Quosigk in Germany in 1877, before she immigrated to Bloomington. Even at 21 years old, Quosigk was adept with a sewing needle, evidenced by the advanced satin stitches and French knots throughout the sampler.

It is unclear who or what the initials in this sampler represent, but Quosigk's printed name suggests it was a customized sampler. Unfortunately, just as questions loom over the symbolism in her crazy quilt, why she didn't finish this piece remains definitively unanswered. As often happens in the fields of history and art, it remains a mystery and left up to the observers imagination.

To create a sampler and learn more about the history of embroidery, join the museum at 6 p.m. Dec. 19 for Crafting History: Embroidering Festive Felt Ornaments. Participants will leave the program with the knowledge and supplies to embroider a unique festive felt ornament just in time for the holiday season!

Crafting History is a series of accessible, interactive programs that allows adult learners a hands-on history experience, taking crafts from the past and re-creating them for use today. The goal is to combat hyper-consumerism and promote a historical understanding of crafts that take great skill and artistry but were often relegated to "women's home-keeping tasks."

The upcoming program will be held in the museum's Governor Fifer Courtroom and online via the museum's YouTube channel. Registration is required to cover the cost of provided supplies.

Remote participants can pick up their supply kits from the museum's Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center & Gift Shop any time after Dec. 1. To learn more, visit mchistory.org/events. To register, visit bit.ly/ornaments1219.
BLOOMINGTON  For over a decade, homeless people seeking shelter from freezing temperatures could spend the night on a cot set up in a multipurpose cafeteria space at the Salvation Army's Bloomington shelter.

A recent change means that those residents seeking refuge can still do so  but they must remain awake.

The cots had been a solution to accommodate people who were not already residents of the nonprofit's Safe Harbor shelter, which has a capacity of 50, at 208 N. Oak St. However, city officials told the Salvation Army a year ago that the situation violated building codes intended to ensure residents' safety, particularly from structure fires.

Though the city gave the nonprofit a year to comply and invitations to apply for grant funding, the Salvation Army said it was unable to do so. Instead, it will offer a "Midnight Cafe" featuring hot drinks, snacks and a place to do laundry.

"It is not what it used to be, but what it used to be was a danger," said Major Dan Leisher, pastor at the Salvation Army.

Representatives of the nonprofit and city say they are working toward a more permanent solution. Neither is interested in a dispute or distraction from the problem at hand: finding a warm, safe place for people to sleep.

"Our intentions, and their intentions  and I believe this  are to find solutions that work and protect the health and safety of folks," said Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus. "I don't want to jeopardize this."

'We just didn't know'

The discussion began last November when the city received a complaint about overcrowding, Tyus said.

Sleeping spaces or shared dormitories are subject to "codes require that, where people are sleeping, they're separated by fire partitions  quarters," he said.

The cafeteria area has a large window that looks into the industrial-sized kitchen within Safe Harbor, a potential fire hazard.

Salvation Army leadership said they had not considered the possible dangers.

"We just didn't know. We'd been doing it for 13 years and just didn't know that that was a problem," Leisher said. "We were more concerned with getting people off the street in a cold night."

Deborah Cole, the nonprofit's director of development, said the Salvation Army had been the only emergency warming center in the city that allowed visitors to remain overnight.

Ultimately, turning the cafeteria into a makeshift dormitory violates the 2018 International Building and Fire Codes, Cole said.

"We would need a closed area with fire walls and ample exits, like the mens and womens dorm in Safe Harbor," she said.

The Salvation Army was allowed to continue providing sleeping areas throughout last winter with the understanding that it would comply with city codes this year, Tyus said.

The organization received a $150,000 grant from the city earlier this year as part of its distribution of federal money through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Additionally, it was invited to apply for Community Development Block Grant funding in each of the past two fiscal years but did not do so, Tyus said. The federal money is awarded annually for municipalities to distribute for community development and social service efforts.

Leisher said renovations to comply with city codes were estimated to cost more than $600,000. The logistics of such a project, including approval from the organization's governing leadership to pursue it, made that choice untenable at this time, he said.

On top of that, Safe Harbor had just finished repairs and remodeling to their bathrooms and plumbing, he said. "It was a lot. There was an offer of some funding ... but the turnaround time was really fast."

Restructuring the cafeteria with fire partitions and additional exits would require another major, immediate remodel, Cole said.

"We could not accomplish that in the one year since the notification," she said.

Working together

Because temperatures are continuing to drop and winter is around the corner, conversations between the city and Salvation Army have "ramped up recently," Tyus said.

"We completely understand the need to house individuals who are fighting homelessness," Tyus said.

The city and the nonprofit are reaching out to other community partners to find additional space or properties where people experiencing homelessness can find shelter this winter.

The city is also willing to fast-track any regulations or ordinances to do so, Tyus said.

And the city also awarded money this year to other organizations focused on homelessness: $150,000 for the Rapid Rehousing Program at Home Sweet Home Ministries and $250,000 for Project Oz's Youth Education and Support Center, which serves youth facing homelessness and other issues.

At the time of reporting, those plans have not come to fruition  perhaps for the same reason that the problem arose in the first place.

"Fire suppression was the biggest issue," Leisher said. "There aren't many places that are vacant that are ready for that."

Even though the situation has changed, the doors are still open.

"I know it's not perfect," Leisher said. "But it's better than nothing."
Sierra Leone has been placed under a nationwide curfew as armed men broke into a prison, setting inmates free.



Detainees from Central Pademba Road prison in the capital city Freetown were released on Sunday morning, an official at the facility told BBC News.



Earlier on, the gunmen had attacked a major military barracks in the city.



Residents reported hearing gunshots at the barracks, which are close to the presidential residence.



After the attack, the Ministry of Information declared an immediate curfew and "strongly" recommended people across the West African country stay indoors.



President Julius Maada Bio said calm had been restored and a manhunt launched to find all of the gunmen.



However, the BBC's Umaru Fofana, based in Freetown, reports that there is still disorder in the city.



He drove past soldiers carrying heavy weaponry in a seized police vehicle and saw others chanting that they planned to "clean Sierra Leone".



It is unclear exactly how many inmates have broken out of Central Pademba Road prison, but according to the US State Department, the facility held more than 2,000 people in 2019.



Videos shared on social media showed several people fleeing from the area of the prison.



One video appeared to show popular rapper Boss LAJ, who was imprisoned last year on robbery charges, running free.



BBC News has not been able to authenticate these videos.



The political situation in Sierra Leone has remained tense since June, when President Bio was re-elected after narrowly missing a run-off.



International observers condemned inconsistencies and a lack of transparency in the count, as well as acts of violence and intimidation.



In August, a number of soldiers were arrested and accused of plotting a coup against the president.



Eight countries in West and Central Africa are under military rule after a series of coups, including neighbouring Guinea.



The US, European Union, UK and regional block ECOWAS have released statements strongly condemning Sunday's violence.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The glittering effects of the Vice President and newly elected Presidential Candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) His Excellency Dr Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia, was on full display yesterday at the Manhyia Palace when he joined the Asantehene and Asanteman to mark the last Akwasidae of the year 2023.



Just like what occurred a week ago during the final funeral rites of the Late First Lady, Mrs. Theresa Kufuor, the Ashanti Region once again did not disappoint as the Vice President and his entourage received a mammoth welcome to the traditional seat of the Asante Kingdom.



Clad in both Asante customary dress and party colours, enthusiastic residents and party faithful could not help but exhibit their love and admiration for the new 'kid on the block' of Ghana politics as he and political bigwigs made up of ministers, MPs, MMDCEs and party executives arrived at the colourful ceremony.



Bringing proceedings to a near standstill, the Vice President subtly responded to cheers from the crowd.



The Vice President and the Asante Kingdom have since ventured into mainstream politics, forged a very smooth and cordial relationship, with the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II referring to him as his son whilst the Vice President also considers The King as his father.



Dignitaries who accompanied the Vice President included the Second Lady, Hajia Samira Bawumia, two former presidential aspirants, Ing Kwabena Agyapong and Hon. Addai Nimoh, National Chairman of the party, Mr. Stephen Ntim, General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Koduah, Ashanti Regional Chairman, Chairman Wontumi, Minister for Education, Majority Leader and MP for Suame, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah, Hon. Yaw Adutwum, Energy Minister, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simmon Osei Mensah, MP for Effiduase and Hon. Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie.



Others were Hon. Adwoa Sarfo, Hon. Carlos Ahinkorah, Hon. Alexander Tettey and Hon. Alfred Obeng.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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By Chernor Alimamy Kamara

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has cautioned public officials against using officially-assigned Government vehicles and other property in a manner that is inconsistent with the use of public assets.

In a Press release dated 17th November, 2023 it noted that the use of Government property should be in line with the Best Practice Guide on the Use of Government Vehicles, Government Quarters, Telephones, Computers and other Office Equipment developed by the Commission.

According to the release vehicles are to be used only on Government business and discouraged the use of such property for personal reasons not considered to be Government business.

It however stated that if the need for a variation of the aforementioned rule arises, each instance will be considered solely on its merit and approval given by the Head of Department or the Deputy in writing.

The Commission informed all Public Officials to note that a conviction for the above mentioned offence carries a minimum fine of Le 50,000,000 (Fifty Million Old Leones) or imprisonment of not less than Five (5) years or both.

The ACC warns that failure to follow the laid down procedures will warrant the Commission to invoke the relevant provisions of the Act.

It admonished the public to report to the Commission any suspected misuse of, or damage to Government vehicles and other Government property. It ended by reassuring the public of its unwavering determination and relentless resolve to protect all Government property.

The Anti-Corruption Commission is an independent institution established for the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of corruption, corrupt practices and to provide for other related matters.

Copyright (c) 2023 Politico (20/11/23)
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Pune : 25th November 2023 marked the 144th birth anniversary of Sadhu Vaswani. Weeklong service activities and celebrations were organised by the Sadhu Vaswani Mission and its educational institutions. The sessions featured recorded discourses by Sadhu Vaswani and Dada J.P. Vaswani, and live talks by Didi Krishna Kumari.

Millions of individuals and several organisations pledged to abstain from all foods of violence for 25th November.

On 25th November, day-long programmes were held. The Mission premises was packed to full capacity. People from across the city and beyond and abroad had gathered to mark the celebrations. The first session began with the kindling of the holy havan fire accompanied by devotional renditions. Didi Krishna Kumari, speaking at the occasion, said, Saints like Sadhu Vaswani come to the earth plane to redeem humanity of its sufferings and lead them to God. To become receptive to their grace and belong to them, we must become humble.

Devotees attending the function were seen overwhelmed with emotion. One of them, Mr. Ajay said There is a wave of devotion and spiritual energy all over the Mission.

Following the session, guru langar  fellowship meals were served. This is the first time I ate Sindhi food. The food was very tasty and the event was very well arranged, said Akansha Sonawane.

The evening session included live telecasts of recorded discourses by Sadhu Vaswani and Dada J. P. Vaswani. The day concluded with bhajans and kirtan renditions that continued until midnight.

Service activities included bird feeding, animal sevas, distribution of ration kits to poor and needy families, clothes to 454 children of construction labourers, joy packets and geometry boxes to poor children in schools, artificial limbs were distributed to 31 beneficiaries, 900 transgenders in Budhwar Peth and 100 in red light area were given new sarees, apples and Solapuri chaddar were given to poor patients in Inlaks & Budhrani hospital. Missions healthcare institutions also offered concessions in diagnostics and treatments.

National and International Sadhu Vaswani Centers organised satsangs and carried out service activities.
Genesis Medical Center, Aledo earns two national awards

Genesis Medical Center, Aledo, celebrated National Rural Health Day last week by receiving two prestigious national awards. First, the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health tabbed Genesis Medical Center, Aledo as one of their 2023 Community Stars. Only 39 rural health care facilities nationally received the honor.

According to the announcement on PowerOfRural.org, "The annual recognition program honors remarkable individuals and organizations going above and beyond for rural health. They exemplify the true spirit of collaboration, turning challenges into opportunities, ensuring access to quality care, and fostering a sense of unity and support within our rural communities."

"Our hospital exemplifies the power of rural. The overwhelming amount of community collaboration and internal teamwork is key to our success," said Ted Rogalski, administrator of Genesis Medical Center, Aledo. "Additionally, our size allows us to know our patients and community. Not only does this provide us with a clinical benefit in delivering compassionate, effective care; it also supports our culture of friends and family caring for friends and family."

The center also earned a 2023 Performance Leadership Award for excellence in Quality. Compiled by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards honor top quartile performance (i.e., 75th percentile or above) among rural hospitals in Quality, Outcomes and Patient Perspective.

"It's a great testament to the dedicated and talented team at Genesis Medical Center, Aledo to be recognized by the Chartis Center," said Rogalski. "Health care is increasingly difficult in these post-pandemic years, so to see our hospital receive accolades for performance and quality speaks volumes about the care our colleagues provide."

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University of Iowa Health Care to open two urgent care clinics in Quad Cities

In the coming year, University of Iowa Health Care patients and employees who live in the Quad Cities will have increased access to urgent care services right in their community.

Two urgent care clinics will open in Davenport and Bettendorf, expanding patient access to quality care from UI Health Care. The first urgent care is expected to open this winter at 2705 E 53rd St. in Davenport. A second urgent care is planned to open next year at 865 Lincoln Road in Bettendorf, where the health system already has local services in family medicine, dermatology, and pediatric specialty care.

Our goal is to provide more convenient access and continuity of care for our patients and employees who live in the Quad Cities area, says Douglas Van Daele, MD, vice dean for clinical affairs, Carver College of Medicine. By increasing same-day care access, were showing our commitment to keeping health care local wherever we can.

Being seen at an urgent care enables patients to make better use of the complex coordinated care offered by UI Hospitals & Clinics, Iowas only comprehensive academic medical center.

Urgent cares are walk-in clinics that provide care for minor illnesses and injuries and typically have shorter wait times than a busy emergency room. These clinics will provide services that go beyond a typical walk-in clinic, including IV fluids, stitches, and X-rays.

These new locations will be walk-in clinics with extended hours that are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Patients can be seen at any UI Health Care urgent care location. Patients may schedule a visit through MyChart or using an online scheduling tool which also allows patients to view current wait times. Walk-ins are also welcome.

UI Health Care is actively recruiting for these locations. A full list of open positionsfrom patient care to support rolesis available online.

Additional University of Iowa Health Care clinics in the Quad Cities include cancer, dermatology, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatric specialty care, and more. Visit uihc.org/quad-cities to learn more.

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Hubbell-Waterman Foundation donates $20,000 to Junior Achievement of the Heartland

Junior Achievement of the Heartland is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a generous grant to support core mission learning experiences in Scott and Rock Island counties. The grant, provided by The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, will play a pivotal role in empowering young minds and fostering financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship education.

Junior Achievements unique delivery system provides the training, materials, and support necessary to bolster the chances for student success. The impact is measurable, too. Students who participate in Junior Achievement learning experiences demonstrate a significant understanding of economics and business concepts.

Today's youth need guidance and instruction to increase their employability in the 21st century's competitive job market and to learn how to thrive in our modern global economy. In a recent survey of more than 800 high school juniors and seniors nationwide, 78% cited their parents as their main source of information for career guidance. They admitted, however, that their parents had spent less than three hours in the previous few months discussing the subject. Even students who successfully enter the world of work struggle to manage their finances. A 2023 study found that 75% of American teens lack confidence in their understanding of essential financial concepts such as credit, debt, and taxes.

Thanks to this $20,000 grant from The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, JA curriculum will impact over 21,000 students in Scott and Rock Island counties during the 2023-2024 school year. These programs are centered on financial literacy and help students gain a strong foundation for healthy money management skills.

"We are thrilled to receive this grant, which reflects The Hubbell-Waterman Foundations commitment to education and empowering the next generation of leaders," said Dougal Nelson, President & CEO, JA of the Heartland. "This funding will allow us to enhance our efforts in providing students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in an ever-changing world."
The monthly average of Chinese travelers visiting Korea remained far below pre-pandemic levels, despite China's reopening from COVID-19 restrictions and resumption of group tours, data showed Sunday.

Around 144,000 Chinese nationals visited Korea per month on average this year, according to the data released by the Hyundai Research Institute.

The tally was about one-third of the monthly average of 416,000 recorded from 2017 to 2019, when the Chinese government had banned group tours to Korea amid a bilateral rift over the deployment of the U.S. defense shield, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to the country.

In 2017, China began to gradually scrap its ban, starting with some regions, but the group tours were suspended once again due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. They fully resumed this August.

The Hyundai Research Institute attributed the sluggish recovery in Chinese travelers to the country to the slower-than-expected rebound of Chinese consumers' economic sentiment.

The institute also said Chinese people's traveling style has changed, with preference for group tours to Korea down and demand for travel to Japan up amid a weak yen. (Yonhap)
A Davenport man on parole in Scott County for selling crack cocaine was arrested Wednesday on numerous drug charges alleging he was selling heroin, cocaine, crack and marijuana.

LaQuel Artoris Demond Carrol, 47, also known as LaQuel Carrol and Lacquel Carrol in court records, is charged in Scott County District Court with one count of possession with the intent to deliver more than 5 grams of heroin. The charge is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years.

Carrol also is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine and possession with the intent to deliver cocaine base, known as crack. Each of those charges is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 10 years.

He also is facing one count of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana and four counts of violating Iowas drug tax stamp law. Each of those charges is a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years.

According to the arrest affidavits filed by Scott County Sheriffs Deputy Greg Hill, agents of the Special Operations Unit served a search warrant on Carrols residences in Davenport and Eldridge and on his vehicle as part of an investigation into a heroin overdose investigation.

Agents conducted their search at 10:01 a.m. Wednesday.

On Carrols person, officers seized 31.9 grams of marijuana and $412 in cash.

From Carrols vehicle, officers seized 9.1 grams of marijuana and three plastic bags that each contained 1 gram of crack cocaine.

From the Eldridge home, officers seized three bags of marijuana (about one-half pound). One of the bags totaled 93.9 grams, another contained 122.2 grams while the last bag contained 14 grams. Also located were 17.6 grams of heroin, 19.4 grams of crack cocaine and 97 grams of cocaine.

All of the drugs came back positive, except no field test was done on the heroin because of the possibility that it contained fentanyl  it will be sent to the state crime lab for testing.

Carrol was being held Sunday in the Scott County Jail on a bond of $50,000, cash or surety.

Carrol is on parole in Scott County until Dec. 23, according to electronic records for the Iowa Department of Corrections.

On April 5, 2019, he pleaded guilty to the Class C felony charge of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine base, or crack, and one Class D felony count of possession of a controlled substance-marijuana-third or subsequent offense. Scott County District Judge Joel Barrows sentenced Carrol to 10 years on the Class C felony and five years on the Class D to be served concurrently, or at the same time.
Women typically make up less than 3% of skilled trades employment, despite representing nearly half of the United States workforce.

At Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, however, women represent one-third of the schools skilled trades enrollment.

I think its just becoming a lot more acceptable to see women in a male-dominated field, said Megan Edens, one of seven women leading EICCs manufacturing and skilled trades programs.

Taylor Reth  the advanced manufacturing apprenticeship facilitator  said this may reflect a shifting mindset around gender and industry.

They can do it, why cant I?

They see a field as male-dominated and theyre like, I want to be the first woman to work there or, They can do it, why cant I? she said. Theres not really anything women cant do in the skilled trades. I think theres just the mindset of, This is a mans job. 

Once women overcome that mindset, it often reassures their capabilities.

For example, Reth said women are often more detail-oriented and have steadier hands compared to male machining counterparts.

A lot of the time, women are better at manual machining or figuring out if a part is actually made to spec or not, she said. I think women have finally realized they can do anything they put their minds to.

Different paths to skilled trades

Reth found her love for skilled trades education while studying agricultural systems technology at Iowa State University, later earning a graduate degree to teach machining.

Others, however, stumbled into the skilled trades through different career paths.

Edens worked in the welding industry for close to 13 years before joining EICC as a full-time instructor in 2018.

She attended Scott Community College after high school  but not for welding.

I got my CNA in high school and just kind of grew my titles and certificates through college. Then, at the end of my healthcare schooling/career, I completely changed paths because I was very unhappy, Edens said.

She continued working full-time in healthcare while taking welding classes at Scott.

As soon as I graduated, I went out and started (working) in the industry. Then, I eventually made my way back here, Edens said. That was not the plan at all.

From healthcare to driving trucks

The number of women in SCCs welding program typically averages 10 per semester, she said.

I fell in love with teaching. I really liked the connection I had with my patients (in healthcare), Edens said. Now I get that with the students, but I get to actually do what I love.

Nikia Marshall and Shante Hinton  two recent graduates of EICCs truck driving program  had similar paths.

They both originally pursued nursing but shifted gears later in their careers.

I had already been doing healthcare for 16 years by the time the pandemic came in. It just wiped me out, I was tired, Marshall said. So, I went into warehouse work and ran into a couple of truck drivers who were like, Just get your CDL (Commercial Drivers License.)

Now, she drives for Cintas, and Hinton drives for Performance Food Group.

Im a single mom, I have two kids. I was like, OK, I need to make some money. I need some benefits, like, I need to take care of us, Hinton said.

After speaking with several family members who have CDLs, she was enticed by the independence tied to many truck driving careers.

Youll be working on your own; you wont have someone hovering over you all the time, Hinton said. Everything started falling into place after I got my CDL.

Shannon Ross, on the other hand, was a city bus driver for 15 years before choosing to upgrade to a Class A CDL via EICCs program.

Truck driving offers more freedom

I just wanted to do it, it didnt matter if there were other women in my class or not, she said. I wanted to do something with a little bit more freedom and a little bit more money.

After truck driving for five years after graduation, Ross made a route back to EICCs Blong Technology Center  now working as the colleges lead CDL trainer.

Women in trucking has really grown. Five years ago when I switched over to Class A, there werent really a lot, she said, adding that women typically comprise about 25% of her classes each semester.







Welding through challenges

Hinton, who just became CDL-certified in August, has already heard a handful of stereotypical comments along her routes.

Some (men) are like, What are you doing driving this truck? Youre a woman. she said.

Facing gender-based prejudice

Despite the freedom and paychecks, Ross said women in truck driving often face gender-based challenges or prejudice.

Especially as a minority woman, she said. In the past, this was not an industry women took to a lot. Some people who have been (truck driving) for years and years may still look at you sideways.

Marshall, a night-time driver, said she is often hyper-aware of her safety while on the job.

Anywhere I go, I never see other women  let alone, women of color, she said. But, because Im the only woman there, my company is working on making things more girl-friendly. 

Still, Marshall said she feels safe at her job and that her employers are supportive of any concerns she might have.

Hinton said there are a few women at her company and said they stick together.

I believe my company has been pretty supportive, she said. I feel like there are obstacles we (women) are always going to deal with just because, you know, its the world.

Ross said the best practice is to have a thick skin.

You just have to own what you know, she said. Own your profession.

Reaching students through experience

Ross said her own experience in the truck driving industry helps her reach students of all genders.

Whether it be women or men, older or younger, I know what challenges they face because Ive done it myself, she said. I think it gives me an edge over other instructors  because it does take an awful lot of patience to do this job.

Regardless, Ross looks forward to seeing the growth of truck driving at EICC.

I truly believe in this program, she said. We have a 90% pass rate  one of the highest of all truck driving programs around, and the program is growing in itself. I just want to be here to grow with it and see what it becomes.

Edens also saw cases of gender-based disparagement in welding.

Ive had a lot of people question my knowledge or my skill set for being female, she said. A lot of times, when Ive been able to prove what I can do, that respect comes back.

Many women in the skilled trades feel they must disproportionally earn their respect in the workplace.

Despite this being unfair, Edens advises other women pursuing a trade to keep your head down and focus on their skills.

At the end of the day, youre the one that makes your life the happiest, she said. Dont let others control the outcome of your goals.

Keeping women in the trades

The Women & Minorities in Highway Construction program and Department of Transportation grants are compelling incentives for students in EICCs skilled trades programs.

That program paid for me to go through Scott, Marshall said, later saying she wouldnt add anything to SCCs truck-driving program. I feel like I got more than enough (training)  I feel like I left school with enough skills to get me to the next step.

Hinton agreed, noting Ross hands-on, individualized relationships with students.

She (Ross) would stay after class  she would send me simulations through YouTube, she said. I felt prepared when I went into my job.

I look at other drivers and Im like, Whered you go to school? I know you didnt go to Scott, Hinton added with a laugh.

Ross noted IowaWORKS Job Seeker Assistance Program and Partners in Job TrainingRock Island as other resources EICC uses to reach more students.

Hoping to reach more high school students

While only in her current role for four months, Reth hopes to see increased high school exposure pay off for EICCs skilled trades program.

Were getting more high school academies going for CNC (computer numerical control) machining, she said. So, Im hoping that more female students see that as an option.

To better reach this group in high school, she suggests offering a variety of skilled trades experiences and promoting creativity.

Creating projects that are more, like, eye-catching to women, Reth said. Instead of making a hammer (out of metal), make a piece of jewelry or literally anything they want, (rather than) You have to do this just like the guys.

Edens agrees on this front, citing EICCs high school recruitment efforts.

Its allowing students to actually know whats available, whats out there, she said. I think welding also has a high artistic skill to it, and I do feel like women tend to (do better) in that than men, so I think a lot of women are trying it and figuring out that theyre good at it.

This could be a snowball effect for other women, Edens added.







Representation matters

EICCs skilled trades instructors agree that representation matters.

Im hoping more (students) see someone that looks like them (at EICC), so theyre more motivated or willing to at least try CNC or machining, Reth said. The biggest goal is to get women into apprenticeships.

Edens is part of the Women in Manufacturing Peer Roundtable Group, hosted by the Quad Cities Chamber.

Here, local manufacturers meet for structured discussions on industry-specific issues, programming and other initiatives  also aiming to foster a supportive network of women in the field.

To learn more about EICCs skilled trades programs, visit https://eicc.edu/classes-programs/pathway/industrial/.
HAWSTON, South Africa  Nearly every house in Hawston has a boat in its yard, sometimes two.

It takes a moment to realize many are out of action, grass sprouting through holes in hulls that haven't touched water for years. They are relics of another time, when people fished for their livelihood and the ocean provided more than enough.

Those languishing boats and other economic problems in Hawston are the result of changes in the market to South African abalone, a curious fist-sized sea snail that is a highly prized morsel in East Asia and the unwitting instigator of 30 years of trouble for fishing communities along Africa's southern coast. Abalone here was abundant and especially tasty, yet the demand largely put the village and its traditional fishers out of business, or made them criminals overnight.

Raphael Fisher was born into fishing, as just about everyone was in Hawston. He grew up diving for the abalone that South Africans call perlemoen  or, affectionately, "perly"  in the rocky coves. He was learning to work his fathers boat in his late teens. Every boy wanted to be a perly fisher in Hawston, he said. It was the thing.

But over the past three decades, poachers have swept in and swept up every snail they could find  every sackful a fat payday. They can fetch more than $100 a pound. It's reduced the endangered South African abalone to unprecedented low levels, wildlife groups say.

At first, the South African government banned abalone fishing completely. Now, strict quotas give Fisher and other small operators lucky enough to get them the rights to catch 264 pounds a year. Hardly anything.

The fishing has all been taken away, he said. Its totally different now. They took the bread out of peoples mouths.

Its why a different poaching  not for big profits, but to put food on the table  has also ensnared so many traditional fishers up and down this coast. Fisher faced that temptation.

A 2022 report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime estimated the illegal trade heading to the hub of Hong Kong was worth nearly $1 billion between 2000 and 2016, and growing.

The total legal abalone fishing quota in South Africa is set at a maximum of 100 metric tons a year. Hong Kong is importing between 2,000-3,000 metric tons of illegal South African abalone a year, the report estimated. Some is moved on to other big markets in China, Japan and Taiwan.

Organized crime and turf battles over illegal abalone that are sometimes marked by brutal gang killings have overwhelmed South African coastal communities. Thousands of poor young men have been drawn in as foot soldiers.

Hawston and its troubles are likely unknown in Hong Kong, where the high-class Forum restaurant offers cooked South African abalone at $190 a can for customers to take away. Abalone is more than a delicious treat for millions of Chinese, said Wendy Chan, managing director at the Lamma Rainbow, a seafood restaurant on Hong Kong's Lamma Island.

"It carries a symbolic meaning," Chan said. After you have abalone, you will become wealthy or it will bring you good luck in the upcoming year.

It's a sign of prestige or something you would give as a gift. Chan also rates South African abalone highly, as so many do, with its rich taste and slightly chewy texture.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature says nearly half of all abalone shellfish species around the world are threatened with extinction, many affected by pollution and climate change and part of the larger story of devastation of marine wildlife.

Danie Keet, chairman of the Community Against Abalone Poaching group, has seen gang-related abalone poaching play out for 15 years in nearby Gansbaai, another South African coastal town. The poachers arrive in groups in broad daylight on pickup trucks and in their wetsuits, rubber duck boats towed behind them, he said.

It's highly organized. Divers prize the abalone off the reefs and get them to shore in bags. Runners hide them in the dunes for others to take to stash houses. Lookouts watch for police and can warn the divers, who keep cellphones with them sealed watertight in condoms.

They are all the first cogs in a $60 million-a-year illicit business, according to the TRAFFIC Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network.

"In the beginning they used to dive at night a lot. That changed as they noticed that they can just get away with it," Keet said.

The demand has spurred an alternative to wild abalone  farmed abalone. HIK Abalone has a total of around 13 million abalone at any one time at their two south coast farms.

Abalone as far as the eye can see in rows and rows of open-top tanks. Farms are tinkering with the abalone life cycle by selective breeding to get them to grow to a size they can be sold and eaten as fast as possible, said HIK CEO Bertus van Oordt.

Faced with the choice of his life when abalone fishing was banned and poaching ramped up, Fisher, 53, found another way. He works at the HIK farm.

His distrust of the system stems from the fact his father, a pioneer of Hawston's fishing community for years, was denied a quota, his livelihood cut off with a swipe of a pen.

Fisher does fish his abalone quota, banding together in a small consortium with others to share costs. "When it's in you, it's in you," he said.

In Bahamas, conch fishing is way of life. But for how long?




PETAH TIKVA, Israel (Reuters) - Released with her mother and little sister after almost 50 days in captivity in Gaza, four-year-old Raz Asher sits in her father's arms on a hospital bed in Israel.





"I dreamt we came home," she tells her father, Yoni. "Now the dream came true," he replied.





Raz was released with her two-year-old sister, Aviv and mother Doron on Friday, in the first stage of the Israel-Hamas hostage deal that is set to see another 14 hostages, women and children, released on Saturday.





If the deal goes through as intended, it will see the release of 50 Israeli hostages in return for 150 Palestinian women and teenage prisoners during four days, in which fighting in the Gaza Strip is paused and aid pumped into the enclave.





Around 240 people, civilians and soldiers, as well as some foreign nationals, were abducted to Gaza during Hamas' deadly Oct 7 attack.





Yoni Asher had stayed home on that day, in central Israel, when his wife took the two girls to visit their grandmother in Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the border with Gaza. As the attack unfolded he eventually lost phone contact with his wife.





He later saw a video on social media of her and his two little girls being taken to Gaza on a vehicle, gunmen around them.





"We'll be going home soon," Yoni told Raz in the footage released by Schneider Children's Medical Center, the hospital treating the children, who are all in relatively good condition, its staff said.




It's no secret that the Caribbean is one of the world's premier regions for breathtaking scenery , and some places stand out as can't-miss destinations for travelers seeking to make a connection with Mother Nature. Here are five attractions that offer visitors a unique experience in the natural environment.

Waitukubuli National Trail

Dominica

The longest hiking trail in the Caribbean at a lengthy 115 miles, Dominica's Waitukubuli National Trail showcases all there is to love about the Nature Isle as visitors pass by rivers, waterfalls, dramatic cliffs, rainforests and so much more.

The trail, which takes nearly two weeks to traverse, also introduces hikers to the island's culture and traditions as they pass through small villages along the way.

Trunk Bay Underwater Snorkel Trail

U.S. Virgin Islands

Americans can escape to the U.S. Virgin Islands without a passport and one of the territory's gems is the Trunk Bay Underwater Snorkel Trail. The 650-foot underwater trail is self-guided and brings visitors up close with vibrant coral and marine life, including colorful angelfish, parrotfish, sergeant majors, yellowtail snapper and pufferfish, among others.

Dunn's River Falls

Jamaica

A must-visit for travelers to Ocho Rios, Jamaica's Dunn's River Falls is an iconic tourist attraction and natural wonder. Visitors can climb the terraced waterfalls and relax in the many lagoons they produce. A popular backdrop in film and television, the falls is one of the world's few travertine waterfalls emptying directly into the sea.

El Yunque National Forest

Puerto Rico

Another nature lover's paradise that Americans can access without a passport is Puerto Rico's El Yunque National Forest. It's the only tropical rainforest in the national forest system and is among the most biologically diverse.

In addition to awe-inspiring nature and wildlife, El Yunque provides visitors with numerous opportunities for adventure, including scenic hiking trails, adrenaline-pumping ziplining experiences and much more.

Annandale Waterfalls

Grenada

Grenada's gorgeous Annandale Waterfalls are like something out of a dream. The waterfall spans 30 feet and empties into an idyllic pool surrounded by lush forest.

This picturesque destination even features the Wild Orchid Restaurant and Bar where visitors can pair their extraordinary views with mouthwatering local food and drinks.

What travelers should know when visiting the Caribbean for the first time

 Not all islands are the same

Before the title concerns you, know: this is a good thing! First, entry requirements will differ depending on where you're traveling. Passports, for example, aren't necessary when traveling to a U.S. territory such as Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. They are necessary for other islands, most of which are independent nations.

Some island nations also require electronic travel forms or additional entry fees, so use your preferred travel adviser or do your research.

Don't be confused by some names, too: Dominica is not the Dominican Republic, and there is a big difference between the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

It's important to do your research on these things before you travel.

It's also important that you research your specific destination's laws. It's illegal, for example, to wear camouflagepatterned clothing in multiple Caribbean countries, including Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica and St. Lucia, because the members of their military wear this clothing as their uniforms.

The U.S. dollar is also commonly accepted across the Caribbean islands, especially in places that are cruise destinations. Only Cuba does not accept the U.S. dollar as a form of currency.

Additionally, it's important to note that not every Caribbean island is going to have the same culture. Some destinations, such as Puerto Rico, have mainly Spanish-speaking residents, while those from a historically French island may speak French or, in the case of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, a Creole, or mixture, of French and several African languages. This is the same with the cultures of each destination, which influences the annual festivals and general culture of each island.

Either way, English is usually a common language that will allow you to be understood no matter where you go, but it's important to know the language that is most commonly spoken in your chosen destination just in case.

 Packing tips

The Caribbean Islands are a wonderful destination to visit, and no matter whether you'll be cruising or staying on land, it's important to consider what to pack.

You don't need much for a Caribbean vacation, but for a week's journey, we recommend two swimsuits, a pair of walking shoes along with at least one pair of sandals that you don't mind walking in the sand with and a hat that protects your face from the sun.

Lighter fabrics and warm weather clothing will ensure you can bring a carry-on and have ample choices of clothing to wear throughout the week, though you'll want to bring at least one checked bag if you want to pack a larger-sized sunscreen with you, which is necessary. (I can't tell you how many sunburned Americans I've seen onboard cruises just two days after setting sail  the Caribbean sun is stronger than you expect, so use sunscreen accordingly if you want to avoid looking like a lobster in your family photos).

 It's not just about the beach

While the ocean and the beaches in the Caribbean are popular for a reason, it's important to split your time from beaching it to heading into the interior of the islands. Whether you're on a volcanic island with hot springs and UNESCO-designated mountain ranges like St. Lucia or an island whose mountains once sheltered marooned African slaves like Jamaica, the interior of the Caribbean islands offers just as much history, culture and natural beauty as the coastlines.

We encourage you to explore these regions, too. Perhaps you'll encounter thousand-year-old carvings made by the Carib, or spot a colorful orchid species as the sound of tropical birds overhead envelops you.

 Safety and security

Some islands are safer than others, so here's a few tips to ensure safety while abroad.

Don't follow strangers who say they'll take you to a diffrent place, even if it sounds like a fun place. Additionally, don't fl aunt your jewelry or other items that may make you a target for pickpockets. If you're at a resort or a beach bar, watch your drink at all times.

Use common sense. Also, don't book a tour from just anyone. Book tours from reputable tour operators prior to arrival; this will help ensure you receive a better price and a safer trip.

Some destinations known for their resorts are less safe than others. Make sure to read the State Department's travel advisories, and, if a destination seems too risky for you personally, consider traveling elsewhere in the Caribbean.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  A container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire came under attack by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean as Israel wages war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, an American defense official said Saturday.

The attack Friday on the CMA CGM Symi came as global shipping increasingly finds itself targeted during the Israel-Hamas war that threatens to become a wider regional conflict  even as a truce halted the fighting.

The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said the Malta-flagged vessel was suspected to have been targeted by a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone in international waters. The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship but not injuring any of its crew.

"We continue to monitor the situation closely," the official said. The official declined to elaborate on what intelligence the U.S. military gathered to assess that Iran was behind the attack, though authorities suspect Tehran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard carried out the assault.

Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab satellite channel that is politically allied with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, reported an Israeli ship was targeted in the Indian Ocean. The channel cited anonymous sources for the report, which Iranian media later cited.

CMA CGM, a major shipper based in Marseille, France, referred questions to the Symi's owner, Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping. That company is ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.

A statement issued on behalf of Eastern Pacific acknowledged the company being "aware of claims that a container ship under the company's management was targeted in a possible security incident overnight on Friday."
Few things are more powerful than the ideas and narratives contained in a book.

Theres a reason Black enslaved people in America were prohibited from learning how to read, or why totalitarian states come after the artists first. Those bound volumes house a form of freedom. A book does more than provide a lens to view the world with a critical gaze; it reaffirms our existence with relatable people who can be inspiring, or even lifesaving.

Along the way, a book can challenge societys assumptions of what children are capable of absorbing. The Autobiography of Malcolm X was a liberating read for my wife as an 11-year-old girl growing up in Philadelphia.

Sadly, the Hanover County School Board views books as a threat. As a result, it micromanages whats on the shelves of its school libraries. On a recent Friday, it directed principals to begin removing 75 book titles that were deemed sexually explicit.

One of the books is Margaret Atwoods award-winning, critically acclaimed The Handmaids Tale, whose themes of national insurrection, womens oppression and suppression of reproductive rights are likely too on-the-nose for comfort in todays America. Kurt Vonnegut Jr.s antiwar classic Slaughterhouse-Five  like The Handmaids Tale, a ban list perennial  was also ordered removed.

This Book is Gay, written by transgender woman author Juno Dawson as a guidebook for LGBTQ teens, didnt stand a chance with this board. But other books on the list were head-scratchers.

Garth Steins The Art of Racing in the Rain, whose narrator is a dog, was banned despite no graphic sex scenes. It was adapted into a movie that was rated PG, a suggestion for parental guidance. But nowadays, a subset of parents seems less interested in guiding their own children than being the arbiter of appropriateness for everyone elses. The AstroTurf lobbying group Moms for Liberty, in the guise of parents rights, has made a name for itself as a book ban list curator.

Hanovers board is pandering to the political impulses of this right-wing audience.

As Anna Bryson wrote in a Nov. 20 story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Hanover board in June voted to rewrite its policy on which books are allowed in school libraries, giving itself sole discretion and authority to remove any books with a majority vote. In August, it directed librarians to review a list of more than 100 school books for removal, using a website-based tool affiliated with a parents rights advocacy group.

Hanover schools spokesman Chris Whitley, asked about the Nov. 17 removal order, said policy is set by the School Board. School division administration is tasked with implementing these policies. He added that a group consisting of teachers, principals and librarians from across Hanover County Public Schools as well as School Board office administrators reviewed a list provided by the board.

This work produced the attached list of books that the review group deemed to meet the School Boards criteria for being sexually explicit, which is outlined in policy and the Code of Virginia, Whitley said. But the application of that law  sponsored by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, who recently lost a bid for a third term to Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico  is apparently a source of dispute.

The school district anticipates that the book removals will be completed by Dec. 22. School Board policy allows a teacher, principal and librarian to request a waiver.

In seeking to protect students from books, the protagonists of these bans are missing the big picture: the ugly reality these students inhabit.

Our young people are smarter than we give them credit for, and they have a fine nose for the stench of adult hypocrisy. Theyll detect the disconnect between classroom lessons about the U.S. Constitution and the school officials who undermine it with censorship.

They also know the difference between fiction and reality.

For goodness sake, this is a generation navigating the normalized horror of active shooter drills in the schoolhouse, even as their elected officials  who have no problem trampling over the First Amendment  cant bring themselves to impose reasonable restrictions on the Second Amendment. Perhaps books can help these kids break this cycle of gun violence.

Some students live in homes where someone is being physically or sexually abused  a parent, a sibling, perhaps even themselves  and are unsure how to respond. They may be close to someone who is addicted to alcohol or other drugs. Theirs may be a dysfunctional family not unlike that in the Hanover-banned book, Jeannette Walls The Glass Castle. Or they may have a friend or family member who died tragically and prematurely  by homicide, suicide, disease or a traffic accident.

If they are gay, lesbian or transgender, they may be struggling with how their friends and family will react. A book might help them navigate this fear and uncertainty.

They may be quietly terrified about the condition of the world they are about to inherit and rightly indignant about the toxic greed that jeopardizes their birthright of a sustainable planet. A book may inspire them to confront the existential threat of environmental degradation. Or to break the cycles of racism, sexism and militarism.

Perhaps this is what some politicians fear most of all.

We need to be talking more about the tangible threats to the physical and emotional well-being of these students, and less about the imagined ones to be found inside a book. Their greatest dangers exist in the realm of nonfiction.

It is the role of education to teach students about the world, not hide them from it.
IN THE NEWS

Virginia State to host presidential debate

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates said the school will be the site of the debate on Oct. 1. Debates also are planned at Sept. 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos and Oct. 9 at the University of Utah. The vice presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 25 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.

VSU is the first historically Black college or university to host a debate, the school said.

BILLS: Proposals to ensure access to abortion and to ban assault weapons are among the first bills and resolutions filed by Democratic leaders in Virginia for the 2024 legislative session. The bills filed Monday also include a proposal to speed up an increase in the state's minimum wage and a measure to automatically restore the rights of convicted felons who have completed their sentences.

If the resolutions for abortion access and restoring felons' rights pass the legislature, it would be the first step in a lengthy process to amend the state constitution. The amendments would need to pass the legislature during a second year and then be put to voters for approval in a state referendum.

Bills filed in both the House and Senate would make buying, selling or transferring an assault firearm a Class 1 misdemeanor, subject to up to 12 months in jail. The state Senate passed a similar bill earlier this year, but it died in the House, which was then controlled by Republicans.

BY THE NUMBERS

24,633

Crashes in Virginia last year because a driver was following another vehicle too closely, according to the Virginia State Police.

6

Where Virginia ranked among top turkey-producing states in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's about 15.3 million birds.

ODDS AND ENDS

Virginians have student loan debt averaging $39,599, according to an analysis of Office of Federal Student Aid data by higher education research group Degree Choices. That's the third-highest in the U.S.

THEY SAID IT

"I cannot in good conscience keep something private ... to protect folks in City Hall when so much is at stake."

 Richmond School Board member Kenya Gibson, who voted against a plan Monday to not release an investigation into the June 6 shooting death of two following Huguenot High Schools graduation ceremony. Board members raised concerns about violating attorney-client privilege.

"We're just going to keep striving to do our best to meet as many needs as we can and help as many folks as we can."

 Randy Johnson, founder of God's Pit Crew, a Danville nonprofit organization that provides disaster relief services. The group received the Spirit of Virginia Award from Gov. Glenn Youngkin and first lady Suzanne Youngkin.

IN THE NEWS

Victims in Walmart shooting honored

Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on public buildings on the one-year anniversary of a deadly shooting at a Chesapeake Walmart. Six employees were killed by a supervisor, who fatally shot himself. Police have said they believe about 50 people were in the store at the time. The governor's order is "in memory and respect of the victims, their families, and the entire Chesapeake community following last years shooting."

The move came the same week a gunman wounded four people before killing himself in Beavercreek, Ohio, near Dayton. Two people were fatally shot the day before outside a Walmart in south Anchorage, Alaska.

BOOKS: Kirk Cameron's battle over Scholastic Book Fairs is coming to Spotsylvania County. Cameron, the "Growing Pains" actor and Christian author, is scheduled to appear Dec. 2 at Riverbend High School to promote SkyTree Book Fairs, a nonprofit organization billing itself as an alternative to Scholastic.

Cameron and SkyTree said Scholastic promotes books that have sexual content.

You can replace these harmful Scholastic book fairs with helpful, wholesome book fairs, with 500 books that have all been vetted and screened to take out all of the nasty pornography and the critical race theory and the race stuff," Cameron said in a social media post.

Spotsylvania has been part of a national debate over removing from shelves books that officials find inappropriate for young readers. Officials there have removed about 30 books from libraries. Last week, officials in Hanover schools also removed more than 75 titles they found inappropriate.

From the Archives: The Virginia state Capitol building
EDUCATION

The American Physical Society has elected professor Sophia Economou of the Virginia Tech department of physics as a 2023 fellow. The fellowship program recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to physics research, the applications of physics, leadership in or service to the field, or significant contributions to physics education.

Economou was honored for the development of quantum optimization methods, protocols for the generation of photonic resource states, efficient quantum control schemes for spins and nuclei, and a quantum curriculum for young researchers.

FINANCIAL

Freedom First Credit Union welcomes Alisha Childress as the community development coordinator in Lynchburg. She will be working to build partnerships with organizations and leaders to bring Freedom Firsts resources to the Greater Lynchburg community and maximize the impact.

Childress worked six years in nonprofit management and has more than 20 years of combined experience in university administration, emergency management, and business continuity.

Valley Wealth Group has announced the addition of Joe Crandall as a wealth adviser to the group. Crandall will see clients in the Roanoke office, the companys headquarters.
Recall the very first meeting of Roanoke Countys current school board, on Jan. 4, 2022? It was a work session, and the first official meeting for two recently elected members, Cheryl Facciani and Brent Hudson.

The term awkward is one way to describe that meetings conclusion.

Facciani, a Windsor Hills resident, had defeated former board chairman Jason Moretz. And she showed up at that meeting impatient to begin legislating.

At the time, the school system was experiencing a surge in COVID cases. Facciani pushed a resolution to make student masking optional, despite cautions from veteran members Mike Wray and Tim Greenway.

Hudson seconded her motion, and before the vote Facciani read a speech off her phone. It asserted COVID arrived in the U.S. in March 2019. (Actually it was March 2020.)

She asserted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control was not a branch of federal government. She itemized the three branches in a condescending tone.

The CDC is actually a 501-3c, Facciani declared, mangling the term for a tax-exempt nonprofit. (The CDC was and is a federal agency, not a 501(c)(3) organization.) To support the resolution, she also butchered the results of a Brown University study about children and masking.

The board approved it 3 to 2, with Wray and Greenway voting nay. But two days later then-chairman David Linden called another meeting and the board rescinded the measure, after learning it was likely illegal. Facciani was the only nay vote on rescinding.

Her misstatements, and that board misstep offered echoes of another decade, and the crackpottery regularly visited upon county supervisors by members of the Roanoke Tea Party.

Remember the 2010s? Back then, the school board was the sane and noncontroversial elected panel in Roanoke County. But that January 2022 work session offered glaring signals those roles could soon be reversed.

Opposition group forms

That same month saw the formation of a new Facebook group, Roanoke County Parents for a Common Sense School Board. More than 1,200 people quickly joined  currently, the numbers above 1,600.

From there, the school board began dipping its toes into culture-war issues, and fighting battles that previous county school boards had avoided. As a result, the boards public meetings have gradually become the most polarized in the region.

In February 2022, board members engineered the deletion of five sex-related questions from a risky-behaviors survey of middle-school students, which county schools have administered since 2002.

The anonymous and optional survey was designed to help schools spot behavioral trends before they begin interfering with education. To many, cutting questions from the middle-school survey seemed like an ostrich strategy to problem-solving.

In June 2022, the board approved a new and stricter school library materials selection policy, despite warnings it was unworkable.

After those warnings proved true, the board this past March backtracked and dropped a requirement that school librarians must read and write advance reviews of all books proposed to be added to library shelves.

Sexual predators

Things really heated up after Mays public meeting, when parent Damon Gettier publicly vilified employees of Glen Cove Elementary, which his son attends.

In public comments to board members, Gettier called Glen Cove educators sexual predators disguised as teachers and staff. He said they engaged in child abuse, grooming, conditioning and indoctrination of pupils.

The evidence Gettier cited was LGBTQA decorations in Glen Coves main office, in a music classroom, in Glen Coves current yearbook, and rainbow accessories worn by staff members. One yearbook image he specifically flagged as outrageous was a rainbow-hued sign outside a trailer-classroom that proclaimed EVERYONE WELCOME.

Remember the resulting demonstration outside Glen Cove Elementary, by parents and students in support of teachers and staff? Another result was a huge turnout at Junes meeting, where many speakers chided board members for failing to defend its employees from Gettiers charges.

Arrests at board meetings

The crowd was also huge at Julys meeting  where two people were arrested and charged with trespassing after an outburst among the audience. Arrests at a school board meeting were unprecedented.

By then it seemed clear that school board meetings had become even crazier than board of supervisors meetings back in the 2010s.

At Julys meeting, the board approved a new classroom display policy that appears to ban rainbows and Pride-flag decorations on classroom walls, unless theyre directly related to lessons or the sole purpose is decorative.

At one point, during the aforementioned outburst, Chairman Hudson pulled his Roanoke County sheriffs deputy badge (from his day job) and brandished it at one of the people later arrested. His move kind of resembled the way a character in a Dracula movie might use a cross to ward off a vampire.

Prior to Augusts school board meeting, the school system instituted a procedural change for citizen comments. Henceforth, speakers have to sign up in advance by 8:30 a.m. on the day of a meeting. (Previously, attendees could show up and sign up immediately prior to the meeting.) It seemed designed to keep the growing numbers of public speakers down.

At Augusts school board meeting, there were almost as many uniformed law-enforcement officers as the 26 people who signed up to speak. For the second meeting in a row, somebody got arrested. (This time it was one man.)

Early this month, voters in the Cave Spring District were faced with the question of replacing retiring school board member Mike Wray. Hes a longtime public servant whos probably the most even-keeled and responsible member on the current board.

Voters chose Shelly Clemons over Mary Wilson to replace him. The jury is still out on Clemons, who wont assume office until January. But Faccianis endorsement of her left members of the Roanoke County Parents for a Commons Sense School Board fearing the panel is headed in the wrong direction.

County supervisor sues

Then last week, we learned that Martha Hooker, chair of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, has filed a federal lawsuit against Facciani, Hudson, Greenway and Roanoke County Superintendent of Schools Ken Nicely.

A retired county teacher, Hooker maintained a part-time administrative job in the school system until May. Thats when Nicely fired her without warning. Shes claiming wrongful termination.

The lawsuit alleges Facciani, Greenway and Hudson pressured Nicely to dismiss Hooker because they were angry about a school-funding vote she made last fall.

At that time, Hooker and the other four supervisors voted 5-0 to transfer funding to the schools by defined spending categories. Previously they had transferred money in a lump sum, which gave the school board more spending flexibility. Hookers alleging illegal retaliation.

Its unclear how that lawsuit will shake out. A county schools spokesman declined comment last week. Facciani, Hudson and Greenway didnt respond to emails I sent them.

But considering the many controversies the school board has courted since that January 2022 work session, is it any wonder the supervisors voted to allocate taxpayer funding to schools by spending category? In retrospect, the change appears rational and wise.

Given recent history and circumstances, would any responsible elected official write the Roanoke County School Board a blank check?
Burjeel Holdings has launched an advanced day surgery centre in Abu Dhabi, as part of its efforts to enhancing access to healthcare services. Designed to offer a rapid and comprehensive treatment experience, it will help reduce the need for prolonged hospital stays.

The Burjeel Holdings facility in Al Shahama was initially established as a medical centre in 2014 before being transformed into a state-of-the-art day surgery centre.

Specialising in same-day surgical care, the centre is specifically designed to offer a rapid and comprehensive treatment experience that significantly reduces the need for prolonged hospital stays. It is poised to enhance patient comfort and convenience by streamlining the recovery process.

Equipped with the latest medical technologies and operated by a team of experts, the centre ensures that each patient receives the highest standard of care.

From advanced diagnostic facilities to sophisticated surgical suites, every aspect of the centre is optimised for efficiency and patient safety, it stated.

The facility was inaugurated in the presence of Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health (DoH)  Abu Dhabi, Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of DoH, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings, and senior management officials.

Lauding the efforts of Burjeel Holdings, Al Mansoori said: "At the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, we continue to work with partners in the healthcare sector to further enhance the quality and availability of health services in the emirate, thus consolidating Abu Dhabis position as a leading destination for healthcare globally."

"We congratulate Burjeel Holdings for bringing the Burjeel One-Day Surgery Centre to the Shahama area, looking forward to its provision of distinguished services, in accordance with international best practices, and toward improving the well-being and safety of community members," he stated.

Dr Vayalil said the launch of Burjeel Day Surgery Center at Al Shahama is a significant milestone in its ongoing dedication to providing accessible, specialised medical services to communities.

"The advanced centre is designed to offer residents a comprehensive suite of services that cater to their unique health needs. This investment in highly advanced healthcare infrastructure is a clear indication of Burjeel Holdings commitment to fostering healthier communities and raising the standard of healthcare in the region," he added.

Dr Bahaa Demian Grace, Medical Director and Specialist Internal Medicine, Burjeel Day Surgery Center, Al Shahama, said the opening of the centre was a clear reflection of its dedication to advanced, patient-centric healthcare.

"We are excited to offer top-tier medical services, combining professional expertise with compassionate care for optimal patient well-being," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo departed for France on Sunday to participate in this week's voting for the World Expo 2030, as Korea competes to host the mega event in its southeastern city of Busan.

The host country will be elected by the 182 member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the body responsible for overseeing the quadrennial event. The decision will take place during its general assembly in Paris on Tuesday (local time), where Busan is contending against Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Rome, Italy.

During his five-day stay in Paris, Han is scheduled to meet with delegates from BIE member states, making a last-minute pitch before the voting, according to his office.

In these final meetings, Han will articulate Korea's vision to transform the World Expo into a platform addressing humanity's challenges, including war and conflict, the digital divide and climate change, as stated by his office.

"Until the last moment, with an unyielding spirit, I will do my best to deliver joyful news to the grateful people," Han said in a Facebook post before his departure.

Korea's candidacy proposes hosting the event between May 1 and Oct. 31, 2030, under the theme "Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future," according to the BIE.

During the general assembly, each of the three candidates will present their World Expo projects, followed by a secret ballot vote by government-appointed delegates representing member states. The voting result is expected early Thursday. (Yonhap)
The cost of rental housing has gone up everywhere, and Roanoke is no exception. According to USA Today, in the past two years, median rents have increased by 18% due to would-be homebuyers being shut out of the market by high mortgage rates and a lack of inventory.

Its why Melissa Simmons, 54, has stayed in her Roanoke apartment, despite the degenerative disc disease and other ailments that make it hard for to go up the 16 steps to her apartment and the 20 more steps she must climb to reach her attic bedroom.

Its really hard on my illnesses, she said. Im looking for a first floor apartment on one level.

She likes her current home, she said, and is glad that while her neighbors rents have gone up by about $100 a month, hers has remained stable because shes been there for 15 years. But as much as shed like to find another place, Simmons gave up looking for a more accessible home about a year ago, when she couldnt find one in her neighborhood that suited her needs.

There are so many people displaced from different areas [due to rent increases] that its hard to find something, she said. And even if the rent is reasonable, she added, they still want a deposit and first and last months rent.

Simmons said she was very active for most of her life. She enjoyed swimming, hiking and skating, and often worked two jobs, despite the fact that shes had health issues since she was 15 years old.

I miss it, I sure do she said wistfully about the physical activities she used to participate in.

Before she went on disability in 2005, she said, she did her best to push through her pain, until her employers began insisting she go home to rest when it was obvious she was having a particularly bad day. Finally, she said, I realized I wasnt able to work anymore.

Despite the fact that the judge in her disability case wrote in her file that she would never be able to work again, she said, it took her three tries and the services of a lawyer to get her application approved. The disposition of her case was delayed so long that the retroactive payments from the date she actually became disabled was enough for her to help put her daughter through college.

Simmons held a variety of jobs before she was disabled.

I worked at a bank for 11 years, she said. I ran a couple of companies, and I was a bar manager.

During that time, she said, she earned enough to meet her needs. Even on her disability pay, she said, she has been able to pay her bills when emergency things dont come up. Then it gets hard.

Over the years, she said, she has turned to Roanoke Area Ministries Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which is supported by The Roanoke Times Good Neighbors Fund, to fill in those gaps. The Emergency Financial Assistance program aims to help those in danger of becoming homeless with unexpected expenses.

RAM House has helped me so many times over the years, she said. Theyve helped me with different things  lights, medication, rent. Ive taken family there. They immediately helped my mother.

Simmons first came to RAM 20 years ago, she said, after hearing about the charity from a friend.

Her most recent crisis came in November.

Simmons said her family has always been there to help her, but I cant ask them to help anymore.

Even when they cant offer her money, she said, they and two close friends have been her lifelines. This summer, her sister and brother-in-law bought her a car, which she needs to get to her many medical appointments. The car was 26 years old and needed some work, but nobody really knew how bad shape it was in. When the car broke down in October, Simmons said, three mechanics told her it was not worth repairing.

It was great, she said. I loved that car. It was perfect for me, but the engine needed more work than I could put into it.

By that time, she said, the money shed spent on it had already blown a hole in her budget, and she was in danger of being evicted from her apartment. She also lost a roommate at that time, which didnt help, she added.

In addition to the car trouble, the same month she came to RAM, Simmons had several falls, which damaged some of the hardware that keeps her spinal column stable.

Im sort of clumsy, anyway, she said, but her medications were also being adjusted at the time, which didnt help her equilibrium. She is currently waiting to have a pump, which will supply a steady dosage of pain medication, surgically implanted in her back.

Simmons said some days are better than others.

Sometimes, you cant use your legs or your arms. Sometimes you cant get up for days, she said, and medications dont even begin to control the pain. But when shes not incapacitated, Simmons does everything her doctors recommend to keep herself mobile.

I do everything they say, she said, but she knows that rather than getting better, her spine will only get worse.

To distract her from her troubles, she said, once or twice a year, her friends will take her to a concert. Its incredible that I have these two people in my life, she said.

Without the help from RAM, Simmons said, she likely would have lost her apartment and would have had to stay with her friends  something she doesnt want to do.

Someone would have taken me in until I got on my feet, but I lost a good friend 20 years ago because we lived together, she said.

Simmons said it took her eight tries to secure a grant from RAM. The office is open from 9 to 11 a.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, she said, which required lining up outside the door by 7 a.m. When theyve given out the grants for the day, she said, there are no more, though unlike many other charities, RAM still has some money this time of year.

They work with other charities and with churches to get you what you need, she explained.

I would definitely recommend it to donors, she said, because the charity has been around for so long.

Theyve been there for me and my family. I cant show my gratitude enough. RAM House is wonderful. They really care about whats going on with you.
MARTINSVILLE  Two people have been arrested in Henry County related to a kidnapping and larceny of a vehicle that occurred in Eden, North Carolina.

Gary Lee Alverson, 40, and Sarah Michele Newton, 35, were arrested Thursday and charged with first-degree kidnapping and larceny of a motor vehicle.

On Wednesday, a mother parked her 2016 Honda Odyssey just outside Lees Little Explorers Child Care Center in Eden and left the engine running, the doors unlocked and her 1-year-old child in the vehicle while she walked other children into the day care to drop them off. Witnesses said they saw a man and a woman get into the vehicle and drive off, a release stated.

At 9:05 a.m., Eden police responded to the day care after receiving a report of the abduction, and at 9:18 a.m. they received another call saying that someone had rung the doorbell of a residence on Settlement Loop Road and left the child in a car seat on the porch. The caller described seeing a white female with short brown or reddish hair running to a white van parked in the roadway and getting into the passenger seat. The vehicle then left the area, headed toward Highway 770, the caller said.

Investigators recovered the child, who was unharmed, and returned the child to the mother.

On Thursday, police received a call from a resident in Henry County who said he or she had seen the two people wanted for the abduction and vehicle larceny, and police arrested them at an undisclosed location in Henry County.

Alverson and Newton have previous addresses from Bardstown, Kentucky, about a seven hour drive from Eden and Henry County. Both are in jail in Henry County, awaiting extradition to Rockingham County, North Carolina, the release said.

The release did not state whether Alverson and Newton were wanted in Kentucky, what their connection with Eden, or Henry County may be, or why they may have stolen a vehicle with a child in it at the daycare. The release also did not state whether the vehicle had been recovered.
J. Mark Powell is a novelist, former TV journalist and diehard history buff. Have a historical mystery that needs solving? A forgotten moment worth remembering? Please send it to HolyCow@insidesources.com.
FLORENCE, S.C.  A spokesman for the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division confirmed on Friday that the agency is investigating Palmetto Youth Academy, a former Florence charter school.

The investigation was started after Florence County Solicitor Ed Clements requested on Nov. 2 that the agency look into allegations of embezzlement, according to Director of Public Information Renee Wunderlich.

The day before, in a statement sent to the media and posted on social media, Florence 1 Schools Superintendent Richard OMalley called upon Clements to investigate the school and its director, Yvonne Brown-Burgess, for spending district dollars after the charter school was ordered to be closed.

The Florence 1 Schools Board of Trustees, through their attorney, has filed all necessary civil actions through the courts and now it is time for a criminal investigation, OMalley said in the statement. It is time for the solicitor to stop delaying and immediately investigate Ms. Brown-Burgess.

OMalley also asked district taxpayers to call Clements and ask why an investigation was not already underway, and to call their local, county and state elected representatives about an investigation.

7Y1A5970.JPG Activists speak at a press conference on Nov. 7 in the parking lot across the street from the Florence 1 Schools administrative building on Ir

Florence 1 Schools and Palmetto Youth Academy are in a dispute that began when Palmetto Youth Academy appealed the school boards decision to not renew its charter for another 10 years.

The school has continued to operate despite having no charter, and the district has been using the appeal process as an opportunity to try to recover the money and property it gave the school in past years.

According to state law, the school should have closed and given its property back to the district when its charter expired. It requested to stay open during the appeal process, but the S.C. Administrative Law Court denied its request.

In a motion filed on Oct. 27, the district asked the court to force Palmetto Youth Academys leadership to come to a hearing and explain why they should not be held in contempt of court for violating a court order from Sept. 22 that blocked the school and its leadership from spending or transferring money or property.

Since that order, the school has continued to spend money and transfer property, according to John Edward Haas. He was assigned by the court as a third party to hold the money and property that both sides claim until the appeal is settled.

Haas supports the district in its motion, according to an affidavit he signed and that was submitted with the motion.

It is my opinion that Ms. Brown-Burgess has acted willfully to move funds and attempt to hide accounts from the receiver, and she continues to have possession and control of funds that the Court ordered turned over to the receiver, he said in the affidavit.

IMG_5684.JPG Yvonne Brown-Burgess, executive director and principal of Palmetto Youth Academy, testified on April 27 in favor of the renewal of Palmetto Yo

Despite the court ordering Palmetto Youth Academy and Brown-Burgess to work with Haas in taking control of the money, Haas said he has not received any of the documents he requested and was only able to take control of accounts he discovered through his own investigation by going to the banks directly.

After taking control of the accounts, Haas found that Palmetto Youth Academy had spent a considerable amount of money since its charter renewal request was denied. He also found evidence that the school was creating new accounts and moving large sums of money around, sometimes into personal savings accounts.

Brown-Burgess, who controlled the schools finances as its director, has directly transferred at least $314,000 to herself and $294,000 to employees and others affiliated with the school, he said. That amount does not include direct purchases made from the schools multiple bank accounts.

BLDG Florence One Schools (copy) A former Florence 1 Schools charter school is under investigation by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division for allegations of embezzlement, 

Palmetto Youth Academy previously owned 48 acres of land down the road from the school property, but it transferred that land to Prayer Tabernacle The Place of Refuge Church for $5 in September. The initial paperwork was complete before the Sept. 22 order blocking the school from transferring money or property, but a revision needed to be made to the paperwork, setting the official transfer date after the order, according to Haas.

Florence 1 Schools and Haas requested that the Administrative Law Court force the leadership of Palmetto Youth Academy to provide evidence for why the district should not take legal action against the school and those it transferred money and property to.

If school officials could not provide evidence, the district requested the ability to file actions against the school and affiliates to recover the transferred assets.

An activist group that has been calling for OMalleys resignation, along with the resignation of the districts Board of Trustees, said that OMalley was improperly using his position as superintendent by asking taxpayers to call for an investigation and for showing checks made out to Palmetto Youth Academy staff.

Members of the group, which is backed by the Racial Justice Network, spoke at a press conference on Nov. 7 and at the Nov. 9 school board meeting.

We stand with PYA, now Palmetto Promise Academy, Shelly Williams said at the press conference. We stand with the faculty, staff and students.

Williams called the comments made by OMalley, and the information he released to back his claims, an attack on the school and the community.

It creates an unnecessary divide for something that is already in court, she said.

James Williams, president of the Florence chapter of the Racial Justice Network, said at the press conference that he thinks OMalleys statements were meant to polarize white people against the school.

At the meeting, NAACP Florence Chapter President Jerry Keith said the chapter opposed OMalleys decision to publish court documents and other information about Palmetto Youth Academy.

It is the position of the branch that, in this situation, the justice system should be allowed to work. The act of sounding a dog whistle and using ones positional power to rally the crowd before justice can be served harkens back to lynching, he said. It is a weaponization of the office and abuse of power.

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The documents sent out by OMalley contained sensitive, personal information about those who work for or are affiliated with Palmetto Youth Academy, according to Keith and others who spoke at the press conference and board meeting.

Keith said that the release of documents could put the district in legal trouble, and that the Board of Trustees should reprimand OMalley and hold him accountable.

Board members did not respond to public comments about OMalleys communication during the meeting, nor did OMalley mention it during his report to the board.
LA CROSSE, Wis.  Wildlife officials across the Great Lakes are looking for spies to take on an almost impossible mission: stop the spread of invasive carp.

Over the past five years, agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have employed a new seek-and-destroy strategy that uses turncoat carp to lead them to the fish's hotspot hideouts.

Agency workers turn carp into double agents by capturing them, implanting transmitters and tossing them back. Floating receivers send real-time notifications when a tagged carp swims past. Carp often clump in schools in the spring and fall. Armed with the traitor carp's location, agency workers and commercial anglers can head to that spot, drop their nets and remove multiple fish from the ecosystem.

Kayla Stampfle, invasive carp field lead for the Minnesota DNR, said the goal is to monitor when carp start moving in the spring and use the tagged fish to ambush their brethren.

We use these fish as a traitor fish and set the nets around this fish, she said.

Four different species are considered invasive carp: bighead, black, grass and silver. They were imported to the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s to help rid southern aquaculture farms of algae, weeds and parasites. But they escaped through flooding and accidental releases, found their way into the Mississippi River and have used it as a superhighway to spread north into rivers and streams in the nation's midsection.

The carp are voracious eaters  adult bigheads and silvers can consume up to 40% of their body weight in a day  and easily out-compete native species, wreaking havoc on aquatic ecosystems. There is no hard estimates of invasive carp populations in the U.S. but they are believed to number in the millions.

State and federal agencies have spent a combined $607 million to stop the fish, according to figures The Associated Press compiled in 2020. Spending is expected to hit $1.5 billion over the next decade.

But wildlife and fisheries experts say it would be nearly impossible to eradicate invasive carp in the U.S. Just keeping them out of the Great Lakes and protecting the region's $7 billion fishing industry would be a success.

Fisheries experts have employed a host of defenses, including electric barriers, walls of bubbles and herding the carp into nets using underwater speakers. But the fish still have made their way up the Mississippi as far as northern Wisconsin and grass carp have been found in Lake Erie, Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario, leaving fisheries managers racing to blunt the incursion.

Agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife managers have built a network of receivers extending from the St. Croix River in far northern Wisconsin to the Gulf of Mexico to record tagged invasive carp's movement, with periodic data collection. The first receivers were deployed in the Illinois River in an effort to stem migration into Lake Michigan in the early 2000s.

Beginning around 2018, managers started placing new, solar-powered receivers around the Great Lakes region that could track tagged carp and send instant notifications to observers. The real-time notifications reveal where carp may be massing before a migration and illuminate movement patterns, allowing the agencies to plan round-up expeditions to remove carp from the environment and tag more traitor fish.

The receivers are essentially a raft supporting three solar panels and a locked box with a modem and a computer that records contacts with tagged carp. The receivers can pick up signals from tagged fish over a mile away, Fritts said.

He estimated each receiver costs about $10,000. The federal Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 authorized a multi-agency offensive against invasive carp in the upper Mississippi River and Ohio River basins, allowing the USFWS to spend on the devices through its existing budget.

Agencies have deployed the devices in Lake Erie, a stretch of the Mississippi between the Illinois and Missouri borders, the Illinois River and Chicago-area riverways, Fritts said.

The USFWS has set up four real-time receivers in the Mississippi backwaters extending from Davenport, Iowa, to the Missouri border. The U.S. Geologic Survey has set up more than a dozen devices, including receivers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers in Illinois; and the Sandusky River in Ohio. The Minnesota DNR began deploying real-time receivers in the Mississippi backwaters forming the Minnesota-Wisconsin border around La Crosse three years ago.

Stampfle and fish technician James Stone spent three hours in the Mississippi and Black rivers backwaters around La Crosse on a recent November day removing the receivers for the winter. She said the work is worth it.

When are these fish moving? If we can figure that out, it gives us a fighting chance," Stampfle said as she guided her flat-bottom boat back to the landing. Can we keep up with them? I don't think anyone can answer that accurately. It's still unknown territory. It's an uphill battle on a very slick slope. You just pray you have a foothold.

Asian carp arent the only aquatic invaders to worry about. Here are 14 more Asian Swamp Eel Bighead Carp Black Carp Bullfrog Cane Toad Eurasian Ruffe Flathead Catfish Lionfish Nile Perch Nutria Red-Bellied Pacu Red-Eared Slider Sea Lamprey Round Goby
Amazon has unveiled Astro for Business, a novel security solution designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. This innovative product merges robotics, smart security, and artificial intelligence (AI), offering a dynamic approach to safeguarding business premises.

A Tailored Security Approach

Astro for Business is not just another security gadget; its a customizable solution that adapts to various business needs. Business owners can enhance their security setups with incremental benefits offered through subscriptions like Ring Protect Pro and the newly introduced Astro Secure. These features, which include advanced security controls such as custom patrol routes and scheduling capabilities, are designed to augment the robustness of the businesss security.

Enhanced Vigilance and Peace of Mind

According to Anthony Robson, head of products for Amazon Astro, businesses suffered nearly $100 billion in losses in 2022, as reported by the National Retail Federation. Astro for Business aims to address this pressing issue by providing more dynamic and cost-effective security solutions. Unlike traditional security systems, Astro offers enhanced visibility, helping to cover blind spots and areas beyond the reach of stationary cameras, ensuring round-the-clock protection of valuable inventory and property.

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Advanced Features and Capabilities

Astro for Business boasts a suite of advanced features:

Ring Protect Pro: This subscription allows for video history storage of up to 180 days and integrates with Ring Alarm for comprehensive security alerts.

This subscription allows for video history storage of up to 180 days and integrates with Ring Alarm for comprehensive security alerts. Astro Secure: Tailored for business environments, this feature enables autonomous patrolling and customizable monitoring routes, enhancing vigilance against potential security breaches.

Tailored for business environments, this feature enables autonomous patrolling and customizable monitoring routes, enhancing vigilance against potential security breaches. Virtual Security Guard: Adding this subscription brings in professional monitoring capabilities, with Rapid Response agents ready to respond to any alerts.

Real-World Applications and Testimonials

The utility of Astro for Business has been affirmed through real-world applications across diverse sectors, including retail, manufacturing, health and wellness, and more. James Mahon, president of Southern Oregon Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., praises Astro for its dynamic capabilities, citing an instance where it helped identify a security risk in real-time. Similarly, Chris Adkins of Louisville Office Furniture and Jonathan Hebel from Hapa Group have lauded Astros ability to offer real-time checks and prevent potential hazards, like unattended industrial ovens.

Control and Privacy

Astro for Business is easily controlled through the Amazon Astro app, allowing business owners to remotely check in, communicate with employees, and adjust security settings. Importantly, Astro is designed with privacy in mind, featuring multiple layers of controls to disable recording functions and define restricted areas.

Pricing and Availability

Astro for Business is now available for purchase in the U.S., starting at $2,349.99. The package includes a four-month trial of Ring Protect Pro and Astro Secure, offering substantial value. Additional options like the Virtual Security Guard are available for those seeking extra layers of security.

Small Business Deals

Astro for Business represents a significant leap forward in business security, combining AI and robotics to offer small and medium-sized business owners a more dynamic, effective, and customizable security solution. With its advanced features, ease of control, and focus on privacy, Astro is poised to redefine how businesses protect their assets and operations.
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If you run an embroidery business, having the right supplies is crucial. Finding reliable suppliers is important for your success, whether you need embroidery designs, threads, or machines. In this article, youll discover 10 places to get all the embroidery supplies you need to keep your business running smoothly.

The Embroidery Market

The embroidery market is projected to experience significant growth in 2023 and beyond. According to industry reports, the market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.02% during the forecast period, which will result in a market value of about $5.4 billion by 2027. The growth can be attributed to the increasing demand for embroidery products in the quilting and stitching industries, which are expected to drive market growth over the next few years.

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Top Places to Buy Embroidery Supplies

Whether youre starting out or an experienced embroiderer, finding quality hand embroidery supplies is essential. Check out this list of top places to buy the best materials and fabrics for all your projects.

1. Amazon

If youre looking for a one-stop shop, Amazon is your go-to place. Here you can find everything from threads and needles to machines and designs. With a wide range of prices and good customer service, Amazon is a convenient option.

2. Etsy

Etsy is a great marketplace for unique and creative handmade items, including embroidery supplies. Whether youre looking for intricate patterns or natural fibers, youll be able to find something special.

3. eBay

When it comes to finding affordable embroidery supplies, eBay is the place to go. With a large selection of items from different sellers, you can find good deals and a wide range of products. Be sure to check out the reviews before buying!

Small Business Deals

4. Joann

Joann has everything you need for embroidery projects, from pre-printed kits to all the tools and materials. With an extensive selection of fabrics, threads, and other supplies, youre sure to find what you need online or in-store.

5. AllStitch

AllStitch sells wholesale embroidery supplies for commercial and home machines at low prices. They offer brand names like Madeira and Ginger, extensive embroidery blanks, excellent customer service, and free shipping options.

6. LoveCrafts

LoveCrafts provides a range of embroidery and cross-stitch supplies for all budgets while fostering a global community of crafters. Founded in 2012, LoveCrafts has grown to include LoveKnitting and LoveCrochet under one roof.

7. Snuggly Monkey

Snuggly Monkey sells quality craft supplies for modern stitchers, curated by Claudia Martinez. The shop supports independent designers, reduces plastic waste, and practices social giving. As a crafter herself, Martinez prioritizes enjoyable creative experiences through high-quality supplies.

8. The Embroidery Store

The Embroidery Store supplies commercial embroidery with a full range of embroidery products including backings, stabilizers, thread, bobbins, needles, hoops, and accessories. They offer online purchasing and new items are regularly added.

9. Colman & Company

Colman and Company offers high-quality embroidery supplies and over 50,000 wholesale supplies and equipment for customizers and decorators. They have a new Clearwater, FL shipping and pick-up location for wholesale products in Florida.

10. Embroidery Central

Embroidery Central offers quality hand embroidery supplies like hoops, needles, threads, fabrics, and software for stitching success. Keep your sewing shelves stocked for present and future projects.

Essential Embroidery Supply

Embroidery is a popular form of sewing that adds intricate designs and patterns to a garment. To create beautiful embroidered pieces, youll need essential embroidery supplies. Here are the top four items you need:

Cotton Thread

Cotton thread is one of the most popular choices for embroidery. Its widely available and comes in a vast range of colors. Cotton thread is known for its softness and matte finish, making it ideal for projects that require a natural or rustic look. Its also relatively strong and easy to work with, which is great for beginners.

Silk Thread

Silk thread is prized for its lustrous sheen and smooth texture. Its a bit more delicate and expensive compared to cotton, but it offers a level of elegance and depth of color that is unmatched. Silk thread is often used for high-end embroidery projects, such as historical reproductions or fine art embroidery.

Rayon Thread

Rayon thread is known for its bright, glossy appearance. Its a synthetic alternative to silk, offering a similar shine at a more affordable price point. However, it can be a bit slippery to work with and may not be as durable as cotton or silk.

Metallic Thread

Metallic thread adds a unique sparkle to embroidery projects. Its made from a synthetic core wrapped in a metallic foil. This thread can be a bit challenging to work with due to its stiffness and tendency to fray, but its perfect for adding a special touch to holiday decorations or ornate designs.

Linen Fabric

Linen fabric is a traditional choice for embroidery. It has a natural, rustic look and feel, with a slightly irregular weave that adds character to the finished piece. Linen is particularly well-suited to traditional embroidery styles like crewel.

Aida Cloth

Aida cloth is a cotton fabric characterized by its evenly spaced, visible weave. Its particularly popular for cross-stitch projects because the open weave makes it easy to count stitches and achieve precise designs.

Evenweave Fabrics

Evenweave fabrics, such as lugana or jobelan, are made with an equal number of threads in both directions, creating a uniform appearance. These fabrics are preferred for counted thread techniques and offer a smoother finish compared to Aida cloth.

Canvas

Canvas, specifically needlepoint canvas, is a stiff, open-weave fabric. Its used predominantly for needlepoint and tapestry work. The rigid structure of the canvas makes it ideal for designs that cover the entire surface.

Felt

Felt is a non-woven fabric thats great for applique work in embroidery. It doesnt fray, which makes it easy to cut into various shapes and sizes. Felt adds texture and depth to embroidery projects, making it a favorite for childrens crafts and decorative pieces.

Beads and Sequins

Beads and sequins can be added to embroidery projects for extra embellishment. They come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, allowing for a lot of creativity in design. Beads and sequins are often sewn onto the fabric alongside traditional stitching for a decorative effect.

Material Description Properties Ideal Use Cotton Thread Widely available, comes in many colors, known for its softness and matte finish. Soft, Matte, Strong, Easy to Work With Projects requiring a natural look, beginner-friendly Silk Thread Prized for its lustrous sheen and smooth texture, often used for high-end projects. Lustrous, Smooth, Delicate, Elegant High-end embroidery, fine art, historical reproductions Rayon Thread Bright, glossy appearance, a synthetic alternative to silk, more affordable. Glossy, Bright, Synthetic, Affordable Affordable alternative for shiny finishes, decorative pieces Metallic Thread Made from synthetic core and metallic foil, adds sparkle, can be challenging to work with. Sparkly, Stiff, Synthetic, Challenging Holiday decorations, ornate designs, special touches Linen Fabric Natural, rustic look with slightly irregular weave, suited for traditional styles like crewel. Natural, Rustic, Traditional, Characterful Traditional embroidery styles, such as crewel Aida Cloth Cotton fabric with evenly spaced weave, popular for cross-stitch due to ease of counting stitches. Evenly Spaced Weave, Easy to Count, Cotton Cross-stitch projects, precise designs Evenweave Fabrics Uniform appearance with an equal number of threads in both directions, smoother than Aida. Uniform, Smooth, Even Threads, Counted Thread Techniques Counted thread techniques, projects needing a smoother finish Canvas Stiff, open-weave fabric, used for needlepoint and tapestry, ideal for full-cover designs. Stiff, Open-Weave, Rigid, Full-Cover Needlepoint, tapestry, designs covering entire surface Felt Non-woven, doesn't fray, great for applique, adds texture and depth to projects. Non-Woven, Textured, Versatile, Child-Friendly Applique work, children's crafts, decorative pieces Beads and Sequins Used for extra embellishment, available in various shapes and sizes, sewn onto fabric. Decorative, Varied Shapes/Sizes, Creative, Adds Embellishment Extra embellishment, decorative stitching

Tools for Embroidery Businesses

Embroidery businesses require specialized tools to produce high-quality stitched products. From embroidery machines to software, here are the top seven tools every embroidery business needs:

Embroidery Needles

Embroidery needles are specially designed with a long eye to make threading easier, particularly when using multiple strands of thread. The sizes vary, with smaller needles used for fine, detailed work and larger needles for heavier fabrics or threads. Choosing the right needle size and type (such as sharp or blunt tip) is crucial for the ease of stitching and the quality of the final work.

Embroidery Hoops

Embroidery hoops are used to keep the fabric taut while stitching. They consist of two rings; the fabric is placed over the smaller ring, and the larger ring is placed on top and tightened to hold the fabric in place. This tension helps in maintaining even stitches and prevents puckering of the fabric. Hoops come in various sizes and materials, such as wood or plastic.

Scissors

A good pair of sharp scissors is essential in embroidery for cutting threads neatly. Embroidery scissors are typically small with fine points, allowing for precision in cutting close to the fabric without snipping the stitches. Some embroiderers use separate scissors for fabric and threads to maintain sharpness.

Transfer Tools

Transfer tools, such as transfer pens, pencils, or carbon paper, are used to transfer designs onto the fabric. This step is essential for ensuring accuracy in following the embroidery pattern. The choice of transfer tool depends on the fabric type and the complexity of the design.

Thimble

A thimble is a small protective tool worn on the finger to help push the needle through tough fabric. It prevents soreness and injury from repeated needle pricks. Thimbles are available in various materials like metal, leather, or rubber.

Thread Organizer

A thread organizer helps in managing different colors of threads, especially in complex designs with many shades. It prevents tangling and makes it easier to find the right color quickly.

Magnifying Glass

For intricate work, a magnifying glass can be incredibly helpful, especially for those with vision difficulties. It enlarges the work area, making it easier to see fine details and ensuring precision in stitches.

Light Source

Good lighting is essential in embroidery to prevent eye strain and to ensure color accuracy. A well-lit work area makes it easier to see the stitches and work for longer periods comfortably.

Embroidery Machine

Embroidery machines are the most important tool for any embroidery business that produces large volumes. Choose a machine that can handle a variety of fabrics and designs, and thats easy to use and maintain.

Machine Embroidery Needles

Machine embroidery needles are designed to work with embroidery machines and create precise stitches. Make sure to choose needles that are compatible with your machine and the fabric youll be using.

Digitizing Software

Digitizing software is essential for converting images and designs into stitch files that can be used by an embroidery machine. Look for software thats easy to use and offers a wide range of features.

Stabilizer

A stabilizer is a must-have for embroidery businesses. Its used to support fabric during stitching, and it helps prevent puckering, stretching, and distortion. Choose a stabilizer thats compatible with your fabric and design.

Thread Rack

A thread rack is an essential tool for organizing embroidery thread. It keeps thread spools neat and easily accessible, and it can help prevent tangles and snarls.

Heat Press

Heat presses are an essential tool for applying heat transfers to garments. They allow you to create high-quality and long-lasting designs on a wide range of fabrics.

Tool Description Usage Type Embroidery Needles Specially designed with a long eye for easy threading, used for different fabric types and threads. Hand embroidery for various styles and materials. Hand Embroidery Embroidery Hoops Consists of two rings to keep fabric taut, aiding in even stitches and preventing puckering. Hand embroidery, particularly for even stitching and fabric management. Hand Embroidery Scissors Small, sharp scissors with fine points for precise cutting of threads without snipping stitches. Cutting threads and possibly fabric in all types of embroidery. General Transfer Tools Used for transferring designs onto fabric; includes pens, pencils, or carbon paper. Transferring patterns onto fabric in hand and machine embroidery. General Thimble Worn on the finger to push the needle through tough fabric, preventing injury. Hand embroidery, especially when dealing with thick or tough fabrics. Hand Embroidery Thread Organizer Helps manage different thread colors, preventing tangling and facilitating easy color selection. Thread management in both hand and machine embroidery. General Magnifying Glass Enlarges work area for precision in detailed work, especially beneficial for those with vision difficulties. Hand embroidery, especially for intricate designs. Hand Embroidery Light Source Provides adequate lighting to prevent eye strain and ensure color accuracy during stitching. All types of embroidery to enhance visibility. General Embroidery Machine Crucial for businesses producing large volumes, suitable for various fabrics and designs. Commercial and high-volume embroidery projects. Machine Embroidery Machine Embroidery Needles Designed for embroidery machines to create precise stitches; must be compatible with the machine. Machine embroidery for precise and consistent stitching. Machine Embroidery Digitizing Software Converts images into stitch files for use by embroidery machines; features vary by software. Design preparation for machine embroidery. Machine Embroidery Stabilizer Supports fabric during stitching to prevent puckering, stretching, and distortion. Essential for both hand and machine embroidery to maintain fabric quality. General Thread Rack Organizes thread spools, keeping them neat, accessible, and tangle-free. Organizing threads in machine and hand embroidery setups. General Heat Press Used for applying heat transfers to garments, creating high-quality, long-lasting designs. Primarily used in commercial settings for applying designs to fabric. Machine Embroidery

What Brand is Best for Embroidery Supplies?

There is no one best brand for embroidery supplies as it depends on personal preference and the specific needs of the project. However, some popular and reliable brands include Sulky and Madeira.

Whats the Best Source for Wholesale Embroidery Supplies?

The best source for wholesale embroidery supplies varies. Options include Etsy, Amazon, EmbroideryDesigns.com, and eBay. Compare prices and quality for the best deal.

Can You Make Money by Embroidering?

Yes, you can make money by embroidering. Embroidery, with its unique blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern appeal, offers various avenues for generating income. The demand for personalized, handcrafted items has grown significantly, creating numerous opportunities for skilled embroiderers to monetize their craft. Here are some ways in which embroidery can be turned into a profitable business:

Custom Embroidery Services: Offering custom embroidery services for individuals or businesses can be lucrative. This includes personalizing items like clothing, hats, bags, and linens with names, logos, or unique designs.

Selling Handcrafted Embroidery Items: Creating and selling hand-embroidered items such as wall art, home decor, and clothing accessories can attract customers looking for unique, handmade products. Online marketplaces like Etsy or craft fairs are great platforms for selling these items.

Embroidery Workshops and Classes: If you have a knack for teaching, conducting workshops or classes can be a great way to earn money. This can be done locally, or online through video tutorials and webinars, catering to people interested in learning embroidery.

Collaborating with Fashion Designers: Partnering with fashion designers to provide bespoke embroidery designs for their collections can be profitable. This can range from high-end, intricate designs to simpler, more casual styles.

Corporate Contracts: Securing contracts with corporate clients for uniform embroidery can provide a steady source of income. Companies often look for services that can provide embroidered logos on employee uniforms, promotional clothing, and merchandise.

Creating Embroidery Patterns and Kits: Designing and selling embroidery patterns and DIY kits is another way to make money. This appeals to other embroidery enthusiasts who are looking for new designs to try.

Online Sales of Embroidered Art: Utilizing online platforms to sell embroidered art pieces can reach a wider audience. This can include elaborate and artistic designs that are framed and ready to display.

Customized Gifts and Souvenirs: Producing embroidered gifts and souvenirs for special occasions like weddings, anniversaries, or holidays can attract customers looking for personalized items.

Consignment in Local Stores or Galleries: Placing your embroidered goods on consignment in local boutiques, craft stores, or galleries can help reach customers who appreciate artisanal work.

Social Media and Online Marketing: Leveraging social media platforms to showcase your work can attract clients and help build a brand. This includes platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, where visually appealing crafts can gain significant attention.



Overall, embroidery can indeed be a profitable venture, especially if you have a passion for the craft and a strategic approach to marketing your skills and products. The key to success lies in finding your niche, understanding your market, and continuously honing your embroidery skills to maintain high-quality and unique offerings.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231125/more-than-2500-nypd-have-left-department-in-2023-1115209338.html

More Than 2,500 NYPD Officers Have Left the Department in 2023

More Than 2,500 NYPD Officers Have Left the Department in 2023

More than 2,500 cops have quit the NYPD in 2023 as embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced city-wide budget cuts, including a $132 million cut to the NYPD budget.

2023-11-25T22:18+0000

2023-11-25T22:18+0000

2023-11-26T03:48+0000

americas

derek chauvin

eric adams

george floyd

new york city

new york police department (nypd)

new york

budget cuts

crime

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More cops are leaving the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in 2023, with 2,516 cops having quit the force in 2023 alone, an increase of 43% from the number that left in 2018. The number of cops who are choosing to leave before their 20-year mark  when they would be guaranteed their full pension that can be as high as 50% of their salary  has also increased.The cops complain that they are overworked and underpaid, and many are leaving for other cities that provide better benefits and a better work-life balance. One recruiter who entices NYPD cops to leave for police forces in Florida told US media that he is busier than he has ever been.The police union says they are working inhumane overtime hours, which it blames on recruiting shortages. The union has suggested more flexible hours, allowing officers to work longer shifts but fewer days.Officers have also complained about anti-cop sentiment that has risen over the years, particularly after Minnesota cop Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in 2020, which, along with several other high-profile instances of unarmed black people being killed or murdered by police that year led to nationwide protests.A planned budget cut to the police force, which has not yet gone into effect, is also being blamed.However, the NYPD is reportedly the worlds largest and most expensive police force, though some American cities spend more as a percentage of their budget. If the NYPD were a military force, it would be the 36th most expensive in the world.The planned budget cuts, which Mayor Eric Adams blames on the migrant crisis, will cut the NYPD budget by $132 million, a roughly 2.5% drop from its 2023 budget and puts it in line with the departments 2018 budget. New York City is planning $4 billion in budget cuts citywide, the cuts to the NYPD represent 3.3% of the citys total cuts.The official NYPD budget does not include pensions, other benefits, or debt payments. If included, those budget expenditures nearly double the size of the NYPDs budget.The NYPD is the citys third largest expense, after the Department of Education and the Department of Social Services.The increase in 2022 compared to 2021 has also been declining this year, according to NYPDs numbers. Shooting incidents are down 25.7% year to date in 2023 compared to 2022, while murder, rape, burglary, and grand larceny are also all down.There has been an 11% increase in car thefts and slight increases in robbery and felony assaults. Transit crimes are also up in 2023.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220707/derek-chauvin-sentenced-to-over-20-years-in-prison-in-federal-civil-rights-case---reports-1097085245.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220206/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-apologizes-for-calling-former-white-police-colleagues-crackers-1092788665.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231126/israel-linked-oil-tanker-captured-off-yemeni-coast-in-suspected-piracy-incident---report-1115220409.html

Israel-Linked Oil Tanker Captured off Yemeni Coast in 'Suspected Piracy Incident' - Report

Israel-Linked Oil Tanker Captured off Yemeni Coast in 'Suspected Piracy Incident' - Report

It is unclear who the perpetrators are at this point, while the US Navy is engaged in the situation.

2023-11-26T16:56+0000

2023-11-26T16:56+0000

2023-11-26T16:56+0000

world

middle east

ali abdullah saleh

israel

gulf of aden

yemen

associated press

houthi

ansar allah

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An oil tanker affiliated with Israel has purportedly been seized by an armed Islamist group, the Associated Press has reported, citing the Ambrey private intelligence company.The company's representatives reportedly said that the vessel - the Central Park - was seized in the Gulf of Aden. They added that the tanker belongs to Zodiac Maritime, an international ship management company that has alleged ties to Israel.The US Navy are currently engaged in the situation and have asked vessels to stay clear of the area," the company added. AP has also received comment from an anonymous US defense official who confirmed the incident. The US source also shared that apparently an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals is responsible for the highjacking.While it is yet to be established who is behind the attack, the Yemeni government is joined by an allied coalition led by the Saudi Arabia in overseeing the Aden region. This coalition has long fought against the Houthi rebels present in Yemen. The part of the Gulf of Aden where the ship was stopped is presumably under the control of these forces.Notorious Somali pirates are not suspected in the incident since they have not been seen to operate in the area.The Houthi movement (officially called Ansar Allah) started in the early 1990s in opposition to the then-Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was in office for over three decades. Ansar Allah has gradually turned into an extremist anti-US and anti-Israel religious and political group, seeking to seize complete control over the country.Today, their scattered forces control some of the Red Sea coast. The Houthis have warned of their intention to attack ships linked to Israel and have called on other countries to withdraw their crews and avoid approaching them at sea.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230331/fighting-piracy-maritime-cooperation-likely-to-top-russiaafrica-summit-agenda-ex-diplomat-says-1108985814.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231120/israeli-or-not-what-we-know-about-car-carrier-hijacked-by-houthis-in-red-sea-1115076890.html

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By Lee Hae-rin

Once praised as the paragon of digital governance, Koreas administrative digital network system has been disgraced and is losing public trust following a series of service disruptions that caused massive inconveniences across the country.

Eight days after the initial breakdown, the government finally came up with the root cause of the failure, Saturday, and vowed to take measures to prevent future system errors. However, questions are still lingering over if it will be able to find a fundamental solution to the recurring breakdowns in the country's safety and security networks.

During a press conference, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety pointed out that the network paralyses were due to a suspected issue with equipment failure.

The ministry said a router failed to send data through the network, resulting in the loss of data and a subsequent service outage.

The ministry also said that it had found no signs of cyberattack behind the disruption and vowed to strengthen its network security by conducting preliminary checkups on its old equipment and improving its manual on service errors.

The ministry will self-correct to build a stable, digital government to prevent the recurrence of such issues that inconvenience the public under any circumstances," Vice Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong said.

The announcement comes after a series of large-scale breakdowns in the governments administrative network over the last week, tarnishing the governments reputation and losing public trust.

The Saeol electronic administrative network suffered a service disruption in the morning of Nov. 17, and the Government24 civil service portal also broke down later in the afternoon that day.

The network system was fully restored after 56 hours of paralysis causing massive inconvenience in public services across the country. A week later, a mobile ID service run by the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corp. (KOMSCO) experienced another outage for six hours, Nov. 24.

In response, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) urged Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to step down from his post to be held accountable for the fatal breakdown and President Yoon Suk Yeol to apologize and correct the situation.

The governments administrative computer network system broke down four times and the public trust in the Yoon administration is at stake  Since when did the world-class level digital government become inferior to a corner shop? Rep. Kang Sun-woo, a DPK spokesperson, said in a written briefing, Saturday.

Has Minister Lee learned nothing after the Oct. 29 Itaewon tragedy and the tunnel flooding in Osong? Kang said, referring to a series of recent social catastrophes for which the ministry was criticized for inadequate safety measures. Lee was never able to protect the people from disasters and his stepping down from the post is a first step towards settling the issues.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231126/joint-csto-air-defense-system-de-facto-created---shoigu-1115215142.html

Joint CSTO Air Defense System De Facto Created - Shoigu

Joint CSTO Air Defense System De Facto Created - Shoigu

A joint air defense system of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has been de facto created, as Russia has bilateral agreements with each of member states, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said

2023-11-26T12:02+0000

2023-11-26T12:02+0000

2023-11-26T12:02+0000

military

russia

csto

air defense

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"In fact, it [a CSTO air defense system] has been created, created at the bilateral level. We have an agreement and air defense systems with each of the states. This includes Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and, naturally, Belarus," Shoigu told Rossiya 1 reporter Pavel Zarubin. The system is "equipped and working," and there are exercises held to maintain it in combat condition, he said, adding that the system will be created de jure if necessary.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231126/just-bojos-fault-zelensky--west-equally-responsible-for-killing-peace-deal-unleashing-bloodshed-1115219479.html

Just BoJo's Fault? Zelensky & West Equally Responsible for Killing Peace Deal, Unleashing Bloodshed

Just BoJo's Fault? Zelensky & West Equally Responsible for Killing Peace Deal, Unleashing Bloodshed

Leader of Ukraine's Servant of the People faction Davyd Arakhamia has named ex-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson among the leading factors behind Kiev's decision to tear the Russo-Ukrainian preliminary peace agreement apart last year. Why did he scapegoat BoJo?

2023-11-26T16:19+0000

2023-11-26T16:19+0000

2023-11-26T16:19+0000

analysis

us

opinion

boris johnson

volodymyr zelensky

scott bennett

ukraine

russia

nato

us army

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Judging from Davyd Arakhamia's interview to Ukrainian broadcaster 1+1, it was then-UK PM Johnson who persuaded the Kiev regime to nix the March 2022 negotiations with Russia less than a month after the beginning of the conflict.During the interview, Arakhamia - who headed the Ukrainian delegation during the negotiations with Russia in Belarus and Turkiye in 2022 - noted that the centerpiece of the Russo-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul, Turkiye, was Ukraine's neutrality and guarantees that it wouldn't join NATO."Russias original terms were very fair: number one no NATO weapons would be located in Ukraine, which would put Russians in danger; and, second, no Nazi genocidal maniacs would be in political positions to continue slaughtering innocent Russians, or outlawing the Russian language and culture in Ukraine. Any reasonable person and nation wouldve accepted these terms," argued Bennett.BoJo's Offer Kiev Couldn't RefuseMeanwhile, some Russian observers are wondering what BoJo promised the Kiev regime to cause them to rush to nix the deal and throw all their resources into the conflict. Apparently, the British prime minister vowed all-out military support and money from the West.Meanwhile, judging from other Western leaders' rhetoric, Johnson was not alone in derailing the deal. "This war will be won on the battlefield," European Union top diplomat Josep Borrell tweeted in April 2022, pledging hundreds of millions of euros for Kiev.The same month, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin claimed that Washington wanted to see "Russia weakened to the degree that it cant do the kinds of things that it has done" in launching the special military operation. He argued that Russia should "not have the capability to very quickly reproduce" manpower and equipment. The US has disbursed over $100 billion in support for Ukraine's military effort since then.Sergey Tsekov, a member of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, believes that Kiev decided to reject peace with Moscow in 2022 due to a lack of experience. Zelensky is Equally to Blame for Derailing the Peace DealWhile speaking to the Ukrainian broadcaster, Arakhamia cited Ukraine's Constitution as yet another obstacle in the path of a peace agreement with Russia. "To agree to this point, it was necessary to change the Constitution. Our path to NATO is enshrined in the Constitution," argued Arakhamia.Yet, the idea of Ukraine's neutrality is not some Russian invention: the Eastern European country's "permanent neutrality" is enshrined in Ukraine's Declaration of State Sovereignty of July 16, 1990, which was signed before constitutional NATO provisions.So far, Ukraine's Declaration of State Sovereignty is still valid, per legal observers, with modern Ukraine being the legal successor of the Ukrainian SSR.Meanwhile, it appears that Arakhamia's argument that changing the Constitution to make Ukraine a NATO member was too hard does not hold water. In fact, Ukraine's NATO membership provisions have repeatedly been included and excluded from the country's laws.Thus, in 2002, then-Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma announced the nation's goal of "eventual NATO membership" which was reflected in the June 19, 2003, version of law on the foundations of Ukraine's national policy. In 2010, the government of President Viktor Yanukovich scrapped the plan, embracing the idea of military neutrality.Following the Western-backed 2014 coup d'etat in Kiev, the nation's Verkhovna Rada, controlled by Ukrainian ultra-nationalists, passed a law reinstating membership in NATO as Ukraine's strategic objective. In 2019, a corresponding amendment to Ukraine's Constitution entered into force.Furthermore in his interview, Arakhamia failed to explain to the Ukrainian press why the Ukrainian delegation  despite all the obstacles  signed preliminary peace agreements with Russia in Istanbul last year. In June 2023, Vladimir Putin showed the draft of the Istanbul agreement on the Ukraine settlement to an African delegation.No matter how much the West is guilty for derailing the Russo-Ukrainian peace deal, the Zelensky regime is no less responsible for opening the door to bloodshed in Ukraine, per Bennett."Ukraine is destroyed," the expert said. "Its military is completely dissolved, and every Ukrainian citizen is going to turn against the Ukrainian political leadership for this unnecessary and destructive war, which should never have happened. Zelensky may very well be assassinated or overthrown by a coup within his own country and prosecuted, and executed as an international war criminal."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231125/us-german-peace-talks-plot-shows-west-on-brink-of-losing-ukraine--professor--1115207552.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/putin-kiev-threw-possible-russia-ukraine-settlement-deal-into-dustbin-of-history-1111251774.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231125/ex-pentagon-analyst-west-nixed-ukraine-russia-peace-deal-now-seeking-way-out-1115208807.html

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Israeli President to Meet With Musk on Monday to Discuss Anti-Semitism - Reports

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will meet on Monday with the US billionaire and owner of social network X, Elon Musk, The Times of Israel reported on Sunday, citing the president's office.

On Friday, Israeli media reported that Musk could visit Israel and meet with both Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Some family members of hostages held in Gaza will join the meeting with Musk, the report said, adding that during the meeting, Herzog will "emphasize the need to act to combat rising anti-semitism online."
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231126/riots-over-killed-teenager-break-out-in-southeastern-france--reports-1115213004.html

Riots Over Slain Teenager Break Out in Southeastern France  Reports

Riots Over Slain Teenager Break Out in Southeastern France  Reports

Riots over a recently killed teenager have broken out in the commune of Romans-sur-Isere in the Drome department in southeastern France, as a result 20 people have been detained, French media reported.

2023-11-26T08:14+0000

2023-11-26T08:14+0000

2023-11-27T06:47+0000

world

france

riot

violence

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On November 19, the teenager named Thomas died after being stabbed at a festival in the Drome department. Between 50 and 100 right-wing activists took to the streets of the Monnaie quarter in Romans-sur-Isere on Saturday night, demanding justice for Thomas, local broadcaster reported. Some of them overturned trash cans and set fire to containers. About 120 law enforcement officers observed order at the protest, the report read. The demonstrators started throwing stones and firecrackers at police forces, after which 20 people were detained, with three of them suffering minor injuries. The November 19 incident, in which eight other people were injured as well, caused a wave of shock in France, with the right-wing groups calling it a deliberate attack on white people.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230713/riots-in-france-caused-by-lack-of-respect-for-authority-rather-than-migrants---police-chief-1111859264.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231126/russia-only-guarantor-of-peace-in-karabakh-despite-efforts-to-drive-it-out--kremlin-1115215585.html

Russia Only 'Guarantor of Peace' in Karabakh Despite Efforts to Drive it Out- Kremlin

Russia Only 'Guarantor of Peace' in Karabakh Despite Efforts to Drive it Out- Kremlin

Western politicians are trying to push Russia out of the Karabakh region, but no one can guarantee the same peace and stability that Moscow provides, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday.

2023-11-26T12:23+0000

2023-11-26T12:23+0000

2023-11-26T12:23+0000

world

russia

nagorno-karabakh

nagorno-karabakh conflict

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"The fact that they [Western politicians] are trying to push us out of there  yes, we know it, but so far no one but Russia has been able to play such a role of a guarantor of peace and stability in the region. And Russia is continuing its efforts," Peskov told media. He said Western countries no longer made secret of their intentions in South Caucasus, arguing that this might have undermined their eligibility as mediators. "You see, maybe three, four, five years ago this kind of battle was fought with diplomatic masks on. These masks have long since fallen off, and the struggle is being fought directly, with an open fence. In fact, a number of countries are still trying to destabilize the situation around Karabakh, which, by the way, has led to Azerbaijan officially stating that these countries can hardly claim any role of mediators, because they have taken a one-sided position," Peskov said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230920/how-russian-peacekeepers-stopped-hostilities-in-nagorno-karabakh--1113540718.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231126/russian-air-defense-neutralize-two-ukrainian-missiles-over-sea-of-azov-1115217010.html

Russian Air Defense Neutralize Two Ukrainian Missiles Over Sea of Azov

Russian Air Defense Neutralize Two Ukrainian Missiles Over Sea of Azov

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has put out a statement saying that Ukraine made a failed missile attempt at striking nearby Russian territories.

2023-11-26T13:53+0000

2023-11-26T13:53+0000

2023-11-26T13:53+0000

military

russia

crimea

ukraine

s-200

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The MoD has reported on two Ukrainian S-200 missiles destroyed mid-flight over the waters of the Sea of Azov.It is not the first instance where Ukrainian forces deployed S-200 missiles against Russia. In October, the MoD said that Russias air defense systems had shot down two similar Ukrainian rockets fired at the Crimea region. The fragments fell down in a deserted area and exploded on the ground. There were no casualties or damage.Ukrainian troops routinely shell bordering Russian areas, attacking them with drones and employing sabotage military units. Local authorities have placed both the city of Sevastopol and the Crimea region under a yellow terrorist threat alert (administratively, the two represent separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation).

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231025/russia-downs-two-ukrainian-atacms-missiles-for-first-time-1114470245.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231126/russian-air-defenses-stopped-ukrainian-massive-drone-attack-1115210807.html

Russian Air Defenses Stop Massive Ukrainian Drone Attack

Russian Air Defenses Stop Massive Ukrainian Drone Attack

Russian air defenses stopped attempts by drones to fly toward Moscow and several other regions with the unmanned aerial vehicles been shot down, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

2023-11-26T03:56+0000

2023-11-26T03:56+0000

2023-11-26T09:34+0000

russia

russia

moscow

tula

bryansk region

kaluga region

russian defense ministry

sergei sobyanin

ukrainian drone attacks on russia

drone strike

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Preliminarily, no destruction or casualties were reported after the unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said.Earlier Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses had shot down 11 Ukrainian drones above the Moscow, Tula, Kaluga and Bryansk regions, adding that some of the downed drones had been flying towards the Russian capital, but there had been no casualties or serious damage. Tula Region Governor said Russian Defense Ministry air defenses had shot down two drones flying above the Tula Region, adding that one of the UAVs lost control and crashed into a residential building in Tula, leaving one person injured. Bryansk Region Governor Alexander Bogomaz said another Ukrainian drone attack had been stopped by Russian air defenses in his region. He specified that two drones had been downed.At least 29 flights were delayed and three canceled at three Moscow airports, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo, in the morning following the incidents, according to their online schedule.Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports told Sputnik later in the day that their operations had returned to normal after temporary restrictions.Ukraine has been sending drones into Russian territory almost daily since it launched a counteroffensive in early June. The United Nations said in August, following a botched drone strike on Moscow, that it did not want to see any targeting of civilian infrastructure.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230321/ukrainians-call-russias-anti-drone-defenses-black-magic-1108656560.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20231126/russian-embassy-asks-uk-to-clarify-its-role-in-disrupting-peace-talks-with-ukraine-1115219899.html

Russian Embassy Asks UK to Clarify Its Role in Disrupting Peace Talks With Ukraine

Russian Embassy Asks UK to Clarify Its Role in Disrupting Peace Talks With Ukraine

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Embassy in London is asking the United Kingdom to comment on the statement by a senior Ukrainian lawmaker who said that former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the one who convinced Kiev in 2022 not to negotiate with Moscow and continue the fighting instead.

2023-11-26T16:00+0000

2023-11-26T16:00+0000

2023-11-26T16:00+0000

world

boris johnson

ukraine

russia

united kingdom (uk)

russian embassy

twitter

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On Friday, Davyd Arakhamia, the head of Ukraine's ruling Servant of the People party's faction in the parliament and the former chief negotiator with Russia, said that Johnson talked Kiev out of signing an agreement with Moscow to end the conflict in the spring of 2022. He also added that Ukraine rejected the ceasefire deal due to its contradicting the constitution's clause on the country's Euro-Atlantic aspiration. Russia and Ukraine held a few rounds of talks in the early phase of the conflict but the negotiation eventually stalled. Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Western countries responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Moscow while also ramping up its military support for Kiev.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231125/ex-pentagon-analyst-west-nixed-ukraine-russia-peace-deal-now-seeking-way-out-1115208807.html

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davyd arakhamia, uk, london, russia, kiev, boris johnson, negotiations, prime minister, uk pm, pm, russian embassy, peace talks
"The use of the Turkish lira and the ruble in the bilateral trade has been increasing. Turkiye's exports to Russia in the Turkish lira have grown by 400% and Turkey's imports from Russia in the lira have increased by almost 150%, whereas the imports in the ruble have gone up by 260%. This year, the energy trade has somewhat decreased as prices for energy products and commodities have gone down in the world," the minister said at a meeting of the Russia-Turkiye intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231126/zelenskys-wife-faces-backlash-after-kiev-airstrike-complaints--1115213342.html

Zelenskys Wife Faces Backlash After Kiev Airstrike Complaints

Zelenskys Wife Faces Backlash After Kiev Airstrike Complaints

Olena Zelenskaya has previously provoked numerous criticisms on social media. This time, X (former Twitter) users reminded her that the people of Donbass have lived under non-stop shelling since 2014 and hinted that her husband is directly responsible for what is happening today.

2023-11-26T14:06+0000

2023-11-26T14:06+0000

2023-11-26T14:06+0000

world

volodymyr zelensky

boris johnson

ukraine

kiev

twitter

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Olena Zelenskaya has been slammed online after she tweeted comments about explosions in Kiev in which she rhetorically asked when they would end.Netizens were quick to mock Zelenskys wife and did not hesitate to remind her about the suffering of the people of Donbass who live under constant shelling from Kiev since 2014.Social media users also did not ignore the fact that the conflict could have been stopped much earlier and expressed their utter disbelief at Zelenskaya's ignorance regarding the current situation in the country.Another user expressed a similar opinion, saying: Till the last Ukranian. BoJo says independent Ukraine is not allowed to negotiate. The netizen referred to the recent comments by a high-ranking Ukrainian politician providing additional context to the failed negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine last year. Davyd Arakhamia, leader of the Servant of the People faction in Ukraines parliament, spoke out about the failed Russo-Ukrainian talks back in March 2022. Arakhamia was rather unambiguous in saying that it was the then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who put an end to the proposed bilateral peace negotiations.Zelenskaya's lavish lifestyle amid the conflict was also mocked.The comments reflect a shared public sentiment that the current conflict goes practically unnoticed by Zelenskaya, who took a shopping spree while at the World Economic Forum to spend Western taxpayers money on personal luxuries. Netizens also mocked Zelenskaya's call to punish of those responsible for the reported explosions in Kiev, stressing that she may already start punishing him, referring to her husband, who bears responsibility for the ongoing crisis.Ukraines first couple has previously come under fire because of an unbecoming, out-of-touch American Vogue photo shoot in the midst of active military operations on the front lines.Russia has been performing high-precision strikes on Ukrainian military and energy infrastructure in retaliation for the terror attack on Crimean Bridge. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stressed time and again that Russian troops do not target any residential buildings and social infrastructure.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231031/zelensky-feels-betrayed-by-western-partners-became-robotic-in-behavior---report-1114612535.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220728/all-to-grift-billions-from-western-taxpayers-zelenskys-vogue-photoshoot-ripped-to-shreds-online-1097890889.html

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President Yoon Suk Yeol accepted the resignations of the chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and his two deputies Sunday, effectively sacking the top three officials at the spy agency in the wake of controversy over personnel affairs.

Yoon accepted the resignations of NIS Director Kim Kyou-hyun, First Deputy Director Kwon Chun-taek and Second Deputy Director Kim Soo-youn, the presidential office said in a statement without giving details as to why they offered resignations and why Yoon accepted them.

The office only said that Kim worked to "reestablish the reputation of the NIS as the country's top security and intelligence agency," and "build a support system with intelligence institutions of friendly nations" during a period of administration change.

Yoon decided to name Hong Jang-won, who previously served as diplomatic minister at South Korea's Embassy in London, to be the agency's first deputy director and have him play the role of acting NIS director, the presidential office said.

Hwang Won-jin, who had been in charge of intelligence on North Korea at the NIS, was named the second deputy director. The presidential office referred to Hong and Hwang as "top-notch experts well-versed in international and North Korean intelligence."

Yoon's decision to accept the resignations of the three officials right after returning from a trip to Britain and France earlier in the day was seen as reflecting his displeasure with controversy around personnel management at the agency.

Yoon has not yet named Kim's successor, whose appointment will be subject to a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly.

"Since we have to go through the hearing, we'll need some time to bring in the new head," an official with Yoon's office said. "However, it's not appropriate to have an extended leadership vacuum at the intelligence agency. We'll try to speed things up the best we can."

The president is said to be seeking a new leader who can run a tight ship and restore order at the NIS in light of controversial personnel decisions on Kim's watch.

And with South Korea having strengthened its intelligence alliance with the United States, the focus of the NIS is expected to shift to bolstering its collection and analysis of intelligence on North Korea.

Against this backdrop, two retired Army generals -- Kim Yong-hyun, current head of the presidential security service, and Lee Jong-sup, former defense minister -- are considered the leading candidates.

Yoon is not expected to bring in a career diplomat to replace Kim Kyou-hyun, a former vice foreign minister. (Yonhap)
Karl completed his two-year-old season in high style on Saturday night, capturing the $432,000 Valley Victory final to become harness racing's newest millionaire and headline the Fall Four finals on Saturday, Nov. 25 at The Meadowlands. With Yannick Gingras in the bike, the Nancy Takter-trained son of Tactical Landing completed the mile in 1:52.1 and scored his ninth win in 10 career starts.

Daiquiri Hanover and Ake Svanstedt blasted from the gate to take control into the first turn as Gingras and Karl were more measured  leaving but not advancing hard  on the opening bend. Karl had a chance to drop in third on the first turn, but Gingras wanted no part and effortlessly secured the front just past the :27.4 opening fraction.

Sent off as the 1-20 favourite, Karl got the respect one would expect once in front and easily carved out fractions of :56 and 1:24.3 during the middle half with no pressure and even less urging from the pilot. There were no anxious moments at all for Gingras, although Svanstedt looked to tip Daiquiri Hanover out of the pocket in mid-stretch but found that effort futile in short order. With a :27.3 final quarter and Gingras motionless, Karl crossed the wire a dominant winner. Daiquiri Hanover was easily second, three lengths behind, with Winter Soldier rallying along the pylons for the third spot.

Owned by Christina and Nancy Takter, Black Horse Racing, Crawford Farms Racing and Bender Sweden, Karl became the second two-year-old trotter to go over the $1 million mark this season, joining T C I as rookie trotters with seven figure bankrolls. As the heaviest possible favourite, Karl paid $2.10 to win and keyed an $5.20 exacta with Daiquiri Hanover second and a $12.80 trifecta with Winter Soldier on the ticket.

Hes got the kind of gears that not many horses have, said Gingras about the enormous ability Karl possesses.

Trainer Takters dad, Hall of Famer Jimmy Takter, trained Karls sire, Tactical Landing, and Nancy trained a pair by that stallion this season.

I only have two, but theyre very nice ones, Takter said, referring to both Karl and Hambletonian champion Tactical Approach.

He does his work easily. Hes very smart, a brilliant horse.

The 1:52.1 effort shaved a fifth of a second off the previous Valley Victory mark, set a year ago by Volume Eight.

Captain Luke Stalks, Soars To Governor's Cup Score

Captain Luke and driver Todd McCarthy found room along the pylons at the top of the stretch and finished powerfully to capture the $454,000 Governors Cup, for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Saturday night at The Meadowlands. The son of Captaintreacherous completed the mile in 1:51, giving trainer Tony Alagna back-to-back Cups, following El Reys victory in 2022.

McCarthy got away quickly from post two and forced Newsroom into a hole into the first turn. Second choice Lou Vuitton and driver Tim Tetrick marched up and took control past the :27.3 opening quarter, leaving Captain Luke in the pocket.

The pace slowed in the second quarter as Newsroom headed to the outside but kept position as Tetrick and Lou Vuitton hit the half in a comfortable :56. The pace picked up as Newsroom and David Miller marched up strongly in the third quarter, followed by Maxim Hanover and Its Saturday Night in the second- and third-over positions.

Lou Vuitton was still on the lead through three-quarters in 1:24.1, but turning into the homestretch, he bore off the pylons, allowing McCarthy and Captain Luke full clearance. That opening was all Captain Luke needed as he quickly took advantage and opened significant ground on the closers, winning by 2-1/2 lengths. Its Saturday Night and Marcus Miller finished with the most pace, coming wide to secure the second spot, while Maxim Hanover was outkicked but settled for third.

Owned by Robert LeBlanc, Pryde Stables Inc., Brad Grant and Steven Head, Captain Luke was a winner for just the second time in 12 career starts with both coming after the addition of Lasix. He has earned $362,266 to date.

As the 7-5 betting favourite, Captain Luke returned $4.80 to win; the exacta, including Its Saturday Night, returned $73.20; and the trifecta, with Maxim Hanover, was worth $303.20.

He was an immature colt that we had a lot of expectations for, said Alagna of Captain Luke. Im expecting big things from this horse next year.

Hes a little green, said McCarthy. Hes got a great attitude and hes starting to put it all together.

Caviart Belle Staves Off Breeders Crown Champ, Wins Three Diamonds

Caviart Belle took the lead on the backstretch and held off 1-9 favourite My Girl EJ in the lane to win the $376,000 Three Diamonds, for two-year-old female pacers, by a neck in 1:50.3 at The Meadowlands.

Sarasota Hanover (Scott Zeron) and Miraculous Deo (Todd McCarthy) left quickly at the start, from posts eight and nine, respectively, while Caviart Belle and driver Yannick Gingras were third on the first turn from post three. Sarasota Hanover led to the opening quarter in :27.1, but Caviart Belle already was on the move to the front and took the field to the half in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:23.

My Girl EJ (Dexter Dunn) had started a first-over move from fourth prior to the halfway point and was second entering the stretch, but she was unable to overtake Caviart Belle, who was racing for the first time since winning the Kindergarten Classic Series final on Nov. 4 at the Meadowlands.

She didnt feel quite as sharp in the post parade; three weeks ago, in the Kindergarten final, she was kind of dragging me around in the post parade and felt so sharp, Gingras said. Tonight, she wasnt quite like that. But shes a really tough filly and it seemed like the move to make at the time (to go to the front), but she needed the wire. All those fillies needed the wire.

The last place I wanted to be was on the front. She can get it done on the front  shes a good filly  but I dont think its her best game. If she can have live cover like she did in the Kindergarten final, she can just smoke for a quarter; she is just so fast. But thats just the way it worked out.

Nancy Takter trains Caviart Belle for owner Caviart Farms. The daughter of Captaintreacherous-Eloquent Grace was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms. She has won seven of 13 races this year and earned more than $480,000.

Sent off as the 7-2 second choice, Caviart Belle paid $9.60 to win.

Pizzelle Shuts Down Division Foes In Goldsmith Maid

Ten top two-year-old filly trotters crowded the two-turn battle of the $428,000 Goldsmith Maid on Saturday night at The Meadowlands, with Pizzelle delivering a mild upset. Andrew McCarthy drove the daughter of Walner to victory in 1:54.

Pizzelle did not get a call most of the race, racing toward the back of the pack while Sambuca Hanover (David Miller) revved to the early lead over co-favourite R Melina (Dexter Dunn). Also in the forefront were French Champagne and co-favourite Soiree Hanover (Tim Tetrick) followed by Honey Sweet and Glamorous Hanover. The field trotted unhurried through a soft first quarter of :28 before R Melina opened the second panel with a rush to the top over Sambuca Hanover. The top three remained in those spots hitting the half in :57.2.

Sitting in third, Tetrick held tight as Sambuca Hanover took three gallops approaching three-quarters and was able to get her back on stride by three-quarters in 1:25.2. Sambuca Hanovers recovery created a duel with her co-favourite as inside trotters stalled. Down the stretch, however, the farthest path to the wire proved to be the fastest lane as McCarthy flew freely with Pizzelle to pass the dueling duo and hit the wire in 1:54, winning by 1-1/4 lengths.

Sambuca Hanover, at 12-1, survived an inquiry for the missteps and held for second. R Melina captured the show spot.

Shes been good all year, McCarthy said when asked how he felt approaching the stretch while second to last in the big field. I was going to try to catch cover because the middle half was good and I still wasnt sure at the head of the stretch.

She was sick for a bit and took a few weeks off, said Noel Daley, who trains Pizzelle for Chris Beaver and Donald Robinson. We didnt do anything with her.

Was he worried she was second to last into the stretch?

I saw we were in a bit of trouble there, but I know she can sprint, as she did when it counted most.

It was Pizzelles third victory in 13 starts at two. She raised her earnings to $315,850, and she paid $14.40 to win.

For coverage of the FanDuel Championships, click here.

(Meadowlands)
Leave It To Luther showed his victories in the first two legs of the Ontario Sired Harvest Series were not flukes with an impressive score in the $51,100 final on Saturday, Nov. 25 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Leaving from post nine for driver James MacDonald, Leave It To Luther was asked to flash early speed and place himself forwardly. He wasn't alone, however, and was pushed three-wide into that opening turn as Sans Souci (Mike Whelan) and Full Horse (Chris Christoforou) also accelerated off the car. Sans Souci yielded to Full Horse after a :27.2 opening panel, with Leave It To Luther continuing to drive on and eventually clear just before the :56.2 half.

There was no respite for Leave It To Luther as Bets Show Off (Brett MacDonald) pressured first-over, providing a second-over tow to favoured Arizona Jackson (Jonathan Drury). After a 1:25.2 third station, Drury angled into the three path and loomed the danger on the hard-used leader.

When asked by MacDonald, Leave It To Luther seemingly said 'leave it to me' and closed assertively with a :28.1 final panel to win by three parts of a length in 1:53.1. Full Horse rallied from the pocket to edge Arizona Jackson for second.

Sophomore pacing colt Leave It To Luther (Betterthancheddar-T R Lexus Cam) is a homebred owned Courtney Pollard of Lucan, Ont. The win was his eighth of the year and 10th lifetime, boosting his bankroll to $71,491. As the 5-2 second choice, Leave It To Luther paid $7.30 to win.

Ricardo ended the five-race win streak of favoured Nothingbutadreamer by virtue of a front-stepping score in the $49,900 Ontario Sired Harvest Series final for three-year-old trotters.

Sent off as the 7-2 second choice with driver Doug McNair at the controls, Ricardo made the lead early and then didn't relinquish it. After fractions of :28.1, :58.3 and 1:27.3, Ricardo stepped home in :27.4 for the 1:55.2 decision. Cactustotheclouds (Tyler Borth) made a late bid from the pocket but came up a half-length short. Nothingbutadreamer was no factor in this mile, finishing third.

Owned by breeder Glengate Farms of Erin, Ont. along with Tim Murray of Shawville, Que. and David Knapp of Waterloo, Ont., Ricardo (Resolve - Lucy) picked up his fifth win of his year and career to push his lifetime earnings to $78,596. Gregg McNair trains the trotter, who paid $9.00 to win.

To view the full results from the Saturday card of harness racing at Mohawk, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Driver Lindsay Moen and trainer Greg Cook teamed up to win a pair of Opens featured on Saturday night (Nov. 25) with Linnycalledfrankie and Catch Me Conrad as Northville Downs ended its 2023 race meet with a large crowd on hand.

Following a blistering pace in the $9,500 Open 1 Pace to a quarter in :26.3 set by duelling leaders Coalford Bythesea and Ticks A Yankin, Linnycalledfrankie (pictured above) went to the outside from fourth up the backstretch to blow by and take over in the stretch, winning in 1:55.1 by a quarter-length over runner-up Freds Nightmare and third-place finisher Admiral Adam.

A race earlier in the $8,500 Open 2 Pace, Catch Me Conrad, who also got away fourth behind duelling leaders, moved outside second-over going to the half and then rolled by the competition to take the victory in 1:55.4 by an identical quarter-length victory over runner-up Magic Shark and Normandy Beach, who was third.

Both geldings are owned by Greg Cook. Linnycalledfrankie (Captaintreacherous-Saymynamesaymyname) nailed his 17th career win and Catch Me Conrad (Tellitlikeitis-Envy) earned his 53rd career win.

In addition to the nights races, Northville honoured the 14-year-old pacers and trotters who have raced at the Michigan oval in the past few years as the night marked their final time they could race at Northville in 2023 and they are forced into mandatory retirement at the end of the year. Video of the ceremony is available on the Northville Downs Facebook page.

Moen and Justin Irvine had driving hat tricks on the night while Don Harmon had a driving double. Cook and Gerald Malady had training doubles on the program.

The 2023 driving title went to Kody Massey with 102 wins at the meet and Gerald Malady just nosed out Paul Cloer Jr. for the 2023 training title with 43 wins to Cloers 42.

The entire Northville crew would like to thank all of its patrons, horses and horsemen & women for a great 2023 season.

(With files from Northville Downs)
Scottsbluff Police investigated a rollover crash on Highway 26 Saturday, Nov. 25.

No one was injured in the crash, which occurred at about 7:47 p.m.

According to a press release, officers responded to the crash near the intersection of Highway 26 and East 27th Street. The investigation revealed that Logan Gomez, 18, of Minatare, was westbound on Highway 26 approaching the intersection with East 27th Street, driving a red 1990 Mazda pickup, when he lost control of the truck. The truck left the roadway, rolling onto its passenger side and landing in the median.

A female passenger of similar age, who was not identified in the release, was also present in the vehicle. Both driver and passenger were wearing their seat belts and no injuries were reported.

Icy road conditions have been determined to be a contributing factor.

Scottsbluff Police were assisted on scene by Scottsbluff Fire Department, Valley Ambulance Service and Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs deputies.
In conjunction with the 60th anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies in American history, film companies are inundating streaming services with new documentaries attempting to shed new light on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. One such film released by Paramount, JFK: What the Doctors Saw, which premiered Nov. 14, reunited seven doctors who attended to the president in his last moments in the emergency room of Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas. One doctor not called for the documentary who was present for President John F. Kennedys autopsy has lived right here in Wytheville for over three decades.

Dr. Robert F. Karnei Jr., 89, was a second-year resident pathologist at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, the night President Kennedys body was brought in for an autopsy. Dr. Karnei explained that he had three main jobs that evening.

The first was to secure the perimeter of the morgue to ensure that no prohibited spectators could access it. He also had to address the media in a press conference to explain a detailed layout of the morgue. Once inside with the presidents body, it was Dr. Karneis job to assist the top pathology staff at Bethesda, Commander Dr. J. Thornton Boswell, Commander Dr. James J. Humes, and Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Pierre A. Finck.

I was in and out of the morgue all night that night, he recalled. I talked with Dr. Boswell at length about what he was doing, had minor conversations with Dr. Humes, and also talked to Pierre Finck on the phone, but that was about the extent of my involvement.

I basically showed them where the instruments were and prepared them for their use, he said.

Dr. Karnei also recalled that the presidents widow, Jacqueline, and his brother, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, were extremely limiting the doctors performing the autopsy.

They didnt want his body to be further altered in any way, he told me. We were finally given the go-ahead to do the autopsy, where we found that the president had suffered two bullet wounds and had no adrenals.

This was indicative of President Kennedys suffering from Addisons disease. In response to the countless conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination, Dr. Karnei believes everything to be known has already been reported.

The Warren Commission is well-documented as being thorough and accurate, he stated. There was one claim that the president was shot from below by a gunman in a manhole, but we saw the bullet wounds and they had to have come from high above.

A native Texan, Dr. Karnei was born in San Antonio and grew up in Houston, where he graduated from the coveted Rice Institute, earning his medical doctorate from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. On July 1, 1991, Dr. Karnei retired, after 32 years in the U.S. Navy, as director of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology on the Walter Reed Compound in Washington, D.C.

I was determined to take six months off, he said with a chuckle. After two, I got bored.

A colleague from the Radford Hospital informed Dr. Karnei that Wythe County Community Hospital was looking for a pathologist.

I came here and saw that a lot of things needed upgrading, he said, beginning an eight-year tenure here in August 1992.

Today, Dr. Karnei is the only surviving physician who was present during the Kennedy autopsy. Among a myriad of other career accolades, Dr. Karnei was awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Whos Who in Medicine and Healthcare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

As for Dr. Karneis lack of involvement in the new documentary, his explanation was simple.

I was not actively involved in the autopsy, he explained. All the doctors interviewed were hands-on.

Dr. Karnei reiterated that his involvement was strictly concerning the security of the morgue with the help of the Marines of the 8th and I Street barracks as well as Kennedys traveling Secret Service detail.
Jan-Carol Publishing, of Blountville, Tennessee, has announced the nationwide release of Gone Before Breakfast by Jan Howery.

Howery, a native of Southwest Virginia, writes with an Appalachian influence. Her many writings have been featured in the anthologies Broken Petals, Wild Daisies, Scattered Flowers, Daffodil Dreams, and the annual Jan-Carol Publishing anthology series, These Haunted Hills. Her other writings include fashion and health columns for the Appalachian regional magazine for women, Voice Magazine for Women. Gone Before Breakfast is Howerys debut novel.

Gone Before Breakfast is rooted in Abindgon. It unfolds when brothers Jackson and Brandon Taylor vanish without a trace at Charlotte International Airport, their girlfriends Jan and Allison are left heartbroken and confused. The women have no idea where the brothers went, or how they disappeared. After years of no clues, Jan and Allison move on with their lives. Allison soon meets an investigator who reveals that theres a secret ongoing investigation into the brothers disappearance. Through twists and turns, Allison discovers the truth and learns that their boyfriends were in danger.

Jan Howery takes the reader from the Appalachian Mountains to Belize in this whirlwind mystery filled with love, loss, and love again. Readers will enjoy every twist and turn and deeply appreciate the outcome, said Linda Hudson Hoagland, author of the Lindsay Harris Murder Mystery Series.

Gone Before Breakfast is available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com, and directly through JCP. Readers can get the e-book for.99 cents. As well, Howerys debut novel will be available for 20% off with code BLACKFRIDAY through Nov. 27 in JCPs online bookstore: https://jancarolpublishing.square.site/s/order?item=175#15.

Jan-Carol Publishing Inc. includes various imprints, each specializing in a particular genre  from Appalachian stories to childrens books and more. For more information or to schedule a book signing, call Jan-Carol Publishing Inc. at 423.926.9983 or visit jancarolpublishing.com. Follow JCP on Facebook.
Festival of Trees

Dec. 1, 5:30 p.m., Cowlitz Event Center, Longview.

Check out this holiday celebration that benefits local nonprofits. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., the silent auction will begin at 7:15 p.m., dinner will be at 7:30 p.m. and the live auction will begin at 7:45 p.m. The event will include a cocktail party alongside dozens of unique, fully-decorated trees. All proceeds will go to local nonprofits that benefit women and children, as well as the Junior League of Lower Columbia. Admission is $80 for singles, $150 for couples and $560 for a reserved table of eight. Tickets can be reserved at www.facebook.com/JuniorLeagueofLowerColumbia.

Kelso tree lighting festival

Dec. 1, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., downtown Kelso.

Join neighbors in this cherished annual tradition at the start of December.

'A Christmas Story'

Dec. 1-17, at Stageworks Northwest, 1433 Commerce Ave., Longview, stageworksnorthwest.com.

Based on the motion picture A Christmas Story and adapted by Philip Grecian. Tickets: stageworksnorthwest.com.

Winter Ale Fest

Dec. 1-2, 3 p.m., one55elm, 155 Elm St., Kalama, www.one55elm.com.

Attend a market, grab an ale and listen to music from 3-9 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday at this Kalama event center.

Longview holiday parade and Civic Circle lighting

Dec. 2, 5 p.m., Cowlitz County PUD to the Civic Center, Longview.

Cowlitz PUD is organizing the Longview Downtowners Holiday Parade and Ceremonial Civic Circle Lighting. Float line-up will begin at 3:45 p.m., and the parade will begin at 5 p.m., starting from the PUD building at Commerce Avenue and Fir Street. The parade is free to enter, and registration information can be found at cowlitzpud.org/home-for-the-holidays-parade. The Longview Downtowners appreciate any and all donations to support their goal of expanding decorations from downtown Longview to the Civic Center.

Parade of lighted floats

Come and watch First Street transform while you get holiday shopping done and grab a bite to eat. The road parade starts at 5 p.m., while hot cocoa and Santa photos will be available by the library before the parade.

Polar Express viewing

Dec. 2, 6:30 p.m., Port of Kalama Interpretive Center, Kalama, www.facebook.com/PortofKalama1920.

Join the Port of Kalama to watch the 2004 part animated, part live-action film based on the 1985 children's book of the same name about a mysterious train bound for the North Pole.

Community Festival of Nativities

Dec. 2-3, 3-9 p.m., Latter-Day Saints Church, 11th and Delaware, Longview.

View hundreds of nativities from around the world displayed in an authentic market setting. The event will also feature a live nativity and hourly musical performances from community members.

Old Fashioned Christmas with the Fireside Social Orchestra

Dec. 3, 3 p.m., Birkenfeld Theatre, 75 S. Nehalem St., Clatskanie, clatskaniearts.org.

The group will play Christmas carols using period instruments including violin, tenor viola, cello, flageolet, walking stick recorder, flute, cornet, tenor horn, and tuba. Tickets: clatskaniearts.org.

Free screening of "The Bishop's Wife"

Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m., Longview Public Library, 1600 Louisiana St., Longview, www.longviewlibrary.org.

The Longview Public Library will screen a free viewing of "The Bishop's Wife," the classic holiday film starring Cary Grant. Doors open at 5:15 p.m., and the movie will begin 15 minutes later. Popcorn will be provided.

'O Christmas Tea': A British Comedy

Dec. 7, 7:30-9 p.m., Columbia Theatre, 1231 Vandercook Way, Longview, www.columbiatheatre.com.

Fans of Monty Python will enjoy this comedy combining British propriety with an unabashed love for the unexpected.

Santa visits the YMCA

Dec. 8, 5-6:30 p.m., YMCA of Southwest Washington, 766 15th Ave., Longview.

Grab a photo with Santa, as well as Elsa and Olaf from Disney's "Frozen," for $5 each.

Evergreen Dance Center presents 'The Nutcracker'

Dec. 8, 7-9 p.m., Columbia Theatre, 1231 Vandercook Way, Longview, www.columbiatheatre.com.

Watch the magic of a holiday tradition The Nutcracker" performed by local dancers.

Jingle All the Way 5K run/walk

Dec. 8, Civic Circle, 1525 Civic St., Longview, kelsolongviewchamber.org.

Support the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce at 6 p.m., Dec. 8 by joining the Jingle All the Way 5k. The event costs $10 to enter. Packet pickup for the run/walk will occur at 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Dec. 7 at the Monticello hotel. The next day, there will be a costume contest at the Monticello Hotel, and the races late registration window will be open from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Registration for the event is also open online now at kelsolongviewchamber.org.

Breakfast with Santa

Dec. 9, 8:30-10 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m., McClelland Center, 951 Delaware St., Longview.

Enjoy breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, as well creating crafts and watching puppets perform in two separate sessions hosted by Longview Parks and Recreation on Dec. 9. The Pioneer Lions club is set to cook pancakes and sausage, and there will be photo opportunities available with Santa. Admission: $9 per person.

Dickens High Tea

Dec. 9, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., C.S. Lewis Library at Three Rivers Christian School, 2610 Ocean Beach Hwy., Longview.

Celebrate the holiday season with Three Rivers Christian School and watch the library and cafe transform into an English-style tea house. The Dickens High Tea will benefit the schools Impact Fund, which supports students who work to Impact the world for Christ. The event will feature a menu of soup, hot savory items, tea sandwiches, scones with clotted creams and jams and a selection of dessert bites. Tickets are available for $40 in the library or $60 in the Eagle & Child Cafe. Tickets can be purchased at www.facebook.com/threeriverschristianschool.

Columbia River Symphony presents 'Holly Days'

Dec. 9, 7 p.m., Liberty Theatre, 1203 Commercial St., Astoria, libertyastoria.org.

The Columbia River Symphony, led by Cory Pederson, presents Holly Days, a family-friendly holiday concert at the Liberty Theatre. The symphony will also be joined by 80-120 students from Lewis & Clark Elementary School alongside their music director, Dr. Vincent Centeno. Both ensembles will perform traditional and contemporary symphonic and choral music, and the groups will perform both together and separately over the course of the evening. Admission is free, and doors open at 6 p.m. Concessions are available in the lower lobby.

Castle Rock Festival of Lights

Dec. 9, beginning at 2 p.m., downtown Castle Rock, www.castlerockfestivaloflights.com.

Celebrate the holiday season with an afternoon and evening of fun at Castle Rocks Festival of Lights. The event begins at 2 p.m. and will continue until the end of the lighted parade, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. From 2-5 p.m., free photos with Santa will be available, and people are asked to bring their own cameras.

Southwest Washington Symphonys Christmas concerts

7 p.m. Dec. 9 and 3 p.m. Dec. 10, Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1185 Westside Hwy., Kelso, swwsymphony.org.

The Symphony and Symphony Chorale again combine forces to present holiday music. Free, with donations offered to local charities.

Mark OConnors 'An Appalachian Christmas' featuring Maggie OConnor

Dec. 14, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Columbia Theatre, 1231 Vandercook Way, Longview, www.columbiatheatre.com.

Grammy-winning composer and fiddler Mark OConnor plays Christmas classics in bluegrass and American music genres.

Holiday Caravan to Lights in the Park

Dec. 15, 5 p.m., starts at Kelso City Hall, 203 S. Pacific Ave. Kelso, www.facebook.com/KelsoBCA.

Drive parade-style from Kelso City Hall to Tam O'Shanter Park to kick of Lights in the Park. Participants are encouraged to dress up and add lights to their vehicles. All vehicles must be legally allowed to drive on the streets. The $20 cost includes admission to Lights in the Park and donations to Kelso Business & Community Association's America in Blooms project.

Lights in the Park

Dec. 15-24, 5 p.m. nightly, at Tam OShanter Park, Kelso.

Drive through Tam OShanter Park this holiday season to see the festive spirit in full bloom. This event, organized by the Kelso Rotary Club and presented in partnership with the Cowlitz PUD, asks for donations of $5 per car.

Building gingerbread houses

Dec. 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Columbia Theatre, 1231 Vandercook Way, Longview, www.columbiatheatre.com.

Choose from four sessions at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Dec. 16 to make gingerbread houses on stage at the Columbia Theatre. The $5 fee includes making the house and a ticket to see "The Muppet Christmas Carol" movie the next day at the theater.

Lake Sacajawea lighted kayak Christmas parade

Dec. 16, 4-5:30 p.m., Lake Sacajawea Park, Longview, www.facebook.com/groups/CowlitzRiverKayakers.

Light up the kayaks and canoes and join the Lake Sacajawea Kayak Christmas Parade. This event is in conjunction with the Solstice Walk at the lake.

Solstice Walk at the lake

Dec. 16, 4-6 p.m., Lake Sacajawea Park, Longview, www.friendsofgalileo.com/solstice.html.

The Friends of Galileo Astronomy Club is hosting its annual Solstice Walk from 4-6 p.m. Dec. 16. Participants are asked to meet at the marker for the sun on the south end of Lake Sacajawea Park. The group is looking for community organizations to sponsor planets for the event. To find out more about sponsorship or to contact the group, head to www.friendsofgalileo.com/sponsor.html.

'The Muppet Christmas Carol'

Dec. 17, 2-3:30 p.m., Columbia Theatre, 1231 Vandercook Way, Longview, www.columbiatheatre.com.

Enjoy a retelling of the classic Charles Dickens tale staring The Muppets in this 1992 film.

Jingle Bell Jog

Dec. 24, Stuffys Restaurant, 804 Ocean Beach Hwy., Longview. Free.

Meet up with the Cowlitz Valley Runners at 7 a.m. for this free run. Participants are encouraged to wear holiday gear.

Lighted boat parades

Dec. 29-31, Kalama, Rainier and Longview.

Check out parades of lighted boats at 6 p.m. Dec. 29 at the Port of Kalama; 6 p.m. Dec. 30 at the Rainier city docks; and 6 p.m. Dec. 31 at Willow Grove.

Year-to-Year Run

Dec. 31, Elks Memorial Building, Lake Sacajawea Park, Longview. Participation fee required.

Ring in the New Year with a nighttime run to celebrate the New Year with the Cowlitz Valley Runners club. Meet up at 11:50 p.m. for this run, which has a participation fee of $15 if registered in advance. For more information on the run, check out the groups Facebook page, Cowlitz Valley Runners.
CLATSKANIE  The Clatskanie Arts Commission is set to ring in the holiday season Dec. 3 with an old-fashioned Christmas concert by the Fireside Social Orchestra playing popular carols as they were originally written.

The 3 p.m. performance is set to include well-known songs like We Three Kings, Jingle Bells or The One-Horse Open Sleigh and other songs from English, Scottish and French holiday traditions, according to a press release from the Clatskanie Arts Commission.

The Fireside Social Orchestra includes five classically trained musicians to replicate the small orchestra feel of parlor and ballroom dances of the 19th century.

The event is open to all ages, and will be held at the Birkenfeld Theatre, 75 S. Nehalem St., Clatskanie. Tickets can be purchased online at clatskaniearts.org, over the phone at 503-728-3403, or at the door. Admission for adults is $23, $20 for children and $23 for seniors and students.
By Kim Ae-ran

Missionaries are constantly coming and going around the world. On the way to an extensive mission trip across the United States, I am happy to meet various types of parishioners.

People whom I encounter during missions are so diverse with unique stories. Most of the stories are so touching that I always remember their tough journeys and keep them in my prayers.

Some people are not able to understand and accept their situation. So, they often ask some questions about life, but all in all, they realize the marvelous and amazing hand of God in their lives.

When I stayed in one of our benefactors houses in Atlanta, our faithful supporter asked me to keep an eye out for the whereabouts of Fr. Sean Conneely, a Columban priest and missionary whom she met in Chicago many years ago.

Searching for some information about him, his life drew my attention and invited me to reflect on the mysterious providence of God. I realized again that each of us undergoes a winding spiritual journey of trials. The history of salvation is fulfilled little by little throughout our lives in many ways.

Fr. Sean was born in Galway, Ireland, in 1943. He went to boarding school at age 13. Then, in 1962, he entered the Missionary Society of Saint Columban. After being ordained a priest in 1969, he was appointed as a missionary to Korea.

He worked in Gwangju as a parish priest and then moved to Seoul to work for college students. In 1976, he was involved in the ME (Marriage Encounter) movement for the unity of couples. He also introduced the Choice program for unmarried young people in 1982.

However, during his pastoral activities, he couldnt help but drink much of the Korean liquor called soju with parishioners and students as well. Due to his drinking habit of almost 20 years, he sincerely prayed to God to heal his addiction. As a result, he was sent to the United States to find a way to cure himself and to look for another pastoral activity.

He joined an alcohol rehabilitation center in Chicago in 1992, and he studied Pastoral Counseling at Loyola University in Chicago and attained Addiction Counseling Specialist Certification. Since then, he has been involved in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as an addiction counselor. He also worked as a pastoral counselor in 1999 and stayed in the United States up to 2005.

With the help of AA's Twelve Steps Program for addicts, he worked with alcohol addicts, drug addicts, food addicts, sex addicts, etc. Those who overcame their crisis can surely empower addicts to renew their lives. Truly, heaven helps those who help themselves.

Then, he came back to Korea in 2005 and introduced the Retrovaille (rediscovery of marriage) program. Thanks to his recovery, he could help others deal with their own problems. He helped people undergoing the crisis of divorce to look deep into themselves and bring forward what they have discovered. He also offered spiritual accompaniment to many sisters of religious orders who searched for spiritual support.

Looking back over the past 70 years of his life, he said I feel that at times I have allowed myself to be carried by the current and then with the help of God and remaining close to Him.

He returned to his homeland in 2020, but he always appreciates the beauty of living as a missionary. Happy are those who are willing to experience outgoing missions!

The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul. Please feel free to visit her blog "A piece of sunshine" at mtorchid88.blogspot.com.
By Sean OMalley

Recent news of the Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) getting into 200 trillion won worth ($154.6 billion) of debt received much attention and rightly so. KEPCO's debt equals slightly more than 9 percent of South Korea's 2022 GDP, which stood at $1.665 trillion. The debt is a staggering sum considering KEPCO has raised fees cumulative to 30 percent in the past year and relied on a decrease in global energy commodity prices, in order to post a Q3 profit of 1.99 trillion won  profit that could easily dissipate with another rise in commodity prices.

KEPCO's debt level comes with a number of consequences. Firstly, such high levels of debt may preclude the utility from making necessary upgrades to the system and maintaining current levels of efficiency. Secondly, higher debt levels mean a greater share of KEPCO's revenue must be used for interest payments on its debt. Lastly, taxpayers are ultimately responsible for this debt through taxpayer-funded support, as KEPCO is a state-owned utility.

A greater concern regarding KEPCO's precarious situation may be the utility's importance to future economic growth. The Korean economy already skews toward export-led, manufacturing growth engines that are energy intensive, namely semiconductors, automobiles, steel and petrochemicals. Yet, the government's plans to lead the world in new areas such as cutting-edge technology, AI, carbon reduction and a clean energy transition, will likely require greater energy intensity and major infrastructure investments. Such changes will be increasingly difficult for debt-saddled KEPCO.

Furthermore, KEPCO's troubles are accompanied by a shrinking population and a steep demographic decline that is quickly turning South Korea into a super-aged society where the tax burden on younger generations may become untenable.

South Africas state-owned utility Eskom provides a stark example of how badly things can turn if debts mount. The company is dealing with crippling system deterioration and regularly implements electricity outages that strangle economic growth. Its debt load is approximately $25 billion, merely one-sixth that of KEPCO, yet to support the ailing utility, the South African government initiated a partial bailout using taxpayer money earlier this year.

A country's electrical grid and transportation network are critical infrastructure. Critical infrastructure can be defined as the essential services and related assets that underpin society and serve as the backbone of a nation's economy, security and health. The disruption or incapacitation of such a system can be highly detrimental to a society. This is why Seoul Metro, like KEPCO, is a cause for concern.

Recently, Seoul Metro workers went on strike to protest the company's plan to deal with its own massive debt. A proposed manpower reduction of 13.5 percent by 2026 has roiled workers. Seoul Metro currently runs deficits hovering around 1 trillion won per year and has a cumulative deficit of 17.68 trillion won ($13.65 billion) as of last year. The company has received taxpayer-funded support from the Seoul Metropolitan Government to help paper over its debt struggles, but officials claim more than 60 percent of Seoul Metro facilities and equipment are outdated, which will require hefty investments to rectify if accurate.

Contrary to Seoul Metros predicament, Transport for London currently enjoys budget surpluses close to $1 billion per year. To meet operating costs, the operator charges 6.70 for a single journey ticket on the London Underground, though contactless payments are less. This is far more than Seoul Metros single journey cash ticket of 1,500 won (about 0.92).

In addition to KEPCO and Seoul Metro, many South Koreans were shocked on Nov. 17 this year when the government's civil service system network crashed. Residents and public servants were unable to print necessary documents such as resident IDs and familial relations certificates, which are needed for many crucial services like obtaining bank loans or closing real estate transactions. The system apparently crashed due to network server upgrades that did not go as planned.

KEPCO's level of debt, the woes of Seoul Metro and the crash of the government's civil service system clearly indicate that politicians and the public must get a better grasp of the implications and consequences of under-appreciating and under-funding critical infrastructure. One can appreciate the general malaise by South Korean politicians when it comes to increasing energy and transportation fees for the general public. The populist refrain is that increasing fees will be a financial burden on residents.

However, South Korea is a country with no primary energy resources of its own, making it import dependent. It also depends on efficiently operated public transportation in its overcrowded capital. These systems are the foundation and the building blocks for a vibrant and growing economy. Would it not be better to have residents pay higher fees that better reflect operating costs than trying to hide those costs through taxpayer-funded support programs and interest-bearing debt?

Charging companies and residents the full cost of energy consumption and transportation costs is rational. Moderately reduced fares for the elderly or vulnerable could still be offered within reason, and businesses could reimburse the transportation fees of their workers as a new benefit to retain or attract talent.

South Koreas policymakers and residents need to rethink how to fund critical energy and transportation infrastructure in the country, as well as how to build more resilient administrative networks. As the population declines and we become super-aged, the massive, accumulating debts of infrastructure systems will be unsustainable and strangle any hope of real economic growth. Policymaking not populism is necessary, before South Korea loses its competitive edge in the high-tech economy of tomorrow.

Sean OMalley (seanmo@dongseo.ac.kr) is a tenured professor of international studies at Dongseo University, where he teaches classes on international relations and regionalism. His most recent paper on critical infrastructure systems will be published in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies.
CARBONDALE  The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase at Southern Illinois University Carbondale on Nov. 30 is a celebration of the regions newest innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs and everyone is welcome to come.

The event takes place at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 1740 Innovation Drive in Carbondale, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The festivities will feature refreshments and cocktails by Hunan Fine Asian Cuisine, patent presentations, special graduate recognition and the announcement of winners in a business plan competition.

This showcase offers a unique opportunity for people from around the region to learn about the creative activities and developments taking place at SIU and the surrounding area, gain insights into cutting-edge projects that will help shape the future and horizon of our community and celebrate the amazing innovation and entrepreneurship right here in Southern Illinois, said Lynn Andersen Lindberg, executive director of Innovation and Economic Development and of the SIU Research Park.

Diverse program

A variety of events are planned throughout the evening. People affiliated with SIU who have received patents for their inventions or processes will be recognized.

In addition, representatives from area businesses who recently completed the intensive 10-week Launch That Business fast-track training program, offered by SIUs Illinois Small Business Development Center, will be honored for graduating from the program. Visitors can see exhibits highlighting the products or services offered by those businesses at the showcase, as well.

The rigorous Launch That Business program is designed specifically to assist home-based or small business entities get their business concepts on track, offering entrepreneurs practical steps for registering their enterprises as legal entities and providing them with simple tips and tools to maintain their businesses.

The winners of the Southern Illinois Business Plan Competition Powered by Regions Bank will also be announced. The competition was open to new business concepts, pre-venture plans or existing small businesses from Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, White and Williamson counties. Local competitions were held in October and the regional final was held earlier this month with the finalists competing for a share of $20,000 in prize money and in-kind services.

For more information about the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase, call 618-536-4451.
CARBONDALE  A Southern Illinois University Carbondale researcher with a background in geology, chemistry and the humanities, and an interest in interdisciplinary studies, will give the December Journey to the Eclipse talk, focusing on times when, according to the historic record, the sun did not behave as it should.

Ken Anderson, director of SIUs Advanced Energy Institute, co-director of the Ancient Practices program, and a professor of geology, will give the monthly address at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, at the Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library. The talk series, which corresponds to the upcoming April 8 total solar eclipse in Southern Illinois, is free and open to the campus and public.

Anderson's talk, titled "Cast a Long Shadow," will discuss historical accounts of times when the sun or moon behaved unexpectedly. He will delve into what caused those changes in the appearance in these two most prominent and normally reliable celestial bodies, and what effects those disruptions had on humans who experienced them.

A native of southeastern Australia, Anderson received his doctorate in organic geochemistry from the University of Melbourne in 1989. After working in the private sector and at Argonne National Laboratory, he joined SIU as an associate professor in 2003 and was promoted to full professor in 2007.

A strong proponent of breaking down academic barriers, especially those between the humanities and the STEM disciplines, Andersons research interests span geology, chemistry and engineering, and courses that he teaches are accepted for credit in geology, chemistry, history and classics.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Anderson is an entrepreneur who runs a small business spinoff resulting from his work at SIU.

The Journey to the Eclipse series is aimed at bringing together experts in astronomy, solar eclipses and other sun-related topics for students, faculty and staff of SIU, as well as members of the Southern Illinois community. The monthly series began in April, with each talk set for 3 p.m. on the first Friday of each month in Guyon Auditorium.

The talks also will stream live via Zoom and be recorded. For more information and links, go to eclipse.siu.edu.
Cooperation has limits without confronting the past

The judiciary branch has unified its opinion on the abuses of Koreans' human rights during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation.

On Thursday, the Seoul High Court reaffirmed the Japanese government is responsible for compensating former victims of sex slavery forced to work in its military brothels during World War II.

The appellate courts verdict overturned a lower courts ruling made two and a half years ago. In April 2021, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the suit filed by 16 plaintiffs, citing sovereign immunity. However, the appeals court recognized Koreas jurisdiction over the Japanese government, citing customary international laws.

It is reasonable to consider that there is a common international law that does not recognize state immunity for an illegal act  regardless of whether it was a sovereign act, it said. The court noted it examined similar cases in foreign countries and new international trends.

That was a forward-looking ruling with historical and legal significance.

There were two lawsuits on compensation for South Korean victims of wartime sex slavery. In January 2021, a division of the same district court ruled in favor of 12 plaintiffs in the first case. Three months later, however, a different division dismissed the second case filed by 16 plaintiffs. Thursdays ruling brought unity to the judiciary branchs judgment. Now, it has no differences in regard to Japanese colonialists forceful mobilization of Koreans.

The Japanese government, which has ignored the entire legal proceedings, is unlikely to bring it to the Supreme Court. In the case of compensating for South Korean victims of forced labor during the occupation days, two former Japanese employers appealed but lost at the top court in 2018. That, and the anti-Japanese sentiment in the previous Korean government, had frozen bilateral ties  until the Yoon Suk Yeol administration came up with a solution. Seoul created a fund and gave money to victims.

Despite the legal victory, chances are slim that the plaintiffs will receive compensation from Tokyo. They have not even heard official apologies from the Japanese government. Tokyo denies its forceful recruitment of sex slaves. It claims that even if there were some such cases, the 1965 Basic Agreement and the 2015 Comfort Women Accord resolved them.

Most of the victims dont think so. They believe individuals retain the right to demand indemnity despite the normalization agreement. The former sex slaves voices were also entirely ignored in the deal eight years ago.

Immediately after Thursdays ruling, Tokyo expressed extreme regrets, calling for Seoul to rectify its breach of international law. The Japanese government refers to the Korean judiciary branchs rulings that it sees as defying international accords. As the appeals court noted, however, international precedents support their verdicts.

What the victims want is simple  a direct apology and compensation. They want Tokyo to say, We did it and are sorry. Nothing more, nothing less. They also want compensation from Tokyo, not Seoul, large or small. At stake here is Japans admission of its responsibility.

President Yoon stresses the need to put the past behind to go forward.

However, it takes two to tango. After Seoul decided to compensate forced laborers with its fund in March, Foreign Minister Park Jin hoped Tokyo would fill the other half of the cup. Japan has left it half-filled.

Recently, descriptions of wartime sex slavery have disappeared from Japans textbooks for grade schoolers. The Yoon administration has set next years budget for the Dokdo islets at 380 million won ($290,000), down 25 percent from the year before. It also slashed 73 percent of outlays for rectifying Japan's distortions of history, allotting only 530 million won. Tokyo has set aside 300 million yen (2.7 billion won) to claim the islets, which it calls Takeshima, as its territory.

Many Koreans think the 1965 and 2015 deals were made hastily and wrongly by two presidents, a former Japanese army officer and his daughter.

If Japan refuses to confront its past, the incumbent leader will receive the same treatment from future historians.

In the Korea-Japan relationship, the past is the mirror of the future.
The Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center will present the Art of Christmas Festival from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.

The event will feature Christmas and year-round ornaments and fine crafts to browse and bid on while sipping hot chocolate and enjoying specially prepared holiday appetizers from Tea Thyme.

Heather Rast, the centers executive director and one of the festival organizers, said the support and donations of beautiful and unique crafts was far beyond anything they had imagined, not to mention the variety of vendors.

Several of the vendors are displaying their items for the first time in the Orangeburg area.

We planned for 25 vendors and quickly reached our goal, turning some away. They are coming from across the state, and we are thrilled and excited to have so many amazing items for sale, Rast said.

Items include jewelry, adornments, paintings, woodwork, handmade soaps, scrubs, butters and hand-dyed batik scarves by Susan Livingston.

OCFAC Two of the one-of-a-kind wreaths donated by local businesses that will be included in the silent auction.

We have a multitude of decorative items, the perfect gift for everyone, and donated items are still coming in, Rast added.

The Arts Center is kicking off its Art of Christmas Festival on Thursday, Nov. 30 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a silent auction featuring handmade wreaths donated by local businesses, gift baskets and highly crafted items.

Arts Center board members Jo Wyrosdick and Britney Rast Hunter led the efforts to acquire items for the silent auction.

Hunter, who is an assistant vice president with SouthState Bank, said Orangeburg businesses were generous and eager to support the arts, especially the classes offered to the youth of the county.

5 quick and easy recipes to try this week Thanksgiving and the many hours of cooking that come with it are over. That's why this week's recipe roundup is all about easy meals that come

Hunter said shes just about finished the wreath she is creating to give on behalf of SouthState Bank. And Rast, who is widely known for her excellent skills as a craftswoman, says shes been very inspired, even getting up late at night to create another ornament shes imagined.

Visitors to the Arts Center, viewing Rasts array of decorative items, are already reserving favorites they plan to purchase during the festival.

Im grateful to have this God-given talent and to be able to use it for good, Rast said, noting that gift shops in Columbia are now purchasing her high-end seasonal ornaments.

We just want everybody to come out, bring or meet up with their family and friends and have a good time, Hunter stated.

We want to add to the excitement of the Christmas season. There are the City of Orangeburg Christmas lights all around the Arts Center to enjoy even before coming inside, Hunter enthused. And with this event, we are continuing to build our reputation for serving really good refreshments and appetizers.

The decadent hot chocolate being served is a long-held family recipe, according to Rast.

I hope people enjoy it as much as my family does when we get together. The ingredients are a secret, Rast said. But one feature is Godiva chocolate.

The Art of Christmas Festival is a fundraising event with the goal of providing and subsidizing classes for youth and underserved residents of Orangeburg County. The $10 ticket covers entrance for all three days.

The silent auction is Thursday, Nov. 30 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., along with vendors items for sale.

Guests can shop with vendors on Friday, Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tickets can be reserved by contacting the Arts Center at 803-536-4074 or dropping by the center, located at 649 Riverside Drive, Orangeburg.

Get TheTandD.com for $1 for 26 weeks Support local journalism by becoming a member at www.TheTandD.com Get the first 26 weeks for just $1 at https://go.thetandd.com/nov5

For additional information, email Heather Rast at hrast@orangeburgarts.org.
PORTLAND, Maine  Some states are steadily chipping away at longstanding bans on Sunday hunting, and there's a push to overturn the laws in Maine and Massachusetts, the final two states with full bans.
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THE current financial imbalance, which has the potential to deplete the National Insurance Boards assets by 2035, is not rooted in investment issues but rather stems from the challenges posed by this countrys ageing population, the acting chief operating officer, Business Services at NIBTT, Andy Edwards has said.
Nailah Blackman believes shes entering her creative prime.

Nailah, on the eve of her 26th birthday celebrations, says she is creatively firing and feels evolved.

The Sweet & Loco singer will mark the occasion with a special performance, at La Tropical nightclub in San Fernando, tomorrow night. The public is invited to purchase tickets to the festivities at the door.
A nursing manager waiting for two years to get an echocardiogram (ECG) appointment for an urgent heart condition is the reality and experience of patients in the public healthcare system.

Members of the public ventilated several negative experiences they have had at health centres and hospitals to a Joint Select Committee (JSC) town hall meeting on Social Services and Public Administration on Wednesday at the Parliament Complex, Cabildo Building, St Vincent Street, Port of Spain.
By Bernard Rowan

I studied at the University of Chicago and took a course on comparative politics. David Laitin, now at Stanford, noted the purpose of political science in the 20th century was to understand how the monstrosity of Nazi Germany arose. This concerned the international war and the domestic context for Nazisms origins and existence.

These days, when I look at the war in Gaza, I dont think humanity has advanced far. Thats not a comment on political science either. Realists of human nature, such as the founders, have said human interests, passions and opinions incline to self-interest and faction. That spells eventual disaster unless we put the brakes on power in the name of fanciful ideas and on power in groups.

Ill take a stab at an answer to the question about Nazism. The living problem of Nazism speaks to the failure of thinking about Gaza. It's a stinging indictment to fans of autocratic government. The reason the Nazis arose, and Hamas, is the failure of democratic government in their societies and the willingness of people to substitute ideological security for real security in freedom. The failure of thinking about Gaza now is to allow Hamas an implicit right to exist regardless of its actions. Caring for the innocent civilians of Gaza, the people of Gaza is part of answering Hitler. However, todays issue that occasions threats to Gaza and Israels security is Hamas.

The great religions of humanity, including Christianity, Islam and Judaism, exist for the support and encouragement of life, not the means and ends of violence. Theyve enshrined ethics and codes of law to uphold the value of living in a community and to promote life and happiness under God. They unite in the idea of just war against enemies of the covenant. Those who kill their own people and citizens are without covenants, religious and political. The communities must defend the covenants.

Gazan civilians have a right to exist, and Israels defense forces have no right to take their lives. However, I dont think the international community, including the United Nations, is doing much about it. Their leaders are into talking points and one-sided declamations. Usually, a coalition of the willing should go there to aid civilians. Why isnt the UN debating and preparing for that very thing?

A grim reality of war, as in why it is hell, cant neatly escape its prosecution: war over control of lands and boundaries usually involves the deaths of civilians. Those who prosecute wars and kill civilians are responsible.

However, suffering Gazans doesnt mean Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad has the right to exist as a terrorist organization, any more than previous and current orbits of Al Qaeda and Daesh/ISIS. Nothing justifies as a substitute for legitimate government the ideology, force and violence of a party or organization that hides behind its own people and uses them as a defense shield. The Nazis did a version of ideological substitution and death for freedom and security themselves.

Hamas shouldnt continue as the de facto government of Gaza. Even if its a pawn of Iran. Even if its merely a counter to the ineffective Palestinian Liberation Authority in the West Bank. Even if the Palestinians deserve a unified state.

Many Gazans contemn Hamas but havent the power to change matters themselves. I dont think the Gazan people have the capacity to throw off their Hamas and Jihadi masters. They are autocrats after all.

The calls for Israel to safeguard the lives of innocents is a necessary and critical limit on their methods, means and goals in Gaza. It's possible for a righteous cause to result in war crimes. Many world leaders and commentators make this argument.

We shouldnt let Hamas continue its path of intentional murder, including of the Gazan people. Theyre counting on our weakness and self-hatred. Just as with Daesh and Osama Bin Laden, civilization needs a clear response to the enemies of life and freedom. We shouldnt sanction substituting idols of ideology for the sanctity of life. This lesson isnt new. Its reality depends on the minds and hearts of the many, and our shared humanity.

Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and academic services and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University.
Ultimately, the fate of the Report of the Commission of Enquiry (CoE) into the Paria Diving Tragedy is as important as the report itself.

From all indications, the Commissions report contains a cauldron of hard truths. We can easily extrapolate from comments by CoE chairman Jerome Lynch, KC, that those truths will rock many a boat. But we too agree that the public interest demands immediate public view of its contents.
A new report takes a hypothetical Arizona elementary school and analyzes an ideal school structure to combat the teacher shortage.

The study proposes targeting financial barriers for early-career teachers by paying step-by-step salary increases the first few years, followed by a rapid acceleration in wages in years three through seven. This would incentivize early-career teachers to stick with the profession longer, says the report, Strengthening and Supporting the Teaching Job in Arizona.

Teachers have a lot stacked against them in Arizona, making teaching positions more difficult to fill, says the report, a partnership between the Arizona Community Foundation and the Steele Foundation.

The average Arizona district has a starting salary of $37,000 and an average salary of $49,500, maxing out at $63,000, it finds.

According to the report, Arizona has the second-highest student-teacher ratio in the United States and the lowest average per-pupil spending.

For example, the U.S. Department of Education reports that in school year 2019-20, Arizonas public schools spent an average of $11,400 per pupil. The same school year, the U.S. average was $17,000.

Those figures include funds spent on instructional staff.

The study suggests cost-of-living adjustments for teachers and creating structures conducive to flexible staffing and team-oriented teaching. Financial incentives for strong teacher-leaders are also recommended.

Student aides could also be offered stipends, reducing teachers burden of less-skilled work tasks, it says.

The study suggests districts utilize distance-learning technology more effectively. That includes offering paraprofessionals pay to monitor virtual courses, which, according to the report, would reduce the average class size by 0.8 students.

These courses would be offered among all district schools, not just within individual campuses.

The reports main tenets for improving teaching as a career path in Arizona are making the work dynamic, rewarding, collaborative, sustainable and diverse.

We cannot begin to move forward without recognizing the challenges our K-12 education system faces, particularly our states decades-long legacy of underinvestment in public education, said Anna Maria Chavez, Arizona Community Foundation president and CEO, in a news release.

However, Arizona state policy can be reformed, Chavez said, which offers an opportunity to redesign the teaching profession in a way that makes it more attractive and sustainable for current and future educators.

The reports action plan includes methods tested and piloted within Arizona, as well as in states with economic, political and educational systems similar to Arizonas, it says.

The report was conducted for the Arizona Community and the Steele Foundation by the nonprofit organization Education Resource Strategies. It is an update of a 2018 study, Arizona State Funding Project: Addressing the Teacher Labor Market Challenge.
Nine high school students received Character Awards this month from the Tucson Kino Rotary Club.

The club organized the honor in 2011 to honor high school students who serve as role models in their schools and society through service to community.

Recipients of Fall 2023s awards are: Adriana Najar (Alta Vista High School), Alma Johnson Juan (Baboquivari High School), Faye Stiner (Cholla High School), Farah Abdulkader Alghaithi (Desert View High School), Ann Marie Sida (PPEP TEC High School), Maria Campos Tapia (Pueblo Magnet High School), Taylor Crouch (Star Academic High School), Mia Gonzales (Sunnyside High School) and Yatsel Lopez (Toltecalli High School).

Students are nominated by school administrators, counselors, teachers or other students.

The students were recognized Nov. 17 at a breakfast. Each honoree received a Certificate of Recognition, a Rotary coin, small gifts and a $50 gift card. Tucson Kino Rotary will also donate $50 to a charity of each students choice.

Mariachi Aztlan invited to Disney

Mariachi Aztlan de Pueblo High School has received an invitation to Disney World to perform, along with participating in workshops with a world-renowned mariachi band.

Mariachi Aztlan, originating from Tucson Unified School Districts Pueblo High Magnet School, has been offered one-on-one workshops with Mariachi Cobre, a professional performing mariachi based in Orlando. The workshops will help prepare Mariachi Aztlans 27-person ensemble for a Disney World performance.

The band is fundraising for the June 2024 trip and exclusive mentorship program. It has established a GoFundMe page and will have local benefit events.

Find out more about Mariachi Aztlan de Pueblo High School at mariachiaztlandepueblohs.com.

Wishes for Teachers winners

Fiesta Bowl Charities has granted 500 teachers $2,500 each during the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by SRP, for a total of $1.25 million.

More than 100 teachers from Pima County received awards.

This seasons 500 granted wishes will fulfill requests from teachers in the areas of agricultural studies, arts, math, physical education and wellness, science and special needs. The grants will provide resources such as new reading materials, classroom makeovers, educational events and programs and more, the sponsors say.

In its eighth year, the program increased its giving by 25% to Arizona K-12 public and charter school teachers. The funding will affect more than 220,000 students across 73 cities and towns statewide, with 368 schools receiving grant awards, according to the sponsors.

Over the eight years, the program has awarded approximately $7 million to more than 2,100 educators.
Editors note: This article was originally published by the Star in 2016. Were reprinting it because writer David Leighton recently talked about it on Arizona Spotlight on Arizona Public Media 89.1 radio and we remembered its a good read.

The name of a fast-growing Southern Arizona town may be a long-held misspelling.

In September 1820  a year before Mexico won its independence  Tomas and Ignacio Ortiz, residents of Tubac, petitioned the governor of Sonora and Sinaloa for a land grant of four sitios (more than 27 square miles) of grassland around La Canoa to raise horses and cattle.

Conforming to Spanish law, the land had to be measured, appraised and auctioned before title could be granted. In July 1821, Ignacio Elias Gonzales, commander of the military post of Tubac, appointed officers and ordered the survey done. His account related to the survey of the San Ignacio de la Canoa land grant describes a vast domain that stretched from Tubac to the south to el Saguarito, where there exists a plant of this tree, which remains as a landmark   to the north.

Because Mexico was undergoing its separation from Spain, no title was issued to the Ortiz brothers at that time. They finally got it in 1849.

The first known person to settle at el Saguarito, Spanish for the little saguaro, was Cyrus S. Rice, who was born in Maine in 1832 and traveled to California, possibly for the gold rush. In December 1861, he enlisted in Company I, 5th Infantry Regiment of the California Volunteers as a corporal, at Marysville, California, and served until he was discharged in 1864, in Las Cruces, New Mexico Territory.

Around 1867, Rice settled at el Saguarito along the Santa Cruz River. His new home was called the Sahuarita Ranch, which was likely a corruption of the original Spanish name for the area. On Dec. 23, 1868, he sold the ranch for $600 to Albert C. Benedict. The deed of sale describes the boundaries as, Commencing at the Sahuara in front of and West from the house  

Instead of using a normal land deed (aka general warranty deed), Rice used a quit claim deed to sell his ranch. This type of deed can indicate the seller is unsure whether he owns the property, so Rice may have settled near the little saguaro or landmark without purchasing the land from a previous owner. Whichever is the case, Rice likely was the first to live here and is therefore the founder of what is now known as the town of Sahuarita.

Benedict, who was born around 1830 in Michigan and arrived in Arizona around 1860, married Gregoria Alvares just prior to his purchase of the Sahuarita Ranch. His Spanish-speaking wife might have pointed out the misspelling of the ranch name, because it was changed to the Sahuarito Ranch.

John Spring, who was stationed at Camp Lowell, would write years later about a stop on his trip from Tucson to Santa Cruz, Sonora. At nightfall we stopped at a place called Sahuarito (little giant cactus), for an isolated plant of that kind growing near the place, which was an eating and watering station kept by one Benedict, about twenty-five miles south of Tucson and one mile west of the Santa Cruz River.

In July 1872, Benedict and two ranch hands were in the field about 300 yards from the ranch house, planting beans and pulling up weeds, when Apaches attacked. Benedict took several bullets, including one to his foot that plagued him for life. That November, he was elected treasurer of Pima County, and later served as territorial auditor. In January 1874, Benedict began caring for horses and mules at the Sahuarito Ranch, charging $2.50 per animal per month with an unlimited quantity of grass (grain was available for an extra fee). The following year, he advertised the Sahuarito Ranch for sale in the Arizona Citizen newspaper, but apparently didnt find a buyer.

By 1877, he had abandoned the Sahuarito Ranch and moved to the Huababi Ranch, on the Santa Cruz River south of Calabasas.

Sometime between April and November 1877, James K. Jim Brown and Tom Roddick obtained the Sahuarito Ranch from Benedict. In June 1879, Roddick was preparing to go to Texas to obtain cattle for the Sahuarito Ranch when he died suddenly. A couple of years later the ranch legally became the sole property of Brown.

In December 1879, Brown returned to his home state of Ohio and brought back a bride, Olive S. Brown. When she arrived at her new home, Olive found an eight-room ranch house with adobe walls and high ceilings. The front two living rooms had floors, while the rest of the house had hard-packed dirt floors. This structure was surrounded by a tall, thick, adobe wall.

On Sept. 4, 1882, the Sahuarito post office was established, with Brown as the postmaster and Olive as the assistant. It was used until June 11, 1886. Brown served as Pima County sheriff from 1891 to 1892.

Early in the new century, when the Twin Buttes Railroad was being built from Tucson to the mining camp called Twin Buttes, Brown granted the railroad right of way through his property with the agreement that the train station be called Sahuarito. A few years later, he sold off his ranch and holdings and moved to Tucson.

According to Olive S. Brand, granddaughter of James K. Brown, the family ranch was always known as the Sahuarito Ranch, not the Sahuarita Ranch.

On Oct. 11, 1915, the post office was reestablished as Sahuarita with T.G. Dumont as its postmaster. In time, the train station became known as Sahuarita as well.
The idea came up even before the container wall on Arizonas border with Mexico came down.

Lets turn the containers into housing.

You could hear it among protesters who helped stop the construction of the wall in Cochise County, and among others who contemplated the thousands of empty shells stacked along the rural border, belong to the state. In those banged-up hulks, these visionaries saw a remedy for homelessness and Arizonas shocking cost of housing.

Containers, have after all, been a growing trend in housing and commercial projects for more than a decade, including in Tucson. And it would be a good way to turn former Gov. Doug Duceys $175 million boondoggle into something positive.

It made so much sense that in February Gov. Katie Hobbs touted the idea, while visiting a new homeless shelter built of containers  these containers sourced in Long Beach.

We are working on a plan to get those (border) containers to nonprofits in cities that want to use them for affordable housing, Hobbs said.

Nine months later, that vision is slow to materialize. Only one entity, a Tucson nonprofit, has bought a couple of former border-wall containers with the plan to turn them into housing.

Others have been sold to municipalities for storage, and about 1,900 of the original 2,200 remain for sale, parceled out for auction in batches every two weeks. Most of them are stored alongside the Arizona State Prison Complex on South Wilmot Road.

They are being offered at a relatively low price, a $2,000 starting bid, probably significantly cheaper than what the state bought them through the contractor who built the container walls.

When that company, called AshBritt, bought them, containers were in short supply and expensive, said Brian Stark, founder and CEO of Steel + Spark, a company that makes container housing in Phoenix. He estimated the cost in 2021 at $5,000 to $6,000 each.

Now they are cheap, and even the states $2,000 price is not bringing out many bidders at the online auction where theyre sold. Last week, none of the ten 40-foot containers for sale by the state Department of Administration had any higher bids.

For us, the price isnt good enough, Stark told me. What were buying at the port (of Long Beach) now is cheaper than what the state is selling them for. Its easier to go through the typical supply chain that we use.

So far, that dream of turning the border-wall boondoggle into a cheap-home boom is languishing on the desert outside the state prison.

Eight-unit project

Theres one exception: The project that Bryan Benz and his nonprofit, Wholistic Transformations, is putting together behind Bethel Community Baptist Church at 446 S. Plumer Ave. In a dirt lot along East 15th Street that was donated by the church, Benz and others are working to build an 8-unit housing project for foster children who have turned 18.

Theyre using containers.

In fact, on Nov. 8, Benz took delivery of two small containers from the states border-wall stash, which he bought for just $500 each. Theyre 20-feet long, while almost all of the states containers are 40 feet. The group plans to join those two small containers side by side into a nearly square home.

These two were classified as D class, or the worst the state offered.

We were very pleasantly surprised by the D quality, Benz said. I only bought two because I really didnt have any confidence that they were usable. I was able to risk the money to see they are usable.

They also bought a one-trip container, one that has only been used for one trip across the ocean, elsewhere. That one is so clean that they are planning to insulate the outside and leave the metal as interior walls.

The vision is to have a cluster of homes for young adults in the 18-21 age range, an age when young people can remain in the foster-care system but often dont, and end up in problems. They risk becoming pregnant, homeless or landing in prison, Benz said.

Its not the only cluster of homes like this for former foster kids being built in Tucson. I Am You 360, another local charity, is building 10 tiny homes for youths transitioning out of the foster system near South Craycroft Road and East 22nd Street, but they are not container homes.

Benz said his group decided to use containers because they are the cheapest option. They anticipate about $40,000 per 320-square-foot unit, with the labor for construction donated. The total cost he anticipates being around $450,000.

Each house will have a queen-size bed, a full bathroom, a galley kitchen and sofa  everything a small home needs.

Once complete, he said, The house is going to look like a mud adobe house  Southwest style, very attractive.

Another housing idea

Benz hasnt been the only local housing advocate eyeing the containers. Beau Phillips, who protested against the border wall, founded a group called Boxes of Hope, which intends to turn the containers into housing for homeless people. The project is not off the ground yet, but Phillips said hes making progress.

For his part, Benz isnt sure yet where his group is going to get the few other containers they need. Might be from the state, might not. The states containers need more work but are much cheaper than the one-trip containers.

His first experience with the state wasnt that encouraging. Benz called it a bureaucratic nightmare in which his application to buy as a nonprofit languished for months due to missing paperwork that no one told him about.

When the wall was built and then taken down, the hope was that the state would donate the shipping containers to us, he said.

That, to me, makes sense, if we really want nonprofits and local governments to make housing out of the containers, as the governor said she wanted.

Make them cheap, even make them free. It would make it that much cheaper to build low-end homes, which are never going to be very profitable.

And thats better than them sitting out by a prison in the desert, aggravating the boondoggle that the container-wall already represents.
SCOTTSDALE  Gina Jernukian was working part-time when she began to notice something in her tattoo studio that made her uneasy.

I started having strange tattoos and strange men in my studio, she said. I mean, I was taken aback. They were rude. They were mean. The girl didnt speak at all  only the guy did, and he would yell at me.

So I finally asked someone, What is this? And a friend of mine said, Its probably a branding. I said, What? I had no idea. I had no idea. I didnt know.

Jernukian, a permanent makeup artist who lives in Phoenix, decided to find out more. She did some online research and attended meetings of groups that were all too familiar with branding  the practice of tattooing or marking sex trafficking victims, mostly women, with the names or symbols of those who victimize them.

Over half of sex trafficking survivors have a branding mark that affects their mental health and impedes their healing and reintegration into society.

A 2022 study that surveyed over 80 survivors in the U.S. showed they rated the need and impact of free laser-removal services at a high level for recovery.

Many victims are branded by their traffickers with tattoos conveying ownership, including names, symbols, and barcodes, researchers wrote.  We believe there is a greater need at a national level to support these survivors, allowing them to reclaim their bodies.

Jernukian refused to continue being inadvertently complicit. She founded Soul Survivor Ink, a national nonprofit organization that helps survivors of human trafficking find providers near them who can cover, remove and lighten branding tattoos. The service has expanded to 39 locations in the U.S., with several locations in Arizona and Texas.

Removing the evidence of trauma is a complex and usually costly process. Jernukian and her partner artists do so for free.

Although there are organizations that help survivors, Jernukian said that branding removal is an area that is neglected.

Some of the first things that programs will do is get them medical treatment, dental, housing, food, clothing, Jernukian said. Theyll sign them up for school, some counseling, meditation, but one thing they dont offer is branding removal or cover-ups. So even though theyre starting to heal on the inside, theyre still not healed on the outside. They have to look at this every single day, and it brings them right back to where they were.

Traffickers mark skin as a message

There were more than 10,360 cases of human trafficking, involving 16,710 individuals in 2021 alone, according to the most extensive sex trafficking data sets in the U.S., the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Experts say that is likely only a fraction of the true number.

According to the Polaris Project, a nationwide organization that combats sex trafficking, nearly 75% of sex trafficking victims are women. Although data is difficult to come by, various sources estimate that up to half of victims have been branded by their traffickers.

Sometimes the women are branded with a tattoo, and sometimes, Jernukian said, the trafficker can take a knife and carve a symbol on their head or on their body. And then, even going further than branding, sometimes theyre burned.

Tattoos are usually black and white and common themes are money and loyalty, according to Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, director of the Sex Trafficking Intervention Research office at Arizona State University. The markings can be prominent on the victims face or neck to send a message to the victim and the world.

But sometimes its hidden; its near their body, their private parts  that is really a message to buyers or other traffickers, she said.

Not only do traffickers use branding as a way to show ownership, said Roe-Sepowitz, but for the victim, theres also the psychology of I belong to him. This is a connection that feels very real. And her trauma bond with him is deepened by the tattoo or the brand or the scarring.

As a permanent makeup artist, Jernukian had the skills to help, so she reached out to local organizations in 2014 and said, Hey, this is what I do. Send me anyone for free. Just send them.

At first, only a couple of women came to her for help. Then, she began getting calls from trafficking shelters twice a month. And it grew and grew, Jernukian said. People were driving three, four hours to come see me  It started blowing up. I thought, I dont know how to do this. I dont know how to help so many people.

Then I was reminded that the Lord does not call the equipped. He equips the called. And so that was it. It took off and we founded Soul Survivor Ink.

Healing by erasing the markers of trauma

Every time a sex trafficking survivor looks at a forced branding, it can feel as if they are still in bondage, Jernukian said. Some survivors say that it physically hurts, like they can feel it, and some even try to scrape it off themselves.

But many organizations that help survivors arent aware of the significance of this kind of trauma and how it impacts a survivors mental and emotional health, making it harder to heal.

When working with survivors, tattoo removal often feels like a bonus compared to health care, housing, and safety, Roe-Sepowitz said. But once she and others started working with survivors over time, the impact these brandings have on survivors healing became apparent.

I had a client who had a very significant, very dramatic white supremacy symbol on the back of her neck and it was impeding her life, Roe-Sepowitz said.

Still, making the decision to remove the branding isnt always a simple one, especially because so many victims are emotionally connected to their traffickers.

The Polaris Project estimates that 4 out of 10 victims were trafficked by a member of their own families or were recruited by an intimate partner or a marriage proposal.

It can be years later and still a lot of them struggle with that mental abuse, Jernukian said. They still feel like theyre betraying this trafficker or this pimp, even though its been a couple of years or however long.They still feel the betrayal. And sometimes its extremely emotional when were either covering or removing it.

Its not like, Get this off me,  Jernukian said. It takes a lot for them to make that decision. Because theyre still under control of this pimp. They feel like theyre betraying him. For us, its like, Girl, go get that done. And theyre like, Not yet.

Oftentimes our clients really didnt have a huge support network and their traffickers became their families. They made them feel like they belong, Roe-Sepowitz said.. That tattoo reminds them that they belong. And even in spite of the abuse and trauma theyre experiencing, its sort of better than the alternative being alone or homeless or hungry.

Many victims werent forced to get branded, Jernukian added. They were manipulated into it. Some of the girls would say something like, You have no idea what it took to earn this tattoo. They were proud to do it.

But once theyve escaped their traffickers and have begun to heal, they look back and wonder how did I get there? How did my mentality go that far?

Wiping away tears

Natalie Grace, a 29-year-old Houston resident, connected with Soul Survivor Ink in 2022. She wants to remove two non-consensual tattoos that have marked her face since she was 24.

Grace had been seeing a charismatic tattoo artist while dealing with a drinking problem. One day, after heavily drinking, she passed out next to him.

I woke up with these teardrops  tattoos on my face, Grace said, pointing at black teardrops located at the outer corner of her eyes. He just did that while I was passed out as a joke because he had them too in the exact same place. It was kind of like saying youre mine now.

She couldnt get a job, pay for food or housing. And thats what led me to being homeless and couch-hopping. Thats how I ended up in the human trafficking situation.

Her trafficker was later arrested and sentenced to prison. But the teardrops are a daily reminder of her past.

Its like a SKU number for a shoe, she said. Wherever that shoe goes, its gonna lead back to the manufacturer.

 Unless Im actually wearing makeup and hiding the tattoos, its like, I cant really be myself. I have to pretend to be someone else. And its horrible.

Grace was connected with Jernukian through other survivors who had been helped by Soul Survivors Ink. Together, they are working on finding a tattoo artist who will remove the tattoo from Graces face. Before I connected with Soul Survivor Ink, I never even thought that getting them removed was an option, Grace said.

I want them completely removed, she said. Ive always been a professional and I want to be back to my old professional self. This is not me. This is not what I was meant to do.

Its time to wipe my tears.

Emerging from a branding to a butterfly

Tattoo removal takes time and can be done through different approaches. Often, tattoos are more difficult to remove than they are to place on the skin. A tattoos color, size and location, the depth of the ink, the persons skin tone and tolerance for pain all affect the process, Jernukian said.

If a Soul Survivor Ink artist cant remove a branding, they will try to cover it with another tattoo.

Survivors get to pick what they want on their body, Jernukian said. It might be something meaningful to them, like a butterfly. And then they could look in the mirror and see this tattoo. Thats beautiful.

Whether its covered or removed, its like this weight is lifted, Jernukian said. One of the survivors told me, Is it weird if I say that I feel like a child right now? I feel childlike and giddy. Its like going back to before this was done, you know?

Soul Survivor has grown exponentially since Jernukian started it in Phoenix in 2016. It now serves women in 56 cities and 22 states.

We need to be in every state. Jernukian said. We continue to seek affiliates. The goal is to be in every state by 2025.

The organization helps fund more than 1,000 procedures a year, Jernukian said. Financial donations and volunteers time and expertise covers the costs, with no charge to victims, she said.

Artists who volunteer are reimbursed by Soul Survivor Ink for the cost of ink and needles, usually between $125 and $170 a session.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

For this 2023 Thanksgiving observance I chose to dig a little deeper into the Holodomor experience. Ukraine observes the Holodomor Day of Remembrance on the last Saturday in November. Being so close to our Thanksgiving tradition it seems fitting for us to give thanks for the blessings we have received in the history of our country that such a tragic event never occurred in these United States and for the blessings of Holodomor survivors who have given us insight into the horrors they witnessed.

On Aug. 7, 1932, Joseph Stalin authored a law with a sentence of death or 10 years imprisonment for the misappropriation of collective farm property. This law led to mass arrests and executions. Even children caught picking handfuls of grain from fields were convicted. This edict lasted through July, 1933 and various countries have classified it as attempted genocide. Conservative estimates put the Ukrainian death toll between 3.5 and 5 million people. Early estimates went as high as 20 million.

An effort conducted at the Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Centre around 2009  the Holodomor Survivor Documentation Project  collected video interviews of 59 Holodomor survivors and posted the transcriptions/translations.

Some excerpts:

I remember there was a cart, with a deep hatch, would come around to pick up corpses. They used pitchforks to pick up the dead. When people heard the cart coming, whoever still had the strength tried to hide in the bushes or behind a tree, because [they took people who were still living], saying that they didnt want to return for them later.

One man didnt want to join the collective farm. He was a cobbler. They took everything from him  pillows, linens, and the pots that he cooked in. He had a little stool, and he sat on that stool. The poor man sat there, people brought him shoes to fix, and for that they would give him some porridge, and thats how he lived.

My father worked with the horses. When he was coming home, he took a handful of grain [that was used to feed the horses]. He did this a couple of times, but got scared, because if the brigadier found out, you would get ten years [in prison camps] for sure. Mother sewed little bags that he wore under his pants, where he hid [the grain]. Thats how we survived the winter.

A man came out onto the church steps and started to talk about the famine, about how Stalin did this. He said whatever he wanted. They took him right away and gave him ten years [in the prison camps]. He never returned home.

There was a guard who rode a horse, and if he caught anyone, he would beat them. They didnt let us collect grain stalks. We took some string, tied up some hay and tried to drag it home. But the guard saw us and started to chase us down on his horse, so we had to leave the hay and run away.

The government said that you had to hand everything over, and they started to harass my father. My father said, I have children, I have a family. [But they said] youll all go to the collective farm, and youll all be better off. And they told my father to take the bells down from the church.

One story, posted by German media Deutsche Welle, shares the life of 102-year-old Liubov Yarosh, who hopes to live long enough to see Ukrainian victory in the current conflict.

When you read these accounts, ask yourself if you are seeing similar attitudes and behaviors in our time, our world and especially our country that could lead to similar ugly outcomes.
By Lee Min-hyung

Lotte, Shinsegae and Hyundai have been fined for unfairly shifting their marketing costs to their store tenants without any prior notification, the antitrust watchdog said Sunday.

According to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), four major outlet operators  Lotte Shopping, Shinsegae Simon, Hyundai Department Store and Han Moo Shopping  passed a total 588 million won ($420,230) in costs onto their tenants while running special sales promotion events between 2019 and 2020.

The watchdog said it decided to impose fines totaling 648 million won as the unfair activity is a clear breach of law.

This is the first time that the FTC has uncovered such an illegal act in transactions between outlet operators and store tenants, an FTC official said. They are sanctioned for shifting the financial burden to tenants without reaching any written agreement in advance.

Lotte Shopping was hit hardest with a fine of 337 million won. Shinsegae Simon came in second, facing a fine of 140 million won. Hyundai Department Store also received a fine of 120 million won.

The latest sanction against the outlet operators comes with significance in that the regulatory measure alerted the industrys top three outlets to such unfair acts while operating their lease business here, the official said.

The FTC also pledged to step up its monitoring of major retail players to protect the right of tenants.

We will keep monitoring unfair and undue transaction activities between retail business operators and their tenants, and take stern measures against any acts violating relevant laws, it said.

To be specific, Lotte Shopping passed discount event costs worth 118 million won to 216 tenants while running two promotional events in June and October 2019. A total of 177 tenants had to share a combined financial burden of 205 million won from Shinsegae Simon while it held a Members Day event for three days from June 5, 2020.

Hyundai Department Store and Han Moo Shopping also shifted their combined discount costs worth 264 million won to their 80 tenants while running a promotional event for three days between May 31 and June 2, 2019, according to the FTC.

All such events were designed mostly by the outlet operators, and it is reasonable to say that store tenants were de facto forced to accept their proposals, according to the antitrust authority. The reaction came in response to some outlets complaints that the events were held upon the request of some tenants.
They had signed up for the experience of a lifetime: three years traveling the world from the comfort of a cruise ship, at prices that rivaled regular living expenses.

But now the dream is over for passengers whod signed up for Life at Sea Cruises inaugural three-year voyage. After weeks of silence, the company has acknowledged to passengers that it has no ship, and has canceled the departure, vowing to refund those whod signed up for cruises costing up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The cruise was originally due to depart Istanbul, Turkey, on Nov. 1, but shortly before that date, departure was postponed to Nov. 11 and relocated to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and then to Nov. 30, again from Amsterdam. But on Nov. 17  less than two weeks before the third departure date  passengers were informed the cruise was off.

Some of the passengers who booked the 111 cabins sold are still in Istanbul, having made their way there ahead of the original departure date. Others say they have nowhere to return to, having sold or rented out their homes in anticipation of the round-the-world voyage, as well as jettisoning their possessions.

Most have spent tens of thousands of dollars on what was meant to be the experience of a lifetime, and now face a wait of at least several months to get their money back. The company has said it will make repayments in monthly installments, starting from mid-December and completing repayments in late February. It has also offered to pay for accommodation until Dec. 1 and flights home for anyone now stranded in Istanbul. But some say they have no homes to return to.

Theres a whole lot of people right now with nowhere to go, and some need their refund to even plan a place to go  its not good right now, said one passenger, who wished to remain anonymous until they get their promised refund.

Running aground

Life at Sea Cruises had been planning to buy the AIDAaura, a ship retired this summer by AIDA Cruises, a German subsidiary of Carnival Corp. It was due to be rechristened as the MV Lara. The company had originally slated the sale to go through by the end of September, before working on the ship in dry dock in Germany, then renovating it before sailing to Istanbul to start the cruise.

But after six weeks of uncertainty, during which Life at Sea repeatedly told guests that the sale was taking longer than planned, on Nov. 16 another company, Celestyal Cruises, announced that it had bought the AIDAaura.

A day later, Life at Seas former CEO Kendra Holmes  who had resigned days earlier and said she was not speaking on behalf of the parent company, Miray Cruises  recorded a 15-minute video for passengers, admitting that the cruise would not be going ahead. Its unclear why Holmes was chosen to make the announcement, which was provided to CNN by a passenger. She has declined to comment to CNN.

Forty eight hours after Holmes video, passengers received a message from Vedat Ugurlu, the owner of Miray Cruises, which owns Life at Sea. Declaring himself extremely sorry for the inconvenience, he confirmed the cruise would not be departing as planned. The reason: they couldnt afford the ship.

In his message, Ugurlu claimed that Miray is not such a big company to afford to pay 40-50 million for a ship, but that it had presented the project to investors, and had official approval from some of them to buy the vessel.

He said that while the company had made the down payment for the ship, the investors declined to support us further due to unrest in the Middle East.

Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, a week after the ships sale was originally supposed to have concluded. Life at Sea didnt respond to a query about what prior unrest they were referring to that could have impeded the completion of the transaction.

Ugurlu also told passengers that day that the company then tried and failed to buy another ship, and that it was working on a third.

If we will not be able to sail on December 1, we will offer you to sail on another departure date or refund all the payments within a short schedule, he wrote. We have tried everything to make your dreams come true and we will continue to do so.

He added that the company could, in theory, launch the cruise on the MV Gemini, Mirays smaller ship which it had originally planned for the voyage, before deciding it was too small.

We choose not to because we have promised you a larger, newer vessel, he wrote. The Gemini is at the heart of a defamation lawsuit brought by Miray against former managing director of Life at Sea Cruises, Mikael Petterson, who was one of several employees to split from the team in May. The lawsuit states that Petterson called the ship unseaworthy  a claim that Miray vehemently denied.

Ups and downs

Just a day after Ugurlus glimmer of hope, another staff member of Life at Sea, Chief Operating Officer Ethem Bayramoglu messaged passengers to confirm that the cruise was off. In case we werent clear, the Life at Sea cruise trip is canceled, Bayramoglu wrote, giving instructions on the refund process, and how passengers can retrieve pods full of their belongings  which theyd shipped in advance of the cruise.

Yet at the same, Bayramoglu added, the company intend[s] to honor our commitments.

Although we are all disappointed and frustrated that we didnt sail this time, it is important to us that you feel positive overall about your experience with us, the message reads. Vedat in particular is still hopeful that Miray will someday soon have an option for you to consider.

Bayramoglu subsequently met with stranded passengers in Istanbul to help plan their returns home.

Stormy waters

Would-be cruisers  who wanted to remain anonymous until their refunds come through  have told CNN of their shock and dismay that the trip has been canceled. Some had sold their homes or wound up businesses to join the cruise.

Im very sad, angry and lost, said one. I had the next three years of my life planned to live an extraordinary life, and now [I have] nothing. Im having a hard time moving forward.

I was proud and feeling brave, now I dont trust anyone or anything. I know itll work out and life will go on, but Im uncertain of the direction.

Another said they felt incredibly sad and incredibly betrayed.

The company seems to have no consideration about what theyve done to our lives, they said.

I never imagined Id be in this position as a senior citizen.

They also lamented the loss of community that had been built in the run-up to the cruise: I was looking forward to building friendships  thats what made it different from a regular cruise. We were all of the same mindset and all started with the same thing in common.

A third, speaking just before the cruise was confirmed as canceled, said they were feeling let down, deceived and betrayed.

___

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Dots and dashes: Congress was out last week for the Thanksgiving holiday.  U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin called the Biden family finances some kind of shell game during a Newsmax interview.  First District Congressman Kevin Hern told Newsmax that Democrats are embarrased by President Joe Biden.  Second District Congressman Josh Brecheen filed two measures to further restrict the use of federal funds for abortions.  Mullins challenge to Teamsters President Sean OBrien to duke it out over OBriens X posts didnt seem to deter ridicule of Mullins assertion that hed just paid $4.68 a gallon for diesel to fuel up his Ford F-250; the average in Oklahoma seems to be a tad under $3 but higher nationally and with considerable variation.
Related content State retiree challenges blacklisting of leading financial institutions

Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ has publicly criticized one of the states largest pension funds for taking an exemption to a new law forbidding state pension funds from doing business with financial companies perceived to be hostile to the oil and gas industry.

But Russ has quietly taken an exemption to the law when it comes to investments managed by his own office. The Treasurers Office exercised one for investments with the Bank of America and is negotiating with JP Morgan Chase on another exemption. Both companies are among six Russ placed on a list of restricted financial companies.

The exemptions illustrate how tricky its been for pension funds such as the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System to navigate the Oklahoma Energy Discrimination Elimination Act. Lawmakers passed the law last year in response to concerns that large public financial companies were too focused on climate pledges and goals at the expense of investments in fossil fuels.

The Treasurers Office has hundreds of millions of dollars invested with JP Morgan Chase money market accounts, part of a $16 billion portfolio managed by the office. The Bank of America, meanwhile, provides credit card services to the state.

The State Treasurer has determined that Bank of America provides services to the Treasurers Office that are not otherwise reasonably available, said a May 3 letter to Bank of Americas Public Sector Banking Division. Accordingly, the State Treasurer fully intends to continue the current contractual relationship with Bank of America as it applies to credit card services until further notice.

In an interview, Russ said the states JP Morgan holdings are from typical banking operations offered by the company, not its investment division. His office continues to negotiate with JP Morgan on a possible exemption.

Its not really an investment with them, and theyre not holding a pure investment, Russ said. That is an area that, at least for a while, were going to have to make some exceptions because theres not anyone that can actually handle some of the transactional volumes. And it would probably take us 18 to 24 months to get set back up (with) somebody else.

Russ said JP Morgans inclusion on the restricted financial company list was because of the financial companys investment policies. He conceded that profits from all of the companys operations, whether banking or investments, were going to the same corporate entity.

The parent companys philosophical position is what it is, even though the banking side doesnt make those kinds of decisions on the investment portfolios, Russ said. But until we can find appropriate relationships, we cant really separate ourselves from those accounts. They are more of a day-to-day checking account than an investment.

In an emailed statement, Russ said the spirit and intention of the law is to protect Oklahomans and the economic base of the state.

Meanwhile, OPERS has responded to a September letter sent by the Oklahoma State Pension Commission at Russ request criticizing its process for taking an exemption to the energy boycott law. Russ, who chairs the State Pension Commission, said OPERS acted too quickly in taking the exemption.

Russ cast the lone no vote when the OPERS board voted 9-1 in August to exercise a financial responsibility exemption to the law so it wouldnt have to divest $6 billion in pension assets managed by BlackRock Inc. Staff for the pension system said it could cost an estimated $10 million to divest holdings from BlackRock.

The OPERS letter to the State Pension Commission, dated Nov. 9, said the OPERS board properly followed the law in taking an exemption. The pension systems request for proposals for other potential investment managers attracted 51 responses, a number in line with industry norms.

It is important to note at the outset that despite the claims, criticisms, misunderstandings of law and fact made in the (Pension Commission) letter and rhetoric displayed in meetings and the news media, the OPERS Board of Trustees and staff have been completely open and transparent in all actions and have at all times been willing to answer any questions regarding the RFP process and the resulting actions taken by the Board of Trustees, the 16-page letter says.

Last month, the Senate held an interim study on the implementation of the energy boycott law. Russ told senators the law needs to be clarified on how exemptions are taken. He also agreed with several senators that a provision affecting cities and counties should be removed.

The State Financial Officers Foundation, a nonprofit headquartered in Kansas, has been supplying talking points and opinion columns to Russ and fellow Republican state treasurers and financial officials. The materials critique the climate policies endorsed by shareholders of publicly traded banks and financial firms, part of a broader effort waged by conservative groups against environmental, social and governance policies.

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China's health ministry on Sunday urged local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics as the country grapples with a surge in respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since easing COVID-19 restrictions.

The spike become a global issue last week when the World Health Organization asked China for more information, citing a report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases.

China and the WHO have faced questions about the transparency of reporting early in the pandemic, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. The WHO said on Friday no new or unusual pathogens had been found in the recent illnesses.

An ambulance leaves a children's hospital in Beijing, China November 24, 2023. Photo: Reuters

National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said on Sunday the surge in acute respiratory illnesses was linked to the simultaneous circulation of several kinds of pathogens, most prominently influenza.

"Efforts should be made to increase the number of relevant clinics and treatment areas, appropriately extend service hours and strengthen guarantees of drug supplies," Mi told a news conference.

"It is necessary to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control in key crowded places such as schools, childcare institutions and nursing homes, and to reduce the flow of people and visits."

Cases among children are appearing especially high in northern areas like Beijing and Liaoning province, where hospitals are warning of long waits.

People stand outside a children's hospital in Shanghai, China November 24, 2023. Photo: Reuters

The State Council, China's cabinet, said on Friday that influenza would peak this winter and spring, while mycoplasma pneumoniae infection would remain high in some areas. It also warned of the risk of a rebound in COVID infections.

"All localities should strengthen information reporting on infectious diseases to ensure information is reported in a timely and accurate manner," the State Council said in a statement.

On Thursday the WHO said data provided by China suggested the recent cases were linked to the lifting of COVID curbs 11 months ago, along with the circulation of known pathogens like mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common bacterial infection that typically affects children, which has circulated since May.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, during a reception on Saturday for Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, suggested Vietnam and China boost practical cooperation in all sectors, especially expanding trade to meet their production and consumption demands.

The Vietnamese government leader asked China to widen its door to Vietnamese goods for which China has a demand.

PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam treasures, maintains, and develops the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China, and considers it an objective requirement, a strategic and long-term choice, and a top priority in the countrys diplomatic policy.

He and Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang hailed the results of the two nations bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Since 2004, China has always been Vietnams largest trade partner. The northern neighbor currently ranks fourth in terms of the foreign investment channeled into Vietnam and takes the lead in the number of projects in the Southeast Asian country.

In 2022, Vietnam became Chinas fourth-biggest trade partner in the world and the latters largest trade partner in ASEAN.

In January-October this year, the two countries two-way trade reached US$140 billion.

PM Chinh also suggested enhancing traffic connectivity between the two countries, including the upgrade of a railway connecting Chinas Kunming and Vietnams Lao Cai Province, Hanoi, and Hai Phong City.

The two sides need to restore disrupted supply chains, promote cross-border trade, facilitate goods clearance, and foster cooperation in e-commerce, the Vietnamese leader said.

He asked the Chinese authorities to actively coordinate with Vietnamese agencies to remove obstacles to some cooperation projects in Vietnam, such as the second phase of the Thai Nguyen iron and steel plant expansion project as well as the Ninh Binh and Ha Bac nitrogenous fertilizer plant projects in northern Vietnam in the spirit of 'harmonious benefits, shared risks.'

Chinese Minister Wang affirmed that Vietnam is an important trade partner of China. China wants to increase high-quality agricultural product imports from Vietnam.

He said that he would report PM Chinhs suggestions to higher Chinese agencies.

Weng also pledged to continue working closely with the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, relevant ministries, agencies and localities in Vietnam to effectively implement common perceptions and agreements reached by senior leaders of the two nations, while elevating their bilateral trade and investment ties to a new height.

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen (R) receives Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre

On the same day, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang also met with secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen, who said Wangs visit took place at a time when Vietnam and China are celebrating the 15th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Secretary Nen said there is ample room for the two sides cooperation.

He expected to boost the collaboration between Ho Chi Minh City  Vietnams largest economic hub  and Chinese localities.

Meanwhile, Minister Wang was impressed by Ho Chi Minh Citys strong economic growth and highly evaluated the economic and trade cooperation potential of Vietnam and China in the future.

He sought to bolster the partnership with Vietnam in green and digital economy.

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The management board and residents at an apartment building in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday caught a 1.7-meter-long python in the parking area of the property and handed it over to the city's wildlife rescue center the next day, head of the board told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday.

Nguyen Tan Vu, head of the management board of My Phuoc Apartment Building, said residents found the python weighing 4.8 kilograms in the parking area of Block C of the development.

The building management board and residents caught it and put the reptile in a temporary cage.

Where the python came from remained unknown, Vu said.

The management board asked the residents if there was the owner of the python among them. However, no one received the snake after one day.

The python is handed over to the wildlife rescue center under the Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department for further care. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

As a result, Vu contacted the wildlife rescue center under the Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department to hand over the python.

The center received the reptile on Thursday evening for further care.

Rangers determined that the snake is a Python bivittatus, which is among the wild animals of Group IIB in the list of rare and endangered forest species, as per Vietnamese law.

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Images of two non-native camels roaming a road in Cao Bang Province, northern Vietnam have gone viral on social media over the past few days.

A leader of the administration of Xuan Truong Commune in Bao Lac District, Cao Bang Province said on Sunday that the two camels were first discovered in the commune in February this year.

At the time, authorities informed local residents of the animals to seek their owner.

Up to date, no one has received them.

Border guards in Xuan Truong have taken care of them since then and daily let them graze in nature.

Camels are native to deserts in Asia and Northern Africa.

Early this month, residents in Duc Long Commune, located in Cao Bangs Thach An District, discovered four wallabies.

The wallabies -- which include three males and one female -- were brought from Australia by traffickers.

The marsupials, all of which are healthy and weigh between eight and nine kilograms, were later transported to the Hoang Lien Rescue and Conservation Center in Lao Cai Province, northern Vietnam.

"After arriving at the center, the wallabies will be raised in a semi-wild environment, with both indoor and outdoor areas," La Van Toi, director of the center, told AFP.

Residents of Cao Bang Province in northern Vietnam discovered the two camels in February 2023.

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Vietnams state-run lottery company Vietlott announced that the lottery draw held on Friday for the American-style Mega 6/45 jackpot resulted in a customer in Ho Chi Minh City winning over VND96 billion (US$4 million).

Vietlott told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the ticket held by the fortune seizer matched the number series 22-34-41-05-18-45 and was issued by an agent at 6 Block D of the Lac Long Quan Apartment Building in Ward 5, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City.

The winner will receive more than VND86.6 billion ($3.6 million) after paying VND9.6 billion ($395,633) in personal income tax, in accordance with regulations.

During the same lottery draw, Vietlott also announced 70 first prizes worth VND10 million ($412) each, over 45,000 second and third prizes worth VND300,000 ($12.4) and VND30,000 ($1.2), respectively, each.

According to Vietlott, more than 30 percent of its sales come from the Ho Chi Minh City market.

Over seven years of business, Vietlott has recorded nearly 350 individuals winning prizes worth over VND1 billion ($41,211) each and has paid around VND14 trillion ($577 million) to winners.

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Read what is in the news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen on Saturday hosted separate receptions for Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, who is in Vietnam for a working trip.

Society

-- Five students of a middle school in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam developed symptoms of lip numbness, dizziness, chest tightness, and shortness of breath after eating candies with wrappers featuring a foreign language on Saturday, the local administration reported the same day.

-- The management board and residents at an apartment building in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday caught a 1.7-meter-long python in the parking area of the apartment building and handed it over to the city's wildlife rescue center the next day, head of the management board told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday.

-- More than 40 elementary school students in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday morning visited the underground Ba Son Station in District 1 of the first metro line in the city and learned about the construction of metro lines.

-- A 39-year-old man in Vietnams Central Highlands province of Dak Nong on Wednesday used a gun and a knife to force his lover to commit suicide by drinking herbicide due to their love conflict, a local official said on Saturday.

-- Vietnams state-run lottery company Vietlott announced that the lottery draw held on Friday for the American-style Mega 6/45 jackpot resulted in a customer in Ho Chi Minh City winning over VND96 billion (US$4 million).

Lifestyle

-- A large number of people flocked to the French Residence in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday to join a Christmas charity market jointly held by the Consulates General of France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Sports

-- Leading Vietnamese and South Korean billiards players on Saturday began competing at the Hollywood Super Cup 2023, held in Ho Chi Minh City through Sunday.

World News

-- A fire tore through a shopping mall in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Saturday, killing 10 people, Reuters reported.

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More than 40 elementary school students in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday morning visited the underground Ba Son Station in District 1 of the first metro line and learned about the construction of metro lines.

The visit was part of a reading event held at the underground station, which was among the activities to celebrate 50 years of the Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.

The students expressed their excitement at the visit and expected the metro line to be put into operation soon.

More than 40 elementary school students in Ho Chi Minh City visited the underground Ba Son Station in District 1 of the citys first metro line on November 25, 2023.

"The space at the underground Ba Son Station is airy and clean," said Le Duy Khanh Ngoc, a student of Nguyen Binh Khiem Elementary School in District 1.

Through the activity today, I understand that the construction of a metro line requires high costs and many peoples efforts.

"I hope the metro line will be completed soon so that I can ride it.

The event helped broaden the students knowledge about metro lines -- a modern and friendly public transport mode -- thus developing the habit of using public transport in the future, according to Vu Minh Huyen, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR), the investor of the metro line project.

The students excitedly visit the underground station. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City, which stretches from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, is now 96.74 percent complete.

It was expected to be completed at the end of this year and start commercial operation in July 2024.

The 19.7-kilometer metro line includes 2.6 kilometers of underground railways and 17.1 kilometers of elevated tracks, carrying a price tag of VND43.7 trillion (US$1.8 billion).

It runs through three underground stations and 11 stops above the ground.

Some 1,500 Japanese and Vietnamese experts, engineers, and workers have been mobilized to execute the project.

They were provided with comic books and learned about the construction of metro lines. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The students go downstairs to reach the Ba Son Station. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The station is basically completed. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Photos of the metro line and the construction of the underground Ba Son Station are displayed at the station. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Responding to a students question about the time needed to develop a metro line, a MAUR representative said it would take a long time, at least five to six years. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The students expressed their excitement at the visit and hoped the metro line would come on stream soon. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

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Israel began releasing 39 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday following Hamas' release of 13 Israelis and four foreigners in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal, the Israeli military said, after the militant group initially delayed the exchange for several hours and claimed that Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal.

The Israeli military said the released hostages, including four Thais, had been transferred to Israel. They were being taken to hospitals for observation and to be reunited with their families.

Hamas released a video showing the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as masked militants led them to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants as they headed out of the besieged enclave.

Nurhan Awad received a heros welcome by hundreds of people at the Qalandia refugee camp near Jerusalem when she arrived shortly after her release. The woman was 17 in 2016 when she was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors.

Released Palestinian woman Shurouq Duwiyat arrived at her home in Jerusalem where joyous family members hugged and kissed her.

We send a message to our people in Gaza that we stand by your side and support you," Duwiyat told reporters inside her home.

Also in Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 after being convicted of carrying out separate attacks on Israelis.

Hundreds of Palestinians waited in the West Bank town of Beitunia for the arrival of additional prisoners.

The Israeli hostages released Saturday by Hamas included seven children and six women, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office announced. Most of the released hostages were from Kibbutz Beeri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their Oct. 7 cross-border attack , a spokesperson for the kibbutz said. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.

It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Beeri. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza.

The mother of one of the released hostages, 12-year-old Hila Rotem, remained in captivity, the spokesperson said.

Another, Emily Hand , is a girl whose father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage.

Residents of the kibbutz have been staying together at a Dead Sea hotel since the Oct. 7 attack. A large crowd gathered in a function room at the hotel late Saturday, cheering in excitement as they saw the first images of their loved ones being released.

One classmate of 18-year-old Noga Weiss said there was great excitement about her release.

I was very nervous when I heard about the delay. I thought something would happen, the classmate, identified as Zohar, told Channel 13 TV. It was a great relief when I saw her."

The last-minute delay had created a tense standoff on the second day of what's meant to be a four-day cease-fire. By nightfall, as the hostages should have emerged from Gaza, Hamas alleged that the aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough of it was reaching northern Gaza  the focus of Israel's ground offensive and main combat zone. Hamas also said not enough veteran prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.

This is putting the deal in danger, Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in Beirut. But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said obstacles had been overcome, and Hamas listed six women and 33 teenage boys it said were expected to be released by the Israelis.

While uncertainty around some details of the exchange remained, there was some optimism, too, amid earlier scenes of joyous families reuniting on both sides.

On the first day of the cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino .

Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners, during the four-day truce  all women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed  something U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.

Biden spoke Saturday with Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani of Qatar, the White House said, to discuss hurdles to the release of the hostages.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas . Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

We want to find them and bury them in dignity, he said.

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food , water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (34,078 gallons) of fuel  just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume  as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

I wish it could be extended until people's conditions improved, he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.

The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Late Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, hours after another raid in the same area killed the local governors 25-year-old son.

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was also killed by Israeli fire near the city of Ramallah. The Israeli army, which frequently conducts military raids aimed at local militant groups, did not immediately comment.

In Tel Aviv, several thousand people packed a central square called the square of the hostages, awaiting news of the second release.

Dont forget the others because its getting harder, harder and harder. Its heartbreaking, said Neri Gershon, a Tel Aviv resident. Some families have accused Netanyahus government of not doing enough to bring hostages home.

In the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank, the family of 16-year-old Wael Mesheh was frantically getting the house ready for his homecoming as part of the second swap. We are going to hug him so tight," his mother, Hanadi Mesheh, said by phone.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

The war erupted when several thousand Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages, including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.

We will return immediately at the end of the cease-fire to attacking in Gaza, operating in Gaza, Herzi Halevi, Israeli chief of staff, told soldiers.

Israeli leaders have said they won't stop until Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for the past 16 years, is crushed. Israeli officials have argued that only military pressure can bring the hostages home. But the government is under pressure from hostages' families to prioritize the release of the remaining captives.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where communications have broken down. (AP)
The Consulate General of France opened its doors to welcome approximately 2,000 people attending the first European Christmas Market in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday.

About 15 minutes before the opening time at 4:00 pm, a large crowd had already formed a line outside the French Consulate General at 6 Le Duan Boulevard in District 1, eager to participate in the inaugural Christmas Market.

The event, conceived by the Consulate General of Germany, in collaboration with the consulates of France, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands, was aimed at bringing the festive atmosphere of Christmas in Europe to Ho Chi Minh City.

Guests entering the French consulate did not need prior registration but they were required to purchase tickets at VND30,000 (US$1.24) each.

The event generated a total of VND150,000,000 ($6,180) in ticket revenue.

This amount will be divided equally among five charities operating in Vietnam: Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe e.V., E-ducare, Ho Chi Minh City Heart Institute, Ba Chieu Shelter, and Song Foundation.

In her opening speech, Emmanuelle Pavillon Grosser, Consul General of France, emphasized the event's aim of sharing the Christmas spirit with the people of Vietnam.

"The event required coordination among the consulates, despite differences in language and culture," explained Grosser.

The diplomat told Tuoi Tre News that after reading an article in the newspaper, she personally visited the largest Christmas market in the city on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in District 5) to shop for decorations for the event.

"It was my first time exploring such a Christmas market here, she said.

I found it challenging to choose a decoration because there were so many options.

From left: The consuls general of France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands. All five consuls general took turns saying Merry Christmas in their own language. Photo: Hai Quynh / Tuoi Tre News

According to the organizers, this market had approximately 18 booths offering various souvenirs and foods from different countries.

The event also included a workshop on coffee brewing techniques.

Amidst the sounds of choirs, many people from various countries joined in singing Christmas songs.

Nguyen Thi Hang told Tuoi Tre News that she brought her two children to help them understand foreign cultures.

Duy, a resident of Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City and an alumnus of France, participated in the market to revisit some memories from her time in France.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre News, she noted that this market almost recreated the atmosphere of France.

"The only difference is that it's quite hot in Ho Chi Minh City, whereas its very cold in France, Duy said.

That's the only distinction.

A special highlight of the event was the horse riding activity for children.

Three horses of different colors were available for children to ride, with tickets priced at VND50,000 ($2.06) for a three-minute experience.

This activity proved to be a favorite among the youngsters.

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Ukrenergos heroic response thwarts power crisis after drone strike

Following a massive Shahed drone attack on Ukraine on Nov. 25, critical power transmission lines supplying electricity to the capital were damaged, raising fears of potential power disruptions during the repair process, state energy company Ukrenergo CEO, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi said on national television.

Several powerful transmission lines that supply electricity to Kyiv and the surrounding cities were damaged and disconnected during the night due to this dense and highly powerful Shahed attack, said Kudrytskyi. As a result, there were risks that we could implement certain restrictions on power supply during the restoration period of these lines.

Read also:

Fortunately, Ukrenergo successfully averted any scheduled power outages this time, Kudrytskyi said. He expressed gratitude to the dispatchers for managing the situation and acknowledged the swift response of the repair teams in restoring vital lines without causing inconvenience to the public over the weekend.

Read also: UA repels 71 of 75 attack drones  mostly over Kyiv  in Russias largest drone attack of the war

As of now, two high-voltage transmission lines damaged during the overnight attack have resumed operation, eliminating the current threat of consumer disconnections.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Nov. 25, marking the most extensive drone attack by Russia on Ukraine since the onset of the full-scale invasion. Russian forces deployed 75 Shahed drones, with approximately 60 targeting Kyiv. Air defenses successfully destroyed 74 out of the 75 targets.

In response to the attack, Kyiv implemented emergency power outages to mitigate potential risks. Ukrenergo continues to monitor and manage the situation to ensure a stable power supply to the region.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
HA NOI  Director Bui Thac Chuyen and the crew of Tro Tan Ruc Ro (Glorious Ashes) have won various awards at the 23rd Viet Nam National Film Festival which took place last in a Lat City, the Central Highlands province of Lam ong.

The film was honoured at the closing ceremony held on Saturday night in a Lat for winning this year's Golden Lotus Awards in the categories of Feature Film, Music, Cinematography and Director.

Actor Le Cong Hoang who plays character Duong in the film has also won the Supporting Actor Award.

This is also a Vietnamese film selected for the 2024 Oscar competition.

Last year, the film won the top award at the Festival des 3 Continents 2022 in Nantes, France. Based on a novel by popular writer Nguyen Ngoc Tu, the film unveils relationships between three women and their partners in a southern seaside village.

Prior to Tro Tan Ruc Ro, Chuyen created many successful films with rave reviews such as Song Trong So Hai (Living in Fear), Choi Voi (Adrift) and Loi Nguyen Huyet Ngai (Blood Curse).

His documentary about ordinary people during the COVID-19 pandemic, entitled Khong So Hai (No Fear), won the Silver Kite Award in the Documentary Category of Viet Nam's Golden Kite Awards 2021.

Tro Tan Ruc Ro was among 16 motion pictures competing for Golden Lotus Awards at the 23rd Viet Nam National Film Festival. The movies are made by both State-owned and private studios, and include international award winners and the current highest grossing movies.

at Rung phuong Nam (Song of the South), one of the most invested films, was a strong contender for the award but did not win any category at the festival.

The film directed by Quang Dung with a budget of VN40 billion, received mixed praise and criticism and earned a budget of nearly VN150 billion.

This is the first year a Lat hosts the national film festival. The event coincided with the citys 130th anniversary. a Lat has also just joined UNESCO's network of creative cities in terms of music.

According to Vi Kien Thanh, director of the Cinema Department and head of the film festival organising board, this year the event attracted more than 5,000 viewers watching live, and 500,000 watching on digital platforms.

Speaking at the awarding ceremony on Saturday, the director revealed the festival had drawn the participation of 177 films, the highest number. Feature films had improved artistic and professional skills, while cartoons, documentaries and scientific films all have reached high quality standards.  VNS
Cases of respiratory illnesses have been surging in northern China, particularly among children, sparking speculation online of a new pandemic threat four years after COVID-19 first emerged in the country.

However Chinese health authorities have said the rising infections are a mix of already known viruses and are linked to the country's first full cold season after strict COVID restrictions were lifted last December.

And while emphasizing that the full situation remains unclear, experts say there is little to suggest the cases were caused by a new virus.

Here is what we know so far.

What and where?

On Nov. 13, China's National Health Commission reported a surge of respiratory illnesses, mostly in children.

Chinese authorities have attributed the rising cases to the end of COVID restrictions, the arrival of the cold season, and the circulation of known pathogens including influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS-CoV-2  the virus that causes Covid.

On Monday, the public disease surveillance system ProMED  which once issued an early warning about mysterious pneumonia cases that turned out to be COVID  reported that some Chinese hospitals were "overwhelmed with sick children" due to a pneumonia outbreak.

This outbreak was said to be mainly in the capital Beijing, but also in the northeastern Liaoning province and other areas in China.

Symptoms included fever, lung inflammation without a cough, and pulmonary nodules  lumps on lungs that are usually the result of a past infection. No deaths have been reported.

At a children's hospital in Beijing on Thursday, several parents told AFP their children had mycoplasma pneumonia, which is a common cause of pneumonia in children that is readily treated with antibiotics.

What do China and WHO say?

The report triggered memories of the pandemic, with social media users fearing "a new virus coming from China," or a "new COVID."

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization  which repeatedly criticized Beijing for a lack of transparency throughout the COVID pandemic  requested more information from China about children suffering from "undiagnosed pneumonia."

Beijing responded on Thursday, saying "there has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens," according to a WHO statement.

The WHO has requested more information, noting that China closely monitors trends in viruses such as the flu, RSV and SARS-CoV-2.

China also started monitoring mycoplasma pneumonia for the first time in mid-October, the WHO added.

The WHO said that "there is limited detailed information available to fully characterize the overall risk of these reported cases of respiratory illness in children."

However an increase in such illnesses was to be expected with the arrival of winter, it added.

What do the experts think?

Several experts pointed to winter's arrival, the end of COVID restrictions, and a lack of prior immunity in children as likely being behind the surging infections.

"Since China experienced a far longer and harsher lockdown than essentially any other country on Earth, it was anticipated that those 'lockdown exit' waves could be substantial in China," said Francois Balloux of University College London.

Unless there is new evidence suggesting otherwise, "there is no reason to suspect the emergence of a novel pathogen," he added.

Paul Hunter of the UK's University of East Anglia emphasized that "at present there is too little information to make a definitive diagnosis."

However "overall, this does not sound to me like an epidemic due to a novel virus," he added.

"If it was, I would expect to see many more infections in adults. The few infections reported in adults suggest existing immunity from a prior exposure."

Catherine Bennett of Australia's Deakin University pointed out that "young children in school in China will have spent up to half their life without the usual exposure to common pathogens, and so do not have the same levels of immunity."

Are there any recommendations?

The WHO recommended that people in the affected areas follow the normal rules to avoid respiratory illnesses.

These include getting vaccinated, isolating if symptoms emerge, and getting tested or wearing masks if necessary.

Based on the current information, the WHO advised against any travel restrictions involving China. (AFP)
HA NOI  President Vo Van Thuong, his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of Viet Nam left Ha Noi on November 26 for a four-day official visit to Japan at the invitation of the Japanese State.

This is the first visit to Japan by President Thuong and the fourth trip to the East Asian country by Vietnamese Presidents since the two countries established diplomatic ties 50 years ago.

President Thuong and his spouse are accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, Chairman of the Presidential Office Le Khanh Hai, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defence Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of Public Security Tran Quoc To, and Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, among others.

This year marks the 50th founding anniversary of Viet Nam-Japan diplomatic relations and the 9th anniversary of the upgrade of the bilateral relationship to an extensive strategic partnership.  VNS
HCM CITY  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked agencies to remove obstacles and create favourable conditions for HCM City to develop quickly and sustainably.

Speaking at the conference with city leaders on Sunday, he said that HCM City had an important position and role, distinct potential, outstanding opportunities, competitive advantages and large space for development.

After more than four months of implementing the National Assembly (NA)s Resolution 98/2023/QH15, the thinking, awareness, and approach to the development of the city have been innovated and enhanced, creating motivation, the PM said.

He pointed out that concerned ministries, agencies and the city be more confident in promoting HCM City's socio-economic development higher and higher.

The PM requested leaders of some ministries to be more proactive and stronger while implementing the resolution.

Coordination between ministries and the city should be closer, more timely and more effective.

The way to solve problems needs to be more comprehensive, determined and drastic, he stressed.

Regarding key tasks and solutions in the future, PM Chinh asked HCM City to deploy specific policies, explore potentials and advantages as well as exploit its strategic location.

He requested the city promote administrative procedure reforms, research and propose policies to support and encourage investment in the city to create favourable conditions for domestic and foreign-invested enterprises.

PM Chinh assigned the Ministry of Finance to quickly complete documents about loan interest with reasonable profits, payment methods and regulations for exempting corporate income tax and personal income tax related to innovation and start-up activities.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for soon completing dossiers about election, recruitment, management and use of civil servants working in communes and towns and ward officials of the city.

Regarding rooftop solar power systems installation, the PM assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to preside over and coordinate with other ministries to implement the instructions of Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha's Notice No 461/TB-VPCP on November 8 this year.

The notice guided policies to install rooftop solar power in people's houses, offices, and industrial parks.

The plan should be completed and submitted to the Government before the end of December.

He required the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to preside and work with concerned agencies to widely research and supplement construction planning for the Can Gio International Transshipment Port.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment will develop a project on building a regional and international financial centre in HCM City and submit it to the PM for consideration.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will work with HCM City to decide the city's poverty standard.

Regarding the budget for large works and projects, PM Chinh requested the city coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to select proposed key projects.

Ministries, organisations and localities should support HCM City in arranging funds to implement urban railway projects and promote regional connection projects such as expanding HCM City-Trung Luong Expressway and HCM City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway.

He agreed to pilot a policy system to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship for HCM City.

In particular, considering that the Sai Gon River is an invaluable asset bestowed by nature, PM Chinh asked HCM City and relevant orgaisations to prepare a master plan for socio-economic development associated with protecting the landscape and ecological environment along the Sai Gon River.

The NAs Resolution No 98/2023/QH15 has 44 policies in seven majors including 27 new policies applied specifically to HCM City.

They are in the fields of investment management, finance and state budget, urban, natural resources and environmental management, priority industries, science and technology management, innovation, and Thu uc City management.  VNS
HCM CITY  The Vietnamese Party and State consistently treasures, maintains and wants to develop the Viet Nam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, considering it an objective requirement, a strategic, long-term choice and a top priority in the countrys foreign policy, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said.

PM Chinh was speaking at a reception in Ho Chi Minh City on November 25 for Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and a delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce who are paying a working visit to Viet Nam and attend the 12th Meeting of the Viet Nam-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee.

The host and guest expressed their delight at the results of bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Since 2004, China has always been the biggest trading partner of Viet Nam. Among foreign investors in Viet Nam, China currently ranks fourth in terms of capital and first in the number of new projects.

In 2022, Viet Nam became the fourth biggest trading partner of China in the world according to national criteria, and the biggest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In the first 10 months of 2023, two-way trade reached almost 140 billion USD.

Highly evaluating the coordination and cooperation between the two ministries of trade, especially in dealing with difficulties and obstacles in economic ties, PM Chinh proposed the Chinese Ministry of Commerce continue working closely with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, ministries and sectors of Viet Nam to deploy practical measures to expand bilateral trade in a more sustainable and balanced way.

The two sides need to restore disrupted supply chains; review signed documents and study the upgrade and signing of new cooperation agreements; promote the establishment of cross-border trade areas; and enhance infrastructure connectivity to boost economic connection, including waterway and seaport connectivity and studying the building of a high-speed railway route between the two nations, he suggested.

The PM also proposed the two sides strengthen links and ensure the smooth flow of goods supply chains in the fields of agriculture and industry; and encourage leading Chinese enterprises with high, energy-saving and environmentally-friendly technologies to expand investment in Viet Nam.

The government leader also suggested China expand its import of high-quality agricultural products from Viet Nam such as aquatic products and milk; assist the building of trademarks for products and fields of Viet Nam's strength in the Chinese market; help Vietnamese goods to penetrate deeper into Chinas localities and retail system; create favourable conditions in customs clearance for Vietnamese goods to enter the Chinese market; coordinate with Viet Nam to effectively carry out trade promotion activities in each country; and accelerate the establishment of Viet Nams trade promotion offices in Chinese localities.

In particular, PM Chinh requested China discuss and coordinate with Vietnamese agencies to completely settle pending issues in a number of industrial cooperation projects in the spirit of harmonising interests and sharing risks.

Wang agreed with PM Chinhs proposals and the minister said he would report them to Party and State leaders of China.

The minister pledged to work closely with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, ministries, sectors and localities of Viet Nam to effectively implement common perceptions and agreements reached by senior leaders of the two Parties and nations, and deepen bilateral trade and investment ties.

Wang also proposed Viet Nam continue to create favourable conditions for Chinese investors in Viet Nam; enhance multilateral cooperation; and join hands in boosting regional economic linkages, including the upgrade of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement. VNS
By Thanh Nga

Known as the land of bamboo and rattan wickerwork, Phu Vinh Village has preserved the essence of a craft village through its exquisite products.

With love, passion and creativity, artisans continue the traditional art of weaving and breathe new life into rustic products, creating unique artworks that are highly acclaimed worldwide.

The village is located in Chuong My District, approximately 30km southwest of Ha Noi centre.

As we visit Phu Vinh on a brisk morning, we are enchanted by its peaceful scenery. Despite the passage of time, the village still retains the timeless beauty of a Vietnamese village, with charming old houses, moss-covered communal house roofs, and long-standing workshops, where craftspersons diligently work to create their masterpieces.

Phu Vinh villagers have been proud of their ancient craft, with a history spanning nearly 400 years.

Originally known as Phu Hoa Trang, meaning "God blessed people with skilful hands", the village's inhabitants possess remarkable weaving skills.

From one generation to the next, they have maintained their deep connection to bamboo and rattan, mastering the artistry and understanding the unique properties of these plants. Consequently, the craftsmanship has flourished, becoming an integral part of the village's rich tradition.

Phu Vinh is celebrated for producing high-quality bamboo and rattan wicker products in a staggering variety of types and designs. These include household utensils and furniture, decorations, as well as souvenir and gift items.

"I have been in this profession for about fifty years. Like other artisans, I inherited a treasure trove of weaving techniques from our ancestors. Our generation simply refines and improves these techniques to create more intricate products. We continue to uphold the traditional working style of our ancestors," artisan Nguyen Van Tinh told Viet Nam News.

"We constantly engage in research and innovation to craft more beautiful and competitive products. Each item is cherished because it is our brainchild."

As the owner of the Viet Quang Rattan and Bamboo Wickerwork company, one of the oldest workshops in the village, Tinh believes that their love for their craft and appreciation for their creations stem from the village's enduring tradition.

According to Tinh, their attention to detail and commitment to making sophisticated and high-quality products have allowed Viet Quang to conquer the market. The company has received nearly 20 four-star OCOP (One Commune One [Speciality] Product) certifications and won numerous first prizes in contests organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Artisan Nguyen Phuong Quang, Tinh's son, emphasised, "We combine traditional methods with modern knowledge in designing new products with unique types to cater to tourism and export."

Handcrafted by skilled workers and infused with a passion for their profession, each Phu Vinh product bears the mark of the individual artisan and the spirit of the homeland.

Thanks to the artisans' creativity, rattan and bamboo wicker vases, coasters, trays, and chairs adorned with beautiful patterns have come to life. The fruits of their creative labour have sustained many families and generations in this traditional craft.

"Established during the COVID-19 pandemic, when exporting faced challenges, we shifted our focus to producing environmentally friendly products that emphasise high aesthetic value and creativity. Despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, we remain committed to our craft," Hoang Van Hanh, the director of the Viet Rattan and Bamboo Wickerwork Company, said.

Hanh's family has a long-standing tradition of crafting bamboo and rattan wicker products.

"My father used to craft bamboo and rattan wicker products for King Bao ai, such as fans and rattan beds. As the eighth child in the family, I learned the craft from a young age, guided by my parents. As I grew older, I expanded my craftsmanship through interactions with my brothers, friends and colleagues," he said.

Hanh's oval tea table recently won two first prizes in Vietnamese craft village competitions.

"The tea table showcases the traditional six-sided lattice weaving style. However, through extensive study, I developed a new 3D knitting style," Hanh explained.

Constantly researching and innovating, Hanh's workshop has successfully blended ceramics and rattan, infusing new vitality and adding value to traditional bamboo and rattan wicker products.

"I want to combine the products of two traditional craft villages, ceramics and rattan wickerwork, to create something new, so that bamboo and rattan products can be upgraded," said Nguyen Thi Han, the wife of Hanh.

Thanks to this creativity, many products from Hanh's household workshop have been exported overseas, including China, England, France, Germany and the US.

The artisans in Phu Vinh are not limited to creating household objects or decorations; they can also skilfully portray human figures through rattan portraits.

Nguyen Van Trung is a leading artisan in this field. With enthusiasm, passion and deft hands, Trung has earned high appreciation from customers for his rattan wicker portraits.

Weaving paintings using fine rattan threads is challenging, and depicting a person's portrait is even more difficult. Carefully refining each slender rattan and bamboo thread, employing up to 15-16 weaving styles, artisans weave the intricate artwork. Furthermore, using only two colours - black and white - the rattan weavers must research, calculate, and knit in a way that captures the soul of the character.

"If the painting is beautiful but doesn't resemble the character, it's useless. If it resembles the character but lacks soul, it's also useless," Trung said.

Tradition runs deep in Phu Vinh. According to Tinh, who is also the vice chairman of the Phu Vinh Rattan and Bamboo Craft Village Association, everyone born in the village knows how to make rattan and bamboo wickerwork.

In the past, all households in the village were involved in the craft. Currently about 90 per cent of the villagers continue the trade, and Phu Vinh artisans have spread their skills to many other provinces and cities in Viet Nam. The village is home to 19 nationally recognised master artisans.

"I was born and raised in the village. My brothers and sisters all do this job. We don't have to work outdoors in the sun or rain, and that's why we love our job even more," said 62-year-old Nguyen Thi Nguyet.

"I am very fortunate to live in Phu Vinh. My husband's family has this ancient craft, and everyone in the family has dedicated themselves to supporting and teaching me in the profession. Later, I developed my own ideas, specialising in jewellery, household utensils, and interior decorations. Some of my products have even won national prizes," Han said. VNS
The international Cantonese dim sum master chef has enjoyed more than 30 years of dim sum mastery. He joined Sheraton Saigons in-house team of culinarians to host an innovative dim sum pairing concept, serving up authentic Cantonese cuisine that spotlights quality ingredients and time-honoured techniques.

The talented chef presented the delicious delicacy during the Straight Outta Guangdong held at Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers.

Abalone siew mai

Ingredients:

- Dry abalone: 8gr

- Shrimp (peeled): 25gr

- Pork fillet (seed-shaped pork fillet): 25gr

- Rendered pork lard: 12gr

- Salt: 1gr

- MSG: 2gr

- Sugar: 3gr

- Chicken powder: 1gr

- Black pepper, sesame oil and topica: 1gr

- Corn starch: 2gr

- Siew mai wrapper: 2gr

Preparation:

- Soak dry abalone in water for 24 hours, then soak it in boiling water until soft

- Add the abalone sauce for cooking

- Stir in spices and refrigerate for two hours

- Take the shrimp meat, pork fillet and minced pork lard. Mix them well with sugar, salt, sesame oil, corn starch, MSG, and chicken powder.

- Refrigerate the mixture for two hours to allow the flavours to blend.

- Use the siew mai wrapper to wrap the filling and place the abalone on top. Steam for 10 minutes before serving

- Put the siew mai in the bamboo basket and steam for 10 minutes and enjoy. VNS
On November 23, Invest Gains Viet Nam Co., Ltd., Coro's partner in Vietnam that is inclusive of Vinh Phuc Energy, has agreed to sell 7.5 per cent of its 15 per cent equity interest in Coro Renewables VN1 JSC, which is the holding company for Coro's investments in Vietnam.

This includes Coro Renewables Vietnam Co., Ltd., which holds an operational 3MW rooftop solar project.

The total value of this transaction is approximately $290,000, based on the current exchange rate, consisting of an immediate cash payment of $100,000.

The initial tranche of shares will be issued when the company has secured sufficient authority from its shareholders at the next AGM, likely to be in June 2024, or at an earlier General Meeting.

Michael Carrington, managing director of Renewables at Coro commented, "Following our recent restructuring with our partner in the Philippines, we are delighted to announce a similar restructuring in Vietnam. This transaction, timed as we move towards finalising our previously announced Vietnam funding arrangements with a view to initiating our rollout of the 50MW rooftop solar project, increases Coro's equity in the Vietnamese business and aligns our partners with Coro's shareholders."

In October, Coro also signed an MoU with Mobile World Investment Corporation to install rooftop solar systems across their Vietnamese portfolio. The MoU grants Coro exclusivity on an initial 900 company sites (estimated at 50MW of rooftop solar capacity) in the central and southern regions of Vietnam.

Coro Energy enters Vietnamese renewable energy market Coro Energy Plc., a London-based gas explorer, has signed a deal to become an independent power producer in the fast-growing Vietnamese energy market.

Coro Energy negotiating to purchase 3.25MW portfolio of leased rooftop solar in Vietnam Coro Energy Plc., a Southeast Asian energy company with a natural gas and clean energy portfolio, has begun exclusive negotiations to purchase a portfolio of leased rooftop solar projects in Vietnam with a combined generating capacity of 3.25MW.
This move marks the end of a four-year presence in a market characterised by intense competition and economic headwinds.

The company conveyed a poignant farewell to its customers, "Baemin will always cherish the affection, preference, and support you have bestowed on us throughout our four-year tenure in Vietnam. We are honoured to have been part of your culinary experiences."

This strategic exit, as detailed in communications to its partner restaurants, is a response to the global economic difficulties and the cut-throat competition in the local market. Baemin has committed to fulfilling all its financial obligations and reimbursing prepaid advertising and marketing expenditures for December.

Baemin entered the Vietnamese market in June 2019, starting in Ho Chi Minh City. It quickly made its mark with innovative and engaging advertising campaigns, offering a suite of services beyond rapid food delivery, including grocery shopping and online retail.

Operated by Woowa Brothers Vietnam, a joint venture between South Korea's top food delivery firm Woowa Brothers and Germany's Delivery Hero, a global leader in food-tech, Baemin carved out a niche in a diverse market. However, sustaining its operations in Vietnam's challenging delivery market proved difficult.

Earlier this year, the company's executives hinted at scaling back due to mounting operational hurdles.

Niklas Ostberg, co-founder and CEO of parent company Delivery Hero, had previously indicated to Reuters that its Vietnamese venture had never turned a profit, despite a generally optimistic outlook for the company in the Asian market.

According to a report by Momentum Works, as of last year, Grab dominated Vietnam's food delivery sector with a 45 per cent market share, closely followed by ShopeeFood at 41 per cent. Baemin had only managed to secure around 12 per cent of the market.

Baemin Vietnam trims operations amid intense market competition Baemin Vietnam is allegedly reducing its scale and staff in Vietnam, pointing to the intense and unprofitable market conditions in a region brimming with high consumer expectations and fierce competition.

Participants in food delivery bemoan hiked commissions The high commission rate for food delivery platforms is frustrating both store owners and drivers.
A 2020 Waco shooting death is set for trial for the third time in Wacos 19th State District Court on Monday.

McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens said last week his prosecutors have prepped the case against Courtney ONeil Washington, 29, of Waco, in the July 13, 2020, shooting death of Larry Bryant Jr., 50, for trial the third time.

After two prior mistrials, Washington remains under indictment in Bryants fatal shooting at his garage apartment in the 2600 block of Sanger Avenue.

Judge Thomas West of Wacos 19th State District Court declared both prior mistrials.

He declared the first mistrial June 21, the second day of trial, after a state crime lab returned significant evidence to prosecutors at the end of the prior day. The first day of the trial included jury selection and opening statements, but no witnesses took the stand before the late evidence arrived. Both defense attorneys and prosecutors need time to consider the evidence and adjust their trial strategies.

West declared the second mistrial July 20 after full presentation of testimony and evidence, closing arguments, and nine hours of jury deliberations. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on guilt or acquittal, and Washington returned to McLennan County Jail, where he has remained since.

In the July trial, both McLennan County Assistant District Attorney Will Hix and defense attorney Nora Farah called witnesses from McLennan County Jail. One of the states witnesses said she was high and drunk at the time of the shooting. The defense witness told the jury he did not actually see the shooting.

One of the states witnesses who came from jail to testify at the second trial, Rolanda Bridgewater, told the jury she was in the room and high on methamphetamines, marijuana and alcohol at the time of the shooting. Bridgewater said she was 12 to 15 feet away and is sure she saw Washington shoot Bryant. She said she knew Washington before the shooting.

Another of the states witnesses, Corey Walker, told the jury in the second trial he was 8 feet away and not intoxicated at the time of the shooting. He told the jury he saw that the shooter matched Washingtons height and build but said he did not see the shooters face.

Farah called one witness in Washingtons defense during the second trial, Jujuan Mantrel Johnson, who also came from jail. Johnson told the jury he was not in the room and did not see the shooting but had been at the apartment earlier in the day.

After the second jury deliberated about 9 hours, they remained deadlocked and could not agree on a unanimous verdict of guilt or acquittal, and West declared a mistrial.

For the third trial, jury selection is expected Monday.
ASHKELON, Israel  Tatyana Prima thought she'd left the bombs behind when she fled Ukraine more than a year and a half ago, after Russia decimated her city, Mariupol. The 38-year-old escaped with her injured husband and young daughter, bringing the family to safety in southern Israel.

The calm she was slowly regaining shattered again on Oct. 7, when Hamas militants invaded.

All these sounds of war that we hear now, they sometimes work as a trigger that brings back memories of what we've gone through in Mariupol, she said. "Its hard feeling like that youre the one responsible for your child, the one who wants whats best for them, and in some way like youve failed them.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, more than 45,000 Ukrainians have sought refuge in Israel, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics and aid groups. Like Prima, most of them were slowly picking up the pieces of their lives and finding ways to cope when the war in Israel erupted. Now they are reliving their trauma. Some have left Israel, but many remain  refusing to again flee a war. Most have lost in-person support systems due to restrictions around gatherings. Others have lost hope of reuniting with loved ones they left behind.

On Oct. 7, when Hamas militants attacked, killing some 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages, Prima awoke to the sound of alarms. She lives in the coastal city of Ashkelon, a few miles from the Gaza Strip. The thud of airstrikes and shelling is constant as Israel pushes forward with its offensive. She describes it as deja vu, reminding her of the morning in Mariupol that forever changed her life.

Mariupol has been one of Ukraine's hardest-hit cities, besieged and bombarded for weeks as people scrounged for food, water and heat and were cut off from the world with no telecommunications. During the war's early weeks, Prima cooked over an outdoor fire, used snow for drinking water, and sheltered with a dozen relatives on the outskirts of the city, she said.

But the shelling intensified, and rockets fell around them. After her husband's hand was blown off fetching water, she decided to leave.

That day marked a descent into hell," she said.

The family joined a convoy of cars fleeing the city, passing corpses as black ash fell from airstrikes. They went through countless Russian checkpoints and by April 2022 arrived in Israel, where her husband's relatives lived in Ashkelon. Many Ukrainians live in the countrys south. Theres a large Russian-speaking community, and rent is often lower than in bigger, central cities.

Ashkelon residents were accustomed to occasional rockets from Gaza, but attacks have surged in the war. Air raid sirens are a constant sound. While most rockets are intercepted, about 80 have landed since the war in populated areas or empty fields, accounting for nearly one-third of all Hamas rocket incidents in Israel, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Shelling sounds remind Prima of her agony in Ukraine, yet she remains stoic when speaking about Israel's war, convinced the army and the country's Iron Dome defense system will protect her family.

But the war has intensified feelings of isolation, she said. Her community support groups have moved online  in-person gatherings are restricted to buildings with bomb shelters because of the threat of attacks.

"There is this tremendous hopelessness that these people are facing, said Dr. Koen Sevenants, a mental health specialist with experience in conflict zones. Sevenants and other experts warn that when people who haven't fully recovered from a traumatic incident are revictimized, the triggering event can often be worse, with risk for depression and anxiety.

Refugee organizations have adapted some of their programs, providing financial assistance and bringing food to people who don't feel safe leaving their homes. But they can't do it all, said Rabbi Olya Weinstein of Project Kesher, which helps some 6,000 people who fled the war in Ukraine and brings families groceries or provides food vouchers.

Under rockets, its very hard to be available for everyone, said Weinstein, who hears people's concerns for the future. Theyre asking what will happen  what will happen with Israel, will we remain here forever, will we remain alive, what will happen to our kids?

Some Ukrainians have been forced to move within Israel since the war began. About 100 children sheltering at a Jewish home in Ashkelon fled soon after Hamas attacked to the center of the country, said Yael Eckstein, of The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a philanthropic organization that supports the children. Other Ukrainians are trapped in Gaza, with 160 evacuated so far, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It was the second time they were forced from their home in less than two years  they fled a city near Ukraines capital and evacuated to Israel during the early weeks of that war. They're struggling to process everything, Eckstein said, with one asking: "Since hes now living in a war zone, why can't he go back to Ukraine?

Photos: Scenes from the Israel-Hamas war